United States Court of Appeals, Fourth Circuit. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, Plaintiff - Appellee, v. AH-SHAY NICHOLSON, Defendant - Appellant. No. 16-4706 Decided: June 23, 2017

Before SHEDD, DUNCAN, and FLOYD, Circuit Judges. Thomas P. McNamara, Federal Public Defender, Stephen C. Gordon, Assistant Federal Public Defender, Raleigh, North Carolina, for Appellant. Jennifer P. May-Parker, Assistant United States Attorney, Raleigh, North Carolina, for Appellee.

Ah-Shay Nicholson pleaded guilty, pursuant to a written plea agreement, to damaging or destroying, by means of fire or an explosive, a building owned or possessed by an organization receiving federal financial assistance, in violation of 18 U.S.C.  844(f)(1) (2012). On appeal, Nicholson's counsel has filed a brief pursuant to Anders v. California, 386 U.S. 738 (1967), questioning the district court's calculation of the Sentencing Guidelines range. The Government has moved to dismiss on the basis of the appeal waiver contained in Nicholson's plea agreement. For the reasons that follow, we grant the motion and dismiss the appeal.

We conclude that the appeal waiver contained in Nicholson's plea agreement is valid, as he entered it knowingly and intelligently. See United States v. Manigan, 592 F.3d 621, 627 (4th Cir. 2010). An appeal waiver generally is enforceable if the record establishes that the waiver is valid and that the issue being appealed is within the scope of the waiver. United States v. Thornsbury, 670 F.3d 532, 537 (4th Cir. 2012) (internal quotation marks omitted).

Nicholson waived the right to appeal his conviction and any sentence imposed within the Guidelines range established at sentencing. The district court calculated the Guidelines term to be 60 months, the statutory minimum, see 18 U.S.C.  844(f)(1), and sentenced Nicholson accordingly. Nicholson's challenge to the calculation of the Guidelines range is therefore precluded by his valid appeal waiver.

In accordance with Anders, we have reviewed the entire record in this case for any potentially meritorious issues that might fall outside the scope of the waiver and have found none. We therefore grant the Government's motion and dismiss the appeal. This court requires that counsel inform Nicholson, in writing, of the right to petition the Supreme Court of the United States for further review. If Nicholson requests that a petition be filed, but counsel believes that such a petition would be frivolous, then counsel may move in this court for leave to withdraw from representation. Counsel's motion must state that a copy thereof was served on Nicholson.

We dispense with oral argument because the facts and legal contentions are adequately presented in the materials before this court and argument would not aid the decisional process.

DISMISSED

PER CURIAM:
There is a special park for turtles in the northern province of Ninh Binh.

Some of the types of turtles that are kept there are in danger of disappearing forever.

People from Germany come to the park to help look after the turtles and make sure that their eggs hatch.

They love Viet Nams environment and landscape but they worry that many buildings are being built and that one day it may not be as easy to feel close to nature as it is now.

By Le Huong & Hong Van

Taking trays containing freshly ground paste of vegetables and fruit, Lina V. Wedel and Simon Brauburger head for nearby enclosures to feed the turtles, one of the important tasks they perform every morning.

They chat while putting the trays in the feeding areas, without forgetting to take a quick look at the turtles swimming in the small ponds or crawling on the banks.

The Cuc Phuong Turtle Conservation Centre (TCC) in Cuc Phuong National Park is home to some 1,000 turtles of 30 domestic and foreign species. The park is in the northern province of Ninh Binh, some 120km east of Ha Noi.

Wedel takes a deep breath, filling her lungs with the moist air of the forest in the early morning.

She and Brauburger have been working at the centre as volunteers for nine months so far. Every single day, they learn new and interesting things.

Today they find two new eggs on the ground in the enclosure of a black-breasted leaf turtle, the smallest turtle species in Viet Nam.

Wedel gently places the eggs in a box filled with vermiculite (a kind of soft material facilitating incubation) to bring them to a room for measurement while Brauburger takes photos. The eggs are then carefully marked with a pencil before being put in the incubation room.

Its not the first time that Ive gathered turtle eggs, she tells Viet Nam News, But I still get really excited when there are new ones. This means that the turtles are doing well and that well probably have some more individuals of turtle species that are almost extinct in the wild.

They continue their busy morning checking the hatchling records, checking the incubators temperature and humidity and transferring newly-hatched turtles to a special room.

Some groups of tourists may drop by, breaking the centres tranquil atmosphere. The sounds of cicadas are joined by gasps and choruses of wow as the visitors admire the animals and the careful work done by the volunteers. Some tourists wander off to buy souvenirs in the exhibition room.

I really like working here because I have so many different tasks and theres always something to do, says Brauburger, The tasks can be exhausting sometimes, but I feel happy using my time and energy for this project.

Wedel says her work at the centre is a good combination, because she can support the vital work while learning lots of different things for herself.

Both volunteers are taking a gap year before entering university.

While Wedel is now sure of wanting to pursue veterinary medicine after working at the centre, Brauburger will continue with physics.

I chose to go to Viet Nam because it has unique wildlife, wonderful nature and loads of breathtaking landscapes that are still largely untouched, Wedel says, Thus it seems to be our last chance to take action to save nature and the animals.

She says its great to see how many Vietnamese people, even whole school classes, come to the centre to educate themselves about endangered species.

But in contrast, their indifference about nature is shocking, she says, Its hard for me to understand why people throw rubbish right on the grass or street when they could just keep it for five minutes to throw it in a bin later.

Mathew Armes, a Masters student from Germany has been doing research on the Vietnamese Pond Turtle at the centre for seven weeks. He comments that Viet Nams environment and landscape is beautiful and attractive to tourists but he worries that the natural beauty will be lost because of increased urbanisation and other factors.

I look through data collected about the turtle species and use it to predict captive population growth rates, he says, I also look at hatchling growth rates and catch turtles to look at their internal parasites using a microscope. What I can say is that hatchling turtles bred at the TCC show consistent growth and gain weight every month.

Everyone at the TCC works hard to care for the turtles and keep the TCC running as smoothly as they can from caring turtles to visitors. TCC do a good job, he adds.

A long struggle

The TCC is among the oldest conservation centres in the country, and has been running for nearly 20 years.

The centre receives turtles that have been seized from illegal trades and donated by individuals and agencies.

The endangered species at the centre take a long time and great care to produce a new generation, says o Thanh Hao, manager at the TCC, Some species give birth to only one egg a year or even produce no eggs at all. Then it takes 3-5 months for the eggs to hatch. A small hatchling will live in a special-care enclosure for five years to get mature enough to be transferred to normal care enclosures.

The TCC takes great care over the food, humidity and sunlight for forming stable shells and the population of turtles in one enclosure, says Nguyen Thu Thuy, Viet Nam Turtle Programme Co-odinator of Indo-Myanmar Conservations Asian Turtle Program, which has been co-ordinating with the TCC.

Around 60 hatchlings have been born at the centre since the end of 2016, she says.

Our ultimate aim is releasing the turtles back into nature, Hao says.

Asia hosts one-third of the worlds turtles.

Since the 1980s, scientists have highlighted a serious decrease in Asian turtles due to hunting and trading activities.

On average, more than 10,000 tonnes of turtles are smuggled every year.

Viet Nam used to be part of the illegal smuggling route, but now the country is also a market for the sale of turtles, Hao said.

People like to keep turtles at home as a holy pet, they also consider turtles nutritious food and a good material for eastern medicine, he said.

Though the TCC is not a national conservation centre, with its long history, the centre has been active in sharing conservation experiences with newly-established centres.

The conservation tasks of the TCC have been made easier over the last few years thanks to better awareness among the public.

The centre has offered various training courses to forest rangers, students and researchers.

Though funded through the State budget, the centre has received various sponsorships for incubation facilities and materials as well as uniforms for staff, Hao says.

We receive two volunteers from Germany every year and regular researchers, who make considerable contributions to the centres ongoing work, he says.  VNS

GLOSSARY

Taking trays containing freshly ground paste of vegetables and fruit, Lina V. Wedel and Simon Brauburger head for nearby enclosures to feed the turtles, one of the important tasks they perform every morning.

Enclosures are areas with walls or fences around them.

Tasks are jobs.

They chat while putting the trays in the feeding areas, without forgetting to take a quick look at the turtles swimming in the small ponds or crawling on the banks.

Crawling means moving around on four limbs.

The Cuc Phuong Turtle Conservation Centre (TCC) in Cuc Phuong National Park is home to some 1,000 turtles of 30 domestic and foreign species. The park is in the northern province of Ninh Binh, some 120km east of Ha Noi.

A species of turtle is a type of turtle. Domestic species are the types that come from Viet Nam; foreign species are the types that come from elsewhere.

Wedel takes a deep breath, filling her lungs with the moist air of the forest in the early morning.

Moist means wet.

She and Brauburger have been working at the centre as volunteers for nine months so far.

Volunteers are people who are willing to do jobs without getting paid.

Wedel gently places the eggs in a box filled with vermiculite (a kind of soft material facilitating incubation) to bring them to a room for measurement while Brauburger takes photos.

Incubation is the process that involves keeping eggs warm and safe until they are able to hatch. Facilitating incubation means making it possible for it to happen.

This means that the turtles are doing well and that well probably have some more individuals of turtle species that are almost extinct in the wild.

If an animal becomes extinct in the wild, there are none of them left in the wild any more. They are alive only in captivity.

They continue their busy morning checking the hatchling records, checking the incubators temperature and humidity and transferring newly-hatched turtles to a special room.

A hatchling, in this case, is a little turtle that has recently hatched from an egg.

Transferring means moving from one place to another place.

Some groups of tourists may drop by, breaking the centres tranquil atmosphere.

Tranquil means calm.

The sounds of cicadas are joined by gasps and choruses of wow as the visitors admire the animals and the careful work done by the volunteers.

Cicadas are a type of insect.

Both volunteers are taking a gap year before entering university.

A gap year is a year people take between finishing school and starting university. They often use them to do interesting things that are life experiences.

While Wedel is now sure of wanting to pursue veterinary medicine after working at the centre, Brauburger will continue with physics.

To pursue a career means to follow a career.

Veterinary medicine is medicine for animals rather than for humans.

I chose to go to Viet Nam because it has unique wildlife, wonderful nature and loads of breathtaking landscapes that are still largely untouched, Wedel says, Thus it seems to be our last chance to take action to save nature and the animals.

If something is unique there is only one of it.

She says its great to see how many Vietnamese people, even whole school classes, come to the centre to educate themselves about endangered species.

Endangered species are types of animals that are in serious danger of becoming extinct.

But in contrast, their indifference about nature is shocking, she says, Its hard for me to understand why people throw rubbish right on the grass or street when they could just keep it for five minutes to throw it in a bin later.

In contrast means on the other hand.

Indifference means lack of interest.

He comments that Viet Nams environment and landscape is beautiful and attractive to tourists but he worries that the natural beauty will be lost because of increased urbanisation and other factors.

Urbanisation happens when cities, towns and villages grow and empty land becomes filled with houses.

I look through data collected about the turtle species and use it to predict captive population growth rates, he says, I also look at hatchling growth rates and catch turtles to look at their internal parasites using a microscope.

Data is information that researchers gather.

To predict means to say what you think will happen before it happens.

Captive wild animals are animals that are not free to live in the wild but are in places like zoos.

Parasites are creatures that live off other creatures and cause them harm. Internal parasites are parasites that live inside another creatures body.

A microscope is a device used to make very small things appear larger so that scientists can study them.

The TCC takes great care over the food, humidity and sunlight for forming stable shells and the population of turtles in one enclosure, says Nguyen Thu Thuy, Viet Nam Turtle Programme Co-odinator of Indo-Myanmar Conservations Asian Turtle Program, which has been co-ordinating with the TCC.

Co-ordinating means running two things at once.

Since the 1980s, scientists have highlighted a serious decrease in Asian turtles due to hunting and trading activities.

A decrease in turtles means that there are fewer turtles than there once were.

WORKSHEET

Find words that mean the following in the Word Search:

Part of a plant used to make the paste that turtles are fed. A small body of water. Part of the body that is filled with air when you breathe. The subject Simon Brauburger wishes to study back in Germany. The number of weeks Mathew Armes has been at the turtle centre.

m b l n l h a n d g s s e f r u i t r u o u u n n r p o n d t i l n p c o c e a n g s a l i h u s a t b r o s h e r y p y i w e s t e t r e s c s e v e n r p o r t i o a c s k s k i c t h c a u i t i u c h a a l s s s p d l c o t h o r n s

ANSWERS:

 Duncan Guy/Learn the News/ Viet Nam News 2017

1. Fruit; 2. Pond; 3. Lungs; 4. Physics; 5. Seven.
HA NOI  Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong said yesterday that the visit by high-ranking officials of Cambodia to Viet Nam in recent days was a significant event in a series of activities celebrating the 50th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic ties.

The Party leader made the statement while receiving the President of the National Assembly of Cambodia and Chairman of the National Council of the Solidarity Front for Development of the Cambodian Motherland, Samdech Heng Samrin, and his delegation in Ha Noi.

President Samrin attended a ceremony held in Ha Noi on Saturday to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Viet Nam- Cambodia diplomatic relations. Yesterday he took part in the third conference of the Presidents of the front organisations of Cambodia, Laos and Viet Nam.

General Secretary Trong congratulated Cambodia on its successes in the local elections this month, and praised achievements the country attained under the rein of King Norodom Sihamoni and the Royal Government.

He said the Party, State and people of Viet Nam always attach special importance to the relationship with Cambodia, and thanked the latter for its assistance for the cause of national liberation in the past and national construction and defence at the present.

For his part, President Samrin affirmed that Cambodia would always cherish the enormous role of Vietnamese volunteer soldiers in saving the Cambodian people from the genocidal Pol Pot regime.

He also emphasised that the Government, National Assembly and people of Cambodia view Viet Nam as good brothers, good friends, good neighbours and continues to support Viet Nam on regional and international issues.

Praising the host countrys socio-economic development and improved living standard, President Samrin said he was convinced Viet Nam would continue its achievements in industrialisation and modernisation, making it stronger and stronger.

Both Party leader Trong and NA President Samrin said they expect to further develop the friendship and co-operation between their two countries.  VNS


HCM CITY  HCM City Food Safety Management Board and the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development in Long An Province signed an agreement regarding the production, trade and consumption of agricultural products for the 2017-20 period.

Under the agreement, they will strictly control safety in the cultivation, breeding, fishing, production, processing and slaughter of agricultural products.

They will co-operate with each other to check and supervise areas of vegetable and fruit cultivation, animal breeding and fishing in Long An Province, which provides products for the citys markets.

They also will co-ordinate with each other to find the origin of products which violate regulations on food safety and hygiene.

Through this co-operation, enterprises and co-operatives as well as producers in the province will have favourable conditions to access the citys wholesale markets, stores and supermarkets.

The board and departments staff will exchange experiences in management and market information to improve effectiveness in production and consumption.

Long An Province is the first province to sign an agreement with the HCM City Food Safety Management Board. VNS
ong Cuu is Viet Nams only craft village that supplied ritual dresses for kings, lords and courtiers in the past. Now it specialises in costumes for the hau ong (the spirit medium) ritu al that received UNESCO recognition. Ha Nguyen reports.

ong Cuu has a unique claim to fame in Viet Nam.

It is the only craft village that used to supply dresses for kings, lords and courtiers to wear for rituals.

That was in the past, of course. It has always had another skill to bank on, that of embroidery, but it has still kept the unique tradition alive by producing items for hau ong, or the spirit medium.

The rituals were recognized by the UN cultural agency UNESCO as an intangible heritage of humanity last December.

Located on the banks of the Nhue River in Ha Nois Thuong Tin District, ong Cuu has been famous for the embroidery that is used in traditional festivals.

Vu Van Gioi, 58, an embroidery artisan, says since becoming the fashion capital for hau ong nearly four decades ago, almost all the villagers have entered the profession because our customers are increasing, particularly during the first three months of the lunar calendar.

To meet increasing demand, we have to use an embroidery machine, but many customers specifically order handmade items because they are more genuine and attractive, he says.

He insists that fashion plays an important role in the success of a hau ong ceremony. Beautiful attire and jewellery help mediums and the audience feel more cheerful and enthusiastic.

Ornate: A hat worn during a ritual.Photo An Thanh at

Gioi also says that although they have many designs, embroiderers have to strictly obey design models, colours and accompanying costumes. For example, clothes of the king should always be in yellow and embroidered with dragons to symbolize his supreme rank.

Our village has many skilled workers; they can embroider very well-detailed models from the smallest pieces. For example, they can embroider a dragon to make it look real.

Gioi says there are five basic colours used: green, red, white, yellow and deep blue. When other colours are needed, the thread has to be dyed.

Nguyen The Du, 62, an embroidery artisan, says his family typically uses natural methods to dye the thread. This involves boiling the bark of a tree (he wanted to keep the trees name a secret) and dipping the thread in this liquid for 10 minutes.

ong Cuu workers have skilled hands, they can infuse a fresh spirit into a design, giving it its own soul and personality, says 80 years old Bui Thi Lua. She says she strictly controls the quality of each item made by her family members and workers.

A high quality item should have a regular thread line with a soft embroidery line. Even the shoes and hats for mediums have to be carefully embroidered, Lua says.

The technique of combining thread colours in embroidery is also very important in creating a beautiful item, and this affirms the skills of a worker, she says.

Many embroidery families sign contracts to supply items to shops in Hang Quat Street in Ha Nois Old Quarter, while others sign orders directly with customers, says Lua.

The price of a costume embroidered carefully will be 10 times (about VND3-4 million each) that of a machine-made one, she adds.

It needs 15-20 days to make a set of hau ong ritual dresses, but for highly sophisticated items, a set will take several months. A simple pair of shoes needs 3-5 days of work, while restoring a set of costumes could take a year.

Soaring spirit: A dress used in the hau ong ritual made by ong Cuu artisans. Photo An Thanh at

My family produces quick handmade items for wholesale traders, and we can earn a profit of VN50-60 million a month, Lua says, adding that so far this year, her goods have sold very well.

People from everywhere in the country and even abroad, particularly overseas Vietnamese, come to the village to buy its goods.

Ive received orders for the next two years, Lua says, noting that the job has helped many households in the village build spacious houses and buy luxury cars.

Tran Thi Mai, a cultural official in Thuong Tin District, says the village now has more than 40 embroidery workshops, employing hundreds of workers including many young ones.

Almost all my villagers are happy, because after several hundred years, they are still able to preserve the craft that is fast developing now.

Many young people in the village have joined the trade, because they can earn as much as VN8-10 million per month, says Mai.

Truong Thi Man, a 11th grader who learned the job from her mother since she was four, has become a skilled worker.

I can teach the embroidery technique to younger ones, she says.

Nguyen ac Bay, of the ong Cuu Embroidery Association, says more than 30 artisans in the village can teach the job to other villagers and people from other places, including those with disabilities.

Humble beginnings

It is said that Le Cong Hanh (1606-1661) was the patron saint of this craft village. He learned the job after being assigned to work as envoy to a foreign country and taught the embroidery technique to ong Cuu and surrounding villages.

Village elders say the tools used were quite simple, just needles, embroidery frames of different shapes, and a few other accessories.

ong Cuu artisans began embroidering with gold amd silver threads after they were invited by Nguyen Kings to the Royal Citadel in Hue to set up a group specializing in decorating royal costumes.

Now, they use metallic-coloured threads to create similar effects for the dresses they produce.

Thanks to UNESCOs recognition of hau ong, many old costumes that were thought lost have been restored by ong Cuu artisans.

The village is focussing on making items to supply to traditional festivals and religious ceremonies at temples and pagodas, Bay says.

He says more than 100 households in the village have set up their own workshop and 90 per cent of all the families are engaged in embroidery or supplying other items for rituals and festivals.

The villages trade was recognised as a national intangible heritage last November.

Bay says the recognition was a great encouragement for ong Cuu people to preserve the traditional trade of their ancestors.

We are planning to make our village a tourism destination. -- VNS
Quaintly French depictions form the backdrop to delicious Vietnamese dishes served at a restaurant near the West Lake, Luong Thu Huong reports

The area around the West Lake has always been a favourite haunt of ours, given the abundance of restaurants and cafes of various styles and tastes.

We can actually window shop these places before deciding to enter one. My friend and I were doing this one recent afternoon when the Le Blanc Restaurant caught our eye.

Located on uong Nuoc Phan Lan, a quiet street by the east of the lake, Le Blanc stands out from surrounding buildings with its vintage look.

The facade of the restaurant is painted dark green, but its interior explodes into multiple colours. All the walls have been painted with images of many houses of different colours; houses with tiled roofs, doors and windows and flowers blossoming on tiny balconies. In front of these "houses" are tables and seats inviting "passers-by" (guests) to sit and enjoy romantic French songs.

We felt as if we have stepped into a small lane in a pretty village in France. Of course, with such a beautiful background, we could not resist taking selfies and posting them on Facebook.

Eye-catching: Beef salad served at Le Blanc. VNS Photo Thai Ha

Chung Nguyen, who runs Le Blanc, told us the restaurants decor was the fruit of her many visits to France and her love for romantic, peaceful evenings by the Sword Lake.

Our restaurant is designed like a small corner in the city of small villages. We hope our visitors will have the feeling that Le Blanc is like a pretty girl leaning on her boyfriends shoulder by the beautiful Seine River, Chung said.

On a hot summer afternoon, we longed for something cool to drink before thinking of real food. Le Blanc offers a good variety of juices, smoothies, fruit tea and mojito. I opted for a cup of cookie matcha (Japanese green tea powder) milkshake, my favourite, my friend chose an iced, blended mocha coffee.

I have to confess a small addiction to green tea everything. If anything has green tea in it, it becomes an automatic choice. The cookie matcha milkshake is such a choice when I crave something cold and creamy.

My matcha milkshake came in a pumpkin-shaped cup coloured a fresh earthy green. With the creamy whipped cream dotted with passion fruit syrup on top, the drink looked absolutely gorgeous. The Le Blanc matcha milkshake is not too sweet, and the matcha blends nicely with the cream. Perfect summer drink, if you ask me.

The Mocha coffee ice blend was tasty as well. I found it a bit sweet, but my friend, a mocha lover, was very satisfied. She found it delectably sweet and surprisingly delicate.

Appetising: Crispy fried pork ribs. VNS Photo Thai Ha

On entering a restaurant with a French name, French interiors and French music, we expected excellent French dishes on the menu. Surprisingly, the menu was very Vietnamese, with dishes like pho bo (beef noodle), spring rolls or Vietnamese braised pork with eggs to eat with rice.

Our menu mainly serves lunch for staff working in the surrounding office buildings, Chung said.

Following his suggestion, we chose crispy fried pork ribs, roasted shrimp with pork, dried beef salad, stir-fried beef and broccoli and rice.

The crispy fried pork ribs was my favourite. I could eat them up without feeling uncomfortable towards the end. The smell of the fried ribs went really well with that of the citronella. The ribs tasted so good that we found ourselves gnawing the bones for every last bit of flesh.

The shrimps in the second dish were really thick and sweetly delicious, flavoured well by fried red onion and garlic. Both shrimp and pork were covered with an eye-catching glossy sauce that looked very appetizing.

The dish, moderately salty and sweet, combined well with rice.

The beef salad was a welcome break from two previous dishes that were full of meat.

A popular dish in Viet Nam, the original version has dried beef, julienned green papaya, carrots, aromatic herbs and roasted peanuts.

The Le Blanc version is simpler. Dried beef, julienned green papaya and herbs, but it does not make the dish any less delicious. Tossing the mixture finely to let it absorb the dressing of sugar, vinegar, fish sauce, chili, soya sauce and other seasonings, we savoured the different tastes and textures.

We finished with rice with stir-fried beef and broccoli. The white and brown of the dish, with peppers on top, makes it very attractive. The beef was very tender and lean, and the broccoli was crispy and fresh. The dish was so perfectly seasoned that it could satisfy all gourmets.

As if all this good food and great ambience werent enough for us to return to Le Blanc, Chung revealed that they will soon have a French chef to supplement the menu. Yay! VNS

Add: 168 Nuoc Phan Lan St, Lane 310, Nghi Tam, Tay Ho Dist.

Tel: (04) 2210 0009.

Website: https://www.facebook.com/nhahangleblanc/

Opening hour: 7am  11pm.

Comment: Beautiful interiors, romantic French music, tasty drinks and Vietnamese food at reasonable price.
by Nguyen Ngoc ao Uyen

The wind carries cay cai vegetables up to the sky,

Leaving rau ram spice herbs behind with a bitter cry

Nhi tried to lull her baby to sleep with these lines from a traditional song. Suddenly, she was struck by significance of the sad lullaby to her childhood.

Nhis mother died when she was a baby. In her adolescence when other kids returned home with their mothers to have dinner or a bath and play with their siblings, Nhi, hugged a pillar alone, staring at the courtyard, weeping in self-pity. Worse still, whenever she was ill, she craved paternal care in vain.

Now, she had dedicated herself to her daughter Ni. Watching her little one sleeping with her rosy lips slightly ajar filled her heart with job.

The child and her father Quan are like two peas in a pod, her neighbours often said.

Nhi loved her husband dearly. He had built a cosy nest for their house, the home she had always dreamt of.

But nothing is perfect, not for any man woman or child.

* * *

Why hasnt he come back home with the rice plants this evening? Hai asked herself.

Behind the veranda, a strong gust of wind makes bananas moan;

Infatuated with his concubine, he leaves his kid alone

While Hai was lulling her baby to sleep, she thought about the five endless days she had spent longing for her husband Tus return. By chance, one of her neighbours saw him with a prostitute. Hai had searched for the unfaithful cad. One evening, she stumbled upon the couple. When Hai stopped them in the street to attack the whore, she was stunned to be beaten black and blue by her husband.

After that Tu did not come home. He just stayed with his girlfriend in the next hamlet.

Forget about him, dear. Whats the use of an unfaithful man? said one of her friends. On the contrary, another advised her, Hell come back eventually because hos like that bitch only want young bucks, hell not be able to satisfy her. You must think of your little girl, Tus mother advised her. Hai was deeply ashamed and worried her husband had fallen in love with the harlot Thu.

Is Tu no longer interested in me? Hai asked herself.

The next morning, Tu slammed the door open.

Thu and I have been in love for a long time, Tu told his wife. Look at the mess were in, either we keep living together or we go our separate ways, either way Ill keep seeing Thu, he declared.

What do you mean? Hai stuttered.

Either we continue co-habiting or get divorced.

His words stabbed at Hai like a thousand knives.

One afternoon, their neighbours heard a commotion and the childs cries. They rushed towards the house. They saw Tu leaving and Hai lying in a pool of blood, weeping bitterly.

What a brutal scoundrel! said one of them.

They had thought Hais good behaviour and their little girl might make Tu change his ways, yet nothing could be further from the truth. That night, Hais sobs echoed loudly across the village.

A few days later, Hai breathed her last.

Her neighbours were stunned. How did she die?, How could this happen?, How will little Nhi survive? and so on.

Its none of your business! said one old woman. Can any of you let the poor little thing suck your breasts? Shes thirsty, she added to silence the vultures.

Nhi had been left alone at only five months old after her young mother killed herself by drinking a bottle of insecticide.

Hais funeral took place on a misty and chilly afternoon in front of many mourners. Some of them poured earth into the grave, while others put a fresh flower in. They left the burial ground at twilight while clusters of banana and bamboo were trembling in the wind.

* * *

Thu became Tus common law wife and Nhis stepmother. Thu received a cold welcome when she moved in with Nhis father.

I had only one daughter-in-law, Tus mother, Nga, said to her. No one could replace her. As for, Tu he wont be faithful to you either.

Walking across the low hibiscus hedge separating her house from Tus, she warned Thu, Hais soul remains here. In time, she will punish you both.

Thu smiled scornfully and said nothing.

Moms warning doesnt mean much, Tu told his new woman. Ignore her, my darling. My love for you is so much stronger, Tu said to her. Come into your new house, he said, pulling her in.

Walking past the altar with Hais portrait, Thu felt very nervous. Hai just looked at me with hate, she told Tu.

Since Thu began staying with Tu, she had horrible nightmares. In her dreams, Thu often found Hai, hair unkempt, standing outside the mosquito net or at the doorway, or lying in the hammock, wiping away her tears or staring at the sleeping couple.

We should build a new house instead of living here with her ghost, Thu told her darling. He nodded his agreement. They destroyed the house together with all traces of Hai. Soon, a new building with brick walls and fancy tiles was ready. In the meantime Tus rice fields grew smaller and smaller and his wealth shrunk, much to the regret of his relatives.

Many thought Thu would abandon her lover once Tus property had all gone. Yet, one year, two then three years, when Nhi was nearly five years old, she was still around. Tu decided to give his little girl to Thus mother, knowing he couldnt provide the life she deserved. My mother is too old to look after her and my uncles and aunts are too busy. I want her to be a good girl, Tu thought to himself.

With Thus mother, Nhi began to do her homework and excelled at school.

Bless Hais soul, old Nga prayed.

To everybodys surprise, Thu remained by Tus side for many years despite his continued infidelity. Sometimes, she kicked up a fuss about his bad behaviour. But to no avail.

This house cost a lot of my money and effort. Whats the use of abandoning him? she said to herself.

* * *

As for Nhi, she was miserable before meeting Quan. She had refused to see Tu at all because of how he had hurt her mother.

So naturally, Nhi nearly fainted when she heard her husband had a mistress too. She had thought Quan was different from her father, a faithful man. She realised he was also a flirt and obsessed with young and pretty girls. When he was away from home for days at a time going God-knows-what she was at her wits end. She wanted to let things run their course, yet when she thought of her little Ni, she decided to stand up.

Make a choice: either me and our little child or that whore, Nhi told Quan. She knew that she shouldnt leave the house, as in her view, it was a womans castle. When Ni was four months old, she asked her husbands sister to look after her while she learned how to be a bricklayer. Ill have to provide for my kid, with or without him. she whispered to herself.

In her heart of hearts, Nhi knew that her husbands woman would soon give him up as love was one thing, but being a wife was another matter, much more difficult.

* * *

Nhi had never understood why Thu stayed with her father despite the way his relatives treated her. Meanwhile, her lover, often away from home, got his kicks in other womens pants. She pitied Thu when she learned she lived alone, surrounded by bitchy neighbours. Nhi dropped in on her often.

Have dinner with me, I insist. Why dont you take Ni? Thu said to her.

Unfortunately for Thu she had been unable to have a child.

Thats her fate! remarked one of the villagers. Shes paying for stealing Nhis father away.

Nhi saw her stepmother was miserable. She greatly looked forward to her husbands homecoming, night after night. She craved hearing his unsteady steps in the dark. Nhi glanced at Ni as she slept. She hoped that her little one would never experience any suffering in her childhood.

That afternoon, Nhi went to the local health centre for a painkilling injection because over the past three days she could barely breathe. She felt something heavy squeezing her heart hard. She was having a heart attack. Her whole body was soaked in sweat. She rushed towards the gate.

Can anybody help me? she shrieked.

A woman came to her rescue. She wiped Nhis face and applied some oil to her temples. Nhi turned to her little Ni. It seemed to her that someone was standing before her, it was her mothers silhouette. The ill-fated young woman swept her hand over her daughters head. Meanwhile, in the dim light, Nhi heard crying. They were not Nis. They were hers! Then amid the howl of a cold wind, she recognised the cries of little Ni. She ached to gather her up in her arms and comfort her, but couldnt.

Her lower jaw has gone stiff, remarked one person.

Call an ambulance to take her to hospital, said another.

Phone her husband to tell him to come home immediately, urged another.

Dear Nhi, stay with your little child. She needs you, moaned an old woman.

It seemed to Nhi that she was being pulled into an empty room, where there was neither sound nor light.

* * *

Early the next morning, Nhis body was taken home from the provincial hospital.

Quan sat silently beside his wife, like a statue, while little Ni played next door. A white hat was placed at Nhis feet, where donations, mostly small though, were dropped in. In that poor village, sympathy was valued more than money.

According to the hospital doctors, had Nhi suffered from a massive brain hemorrhage.

Nhi, how could you leave your kid alone? cried Quans sister. Then turning to him she cursed him, She died alone and in pain you know. When she was ill, you paid no attention to her health. What kind of a man are you? she added.

After Nhis death, inside the house, cold and dismayed, Quan lived alone with his little daughter.

In my dreams, I see Nhi standing beside my bed, asking me to give my breast milk to her child, disclosed one young woman. So do we, chimed in her friends. Quan once told me that if he remarries, his new wife will have to love his daughter dearly. Maybe, Nhis soul will bless both of them, a woman declared.

Translated by Van Minh
by Hoang Linh

What to eat and drink has become a major topic of conversations these days, and very often, this turns out to be controversial.

People talk about ways in which fruits are ripened, artificially coloured or coated, how excessive use of chemicals in production make the fruits toxic, how fruits from a particular country are dangerous because they never rot for a long time, and so on.

All said and done, citing reasons varying from food hygiene to wider choice, a trend has emerged over the last few years of people in major cities preferring to buy imported fruit.

Imported fruit is generally bigger, and have more beautiful colours. The taste is better and more intense. I buy it as gifts for my boss, those who are sick and to share with friends, said Nguyen Thu Huong, a housewife.

Huongs right. The Fuji apple, Thomcord grape from the US and strawberry from Australia are bigger in size and taste better than local varieties. And then there are some fruits that do not grow in Viet Nam, making imported ones an even better choice as presents.

I used to buy Vietnamese fruit a lot to present to people. However, I prefer imported ones now. We have the tradition of giving fruits and an envelope of money when people are sick, but these days, not many people like to receive money. So I buy imported fruit so that the offering looks more valuable and I myself feel better about it, Huong said.

Imported fruit is expensive. A kilo of New Zealand apple can cost up to five times than Vietnamese apples. But many people do not hesitate to choose the expensive option. In the homes of many wealthy families, domestic fruit has been replaced with imported ones.

The first reason is better taste. Another is that they do not eat much, so they want to use the best products, said Nguyen Thuy Linh, a saleswoman at an imported fruit store on Ba Trieu Street in Ha Noi.

The imported fruit is stamped, making buyers feel more secure about its origin. Nowadays, buyers worry a lot about food origin and hygiene, GMO food, pesticides and other things. Those who can afford it buy imported fruit for such reasons, Linh said.

However, in several cases, it has been found that fake labels were used on fruit supposedly imported from the US, Japan and other countries. So it has become even more difficult to be sure of the fruits origin.

Despite this, the volume of imported fruit sold in the market is still high, which means Vietnamese fruit farmers are suffering.

In February, banana farmers in several provinces were hit as prices plummeted from VN14,000-17,000 per kilo to VN1,000-3,000. Unable to sell, the farmers fed their cattle with the fruit.

Several campaigns have been launched this year to encourage people to buy Vietnamese fruit and support local farmers. While these campaigns do succeed partially in getting people to buy Vietnamese fruit, the habit is not sustained.

Early April this year, hearing that farmers growing watermelons in Quang Ngai could go bankrupt because they were not able to sell their produce, HCM City residents launched a campaign to help them. A wide cross section of the people responded, including office workers, students and housewives.

This has happened previously with banana in Dong Nai, lychee in Bac Giang and dried onions in Soc Trang.

But experts say that such campaigns can only be stop-gap measures to reduce farmers losses. It cannot happen whenever the price of farm produce drops.

So what can be done?

It is clear that with a population of over 90 million, there can be a big market for domestic fruit, and our farmers should do well.

Of course, farmers and processing enterprises should improve product quality, but they need the incentive of decent prices and guaranteed sales, which is where we consumers come in.

Are we ready to support our farmers in the long run? VNS
RONDA JANS has joined The Courier as an inside sales specialist. Jans, most recently with Heronimus, Schmidt, Allen, Schroeder and Geer, was also previously with Pioneer Communications Inc.

MARY BALDWIN has joined The Courier as cash receipts clerk. She previously was a customer service rep at Grainger. She has a bachelors degree in human services from Upper Iowa University.

ANGELINE KELLY has been hired as project manager at Veridian Credit Union. Kelly, of Cedar Falls, previously was a first vice president and project manager at Lincoln Savings Bank. She has a degree in marketing from Upper Iowa University.

TEAYA HAYES has joined Veridian Credit Union as compliance officer. Hayes, a Waterloo resident, previously was a home retention supervisor for Ocwen Loan Servicing. She has a masters degree in business administration from Upper Iowa University.

GWEN BRAMLET-HECKER has assumed the position of director of development for the Riverview Center Waterloo office. She most recently was director of academic operations for Ancora Education in Arizona, Oklahoma and Texas after serving as president of Kaplan University-Cedar Falls for eight years.

VGM Group Inc. has added four new associates. LATHAN EHLERS joins VGM Marketing as a copywriter. Ehlers is a recent graduate of Southern Illinois University-Carbondale. Strategic Imaging has hired JENNIFER JACOBSON, a graduate of the University of Northern Iowa, as its new customer service representative. JERRY HOALT, a graduate of Wartburg College, has been hired by VGMs Information Services department to support the help desk. TAYLOR HAHN joins VGM as a workers compensation patient care coordinator for Homelink.

KELLY KIMMICH has moved into the role of business strategist at Far Reach in Cedar Falls. NATALIE THOMPSON has joined Far Reach as a product owner. She previously was a digital sales specialist at KWWL TV in Waterloo (Quincy Media Inc.). She graduated from the University of Northern Iowa in 2011.

DANIEL CAOUETTE has joined The Samuels Group as a superintendent. He has more than 20 years of experience working in the construction industry.

LISA WALL of Hogan-Hansen, P.C., was named to the HK Financial Services Presidents Club. She was recognized for providing wealth management services to clients and for being a valued partner.

TRAVIS HENNING is joining DISTek Integration as a test engineer. He previously was at Sparton in Watertown, S.D. Hes also worked at Trane, Benchmark Electronics and Medtronic. He has a bachelor of science degree in electronics engineering technology from DeVry University in Phoenix. MITCH DOWELL has joined the team as a software engineer. He was a summer intern with DISTek in 2015 and 2016, and most recently worked with RFA Engineering in Dubuque. He has a B.S. in electrical engineering from UW-Platteville in Platteville, Wis.

GEORGE NUNEZ recently joined the Waterloo office of BerganKDV as a client accounting services staff member.
WAVERLY -- An Ohio man has been sentenced to prison for allegedly stealing twice from the Waverly Wal-Mart in July and leading officers on a high-speed chase.

Police said David Jeremiah Kimble, 36, of Elyria, took $622 worth of merchandise from the store without paying at 11 p.m. July 7. He then returned the following day, again at 11 p.m., and made off with $1,314 worth of items.

After the second heist, a Waverly police officer caught up with him on Highway 218 and pulled him over. When the officer approached, he noticed property in the back seat that matched what had been stolen from Wal-Mart and ordered Kimble out of the vehicle.

Kimble drove off, and the chase that followed reached speeds of 130 mph, according to court records.

He was eventually arrested in Nebraska in October and was later returned to Iowa.

Kimble pleaded to felony eluding, second-degree theft and third-degree theft, and on June 7, Judge Peter Newell sentenced him to up to five years in prison and ordered him to pay Wal-Mart $1,936 in restitution.

Under the sentencing order, his time will run concurrent with time his is serving for charges in Nebraska. According to the Nebraska Department of Correctional Services, Kimble is currently housed at the Omaha Correctional Center on charges of felony theft by shoplifting, criminal impersonation and operating a vehicle to avoid arrest stemming from an incident in Buffalo County.
WATERLOO  Police have arrested a Waterloo man for allegedly breaking into a womans home and having sex with her in March.

Damarrius Darrell Todd, 25, of 823 Central Ave., was arrested Thursday for first-degree burglary and third-degree sexual abuse. He was taken to the Black Hawk County Jail.

Court records allege Todd entered the home around 8:45 a.m. March 12 while the woman, an acquaintance, was in bed sleeping and had intercourse with her, despite her pleas to stop. After the woman called police, officers found Todd in the area and initially detained him on driving charges.
United States Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit. STEPHANIE LYNN BEKENDAM, Plaintiff-Appellant v. TDCJ-CID/PAROLE; UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS MEDICAL BRANCH - GATESVILLE; WITCHITA COUNTY, TEXAS; LORIE DAVIS; DR. WEST; DR. SMITH; ATTORNEY JOHN GILLESPIE; JUDGE BROTHERTON; OFFICER HARPER; OFFICER FNU PIPER; DISPATCHER LONG, Defendants-Appellees No. 16-50380 Decided: June 22, 2017

Before DENNIS, HAYNES, and GRAVES, Circuit Judges.

Stephanie Lynn Bekendam, Texas prisoner # 1690396, moves for leave to proceed in forma pauperis (IFP) on appeal. By moving to proceed IFP, Bekendam is challenging the district court's certification that the instant appeal is not taken in good faith. See Baugh v. Taylor, 117 F.3d 197, 202 (5th Cir. 1997). Bekendam argues that the district court previously granted her IFP status in a 42 U.S.C.  1983 proceeding; she is indigent; her family will not assist her financially; and she is entitled to millions of dollars in damages.

Our inquiry into an appellant's good faith is limited to whether the appeal involves legal points arguable on their merits (and therefore not frivolous). Howard v. King, 707 F.2d 215, 220 (5th Cir. 1983) (internal quotation marks and citations omitted). We may dismiss the appeal if it is frivolous. See Baugh, 117 F.3d at 202 n.24; 5TH CIR. R. 42.2.

The district court dismissed Bekendam's  1983 complaint as frivolous, and, in March 2016, we dismissed her appeal for lack of jurisdiction, as it was not timely filed. To the extent Bekendam is attempting to bring a second appeal of the dismissal of her  1983 complaint, her appeal is duplicative and thus frivolous. See Bailey v. Johnson, 846 F.2d 1019, 1021 (5th Cir. 1988). To the extent Bekendam is attempting to appeal our earlier order dismissing her untimely appeal, her appeal cannot succeed. An error in the reasoning of this court can only be corrected by application to this court in the form of a motion to recall the mandate or a petition for rehearing, or by writ of certiorari to the Supreme Court. United States v. Rodriguez, 821 F.3d 632, 633 (5th Cir. 2016).

As Bekendam's appeal lacks arguable merit, it is frivolous. See Howard, 707 F.2d at 220. Accordingly, Bekendam's motion for leave to proceed IFP and her other outstanding motions are denied, and her appeal is dismissed as frivolous. See Baugh, 117 F.3d at 202 n.24; 5TH CIR. R. 42.2. The dismissal of this appeal as frivolous counts as a strike for purposes of 28 U.S.C.  1915(g). See Adepegba v. Hammons, 103 F.3d 383, 387-88 (5th Cir. 1996). The district court's dismissal of Bekendam's  1983 complaint under  1915(e)(2) also counted as a strike. See id. Bekendam is warned that if she accumulates three strikes, she may not proceed IFP in any civil action or appeal filed while she is incarcerated or detained in any facility unless she is under imminent danger of serious physical injury. See  1915(g).

MOTIONS DENIED; APPEAL DISMISSED; SANCTION WARNING ISSUED.

PER CURIAM:*
ALLISON  Voters are being asked Tuesday to approve the continued use of North Butler Community Schools 1 percent sales tax revenues.

The district is seeking to extend its revenue purpose statement for funds received through the statewide school infrastructure tax by another decade. A simple majority voting in favor is required for passage. The sales tax funds are known as Secure an Advanced Vision for Education, or SAVE.

Polls will be open from noon to 8 p.m. Voters cast their ballots on the lower level of the Butler County Courthouse, 428 Sixth St., Allison, and at the Greene Community Center, 202 W. South St., Greene. Residents may also vote absentee in person at the auditors office in the courthouse during business hours until 11 a.m. Tuesday.

The ballot will list the purposes that are currently approved for the revenues, which include property tax relief, technology, infrastructure, maintenance and remodeling. Funds cant be used for salaries, benefits or instructional supplies such as textbooks or software.

All school districts across Iowa must get approval of their statement every 10 years. If voters dont approve it, the district would still receive the revenue but the money would be restricted to property tax relief.
WATERLOO  The city may turn over the Five Sullivan Brothers Convention Center to a company willing to renovate it and the adjoining Ramada Hotel.

Waterloo City Council members will be asked Monday to set a July 17 public hearing on a development agreement with Leslie Hospitality Consulting, an Omaha, Neb.-based firm that operates hotels and resorts across North America.

The proposed agreement calls on Leslie Hospitality to invest at least $6 million renovating the 40-year-old convention center, along with purchasing and renovating the Ramada Waterloo Hotel.

The city would sell the convention center for $1, provide a $1.05 million economic development grant and 50 percent property tax rebates for 10 years on the increased taxable value generated by the renovation.

The move would put the city-owned convention center on the property tax rolls, while city officials expect the renovation of both properties to boost the combined taxable value from about $3.5 million to $17 million.

This is a tremendous opportunity for the community, a tremendous opportunity for progress and a tremendous opportunity for downtown, said Mayor Quentin Hart.

The convention center is a huge part of what we are as a community, he added. Remodeling and fixing it up is exactly what we need to have.

Opened in 1975 as the ConWay Civic Center in the heart of downtown, the convention center was renamed in 1988 to honor Waterloos five Sullivan brothers who were killed in 1942 when their U.S. Navy ship was sunk by a Japanese torpedo in the South Pacific.

The city has been struggling for years to maintain the convention center with limited public funds and keep up with newer competition in other communities. The Ramada has seen its ratings plummet in recent online travel guides.

Ive been working on this since I started, trying to find a suitor that would take over the convention center and hotel, Hart said. Millions of dollars that we need for (remodeling) doesnt come that easily without it being a burden on the taxpayers.

Leslie Hospitality Consulting has a portfolio of more than $500 million in hotels and resorts, according to the companys website. That includes the DoubleTree by Hilton in Omaha and properties in Alaska, Colorado, Texas, Florida, California, Arizona and Mexico.

The development agreement requires the company to begin renovating the convention center within six months of taking ownership and complete the work in the following 18 months.

Leslie Hospitality would ensure the assessed value of the convention center doesnt fall below $5 million for at least five years.

The tax rebates would be contingent on the facility being kept up, clean and operated to high standards based on a review committee of city officials and business representatives. The company also agrees to employ at least 100 people.

Meanwhile, the city would also donate the skywalk to the company and ensure at least 200 parking spaces are available in the adjoining parking ramps for both the hotel and convention center.

Finally, the city would agree not to promote, provide incentives or assist development of any other convention or events center of at least 10,000 square feet for at least 10 years.
Fiber outage set in C.F. BRIEFS

CEDAR FALLS  Relocation of fiber optic cable in conjunction with the reconstruction of University Avenue near Cedar Heights Drive will cause a service outage in portions of eastern and southern Cedar Falls overnight Tuesday.

Work is scheduled to begin at 11 p.m. Tuesday evening and will be completed by 7 a.m. Wednesday.

About 3,000 Cedar Falls Utilities customers  one fourth of the total customer base  will be impacted. A map of the affected areas is available online at cfu.net.

The eastern area of the city affected by the work will lose TV, internet and phone service. That area is generally bordered by Waterloo Road on the west, the Cedar River to the north, the city limits to the east and University Avenue to the south. That area is yellow on the map.

The southern portion of the city affected by the outage will lose TV service. Internet and phone service will still be available. That area is generally bordered by University Avenue to the north and stretches into much of southern Cedar Falls. This area is blue on the map.

Customers may direct questions to the CFU Help Desk at 268-5221.

Waterloo CORE

meeting set

WASHBURN  The Waterloo Chapter of the Corporation of Retired Employees will have its annual meeting at 1 p.m. Monday at the Moose Lodge in Washburn.

CORE updates and health insurance will be discussed.

CFNEI will award grants

CEDAR FALLS  The Community Foundation of Northeast Iowa will be hosting the Black Hawk County spring grant awards ceremony 10 a.m. Tuesday at the Waterloo Center for the Arts.

The foundation will be awarding more than $440,000 in grants to 47 projects making a difference in Black Hawk County. Attendees will get to hear a brief description of each project and learn about the good work happening in our community.

Council to offer

car seat checks

WATERLOO  The Family & Childrens Council of Black Hawk County will host a free car and booster seat check-up event.

Its set for 5 to 7 p.m. Tuesday at the council office at 2051 Kimball Ave., in back of the Medical Arts Building.

Staff will be available to make sure car or booster seats are not on a recall list; that people are using the correct seats and that the seats are installed properly.

For more information, go to www.fccouncil.net.
Since 9/11, Islamic terrorists have carried out 30,909 deadly terror attacks worldwide. During April of this year there were 165 attacks in 25 countries resulting in 1,336 killed and 946 injured, according to TROP (The Religion Of Peace) website, a nonpartisan, fact-based site which tabulates these atrocities. Because of this relentless terror, millions have been driven from their homes and ancestral lands.

Humane voices throughout the world are crying out, How can this senseless carnage be stopped? To answer this question one must first look at the source of Islamic terrorism, namely, fundamentalist Islam itself. This means examining the teachings of the Saudi Arabian Wahhabi sect of Sunni Islam; because this version of Mohammedanism, which claims to be closest to the religion founded by Mohammed, provides the inspiration as well is the financial backing for Muslim terrorist groups like ISIS, al-Qaida, Boko Haram, etc.

Wahhabists justify the horrific acts of jihadists who have used their bombs, automobiles, guns and knives to kill civilians on the streets of London, Boston, Berlin, San Bernadino and Brussels, the concert hall at Manchester and even in churches. To justify this inhumanity, they claim to follow the teachings of Mohammed as recorded in the Koran and the Hadith, such as Sura 8:12 where the Koran commands Muslims to kill infidels (i.e. non  Muslims): The Lord (Allah) said to the angels: I am with you; go and strengthen the faithful. I shall fill the hearts of infidels with terror. Strike off their heads, strike off the very tips of their fingers!

This and other texts are used to justify the teaching Muslim terrorists are martyrs (Arabic shahid). However, prior to the time of Mohammed, the Arabic word, like the Greek word martus, from which comes our English word martyr, meant witness. And in both Semitic languages and in Greek a martyr was a person of strong religious faith who, under persecution, chose to be put to death rather than deny his faith.

It was not until 622 A.D. that Islam came on the scene and eventually changed the meaning of the Arabic word shahid to mean one who is killed or kills himself in the process of killing infidels in the name of Allah. So, fundamental Muslims justify suicide in the cause of killing unbelievers. With this perverted idea of martyrdom, some Wahhabists celebrate the death of terrorists as though they are going to their wedding with the promised 72 virgins (Palestinian News Agency, Feb. 22, 2016 ).

So, in our war against ISIS and other Wahhabist Muslims, one is dealing with an enemy who has a very different understanding of martyrdom than do Christians. There is little evidence of sympathy or compassion for infidels (non-Muslims). By contrast, in both the Old and the New Testaments, in spite of racial, sexual or religious differences, the believer is commanded to love his neighbor (e.g. Leviticus 19:18; Mark 12: 31, ) and, more than this, Jesus commands individual believers to love their enemies and pray for those who persecute them (Matthew 5:44).

Jesus parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:29  37) illustrates the understanding of neighbor in Christianity, which has a powerful influence on Western civilization. A fundamental difference between Biblical religion and the religion of the Koran is that in the former, all people are considered children of God and neighborsto each other. In Islam the human population is divided into faithfuland infidels, establishing a dichotomy that easily justifies intolerance as well as the murder, enslavement and rape of unbelievers.

Perhaps the place for Christians to begin dealing with Islamic terror is to confess our own sins of injustice and failure to live the Christ-like example toward our neighbors. Then, let us encourage Muslims to take a public stand against Islamic terrorists and send a clear message to Wahhabists and other fundamentalist Islamists that suicide bombing of innocent people and murder in the name of Allah is a grievous sin and is destructive of civilized society.
Julius Nyrere was president of Tanzania from 1960-1985. His leadership out of the corridor of colonialism was controversial, with forced collectivism and socialism. He made mistakes. He did insist the priority of priorities was tolerance. Tanzania has many Gujarati from India, whites from Germany and the United Kingdom in addition to the majority indigenous peoples. There are significant numbers of Christians, Muslims and Hindi. Nyrere preached the first task was to learn to live together, still the cardinal order for Tanzanias political economy. Ethnic and religious struggles have not dominated the national scene there.

Across the world today, we have not learned how to live together in terms of ethnicity and religious faith. Most of the worlds 85 million refugees are fleeing religious persecution. In Yemen, a Muslim group with arms from Saudi Arabia, U.S., France and the UK wages war against another Muslim group. In Egypt, Muslim subgroups and the Coptic Christians engage in often violent confrontations. In the U.S., Muslims are frequently identified as terrorists. The U.S. has engaged in some 15 years of warfare in the majority-Muslim countries of Afghanistan, Iraq, Kuwait, Libya, Iran and now Syria. Economic assistance from the U.S. and other wealthy countries to help recipients to achieve a higher standard of living for the people is being reduced and eliminated. In Burma, the Muslim, Rohingya minority is violently persecuted and driven out of the country by the Buddhist majority. The idea My God is better than your God is a key cause of global instability today.

What can we do about this darkness? An Iowa international voluntary organization, Self Help International of Waverly, offers a hand up to rural communities in Ghana to encourage Christians and Muslims to live together without strife. The villages of Beposo and Bedabour in Ghana are two examples of successful mixed communities.

On a quarter-acre parcel of land a wooden hut was built in 2014, and Beposo Islamic Primary school was started with just five pupils: three boys and two girls. It had no toilet facility, no kitchen, no separation between the three classrooms and the classrooms were dusty and without cement. In December 2014, Self-Help began supporting the school by teaching farmers in the area how to grow quality protein corn and turn the harvested corn into a high-protein breakfast porridge to feed schoolchildren. This led to a rapid increase in enrollment and daily attendance. Enrollment quickly grew to 89 children: 40 boys and 49 girls. The need for a kitchen and a toilet became pressing. With local raw materials, parents constructed a kitchen and toilet.

Each community now has both an Islamic school and a public school, and all four schools are now part of the Self Help International school feeding program. The Islamic schools were the first to partner with Self-Help, and the public schools followed. In fact, in Bedaabour, Christian families sent their children to the Islamic school when they saw the school feeding program with Self-Helps support. Decreased enrollment at the public school prompted them to partner with SHI to start the school feeding program. Parents want whats best for their children.

We all want the best for our children. This is a good example of what the United States can do, helping children to get education, food and health services. And, as former Secretary of Defense Robert Gates said, Economic development assistance is a lot cheaper than war. Learn more at www.selfhelpinternational.org. It does not take much to make a difference for peace.
It is becoming clear President Trump inappropriately intervened in the investigation of Michael Flynn. It is also highly probable his staff, family or even he himself had questionable contact with the Russians prior to and during the presidential campaign. Whether any of this rises to the level of obstruction of justice or any other crime is a consideration for Special Counsel Bob Mueller to determine. He is a good, fair person and will arrive at the proper conclusion.

Another certainty is the Republican-controlled House of Representatives will not vote articles of impeachment almost regardless of Muellers findings. On the tiny chance it does, it is highly doubtful the Republican Senate will vote to remove the president. Republican representatives are too fearful of Trumps strong support in their cleverly drawn districts to chance losing re-election because they failed to support Trump. Many senators have the same fear. As nasty as Trump occasionally is to Republicans in Congress, the perception he is needed for their re-election is deep.

But, is removing Trump what the Democrats really want? Mike Pence then becomes president. He is anti-abortion, anti-gay and anti-immigrant. Further, he is a career politician who understands how to work to accomplish an agenda. Trump thinks government is a business and he is the boss of everyone in Washington. Unfortunately for him but fortunately for us, that is not the way it works. Pence will be willing to compromise, and frankly has a much better chance at re-election in 2020 than Trump. Further, he is a limited user of Twitter, much to his staffs delight.

So, as much as Democrats dislike the idea of at least one full term for Trump, the process of removing him from office diverts attention and resources from what can actually be accomplished. German statesman Otto von Bismarck said, Politics is the art of the possible, the attainable  the art of the next best. So, whats the next best political step for Democrats?

To start, party leaders and rank and file should stay on the impeachment sidelines and instead create a strategy aimed at the 2018 elections and, longer term, the 2020 presidential campaign. They should be developing smart, new, energetic and attractive candidates to challenge incumbent Republicans. Trump won the electoral election with thin margins in a handful of states. Many formerly independent and undecided voters will surely slip away if Democrats run a good, moderate candidate, allowing them to recapture the presidency.

Closer to home, Rep. Rod Blum has tied himself to Trump, and that should make him vulnerable. Again, the right candidate could turn him out of office. He is just not right for our district.

Finally, retaining the passion that has been shown in the past six months by Democrats and effective fundraising are imperative to successful outcomes. So, dont be distracted by a virtual impossibility  removal of Trump from office. Concentrate on what can be fixed. It will pay off.
Small government is not smart government when it lacks the money to cover budgeted expenses, which was nearly the case this spring with delayed Iowa tax refunds.

Some of the delay was caused, as officials stated, by a federal program to detect fraud. But a Des Moines Register investigation revealed the state didnt have cash on hand.

For 11 days in April, the total amount of money in refund payments the state likely owed to taxpayers exceeded the amount of cash in the state funds used to pay for them, the Register reported.

The Register cited data from the nonpartisan Legislative Services Agency that Iowa had just $72 million on April 15 to pay individual income tax refunds  about $300 million behind the previous two years. It postponed 75 percent of those refunds until the state coffers recovered.

On March 1, the state had paid $207 million in tax refunds compared with almost $326 million a year before. That $119 million difference soared to $240 million on March 31 and $318 million on April 13.

The April 15 balance of $72 million balance was the lowest since the Great Recession, declining annually since 2013.

The state could not have made those payments without delays, Treasurer Mike Fitzgerald said. We were underwater there.

The state gets big in-flows of income taxes beginning April 15, Fitzgerald said. By the end of April, $252 million was in its coffers  even after issuing total refunds averaging $124.5 million weekly  and $385 million by the end of May.

The average tax refund was $644, according to the state Department of Revenue. The Register estimated more than 490,000 taxpayers had waited for refunds in mid-April.

Fraud prevention efforts, said Holly Lyons, the LSA fiscal service director, may be an early and partial explanation for the delays.

The Internal Revenue Service, according to the Associated Press, found identify theft caused tax fraud to explode after 2010, peaking in 2014 with more than 766,000 victims. It also blocked 1.8 million fraudulent refunds, totaling $10.8 billion.

The number of victims fell to 376,500 in 2016 when the IRS delayed the release of returns with refunds claimed through the Earned-Income Tax Credit and Additional Child Tax Credit.

Verenda Smith, deputy director of the Federation of Tax Administrators, told the Register that many states have dispensed with a best practice to send refunds out in three days.  As the fraud got worse and worse, it got harder and harder to ignore the fact that the tax agencies that tried to send out refunds without properly processing them have become their own worst enemies.

The Legislature had to address midyear budget shortfalls of $118 million and $131 million during its recent session. The latter amount came from reserves, which Republican leaders said would be repaid in two years.

The state has $738 million in two reserve funds  $184.5 million in the economic emergency fund and $553.5 million in the cash reserve.

But theres no departing from this cascading sea of red ink.

State revenues increased by only 1.2 percent the past 11 months, although the state Revenue Estimating Conference predicted 2.8 percent. That could mean another $97 million shortfall as fiscal year 2017 concludes June 30.

This is occurring despite a low 3.1 percent state unemployment rate, although farm income is depressed.

Revenue from retail sales has lagged as shoppers go online and stores close, but a big culprit seems to be the state sales and use tax exemption on manufacturing inputs. What the Department of Revenue forecast as a $21.3 million annual loss in revenue could be $100 million.

Tax credits aside, Gov. Kim Reynolds responded to the Register story by focusing on growth.

We are still a state thats seeing growth in revenue, although its not as robust as we had projected, she said. We have over $600 million in our economic cash reserves.  Everyone will get their refunds and were on par to be able to manage that.

She added, Its about efficiencies, too, and providing more efficient and effective government, looking for opportunities where we can coordinate, collaborate our services while providing better services.

Efficiencies have meant a lowly 1.1 percent increase in K-12 education funding, mid-year higher education cuts, and reductions for social services, the judicial system and Department of Corrections. The real cost of Medicaid privatization has yet to be discerned.

For fiscal year 2018, the REC lowered its initial revenue estimate in March by $191.8 million to $7.365 billion  still using a seemingly overly optimistic 3.6 percent growth rate.

So far the Republicans formula of tax-credit driven growth plus efficiencies has equaled a budgetary mess. The numbers speak for themselves. A new equation is required.
Trump sycophants

VELMA FLAUCHER-FALCK

CEDAR FALLS -- In their first meeting, Donald Trump's cabinet took turns praising him while reading from a script. Trump sat there embracing every word and gloating. That is sick! Anyone needing or giving that kind of attention has a few loose screws.

Trump also talks about and praises himself for passing or trying to pass legislation that takes this country backwards. The cabinet members need a backbone to be their own person. Apparently, they are afraid of losing their jobs. They are costing taxpayers a lot of money in their efforts to please a needy 71-year-old little boy.

Leaders needed

TIM MURPHY

WATERLOO -- To the people of Iowa: Where is the leadership that will heal and united our state and county?

It's surely not coming from a president who considers any American who opposes his view and an enemy. Surely not from a legislative branch that is divided on strict party lines since these representatives are elected and paid to represent the people of the state, not the party.

My suggestion is get on with "the people's business," get away from the political BS. If these elected officials can't play nice together elect new ones, send a message.

Grassley challenge

AL CHARLSON

WAVERLY -- Thank you to Sen. Chuck Grassley for challenging President Trump's order directing executive branch departments and agencies to release information only to congressional committee chairpersons. This order would have blocked lower-ranking members of Congress, and at the present time all Democrats, from obtaining the information needed to carry out their constitutional oversight responsibility.

As Grassley stated, "This is nonsense." I choose to participate in the political process as a Democrat, and I disagree with Grassley's position on many issues. But I am proud my senator is giving strong leadership to protecting the constitutional balance of power between Congress and the executive branch, and at the same time knocking a brick out of the partisan wall that is preventing our government from functioning as intended. I do hope quietly behind the scenes he is telling his Republican Senate colleagues their closed-door approach to writing a health care bill is not good for the country, and very likely to backfire on them.

Christian hypocrites

ERNEST NUNNALLY

WATERLOO -- Christians  those who wear their Christianity on their sleeves. They use religion to hurt, marginalize and exclude others. They talk about religion and are generally anti-gay, anti-women, anti-immigrant, anti-minorities, anti-any religion other than theirs.

Hateful Christian is an oxymoron.

Most pedophiles are white Christian males. Look who enabled child abuse for centuries.

Thank Donald J. Trump for the one good thing he did. He exposed evangelicals, who are big Trump supporters, as the shameless hypocrites they've always been.

Gun violence

RON SPEARS

WATERLOO -- All shootings are bad, but some are worse than others. It seems it is worse to shoot a congressman than children. Steve Scalise, a Republican congressman, was shot by a weapon that was outlawed under the Clinton administration and declared legal by this Congress. The irony here cannot be missed.

Twenty six children and adults were shot at Sandy Hook, and Congress appeared to care less. They did nothing as pawns of the NRA. A moment of silence hardly recognizes the tragedy of that event.

The Iowa Legislature in its last session made it possible for the mentally ill and children to have guns.

Is there no end to this insanity?

Farm animals

PAUL REUTER

WATERLOO -- Pat Morrissey has gone cuckoo! Im not sure why anyone in their right mind would want to allow fewer restrictions on farm animals. This is why we have farms, Pat. If you want chickens and other farm animals so bad then move out of Waterloo. If you moved out of Waterloo you wouldnt be able to hurt taxpayers and the city so badly. It is just inconceivable to think you have found another way to hurt property values.

I thought the dodo bird was extinct, but I guess he represents Ward 3.
Man killed after being struck by vehicle on KY 131
United States Court of Appeals, Sixth Circuit. BLANCA GARCIA-MORQUECHO, Petitioner, v. JEFFERSON B. SESSIONS, III, Attorney General, Respondent. No. 16-4219 Decided: June 23, 2017

BEFORE: SILER, McKEAGUE, and WHITE, Circuit Judges.

Blanca Garcia-Morquecho petitions this court for review of an order of the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA) dismissing her appeal from the denial of her applications for asylum, withholding of removal, and protection under the Convention Against Torture (CAT). As set forth below, we deny Garcia-Morquecho's petition for review.

Garcia-Morquecho, a native and citizen of Ecuador, entered the United States by crossing the border at Hidalgo, Texas, in October 2014. Shortly after her entry, agents with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) arrested and detained Garcia-Morquecho. An asylum officer found that Garcia-Morquecho had demonstrated a credible fear of persecution based on political opinion. The DHS subsequently served Garcia-Morquecho with a notice to appear in removal proceedings, charging her as an immigrant who, at the time of application for admission, was not in possession of an immigrant visa or other entry document. See 8 U.S.C.  1182(a)(7)(A)(i)(I). Following her release on bond, Garcia-Morquecho appeared before an immigration judge (IJ) and conceded removability as charged.

Garcia-Morquecho filed applications for asylum, withholding of removal, and CAT protection, claiming persecution in Ecuador due to her political activities. At the merits hearing, Garcia-Morquecho testified that she joined the Pachakutik political party and became the party's secretary in March 2014. According to Garcia-Morquecho, she was attacked twice based on her membership in the Pachakutik party. On August 10, 2014, and again on August 15, 2014, the same two men attacked Garcia-Morquecho while she was walking, beating her and threatening to kill her because of her work as secretary for the Pachakutik party. Garcia-Morquecho, who left Ecuador in September 2014, testified that she fears that she will be attacked again or killed if she returns.

Following the merits hearing, the IJ denied Garcia-Morquecho's applications for relief and ordered her removal to Ecuador. The IJ found that Garcia-Morquecho was not a credible witness because her testimony was internally inconsistent and inconsistent with other evidence in the record. According to the IJ, Garcia-Morquecho had therefore failed to meet her burden of proof for asylum, withholding of removal, and CAT protection. Garcia-Morquecho filed an untimely appeal, which the BIA dismissed. The BIA subsequently granted Garcia-Morquecho's motion for reconsideration and reinstated her appeal. Upholding the IJ's adverse credibility determination after reviewing its factual basis, the BIA dismissed Garcia-Morquecho's appeal.

This timely petition for review followed. Garcia-Morquecho argues that her credible testimony and corroborating evidence established her eligibility for asylum, withholding of removal, and CAT protection and that the IJ violated her due process rights by admitting evidence that had not been disclosed to her prior to the merits hearing.

Where, as here, the BIA issues its own decision rather than summarily affirming the IJ, the BIA decision is reviewed as the final agency decision, but the IJ's decision is also reviewed to the extent that the BIA adopted it. Harmon v. Holder, 758 F.3d 728, 732 (6th Cir. 2014). We review the adverse credibility determination for substantial evidence, reversing only if any reasonable adjudicator would be compelled to conclude to the contrary. Hachem v. Holder, 656 F.3d 430, 434 (6th Cir. 2011). Under the REAL ID Act, credibility determinations are based on the totality of the circumstances' and take into account all relevant factors.  El-Moussa v. Holder, 569 F.3d 250, 256 (6th Cir. 2009) (quoting 8 U.S.C.  1158(b)(1)(B)(iii)). We review de novo Garcia-Morquecho's due process allegations. See Bi Qing Zheng v. Lynch, 819 F.3d 287, 296 (6th Cir. 2016).

In upholding the IJ's adverse credibility determination, the BIA relied on three inconsistencies cited by the IJ. Our review focuses on those inconsistencies. See Marouf v. Lynch, 811 F.3d 174, 181 (6th Cir. 2016) ([T]he conclusions of the IJ that were adopted by the Board  are the proper foci of review.). First, Garcia-Morquecho testified that she applied for a visa to come to the United States after she was attacked on August 10, 2014. When confronted with her visa application, which was signed on July 10, 2014, and submitted on August 8, 2014, before the attacks, Garcia-Morquecho claimed that she forgot when she applied for the visa. The IJ found it implausible that Garcia-Morquecho would not remember whether she applied for the visa before or after the attacks, especially since all of those events should have been memorable and occurred just over one year ago. Second, in her written application, Garcia-Morquecho indicated that she provided cleaning services for a business called Fopeca until March 2014, when she began working as secretary for the Pachakutik party. Garcia-Morquecho testified that this employment information was accurate and that, after March 2014, her only job was secretary for the party. When confronted with her visa application, which stated that her present employer was Fopeca and did not mention the Pachakutik party, Garcia-Morquecho admitted that she was working for Fopeca in August 2014 and claimed that she did not remember because she was traumatized. The IJ found that Garcia-Morquecho's explanation was unpersuasive and that she was exaggerating by trying to make it sound like her work with the party was a full-time job. Third, when asked if anyone else in her particular group within the Pachakutik party had been harmed, Garcia-Morquecho responded that [w]e all have been torture[d] and beaten in different ways. Upon further questioning, Garcia-Morquecho admitted that she did not know if anyone in her particular group had been harmed.

Garcia-Morquecho contends that she provided explanations for these inconsistencies and that the BIA failed to account for the passage of time, her traumatic experiences, and her difficulty understanding questions. As the IJ pointed out, these inconsistencies pertained to significant events that occurred a little over a year before the hearing. The record belies Garcia-Morquecho's claim that her inconsistent testimony resulted from misunderstanding questions. The DHS attorney repeatedly followed up with questions to clarify Garcia-Morquecho's testimony.

The BIA also agreed with the IJ that the three corroboration letters submitted by Garcia-Morquecho are unreliable because the letters use similar language and fail to provide the basis of the authors' knowledge. Two of the letters use identical language, while the third letter uses similar wording to the others. The third letter, which was from Garcia-Morquecho's friend Andrea who purportedly witnessed the second attack, is particularly suspect in its lack of detail regarding what happened in the attack and its lack of certainty regarding the identities, affiliations, or motivations of the attackers.

Given the cited inconsistencies and the lack of reliable corroboration, substantial evidence supports the adverse credibility determination. That determination is fatal to Garcia-Morquecho's claims for asylum, withholding of removal, and CAT protection. See Slyusar v. Holder, 740 F.3d 1068, 1072 (6th Cir. 2014); Shan Sheng Zhao v. Holder, 569 F.3d 238, 249 (6th Cir. 2009).

Garcia-Morquecho asserts that the IJ violated her due process rights by admitting the visa application because it had not been disclosed to her before the merits hearing. Fifth Amendment guarantees of due process extend to aliens in [removal] proceedings, entitling them to a full and fair hearing. Huicochea-Gomez v. INS, 237 F.3d 696, 699 (6th Cir. 2001). When reviewing alleged due process violations in removal hearings, we must determine whether there was a defect in the removal proceeding  [and] whether the alien was prejudiced because of it.  Bi Qing Zheng, 819 F.3d at 296 (quoting Vasha v. Gonzales, 410 F.3d 863, 872 (6th Cir. 2005)) (alterations in original).

In removal proceedings, the alien shall have a reasonable opportunity to examine the evidence against the alien. 8 U.S.C.  1229a(b)(4)(B). Garcia-Morquecho asserts that she did not have a reasonable opportunity to examine the visa application because it was not disclosed before the merits hearing. The BIA rejected Garcia-Morquecho's argument on the basis that the DHS used the visa application for impeachment purposes. See Immigr. Ct. Practice Manual  3.1(b)(ii)(A) (exempting impeachment and rebuttal evidence from disclosure requirements). Garcia-Morquecho contends that the DHS used the visa application to demonstrate her immigrant intent and not to impeach her testimony. Impeachment evidence is generally defined as [e]vidence used to undermine a witness's credibility. Evidence, Black's Law Dictionary (10th ed. 2014). The DHS used the visa application to impeach Garcia-Morquecho's testimony as to (1) when she applied for a visa (before or after the attacks) and (2) when she worked for Fopeca. The IJ recessed the hearing for approximately fifteen minutes to allow Garcia-Morquecho to review the visa application; she did not request more time for review. Garcia-Morquecho also argues that she did not have the opportunity to cross-examine the travel agent who prepared the visa application. As the IJ pointed out, questioning the preparer would not have made a difference given that Garcia-Morquecho admitted the relevant facts when confronted with the visa application. Garcia-Morquecho has failed to demonstrate that there was a defect in the removal proceeding or that disclosure of the visa application before the hearing would have led to a substantially different outcome and accordingly that she was prejudiced by the lack of prior disclosure. See Bi Qing Zheng, 819 F.3d at 298.

For these reasons, we DENY Garcia-Morquecho's petition for review.

PER CURIAM.
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A startup needs to test an idea quickly. For this, an MVP is created. MVP, Minimal Viable Product  a test version of a product or service with a minimum set of functions (up to one or two), which allows you to see the product's value for consumers and the market. MVP is created to test hypotheses and check the viability of the intended product: is it worth developing the project further, what changes should be made? The sooner a startup brings its MVP to market and tests the idea, the better. This article will look at how no-code technology can help founders achieve their business goals.

This article will try to cover everything that a founder needs to know about no-code at the initial stage of creating a startup.

What is no-code?

No-code, zero-code platform is a tool for creating websites, applications, chatbots, and other programs without the need for direct code writing by programmers. No-code is a valuable alternative to traditional development.

No-code is confused with low-code, but there is a difference in these terms. Low-code includes no-code and the ability to "finish code", add parts of code and the functionality.

A user of a no-code platform usually does not need to know layout, programming languages, or hire a team of programmers. The user of the no-code tool creates an application using a visual block constructor, which he fills with the necessary content and functions, and the no-code platform itself does the processing of requests, compiling the application and other "magic." It generates code using AI and/or contains blocks of code pre-written by programmers.

No-code allows the startup founder to create an MVP himself, entrust it to his employee with basic technical literacy and understanding of the project, or hire a no-code developer. Even in the case of hiring a no-code developer, the cost of creating an MVP will be significantly lower than with classical development with programmers. For example, you can read the interview of a startup and no-code developer on our website, who initially worked as a Product Manager and was able to master no-code for his project himself.

Benefits of no-code for a startup founder

There are the following key advantages for a startup founder in using no-code technology:

a large selection of no-code tools, platforms, and their integrations at the moment  already in 2022, there are many tools and platforms for creating an MVP, a larger project, or even a finished product on no-code, but few people still know about them, and others are far from all startups and founders use their potential;

cost  no-code development saves the money by speeding up the development process, not hiring professional programmers or no need to maintain a developer department, monitoring functions and quick bug fixes, avoiding or reducing the growth of technical debt;

speed is the main advantage over classical development  no-code allows you to build a simple application in a weekend, and a more complex one can be built in a month. In this way, you can test an MVP and even several versions of an MVP very quickly;

low entry threshold  to master a no-code platform, you often do not need technical education at all, but only an understanding of a company's business processes or product from the inside. In the case of pro-level no-code platforms, technical education is required, but you can get used to it hundreds of times faster than with any programming language. This makes no-code available to almost everyone who wants to work with technology;

ease of use  no need to write hundreds of code lines  just move the blocks and assign links between them. Work on a project can be entrusted to your employee without communicating with a team of third-party developers. You can speak "in your language" without the need to understand the "inner kitchen" of developers;

flexibility  with the help of no-code, it is easy for a startup founder to add new functionality and new features right during a project or a MVP testing without a significant increase in development costs.

Possible disadvantages of no-code for a startup founder

As often, any property can be, under certain conditions, both a disadvantage and an advantage. In no-code, many of the benefits with the wrong choice of tool can turn into disadvantages:

no-code is not always a budget solution for a project. Sometimes in a no-code development package, you get unnecessary functions and additions (on AppMaster.io you can separately connect the frontend and pay only for the backend or only for those functions that you are using); if you do not understand the needs of your project, then you can make a mistake with the choice of a no-code tool and not be able to implement the necessary functions on it, or it will be too difficult to implement them; often, no-code tools fail to ensure proper data security and contribute to data leakage (but AppMaster.io allows you to host a finished application on any server); no-code tools often do not provide the ability to upload source code or provide uploading in an inconvenient format, which makes it difficult to move to another tool or to your development. You have to choose a no-code tool "once and forever immediately" (AppMaster. io gives you the ability to download the source code. Also, we generate human-readable code and you will not have any difficulties with its transportation); most no-code tools on the market are not suitable for creating a finished product, and there are significant difficulties with scaling the project if the MVP is successful (AppMaster.io is a professional no-code platform and our capabilities allow us to implement and support the finished product and scale it in the future).

Forewarned is forearmed. Choose your no-code tool wisely and take full advantage of your choice.

Types of no-code platforms

Conventionally, all no-code tools can be divided into several types: no-code devices with a low entry threshold (you can create frontend and not very powerful backend on them), integrators that help connect applications and services, and professional no-code platforms (they strive to replace the code completely, provide the ability to create a robust backend and high bandwidth).

The basic principle of operation of your MVP and the choice of a no-code platform depend on such a conditional division into types. For example, if you make a simple application like a diary, you can limit yourself to a no-code tool with a low entry threshold and a beautiful design.

If your application has powerful potential, high bandwidth, multi-user interface, and works with large amounts of data or real-time data, it is better to choose a professional no-code platform like AppMaster.io or Direcual.

If you use several services at once, link them on integrators like Integromat and Zapier.

Adalo

An easy-to-learn designer with a relatively user-friendly interface. The free version is helpful for learning. The free version contains Adalo watermarks and does not allow you to upload your applications to GooglePlayMarket and AppStore. Beginners often choose this no-code platform to create their first applications with simple logic.

Bubble

It will take more time to learn Bubble , but the platform allows you to work with the backend, databases, business processes, and layout. There are many plugins. The free plan allows you to master the tool, and you can start developing at the middle rate. The price increase is due to the rise in the number of users.

Integromat

It is an integrator. Experts talk about it as a simple and affordable platform for linking applications and services. Scenarios can be created personally, or you can use templates. If you need to connect an application with a service not from the Integromat database, fill out the form and connect to its API via HTTP.

Zapier

This is an integrator for linking applications with each other or with other external services. You can transfer data between thousands of applications. There is a script constructor (one event starts a chain of necessary actions).

Directual

The no-code platform positions itself for creating MVP applications (Minimal Viable Product, minimum viable product) and full-fledged applications of finished products. Scenarios are the backbone of the platform. Using scripts, you can automate the backend logic of the application, create and combine workflows. The Directual catalog includes out-of-the-box connectors, HTTP requests, webhooks, database listeners, and integration with popular services.

AppMaster.io

No-code next-generation platform for creating native and web applications on a real backend. Visual drag-and-drop designer, user-friendly business process designer, one-click app publishing to AppMaster Cloud, or integration with any cloud platform. Push notifications, authorization using social networks. Networks, email, and more. Connect applications to hundreds of services or programmatically access them using APIs. The ability to upload source code and documentation in a human-readable format and transfer it to your servers. Documentation auto-generation. Modern and fast language GoLang at the core.

No-code perspectives for startups

No-code development is gradually gaining popularity around the world. There are already more than 500 no-code tools for creating websites and various types of applications.

According to the forecasts of IT world experts, no-code will develop more and more actively and capture parts of the market responsible for medicine, small online business, small business, and all niches where it is possibly necessary to optimize and automate development processes.

The mass shift of businesses and their customers online and to gadgets has increased the demand for the fast and inexpensive creation of mobile applications that would work according to a single quality standard and have a simple, understandable, user-friendly interface.

Conclusion

No-code is visual programming in the form of a constructor without directly writing code. Usually, basic knowledge in development is enough to build applications on no-code.

The logic of no-code constructors is intuitive: the application interface is assembled from blocks, icons, buttons, and text which are connected to the database. Usually, you can choose a suitable template or do everything from scratch. Speed and economy are the main advantages of no-code tools.

No-code is suitable for creating an MVP, testing an idea or new features in a product, saving time for solving standard tasks. PRO level no-code platforms can provide you with a finished product, an application.

If you don't have an account on AppMaster.io yet, join us. After registration, you will be given a free trial period for 14 days, in which all the basic functionality of the platform is available. It will allow you to learn the intricacies of working with a professional-level no-code platform and understand its potential.
My transition from being a kid interested in all kinds of animals to being a full-on birder happened when I was around 11 years old, in the early 1980s (oh dear!). I was given my first real field guide to the birds of Europe by my parents, a guide beyond the species found at backyard feeders and city ponds. For the next few years, I spent countless evenings going through the pages over and over again, learning about all the species Id previously had no idea even existed since they dont show up in German backyards all that often. It was during these long evening sessions that I allowed my mind to wander to far-away destinations, making plans and coming up with strategies on how to see them all with a minimum amount of trips. However, all my keen travel plans and strategies frequently hit a snag roughly two-thirds into the book when I got to the page depicting a fine, delicate bird: the Azure Tit.

My childhood in the 1970s and 1980s was of course shaped by family, friends, playmobil (very popular in Germany back then), and school but also to a certain extend by the Cold War. As a kid I still understood little of world politics, but I understood very well that all the countries behind the Iron Curtain were off-limits to me. The Cold War had been going on long before I was born and there were no signs or indications whatsoever in the early 1980s that it would ever end. I was therefore of the firm opinion that there was no way imaginable that I was ever going to see an Azure Tit, whose world distribution was essentially confined to the Soviet Union. Since all birds are brighter on the other side of the fence, the Azure Tit became something of a mythical creature, its plumage mirroring the image of Russia as a wintery place where Azure Tits would swirl around Father Frost like snowflakes in a storm. This made me truly sad. Yes, in the face of all the human tragedy the Cold War caused it may seem a miniscule aspect, but to a young boy who was passionate about birds, it wasnt. This was where the Cold War hit home, more direct and unjust than all the nuclear threats in the world could ever do.

Then, times changed.

In 1996, during my university days at Greifswald, I was invited to join an excursion to eastern Kazakhstan, travelling along the Chinese border from Almaty to lake Zaissan and back. The Cold War was over, the Soviet Union had ceased to exist and the Russians? They were friends now. Since we were travelling along the border with China, we would frequently camp near military outposts manned by Russian soldiers, and they always came over for tea, invited us to barbecues or provided us with food if we needed something, sending armed guards to watch over our camps at night and protect us from Chinese bandits who they said would occasionally cross the border to rob or kidnap foreigners. As cheesy as it may sound, these experiences with what I was taught all my life were foes wanting nothing more than my demise were life-changing. During this trip, on one of our long driving days travelling on to our next camp, we stopped at a small bridge crossing a river lined with rows of poplars and willows. Everyone got out of the car, happy to stretch our respective bones and do some exploring of the area while our drivers had a smoke. I had just headed out onto the bridge to scan the river when a few faint bird calls caught my attention and I turned my head towards the willows. Two small white bundles of feathers emerged from the leaves, danced through the air across the road and landed in a low bush a few feet in front of me. Azure Tits. My first ever Azure Tits. Yes, times had definitely changed. For better. Much better.







During the following 21 years I was fortunate to travel to central Asia on more than 10 occasions, and I would see Azure Tits  or their former sub-species Yellow-breasted Tits  quite frequently. My last encounter was in a reedbed at the edge of Astana in May of this year, where the images above were taken. In spite of all the encounters I have had and the travels I have done, each sighting of Azure Tits brings with it a deep appreciation that I should never take them for granted. And while a change in the wind has occurred again in the last few years, it is reassuring that this wind still cant keep me away from them, as it kept away a young boy some 35 years ago.


United States Court of Appeals, Eighth Circuit. United States of America Plaintiff - Appellee v. Samuel F. Irvin Defendant - Appellant No. 16-3283 Decided: June 23, 2017

Before LOKEN, MURPHY, and MELLOY, Circuit Judges.

Samuel Irvin pled guilty to one count of being a felon in possession of ammunition in violation of 18 U.S.C.  922(g)(1), 924(a)(2). The district court sentenced him to 84 months imprisonment. Irvin appeals, arguing that the district court imposed a substantively unreasonable sentence. We affirm.

During an argument with a neighbor in October 2013, Irvin brandished a knife in a parking lot before returning to his apartment. From there, he pointed a shotgun in a threatening manner toward the neighbor as he walked by his window. After police were called, they obtained a search warrant for Irvin's apartment. Although the officers did not recover a firearm during their search, they did find .22 caliber ammunition. Irvin was charged with being a felon in possession of ammunition in violation of 18 U.S.C.  922(g)(1), 924(a)(2), and he pled guilty.

After the district court calculated an initial advisory guideline range for Irvin (57 to 71 months), it concluded that his criminal history was underrepresented and that a departure was warranted based on his prior conviction for assaulting a correctional officer. Although that conviction was too old to count toward Irvin's criminal history, he would have had a more appropriate advisory guideline range of 70 to 87 months if it had in fact received criminal history points. After considering the 18 U.S.C.  3553(a) factors, the court sentenced him to 84 months imprisonment.

We review the reasonableness of the sentence for abuse of discretion. United States v. Linderman, 587 F.3d 896, 899 (8th Cir. 2009). A defendant's sentence is substantively unreasonable if the district court 'fails to consider a relevant factor that should have received significant weight, gives significant weight to an improper or irrelevant factor, or considers only the appropriate factors but commits a clear error of judgment in weighing those factors.' United States v. Lozoya, 623 F.3d 624, 626 (8th Cir. 2010) (quoting United States v. Watson, 480 F.3d 1175, 1177 (8th Cir. 2007)).

Irvin argues that the district court abused its discretion by placing too much weight on his prior conviction for assaulting a correctional officer. A court may depart upward if a defendant's criminal history category substantially under-represents the seriousness of his criminal history or the likelihood that he would commit other crimes. U.S.S.G.  4A1.3(a)(1). In considering criminal history, the court may take notice of prior sentences too remote in time to receive criminal history points but which show similar, or serious dissimilar, criminal conduct. United States v. Johnson, 648 F.3d 940, 943 (8th Cir. 2011) (quoting U.S.S.G.  4A1.2(e) cmt. n.8). Irvin's conviction for unlawfully possessing ammunition arose from an incident in which he assaulted a neighbor by brandishing a knife and pointing a firearm in a threatening manner. His prior conviction for assaulting a correctional officer evidenced similar and serious assaultive conduct, so the district court acted within its discretion by considering and giving appropriate weight to it in determining that Irvin's criminal history category underrepresented his criminal history.

Irvin also argues that the district court failed adequately to weigh his mitigating evidence, particularly the testimony of his former employer regarding his head injury and work ethic. The record demonstrates, however, that the district court did consider this mitigating evidence. The court described the former employer's testimony as impressive. In light of that testimony, it decided to give Irvin a shorter sentence than initially anticipated. The district court acted well within its discretion in declining to give Irvin's mitigating evidence more weight than it did, particularly given its concerns about his assaultive criminal history. See United States v. Salazar-Aleman,741 F.3d 878, 88182 (8th Cir. 2013) (concluding that sentence was not substantively unreasonable when district court had acknowledged mitigating evidence). We conclude that the district court's sentence was not substantively unreasonable.

Accordingly, we affirm the judgment of the district court.

FOOTNOTES

. The Honorable Roseann A. Ketchmark, United States District Judge for the Western District of Missouri.

PER CURIAM.
From The Economist:

When Narendra Modi became prime minister of India in 2014, opinion was divided as to whether he was a Hindu zealot disguised as an economic reformer, or the other way round. The past three years appear to have settled the matter. Yes, Mr Modi has pandered to religious sentiment at times, most notably by appointing a rabble-rousing Hindu prelate as chief minister of Indias most-populous state, Uttar Pradesh. But he has also presided over an acceleration in economic growth, from 6.4% in 2013 to a high of 7.9% in 2015which made India the fastest-growing big economy in the world. He has pushed through reforms that had stalled for years, including an overhaul of bankruptcy law and the adoption of a nationwide sales tax (GST) to replace a confusing array of local and national levies. Foreign investment has soared, albeit from a low base. India, cabinet ministers insist, is at last becoming the tiger Mr Modi promised.

Alas, these appearances are deceiving (see article). The GST, although welcome, is unnecessarily complicated and bureaucratic, greatly reducing its efficiency. The new bankruptcy law is a step in the right direction, but it will take much more to revive the financial system, which is dominated by state-owned banks weighed down by dud loans. The central governments response to a host of pressing economic problems, from the difficulty of buying land to the reform of rigid labour laws, has been to pass them to the states. And at least one of the big reforms it has undertakenthe overnight cancellation of most of Indias banknotes in an effort to curb the black economywas counterproductive, hamstringing legitimate businesses without doing much harm to illicit ones. No wonder the economy is starting to drag. In the first three months of the year it grew at an annualised rate of 6.1%, more slowly than when Mr Modi came to power.

More here.
US judge blocks President Biden's student debt forgiveness plan

The injunction is the second to block the president's signature program, which could cut or eliminate student loan debt for up to 40 million people.
Abu Dhabi has an infinite of experiences to enjoy. It is one of the most fashionable destinations because it is an excellent luxury and everyone seems to want to travel to the capital of the United Arab Emirates. But rightly so, because in Abu Dhabi, you will be able to plan a trip full of activities. Read



Abu Dhabi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ADCCI) received a high-level trade delegation from Norway. The two parties discussed bilateral cooperation and investment opportunities in Abu Dhabi in vital sectors, including energy, oil, and gas. Read



Following a call for submissions launched on 21 June on the occasion of the International Music Festival, Institut Francais in the United Arab Emirates, the cultural department of the French Embassy; JCDecaux, the number one outdoor advertising company worldwide; Abu Dhabi Airports, the operator of Abu Dhabis five airports; and Print Works, the local digital printing solutions specialist, are pleased to congratulate the six winners of the ArtportChallenge 2022 contest at Abu Dhabi International Airport. Read



Medical science has progressed by leaps and bounds in the last century, and a large part of that is thanks to laboratory science. Lab science provides a controlled environment in which to study samples and test new treatments. The findings from these experiments help medical professionals to better understand and treat diseases. Keep reading to learn more about how lab science benefits the medical field, and if this article interests you, consider pursuing a bachelor medical laboratory science degree. Read



One of the finest cities in the world is Dubai. Due to its extensive gold commerce, the city is sometimes referred to as the "city of gold." It is also considered as the Middle East's shopping capital. You should think about renting a car in Dubai because it offers so many advantages. The easiest way to get about Dubai has been a topic of much discussion. But this post by Saadatrent will provide you some justifications for why hiring a car in Dubai is worthwhile. Read


United States Court of Appeals, Eighth Circuit. Joseph R. Flying Horse Plaintiff - Appellant v. James Hansen, Parole Agent, Sued in his Official and Individual Capacities; Doug Clark, Supervising Parole Agent, Sued in his Official and Individual Capacities; Krista Bast, Case Manager, Sued in her Official and Individual Capacities; Seth Hughes, Unit Coordinator, Sued in his Official and Individual Capacities; Darin Young, Warden, of the South Dakota State Penitentiary, Sued in his Official and Individual Capacities; Denny Kaemingk, Secretary of Corrections, Sued in his Official and Individual Capacities; Miranda Ward, SDSP Case Manager, Sued in her Official and Individual Capacities; Riley DeGroot, SDSP Case Manager, Sued in his Official and Individual Capacities; Troy Ponto, SDSP Associate Warden, Sued in his Official and Individual Capacities; Darik Beiber, SDSP Unit Manager, Sued in his Official and Individual Capacities; Val McGovern, Board Staff, Sued in her Official and Individual Capacities; Stacy Cole, Board Staff, Sued in her Official and Individual Capacities; Kayla Stucky, Board Staff, Sued in her Official and Individual Capacities; Ashley McDonald, DOC Attorney, Sued in her Official and Individual Capacities; Pennington County, Respondeat Superior, for Pennington County State's Attorney Office; South Dakota Department of Corrections; South Dakota Board of Pardons and Paroles Defendants - Appellees No. 17-1253 Decided: June 23, 2017

Before BENTON, ARNOLD, and KELLY, Circuit Judges.

South Dakota inmate Joseph Flying Horse appeals after the district court dismissed his pro se 42 U.S.C.  1983 complaint pre-service in December 2016, on the ground that it was barred under Heck v. Humphrey, 512 U.S. 477 (1994). The district court also denied his post-judgment Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 60(b) motion. Upon de novo review, we reverse in part, affirm in part, and remand the case for further proceedings. See Colbert v. City of Monticello, Ark., 775 F.3d 1006, 1007 (8th Cir. 2014) (per curiam) (dismissal of claim under Heck is reviewed de novo).

Mr. Flying Horse, who was arrested while on parole, asserted several claims against multiple defendants, but primarily asserted that his due process rights were violated when a Parolee Detainer that had been placed on him expired, and he was illegally confined with no detainer in place, no pending criminal charges, and no parole-revocation judgment entered against him. Mr. Flying Horse has indicated to this court that a parole-revocation judgment has been entered since the district court's dismissal of his complaint.

To the extent Mr. Flying Horse's complaint and filings can be construed as requesting his release from confinement, such relief is available only through a petition for a writ of habeas corpus. See Preiser v. Rodriguez, 411 U.S. 475, 500 (1973) (habeas corpus is exclusive remedy for prisoner challenging fact or length of confinement). To the extent he sought damages for his confinement after the revocation of his parole, we conclude that Heck applies, because--as to that time period--a judgment in his favor would render the parole revocation invalid. See Heck, 512 U.S. at 486-87 (to recover damages for allegedly unconstitutional conviction or imprisonment in proceeding that would render conviction or sentence invalid, plaintiff must prove that conviction or sentence was reversed, expunged, declared invalid, or called into question); Newmy v. Johnson, 758 F.3d 1008, 1011-12 (8th Cir. 2014) (Heck applied to plaintiff's  1983 action challenging constitutionality of parole revocation and subsequent extended incarceration). In addition, we conclude that the district court did not abuse its discretion in denying Mr. Flying Horse's Rule 60(b) motion, as we agree with the reasons set forth in that denial. See Noah v. Bond Cold Storage, 408 F.3d 1043, 1045 (8th Cir. 2005) (denial of Rule 60(b) motion reviewed for abuse of discretion). Thus, we affirm in part.

However, to the extent Mr. Flying Horse sought damages for the time period from when the detainer expired, until when his parole was revoked, we conclude that Heck does not apply, because--as to that time period--a favorable judgment on his section 1983 claims would not render invalid his parole revocation or any other conviction, sentence, or judgment. See Heck, 512 U.S. at 486-87; cf. Gerstein v. Pugh, 420 U.S. 103, 119 (1975) (arrest and detention without probable cause does not void subsequent conviction); United States v. Davis, 785 F.2d 610, 616 (8th Cir. 1986) (It has been held time and again that an illegal arrest and detention, without more, does not void a subsequent prosecution.). Thus, we reverse in part, and we remand the case to the district court for further proceedings.

FOOTNOTES

. We express no opinion as to whether any defendant or claim may be subject to dismissal for any other reason. See Schweiss v. Chrysler Motors Corp., 922 F.2d 473, 476 (8th Cir. 1990) (noting benefit of having district court address issue in first instance).

PER CURIAM.
Aiken, SC (29801)

Today

A steady rain this morning. Showers continuing this afternoon. High near 70F. Winds S at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 90%..

Tonight

Cloudy early with some clearing expected late. Low 59F. Winds WSW at 10 to 20 mph.
Margaret Soltans husband was searching for his grandmothers name on Google, and found her in a 1908 portrait, which is now in the National Museum at Warsaw.

The post reminded me of a post from a couple of months ago by Bookworm, about finding a book in which her grandmothers friends at her finishing school in Lausanne, Switzerland, wrote her farewell letters when she graduated and moved back to Belgium in 1913:

As befitted a young woman of her class back in the day before WWI began, my grandmother was multilingual, so the messages in her book were in French, German, Dutch, and English. The young ladies all included their home addresses  in Belgium, France, Switzerland, Germany, Holland, America, Scotland, England, Wales, Romania, and Persia (Tehran). Each inscription was written in beautiful copperplate and the girls all drew exquisite little flags reflecting each girls country of origin.

Since I, unlike my grandmother (and my parents), am not multilingual, I was able to read only the inscriptions from my grandmothers English-speaking friends. I have no word for how charming these little missives were. An American girl wrote about the irony that she and my grandmother hated each other at first sight, only to become close friends by the end of their time together. An English girl wrote about the jolly good times they had going to concerts with modern music consisting of one note, played so low no one could hear it. Another girl wrote about the disappointment of endless dinners consisting of macaroni and disappointingly watery chocolate creme.

And Bookworms post, when I first read it, reminded me of a passage in the memoirs of British general Edward Spears, close friend of Churchill and emissary to France during the campaign of 1940. Spears had grown up in France, and in the 1960s he returned to the house he had lived in. There, he found a picnic basket filled with his grandmothers old letters:

The next letters I opened dropped me back two generations into a land of other peoples memories but with an occasional sharp glint as they recalled things I had heard of as a child. They were the letters of a poor sick young woman written to her absent husband whilst she was immobilised awaiting her first and only child, my mother.

I never imagined my grandmother other than I had known her, white haired, stout, and dignified. The picture painted in these letters of a girl frantic with loneliness and longing, exasperated at the threat of a miscarriage which kept her lying on her back, begging her husband to come to her, all told in the reserved language of that day, filled me with a kind of fond protective amusement. It was so unexpected. Time, so long imprisoned in these boxes, was revealing itself in an entirely new guise, oscillating quite regardless of years from one generation to the next or back againmore, it was taking me, an elderly man in the 1960s, and leading me back to the year 1864, there to watch over, with infinite tenderness, a young woman I had never known, my grandmother as a young wife

Another time-travel experience, albeit of a less directly personal nature than the above three ventures back in time, can be found in this set of photographs: 1910The Summer of our Content.

See also the comments for the original post of the above.
In 1947 Paul Kaye was asked to be part of top-secret mission to smuggle Holocaust survivors into pre-state Israel. He was warned that if he was caught he could be hanged. Paul didnt hesitate: Lets go!

In an Aish.com exclusive interview, Paul recalled how he managed to accomplish the seemingly impossible: to secretly smuggle, ship after ship, traumatized Jewish refugees to the Land of Israel. These clandestine voyages were part of Aliyah Bet which saw over 100,000 desperate Jews try to flee to pre-state Israel in the years leading up to 1948.

In 1947, Paul was a 20-year-old US Navy veteran. Hed volunteered to fight in World War II when he was only 17 and served briefly in the Pacific Theater as a marine engineer before the war ended. Afterwards, he returned home to New York and was living with his sister in an apartment in the Bronx.

Those who organized and sailed these boats faced prison or death.

Unbeknownst to him, Israels underground fighting force, the Haganah, the precursor to Israels army, was working to find people to help sail refitted ships from Europe to British-ruled Palestine. Thousands of Jewish Holocaust survivors were living in camps in Europe, housed in impersonal centers years after the war. Though most of these broken survivors longed to reach the Jewish homeland, Britain refused to allow these Jews in. The Haganah organized a series of daring escapes, buying and refitting scores of old ships that were often barely seaworthy. If British forces caught these secret ships, they interned the passengers once more in DP camps on the island of Cyprus. Those who organized and sailed these boats faced prison or death.

One of these Haganah organizers called Paul. Hello, Paul Kaminetzky? said an unknown voice on the line, using Pauls original family name. Wed like to know if you want to help your people.

Paul was told to go to the corner of 39th and Lexington Ave. at a certain time the next day and to follow a man with a leather jacket holding a newspaper. If the man were to suddenly throw away his newspaper, it means they were spotted and Paul was to return home. The caller abruptly hung up.

All went according to plan and Paul was led to a secure location where a daring proposition was put to him: would he help sail boats between Cyprus and Palestine? The overloaded vessels would be sitting ducks in the Mediterranean, easy prey for British forces if they were found. Those organizing the voyages faced possible execution. Paul didnt flinch. To this day, members of his synagogue say to him with a grin, Lets go! in memory of that fateful day when he was recruited into the Haganah.

Paul (lower left with gun), Al Ellis next to him, upper left is Lenny Cohen and Hal Fineberg in Caesarian training as Seals 1948

His first ship was called Tradewinds. Docked in Baltimore harbor, it was a former US Coast Guard cutter that was now registered in Panama. Its Haganah-trained crew sailed to Portugal, where they ran into a snag. British forces refused to allow it to refuel. A local captain overheard Paul say, Oy vey! and asked him if he spoke Yiddish. Paul said yes, and the captain donated Tradewinds fuel to continue her journey.

The boat journeyed to Lisbon, then to Italy, where it would pick up its passengers. While in Lisbon, Tradewinds was docked next to another Haganah ship, the President Warfield, that was waiting to pick up refugees. Paul became friends with Bill Bernstein, an American crew member whod volunteered to help ferry Jews to Palestine. The President Warfield went on to pick up over 4,500 Holocaust survivors and change its name on route to Israel to The Exodus.

The Exodus

Pauls boat took on a smaller passenger load, about 1,500, and Paul remembers the moment these battered refugees stepped on board the vessel as one of the most important in his life. They were haggard, Paul later recalled. They had all they owned on their backs. They came up, they hugged and kissed us and said, We are going to Eretz Yisroel (the Land of Israel). Were going to our home.

British forces forced the HATIKVA to sail for Cyprus. Paul knew that grave consequences that faced him there.

That first trip ended in near-disaster. An airplane spotted the Tradewinds and alerted British destroyers who surrounded the boat. Undaunted, Paul and the crew painted over their boats name, renaming it the HATIKVA, Hebrew for hope. British forces forced the HATIKVA to sail for Cyprus. Paul knew that grave consequences that faced him there. There was always fear, he recalls.

He was saved from British prosecution and prison or worse by a young Romanian Holocaust survivor who was a passenger on board. Pauls shoes were covered with oil, a giveaway that he was an engineer and had been working on keeping the barely seaworthy vessel running. The Romanian traded shoes with Paul and when the boat docked in Cyprus, Paul spoke Yiddish and identified himself as a displaced person. My father never spoke any English, Paul explains. I grew up in New York speaking Yiddish at home and blended right in with the passengers.

Immigrants crowd together on the deck of the ship, Hatikvah

Paul remembers one Haganah member, a former US Navy Officer, who only knew English. Thinking quickly, Paul told British officials that he was a Holocaust survivor who was too traumatized to talk. Despite carrying out their orders to stop and imprison these Holocaust survivors, many British soldiers showed compassion to the broken men and women in their care. The British officer began to cry and quickly left the room, sparing Pauls comrade detection and a sentence of prison or death.

In Cyprus, the British instituted a quota system, allowing 750 Jewish prisoners each month to be transferred to the Atlit prison camp in Israel, near Haifa. His first month interned in Cyprus, Paul drew a lucky number; he was one of the 750 to be allowed to transfer to Israel. But Hal Fineberg, another American Haganah fighter (who later changed his name to Zvi Galil and fought in Israels War of Independence) was gravely ill with scabies and Paul gave his spot to him.

In Cyprus, surrounded by barbed wire and armed guards, Paul and the prisoners learned that the ship The Exodus en route to Palestine had been intercepted by British destroyers. Bill Bernstein, the other American volunteer Paul had befriended in Lisbon, was killed in the fighting, as well as two refugees. As Paul and other Jews languished in prison camps in Cyprus, things looked hopeless. One thought sustained them: the hope that one day they might make it out to the Land of Israel.

Paul eventually got his chance: he was one of another group of 750 prisoners selected to be sent to Atlit prison near Haifa. He would still be held prisoner for no crime other than wanting to enter the Jewish homeland, but at least hed be on the soil of the Land of Israel.

With the help of the Haganah, Paul eventually escaped from Atlit prison, slipping under a barbed wire fence, and joined the Palmach, the Haganahs elite fighting force. He returned to the United States with a fake passport and manned two subsequent ships that successfully brought Jewish refugees from Europe to Palestine.

On May 14, 1948, when Israel declared itself a state, Paul was with a boatload of desperate Jewish refugees making their way to Haifa. They quickly changed the name of their boat, a Panamanian-flagged ship called Director, to the Hebrew name Galila. That day, Paul now recalls at the age of 90, when the Jewish people once again had a national homeland, was his proudest moment. We put an Israeli flag up on our ship - it was the first time we were able to sail as an Israeli ship.

Paul eventually served in Israels navy and then returned to New York where he married and built a family.

Paul Kaye wearing an Israeli Navy hat

Looking back, he credits his incredible desire to help his fellow Jews to his mothers influence. Pauls father died when he was young and his mother had a strong Jewish identity. World War II was a turning point in Pauls young life. When I saw what Hitler was doing to the Jewish people I realized I have to do what I can do. At the age of 17, that meant enlisting in the US Navy. At 20, it meant risking death and imprisonment to fight with the Haganah.

We are being persecuted today as well. Anti-Semitism is increasing around the world and we have to stand up.

Paul speaks publicly about his own experiences and tries to motivate young Jews to stand up for themselves and to be proud Jews.

Many have called Paul a hero but Paul doesnt view himself that way. I was working for my people. I had no choice but to step up and help my fellow Jews. When youre working for your people, youre not a hero.

May we each find the strength to feel the obligation to help, and when our time comes to act, to say without hesitation, Lets go!

Paul Kaye is featured in the documentary 4 Million Bullets: The Untold Fight for Israels Survival, that includes first hand testimonies about the clandestine effort to bring survivors to the Israel. Click here for more information.
June 21, 2017

Christopher Gunness, a spokesman for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), issued a statement June 9 announcing that UNRWA had discovered a tunnel June 1, allegedly dug by Hamas, under two of its affiliated schools, the Maghazi Elementary Boys A&B School and the Maghazi Preparatory Boys School. The discovery was made during work to expand a building belonging to one of the schools, which are in the Maghazi refugee camp, in the central Gaza Strip. UNRWA condemns the existence of such tunnels in the strongest possible terms, Gunness said. It is unacceptable that students and staff are placed at risk in such a way.

Gunness called the digging of tunnels under UN facilities incompatible with the respect of privileges and immunities owed to the United Nations under international law, which provides that UN premises shall be inviolable. The sanctity and neutrality of UN premises must be preserved at all times. He noted that UNRWA had protested to Hamas and would be sealing the tunnels and would not allow anyone into the building until resolution of the issue.

Although Gunness did not publicly accuse Hamas of being responsible for the tunnels, Hamas and its allies reacted to his statement as if he had. On June 9, Hamas responded in a press statement asserting that UNRWA's allegations aim to justify the crimes of Israel and encourage Israel to target defenseless civilians, since, the movement alleged, Israel would use these allegations as pretexts to attack, killing Palestinians.

Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhoum told Al-Monitor, Hamas has contacted the Palestinian factions regarding the alleged tunnel discovery. Hamas and the other factions stressed that they are not carrying out any resistance-related activities in the area mentioned by UNRWA in central Gaza.

He added, The resistance policy is based on respecting UNRWA institutions and vital facilities as well as keeping them at a distance from any acts of resistance in order to preserve them and ensure the continued provision of services to the people of Gaza.

On Jan. 4, UNRWA spokesman Adnan Abu Hasna had denied rumors raised by the Sahem news agency about the existence of tunnels under UNRWA schools in the Gaza Strip, stating that such claims had no basis in fact and called promoting them unacceptable. Al-Monitor contacted UNRWA in Gaza for comments on the recent discovery, but officials said to refer to the statement by Gunness.

A foreign official with an international institution in Gaza told Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity, UNRWA was forced to announce the discovery of two tunnels under the schools in Maghazi refugee camp because Israel found out about their existence in May. If UNRWA had not revealed this, Israel would have accused it of complicity with the Palestinian factions and of covering up the armed activities under its premises. This would have made it harder for UNRWA to survive in Gaza and would have subjected it to international accountability.

UNRWA said in its June 9 statement that a thorough inspection of the site where the two tunnels were found determined that the tunnels do not have entry or exit points on the school premises or into the school buildings. Nonetheless, Israel was quick to exploit UNRWAs announcement by attacking the organization. In a message to the UN Security Council on June 10, Israels ambassador to the UN, Danny Danon, accused UNRWA of being in bed with Hamas, and said that instead of using the schools as educational centers, Hamas had turned them into camps from which it could carry out attacks against Israel.

UNRWA should be dismantled, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said during a June 11 Cabinet meeting, explaining what he had days earlier told Nikki Haley, the US ambassador to the UN, when she had visited Tel Aviv. On June 8, Haley had toured the Israel-Gaza border, where she entered a tunnel found in April 2016 near the Kerem Shalom border crossing.

Abu Mujahid, a spokesman for the Popular Resistance Committees, an armed faction close to Hamas in Gaza, told Al-Monitor, UNRWA has made a serious accusation and is fueling the security situation in Gaza in favor of Israel.  We, as resistance movements, keep all our actions away from civilian facilities and schools.

Issam Adwan, the head of Hamas Division of Refugee Affairs, told Al-Monitor, It was strange for UNRWA to make such claims about discovering Hamas tunnels without first referring to the security authorities in Gaza to verify its information. Such hasty accusations give Israel the chance to tighten its grip on UNRWA itself and target its facilities in future wars. UNRWA should have investigated before raising suspicion about its premises and giving Israel a reason to attack it.

He continued, The resistance realizes how important UNRWAs premises are for Palestinians during war, and it refrains from digging tunnels under its schools so as not to put civilians in danger.
June 25, 2017

Taking sides in eastern Syria

Ali Hashem writes, The war for the Syrian Desert is in fact a war for the heart of the Middle East. The Iranian-led coalition in Syria is racing against the US-backed forces there, as both seek to defeat the Islamic State (IS), the group that has shaped the face of the region for the last four years. It is a war in the desert to draw a line in the sand, some might say, or a war to draw a line across borders and connect four capitals: Tehran, Baghdad, Damascus and Beirut. Hence the battle is between two different regional and international agendas, with each side viewing the other as the real threat after the defeat of IS in Iraqs Mosul and Syrias Raqqa.

He continues, The Tehran-Beirut route is a symbolic connection, one that announces that the Iran-led resistance axis is intact, as it was before the eruption of the Syrian revolution in 2011 and IS capture of Mosul in June 2014. That said, from the Iranian point of view, the regional stage is now different. The advance of Syrian forces has been concomitant with progress toward the same border by the PMU [Popular Mobilization Units] in Iraq, led by Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, who announced on June 10 that his forces had reached the frontier and liberated 4,200 square kilometers [1,622 square miles] and 142 villages. Of note, however, his forces have no intention of entering Syrian territory.

A US airstrike on Syrian positions in al-Tanf on June 6 is a sign that the United States and Iran are taking sides on opposite sides of this latest fault line in the region. Arash Karami reports that Iran on June 18 for the first time launched missiles against IS positions in eastern Syria. The timing of the strikes, Karami writes, has led some to believe the message was also intended for the new US administration, which is adopting a policy of regime change for Tehran and is reportedly seeking to confront Iran militarily in Syria.

Hashem explains that the notion of a road link or land bridge from Tehran to Beirut might, however, be an overstatement or a bit of hyperventilating analysis, given that in the past Israeli fighter jets have on several occasions hit alleged arm supplies near and around Damascus. A longer route, mainly through a no man's land in remote areas of Iraq, is likely to be vulnerable to hits by the Israeli or US air forces, not to mention possible attacks by insurgents, including IS.

The battle for eastern Syria introduces further complexity, and uncertainty, about the role of Iraq, which faces pressure from both Tehran and Washington. While the battle against IS on the Iraqi side of the Syrian desert border is being led by the Iranian-backed Popular Mobilization Units, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi is walking a tightrope between Saudi Arabia and Iran, Omar Sattar writes.

Abadi visited Riyadh on June 19 and Tehran on June 20, and he may be seeking to defuse tensions between the two countries, without upsetting either.

Arash Karami reports that Abadi and Iranian leaders discussed a shared concern about plans for a referendum on independence by the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. It is hard to envision Iraq staying neutral, let alone antagonizing Iran, given the stakes in Syria.

The US alliance with the Syrian Democratic Forces, made up primarily of the Kurdish Peoples Protection Units (YPG), is also at a critical juncture, according to Fehim Tastekin.

In an unusual move, Kurdish officials have made statements supportive of Riyadh regarding its tension with Qatar, Tastekin reports. But these comments may reflect a broader unease about what comes next, given the many interests, actors and high stakes in play. He continues, A senior YPG commander who spoke to Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity said the YPG is ready to go to anyplace in Syria to fight IS, but they will not agree to any alliance beyond that. He said the Kurds see Iran as a problem but will not become part of a battle against it. They have no plans to move to al-Tanf, he said.

Hamas, Gaza on edge over Gulf crisis

Adnan Abu Amer writes this week that the demand by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates that Qatar sever ties with Hamas carries risks for the Gaza Strip, and could push Hamas further into the Iranian camp.

Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassem told Al-Monitor that the knife could cut both ways. Arab division and tension in the region could tempt Israel to take advantage of the situation and move against the Palestinians, or, as Qassem put it, commit crimes against them in Gaza, Abu Amer reports. Hamas hopes this Arab crisis will [soon] come to an end, because it mainly serves Israel, and the movement stresses that any Israeli escalation against Gaza would be met with all the resources it can get to defend the Palestinian people, Qassem said. The ongoing blockade on Gaza would lead Palestinians to confront their true oppressor, the Israeli occupation. Hamas is greatly offended by the hostility and pressure by the Palestinian Authority, Israel and some regional parties.

Abu Amer, reporting from Gaza, observes that an increasing number of Israeli surveillance drones have recently been flying over Gaza at low altitudes, and daily episodes of violence are taking place between Palestinian demonstrators approaching Gazas eastern border and Israeli soldiers on the other side. One Palestinian was shot and killed June 6 when Israeli soldiers fired on the protesters.

Abu Amer concludes, Hamas has largely remained silent about the Gulf crisis, perhaps not wanting to provoke Arab states' hostility. The movement's leadership may well recognize that with the political, financial and military shadows cast by the Gulf crisis, it should forgo any military confrontation with Israel for the time being. Hamas alone, however, does not control the situation in the Gaza Strip. Israel, Egypt and the PA also have a say, and they have not hidden their hostility toward Hamas. This raises the possibility of their potentially seizing the opportunity to eliminate it once and for all.

This column, commenting on Abu Amers reporting earlier this month, noted that the US-Saudi-Islamic summit forced a rethink by the Hamas political leadership in favor of support for Irans resistance axis.
June 22, 2017

President Donald Trump has been advised by his inner circle and by former administration officials with experience in the Middle East peace process to stay out of an Israeli-Palestinian peace process. Everybody told him that both sides are unwilling to make the necessary compromises. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is both unwilling and unable politically, and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, while possibly willing to compromise for statehood, is politically too weak to make the necessary concessions.

A senior PLO official close to Abbas told Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity that the Palestinian diplomatic strategy remains to engage positively with US envoy Jason Greenblatt as well as with White House senior adviser Jared Kushner. Both Greenblatt and Kushner visited Israel and the West Bank on June 21-22. The Palestinian strategy includes expressing readiness to take part in a regionally backed opening to permanent-status negotiations, while assuming a de facto freeze on Israeli settlement expansion. The Palestinian leadership is conveying to the Trump administration in great detail its positions on all permanent-status issues. There is cautious optimism in Ramallah.

On the Israeli side, there is greater concern with the US administrations possible diplomatic moves. A senior Israeli ambassador currently engaged with policy planning at the Foreign Ministry told Al-Monitor that the Netanyahu government has a very clear strategy. According to this official, Israel is not interested in a launch of the peace process by Washington. Netanyahu is ready to participate in a meeting with Trump, Abbas and other Arab leaders. On the other hand, a type of Madrid 2 Conference in Washington is rejected at the highest Israeli levels, as is any other American move that could endanger the stability of the current right-wing coalition. The official added that Israels strategy will be a mixture of positive rhetoric and moves toward Trumps policies with policy conditions that will make it difficult if not impossible for the Palestinians to accept such a negotiation process.

Israel has conveyed to Greenblatt that the prime minister is ready to participate in a regional strategy meeting in Washington chaired by Trump and also to meet with Abbas. The participation in such a meeting is conditioned on the Palestinian Authority's taking action to stop incitement to violence and to halt all payments to the families of terrorists and prisoners in Israel. According to the senior Israeli official, the government is convinced that Abbas will not stop the payments to the Palestinian families, as it affects almost a quarter of the Palestinian population.

Furthermore, according to this official, while Netanyahu has agreed to restrain settlement expansion, construction will continue both in the Jerusalem area and outside of the settlement blocs, thus giving partial satisfaction to Naftali Bennetts HaBayit HaYehudi party.

In the talks with Greenblatt, Israel has emphasized its principles for any potential settlement with the Palestinians. In permanent-status negotiations, Israel will insist that all of the West Bank remain under Israels overriding security responsibility and that the Palestinians will only maintain a police force for public order that will cooperate with Israel on the prevention of terror.

Also, Israel will demand the Palestinian leadership recognize Israel as the homeland of the Jewish people. The border will be based on Israels security needs. Much of todays West Bank area C (under Israeli control) will come under Israels sovereignty, and Jerusalem will remain the united capital of Israel. A Palestinian capital will be established outside of Jerusalem. Israel will respect the freedom of faith of all three monotheistic religions. There will be no right of return for Palestinian refugees to Israel. Israel will agree to limited Palestinian statehood, assuming Israels two fundamental principles are met  recognition of a Jewish state and Israels security responsibilities over the West Bank.

The Foreign Ministry official further said that Israel will insist in the negotiations on immediate normalization of relations with the pragmatic Arab states. The timeline for the implementation of such an agreement would depend on the security situation in the West Bank and Gaza and would not be less than 10 years. The Gaza Strip, under the same leadership as the West Bank, would be part of such a deal.

These positions have been conveyed orally to Greenblatt. According to the senior Israeli Foreign Ministry official, these positions reflect Netanyahus real opening approach for future negotiations, but are also intended to convince Trump that an ultimate deal is mission impossible.

For his part, the senior PLO official described these Israeli positions as proof that Netanyahus policies for the future are to perpetuate the occupation. It is easier to convince the Palestinians to move to the moon than to accept these positions even partially. Indeed, it seems that while the Palestinians hope that Trump will deliver a realistic negotiations process on a two-state solution, the Israeli side is determined to jeopardize such an undertaking.
June 22, 2017

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip  Egyptian construction workers often do not earn enough to cover the basic expenses for themselves and their families, such as food, medicine and clothing.

The value of the Egyptian pound fell in half following the governments decision to float the Egyptian currency in November and stands at about 18 Egyptian pounds to the US dollar.

This has forced many construction workers to work extra hours; some of them even sought to migrate or obtain a work visa abroad.

Strangely, however, some found jobs in the Gaza Strip, which is reeling under its own massive unemployment and harsh economic conditions due to the Israeli siege.

Since the beginning of the year, some employers, including contractors, in the Gaza Strip have noticed that Egyptian construction workers have been applying for jobs there.

At first this seemed quite odd. Many wondered how these Egyptian men crossed into Gaza and started searching for jobs there.

Contractor Mohammed Younis of the southern Gaza town of Rafah, who employs 10 construction workers, hired two Egyptians in early April.

In order to be allowed to enter Gaza through the Rafah crossing, these Egyptian workers usually invoke their kinship relationship to Egyptian women who are living in Gaza and married to a Palestinian national. Egyptians, however, have to be first- or second-degree relatives of these women in Gaza to get a tourist visa to Palestine.

After getting the visa, these Egyptians are forced to wait for long periods to enter Gaza, in light of the repeated closure of the Rafah Crossing. Once in Gaza, they start their job hunt through their relatives and Egyptian connections there.

Al-Monitor met with four Egyptians working in different areas in the Gaza Strip. Moamen Hosni, 34, is from Dakahlia governorate in northeast Egypt. He is the father of three, and his sister Gamila has been married to a Gazan citizen for 15 years and lives in al-Sabra neighborhood, east of Gaza City.

He traveled to Gaza at the beginning of March and is now working as a construction worker with a contractor related to his brother-in-law.

Hosni told Al-Monitor, At the beginning of this year, I was evicted from an apartment I had rented in Dakahlia because I was unable to pay the monthly rent. I had been working extra hours and taking on multiple odd jobs for two years in a crumbling Egyptian economy.

He continued, Then one day my sister who lives in Gaza suggested I move to the Gaza Strip despite the difficult conditions there and even though it was unlikely for me to find a job. But given the currency exchange difference between the Egyptian pound and the shekel, if I did ever find a job there, I would be able to send money to my family back home and pay the monthly rent.

Hosni works from the early morning hours until the sun sets. He said that in the month of Ramadan he works from midnight until the time of the Suhoor (the meal consumed early in the morning by Muslims before fasting).

I have been getting a monthly salary of about 1,300 shekels ($368) since I started working in the Gaza Strip. I transfer half of this amount to my wife through money transfer offices in Gaza to pay the rent and cover other bills.

Mutawaa Dahlouki, 42, and Ayad Bashir, 39, told Al-Monitor that they worked in Libya from September 2014 until August 2016, but they left their jobs there for fear of terrorist groups, especially after the killing of a number of Egyptian workers in Libya and the abduction of others, whose fate is yet to be known. When Dahlouki and Bashir came back home, they found their financial situation to be much worse than when they left.

Dahlouki and Bashir entered the Gaza Strip in February. Bashirs mother is Palestinian. She lives in the Maghazi refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip with her husband, whom she had married after his father's death in the 1990s. The two men were able to work as construction workers and as porters with a local house furniture transport company.

Dahlouki told Al-Monitor, It is currently very difficult for an Egyptian to obtain a visa for Arab countries. Illegal migration to European countries has proved to be deadly and frightening. Moving to a European country is not as easy as it may seem. Bashir and I never thought about coming to Gaza, which has been ravaged by wars. But our search for means of a livelihood brought us here, and we found it safer than Libya.

Dahlouki and Bashir earn a monthly salary ranging between 1,200 shekels ($340) and 1,500 shekels ($425) each for working for about 12 hours a day. They send money to their families in Minya governorate in Upper Egypt. Dahlouki has a family of six and Bashir of five.

Ahmad Mustafa, 44, traveled to Gaza to stay with his daughter, who is married to a Palestinian. Mustafa works as a home electricity maintenance technician and at night he sells cellphone accessories on a cart, on Omar al-Mukhtar Street in Gaza.

Mustafa is the father of seven children living in Hadaiq al-Qubbah neighborhood in central Cairo. He is working two jobs to be able to provide for the needs of his family, not to mention the tuition fees of three of his children,

He told Al-Monitor that an electrician in Egypt often does not make more than 50 Egyptian pounds ($2.75) a day, which is not enough to cover household expenses.

Salama Abu Zaiter, a member of the Palestinian General Federation of Trade Unions, told Al-Monitor, Egyptians who come to the Gaza Strip at the present time are very few. There are no exact statistics on their number. Official authorities and bodies concerned with workers affairs do not provide them with social or legal protection or privileges. There are no labor agreements between the Egyptian and Palestinian sides. They come to Gaza on their own responsibility.

He added that between 2011 and 2013, dozens of Egyptian workers entered the Gaza Strip through the crossings and tunnels and would sell their goods in Gaza City.

Egyptians heading today to Gaza have friends or relatives living in the Gaza Strip. They come to work here because of the currency exchange difference between the Israeli shekel and the Egyptian pound. Egyptians are better paid in shekels, despite the higher unemployment rate in Gaza compared with Egypt. However, Egyptian workers have better chances to find work in Gaza if they have good personal and family relations, Abu Zaiter said.
Courtesy Dave Anderson and Special Rhythm Photography

TUESDAY NIGHT JAMS

After quickly becoming a weeknight Huntsville musical must-do, the Dave Anderson & Friends Tuesday Night Jams weekly show at The Kiln went on hiatus. Four weeks later, the show returns refreshed. Anderson, known for his guitar work with Brother Cane, Atlanta Rhythm Section and Black Jacket Symphony, anchors the host band, which also boasts son bassist Stone Anderson (Rob Aldridge & The Proponents), drummer James Irvin (Microwave Dave & The Nukes) and keyboardist Tim Tucker. The Tuesday night sessions bring in guest musicians to jam on material you dont often hear played in bars. Think Paul McCartneys Jet and The Sweets Ballroom Blitz instead of blues warhorses like Stormy Weather and One Way Out.

Dave Anderson & Friends Tuesday Night Jams, 8  11 p.m. June 27, The Kiln at AM Booth's Lumberyard, 108 Cleveland Ave N.W., free to attend, facebook.com/tuesjam

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SUMMER BLOCK PARTY

An auto show/outdoor concert mashup. Hosted by Old Town Beer Exchange, SiP, Below the Radar Brewing Company and SVH Times Square, HSV Times Square Summer Block Party is bringing in cool cars, trucks and motorcyles for you to look at and Nashville Star season one winner Buddy Jewell Australian acoustic artist Carl Wockner to listen to.

HSV Times Square Summer Block Party, 1  9 p.m. July 1, HSV Times Square, free to attend, facebook.com/OTBXHSV

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MEET THE ARTIST

Visual artist Amber Anne Palos medium of choice is clay and found objects. I believe that the use of a rusty nail, a weathered piece of wood, or a well-worn childs toy can lend a tangible bit of our shared human existence to my artwork, Palo says in a statement, and hopefully connect to the viewers own unique experiences of memories. Palo is featured in the latest installment of Lowe Mills Meet the Artist series.

Meet the Artist: Amber Anne Palo, 4-5 p.m. July 1, Lowe Mill, 2211 Seminole Drive, free to attend, lowemill.net

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CITY, LIGHTS & STARS

Birmingham guitarist Eric Essixs Move Trio reimagines jazz, funk and southern soul. Theyre performing as part of the City, Lights & Stars concert series at scenic Burritt on the Mountain. Food truck OTaste & See BBQ will also be onsite.

City Lights & Stars: Eric Essix Move Trio, 7  9:30 p.m. June 30, Burritt on the Mountain, 3101 Burritt Drive S.E., $10 - $15 (children 12 and under $5), burrittonthemountain.com

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SUMMER SEAFOOD

Downtown restaurant The Bottles first Summer of Gulf Seafood wine pairing dinner sold out. So they made a sequel. Food courses include royal red ceviche; cornmeal fried Apalachicola oysters with Keel Mountain tomato and okra salad; pan seared gulf black grouper with blue crab tartar sauce and Alabama cheese grits; crispy gulf red snapper with local confit Bialdi; pan seared Florida cobia with garlic mashed potatoes and fried shallots; and Emerald Coast Key lime pie. Wines include 2014 North by Northwest Riesling, 2016 Marques de Caceres Verdejo, 2015 Colterenzio Pinot Blanco, 2014 Mer Soleil Chardonnay, 2015 Louis Jadot Beaujolais Villages and 2015 Villa Wolf Gewutrztraminer.

The Summer of Gulf Seafood, 6  9 p.m. June 27, The Bottle, 101 Washington St. N.E., $85, facebook.com/TheBottleHuntsville

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A homicide investigation is underway in Auburn after a man and a woman were found dead in a house this afternoon.



The man, 40, and a woman, 38, were found dead on the 700 block of Hunters Court when police responded to a welfare concern around 1:15 p.m., Capt. Lorenza Dorsey said in a news release.

Both were pronounced dead on the scene at 2:45 p.m., according to Lee County Coroner Bill Harris. Police believe the deaths resulted from a domestic incident, Dorsey said.



The victims, aren't being publicly identified until family members have been notified.



Also investigating the case is the Alabama Department of Forensic Science.



Anyone with information is asked to call Auburn police at 334-501-3140, the tip line at 334-246-139, or the Lee County Coroner's Office Secret Witness line at 334-745-8686.
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Chinese President Xi Jinping on Saturday ordered all-out rescue efforts for those buried by a landslide in southwest China's Sichuan Province.

The landslide from a high part of a mountain in Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture of Aba hit Xinmo Village at about 6 a.m., burying more than 100 people. A 2-km section of a river was blocked.

Authorities must make maximum efforts to reduce casualties and prevent secondary disasters, Xi said.

Family members of the missing people and those suffering losses in the disaster must be given appropriate care, according to his instruction.

Xi has ordered the State Council, China's Cabinet, to send a work team to the site.

As China enters flood season, governments across the country should strengthen disaster prevention to ensure safety of people's lives and property, according to the order.

Premier Li Keqiang also ordered rescue efforts and examination of geological risks.

People in danger should be relocated as soon as possible to prevent secondary disasters, Li said.

He also ordered an investigation into the reason for the landslide and proper handling of the aftermath.

As instructed by Xi and Li, State Councilor Wang Yong has led a work team to the site. Authorities of Sichuan Province and Aba Prefecture have launched the highest level of disaster relief response and rescue work is underway.
Two massive new container cranes arrived in Mobile on Saturday afternoon, completing a two-month voyage from China. When installed, they'll increase capacity at the APM Terminals facility enough to allow the current growth trend to continue for years. Lawrence Specker | LSpecker@AL.com

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Lawrence Specker | lspecker@al.com

As The Alabama State Port Authority prepared to welcome two colossal new cranes on Saturday, some of the ones already in place, such as these at the steel shipping terminal on Pinto Island, across the Mobile River from downtown Mobile, went about their work.

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Lawrence Specker | lspecker@al.com

As with container cranes, the steel terminal cranes are designed to transfer loads from ships to land, or vice-versa. These also can transfer loads to barges for river shipping.

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Lawrence Specker | lspecker@al.com

The two new cranes are just visible in the distance at the left of frame. The gantries in the middle are part of the McDuffie Coal Terminal. The blue container cranes at the right were installed at the APM Terminals container facility in 2008. The new cranes began their voyage up the Mobile Ship Channel at about 10 a.m. Saturday, arriving at the docks after 2 p.m. It was the last leg of a long, slow voyage that began in China in late April.

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Lawrence Specker | lspecker@al.com

The M/V Zen Hua 23 carries the new cranes, built by Chinese company ZPMC, past McDuffie Coal Terminal. The gray hull visible at left belongs to the U.S. Navy and is used by the U.S. Coast Guard for training exercises.

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Lawrence Specker | lspecker@al.com

A motorboat passes in front of the ship bringing the towering new cranes into Mobile.

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Lawrence Specker | lspecker@al.com

The new cranes pass in front of the older ones they will augment at APM Terminals. The older units are classed as post-Panamax, with a reach spanning 19 rows of shipping containers. The new super post-Panamax cranes have a capacity of 100 long tons and can handle container loads 22 to 23 units wide, stacked 10 units high on deck.

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Lawrence Specker | lspecker@al.com

Theyre equal to the biggest cranes in the world, said Jimmy Lyons, director of the Alabama State Port Authority. Theyll handle the biggest ships in the world. On the Gulf Coast, he said, only the port of Houston has comparable container cranes. Lyons said the new cranes can handle ships carrying up to 20,000 TEUs; by comparison, he estimated the load of the container ship docked across the river at about 4,500 TEUs. (A TEU, or Twenty-food Equivalent Unit, means a load equivalent to one standard 20-foot shipping container.)

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Lawrence Specker | lspecker@al.com

Eventually what we want to be able to do is work four cranes on a vessel, said Wendy Robertson, general manager of operations for APM Terminals Mobile. She explained that the new cranes will work side by side with the older ones, and will move along tracks allowing them to be positioned as needed, to serve one ship or two. Robertson said that flexibility will be particularly handy when Walmarts new distribution center west of Mobile goes into operation next year. Lyons said being able to unload ships faster is a big deal: The whole idea of these ships is to spend the minimum time in port, he said. They run very tight schedules.

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Lawrence Specker | lspecker@al.com

The new cranes were part of a $50 million Phase 2 development at the APM Terminals facility; the project also involved developing 20 acres of land at the facility, Robertson said. In 2016, a record-breaking year, APM handled 277,307 TEUs. The new cranes and other work will expand the sites capacity from 350,000 TEUs to 500,000 TEUs. Thats vital, because the Walmart project alone is expected to bring about 50,000 TEUs a year through the port.

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Lawrence Specker | lspecker@al.com

Tugs push the M/V Zen Hua 23 into place at the APM Terminals facility. Robertson said it will take several days to prepare the cranes for their transfer to land. The move itself will take two days, she said, probably Wednesday and Thursday. After that itll take up to 90 days to install the cranes and prepare them for use.

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Lawrence Specker | lspecker@al.com

Alabama State Port Authority Director Jimmy Lyons said the rapid growth in container shipping that Mobile saw in 2016 has continued in 2017. Were feeling pretty good about this year being another good growth year for us, he said. The new cranes, visible at right, will make it possible for continued growth in the years ahead.

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Lawrence Specker | lspecker@al.com

Seen from the Pinto Steel Terminal on the east side of the river, the new cranes tower over the dock where theyll soon be installed as a new feature of the Mobile skyline.
Mom Arrest Child Deaths

This undated booking photo provided by Parker County, Texas, sheriff's office shows Cynthia Marie Randolph.

(Parker County, Texas, sheriff's office via AP)

On the day her two children were found dead, Cynthia Marie Randolph recounted for investigators a mother's nightmare: She had been folding laundry and watching television while her young daughter and son, ages 2 and 16 months, played in an enclosed sun room on the back porch.

Randolph, 24, went to check on her children after about a half-hour - but they were "gone," she told police. She said that after a half-hour of searching, she finally spotted their bodies, unresponsive, inside her 2010 Honda Crosstour parked in her driveway.

It was May 26, a day when the high temperature outside Randolph's home in Weatherford, Texas, reached 96 degrees, according to police records.

Medics pronounced both children dead at the scene, authorities said.

According to the Parker County Sheriff's Office, when asked how long the children might have been exposed to the high temperatures inside the car, Randolph responded immediately: "No more than an hour."

Less than a month after the tragedy, Randolph has been arrested after her original explanation for her children's deaths unraveled. Through multiple interviews with investigators over the past month, Randolph "created several variations of the events" of May 26, police said.

In a final interview with investigators Friday, Randolph described an entirely different timeline for what happened that day - one that began much earlier in the afternoon than she had previously admitted.

At about 12:15 p.m., Randolph said she had found her children playing inside her car and ordered them to come out, police said.

"Stop your s-t," Randolph said she told her 2-year-old daughter, according to police.

"When they refused to exit, Randolph told police she shut the car door to teach Juliet a lesson, thinking she could get herself and her brother out of the car when ready," a probable cause affidavit for the incident stated. "The defendant went inside the house, smoked marijuana and took a nap. The defendant said she was asleep for two or three hours."

It was only after her nap that Randolph found her children unresponsive inside the Honda Crosstour, police said. Randolph further told investigators that she broke the car window so that it would look like an accident, police said.

Randolph was charged Friday with two first-degree felony counts of injury to a child causing serious bodily injury. She is being held at the Parker County Jail on a $200,000 bond, records show. A sheriff's spokeswoman did not immediately return a call Saturday afternoon, and jail records do not list an attorney for Randolph.

Over the past two decades, more than 700 children have died of heatstroke while in hot cars, said Jan Null, a meteorologist who compiles and keeps track of the data on noheatstroke.org.

"Every one of these can be prevented," Null told The Washington Post last year.

Null said more than half of the incidents occurred because a child had been "forgotten" by a caregiver. About 28 percent of those deaths were because a child had been playing in an unattended vehicle. About 17 percent of the deaths resulted because a child was intentionally left inside a vehicle by an adult, Null's site states.

The National Safety Council says that unintentionally leaving a child inside a car "can happen to anyone."

"Maybe it's an overworked parent who forgets to drop off their child at day care, or a relative who thinks the child will be okay 'for just a few minutes,' " says an NSC pamphlet on the issue.

The group advises parents to put something they will need by their child's car seat - a purse, wallet or phone, for example - as an additional reminder to check the back.

"Remember, children overheat four times faster than adults," says a message on the council's website. "A child is likely to die when his body temperature reaches 107 degrees, and that can happen in minutes."

Those who see a child alone in a car are advised to call 911 immediately or even break into the car during an emergency, the group said, noting that many states have good Samaritan laws.

(c) 2017 The Washington Post. Amy B. Wang wrote this story.
US military families with autistic children fear for the future as a programme that provided respite care is cut.

Kami Kondik stared at the door of her North Carolina home. It was wide open. And her four-year-old son, Albert, had vanished. She frantically searched the house but there was no trace of him.

Kami, who was six months pregnant at the time, called the police and then left the house to look for Albert.

When you lose sight of the head that you know from every angle you want to break down and cry, she recalls.

I was sick to my stomach. It felt like my heart was beating out of my chest  I was scared to death.

Although the family had installed multiple locks on their doors and sensory alarms, Albert, who is autistic, had recently become adept at escaping. Trying to manage that had become a daily fact of life for Kami, but it was one she feared others wouldnt understand.

She eventually found Albert three or four blocks away from their home, walking towards a neighbourhood park, but the police, unaware of her sons autism, accused her of child neglect.

[I felt] insulted, like I was unfit to actually be his mum, she says.

That was in 2013.

Self-harming

A year earlier, when he was three, Albert was diagnosed with severe verbal autism, developmental delay, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and sensory processing disorder.

Its kind of a blow to the chest, says Kami of the diagnoses. Its like all the air just got sucked out of your body.

Everything she thought she knew about parenting went out the window.

He went from walking and talking to regressing down to not being able to communicate  [speaking] gibberish  and not remembering how to stand or how to really speak.

OPINION: The autism generation

Albert would sit on the floor and spin in circles. He would scream at nothing. He would play with his faeces, smearing it on the walls or trying to eat it.

Since his diagnosis, Albert has been given a range of medication including Adderall, antipsychotics, antidepressants, and sleep supplements. When he took Trazodone, an antidepressant used to treat anxiety disorders, alongside other medications, he would self-harm, sometimes stabbing himself with a pencil.

Concerned about his tendency to walk on the tips of his toes, doctors gave him a brace for his feet and legs.

Alberts been through intensive physical, occupational, speech and aqua therapy. Hes even been through food therapy because the texture of certain foods can trigger a meltdown.

Something as seemingly insignificant as the fluorescent lights at a grocery store can trigger an outburst during which Albert will scream or bang his head against a wall. At times hell bite and hit himself or others. Kami recalls an occasion when, out of nowhere, he headbutted her, cracking her front teeth and requiring her to have $6,000 worth of dental work.

Cuts to respite care

Caring for Albert is Kamis full-time job, and its one that at times can be gruelling.

But life got easier for the family when Kami learned of a home-based programme for children with special needs. The Exceptional Family Member Program (EFMP) provided a respite care worker for between 20 to 40 hours a month to work with Albert in the familys home. It was offered by her husband, Marks, employer: the United States Army.

Mark works in telecommunications for the army and has been deployed twice to Iraq and twice to Afghanistan, spending long periods of time away from his family.

OPINION: Make autism services affordable to all

The familys respite care worker, Tiki  who requested that her last name not be used in this article  spends about 24 hours a month with Albert, playing or going for walks.

The family says Albert has blossomed under her care.

Hes become more interactive, Mark explains. Instead of [being] antisocial, hes being more social or responsive  Its really helping him; his hand-eye coordination, his ability to keep himself calm in public. Hes improving over time.

But the familys time with Tiki will soon come to an end. They received a letter from the Department of Defense a couple of months ago informing them that they will no longer qualify for EFMP respite care owing to federal budget cuts introduced under the Obama administration.

Of the 1,200 army families who use the programme across the US, 663 of them, including the Kondiks, will lose their coverage at the end of June.

The programme will cut its coverage for military children  and spouses  with behavioural conditions such as autism. Children with conditions such as Down syndrome, fibromyalgia, multiple sclerosis, neurological disorders and epilepsy will continue to qualify for the programme.

Fort Bragg, the most populous army base in the US, housing roughly 52,000 active-duty soldiers, has the most families using EFMPs respite programme. There are 62 of them, and of those, 39 will be cut off.

It is a difficult situation for all of us, explains Trisha Newton, the programme manager for the EFMP at Fort Bragg.

She says the affected families could tap into other resources, noting that the army provides non-clinical case managers to help special needs families to identify alternative resources or community programmes that could fill the gap.

I felt like I was drowning

Lorraine Weber, 39, is also a military spouse in the Fort Bragg area whose family depends on the EFMP respite care. Her son, Robbie, is autistic.

Autism is difficult, Lorraine, who is originally from Long Island, New York, explains. Its like looking through a kaleidoscope: Theres many different colours but its always changing. Its like having a thousand-piece puzzle in front of you.

READ MORE: Sesame Streets new character to tackle autism stigma

Robbie, who is obsessed with dinosaurs and Lego, has been expelled from four schools because teachers have not been able to handle his condition. Lorraine says the EFMP programme delivers some normality to her life  and her marriage.

When I didnt have it, there were times I felt like I was drowning, she says.

We get this one little break here and there, to just forget about all of the life stresses and just enjoy a movie, [have] a nice dinner [and the] time to reconnect. If its canned, well, I just think back to [the] time when we didnt have it and how difficult it was. It puts a strain on your marriage [and] it strains you yourself.

Lorraine received her real estate brokers licence last month. Its a feat shes proud of, and one she says took seven months of studying and test-taking, which would have been out of reach without the EFMP.

The Weber family, and Robbie in particular, have grown close to their carer, Sharon Dyce. They fear the hole that will be left in their lives without her.

Shes like the adult friend that understands him and doesnt judge him and loves him, Lorraine says of the relationship between Sharon and Robbie.

He is 100 percent comfortable with her and trusts her and loves her. She gets down on his level. Shell run around the backyard like a kid thats his age. She has a very special understanding. She sees him in a different light than most adults would when they play with children. She fully immerses herself when shes with Robbie. She finds the magic in children.

Lorraine created a petition on Change.org which has so far amassed 35,000 signatures, in an effort to prevent the EFMP respite care programme being stopped. She says she has also been lobbying her local congressman and senators but so far hasnt received much of a response.

The offices of North Carolina Senator Thom Tillis and local Congressman Richard Hudson did not respond to several requests from Al Jazeera for an interview.

Dr Jane Charles, a South Carolina-based developmental behavioural pediatrician, says that marriages of parents with special-needs children can often become strained, making initiatives such as EFMP extremely valuable.

Its hugely important, she says, when you have even just a couple of hours a week that you can have on your own. We know that families with kids with special needs, autistic or not, have much higher rates of divorce, and much higher rates of depression, especially mums.

Even grocery shopping is like climbing a mountain

But what about the non-military families with autistic children who have never had access to services such as the EFMP? One in 68 children in the US have autism diagnosed, according to Autism Speaks, a New York-based autism advocacy organisation. However, support services for autistic children in the US are limited, particularly in North Carolina.

Destiny Sandoval, 39, of Clayton, North Carolina, has lived with this struggle for more than a decade. Her sons, Darian, 15, and Dustin, nine, are both autistic.

Darian, who has lower functioning autism, sometimes doesnt sleep for three days at a time. And when he does sleep, Destiny says, its maybe for four or five hours.

Theres no such thing as a normal day, she explains. We tend to wake up at 3am and we dont normally go to bed until 10 or 11 at night. Its exhausting.

This has taken its toll on Destiny, who has developed blood sugar problems, is constantly sleep-deprived, and has little time to look after herself.

Its depressing, she says. And its very lonely at times. You can feel very isolated. The general public does not understand the struggles that you have with your child. Even going grocery shopping is like climbing a mountain. Youre always worried about your child running off or grabbing something they shouldnt or getting overwhelmed by the lights, the sounds, and the noises. You kind of live on edge. Its like living on a rollercoaster.

Through the state, Darian is provided with eight hours of respite care a month. But Destiny, who is a psychology student at a local university, believes it would take 40 hours of care each week for her son to show some improvement. This, however, would cost $1,000 a week, which her family cannot afford. Theyve tried to access behaviour therapy services for Darian under Medicaid, but have been on a waiting list for seven years.

[Darians] 15 now and Im wondering what its going to be like when hes an adult, she says. Im going to need a lot more help with him being bigger and stronger and I dont know if Im going to be able to do it.

It all comes down to money

Amy Perry, an autism resource specialist for the North Carolina Autism Society in Raleigh, whose job it is to connect parents with autistic children to support services in the state, says there are limited resources available for families such as Destinys. Amy, whose 20-year-old daughter has autism, explains that there are often more people on waiting lists than there are actually receiving the services.

It all comes down to money, she says. Care for children with autism is expensive. Its usually too expensive for most parents to private pay.

Amy says the services the EFMP provided were potentially life-changing and that it went above and beyond what is available to non-military families.

These kids [were] able to get the therapy that they need at a young age and it completely changes the trajectory of autism in many, many cases, she says. The children end up doing so much better and [become] somewhat higher functioning [and] need less assistance in the future because theyre giving them the help and the assistance when theyre young.

Amy laments the scrapping of the programme and worries that families such as the Kondiks and Webers will find themselves in a predicament when the EFMP disappears later this month  the resources just arent there or are nearly impossible to access, she says.

Under Medicaid, B3 Respite provides autistic children with between three and six hours of respite care a week but military families arent typically eligible. Amy says that most military families are ineligible because theyre covered by military health insurance known as Tricare and that their income places them just above the cutoff for Medicaid.

The military puts families in a tough spot, leaving them unable to access community resources that may be available to local residents, Amy says.

For the Kondik family, and their son Albert, the future is uncertain. This summer, shortly after the EFMP is terminated, Mark will deploy to the Korean Peninsula for roughly a year. Without respite care for Albert, he is worried about how Kami will manage alone and whether all the progress Albert has made will be reversed.

Follow Dorian Geiger on Twitter and Instagram.
As the two million Palestinian residents of Gaza enter their 11th year under a blockade imposed by Israel and Egypt, the many daily hardships they face are having an increasingly adverse effect on physical and mental health, particularly for the most vulnerable.

Life for the people of Gaza has become characterised by soaring unemployment, acute fuel shortages, electricity supply for a couple of hours a day, a crippled water and sanitation system, prison-like movement restrictions, and the ever-looming threat of full-scale Israeli aggression on the horizon.

Given the current local and international political landscape, conditions seem likely to deteriorate further, compounding adverse conditions for health and pushing a basic and fragile health system ever closer to collapse.

Fuel crisis

The largest potential catastrophe facing public health in Gaza is the latest energy crisis, which has left Gazas health sector on the brink of collapse.

Following the shutdown of the Strips only power plant after it ran out of fuel, Gazas 14 public hospitals and 16 health facilities now face partial or complete closure of essential services, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

Gazas hospitals, operating on a limited reserve of emergency fuel, donated most recently by the United Nations, have partially closed a number of services to cope with the fuel shortage.

With Israel and the West Bank-based Palestinian Authority (PA) unwilling to supply more electricity or fuel, Gazas hospitals and health clinics will be forced to stop critical services  this will be immediately life-threatening for newborns in critical care, patients in intensive care units (ICU), and hundreds of haemodialysis patients. It could also compromise refrigerated blood and vaccine stocks.

Earlier this month, United Nations Humanitarian Coordinator for the occupied Palestinian territories Robert Piper expressed urgent concern about steps by the PA and Israeli authorities to further reduce energy supplies to Gaza, warning that if implemented, the situation would become catastrophic.

A further increase in the length of blackouts is likely to lead to a total collapse of basic services, including critical functions in the health, water and sanitation sectors, he said.

Nutrition and disease

Poverty contributes to poor health, and poor health can lead to poverty  its a vicious cycle. In Gaza, poverty is rife. At 41.1 percent, the unemployment rate is the highest in the world (youth unemployment is just shy of 64 percent), over a fifth of the population lives in deep poverty, and 80 percent of the population depends on international aid, primarily for food assistance.

Ard el Insan (AEI), a local NGO with centres in Gaza City and Khan Younis, each year supports thousands of children five and under, along with their families, in addressing the causes and outcomes of chronic and acute malnutrition. Its executive director, Dr Adnan al-Wahaidi, says that the blockade and war have left Gaza at the edge of a cliff, absolutely vulnerable.

He says cases of acute malnutrition with signs of severe wasting among young children in Gaza are increasing.But the real public health concern is chronic malnutrition, characterised by stunting and rickets, says Wahaidi, who has seen rates increase by about 50 percent over the past decade among children aged five years and younger, rising from nine percent to 13.4 percent of the population.

Acute malnutrition is easier to manage: the intervention is easier and it is cost effective, he told Al Jazeera, while chronic malnutrition during formative years can lead to irreversible consequences and side effects that will affect the bodys physiological systems, including the immune system, as well as cognitive achievements and physical development, he warns.

These children will be a double burden, on their families and on society, requiring a lifetime of medical interventions for associated complications throughout life, he says.

He adds that Gaza is witnessing other worrying trends  rising rates in younger age groups of non-communicable diseases such as cardiovascular disease, type 1 diabetes, and cancers. He says obesity among children is rising sharply as more families rely on cheap, high-caloric foods because they cannot afford basic, nutrient-rich foods.

Dark decade

Fikr Shalltoot is the Gaza director of programmes for a UK-based charity, Medical Aid for Palestinians (MAP). She has witnessed and worked to mitigate the enclaves worst  and worsening  health crises for more than a decade.

She cites a long list of issues caused by the Israeli-Egyptian blockade: the latest fuel crisis; Egypts closure of the Rafah crossing; obstacles and delays in obtaining travel permits from the Israeli authorities for medical referrals outside of Gaza; chronic shortages of zero-stock drugs and medical disposables; extreme difficulties faced by medical professionals in obtaining permits from Israeli officials to get specialist training outside of the Strip; difficulties in recruiting international specialists to conduct trainings in Gaza; and outdated medical equipment or equipment requiring spare parts.

According to a 2016 WHO report, nearly 50 percent of Gaza Strips medical equipment is outdated and the average wait for spare parts is approximately six months.

Shalltoot says the situation is continually deteriorating.

I am always saying that last year was better than this year  at the end of the day, the people of Gaza are suffering.

Over a third of essential zero-stock drugs and 30 percent of medical disposables are chronically unavailable, making treatment for many conditions, including chemotherapy for cancer patients, haphazard at best.

The problem is both a financial and political one between the Hamas government in Gaza and the Fatah-led PA in Ramallah, rather than Israel blocking the movement of these supplies into Gaza. As part of the PAs ongoing attempts to pressure Hamas into giving up its rule of the Gaza Strip, it has not only halted payments for electricity and for its employees in Gaza, it has also halted shipments of essential medicines.

But regardless of the Palestinian political infighting, Israel holds the keys to Gaza and, as a besieging power, is responsible for what happens, Shalltoot says.

Israel allows the drugs in, but theyre responsible for whats happening in Gaza as the occupying power and for imposing the blockade and the consequences of this, Shalltoot says.

The enormous economic impact is Israels fault, as are the high levels of unemployment. The terrible financial situation in Palestine is a direct result of five decades of Israeli occupation.

The military assaults have also cost the people of Gaza dearly, not only in terms of life and welfare, but financially: the 2014 hostilities inflicted an estimated $1.4bn in damages and $1.7bn in economic losses, according to the UN.

Access increasingly denied

Given the basic tertiary care available in Gaza, patients  particularly cases dealing with oncology, paediatrics, haematology, ophthalmology, and orthopaedics  are routinely referred to Palestinian specialist hospitals in occupied East Jerusalem and the West Bank, and occasionally to hospitals in Jordan and Israel.

These patients and their carers must apply to the Israeli authorities for permits to leave Gaza via the Erez crossing, known as Beit Hanoun to Palestinians.

The WHO has tracked a worrying decrease in the number of approved patient permit applications  averages of 77.5 percent and 62.1 percent in 2015 and 2016 respectively, dropped to an average of 54.9 percent between January and April 2017. Some patients died while awaiting permits to access outside medical treatment.

Patients who miss appointments must reschedule new ones and apply all over again for permits.

A UN report notes: Patients  when delayed or denied access to specialised medical services, can suffer from deteriorating medical conditions which can affect their quality of life and contribute to death in some cases.

Mental health

The blockade and three Israeli military assaults have had a profound toll on mental health in Gaza, too.

Substance abuse, suicide, domestic violence, depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder (PSTD) have increased among adults, as have bed-wetting, low academic achievement, nightmares, fear and anxiety among children, according to Dr Sami Oweida, a psychiatric consultant at the Gaza Community Mental Health Programme (GCMHP).

He also notes a rise in somatoform disorders  a form of mental illness in which a patient complains of physical ailments, including pain and fatigue that have no apparent physical cause.

According to a recent study published in PLOS ONE, a multidisciplinary research journal, Palestinians suffer the highest rates of mental disorders among all Eastern Mediterranean countries. The study attributes this to 50 years of occupation and exposure to related political violence.

READ MORE  Gaza power cuts: This is the worst its ever been

Dr Oweida says that work the GCMHP undertakes at their centre, coupled with outreach and capacity-building work with local partners, cannot keep pace with the demand.

Any effective therapy is pointless because of the blockade  that is the root cause. The high levels of unemployment, especially among men, the traditional head of the family who cant protect the family and secure its basic needs  that creates anger and frustration  and is often expressed through violence in the home, he told Al Jazeera.

People see no reason for optimism  they are trapped in a large prison. There is no horizon, no political solutions. The people anticipate a new military assault, it is always on their minds. There are constant reminders of provocation, through drones, sirens, destroyed buildings  It creates high levels of anxiety in everyone. Nothing will help, except ending the blockade and giving dignity back to the people.
The victory of Donald Trump in the US presidential elections last November raised the Russian leadership hopes of improving Russian-US relations in general and reaching a compromise on Syria, in particular. Now, five months after Trump took power, the chances of this happening seem meagre.

Recent events in Syria, especially the incidents that took place in the Raqqa area and near the city of Tanf at the Syrian-Iraqi border, make Russian-US cooperation increasingly illusory. This, in turn, makes the Russian exit from Syria that much more difficult.

The Kremlins gamble to use the conflict in Syria to normalise relations with the West after the disaster in Ukraine is not paying off. Moscow is appearing to be stuck in Syria, entangled in Damascus and Tehrans desperate plots.

Seeking a way out





Currently, the main problem for Moscow is the fact that its presence in Syria is becoming more profitable for Washington. The paradox, therefore, is that under the Trump administration, the United States and its allies will make efforts to keep Moscow involved in the Syrian conflict, while the Russian leadership will increasingly look for ways to come out of the Syrian stalemate.

Russia has been increasing its troops deployment in the Middle East, which undoubtedly affects its permanently deficit-ridden budget, as well as the domestic politics. The best scenario for Russia would be a quick exit from the Syrian conflict, provided that the advances it has achieved would be bartered with the West in exchange for normalising relations with it.

In turn, the US, like the European Union, has repeatedly demonstrated that it is not ready to link removing anti-Russian sanctions to progress on the Syrian issue. From this point of view, the longer the Russian presence in Syria continues, the higher the probability that the costs from this presence would outstrip any gains which would be difficult to convert into concessions from the West.

In addition, the assets available to the Russian leadership are becoming less attractive for the US with Trump in power. The best example here is the statement that the US ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki Haley and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson made at the end of March on the new American priorities in Syria. According to them, the departure of Bashar al-Assad was no longer a top priority.

Despite the fact that, in Moscow, there was an attempt to present these statements as a victory of Russian diplomacy, practically this means that Washington is becoming less interested in a deal with the Kremlin on Syria on terms favourable for Russia. Moscows main asset  Assad  is becoming less and less important to the West.

The main danger for Moscow lies in the fact that Trump, unlike his predecessor Barack Obama, does not have any clear strategy with regards to Syria. He has no principles and no general understanding about what he would like to achieve in the medium term.

In this sense, Moscow is increasingly at risk of being held hostage by Damascus and Tehran, which will continue to provoke Washington, forcing the Kremlin to respond and take measures against the US. by

The decisions his administration takes often do not contribute to a strategically established plan, but are usually responses to external provocations, such as the chemical attack in Khan Sheikhoun, recent incidents in the city of Tanf or pro-regime forces attacking positions of US allies.

Iran as a bargaining chip?

There have been rumours going around that Iran might become a bargaining chip in Russias attempts to normalise relations with the US. During his visit to Riyadh in May, Trump proposed the creation of a regional security coalition, escalating Washingtons anti-Iranian rhetoric further.

But the Kremlin is unlikely to sell out Iran for a chance to restart Russian-US relations. In the post-Soviet period, Russia has tried at least twice to do just that, with little success.

First, in 1995, during President Bill Clintons visit to Moscow, Russia pledged to complete ahead of schedule all previously signed contracts with Iran on deliveries of military products and not to conclude any new military agreements with Tehran. The official signing of these agreements was the Gore-Chernomyrdin Memorandum of June 30, 1995, and Russias overall losses due to this move were estimated by experts at $4bn. However, this did not lead to a breakthrough in relations with Washington and by 2000, Moscow had restarted military cooperation with Iran.

In 2010, then President Dmitry Medvedev stopped the delivery of S-300 air defence missiles to Iran in accordance with the UN Security Council Resolution 1929, limiting supply of modern arms to Iran due to its nuclear programme. This decision was one of the most important components of the so-called reset initiative for US-Russian relations, which was set in motion by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in 2009. But even Clintons reset button policy did not achieve much and Moscow ended up with spoiled relations with Iran and no progress on rapprochement with the US once again.

OPINION: Where next for Russia in Syria?

After two failed attempts, it is difficult to expect the Kremlin would be ready once again to jeopardise relations with Iran for the sake of short-lived US promises. Furthermore, given the ongoing investigations against the Trump administration, the US political elite is not remotely in the mood for normalisation talks with Russia.





Two decades of very unstable Russian-Iranian relations, when Moscow and Tehran periodically betrayed each other for the sake of improving ties with a third party, created a strong distrust for Russia among the Iranians. As a result, while cooperating with Moscow in Syria, the Iranians are constantly afraid that Russia will betray them for the sake of normalising relations with the US. The chemical attack in Khan Sheikhoun, attempts to create a Shia corridor in the southeast of Syria  where Russia and the US are negotiating the creation of another zone of de-escalation  as well as the downed Syrian air force plane purposefully attacking the SDF forces near Raqqa, certainly sow discord in the dialogue between Moscow and Washington, excluding (as realised by the Iranians) the possibility of Moscows betrayal of its allies in Damascus and Tehran.

In this sense, Moscow is increasingly at risk of being held hostage by Damascus and Tehran, which will continue to provoke Washington, forcing the Kremlin to respond and take measures against the US.

Leonid Issaev is a lecturer at the National Research University Higher School of Economics.

The views expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeeras editorial policy.
Hong Kong's wealthiest man Li Ka-shing said "one country, two systems" has provided the region with "front row seats" in the country's development, enabling it to participate in various national development plans.

Ahead of the 20th anniversary of Hong Kong's return to China, the 88-year-old billionaire, in the capacity of Chairman of CK Hutchison Holdings and CK Property Holdings, shared his perspectives on the implementation of "one country, two systems" in an exclusive interview with Xinhua.

Before the return, Li Ka-shing served as a member of the Drafting Committee of the Basic Law of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and Preparatory Committee for the HKSAR. He witnessed Hong Kong's journey into a new era under "one country, two systems."

Hong Kong's return to China is an important landmark in our history, Li said, adding that the smooth transition eased the concerns of many people about theone country, two systems' as it allowed for the fostering of a mutual symbiotic relationship.

The "one country, two systems" principle epitomized the creativity and flexibility of the Chinese leaders, he said. Before 1997 when Chinese and British governments were in negotiations on Hong Kong's future, some foreign companies showed pessimism about Hong Kong's economic and social development after the return. However, Li was more optimistic about Hong Kong and the whole country and increased his investments.

"One country, two systems" not only ensured the stability of Hong Kong after the return, it also created time and space for its people and businesses to thrive and evolve with a stable social foundation and structure in an increasingly competitive environment, said Li.

Li said "one country, two systems" offers Hong Kong "front row seats" in the country's development, helping it understand the country better and participate in various national development plans.

With policy dexterity, both Hong Kong and the Chinese mainland could stay competitive, enjoy multiple returns in a high economic growth age, said Li.

Commenting on Hong Kong's economic development during the past two decades, Li said Hong Kong's economy has been symbiotic and intertwined with the mainland.

"Hong Kong is rooted in China, the ebb and flow of daily needs, unique opportunities as well as our role as a financial bridge for China are all safeguarded under the 'one country, two systems'," he said.

"One country, two systems' is a profound concept. If we cherish freedom and opportunities, we need to be mindful of the essence of mutual tolerance and respect under 'one country, two systems', " Li said.

"It is Hong Kong people's duty to be engaged and to have faith, to develop our unique system together into a vibrant and civil society," he noted.

Born in Chaozhou in southern China's Guangdong Province, Li Ka-shing moved to Hong Kong in the 1940s and started his businesses from manufacturing plastics. According to Bloomburg's billionaires index, Li now remains to be the wealthiest man in Hong Kong and ranks the 22nd around the world.

He said many policies of the central government have been proven very successful in three decades of reform and opening up, which unleashed tremendous productivity and boosted immense growth.

Hong Kong's business sector has always valued every-blueprint for reform and had actively participated in them, he added.

Now the Belt and Road Initiative, in combination with innovation and past infrastructure investment, will certainly become another conduit of growth, Li noted.

Over the years, Hong Kong's overreliance on finance and real estate has been a concern about its future development. Some people worried that there was not enough space for the development of other industries.

In Li's view, high growth returns in the future will be innovative and tech-centric, and the government needs to make more efforts in boosting investment and promoting education and reform.

"This is the same for both the mainland and Hong Kong," he said.

The fifth term of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government led by Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor will be sworn in on July 1.

Li believed that the incoming SAR government will push forward more effective policies to advance social development and economic diversification.

A flourishing "one country, two systems" civic habitat requires human mind and spirit to interweave with responsibilities and reason, as well as the importance of self-discipline, he said.

The renowned tycoon who will celebrate his 89th birthday next month has kept a young mind with visionary investment choice and swift response to the latest achievement of the world's science and technology.

AlphaGo, an artificial intelligence computer program, has become a tech-star since last year for defeating all human masters in the board game Go, which used to be considered impossible for computer programs in decades.

Li Ka-shing's Horizons Ventures was one of the early-stage investors of DeepMind, the London-based artificial intelligence company which created AlphaGo.

"Actually, Hong Kong has many unique foundations to support innovation and technology, " Li said during the interview, "which have not been well tapped over the past several years."

High housing price, the personal development of Hong Kong's young generation and Hong Kong's social mobility has been a major concern to both the government and society.

As an exemplary figure for operating start-ups, Li said Hong Kong has advanced significantly since 1997. "With new technology and mindset, we need to gear up for the future. Learning to think differently is more important than ever."

He believed that the clear winners will be those who know how to marry a high degree of creativity and discipline. "We must make good use of creativity and imagination," Li said, citing the Analects of Confucius: "it is the individual who can carry forward progress and development, not the other way around".

Asked about what kind of life attitude the young generations should uphold towards the future development, Li Ka-shing said "opportunities favor those with ambitions."

Li quoted Albert Einstein to encourage Hong Kong's young people: "Never give up on what you really want to do. The person with big dreams is more powerful than one with all the facts."
This week, newly minted South Korean President Moon Jae-in will touch down in the United States for a critical first visit with US President Donald Trump.

The geopolitical backdrop of Moons visit is framed around an increasingly provocative regime in North Korea and an administration in the US that seems focused on forcibly changing the calculus of Pyongyangs decision to develop and maintain a nuclear weapons programme. The stakes will be especially high because Moon  a progressive with dovish tendencies towards Pyongyang  is looking to demonstrate unity with President Trump without sacrificing his own policy goals of engaging the North diplomatically. There are also valid concerns in Seoul on Trumps protectionist rhetoric and his desire to amend  or maybe even withdraw from  the US-Korea Free Trade Agreement.





During Moons election campaign, his rivals  from both the conservative and progressive sides  launched salvos at him outlining his dubious approach to dealing with North Korea and his sceptical take on the US-South Korea alliance remaining at the core of Seouls security ethos. They questioned Moons flip-flopping on the deployment of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) anti-missile system in South Korea and his pledge to review the decision.

Despite THAAD being already deployed and operational, Moon has now made good in some sense on that pledge through his suspension  pending a probes findings  on the deployment of an additional four missile launchers (there are already two launchers active and operational).

Washingtons position, before the Moon-Trump meeting, is that Seouls change of heart on THAAD is not only upsetting the operational effectiveness of the missile defence system (which is aimed to both defend South Korea and the more than 30,000 US troops in the country) but also is simultaneously weakening the credibility of the deterrence value of the US-Korea alliance. Moreover, some reports have indicated that Trump himself is furious over Moons decision to suspend the full deployment of the launchers.

READ MORE: Seoul says it wants to reopen communication with North

Now that Moons place in the Blue House is a reality, there must be a trained eye focused on Seouls foreign policy orientation. Will Moon really look to implement a dovish and neo-Sunshine policy approach with regard to North Korea? How will the Moon administration look to repair strained ties with China and also Japan? And how will relations evolve between Moon Jae-In and Donald Trump, two leaders from the opposite ends of the political spectrum?

Initial indications should stoke scepticism on how Moon may affect the regional security landscape and the US-Korea alliance, but we should also be cautious not to paint his administration into a corner. by

On China, Moon has extended an olive branch to Beijing by indicating his desire to negotiate on the issue of THAAD in concert with the US. This is a large change in tone from the former government of disgraced Park Geun-hye, which was irate at Chinese interference on the THAAD issue and rebuked Beijing for its insistence that the defence system should not be deployed.

Some in Beijing may celebrate Moons place in power and think that they can now look to pry away South Korea from its strong relationship with the US. Indeed, Chinas primary countermove in the region has been to weaken US security leverage in the region by eroding the substance of its alliances. However, Moons win is not a strategic victory for China. The more realistic analysis shows that Beijing got bailed out due to domestic political issues in Seoul surrounding the impeachment of Park Geun-hye.

There should be a great deal of caution on how Moon and Trump will interact and how the intersection of Washingtons Maximum Pressure and Engagement dovetails with Moons desire to retrofit Seouls hardened approach to the North. But, in some sense, there could be common ground between the two  both have signalled engagement is a possibility, including even meeting with leadership in Pyongyang. Moreover, despite Washingtons frustration with Moons decision on THAAD  the Trump administration needs South Korea, in addition to other regional players like Japan and China, on board to follow through on its approach to Pyongyang.

Despite these structural forces reinforcing the US-Korea alliance, there are also glaring divergences potentially with strong headwinds in the coming months. Moon seems disenchanted with the deterrence plus approach at turning the screws on North Korea and will likely push back on the need for talks on more robust trilateral security cooperation with Japan. Moon is also likely to brush off suggestions of regional missile defence  and has previously bristled the Japan-South Korea GSOMIA intelligence-sharing pact. This is true even despite the positive news of a first-ever hotline established between ministers of defence in Seoul and Tokyo.

Initial indications should stoke scepticism on how Moon may affect the regional security landscape and the US-Korea alliance, but we should be also cautious not to paint his administration into a corner. First, it is important to recognise that  despite the fact that security and foreign policy issues played a large role in the domestic and international media coverage leading up this months election  Moon was mainly elected on his economic policies and his seizure of the electoral space in the wake of Park Geun-hyes impeachment. Second, Moon is likely to be hemmed in  to some extent  on his new designs for foreign policy by the opposition parties in the National Assembly and also regional provocations from the North. These structural factors will hopefully push Moon to pragmatism in regional relations.

J Berkshire Miller is the director of the Council on International Policy and is a fellow on East Asia for the EastWest Institute.

The views expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeeras editorial policy.
Four children among those killed in violence-ridden Veracruz state in what governor calls act of terrible barbarism.

At least 11 people, including four children, have been killed in Mexicos Veracruz in the latest spurt of violence linked to criminal gangs.

Among Saturdays victims were a federal police commander and two agents, who were ambushed by armed men in the city of Cardel, in Veracruz, one of the countrys most violence-ridden states.

Organised crime has sparked a serious problem of violence in Veracruz, Miguel Angel Yunes, the Veracruz governor, said in a statement, calling Saturdays violence an act of terrible barbarism.





In the nearby city of Coatzacoalcos, the dead included two adults and four children who died in a hail of bullets as they ate dinner at an outdoor restaurant.

Authorities said two women were fatally shot in the town of Orizaba, also in Veracruz.

Much of the violence is the result of turf battles between two rival drug trafficking gangs, the Zetas and Jalisco Nueva Generacion.

Mexico registered more than 2,000 murders in May, a record high for any month since 1997, underlining the countrys struggles to deal with the trade in narcotics.

There were 2,186 murder investigations in May, according to the latest government statistics released on Wednesday, surpassing the previous monthly high of 2,131 in May 2011.

READ MORE: Juarez is waiting for you  Mexican city tries out tourism

Some cases may include multiple homicides, and the number of murder victims reported in May was 2,452, the highest for any month in a separate series of data that only goes back to 2014.

The deadliest state was Guerrero, in the south, a hotspot in Mexicos war on drugs where 216 people were killed.

Murder investigations in the first five months of the year totalled 9,916 cases, up nearly 30 percent from the same period in 2016.

The violence surrounding the multibillion-dollar drug trade has contributed to a slump in the popularity of President Enrique Pena Nieto, and could undermine support for his Institutional Revolutionary Party in next years presidential race.
Daily sends note to employees saying it had to let them go after Bahrains rulers ordered it closed earlier this month.

A prominent independent newspaper in Bahrain earlier shut down by the government as part of a crackdown on dissent has fired its staff.

The daily Al-Wasat sent a statement on Saturday to employees saying it had to let them go after Bahrains rulers ordered it to be closed on June 4.

We regret to inform you that the board of directors  has decided to terminate the employment contracts with the employees, board chairman Adel al-Maskati wrote in English in a message addressed to all staff.

Al-Wasat had some 160 staff, including 30 foreigners.

Crackdown

Bahrains information ministry banned Al-Wasat in early June until further notice for its violation of the law and repeatedly publishing information that sows division in society and affects Bahrains relations with other states, according to BNA state news agency.

It marked the third time authorities have ordered it to stop publishing a print edition since the islands 2011 Arab Spring protests and comes just after officials briefly banned it in January from publishing online.

The London-based Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy said the ban on the paper was the latest in an escalated crackdown on independent civil society.

The crackdown in Bahrain has seen activists arrested or forced into exile and political parties disbanded, while independent news gathering there has grown more difficult.
The ruling Socialists and rival Democrats seek an outright majority in Sundays general election to implement EU plans.

Albanians vote in a hotly fought parliamentary election on Sunday with the ruling Socialists and rival Democrats both setting their sights on an outright majority to push through judicial reforms vital for future European Union membership.

Sundays race pits incumbent Socialist Prime Minister Edi Rama against the centre-right Democratic Party of Lulzim Basha, neither of whom managed to win the 70 seats needed for a parliamentary majority in the elections of 2013 or 2009.

The voting is also a test of the countrys democratic credentials and will be watched closely by Western observers eager to see it leave behind a history of election irregularities and violence.

Campaigning has been heated, but mainly peaceful, following a pact by the two main rivals that sought to guarantee a trouble-free election.

READ MORE: Albania  The dark shadow of tradition

Both the main parties want to ditch the Socialist Integration Movement (SIM) of President-elect Ilir Meta, which has gained the role of kingmaker by propping up their respective governments for the last eight years.

Meta and Rama have been at odds since late 2016 due to disputes over policy, and their power struggle has set the tone for the premiers campaigning.

The Socialists want your vote to govern alone because we want to build a state of the rule of law, Rama, a former mayor of Tirana, told supporters on Friday in his seaside constituency of Vlore.

The smaller parties seek benefits, not values.

Rama leads polls

Opinion polls have given Ramas Socialists the edge over the Democrats, but it is not clear whether he could garner enough support to win an outright majority during a second term.

Whatever the outcome of Sundays election, the two frontrunners have said they will jointly ask the EU to advance towards the NATO-member countrys accession. They have not said whether they might rule together in coalition.





Since taking office, the Socialists have managed to improve tax collection and boost the performance of the electricity sector. Economic growth accelerated to 3.45 percent last year, compared with 0.97 percent in 2013.

I came to vote for Eddie Rama because I see his hand in every corner of the country, a Rama supporter told Al Jazeera in Tirana. The most important thing hes trying to establish is the rule of law.

Erion Veliaj  the mayor of Tirana and a staunch Rama ally  told Al Jazeera that the governments key battle is to clear out corrupt judges.

The country has been held hostage for a long time by a clique of about 300 judges who check and balance themselves and have zero control from the general public, he said.

Al Jazeeras John Psaropoulos, reporting from Tirana, said that the citys renovated main square had become a showpiece of urban reconstruction for the countrys ambitions.

Paved with stone sourced throughout Albania  it is a symbol of both modernisation and unity, he said.

Facades and palm trees

But Albania remains one of the poorest countries in Europe.

Ramas Socialists failed to fulfil promises to create 300,000 new jobs and secure free healthcare for everyone aged over 40.

Pensioner Alan Troksi told Al Jazeera that he was struggling to make ends meet as his pension was just 110 euros ($123) a month, while his outgoings on utilities alone were 60 euros ($67). I think things are worse under Rama, he said.

Basha, a foreign-educated former transport and interior minister, accuses Rama of glossing over the countrys problems with facades and palm trees and says he has neglected the economy.

It is time we develop our economy, otherwise we will miss the chance. Our plan is similar to that of developed European countries. We would bring investments and put Albania to work, Basha told supporters at his final rally in Tirana on Friday.

READ MORE: The heavy weights on a champions life

He has vowed to cut taxes to spur economic growth and crack down on corruption.

Implementing a sweeping judicial reform aimed at rooting out widespread corruption will be a top priority for the next government and is seen as crucial for the country to progress towards membership of the EU.

Albanian proponents of EU membership hope the country will be able to join the bloc within a decade. Rama said last month the Balkan country could get a green light for formal talks to start at the end of this year.

Most Albanians associate prosperity and the rule of law with the EU countries [that many] emigrate to  but not their own, said Al Jazeeras John Psaropoulos.

The prime minister is trying to harness the European ambitions of Albanian voters to convince them to be Europeans at home.
The ruling Socialists seek an outright majority in the 140-seat parliament to implement reforms.

Albanias ruling Socialist Party look set to win Sundays parliamentary election with between 45 and 49 percent of votes, an exit poll by Italys IPR Marketing showed, which could secure them a majority of the seats in parliament.

The opposition Democratic Party is projected to win up to 34 percent of the vote.

The Socialist Party might have won more than 71 seats (in the 140-seat parliament), but this is still an opinion not a certainty, IPR Marketings Antonio Noto said.

The two biggest parties are seeking a majority in a parliamentary election that follows a landmark agreement between the countrys two biggest political parties to back efforts to secure European Union membership.

The race pits socialist Prime Minister Edi Rama against Lulzim Basha of the centre-right Democratic Party.

Neither party won an outright majority in the 140-seat parliament in the 2013 or 2009 elections.

Voters of all ages were seen lining up early when polling stations opened in the capital, Tirana, starting at 05:00 GMT. Turnout as of 12:00 GMT was 27.28 percent.

As of 1700 GMT, Al Jazeera has learned that voting has been extended for another hour because of the low turnout.

READ MORE: Albania  The dark shadow of tradition

Before polls opened, thousands of Muslims, who make up 60 percent of the population, recited prayers in the newly-built pedestrian square in central Tirana to mark the end of Ramadan.

Since communism collapsed in the early 1990s, Albanian elections have been marred by fraud, violence, disputed results and bitter rivalries bordering on hatred.

Al Jazeeras John Psaropoulos, reporting from Tirana, said voters are eager to see an election free of fraud.

There are an estimated 3,000 independent election monitors deployed across the country of 2.9 million people to make sure the votes are properly counted, our correspondent said.

That goes a long way towards reassuring Albanians that they are having a free and fair election, he said.

Luan Rama, of the Socialist Party for Motivation, the third main political party, said one member was injured following a quarrel and a shooting incident outside a polling station in Shengjin, 60km northwest of Tirana.

Police investigating the incident said they found a cartridge but no injured person was taken to the hospital. They said it did not disrupt the voting.

Earlier on Sunday, the interior ministry also reported hundreds of attempts to buy votes, a crime that may result in a jail term.

Economic reforms

Holding a free and fair election is key to launching European Union membership talks for the nation of 2.9 million, which is already a NATO member.

After earning EU candidate status in 2014, Tirana has struggled to pass important reforms vital for its bid to advance to EU  namely deeply reforming its corrupted justice system.

I came to vote for Edi Rama because I see his hand in every corner of the country, a supporter of the prime minister told Al Jazeera in Tirana. The most important thing hes trying to establish is the rule of law.

We expect a better Albania and leaders to work to do what they have pledged at the campaign, voter Zenel Caka, 47, told the Associated Press news agency in Tirana.

Erion Veliaj, the mayor of Tirana and a staunch Rama ally, told Al Jazeera that the governments key battle is to clear out corrupt judges.

The country has been held hostage for a long time by a clique of about 300 judges who check and balance themselves and have zero control from the general public, he said.





Opinion polls give Ramas party the edge over Bashas, but it is not clear whether the prime minister would garner enough support to win an outright majority.

Rama, 52, is seeking a second term in office, pledging to boost economic growth and complete sweeping reforms demanded by Brussels of Albanias judicial system.

Basha, an ardent admirer of US President Donald Trump, has accused Rama of links to organised crime and turning the Balkan state into a drugstore, referring to Albanias cannabis trade.

The prime miniser rejects the accusations, telling a rally this week that he needs a strong mandate to do four times more than we did in 44 months.

The Democrats had threatened to boycott the election until a month ago over fears the vote would be unfair, but they struck a deal giving them key ministerial posts in the run-up.

While national statistics showed the economy grew 3.46 percent last year, up from 1.0 percent in 2013, Albanians said they were yet to feel the benefit.

Unemployed mother Shqipe Berberi, who lives in the western city of Kavaje, said she could not afford to feed her children properly.

Those who have been in power did nothing, the 43-year-old told the AFP news agency.

Albania remains one of the poorest countries in Europe and its unemployment rate affecting nearly one in three young people has spurred the highest emigration levels in the world.

Since taking office, the Socialists have managed to improve tax collection and boost the performance of the electricity sector.
Final payouts made as part of agreement with government that led to the surrender of 80,000 party members in 1980.

The government of Thailand has distributed cash benefits to former members of the now-defunct Communist party in the final stage of an amnesty deal.

More than 6,000 former Communist party members received nearly $7,000 each.

At a ceremony at the army club building in Bangkok on Wednesday, Prawit Wongsuwan, Thailands deputy prime minister, met 294 former communist comrades.

The ceremony marked the final payouts of an amnesty deal struck by the Thai government in 1980 to squash the partys armed communist resistance, which led to the surrender of 80,000 members.

Overall, $38m was given out over the years, first in 2002 and again in 2009.

READ MORE: Peace eludes Thailands mainly Muslim south

Military commanders say it was a counterinsurgency success story.

We dont see these people as the enemy anymore, Lieutenant-General Chainarong Klaewklar told Al Jazeera.

Were all Thais and this is what we do, forgive. Whatever happens in the past stays in the past.

In the 1970s, the Communist Party of Thailand (CPT) was the second largest communist movement in Southeast Asia.





Thousands of recruits joined the CPT after a government crackdown on protesters in 1976 left dozens dead.

The Chinese government, which the CPT had relied on for support, withdrew its backing.

Soon after, the government shifted tactics and discarded military force in favour of amnesty and handing out financial benefits.

Kamol Susumpow, a former Communist party member, says he does not see things as a winning or losing proposition.

It is not a game, Susumpow told Al Jazeera. It was a rare occasion that two opponents could come to an agreement to prevent further loss.

While the government calls the payouts as the final share, others, such as Suthachai Yimprasert from Chulalongkorn University, see the payments as a way to coopt opposition parties.

These payments to ex-Communist party members are politically motivated, either for the government to gain more support or to prevent any kind of gathering that may lead to violence, he told Al Jazeera.
Officials say 31 people also missing after a boat with about 160 people on board sank in Guatape reservoir.

A tourist boat packed with about 160 passengers for the holiday weekend has capsized in northwestern Colombia, leaving at least six people dead and 31 missing, according to officials.

Rescuers including firefighters from nearby cities and air force pilots were searching for survivors at the El Penol reservoir in the tourist town of Guatape where the four-deck boat El Almirante sank on Sunday.

President Juan Manuel Santos said that 122 people were either rescued or found their way to shore.

Nobody really knows what happened, he said.

READ MORE: Bogotas bibliophile trash collector who rescues books

He said he had been told the boat had a capacity greater than the number of people on board, so that it was not due to overloading that it sank.

The death toll was revised down from an earlier figure. An official in the National Risk Management Unit told AFP new agency that the six victims were all Colombians and no minors.

Videos circulating on social media showed the ferry rocking back and forth as people crawled down from a third-floor roof as the ship began sinking.

A flotilla of recreational boats and jet skis rushed to the scene, pulling people from the boat as it went down, helping to avoid an even deadlier tragedy.





Those on the first and second floors sank immediately, survivor Lorena Salazar told local media.

All we could do was scream and call for help  it was completely chaotic.

None of the passengers wore a life vest.

It sank extremely quickly. It all happened in a few minutes, said Luis Bernardo Morales, a fire service captain involved in the rescue effort.

What we have seen in the videos is that the boat was very close to the port  and we do not know whether it was a mechanical failure, an overloading or something to do with the currents that caused it to sink.

Some survivors described hearing a loud explosion near the mens bathroom that knocked out power a few minutes after the boat began its cruise around the giant lake.

Naval officers had come to investigate the cause, President Santos said, adding that divers would continue searching for people all night.

Authorities were at a loss to say exactly how many people were on the boat and asked passengers or their loved ones to report to a rescue centre hastily set up along the shore.

The reservoir surrounding the soaring rocky outcrop of El Penol is a popular weekend destination a little more than an hour from the city of Medellin.

It was especially busy on Sunday as Colombians celebrated a long holiday weekend.
Attack in countrys northwest comes as Assad government announces release of 672 detainees from Damascus prison.

At least 10 civilians have been killed and 30 others injured in a car bombing in Idlib, an opposition-held city in northwestern Syria, according to a monitoring group.

The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) said the bombing targeted a market in the town of Dana, on the outskirts of Idlib, on Saturday.

So far, there has been no claim of responsibility. However, a local opposition source told DPA that sleeper cells linked to the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) group were behind the bombing.





Idlib is controlled by armed groups, including al-Qaeda-linked fighters, who are at odds with both the Syrian government and ISIL, also known as ISIS.

On Saturday, the Syrian government said it released 672 prisoners, including political detainees, in advance of the Muslim festival of Eid al-Fitr that starts on Sunday.

The inmates, mostly released from a prison in Damascus, included 91 women, Hesham al-Shaar, Syrias justice minister, was quoted by state news agency SANA as saying.

He did not give details on their cases.

The mass release was aimed at enhancing national reconciliation in the country, Shaar said.

It also aims at giving another chance to those who were [previously] misled so that they can lead a normal life again, he said, implicitly referring to those detained for backing the uprising against the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

In recent months, Assads forces, backed by Russian air power, have gained ground in Syria from opposition fighters and armed groups.

Thousands of people have been detained by the government since the Syrian conflict began in 2011, according to rights groups.

READ MORE: Iftar for the homesick  Remembering Ramadan in Raqqa

On Saturday, a civil council expected to rule Raqqa  an embattled stronghold of ISIL  once the armed group is dislodged from the city pardoned 83 low-ranking ISIL members, a goodwill gesture designed to promote stability.

The US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) have gained significant ground in the battle for Raqqa, the operational base for ISIL over the past three years and a symbol of its self-proclaimed caliphate.

Senior SDF figures predict Raqqa could fall within months. That would be a severe blow to ISIL, which has plotted shooting and bomb attacks around the world from Raqqa, a city of about 300,000 before the fighters seized it.
Four women and four men arrested in connection with a bombing at a Bogata mall that killed three people last weekend.

Eight people from a little-known rebel group were arrested Saturday on suspicion of being involved in the explosion of a homemade bomb at a shopping mall that killed three people last weekend, Colombian authorities said.

The defence ministry said the arrests of four women and four men took place simultaneously in Bogota and the central city of El Espinal. The ministry said the suspects were identified using security camera footage.

Authorities said the detainees were part of a fringe group called the Peoples Revolutionary Movement (MRP), which has been blamed for several low-impact attacks in the capital.





Those arrested will be charged with homicide and terrorism, national police director Jorge Nieto told journalists.

The MRP, who have only been publicly known since late 2015, are being investigated for involvement in another 14 attacks, Nieto said.

A pamphlet began circulating on social media in recent days in which the group denied any involvement in the June 17 mall bombing.

Fatal victims of the bombing were 23-year-old French woman Julie Huynh, who had been volunteering in a poor area of the city, and Colombian citizens Ana Maria Gutierrez, 27, and Lady Paola Jaimes Ovalle, 31.

Nine people were injured in the bombing, condemned by Colombian authorities and rebel leaders as a bid to disrupt the countrys peace process.

The demobilisation of the leftist FARC and peace talks with the last active rebel force, the ELN, are meant to end more than half a century of violence.

No group has claimed responsibility for the mall bombing, which was the second major attack this year in the Colombian capital.

In February, the ELN claimed responsibility for a bombing at a bullring in Bogota, which killed a police officer and wounded more than 20 people.

The ELN denied any involvement in last weekends bombing in a tweet and condemned the attack against civilians.

READ MORE: Inside an endangered peace community in Colombia

The June 17 bombing occurred in the womens toilet of the Andino shopping centre in an exclusive area of Bogota. The commercial centre was packed with people buying gifts in advance of Fathers Day celebrations.

Security has improved in Bogota over the past decade as police and military increased surveillance and put more armed officials on the streets.

At one time, all bags were checked at the entrance to shopping centres, but that has been vastly scaled back in recent years.
Police fire rubber bullets and tear gas on LGBT activists who attempted to hold march in defiance of ban by authorities.

Turkish police have prevented LGBT activists from holding a parade in downtown Istanbul, organisers said, as small groups attempted to defy a ban by the local authorities.

The Istanbul governorship on Saturday prohibited the march, citing safety and public order concerns  but Pride organisers vowed to go on with the parade, despite warnings from ultranationalist groups who had threatened to block the event.

On Sunday, small groups gathered at various parts of central Istanbul, including Taksim Square, while a heavy police presence blocked entry to the nearby Istiklal Street where the march was supposed to take place, organisers and state media reports said.

Lara Guney Ozlen, a spokesperson for Pride Week, said police fired rubber bullets and tear gas on the LGBT activists amassing near the popular shopping street and its side roads.

Parade organisers said members of the ultraconservative groups also showed up in Taksim Square, yet police prevented a face-off between the different groups.

At least 41 people, including both LGBT activists and members of the ultraconservative groups, were detained, according to the events organisers. The state-run Anadolu Agency put the number of those held at at least 20.

READ MORE: Istanbul LGBT march banned over security concerns

This years ban, which followed similar prohibitions in 2016 and 2015, was condemned by the parades organisers.

We are not scared, we are here, we will not change, they said in a statement on Sunday. You are scared  you will get used to it.

Ozlen told Al Jazeera on Saturday that the reasons for the ban of the parade were not valid or convincing.

She said: For the last two years, the march overlapped with Ramadan. This year it does not. So, that is not an excuse [to prevent it] either. I believe the ban is about not accepting our sexual orientation and it is a reaction to the movement getting stronger.

Istanbuls governorship said on Saturday that no proper application had been filed for the march  a statement denied by the organisers.

Long-held event

The Istanbul LGBTI Pride Week has been organised since 1993, ending with a march on Istiklal Street since 2003, according to its organisers.

The week consists of various events, such as discussion panels, workshops, social gatherings and art courses.

Organisers say the parade attracted tens of thousands of people until the early 2010s, making it the largest pride march in a Muslim-majority country.

Earlier in June, similar parades took place in Izmir, the largest city in western Turkey, the city of Kocaeli neighbouring Istanbul and the southern city of Mersin. The events passed peacefully without police intervention.

Homosexuality is not illegal in Turkey, but intolerance towards LGBT citizens exists in large parts of society.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is visiting the United States to discuss key business and security issues with Donald Trump. It is his first trip since Trump entered the White House after defeating democratic rival Hillary Clinton.

The high mark of the two-day trip starting from June 25 will be his meeting with Trump. Though it is their first meeting, both have spoken at least twice over the telephone. They are also somewhat natural allies, as both resorted to rightwing populistic politics to clinch power.

Modi's past is smeared with the events of the Gujarat riot in 2002 in which hundreds of Muslims were killed. The Western world including the U.S. shunned him for years until he emerged victorious in the 2014 elections by using the platform of Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party and was elected as prime minister.

Trump has been embroiled in controversies ever since he announced he would run in the primaries. His remarks against Muslims and other minorities earned him the ire of liberal Americans but won him the support of hardcore white voters. He has been struggling to gain legitimacy after taking the oath as president.

But while he was reviled by many at home, the rightwing Hindu groups in India adored him and held events to express support for him. Surely, Trump will have all this in the back of his head when he receives Modi.

The visit of Modi is expected to focus on addressing hurdles and misunderstandings related to economic and commercial ties. The two leaders will also focus their discussion on combating militancy and extremism.

Both countries have a shared vision to eliminate terrorism. They have institutional mechanisms and wide ranging cooperation in this field. So, it would be relatively easy for them to tackle this topic.

However, trade and visa issues are not easy to handle. Trump has accused India of unfair import duties on certain items and misuse of the H-1B visa. The Indian government has denied these allegations.

The visa program is crucial for the Indian IT industry because thousands of skilled Indian workers live and work in the United States. These workers are the backbone of some of the high-end IT companies operating in India.

As a matter of fact, India's IT miracle is heavily dependent on the outsourcing business of major American companies. It is estimated that over three-quarters of top 500 U.S. companies are using IT services provided by Indian companies.

U.S. companies enjoy the lion's share in the over 120 billion-dollar international outsourcing business. The crackdown on the misuse of H-1B visa holders may badly impact the Indian IT industry. Already, there are reports that some Indian companies are laying off their workers, fearing a fall in their output.

Trump maintains that the visa facility has been misused to the disadvantage of American workers. Can Modi convince him to continue the past policy? It is hard to say with certainty whether he can be successful as Trump has emphasized putting "America First" in all polices, which clashes directly with Modi's "Made in India" slogan.

There are reports that the U.S. leader is also not happy with India for signing the Paris climate deal. He has maintained that the largest democracy in the world hastily accepted the Paris agreement to reap financial gains.

The two sides have robust defense cooperation and Modi will try to convince his host about the sale of unarmed surveillance drones to equip the Indian Navy. It would be a huge boost to the naval capability of India to patrol the Indian Ocean. It would also be the first such sale by the U.S. to a non-NATO country.

If India can acquire American drones, although unarmed, this would have a negative fallout for regional security. On the one hand, India would use them against China, which is developing port and naval relations with countries of South Asia and on the other hand, the sale may result in a new arm races between India and Pakistan.

Initially India had sought armed drones like the one used by the U.S. against militants in Pakistan, Afghanistan and elsewhere. The provision of unarmed spy aircrafts might increase the appetite of the Indian army to renew efforts to get drones fitted with missiles.

Sajjad Malik is a columnist with China.org.cn. For more information please visit:

http://www.china.org.cn/opinion/SajjadMalik.htm

Opinion articles reflect the views of their authors, not necessarily those of China.org.cn.
Turkish leader criticises list of demands presented by Saudi-led countries that cut ties with Qatar and prompted crisis.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has welcomed Qatars stand on a list of demands from Saudi Arabia and its allies, saying that the ultimatum is against international law.

Qatar has rejected the accusations and said the measures are unjustified.

We welcome [Qatars position] because we consider the 13-point list against international law, Erdogan was quoted as saying by the state-run Anadolu news agency on Sunday.

Turkey has offered support to Qatar after Saudi Arabia and several other countries severed ties with Qatar over accusations of funding terrorism and fomenting regional instability.





On June 7, Turkeys parliament fast-tracked legislation to allow troops to be deployed to a military base in Qatar, two days after the Saudi-led countries cut ties with Doha in the worst diplomatic crisis in the region in years.

Turkey has a military base in Qatar that currently houses about 90 Turkish soldiers.

The Turkish forces conducted their first training at Tariq bin Ziyad military base earlier this month in a drill that had been long-planned.

Qatar on Saturday denounced the ultimatum as unreasonable and an impingement on the emirates sovereignty.

The list was received by Qatars Ministry of Foreign Affairs on June 22, the state-run Qatar News Agency said.

This list of demands confirms what Qatar has said from the beginning  the illegal blockade has nothing to do with combating terrorism, it is about limiting Qatars sovereignty, and outsourcing our foreign policy, Sheikh Saif bin Ahmed Al Thani, director of the Qatari governments communications office, said in a statement on Friday.

WATCH: What is behind the campaign against Al Jazeera? (24:39)

Qatar also said it is reviewing the demands and is preparing an official response after confirming the receipt of the document containing the demands.

The state of Qatar is currently studying this paper, the demands contained therein and the foundations on which they were based, in order to prepare an appropriate response to it and hand it over to the state of Kuwait, QNA said, citing a statement by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Kuwait has been acting as a mediator to defuse the crisis that erupted on June 5 when Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain and Egypt announced they were severing relations with Qatar, accusing it of supporting terrorism.

The four countries have not provided any evidence, and Qatar has repeatedly denied the allegations as baseless.

Deadline for compliance

Earlier on Friday, reports emerged that the Saudi-led bloc had given Qatar 10 days to comply with 13 demands, which included shutting down the Al Jazeera Media Network, closing a Turkish military base and scaling down ties with Iran.

In the document, the countries demanded that Qatar sever all alleged ties with the Muslim Brotherhood and with other groups, including Hezbollah, al-Qaeda and the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, known as ISIS) group.

The document also states that Qatar must consent to monthly compliance audits in the first year after agreeing to the demands, followed by quarterly audits in the second year and annual audits in the following 10 years.





The list includes a demand that Qatar pay reparations and compensation for loss of life and other financial losses allegedly caused by Qatars policies in recent years.

The document did not specify what the countries will do if Qatar refuses to comply.

Amir Handjani, a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council, told Al Jazeera that the demands are a non-starter.

This is a very aggressive position that the Saudi coalition is taking. I think its an opening gambit in a long, protracted negotiation, he said.

The Saudis are signalling to the Qataris that they are willing to dig in. And I think the Qataris are not going to cave. So I expect tensions to rise.

Handjani said that the demands amounted to a request that Qatar give up its sovereignty.

READ MORE: The GCC crisis  Draconian demands and juvenile politics

I am sure as temperatures rise, other countries such as the United States, the UK, the French  who have long-standing ties with the GCC countries  will step in and try and play a mediating role, he said.

The White House said on Friday that the rift between the countries is a family issue and the four Arab states should work it out.

Sean Spicer, the US press secretary, said the US will not intervene unless it is asked to join  and facilitate discussions between the countries involved.
Police say assailants linked to ISIL and another armed group following Eid-day incident just before prayers in Medan.

Two alleged ISIL fighters stabbed a police officer to death in Medan, in western Indonesia, authorities say, in the latest assault targeting law-enforcement officials in the Southeast Asian country.

Several police officers fought back against the fighters, killing one and critically injuring another, in Sundays incident.

We suspect the attackers have links with ISIL and Bahrun Naim, because we found a ISIL flag, books and CDs linked to [the group] in the house of one attacker, Setyo Wasisto, national police spokesperson, told AFP news agency.

He was referring to Bahrun Naim, an Indonesian who is fighting with ISIL (the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant group) in Syria and who has been accused of directing a series of mostly botched plots in his homeland in recent years.

Hundreds of young men from Indonesia have flocked abroad to fight with ISIL, also known as ISIS, and the country has seen a surge in plots and attacks linked to the group over the past year.

READ MORE: Guantanamo detainee Hambali charged in Bali bombing

Sundays attack happened just hours before prayers were held as part of the Eid al-Fitr celebrations that mark the end of the holy fasting month of Ramadan at the North Sumatra police headquarters.

Police are investigating whether the incident was linked to the recent capture of three fighters accused of plotting to attack police, Wasisto, the police spokesperson, said.

In May suicide bombers killed three police officers at a bus station in Jakarta in the deadliest attack in Indonesia since January 2016, when a suicide blast and gun assault claimed by ISIL left four assailants and four civilians dead in Jakarta.

Indonesia has long struggled with violence and has suffered a series of fatal attacks in the past 15 years, including the 2002 Bali bombing that killed 202 people.

A sustained crackdown weakened the countrys most dangerous networks but the emergence of ISIL has proved a potent new rallying cry.
Heavy fighting reported as UAE-backed renegade generals LNA advances on last holdouts of fighters in central Benghazi.

East Libyan forces say they have gained control over one of two key remaining districts in Benghazi where they had faced armed resistance.

The advance in the central Souq al-Hout neighbourhood on Saturday was the latest step in the slow progress of the self-styled Libyan National Army (LNA) commanded by Khalifa Haftar, which is aligned with the Tobruk-based House of Representatives and refuses to recognise the UN-backed government in Tripoli.

In unusually heavy fighting in Benghazi over the past two days, at least 13 men from the LNA were killed and 37 wounded, a medical official said.

Many of those who died were killed by landmines, a military source said.





Along with Sabri, Souq al-Hout was one of the final holdouts of the LNAs rivals.

Since 2014, shifting alliances have been battling for power. The LNA and the eastern Libya-based government have rejected a UN-backed Government of National Accord (GNA) that has been in the capital, Tripoli, since last year.

Saturdays advance came after the Benghazi Defence Brigades (BDB), an anti-Haftar armed group that includes fighters who retreated from Benghazi and have since tried and failed to advance again towards the city, said it was prepared to disband and be integrated into national security forces.

Haftar advances

Haftar forces have taken significant ground in eastern and central Libya over the course of the past year, including military bases, cities and oil facilities.

OPINION: Qatar, the UAE and the Libya connection

The UNs Libya Sanctions Committee report, released on Friday, reveals the UAE has supplied attack helicopters and other military aircraft to Haftars forces.

The United Arab Emirates have been providing both material support and direct support to LNA, which have significantly increased the air support available to LNA, said the report by a UN panel of experts.

The report provides rare insight into foreign funding of armed groups in Libya, which many say has exacerbated the conflict.

It shows there has been an uptick in direct foreign support to armed groups in Libya, despite a UN embargo imposed on the country during the 2011 uprising and tightened in 2014.
In a phone call with the Qatari Emir, president also says Irans air space, ground and sea will be open to Doha.

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has told the Emir of Qatar that a siege imposed on it by four Arab states that recently cut ties with Doha is not acceptable for us, according to the office of the presidents website.

A statement released on Sunday quoted Rouhani as telling Emir Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani in a phone conversation that Tehran will stand by Qatars government.

Irans air space, ground and sea will be always be open to Qatar as a  friendly nation, said Rouhani, adding that the cooperation of the two countries will remain continuous.

We believe that if there are disagreements among countries of the region, pressure, intimidation, and sanction are not good ways for settle the disagreements, the statement added.

INTERACTIVE: GCC Crisis  Who is who?

Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani extended wishes for the Eid al-Fitr Muslim festival, which began on Sunday, and said: Qatar has open arms for interaction and cooperation.





He added: Relations between Iran and Qatar have always been developing and powerful.

Erdogan, Tillerson weigh in

Irans regional rival Saudi Arabia, alongside the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt, cut diplomatic and trade ties with Qatar and imposed a land, air and sea blockade against it on June 5, accusing it of supporting terrorism.

The four countries have not provided any evidence, and Qatar has repeatedly denied the allegations as baseless.

On Friday, reports emerged that the Saudi-Emirati-led bloc had given Qatar 10 days to comply with a 13-point list of demands, which include, among others, that Doha scale down ties with Iran.

Qatari officials immediately dismissed the document, which also demanded Doha shut down the Al Jazeera Media Network and close a Turkish military base in Qatar, as neither reasonable nor actionable.

READ MORE: Qatar-Gulf crisis  All the latest updates

Rouhanis statement came hours after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan denounced the demands of the Saudi-Emirati-led bloc as being against international law.

Also on Sunday, US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said some of the demands will be very difficult for Qatar to meet.

Tillerson added, however, that the list contained significant areas which provide a basis for ongoing dialogue leading to a resolution.

The top US diplomat also said Washington was backing mediation efforts by Kuwait aimed at defusing the crisis and urged the different sides to sit together and continue discussing.
Holiday marking end of fasting month characterised by prayers followed by feasts and visits to family and friends.

Muslims across the world are celebrating the first day of the Eid al-Fitr festival, which marks the end of the Islamic fasting month of Ramadan.

The three-day Eid-al-Fitr depends on the sighting of the moon and is usually marked by early morning prayers followed by family visits and feasts.

Residents in Indonesia, the worlds most populous Muslim-majority country, said they hoped the spirit of Eid would overcome fears about rising violence.

Millions of Indonesians attended Eid prayers in their best outfits across the country despite reports of a police officer being killed in an attack by suspected ISIL fighters in the city of Medan.





Tens of millions of people in Ethiopia, which has the second largest Muslim population in sub-Saharan Africa, marked the joyous Eid.

Huge crowds arrived at and around the Addis Ababa stadium for Eid prayers early in the morning.

Speaking on the occasion, Sheikh Mohammed Nur, the Islamic affairs president, said: Our country Ethiopia is characterised by religious plurality and the people have lived in harmony for ages.

Muslims in the country should stand vigilant against extremist elements.

Millions of Muslims in Egypt performed Eid prayers in more than 5,000 open areas across the country amid a stepped-up security presence, while President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi performed prayers at a mosque at Egypts naval headquarters in the coastal city of Alexandria.

Meanwhile, in Jerusalem, about 90,000 Muslims converged on al-Aqsa Mosque, which for Muslims represents the worlds third holiest site, to perform Eid prayers.

For some, Eid was a brief respite from the horrific realities which they managed to flee from.

Ahmad Ali Abed escaped with his family and others from the ISIL-controlled Old City of Mosul to Irbil, north of the country.

We ran between the houses. We knew that if ISIL spotted someone wed all be shot, Abed said.

I was scared that if they saw me and family theyd kill us all, but thank God we are rid of them. I still cant believe we made it here.

READ MORE: Fighting resumes in Marawi after Eid ceasefire

A woman who also escaped said that life in Mosul had been getting harder and harder.

The hunger was killing us, she said. We couldnt buy anything for the kids. Here today we received clothes. The kids are happy and were able to celebrate Eid.

In Malaysia, the civil war in Yemen was on the minds of two refugees who prayed at the main mosque in the capital, Kuala Lumpur.

Sisters Sumayah and Nabila Ali said they sought refuge in Malaysia after fleeing Yemen where more than 10,000 people have died in two years of conflict.

When we say poor people, children who are not safe, are always in danger. We hope that one day it will be safe again and people will be happy again, said 28-year-old Sumayah.
Qataris observed the end of Ramadan on a sombre but resolute note, with a blockade imposed on the country by neighbouring Saudi Arabia and other Arab allies about to enter its fourth week.

On the first day of Eid al-Fitr on Sunday, some citizens of Qatar expressed sadness that they are unable to celebrate Islams most important holiday with family members and friends, who are citizens of other countries involved in the dispute.

On June 5, Saudi Arabia, alongside the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bahrain and Egypt, triggered a major diplomatic crisis after cutting diplomatic ties with Qatar and cutting off land, air and sea links.

The Al Merri tribe is one of the biggest in the Gulf with family members spread throughout the region, and the crisis is keeping them apart.

READ MORE: Saudi-led blockade on Qatar breaking up families

There are a lot of families , a lot of people who have suffered from this blockade, Qatari citizen Ali Al Merri told Al Jazeera.

While Gulf leaders continue their political fight, the people suffer, Al Merri added.

Politicians must keep this between the governments and not involve the citizens.

Wafaa is a Qatari who divorced her Bahraini husband years ago. Her three children have Bahraini passports and technically have to return to Bahrain, which  alongside Saudi Arabia and the UAE  ordered its citizens to leave Qatar.

Wafaas children decided to defy that order  opting to stay in Qatar instead. They are now waiting to hear if they can get Qatari citizenship.

Our loyalty is to here, Wafaa told Al Jazeera. They [the children] have never been to Bahrain. What we know about Bahrain is only the passport. They grew up here, and will continue to be here.

We have become stronger

Khaled Al Hajiri, another Qatari citizen, said the decision by Saudi Arabia and its allies came as a shock to him and his family.

For me personally, it is breaking my heart that I cannot see my cousins in Abu Dhabi. Most of my friends also have relatives there, he told Al Jazeera.

For us, the GCC is not a different country, it is united, he said, referring to the Gulf Cooperation Council, which numbers Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait and Oman as its members.

But now politics make it different.

He said the he is still unsure how and when the dispute will end.





This is new to us. We didnt expect the GCC to have these issues, he added.

As a Qatari, I think we have become stronger and more united because of this issue. I hope it will be resolved in a short time.

But for Abdullah al-Otaibi, a Kuwaiti citizen, the dispute will eventually be resolved the Arab way.

He said he came to Qatar to show that all the Gulf states are one people.

The emir of Kuwait is mediating between Qatar and the Saudi-Emirati-led bloc to resolve the crisis. But so far, there are no signs of the tensions cooling off.

We have nothing to be dividing us. We are going to be together, before and after, Otaibi said.

This is the governments issue. They have to do their job. Our job [as citizens] is to be together.

Nobody expected this to happen at all. Everybody is thinking that it is representing the people. But Arabs usually solve their problems the Arab way. Fight today, kiss each other the next day.
Tea industry counts cost of natural disaster that claimed 200 lives and displaced more than 600,000 people last month.

Tea farmers in Sri Lanka are struggling to make ends meet after their land was destroyed by heavy floods and mudslides last month.

The floods, described by authorities as the worst to hit the country in more than a decade, killed more than 200 people and displaced more than 600,000 people from their homes.

For many of the 400,000 small farmers who grow more than 70 percent of the countrys tea, the floods covered their tea bushes by up to five metres with mud and sludge, leading to the rotting of some roots.





K Seelawathi, a farmer in the town of Akuressa in Matara district, hopes this will be the last flood she sees in her lifetime.

I used to harvest 400 kilograms at a time, earning a good amount, she told Al Jazeera.

I built my house and educated my children. But with almost no income now, things are very difficult.

Prabhat Bezbaruah, chairman of the Sri Lanka Tea Board, says almost 300 tonnes of tea and green leaf were destroyed by the floods, while damage to factories is still being assessed.

He says the cost of the floods needs to be measured in humanitarian, and not financial, terms.

Losses that small farmers have incurred in terms of their lives and property are substantial, Bezbaruah says.

Sri Lankas tea industry, which earns $1.3bn a year, has also seen a decrease in supply after the floods.

READ MORE- Sri Lanka: Buddhist leader stokes anti-Muslim tension

Gunasoma Wanigasekara, the owner of a tea factory, says that while things are improving, it will take time for conditions to return to normal.

Theres been a five to 10 percent drop [in tea supply], he told Al Jazeera. The farmers cant attend to their work in the fields, so they cant give 100 percent output to the tea land.

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.

Last year, monsoon rains caused flooding and landslides that killed more than 100 people.
Gun battle near Salma dam in western province follows countrys deadliest Ramadan month since the 2001 US invasion.

Taliban fighters have killed at least 10 police officers in an attack on a checkpoint in Afghanistans western Herat province, according to a government official.

Four Taliban fighters also died in the gun battle late on Saturday near the important Salma Dam, Farhad Jailani, a spokesperson for Herats governor, told DPA news agency on Sunday.

The Taliban has targeted the Salma Dam, located 165km east of Herat, in several previous attacks. It is heavily guarded by security posts.





Inaugurated by Narendra Modi, the Indian prime minister, in June last year, the dam was funded and built by India at a cost of about $275m.

It produces 42 megawatts of electricity for Herat.

The attack comes just days after at least 29 people were killed by a car bomb near a bank in Lashkar Gah, capital of the southern Helmand province.

Since they launched their spring offensive in late April, Taliban fighters have been mounting deadly assaults on the Afghan army and police outposts in Helmand.

The United States is expected to announce an increase in its military deployment to bolster Afghan forces.

American troops in Afghanistan now number about 8,400, and there are another 5,000 from NATO allies, a far cry from the US presence of more than 100,000 six years ago.

They mainly serve as trainers and advisers.

READ MORE: In Afghanistan, the Taliban are at the gates

James Mattis, the Pentagon chief, this month acknowledged that the US still is not winning in Afghanistan, nearly 16 years after the US-led invasion toppled the Taliban government.

In early June, at least 10 people were killed and several wounded in an explosion near police offices and a mosque in Herat province. The Taliban denied involvement.

On May 31, at least 150 people were killed when a truck loaded with explosives detonated in a fortified area of the city near several foreign embassies.

READ MORE: What should the US next move be in Afghanistan?

Afghanistan has experienced its deadliest Ramadan since the US-led invasion in 2001 with over 200 killed and hundreds wounded, according to an AFP count based on official figures.

The streets of Kabul were quiet on Saturday in advance of the Eid al-Fitr festival, which marks the end of Islams holiest month, amid fears of further attacks.

As Ramadan began on May 27, a Taliban car bomber targeting a US-funded Afghan armed group left 13 people dead and injured six in eastern Khost province.

On Friday, Taliban leader Mullah Haibatullah Akhunzada, in an Eid message, pledged to continue fighting until the complete withdrawal of foreign forces from Afghanistan.
No gunfire or air attacks heard over besieged Marawi during eight-hour humanitarian pause declared by the military.

Fighting has resumed in the Philippine city of Marawi as a ceasefire, declared by the military to allow Muslims to mark the end of the holy month of Ramadan, ended.

The military said it would halt its offensive against fighters linked to the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, known as ISIS) group for eight hours on Sunday.

No gunfire or air raids were heard over the city, 800km south of the capital, Manila, as the humanitarian pause took effect from 6am local time on Sunday, but gunfire erupted as soon as the ceasefire ended at about 2pm local time, AFP reporters in Marawi said.

Our troops only consolidated at our strong points, Lieutenant-General Carlito Galvez told Manila radio station DZBB.





There was no deployment of military assets as security forces maintained an active distance [during the ceasefire].

Brigadier-General Restituto Padilla, Philippine military spokesman, said about 500 civilians remained trapped in areas where the fighting is concentrated.

The ceasefire was imposed as a gesture of our strong commitment and respect to the Muslim world particularly to the local Muslims of Marawi City, said Padilla.

In May, Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte declared martial law across all of Mindanao to quell what he described as an uprising aimed at establishing an ISIL caliphate in the area.

Australia has sent two hi-tech surveillance planes to help Philippine troops in Marawi, joining the US in providing military assistance.

The battle in Marawi began on May 23 when hundreds of Maute fighters laid siege to the municipality after government forces tried to arrest a local leader of ISIL.

The fighters had planned the attack months ahead, and actually intended to burn down Marawi and set up an ISIL stronghold in the southern region of Mindanao, the military said.

Fighting in the region has left more than 380 people dead and displaced over 300,000 residents, the government said.

The government claimed those killed included 268 fighters, eight of whom were foreign fighters from Malaysia, Indonesia, Yemen, Saudi Arabia and Chechnya in Russia.

The seizure of Marawi by the Maute group and its affiliates has caused the biggest internal security crisis in decades for the Philippines.

Images of black-clad fighters and ISIL flags flying in Marawi has caused alarm in the mainly Roman Catholic nation, and the protracted occupation and presence of foreign fighters suggests the the fighters may have bigger designs on the southern Philippines than previously imagined.

READ MORE: Philippines to halt operations against communist rebels

On Saturday, gunfire rang out across the lakeside town as aircraft dropped a succession of bombs, setting buildings ablaze and sending bursts of debris and smoke into the sky behind mosque minarets and charred buildings.

A military official said on Saturday more than 100 Christians could be hostages, including a priest, according to information provided by eight residents who escaped their captors during a Friday air raid.

Conditions for those trapped in Marawi have been dire, with witnesses reporting bodies on streets, food and water in short supply, and a constant threat of being killed by either the fighters or bombs dropped by government aircraft.
US secretary of state urges Arab states to sit down together to try to reach resolution amid major diplomatic crisis.

The US secretary of state has said some demands on Qatar by a group of Arab countries that have imposed a blockade against it will be very difficult to meet.

Nevertheless, in a statement issued on Sunday, Rex Tillerson said the list submitted by Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain and Egypt includes significant areas which provide a basis for ongoing dialogue leading to a resolution.

A productive next step would be for each of the countries to sit together and continue this conversation, said Tillerson, confirming that Qatar had begun the review of the demands issued by the Saudi-led bloc of countries amid the worst crisis in the Gulf in decades.

We believe our allies and partners are stronger when they are working together towards one goal, which we all agree is stopping terrorism and countering extremism.

He also called for a lowering of rhetoric to help ease the tension and said Washington was supporting a mediation effort by Kuwait aimed at defusing the crisis after the four Arab states cut diplomatic and trade ties with Qatar on June 5.

Sec Tillerson: There is a basis for ongoing dialogue leading to resolution. US will continue to support mediation efforts of Emir of Kuwait. pic.twitter.com/M5ORhd39Im  Morgan Ortagus (@statedeptspox) June 25, 2017

10-day ultimatum

The Saudi-led bloc of countries has reportedly given Qatar 10 days to comply with 13 demands to end the crisis, insisting, among others, that Qatar shut down Al Jazeera, close a Turkish military base and scale down ties with Iran.

Qatari officials immediately dismissed the demands as neither reasonable nor actionable.

This list of demands confirms what Qatar has said from the beginning  the illegal blockade has nothing to do with combating terrorism. It is about limiting Qatars sovereignty, and outsourcing our foreign policy, Sheikh Saif bin Ahmed Al Thani, director of the Qatari governments communications office, said in a statement on Friday.

OPINION: The GCC crisis  Draconian demands and juvenile politics

Qatar also said it was reviewing the demands and was preparing an official response after confirming the receipt of the document on Thursday.

Tillerson had previously insisted any demands be reasonable and actionable, while his British counterpart, Boris Johnson, said any requests made of Qatar should be measured and realistic.

Al Jazeeras James Bays, reporting from Washington, DC, said Tillersons statement on Sunday was the first formal response from the state department since the release of the 13 demands.

Commenting on Tillersons remarks that some of the demands will be very difficult for Qatar to meet, he said: It is an acknowledgement from the secretary of state that some of these demands are clearly not reasonable or actionable  and I think that will be an important marker coming from the US.

READ MORE: Ultimatum on Qatar is violation of human rights

If you look at the words of Secretary Tillerson, you have to slightly read between the lines, because he has been very careful  all of the countries involved are all close US allies.

Earlier on Sunday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan welcomed Qatars stand on the list of demands, saying that the Saudi-led ultimatum was against international law.
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Photo taken on April 19, 2017 shows the "Big Ben" and a pedestrian light in London,Britain. (Xinhua/Tim Ireland)

The UK Parliament has been hit by a cyber-security attack, BBC reported.

MPs (members of parliament) were reportedly told about the hack on Friday night and later told of difficulties in accessing their emails away from the Westminster estate.

A Commons spokeswoman said the lack of email access was not a result of the cyber-attack itself but part of the steps being taken to manage the issue.

She said Parliamentary authorities were liaising with the National Cyber Security Center.

The spokeswoman said: "The Houses of Parliament have discovered unauthorised attempts to access parliamentary user accounts.

"We are continuing to investigate this incident and take further measures to secure the computer network..

"We have systems in place to protect member and staff accounts and are taking the necessary steps to protect our systems."

She added: "Parliament has disabled remote access to protect the network."

A number of MPs have confirmed to the BBC they are not able to access their parliamentary email accounts remotely.

It comes just over a month after 48 of England's NHS trusts were hit by a cyber-attack.

The attack was publicly revealed by Liberal Democrat peer Lord Rennard on Twitter who had also asked his followers to send any "urgent messages" to him by text.
Aides bill upcoming meeting between Modi and Trump as a chance to strike up a friendship, but will it all go smoothly?

New York  One is a vegetarian, yoga fan. The other eats steaks like theyre going out of fashion.

This does not mean that Mondays first meeting between Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump will be awkward. Aides on both sides have billed it as a chance to strike up a friendship.

The two men have much in common  they are both populist, pro-business nationalists who rocked their respective political establishments. Each has amassed more than 30 million Twitter followers.

Such similarities can come in handy when they get down to business in White House talks on everything from arms, trade and visas, to global and regional security challenges.

READ MORE: Three years of Narendra Modi government

The summit will be a no-frills, lets-get-acquainted affair, Michael Kugelman, a scholar at the Woodrow Wilson Center think-tank, told Al Jazeera, before the half-day of sit-downs, cocktail reception and working dinner at the White House.

Its outcomes, from body language to any post-meeting joint statement, will offer clues about the future of ties that have progressed in recent years, but now face considerable uncertainty under Trumps mercurial stewardship, he said.

Guns to sell, guns to buy

Arms deals could buoy the chat. India has signed $15bn worth of defence contracts with the United States since 2008, a White House official told reporters on Friday, on condition that their name was not used.

These are people with guns to sell and guns to buy, Vijay Prashad, a Trinity College scholar, told Al Jazeera.





Lockheed Martin, a US military aerospace firm, is negotiating with Indias Tata Advanced Systems to shift production of F-16 fighter jets from the US to India as part of a deal to supply the Indian Air Force with hundreds of new aircraft.

Washington is also set to confirm the sale of 22 unarmed Guardian drones, a naval variant of the Predator, which New Delhi wants to deploy to Indian Ocean waters where China is expanding trade routes and sending submarines.

If approved, India will become the first non-NATO country permitted to buy hi-tech, unmanned Guardian drones, and the US would net an estimated $2-3bn, which will doubtless smooth the path for closer cooperation, Lindsey Ford, a former adviser to the US Department of Defense, told Al Jazeera.

Security challenges

Trump and Modi see eye-to-eye on security.

Both leaders vehemently decry Islamist extremism. Trump may ask Modi to formally join the US-led coalition against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as ISIS); Modi may call for tougher US action against anti-India fighters in Pakistan.

OPINION: India is fast becoming a one-party state

Trickier issues  such as Iran, Afghanistan and Pakistan  may be skirted around. Washington still has 8,000 troops in Afghanistan and is conducting a review into its 16-year-old war that will not be finished until mid-July.

New US plans may entail using aid and a threat of downgrading US-Pakistani ties to crack down on Pakistan-based fighters launching attacks in Afghanistan. New Delhi, likewise, blames Islamabad for armed attacks on its own turf.

The US has sought Indian help with its adversaries, said Prashad, the Trinity College scholar.

While the US has its agenda, India cannot become a full-scale US partner because of so many contradictions in the region. It has its own strategic landscape to attend to.

Make in India vs America First

There are also problem areas. Modi is likely to raise concerns over a visa scheme for bringing high-skilled foreign workers into the US, including many of the Indian tech whizzes who work in Silicon Valley.

Trump, who campaigned on an anti-immigrant platform, has ordered a review of the H-1B programme, threatening Indian IT services firm such as Infosys Ltd and Tata Consultancy Services, which advise and assist big firms on tech issues.





The former reality TV star also told voters he would level up Americas trade deficits, and has since launched investigations in trading patterns with countries, including India, which sell more to the US than they buy.

US-India trade more than doubled from $45bn in 2006 to about $115bn last year, but the US trade deficit also widened to $31bn in that time.

This is where economic nationalism stirs tensions, said Kugelman, the Woodrow Wilson Center scholar.

The clashing objectives of Modis Make in India  which calls on foreign firms to operate in India  and Trumps America First  which asks US firms to stay home  portend possible bilateral irritants that are better off not surfacing in this maiden meeting.

Global warming is another sore point. After the US pulled out of the Paris Climate Agreement, Trump accused New Delhi of trying to extract billions and billions of dollars in foreign aid in exchange for signing the accord.

Life for some four million Indian Americans and the 166,000 Indians who study in the US may also come up. Trumps anti-immigrant rhetoric has been linked to spikes in racial violence, including the killing of Srinivas Kuchibhotla, a 32-year-old engineer, in a bar in Kansas in February.

I buy from you, you buy from me

Successive US presidents have tried to woo India to counterbalance Chinas growing regional clout. Trump met Chinese President Xi Jinping in April to enlist help on halting North Koreas nuclear arms programme, but managing Beijings rise remains a priority for the US and India, said Kugelman.

White House staffers admit they are fighting perceptions in New Delhi that India is not a priority for Trump, who has also had face-time with the leaders of Japan, Britain, Vietnam, Saudi Arabia and Egypt, among others.

It would be wrong to say that this administration has been ignoring or not focused on India, the White House official said.

READ MORE: Decoding Donald Trumps foreign policy

This undermines the strategic partnership that previous US administrations built, said Aparna Pande, a Hudson Institute think-tank analyst. There are enough fault lines between Trump and Modi to roll back progress.

It will become more transactional: I buy from you, you buy from me, Pande told Al Jazeera.

Big opportunities?

Anubhav Gupta, from the Asia Society Policy Institute, said Trump badly needs an opportunity to bolster his presidency, which has been rocked by claims that his campaign staff colluded with Russia to tip last years election in his favour.

Indias fast-growing, increasingly open economy offers big opportunities for the US  but success hinges on whether Trumps team can focus enough attention on India and decide whether and how it wants to upgrade ties, Gupta told Al Jazeera.

For Alyssa Ayres, a former US Department of State official, Modis two-day visit to Washington, which begins on Sunday, is not likely to herald breakthroughs in a US-India relationship that has had its ups and downs.

US-India ties have been plagued by expectation of what the next big deal and big idea will be, Ayres told Al Jazeera.

Both governments are messaging that this summit is about building a personal relationship and finding an equation between two men thats comparable to the good working relationship Modi had with [ex-US President Barack] Obama.

Follow James Reinl on Twitter: @jamesreinl
Pham Minh Hoang, who was deported to France, is a member of Vietnam Reform Party, which Hanoi calls a terrorist group.

A Vietnamese dissident blogger with dual French citizenship has arrived in Paris after he was stripped of his birth nationality by the Asian country and deported.

Former mathematics lecturer Pham Minh Hoang was put on a plane to the French capital, weeks after his Vietnamese citizenship was revoked  a rare move that has sparked outrage among critics of Hanoi, who accuse it of quashing dissent by any means available.

I am very sad, Hoang told the AFP news agency by phone after his arrival in Paris on Sunday.

I tried to do the best I can but today I lost the battle, he said, adding he would continue fighting for democracy in Vietnam.

WATCH: LISTENING POST  Vietnams imperiled bloggers

Hoang said police surrounded his house on Friday night and took him away with no prior warning.

He met French consular officials and a lawyer before his deportation, but was unable to say goodbye to his wife, Le Thi Kieu Oanh.

I feel totally defeated  when my husband left, I couldnt say any farewell words, I also feel very angry, Oanh told AFP.

After speaking to Hoang on arrival in France, Oanh said she was at least reassured that he no longer faced political persecution.

Vietnam routinely jails critics of its government, but 62-year-old Hoang is the first Vietnam-based dissident to have his citizenship revoked in recent history.

Vietnams foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Sunday.

Unprecedented and shocking

Human Rights Watch called the revocation an unprecedented and shocking action.

[It] crosses many human rights red lines on freedom of expression, right to nationality and exercise of basic civil and political freedoms, the rights group said in its statement.

By effectively forcing Pham Minh Hoang into indefinite exile, the Vietnam government has demonstrated its readiness to violate its citizens human rights however it deems necessary to preserve its political power.





Hoang found out his Vietnamese citizenship had been stripped early this month after he received a letter dated May 17 and signed by the president, a decision he unsuccessfully tried to appeal against.

Hoang is a member of the Viet Tan, or Vietnam Reform Party, which is considered a terrorist organisation by the Vietnamese government.

The vaguely worded decision was a thinly veiled move to silence Pham Minh Hoang for his peaceful advocacy, Viet Tan said in a statement obtained by the Associated Press news agency.

He was convicted in 2011 of attempted subversion for publishing a series of articles which prosecutors said were aimed at overthrowing the government.

Hoang was released from jail after 17 months and ordered to serve three years of house arrest.

He continued to post articles critical of the government on social media following his release from prison.

Hoang moved to France in 1973 and lived there for 27 years before returning to Vietnam to work as a mathematics lecturer at the Polytechnic University of Ho Chi Minh City.

He told AFP this month he had to stay in Vietnam to care for his disabled brother and elderly mother-in-law, whom his wife will now look after.
WHO says more than 1,300 people have died and as many as 300,000 could become infected by the end of August.

Yemen is facing the worlds worst cholera outbreak, with about 1,310 people dying from the disease since late April, according to the World Health Organization.

More than 200,000 suspected cases of cholera have been recorded in the Arabian Peninsula country and as many as 300,000 people could become infected by the end of August, Margaret Chan, WHOs director-general, said in a statement on Saturday.

In just two months, cholera has spread to almost every governorate of this war-torn country, Chan and Anthony Lake, executive director of UNICEF, the UN childrens agency, said.

Already more than 1,300 people have died  one quarter of them children  and the death toll is expected to rise.

READ MORE : WHO  Speed of Yemen cholera outbreak unprecedented

Cholera is a highly contagious bacterial infection spread through contaminated food or water. It can be fatal within hours if left untreated.

Although the disease is easily treatable, doing so in Yemen, a country riven by conflict, has proved particularly difficult.

The UN has placed blame on all the rival sides and their international backers for the spread of cholera, which it calls a man-made humanitarian catastrophe.

This is because of conflict. Its man-made, its very severe. The numbers are absolutely staggering. Its getting worse, Stephen OBrien, a senior UN humanitarian affairs official, said.

The cholera element, in addition to all the lack of food, the lack of medical supplies  one has to put that at the door of all parties to the conflict.

In 2015, Saudi Arabia and its allies launched an air campaign aimed at reversing Houthi military gains and backing Yemens UN-recognised government.

Two years of conflict have killed more than 10,000 people, wounded 45,000 others, and displaced more than 11 percent of the countrys 26 million people.

On Friday, the humanitarian group Oxfam called for a ceasefire because of the outbreak, but the war shows no sign of letting up.

At the Sabeen hospital in the capital, Sanaa, two to three new patients arrive every minute, with many suffering from cholera.

WATCH: Yemen cholera crisis  Disease kills one person per hour

The outbreak began last year, but a second wave of the waterborne disease has spread even faster in the past two months.

We are receiving many patients from all over the country, and some are in bad condition, Ismail Mansouri, a physician, said.

We are facing many obstacles. We lack medical equipment, rehydration solutions and medicine.

The hospital does not have enough doctors and nurses, Mansouri said.





Those who are there have been working around the clock to deal with the crisis.

Because of the war, many Yemenis face difficulties accessing clean water.

A large number of patients also have difficulty reaching the closest medical facility.

Some patients had to travel for hours just to reach the Sabeen hospital.

UNICEF also called for all sides of the conflict to allow aid agencies better access to those in need.

The number of cases is increasing at a staggering rate, Najwa Mekki, UNICEF spokesperson, told Al Jazeera.

Its critical that aid agencies and others are able to reach these children as soon as possible to provide them with the aid they need.

Against this background, Saudi Arabias ministry of culture and information announced on Saturday that Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has donated $66.7m to the WHO and UNICEF to fight cholera in Yemen.
Security forces in the Philippines are still struggling to take control of the southern city from ISIL-linked fighters.

The Philippine government has said it will be relentless in its fight against armed groups in the southern city of Marawi.

After an eight-hour truce put in place to allow people to celebrate the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, an air and ground offensive has resumed to push out hundreds of ISIL-linked fighters, who had taken control of the city last month.

Since the operation began, more than 350 people have been killed and at least 300,000 people have been forced to leave their homes.

So, how serious is the threat of armed groups in this region?

Presenter: Hazem Sika

Guests:

Richard Heydarian  Columnist for Manila Bulletin and professor at De La Salle University in Manila

Graham Ong-Webb  Research fellow at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies in Singapore

Jose Custodio  Former deputy chief of staff for plans
A few days ago a native of the British Isles, Darren Osborne, drove his truck into a crowd of Muslims near what was once a notoriously radical mosque in the north London suburb of Finsbury Park. The modus operandi of the attack was little different from that of Muslim attacks on native Europeans in Nice, the Christmas Market in Berlin, or, most recently, on London bridge. To be sure, the victims experienced the same horror. The individual tragedies were equally great. And, we can assume, the seething hatred of the perpetrators in all these cases was equally deep -- as was their love for their particular causes. There, however, the equivalency ends.

The first difference one notices between Osbornes attacks and the others is the character of the press coverage. Immediately after the Finsbury attack, the BBC and other pseudo journalists of the left swarmed the scene to interview the Muslim bystanders. Do you feel safe? they asked with virtue-signaling concern. I have watched the monotonous coverage of the now depressingly frequent butchery of Europeans, British, and Americans. Not once have I heard a reporter ask the bystanders or victims of a Jihadist attack -- Do you feel safe? Our feelings and our actual safety are of no concern. Middle-class native Europeans and white Americans are expendable. Western journalists delight in weeping over sympathetic, bloody-faced Syrian children, or refugee babies washed up on the island of Lesbos. They dont show German children, or French children, or English children -- crushed under the wheels of a terrorists truck. Neither have they ever shown Israeli babies mutilated in Hamas rocket attacks. There are differences indeed.

However deplorable Darren Osbornes actions may have been, it seems likely that his motive was essentially to protect his own civilization. Were he a racist, he might as easily driven into a crowd of West Indian blacks, or rammed the store front of a Chinese restaurant. Both of those groups are much more racially different from Mr. Osborne. West Indians and Chinese, however, do not don vests of explosives nor drive trucks into crowds. West Indians and Chinese do not embody a 7th-century ideology that is bent on global conquest, and enshrines that concept as a central feature of its sacred texts. The victims of Islam lie buried from Alexandria, a Christian city lost to Muslim conquerors in 641 A.D., to Vienna, which barely held back the Islamic tide in 1683, to London and San Bernardino today. Islam has never made peace with Western civilization, nor with any other civilization for that matter. It is a death cult which divides the world into two simple spheres: The Dar al-Islam (the abode of Islam) and the Dar al-Harb (the abode of war). The West subdued this ancient enemy for a hundred and fifty years or so -- which was apparently long enough for our politically correct leaders to erase our history from their memories. We have changed -- Islam has not. The respite is now over.

Jihadists in the West are bent on continuing their interrupted conquests in their own ancient and brutal way. They are not ashamed of saying so -- it is our Western politicians who have steadfastly refused to listen. We have all gotten sick of hearing about the peaceful Muslim majority. A tolerant Muslim is, to put it plainly, a Muslim who ignores his own scriptures. To be even plainer, a tolerant Muslim is really not a Muslim at all.

Liberal ecologists talk freely about invasive species -- that is, animals deliberately or accidentally imported that gradually displace the native wildlife. Unfortunately, any further application of this concept seems to have eluded the shrunken, inward-looking, leftist mind. When it comes to cultures, leftists live in a multicultural dreamland and utterly refuse to be awakened. They not only invite the invasive species in, they crack down hard on us natives at the slightest hint of protest. Never, in all the history of the world that I am aware of, has any culture been so sickeningly intent on its own suicide as the culture of the West. Our ancestors who stopped the Moors, the Turks, and the Barbary pirates must be outraged in their graves. They have given birth to a generation not merely of sheep -- but of effeminate, self-indulgent lemmings.

What is an Islamophobe? An Islamophobe is a person who has read the Koran, or read history, and is not fond of the option of either converting, being subjugated, or being killed. If Western governments stubbornly refuse to see this, our future will be filled with 7th-century Jihadist butchery -- and more Darren Osbornes who have simply had enough.
In the mainstream media, the policies of the German prime minister, Angela Merkel, are often portrayed as a form of atonement for Germanys past sins of imperialism and genocide. Letting in a million refugees is supposedly the absolute negation of the Holocaust, and pressing for further European cooperation is seen as the opposite of Germanys old attempts to violently bring the rest of Europe under its control. And for these very reasons, progressive politicians and intellectuals around the world are now looking up to Merkel as the defender of pluralistic Western values.

At first sight, this praise for Merkel doesnt seem so far-fetched, even for conservatives who fundamentally oppose her policies. After all, she is acting out of genuine goodwill and charity towards the downtrodden of the Middle East, isnt she? And we may disagree about the feasibility and consequences of further European integration, but given Europes bloody past it seems perfectly understandable that Germanys prime minister is calling for more harmony among European nations.

Nonetheless, it is important to point out that the popular image both of Angela Merkel and of modern Germany is deeply flawed. Because far from representing a negation -- or a misguided attempt at negation -- of past German policies and attitudes, the modern German mentality is in many ways a mutation or an update of the same mentality that has guided Germany since the eighteenth century, and especially since the unification of the country in 1870.

Let us begin with the more obvious parallel: German support for further European integration. Despite all the German talk about subordinating narrow national interests to the European project, careful observers must have noticed the coincidence that the Germans always see themselves as the leaders of this disinterested project, and that the measures deemed to be necessary for further European cooperation always seem to be German-made.

Are the Germans really such idealistic supporters of the European project? It is more probable that in reality they see the European Union as an ideal instrument to control the rest of Europe. Indeed, in 1997 the British author John Laughland wrote a book about this subject, The Tainted Source: the Undemocratic Origins of the European Idea, which is still worth reading for anyone who wants understand what kind of organization the EU actually is. According to Laughland, the Germans are such big supporters of the European ideal because they know that all important decisions in a confederation of states can ultimately only be taken by or with the approval of the most important state -- in this case, Germany.

Thus, on closer scrutiny, there is a strong continuity between the foreign policy of Wilhelm II, Hitler, and Merkel. And this continuity can easily be explained by looking at Germanys position within Europe. On the one hand, Germany is the strongest and largest country in Europe, but on the other hand it is not strong or large enough to dominate the rest of Europe automatically. In consequence, ever since German unification in 1870, the country has been presented with the choice either to subordinate its wishes to those of the rest of Europe -- which has always appeared rather humiliating -- or to attempt the conquest of Europe, in order to ensure that Germanys wishes would always prevail. Unsurprisingly, the Germans have consistently chosen the second course, and both World Wars were attempts to permanently bring the rest of Europe under German control.

The most prominent foreign policy decisions of Merkel can also be interpreted as attempts to expand German dominance in Europe. For instance, during the refugee crisis Germany tried to force Eastern European countries to take in refugees, not only because Merkel wanted to ease the burden upon her own country, but also because it was an ideal way to find out to what extent Germany could impose its will upon the new and independent-minded Eastern European members of the EU. Another example of the new German attempt to dictate policies to the rest of Europe is the Greek banking crisis. Whatever the considerable economic blunders successive Greek governments have committed over the years, it is undeniable that the ultimate goal behind Germanys harsh demands towards the Greeks was the extension of German economic influence over other EU members.

However, the most frightening thing is that the parallels between Merkels mentality and that of her authoritarian predecessors go deeper than mere geopolitics. Because the philosophical premises underlying modern German policies are also at least partly similar to those that motivated Germany in both World Wars.

First of all, Merkels ideas about both immigration and European integration have a decidedly utopian character, an echo of the old obsession with the construction of a New World Order, which motivated both Hitler and the German leaders in the First World War. Merkel dreams of a society where immigrants and natives will together build some kind of ideal new world, opposed to the selfishness and materialism that has characterized Western societies until now. Also, Merkels attitude has a strong emotionalist undertone, which has been a characteristic of German philosophy since Immanuel Kant. Germans often derided the cold rationalism of the French and the money-grubbing of the Americans and British, as opposed to their own emphasis on the inner workings of the soul, love of the fatherland, and so on. Now, the Germans are reprimanding the governments of other countries, especially America, because they do not seem to share the German optimism about mass immigration, and only seem to care about hard facts.

Another parallel with the old German ideology is the collectivist strain in Merkels multicultural project. The German government seems to assume that the rights of German citizens must always be subordinated to those of Third World immigrants, which ultimately simply means that individual rights are subordinated to whatever the state wants. Besides emotionalism, collectivism has also been a prominent characteristic of the German ideology since the eighteenth century, once again in opposition to the atomic individualism of classical liberalism that prevailed in the United States, England, and France. When Germans talked about freedom, they did not mean individual freedom in the conventional sense, but rather the good fortune of citizens to live in a country that is efficiently governed by an all-powerful state. This is also what Merkel, and presumably her American and European supporters, mean when they are talking about freedom.

To conclude: far from being the defender of Western values like individual liberty and individual rights, the modern Germany is acting in a very German way indeed. After an adjustment period of some decades following the Second World War, during which the country had to atone for its past misdeeds and keep quiet, Germany is once again trying to impose its rule and a new form of its vicious ideology on Europe and the West. It is of crucial importance that we all recognize Merkels policies for what they are, and take decisive action to stop her.
At last we know why Chicagos homicide level is so out of control: Gangs, not police control the streets. The gangs know it; the police know it; and now, thanks to DNAinfo.com/Chicago, we know it. A week ago, Chicago street gangs held a huge party in a park, with a thousand people attending, some brandishing firearms, terrifying neighbors for hours. The police sent 25 squad cars, yet were outnumbered and unable to really do anything. Stephanie Lulay wrote:

A raucous and "very dangerous" gang party that brought 1,000 people to a Near West Side park late Sunday was so out of control, Chicago police struggled to shut it down, one alderman said. Despite calling for police and politicians to address notoriously loud and sometimes violent gang parties for years, neighbors living near Touhy-Herbert Park report that this weekend's massive all-night party that spilled over into the streets was worse than ever. (snip) One area neighbor called the out-of-control party "Armageddon." "Sheer madness, chaos, bedlam, insanity!!!!!" she wrote on Facebook. "It was literally like '[a] calling in the National Guard and SWAT team' situation. It was a party riot." "It looks like a club ... but in the street," another neighbor remarked.

There is a lot more in the article worth reading. It appears that open gang celebrations have been a fact of life in Chicago for some time.

Obviously, there is no political will to take back control of the streets. So everyone gets the message that gangs rule. No wonder the murder problem isnt getting solved.

It would take a lot of money and even more guts to really address what ails Chicago. Effective countermeasures would be called police state tactics and worse. I see no reason for any optimism. Chicago will remain a meatgrinder for urban youth. It is very hard to think of this city as "functional."

Hat tip: Peter von Buol
As we speak, Illinois is facing a self-inflicted financial crisis that may require some very drastic measures.

Who would have believed that Illinois may be on the verge of bankruptcy the year that Cubs' fans are chanting repeat in 2017?

John Kass has a neat idea that should be listened to:

Dissolve Illinois. Decommission the state, tear up the charter, whatever the legal mumbo-jumbo, just end the whole dang thing. We just disappear. With no pain. That's right. You heard me. The best thing to do is to break Illinois into pieces right now. Just wipe us off the map. Cut us out of America's heartland and let neighboring states carve us up and take the best chunks for themselves. The group that will scream the loudest is the state's political class, who did this to us, and the big bond creditors, who are whispering talk of bankruptcy and asset forfeiture to save their own skins.

Kass is frustrated, as must be everyone who lives between Cook County and the Missouri border. They've seen their state soaked to death by politicians who just care about getting re-elected and promise what they can't deliver. Then they call you a racist or inhumane if you inquire how they plan to pay for it.

Beyond that, the Illinois way, not too different from the crony capitalism that we've written about in Brazil, has benefited the political class, the public-sector unions and the businesspeople who are shaken down to make campaign contributions. The Illinois way is on the wrong side of history, to borrow the liberals' favorite phrase.

So I understand Kass's frustration. He has a good idea. Let's break up Illinois and let the surrounding states pick up the pieces.

I would only add one amendment to the idea. I hate the idea of the Milwaukee or Des Moines Cubs. So let's federalize the Cubs and turn them into a national treasure and keep them in Wrigley Field. They can still be a private company but with the understanding that they belong to all of us. We all need the Chicago Cubs, even if it means dissolving Illinois!

P.S. You can listen to my show (Canto Talk) (YouTube) and follow me on Twitter.
German national elections will be held in September and Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservative coalition party, the CDU-CSU, has widened its lead over the social democrats to 15 points.

Merkel's comfortable lead is attributed to the momentum her party has built in winning 3 straight regional elections. The poll gains are also seen as a validation of the chancellor's change of heart on refugees. Her "open door" policy that resulted in more than a million migrants flooding into Germany two years ago gave the nationalist party, the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, a huge boost. But last year, Merkel did an about face and severely restricted the flow of migrants into the country. Most of the AfD voters who would normally have voted conservative have come home.

Reuters:

The Christian Democrats (CDU) and its CSU Bavarian sister party were steady at 39 percentage points in the Emnid poll published in Bild am Sonntag newspaper, while the SPD fell one percentage point to 24. The SPD had surged from 16 points behind the CDU/CSU in mid-January to a 33-32 lead in mid-February after nominating Martin Schulz as chancellor candidate. The SPD held even with the CDU/CSU at 33-33 until early April before falling behind. Merkel's conservatives won three regional elections in the last three months while the initial euphoria surrounding Schulz, a former European Parliament president, wore off. Despite the widening lead, Merkel's CDU/CSU is far short of a majority and might have a difficult time finding a junior coalition partner. Their preferred partner, the Free Democrats (FDP) were steady at 7 percentage points in the Emnid poll. The pro-environment Greens, who could form a center-left coalition with the SPD or a center-right alliance with the CDU/CSU, were up 1 point to 8 percentage points. The far-left Left party were steady at 9. The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD), ostracized by the other parties and without any coalition partner options, was steady at 8 percentage points.

The social democrats have failed so far to offer a credible alternative to CDU. Their leader, former European Parliament President Martin Schulz, has decided to run as a social justice warrior, proposing to raise taxes on the rich. But Germany has had strong economic growth under Merkel and not very many voters appear interested in redistributive policies.

By pulling the teeth of the nationalist's agenda, Merkel has positioned herself and her party to win a plurality of votes on election day. But forming a coalition with other minor parties will be a challenge and, at present, her options appear limited.
The Supreme Court announced on Friday that Monday, June 26, would be the last day in the court's term. Several important decisions may be handed down, including a decision on President Trump's travel ban.

But along with speculation about which decisions will be published, there are persistent rumors - fed by people close to Justice Anthony Kennedy - that he will retire at the end of this term. Appointed by President Reagan in 1987, Kennedy is 80 years old and is said to be seriously considering stepping down.

Fox News:

Kennedy has played an important role as the courts swing vote on many important rulings. His departure would allow conservatives to wrest near total control of the bench for the foreseeable future. The justice has sided with his liberal colleagues on gay rights and abortion rights, as well as some cases involving race, the death penalty and the rights of people detained without charges at the Guantanamo Bay naval base. He has written all the court's major gay-rights decisions, including the 2015 ruling that declared same-sex marriage is a constitutional right nationwide Several of his former law clerks have said they think he is contemplating stepping down in the next year or so. Kennedy and his clerks were gathering over the weekend for a reunion that was pushed up a year and helped spark talk he might be leaving the court. "Soon we'll know if rumors of Kennedy's retirement are accurate," one former Kennedy clerk, George Washington University law professor Orin Kerr, said on Twitter Friday. Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, told reporters in April, "I would expect a resignation this summer." Kennedy's departure would allow Trump to fill a second Supreme Court vacancy in just a short period of time. Justice Neil Gorsuch, Trump's first nominee, joined the court in April, overriding efforts by the Democratic minority to block the nomination.

The battle over the Gorsuch nomination will seem like child's play if the president gets the opportunity to name another justice. Gorsuch replaced strong conservative Justice Scalia, so the fundamental liberal-conservative make up of the court was unaffected.

But replacing Kennedy means replacing a reliable liberal vote on several issues. You can bet that the left will not go down without a horrendous fight if, as expected, President Trump nominates another conservative.

Expect anything in the confirmation fight, including outright, bald faced lies about the nominee's personal life and record. The left has already seen their allies in the press publish monumental lies about the president. What do you think they're going to do when a nominee that will give conservatives control of the court for the foreseeable future is offered up for confirmation. The fight will make the Robert Bork smears look like a picnic.

But Democrats are not likely to succeed given their long odds of taking the Senate in 2018 and the GOP's willingness to use the nuclear option to get a nominee confirmed. As long as President Trump nominates a thoughtful, sound conservative, there shouldn't be any problem keeping all 52 Republican Senators on board to vote for confirmation.
The Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Charles Grassley, called Minority Leader Chuck Schumer a liar for stating publicly that President Trump was under investigation by the FBI when he knew the opposite was true.

Grassley recounted a meeting he had with former FBI Director James Comey in March where he told Grassley and Senator Diane Feinstein, ranking minority member of the Judiciary Committee, that President Trump was not under investigation. Grassley urged Comey to go public with that information because at the time, there was wild speculation in the media - fed by Democrats and leaks - that the president was the target of an investigation.

Grassley says that Comey also briefed the "Gang of Eight" - the top ranking Republicans and Democrats on the Hill. This would have included the Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer. But the knowledge that the president was not under investigation didn't stop Schumer and other Democrats from claiming otherwise.

Daily Caller:

So the media was wrong. So the Democrats were wrong. So the wild speculation and conspiracy theories ended up harming our country. They played right into Russias hands. And how did we all learn about this truth? In President Trumps letter removing Mr. Comey from office. He went on to say, At first most didnt believe it. The media scoffed when they wrote what the president said in that letter. They insisted that Mr. Comey would never tell the president that he was not under investigation. Well we learned earlier this month from Mr. Comey himself that he had done exactly that. It wasnt a surprise to me because Mr. Comey had told me the same thing. Grassley then turned his attack toward Democrats who he said knew that Trump was never under investigation but proceeded to tell the public otherwiseparticularly Democratic members of the gang of eight, which are all the top leaders of both parties in Congress and the top leaders in both parties on the intelligence committees in both chambers. I have to note something else here. Mr. Comey didnt just tell the president Senator Feinstein and me that the president was not under investigation. He had also told the gang of eight. Of course, the gang of eight includes Senate Minority Leader Senator Schumer. But even after Mr. Comey told the gang of eight that the president was not under investigation, the minority leader told the media that the president was under investigation and of course that further help feed media storm Hysteria. Grassley recalled when Schumer stated that the Senate should not confirm then Supreme Court nominee Neil Gorsuch because Trump was under investigation. According to Grassley, Schumer already knew Trump was not under investigation at the time. Schumer stated on the Senate floor back in March, You can bet that if the shoe was on the other foot  and a Democratic president was under investigation by the FBI  that Republicans would be howling at the moon about filling a Supreme Court seat in such circumstances. After all, they stopped a president who wasnt under investigation from filling a seat with nearly a year left in his presidency.

Grassley als osaid of Schumer, "He knew it wasnt true. So media hysteria and baseless political attacks filled the vacuum left by Mr. Comeys failure to inform the public to be transparent to be accountable.

Editor Lifson pointed out weeks ago that Schumer wasn't the only culprit in this "conspiracy of silence."

The stunning truth is that the American political and media establishment allowed a phony story  that they knew was phony -- to dominate our political discourse for months. When James Comey testified before the Senate Intelligence Committee last week, he revealed that he had informed many important Congressional leaders that there was no investigation of President Trump and the Russians underway, even as MSNBC, CNN, The New York Times, and the Washington Post daily carried stories alluding to an imaginary investigation.

Desperate for power, unable to understand why they continue to lose at the ballot box, incapable of realizing the damage they are doing to American democracy, the Democratic-Media monolith has spun a narrative that even after the truth came out about the president's status, they refuse to amend or abandon it. Their continuing effort to destroy the Trump presidency will have currency as long as a compliant media sees truth and facts as something frangible and gives credence to the lies and hysterical exaggerations coming from the left.
People often reveal their true character under stress, and face it, progressives as a group are totally stressed out because what passes for the proletariat in 21st century America has handed power to Donald Trump, a man who holds in their political and cultural delusions in contempt. The result is what I am calling The Great Unmasking, as progressives in positions of varying prominence (from A list Hollywood stars to untenured faculty at lesser institutions of higher learning) show their inner ugliness to the rest of us.

The latest example comes from an adjunct (meaning, temporary, not on a tenure track) professor at the University of Delaware. Rob Tornoe writes at Philly.com:

An adjunct professor at the University of Delaware is under fire for posting on Facebook that Otto Warmbier, an American taken into custody in North Korea who later ended up in a coma and died, got exactly what he deserved. Kathy Dettwyler, a 62-year-old professor in the anthropology department, wrote in the now-removed Facebook post that the 22-year-old was typical of a mindset of a lot of the young, white, rich, clueless males who come into my classes.

Screen grab of Facebook post by National Review

These are the same kids who cry about their grades because they didnt think theyd really have to read and study the material to get a good grade, Dettwyler wrote. His parents ultimately are to blame for his growing up thinking he could get away with whatever he wanted. Maybe in the US, where young, white, rich, clueless white males routinely get away with raping women. Not so much in North Korea. And of course, its Ottos parents who will pay the price for the rest of their lives.

Professor Dettwyler does not, so far as I know, have any personal knowledge of the childhood of the late Otto Warmbier. She seems to be projecting a lot of her anger at her own students upon poor Otto, whose apparent affluence and race appear to bother her a lot.

typical of a mindset of a lot of the young, white, rich, clueless males who come into my classes. white males [who] routinely get away with raping women.

If I were a young white male enrolled at the state university of the Great State of Delaware, I would feel serious anxiety at the prospect of being graded by Dettwyler, who seems to judge me on class and racial characteristics before I even turn in my first paper or open y mouth in class. I do not see how she can continue to teach white males with the necessary detachment the professorial role demands. She is a bigot in my humble opinion.

And at the bottom of her hole, she keeps digging:

Dettwyler did not immediately respond to a request for comment. In a comment on the National Review website, she attempted to explain her Facebook post, noting that she loved the hard-working, sincere, non-arrogant college students who attended her classes. If you knew some of these kids, youd be appalled, Dettwyler wrote. They think nothing of raping drunk girls at frat parties and snorting cocaine, cheating on exams, and threatening professors with physical violence.

Of course, she does not seem to recognize her own ethnic stereotyping, which is why she should not be teaching, especially at a public university, in my opinion.

Adjunct faculty positions typically are subject to renewal (or not) annually. Professor Dettwyler has offered a lot more data to her department about her teaching capacity than she might have realized.
Motorcyclists from across the state joined Gov. Scott Walker this weekend on his annual Governors Motorcycle Ride to promote Wisconsin tourism. Day two of the ride kicked off Sunday morning in Chippewa Falls.

We just love this state, and there are just so many great things to see, Walker said Sunday morning during an event outside the Avalon Hotel and Conference Center. We try to make it up to the Chippewa Valley every year.

Led by group of Wisconsin State Patrol troopers on motorcycles, Walker and his Wisconsin-made Harley-Davidson were followed by about 30 other riders, most of whom were along for all of the two-day trek.

One rider from the Milwaukee area said he started participating in the rides back when Tommy Thompson was governor.

Its just a great way to see the state and all great things it has to offer, Walker said. From the Apostle Islands to the Mississippi River, theres so much beauty here.

Walker said he started making the ride in 2003, when was still Milwaukee County executive, in honor of the 100th anniversary of Harley-Davidson.

The ride, which started Saturday in Cross Plains, will conclude Sunday afternoon with a stop at the Circus World Museum in Baraboo.
(by Francesca Pierleoni).

(ANSA) - Rome, June 21 - Two masterpieces by Michelangelo da Merisi da Caravaggio, 'St. Francis in Meditation' and 'The Flagellation of Christ' will be juxtaposed with two copies that were likely made in the same era and are almost identical and the center of complex attributions and diagnostic investigations. These are the four works of 'Caravaggio nel Patrimonio del FEC, Il Doppio e la Copia', an exhibition curated by Giulia Silvia Ghia that will be at the Rome's National Gallery of Ancient Art at Palazzo Barberini from June 22 until July 16. The exhibition, which celebrates 30 years of a fund for buildings that serve as places of worship (Fondo Edifici di Culto, or FEC) "is a very intelligent scientific operation," said Culture Minister Dario Franceschini, who visited the exhibition at a preview with Interior Minister Marco Minniti.

"It was made possible through the Fondo Edifici di Culto, which owns many churches (about 800 as well as many other assets throughout the country, Ed.) and has an extraordinary number of works of art. There is here, alongside the paintings, important documentation that will help visitors to understand the differences that led to their being attributed to the correct artists".

The relationship between the two original Caravaggio works and the copies is filled with discoveries and surprises. The two works entitled 'St. Francis in Meditation', one from the San Pietro a Carpineto Romano church (housed in the National Gallery of Ancient Art) and the other from the Roman church Santa Maria della Concezione (known as the Church of the Capuchins) were for years at the center of a complex debate about who they were painted by. The painting of the Church of the Capuchins was attributed to Caravaggio in 1908, but in 1968 another identical version of the painting was discovered in the San Pietro a Carpineto church.

The restoration and technical research operations on the two paintings brought to light that the original (painted in 1605) was the one found in the San Pietro a Carpineto church 'The Flagellation of Christ', made between 1607 and 1608 and coming from the Naples Museo di Capodimonte, was commissioned by the De Franchis family and put in their chapel in the San Domenico church. The 1928 restoration brought the work back into the fold of Caravaggio studies thanks to diagnostic techniques that brought to light many modifications including a figure that was taken out of the final version. Its copy, now located in the Rosario chapel of San Domenico, was attributed after restoration in the early 1930s to Andrea Vaccaro, well known for his Caravaggio copies. The attribution was difficult and the latest diagnostic studies conducted for the exhibition brought to light new elements to reflect on. Since 1987, the FEC has been tasked with protecting heritage included in the property of bodies set up by the 'eversive laws' issued during the Unification of Italy, which suppressed many ecclesiastical bodies and seized their assets. The holy buildings that it is tasked with hold within them innumerable works of art including ones by Michelangelo, Guido Reni, Paolo Veneziano, Bernini, Tiziano and Cavalier d'Arpino.


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It is foolish to deny this is a catastrophe; ridiculous to think it is not affecting every American family. Believing that overdosing and addiction only happen to the poor and disadvantaged or celebrities such as Prince and Carrie Fisher is even worse than arguing that extreme droughts, floods, blizzards and other anomalies  such as the air being too hot for planes to get enough lift to take off  are not related to climate change.

The hopelessly sheltered people in Washington who have been writing new health-care legislation in total secrecy are clueless when it comes to the depth, scope and impact of such devastating drugs as heroin, fentanyl and cocaine.

Its so easy to get hooked on illegal drugs in this society that thousands of once-promising young Americans have all but thrown their lives away by the time they are 18. What has changed is that fentanyl made in China is coming into the United States and added to $5-a-pop heroin doses, killing people like a plague. Its so dangerous that unprotected police officers responding to overdoses can overdose themselves just by touching and trying to revive the victims.

The argument of Attorney General Jeff Sessions is that more addicts should go to jail, reversing policies of leniency in cases involving nonviolent drug offenders with limited criminal activity. Instead of ordering more doses of naloxone, which can save the lives of overdose victims, he has decreed pursuit of the harshest jail terms possible. What a dreadful, moralizing, odious little power junkie Sessions is.

The other popular idea out of the ruling class is to save money for tax cuts for multimillionaires by providing less money for drug treatment centers and mental health care even though one out of every four Americans will have some sort of mental ailment this year, whether its depression, anxiety or schizophrenia.

First responders are overwhelmed. Officials in Dayton, Montgomerys county seat, say their county is the No. 1 drug overdose capital per capita in the nation. The county is on track to record 800 drug overdose deaths this year, according to the sheriffs office. One reason is the nexus of Interstates 75 and 70, making it easy for drug dealers to get in and out with their lethal wares.

In nearby Springfield, a pleasant little city of 60,000 just 26 miles away from Dayton, spillover drug dealing has resulted in 77 suspected drug overdose deaths this year as of June. That compares with 79 drug deaths for all of 2016.

Ohio alone is expecting 10,000 overdose deaths this year, more than the entire nation had in 1990. Medical personnel say it is a medical crisis. Yet doctors and hospitals in the greater Dayton area fear the health-care bill being stealthily put together in the Senate will cut their budgets by $2 billion over the next decade. Montgomery County would get $1.45 billion less in Medicaid reimbursement if the House bills cuts are adopted by the Senate. Over one-third of those covered by Ohio Medicaid are addicts.

Drug overdoses are now the leading cause of accidental death in the United States. A total of 52,404 people died from prescription drug and heroin overdoses in 2015, according to the American Society of Addiction Medicine, which also said 25.5 million Americans over the age of 12 had a substance abuse disorder that year.

The federal Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality just reported that there were 1.27 million emergency room visits or hospital stays for opioid-related issues in 2014, a staggering number.

Russia and North Korea are worrisome threats. But more terrifying is the diabolically malignant opioid crisis. The next few weeks of congressional votes on a new health-care bill are enormously important. Its possible nothing will be done, and thousands more will die in the killing fields of Montgomery County and every corner of America. No place is safe from this epidemic.
PARIS  Five years ago, British politicians gloried in Frances political dysfunction.

Frances then-Socialist government had, after all, repeatedly proved itself an anti-business basket case. President Francois Hollandes proposal for a 75 percent marginal income-tax rate drove wealthy celebrities to renounce their French citizenship. He called the world of finance his enemy. Other French ministers attacked industry titans.

The gleeful response from the mayor of London: Venez a Londres, mes amis (Come to London, my friends). And in a Group of 20 speech that really galled the Gauls, then-British Prime Minister David Cameron said that he would roll out the red carpet for anyone fleeing anti-business policies in France.

Eh bien, tut the French today. How the tables have turned.

Exactly a year after the shattering Brexit vote, uncertainty and political incompetence roil the United Kingdom. Brits dont know whether their split from the European Union will be hard, soft or scrambled, or even what their leaders are asking for in the divorce.

Many British industries, from academia to automobiles, fear losing access to top talent and the European market. Arguably no sector has more at stake, though, than Hollandes former enemy  that lucrative financial industry.

Depending on how Brexit talks shake out, British and global financial institutions may no longer be able to use their London bases to sell services throughout Europe. Also at risk is Londons enormous euro-clearing business, which processes transactions worth about $1 trillion per day.

London could lose tens of thousands  perhaps more than 100,000  jobs to the continent in the finance industry alone.

And French officials are licking their lips. Or, to use their own preferred, Cameron-inspired metaphor: They are rolling out the blue-white-red carpet.

I was against Brexit and Im still very much in favor of the U.K. staying in Europe, Valerie Pecresse, the president of the Paris region, told me. But thats a sovereign decision of the British people, and I respect it. No point, she says, in wasting a precious opportunity to repatriate some of the thousands of jobs that left Paris for London in recent years.

She and other French officials have moved swiftly to try to peel off British jobs, which their counterparts in Frankfurt, Dublin and other cities are also eyeing.

Almost immediately after the Brexit vote, France launched an aggressive ad campaign (Tired of the fog? Try the frogs!). Financial regulators began allowing firms to submit their legal paperwork in  sacre bleu!  English. Hollandes government even expanded a generous suite of tax breaks for foreigners who decamp for France, as well as for French expats who decide to return home. At pitch meetings in London and New York, officials and lobbyists tout French international schools, job opportunities for spouses, proximity to big clients and, of course, the cultural allure of the City of Light.

But the game-changer, as Arnaud de Bresson, chief executive of financial lobbying group Paris Europlace, put it, was the recent election victories of Emmanuel Macron and his brand-new centrist party.

The charismatic new French president is in some ways the reputational opposite of the predecessor he served under as economy minister. Hes also a convenient foil for more insular, backward-looking leadership in Britain (and the United States).

Hes a former banker, for one, a fact not lost on British financiers otherwise wary of Frances reputation for hostility toward bankers. More critically, Macron has vowed to make the country more business-friendly, entrepreneurial and economically flexible. This means fixing Frances notoriously rigid labor laws  no easy task  and further reducing French tax rates (including exempting financial assets from the national wealth tax).

Nearly every French official, lobbyist and business leader Ive interviewed has said that France desperately needs these reforms to happen if France is to win the post-Brexit beauty contest. And in the same breath they insist that Frances anti-business reputation is unfair.

The 75 percent supertax on the wealthy is gone, everyone is quick to remind me. (The policy quietly died at the end of 2014.) And Frances famed 35-hour workweek isnt always observed by finance employees and executives.

So far just one major financial institution, HSBC, has publicly committed to sending jobs to Paris. But the charm offensive isnt over.

More important, neither is the competence offensive. Downing Street may want to take note.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

ARTESIA POLICE DEPARTMENT

June 23

SHOTS FIRED

12:15 a.m.  Officer dispatched to the 400 block of West Logan Avenue in reference to shots fired in the area.

LOUD NOISE

12:36 a.m.  Officer dispatched to the 200 block of West Chisum Avenue in reference to a loud noise.

ALARM

1:13 a.m.  Officer dispatched to 810 W. Cannon Ave. in reference to an alarm.

ACCIDENT

3:50 a.m.  Officer dispatched to the 100 block of North Osborn Avenue in reference to an accident.

June 22

ARREST

8:53 a.m.  Edwin Mares, 60, of Artesia, arrested and charged with DWI (third offense), unlawful use of a license, and battery against a household member.

ACCIDENT

11:01 a.m.  Officer dispatched to the 100 block of South 14th Street in reference to an accident.

SUSPICIOUS ACTIVITY

11:18 a.m.  Officer dispatched to the 2800 block of West Dallas Avenue in reference to suspicious activity.

ACCIDENT

1 p.m.  Officer dispatched to 12th and Main streets in reference to an accident.

FRAUD

2:59 p.m.  Officer dispatched to 2202 W. Briscoe Ave. in reference to fraud.

DOMESTIC

3:33 p.m.  Officer dispatched to the 800 block of West Cannon Avenue in reference to a domestic dispute.

MISSING PERSON

3:45 p.m.  Officer dispatched to the 1100 block of West Bullock Avenue in reference to a missing person.

ALARM

3:51 p.m.  Officer dispatched to 402 N. First St. in reference to an alarm.

HARASSMENT

4:26 p.m.  Officer dispatched to the 3100 block of West Missouri Avenue in reference to harassment.

BREAKING AND ENTERING

7:39 p.m.  Officer dispatched to 3903 W. Grand Ave. in reference to breaking and entering.

UNWANTED SUBJECT

7:48 p.m.  Officer dispatched to the 1300 block of South First Street in reference to an unwanted subject.

SUSPICIOUS ACTIVITY

10:10 p.m.  Officer dispatched to the 1900 block of West Washington Avenue in reference to suspicious activity.

LOUD NOISE

11:58 p.m.  Officer dispatched to the 200 block of West Chisum Avenue in reference to a loud noise.

EDDY COUNTY SHERIFFS OFFICE

June 22

DISTURBANCE

8:28 a.m.  Deputy dispatched to the 600 block of Maple Street in reference to a disturbance.

ALARM

10:16 a.m.  Deputy dispatched to 106 Smokey Trail Circle in reference to an alarm.

1:51 p.m.  Deputy dispatched to 210 Crossbow Road in reference to an alarm.

LARCENY

6:15 p.m.  Deputy dispatched to 17 Diamondback Road in reference to larceny.

ARTESIA MAGISTRATE COURT

Judge DAnn Read

Charges of interference with communications and battery against a household member dismissed against Crystal Locke Zuniga, 32, of Artesia.

Charges of failure to maintain traffic lanes and aggravated DWI dismissed against Eduardo M. Venegas, 47, of Dexter.

Judge Daniel Reyes Jr.

Dustin L. Pounds, 32, of Artesia, bound over to district court on charges of false evidence of title and forgery or counterfeit of registration, failure to maintain traffic lanes, and no proof of insurance.

Jordan Coddington, 20, of Artesia, found guilty of resisting, evading or obstructing an officer, battery, three counts of battery against a household member, and interference with communications. Sentenced to five years of supervised probation. Total fines and fees $223.

Jennifer Sallee, 39, of Artesia, found guilty of battery against a household member. Sentenced to one year of supervised probation. Total fines and fees $123.

Gregorio Hernandez, 35, of Dexter, found guilty of three probation violations. Sentenced to 236 days in ECDC. Total fines and fees $300.

Richard Vela, 36, of Carlsbad, found guilty of unlawful use of a license, failure to maintain traffic lanes, no proof of insurance, no proof of current registration, and careless driving. Total fines and fees $375.

Theodore M. Fernando, 34, of Loving, found guilty of DWI (second offense), careless driving, and open container. Sentenced to 15 days in ECDC. Total fines and fees $964.

Charges of criminal damage to property and criminal trespassing dismissed against Mario Leon, 24, of Artesia.

Jeremy Sorenson Lehman, 22, of Artesia, found guilty of probation violation, battery against a household member, and criminal damage to property. Sentenced to 364 days in ECDC. Total fines and fees $223.

Rosella Castro, 54, of Artesia, scheduled to appear July 26 for pretrial conference on charges of battery against a household member.

Louis Duran III, 35, of Artesia, bound over to district court on charges of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon (knife).

Jason Phillips, 45, of Artesia, bound overt o district court on charges of aggravated battery and tampering with evidence.

Charges of criminal damage to property of a household member dismissed against Crisela Aguilar, 35, of Artesia.

Charges of battery against a household member dismissed against Fidel Thomas Baeza, 36, of Artesia.

Michael Briseno, 26, of Artesia, scheduled to appear July 5 for preliminary examination on charges of criminal damage to property and attempted breaking and entering.

Christopher D. Burno, 31, of Artesia, found guilty of failure to pay fines. Sentenced to three days in ECDC and 48 hours of community service.

Scott Maynard, 41, of Artesia, found guilty of failure to pay fines. Sentenced to two days in ECDC.

Charges of battery against a household member dismissed against Angelica Cortez, 32, of Artesia.

Ronnie D. Dunnavant, 46, of Artesia, scheduled to appear July 19 for pretrial conference on charges of criminal damage to property of a household member and a preliminary hearing on charges of aggravated assault against a household member.

ARTESIA MUNICIPAL COURT

Judge Kaye L. Kiper

Jose Granado found guilty of possession of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia, speeding, and mandatory financial responsibility. Sentenced to 30 days with the ECDC Alternative Sentencing Unit. Total fines and fees $721.

Gonzalo A. Martinez found guilty of contempt of court, failure to appear. Sentenced to four days in the Artesia Detention Center. Total fines and fees $129. In a separate ruling, Martinez was found guilty of unlawful use of a license. Sentenced to four days in the Artesia Detention Center. Total fines and fees $229.

Amber R. Clayborn found guilty of contempt of court, failure to appear. Total fines and fees $129.

Natosha M. Savoie found guilty of DWI and speeding. Sentenced to one year of supervised probation with the ECDC Alternative Sentencing Unit. Total fines and fees $618.
Rod Blagojevich was governor of Illinois from 2003 until 2009, when he was impeached. Two years later, Blagojevich was convicted of extortion and soliciting bribes. He was sentenced to 14 years in the slammer.

During the trial, Judge James B. Zagel pointedly addressed Blagojevich as governor. In his sentencing remarks, Zagel explained why.

It serves as a reminder to those of us who vote and those of us who dont, Zagel said. It reminds the voters of the maxim The American people always get precisely the government that they deserve. Your case is another lesson for us.

Judge Zagels point, I think, was that no politician takes office without the consent of the voters  their votes as well as their abstentions. Voters take responsibility, however, only for the good ones. Both an informed, engaged electorate that turns out to vote and an uninformed, apathetic electorate that stays home deserve what they get.

The maxim that a democracy will get exactly the government it deserves is widely and incorrectly attributed to Alexis de Tocqueville. It actually came from Joseph de Maistre, a mostly forgotten French philosopher of the reactionary counter-revolution school that preferred authority, faith and tradition to liberty, reason and fraternity.

Every nation gets the government it deserves, de Maistre said. In his view, a wise and virtuous nation deserved and would be rewarded with an enlightened despot. His favorite sovereignty was the Vatican.

In this early period of the Trump counter-revolution, I have heard many variations on de Maistres theme, including one from former President Barack Obama.

People have a tendency to blame politicians when things dont work, but as I always tell people, you get the politicians you deserve, Obama said in May. And if you dont vote and you dont pay attention, youll get policies that dont reflect your interest.

He meant, You got Trump.

Obamas adage is more in the spirit of H.L. Mencken than de Maistre. Mencken wrote, Democracy is the theory that the common people know what they want, and deserve to get it good and hard.

In my experience, people say that America gets the government it deserves when they despise the regime in power, when they are bitter and at the end of their wits. Since Trumps election, I have been fighting a strong urge to join the de Maistre-Mencken school. It isnt a charitable urge.

Philosophically, the whole concept is incoherent.

It makes no real sense to say that a whole nation or a people deserve something in a moral sense, whether good or bad. An individual can be said to deserve something. So perhaps can a team and other kinds of smaller, coherent organizations or communities. But not a nation. And what constitutes deserving? A good nation will be rewarded and a bad one punished? What constitutes good? Can a nation have good karma?

Rhetorically and emotionally, however, it resonates to think we get the government we deserve. A population that, compared to similar countries, turns out to vote at low rates, has low civic literacy and low engagement with parties, campaigns and public service shouldnt be surprised to find it thinks it has low quality representatives and government.

The idea of a deserving electorate is further muddled because democracies are not perfect reflection of the voters will. For example, the individuals and organizations that finance campaigns and lobby government have disproportionate power that is independent of the popular vote.

I am inclined to think that sometimes we get what we deserve, sometimes we get lucky and sometimes we get shafted  at least in our modern presidents. I can argue for this in a way everyone can dislike.

Sometimes a presidential candidate turns out to be exactly the kind of president most voters thought  in a good way. Voters made wise assessments and deserve these good presidents. I would put Eisenhower and perhaps Kennedy in that group.

Sometimes voters pick candidates who dont really seem made of presidential timber, whom they are ambivalent about and who then turn out to be predictably so-so as presidents. I nominate Jimmy Carter and George H.W. Bush for this category. Sometimes these candidates become much worse presidents than even tough critics thought they would be, such as George W. Bush.

Sometimes voters get lucky, and the winning candidate does much better than expected as president. I put Ronald Reagan and Barack Obama in that category.

And some candidates deep and obvious character flaws and moral handicaps are obvious to the whole world yet they still win. In this group belong Richard Nixon, a disaster; Bill Clinton, a scandal and an embarrassment; Donald Trump, a disaster in the making, perhaps on an unprecedented scale.

So in this sense, I agree with de Maistre, Mencken and Obama. Donald Trump is the president we deserve. We elected him eyes wide-open and so shame on us. I hope our punishment is not too severe.
This bitter truth was disclosed in an RTI response by the Reserve Bank and 19 PSU banks.

Even under the RTI response, all public sectors banks have washed their hands of any responsibility. (Representational image)

New Delhi: Do not expect any compensation for theft or burglary of valuables in safe deposit boxes of public sector banks as the locker hiring agreement absolves them of all liability. This bitter truth was disclosed in an RTI response by the Reserve Bank and 19 PSU banks.

Stung by the revelation, the lawyer who had sought information under the transparency law has now moved the Competition Commission of India (CCI) alleging cartelisation and anti-competitive practices by the banks in respect of the locker service.

He has informed the CCI that the RTI response from the RBI has said it has not issued any specific direction in this regard or prescribed any parameters to assess the loss suffered by a customer. Even under the RTI response, all public sectors banks have washed their hands of any responsibility.

According to the information availed by the lawyer, the unanimous reason given by the 19 banks, including Bank of India, Oriental Bank of Commerce, PNB, UCO and Canara, among others, is that the relationship they have with customers with regard to lockers is that of lessee (landlord) and lessor (tenant).

The banks have contended that in such a relationship, the lessor is responsible for his or her valuables kept in the locker which is owned by the bank.

Some banks, in their locker hiring agreements, have made it clear that any item stored in the locker is at the customers own risk and he or she may, in their own interest, insure the valuables.

The common feature of all agreements states, As per safe deposit memorandum of hiring locker, the bank will not be responsible for any loss or damage of the contents kept in the safe deposit vault as a result of any act of war or civil disorder or theft or burglary and the contents will be kept by the hirer at his or her sole risk and responsibility.
Id is the most awaited festival in the family as we look forward to the meals cooked by my mother and bhabhi.

Its time for Id again, and the Muslim populace in Mumbai are busy with the festivities. We find out what the festival means to some of the more prominent members of society in Mumbai and how they will celebrate it. We also ask them about their fondest memories of Id.

Shama Sikander and James Milliron, actor and model

We celebrate Id with our family and closest friends. We organise a small gathering at home where all my family and friends are invited, and we eat scrumptious biryani, kebabs and sheer kurma. Id is the most awaited festival in the family as we look forward to the meals cooked by my mother and bhabhi. This time we are having a potluck and all my friends are getting delicious delicacies of their choice.

Sara Arfeen Khan, actor

Whether I am working or not, keeping rozas every year is a must for me. Unless I am ill or travelling, I make sure to fast. Although many people find it tough to fast during shoots, it has never been tough for me. The only difference is that I dont talk too much on the set so that I can conserve my energy. During Iftaari, I love eating fruits and drinking lemonade. I fast every year and I keep all the rozas. Id is a festival, which I love after a month of Ramadaan. It means reminding my family and friends what they mean to me and also feasting together. I will be celebrating with my husband Arfeen. He is very particular about us spending the day with family. Of course, Id means putting my diet on a break. I eat a lot of delicacies like sheer kurma and sevaiyan. A lot of friends visit us. The holy month makes me feel very positive. The fondest memory is when I threw an Id party at home and all my friends had come and the food was appreciated. The joy during Id is extra ordinary and I like to see everyone around happy.

Mohammad Nazim, actor

Every year I celebrate Id with my family and friends in Punjab. All my special memories of celebrating Id are from there. When I am in my hometown, I meet everyone in the family and we have a get-together. My favourite food would have to be sheer kurma and mutton biryani. Also in Punjab, you get this special chole-bhature at this time of the year, which is very tasty. Needless to say, my diet goes for a toss. After fasting for a month, I had arranged an Id party on the sets of my show. I sponsored Iftaari for a month on my set. I feel very positive during Id. Life is beautiful that is what this festival means. Id also means counting my blessings.

Shabina Khan, Choreographer

I remember as a kid, I was crazy about wearing good traditional clothes. As it is chand raat on Sunday, we put mehandi, and all the preparations are done by day to celebrate. On this day all men go to the mosque for namaz and women do the same at home. My best memory about Id is about eidy, which I used to get from my family. This year Id is more special because of the release of Tubelight.

Ustad Ghulam Mustafa Khan

As a kid, I remember how festivals were all about innocence and integrity and the whole area would be enjoying irrespective of whose festival it was, and it was like a fair. I went to Jama Masjid along with my father and brothers for Id namaz, and after the namaz, we would get eidy not only from our parents and relatives but also from the parents of our friends. The way people celebrated Id in the earlier days is a lot different from how we celebrate the occasion today. Earlier Id used to be more of a community affair. Now, the whole neighbourhood gets together to celebrate the festival.

Sana Khan, actor

I celebrate Id with family and friends. Every year I call my close friends and family home. On Monday, Ill be going to Haji Ali for blessings and will be distributing food to the needy. I have bought gifts for the entire family and will be gifting my mother some traditional stuff and herbal goodies. Our extended families will also visit our home on Monday, and around 100 of us will celebrate Id. This is a very important festival for us and is a chance to forgive and forget and start afresh.
New Delhi: The Congress Party on Sunday hit back at Prime Minister Narendra Modi for talking about the 1975 Emergency in his 'Mann Ki Baat' programme, saying that the NDA-led Government at the Centre has imposed an 'undeclared emergency' on the country.

Citing the CBI raids on NDTV owners Prannoy Roy and wife over alleged 'bank fraud' and the deteriorating situation in Jammu and Kashmir as examples, Congress leader Tom Vadakkan said, "Yes, we have not forgotten Emergency, but there is an undeclared emergency in the country. The fact is that there is a muzzling of the media and the raids on media which can only be listed as undeclared emergency."

Vadakkan further said the Prime Minister failed to raise issues of internal and external security, which he alleged, is in jeopardy.

"The Prime Minister raised various issues in his 'Mann Ki Baat', but I wish issues of internal security also would have been raised. Internal security in this country is under jeopardy, why? This broad shoulder government said they will put it in order. This is for the first time that internal and outer security are running parallel simply for reason when there is firing and incursion is coming in from Pakistan and terrorist and separatist are actively engaged inside the country," he said.

He claimed that the separatists are increasingly growing disdainful over the present state of affairs in Jammu and Kashmir, and are opting for terrorism.

"The so called separatists have grown up to be terrorists in the valley. We have situation where counterfeit currency is being printed and the case of lynching mobs and romeo squads are emerging. What are they?"

The Congress' strong rebuttal came after Prime Minister Modi reminded people about the 'horrors' of Emergency imposed by former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi on June 1975, and asked people to rededicate themselves towards the goal of strengthening democracy.

He said the former government took away people's liberty and freedom, and did not spare any section of society, be it political, economic, media, students, communities, or even the judiciary.

"The Emergency will be remembered for the way in which people of India came together and safeguarded democratic values. Democracy is not only a system, but also our ethos as - 'Eternal vigilance is the life of liberty'. We need to remember the things which harm democracy and move forward in a positive direction," Prime Minister Modi said.

"Those who love democracy can never forget the dark night of June 25, 1975, when the entire nation turned into a prison, all voices of dissent were muzzled, where senior leaders like Jayaprakash Narayan were imprisoned. Not even the judiciary was spared from the shadow of authoritarianism," he added.

He asked the students of journalism and political activists to remind themselves of the 'dark phase'.

"Newspapers were rendered ineffective, students of journalism and political activities must continuously remind themselves of this dark phase. They must work towards creating awareness about democracy. Atal Bihari Vajpayee was also imprisoned during this period. When he completed one year in prison, he wrote a poem describing his feelings," the Prime Minister said.
Modi arrived in the American capital early on Sunday after a day-long visit to Portugal, the first ever bilateral visit by an Indian PM.

Modi arrived in Washington on Sunday for his first meeting with the US leader as part of a three-nation, four-day tour. (Photo: PMO India | Twitter)

Washington: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday arrived in Washington on the second leg of his three-nation tour for his first bilateral meeting with US President Donald Trump, as the two leaders are set to hold discussions on a set of "strategically important" issues.

Modi arrived in the American capital early on Sunday after a day-long working visit to Portugal, the first ever bilateral visit by an Indian PM to the European nation.

Modi's three-day visit to the US will begin on Sunday. The PM will interact with about 20 leading American CEOs followed by an Indian-American community event in the DC suburb of Virginia. The programme is likely to be attended by about 600 members of the community.

Read: Looking forward to welcome true friend, says Trump as Modi arrives in US

American CEOs expected to meet Modi on Sunday include Apple's Tim Cook, Walmart's Doug McMillon, Caterpillar's Jim Umpleby, Google's Sundar Pichai and Microsoft's Satya Nadella.

Trump will host Modi at the White House on Monday afternoon and the two leaders would spend about five hours together in various settings beginning with their bilateral discussion, delegation level talks, a reception and a working dinner, the first of its kind hosted by this administration.

The two leaders will not address a press conference but will issue individual press statements.

Just hours before Modi landed in Washington, Trump tweeted from his official Twitter handle- POTUS, an acronym for President of the US, that he is looking forward to welcome the Indian leader to the White House, during which he will discus "important strategic issues" with a "true friend".

US Senator Kamala Harris tweeted that she welcomes "Indian PM @NarendraModi to the United States and reaffirm the unbreakable bonds between our two nations."

The Trump administration said it is rolling out the "red carpet" for Modi, emphasising that it is wrong to say that the US is ignoring or not focusing on India.

"President Trump realises that India is a force for good and that will come through in the visit on Monday," a senior official said.

A host of strategic issues are expected to be discussed during the bilateral talks between the two leaders of the world's largest democracies, including defence cooperation, boosting economic ties, discussions on the civil nuclear deal, cooperation on combating terrorism, security cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region and India's concerns over the H-1B work visa.

Earlier, a senior administration official said the visit is an opportunity to strengthen the US-India strategic partnership, which Trump very much views as a critical partnership in promoting stability and security in the Asia Pacific region and globally.

"We anticipate that their discussions will be broad- ranging, hitting on a variety of regional and global issues that would seek to advance our common priorities, including fighting terrorism, promoting economic growth and prosperity," the official said, briefing reporters at the White House.
Swaraj was seen questioning the neutrality of Kumar, pitted against BJP-led NDA candidate Ram Nath Kovind for the presidential contest.

New Delhi: Union minister Sushma Swaraj on Sunday launched a veiled attack on Meira Kumar, the Oppositions presidential candidate, by posting a video of a 2013 Lok Sabha speech in which the former Speaker was seen repeatedly interrupting the then Leader of Opposition. Swaraj had accused the UPA government of corruption in her speech.

This is how Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar treated the Leader of Opposition, Swaraj tweeted along with a link to the over six-minute-long video of her address in April, 2013. Swaraj was seen questioning the neutrality of Kumar, pitted against BJP-led National Democratic Alliance candidate Ram Nath Kovind for the presidential contest.

This is how Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar treated the Leader of Opposition - https://t.co/hxHWHaJ4D9  Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) June 25, 2017

The external affairs minister also tweeted a link to a newspaper report with the headline Speaker interrupted Sushma 60 times in a 6-min speech. Swaraj, as the then Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, had lambasted the Manmohan Singh-led regime on alleged financial scams, calling it "the most corrupt government" since Independence.

In the video, Kumar repeatedly said thank you and all right to Swaraj, indicating that the MP had to cut short her address. Swaraj had later said the Speaker did not "protect" her when a number of senior ministers raised a ruckus during the speech.

Speaker interrupted Sushma 60 times in 6-min speech https://t.co/am8tiCrtQW  via @TheDailyPioneer  Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) June 25, 2017

The opposition last week named Kumar, a Dalit leader from Bihar and former minister, as its candidate against former Bihar governor and Dalit activist Kovind, who was likely to succeed Pranab Mukherjee as the president because of the NDA's strength in Parliament and state assemblies.

The daughter of the former deputy prime minister, the Jagjivan Ram, Kumar, 72, was also the first woman to be made the Lok Sabha Speaker, a post she occupied between 2009 and 2014, during the UPA's second term.
The victims were abused with religious slurs while travelling back to their village in Haryana after shopping in Delhi for Eid.

According to an FIR filed by one of the survivors, the four victims were identified as Junaid, Hasib, Shakir and Mohsin of which Junaid died. (Photo: Screengrab)

Chandigarh: Police said investigations were on and they were hopeful of nabbing all the accused after a Muslim youth was stabbed to death by a group of people when an altercation over a train seat turned communal near Ballabhgarh in Haryana, even as the brother of the victim on Sunday narrated the harrowing experience.

"One accused has already been arrested. He is being quizzed. Further investigations in the case are under progress," a Government Railway Police official in Faridabad said over phone.

He said some facts have come to light on the basis of which further investigations are going on.

"The investigations have revealed that there was a dispute over a train seat. The complainant party has said the accused used some words which hurt their religious sentiments after which the issue flared up resulting in the incident," the official said.

Junaid (17) was stabbed to death while his three brothers - Hashim (20) and Sakir - were injured by a mob which also allegedly hurled slurs against them after the dispute over the seat onboard the Delhi-Mathura passenger train between Ballabgarh and Mathura stations on Thursday night.

The arrested accused, before being remanded to police custody by a court in Faridabad district on Sunday, told reporters that he was in an inebriated state during the incident.

However, Hashim gave a different account indicating that there was no dispute over seats in the train.

Giving details, he said that they finished their Eid shopping from Sadar Bazaar in Delhi and boarded a train from there on Thursday.

"When we sat in the train, it was almost empty. When the train started running from Sadar station, a couple of stations came in between and from Okhla it was full. From there 20-25 persons boarded it. My brother Junaid was asked by an aged man who boarded the train to give seat to him. He got up and gave the seat to him.

"All of a sudden the group of 20-25 persons who had boarded the train from Okhla station pushed us and my brother Junaid fell down. When I and Junaid told them why they were pushing they pointed to a skull cap on my head. They told us that we are 'Muslims, anti-nationals, Pakistani, ate beef' and then while hurling abuses at us they pulled my cap and threw it down. They also tried to pull my beard," Hashim said recounting the harrowing experience.

Hashim said that later the group started beating him and his brothers in the train.

"I was the eldest at 20 years of age, rest all were younger ones," he said.

He said when the train reached Tughluqabad railway station in Delhi, he rang up his brother who was at home, for help.

"I told him to reach Ballabgarh (Haryana). When it reached Ballabgarh, the train was full and my brother, whom I had asked for help, reached there. He too was pulled inside by this group of people and he was also beaten. When the train started from Ballabgarh for onward journey, the accused took out a knife and attacked Sakir.

"Junaid tried to help him, but he too was stabbed. Four to five people were holding me and I was trying to free myself. In the meantime, both my brothers Sakir and Junaid fell down. They inflicted injuries on me as well. They thought both Sakir and Junaid had died..," Hashim said.

The complainant in the case, Hasib, said the police have assured them that all the culprits will be nabbed and justice will be done to them.

"They asked us if we could identify the accused if they are paraded before us. We told the police that we can identify every single person. They have assured that action as per law will be taken in the case and we are hopeful that we will get justice," he told reporters in Ballabgarh.

Junaid's father Jamaluddin said they were cooperating with investigators in the case.

"Police asked us about the sequence of events, like from where the victims had boarded the train. We told them that they had gone to Sadar Bazaar in Delhi for Eid shopping and boarded the train from there and were returning home when they were attacked," he said.

Earlier, a CPI(M) delegation today visited the family of the victims.

The delegation, which asked the police to ascertain the political affiliation of those involved in the "horrific mob lynching", said the accused would not dare target the victims sans "political patronage" in the BJP-ruled state.

CPI(M) politburo members Brinda Karat and Mohammed Salim reprimanded the Centre over the attack and rued that no government representative issued a statement on the incident or met the youths' family.
Advisory asks J&K policemen to offer Id prayers only at protected sites.

Srinagar: In view of recent mob frenzy and increased incidence of deadly attacks by militants, Muslim policemen in Jammu and Kashmir have been asked to offer Id prayers in protected mosques and avoid relocating to general mosques, common prayer grounds (Eidgahs) and isolated areas.

Id, which marks the end of the fasting month of Ramzan, is likely to be observed in Jammu and Kashmir and major other parts of the country and the rest of South Asia on Monday.

The past few weeks witnessed a series of terror attacks on policemen across the restive Valley. In one such attack that took place on June 16 in Acchawal area of southern Anantnag district, six policemen, including SHO Feroz Ahmed Dar, were killed by Lashkar-e-Tayyaba militants. On the night of June 22, a police deputy superintendent, Muhammad Ayub Pandith, was lynched by a mob outside Srinagars Grand Mosque.

Inspector General of Police (Kashmir range) Muneer Ahmed Khan has issued an advisory, asking policemen to stay away from places of worship which are not secured. He has termed the advisory a preventive measure aimed at ensuring their safety. Marked as most urgent communication, it asks senior officers to instruct the field and subordinate formation not to offer Id prayers in isolated or general mosques or Eidgahs.

You are advised to instruct the field and subordinate formations that they shall not offer Id prayers in isolated or general mosques or Eidgahs, the advisory says. It has asked police personnel to offer Id prayers in mosques in district police lines in Srinagar and nearby police control rooms. It adds, In other districts also, Id prayers shall be offered in DPL mosques or protected mosques... where the safety of your personnel is ensured. The advisory has been sent also to the Army and paramilitary forces which are part of Indian Kashmirs security grid and have been at the forefront of counterinsurgency operations.

Khan said, I consider our each policeman and other security personnel as my own children. It is, therefore, my responsibility to prepare them for possible emergencies, identify possible threats and ask them to be cautious and avoid unnecessary risks.
DNA of those killed in 2016 violence to be examined.

New Delhi: The law is catching up with Samajwadi Party functionaries in Uttar Pradesh as the CBI has apparently intensified its probe to expose the political links behind the 2016 Jawahar Bagh violence in Mathura, which led to the killing of 26 people, including two police officials. The CBI has collected DNA samples of all those killed in the clashes with the police as investigators seek to establish the identities of those who funded the controversial cult, Azad Bharat Vidhi Vaicharak, headed by self-styled politician Ram Vriksh Yadav. Yadav was among those killed in the clashes after his followers went on rampage.

There are allegations that Yadav contested Assembly elections from the Zahoorabad in 1984 and parliamentary elections from Gazipur in 1991, and campaigned in support of a senior SP leader during the 2014 general election. It has also been alleged that because of the blessings of a powerful politician, district authorities could not muster the courage of getting Jawahar Bagh park evicted, sources said. The role of the SP, which was then in power, is suspect as the CBI believes that probe would nail the real culprits in the then Akhilesh Yadav-led state government. The BJP is currently in power in Uttar Pradesh.

The agency recently recorded statements of three former district magistrates and two senior police officials from Mathura in connection with the case. Besides, 99 accused, who are in judicial custody, have also been interrogated by the CBI, sources said. The DNA samples of all the deceased, recently collected by the CBI, have been sent for forensic examination. The agency is now concentrating its probe to ascertain the identity of those who financially helped the Azad Bharat Vidhi Vaicharak, sources added.

It may be recalled that the then UP government had, in January 2014, granted permission to Ram Vriksh Yadavs organisation to hold a demonstration inside Jawahar Bagh for two days. However, members of the group went on to occupy the sprawling public park for more than two years. Following a high court order, the squatters were evicted from the park amid large-scale violence.

A huge cache of arms, ammunition and explosives were recovered from the huts that had been erected inside the park during the period of illegal occupation.

The CBI registered a case to probe the violence in March. The case was registered on the directions of the Allahabad high court.
The electoral college for the presidential elections constitutes MPs of both Houses of Parliament and MLAs of State Assemblies.

New Delhi: The joint Opposition candidate Meira Kumar on Sunday issued an appeal to all the members of the electoral college to vote for her in the upcoming Presidential elections. Ms Kumar urged the members of the electoral college to vote as per their inner voice. In a page-long letter, she said, As a honourable member of the collegium you have the unique privilege to make history. This is that moment when one should heed the inner voice of conscience and set the course of the nation.

The electoral college for the presidential elections constitutes MPs of both Houses of Parliament and MLAs of State Assemblies.

Ms Kumar added that the office of the President of India was above narrow political interests. She said, The Constitution recognises the office of the President as being the final touchstone for the passage of laws. It, therefore, cannot function to serve narrow political interests.

In her letter, she added her qualifications for the post of the President. Earlier, there were comparisons being drawn between the BJP candidate, Ram Nath Kovind, and Ms Kumar.
Union minister Nitin Gadkari said that it was the responsibility of every BJP worker to make sure that Mr Kovind got the highest number of votes.

NDA presidential candidate Ram Nath Kovind being greeted by UP deputy CM Keshav Prasad Maurya as CM Yogi Adityanath looks on, in Lucknow. (Photo: PTI)

Lucknow: NDAs presidential candidate Ram Nath Kovind met the MPs and MLAs of BJP and its allies here on Sunday evening to seek their support for his candidature in the upcoming Presidential elections.

Union minister Nitin Gadkari, Ms Uma Bharti and Ms Anupriya Patel were present at a function held at chief minister Yogi Adityanaths official residence where Mr Kovind met the MPs and MLAs.

He was given a warm reception by chief minister Yogi Adityanath, deputy chief ministers Dinesh Sharma and Keshav Maurya who had earlier received Mr Kovind on his arrival at the airport. The media was kept away from the event and only photographers were briefly let in.

The CM, while welcoming Mr Kovind, assured him of maximum support from Uttar Pradesh. He said the people of the state were honored that the Presidential candidate belonged to the state. I am confident that he will prove to be one of the best Presidents of the country, he said.

Union minister Nitin Gadkari said that it was the responsibility of every BJP worker to make sure that Mr Kovind got the highest number of votes.
Medical body asks members to be brand ambassadors of health for society.

It has also asked its members to observe dry days on July 1 (Doctors Day) and September 5 (Teachers day). (Representational image)

New Delhi: The Indian Medical Association (IMA) has directed its office bearers to refrain from drinking with non-doctors and become brand ambassadors of health for the society. It has also asked its members to observe dry days on July 1 (Doctors Day) and September 5 (Teachers day).

Earlier, it had also advised doctors not to have their past, present, and prospective patients on social media friend list and consume alcohol in front of them at social gatherings.

In the new advisory, which is part of IMAs alcohol policy, the representative voluntary organisation of doctors said, No alcohol should be served at IMA meetings.

It has also suggested a safe limit for alcohol consumption  18 ml for male and 9 ml for female doctors. It said that the doctors have a responsibility to put into practice what they preach to patients on leading a healthy lifestyle.

The IMA advised them to maintain dignity before patients, a dictum also laid down in the Medical Council of Indias (MCI) code of ethics.

A physician shall uphold the dignity and honour of the profession. A patient should be able to trust his doctor and have confidence in him. Any public display of undignified behaviour erodes trust in the doctor and gives the profession a bad name, said Dr KK Aggarwal, national president of the IMA.

Recently, the IMA had also advised its doctors to start saying thank you to their patients, after a survey revealed that 40 per cent patients expect their doctors to thank them.

Calling the doctor-patient interaction a major factor that influences patient satisfaction, the IMA said that the thank you drive would narrow the gap and mistrust between doctors and patients.
Officials said viral infections have claimed nearly 2,500 lives in the state, most as a result of dengue and malaria.

Cases of diarrhoea and cough lasting beyond three weeks are becoming common in the city.

Mumbai: At a time when viruses like the H1N1 (swine flu), malaria, influenza and dengue are on the rise, the government is lacking the tools to combat the same and is yet to design a vaccination plan to fight them.

Health officials have also said that there is no proper awareness campaign in place either to educate people about the spread and effect of these deadly viruses, which is on the rise in the city due to temperature fluctuations brought by intermittent rainfall.

On the other hand, doctors have said that they are getting a steady stream of patients, most of who are complaining of fever, cough, sore throat and body aches. If this wasnt worse, cases of diarrhoea and cough lasting beyond three weeks are becoming common in the city.

A senior officer from Directorate of Health Services said, The combat tools are limited. Vector borne diseases provide a limited window to treat in-patient suffering from TB, AIDS and detected with malaria and dengue. Yet, we have not come up with a suitable vaccination plan.

Officials said viral infections have claimed nearly 2,500 lives in the state, most as a result of dengue and malaria. Viral infections are now proliferating to tuberculosis (TB) and AIDS in the states list of top contagious killer diseases, they added.

TB and AIDS record more than 10,000 deaths in the state annually. Over the past week, Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has reported more than 1,000 cases of fever, and numbers are bound to increase if temperatures fall.

Talking to The Asian Age, Dr Padmaja Keskar, executive health officer, BMC, said, Seasonal fluctuation in temperature lead to rise in several vector-borne diseases. Spread of swine flu is also on the rise. We have issued an advisory and memorandum to civic-run hospitals to be alert on swine flu cases and treat them as priority.

As per civic reports, three people have succumbed to H1N1 virus, taking swine flu death toll to 16 this year in the city. Of these, ten patients were city residents and the others had come to the city for treatment. The city has recorded 285 H1N1 cases till date this year, while cases in the State touched the numbers to around 2,500 cases and more than 250 deaths.
The Cong leader said that Gandhi used her political authority to save sensitive areas like the NE from destruction.

New Delhi: When Karan Singh proposed a plan to buy an aircraft in 1973 for use by Project Tiger officials, it was shot down by a livid Indira Gandhi who asked him, "Have we got our priorities wrong?" This incident that took place in May 1973, barely a month after the launch of Project Tiger, finds mention in Congress leader Jairam Ramesh's new book, "Indira Gandhi: A Life in Nature".

Project Tiger was formally launched at the Corbett National Park. Karan Singh, who was the then Union minister for tourism and civil aviation, was made the chairman of the Indian Board for Wildlife.

"The Prime Minister personally handpicked Kailash Sankhala as the first director of Project Tiger despite the fact that he was not popular in the forest bureaucracy and many were irked by his working style and actions," says Mr Ramesh, a former environment minister during UPA-II.

"If Indira Gandhi persisted with him it was because she knew he was passionate about conservation and also incidentally, enjoyed the full backing of (her close friend and fellow nature-lover) Padmaja Naidu," he said.

He says that soon there was a mini-crisis confronting Project Tiger. "Moni Malhoutra, Indira Gandhi's key aide for environmental matters, discovered that Rs 20 lakh raised by World Wildlife Fund was about to be spent on an aircraft for use by the Project Tiger officials. Ms Gandhi was livid and wrote a letter to her ministerial colleague on May 25," he wrote in the book.

Mr Ramesh quotes Indira as writing in the letter, "I understand that the money which the World Wildlife Fund has raised so far for Project Tiger is being used to purchase a small airplane. Have we got our priorities wrong? I should have thought it is more important to get the project going on the ground than to spend so much money on an aircraft which will yield no direct benefit to the parks and their animals. An aeroplane would be a luxury which we can ill-afford."

This was not the end of the story, Mr Ramesh said and added, "Karan Singh, who obviously didn't get the message that the Prime Minister was sending, tried to justify his stance. This forced her to write to him a second time on June 28."

"You wrote to me on May 28 and June 22 regarding purchase of aircraft for Project Tiger. I have thought deeply over the matter and have considered the reasons you have urged but I still feel this proposal should not be pursued at this stage. I hope you will inform the World Wildlife Fund accordingly," Mrs Gandhi wrote.

"She got sucked into the whirlpool of politics but the real Indira Gandhi was the person who loved the mountains, cared deeply for wildlife, was passionate about birds, stones, trees and forests, and was worried deeply about the environmental consequences of urbanisation and industrialisation," added Mr Ramesh.

According to him, Mrs Gandhi used her political authority to save ecologically-sensitive areas from destruction like the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, the entire northeast and the rainforests in the Western Ghats. Mr Ramesh says she not only cared for tigers and fauna, but was worried about the fate of all species.

He then cites a letter which she wrote in the mid-70s to the then Manipur Chief Minister R K Dorendra Singh expressing her concern over the depleting population of the Manipur brow-antlered deer.
Skirting the issue!

London: A group of teenage boys at a UK school turned up for classes in cool skirts in a bold protest against the institutions no shorts uniform policy despite the ongoing heatwave.

Five boys from ISCA Academy in Exeter, Devon, strolled in wearing the attire after being told by teachers that they would be placed in isolation were they to walk into class in shorts. The mother of one of the pupils said her 14-year-old was told a day earlier by the head teacher, "you can wear a skirt if you like", after he complained about the heat.

So he -- along with four others -- wore official uniform skirts to school so as to avoid any possibility of action by authorities.

"My son wanted to wear shorts but was told he would be put in the isolation room for the rest of the week," the mother told Devon Live. "The head teacher told them, Well you can wear a skirt if you like, but I think she was being sarcastic. However, children tend to take you literally and so five boys turned up in skirts today -- and because she told them it was okay there was nothing she could do as long as they are school skirts," the mother said.

She said one of the boys did get in trouble, but only because his skirt was "too short". The mother said that children should have a voice, no matter how old they are. After the success of the boys uniform objections, 50 boys are apparently now planning to follow suit, the report said.

"Children also dont like injustice. The boys see the women teachers in sandals and nice cool skirts and tops while they are wearing long trousers and shoes and the older boys have to wear blazers. They just think its unfair that they cant wear shorts in this heat," the mother said. "They are doing this to cool down -- but also to protest because they dont feel they have been listened to," she said.

Headteacher Aimee Mitchell said they are considering revising the school uniform policy as the heatwave continues to beat down on Britain. "We recognise that the last few days have been exceptionally hot and we are doing our utmost to enable both students and staff to remain as comfortable as possible," she said. "Shorts are not currently part of our uniform for boys and I would not want to make any changes without consulting both students and their families. However, with hotter weather becoming more normal, I would be happy to consider a change for the future," the headmistress said.

The heatwave in the UK saw five sizzling days in a row during which temperatures in parts of the country have topped 30 degrees Celsius.
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The stronger version of that is a stable Pakistan is inimical to the interests of India and Afghanistan.

Forget Gen. Raheel Sharif this, Gen. Qamar Bajwa that, Nawaz Sharif stupid, Imran Khan clueless.

Step back, breathe, and try and trace where this is going. We are sinking into a militancy trap. A big one in Parachinar or Quetta equals a small one in Karachi, Lahore or Islamabad.

Somewhere, someone knows the same. Somewhere, someone, here in this land, has decided that its a price worth paying  by us. Because were hitting them, the militants, they cant strike as much and as often as they did or would like.

But the pattern is clear. Occasionally, theyll get past the defences and wreak carnage in the heartland  the east of Indus strike that rakes the maximum fear. More often, the defences will work and theyll have to stick with striking in the periphery  the west of Indus strike where bigger is easier and possible frequently enough to send ripples of fear nationally.

Parachinar and Quetta are shorthand for violence. If there were no militancy, those areas would still be violent. They were violent before the rise of this new militancy  the one over the last decade and a half  and, heres the problem, theyll probably be violent if the militancy the State is fighting disappears. Parachinar and Quetta are violent because of State failure. Failures specific to the two places and general to the country. And there lies the militancy trap were sinking in.

Assume Quetta was RAW, Parachinar, the Afghan NDS. Monsters both of them and not very hard to believe. The bald version of why theyre doing it is that they hate us and hate the idea of Pakistan; they will not stop until Pakistan ceases to exist. They are therefore the eternal enemy.

The slightly more sophisticated version is that the militants are real  they exist independently of outside enemies  but India and Afghanistan prefer an appropriately unstable Pakistan to a meaningfully stable one.

The stronger version of that is a stable Pakistan is inimical to the interests of India and Afghanistan. The milder version is that its a game of reciprocity; they hit us because they think were hitting them.

Now take any of those theories in whatever combination you like and youre still left with: So what?

Because of the way Pakistan is, because of the resources the State has and the ideas that flow through its people, Pakistan is  and will remain  vulnerable. Not vulnerable in a do-as-you-please kind of way, but vulnerable in the way were seeing: this pattern of frequent, sometimes big strikes in the periphery and occasional, mostly small strikes in the heartland.

Lets scratch around the RAW-NDS rabbit hole a bit more. The dirty little secret is not that Pakistan is newly vulnerable, but that Pakistan has always been vulnerable.

On Indias side, it was hesitation before  the systems aversion to dabbling in non-states. In Afghanistan, it was chaos that prevented the coalescing of a tit-for-tat strategy. So, if anythings changed its the willingness of India and Afghanistan to do with enthusiasm now what they did reluctantly before, and their luck in finding these proxies here and now.

Terrible, awful, villainous. But that still leaves us with a question: How do we get to zero?

From maximum militant violence, the peak between 2007-2011, weve arrived at the current point: the occasionally big attack in the heartland and the many, frequently big in the periphery.

Put a number on it. Lets say were 70 per cent of the way there; the optimists may say 85.

From here, more of the same wont  cant  work. Hammer away at the militant remnants, penetrate the hardest of networks; bomb, shoot or hang every last militant you can find  but zero is impossible.

Not as long as zones such as Parachinar and Quetta exist. And they will always exist. Not those places specifically, but zones that look like them. Zones that much of Pakistan looks like: big populations, limited State, vulnerable to all kinds of non-State and outside influence.

The obvious State response, from inside the rabbit hole, is to continue relentlessly with operations  find and eliminate militants wherever they are found  and raise the cost on the outsiders interfering.

But that is exactly the militancy trap. To raise the cost on outsiders interfering, we need to retain the types causing them trouble.

But survival of one kind of militancy is survival of other kinds of militancy. To put it another way: hanging on to the anti-India and anti-Afghan lot makes us vulnerable to other kinds of militancy, the kinds that India or Afghanistan could be tempted to use against us. If thats trite enough  zero tolerance is the only path to zero militants  work through the implications.

Somewhere, someone knows the same. Somewhere, someone, here in this land, has decided that its a price worth paying  by us.

The further depressing possibility is that India and Afghanistan also know the same. They want to hurt us  or at least make our security architects think they are hurting us  because they want to punish us and cause a rethink in policy here. But the hurt and punishment they inflict on us may only cause us to prolong what theyre trying to curb.

If we, Pakistan, are unwise, they, India and Afghanistan, are foolish. Thats the tragedy of our region. Thats the militancy trap.

By arrangement with Dawn
Cynthia Randolph, 24, was being held on Saturday on $200,000 bail for the deaths of her 16-month-old son and 2-year-old daughter last month.

Cynthia Marie Randolph was arrested in connection with the deaths of her two young children in Texas. (Photo: Larry Fizer/Facebook)

Dallas: A Texas mother has been arrested for the deaths of her two toddlers who she said were left in a hot car to teach the older child a lesson while the woman smoked marijuana and took a nap, authorities said.

Cynthia Randolph, 24, was being held on Saturday on $200,000 bail for the deaths of her 16-month-old son and 2-year-old daughter last month, Danie Huffman, a spokeswoman for the Parker County Sheriffs Office, said in an email.

Randolph had originally told investigators that she had been folding laundry and watching television in her rural home west of Fort Worth while the boy, Cavanaugh Ramirez, and his sister Juliet Ramirez played in a back porch, according to a criminal complaint.

After noticing the children were missing, Randolph told officers she found them unresponsive in a locked car and broke a window to rescue them. The temperature was close to 36 degrees Celsius and emergency personnel that Randolph had called pronounced the children dead at the scene, the court filing said.

Randolph repeatedly changed her story under questioning and told a Texas Ranger on Friday that she had found Juliet and Cavanaugh playing inside the car, the sheriffs office said in a statement.

When she told them to get out and they refused, Randolph shut the car door to teach Juliet a lesson, thinking she could get herself and her brother out of the car when ready, the statement said.

Randolph went inside the house, smoked marijuana and took a nap for two or three hours. When she awoke, she found the children unresponsive inside the car and broke the window to make it look like an accident, the statement said.

Randolph faces two first-degree felony counts of injury to a child causing serious bodily injury. Huffman and a person who answered the phone at the Parker County jail had no information about whether she had an attorney.

Thirteen children left in vehicles have died of heat stroke this year, and 713 have died since 1998, according to the NoHeatStroke.org website maintained by Jan Null, a meteorology lecturer at San Jose State University in California.
The CEOs also expressed support for 'Make in India', 'Digital India', 'Start Up India' and other flagship initiatives of the government.

Prime Minister, Narendra Modi in a round table meeting with the US Business Leaders at Washington DC. (Photo: AP)

Washington: Prime Minister Narendra Modi today said India has now emerged as a business-friendly destination, more so with the upcoming implementation of landmark GST beginning next month, while asking CEOs of top US companies to invest in the country.

Modi, during his meeting with the CEOs of top 20 American firms, also said that India attracted largest foreign direct investment (FDI) as a result of the NDA government's policies in the last three years.

"Interacted with top CEOs. We held extensive discussions on opportunities in India," Modi tweeted after the meeting that lasted for about 90 minutes.

In the round table interaction with the group that included Tim Cook of Apple, Sunder Pichai from Google, John Chambers from Cisco and Jeff Bezos of Amazon, Modi listed out steps taken by his government in the last three years and next moves.

"The whole world is looking at India. 7,000 reforms alone by GOI for ease of (doing) business and minimum government, maximum governance," Gopal Bagley, spokesman of the Ministry of External Affairs quoting the prime minister as saying.

India's growth presents a win-win partnership for the country and the US, and American companies have a great opportunity to contribute to that, Modi told the CEOs, according to Bagley.

"The implementation of the landmark initiative of GST (Goods and Services Tax) could be a subject of studies in US business schools," Modi said.

During the interaction at the Willard Hotel, where he is staying, Modi gave a patient hearing to the wish-list of the CEOs.

The Prime Minister pointed out opportunities for tourism through developing hotels in "PPP (public private partnership) model" at 500 railway stations, Baglay said.

"In concluding remarks, PM stresses imp of coopn 4 start up, innovation &tapping huge intellectual, edu & vocational training potential in India," Baglay tweeted.

The CEOs lauded the Prime Minister's initiatives of demonetisation and digitisation of economy and the GST, the spokesman said.

The CEOs also expressed support for 'Make in India', 'Digital India', 'Start Up India' and other flagship initiatives of the government.

"CEOs applaud reform measures and steps taken by the government to improve ease of doing business," Baglay tweeted. "CEOs outline priorities in India and suggestions for mutually beneficial partnerships in line with inclusive growth," he said, adding that they reaffirmed their commitment to growing with India and attested to its attractiveness as an FDI destination.

Pichai told reporters after the meeting that they were excited about investing in India.

Praising the steps being taken by the Indian government in the last three years, he said the US companies are looking forward to the roll out of the GST.

"Good," said Cook as he emerged out of the meeting. The US-India Business Council (USIBC) president Mukesh Aghi said the CEOs praised the reforms being undertaken by the Prime Minister and underscore his efforts to make India a business-friendly destination.

Responding to a question, Aghi said H-1B issue was not discussed at the meeting.

Among other CEOs present at the meeting were Shantanu Narayen from Adobe, Ajay Banga from Mastercard, David Farr from Emerson, Doug McMillon and Punit Renjen from Deloitte Global. Mukesh Aghi, president of the US India Business Council, was also present at the meeting.

Posting a group picture of the prime minister with the CEOs, Bagley said, "strengthening the Indo-US economic partnership".

In a recent policy document, USIBC said the US-India commercial and strategic relationship supports global security, promotes economic growth and creates jobs for both countries and the global economy.

"Today, as we witness a paradigm shift in the erstwhile global order, an opportunity has emerged for both countries to set new standards in bilateral ties that will be bound by their shared values," USIBC said.

Noting that US-India trade has tripled over the last decade, reaching a historic high of nearly USD 110 billion in 2015, USIBC said there is an opportunity for both the countries to also sync their regulatory and standards system to increase trade and investment.

In a separate statement, Jagdip Ahluwalia, executive director of Indo American Chamber of Commerce of Greater Houston, said the United States and India share a very symbiotic relationship, and Modi?s first face to face visit with Donald Trump is important to strengthen the relationship between the two.
Several people were killed when Afghanistan and Pakistan border troops exchanged fire for hours in early May.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, speaks during a joint press conference with his Lebanese counterpart Gibran Bassil, in Beirut, Lebanon. (Photo: AP)

Beijing: China has urged Afghanistan and Pakistan to improve relations and establish a crisis prevention and management mechanism, the Chinese foreign ministry said.

Foreign Minister Wang Yi met Afghan President Ashraf Ghani in Kabul on Saturday and said a three-way conference mechanism involving the two countries and China could promote dialogue and cooperation, the ministry said in a statement on its website.

"China sincerely wishes for Afghanistan and Pakistan to improve relations, rebuild mutual trust strengthen cooperation, achieve mutual safety and mutually development," Wang said, according to the statement.

"As Afghanistan and Pakistan's mutual friend, China encourages them to establish a crisis prevention and management mechanism as soon as possible, to properly deal with any kind of sudden occurrence."

Wang was visiting Pakistan on the weekend. Neither Afghan nor Pakistani officials were available for comment.

Afghanistan and Pakistan have been uneasy neighbours ever since Pakistan's independence in 1947. Their ties have been poisoned in recent years by Afghan accusations that Pakistan is supporting Taliban insurgents fighting the US-backed Kabul in order to limit the influence of its old rival, India, in Afghanistan. Pakistan denies that and says it wants to see a peaceful, stable Afghanistan.

Several people were killed when Afghanistan and Pakistan border troops exchanged fire for hours in early May. As a result, a major border crossing was closed for more than three weeks.

China is also worried about the spread of Islamist militancy from lawless ethnic Pashtun lands along Pakistan's border with Afghanistan, in particular the danger of members of its Uighur Muslim minority being radicalised there.

In Pakistan on Saturday, Wang said counter-terrorism was an important part of China's relations with Pakistan and he thanked Pakistan "for its firm support for China's fight against the violent terrorist group the 'East Turkistan Islamic Movement'," China's Xinhua news agency reported.

China says the East Turkistan Islamic Movement is a violent Uighur separatist group with links to militants in South Asia. China is also investing heavily in both Afghanistan and Pakistan.

It has promised $57 billion in investment in projects along a China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, part of its ambitious Belt and Road plan linking China with the Middle East and Europe.

The state-run China Metallurgical Group Corp won a contract to develop Afghanistan's Mes Aynak copper mine in 2007 but the project has been mired in delays.
This is the 1st exercise being carried by Liaoning, a refurbished aircraft carrier built from the hull of Soviet ship bought from Ukraine.

Beijing: A flotilla of Chinese naval ships headed by first aircraft carrier Liaoning set out for a "routine training mission" from Qingdao in east China on Sunday.

The naval formation, includes destroyers Jinan and Yinchuan, frigate Yantai and a squadron of J-15 fighter jets and helicopters, a Chinese defence ministry statement said.

The training mission, like previous ones, is expected to strengthen coordination among the vessels and improve the skills of crew and pilots in different marine region.

This is the first exercise being carried our by Liaoning, a refurbished aircraft carrier built from the hull of Soviet ship bought from Ukraine after China had launched a home-made Carrier in April this year.

The new aircraft carrier was expected to be operational by 2019. Liaoning has earlier carried out exercises in the disputed South China Sea as well as East China Sea along with its battle formation group.
Islamic State sympathizers have carried out a series of mostly low-level attacks in Indonesia over the past few years.

National police chief Tito Karnavian said last week about 40 suspected militants had been detained in recent weeks. (Photo: Representational/AP)

Medan: An Indonesian police officer was stabbed and later died of his wounds in an attack by suspected Islamist militants in the city of Medan, a police spokesman said on Sunday.

Police shot dead one suspect and one was arrested after the attack on a police post in the capital of North Sumatra province, police spokesman Rina Sari Ginting said by telephone. The perpetrators had scaled the fence of the police post near police headquarters and shouted "Allahu Akbar" (God is greatest) before stabbing the officer, said Ginting.

The attack will compound fears about rising militancy in Indonesia, which has the world's biggest Muslim population. Islamic State sympathizers have carried out a series of mostly low-level attacks in Indonesia over the past few years.

National police spokesman Setyo Wasisto said authorities were investigating whether the attackers were inspired by Islamic State and acting on the instructions of Bahrun Naim, an Indonesian who went to fight for the militants in Syria.

There are fears across Southeast Asia that as Islamic State loses ground in the Middle East, it will seek footholds elsewhere. Indonesian authorities have tightened security for this weekend's Eid al-Fitr holiday marking the end of the fasting month of Ramadan.

Last month, a suicide bomb attack by Islamic State-inspired militants at a bus station in the capital, Jakarta, killing three police officers.

President Joko Widodo has urged parliament to accelerate plans to tighten anti-terrorism laws to meet new dangers, including giving police powers to detain suspects without trial for longer and to arrest people for hate speech or for spreading radical content and joining proscribed groups.

National police chief Tito Karnavian said last week about 40 suspected militants had been detained in recent weeks.
Nawaz Sharif, who was in London to celebrate Id along with his family members, cut short his visit and left for Pakistan.

Pakistan Army soldiers stand guard while rescue workers examine the site of an oil tanker explosion at a highway near Bahawalpur, in Pakistan. (Photo: AP)

Lahore: An oil tanker overturned and burst into flames as crowds rushed to collect fuel that spilled over on a highway in Pakistans Punjab Province, killing over 150 people and injuring over 140 others, in one of the deadliest accidents in the country.

The oil tanker coming from Karachi and headed to Lahore overturned on Sunday morning on the national highway at the Ahmedpur Sharqia area of the Bahawalpur district, some 400 kms from Lahore, after a tyre burst and the driver lost control of the vehicle.

The fire was reportedly caused by someone who lit a cigarette after people from nearby localities gathered on the highway to collect petrol, officials said.

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, who was in London to celebrate Id along with his family members, cut short his visit and left for Pakistan.

This is a tragedy of its kind in the countrys history that left everyone in grief in Pakistan. My thoughts are with the victims families, Mr Sharif said before leaving for Pakistan.

Rescue official Jam Sajjad said, Some 151 people, including women and children, lost their lives in this tragedy. The condition of over 50 is critical and they are being shifted to Lahore and Faisalabad. He said the toll could rise.
The woman had been working for Harvey Dean in Bury for almost a year when her managers took issue with the hijab.

London: A Muslim woman has filed a religious discrimination complaint against her employers at a UK tribunal for allegedly ordering her to remove her black hijab because it signified "terrorist affiliation".

The estate agent, who has not been named, had been working for Harvey Dean in Bury, Greater Manchester, for about a year when she said her managers took issue with her hijab.

A complaint filed at the Manchester Employment Tribunal was quoted by The Independent as saying that the woman was told that moving from a back office into public view meant "that it would be in the best interest of the business for her to change the colour of her hijab, due to the supposed terrorist affiliation with the colour black".

A colleague allegedly claimed that the predominantly white and non-Muslim community around the company's office would "feel intimidated and scared if they saw the claimant".

The woman, who had been wearing a black headscarf that left her face uncovered since starting at Harvey Dean, was quoted as saying that she was not prepared to change her attire for the reasons given. She said she refused her employers' orders again in a phone call and a meeting held the following day with the male manager, who had allegedly brought coloured hijabs into the office for her to change into.

Hours later, the woman said she was reprimanded for sending a text message to her father. "He then went on a tirade accusing the claimant of not working," according to the complaint filed with tribunal.

"The claimant informed him that she was on her lunch break but he told her that he did not care (and) then proceeded to tell her to 'Get the (expletive) out of here.'"

The woman left the office and, after hearing nothing further from the company, submitted a letter of resignation the following week. She claimed that her objections to the order "fell on deaf ears and left her feeling unable to remain at the company.

The former housing sales negotiator said she felt "singled out" as the only Muslim woman in the office and claims the company discriminated against her on the basis of both religion and gender.

The tribunal complaint argues that her treatment created an "intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating and offensive environment", and is seeking a written admission that she was subjected to unlawful discrimination.

The case, which will be considered at a preliminary hearing at the Manchester Employment Tribunal on July 20, could result in Harvey Dean paying "aggravated damages" and compensation covering loss of earnings, holiday pay and legal fees, the report said.

Zillur Rahman, an employment lawyer representing the claimant for Rahman Lowe Solicitors, believes the case is the first of its kind in the UK following a landmark ruling at the European Court of Justice in March.

Judges found that companies could legally ban employees from wearing the Islamic headscarf, but only as part of prohibitions encompassing all religious and political symbols equally.
The London Fire Brigade is also working to evacuate residents from an estate in north London.

Britain has been rocked in recent days by a fire which killed at least 79 people when it engulfed a 24-storey building in west London on June 14. (Photo: Representational/AP)

London: Ten fire engines and 72 firefighters were battling a blaze in east London on Saturday after flames engulfed a third-floor apartment in a low-rise block of buildings, injuring one man who was taken to hospital.

Britain has been rocked in recent days by a fire which killed at least 79 people when it engulfed a 24-storey building in west London on June 14, trapping residents in their beds as they slept.

That fire at Grenfell Tower spread rapidly, turning the burning building into a giant torch and terrifying residents.

The worst fire to hit the capital since World War Two has prompted a nationwide review of high-rise buildings after police said the cladding used on Grenfell had failed all safety checks.

The London Fire Brigade, which is also working to evacuate residents from an estate in north London found to have similar cladding to Grenfell, said it had been called on Saturday to a building in Bethnal Green, east London, where the third floor apartment and roof were on fire. It had received 50 calls to its emergency telephone line.

Firefighters from Bethnal Green and surrounding fire stations are attending the scene, they said in a statement. The cause of the fire is not known at this stage.

The whole of a flat on the third floor and roof is also alight. A man has been taken to hospital by London Ambulance Service crews.
Official said the Taliban attacked late Saturday, setting off a gunbattle in which five insurgents were killed.

The Taliban have steadily expanded their reach across Afghanistan. (Photo: AFP)

Kabul: At least 10 policemen were killed and four others injured on Saturday night when Taliban militants attacked a checkpost near India-made Salma dam in Afghanistan's Herat province.

"A group of Taliban militants attacked the checkpoint near Salma dam in Chasht district and fled after killing the policemen," a security official said.

Jelani Farhad, spokesman for the governor of the western Herat province, said the Taliban attacked late Saturday, setting off a gunbattle in which five insurgents were killed.

The Taliban have steadily expanded their reach across Afghanistan since US and international forces formally concluded their combat mission at the end of 2014, switching to a support and counterterrorism role.

In an address on Sunday marking the start of Eid al-Fitr, a major Muslim holiday, President Ashraf Ghani reiterated his call for the Taliban to return to peace talks.
Some of the most badly burned were evacuated by army helicopters to Multan, about 100 kilometers (60 miles) away.

Bahawalpur: An overturned oil tanker burst into flames in Pakistan on Sunday, killing 148 people who had rushed to the scene of the highway accident to gather leaking fuel, an official said.

The death toll could rise further as another 50 people are still in critical condition, said Dr. Mohammad Baqar, a senior rescue official in the area. There were dozens of other injuries of varying degree, he said.

Local news channels showed black smoke billowing skyward and horrific images of scores of burned bodies, as well as rescue officials speeding the injured to hospital and army helicopters ferrying the wounded.

Saznoor Ahmad, 30, whose two cousins were killed in the fire, said the crowd of people screamed as the flames engulfed them.

"The fire moved so fast," he said. When the flames subsided the field was strewn with bodies, and nearby were the charred shells of motorcycles and cars that the villagers had used to race to the scene.

As the wounded cried out for help, residents wandered through the area looking for loved ones. Zulkha Bibi was searching for her two sons.

COAS expresses grief on losses in oil tanker incident. Directed provision of full assistance to civil admn in rescue/relief effort (1 of 2).  Maj Gen Asif Ghafoor (@OfficialDGISPR) June 25, 2017

"Someone should tell me about my beloved sons, where are they? Are they alive or are they no longer in this world? Please tell me," she pleaded.

The disaster came on the eve of the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Fitr, which marks the end of the fasting month of Ramadan. While Saudi Arabia and most other Muslim countries celebrated the holiday Sunday, Pakistanis will celebrate on Monday.

The tanker was driving from the southern port city of Karachi to Lahore, the Punjab provincial capital, when the driver lost control and crashed on the national highway outside Bahawalpur.

A loudspeaker atop a local mosque alerted villagers to the leaking fuel, and scores raced to the site with jerry cans, said Rana Mohammad Salim, deputy commissioner of Bahawalpur.

Army Aviation helicopters sent for evacuation of casualties to hospitals / burn centres. Hospitals placed on high alert. (2 of 2).  Maj Gen Asif Ghafoor (@OfficialDGISPR) June 25, 2017

Highway police moved quickly to redirect traffic but couldn't stop the scores of villagers who raced to collect the fuel, spokesman Imran Shah told a local TV channel.

When the fire erupted, the same mosque loudspeaker called on the remaining villagers to help put it out.

Mohammed Salim ran toward the smoke carrying buckets of water and sand, but said the heat was too intense to reach those in need.

"I could hear people screaming but I couldn't get to them," he said.

Abdul Malik, a local police officer who was also among the first to arrive, described a "horrible scene."

"I have never seen anything like it in my life. Victims trapped in the fireball. They were screaming for help," he said.

When the fire subsided, "we saw bodies everywhere, so many were just skeletons. The people who were alive were in really bad shape," he said.

Eyewitnesses said about 30 motorcycles that had carried villagers to the accident site lay charred nearby. Eight other vehicles were destroyed, they said.

Some of the most badly burned were evacuated by army helicopters to Multan, about 100 kilometers (60 miles) away.

The dead included men, women and children. Many were burned beyond recognition, Baqar said, and will have to be identified using DNA testing.
By John Long, Strategic Professor in Palaeontology, Flinders University

John Long, Author provided

Professor Kenton Ken Campbell was an internationally respected authority on Australian geology and palaeontology for more than 50 years. Sadly he passed away last weekend, aged 89 years, and will be farewelled at a funeral in Canberra today.

But Kens legacy will live on through his immense body of published scientific work, and also by the many fossil species named in his honour.

In palaeontology you never name anything after yourself. A researcher generally names a new species or genus after someone as a mark of respect for their standing in the scientific community.

Ken had a dozen new species and two new genera (Campbellodus and Campbellicrinus) of fossils named after him by scientists from Australia, the United States, China and Canada.

These include:

five shellfish known as brachiopods (Neospirifer campbelli, Fluctuaria campbelli, Kitakamithyris campbelli, Spinulicosta campbelli, Imperiospira campbelli),

a coral (Lithostrotion campbelli)

a clam (Inaequidens campbelli)

a starfish relative known as a crinoid (Campbellicrinus compactus)

two trilobites (Primaspis campbelli, Acanthopyge campbelli)

three fossil fishes (Kenichthys campbelli, Campbellodus decipiens, Howittacanthus kentoni).









John Long





A distinguished career

Ken was born in Ipswich, Queensland, on September 9, 1927. He later studied geology at the University of Queensland, where he was encouraged and mentored by the great geologist and palaeontologist Dorothy Hill.

He graduated with a Bachelor of Science with first class honours in 1949. After completing an Master of Science in 1951, he spent the following decade working as a lecturer in geology at the University of New England (UNE) in New South Wales.

During this time he married the love of his life, Daphne Watson, whom he met during his university days in 1951.

He completed his PhD at the University of Queensland in 1958 and was appointed as a senior lecturer at UNE.

In 1961 he was appointed at the Australian National University (ANU) through Professor David Brown and moved his family to Canberra in 1962, settling in the eponymous suburb of Campbell. In 1977 he became head of the Department of Geology; in 1978 he was made Dean of Science and in 1982 was promoted to Professor.

In 1983 he was elected to the Australian Academy of Sciences, which referred to him as one of Australias most distinguished palaeontologists, and certainly the senior palaeontologist in Australia.









Dr Gavin Young, ANU





Early encounters

I first met Ken in 1980 when I was an honours student at Monash University studying Devonian period fishes. At the time my supervisor worked on fossil birds, so I decided I must go to Canberra to meet Devonian fish specialists such as Ken, Dick Barwick and Gavin Young.

Ken and Dick had formed a lifelong working partnership, Ken being the great thinker and Dick the ardent artist and photographer who beautifully brought Kens ideas and spectacular fossils to life in their many published papers.

Ken was a kind, gentle and polite scholar, who always had time for a chat over a cup of tea.

As soon as I completed my PhD I was able to take up a postdoctoral position at the ANU, working with him in 1984-85. Our collaboration lasted for the next 25 years, including a memorable field trip collecting fossils at the Gogo sites in northern Western Australia in 1990. Ken had previously worked at Gogo in 1970.

We searched the desert sites every day in the blistering sun and found many spectacular fossils. At night Ken, Dick and the rest of our group sat around the campfire conversing deeply about palaeontology and science, solving many of the worlds problems.









John Long, Author provided





Two major monographs resulted from this trip, which described in intricate detail the anatomy of the Gogo lobe-finned fishes Gogonasus and the dagger-toothed fish Onychodus. The latter fish Ken and I decided to make a new species in honour of local Bunaba freedom fighter Jandemarra, as Onychodus jandemarrai.

Kens career as a palaeontologist began with his dissertation work in Queensland, solving basic industry-related questions. These centred around dating sedimentary rocks using fossil assemblages, and correlating sequences of rock with other sequences far away (called biostratiography).

He achieved this by identifying and describing new species of invertebrate fossils such as corals, trilobites, ammonites (a kind of mollusc) and brachiopods.

Working with David Brown and Keith Crook, Ken coauthored the seminal textbook The Geological Evolution of Australia and New Zealand in 1968. Later in life he turned his eye to questions about evolutionary biology and the fossil record.

Work on ancient lungfish

Once in Canberra Ken began searching for fossils in the Devonian limestones around Taemas-Wee Jasper, near Yass in New South Wales. His discovery of a 400 million-year-old lungfish skull in the mid-1960s changed his research direction from that point.

He became fascinated with fossil lungfishes and their evolution. The limestones of that area contain perfect, 3D-preserved skulls of the oldest known lungfishes. Kens detailed studies of Australian fossil fishes described many new species from Taemas and Gogo, and provided some of the first detailed studies into how dental tissues first evolved.









John Long





Much of this work was a collaboration with Professor Moya Smith of Guys Medical School, London. Their detailed papers revealed that there was much experimentation in the evolution of tissues, demonstrating that Devonian lungfishes had many different kinds of dentine in their teeth, and that some could even remodel their tissues through life.

In later years Ken applied advanced techniques such as micro-CT scanning to study the histology and sensory systems of these ancient fishes.

A travelling man

Ken ventured far and wide to study fossils. In 1957 his award of a Nuffield Dominion Travelling fellowship led him to spend time in Cambridge University, in England, working with renowned trilobite specialist Harry Whittington.

In 1965 he was funded by a United States science foundation award to work at Harvard University studying trilobites.

In 1973 he received a NATO award to study fossil arthropods in Norway, and in 1981 visited Chicago to study fossil lungfishes as a guest of the Field Museums travelling scientist program.









John Long





Ken was a religious man, in later life he became an elder of the Presbyterian Church in the ACT. Although he held deep views about his faith, he never let his personal beliefs get in the way of his research on fossils and evolution.

He was recognised for his contributions by many accolades. These include winning the Mawson Medal of the Australian Academy of Science in 1986, and receiving the Raymond C. Moore Medal of the Paleontological Society in 2012, being the only Australian living in this country to have been given the award.

His most enduring legacy will be through his many students who have gone on to continue research in palaeontology and geology. There are too many to list here, but they know who they are and the contribution he made to their lives, both as a friend and professionally.

John Long receives funding from The Australian Research Council

Originally published in The Conversation.
Photo of CDOT State Farm Safety Patrol vehicle courtesy of the Colorado Department of Transportation.

The Colorado Department of Transportation is teaming with State Farm to continue operating the states safety patrol program, which offers free roadway assistance to motorists in need, the department said.

The program, previously known as the Courtesy Patrol, has a new moniker as a result of the State Farm sponsorship: CDOT State Farm Safety Patrol.

Patrol employees assist stranded motorists and provide traffic control at accident scenes. They also offer free, limited roadside assistance, including providing fuel, changing flat tires, jump-starting vehicles, providing lockout assistance, and moving vehicles to the shoulder or nearest interchange, CDOT said.

We aim to make traveling in Colorado as safe and efficient as possible for motorists, said Shailen Bhatt, CDOT executive director. Were proud to join with State Farm in support of a program that delivers on this objective. In addition, this innovative funding approach reduces the cost to state taxpayers, all while providing the same high-level service.

The CDOT State Farm Safety Patrol is expected to assist more than 30,000 motorists in 2017 alone.
Bakersfield, CA (93308)

Today

Clouds and some sun this morning with more clouds for this afternoon. High 61F. Winds NW at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

Some clouds this evening will give way to mainly clear skies overnight. Low 41F. Winds light and variable.
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.
Mugumo tree fall in Kiamigwi, Mathira constituency, Nyeri County. PHOTO| File

The NASA critics now agree that the victory is in their way. The political analyst Mutahi Ngunyi shocked people yesterday immediately after the president Uhuru Kenyatta Meru visit. Ngunyi said that there is a big rift in Central Kenya where only Kirinyaga, Kiambu, Murang'a and Nyeri counties remained to be core Jubilee strongholds."Meru, Tharaka Nithi, Embu Counties have divided the votes to NASA and especially Embu is three-Quarter in the NASA coalition. In RiftValley the same case as half of the counties supports NASA including the Nairobi neighbouring county, Kajiado County." tyranny of numbers analyst Mutahi Ngunyi said."The NASA coalition has a complete support in Nyanza, Western and Coast which is very dangerous because already, I don't see Jubilee getting anything in those areas apart from Lamu county in Coast region," Ngunyi added.Kuresoi South MP Zakayo Cheruiyot said NASA's victory is now clear."The loopholes have been closed and now we are assured of free, fair, credible and verifiable results in the general elections," he told journalists on Saturday.The CCM candidate asked IEBC to respect the decision and ensure election results are not manipulated.The MP, a former confidant of Deputy President William Ruto, lauded NASA co-principal Isaac Ruto for uniting Kalenjins in rooting for change." It will be very difficult for the Governors in Central Kenya to do developments if the NASA coalition wins because they understand that Central Kenya will not vote for them, especially the four Jubilee base counties." said Mary Wahome a human right activist.The Jubilee base is in total confusion after the core supporters decamp to other parties dishing out the ill plans. According to the latest polls conducted by daily poll indicated that Raila Odinga is leading with 65 Percent as Uhuru Kenyatta struggles with 27 Percent and the remainder undecided. The Main issues outlined is the Cost of Living and Corruption.
On Sunday afternoons after church, youll find the Longano family at their usual lunch spot -- Country Pizza Italian Grill.

Clearwater Italian pizzeria celebrates 40 years

Country Pizza Italian Grill opened in 1977

Owner brought Greek traditions to restaurant

"Theres something for everybody, Joe Longano said. The kids obviously love pizza."

And the community obviously loves the restaurant.

Saturday, the restaurant celebrated its 40th anniversary at its Clearwater location.

"We have a lot of experience. We have been doing this for more than 50 years, owner Arthur Alimonos said.

Alimonos was 19-years-old in 1952 when he left Greece and arrived on Ellis Island. He said he had a dream of bringing his homelands traditions to America. He worked with chefs in New York City before opening a small eatery in 1956.

In 1977, Country Pizza Italian Grill opened its doors along US 19 in Clearwater.

"We make everything daily, we try to stick to our idea that our cooking has to be homemade, like you would make it at home, Alimonoss daughter, Bessie Karapateas said.

Karapeateas said customers love their pizza crust, which is made from a 50-year-old family recipe. Her father tweaked a Greek bread recipe to make pizza dough.

Customers said they love the restaurants food, but they love being treated like family even more.

"We in fact love the stories we hear from our customers, Karapeateas said. They used to come when they were little and now they bring their families, they bring their kids."

Joe Longano said their waitress always knows his kids names, what theyre drinking and how theyve been. And that makes all the difference.

"Its not a shock they will be here for another 40 if they want to be, Longano said.

The restaurant also has locations in Largo and New Port Richey.


It's always good to be optimistic, and there's a chance that the special session of the Legislature in July will free up more state aid for education. But that's not likely, and this is not a temporary problem for local school districts. A harsh reality is sinking in for many superintendents and trustees: This is the new normal. The state is not providing enough aid to public schools.

As recently as 2007, Texas had a fair balance for public school funding. The state and local governments provided 45 percent each, and the federal government came through for the remaining 10 percent.

Today, the feds still provide their 10 percent. The state share, however, has dropped to 38 percent, meaning that the local share has had to increase to 52 percent.

In effect, the increase in the local share is an unfunded mandate from the state - at a time when some lawmakers want to limit local tax increases.

More of the same seems likely. The Republicans who control the Legislature keep proposing tax cuts in our low-tax state - at a time when the oil and gas industry is mired in a serious slump. Lawmakers faced a shortfall in this year's budget for the first time in years and could again in 2019.

As Hardin-Jefferson ISD Superintendent Shannon Holmes noted in our story recently, "It seems like every session, we're asked to do more with less and maintain high standards and high quality. At some point, that system and those expectations become unmanageable."

Given this reality, each district will have to manage its budgets better and make hard choices. Some courses, field trips and extracurricular activities may have to be cut. Non-teaching jobs must be kept to a minimum. When bond issues are needed, community leaders must promote them fearlessly.

This won't be easy, and the pressure on decision-makers will increase - just like the pressure on local taxpayers. But the cavalry isn't riding to the rescue from Austin. Local officials must step up and lead. Every trustee election and superintendent hire matters more than ever. This is the only way to ensure that local districts keep producing high school graduates ready for their next step in life.

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Ascension's Nashville, Tenn.-based Saint Thomas Health notified 2,859 patients of a privacy breach at Murfreesboro, Tenn.-based Saint Thomas Rutherford Hospital.

The health system discovered the breach in April after hospital documents were found on a rural road in Tennessee. The documents contained a subset of patient census reports or logs from 2009 and 2010. The documents contained patient names, dates of birth, admitting diagnosis, account numbers and physician names. The documents did not contain medical records or Social Security numbers.

Saint Thomas Health officials have not determined who is responsible for the privacy breach. The health system has contracted with a vendor to ensure all future files are secured and accounted for until destruction. Officials have also established a dedicated call line to answer patient questions.

"Once we were made aware of this breach, we immediately investigated the incident to ensure that no further disclosures were made," Cynthia Figaro, corporate responsibility officer and corporate privacy officer at Saint Thomas Health, said in a news release emailed to Becker's Hospital Review. "Based on our investigation, we do not believe that there is a financial risk to our patients."
The Union Home Ministry on Sunday revealed that Aadhaar Card would not be considered as a valid ID proof for Indians travelling to Nepal and Bhutan. Further, Persons over 65 and below 15 can show any documents, excluding Aadhaar, with photographs to confirm their age identity. However, Indians between 16 and 64 years of age, can travel to Nepal and Bhutan without the need of visas if they possess a valid national passport or election ID card issued by the Election Commission.
A teenager from Larne has described taking part in the kids version of The Voice as "possibly one of the best experiences of my life so far" as he made it through the auditions.

Nathan Johnston (14) rocked the stage of The Voice Kids UK on Saturday night performing a cover of rock legend Bob Seger's Old Time Rock And Roll for Pixie Lott, McFly's Danny Jones and will.i.am.

The 13-year-old was in demand as both Pixie Lott and Danny Jones asked him to be on their teams. In the end he picked McFly star Danny.

The winner of this year's competition will receive 30,000 and a family trip to Disney World.

Nathan said that if he wins he will invest it in his future.

The Voice Kids UK - airing for the first time this year - is a talent competition that is open to talented young soloists who are aged between seven and 14 years.
Belfast residents have been left with no running water due to the second incident of fire hydrant abuse in a week.

Due to the vandalism NI Water had to shut down fire hydrants in the New Lodge and North Queen Street areas on Saturday night.

It received 20 calls from residents who had no water as a result.

A spokeswoman said: "Some may see it as harmless fun by kids, but the reality is, as they play in the water, homes and businesses are suffering low water pressure or no water at all.

"There have also been incidents in the past where NI Water staff have come under threat from local youths when they try to close the hydrant down, having to return late into the night when the crowds have gone.

"This is totally unacceptable behaviour toward staff who are trying their best to do their job and protect the water supply to customers."

NI water said the "whole community" along with political representatives need to help stop the vandalism.

"The whole community needs to help us put a stop to this behaviour before the unthinkable scenario occurs where a fire breaks out and there is no water for the NI Fire & Rescue Service to deal with the fire. NI Water has utilised the vandal proof hydrant lids in an attempt to stop the hydrants being vandalised, however, if someone has the time and the resources, they can eventually break these open.

"NI Water is asking communities to say No to this anti-social behaviour and report vandalism to the PSNI or to Waterline on 03457 440088 or confidentially to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
Police are appealing after an elderly woman was robbed at her Belfast home by a man who pretended he was there to carry out repair work.

It happened at around 4.10pm on Friday June 23 where it was reported that a man had entered the elderly woman's home on Brae Hill Crescent under false pretences - claiming he was there to carry out some repair work.

He took a sum of cash from the female victim before leaving.

Detective Constable Ritchie said: We are appealing for anyone with information about this crime or who may have witnessed the incident, to contact detectives at Musgrave Street Station on 101, quoting incident reference 976 23/06/17.

"If someone would prefer to provide information without giving their details they can contact the independent charity Crimestoppers and speak to them anonymously on 0800 555 111.
A man accused of banking "vast" sums of cash earned by Romanian women trafficked into Northern Ireland to work as prostitutes claims his income was from car dealing, the High Court has heard

A man accused of banking "vast" sums of cash earned by Romanian women trafficked into Northern Ireland to work as prostitutes claims his income was from car dealing, the High Court has heard.

Prosecutors alleged Spartacus Mihai is part of an organised crime gang exploiting victims who earned in excess of 125,000 from a sex trade centred in Banbridge, Co Down.

But the 20-year-old, of Henley Road in Ilford, Essex, has denied all knowledge of the suspected vice racket. Crown counsel told a judge: "He said he buys and sells cars, that's why he had the money in his bank account."

Details emerged as the Romanian national failed in a renewed bid for bail. Mihai and his 28-year-old brother Decebal, of Kenlis Street in Banbridge, are jointly charged with controlling prostitution, conspiracy to traffic within the United Kingdom, and concealing, converting and transferring criminal property.

They were detained after searches were carried out at Kenlis Street and a property on Belfast's Newtownards Road on May 25.

According to police, four women were rescued from the two locations. But all four refuse to co-operate with the investigation and have turned up at court appearances to support the defendants.

The brothers were allegedly observed driving women to clients for sex, including trips to hotels, according to the prosecution.

Further research was said to have uncovered bank accounts and moneygram transfers of cash to Romania.

Opposing Spartacus Mihai's bail application, prosecution counsel contended: "While in Northern Ireland the brothers were depositing vast amounts of cash into UK bank accounts. It is believed to be around 100,000 earned from the prostitutes."

A further 26,000 was said to have been wired to Romania.

"Police believe he's part of an organised crime gang and if he was released he will continue to traffick victims, control prostitution and launder money."

Madam Justice McBride was told the probe is continuing, with further potential victims and witnesses to be interviewed.

"Police are currently investigating 16 telephone numbers and websites," the prosecutor added.

John O'Connor, defending, argued that Mihai should be bailed due to the expected time it will take to complete enquiries.

Refusing the application, however, the judge ruled that it was too soon to suggest delays in the case.
The children were put up for adoption straight after birth in the homes, often against the mother's will

A man who was forcibly removed from his mother as a baby by the Catholic Church has begged for justice for the victims of abuse at former mother and baby homes in Northern Ireland.

Eunan Duffy was taken from his mother against her will minutes after his birth in 1968 in the former Marian Vale mother and baby home in Newry, run by the Good Shepherd Sisters, and put up for adoption.

Mr Duffy only discovered he was adopted in February 2016.

He immediately launched a search for his birth mother, believing she had willingly given him up.

Unknown to him, his mother had never forgotten him and had spent her life hoping he would get in touch.

After six months of searching Mr Duffy finally traced her to London where they were reunited.

Mother and son have been in regular contact ever since.

The homes, or laundries, were intended for "fallen women", unmarried mothers and those with learning disabilities or who had been abused.

Women and girls were made to do unpaid manual labour in the laundries run by Catholic nuns in Ireland between 1922 and 1996.

The institutions, which were run by the Catholic Church and in some cases the Church of Ireland and the Salvation Army, housed women and girls who became pregnant outside marriage.

Some of the girls who were sent to the homes were as young as 13, but most were older teenagers.

After giving birth their children were put up for adoption, often against the mother's will.

Mr Duffy has joined demands from other birth mothers and children that a criminal investigation is launched into abuse at former mother and baby homes across the region.

The 49 year-old from Portadown also claimed that the group's calls at Stormont for an inquiry into the abuse has fallen on deaf ears and accused politicians of "political inertia".

"There are hundreds of people out there like me and like my birth mother.

"The authorities, public servants and politicians who are ignoring our calls for justice should be ashamed of themselves.

"Too many people want what happened to be dumped in the history dustbin. Shame on them," he said.

Mr Duffy added that the forced adoptions should be treated by police as human trafficking.

"We know that people in the north were moved to the south, or to England.

"In the South many were moved to the north and in England many were moved here. It was the human trafficking of babies," he said.

As well as a criminal investigation, the campaign group Birth Mothers and Their Children for Justice NI have called for a dedicated inquiry into what went on inside the institutions from 1921 to 1996 with all issues examined within a human rights framework.

They also would like compensation for victims and believe that the religious orders should pay for the compensation scheme.

In addition they want all records and documents relating to all women and children who were resident in one of the homes to be released in full.

Mr Duffy said he also has concerns about the lack of help and support for adoptees.

"We need a much better family tracing system.

"At the minute adoptees are being put on a seven or eight-month waiting list before their case is even looked at.

"Too many obstructions are being put in the way and it is just adding to the hurt and distress.

"There also needs to be much better post-adoption counselling.

"The lack of these facilities is an absolute disgrace," he said.

Mr Duffy has appealed to anyone across Ireland and the UK who may have been affected by one of the mother and baby homes in Northern Ireland to contact the group.

He said the group can provide support, advice and a confidential listening ear.

They can be contacted by email at Birthmothersforjustice.n.i@hotmail.com or by phoning Eunan on 07718645924, Oonagh on 07927943248 or Michelle on 07513874371.
The PSNI arrested two men after another man was hit with a hatchet in the Glenrosa Link area of Belfast

A man has been hit with a hatchet in an assault, police have said.

The victim was said to be in a stable condition in hospital after being attacked on the Glenrosa Link area of north Belfast at about 1.15am.

The PSNI said t wo men, both aged 26, were arrested on suspicion of attempted murder a short time after the attack.

Detectives have appealed for witnesses.
Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh watch a British Driving Society parade during the Bentley Motors Royal Windsor Cup final (Steve Parsons/PA)

The Duke of Edinburgh has accompanied the Queen to a Guards Polo Club event, three days after being discharged from hospital for treatment for an infection.

The Queens consort cut a relaxed and smiling figure as he watched a British Driving Society parade at Windsor Great Park in Berkshire.

After waving to well-wishers as he arrived at the event, the 96-year-old royal presented prizes to the winners of a carriage driving competition.

Expand Close The Duke of Edinburgh presents prizes to winners of the British Driving Society in Windsor (Steve Parsons/PA) PA Wire/PA Images / Facebook

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The Queen wore a mint green coat and matching hat at the event, which marked Prince Philips first public appearance since he was admitted to a private London hospital on Tuesday evening as a precautionary measure.

During his two-night hospital stay, Buckingham Palace officials said the duke had cancelled an engagement at London Zoo as he continued to recuperate.

The duke was due to visit the attraction next Wednesday, in his role as an honorary fellow of the Zoological Society of London, to present the Prince Philip Award for Contributions to Zoology.

Buckingham Palace said there were no current plans for Philip to miss other royal engagements.
Harry caused a stir when he suggested to Newsweek magazine that no one in the Royal Family wants the throne (Jonathan Brady/PA)

Prince Harry has admitted he once wanted out of the Royal Family.

The fifth in line to the throne said he had wanted to work out a role for myself and decided to carry on to do good.

His confession follows recent comments when he said he doubted any of the royals wants to be king or queen.

In an interview for the Mail on Sunday, Harry said the time he spent in the Army  when he was just Harry  was the best escape Ive ever had and he once considered giving up his title.

I felt I wanted out but then decided to stay in and work out a role for myself, he said.

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The Prince, who in recent years has dedicated much of his time to charitable causes including helping wounded veterans and mental health, said he and his brother, the Duke of Cambridge, dont want to be just a bunch of celebrities.

We are incredibly passionate with our charities and they have been chosen because they are on the path shown to me by our mother, he said.

Harry caused a stir when he suggested to Newsweek magazine that no one in the Royal Family wants the throne.

We are not doing this for ourselves but for the greater good of the people, he said.

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Is there any one of the Royal Family who wants to be king or queen? I dont think so, but we will carry out our duties at the right time.

Harry also spoke about walking behind his mothers coffin as a 12-year-old and said no child should be asked to do that under any circumstances.

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In 1997, the youngster joined his father, the Prince of Wales, his grandfather, the Duke of Edinburgh, 15-year-old brother William and uncle Earl Spencer in a funeral procession through the streets of London for Diana, Princess of Wales.

He said: My mother had just died, and I had to walk a long way behind her coffin, surrounded by thousands of people watching me while millions more did on television. I dont think any child should be asked to do that, under any circumstances. I dont think it would happen today.
Jeremy Corbyn urged Theresa May to call another general election during a speech to cheering supporters at Glastonbury Festival.

The Labour leader addressed thousands of fans, many wearing t-shirts bearing his name, at the events Pyramid Stage and Left Field Tent.

He met festival founder Michael Eavis, 81, posed for pictures with staff at the site in Pilton, Somerset, and enjoyed a vegan lunch at the Greenpeace area.

Fans surrounded his Land Rover Discovery and chanted Oh, Jeremy Corbyn to the tune of the White Stripes Seven National Army.

That chant, along with Corbyn, Corbyn, has been a familiar sound around the 900-acre site since the gates opened on Wednesday morning.

Mr Corbyn, who had not attended the festival before, introduced US hip hop duo Run The Jewels before his Left Field tent speech.

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I simply say to Theresa May, if she has the time this afternoon to be watching Glastonbury, we are ready for another election as soon as you like, he said.

We are on it. We are ready for it. This isnt a young versus old thing as Theresa May seems to think it is.

Thirteen million people who came to vote for us on June 8 did so for a purpose, for a reason.

Every indication we have got is there is an awful lot more people that have come to the same conclusion in the two weeks since the election.

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Mr Corbyn said young people were told the future doesnt really belong to them while old people were made to a feel a burden whose homes would be taken off them.

He described issues such as gender equality and racism as having a long way to go and praised social media for helping people engage with each other.

We cant go on destroying, damaging, polluting and degrading our planet at the rate that we are, he added.

None of us would be afraid to pick up the phone to Donald Trump and say Donald, you are wrong on the Paris climate change talk.

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In another swipe at Mr Trump, Mr Corbyn said: On the wall that surrounds this festival and there is a message on that wall for President Donald Trump  build bridges, not walls.

Some supporters were in tears as the Islington North MP delivered his speech, including when he spoke about the Grenfell Tower fire in London.

Not so long ago we saw Grenfell Tower, a towering inferno in the middle of the richest borough in the country, he said.

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Not so long ago we saw Grenfell Tower, a towering inferno in the middle of the richest borough in the country, he said.

People living in poverty, living in danger, in a place that simply went up in smoke. Not one of those people should have died. That fire was wholly and totally preventable.

He said tenants who tried to raise safety concerns were utterly ignored because they were tenants, because they were poor people, because they were working class.

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The Labour Party will be voting against the Governments programme next week and putting forward an alternative approach, which will be put to parliament, he insisted.

We are going to push the whole way, the whole time, he added.
DUP leader Arlene Foster and deputy leader Nigel Dodds arrive at Downing Street for talks with Theresa May (Frank Augstein/AP)

If Theresa May cuts a deal with the "toxic" Democratic Unionists, it could make the Conservatives look like the "Nasty Party" again, a Tory grandee has said.

Former Cabinet minister Lord Patten spoke out as Downing Street continued to try to reach an agreement with the DUP after the Tories' disastrous showing in the General Election left them eight seats short of a Commons majority and unsure if they can get the Queen's Speech to pass this week.

Lord Patten told ITV's Peston on Sunday: "The DUP is a toxic brand and the Conservative Party has got itself back in to the situation where there's a danger of it looking like the 'Nasty Party', to borrow from Theresa May.

"What the DUP want to do is to sell their votes at every opportunity, and this on the assumption that somehow Northern Ireland has been disadvantaged by public spending over the years.

"I mean, tell that to the Marines, Northern Ireland has got a lot of public spending over the years."

Lord Patten said that the DUP would continually squeeze the Government for more concessions.

"Every vote will cost you. Every vote you will have to find some way of paying for it and then explain to the Scots and the Welsh and people in the North East why they can't have the same thing too."

The former Tory chairman said there was little prospect of the DUP bringing down the Government.

"If there isn't an agreement with the DUP, are the DUP going to bring down a Conservative Government in order to bring in Mr Corbyn, who has a certain relationship with the IRA in the past?

"Of course they're not."
Egypt's president on Saturday ratified a disputed 2016 agreement under which his country would transfer control of two strategic Red Sea islands to Saudi Arabia, following through on his assertion earlier this week that the matter was closed.

News of President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi's ratification of the maritime border demarcation agreement with Saudi Arabia came in a Cabinet statement, which appeared to be carefully timed to head off, or at least delay, any street protests over the surrender of the islands, which the Egyptian government insists have always been Saudi.

It was issued shortly before sunset, when most were at or heading home to eat iftar,the meal with which Muslims break their fasts during their holy month of Ramadan.

A lunar month, Ramadan ends on Saturday and the three-day Muslim Eid al-Fitr holiday begins on Sunday, with many Egyptians planning to take the whole week off to recover from gruelling days of 16-hour fasts in sweltering summer heat.

"This matter has been closed and I am only bringing it up again because we have nothing to hide," Mr el-Sissi said in televised comments earlier this week.

"You have entrusted me with this nation and for this I will be held accountable not just before you but also before God."

Parliament approved the agreement on June 14 amid chaotic scenes of shouting matches by lawmakers arguing over the deal, whose announcement during an April 2016 visit by Saudi King Salman sparked the largest street protests since Mr el-Sissi took office in 2014.

Parliament's approval of the deal sparked a series of small protests earlier this month, but they were swiftly broken up by security forces.

Authorities have meanwhile arrested at least 120 people who voiced opposition or took to the streets to protest the agreement.

Most of them have since been freed.

The government maintains the Saudis placed the two islands under Egypt's protection in the 1950s amid Arab-Israeli tension.

Critics say the islands were transferred in exchange for billions of dollars of Saudi aid.

The government denies the claim, insisting it would never cede Egyptian territory to anyone.

Parliament's approval of the agreement was secured in defiance of two court rulings in June 2016 and January this year that reaffirmed Egypt's ownership of the islands.

However, the Supreme Constitutional Court on Wednesday annulled those two rulings as well as another two in support of the agreement.

It said its decision was made upon a government request and that former tribunals may have infringed upon the prerogatives of the government's legislative and executive branches.

The islands of Tiran and Sanafir are at the mouth of the Gulf of Aqaba.

Significantly, Tiran controls a narrow shipping lane, the so-called Strait of Tiran, that leads north to the ports of Eilat and Aqaba, in Israel and Jordan respectively.

Israel occupied the two islands in the 1967 Arab-Israeli war but returned them to Egypt under the two countries' 1979 peace treaty.

AP
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan speaks to the media after Eid prayers in Istanbul

Turkey's president on Sunday rejected a demand by major Arab states to remove Turkish troops from Qatar, saying their sweeping list of ultimatums has threatened the small Gulf country's sovereignty.

Speaking after Eid prayers in Istanbul, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called the demand "disrespectful" and said Turkey would not seek permission from others when making its defence co-operation agreements.

"Demanding that Turkey pull its soldiers is unfortunately also disrespectful toward Turkey," he said.

He said Turkey would continue to support Qatar against the many sanctions it has faced since several Arab countries moved earlier this month to isolate the country for its alleged support of terrorism.

In a sign of support, the Turkish parliament swiftly ratified a 2014 agreement with Qatar earlier this month, allowing the deployment of troops to its base there. The military said a contingent of 23 soldiers reached Doha on Thursday.

Mr Erdogan said he made a similar offer to Saudi Arabia to set up a base there in the past but did not hear back from the king.

Doha received a 13-point list from Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Bahrain that included demands to shut down the media network Al-Jazeera and cut ties with Islamist groups including the Muslim Brotherhood.

The energy-rich country said it was reviewing the ultimatum but added it would not negotiate under siege.

Turkey's president said his country "admires and embraces" Qatar's attitude, while attacking the demands by arguing they contradict international law.

"Here we see an attack against a state's sovereignty rights," Mr Erdogan said.

Mr Erdogan called the demand that Qatar shut down Al-Jazeera an attempt to take away the network's press freedom and urged rights groups to speak out against that.

AP
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Starting your day with a cup of mushroom coffee can give a much-needed twist to your daily regimen. Many speak of its benefits, and some even prefer it to regular coffee. But given its unique
A structured and stable education in the early years is crucial to giving children the best developmental start to life. Unfortunately, not all South African children have access to a good early childhood education, but NPO, The Unlimited Child, is looking to change that.

This Youth Month, The Unlimited Child's CEO, Candice Potgieter explained how the organisation is raising the standard of Early Childhood Development in disadvantaged areas, thereby giving youth the best chance to grow to their full potential.

Tell us about The Unlimited Child and how it all started?

The Unlimited Child (TUC) is a registered skills development and early childhood education non-profit organization (NPO), which was started eight years ago to make sure that all children in their formative years (0-5years), in the most disadvantaged communities across South Africa have access to quality learning programmes.

The building blocks are created in these years and we make sure that children in preschools across South Africa are not staring at empty walls, but rather are taking part in a learning programme at the preschools that they attend with practitioners/teachers who are knowledgeable, trained and equipped with the necessary toys and equipment. As we say, a child that is school ready is certainly life ready.

The Unlimited Child is also extremely fortunate to be parent funded by The Unlimited (direct marketing and sales business based in Hillcrest). This means that all the operational expenses are paid for and all money raised or donated to The Unlimited Child goes directly to the beneficiaries of the programme.

Why is it so important to raise the standard of early childhood development in South Africa, and how do we do this?

Candice Potgieter

Early Childhood Development (ECD) is the all-round development of children to help them to further develop into childhood and adulthood. The development of babies, toddlers and young children form the foundation for all further development that a child undergoes.

During early childhood, rapid development (physical, cognitive and emotional) takes place; this development is crucial in readying children for school. Children who are ready for school will be friendly, confident, and social; they will have good peer relationships, language skills and they will communicate well. School-ready children will be less likely to fail a grade and will perform better overall.

What kind of support do you provide to ECD centres?

The Unlimited Child is a rapid impact model that includes the training of preschool practitioners, the supply of educational toys and equipment  thereby transforming the areas into learning classrooms.

We host regular cluster workshops that include refresher courses and peer evaluation, and most importantly, monitor and support each preschool through monthly visits to ensure that the programme is being carried out correctly.

Share with us some of your success stories...

The Unlimited Childs programme was the subject of a recent independent research study by Prof. Jane Kvalsig of the University of Kwa-Zulu Natal, which looked at the quality and impact of the programme. The key outcomes investigated in this study were expressive language and comprehension. The research showed that the children from The Unlimited Child treatment group ECD centres scored significantly higher on this measure than children from the control group ECD centres.

To date, The Unlimited Child supports and has trained and equipped over 1,000 preschools, over 3,200 practitioners and has shifted the lives of over 125,000 children across South Africa since inception. There are currently over 55,000 children attending preschool classes with a teacher that has curriculum based knowledge, who is attentive to their needs. Most importantly the children are learning through play with the right toys for their age group.

Whats at the top of your wish list for The Unlimited Child?

Early Childhood Development is a vital area of learning that often gets overlooked. The Unlimited Child looks to creating greater awareness of the impact that early learning initiatives have on our children and society, in a way that allows every child across the country access to our stimulation programme through skills development training of practitioners.

We also look to growing our programme from what starts as centre-based intervention, to community intervention through parenting programmes and toy libraries. We thus want to partner with like-minded organisations to grow exponentially and with that a great deal of funding is required.

Where do you see The Unlimited Child in five years?

Our five-year plan is to increase five-fold, reaching 5,000 preschools (otherwise known as early childhood development centres). If we can do that, it means that the course of more than 600,000 childrens lives will be shifted for the better. They will benefit from this strong foundation in all aspects of their lives and learning, and will be well set to become tomorrows leaders.

Our experience has shown us that when children are school ready, theyre life ready. Its time to make that change to our childrens future now  and stop just talking about it.

The Unlimited Child welcomes partners from the private and corporate sector, as well as individuals looking to make a difference. As a non-profit organisation that is in the fortunate position of having The Unlimited as a parent funder, this means all funds received through funding partnerships and donations go directly to the beneficiaries of the programme.

Creches or donors looking to get involved can get in touch with Candice Potgieter (gro.detimilnueht@reteigtop.ecidnac; www.theunlimitedchild.org) or with our Donor Relations Manager, Nazley Giquel (az.oc.detimilnueht@tsak.yelzan) or call the office on +27 (0)31 716 9670.
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Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 22/06/2017 (1968 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

For the second time in less than two months, a john who used backpage.com to hire a prostitute has been robbed.

The accused, however, maintains that he attacked the man because he had been touching young girls.

There was obviously some sexual exploitation or something of that nature going on, defence lawyer Jennifer Janssens said during a bail hearing on Monday.

Crown attorney Grant Hughes told court that on the afternoon of June 6, police responded to a call of a 47-year-old man who had been assaulted and robbed at the Redwood Motor Inn.

Hughes said police learned that the man had contacted an escort online at backpage.com and arranged to meet her at a motel room.

Once the would-be john was in the room, there was a knock at the door, and a man and female entered. The victim was attacked and knocked out.

He awoke to find himself lying on the floor, covered in blood. His wallet and keys were missing, as was the pickup truck the keys belonged to.

The victim was taken to hospital with a broken orbital bone, a fractured jaw and a large cut to his upper lip.

Police found the stolen truck the next day on the 800 block of Louise Avenue East. They watched the truck and saw two males get in and drive off.

Officers, their guns drawn, then pulled over the truck and arrested the two occupants. The driver was arrested for possession of stolen property and in connection with the robbery.

Hughes said that at the time, the driver was on a probation order directing him to keep the peace and be of good behaviour.

The 24-year-old man who was arrested is charged with aggravated assault, robbery and theft of a vehicle.

The above allegations havent been proven in court and hes presumed innocent.

Janssens said the man had gone to the Redwood inn to visit his younger sister and witnessed sexual exploitation or something of that nature happening.

He maintains that the victim threw the first punch and a fight ensued.

This robbery, however, has a connection to a prior robbery of another john who used backpage.com.

The man arrested in this case is also brother to a woman charged in connection with a May 6 incident in which a man was allegedly robbed by men armed with machetes, tied up and injected with drugs.

In that case, its alleged that the victim had contacted an escort on backpage.com, was picked up and taken to a city apartment.

He was then jumped and dragged into the apartment by two men armed with machetes.

During his ordeal, the offenders tied him up, used various means including threats to get money out of his bank account, and injected him with methamphetamine.

Following one trip to the bank, he was separated from his captors and got away.

Police arrested a woman a couple of weeks later, and another 27-year-old man was arrested after police issued a public bulletin asking for help finding him.

The man charged for the Redwood inn incident, the sister he was meeting at the motel, and the second sister charged in connection with the May incident are the children of a woman who was murdered several years ago.

The Brandon Sun isnt identifying the accused at this time due to their troubled backgrounds, and the possible links between the two cases and the sex trade.

In yet another example, in September 2014, another man was robbed when he used backpage.com to hire a woman to perform a sex act.

He attended an apartment where he was attacked by men, taken to an ATM and forced to withdraw $1,000 cash. Two men ultimately received jail sentences for that case, while a woman received probation.

 ihitchen@brandonsun.com
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A 17-year-old boy broke into Sioux Valley School not once, but twice on Saturday.

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We are being warned to prepare for "the disastrous" impact of Brexit.

George Mitchell one of the key negotiators of the Good Friday agreement says our economy is set to feel the brunt of UK leaving the European Union.
Time is running out for politicians to reinstate power-sharing in The North.

The leaders of Ireland's main churches have written a joint letter to the northern parties, urging them to reach agreement on the restoration of power sharing.

The religious leaders are calling on the five main parties "to go the extra mile".

They say an agreement will be "for the common good of all in our society."

Newly appointed Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Coveney is due to return to talks in Belfast today.

It is hoped a deal between Sinn Fein and the DUP can be reached before this coming Friday - the assembly has been dissolved for six months - after the late Martin McGuinness walked out of Stormont.

Mary Lou McDonald says Minister Coveney appears to be more engaged than the former Minister.

"I take from Simon Coveney a real appetite to get things done and I think that is extremely positive.

"What will that amount to, as of yet we don't know, but I can certainly say he is engaged, perhaps more engaged than his predecessor, but this is all still work in progress."
DUNCAN  Barbecue lovers were in for a treat at a small Nebraska community's annual rib-cooking competition.

For 14 years, Duncan Ribfest has attracted thousands of people annually while inviting vendors from near and far to prepare their best dishes.

Returning competitors and new challengers have been cooking up a storm since the event started, and this year wasn't any different.

Many of those taking part in Ribfest woke up early to start smoking meat.

Tia Mentzer said a member of her team from Baby Hueys began cooking meat at 4 a.m. so they would have enough ready for the event's Saturday afternoon opening.

We dont want to run out, said Mentzer, who is catering manager for the Fremont-based business.

Baby Huey's brought 1,400 pounds of ribs that are cooked naked, allowing customers to choose what sauce they want with their order. The sauces, which included sweet original and spicy versions, are made by Baby Hueys corporate sponsor.

Our sauces are personally made for us. Its a special recipe. No one else has it except for us, Mentzer said.

Many of the vendors keep their recipes for sauces and rubs a secret.

Thats true of first-time competitor Al Hagemeier, owner of H&H Catering Bar-B-Que out of Burwell.

Weve got our own sauce and our own rub. The sauce has 14 different ingredients. We order a rub from a guy in Ord and we order a special herb seasoning from California. We mix it. Everybody wants to know what we put in it. I tell them, If I told you, Id have to kill you, Hagemeier said.

He has cooked ribs for years, and dabbles in competitions. Though he likes to put his ribs up against others, Hagemeier's more concerned about customers' reactions.

Earlier in the day, Hagemeier said a man returned to buy another half rack of ribs.

He said, Them were so good, I want to buy another. That means more to me than winning, Hagemeier said.

He takes part in about four competitions a year, but Duncans event stands out.

Im really, really glad to be here. Lincoln has their big ribfest and Id say next to Lincoln, this one is the best, Hagemeier said.

Another new vendor to Duncan Ribfest was Smokin Rs BBQ.

Owner Robert Rivers traveled the farthest, coming from Naples, Florida.

I barbecue in Florida in the winter and in the Midwest during the summer, he said.

He hits a circuit to sell his barbecue in states such as Nebraska and Iowa.

I look for big events where there are a lot of people. I read about (Duncan Ribfest) on the internet. I do a lot of research. So here I am in Duncan, Nebraska, Rivers said.

He cooked about 300 racks of ribs on Saturday and was hoping to entice customers with an award-winning sauce.

We took grand champion in the state of Florida for my sauces, Rivers said.

The sauce is just one of the homemade items Smokin Rs BBQ offered. Rivers and his team also make their own rib rubs, coleslaw and baked beans.

Even though it was his first time taking part in Ribfest, Rivers said he was impressed with the event because it also serves as a fundraiser. Money raised over the weekend supports the Duncan Volunteer Fire Department and Duncan Wrestling Club.

It think its awesome what they are doing. Its a great cause, he said.

Ribfest wrapped up on Sunday.
A junior Minister says patients in the South East are suffering cardiac emergencies have the right to better care.

John Halligan's comments follow the death of a man last week - while being transferred to a hospital in Cork.
With his big bonnie cheeks, shining eyes and chubby little legs, Dolton Wiggins is the epitome of a happy, healthy one-year-old.

As his parents Kylie and James celebrated his first birthday on Sunday, they are frank about the fact that a year earlier they had been tearfully planning their beloved baby's funeral.

Kylie and James Wiggins celebrate the first birthday of their son Dolton with family and friends. Credit:Sitthixay Ditthavong

Kylie's waters broke at 23 weeks' pregnant, when chances of the baby's survival were extremely low and they were asked by doctors to think about his funeral.

Dolton hung on for a couple more weeks and was born on June 25 last year at 25 weeks - 15 weeks' premature. He weighed just 790 grams. Not out of the woods. But alive.
Australian Hotels Association ACT's Jo Broad with aging poker machines at the Statesman Hotel in Curtin. Credit:Rohan Thomson

Apart from dressing for the chill, here's the top local news you need to know this morning.

You'll probably be rugged up as you read this, because it's forecast to reach a low of a frosty minus 3 on Monday , and a top of a measly 13 degrees. The cold's not going to ease up either, with the same minimum for Tuesday and minus 1 on Wednesday.

Welcome to a new week, Canberra.

If clubs and the casino are allowed poker machines, should Canberra's pubs be allowed to as well?

The ACT's hotels have asked the government for pokies, a request which could open another front of controversy in a highly-charged sector.

Clubs are already scrambling to respond to the looming cut to poker machine numbers from 5000 to 4000 and the government's decision to allow 200 machines in the casino.

Kirsten Lawson has this story on the potential stoush.

A miracle, one year on
Children opened presents and friends met throughout Canberra as the city's Muslim community celebrated the end of a month of fasting on Sunday.

Eid al-Fitr is one of Islam's two most significant days each year and celebrates the end of Ramadan, when Muslims go without food and drink between dawn and dusk.

Canberra's Muslims have celebrated the end of Ramadan. Credit:Getty Images

Muslims came together at Canberra's Exhibition Park, the Canberra Mosque in Yarralumla and the Canberra Islamic Centre in Monash on Sunday morning to pray before spending the rest of the day with friends and family exchanging the holiday greeting, 'Eid Mubarak!'.

At Exhibition Park, 1500 guests awoke early to attend the morning service marking the end of Ramadan.
The watchdog should examine whether Lachlan Murdoch and Bruce Gordon exerted control over Network Ten in breach of current laws, according to experts in media regulation.

Both men own shares in Network Ten and were guarantors of a $200 million loan from the Commonwealth Bank. They recently told the Ten's board they would not guarantee the next loan of $250 million, which led the board to hand over control to administrators Korda Mentha.

"The decision follows correspondence received from Illyria and Birketu over the weekend which left the Directors with no choice but to appoint administrators," shareholders were told on June 14.

The concerns come as creditors prepare to meet for the first time on Monday afternoon in Sydney.
German discount department store Kaufland has demonstrated its commitment to expanding in Australia by inking deals to buy land.

Kaufland is part of the Schwarz Group, one of the world's largest retailers, which also owns discount supermarket Lidl.

Lidl was initially interested in setting up in Australia, but changed its mind due to the concentration of Australia's $90 billion-plus supermarket sector. Lidl is now investing heavily in the US.

Schwarz Group chose last year instead to bring Kaufland to Australia, believing that US retail Costco's slow rollout had created an opportunity in the so-called "hypermarket" market.
A constant flow of unpaid interns provide free accounting and finance work for businesses, raising questions about whether Fair Work laws need to be tightened.



South Coast Labour Council Secretary Arthur Rorris will present a paper to the ACTU national conference in Sydney on Monday after discovering a string of former interns whose unpaid finance and accounting duties have included preparing budgets, submitting BAS statements and working directly with clients. The interns he interviewed worked for a Sydney company Guardian Strata.

"They have confirmed that they worked for no wages at all," Mr Rorris said.

Unpaid interns are doing accounting and finance work Credit:Getty Images

"Most worked 40 hours a week or more and undertook a range of duties.

"If this is legal there is nothing stopping firms across the country sacking their workforce and replacing them with a revolving door of free labour."
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull must sack three ministers who criticised the Victorian judiciary even though they narrowly dodged contempt of court charges, Labor says.

Opposition frontbencher Tony Burke says Health Minister Greg Hunt, Human Services Minister Alan Tudge and Assistant Minister to the Treasurer Michael Sukkar have breached the ministerial code of conduct and have to go.

In comments that were published in The Australian newspaper earlier this month, Mr Hunt accused the Victorian legal system of becoming a forum for "ideological experiments" as the Court of Appeal considered a federal prosecutor's appeal over the sentence of convicted terrorist Sevdet Ramadan Besim.



Mr Sukkar said the judiciary should focus more on victims and less on terrorists' rights, while Mr Tudge said some judges were "divorced from reality".

The comments drew a furious reaction from the judges, who threatened the ministers with charges of contempt and of scandalising the court.
Flipside is having a warehouse sale with a range of street wear brands. While we missing out on all the items at this weekend's Ellery sale in Melbourne, you're still in luck. The parisian inspired Australian brand, known for its signature flares and eyelet pieces, will feature 50% Off Spring '17 and Resort '17 collections at the Paddington and recently opened Westfield Sydney pop-up store. Instore. While stocks last. Ellery has 50 per cent off recent styles.

Westfield Sydney, Level 4, 188 Pitt Street, Sydney. Till Sunday 25. Harrolds has up to 50 per cent off some of the world's leading designer labels. Australian luxury accessories brand Oroton is holding their end of season sale, with up to 50 per cent off selected leather goods and jewellery, as well as an extra 25 per cent off sale and men's items online including bags, clutches and wallets. Till Stocks Last, Online and Instore. Oroton is having 50 per cent off a large portion of their stock.

Net-A-Porter is having an end-of-season sale with up to 50 per cent off local and international clothing, shoe and accessories brands including Michael Kors, Charlotte Olympia, Alexander Wang, Vivienne Wood and P.E Nation. Online Only. While stocks last. Jonathan Simkhai Cutout ruffled crepe halterneck midi dress. Looking to help a male in your life update his wardrobe? Part of the Net-A-Porter group, Mr Porter is also having their seasonal clearance sale with up to 50 per cent off casual and formal clothing and acessory brands including Bottega Venetta, Paul Smith, Tom Ford, Stella McCartney, Michael Kors, Common Projects and Valentino. Online Only. While Stocks last.

Short sleeve poplin shirt. If online is more your cup of tea many Australian retail outlets are also offering massive end of season sales including Minkpink Princess Polly, St Frock, Diish and Stylerunner all offering up to 70 per cent off selected stock, Alice McCall is continuing their sale with up to 60 per cent off and Beginning Boutique which has a large range of their stock in a Nothing over $40 sale. Alannah hills has their signature quirky designs at up to 50 per cent off and Peter Alexander is holding a major online sale including 30 per cent off sale styles, selected gowns for $45 and nighties for $29. The Iconic also has a half price sale on mens and womens wear but it ends at midnight tonight, so jump to it quickly. Just Launched French denim brand A.P.C has just launched their Butler program into Australia, which basically pays you to wear in jeans for someone else. The classic denim program see people taking their old A.P.C jeans into one of the brand's boutiques to trade them in for a pair of new jeans at 50 per cent off, should they be a high enough quality to resell on to another customer. You will have your opportunity to make your mark on the jeans by signing the old pair before they are washed, repaired and sold on to a customer who prefers a jean that is a little worn in all the right place. This sustainability initiative is basically a case of the sisterhood of the travelling pants. The main Sydney A.P.C boutique opened in Surry Hills two years ago and is the best store to be a part of the initiative.
A man has been charged after police pursued a car displaying false plates for two hours, as it completed a round trip close to 100 kilometres through Brisbane and Logan on Friday night.

Polair, stingers, the dog squad and multiple police cars were involved in the chase, which started in Logan and came up through Brisbane's north-east, before a man was arrested close to the point where he was allegedly first spotted.

The red Holden Commodore, allegedly displaying false plates, was hit by stingers in Brisbane's east. Credit:Queensland Police Service (Supplied)

Police said officers tried to stop a red Holden Commodore ute displaying false plates in Park Ridge South about 10.45pm, but the driver fled onto the Logan Motorway.

It will be alleged the ute continued along the M1 and Gateway Motorway to Eagle Farm in Brisbane's north-east, before being hit by stingers on the Gateway in nearby Murarrie.




1. U.S. acceptance of coexistence as the only alternative to atomic war.

2. U.S. willingness to capitulate in preference to engaging in atomic war.

3. Develop the illusion that total disarmament of the United States would be a demonstration of moral strength.

4. Permit free trade between all nations regardless of Communist affiliation and regardless of whether or not items could be used for war.

5. Extension of long-term loans to Russia and Soviet satellites.

6. Provide American aid to all nations regardless of Communist domination.

7. Grant recognition of Red China. Admission of Red China to the U.N.

8. Set up East and West Germany as separate states in spite of Khrushchev's promise in 1955 to settle the German question by free elections under supervision of the U.N.

9. Prolong the conferences to ban atomic tests because the United States has agreed to suspend tests as long as negotiations are in progress.

10. Allow all Soviet satellites individual representation in the U.N.

11. Promote the U.N. as the only hope for mankind. If its charter is rewritten, demand that it be set up as a one-world government with its own independent armed forces. (Some Communist leaders believe the world can be taken over as easily by the U.N. as by Moscow. Sometimes these two centers compete with each other as they are now doing in the Congo.)

12. Resist any attempt to outlaw the Communist Party.

13. Do away with all loyalty oaths.

14. Continue giving Russia access to the U.S. Patent Office.

15. Capture one or both of the political parties in the United States.

16. Use technical decisions of the courts to weaken basic American institutions by claiming their activities violate civil rights.

17. Get control of the schools. Use them as transmission belts for socialism and current Communist propaganda. Soften the curriculum. Get control of teachers' associations. Put the party line in textbooks.

18. Gain control of all student newspapers.

19. Use student riots to foment public protests against programs or organizations which are under Communist attack.

20. Infiltrate the press. Get control of book-review assignments, editorial writing, policymaking positions.

21. Gain control of key positions in radio, TV, and motion pictures.

22. Continue discrediting American culture by degrading all forms of artistic expression. An American Communist cell was told to "eliminate all good sculpture from parks and buildings, substitute shapeless, awkward and meaningless forms."

23. Control art critics and directors of art museums. "Our plan is to promote ugliness, repulsive, meaningless art."

24. Eliminate all laws governing obscenity by calling them "censorship" and a violation of free speech and free press.

25. Break down cultural standards of morality by promoting pornography and obscenity in books, magazines, motion pictures, radio, and TV.

26. Present homosexuality, degeneracy and promiscuity as "normal, natural, healthy."

27. Infiltrate the churches and replace revealed religion with "social" religion. Discredit the Bible and emphasize the need for intellectual maturity which does not need a "religious crutch."

28. Eliminate prayer or any phase of religious expression in the schools on the ground that it violates the principle of "separation of church and state."

29. Discredit the American Constitution by calling it inadequate, old-fashioned, out of step with modern needs, a hindrance to cooperation between nations on a worldwide basis.

30. Discredit the American Founding Fathers. Present them as selfish aristocrats who had no concern for the "common man."

31. Belittle all forms of American culture and discourage the teaching of American history on the ground that it was only a minor part of the "big picture." Give more emphasis to Russian history since the Communists took over.

32. Support any socialist movement to give centralized control over any part of the culture--education, social agencies, welfare programs, mental health clinics, etc.

33. Eliminate all laws or procedures which interfere with the operation of the Communist apparatus.

34. Eliminate the House Committee on Un-American Activities.

35. Discredit and eventually dismantle the FBI.

36. Infiltrate and gain control of more unions.

37. Infiltrate and gain control of big business.

38. Transfer some of the powers of arrest from the police to social agencies. Treat all behavioral problems as psychiatric disorders which no one but psychiatrists can understand.

39. Dominate the psychiatric profession and use mental health laws as a means of gaining coercive control over those who oppose Communist goals.

40. Discredit the family as an institution. Encourage promiscuity and easy divorce.

41. Emphasize the need to raise children away from the negative influence of parents. Attribute prejudices, mental blocks and retarding of children to suppressive influence of parents.

42. Create the impression that violence and insurrection are legitimate aspects of the American tradition; that students and special-interest groups should rise up and use united force to solve economic, political or social problems.

43. Overthrow all colonial governments before native populations are ready for self-government.

44. Internationalize the Panama Canal.

45. Repeal the Connally reservation so the United States cannot prevent the World Court from seizing jurisdiction over nations and individuals alike.
The Queensland government has unveiled a multimedia campaign to encourage minority communities in the state to better integrate and avoid radicalisation.

The We Are Queensland campaign features young Queenslanders from different backgrounds and cultures, and will cost $7.4 million over four years, on top of the $5 million already allocated to "social cohesion" programs.

Multicultural Affairs Minister Grace Grace has unveiled the government's We Are Queensland anti-radicalisation campaign. Credit:Glenn Hunt

Multicultural Affairs Minister Grace Grace said the government consulted with multiple minority communities about the campaign, and believed it would go a long way towards reducing the isolation of young people in those communities from society.

"What we want to do is ensure this reaches out as far as possible, and that those who may feel isolated or a bit marginalised have the opportunity to come out, be connected with the community," Ms Grace told reporters on Sunday.
Police have deemed a fire that tore through and destroyed a home at Woolloongabba on Sunday morning to be suspicious.

Emergency services were called to the Carl Street home about 5am.

Despite emergency crews responding, the home  which had been vacant for sometime  was completely destroyed.

On Sunday afternoon the home and the neighbouring property had been cordoned off by police tape as police had declared the site a crime scene.
Raising about $300,000 more than you were hoping for on a crowdfunding platform sounds like a dream come true for most small business owners.

But the result felt lacklustre for the founders of Henty, which produces garment bags for active travellers.

Jeremy Grey and Jon Gourlay with their latest product, a suit bag. Credit:Mathew Farrell

Henty CEO Jeremy Grey and his business partner Jon Gourlay turned to crowdfunding to gauge interest in Co-Pilot  a new travel bag that keeps suits crease-free. They decided that reaching $15,000 would prove market interest and they would commence production.

They turned to crowdfunding as a pre-selling tool to test a new product and expand their audience reach. The bid was first listed on Kickstarter (raising $260,000 in 25 days) then they swapped to the Indiegogo platform (raising them a further $60,000) another 30 days later.
Premier Mark McGowan has announced the Perth Stadium footbridge will now be constructed in WA, rather than Malaysia as originally planned by the outgoing government.

The stadium footbridge was originally costed at $54 million, and was set to open at the end of 2016.

WA engineers previously expressed concerns the Perth Stadium footbridge could collapse due to poor welds.

However the project has been the source of many headaches for the new WA government after it was revealed the budget had blown out by a staggering $16 million in April this year, and the original opening date has now been set back almost two years.

The original delay was allegedly due to fabrication issues in Malaysia, with significant delays to steel shipment dates a result of a legal stoush between overseas companies involved in the fabrication.
An AirAsia flight has been forced to turn back to Perth after an engine reportedly failed and an explosion was heard mid flight.

Flight D7237 departed Perth Airport's international complex at 6.50am on Sunday morning bound for Kuala Lumpur, with 359 passengers on board.

The AirAsia flight was bound for Kuala Lumpur.

The decision to turn back was made as the flight passed over Shark Bay, about one hour and 15 minutes into the flight.

Passengers said the captain announced that there appeared to have been an engine seizure on the left side, and they would be returning to Perth.
New York: Matthew Howard was leaving a New York amusement park at the weekend when he heard someone screaming.

He looked up to see a girl dangling about eight metres off the ground from a slow-moving gondola ride. Her little brother sat next to her in the two-person pod, crying hysterically for help, saying he couldn't hold on.

Mr Howard and his 21-year-old daughter, Leeann Winchell, positioned themselves under the girl as the ride stopped and security came running. A crowd of onlookers gathered, many filming, others calling for help.

"I said, 'It's OK to let go  I'll catch you, honey. I'm not going to let you fall,"' said Mr Howard.
Springfield quarry plan still unresolved as residents wait, worry

Conditional Use Hearing on a proposed quarry along Rt. 309 in Springfield may be nearing an end after two years. Here's what residents have to say.
Alison takes center stage (but fortunately, not in the way her husband does) in this Orphan Black episode. She may not be a cop like Beth or a scientist like Cosima and may not be able to swap places with one of her sisters as easily as Sarah can, but that doesnt mean that she hasnt earned her place in the sestrahood  and she proves just that when Rachel has Maddie execute a search warrant of the Hendrixes house.

Beneath Her Heart features multiple moments I needed (but didnt necessarily realize I did or would get) before the series end. We get to see the moment Alison meets Cosima. Donnies past as a monitor comes up. Thanks to flashbacks, we get Alison hating the C word as she puts it and standing up for the sisterhood in the same episode. And throughout the episode, we see Alison wondering who she is, as an individual and as part of Clone Club.

Orphan Black: The 5 Best Reactions to Being Told the Clone Secret>>>

But its not all about Bailey Downs. Before Rachel and her Neo lapdog Maddie become a problem, Clone Club takes a moment to say goodbye to and remember M.K. And since that happens after Mr. Frontenac tells Alison that even M.K. had more value than she did, its no surprise that she wonders if she couldve done something to help, like been a decoy.

Alisons Trippy Night

Lets go back to before the beginning. Before we met Sarah. Before Beth killed herself. Back to when Alison hated the word clones. (We look alike, thats it, she tells Beth when the cop calls her.) Aynsley was still alive, and Donnie was a monitor.

After awkwardly misinterpreting Aynsley and Chads invitation to shake things up a bit after dinner, Alison and Donnie initially turn down their offer of magic mushrooms  until the clone decides that its the perfect way to forget about the c-word business. While the other three partake, Donnie brings them water and has Poison Control on speed dial.

But with Alison in denial, Beth thinks that she needs to see another face, so she sends Cosima to meet her and, in the scientists words, drop a bomb in the middle of a Norman Rockwell painting. And when better for that to happen than when Alisons high? (It doesnt go as Beth had hoped.)

Instead, once back inside, Alison stares at herself in a mirror and wonders, Why do I have this face? I couldve been born with many faces. She couldve been a cop or a scientist, but she microwaves mini pizzas and drives the kids to camp. Why this life? And to her, Donnies just so normal, though, she tells him, sometimes you look at me so strangely, its like our entire life is a lie. (Remember, this is back when he was her monitor. You know, before he quit and accidentally killed Dr. Leekie.)

A Church Fair in Bailey Downs, What Could Go Wrong? (Everything.)

In the present, the Hendrixes are back together (though things are tense since Donnie abandoned Alison  her word choice, not his). Mr. Frontenac wants to know where Helena is, and when he gets nothing from them, he takes the opportunity to point out the other clones usefulness (Cosimas a valuable scientist, Sarah and Helena are fertile and therefore biologically priceless) while theres Alison, with her vapid existence. He suggests she consider her worth. And thats what drives Alison for the rest of the episode.

Why do I love my sisters so much when theyve ruined my life? Alison wonders to Donnie, but he argues that her life isnt ruined and is just waiting for her to come back to sparkle it up. With that in mind, she heads to the Church Fall Fair (with some pills she found in her craft room), even though Nonas in charge this year.

After Nona brushes off her input, Alison pops a pill before adding the rest to a bottle in her bag and offers the drink to the other woman with an apology. But after Reverend Mike commends her for working things out and comments that God sees good and small deeds, she grabs the drink from Nona before she can take a sip, claiming it had been in her car too long and offering to get her a new one.

Alison doesnt get a break. She then runs into Chad at a memorial for Aynsley. Could it have been our fault? he asks. If not for their affair, he might have been home to save her. We cant change the past, Alison says in response.

Since Helenas babys recovery was miraculous, Rachel wants to know where she is more than ever, and so Maddie, Art and a few officers show up at the Hendrixes to execute a search warrant regarding the dead Portuguese gangsters and a seriously bloody paper cutter to put the pressure on them. Donnies already dressed for his highland dance at the fair, and Maddie tells him he can go on his way. But before he does, he makes sure Art knows to keep everyone out of the garage.

When Alison sees Ramone at the Fair, she confronts him about ripping them off, but he insists that Kellermans the one who scammed her, which only adds to her feelings of failure. At this point, its no surprise that she says eff it and takes Ramone up on his offer to take the edge off.

When Donnie finds her, shes high, so it takes him a moment to inform her about the Neo police searching their house with the bodies in the garage. Its the perfect time for the couple to get some of their frustrations out:

Donnie: What do you think happens when Rachel discovers that I killed Leekie?

Alison: Well, I didnt shoot him in the face, did I?

Donnie: No, you only let Aynsley strangle to death.

Alison: I thought she was my monitor, and that turned out to be you!

Back at the Hendrixes, Art finds Maddie planting evidence in the garage; with clone blood present on clothes with blood from the crime scene, they can tie Alison to the crime and then have Donnie spill Helenas location to help her. But then Maddie spots something even better: what clearly looks like a grave. Time to get the jackhammer out.

7 Actors Who Make Playing Multiple Characters on TV Look Easy>>>

Its Time for Someone to Step up

When Chad finds Alison again, she tries to talk about what happened to Aynsley and tells him she was responsible, but he cuts her off. Yes, they had their problems, but Aynsley loved her, he assures her and then echoes her we cant change the past. If they want to honor Aynsley, they have to move forward.

Donnie calls Sarah and Felix to update them on the latest suburban madness. Theyre on their way, but they should hurry because Donnie then downs Alisons drink, unaware of the Lorazepam in it, before taking the stage. And once Alison realizes what Donnie did, she can only watch as the drugs hit him and first, he falls flat on his back, legs spread (and the parents in the audience cover their childrens eyes), then tries to keep dancing and falls flat on his face.

Felix arrives in time to witness this and joins Alison on stage to help Donnie, but when Nona comments that it looks like theyre both alcoholics, Alison comes to her husbands defense, calling out everyone for being hypocrites since half of them bought pills from her.

Ive given my heart to this community, and I cant help but feel a little bit hurt that youre pushing me to the side, but you know, Ive atoned for my sins, she says. And I have a life that is so much bigger than Bailey Downs. I am part of a sisterhood that you couldnt even begin to understand. Its a much-needed moment for Alison, who at the start of the series hated the word clones (as we were reminded of with the flashbacks), but fortunately, Felix cuts her off with And thank god, you never will before she can say too much.

Meanwhile, Sarah finds Art as the Hendrixes as hes digging in the garage, and he excuses himself to join her in the house. Im not just looking out for you anymore, he points out to Sarah. She knows, but they really cant let Rachel find out whos in the garage. (No, its not Duko; S. took care of his body.)

If Rachel finds out Donnie killed Leekie, shell come after all of them, but they cant give up Helenas location either. (Shes in a convent, as the end of the episode reveals.) Instead, Alison decides to make herself useful for once and leaves to make sure Rachel knows its their doing.

With that, she goes to see Rachel at Dyad. I know you look down on me. You probably wonder why on Earth my sisters even bother with me, she tells the pro-clone before making it clear, But Ive been in this fight since the beginning, with Beth. Even before Sarah. And Im in it for the long haul.

Then she gives Rachel the bag with Leekies head in it as Maddie uncovers the rest of his body in the garage. It was an accident, Alison explains. Dr. Leekie pushed Donnie over the edge, and he didnt have basic firearm safety. Rachel can file murder charges against them, sure, but would Rachels new boss like all the attention that would end up bringing to Neolution?

Rachel really has only one option: tell Maddie to stand down. And as she makes that call, Art stands behind Enger, with his gun out. Once he hears Maddies new orders, he re-holsters his weapon. But would he have pulled the trigger?!

As for what Rachels going to do to Alison, I should like to put my hands around your neck and squeeze.

Then were not so different, you and I, Alison tells her before leaving.

All of this has made Alison realize she needs to get away for a while and see who [she is] outside of all of this. Before she leaves Donnie, though, they duet Aint No Mountain High Enough while he plays the lute.

Remember, Shes Not Auntie Rachel

It might be time to start worrying about Kira. Yes, she has every right to find out why shes so special, even if it means a few non-invasive tests. But shes not telling her family the nature of her visits with Rachel.

And sure, its nice for Rachel to give her a present  a spiny mouse, which has the remarkable ability to grow back its own skin and fur, so it can escape when a predator grasps it  but was anyone else worried when Kira brought it home with her and then took out a pocket knife?

Then theres the lack of an answer from Kira when she tells Rachel everyone told her she cant trust her and the pro-clone asks if she does. (#ProtectKirafromRachelsInfluence)

Did you enjoy this deep dive into Alison? Do you think Art would have pulled the trigger? Are you worried about Kiras visits with Rachel?

Orphan Black season 5 airs Saturdays at 10/9c on BBC America. Want more news? Like our Facebook page.

(Images courtesy of BBC America)
Teen visits South Jersey in 50-state Flowers and Flags tribute to vets

Preston Sharp of Calif. visits veterans graves in Cinnaminson cemetery in South Jersey on 50-state Flowers and Flags tribute to their sacrifices
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French mobility equipment manufacturer Alstom expects the first phase of its Rs 20,000-crore electric locomotive manufacturing facility, which will manufacture 800 super high-power locomotives, in Madhepura, Bihar, to be ready by September this year.
Blue-blooded law firms of the country are realigning their resources to lap up the big opportunity offered by the new regime.
With one car rolling out every 12 seconds, over 2,400 robots aiding 20,000 workers, India's mega car factories at Gurugram and Manesar are embracing new technologies to keep pace with demands of the 21st century.

It is a far cry from nearly 35 years back, when the company first rolled out the now-discontinued iconic M800 model with around 900 people and negligible automation at the then Gurugram factory.

With over 4,000 trucks criss-crossing the premises, supplying components and picking up fully built vehicles, the two factories buzz with activity for 280 days a year to roll out over 15 lakh units of 16 models with 1,100-plus variants.

The company has already started looking beyond 2020 when it looks to sell 2 million units annually. In fact it is aiming for 3 million units annual sales in the next decade.

According to India (MSI) Executive Director Production, Rajiv Gandhi, the challenge for manufacturing operations to meet the demands of maintaining dominant market position is enormous.

Almost every second passenger vehicle sold in India is from the stable of MSI. It calls for modern technologies that assist operators, improve their efficiencies and bring down fatigue to keep the factories running flawlessly.

"In order to handle the complexity in manufacturing, we have invested in deploying new technologies at the shop floor," Gandhi told PTI.

While newest, lean and efficient robots have made a big presence in the factories, which witness over 1.25 crore welds a day, the company hasn't done away with simple techniques that ensure smooth production.

"Over 5,100 fool-proofing tools have been installed across all shops to ensure high product quality. They use simple signs like glowing of a bulb to warn the operator if a wrong part is picked for fitment," he said.

Such practice ensures that the company has a direct pass record of 93 per cent of completed vehicles.

"Several automated quality checks of this type ensure world class quality levels," Gandhi said.

Skilling of workers



With the company selling 16 models with 1,100-plus variants in the market, it also calls for flexibility at the production unit to meet varied demand by training its workers.

"We are systematically training people and skilling them for multiple operations. This helps faster turnaround in new model launches and the introduction of new technology in existing models. The entire manufacturing is well orchestrated with support from strong IT system," Gandhi said.

He said MSI has such enhanced flexibility in its lines that it is able to produce multi-models on a single line.

"Our weld lines can produce two models on one single line. Our top selling models like Alto, Swift and Dzire can be produced in more than one line," he added.

Besides, multi-skilling has been one of the key focus areas in the shop floor, wherein, one operator is supposed to know the job of one station before and one station in advance, Gandhi said.

MSI also relies on suggestions of its workers to enhance efficiency and improve productivity at its factories.

"With support from employees we were able to achieve record suggestions of 7,43,147 and cost savings of Rs 203 crore," Gandhi said.

Raw material handling



Another aspect of churning out of over 5,000 units daily from the two facilities is handling of the raw materials that are being brought to the factories by around 3,400 trucks on a daily basis.

Another 650 trucks transport assembled vehicles from the factories to around 2,000 dealerships across the country.

The amount of steel that MSI uses a year can build 32 Eiffel Towers every year. Different components, including nuts and bolts, rubber parts to tyres come from 444 tier one suppliers and 2,050 tier II vendors.

Here also, Gandhi said the company has been relying on technology to improve efficiency and reduce the time taken for preparing the raw materials to be used in production.

For instance, MSI relies on conveyor belts that measure up to a total of 10 km to transfer various parts to different works stations.

The company's first plant at Gurugram rolls out models such as Alto 800, Wagon R, S-Cross, Vitara Brezza, Ertiga, Ignis, Omni, LCV Super Carry and Gypsy.

At Manesar, it produces Ciaz, Dzire, Celerio, Alto K10, Baleno and Swift models.

The company's parent Suzuki has also come up with a new plant in Gujarat. Suzuki supplies vehicles and components exclusively to MSI from the plant.
Nearly two-thirds of refiners plan to raise investments in digital technologies over the next three to five years, although digital is not one of the top plant investment areas for refiners today, according to research from Accenture. The Accenture Connected Refinery research  based on a survey of over 200 executives, functional leaders and engineers at refiners globally  shows that 57 per cent respondents said their current level of digital investment overall was more or significantly more than 12 months ago.
Indian and Pakistani troops traded heavy fire on Sunday along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir's Rajouri district, a defence official said.

"Pakistan army began indiscriminate firing and shelling on our positions on the LoC in Naushera sector from 6.30 a.m.," Defence Ministry spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Manish Mehta told IANS.

"They first initiated small arms and automatic gunfire, but later used mortars."

"The firing is ongoing and our forces are effectively retaliating," Mehta added.
The encounter at DPS in the wee hours on Sunday, following the killing of a CRPF jawan, ended with two militants being slain and three jawans being injured.

Earlier, a day after an attack that killed a CRPF jawan and injured another officer, three militants had taken refuge in Srinagar's DPS School.

"The exchange of firing between security forces and militants began at around 3:40 am and is going on intermittently," a police official said.

The militants had entered into the premises of DPS last evening after carrying out an attack on the CRPF personnel deployed on road opening duty near the school on Srinagar-Jammu highway.

One CRPF officer was killed and a constable of the force injured in the attack that took place in a high-security zone located less than a kilometre away from headquarters of Army's Chinar Corps.

The security forces immediately cordoned off the area and launched search operations in the large school campus.

Sources said drone cameras and other hi-tech gadgets were used to trace the location of the militants but police officials refused to comment on operational details.


Prime Minister was today greeted by a group of people from the Indian community who were waiting for him outside a high-security hotel here where he is staying.

Modi arrived in the American capital for his first bilateral meeting with US President .

A small group of people from the Indian community were waiting outside Willard InterContinental to catch a glimpse of the Indian prime minister.

As Modi's motorcade arrived at the hotel, he got out of his vehicle and walked up to the group of people, waving his hand.

The Indian community members burst into loud cheers and chanted "Modi-Modi" as Modi walked up to them.

During his three-day visit, Prime Minister Modi will also interact with about 20 leading American CEOs followed by an Indian-American community event in Washington DC suburb of Virginia.

The programme is likely to be attended by about 600 members of the community.



Trump will host Modi at the White House on Monday afternoon and the two leaders would spend about five hours together in various settings beginning with their bilateral discussion, delegation level talks, a reception and a working dinner, the first of its kind hosted by this administration.
One of the earliest to jump into the destination branding game in India, is spicing up its offering. Keen to attract the local millennial traveller and expand the tourist circuit within the state, it is promoting the state as a hotspot for unique experiences. To get more international tourists in, it is developing the backwaters as the focal point for adventure and leisure tourism.


An English teacher in the UK asked over 60 teenage students to draft a suicide note for homework as part of a module on Shakespeare's tragedy Macbeth, sparking outrage and prompting the school to apologise.

Pupils at Thomas Tallis school, Kidbrooke, London, were asked to pen a final note to their loved ones after reading one of the play's most celebrated scenes, when Lady Macbeth takes her own life.

However, the decision caused outrage among parents, some of whom claimed their children had been personally affected by the issue, The Telegraph reported.

Criticising Thomas Tallis for its lack of sensitivity, one mother said her daughter had been told to write the note - despite having lost three friends to suicide.

She was quoted as saying that her daughter had become "very distressed" over the issue, and had told the teacher in question that such material made her feel uncomfortable.

"My daughter had had personal experience with people her age committing suicide," the mother said.

"On what universe was it ever, under any situation, a good idea to ask a group of teenagers to write suicide notes?" she said.

Other parents branded the decision "absolutely disgusting" and "insensitive", with one claiming that the assignment had been ill-conceived given the age of the students involved.

"I can't imagine why a place of education would do something so insensitive, especially as childhood and teenage depression and anxiety is at an all time high at the moment," another parent said.

Headmistress Caroyln Roberts said, "A parent contacted us with concerns about a written exercise given to a class during studies of a play by Shakespeare."



"We appreciate that the exercise was upsetting to the family and have discussed the subject matter and approach with teaching staff," Roberts said.

"I met with the parent last week and apologised wholeheartedly on behalf of the school and reassured them about the actions that have been taken. The parent accepted the apology in a meeting that was friendly and cordial," she said.




An encounter is underway at DPS Srinagar, Kashmir, as security forces are attempting to flush out militants holed up in the school. The militants took refuge in the school after attacking personnel in the city's Pantha Chowk area on Saturday evening.

According to a Times Now flash, two soldiers have been injured in the ongoing encounter.



"The exchange of firing between security forces and militants began at around 3:40 am and is going on intermittently," a police official said about the ongoing encounter.
India's border with Nepal will be sealed tomorrow, 48 hours before the municipal polls in the neighbouring country, to prevent anti-social elements from crossing the international boundary and vitiating the election atmosphere.

This was decided at a high-level meeting of a coordination committee, said V K Singh, District Magistrate, Maharajganj, here today.

The meeting was attended by officers of the local administration, police, border guarding force Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), Army, customs, immigration and other departments of both the countries.

SSB, which works under the command of the Union home ministry, guards the 1,751 km long Indo-Nepal border.

Uttar Pradesh shares a 599.3 km long open border with Nepal touching seven districts - Pilibhit, Lakhimpur Kheri, Bahraich, Sravasti, Balrampur, Sidhharthnagar and Maharajganj.

Municipal elections will be held in Nepal on June 28.

Some Madhes-centric parties have opposed the elections seeking that the Constitution is amended to accommodate their demands for more representation in parliament and redrawing of provincial boundaries.

The Nepal government has tabled a new Constitution amendment bill in Parliament to address the demands of the agitating Madhesis.

Madhesis, mostly of Indian-origin, launched a prolonged agitation between September 2015 and February last year against the implementation of the new Constitution which, they felt, marginalised the 'Terai' community.
Wholesale cloth merchants say theyre going on a three-day nationwide strike from Tuesday, in protest at the five per cent Goods and Services Tax (GST) rate levied on job work given by them to the textile industry.
As Prime Minister meets US President for the first time on Monday in Washington DC, healthy defence ties between the two countries are expected to buoy the discussions.
The central government has asked five state-owned banks to raise capital from the markets to meet their requirements for the fiscal year 2017-18. The Department of Financial Services has asked the relatively strong public sector banks (PSBs)  Canara Bank, Bank of Baroda (BoB), Indian Bank, Vijaya Bank, and Syndicate Bank  with a fairly good market capitalisation to not depend on the governments recapitalisation plan.
Conservative lawmakers plotting to replace Theresa May must stop being so self-indulgent and focus on governing Britain, Secretary David Davis said on Sunday, amid reports of secret moves to oust the prime minister.
On Feb. 9, 1950, Senator Joseph McCarthy disembarked from his Capital Airlines plane at Stifel Field here, where he planned to speak at a Lincoln Day event hosted by the Ohio County Womens Republican Club.
The doorbell woke Yassin Adam just before 1 a.m. A neighbor was frantically alerting on the fourth floor of Grenfell Tower about a fire in his apartment. My fridge blew up, the man shouted.
With slipping nearly 20 per cent from their peak levels, Singaporebased Sammy Six, senior analyst at S&P Global Platts tells Puneet Wadhwa the market dynamics are luring traders and market participants with an incentive to store now and sell later. Edited excerpts:



What explains the crude oil price fall?



Prices declined since the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (Opec) and non-Opec countries decided to roll over the output cut agreement in May. The market had already priced in an extension due to supporting chatter from Saudi Arabia and Russia in the weeks leading up to the agreement. Instead of increasing, prices fell when Opec and non-Opec announced their decision, due to disappointment that the group did not cut more or include more non-Opec producers. Theres also worry about the group not talking of a clear exit strategy.
The Badminton Association of India (BAI) on Sunday announced a cash reward of Rs. 5 lakh for Kidambi Srikanth after the shuttler lifted his maiden Australian Open Super Series title in Sydney.

While announcing the reward, BAI president Himanta Biswa Sarma also heaped praise on Srikanth, who not only won his fourth super series title but also became the only sixth badminton player in the world to make it to three consecutive Super Series finals on the trot.

"We are really very proud of Srikanth for his achievements. It is simply phenomenal. He has not only made the whole country proud once again but has etched his name among the best and no word would enough to praise Srikanth," said Sharma while congratulating Srikanth on his amazing win.

Coming on the back of his maiden Indonesia Open title, the 24-year-old continued his rich vein of form in the Australian Open Super Series as well as he fended off China's Chen Long 22-20, 21-16 in the finals to clinch his fourth Super Series title.

Reiterating president's views, Anup Narang, official spokesperson and Secretary General of BAI, said, "It is indeed a very huge achievement for Srikanth and Indian badminton. The entire BAI is in a jubilant mood and I am sure so is the badminton fans across the country."

With the win, Srikanth has now gone to number one in Dubai Destination Rankings.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Washington D.C. [USA], June 25 (ANI): If the first twelve hours are any indication, India is playing the D.C. game with caution. Prime Minister Narendra Modi's arrival in the city was at 9 p.m. on Saturday with no raucous Gujarati and Punjabi expats dancing and singing at the airport or at Willard Intercontinental, where he is staying. There were no drums and no Bollywood songs to greet him on arrival. The NRI community is probably saving it for their event in Virginia Sunday afternoon.

The visit itself is over the weekend, which incidentally is sacrosanct in this city, set aside for family and chores, not for meetings with foreign dignitaries.

The Prime Minister has only two engagements scheduled for Sunday - meetings with CEOs at 10 a.m. and later the NRI event in Virginia, a few miles away from the city. This is very unlike his earlier visits to this city where Modi would begin the day with breakfast meetings and go on till late evening, meeting with several Congressmen and senators, business honchos, diaspora leaders, community representatives, BJP workers from various US cities, admirers waiting for selfies and finding time to walk up to a Martin Luther King memorial or some such tourist spot.

The focus this time seems to be just to get to know the highly unpredictable and mercurial U.S. President Donald Trump. On Saturday, Prime Minister Modi waited for the American President to tweet a welcome before himself tweeting that he looked forward to the meeting at the White House. In that he was not disappointed. Barely had Prime Minister Modi taken off from Lisbon for D.C. that the US President tweeted a welcome note from the official handle. If the Indian PM read the tweet in Air India One over the Atlantic, he did not reply till he touched down at the Joint base Andrews.

The PM's official handle, however, did not tweet anything about landing in the U.S. From Portugal tweets, it went on to Mann Ki Baat, Rath Yatra and Eid tweets. Both President Trump and Prime Minister Modi have some 50 million followers between their two handles that they each operate. While it is quite obvious that Trump's tweets are his own doing and oftentimes knee jerk reactions to perceived insults, Modi's tweets are carefully constructed and poised.

However, expect some gushing and photos of two hand grips and awkward hugs that are sure to make it to the tweets of the two leaders. When a leader of the most powerful democracy and the leader of the most populous democracy meet for the first time, you can be certain that there will be a social media flutter.

However, it doesn't take long for some outrage to break out on social media and that is probably just what the Indian side would not want before the Trump-Modi meeting takes place. There is relatively little notice that the American media has taken of PM Modi's arrival and White House meeting of Monday, which this time is seen as a welcome sign by the Indian side. Indians have many concerns regarding Trump's H1-B visa cut back, racial attacks on Indians and way in which the new administration wants to take forward the relationship with India. However, such topics will probably not come up for discussion in the one-on-one meeting on Monday and be left to the delegations to flesh out.

The American media has also not dwelt too much on India-Pakistan relationship, Kashmir situation or cow vigilantism that has dominated the news cycle in India. Most American reporting has been on the robust trade and defense relations between India and the US which has bi-partisan support. Since 2008, India has signed defence contracts worth more than $15 billion and is reportedly on the verge of buying USD 2 billion worth of unarmed drones from America. The media and the Trump administration so far has concentrated on these topics rather than on India's internal matters.

But there are stray reports like the one in The Hill this week by David Curry, former CEO of The Rescue Mission and current President and CEO of Open Doors USA, a global advocate for persecuted Christians. Recently back from a visit to India, he writes that he hopes President Trump would utilise his meeting with the Indian Prime Minister to highlight the predicament of minorities in India.

He writes that that President Trump "should address religious freedom openly in negotiations and link the economic goals of a partnering country with our standards of human rights and religious freedom."

Curry claims that in a recent visit to India he "witnessed firsthand accounts of pastors imprisoned and churches attacked by mobs of Hindu radicals, not to mention the abysmal saga of Compassion International, wherein the Indian government's crackdown-on this and other organizations-has led to tens of thousands of children throughout India losing access to medical care, meals and tuition."

The Modi government has bitter-sweet memories of President Barack Obama's visit to India in 2015 when after a near completion of a successful visit, he gave a sharp taunt in his last event. At the Siri Fort Auditorium, the American President advised Indians to ensure religious tolerance in the country.

He said, "Every person has the right to practice their faith how they choose, or to practice no faith at all, and to do so free of persecution and fear of discrimination." He further said, "Nowhere is that more important than India, nowhere is it going to be more necessary for that foundational value to be upheld. India will succeed so long as it is not splintered along lines of religious faith, along lines of anything, and is unified as one nation."

The Modi government had to work doubly hard to contain the political damage caused by those comments. But India could do well to revisit that advice today.

Trump meanwhile is not expected to waive the flag of tolerance for religious minorities. If anything, his Muslim travel ban and his anti-Muslim rhetoric is a clear indication that protection of rights of religious minorities in the US or elsewhere, figure nowhere on his to-do list.

Six months into his term, President Trump has still not found the people to fill administrative posts. Meanwhile trouble spots are erupting in different parts of the demanding American attention. With his eyes more focussed on domestic politics, there is little chance that Trump would want to rap India on the knuckles and disrupt the one relationship that seems to be on an even keel as of now.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Commenting on Union Minister M. Venkaiah Naidu's assertion that India cannot progress without Hindi, the Communist Party of India (CPI) on Sunday said the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led Central Government is trying to promote its Hindutva agenda.

"Language is a very sensitive issue. The minister should remain sober. India is a country where we have a number of languages and the minister should understand this. But they want to promote their Hindutva agenda. I do not agree with Venkaiah Naidu and the Government. India is a diverse country with many languages. They are trying to impose Hindi as the language," CPI leader D. Raja told ANI.

Naidu yesterday said Hindi is the language of India and it was impossible to progress without the language.

"Hindi is our language and it is impossible for India to progress without Hindi. It is unfortunate that everyone is after English medium; I am against Britishers, but not their language. We should learn all languages, but by learning English our mindset is also changing, this is wrong. This is against the interest of the nation," Naidu said.

He further said that it was necessary for people to learn their mother languages as the dominance of English medium have shadowed their cultural heritage.

"Since the majority of the population speaks Hindi, it is a necessity to learn Hindi, but before that we need to learn our mother language," he said.

The minister's comment comes in the backdrop of apprehensions expressed by people, especially in the southern states over the usage of Hindi language.

Parties like Karnataka's Janata Dal (Secular) and Tamil Nadu's Dravida Munnetra Kazhagham (DMK) have criticised the Centre for 'imposing' Hindi language in their states.

DMK acting president M.K. Stalin threatened to begin an anti-Hindi agitation after milestones marked in Hindi were seen on Tamil Nadu highways.

In Bengaluru, protests took place over Hindi being used as a language in the Metro train sign boards.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Following his talks with Afghan Foreign Minister Salahuddin Rabbani and National Security Adviser Haneef Atmar in Kabul, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has had similar discussions with senior Pakistan government officials in Islamabad.

According to the Dawn, the Chinese and Pakistani delegations focused their discussions on the prevailing situation in Afghanistan and the relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan.

According to sources, Beijing is proposing a trilateral mechanism for cooperation for peace and reconciliation in Afghanistan and better coordination on counter-terrorism actions between Pakistan and Afghanistan. An announcement in this regard is expected on Sunday.

China, Pakistan and Afghanistan have already had discussions on issues concerning them on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit held earlier this month.

Minister Wang Yi also met Pakistan's Chief of the Army Staff General Qamar Bajwa and reportedly discussed issues related to defence cooperation.

Beijing's interest in Afghanistan is out of its security concerns related to presence of Uighur militants in Badakhshan province.

China's regional engagement is also driven by its desire to invest economically in Afghanistan and the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor.

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In a gesture highlighting his deep friendship and amicable bonds with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa was present at the airport to bid goodbye to the former, as he emplaned for his next stop-Washington D.C.

"Thank you Portugal. During this short visit, a strong foundation was laid to improve cooperation between India and Portugal," said Prime Minister Modi as he departed.

Expressing gratitude for each other, Costa had earlier welcomed Modi with opening remarks in Gujarati while the Indian leader made his opening remarks in Portuguese during a joint conference post bilateral talks.

A gesture exuding personal warmth and attention, Costa also organised a special Gujarati meal at the lunch organised for visiting the Prime Minister.

Prime Minister Modi, who was on a state visit to Portugal on Saturday, first ever by any Indian Prime Minister, presented the Overseas Citizen of India card to Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa, who traces his routes to Goa.

He also presented Costa with his old PIO card framed with a picture of Costa receiving the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Award.

The two sides also signed 11 MoUs for cooperation in areas including double taxation avoidance, investments, science and technology, nanotechnology, space research, administrative reforms and culture.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
In yet another incident of farmers' suicide, a debt ridden farmer Ram Avatar, attempted suicide on Sunday in Uttrakhand's Khatima district.

The farmer was disturbed due to debt and tried to hang himself from a tree.

Earlier,On June 22 another debt-ridden farmer attempted suicide Madhya Pradesh's Hoshangabad and later passed away during the treatment in the hospital.

Prior to that , one more debt-ridden farmer also committed suicide by hanging himself in Madhya Pradesh's Sagar and left behind a suicide note.

Reportedly, the total number of farmer suicides is increasing day by day since the protests started in Mandsaur by farmers on June 6.

The recent suicides, however, come in the wake of the farmers' agitation in Mandsaur.

Mandsaur has became the epicentre of farmers' agitation over a demand for loan waivers and better prices for their produce.

During the agitation, six farmers were gunned down by the police, thereby drawing criticism from political parties. The situation forced the district officials to impose Section 144, and restricted prominent personalities from visiting the violence-hit district.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Janata Dal (Secular) chief and former prime minister H.D. Deve Gowda on Sunday extended his support to opposition presidential candidate Meira Kumar.

Earlier on Friday, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar said 'Bihar ki beti' Meira Kumar has been nominated as the Presidential candidate by the opposition only to lose.

Former Lok Sabha speaker Meira Kumar was on Thursday announced as the Opposition's Presidential nominee.

The Opposition - Congress and the Communist Party of India (CPI), and other parties - met on Thursday to discuss the Democratic Alliance's (NDA) decision on Presidential nominee Ramnath Kovind, following which they announced their candidate.

Earlier on Friday, Ram Nath Kovind filed his nomination. The nomination process for the Presidential elections will continue till June 28.

The election for the next President of India is to be held on July 17 as President Pranab Mukherjee will demit the office on July 24.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Eid-al-Fitr will be celebrated across India on Monday, announced Muslim cleric Khalid Rasheed Firangi Mahal here today.

Eid al-Fitr, or Eid, is an important religious holiday celebrated by Muslims worldwide that marks the end of Ramzan, the Islamic holy month of fasting.

"The Moon has been seen in many parts of Uttar Pradesh and India, and hence it is declared that the Eid-al-Fitr will be celebrated on June 26 in all over India," the cleric announced.

He also said the Eid namaz (prayer) will be held in Lucknow at 10:00 a.m. at Eidgah grounds.

"The Eid namaz will be offered for the sake of peace and communal harmony in the country and Kashmir," Firangi Mahal said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Texting, the thing we do most with our phones, takes a toll on our .

Some doctors point to how smartphone users have reported soreness or numbness in their hands and wrists after texting for an extended period of time.

"I think we may see more problems in terms of hand disorders, such as tendinitis, repetitive strain injuries, arthritis, thumb arthritis down the road, and even possibly carpal tunnel syndrome," said Dr. Sanjeev Kakar, an orthopedic surgeon at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota.

"Kids 20 years ago were not using handheld devices, and now they're using them all the time in schools and at home. We may be at the tip of an iceberg, and we're going to see a cumulative effect," he said.

"I don't think this will happen if you've texted once in your life. I think the process of doing this over 20 to 30 years may lead to having these problems down the road."

On the other hand, some doctors have noted that there are no official medical diagnoses for technology-related hand and wrist problems, and just because such problems correlate with smartphone use does not mean they are caused by smartphone use.

"To date, there really is no specific diagnosis that is caused by either keyboard computer use or smartphone use that we know of. So for example, just because you use smartphones doesn't mean you're likely to get carpal tunnel syndrome," said Dr. Aaron Daluiski, a clinician-scientist and surgeon at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York.

"If it were specifically related to cell phone use or smartphone use, we would expect a surge in seeing a ton of additional patients in our office and doing many more operations per year because of the influx in use of smartphones over the past 10 years or so," he said. "We're just not seeing a dramatic uptick in incidence."

Smartphone usage continues to grow around the world. In a 2015 Pew Research Center survey, 72% of Americans, 77% of Australians, 74% of Israelis, 88% of South Koreans and 71% of Spaniards reported owning a smartphone.

Yet research has not been clear-cut on whether texting or general computer use are somehow related to hand and wrist problems, such as carpal tunnel syndrome, a condition that occurs when a nerve that runs from your forearm into the palm of your hand gets compressed at the wrist, leading to tingling sensations or itching numbness.

Study turns spotlight on texting, carpal tunnel trouble

What might contribute to hand problems such as carpal tunnel syndrome? The anatomy of your wrist; pre-existing problems, such as a previous injury or rheumatoid arthritis; and possibly repetitive motions, like those associated with texting, Kakar said.

Often, however, no single cause of carpal tunnel syndrome can be identified.

A study published in the British Medical Journal in 2015 found no association between computer use and new cases of carpal tunnel syndrome.

However, a 2015 study in the Journal of Neurological Scientists suggested that excessive computer use might be a minor risk factor for carpal tunnel syndrome.

Now, a small study published in the journal Muscle and Nerve suggests that using electronic devices for more than five hours a day -- compared with using devices for five hours or less -- might adversely affect the nerve in your wrist known to play a big role in carpal tunnel syndrome.

The new study involved only 48 adults, 18 to 25 years in age, many of whom actually didn't report the classic symptoms of carpal tunnel, such as tingling or numbness in the thumb, index and long fingers. Rather, they reported having levels of pain in their hands and wrists.

The adults completed questionnaires about how often they use electronic devices each day. The researchers analyzed their responses, conducted physical examinations and processed ultrasound images of their hands and wrists.

"Participants were asked about pain levels in our questionnaire, but the physical tests quantified presence of numbness and tingling," said Peter White, a co-author of the study and assistant professor at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University.

The researchers found that those adults who reported using devices for five or more hours a day more frequently had enlarged and flattened median nerves linked to carpal tunnel syndrome, more frequently had positive clinical tests indicative of carpal tunnel syndrome and more frequently reported hand and wrist pain compared with those who used electronic devices less.

The study has limitations due to its small and relatively homogeneous sample size, self-reported data and relying on physical exams and ultrasound imaging rather than electro diagnostic testing to gauge hand and wrist health, White said.

"Therefore, additional exploration may be required for verification of these results," he said.

"Carpal tunnel syndrome is usually a condition affecting people of middle age, especially females, so our findings suggest a potential link between prolonged and intensive use of electronic devices by young adults and risk of injury, such as carpal tunnel syndrome."

-A texting teen with tendinitis

Kakar, who was not involved in the study, described the study as interesting, despite some of its limitations.

"I think you'd be hard-pressed to have a direct linkage between too much electronic device time and carpal tunnel syndrome," he said of the study. "I don't think it's been proven by this, but it does raise awareness."

For smartphone users who have been diagnosed with carpal tunnel syndrome or have some hand or wrist pain, Kakar offered advice.

"Rather than texting all the time, you can use the many different voice applications in existence or simply try using different fingers to text," he said.

"Most of the time, when you have a tendonitis type of problem, hand therapy can help, but honestly, using (the device) less or in a 'smart' way may be the best way to go."

One case study of a 14-year-old girl who said she texted four hours a day and developed tendinitis was published in The Journal of Family Practice in 2011. The girl not only was treated with a thumb spica splint and aspirin as needed, she modified her texting activity, according to the study. After about a month, she reported no longer suffering pain.

Some doctors point out that your hands and wrists are not the only body parts that may suffer due to too much texting.

There's so-called "text neck," in which a cell phone user may feel soreness in the neck area from looking down at a handheld device screen for a long period of time. There's also what's being called "cell phone elbow," in which a person holds their elbow flexed for a prolonged period of time while using their phone, leading to some discomfort.

All in all, Daluiski said, meeting with a care professional if you have any hand and wrist problems or questions is important.

"Not all wrist pain is carpal tunnel syndrome. Carpal tunnel syndrome is a very specific diagnosis, where there's compression of the median nerve at the wrist and that produces pain but more numbness and tingling," Daluiski said.

"If patients have symptoms that are significant enough, that it's affecting their daily function, their daily sort of use of their hands, it's important to see someone, either their general practitioner or a hand therapist or a hand surgeon, to get an adequate diagnosis.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
From remembering Emergency by calling it the 'darkest hour' in the Indian democracy, to praising ISRO for its highly successful space mission programmes, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday shared his thoughts on various topics in the 33rd edition of the monthly radio programme- Mann Ki Baat.

Here are the highlights from the Prime Minister's address today:

1. Car festival of Lord Jagannath, Rath Yatra being celebrated in several parts of country with great piety and fervour: PM Modi.

2. PM Modi greeted people on the occasion of Eid and Ramzan and hailed the diversity of the nation

3. On sanitation, PM Modi asked the people to work together for a clean India

4. He cited the example of Muslims in Uttar Pradesh who decided to build toilets in the holy month of Ramzan.

5. The movement to clean India is a mass movement. It is no longer restricted to governments alone: PM Modi.

6. People in a village in Bijnor did not accept money from the administration to build toilets. They did it themselves. This is heartening."? : PM Modi

7. We have to work together for a clean India: PM Modi

8. PM Modi also remembered the emergency period and praised the role of political leader Jayaprakash Narayan.

9. Talking about Yoga, PM Modi said, "The whole world woke up on World Yoga Day. From?China, Peru and Paris, the world knows about Yoga day.

10. Modi hailed ISRO's achievements and said the India's Mars Mission completed a year.

11. On sports, the Prime Minister said that children shouldn't be discouraged from following a career in sports. He congratulated Kidambi Srikanth for his victory in the Indonesian Open.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday held a round table meeting with US business leaders here, including the likes of Apple CEO Tim Cook, Google CEO Sundar Pichai, Adobe CEO Shantanu Narayen and Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos.

At the conference, the Prime Minister stressed that the whole is looking at India today adding that growth for New Delhi also presents a win-win partnership for the United States.

The Indian Government so far has carried out about 7,000 reforms for ease of doing business in the country and provide for minimum government, maximum governance.

"The implementation of the landmark initiative of GST could be a subject of studies in US business schools," said the Prime Minister.

The CEO's in presence included -

1. Shantanu Narayen, Chairman, President & CEO, Adobe

2. Jeff Bezos, Founder & CEO, Amazon

3. Jim Taiclet, Chairman, President & CEO, American Tower Corporation

4. Tim Cook, CEO, Apple

5. Jim Umpleby, CEO, Caterpillar

6. John Chambers, Executive Chairman, Cisco

7. Punit Renjen, Global CEO, Deloitte

8. David Farr, Chairman & CEO, Emerson

9. Mark Weinberger, CEO, Ernst & Young

10. Sundar Pichai, CEO, Google

11. Alex Gorsky, Chairman & CEO, Johnson & Johnson

12. Jamie Dimon, CEO, JPMorgan Chase & Co.

13. Marillyn Hewson, Chairman, President & CEO, Lockheed Martin

14. Arne Sorenson, President & CEO, Marriott International

15. Ajay Banga, President & CEO, Mastercard

16. Irene Rosenfeld, Chairman & CEO, Mondelez International

17. David Rubenstein, Co-founder & Co-CEO, The Carlyle Group

18. Doug McMillon, President & CEO, Walmart

19. Charles Kaye, Co-CEO, Warburg Pincus

20. Daniel Yergin, Vice Chairman, IHS Markit

21. Mukesh Aghi, President, USIBC

Prime Minister Modi who touched down the Andrews Air Force base in Washington yesterday is on a bilateral visit to meet U.S. President Donald Trump.

He would be the first leader to have a working dinner with U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House on Monday.

Speaking ahead of the visit, India's Ambassador to the U.S., Navtej Sarna, said that Prime Minister Modi and President Trump would discuss crucial issues such as counter-terrorism, security and cyber security.

Meanwhile, White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer said that he is expecting a very robust discussion to take place between the two leaders.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
As Prime Minister Narendra Modi was about to arrive at the Andrews Air Force base here, the Indian diaspora seemed excited and all set to render a warm welcome to him, who is on his fourth visit to the U.S. capital.

Few Indian expats reached the Andrews Air Base hours before Prime Minister Modi's arrival to welcome him.

"We are here to welcome the Prime Minister. We will be delighted to meet him," said an expat.

Lauding the Prime Minister Modi for his work, another said he was excited to welcome him.

"We expect a lot from Prime Minister Modi. We think he is a great leader. So I came to see and meet him," he said.

"I am here to meet Modi Ji. I am follower of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). It will be a great pleasure to meet him," another expat said.

Prime Minister Modi would be the first leader to have a working dinner with U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House on Monday.

Speaking ahead of the visit, India's Ambassador to the U.S., Navtej Sarna, said that Prime Minister Modi and President Trump would discuss crucial issues such as counter-terrorism, security and cyber security.

The upcoming meeting, which is deemed to be one that can significantly strengthen bilateral relations between the two democracies, will also include an interactive session with the Indian-American community as well as 20-odd top CEOs in Washington.

Meanwhile, White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer said that he is expecting a very robust discussion to take place between the two leaders.

Meanwhile the U.S. President has announced that he has important issues to discuss with his 'true friend' Indian Prime Minister Modi.

Ahead of Modi reaching Washington D.C. for a state visit, the President tweeted, "Look forward to welcoming India's PM Modi to @WhiteHouse on Monday. Important strategic issues to discuss with a true friend!".

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Islamic State has declared war on Taliban militants in Afghanistan as it called the latter "hypocrites and stooges of the unbelievers".

An ISIS commander, in a statement, said Taliban militants are betraying Islam and that they should be killed everywhere and their properties should be seized, reports Tasnim news agency.

Last year in August, Afghan Taliban Spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said that the group is resolved to target ISIS members.

Afghanistan has long been facing instability due to continued fighting between the government forces and the Taliban, which seized vast territories in the Afghan rural areas. Also, recently the presence of ISIS forces in Afghanistan even though limited to a small area has further added to its problems.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A day after a Special Investigation Team (SIT) was formed to carry out investigation into lynching of Deputy Superintendent of Police Mohammed Ayub Pandith, the defence experts on Sunday said it was not enough to curb such attacks, adding that state government should give a free hand to the police force to operate in counter insurgency measures.

"It is good that the SIT has been formed, but much more needs to be done. A strict action needs to be taken. The state government needs to give greater power to the police and see to it that they have been given a free hand to operate in their counter insurgency measures," defence expert Rahul Jalali told ANI.

Echoing the same, another expert Qamar Agha said tough measures need to be adopted to check the systematic attempt to create chaos and anarchy in Jammu and Kashmir.

"It is good that the SIT has been formed, but some more measures have to be taken to curb such attacks. There is a systematic attempt to create chaos and anarchy in Jammu and Kashmir. Some tough action needs to be taken," Agha told ANI.

The police on Saturday arrested three more persons in connection with the lynching of Pandith, leading to a total of five arrests.

Additionally, in order to enhance the investigation procedure, a SIT was also formed to look into the case.

Dy. SP Pandith was lynched near the Jamia Masjid in the Nowhatta area of J-K on Thursday after he allegedly opened fire on a group of people who caught him clicking pictures near a mosque.

Three people were injured by the pistol firing. A curfew was imposed in the area and police reinforcements had to be deployed to restore normalcy.

Immediately after the incident, Ayub's body was taken to the police control room for identification and completion of other legal procedures.

Muslims across Kashmir were observing Shab-e-Qadr (the night of power) with night-long prayers and supplications being made inside the mosques and shrines of the valley.

As a precautionary measure, the authorities have already announced restrictions on the movement of people in seven police station areas of the city.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
On Sunday (June 25), Prime Minister Narendra Modi reminded people about the horrors of the emergency imposed by former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in the month of June, 1975, and asked people to rededicate themselves towards the goal of strengthening democracy.

Delivering his 33rd ' Mann ki Baat' radio address to the nation, Prime Minister Modi reminded the people that today was the 42nd anniversary of the declaration of emergency across the country. He reminded people of the horror of a government having the power to take away one's liberty and freedom, and not sparing any section of society, be it political, economic, media, students, communities, or even the judiciary. He used today's address to recall and recite a poem written by former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee when he was in jail.

"The Emergency will be remembered for the way in which people of India came together and safeguarded democratic values. Democracy is not only a system, but also our ethos as-'Eternal vigilance is the life of liberty'. We need to remember the things which harm democracy and move forward in a positive direction. Those who love democracy can never forget the dark night of June 25, 1975, when the entire nation turned into a prison, all voices of dissent were muzzled, where senior leaders like Jayaprakash Narayan were imprisoned. Not even the judiciary was spared from the shadow of authoritarianism," Modi said.

"Newspapers were rendered ineffective, students of journalism and political activities must continuously remind themselves of this dark phase. They must work towards creating awareness about democracy. Atal Bihari Vajpayee was also imprisoned during this period. When he completed one year in prison, he wrote a poem describing his feelings," Modi said.

Appreciating the love for democracy, Prime Minister Modi described the state of mind during those turbulent times.

"People fought a fierce battle to defend our democracy and when people got a chance through elections, they showed how deeply ingrained democracy is in our roots? This deep rooted loved for democracy is our priceless heritage which we should preserve and strengthen. Every Indian is holding his head high today because of this democratic way of life," Modi added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Delivering his 33rd 'Mann ki Baat' address to the nation on Sunday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said India is progressing steadily but surely towards achieving the dream of being open-defecation free.

Expressing his happiness over the popularity of his government's 'Clean India' programme, he said that the "Swachch Bharat" campaign was no longer a government initiative, but had evolved into a people's movement.

Quantifying his claim, Prime Minister Modi cited two examples - one from Mubarakpur Village in Uttar Pradesh, and the other from Andhra Pradesh's Vijayanagaram district - both of which clearly signalled that Indians are determined to make their nation open defecation free.

"During Ramzan, a shining example emerged from Bijnaur's Mubarakpur village in Uttar Pradesh. This small village has around three-and-a-half thousand Muslim families. Muslims are in majority in this village. This Ramzan, they decided to build toilets in the village. An official grant of Rs. 17 lakh was given to the village for this purpose. You will be pleasantly surprised to know that the Muslim brethren of the village returned this grant and said they will build their toilets through their efforts and money. They said the 17 lakh rupee grant may be used for some other purposes. I congratulate the people of Mubarakpur," Modi said.

He apprised his listeners of five states, namely Sikkim, Himachal Pradesh, Kerala, Uttarakhand and Haryana of the fact that these areas have become open defecation free (ODF).

The second example that the Prime Minister cited was from Andhra Pradesh's Vijayanagaram district, where the administration, with the help of people, undertook the task of building 10,000 toilets in 71 village panchayats.

"I want to share an excellent example. This is concerned with the Vijayanagaram district of Andhra Pradesh. The administration, took up a major task of constructing toilets with the people's support. From 6 a.m. on March 10 to 10 a.m. on March 14, a 100-hour non-stop mission was launched. The target was to build 10,000 toilets in 71 village panchayats in those 100 hours, and, you will be pleased to know that the administration and the people were able to accomplish this mission. I congratulate the people and the local administration. With your hard work, you have set a shining example before others," he said.

The Prime Minister said that sustained efforts are required to bring about even a small change.

"Whether individually, or as a society, an achievement requires hard work. Sustained efforts are required to bring about even a small change. Habits take a long time to change. As bad writing takes a lot of time to change, similar is the case with cleanliness. Habits become a part of our nature. Sustained efforts are required to remove them," he said.

Since the time Prime Minister Modi came into power in May 2014, he has been batting for an open defecation free India, especially in the rural parts.

During his first Independence Day speech on August 15, 2014, Modi called on the people of the country to join up for the mission of "Clean India".

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Just a few days after the enthusiastic observation and celebration of the third International Day of Yoga, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday lauded the efforts of organisers, saying, "Yoga has become a tool to bind the world together."

Delivering his 33rd 'Mann Ki Baat' radio address to the nation, Prime Minister Modi said, "Yoga is taking people from fitness to wellness".

"From the Great Wall of China to the Eiffel Tower in Paris and Machu Pichhu in Peru, people performed yoga together; this is its global importance. In Singapore, a week-long celebration took place on account of International Day of Yoga. The United Nations released ten special stamps as well to commemorate this milestone. Staff at the United Nations headquarters in New York performed yoga under the supervision of masters and instructors of yoga. Yoga has now become a tool to unite the world," he said.

The Prime Minister, who is currently on an official visit to the United States, also highlighted through his pre-recorded radio address, the new feat achieved in Ahmedabad, wherein 55,000 people took part in yoga, creating a new world record.

"For the first time, I got to participate in a yoga program in the rain in Lucknow. Even our armed forces, including the paramilitary outfits such as the CRPF, BSF and ITBP, performed yoga amid torrential rains and sub-zero temperatures in Siachen, and made sure to include a yoga routine on that day, as part of their duty," said Prime Minister Modi, and that its practice in places like Afghanistan have given a new dimension to Indo-Afghan relations.

Prior to this year's International Day of Yoga, the Prime Minister had encouraged citizens to post photographs of three generations of the family doing yoga together, some of which, he said, were uploaded on the NarendraModi App.

"People these days are becoming health conscious. The spirit of Yoga Day is a clear indicator that yoga has and will continue to play a vital role in maintaining a healthy lifestyle," asserted PM Modi.

The World Yoga Day event in Surat and Ahmedabad witnessed the participation of more than three lakh people, including Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Amit Shah, Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani and other government officials.

Yoga guru Baba Ramdev announced plans for operating 11 lakh free yoga classes across the country in the coming three to five years.

"We have taken an oath that in the coming three to five years, 11 lakh free classes will be created across the country," he said, adding that his venture Patanjali would fully support the cause.

A four-day camp was organised in Ahmedabad ahead of International Day of Yoga.

Twenty-four new world records were created during the event.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Dubbing the Pantha Chowk terror attack, in which a Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel lost his life, as 'reprehensible', defence experts on Sunday asked Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti-led Jammu and Kashmir Government to take a stern action to curb such attacks.

"These attacks are reprehensible. The State Government should take a stern action immediately to ensure that they are curbed. Firstly, all the terror sponsors, that is separatists, must be taken into custody forthwith; their security and perks must be withdrawn and they should be treated as criminals. Thirdly, the security grids and army pickets must be recreated," defence expert P.K. Sehgal told ANI.

Defence expert Dipankar Banerjee said that the security forces need to be more alert to deal with such contingencies.

"The situation has been worsened during the last few months. We have to be prepared to such contingencies occurring more frequently in the near future. I know a strict action will be taken in this regard," Dipankar Banerjee told ANI.

One Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) Sub-Inspector lost his life and two jawans got injured after terrorists attacked their vehicle near Srinagar on Saturday.

According to Inspector General CRPF Ravideep Sahi, the area was cordoned off following the attack.

"Firing was on our vehicle. One SI lost his life and two of our personnel are injured," Sahi said.

The terrorist strike took place in Srinagar's Pantha Chowk.

Following the terror attack, Additional Director General of Police (ADG) of CRPF S.N. Srivastava said that such a 'cowardly act' does not affect the morale of the security forces.

"Such a cowardly act doesn't affect the morale of the security forces. They in fact will boost it. We will investigate the matter and will find out the accused behind this. Then, we will respond according to that. There is no security lapse," Srivastava told media..

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Accusing Pakistan, especially its armed forces and its Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) of promoting a willful campaign of cross-border terrorism in the region and the border areas, scores of Afghans took part in a protest march in Central London, and demanded that Islamabad stop its policies of spreading instability in their country.

Over the past six months, the leadership in Afghanistan has repeatedly and stridently charged Pakistan with cross-border terrorism and of funding terrorists, and even gone to the extent of rejecting Islamabad's recent offer of 500 million dollars for development projects in Afghanistan.

It may be recalled that Afghanistan's President Ashraf Ghani has gone on record to tell Pakistan that it should use this substantial sum of money to contain terrorism emanating from its soil.

Many of protesters shouted slogans, asking Islamabad to stop intervening in the internal affairs of Kabul.

"The neighbouring countries are trying to interrupt policies within Afghanistan to create a cultural gap in order to get to their objectives. My message through this to Islamabad is that Afghanistan has witnessed continuous war for the last 40 years and most of the times it is being said that intentions of Pakistan is to intervene in the internal affairs of Afghanistan," Hamid Sahil, political and educational activist and President of UEL Afghan Society, said.

"By destruction or insecurity in Afghanistan nobody will benefit. If we struggle or suffer, they have been times that the same war makes a u-turn towards Islamabad and its surrounding states," Sahil added.

Gharghasht, president of the Afghan Voice Radio, said there must be a comprehensive and practical support from the international community to help strengthen Afghanistan establishments.

"Basically, a threat is dealt sooner the better. We need practical and comprehensive support from the international community to tackle this otherwise, it will not leave Afghanistan for decades to come. My thoughts are that if Afghanistan is in peace then is in peace, so we want to sympathise and cooperate with the world," Gharghasht said.

Among the prominent people who supported the march were Noor Ahmad Sapand, political activist, Gulwali Pasarlay, political activist and Author of Lightless Sky, Pritpal Singh, Afghan Sikh community leader and activist, Hamid Jan Kakar, political economical and educational activist, Ramzy Noor, President, Afghan Diaspora, and Bashir Gharwal, President of Coventry Afghan Society.

The leadership in Afghanistan has said these significant and severe security threats affect not only their nation, but also have implications for Asia and the rest of the if not countered firmly.

President Ghani has said that the United Nations has already listed the names of about 30 terrorist groups that are trying to establish a base in Afghanistan, and added that huge number of casualties caused by terror attacks is just not acceptable.

Pakistan has a 1,500-mile porous and politically complicated and sensitive border with Afghanistan. In the north, ethnic Pashtun communities straddle both sides of the Durand Line drawn by British rulers in 1896.

Afghanistan insists, however, that the real border lies deeper in Pakistan. They have long accused Pakistani authorities of allowing insurgents to slip across, stage attacks and retreat to safe havens.

Pakistan is now trying to remove all such ambiguity by installing thousands of steel posts and scrolls of deadly razor wire to prevent illegal movement of people.

Afghanistan has strongly objected to these new measures, saying they will disrupt normal, necessary cross-border traffic and unfairly punish families and communities on both sides.

They claim also that such steps by Islamabad give no guarantee that cross-border movement of insurgent groups sponsored by Pakistan's security agencies will be stopped or hindered.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has described the ongoing case in the Panama Papers Leaks case as a joke, rather than as an effort on accountability.

Confirming that he would face the ongoing Joint Investigation Team (JIT) proceedings with fortitude and bravery, Sharif said he would not let the conspirators seeking to ruin his character and reputation succeed.

Sharif, who is in London for a medical check up, was quoted by the Dawn, as saying that "To be honest, what is going on in the form of the joint investigation team's probe into the Panama Papers case is beyond my comprehension. When they found no corruption in any of the PML-N government's projects during its four-year rule, they are trying to find something (fishy) in our (private) business. I ask the JIT what it is trying to detect."

"I had asked the JIT members during my appearance before it about what they were looking for. Our worst enemies [an apparent reference to the PPP's Rehman Malik] are appearing before it.

"The JIT's history is before everyone. It starts with a WhatApp call [by the Supreme Court registrar]... and even before that."

The prime minister said the nation was headed in one direction and the JIT in another.

He will return home on June 29.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
U.S. arms maker Lockheed Martin Corp has expressed optimism for its partnership with Tata Advanced Systems to build F-16 fighter jets, saying that if selected, the deal has the potential to generate economic benefit and jobs in U.S. and India.

A statement by Marillyn Hewson, Chairman, President & CEO, Lockheed Martin following her meeting with visiting Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi here, said, "The meeting with Prime Minister Modi today was very productive and I appreciated the opportunity to discuss ways we can strengthen the ties between our two countries.

Lockheed Martin has a strong history of working in partnership with Indian government and industry to deliver products and technologies that support national security for India and the region, while generating economic benefit and jobs in U.S. and India, the statement added.

It said that the meeting was a great opportunity to highlight the recently announced partnership with Tata Advanced Systems to offer the F-16 to meet India's multi-role fighter jet mission.

The F-16 is a combat-proven, multi-role fighter that will provide the Indian military with enhanced capabilities and foster greater collaboration with U.S. forces.

According to the statement, if selected, the partnership with Lockheed Martin and Tata Advanced Systems to build the F-16 in India will support the advancement of Indian manufacturing expertise while also generating new manufacturing and engineering jobs in the U.S.

The partnership was recently announced ahead of Prime Minister's state visit to the United States.

The deal was signed on the sidelines of the Paris Air Show.

If they win the contract, Lockheed-Martin will shift its manufacturing base from Texas to India. They believe there is an export potential of $15 billion in this region apart from the IAF contract.

Apart from full service for the F-16s, Tata will also be responsible for all upgrades on the aircraft. The F-16s will be manufactured exclusively in India if this approx. $2 billion deal goes through.

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Prime Minister Modi, who reached Washington D.C. minutes back, would be the first leader to have a working dinner with Trump at the White House on Monday.

The upcoming meeting, which is deemed to be one that can significantly strengthen bilateral relations between the two democracies, will also include an interactive session with the Indian-American community as well as 20-odd top CEOs in Washington.

Speaking ahead of this sesssion, Sukhwinder Kalia, CEO, IT by Design, a U.S.-based company, said the community shall seek to highlight the need of stricter cyber laws to protect investments by Indian-American IT entrepreneurs in India.

"Investments by Indian-American businessmen must be protected under cyber laws as sometimes the source code gets stolen and the Indian Police should be trained enough to address the issue," he said.

Referring to 'Digital India' and 'Make in India' programmes launched by Prime Minister Modi, Kalia said, "My main aim is to raise the issue of cyber laws during the meeting with the Prime Minister as India is growing, which makes it essential to bring rules and regulations related to cyber crime to secure our investments in India."

Raising the concerns of the business community living in the U.S., Kalia said, "India being the largest democracy in the needs to be proactive. If we are not aware, we don't work on our cyber regulations, we don't train our enforcement and our other authorities where they enforce those cyber laws, then it will be too late for India."

Prime Minister Modi is expected to attend a community reception after the CEOs meeting.

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The H1B Visa issue will most likely not be sorted out in the upcoming meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and United States President Donald Trump, Joshua White, who served the Obama White House as senior advisor and director for South Asian affairs at the National Security Council, has said, adding, apart from the U.S. Congress, even the latter is opposed to reviving it.

"I don't think the H1B Visa issue will be resolved as it is a complex issue. I recall when Modi called Obama, I was with him in the Oval office, but this has been done by the U.S. Congress. This time it is an issue where President Trump and his team apparently have strong feelings about immigration. Therefore, double hurdles exist," White said.

White asserted that Trump administration would exert more pressure on Pakistan to act against terror groups.

"It's an important meeting as both leaders see themselves as ones who have a mandate to deal with terrorism. It will be interesting to see what the shape of the U.S. policy to Pakistan will look like, but I think the rhetoric will be stronger and tougher and there will be attempts to exert some U.S. pressure on Islamabad in ways we haven't seen before," he added.

When asked about the United States contemplating to approve India's purchase of a Naval variant of the Predator drone, he said, "I don't expect there will be other major defence deals, but if the Guardian drone deal goes through and is announced, then that will be a sort of a signal that both countries are taking their defence relationship seriously."

Citing that the Lockheed-Tata deal, under which U.S. arms maker Lockheed Martin Corp. has agreed with Tata Advanced Systems to build F-16 fighters, was beneficial for India, he said, "This deal will help India create a strong industrial base. Lockheed will provide India a chance to assemble these planes and gain some technology experience, but also provide India the benefit of helping immigrants into the global supply chain for defence."

White also said that the ties between the U.S. and China are set to become complex, in view of the latter's inaction towards North Korea.

Earlier, Trump announced that he has important issues to discuss with his 'true friend' Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Ahead of Modi reaching Washington D.C. for a state visit, the President tweeted, "Look forward to welcoming India's PM Modi to @WhiteHouse on Monday. Important strategic issues to discuss with a true friend!"

United States Senator Kamala Harris also welcomed Prime Minister Modi through a tweet.

"I welcome Indian PM @NarendraModi to the United States and reaffirm the unbreakable bonds between our two nations," she tweeted.

Prime Minister Modi, who would be reaching Washington D.C. in a few hours, would be the first leader to have a working dinner with Trump at the White House on Monday.

Speaking ahead of the visit, India's Ambassador to the U.S. Navtej Sarna said that Prime Minister Modi and President Trump would discuss crucial issues such as counter-terrorism, security and cyber security.

The upcoming meeting, which is deemed to be one that can significantly strengthen bilateral relations between the two democracies, will also include an interactive session with the Indian-American community as well as 20-odd top CEOs in Washington.

White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer said that he is expecting a very robust discussion to take place between the two leaders.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi scheduled meeting with United States President Donald Trump, senior fellow for India, Pakistan and South Asia at the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) Alyssa Ayres on Sunday said that a first in-person interaction is essential to bring a good chemistry between the two leaders as both Washington and New Delhi are concerned about terrorism emanating from Pakistan.

"I think it's important for Modi and Trump to meet to have that first in-person interaction. There won't be any huge announcements, but the meeting is important for building rapport. Chemistry between the leaders is important when it comes to deciding foreign policies," Ayres told ANI.

"Both the U.S. and India are concerned about the challenge of terrorism. Certainly, Obama cared about this issue and asked Pakistan to make the right choice that benefits the region, but that did not happen. Many in the U.S. Congress, who have served in Afghanistan have seen that problem of terrorism emanating from Pakistan is harmful for all of us. Trump administration official McMaster, who visited Afghanistan, Pakistan and India gave a firm statement that Islamabad, which has even failed to stop terror-funding, needs to tackle all forms of terrorism," she added.

Ayres, who served as U.S. deputy assistant secretary of state for South Asia during 2010-2013, added that while there will surely be discussions on the H1B Visa issue, chances of it getting solved were dim.

"The H1B Visa issue will be discussed, but definitely won't be sorted out, because in the U.S. you cannot change overnight. A new law is needed from the Congress and that change cannot happen," she asserted.

Specifically pointing out that India is not an ally of the United States, Ayres said, "We have seen a lot of ups and downs with the way the new President (Trump) has approached his ties with traditional U.S. allies. India is not a traditional ally of the U.S. In fact, India is not an ally of the United States," adding, "I don't think there is any preconceived approach to India. This is my impression so far. Trump is trying to put together its strategy for Asia and South Asia and to see where India fits in that."

Ayres also said that Trump sees New Delhi as a major market economic power, adding that the importance of China and India is undeniable as far as U.S.' ties with Asia are concerned.

Earlier, Trump announced that he has important issues to discuss with his 'true friend' Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Ahead of Modi reaching Washington D.C. for a state visit, the President tweeted, "Look forward to welcoming India's PM Modi to @WhiteHouse on Monday. Important strategic issues to discuss with a true friend!"

United States Senator Kamala Harris also welcomed Prime Minister Modi through a tweet.

"I welcome Indian PM @NarendraModi to the United States and reaffirm the unbreakable bonds between our two nations," she tweeted.

Prime Minister Modi, who would be reaching Washington D.C. in a few hours, would be the first leader to have a working dinner with Trump at the White House on Monday.

Speaking ahead of the visit, India's Ambassador to the U.S. Navtej Sarna said that Prime Minister Modi and President Trump would discuss crucial issues such as counter-terrorism, security and cyber security.

The upcoming meeting, which is deemed to be one that can significantly strengthen bilateral relations between the two democracies, will also include an interactive session with the Indian-American community as well as 20-odd top CEOs in Washington.

White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer said that he is expecting a very robust discussion to take place between the two leaders.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Few hours after Kidambi Srikanth clinched his maiden Australian Open Super Series title, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday congratulated the ace Indian shuttler for registering 'yet another wonderful victory'.

Srikanth showed no signs of discomfort and was just ruthless with his aggressive play as he defeated his Chinese opponent Chen Long in straight games to win his fourth Super Series title.

"We are really proud of the victory of @srikidambi in the Australian Open. I congratulate him for yet another wonderful win," Prime Minister Modi wrote on Twitter.

Coming back of his maiden Indonesia Open title, the 24-year-old continued his rich vein of form in Sydney as well as he took just 46 minutes to fend off Long 22-20, 21-16 in the finals to clinch his fourth Super Series title.

This was Srikanth's first ever win over the Chinese in six meetings.

Srikanth had reached the final of the Singapore Open in April and Indonesia Open before this tournament and has thus become only the fifth player in the world to contest three consecutive Super Series finals.

With the win, he has now gone to number one in Dubai Destination Rankings.

Meanwhile, the Badminton Association of India (BAI) has also announced a cash award of Rs. 5 lakh for Srikanth.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Hours after landing in Washington D.C., Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday thanked United States President Donald Trump for the warm welcome rendered to him, while saying that he was looking forward to discussions with the latter.

"Thank you @POTUS for the warm personal welcome. Greatly look forward to my meeting and discussions with you @realDonaldTrump," Prime Minister Modi tweeted.

Prime Minister Modi touched down at the Andrews Air Force base hours back to a warm welcome by expat Indians waving flags and the customary "Modi Modi Modi Modi" chant.

Prime Minister Modi was received by the Indian Ambassador to the U.S., Navtej Sarna, and his wife, Aveena.

"We are here to welcome the Prime Minister. We will be delighted to meet him," said an expat, just before the arrival of Prime Minister Modi.

"We expect a lot from Prime Minister Modi. We think he is a great leader. So I came to see and meet him," said another.

Taking to Twitter, the U.S. President had earlier announced that he has important issues to discuss with his 'true friend' Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Ahead of Modi reaching Washington D.C. for a state visit, the President tweeted, "Look forward to welcoming India's PM Modi to @WhiteHouse on Monday. Important strategic issues to discuss with a true friend!"

United States Senator Kamala Harris also welcomed Modi in a tweet.

"I welcome Indian PM @NarendraModi to the United States and reaffirm the unbreakable bonds between our two nations," she tweeted.

Prime Minister Modi would be the first world leader to have a working dinner with Trump at the White House on Monday.

Speaking ahead of the visit, India's Ambassador to the U.S., Navtej Sarna, said that Prime Minister Modi and President Trump would discuss crucial issues such as counter-terrorism, security and cyber security.

The upcoming meeting, which is deemed to be one that can significantly strengthen bilateral relations between the two democracies, will also include an interactive session with the Indian-American community as well as 20-odd top CEOs in Washington.

Meanwhile, White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer said that he is expecting a very robust discussion to take place between the two leaders.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Union Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Gas (Independent Charge) Dharmendra Pradhan and the president of the Delhi unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Manoj Tewari, were seen actively participating in the Jagannath Rath Yatra in Delhi on Sunday.

The celebrations, which were flagged off from Jagannath Temple in Hauz Khas, saw thousands of devotes throng the temple premise to attain the blessings of the lord on the auspicious occasion.

Pradhan and devotees present at the venue pulled the chariot, as it is believed that doing so adds to your good Karma, and is penance for your bad deeds.

Earlier in the day, celebrations in Odisha's coastal Balasore town got off to a colourful start amid fanfare and religious fervor, attracting lakhs of pilgrims from India and abroad.

Organised by the Shree Shree Jagannath Mandir, Emami Nagar, Balgopalpur, the rath yatra saw tens of thousands of devotees lining up both sides of the streets to see the 32-feet high colourful chariot carrying the idols of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balarama and their sister Devi Subhadra.

Devotees shouted joyous chants of 'Jai Jagannath' and 'Hare Krishna' as the chariot rolled out from majestic Shree Shree Jagannath Mandir pulled by about 1,000 devotees using coarse jute ropes. The chariot has been modelled as the one made in Puri.

The festival began with people blowing conches, trumpets, and playing drums and crashing cymbals, accompanied by music and dancers from holy town of Vrindaban.

Devotees began their journey from the Shree Shree Jagannath Mandir, Emami Nagar, Balgopalpur amidst the chanting of shlokas, singing of bhajans and clanking of cymbals.

The prime ritual of the day, 'Chhera Pahanra' (sweeping of the chariots) with a broom that has a gold handle was solemnised by the founders of temples and their family members, which was followed by sprinkling of holy water and sandal.

They later decorated the chariot with flowers. The street through which the chariot passed was also cleaned with and sandalwood was sprinkled on it.

Meanwhile, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Amit Shah, who currently is in Ahmedabad, attended the 'Mangla Aarti' at the Shree Jagannath Temple here on Sunday early morning.

Originating in Puri, the Yatra is considered to be of high religious sanctity and marks the return on Lord Krishna to his place Vrindavan along with his brother Balabhadra and sister Subhadra.

A 5000-year-old tradition, the Jagannath Rath Yatra attracts a million of Hindu pilgrims from all over the country to come to the state and join the procession.

The Yatra is a journey of three chariots of deities, which cover a distance of three kilometers reaching the Shri Gundicha Temple. The deities are made to stay there for nine days, following which the chariots ride back to the Shree Jagannath Temple.

This year the festival starts from today with the return of chariots to take place on July 3.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Director, Indian Projects at Brookings Institution in Washington D.C. Tanvi Madan has stated that the priority for Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Donald Trump should be to build personal chemistry, increase the cooperation on the line of defence and security front and to sort out trade and investment differences.

Madan while speaking to ANI here said, "The first thing would be for the both sides is to establish personal relationship, because a lot flows from that. Second they would like to see what India might be able to do more for example in Afghanistan. Not troops on the ground, I think they have a team which understands that it is not possible, perhaps more equipments more resources, more capacity buildings or training efforts."

"I think they'd also like to see perhaps the establishment of a dialogue mechanism to sort out problems on the trade and investment side and on the India's side the immigration. So, may be create a kind of economic dialogue that then can solve some of these problems and I think they would like to see few deals come down the line and we might see one drone purchase deal," she added.

Earlier today, the Prime Minister held a meeting with top U.S business honchos, touching on a range of issues focusing on India's development.

After attending the CEOs roundtable conference, Google CEO Sundar Pichai said that the Prime Minister was focused on getting insights on how to attract more foreign investment.

"It (the conference) was a discussion across many industries and I think the Prime Minister was looking for insights into how India can attract more foreign investment," Pichai told ANI in an exclusive interview.

He added that good ideas were discussed regarding the same and that everyone was looking forward to invest more in India.

"I think there were many good ideas discussed and I think everyone is excited to invest more in India and I'm excited about what we all can do together," said the Google CEO.

At the conference with the business honchos, the Prime Minister stressed that the whole is looking at India today adding that growth for New Delhi also presents a win-win partnership for the United States.

Prime Minister Modi who touched down the Andrews Air Force base in Washington yesterday is on a bilateral visit to meet U.S. President Donald Trump.

He would be the first leader to have a working dinner with U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House on Monday.

Speaking ahead of the visit, India's Ambassador to the U.S., Navtej Sarna, said that Prime Minister Modi and President Trump would discuss crucial issues such as counter-terrorism, security and cyber security.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Two army personnel were injured in an encounter with militants in Srinagar's Pantha Chowk area on Sunday.

Earlier, the Pakistan Army initiated unprovoked and indiscriminate firing of small arms, automatics and mortars in the Naushera sector along the Line of Control (LoC).

The Indian Army is retaliating strongly and effectively to the firing from across the border that began around 6.30 a.m.

On Saturday, Pakistan violated the ceasefire along the Line of Control (LoC) in the Poonch sector.

(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 people to stop exchanging bouquets with each other and instead gift objects made of 'khadi' to provide employment to a large number of people.

Delivering his 33rd 'Mann ki Baat' radio address to the nation, Prime Minister Modi said, "One can also use a 'Khadi' handkerchief to welcome people, and be a support to the innumerable underprivileged people."

"When I was in Gujarat, I had set a tradition of welcoming by not giving bouquets, but books or handkerchiefs instead," he added.

The Prime Minister said that everyone should stop gifting bouquets to each other and instead gift books. He also highlighted the fact that even khadi objects can be great gifts as this would provide employment to a number of people.

A person named Dr. Anil Sonara from Ahmedabad asked Prime Minister Modi about his recent practice where he asked people to replace bouquets as gifts with good books as mementos.

To which the Prime Minister said, "The lifespan of a bouquet is very short. You receive it in your hand for a moment and then abandon it. But when you present a book, it becomes a part of the household, a part of the family."

"One can also use a 'Khadi' handkerchief to welcome people, and be a support to the innumerable underprivileged. The expenses are reduced as well, and the gift is well utilised too. I say this thinking of the historical value of such gifts," he added.

The Prime Minister also recalled his last visit to London, where Queen Elizabeth had invited him to lunch with her.

"The atmosphere was imbued with maternal warmth, and I was served with great affection. Afterwards, when she showed me a small thread-spun khadi handkerchief, her eyes lit up. With great respect, and in an emotion-filled voice, she said, that Mahatma Gandhi had sent this handkerchief to her as a wedding gift," he said.

"So many years have passed, and yet, Queen Elizabeth has treasured the handkerchief gifted by Mahatma Gandhi. And she was happy to show it to me, when I went there. As I gazed at it, the Queen encouraged me to touch it. A small gift by Mahatma Gandhi has become a part of her life and a part of history," he added.
Condemning the attack on Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP George Baker in West Bengal's Bardhaman's, the saffron party on Sunday said the state has been converted into a land of hoodlums under the Trinamool Congress (TMC) Government.

"West Bengal, under the TMC Government, has been converted into a land of hoodlums. The TMC goons are not only attacking the party workers, but they also don't even spare senior leaders of the Parliament. We really condemn that the senior leader of the BJP was mercilessly beaten up," BJP leader C.K. Bose told ANI.

He further demanded West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's resignation as State Home Minister.

"Do you think the Home Minister of West Bengal deserves to remain in her position? She should immediately put in her resignation. Such behaviour from the TMC goons, supported by the TMC Government, is not going to be tolerated by the peace-loving citizens of Bengal any longer," Bose added.

BJP MP Baker was allegedly thrashed and his car vandalised in West Bengal's Bardhaman's Kalna area on Saturday.

As per reports, Baker was in the area to attend a function.

The BJP has alleged that the goons backed by the TMC were behind the attack.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Asserting that positive environment has enveloped India under his regime, Prime Minister Narendra Modi while addressing the Indian Diaspora in the United States assured that he will fulfill all their dreams they have for their motherland.

Prime Minister Modi further said that under his regime no cases of corruption have been reported against the government at the Centre.

"I assure you that whatever you have dreamt of India, I will fulfill them in your life time. People back in India are like you, you developed here and helped America grow because you got an environment to flourish, now back in India people are getting an environment to grow, they soon will make India developed," he said in his address.

"Let me tell you that our nation is moving ahead with the pace like never before. Corruption has been a main issue stymieing progress of our country. I would like to assert that in the past three years of my government no case of corruption has cropped up," he added.

Highlighting the success of surgical strikes against terror havens along the Line of Control (LoC), Prime Minister Modi said that the move was a double-edged sword for which the entire could have questioned New Delhi, but only those who faced the consequences took to criticising them.

The Prime Minister pointed that two decades ago when India talked about terrorism, it was perceived as a law and order situation, but today that understanding has improved as the threat has been affecting countries worldwide.

"Two decades ago, when India raised concerns over terrorism, the others thought that it was our law and order problem, because they themselves hadn't experienced it, but today there is no need to explain to anyone what terrorism is," he told the gathering.

Earlier today in his conference with U.S. business honchos, Prime Minister Modi stressed that the whole is looking at India today adding that growth for New Delhi also presents a win-win partnership for the United States.

Prime Minister Modi who touched down the Andrews Air Force base in Washington yesterday is on a bilateral visit to meet U.S. President Donald Trump.

He would be the first leader to have a working dinner with U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House on Monday.

Speaking ahead of the visit, India's Ambassador to the U.S., Navtej Sarna, said that Prime Minister Modi and President Trump would discuss crucial issues such as counter-terrorism, security and cyber security.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
At least 100 people were killed when an oil tanker caught fire after it overturned in Pakistan's Punjab province on Sunday morning, police said.

Seventy-five others were severely injured as the oil tanker caught on fire and exploded on a highway in in Bahawalpur city's Ahmed Pur Sharqia area, Dawn news reported.

The fire brigade arrived on the site of the incident shortly after the blaze started and rescue operations were initiated.

Two fire engines battled the fire and eventually gained control over it.

Six cars and 12 motorcycles parked in the vicinity were also severely damaged.

--IANS

ksk

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Fifteen persons have been confirmed dead in a landslide in China's Sichuan Province on Saturday that buried more than 120 people from 62 homes.

Rescuers had retrieved 15 bodies from the debris by Saturday night, the rescue headquarters said, Xinhua news agency reported on Sunday.

The search and rescue operation was underway overnight and people have been sent to observe potential secondary disasters.

Rescuers were combing the area with life detectors and sniffer dogs but no new signs of life have been found.

"We won't give up," said one rescuer.

Xu Zhiwen, Executive Deputy Governor of the Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture of Aba that the landslide stuck, said the identities of 118 missing will be soon made public on the government's website.

Xu also cleared up worries that some tourists might be among the buried as the village is in a tourist site.

The landslide from a high part of a mountain in Aba prefecture hit Xinmo Village in Maoxian County, blocking a 2-km section of river and burying 1,600 meters of road.

The provincial government has launched the highest level of disaster relief response and sent rescue teams to the site.

Currently, more than 3,000 workers with life-detection instruments are engaged in the search for survivors.

Geological experts at the site said the chance of survival for the people buried was really slim.

Only three persons from one family were rescued five hours after the landslide struck. They were taken to Maoxian County People's Hospital and none suffered life-threatening injuries. Another three-year-old child of the family remains buried.

--IANS

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A high level diplomatic meeting of Ambassadors from 15 African countries will be held here on Wednesday and Thursday to discuss ways and means on how to boost cashew production in Kerala, said a state Minister.

State Minister for Cashew J. Mercykutty Amma said that the main agenda of the two-day meeting was to see how best cashew kernels can be brought into Kerala.

"The problem is there are middle men and this meeting will deliberate on how to avoid them so as to bring in kernels from Africa on a regular basis to provide 300 days' job to our workers who work in cashew factories," said Amma.

She said the meeting would also find various techniques employed in cashew plantations that are being used in African countries.

"Our aim is that the total cashew export earnings of the country to go up form Rs 6,000 crore to Rs 9,000 crore. To this to be a reality, the need of the hour is for a regular supply of quality kernels and it's for this that we are holding this special meeting of African diplomats," said Amma.

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan will also be present during the meeting. Those coming for the meet include diplomats from Nigeria, Kenya, Tanzania, Ghana, Senegal, to name a few, besides officials from the External Affairs ministry.

--IANS

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Decades after Bollywood's original showman Raj Kapoor blazed a cinematic trail in Russian hearts in the erstwhile USSR, his nephew is now kicking up some snow and dust right though the soul of Russia's heartland.

Filmmaker and businessman Aditya Raj Kapoor, son of veteran Bollywood legend Shammi Kapoor, is currently on a bike ride across the breadth of Russia, along the popular, but arduous Moscow to Vladivostok route in a bid to relive the enchantment of the Russian landscape and its people.

Kapoor, who is currently vrooming across the almost 10,000 km journey on his Bonneville Triumph motorbike, spoke to IANS over e-mail about the challenges which lay ahead in his yet-to-be-completed journey and his passion for biking.

"I am enchanted with history and this route has shaped history and culture. I knew about the Trans-Siberian route and followed the train track, which is quite parallel at times," he said. The 9,300-km train journey takes 165 hours or over six days.

Built around the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century, the historic Moscow-Vladivostok route -- one of the longest train journeys in the world -- has a rich history of facilitating trade and commerce and has also been a beacon of sorts for adventurers and travellers through time.

Interestingly, in a more contemporary era, Russia, in a bid to facilitate trade in the South Asian region, has offered Pakistan a rail link from the Trans-Siberian route to the Gwadar port in the Balochistan province.

But trade and commerce are not on Kapoor's mind, as much as the unadulterated spirit of adventure and the element of challenge is.

"The journey chooses the traveller. The idea of catching up on life appealed to me, so I started planning a year ago," he said, when asked about the reason behind undertaking the ride on his parallel twin four-stroke bike.

"I have been an exporter's apprentice, salesman in a Delhi gas stove company, ware-housing guy, pedestrian salesman, amusement park guy, man from Sharjah, wannabe film director and actor, writer and now a biker," Kapoor said, summing up his life's journey. Kapoor has assisted Raj Kapoor in the direction of several popular films, including "Bobby" and "Satyam Shivam Sundaram", apart from writing and directing other movies.

Challenges are many, Kapoor says, but adds that his feisty spirit is undaunted.

"Language is a challenge. Long distance biking is another. So is the daily pack and restart system in daily change of rooms" he says.

Like his uncle Raj Kapoor, who wooed Russian movie lovers of the past decades, with his films and in particular his songs like "Mera joota hai Japani, yeh patloon Englistani, sar pe laal topi Rusi", Aditya Raj Kapoor says that the natives in the world's largest country and one of India's biggest allies are friendly and warm.

"Yes it's the same messaging, in a different language as the fifties and sixties," he said.

"I have met Russians all along and I find that they are extremely warm and hospitable," Kapoor added.

(Mayabhushan Nagvenkar can be reached at mayabhushan.n@ians.in)

--IANS

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Accepting that the "Emergency" was a mistake and the party had learnt from it, the Congress on Sunday hit out at the Narendra Modi government saying the country's situation was that of an "undeclared Emergency".

"Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke about remembering the Emergency, we remember the Emergency, we haven't forgotten. But we also ask him to remember that we are facing an undeclared emergency.

"If he learns from the lessons of Emergency, which we all have, he should learn from the new traits developed by his own government," said Congress spokesperson Tom Vadakkan.

"The fact that there is muzzling of the media, raids conducted on the media and there's a list of issues which only can be seen in an undeclared Emergency," he added.

Modi, in his monthly radio address 'Mann Ki Baat' on Sunday recalled the "dark night" of Emergency when thousands of political activists were arrested and the country had virtually become a "prison".

Vadakkan also said: "I also want the DAVP (Directorate of Audio-Visual Publicity) to issue a white paper on who are being given these advertisements and how much of corporate houses are involved in back-room management of the media."

"Clever nuances have been developed, they are no match to a declared Emergency. Emergency was a mistake we accept. We have learnt from our mistakes.

"But, while reminding us of those mistakes, please learn to correct yourself. If you do not learn from history, you are condemned to repeat it. This country is seeing just that," he added.

Vadakkan also rapped the government on the internal security situation.

"...This lynch mob, the (anti-) Romeo squad. What are these people all about?

"There were various issues raised by him (Modi) but I wish issues of internal security were also raised. 47 lives have been lost, not counting the death of a Deputy SP in Srinagar, who on security duty outside a masjid, was lynched by a mob. Not one word have you heard on this tragic death of this brave police officer," said Vadakkan.

He also said that growth of separatism and transition of separatists to terrorists is most visible in Jammu and Kashmir.

"The so-called separatists have now become full-grown terrorists. Thanks to the help of PDP and choreography of the BJP, which speaks one language in the Valley and talks about nationalism all over India," he added.

--IANS

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Veteran actor Anupam Kher was honoured with a citation from the Nassau county here.

Anupam took to Twitter to share a string of photographs holding the citation, which was given to him for working "dilligently on behalf of causes and ideas, which uphold the principles of human decency."

"Through the years, you have demonstrated a selfless commitment to the community that warrants attention and gratitude," the citation read.

"Honoured with the Key and Citation from the Nassau County, New York state. Thank you Judge Christopher Quinn, Bobbyji, Kamal and Chummu Dandona," he captioned the image.

The 64-year-old later shared a photograph of himself along with Hollywood star Robert De Niro and his wife Grace.

"Thank you Grace Robert De Niro and my all time favourite Robert De Niro for ur love. Grace! I am glad you could come to International Yoga Day at UN," he captioned the image.

In Bollywood, Anupam will soon be seen in "Toilet: Ek Prem Katha" with actors Akshay Kumar and Bhumi Pednekar.

The actor is also prepping for his next "The Accidental Prime Minister", where he will be seen playing the role of former Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

Written and co-produced by Hansal Mehta, the film is based on the 2014 memoir of the same name by Sanjaya Baru.

--IANS

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British Prime minister Theresa May and top military officials gathered in Liverpool city to lead the nation in honouring the country's servicemen and women on National Armed Forces Day.

Soldiers from the Royal Navy, Army, Royal Air Force and military veterans took part in events on Saturday which started with a gun salute at Liverpool's historic Pier Head waterfront where the Royal Navy's type-23 frigate warship, HMS Iron Duke, was docked, reports Xinhua news agency.

The Earl of Wessex, Prince Edward, represented Queen Elizabeth.

There were a host of displays including warplanes, helicopters, diving tanks, inflatable boats, tanks, a field hospital, simulators and marching military bands.

Around Britain, a record of events took place, including parades, military displays and community fetes.

"Our world-leading Armed Forces work day and night to defend our country and our way of life, both at home and abroad," May said in Liverpool.

"In the aftermath of the Manchester attack, military personnel played a vital role on British streets, providing visible reassurance. And further afield they continue to take the fight in Iraq and Syria, helping to drive the terrorists back and give ordinary people in those countries the chance to rebuild their lives."

Defence Secretary Sir Michael Fallon, also in Liverpool, said: "Today is a valuable opportunity to give something back to the Armed Forces community, which works so hard to keep us safe each and every day."

British armed forces are currently involved in over 20 operations in some 25 countries.

--IANS

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China and Afghanistan have pledged to enhance cooperation in the fight against terrorism.

Visiting Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Saturday expressed hope that both countries will continue to support each other on issues of core interest and deepen cooperation in anti-terror fight, reports Xinhua news agency.

He also said China welcomes Afghanistan to actively participate in the Belt and Road Initiative.

Wang reaffirmed China's steadfast support for the Afghan-led reconciliation process.

He reiterated that China supports the revival of the Quadrilateral Coordination Group of Afghanistan, China, Pakistan and the US and supports the activation of the work of the liaison group between the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation and Afghanistan, which will help create favourable atmosphere for the peace process.

Yi's counterpart Salahuddin Rabbani pledged that Afghanistan will actively take part in the Belt and Road Initiative, strengthen cooperation with China in fight against terrorism and take firm actions to crack down on the "East Turkistan Islamic Movement" terrorist group.

He appreciated China's constructive role in helping push forward his country's peace and reconciliation process and vowed continuous efforts in this regard in whatever circumstances.

He also expressed gratitude for the active role China has played in the efforts of Afghanistan and Pakistan in improving ties.

--IANS

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A dozen criminals who stole motorcycles and mobile phones have been arrested in Ghaziabad, police said on Sunday, adding they had recovered several stolen phones and two-wheelers.

This followed a massive offensive against petty criminals over the weekend in Ghaziabad district bordering Delhi, Superintendent of Police Akash Tomar said.

According to police, the arrests happened when police carried out an extensive check of vehicles. A total of 14 smart phones, three motorcycles, a scooty and Rs 15,000 in cash were seized besides two pistols and a knife.

The arrested criminals were identified as Abid, Momin, Umar, Mohsin, Gulzar and Shahid of Ghaziabad, Siddharth, Karan Singh and Manoj of Loni as well as Buntie, Rahat and Zulfikar.

"Police will continue its drive against such criminals in the city," said Tomar.

--IANS

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A gunfight started on Sunday between the security forces and holed-up militants in Srinagar, police said.

According to police, the gunfight started after midnight between the militants holed up inside the Delhi Public School (DPS) complex here and the security forces in Pantha Chowk area of Srinagar.

S.P. Vaid, Director of Police (DGP) told reporters two militants are holed up inside the DPS complex.

The militants on Saturday attacked a Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) vehicle on the Srinagar-Jammu national highway.

A Sub-Inspector of the CRPF was killed and two troopers injured in the attack after which the militants entered the DPS complex. Security forces immediately surrounded the school complex to prevent the militants from escaping.

The Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) militant outfit owned responsibility for the attack.

District Magistrate of Srinagar, Farooq Ahmad Lone on Saturday imposed restrictions on the stretch of Srinagar-Jammu national highway between Ram Munshibagh and Sempora.

Mobile internet services (3G/4G) were also suspended in the Kashmir Valley to prevent the spread of rumours.

The speed of landline broadband connections has also been brought down.

Also, in a freak accident, the service rifle of a policeman went off at the site of the militant attack on Saturday.

Two persons including a CRPF trooper and a policeman were injured in the freak accident.

--IANS

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Private sector financial services firm IDFC on Sunday announced the appointment of Sunil Kakar as Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the company with effect from July 16 for three years.

"The Board of Directors of the Company at its meeting held on 24.06.2017 has approved the appointment of Sunil Kakar as Managing Director and CEO of the company for a period of 3 years w.e.f. July 16, 2017, subject to the approval of the shareholders at the ensuing AGM of the company," IDFC said in a stock exchange filing.

Kakar has also been appointed as Additional Director.

IDFC also announced that its board has approved the resignation of Vikram Limaye from the post of MD and CEO. He has been appointed Managing Director and CEO of the National Stock Exchange (NSE).

As per the profile provided by IDFC, Kakar joined the company as group Chief Financial Officer (CFO) responsible for finance, accounts, business planning, budgeting and investor relations, among others.

Prior to joining IDFC, Kakar worked with Max New York Life Insurance as CFO since 2001. He has also worked with Bank of America for 18 years in various roles.

--IANS

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Iraqi forces have captured two-thirds of the Old City of Mosul, which was the main stronghold of the Islamic State in Iraq, the commander of the federal police said on Sunday.

Raed Shaker Jawdat said in a statement that IS lost 80 per cent of its defence lines, adding that declaring victory was only a matter of time, reports Efe.

The Federal Police units were now very close to al-Sarj Khana district, one of the last remaining IS strongholds in the Old City.

The IS militants' current strategy is to hide among residents, according to Jawdat, who noted that the police forces were skilfully handling the situation in order to isolate the extremists and get all civilians out of harm's way.

Government forces liberated the eastern sector of Mosul in an offensive that lasted from October 2016 to January 2017, while in mid-February another incursion began to free the western half of the city that is divided into two by the river Tigris.

The Islamic State captured Mosul and announced a new caliphate there in June 2014.

--IANS

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US President Donald Trump's daughter and advisor Ivanka Trump must give a deposition in a lawsuit by an Italian shoemaker claiming her fashion label copied its designs, a federal judge has ruled.

Aquazurra Italia filed the suit against Ivanka Trump and her company in June 2016. It claims the brand has produced cheaper knockoffs of Aquazurra's "coveted" and highly publicised shoe designs, CNN reported on Saturday.

At the heart of the lawsuit is Aquazurra's "Wild Things" shoe. The company says the Ivanka Trump brand's "Hettie" shoe too closely resembles the design.

Ivanka Trump's lawyers have staunchly denied those allegations, according to court documents.

They said the Aquazurra design lacks the "distinctiveness" it would need to be protected by intellectual property laws. The lawyers have also said the case is a publicity stunt.

Earlier this month, Ivanka Trump's lawyers argued that she should not be deposed because she "does not possess any unique information" about the design process for the shoes in question, reports CNN.

But the judge overseeing the case, US District Judge Katherine Forrest, denied that request in a ruling on Friday.

Forrest wrote that Ivanka Trump's deposition is necessary because she was a company executive during the time the shoes were made and had "high-level, authoritative, personal involvement" in the company.

"Ms. Trump's public statements regarding active and comprehensive brand management lead to a reasonable inference that the shoe at issue would not have been released without her approval,"the judge added.

Forrest ruled that Ivanka Trump's deposition must be kept to under two hours and done in Washington, D.C., where she currently resides. It must be completed by October.

--IANS

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Former Calcutta High Court Justice C.S. Karnan continued to be in hospital for the fourth day on Sunday with doctors saying his condition is now stable.

"He was stable last (Saturday) evening," said Ajay Kumar Ray, director of the state-run SSKM hospital, where Justice Karnan was admitted after he complained of chest pain.

A source from the Presidency Correctional Home said Karnan was "still admitted at the hospital".

"He is under observation. I do not have any information about his illness or the kind of treatment he is getting," the source added.

The retired judge was lodged in Presidency Correctional Home on Wednesday after he was brought to Kolkata from Chennai following his arrest by the West Bengal CID officials from near Tamil Nadu's Coimbatore on June 20 in a case of contempt of court.

The controversial judge was sentenced to six-month imprisonment on May 9 by the Supreme Court and thereafter remained untraceable till his arrest.

Justice Karnan was held guilty of contempt for his utterances against the Chief Justice of India and other judges of the higher judiciary. Karnan who had left Kolkata for Chennai went underground thereafter. He retired from service earlier this month.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
In the wake of lynching of a senior police officer outside the Jamia Masjid here, the Jammu and Police on Sunday issued an advisory Sunday asking all security personnel to avoid offering Eid prayers in public places and only do so at "protected places".

The advisory, sent to all police stations, all wings of Jammu and Police, the army's 15th corps, the Indo-Tibetan Border Police, the Sashastra Seema Bal, the Central Reserve Police Force, the Border Security Force and the Central Industrial Security Force, advised them to "instruct field and subordinate formations that they shall not offer Eid prayers in isolated or general mosques or Eidgahs".

Security personnel should offer Eid prayers only at protected places, said the advisory issued by Inspector General of Police, zone, in wake of lynching of Deputy Superintendent of Police Muhammad Ayub Pandit on Friday.

Eid-ul-Fitr festival is likely to be observed throughout the country on Monday with the holy month of Ramadan is likely to end on Sunday.

Fearing reprisal attacks by the militants, an advisory issued earlier this year by the state police had asked its personnel in the Valley to avoid visiting their native places till the advisory remained in force.

--IANS

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Amid the ongoing agitation for the separate state of Gorkhaland in West Bengal's hills, the BJP on Sunday alleged the Mamata Banerjee-led government has not fulfilled the conditions of Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA)

"We are not supporters of Gorkhaland but culture and customs of Gorkhas should be protected. The GTA was formed with the objective to protect the culture of Gorkhas," Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) National General Secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya said.

"The conditions of GTA were not fulfilled. Neither administrative nor financial right was given to them. They are angry over Mamata and that is why the agitation unfolded. Mamata should apologise to them," Vijayvargiya said.

The Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) called for indefinite strike in the hills for their Gorkhaland demand.

--IANS

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A man who fled after attacking his estranged wife with a sickle has been arrested from his home village in Uttar Pradesh's Unnao district, police said on Sunday.

The incident took place in Punjabi Basti in Nangloi area of west Delhi on Saturday night, police said.

The man, identified as Dharmendra, a truck cleaner, was held from his house in village Kathar in Unnao.

Police received a call that a woman had been stabbed in Punjabi Basti. On reaching on the spot, the team found the victim identified as Ritu with injuries to her neck and left hand and got her admitted to a hospital, said Deputy Commissioner of Police M.N Tiwari.

"She told police that she was married to Dharmendra 11 years ago but living separately with her daughter in Nihal Vihar area as he was a habitual drinker and used to beat her," he said.

The woman, who had been working in a garment export factory in the Sultanpuri area, for the last two years, said that she was returning home from work and had reached near the Nangloi flyover T-point, when Dharmendra came from behind and attacked her with a sickle. When she cried for help, he escaped from the spot," Tiwari added.

The sickle involved in the crime was also recovered from the bushes of Suraj Mal stadium, he said.

--IANS

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A cheetah pouncing on an antelope in the wilds of Africa, or two tigers displaying their fondness for each other in a National Park in India - these are among a series of rare moments frozen with the camera by some renowned medicos struck by wanderlust that adorn an exhibition here.

Keeping their stethoscopes and scalpels aside for a while, eleven doctors converged to showcase their passion for the lens in the three day photography exhibition that concluded on Sunday at Nandan Hall 4.

Around 55 photographs, bulk of them dealing with wild life and nature, were on show with each doctor having five or so clicks of their own.

According to the organisers Photography Charcha, it was the first time in the city that so many doctors came under one umbrella to display their talent with the camera.

"I have been taking photos for the last eight-ten years in various geographies including the wild surroundings of Africa. This is an escape from the mundane day-to-day life of a doctor," Kalyan Kar, a city-based general surgeon, told IANS at the exhibition.

Among Kar's spread, the silhouette of a tower of giraffes captured in the backdrop of the setting sun - giving the frame a reddish hue - attracted a lot of eyeballs.

"I had to compose this photograph," Kar revealed when quizzed about the work that went behind the magnificent click.

"Most of the photographs here are moments. This one stands out as it is more than that. There is a sense of calmness as the giraffes laze by," a spectator commented on Kar's work.

Then there were two serial shots of a cheetah chasing an antelope and finally getting hold of its backside.

"I had to wait for the cheetah to first locate the antelopes and then prey on one. I knew he had food here. I had no option but to wait for it to attack," Kar said highlighting how much goes into one photograph for these otherwise well-to do doctors.

The photographs were taken in Nxai Pan National Park in north-eastern Botswana.

There was also a collection of six canvas paints by Kaushik Ghosh, an orthopaedic surgeon, trying to create a lyrical interpretation of storylines through amalgamation of unrelated photographs.

Sandip Chatterjee, a neurosurgeon, displayed a lively picture, taken from close quarters, of two tigers showing affection towards each other in the Tadoba National Park in Maharashtra's Chandrapur district.

There are plans to have the exhibition on a larger scale next year and broaden the horizon of photographs. The lack of landscape photographs was palpable and Kar said there would be more variety in future.

--IANS

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Mexican actress Eliza Gonzalez, at age 27 and on the point of premiering the movie "Baby Driver", promises to become a real Hollywood star with "Alita: Battle Angel," produced by James Cameron.

"It's all a question of perception," the actress from Sonora, Mexico, said about her meteoric career in an interview with Efe news.

"It might look like it's gone really fast but I don't see it that way. There's been a lot of work, dedication and patience to get this far. I've stuck to my ideals and it's given me results," said the artist, for whom everything changed when she moved to the US.

Her first big chance came from Robert Rodriguez in the series "From Dusk Till Dawn," after which the UK's Edgar Wright set her to shine in the cast of the frenetic "Baby Driver," which premieres on Wednesday.

"I was the newbie on the set and the only one who had to go through the casting process. That changed everything. I was scared, nervous but very enthusiastic and at peace because I knew I had won the part. I worked very hard and they gave me the role thanks to the sheer sweat on my part," she said.

Included in the cast are Kevin Spacey, Jon Bernthal, Jon Hamm and Jamie Foxx.

After that shoot, the actress got to work almost immediately on "Alita: Battle Angel," a Robert Rodriguez film produced and co-scripted by Cameron, in which she shares scenes with Mahershala Ali and Christoph Waltz.

Though her career is going full speed ahead, Eliza Gonzalez did recall that "it's not easy to be a woman and much less a Latina in Hollywood.

"There are a lot of stumbling blocks, and you do a lot of falling down. You get rejected every day. Sometimes for not being tall enough, for the tone of your skin, for being more or less Latina... There's always something. But I've learned to take it easy and know who I am," she told Efe.

For Gonzalez, the key to success is to be consistent and have patience.

"I'm part of a minority and I lose parts that are assigned to Asians, African Americans and other Latinas. But it's all work for women and that makes me happy," the actress said.

--IANS

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently called for empowerment and education of Muslim women. One would have expected this message to receive widespread acceptance and support. It did not.

There was resistance on several fronts for a variety of reasons. Some saw Modi's move as a political stunt. Some questioned whether Modi was doing anything meaningful in the education and empowerment area. Others came out against it because of a connection to the triple-talaq controversy.

There is no gainsaying that there is an unequivocal and critical need to empower Muslim women through education in order for India to achieve its full potential. The status of education in general was captured by the 2001 census which revealed that the Muslim literacy rate was only 59 per cent.

In response to these and additional findings regarding Muslims and others in the weaker sections, the Sachar Committee Report of 2006 disclosed a development deficit in a number of areas. The report resulted in the creation of an across-the-board programme for the development of minorities.

This programme and other initiatives have had a beneficial effect. In the 2011 census, the overall literacy rate for Muslims went up substantially to 68.5 per cent against the national literacy rate of 74 per cent.

That was good news. But the numbers within the numbers tell a different story. The worst literacy rate for women in India is among those in the Muslim community at less than 52 percent. That is cause for concern.

Even more worrying is the performance of Muslims in terms of higher education. A US India Policy Institute released in 2013, six years after the Sachar Report, showed that only 11 per cent of Muslims in India pursue higher education compared to a national average of approximately 19 per cent. Most significantly, that study revealed that there has been a decline in the general category of Muslims participating in higher education.

The literacy rate and the higher education statistics represent a double whammy for Muslim women as it relates to empowerment. In education, literacy is the starting line and higher education is the finishing line for becoming fully empowered. These statistics indicate that not enough Muslim women even get to the starting line and very few get to the finishing line.

This must change. Muslim women must be able to participate fully along the entire educational continuum. This participation is pivotal for the future of the individual Muslim woman, the Muslim family and India.

For the individual Muslim woman, education itself is empowering. It removes the shackles of ignorance. It develops the knowledge, skills and attitudes to pursue and create one's own destiny. It builds self-esteem and confidence. Education is the gift that keeps on giving. It is an opportunity creator and bridge to the future.

For the Muslim family, education prepares the Muslim woman to be a change agent. Too many Muslim families are trapped in poverty because of a lack of education. With her own education, the woman can educate and equip her children to escape that trap. I firmly believe education is a powerful equaliser, opening doors to Muslim women to lift themselves out of poverty.

For India, education delivers on the promise of the largest representative democracy in the world. Central to that promise are equality, opportunity and inclusive economic mobility. Education levels the playing field and makes that promise a reality. Once that reality exists for Muslim women they will be able to deliver on that promise for India by helping others up the ladder of success. They will have the capacity to change the face of India and the landscape of the world.

In the 21st century, higher education is becoming more important for climbing that ladder. By higher education, I don't just mean four-year colleges or universities. I include technical, vocational and professional education at the secondary levels.

It might seem that I am a little delusional given the current circumstances in talking about Muslim women and higher education. But that is not the case.

On my last visit to India in February this year, I had the good fortune to give addresses and speak with young Muslim women students at Fatima Girls Inter College in Azamgarh and Abdullah Women's College at Aligarh Muslim University (AMU). I was inspired by them and their commitment to making a positive difference in India.

During that visit, my wife Debbie and I also dedicated the new Management Complex that we had financed at AMU. In my comments at the dedication ceremonies, I predicted that from this Complex "will come the future leaders who will make India and the world a better place."

Many of those leaders will be educated and empowered Muslim women who will be in the forefront of empowering other Muslim women who will then educate and empower other Muslim women -- and the cycle will continue.

When that occurs, those Muslim women would have realised their full potential and they will ensure that India and the world do as well. When they succeed, all of us succeed. India succeeds. The world succeeds.

(Frank Islam is an Washington-based entrepreneur, civic leader and thought leader. The views expressed are personal. His website is www.frankislam.com)

--IANS

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Millions of people across Southeast Asia on Sunday celebrated the end of Ramadan, the holy month of fasting.

Leaders of Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei joined in the holiday celebrations that began with a morning ceremony, reports Efe news.

Indonesian President Joko Widodo, accompanied by First Lady Iriana, took part in the Eid-ul-Fitr prayers at the Istiqlal Mosque, the largest in Southeast Asia.

Widodo then left for the presidential palace to continue the tradition of opening its doors to the public from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m.

Eighty-seven per cent of the 260 million people in the Indonesian archipelago practice Islam, making them the world's largest Muslim community.

In Malaysia, where this group accounts for about 60 per cent of the nearly 30 million inhabitants, Sultan Muhammad V officiated before a gathering of 17,000 at the Federal Territory Mosque.

Prime Minister Najib Razak and other political and religious heads were also seen at this mosque, inaugurated in the year 2000.

In Brunei, the premier's official residence and other symbolic buildings were opened to the public for several hours during the day.

In the mainly-Catholic Philippines, where Muslims represent close to 11 per cent of the 100 million inhabitants, the army declared an eight-hour ceasefire in the city of Marawi, currently held by Islamic State-linked militants.

Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic lunar calendar, and is a time for fasting, family and discipline, when believers abstain from eating, drinking, smoking and sex from dawn until sunset.

The period is considered holy as it is believed to have been the time when the Quran was revealed to the Prophet Mohammad.

--IANS

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Prime Minister said no country has questioned India's surgical strike against terrorist launchpads in Pakistan and "India has succeeded in telling the world about the need to uproot the menace of terrorism".

He also said "terrorists have themselves explained to the world the meaning of terrorism".

"The entire world could have raised many questions and pointed fingers at us for the surgical strike. But, not a single country questioned India's surgical strike against the terrorist launchpads in Pakistan (last year). Those who suffered (Pakistan) because of this, is a different thing," Modi said while addressing the members of Indian diaspora here on Sunday.

"The entire world is suffering because of the menace of terrorism, which is against mankind," the Prime Minister said.

"When India spoke about terrorism about 20-25 years back, for many countries, it was beyond their understanding. For them it was a law and order problem, because they were not the sufferers. Today, it is not required to explain what's terrorism. Terrorists have themselves explained it to them," said Modi.

"But when India conducts surgical strike, the world understands India is a patient country but if required, it knows how to demonstrate its ability," said Modi.

"We are bound by international laws. We believe in the idea of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam (the world is one family). This is our character," he added.

Modi also said: "We do not want to disrupt the global order. Following the international norms and law, in order to ensure that the sovereignty, security and peace is maintained, we are capable of taking very stern action."
A Sub-Inspector of Police, Arunesh Markam, received injuries in a gun battle with Maoists on Sunday morning in Bijapur district of Chhattisgarh.

The exchange of fire took place in Awapalli police station area of the district.

Briefing newsmen about the incident, Superintendent of Police K.L. Dhruv said: "A team of police personnel from Awapalli police station was out for a search operation when a group of Maoist guerillas attacked it."

But as the police team returned the fire, the Maoists fled, Dhruv said.

Sub-Inspector Markam, who got injured, has been given first aid and is being shifted to Jagdalpur-based Mekaj Hospital, according to the officer.

--IANS

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Real Madrid claimed the Copa del Rey Juvenil title with a 4-1 victory over Atletico Madrid here on Sunday.

Oscar opened the scoring for Real Madrid after 12 minutes, but Oscar Clemente equalised for Atletico one minute before the end of the first half, reports Efe.

The two teams failed to seize chances in the second half, so they had to resort to extra time of two 15-minute halves to settle the match.

Alberto put Real Madrid into the lead with the second goal in the 96th minute, while Toni secured the victory with the third goal two minutes later.

Cesar Gelaber sealed the win with the fourth goal for Real Madrid five minutes before the final whistle.

--IANS

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Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has cut short his London trip over the oil tanker fire incident that killed at least 140 people and injured over 100 others in Punjab province, the Prime Minister's Office said.

A statement from the office said Sharif, who was originally scheduled to return home on June 30, will leave for Pakistan on Sunday, Xinhua news agency reported.

"Winding up his engagements in London, the PM has decided to immediately return back to country because terror attacks on Friday and oil tanker fire tragedy have grieved the nation immensely," said the statement.

Shahbaz Sharif, Punjab Chief Minister, has announced a compensation package of Pakistani Rs (PKR) 2,000,000 ($19,100) for each of the killed and PKR 1,000,000 ($9,550) for the injured.

According to police, the tragic incident took place when an oil tanker fully packed with around 50,000 liters of petrol skidded off the road after tire burst on a highway in Ahmad Pur Sharqia, a small town about 400 from Lahore, capital city of Punjab province.

The fire broke out after many people from nearby villages came in motorbikes to collect the oil spilled out from the capsized oil tanker.

A total of 75 motorbikes and six vehicles including a traffic police vehicle were burnt in the fire, said police. The site was littered with numerous bodies burned beyond recognition, said eyewitnesses.

Imran Shah, spokesman of Pakistan Motorway Police, said that initial investigation suggested that the fire broke out after someone on the spot lit a cigarette. However, further probe into the incident is still underway, he said.

Four helicopters and a C-130 airplane were used to airlift the critically injured to hospitals in other cities.

Rana Saleem, Deputy Commissioner of Bahawalpur, said the toll might further rise as at least two dozen of the injured are in critical condition.

Both Pakistani President Mamnoon Hussain and Prime Minister Sharif expressed deep sorrow over the loss of lives in the incident.

The Prime Minister also instructed all the concerned authorities to provide the best available medical treatment to the victims.

--IANS

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With Prime Minister Narendra Modi set for his first face-to-face interaction with US President Donald Trump on Monday, almost every strategic analyst feels the outcome of this meeting will be the first indication of Washington's policy towards India in the Trump era.

Barring a few voices, the chorus suggests that Modi should approach the visit with minimal expectations and hope to establish a personal rapport with a mercurial Trump.

The official position of the government, however, is that Trump's personality is not an issue as the relationship between the two countries "is institutional in nature", not personal.

Yet the style of functioning of both Modi and Trump are personality-driven as has been seen in Modi's interactions with world leaders including Trump's predecessor Barack Obama and in Trump's meetings with Shinzo Abe (Japan), Xi Jinping (China) Angela Merkel (Germany).

Former Minister of State for External Affairs Shashi Tharoor says Modi must hope to establish a personal rapport with Trump.

"Given President Trump's somewhat erratic track record, it will be wise to approach the visit with minimal expectations. The PM must hope to establish a personal rapport with the US President, who is known as man of personal likes and dislikes," Tharoor told IANS.

He said Modi should also "gently" set the record straight on Trump's "gratuitous and misplaced attack" on India over climate change.

"Beyond that, Modi needs to put India on Trump's radar screen, from which we appear to have been absent since his election."

While announcing the US withdrawal from the Paris climate agreement, Trump had accused India of signing the accord to get "billions and billions and billions" of dollars from developed nations.

Modi is to meet Trump on Monday afternoon (late night as per Indian time) after his meetings with senior officials and dignitaries of the US administration.

Foreign Secretary S. Jaishankar flew into Washington ahead of Modi to meet senior officials in the Trump administration and to lay the groundwork for the high-profile visit.

Strategic analyst Uday Bhaskar described the incumbent US Presidency as the "most disruptive" in recent history and said the most significant issue for Modi will be to get a sense if there will be policy continuity in the India-US relationship.

"The disruption has been particularly visible in relation to Trump overturning the major policies of Obama.

"The challenge for Modi is to ascertain the Trump commitment to the bilateral. For instance, there is no US ambassador appointed yet. Is this an indicator," asked the Director of Society for Policy Studies.

Bhaskar agreed that personal chemistry of the two leaders would play a role. Despite the hiccups in Indo-US relations, the personal chemistry between Modi and Obama was visible.

"The moot question is whether the meeting will lead to such affable personal chemistry and whether there will be policy continuity in the India-US relationship post-2008 -- when India was accorded exceptional nuclear status due to the high-level political resolve at the time.

"Dealing with Trump is a means to that end. So maybe Modi needs a deft and effective Trump technique," Bhaskar told IANS. "By the way, they are both Twitter addicts."

Analysts admit that recent Trump policy posturing has been less than favourable for India.

"While announcing the US withdrawal from the Paris climate agreement, Trump accused India of obtaining unfair and undue advantage and this led to a firm rebuff from Delhi. The Trump promise to reduce immigrant workers and the number of H1B visas is of direct relevance to the Indian IT industry," a foreign policy expert said.

Bhaskar added that Modi would have to convincingly project that India's interests are aligned with US interests. "Modi's 'Make in India' objective has to be harmonized with the Trump commitment to 'Buy American' and 'Hire American'."

Modi and Trump have already had three conversations over telephone.

External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Gopal Baglay said the whole gamut of the India-US relationship would be on the table when the two leaders meet.

"The idea of the bilateral talks will be to give a thrust and direction to the robust and expanding relationship often described as the defining partnership of the 21st century," he said.

(Vishav can be contacted at vishav@ians.in)

--IANS

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Terming the "Emergency" imposed by late Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in 1975 as an "assault on all democratic institutions", Union Minister Arun Jaitley on Sunday said the NDA government's critics using the expression "undeclared Emergency" against it, "need to introspect their own roles during the Emergency".

"It has become customary for the critics of any government in India to casually use an expression 'undeclared Emergency'. Those making these exaggerated comments were either supporting the Emergency or were absent in any protest against the Emergency," he wrote in an open letter on the BJP's website.

The minister said the Emergency established dictatorship of an individual and created an environment of "tyranny and fear" in the society.

"Most institutions collapsed on their own. The Emergency was declared on the midnight of June 25, 1975. The ostensible and the official reason was a threat to public order but obviously this was phoney reasoning," Jaitley said.

The minister was reacting to comments by the Congress that there was an "undeclared Emergency" during NDA's rule. The comments were in response to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's remarks during his monthly radio address 'Mann Ki Baat' earlier in the day, where he had termed Emergency as "dark night" during which the whole country had virtually become a "prison".

"...The real reason was that Indira Gandhi had been unseated in an election petition by the Allahabad High Court and the Supreme Court had granted only a conditional stay of the High Court order. She wanted to continue in power and resorted to imposition of emergency to enable this to happen. It would be in the fitness of things to remind those who loosely use a phrase undeclared Emergency with what happened during that period," the minister wrote.

--IANS

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A gunbattle broke out at the Delhi Public School (DPS) in Srinagar in the early hours of Sunday as security forces launched an offensive to flush out the militants who took refuge inside the campus after attacking Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel in Pantha Chowk area on Saturday.

Three army personnel, including a captain, have been injured in the encounter. However, their condition was stable, authorities said.

"All injured army personnel are stable and out of danger," a police officer said, confirming that the injured have been shifted to the 92 Base Hospital of the army in Badami Bagh cantonment.

Director General of Police S.P. Vaid told reporters: "The room intervention inside the DPS complex has been started to eliminate the holed up terrorists." He said two militants are holed up inside the DPS complex.

According to the security sources the two militants have been killed. However, the police did not confirm the development.

The Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) militant outfit owned the responsibility for the attack.

Srinagar District Magistrate Farooq Ahmad Lone on Saturday imposed restrictions on movement of people and traffic on the stretch of Srinagar-Jammu Highway between Ram Munshi Bagh and Sempora.

The site of the attack happens to be a high-security zone located less than a kilometre away from the headquarters of the Indian Army's Chinar Corps. The area was immediately cordoned off by the security forces and search operations were launched in the school premises.

Mobile internet services (3G/4G) were also suspended in the Kashmir Valley. Landline broadband speed has also been brought down.

Also on Saturday, a policeman and a CRPF jawan were injured when a policeman's rifle went off accidentally as Srinagar Senior Superintendent of Police Imtiyaz Parray was addressing the media.

--IANS

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After three days of operation to rescue an 18-month-old girl from a borewell in Telangana's Rangareddy district, she was found dead at a depth of 180 feet.

Rescue workers pulled out the body early on Sunday, dashing all hopes of her parents, relatives and hundreds of people who had been waiting at the site, many fervently praying for her safety.

Chinnari fell into the 450-feet deep borewell in a field on Thursday evening while playing with her elder sister and other children in Chenvel village in Rangareddy district, about 55 km from Hyderabad.

Personnel of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), fire services, police and Revenue Department took part in the rescue operation. A team from the Oil and Natural Gas Commission (ONGC) also joined them on Saturday.

ONGC experts used their modern digging techniques and also deployed cameras but failed to track the kid.

State Transport Minister Mahender Reddy, who was supervising the rescue operation, said all efforts were made to rescue the child. The girl was first traced at a depth of 40 feet but she slipped further and was finally found dead at 180 feet.

He assured all help from the government to the girl's family.

Cyberabad Police Commissioner Sandeep Sandilya said a case was booked against the owner of the field, Malla Reddy, under Indian Penal Code's Section 336 (endangering life or personal safety of a person). He had left the borewell uncovered after it did not yield water.

The government has directed collectors of all districts to cap all abandoned borewells to prevent such incidents.

--IANS

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Chinese President Xi Jinping will visit Hong Kong next week to mark the 20th anniversary of its handover from Britain to China.

Xi's three-day visit to Hong Kong, China's special administrative region, will begin on June 29, Xinhua news agency reported.

After becoming the President, this is Xi's first visit to the island which is governed by China under the principle of "one country, two systems".

As per the pact agreed between Britain and China when the former handed over the rule to the latter, Hong Kong will have a high degree of autonomy and will preserve it for 50 years from the date of the handover in 1997.

Hong Kong has its own currency but its foreign and defence policies are decided by Beijing.

Pro-democracy forces worry over slow electoral reforms and indirect election of half of the lawmakers -- said to be handpicked by Beijing -- in Hong Kong.

There have been protests in the past.

According to the South China Morning Post, Xi has a packed itinerary that includes overseeing the swearing-in of the new Chief Executive, Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor, and her cabinet on July 1.

Before flying out later that day, he is expected to visit one of the city's two major controversy-plagued infrastructure project sites - either the Hong Kong-Zunhai-Macau bridge or the high-speed rail link to Guangzhou.

Informed sources said Xi's tight schedule would leave no time to visit a local family or neighbourhood as his predecessors had done in the past.

However, his wife Peng Liyuan will meet residents of an elderly home on Friday.

According to the itinerary, the president and his wife will land at Hong Kong International Airport on Thursday.

He is scheduled to attend a banquet that evening with Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying at the Government House.

On Friday, he will inspect the local garrison of the People's Liberation Army, before attending functions at the convention centre in Wan Chai.

On Sunday, Leung expressed his "deepest gratitude" to Xi for the visit.

"President Xi's visit at this important moment to attend the celebration and the inauguration ceremony fully shows the importance that the central authorities attach to Hong Kong," Leung said in a statement.

Meanwhile, Lam said it was heartening to have Xi visit Hong Kong during the historic event as China had offered the city enormous support to ensure its stability and prosperity since the handover.

--IANSA

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The woes of home buyers dont seem to end. After grappling with indefinite project delays, many are now facing issues with developers defaulting on loans and lenders threatening to take possession of the project.


The party might have its own views about them. Yet, despite three factions in the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) being against it, the kin of V K Sasikala, close aide of late Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa, are very active in Tamil Nadu . T T V Dinakaran, her nephew, was made a prominent functionary in the party after she was sentenced to jail. He has considerable influence among the elected members of legislative assembly (MLAs). And, other family members are not keeping quiet. is now a family business.
The 100-day report card to be released by the government to commemorate its first 100 days in power could spell trouble for the previous Akhilesh Yadav dispensation.
Logistics firm Agarwal Packers & Movers has said it will "very soon" bring on board a strategic investor after meeting certain revenue targets and may go for an IPO in the next three years.

The Delhi-based company has also drawn up a Rs 650-crore investment plan for the next three years.

"We are waiting for the topline to get better," the family-owned firm's chairman Ramesh Agarwal told PTI when asked about capital raising plans.

He said the company clocked a revenue of Rs 500 crore last year and it plans to induct a "strategic partner" once the revenue crosses Rs 550-600 crore. The share sale to a strategic investor would be "very soon", Agarwal said.

The company, which is into surface transport and door-to-door delivery, was planning to raise up to Rs 100 crore by offloading 10 per cent stake to a private equity investor two years ago, but Agarwal said he has abandoned those plans and would like to have a strategic investor rather than a financial one.

But he did not disclose how much equity he is ready to part with or how much would be valuation.

The Delhi-based company is targeting to take the revenue to Rs 1,000 crore over the next three years, and Agarwal said once it reaches that level, it will be looking at a share sale through an initial public offer.

It can be noted that there has been a renewed interest in the logistics sector, which stands to benefit under the forthcoming Goods and Services Tax (GST) that seeks to convert the country into a single market.

Many privately or closely held companies are looking to raise money through financial or strategic investors, terming the introduction of GST as positive.

Agarwal said his company sees a greater demand for what it calls as "virtual warehouses" which will be located in four different regions sans any considerations of state-wise tax implications after the GST regime comes into play.

A bulk of the investments of over Rs 650 crore over the next three years will be in warehouses, he said, adding the company is planning to have one each in the North, Centre, East, West and the South.

The company has identified Jaipur, Jamshedpur, Hosur and Malkapur near Nashik for this, Agarwal said, adding the company has already invested some money as part of the plan.

Though he welcomed the GST, he said the current legislation leaves scope for a lot of "ambiguity" and feared that the courts will be flooded with cases.

Citing his industry's example, he said classification as a courier company will entail a tax of 18 per cent whereas that as a goods transporter will invite a 5 per cent tax.

"It is a golden chance, nothing should go into the court. This is going to be a painful area. The government says let's start now but the hands of the courts will be full. We don't want the courts to decide on this," he said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
BJP president Amit Shah will be on two-day visit to Goa from July 1 to discuss the party's organisational issues with the local leadership, a senior leader said today.

This would be Shah's second trip to Goa after the BJP-led government came to power in the state following the Assembly elections held in February this year.

"Amit Shahji will be arriving here as a part of the tour to discuss the party's organisational matters. He would be interacting with the party workers and MLAs during his visit," BJP MP from South Goa, Narendra Sawaikar, told PTI.

The BJP, despite having won less number of seats than the Congress in the state Assembly polls, managed to cobble up a coalition with Goa Forward Party, Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party and independents, to form the government.

During his visit in April, Shah was felicitated for the party's victory in four of the five states where elections were held earlier this year.

Shah had recently visited Maharashtra with an aim to to strengthen the party base.

He is visiting all states over a 110-day tour as a part of his efforts to further strengthen the party ahead of the 2019 general elections.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Ram Kumar puts his smartphone for charging as soon as the bulb in his hut lights up after an eight-hour power outage. He bought this phone thinking its powerful apps would not just entertain him, but give him tips on modern farming and selling of crops.

Kumar, a resident of the 11,000-strong Pilakhana village in Uttar Pradesh's Aligarh district, is among the many farmers in his village who expected lives to change with the launch of agricultural apps that promised to give them a range of information -- right from weather updates to availability of good quality seeds and harvesting and selling of crops.

But the apps are of little use, thanks to frequent power cuts, lasting from five hours to 12 hours daily, combined with poor internet connections. Kumar said he ended up using his phone for making calls and as a torch during power cuts.

Kumar's woes come at a time of agrarian distress, when the government has been promoting digital technology in rural areas which promise to revolutionise the agriculture sector.

In the last two years, the government has launched nine agricultural apps, including the national agriculture market - eNAM, an electronic trading platform that connects different mandis, markets for farm produce. Its Kisan Suvidha is an app that promises to provide farmers with information on weather conditions, dealers, market prices and plant protection. The Pusa Krishi app gives farmers information on crops.

Among a host of other apps are the MKisan Application, Shetkari Masik app, Farm-o-pedia, Crop insurance mobile app, AgriMarket and Bhuvan Hailstorm App.

But farming apps are almost useless in many parts of Uttar Pradesh, where only 37 per cent households have electricity connections, compared to 67 per cent nationwide.

"The government wants to help us through these apps but if we don't have facilities such as electricity, how are we benefit from them," Kumar asked as other villagers nodded.

The villager said many people kept their mobile phones switched off for a large part of the day to save on battery because of recurring power failures.

"And then when we get internet connectivity, the speed is so slow that we can't access an app for information," he rued.

Farmer Rashid Ahmed, who tried the Kisan Suvidha app, said he found it sluggish because of slow internet.

"I get an internet connection four kilometres from Pilakhana. It isn't possible for me to travel such a distance to get information," Ahmed said.

The farmers also said they knew little about the apps.

"No government officer or even a village-level agriculture officer visited us to inform us about these apps. What we know is by word of mouth," farmer Ali Sher said.

A few villagers who tried using eNAM, a pan-India electronic trading portal that facilitates farmers, traders, exporters and others with a common platform, were told they had to carry their produce to an eNAM approved mandi at their own expense and that payment would be transferred to their bank account after a certain period of time.

Not too many farmers were happy with that, for under the present system, a middleman picks up the produce from the fields directly and pays them immediately in cash.

The government said it was taking steps to overcome the problems that the farmers faced.

Union Agricultural Secretary Shobhana K Patnaik said the country was moving towards adopting clean energy that would help address the problem of erratic electric supply.

He cited the example of Koraput in Odisha, where people use solar panels - at a nominal price - for charging phones.

"We are moving in the right direction. We are taking the right steps. Smartphones are becoming a big transformational tool for farmers and will soon give the desired result. Patience is what is needed right now," Patnaik told PTI.

But the farmers said it was difficult to be patient at a time of distress - caused by failing crops, heavy loans and low prices of produce.

Social worker Khurram Ahmed pointed out that the farmers had already been affected by demonetisation.

"The pace of digitisation is slow because of a financial crunch. Demonetisation has adversely affected the rural economy and farmers are forced to sell their crops at throwaway prices because of the cash crunch," he said.

Farmers were in "desperate" need of apps but couldn't use them because of these problems, Ahmed added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Army has decided to fast-track procurement of UAVs, infantry combat vehicles and other military platforms for use by its troops in UN peacekeeping missions after the global body expressed unhappiness over poor quality of equipment used by the Indian soldiers.

A report by the UN pointed out poor maintenance and serviceability of equipment and platforms used by the Indian troops and held back a reimbursement amount of Rs 338 crore, official sources said.

Following the report, Vice Chief of Army Staff Lt General Sarath Chand has been given full financial powers to procure the required equipment and platforms so that they can be given to Indian troops serving in various conflict-ridden places including in Congo and South Sudan.

Currently, more than 7,600 military personnel from India are part of the UN peace operations in Afghanistan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Haiti, Lebanon, Liberia, the Middle East, South Sudan, Sudan and the Western Sahara.

The troop-contributing countries have to provide weapons as well as other required military platforms and equipment to their forces in the locations identified for deployment as "wet lease" while the world body provides weapons and other required equipment in "dry lease" areas.

The UN reimburses the troops contributing countries as per categories of deployment.

The UN report said money was being paid to India for equipment and hardware which were in poor condition and recommended cutting the payment.

Sources said a total of 58 cases of procurement, which will cost around Rs 120 crore, have already been processed while supply order for 11 items have been placed.

The Army is also procuring new kits for the troops which will cost it around Rs 103 crore annually.

The UN pays around Rs 1,000 crore to India for its contribution to the peacekeeping missions.

A senior official involved in the procurement of new equipment for the troops said the Army is working towards a system which will allow procurement of required military hardware at the place of deployment of the personnel.

"It will make the system more responsive," he said.

India is the largest cumulative troop contributor, having provided almost 200,000 troops in nearly 50 of the 71 peacekeeping missions mandated over the past six decades, including 13 of the current 16 missions

So far, about 168 Indian troops have made the supreme sacrifice in the line of duty under the UN Flag.
The Army is now actively considering recruiting civilian staff in peace stations to do away with the colonial-era Sakayak system, in the wake of rising cases of jawans coming out openly against it.

A top Army official, however, said the Sahayaks or buddy system - whereby a solider is attached to officers -- will continue be deployed in key bases and field areas as they have defined military duties.

"We are looking at getting civilian staff to replace Sahayaks in peace stations," the official said.

In the recent months, a number of videos had surfaced where some army jawans were seen voicing their anger over the Sahayak system with some even alleging that they are treated as servants by the officers whom they are attached to.

The official said the option of deploying civilian staff at peace stations instead of Sahayaks will help the Army in economising on its manpower as well.

"Currently, we are examining various aspect of the option," he said, insisting Sahayaks cannot be replaced in field units.

In March, the government had strongly defended the Sahayak system in the Army, saying it provides an "essential support" to officers in "fully" attending to their duties in times of peace and war.

At the same time, the government had said Sahayaks or orderlies are combatants and exhaustive instructions have been issued to not make them perform menial tasks which are not in conformity with the dignity of a soldier.

An annual conference of top army commanders in April had held extensive deliberations on the Army's "internal health" including on Sahayaks, and decided to reorient the human resource policy of the force.

Sahayaks are soldiers and their duties include protecting the officers, maintaining their weapons and equipment and helping them in carrying out their responsibilities.

In March, the body of a jawan, Roy Mathew, was found hanging at Deolali cantonment in Maharashtra after a sting video, which showed him complaining about being made to do household chores of superior officers, went viral.

Days later, a sepoy also posted a video online criticising the Sahayak system and accused the senior officers of treating them as "slaves".
The Indian Medical Association (IMA) has directed its office-bearers to refrain from drinking with "non-doctors" and become "brand ambassadors of health" for the society.

In a recent advisory, the representative voluntary organisation of doctors has also asked its members to observe dry days on July 1 (Doctors' Day) and September 5 (Teachers' day).

It also suggests a "safe limit" for alcohol consumption -- 18 ml for male and 9 ml for female doctors.

"No alcohol should be served at IMA meetings," says the advisory, which is part of the IMA's "alcohol policy".

It says doctors have a responsibility to put into practice what they preach to patients on leading a healthy lifestyle.

It urges them to maintain dignity before patients, a dictum also laid down in the Medical Council of India's (MCI's) code of ethics.

"A physician shall uphold the dignity and honour of the profession. A patient should be able to trust his doctor and have confidence in him. Any public display of 'undignified' behaviour erodes the trust in the doctor and gives the profession a bad name," said Dr KK Aggarwal, National President of the IMA.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A local BJD leader was seriously injured when unidentified assailants fired at him in his village Badapur in Odisha's Ganjam district today, police said.

Subash Sahu (48), a former samiti member of Kulagada panchayat, was returning home after taking bath in a pond, when motor-cycle borne gunmen shot at him before attacking him with sharp weapons.

Sahu, who sustained multiple injuries, was admitted to MKCG Medical College and Hospital here and then shifted to a private hospital in Bhubaneswar where his condition was stated to be critical.

Police suspected previous enmity might be the cause of the incident.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The body of a woman, who had gone missing from her house, was today found floating in a rivulet in Jammu and Kashmir's Reasi district, the police said.

Ahmed Din had lodged a police complaint stating that her daughter-in-law, Hajo Begum, had gone missing since 8 am yesterday from the Mahore belt of Reasi district, said a police officer.

A case was registered and a hunt launched to trace the woman, he said, adding that her body was found floating in a rivulet in the Musra belt of Mahore and a police team was sent to recover it.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
UK's Cairn Energy, which became the first company to face coercive recovery in retrospective tax action, had created a maze of subsidiaries in a span of just six months to transfer Indian assets, an event that led to a demand of Rs 10,247 crore as dues.

According to documents accessed by PTI, Scotland-based Cairn Energy till 2006 held Indian assets, including the prolific Rajasthan oil fields, through nine Indian subsidiaries.

What followed was creation of layers of subsidiary firms and transfer of Indian assets. The tax department said the company made capital gains out of the restructuring, hence the tax demand.

When contacted, Cairn Energy spokesperson justified the structure, saying the company chose India listing over the option of getting the Indian company listed on UK bourses.

The structure it built had been presented to Sebi, the erstwhile Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) and the Reserve Bank of India in 2006 in a "transparent" manner.

On June 26, 2006, Cairn first created Cairn UK Holding Ltd (CUHL) and transfered the Indian assets to it. In return, it got 221.44 million shares of CUHL on June 30, 2006. It also got another 29.78 million shares for sale of 29.78 million pound debt on September 1, 2006.

On August 3, 2006, Cairn India Holding Ltd (CIHL) was incorporated in Jersey, Channel Islands -- a tax haven -- as a wholly-owned subsidiary of CUHL.

The Indian assets were transfered to CIHL which issued 221.44 million shares to CUHL, UK, on August 7, 2006. CUHL also sold debt of 29.78 million pound to CIHL, for which the Jersey firm issued another 29.78 million shares.

So, CUHL in all acquired 251.22 million shares of CIHL at one UK pound sterling apiece.

Thereafter, CUHL, UK, on October 12, 2006, sold 41.49 million shares of CIHL to newly-incorporated Cairn India Ltd, which transfered to the British firm Rs 5,037 crore for the same.

Three more such share transfers happened between November and December 2006. In all, the four transactions put together, 251.22 million shares of CIHL were sold to Cairn India for Rs 26,681 crore.

The income tax department, documents showed, calculated the cost of acquisition as 251.22 million pound (Rs 2,178 crore) considering the price at which the debt was transfered.

So, the capital gains CUHL made were calculated at Rs 24,503 crore (Rs 26,681 crore gained minus acquisition price of Rs 2,178 crore), the documents showed.

The tax department felt that a short-term capital gain tax should apply as CUHL had acquired 251.22 million shares of CIHL at the cost of 251.22 million pound in August-September 2006. The same was then sold to Cairn India within few months.

Cairn India was thereafter listed on stock exchanges through an initial public offering (IPO) that raised Rs 5,261 crore.

The short-term capital gain of Rs 24,503 crore at the hand of CUHL was confirmed by income tax tribunal ITAT in March, following which a demand note was sent seeking Rs 10,247 crore.

With the British firm not paying, the tax authorities first appropriated the Rs 1,500 crore of past tax refund that was lying and then took over USD 104 million of dividend income due to it from Cairn India.

"The interactions with multiple agencies of the Indian government underscores the extent to which Cairn transparently disclosed all elements of the contemplated transaction in India. Cairn is of the view that the company conducted the transaction in complete candour and openness with the Indian government," Cairn Energy spokesperson said.

Cairn, he said, "can demonstrate that the 2006 transaction structure and the formation of holding companies was a function of the mandatory Indian securities and other regulations and they had definite economic purpose".

"Cairn's case is that none of the 2006 transactions was taxable in India according to the law in force at the time, which was also evident from the Indian government's past practice, and that the detailed steps of those transactions were fully disclosed," he said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Ahead of the roll-out of the new goods and services taxation regime from July 1, Confederation of All India Traders' (CAIT) Maharashtra Unit has set up a 'clinic' to assist small and medium entrepreneurs.

CAIT's Maha GST Clinic, which will become operational from June 30, will consist of a team of a senior officer from Sales Tax department, tax consultant and other facilitators to provide guidance and assistance on legal provisions and technology solutions for GST, the association said.

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Thousands of Venezuelans marched in a new flare-up of protests against Nicolas Maduro, as the embattled president claimed several people had been detained over an alleged "coup" plot aimed at triggering a US military intervention.

Protesters in the capital and other cities marched on military installations yesterday, where they demanded an end to "brutal repression" and called for Maduro's resignation and new elections.

"Let's send a message to the armed forces: Are you going to continue killing Venezuelans or respect the Constitution?" opposition deputy Jose Manuel Olivares said.

A 22-year-old protester died outside the base on Thursday, three days after a 17-year-old was killed when national guardsmen opened fire. The death toll in three months of protests now stands at 75.

The government and opposition blame each other for the violence. The opposition coalition known as MUD called on the military yesterday to "lower its weapons."



Yesterday's protests coincided with the commemoration of the Battle of Carabobo of June 24, 1821, which marked a decisive step towards Venezuela's independence from colonial rule.

Addressing a crowd after a traditional military parade, Maduro claimed that an unspecified number of people had been detained and would face military trial over an alleged coup plot, backed by Venezuelan opposition leaders and aimed at precipitating a US intervention in the country.

Maduro has repeatedly claimed that the United States is to blame for the grave political and economic crisis in the oil-producing country, which has fueled the often violent demonstrations of recent months.

"All the detainees are under military jurisdiction because they are involved in the coup, and have violated laws fundamental to the independence, peace and sovereignty of our country," he said. "They will be severely judged."



"I am not exaggerating when I say it would have involved the arrival of American ships and troops in Venezuelan waters, on Venezuelan soil," Maduro said.

Earlier yesterday, the head of the Organization of American States dug in his heels in a war of words with Caracas, flatly rejecting its demand that he resign in exchange for the country's continued membership in the regional body.

Luis Almagro, the OAS secretary-general, has been at the center of an angry tiff between the organization and the Maduro government, which in April initiated the two-year process of withdrawing from the group.

Venezuela has grown increasingly irritated by Almagro's pointed criticisms. He has accused the government of violating human rights, interfering in elections and detaining political prisoners.

Brushing off Maduro's suggestion that he step aside, Almagro said in a video, "We will never give up until we have the freedom of Venezuela in our hands."



He said he would resign only "when free and transparent national elections are held ... (and) when all political prisoners are released and exiles are given amnesty."



He set a further condition: the prosecution of "the murderers of each of the protesters, as well as of their chain of command."



Despite Almagro's efforts, the OAS General Assembly, meeting this week in the Mexican resort of Cancun, was unable to reach agreement on a plan to deal with the instability in Venezuela.

Maduro called the OAS's failure to advance a plan "a diplomatic and political victory" for Venezuela, and said his country would "never" return to the grouping.

Meantime, Maduro's critics were angered anew yesterday after the release of a video on which an opposition leader's voice is allegedly heard crying out from a prison window that he is being tortured.

"Lilian, they are torturing me! Report them! Report them!" the voice of Leopoldo Lopez is said to be heard on a video made by his wife, Lilian Tintori, outside the Ramo Verde military prison near Caracas.

Tintori said her husband, a leader of the Popular Will party, is being held incommunicado.

Lopez is serving a sentence of nearly 14 years after being convicted of inciting violence during anti-Maduro protests in 2014 that left 43 people dead. Human rights groups have called the charges politically motivated.

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China has asked Pakistan and Afghanistan to improve their bilateral ties and "meet each other halfway", underlining that tensions between the two countries were not conducive to regional stability.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi during talks with Pakistan Prime Minister's Advisor on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz yesterday discussed a range of bilateral issues as well as the situation in Afghanistan.

Wang, who arrived here yesterday on a two-day trip after visiting Kabul, discussed the situation in the war-torn country and the relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan that have been on a steep downslide.

Wang was quoted by China's Xinhua agency as saying that tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan are not conducive to their stability and development as well as regional cooperation, calling on both countries to meet each other halfway so as to improve bilateral ties.

China was proposing a trilateral mechanism for cooperation for peace and reconciliation in Afghanistan and coordination of counter-terrorism actions between Pakistan and Afghanistan, the Dawn reported.

Wang's visit is a follow-up to the discussions the Chinese leadership had with Pakistani and Afghan leaders on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit earlier this month on counter-terrorism cooperation and revival of the Afghan peace process.

China has lately got increasingly involved in Afghanistan. Besides its bilateral engagement with both Islamabad and Kabul, it is part of a number of international processes on Afghanistan.

Beijing's interest in Afghanistan is out of its security concerns related to presence of Uighur militants in Badakhshan province. Moreover, China's regional engagement is driven by its economic investment in Afghanistan and the USD 50 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor.

For Beijing, peace and stability in Afghanistan is critical for both its own security and investments in Pakistan.

Pakistan-Afghanistan rift have deepened further after the Afghan government put blame of the recent attack in Kabul's diplomatic area on Islamabad.

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A flotilla of Chinese naval ships headed by first aircraft carrier Liaoning set out for a "routine training mission" from Qingdao in east China today.

The naval formation, includes destroyers Jinan and Yinchuan, frigate Yantai and a squadron of J-15 fighter jets and helicopters, a Chinese defence ministry statement said.

The training mission, like previous ones, is expected to strengthen coordination among the vessels and improve the skills of crew and pilots in different marine region.

This is the first exercise being carried our by Liaoning, a refurbished aircraft carrier built from the hull of Soviet ship bought from Ukraine after China had launched a home-made Carrier in April this year.

The new aircraft carrier was expected to be operational by 2019.

Liaoning has earlier carried out exercises in the disputed South China Sea as well as East China Sea along with its battle formation group.

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A debt-ridden farmer today allegedly committed suicide by hanging at Haldi Pachpera village of Uttarakhand's Udham Singh Nagar district.

The opposition Congress alleged that the farmer, Ram Awtar, committed suicide as banks were pressurising him to repay loan and said the BJP government in the state has no sensitivity.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat condoled the farmer's death and ordered the district administration to conduct a magisterial inquiry into the matter.

State government's spokesperson and Minister Madan Kaushik said the chief minister prayed for the departed soul.

Udham Singh Nagar District collector the farmer had taken loan through Kisan credit card.

However, he said, the reason behind the farmer's extreme step would be known after the Khatima SDM submits his inquiry report.

According to the farmer's family member, Awtar had taken a loan of Rs 1.8 lakh from the State Bank of India's Khatima branch and a farmers' loan of Rs 1.23 lakh from the Nanakmatta branch of the Bank of Baroda but as his financial condition deteriorated, he failed to repay the loans.

On June 6, the SBI sent him a notice to repay the loan and its interest following which he was in a state of shock, his family members said.

They claimed that the farmer, father of six girls and a boy, committed suicide due to mental stress.

Uttarakhand Congress chief Pritam Singh alleged that farmers in the state are committing suicide as banks are pressurising them to repay loan.

He claimed that besides Ram Awtar, a farmer from Tehri Garhwal district, Dinesh Prasad Semwal, also committed suicide due to pressure from banks to repay loan.

Expressing sorrow over the deaths, Singh said he has sent teams of party leaders to the spot to investigate the death.

He said the state government should taken stern action in connection with these deaths.

"While the farmers are committing suicide in the state, the BJP government is busy in celebrating its 100 days in office," Singh said.

He demanded that the state government give compensation to the kin of the deceased farmers and to prevent banks from pressurising farmers to repay loan.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Colombian authorities have detained eight people on suspicion of involvement in a deadly mall bombing in Bogota last week, the defense ministry has said.

Three women including a French citizen were killed and nine people injured in the weekend bombing, condemned by Colombian authorities and rebel leaders as a bid to disrupt the country's peace process.

The demobilization of the leftist FARC and peace talks with the last active rebel force, the ELN, are meant to end more than half a century of violence.

Authorities yesterday said the detainees were part of a fringe group called the Revolutionary People's Movement (MRP), which has been blamed for several low-impact attacks in the capital.

They were arrested in a joint operation in Bogota and the central town of Espinal, according to the ministry, which said the suspects were identified using security camera footage.

No group has claimed responsibility for the mall bombing, which was the second major attack this year in the Colombian capital.

In February, the ELN claimed a bombing at a bullring in Bogota, which killed a police officer and wounded more than 20 people.

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Five persons including two women were killed while a six-year-old boy was critically injured when their car collided head-on with a tanker in Churu district.

The six persons, all residents of Haryana, were returning home after offering prayer at Salasar Temple when the speeding tanker rammed into their car near Ramnagar crossing on Churu bypass.

Shakuntala Yadav (67), Ramavtar Yadav (50), Virendra Yadav (54) and his wife Rekha Bai (48) died on spot while Saurabh Yadav (25) died while undergoing treatment.

Six-year-old Gaurav Yadav was referred to Hisar district for treatment, Churu Sadar police said.

The bodies were handed over to family members for last rites after post-mortem.

The driver of the tanker fled from the spot and has been booked under IPC sections 279 (rash driving or riding on a public way), 337 (causing hurt by act endangering life or personal safety of others), and 304(a) (causing death by negligence).

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Five more Tamil Nadu fishermen were today taken into custody by the Sri Lankan Navy on charges of entering the territorial waters of the island nation.

The fishermen from Thangachimadam, who had put out to sea, were apprehended for straying into Lankan territory, Tamil Nadu Fishermen's Association General secretary N J Bose said.

The arrested persons were taken to the Kangesanthurai port, he said.

The Sri Lankan Navy had yesterday arrested 25 fishermen in two separate incidents on charges crossing the International Maritime Boundary Line and fishing in their territorial waters, drawing angry reaction from Chief Minister K Palaniswami.

He had termed the arrest of the eight fishermen from Nagapattinam as an "abduction" and had taken up the matter with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

More than 50 fishermen have been arrested by the Sri Lankan Navy this month.

Members of the fishermen community here alleged that the Lankan Navy personnel had been resorting to harsh measures in recent days, including beating them up and causing damage to their nets and boats.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Following are the top stories from the Eastern Region at 1700 hours.

CAL1 WB-GJM-SITUATION



Darjeeling: Supporters of the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) march in processions in the Darjeeling hills as the indefinite strike demanding a separate state of 'Gorkhaland' entered the eleventh day today.

CES1 OD-LOWPRESSURE



Bhubaneswar: Heavy to very heavy rainfall along with gusty surface wind is likely to occur in some areas of Odisha due to formation of a low pressure over the Bay of Bengal today.

CES2 CBI-TR MINISTER



Agartala: Tripura Social Welfare Minister Bijita Nath, who received a CBI notice for questioning in connection with the Rose Valley group chit fund scam, today says she will share information with the agency.

CES3 BH-CHARAS



Bettiah: The police today seize 48 kg charas worth Rs 4.80 crore from a village near the Indo-Nepal border in Bihar's West Champaran district.

AR ERG1 OD-GRAFT



Bhubaneswar: A sub-divisional officer (electrical) is arrested by vigilance sleuths in Odisha's Angul district for allegedly taking Rs 5000 bribe from a man to reduce electricity charges.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Supporters of the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) marched in processions in the Darjeeling hills as the indefinite strike demanding a separate state of 'Gorkhaland' entered the eleventh day today.

GJM supremo Bimal Gurung last night in a video message asked everyone to hit the streets and cautioned that some leaders from other parties might try to "betray" the Gorkhaland agitation.

"I urge everyone to hit the streets in protest. All leaders should hit the streets with workers and the common people. We are ready for talks only on the issue of Gorkhaland, not on any alternative formula," Gurung said in a video message.

"Some leaders of different parties may betray our cause. Remember that one day, everyone has to die. Either my body will go home or I will return with Gorkhland," he said.

Except medicine shops, all other shops and markets, schools and colleges remained closed. Vehicles were also off the roads.

Internet services remained suspended for the eighth day.

Security forces have been patrolling the streets.

Elected members of the Gorkha Territorial Administration (GTA), belonging to the GJM which is leading the stir, have already resigned from the autonomous body.

The party has decided to burn copies of the GTA Accord, reached in 2011 between the Union home ministry, the West Bengal government and the GJM, on June 26 and 27.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Days ahead of the launch of GST, the RSS's economic wing SJM has said the new indirect tax regime will "badly hit small businesses and push Chinese imports".

As the date of implementation of is approaching, the heartbeats of small entrepreneurs and traders are increasing, Swadeshi Jagran Manch National co-convener Ashwani Mahajan said.

He claimed that there was exemption on excise duty for production of up to Rs 1.5 crore for small scale industries.

"But now, according to the provisions of GST, any entity whose business is above or equal to Rs 20 lakh must register itself for in the state where it carries its business," Mahajan told PTI.

Small scale and cottage industries which are labour intensive will be severely hit by this law, as many of them are in the higher tax bracket, he said.

With the negative impact on these small industries, people in rural areas will lose jobs and at the same time imports of Chinese products will jump due to a slump in domestic production, Mahajan claimed.

The government has said the Goods and Service Tax (GST) could add two percentage points to economic growth. It is termed as India's most ambitious tax reform, creates a single economic zone with common indirect taxes.

There will be four tax slabs - 5, 12, 18 and 28 per cent.

The new tax regime will be launched at midnight on June 30 in the Central Hall of Parliament.
Sridevi's daughter Jhanvi Kapoor is yet to join Bollywood but the actress says she has already told her girl about the pros and cons of being an actor.

The 53-year-old actress says initially Jhanvi was getting affected of what was being written about her personal life in media.

"The other day she was very upset with reports that she was chasing a hero in a party, but that was not true. She was with director Gauri Shinde who was also there at the same party.

"Since it's happening in the beginning of her career she isn't liking it. She was quite upset and I was like, 'Welcome to this world,'" Sridevi told PTI.

There were reports that Jhanvi had followed Ranbir Kapoor, supposedly her celebrity crush, around at a showbiz party.

Sridevi says now that her daughter has decided to come into films, she really cannot stop anyone from writing about her.

"There is nothing wrong in going out with friends. A person wants to write something wrong, he will write it even if you are just going out with friends. I can't stop that as she is a public (figure now). I have no control over anything."



The actress says she knows her daughter too well, and therefore does not care what others say.

"I know what she is doing and where she is going. I am a very friendly mom and my children share everything with me. I don't have anything much to say about all this."



Jhanvi has been in for her appearance at social events and parties for a while now and Sridevi says she is okay with her getting all the attention by paparazzi.

"Wherever she goes she gets clicked, so what do I say about that. Even when you go to a restaurant or gym or anywhere, they (media) are everywhere and I can't blame them also as they are doing their job.

"But at the same time it is quite tough (to deal with all this), but she has chosen this profession so she has to cope up with this."



Jhanvi, whose father, Boney Kapoor, is a well known producer, will be launched by Karan Johar's Dharma Productions.

She is likely to make her acting with "Student of the Year 2".

When asked about it, Sridevi says, "I don't want to talk about her film as it is too early. I don't think I should say anything."



Meanwhile, Sridevi is gearing up for the release of her film "Mom" on July 7.

The thriller is directed by Ravi Udyawar and also stars Nawazuddin Siddiqui, and Pakistani actors Adnan Siddiqui and Sajal Ali in pivotal parts.

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A fringe pro-Hindu outfit today took exception to BJP leader Subramanian Swamy reportedly questioning Rajinikanth's credentials to enter politics and said there was nothing wrong if the 'superstar' took the political plunge as he had the backing of lakhs of people.

There was nothing wrong in Rajinikanth entering politics as he had the 'support' of lakhs of people, Hindu Makkal Katchi (HMK) President Arjun Sampath, who has recently met the actor in Chennai, told reporters here.

Also condemning Swamy for reportedly questioning Rajinikanth's educational background, he said people like late chief minister Kamaraj, with no higher education, had provided 'golden rule' in Tamil Nadu.

Education or literacy were not a barometer to decide anyone's political entry, he said.

Referring to some reported charges levelled by Swamy against the actor, Sampath said the BJP leader should move a court if he has any evidence.

If Swamy contiued to make such remarks, HMK, in consultation with the Rajinikanth Fans Association, would file a defamation case against him, he added.

Rajinikanth has recently threw more hints of taking the political plunge, saying he was discussing the prospects and would make an announcement once he finalised it.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Former Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Hooda today alleged that the "anti-farmer" policies of the BJP-led central government were responsible for the farmer suicides in the country.

"Farmers in the country are at crossroads. They are staring at a disaster due to the government's anti-farmer policies which are responsible for cases of farmer suicide," he said at a "Kisan Panchayat" organised to highlight the plight of farmers here.

The BJP, before the polls, had promised to implement the Swaminathan Commission report, but once it came to power it "forgot about it", Hooda alleged.

"The question today is not about the plight of farmers in Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu or Haryana, but peasants across the country. The BJP government is pursuing anti-farmer policies," the former chief minister said.

Claiming that the UPA had waived about Rs 72,000 crore of farmers' loans, he said the central government cannot just wash its hands off by leaving matters of farm debt waiver to the states.

"When farmers are demanding loan waiver, ministers in the central government are saying it is a state subject," Hooda said.

He also asked why the state government was not waiving farm loans like in Maharashtra and Punjab.

Hooda also criticised Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar for not "vigorously" pursuing matters related to the early construction of the Sutlej-Yamuna Link (SYL) canal with the Centre.

"He (Khattar) should ask the Centre to complete the canal's construction. The court's verdict does not bar (the state) from taking up the construction work," he said.

Senior Congress leader Raghubir Singh Kadian read out a 15-point charter that listed the party's demands, among which was the implementation of the Swaminathan Commission's recommendations.

Kadian and other leaders present on the occasion favoured that Hooda be made the president of the Haryana Pradesh Congress Committee.

The former chief minister, who recently held a 'Kisan Panchayat' In Kurukshetra, announced that a 'Maha Kisan Panchayat' will be held at Jind next month.

Notably, senior Congress leaders of Haryana have been holding separate public meetings in different parts of the state on farmers issue.

Senior leader Randeep Singh Surjewala has been holding meetings in different parts of the state where he has targeted the Centre on farmers issue.

Haryana Congress president Ashok Tanwar had launched a three-day 'satyagraha' in Karnal recently to highlight the plight of peasants.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Indian-Americans have made enormous contribution to the US in the fields of art and culture and their role in the government is "profound", a top lawmaker here has said ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's interaction with the influential Indian diaspora.

"There is much to celebrate in our country's relationship with India, the world's largest democracy, and in the enormous contributions that Indian-Americans make in our country," said Congressman David Schweikert.

"The role of Indian-Americans in government is profound," Schweikert said.

According to the Census Bureau, there are about four million Indian-Americans in the US.

And according to the Congressional Research Service, the US-India relations are critical to both the countries as the annual bilateral trade is expected to reach USD 500 billion by 2024, a five-fold increase since 2013.

Speaking in the House of Representatives on Thursday, the Arizona lawmaker praised the community saying in 2010 Pew Research Centre, a non-partisan think tank, reported that more than 87 per cent of adult Indian-Americans were foreign-born and they were highly educated and successful.

He narrated several examples of the success achieved by community members.

In recent months, former governor of South Carolina, Nikki Haley, was appointed the ambassador to the UN; Ajit Pai was made chairman of the Federal Communications Commission; Seema Verma was named administrator of the Centre for Medicaid and Medicare Services; four Indian Americans took their seats in the House of Representatives and one in the Senate; and many more serve in state legislatures, local governments, the judicial branch and beyond, he said.

"Indian-Americans have deeply enriched our nation's arts and culture, and the Indian media in the US is surging to meet demand. Cable, satellite and radio offer a growing array of Hindu and Indian content," the Congressman said.

"Politically and militarily, our two countries are united in a commitment to fight terrorism and promote world peace. Last year, the US and India signed a historic defence agreement that paves the way for greater strategic and regional cooperation," Schweikert said.

Prime Minister Modi is to interact with Indian-Americans in Washington DC suburb of Virginia later tonight. The event is expected to be attended by 600 members from the community.

US President Donald Trump will host Modi at the White House tomorrow and the two leaders would spend about five hours together in various settings beginning with their bilateral discussion, delegation level talks, and a working dinner, the first of its kind hosted by this administration.

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Iran said today the two-stage missiles it fired at Islamic State targets in Syria broke apart over the Iraqi desert as planned, mocking reports that some of the projectiles fell short.

State TV's website quoted the airspace division chief of Iran's Revolutionary Guard Gen Amir Ali Hajizadeh as saying "we had coordinated the fall of the engines in the desert in Iraq" in advance.

"The missiles we used were two-stage, it means that the engine separates from the warhead," said Hajizadeh.

Hajizadeh said US drones hovered over the targets after shortly the Iranian missiles hit them. He said the US may have been informed beforehand about the attack, as they had informed the Russian military, which may have relayed the information to the Americans.

The Guard said it fired six such missiles today at IS targets in the city of Deir el-Zour, more than 600 kilometres away.

He mocked media reports citing Israeli sources who said some of the missiles fell short of their targets, suggesting that the Israelis were unable to identify two-stage missiles, which are designed to split apart mid-flight.

"Pity those who call themselves experts and do not understand that these were the first-stage engines (that fell), while the warheads hit targets."



Iranian reports said the guard launched six Zolfasghar and Qiam missiles. The latter have detachable warheads.

Iran says it is continuously developing its missile program; a key reason US President Donald Trump's administration has put Iran "on notice".

Iran said the strikes were in retaliation for the attack by five militants linked to the Islamic State group that stormed Iran's parliament and a shrine to revolutionary leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini this month, killing at least 18 people and wounding more than 50.

Iran has long supported Syrian President Bashar Assad in his fight against IS and other extremists groups.

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Iranian President Hassan Rouhani today said his country wants to bolster ties with Qatar and rejected a Saudi-led blockade of the Gulf Arab emirate.

"Iran's policy is to develop more and more its relations with Doha," Rouhani said in a phone conversation with the emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, according to the presidency website.

"Tehran stands alongside the people and government of Qatar and we believe that... Pressure, threats and sanctions are not a good solution to solve problems" between countries of the region, Rouhani added.

Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain are among several countries which announced on June 5 the suspension of all ties to Qatar, accusing it of support for extremist groups, a claim Doha denies.

They have also closed their airspace to Qatari carriers and blocked the emirate's only land border -- vital for its food imports.

Shiite dominated Iran, an arch-rival of Sunni-ruled Saudi Arabia, has stepped in by shipping to Qatar tonnes of fruit and vegetables.

"Helping Qatar economically and developing ties, particularly in the private sectors of both countries, could be a common goal," Rouhani said on Sunday.

Saudi Arabia and its allies, including Egypt, have issued 13 demands which they want Qatar to meet in return for an end to the nearly three-week-old diplomatic and trade "blockade".

Doha has said denounced the demands -- including the closure of Al-Jazeera channel and downgrading ties with Tehran -- as unreasonable.

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Israeli forces fired on Syrian regime positions after projectiles from the war-torn country hit the occupied Golan Heights today, the army said, in the second such exchange in two days.

The military "targeted two artillery positions and an ammunitions truck belonging to the Syrian regime," a statement read, noting the army had also ordered Israelis to keep away from open areas near Quneitra, where internal fighting was heavy.

Hours earlier, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed the Syrian spillover and Israeli retaliation that took place yesterday and reportedly resulted in the death of two Syrian soldiers.

"We will not tolerate any spillover or trickle whatsoever -- neither mortars nor rockets, from any front. We will respond strongly to any attack on our territory or our citizens," Netanyahu said at the start of a cabinet meeting.

Israel has conducted multiple air strikes in Syria since that country's civil war erupted in 2011, most of which it has said targeted arms convoys or warehouses of its Lebanese arch- foe Hezbollah, which is a key supporter of the Syrian regime.

"We also view with utmost gravity Iran's attempts to establish itself militarily in Syria as well as its attempts to arm Hezbollah -- via Syria and Lebanon -- with advanced weaponry," Netanyahu said today.

Israel seized 1,200 square kilometres of the Golan from Syria in the Six-Day War of 1967 and later annexed it in a move never recognised by the international community.

Around 510 square kilometres of the Golan are under Syrian control.

The Israeli side of the Golan Heights has been hit sporadically by what is thought to be stray fire from fighting between forces loyal to Syria's government and rebels.

Syria and Israel are still technically at war.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday hailed his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi's upcoming visit to Israel, the first by an Indian premier, as a "very significant step" in strengthening bilateral relations that are on a "constant upswing".

In a big fillip to already robust ties, Prime Minister Modi is scheduled to land in Israel on July 4 on a three-day visit.

Netanyahu, while speaking at the start of the weekly Cabinet meeting, said, "Next week, the Indian Prime Minister, my friend, will arrive in Israel, This is a historic visit to Israel. In the 70 years of the country's existence, no Indian Prime Minister has ever visited and this is further expression of the state of Israel's military, economic and diplomatic strength."



"This is a very significant step in strengthening relations between the two countries," Netanyahu said.

India is a huge country with over 1.25 billion people and is one of the world's largest, growing economies. Ties between Israel and India are on a "constant upswing", the Israeli premier said.

Modi's visit is aimed at commemorating 25 years of establishment of diplomatic ties between the two countries.

Modi would be arriving in Israel on July 4 and is likely to meet Netanyahu the same day in the evening. He would also be addressing the Indian community the following day in Tel Aviv.

Netanyahu, in his remarks today, said the Cabinet will approve decisions that will deepen Indo-Israel ties, beginning with expanding exports and deepening cooperation in agriculture and water.

"We will establish a joint innovation, and research and development, fund. We will also increase tourism from India to Israel; this has very great potential. All of this is an additional expression of Israel's enhanced international position in recent years as we strengthen the state of Israel," Netanyahu said.

The two leaders have already met twice on foreign soil on the sidelines of UN-related events and are said to be constantly in touch with each other over the phone.

"I am happy that often we can talk easily on telephone, we can discuss everything. It has very rarely happened. In your case it has happened," Modi had told Netanyahu during their meeting on the sidelines of Paris Climate summit in November 2015. The Israeli premier had then promptly responded saying, "in your case too".

The defence ties between India and Israel have often drawn worldwide attention and acquired strategic dimensions. It is believed that Modi's visit would further solidify security ties as Israeli defence industries have shown greater inclination towards participating in joint ventures to give a boost to NDA government's 'Make in India' campaign.

Prime Minister Modi's visit has been preceded by several other high-profile visits, including the trip of Security Adviser Ajit Doval, several senior secretaries, Minister of State for Agriculture S S Ahluwalia-led 11 member multi-party parliamentary delegation and Navy Chief Admiral Sunil Lanba's five-day visit earlier this month.

All these visits have laid the ground work for several MoUs that are likely to be signed during Modi's visit.
A youth who had gone for arms training as a militant to Pakistan-occupied Kashmir in 1999, was arrested soon after his arrival from Pakistan via Nepal.

Nisar Shah of Targain village of Budhal tehsil of Rajouri district was arrested soon after his arrival back via Nepal route illegally from PoK, where he had gone for arms training, a police officer told PTI.

Shah has been arrested in Rajouri and will be produced in court after vacation, officer said.

Nisar illegally crossed LoC in the year 1999 and joined militant training camp at PoK, he said.

After some time he left militancy and the arms training camp and remained in Kotli town in PoK, he said.

He then went to Dubai for three years from 2010 to 2013 and after expiry of visa came back to PoK.

"Now he prepared a tourist visa for Nepal from where he entered into the country and reached his village illegally," officer said.

A case under FIR 10/2011 has already been registered against him as he was declared an absconder, he said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Kick-starting his nationwide tour from his home state to seek support from various political parties, NDA presidential nominee Ram Nath Kovind today met with MPs and state legislators of BJP and its allies from Uttar Pradesh.

Accompanied by Union minister Nitin Gadkari and BJP National General Secretary Bhupendra Yadav, Kovind drove straight from the airport to Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's official residence for his interaction with the legislators.

Adityanath and other senior BJP leaders and ministers received 71-year-old Kovind at the airport.

At the CM's residence on the Kalidas Marg, he interacted with a host of senior party leaders including Union ministers Uma Bharti and Gadkari, Deputy Chief Ministers Keshav Prasad Maurya and Dinesh Sharma. He also met with UP Assembly Speaker Hriday Narayan Dixit.

Sakshi Maharaj, the BJP MP from Unnao adjoining Kanpur from where Kovind hails, was also present.

Bhupender Yadav, Kovind's authorised representative for the presidential poll, said he has come to Lucknow to seek support from the members the electoral college.

He will now visit other states, Yadav said.

BJP sources said a Union minister, a senior organisation leader from the party and two MPs will accompany Kovind during his nationwide tour to reach out to all members of the electoral college.

Though his meeting will be with the supporting MPs and MLAs, Kovind will make an appeal to all the members of the electoral college in every state to support him.

Opposition parties have fielded former Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar, a Dalit leader, against Kovind.

With over 62 per cent of votes firmly behind him, Kovind's election as the next president is almost certain.

Besides, the BJP and its NDA allies, parties like the TRS, YSRCP, AIADMK, BJD and the JD(U) have announced their support to him.

The presidential election is scheduled for July 17 and the counting of votes will take place on July 20.

While Kovind filed his nomination papers in presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and NDA chief ministers in New Delhi on June 23, Kumar is yet to file hers.

Kovind, if elected, will be the second dalit to occupy the highest constitutional office, the first being KR Narayanan.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
An influential Malian political group called Sunday for a constitutional referendum to be abandoned until the government can assure the "liberation" of swathes of the country dominated by jihadists and former rebels.

The vote on Mali's national charter was due on July 9 but was postponed in the face of internal opposition in government and following protests by thousands of Malians who believe the vote cannot be held democratically given the state of security in the country's north.

Led by former minister Sy Kadiatou Sow, known as the "Iron Lady" of Malian politics, the "Don't touch my constitution" group say the referendum should be retracted and a national consultation held to rewrite it.

The referendum, which would enshrine parts of a 2015 peace deal into the charter, also faced opposition from those who say it would give President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita excessive powers.

"No referendum without the total liberation of (Malian) territory," Sy Kadiatou Sow said, while a group statement said the government could expect massive protests if it went ahead with a new date for the vote.

"All legal means" would be used to oppose it, she added, including a march to be held on July 1 on the eve of a security summit due to be attended by French President Emmanuel Macron.

A peace deal signed in 2015 was aimed at curbing separatist uprisings in Mali's north after a 2012 rebellion was hijacked by jihadists, throwing the nation into chaos.

But Mali's jihadists did not sign the peace deal and have continued to wreak havoc despite a French-led military intervention in 2013 which removed them from key northern cities.

Meanwhile former rebels still control the city of Kidal, and the state remains absent in large swathes of Mali's northern regions.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee today extended Rath Yatra and Eid-ul-Fitr greetings to all on reaching here after her tour of the Netherlands.

Banerjee told a large number of Trinamool Congress supporters who had a gathered outside the NSCB Airport that the Kanyashree project of the government is a matter of pride for the people of the state.

The chief minister, on June 23, had received the United Nations Public Service Award for Asia-Pacific region for the state government's Kanyashree project at The Hague in the Netherlands.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Prime Minister must raise the contentious H-1B visa issue besides defence cooperation and terrorism during his first bilateral meeting with US President Donald Trump, members of the Indian community said on Sunday.

Modi, who arrived in the US capital, was welcomed with loud cheers and applause by a group of people from the Indian community that was waiting outside the Willard InterContinental Hotel to catch a glimpse of the Indian leader.

Among those waiting to catch a glimpse of Modi was Mridula, originally from Hyderabad, and working in New York on an H1B visa.

She and her friends, visibly excited to see Modi, said they hoped the Indian Prime Minister would raise with Trump concerns over the H1B visas, widely uses by Indian technology companies to send IT professionals to the US.

"We hope that the outcome on the issue is positive for Indians and at the same time does not anger Americans as well. It is scary when we hear reports of attacks against Indians in the US," she told PTI.

Modi "is a very powerful leader and I am sure something very positive on the H1B visa is going to come out of his meeting with Trump," she said.

Avinash Bilugu, another H1B visa holder working in Albany, echoed the concerns over the work visas.

"This is a major issue for us. I hope Modi brings it up in his meeting with Trump. Defence and security are other important issues that the two leaders should discuss," he said.

Aatma Singh, chair of the fundraiser committee of Overseas Friends of BJP (OFBJP), listed terrorism and cyber crime as key issues for the bilateral talks.

On H1B visas, he said, the IT industry in the US will be incomplete without the contribution and hard work of the Indian workers.

"India and the US share historic ties and the meeting between Modi and Trump will lay the groundwork for further strengthening bilateral relations in the years and decades to come," he said.

Trump will host Modi at the White House tomorrow and the two leaders would spend about five hours together in various settings beginning with their bilateral discussion, delegation level talks, a reception and a working dinner, the first of its kind hosted by this administration.

Ahead of his visit, Modi had said that he looked forward to the opportunity of having an in-depth exchange of views.

The Trump administration has said that if the Indian side raises the contentious H-1B visa issue during President Trump's meeting with Modi, the Americans were ready to respond.

Trump signed an executive order in April for tightening the rules of the H-1B visa programme to stop "visa abuses".

Trump said his administration is going to enforce 'Hire American' rules that are designed to protect jobs and wages of workers in the US.

The executive order also called upon the Departments of Labour, Justice, Homeland Security, and the state to take action against fraud and abuse of the US' visa programmes.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi today remembered the Emergency imposed on this day in 1975, saying "such a black night" cannot be forgotten, and underlined the need for eternal vigilance to preserve democracy.

He recalled that democracy-lovers had fought a big battle against the Emergency imposed by then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and said the pro-democracy "heritage" needs to be strengthened.

In his monthly radio programme 'Mann Ki Baat', Modi said it was essential to remember the incidents which have caused harm to democracy and move ahead towards the positives of democracy.

"Democracy is not only a system. It is our culture... Eternal vigilance is the price of liberty," he said.

Recalling imposition of the Emergency on June 25, 1975, the Prime Minister said it was "such a black night which cannot be forgotten by any lover of democracy. No Indian can forget that."



He said that in a way, the entire nation had been converted into a prison, with opposing voices being curbed.

"Along with Jaiprakash Narayan, many prominent leaders were jailed. Even the judiciary did not remain unaffected by the shadow of the Emergency. The media was completely rendered useless," the prime minister said.

He said the students of today's journalism and those working for democracy have been remembering "that black incident" as part of their continuous efforts to create awareness about democracy



"They should be doing so," Modi said.

At that time, Atal Bihari Vajpayee was also imprisoned and he had penned a poem during that period, he said and recited the couplets written by the BJP stalwart.

The imposition of the Emergency had evoked a nationwide outrage and a mass movement which forced Indira Gandhi to lift it in less than two years.

"The democracy lovers had fought a big battle and showed how democracy was engrained in the hearts of every citizen of the vast country. That was reflected through the elections. That is our heritage and we have to strengthen that heritage," Modi said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
In the high-profile NSE co-location case, regulator Sebi wants its forensic audit to quantify unlawful gains made by some brokers, allegedly in connivance with the exchange officials, which may put in limbo a settlement plea proposed by the bourse.

There is a strong view within Sebi that settlement should not be considered at the moment as the case relates to a top market infrastructure institution and its outcome may have a significant impact on investor sentiments about regulatory framework in India, a top official said.

When contacted, a spokesperson for NSE (National Stock Exchange) declined to comment on the status of the settlement plea, saying the bourse would not want to say anything on a matter between the exchange and the regulator.

Sources maintained however that any settlement is unlikely at this juncture as the case is under the scanner of various regulators.

They said Sebi has already decided to get an independent forensic audit done to quantify the alleged unlawful gains made by some brokers as probes conducted by NSE itself and through an exchange-appointed auditor have failed to answer some very important points.

The regulator will also engage with various shareholders of the exchange as well as with the government and other major stakeholders in the capital market given the enormity of the case, sources added.

The Securities and Exchange Board of India is looking to complete its probe at the earliest in the matter, which was first brought to its notice in 2015 by a whistleblower but the investigation gained pace only in the recent months.

The case relates to some brokers allegedly getting preferential access through co-location facility at the NSE, early login and dark fibre, which can allow a trader a split- second faster access to data feed of an exchange.

Even a split-second faster access is considered to result in huge gains for a trader.

Pending investigations, Sebi has directed that all revenues emanating from co-location facility including the transaction charges on the trades executed through co-location facility be placed in a separate bank account.

Accordingly, NSE has transferred Rs 375.51 crore to a separate account for September 2016 to March 2017 period. The regulator also wants to ascertain what component of this amount could have had an impact on the alleged preferential access to some brokers, sources said.

The probe is already casting its shadow on the long- pending Rs 10,000 crore initial public offer of the exchange, while it has already seen a flurry of top-to-medium level executive exits.

NSE's Vice Chairman and former CEO Ravi Narain also had to quit. He was among the last from the key senior-level team that was instrumental in setting up the exchange which began operations in 1994. The others from the startup team included Chitra Ramkrishna, who quit as CEO in December last year.

While the exchange's first chief R H Patil is no more, among the other members of the startup team Ashishkumar Chauhan is now CEO of rival BSE, while K Kumar is heading Indian Clearing Corporation Ltd (a subsidiary of BSE Ltd).

Another member of the five-member team was Raghavan Putran, who later went on to work with some group entities of the NSE. However, it could not be ascertained whether he is still with the group.

Sebi has recently issued 14 show-cause notices in the co-location case including to the NSE, Narain and Ramkrishna.

In its notice, Sebi has observed that the exchange did not co-operate with it or the forensic auditor appointed by NSE on the regulator's direction. Also, it failed to provide the requisite information sought by Sebi, the regulator said.

"NSE has failed to ensure trading in transparent, fair and open manner and has therefore failed to fulfill the main object with which it was incorporated," the notice said.

Earlier, the NSE had appointed forensic auditors on the direction of Sebi to look into the issues related to the co- location issue.

Some staff members allegedly told the forensic auditors appointed by the NSE that they acted on "advice from seniors" regarding preferential access for some to the co-location facility.

The exchange has now approached the regulator to settle the matter under the consent mechanism, which allows settling pending proceedings with Sebi after payment of certain fee and other expenses without admission or denial of any wrongdoing in certain cases.

Earlier this month, NSE Chairman Ashok Chawla had said the exchange is in the process of "settling fully and finally" with Sebi some legacy issues.

Sebi chief Ajay Tyagi said last week that the regulator will engage a forensic auditor for its ongoing probe into the to ascertain whether brokers made unfair gains in connivance with the exchange officials.
Pakistani army today again violated ceasefire by firing from automatic weapons and shelling mortars along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir's Rajouri district.

The Pakistan forces initiated unprovoked and indiscriminate firing from small arms, automatic weapons and mortars from 0630 hours today on Indian Army posts along the LoC in Naushera sector, a Defence spokesman said.

The Indian troops returned the fire strongly and effectively, he said.

This was the second ceasefire violation by Pakistan in the past 24 hours.

The violation comes just days after an attack by a Pakistani special forces team that sneaked across the LoC into Poonch under heavy fire-cover and killed two jawans while losing one of their men.

Yesterday also the Pakistan army had initiated unprovoked and indiscriminate firing from small arms, automatic weapons and mortars from 1130 hours to 1410 hours on Indian Army posts along the LoC in Poonch sector.

Earlier on Thursday, in the third such attack this year, a team of Pakistani special forces sneaked 600 metres across the LoC into the Poonch sector and killed two Indian jawans and lost one Border Action Team (BAT) member in retaliatory action.

The BAT comprises special forces personnel of the Pakistan army and terrorists.

It had carried out the attack at around 2 PM on an Army patrol party in the Gulpur belt of Poonch on 22 June under heavy cover fire by Pakistani troops.

In the firefight, two Indian soldiers - 34-year-old Naik Jadhav Sandip of Aurangabad and 24-year-old Sepoy Mane Savan Balku of Kolhapur - were martyred.

The Pakistani Border Action Team (BAT) members were armed with 'headband cameras' to record the attack on the Indian Army patrol. T



Earlier, on June 16, Pakistan violated the ceasefire by firing on forward posts along the LoC in Naushera sector of Rajouri district of J&K, killing an Indian Army jawan.

There have been 19 ceasefire violations along the LoC and the international border in Jammu region in June in which one civilian also lost his life while seven others were injured.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Pakistan has done its "best and maximum" in the fight against terrorism and it is now time for other "stakeholders" especially Afghanistan to do more, the Army chief has asserted days after devastating twin blasts in a market in Parachinar area of Kurram tribal district.

Army chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa, who chaired a high- level meeting in Rawalpindi last night to review the security situation, said Pakistan has sacrificed a lot in the fight against terrorism since 9/11 but "unfortunately our sacrifices against terrorism are not well acknowledged".

"Pakistan has done its best and maximum in the fight against terrorism. It is time now for other stakeholders, especially Afghanistan, to do more," he said.

Pakistan army in an overnight statement blamed "the RAW's network in Afghanistan" for the recent terror attacks in the country.

"The COAS was briefed in detail about the recent incidents and their manifest linkages with terrorist sanctuaries in Afghanistan operating under the patronage of NDS (Afghanistan's National Directorate of Security) and the RAW (Research and Analysis Wing)," the army said.

He said that Pakistan will not allow its land "to be used against any other country".

Meanwhile, the death toll in the devastating twin blasts that tore through a market crowded with people shopping for Eid in minority Shia dominated Parachinar area of Pakistan's Kurram tribal district rose to 67.

The blasts on the last Friday of the holy month of Ramazan targeted people shopping in the area and those heading out of the city ahead of Eid.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
In the second ceasefire violation today, Pakistani troops today resorted to firing from automatic weapons and shelling mortars along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir's Rajouri district.

In the latest violation, the Pakistan army initiated unprovoked and indiscriminate firing from small arms, automatic weapons and mortars from 5.50 pm on Indian Army posts along the LoC in Naushera sector, a defence spokesman said, adding, the Indian Army is retaliating strongly and effectively.

As per reports, one Pakistani post was destroyed in the Indian Army's retaliatory action.

Pakistan has now violated the ceasefire thrice in the past 27 hours, targeting forward posts and civilian areas with mortar bombs and automatic weapons.

Earlier today, Pakistani troops had opened unprovoked fire from 6.30 am to 9.30 am on Indian Army posts along the LoC in Naushera sector, even as Indian troops returned fire.

Yesterday also the Pakistan army had initiated unprovoked and indiscriminate firing from small arms, automatic weapons and mortars from 1130 hours to 1410 hours on Indian Army posts along the LoC in Poonch sector.

Today's violations came just days after an attack by a Pakistani special forces team that sneaked across the LoC into Poonch under cover of heavy fire and killed two jawans while losing one of their men.

On Thursday, in the third such attack this year, a team of Pakistani special forces men sneaked 600 metres across the LoC into the Poonch sector and killed two Indian jawans and lost one Border Action Team (BAT) member in retaliatory action by the Indian Army.

The BAT comprises special forces personnel of the Pakistan army and terrorists.

It had carried out the attack on an Indian Army patrol party in the Gulpur belt of Poonch on June 22 under heavy cover fire by Pakistani troops.

In the firefight, two Indian soldiers - 34-year-old Naik Jadhav Sandip of Aurangabad and 24-year-old Sepoy Mane Savan Balku of Kolhapur - were killed.

The Pakistani BAT members were armed with headband cameras to record the attack on the Indian Army patrol.

Earlier, on June 16, Pakistan violated the ceasefire by firing on forward posts along the LoC in Naushera sector of Rajouri district of J&K, killing an Indian Army jawan.

There have been 19 ceasefire violations along the LoC and the international border in Jammu region in June in which one civilian also lost his life while seven others were injured.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Prime Minister on Sunday said India has now emerged as a business-friendly destination, more so with the upcoming implementation of landmark GST beginning next month, while asking CEOs of top US companies to invest in the country.

Modi also said India attracted largest foreign direct investment (FDI) as a result of the NDA government policies in the last three years, during his interaction with a group of CEOs of top 20 American firms.

In a round table interaction with the group, including Tim Cook of Apple, Satya Nadella from Microsoft, Sunder Pichai from Google, John Chambers from Cisco and Jeff Bezos of Amazon, Modi listed out steps taken by his government in the last three years and next moves.



ALSO READ: Growth of India presents win-win partnership: Modi to top US CEOs

"The whole world is looking at India. 7,000 reforms alone by GOI for ease of (doing) business and minimum government, maximum governance," Gopal Bagley, spokesman of the Ministry of External Affairs said in a tweet from inside the meeting, quoting the prime minister.

India's growth presents a win-win partnership for the country and the US, and American companies have a great opportunity to contribute to that, Modi told the CEOs, according to Bagley.

"The implementation of the landmark initiative of GST could be a subject of studies in US business schools," Modi said.





ALSO READ: Modi in US: PM to meet top CEOs, discuss GST, Make in India gains, H1B visa

During the hour-long interaction, at the Willard Hotel, where he is staying, Modi gave a patient hearing to the wish-list of the CEOs.

Among other CEOs present at the meeting were Shantanu Narayen from Adobe, Ajay Banga from Mastercard, David Farr from Emerson, Doug McMillon and Punit Renjen from Deloitte Global. Mukesh Aghi, president of the US India Business Council, was also present at the meeting.

Posting a group picture of the prime minister with the CEOs, Bagley said, "strengthening the Indo-US economic partnership".

In a recent policy document, USIBC said the US-India commercial and strategic relationship supports global security, promotes economic growth and creates jobs for both countries and the global economy.

"Today, as we witness a paradigm shift in the erstwhile global order, an opportunity has emerged for both countries to set new standards in bilateral ties that will be bound by their shared values," USIBC said.





Noting that US-India trade has tripled over the last decade, reaching a historic high of nearly $110 billion in 2015, USIBC said there is an opportunity for both the countries to also sync their regulatory and standards system to increase trade and investment.

ALSO READ: H-1B visa unlikely to be thorny issue in Modi-Trump talks: USIBC



In a separate statement, Jagdip Ahluwalia, executive director of Indo American Chamber of Commerce of Greater Houston, said the United States and India share a very symbiotic relationship, and Modi's first face to face visit with Donald Trump is important to strengthen the relationship between the two.

"On behalf of Houston, the energy capital of the world and home of the world's largest Medical Center the IACCGH and the strong Indian American community hope to welcome Prime Minister Modi to Houston in the not too distant future," Ahluwalia said.





ALSO READ: India's Modi heads to Trump White House with relationship issues

During the hour-long interaction at the Willard Hotel, PM Modi gave a patient hearing to the wish-list of the CEOs.
The Indo-US civil nuclear deal is expected to figure during talks between Prime Minister and President on Monday, but a pact between the NPCIL and Westinghouse to build six power reactors in Andhra Pradesh is unlikely to be signed.

A host of strategic issues are expected to be discussed during the parleys between the leaders of the world's two largest democracies, including the progress on the 2008 civil nuclear deal, according to official sources here.

They said a financial turmoil in Westinghouse and absence of a functional reference atomic plant were the main impediments behind the Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited's (NPCIL) unwillingness to sign the agreement with the American nuclear giant.

According to a joint statement by Modi and the then US president Barack Obama in 2015, both the sides had resolved to work towards "finalising the contractual agreement by June 2017".

However, a lot of water has flown under the bridge since then.

Westinghouse, which was acquired by Japanese conglomerate Toshiba in 2007, filed for bankruptcy in March.

Apprehending uncertainty, the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) and the NPCIL are unwilling to go ahead with any agreement with the beleaguered company till it comes out of the financial turmoil.

"It is unlikely that we will sign an agreement with Westinghouse when the prime minister visits the US. However, we are making good use of time to hold discussions on techno- commercial aspects," a senior government official said.

An email sent by PTI to Westinghouse seeking a response from it on the issue was not replied to.

During his visit to the US on June 25-26, Modi is slated to meet Trump.

The Indo-US nuclear cooperation agreement was signed in 2008, under which Westinghouse and GE Hitachi were to build six power reactors each in Andhra Pradesh and Gujarat.

Initially, Westinghouse was allocated the Mithi Virdi site in Gujarat, but was later given the Kovvada site in Srikakulam district of Andhra Pradesh.

The company was to build six AP-1000 atomic reactors with a capacity of 1,208 MW each at Kovvada.

With a total capacity of 7,248 MW, the government had a plan to make it one of the largest nuclear parks in south Asia.

The official said any foreign company need to demonstrate a functional nuclear plant using the same technology. This is a pre-requisite to obtain permission from the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB), the nuclear watchdog in the country.

Westinghouse's AP-1000 technology plants are at various stages of construction in different countries and are yet to start commercial operations.
The police today seized 48 kg charas worth Rs 4.80 crore from a village near the Indo-Nepal border in Bihar's West Champaran district.

Bhangha police station in-charge Mukesh Singh said police seized three sacks of charas, weighing 48 kg, lying abandoned in a field in Parsauni village.

The contraband consignment has been valued at Rs 4.80 crore in international market, he said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
: Lt Governor Kiran Bedi and Chief Minister V Narayanasamy today greeted members of the Muslim community in the Union Territory on the eve of Ramzan.

In her message, Bedi said that "Ramzan is a unique festival of expression of universal brotherhood and friendship. Also the festival teaches self-discipline as well as compassion for fellow human beings."



"On the occasion of Ramzan I extend my hearty greetings and best wishes to Muslim brethren and people of Puducherry," she said.

The Chief Minister, while wishing Muslims, said the teachings of Prophet Muhammad were a robust guidance to promote harmony and affection for fellow human beings.

Speaker V Vaithilingam, Ministers, Member of Parliament (Lok Sabha) R Radhakrishnan, the opposition AINRC leader N Rangasamy, the AIADMK (Amma) Legislator A Anbalgan and a host of leaders were among those who extended Ramzan greetings.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Not so long ago, the ruling TRS in Telangana and the BJP were engaged in war of words. But not anymore.

The reason: Telangana Chief Minister and TRS (Telangana Rashtra Samiti) supremo K Chandrasekhar Rao has backed NDA's presidential candidate Ram Nath Kovind.

Rao was present when the former Bihar Governor filed his nomination papers last week in New Delhi.

In fact, the Telangana unit of BJP was wholesome in praising the chief minister for rising above "regular politics" and adopting a "bipartisan" approach.

"The BJP welcomes the support KCR has extended to the presidential nominee of NDA despite not being an NDA alliance partner," Telangana BJP spokesperson Krishna Saagar Rao told PTI.

"We certainly welcome KCR's leadership in terms of taking this kind of bipartisan (approach), working on either side of aisle and rising above party politics," he said.

Only last month, the two parties were at each other's throat.

During his visit to Telangana last month, BJP president Amit Shah had sought to underline huge Central funding to the state. The figures were, however, fiercely contested by the chief minister, who even sought an apology from Shah.

With both trying to prove each other wrong, what followed was a bitter exchange of words between the BJP, which is aiming a shot at power in the state in 2019, and the TRS.

The Telangana BJP, however, does not want to read too much into the TRS' "swift" move to back the BJP's pick for the presidential post, noting it's a constitutional position not a political one.

"It's the position where the head of the State actually safeguards the Constitution of India which I think is far above the political ideology of different parties," Krishna Saagar Rao said.

The BJP indicated there would not be any let up in its fight against the TRS government.

"We fight with the ruling party, specially when they are not living up to the expectations of mandate given to them, and if they are indulging in corruption or mis-governance and not delivering on the promises they have made to the electorate," the BJP spokesperson said.

The battle that the BJP is waging against the TRS government is not a personal one but it's a fight for the people of Telangana, he said.

According to sources in the BJP and TRS, the chief minister and Prime Minister Narendra Modi enjoy an "excellent" personal equation.

Rao had backed Modi's demonetisation initiative, which had earned the chief minister goodwill from BJP leaders.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Telangana was created three years ago, but many promises made during the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh are still pending, said a key leader of the ruling TRS, adding the onus is on BJP and Congress to put them on top of their agenda for speedy implementation.

Many of the promises made in the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act of 2014, which gave birth to the country's latest state, are yet to be fulfilled, Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) MP Kalvakuntla Kavitha said.

"Many of them are pending...The division of many institutions is still pending, division of employees (between Andhra Pradesh and Telangana) in certain cases, high-court (for Telangana) is not yet given, national projects for Telangana is not given," she told PTI.

"Many issues are yet to be fulfilled. Even I believe (the successor state of) Andhra Pradesh has similar issues... Railways...On both sides, there are many pending issues," said the daughter of Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao.

But Kavitha did not appear bitter about the delay in promises being fulfilled and indicated that some lag was perhaps expected given the country's "system".

"Our system takes too long to set focus on certain issues. This is such a case. That is the only issue I feel is problematic with national parties," the Lok Sabha member from Nizamabad said.

"They have many items on their agenda whereas regional parties (like TRS), we have only one item on our agenda (state). BJP and Congress have so many things to think about. That is why I believe they are not setting focus on solving these issues," she said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The highways ministry is formulating a model pact for its projects to suit the needs of private investors, especially from the US, the Middle-East and Singapore, who have shown keen interest in operating them.

Several investors, including Canadian Pension Fund, Abu Dhabi Investment Fund and some from the US, Europe and Singapore, have shown interest in buying various projects.

As many as 10 public-funded highway projects, out of a basket of 75, have been identified by the government for monetisation.

"We are in the process of formulating a model concession agreement (MCA) to suit the needs of international investments," a ministry official told PTI.

"A large number of global investors have evinced interests in our projects and some of these meetings have been facilitated by Morgan Stanley and Brookfield Asset Management," he said.

The official said investors have expressed interest in toll operate transfer (TOT) projects and a consortium of investors are keen to invest here.

"This special MCA being drafted will be for a wide spectrum of projects including in the highways, railways, Delhi Metro Rail Corporation and Waterways," the official added.

"In the first week of August, we could expect to see the first bundle of 10 out of 75 TOT projects out for bidding," the official said.

The government in August last year had authorised the Highways Authority of India (NHAI) to monetise public-funded in the country.

Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari had earlier said that monetisation of public-funded could result in funds in the range of Rs 80,000 to Rs 1 lakh crore initially.

Ever since the government's nod for monetisation, NHAI has been conducting traffic studies related to such projects, the revenue streams available and their overall viability.

The corpus generated from proceeds of such project monetisation could be utilised by the government to meet its fund requirements regarding future development and operation and maintenance of highways in the country and could address development of highways in unviable geographies.

Market feedback indicates that certain institutional investors from outside the country have long-term investment appetite and are keen to participate in operational with stable toll revenue outlook.

These investors generally hesitate from taking construction risk but are willing to look at de-risked brownfield road assets, the government has earlier said.
The coming together of archrivals BSP and SP to support the candidature of Meira Kumar as president could be a crucial step towards further consolidating anti-BJP forces in Uttar Pradesh, say political observers.

Struggling to regain lost ground after the near washout in the recent assembly elections with the BJP making deep inroads into their respective bastions, the SP and the BSP have found in the presidential election another opportunity to come on the same page.

Though their value of votes is unlikely to make either NDA candidate Ram Nath Kovind win or bolster Kumar's prospects, their joint support for the opposition-backed candidate will drive home the message that forces opposed to the saffron party were coming together.

This, political observers feel, is likely to pave the way for other like-minded parties to join hands ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, for which the BJP hopes to bag all 80 seats in the state, seven more than it scored in 2014, along with its allies.

"This shows that the opposition is forced to come together as they are realising their strength is in unity... this is also preparation for 2019," said RJD's state unit president Ashok Singh.

"There is also pressure from the public who have started saying that all anti-BJP parties should come together on one platform," he added.

Only too aware of the drubbing they faced and the acute necessity for drastic steps to counter the saffron surge, SP chief Akhilesh Yadav and BSP supremo Mayawati have already decided to share a platform at a rally organised by the Lalu Prasad-led RJD in Patna on August 27.

The thaw between the two could also prompt a repeat of a Bihar-like experiment in UP politics and subsequently at the level with all parties opposed to the BJP aligning on one agenda.

"It is becoming clearer with every passing day that democracy is under siege and all those who want to see democracy survive and the Indian Constitution prevail will have to come together as the threat which is looming is much greater than the Emergency...," said Ramesh Dixit, political scientist and former head of the political science department of Lucknow University.

Referring to the dismal showing of all anti-BJP parties in the assembly polls, Dixit said, "No one can dispute that had they fought elections together, the results would have been different."

The SP and the BSP, it seemed, had parted ways for life after the State Guest House case of 1995 when Mayawati alleged that an attempt was made on her life. But with SP patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav, who was at the helm of affairs then, now on the sidelines with son Akhilesh leading the party, it would be easier for Mayawati to build bridges.

The father and son, it is learnt, are also opposed to each other on the issue of the presidential election and this could also come help Mayawati soften her posture towards her adversary.

Interestingly, Akhilesh has almost always referred to Mayawati as "Bua" even though it had not gone down well with the BSP chief.

The SP and the BSP together make a formidable alliance with the consolidation of Dalit and backward votes which could effectively checkmate the BJP and both are aware that they need some strong ground to face the BJP challenge, say experts.

The BSP won only 19 seats in 2017 assembly in the 403-member House, down from 80 in 2012. This is its lowest tally since 1991, when the party won 12 seats. The SP won 47, its lowest tally since the party's inception in 1992.

The BJP cornered 40 per cent of the votes polled, a jaw-dropping increase of 25 per cent since last time, grabbing along with its NDA partners 325 seats.

As the BJP's unprecedented tally dwarfed the opposition, which has together been reduced to less than 75 seats, calls for an alliance between the SP and the BSP have grown louder.

Before the start of their hostility, the SP and the BSP had contested the 1993 UP Assembly elections together -- the BSP contested 164 seats and won 67 while the SP fought 256 seats and bagged 109.

The government was formed with Mulayam Singh as the chief minister. The relationship, however, turned sour and the BSP withdrew support. Mayawati went on to form the government with the help of the BJP in 1995.

But then, as they say, there are no permanent friends and no permanent enemies either in politics.
Australia-headquartered StayWell Hospitality Group, which has signed its 12th property in India in Gujarat, is in talks with large portfolio hospitality companies with an aim to take the total number of hotels in India to 50 in three years.

"We have just signed our 12 property near Ahmedabad and are targeting 25 hotels in three years by opening one hotel in every 2-3 months in the country. However, currently we are negotiating with 2-3 large portfolio hotel groups in India, which may double the number of properties to 50 in three years," StayWell Hospitality Group Managing Director in India Rohit Vig told PTI here.

He said the company is in talks with players in the Northern, Southern and Eastern region.

"We have good presence in the North. East, especially the Northeast, and the south excites," he added.

Currently, five StayWell properties are operational in the country and the rest are under various stages of development, he said.

The hospitality group is looking at expansion of both our brands - Park Regis and Leisure Inn.

"We are looking at growth of both our brands. However, the growth of Leisure Inn, which is a midscale brand, will be faster than Park Regis, our luxury brand," Vig said.

In three years, the company on an average is likely to hire 2,500 workforce to man its 25 properties.

"The hiring will be a mix of both experienced as well as freshers. In India, there are enough talent for the service sector. What is difficult here is retention, for which we provide growth opportunities within the organisation with higher compensation," he added.

Talking about its just signed Ahmedabad property, Vig said, its a 150 room hotel spread across seven acres in the the vicinity of an amusement park, EVERLAND park.

"This property is 12 kilometres away from Ahmedabad city and will be operational by the end of 2018," he added.

StayWell Hospitality Group has a portfolio of 35 properties in Indonesia, the UAE, India, Singapore and multiple properties in Australia, including in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Cairns, Townsville and Launceston.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A police jawan injured in an encounter with Naxals in Chhattisgarh's Sukma district succumbed to injuries today, taking the death toll of security personnel killed in the operation to three.

Two district reserve guard (DRG) jawans were earlier killed and as many others sustained injuries in the gun-battle in Sukma's Chintagufa area.

Four separate encounters between Naxalites and police have been reported in the state since yesterday, in which three security men have been killed and seven injured, including a sub-inspector.

Two Naxals were also gunned down in these face-offs.

While two encounters took place in Sukma yesterday, as many others occurred in Bijapur, including one this morning.

A composite squad of the Special Task Force (STF), the DRG, the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and its elite unit-CoBRA (Commando Battalion for Resolute Action) was yesterday out on the operation based on inputs about the location of Maoist hideouts in the interiors of Chintagufa, around 500 kms away from here.

When the security men were advancing through the forest of Dondamarka, a Maoist den, armed Naxalites opened fire on them, leading to a gun-battle.

Five STF personnel sustained bullet injuries, three of them critically, in the face-off.

Some personnel of the patrolling team were on their way back to the base when they again came under heavy fire from the ultras near Durma village, around 17 kms deep inside forest from Chintagufa.

Two DRG jawans were killed and as many others sustained injuries in the gun-battle.

"Two DRG jawans were initially killed and as many others injured in the incident. Later, one of the injured succumbed while being retrieved from the forest," Deputy Inspector General of Police (Dantewada range) Sundarraj P told PTI.

The team engaged in the fierce gunbattle with Maoists since yesterday reached its camp this morning, he said.

"Three DRG jawans have been martyred and another injured in the face-off. The body of a Naxalite was also recovered from the spot along with an SLR weapon," he said.

The intermittent exchange of fire lasted for several hours following which the security men cautiously stepped out of the forest, he said, adding that bad weather and rainfall disrupted the evacuation operation.

The slain DRG jawans have been identified as constable Kattam Rajkumar, assistant constable Sunam Manish, both natives of Sukma, and assistant constable Rajesh Komra of Kanker district, the DIG said.

The injured assistant constable has been admitted to a local hospital and efforts are on to airlift him to Raipur for further medication, he said.

The DIG claimed that "nearly 12 Maoists were killed during the operation. However, the body of only one Maoist was recoveredalong with a SLR weapon from Durma."



He said a major offensive action was undertaken in Chintagufa, considered as the military battalion station of the Maoists.

Earlier yesterday, the same team of security forces had an exchange of fire with ultras in which five STF jawans were injured. They are undergoing treatment here at a private hospital.

Besides, aNaxalwas yesterday killed in an exchange of fire with police in Bijapur district.

Also, a sub-inspector was today injured in an exchange of fire with Naxals in a forest under Bijapur's Gangaloor police station limits, police said.

On April 24 this year, 25 CRPF personnel were killed in a Naxal ambushin Burkapal area under Sukma's Chintagufa police station of limits.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi today said India has succeeded in telling the world about the need to uproot the menace of terrorism and the surgical strikes conducted across the LoC prove that the country can defend itself when needed.

"When India talked of terrorism 20 years back, many in the world said it was a law and order problem and didn't understand it. Now terrorists have explained terrorism to them so we don't have to," Modi said at a community reception at the Ritz Carlton in Tysons Corner, Virginia.

He said India has succeeded in telling the world about the need to uproot the menace of terrorism.

"When India conducted surgical strikes the world experienced our power and realised that India practices restrain but can show power when needed," the Prime Minister said as he highlighted the achievements of his government in the last three years.

India conducted surgical strikes on terror pads across the LoC on September 29 last year after the Uri attack.

Modi said India has been a victim of terrorism, but "The world did not and cannot stop us. We have succeeded in conveying to the world the deleterious effects of terrorism on India."



In an apparent dig at China, Modi said that India believed in following the world order.

India, he said, does not believe in achieving its goals by not following the global rules.

Modi said India has always followed the path of development within the confines of the global order and rule of law.

"This is India's tradition and culture," he noted, apparently referring to China's assertiveness in the South China Sea.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The inter-ministerial group (IMG) looking into financial difficulties of the is expected to submit its policy prescription to the Telecom Commission next month.

"The (IMG) recommendations will be submitted within a month," an official told PTI.

The IMG was set up on May 16 to examine issues that are affecting viability and repayment capacity of telecom companies. The group has to furnish recommendations for resolution of stressed assets, policy reforms and strategic interventions for the in three months.

"Now, no external meetings are required by the IMG. There will be only internal meetings and examinations by various divisions of the Department of Telecom. The recommendations will be sent to the Cabinet for final approval after Telecom Commission examines it and firms up a view," the official said.

Another official pointed out that there are many issues in the sector on which the government cannot do much as they are sub judice like definition of adjusted gross revenue (earning of companies from telecom services only) and many others that may require a bold decision at the political level, especially in line with the suggestion made by the Economic Survey 2016-17.

According to the Survey, policymaking in certain areas like telecom and banking has been severely constrained by "abundant caution in bureaucratic decision-making".

It added that senior managers in public banks are wary of becoming the target of the so-called '4 Cs' - courts, CVC (Central Vigilance Commission), CBI (Central Bureau of Investigation) and CAG (Comptroller and Auditor General).

The Supreme Court in February 2012 had quashed 122 telecom licences issued in 2008 and asked the government to allocate spectrum for mobile services through auction.

The CAG had said the spectrum allocated administratively in 2008 had led to a notional loss of Rs 1.76 lakh crore to the national exchequer.

"In telecommunications, the judicially imposed requirement for transparency and auctioning while responding importantly and appropriately to the previous experience of corruption has created a public policy dilemma," the survey has noted.

It said that in some cases, it may be socially optimal to sell spectrum at lower than auction prices because of the sizeable externalities stemming from increased spread of telecommunications services.

"But the understandable distrust of discretion means that methods other than auctions could be perceived as favouring particular parties," the survey stated further.

Telecom bigwigs, including Sunil Bharti Mittal and Anil Ambani, in their meeting with the communications minister have requested easing of norms for payment of spectrum acquired by their firms during auction.

The sector, with a cumulative debt of Rs 4.6 lakh crore, has approached the government for reduction of levies like licence fee, spectrum usage charge and the Goods and Services Tax.
: Top stories from the southern region at 2130 hrs today.

MDS2 KL-SABARIMALA



Sabarimala (Ker): The newly-installed gold plated mast at the famed Lord Ayyappa Temple here is found damaged, triggering widespread concern among devotees.

MDS3 KL-PRIEST-CM



Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan urges the Centre to take steps for a probe into the death of 33-year-old Keralite priest at Edinburgh in the United Kingdom.

MDS4 KL-VIJAYAN-SOCIALMEDIA



Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan criticises the increasing trend of fake and photographs spreading in the social media and says the state government is committed to regulate it.

BES3 TL-MISHAP-ACTOR-BROTHER



Hyderabad: Telugu film actor Ravi Teja's younger brother Bharath killed when his car collides with a lorry in Shamshabad area here, say police.

MES4 TN-RAJINI-HMK



Coimbatore: A fringe pro-Hindu outfit takes exception to BJP leader Subramanian Swamy reportedly questioning Rajinikanth's credentials to enter politics and says there is nothing wrong if the 'superstar' takes the political plunge as he has the backing of lakhs of people.

MES5 TN-AIRAMBULANCE-IAF



Coimbatore: Indian Air Force has recognised the need for speed for limiting mortality and morbidity while transporting the critically ill form the battlefield, Chief of IAF, Air Chief Marshal B S Dhanoa says.

MES6 KL-ACTOR-COMPLAINT AUDIO



Kochi: An audio recording of a purported telephonic talk by the main accused in the sensational abduction and assault of a South Indian actress 'blackmailing' Malayalam actor Dileep through his aide surfaces.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
President Donald Trump today stepped up his criticism of Barack Obama's response to concerns Russia was trying to disrupt the 2016 election, and some Democratic lawmakers agreed, with one calling the former leader's handling of the threat a "serious mistake."



In a flurry of weekend tweets and a prerecorded television appearance, Trump said his predecessor failed to act after the CIA informed him in August that Russian President Vladimir Putin had personally ordered an operation to help Trump defeat Hillary Clinton in the November election.

"Since the Obama Administration was told way before the 2016 Election that the Russians were meddling, why no action?" he asked in one tweet.

In another, alluding to a Washington Post article that laid out the Russia timeline, he tweeted: "Obama Administration official said they 'choked' when it came to acting on Russian meddling of election. They didn't want to hurt Hillary?"



A top Trump aide, Kellyanne Conway, was more blunt still.

"It's the Obama administration responsible for doing absolutely nothing from August to January with the knowledge that Russia was hacking into our election. They did nothing. They're responsible," she said today on ABC.

Some Democrats saw abundant irony in Trump blaming Obama for indecisiveness against a Russian operation that Trump himself has long seemed to play down -- including when he fired FBI chief James Comey for pursuing his investigation of "this Russia thing."



But one influential Democratic lawmaker joined in the criticism of the previous president.

Adam Schiff, the ranking Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, said on CNN that he understood that the Obama administration was worried about being seen as "trying to tip the scales for Hillary Clinton."



But he went on: "The American people needed to know. I didn't think it was enough to tell them after the election... I think the administration needed to call out Russia earlier, needed to act to deter and punish Russia earlier and that was a very serious mistake."



Another Democrat, Senator Ron Wyden, a member of the intelligence committee, expressed similar disappointment.

"I am troubled learning this new information that the Obama administration didn't do more," he told CNN on Friday. Such matters should transcend politics, he added.

The Washington Post, in a behind-the-scenes account of the Obama response to reports of Russian meddling, said that amid confidence that Clinton would win and for fear of Obama being seen as interfering, the administration warned Moscow but left countermeasures for later.

The Post said Obama issued four warnings to the Russians -- including one he delivered directly to Putin -- causing Moscow to pull back on possible plans to sabotage US voting operations.

But after Trump's shock victory in November, some Obama administration officials expressed regret at the lack of tougher action.

"Wow, did we mishandle this," a former administration official told the newspaper.

In an interview with Sunday's "Fox and Friends" program, Trump groused about Obama's response, saying: "If he had the information, why didn't he do something about it? He should have done something about it. But you don't read that. It's quite sad."



Following Trump's election win, Obama expelled 35 Russian diplomats and added new sanctions.

While Schiff criticized Obama, Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer pushed back hard.

The New York lawmaker helped steer a bill through the Senate this month to toughen sanctions against Russia and bar Trump from weakening them on his own.

The bill passed with overwhelming bipartisan support, but Trump administration officials have been working to weaken the House version.

"If Donald Trump wants to do something about Russia and Russia meddling, instead of saying Obama didn't do enough, support our sanctions bill," Schumer said on ABC.

Criticism of Trump's failure to sharply condemn Russian interference has continued to vex his administration.

As recently as Tuesday, White House spokesman Sean Spicer could not give a clear answer when asked repeatedly whether Trump believes the Russians interfered in the 2016 elections.

"I have not sat down and talked to him about that specific thing," Spicer said. "Obviously we've been dealing with a lot of other issues.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
This will be a quick post for a couple of reasons  the main one being that tomorrow, were headed up to tour the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) Array Operations Site (AOS) above 16,000 feet, and weve all been told to get a good nights sleep to ensure we pass the physical required to go that high.

We landed in Calama yesterday afternoon and drove the rest of the way to San Pedro de Atacama, which is beautiful (if dry) and sunny. This morning, the ACEAP 2017 crew, along with two members from the 2016 expedition, Sian Proctor and David Lockett, visited two local schools to share outreach activities and watch how students here learn about science. Id love to write much more than I have time to do so at the moment on the experience (perhaps a blog on the plane ride home, if Im not comatose), but I had a wonderful time, and I certainly wasn't the only one. Both the students and the ambassadors clearly enjoyed the opportunity to engage with each other over the beauty and the wonder of the skies, despite any language barrier that might exist. It was utterly amazing to see the students so engaged in and curious about each activity. Personally, I greatly enjoyed seeing the hands-on approach to science taken in the classrooms here, especially among classes of younger students.

After a busy morning, we headed up to the ALMA Operations Support Facility (OSF), located at a mere 10,000 feet or so above sea level. (As I type this from our hotel in San Pedro, were at 8,200 feet or so, so were well acclimated by now.) Following lunch, we took a tour of the OSF and enjoyed several presentations by ALMA staff, which highlighted the range of personnel and specialties covered here. We were also able to tour one of the labs and take part in an informal question-and-answer panel with several of the staff at once.

One of the days running themes was the fact that proper astronomers make up a very small percentage of the staff on site here, as ALMA is meant to be more of a service facility that delivers high-quality data to scientists, rather than making them come here and take that data themselves. We heard from and spoke with software engineers, array maintenance and operations personnel, operations astronomers, human resources managers, and more, all of whom proved (yet again) that a Ph.D. in astronomy is not necessary to make meaningful and powerful contributions to astronomy, science, and education.

Id definitely love to expound much more on our experiences today, but its getting late and Id definitely like to take that advice on getting a full nights sleep. With luck (and a healthy blood pressure reading), Ill be blogging about the ALMA high site tomorrow!
Two Army personnel were injured today in an encounter with militants who took refuge inside the premises of the Delhi Public School near the Srinagar- Jammu National Highway after attacking a CRPF party in Panthachowk area last evening.

A police official said security forces launched an offensive to flush them out the militants this morning.

"The exchange of fire between security forces and militants began at around 3.40 am and is going on intermittently," he said.

"Two Army personnel were injured in the gunbattle today," the official said. He said the injured have been taken to a hospital.

The militants had entered into the premises of the DPS Srinagar last evening after carrying out an attack on CRPF personnel deployed on road opening duty near the school.

One CRPF officer was killed and a constable of the force injured in the attack that took place in high security zone located less than a kilometre away from headquarters of Army's Chinar Corps.

Security forces immediately cordoned off the area and launched search operations in the large school campus.

Sources said drone cameras and other hi-tech gadgets were used to trace the location of the militants but police officials refused to comment on operational details.

The authorities have imposed restrictions under section 144 CrPc from Ram Munshibagh to Sempora stretch of the national highway as a precautionary measure to avoid protests near the encounter site.

Mobile Internet services have been affected across the Valley.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Two security personnel were today injured in an IED (improvised explosive device) blast, triggered by naxals, in Chhattisgarh's insurgency-hit Bijapur district, police said.

The incident took place in the forests under Tarrem police station limits when a a joint team of security forces was returning after carrying out an anti-maoist operation in the area, a senior police official told PTI.

The composite squad of CoBRA (Commando Battalion for Resolute Action), DRG and district force was out on an operation in the interiors of Basaguda and Tarrem area, around 450 kms from here, for past couple of days.

While cordoning off a forested patch on way back to the base camp today, two jawans came under the impact of explosion, triggered by naxals, that left them injured, he said.

Of the injured, one belongs to CRPF's elite wing -- CoBRA 204th battalion and has been identified as constable Badal Murmu, while another is a district police assistant constable Roshan Kumar, he said.

Soon after getting information of the incident, reinforcements were rushed to the spot and the injured were admitted to a local hospital, he added.

Meanwhile, a search operation was underway in the region to nab the ultras involved in the incident, he added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Veteran actor Ian McKellen said it is "un-American" of US President Donald Trump to not stand up in support of the LGBTQ community and he is sending out a wrong message as an important global public figure.

The 78-year-old actor, who prides himself as an outspoken homosexual and activist, said the Trump should know that the movement for gay rights started in his own hometown, reported Variety.

"... It's appalling and quite unnecessary and very un- American. The gay rights movement began in America. It began in San Francisco, it began in Stonewall, the city where Donald Trump was born and thrived," McKellen said in a video interview at Cannes Lions, 64th International Festival of Creativity.

The "X-Men" star said Trump needs to work on his communication skills.

"I can't follow Mr Trump. I don't always understand what he says and when I do, I have to admit later that I got it wrong because he changed his mind or changed his mind about what he said. He's a very bad communicator, at least to me. Get more straightforward, Donald. And then we can take you seriously," he said.

(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 announced Rs 25 lakh as compensation to the family members of sub-inspector Sahib Shukla who died in a terror attack on CRPF personnel in Jammu and Kashmir.

Chief Minister spoke to the family members of the deceased sub-inspector and consoled them. He told them that the UP government stands with them, an official spokesperson said.

Adityanath said that Rs 20 lakh will be given to Shukla's wife, while Rs 5 lakh to his parents.

On June 24, Shukla, resident of Gorakhpur, was killed while another jawan injured when militants attacked their vehicle at Pantha chowk, on the outskirts of the Srinagar city.

Constable-driver Nissar Ahmed was injured, officials had said.

The CRPF personnel, part of road-opening deployment, were sitting inside their vehicle at Pantha chowk bypass along the Srinagar-Jammu national highway when militants attacked them.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The US today strongly condemned the multiple blasts and firing in three Pakistani cities that killed over 60 people and injured nearly 100 others.

"The United States strongly condemns the terrorist attacks in Parachinar and Quetta on Friday," White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer said in a statement.

"These attacks, which deliberately targeted civilians, are a strong reminder of the threat posed throughout the region by the scourge of terrorism," Spicer said.

Spicer said the US stands with the people of Pakistan in their fight against terrorism.

"We offer our deepest condolences to the victims and their families. We will continue to work with the government of Pakistan and our partners across the region to combat the threat of terrorism," the State Department said in a separate statement.

Twin blasts tore through a market crowded with Eid shoppers in a mainly Shia town on Friday, a suicide bomber blew up his explosives-laden car and militants opened fire on police in separate attacks in Pakistan's three major cities, killing 62 people and wounding nearly 100.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
RBI governors share bittersweet relationship with the government but rarely has any central banker contemplated leaving his job twice, as did Y Venugopal Reddy, who wanted to quit soon after P Chidambaram became finance minister in 2004 and then before his tenure ended.

Reddy, who was Reserve Bank governor from September 2003 to September 2008, shared an uncomfortable relationship with Chidambaram and had to even offer an "unconditional apology" to the minister after the then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh tried to sort things out between them.

In his autobiography 'Advice and Dissent: My Life in Public Service', Reddy said the two started off on a disagreement over opening of banking system to foreign ownership and by 2008 "there was a growing distance between us."



"His (Chidambaram's) image as a reformer pushing for double-digit growth was, in his view, being dented by my caution to the extent of resisting implementation of some of his policies," Reddy wrote.

The minister even cancelled a foreign tour because he could not face investors with nothing to report on reform.

The former bureaucrat went on to write that in early 2008 he got a call from the Prime Minister's Office, requiring him to urgently travel to Delhi to meet Manmohan Singh on a Sunday.

When Reddy informed Chidambaram about the call from PMO, the Congress leader said, "There is nothing from my side."



At prime minister's residence, Singh told the governor: "Venu, the finance minister is very upset with you. I do not know what to do. I cannot be taking sides between Chidambaram and you. I am very worried about this."



Reddy says, he told the prime minister that he need not bother about this problem and that he will take care of his relation with the minister.

While Singh thanked him "profusely", Reddy writes that he drove to Chidambaram's residence and "expressed my unconditional apology to him and conveyed that I would keep in mind the issue of being supportive" to government policies.

But this rapprochement did not stop him from refusing to take a second term offered by the prime minister.

In 2007 - one full year before his five-year term was to end, Reddy offered his candidature for the position of chairman, 13th Finance Commission, but the minister would not release him.

Reddy writes that he was opposed to NDA government's decision of opening banking system to foreign ownership, in particular, to enable foreign banks to acquire Indian banks.

When UPA came to power in May 2004, Chidambaram was appointed Finance Minister and he was in favour of continuity in the policy and did not particularly like Reddy's speech at a public function where he talked of evaluating foreign banks on a case-by-case basis.

Soon, Chidambaram called him to his residence to discuss the issue and "was at his convincing best."



"Before the court, he is known to make his arguments systematically on an almost equal footing with the judge. With me, he usually moved from formal to informal, business-like to joking. In this case, he spoke with unusual gravity. It was very clear that this issue was of great importance," he wrote.

Chidambaram told him that "this is a national commitment made to the global financial community. How do we justify a reversal of such a policy."



Reddy says he explained that the move had "serious irreversible consequences. I believe that it is better to go back on our commitment at this stage, in national interest."



The former governor says he narrated the exchange between him and Chidambaram to Rakesh Mohan, Secretary, Economic Affairs.

"'Rakesh,' I told him, 'it is better I leave this job. I believe that the issue is very critical to our national interest. I think opening up of foreign banks should not be done at this stage at all. Still, if the government feels that this has to be done, it has to be done. But I will not be able to put my heart in it'," he wrote.

Reddy went on to state that since he did not make his opposition secret, the government would not have confidence in him. "So, better I quietly leave the job," he said.

But Rakesh Mohan played a critical role in resolving the issue. And Chidambaram called him a few days later.

"'Venu, we have considered your views,' he said. 'We are keen to honour the commitments made on foreign banks by the earlier government. We will not go back on them. We would like to make a formal policy statement to that effect. But I know you have your concerns and you may propose a roadmap that will take care of them. We should announce our policy commitment through a clear-cut, time-bound roadmap. Step by step... Send us a draft, as soon as possible'," he wrote.

Reddy says he was relieved and stayed on the job.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi was today warmly greeted by a group of people from the Indian community who were waiting for him outside a high-security hotel here where he is staying. Modi, who arrived in the US capital today, was welcomed with loud cheers and applause by the Indian community members who were waiting outside the Willard InterContinental Hotel to catch a glimpse of the Indian leader.

As Modi's motorcade pulled up in front of the hotel where the Prime Minister will be staying during his three-day visit, the crowd of Indians gathered outside and standing behind a barricade burst into a huge applause and started chanting 'Modi, Modi'. Before entering the hotel, the Indian leader got out of his vehicle and walked across the road to the cheering crowd, smiling and waving at it.

The crowd's excitement knew no bounds when it saw the Indian leader walking towards it. The people cheered loudly, clapping and whistling and instantly took out their phones to click Modi's pictures. After stopping briefly in front of the crowd, Modi, surrounded by Indian and American security officials, walked back towards his motorcade.

Members of the community expressed hope that Modi raises with Trump pressing issues related to the H1B work visa, terrorism and defence cooperation. Trump will host Modi at the White House tomorrow and the two leaders would spend about five hours together in various settings beginning with their bilateral discussion, delegation level talks, a reception and a working dinner, the first of its kind hosted by this administration.

During his three-day visit, Modi will also interact with about 20 leading American CEOs followed by an Indian-American community event in Washington DC suburb of Virginia. The programme is likely to be attended by about 600 members of the community.
An international airport with a capacity to handle 30-50 million passengers per year will come up at Jewar in Greater Noida in the next five to six years to ease the load on the Delhi airport, the government announced on Saturday.

"In-principle clearance has been granted" for the greenfield airport at Jewar, civil aviation minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju said at a press briefing in New Delhi.

The Yamuna Expressway Industrial Development Authority has notified 3,000 hectares of land in Jewar for a "world- class" international airport, Raju added.

Of the total land, 1,000 hectares will be acquired under the first phase of airport development, which will cost Rs 2,000 crore.

The government expects the entire project to cost Rs 15,000 crore to Rs 20,000 crore.

The metro service in Noida is also likely to be extended up to Jewar in order to improve connectivity to the airport.

The state government, which has been pushing for this project, has also been told by the Centre to improve road conditions and provide multi-modal transport facilities, said Secretary, Ministry of Civil Aviation, R N Choubey.

The announcement of a second airport in the national capital region comes at a time when the Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi grapples with an ever- increasing number of passengers.

The IGI Airport currently handles nearly 62 million passengers every year. As per its updated master plan, the passenger handling capacity will be increased to 109.33 million passengers per year in a phased manner.

However, the airport is likely to reach that figure in the next seven years, necessitating a second airport in the vicinity of the national capital, according to the government.

"Within seven years Delhi airport will see 109 million trips a year, which will saturate its capacity. For the sake of NCR and NCR's connectivity having a second airport is vitally important and that is what Noida international airport will accomplish," Minister of State for Civil Aviation Jayant Sinha said.

Senior minister Raju said that the government will honour the Operation Management and Development Agreement (OMDA) with GMR, which operates the Delhi Airport jointly with the Airports Authority of India (AAI) for Delhi airport. As per this agreement GMR will have the first right of refusal in case an airport is built within 150 kilometres of the existing one.

The capacity to handle 30-50 million passengers per year will put the Jewar airport on par with the Mumbai airport, which sees 45 million passengers per year.

Sinha added that the new airport will also provide seamless domestic and international connectivity to western UP with Noida, Agra, Mathura, Meerut, Vrindavan, Meerut, Moradabad and Bulandshahr likely to serve as the the catchment area for the new aerodrome.

"Noida International Airport will become like an aerotropolis with an airport at the centre and a whole host of economic activities around it," said Sinha.

The first phase will be a reality in five to six years, which includes procurement of land, bidding it out for construction and then providing connectivity, Civil Aviation Secretary Choubey said.

He added that the representatives of the Uttar Pradesh government have assured the Centre that farmers are willing to provide the land for airport development on negotiated settlement basis.

In Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh Civil Aviation Minister Nand Gopal Nandi and health minister Siddhartnath Singh told newspersons that the upcoming airport is expected to enable Noida to become a major global electronics manufacturing cluster, with significant investments in the sector already coming in from major global players like Samsung.

Tourism to destinations such as Mathura, Vrindavan and Agra will also see a major boost, they said, adding that it is also likely to serve as major logistics hub for various manufacturing and export centers in the western part of the state.
| BY Lynchy |

M&C Saatchi CEO, David Kershaw today announced that after nine years, Australias Tom Dery will be stepping down as Worldwide Chairman of M&C Saatchi Network. Dery will remain as Chairman of M&C Saatchi Australia and continue working out of the M&C Saatchi Sydney office.

Dery (far left, with Lord Maurice Saatchi) has been instrumental in growing M&C Saatchi into a powerhouse global network, founding the Australian, Asian and West Coast US businesses.

Says Lord Maurice Saatchi, M&C Saatchi co-founder: Tom Dery is a legend in advertising and deservedly so. He is the creator of many highly successful and respected companies in our network. We are proud and privileged to have shared in his historic personal achievements.

Says Dery: Im delighted to be continuing to work with the Australian business and doing everything I can to assist Jaimes Leggett and his management team. The past nine years as Worldwide Chairman and thirteen years as Chairman of Asia Pacific have allowed me to establish and nurture some very dear relationships with our clients and people.

Throughout his duration as Worldwide Chairman, Dery has pursued his passion for bringing business and not-for-profit causes together. He played an integral role in launching the ground-breaking campaign for ACRF on World Cancer Day and most recently spearheaded the global launch of AIME Mentoring.

Derys career has been divided between client and agency sides. His client experiences were with Qantas Airlines and Ansett (general manager, commercial). On the agency side he was a partner of The Campaign Palace, chairman and co-founder of Whybin Dery Barnes (precursor to TBWA in Australia), managing director of DDB Melbourne and as of May 1995, executive chairman of M&C Saatchi Asia Pacific.
| BY Ricki Green |

Bed Brideson, Advisor, Speaker and Author, is sitting on the Cannes Glass Lions jury. Brideson is writing exclusively for Campaign Brief.

The default settings in advertising can change the world.

Before I leave, my favourite piece of work entered into the Glass Awards proving that understanding and gender in marketing is a potent lens and not just about femvertising and girly-stuff.

Tecate beer from Mexico (a Heineken brand) made the bold decision to alienate some of its audience for a noble reason.

2 out of 3 women in Mexico have experienced some kind of gender violence. To be precise these are some of the facts from the case study (read them if you can bear to):

 Every 6 hours a woman is murdered in Mexico.

 50.9% suffer from psychological violence, 32.6% from physical violence and 12.3 suffer from sexual abuse.

 More than 365 thousand women suffered violence in 2015. At least 65 thousand had to be hospitalized because of their injuries.

This leading beer brand that has had a history of typically sexualizing women, made a decisive plan to help bring about education and create transformation by drawing attention to the problem.

At a point in the TVC we hear the line we dont want you, we hope you hate it proving that a brand can take a stand and change its spots  literally. The execution explains that men are not defined by strength, sexuality or toughness and that a man is defined by how he treats a woman  that those who disrespect women do not deserve a Tecate beer.

Tecate not only created a piece that tackles the issues of masculinity head on they walked the walk using an ad spend that could have gone into the Super Bowl and instead reinvested it to support an NGO charity for women and build shelters and programmes for womens empowerment.

Impactful? Hell yes. +27M views in the first 48hrs, 150 media articles in digital, print and radio from national and international sources reaching 65 countries. 8 out of 10 comments were positive. +11M impressions socially, in Facebook 22.9M, 8th video with more organic views in the history of Mexico and in Twitter it was the campaign that achieved the greatest number of interactions and responses in 2016.

In an earlier diary entry I reported that sadly the Glass case studies showed the oppressed majority. The jury saw countless brands and organisations tackling violence against women  FGM, rape, abuse and domestic violence  it was confronting to see how much some women can struggle to just stand up, let alone Lean In.

Before I go

An anonymous comment underneath my last post stated that I somehow did not deserve my seat at the Glass Lions jury table because I was expressing an opinion about how attitudes to gender, unconscious and confirmation biases play out and that the industry needs a system update.

Its an attitude I have faced many a time for raising the benefits of reviewing the progress were making. For the record and to address the anonymous comment head-on, I have not ever said nor screamed, its not fair, I am a woman nor gone on a witch-hunt nor vilified or burnt books. The attitude that women are whinging is why I am helping bring The 3% Conference to Australia this August.

I may have detractors whose reach and influence is louder and more dominating than my own, but this makes me even more committed to educate and to #changetheratio

We all have a choice  some ignore gender altogether, others say that gender is a womans problem  and some look at gender and realise the opportunity created when you get granular with its benefits. By drawing attention to the inconvenient truths and by working together  both men and women side by side  well all get to a better place, eventually.

I do have a different but no less valid perspective from some of the decision-makers in the industry. I applaud Cannes Lions for introducing more women to the juries this year. Anecdotes from other jury members expressed what a positive move this had been and the wonderful male on the Glass Panel felt it was eye-opening in all the right ways.

This was a week that grew my skills and developed my knowledge exponentially. I have been privileged to understand all of the diverse opinions around my table.

Bon Voyage from Cannes  I miss my daughters and my husband  time to away.
| BY Ricki Green |

McCann New Yorks Fearless Girl for State Street Global Advisors has taken out the Titanium Grand Prix, presented tonight in Cannes.

The other Titanium winners were 180LA Santa Monica for Boost Mobile Boost Your Voice, Ogilvy New York for Amnesty Internationals The Refugee Nation and MJZ LA for Kenzo My Mutant Brain.

Incredibly, the TAC Meet Graham campaign via Clemenger BBDO Melbourne, the most awarded campaign in the world this year ~ including this week at Cannes ~ did not make the Titanium shortlist.
   -     :        ,        
| BY Ricki Green |

Andy Flemming, Group Creative Director, M&C Saatchi, Sydney is representing Australia on the Cannes Cyber Lions jury. Flemming, along with most of the other Australian and NZ jurors, writes exclusively for CB.

I spent my first four days in Cannes utterly convinced that I was immensely disliked by my fellow Cyber jurors. Id enter the jury room every morning to hear stories of bonding over wonderful meals, hearty laughter and lifelong friendships being forged. At night, Id sit alone, sadly trying to think of the exact moment I somehow alienated eighteen representatives of the world advertising community. A few days later I found out that they were all communicating on fucking WhatsApp. As I didnt have WhatsApp, or indeed remember being told to download the thing, as they gallivanted around town at night going to fabulous restaurants and bars I was playing Zelda. If its any consolation, Im quite far in now and have a pretty decent sword that glows blue. So, you know, fuck it.

As my fellow diarists have detailed the complicated judging process in forensic detail I wont bore you with another one. But if youre entering Cyber next year, here are a couple of quick tips. 1. Dont send in work thats not cyber at its very centre (or, quite frankly, shit.) 2. We know everyone massages their engagement figures, but for gods sake make it believable. To explain the vast numbers we saw, most of the developed world must have decided to stop working, eating, sleeping and making babies, choosing instead to watch and share online content. I know I didnt. In the last few months I reckon I engaged with about three pieces in Australia. The rest of it was fucking awful.

Theres been a big push for diversity this year. The juries are split equally (as they always should be), and were all on the lookout for work that objectifies either gender. To be absolutely honest, this has been one of the fairest, fun and most talented juries Ive ever had the pleasure to be on. Im also prepared to say on record that the female jurors kicked the living crap out of us with their lucid and perfectly constructed arguments. Colleen DeCourcy, our boss, is an absolutely remarkable woman and I found myself endlessly writing down practically everything she said so I could parrot it in meetings back home and sound great.

Its hot as hell in Cannes this year so I packed shorts. After wearing them just once, a delegate pointed to my ridiculously white legs and said I should go to the Shots party so I could become part of the light show. I smiled politely, deciding not to tell her that she was dragging a long line of toilet paper from one of her shoes. Thats Karma for you.

The Shots party is one of the high points of the Cannes week and everyone tries to get in. We watched a completely naked couple with all of their clothes balanced on their heads attempt to get in via the sea. The crowd cheered them on until they were pounced on by security. Everyone booed until Blurred Lines suddenly came on and everyone ran onto the dance floor to get nasty. I couldnt even get a canape so I left early. Most of the Cannes parties are all relatively similar. Thousands of gyrating ad folk, enormous queues for both beer and the toilets, loud Euro pop and the same line of tough looking security guards making sure nobody wades out into the sea to have a wee (or, indeed, attempt a sea born gatecrash.) But thats unless you get mysteriously invited to one of the secret ones. Parties held in huge chateaus miles out of town with open grounds and serious money thrown at them. I managed to blag an invite to one of them. Ed Sheeran played for about four hundred people followed by a long set by FatBoy Slim. I reminded FatBoy that his Dad is married to one of my oldest mates Mum so he dragged me onto the stage for a selfie behind the decks. If it wasnt for the photo Id still think it was a jetlag influenced hallucination.

Ive changed hotels. I was in an expensive, sexy one full of famous people and observant waiters until the second the judging finished then it becomes an agency cost, which means I was whisked off to a place with considerably less stars. The shower head broke the minute I touched it but its closer to the Palais, so at least I can walk there without looking like Ive just walked out of the sea. (Its really THAT hot.) As an added bonus, it doesnt have a balcony, so Im in no danger of getting locked out there. My horrifying and deeply embarrassing mistake is now one of the running jokes of the festival by the way. Everybody seems to have heard about it.

Of course, the elite are staying in the Carlton. Or, as its now been garishly rebranded SPOTIFY. Next door to the Carlton hotel is a casino. Its placement is ironic as youre far more likely to lose your money on the terrace. 9 Euros for a small bottle of Evian? 24 Euros for a Vodka Soda? Thats insane. It makes me wonder why they completely covered the hotel with Spotify branding. Its not like they need the fucking money. (Oh, and on that, if Cannes is supposed to be celebrating creativity, why are all the industry posters shit? They all use crappy puns or say things like turbocharge your business today! Snapchat have gone one further and have installed a gigantic yellow Ferris wheel in front of the Palais. There were very few people riding in there when I walked past, presumably as the windows dont open, itd be fiercely hot and feeling just like a rotary chicken isnt something people want to film for ten seconds and share on social.

Of course, on the other side of the Carlton and just up the road is the infamous Gutter Bar. Obi Wan Kenobi once described Mos Eisley Spaceport as a wretched hive of scum and villainy. He could have been describing the Gutter, which now has a huge fence around the perimeter and heavily armed police watching from across the road. Tired staff pour endless rounds of expensive beer into plastic cups for a seething mass of braying testosterone. The one time I tried to make my way through the place I saw an elderly couple with their dog walking past. They stopped and sadly watched as a large pool of (presumably) beer slowly ran down the pavement and directly across their path. Their little dog scampered through it leaving little beery footprints up the road. They must fucking hate this. Once a year theyre invaded by thousands of expensive shirts pouring into parties, trying to get laid and falling over. It probably explains why the French who live here absolutely ignore zebra crossings. Ive been nearly killed twice as they literally just accelerate through. (They also park where the hell they want. Its amazing. I got a $250 fine for dropping my kids off a month ago. Some dude parked his motorcycle ACROSS THE MAIN ROAD and nobody batted an eyelid. They just beeped a bit and went around him.)

So, is Cannes worth doing? Admittedly, it means nursing an almost constant hangover but you leave with much more than when you start. You chat to amazing people whove done amazing things. You see work from every corner of the planet. You understand WHY things win and why things dont. Its like a reboot for your advertising brain. More importantly, if youre lucky enough to judge, youll leave with friends for life. Incredible, creative individuals like Colleen DeCourcy, Benjamin Dessagne, Brett Colliver, Eric Weisberg, Gabriel Vazquez, Jordan Doucette, Juan Garcia-Escudero, Katrien Bottez, Lauren Connolly, Lisa De Bonis, Magnus Ivansson, Maja Folgero, Nathalie Peters, Niklas Lindstrom, Pablo Tajer, Pat Law, Ritu Sharda, Sergio Gordilho, Sotaro Yasumochi and Timm Weber. Guys, it was an absolute pleasure.
Clubs ACT is consulting clubs on a position paper that it will put to government, which suggests a cap on machine numbers in any one club of 280 - a move that would force the Tradies club in Dickson, with 347 machines, and the Labor Club in Belconnen, with 282, to cut numbers. Both are rival clubs who defected from Clubs ACT, and a 280-machine cap would avoid damaging any of the venues that belong to Clubs ACT - the Southern Cross Club in Woden is its biggest single venue, with 280 machines.
The ACT government might become the first state or territory to ban greyhound racing in Australia but it will actually do little to address the problems said to be plaguing the sport.
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.

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A street gang from the Houston area is being accused of stealing and selling 33 rental vehicles worth more than $1 million across five U.S. states.



According to a federal indictment unsealed in Nevada, the men have been accused of conspiracy, fraud and selling stolen goods across state lines. Prosecutors assert that they sold the vehicles for cash on CraigsList or OfferUp and boasted about their crimes on social media.

Eleven of the men were arrested, with seven detained in Houston, two in Atlanta and two already in the Harris County Jail on other charges, while five remain at large. According to a Chron report, the individuals are all aged between 18 and 28 and believed to be members or associates of the Yung Money/Yung Gunz Bloods street gang.

From July 2015 to April 2017, prosecutors say the gang used fake IDs to rent the vehicles and then swiftly sold them, often in other states. Among the vehicles stolen and sold included a Ford F-150, Chevrolet Tahoe, Dodge Charger and GMC Yukon XL. The indictment also says that fraudulent car titles, bills of sale and vehicle inspection reports were sold with the stolen vehicles.

PHOTO GALLERY
Volkswagen has agreed to buy back a number of its emissions-cheating diesel vehicles in two German cities.



Rulings by the regional courts of Arnsberg and Bayreuth backed the calls of plaintiffs for compensation and the German automaker decided to waive a potential appeal of the two separate rulings, Automotive News reports.

VWs decision not to appeal means these two Germany cities are the first locations in Europe where the carmaker will offer buybacks for the diesel vehicles it sold. Outside of North America, no other buy back scheme has been enforced.

Volkswagen says it decided to forego an appeal due to the low value of the vehicles in question and says this instance is an exception.

While in the United States VW violated the Clean Air Act, it asserts that it never broke the law in Europe, insisting that its software increased emissions only to protect the engine.

PHOTO GALLERY
Do you own a Chevy SS? Youre in rare company, because GM sold fewer than 11,000 of them in the United States in four years. And now the majority of them are being recalled.



The problem comes down to the electric power steering system. According to the recall notice published by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the connector between the power steering module and the torque sensor could become corroded, which may cause a loss of electric power steering assist.

Since that would make the rear-drive V8 muscle sedan that much more difficult to handle (especially at low speeds), GM is recalling 6,204 of them from the 2014, 2015, and 2016 model years. Though model years and calendar years dont match up, its worth noting that GM sold 8,387 such sedans in those three years. So were looking at the majority of those models out there. Dealer technicians will inspect the steering assembly and replace it if necessary.

GM started rebadging the Holden VF Commodore and bringing it Stateside as the Chevy SS late in 2013. With sales flagging and Holden ceasing production, the last model rolled off the assembly line in Australia a month ago, with no successor planned. Thatll leave the Dodge Charger once again as the only eight-cylinder domestic muscle sedan on the market (excluding luxury models from the likes of the Chrysler and Cadillac brands) as the Ford Fusion Sport and Taurus SHO stick with turbo sixes.

Photo Gallery
Photo: CTV Syrian President Bashar Assad

The Syrian government released Saturday hundreds of detainees including some who backed the insurgency against President Bashar Assad on the eve of a major Muslim holiday.

Hours after the release, a car bomb exploded in a rebel-held northern town near the border with Turkey killing and wounding dozens of people, according to the opposition Civil Defence in Idlib, also known as the White Helmets, and the Britain-based opposition monitoring group the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

The explosion at a market in Dana, killed at least 10 people, including children, and wounded 30, according to the Observatory. The blast came hours after an explosion in the town killed two people and wounded others.

Explosions in rebel-held parts of northern Syria are not uncommon and similar blasts have killed scores over the past months.

Justice Minister Hisham al-Shaar told reporters that the 672 people released on Saturday included 91 women. He said of those released, 588 were freed in the capital Damascus, Assad's seat of power.

Al-Shaar added that the release came in a bid to "sustain national reconciliations efforts and the homeland's unity."

The release comes on the eve of Eid el-Fitr, the feast that marks the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. Syrian authorities usually release detainees on major holidays.

Tens of thousands of people have been detained since Syria's crisis began in March 2011. The conflict has killed some 400,000 people and displaced half the country's population.

Syrian government forces have been gaining ground around the country under the cover of Russian airstrikes and now control the five largest cities. The push has led to so-called reconciliations in areas around Syria in which opposition fighters either surrendered in exchange for amnesty or moved to rebel-held areas in northern Syria.
Photo: Contributed Mobster Al Capone

Artifacts connected to some of the nation's most notorious gangsters have sold for more than $100,000 at an auction house.

The Boston-based RR Auction says a diamond pocket watch that belonged to Al Capone fetched the most $84,375 at the auction Saturday in Cambridge, Massachusetts. A handwritten musical composition by Capone went for $18,750.

The musical piece, "Humoresque," shows Capone's softer side. Written when Capone was in Alcatraz in the 1930s, it contains the lines: "You thrill and fill this heart of mine, with gladness like a soothing symphony, over the air, you gently float, and in my soul, you strike a note."

An autographed "So Long" letter from Bonnie and Clyde sold for $16,250. Bonnie Parker's three-headed snake ring fetched $25,000.

A letter written by John Gotti didn't sell.
Photo: Contributed

Being mayor is a ruff job but somebody has to do it.

According to WDRB-TV , a small Kentucky town has, for the fourth time, elected a dog to be its mayor. Jordie Bamforth says her 3-year-old pit bull Brynneth Pawltro beat out a cat, a chicken and a donkey, among others, to become the next mayor of Rabbit Hash, 78 miles (125 kilometres) north of Lexington.

Bobbi Kayser, who works with the town's Historical Society, says the election started in the late 1990s as a fundraiser.

"We charge you a dollar for your vote, you vote as often as you want."

The election money usually goes toward town improvements but this year it will be used to help repair the town's General Store which was destroyed in an electrical fire.
Photo: CTV Vancouver New glasses

Two organizations teamed up Saturday to give free prescription glasses to those who need them in the Downtown Eastside.

The Union Gospel Mission and Clearly worked together to bring clearer vision to those who otherwise couldn't pay for glasses themselves.

John Fleck has been living with broken lenses since last week. Fleck is on a disability pension that gives him a little over $500 a week for support. Buying new glasses would have cost him $800making them a purchase that was out of the question.

"I couldn't tell the colour of your eyes from here, that's how blind I am," he told CTV News. "So without these I couldn't get around."

Jeremy Hunka, an advocate for homeless people with UGM, explained that not being able to afford glasses can be an incredibly tough barrier for people with vision issues.

"In the Downtown Eastside there are a lot of people who don't have the opportunity to see. They can't afford glasses," he said. "That affects every area of your life."

John Lucas concurred, saying the free glasses were a "god send."

"I knew my vision was getting bad, so I came down to get them because I couldn't afford to buy them," he said.

Even parents feeling the financial strain of caring for a child through a medical condition were grateful for the gifted glasses.

Two-and-a-half year old Scarlett had eye surgery last month, and needs to wear glasses in order to correct her vision.

"We've gone through three pairs of glasses in the last month. She lost a pair and broke a pair and this is her third pair," her mother Jodarna Meade said. "It adds up when I'm currently on maternity leave so the money isn't flowing at the moment."

The family probably could've covered the cost, but it would have been tough to afford.

This is the fourth year that UGM has hosted its annual Summer Connect event to help bring services to DTES residents.

-With files from CTV Vancouver
Photo: Contributed

A Pakistani official says more than 100 people have been killed after an oil tanker overturned and burst into flames.

The tanker flipped over Sunday and the fire from the oil spill engulfed scores of residents who had rushed to collect leaking fuel.

Another 50 people have been seriously injured.

Dr. Rizwan Naseer, director of Punjab provincial rescue services, says rescuers are collecting the badly burned bodies, many beyond recognition.

He says the death toll is likely to rise.
Photo: The Canadian Press Lorna Bird says she was forced to buy street drugs when her doctor cut off her prescription.

Desperate for relief from unbearable pain following knee surgery, Lorna Bird says she was forced to buy drugs from the Downtown Eastside streets of Vancouver when her doctor stopped prescribing an opioid in response to new standards aimed at preventing fatal overdoses.

"I started with heroin because I couldn't stand the pain," Bird said, recalling her fears about dying from fentanyl-laced street drugs because "everybody was croaking" and she didn't want her grandchildren dealing with that outcome.

Bird, 60, said the prescription opioid hydromorphone, which is five times more potent than morphine, numbed the pain after her surgery in December 2014 but her doctor tapered off the dosage before stopping it despite her continuing pain.

Experts say Bird is among thousands of Canadians facing the predicament of getting pain-numbing street drugs after being weaned or taken off opioids to which they've become addicted.

Bird said concerns about contaminated heroin had her spending $100 a day on cocaine instead, but she tries not to use it alone because she worries about overdosing if the powerful painkiller fentanyl has been added to anything she buys on a street corner.

Benedikt Fischer, a senior scientist at the Toronto-based Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, said between 500,000 and one million Canadians are addicted to opioids because doctors have overprescribed the narcotics for years.

"The new guidelines are basically an attempt to turn around a huge freighter ship that's moving in one direction, and now we're doing a 180-degree turn," Fischer said, adding a "catastrophic" number of deaths could result if more patients resort to taking street drugs.
How Putin Is Singing Along With the Trump White House



Whether or not Donald Trumps campaign colluded in any way with the Kremlin to interfere in the 2016 presidential election remains an open question. Yet the Trump White House and the Kremlin do at times seem to share an approach to spreading misinformation and undermining confidence in news reports.



...As Trump and his associates have run with false stories stemming from Russian media outlets, Putins government appears to have taken pains to echo messaging coming from the White Houseperhaps in an attempt to play to the upheaval over the Russia scandal and sow further doubts and division among the American public. Here are some prime examples:



Repeated assertions about a witch hunt: Trump has repeatedly taken to Twitter to call the investigation into Russian election interference a witch hunt, including again in recent days: I am being investigated for firing the FBI Director by the man who told me to fire the FBI Director! Witch Hunt, he wrote on June 16. This has been a go-to phrase for Kremlin officials as well.... In January, when top US intelligence officials concurred on Russian interference in the election, Trump told the New York Times that the focus on Russia was a political witch hunt. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov responded to the report: It truly is reminiscent of a witch hunt.



Talk of private-citizen hackers: Putin at first repeatedly insisted that Russia did not interfere in the US election, but more recently he changed his message conspicuously, acknowledging that the hacking may have been executed by patriotically minded Russians. ...Trumps earlier [said] that the attacks on the Democratic National Committee could have been carried out by somebody sitting on their bed that weighs 400 pounds.



Attempts to discredit election interference: At a press conference this spring, Putin dismissed allegations that Russia interfered in US elections as rumors used in an American domestic political battle. And on NBC, when Kelly pointed out that US intelligence agencies had concluded that Russia was behind the election hacks, Putin said they were misled. Trump has repeatedly discounted intelligence agencies findings on Russian interference, blaming the Democrats for spreading the story because they are sore losers.



A notable change on climate change: Putin has even changed his tune on climate changealigning himself more closely with Trump (who has himself changed positions over the years). In 2015, Putin told a Paris audience that climate change has become one of the most serious challenges facing humanity. But this springsoon after the White House announced that Trump was considering pulling the United States out of the Paris climate accordPutin told a Russian audience:, The warming had already started by the 1930s. Thats when there were no such anthropological factors, such emissions, and the warming had already started. On June 1, Trump announced he would withdraw from the agreement. Putins response to Trumps move: Dont worry, be happy.



Hammering away at fake news: Since being sworn in as president, Trump has lashed out at the media scores of times, emphasizing recently, Fake News is at an all time high! In May, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova picked up on the theme, calling news that Trump had shared classified information with Russians in the Oval Office the latest fake. ...In Putins one-on-one with NBCs Kelly, he scoffed at American media coverage of contact between Trump associates and Russian officials, claiming that the reported meetings never happened: You people are so creative, Putin said.

Two-part harmony....You people....
NEW DELHI  They were going to be India's gilded generation.

When P.R. Sujoy became a software engineer, he thought his life was made. It was a job his father, a former government employee who prized stability above all, could brag about to nosy relatives. It came with a highflying salary, enough for a mortgage and to start a family. So when his company suddenly asked him to resign, Sujoy refused.

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"I'm an IT guy. That's all I do," he said.

Eventually he was fired, and Sujoy became one more worker in India's IT sector facing an uncertain future.

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Information technology services account for 9.5 percent of the country's gross domestic product, according to India Brand Equity Foundation (IBEF), but now, after decades of boom, the future of the industry seems precarious. Since May, workers' groups have reported unusually high layoffs. The Forum for IT Employees (FITE) estimates that 60,000 workers have lost their jobs in the past few months.

"Employees are being rated as poor performers so companies can get rid of them," said FITE's Chennai coordinator, Vinod A.J.

IT companies and some government officials say the numbers have been exaggerated, but industry experts say the country's digital wunderkinds have much to fear.

"For the first time, companies are touching middle management," said Kris Lakshmikanth, who is chief of a recruitment firm called Head Hunters India. "Usually in IT, people grow with the industry. Every two or three years, salaries increase, and everyone gets promotions; that's the norm. In more than 20 years, I have not seen managers being sacked. Now it is happening everywhere  Pune, Bangalore, Hyderabad."

Everywhere, software engineers find they are closed out of industries they once helped build.

And bias against Indians abroad compounds workers' fears of layoffs and downsizing at home.

President Donald Trump has stoked anxiety among Indian techies, who make up the majority of applicants for the H-1B visa program for highly skilled foreign workers. Trump has talked about sharply restricting H-1Bs, and this year, for the first time, the number of applications dropped a staggering 16 percent as companies prepared for Trump's immigration cutbacks. Instead, Indian outsourcing companies such as Infosys started recruiting Americans, bowing to Trump's calls for "America First."

For years, India has been the world's back office. Its booming IT industry has taken care of Silicon Valley's menial jobs. According to IBEF, 67 percent of the world's IT work is outsourced to India. Here, workers are fast, cheap and compliant. They code basic apps, do maintenance work on office software and test websites to make sure every click takes users to the corresponding page. In exchange they get stable salaries, enough to rise up the social ladder.

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Over the past three decades, cities have swelled to accommodate this newly minted middle class. Residential towers and industrial parks have risen for India's 3.9 million IT workers; bars and restaurants have multiplied for grab-and-go customers. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has seized upon the success of the IT sector, calling for an Internet connection in every village as part of an $18 billion "Digital India" plan.

Vinod said companies are masking layoffs as voluntary resignations based on poor performance ratings. "They put pressure on employees every day, saying resign  or we will terminate you," he said. "It allows the company to downsize without giving the proper compensation."

A former employee at Cognizant, Uthamacholan R., said he was asked to resign after he received a low performance rating from someone who had never worked with him. "I was rated by my manager's manager, who didn't even know what my job title was," he said.

Others at his company had also been rated unfairly and then pressured to hand in resignations based on poor appraisals, he said. "They are given quotas, like out of 10 people, you have to give two poor ratings."

Cognizant did not reply to The Washington Post's requests for comment.

In an email, an Infosys spokeswoman said there had been no layoffs, only "performance related separations."

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Industry leaders dismissed reports of layoffs, saying the media had exaggerated a few isolated cases. Sangeeta Gupta, a spokeswoman at the National Association of Software and Services Companies, an industry trade organization, said that performance appraisals are a yearly exercise, designed to keep the workforce trim. This, she said, was crucial in an industry where rapid technological advancement quickly makes many jobs and skill sets obsolete.

Automation and artificial intelligence can do repetitive tasks faster than humans, and the lowest rung of IT professionals is the most vulnerable.

"Companies make every effort to re-skill employees who do not perform well, and if they cannot meet expectations, then they are asked to resign," she said.

But talk of forced resignations and mass layoffs, she said, was "not even remotely close" to the truth. "If you're a publicly listed company, there's no way you can lie about shedding employees and get away with it," she said.

Amid the rumpus over jobs, Ravi Shankar Prasad, minister of electronics and information technology met with industry leaders June 18. At a news conference afterward, he said that companies were not laying off staff. In fact, he said, many firms are hiring.

The Modi government scaled back plans to train 500 million workers in a variety of industries by 2022 as part of its "Skill India" program, after training targets were missed. IT Ministry spokesman Narendra Nath Kaul said that the government was working to create new digital jobs but that individuals are responsible for adopting new skills as technology evolves.

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"What do they think? That they'll be kept on?" he said of IT workers who had lost their jobs. "Because of their attitudes they are considered irrelevant by the industry."

Sujoy and others are looking for new jobs, but are shocked by the new uncertainty.

"There should be some protection for us," he said. "I could get another job now, and they could fire me just as easily."
"Johnny Johnson" was Kurt Weill's first work for the American theater, written for New York's Group Theatre in 1936, only three years after the German-Jewish composer managed to escape Nazi Germany and find refuge in the U.S.

This "play with songs," with book and lyrics by Paul Green, was not a success on Broadway, running for only 68 performances. Weill of all people should have known that it was the wrong time for an antiwar musical, and it's anybody's guess why he embraced the pacifist theme, given his enthusiastic support of the American war effort during the Second World War.

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Save for student performances, recent years have brought few revivals of "Johnny Johnson," and Chicago had to go without a fully professional production until Saturday night, when Chicago Folks Operetta unveiled its most complex and ambitious project to date  the show's Midwest premiere  at Stage 773 on West Belmont Avenue.

"Johnny Johnson" marks a welcome departure for a company that up till now has confined itself to frothy European operettas of the interwar period. This is a major music theater event for Chicago, rescuing an essential piece of American musical theater and doing so in a manner faithful to Weill and Green's original intentions. The show is realized with crisp theatrical flair by an attractive ensemble of singing actors.

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If Green's satirical fable, about an American innocent who joins the U.S. Army in 1917 because he believes Woodrow Wilson's pledge that the Great War will bring a permanent peace, feels rather dated, let's remember that plenty of weak librettos have been redeemed by great music  and there's plenty of vintage Weill here to stick in your mind well after you've left the theater.

The musical play  really a kind of vaudeville-style revue  follows the misadventures of Johnny, a small-town innocent who believes in America's mission as a world leader of peace and democracy. Sent to the trenches of France, he is tossed into a violent world he cannot understand. He befriends a young German sniper he has been sent to kill. After he tries to stop the war by administering laughing gas to officers of the Allied high command, he is arrested and sent to a sanatorium. Released into a world gearing up for another war, he sings a song of faith and hope for a better future for all mankind.

Director George Cederquist's fast-paced production, framed by a spare, split-level unit set by Eric Luchen, drives home the show's antiwar theme with chilling topicality in an era of endless conflict in the Middle East and renewed questions of American isolationism on the world stage. To that end, Folks Operetta is mounting "Johnny Johnson" to commemorate the 100th anniversary of America's entry into "the war to end all wars."

This is as musically complete a "Johnny Johnson" as anyone is likely to hear today, including numbers cut from the original production and virtually all of Green's original text, minus some excess verbiage trimmed by artistic director Gerald Frantzen to streamline the show to a running time of 2 hours, including intermission.

Weill's richly diverse score will be an ear-opener for many listeners. This satirical revue finds him unpacking his European baggage, instantly assimilating popular Americana and filtering it through his distinctive musical voice: tough-minded on the surface, tenderhearted beneath. Tunes out of his Berlin plays rub elbows with pastiche country-western, patriotic ballads and parlor songs, American swing, the Charleston and a tango. There also are pages of surreal theatrical power, such as the Statue of Liberty's song to the soldiers as they depart for war, a mordant lullaby sung by cannons to the sleeping doughboys and an episode in which an American and a German chaplain simultaneously recite the same prayer in their own languages: quintessential Kurt Weill.

Folks Operetta is basing its production on the edition prepared by Weill scholar Timothy Carter, which derives from the version used by the Federal Theatre Project in Los Angeles in 1937 that's said to be most faithful to Weill and Green's intentions. The original orchestrations are preserved, save for the substitution of glockenspiel for vibes and the replacement of Hammond organ with electronic keyboard. Some text has been rearranged and several cuts are made, most notably in the asylum scene.

Entrusted to a 15-piece offstage band of brass, reeds, percussion, guitar, banjo, two violins and cello, the music perks along crisply under conductor Anthony Barrese's direction, although recurrent trumpet cracks and other ill-tuned, scrappy moments suggest further rehearsals were in order.

"Johnny Johnson" was designed for accomplished singing actors (the original cast included Lee J. Cobb, Elia Kazan and the young John Garfield) who can put the long stretches of spoken dialogue across intelligibly. Clear diction is something not every performer in the Chicago troupe's hard-working ensemble of 15 (more than half of them are doubly, triply and even quadruply cast) is able to bring off successfully despite the intimate playing space. Barrese would be well-advised to keep the orchestral volume down even more.

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Gabriel di Gennaro makes a most engaging Johnny. He delivers the long stretches of spoken dialogue in his largely spoken role with assurance and nimble body language. He also conveys the gum-chewing hero's naive trust in the goodness of humankind in a way that doesn't abuse our sympathy. When Johnny, who has every right to be bitterly disillusioned at the end, bursts into his big final song, we get the irony and we are with him all the same.

Other standouts amid the large cast include Maxwell Seifert, doubling as the Lothario-like Capt. Valentine and loony psychiatrist Dr. Mahodan; Kaitlin Galetti as Johnny's hard-hearted sweetheart Minny Belle; Robert Morrissey as the pompous Mayor and various military men; Gerald Frantzen as the West Point Lieutenant and other roles; Teaira Burge as the seductive French Nurse; and Joseph Frantzen as the scared young German soldier Johann.

But all of them, along with the creative team, make this show one of the summer's can't-miss theater events. I hope its success will prompt Folks Operetta to delve into other neglected corners of vintage American musical theater, also more "forgotten" Weill that Chicago has yet to hear.

Folks Operetta performers also will present a multimedia concert, "Operetta and the Great War," at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday at Stage 773. Gerald Frantzen directs, with pianist Anatolyi Torchinskyi as accompanist; tickets are $30.

3 stars

Chicago Folks Operetta's production of Kurt Weill's "Johnny Johnson" continues through July 9 at Stage 773, 1225 W. Belmont Ave.; $40, $35 for seniors, $30 for students, $20 for children; 773-327-5252, www.chicagofolksoperetta.org.

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John von Rhein is a Tribune critic.

jvonrhein@chicagotribune.com

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I'm not a technophobe, but electric bikes used to make me nervous.

I tried one last year and it accelerated so fast that I felt like Wile E. Coyote, about to be dumped in the dust by an Acme rocket blaster.

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I wondered why you would want an electric bike. Don't you want the exercise? And why would you need it in the Midwest flatlands?

Vendors were in Lincolnwood this past weekend for the first ever Midwest electric or "e-bike" expo and were eager to answer all these questions. E-bike advocates said that pedal-assist-style battery-powered bikes still provide exercise but let riders try longer commutes than they might attempt with a regular bike. E-bikes also can open up biking to people who are older or have health problems that discourage them from biking.

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And while Chicago does not have the hills that have made e-bikes increasingly popular in San Francisco, it does have some discouraging winds. An e-bike can make the trip smoother, less sweaty and more fun, said Jonathan Weinert, sales and marketing manager for Bosch eBike Systems, which makes the motors, batteries and onboard computers for e-bikes sold by such companies as Cannondale and Trek.

Weinert said the pedal-assist e-bike, which has a compact motor between the pedals and no throttle, is gaining popularity in Europe and on the U.S. coasts, though the Midwest market is "immature."

"It feels like a bicycle, and that's what people like," Weinert said.

I tried a couple of pedal-assist e-bikes along the lakefront on a hot afternoon last week, expecting to scorn such modern decadence. But unlike the speedy version I tried last year, these bikes felt like normal bikes  you pedal along but, when you have to go up hill or get hit by a stiff breeze, you can adjust the setting to give yourself a motorized tailwind. Going uphill was suddenly as easy as going downhill. Though it was 90 degrees, I barely broke a sweat.

I felt guilty, but it was fun.

The onboard computers show how long you've traveled, how fast you are going and how much mileage you have left on the battery. The more boost you give yourself, the more charge is used. The battery can be recharged at home.

These bikes are not cheap  the models I saw ranged from $2,400 to $4,000. But they have become hugely popular in Europe, where bikes are valued for commuting as much as for fun and exercise. In the Netherlands, one-third of bikes sold are electric bikes; in Germany it's one in four, compared with one in 100 in the U.S., Weinert said.

Users seem to get their money's worth  a 2014 survey by a Portland State University researcher found that e-bike owners ride more often.

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Laws for e-bikes in the U.S. vary and can be confusing, with some states regulating all types as motor vehicles and banning them from bike paths. PeopleForBikes, an advocacy group, is pushing for clearer laws that distinguish between low-speed, pedal-assist models  which act like regular bicycles  and faster models.

In Illinois, low-speed, pedal-assist e-bikes with a maximum speed of 20 mph are treated like regular bikes. A change in the law currently awaiting the governor's signature provides additional rules, including that higher-speed bikes are restricted to operators 16 or older.

Kyle Whitehead, government relations director for the Chicago-based Active Transportation Alliance, said e-bikes have the potential to bring biking to more people and make it more feasible for long trips. But the alliance wants to make sure they're used in appropriate areas  for example, a bike that can go 28 mph may not be right for the lakefront.

"It's certainly an evolving conversation," Whitehead said.

CTA, Metra gets high marks from riders

You wouldn't know it from my email box but most CTA and Metra riders are happy with the systems, according to new surveys.

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A Metra survey of 9,711 customers to be released Monday found that 83 percent are satisfied with the commuter rail agency overall, and nearly 90 percent are likely to recommend it to others.

The satisfaction score is eight points higher than Metra got in its 2014 survey. Metra also found that 95 percent of respondents like the ease of ticket purchasing  a jump of 25 percent from two years ago.

Metra attributed the jump to the introduction of the Ventra App and mobile ticketing. Metra also has upgraded its website, added charging stations on railcars and has met or exceeded on-time performance goals for over two years.

The CTA survey, released late last week, found that 85 percent of customers were satisfied with the service and 91 percent would recommend it.

The satisfaction rating is the CTA's highest since 2011 and up from 77 percent in the 2014 survey, according to the CTA.

The agency attributes the uptick to system upgrades  the CTA has begun, completed or announced more than $8 billion in improvements since 2011.

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Waiting on VW money

Illinois, a state notorious for financial problems, is due to get some non-taxpayer money  $108.7 million from a national settlement with carmaker Volkwagen over the German automaker's emissions scandal.

But Illinois is behind other states in soliciting public input on how to spend the money, which is supposed to go to clean air projects. And some environmental groups are worried that Illinois is taking too long to find out what people want and come up with a plan.

"I think this should be started as soon as possible," said Jen Walling, executive director of the Illinois Environmental Council. "I think the sooner the better, the more people who get to participate the better."

Midwestern states ahead of Illinois include Minnesota, Michigan, Ohio and Iowa. Minnesota, for example, has already hosted three public input sessions and is accepting comments through Friday.

"Those states are ready to take advantage of the funds as soon as they become available," said Susan Mudd, senior policy advocate with the Environmental Law and Policy Center. She said Illinois does not risk losing the money but does risk causing delays.

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Illinois EPA officials responded that they are waiting to be named as the legal beneficiary for the money by the trustee before having public hearings. Being named legal beneficiary will happen after the trustee names an "effective trust date," which is the day when the process to qualify for funding gets going and deadlines kick in for states to submit plans.

"Illinois EPA will be seeking public input before completing our mitigation plan, but we have not decided on the method(s)," said IEPA Associate Director Heather Nifong in an email.

Asked why Illinois has chosen to wait on getting public input while other states have gone ahead, Nifong said in an interview, "Every state should choose their own path forward."

The money is due to come from a multibillion-dollar settlement with Volkswagen. The automaker admitted in 2015 that it had installed secret software that allowed U.S. vehicles to emit up to 40 times the legally allowable level of pollution. VW agreed to more than $15 billion in settlements, and some of that money is going to states for clean-air programs.

Late last month, a coalition of environmental groups, including the Environmental Council, the Citizens Utility Board, the Natural Resources Defense Council and the Environmental Law and Policy Center, met with Illinois EPA Director Alec Messina to discuss the settlement and make suggestions on how the money should be used.

In a written statement, the groups recommended using 15 percent of the VW money, or about $16 million, to deploy light-duty plug-in electric vehicle charging stations. The rest of the money should be spent on zero-emission vehicles, such as electric school and transit buses, the statement said.

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Katie Miller, principal at Alexander Graham Bell Elementary School in the North Center neighborhood, is hoping for electric school buses.

"We have several children who suffer from asthma and other related respiratory illnesses," Miller said. She said the bus companies try to work with the school to limit bus idling, but "it's not a perfect system. ... An electric bus would really resolve a lot of these issues."

Nifong said Illinois is talking with stakeholders, such as environmental groups, on an informal, ongoing basis and continues to listen to people who are "eager to share their ideas on how the mitigation funds should be spent."

End is near at Western/Belmont

The repaving of Western Avenue after a long construction process at the Belmont/Western/Clybourn intersection is set to begin Monday.

The paving will take place at night for up to two weeks, during which time only one lane of Western will be open in each direction between Logan Boulevard and Waveland Avenue, according to the city's transportation department.

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The intersection was torn up when the Western/Belmont overpass was demolished in 2015.

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A veteran mail carrier was ordered held in custody on $100,000 bail Saturday after authorities said he ran a drug business out of his mail truck while working his route in the Near North neighborhood, authorities said.

Judge Peggy Chiampas ordered Christopher Baxter held on $100,000 bail Saturday at the Leighton Criminal Court Building. He is expected to return to court next week.

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Baxter, who lives in Indiana, according to his public defender, was charged with one felony count of manufacture/delivery of cannabis. Baxter said nothing during the hearing as his parents watched from the spectators' gallery.

U.S. Postal Service inspectors conducting surveillance witnessed Baxter, 36, make multiple hand-to-hand drug deals while on duty, according to Cook County Assistant State's Attorney John Chambers. The inspectors alerted Chicago police, who sent officers to interview Baxter in the first block of West Elm Street in the Near North neighborhood.

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Baxter admitted to officers, "I have a pound of weed," which authorities recovered inside his postal bag, as well as a digital scale, plastic bags and a heat sealer, Chambers said. The marijuana had an estimated street value of $2,721.

It was unclear what prompted postal authorities to begin their surveillance. A spokeswoman from the U.S. Postal Service did not immediately return calls for comment.

wlee@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @MidNoirCowboy
Kenya Washington, 28, is accused of running over and fatally injuring Naisha Weems, 27, about 5:05 p.m. in the 300 block of North Latrobe Avenue on May 17, 2017, following a fight. (Chicago Police Department)

A woman has been charged with murder in the death of a woman run over following a dispute in Chicago's South Austin neighborhood last month, according to authorities.

Kenya Washington, 28, of the 4600 block of South Ellis Avenue, was ordered held in lieu of $1 million bail in a hearing midday Sunday in Cook County bond court, according to court records. Washington is accused of fatally injuring Naisha Weems, 27, about 5:05 p.m. in the 300 block of North Latrobe Avenue on May 17. Washington also is charged with attempted murder in the injury of a 23-year-old man in the same incident, according to prosecutors.

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Washington had gotten into a dispute with someone, then got into a car and drove it into "multiple people'' and dragged Weems underneath the car, according to police.

The day Weems was killed, a fight between women escalated into a fight between two large groups of people, each group gathered at different ends of the 300 block of North Latrobe, Tandra Simonton, a spokeswoman for the Cook County state's attorney's office, said Monday. The groups yelled at each other and threw rocks and other things at each other. Washington was seen calling for other people to join the fight.

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At some point, Washington got into the driver's seat of a black Nissan parked near an alley that intersects with Latrobe  near the north end of the block at Lake Street  while two other people got into the passenger side, prosecutors said.

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Washington started driving south on Latrobe and swerved and hit the 23-year-old man, who had known Washington and Weems both for four years. The man flew in the air and landed several feet away.

Washington kept driving quickly south on Latrobe and hit Weems, who ended up under the car, prosecutors said. Washington reversed the car to try to dislodge Weems, with the friction of the car's movement pulling off her clothes before her body was freed from under the car.

Washington then drove off, according to police and prosecutors.

Several witnesses, including some who knew Washington, saw her getting into and driving the car, prosecutors said. Several bystanders caught the incident on cellphone video, and surveillance video from a nearby garage caught Washington driving the car and backing it up after Weems was run over.

Weems was taken to Loyola University Medical Center in Maywood, where she was pronounced dead. She lived about 2 miles away, in the 1700 block of North Laramie Avenue, according to the medical examiner.

A murder warrant for Washingon's arrest was issued June 8 by Cook County Judge Nicholas Ford, according to court records. Washington, who court records show previously has lived in the Austin neighborhood, was arrested Saturday about 1:25 a.m. in the first block of West Chestnut Street, according to police. Officers responded to a call of a person wanted, and when they checked her name, they found she was wanted in the warrant and she was arrested, police said.

On Friday, the medical examiner's office announced it had determined Weems had died of multiple blunt-force injuries due to a motor vehicle striking a pedestrian and ruled her death a homicide.
When something goes wrong, it is reasonable to ask who should be held accountable. It is important for people to accept responsibility for their actions and inactions. We only become grounded, mature adults through honest feedback and self-examination.

But often, when things go wrong, instead of pausing to look at ourselves, we look for who we can BLAME. Consciously or unconsciously, we would prefer to point a finger elsewhere. And we do this, not in order to offer constructive support or solutions; rather, we do this in anger and frustration, with fear running in the background all the time  fear of change, fear of the unknown, even fear of what we accurately anticipate.

This is a huge concern in our nation right now. Fingers are pointing in all directions from all political perspectives and no one is really listening to anyone with whom they might disagree. Accompanying this blaming is the widely perceived and generally accepted lack of civility  an indicator of tremendous disrespect that further fuels discord among us. And that lack of respect can give rise to scapegoating, in which innocent people or groups of people become the targets of fear and anger. This easily and too often leads to violence. We are seeing this again and again.

Scapegoating, as I use the term here, is mob mentality  angrily blaming others on a grand scale. It refuses any possibility of personal or collective responsibility for the tremendously complicated problems we face. After all, when GLBTQ people can be blamed for hurricanes and other natural disasters, we dont need to acknowledge that we build cities on flood plains and erect skyscrapers on earthquake faults.

Equally important, scapegoating refuses to acknowledge that life is filled with randomness  intersecting circumstances that we cannot control. Blaming someone  anyone but ourselves  seems to ease our fear. It allows us to feel, for just a moment, that SOMEONE is responsible. And, because it is not us, we are free from guilt.

What does BLAME look like? This can be countless people scapegoating immigrants for all of our nations woes, or it can be an individual passing the buck instead of taking personal responsibility in a given circumstance.

Recently, glued to my radio, I was able to blame NPR and John Comey, the former director of the FBI, for my failure to get my grocery shopping done! Its pretty easy to blame and so much harder to consider our own possible contributions to a problem when things goes wrong.

Much of Jesus teaching involves taking responsibility for ones own life while not making judgments about others. For instance, in the Gospels, Jesus tells one group of listeners to remove the log from their own eyes before noticing the sliver in someone elses. Another time, he tells an angry mob that the sinless person among them should throw the first stone in order to execute an adulterous woman. Soon, everyone puts down their stones and leaves.

Notice that Jesus is not silent in the face of what goes wrong. We, too, need to find ways to pay attention  respectfully and clearly challenging injustice and violence with our words and actions. Notice also that Jesus is not reacting to peoples destructive or harmful behavior by blaming them. He doesnt demonize people so they end up feeling ashamed and possibly more angry, fearful and defensive.

If Jesus were walking among us today, I think he might tell us to stop making excuses for ourselves. Period. Stop blaming others. Period. And then he would tell us to love each other fearlessly. Period.
Chicago police officers work at the scene of a crash that injured an officer and a civilian in the 6800 block of South State Street on June 25, 2017, in the Park Manor neighborhood. (Erin Hooley/Chicago Tribune) (Erin Hooley / Chicago Tribune/Chicago Tribune)

A Chicago police officer and a woman he was questioning were injured early Sunday when they were hit by a car that then took off in the Park Manor neighborhood, according to police and fire officials.

About 2:20 a.m., a 43-year-old officer was responding to a call of a domestic dispute in the 6800 block of South State Street. As the officer was interviewing a 24-year-old woman, a person driving a maroon-colored vehicle in the northbound lanes of State Street struck the officer and the woman, police said.

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"We got an officer down," an officer was heard shouting in a recording of police radio.

"We got an officer seriously injured," the officer later was heard saying.

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The officer and the woman were taken to Stroger Hospital. Both were admitted in serious-to-critical condition, according to Chicago Fire Department officials. Police described the injuries as not likely to be life-threatening.

Sunday morning, the officer was listed in serious condition, according to an officer in the Police Department's communications unit, who had not been updated on the woman's condition.

About 2:45 p.m. police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi posted an update on Twitter, writing that the "CPD officer was discharged from the hospital and will recover at home."

At a news conference Sunday afternoon, police Superintendent Eddie Johnson lamented the incident as yet another example of an officer hurt in the line of duty.

The officer, an 18-year veteran, suffered a fractured skull, a broken tibia, and scrapes during the hit-and-run crash, Guglielmi said.

"Both he and the young lady are very lucky," Guglielmi said.

The driver of the maroon car took off immediately after the crash, police said.

At some point in the hours afterward, a man turned up at a police station and was held in connection with the crash  exact details about whether he turned himself in weren't readily available, an officer said.

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Charges had not been filed as of 3 p.m. but were pending. The man is expected to be charged with aggravated DUI, Guglielmi said.

"We don't believe this was a nefarious incident where someone targeted police," he said. "We believe alcohol was a factor and this was just a drunk driver."

On scene, officers taped off the intersection of State Street and 68th Street, which borders the Dan Ryan Expressway. Pieces of what appeared to be a car could be seen on the ground. A police SUV, with its passenger side-view mirror dangling, could be seen in the crime scene.

A shirtless man, wearing only shorts, could be seen walking through the crime scene as he shouted into a cellphone. He later walked toward a third ambulance that had arrived at the scene.

Another man, who did not want to be identified, was driving home after a night out at an area bar.

As he was driving on the northbound lanes of State Street, he saw a burgundy-colored car in front of him.

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"I pull up and I see two people there, and then I realize, damn, he hit them," the man said. "I just figured he's driving, I'm driving, but when I see the people on the ground, he had to do it. Nobody else did that."

He stopped and got out of his car to check on the two people on the ground. By then, another officer at the scene was calling for help. He remembers hearing the woman moan something.

"Looks like, to me, they should be fine," he said. "I'm praying for both of them to be well. But I mean, that was messed up."

Though the motorist who hit the officer and the woman took off, the man said he was certain it wouldn't be long before the person was caught. He pointed out that there are several cameras in the area.

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"Police will get him," the man said. "He's caught."

He was right.

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The severity of the officer's injuries and the driver originally fleeing the scene set the crash apart from more common instances of traffic collisions involving police vehicles - including one about 24 hours later.

In the unrelated incident early Monday, a different police cruiser was struck shortly before 1 a.m. in the West Side neighborhood of Lawndale, police said.

The police vehicle was headed north on South Albany Avenue at the intersection with West Flournoy Street when a westbound 2003 BMV SUV ran a stop sign and hit the rear passenger side of the police vehicle, according to a media notification from police.

Two police officers suffered minor injuries and were treated and released from an area hospital, officials said.

The driver in that collision was cited for failing to stop at a stop sign and for driving without insurance, according to the notification.
A woman who first complained of being sick to get away from a man at a Chicago restaurant later made up another excuse to stop him from sexually assaulting her at his River Forest apartment last week, prosecutors said.

The woman's ordeal eventually ended early Thursday when a "good Samaritan" Uber driver came to the woman's rescue as she ran from her attacker, assistant Cook County state's attorney Ashley Behncke said in court on Saturday. Santos C. Berrones, 32, of River Forest, is charged with criminal sexual assault in the attack and was ordered held in lieu of $150,000 bail Saturday.

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Berrones chatted up the victim at a restaurant on Maxwell Street on the city's Near West Side after the woman had a meal with a friend, prosecutors said.

After that friend left, Berrones struck up a conversation with the woman and they had a friendly conversation and danced, with Berrones kissing the woman several times, according to assistant Cook County state's attorney Ashley Behncke.

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When the woman complained of feeling ill and said she was going home, Berrones agreed to take the woman home and was captured on surveillance video taking her hand and leading her to his vehicle, Behncke said.

But instead, Berrones took the victim to his apartment and the woman agreed to go inside to use the bathroom. After ordering an Uber in the bathroom, the victim went to the living room, where Berrones pushed her down into a salon-style chair and started to take her clothes off as she fought back.

Despite the victim yelling "no" and "stop," Berrones forcibly had sex with the woman, prosecutors said. The victim managed to get Berrones to stop, telling him she'd have sex if he put on a condom, Behncke said. When Berrones walked away, the victim fled the apartment and found the Uber driver, who was waiting for her outside.

The Uber driver saw Berrones grabbing at the fleeing woman, who told Berrones to leave her alone and called him a "pervert," Behncke said.

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Inside the car, the sobbing victim told the driver that Berrones assaulted her and the driver took the victim to the River Forest police station.

The Uber driver told police he saw a man trying to drag the woman back into a home in the 400 block of Franklin Avenue, police said. About 3:20 a.m. Thursday, police went to the home where the attack happened and saw an open front door. Officers saw Berrones and took him into custody without incident, police said.

Authorities are awaiting the results of a DNA test conducted on Berrones.

"We applaud the Uber driver for being a good Samaritan and a great witness during those early morning hours," River Forest Deputy Police Chief James O'Shea said in a news release.

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Pioneer Press reporter Steve Schering contributed.

sschering@pioneerlocal.com

Twitter @steveschering
Perhaps young Christian Brown should have asked what an "I-bond" was before he acted.

Brown, 23, of south suburban Lynwood, was up for a minor offense in the Leighton Criminal Court Building on Saturday afternoon before Judge Peggy Chiampas when she handed down an I-bond, or signature bond, by which the defendant isn't required to post cash for release, according to several people present during the hearing.

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Witnesses said Brown then spat at the veteran judge, striking one of her arms and her black robe. Some of those present for the incident wondered whether Brown knew that he would have been released without posting bond.

Before Brown was hustled out of the courtroom by deputies, Chiampas held him in direct contempt of court and ordered him held in Cook County Jail for 30 days. She initially ordered him held for 30 months but said she misspoke and corrected her previous order. Chiampas did note that she could have had Brown jailed for six months but opted not to.

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Despite the incident, the judge made light of the situation during the long, eventful court call but took off her robe and continued to preside over cases, saying the smell of Brown's saliva lingered on the robe.

Chiampas presided over numerous cases, including attacks on police officers and at least one incident in which a prisoner exposed himself to an assistant public defender.

Hearing a loud fracas in the courtroom's lockup, the judge asked: "Is it a full moon or something?"

wlee@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @MidNoirCowboy
SPRINGFIELD  After years of railing against Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner for making several "non-budget" items a prerequisite to a spending agreement, Democratic House Speaker Michael Madigan announced Sunday he's come up with his own demands if there's to be a deal.

The veteran speaker wants Rauner's signature on legislation to overhaul how the state doles out money to schools, a bill the governor has vowed to veto, saying it amounts to a bailout for Chicago Public Schools.

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Madigan also wants Rauner's approval of a bill to regulate rates set by workers' compensation insurance companies as well as increased oversight over the administration's effort to overhaul the state's Medicaid managed care program that provides health coverage for the poor.

Madigan ticked off his requirements following a closed-door meeting between the four Democratic and Republican legislative leaders but not the governor, a gathering billed as "progress" given they all have not been in a room together for several months. Rauner called lawmakers back to the Capitol for a 10-day special session after they left town without a budget agreement at the end of May.

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Their return has so far been largely unproductive, marked by partisan bickering instead of budget talks with Illinois on the path to enter a third straight year without a spending plan in place beginning July 1. Both sides said they hoped Sunday's gathering marked a turn of events, though a number of hurdles remain, chief among them a general lack of trust that's permeated state government in recent years.

Madigan emerged from the meeting and went on the attack, reiterating his "firm belief that Gov. Rauner has unjustifiably held hostage the budget making in order to achieve his extreme right agenda." But Madigan said he was willing to participate in some deal making, noting what he wants in exchange for items on the governor's wish list, including a property tax freeze.

"This is a governmental negotiation," Madigan said. "This is a situation where nobody gets 100 percent. I asked the Republican leaders 'Please go down to the governor and explain, in a governmental negotiation nobody gets 100 percent. Please do that.'"

Rauner's office declined to comment after the meeting, deferring to House Republican leader Jim Durkin of Western Springs. Durkin said Madigan's willingness to negotiate is "a little more movement than we have seen in the past."

"There's been a lot of complaints about the governor moving the goal posts, we just saw that today from the Democrats," Durkin said. "But we can walk and chew gum at the same time, we will work it out."

While Rauner supports large portions of the education funding proposal, his overall opposition centers on hundreds of millions of dollars that Democrats had insisted on providing for CPS. That includes $215 million for the district's teacher pension fund  CPS is the only district in the state that pays for its own teacher pension system  and $202 million in special grants that the district historically has received from the state. Republicans have pushed a competing plan that would reduce such support.

Madigan's call to regulate workers' compensation insurance rates comes as Rauner has sought standards to prove an injury happened on the job and tougher restrictions on how much a worker is paid for an injury. Democrats, who have said that would harm the middle class, contend the insurance industry hasn't passed along premium savings in the wake of changes made in 2011. They note companies are largely free to set their own rates. Insurance companies argue that limiting their ability to set rates would decrease competition and could drive up premiums.

Meanwhile, Madigan's call for increased oversight of Rauner's push to revamp the Medicaid managed care program comes amid criticism from Democrats who say the move limits the number of eligible insurers and would hurt safety net hospitals.

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It's unclear if Madigan's new focus on horse trading will result in a budget deal by month's end.

Durkin said Republicans would not participate in any more meetings until House Democrats unveiled their own budget proposal. Madigan said one would be "forthcoming very shortly." He is pushing for another leaders meeting Tuesday.

Senate Democrats approved a budget in Maythat raises an additional $5.4 billion by raising the personal income tax rate from 3.75 percent to 4.95 percent and the corporate income tax rate from 5.25 percent to 7 percent, extending the state's share of the 6.25 percent sales tax to services like tattooing and piercing, and imposing new taxes on satellite television and streaming services such as Netflix.

Rauner has said he would sign that proposal, but the income tax hike would have to be limited to four years starting in July and must be tied to a four-year property tax freeze. Madigan said his members are working on a budget plan that includes a property tax freeze, but would not say how long of a freeze is under consideration.

"We're open to that question, but only because the governor wants to impose that on people who rely on public schools to educate children," Madigan said. "It's part of the extreme right-wing agenda."

mcgarcia@chicagotribune.com

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A motorcade escorting Vice President Mike Pence crosses Michigan Avenue on June 24, 2017, in Chicago. Pence was in town to speak during the Republican National Committee summer retreat at the Four Seasons Hotel. (John J. Kim / Chicago Tribune)

Vice President Mike Pence stopped in Chicago on Saturday, rallying top Republican officials to support the party's health care plan amid deep concerns among some rank-and-file senators over a plan poised for a vote soon.

"This is our moment. Now is the time. Every moment Obamacare survives is another day America suffers," Pence posted on his personal Twitter account about his remarks to a gathering of the Republican National Committee at a downtown hotel.

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"Before summer's out, we'll repeal/replace Obamacare w(ith)/system based on personal responsibility, free market competition & state-based reform," the former Indiana governor tweeted. His posts often accompanied by photos of his appearance in a hotel ballroom.

Pence added, "That's the Republican way. That's the American way. And that's the way we're going to reform health care in the 21st Century."

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Pence's visit comes as Senate Republicans review a new health care plan and weigh the political benefits and liabilities of moving forward. The proposal differs in some aspects from a House measure approved earlier this year. It includes provisions that would affect those lower-income or disabled individuals who gained health coverage through an expansion of Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act, as well as premium spikes for older Americans not yet eligible for Medicare.

The issue is acute for many states that expanded healthcare eligibility under the joint federal-state Medicaid program. The Senate GOP plan would give states three years to adjust to a sizable loss of federal reimbursement for Medicaid expansion.

But some GOP senators representing states that rapidly expanded Medicaid health care coverage have said the time frame is too short to adjust budgets. Currently, the federal government pays 95 percent of the costs of the expanded enrollment. At least five Republican senators have said they can't vote for the latest version in its present form. Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell can't lose more than two and still pass the plan.

In Illinois, about 650,000 residents could lose Medicaid coverage under the Senate bill, and subsequent effects of state law, in 2021.

Some Republican governors who agreed to the Medicaid expansion have voiced concerns to the Senate and President Donald Trump's administration, such as Ohio Gov. John Kasich. In Illinois, which is undergoing a deep budget crisis, Gov. Bruce Rauner's administration has only said it has "concerns" as it reviews the plan, a response eliciting scorn from Democrats including prospective challengers next year.

The vice president also noted recent special election congressional victories by Republican candidates, including last week's victory by Karen Handel in suburban Atlanta over a strong challenge mounted by Democrat John Ossoff.

"I've got Georgia on my mind & it's driving nat'l media crazy," Pence tweeted. In a follow up post, he added, "The President promised we'd get tired of winning & a lot of people in the media are getting tired, but they better get used to it."

Pence left Chicago on Air Force Two in the afternoon to join Trump at the wedding of Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin. Illinois State Police said his motorcade may have caused a temporary traffic holdup but that the roads were clear as of 2:30 p.m.

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Chicago Tribune's Marwa Eltagouri contributed.

rap30@aol.com

Twitter @rap30
A memorial stone commemorating Nazi spies sits in storage at the National Park Service in Maryland. The Abwehr was the German intelligence service in the World War II period. (Bonnie Jo Mount / The Washington Post)

WASHINGTON  A team of power company workers were trudging through a seldom-visited thicket in Southwest Washington when they spotted something odd in a ditch.

Protruding from the grass was a rectangular slab of granite.

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They looked closer, and an inscription on the surface came into focus. What they saw astonished them.

It was a memorial. In honor of Nazi spies. On U.S. government property.

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"In memory of agents of the German Abwehr," the engraving began, "executed August 8, 1942."

Below that were six names and below those was another cryptic line: "Donated by the N.S.W.P.P."

News of the unsettling discovery soon reached Jim Rosenstock, who worked in resource management for the National Park Service and also happened to be a local history buff. He was curious, but also skeptical. How could someone have planted such an item there? And why? And  above all  who?

Rosenstock needed to see it for himself so he, too, made the hike into Blue Plains, a woody area known best for a wastewater treatment plant and an abundance of mosquitoes. And that's when he saw the stone.

"I kind of started doing a little bit of my own research," Rosenstock recalled of that day in 2006 when he began to help unravel an only-in-Washington mystery, complete with World War II espionage, nationwide panic, a mass electrocution, J. Edgar Hoover chicanery, white supremacists, classic federal bureaucracy and a U.S. Supreme Court case that played a significant role in America's modern war on terror.

- - -

For decades, very few people in Washington, or elsewhere, knew of the stone's existence. It wasn't a secret so much as something that just never got out  remarkable in a town famous for its leaks.

Only when a former Park Police detective mentioned it in passing to a Washington Post reporter, then provided photographic evidence, did anyone ask the Park Service about it.

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A spokeswoman referred the Post to the now-retired Rosenstock, because perhaps no one has thought more about the 31-by-26-by-8-inch object than he has.

At the start of World War II, Rosenstock discovered when he began his research, Adolf Hitler had been determined to show the world just how susceptible America was to a Nazi attack, so he ordered his military to devise a plan.

The high command, according to a 2002 Post story, recruited eight Germans for the mission. In teams of four, the men were loaded onto a pair of U-boats, one destined for Jacksonville and the other for a beach near the tip of Long Island.

On June 13, 1942, the New York group reached shore  and was almost immediately discovered by an unarmed Coast Guardsman on foot patrol. The men escaped, but by morning, the Coast Guard had unearthed the Germans' buried supplies: fuses, pre-made bombs and four crates of TNT.

That wouldn't have mattered to their leader, George John Dasch, who hadn't intended to wreak devastation on Hitler's behalf anyway. When the group reached New York City, he and a comrade decided to turn the others in, so Dasch phoned the FBI.

Four days later, he took the $82,000 he'd been given for the operation  more than $1 million in today's money  and boarded a train for Washington. There, he met with FBI agents, whom he expected to welcome him as a hero.

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They didn't.

J. Edgar Hoover, the infamous head of the bureau, recognized an opportunity. In late June, with all eight men caught, Hoover announced their capture in New York  and claimed credit for his agency.

He made no mention of Dasch.

"The country went wild," Francis Biddle, then attorney general, later wrote in a memoir.

Hundreds of German aliens were rounded up and others, suspected of spying, were arrested. The Justice Department banned German and Italian barbers, servers and busboys from Washington's hotels and restaurants because three of the would-be saboteurs had worked as waiters in America.

Ignoring due process, President Franklin Roosevelt ordered that the men be tried in secret before a military commission  a tactic, then backed by the U.S. Supreme Court, that President George W. Bush would replicate 59 years later in his directive that Guantanamo Bay detainees be judged in a similar fashion.

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In mid-summer 1942, seven U.S. Army generals found all eight men guilty but left their punishment to the president. He sentenced six to death and two, including Dasch, to lengthy prison terms, though both were deported after the war.

The electrocutions began at 12:01 p.m. on Aug. 8. By 1:04, all six were dead.

Three days later, they were secretly buried amid a seldom-visited thicket of Southwest Washington known as Blue Plains.

- - -

Rosenstock quickly learned the backstory of the six Nazi spies listed on the stone, but another question remained: Who had placed it there?

The line at the bottom  referencing the "N.S.W.P.P."  offered a clue.

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Until the mid-1960s, the National Socialist White People's Party had gone by a more familiar name: the American Nazi Party. According to the Southern Poverty Law Center, the group's founder, George Lincoln Rockwell, had given it the new title shortly before his assassination in 1967.

By the 1970s, though, the group had begun to split apart and had lost much of its relevance, leading Rosenstock to believe the Nazi memorial dates back to that time.

The party didn't entirely cease to exist until 1983, the law center said, so the stone may had been carved more recently  though that still means it likely sat on Park Service land for more than two decades before the power company's discovery.

For Rosenstock and his colleagues, the memorial presented a conundrum. It was deplorable, and certainly not something that belonged on public property, but none of their handbooks suggested how to deal with a 200-plus pound monument to Nazis installed on public land by white supremacists.

Plus, the Park Service couldn't do anything until they were sure it hadn't been placed atop someone's bones.

What if, they wondered, the Nazis were buried beneath it?

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The Park Service scoured World War II-era records for details on their bodies, but researchers could find nothing that provided a definitive answer. Old maps showed conflicting spots, including one beneath a building.

"The location is a little bit confusing," he said, "and I think deliberately so."

Rosenstock suspected that whoever disposed of the spies' bodies didn't want them found.

What he did learn, though, is that no one was buried beneath the stone because a creek had run through that area in the 1940s.

Still, the Park Service hadn't decided what should be done.

"It was an illegal monument," Rosenstock said. "And we certainly did not want to be hosting a site for midnight rituals on Hitler's birthday."

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That was a legitimate concern. Rosenstock once found deer bones arranged atop the memorial. Others had found candles around it and noticed that it was regularly cleaned.

"At least one fellow in the Park Service suggested breaking it up with sledge hammers and throwing it in the river," he recalled. "It's not the argument that historic preservationists make."

The memorial remained intact.

In 2010, under the direction of a museum curator, a fork lift exhumed the granite block and lowered it into a truck.

The stone, tagged OXCO-475, now spends its days beneath a protective blanket on a shelf at a storage facility in suburban Maryland. Park Service staff asked that the Post be no more specific than that because, though they didn't mind its long-unknown story being told, they'd prefer that its exact location remain a secret.
Iraqis and supporters rally outside the Theodore Levin United States Courthouse on June 21, 2017, in Detroit. (Carlos Osorio / AP)

DETROIT  A federal judge in Detroit will consider whether to put a temporary national halt on the deportation of Iraqi nationals recently rounded up by U.S. authorities.

Judge Mark Goldsmith will hold a hearing Monday on the request by the American Civil Liberties Union. The ACLU wants to expand its case beyond the roughly 114 detainees arrested in the Detroit area. It says there could be more than 1,000 detainees nationwide.

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Goldsmith signed a 14-day freeze Thursday. He said he needed time to determine if he has jurisdiction.

The detainees fear they could be persecuted in Iraq, which has agreed to accept them. They want to suspend the deportations so they can further argue that their removal would be dangerous.

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The U.S. government says they're being deported because they committed crimes.
Sen. Bernie Sanders, along with the Vermont delegation and his wife Jane O'Meara Sanders, cast their votes during roll call on the second day of the Democratic National Convention at the Wells Fargo Center on July 26, 2016 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Drew Angerer / Getty Images)

SAINT CLAIRSVILLE, Ohio  Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., who has retained counsel as the FBI investigates whether his wife Jane committed fraud to acquire a loan for a now-shuttered Vermont college, predicted Saturday night that the probe would be a political fizzle.

"This was a story that just, amazingly enough, came out in the middle of my presidential campaign, initiated by Donald Trump's campaign manager in Vermont," Sanders said in an interview, between rallies in Pennsylvania and Ohio organized to defeat the Senate Republicans' health-care bill. "That's about it. I don't think it'll be a distraction."

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Last week, longtime Sanders reporter Harry Jaffe reported that Bernie and Jane Sanders had retained attorneys Rich Cassidy and Larry Robbins to represent them in a long-running investigation into the collapse of Burlington College, which Jane Sanders led from 2004 to 2011. The investigation began in January 2016, when attorney and Vermont GOP vice chair Brady Toensing urged the FBI to probe whether Jane Sanders had committed bank fraud to acquire a new campus for the college.

But Jaffe's reporting sparked new interest in the story; on Saturday night, anyone in the audience of Sanders's Pittsburgh speech who checked Twitter saw that the largest trending "Moment" was about the Burlington College probe. In July 2014, Toensing requested documents from the Vermont Educational and Health Buildings Finance Agency about the college's purchase of land from a Catholic diocese. Jane Sanders had claimed $2.6 million in pledges, helping the college secure a loan to pay for the land; the college had received less than $1 million in donations, with other pledges (including a yet-to-be-paid $1 million bequest) being counted to reach the total.

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The story attracted little attention during the 2016 primaries, with voters in exit polls typically saying they found Sanders to be more trustworthy than a scandal-plagued Hillary Clinton. But bitterness about the primary has fed the story; on Twitter, Clinton supporters have joined a chorus of conservatives in crowing that Sanders is "under FBI investigation."

Bernie Sanders is not under FBI investigation.

The attack is a belated, served-cold revenge for the probe of Clinton's use of a private email server that dragged through her presidential campaign and resurfaced in its final week, likely costing her a victory in the electoral college, even as no charges were brought. But while some Sanders surrogates and delegates warned that the Democrats should not have a nominee "under FBI investigation," neither Bernie nor Jane Sanders made much of the story; in April 2016, Jane Sanders suggested "it would be nice if the FBI moved it along," but emphasized that her husband was not using the email probe to attack Clinton.

"That's one of the things that's very sad about our politics today," Jane Sanders told The Washington Post this month when asked about the Burlington College probe. "The Sanders Institute will not be taking any potshots at people."
President Donald Trump on Saturday called out Obama administration officials for not taking stronger actions against Russian meddling in the 2016 U.S. election, contradicting his past statements and suggesting without proof that they were trying to help Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton.

His tweets came after The Post revealed Friday that the Obama White House had received reports as early as August 2016 regarding Russian President Vladimir Putin's direct involvement in the cyber campaign with instructions to defeat or damage Clinton and help to elect Trump, according to "sourcing deep inside the Russian government."

The Obama administration would not publicly say Russia was attempting to interfere with the election until Oct. 7, and the news of Putin's attempts to aid Trump would not surface until after the election.

Trump has long disputed that the Russians interfered with the election, calling it "all a big Dem HOAX" just this week.

But on Friday evening, after the publication of The Post's article, Trump demanded to know why Obama hadn't done more to stop the meddling.

His first tweet read: "Just out: The Obama Administration knew far in advance of November 8th about election meddling by Russia. Did nothing about it. WHY?"

He followed up with more tweets on Saturday, attempting to put the focus on Obama's inaction.

One read:"Since the Obama Administration was told way before the 2016 Election that the Russians were meddling, why no action? Focus on them, not T!"

The Post's article explains in detail why Obama, who reportedly was gravely concerned by an August CIA report about the hacking, managed to approve only "largely symbolic" sanctions before he left office.

Those reasons included partisan squabbling among members of Congress, initial skepticism by other intelligence agencies about the CIA's findings, and an assumption that Clinton would win the election and follow up.

"We made the judgment that we had ample time after the election, regardless of outcome, for punitive measures," a senior administration official said in the article.

Trump, however, raised his own theories, tweeting: "Obama Administration official said they 'choked' when it came to acting on Russian meddling of election. They didn't want to hurt Hillary?"

He provided no explanation or evidence for why this would have helped Clinton.

The Post article recounts how Obama learned about the Russian intrusions and the administration's attempts to find support to make the information public.

According to the article, less than a month after 20,000 stolen Democratic Party emails were leaked to the public, a CIA memo warned Obama that the hack had been ordered by Putin in an attempt to "defeat or at least damage the Democratic nominee."

Interviews with administration officials revealed that Obama directly confronted Putin over the allegations during a meeting of world leaders in China. He also ordered his deputies to safeguard the election and seek bipartisan support from congressional leaders to condemn Russia's actions.

"The administration encountered obstacles at every turn," write Greg Miller, Ellen Nakashima and Adam Entous.

Complacency may have also undercut the administration's efforts to punish Russia. Like many polls suggested, it believed Clinton would win despite the hacks.

By his final weeks, aside from warnings and rhetoric, Obama had approved only narrow sanctions and a plan to plant "cyberweapons in Russia's infrastructure"  if the next president so chose.

As one senior Obama official told The Post, "I feel like we sort of choked," which Trump would quote in his tweet.

As he has with other newsmaking events, Trump used the article to argue that a months-long focus by the media, Congress and federal investigators on his campaign's alleged ties to Russia has been misdirected.

"Focus on them, not T!" he tweeted Saturday afternoon.

For some Democratic lawmakers, meanwhile, the bombshell report affirmed what they said they had long suspected.

"Nothing like the extensive hacking effort and manipulation effort could occur without involvement," Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., told CNN. "Now we actually know: Yes, Putin directed it. ... He had a specific goal to defeat Hillary Clinton."

Some Republicans expressed concern about another country threatening democracy in the United States.

Rep. Adam Kinzinger, R-Ill., tweeted: "#Russia is a problem & they attacked our democracy. This is about defending the integrity of our government & our election system."

"The reality is, in two or four years, it will serve Vladimir Putin's interest to take down the Republican Party," Kinzinger told CNN. "If we weren't upset about it, we have no right to complain in the future."
Back when Internet culture was something that felt like it happened over there, online, separate from the rest of our lives, people started to create rules to explain what it was like. Godwin's Law is probably the best known of these: It states that eventually, as an online conversation progresses, it becomes increasingly likely that someone is going to compare someone else to Hitler.

A lot has changed, online and otherwise, since Godwin's Law first appeared in 1990. But the law is still true on the Internet, even if some of the people now getting called a "Nazi" online are literal Nazis.

Of these many old rules about the Internet, three of them  Godwin's, Poe's and, er, Rule 34  have managed to stay particularly useful for explaining basically the whole of Internet culture. Appropriately, they cover irony, Nazis and porn.

"On the one hand, there's this assumption that 2007 and 2017 are eons apart in Internet time," said Ryan Milner, co-author of "The Ambivalent Internet" and an assistant professor of Communication at the College of Charleston. "But there are these persistent behavior norms that show up over and over again."

Poe's Law

What it is: A message board user going by Nathan Poe defined it as, "Without a winking smiley or other blatant display of humor, it is utterly impossible to parody a Creationist in such a way that someone won't mistake for the genuine article." That was in 2005.

"That small root started to become shorthand for a bigger idea," Milner said. "Places like 4chan and Reddit started invoking Poe's Law over the past decade. It becomes a general rule that you can't tell someone's motives and intentions unless you know who you're talking to."

Why it's still useful: Oh, boy. You know that trolling cycle, in which someone says something extremely offensive and hurtful about someone else, and then claims they were "just kidding" when called out about it? That is Poe's Law.

Poe's Law is the argument over whether the Pepe the frog meme was really a Nazi hate symbol, and whether the possible role of irony in its use as a racist symbol would really change anything. It's the blow-up over the "OK" hand symbol, which 4chan memed as a "secret" white nationalist symbol in order to fool and terrify liberals. It's why journalists are often left staring at a question mark while trying to report on Internet phenomena today. It's the space that people wiggle into after they've said something dehumanizing about another person online. It was just a joke, and if you don't get it, then you're the problem.

"People embrace irony, run to it, and use it as a shield to dip into a more objectionable idea," Milner said. And what was once an adage reminding message board users to remain agnostic about the motivation of a stranger on the Internet has become more consequential as it slips into more public spaces.

"It's easier to laugh off someone pretending to be a flat Earther than it is to laugh off someone ironically saying the Holocaust is a good thing," Milner said. "We're unfortunately in a place where a lot of our public conversations are the latter."

Godwin's Law

What it is: "As an online discussion continues, the probability of a reference or comparison to Hitler or Nazis approaches 1." That's how Mike Godwin defined the law in 1990, when he was trying to do something about the phenomenon of online arguments devolving into sloppy name-calling  specifically, unwarranted comparisons to Adolf Hitler.

Invoking "Godwin's law" eventually became a way to address those comparisons. Thoughtlessly accuse someone you disagree with of being a Nazi, and someone might turn around and accuse you of breaking the Internet's most treasured law.

Why it's still useful: The key of Godwin's law is in its criticism of avoiding an argument by bludgeoning your opponent with a careless comparison to the worst people on earth. "When you don't want to or are too blinded to get into the depth and nuance of the issue, then the easy blow-off is to call someone a Nazi," Milner said.

The phenomenon is easily visible today. You'll see it in the replies to any of Donald Trump's tweets, and in the Trump Internet's obsession with connecting mainstream liberalism and liberals to "leftist violence."

But like most things on the Internet, Godwin's Law has gotten a little bit more complicated in the past couple of years. Spamming Trump's Twitter mentions with Hitler memes might be a good illustration of the law in action, but even Godwin himself came forward in 2015 to clarify that his rule shouldn't be invoked when people make thoughtful, well-informed comparisons between Hitler and Trump, or any other politician.

There's another trick to navigate with Godwin's Law in 2017: literal Nazis and white nationalists are on the Internet, too, and they're more visible now. For example, Richard Spencer, the white nationalist who coined "alt-right" as a friendlier term for his beliefs, may not like being called a Nazi. But he also told his supporters shortly after Trump's election that they should "party like it's 1933," referencing the year Hitler was appointed Germany's chancellor. So comparing Spencer to a Nazi is less about painting someone as an extremist, and more about semantics.

"I don't think Richard Spencer and his supporters could invoke Godwin's Law when someone calls them a Nazi," Milner said.

Rule 34

What it is: If it exists, there is a porn of it. The rule comes from a bunch of old 4chan "rules," which were basically inside jokes for navigating the culture of the message boards at the time. Unlike many of those Rules of the Internet, though, Rule 34 crossed over and took on a life of its own. It seemed to be true, and it also served as a fun game that has the added bonus of destroying your search history.

The law's golden age ended around 2010, and the porn that is easily accessible on the web has become more centralized since then, indicating that the rule  and the creative and disturbing world of super weird Internet porn that sustained it  may be on its way out.

Why it's still useful: Originally I was going to be kind of facetious about this one  the Internet is still full of porn, and even if it's harder to find than it once was, a porn of pretty much anything you can think of does seem to exist somewhere online. But there's actually more to it than that.

"Where Rule 34 still connects is with the fact that even as the Internet has become more diverse ... there's still this undercurrent that still looks like the subculture niche spaces of a decade ago," Milner said.

If you're willing to expand the rule beyond it's porn-specific origins, Rule 34 is about discovering the worst and weirdest things that humans have voluntarily put on the Internet. And if 2017 has taught us anything, it is that no matter how bad the last terrible thing that happened on the Internet was, something worse is always waiting around the corner.
In 1983, President Ronald Reagan delivered his Evil Empire speech, which immediately offended Soviet leaders and the foreign policy establishment. (Reagan must have been equally pleased by both.)

I believe that communism is another sad, bizarre chapter in human history whose last pages even now are being written, he said. I believe this because the source of our strength in the quest for human freedom is not material, but spiritual. And because it knows no limitation, it must terrify and ultimately triumph over those who would enslave their fellow man.

In a Siberian jail, Russian dissident Natan Sharansky read the speech and secretly spread the news to his fellow prisoners. According to Sharansky, The dissidents were ecstatic. Finally, the leader of the free world had spoken the truth  a truth that burned inside the heart of each and every one of us.

That was a long time ago  Reagans speech was about as close to World War II as we are to Reagans speech  and it sounds strangely quaint to modern ears. But this was more than rhetorical fluff. The speech embodied a strategic insight  that the hope of oppressed people for lives and dignity and freedom is eventually favorable to the community of free nations. It was hard power  tanks and missiles  that kept the Cold War from being lost. It was soft power  the superiority of a spiritual ideal of freedom to a materialistic vision of historical forces  that allowed the Cold War to be won.

Is the world now fundamentally different? Is the spiritual ideal now outdated or overmatched by distorted but powerful appeals of nationalism and religious fundamentalism?

It is the theory of America First foreign policy that this ideal is outdated. The urgency of defeating terrorism, in this view, requires the active cooperation of Middle Eastern leaders, and it matters little or nothing how oppressive they are at home. We are not here to lecture, President Trump said in Saudi Arabia. We are not here to tell other people how to live.

Trump has extended this approach, in various forms, to President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi of Egypt (doing a fantastic job), to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Turkey, and to President Rodrigo Duterte in the Philippines (doing an unbelievable job).

Some of this warmth for strongmen is surely due to Trumps personal fascination with authoritarianism. But this is also proposed as a strategy  as a way to maximize American interests in a dangerous world. And here it is less realistic than simplistic.

The main problem is not moral but temporal. This foreign policy approach assumes that the current order in oppressive countries can be indefinitely preserved  as long it is not destabilized by meddling outsiders. In reality, the instability of oppressive governments emerges from within. They prevent the diffusion of choice and power, which is the source of economic and social success in the modern world. Monopolizing power encourages cronyism, corruption, resentment and discontent. Strongmen can succeed for a time by feeding hatred of enemies, real and imagined. But this is the path of arrogance, mediocrity and insurrection.

In such societies, a few eyes and mouths open  often resulting in imprisonment or house arrest. These are the dissidents that Trump seems intent on betraying and discouraging. The message is thereby sent that America values the good opinion of strongmen more than the dignity and liberty of the people they rule. This is resented, and remembered.

The Middle East is no exception to this rule. In Egypt, for example, decades of military rule resulted in a mismanaged, dysfunctional economy while weakening all forms of political authority and organization outside the radical mosque. When the revolution came, democratic institutions and attitudes were too weak to consolidate a new, more democratic order. America did not determine the timing of Egypts revolution, and will not control the timing of the next one. The question a realist must ask: What is America doing now to encourage the reforms, ideals and institutions that will make Egypts transition successful rather than abortive? Our levers, of course, are limited. But it is those who think that Sissi-ism is permanent who are living in a dream world.

A more sophisticated version of foreign policy realism requires living with a tension. America must find common interests on a daily basis with governments that it finds oppressive and unjust. But it is also in our national interest to hold up an ideal that speaks to current dissidents and future leaders  who are often one in the same.
The secret drafting of the Republican health care bill in the Senate represented absolute malfeasance and a dangerous departure from what our Founding Fathers envisioned as government of, by and for the people. Operating in secret behind closed doors, the all-male group of Republicans drafting the new health care bill carried the fate of millions of Americans in their hands. Why did they spurn transparency? What are they hiding? What do they fear? Like my serious-minded Republican and Democratic friends, I am outraged. The Orwellian aspects of the party now in power should give all Americans cause to feel alarmed.

 Madeleine Felix, Evanston
In his first chapter, he outlines the core principle of balancing the powers in government in order to protect against tyranny and Congress role in this. Congress is designed to represent all the people. Throughout the legislative process, discussion and debate among senators and representatives serves to let all voices be heard and all views to be considered.

The current efforts of Senate Republicans to rush through a health care bill that was designed in secret and that is not open to discussion and debate is an abandonment of a core principle of our Constitution.

Hamilton  who has continued to serve on many governmental boards  acknowledged in his book that our system sometimes moves slowly and inefficiently. Further, he said, It means that hearing from the many voices may sometimes lead to contentious debate. But to the founders, dispute and delay are simply part of the balanced system that prevents individuals or groups from imposing their will on the country.

Unless the party in power will uphold its duty to allow representation of all the people, Americans trust and confidence in our legislators will, sadly, continue to erode.

 Diane Dassow, Lombard
Michaela Fogel, 37, stoodout on the train platform in pink and black camouflage denim with a matching hat. "I am a female transgender," said Fogel, of Aurora . ( Linda Girardi/The Beacon-News )

The lesbian, gay, bi-sexual and transgender community from throughout the Fox Valley heading for Chicago's Pride Parade crowded the Metra train platform in Geneva on Sunday morning.

A couple of hundred people celebrating their sexuality along with lots of supportive friends  boarded the 8:37 a.m. train decked out in colorful costumes with rainbow feathers, sequins and silver and gold glitter, as well as elaborate hairstyles with braided buns and rainbow extensions.

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The North Side parade, a tradition of the gay community for decades, stepped off as thousands looked on.

Many said they have experienced a liberating relief associated with sharing they were gay, bi-sexual or transgender, while others said they were going to a "jubilant" parade as a way to support the gay community and encourage love and acceptance.

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All said the parade is usually a lot of fun.

Carolanne Davis, of St. Charles, accompanied by her friend, Dana Klausler of Naperville, was going to her first Pride Parade.

"It's actually a big deal for me. I came out about a year ago," said Davis, 20.

Davis said she's acutely aware that not everyone in the gay community has the support of family and friends as she does.

"I kept it in deep for a really long time. I met people who encouraged me to come out about my sexuality. So much weight has been lifted off of my shoulders," Davis said.

"I don't have to feel as though I need to hide behind a wall. It's important to surround yourself around supportive people," she said.

Davis said she is hopeful more people will not be so judgmental.

"There are a couple of friends who chose to have nothing to do with me. I am the same person. I do have a great handful of people who still adore me, and I am so grateful to them," she said.

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Klausler, 20, said she's proud of her friend.

"I'm optimistic future generations will teach their children to love everyone as they are, and the LGBT community will have more acceptance," she said.

Some of the parade-goers think strides have been made, but they still have a long way to go. Last year's parade was held two weeks after the horrific mass shooting at a gay nightclub in Orland, Fla., that left 49 people dead.

Also last year, the Supreme Court decided same-sex couples had a constitutional right to marry nationwide.

This year they are worried the Trump administration will roll back the progress made.

"We're people, too. It's not only about people who are straight and important," said Zoe Kowalczyk, 19.

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The St. Charles woman said she goes to the Pride Parade every year she can.

"After last year's shooting, (gay rights) is something we should pay more attention to. It's also a lot of fun," Kowalczyk said.

Kowalczyk is studying political communication and environmental science and sustainability at the University of Colorado in Denver. She said she didn't struggle with her sexuality.

"I didn't really come out. It was more of a 'this is me  this is it.' There is nothing special or different about it. The problem is when people freak out about it. My family is super-supportive," she said.

"It's nice to have a parade dedicated to the gay community. A lot of people have lived suppressed lives for a long time. The mass shooting in Orlando attacked the gay community. Now Trump is trying to take away rights for gays, lesbians and anyone else in the LGBT community," Kowalczyk said.

"Why not go all out (in costume) in every way you can?" she said.

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Nineteen-year-old Maxwell Spencer of Geneva came with Reese Petersen, 18, of Batavia, and their supportive friends Amanda Frazee of Batavia, Alexa Lemke of Geneva and America Gomez of Aurora.

Spencer said he dated Lemke in seventh grade before he came to terms with his sexuality.

"Geneva is an accepting town. I came out in the eighth grade and haven't had trouble with it," Spencer said.

"We are fortunate to live in the area that we do. The Pride Parade is a peaceful way to celebrate our sexuality," Petersen said.

Spencer and Petersen met on social media, and they are now friends. Spencer recalled last year's parade when police were guarding from rooftops.

"I feel safe going with that level of security," Spencer said.

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Michaela Fogel, 37, stood out on the train platform in pink and black camouflage denim with a matching hat.

"I am a female transgender," said Fogel, of Aurora. "I actually rode one of the floats a couple of years ago. It was really exciting to wave to the crowds. I want to show my pride of who I am."

Straight families headed to the parade as well to join the festivities.

Elizabeth Smith of St. Charles came with her husband and 9-year old daughter.

"Today more than ever it's important to promote tolerance and understanding," Smith said.

"I have talked with my daughter about what it means to be able to love who you choose to love. We need more tolerance and love in the world," the mother said.

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Marcy Wampach, 88, of Geneva, was headed for a Broadway play at the Goodman Theater and was surprised to see the crowds of people.

"Generally on a Sunday morning there aren't a whole lot of people at the station unless there's a ballgame. Everybody should feel free to celebrate who they are," Wampach said.
More than 27 businesses participated in the Coalition to Reduce Recidivism job fair in Waukegan on Saturday, June 24. (Yadira Sanchez Olson/News-Sun)

Bad decisions John Boone made as a young adult are now making it difficult for him to find an employer who will hire him despite his criminal record.

The 22-year-old Waukegan man is hoping the information and connections he made at a job fair and record-expungement event hosted by the Coalition to Reduce Recidivism Saturday, will help him figure out what steps he needs to take to get his life back on track.

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"I'm not trying to justify what I've done in the past," he said. "I know I messed up. But I did my time. I earned my GED. I stayed out of trouble, did my 100 hours of community service and passed every drug test I had to take."

A stable job that offers health benefits is what Boone is hoping to find so he can support his fiance and the baby they have on the way.

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On Saturday, Boone was one of about 200 people who attended the event at the Waukegan Community Church on Grand Avenue, where more than 27 employers  including Home Depot, Salvation Army and Kaplan Pavement Services  took in applications and held on-the-spot job interviews.

"Everyone deserves a second chance, and we view each applicant case by case," said Renee Dehne, recruiter for Service First, a staffing company based out of Wisconsin.

Dehne said there are many positions open in light industrial work, skilled labor and technical jobs, and all the way up to management available. She said met a handful of potential candidates on Saturday.

Aside from the job fair, Saturday's event offered short workshops on topics such as why an expungement of records is needed, and attorneys were at hand to offer advice.

The coalition regularly hosts these type of events at different sites throughout the year.

"The goal is to let these men and women know that their conviction does not have to mean a life sentence," said Patricia Jones, founder of the coalition and supervisor of Waukegan Township, where the coalition is currently based.

Jones said the work the group has done in the past 15 years has been rewarding, but they want to do more and they're working on a 10-year plan.

Finding a permanent location and hiring an executive director are goals for near future.

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"They may be lofty goals, but we think they're reachable," Jones said.

Waukegan Mayor Sam Cunningham said he fully supports the coalition's work. On Saturday he stopped by to thank volunteers and organizers working to direct the crowd.

Adding that he was happy to see many companies working with the Coalition to Reduce Recidivism, Cunningham said, "We can't have people committing crimes. But we can't continue to spend $25,000 per inmate and then not help them find the right path when they've served their time. That's not effective and efficient."

Cunningham offered that perhaps that money could be better spent on education.

Yadira Sanchez Olson is a freelance reporter for the News-Sun.
How quickly police release information on crimes and what citizens have to say about community incidents on social media were issues for some Park Ridge elected officials recently.

A Father's Day fight between two men at an Uptown Starbucks, combined with other highly publicized crimes reported to Park Ridge police earlier in the week, prompted a discussion among aldermen June 19 about when the police department releases information to the public and what exactly it should say.

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At issue for some aldermen was a television news channel's characterization of the Starbucks fight as a "stabbing" and the fact that few official details were released by the police department about the nature of the incident until the next day.

Other points of consternation for some aldermen were the immediate comments posted by citizens on community Facebook pages regarding the incident, which 6th Ward Ald. Marc Mazzuca called "bad information [that] got spun out of control."

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"We really want to know as early as possible, even what is technically a 'non-event,' " 5th Ward Ald. Charles Melidosian told Police Chief Frank Kaminski. "We're trying to help it perception-wise not become a fictitious event on social media  or at least be informed to tell our constituents when they reach out to us. You just can't say, 'Well, give it time. We'll see what the facts are.' They don't want to hear that."

Aldermen said the only information they saw on the Starbucks incident was a television news report and a short alert from the police department on Nixle, a community information app, about six hours after police had responded to the coffee shop. Mayor Marty Maloney said the Nixle alert stated that a disturbance between two people had occurred and that "peace has been restored and no threat to the public exists."

The next day, Deputy Police Chief Duane Mellema told the Park Ridge Herald-Advocate that a physical altercation between two customers inside the coffee shop resulted in one of the men cutting his hand on the blade of a pocket knife that had come out of the other man's pocket during the fight.

Police declined to call the incident a "stabbing" and said neither man wished to pursue criminal charges.

The fact that the word "stabbing" circulated among the public before police released information was a problem for some elected officials.

"Right now, I'm more concerned about managing perceptions," Melidosian said. "In this social media world, these perceptions are running amok. They think crime is on the rise when we have statistics to show crime is not on the rise."

First Ward Ald. John Moran said the police department does not need to "rush to get things out," but did say that when information is released it should "leave little room for interpretation."

"The more details we have or that you put out to the public, the quicker the knee-jerk reaction goes away," Moran said.

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Kaminski said the police department makes "judgment calls" when it comes to releasing details about a criminal incident, explaining that it can take time to pull together that information and determine what the facts actually are.

"The last thing we want to do is give the wrong message, so we may wait awhile," Kaminski said. "Or, if it's an investigation, we may not want to release information just yet."

Kaminski acknowledged that social media presents a "challenge."

"Everybody puts their perspective out before we have a chance to find the true facts of what's going on," he said. "It's a pretty tough environment to try and be professional and get everything done right when everybody's shooting out messages about what's going on and they may not have a clue about what is going on."

Maloney said people should understand that in social media comment sections "you're only getting some facts  sometimes no facts."

"I think we all should have learned in the last year that anyone relying on Facebook for news is not necessarily going to have all the facts most of the time," Maloney said.

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But criticism of the news media as a whole was expressed by 2nd Ward Ald. Nicholas Milissis, too, as he claimed that "a lot of the traditional values of confirming stories, making sure you've got your facts straight kind of go out the window" due to the "extreme pressure to get the story out first."

"I don't want us to feel the same amount of pressure to just react because a few people went on Facebook and posted whatever came to their head at that moment," he said.

Elected officials should have a chance to get some details from the police first and, if residents feel they need information immediately, they can always contact their alderman "instead of just sitting on their couch and posting whatever they felt at that moment on Facebook," Milissis added.

In addition to the Starbucks melee, police earlier in the week responded to a report of a gunshot victim on the 100 block of Meacham Avenue, only to determine days later that the woman had reportedly shot herself in the leg accidentally while inside a car near the Chicago-Niles border.

Police that week also took a report from a Park Ridge resident who told investigators that two men demanded money and pointed a gun at him outside a home on the 1100 block of Lincoln Avenue. Police said the resident offered to go inside and get money and, when he did, he called 911.

The men were last seen driving north from the home in a gray or silver mid-size SUV, police said.

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jjohnson@pioneerlocal.com

Twitter: @Jen_Tribune
Elisa Sauseda of Hammond and her family and friends were among the first people to arrive at the South Shore Line station in East Chicago Sunday to catch the train to the 48th Annual Chicago Pride Parade.

Sauseda and her friends Isabella Torres, Krysta Rogers, Angela Perez and Jesse Gomez, all dressed with rainbow accents, waited in the station for more of their group to arrive.

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"We're gay, everybody else is supporting us," Sauseda said of herself and Gomez.

Gomez said he went to his first Pride Parade last year and was moved by the environment. It meant a lot to be somewhere with so much support.

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"It was so happy and accepting," Gomez said.

Going to the parade shows the world the support that exists for the LGBT community, Torres said.

"It's just great to show equality,' she said.

Rogers said she has some concerns in the current political climate, "people might feel like they can say or do what they want," but that will did stop the group from making its annual trek to the city.

"Despite all the hate, it makes it more important to make a statement," Torres said.

The parade is about more than making a statement  it is also a celebration, they say.

"It's fun," Perez said. "People are dressed the way they want to be dressed, without judgment."

Manny Tucson of Hammond, Sauseda's father, said each year a large group gathers to head to the city for the event and each year the size of their group grows.

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"It's family," Tucson said. He believes bringing his kids to the event is a valuable lesson. His other daughter Angelina was also in the group.

"I want them to learn as human beings we are all equal. I keep telling them this is your generation. We are all humans. No old, no young, only human," Tucson said.

This was the third trip Roxanne Garza and Veronica Mora of Hammond were making to Chicago Pride. Mora was wearing a rainbow tutu and a tank top emblazoned with "I'm Hers" under a rainbow-colored Mickey Mouse-style glove pointing at her partner, while Garza's tank top bore the response "She's Mine" with the finger pointing toward Mora.

"It feels like the one time of year you can be out in the open and not be so concerned somebody will be making a comment," Mora said.

Garza said when you are part of the LGBT community and you meet someone new, inevitably, one day, the person will ask and you have to come out. At events like the Chicago Pride Parade, the couple agree you just get to be yourself without questions.

Mora said she also likes going to the parade to see what businesses sponsor the event and support the LGBT community. The pair said they stayed home last year in the wake of the June 12 Pulse Night Club shooting in Orlando, but refuse to let fear, even in today's politically charged climate, prevent them from attending.

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"There is always somebody picketing something," Mora said, adding the pickets do not bother them. She said it is not just the LGBT community that is angry about the negativity toward its members.

"You can't be scared and stay quiet forever," Garza said.

Chris Lacy of Crown Point said he was attending his first Chicago Pride event to support his friend Caden Pociask of Lowell.

"I'm transgender," Pociask said. This was his third Chicago Pride Parade.

"The most important thing is to show up so people see we exist. You can't push us away," Pociask said.
The man killed in a motorcycle crash Saturday on southbound Indian 49, south of U.S. 6, has been identified as Christopher Barton, 23, of Chesterton, according to the Porter County coroner's office.

Porter County Coroner Chuck Harris said his office was dispatched to Porter Regional Hospital at 1:59 p.m. Saturday regarding the death of Barton, which resulted from injuries sustained in the crash.

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Witness observed Barton driving recklessly and traveling at a high rate of speed, Harris said. No other vehicles were involved in the crash and nobody else was injured.

Sgt. Jamie Erow, public information officer for the Porter County Sheriff's Department, said the crash occurred just before 12:30 p.m. Saturday on southbound Indiana 49 in Liberty Township.

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Carrie Napoleon is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.
Man charged in connection to fatal shooting in rural Pueblo County

The Pueblo County Sheriffs Office has arrested a man on suspicion of murder in connection to the fatal shooting of a 73-year-old woman in rural Pueblo County.
Last week's announcement that Democratic leaders were throwing in the towel on tax reform during this session didn't really come as much of a surprise, considering the various legislative forces that had aligned against the idea.

But it still came as a disappointment  and, if Oregon citizens are growing weary of legislative promises that this important topic or that important topic will be top of the agenda during the next session, you can understand that weariness: It's not the first time these particular cans have been kicked down that particular road.

This session, yet another can got kicked down the road: Reforms to the state's public pension fund, with its $22 billion unfunded liability, also appear to be joining that tax discussion: Democrats said all session long that pension reforms would be tied to tax reform; with tax reform off the table, so is the PERS discussion.

It still remains to be seen whether the last big-ticket item on this year's legislative docket, the bill that identifies major transportation projects around the state and ways to pay for them, will also be kicked over to 2019; our hope is that legislators still see a path forward in this session for the transportation bill.

Of course, all of this always comes with an asterisk: The Legislature is scheduled to remain in session until July 10, its mandated adjournment date. It is not completely out of the question, during the final weeks of the Legislature, to see proposals given up for dead lurch into unexpected life, like in a George Romero horror movie.

But a statement last week from three key Democrats  Gov. Kate Brown, Senate President Peter Courtney and Speaker of the House Tina Kotek  certainly suggested they weren't anticipating reanimation.

The statement read, in part, that the three had worked "for months with legislators in both parties, business leaders, and labor leaders, to identify ways to reduce state spending, contain costs going forward, and finally reform our revenue system. While we are moving forward on several major cost containment measures, it has become clear that the Legislature will not have the necessary support to achieve structural revenue reforms this session."

That is partially because Democrats are one vote short in both the Senate and the House of the supermajorities required to pass tax increases. Senate Republicans, in particular, have maintained a united front against any tax increase  and their position only seemed to harden as the session went along.

Other pockets of opposition have risen this session: Sen. Mark Hass, the Beaverton Democrat who's been carrying the flag of tax reform for at least the last couple of sessions, last week pitched an idea to simply increase corporate income taxes. The plan enjoyed some support from businesses. But the idea didn't go anywhere, in part because House Democrats objected to the fact that it didn't include a tax on corporate gross receipts.

No wonder that a frustrated Hass warned in a speech last week that failure to address these issues would trigger the sort of pension crisis that's facing Illinois: "It will eventually wreck our schools and swallow our state," he said.

It now seems that the Legislature will be able to patch together a budget that will allow the state to limp along for the next two years, with a combination of cost cuts and measures such as a tax on health care providers that will raise $550 million.

It also seems likely that the Legislature's failure to act will trigger yet another wave of citizen initiatives. Legislators complain about how those initiatives complicate their work in Salem. But it's hard to fault citizens for wanting to see if they can do something about the can before legislators get the chance to give it yet another kick. (mm)
A new national study gives considerable ammunition to those who like to make the case for arts and culture on economic grounds  and, for the first time, tries to determine the impact the arts have in at least some of the state's rural areas.

The study, released last week by the group Americans for the Arts, includes a big Oregon component. The study said that the "arts and culture industry" contributed $687 million to Oregon's economy and was responsible for 22,299 jobs.

The study also offered numbers for certain Oregon communities. It found, for example, that the nonprofit arts and culture sector generates $71.9 million in total economic activity in the city of Corvallis. That spending supports 1,968 full-time equivalent jobs, the study found. (For purposes of comparison, the state Department of Employment estimates that Benton County had 42,840 people employed as of last month.)

The survey relied on local organizations to collect data, said Brian Rogers, the executive director of the Oregon Arts Commission, which is why the survey doesn't have information for all Oregon communities; Linn County, for example, isn't included. But, as I've noted in other columns, it's a mistake to discount the artistic and cultural activity in Linn County; we'll just have to wait to get the hard numbers.

Longtime readers of this column know that, in the past, I've had issues with the notion that you have to justify the arts on economic grounds. I'm a sucker for the argument that Rogers summarized during a brief interview last week: "The arts are a necessary part of day-to-day life."

I still believe that, of course. But I'm coming around on the economic-vitality argument: If you can present evidence that the arts help build a vibrant economy, that they help to support jobs, all the better.

Although I'm a latecomer to this argument, others embraced it much earlier. In fact, as Rogers reminded me during our conversation, the Oregon Arts Commission is part of Business Oregon, the branch of state government that works to strengthen the state's economy.

The new study, dubbed "Arts & Economic Prosperity 5," is (as the title suggests) the fifth such study attempting to quantify the economic impact of the arts. But, for Oregon, it's the first one that takes a look at the state arts scene outside of Portland and Eugene.

As it turns out, there is an arts scene in Oregon outside of Portland and Eugene. In fact, the study found, roughly half of the state's art-related economic activity took place outside the Portland metro area.

As you might imagine, the economic impact of the arts in Corvallis outpaced the numbers posted by similarly sized cities across the nation. For example: That $71.9 million economic impact from the arts in Corvallis compares with a median of $19.5 million in cities with 50,000 to 100,000 population. And it's about twice the overall national median, $35.8 million.

The same thing is true for those employment estimates: The study reported that spending on arts and culture supported 1,968 full-time equivalent jobs in Corvallis; the national median for cities from 50,000 to 100,000 population was 512.

The report also estimated that the arts-and-culture sector generates $32.8 million in household income to Corvallis residents and delivers $4.8 million in local and state government revenue. (The online version of this column includes a link to the report.)

I asked Rogers what he hopes policymakers and citizens take away from the study.

"The big thing would be the jobs," he said, "the awareness that this is an economic sector that provides jobs and income to people." For those people, obviously, the arts are not just a nicety: They put bread on their tables.

Another important point jumped out for me: The study offers even more evidence that the arts have an impact well beyond the state's metropolitan areas. It turns out that the arts are improving the quality of life  and the economies  of the state's rural areas as well. As we consider cutbacks to arts programs that serve those rural areas, we need to keep that in mind. (mm)
Song Xiaomei works at the exhibition to perfect her sculpture. [Photo by Melsam Ojha/China.org.cn]

An exhibition, jointly organized by the China Cultural Center in Nepal and Tianjin Municipal Administration of Culture, Radio, Film and Television of Tianjin (TMACRFT), was held in Kathmandu on June 22 to display cultural heritages of Tianjin, as part of a cultural program.

Newly elected Mayor of Kathmandu Bidhya Sundar Shakya and Chinese Ambassador to Nepal Yu Hong jointly inaugurated the program by lighting traditional Nepali candle known as "panas".

The program was staged at the heart of Kathmandu, with a banquet attended by local lawmakers, foreign diplomats, academicians, media representatives and students. The cultural delegation from Tianjin comprised 10 artists led by the deputy director of TMACRFT Xu Henqiu.

Tianjin has developed a unique style as a center of Chinese and Western civilizations over hundreds of years. With long history, profound cultural heritage and advantageous geographical location, it has given birth to a long-standing, colorful and distinctive national and folk culture.

The city is honored as birthplace of Pingju, an opera form based on folk songs and dance (Yangge). It also has a variety of folk arts like Yangliuqing wood engraving pictures and Master Zhang's painted sculpture, making it one of the representative regions for intangible cultural heritage in China.

The purpose of the Kathmandu program was to show Chinese people's longing for and pursuit of a better life. Meng Yongquan, member of Tianjin Arts and Crafts Guild and also a guest professor at Tianjin Arts and Crafts Professional College, was busy at the venue carving delicate patterns on eggs with tools such as delicate knives and a drill to create embossment or hollow engraving.

Wang Peng, a disciple of the senior artist Zhao Lianbin, displayed his artistic skills on filigree, which has a history of over 2,000 years beginning from the Han Dynasty. He has also designed and fabricated a series of special jewelry pieces in the shape of animals, plants and figures.

Wang Jing, successor of the ancient Chinese knot button skill, showed a fascinated audience the beauty of this particular art form.
Rescuers work at the accident site after a landslide occurred in Xinmo Village of Maoxian County, Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture, southwest China's Sichuan Province, June 24, 2017. The landslide on Saturday morning smashed some 40 homes, where about 100 people are feared to be buried. (Xinhua/He Qinghai)

Fifteen people have been confirmed dead in a landslide in southwest China's Sichuan Province early Saturday that buried at least 118 people.

Rescuers had retrieved 15 bodies from the debris by 10 p.m. Saturday, the rescue headquarters said.

The search and rescue operation was underway overnight and people have been sent to observe potential secondary disasters.

Rescuers were combing the area with life detectors and sniffer dogs but no new signs of life have been found.

"We won't give up as long as there is a slim of chance," said one rescuer.

Xu Zhiwen, executive deputy governor of the Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture of Aba that the landslide stuck, said the identities of 118 missing will be soon made public on the government's website.

Xu also cleared up worries that some tourists might be among the buried as the village is in a tourist site.

All 142 tourists that entered the site Friday have been reached, said Xu.

The landslide from a high part of a mountain in Aba prefecture hit Xinmo Village in Maoxian County at about 6 a.m., blocking a 2-km section of river and burying 1,600 meters of road.

The provincial government has launched the highest level of disaster relief response and sent rescue teams to the site.

Currently, more than 3,000 workers with life-detection instruments are engaged in the search for survivors.

The provincial department of land and resources said the landslide was caused by heavy rain. An estimated 18 million cubic meters of earth mass fell some 1,600 meters, engulfing half of Xinmo Village. Geological experts at the site said the chance of survival for the people buried was really slim.

Only three people from one family were rescued five hours after the landslide struck. They were taken to Maoxian County People's Hospital and none suffered life-threatening injuries. Another three-year-old child of the family remains buried.

Qiao Dashuai, 26-year-old husband of the family, recalled that he and his wife woke up to cries of their one-month-old son at about 5:30 a.m.

"Just after we changed the diaper for the baby, we heard a big bang outside and the light went out," said Qiao. "We felt that something bad was happening and immediately rushed to the door, but the door was blocked by mud and rocks."

The husband and wife mainly suffered bruises and their one-month-old son was being treated for pneumonia as he inhaled muddy water.

"I arrived at the site at 7:30 a.m. and found that the whole area was buried by the landslide," said He Dajun, a worker with Maoxian County Power Company.

Another 110 people living nearby in another part of the village were being evacuated to a township school on Saturday night, fearing there might be rain and secondary disasters.

The village was relocated to the current site in 1976 as their previous location was prone to landslides and since then, villagers have been living in two groups in nearby locations.
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The All China Lawyers Association (ACLA) on Saturday signed memorandums of understanding (MOUs) with five nations along the Belt and Road to strengthen legal cooperation.

The five countries are India, Laos, Mongolia, Poland and Thailand.

According to the agreement, lawyers associations of these countries will expand legal cooperation with China in fields such as infrastructure building, enterprise investment and financing, manufacturing and information technologies, so as to guarantee the smooth development of major cooperation projects.

Law firms of the five countries and China will establish affiliated agencies at each other's side, and offer convenience to facilitate high-level exchanges and the implementation of major plans.
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Foreign Minister Wang Yi (C) meets with his Lebanese counterpart Gebran Bassil (L) in Beirut, capital of Lebanon, on June 23, 2017. [Photo/Xinhua]

China advocates more actions to curb the deterioration of a refugee crisis in the Middle East and find a solution as soon as possible, Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Friday.

Wang made the remarks at a press conference after meeting with his Lebanese counterpart Gebran Bassil in Beirut during an one-day visit to Lebanon.

He noted that refugees are not migrants, and the international community should strive to create appropriate conditions, through seeking a more swift solution to hot-button issues, for the refugees to return to their homes.

Bassil said Lebanon is under huge pressure in hosting refugees, mostly from Syria, adding that the world should understand and support Lebanon's legal requests on the refugee problem.

According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Lebanon is currently hosting 1.03 million Syrian refugees who fled their war-torn country since the rebellion against President Bashar al-Assad started in March 2011.
CHENGDU - Giant pandas Meng Meng and Jiao Qing took a Lufthansa cargo flight from their home in Chengdu, capital of Southwest China's Sichuan province, for a 12-hour flight to Berlin on Saturday morning.

The plane took off at 9:35 am, taking the pandas and 1,000 kilograms of bamboo, apple and a large number of biscuits.

They were accompanied with two keepers from the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding and a senior vet from Berlin Zoo.

The keepers said that apples and Wotou, a Chinese steamed bread, are the pandas' favorite food, which can help them relieve their tension and irritability during the long journey.

Their plane will make a stop-over for refueling in Novosibirsk, Russia before arriving in Berlin Saturday afternoon local time.

Four-year-old female panda Meng Meng and seven-year-old male panda Jiao Qing were in good health before the flight. Meng Meng is not yet adult panda. She is expected to be mated with Jiao Qing, after she turns six years old.

This year marks the 45th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Germany. The pandas were sent as envoys of China-Germany friendship. They will live in Berlin Zoo for the next 15 years.
President Xi Jinping (R front), who also is the Party leader and head of the country's military, meets with senior officers of local military units in North China's Shanxi province, in Taiyuan, capital of Shanxi, June 22, 2017. [Photo/Xinhua]

TAIYUAN  President Xi Jinping has called for comprehensively improving the country's rocket launch and test capabilities.

Xi, who is also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC), made the remarks during inspection of a space force unit based in Shanxi province in North China on Thursday.

At about 9 am, Xi arrived at the unit's history museum. The military base, first set up in 1960s, was an indigenously designed and built national defense testing ground. Xi highly recognized the efforts of officers and staff of the base in the past 50 years, and said the Party and the people should show gratitude to their outstanding contributions in promoting the national defense power.

He also urged to care more about the life of the officers and soldiers at the base and help them solve problems.

The president then paid a visit to the base's cultural and sports center where he met with the base's officers, and asked them to make concerted efforts to develop new combat forces which can be integrated into the PLA's joint operation system.

Xi also stressed deepening the military and civilian integration, and encouraged the aerospace forces to play an exemplary role in this area for all the armed forces.
President Xi Jinping (C back) gives a speech while presiding over a symposium on poverty relief in Taiyuan, capital of North China's Shanxi province, June 23, 2017. [Photo/Xinhua]

TAIYUAN - While China has seen 55.64 million rural people lifted out of poverty in more than four years, "abject poverty" remains, and so President Xi Jinping has put himself on the frontline.

Abject poverty persists in areas around old revolutionary bases, ethnic minority regions, border areas, and places with poor infrastructure, delicate environmental conditions and frequent natural disasters.

A MOUNTAIN TO CLIMB

The Lyuliang mountain region in North China's Shanxi province is just such an area. It was an important staging-post on Xi's visit to Shanxi from Wednesday to Friday.

In Zhaojiawa, a hillside village of mud huts, on Wednesday morning, Xi went into a hut and took a seat on the kang, a brick bed heated by fire, once widely used in the countryside but rarely seen nowadays.

"Let's chat," Xi said to Liu Fuyou and his wife, both over 70 years old, inviting them to sit beside him on the kang.

"Are you still able to do farm work? Is the drought serious this year? Your children work away from the village. Do they help you out?" the President asked.

"Our family made less than 7,000 yuan ($1,024) last year. We earned about 500 yuan by growing grain. The rest came from the government," said Liu, who lives with his 92-year-old mother. His five children left the village when they married.
BEIJING - President Xi Jinping is set to be in Hong Kong for three days from June 29, in order to attend a ceremony marking the 20th anniversary of Hong Kong's return to the motherland.

Xi, also the general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, will also be present at the inauguration of the fifth administration of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, according to a statement reported by Xinhua News Agency.

anbaijie@chinadaily.com.cn
Friday evening, we warned that by handing the Nevada Senate nomination over to worthless conservaDem Jackie Rosen-- who has already managed to stake out a claim as one of the worst freshman Dems in Congress (with a ProgressivePunch F score and a crucial vote rating of 33.33 for the current session, worse than conservative North Carolina Republican Walter Jones and tied with Michigan Republican Justin Amash, and the 4th worst of any Democratic first termer-- Schumer would be snatching defeat out of the jaws of victory in the best shot the Democrats have for picking up a Republican-held Senate seat. However, Schumers malfeasance may actually be matched by the Trump Regimes. America First Policies is a shady big money SuperPAC intimately connected to the Regime. Pence personally raises big money for them from secret right-wing donors and they are an attack machine for he and Trump. Except now theyre attacking-- absolutely with Pences and Trumps encouragement-- a Republican: embattled Nevada Senator Dean Heller.





On Friday, encouraged by Nevadas Republican Governor, Brian Sandoval, Heller explained to Nevadans why he wont vote for the Senates healthcare bill , TrumpCare 3.0. This bill, he said, is simply not the answer I will not support it. It doesnt protect Nevadans on Medicaid and the most vulnerable Nevadans: the elderly, Nevadans struggling with mental health issues, substance abuse, and people with disabilities.





America First Policies, judging Heller to be the most vulnerable senator-- and seeking to send a clear, ugly message to other mainstream Republicans who are wavering (primarily Susan Collins, Lisa Murkowski, and Rob Portman), pounced immediately. They vowed to spend a million dollars in TV ads against Heller, undermining his viability with Trump-supporting Republicans.





The NRSC, speaking off the record in fear of offending Senor Trumapnzee and his henchman Pence, allowed a spokesperson to tell the media "If true, it's totally insane. It will put them on opposite sides of the party, donors and common sense."





In the past the group has run attack ads in GA-06 against Jon Ossoff and has run ads thanking vulnerable Republicans like David Joyce (OH) and Martha McSally (AZ) for voting against their own constituents to back Trump on eviscerating the healthcare system. Most of the money for the dark money groups Trump and pence control comes from just two pro-fascist American families, the Mercers and the Ricketts and run by right-wing extremists Brian Walsh, Brad Parscale and two Pence operatives, Nick Ayers and Marty Obst.













One of the characters running America First Policies told the media that they plan to keep Republican members of Congress in line by cracking the whip in a big way. "You do not want to mess with Donald Trumps base in a primary, particularly in a place like Nevada, he seethed menacingly. This kind of money in Nevada is real... This is a beginning." Sounds like Bannon is helping them design the anti-Heller campaign, which will paint the senator as "a typical politician" in cahoots with Schumer and Pelosi. McConnell is reported to be upset.
Two new bullet train models will be put into operation on the Beijing-Shanghai high-speed railway line from Monday.

The first model, CR400AF, will depart from the Beijing South Railway Station at 11:05 am and travel towards Shanghai, and the second model, CR400BF, will leave the Shanghai Hongqiao Railway Station for Beijing at the same time. The information was released by the China Railway Corp, the State-owned rail operator.

The Beijing-Shanghai high-speed railway has become the nation's busiest high-speed rail link, with an average of about 505,000 passenger trips taken each day.

Lu Dongfu, general manager of China Railway Corp, announced the new trains would be called "Fuxing", otherwise known as "Rejuvenation" in English. He released this information at a naming ceremony in Beijing's Daxing district on Sunday.

He said the word rejuvenation has been widely employed by the Chinese government, referring to the goal of achieving the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. Prior to the latest models, all of the country's bullet trains were labeled with the word "Harmony" on the exterior of each model.

Lu added the new train models were mainly developed based on China's railway standards and technologies, and were designed to be better adapted to China's environment and rail transport patterns.

According to designers at the China Academy of Railway Sciences, the models would travel at a speed of about 350 kilometers per hour; however, the maximum speed of each model will be 400 kph.
20th anniversary, inauguration show how far SAR has come, president says

President Xi Jinping will embark on a three-day trip to Hong Kong on Thursday to attend a ceremony marking the 20th anniversary of Hong Kong's return to China.

Xi also will attend the inauguration of the fifth administration of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.

Leung Chun-ying, chief executive of Hong Kong, extended his welcome and gratitude to the president on Sunday. Chief executive-elect Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor also welcomed the visit.

"President Xi's visit to the SAR at this important moment to attend the celebration activities and the inauguration ceremony fully shows the importance that the central authorities attach to and their support for Hong Kong," Leung said.

Over the past 20 years, with the support of the central government, Hong Kong has successfully implemented the principle of "one country, two systems", "Hong Kong people administering Hong Kong" and a high degree of autonomy. The SAR has made progress in various areas, he said.

July 1 marks the 20th anniversary of Hong Kong's return from British rule and the establishment of the SAR.

"Over the past two decades, great success has been achieved in the implementation of the one country, two systems' principle in Hong Kong," Xi said in April while meeting with Lam at the Zhongnanhai leadership compound in Beijing.

Noting that Hong Kong has experienced "ups and downs" during the past two decades, Xi said that Hong Kong faces challenges and risks as well as opportunities and hopes.

"The special administrative region system, stipulated in the Constitution as well as the Basic Law, operates effectively, and Hong Kong continues to enjoy prosperity and stability, winning high praise from the international community," Xi said.

Zhang Xiaoming, director of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the SAR, said that over the past 20 years, Hong Kong has remained a center of international finance, shipping and trade, and has been recognized as the world's freest economy and most competitive region.

"If you see the accomplishments against a background of the Asian and global financial crises and the SARS outbreak, and in comparison with other developed economies, you will know the achievements have not been easy," said Zhang.

Wang Lei, a professor of Hong Kong laws at Peking University Law School, said that via the successful implementation of "one country, two systems" in Hong Kong, China has set a paradigm of peaceful unification of the nation, which could be learned by others.

The president has attached great importance to improving the livelihoods of those living in Hong Kong in sectors such as land and housing, senior care and poverty relief.

While meeting with Leung in December in Beijing, Xi said that as Hong Kong develops steadily in social, political and economic terms, the central government as well as Hong Kong residents all can hope for a better economy and improved livelihoods, a harmonious society and happy life for the people.

In July 2008, Xi, then vice-president, paid a 49-hour visit to Hong Kong. During the trip, Xi visited two local families and talked with the residents about such issues as housing prices, mortgage loans, incomes and commodity prices.

The "one country, two systems" principle is in line with interests of the country, the well-being of Hong Kong people and the common aspiration of the entire Chinese people, Xi said in his meeting with Leung in December.

He pointed out that in such significant matters as containing "Hong Kong independence" and handling street violence according to law, the SAR government has strictly followed the Basic Law, the interpretation of the Basic Law by the National People's Congress Standing Committee, and laws of the SAR.

The central government firmly supports the SAR government in its work to contain "Hong Kong independence" according to law, Xi said.

During a gathering to commemorate the 150th anniversary in November 2016 of Sun Yat-sen's birth, Xi said that "any attempt to split the country will be resolutely opposed by all Chinese people".

In April, the president expressed his hope to Lam, who will be sworn in on Saturday, that she would live up to the great trust, rely on the people of Hong Kong, comprehensively and precisely implement the principle of "one country, two systems" and the Basic Law, and contribute to the development of Hong Kong.

Zhang, the SAR Liaison Office director, said Hong Kong will benefit from the country's three major development initiatives: the Belt and Road Initiative, the internationalization of the renminbi, and the building of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.

"On the express train of a robust economic growth, the country has reserved a seat for Hong Kong," Zhang said, stressing that Hong Kong should dovetail its strengths with the country's needs to achieve greater development.

Zhang Dinghuai, a professor of Hong Kong and Macao studies at Shenzhen University, said the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area will bind the mainland cities with Hong Kong and Macao more tightly, creating opportunities.
Sichuan Brigade of Armed Police officers use life detection devices to search for buried villagers of Xinmo village, Sichuan, on Sunday. PHOTOS BY FENG YONGBIN / CHINA DAILY

Peng Kaiqun had a sense of awe when recalling the landslide that left at least 93 people missing in her home county of Maoxian in the Aba Tibetan and Qiang autonomous prefecture in Sichuan province on Saturday morning.

"I had never witnessed anything so scary that I thought it was the eruption of a volcano," said the 35-year-old woman, whose Lianghuokou village is within a walking distance from Xinmo village, where the landslide took place.

At around 5:38 am on Saturday, Peng said she heard a deafening sound and saw rocks falling from the nearby Fugui Mountain. "Water, mud and rocks were flying more than five meters above ground and found their way into Xinmo at the foot of the mountain," she said.

A total of 18 million cubic meters of rock, earth and water slid from the top of the Fugui Mountain and buried 62 homes at the Xinmo village, killing at least 10 and leaving more than 93 missing, according to Xu Zhiwen, deputy chief of the Aba prefecture government, on Sunday afternoon.

On Saturday, President Xi Jinping asked relevant authorities to make maximum efforts to reduce casualties and prevent secondary disasters. Premier Li Keqiang also gave instructions to the rescue work.

Family members of the missing people and those suffering losses in the disaster must be given appropriate care, according to Xi's instruction. He also ordered the State Council, China's Cabinet, to send a work team to the site.

On Sunday afternoon, more than 3,000 rescuers were searching for the missing in the debris. About 300 local residents had been relocated and received relief materials such as food, drinking water and quilts. Fourteen monitoring stations had been set up for the surveillance of geology, environment, meteorology and water resources, according to the prefecture government.
The boom of opera in China has a major role to play in promoting bilateral cultural exchanges with the United States, leading American soprano Renee Fleming has said.

"I've been to China several times and every time I come, I'm really thrilled to see the increasing interest in Western classical music, and particularly in the art of song and in the vocal arts," said Fleming, known affectionately as "the people's diva" in the United States, in a recent interview with Xinhua.

The opera, though struggling in the West, has witnessed a flourish in recent years in China. More and more grand opera houses and performing centers have shown up in major cities like Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou, and an increasing number of audience members are buying tickets to the opera performances.

"I was amazed when I was singing in Guangzhou and how young the audience was and how many women, young women, were in the audience. So that kind of thing inspires me very much... I'm fascinated to see what people respond to," said the beloved artist who has earned four Grammy Awards and is viewed as one of the finest sopranos of her generation.

"And I am also seeing the tremendous amount of talent coming out of China and I expect there to be more and more. So I'm anxious and interested in following that," she said.

"I was amazed when I gave a master class in Shanghai some years ago and a very young man sang for me... only 23 years old, he is already so cultivated really on the highest international level. So that's what I really love to discover," she said.

Fleming is currently on her Asian tour which will take her to concerts in Hong Kong, Beijing, Xi'an, Taipei and Seoul. She will also give master classes at Hong Kong Polytechnic University, National Center for the Performing Arts in Beijing and Shanghai Conservatory of Music.

Born in the US state of Pennsylvania, Fleming has played the heroine role in more than 55 operas, and audiences world wide highly lauded her masterful renderings of works by composers, including Richard Strauss, Mozart and Handel.

Fleming has become a household name in China after she performed together with Mexican tenor Ramon Vargas, Korean-born soprano Jo Su-mi and Russian baritone Dmitri Hvorostovsky at the Great Hall of the People, in Beijing on Aug. 14, 2008.

She also made appearances at major international events like the Obama Inaugural Celebration at the Lincoln Memorial, and the diamond jubilee concert for Queen Elizabeth II.

"I have found a welcome wherever I sing (in China). And certainly I know we feel the same way. There are great Chinese artist who come here, (and) Americans love (them)," said Fleming.
China calls on Pakistan, Afghanistan to improve ties 2017-06-25 10:33:33 Xinhua Visiting Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said Saturday that tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan are not conducive to their stability and development as well as regional cooperation, calling on both countries to meet each other halfway so as to improve bilateral ties.

ISLAMABAD - Visiting Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said Saturday that tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan are not conducive to their stability and development as well as regional cooperation, calling on both countries to meet each other halfway so as to improve bilateral ties.

Wang made the call during his meeting with Pakistani top foreign affairs advisor Sartaj Aziz. He said that Pakistan and Afghanistan should send the international community a positive signal that the two sides are willing to restore mutual trust and conduct cooperation through bilateral channels.

Wang also said that China supports the two sides in seeking to establish a crisis managing mechanism as quickly as possible so as to properly deal with contingencies and to form a trilateral meeting system among foreign ministers of China, Afghanistan and Pakistan in order to enhance dialogue and cooperation in all areas.

For his part, Aziz said that Pakistan is willing to intensify communication and improve relations with the Afghan side and to support the political reconciliation process in Afghanistan as these are in line with both countries' common interests.

The advisor said that the Pakistani side has made political and diplomatic efforts on the issue and is willing to activate relevant dialogue mechanisms and channels, adding that it requires the two sides to meet each other halfway.

He added that Pakistan is willing to form the trilateral foreign ministers meeting system and Pak-Afghan crisis managing mechanism through negotiations to enhance talks and cooperation and properly handle divergences.

On China-Pakistan ties, Wang said that Pakistan is China's all-weather strategic cooperative partner and the relationship is a unique one in China's foreign relations and is tested by history.

He added that China is willing to improve strategic communication and strengthen mutually beneficial cooperation with Pakistan in order to maintain the two countries' common interests.

The Chinese foreign minister highlighted that counter terrorism is an important content of bilateral relations and expressed thanks to the Pakistani side for its firm support for China's fight against the violent terrorist group the "East Turkistan Islamic Movement."

Wang also hailed Pakistan's important contribution to the international counter terrorism cause as it is in the frontline of global fight against terror.
President Xi to attend HK's 20th return anniversary celebration 2017-06-25 11:15:52 chinadaily.com.cn AN BAIJIE President Xi Jinping is set to be in Hong Kong for three days from June 29, in order to attend a ceremony marking the 20th anniversary of Hong Kong's return to the motherland.

BEIJING - President Xi Jinping is set to be in Hong Kong for three days from June 29, in order to attend a ceremony marking the 20th anniversary of Hong Kong's return to the motherland.

Xi, also the general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, will also be present at the inauguration of the fifth administration of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, according to a statement reported by Xinhua News Agency.

anbaijie@chinadaily.com.cn
President Xi Jinping meets with local villagers at Songjiagou New Village, a centralized resettlement site under the approach of alleviating poverty through relocation, in Kelan county of Xinzhou city, North China's Shanxi province, June 21, 2017. Xi had a three-day inspection tour in Shanxi from Wednesday. [Photo/Xinhua]

Setting a deadline for eradicating poverty requires confidence; especially, setting a very short one for eliminating "abject poverty".

However, the country has a proud record in poverty alleviation in the past more than three decades, which has given the current Communist Party of China leadership the confidence to set the deadline to eliminate any enduring poverty by 2020ahead of its 100th anniversary in 2021.

President Xi Jinping's remarks on poverty alleviation on Friday show the CPC leadership is not only confident of achieving that goal, but also well aware of what needs to be done to lift the remaining about 40 million rural villagers out of abject poverty in the next three years.

As Xi pointed out, most of the poverty-stricken villagers now reside in very underdeveloped areas, where the ecological environment is fragile, natural disasters occur frequently, the proportion of destitute rural residents is very high and the local collective economy is weak. As a result, the task ahead is extremely tough and demanding.

It is not just inputs of both financial support and human resources by local governments that will enable these villagers to escape poverty, but also the way such inputs are distributed and used. That explains why targeted poverty alleviation measures have been emphasized.

What is particularly important, as Xi emphasized in his speech, is that the poverty alleviation targets for local governments must be realistic, based on local realities and local conditions. Specifically, the rural poor should no longer have to worry about safe shelter, food and clothing, their children's education and basic healthcare services.

The new emphasis placed on precision  taking the right measures, at the right time, in the right way  will add to the efficiency of specific relief efforts. But the introduction of the strictest report and supervision mechanism that Xi is initiating to prevent corruption and fraud, and his call for an enhanced support system of upgraded infrastructure and improved public services, will make the difference in efforts to ensure those rural residents still struggling to shake off poverty can do so.

A long-term support system is essential in this regard since poverty alleviation achievements in some localities have proven fragile in the past, as there have been cases where people have slid back in poverty due to sudden illness or their efforts to meet the burden of children's education expenses.

Translating Xi's proposals for better support and more effective measures into down-to-earth endeavors at the grassroots level is the guarantee for conquering the stubborn residual poverty in the country.


View from Victoria Tower on Houses of Parliament and London Eye, Palace of Westminster, London, UK.[Photo/VCG]

Tourism chiefs announced Saturday they have released an interactive map to coincide with the 20th anniversary of the first Harry Potter book next Monday.

VisitBritain, the country's official tourism office, is celebrating the publication of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone by showcasing what makes Britain a magical destination for international tourists.

The interactive online map highlights magical sites across Britain which have inspired some of the world's greatest literature and legends, from Harry Potter to Sherwood Forest, famed as the home of Robin Hood, and the legendary King Arthur to Scotland's Loch Ness Monster.

VisitBritain Director Patricia Yates said: "From Glenfinnan Viaduct in Scotland where the Harry Potter's Hogwarts Express travelled, to Professor McGonagall's classroom at Durham Cathedral, to exploring the Forbidden Forest at Warner Bros Studio, Harry Potter's Britain is the stuff of magic."

"Harry and his wizarding world continue to hold generations of readers from across the globe spellbound, firing up imaginations and inspiring people to explore locations and landscapes and experience the wonder themselves."

Attracted by culture and heritage, overseas travellers who visit Britain's castles or historic houses spend more than 10 billion US dollars annually exploring cultural venues.

Film and literature are also powerful motivators for travel, with more than a third of potential visitors to the UK wanting to see places featured on screen, says VisitBritain.

VisitEngland has named 2017 the Year of Literary Heroes to shine the spotlight on England's literary destinations and anniversaries. Anniversaries include the 200th anniversary of Jane Austen's death, the 125th anniversary of the first Sherlock Holmes book, and the 75th anniversary of Enid Blyton's Famous Five.

Latest statistics for 2017 show that there were a record 11.8 million overseas visits to the UK from January to April, up 11 percent on the same period in 2016. Overseas visitors spent nearly 8 million dollars during the period, up 14 percent.
Police said on Saturday they were searching for a suspect or suspects who fired gunshots at a large neighborhood block party in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, in the early hours of the morning, killing one man and wounding four others.

The incident took place at about 1:15 a.m. at the crowded party, said Tracy Figone, a spokeswoman for the Fort Lauderdale Police Department, in a statement.

Five men between 16 and 27 years old were shot. One unidentified 22-year-old man was pronounced dead on the scene and the other four victims were transported to a local hospital with non-life threatening injuries, she said.

Reuters
Foreign Minister Wang Yi (C) meets with his Lebanese counterpart Gebran Bassil (L) in Beirut, capital of Lebanon, on June 23, 2017. [Photo/Xinhua]

BEIRUT - China advocates more actions to curb the deterioration of a refugee crisis in the Middle East and find a solution as soon as possible, Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Friday.

Wang made the remarks at a press conference after meeting with his Lebanese counterpart Gebran Bassil in Beirut during an one-day visit to Lebanon.

He noted that refugees are not migrants, and the international community should strive to create appropriate conditions, through seeking a more swift solution to hot-button issues, for the refugees to return to their homes.

Bassil said Lebanon is under huge pressure in hosting refugees, mostly from Syria, adding that the world should understand and support Lebanon's legal requests on the refugee problem.

According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Lebanon is currently hosting 1.03 million Syrian refugees who fled their war-torn country since the rebellion against President Bashar al-Assad started in March 2011.
Visiting Foreign Minister Wang Yi (L) shakes hands with Pakistani top foreign affairs advisor Sartaj Aziz during their meeting in Islamabad, Pakistan, on June 24, 2017. [Photo/Xinhua ]

ISLAMABAD - Visiting Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said Saturday that tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan are not conducive to their stability and development as well as regional cooperation, calling on both countries to meet each other halfway so as to improve bilateral ties.

Wang made the call during his meeting with Pakistani top foreign affairs advisor Sartaj Aziz. He said that Pakistan and Afghanistan should send the international community a positive signal that the two sides are willing to restore mutual trust and conduct cooperation through bilateral channels.

Wang also said that China supports the two sides in seeking to establish a crisis managing mechanism as quickly as possible so as to properly deal with contingencies and to form a trilateral meeting system among foreign ministers of China, Afghanistan and Pakistan in order to enhance dialogue and cooperation in all areas.

For his part, Aziz said that Pakistan is willing to intensify communication and improve relations with the Afghan side and to support the political reconciliation process in Afghanistan as these are in line with both countries' common interests.

The advisor said that the Pakistani side has made political and diplomatic efforts on the issue and is willing to activate relevant dialogue mechanisms and channels, adding that it requires the two sides to meet each other halfway.

He added that Pakistan is willing to form the trilateral foreign ministers meeting system and Pak-Afghan crisis managing mechanism through negotiations to enhance talks and cooperation and properly handle divergences.

On China-Pakistan ties, Wang said that Pakistan is China's all-weather strategic cooperative partner and the relationship is a unique one in China's foreign relations and is tested by history.

He added that China is willing to improve strategic communication and strengthen mutually beneficial cooperation with Pakistan in order to maintain the two countries' common interests.

The Chinese foreign minister highlighted that counter terrorism is an important content of bilateral relations and expressed thanks to the Pakistani side for its firm support for China's fight against the violent terrorist group the "East Turkistan Islamic Movement."

Wang also hailed Pakistan's important contribution to the international counter terrorism cause as it is in the frontline of global fight against terror.
Photo taken on April 19, 2017 shows the "Big Ben" and a pedestrian light in London, UK. [Photo/Xinhua]

LONDON - The UK Parliament has been hit by a cyber-security attack, BBC reported.

MPs (members of parliament) were reportedly told about the hack on Friday night and later told of difficulties in accessing their emails away from the Westminster estate.

A Commons spokeswoman said the lack of email access was not a result of the cyberattack itself but part of the steps being taken to manage the issue.

She said Parliamentary authorities were liaising with the National Cyber Security Center.

The spokeswoman said: "The Houses of Parliament have discovered unauthorised attempts to access parliamentary user accounts.

"We are continuing to investigate this incident and take further measures to secure the computer network..

"We have systems in place to protect member and staff accounts and are taking the necessary steps to protect our systems."

She added: "Parliament has disabled remote access to protect the network."

A number of MPs have confirmed to the BBC they are not able to access their parliamentary email accounts remotely.

It comes just over a month after 48 of England's NHS trusts were hit by a cyberattack.
Britain's Prince William (R), Duke of Cambridge, his wife Catherine (C), Duchess of Cambridge, and Prince Harry leave St. Paul's Cathedral after the National Service of Thanksgiving to mark the Queen's 90th birthday on June 10, 2016 in London, Britain. [Photo/Xinhua]

LONDON - Queen Elizabeth's bachelor grandson Prince Harry caused a stir Thursday by saying no members of the British royal family want to be the king or queen.

The remarkable comment by the prince was made in an interview with the US magazine Newsweek.

"Is there any one of the Royal Family who wants to be king or queen? I don't think so," Harry said in the magazine.

He said the royals were doing it "for the greater good of the people". Prince Harry added in the interview: "We will carry out our duties at the right time."

The prince also spoke about the role he and his older brother Prince William are taking in modernizing the British monarchy. Prince William is second in line to the throne.

Harry in the interview paid tribute to his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth, for letting the younger royals "do things their own way".

Describing the monarch as remarkable, Harry added: "The Queen has been fantastic in letting us choose. She tells us to take our time and really think things through."

On a more somber note, Harry spoke about the day, when he was aged 12, he walked in the funeral procession for his mother, the late Princess Diana, through the streets of London.

The procession was screened live around the world.

"No child should be asked to do that," said the prince.

On the day of the funeral in 1997, Harry walked alongside his brother Prince William, his father and his grandfather, the Queen's husband Prince Philip and Diana's brother Earl Spencer, in the procession behind his mother's coffin.

In a recent interview, Harry, who has become a mental health champion, revealed he had received counseling to cope with the death in a car crash of his mom.

"My mother had just died, and I had to walk a long way behind her coffin, surrounded by thousands of people watching me while millions more did on television. I don't think any child should be asked to do that, under any circumstances. I don't think it would happen today."

Talking about his role in helping to modernize the royal family, Harry said: "It's a tricky balancing act. We don't want to dilute the magic. The British public and the whole world need institutions like it."

He also revealed he did his own shopping, adding: "I worry someone will snap me with their phone. But I am determined to have a relatively normal life, and if I am lucky enough to have children, they can have one too.

"Even if I was king, I would do my own shopping," he said.

The anti-monarchy campaign group, Republic, responded to the interview Thursday, saying Harry could always walk away from his job as a British royal.

Republic said if Harry is right, "we need a national debate about ending the monarchy."

Graham Smith, the group's CEO, said: "If this is true, that no royal really wants to be king, then I have some sympathy. But the honest truth is Harry can walk away whenever he likes. If they are reluctant royals then they should walk away - Britain will be fine without them.
Hospital workers carry in the first victims of an oil tanker explosion in Bahawalpur at Nishtar hospital in Multan, Pakistan, on June 25, 2017. [Photo/Agencies]

ISLAMABAD - The deadly oil tanker fire that claimed at least 123 lives and wounded over 100 others in Pakistan's eastern Punjab province on Sunday morning could be caused by smoking, said police.

Imran Shah, spokesman of Pakistan Motorway Police, a top body in charge of the security issues of motors in the country, said that initial investigation suggested that the fire broke out after someone on the spot lit a cigarette.

Further probe into the incident is still underway, he said.

Earlier on Sunday morning, a fully packed oil tanker skidded off the road after tire burst on a highway in Ahmad Pur Shaqia, a small town lying about 400 km southwest of Lahore, capital city of Punjab province.

The fire broke out after many people from nearby villages came in motorbikes to collect the oil spilled out from the capsized oil tanker, said eyewitnesses.

A total of 75 motorbikes and six vehicles including a traffic police vehicle were burnt out in the fire, said police. The site is littered with numerous bodies burned beyond recognition, said eyewitnesses.

Three fire engines rushed to the site following the report of the oil tanker fire which broke out at about 6:23 am local time, said fire engine department officials, adding that it took them hours to have the fire put off.

Several helicopters have been dispatched to the site for rescue work, said Inter-Service Public Relations, a media wing of Pakistan Army, in a statement.

Due to the lack of doctors and facilities for burn injuries, many of the seriously burned have been shifted to hospitals in the nearby cities of Bahawalpur and Multan.

Muhammad Baqir, an official in charge of the rescue work, said that 123 people were killed in the fire while over 100 others suffered from burn injuries to different degrees.

Dr. Aurangzeb, Medical Superintendent of Victoria Hospital in Bahawalpur, a district which Ahmad Pur Shaqia falls under jurisdiction, confirmed that 120 bodies and over 100 injured people have been received by different hospitals in the district.

The death toll could further rise as 31 injured people are in critical condition, he said.

Latest reports coming in said that the death toll from the oil tanker fire has risen to 140, but the figure is not officially confirmed.

Both Pakistani President Mamnoon Hussain and Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif have expressed deep sorrows over the loss of so many precious lives in the incident.

Sharif, who is currently abroad on a private trip, instructed all the concerned authorities to provide the best available medical treatment for the fire victims.
This file photo taken on Oct 4, 2012 shows skyscrapers in the Qatari capital Doha. [Photo/Xinhua]

CAIRO - Four Arab states that have severed ties with Qatar over alleged support for terrorism have issued a list of 13 demands to end rift with Doha including closing Al-Jazeera television and cutting diplomatic ties with Iran, Saudi-run Al-Arabiya TV reported on Friday.

Kuwait, which acts as a mediator to end the worst Gulf Arab crisis in years, has presented Qatar a list of demands from Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt, four Arab nations that cut ties with Qatar in early June over its alleged support for Islamic movements that caused disorder in the region and constituted a threat to the dynastic rule in the Gulf states.

The list demanded Qatar to cut diplomatic ties with Iran and to kick members of Iran's Revolutionary Guard out of Qatar and cut off any joint military cooperation with Iran.

The list also demanded Qatar to sever all ties to "terrorist organizations" including the Muslim Brotherhood, the Islamic State group, al-Qaida, and Lebanon's Hezbollah.

Additionally, the four Arab countries demanded Qatar to shut down Al-Jazeera and its affiliate stations, which has always been accused by the four countries of publicizing and fabricating news that incite seditions and support radical thoughts.

Qatar also has to hand over all individuals who are wanted by those four countries for terrorism and stop funding any extremist entities that are designated as terrorist groups.

Doha did not immediately respond to the demands.

For the following 10 years, Qatar would be monitored annually for compliance based on the list of demands.
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A man was killed Saturday night when a freight train struck a truck in southwest Houston, police said.

Houston police officers responded to a report of the wreck at 8:52 p.m. and pronounced the male driver, whose identity was not immediately available, dead at the scene.

Police said the victim disregarded the lowered railroad track barricades and sped around a car stopped at the tracks, in an apparent effort to beat the train. He was later determined to be at fault in the wreck.

The impact pushed his vehicle about 200 yards from the scene of the crash in the outbound lanes of Main between Hillcroft and Fondren.

Aside from those two streets, the tracks - which run parallel to Main in the area - only intersect a roadway at Haviland Street.
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UHCL students win RESEARCH grants

University of Houston-Clear Lake students Stephanie Smothermon and Fernanda Oda were recently awarded grants from the Society for the Advancement for Behavior Analysis for their respective research projects.

Smothermon, who received her master of arts in behavior analysis from UHCL in May, won the $1,000 SABA 2016 Innovative Student Thesis Grant for her project titled, "Teaching Children with Autism to Talk about Private Events."

Oda, who is working on a master's degree in behavior analysis, was awarded $1,000 for the SABA 2017 International Development Grant. Since 2015, she has been developing a project called "The Fountain and the Bridge," reflecting her goal as an international student from Brazil to build a bridge of communication about behavior analysis between the United States and Brazil.

To find out more the behavior analysis program, email behavioranalysis@uhcl.edu, call 281-283-3300 or visit www.uhcl.edu/human-sciences-humanities/departments/clinical-health-applied-sciences/behavior-analysis.

COM Teachers of the Year make science fun

Passion and compassion were two essentials that students cited when voting for professors Jessica Jemison-Williams and Jennifer Robinson College of the Mainland Teachers of the Year.

Jemison-Williams, who has taught at COM for three years, teaches Anatomy and Physiology 1 and 2. She and her students perform experiments, such as graphing on a computer the electrical currents in muscle contraction of the forearm and blood typing using artificial blood.

"She is the best professor I have ever had," student Erin Workman said. "Without her, I have no idea if I could have survived the million and one breakdowns from nursing school and prerequisites"

Robinson, who previously worked in pediatric nursing and at clinics, works with students throughout their time in the one-year Licensed Vocational Nursing program.

"Nursing school is very challenging but having an encouraging teacher makes it a little easier," student ShaVonte Verrett said.

For more about COM nursing programs, visit www.com.edu/nursing.

Skipworth elected to COM board of trustees in runoff

Melissa Skipworth will take a seat as a new member on the College of the Mainland board of trustees after winning the June 17 runoff election.

Skipworth, a resource manager for accounting firm Grant Thornton LLP, defeated Sharon Mitchiner for the seat, previously held by Roney McCrary. Though it is her first run for political office, Skipworth has been involved in the community as a member of her neighborhood homeowner association and volunteer during through her company. Skipworth pledged to work with college President Warren Nichols and the board to improve facilities and resources for faculty, staff, students and the community. Skipworth first became involved with COM after moving to Dickinson. Her husband, Sean Skipworth, is a COM government professor.

Also serving on the board of trustees are Rachel Delgado, Kyle Dickson, Rosalie Kettler, Bennie Matthews, Alan Waters and Don Gartman.

Santa Fe winery wins big in contest

Haak Vineyards & Winery in Santa Fe won five gold medals and two top category honors in the recent 2017 Lone Star International Wine Competition. The competition comprises three competitions in one - a Texas Competition, an International Competition and a Limited Production Competition. To qualify for the Texas Competition, the wine must be 75 percent volume from Texas grapes. Haak's winning wines included: 2015 Tres Tintos, 2016 Semi Dry Blanc du Bois, 2013 Madeira Blanc du Bois and 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon.

Two of the wines were made with the Blanc du Bois grape, which Raymond Haak, owner and director of wine, has been growing for more than 30 years in south Texas. The grape varietal was developed to be resistant to vine diseases such as Pierce's Disease, which are fatal to many grape varietals.

Established in 2000, Haak Vineyards & Winery is an award-winning, family-owned winery located in Santa Fe. With founders Gladys and Raymond Haak at the helm, Haak has become most known for producing unique wines from two grapes that are new to the wine world - Blanc du Bois and the Black Spanish or Jacquez grape. The first and only working vineyard in Galveston County, Haak is open to the public for tours and tastings daily. For more information, visit www.haakwine.com or call 409-925-1401.

social work program reaccredited

The Council on Social Work Education has reaccredited University of Houston-Clear Lake's Bachelor Social Work degree program for another eight-year cycle. It is the third time the Commission on Accreditation has affirmed the program since its inception, and, unusually, without question. Accreditation was about a three year process, involving scrutiny of everything from the curriculum to how students are admitted.

Accreditation means expanded opportunities for graduates. To be a licensed social worker, students must graduate from an accredited program. Graduates from the program are eligible to attain the State of Texas title Licensed Baccalaureate Social Worker, LBSW. It means students can go straight into the work force as social workers and have an almost guaranteed chance of getting into a graduate program.

According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment of social workers is projected to grow 12 percent from 2014 to 2024, driven by increased demand for healthcare and social services.

The university is seeing increased interest in the social work program with more requests to go out to high schools to talk about the program.

In 2016, 24 students graduated from the social work program  the largest cohort. For more information on the program, visit www.uhcl.edu/academics/degrees/social-work-bsw.aspx

Grand opening of PostNet store set June 29

Mustansir "Moose" and Alifia Abbas, are celebrating the grand opening of their PostNet design, printing and shipping franchise, 6725 Fairmont Parkway in Pasadena, 1-2 p.m. June 29. The event will feature a ribbon-cutting ceremony, prizes and special guest Beth Young, who will speak on how to grow a successful business.

"The grand opening celebration is a great way for us to welcome in our new neighbors and local businesses," Alifia said. "We're excited to serve the design, printing and shipping needs of the local business community."

St. Thomas the Apostle appoints interim director

Mary Latulippe is taking over as interim director of St. Thomas the Apostle Episcopal School for the 2017-18 school year following her recent appointment by the board of trustees. Latulippe has 32 year of experience in Clear Creek Independent School District, 24 of those in the classroom and eight as a campus administrator. Her connections and experience at CCISD in all areas of instruction were said to greatly benefit St. Thomas, which serves children from prekindergarten to fifth grade, in its bid to grow. Meanwhile, Candace Silcott will continue as director of enrichment, building on the successful program she began last year. The school, located at 18300 Upper Bay Road, celebrated its 50th anniversary this year.

Pearland ISD, Dell partner for laptop discounts

Pearland Independent School District and Dell have partnered up to offer families laptops at a discounted rate.

Dell is offering the Inspiron 11 3000 Series Base, Dell Latitude 3180 BTX and Inspiron 13 5000 Series to students, parents, faculty and staff at or below $499. These laptops are configured like the computers students use at school and the ones the district purchases for classrooms and labs.

To make a purchase, visit www.dell.com/pearlandisd.

Pearland ISD dedicates Virgil Gant Education Center

The late Pearland Independent School District school trustee Virgil Gant was honored by district officials June 13 with the naming of the Education Support Center to the Virgil Gant Education Support Center. Gant was killed in an auto accident nearly a year ago.

Board president Rebecca Decker said at the dedication they wanted to honor Gant for the 16 years he served with Pearland ISD. Gant served on the board of trustees from 1997 to 2006 and from 2009 to 2016. He held many leadership roles, including board president and as a member of the long-range planning steering committee.

Superintendent John Kelly presented a personalized proclamation from U.S. Congressman Pete Olson to the Gant family along with a portrait of the 2016-17 school board in which they sit around his portrait. Previously, State Rep. Ed Thompson presented a proclamation, which hangs inside the center, located at 1928 N. Main St. in Pearland.

Unique Buildersannounces winner

Unique Builders & Development recently selected Phillip Prater of Pearland as this year's winner of its "Vision and Dreams" Scholarship out of more than 500 applicants.

Prater received $1,000 to go toward his expenses at the University of Texas at San Antonio, where he plans to pursue a degree in mechanical engineering.

Unique Builders & Development selected Prater for demonstrating excellence in academics and service to the community. Prater volunteered with M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Care and Share Street Ministries, Goodwill Industries and the Houston Food Bank. An Eagle Scout, Prater also was involved in the National Society of High School Students, Teen Leadership Academy of Pearland and the Congressional Youth Advisory Council.

In addition, he played basketball for his school.

Unique Builders & Development is a full-service design and building company located in Houston.

Learn more at www.uniquebuilderstexas.com.

Friendswood July 4 celebration bring traffic changes

To accommodate the July Fourth celebrations, the City of Friendswood is putting in parking restrictions from 8 a.m. July 3 until 8 a.m. July 5 for the Lakes of Falcon Ridge subdivision for residents and non-residents. Parking will be limited to one side of the roadway for all streets in the subdivision. Vehicles blocking the roadways will be towed at the owner's expense. Compliance will be strictly enforced by Friendswood police. There are also temporary parking restrictions from 8 a.m. July 2 until 8 a.m. July 5 on both sides of FM 518 between Eagle Lakes Drive and Old Road and on Falcon Ridge, between Hawkhill Drive and West Boulevard.

The 122nd celebration begins at 10 a.m. on S. Friendswood Drive (FM 518) at Heritage Drive and concludes at Stevenson Park, where festivities will continue through the afternoon. Friendswood police will shut down FM 518 at FM 2351 and FM 518 at Whispering Pines at around 9:45 a.m. Traffic will be stopped with barricades on all of the secondary streets between FM 2351 and Whispering Pines until the conclusion of the parade.

Evening events at Centennial Park begins at 7:30 p.m. There is no public parking at Centennial Park. A shuttle service will be provided from Friendswood High School and Clear Brook High School from 6:30-8:45 p.m. Friendswood police officers will provide security services at the shuttle locations.

ACC to host STEM family night

With a $1,000 grant from the ACC Foundation, Alvin Community College is planning to host STEM family nights to show students the advantages of pursuing a career involving science, technology, engineering and math. As careers with a STEM background continue to surge - they are growing at a rate of 17 percent compared to 9.8 percent for all other occupations - the college wants to expose students to related career opportunities.

STEM Family night, one to be conducted in the fall and the other in the spring, will include hands-on activities in a variety of topics for students from kindergarten through 12th grade. The evening will feature engaging activities that show how real-life implications of science, technology, engineering and math can pull together the ideas presented in schools and help to show how they benefit society. The college will partner with local school districts, area industry, the Brazoria County Library System and local engineering firms. The family night will be open to 80 to 100 students and their families

The foundation awarded a total of $12,038 under the Innovative Initiative Grants to eleven projects this past spring. The funding is designed to encourage, facilitate, recognize and reward innovative and creative approaches to fulfill the mission of the college.

San Jacinto College has impact on long-time employee

The Solterdijk family can happily say San Jacinto College has had a lasting impact on two generations of their family. Laura Sloterdijk, her sister Charlotte Cheatham and two children, Michael and Amy, all attended the college. And recently Laura Sloterdijk was recognized for 30 years of service to the college, where she currently serves as Coordinator of Division Operations for Business and Technology on the Central Campus.

As a struggling young mom, Sloterdijk earned her GED from San Jacinto in 1978 and later returned to a job training program, from which she received a secretarial certificate. She was hired by the same program to work as a book keeper. She later went on to earn an associate degree in office administration. Since that early start, Sloterdijk has held several positions during her 30 years - as an administrative assistant in various departments.

Meanwhile, Sloterdijk's sister took classes at the college and is now working on a master's degree in business, while son Michael Chapa earned a welding certification and daughter Amy Sloterdijk earned an associate's degree in nursing and is working towards a bachelor's degree in nursing.

"I instilled the need for education, not only in my kids and family members, but also in friends and strangers I would meet," Laura Sloterdijk said.
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It was a stray McDonald's receipt that landed Oscar Martinez behind bars.

The Houston man is now facing a capital murder charge for his alleged involvement in the January slaying of a Martin Pineda, who was shot to death while taking out the trash.

Prosecutors laid out the charges against the 19-year-old at a Sunday morning court appearance.

The January robbery attempt was all caught on surveillance video at the Houston apartment complex, prosecutors said.

The footage shows a stolen white GMC pick-up truck driving in before one man hops out of the truck and shoots the victim at least once.

It wasn't immediately clear who the suspects were - but once police recovered the truck, they got a tiny clue.

Inside the vehicle was a McDonald's receipt from the day after the shooting. Investigators recovered footage from the fast food spot at the time marked on the receipt and used it to identify Oscar Martinez as the vehicle's driver.

After he was picked up on June 23 for an unrelated felony, Martinez admitted to driving the truck the day of the slaying, prosecutors said.

Martinez said that he and another man had visited the complex that day, and although he spotted the victim, Martinez had no plans to stop.

But then his buddy hopped out of the car and said he wanted to rob the man. Martinez stayed in the driver seat, where he heard two gunshots from behind and saw his friend running back to the truck and the victim running away.

During Sunday's brief court appearance, Martinez asked for a court-appointed lawyer.

He was held without bail and remains in the Harris County jail.
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Houston-area fireworks dealers launched the start of the July 4 fireworks season on Saturday, with the usual array of impressive pyrotechnics for sale all across the county.

"Today is the very first day of our July season and we are super excited," said Laura Ceballos of Top Dog Fireworks. "We've had plenty of rain so we are super-excited because we can sell anything and everything and we're excited for that."

At American Chinese Fireworks, some eager buyers were already waiting in the parking lot when the store opened at 10 a.m.

"There were people at the door waiting when we opened," said manager Tony Williams.



TRAGEDY: Child burned in Mexico fireworks explosion doing well at Shriners Galveston

The Elite Fireworks Supercenter saw similar enthusiasm.

"We opened at 10 a.m., and customers were waiting outside," said manager Valmir Nazisis. "They bought pretty big purchases. We opened at 10 a.m., and we had customers check out at 10:01."

Some of this year's expected top sellers include 500-gram multishot cakes and items with daunting names like "Bad Boy" and "Black Widow."

Texas law restricts fireworks sales to certain times of the year, including December, May and late June through early July.

But even during those times, anything with a fuse is forbidden in Houston city limits. So to avoid a ticket - and a $500 to $2,000 fine - head out to the suburbs for some fiery fun.

EXPLAINED: Fireworks rules in Harris County

Some years, burn bans have impacted fireworks fun, but currently there are no such limitations in place.

Even in unincorporated parts of the county, though, there are some rules. For instance, setting off fireworks within 600 feet of a hospital, gas station, fireworks stand, school or church is verboten. And launching fireworks from a moving vehicle is also forbidden.

"We always tell everybody, be real careful," Ceballos said Saturday, speaking from the store's Highway 59 location, which is run by the First Pentecostal Church of Spring Branch.

"Just follow basic instructions and use your common sense. Don't ever point fireworks at anybody. Always light fireworks outside. Always make sure that kids do not fire fireworks."

Don't try re-lighting duds, Ceballos added.

"We take it back," she said. And always have a hose or bucket handy.
A 4-year-old Central Texas girl was killed and her father had his legs amputated after they were struck by a house boat in Temple, according to reports.

Katlyn Oliver died about an hour after being injured Friday night by the propeller of a recreational house boat that backed over her at Temple Lake Park, police reported Saturday.
A man apparently shot a woman and then himself Friday afternoon in southwest Houston, according to Houston Police.

The shooting occurred around 4:10 p.m. in the 12800 block of Bissonnet, according to HPD spokesman John Cannon. Police officers found the suspect, Tien-Lai Hsu, 74, and the woman he shot, Linda Chang, 68, inside a vehicle with gunshot wounds.
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Houston firefighters will rally at City Hall Wednesday amid contract strife and a looming deadline.

Firefighters declared an impasse in contract negotiations a month ago and have been working under "evergreen" labor terms during the three years since their last contract expired.

This extended period ends Friday, after which employment terms revert to those outlined in city ordinance.

Mayor Sylvester Turner last week had asked the council to play hardball and weaken that underlying ordinance, but council members delayed the vote to Wednesday.

"I'm not in the business of negotiating against myself," Turner said, though he stressed his desire was to reach an agreement with the union.

The firefighters' 1 p.m. rally, at which Houston Professional Fire Fighters Association chief Marty Lancton and three other union leaders will speak, likely would start after council votes on Turner's proposed changes, if a vote is in fact held.

"This rally," a Saturday afternoon union announcement stated, "is to raise awareness of attacks on our wages, benefits and workplace conditions."

Turner's proposed changes would impose less favorable overtime and holiday pay rules and end a program that effectively allows employees to transition into retirement while retaining some employment benefits. The changes also would leave several policies  such as minimum staffing requirements and the assurance that the fire union president's position will remain paid  to management discretion.

Regardless of how or whether the council votes, the mediation process the two sides have entered could continue indefinitely, well beyond the Friday end of the "evergreen" period.

In the talks, firefighters have requested annual raises of 6 percent, 6 percent and 8 percent in a new three-year deal, a proposal Fire Chief Samuel Pena has said is "beyond the city's capability to pay."

The city, Lancton has said, countered with an offer of 2 percent annually over two years.

Firefighters have gone without a raise since 2014.

The conflict over employment terms comes against the backdrop of strained relations between the city and the fire pension board, a separate entity that sued the city last month alleging the pension reform plan the Legislature recently passed violates the Texas Constitution.
Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner has been named co-chair of the Climate Mayors, a group of 331 local leaders that this weekend is trumpeting its support for the goals of the Paris Agreement that President Donald Trump announced this month his administration would abandon.

Gathered this weekend in Miami Beach, Florida as part of the annual U.S. Conference of Mayors, the group is seeking to rally additional cities to its cause and to reaffirm its members' commitment to reducing greenhouse gases.
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Kochi, June 24 (SURYAA) The case of the abduction of a popular actress is turning murkier with popular Malayalam film personality, Nadir Shah, on Saturday alleging he received a call from a close aide of Pulsar Suni, the prime accused, linking superstar Dileep to the case.



Shah, a film actor and director, told reporters that in March he got a call from a person by name Vishnu, who asked him to tell Dileep that if the latter does not give him Rs 1.50 crore he would be forced to inform police that the superstar was involved in the conspiracy to kidnap the popular actress.



"He told me that it was with great difficulty that he got my number and he wished to speak to him (Dileep) about details of the kidnap case. I said I will return the call, and since my mobile did not have recording facility, I called back from my friends mobile that had recording facility. Vishnu then said he is under tremendous pressure from certain people involved in the film industry to mention Dileep's name (in connection with the crime) and they have promised him more than Rs 2 crore. So Vishnu asked me to tell Dileep to give him Rs 1.50 crore, and if he did not he will say Dileep's name," Shah told the media over phone.



Shah later revealed that Vishnu had told him that those who were pressuring him included top people in the Malayalam film industry.



"We handed over the audio of the conversation and also a detailed complaint to the state police chief then itself," added Shah.



Vishnu was in jail in a theft case and put in the same cell as Pulsar Suni. He was released in March.



Dileep, who is currently shooting in Madurai, on Saturday termed Shah's statement as blackmail.



"This is nothing but sheer blackmailing tactics. We have already given all the details of this to the police. We will wait and see now what happens. I have decided to take this black mailing case forward because this should not happen to anyone else," said Dileep.



The latest twist in the case comes a day after reports surfaced that a fresh statement was taken from the actress on Thursday by Additional Director General of police B. Sandhya.



Sandhya's decision to take a fresh statement was prompted when Suni discussed the abduction case with Jinsen, his present jail inmate.



Jinsen informed police about what Suni had told him, following which the police decided to take a fresh statement from the actress.



Police are now planning to get Jinsen to record his statement in front of a magistrate.



Police, who arrested all the six accused within a week of the incident in February, failed to unravel if there was any conspiracy behind the kidnap of the actress.



The hugely popular young actress was kidnapped on February 17 while she was travelling from Thrissur to Kochi by road but later dumped near the house of director-turned-actor Lal, who upon hearing her harrowing experience, informed police.



She was also alleged to have been sexually molested enroute the journey.
CLEVELAND, Ohio - Set aside a Republican-controlled process to gerrymander, and Ohio would have one or two more Democratic representatives in Congress and an extra five Democrats in the Ohio House, according to a new AP analysis of 2016 election returns.



The Ohio details were part of a national analysis by the Associated Press that determined the political nature of drawing congressional districts has enhanced the Republicans' hold on the U.S. House. Yet, the GOP would have still held a slight majority had districts been drawn more fairly.



Using a formula that is now part of a U.S. Supreme Court gerrymandering case out of Wisconsin, the AP estimates that the Democrats could hold as many as 22 more seats if the districts were not drawn for political gain, though the Republicans would still hold a slight majority.

The GOP won 241-194 majority in the 2016 election.



In Ohio, the GOP holds 75 percent of the seats despite winning just 58 percent of the head-to-head vote in the 2016 election.

Earlier study



Cleveland.com, in analyzing election results covering the last 448 races going back to 1972, reported earlier that it could not find a time when there was less competition between the two parties.



Ohio has 16 safe congressional seats - 12 for Republicans and four for Democrats - as a result of the gerrymandering of district maps by Republican state leaders after the 2010 census. Most races are decided by landslide margins.



The AP analysis concluded that the GOP control in Ohio would instead be either 11-5 or 10-6 in favor of Republicans without gerrymandering.

Beyond political divisions, one argument against drawing such safe districts is that the lack of competition can reduce the voice of the people by limiting their ability to cause change.

Possible change in Ohio



A group called Fair Congressional Districts for Ohio is now circulating petitions aimed at changing Ohio's constitution to eliminate gerrymandering, or creating districts to the advantage one political party over another.



The current process in Ohio requires approval of the congressional maps by the Ohio House, the Ohio Senate and the governor.



The Republicans controlled all three - the House, Senate and governor's office - each of the last two times the maps were drawn - for 2002-2010 and for 2012-2020.



Every other time since at least 1950, each party had control of at least one of the three, forcing more compromise.

The Ohio Statehouse

For the Statehouse, changes already have been made, but have not yet been implemented.

The AP examined only races for the state House of Representatives, but not the Senate because not all Senate seats were up for election last year. The GOP in 2016 won 66 of the 99 races for the Ohio House of Representatives.

The AP analysis concluded that the House makeup could instead be 61-36 in favor of the GOP without politically drawn districts.

The AP analysis

Nationwide, the AP analysis found "four times as many states with Republican-skewed state House or Assembly districts than Democratic ones." This worked against the Democrats in the 2016 election.

"The outcome was already cooked in, if you will, because of the way the districts were drawn," John McGlennon, a longtime professor of government and public policy at the College of William & Mary in Virginia, told the AP.

The AP based its analysis on a formula developed by University of Chicago law professor Nick Stephanopoulos and Eric McGhee, a researcher at the nonpartisan Public Policy Institute of California.

One assumption is that the political makeup of a legislative body should be expected to trend with - but not match - the statewide vote for legislative races.

One example of a major disparity cited by the AP was in Michigan, where the head-to-head vote was about 50-50, but Republicans won 57 percent of the house seats in the state legislature.
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- A power outage knocked out the sound to the lawn during Train's set Saturday night at Blossom Music Center, according to a statement issued by concert promoter Live Nation.



The technical problems, which did not affect the sound in Blossom's pavilion, occurred 3-4 songs into the performance by the popular rock band. The sound for show openers O.A.R. and Natasha Bedingfield was not affected, according to Live Nation.

About 14,000 fans were at the show, according to Live Nation estimates. The Blossom pavilion seats about 5,700 people. The capacity of the lawn is about 13,500 people.



Live Nation posted this notice on its various social media accounts, including Facebook:



"We apologize to all of the fans affected tonight by the sound issues at the Train concert at Blossom Music Center. Due to a power outage, the sound on the lawn during the show was not functioning properly. We are investigating the situation and will be contacting the lawn patrons with additional information within the next few days. We appreciate your patience and will be in touch as soon as possible."



It is unclear at this point whether the promoter will be offering refunds or some other form of compensation for lawn-ticket holders.



Barry Gabel, Live Nation's senior vice president for marketing and sales, said the promoter is working with Ticketmaster and Train management to come up with a plan to address the situation.



"We are in the business of making good memories, not bad ones," said Gabel. "One problem is too many. And we will be in touch with fans on the lawn as soon as we have more information."



The next show scheduled for Blossom is a Wednesday, June 28, performance by Dead & Co., a band consisting of former Grateful Dead members Bob Weir, Mickey Hart, and Bill Kreutzmann, along with John Mayer and others.
Guest columnist Zohaib Zafar is a graduate student at Cleveland State University and a member of the Muslim Writers Guild of America.

A few weeks ago, in the Portland train attacks, three people were stabbed after they tried protecting two teenage girls from a terrorist named Jeremy Christian. One of the two girls was Muslim and wore the hijab. Christian told the girls they were nothing and that they should kill themselves, and he also reportedly said, "Muslims should die."

It took three days for any condemnation of this terrorist attack to be displayed on President Trump's social media. Furthermore, Trump's response was tweeted using the Twitter account that he inherited from President Obama and not his own account, thus he did not reach many of his supporters.

Trump is very quick to condemn terrorist attacks that Muslims perpetrate in the West, but when they are perpetrated by those who are not Muslim, the response is not immediate, and often there is no response at all. If Trump continues to do this, he will leave a legacy in which he was more committed to serving his political interests than the safety of Americans.

The two people who died in the Portland train attacks were not even Muslim. They were two Americans who unselfishly gave up their lives to protect two women from an anti-Muslim terrorist. Recently Trump tweeted six times about the June 2017 London attacks but there was no tweet for Timothy Caughman who was killed by a white supremacist in March. There was no tweet for Richard Collins III, an African American who was stabbed to death recently on the University of Maryland campus, allegedly by a member of the white supremacist "Alt-Reich: Nation."

Many might argue that these brutal murders are "right-wing violence" and not domestic terrorism, but according to Arie Perliger, a terrorism expert, domestic terrorism is "the use of violence in a political and social context that aims to send a message to a broader target audience."

Is this not what these white supremacists were trying to do? Furthermore, Perliger writes in Newsweek that "a report initially published in 2014 by New America Foundation on domestic incidents of extremist violence shows that excluding the Orlando nightclub massacre, between 2002-2016, far-right affiliated perpetrators conducted 18 attacks that killed 48 people in the United States, while terrorists motivated by al-Qaida's or the Islamic State's ideology killed 45 people in nine attacks." While Obama would not use the term "radical Islam," a point of contention for Trump, Trump ignores the root cause of more than half of terrorism that has occurred since 2002.

June coincides with Ramadan, the holiest month of the year for Muslims. Muslims are taught to fast from dawn to sunset for 30 days and improve themselves spiritually, something taught in every religion. In light of this, my religious community, the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, hosted an interfaith event on at our mosque in Bedford. Six representatives of different religious traditions, including Buddhism, Christianity, Judaism, Hinduism, Islam and Sikhism spoke on the importance of fasting and discipline. Interfaith events are one of the best ways to eliminate right-wing terrorism from America.

If Jeremy Christian had Muslim friends, perhaps Ricky John Best and Taliesin Myrddin Namkai-Meche would still be alive today.

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Readers are invited to submit Opinion page essays on topics of regional or general interest. Send your 500-word essay for consideration to Linda Kinsey at lkinsey@cleveland.com. Essays must also include a brief bio and headshot of the writer. Essays rebutting today's topics are also welcome.
Burglary, Hopkins Avenue: Police were called to a house about 5 p.m. June 16 on a report of a burglary. The house had been broken into.

Robbery, Lewis Drive: A man came to the police station about 4 p.m. June 22 to report that approximately 20 minutes earlier he had been robbed at gunpoint by a man with a revolver. The victim's flip phone was taken.

Breaking and entering, Detroit Avenue: Police were called to a restaurant about 8:30 a.m. June 17 by the cleaning crew. Members believed the business had been broken into. A door was pried open and a window was broken.

Driving under the influence, Cove Avenue: Police were called about 11:40 p.m. June 17 about a car striking a parked car. Police ended up arresting the driver for operating a vehicle while impaired.

Coyote spotted, Cove Avenue: Police report a coyote was spotted just before 1 a.m. June 22 in Cove Park, on Cove Avenue. The animal ran westbound onto Thoreau near the tracks. The animal warden was notified.

Petty theft, Clifton Boulevard: Police were called about 2 p.m. June 22 about the theft of two bicycles from a storage locker at a Clifton Boulevard apartment building.

Petty theft, Madison Avenue: Police received a call about 5:45 p.m. June 22 that four juveniles stole a cell phone from Madison Wireless and took off running.

Petty theft, Detroit Avenue: Police were called about 6:30 a.m. June 21 to Walgreens on a report of a man caught shoplifting. Officer said the man was charged with petty theft.

Criminal mischief, Bunts Road: A male resident reported to police early June 21 that the paint on his car was damaged overnight after someone threw an egg at the car, which had been parked on the street. Officers observed scratches in the paint where the egg hit. The owner had already washed the egg from the car. The owner said this was the second incident of its kind within the past year.

Petty theft, Detroit Avenue: Police were called at 2 p.m. June 21 to Giant Eagle regarding a suspected shoplifter accused of stealing seafood and steaks. Officers arrested a man for petty theft.

Petty theft, Detroit Avenue: Police were called about 8 p.m. June 21 to Giant Eagle about a suspected male shoplifter who stole some wine and walked across the street to the Get Go station, where he was seated at a picnic table. Police arrested a suspect for petty theft.

Drug abuse instruments, Richland Avenue: Police investigated a vehicle June 20 after discovering the plates on the vehicle did not match the description of the vehicle. Two male passengers inside the car were arrested for possession of drug abuse instruments. The vehicle was impounded.

Disorderly conduct, Beach Avenue: Police cited a man about 4 a.m. June 19 for disorderly conduct by intoxication after he was discovered lying "half naked" in the roadway.

Cake heist, Detroit Avenue: Dairy Queen employees informed police about 2:40 p.m. June 19 that a woman stole a 10-inch cake, got into the passenger side of a car, and drove away without paying.

Petty theft, Victoria Avenue: Police received information about 6 p.m. June 19 that two bikes were stolen out of a garage earlier that day.

Stolen vehicle, Bonnieview Avenue: Police received a report about 9 p.m. June 18 that a car was stolen sometime since 2 p.m. June 17. The complainant reported leaving the keys in the center console.

If you'd like to comment on this story, visit Saturday's crime and court's comments section.
The 2016 presidential contest was awash with charges that the fix was in: Republican Donald Trump repeatedly claimed that the election was rigged against him, while Democrats have accused the Russians of stacking the odds in Trump's favor.

Less attention was paid to manipulation that occurred not during the presidential race, but before it -- in the drawing of lines for hundreds of U.S. and state legislative seats. The result, according to an Associated Press analysis: Republicans had a real advantage.

Related: See impact on Ohio elections



The AP scrutinized the outcomes of all 435 U.S. House races and about 4,700 state House and Assembly seats up for election last year using a new statistical method of calculating partisan advantage. It's designed to detect cases in which one party may have won, widened or retained its grip on power through political gerrymandering.

The analysis found four times as many states with Republican-skewed state House or Assembly districts than Democratic ones. Among the two dozen most populated states that determine the vast majority of Congress, there were nearly three times as many with Republican-tilted U.S. House districts.

Traditional battlegrounds such as Michigan, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Florida and Virginia were among those with significant Republican advantages in their U.S. or state House races. All had districts drawn by Republicans after the last Census in 2010.

The AP analysis also found that Republicans won as many as 22 additional U.S. House seats over what would have been expected based on the average vote share in congressional districts across the country. That helped provide the GOP with a comfortable majority over Democrats instead of a narrow one.

Republicans held several advantages heading into the 2016 election. They had more incumbents, which carried weight even in a year of "outsider" candidates. Republicans also had a geographical advantage because their voters were spread more widely across suburban and rural America instead of being highly concentrated, as Democrats generally are, in big cities.

Yet the data suggest that even if Democrats had turned out in larger numbers, their chances of substantial legislative gains were limited by gerrymandering.

"The outcome was already cooked in, if you will, because of the way the districts were drawn," said John McGlennon, a longtime professor of government and public policy at the College of William & Mary in Virginia who ran unsuccessfully for Congress as a Democrat in the 1980s.

A separate statistical analysis conducted for AP by the Princeton University Gerrymandering Project found that the extreme Republican advantages in some states were no fluke.

The Republican edge in Michigan's state House districts had only a 1-in-16,000 probability of occurring by chance; in Wisconsin's Assembly districts, there was a mere 1-in-60,000 likelihood of it happening randomly, the analysis found.

The AP's findings are similar to recent ones from the Brennan Center for Justice at the New York University School of Law, which used three statistical tests to analyze the 2012-2016 congressional elections.

Its report found a persistent Republican advantage and "clear evidence that aggressive gerrymandering is distorting the nation's congressional maps," posing a "threat to democracy." The Brennan Center did not analyze state legislative elections.

The AP's analysis was based on a formula developed by University of Chicago law professor Nick Stephanopoulos and Eric McGhee, a researcher at the nonpartisan Public Policy Institute of California.

Their mathematical model was cited last fall as "corroborative evidence" by a federal appeals court panel that struck down Wisconsin's state Assembly districts as an intentional partisan gerrymander in violation of Democratic voters' rights to representation.

A dissenting judge ridiculed the Wisconsin ruling for creating a "phantom constitutional right" of proportional political representation. Wisconsin's attorney general has argued on appeal that the ruling could "throw states across the country into chaos."

Although judges have commonly struck down districts because of unequal populations or racial gerrymandering, the courts until now have been reluctant to define exactly when partisan map manipulation crosses the line and becomes unconstitutional. The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to hear arguments on the

Wisconsin case this fall. If upheld, it could dramatically change the way legislative districts are drawn across the U.S. -- just in advance of the next round of redistricting after the 2020 Census.

But if partisan gerrymandering "goes unchecked, it's going to be worse -- no matter who's in charge," said Sam Wang, director of the Princeton Gerrymandering Project.

Packing and cracking

Throughout U.S. history, Democrats and Republicans alike have been accused of drawing political districts in ways that favored their own interests.

It typically occurs in one of two ways:

"Packing" a large number of voters from the opposing party into a few districts to concentrate their votes.

"Cracking," in which the majority party spreads the opposing party's supporters among multiple districts to dilute their influence.

Another way of explaining it: When the party controlling the redistricting process sets out to draw lines, it has detailed information about the number of supporters the opposing party has, and where they reside.

It sets out to shape districts so its opponents' votes are wasted -- spreading them out in some places so they are unlikely to win, and compacting them in others so they have far more votes than they need for victory. Both methods allow the party already in power to translate its votes into a greater share of victories -- or, put another way, to be more efficient with its votes.

The "efficiency gap" formula developed by Stephanopoulos and McGhee creates a way to measure whether gerrymandering has helped a political party enlarge its power.

The formula compares the statewide average share of the vote a party receives in each district with the statewide percentage of seats it wins, taking into account a common political expectation: For each 1 percentage point gain in its statewide vote share, a party normally increases its seat share by 2 percentage points. So a party that receives 55 percent of the statewide vote could expect to win 60 percent of the legislative seats.

Michigan provides a good example of how the formula works.

Last fall, voters statewide split their ballots essentially 50-50 between Republican and Democratic state House candidates. Yet Republicans won 57 percent of the House seats, claiming 63 seats to the Democrats' 47. That amounted to an efficiency gap of 10.3 percent in favor of Michigan's Republicans, one of the highest advantages among all states.

That also marked the third straight Michigan House election since redistricting with double-digit efficiency gaps favoring Republicans. Stephanopoulos said such a trend is "virtually unprecedented" and indicative of a durable Republican advantage.

Republicans controlled both chambers of the Michigan Legislature, as well as the governor's office, when the maps were redrawn in 2011.

As lawmakers prepared to vote on those maps, former Democratic state Rep. Lisa Brown recalls being summoned into a private room near the back of the House chamber. She says a top Republican lawmaker showed her two potential maps.

One kept her home in the same district while the other shifted her neighborhood into a predominantly Republican district to the east.

Brown said she was offered a deal: Vote with Republicans or get stuck with the less-favorable map. She declined.

As a result, Brown said, "I was gerrymandered out of my district."

Instead of opting for a re-election campaign, she decided the next year to run for Oakland County clerk, a position she still holds.

The Michigan House redistricting effort was led in 2011 by then-state Rep. Pete Lund, a Republican who now is the Michigan director of Americans for Prosperity, a conservative interest group backed by billionaire industrialists Charles and David Koch. Lund told the AP that he doesn't remember the details of his redistricting conversation with Brown and doesn't recall trying to draw anyone out of a district.

He said if Michigan's House districts appear to have any "distortion," it's because Democrats are naturally concentrated in the state's urban areas and because Republicans tried to comply with the federal Voting Rights Act by ensuring racial minorities have large enough concentrations to elect a representative of their choice.

Lund denied gerrymandering districts to favor Republicans, instead blaming Democrats for their own losses.

"The Democrats don't know how to run campaigns; they're horrible at it. We beat them right and left," he said.

State House Minority Leader Tim Greimel stepped down from his leadership post after his party failed to cut into the Republican majority in 2016.

"Is it truly impossible for Democrats to win a majority in the statehouse with the districts drawn the way they are? I don't know," he said. "But it certainly makes it far more difficult -- and that's the purpose of gerrymandering."

Experts agree with parts of both Lund's explanation and Greimel's. The clustering of Democrats in urban areas creates some "unintentional gerrymandering" that works against them, said Jowei Chen, an associate political science professor at the University of Michigan.

"But overt partisan gerrymandering is certainly a big part of the explanation, as well," both in Michigan and elsewhere, Chen said.

GOP in control



The current Republican supremacy in many states traces to the 2010 elections, when a GOP wave two years after Democrat Barack Obama was elected president allowed the party to grasp full control of 25 state legislatures and 29 governorships. That was just in time to carry out the mandatory duty of redistricting based on the 2010 Census.

Since then, the Republican dominance has grown to 33 legislatures and 33 governorships -- doubling the totals for Democrats -- as well as both chambers of Congress and the presidency.

Acknowledging Republican dominance in many states, Democrats recently launched an initiative led by former Attorney General Eric Holder and aided by Obama that is intended to better position the party for the redistricting process after the 2020 Census.

Their three-pronged approach will target key state races, support legal challenges to current maps and pursue ballot initiatives to change the redistricting methods in some states.

Holder says the goal is "to get to a more fair, more democratic system" than what he calls the current "rigged political process."

Stephanopoulos and McGhee computed efficiency gaps for four decades of congressional and state House races starting in 1972, finding that the pro-Republican maps enacted after the 2010 Census resulted in "the most extreme gerrymanders in modern history."

The AP used their method to calculate the efficiency gaps for all states that held partisan House or Assembly elections for all of their districts in 2016. North Dakota was excluded because it elected only half its House members, and Nebraska was left out because its legislative elections are officially nonpartisan.

In addition to Michigan, the analysis found a significant Republican tilt in South Dakota, Wisconsin and Florida, all of which had a Republican-controlled redistricting process after the 2010 Census.

The presidential swing states of Ohio and North Carolina were among others that had 2016 state House efficiency gaps favoring Republicans, the third straight such result since Republicans led the last round of redistricting in those states.

Democrats had high efficiency gap scores in Colorado and Nevada, two states where they won state House majorities in 2016 even though Republican candidates received more total statewide votes. Colorado's map was drawn by a Democratic-dominated commission that Republicans criticized as "politically vindictive."

Nevada's districts were decided by a court, but Republicans complained at the time that they appeared more favorable to Democrats.

Despite criticism of the process from minority parties, control of redistricting doesn't always guarantee success. Democrats led the redistricting efforts in

Arkansas and West Virginia in 2011, and some Republicans grumbled at the time about partisan line-drawing. Yet Republicans subsequently swept to victory in both states, just as they had elsewhere in the South and through much of Appalachia.

The AP also calculated efficiency gap scores for the U.S. House elections, although experts caution that those measurements are less statistically meaningful in states with few districts.

Among the more than two dozen states with at least six congressional districts, the AP's analysis showed a significant Republican advantage in such places as North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Michigan and Virginia, all states where Republicans were in charge of redrawing the boundaries after the 2010 Census.

The largest Democratic congressional advantage was in Maryland, where redistricting was controlled by a Democratic governor and legislature. Former Gov. Martin O'Malley recently acknowledged during testimony in a gerrymandering lawsuit that his intent was to "create a district where people would be more likely to elect a Democrat than a Republican."

Artful line drawing



In Pennsylvania, Republicans won 13 of the 18 congressional seats last year, three more than would be expected based on the party's vote share, according to the AP analysis.

"There's one answer for that, one word: gerrymander," said Terry Madonna, director of the Center for Politics and Public Affairs at Franklin & Marshall College in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. "In 2011, the gerrymander was the most artful that I've seen."

Pennsylvania's congressional delegation already had a 12-7 Republican advantage over Democrats heading into the last round of redistricting, when the state lost a congressional seat because of lagging population growth. Top Republicans who drew the new boundaries sought to diminish Democrats' overall electoral chances by shifting the borders of numerous districts.

For example, a Republican-held district near Philadelphia that had been trending toward Democrats was stretched westward to take in more conservative voters. And Democratic-leaning voters in Scranton and Wilkes-Barre were shifted out of a Republican-held seat into a Democratic-led district to help protect the GOP incumbent.

Both changes were cited in a lawsuit filed this month by Democratic voters alleging Pennsylvania's congressional districts are "the product of naked partisan gerrymandering" and should be struck down.

Research and reporting by Meghan Hoyer and David A. Lieb of the Associated Press.
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Ohio Gov. John Kasich on Sunday criticized the Senate's healthcare bill.

The Republican governor spoke out against the bill on CNN's State of the Union.

"Both parties ought to be worried about poor people because I don't think either party particularly cares about helping poor people," Kasich told CNN's Dana Bash. "You look at the rates of poverty, the problems in this country."

Kasich said the healthcare provided by Medicaid is designed to help sick and poor people get well and get jobs.

"Everything we're talking about now, getting people healthy, giving them healthcare, is designed to get them to work," Kasich said. "It's designed to give them an opportunity to have a better life."

The Senate bill aims to reduce government-paid healthcare benefits, give more power to states and cut taxes for some.

The Senate bill would keep restrictions that bar insurers from rejecting people with preexisting medical conditions. But it would leave it to states to decide what benefits must be included in health plans and would drop the penalties for people and companies that fail to buy or provide health insurance.

It would cut some government subsidies that people use to bring down their insurance premiums.
CLEVELAND -- All aboard the budget bill train! Silently lurking in proposed changes to our state's laws passed by the Ohio Senate on Wednesday in the draft 2017-19 Ohio budget is a wholesale rewrite of Ohio's wrongful imprisonment statute.

If you asked, "How does changing the statutory definition of wrongful imprisonment relate to the biennial budget," you'd be asking a good question. The only conceivable answer is that you'll be paying more money to those who successfully challenge their convictions on appeal.

In 1986, Ohio's legislature empowered courts to declare innocence. To get taxpayers' money, qualifying claimants had to show five things: a felony charge; no admission of guilt; time spent in prison; the prosecutor couldn't retry the case; and innocence.

In 2003, Ohio amended the statute's final requirement to also include those who proved, "Subsequent to sentencing or during or subsequent to imprisonment, an error in procedure resulted in release...."

Former convicts argued that even though they committed the crime, if their convictions were overturned on appeal, they should get paid for their prison stay under this amendment. They argued that, "an error in procedure resulted in release."

For instance, a jury convicted Yanko Mansaray of drug possession and weapons violations a decade ago. Prior to trial, he filed a motion to suppress the large quantities of Ecstasy pills found in his Cleveland home, claiming that police violated his Fourth Amendment rights.

Federal agents had an arrest warrant for someone known to live with Mansaray, but who was not there that day. U.S. Marshals called police to investigate the drugs and weapons they saw in plain view in Mansaray's home. Police obtained a search warrant from a Common Pleas judge based on what federal agents saw (lots of drugs and a gun). The judge denied Mansaray's pretrial motion to suppress all evidence. The jury convicted, resulting in an 11-year prison sentence.

In 2010, the state appeals court ruled that the trial judge made the wrong decision: The trial court should have thrown out the evidence and dismissed the charges. Upon his release, Mansaray wanted compensation for the roughly two years he spent in prison waiting for the reversal of his conviction.

The Ohio Supreme Court unanimously held that the 2003 amendment did not grant Mansaray the right to compensation because the way the statute read, the procedural error had to occur "during or subsequent to imprisonment." Mansaray's claimed "error" happened prior to trial when the court denied his motion to suppress.

The budget bill, House Bill 49, expressly overrules this 2014 Ohio Supreme Court decision. The changes to R.C. 2743.48(A) found in the budget mean those convicted of crimes, but successful on appeal, will receive more than $52,000 per year in prison, plus attorney fees. This is not the law; nor should it be the law on wrongful imprisonment in Ohio. It is shocking that Ohio's majority party who are professed fiscal conservatives are attempting to rewrite Ohio's wrongful imprisonment laws in this fashion.

Because the budget bill was only unveiled such a short time ago, the scope of these changes has not been fully vetted. More concerning, these amendments are retroactive to the date of the Ohio Supreme Court's decision, meaning every single person having their wrongful imprisonment cases dismissed in the last four years will refile their claims.

The proposed changes will have initial costs in the tens of millions of dollars, and ongoing costs in the range of $1 million to $2 million every year. When testimony before the Senate Finance Committee concluded, not a single person had spoken in favor of these amendments.

Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine, along with the Ohio Prosecuting Attorneys Association, opposes these changes, suggesting the legislature consider them -- if at all -- via a stand-alone bill where they might rise or fall on their own merits. This expansion of state liability should not be an "add-on" to a "must-pass bill" due on July 1, come hell or high water.

Proponents' argument that "there's only a handful of these 'error in procedure' claimants" is false. If Ohio enacts this proposal, there will be a multitude of claimants because, as written, the statute appears to impose strict liability upon the state any time defendants suggest a legal error sent them to prison. As you may expect, many convicts assert that a legal error sent them to prison.

No other state in our nation defines "wrongful imprisonment" as expansively as the statutory definition buried in the budget text. If you agree, call your state representatives, senators and Gov. John Kasich, demanding removal of these changes from the final budget.

On Monday, DeWine wrote to the legislature, "If this provision remains in the budget, Ohio will be the only state in the Union that allows for compensation for ANY error in procedure."

Surreptitiously sticking these amendments in the budget bill cannot stand. Simply put, this is not a partisan issue. It's a common-sense issue. If HB 49's changes become law, let me suggest our legislature make one more last-minute change. Strike "God" and redraft our state motto as follows: "With the budget bill, all things are possible."

Brian Gutkoski is an assistant prosecuting attorney for Cuyahoga County and argued Mansaray v. State to the Ohio Supreme Court in 2013.

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PARMA, Ohio - Residents will be driving on re-paved and crack sealed streets by the end of the fall.

City officials have identified the streets that will be repaired this season. Brian Higgins, director of public services, and Mayor Tim DeGeeter outlined the plan for all nine wards.

"Typically, we spend $2 million a year on street repairs," Higgins said. "We're going to spend that $2 million plus the $3 million that we borrowed, and also last year we borrowed $1.5 million for the Day Drive project."

Day Drive will be what is called a "complete concrete joint repair" from Ridge Road to Lynett Drive. There is currently a bid out on that work.

Higgins said that there is no schedule yet as to when the streets will be done because it all depends on weather conditions and obstacles that the contractors may face while doing the work.

"We're working with our partner governments and trying to do more than we've ever done before," DeGeeter said. "The state has control of it. The county has its road projects.

"We worked with council and our auditor to see what we could do and increase road repairs," DeGeeter said. "We have a great partner in the county. Snow Road has been done, and in the last few years, we've gotten a nice share of the funds. Obviously, we want to continue that.

"We're an inner-ring suburb," DeGeeter said. "We've got aging infrastructure, but we've been very successful on sewer projects. Now we want to get as much road money as we can."

Higgins said the repairs and repaving can be done until the end of October. A number of the repairs have yet to receive bids.

"What we'll do next year is continue to work on the streets," DeGeeter said. "One of the major projects next year will be West 54th Street from Snow to Hollywood."

The streets to be re-paved by ward are as follows:

Ward One

Greenlawn: West Moreland to Bauerdale; Windham: Dead End to Hauserman; Bauerdale; West Moreland to Pearl Road

Ward Two

Hampstead: Ridge to W. 54th Street; Wareham; Hampstead to Brownfield; Thornton: Westminster to Chestnut Hills; W. 54th Street: Snow to Hollywood

Ward Three

Wellington: State to W. 54th Street; Russell: State to W. 51st Street

Ward Four

Grovewood: State to Broadview; Liggett: State to S. Park Boulevard

Ward Five

Chateau: Boundary Lane to the Dead End; Eventide: Night Vista to Ely Vista; Bruening: State to Dead End; Stearns Farm parking lot

Ward Six

Burden: Brian to Bonny Boulevard; Hoertz: Pleasant Valley to 7772; Hilltop: Lyle to State

Ward Seven

Nike Drive to Nike Building; Pleasant Lake Boulevard: 7777 Arbor to Ruhr; S. Lake Boulevard; Old Pleasant Valley: Oakwood to W. 130th Street; N. Linden Lane: Bagley to W. Linden Lane; W. Linden Lane: N. Linden Lane to W. 130th Street

Ward Eight

Doncaster: Buckingham to S. Canterbury; Roycroft: Ridge to W. Ridgewood; Holburn: Pelham to Stanbury; Ames: W. Ridgewood to Independence Boulevard; Police Station Sally Port and Drive; Wareham: Pelham to Brownfield; Day Drive: Ames to Ridge; Day Drive: Ridge to Lynett

Ward Nine

Shiloh Circle: Gettysburg to Cul-de-Sac; George: State to W. 33rd Street; Carlton: Broadview to Dead End; Commonwealth: State to S. Park; Vicksburg: Broadview to Thorncliffe; Manassas Oval plus Cul-de-Sac; Shenadoah plus Cul-de-Sac
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The National Weather Service in Cleveland has issued a beach hazard statement for possible rip currents and dangerous swimming conditions for Lake Erie beaches in Northeast Ohio through 10 p.m. this evening.

According to the statement, Lake Erie beaches of Cuyahoga, Lake and Ashtabula counties have high swimming risks due to strong waves and currents. The Weather Service urges to stay out of the water until the conditions subside.

A small craft advisory is in effect for the same area offshore due to 3 to 5 foot waves and winds 11 to 23 mph creating dangerous boating conditions for smaller water vessels and inexperienced mariners until 10 p.m.

Keep checking cleveland.com/weather for daily weather updates for Northeast Ohio, and don't forget to submit any weather questions you may have!

Kelly Reardon is cleveland.com's meteorologist. Please follow me on Facebook and Twitter @KelTellsWeather.
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Thousands of teachers, social workers, first responders, nurses, doctors and other government and nonprofit workers could have their federal student debt forgiven starting in October. But the road to debt forgiveness is not a cakewalk. Many of these borrowers have complained to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau that their loan servicers have given them incorrect information about public-service loan forgiveness and made errors with their loans that disqualify them for the program. Here's how the public-service loan forgiveness works: If you take out a federal student loan, you have your loans forgiven after making 10 years of on-time payments and by working for an employer the Department of Education deems to be serving the public good. Qualified employers include local, state and federal government agencies and nonprofit organizations. (Private lenders don't offer this option.) Since 2012, borrowers could certify with the Education Department that their employment would qualify them for public-service loan forgiveness. The number of borrowers who have been approved has grown rapidly, to 552,931 as of the end of last year. (See chart below.)

One problem with controlling the costs of public-service loan forgiveness is that the Department of Education has an open-ended definition of what public service is, Delisle said. He sees public service as a redundant benefit because federal student loans already offer loan forgiveness under income-based repayment plans. Public-service loan forgiveness is tax-free to borrowers and only takes 10 years. Borrowers who have their loan forgiven through income-based repayment plans have to wait for up to 25 years. Student loan forgiveness through income-based repayment plans doesn't let borrowers completely off the hook either. Debt canceled by student-loan repayment plans is taxed as income. Lawmakers should address this flaw with income-based repayment, Delisle said.

Trump's plan for public-service loan forgiveness
Egyptian Coptic Christians unload their belongings from a truck as they arrive to take refuge at the Evangelical Church in the Suez Canal city of Ismailiya on February 24, 2017.

With the world's attention focused on perennial Middle East hotspots like Iraq and Syria, foreign policy experts warn that Egypt bears watching, especially as the Trump administration struggles to craft a coherent policy to stabilize the region.

Recently, a series of violent incidents targeting Egypt's minorities has underscored what regional observers say is a fragile social fabric that could easily tear as civil strife and terrorism rear their head. As the most populous country in the Middle East, Egypt is also a longtime U.S. ally  and a strategically important nation in the region that receives more than $1 billion a year in military financing.

In April and May, bombings by the Islamic State (ISIS) targeting Coptic Christians drove home the plight of one of the oldest religious groups in the Mideast. The minority group comprises about 10 percent of Egypt's 80 million people, a number that has steadily dwindled in recent years in the face of systemic violence.

The plight of Coptics has amplified the stakes for Egypt  home to the Suez Canal, a major hub of maritime activity and more than 7 percent of the world's seafaring trade  and regional security. The country is seen fighting a war against extremism on multiple fronts, and analysts broadly agree the U.S. is key to helping to prevent Egypt from slipping into calamity.

Mirette Mabrouk, deputy director at the Atlantic Council, a U.S. think tank, told CNBC recently that a destabilized Egypt would be "disastrous for the entire region. The consequences would be horrific for the important military institutions, financial institutions and the Suez Canal."

Beset by Islamic State radicals and its own battle against the Muslim Brotherhood, the country this week extended a state of emergency that granted the government increasing authority to crack down on extremists. The measure has drawn widespread criticism from human rights activists, but some observers see Egypt's actions as necessary.

"With [a] continued police and army presence on the streets while also safeguarding institutions, landmarks, and religious sites, opportunities for terrorists to launch more attacks are significantly diminished," Sasha Toperich, senior fellow and director of the Mediterranean Basin Initiative at Johns Hopkins University's Center for Transatlantic Relations, told CNBC this week.

"I would not be surprised if the three month state of emergency extension [continues] for another three months, until terrorist threats are either minimal or entirely" contained, Toperich said, "and that takes time. Safety and security of citizens should be, after all, top priority."

In a region where security is deteriorating because of conflicts in neighboring countries, Egypt's own tenuous control over extremism matters for U.S. policy, experts warn. A destabilized Egypt could become a magnet for jihadi groups, creating new policy headaches for American objectives in the region.
Hotshot team supervisor watches as firefighters get in to position as helicopters drop water during an aerial assault to contain a brush fire in Southern California.

Wildfire season is just getting underway, but the recent heatwave, dry conditions and abundant growth of grasses from heavy winter rains is already spelling danger for California.

According to Cal Fire, more than 19,000 acres of land had been scorched in the year-to-date period through Thursdayrepresenting a threefold increase over of the amount burned in the same period a year ago. The number of fires handled by the state agency is up about 20 percent so far this year from a year ago.

As temperatures topped 100 degrees this week in many parts of California, there were red flag warnings for elevated fire danger. Some desert areas in Southern California were forecast to hit a sizzling 118 degrees over the weekend.

"Brushfire season is underway," Capt. Erik Scott, a spokesman for the LA Fire Department said Friday. "We've seen a rapid spread of small brushfires on high-temperature days."

The wet winter means there's abundant grass growth along hillsides that adds to the wildfire risk. California's rainy season was one of the wettest on record, and followed a six-year drought.

Dry brush was fuel for a recent brushfire in the Mandeville Canyon area above LA's upscale community of Brentwood. It was started when a weed wacker clearing brush produced sparks.

"We haven't faced an amount of annual grasses of this significance in many years," Scott said. "Adding to that challenge is higher accumulations of dead fuel like dead brush, which is due to many years of drought. That dead brush won't come back despite all the rain we've had."

California's wildfire season tends to start in the late spring and goes all the way into the fall. Experts see fire risk likely increasing in the coming months as mounds of snow melt, and exposes more fuels for ignition.

One of the biggest fires currently underway in the state is the so-called Holcomb Fire in Southern California's San Bernardino National Forest. Around 1,200 firefighters and a fleet of air tankers are assigned to fight the wildfire, which started Monday and so far has scorched more than 1,500 acres.
Amazon's acquisition of specialty grocer Whole Foods is not only about acquiring hundreds of stores and affluent customers  the real value of the deal is in all of that customer data, according to one data expert.

Kenneth Sanford, data scientist at Dataiku, told CNBC recently that one of Amazon's goals should be to combine the data it already collects from its online platforms, Echo and Alexa, with Whole Foods ' customer transaction data.

In that regard, the company can predict what customers need and automatically send it to them, creating a personalized "auto grocery" experience, he said. "Amazon will know what's in your refrigerator already and will be able to deliver extra turmeric when you need it," said Sanford.

Essentially, Amazon will leverage its know-how in technology to customize the individual grocery shopping experience  all without the consumer ever even leaving the house.

"They'll be able to say, 'I know you have these three things in your cabinet, I'll send you these two additional things, based on the fact that you haven't had it in three weeks and you liked it last time,'" Sanford said. "They're going to be able to create meal bundles at a level that, say, [the] Blue Apron's of the world could never really do," he added.

Amazon did not immediately respond to CNBC's request for comment.
Mazda

The redesigned Honda CR-V stole headlines this year, with the segment king fighting to continue its reign. But quietly, and without the attention of the public, Mazda released one of the best crossovers on the market, the CX-5. It's easy to forget about Mazda, because it tends to do the same thing over and over. Great tech, stellar looks and a price point that shows it isn't messing around. And nobody buys it. Mazda just can't seem to get cars out the door. In May, Mazda sold 26,047 total vehicles. Toyota sold 32,547 Camrys. So you'd be forgiven if you ignored the new CX-5. After a week with it, I have some advice: Don't.

Exterior: They made a compact crossover look desirable

Mazda

For 2017, Mazda took the already-stellar CX-5 and sent it to finishing school, giving the crossover subtle tweaks that cement the CX-5 as the best-looking crossover in the world, bar none. The most notable departure from the old CX-5 is the new concave, black grille. The old grille could look a bit cheap, but the new one is a great example of what a corporate face should be.

Mazda

Many of the cars in this class look like automakers tried and failed to put their sedan-based styling language on a bigger, fatter canvas. Mazda, though, debuted the new iteration of its signature "KODO" styling. Expect to see more manufacturers follow their lead in launching styling languages on SUVs rather than cars, as that's the direction in which the market winds are blowing.

Interior: Steak taste, burger budget

Mazda

Inside, you can see that the Japanese have started learning German. I had the happy coincidence of receiving this CX-5 just after I spent considerable time in an Audi Q5, and it's not hard to tell that's where Mazda got inspiration. Audi has nearly perfected the modern-but-attractive interior, with cutting-edge technology sandwiched between high quality controls and materials.

Mazda

Mazda's followed the lead of the folks in Ingolstadt, bringing a very appealing interior that puts all essential controls within close reach. Even little details, like the volume knob being down by the shifter instead of on the dash, are borrowed from the Q5.

Mazda

Material quality, of course, isn't on par with the high-dollar German competition. Things that look metal in the CX-5 are actually just plastics playing dress-up, and controls don't have the satisfying, industrial click-clack feel to them like they do in a Mercedes.

Mazda

If it seems unfair that I'm comparing a $33,765 Mazda with Audis and BMWs, that's because I find the Mazda's interior to be so far above its price point that comparing it with other mainstream crossovers seems trivial. Every piece of the interior feels higher in quality than what you get in your neighbor's Chevy Equinox. It's a passable steak on a burger-shack budget. Design-wise, it's a smash hit. The CR-V is filled with clever cubbies and lots of passenger space to satisfy the needs of parents doing carpool duty, while the CX-5's focus on style makes it a bit less usable in day-to-day operation.

Driving experience: A family hauler squeezed into dancing shoes

Mazda

The CX-5 is quite a fun thing to toss into corners. It's not accomplished with brute force, as a 187-horsepower four-cylinder engine powering a car this big is anything but fast. While competitors give you as many as nine cogs to swap, the CX-5 is left with a six-speed automatic that's plenty smooth but doesn't have enough ratios to get the best performance out of the engine.

Mazda

Toss the CX-5 into a bend, and you'll see where the engineers spent their time. It has some body lean that can be disconcerting if you're not expecting it, but on the backroads of Westchester County the CX-5 can corner at a pace that will utterly terrify and possibly sicken your passengers. Don't ask me how I know. While the CX-5 definitely doesn't have the pillowy softness of some of its beiger competitors, it handles bumps and potholes with total competency. Noise was an issue with the previous generation SUV, but Mazda's added significant sound insulation and eradicated the issue.

Value: Outstanding

Mazda

The CX-5 looks, drives and feels better than anything else I've driven in the class. There are cars that cost $25,000 more that the CX-5 can run with in terms of equipment and refinement, though its engine isn't as powerful. This is a car mainly for young professionals and families, so it's important that it's a good value. At $33,765, my tester had lovely white leather and a slew of collision avoidance and active safety tech. It had a solid heads-up display that beamed speed, speed limit, navigation and even blind-spot monitoring information directly onto the windshield. Apple CarPlay is on offer, but annoyingly Android Auto isn't.

Final thoughts: It's an absolute titan, but people still may not care

Mazda
Brexit, after all, did not happen overnight; it was a long time coming. And it just took an act of British democratic traditions to consult the people on issues of formally "shared sovereignty." The response was clear: The British did not want to board up their revered Palace of Westminster, the cradle of modern parliamentary democracy.

In my view, Brexit was caused less by an original sin  i.e., admitting to the EU a country with free-trading traditions and a fierce attachment to national sovereignty  than by the EU's French-German mismanagement and stubborn resistance to change.

Most British concerns were also shared by nearly half of the French electorate (Front National, La France insoumise and Debout la France) during the first round of presidential elections in April. Those problems are still there as witnessed by a spectacular  57.36 percent  abstention in the second round of French parliamentary elections on June 18. The rate of abstention among people 35 or younger was 75 percent, with another 70 percent among the low-income people.

The new French president says that Europe will take care of all that. He is telling the skeptical French that the country's problems can only be solved in a "Europe that protects (from unbridled free trade and a chaotic globalization)" and a "Europe that protects with safe borders." (Guess who said that first, but lost the elections?)

Let's see how that's done  in a community of different national interests, traditions and values.

For example, the feisty Visegrad Group (Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic and Slovakia) does not want Europe to intrude on its sovereign decisions about immigration and issues of culture and national identity, while the Scandinavians want untrammeled globalization and free trade.

That is what drove the U.K. out, but the French, with a German nod, are saying no to "Europe a la carte," unless, of course, it's a French-German menu du jour. Paris and Berlin are threatening sanctions and withholding of regional development funds to those disobeying their orders.

Again, let's see how that is done in EU councils where decisions are taken with unanimous votes.

In the middle of all that, Italy and Greece are crying out for help in dealing every day with hundreds and thousands of migrants/refugees from the Middle East and North Africa.

So, before worrying about China's feared domination of the world order, Germany should help solve the existential problems of a captive market where it collected last year a trade surplus of 162.8 billion euros  a whopping 65 percent of its total net exports.

Germany should also worry about an appearance of Paris and Berlin talking past each other. France, currently driven by a neophyte zeal, wants serious EU institutional innovations, even those involving treaty changes, while Germany keeps saying "yes, but" And, in a sobering reminder, Germany also keeps repeating that France has to reform its labor markets and tax codes, and to have its budget deficit (3.4 percent of GDP) and public debt (96 percent of GDP) converging with Germany's budget surplus (0.8 percent of GDP) and a much lower public debt (68.3 percent).

These are tough issues. They are political dynamite in France, where the government now says that it will be very difficult to keep the commitment of bringing the budget deficit down to 2.8 percent of GDP by the end of this year.
The phone rings, pauses, and then a recording on the line says: "Hello! This is Rachel at cardholder services," or "This is an important notice about your automobile."

If you're like many Americans, you have probably received a robocall just like these, which have become a scourge for consumers despite increasing efforts to stop them. In May, there were 2.6 billion robocalls, or automatically dialed calls, in the U.S. That amounts to over eight calls a person, according to YouMail, an app designed to stop the pesky calls.

"Anytime you get a robocall in which somebody is trying to sell you a good or service, if you didn't give the caller prior expressed written consent for that call, that call is illegal," Janice Kopec, a staff attorney with the Federal Trade Commission, told CNBC's "On the Money" recently.

The FTC's Do Not Call List was designed to stop telemarketing calls, yet robocalls are on the rise. They were up nearly 5 percent last month, according to YouMail's numbers, despite 226 active numbers registered with the Do Not Call List.

All those unwanted calls have led to a massive surge in complaints. The FTC received nearly 3.5 million robocall complaints in fiscal year 2016, up 60 percent from the year before.

"The 'Do Not Call' registry actually works for legitimate businesses," said Alex Quilici, CEO of YouMail. "The problem is all the people who don't respect it, who are the scammers who [couldn't] care less."

Calling for less than a cent

Those scammers use new technology to call you in the hopes you will fall for their scam and hand over money.

"It's super easy to do, it's super cheap, and unfortunately, it works. People fall for the scams enough to make it worthwhile," Quilici said.

The calls are often coming from overseas, where scammers try to stay out of the reach of regulatory authorities, according to the FTC.

"You can make millions of calls from anywhere in the world for a tiny amount of money, literally less than a cent a call," Kopec said.

The Federal Communications Commission, which also regulates calls, received around 200,000 complaints annually. "Unwanted calls  including illegal robocalls and telemarketing calls  are the top consumer complaint the FCC receives each year," the agency said in a statement sent via e-mail.

Government crackdown

The government is trying its best to crack down on robocallers, which has proved stubborn to defeat. The FCC is also testing letting phone companies block calls that are likely scams.

"We've brought over 130 law enforcement actions targeting those who send out unlawful calls and illegal calls," Kopec said.

The FTC was awarded a $280 million judgment against Dish Network , a satellite television provider, for Do Not Call List violations, including some robocalls, earlier this month.

"DISH respectfully disagrees with the decision by the Court and will appeal the ruling.  DISH has long taken its compliance with telemarketing laws seriously, has and will continue to maintain rigorous telemarketing compliance policies and procedures," the company said in a statement sent to CNBC via email.
SpaceX achieved history on Sunday with a rocket launchan act that the CEO of Iridium Communications told CNBC was "critical" to his company's commercial success.

The Falcon 9 rocket belonging to Elon Musk's SpaceX carried 10 communications satellites into orbit from California, merely two days after the company successfully launched a satellite from Florida. The rocket departed from Vandenberg Air Force Base near Los Angeles, carrying a group of new satellites from Iridium.

"SpaceX has been a disruptor of the long-time status quo of the commercial space industry," Iridium chief Matt Desch said. "They are redefining the 'cost to get to space,' and all the other launch providers have had to take note and adjust their plans."

Iridium is SpaceX's largest commercial customer, and the launch from Vandenberg was the second Iridium mission for the commercial space companypart of a contract to deliver 75 Iridium satellites by mid-2018.

However, that timetable is two years behind what SpaceX agreed upon with Iridium in 2010.

"The delays in satellite and rocket readiness for the first launch were frustrating, but fortunately, our current network continued to perform well so we were able to weather the delay," Desch told CNBC.

With a budget of $3 billion dollars, Desch said the program did not incur any additional costs, and the network could still be complete in mid-2018, thanks in part to a tighter-than-expected launch schedule. Iridium's NEXT satellite network will then be able to offer services such as higher broadband communications speeds and global airplane tracking.

SpaceX and Iridium began working over 10 years, and it feels "like we've grown up together," Desch said, as he hailed Musk as "a visionary."

About 20 years ago, Iridium used to launch satellites with SpaceX competitor United Launch Alliance  as well as aboard Russian and Chinese-manufactured rockets. Nowadays, Desch said the current launch industry is very different, and Iridium only works with SpaceX.

"We tried to work with other launch vehicle companies but all were at least twice the cost of SpaceX and unaffordable based on the scope of the network we needed to launch," Desch said, adding that he remains focused on the future.

"I'll be on them Monday to make sure our next six launches over the next 12 months are equally successful. SpaceX isn't 'done' yet," Desch added.

--The Associated Press contributed to this story.
The nine justices are due to rule in six cases, not including their decision expected in the coming days on whether to take up President Donald Trump's bid to revive his ban on travelers from six predominantly Muslim countries in which an emergency appeal is pending.

The U.S. Supreme Court is set to rule on Monday in a closely watched religious rights case involving limits on public funding for churches and other religious entities as the justices issue the final rulings of their current term.

Of the remaining cases argued during the court's current term, which began in October, the most eagerly awaited one concerns a Missouri church backed by a conservative Christian legal group. The ruling potentially could narrow the separation of church and state.

A decision in favor of Trinity Lutheran Church, located in Columbia, Missouri, set the stage for more public money to go to religious entities. The church sued after being denied state taxpayer funds for a playground improvement project because of a Missouri constitutional provision barring state funding for religious entities.

Trinity Lutheran could be headed for a lopsided win, with two liberal justices joining their conservative colleagues in signaling support during the April oral argument. It was one of the first in which Trump's conservative appointee to the court, Neil Gorsuch, participated.

The dispute pits two provisions of the U.S. Constitution's First Amendment against each other: the guarantee of the free exercise of religion and the Establishment Clause requiring the separation of church and state.

A broad ruling backing the church could hearten religious conservatives who favor weakening the wall between church and state, including using taxpayer money to pay for children to attend private religious schools rather than public schools. President Donald Trump's education secretary, Betsy DeVos, is a leading supporter of such "school choice" plans.

The most notable of three immigration-related cases in which rulings are due on Monday is a dispute over whether immigrants detained by the U.S. government for more than six months while deportation proceedings unfold should be able to request their release. The case takes on additional significance with Trump ratcheting up immigration enforcement, placing more people in detention awaiting deportation.

The court also is set to decide a case that could clarify the criminal acts for which legal immigrants may be deported. Another involves whether the family of a Mexican teenager shot dead while standing on Mexican soil by a U.S. Border Patrol agent in Texas can sue for civil rights violations.

As the justices look to finish work before their summer break, they must decide what to do with Trump's travel ban, which was blocked by lower courts. His administration has made an emergency request asking for the ban to go into effect while the litigation continues.

The March 6 executive order called for a 90-day ban on travelers from Libya, Iran, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen and a 120-day ban on all refugees entering the United States to let the government implement stronger vetting. Trump has said the order is needed urgently to prevent terrorism in the United States.

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Cast your mind back to before the general election. Theresa May was governing with authority. The centre-right press was fully behind her. The anti-Brexit coalition that stretched from trade union leaders through Keir Starmer through Tim Farron through the CBI to Philip Hammond was cowed  and balanced out by pro-Brexit forces such as, most credibly, Vote Leaves successor organisation, Change Britain. This was able to send talented backbenchers, such as Gisela Stuart on the Labour side and Michael Gove on the Conservative one, into the TV studios and onto the airwaves. The Tory European Research Group, marshalled via WhatsApp by Steve Baker, was working productively with Ministers.

As we write, Theresa Mays authority is broken. Todays papers are stuffed with leadership speculation, naming Philip Hammond, Boris Johnson, Amber Rudd, David Davis, Sajid Javid, Priti Patel, Dominic Raab, Brandon Lewis, Jo Johnson, Jesse Norman and the non-available Ruth Davidson. The next Conservative leadership election cannot feature all of these, and its winner may well be none of them. The anti-Brexit coalition is revived. It does not challenge the referendum result that was delivered almost exactly a year ago  mostly, anyway  but hopes that a future election will provide a mandate for a government to do so. In the meantime, it aims to spin the transition period that will accompany any Brexit deal out into the never-never, thus gaining time for voters, they hope, to turn against having formally left  thereby allowing the EU 27 and the EU institutions to take Britain back on our present terms (which they might or might not be willing to do, but that is another story).

The anti-Brexit coalition will, we read, try to amend the Great Repeal Bill and other legislation. The support from Jeremy Corbyn that would be needed to force Single Market membership isnt there, and the same seems to apply to staying in the Customs Union  a position with which the Chancellor appeared to dally before retreating last weekend. But Parliament could put markers down against the Governments no deal is better than a bad deal position, and against any control of EU immigration that would deliver a substantial cut in numbers over the medium-term. That this would have the effect of bringing back Nigel Farage from the dead, together with a revitalised UKIP or the equivalent, does not yet seem to have struck some Conservative MPs.

Meanwhile, Gove is back in government and Stuart has left the Commons. The new Environment Secretary has been joined in office by Raab and Baker. This site congratulates all three of them, but three experienced pro-Brexit Ministers in government means three fewer pro-Brexit backbenchers to roam the airwaves and studios freely. The big guns of the centre-right in Fleet Street are no longer firing on all cylinders: their proprietors and editors have lost confidence in the Prime Minister, and are by turn sulky, angry and confused. Furthermore, luck is running against her, at least for the moment, and the media as a whole is herding against the Government.

Part of it is simply anti-Brexit, exemplified by George Osbornes Evening Standard. Another part is reflexively anti-May. Downing Street pre-election made a point of pride in not feeding the Fleet Street beast, and the Prime Ministers two former Chiefs of Staff got up the noses of some senior journalists (as it did those of some senior Ministers). Now the beast is clawing and biting back. Furthermore, the way the media works in Britain is, as a rule, to scrutinise Westminster very closely indeed and Brussels much less so. There is little probing of differences in, say, the attitude of the Commission and the EU27 towards the negotiation, or of variations of view within the 27 themselves.

The effect of this is to magnify every engagement as a British defeat and an EU victory. Andrea Leadsom called last week for the media to be more patriotic. This was not the right way of describing the status quo (and most Remainers are no less patriotic than most Leavers in any event), but the collective lack of media interest in Britains interlocutors echoes, in a strange way, a flaw which the pro-Brexit movement is sometimes accused of: thats to say, of living psychologically in a country cut off by fog, uninterested in the tone, colour and texture of politics and culture on the continental mainland. Finally, Change Britain is in abeyance: a click on its website reveals the words: we wont be campaigning during the election period, but well work with whoever gets elected after June the 8th to make Brexit a success. The date as we write is June the 25th, and the clock is ticking.

It is not at all surprising that the pro-Brexit movement is suffering from fatigue  activists, Ministers and donors alike. There is a substantial crossover between the last and Tory donors, and some are bound to feel, to borrow a phrase from the Prime Minister herself, that enough is enough. They will be thinking that they have poured money into the pro-Brexit cause, and that May and Conservative politicians are messing it all up (a view for which one can scarcely blame them). But the brutal truth is that, if they now desert the field, Britain may well get not so much a Clean Brexit  in other words, a negotiation in which the Government is backed by a Parliament which allows the Repeal Bill a fair wind  as a Messy Brexit, with the bill on the rocks.

The news is not all bad for pro-Brexit campaigners. There is a consensus across the two front benches, however heavily disguised, that the referendum result is inconsistent with Single Market membership. The drive for Customs Union membership has been seen off (for the moment, anyway). The European Research Group is in the hands not only of up-and-coming Leavers, such as Suella Fernandes and Anne-Marie Trevelyan, but of thoughtful former Remainers, such as John Penrose and Charlie Elphicke, who recognise that Brexit means Brexit.

None the less, the struggle for hearts and minds cannot be won by backbenchers alone. During the next few months, Ministers must somehow rise above the detail of the negotiation, with which they are necessarily engaged, to paint a big picture of the kind of Open Brexit that this site called for last year  of a cheaper-food, investment-friendly, globally-engaged Britain, actively engaged in seeking trade deals outside the EU as well as with its members, and with a sustainable pathway to bringing EU migration down over the medium-term.

But Ministers and MPs and Parliamentarians cant deliver a coherent Brexit alone, either. This needs what politicians call third party endorsements  in other words, mobilising not only the 51 per cent who voted to leave the EU last June, but roughly half of the 48 per cent who voted to stay in it, and have now come to accept that Britain must make the best of leaving. That means a mass campaign. And that in turn means a revitalised Change Britain, or something like it.
Approximately 67 percent of the news cycle is comprised of people trying to murder one another over the color of their skin, or over their religious beliefs, or over their preference for Pepsi over Coke. It's refreshing to read a few stories about the opposite: Acts of incredible human bravery and mercy. Possibly sponsored by Pepsi. They seem to think they have a patent on human compassion these days.

5 A Black Teenager Shields A KKK Member From Violent Protesters

This is America: No matter who you are, you have a constitutional right to express your opinions -- even if said opinions are astoundingly stupid.

You do not, however, have a constitutional right to expect others to be happy about it. In 1996, the Ku Klux Klan held a rally in the unlikely town of Ann Arbor, Michigan, where they found themselves opposed by an equal but opposite force of protesters. Although police in riot gear did a bang-up job of keeping the two sides apart, one guy bedecked in SS tattoos and Confederate flags strolled through the wrong side of the crowd. It's unclear whether he meant to join the march, or if he was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time (and by "the wrong place at the wrong time," we of course mean Earth, anytime in the last 70 years), but regardless, the chase was on.
No matter where we live in the world, we share the same human experiences. We all attend birthdays, funerals, and weddings. We all have a last day of school, and buy our first car, and get chased out of a bank after being told we're not allowed to poop there. There are some variations depending on where we live, yes, but for the most part we all do things more or less the same way.

Except in some places, where everyday things like going to school or waking up in the morning are activities so alien that you will insist we made them up. For instance...
Connecticut Republicans and a few business leaders enjoyed themselves last week during a visit from Rick Scott. The Republican governor of Florida told lawmakers that he just love-love-loves Andrew Cuomo and Dannel Malloy, because the Democratic governors of New York and Connecticut were sending so much business to the Sunshine State.

Catnip for state Republicans. This was evidence of why Malloys tenure has been a failure and why the states business climate is driving away corporations like General Electric and Aetna. Look at the reality of where we are, said state Sen. Toni Boucher of Wilton. Pay attention to what other states are doing that are successful at it.

Pressure like this has forced Malloy over nearly two terms into making some pretty dumb decisions, like giving millions in state subsidies to a giant hedge fund in Greenwich to avoid headlines saying he allowed it to leave. Earlier this month, his administration set aside $25 million in loans, grants and aid for Amazon to expand in North Haven. If Amazon is not yet a monopoly, it is fast approaching that status.

Pressure like this is also fueling a nationwide race to the bottom, with states spending beaucoup bucks to compete with other states to see who can poach whom from where. Someone benefits from all this interstate competition, and its not necessarily people needing work. Floridas taxes are among the nations lowest, but so are its wages.

Scott said Connecticuts taxes are double Floridas before asking: What are you getting for it? He meant that ironically, meaning that we are losing businesses and jobs while paying more. But taken literally, the answer is: Actually, quite a lot. We pay more, but we get more. And compared to Florida, a lot more.

The Annie E. Casey Foundation released recently its study of the well-being of American children. Called the 2017 Kids Count Data Book, it uses 16 indicators, including health, education, economics, family and community. Connecticut isnt perfect by any stretch, but if the condition of our kids is any indication, were near the top.

We were sixth out of 50 states.

How about Florida? Near the bottom: 40th.

This should come as no surprise. Florida lives on rents more than its does on innovation, production and growth. Its assets are nice weather, year-round tourism and real estate. The weather brings tourists, who buy real estate when they get old, who pay half as much in property tax as they did in the Northeast, who die and leave property to their children, who in turn sell and restart the cycle. If Florida taxed rents enough to properly educate children, it might depress its economy.

Moreover, Florida can keep taxes so low because states like ours subsidize them. I cant say this frequently or loudly enough. Connecticut sends more money (taxes) to Washington than it receives in federal funding from Washington. Florida, on the other hand, receives more than its sends. According to data from the National Conference of State Legislatures, Florida is among the top five states getting defense spending. Not because it has major industries like Connecticut, but because it has 21 military bases. Defense spending accounted for a tenth of Floridas gross state product in 2011.

WalletHub, a finance website, recently ranked state governments according to their dependence on federal spending. Because Connecticut can fly under its own power, as it were, WalletHub ranked our governments dependence at 48 out of 50. Because Florida really cant fly under its own power, WalletHub ranked its government at 22.

So remember whats really happening when Connecticut Republicans like Boucher slap Republican governors from low-tax states on the back. She is approving the fact that every single taxpayer in Connecticut is, in effect, paying them to try to take away our jobs.

Not that Boucher can do anything about it. But she can focus, as everyone else in Hartford should, on investments in infrastructure, education and entrepreneurship. After all, GE didnt go to Florida. It went to Boston. It didnt go to Boston for the great weather. It went to Boston for the culture, infrastructure and highly educated workforce that will take GE deep into the 21st century. We should do that, too.

Anyway, Scott is probably just padding his resume. Word in Florida is that hes gunning for Bill Nelsons Senate seat. The Democratic incumbent is up for re-election in 2018 and Scott wants to leave on a high note. Poaching a few hundred Connecticut jobs will help do that.

John Stoehr is a lecturer in political science at Yale University. He can be reached at johnastoehr@gmail.com.
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Vincencia Adusei is an open book  until she is asked her age.

Shes in her 30s, she reluctantly acknowledges. She has tried to avoid the question for years because, as a native of the West African nation of Ghana and as a woman running a construction company, the last thing she needs is another reason for people to doubt her.

When I first started, not that everybody would say it out loud, but it was clear I faced stigma because of all of those things, Adusei said. When you show up, all eyes are on you at first. When a man shows up, its business as usual.

At first, Adusei admits she was a bit self-conscious. It didnt help that for years after she arrived as a teenager in New York City her accent was much more pronounced. People kept asking me, What? What? she said.

Then, when she started her consulting business, Vase Management, a decade ago, and later the Vase Construction division in Bridgeport, she found herself the only woman in most meetings. This often led to inappropriate comments about her looks or a womans place in construction.

The comments bothered Adusei, but she said shes too busy to have time to worry about what others think about her.

I dont have the luxury of thinking of that, she said, while sitting in her sparsely decorated office on a recent weekday.

Family history

On that particular day, she had visited a construction site in Bridgeport by 10 a.m. before changing into a black and white maxi dress, because jeans and boots may be necessary for a construction site but arent as fitting for a consulting gig. She would later change back into jeans before visiting a second work site in Milford.

A construction zone is where Adusei is most comfortable. The youngest of seven children, she was happiest growing up when her parents, who to this day own a construction company in Ghana specializing in road work, would let her sit in the company pickup trucks bed and go out to a job.

Before starting Vase Management, Adusei, who obtained her business degrees from the University of Bridgeport, planned to stay out of the construction industry. Each of her siblings had also gone into construction in Ghana and she wanted to branch out away from the family business.

An assignment on entrepreneurship during her years at UB led her to legally establish her own company, which she named Vincencia Adusei Special Events, or VASE, due to her interest in event planning.

But she soon found that her passion was in renovation work and vertical construction. I guess its in my blood, she said.

One of Aduseis first event planning clients was Fred McKinney, who a decade ago was running the Connecticut Minority Supplier Development Council. When he met her, through a mutual friend, McKinney said he was impressed with her planning skills and her construction knowledge.

He hired her to consult his organization on their plans to host a construction expo. She did a fabulous job, said McKinney, who is now managing director of minority business programs at the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College. Shes sharp. Shes tough, too. ... Shes not just a young businesswoman. Shes a really sharp business person.

Making connections

Through the construction expo, Adusei met Karen DuBois-Walton, executive director of Elm City Communities, New Havens housing authority, who hired her to do consulting work  again relating to construction.

McKinney said he wasnt surprised when Adusei expanded into construction management just a few years later, in 2012 and 2013, by earning a contract to oversee the demolition of the Riverside Apartments in Ansonia. In the process, good entrepreneurs learn where the markets are, he said. The general contractor has to be a good manager. (Adusei) is a good manager.

Although Adusei, who moved into downtown Bridgeport after falling in love with the city while studying at UB, doesnt do the hands-on work, as head of her own company she is responsible for the dozens of people who work on the 50 or so simultaneous projects that Vase Construction has in the pipeline at any time, from office renovations for clients like Yale University to extensive work on homes affected by Hurricane Sandy.

Adusei said she hopes that in five years, her consulting and construction businesses and a third division  an online membership-based service where subcontractors are matched with general contractors and government entities  will grow enough to warrant a separate department head for each.

This, she said, would finally allow her to stop worrying so much and spend more time  the dreadful winter months, mostly  in her native country, which has warm weather year-round.

Personal touch

Adusei said although she loves her job, it keeps her up most nights. With each job, she tries to give her personal cell number to the homeowner and meet each one before the job begins.

This often leads to calls at midnight from clients or, more often, just her own worrying. When things arent perfect, I cant sleep, she said. Im not at ease until its resolved. ... Its easier to work hard and keep the clients you have than to get new clients.

In one recent company meeting, she said, some of her workers criticized her for spending more time setting up a new office in New Haven instead of making herself available to them in Bridgeport. It happened to be a particularly stressful day, said she, and after she dealt with their concerns she felt overwhelmed and frustrated.

As soon as the last person left the office, I cried, she said, with no trace of embarrassment. I dont know if men do that, but sometimes I just cry.

Perhaps because of the complexity of her everyday work, Adusei likes things simple in her personal life. Shes the opposite of a hoarder, keeping her office and home sparsely furnished.

In her companys downtown Bridgeport headquarters, above Josephs Steakhouse on Fairfield Avenue, the certificates, degrees and awards hang in the hallways only after she caved in to friends insistence that spaces need to be decorated.

Her office, though, is off limits. There are no pictures on her walls. Her desk features only her laptop and office phone. The rest of the room consists of a few rolled-up site plans on the window sill, a refrigerator, table and two chairs.

She recently opened an office in New Haven and plans to move her residence to that city soon, although she will keep her companys Bridgeport headquarters. She estimates it will take her just two hours to shuffle all of her belongings from her home of a decade in Bridgeport to her new home.

Support for women

Adusei said shed encourage more women to go into the construction business. She recently joined the board for Fairfield Countys Community Foundation in an effort to help encourage and assist women interested in the field.

I would like to see more women in the industry, Adusei said.

Although she has one of few female-led general contractors in the area, Adusei said that with time she is finding that her companys work can speak for itself.

Now, when people ask for her age, Adusei said she gives them her qualifications and certifications to show Vase Management and Vase Construction are equipped to handle most projects  and, Adusei hopes, major residential and commercial developments someday.

I have a wall of awards to prove it, she said. What do you care how old I am? Do you want to work with me or not?

ktorres@hearstmediact.com; 203-330-6227
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ANSONIA  Its historic, having played an important role in the American Revolution.

Its heavily traveled leading directly to Derbys Griffin Hospital in one direction and the Route 8 entrance to Seymour in the other.

But for more than 25 years Wakelee Avenue has been neglected. Its sidewalks are cracked, crumbling and in some spots non-existent. Its road is heavily patched, dips in spots and in winter fills with potholes.

You bounce up and down, said Waldy Beltran, who lives and drives on the on the street daily. I know the street so I know when to go right and when to turn left to avoid some of the bumps.

But now Wakelee Avenue is poised to get a $4.8 million face-lift, thanks to the Connecticut Department of Transportation and the Naugatuck Valley Council of Governments.

This is a big project, said Rick Dunne, NVCOGs executive director. People are going to be really pleased when its completed.

Dunne said the construction of a new Route 8 on ramp on Westfield Avenue should move a lot of traffic off Wakelee Avenue.

That should give the new road (on Wakelee) a 20-to-30 year lifespan, he said.

The citys cost is about $480,000 which pays for the engineering work done by VHB of Wethersfield.

The West Side residents have waited too long for something to be done, Cassetti said. This is their Main Street. This is our gateway from Seymour to Derby.

So by late 2018 there will be new 5-foot wide sidewalks with granite curbs cut to make them handicapped accessible on both sides extending from Franklin to Mary Streets. Only one side from Mary to Division Street will have sidewalks.

Were going to dig out the old sidewalks, most of which have buckled and some of which no longer exist, said Cassetti, who operated a construction business before becoming mayor in 2013.

Street lamps will be placed every 75-feet from Franklin Street to the historic Pork Hollow.

Were hoping to find funding to extend the lighting to Division Street, said Sheila OMalley, the citys economic development director and grants writer.

And the actual road will be redesigned, flattened, milled and paved.

In the meantime Eversource Energy agreed to level and coat a portion of the road as a temporary fix for the patches and bumps left behind last fall when they installed new plastic natural gas pipes.

Cassetti said the historic cement block hitching posts for horses will stay in place as well as the Pork Hollow monument in front of Klankos Grocery. That granite monument erected in 1901 commemorates the actions of Colonial soldiers and residents for hiding provisions from an invading British Army in 1777.

The Avenue from Nolan Field to Division Street features numerous multi-family 1900 era-built homes and nearly two dozen businesses.

Last summer many of these businesses were impacted when parts of the road were closed or detoured while Eversource Energy, in a separate project, dug it up to install new plastic pipes for its natural gas lines.

Joan Radins Lear Pharmacy was one.

My Thanksgiving, Christmas and Valentines Day sales were all gone, said Radin, whose pharmacy also offers cards, candies and figurines. Customers couldnt make it into the store because of the detours and the road closings.

That work also left the road looking like a patchwork quilt with dark black patches alternating from side to side even extending across sidewalks into driveway. It makes driving feel like riding a bucking bronco. Now its going to be a lot smoother.

But Radin, who is also a fifth ward alderwomen, thinks the city is moving too fast and spending too much. Other residents feel the same.

It would be nice to have a beautiful Wakelee Avenue  but can we afford it? Radin asked, questioning the use of $480,000 of city money when nearly every city department was forced to cut its budget this year.

Cassetti, however, said it would be unwise to pass up the $4.4 million in state money to rebuild the road. So he is ready to move ahead.

Bill Anderson, an engineer with VBH in Wethersfield said the final design will be completed by the end of next month and submitted to the Department of Transportation for approval.

The first phase will involve digging up the road to install new drains. That will run until December. The work will start up again in late March or April and involve putting the conduits and bases for the street lights, then the new sidewalks and finally reconstructing the road.

I do not see this going more than a year, Anderson said.
So whats it taking to keep you in Connecticut, where so many people are screaming the sky is falling that Im surprised were not walking around wearing motorcycle helmets? I mean, whats your head worth, Chicken Little?

It says a lot about the nations economy when Florida Gov. Rick Scott will personally visit your over-mortgaged home in your overtaxed town, to persuade you to follow him home, where the palmetto bugs are as big as crows. Yeah, palmetto bugs are still just American cockroaches.

Low taxes, white-sand beaches, palm trees, strip malls reaching the southern horizon, a nice, solid-red, open-carry, stand-your-ground, death-penalty state beckons you.

Worried about hitting a deer during the odd occasions when the stalled traffic on the parkway opens up and you can drive that $65,000 chariot at the 85 miles per hour to which you were the manner born? Well, those Burmese pythons in the Everglades are deer-eating size now. Oh, yeah, salt water is encroaching on that formerly famous fresh-water sea, too.

How Rick Scotts move-to-FLA spiel is not emptying Greenwichs backcountry, Fairfields Greenfield Hill, Ridgefield, North Stamford, Easton, Woodbridge and Goshen, for a conga line of moving trucks to Dade County and its sea-level elevation, is quite beyond me. Maybe people, especially those high-end multi-millionaire types in their gilded, gated Gold Coast, upper-Fairfield County and Litchfield enclaves, actually appreciate living here.

Maybe its because many have been to Florida and know it doesnt compare to their Connecticut hometowns. If youre a high earner who is tempted to escape our alleged high taxes, are you gonna sacrifice your quality of life for money? Heck, you have the money. And in this country, money equals mobility.

If you can live anywhere, youre already here. I respect the lawmakers from high-income towns who see people leaving because of taxes. But, pardon me, if youre leaving to make a statement, enjoy your new red-state home, where the current governor was on the losing side of the court fight over same-sex marriage. Dont think that a for-sale sign along the eye-popping exclusivity of Lake Avenue in Greenwich is going to make me pull out my violin for a sad little song in a minor key.

The property taxes will still roll into Greenwich Town Hall, whether the hedge fund dude is in Boca or Belle Haven.

Scott was up here in Norwalk last week, putting on a show for a few local business types and Republicans, offering pie in the sky for corporate execs tired of the alleged bad climate of Connecticut. Sen. Toni Boucher, R-Wilton, actually gave her next potential opponent some free campaign fodder, telling Scott she felt enticed. Knowing Boucher, I expect she was being polite, but still ...

Maybe no one had more engagement in the Scott visit than Sgt. Andrew Matthews, president of the Connecticut State Police Union. I talked with Matthews Friday afternoon. He and some other troopers were, coincidentally, driving back to the Orlando Airport. It was after the funeral service of Master Sgt. William Bishop, a 30-year veteran of the Florida Highway Patrol who was killed a week earlier, after he was struck by a passing vehicle on Interstate 75.

I got a copy of a statement Matthews wrote the day of Scotts visit. As Trooper Bishops family is arriving in Florida today to grieve the loss of our brother, Governor Scott is not there to properly greet the family and be by the side of his fallen trooper, Matthews wrote, noting that the Republican has bragged about slashing $6.7 billion in taxes. The irony is while Governor Scott boasts about cutting taxes, the Florida Highway Patrol continues to be the lowest paid state troopers in the country with a starting salary of $33,977. After 30 years of services, Bishop was making only $61,191.

Matthews said Connecticut troopers are in the top five in wages. Scotts administration pays so little that highly trained Florida troopers are getting instant $20,000 raises from local law enforcement such as Miami-Dade, which easily entice them from the Highway Patrol. He said that Scotts Connecticut sojourn was duly noted  not in a good way for him  throughout the Sunshine State and that he was very conspicuously present for the Friday funeral.

Its not only odd, but disappointing and disrespectful that he would leave the state when there are services for one of his troopers, said Connecticut Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff of Norwalk. Its heartening to see that our own state troopers paid their respects.

Duff points out that most national rankings put Florida in the tier below Connecticut, where hundreds of high-paying jobs have been created at Jackson Labs in Farmington, and at Sikorsky Aircraft in Stratford, a Lockheed Martin Company, which is staying with the generations of Connecticut expertise thats made the worlds best helicopters.

Every metric between Connecticut and Florida, they lose, said Duff, who was not invited to Scotts meet, greet and enticement tour. Going to a meeting where an out-of-state governor is trying to poach business borders on treason.

So maybe the question to ask is: What have you done for Connecticut lately?

Ken Dixon can be reached in the Capitol at 860-549-4670 or at kdixon@ctpost.com. See twitter.com/KenDixonCT. His Facebook address is kendixonct.hearst. Dixons Connecticut Blog-o-rama is at blog.ctnews.com/dixon/
Pa. Dems could flip the House of Reps. Here's what that might mean

elections
On Wednesday, I was talking to a Minister who used to be in the Army. 'You know what you do when everything's falling apart around you,' he explained.

'When the plan's gone to pot and you don't know where the hell you are and your men are starting to panic? You dig in.'

The Government is falling apart. Or it would be if we had a Government. The DUP are still stubbornly refusing to turn on the political life-support machine.

The Queen's Speech has become The Back Of The Queen's Fag Packet. Tory MPs bear the countenance of Michael Caine witnessing the Zulus' arrival on the Oscarberg Terrace.

Over the past week it has become apparent the person best placed to extricate the nation from the crisis Theresa May has created is Theresa May herself

Those MPs need to stop panicking, and start digging in. More specifically, they need to recognise this is not the moment to lose their heads, nor is it the moment to demand Theresa May loses hers. When the Prime Minister admitted to her backbenchers 'I got us into this mess, I'll get us out', she earned the right to do just that.

In the immediate aftermath of the Election result, I found it inconceivable she could survive the year. But bizarrely, over the past week it has become apparent the person best placed to extricate the nation from the crisis Theresa May has created is Theresa May herself.

Westminster is again echoing to the sound of steel rasping against stone as potential successors and their courtiers sharpen their blades. But any strike now would be catastrophically premature.

For a start, none of those successors is remotely prepared to take over the reins of a fracturing nation. David Davis is already deep up-country in the Brexit jungle and has told Mrs May to her face that she has his loyalty.

Boris Johnson spent the week calling backbench MPs to insist any manoeuvring is being done without his consent and nursing the bruises of Wednesday's bicycle-crash interview on the Government's legislative programme.

Philip Hammond's bold Mansion House repudiation of Brexit means he is now a marked man among Tory Eurosceptics, and Amber Rudd is putting in 18-hour shifts managing the terror threat and Grenfell emergency response. Not only is there no vacancy, for now there are no properly prepped applicants.

Boris Johnson spent the week calling backbench MPs to insist any manoeuvring is being done without his consent

Then there is Mrs May herself. I described her as an 'interim Prime Minister' long before the voters made the term fashionable, and wrote before polling day that the 2017 Election would be her last. But the anti-May narrative has now run out of control.

The campaign trail brutally exposed her weaknesses but she still has strengths and they are calibrated to the moment. She is a Brexit pragmatist. Her reluctance to publicly emote masks a strong moral core. She retains a strong grasp of policy detail  'She'd be a perfect Permanent Secretary,' a colleague told me last week.

And though the events of the past fortnight have hammered her self-confidence, they have yet to break her.

Mrs May will never fully reverse her political fortunes but if she leans on those strengths, she can still stabilise them. As long as they are combined with the self-awareness to understand precisely how she guided her Government to its current dire pass.

One thing she must reflect on is that on her watch, Downing Street became a lunatic asylum. Over recent days, I have spoken to several No 10 officials. Their stories read like something from the script of One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest. 'She was just a creation of Nick Timothy and Fiona Hill, [May's former joint chiefs of staff],' one told me. 'She was the puppet and they were the puppet masters. She just looked at them for help in what to say.' Another said: 'They used to treat her like she was in a care home.'

A third recounted how 'Nick used to sit in meetings and say, 'What can we brief out that will annoy Hammond?' That's the Downing Street chief of staff talking. It was mad'.

To date, Mrs May's premiership has been dominated by fear. Of events. Of losing control. Of everyone and anything outside her insanely insular inner circle.

But paradoxically, she no longer has anything to be afraid of. The gods cannot mock her any more mercilessly than they did on June 8. Her inner circle has fractured. The nation has passed its judgment on her, and will not be asked to do so again.

Some in her party are demanding a new Theresa May. But what is needed now is the old Theresa May. The Theresa May who was a sceptical Remainer. Who had the courage to stand in front of the Police Federation and tell them: 'It is not enough to mouth platitudes about a few bad apples.' Who managed to negotiate a legal and diplomatic minefield and successfully deport hate preacher Abu Qatada.

So Mrs May must dig in and her MPs must dig in around her. And if some are reluctant to pick up a shovel, they should consider this.

A change of leadership represents the Tory Party's last throw of the dice. If they move at the wrong time, or for the wrong person, or in the wrong direction, that will be it.

They will have opened the door of Downing Street to Jeremy Corbyn, and there will be nobody left to bar the way.

For now, there is only one person who can save the country and the Conservative Party from the disastrous Theresa May premiership. Her name is Theresa May.

Dazed rebels start the fightback

Left-wing leader Jeremy Corbyn's surprise popularity at the polls has shocked Labour moderates

Since Election night, Labour moderates have been wandering the corridors of Westminster like punch-drunk boxers.

After Left-wing leader Jeremy Corbyn's surprise popularity at the polls, one asked me this week: 'What the hell just happened?'

But they are finally starting to regroup. Elections are about to be held for the party's obscure parliamentary committee, the group of MPs that acts as 'shop stewards' for their backbench colleagues.

And I'm told this is where they will attempt to draw some sort of line against Corbyn's advance.

'There are a lot of people in traditional working-class seats who saw our support switching across to the Tories,' one tells me. 'We were lucky we had the kids and the Remainers to neutralise it.

But they may not be there next time. We need people who are going to stand up and speak for working people. And that isn't the Corbynites.'

The war goes on.

Jeremy Corbyn (left) and deputy Tom Watson are (right) are both at Glastonbury this week, but they did not go together

Jeremy Corbyn and deputy Tom Watson, recently sacked as Labour Party chairman for perceived disloyalty, are both at Glastonbury.

But anyone hoping for a rapprochement will be disappointed.

'Tom isn't going with Jeremy,' a friend informs me. 'He's there on his own. You won't be seeing them on stage with Billy Bragg holding their arms up, like Bob Marley did at a 1978 peace concert in Jamaica with political rivals Michael Manley and Edward Seaga.'

One Love will have to wait.

Arts Minister Matt Hancock was walking round the Commons on Tuesday, proudly displaying a copy of The Beatles Sgt Pepper album, sent to him by his old Despatch Box sparring partner Michael Dugher.

The former Labour Shadow Culture Secretary has just been appointed chief executive of industry body UK Music. Come together, guys.
With Ulster's DUP taking their hung-Parliament negotiations with Theresa May down to the wire ahead of Thursday's Queen's Speech vote, what on earth can they still be arguing over?

Dog's eye is drawn to a proposal in the DUP's 2015 manifesto for a 21-mile bridge between Northern Ireland and Scotland.

That's the last thing gay Scots Tory leader Ruth Davidson wants, given her views on the DUP's 'homophobic' policies.

With Ulster's DUP taking their hung-Parliament negotiations with Theresa May down to the wire ahead of Thursday's Queen's Speech vote, what on earth can they still be arguing over?

......................................................................................................................................

Tory MPs disloyally gossiping last week over iced lattes about just how long the Prime Minister will cling on were interrupted by a strange whirring noise from a new robot device being trialled by a technology firm in the Commons.

'Oh look, it's the Theresa Maybot,' sniped one Conservative still fuming over the PM's passionless Election performance.

'No, it can't be,' replied a colleague. 'It's got too many friends.'

......................................................................................................................................

When Defence Secretary Michael Fallon was pictured supping a pint with Boris Johnson, they were assumed to be plotting.

But what could Boris offer in return for Sir Michael's support in a leadership bid?

Sir Michael has always coveted Boris's berth as Foreign Secretary  especially since the job includes the country retreat of Chevening, barely a mile from Fallon's constituency home. Cosy.

Cosy: When Defence Secretary Michael Fallon was pictured supping a pint with Boris Johnson, they were assumed to be plotting

......................................................................................................................................

'Patriot' missile fails to ruffle BBC's Emily

Andrea Leadsom's Britannia act could have gone better.

So riled was the staunch Brexiteer by BBC Newsnight presenter Emily Maitlis's digs about the UK's weak Brexit negotiating position that Commons Leader Leadsom retorted: 'It would be helpful if broadcasters were willing to be a bit patriotic.'

But when Maitlis asked, 'Are you accusing me of being unpatriotic?', Leadsom replied meekly: 'I am not accusing you of anything.'

Don't pick a fight you're not prepared to finish, Andrea.

Shrewd: When the BBC's Emily Maitlis, right, asked, 'Are you accusing me of being unpatriotic?', Andrea Leadsom (left) replied meekly: 'I am not accusing you of anything.' Don't pick a fight you're not prepared to finish, Andrea

......................................................................................................................................

With tempers flaring on the streets, MPs wonder aloud if the police could follow the continental example and blast rowdy demonstrators with water cannons  such as those Boris Johnson bought when London Mayor.

They have never seen action because then Home Secretary Theresa May refused to license them: an unwise move given that the blond bombshell is now circling her like a shark.

......................................................................................................................................

A sting in the tale

Within hours of Michael Gove's improbable return to the political front line as Environment Secretary, a graffiti message appeared near his London home reading: 'Oi, Gove! Save the Bees!'

Dog is sure Michael will respond. After all, he does have a certain empathy with creatures that pack a nasty sting

......................................................................................................................................

As if to prove beyond doubt that Jeremy Corbyn is indeed the master of all his surveys, the newspaper rack in the main restaurant at Portcullis House now boasts Jezza's favourite read  the communist-supporting Morning Star. Staff at the paper should be grateful for virtually doubling the circulation.
Far too often, we make the world worse than it is by imposing a pattern on it that has little or nothing to do with reality. I say this though I am a keen pessimist. I know the glass is half-empty unless someone is actually refilling it at the time.

But what a foolish mess we get into over so much of the violence that has recently ripped through our society. For instance, we have been marking the terrible death of Jo Cox, a young wife and mother and a delightful, beloved person missed terribly by all who knew her.

It is quite right that she should be remembered. This was a dreadful event. Yet the authorities and the media have decided to insist that her murder was political.

I think this is wrong. Her killer was quite obviously a deranged, muttering loner, with no serious understanding of politics.

We have been marking the terrible death of Jo Cox, pictured, a young wife and mother and a delightful, beloved person missed terribly by all who knew her. It is quite right that she should be remembered. This was a dreadful event. Yet the authorities and the media have decided to insist that her murder was political

Psychiatrists know that such people often latch on to political or religious movements to make themselves seem important.

Why help him magnify his wretched life, his twisted mind and his cruel violence? I have my own suspicions that, by classifying his act as terror, the authorities closed their minds to other possibilities.

This doesnt simply mean that they then wasted their time pursuing leads that went nowhere. It meant that they failed to act on or investigate another equally important line of inquiry.

It is, beyond doubt, the case that our treatment of the mentally ill is a terrible mess. It is also beyond doubt that much mental illness appears to be linked to legal or illegal mind-altering drugs, now far more common than they were 30 years ago.

This long predates the era of Islamic terror. One of the first cases was in 1992 when Jonathan Zito was stabbed to death by Christopher Clunis, a total stranger (and longstanding drug-abuser) who was severely mentally ill. This horror, oddly enough, took place at Finsbury Park.

Since then, many other such incidents have shown that leaving some mentally ill men and women in the community, relying on them to take drugs which are supposed to treat them, has serious risks for society.

Measure it how you will, you will find a significant number of men and women are killed each year by people who are receiving treatment for mental illness.

Ridiculously, it has become harder to say such things, as you will then be condemned by The Guardian for spreading prejudice against the mentally ill or stigmatising them. This is just piffle. I have no such prejudice.

But I do have prejudice against those who ignore a real, existing danger or pretend it is something else.

The latest case, the van attack at Finsbury Park, is subject to the courts and so it is best to wait for them to find out more and reach a verdict.

It is, even so, worth pointing out that the alleged culprit is said by members of his own family to have been on medication.

The responses I get when I make this point  that mind-altering drugs are involved in almost every alleged terror incident of recent times, as well as in almost every American shooting or rampage killing  are deeply frustrating.

People accuse me of trying to exonerate Muslim fanatics. I never have and never will. They accuse me of trying to make excuses for murder. I never have and never will. They accuse me of claiming that everyone who takes cannabis, antidepressants or steroids is a killer. I dont think or say anything so dim or ridiculous.

But please note that if I do have a point, several powerful and well-funded lobbies might suffer.

The people who want to take away our liberties and expand the security industry by claiming we are the victims of a great terror conspiracy obviously wish I would shut up.

If simply enforcing the cannabis laws (which we dont now do) could greatly reduce this sort of violence, all this surveillance and anti-extremist apparatus may be, at least, overdone.

The huge billionaire lobby for cannabis legalisation also hate what I say. If their beloved drug really is linked with criminal murder, then their campaign will fail, and the giant profits they hope for will never be made.

And existing drug manufacturers, who in truth know very little about what their pills actually do, or how they work (if they do work), are understandably annoyed by my arguments as well.

I say, too bad. The whole purpose of journalism is to find out and then publicise important facts that powerful and influential people dont want you to hear.

The fact that Im regularly smeared for pointing out plain, undoubted facts, and that what I say is so frequently twisted by my critics, makes me sure that I am on to something.

If the authorities would stop looking the wrong way, they might actually prevent some of these events in future, something theyre not very good at just now.

A nasty film as phoney as its electric cigars

Id like to see an intelligent, critical film about Winston Churchill. Great men are seldom perfect and enough time has passed for us to stand back a bit from the great cigar-smoker.

Beyond doubt he was the saviour of his country in 1940. But he got many other things badly wrong, especially Singapore and Greece.

He was also on the losing, bad side in the abdication crisis, though that stupid, over-rated movie The Kings Speech pretended otherwise. And he should have retired long before he did.

But the new film about him, starring Brian Cox is absolutely, shockingly bad and wrong. It invents stuff. It is as phoney as the electric cigars it uses instead of the real thing in the many scenes of smoking which viewers are warned of at the start.

Some of it is small, such as a fictional event in which his long-suffering wife Clemmie slaps him across the face.

But the central suggestion, that he pestered Dwight Eisenhower to call off the D-Day landings in the last few hours before they were launched, is surely tripe of the first order.

It is true that he never wanted a frontal assault on Hitlers West Wall. It could have gone terribly wrong. But in the end, he gave in to pressure from Stalin and the Americans.

This invention allows the film-makers to portray him as a foolish, drink-soaked, humiliated old fool, despised by his generals and lost in the past.

But in the final few scenes when he is redeemed (by showing empathy to his bullied secretary), they turn up the violins and resort to sentimental worship again. Nasty and gutless, both at once. And often quite dull as well.

Were pushing the Russian bear over a cliff

Russia last week shot down a Turkish jet which was threatening to attack Moscows allies in Syria.

Russia recently sent heavy nuclear bombers to the Caribbean as a show of force.

Russian artillery recently conducted a huge live-firing exercise close to its border with Nato member Lithuania.

A Russian jet buzzed the personal aircraft of the US Defence Secretary over international waters.

Disgraceful and dangerous behaviour, you say. And so it would be, if true.

But in fact the opposite happened. A US Navy jet shot down a Syrian warplane. American nuclear bombers flew to the Baltic, Nato heavy artillery let rip close to the Russian city of Kaliningrad. A Nato jet buzzed the Russian Defence Ministers plane.

Who is actually turning up the heat here?

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When Irene Patsalides' family home was hit by a devastating cyclone, she lost everything.

Ms Patsalides was just 16 when she and her family experienced a 'horrifying near death experience' as Cyclone Tracy wreaked havoc on their home in Darwin on Christmas Day in 1974.

'I was living out of the Salvation Army back then, I didn't even have a dress on my back,' the now 58-year-old told Daily Mail Australia.

Irene Patsalides was 16 when her and her family were hit my cyclone Tracy and lost everything

Ms Patsalides father - an immigrant from Cyprus - had arrived in Darwin with her mother and only $20 to his name.

He had spent 18 years building a life for his family, only to lose everything that fateful night.

'We were basically living out of a concrete meat freezer at the local butcher shop, one of the few things left standing, and donations from the kindness of the Salvation Army,' Ms Patsalides said.

The family were finally gifted an airline ticket to Melbourne and they lived with relatives for a few years, sleeping on their floor.

'My dad started a small grocery store with a small loan to feed the family, it took another 10 years for him to rebuild our life. My dads a smart, strong and persistent man and a real survivor,' she said.

Mirenesse Cosmetics is a family business that has come from humble beginnings

It was watching her father's determination that led her to dig deep to fulfill her ambition of becoming a pharmacist.

'Growing up I had a passion for mixing things and loved cosmetics, I remember watching my mother using makeup and skincare, and this ignited my passion,' she told Daily Mail Australia.

'Seeing my family so poor and devastated gave me more drive to help rebuild our life and help our family.

'At the time pharmacy was the closest field to cosmetic chemistry I could study, and as I always loved helping people I chose this as my future.'

Irene says that they approach beauty from a help perspective as they want women to understand what is best for them

She went to pharmacy college and worked hard to make her way from an assistant to running her own pharmacy.

This was no easy feat and took determination, Irene was working 12 hour days and through the weekend.

'I knew how lucky I was to have the opportunity to work and to achieve a life for myself, so I saved every single cent and worked as much as I could,' she said.

'I believe such experiences test our survival instincts and ground us, when youve known what its like to have nothing, you really value life and everything about it so much more. You know that you can be strong and overcome anything that comes your way and always keep moving forward.'

It was Andrew (left) who convinced Irene (centre) to sell the pharmacy so that they could focus solely on Mirenesse Cosmetics

And it was that determination that led the now Melbourne-based woman to later launch her own business, with the Facebook page recently reaching 400,000 followers.

'I was recommending make up products to customers every day, but I was frustrated with what was on offer. I wanted a mascara that wouldn't make me look like a raccoon at the end of the day so I went back to my chemistry roots,' Ms Patsalides told Daily Mail Australia.

Irene started to experiment on her own. She was determined to make a mascara that didn't smudge and was safe and easy to use.

It took two years of product development before Mirenesse Cosmetics was launched in 1999 by Irene, the founder and director, and her husband Andrew, who is the CEO.

Andria (right) worked for the business after school and on the weekends packing orders in the warehouse before doing a marketing degree

'Mirenesse wasn't started with any financial backing, we grew everything from the ground up,' Ms Patsalides said.

It was Andrew who convinced her to sell the pharmacy so that they could focus solely on their fledgling business.

'He had more faith than I did at the beginning, I was just concentrated on making the best mascara but he saw the potential it had,' she explained.

'Our products have no toxins, we leave out the harmful things like parabens. Our products work with sensitive skin and are dermatological tested'.

Before long, their daughter Andria Kalliakoudis, 29, joined the business as the Marketing Director.

'I grew up watching my mother succeed at something she has been passionate about forever. She followed her dreams and put everything on the line to start Mirenesse, it inspired me from a young age,' she said.

'Mirenesse wasn't started with any financial backing, we grew everything from the ground up,' Irene (centre) stated

Andria worked for the business after school and on the weekends packing orders in the warehouse before doing a marketing degree.

Their tips on starting a business Make sure you have a Facebook page

Focus on great content and connecting with your customers

Create what the customer wants to see and put it on Facebook

Make sure what you're offering is unique or you're offering it in a unique way

Tell people the stories behind your creations

Be persistent, don't listen to negativity and believe in yourself every day Advertisement

'I was then working overseas as I wanted to get experience in different industries before coming back to work for the family business. Its incredible. It's our baby and I get to help mold and shape it.

'We have such a good working relationship, I respect mum so much. She's making so many women happy every day'.

The mother daughter duo agree that they're good at bouncing ideas off of each other. They say that the age difference helps with their product development and marketing as Andria brings a fresh and youthful approach while Irene can relate to the older market.

The two of them believe that being family has helped the business grow as they know each other really well and are honest about their opinions.

The two of them believe that being family has helped the business grow as they know each other really well and are honest about their opinions

'Without obsession or passion nothing good is created. The purpose unites us, we have a one track mind to what is going to make our customers the happiest and we have the same belief system for the business,' Irene stated.

The mother and daughter team both think that inclusivity is important for their brand and have noticed that beauty brands tend to focus on young customers. They don't want anyone to feel excluded, no matter their age or skin type.

At the moment they are working on something new behind the scenes and they think their differing perspectives has allowed them to come together in a unique way.

'We put women at the heart of everything we do and we want to continue to empower women to feel confident in themselves every day, which is incredibly important to us,' Andria stated.
While many will argue that birth is beautiful, others will also say it's also gory, painful and a little terrifying.

This is just one of the reasons why mother-of-four, Mel Watts, from the Central Coast in NSW, has written an emotional and honest account of her recent caesarean section - blood and mucus and all.

'Caesarean sections are scary,' Ms Watts told FEMAIL. 'But women's bodies are amazing and we all birth differently'.

The mummy blogger has also shared candid and graphic snaps from the day of her birth - taken by the anaesthetic doctor at her hospital.

Mother-of-four, Mel Watts (pictured with her new baby, Sonny), has shared an honest account of her caesarean birth

'Caesarean sections are scary,' Ms Watts told FEMAIL. 'But women's bodies are amazing and we all birth differently' (pictured: Ms Watts's C section)

Ms Watts's anaesthetic doctor even took photographs of the C section as it happened (pictured: Ms Watts with two of her children)

'I couldn't sleep. Not a wink. My anxiety was through the roof and my fears took over my body,' Ms Watts wrote in her blog post (pictured at the hospital)

The mother was due to have a caesarean birth the next day - and admitted that all sorts of questions were running through her mind the night before

'On Sunday night I packed all my bags and tucked myself into a nice warm bed and got to watch my clock for eight hours,' Ms Watts began her post.

'I couldn't sleep. Not a wink. My anxiety was through the roof and my fears took over my body.'

The mother was due to have a caesarean birth the next day - and admitted that all sorts of questions were running through her mind the night before.

Finally, 5am rolled around and Ms Watts was set to go to the hospital:

'I was feeling anxious, nauseated and just wanted to go to the toilet,' she wrote - remembering sitting in the maternity ward waiting for her turn:

'I could hear the baby born before ours. Those newborns screeches. Those goose bumps were insane. That would be us soon, I was thinking,' she said.

'I could hear the baby born before ours. Those newborns screeches. Those goose bumps were insane. That would be us soon, I was thinking,' she said (pictured: Sonny being born)

Ms Watts added that she found herself quickly wishing her partner - Nolan - was in the theatre with her

'It's cold. It's busy but I feel so alone. I shake from adrenaline and fear,' she said

However, when her little one was born (pictured) - Ms Watts said she couldn't wait to hold him

Since the blogger shared her candid post, she has received a wave of support online

As well as over 5,000 Facebook likes, Ms Watts also told FEMAIL she has received many emails from other women who have had C sections

Next, the expectant mum was 'given an IV line and my fluids began'.

'F**k. This was it,' she wrote. 'This is the part that I have to admit scares me the most. Absolutely terrifies me.'

Ms Watts added that she found herself quickly wishing her partner - Nolan - was in the theatre with her:

'It's cold. It's busy but I feel so alone. I shake from adrenaline and fear,' she said.

Before she knew it, Ms Watts said she was given the local anaesthetic:

I was a little queasy with all the pulling and tugging but as soon as I heard the cries my mind went straight to the baby

'They lay me down and I watch everyone rush around me. The nurses all come in scrubbed up and prepare me for a catheter,' Ms Watts said.

Eventually, Ms Watts said that her partner was allowed into the theatre, and she said she remembers wondering whether they had started when the doctors told her that her baby was nearly here:

'I was a little queasy with all the pulling and tugging but as soon as I heard the cries my mind went straight to the baby,' she said.

Ms Watts was later able to hold her baby, Sonny, before she had to have him removed because she felt 'ill'.

Ms Watts - who is known as The Modern Mumma online - has never shied away from the more gory and graphic aspects of pregnancy and birth in the past

Earlier this month, she shared candid photographs of her post-baby body (bottom) just days after giving birth to her fourth child (pictured above at 30 weeks pregnant)

Her honest posts have earned the blogger thousands of followers

Since she posted about her caesarean, Ms Watts has received a lot of feedback and a wave of support from other C section mums.

As well as over 5,000 likes, shares and comments on Facebook, Ms Watts also told Daily Mail Australia that she's had 'so many emails saying thank you':

'Some women needed a little bit of closure as their C section was too much for them at the time,' Ms Watts said.

Ms Watts - who goes by The Modern Mumma online - has never shied away from showing the more graphic sides of pregnancy and birth.

Earlier this month, she shared photographs of her post-baby body just days after giving birth to her fourth child, Sonny.

'Wow. Honestly it's no castle or bloody piece of art. Sure it's filled with stretch marks and dimples. But this body, this one I own gave me another life,' Ms Watts wrote.

'Another small human to love and to hold. It held onto him for nine months and sheltered him, protected him and prepared him for the day he was born.'

To read Mel Watts's caesarean post in full, click here.
Ever since she received a breast cancer diagnosis the day before she was due to give birth in 2011, the television presenter, Sally Obermeder, has always put a brave face on when talking about her cancer.

When her daughter, Annabelle, was born, the new mother spent a gruelling eight months in chemotherapy - which saw her have her right breast removed and later on her left, too.

'My body's got scars everywhere,' the 43-year-old admitted on Saturday on Mamamia's No Filter podcast.

Australian TV presenter, Sally Obermeder (pictured), opened up about how doctors put her body back together after she was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2011

'My body's got scars everywhere,' the 43-year-old admitted (pictured with her two children, right)

'For six months I had one breast,' she added. 'It was awful.'

The TV host had just one breast for six months because the doctors said they could only initially remove her right breast - which contained the tumour.

Sally was too weak to have treatment on the second.

However, after six months of radiation therapy, surgeons later performed a mastectomy on her left breast, too.

She was then told she was unable to have implants as her body might reject them and she might need to go back into treatment.

Sally said that for six months, she only had one breast - she had a single mastectomy which saw one removed, and later had the second removed too

Sally was later told she was unable to have implants as her body might reject them and she might need to go back into treatment - she was undergoing radiation therapy and chemo at this time (pictured in 2012)

Speaking about the options she was given, Sally said doctors offered her a TRAM flap, which involved removing tissue from her own body to reconstruct her breasts

Speaking about the options she was given, Sally said doctors offered her a TRAM flap, which involved removing tissue from her own body to reconstruct her breasts.

In Sally's case they used tissue from her back, in a 17-hour procedure that saw 'every single nerve' reattached during the process:

'They can do it for anyone but it's a big operation and I think people think, "Well, I'll have an implant, whats the difference?". But that just wasn't an option for me,' she said.

The mother also had her nipples reconstructed using skin from her back:

'They aren't actually real nipples, there's no sensation there,' she added - saying she was in hospital for ten days following her treatment.

The mother also had her nipples reconstructed using skin from her back - 'They aren't actually real nipples, there's no sensation there,' she added

Sally Obermeder has spoken honestly about her chemotherapy in the past, and about how she had to re-think her lifestyle following it

Sally Obermeder has spoken honestly about her chemotherapy in the past, and about how she had to re-think her lifestyle following it.

'I was alive, but I was dead inside,' she told Daily Mail Australia in March, referring to her lack of energy and overall health at the time.

'My insides were completely gone. I had no energy, my skin was grey, and I'd been through a lot,' she said.

'I thought, "Well, what am I going to do? I have a toddler and I've got a job, so what am I going to do? What's going to make the biggest difference?"'.

This line of questioning led to the creation of Sally's hugely popular smoothie recipe collection.

The busy media personality has since welcomed her second daughter, Elyssa, via surrogate at the end of last year.
It wasn't exactly standing in front of a tank, waving a hanky in Tiananmen Square, but boy, those lads in Devon were brave.

Dozens of male pupils at the Isca Academy in Exeter, after suffering in long trousers on the hottest June day since 1976, and told they must not wear shorts, turned up the next morning in regulation tartan skirts, borrowed from friends, sisters, girlfriends.

You have to love them, saying that wearing a skirt was 'quite refreshing'. They have done more for equal rights than every episode of Woman's Hour, than all those whinging, feminist columnists in the Left-wing press clamouring for gender-neutral lavatories ad nauseam.

Making a stand: Dozens of male pupils at the Isca Academy in Exeter, after suffering in long trousers on the hottest June day since 1976, and told they must not wear shorts, turned up the next morning in regulation tartan skirts, borrowed from friends, sisters, girlfriends

These lads didn't moan  they just had a bit of mischievous fun. They made their point, even if one particularly tall boy was told he was showing too much hairy leg.

It was a refreshing change, too, as it's always girls who garner our sympathy. Endless, and quite understandable, hand-wringing over their self-esteem, eating habits, confidence, safety, propensity to self-harm, future salaries.

I think part of why this is so is because the people who agonise so loudly in the mainstream media are female journalists and broadcasters, who are required to trawl their psyche, their school days, teenage years, health, motherhood and marriages for trauma and intrigue: the more tortured and unhappy, the better.

Male writers, on the other hand, are rarely asked to navel-gaze. They don't offer up their stories either, thinking to do so would weaken them.

Working on a daily newspaper, it was six years before I found out that one of the male feature writers had a wife with breast cancer, and four years before I found out the man who sat opposite me for 14 hours a day  the paper's political editor  had two young children; the first I knew he was even vaguely tired was when he keeled over, toppling like a felled tree.

Skirting around the rules: They have done more for equal rights than every episode of Woman's Hour, than all those whinging, feminist columnists in the Left-wing press clamouring for gender-neutral lavatories ad nauseam

I spent over a decade working with a young man whose one mission in life was to conceal the fact he was gay; any hint he might want to write about his sexual orientation was met with horror, whereas me, his boss, would blithely and willingly tell the world of her anorexia, plastic surgery and lack of sex.

It seemed natural, as a writer, to want to expose my fleshy underbelly; male writers prefer only to show the shell.

That generation of men was never allowed to wear skirts, real or metaphorical. They weren't allowed to have feelings, foibles or flaws. They were supposed to get on with stuff.

So, we've never heard that much from boys. I can only imagine what it's like to be one. God, they have to put up with us, for starters. Make the first move, worry about acne, about providing, about having their sperm stolen, or their children taken away from them in a divorce. Worry about being accused of sexual assault or rape.

I remember a couple of years ago being at a dinner at the Oxford Union, when I was sitting next to the male president of the debating society. I expected him to be witty, bright and entertaining. He was so rude, monosyllabic and devoid of conversation I wrote a piece a few days later, bemoaning the characterless, anecdote-free, badly brought up, welded-to-their-smartphone generation of intelligent young men who just don't measure up to us, the loquacious, entertaining, funny females seated on their right. I found out later he had just been (wrongly) accused of rape.

Mischievous: These lads didn't moan  they just had a bit of fun. They made their point, even if one particularly tall boy was told he was showing too much hairy leg

Over dinner, seated next to the most rapacious writer of them all (me), he had managed to keep valiantly schtum.

Anyone else would have named their price. Most women in his position would have been on the This Morning sofa, smartish, sobbing.

I wish I'd been at school with boys who decided to wear skirts in protest at injustice. It would have broken the ice, at least. It would have meant I saw them as just like me, only hairier.

I had an elder brother who not only never spoke to anyone about his disappointment when he didn't manage to get his novel published, or make it into the album charts, he also went off and got married without telling anyone  not even his parents. I never did find out what finally killed him.

He was one huge, suffering-in-silence enigma. Only at his funeral did a couple of his former bandmates tell me that, far from being uncaring and aloof, he had secretly sold his last guitar to help pay for our dad's funeral. You see? I'd have liked to have known that while he was still alive. I would have liked to have said thanks.
Jane Lu has made a name for herself for doing things her own way in business.

After quitting her corporate job at the tender age of 18 and quickly falling into debt, the now 30-year-old from Sydney went on to found the fashion e-store, Showpo, from her parents' garage in 2010.

Showpo has since become a multi-million-dollar fashion empire, currently claiming an AUD $30 million each year.

Ms Lu spoke to Husskie about brand Showpo, and explained how she has realised the job of her dreams. She also revealed the moment she thought she'd made it.

After quitting her corporate job at 18 and quickly falling into debt, 30-year-old Jane Lu from Sydney (pictured) went on to found fashion e-store, Showpo, from her parents' garage in 2010

Showpo has since become a multi-million-dollar fashion empire, currently claiming an AUD $30 million run rate (Jane Lu, right)

Ms Lu was working at Ernst & Young when she quit and launched her own business; however, her first business failed and she was over $60,000 in debt before Showpo

Ms Lu was working at Ernst & Young when she quit and launched her own business:

'When I started my first business, I had no retail or fashion experience - then my first business turned out to be an utter failure, I was over $60k in debt, and I've never had a business plan,' she told Husskie.

The 30-year-old admitted she has 'never considered myself entrepreneurial'; she didn't have an interest in setting up her own venture:

'My parents and I immigrated from China when I was eight, so all they wanted for me was to get a secure job working somewhere in upper middle management. But that didn't exactly go to plan,' she laughed.

The 30-year-old admitted she has 'never considered myself entrepreneurial'; she didn't have an interest in setting up her own business

'My parents and I immigrated from China when I was eight, so all they wanted for me was to get a secure job working somewhere in upper middle management,' Ms Lu (pictured) said

Jane Lu's top tips for business success Make sure your business model works.

Good marketing will help you scale a business. Social media has helped grow the brand into a global success.

Hire great people to make the business scale even further.

Don't compare yourself.

Never invest more than you're willing to lose.

Learn from your mistakes. Advertisement

However, the ambitious Ms Lu soon got the hang of business, and when she co-founded Showpo in 2010, it was quick to take off and catch the eyes of fashionable men and women all over the world:

'Once I took over, I was able to do whatever I wanted,' she said. 'So I removed the shipping charge, optimised Google and Facebook ads, provided impeccable customer service and packaging, scheduled frequent social posts.

'Sales just kept doubling month-on-month. We went from $5k, to $40k, to $75k, to $140k within the space of four months,' the CEO continued.

However, the ambitious Ms Lu soon got the hang of business, and when she co-founded Showpo in 2010, it was quick to take off and catch the eyes of fashionable men and women

'Sales just kept doubling month-on-month. We went from $5k, to $40k, to $75k, to $140k within the space of four months,' Ms Lu said

Speaking about her drive and ambition, Ms Lu said she believes her experience in various areas has helped with Showpo, as well as her desire to prove people wrong:

'So many people said I couldn't do it and thought I was an idiot for giving up my great corporate job in the middle of the GFC, so it was spite to prove them wrong,' she said.

The 30-year-old has also spoken in the past about the fact that an important part about running a business is hiring great people and letting them do their own thing:

'Sometimes I think I'm a bit of a phony if I don't know everything that's going on but it's important to remember it's okay not to be the smartest person in the room,' she told Jules Sebastian in May.

Speaking about her drive and ambition, Ms Lu said she believes her experience in various areas has helped with Showpo, as well as her desire to prove people wrong

'So many people said I couldn't do it and thought I was an idiot for giving up my great corporate job in the middle of the GFC, so it was spite to prove them wrong,' she said

The 30-year-old now works with digital influencers including Pia Muehlenbeck regularly (both pictured)

These days, Showpo boasts over 2,000 different styles and turns over $30 million each year.

The business works with high-profile 'digital influencers', including Sydney-based bikini model, Pia Muehlenbeck.

Ms Lu also does things differently within her business, taking colleagues and employees on weekend trips to Byron Bay and on a boat around Sydney Harbour - all a far cry from the 'cubicle' life she used to abide by in her corporate career.

'The best part is that my parents, who gave up so much for me to immigrate here, don't have to stress about money anymore.

'I can't believe I can offer them that,' Ms Lu previously said.
Earlier this week shoppers were left baffled after Balenciaga marketed a 'shopping bag' for $1114 (871), but its seems this is not the only designer label to cause a stir.

Italian design house Prada has been mercilessly mocked by Twitter users for selling a 'paper clip' for $180 (144).

The polished sterling silver money clip is currently on sale in Barney's New York marketed as a Paperclip-Shaped Money Clip.

Prada has been mercilessly mocked by Twitter uses after marketing a 'paper clip' for $180

At just 6cm in length and with the only design features being a small 'Prada' logo embossed on the side, shoppers have found it hard to justify the price.

Many took to Twitter to share their outrage over the high cost with many failing to grasp why it cost any more than a regular paperclip.

Several users did admit that they would like to be in a position where they could spend $180 on a paper clip.

While many agreed the product, designed to be used as a money clip, was extortionate they admitted that they wished they could afford one

Meanwhile other Twitter users expressed concerns for anyone who was willing to splash the cash on the product.

The paper clip is the latest designer item to receive a dressing down on Twitter with Balenciaga receiving much criticism for recent accessories.

The Balenciaga Shopping Bag, a simple white calfskin bag with black handles emblazoned with the fashion house's name, is retailing for an extortionate 870.

Others expressed concerns for those purchasing them while some ever devoted memes to the luxury product

And while that seems a laughable amount for the average shopper, it seems that it's coveted among fashion fans - because it's already sold out.

It's not the first time that the fashion giant has unveiled a designer version of a staple.

The French luxury brand released a bag that's suspiciously similar to IKEA's iconic 'Frakta' tote, known for it's bright blue colour, its durability, and its absolutely massive size.

Balenciaga has released yet another designer handbag, left, that costs 871 and looks identical to the bags they package their goods in, right

The Balenciaga Shopping Bag is a simple white calfskin bag with black handles emblazoned with the fashion house's name

Whereas the IKEA 'Frakta' bag is made from 100% polypropylene, a recyclable material, the Balenciaga tote is composed of 'wrinkled, glazed leather.'

Another key comparison is the price point. The classic IKEA tote will set buyers back all of 40p, whereas Balenciaga's 'Arena Extra-Large Shopper Tote Bag' is just a bit more expensive, at 1,693.

Rather than take offense to the replication of their design, IKEA appears to be praising the French brand for their design skills. In a statement to Today, an IKEA spokesperson said,

The classic IKEA tote, right, will set buyers back all of 40p, whereas Balenciaga's 'Arena Extra-Large Shopper Tote Bag' is just a bit more expensive, at 1,693

Balenciaga were mocked for another 2,325 bag that bore a striking resemblance to a blanket bag

The 2,325 extra large lambskin printed tote that was branded 'hilariously stupid' by fashion fans because it looks exactly like a plastic blanket bag, pictured

'We are deeply flattered that the Balenciaga tote bag resembles the Ikea iconic sustainable blue bag [...] Nothing beats the versatility of a great big blue bag.'

Last year, they copied another over-sized tote style with their version of the Thai laundry bag.

Earlier this year, they were mocked fort the 2,325 extra large lambskin printed tote that was branded 'hilariously stupid' by fashion fans because it looks exactly like a plastic blanket bag.

People pointed out out on Twitter that the luxe accessory resembles the same bag you probably threw away after dumping your blanket on your bed, which you probably paid less than 25 for.
As they future Queen of Sweden she's naturally devoted to her royal duties as she prepares for the biggest role of her life.

But Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden, 39, has admitted the downside of public duty is that she inevitably misses out on crucial moments in her children's lives.

The mother-of-two opened up in an interview with Sweden's TT to mark her upcoming 40th birthday, saying: 'Unfortunately, I miss many important moments of my childrens lives.'

Victoria who shares Estelle, five, and Oscar, 15 months, with her husband Prince Daniel said that she compensates by making the most of the time she does have with them.

'I watch them and often record their small victories and undertakings,' she said, according to Royal Central.

The Swedish royal court has released new portraits of Princess Estelle, five, and Prince Oscar, 15 months, to coincide with midsummer

In an interview to mark her upcoming 40th birthday, Crown Princess Victoria revealed that she misses out on important moments in her children's lives due to royal duties

The revelations come as the royal court released new portraits of the children to celebrate midsummer - an annual tradition.

In the images, confident big sister Estelle can be seen doting on her younger brother as they play on a palace balcony.

The self-assured youngster beamed for the camera while Oscar, looking a little more unsure, grasps her hand.

Indeed their mother confirmed in her interview that Estelle is easily the more outgoing of the two, and is 'very cheerful' and 'loves people'.

Estelle dotes on her baby brother who appears enraptured with his older sibling as they play on the balcony

'Shes self-confident and has a great sense of humour, and she is very caring,' she said.

Meanwhile, Oscar is 'calm and respectful of people and loves his older sister'.

The royal also opened up about her previous battle with anorexia as a teenager, which she recently admitted was brought on by the pressure of assuming public duties.

'It was a hard period,' she recalled. 'I was lost for a long time, nothing unusual at that age.

'Im grateful that I got help because its not so easy to get out of that situation when you feel very bad.'

The Princess said that Estelle is the more confident of the two, while Oscar is very 'calm' and loves his older sibling

The palace announced she was suffering from an eating disorder in November 1997, when 20-year-old Victoria was due to start at Swedens Uppsala University, after she was pictured looking noticeably thinner at public appearances.

In a recent documentary, she explained that once she began to support her parents' work when she turned 18 after growing up away from the limelight, she started putting more and more demands on herself.

'I wanted all the time to do and be so much more than I realistically could do, or could be,' she said.

Estelle, five, who will one day be Queen of Sweden, is already showing her confidence and people skills, according to her mother

However, the royal is now much more confident in her role and aspires to maintain the same kind of enthusiasm for the job as her parents Queen Silvia, 73, and King Carl XVI Gustaf, 71.

'My whole life is for Sweden. It may seem pretentious, but I feel it, its true,' she said.

'I see my parents and their tireless work, and I notice with joy how they do it, with never-ending interest. I hope that I can experience the same joy at their age.'
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Earlier this week Prince Philip raised concerns after he was treated for an infection in hospital - but it seems the royal was back in action as he drove the Queen to a Guards Polo Club event in Windsor on Sunday.

The Duke of Edinburgh, 96, got behind the wheel to take Her Majesty to meet their son Prince Edward and watch granddaughter Lady Louise Windsor, 13, show off her carriage driving skills.

Philip appeared to be feeling well as he waved to crowds and presented prizes after stepping from his Land Rover, accompanied by the Queen. The monarch looked delighted to have her husband back at her side.

Fighting fit: Despite having been taken to hospital for an infection earlier this week Prince Philip appeared to be back to his usual sprightly self as he drove the Queen to the Royal Windsor Cup Final at Guards Polo Club in Windsor, Berkshire

All smiles: The Duke could be seen wearing a pair of spectacles which he took off before stepping out of the vehicle

Parking up: The royal couple chatted as they arrived to watch granddaughter Lady Louise, 13, show off her carriage skills

Having a royally good time: The Duke of Edinburgh looked delighted to be out and about as he and his wife sat in wicker chairs

Looking good: The Queen, 91, and her husband, 96, looked well rested despite Her Majesty having a busy social calendar this week. She spent several days at Royal Ascot while Philip recovered from an infection caused by a 'pre-existing' condition

On top form: The Duke of Edinburgh presented prizes to winners of the British Driving Society at the annual show

Her Majesty looked elegant in a mint green ensemble pairing a paisley dress with a complementary overcoat and a signature hat.

The Duke of Edinburgh looked in a chatty mood as he presented prizes to winners of the British Driving Society at the annual show.

At one point in the day Philip, who recently announced plans to retire from official duties in the autumn, was seen enjoying a break in the front seat of his green Range Rover as the festivities continued around him.

It marks his first appearance since he was admitted to the King Edward VII Hospital in London on Tuesday evening after spending the day at Royal Ascot with the Queen.

Well-rested: Philip appeared to be feeling well as he waved to crowds after stepping from his Land Rover

Having fun: Philip looked back to his bright-eyed, cheerful self after the hospital scare earlier this week

Back together again: The Queen was visibly delighted to have her husband back at her side

Suffering: It is believed the Duke had a recurrence of the bladder infection that twice saw him admitted to hospital in 2012

Her Majesty looked her elegant best in a mint green ensemble which featured pink accents in her paisley dress and hat ribbon

Quite the socialite! The Queen looked as energetic as ever as she beamed at the crowds after a busy week at Royal Ascot

Time out: Prince Philip, 96, took in some of the action from the comfort of his car at the Guards Polo Club in Windsor today

Recovering: The outing marks the first time Philip has been seen in public since he was admitted to hospital earlier this week

The Duke of Edinburgh could be seen shaking hands with officials on the Smith's Lawn while the Queen looked on

Getting stuck in: The pair enjoyed some time off their feet after walking around and meeting officials

Waving it off: Prince Philip looked happy to be rejoining his wife in their busy summer calendar

Wearing a navy blue jacket and pink open collar shirt, Philip chatted with carriage drivers during the event (right)

On point: Her Majesty and the Duke of Edinburgh looked content as they watched the show together from a private area

He spent two nights at the private hospital as a precautionary measure for treatment for an undisclosed infection triggered by a 'pre-existing' condition.

Philip appeared to be in better health today as he ventured out for the Royal Bentley Motors Cup Final and British Driving Society Annual Show.

Wearing a navy blue jacket and pink open collar shirt, Philip seemed to be taking in the action of the day from the comfort of his car. But he was spotted chatting with carriage drivers and watching the show with the Queen from a private seating area.

Support: Philip watched granddaughter Lady Louise Windsor, pictured, show off her skills in the British Driving Society Show

Family: Prince Edward, 53, looked the proud father as he and son James, Viscount Severn, nine, watched Lady Louise

Poised: Lady Louise looked at ease in the carriage, thought to have first been driven by her monarch grandmother in 1943

Confident: The 13-year-old joined other carriage drivers for a procession through the grounds

Family tradition: Lady Louise is following in the footsteps of the Duke of Edinburgh, who was instrumental in helping to establish carriage driving as a sport in Britain

Composed: Lady Louise was watched by her father Prince Edward and brother James at the event today

Skilled: Lady Louise looked comfortable and confident as she took the reins on Sunday afternoon's event

Talented: The teenager flashed a smile to her father and brother after completing her circuit this afternoon

In the driving seat: Following her display Lady Louise posed for a photo from her carriage

Edward looked every bit proud father as he watched his daughter's performance at Sunday's events in Windsor

Meanwhile his youngest son, Prince Edward, 53, looked every inch the proud father as he and son James, Viscount Severn, nine, watched Lady Louise take part in a carriage driving procession.

Lady Louise, 13, looked perfectly at ease in the red and black carriage, which is believed to have been first driven by her grandmother the Queen in 1943.

The teenager, who is a keen carriage driver, is following in the footsteps the Duke of Edinburgh, who was instrumental in helping to establish carriage driving as a sport in Britain.

Meanwhile other attendees took part in an unusual take on polo, shunning horses in favour of Penny-farthings in order to play the sport

It seems that negotiating the vintage cycles proved difficult on the grassy turf with some taking a tumble

Elsewhere the day held a rather quirky event in the form of a special polo match with participants shunning horses in favour of Penny-farthings.

The game appeared to take on the same premise as the traditional sport but players having to try and negotiate their old fashioned bicycles through the grass.

The hospital stay forced Prince Philip to miss the State Opening of Parliament and some of Royal Ascot.

He also missed out on appearances at London Zoo, where he had been due to present the Prince Philip Award for Contributions to Zoology in his role as an honorary fellow of the Zoological Society of London.

It is believed that he is suffering from a recurrence of the bladder infection that twice saw him admitted to hospital in 2012.
A heartbroken mother has shared a photograph of the moment she realised her little boy was going to die of whooping cough.

Riley Hughes was just 32 days old when he died as a result of pneumonia-based complications arising from the disease.

Perth mother Catherine Hughes posted the photo and shared her heartbreak on the Light for Riley Facebook page, where Mrs Hughes promotes the need to vaccinate children against preventable diseases.

'This is the moment my heart broke. This is the moment I realised you were unlikely to make it,' she wrote.

A heartbroken mother has shared a photograph of the moment she realised her little boy was going to die of whooping cough

Devastated: Perth mother Catherine Hughes lost her baby boy Riley (both pictured) to whooping cough at just 32 days old

Heartbreaking: Little Riley is pictured in the intensive care unit with his parents Catherine (left) and Greg (right)

'This is the moment my life turned upside down. This is the moment I wanted to throw up in fear.'

Ms Hughes said her stomach felt like it was 'filled with rocks' and her hands started to shake when the doctor told her Riley wasn't going to make it.

'I felt like someone had reached into my chest and gripped my heart tightly, squeezing it,' she told Kidspot.

Ms Hughes said she didn't think the tragedy could occur to her family as they had always been supportive of vaccination.

' I felt shocked. Shocked that I wouldn't be taking home my baby. Shocked that I would never look into his beautiful blue eyes ever again,' she said.

But despite thinking her life would be destroyed by her son's death, she said she has managed to persevere through the immense pain.

Ms Hughes said her stomach felt like it was 'filled with rocks' and her hands started to shake when the doctor told her Riley wasn't going to make it

Tragic: Ms Hughes also thanked the nurses who helped her grieve following the loss

' I still have bad hours, and bad days, but I know that it's important to appreciate that fact that I am still alive. Riley didn't get his chance at a good life, and I will not waste mine,' she said.

Ms Hughes gave birth to daughter Lucy in August 2016, 17 months after her little boy Riley passed away, which left her with a wave of conflicting emotions.

'The day we found out Lucy was a girl, I was hit with a huge wave of different feelings,' Ms Hughes explained.

'More grief, knowing that I will probably never have a son again. Relief, thinking it would be easier for me to hold a baby girl after the loss of a boy. Excitement, thinking of our beautiful daughter Olivia being able to play with her baby sister.

'And lastly, I felt worried. Worried that I would lose her. Worried that something would be wrong with her. And to be frank, I was worried about how I would cope having a newborn again. Would I be a wreck?'

Last year Ms Hughes wrote a heartfelt letter to the staff at Perth's Princess Margaret Hospital, who tried in vain to save her little boy.

Ms Hughes said she didn't think the tragedy could occur to her family as they had always been supportive of vaccination

In the wake of their son's tragic death, the family had become vocal supporters of vaccination

Mrs Hughes used the letter to express her gratitude for the tireless work and frank honesty of those who had treated her ailing son.

'Thank you to the clever doctor who correctly diagnosed Riley before receiving the swab results back, just by the sound of his cough,' she began the note.

'Thank you to the doctor who told me there was a chance Riley could die.

'I didn't like you at the time, purely because your words felt like a huge punch in the gut, but it was important we were prepared.'

'Thank you to the doctor who put her own family's life on hold while she worked tirelessly, staying back late and coming in early,' Mrs Hughes continued.

She also thanked the doctor who delivered the news that would break her heart and all the nurses who grieved with her.

'Thank you to the doctor who sat with us in the family room with the unenviable task of telling us that it was unlikely Riley would survive.

'Thank you to all the incredible doctors and nurses out there who talk to patients about the importance of vaccines.

'And what can happen when babies who are too young to be vaccinated contract a vaccine-preventable disease.'
Festival season is well and truly upon us  but if the thought of tramping around a field full of mud and millennials fills you with horror, dont fret.

Summer 2017 is all about the fitness festival  a glorious concept designed for grown-ups who want to return from a weekend away feeling energised and restored, not wrung out and exhausted.

Wellness festivals are a whirl of health, fitness and fun. Morning yoga party, anyone? Expect Pilates, spa treatments and luxury accommodation  and, yes, there is still booze, but balance and a natural high are the order of the day.

As Carl Faure, co-founder of the Exhale Festival, says: Our event is for those who once enjoyed more hedonistic times but, these days, want to do yoga before getting to the bar. Here is our pick of the festivals that will leave you feeling truly fabulous . .

Summer 2017 is all about the fitness festival  a glorious concept designed for grown-ups who want to return from a weekend away feeling energised and restored, not wrung out and exhausted

WOODLAND WORKOUT

WHERE: Lovefit, St Clere Estate, Kemsing, Sevenoaks, Kent (July 28-31).

WHAT: Enjoy hot yoga in a wood-fired yurt or visit the forest gym for circuit training and spinning. There is also wild swimming and a forest spa with hot tubs and hammocks. Or wind down with woodland meditation, yoga and skinny prosecco.

LISTEN TO: Soul, rhythm and blues, house and hip-hop.

TUCK IN: Posh burgers or falafel wraps and frozen coconut yoghurt.

CHEERS! Sip a cocktail made with fresh fruit and berries, or theres gluten-free beer or freshly made smoothies.

CAMPING OR GLAMPING? You can bring your own tent: camping is included in the ticket price. Happily, those past roughing it can upgrade to ready-prepared bell tents or deluxe junior tent-houses at the Pop-up Hotel (495 for two adults, three nights).

COST: Tickets cost from 80-140.

PIMMS AND PILATES

WHERE: Wilderness, Cornbury Park, Charlbury, Oxfordshire (August 3-6).

WHAT: Expect every type of yoga you can think of, plus Pilates, tai chi and wellbeing workshops on how to boost your happiness. Therapists from Neals Yard Remedies will be offering facials and aromatherapy massages.

Take part in wild medicine walks, wander the woods with guided foraging or experience fly-fishing and archery. There is an art studio, forest theatre, cabaret, comedy, talks and debates.

LISTEN TO: Grace Jones is headlining on Sunday. If, unaccountably, you need more, there is an orchestral tribute to Nina Simone, too.

TUCK IN: Oh my. Luxurious, long-table banquets with a superb chef at the helm each night: Yotam Ottolenghi, Nuno Mendes of posh London restaurant The Chiltern Firehouse, Thomasina Miers.

Deliciously Ella will host a supper club (spelt pizza with aubergine, mushroom and broccoli, lemon tart) and you can book restaurants, including Angela Hartnetts Italian-style Cafe Murano.

CHEERS! Theres a Veuve Clicquot champagne bar, Pimms Croquet Club, Sipsmith Gin Shop, Rum Bar and Rioja Terrace. No ones going thirsty.

CAMPING OR GLAMPING? Of course you can glamp! Sleep in an award-winning yurt, bell tent, pretty traditional-style caravan or summer lodge in the woods for two. Buy a wristband for access to luxury loos (30 adult; 5 child).

COST: Tickets from 178.

Wind down with an Indian head massage, raindrop therapy (no, not a metaphor for the English summer, but aromatherapy and reflexology combined in a massage), Ayurvedic treatments and Chinese medicine

GLASTONBURY FOR GROWN-UPS

WHERE: Yoga Connects, Garslade Farm, Glastonbury, Somerset (July 7-9)

WHAT: Perfect if you fancy a bop in a shamanic disco (where you dance blindfolded to tunes mixed by a shaman DJ), or simply a spot of sunrise meditation.

Wind down with an Indian head massage, raindrop therapy (no, not a metaphor for the English summer, but aromatherapy and reflexology combined in a massage), Ayurvedic treatments and Chinese medicine.

You can also avail yourself of a tarot reading from a psychic, or consult a past-life regressionist.

LISTEN TO: Indian classical, soul and reggae and, no doubt, several round-the-fire guitar sessions.

TUCK IN: Vegetarian treats galore.

CHEERS! Sip prosecco, cocktails, acai juice and margarita slushies.

CAMPING OR GLAMPING? Campervans or tents (15 camping ticket per person per night), or there are glamping options (230 per tent). There are shuttle buses to Glastonbury town for those who wish to play it safe in an Airbnb.

Cost: from 135 for a weekend ticket / 99 for locals (camping is not included).

Start the day with sunrise yoga, or try hot or blindfold yoga. A lakeside spa provides massages, hot tubs and a sauna. Cookery, nutrition and body image workshops as well as dream-mapping classes are also on offer

SUNRISE YOGA AND SPA TREATMENTS

WHERE: Soul Circus, The Cotswolds, Gloucestershire (August 18-20)

WHAT: Start the day with sunrise yoga, or try hot or blindfold yoga. A lakeside spa provides massages, hot tubs and a sauna. Cookery, nutrition and body image workshops as well as dream-mapping classes are also on offer.

LISTEN TO: Reggae, rhumba, soul.

TUCK IN: Vegetarian sushi, juice and fruit, and Sri Lankan jungle curry.

CHEERS: Fresh juice or locally produced cider, gin, craft beers or organic wine, and cocktails from a resident mixologist.

CAMPING OR GLAMPING? Its 25 to pitch your own tent, or glamping opions start at 695. There is also a VIP retreat  a space to unwind, relax and recompose  with hot drinks and champagne cocktails, and on-demand dining service.

COST: From 69 (Friday, day ticket) to 199 (weekend ticket). VIP weekend ticket, 399.

RAVES AND REIKI

WHERE: Exhale, Fairoaks Farm, West Sussex (August 25-28)

WHAT: Theres a yoga party in the 16th-century barn, meditation, callisthenics, or try biodynamics (another exercise system), breathwork, reiki or a massage.

LISTEN TO: House, jazz and soul.

TUCK IN: Banana and maple syrup crepes, smoothies and cake.

CHEERS! Theres craft beers and Exhales own-brand cider.

CAMPING OR GLAMPING? Camping is included in the ticket price. Boutique camping is available: hire bell tents with roll-out beds, rugs, a wind-up light and chandelier (270 for the full weekend).

COST: Saturday or Sunday adult day tickets cost 60, weekend tickets are 150.
Penny Mylchreest, who is now three years old, is pictured with her mother Becky at home in Cheshire

Baby Penny Mylchreest was less than 48 hours old when she suffered her first seizure.

It was the first of a staggering 1,000 epileptic fits the newborn endured in the first six weeks of her life that left her parents, Becky and Andy, fearing for her future.

Doctors realised they were in a race against time to stop the tots brain being irrevocably damaged.

Although initially baffled, they eventually diagnosed a rare genetic disorder and prescribed medication which brought the seizures under control.

Now  three years on  the toddler is seizure-free and, against the odds, is looking forward to starting mainstream primary school next year.

Last night Mrs Mylchreest, 34, said that  despite her daughters difficult beginning - it was magical that she now had the chance of a normal life.

There were times we wondered whether she would survive, Mrs Mylchreest, a full-time mother, said.

Yet now, when I look at my beautiful daughter who wins everyone over with her killer smile, it is nothing short of magical.

Penny is delayed in her development but we are hoping and praying that she will go on to have a full and normal life.

Mrs Mylchreest had a normal pregnancy and Penny was born without complications via a planned Caesarean section, weighing a healthy 6lbs 11oz, at Arrowe Park Hospital, Wirral, on March 17 2014.

But the following day, as Mrs Mylchreest and her commercial manager husband, Andy, 43, prepared to take Penny home for the first time, she had her first fit.

I noticed Penny had gone stiff and turned a funny colour, Mrs Mylchreest said. Shed gone blue. My heart was in my mouth as I shouted to a midwife to pick her up because I couldnt move quickly enough after having the Caesarean.

I was in total shock, it didnt seem real.

Although Pennys speech and physical development have been damaged, she uses sign language to communicate and, with physiotherapy, her parents hope she will be able to catch up with her peers

Midwives assumed the baby had mucus in her throat from birth, but half an hour later she suffered a second seizure. Penny was rushed to the neo-natal unit, before being transferred to Alder Hey Childrens Hospital for tests.

In the first six weeks of her life, the newborn suffered up to 30 fits a day. Doctors realised they had to work quickly to find out what was behind the terrifying seizures to stop them causing too much damage to her brain.

Each fit started with an horrific, gut-wrenching scream, Mrs Mylchreest said. Her body convulsed and shook, her eyes rolled back and her head fell to one side, before she became totally still, it was so upsetting to see.

Fortunately, the nurses were amazing. There were times when Andy and I felt it was all too much and thats when they told us that Penny was a fighter  but that she needed us to fight for her too.

'It wasnt just the physical care they gave to the babies, but the emotional care they gave to parents too.

Penny was eventually diagnosed with Benign Familial Neonatal Seizures, a rare condition which affects just one in 100,000 babies that is caused by a mutation of the potassium gene.

Several forms of medication were tried but none had any success.

Penny was born without complications via a planned Caesarean section in March 2014 - but the following day she had her first fit

Then, aged six weeks, medics tried Penny on phenytoin, an anti-epilepsy drug which works by switching off the brain activity that causes the fits.

Miraculously, she has not suffered a single convulsion since and doctors are now hopeful she will eventually grow out of her epilepsy and be able to come off the medication.

Although Pennys speech and physical development have been damaged, she uses sign language to communicate and, with physiotherapy, her parents hope she will be able to catch up with her peers.

Penny is about two years behind where she should be because of the seizures and damage but we hope she will catch up and she will be going to a mainstream school next year, Mrs Mylchreest added.

The couple, who also have a four-year-old daughter, Harriet, and live in Ness, Wirral, are so grateful to the staff at the neo-natal unit at Arrowe Park Hospital, who saved their daughter, that Mrs Mylchreest took part in the Three Peaks Challenge to raise money for the departments IncuBabies Charity earlier this month.

She said: Without the neonatal unit at Arrowe Park and their amazing work, Im not sure where we would be now. The staff were incredible.

To donate visit tinyurl.com/incubabies
If you toss and turn at night struggling to nod off, you may think stress is to blame for your whirring brain.

But the real explanation may lie deep within your genetic make-up.

A Dutch study has identified seven genes that put people at increased risk of developing sleeplessness.

Their discovery, that a tendency to suffer sleep problems is biological, rather than psychological, is a whole new approach and gives hope to the third of UK adults who have sleep problems.

It means that targeted treatments could be developed, rather than the ten million prescriptions for sleeping tablets that are made each year.

The researchers discovered there are different genetic mutations linked to sleep for men and women  and if you are female, you are more susceptible to the problem

The research, by scientists at Vrije University in Amsterdam, was carried out by mapping the DNA of more than 113,000 people from Britain and the Netherlands.

Sleep specialist Professor Eus Van Someren said: Insomnia is all too often dismissed as being all in your head.

Our research brings a new perspective. Insomnia is also in the genes. The professor, whose work is published in the Nature Genetics journal, said he hoped the breakthrough will lead to far more research into sleep problems, which he said have been neglected in the past.

As compared to the severity, prevalence and risks of insomnia, only few studies targeted its causes, he said.

The team also discovered there are different genetic mutations linked to sleep for men and women  and if you are female, you are more susceptible to the problem.

They also found a strong genetic overlap with other traits such as anxiety disorders, depression and neuroticism, and low well-being.

Anke Hammerschlag, a PhD student at Vrije University, said: This is an interesting finding, because these characteristics tend to go hand in hand with insomnia.

Targeted treatments could now be developed rather than the ten million prescriptions for sleeping tablets that are made each year

We now know this is partly due to the shared genetic basis.

Professor Danielle Posthuma, also at Vrije University, said there are also separate variants for men and women.

She explained: Part of the genetic variants turned out to be different. This suggests that, for some part, different biological mechanisms may lead to insomnia in men and women.

We also found a difference between men and women in terms of prevalence: In the sample we studied, including mainly people older than 50 years, 33 per cent of the women reported to suffer from insomnia. For men this was 24 per cent.

The risk genes were tracked down thanks to the UK Biobank, a health study that has recruited half a million people aged 40 to 69 and makes data on DNA available.
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The theatre review on page 28 of today's Event Magazine is for The Country Girls at the Minerva Theatre, Chichester (cft.org.uk). A production error means these details do not appear in the magazine.

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If you wish to report an inaccuracy, please email corrections@ mailonsunday.co.uk.

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A senior Labour shadow minister today revealed the party could remove the household benefits cap - but admitted they have not worked out how much the move would cost.

Shadow work and pensions secretary Debbie Abrahams said the party could throw out the limit on how much is dished out to families - which stands at 20,000 outside London and 23,000 inside the capital.

The cap was introduced to tackle Britain's bloated benefits bill and if it is scrapped taxpayers look set to have to pick up the costly tab.

It will fuel fears that if Theresa May is toppled and Jeremy Corbyn moves into Number 10 then the cost of public spending will soar.

Shadow work and pensions secretary Debbie Abrahams today said Labour could scrap the benefits cap, but said the party has not costed how much the move would cost

Ms Abrahams admitted that British voters will think enough is already being spent on state hand-outs, but she warned that children of poor families are being held back because of poverty.

She said: 'We recognise that for some people listening to this that might seem like an awful lot of money but the reality is... the implications for people in the poorest circumstances, the implications around child poverty which affects children not just while they're young but for the rest their lives  it affects how their brains develop and everything.'

Pressed on whether the cap would go, Ms Abrahams said: 'We would be looking to see how we do that.'

But she admitted the party has not costed the measure.

Her revelation comes after the High Court on Thursday declared the Government's benefits cap unlawfully discriminates against lone parents with children under two.

Ms Abrahams revelations comes after a High Court judge last week ruled that the cap unlawfully discriminates against lone parents with children under two years-old

Ms Abrahams said: 'We know that, for example, the court ruling is about 50 million so it's not an astronomical figure.'

In last week's court judgement, Mr Justice Collins ruled that 'real misery is being caused to no good purpose' and said the failure to exempt such families was discriminatory.

The Department for Work and Pensions plan to appeal the ruling.

Ms Abrahams said Labour would 'make sure that we were upholding the ruling from the court decision'.

A Department for Work and Pensions spokeswoman said: 'The benefit cap incentivises work, even if it's part-time, as anyone eligible for working tax credits or the equivalent under Universal Credit, is exempt.

'Even with the cap, lone parents can still receive benefits up to the equivalent salary of 25,000, or 29,000 in London, and we have made Discretionary Housing Payments available to people who need extra help.'
Its been such gorgeous weather here in the Yorkshire Dales that Nic suggested she cheer me up by taking me for lunch. We went to The Saddle Room, near Leyburn. Id brought the puppies, but it was too hot for them to stay in the car, so we sat outside, admiring the view of Wensleydale. I was almost happy, just for a fleeting second.

My phone pinged. It was a text from David, asking how I am, and if the weather was as nice in the north as it was in London. I told him I was with the puppies, having delicious pea and broad bean fettucine in the sunshine. I even sent him a photo.

There is only one thing missing! he replied.

What?

Me in that empty chair! And then he sent me a smiley face. Im impressed and surprised he actually knows how to do this.

The next day, Im beavering away at my computer, and a message from David pops up.

You didnt tell me you were not alone when you had your fettucine!

I replied, What are you on about? Is it the effects of glue again?

Him: There is evidence that someone is sitting to your right.

You are mad. I had lunch with Nic, her treat. I dont often go for something to eat on my own.

Not mad or jealous, just observant.

He must have been peering at the photo for 24 hours. Hes turning into Columbo, and not in a good way.

Why is it interesting that Nic is there?

Its not. You told me about the puppies, just saying.

The man is a crackpot; either that, or he has too much time on his hands. My theory is that he is ragingly jealous. It is like the time I was at the Arena in Sheffield, to see the Spanish Riding School, got a text from him, replied, saying I was backstage and couldnt talk, and he texted me, distraught: Are you with Him? Who? The RS? No. Im with Carl Hester, the Olympic dressage rider, and 25 lipizzaner horses.

Well done. You have made me feel sick. I thought backstage meant you had got back with Him!

This time, I ignore his paranoia, and send him a photo of Mini Puppy, with the caption, Really kind eyes.

Just like you.

I ignore that. Im not good with compliments. Shes beautiful, isnt she? Thirty degrees today, keep dousing her and Grace Kelly with cold water.

Yes, and you are beautiful.

Not really, but thank you.

Eye of the beholder.

Ive never quite known what that sentiment means. That you are not really beautiful, just that the other person thinks you are? You see? Not good with compliments.

The next day, I told Nic about the fact David said he had evidence someone was sitting to my right. I showed her the pasta picture, and she peered at it. Ah! she said. Look, on the right, you can just see the corner of my beer glass. He must have thought you were with a man!

Nic had indeed ordered a half a pint of lemonade shandy. David must have peered at the photo, enlarged it, turned it upside down, and convinced himself I had run off with another man. Given I have only ever had three and a half boyfriends my entire life, this is highly unlikely.

What other wonderful things have happened this week?

 I have an appointment to see the Official Receiver in Newcastle. I asked my debt advisor if I should be worried, given I have nothing left, and there is nothing more they can do to me. No, she replied. It is just a formality. I still dont understand how this has happened to me. Ive never had a day off sick in my life. Ive never been late. Ive never not tried my best.

 I applied for a job the other day, sent off my cv: 11 years on The Sunday Times Magazine. Deputy editor of The Sunday Times Style. Editor-in-chief of Marie Claire. Features editor and chief interviewer of London Evening Standard. Fashion editor of the Daily Mail for 11 long and frantic years. Columnist for YOU and The Mail On Sunday since 2003. Award winning. I was told I was a nonstarter, as I probably wouldnt want a pay cut. I replied, which didnt do me any favours, that I have to pay an accountant and a PA, have no pension, no holidays, no sick pay, no IT department, no company car and zero job security. Pay cut? My tiny a***.
Mighty Blighty is having a moment as heritage, craftsmanship and quality are being championed over mass-produced imports. Amy E Williams visited four brands who are proving that British-made is best

The teacup tycoon

Pamela Harper, a luxury goods veteran who has worked for Dunhill, Hermes and Burberry among others, became executive chairman of fine bone china label Halcyon Days in 2011. Since then she has helped transform a slightly directionless brand (albeit one with three royal warrants) into a fast-growing, gift-friendly business. Its ceramics are made in Stoke-on-Trent and Wolverhampton.

Pamela Harper with plates stacked and ready to be fired in the kilns

Being in this business is a joy because of the creativity of our customers. You can come to us to commemorate lifes big moments: the weddings, the birthdays  any celebration where a keepsake is in order. I always say we are the perfect hostess gift, and our bespoke business is booming. Who doesnt like something personalised?

Taking on Halcyon Days has been a steep learning curve. I wanted to get involved in a business that had potential, but I had no idea, for example, of how many times a single fine bone china plate has to go through a kiln [up to five]. I spend as much time in Stoke-on-Trent as I can. For me, knowing the team  there are 35 of us at the Stoke factory  and learning every part of our process is a vital part of the business.

We are all guilty of taking the products we buy for granted, but the talent and the imagination  not to mention the mechanics  involved in manufacturing are really quite remarkable. To me, it is quite right that the reputation of British skills means our Made in England mark is recognised as a seal of quality around the world and one we should all feel proud of and invest in.

From left: the Halcyon Days factory in Stoke-on-Trent, and some of the brand's teacups

BREXIT EFFECT The immediate impact was favourable  the weakness in sterling meant a sales boom in our London stores. Long-term, Im not too worried. The US is already our biggest international customer and our strategy has always been to make the most of markets outside Europe.

BESTSELLER Our candles are increasingly popular  they make brilliant gifts because once you have burnt the wax, you are left with a gorgeous little fine bone china pot to keep for ever.

THE FORECAST Many people working in our Stoke factory are nearing retirement age. Im very conscious that we need to encourage and remind young people that being in manufacturing is a noble thing; that you can make things to be proud of and make money. Were working with Staffordshire University on employment schemes for students and well be taking apprentices as part of a government scheme, so well soon be balancing things out with the addition of an intake of 17-year-olds.

halcyondays.co.uk

The purly queen

Erika Knights eponymous Brighton-based knitwear and yarn label, which she started in 2012 and runs with her daughter Arabella, uses Welsh wool and Yorkshire mills to create craft-focused pieces that are sold around the world.

Erika Knight in her studio

In the 1980s, one of my first tasks as a design executive was to lay off 2,500 people at the clothing manufacturer I worked for. That had a profound effect on me. Back then, if you worked in retail you felt like you were part of a national powerhouse, but that all changed when the big names on the British high street began a relentless slashing of prices, and both jobs and factories went out of the window.

There is a tendency in British manufacturing to hark back to the good old days when actually how we worked 30 years ago is no longer appropriate. Now, its about new technology, forward thinking and global awareness. I still find there is a great deal of misogyny to be waded through, too. It is still mens voices that tend to be listened to. I think, Im in my 60s; if I dont speak up against it how can I expect things to change?

The challenge facing British brands is not just about opening old factories again, its about the provision of British raw materials, too. So many farmers gave up rearing sheep breeds that produce the finest wool because 20  even ten years ago  prices had been driven so low that it wasnt worth the cost of the diesel to drive the wool to market. The Campaign for Wool, which has hosted a national Wool Week since 2010, promoting British wool, has really helped to change attitudes. We use the bluefaced Leicester breed, which I like to call the George Clooneys of the sheep world because they are so handsome.

A selection of Erika Knight designs

BREXIT EFFECT Business-wise, Im sure Brexit will encourage brands to keep more manufacturing in the UK, but its about the consumer, too  will they still want to keep buying things if the prices rise? Because making things in the UK is not cheap. I think it is the responsibility of every one of us to make this work.

BESTSELLER Our yarn and knitting kits. I see knitting as a post-apocalyptic skill  a fundamental craft that will help you survive when everything else has gone. Bear Grylls needs to learn!

THE FORECAST Im feeling quite optimistic about the revival of crafts. There is a huge resurgence in interest, and I am ever hopeful that the Jo Malones and Cath Kidstons of the future will hail from the craft industries. We just need to support British artisans by buying from them.

erikaknight.co.uk

Erika's designs span from fashion to foot stools

The wax factor

Over the past 20 years, Philippa Biles and her husband Roger have created one of the countrys best-loved scented candle and home fragrance brands, True Grace. Based in Warminster, Wiltshire, where the candles are handmade by a team of 35, the company sells more than 48 different scents to 57 countries worldwide and has boutiques in Bath and in Londons Burlington Arcade.

True Graces creators Philippa and Roger Biles

Being based in Wiltshire makes it easy to hire and retain staff. People want jobs for life  some of our key members of staff have been working for us since their gap years almost 20 years ago. Its different from London where people tend to fast-track and jump between companies before ultimately leaving town. Here, Ive always sensed that people want a job they can settle into and make an impact in.

We have always used the Essence of England tagline. We dont put Union Jacks on anything, but when we are at international sales fairs people often remark about how English we are. It is very easy to fake being made in England because it helps with sales, but to us it is integral to who we are without us having to make a song and dance about it.

Running True Grace as a couple has always worked well for us. We were more on top of each other when we started, but now weve grown separate roles. I oversee things like fragrance decisions and looking after social media while Roger tends to run the day-to-day duties. Im also looking after our three children  its a balance between making sure your kids dont get messed up because youre never there and wanting to be involved as much as you can in the brand.

Our children have the business bug, too. My youngest daughter, Iris, is only nine but she has set up her own little perfumery at home using my cast-off oils. She calls it True Perfume and runs it with her friend Alice. Noah, 11, loves coming to the factory and learning about machinery, and 17-year-old Hatty says she wants to work for the family business, but maybe once weve left  Im not sure she wants to work with her parents!

The True Grace emporium in Londons Burlington Arcade

BREXIT EFFECT As Roger always says, were a very entrepreneurial country, so things will turn out OK. And to put things into perspective, we export to 48 countries around the world, only eight of which are in Europe.

BESTSELLER Our fig and rose scents always do well  they smell exactly like the real thing. Home diffusers are also on the rise  theyre catching up with candles.

THE FORECAST Roger and I both think you have to run things with a very long-term plan. Were building something not just for our children, but all children  we want to be the business that creates opportunities, that employs the person straight out of the nearby school. If you dont have businesses operating locally those pupils wont have jobs. Its something we feel really passionately about.

truegrace.co.uk

From left: wax ready to be melted, and True Grace toiletries

The denim duo

Hiuts creators Clare and David Hieatt

Five years ago Clare Hieatt and her husband David discovered a disused denim factory in Cardigan Bay on the Welsh coast. Brands such as Marks & Spencer had given up manufacturing jeans there in the early 2000s, leaving 400 of Cardigans 4,000 residents out of a job overnight. The Hieatts had recently sold their fashion business Howies to Timberland and had moved from London to a nearby farmhouse. The temptation to give the Cardigan factory a second life proved impossible to resist and Hiut denim was born.

Making thoughtfully crafted, high-end jeans, Clare and David have built a clever, creative brand with a loyal following while re-employing some of the team whose careers had been put on hold since the closure. Its a rare manufacturing fairy tale where new ideas and old skills have helped breathe life into a community.

All of the master jean makers we employ previously worked at the original factory and there is a huge sense of pride in what weve all achieved. Wed long wanted to start a jeans line, and when we heard about the abandoned factory in Cardigan it gave us extra motivation to make things work.

We didnt know what the response locally would be  we thought people might have moved on to different careers. But we filled all our positions instantly. Some of the former staff had been working in retail, one was making horse blankets. Elin Evans, who is now a key member of our team, had moved with her family to Morocco where much of the original factorys work had relocated, but she jumped at the chance to come back home.

The Cardigan Bay factory on the Welsh coast

It cant be all sell, sell, sell  you have to be innovative and really engage with customers when you are a new brand, especially as were in Wales and very far from the fashion hub. David is brilliant on Instagram and Facebook  I was a bit dubious at first but it has really driven sales. He also writes a newsletter that features our favourite new books or designers or inspirations. In fact, its gone down so well hes written a book about writing newsletters.

We live on a beautiful farm that is minutes from work, and minutes from our daughters schools  you cant beat that sort of no-stress setup. David and I both grew up in the Welsh Valleys  David next door to my uncle. And after our long stint in London, where wed originally both gone to work in marketing, the plan was always to move back with our children, Stella, 17, and Tessa, 14.

Hiut makes thoughtfully crafted, high-end jeans

BREXIT EFFECT In our experience its had a negative impact  we pay for a lot of our materials in euros and dollars so everything has now become more expensive and, sadly, weve had to pass that cost on to our customers. Were maybe talking a fiver on a pair of 135 jeans, but its something we wish we could avoid having to do.

BESTSELLER Classic jeans for creative people who enjoy great craftsmanship and dont want to wear what everyone else is wearing. We have customers aged 25 to over 60. Age is not relevant to how good you look in a pair of great jeans.

WORDS OF WISDOM We stick to a do one thing well motto. We make jeans and thats all that we do. Were single-minded like that, but it seems to be paying off.

hiutdenim.co.uk
Samantha wearing one of her Cefinn designs

Samantha Cameron (above) continues to impress the fashion world with her label Cefinn, which offers some of the best solutions for working wardrobes we can think of. The latest collection has just launched.

YOUR FAVOURITE NEW CEFINN PIECE? The emerald maxi dress [below]. I recently wore it on holiday in Spain.

YOUR DAILY UNIFORM? Tailored trousers with a blouse are my staples for the office. Ill wear them with trainers when taking the children to school but Ill have a pair of heels at the ready for meetings or for going out in the evening.

BEST-LOVED ITEM IN YOUR WARDROBE? I have a Pringle of Scotland coat from when Clare Waight Keller was the labels creative director. Itsa timeless classic.

THE COLOUR YOU WEAR MOST? Navy, its always chic.

THE SHOP WHERE YOU COULD SPEND THE MOST MONEY? I mainly shop online  I can spend hours scrolling through Net-A-Porter. My go-to department store is Selfridges, but I also like Liberty and The Conran Shop. I live near Portobello Market in West London, so if I get time on a Friday I love to go there; its a great place to scout vintage fashion.

SOMETHING YOULL NEVER WEAR BUT WISH YOU COULD? Hats can be so glamorous, but Im resigned to the fact that they are not my style.

THE TREND YOU JUST DONT GET? Ive seen a lot of underwear as outerwear recently  this is definitely not something Ill be trying out this summer!

HANDBAG OF CHOICE? Running around after three children, I use a navy cross-body from Smythson.

WHAT WILL YOU BE PACKING FOR SUMMER HOLIDAYS? Our zip-up shift dress will transition perfectly from beach to bar; Nars nail polish in orangey-red Dovima and Lancome Flash Bronzer Self-Tanning Face Gel. Gold hoop earrings by Maria Black are also current favourites.

WHO SHOULD WE FOLLOW ON INSTAGRAM? Nick Grimshaws feed makes me laugh; Architectural Digest for inspiration, and Alexandra Stedmans blog The Frugality for sartorial advice.

MOST OVERUSED EMOJI? Ive just about got my head around our family WhatsApp group  Ive got seven siblings  so emojis are next on the list.

Looking for a holiday page-turner? Here is YOU books editor Kate Figes shortlist of the best beach reads.

STANDARD DEVIATION by Katherine Heiny (Fourth Estate, 12.99). A laugh-out-loud take on modern relationships and falling in love with more than one person at a time.

This year's holiday reads, chosen by YOU books editor Kate Figes

THE POWER by Naomi Alderman (Penguin, 8.99). Globetrotting, page-turning girl power set in a dystopian world where women rule.

THE DOLLMAKER by Harriette Arnow (Vintage, 8.99). A rediscovered classic masterpiece set in Detroit in the 1940s that is as engrossing as it is moving.

ELEANOR OLIPHANT IS COMPLETELY FINE by Gail Honeyman (HarperCollins, 12.99). An outstanding debut about loneliness and the simple power of a little kindness.

THE GOOD PEOPLE by Hannah Kent (Picador, 14.99). Church and pagan herbal healing clash in historical rural Ireland, where three women struggle to save the life of a disabled child.

To order copies with 25 per cent off until 9 July, visit you-bookshop.co.uk or call 0844 571 0640; p&p is free on orders over 15

A weekend at Goodwood Festival of Speed gives a new meaning to fast fashion. From Thursday to 2 July; goodwood.com. What to wear? A floaty maxi and scarf for soft-top cruising (below)

Sandals, 135, Ancient Greek Sandals, ancientgreeksandals.com
When IZZY JUDD struggled to become pregnant she put it down to the anxiety that had tormented her since her brothers tragic accident...

When I was 28 years old I got married  a fairy-tale wedding to the man of my dreams. At the time, Harry and I had loved each other for over seven years; the next step for us was to start a family. But the path to pregnancy was not easy. I soon discovered that although I was young and healthy I was going to struggle to become pregnant.

Izzy and Harry on their wedding day in 2012

There was a medical reason  I have polycystic ovary syndrome  but that didnt tell the whole story. Ive always believed that my long struggle with anxiety, which began when I was about 13, had a lot to do with it.

The ways in which the mind and body work together are mysterious and powerful. Once I found out that conceiving naturally wasnt going to be straightforward some hard years followed. Even though they ended with the birth of our beautiful daughter Lola in 2016, Ill never forget what we endured to have her.

Going through IVF is a lonely time. Even if you have a wonderful partner, as I do, and the support of family and close friends  as again, I did  its still very personal. Its your body that is injected; your hormones that are messed with; your cycle that is disrupted; your feelings of hope, disappointment, frustration and sorrow; and your challenge to endure that cycle of counting days, where a month can feel so long.

I first met Harry Judd in 2005 when I was playing violin in the backing orchestra on McFlys Wonderland tour. By 2012, when Harry asked me to marry him, I had left the band I played with, an electric string quartet called Escala, and Harry had recently won Strictly Come Dancing.

The Strictly experience was magical for both of us, an intense but wonderful 12 weeks during which I saw him change and grow as a person.

It wasnt always easy watching him dance passionately with his professional partner Aliona Vilani, and my friends couldnt understand why Id agreed to let him do it. But I understood that there needed to be chemistry. I trusted Harry and he never gave me reason to feel vulnerable.

Izzy aged five with her brothers (from left) Rupert, Magnus and Guy

Growing up, music was something we shared as a family. Two of my elder brothers, Guy and Magnus, play professionally. One of my earliest memories is wanting to play the violin just like Magnus.

So, for my fourth birthday Mum and Dad bought me a tiny violin. With music, as with so many things, its not just about talent, its about mental strength  the level of discipline, how you cope with pressure and how much you want to work at it. From the age of seven I would get up in the morning and do an hours practice before school and when I came home I did another hour before my homework.

Then on 7 February 1997, two weeks before my 13th birthday, everything changed. My eldest brother Rupert had an accident that has had a deep and lasting effect on my family, and I believe that this was the catalyst for me developing the anxiety that has been a companion for much of my life.

Rupert was 18 and studying at Guildhall School of Music & Drama in London. He was wild and charismatic, talented, energetic and full of life. It was Rupert who gave me my nickname Izzy. My birth name is Brittany but when I was young Mum used to say a little rhyme to me: Izzy whizzy, lets get busy. Rupert couldnt say Brittany, so he picked up on Izzy and it stuck.

Izzy, aged seven, would practise her violin before and after school

Rupert had a real gift for music. He played the French horn and, unlike the rest of us, barely needed to practise and had great performance skills. Even now, people who heard him play when he was very young remember something remarkable about his talent.

The night of his accident, Rupert had been out with friends and was home by about 10pm but he then decided to drive to Wells, his old school in Somerset  two and a half hours away. One of our cousins, whom Rupert was close to, was in the sixth form there. It was just the crazy kind of thing that Rupert liked to do.

He had his own car, an old white Citroen bought with a bit of money inherited from our grandfather, and drove it all the way to Somerset that night. It must have been after 1am when he arrived.

He saw my cousin for an hour or so and then said he was heading back home to Harpenden in Hertfordshire. He refused to stay and get some sleep because he said he had a horn lesson at the Guildhall later that day. Many days later, we learned that Ruperts music teacher had left a message to say that the lesson was cancelled. But Ruperts phone was out of battery and he never received it.

From what we know, Rupert left Wells at about 3am and arrived at the junction joining the M25 and the M1 at about 5am. He was only about ten minutes from home. He so nearly made it.

He drove into the back of an articulated lorry. We think he probably fell asleep at the wheel but well never know. He was dead at the scene but was brought back to life by a defibrillator.

The last photograph taken of Rupert before his accident in 1997

Initially, the doctors couldnt tell us much about the extent of Ruperts brain injuries. The hope was that the areas of his brain that hadnt been injured would gradually learn to take over the functions of those that had and he would relearn the skills hed lost.

At first he wasnt able to communicate. The only sign of life or memory came through his reaction to the classical music we played him. One day we gave him his French horn to hold. He couldnt play it, of course, but he started to move his fingers in time to the music. In the months that followed progress became evident. He slowly started to walk, talk and feed himself again.

Today, 20 years later, we know Rupert wont make any further recovery. He is an exaggerated version of the person he was before the accident. You never forget meeting him! Hes friendly, immensely loving and giving but he can often be inappropriate because he has no awareness of personal space.

He has so much to offer but we still grieve for what weve lost. His music career, which was so promising, tragically never materialised. He requires 24-hour care and will never be able to lead an independent life.

Ruperts accident brought us all a huge sadness which has never gone away. The sense that I never got to know my brother as I should have done has stayed with me. The theft of his life as it could have been has always been very hard.

Izzy and Harry with Rupert in 2008

Even now, I cant drive on the stretch of the M25 where Rupert had his accident without shivering, my thoughts keeping pace with what happened to him: Rupert was fine up to this point. Still fine. And then suddenly, Bang! Everything changed here. His life just stopped.

The accident triggered a huge surge of anxiety in me. If Id grown up without the trauma of Ruperts accident Im sure I would have developed in confidence and overcome my fears.

But when a tragic event happens in your family, you develop a sudden understanding of the stark realities of life and death: the implications, the danger, the possibilities of awful things happening. When I look back, it seems to me that I skipped a significant part of normal teenage development. I became an adult very suddenly, but with no emotional maturity.

Throughout my teenage years, whenever I had a struggle or a concern, I never felt it was big enough to allow myself to express it, because it felt so much smaller than what had happened to Rupert. So I kept all my worries to myself.

I began to find that I couldnt switch off. I couldnt let myself relax because I felt I wouldnt be in control and something bad might happen. I had a fear that if I fell asleep I wouldnt wake up, that if I stopped minding myself and let go, I would disappear.

I was standing on the threshold of what had once been my dream, but I hated it and knew it was the anxiety holding me back

This anxiety had a profound impact when it came to wanting children. Ruperts accident made me crave starting a family. It felt like it would be a fresh start. I thought that grandchildren would open a new chapter for my parents, something for them to look forward to. For Rupert, whos unable to have children of his own, a baby would mean the chance to be an uncle. I wanted a child for Harrys and my sake; I also felt that bringing a new life into the world would be a really positive thing for my family.

By the time Escala played in the final of Britains Got Talent in 2008 I was in a miserable state. In order to go on stage I had to take a diazepam and when I watch the footage now it is clear how terrified I was. That night should have been wonderful  the judges told us we were world class  but, instead, I just wanted it all to stop.

Harry and Izzy during their first IVF treatment in 2014

The sad thing is that there I was, standing on the threshold of what had once been my dream, but I hated it and knew it was the anxiety holding me back.

The Britains Got Talent tour started immediately after the final. By then I was in a bad way and wasnt enjoying performing. The other girls knew and were so kind about it, but theres only so much anyone can take of a colleague being as demanding and needy as I was.

The lowest point came when we had a show in Newcastle. Mum and Dad had driven five hours to take me there but when we arrived at the hotel I refused to get out of the car. Instead, I insisted that they take me home. Somehow, they calmed me down and managed to get me into the hotel.

The only relief from my constant anxiety came when I was asleep. Soon after that trip to Newcastle my mum decided to take a tougher approach with me  it is something Im grateful for now but at first I was angry and defensive.

I began to do the exercises Id been given by a cognitive behavioural therapist that I had seen. They were based around the idea of growing comfortable with the sensations anxiety produced in me.

Izzy and Harry by the Thames on Lola's due date, January 2016

Somehow I fought the anxiety and stayed with Escala but it was exhausting. We performed, toured and gigged and while it was very difficult, Im glad that I did it. But the travelling never got any easier. Every time I had to go away Id think of ways I could lose my passport or miss the plane.

I told Harry about my anxiety soon after we got together. Hes a sensitive, loyal and compassionate person and I felt hed understand and he did, even though he wasnt aware how bad it was at first. I never felt any pressure from him, he said, Just leave the band Izzy if thats what you want. Dont do it if you dont want to. Knowing that he was on my side made life much easier. I knew he would support me no matter what I decided to do.

Early on in our relationship I took Harry to the residential home in Aylesbury where Rupert lives. We went for a pizza and took Rupert bowling  his two favourite things! Harry was amazing. From that day Rupert and Harry became great friends. Rupert adores him. At family events Harry will spend time with Rupert, who can be exhausting company because hes always asking, What next? What now? Harry isnt at all fazed by that.

Happily, a big change came about when I decided to leave Escala, just before we got married. I left on my terms and not because the anxiety forced me to. The sense of relief at getting back to making my own choices was huge and it enabled Harry and I to move on to the next chapter of our lives.

But I think my deep anxiety had something to do with the fact that pregnancy didnt happen naturally. When it comes to fertility, if youre constantly in an anxious state or in that heightened fight-or-flight mode, your body wont do what it needs to do to reproduce. It was so frustrating hearing other people telling me to relax. If only it were that simple. Even though I did everything possible to calm my anxieties and conceive naturally,

I believe my body wasnt able to let go of the tension. And the more I wanted the pregnancy, the less likely it was going to happen.

Izzy with baby Lola in March 2016

All around me everyone I knew seemed to be getting pregnant. Every time I opened Facebook there was another announcement. Every time the phone rang it was a friend wanting to tell me her good news  or thats what it felt like. During that time I could barely walk down the street  I couldnt stand to see pregnant women or new mums pushing their babies in buggies.

I hated myself for being this way, the personality that had been imposed on me by my struggle to have a baby.

One day, after yet another failed pregnancy test, I came downstairs and felt so sad. There were no tears, I felt drained of all joy and excitement. Harry got down on his knees and said, Izzy, worst case scenario, its you and me. Thats still a pretty good scenario right? In that moment I was reminded of what an amazing husband I had. Sometimes you get so lost that you forget what you do have and how lucky you are.

I knew he was right. Even if we could never have children, a life with him would be enough to make me happy. That was a huge moment for me, one Ill never forget.

Izzy started fertility medication and when that failed to work she took time off to detox and relax. Six months later Izzy and Harry embarked on IVF. Their first attempt ended in a miscarriage but their second was successful and baby Lola was born in January 2016. Izzy and Harry are now expecting their second child, which they conceived naturally.

This is an edited extract from Dare to Dream: My Struggle to Become a Mum  a Story of Heartache and Hope, which will be published by Bantam on Thursday, price 14.99. To order a copy for 11.24 (a 25 per cent discount) until 9 July, visit you-bookshop.co.uk or call 0844 571 0640; p&p is free on orders over 15
Whenever 23-year-old student Elizabeth Neil worried about finding work after her finals, her throat closed and her chest filled with a thousand butterflies. Faced with such crippling panic, she found solace not in the kindness of strangers but in the anonymity of a computer.

Sitting with random people in group therapy, who kept chipping in with unhelpful opinions as I divulged the history of my anxiety, left me seething rather than calm, remembers Elizabeth. I had to rush home from university every Tuesday to attend the sessions, when all I wanted to do was chill out in front of the TV.

There was a six-month waiting list to see a therapist one-to-one, so when my GP suggested I do an online course of cognitive behavioural therapy, centred on practical solutions rather than talking, I thought, Why not? I could log on to the weekly modules with Therapy For You [an NHS initiative] in my pyjamas on the sofa and watch a 90-minute video that helped me understand that theres a difference between opinion and fact; that my feelings influence my thoughts and subsequently my actions. A month on from finishing the course, Elizabeth hadnt had palpitations once.

Online therapy courses such as the one Elizabeth took are the Department of Healths way of bridging the shortfall in access to psychological treatment. According to mental health charity Mind, three quarters of people with mental health problems receive no support. With one in ten people waiting more than a year to see a therapist, its no wonder the NHS approved and funded so many online counselling services, which take just minutes to sign up to.

The dizzying array of digital therapy is as diverse as the reasons people have for turning to it. Whether youre suffering from depression, OCD or insomnia, theres help for you at the click of a button. Clients can choose text-based therapy [such as email or instant messaging] or one with a more traditional basis but done at a distance via telephone or video. Others prefer not to have a conversation with a therapist at all, so computerised cognitive behavioural therapy, or CCBT, comes into its own, explains Dr Kate Anthony, fellow of the British Association for Counselling & Psychotherapy (BACP) and trainer of online therapists. We dont all need years of analysis to feel better. Sometimes a lower level of help such as an app is fine  its a useful way of tracking your moods and behaviours. I train therapists to offer as many ways of communicating as possible so that the client, rather than the mental health professional, decides what works for them.

Digital therapy is very much about giving power back to the patient. The any place, any time nature of it means you can log on from your desk in between meetings or from your kitchen table when the kids are in bed. Theres no schlep to a weekly appointment on the other side of town, and theres help at hand if you have a wobble between sessions, because crises rarely abide by the nine-to-five working hours of conventional therapists.

But nothing beats offloading to a person, in person, right? Actually, youd be surprised. A study by the University of Zurich found that 57 per cent of patients treated online (via email or instant messaging) for moderate depression were free from symptoms three months after the trial, compared to 42 per cent who had traditional therapy. Researchers put the success down in part to the paper trail created by online sessions, allowing patients to read back over notes, keeping advice fresh in their minds.

Thats not the only reason why offloading online works, says Sarah Bateup, clinical lead at NHS-approved Ieso (therapy via instant messaging). Clients open up a lot faster in writing than verbally; theyll admit they dont fancy their partner or that they have erectile dysfunction in the first online session because the embarrassment factor has been removed. They dont have to worry about blushing or crying.

Elizabeth agrees: Theres still a stigma attached to seeing a therapist and admitting out loud that I couldnt cope would make me feel like a failure. Dealing with software questionnaires rather than another person took that feeling away. This is known as the disinhibition effect, says Dr Anthony. Looking a therapist in the eye across an unfamiliar consulting room when you have something personal to say can be difficult. Sometimes its easier to pour your heart out to someone who you will never meet face to face.

Talking therapies are usually focused on establishing the root cause of your mental health condition  but what if you already have an awareness of that? My brother, sister, mum and grandparents all died before I turned 30 and my ex-husband passed away in 2008. I know bereavement is the reason for my generalised anxiety disorder and depression, so seeing a standard therapist to establish this wouldnt necessarily work, says Jane Anderson-Hawkes, a 58-year-old manager from Scarborough. Instead, I have turned to self-help websites such as Mood Juice [moodjuice.scot.nhs.uk], where you can answer questionnaires about your state of mind to get targeted advice. Being able to read and reread advice reinforces the message. I also needed an emotional crutch when anxiety struck. Thats why I developed an app called Beat Panic, which is a series of flash cards to focus on when youre on the verge of a panic attack. I use it and it helps get my breathing under control.

Certain conditions are particularly suited to this new kind of therapy, explains Bateup. Remote therapy is really effective for depression in cases where the client cant motivate themselves to leave the house. It is also perfect for social anxiety disorder, where the thought of meeting somebody for face-to-face therapy is hell. In fact, there arent many conditions that it doesnt work for. Ive heard arguments put forward against this method of working when it comes to children or people who are suicidal, but look at the success of Samaritans and Childline, which have provided support for acute situations at a distance for years and are hugely successful, says Dr Anthony.

One word of warning: check the therapists credentials. They should have a specialist qualification for practising therapy online, as recommended by BACP, adds Dr Anthony. For example, a trained online therapist will know that they have a responsibility to ensure that the communication system they use to facilitate sessions online are sufficiently secure.

Download Beat Panic at the Apple App Store, 99p

Find a digital therapist

Big White Wall (bigwhitewall.com) is a website offering anonymous support 24/7. There is a community of members you can talk to about whats on your mind, plus a place to express yourself by posting drawings and images. Users are also able to take tests to assess their mental state and do online courses for a variety of conditions. The site is monitored around the clock to make sure the community is supportive and safe.

Who is it for? Studies have shown that Big White Wall significantly reduces anxiety and depression, which are the most common reasons for joining. Its also helpful for bereavement, stress (free to students in some universities) and post-traumatic stress disorder (free to all serving personnel and veterans).

The Cost Available on the NHS in some areas or privately for a subscription of 24 a month.

IESO Digital Health (iesohealth.com) provides one-to-one therapy in real time using typed conversation (similar to instant messaging, but more secure) between the client and an accredited therapist. It uses a form of CBT to help people learn what switches a problem on in the first place, and how to switch it off.

Who is it for? A 2009 study showed it to be more effective than face-to-face counselling for depression and social anxiety, and it is also recommended for generalised anxiety disorder, anger management, eating disorders and sexual difficulties.

The Cost Available through the NHS only, but has not yet reached all areas of the UK. Put your postcode into the NHS Choices website to see if you can be referred.

Moodnotes (moodnotesapp.com) is an iOS app that records your moods over time, tracks changes and explores emotional habits. It was developed with two clinical psychologists and applies the principles of CBT. At a specific time each day, the app asks how you are feeling, and you respond by altering a smiley face and colour-coding your mood (from unhappy grey to sunny yellow). If you have expressed a series of negative faces, the app will help you identify thinking traps you have fallen into (laying blame or downplaying positives).

Who is it for? Anyone who wants healthier thinking patterns. It is not meant as a substitute for therapy, but can work well alongside it.

The Cost 3.99.

Babylon health app (babylonhealth.com) enables you to have a virtual appointment with an accredited therapist via your mobile wherever you are at any time, bypassing the need to go through your GP or be put on a waiting list. You can choose the type of therapy (eg, psychodynamic therapy, where you talk about your past) and the therapist you would prefer to speak to (sign up to see their photos and credentials on the website; a subscription is not required). You can also choose whether to have a voice or a video call. Your records are automatically stored securely online, so you can read them back at any time.

Who is it for? Babylons list of therapists treat stress, low mood, panic attacks, addictions, bereavement, relationship problems, bullying and sleep difficulties.

The Cost 39 for a 50-minute appointment with a therapist.

FearFighter (fearfighter.cbtprogram.com) is a CCBT self-help course available on computer or mobile, consisting of nine modules. Each session is interactive, with videos to explain how anxiety affects the mind and body, plus exercises, questionnaires and downloadable advice to help you gradually face your fear. You are also given a support worker who can advise over the phone throughout your course. This isnt a light option  youll be expected to carry out four to five hours of homework each week.

Who is it for? Anyone with anxiety or phobias.

The Cost Available on the NHS in some areas. Private patients pay 99 to work through the sessions on their own or 199 to have the support of a healthcare professional throughout.

PlusGuidance (plusguidance.com) is a website (with mobile apps launching this month) that offers a choice of therapist and session type: online video, voice call, written messaging or in person at their office. It also offers a wider range of therapies from the mainstream (CBT) to the spiritual (mindfulness) and the philosophical (existential therapy).

Who is it for? The conditions treated are diverse, including anxiety, depression, relationship problems, stress, self-harming, postnatal depression, body dysmorphia and low self-esteem.

The Cost Prices start from 19 per week for daily anytime messaging to 36 per session for live therapy. Free 15-minute initial sessions are unlimited to help you choose your therapist.
The announcement of loan waiver to marginal farmers might have helped Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis earn some brownie points but the decision has left the ruling party (BJP), a divided house.

A legislator from north Maharashtra told Mail Today that the move will create a rift between BJP and the farmers who will not get benefit of the loan waiver because of several parameters applied by the government.

At the same time the government will have to struggle to raise approximately Rs 30,500 crore required to waive off the loan.

Farmers sowing a seeds on their field at Yenpe village in Karad, Maharashtra

Finance minister Sudhir Mungantiwar is hopeful of raising the required funds without imposing new taxes.

He claims that the state's share in the reimbursement of central taxes will go up after the Goods and Service Tax (GST) comes into force.

The Centre is going to assist with an amount equal to 14 per cent of its share in taxes to the manufacturing states under the GST regime.

Mungantiwar is hopeful that Maharashtra will earn at least Rs 17,000 crore because of this provision.

He has planned to raise the state's non-tax revenue from the current Rs 15,000 crore to Rs 26,000 crore.

However, that seems to be a big challenge. The data available with finance department shows that the government had failed to recover Rs 3,192 crore from non-tax revenue sources in 2016-17.

With this kind of underachievement, the target to raise the non-tax revenue by around Rs 11,000 crore looks like a distant dream.

A section of BJP legislators believe that the decision to waive loans will not help the party in its growth in rural areas as there is already a perception that it is an outcome of the pressure built by the government.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis

'The CM always signalled that he was not in favour of loan waiver,' a legislator says.

'Now, he can't claim solo credit for the waiver as other parties and farmers organisations too have moral right of staking their claim in it.'

Fadnavis' government is already facing a crisis of losing its face after the CM's big ticket announcement of $5 million (Rs 32.24 crore) investment by Foxcon in 2015 remained only on paper.

The global electronic giant company has moved to Bengaluru because the Maharashtra government did not co-operate with it on several points.

Only 40 per cent of the Memorandums of Understanding the government signed with various investors in the last two and half years have materialised till date.

With industrialists in two minds over investing in Maharashtra, Fadnavis cannot afford backlash in the farming sector too.

If he fails to infuse confidence among the farmers, it will be the beginning of statewide frustration against the BJP.
Veteran investor: Fund house boss Samuel Isaly

If you could bottle what drives veteran fund boss Samuel Isaly at the age of 72 to keep making money for investors, you would make a fortune.

Despite being wheelchair-bound, New York-based Isaly is more determined than ever to scour the world for companies that will make double-digit annual returns for investors.

Im more driven than ever, he told The Mail on Sunday. I am learning something new every day. Its in my genes and those of my three children and six grandchildren. We want to be top, the best in everything we do.

Isaly is managing partner of OrbiMed Healthcare Fund Management, which he set up in 1989 after a career as a healthcare analyst at investment houses Chase Manhattan, Merrill Lynch, Legg Mason and SG Warburg.

It now manages assets of 14billion across a range of funds and has offices in Mumbai, San Francisco and Shanghai. He is the majority owner.

Its two flagship trusts in Britain are the 1.1billion Worldwide Healthcare Trust and the 410million Biotech Growth Trust.

Both have outstanding long-term records. About 110 employees hunt down investment opportunities in the biotech, pharmaceuticals and healthcare sectors for all OrbiMeds funds.

I am a loquacious guy, says Isaly. I once said my objective was to generate annual returns of 20 per cent for investors over an extended period.

'Now, because of the more challenging economic backdrop it is difficult to find 20 per cent growers so I am looking for firms that will reap average annual returns of 15 per cent.

Cutting edge: The trust invests in Intuitive Surgical, which makes robots to help in operations

'It is about finding fast growers and buying at a sensible valuation. You then hang on to them and you should win as an investor.

Though Worldwide Healthcare Trust is predominantly invested in US firms, Isaly says some of the more exciting opportunities are now in China.

His lack of old to buy new policy frees up cash to invest in these and explains why the trust has no holding in drugs giants AstraZeneca and GlaxoSmithKline.

Among the trusts expanding portfolio of emerging market stocks is Jiangsu Hengrui Medicine, which has developed an agent to fight gastric cancer. A great company, says Isaly. Good management with worldwide tentacles and a great growth story.

Other exciting investments are found in the funds exposure to medical technology  medtech  stocks.

Key holdings include Intuitive Surgical, a US firm that makes robots to help in medical procedures such as hernia repairs and hysterectomies, and Wright Medical Group, a Dutch company that produces artificial ankles and shoulders. Both firms are among Worldwide Healthcares top ten holdings.

With the trusts share price reaching record highs this year, there are fears that some of its holdings are overvalued.

Trading trends: The trusts share price has reached record highs this year

But Isaly is having none of it. We go anywhere in the world to find firms, he says. Worldwide, stocks are not overvalued. Yes, there are medtech and healthcare services companies out there pushing new highs, but we believe their valuations are supported and justified.

Despite their impressive track records, both Worldwide Healthcare and Biotech Growth have suffered sharp price corrections in the past  namely in late 2015.

In the year to mid-June 2016, shares in Biotech Growth fell in price by 28 per cent. But as Isaly is keen to remind everyone, the good years outweigh the bad. Fifteen per cent per year  Isalys Holy Grail.
Celebrity jewellery designer Theo Fennell has rescued his firm one month after it called in administrators.

The 65-year-old said he was thrilled after leading a management buyout with backing from private equity investor Endless.

He has been involved with the company, which has a flagship store in South Kensington, London, since its founding in 1983 but has not controlled it for years.

Centre stage: Theo Fennells celebrity clients include Naomi Campbell

Now he is pledging to take the company back to our roots after its collapse was blamed on expanding far beyond its core sites in Central London.

The Old Etonian told the Mail on Sunday: Endless really understands the uniqueness and the ethos of the business. So much of what we do is bespoke or one-off that we cannot be an airport brand.

Fennells celebrity clients include Naomi Campbell and the company also creates trophies for some of the worlds most prestigious sporting events, including the Italian and Monaco grand prix.

The entrepreneur was forced off the board in 2008 but returned to the London-based company a year later with a diluted shareholding.

Administrators said the firm had not been strong enough to support its rapid growth  with 28 partnerships opening around the world.
Top job

Former Yahoo boss Marisa Mayer could be heading for the top job at taxi-hailing app Uber.

The 42-year-old is reportedly among candidates in the running to replace Travis Kalanick, 40, who quit last week amid a sexism row.

In the fast lane: The 42-year-old is reportedly among candidates in the running to replace Travis Kalanick

Rising dough

Profits have leapt 4.9 per cent to 34.6m at family-owned bakery Warburtons.

The business has introduced healthier products including bread with added protein as it battles a drop in sliced bread buying.

Home work

As many as 8.2m British employees now work from home at least one day a week, research by Virgin Media has found.

The study found home working has increased by 25 per cent in the last five years, and is set to grow.

Audit swap

Food chain Pret a Manger has replaced auditor KPMG with Ernst & Young after ten years.

The Sunday Telegraph reported the switch in auditor was to comply with US governance rules ahead of a potential New York listing.

Profits down

Profits at price comparison website Go Compare dropped to 21.9m last year due to costs for its stock market float, but revenues rose to 142.1m.

It went public in November last year, with shares closing on Friday at 105p.

Growth slows

Electronics giant Dixons Carphone is set to reveal a 9 per cent jump in annual pre-tax profits to around 487.5m when it announces its full-year results on Wednesday. But profit growth will be down on last years 17 per cent rise.
Survivors of the Grenfell Tower disaster not only lost their homes, they also lost everything they needed to go about their everyday lives  ranging from cash and vital financial documents to ID and bank cards.

Here, The Mail on Sunday assesses how providers, such as banks and insurers, are helping victims and their families get their financial lives back on track.

Banks

Helping hands: Survivors of the Grenfell Tower disaster not only lost their homes, they also lost everything they needed to go about their everyday lives

Extending credit, writing off mortgages, putting a stop on bank charges and giving emergency cash to those affected are just some of the actions being taken by banks which serve the community hit by the devastating blaze.

All the main banks with customers living in and around the block in Londons North Kensington have rallied to provide support, sending staff to the site. Some have brought trained bereavement advisers into nearby branches to help families of the reported 79 dead.

This is confirmation, if any were needed, that communities benefit hugely from the presence of a local bank or building society branch  and rely on human interaction. These events add weight to the argument that branch networks should be nurtured not pared back.

Martyn James, of consumer group Resolver, says: There is no substitute for being able to speak to someone face-to-face in such circumstances. Machines and phones are just not good enough. High street banks are a vital hub for the community and will become more so as society ages.

Banks should maintain their branches in communities even where they are not profitable.

Grenfell Tower, following a fire which killed at least 79 people

Over the past two years alone more than 1,000 branches have been shut by major high street banks. The banks are rising to the challenge that the disaster has thrown up through the branches that remain.

Lloyds Banking Group, which was among the first financial providers to donate a large sum to the relief effort  giving 500,000 to a fund set up to help those who have lost their homes and families  revealed the importance of the role of branches in the aftermath.

The bank has 127 customers among the residents of Grenfell Tower, some of whom will inevitably emerge to be among the dead.

But for survivors, staff in three of its nearest branches have been helping them get quick access to their current accounts, savings and credit cards.

David Oldfield, group director at Lloyds Banking Group, which incorporates the Halifax brand, told The Mail on Sunday: The most important thing is to be on the ground to help, including attending community meetings. Branch colleagues are on hand to support people and give cash to help them get by.

Lloyds Banking Group, which was among the first financial providers to donate a large sum to the relief effort

Oldfield adds: One former resident appeared in a branch with her son, daughter-in-law and baby granddaughter. Shed lost everything.

She had no ID, no cards and no access to any money. Staff were able quickly to give her access to her account and organise new cards for her to pick up at the branch. Another lady who lived on the tenth floor came in for a new bank pass book.

Staff were able to organise that and inform her about a residents meeting she could attend.

For those in arrears on a loan or credit card, the bank says it will not chase payments for the foreseeable future.

Instead, it has assigned them to a specialist team that looks after the banks most vulnerable customers.

It will also be suppressing fees and charges on current accounts and stopping charges on credit cards for a couple of months.

Trained bereavement advisers are being dispatched by several banks. These staff are on hand to help those left behind with practical issues such as how to get hold of a death certificate and deal with probate and wills.

Meanwhile, Barclays has written off the loan of its sole mortgage borrower who lived in the block as well as waiving overdraft fees on customers current accounts, and is either writing off outstanding loan and hire purchase amounts or stopping interest charges.

Tragedy: Hundreds left flowers near the scene of the fire

The Grenfell disaster is unprecedented. But under more normal circumstances, a borrower with a mortgage on a home suffering a fire would still be responsible for mortgage repayments while the property was repaired or rebuilt.

This would be via buildings insurance, usually a compulsory purchase for all mortgaged properties so as to protect the lenders interest.

Buildings and contents insurance normally covers the cost of alternative accommodation for a householder while works are being carried out. The amount paid is usually 20 per cent of the sum insured for rebuilding costs.

The banks have set up dedicated helplines: Barclays: 0345 734 5345; HSBC: 0345 609 2527; Lloyds: 0345 300 0000; Halifax: 0345 720 3040; Bank of Scotland: 0345 721 3141; Co-op: 0345 721 2212; RBS: 0161 451 0218; NatWest: 0161 451 0217; Santander: 0800 0156 382; Nationwide: 0800 917 23 93.

Insurers

The Association of British Insurers says providers of home contents cover to residents of Grenfell Tower have been discreetly providing support and making goodwill payments.

They have helped with essential purchases such as clothes and food. Some have assisted residents with moving into temporary accommodation. Inevitably, in many cases it will be relatives of the dead who will in time need to come forward to make claims, if cover was in place.

Why loans on high rises are hard to come by The tragedy of Grenfell Tower is likely to scare lenders considering applications for loans on similar high rise properties. Most of the properties in the tower were either local authority-owned or social housing. But some had been purchased privately, a few with mortgages. Rising challenge: Finding a willing mortgage provider to lend on skyscraper flats is tricky Finding a willing mortgage provider to lend on skyscraper flats was already a challenge. Some banks and building societies will not lend on any ex-local authority homes and even if they do they may restrict the percentage of loan they will allow compared to the value of the property. Certain older concrete construction also puts off lenders, says David Hollingworth of mortgage broker London & Country. He says: Some banks and building societies will simply not lend on flats within blocks over a certain number of storeys, even if the flat is on one of the lower floors. Hollingworth adds: Some are more open than others to lending. Nationwide Building Society, for example, normally only considers loans on flats in blocks up to five storeys, though if it is in Greater London they will consider higher buildings  but at the discretion of the valuers report. Essentially it is the valuer who influences the final decision on agreeing any loan. This is based on the expected marketability of a flat in a tall building should a lender need to repossess the property and then sell it on.

Insurance giant Aviva has dealt with a small number of claims already. Its team visited the site on the day of the disaster to locate and support those needing help  with one customer found alternative accommodation.

Many insurers also contacted policyholders who live close to the site who also needed help, such as businesses that were unable to operate because of the police cordon around the area.

At Aviva, property claims staff are making use of psycho-social support training they have undergone in the last year to help them manage the emotional impact of claims on customers.

Benefits

The Government has set aside a fund to help victims with payments of at least 5,500 each to get them through the next few difficult weeks.

Meanwhile, the Department for Work and Pensions says it is working with local job centres to make sure that those affected have access to their usual benefits and pensions.

For guidance, call one of a series of helplines open from 8am to 6.30pm, Monday to Friday: 020 7941 6661, 020 7941 6634 and 020 7941 6671.

Personal ID

Passport, visas and driving licences  crucial for helping oil the wheels of an individuals personal finances as well as their ability to work and travel  have all been lost in the fire.

Those directly affected can ask for help obtaining new documents by calling 0300 222 0000 to arrange for a member of a specialist team to call them back.

The driving licence issuing authority the DVLA has promised to replace licences and vehicle registration certificates quickly  and for free.

Residents affected need to call 0300 083 0103, which will be staffed from 8am to 7pm between Monday and Friday, and from 8am to 2pm on Saturday.

Utilities

Action by utility companies includes energy providers writing off any outstanding debts. Similarly, Thames Water is cancelling debts and will refund those who paid bills in advance.

Telecoms companies have been handing out free chargers, phones and pre-loaded SIM cards as well as freezing charges and offering credit.
Upmarket jeweller Theo Fennell has led a management buyout of his world-famous jewellery business just a month after the firm collapsed into administration.

Fennell, who founded the company in 1982, has clinched a deal with the backing of private equity investor Endless LLP.

The jeweller, whose designs are popular with celebrities including Sir Elton John and Elizabeth Hurley, has been involved in the firm throughout its history but has not controlled it for years.

Checkmate: Elizabeth Hurley is a big fan of Theo Fennell's creations

The company had been owned by private investors since 2013.The collapse has been blamed on rising costs associated with the group expanding far beyond its core upmarket sites in Central London.

Fennell said he was thrilled to have secured a deal and he pledged the company would get back to our roots.

He added: Endless really understands the uniqueness and the ethos of the business. So much of what we do is bespoke or one-off that we cannot be an airport brand.
An online intelligence firm is monitoring the internet activity of top companies in an effort to gain an inside track on their strategic planning.

Oxfordshire-based Cyance uses its systems to monitor how staff at companies are using social media, the internet searches they make and changes to their organisations own website.

The findings are analysed to alert companies to marketing opportunities, but could also be used to assess whether firms are planning takeovers or facing financial difficulty.

Monitoring: Oxfordshire-based Cyance uses its systems to see how staff at companies are using social media

The firm is already using its system to monitor companies like RBS, Ernst & Young, Balfour Beatty, IBM and Oracle on behalf of clients.

It tracks internet searches by staff, websites viewed and social media posts, and uses the information to reveal the behaviour of staff.

The software stops short of identifying the online activity of specific individuals, but can determine if users are key decision makers.

While the use of such data mining is legal, its latest evolution is likely to be controversial and spark a fresh debate on privacy.

Chief executive Jon Clarke said: This does not breach data protection laws because we cannot identify individuals.

He described the service as picking up on the breadcrumbs executives leave behind when they visit websites.

When the system identifies a trend in behaviour that could be a sales opportunity Cyance passes this on to clients, which can then target the firm with a sales pitch, send information in the post, or buy online adverts that pop up on computers inside the firm.

Clarke says the system could also be used to look at competitors, spot M&A activity or whether a business could be going bust.
Two of Britains biggest supermarkets could control almost a quarter of our 41,000 convenience stores if their plans go ahead.

The latest drive into the market was spearheaded by Tesco in January with a 3.7 billion deal for wholesaler Booker. It then emerged last weekend that Sainsburys was closing in on convenience store group Nisa, with a deal worth 130 million.

Sainsburys and Tesco between them already have around 3,000 convenience stores operating under their own brand names.

Control: Sainsburys is closing in on the Nisa chain

But the plans would take the total number controlled or supplied by them to 9,400, representing 23 per cent of the market.

The Tesco acquisition, which is being examined by the Competition and Markets Authority, means it would take direct control of 5,400 branded convenience stores owned by Booker and operating under the Premier, Family Shopper, Budgens and Londis names.

Nisa supplies more than 1,000 stores operating under its brand, which would more than double Sainsburys presence in the market.

The rest of the market is still dominated by 18,841 unaffiliated independents and corner shops.

But many of these buy from wholesalers such as Booker, according to data compiled by The Grocer magazine and the IGD grocery trade body.

Convenience stores are mostly run by independent shopkeepers or family run chains and supplied by buying or franchise groups such as Nisa and Spar.
Bertrand Perrodo, a member of one of Frances wealthiest families and an heir to a multi-billion pound oil industry fortune, has emerged as a key investor in up-and-coming UK wine delivery firm 31Dover.com.

Perrodo, the son of billionaire Carrie Perrodo, owns about a quarter of 31Dover, according to the latest Companies House filings.

The London-based firm was launched in 2013 by entrepreneurs David Elghanayan and Roger and Jimmy Metta, who have long been leading wine and spirits suppliers to restaurants and hotels.

Heir to French billions is key backer of wine firm 31Dover

Named after its first address in Mayfair, 31Dover is expected to generate sales of 15 million this year and is also thought to be close to announcing James Bagley, a former Majestic Wine executive, as it new chief executive.

31Dover is valued at about 35 million, but the wine business investment is small change to the Perrodo family, which is worth an estimated 7 billion.

Their Perenco oil company is based in London and Paris and run by Bertrands older brother, Francois. It has oil interests around the globe. In 2012, Perenco bought 315 million of North Sea assets from BP.
Nick Coleman, co-founder of flavoured pork scratchings brand The Snaffling Pig Co, and spicy Indian tea brand Tuk Tuk Chai, founded by husband and wife Rupesh and Alexandra Thomas, have been named among the semi-finalists of Virgin StartUps Foodpreneur 2017 competition.

The Snaffling Pig, based in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, and founded in late 2014 by friends on a 500 bet, last year won 70,000 in backing from Nick Jenkins, founder of personalised greetings card company Moonpig, on BBC2s Dragons Den.

The brand has crackling varieties that include fennel and maple, and ham and Colmans Mustard.

GAMBLE: Nick Coleman, far left, founded The Snaffling Pig as a bet

Tuk Tuk Chai was founded in 2015 by the Thomases after they were unable to find in the UK the spiced tea they fell in love with on a trip to India.

Alongside six other semi-finalists, the two firms will open pop-up shops in a shopping centre for a week from June 30 as part of the competition.

Other finalists include Dan Pawson of salmon skin crisp business Seachips and Ryan Panchoo of gluten-free doughnut brand Borough 22.

The winner will have the chance to run their business in a flagship shopping centre for six weeks.
The Government will reap an extra 1.5 billion in tax from small business owners this year after a clampdown on tax breaks for entrepreneurs.

The extra income is part of a wider squeeze on small business, according to accountancy firm Moore Stephens, which calculated the effect of the changes.

These relate to Entrepreneurs Relief, which can cut a business owners capital gains tax from 20 per cent to 10 per cent when they sell or give away all or part of their company.

Hector isn't sure of the tax clampdown on entrepreneurs to bring in 1.5 billion

But the relief is now significantly more difficult to claim, following changes in the 2015 Budget, which restricted the types of people and businesses that are eligible for it.

Other signs of the tax squeeze identified by the accountancy firm include the increased tax rate on dividend payments and reversing a recent increase in the tax-free dividend allowance.

Moore Stephens said Revenue & Customs projections suggest only 2 billion of Entrepreneurs Relief will be successfully claimed against capital gains tax bills this year, down from 3.5 billion in each of the past two years.

Mike Cooper, partner at Moore Stephens, said: It looks likely that, in the absence of any increases to income tax or national insurance rates, capital gains tax could be the next target to help fund public services.

He added: It looks like entrepreneurs should brace themselves for what are effectively sharp tax increases.

More than anything, small businesses want the tax system to be simple, certain and fair, allowing them to plan ahead with confidence. Unfortunately Entrepreneurs Relief has become a political hot potato, and businesses should take advice as early as possible to ensure access to it.

Following the General Election, some experts have advised selling businesses before tax breaks are eliminated. For example, acquisitions broker Capital and Trust has said: If a new Government is voted in [in the coming months] then anything other than a Conservative Government will likely see Entrepreneurs Relief abolished. Not meaning to scare monger, just stating the obvious.

Tony Fox, chief executive of mergers and acquisitions consultancy Berkeley Cannon, has also suggested that it could be a peak time to sell.

He has said: How many people do you know that were making excellent profits and doing very well, delayed selling and then missed their opportunity? Putting them back decades? I think the markets are littered with them, from recruitment companies, to dotcom businesses, to banks [and] mobile manufacturers.

He warned: No business is immune to market crashes.
A burns victim has given heartwarming advice to a young Tasmanian woman who was allegedly doused in petrol and set on fire in a shocking domestic violence attack.

Nicole Evans, 20, has been fading 'in and out of consciousness' since the brutal attack on April 24 that left her with burns to 65 per cent of her body.

Ms Evans' heavily-tattooed fiance John Davey, 34, has been charged with the attack.

A burns victim has sent words of encouragement to Nicole Evans, 20, pictured, after she was allegedly doused in petrol and set on fire in April

One of her supporters, Jayde Cooksey, 19, from Albury, wants the young woman to 'look past her scars and at the beauty within' when she is finally able to look in the mirror.

'Always remember, its a really confronting thing when you first look at your burns and skin grafts but you will still be a normal person, you may not feel it but deep down you are,' she said.

'She looks like such a beautiful girl and for something so awful to happen to her is just heartbreaking.'

Ms Cooksey suffered burns to 24 percent of her body, most of the skin on her legs and feet, after aerosol cans exploded in her car on January 5, 2016.

The car was set alight and so was the then 18-year-old woman who was saved by her boyfriend who was driving.

'If he wasn't there I would have died,' she told Daily Mail Australia.

She was airlifted to Alfred Hospital in Melbourne and has revealed what it felt like to suffer with deep-tissue burns. Ms Evans is recovering in the same hospital.

'The first four weeks I hated it, I cried every night when my mum and boyfriend had to leave.

'The first time I looked at my legs was about four weeks after they had skin grafts and it took so much courage.'

Jayde Cooksey, 19, from Albury, pictured, was rushed to Melbourne's Alfred hospital after sustaining burns to 24 per cent of her body in an accident

Ms Cooksey's legs, pictured left when she arrived to hospital and right in dressings, were burnt after aerosol cans exploded and set the car she was in alight

Ms Evans, pictured with fiance John Davey, 34, suffered burns to 64 per cent of her body when she was allegedly set on fire during a domestic attack

The young woman described the moment she first saw her open wounds as 'confronting'.

The young woman spent six weeks at the Alfred Hospital before moving into recovery. She had to have countless skin grafts and operations but says she is healing well.

'My achilles burned all the way through so that had to be skin grafted twice, the only problem I have is my skin tightening and I'm working on my muscles in my calf muscles and thighs which started from exercising at the local hospital with physio therapists when I came home.'

'One of my feet only got half burnt, I'm lucky I was wearing thongs other wise it could have been worse.'

Ms Cooksey pictured left in hospital and right with skin grafts told Ms Evans to look for her inner beauty

The young woman who is pictured here with her 'heroic' boyfriend says his quick thinking saved her life

The young woman was in hospital for four weeks before being released into her mother's care, she is pictured with her mother right

Ms Evans, who is just two years older than Ms Cooksey was when she suffered her burns, is expected to remain in an isolation room 'for months', police say.

Authorities also say the young woman still can't have visitors as she is confined to a secure room.

She still cannot communicate but is showing 'slight improvement', police said.

Ms Evans' fiance John Davey has been charged over the alleged attack which happened in the couple's Chigwell home.

It's alleged Davey doused Ms Evans with an accelerant and set her alight in a backyard shed.

He is charged with causing grievous bodily harm and is also accused of hitting Miss Evans in the face and throwing a can at her.

Ms Evans still cannot communicate but is showing 'slight improvement', police said

It's alleged Davey doused Ms Evans with an accelerant and set her alight in a backyard shed

Davey pleaded not guilty to all of the charges when he appeared in court the day after the attack.

A Go Fund Me page has been set up to assist the family with expenses.

The summary on the page urges everybody to read Nicole's story and to donate.

'Money should be the last of her families worries right now, as it is a waiting game for Nicole's loved ones and this is one way we can make a little difference.

'We cannot change anything, we cannot take this back for Nicole or fix her family's broken.

'Donate absolutely anything, even 10c adds up and could make a difference.'

Davey will appear in court again on July 5.

'Money should be the last of her families worries right now, as it is a waiting game for Nicole's loved ones and this is one way we can make a little difference,' a friend said

Authorities also say the young woman still can't have visitors as she is confined to a secure room




Former Archbishop of Canterbury George Carey (pictured) colluded with senior clergy to protect a paedophile bishop, a damning report revealed yesterday

Former Archbishop of Canterbury George Carey colluded with senior clergy to protect a paedophile bishop, a damning report revealed yesterday.

As a result, serial sex offender Peter Ball  who boasted of being a confidant of Prince Charles  escaped prosecution for more than 20 years.

An independent inquiry into the scandal found that the Church of England knew of a string of allegations against Ball, then bishop of Gloucester, but failed to alert the police. Current Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby urged Lord Carey to step down from his role as an assistant bishop after the report covering his time as head of the Church of England.

Some of Ball's victims called for a criminal investigation into senior clergy after the report found that the Church was 'more interested in protecting itself' than helping those he had abused, and that at least nine bishops knew allegations had been made against him.

Ball, a former suffragan bishop of Lewes, was let off with caution for molesting a teenage novice monk in 1993. Although the Church knew of other allegations against him, it was not until 2015 that Ball was finally prosecuted and jailed.

He admitted abusing 18 teenagers and young men who had sought spiritual guidance from him between 1977 and 1992.

Ball was jailed for 32 months, serving half his sentence.

The report into the scandal by Dame Moira Gibb, titled Abuse of Faith, described the Church's handling of the scandal as 'lamentable'.

It revealed that:

Lambeth Palace failed to pass on to police six letters of allegations about sex abuse 'or worse' by Ball in an apparent act of 'deliberate concealment';

Lord Carey lobbied police and prosecutors on Ball's behalf during the 1993 investigation;

After Ball accepted a caution, Lord Carey declared him 'basically innocent', invited him to stay three times and paid for a holiday for him;

Lord Carey gave Ball 12,500 of Church cash and only three years later allowed him to preach in public schools despite knowing of numerous other allegations;

The failures continued under Rowan Williams, who succeeded him as Archbishop of Canterbury.

Archbishop Welby said the report made harrowing reading. He said: 'The Church colluded and concealed rather than seeking to help those who were brave enough to come forward.

'This is inexcusable and shocking behaviour. To the survivors who were brave enough to share their story and bring Peter Ball to justice, I once again offer an unreserved apology. There are no excuses whatsoever for what took place and the systemic abuse of trust perpetrated by Peter Ball over decades.'

The Archbishop has written to Lord Carey asking him to 'review his position' as an honorary assistant bishop in the Oxford diocese. The Bishop of Oxford, the Rt Rev Dr Steven Croft, confirmed last night that Lord Carey had 'voluntarily agreed to step back from public ministry' ahead of a meeting to discuss the report.

Ball was first arrested on December 12, 1992, over allegations that he had molested trainee monk Neil Todd.

As news of the investigation spread, Lambeth Palace received seven letters containing potentially disturbing information about him, including one from a man who described how, when he was 15, he had been asked by Ball to perform a sex act.

In another, a man said Ball had asked to share a bedroom with his 17-year-old son.

Current Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby urged Lord Carey (pictured) to step down from his role as an assistant bishop

Lord Carey was briefed about the claims and replied personally to two of the letters. But only one, which was of least concern, was passed to the police. Ball escaped with a caution in 1993 for a single act of gross indecency against Mr Todd, who continued to be haunted by his experiences and took his own life in 2012.

The inquiry report said: 'The Church's management of those seven letters, containing allegations against Ball, is perhaps its greatest failure in these events.

'The letters came from a range of families and individuals quite independently of each other. They raised concerns which were all either indirectly or precisely suggestive of sexual impropriety, or worse, by Ball. The failure to pass six of the letters to police  must give rise to a perception of deliberate concealment.'

The report added that 'some of the most senior clergymen in the country' were dealing with the issue, including nine bishops and an archbishop, even before the caution.

'Yet serious concerns about an abuse of power and privilege were not adequately investigated, and matters which might constitute allegations of a crime were not passed to police.'

After accepting the caution, Ball agreed to quit the Church. But Lord Carey played a key role in allowing him to return, describing him as a 'basically innocent' man for whom he had a 'very high' regard and inviting him to stay at Lambeth Palace.

He invited him back twice more, paid for a brief holiday and handed him 12,500 in cash  although Ball was still 'bitter' not to have got the full 20,000 he had requested, the report says.

Others in the Establishment also rallied to support Ball, including former Archbishop of Canterbury Lord Coggan, two MPs, two public school headmasters and Lord Lloyd, then a Lord Justice of Appeal.

Ball went on to live in a 'specially acquired' rented cottage on the Prince of Wales's Duchy of Cornwall estate.

Just three years after his caution, Lord Carey agreed that Ball should be permitted to preach at a public schools and conduct confirmations.

An independent inquiry into the scandal found that the Church of England knew of a string of allegations against Ball (right), then bishop of Gloucester, but failed to alert the police (left, Carey)

And the following year, he told bishops they could allow Ball to carry out some religious services  but asked them to inform Lambeth Palace when he did because of concerns of 'possible press interest'.

Dame Moira said: 'Ball's priority was to protect and promote himself and he maligned the abused.

'The Church colluded with that rather than seeking to help those he had harmed, or assuring itself of the safety of others.'

Lord Williams, who was Archbishop of Canterbury between 2002 and 2012, is also criticised in the report. He was 'lamentably slow' at investigating Ball, having known for many years that there were concerns. He was warned about Ball in 1993 during the investigation into his abuse of Mr Todd.

Subsequently he twice learned that the disgraced former bishop had accepted an invitation to preach or carry out confirmations in schools without seeking permission, but took no action.

After belatedly completing a review into Ball prompted by media allegations, he sat on it for five months. The report concludes: 'Lord Williams inherited a confused situation regarding Peter Ball but he and his staff missed the opportunity to review and clarify it. He did oversee real change but at a pace which now seems lamentably slow.'

Last night Graham Sawyer, a survivor of Ball's abuse, said: 'The Church continues to use highly aggressive legal firms to bully, frighten and discredit victims.'

Richard Scorer, a specialist abuse lawyer at Slater and Gordon, who represents a number of Ball's victims, added: 'It's clear that senior figures concealed very serious allegations against Ball  the institution colluded with an abuser.

'Evidence that Lord Carey turned a blind eye to reports of Ball's offending is damning, but the report highlights that failure to safeguard vulnerable boys and young men continued under Carey's successor Rowan Williams. This appalling abdication of responsibility, from the most senior figures in the Church, is unforgivable.' Lord Carey said in a statement that and he accepted the report's criticisms.

'I apologise to the victims of Peter Ball,' he said. 'I believed Peter Ball's protestations and gave too little credence to the vulnerable young men and boys behind those allegations.'

He said he regretted not putting Ball's name on the Lambeth List  names of people whose suitability for ministry is under question  after the 1993 caution.

How beast boasted of royal friendship

By Tom Kelly

Peter Ball boasted of being a confidant to Prince Charles and of his close links to the Royal Family. The disgraced bishop attempted to exploit his royal contact to 'bolster his position', the report says.

He used it in particular to influence Lord Carey and others from whom he hoped to receive sympathetic treatment.

Ball's solicitors claimed to have a supportive letter from a royal during his initial investigation for abusing a novice monk in 1992, although no copy of it has never been produced.

Peter Ball, then Bishop of Gloucester, with Prince Charles in 1992. The following year he went to live in a house rented from the Prince's Duchy estate

Following his police caution and the retirement of his twin, Michael Ball, as Bishop of Truro, the brothers lived together in a house rented from Charles's Duchy of Cornwall estate, which had acquired it 'specifically for that purpose,' the report says. Ball publicly claimed that it was his 'loyal friend' the Prince of Wales who 'allowed me to have a Duchy house'.

The Duchy said the house was purchased, and let on a commercial basis, by the Duchy estate, not by the Prince. The report added: 'Ball clearly intimates on many occasions, to Lord Carey and others, that he enjoys the status of confidant of the Prince of Wales

'There are frequent references in Ball's letters to Lord Carey and others to his attending royal functions and to meeting members of the Royal Family. In one letter to Lord Carey in 1998, Ball wrote: 'I get more and more invitations I have spoken to 400 voluntary workers in Eastbourne... I am shortly to preach to the Grenadier Guards; preach at Wellington College, confirm at Radley College and next year preach at Dartmouth to what looks like a full turn-out of the Royal Family.'

Ball arranged to meet Lord Carey in April 1996 to deposit a collection of his correspondence with Charles in the Lambeth Palace Library for 'posterity'.

But the report said a review of correspondence held by the Church found 'no evidence that the Prince of Wales or any other member of the Royal Family sought to intervene at any point in order to protect or promote Ball'.
Thousands of Netflix subscribers in Australia are going to be hit with a new tax on the streaming service come July 1.

The new pricing is expected to be 10 per cent higher than what many are paying for the American streaming service at the moment.

H&R Block director of tax communications Mark Chapman told Daily Mail Australia there were two reasons why the new Netflix tax will kick in soon.

'Firstly to raise money for depleted government revenue from an untapped source and secondly, to level the playing field with Australian competitors who are already subject to the GST rules, such as Stan, who are obliged to charge GST on the subscriptions they charge Australian consumers for their streaming service.

New Netflix tax will help the Australian government recoup lost tax revenue says H&R Block

'The timing is being heavily driven by Australian businesses which are complaining about the disadvantages they suffer compared to overseas based businesses; that and the need to fill holes in the governments coffers,' he said.

'At the moment, subscription to Netflix is GST-free so after the tax comes in, the price of a Netflix subscription will go up by 10 per cent.

'Also affected will be things like Apple iTunes purchases and fees charged by overseas owned online marketplaces like Amazon and Ebay,' he said.

Daily Mail Australia had attempted to find out the new price range by ringing the customer service hotline on Sunday but to no avail.

A customer service personnel said he had no information on the new pricing that is about to hit Australian subscribers in a couple days time.

'We have no news to share at this time,' a Netflix spokesperson said when contacted.

At present Netflix customers can subscribe to three different plans with the basic package starting at $8.99, standard $11.99 and the premium at $14.99.
A New Jersey community college has fired an adjunct professor after officials say she made racially insensitive comments on Fox News.

Lisa Durden was axed from Essex County College as the adjunct communications professor on Friday - roughly two weeks after she appeared on 'Tucker Carlson Tonight'.

Essex County College's president Anthony Munroe announced the decision Friday and said officials at the school had received complaints about her heated interview with Carlson.

Durden, who is black, discussed a Memorial Day event held exclusively for black people hosted by a Black Lives Matter group in New York.

When Carlson asked her her thoughts, Durden interrupted the host, saying: 'Boo hoo hoo. You white people are angry because you couldn't use your white privilege card' to attend the event.'

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A New Jersey community college has fired an adjunct professor, Lisa Durden, after officials say she made racially insensitive comments during an appearance on 'Tucker Carlson Tonight' two weeks ago (above)

Durden discussed a Memorial Day event held exclusively for black people hosted by a Black Lives Matter group. When Carlson asked her thoughts, Durden said: 'Boo hoo hoo. You white people are angry because you couldn't use your white privilege card' to attend the event.'

She added, 'You've been having 'White Day' forever' as she defended the group for wanting to have 'one day for black folks to focus on ourselves.'

Carlson called her comments during the roughly six-minute interview 'hostile, separatist and crazy.'

The school suspended Durden two days after the show aired.

Durden said the school 'publicly lynched' her. The school on Friday said 'racism cannot be fought with more racism.'

In a statement, Munroe said that families who contacted the school over her comments expressed frustration.

'When the administration receives an outpouring of concern regarding our student body, it is our responsibility to investigate those concerns,' he said.

Carlson called her comments during the roughly six-minute interview 'hostile, separatist and crazy.' The school suspended Durden two days after the show aired, but the college president ultimately decided to fire her

'The character of this institution mandates that we embrace diversity, inclusion, and unity. Racism cannot be fought with more racism.'

He made it clear that the college is committed to a welcoming environment to all students of a variety of backgrounds, races and cultures, and defended firing Durden.

'In consideration of the college's mission, and the impact that this matter has had on the college's fulfillment of its mission, we cannot maintain an employment relationship with the adjunct,' Munroe stated.

'The college affirms its right to select employees who represent the institution appropriately and are aligned with our mission.'

Durden told NJ.com that she received support from students and staff members after her firing.

'It should be a safe place for me,' Durden said of the college. 'I thought when I came home from war, I would be safe.'

She is reportedly going to take legal action over her firing, NJ.com reported.

The leader of Black Lives Matter in New York slammed the decision to sack Lisa Durden over her controversial remarks.

Hawk Newsome, who campaigns tirelessly for black rights around the US, said: The area where Essex County College is situated is one of the most racist places in the US, so I am not surprised they have sacked her.

Hawk Newsome, the leader of Black Lives Matter in New York (pictured in May) slammed the decision to sack Lisa Durden over her controversial remarks

Newsome (pictured right with Nick Cannon) said: The area where Essex County College is situated is one of the most racist places in the US, so I am not surprised they have sacked her

But I believe that under the First Amendment she has the right to voice her beliefs and say how she feels.

Black Lives Matter will be going to Long Island to protest on her behalf.

It is wrong to make an example of her when so many people are allowed to say what they want about black matters whenever they ant.

He said his group, which is the largest Black Rights organization in New York, did not organize the meeting Professor Durden was quizzed about on Fox News by Tucker Carlson.

He added: As the head of Black Lives Matter, let me tell you we are a group that is open to people of any race, gender and religion.

I would never have allowed such a blacks only event. Its just wrong and that group had nothing to do with mine which is the biggest.
CIA Director Mike Pompeo says he thinks disclosure of America's secret intelligence is on the rise, fueled partly by the 'worship' of leakers like Edward Snowden.

'In some ways, I do think it's accelerated,' Pompeo told MSNBC in an interview that aired Saturday.

'I think there is a phenomenon, the worship of Edward Snowden, and those who steal American secrets for the purpose of self-aggrandizement or money or for whatever their motivation may be, does seem to be on the increase.'

Pompeo said the United States needs to redouble its efforts to stem leaks of classified information.

CIA Director Mike Pompeo says he thinks disclosure of America's secret intelligence is on the rise, fueled partly by the 'worship' of leakers

'It's tough. You now have not only nation states trying to steal our stuff, but non-state, hostile intelligence services, well-funded -- folks like WikiLeaks, out there trying to steal American secrets for the sole purpose of undermining the United States and democracy,' Pompeo said.

Besides Snowden, who leaked documents revealing extensive U.S. government surveillance, WikiLeaks recently released nearly 8,000 documents that it says reveal secrets about the CIA's cyberespionage tools for breaking into computers. WikiLeaks previously published 250,000 State Department cables and embarrassed the U.S. military with hundreds of thousands of logs from Iraq and Afghanistan.

There are several other recent cases, including Chelsea Manning, the Army private formerly known as Bradley Manning. She was convicted in a 2013 court-martial of leaking more than 700,000 secret military and State Department documents to WikiLeaks while working as an intelligence analyst in Iraq. Manning said she leaked the documents to raise awareness about the war's impact on innocent civilians.

Last year, former NSA contractor Harold Thomas Martin III, 51, of Glen Burnie, Maryland, was accused of removing highly classified information, storing it in an unlocked shed and in his car and home. Court documents say investigators seized, conservatively, 50 terabytes of information, or enough to fill roughly 200 laptop computers.

Pompeo said the Trump administration is focused on stopping leaks of any kind from any agency and pursuing perpetrators. 'I think we'll have some successes both on the deterrence side - that is stopping them from happening - as well as on punishing those who we catch who have done it,' Pompeo said.

On other issues, Pompeo said:

Pompeo says the likes of Edward Snowden (left) and Chelsea Manning (right) are to blame for the rise in dangerous leaks

- North Korea poses a 'very real danger' to U.S. national security. 'I hardly ever escape a day at the White House without the president asking me about North Korea and how it is that the United States is responding to that threat. It's very much at the top of his mind.' He said the North Koreans are 'ever-closer to having the capacity to hold America at risk with a nuclear weapon.'

-Pompeo said U.S. national security also is threatened by Iran, which he described as the world's largest state sponsor of terror.

'Today, we find it with enormous influence, influence that far outstrips where it was six or seven years ago,' said Pompeo, a former Republican congressman from Kansas. 'Whether it's the influence they have over the government in Baghdad, whether it's the increasing strength of Hezbollah and Lebanon, their work alongside the Houthis in Iran, the Iraqi Shias that are fighting along now the border in Syria -- certainly the Shia forces that are engaged in Syria. Iran is everywhere throughout the Middle East.'
A two-year-old girl underwent lifesaving surgery for bleeding on the brain after her skull was crushed when a metal gate pinned her to the ground.

Sophie Brown's head was slammed into concrete when the heavy gate on her parents' Perth rental property came off its hinges, severely injuring her.

The toddler was rushed to Princess Margaret Hospital for a three-hour operation to remove part of her skull which had become lodged in her brain during the freak accident, PerthNow reported.

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Sophie Brown (pictured) was trying to open a metal gate on her parents' rental property in Gonsells when it broke off and pinned her to the ground

The toddler (pictured) suffered bleeding on the brain when a piece of her skull became lodged in it

She has also suffered a small stroke following surgery and will celebrate her second birthday in hospital on Wednesday.

Her father, Marc Browne, said he watched helplessly as his little girl was crushed under the weight of the metal gate.

'I've basically got no more tears to cry,' he said.

'It's just shattering to see your daughter like that and not be able to help her.'

The family no longer wants to return to their Gonsells property as the broken gate is a constant reminder of their daughter's near-fatal injury.

Mr Brown is attempting to prematurely end the lease and has reached out to the Department of Commerce for assistance.
They're among the biggest Navy ships ever built - and capable of making high-speed, hairpin turns in the open ocean.

Video has captured the 99,000 ton USS Lincoln, a US Nimitz-class aircraft carrier, gliding with surprisingly fast speed and agility in the water as it conducts sea trials.

The ship is among some of the most complex ever built, measuring nearly 1,100 feet in length, housing as many as 6,000 sailors, and supporting more than 70 aircraft.

Despite its large size, the carrier can move at almost 35 miles per hour at full steam thanks to its nuclear power plants.

Video has captured the USS Lincoln (pictured), a US Nimitz-class aircraft carrier, glide with surprisingly fast speed and agility in the water as it conducts sea trials

The ship (pictured) is among some of the most complex ever made measuring nearly 1,100 feet in length, housing as many as 6,000 sailors, and supporting more than 70 aircraft

The USS Lincoln recently went through a mid-life servicing, which included a refueling of the carrier's nuclear power plant, a modernization of its computer and war-fighting systems throughout the ship, and total rework of its flight deck gear

USS LINCOLN Class and type: Nimitz-class aircraft carrier Commissioned: November 11, 1989 Length: 1,092 feet (332.8 m) Weight: 99,790 tons Speed: 30+ knots (56km/h or 35mph) Aircraft carried: 90 fixed wing and helicopters Crew: Ship's company: 3,200

Air wing: 2,480 Sensors and processing systems: AN/SPS-48E 3-D air search radar

AN/SPS-49(V)5 2-D air search radar

AN/SPQ-9B target acquisition radar

AN/SPN-46 air traffic control radars

AN/SPN-43C air traffic control radar

AN/SPN-41 landing aid radars

Four Mark 91 NSSM guidance systems

Four Mark 95 radars Armament: Two Mark 57 Mod 3 Sea Sparrows (surface-to air missile)

Two RIM-116 Rolling Airframe Missiles

Two Phalanx CIWS (close-in-weapon system) Advertisement

Commissioned in 1989 and built to last 50 years, the ship recently went through a mid-life servicing.

This included a refueling of the carrier's nuclear power plant, a modernization of its computer and war-fighting systems throughout the ship, and total rework of its flight deck gear, according to the NavyTimes.

Naval-Technology.com reported that the ship left Naval Station Norfolk on June 5 to conduct carrier qualifications and flight deck certification tests.

Earning the certifications will mark major milestones in the vessel's journey from the shipyard to deployment with the US Navy as a fully capable warship.

Additionally, sailors from the USS Abraham Lincoln's crew will be assessed to determine their capability in successfully conducting day and night-time flight deck operations as part of the evaluations.

'It was awesome,' Boatswain's Mate 3rd Class Addison Mila told the NavyTimes of the high-speed turns.

'The reason we do those big turns is to see how the ship reacts - if the ship needed to quickly move to avoid an unexpected navigational hazard, we rely on these tests to understand how our ship would perform.'

Because aircraft carriers are high-value targets, they need to be able to make tight turns to avoid collisions or enemy torpedoes.

Avoiding potential collision targets is necessity more than ever following the crash between US destroyer, the USS Fitzgerald, and a Philippines-flagged cargo ship just outside Tokyo Bay, Japan on June 17.

Seven American sailors died as a result of the collision with the Navy currently investigating whether some of those lost were deliberately trapped underwater when the crew realized they had no choice but to lock down the compromised sections of the destroyer.

The carrier (pictured) is conducting carrier qualifications and flight deck certification tests to be deployed with the US Navy as a fully capable warship
With winter hibernation coming to an end, one may stumble upon a bear and her little ones enjoying the fresh air.

And in this cute video taken on Father's Day, a mother grizzly swims across the Agulowak River in southwest Alaska with her two cubs on her back.

The video was taken during a king salmon fishing trip that included Outdoors Sportsman Groups Steve Smith and GCI Agulowak Retreat General Manager Dave Roseman.

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Cute video taken on Father's Day shows a mother grizzly swiming across the Agulowak River in southwest Alaska with her two cubs on her back

Bearlympics: The mother, with her cubs clinging to her back, diligently swims to the shore in the short clip

The mother, with her cubs clinging to her back, diligently swims to the shore in the short clip.

Her two little ones occasionally slip a little in the water but they have enough of a grip on their stable mom that they get along fine.

Hold on babies: Her two little ones occasionally slip a little in the water but they have enough of a grip on their stable mom that they get along fine

The video was taken during a king salmon fishing trip that included Outdoors Sportsman Groups Steve Smith and GCI Agulowak Retreat General Manager Dave Roseman

Eventually the mom makes it to shore where her cubs hop off, shake the water off themselves and follow her into the woods.

Alaska is home to around 32,000 brown bears, and human sightings are very common, according to the Alaska Department of Fish & Game.
The mother of an eight-year-old boy with autism claims her son was put into a plywood box with only peepholes to calm him down.

Mother Emily Dive has slammed the Department of Education for their treatment of her son, Lachlan.

She also claims Lachlan's school attendance has been restricted to only two hours a day after being enrolled in four schools in two years.

'The trauma that Lachlan has been subjected to within the education system is unforgivable,' she told Daily Mail Australia.

Emily Dive (left) is suing the Department of Education in Victoria for their treatment of her son Lachlan (right), eight, who has autism

Her comments come just days after One Nation's Pauline Hanson sparked a heated debate when she called for Autistic children to be pulled out of mainstream classes and educated in a 'special classroom'.

Ms Dive, 28, says her son Lachlan's symptoms have worsened as a result of his time at the schools where she believes he was mistreated and his needs ignored.

One of the most distressing experiences for the mother-son duo was the use of the dark and isolated box at one of the schools he attended.

The box was constructed in the school's resource room out of plywood, and measured eight cubic metres.

'The room was pitched to me as a "calm down" room,' she said.

'If Locky began to show high signs of anxiety - which to people looks like defiant, disruptive behaviour, then he would be "encouraged" to use the room.

The youngster had allegedly been put into a plywood box built in the classroom's resources room with no windows, only peepholes when he needed to calm down during class

Ms Dive says her son was only allowed to attend school for two hours a day, and she had to take the reins on his education

'A condition on his behaviour contract - which was the school's approach to assisting my son with his disability - was that if he couldn't re-regulate in that room, I was called to pick him up.'

Ms Dive claims the principal of the school claimed all students would be encouraged to use the room in times of heightened emotion, but the mother of one was unable to ever verify if that happened.

'After a daily battle of dealing with school in the context we have, you're broken, you're defeated and it takes a toll,' she said.

'You're fed the information like its a privilege, that the school is doing you a favour by providing an additional space to have your child re-regulate, that it doesn't infringe on their human rights.'

Lachlan was not eligible to attend a school designed for children with special needs as his IQ was too high to qualify him, and was instead given funding for a teacher's aide to come and help him for two hours a day.

When the funded hours were up, the child was also sent home.

Ms Dive has been teaching her son to the best of her ability from home, but wants to see him thrive in a school community that is able to support him.

'I relied on things like learning apps on the iPad and taught him to read myself,' she said.

'Locky had no idea what a school routine entailed because he had such limited exposure to one.'

Routine for people with autism is hugely important and can be a way of keeping those diagnosed stable and focused when things become overwhelming, according to Autism Spectrum Australia.

'[Lachlan's] anxiety was evident even before we got to the school gate,' Ms Dive said.

'There were inconsistencies as to who he would have assisting him in the classroom. His days were unpredictable, staff forever changing their approach and strategies because they just had no idea what to do'

The Melbourne woman says her son's autism has worsened as a result of the 'trauma' he was put through at school

Lachlan was expelled in April last year and has not returned to school since

Lachlan was expelled from his last school in April last year due to his severe behaviour, and has received no support or resources since.

Ms Dive said she was pushed by the Department of Education to re-enroll her son in a school, even if he was not to attend it, in order to keep his meagre funding going.

She claims her son will never be able to attend the school he is enrolled in as it cannot meet his high and complex needs.

For Locky, a 'charming and warm hearted' boy who loves to cook, dance and read, school has always been an 'overwhelming' experience.

Ms Dive said she is unable to discuss school with her son without him becoming overwhelmed and distressed.

She says the Department have left the eight-year-old's future in her hands, and have asked her to come up with her own solution.

'Lachlan in no way is a cut and dry, easy-fix case, but we are also not the only ones in this position. We are in limbo.

'I have a little boy not knowing when, where or how he will get an education.

'I'm just a mum with a boy who wants to go to school.'

She says the Department of Education needs to be more accountable for the children in their care, regardless of their needs.

'Until the correct resources, education and over-haul of the system takes place, I don't know what Locky's educational future looks like,' she said.

Disability advocate Julie Phillips says it is 'incredibly sad, but true' that parents often have to turn to legal measures to finally get help for their children with disabilities.

Ms Dive has filed a complaint through the Australian Human Rights Commission with the help of disability advocate Julie Phillips

Ms Phillips is helping Ms Dive file a legal complaint through the Australian Human Rights Commission in the hopes of helping the young boy back in to school with proper care.

She says the major issue is a lack of funding.

'Kids with disabilities in general are often not permitted to attend full time, and are often subjected to restraint and seclusion, both in public and special needs schools.

They are just generally treated with incompetence.

'But in fairness to schools, the department, year after year, refuses to take notice of the recommendation of various reports and will not fund them to bring in the expertise that they need.'

Despite numerous reports tabled to Parliament detailing the struggles children with disabilities face, Ms Phillips says there are usually more words than actions.

For Lachlan, Ms Phillips and Ms Dive are seeking financial compensation for damages, but also want help getting him back to school - something the women both say will take a long time.

'Lachlan is quite young and so we've got to get him some competent assistance to enable him to recover or rehabilitate from his school experiences in order that he can return,' Ms Phillips told Daily Mail Australia.

'Not only is it the law you have to go to school, but kids go to school for an education, and he needs an education.

'It's going to be a long journey because the seclusion they've subjected him to and the restrictive practices and his long term disengagement.

'He is so damaged that he needs some intensive, high level expertise applied to his situation, which is beyond anything any department employee can do.

'They will have to pay for that assistance until he recovers and is able to regain a level of calmness.

'Things must change. They can't go on like they've been going on for decades now.'

Ms Dive wants to see her son back in school, but the youngster will need serious professional help to get there

A spokesperson from the Australian Department of Education and Training said the Federal Government '[recognised] that students with disability have specific individual needs and education is not one size fits all'.

'While over 90 per cent of students with disability attend mainstream schools, it is important that there are a range of educational settings available including specialist schools and specialist units in mainstream schools.

'Parents and carers are the best people to decide the most appropriate educational setting for their child.

'The Disability Standards for Education 2005, formulated under the Disability Discrimination Act 1992, set out the obligations of education and training providers to ensure that students with disability can access and participate in education and training on the same basis as those without disability.

'The Government is investing a record $242.3 billion in school recurrent funding over the next 10 years as part of its Quality Schools reforms. Of this amount, an estimated $21.2 billion will be provided for students with disability.

'This funding helps provide the resources schools need to enable students with disability to participate in education on the same basis as other students.'

The Department of Education Victoria has been contacted for comment.

Senator Hanson came under fire last Wednesday for telling the Senate having a disabled child in a mainstream classroom was holding back other students, as they required special care.

The Queensland Senator made the remarks during a speech confirming she will help to pass the Federal Government's $18.6 billion school funding package.

'These kids have a right to an education by all means - but if there's a number of them, these children should actually go into a special classroom, looked after and given that special attention,' she said.
The letter brimmed with ill-disguised passion. 'I hope I shall get a moment or two to be with my dear' wrote the smitten young woman. 'That I may have one dear embrace, which I long for more than I can express.'

In another note, she begged: 'Oh come to me as soon as you can that I may cleave myself to you.' And in another: 'I can't go to bed without seeing you If you knew in what condition you have made me, I am sure you would pity.'

The correspondence, written more than 300 years ago, is as intimate as any between lovers.

The author of these breathless missives was no ordinary woman but a royal princess, Anne, who became Queen Anne in 1702. And what makes them even more intriguing  and controversial  is that the object of the young princess's desire was another woman.

Queen Anne was the younger daughter of James II and became Queen of Britain and Ireland in 1702. She was obsessed with Sarah Churchill, the Duchess of Marlborough intimate letters show

The woman she loved with an ardour that went far beyond friendship was Sarah Churchill, the beautiful, charismatic and scheming Duchess of Marlborough. Their bond was so intimate that it scandalised court.

Anne loved her husband, Prince George  indeed she was almost constantly pregnant by him  but he came second to Sarah, with whom she was obsessed, travelling across the country just to snatch a few hours together, and once arranging a secret night-time tryst. It was an infatuation so all-consuming it turned Anne to fits of possessive ire.

She displayed, Sarah complained, 'the jealousy of a lover', and was tormented by Sarah's other female friendships.

But after more than 20 years of intimacy, the relationship turned sour and Anne appeared to transfer her love to a plain poor relation of Sarah's named Abigail Masham. Abigail was also Anne's dresser.

The duchess was cast out and, like so many courtiers, exacted a bitter vengeance for what she saw as her betrayal. First, she accused the Queen of having lesbian relations with Abigail, then wrote memoirs laying bare her infatuated love letters.

Possessive, passionate and vibrant, the letters raise intriguing questions about the nature of the relationship between the Queen and the duchess  and the Queen and her dresser.

There was jealousy, passion, longing and love, but was it physical? Was England, as some believe, really ruled by a bisexual Queen?

That is the subject at the heart of two new productions.

A play, Queen Anne, which opens in London's West End later this month, explores this most fascinating of Royal scandals.

Romola Garai plays the charismatic Sarah Churchill, alongside Emma Cunniffe as Queen Anne.

'I definitely think Anne had a crush on Sarah,' explains Helen Edmundson, the playwright.

New play Queen Anne explores the royal scandal. Romola Garai plays the charismatic Sarah Churchill, alongside Emma Cunniffe as Queen Anne

'And I've always felt that, as they got older, it's possible they occasionally shared a bed or practised kissing. But I don't think it was a full-on sexual relationship.

'I think there was something erotic about the relationship in the most innocent way.'

A rather different view is taken in a new film, The Favourite, which has just finished shooting.

Due out next year and described as bawdy tale of envy and betrayal, it has an unequivocally sexual take on the affair.

Rachel Weisz portrays Sarah, while Oscar-winner Emma Stone stars as her love rival Abigail.

So where does the truth lie? History has long regarded Anne as one of history's duller monarchs: fat, frumpy, charmless and of limited intelligence. But if Sarah is to be believed, the Queen was neither as virtuous nor as conservative as she appeared.

From an early age, Anne had a series of female friendships that raised eyebrows due to their obsessive, intimate nature.

When she and her sister Mary were young, they had a 'crush' on a court lady named Frances Apsley and both wrote her what can only be described as passionate love letters. Mary even referred to herself as Frances's husband, while Anne also took on a male persona when writing to her.

Later, Anne had a Lady of the Bedchamber, Mary Cornwallis, to whom she wrote such ardent letters that Anne's father  James, the Duke of York  became worried about the nature of the relationship and had Mary dismissed.

According to Sarah, Anne's uncle, Charles II, had noticed it too, commenting: 'No man ever loved his Mistress as his niece Anne did Mrs Cornwallis.'

Such lesbian relationships were not unheard of. Anne grew up surrounded by the debauchery of Charles II's court, where there were few taboos. A French visitor reported on love affairs among the maids of honour and the mistresses.

Indeed, Charles II once found one of his mistresses in bed with another woman  and promptly joined them. Some years later, he was less amused when another of his lovers began an affair with his illegitimate daughter.

Brought up in this permissive atmosphere, Sarah and Anne were childhood friends, although Sarah was five years older. As a teenager, Sarah was already described as one of the great beauties of court. Blonde, vivacious and charismatic, she enthralled both men and women. She married an ambitious, handsome young Army officer, John Churchill, ten years her senior.

Churchill was passionately in love with his wife  his letters to her smoulder with desire  but he was often abroad, fighting in the war against France. Sarah was not content to play the dutiful, waiting wife. Instead, she set about making herself indispensable to Anne, captivating the shy, plump young princess.

From an early age, Anne had a series of female friendships that raised eyebrows due to their obsessive, intimate nature. Pictured: Emma Cunniffe as Queen Anne (left) and Natascha McElhone as Sarah Churchill (right)

Anne duly appointed her Lady of the Bedchamber, though Anne's father disapproved, clearly fearing Sarah would dominate his impressionable daughter. He was right: soon an infatuated Anne was obeying Sarah's every command.

Anne's letters reveal how besotted she was. 'If I writ whole volumes I could never express how well I love you,' she gushed. As Sarah later wrote, Anne 'desired to possess [me] wholly'.

In letters, Sarah and Anne referred to each other by nicknames. Anne was Mrs Morley and Sarah was Mrs Freeman, to underline that the relationship was not one of Royal and servant, but of equals. In fact, it was anything but equal. As Helen Edmundson observes: 'Sarah held all the cards.' Sarah was everything that Anne was not: witty, confident, charming and glamorous.

Sarah, however, had other close female friends, of whom Anne was furiously jealous. Like Anne, she also had a husband with whom she enjoyed a passionate marriage  as evidenced by the quote attributed to her: 'His Grace returned from the wars today and did pleasure me twice in his top boots.'

In 1688, Anne's father, the Catholic James II, was deposed and replaced by Anne's sister Mary and her husband, Prince William of Orange, both Protestants.

Anne sided with William and Mary but Sarah encouraged her to keep her distance (she and Anne privately called William the 'Dutch abortion').

An infuriated Queen Mary demanded that Anne sack Sarah, blaming her for their estrangement. Ophelia Field, author of The Favourite, a biography of Sarah, suggests: 'Perhaps Mary also understood the true strength of Anne's feelings for Sarah.'

Anne refused to dismiss Sarah, choosing to leave court and, together with her husband George, live instead with Sarah and John. Neither husband objected to this arrangement. Here, Anne became ever more dependent on Sarah, enduring her frequent tantrums, criticism and bullying.

Despite her happy marriage, Anne was desperately lonely. She was estranged from her father, her mother was dead, and she lost all 17 of her children to miscarriages, stillbirths or illness.

Her servants spied on her and reported back to her sister; courtiers plotted and intrigued. Little wonder that she clung, throughout it all, to the politically astute Sarah.

When Anne became Queen in 1702, following the deaths of Mary and then William, Sarah became the most powerful woman at court. Among her posts was Keeper of the Privy Purse, controlling Anne's finances, and Groom of the Stole, the most senior court position.

When Anne and Sarah's relationship soured, the Queen turned attentions to her dresser Abigail Masham (pictured)

She also became a duchess when, as commander-in-chief of the English and Dutch armies, her husband was rewarded by Anne by being made the Duke of Marlborough.

The power and status was to prove her downfall. A skilful card-player, Sarah now overplayed her hand. She continued to treat Anne as a dim-witted child rather than the shrewd and increasingly independent-minded monarch she had become.

Sarah ordered Anne to appoint her own allies to cabinet posts, lectured her about affairs of state, refused to answer her letters, and showed little sympathy when Anne's husband died.

A hurt Anne increasingly turned to Abigail Masham, a poor relation of the duchess for whom she had secured a post as one of Anne's Women of the Bedchamber. Abigail was plain  she was mocked for her red nose  and placid. But she was ready to listen rather to lecture, to comfort instead of scold. Anne, by now an obese invalid, was grateful.

When Sarah belatedly realised Abigail had replaced her in Anne's affections, she reacted with bitter fury, calling Abigail a 'viper'.

She furiously accused the Queen of having 'so great a passion for such a woman' and warned her that if the world knew of her 'intimacy' with Abigail and that the Queen had 'no inclination for any but one's own sex', her reputation would be ruined. She was threatening to out her as a lesbian unless she got rid of Abigail. But Anne refused to be blackmailed, responding: 'Sure I may love whom I please.'

Jealous, the duchess began spreading rumours about the Queen and her dresser, insinuating that the country was being ruled by a pair of lesbians.

One of her allies penned a scurrilous ballad about Anne's unnatural infatuation with her 'slut of state', describing how she dearly loved the 'dirty chambermaid'  Abigail  who performed 'sweet service' for her Queen and 'dark deeds in the night'.

She then showed this to the Queen, hoping to shame her into dropping Abigail, the 'ungrateful bitch', as the ballad described her. Another pamphlet  lurid even by today's standards  asked whether Anne and Abigail indulged in 'that female vice most detestable in nature?'

The gossip began to spread. It was said that 'the Queen was very fond of her [Abigail] at the bath'. Sarah even hinted that, while Anne's husband was alive, Anne and Abigail had enjoyed amorous encounters during his afternoon naps.

Eventually, infuriated by Sarah's accusations, Anne snapped and banished Sarah from court.

She was replaced by Abigail as Keeper of the Privy Purse. Sarah's allies in government were replaced by Abigail's friends. Even the Duke of Marlborough himself was eventually dismissed.

A furious Sarah threatened to blackmail the Queen further by publishing the letters she had sent her over the years. Their contents, she hinted slyly, 'if known might lose a crown'. This time, the threats worked: she was given a generous payoff and the letters remained hidden until after Anne's death.

By then, the duchess was the richest woman in England, with a fortune equivalent to 82 million today, and chatelaine of Blenheim Palace. But she still itched to have the last word, revealing Anne's letters in her own self-justifying memoirs. Anne was portrayed as harbouring an unrequited love for Sarah, who secretly found her dull, witless and grumpy.

Whatever the truth about any sexual intimacies in the Royal bedchamber, the story of Anne, Abigail and Sarah remains a tantalising tale of obsession, betrayal and vengeance.

Queen Victoria famously did not believe lesbianism existed. Queen Anne, a successful but underrated monarch, was, it seems, a woman ahead of her time.

l Queen Anne opens at Theatre Royal Haymarket on June 30; rscqueenanne.com.
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More than 1,500 people have been evacuated after raging wildfire spread through Utah destroying more than 60 square miles of forest - and 13 homes.

About 1,000 firefighters are still battling the blaze, which started June 17 by someone using a torch to burn weeds, and has consumed the area surrounding the ski town of Brian Head in Iron County.

Hundreds of homes and cabins have been evacuated after orders were given across the surrounding alpine communities that are generally known for second homes as a weekend getaway for Las Vegas residents.

Smoke has been seen rising about trees after a wildfire ripped through the area around Panguitch Lake on June 24, Utah

Flames lick at the trees and thick black smokes billows from the wildfire as firefighters try to fully extinguish hot spots in the southwest corner in order to allow Brian Head residents to return

A plane makes a fly-by drop to try and extinguish the blaze as it spreads through the alpine regions of Utah

Thick smoke is seen billowing in the distance from a ski resort. Resorts and towns have been evacuated over the blaze

About 1,000 firefighters are still battling the blaze, which started June 17 by someone using a torch to burn weeds, and has consumed the area surrounding the ski town of Brian Head in Iron County

A helicopter carries water out of Panguitch Lake past boats and cabins to drop on a wildfire on June 24

High winds and hot weather have fueled the flames of the wildfire during the past week but conditions are expected to improve today before winds return Monday.

Officials said firefighters are trying to fully extinguish hot spots in the southwest corner in order to allow Brian Head residents to return.

Thankfully, no one has been injured because the homes and cabins were among 600 evacuated a day earlier from the alpine community that is home to the Brian Head Resort and near several national monuments and parks in Utah's red rock country.

Mountain bike and hiking trails, zip line courses and a water tubing hill that lure visitors to the resort in the summer were closed as firefighters try to hem in the flames.

The hot weather has intensified the fire, driving it toward Panguitch Lake, a fishing and recreation spot with more homes.

High winds and hot weather have fueled the flames of the wildfire during the past week but conditions are expected to improve today before winds return Monday

About 1,000 firefighters are still battling the blaze which has consumed the area surrounding the ski town of Brian Head in Iron County

A wild deer looks for food after brush and trees were burned from a wildfire above Panguitch Lake on June 24, outside Panguitch, Utah

Brian Head and eight other communities and campgrounds were under evacuation orders, fire spokeswoman Erin Darboven said. She did not know the total number of homes or residents affected.

Jim Moore said the flames were about a mile from his home in the community of Beaver Dam Village when he packed up his car and his dog early Thursday. At that point, the evacuations were not yet mandatory.

'At 2 o'clock in the morning, I could stand on my deck and see the flames,' Moore said. 'It was pretty scary.'

Moore, who drove about four hours to Las Vegas where his girlfriend lives, said Beaver Dam Village is almost entirely made up of second homes and cabins and is largely a weekend getaway for Vegas residents.

LaRue Billings, who spends summers with her husband in their recreational vehicle near Panguitch Lake, said the couple could spot flames from their campsite Wednesday before they packed up and left Thursday.

'By the time we left, the fire had gotten quite a bit closer. We didn't realize that because the smoke was so dense,' Billings said.

She said beetles have killed off trees in the surrounding forest, leaving lots of dried wood on the ground.

'I'm sure that had a lot to do with fueling the fire,' Billings said.

Brush and trees are scorched from a wildfire above Panguitch Lake after the fire named the 'Brian Head Fire' started last week

Hundreds of homes and cabins have been evacuated after orders were given across the surrounding alpine communities that are generally known for second homes as a weekend getaway for Las Vegas residents

A statue of Smokey the Bears stands in the foreground while ominous black smoke rises behind him

The couple, who live in Hurricane, said they were camping Friday in a city about 20 miles away until they figure out where to go next.

The unidentified person accused of starting the blaze could face charges, officials said. Firefighting costs could rise to more than $1 million, said Jason Curry of the Utah Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands.

In Arizona, astronomers fear a nearly 46-square-mile (74-square-kilometer) wildfire may have caused heat damage to a research telescope on a mountain northeast of Tucson. Paul Gabor, vice director of the Vatican Observatory, says the blaze came within probably 30 feet of the building but didn't cause it to catch fire.

Fire conditions are preventing telescope operators from examining the inside of the building. But Gabor suspects the heat damaged metal on the exterior and is concerned smoke could have damaged electronic equipment and mirrors on the telescope.

On the nation's largest American Indian reservation, which spans parts of New Mexico, Arizona and southeastern Utah, increasing fire danger led officials to ban fireworks and campfires outside developed sites. Ceremonial fires are allowed if a tribal burn registration is obtained.

In Southern California, firefighters made progress on a 5-day-old forest fire in the San Bernardino Mountains that has burned about 2 square miles (625 hectares).
The last time the world heard from Margarita Hamilton, her neighbours were gleefully bidding her farewell after she was evicted from her own castle.

The glamorous, if eccentric, millionaire  ever partial to a rowdy, champagne-soaked soiree  made an enviable fortune in the 1980s and 1990s through a recording studios and record label, working with stars including Robbie Williams, The Pet Shop Boys, Duran Duran and Pulp.

But regular celebrity-strewn parties at the 17th Century Walton Castle eventually incurred the wrath of the genteel residents of the quaint seaside town of Clevedon, Somerset, who responded with seething disapproval and complaints to the council.

Yet now Margarita is back in the castle overlooking the Bristol Channel  though only after an ordeal involving 1 million in legal fees and four years of patient detective work.

Margarita Hamilton is back in her castle overlooking the Bristol Channel. In the 1980s she threw lavish parties in the property until she was evicted when she realised the salary she drew from the castles prosperous events business had stopped abruptly and her emails shut down

For as the 65-year-old today reveals to The Mail on Sunday, she was nearly swindled out of the property she still owns with her ex-husband, financier Rai Hamilton.

The culprit was a former friend and business partner, John Jones. He had bought into the castle but then digitally forged signatures to gain a majority share.

Throw me to the wolves and Ill come back leading the pack. Thats my motto now, Margarita says, like a triumphant Boadicea  albeit one clad in Marc Jacobs.

I never give up if I believe in something. And I cannot tolerate any form of injustice. I might have survived, but if we hadnt sorted this out properly, Rai would have gone from assets of 30 million to living above a Chinese chippy.

John Jones would have walked away scot-free and done it to somebody else. Fancy his downfall being done by me, she giggles. Well, the female of the species is a lot tougher than the male, dont you think?

Zimbabwe-born Margarita and Rai bought the then derelict Walton, whose original fortification is mentioned in the Domesday Book, in 1984 for 150,000. The castle cost 5 million to restore.

They filled one of the turrets with booze and threw showbiz parties with Roger Daltrey, Alexander ONeal and ex-Duran Duran guitarist Andy Taylor.

It was the 1980s, and we were all incredibly rich, Margarita says. We lived the lifestyle.

The glamorous, if eccentric, millionaire made an enviable fortune in the 1980s and 1990s through a recording studios and record label, working with stars including Robbie Williams, The Pet Shop Boys, Duran Duran and Pulp (pictured)

She stayed in the castle after her divorce from Rai in 1994. But the lavish parties  which led some to dub her the Queen of Rave Castle  provoked furious rows with neighbours, which culminated in a warning in 2013 that she could go to prison if they continued.

Later that same year, Margarita realised the salary she drew from the castles prosperous events business had stopped abruptly and her emails shut down. Horrifyingly, she discovered the castles locks had been changed.

I couldnt get in, couldnt access my possessions and I had no idea why, she recalls. The details of what happened are complex, but after Margaritas divorce, the castle was put into a family trust in Rais name to benefit his two children from a previous relationship, while Margarita continued to draw an income from it.

When that money was mysteriously switched off, she dug through the trusts accounts, which had been spread around eight countries. She discovered Mr Jones had gradually switched the proportion of the trust he owned from 20 to 80 per cent.

It even appeared, at first glance, that Rai had agreed by signing contracts with him.

But Margaritas IT wizardry, along with advice provided by a handwriting expert, uncovered the truth  that Rais signature had, in fact, been reproduced electronically many times.

The 65-year-old was nearly swindled out of the property she still owns with her ex-husband, financier Rai Hamilton (pictured)

In March this year, Rai, 69, won a civil case over falsifying documents against Mr Jones.

Margarita says: I hope John never, ever has the opportunity to do this to anyone else. I cant believe the lengths Ive gone to but I have absolutely refused to give in. Rai worked all of his life to build this up. You cant just come and take it all.

Mr Jones says: My dealings with Rai Hamilton have always been honest and truthful. Unfortunately I did not, in every case, obtain written confirmation from him for every document that was electronically signed following our verbal agreements.

However, Rai describes him as clearly deranged and adds: Margarita is quite a woman. She tried to persuade me what was going on and I didnt listen.

Today, Margarita insists that relations with her neighbours have thawed and the party turret is fully sound-proofed. She also claims she has changed her ways  despite boasting of a toyboy artist 24 years her junior.

Im Miss Perfect. Im a party animal but not a late-night party animal. I like to be in bed by 11pm, she laughs.

And she is brimming with plans for the future. Walton will now host art fairs, literary festivals, theatre, opera, choirs! But she admits that the last four years have taken their toll. Its aged me a lot. When this is over Im going to lie down on a very long beach for a very long time.

Something her neighbours may be glad of, too.




The life of a Utah man who ran a recording studio at his home before he was killed in the Westminster Bridge terror attack was celebrated Saturday with the local music he loved.

The concert was held in lieu of a traditional funeral for Kurt W Cochran, 54, his brother-in-law, Clint Payne, said.

According to his family, it was an easy decision on how to honor the man who also helped with music festivals and high school productions.

Family members of Kurt Cochran (pictured) performed at a concert held in his memory on Saturday in Bountiful, Utah

Kurt, 54, was thrown from London's Westminster Bridge on March 22 when he and his wife, Melissa (pictured together), were struck by an SUV that plowed into a group of pedestrians

Kurt was described as a man who loved local music and helped young bands get started by charging them only a small fee to use a recording studio in his basement (His wife Melissa Cochran, in white, sits with family and friends during the memorial concert)

The acts who performed all worked with the Cochrans at their basement recording studio (Pictured, family members of the Cochrans perform during the memorial concert)

On the day of the attack, the couple (pictured together) was on their last day of a European trip celebrating their 25th wedding anniversary.

'He's done so much for the music scene,' Payne said. He added that members of Kurt's family, including his son, are among the musicians who played at the show in a park in Bountiful, north of Salt Lake City.

The acts had all worked with the Cochrans at their basement recording studio.

Kurt's wife, Melissa, suffered a broken leg in the March 22 attack and arrived at the concert using crutches.

Kurt was thrown from London's Westminster Bridge when he and his wife were struck by an SUV that plowed into a group of pedestrians.

The couple was on the last day of a European trip celebrating their 25th wedding anniversary. The two were visiting Melissa's parents, who were serving a church mission in London.

The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the attack that killed five people and injured 49.

Melissa, suffered a broken leg in the March 22 attack and arrived at the concert using crutches (pictured)

Kurt and Melissa were visiting Melissa's parents, who were serving a church mission in London and they decided to take a walk on Westminster Bridge (Melissa receives a hug from a friend during the memorial concert)

While Kurt died from his injuries, Melissa suffered a broken rib, and cuts and bruises in addition to her broken leg (Pictured, a young girl runs past a sign for the Kurt Cochran memorial concert)

Melissa says she's sometimes angry at the attacker who killed her husband, but she doesn't hate him.

'I can't hate anyone. Kurt wouldn't want me to, and I just don't have it in my heart to do that,' she said.

Besides a broken leg, Melissa suffered a broken rib and cuts and bruises.

She and her husband were described as inseparable. They ran a recording studio in their basement, and Kurt helped young bands get started by charging them only a small fee to use it.

Melissa (pictured, crying during the memorial concert) and her husband were described as inseperab;e

Melissa (pictured, wiping tears from her face during the memorial concert) says she's sometimes angry at the attacker who killed her husband, but she doesn't hate him. 'I can't hate anyone. Kurt wouldn't want me to, and I just don't have it in my heart to do that,' she said

Among the attendees at the concert was Keith Malda, a police officer in London who saw Melissa (pictured, wiping tears from her face) on the bridge on March 22 and helped treat her before ambulances arrived

Melissa has been involved in several events since Kurt's death such as attending a 'Service of Hope' at Westminster Abbey on April 5 (pictured) - just two weeks after the attack

Among the attendees at the concert was Keith Malda, a police officer in London who was one of the first responders to the scene at London's Westminster Bridge.

He saw Melissa on the bridge on March 22 and helped treat her before ambulances arrived.

The two stayed in touch, and Malda said he traveled to Utah after being inspired by her focus on love over hate after the attack. 'I had to come,' he said.

Melissa said Malda stayed with her and told her everything was going to be okay. 'I owe my life to him,' she said.
Western Australia's Tourism Minister has called for harsher punishment for those who harm Rottnest Island's beloved quokkas.

Paul Papalia has called for a lifetime ban from the Island for those found guilty of harming a quokka, if they declined to do extensive volunteer work with the animals.

'A person who is charged and found guilty of harming a quokka should never be allowed to step foot on Rottnest Island again,' Mr Papalia told Perth Now.

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Western Australia's Tourism Minister is calling for harsher punishments for those who hurt quokkas, native to WA's Rottnest Island

Paul Papalia (pictured) is calling for offenders to be sentenced to extensive volunteer work on the island, and to face a lifetime ban if they refuse

'In the past few years, these incidents have gained notoriety because the cowardly act has been filmed and shared on social media.

'A fine doesn't seem to be enough of a deterrent. We want them banned from the island for life.'

The Minister said though he wanted to see harsher punishments brought in for offenders, there should be a chance for them to atone for their mistakes.

He offered up an alternative in the way of significant voluntary work with rangers on Rottnest Island in the hopes of helping offenders develop an appreciation for the cute creatures.

But if the voluntary work was refused, Mr Papalia said the offender should be banned.

Once common across Western Australia, the quokka is now listed as a vulnerable species and is protected

It comes after 20-year-old Harrison Angus McPherson was fined just $4,000 for kicking a quokka into a concrete wall last week.

Video footage of the man's brutal attack went viral in February, and the man who filmed it was also fined $3,500.

Both escaped jail time and are free to return to the tourist destination.

Quokkas are a vulnerable species and are exclusive to Western Australia and its surrounding islands.
NSW Police will reportedly create a new elite unit to target underworld crime in the state, merging the gangs and Middle Eastern organised crime squads.

Deputy Commissioner David Hudson told The Sunday Telegraph it was one of several plans being considered in the shake-up of how police investigate and respond to gangland crime.

The proposed squad would not be ethnic-based, reflecting gangs are no longer exclusively Asian or Middle Eastern by extraction.

The NSW squad would not be ethnic-based, reflecting that gangs are no longer exclusively Asian or Middle Eastern by extraction

Deputy Commissioner David Hudson has told the Sunday Telegraph it's one of several plans being considered in the shake-up of how police investigate and respond to gangland crime

It is a fresh push for NSW police in a bid to fight some of the state's most hardened criminal syndicates and out-of-control bikie gangs.

The squads are set to brief the overhaul to newly-appointed Police Commissioner Mick Fuller.

Police say it is a response to surprising fluidity between the ethnic criminal gangs - Asian groups are involved in drug movement with Balkan crime syndicates, bikies are supplying ecstasy to Assyrian gangs and Afghan crime lords are laundering money with Italian criminals.

The force will also attempt to shift away from ethically profiling targeted criminals, which is still used by the Middle Eastern Organised Crime Squad and the Asian Crime Squad, which was shut down in 2014.

A name for the new elite squad is yet to be coined but it is believed no reference to any ethnicity will be included.
Rebecca Coriam was reported as missing from the Disney Wonder vessel in March 2011 as it sailed near Puerto Vallarta, Mexico

A British student who vanished from the Disney cruise ship she was working on six years ago had sex with a man in front of her lesbian lover moments before she disappeared, it has emerged.

Rebecca Coriam's parents believe she was raped and thrown overboard in 2011, and have hired a private investigator.

Now case notes written by a police chief in the Bahamas reveals claims that the 24-year-old was caught up in a love triangle before she went missing.

She was reported as missing from the Disney Wonder vessel in March 2011 as it sailed near Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.

Rebecca's family believe she did not consent to having sex with the male crew member, and was killed because she did not agree to a bisexual relationship with the man and the woman.

Disney claim the Liverpool student was swept overboard by a freak wave.

Notes made by Superintendent Paul Rolle, seen by the Liverpool Echo, suggested Rebecca had been involved in a threesome before her death.

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

The notes state: '(American woman in relationship with Rebecca) left to get more beer.

'Came back and Rebecca and (male crew member who was in a relationship with the American woman) chatting.

'She came back and all 3 went to (male crew members) room. (Male crew member) had sex with both. (American woman) left the room again to get beer. Came back and Rebecca and (male crew member) had sex.'

The investigator also said the male had a 'very nonchalant attitude' and was 'laughing and joking' - to the point he was given a warning.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.'
Police searches during traffic stops dropped by almost half in two states where marijuana was made legal.

Traffic searches by highway patrols in Colorado and Washington dropped by nearly half after those states legalized marijuana in 2012, concluded a report by Stanford's Open Policing project, which analyzes police data in an effort to show patterns of police behavior with the public.

The project's data found that African-Americans and Hispanics were stopped and searched at a much higher rate than whites, in all states that were analyzed.

Traffic searches dropped by at least half in Washington and Colorado after marijuana was made legal

The project's data found that African-Americans and Hispanics were stopped and searched at a much higher rate than whites

The project sifted through 100 million records of traffic stop and search data from 31 states from 2011 to 2016.

Two of the states analyzed, Colorado and Washington, made marijuana usage legal in 2013.

Traffic searches dropped precipitously afterwards, as many searches are drug related, said the project.

Blacks and Hispanics were still searched at a higher rate than whites, but far fewer people were searched overall when marijuana became legal in 2013

Blacks and Hispanics were still searched at a higher rate than whites, but far fewer people were searched overall.

In Colorado, searches initially dropped by 30 percent, and then dropped by more than 50-percent drop within a year.

In Washington, there was a drop of more than 50 percent in searches within three months of legalization and the drop remained low.

The drop in rates could mean an overall boost in police and community relations, especially following the outrage that erupted after an African-American man, Philando Castile, was shot during a 2016 traffic stop for a broken taillight in Minnesota and the police officer's acquittal last week on second-degree manslaughter charges.
Tucked away in a secret location in the Australian bush is a morbid township of departed souls that is home to 100 people - and all of them are dead.

It is the country's first 'body farm' where humans are laid to rest on a sprawling property in Yarramundi, on the outskirts of Sydney, which looks more like a grisly crime scene than a cemetery.

The bodies are left exposed to the harsh elements where they decompose for scientific research aimed at helping to solve Australia's worst murder and missing person cases.

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The dead bodies are left exposed to the harsh elements where they decompose for scientific research aimed at helping to solve Australia's worst murder and missing person cases

Professor Shari Forbes (pictured) runs the facility which allows corpses to decompose in the name of science

Led by Professor Shari Forbes, the Australian Facility For Taphonomic Experimental Research (AFTER) calls itself a 'unique body donation facility' and farms human remains in the plight to understand how dead bodies can be identified and properly investigated.

It is a macabre UTS research experiment which has proved invaluable to criminal investigations in the U.S. and provides previously unobtainable forensic tools to help identify and examine badly decomposed bodies.

Inside the facility is hectares of corpses strewn across the dirt and bushland, with some decayed to the point of being merely skeletal remains.

The bodies are housed inside protective cages to safeguard them from animals, but are otherwise laid bare to let the natural stages of decomposition set in.

A walk through the facility reveals bushland covered in human flesh and skeletal remains

According to 60 Minutes producer Grace Tobin, the farm emits a pungent stench and is full of 'flesh, facial features, fluid and flies'.

The idea of human body farms was first introduced in the 1970s after scientists realised how profoundly little was known about the decomposition of human flesh.

Prior to using human bodies, pig remains were used to help forensic pathologists understand how the process of putrefaction worked.

'Some of our research focuses on enhancing our ability to search and locate victim remains, such as the use of cadaver detection dogs,' Professor Forbes said.

The idea of human body farms was first introduced in the 1970s after scientists realised how profoundly little was known about the decomposition of human flesh

It is a macabre UTS research experiment which has proved invaluable to criminal investigations in the U.S.

'Other aspects of our research will focus on the identification of the victim, whether that be through fingertips, DNA or the use of isotopes.'

Scientists at AFTER provide valuable assistance to the police force and forensic technologists for missing person cases, homicides or other large-scale or natural disasters.

A walk through the bizarre graveyard might turn even the strongest of stomachs, but it has offered a crucial insight to help solve crimes and it could even lead to the reopening of cold-cases.
Amanda Feilding, Countess of Wemyss and March, is leading the research into the benefits of LSD

LSD is to be given to treat people with depression in a trial that anti-drug campaigners warn is a dangerous experiment that will play with their minds.

Leading the research into the benefits of what she calls a wonder drug is Amanda Feilding, Countess of Wemyss and March  nicknamed the Cannabis Countess for her advocacy of legalisation.

The 300,000 experiment is being conducted by the organisation she founded, the Beckley Foundation, under the supervision of Professor David Nutt, who was sacked from his post as a government adviser in 2009 after claims that he was trivialising the dangers of drugs.

LSD is a hallucinogen that has been linked to suicide and mental health problems and possession of the class-A substance is an imprisonable offence.

However, researchers plan to obtain a medical licence allowing them to administer the drug to 20 volunteers in the study, for which the foundation is raising money through crowdfunding.

It will be the first time in the UK that researchers have investigated whether taking small amounts of LSD regularly  so-called microdosing  can alleviate depression.

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But David Raynes, spokesman for the National Drug Prevention Alliance, said: Both Prof Nutt and the countess are extreme pro-drug campaigners and we should be suspicious of their motives.

They have both admitted to taking drugs and seek to normalise use. A lot of people have had severe side effects from LSD and it is playing with peoples minds.

The volunteers will be given doses on four occasions and fill in surveys recording whether the drug lifts their mood. They will also play Japanese strategy board game Go to see if the drug improves their performance and MRI scans of their brains will be taken.

The 300,000 experiment is being conducted by the organisation she founded, the Beckley Foundation, under the supervision of Professor David Nutt (pictured)

The results will be compared with how well the volunteers perform after a placebo dose.

The countess, 74, said: There are studies that show LSD is a wonder drug for curing all sorts of things.

We will not be giving people such large doses that they hallucinate but enough to give them a lift. I took it in the 1960s when it was legal and it improved my wellbeing.

If this small trial is successful, then we will consider applying to the Government for more funding to run a larger experiment.

Last year, the Beckley Foundation and Imperial College published the results of a Government-funded study on volunteers using the psychoactive ingredient in magic mushrooms, psilocybin, to explore whether it could cure depression. Researchers said two thirds of volunteers were cured of depression for a week after the tests.

The foundation hopes to start the LSD research next year.
Foreign aid fat cats exposed by The Mail on Sunday for misusing taxpayers money are to be investigated by a watchdog probing the 1 billion-a-year industry.

The Independent Commission for Aid Impact (ICAI) will look for evidence of cartel activity among the hugely profitable companies that spend taxpayers money overseas, and see how they squeeze out small local competitors.

Its reviews will also examine the hourly fee rates for experts and the higher fees charged by firms operating in war zones.

ICAI said the three studies were needed because the Department for International Development (DFID) is now spending 1.34 billion a year of public money on contractors, with the amount doubling in recent years as its budget has ballooned.

The Independent Commission for Aid Impact will examine the higher fees charged by firms operating in war zones (stock photo)

The reviews come in the wake of a series of Mail on Sunday exposes into the growing foreign-aid industry, and after our reporter Ian Birrell told the watchdog first-hand about the corruption, waste and profiteering he has unearthed. He was the first journalist the ICAI had ever interviewed.

We revealed how one major contractor, Adam Smith International, had faked testimonials about its work, while one of its employees illegally obtained confidential Whitehall reports to help the firm win even more contracts.

Four executives were forced to quit over the scandal, which prompted MPs on the International Development Committee to say they deplored the inappropriate conduct of the company, while DFID froze new contracts and began an urgent probe.

Now the ICAI has acknowledged the growing concerns. The watchdog had looked at DFIDs use of contractors in 2013 but said the market had exploded since then.

In cash terms, due to the increase in total DFID spending, spending through contractors has roughly doubled over this period, the ICAI said. Concerns raised include the level of contractors costs and profits, contractors ethical conduct, the large share of the market taken by a small number of large suppliers, and the small proportion of contracts won by contractors based in the developing world.

The first of ICAIs three reports, due to be published in September, will provide Parliament and the public with an assessment of DFIDs ability to attract the best suppliers with the required skills at competitive prices and whether it ensures that its large suppliers are accountable.

The subsequent studies will look at the tendering process, and the policy of paying firms according to their results.

Half of famine relief is stolen

Bandits and corrupt officials have stolen half of the food aid sent to famine victims in Nigeria  where UK taxpayers are spending 83.5 million to relieve the crisis.

Acting president Yemi Osinbajo has admitted that 50 out of 100 grain trucks did not reach their destinations in the north-east states of Borno, Adamawa and Yobe.

The three areas are the worst hit by the famine after terror group Boko Haram raided and torched villages, raped and abducted women and children, and forced an estimated 2.7 million people from their homes.

A baby suffering severe malnutrition is treated in a centre in the north-eatern Nigerian state of Borno (stock photo)

DFID, which sends funds to partner organisations and not directly to the Nigerian government, claims it has adequate security but acknowledged that aid delivery was fraught with problems.

Mr Osinbajo has also announced the deployment of 1,376 soldiers and 656 armed police to guard food being moved from warehouses run by the UNs World Food Programme.

Aid convoys are vulnerable to illegal roadblocks and ambushes on the long journey north.

Illicit deals are also made between those loading or driving the trucks and gangs on the route. Last month, two Nigerian officials were jailed for selling stolen food aid.

A DFID spokesman said: We are aware of historic losses of food aid from government trucks, but DFID and our partner organisations have our own deliveries which are securely monitored.

Officials blow 3m on cars

The purchase of a 2.9 million fleet of Mercedes saloons by officials in Mozambique has provoked public outrage in the poverty-stricken African state that receives a fortune in British aid.

But petitions and anger on social media over the extravagant outlay on 17 luxury cars have been ignored by the government despite the majority of working people being unable to afford even public transport.

Many have to travel on open back trucks in Mozambique where 60 per cent live on less than 1 a day (stock photo)

Many have to commute in crowded trucks in a country where 60 per cent live on less than 1 a day.

DFID is spending 58.5 million in the current year on 27 projects, according to its website. Britain and other foreign donors suspended aid last year after Mozambique ran up secret debts of $2 billion (1.5 billion) to buy military equipment.

A DFID spokesman said: We do not give funds directly to the Mozambique government.

Priti's pitiful bid to defend waste and corruption

By Ian Birrell, MoS man who exposed scandal

The Mail on Sunday's Ian Birrell exposed the foreign aid scandal

Earlier this month I found myself sitting in an impressive Whitehall office being grilled by officials at the aid watchdog.

It was, they said, the first time they had interviewed a journalist since the Independent Commission for Aid Impact was set up six years ago.

Their questioning followed my revelations into dirty tricks, duplicity and fat-cat private contractors creaming off cash in the poverty industry.

The body has now announced three inquiries into spending by the Department for International Development.

They follow our reports into how the surging tide of aid cash was leading to corruption, waste and highly questionable schemes in order to hit an absurd international target, ignored by most nations.

So I was staggered to see an interview last week by Priti Patel, the International Development Secretary, trying to defend the work of her department (which, incidentally, she argued should be scrapped before landing the post).

It was not a surprise to see her spouting the standard nonsense about British aid saving lives around the planet, but it was astounding to see her claiming newspapers could twist up a story every day about UK aid, but to date there hasnt been one thats been 100 per cent accurate.

International development secretary Priti Patel, pictured, claimed newspapers could twist up a story every day about UK aid, but to date there hasnt been one thats been 100 per cent accurate

This was offensive nonsense. Ms Patel would do better to get a grip on a department guilty of obscene waste, of insane spending, of appalling procurement, of crushing whistleblowers, of funding terror and repression, and of damaging developing countries with its arrogant, bungling, neo-colonial interventions.

Instead, she hits out at journalists who dare to expose how taxpayers money is going astray.

How pitiful of Ms Patel, a minor-league Minister who proves how fast politicians can shift their views when given the bait of a cushy job.
For centuries, the sight of Oxford students in their distinctive academic gowns has been as familiar in the city as its dreaming spires.

But now the universitys undergraduates have demanded the scrapping of the coveted scholars gown worn by academic high-flyers  because the garments make some students feel inferior.

To the dismay of critics, who said it reeked of envy, a motion passed by the universitys student union even suggests that female and ethnic minority students could feel so stressed by seeing others in the elitist garb that it could damage their own exam results.

Under current rules, Oxford undergraduates must wear a sleeveless commoners gown over formal clothes for official occasions such as taking exams or graduation ceremonies.

Oxford undergraduates must wear a sleeveless commoners gown over formal clothes for official occasions such as taking exams or graduation ceremonies

But a small proportion who have a music or other scholarship, or who have gained a distinction in first-year exams, can choose to wear a longer scholars gown, which has sleeves.

The motion put forward by students from Wadham College and passed by the Oxford University Student Union (OUSU) said the wearing of differential gowns in exams should be dropped.

One supporter, Isobel Cockburn, said the hierarchical gown structure made many feel nervous because it was a visual reminder of what they might perceive as their academic inferiority.

She added that there was a clear gender bias as more males, sometimes from privileged backgrounds, were awarded the gowns than females.

Writing in a student newspaper, she said undergraduates from ethnic minority groups were even more likely to feel intimidated because they already felt overwhelmed by being at the elite university.

Second-year Hertford College law student Anna Lukina, pictured, criticised the student Left for arguing that everyone was equal even though they achieved different grades

Defenders of the gowns said, however, that they were part of a long tradition and no one who had won a place at Oxford should feel a failure.

Second-year Hertford College law student Anna Lukina, who has a scholars gown after gaining a distinction in her first-year exams, said the motion devalued her achievements by attributing them to luck and privilege rather than hard work.

She said she was hardly your typical privileged man as she was an international student from Russia who had battled mental illness  and criticised the student Left for arguing that everyone was equal even though they achieved different grades in their degrees.

Another student, Thomas Munro, said the motion reeks of envy, and that axeing scholars gowns would deny students the rewards of success.

A motion passed by the student union at Oxford University, pictured, suggests that female and ethnic minority studentscould perform poorly in exams because of the 'elitist' clothing

Former Government Minister Ann Widdecombe, who was at the university in the 1960s, said: This is politically correct nonsense. In case they have forgotten, Oxford is an academic institution, which recognises academic excellence.

The OUSU, which has been consulting across the university and will not decide its official policy until October, could not be reached for comment.

A spokesman for Oxford University said it would take students views into account when deciding its dress code.
Britons are missing out on cheaper, all-inclusive holiday deals because hoteliers have had enough of bogus sickness compensation claims by UK tourists.

Hotels in popular Spanish resorts have stopped selling the packages through the British websites of holiday operators Thomson and Thomas Cook after a surge in claims  but the value deals are still available to German travellers.

Hotel bosses made the decision after a more than fourfold increase in the number of Britons claiming compensation for falling sick from food or drink while abroad. The many thousands of cases dwarf the numbers from other countries.

Costa Canaria in Gran Canaria (pictured) is not offering all-inclusive trips for Brits but a half-board week for two people will cost 883 per person. In contrast, a one-week all-inclusive stay at the same hotel for two, flying from Cologne, can be booked on a German site for 821 each

MoS reported on a British couple who were alleged to have fabricated a 10,000 food-poisoning claim against a five-star hotel in Crete. Pictured is Caroline Bondarenko who, along with her husband, tried to sue the Caldera Palace Hotel

Earlier this year The Mail on Sunday revealed that Turkish hotel owners have dumped UK tour operators in favour of less litigious German holidaymakers.

We also reported on a British couple who were alleged to have fabricated a 10,000 food-poisoning claim against a five-star hotel in Crete. The hotel launched a 170,000 counter-claim for damaging its reputation.

Last week, the Foreign Office added Bulgaria and Turkey to the list of countries where tourists making bogus claims could face criminal charges.

Unlike half-board deals that are still being offered to Britons, all-inclusive packages make it easier for fraudsters to lie about being ill and blame it on a hotel where they will have had meals and drinks throughout the day.

Sean (pictured) and Caroline Bondarenko, lodged an allegedly fake claim against the five-star Caldera Palace Hotel

The MoS found that many Spanish hotels booked through Thomson and Thomas Cook will only provide half-board accommodation from next year. However, all-inclusive deals can still be accessed when booking through the European versions of the sites.

Seven nights half-board for two people at the Costa Canaria in Gran Canaria next year, flying from Gatwick airport, can be booked on the British Thomson site for 883 per person. In contrast, a one-week all-inclusive stay at the same hotel in the same week for two, flying from Cologne, can be booked on the German site for 821 each.

The islands Eugenie Victoria cannot be booked through Thomas Cook for an all-inclusive stay flying from Britain next summer but the full package is available on its German counterpart, Neckermann.

This newspaper also found that two hotels owned by the Best chain in Spain are offering full packages to Britons this year but only half-board accommodation from next summer.

Mail on Sunday travel editor Frank Barrett said: The likelihood is that more hotels will follow suit as Britons have now unfortunately been given the title of sick man of Europe.

'It means honest holidaymakers will not be able to get the cheapest deals as half-board holidays usually end up costing more. The hoteliers cannot be blamed for doing this as they cant afford to lose millions of pounds and margins on holidays are not much anyway.

Earlier this year The Mail on Sunday revealed that Turkish hotel owners have dumped UK tour operators in favour of less litigious German holidaymakers

Thomson said: We are starting to see a direct impact on our UK customers holiday choices as a result of the staggering rise in illness claims. For future seasons, one of our hoteliers has taken the decision to only offer holidays to the UK market on a half-board rather than all-inclusive basis.

This is the first time all of our customers will feel an impact from the actions of those who have made fraudulent or exaggerated claims for sickness by having their holiday options limited.

Chris Mottershead, the managing director of Thomas Cook UK, added: This shows how serious the issue of fake illness claims has now become. Criminal activity by a growing minority is already restricting choice for innocent British holidaymakers.

Unless we stamp this out, more hotels will stop offering all-inclusive holidays to Britons or even stop accepting British bookings altogether, and holiday prices will go up.
Matthew Ellis, Tory Police and Crime Commissioner for Staffordshire, asked to widen local tax-raising powers in order to protect officer numbers (file pic)

A leading crime tsar is demanding steep rises in council tax to pay for extra police as the country faces an increased terrorist threat.

Matthew Ellis, the Conservative Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) for Staffordshire, has written to Theresa May and Home Secretary Amber Rudd urging them to widen local tax-raising powers.

After years of budget cuts, the Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) want the freedom to increase the annual bills on households to ensure that forces have enough officers to keep the public safe.

At the moment, PCCs can put up the part of the council tax that pays for policing  known as the precept  by only two per cent a year, equivalent to nearly 5 in most areas.

If they want to raise it further, the crime tsars must hold a costly local referendum asking residents if they are willing to pay more. This has only ever happened once, in Bedfordshire in 2015, and was roundly rejected by voters.

Mr Ellis said raising the precept locally by five per cent  10 a year per household  would generate an extra 5 million annually that he could use to protect officer numbers.

Most of the money for counter- terror operations and armed officers is being provided centrally by the Home Office.

Mr Ellis said: 'The world we are now living in, especially post the Manchester and London terrorist attacks, means it is not credible that current budgets can maintain the increased levels of police resources required for what is likely to be a long period in Staffordshire, and I'm sure elsewhere.

'Government, I'm sure, will review the wider counter-terrorism resources on a national basis. However, locally elected PCCs are accountable to their electorate, meaning we are best placed to know the needs of our specific areas and be directly accountable for the funding decisions we make.

Serious business: Most of the money for counter- terror operations and armed officers is being provided centrally by the Home Office. Pictured: File photo of armed officers in Liverpool

'I have written to the Home Secretary to suggest she considers this proposal around local funding for policing.'

It can also be revealed that the chairman of the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners, Dame Vera Baird, has warned Ministers that police forces are close to breaking point because of budget cuts and soaring demand.

In a letter to Ms Rudd, seen by The Mail on Sunday, she wrote: 'Most forces are operating at the limit of their capability, and we are concerned that any additional funding for counter-terrorism/armed policing should not come from further reducing budgets for local policing.'

'PCCs are concerned about the level of resourcing for policing, particularly in light of the additional demands from the increase in highly complex areas such as child sexual abuse allegations, to the greater sophistication of organised crime, particularly that of a digital nature, and the increased threat of terrorism seen recently.'
Tory councillor Rock Feilding-Mellen has fled his 1.3million home after allegedly receiving threats from angry residents over the Grenfell Tower refurbishment

The wealthy Tory councillor who was in charge of the Grenfell Tower refurbishment has fled his 1.3million home after allegedly receiving threats from angry residents.

Rock Feilding-Mellen, who is deputy leader of Kensington and Chelsea Borough Council and the cabinet member for housing, was seen leaving his house with a suitcase and holdall on Saturday morning.

A council spokesperson confirmed that he had relocated his family 'at his own expense', following 'threats and vandalism outside his house'.

Police have confirmed that enquiries are on-going over the threats received by Cllr Feilding-Mellen.

According to The Mirror, the councillor bought his home, which is located near Grenfell Tower, in 2010 for 750,000.

After becoming the cabinet member for housing in 2013, he is thought to have overseen the 10million refurbishment of the 24-storey block, which was completed last July.

The anger at Cllr Feilding-Mellen comes after Nicholas Holgate, the 180,000-a-year chief executive of Kensington and Chelsea Council, was forced to quit over the devastating blaze and the 'shambolic' response effort.

At least 79 people were killed in the devastating blaze at the north Kensington tower block

In a statement, he said communities secretary Sajid Javid had 'required the leader of the council to seek my resignation', adding it would be a 'distraction' if he kept his job.

He said: 'Serving the families so desperately affected by the heart-breaking tragedy at Grenfell Tower remains the highest priority of the council.

'Despite my wish to have continued, in very challenging circumstances, to lead on the executive responsibilities of the council, I have decided that it is better to step down from my role, once an appropriate successor has been appointed.'

Following his resignation, London Mayor Sadiq Khan called for further heads to roll at the council, saying that there was 'not a chance in hell' that residents 'will have the semblance of confidence until they see a change in leadership'.
A British woman who reported being raped while on holiday in Turkey said she was told by police: 'If you were raped, you should have missing finger nails and scratches from the struggle.'

The 48-year-old suffered the horrific ordeal in the resort of Marmaris, but said officers breathalyzed her when she recounted the attack.

She was shocked by callous treatment she received from police after the attack.

The attack happened in the resort of Marmaris, where the woman was holidaying with her 20-year-old daughter in May

The woman, who was on holiday with her 20-year-old daughter, told The Sunday People: 'They clearly thought if you had been drinking, then someone can rape you and thats OK. I was outraged.'

She said: 'They treated us like dirt  as if we were the ones who had committed a crime.'

She said a barman had offered to take her and her daughter to a kebab shop, but instead he and two men had led them to shops with apartments above them.

While walking down the street, she had flirted with the man, holding his hand and kissing him.

Because this was captured on CCTV, a judge rejected the case.

The woman was breathalyzed and then made to return to the scene of the attack in order to identify the flat where she was raped

The men told them to wait in a flat while they got food, but when they refused her attacker grabbed her bag - which contained the pair's passports and money - and ran up a stairwell.

The woman, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, chased him, but once inside the building the man forced himself on her.

She was also told to return to the scene to point out where she had been raped, she said.

When the three men were brought to a police station she identified the man, before a long wait before she was taken to see a prosecutor.

It was the prosecutor who questioned the lack of scratches. After learning the case was not proceeding, the woman said she was horrified, and urged women not to go to Marmaris.
A Russian man has been arrested on suspicion of at least 729 rapes against schoolgirls who he fostered from a local orphanage over a five year period.

The alleged paedophile exploited the five girls as his personal sex slaves, according to state investigators.

He was detained after one of his victims - all aged 17 and under - reported the sexual abuse to teachers at her school in Komsomolsk-on-Amur.

All 729 separate criminal offences under which he is being investigated involve the rape law.

The alleged paedophile exploited the girls as his personal sex slaves, according to investigators. He was detained after one of his victims reported the abuse to teachers in Komsomolsk-on-Amur (general view of the town pictured)

Reports citing law enforcement sources in eastern Russia say the unnamed man forced four of the five orphan girls to succumb to his sexual demands on a daily basis.

He and his civil wife had a family of a dozen children including nine foster children, according to RIA.

She had fostered three boys and he was the sole legal guardian for the five adolescent girls he is accused of sexually abusing, plus one other child.

The couple also had three children of their own, it was reported. It is unclear if the woman was aware of the alleged sexual abuse.

Local childcare staff are now under criminal investigation for allowing a suspected paedophile to foster the girls, and failing to make proper checks on the well being of the orphans.

The man and woman had received awards and commendations from social services for successfully fostering the children, it is understood.

Officials in the Khabarovsk region of eastern Russia are said to be 'deeply shocked' over the allegations against a man seen as a 'model foster father'.

Alla Kuznetsova, education minister in the region, said the foster parents had passed repeated inspections by social services.

'In the case of this family, there were no alarms at all,' she said. In the first year there were five inspections.

In subsequent years, two checks annually, she said.

She confirmed: 'Those five girls for whom the man was guardian have been sent back to the orphanage.'

The other foster children were also removed from the family home. It is not known how young the schoolgirls were when the alleged abuse began, reported The Siberian Times.

The state paid the widower a total of 1,320 a month to care for the underage girls who he is accused of sexually exploiting.

Reports say the unnamed man forced four of the five orphan girls to succumb to his sexual demands on a daily basis (stock photo)

Igor Komissarov, senior assistant to the chairman of Russian Federal Investigative Committee, said: 'It was established that the suspect committed 729 crimes to the five fostered girls.'

Ilya Gudkov, from Khabarovsk Regional Investigative Committee, equivalent of the FBI, said: 'The violent sexual actions of the foster father are now under investigation according to article 131 - rape.'

Detectives claim that 'between September 2012 and February 2017 the man regularly committed heavy sexually violent crimes against the five children of which he was the guardian. '

Another local report said there would be questions for the authorities over how the girls had been allowed to become the foster father's 'sex slaves'.

Earlier reports had suggested the man was a 'lonely' widower who had been allowed to foster the children.
An 18 year-old woman was shocked to find a mobile phone filming her in the toilets at work, only to discover the alleged pervert was a 23 year-old colleague.

Police were called to the Surry Hills business after the device was noticed at 10pm on Saturday and after examining it found video of several female staff members.

They then arrested a 23-year-old man at the scene.

A 23 year-old Hurstville man used a mobile phone to film his female coworkers in the toilet

Further examination of the Hurstville man's phone also revealed alleged 'up-skirt' footage of a number of female customers.

The man was charged with three counts of film person in private act without consent, and two counts of film person's private parts without consent at Surry Hills Police Station.

The alleged pervert was refused bail, and appeared at Parramatta Bail Court on Sunday morning.
Muslim girls in Sydney are dressed in white from head to toe as part of a hijab ceremony to signify the age when they must cover up their bodies, with an Islamic imam slamming it as a step toward Sharia law.

Australia's most senior Shia cleric Sheikh Kamal Mousselmani presided over the ceremony where 24 girls walked on stage to show their maturity.

'The hijab is compulsory for the girls when they become nine according to our religion,' he told Daily Mail Australia.

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Girls aged nine are dressed up in white hijabs to symbolise maturity at a Sydney ceremony

Australia's most senior Shia cleric speaks at the hijab ceremony for nine-year-old girls

Australia's most senior Shia cleric Sheikh Kamal Mousselmani presided over hijab cerremony

The girls were dressed in white, the same shade as a wedding dress, however Sheikh Mousselmani denied the ceremony was about preparing girls for marriage, despite Islamic law saying girls reach maturity at the age of eight.

'You want me to tell you that it was a marriage ceremony. Definitely not,' he said.

'It's a white colour, it's a happy colour.'

However Adelaide Shia leader Imam Shaikh Mohammad Tawhidi said Islam classified eight as the adult age for girls and was worried by the ceremony's symbolism.

'I confirm that according to Islamic jurisprudence, a Muslim girl reaches the stage of maturity at eight to nine years of age,' he said.

The 24 girls on stage at Banksia in Sydney's south-east in white hijabs to show their maturity

The girls at Banksia in Sydney's south-east have dinner at a ceremony to mark maturity

Adelaide Shia Imam Mohammad Tawhidi says hijab ceremony for girls is 'imposing Sharia law'

'Hence the celebration took place, which means that they're no longer girls but adult females who would lead an adult life, including marriage.

'This goes against the Australian values and social ethics and is basically promoting and imposing Sharia law in Australia.'

The 34-year-old Iranian-born religious leader, who moved to Australia from Iraq in 1995, said the girls would have no idea how the ceremony symbolised them entering adulthood.

Sheikh Tawhidi said the hijab was only ever worn to symbolise maturity, which meant the hijab ceremony was different to a modern Jewish bar mitzvah, as Judaism had reformed to extend childhood.

The nine-year-old girls wear hijabs which are compulsory under Islamic religious teaching

Sheikh Mohammad Tawhidi (right) has challenged Australia's most senior Shia cleric

Australia's most senior Shia cleric said the hijab ceremony was to symbolise a nine-year-old girl's maturity before very quickly retracting his statement

'The lives of those girls change from that point onwards and they're treated as adults,' he said.

The 24 girls took part in the ceremony at Banksia, in Sydney's south-east, on March 31.

Sheikh Mousselmani confirmed nine was the age when girls were considered mature in Islam before quickly retracting his statement.

'When the girl becomes nine or nine-and-a-half, we say they become eligible for hijab and we organised a party,' he said.
A meeting between Jared Kushner and Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas did not go well, reports say.

The sit-down between President Trump's chief Middle East adviser and the 82-year-old Abbas on Wednesday was reportedly 'tense'.

Abbas was allegedly furious at Kushner for relaying a list of demands from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, according to translations of London-based Arabic daily Al-Hayat.

The talk occurred during the first solo trip to the West Bank city of Ramallah for Kushner, who was assigned by Trump to rekindle long-dormant peace talks between Palestine and Israel.

A meeting between Jared Kushner and Palestinian Authority president Mahmoud Abbas (pictured together on Wednesday in the West Bank City of Ramallah) did not gone well and was 'tense', reports say

Abbas was allegedly furious at Kushner (pictured center left, with Abbas on Wednesday in the West Bank City of Ramallah) for relaying a list of demands from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian officials were left feeling 'disappointed' by the meeting

'They sounded like Netanyahu's advisers and not like fair arbiters. They started presenting Netanyahu's issues and then we asked to hear from them clear stances regarding the core issues of the conflict,' a senior Palestinian official said (Pictured, Netanyahu, right, meets with US Special Envoy Jason Greenblatt in Jerusalem on Tuesday)

According to Israeli newspaper Haaretz, Palestinian officials were left feeling 'disappointed' by the meeting.

'They sounded like Netanyahu's advisers and not like fair arbiters,' a senior official told the newspaper.

'They started presenting Netanyahu's issues and then we asked to hear from them clear stances regarding the core issues of the conflict.'

A Palestinian official reportedly told Al-Hayat that Kushner will report back to Trump on the meetings and Trump will then make a decision on continuing with the talks.

'[Kushner] will submit his report to the president and, after it is submitted, Trump will decide if there's a chance for negotiations or it might be preferable to pull out of peace talks,' the official said, according to a translation by the Jerusalem Post.

This comes after comments Trump made earlier this month that Israel and the Palestinian Authority were 'ready to reach peace'.

On Tuesday, Kushner (left) and Americans met with Netanyahu (right). 'This is an opportunity to pursue our common goals of security, prosperity and peace,' the Prime Minister said

Kushner's (center) family has a maintained a long relationship with the Israeli leader, particularly through his real estate developer father, who is friends with Netanyahu (second, from right) and a donor to Israeli causes (Pictured, meeting on June 21 in Jerusalem)

This comes after comments Trump made earlier this month that Israel and the Palestinian Authority were 'ready to reach peace' (Pictured, Abbas, left, shakes hands with Netanyahu, right, at the funeral for former President Shimon Peres in Jerusalem on September 30, 2016)

On Tuesday, Kushner, US ambassador David Friedman and US Special Envoy Jason Greenblatt met with Netanyahu.

'This is an opportunity to pursue our common goals of security, prosperity and peace,' Netanyahu said as he greeted the trio.

Kushner's family has a maintained a long relationship with the Israeli leader, particularly through his real estate developer father, who is friends with Netanyahu and a donor to Israeli causes.
Russia has told Norway that the extension of a U.S. military deployment in the country will hit diplomatic ties.

The Russian Embassy in Norway warned on its Facebook page Saturday that the move could 'escalate tensions and lead to destabilization of the situation in the northern region.'

It said 'this step contradicts Norwegian policy of not deploying foreign military.'

Norway announced this week that 330 U.S. Marines will remain in the country until the end of 2018, a year longer than was originally planned.

The Russian Embassy in Norway (above) posted a rather strongly worded message on its Facebook wall

The U.S. force arrived in January and is based near the western city of Trondheim, 900 miles from the Russian border

The U.S. force arrived in January and is based near the western city of Trondheim, 900 miles from the Russian border.

Russia and members of NATO have accused each other of ramping up tensions in recent years with increased military activity by both sides.

The embassy wasn't coy about its feelings on the matter.

'We have repeatedly explained our point of view on the issue of setting up a US military base in the territory of Norway.

'We consider that this step contradicts Norwegian policy of not deploying foreign military bases in the country in times of peace' said the Russian Embassy about the troops

We consider that this step contradicts Norwegian policy of not deploying foreign military bases in the country in times of peace, steps out of line of the traditions of good neighborhood, makes Norway not fully predictable partner, can also escalate tension and lead to destabilization of the situation in the Northern region,' the embassy's administrator wrote on Facebook.

'We see it as an element of the US-led military preparations that have intensified against the background of the anti-Russian propagandist hysteria.'

At least one person on the Facebook back was astonished that Russia would be concerned about such a small amount of Marines.

'I don't know who is working at the but did the one posting this complaint about the deployment of soldiers, not see the irony and hypocrisy in this?' wrote Jacob Dalgaard. 'Did the person not stop to think that complaining about 330 US soldiers in Norway makes Russia sound incredibly weak?'
A couple already used to flying in their long distance relationship got engaged on a plane in the middle of a a flight.

Deepum Patel, who works in Atlanta, proposed to his girlfriend Neha Chakravatiwhile, who lives in Pennsylvania, on a Delta Air Line flight soaring at 30,000ft on Wednesday.

The couple were flying from Atlanta to Boston for a layover before carrying on to Reykjavik, Iceland when Deepum got down on one knee and proposed.

Deepum Patel - who works in Atlanta - proposed to his girlfriend Neha Chakravati while on a Delta Air Line flight soaring at 30,000ft on Wednesday

Everything was planned out to the finest detail and Neha - who is in dental school in Pennsylvania - had no idea the proposal was taking place

Everything was planned out to the finest detail and Neha, who is in dental school in Pennsylvania, had no idea the proposal was taking place.

Flight attendants from the airline helped with the planning, including staging a call for medical assistance from Neha while Deepum prepared cards to be handed out to other customers asking them to capture the moment.

The proposal went off perfectly and after Neha said yes, the couple were treated with celebratory drinks.

When they finally landed in Boston, Delta employees had balloons, gift bags and flowers for the freshly engaged couple.

Flight attendants from the airline helped with the planning, including staging a call for medical assistance from Neha

Deepum prepared cards to be handed out to other customers asking them to capture the moment

The proposal went off perfectly and after Neha said yes, the couple were treated with celebratory drinks

Showing her bling: Neha and Deepum pose for a photo where the soon-to-be bride flashed her ring

When they finally landed in Boston, Delta employees had balloons, gift bags and flowers for the newly engaged couple
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It was a simple holiday snap of five high school friends on vacation back in 1982.

But that one single photo has now become part of a long-standing tradition that has just entered its 35th year.

The group of friends who met in Santa Barbara, California have been going on the same vacation and taking the exact same photo every five years since way back in 1982.

John Wardlaw, Mark Rumer, Dallas Burney, John Molony and John Dickson posed together for their latest photo on Saturday at Copco Lake on the California-Oregon border.

2017: John Wardlaw, Mark Rumer, Dallas Burney, John Molony and John Dickson (left to right) posed together for their latest photo on Saturday at Copco Lake in California

1982: The group of friends who met in Santa Barbara, California have been going on the same vacation and taking the exact same photo every five years since they were 19

Just like the first time three decades ago, the now 53-year-old men visited the same lake, stayed in the same cabin, sat on the same bench and made the same pose.

They've even kept their facial expressions the same and, more recently, started wearing the same clothes as they did when they were scruffy teenagers.

The snap on Saturday is the eighth installment in what they call the Five Year Photo Project.

'It blows my mind 35 years later we're recreating that 1982 photo,' Dickson told CNN.

Since they took their last photo five years ago, three of the friends have gotten married and Dickson became a father.

'It's been great. I wanted to become a father for a long time,' Dickson said.

1987: The men first met when they all attended Santa Barbara High School in the 1970s

1992: In this photo the men are approaching 30 and wore more clothes than in their previous photos

1997: The men have managed to perfect their facial expressions over the years to make sure the photos are as similar as possible

His wife, who he married at 49, gave birth to their son Jimmy two years ago. Dickson is the first of the quintet to have a child.

While it started out as just a personal thing between five friends, their remarkable story went viral worldwide back in 2012 and turned them into global sensations.

The men first met when they all attended Santa Barbara High School in the 1970s.

Although they now live separate lives, they always make sure to gather for their five-yearly vacation to Copco Lake.

Dickson is the only one who still lives in Santa Barbara and he runs a tourism website santabarbara.com.

Wardlaw and Rumer-Cleary both now live in Oregon. Wardlaw works as a filmmaker and photographer, while Rumer-Cleary is a hardware and systems engineer.

Burney teaches third grade in Antioch, California and Molony is a photographer based in New Orleans.

2002: They have been visiting the same lake, staying in the same cabin, sitting on the same bench and making the same pose over the years

2007: Although they now live separate lives, they always make sure to gather for their five-yearly vacation to Copco Lake
A pilot has turned around an AirAsia flight with 359 people on board on its way to Malaysia due to a technical problem with the plane, reported to be engine failure.

Flight D7237 departed shortly before 7am on Sunday morning from Perth Airport, heading to Kuala Lumpur, and landed at 10am back in Perth.

Passenger Brenton Atkinson told ABC News the plane had been shaking 'pretty bad' when the plane decided to turn back 'about an hour and a half' into the journey.

'It was essentially the engine seized up I think, that's what they told us anyway,' the 24-year-old said.

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Pictured: AirAsia flight D7237 took off from Perth but turned around about an hour and a half later, reportedly due to a single engine failure

Perth teachers Damos Stevens and Mitch Jamieson filmed themselves sitting on the aeroplane as it shook through the air

He reported there had been a small explosion before the plane made the choice to return to Perth.

'The whole thing, the plane started vibrating and shaking pretty bad, and we had to turn around and come back,' he said.

'It was literally like you were sitting on top of a washing machine.'

When the plane landed and passengers disembarked, Mr Atkinson says he realised 'one of the blades had actually come off the turbine'.

Perth teachers Damos Stevens and Mitch Jamieson filmed themselves sitting on the aeroplane as it shook through the air.

Mr Stevens is heard on the video, which shows the harsh vibrations of the plane, saying: 'We'll be having 60million beers when we get back'.

Passengers were left stranded at Perth Airport, with AirAsia unable to provide any information about a recovery flight until 3.30 that afternoon

He told Daily Mail Australia the pilot had told passengers to 'say a prayer for us', as the plane returned to Perth.

'No one was hysterical but people were really scared. Some people needed medical attention when we landed,' he said.

While the teacher says communication on the plane was fantastic, he was less enthused about the airline's ability to communicate with passengers when they disembarked the plane.

'[There has been] no support for passengers, there is still a long line of people here, no word on replacement flights,' he said.

Mitch (left) and Damos (right) told Daily Mail Australia they were 'hopefully' going on a trip to Myanmar

Video shows the plane uncontrollably shaking as it begins its return to Perth

At 3.30pm, hours after the plane landed, a recovery flight was confirmed for 8.30pm.

Passenger Saya Mae shared a video of the shaky footage to Instagram and captioned it: 'I thought I might die'.

A spokesman for Perth Airport told Daily Mail Australia the pilot had reported some technical issues and decided to return to Perth.

'We had emergency services on site as a precaution, and the plane landed safely around 10am this morning,' he said.

'The passengers have disembarked.'

The plane is understood to have suffered a single engine failure, which was discovered more than an hour into the journey, The Age reported.

It has been reported the plane suffered from engine failure, and passengers reported an explosion

Flight Radar shows the plane had reached Carnarvon when it decided to return to Perth Airport.

A statement from AirAsia said passengers were being attended to by ground staff and 'all necessary assistance' was being provided.

'Flight crew are taking precautionary measures to check the aircraft and some guests on board the flight will be transferred to the next available flight today,' the statement said.

'Other guests will be informed of the progress of the flight.

'The safety of our guests are our utmost priority.'

Passenger Brenton Atkinson said he saw the turbine of the plane was missing a turbine when he disembarked

This graphic shows the flight path of the AirAsia plane on Sunday morning
As terrorist mastermind Riduan 'Hambali' Isomuddin goes on trial for terror and murder, the father of an Australian Bali bombing victim has made an impassioned plea to authorities not to execute the Indonesian.

The U.S. war court prosecutor has filed terror charges against Hambali, who has been held at Guantanamo since 2006, and is seeking the death penalty.

Brian Deegan, whose son Josh Deegan died in the bombing, does not believe that executing the alleged Jemaah Islamiah leader will lead to closure or bring justice.

Riduan 'Hambali' Isomuddin (pictured) is the alleged mastermind behind the Bali bombing

Josh Deegan (pictured) lost his life in the 2002 attack in which 88 other Australians were killed

The attack was carried out by terrorist group Jemaah Islamiah and killed more than 200 people

His opposition to capital punishment has been echoed by the families of some of the other Australian victims of the deadly Islamic terror attack, Nine News reported.

'I'm totally opposed to it ... it's just another form of butchery,' Mr Deegan said.

Mr Deegan has been an outspoken opponent of the death penalty for many years, and believes that it may turn 'low level mass murderers' into martyrs, he said in an interview with the ABC.

'Violence perpetrated in the name of one's loved one I don't think can have any positives at all.'

Josh's father Brian Deegan opposes the death penalty, calling it 'just another form of butchery''

Other families have echoed Deegan's sentiments, saying it will not bring back their loved ones

Dave Byron, father of victim Chloe Byron who was 15 years-old when she died at the Sari nightclub in Bali, was worried the new charges would cause more pain for victim's families.

'Is it going to drag everything up and just create a lot of turmoil for people?'

Foreign Affairs Minister Julie Bishop stated that she hopes the charges and the resulting legal proceedings will bring closure, but did not declare any support for the death penalty.

'It has been a scar on the hearts of all Australians since these attacks occurred in 2002. We must never forget that 88 Australians, mostly tourists in Bali, were murdered when Islamist terrorists took their lives in a brutal terrorist attack.'

The Indonesian terror suspect has been a prisoner in the infamous Guantanamo Bay jail for 11 years without charge, after being arrested in Bangkok in 2003.

Hambali, who some have called the Osama Bin Laden of South East Asia, was arrested for his alleged role in a Jakarta hotel bombing which killed three Australians, although he was not charged until June 20.
A newly-sworn in police officer fighting to keep her job after it emerged she used to work as a dominatrix was reportedly offered a deal that would allow her to stay on as a cop if she passed a psychiatric exam.

Kristen Hyman, 30, was suspended on May 26 from the Hudson County sheriff's department in New Jersey after they learned she had previously appeared in bondage films as a dominatrix.

Sources told the New York Post that Hyman was told she could keep her job if she passed the psych exam because the department feared she might be inclined toward using excessive force.

Kristen Hyman, 30, was suspended on May 26 from the Hudson County sheriff's department in New Jersey after they learned she had previously appeared in bondage films as a dominatrix

One insider told the paper that the department's 'worst nightmare is if she's out there and she's really a dominatrix type and she beats the sh** out of somebody.'

Hyman is said to have put a stop to the deal, which was laid out before a scheduled court appearance on Thursday that ended up being postponed.

She also refused to sign a waiver insisting she wouldn't later sue the department, the source added.

Hyman's lawyer would not reveal if the offer did or didn't exist.

The department suspended Hyman without pay last month - just six days before her graduation ceremony - after they accused her of conduct unbecoming a public employee.

They said she failed to disclose that she appeared in the films, which were shot between 2008 and 2012, and sometimes saw clients privately for money.

Court documents show that Hyman told investigators she never appeared naked and didn't perform any sex acts in the videos.

Hyman filmed the videos from 2008 to 2012. In some she is seen kicking naked men in the testicles, slapping and insulting them and making them 'worship' her

Hyman called the videos 'stupid stuff I did when I was a kid.'

In some clips seen by DailyMail.com, she is seen kicking naked men in the testicles, choking a man in a swimming pool, and putting her heels on the face of a man in a leather mask.

Hyman is seen here making a man in a leather mask lick her boots. She has called the videos, filmed between 20008 and 2012 'stupid stuff I did when I was a kid'

Sometimes she even provided her own costumes, many of which she purchased off the rack at Party City.

She said that violent acts seen in some recordings were staged and that she was merely an actress.

Hyman also noted that she didn't use her real name during her four-year career in the fetish trade and would use her latex-clad alter-ego, 'Domina Nyx Blake'.

Her lawyers argued that it was wrong to suspend her before a disciplinary hearing. The suspension was rescinded by a judge and Hyman was sworn into the academy June 8. Her lawyers say she is on modified duty.

In an interview with the New York Post last week, Hyman said she doesn't believe she should be judged on her past and that her previous occupation shouldn't determine her capability of performing her new one.

'I'm not embarrassed because I can own up to things I've done in the past,' she said.

'I don't want to be judged on what I did in the past and not who I am now,' she said.

She said the job wasn't to satisfy a personal fetish, but rather to pay the bills.

Kristen Hyman (pictured) could be kicked off the police force the same month she was sworn in after it emerged she had appeared in several kinky films

In several videos she is seen choking men until they appear to fall unconscious but she doesn't believe her past career should determine her ability to perform well in her new one

'I was struggling financially as an actress [and model],' she said. 'I had been doing regular catalogs for clothing, small stuff.'

Hyman said that 'the majority of the videos are ridiculously funny... it's super-cheesy stuff. Everything I'm doing is wink-wink.'

Her lawyer James Lisa said Hyman could be fired at an upcoming disciplinary hearing scheduled for June 27 or the matter could be dismissed altogether.

The Hudson County prosecutor's office declined to pursue any criminal charges against Hyman.

Court documents show that Sheriff Frank Schillari concurred with the discipline against Hyman, saying it was necessary to protect the department's integrity and to prevent her from taking an oath of office 'for which she is not entitled'.
A woman miraculously survived for a week trapped beneath the floorboards of a derelict home in Melbourne.

The 37-year-old was freed from the Essendon home in the city's north on Saturday night after the home owner heard her cries for help.

'Another day and she would have been dead. It's scary but thankfully she was found,' neighbour Janis Fergie told Seven News.

It is believed the woman broke into the unoccupied house around a week ago when she became trapped.

A woman miraculously survived for a week trapped beneath the floorboards of a derelict home (pictured) in Melbourne

'Another day and she would have been dead. It's scary but thankfully she was found,' neighbour Janis Fergie (pictured) said

Metropolitan Fire Brigade Commander Roger Chitty told The Age said the woman seemed dehydrated and incoherent once out.

'We weren't able to make conversation with her,' Mr Chitty said.

'But she was very fortunate to be conscious, and in the state she was in, considering how long she'd been under the house.'

Ms Fergie said she and her partner saw a blonde woman trying to get into the vacant property last Sunday.

They were in their bedroom when they witnessed the suspected break in and assumed that she might have been a squatter.

It is believed the woman broke into the unoccupied house around a week ago when she crawled underneath the home and became trapped

She described the woman as being 'quite well dressed', wearing jeans, a red T-shirt, a blue vest and carrying a handbag.

The woman has since been taken to the Royal Melbourne Hospital and is not in a life-threatening situation.

Police say they don't know why she was on the floor and are investigating the matter.

'The exact circumstances surrounding the incident are yet to be determined,' a Victoria Police spokeswoman said.
TSA officer Alexander Johnson, 22, was arrested on Thursday after he allegedly stole money from a passenger at the Orlando International Airport

A Transportation Security Administration officer was arrested on Thursday after he allegedly stole money from a passenger at the Orlando International Airport.

When Kathleen Duddleston entered a TSA checkpoint lane, she had to undergo additional screening.

Lead TSA officer, Michelle Metz, conducted a pat down on Duddleston, who became concerned when she was unable to see her luggage, according to WESH.

While Duddleston was going through the screening, she told Metz that she couldn't see her bags.

Metz reportedly responded by moving the woman closer, but Duddleston complained again about being unable to see her belongings.

This time, TSA officer Alexander Johnson, 22, moved over slightly, according to the arrest report.

Immediately after the pat down, police said Duddleston retrieved her bag only to find that her money was missing.

She then noticed a bulge in Johnson's shirt pocket and asked if it was her money, according to WESH.

Johnson, who had only been working for the agency for a few months, reportedly told the woman that he had gotten the money from the bank.

Duddleston told Metz that her money was missing and that she believed Johnson had it in his pocket.

Metz then retrieved the money and notified a supervisor.

Police said that surveillance footage showed Johnson reaching into the woman's bag and stuffing the money in his pocket during her pat down.

Police said surveillance footage showed Johnson reaching into Kathleen Duddleston's bag and stuffing the money in his pocket during her pat down. Airline passengers are pictured in a file image of the Orlando International Airport in 2011

The money was returned to Duddleston and Johnson was arrested on suspicion of grand theft in the third degree.

A spokesperson for the agency released a statement saying 'TSA has a zero tolerance for misconduct in the workplace'.

The agency confirmed they 'immediately reported the allegation' to the Orlando Police Department and 'aggressively investigated the incident'.

'No exceptions will be tolerated. We immediately ended the federal career of this individual,' the spokesperson said.

The agency said that its 'officers represent a professional and honorable workforce that is trained to treat passengers and their personal belongings with care and respect'.

Authorities didn't specify how much money Johnson allegedly stole.
Actor Corey Stoll - who played the role of Brutus in the play Julius Caesar - wrote a piece for Vulture on Friday about what acting in the controversial play was like

The actor who played Brutus in the controversial production of Julius Caesar that depicted Donald Trump's assassination said each performance was an act of 'resistance'.

Corey Stoll wrote a piece for Vulture describing how he and the rest of the Shakespeare in the Park show's cast dealt with the backlash and interruptions from protesters.

'The protesters never shut us down, but we had to fight each night to make sure they did not distort the story we were telling,' the House of Cards star wrote in the piece.

Stoll shared that he had no idea that Trump would be cast in such a light when he took on the roll.

He said: 'When I signed on to play the reluctant assassin Marcus Brutus in this production, I didnt know Caesar would be an explicit avatar for President Trump.

'I suspected that an American audience in 2017 might see aspects of him in the character, a democratically elected leader with autocratic tendencies.

Tina Benko, left, portrays Melania Trump in the role of Caesar's wife, Calpurnia, and Gregg Henry, center left, portrays President Donald Trump in the role of Julius Caesar. Stoll shared that he had no idea that Trump would be cast in such a light when he took on the roll

'The protesters never shut us down, but we had to fight each night to make sure they did not distort the story we were telling,' he said in the piece about the persistent critics who came to disrupt the show

Stoll said: 'When I signed on to play the reluctant assassin Marcus Brutus in this production, I didnt know Caesar would be an explicit avatar for President Trump'

'I did not think anyone would see it as an endorsement of violence against him.

'The play makes it clear that Caesars murder, which occurs midway through the play, is ruinous for Brutus and his co-conspirators, and for democracy itself.

Stoll was actually not pleased with the 'literal design choice' when he first saw it.

'I had little fear of offending people, but I worried that the nuanced character work we had done in the rehearsal room would get lost in what could seem like a skit.'

'Audiences did laugh at Caesar, in an explosive, hungry way that shocked us with its intensity, but when it came time for the assassination scene, they lost their nerve.'

The actor shared that during early previews, audience members scoffed and applauded the assassination scene.

Two weeks later, deafening silence where 'you could hear a pin drop'.

Security quickly ran on stage to escort any of the protestort off the stage and the cast resumed from where they last were to applause from the audience

People in the park wanted to shut the play down entirely and some sponsors did pull from the production

'By then, I better understood Eustiss decision to be so literal in making Caesar Trump,' he shared.

'A nontrivial percentage of our liberal audience had fantasized about undemocratic regime change in Washington. Acted out to its logical conclusion, that fantasy was hideous, shameful, and self-defeating.

'Absorbed in our previews, I was unaware that we had become a target of right-wing attacks. In a company meeting the Friday before our opening night, we were told that some conservative websites claimed to be outraged by the production.

'Threats had been made. Security was being increased. I raised my hand and asked what we should do if someone tried to stop the show. Some of my castmates laughed. Brutus was making me paranoid.'

The actor - who played a murdered politician in the drama House of Cards - began fearing for his life after Donald Trump Jr blamed the production for the shooting of Republican politicians by a gunman earlier this month.

And although the production was constantly harassed by protesters, Stoll has come to an understanding as to what it means to be an artist in the Trump era stating that simply doing the work is a 'political act'.

'Im thankful for all the beautiful defenses of our production written in the last few weeks. But the cliche is true: In politics, when youre explaining, youre losing.

Stoll added: 'Im thankful for all the beautiful defenses of our production written in the last few weeks. But the cliche is true: In politics, when youre explaining, youre losing

'So if youre making art, by all means question yourself and allow yourself to be influenced by critics of good faith. But dont allow yourself to be gaslighted or sucked into a bad-faith argument.

'A play is not a tweet. It cant be compressed and embedded and it definitely cant be delivered apologetically. The very act of saying anything more nuanced than us good, them bad is under attack, and Im proud to stand with artists who do.'

You can read his whole piece here.
A police sniper has revealed he could have pulled the trigger and killed Tasmanian mass murderer Martin Bryant during the terrifying climax of the Port Arthur massacre in 1996.

Bryant, who shot dead 35 people at Port Arthur, had taken three people hostage at the Seascape Guesthouse on the Sunday afternoon of April 28, 1996.

The police sniper from Tasmanian Police's Special Operations Group, has spoken about the siege in a new book Sons of God, and revealed he had a clear shot at Bryant on two occasions.

In the first instance the sniper didn't fire because he couldn't be sure that Bryant didn't have a hostage in front of him. The marksman also decided not to squeeze the trigger because Bryant wasn't firing at police at the time.

Later, when Bryant emerged from the burning guesthouse he was holed up in, the sniper refused to take the shot because the gunman was unarmed and posed no direct threat to police.

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Australia's worst-ever mass murderer Martin Bryant killed 35 people at Port Arthur, Tasmania

Tasmanian police hunting Martin Bryant on April 28, 1996 as he continued his killing spree

'I flicked the safety off and placed my finger on the trigger,' the sniper told Sons of God author Heath O'Loughlin, whose book extract was published in the Sunday Herald Sun.

'I was ready in case he came out with a weapon and started firing, because that would be enough for me to justify taking him out.

'He would have been a threat to the snipers and compromised us all, so I could have taken a shot and I was fully prepared to. '

Bryant had taken guesthouse owners David and Noelene Martin hostage, along with Glenn Pears, who he had captured from a service station.

The Seascape Guesthouse in Port Arthur where Martin Bryant took three people as hostages

The Port Arthur massacre led to the introduction of a national ban on semi-automatic weapons

Port Arthur's Broad Arrow Cafe where Martin Bryant started his rampage killing of 35 people

PORT ARTHUR DEATHS The Port Arthur massacre at the popular tourist attraction, south-east of Hobart, was the world's worst peace-time shooting. Lone gunman Martin Bryant used a semi-automatic rifle for his murder spree, that left 35 people dead and injured 23 others on April 28 and 29, 1996. His Sunday afternoon rampage started at the tourist site's Broad Arrow Cafe. He went on to kill more people at a nearby service station and the Seascape Guesthouse, where he took three people hostage. The 19th century stone convict prison became the catalyst for national gun laws in Australia, which to date have prevented large-scale gun massacres. Advertisement

The police sniper, known by the pseudonym of Sierra, said Bryant didn't come out of the house as night fell and 'stayed behind the thin veil of protection the flyscreen gave him.

'I decided not to take the shot and flicked the safety back on because under those circumstances, I would not have been justified,' he said.

The cordless telephone at the guesthouse had run out of battery and police were unable to call to confirm the status of the three hostages, who he later killed.

Bryant, in 1996 a 28-year-old man with intellectual disabilities, had burnt down the Seascape Guesthouse and was captured the next morning.

He is serving 35 life sentences without parole at Hobart's Wilfred Lopes Centre for Forensic Mental Health, near the Risdon Prison Complex.

The massacre led to a national ban on semi-automatic machine guns under the leadership of new prime minister John Howard in 1996.

Sierra said that while his decision not to fire was in accordance with his instructions, he still reflected upon that moment.

'I've thought long and hard about whether I should have pulled that trigger, but I wasn't justified and wasn't willing to go to jail for that pathetic individual.'

Heath O'Loughlin's book Sons of God is available through Pan Macmillan Australia.
Hundreds of protesters, some masked, clashed with police officers on the streets of Melbourne today as tensions between far-left and far-right wing extremist groups boiled over.

Members of far-right group True Blue Crew, waving Australian flags and holding a banner saying 'Aussie Pride Nation Wide,' clashed with left-wing activists holding an anti-racist rally in opposition.

Hundreds of police, some in riot gear, used pepper spray to keep rival demonstrators apart. Some protesters were treated by paramedics at the scene.

Anti-racist activists held a counter protest in opposition to a rival right wing patriot's group

Hundreds of police officers kept violence from breaking out during the clashing rallies

'They have always initiated the violence, they are the ones who have carried weapons,' claimed a left wing protester

Some protesters were treated after being pepper sprayed by police during the massive operation

Familiar signs of Australian patriotism were on display, with some marchers wearing flags as capes

Masked leftist demonstrators wore the rainbow LGBT flag (pictured) and many held anti-fascist signs

The United Patriot Front claims to be fighting efforts to 'destroy Australia Day and Anzac Day'

The march was organised to combat an 'anti-Australian agenda to destroy Australia Day, Anzac Day and any remaining Australian pride gaining momentum,' claimed the United Patriot Front

Hundreds of police officers kept violence from breaking out during the 'Australian pride march'

The massive police presence prevented violence from breaking out during the protests, as the True Blue Crew marched from Parliament House to Carlton Gardens and back.

The anti-racist rally was planned in response to the 'Australian pride march,' and activists held banners calling for fascism and racism to be fought.

One man held a sign reading, 'I am German, we have seen this before.'

The massive police response kept the two sides apart as people yelled at each other across police lines

The march was organised by United Patriots Front, led by controversial figure Blair Cottrell

'They're fascists.' An anti-racism protester was warned by police for yelling at the far-right group.

Crowds chanted and yelled at each other in the streets while waving banners and political signs

United Patriot Front leader Blair Cottrell led the march from Carlton Gardens to Parliament

Right wing demonstrators defended the protest march, citing their right to 'freedom of speech'

Right wing demonstrators turned up to combat what they see as an 'anti-Australian agenda'

One of the anti-racism protesters held a sign reading, 'I am German, we have seen this before.'

An anti-racism protester was warned by police for yelling at the far-right group.

'They're fascists.'

'They have always initiated the violence, they are the ones who have carried weapons,' he said.

Melbourne streets were filled with Australian flags and anti-racist symbols as rival groups squared off

Some protesters became aggressive and had to be restrained by police officers using pepper spray

Most of the demonstrators were peaceful, waving flags and holding protest banners and signs

Police struggled to keep the two sides from attacking each other, and pepper spray was used at times

Many protesters from both camps covered their faces with scarves and masks as they faced off

Anti-racism and anti-fascism left wing protesters turned up to disrupt the far-right march

The flag-waving Australian pride march blocked streets as police officers kept the peace

True Blue Crew members (pictured) were flanked by heavily armed police as they marched through Melbourne

Protesters arrived at the march wearing symbols such as this one used by anti-fascist activists

Controversial leader of the United Patriot Front, Blair Cottrell spoke at the rally and led the march to parliament.

A right-wing demonstrator defended the march, saying they had the 'right to free speech.'

The march, called the 'Australian Pride March' was organised to combat 'anti-Australian agenda to destroy Australia Day, Anzac Day and any remaining Australian pride gaining momentum', according to the Facebook page.
At least 153 people were killed and around 140 injured in a fire that broke out after an oil tanker overturned in central Pakistan and crowds rushed to collect the fuel.

The tragedy came one day before Pakistan was due to begin Eid ul-Fitr celebrations marking the end of the holy fasting month of Ramadan, with many roads crowded as people travel home for the holidays.

Images of the crash showed rising flames and a thick plume of smoke, along with charred vehicles.

The tanker crashed near the town of Ahmedpur East, 416 miles south of the capital Islamabad.

Some 140 people were wounded, including 40 in critical condition, said Mohammad Baqar, an official with local rescue services, adding that the toll was expected to rise.

Pictured: The burst and burned out oil tanker that exploded and killed at least 153 in Pakistan

Around 140 people are thought to have been injured in the explosion, many with 80 per cent burns. Pictured: The aftermath of the explosion near Ahmedpur East

Pictured: Some of the charred motorbikes at the scene where villagers are reported to have rushed towards the tanker in a bid to collect its fuel

Horrific: At least 153 people were killed when an overturned oil tanker exploded in Pakistan. Dozens more have suffered severe burns

Pictured: A map showing the location of the devastating crash near Ahmedpur East in Pakistan

The military said it was sending army helicopters to evacuate the wounded and hospitals were put on high alert.

The nearest burn centre is believed to be more than 93 miles away.

Mohammed Salim ran toward the smoke carrying buckets of water and sand but said the heat was too intense to reach those in need.

'I could hear people screaming but I couldn't get to them,' he said.

Pictured: Pakistani hospital staff transport a victim of the oil tanker explosion

Abdul Malik, a local police officer also among the first to arrive, described a 'horrible scene,' adding: 'I have never seen anything like it in my life. Victims trapped in the fireball. They were screaming for help.'

He said that when the fire subsided, 'we saw bodies everywhere, so many were just skeletons. The people who were alive were in really bad shape.'

Many of the victims, who were taken to Bahawalpur's Victoria Hospital in south Punjab, suffered up to 80 per cent burns.

The hospital declared a state of emergency, called in extra doctors and nurses, and formed a team to handle the emergency within 15 minutes of the fire.

Charred: Nearby villagers ran toward the overturned tanker with jerrycans to take the leaking fuel, according to officials

Men, women and children were among the dead, many of whom will have to be identified through DNA testing as they were burned beyond recognition, said Dr Mohammad Baqar, a senior rescue official in the area.

'The fire moved so fast,' said Mr Ahmad.

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif expressed his grief and directed the government of Punjab province, run by his brother Shabhaz Sharif, to provide 'full medical assistance'.

The tanker flipped over on the national highway about 60 miles southwest of Multan. It was driving from the southern port city of Karachi to Lahore, the Punjab provincial capital, when the driver lost control and crashed.

Pictured: The remains of a car after the disaster in Pakistan. Behind it a soldier can be seen taking pictures with his phone

Burned beyond recognition: Eyewitnesses said about 30 motorcycles that had carried villagers to the accident site lay in charred ruins nearby

Pictured: Rescue workers examine the site of the tanker explosion. Its charred remains can be seen in the background

Pictured: A soldier stands guard at the scene with a rifle

Nearby villagers ran toward the overturned tanker with jerrycans and utensils to take the leaking fuel, Rizwan Naseer, the head of the Punjab province's rescue services, said. It is thought some of them were smoking cigarettes, which caused the blaze.

A loudspeaker atop a local mosque alerted villagers to the leaking fuel, and scores raced to the site with jerrycans, said Rana Mohammad Salim, deputy commissioner of Bahawalpur.

Senior local official Rana Mohammad Saleem Afzal said at least 153 people were killed and at least 100 injured. Pictured: The flames burning during the tragedy

Highway police moved quickly to redirect traffic but could not stop those who raced to collect the fuel, said a spokesman.

The tanker was driving from the southern port city of Karachi to Lahore, the Punjab provincial capital, when the driver lost control and crashed on the national highway outside Bahawalpur.

Zulkha Bibi, who was searching for her two sons, was among residents wandering through the area looking for loved ones as the wounded cried out for help.

'Someone should tell me about my beloved sons, where are they? Are they alive or are they no longer in this world? Please tell me,' she pleaded.

Police tried to cordon off the area but were overwhelmed by the villagers who pushed through to reach the truck.

Eyewitnesses said about 30 motorcycles that had carried villagers to the accident site lay in charred ruins nearby. Eight other vehicles were destroyed, they said.

Pakistan has an appalling record of fatal traffic accidents due to poor roads, badly maintained vehicles and reckless driving.

At least 62 people including women and children were killed in southern Pakistan in 2015 when their bus collided with an oil tanker, starting a fierce blaze that left victims burnt beyond recognition.

Pictured: Pakistani rescue workers and hospital staff transport a victim of an oil tanker explosion at a hospital in Multan, Pakistan

Devastation: Onlookers gather in the distance to watch the scene as burned vehicles lie strewn across the road

Pictured: A rescue worker rolls a stretcher loaded with the mortal remains of victims in plastic bags into a hospital in Bahawalpur, Pakistan

The country has also long struggled to contain a chronic energy crisis, with regular blackouts suffocating industry and exacerbating anger against the government.

The crash came days after a series of militant attacks killed at least 57 people across the country Friday, unnerving many Pakistanis, with authorities ordering a security crackdown.

On social media Sunday users posted messages of grief and solidarity with the victims of the oil tanker crash as well as Friday's attacks, as many prayed for a safe Eid.
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Love is definitely in the air for Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner.

The pair were seen strolling hand-in-hand as they soaked up some summer sun in DC before attending US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin's lavish wedding Saturday evening.

Ivanka and Jared gazed in one another's eyes as enjoyed some quality time together during their walk around their high-end neighborhood.

Jared wore a sky-blue button-up with off-white pants as his wife donned a white tank top with a high-low yellow skirt.

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Love is definitely in the air for Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner. The pair were seen strolling hand-in-hand as they soaked up some summer sun in DC before attending US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin's lavish wedding Saturday evening

Ivanka and Jared gazed in one another's eyes as enjoyed some quality time together during their walk around their high-end neighborhood. Jared wore a sky-blue button-up with off-white pants as his wife wore a white tank top with a knee-length yellow skirt

The couple put on a loved-up show as they laughed at each other's jokes and enjoyed their down time before heading back home to get glammed up for Mnuchin's wedding

The couple put on a loved-up show as they laughed at each other's jokes and enjoyed their down time before heading back home to get glammed up for Mnuchin's wedding.

Jared even wrapped his hand around Ivanka's waist as they stood on the sidewalk.

Mnuchin wed his Scottish actress fiancee Louise Linton in front of President Donald Trump and First Lady, Melania, at the star-studded ceremony in DC.

It's the third marriage for ex-banker Mnuchin, 54, who is reportedly worth upwards of $300 million, and the second marriage for Linton, 36, an Edinburgh-born actress who has appeared in several Hollywood films.

She was married to Hollywood lawyer Ronald Richards until they divorced in 2009.

The pair exchanged vows on Saturday evening at the Andrew W. Mellon Auditorium on the National Mall.

US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and his bride Louise Linton posed with President Trump, First Lady Melania, Vice President Mike Pence and his wife Karen following the ceremony in Washington DC on Saturday

Pence married Mnuchin and his Scottish actress bride Linton at the star-studded ceremony

Jared and Ivanka arrived on a private bus reserved for wedding guests after they were earlier spotted leaving the Trump International Hotel, where the guests were being picked up. Ivanka opted for a pink dress that almost perfectly matched the bridesmaid's gowns

Ivanka paired her strappy dress with chandelier earrings and a gold clutch. She had her blonde hair swept into an updo

The 300-person guest list included Trump, Melania, Vice President Mike Pence, Ivanka and Jared. The Vice President officiated the couple's wedding.

Jared and Ivanka arrived on a private bus reserved for wedding guests after they were earlier spotted leaving the Trump International Hotel, where the guests were being picked up.

Ivanka opted for a pink dress that almost perfectly matched the bridesmaid's gowns. The First Daughter styled her strappy dress with chandelier earrings and she had her blonde hair swept into an updo.

Her husband Jared was dressed smartly in a dark tux and bow tie.

Trump and the First Lady were spotted leaving the White House shortly before the ceremony. Their motorcade entered the wedding venue through a tunnel in the building.

Melania was dressed in a sleeveless, pale pink Gilles Mendel silk chiffon gown. The First Lady wore Manolo Blahnik pumps and had her hair down in loose waves.

Melania's sleeveless dress was complete with a pleated overlay and the First Lady opted to wear her hair down in loose waves

The First Lady wore a pale pink Gilles Mendel silk chiffon gown and Manolo Blahnik pumps as she left the White House

The bridesmaids wore light peach colored dresses with deep plunging necklines and sequin straps as they carried at the lavish ceremony on Saturday carrying white flower bouquets

The bride wore a custom dress by designer Ines Di Santo, who reportedly flew to DC from Toronto in April to work on the gown. The design house described the dress as 'very grand.'

The bridesmaids were pictured wearing light peach colored dresses with deep plunging necklines and sequin straps as they carried white flower bouquets.

Mnuchin met Linton four years ago while attending a wedding in Los Angeles, the bride told the New York Times. At the time, Mnuchin was still married to his second wife, Heather deforest Crosby. They divorced in 2014, after 15 years of marriage.

It wasn't long before the Mnuchin and Linton started shopping for a diamond  the bride pointed out one she admired while they were visiting Art Basel in Miami a few years ago, and was thrilled when Mnuchin proposed with a similar ring.

'It's quite an old fashioned shape but I love it,' Linton told Town and Country earlier this month. 'Three years later he proposed to me with an oval ring just like the one we saw in the window.'

Mnuchin, a former Goldman Sachs executive, left the industry to lead the Treasury Department earlier this year.

The newlyweds recently purchased a $12.6 million mansion in northwest Washington where they reportedly plan to move shortly after the wedding. Mnuchin has three children from his prior marriage.

Mnuchin (pictured arriving at the ceremony) married Linton in front a star-studded crowd including Trump, Melania and Pence

Wedding guests were taken by a private bus from Trump International Hotel to the ceremony
A Turkish designer has stirred controversy in the spheres of high fashion after debuting his latest collection which features patterns inspired by Indigenous culture.

Bespoke brand Les Benjamins describes the aesthetic behind the pieces as 'street wear meets Aboriginal art', but drew the ire from commentators who accused it of cultural appropriation.

Istanbul-based Bunyamin Aydin's range of male luxury sportswear is emblazoned with dotted artwork, depictions of geckos and the number 1788 - which is the year Europeans arrived in Australia and colonised the land.

The Les Benjamins range was debuted in Paris (pictured), using tribal and native culture as part of the presentation

Pieces from the range had dotted artwork, similar to Aboriginal designs, as well as depictions of geckos and the number 1788

Istanbul-based Bunyamin Aydin's (pictured) describes the aesthetic behind the pieces as 'street wear meets Aboriginal art', but drew the ire from commentators who accused it of cultural appropriation

The designer says he devised the concept of Indigenous street wear after the stories behind native landowners piqued his curiosity.

'I was highly curious about Asia Pacific and wanted to discover the history of Australia and New Zealand ... Aboriginals, Islanders, and Maori people are the natives and their traditions and rituals are rich in culture,' Mr Aydin told Pause magazine.

'You can see minimal details in my collection that are inspired by traditional clothing, face paint, and art from the region fused with British colonial details like royal and floral embroideries.'

But critics of his Indigenous-inspired designs labelled the range as a misuse of Aboriginal symbols and as blatant cultural appropriation.

The designer says he devised the concept of Indigenous street wear after the stories behind native landowners piqued his curiosity

'You can see minimal details in my collection that are inspired by traditional clothing, face paint, and art from the region fused with British colonial details like royal and floral embroideries,' the designer told Pause magazine

The models during the debut in Paris wore face paint similar to what is used in Indigenous culture

'This season he focused on Australia and New Zealand... Unfortunately, this area was inevitably going to be dicey, considering the colonialist persecutions by the latter of the former, and the still existent sensitivities toward relation,' Nick Remsin wrote in Vogue.

'This was too overt, and while unintentional, Aydin could've gone in a quieter vein to honor his inspiration.'

Other social media critics lambasted the brand's cultural appropriation as 'akin to stealing' while some jaded followers defended the range and claimed the criticism was 'political correctness gone mad'.

It follows a similar high-fashion appropriation faux pas after Chanel sparked fury over its luxury $1,930 Boomerang.

After it attracted international attention it appears Chanel chose to remove the haute couture Boomerang from its online store.

Critics of his Indigenous-inspired designs labelled the range as a misuse of Aboriginal symbols and as blatant cultural appropriation
A seven-month-old baby boy was found dead in his father's hot car in Houston on Friday night.

Justin Huynh was left in the backseat for 10 hours after his father went to work at around 9:30am and forgot about him, The Houston Chronicle reported.

Cops said the dad had dropped off his two other children at daycare that morning.

Justin is then usually dropped off at a separate babysitter.

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Investigators were on the scene Friday night in Houston when a baby boy was left in an overheated car in front of a business

The baby's mother had reportedly called the father around 7:30pm and asked where the baby was.

When the father went looking for the baby, he found him unresponsive.

Temperatures were in the mid-90s on Friday in the area.

The father was interviewed by detectives but released pending further investigation.

Cops are continuing to investigate the case of the father who apparently forgot to bring his seven-month-old to the babysitter and left him in the hot car

The tragedy happened in this parking lot of an office building, where the father apparently worked

'We need to understand that cars can be killers and cars can be very dangerous when you combine them with heat,' Dr. Bob Sanborn, president and CEO of Children at Risk told Click 2 Houston.

'It's kind of like being in a sauna.'

Also on Friday in Texas, a 25-year-old mother, Cynthia Marie Randolph, was charged with the deaths of her two-year-old and a 16-month-old in the car after police said she'd caught them playing there and left them there to teach them a lesson while she allegedly smoked pot and took a nap.
Academic and Islam convert Susan Carland celebrated the end of Ramadan on Saturday night.

But the excitement of once again being able to eat during the day - and drink coffee even more so - had not worn off by Sunday morning.

Carland was pictured with friend and activist Yassmin Abdel-Magied in a car park literally jumping for joy, presumably off to get a cup of coffee.

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Academic Susan Carland shared a video of herself literally jumping for joy at the end of Ramadan - and the beginning of having coffee during the day

In all capital letters, the mother of one and wife of media personality Waleed Aly captioned the image: 'We can drink day time coffee!'.

Ramadan is the holy month of Islam, and Muslims fast through the daylight hours. This year, the month ran from May 27 to June 24.

During Ramadan, Muslims are also encouraged to donate to charity, avoid swearing and gossiping, and to pray five times a day.

Not only do devotees refrain from eating during the day, but they are also not able to drink water, chew gum or smoke a cigarette while the sun is out.

Many who practice Ramadan also say it gives them empathy for those who go without.

Muslims who refrain from fasting but who are financially able are expected to help feed those less fortunate.

The wife of television personality Waleed Aly was seen with friend and activist Yassmin Abdel-Magied, and the pair wore matching grins on their faces

On Saturday night, when Ramadan fasting officially ended, it was still caffeine, and not food on Carland's mind while she celebrated with Aly

Thousands of Muslims descended upon western Sydney to celebrate the end of Ramadan with the Eid-al-Fitr festival on Sunday morning

Thousands of Muslims descended upon western Sydney to celebrate the end of Ramadan with the Eid-al-Fitr festival on Sunday morning.

Lakemba Mosque attracted hundreds of Muslims, with crowds spilling out into the streets, neighbouring houses and gardens for the traditional prayer of thanks.

Police patrolled the area on foot to manage the crowds and streets were blocked off to make way for the throngs of worshippers.

Hundreds of Muslims were photographed bowing in prayer as they celebrated the religion's first full day without fasting.

Lakemba Mosque attracted hundreds of Muslims, with crowds spilling out into the streets, neighbouring houses and gardens for the traditional prayer of thanks

Streets were blocked off on Sunday morning to make way for the throngs of worshippers

The Eid-al-Fitr is one of only two major festivals in the Islamic faith which is heavily celebrated by the Muslim community after the month-long fast

The Eid-al-Fitr is one of only two major festivals in the Islamic faith which is heavily celebrated by the Muslim community after the month-long fast.

A Canterbury-Bankstown Council spokesman said 20,000 people visited the Lakemba area each night during Ramadan.

'Many people, Muslims and non-Muslims alike, visit Lakemba for the Middle Eastern and Asian food that is on offer, and the atmosphere it provides during Ramadan,' the council spokesman told AAP.
Tributes have poured in for former Melbourne mayor Mick Morland who died after he was hit by a P-plate driver.

A spokesperson Rotary Club of Berwick told Daily Mail Australia Mr Morland, who was mayor of Casey, was crossing a road near his house when he was fatally struck by the car on Saturday night.

Mr Morland had served in the rotary club as one of its past presidents.

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Former Casey mayor was killed after being struck by a car in a pedestrian accident on Saturday

'He was a great bloke,' the spokesperson said.

Mr Morland was hit at 9.30 pm on the Princes Highway at Berwick, a south-west Melbourne suburb.

A member for Gembrook Brad Battin told the Herald Sun: 'All of the city of Casey will miss the man with that moustache.'

While the current Mayor of Casey Sam Aziz had posted a long tribute to Mr Morland on his Facebook account.

Current Casey mayor Sam Aziz had posted a long tribute for Mr Morland on Facebook today

One social media commentator had attest to Mr Aziz post adding that he was beautiful man

The Royal Rotary Club of Berwick had referred to Mr Morland as one of its much loved member

'One of the kindest and most caring blokes I had ever known, and a tireless advocate for the community. Always had his door and his heart open for all of us,' he wrote.

One social media commented on Mr Aziz's post by saying: 'Such sad news Sam. Mick was truly a gentleman and a beautiful man. Our sincere condolences to Kay & family and to all those that knew him. X'

The male driver of the car that killed Mr Morland is currently assisting police.

While the exact circumstances surrounding the collision has yet to be determined.
Princess Diana's ex-lover James Hewitt is finally leaving hospital after suffering a heart attack and a stroke.

Mr Hewitt, 58, almost died in May and doctors gave him a harrowing prognosis with only a 'slim chance' of survival.

But he has defied the odds and has now made a good enough recovery to return home from the Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital.

He is said by sources to be 'doing much better' and now wants to 'get on with his life.'

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Princess Diana's former lover James Hewitt could face up to a month in hospital after suffering a heart attack and a stroke. Pictured above, the former army officer in Marbella in 2011

Mr Hewitt had emergency surgery following the heart attack and stroke and eight weeks of treatment which proved successful.

'He's glad to be out as he has had enough of being in hospital.

'He is doing much better but still needs to build up his strength,' a source said as reported in The Mirror.

'Now he just wants to put this behind him and get on with his life.'

He was joined by his mum Shirley and another woman, thought to be one of his two sisters as he left hospital.

Hewitt was rushed to hospital three weeks ago after having a heart attack at his home in Exeter, Devon. Pictured above, the Royal Devon & Exeter Hospital where Hewitt has been staying

He has now returned to the home he shares with his mother  a two-bedroom flat in a former country house near Exeter, Devon.

Hewitt was rushed to hospital tin May after having a heart attack at home.

He was first taken to Derriford Hospital in Plymouth but was later moved to the Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital to receive specialist medical care.

The Mirror reported that Hewitt was due for a procedure when he suffered a 'pretty serious' heart attack.

The ex-Army captain and Gulf War veteran (pictured in full uniform, right) had a five-year affair with Diana (left) while she was married to Prince Charles

The ex-Army captain and Gulf War veteran had a five-year affair with Diana while she was married to Prince Charles.

The pair met at a party in London in 1986 when she was aged 25. He was 28.

Three years later  in a now iconic image at the height of their affair  she was pictured presenting the Life Guards officer with a polo trophy.

Princess Diana met James Hewitt at a party in London in 1986 when she was aged 25. He was 28. Three years later  in a now iconic image at the height of their affair  she was pictured presenting the Life Guards officer with a polo trophy

The couple were forced apart when he was sent to Iraq in the 1991 Gulf War and split after their affair was made public.

In March, Hewitt appeared on Australian Channel Seven's Sunday Night.

Speaking candidly from his home in the southwest, he spoke about the moment he fell in love with the late royal.

The former polo player also denied claims he was Prince Harry's father when pressed about the paternity.

'Are you Harry's father?' Australian host Melissa Doyle asked.

'No, I'm not,' Diana's former lover replied.
There are growing calls for a woman living in Australia who worked as a secret agent during the Augusto Pinochet regime to be extradited back to Chile.

Adriana Rivas is wanted by Chilean authorities over her alleged involvement in the murder of a Communist Party leader in 1976.

Ms Rivas, a former intelligence agent for the DINA [Direccion de Inteligencia Nacional], most recently worked as a nanny in Sydney's Bondi but her exact whereabouts are now unknown, The Sydney Morning Herald reported.

Adriana Rivas (pictured), who has reportedly lived in Australia since 1978, is wanted by Chilean authorities for her alleged involvement in the 1976 murder of a Communist Party member

Ms Rivas was a member of Chile's secret police during the Augusto Pinochet (pictured) regime

She has reportedly been charged with seven counts of 'aggravated kidnapping' from when she worked for the secret police and is also accused of torture.

Ms Rivas, who has lived in Australia since 1978, was detained in Chile when she visited in 2006 but fled back to Australia after being released on probation.

Chile's Supreme Court in 2014 had requested the Australian Government extradite Ms Rivas, the former assistant to the head of DINA, Manuel Contreras.

Last week, Justice Minister Michael Keenan was urged by Labor MP Julian Hill to give priority to dealing with the 'fugitive from justice'.

Members of the Chilean community in Australia have also been pressuring the government to act in recent years.

'We want justice for the families. We see this is as a really important human rights case,' an organiser of the National Campaign for Truth and Justice in Chile, Pilar Aguilera, said.

In an interview with SBS in 2013, Ms Rivas denied all allegations against her and defended the use of torture during the regime, which lasted from 1973 to 1990.

'Everyone knew they had to do that to somehow break people's silence... Let's talk about the things the way they were. It was necessary,' Ms Rivas said.
Philip Hammond is reportedly being lined up to replace Theresa May and become caretaker leader amid growing concerns at her 'inadequate' premiership.

The Chancellor could join forces with Brexit Secretary David Davis as his deputy as part of a dream team ticket to oust the PM before the Tory Party conference in October.

Ministers have reportedly said they would back the move as long as the Chancellor - dubbed 'spreadsheet Phil' - promises to step down in two years after Brexit is negotiated.

The maneuverings will alarm Brexiteers in the party as Mr Hammond backed Remain and is pushing for a 'softer' Brexit which could undermine attempts to tackle immigration.

Philip Hammond, pictured at Mansion House last week, is reportedly being lined up to take over from Theresa May and become caretaker leader for the next two years

A serving minister told The Sunday Times: 'I think Philip is the only plausible candidate for a couple of years, with DD [David Davis] running Brexit.

'He is a more credible caretaker than the current Prime Minister.

'The PM's brand is so damaged it is painful. The calculation that people are beginning to make is that she is so inadequate we can't wait two years with her in place.'

There is frenzied speculation over who will take over Mrs May, whose authority lies in tatters after the Tory Party election disaster.

She is clinging on in No 10 for now, but after weeks of negotiation she has still failed to thrash out a confidence and supply deal to win the backing of the DUP's ten MPs - which will be crucial to her survival.

And Mrs May faces her first tough challenge in parliament since the election as MPs prepare to votes on the Queen's Speech - the government's legislative agenda for the next two years.

Brexit Secretary David Davis, pictured in Brussels last week, could be Mr Hammond's deputy as part of a dream team ticket to safely deliver Brexit

Theresa May, pictured in Liverpool yesterday where she attended celebrations to mark Armed Forces day, is clinging on in No 10. But many of her MPs believe her authority is in tatters after the Try Party election humiliation and that she should be ousted and a new leader installed

The Labour Party, Lib Dems and other opposition MPs are maneuvering to sabotage the government's plans by ta bling amendments to push through their own policies instead.

Boris Johnson had been tipped to take over from Mrs May if she is toppled or suddenly quits.

But he has ruled out running for the top job before 2019, and according to reports which have emerged today a growing number of Conservatives believe Mr Johnson has had his day.

Tory MPs and donors are plotting to 'skip a generation' and install a younger MPs as leader, according to The Telegraph.

And some think Mr Davis, 68, is now too old to be leader.

A growing number of Tory MPs believe that the party should bring in a fresh leader for the next two years and then promise an election after Brexit in 2019.

Mr Hammond was not involved in the party's doomed election campaign, having been frozen out by Mrs May's closest aides.

That will boost his leadership chances as he has not been damaged by the election fall-out.
The widow of hero policeman David Rathband is facing new heartache after splitting from her second husband.

Kath Rathband, 46, is reported to have discovered messages to a former sweetheart on husband John McGee's Facebook.

It is believed that Mr McGee, 47, began exchanging messages with the woman after she made contact initially.

'She's devastated. She thought this was her new beginning. Now here life is shattered again', a close friend told the Sunday Mirror.

Kath Rathband the widow of PC David Rathband (right) who was shot by Raoul Moat and later killed himself. She is pictured left on her wedding day with her second husband John McGee

Kath Rathband has split from her new husband John McGee after it is believed she discovered messages to on old flame on his phone

PC Rathband, pictured left, was shot by serial offender Moat, right, as he sat in his patrol car in Newcastle. He miraculously survived his injuries but was left blind

The woman, who Mr McGee is believed to know form his schooldays, is thought to have reached out when she heard about his marriage to Kath Rathband in October last year.

The messages continued for a number of months and they are believed to have grown close again.

It is thought that Mrs Rathband kicked Mr McGee out their home after discovering messages to the woman on his phone.

It comes shortly before the seventh anniversary of hero policeman David Rathband being shot in the face and blinded by Raoul Moat.

PC Rathband, pictured left with Kath Rathban, had been discovered to be cheating on his wife, after she found out he was having an affair with 7/7 London bombing survivor Lisa French (right)

PC Rathband had been discovered to be cheating on his wife, after Mrs Rathband found out he was having an affair with 7/7 London bombing survivor Lisa French.

The police officer hung himself in 2012 just months after the split, seemingly unable to cope with the life changing injuries he obtained in 2010 after Moat went on a shooting spree.

Mrs Rathband was still recovering from her husband's death when she met John McGee - 10 months later, they moved in together.

At the time of their wedding, she said: 'I'm happier now than I ever have been  and I'm absolutely sure David would be happy for me.'
Police have been caught on camera telling people to come down from their ladders while they were holding forth in Speakers' Corner.

The seven speakers were left shocked as officers approached them in the world-famous haven for agitators in London's Hyde Park, telling them: 'You are not allowed to stand on anything other than your two feet'.

The decision to kick speakers off their soapboxes was apparently made by the Metropolitan Police three days before the encounter last Sunday.

The Met told the The Times the officers had brought the speakers down to earth 'due to concerns for public safety' after learning of an assault on a speaker earlier in the year.

Pictured: Jay Smith, who was holding forth at Speakers' Corner, was told to get off his ladder last Sunday

Smith said that 'crowds will no longer come, and London will lose one of its treasured institutions' if ladders are banned

Peter Bradley, head of the Speakers' Corner Trust, said 'police meddle at their peril' at the sacred site of free speech. Pictured: The officer telling Smith to get down from the ladder

It added: 'If officers believe it's unsafe due to crowd numbers they can make an operational decision to ask speakers to come down,' but confirmed its support for 'open-air public speaking, debate and discussion' at Speakers' Corner.

For more than a century, it has been a focal point for dissenters, among them the suffragettes, Gorge Orwell, Vladimir Lenin, Karl Marx, CLR James and religious and political minorities of all stripes.

But now Peter Bradley, head of the Speakers' Corner Trust, is keen to see the sacred space - propped up by the Parks Regulation Act 1872 - preserved.

He said: 'At a time when we are concerned about our security and the threat from terrorists, we have to keep in the forefront of our minds the rights we are seeking to protect,' adding: 'Police meddle at their peril'.

Speakers' Corner has been a favourite of many dissenters throughout its long history. Pictured left: Singer Billy Bragg speaking against 'excessive' bonuses for bankers in 2010. Right: A man with a bible under his arm addressing a crowd from a ladder

One of the people police explained the new policy to on Sunday - Jay Smith - said he is consulting with the Christian Legal Centre about the new move.

He has spent 25 years debating with Muslims but was instructed to get down from his ladder while in discussion with Mohammed Hijab.

Smith has written a letter to Inspector Josie Harris - on whose authority the ladder policy is said to have been implemented - explaining that without the permission to use ladders, 'there is no more Speakers' Corner'.

He added: 'The crowds will no longer come, and London will lose one of its treasured institutions.'

The writer and militiaman George Orwell (pictured) spoke at Speakers' Corner about the Spanish Civil War, in which he fought

Ladders are essential to getting yourself above the crowd and being heard, according to Jay Smith. Pictured left: A South African man addressing a large crowd at Speakers' Corner. Right: A man spreads out his arms and smiles while Hyde Park attendees look on

Over the years the small patch in central London has been used by revolutionaries, iconoclasts and attention seekers.

In the 1850s, Communist Manifesto authors Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels put forward their plans at Speakers' Corner.

The novelist and journalist George Orwell, who had fought with the Workers' Party of Marxist Unification during the Spanish Civil War in the 1930s, spoke there about what he deemed to be the truth about the conflict.
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Russia is set to begin a huge spying mission on the Royal Navy's newest aircraft carrier the moment the 3billion ship sets sail for the first time.

The 65,000-tonne HMS Queen Elizabeth, which could launch as early as tomorrow from Rosyth dockyard in Fife, is expected to be monitored by Russian planes, ships and submarines as it enters the North Sea for a six-week trial run.

Navy bosses are warning that the ship could be tracked by Russia's Akula-class nuclear-powered submarines.

Russia is set to begin a huge spying mission on the Royal Navy's newest aircraft carrier (pictured) the moment the 3billion ship sets sail for the first time

The 65,000-tonne HMS Queen Elizabeth (pictured), which could launch as early as tomorrow from Rosyth dockyard in Fife, is expected to be monitored by Russian planes, ships and submarines as it enters the North Sea for a six-week trial run

Navy bosses are warning that the ship could be tracked by Russia's Akula-class nuclear-powered submarines (pictured)

Russia could also use Vishnya-class surveillance ships and Tu-214R spy planes to gather intelligence on the British war ship.

A naval source said: 'We would do the same to them if they put such a new big ship in the water,' according to the Sunday Times.

The source added: 'The Russians would want to get as much information as possible. Its acoustic signature, radar and communications emissions - all the things they would need to track it or target it at a later date.'

Russia could also use Vishnya-class surveillance ships and Tu-214R spy planes (pictured) to gather intelligence on the British war ship

HMS Queen Elizabeth, pictured, has previously been described as the most 'potent' conventional weapon against Islamic State by Captain Simon Petitt, and will carry the most advanced stealth fighter jet in the world - the F-35B Lightening II

ROYAL NAVY'S NEW FLAGSHIP CARRIER Weight: 65,000 tonnes Length: 920 feet Top speed: Upwards of 25 knots Flight deck size: 230ft by 920ft - the equivalent of three football pitches Keeps 45 days worth of food onboard Is made up of 17 million parts 28 million hours have been spent designing and building the carrier More than a million feet of pipes inside the ship Advertisement

The ship has previously been described as the most 'potent' conventional weapon against Islamic State by Captain Simon Petitt, and will carry the most advanced stealth fighter jet in the world - the F-35B Lightening II.

The impressive carrier, capable of carrying up to 40 aircrafts, is due to complete its first full voyage to its home in Portsmouth in autumn.

It comes amid an ongoing manpower crisis within the Royal Navy. Since April 2013, the total number of Royal Marines and sailors in the navy has plummeted from 31,420 to 29,700 in the last count.

And the latest figures by the Ministry of Defence show the Senior Service was almost 1,000 people shy of its target of 30,200 regular personnel, with a deficit of 940.

However, a recent national recruitment drive by the navy has shown some success, with overall number swelling by 130 people between October 2016 and April.

But critics have said a move to 'hollow out' the nation's armed forces in 2010 had created a 'vicious circle'.

Captain Simon Petitt (pictured, right, on the HMS Queen Elizabeth, with navigator Lt Commander Jex Brettel) said the vessel is part of a 6.2billion project to allow the UK to help other nations 'police the world'

HMS Queen Elizabeth pictured being built at Rosyth Naval Dockyard last year before its new crew arrived and began familiarising themselves on the behemoth

In March, retired First Sea Lord, Admiral Lord Alan West urged action and said: 'Cutting 4,000 people in 2010 was a terrible error and one we are still feeling now.'

Admiral Sir Philip Jones said he was committed to seeing his fleet's new carrier in Portsmouth by the end of this year - but would not commit to a date.

Sir Philip said: 'We're not committing to a date yet. We've got to get them to sea first and see how sea trials are going, but it will be this calendar year.'

Defence Secretary Michael Fallon said on a recent election campaign visit to the city that Queen Elizabeth would be in the city by the autumn.
Meillia Reid has started working at charity Citizens Advice. She is pictured following her arrest in Peru for drug smuggling

A drug mule has got a new job at a charity less than one year after she was released from a Peruvian prison.

Melissa Reid, 23, has started working at Citizens Advice in Glasgow, after she was released from the South American jail last June.

It comes after Reid and accomplice Michaella McCollum flew home amid a torrent of publicity over their foiled plot to smuggle more than a 1 million out Peru.

While Reid has taken on the humble role, the same can't be said about McCollum, 24, who has tried to capitalise on the pair's notoriety.

'Melissa has been keeping her head down. She's landed a role with a charity and is living a normal life,' a source told The Sun.

'She'd much rather be doing that than posing in a bikini or appearing on telly like Michaella seems intent on doing.

'It looks as if she has left her old ways behind and is trying to give something back to the community.'

Reid and McCollum met in Ibiza in 2013 where they were employed by a drug-dealing gang.

'It looks as if she has left her old ways behind and is trying to give something back to the community': Reid and Michaella McCollum tried to smuggle 1 million worth of cocaine out of the South American country. They are pictured in 2013 behind a defendant's cage in court

Reid had previously told the Mail on Sunday: 'I was taking drugs  ecstasy, ketamine and cocaine  and on a downward spiral and it wasn't going to end well'

They were sentenced to spend six years and eight months inside a grim jail in Lima, after they were caught trying to smuggle the huge quantity of cocaine.

However, Reid only served half of her sentence and was released last June.

When she returned to Scotland, she said: 'I regret what I did and I don't want to make any excuses.

'I'm embarrassed and ashamed and sorry and I want people to know that. I can't sit here and say I made a mistake I knew what I was doing. I made a conscious decision to do it and no one forced me.

Relief: Reid is pictured walking with immigration officers before boarding a flight at Lima's airport in Callao, Peru, last June

Upon returning to Scotland Reid moved in with her parents at their luxary detached house in Lenzie. She is pictured with father, William

'I was taking drugs  ecstasy, ketamine and cocaine  and on a downward spiral and it wasn't going to end well. I honestly think that if I had carried on the way I was going I would be dead right now.

'I never worried about being caught. I never really thought about what I was doing. I think I wanted to be this big person that I'm not.'

She also revealed that:

She lied to police, saying armed gangsters had forced her to carry cocaine  when in fact she had willingly smuggled the drugs not only for 4,000 payment, but also because she wanted to be able to 'boast' about it;

She is terrified that the gang she was working for may take retribution against her for losing the 1.5 million haul;

She might by now be dead from the drugs she was taking as part of the hedonistic life that she had fallen into on the Spanish holiday island of Ibiza had she not been sent to prison;

A mystery English girl recruited her into the criminal underworld.

Reid said she is terrified that the gang she was working for may take retribution against her for losing the 1.5 million haul

Reid had moved into her parent's luxury detached house in Lenzie on returning to the UK.

But she has since moved into a new semi-detached home in Ayrshire.

A spokesman for Citizen's Advice said their independent member organisations have control over who they take on.


Seals are being shot at Scottish fish farms that supply salmon to UK supermarkets, including M&S and Waitrose - a supermarket which has long promoted its ethical and green credentials.

Licensed marksmen are hired to kill the seals by independent companies which say that the grey seal preys on their caged fish stock.

The seal slaughter was revealed by new statistics published by the Scottish government.

But a representative for Waitrose said that all major retailers source salmon from the same five Scottish farms which all work to the same standards.

A young grey seal pup pictured playing on the sand. The global population of grey seals is approximately 400,000, less than African elephant and a quarter of these reside in UK waters

Waitrose said that it is working with companies to limit seal deaths and it requires all its farmed salmon suppliers to take rigorous non-lethal measures to deter predators, including seals.

These include the proper use of acoustic devices, tensioned and weighted nets and the efficient removal of dead fish, which can attract seals.

The representative told MailOnline that seals breaching these non-lethal barriers 'can result in attacks on the fish, causing serious welfare problems.'

Marine Harvest admitted it killed 21 seals last year. The company supplies fish to Waitrose and Sainsbury's.

Steve Bracken, Business Support Manager of Marine Harvest Scotland told MailOnline that the company was disappointed by and regretted any increase in seal deaths.

'We are working hard to reduce the numbers through improved procedures and investment in new technologies.'

He said that seal deaths through culls have decreased substantially in recent years.

But Andy Ottaway, Campaign Director with the Seal Protection Action Group (SPAG) said that approximately 1,600 seals were reported shot in the past six years alone in Scotland and that this is still too many.

A Harbour seal looking straight into the camera while in the water offshore at a beach. Acoustic devices are being used in some waters to deter seals from trying to access fish farms

'The companies shooting the most seals are Marine Harvest who supply Sainsbury's and Waitrose, and Scottish Sea Farms who supply Marks and Spencer's.

'They reported shooting 40 seals between them in 2016 out of a total of 75 shot by aquaculture, with 99 seals shot by all sectors in total,' he said.

He told the MailOnline that the grey seal is a lot less common than many people believe.

'There are fewer grey seals than African Elephants in the world, but because they are concentrated in UK waters, people believe that they are thriving.'

'I don't think that the public knows that seals are being shot just so that they can eat salmon.'

A young grey seal pup plays on the beach. Although Scotland permits seals to be shot, a Seal Licence introduced in 2011 stipulates that they can only be shot with a permit

'The SPAG wants to see an end to seal killing and for the Scottish Salmon Industry to adopt strictly non-lethal methods to deter seals. Leading supermarkets can help by insisting their salmon suppliers stop killing seals.'

He said that using durable fishing nets with the right tension protects stock from seals.

'Fishing is a multimillion pound industry in Scotland and if shooting seals was illegal, the industry would have to invest in preventing seals from accessing stocks rather than just shooting them.'

Although Scotland permits seals to be shot, a Seal Licence introduced in 2011 stipulates that they can only be shot with a permit.

Seal culling had been widespread in Scotland and Mr Ottaway believes that this licensing law has helped to reduce seal shooting to its current record lows.

Around 1,600 seals have been reported shot under the scheme to date, an average of 300 each year.

Fish-farmers account for around half the total of seals shot and number of shootings has gone down by 70% from 240 in 2011 to around 75 in 2016.

Acoustic devices are being used to deter seals from trying to access fish stocks and although their are concerns that this could damage mammals' hearing, the technology has been improving.

Recently researchers from St Andrews University developed a device that only emitted noise when a seal came near the nets, so they didn't associate the din with an easy dinner.

It also allowed the sound to be set to specifically target different species without causing long-term hearing damage.

But that device was sold to a US investment firm so the technology is no longer held locally in Scotland.

Mr Ottaway said that the seals were entitled to remain in their environment.

'Seals are under a lot of pressure - from over fishing, culls, disease - and protecting them is an ethical issue.

'If the industry wants to sell fish they must be aware of the public reaction to their practices which many people find offensive and appalling.'

His organisation wants to see an end to seal culling and believe that this may be possible by 2020 as US legislation now bans imports from countries that allow killing sea mammals.

'So an import ban may be the reason that seal shooting is eventually outlawed in Scotland,' Mr Ottaway said.

Scientists also warn that culling is not the only threat that the UK seal population faces, having also been hit by phocine distemper, a fatal disease while the species also has to deal with depleting fish stocks, global warming and pollution.

A representative for Sainsbury's said the supermarket has the highest sourcing standards and sourcing with integrity was key to their work with farmers, growers and suppliers in the UK and all over the world.

'All our farmed salmon is responsibly sourced from RSPCA Assured farms, which use well-tensioned nets and acoustic devices to deter predatory seals.

'These deterrents are extremely effective and rarely fail. To ensure we're doing everything we can to protect seals, we were a founding member and the first supermarket to join the Salmon, Aquaculture and Seals Working Group, which is committed to safeguarding seals and this important industry.'
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A stone mason made his wife's dreams come true by building her a stunning home inspired by The Hobbit film series.

Rob Okeeffe built the outlandish five-bedroom retreat in Northern Territory's Humpty Doo in 2014 after his wife made the peculiar request more than a decade earlier.

'I was building the door around the time one of the films came out and my wife asked me if I could design a front door like the one in The Hobbit, so I said yes,' Rob told realestate.com.au.

A stone mason made his wife's dreams come true by building her a stunning home (pictured) inspired by The Hobbit film series

Rob Okeeffe built the outlandish five-bedroom retreat in Northern Territory's Humpty Doo in 2014 after his wife made the peculiar request more than a decade earlier

'I was building the door around the time one of the films came out and my wife asked me if I could design a front door like the one in The Hobbit, so I said yes,' Rob said

One of the five stunning bedrooms is pictured in the unique property, which was built in 2014 in the quiet town near Darwin

It took him 13 years to build the unique property, set on five acres of land in the quiet town about 40kms from Darwin.

'There were several influences for the build, all different things from my trade blended in together, including Mexican and Balinese cultural influences, formal brick work and spiral piers,' Rob said.

The masterpiece property is currently on the market with an asking price of $888,000.

It took Rob 13 years to build the unique property, set on five acres of land in the quiet town about 40kms from Darwin. He also built this sandstone pool

Rob and his wife currently have the masterpiece property on the market with an asking price of $888,000

'There were several influences for the build, all different things from my trade blended in together, including Mexican and Balinese cultural influences, formal brick work and spiral piers,' Rob said

The stunning five-bedroom home boasts large entertaining areas whcih are surrounded by lush tropical and native bushlands

'First impressions matter, and this home has that in epic proportions, finding a starting point is hard when there are so many great features,' the listing reads.

'The one that stands out the most has to be the custom designed portal door that splits in half to reveal the interior of this magnificent home.'

The property was built from materials sourced exclusively from the Northern Territory.

'The home boasts an extraordinary floor plan with an expansive open plan living and dining room with family sized kitchen and sky high ceilings,' according to the listing

The property was built by the professional stone manson from materials sourced exclusively from the Northern Territory

The property's listing reads: 'First impressions matter, and this home has that in epic proportions, finding a starting point is hard when there are so many great features'

'The one that stands out the most has to be the custom designed portal door that splits in half to reveal the interior of this magnificent home,' according the listing
The Church of Scientology are planning to convert an empty warehouse on Belmont Avenue to open a $9.3 million facility in Perth next year.

The organisation has been approved to construct the centre in Riverdale with a capacity for almost 200 people.

'The property will be primarily used for the teaching of Scientology theological studies, which will have (up to) 196 persons accommodated at one time,' a church spokesperson told The West.

The Church of Scientology to open a $9.3 million facility (concept image pictured) in Perth next year

'The property will be primarily used for the teaching of Scientology theological studies...' a church spokesperson told The West

The spokesperson said building would comment 'imminently' and aims to open its doors in 2018

On Wednesday The Department of Planning gave permission for the revised plans to go ahead which included a two year extension for construction.

Initially, the place of worship was granted permission to launch a $6 million new headquarters in 2015 but did not go ahead.

The spokesperson said building would begin 'imminently' and aims to open its doors in 2018.

Scientology was started by American science fiction writer L. Ron Hubbard and has high-profile followers including actors Tom Cruise and John Travolta

The organisation has been approved to construct the centre in Riverdale (pictured) with capacity to hold up to just under 200 people

Scientology was started by American science fiction writer L. Ron Hubbard and has high-profile followers including actors Tom Cruise and John Travolta.

The church has been operating in Perth since the 1950's and the expansion follows the growing community in WA.

Members are accepted into the organisation following a series of personality tests.

The new Riverdale premises will include four class rooms, offices, 'education rooms' and will offer a purification regime, which involves a detoxification program available at a cost.
Burnham residential tower on the Chalcots Estate, Camden, where cladding is being removed

CONFIRMED

CAMDEN

The cladding was tested this week and, although different to that used in Grenfell, was found to be made up of 'aluminium panels with a polyethylene core'.

The council has since said it will seek legal advice and accused contractors of fitting flammable materials below the commissioned standard. It also pledged round-the-clock fire safety patrols on the estate's corridors.

LIVERPOOL

On Sunday a social housing provider in Liverpool announced it had decided to remove cladding from two of its high-rise blocks as a precaution, following Government tests.

One Vision Housing said results showed 'certain elements of the cladding' on Cygnet House and Wren House in the Bootle area of the city, 'whilst meeting building regulations does not meet the latest DCLG test criteria'.

MANCHESTER

Wythenshawe Community Housing Group said 78 panels were being removed from a small area of the Village 135 development.

Wythenshawe Community Housing Group (WCHG) said: 'We can confirm following early fire safety actions taken we have been able to detect that our Village 135 scheme has been identified as having 78 feature panels which are located in a small area of the overall development, works to remove these panels will commence today.'

ISLINGTON

Islington Council said cladding was to be removed from Braithwaite House, one of eight blocks tested, after it was found to have aluminium composite material.

Test results from the other blocks, Harvist Estate and Brunswick Estate, are yet to be returned, a spokesman said.

Councillor Diarmaid Ward said: 'Last night we received results of tests on cladding on the side of Braithwaite House, and they have confirmed the presence of Aluminium Composite Material (ACM).

'We're arranging to have the cladding, which is only on the sides of the building, removed as soon as we possibly can by a specialist contractor.

WANDSWORTH

There are three blocks in the borough with cladding. The council is carrying out tests and although officers were 'confident' they were safe they have been found otherwise.

DONCASTER

Cladding different but 'capping' under windowsills is the same, so they were urgently checked and found to be combustible.

Statement from St Leger Homes: 'The cladding system we have used in Doncaster is an External Wall Insulation (EWI) Render System which is not the same as was used at Grenfell Tower. The core cladding system we have used is different to that used in Grenfell Tower.

'However, we are aware that a small capping detail under the windows of Silverwood House is similar to that used on Grenfell Tower. Whilst this minor capping work (not the window frames or external cladding) is a different make and supplier to that used in London, we are seeking expert advice and ensuring that extensive further testing is urgently undertaken.'

LAMBETH

There is one high-rise building in Lambeth that was tested and it was found to contain combustible materials.

PORTSMOUTH

Cladding has been taken down from two tower blocks in Portsmouth after tests found it to be a fire risk.

The city council said it was removing panels from Horatia House and Leamington House as a 'precautionary measure' but claimed the blocks were still safe for residents to stay in.

BRENT

One building was tested for combustibility and was found to contain hazardous material.

STOCKTON-ON-TEES

Three tower blocks at Kennedy Gardens in Billingham, Stockton-on-Tees, were found to be clad in combustible material.

Social housing landlords Thirteen Group confirmed the results and said the substance would be removed from Monday morning, with residents still safe to stay inside for now.

BARNET

Barnet Homes, the council-owned company which runs 24 high-rise blocks in the borough, reviewed safety in 10 blocks, with three found to contain combustible material.

Granville Point, Harpenmead Point and Templemead point were all reclad in 2012 and have similar panels to Grenfell Tower.

They were inspected on Monday and the insulation materials were found to be non-combustible.

But three of the other seven blocks have different cladding to Grenfell and did fail tests after the 'precautionary' inspections.

HOUNSLOW

Only one of the borough's 35 high-rise buildings - Clements Court - has the cladding of the type that was on Grenfell and it has failed the safety test.

Speaking before the confirmation, a council spokesman said: 'We have now taken a sample of this cladding and submitted it to the Building Research Establishment (BRE) and the DCLG as part of its national inspection exercise, which will examine the detail composition of the outer ACM aluminium cladding.

'Behind the cladding, however, the system is insulated with a 'rockwool' material which is a non-combustible product, and the installation of the system is solely external and did not interfere with the interior of the building.'

NORWICH

The high-rise building to fail a safety test in Norwich is understood to be Brennan Bank.

It is owned by Broadland Housing Association, which said it was acting quickly to ensure tenants were safe.

In a statement on its website, the firm said: 'Following testing by the Building Research Establishment on Friday 23 June, a sample of cladding from Broadland Housing's Brennan Bank on Geoffrey Watling Way was found to be a current cause for concern in high-rise buildings, although it compares with building regulations and has been used in accordance with the approved plans.

'Although Broadland Housing only has medium-rise properties (of six storeys or fewer), it immediately called an review meeting.

'This was held at its offices on Saturday, June 24 with representatives from Broadland Housing, Norwich City Council, Norfolk Fire and Rescue Service, developer Taylor Wimpey and managing agents of the adjacent blocks.

'The review meeting discussed the safety implications of the cladding and reviewed the fire risk assessments for all the blocks in question.

'The review concluded that the risks posed by the cladding can be mitigated by remedial action in the short term.'

PLYMOUTH

Three blocks in Plymouth are set to have cladding removed after it was found to be combustible.

According to the Plymouth Herald, the project could take two months to complete and cost up to 4million.

Scaffolding will soon be erected the buildings with contractors preparing to remove and replace panels made of aluminium coated with polyethylene.

SUNDERLAND

Five tower blocks in the St Peter's area of the city have had cladding ripped out as a precautionary measure, and tests have since confirmed the material was combustible.

SALFORD

Work has begun to remove cladding on nine high-rise blocks in Pendleton, the City Mayor of Salford has said.

Residents were told on Friday that aluminium composite cladding would be removed in advance of government combustibility test results.

The results of the tests have not yet been made public but cladding is being removed from Thorn Court.

Cladding will also be removed from Beech Court, Whitebeam Court, Malus Court, Salix Court, Spruce Court, Holm Court, Hornbeam Court and Plane Court, Salford City Council said.

Tenants will not need to move out while the work takes place on the blocks which are managed by Pendleton Together.

Mayor Paul Dennett said: 'I assured local residents on Friday that their safety came first and that work would begin as quickly as possible.

'I am pleased to confirm that contractors have started the works.

'This is the right thing to do. I said once we had made the decision we would get on with removing the cladding. We haven't waited around and we're getting on with it straight away.'

Mr Dennett added: 'Additional fire safety measures put in place by Pendleton Together will remain until the cladding is removed.

'This includes the new fire evacuation procedures, extra support from local housing staff and 24/7 patrols on each block.

'We will also continue to work with Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service to ensure our housing continues to meet fire safety standards, and we will respond to any recommendations that emerge from the Grenfell Tower investigation.'

BEING TESTED

NEWHAM

Three of the borough's 88 tall buildings have so-called ACM cladding which could be a fire risk. The cladding on these three buildings is now being tested.

A spokesman for the council said: 'Once the results are known, we will take whatever action is necessary to ensure our residents are safe.

Rivers Apartments in Tottenham, north London, where a review is being carried out of the cladding

'We have already written to tenants and leaseholders in the three blocks explaining what is going on and will keep them informed of all developments.'

HARINGEY

The London Borough of Haringey owns 54 blocks over six storeys high. None of our blocks have the Reynobond aluminium cladding system that was used on Grenfell Tower.

Rivers Apartments, a 22-storey block owned by a Housing Association, is being tested over fears it has the same cladding as Grenfell Tower.

SUTTON

The council has eight blocks in its borough - the highest of which is 16 storeys - and has pledged to undergo a 'comprehensive review of fire safety'.

Two blocks have cladding but using different materials than what was used in Grenfell.

WESTMINSTER

Harley Facades, who refurbished Grenfell Tower, supplied the over-cladding at six tower blocks on the Little Venice estate, but the type of cladding used is different, with non-flammable insulation.

As a precaution, urgent checks are being carried out on the cladding system and the way it was installed.

The local authority has visited all 41 of its tower blocks to review their fire evacuation plans.

HAVERING

The council has no tower blocks which are higher than 14 storeys. Inspections are being carried out on the other blocks they have in the borough.

BELIEVED TO BE SAFE

BARKING AND DAGENHAM

There are four blocks in the borough which have cladding, but the council said it is not the same type as used on Grenfell Tower.

CROYDON

16 cladded blocks have been found not to have been clad with the same materials as Grenfell Tower. However, they are being tested as a precaution.

GREENWICH

The council said that none of the 105 high-rise buildings in Greenwich are clad in the same way as Grenfell Tower.

Grenfell's fire has led to councils across the UK testing if their cladding is dangerous

HAMMERSMITH AND FULHAM

The council owns three tower blocks which have cladding, but the materials used are different to Grenfell Tower.

RICHMOND

The council has two 15-storey blocks which have both been recently over-clad with fire resistant cladding.

NEWCASTLE

Your Homes Newcastle, which manages 38 high rise blocks on behalf of the Newcastle City Council, has reassured tenants that the type of cladding used on the Grenfell Tower has not been used on any of its buildings.

The council said it is still reviewing building regulation records for existing high rise residential buildings over 18m in height. They said the priority was 'to identify buildings which have been retrofitted with external cladding and to check if the cladding specified is 'aluminium composite material'.'

LEEDS

The council said there are 22 blocks with cladding but none are made from flammable material

NOTTINGHAM

They have 13 blocks, none of which use aluminium cladding

LIVERPOOL

Council said it is still investigating whether privately owned properties have the cladding  the council does not have any housing stock itself

ROTHERHAM

There is only one block, but it has no external cladding

HARTLEPOOL

There is only one council block, owned by social housing provide 13. Investigations are taking place to see what the situation is with the cladding

WAKEFIELD

None of the 2 high rise blocks  managed by company WDH - are clad with the aluminium panels.

Statement said: 'Only five have had external wall insulation, which is not a cosmetic treatment and is fixed directly to the super structure, rendered with no air gap, is non-combustible and we have the relevant manufacturer's guarantees confirming the safety of all products used.'
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With their fists clenched in the air as they chanted regime slogans, thousands of North Koreans took to the streets of their capital city for a mass anti-US rally.

Wearing simple white or khaki shirts, men and women paraded into Pyongyang's Kim II-sung Square to mark the 67th anniversary of the Korean War, which comes during the annual 'Struggle Against US Imperialism' month.

Participants chanted slogans based on the warped history of the Korean War taught in local schools, where they are also constantly told that Koreans 'can never trust the American imperialists'.

With their fists clenched in the air as they chanted regime slogans, thousands of North Koreans took to the streets of their capital city for a mass anti-US rally. They carried banners picturing their country's troops slaying the US 'oppressors'

Wearing simple white or khaki shirts, men and women paraded into Pyongyang's Kim II-sung Square to mark the 67th anniversary of the Korean War, which comes during the annual 'Struggle Against US Imperialism' month

Participants chanted slogans based on the warped history of the Korean War taught in local schools, where they are also constantly told that Koreans 'can never trust the American imperialists'

Though often called the 'Forgotten War' in the United States, the 1950-53 Korean War is anything but forgotten in North Korea. Its anniversary is marked every year in a regime-sponsored event that citizens are required to take part in

Though often called the 'Forgotten War' in the United States, the 1950-53 Korean War is anything but forgotten in North Korea.

The conflict, which lasted from 1950-53, started with a massive North Korean attack across the 38th parallel, along which the Korean peninsula was divided into the communist North and the capitalist South.

It soon developed into an international war, drawing in the United States and its allies on the South's side and China on the North's.

Around one million South Koreans were killed or wounded, while casualties among North Korean civilians were estimated to be 1.5 million.

The conflict, which lasted from 1950-53, started with a massive North Korean attack across the 38th parallel, along which the Korean peninsula was divided into the communist North and the capitalist South. Yet the Kim regiment presents it as an example of US oppression, exemplified by this poster showing a defiant North Korean woman held behind barbed wire

The main poster on display here shows a US soldier being knocked down by North Korean soldiers despite his arsenal of modern missiles. The Korean War was always an international conflict, drawing in the United States and its allies on the South's side and China on the North's

Around one million South Koreans were killed or wounded, while casualties among North Korean civilians were estimated to be 1.5 million. Memories of the suffering civilians went through remains a useful took for Kim's regime to manipulate for its own ends

The Kim regime claims the war was started by the United States. This plays into the regime's narrative of North Korea as an eternally persecuted nation, struggling to survive against the evil might of the capitalist West

The Kim regime claims the war was started by the United States.

Meanwhile in South Korea, the government has marked the war's anniversary in a more peaceable manner - by urging the north to suspend its development of nuclear weapons.

'The North continues provocative military actions such as launching a ballistic missile,' Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon told war veterans and government officials at a ceremony in the capital, Seoul.

The 67th anniversary of war comes amid fears the North will conduct a sixth nuclear test and more ballistic missile launches in defiance of U.N. Security Council resolutions.

Mr Lee said the North 'should stop developing missile and nuclear programmes and come out on to the path of denuclearisation on the Korean peninsula'.

Unlike the massed rallies in the North, pictured, South Korea marked the war's anniversary in a more peaceable manner - by urging the north to suspend its development of nuclear weapons
Passengers on board a Spanish holiday jet had to be evacuated after their plane collided with a CAR minutes before take-off.

The bizarre incident happened at Alicante-Elche airport and involved a Vueling aircraft with 153 people on board.

The Rome-bound plane was taxiing away from the terminal towards the runway when it smashed into the stationary car, damaging the area near its right engine.

Although no-one was injured, the captain ordered all passengers to get off while technicians checked the state of the craft and its fuselage, causing a seven-hour delay.

Pictured: The plane smashed into the parked car while it was being taxied at Alicante-Elche airport

Aviation experts said it was 'extremely lucky' that the Spanish budget aircraft had only been taxiing as the lack of speed avoided what could have been a much more serious incident. Pictured: The car under the plane's wing

Most passengers were sent to Italy seven hours later on another flight. Pictured: The car under the plane

One unlucky man, however, ended up stuck in Spain after his ID papers expired during the delay. Pictured: A close-up shot of the accident

Aviation experts said it was 'extremely lucky' that the Spanish budget aircraft had only been taxiing as the lack of speed avoided what could have been a much more serious incident.

Vueling said in a statement that the car should not have been anywhere near the plane at the time of the crash, and that the pilot was unable to see it.

Pictured: Airport staff rush to the aid of the plane after the crash. There were 153 passengers on board when it ran into the car

The impact damaged part of the fuselage and one of the engines, rendering the jet unable to fly, and all passengers eventually departed for Italy on a replacement flight to Fiumicino.

There were a number of families on board heading for Rome for special celebrations so arrangements were made for them to get the next flight out.

The others had to wait although there was more bad news for one of the passengers.

During the delay, his identification papers ran out and the airline would not let him fly.

It is understood the car was part of the airline's service fleet.

A full investigation has been opened to find out why it was still on the runway when the plane was preparing to take off.

The driver who left the car there is likely to face disciplinary action and may even have to pay for the damage.
Tower residents yet to be evacuated from four 'dangerous' high rises in London claim they are being intimidated by security guards into leaving against their will.

Thousands of tenants from more than 600 flats in Camden were evacuated on Friday after firefighters said they could not guarantee the safety of the buildings.

More than 200 people are still refusing to leave the blocks, according to local council leader Georgia Gould, who said they were willing to vacate their properties but only if they were immediately moved to temporary flats.

She was confronted by angry locals who demanded to know why they had not been told their homes could be unsafe sooner.

The resolute residents are determined to stay in their Chalcots estate flats despite threats of legal action from Camden Council.

The four towers have been found to be covered with the same type of cladding as used at Grenfell, where at least 79 people died in the June 14 disaster.

On top of internal issues surrounding gas pipes, insulation and fire doors, combined with the flammable panelling, the building has been declared unsafe by firefighters.

More than 200 residents are refusing to leave council tower blocks in Camden after evacuations. Pictured is a woman with her head in her hands as tensions were high across the area

Camden Council leader Georgia Gold was confronted by angry residents, pictured, who demanded to know why they weren't told about safety issues earlier

One upset mother told Cllr Gould, pictured, her children had been left distraught after abandoning their home

The leader said the reason families were refusing to leave was because they wanted to go straight to temporary flats rather than a rest centre

Hostile residents confronted the council leader outside the rest centre where many of them had been forced to sleep.

One upset mother told Cllr Gould her children had been left distraught after abandoning their home, and asked how she was expected to look after her crying baby in a room with no cooking facilities.

She said: 'You've put us in a hotel with no fridge, no cooker, nothing, and I've got young children under seven years old.

'We're staying in Wembley, it's not nice to see children crying, they're eating takeaway and they are suffering.

'Tomorrow they have to go to school and we don't want to send them, we don't know what to do.

THE CAMDEN COUNCIL CHIEF WHO IS A RED PRINCESS Labour council leader Georgia Gould has been plunged into the limelight after ordering the evacuation of hundreds of residents from tower blocks. She is one of the most prominent of the so-called Red Princes and Princesses  aspiring young politicians whose careers have been boosted because they are the offspring of senior party figures. Miss Goulds father, the late Philip Gould, was an adviser to Neil Kinnock and was later Tony Blairs chief pollster. Her mother, Gail Rebuck, is chairman of the publisher Penguin Random House and sits on Labour benches in the Lords. Miss Gould became leader of Camden Council in North London only weeks ago at the age of 31. Cllr Gould became leader just weeks ago and is said to harbour ambitions to become an MP Her connection with politics started early; as a baby she was held aloft by Mr Kinnock at a party rally in 1986. With such an auspicious start, her path to power seemed assured. But it stuttered after attempts were made to parachute her into the safe Labour seat of Erith and Thamesmead in South-East London in 2009, when she was 23. A local backlash led by the unions meant her candidacy did not succeed. Instead she concentrated on local government, rising to become leader of Camden Council last month. She is understood to still harbour ambitions of becoming an MP. Her pedigree led to her being linked to other Red Princes and Princesses such as Will Straw, Stephen Kinnock and Emily Benn. In April she said: My dad was very involved in the Labour Party and I was brought up with very strong Labour values, leafleting as a kid. I was taught to try and make a difference in the world  those are the values that my dad gave me and that absolutely influenced me, but that doesnt mean I agree with absolutely everything he stood for. Miss Gould was confronted at the weekend by a 72-year-old resident who was evacuated from her home but told accommodation could not be found for her because she had a dog. The Labour politicians hopes of one day becoming an MP may depend on how well she responds to the tower block issue. She was educated locally, studying at the comprehensive Camden School for Girls, before going on to study history and politics at St Catherines College, Oxford. She also holds a masters degree in global politics from the London School of Economics. Her fellow Red Princes and Princesses have had mixed success. Will Straw, son of the former foreign secretary Jack, went on to head up the Remain campaign. Stephen Kinnock, the son of Lord Kinnock, is now an MP in Wales. And Emily Benn, the 27-year-old granddaughter of Tony, has tried and failed twice to be elected as an MP. Advertisement

'They're just taking people's details and saying we'll get 100 but we're not here to get money, even if you gave me 10,000 my children are not happy and it wouldn't make me any happier.'

Around 20 households are yet to vacate their homes, with Mandy Ryan claiming a security guard tried to intimidate her as she took her dogs for a walk on Sunday.

Ms Ryan, who shares her 22nd-floor flat in Dorney with her son, said the whole experience of the evacuation so far was 'disruptive'.

'I was bullied trying to leave the building, [the security guard] stood in front of the door and guys surrounded him and he said 'we need to know who you are'.

The council are furnishing 100 new council flats to move residents into for a more long term solution, which will be ready tomorrow.

Other residents say they have been 'bullied' into leaving their homes but the council leader, pictured, said authorities were trying to deal with all issues raised

Cllr Gould, pictured speaking to a resident, urged everyone to leave the buildings on the fire service's advice

Cllr Gould said: 'It's a big priority to move people out.

'I've been talking to many of those people overnight and they've told me a number of issues which we're dealing with.

'People are now coming back from family and friends so the rest centre will fill up again, which we expected.

'We're getting to the point of having temporary flats rather than hotel rooms, and there will be 100 new council flats ready on Monday.

'Having spoken to a lot of people, they do want to leave, but they don't want to spend a night in the rest centre.

'We've got people with special needs, people with agoraphobia or those who need special medication, and we want to get those people directly into secure accommodation.

'They can't stay in the building while we do the work, that's the fire service's advice.'

Steve Perolli, 49, is still refusing to leave his fourth floor flat in the Taplow block even though it has been declared unsafe to live in

As well as spending more than 500,000 on hotel rooms, the council are giving residents 100 cash in hand, and a 20 daily food voucher for every person.

The new-build flats are on the Maiden Lane estate near King's Cross, a troubled estate undergoing extensive regeneration.

Gould says she is going to visit residents who are refusing to leave and attempt to resolve any reservations which they have about leaving.

The young leader, who has been in her job for just six weeks, is hoping the council does not have to resort to legal action against defiant residents.

She added: 'It's unsafe, the fire service have told us that, and we're going to have to work very very closely with them on this.

'Our advice to them is clear and if it comes to the point when they really won't leave, that is absolutely our last resort, the last thing we want to do is force people out of their homes.

'The most important thing is that we work with them to do this, we want to keep having this conversation.

'We've started work, and to complete that work as quickly as possible and get residents back in, we need those buildings to be empty.

'We already have people who have been staying with friends and family and they're coming back now to the rest centre, we expected that and we've said to everyone that if they've stayed elsewhere but now need accommodation, to come back here and register so we can look for a more permanent solution.

'We think that the rest centre will still have to be open tonight, some people will have to stay the night here.

'We had 60 people here from 23 families last night but we think that because people are coming back from friends and family that it will still have to be open tonight and we'll have to be reviewing that every day.'

Up to 14,000 people across the country are facing evacuation from their homes after tower blocks failed fire safety tests

Already, 4,000 residents in Camden, North London, have been forced to abandon their homes without warning

This morning, cladding installed on two blocks of flats in Portsmouth were removed by workers

Horatia House in Portsmouth is among several high rises throughout England deemed to be unsafe due to cladding concerns

A man was seen carrying a headboard from the Dorney Tower residential block, as residents were evacuated as a precautionary measure

The same man was later seen shifting a mattress from the evacuated residential block

Some residents have refused to leave the block despite concerns about fire safety

Another man was pictured carrying a puppy covered in a blanket away from the evacuated block

'I was so scared, he got so close to me - I could feel his breath on my face.

'We are not the villains here, we are the victims. We are not trying to impede any work whatsoever, we just want suitable accommodation.

'We are all scared, we are disrupted, we don't know how we are going to cope, cook, wash or anything at the moment.'

Steve Perolli, 49, is still refusing to leave his fourth floor flat in the Taplow block even though it has been declared unsafe to live in by firefighters.

He said he has consulted his solicitor amid the council's repeated attempts to force him, wife Kerry and his two step-daughters out of their home by stopping key fobs from working.

But he has resolved to stay put despite being handed a letter yesterday telling him to leave.

Steve said: 'I haven't heard anything else from the council, they've not sent us another letter that I'm aware of.

'I've consulted my solicitor because I've been living here for seven years with these risks, paying my rent and council tax, and it's not safe.

Two high-rise blocks on St James Drive in Bootle, Merseyside failed fire safety tests carried out this week, leading to panels being taken down this afternoon

Workmen use a cherry picker (pictured) to access panels at a high rise in Bootle, Merseyside

A police officer stood guard at the site of the evacuated residential block earlier today

A man with a plastic shopping bag walks up the stairs toward the entrace of the Dorney Tower residential block

Evacuated residents walk into the Swiss Cottage Leisure Centre and Library, which is being used as a refuge by residents

Residents were seen wheeling large suitcases into the Swiss Cottage Leisure Centre

'We need someone to act on behalf of us and I'm happy to do that. If they serve us legal notices that we have to leave then we will, but I'm away for work all week.

'They're trying to get us out, the key fobs aren't working any more, but I'll just get my wife to let me in if they won't open the door.'

Paula Schofield, a resident of Dorney for more than 24 years, said she will not be leaving her ninth floor flat until she has to.

'I want to stay in my home, I am prepared to leave if and when I have to, I have got somewhere to go and my suitcase is packed, but I would rather sleep tonight in my own bed,' the 54-year-old said.

Ms Schofield said it would require a court order for her to leave, and that she believes the council and fire service do have it within their powers to remove her and other tenants.

Council officers remained at the Swiss Cottage Leisure Centre this morning, but there were few of the 50 residents there.

Workers remove panels of external cladding from the facade of a building in the Wythenshawe area of Manchester this morning

Some 34 high-rise buildings in 17 local authorities in England have already failed urgent fire tests conducted after Grenfell (pictured is a tower block in Manchester this morning)

Camden council leader Georgia Gould said she would be knocking on doors herself to persuade those remaining in their flats to leave.

She explained some residents have issues, including agoraphobia, and want to be sure they have got suitable accommodation before moving out of their flats.

'I'm going myself back to the blocks to knock on doors and have those conversations,' she told BBC News.

But asked if residents would be forced to leave, she said: 'If it comes to the point where people really, really won't leave, I mean, that is absolutely the last resort, the last thing I want to do is force people out of their homes, and the conversations I have been having with residents in these buildings is that they are happy to work with us.'

A man carrying shirts leaves Taplow Tower residential block on the Chalcots Estate. A fire safety expert branded the evacuation an 'ungodly mess'

At least 20 officials milled around the lobby of the building, with four sat at a registration desk waiting for residents to sign in.

The government has also been accused of a ludicrous failure after admitting it had failed to order compulsory testing of insulation materials, The Telegraph reports.

Already, 4,000 residents in Camden, North London, have been forced to abandon their homes without warning.

Some 650 households were evacuated from the Chalcots Estate with less than an hour's notice on Friday following a meeting between council officials and the London Fire Brigade.

Many families were forced to spend the night at the nearby Swiss Cottage leisure centre on airbeds amid what displaced resident described as 'chaotic' scenes.

And with other tower blocks now found to have been refurbished with the same combustible cladding as Grenfell, similar evacuations are expected elsewhere.

A cleric helped a family move from their home in the Dorney Tower residential block

Workers yesterday began removing the cladding from Burnham Tower on the Chalcot Estate

With Theresa May facing demands to declare a civil emergency last night, it was estimated the nationwide cost of housing residents while council-owned towers are made safe will hit tens of millions. Camden Council spent 500,000 on hotel rooms for just a single night, and another 100,000 on food and drink.

Government cost-cutting plans to ease fire safety standards in new schools have been dropped, according to The Observer.

It reported there has been a rethink at the Department of Education (DoE) which had started a consultation on new draft guidance last year.

A suggestion that 'school buildings do not need to be sprinkler protected to achieve a reasonable standard of safety' is to be stripped out of the revised draft guidance, according to The Observer.

A DoE spokesman said: 'There will be no change to the fire safety laws for schools or our determination to protect children's safety.

'It has always been the case, and remains the case, that where the risk assessment required for any new building recommends sprinklers are installed to keep children safe, they must be fitted.

'Alongside the rest of Government, we will take forward any findings from the public inquiry into the Grenfell Tower fire.'

A man was seen carrying a mattress to his car as residents were evacuated from the Bray block on the Chalcots Estate

Steve Pirolli, 49, is a lorry driver who lives on the fourth floor of Taplow Tower with his partner and her two daughters

As safety fears widened on a day of chaos and confusion:

Birmingham's council leader urged the Government to intervene with emergency funds, warning that people 'up and down the country are going to bed afraid';

Camden residents refusing to evacuate were threatened with removal by police;

Others were promised temporary flats in a development workmen said was 'still a building site';

It emerged Grenfell could have been prevented had fire safety rules in England been as tough as in Scotland;

One of the nation's leading businessmen, who is behind a Grenfell fundraising initiative, said the 'chaotic' response to the disaster had led to a 'breakdown of trust' between politicians and people.

A vicar carries luggage as he helps residents evacuate the Dorney Tower residential block on the Chalcots Estate in north London on June 24

Residents were evacuated from the Dorney Tower residential block as a precautionary measure following concerns over the type of cladding used on the outside of the building

4,000 people left the Chalcots Estate in Camden on Friday night and were placed in temporary accommodation, hotels or with family

AFTER 39 YEARS, WE SHALL NOT BE MOVED! France Chan, 85, who is partially sighted and deaf, is staying put with his wife Amparo Amper in their first-storey flat in Dorney Tower They are among Camden residents still refusing to leave their high-rise homes. France Chan, 85, who is partially sighted and deaf, is staying put with his wife Amparo Amper, a 79-year-old retired nurse who has owned their first-storey flat in Dorney Tower since 1978. She said: 'The thought of having to leave everything behind is terrible. I don't know how we'd cope if we had to go.' Advertisement

Birmingham council leader John Clancy said 'we have to do what it takes' to ensure the safety of the city's 213 tower blocks.

'This is a national emergency,' he said. 'The Government needs to accept it's a national emergency and it needs to focus on this. As each day has gone by since this crisis started, there has been less clarity.'

Not all blocks found to have dangerous cladding similar to that used on Grenfell will need to be evacuated. The Prime Minister said it was possible for some councils to take 'mitigating action' enabling residents to stay put. But speaking in Liverpool yesterday, Mrs May said the Government would ensure councils take 'immediate action' over the failed tests, adding: 'Absolutely our first priority is people's safety.'

Camden Council said people from 83 households refused to leave on Friday night  and yesterday, despite the threat of legal action, 50 were still vowing to stay in their homes.

Steve Pirolli, 49, a lorry driver who lives on the fourth floor of Taplow Tower with his partner and her two daughters, said: 'They put up the cladding around us so surely they can take it down around us?'

Camden council leader Georgia Gould is questioned by resident Shirley Phillips outside the Swiss Cottage Leisure Centre after Ms Phillips had to leave her home last night

Taplow resident Shirley Phillips' (C) daughter (R) voices her concerns to Camden Council leader Georgia Gould (L)

Some residents described being awoken by council staff in the early hours and warned that police would remove them if they didn't leave.

Lauren Mitchell, 30, who has lived in one of the towers since she was two weeks old, said: 'There was a knock at the door at 2am. It was a council official in an orange jacket.

'He said if you don't come out, the police will come and remove you.'

COUNCIL LEADER IS THE LEFT'S GOULD-EN GIRL Camden council leader Georgia Gould The woman at the centre of the Camden crisis, council leader Georgia Gould, above, boasts impeccable Blairite credentials. The Oxford-educated 31-year-old is the daughter of the late Philip Gould, Tony Blair's polling guru, and Labour peer Gail Rebuck. One Labour insider said they would be 'amazed' if she didn't make it to the Commons benches. Advertisement

Along with her mother and stepfather, she spent the night in a nearby leisure centre.

Camden Council leader Georgia Gould said: 'There are various legal routes that Camden Council could explore to require people to leave their homes  however, we really don't want to do this.'

Panels of cladding were removed from the five towers on the Chalcots Estate on Wednesday and sent off for lab tests. Camden hired the same firm that refurbished Grenfell Tower and the results revealed the cladding was highly combustible.

Ms Gould said: 'Originally our plan was to remove the cladding and that residents could stay in their homes while this was done. We had lined up a contractor to do the work.

'But the fire service was not happy with the insulation around the gas pipes in the buildings and how the pipes are joined. They also said there were issues with some of the fire doors being made out of unsatisfactory material.'

Miss Gould said the council was attempting to rehouse all its displaced residents, with many spending Friday night in hotels.

'We think the work will take four to six weeks. We have also been looking at student halls accommodation and we want to get people into 100 new flats by Monday.'

Asked about the 'new flats', an aide said they were in a new development two miles away.

Residents were seen looking out of windows in the Dorney Tower residential block

Left, the letter sent to residents on June 23, which some appear to have received after they were evacuated. Right, the fire safety advice inside the Camden block

But a Mail on Sunday reporter who visited the site was told by a builder: 'It doesn't seem likely to me that they will be in by Monday  the place is still a building site. These aren't due to be ready until later this year.'

Meanwhile, the council faced criticism for failing to publish the contents of a fire risk assessments carried out on the towers in the Chalcots Estate 18 months ago. Sian Berry, an opposition councillor and Green Party member, said: 'Issues inside the building should already have been dealt with by Camden.'

Last night, experts suggested the Grenfell Tower tragedy could have been prevented had fire safety rules in England been as tough as in Scotland.

Current building regulations for England, Wales and Northern Ireland are said to be 'ambiguous' when it comes to cladding facades and insulation on the walls of high-rises.

People leave Taplow Tower in north London after returning for extra possessions. The council has put a fund of 100,000 aside to help those who need funds during the next few days

A man carries his pet cat as he and a woman leave the Taplow building on Saturday afternoon. Thousands of people will have to move out of four buildings for around two to four weeks

A woman carries bags out of the tower block after the sudden announcement last night. The council leader explained that they had to act quickly when the firefighters warning came

Despite the warning from the firefighters, some 83 people have decided to stay in their homes and are resolute in their determination not to go

A resident (L) is helped by a council official as she leaves Burnham Tower residential block with some of her things in a carrier bag

Two residents pick up more from their homes after being told they will be out for around two to four weeks for the fire safety work to be carried out

But rules north of the border are far simpler and state clearly that all external wall cladding on high-rise domestic buildings should be 'constructed of non-combustible material' .

Meanwhile the chairman of recruitment giant Reed, who is spearheading a campaign to raise millions of pounds for victims, said the lack of quick and decisive action following Grenfell had led to a 'breakdown of trust' between politicians and local people.

James Reed, 54, who has lived in the Kensington area with his family for years and can see the Tower from his house, said people like him had stepped into the breach to ensure that victims got the help they needed.

'I think they will remain angry and suspicious of officialdom for some time to come,' he said.

Additional reporting: Michael Powell, Padraic Flanagan, Charlotte Wace and Sanchez Manning

They were hastily put up in the leisure centre after safety checks were carried out all day and the decision was made late in the evening

Rows and rows of inflatable single mattresses were lined up on the floor of the leisure centre where thousands of residents were placed for the night

Left Tallow Tower on Saturday morning, after the residents were told to leave as quickly as possible, and right, one of the narrow mattresses at the centre with an Ambulance Pack on top

Residents complained they were given little notice about the evacuation and some were sent to a 'rescue centre' full of airbeds

Tallow Tower on Saturday morning after the residents were evacuated and moved to the leisure as temporary accommodation. 83 people have stayed

The Grenfell, in which at least 79 people are believed to have died, has raised questions about cheap, flammable cladding. The plastic panels that were fitted to the outside of the 24-storey tower block were blamed for the fire spreading

Councils across Britain race to test their tower cladding Burnham residential tower on the Chalcots Estate, Camden, where cladding is being removed CONFIRMED CAMDEN The cladding was tested this week and, although different to that used in Grenfell, was found to be made up of 'aluminium panels with a polyethylene core'. The council has since said it will seek legal advice and accused contractors of fitting flammable materials below the commissioned standard. It also pledged round-the-clock fire safety patrols on the estate's corridors. DEVON Three high-rise tower blocks in Devon have been found to be clad in the same combustible material to the Grenfell Tower in London. Occupants of the 16-storey Lynher, Tamar and Tavy buildings in Plymouth were told of the potential fire risk to their buildings yesterday (Wed). Fire precautions at the buildings were checked urgently and the towers will now be monitored round the clock by security teams. MANCHESTER Wythenshawe Community Housing Group said 78 panels were being removed from a small area of the Village 135 development. Wythenshawe Community Housing Group (WCHG) said: 'We can confirm following early fire safety actions taken we have been able to detect that our Village 135 scheme has been identified as having 78 feature panels which are located in a small area of the overall development, works to remove these panels will commence today.' ISLINGTON Islington Council said cladding was to be removed from Braithwaite House, one of eight blocks tested, after it was found to have aluminium composite material. Test results from the other blocks, Harvist Estate and Brunswick Estate, are yet to be returned, a spokesman said. Councillor Diarmaid Ward said: 'Last night we received results of tests on cladding on the side of Braithwaite House, and they have confirmed the presence of Aluminium Composite Material (ACM). 'We're arranging to have the cladding, which is only on the sides of the building, removed as soon as we possibly can by a specialist contractor. BEING TESTED BARNET Barnet Homes, the council-owned company which runs 24 high-rise blocks in the borough, is reviewing safety in 10 blocks. Three blocks - Granville Point, Harpenmead Point and Templemead point - were reclad in 2012 and have similar panels to Grenfell Tower. They were inspected on Monday and the insulation materials were found to be non-combustible. The other seven blocks have different cladding to Grenfell but are being inspected as a 'precautionary' measure, the council said. NEWHAM Three of the borough's 88 tall buildings have so-called ACM cladding which could be a fire risk. The cladding on these three buildings is now being tested. A spokesman for the council said: 'Once the results are known, we will take whatever action is necessary to ensure our residents are safe. Rivers Apartments in Tottenham, north London, where a review is being carried out of the cladding 'We have already written to tenants and leaseholders in the three blocks explaining what is going on and will keep them informed of all developments.' HARINGEY The London Borough of Haringey owns 54 blocks over six storeys high. None of our blocks have the Reynobond aluminium cladding system that was used on Grenfell Tower. Rivers Apartments, a 22-storey block owned by a Housing Association, is being tested over fears it has the same cladding as Grenfell Tower. HOUNSLOW Only one of the borough's 35 high-rise buildings has the cladding of the type being tested. It is called Clements Court. A council spokesman said: 'We have now taken a sample of this cladding and submitted it to the Building Research Establishment (BRE) and the DCLG as part of its national inspection exercise, which will examine the detail composition of the outer ACM aluminium cladding. Behind the cladding, however, the system is insulated with a 'rockwool' material which is a non-combustable product, and the installation of the system is solely external and did not interfere with the interior of the building. SUTTON The council has eight blocks in its borough - the highest of which is 16 storeys - and has pledged to undergo a 'comprehensive review of fire safety'. Two blocks have cladding but using different materials than what was used in Grenfell. WESTMINSTER Harley Facades, who refurbished Grenfell Tower, supplied the over-cladding at six tower blocks on the Little Venice estate, but the type of cladding used is different, with non-flammable insulation. As a precaution, urgent checks are being carried out on the cladding system and the way it was installed. The local authority has visited all 41 of its tower blocks to review their fire evacuation plans. HAVERING The council has no tower blocks which are higher than 14 storeys. Inspections are being carried out on the other blocks they have in the borough. SALFORD The council says nine of its tower blocks have cladding that is similar to the material used on Grenfell Tower. Tests are being carried out to check whether it is combustible. BELIEVED TO BE SAFE BARKING AND DAGENHAM There are four blocks in the borough which have cladding, but the council said it is not the same type as used on Grenfell Tower. CROYDON 16 cladded blocks have been found not to have been clad with the same materials as Grenfell Tower. However, they are being tested as a precaution. GREENWICH The council said that none of the 105 high-rise buildings in Greenwich are clad in the same way as Grenfell Tower. Grenfell's fire has led to councils across the UK testing if their cladding is dangerous HAMMERSMITH AND FULHAM The council owns three tower blocks which have cladding, but the materials used are different to Grenfell Tower. RICHMOND The council has two 15-storey blocks which have both been recently over-clad with fire resistant cladding. WANDSWORTH There are three blocks in the borough with cladding. The council is carrying out tests but officers are confident they are safe. DONCASTER Cladding different but 'capping' under windowsills is the same, so they are being checked and tests urgently taken. Statement from St Leger Homes: 'The cladding system we have used in Doncaster is an External Wall Insulation (EWI) Render System which is not the same as was used at Grenfell Tower. The core cladding system we have used is different to that used in Grenfell Tower. 'However, we are aware that a small capping detail under the windows of Silverwood House is similar to that used on Grenfell Tower. Whilst this minor capping work (not the window frames or external cladding) is a different make and supplier to that used in London, we are seeking expert advice and ensuring that extensive further testing is urgently undertaken.' NEWCASTLE Your Homes Newcastle, which manages 38 high rise blocks on behalf of the Newcastle City Council, has reassured tenants that the type of cladding used on the Grenfell Tower has not been used on any of its buildings. The council said it is still reviewing building regulation records for existing high rise residential buildings over 18m in height. They said the priority was 'to identify buildings which have been retrofitted with external cladding and to check if the cladding specified is 'aluminium composite material'.' LEEDS The council said there are 22 blocks with cladding but none are made from flammable material NOTTINGHAM They have 13 blocks, none of which use aluminium cladding LIVERPOOL Council said it is still investigating whether privately owned properties have the cladding  the council does not have any housing stock itself ROTHERHAM There is only one block, but it has no external cladding HARTLEPOOL There is only one council block, owned by social housing provide 13. Investigations are taking place to see what the situation is with the cladding WAKEFIELD None of the 2 high rise blocks  managed by company WDH - are clad with the aluminium panels. Statement said: 'Only five have had external wall insulation, which is not a cosmetic treatment and is fixed directly to the super structure, rendered with no air gap, is non-combustible and we have the relevant manufacturer's guarantees confirming the safety of all products used.' Advertisement




The devastated mother of a young man who was found lying on the side of a road with severe head injuries has told of the heartbreak of losing her 'beautiful son'.

Jayden Mason, 21, was knocked unconscious while on a night out at Lake Haven on the New South Wales Central Coast on Saturday but police are still trying to work out whether he was hit during a fight or struck by a car.

His mother, Rebecca Payne, said Jayden had been on life support following the horrific incident but it was switched off when it became apparent he had suffered significant brain damage, The Daily Telegraph reported.

She paid tribute to her son, saying she had lost a part of her life which she would never get back and added 'I am lost'.

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The family of Jayden Mason (pictured) made the heartbreaking decision to switch off his life-support after he suffered significant brain damage when he was knocked unconscious

The 21-year-old, who was on a night out when he was injured, was found lying on the side of a road with severe head injuries

'You are always in my heart and soul till we meet again love you with all my life my beautiful son,' she said.

Jayden's brother, James, posted on Facebook: 'Just to let everyone know Jayden has passed away peacefully rip Jayden'.

Police are now piecing together the moments leading up to Jayden being discovered by a passing motorist on Lake Haven Drive about 10.30pm.

Jayden had been at the Wyong Leagues Club and a fight broke out after he left the venue, 7 News reported.

A witness told the network: 'Somebody from the other outside [came] running and said I think I done something bad, maybe I killed a man'.

The Daily Telegraph reported Jayden had got into a car with an unknown man after organising a lift but left and asked to have his money back when the man said he would be picking up other passengers along the way.

Police at the scene where the 21-year-old was found lying unconscious on the side of the road at Lake Haven on the New South Wales Central Coast

Police are still trying to piece together how Jayden was injured and whether he was hit by another person or struck by a car

Police spent a significant amount of time at the scene on Sunday examining the area

Emergency services were called to the scene and Jayden was rushed to John Hunter Hospital in a critical condition.

A police statement said: 'Police would also like to speak to a woman who police believe, along with others, rendered assistance to the injured man'.

'She is described as being in her 50s and was driving a dark blue Ford Falcon sedan towing a box trailer.'

A GoFundMe page has been set-up by one of Jayden's friends to raise money for his family.

'Just something small to help support Jayden and his family through this tragic time,' the fundraising page reads.

A GoFundMe page has been set-up to support Jayden's family following his death

Jayden's brother, James, posted this heartbreaking message to a Facebook page

Tributes have flowed for Jayden, who is being remembered as a 'top bloke'

'Jayden was a well known friend to many and was loved dearly. Such a horrible incident to happen to someone so young. Any donation will go along way and will be greatly appreciated. We will always remember you for the great guy you where. Fly high x'.

Tributes have flowed for the 21-year-old on social media.

'They say the good die young... Jayden Mason, top bloke, one of the best r.i.p mate, see ya at the cross road bro,' one person wrote.

Another posted on the GoFundMe page: 'Heartbreaking. Forever in our hearts and never forgotten. Such a beautiful young life taken too soon. Sending love, strength, thoughts and prayers xx'.

Police are urging anyone with information about how Jayden was injured to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
An amateur British historian has uncovered the fascinating truth behind an Australian pirate ship that was attacked by Japanese samurais.

Nick Russell moved to Japan three decades ago and in 2014 purchased a beach shack on Teba Island, overlooking the stretch of water where the Australian vessel was moored in 1830.

Mr Russell, an English teacher, was intrigued by the story and spent years researching it with the help of his students to solve the mystery.

'Once I found out the ship was 700 metres off my backyard I had to know more', Mr Russell told Daily Mail Australia.

The ship, named Cyprus, was a supply ship that transported goods between Tasmania, then Van Diemen's Land, and Macquarie Harbour

Nick Russell (pictured) moved to Japan three decades ago and in 2014 purchased a beach shack on Teba Island, overlooking the stretch of water where the Australian vessel was moored in 1830

The ship, named Cyprus, was a supply ship that transported goods between Tasmania, then Van Diemen's Land, and Macquarie Harbour

Mr Russell was a member of historical society as a teenager near his home in East Anglia, north of Suffolk.

He was drawn to the story because he saw the red ensign on old drawings of the ship, and knew it was a British vessel.

Mr Russell's initial studies had him convinced the vessel was a whaling ship, but after loosely translating a series of archived records from samurais who witnessed and subsequently attacked the boat, he learned it did not have the correct characteristics.

He enlisted one of his students, an 82-year-old man, to translate the accounts which were written in an ancient Japanese language, making the task even more difficult.

The pair discovered a trend with mutinies and upon searching for reported incidents in Japan, they had found their boat.

'When I saw the reference to Japan, I just thought, 'this is it', and at the end of the lesson I high-fived him.'

The ship, named Cyprus, was a supply ship that transported goods between Tasmania, then Van Diemen's Land, and Macquarie Harbour.

In 1829, 18 convicts overpowered the officers on-board and hijacked the ship, eventually sailing to Japan.

Mr Russell's initial studies had him convinced the vessel was a whaling ship, but after loosely translating a series of archived records from samurais who witnessed and subsequently attacked the boat, he learned it did not have the correct characteristics

Drawings were illustrated by a spy posing as a fisherman to get a closer look at the foreign ship

Drawings show where Cyprus was positioned in the harbour and its movements

After mooring off Teba Island in the country's south, they were confronted by samurais who were in control of the area and told to leave.

Records suggest they had boomerang-like objects but were not hostile. Local fisherman even rowed out to get a closer look at the convicts, who offered them gifts.

Samurais believed the red wind vein at the top of the mast was a 'magnetic compass.'

'British ships were state-of-the-art. So this Ferrari has rocked up and in Japan they're still driving Fords,' Mr Russell told Daily Mail Australia.

When the convicts refused to leave, samurais fired cannons at the Cyprus, narrowly missing.

Records suggest they had boomerang-like objects but were not hostile. Local fisherman even rowed out to get a closer look at the convicts, who offered them gifts

After mooring off Teba Island in the country's south, they were confronted by samurais who were in control of the area and told to leave

They then attempted to flee, but because of a lack of wind in the area, were pushed back in the direction of the samurai guns.

'They stood up and signalled to the samurai commander 'we dont have wind, we cant get away.' The commander gets it, and asks a fisherman when the wind is going to change,' Mr Russell said.

So the samurais lead them to an area where the wind was going to blow later.'

They were eventually captured in China, where the ship's skipper, William Swallow, told captors of his journey. No-one believed his story, until Nick Russell uncovered the truth.

He told Daily Mail Australia he is creating posters of the story to send to schools in Tasmania.
A migrant gang has targeted two British grandparents driving through Paris 'to steal their UK number plate.'

Peter and Jill Stubbs, from Helston, Cornwall, were travelling through France when they were attacked by thugs who were after their BMW's registration plate.

The grandparents, who had been on holiday in the south of France, were sitting in traffic near the town of Saint-Denis, on the outskirts of the capital, when the ambush took place on Saturday night.

A migrant gang has targeted two British grandparents driving through the town of Saint-Denis (pictured, file photo), near Paris, 'to steal their UK number plate'

One of the robbers, armed with a gun or knife, smashed the front passenger window of the car, according to The Sun.

They smashed the window with a brick and reached in to steal Ms Stubb's handbag.

Their passports, a camera, 400 and the equivalent of 300 in Euros were stolen during the robbery.

The distressed couple drove away and knocked on a stranger's door who called the police. However, the police refused to investigate the incident.

Their passports, a camera, 400 and the equivalent of 300 in Euros was stolen during the robbery. Pictured, a UK border official in Calais (file photo)

Mr Stubbs said: 'We managed to get back to the Euro tunnel but my wife was covered in glass.

'We were really shook up. When we go to border control we explained what happened and were told it is very common.

'I said to him, "I've got a new car, it's a BMW" but he told me "it's not your car they're after, it's your number plate, you were targeted by migrants because you're British and they want to get into the country."'
North Korea on Friday called itself the 'biggest victim' in the death of an American student who was detained for more than a year and died days after being released in a coma.

The North's official Korean Central News Agency denied that North Korea cruelly treated or tortured Otto Warmbier and accused the United States and South Korea of a smear campaign that insulted what it called its 'humanitarian' treatment of him.

The comments published by KCNA were North Korea's first reaction to Otto Warmbier's death in a U.S. hospital Monday after it released him for what it called humanitarian reasons.

Doctors at the hospital said Warmbier had suffered a severe neurological injury from an unknown cause. Relatives say they were told the 22-year-old University of Virginia student had been in a coma since shortly after he was sentenced to 15 years of hard labor in North Korea in March 2016.

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An unidentified spokesman for North Korea's government says the country is the 'biggest victim' in Otto Warmbier's death. The country's leader, Kim Jong Un is pictured during a combat drill of the service in 2016

Warmbier, 22, was detained for a year and died mere days after he was released to the United States in a vegetative state. He is pictured in 2016 being escorted at the Supreme Court in Pyongyang, North Korea's capital

The Asian country has denied torturing Warmbier. Doctors at the American hospital he was transferred to said he had suffered a severe neurological injury from an unknown cause

His family and others have blamed North Korea for his condition.

Warmbier was accused of stealing a propaganda poster. Through statements on KCNA, North Korea said it dealt with him according to its domestic laws and international standards.

'Although we had no reason at all to show mercy to such a criminal of the enemy state, we provided him with medical treatments and care with all sincerity on humanitarian basis until his return to the U.S., considering that his health got worse,' the agency quoted an unidentified Foreign Ministry spokesman as saying.

The spokesman said 'groundless' speculation of torture and beatings could be refuted by American doctors who came to North Korea at the time of Warmbier's repatriation and 'recognized that his health indicators like pulse, temperature, respiration and the examination result of the heart and lung were all normal.' The report did not mention Warmbier's neurological status.

'The fact that Warmbier died suddenly in less than a week just after his return to the U.S. in his normal state of health indicators is a mystery to us as well,' the spokesman said.

'To make it clear, we are the biggest victim of this incident and there would be no more foolish judgment than to think we do not know how to calculate gains and losses,' he said.

'The fact that Warmbier died suddenly in less than a week just after his return to the U.S. in his normal state of health indicators is a mystery to us as well,' the North Korea spokesman said. The casket of Warmbier is carried to the hearse followed by his family and friends after a funeral service in Wyoming, Ohio

The 22-year-old was accused of stealing a propaganda poster and North Korea says it punished him based on its domestic laws and international standards. He is pictured here with a tour group during his visit to the country

'The smear campaign against (North Korea) staged in the U.S. compels us to make firm determination that humanitarianism and benevolence for the enemy are a taboo and we should further sharpen the blade of law,' the spokesman added.

A separate KCNA article published hours earlier criticized South Korea for using Warmbier's case to seek the release of other detainees, including six South Korean citizens. South Korean President Moon Jae-in said in an interview with CBS television earlier this week that it was clear North Korea bears a heavy responsibility for Warmbier's death.

The article said South Korea was tarnishing North Korea's image with 'slanderous talk about cruel treatment and torture.'

It demanded that South Korea return 12 restaurant workers who defected to the South last year. South Korea said the women defected on their own, while North Korea claimed they were deceived and abducted to the South.

The United States, South Korea and others often accuse North Korea of using foreign detainees to wrest diplomatic concessions. Three Americans remain in custody in the North.
Dying patients should be allowed to go on a final holiday with their families rather than face further treatment, a top NHS boss has said.

Professor Marcel Levi, a doctor and chief executive of University College Hospitals, warned against wasting money by treating patients at the end of their lives.

Levi, who is Dutch, believes the approach will help improve the quality of life of terminally ill patients.

Dying patients should be allowed to go on a final holiday with their families rather than face further treatment, NHS boss Professor Marcel Levi (pictured) said

He said: 'I often think, 'You would be better going on holiday with your family and you may have a little shorter but a lot better end of your life,'" according to The Sunday Times.

The doctor added: 'Patients who are 85 years old do not have to expect a lot of gain from haemo-dialysis [kidney dialysis], but they still go there three times a week.

Professor Marcel Levi, chief executive of University College Hospitals, warned against wasting money by treating patients at the end of their lives

'Somebody should at least discuss with them, "Is this useful for you? Are you really having any gain of quality of life by doing this?"'

After his medical training at the University of Amsterdam, Levi obtained his PhD with honours in 1991 and was appointed as a Fellow by the Royal Netherlands Academy of Science.

He has also worked at the University of Perugia, Italy and the Center for Transgene Technology and Genetherapy of the University of Leuven, Belgium.

This latest development is sure to open up the debate over assisted dying in the UK.

Both active euthanasia and assisted suicide are currently illegal under English law.

Depending on the circumstances, euthanasia is regarded as either manslaughter or murder and is punishable by law, with a maximum penalty of up to life imprisonment.
Nigel Farage has denied undergoing cosmetic surgery despite sporting a strikingly more fresh-faced appearance than usual.

The former UKIP leader has been captured in pictures that show him looking more sprightly and rejuvenated than images taken years ago.

Not only does his hair appear to be a darker shade of brown, he seems to have gained a tan, and speculation is rampant that the 53-year-old underwent botox treatment on a recent trip to Germany.

It comes as video emerged of Mr Farage dancing with Laure Ferrari - his flatmate and reported girlfriend.

Mr Farage, pictured at a party to mark the one year anniversary of the Brexit vote, told MailOnline: Look listen, the idea that I have been to Germany for some treatment and had Botox is rubbish, thats all Im going to say on the issue.

What a difference!: The ex-Ukip leader is sporting a far more rejuvenated and sprightly look (right) at the European Parliament on June 14 this year, compared to when he was pictured arriving to cast his vote in local and European elections in 2014

Mr Farage told MailOnline: Look listen, the idea that I have been to Germany for some treatment and had Botox is rubbish, thats all Im going to say on the issue.

He refused to say if he had dyed his hair.

And when pressed on whether he credits his youthful looks on leaving the Ukips troubles behind him, he said: Ukip life is better and easier.

But celebrity cosmetic specialist Dr Nyla Raja said that, in her opinion, Mr Farage appears to have skin tightening treatment using radio frequencies.

'I also think he has had Botox because the wrinkles around his eyes and on the forehead are less defined,' she told The Sun.

NIGEL THE BREXIT DRUMBANGER SAYS IDEA HE HAD BOTOX IN GERMANY IS 'RIDICULOUS' Not only does the former Ukip leader have dyed brown hair, he also looks has a much better complexion than before the election Mr Farage appears to have far fewer wrinkles on his forehead, which tie-up with rumours he has had Botox

His crow's feet seem to have been reduced considerably as well as the lines at the sides of his eyes.

He is also sporting a healthier tan and a much better complexion than before the election

His hair has been dyed brown in the past few months Advertisement

On Friday, the MEP was enjoying a Brexit vote anniversary party being hosted by billionaire businessman and Ukip donor, Arron Banks.

'Since the election a bit of powers been passed back to the political class and were half way back down the mountain again.

'We will see what emerges over the course of the next two years. All I can say is that if Brexit doesnt mean Brexit, I intend to don khaki and head for the frontline again.'

Nigel Farrage and Arron Banks pictured at Old Down Estate, in Tockington near Bristol, at a party marking the first anniversary of the Brexit vote

It comes after Mr Farage said that he would consider returning to Ukip.

He told Good Morning Britain: 'Whether I will be leader of it again is very doubtful.

'But I could play a prominent role.

'Believe you me - the people who voted Brexit meant it. They will not be changing their minds.
America's opioid epidemic has become so extreme that even librarians are being trained to combat overdoses.

In Philadelphia, Denver and San Francisco young library staff are being armed with first aid kits which contain doses of Naxolone, a vital drug which reverses the deadly effects of heroin and methamphetamine via nasal spray or injection.

Staff have not only had to learn how to give it responsibly to people inside the libraries but they are also now rushing out to save addicts in public parks and spaces.

City workers said the problem was among the worst public health emergencies they had ever seen.

Staff at McPherson Square Library in Philadelphia (pictured) have been trained to give drug addicts Naxolone if they see them overdosing

Chera Kowalski, 33, has brought several people back from the brink of death at McPherson Square Library in Philadelphia.

The library had to close for three days last year when needles clogged its sewage system.

They have since had to put up signs on the bathroom doors limiting people to five minute slots to use the facilities and they are only allowed in after leaving their ID card with staff.

They say that part of the problem in Philadelphia is drug tourism which brings addicts from all over the country to Kensington, a pocket of the city which is known to boast the purest form of heroin on the East Coast.

Kowalski, whose own parents were heroin addicts but who are now both clean, told CNN she hoped the situation would improve.

Naxolone, known by brand name Narcan, reverses the effects of deadly opioids like heroin

'I understand where they're coming from and why they're doing it.

'I just keep faith and hope that one day they get the chance and the opportunity to get clean,' she said.

Others, including Philadelphia Health Commissioner Dr. Thomas Farley, are less optimistic.

'It is among the worst public health problems we've ever seen, and it's continuing to get worse. We have not seen the worst of it yet,' he said.

At Denver Central Library in Colorado, staff had to treat an addict with Naxolone - which is often known by its brand name Narcan - on the same day they received their first stash of it.

In San Francisco, someone died of an opioid overdose in the bathroom of a public library. Afterwards, staff across the city were trained in administering Narcan.

More than 33,000 people died from opioid abuse in 2015. While heroin remains one of the deadliest drugs, prescription painkillers are also largely to blame.

In the same year, more than 1million people sought care after overdosing.

The risk posed by substances including fentanyl, codeine, dilaudid, oxycodone, morphine, Percocet went largely undetected for years given their legal status.

Libraries are also being equipped with injections of Naxolone (pictured) to help fight the epidemic
Brits travelling abroad will still be able to get free or cut-priced healthcare after Brexit under plans unveiled today by David Davis.

The Brexit Secretary said the EU-wide scheme of health insurance (EHIC) will still continue after the UK leaves the bloc.

The move means that British tourists or nationals living abroad will not be hit with eye-watering hospital bills if they fall ill.

The Cabinet minister also hinted that Britain will be able to deport criminals from Europe who are choking up Britain's prisons.

David Davis, pictured in Brussels last week, said Brits traveling abroad in the EU will still get access to the EU wide health insurance scheme after Brexit so they wont be hit by big fees

But he stressed that no other EU nationals need to fear being deported after Brexit.

Speaking on BBC's Andrew Marr show, Mr Davis he gave further details about the rights EU citizens living in the UK will be given after Brexit.

He said: 'We are looking to see if we can get a continuation of the EHIC scheme as it now exists.

'Of course, if we can't get one then we will provide one unilaterally, but that is what we are looking to.

'We are trying to ensure that every individual citizen gets their current position as it were locked in place for them, so that the anxiety can go.

'This is the really issue, its about peoples anxiety, its not about the prospect of deporting people, its about the anxiety that they cant stay. That's the real issue.'

Pressed if anyone will be deported after Brexit, he hinted that foreign criminals will but no one else needs to worry.

He said: 'I don't think so, unless they have committed a crime or some sort of security problem. I don't expect that. It will go back to the normal type of relationship.'

Britain has begun to sketch out further details about its proposals for Brexit after formal talks began on Monday.

Theresa May, pictured heading to church with her husband Philip this morning, last week unveiled plans to allow the 3.2milion EU citizens living in Britain to stay after Brexit. David Davis will flesh this out tomorrow when he reveals the full proposals to parliament

Theresa May has followed through on her promise to make protecting the rights of EU nationals her top priority, and last week unveiled a bold offer to allow the 3.2million living in the UK to stay.

Mr Davis is tomorrow unveiling to parliament the full details of how this promise will be delivered and the full rights that accompany it.

He struck a tougher tone than many of his Cabinet colleagues on Brexit, repeating Mrs May's election warning that 'no deal would be better than a punishment deal'.

And he said that while he is 'pretty sure' a deal will be struck, he said he is not '100 per cent sure'.

He said: 'I'm sure there will be a deal, whether it's the deal I want, which is a free trade agreement, the customs agreement, and so on, I'm pretty sure, but I'm not certain.'

And he reassured voters who do not want Britain to be saddled with de-facto EU membership by being signed up to a transitional deal which drags on for years.

Instead Mr Davis said he expects it to last a year or two.

And he made a light-hearted jibe at his Brussels counterpart in the Brexit negotiations, Michel Barnier.

Asked what he is like, he said: 'Well, he's very French. Oh, he's very grand. He's very elegant.'
A New Jersey mom has published her three-year-old son's heart surgery bill to plead with the Senate not to scrap one of the key parts of Obamacare.

Ali Chandras little boy Ethan was born with a congenital heart defect known as heterotaxy.

The condition means the youngster has already required him to undergo multiple life saving numerous surgeries - which have been covered by health insurance thanks to Obamacare's ban on benefits caps.

But now President Trump is scrapping Obamacare in favor of his own Trumpcare bill - but it is not clear whether it will allow insurers to reinstate the ban which means companies do not have to pay out after medical bills pass a certain ceiling limit.

Ali Chandras little boy Ethan (pictured) was born with a congenital heart defect known as heterotaxy

Chandra posted the staggering $231,115 healthcare bill for Ethan's open heart surgery, and recovery in the cardiac intensive care unit and on the cardiac floor

Chandra, a registered nurse and mom-of-two, fears that if the caps are allowed to return, her three-year-old's life could be at stake.

On Friday, she posted the staggering $231,115 healthcare bill for Ethan's open heart surgery, and recovery in the cardiac intensive care unit and on the cardiac floor.

Thanks to her insurance, Chandra's personal liability was just $500.

'It seems fitting that, with the #TrumpCare debate raging, I got this bill in the mail today from Ethan's most recent open heart surgery,' she tweeted with a picture of the bill.

Chandra wrote that her son had undergone four of these heart surgeries - and would require more going forward. They also have to make regular visits to their local cardiologist, immunology, pediatrician, as well as an electrophysiologist for his pacemaker. He often has to visit ER for sepsis workups if his temperature rises above 100.4F.

Chandra (pictured with Ethan) a registered nurse and mom-of-two, fears that if the caps are allowed to return, her three-year-old's life could be at stake

Chandra wrote that her son (pictured in hospital) had undergone four of these heart surgeries - and would require more going forward

'We're going to be adding pulmonology to his team after we give him a summer break. The longest he's ever gone between appointments: 5 weeks,' Chandra wrote. 'He takes 5 different prescription medications multiple times a day. All of this adds up. None of this would be possible without insurance.'

Chandra said her son 'blew past the million dollar mark' for his medical treatments a long time ago - unsurprising when the latest bill shows almost a quarter of a million dollars for one surgery and recovery.

She insisted that 'as long as we have (Ethan) with us (and I hope with everything in me that it's forever) we will need to pay for expensive medical care.'

'A lifetime cap on benefits is the same as saying, "Sorry, you're not worth keeping alive anymore. You're just too expensive."'

Chandra isn't the first parent to make a desperate plea to the Republicans not to scrap all elements of the Affordable Health Care Act.

Last month, Jimmy Kimmel broke down as he revealed on air how he and his wife discovered their new son's dangerous heart conditions hours after his birth.

His son was born at Cedars-Sinai, but had to be rushed to Childrens Hospital Los Angeles for emergency open heart surgery.

In an appeal to politicians not to do away with Obamacare, Kimmel said his family's ordeal made him all-too aware of the need for free healthcare for children.

Ali Chandra with her son Ethan, and her Canadian husband as well as their daughter

Chandra said her son 'blew past the million dollar mark' for his medical treatments a long time ago - unsurprising when the latest bill shows almost a quarter of a million dollars for one surgery and recovery

She is hoping to remind the Senate that the bill they are voting on has life or death consequences for real people - people like her young son (pictured showing one of the scars from a former surgery)

'The statistics you read aren't just numbers,' Chandra said, 'They're names and faces and little boys who stay up late catching lightning bugs'

'I hope you never have to go there but if you do you'll see so many kids from so many financial backgrounds being cared for so well with so much compassion.

'If your baby is going to die it should't matter how much money you make,' he said.

The Senate cut some of its more controversial proposals when it went to the House of Representatives but there are still doubts whether it can pass with critics on both sides of the isle.

Meanwhile, thousands of parents like Chandra are waiting to hear whether they can still afford essential medical treatment for their sick children.

'The fear and anxiety surrounding this bill is palpable right now,' she told Buzzfeed, adding that if the bill does pass without the ban on caps, she and her family will have to uproot and move to Canada.

'Thankfully my husband is Canadian, so we have an 'out' if we absolutely need it, but it will mean leaving Ethan's entire team of doctors and the one surgeon in the world who really understands how his heart works now,' Chandra said.

But many of the friends they had met who had children with heterotaxy did not have the same luxury of an escape plan.

'I just want to share our story, to get people to realize that politics are always personal, that the statistics you read aren't just numbers,' Chandra said. 'They're names and faces and little boys who stay up late catching lightning bugs.'
The Brisbane resident heard a loud explosion from the home next door to hers

A selfless Brisbane resident didn't think twice when she heard a loud explosion come from the home next door.

Immediately fearing her elderly neighbour was in danger Sandra Yates took action.

As her grandchildren and pregnant daughter-in-law fled their home to safety Ms Yates ran next door to check on her 84-year-old neighbour, Phil, just after 9am on Sunday.

'The flames took hold so quick, so quick,' Sandra Yates told Channel 7.

A woman has been hailed a hero after she saved her elderly neighbour from a fire

Brisbane resident Sandra Yates (pictured) heard a loud explosion from the home next door to hers

Despite the early stages of a raging inferno beginning to roar through his home Ms Yates, armed with a tea-towel to cover her face, headed into the home beside her own.

'I ran into my house and got a tea towel, covered my face, I was screaming out his name, I got under him, draped him over me and I tried so hard not to hurt him because his skin was all blistered.' she said.

'You could see he was beat, no energy left, I knew I had to get him away,' he said.

The 84-year-old, who has suffered from lung and bone cancer, was airlifted to hospital in a critical condition.

Ms Yates' daughter-in-law (pictured) had all of her soon-to-be-born baby's new clothes and gear in the home, which is now gone

The devastating fire not only destroyed Phil's home but tragically frustrated fire crews watched on as the blaze spread to Ms Yates' home with both families now losing over 60 years of memories.

Ms Yates' daughter-in-law had all of her soon-to-be-born baby's new clothes and gear in their home, which is now gone.

The fire is believed to have started from a faulty dryer that Phil's daughter put on about 9am. She said said she put some towels on before leaving the house for work. An hour later she discovered everything in the home was lost.

Humbly Ms Yates believes she was just doing the right thing to enter the home and help; 'I did what anyone would do, it was just horrific.'
Heartbreaking footage shows the moment a man learns his pregnant partner has died in a car accident.

Tasmanian woman Sarah Paino, 24, was 32 weeks pregnant with her second son Caleb when she was killed in a crash caused by teenage hoons in a stolen car.

She was driving home after taking her partner, Daniel Stirling, to the Hobart bakery where he works the evening of the crash. Mr Stirling was informed by police at the bakery his wife did not make it.

Doctors saved Caleb, delivering him by emergency caesarean section.

Mr Stirling was working the night shift at a bakery, and Ms Paino, heavily pregnant, offered to drive him.

'She should've been in bed,' Mr Stirling emotionally told Sunday Night.

Mr Stirling (pictured) was working the night shift at a bakery, and Ms Paino, heavily pregnant, offered to drive him. 'She should've been in bed,' Mr Stirling emotionally told Sunday Night

Baby Caleb (pictured) was kept in hospital for more than a month after the emergency caesarean section

Caleb is happy and healthy 18 months after he survived the car crash that killed his mother

The incident occurred near Hobart's waterfront in January, 2016. Four youths aged between 12 and 16 had stolen a car and were driving at speeds up to 200km/h.

The 16-year-old driver of the stole vehicle was sentenced to five years detention in August, 2016, after pleading guilty to manslaughter.

The youths in the stolen car were fine, as was Ms Paino's eldest son, Jordan. She was rushed to hospital, where doctors performed CPR on her just to keep the unborn baby alive.

'I saw Sarah being wheeled in by paramedics with CPR going on, and all I could see was her massive belly,' Doctor Kate Field said.

The police then went to the bakery where Mr Stirling was working to deliver the news.

'They said to me: 'we've got some bad news. Your partner, Sarah, has died in a car accident'.

'My body went numb, and I just said 'she's pregnant, she's pregnant.'

Heartbreaking footage shows the moment Daniel Stirling learns his pregnant partner has died in a car accident

'They said to me: 'we've got some bad news. Your partner, Sarah, has died in a car accident'. 'My body went numb, and I just said 'she's pregnant, she's pregnant'

The stolen Toyota Rav 4 that crashed into Ms Paino's car - pictured burnt after the accident in Hobart's CBD

'I saw Sarah being wheeled in by paramedics with CPR going on, and all I could see was her massive belly,' Doctor Kate Field told Sunday Night

Caleb was delivered in an emergency caesarean, and doctors described his health as 'touch and go.'

He was described as 'critically unwell' upon birth and it took 25 minutes before doctors were able to get Caleb to breathe and function on his own.

The 'miracle baby' is now one and has no ongoing health issues.

Mr Stirling has hung photos of his Ms Paino around the house so Caleb will always be surrounded by her.

'It crushes me, I'm never going to hear her voice again, see her smile, nothing.'

Sarah Paino is pictured with her older son Jordan who was two years old when she died in the crash

Mr Stirling has hung photos of his Ms Paino around the house so Caleb will always be surrounded by her.
Donald Trump has admitted he called the proposed Republican healthcare bill 'mean' while also attacking Democrats for opposing the controversial measure.

The president made the comments in an interview aired by Fox and Friends on Sunday morning after being asked about Barack Obama described the proposal using that word.

'Well he used my term, mean,' Trump said, before describing what he wants to see from the policy designed to take the place of the Affordable Care Act.

'I speak from the heart, I want to see a bill with heart,' he said.

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Donald Trump has admitted during an interview he called the Republican healthcare plan 'mean'

'Healthcare is a very complicated subject from the standpoint you move it this way and this group and this group doesn't like it, you move it a little bit over here, you have a very narrow path, and honestly nobody can be totally happy.

'And this has nothing to do with votes, forget about the votes, this has to do with picking a plan that everybody is going to like, I'd like to say love, but like.

'We have a very good plan, and we have a few people that are, I think you could say modestly, they're not standing on the roof and screaming, they want to get some points, I think they'll get some points.'

Earlier in the interview, Trump accused the Democrats of blocking his bill, which experts say would result in more than 20 million people losing their healthcare

'Well he used my term, mean,' Trump said, after being asked about President Barack Obama described the plan by using that word

Fox and Friends interviewed the president at the White House and aired it on Sunday morning

Trump sent out this tweet on Sunday morning before his interview with Fox News was aired

Watch the latest video at <a href="//video.foxnews.com">video.foxnews.com</a>

'It would be so great if the Democrats and Republicans could get together, wrap their arms around it and come up with something everybody can be happy with, it's so easy, but we won't get one Democrat vote,' he said, before launching into an attack on the party and its leadership.

'If it were the greatest bill ever proposed in mankind, we wouldn't get a vote there them is resist, I've never heard of anything like this,' he said.

'I saw Schumer criticizing the bill a couple of weeks ago, and he had no idea what was in the bill. He was saying this bill is this and it's that, he had no idea.

'In fact, the Republican senators didn't know because it wasn't released, very few people knew but that's called the resistance, that's a terrible word, think of it, their theme is resist, their theme should be let's get together. But their theme is resist, it's obstruction.'

He was then asked by the Fox News reporter about Elizabeth Warren, to which Trump replied: 'I think she's a hopeless case, I call her Pocahontas and that's an insult to Pocahontas.

'I actually think she is someone who has a lot of hatred, a lot of anger I think she's a highly overrated voice.'

'Simply put, if theres a chance you might get sick, get old, or start a family  this bill will do you harm,' Obama said of the Republican proposal

Donald Trump is pictured speaking during a signing ceremony for a bill at the White House on June 23

Trump was then asked by about the veterans bill he signed this week, with the Fox News reporter attacking the 'failing New York Times and Washington Post' for allegedly not covering the 'historic' move.

Instead of addressing the bill, the president instead attacked President Obama for not doing anything about Russian interference  which Trump has previously described as 'fake news' - in the election sooner.

But he eventually got around to discussing veterans issues, saying he 'always felt they weren't given a fair shake'.

'They fight wars, they lose limbs, you know lives, they've gone through so much and I've always felt like they weren't appreciated,' he said.

'But you know who appreciates them, the voters, and I'm not just talking about them as a block, which is a big block, but the voters outside of the veterans they appreciate what they have done, but I've always felt they weren't given a fair shake and then you read the disasters stories when people are waiting on line to see a doctor and worse when they have a disease or a problem or a form of cancer that's easily and quickly curable and they have to wait six, seven, eight months, and by the time they get in it's terminal, you know, the things that go on are incredible.'

Trump criticized Democrats for not working with Republicans to pass the bill, just moments before launching an attack on Chuck Schumer

Senate Minority Leader Democrat Chuck Schumer looks at a sign beside during a news conference about the release of a draft of the Republican-crafted healthcare plan

Trump also renewed his attacks on Senator Elizabeth Warren during his interview with Fox News

Trump's bill, the Accountability and Whistleblower Protection Act, is designed to make it easier to fire Department of Veterans Affairs employees.

Trump repeatedly promised during the election campaign to dismiss VA workers 'who let our veterans down,' and he cast Friday's bill signing as fulfillment of that promise.

The measure was prompted by a 2014 scandal at the Phoenix VA medical center, where some veterans died as they waited months for care.

The VA is the second-largest department in the US government, with more than 350,000 employees, and it is charged with providing health care and other services to military veterans.

Federal employee unions opposed the measure.
The Justice Department's office of inspector general is said to be probing former Attorney General Loretta Lynch's role in the FBI's investigation of Hillary Clinton's handling of emails as Secretary of State.

The DoJ watchdog's probe was revealed Saturday by House oversight committee chairman Jason Chaffetz in an interview with Fox & Friends, and joins a Senate Judiciary Committee inquiry into Lynch.

Chaffetz, a Republican representative from Utah, said DoJ Inspector General Michael Horowitz 'has been diving into this' and is expected to release a report on Lynch's oversight of the now-closed FBI investigations in 'the first part of next year.'

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House oversight committee chairman Jason Chaffetz (pictured) said Saturday that DoJ Inspector General Michael Horowitz is investigating Lynch's role in Clinton email probe

Loretta Lynch led the Justice Department as attorney general while the FBI was investigating Clinton's use of a private email server as Secretary of State

Clinton, who was at the time the Democratic presidential nominee, was let off the hook for the classified materials the FBI investigation found on her private email server

Lynch led the Justice Department as attorney general while the FBI was investigating Clinton's use of a private email server as Secretary of State, and Republicans have raised fears that Lynch interfered in the investigations.

Those fears reached a peak after Bill Clinton spoke privately with Lynch on the tarmac of a Phoenix airport last summer, sparking concern that he appealed to her for help quashing the investigation.

Lynch's potential role in the email investigation resurfaced on May 3, when former FBI Director James Comey told Congress that Lynch instructed him to call the investigation a 'matter' in public comments, mirroring the Hillary Clinton presidential campaign's language.

Comey also hinted that he took the extraordinary step last July of speaking out about the email investigation because of fears over interference into the probe by Justice Department leadership.

Former FBI Director James Comey told Congress on May 3 that Lynch instructed him to call the Clinton email investigation a 'matter' in public comments

'A number things had gone on, some of which I cannot talk about yet,' Comey said, 'that made me worry that the Department leadership could not credibly complete the investigation and decline prosecution without grievous damage to the American people's confidence in the justice system.'

In April, the New York Times reported a memo 'written by a Democratic operative who expressed confidence that Ms. Lynch would keep the Clinton investigation from going too far.'

That document, the Times reported, was recovered from Russian hackers who were unaware the FBI could see what they had taken from U.S. networks.

The Department of Justice inspector general's probe into Lynch has not been confirmed, and Horowitz was not reachable for comment on Sunday.
Decomposing corpses are kept inside wire cages to help crack murder cases at Australia's first ever 'body farm'.

The human decomposition facility, hidden in a secret location west of Sydney, is home to 100 corpses which were donated to the facility in the name of science.

The bodies are placed inside the cages to protect them from scavengers and are left exposed to the elements so researchers can observe their decomposition.

Forensic scientist Shari Forbes, dubbed the 'Queen of the Dead,' leads the team at the facility, hidden in dense bushland near the Blue Mountains.

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Australia's first 'body farm' is home to 100 corpses donated for scientific research. The facility is hidden in a secret location west of Sydney

Inside the facility, hectares of corpses are strewn across the dirt and bushland, with some decayed to the point of being merely skeletal remains

'I really don't have a problem with how people want to term my role and particularly how they want to term the facility itself,' Professor Forbes told 60 Minutes.

'I see a lot of different things, so instantly I'm thinking: ''How long has this body been here? What indicators are there that can tell me that information?''

'Because that's one of the biggest questions the police will ask us, is to estimate how long a person has been deceased.

'I'll also see a lot of other things. I'll see the insect activity on the bodies. I'll smell the odour.

The bodies, placed inside wire cages to protect them from scavengers, are left exposed to the elements to help solve the country's most gruesome murder cases

Professor Shari Forbes (pictured) runs the facility which allows corpses to decompose in the name of science

'So we're always looking at all these features that can tell us something about this - if it was a crime scene, that's how we look at it.'

Inside the facility, hectares of corpses are strewn across the dirt and bushland, with some decayed to the point of being merely skeletal remains.

Producer of the Channel Nine program Grace Tobin described the confronting scenes at the facility.

'There is flesh, facial features, fluid and flies... So many flies,' she said.

'Some have been there so long they've disintegrated into piles of bones, camouflaged by dry leaves and vegetation. Others - just months old - are shrouded in brown, leathery skin.

The macabre research experiment has proved invaluable to criminal investigations. Cages can be seen here left and right used to protect the bodies from scavengers

Inside the facility, hectares of corpses are strewn across the dirt and bushland, with some decayed to the point of being merely skeletal remains.

'On the corner of one alley, a discoloured skull stared up at us through hollowed eye sockets. His or her jaw had dropped open and was locked into a haunting scream.'

The macabre research experiment has proved invaluable to criminal investigations in the U.S. and provides previously unobtainable forensic tools to help identify and examine badly decomposed bodies.

The idea of human body farms was first introduced in the 1970s after scientists realised how profoundly little was known about the decomposition of human flesh.

The dead bodies are left exposed to the harsh elements where they decompose for scientific research aimed at helping to solve Australia's worst murder and missing person cases

A walk through the facility reveals bushland covered in human flesh and skeletal remains

Prior to using human bodies, pig remains were used to help forensic pathologists understand how the process of putrefaction worked.

'Some of our research focuses on enhancing our ability to search and locate victim remains, such as the use of cadaver detection dogs,' Professor Forbes said.

'Other aspects of our research will focus on the identification of the victim, whether that be through fingertips, DNA or the use of isotopes.'

A walk through the bizarre graveyard might turn even the strongest of stomachs, but it has offered a crucial insight to help solve crimes and it could even lead to the reopening of cold-cases.
An explosive leaked tape has reportedly revealed a federal government minister declaring same-sex marriage will be legalised in Australia 'before too long'.

Defence Industry minister Christoper Pyne was apparently heard making the claim at an event in Sydney attended by moderate Liberal Party colleagues on Friday night.

Mr Pyne was addressing the 'Black Hand reception' when attention turned to the marriage equality debate, The Daily Telegraph reported.

Defence Industry minister Christopher Pyne (pictured) has been recorded at a reception attended by Liberal Party colleagues declaring same-sex marriage will happen 'sooner than everyone thinks'

Mr Pyne's boast about delivering same-sex marriage 'before too long' was captured on a tape which was leaked to the media (Pictured is a marriage equality rally in Sydney)

Mr Pyne reportedly said in his speech marriage equality in Australia needed to be delivered 'before too long'.

'We're going to get it. I think it might even be sooner than everyone thinks. And your friends in Canberra are working on that outcome,' Mr Pyne said.

But when his comments were made public, a spokesman for Mr Pyne told The Daily Telegraph the minister 'did not say action on marriage equality is imminent'.

Guests at the reception included Liberal Party City of Sydney councillor Christine Forster, the sister of former prime minister Tony Abbott, and Attorney-General George Brandis.

Mr Pyne has publicly declared he is a supporter of same-sex marriage on numerous occasions in recent times.

'I want same-sex marriage in this country,' Mr Pyne said in a 2016 interview with ABC's 7.30 program when discussing a plebiscite on the issue.

Mr Pyne has previously declared on numerous occasions in recent times that he is a supporter of same-sex marriage (Pictured is a marriage equality rally in Sydney)

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull introduced a same-sex marriage plebiscite bill in the House of Representatives in September last year.

It narrowly made it through the lower house but failed to clear the Senate about two months later.

The legislation to enable a national vote on same-sex marriage was defeated 33 votes to 29, with Labor, Greens, the Nick Xenophon Team and independent Derryn Hinch opposing it in the upper house.

The government had promised to hold the plebiscite during the 2016 federal election campaign.
Tim Farron has told how he wept when his daughter text to say she was 'proud' of him after he took the tough decision to quit as Lib Dem leader because of his Christian faith.

The MP, who is deeply religious, said his family were 'relieved' while he feels 'two stone lighter' after making the tough decision a fortnight ago.

In a frank statement to party activists earlier this month, he said he decided to leave because he found it 'impossible' to balance the competing demands of being a committed Christian and a political leader.

Tim Farron was relieved when he announced he was quitting as Lib Dem leader because he found it impossible to balance the competing demands of party leadership with his Christian faith

He made the decision after being dogged by questions over his views on whether gay sex is sinful and on abortion during the General Election campaign.

But the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, led the chorus of those who warned that Mr Farron's departure could be a sign that Christians are being squeezed out of an increasingly intolerant British politics.

Mr Farron, a married father-of-four, said he does not consider himself 'a victim in the slightest' and said he decided to go because he feared he would be asked about his faith 'forever'.

And he revealed that when he made his resignation speech his wife Rosie was relieved - and his daughter left him in tears by texting 'you've done the right thing, I'm very proud of you.'

Mr Farron said: 'It's been a stressful period.

'She knows the kind of - attacks is the wrong word - but the constant focus on faith, and what that means for us as a family, has been a challenge.'

'I was absolutely together with it all and I didn't feel emotional about it.. I felt pleased to have done it and I'd made my statement.

'I was preparing to go and get in a car and go up north and I got a little text from my daughter which just said: "I'm very proud of you, you've done the right thing' and I had a little cry".'

Mr Farron said he could not serve 'two masters' and he is confident he has made the right decision.

Sir Vince Cable, right , is the only Lib Dem to have announced he is standing for the Lib Dem leadership, but Sir Ed Davey, pictured left, is also expected to throw his hat into the ring

He said: 'I made the decision because I thought it clearly is going to be a thing now forever.

'I'm going to be asked about points of theology and my faith all the time.

'In the end I've either got to compromise in a way that is just wrong or I've got to give up - you can't serve two masters.

'I didn't feel a conflict and it just struck me very clearly that this was the right thing to do.'

But he insisted he has not plans to stand down as an MP, and is relishing having more time to tour his local constituency.

He said: 'I came straight back up here and had the best two nights I've had in ages.

'Various school visits, surgeries out in the bird cage, I did a load of door knocking, a farm visit. It's brilliant and I love it.

'I have every intention of staying for as long as the people around here want to have me.'

Former business secretary Sir Vince Cable is the only person to throw his hat into the ring to be Lib Dem leader so far.

But former energy secretary Sir Ed Davey is also tipped to stand for the leadership.
Dive-bombing seagulls have left 'terrified' pupils in lockdown during the hottest week of the year.

Ysgol Eifion Wyn primary school in Porthmadog, Wales, has been forced to keep children off the playground during break-time at least twice this week as herring gulls have been swooping around the heads of parents, teachers and children.

The birds have been nesting on the school roof and their aggressive behaviour is blamed on them protecting chicks who have fallen to the ground.

Ysgol Eifion Wyn primary school in Porthmadog, Wales, has been forced to keep children off the playground during break-time at least twice this week as herring gulls have been swooping around the heads of parents, teachers and kids

The situation has got so bad that some parents said they were 'too scared' to drop off and pick up their children.

Headteacher Carys Jones contacted RSPCA, RSPB, and pest control at Gwynedd Council and the chicks have since been removed.

A Gwynedd Council spokesman said: 'As soon as the Council's Property Service was made aware of the matter by the school, officers made a request for the necessary licence from Natural Resources Wales to remove the chicks from the roof.

'The licence  which is a legal requirement before any removal work can be carried out  was secured on Thursday afternoon, and the chicks were removed immediately.'

Ysgol Eifion Wyn primary school in Porthmadog, Wales, (pictured) has been forced to keep children off the playground

Dawn Jones, whose six and three-year-old children attend the school, said: 'The children have not been allowed to go out to play at break times for fear of injury to them.'

This has happened twice this week when temperatures have reached 30C, she added.

The mother-of-two said the problem with seagulls was far from being a one-off.

'This is not an isolated incident but one the school suffered last year too but nothing was done then either,' she said.

'There are seagulls all around the school complex and at present they have chicks.

'This has led to the adult seagulls becoming very aggressive towards anyone who walks around the school yard.

'They are swooping low and aiming at peoples heads.

'The adults are worried about dropping off and collecting their children and the children are becoming terrified to go to school. Even the staff have been attacked.'

Local councillor Nia Jeffreys said it is now important to prevent the seagulls from returning to the school to nest next year.
Over 40 foreign-born terrorists have avoided deportation from the UK after using human rights law to argue they would be mistreated if returned to their home countries.

A Home Office report into the government's Deportation with Assurances (DWA) scheme - which was agreed in 2005 with Ethiopia, Algeria, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya and Morocco - revealed the figure.

Pictured: Baghdad Meziane, a convicted al-Qaeda backer who avoided being sent to Algeria

Just 12 foreign terrorists have been successfully deported through DWA.

Among those to have made successful appeals are the likes of Siraj Yassin Abdullah Ali, who was released six years ago after serving time for assisting the perpetrators of a failed bomb attack in London on July 21, 2005.

An attempt was made to deport him to his home nation of Eritrea but it failed because he was deemed to be at risk of 'inhumane treatment or punishment', The Telegraph reported.

Other examples include Baghdad Meziane, a convicted al-Qaeda backer, who avoided being sent to Algeria, and Ismail Abdurahman, who helped one of the would-be July 21 bombers hide for three days but couldn't be returned to Somalia because of fears over how he would be treated.

Another is Fowzi Nejad, 61, a terrorist jailed for his part in the 1980s Iranian Embassy siege.

He was the only terrorist to survive the siege but cannot be sent back to Iran because of human rights laws - so instead lives in Peckham in London.

But DWA did lead to the deportation of the cleric Abu Qatada to Jordan in 2013.

It is understood that Abu Qatada (pictured in Jordan) was the last person to be sent home under the Deportation with Assurances agreement

It is thought he was the last foreign terror suspect to be sent home under the agreement.

The Home Office report that reveals the challenges facing the government as it tries to deport terrorists was originally ordered by Theresa May when she was home secretary.

It was completed in February.

A co-writer of the report, international law expert Professor Clive Walker, said the figure of 40 convicted terrorists who have dodged deportation is 'much larger than was previously thought'.

A co-writer of the report, international law expert Professor Clive Walker, said the figure of 40 convicted terrorists who have dodged deportation is 'much larger than was previously thought'. Pictured left: Ismail Abdurahman, who helped one of the would-be July 21 bombers hide for three days but couldn't be returned to Somalia because of fear over his treatment. Right: Siraj Yassin Abdullah Ali, who also assisted the July 21 perpetrators but could not be deported to Eritrea

But he added: 'I still think the Home Office wish to pursue DWA.'

The news comes as Britain was devastated by three Islamist terror attacks in as many months - with two of the attackers in the London Bridge and Borough Market outrage born abroad.

Terrorism legislation reviewer Lord Carlile of Berriew said the time has come for change.

'The attacks in recent months demonstrates the need to protect the public and that this should outweigh the human rights of terrorists,' he said.
The man who murdered Lee Rigby is 'radicalising' inmates and has been called the most dangerous prisoner in Britain but staff say they lack the resources to tackle the growing problem.

Home-grown Islamic extremist Michael Adebolajo, 31, has been 'brainwashing' other inmates and has been branded 'violent, unpredictable and a major danger to other prisoners.'

Adebolajo is inspired by ISIS and prison sources say that he has radicalised dozens of other prisoners at HMP Frankland in County Durham, according to The Mirror.

Home-grown extremist Michael Adebolajo, 31, (left), who murdered Fusilier Lee Rigby (right) has been 'brainwashing' other prisoners

A prison official said: 'Adebolajo spends most of his waking hours preaching his distorted form of Islam to anyone who will listen.

'He sees every inmate as a potential Islamic State soldier whether they are Muslims or not.

'He has a big personality and is very charismatic and some of the more vulnerable prisoners will fall under his spell. He is a very dangerous individual.'

Born in Lambeth, South London, Adebolajo is now considered so dangerous that prison staff say that they lack the resources to adequately monitor the situation.

The prison also holds other major criminals, including child murderer Ian Huntley, Yorkshire Ripper Peter Sutcliffe and serial killer Levi Bellfield.

The prison source said that Adebolajo's present purpose in life is to recruit as many Jihadis as possible.

Adebolajo killed Lee Rigby with accomplice Michael Adebowale (pictured). They were jailed for 45 years and life

'If he is suspected of trying to radicalise other inmates we step in and move him.

'But even in prison Adebolajo cannot be watched all the time. We don't have the staff or the resources.'

Adebolajo has been given a 'special category' status and has even converted non-Muslim to his twisted interpretation of Islam.

Adebolajo's internment at HMP Frankland costs the British taxpayer 1500 per week.

He brutally killed Lee Rigby with accomplice Michael Adebowale on May 22, 2013.

They were jailed for 45 years and life respectively for killing the off-duty soldier near his barracks.

The pair knocked him down with a car before hacking him to death with a meat cleaver and knives in an attack that shocked the world.

A Ministry of Justice Spokesperson said: 'We do not comment on individual prisoners.'
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Muslims throughout the world are today celebrating the Eid al-Fitr festival which marks the end of the fasting month of Ramadan.

Worshipers now enter into the month of Shawwal and welcome it with a feast that breaks the Ramadan fasting.

The Arabic name Eid al-Fitr translates to festival of the breaking of the fast in English

The start of Eid is dependent on the sighting of the moon and is usually marked by early morning prayers, followed by family gatherings and feasting.

Across Britain huge crowds have gathered in to celebrate the holy period.

In Birmingham, around 100,000 worshipers descended on Small Heath Park - Europe's largest Eid celebration - while in London, hundreds of Southwark's Muslim community gathered in Dulwich Park.

Around 100,000 worshipers descended on Birmingham's Small Health Park to celebrate the Eid al-Fitr festival. Birmingham's is the largest Eid celebration in all of Europe

The Birmingham Eid celebration, called Celebrate Eid, is organised by Green Lane Masjid and Community Centre and is now in its seventh years

Muslims from all over Birmingham attended Celebrate Eid and kicked off the holy month of Shawwal with early morning prayers and sermons

After prayers and sermons are over, worshipers at Birmingham's Celebrate Eid were able to take part in a range of family activities throughout the day

Muslims throughout the world are today celebrating the Eid al-Fitr festival which marks the end of the fasting month of Ramadan

The start of Eid-al-Fitr is dependent on the sighting of the moon and is usually marked by early morning prayers, followed by family gatherings and celebrating

Now over, Muslims during Ramadan must abstain from food, drink, smoking and sex between sunrise and sunset, before breaking their fast with the Iftar meal

Muslims prepare themselves for this day following the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad. One way they can do this is through dressing up by wearing new clothes

The history of Eid dates back to 610 AD when Prophet Mohammed, while meditating, had visions of angel Jibril, the messenger of God

Muslims around the world break their fast and Eid is ushered in after the crescent moon is sighted after sunset on the last day of the holy month

A family walking in the rain as an estimated 100,000 Muslims attend Europe's largest Eid celebration being held in Birmingham's Small Heath Park

Little Umme-Kulthum Siddiqui following the Eid prayer, which marks the end of Ramadan and the start of Eid, at Leeds Grand Mosque in Yorkshire

Worshippers left to right Sulaiman Alsarawi, Hussein Dambatta and Christopher Skellorn take a selfie following the Eid prayer at Leeds Grand Mosque

Worshippers remove their shoes as they arrive ahead of the Eid prayer, marking the end of Ramadan and the start of Eid, at Leeds Grand Mosque

Worshipers at Leeds Grand Mosque in Yorkshire are pictured during morning prayer before celebrations begin to mark the end of Ramdan and the start of Eid

Imam Dr Mohammed Taher hugs a worshipper as he greets fellow Muslims following the the Eid prayer at Leeds Grand Mosque today

Worshipers struggle to find a spot for their shoes at Leeds Grand Mosque. The first Eid is called Eid-ul Fitr and marks the end of month of Ramadan.

Worshipper Omar Zayat enjoys some food following the Eid prayer. During the Islamic holy period of Ramadan, Muslims must fast between sunrise and sunset

Worshipers share food following Eid prayer at Leeds Grand Mosque. The event is marked with morning prayers and sermons before celebration and feasting begins

Members of Southwark's Muslim community in London are pictured praying during Eid celebrations in Dulwich Park earlier today

Hundreds of members of the Muslim community arrived at Dulwich park for prayers and sermons to mark the end of Ramadan and the beginning of Eid

Worshipers are pictured in prayer at London's Dulwich Park earlier today. The Arabic name Eid al-Fitr translates to festival of the breaking of the fast in English

Brightly-dressed worshipers wear stunningly colourful clothes to celebrate Eid today at Dulwich Park in London

A little girl plays around a sculpture in Dulwich Park following morning prayer as part of the Eid celebrations that are taking place throughout the world
Shadow Treasurer Chris Bowen has signaled a shift in Labor's outlook claiming Australia should consider gender quotas on ASX boards if desired results aren't achieved otherwise.

The senior Labor figure will say in a speech on Monday that although it would be preferred to naturally work without a recommended allocation, quotas work.

'It would be better if the private sector got its act together of its own volition. But plenty of people and organisations ... have made good and strong efforts with not enough progress,' Sydney Morning Herald reported he will tell the Women in Economics Network in Sydney.

Shadow Treasurer Chris Bowen (pictured) says Australia should consider gender quotas on ASX boards if desired results aren't achieved otherwise

WA senator Linda Reynolds (pictured) said Liberals should assess the British Conservative Party ways of operation as to gender equality, which is based more on ethics

'If not enough progress is made in the next couple of years to get more suitably qualified women on boards, quotas should be considered by the federal government.'

Labor's party platform currently has their own quotas for preselections which includes a specified number of women on government boards.

The speech also singles out a number of politicians believed to support ideas around gender pay gap and women in the workforce including Bill Shorten, Tanya Pilbersek and Brendan O'Connor.

The Australian Institute of Company Directors has outlined a 30 percent target for women on boards by 2018. The female directors on ASX200 boards have already increased from 8.3 per cent in 2009 to 25.4 per cent as at the end of May this year.

Over the weekend WA senator Linda Reynolds said Liberals should assess the British Conservative Party ways of operation as to gender equality, which is based more on ethics.

Bowen's speech also singles out a number of politicians believed to support ideas around gender pay gap and women in the workforce including Brendan O'Connor (pictured)

The female directors on ASX200 boards have already increased from 8.3 per cent in 2009 to 25.4 per cent as at the end of May this year (pictured Tanya Pilbersek)

The number of women Conservative MPs has shot to 21 percent this year from 9 per cent in 2005 (pictured Bill Shorten)

'It's a genuine merit-based test,' Senator Reynolds said, adding it had boosted female representation for the Conservatives.

The number of women Conservative MPs has shot to 21 percent this year from 9 per cent in 2005.

Reynolds believes it will take an informed process to equal the ratio.

She believes that the matter of equality is an issue extends as far as to electoral survival. She said Australia is losing female voters and young voters.
Tiffany Trump has been spotted soaking up some sun on a European vacation while her family attended a glitzy DC wedding in Washington.

The 23-year-old daughter of the president posed up a storm next to Berlin's iconic Brandenburg Gate in an Instagram post she shared on Sunday morning.

Tiffany, who shies away from the spotlight the rest of her family revels in, headed off on her European getaway shortly after spending visiting her father at the White House for Father's Day.

She posted a picture of herself with the president, as well as a shot of her standing on the White House lawn with the Washington Monument behind her.

Tiffany Trump shared this picture on Instagram on Sunday morning from her vacation in Berlin

And while Tiffany was enjoying herself in Berlin, her father and sister were celebrating at the Washington wedding of Steve Mnuchin.

The Treasury Secretary tied the knot with Scottish actress Louise Linton on Saturday.

The ex-banker's third marriage had a very political feel, with vice president Mike Pence officiating the ceremony, while Donald and Melania Trump were in attendance with Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner.

Mnuchin met Linton four years ago while attending a wedding in Los Angeles, the bride told the New York Times. At the time, Mnuchin was still married to his second wife, Heather deforest Crosby. They divorced in 2014, after 15 years of marriage.

Tiffany Trump is pictured with her father inside the White House earlier this month

The 23-year-old posed for a picture on the White House lawn during a visit to Washington this month

It wasn't long before the Mnuchin and Linton started shopping for a diamond  the bride pointed out one she admired while they were visiting Art Basel in Miami a few years ago, and was thrilled when Mnuchin proposed with a similar ring.

'It's quite an old fashioned shape but I love it,' Linton told Town and Country earlier this month. 'Three years later he proposed to me with an oval ring just like the one we saw in the window.'

Mnuchin, a former Goldman Sachs executive, left the industry to lead the Treasury Department earlier this year.

Melania Trump, Donald Trump, Steven Mnuchin, Louise Linton, Mike Pence, and Karen Pence are pictured at Mnuchin's wedding on Saturday in Washington
Whether it's the claim that a Washington, DC, pizzeria is a front for a child sex abuse ring or that George Soros or the Rothschild family secretly 'control' the world, fake news is now everywhere.

It's Donald Trump's favourite phrase for anything he doesn't like. Academics study the phenomenon and journalists write about it almost every day.

It is said we live in a 'Post Truth' world in which facts no longer matter. Social media now enables lies to spread faster than at any time in history.

On Twitter, automated accounts - bots  can now push specific content onto thousands of targeted feeds.

Different sources: Journalist David Patrikarakos giving his TEDx talk about the phenomenon of fake news

In 2014, Twitter said that 23 million of its users tweet automatically. A figure that would be far higher today.

And when all those bots  or a substantial portion of them - are pushing a specific, often false, story or narrative  whether it be about Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton - then it becomes almost impossible to tell fact from fiction.

Meanwhile, the Facebook algorithm feeds us with content it knows we will like based on our likes and shares.

We end up cocooned in bubbles where the only news we receive  sometimes fake news  is that which conforms to our prejudices.

Living in a world in which everything seems to confirm our own views makes it easier to believe fake news merely because it supports our beliefs.

Fake news is here to stay but what can we do about it?

In a recent TEDx talk the author and journalist David Patrikarakos has come up with a formulation to battle the tide of fake news that has made up our post-truth age.

Climate: President Donald Trump has popularized the phrase 'fake news' during the infancy of his administration

Mr Patrikarakos, who has been on the receiving end of Russian trolling during his time covering the war in Ukraine, and has researched the use of fake news and propaganda for this forthcoming book, War in 140 Characters: How Social Media is Reshaping War in the 21st Century, put together a 'Post-Truth Survival Kit' to help us make sense of our new world of half-truths and lies.

It's a set of a few simple rules that can help you avoid succumbing to echo chambers, never seeing opposing viewpoints and falling prey to fake news

- FOLLOW AND FRIEND A BIT DIFFERENTLY

The majority of your friends on Facebook will hold similar - if not identical  views to you. Go out of your way to friend or follow people that don't disagree with your worldview. If you're a New York Democrat try to friend some Southern Republicans. You may not agree with the articles or comments they post. But at least you will be exposed to a different viewpoint. And if you engage  engage constructively and without anger.

- GO DIRECTLY TO THE WEBSITES OF TRUSTED NEWS SOURCES

Or better still, buy the newspaper itself or read a variety of its articles online. Read all its reporting. Don't cherry pick articles with a slant that appeals to your pre-existing beliefs.

- READ ARTICLES FROM PUBLICATIONS WHOSE POLITICAL VIEWS YOU DON'T AGREE WITH.

This is an important one. Don't dismiss a publication because you don't think it accords with your views. Search out opposing viewpoints. You will learn something!

- READ BOOKS

Yes, they still exist and they generally cover a subject in far greater depth and nuance than shorter articles, which while they may be good, are constrained by space and can only inform you so much.

- MISTRUST THE MOB

Many articles go viral, getting tens of thousands of shares and clicks not because they are good but because they are sensationalist and often untrue  pandering to people's fears and prejudices. Remember: just because an article is popular does not make it true.

- LOG OFF!

Spending too much time on social media will suck your life. It is not healthy and it is not productive. Go outside and meet friends in real life. Discuss issues face to face. Remember it's people not platforms that matter!

Please contact David on his Twitter handle at: @dpatrikarakos

His latest book 'War in 140 Characters: How Social Media Is Reshaping Conflict in the Twenty-First Century' is available to buy now

https://www.amazon.com/War-140-Characters-Reshaping-Twenty-First/dp/046509614X
A 74-year-old CEO was brutally stabbed to death in a home invasion in Georgia, and one of the suspects remains at large.

Albert DeMagnus and his wife were at their home on Lake Horton Landing Drive in their upscale lakefront residence. Demagnus' wife told police she awoke hearing a disturbance in another part of the home and saw three men near her husband, who was suffering from an apparent stab wound.

The homeowner's wife told authorities three men demanded cash and jewelry before taking the victim's gray Lexus and leaving the scene. That's when she called 911.

Albert Demagnus was stabbed to death during a home invasion, his wife was home at the time as well but was unharmed

A police car and crime scene outside of Demagnus' home in Fayette County, Georgia Friday

Police arrived around 2:30am early Friday according to Fayette County Sheriff Barry Babb. When Fayette deputies got to the home, Demagnus was taken to Piedmont Fayette Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Deputies spotted the Lexus near the scene of the home invasion, Babb said. The stolen car crashed in the area of Jimmie Mayfield Boulevard and Bradley Drive and two men ran, he said. Deputies and Fayetteville police officers located both men.

Jeffrey Lee Wallace, 22, of Atlanta, and Kavion Wyzeenski Tookes, 21, of Decatur were both arrested, they are currently being held without bond on a murder charge according to the Fayette County jail.

Jeffery Wallace (left) and Kavion Tookes (right) were arrested after they crashed the Lexus they allegedly stole from the Demagnus property. They are being held on the charge of murder

'We believe the third person left the area in another vehicle,' Babb said

Neighbors in the upscale community were stunned 'Its p[reyy mind boggling, it's kind of scary' Justin Peck told CBS 46. 'People coming in and robbing people... that's no good.'

DeMagnus was the CEO of Computer Management Services, Inc., according to the Georgia Secretary of State's Office.
The Washington firm that commissioned the dirty dossier on President Trump is stonewalling congressional investigators.

In a piece for the New York Post, conservative author Paul Sperry writes that the firm, Fusion GPS, which was started by three former Wall Street Journal reporters, is not cooperating with Congress in order to cover up an allegiance to the Democratic party.

Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, is spearheading an investigation into the dossier, and wants to know the identities of the people who paid Fusion to dig up dirt on Trump.

Congressional sources told Sperry that Fusion GPS's founders are more political activists than journalists, who have a pro-Hillary Clinton, anti-Donald Trump agenda.

'These weren't mercenaries or hired guns,' a congressional source familiar with the dossier probe told the writer. 'These guys had a vested personal and ideological interest in smearing Trump and boosting Hillary's chances of winning the White House.'

Scroll down for video

Just off of Dupont Circle is the office building where Fusion GPS has its headquarters. Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley is trying to get the firm to divulge who paid them to dig up dirt on Donald Trump during last year's presidential campaign

Sen. Chuck Grassley, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, has written letters to Fusion's Glenn Simpson, asking for information about the 'dirty dossier'

Former Wall Street Journal reporter Glenn Simpson is one of the co-founders of Fusion GPS, which tapped British ex-spy Christopher Steele who assembled the 'dirty dossier' on President Donald Trump

Simpson's co-founders included other Wall Street Journal alumni including Peter Fritsch (left) and Thomas Catan (right)

Fusion tapped Christopher Steele, an ex-M.I.6 Moscow field agent, to probe his sources in Russia to compile the 35-page dossier, filled with salacious allegations about the now-president, which haven't been proven.

Sperry writes that Fusion GPS was on the payroll of an unnamed Democratic ally of Clinton's when Steele was tapped to look into Trump, but before that, as a Vanity Fair cover story on the matter points out, it was Republicans who were behind Fusion's initial interest in Trump.

British ex-spy Christopher Steele was tapped by Fusion to look into Trump-Russia links, as he had formerly been based in Moscow

In September 2015, Glenn Simpson, one of the Wall Street Journal reporters who started Fusion, was hired to compile opposition research on the longtime businessman, several months after he jumped into the presidential campaign.

Simpson wouldn't reveal to Vanity Fair his client's identity, but a friend of the ex-reporter who talked to him around that time told the magazine the funding came from a 'Never Trump' Republican, and not from one of Trump's primary opponents, like Sen. Ted Cruz or Sen. Marco Rubio.

By mid-June of 2016, Trump had locked the nomination up, and the 'Never Trump' Republican was done handing money to the firm.

At the same time, the Washington Post had a story out, 'Inside Trump's Financial Ties to Russia and his Unusual Flattery of Vladimir Putin.'

'Simpson, as fellow journalists remember, smelled fresh red meat. And anyways, after all he had discovered, he'd grown deeply concerned about the prospect of a Trump presidency,' Vanity Fair wrote.

So at that point, Simpson found a Democratic donor who would continue to pay for the research  and he gave Steele a buzz, knowing the ex-spy had strong Russia ties.

The Post's Sperry writes that the firm's founders had more than just their commitment to a Democratic client motivating them to dig up dirt on Trump.

Simpson, for instance, had done opposition research in the past for a former Clinton White House operative.

Fusion co-founder Peter R. Fritsch contributed at least $1,000 to the Hillary Victory Fund and the Hillary For America campaign, Sperry found. His wife, Beatriz Garcia, also donated to the Democratic nominee.

Sperry pointed out that Fritsch married into a family with Mexican business interest, as his wife was a former employee of truck and bus manufacturer Grupo Dina, which benefits from NAFTA, a policy that Trump hates.

Fusion GPS's third partner, Thomas Catan, is British, but also lived in Mexico editing a business magazine. While Fritsch had been the Wall Street Journal's bureau chief in Mexico City.

DailyMail.com's own reporting on the firm found that they had done work to advance President Obama's presidential campaign in 2012, by digging up dirt on a principle donor who was assisting the Democrat's rival, Mitt Romney.

Fusion also did work for Planned Parenthood.

Now, the Senate Judiciary Committee is investigating whether the FBI, which received a copy of the dossier in August, improperly relied on it in the agency's investigation into Trump and Russia, now being handled by Special Counsel Robert Mueller.

The FBI was reportedly going to pay Steele $50,000 to corroborate what his Russian sources had told him.

Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley noted that relationship 'raises substantial questions about the independence' of the FBI in its Trump investigation, as the dossier was being funded by Democrats.

'The dossier was the product of blatant political and financial motives,' Grassley's office said in a press release making public what the senator had sent to Fusion GPS.

In a letter to Simpson, Grassley requested that Fusion reveal the identities of both the research firm's clients, the Republicans who initially wanted opposition research done on Trump and then the Democrats who later funded Steele's work.

Grassley also had a number of questions about who the dossier was distributed to and how it got to the FBI.

Fusion gave the senator nothing.

'You refused to provide any information whatsoever, claiming that the Committee's request "calls for information and documents protected by the First Amendment right, attorney-client privilege, attorney work product, and contractual rights (e.g. confidentiality agreements) of Fusion and/or its clients,"' Grassley wrote in a follow-up.

'However, in both your response letter and on a subsequent phone call with Committee staff, your attorney refused to provide a clear explanation of the basis for the claimed privileges and rights, and has failed to provide any privilege log describing the withheld documents,' Grassley continued.

The Iowa Republican explained that even if Fusion had once been protected by confidentiality agreements, the firm waved those rights once it began sharing the dossier to journalists, that privilege was waved.

'It hardly seems plausible that Fusion's client funded opposition research with the intention of keeping the discovered information confidential, especially based on Fusion's efforts to share the dossier with journalists and members of Congress,' Grassley said.

Fusion didn't respond to a request for comment from DailyMail.com, asking if the firm had complied with Grassley since this last exchange, nor to a question about the firm's political motivations, which were outlined by the New York Post.
A Saudi Arabian student wanted for killing a 15-year-old girl in Oregon last year is now a fugitive after skipping bail to go on the run.

Abdulrahman Sameer Noorah, 21, was due to stand trial in Portland last week but vanished nine days before the start date.

He was on bail on a single count of manslaughter for allegedly killing 15-year-old Fallon Smart by running her over as she crossed the road in August 2016.

Noorah, who was studying on a scholarship at Portland Community College, was driving on a suspended license at the time.

Abdulrahman Sameer Noorah, 21, removed his electronic ankle bracelet nine days before he was due to stand trial for the manslaughter of 15-year-old Fallon Smart who he is accused of killing by running her over in Portland, Oregon, last August

Despite Fallon's families' pleas to deny him bail, it was set at $1million and a tenth, $100,000, was paid by the Saudi Arabian embassy in Los Angeles, triggering his release.

The conditions of his release stated that he must remain under house arrest and wear an electronic ankle bracelet until his court date.

Nine days before his trial was due to start last week however, police discovered that the bracelet had been removed.

Noorah (pictured above weeping during a court appearance last year) had to surrender his passport as part of his bail conditions

They have not been able to find him since. As part of his bail conditions, Noorah was forced to surrender his passport.

There is nothing to indicate that he has left the country. The embassy in Los Angeles did not respond to DailyMail.com's questions on Sunday.

Portland station KOIN 5 cite law enforcement officers who fear Noorah may be having a mental health crisis.

Fallon's family are outraged that he has fled.

They pleaded with a judge not to grant him bail after his initial arrest in fear that he would leave.

Now, they say they are anxious he will never come to justice.

The Saudi Arabian embassy financially supported Noorah with monthly payments of around $1,800 as he studied at Portland Community College.

The Saudi Arabian embassy in Los Angeles paid $100,000 of Noorah's $1million bail. In Oregon, a defendant can be released in some cases if as litttle as a tenth of their bond is met

Fallon's family is outraged that the man accused of killing her has been able to flee

'From day 1, our family objected to a bail because of things known about Abdulrahman Noorah that made us believe he was a flight risk.

'Abdulrahman Noorah has now disappeared and we can only assume trying to return to his home country to evade paying for what he did to my sweet niece,' Shane Smart, Fallon's uncle, wrote on Facebook.

'It seems to me, based on previous facts and strange occurrences, there are strings being pulled for this man. I am not making accusations, but am simply stating facts, and what one might speculate based on those facts.

'He needs to be re-apprehended and pay for his crime,' he said.
Stephen Hawking's vision on the creation of the universe are wrong, claims one of his closest friends.

Professor Neil Turok, director of the Premeter Institute in Canada, has questioned the renowned theoretical physicist's ideas on the Big Bang and the origins of the universe.

Hawking's view that space, time and matter burst into existence at once with the Big Bang, has long been the centre of physics and cosmology studies.

Stephen Hawking's vision on the creation of the universe are wrong, claims former colleague professor Neil Turok

But Turok has now released research suggesting that Hawking's maths was incorrect, saying that science should re-evaluate the claims.

'Our research implies that we either should look for another picture to understand the very early universe, or that we have to rethink the most elementary models of quantum gravity,' Job Feldbrugge, one of Turok's co-authors, said.

Hawking has disagreed with Turok's new theory, according to The Times.

In the 1980s, Hawking and Professor Jim Hartle, from the University of California at Santa Barbara, proposed a model of the universe which had no boundaries in space or time.

The concept was described in A Brief History Of Time, which sold 25 million copies worldwide.

In recent years, Hawking has examined the relationship between science and religion, writing a 2010 book, Grand Design, which argues that evoking God is not necessary to explain the origins of the universe.

Turok, director of the Premeter Institute in Canada, has questioned the renowned theoretical physicist's ideas on the Big Bang and the origins of the universe

In a paper titled No Smooth Beginnings for Spacetime, Turok and his colleagues have re-examined Hawking's research using new mathematical techniques.

Turok, who once worked with Hawking as a professor of applied maths and theoretical physics at Cambridge, used the new maths to show that energies within such a universe would fluctuate and immediately destroy itself.

The professor said that the maths used was not around when Hawking produced his theories about the universe.

He said offered a new theory, called the 'Big Bounce', which suggests that the universe is in a perpetual state of big bangs.

Because of this, the universe expands, then contracts to a small point and then explodes outward again, Turok said.

Hawking, now 75, has been battling degenerative motor-neurone disease related to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or Lou Gehrig's disease, for more than 50 years.

His works of popular science have achieved great success. A Brief History of Time stayed on the Sunday Times best-seller list for a record breaking 237 weeks.
A thug who hurled acid at a student and her cousin as they celebrated her 21st birthday has left the pair with life-changing injuries.

Manchester Met university student Resham Khan, and her cousin Jameel Muhktar, were driving through Beckton, east London, when they were stopped by a red traffic light.

They had the windows down and were playing music, feeling celebratory after not having seen each other since Miss Khan returned from an exchange year in Cyprus.

Attacked: Manchester Met university student Resham Khan (pictured), and her cousin Jameel Muhktar, were driving through Beckton, east London, when they were stopped by a red light

As they waited for the lights to change a man threw a corrosive substance through the open window and into Miss Khan's face - before going round to the driver's side and throwing more acid at Mr Muhktar.

Miss Khan, a Business Management student, said she watched her clothes burn away as she struggled with the 'excruciating' pain.

She said she and her cousin, 37, tried to drive away from their attacker but crashed the car when the 'pain took over'. They were forced to strip naked on the A13 as they begged passersby for water to help ease the agony.

A kind stranger drove the pair to hospital where Mr Muhktar was put into an induced coma while Miss Khan was given a skin graft.

Brutal: As they waited for the lights to change a man threw a corrosive substance into Miss Khan's face - before going to the driver's side and throwing more acid at Mr Muhktar

Excruciating: Miss Khan said she and her cousin (pictured), 37, tried to drive away from their attacker but crashed the car when the 'pain took over'. They were forced to strip naked on the A13 as they begged passersby for water to help ease the agony

The Metropolitan Police are investigating but no arrests have yet been made.

As they recover from their horrific ordeal, Miss Khan bravely shared her story on social media.

On her Twitter thread, which has been retweeted more than 6,900 times in just two days, Miss Khan said: 'With plans to visit a spa and eat a nice meal in the city, having just got back from my exchange year in Cyprus, I got a train to London.

'On my actual birthday, my cousin and I went for a drive in the morning, blasting music and chilling like cousins do, hyping it as I was 21. Long story short, whilst at the lights, a man threw acid through my window and then went round to his and threw more.

'The pain was excruciating. I was struggling to close the window. My cousin struggled to get us away. I saw my clothes burn away in front of me. He put his foot down as we were coming onto a dual carriageway but the pain took over and we crashed.

'We stripped off in the middle of the road, running around screaming and begging for water. We did this for 45 minutes. Someone drove my naked cousin and me to the local hospital, and we were seen to. We have since been transferred to a specialist unit.'

Life-changing: A kind stranger drove the pair to hospital where Mr Muhktar was put into an induced coma while Miss Khan was given a skin graft

The student explained that she has had a skin graft but does not yet know what her face will look like. She also has burns across her body and her sight has been damaged.

Mr Muhktar was more badly burnt by the substance and so was put into an induced coma by doctors, which he has now woken up from.

Miss Khan is currently bed-bound so has been unable to visit her cousin.

She said: 'I'm devastated. I keep wondering if my life will ever be the same. Acid attacks in the UK are unheard of for me. My 21st birthday. My glow up complete. Just got back to the country. And now I'll probably never look the same.

'I am so grateful to everyone that has prayed for me. I feel as though I'm blessed to have my limbs and senses. But I loved my face and body.

'I just want this guy caught. I have gave my statement and the police officer is certain he will be found and sent away for a long time. But what about my face? That is forever.'

Action: As they recover from their horrific ordeal, Miss Khan bravely shared her story on social media. Her Twitter thread has been retweeted more than 6,900 times in just two days

Fellow student Daniel Mann has created a GoFundMe page in a bid to raise 8,000 for his friend and her cousin.

He says the money raised will go towards therapy sessions, laser eye treatment and accommodation to a place where the pair 'feel safe' as they recover from the horrific attack.

Mr Mann said: 'This attack has caused them both to put their lives on hold. A university student in Manchester, Resham had not been back in the UK for longer than a week before the attack happened.

'She had spent the last nine months on an exchange program in Cyprus. Resham was also due to start her new job on July 2, which she can no longer do.

'Their life is currently on hold but we want them to see that this is temporary and things will get back to normal.'

He added: 'Resham is usually a very confident young woman. She was preparing to open her own business over the summer, and had plans to model for Asian bridal, make up and hair artists. But now she feels as though her identity has been stolen from her, on her 21st birthday.'

Hope: Fellow student Daniel Mann has created a GoFundMe page in a bid to raise 8,000 for his friend and her cousin. He said: 'Resham is usually a very confident young woman. She was preparing to open her own business over the summer, and had plans to model for Asian artists

A spokesman from the Met Police said: 'Police were called at approximately 09:15hrs on Thursday, 21 June to reports that two occupants of a car had been sprayed with a corrosive substance in Tollgate Road, E16.

'The occupants, a man aged 37 and a woman aged 21, were assisted by members of the public and had been taken to an east London hospital prior to the arrival of police and the London Ambulance Service. Both victims have suffered burn injuries described as life-changing.

'It is believed the victims were inside a parked car when a man approached and threw a corrosive substance through the open window. The car made off pursued by the suspect on foot before it collided with a fence. The suspect made off.

'Officers from Newham and the Met's Territorial Support Group executed a warrant at an address in E16 on the afternoon of 21 June in connection with the incident. There were no arrests; enquiries continue.'
The hero imam who bravely saved a terror suspect's life after the Finsbury Park attack has been described as a 'London lad' who is known for his cooking.

Mohammed Mahmoud, 30, stepped in when an angry crowd attempted to 'kick and punch' 47-year-old suspect Darren Osborne.

Osborne, from Cardiff, South Wales, was being restrained by three men following the suspected terror attack and Mr Mahmoud was hailed a hero.

He shouted 'don't touch him' and was able to surround and protect the terror suspect before shielding him from the crowd of 100 people.

Mohammed Mahmoud, 30, was described as a hero after he stepped in to protect a terror suspect in Finsbury Park

Mr Mahmoud gave a statement to the media close to the scene in Finsbury Park hours after the attack

His friend has described Mr Mahmoud as a 'real foodie' who 'loves hanging out' at his home.

Speaking to The Sunday Times, Iqbal Malik said his friend is a film buff and enjoyed Batman v Superman which came out in March last year.

He said: 'He loves hanging out at home with friends and he's a real foodie.

'He's an extremely good cook and he loves learning recipes and tips. He often asks mates "Can you get your mum to teach me how she makes biryani?"'

The friends met each other in 2003 when they both went to the La Swap college in Highgate, north London and Mr Malik praised Mr Mahmoud's heroic decision to try and calm the group down.

Mr Mahmoud, who came to Britain from Egypt when he was seven weeks old, was modest and said the intervention on June 19 was a 'community effort'.

He said: 'Please highlight the fact that I don't agree with the headlines of me intervening by myself. This was a community effort, so there was a collective effort of restraint.'

He later met Prince Charles (pictured together) who said: 'Thank goodness we have wonderful leaders'

Prince Charles went down to the scene in north London and praised the 'wonderful' imam

Just days after the attack - which left one person dead and nine injured - Mr Mahmoud met Prince Charles who praised the 'wonderful' imam.

Prince Charles visited the Muslim Welfare House, close to where the attack took place and spoke to community leaders.

He said he felt joy at being there 'despite the very sad, unfortunate circumstances' and that he remembered with 'great fondness' his visit there 30 years ago.

The 68-year-old said: 'But I did particularly want to bring a message from the Queen on this particular occasion.

'She has specifically asked me to tell you how shocked she was by what happened, particularly as the victims were worshippers who had been attending Ramadan prayers - and her Majesty's thoughts and prayers are with you all.

'And if I may say so, I can only but join my particular thoughts and prayers to her Majesty's on this occasion, and to say that for many years I have taken a great interest in the Muslim community in this country.'

Charles added that he was 'deeply impressed' by the imam who shielded the suspect until police arrived and 'his remarkable actions on that occasion'.

He said: 'Thank goodness we have wonderful leaders.'
The canine candidate that won a mayoral election in Kentucky and became top dog is making sure everyone knows her platform.

'Peace, love and understanding' says Brynneth Pawltro, the 3-year-old pit bull via her owner Jodie Bamforth in an interview. 'Brynn has declared to be peaceful with any human or animal that comes through Rabbit Hash, especially the cats.

'Brynn does like to chase the cats around here, but has pledged to refrain from it as much as possible,' says Bamforth, who adopted the pup-mayor to be from a local shelter.

Stately. Mayor Brynn knows how to command attention, and sit

Party animal! Brynn with her owner Jodie Bamforth having a beer at a Rabbit Hash town event

The election was ruff with some serious competition. Brynn beat out a cat, a chicken and a donkey, among others, to become the next mayor of Rabbit Hash, 78 miles north of Lexington.

Bobbi Kayser, who works with the town's Historical Society, says the election started in the late 1990s as a fundraiser.

'We charge you a dollar for your vote, you vote as often as you want.'

Brynn has a serious side, but like any really great leader, she knows how to sit- back and enjoy

Whose a good mayor? Brynn enjoys a stretch after a ruff day at the office

The election money usually goes toward town improvements but this year it will be used to help repair the town's General Store which was destroyed in an electrical fire.

'There's always inappropriate licking going on,' says Kayser of how the town's meetings with the mayor tend to go.

While her days in a shelter are over, she has a line of successors whose footsteps she's following in.

Brynn is the town's fourth doggy mayor. She took up the mantle after Lucy Lou, a boarder collie and the first female pup to take the helm, stepped aside.

Meet the mayor day in Rabbit Hash has a more playful meaning than other US towns

HuffPost reported in 2015 that Lucy was considering running for president.

Rabbit Hash is such a small town that it doesn't really have need for a mayor. Since the 1990s, however, the town has been holding elections as a fundraising effort. Each vote costs $1 and residents can cast as many ballots as they want.

The most recent election raised almost $9,000. That money went toward restoration of the town's general store, which burned down in a fire last year.
Marcus Allan Pitts, 46, was arrested and charged with aggravated assault in Covington, Georgia

A 'concerned citizen' is suspected of shooting a man in the neck who had fled the scene of an accident in Georgia.

Marcus Allan Pitts was arrested and charged with aggravated assault after he shot 33-year-old Terence Lee Lennox in the neck Saturday morning, police say.

Officers responded to reports of an erratic driver in a white SUV Saturday morning on State Route 36, Covington Police Department Capt. Craig Treadwell told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

The driver allegedly crashed into another car as authorities tried to find the SUV. Lennox fled on foot from the accident towards the Newton Plaza shopping center when Pitts attempted to block the man with his truck.

Treadwell, who labeled Pitts as a 'concerned citizen', said the 46-year-old resort to using his handgun.

Police say Pitts shot 33-year-old Terence Lee Lennox in the neck Saturday after Lennox tried to flee the scene of an accident. Lennox is in critical condition while Pitts is being held in jail (scene above)

'I think he thought he was trying to stop the guy from fleeing from the accident or our officers,' Treadwell said.

'We still don't know why, but he fired his handgun and struck the suspect in the neck.

'He's going to have to articulate to the court why he used deadly force, and it will be up to the court to decide.'

Pitts was arrested and charged with one count of felony assault.

He was booked into the Newton County Detention Center.

Lennox is currently in critical condition at Grady Memorial Hospital, authorities say.
Filipino president Rodrigo Duterte has marked a year in power with 5,000 people killed and 80,000 arrested in his brutal war on drugs.

The outspoken politician took power at the end of June last year vowing to halt substance abuse and lawlessness that he saw as 'symptoms of virulent social disease'.

Government officials claim that crime has dropped because of his campaign with thousands of drug dealers behind bars.

They say that a million users have also registered for treatment and future generations of Filipinos are being protected.

Manila police chief Oscar Albayalde said: 'There are thousands of people who are being killed, yes. There are millions who live, see?'

Rodrigo Duterte took power at the end of June last year vowing to halt substance abuse and lawlessness that he saw as 'symptoms of virulent social disease.'

In the first 11 months of Duterte's rule, police say 3,155 suspects were shot dead in anti-drug operations

In the first 11 months of Duterte's rule, police say 3,155 suspects were shot dead in anti-drug operations.

Police say they have investigated a further 2,000 drug-related killings, and have yet to identify a motive in at least another 7,000 murders and homicides.

But a growing chorus of critics including human rights activists, lawyers and the country's influential Catholic Church dispute the authorities' claims of success.

They say police have summarily executed drug suspects with impunity, terrorising poorer communities and exacerbating the lawlessnesss.

In the Navotas fishing district there were nine killings in a single night earlier this month.

Local resident Mary Joy Royo said a dozen gunmen arrived on motorbikes and abducted her mother and stepfather.

Their corpses were found later with execution-style gunshots to the head and torso.

She said: 'They should be targeting the drug lords. The victims of the drug war are the poor people.'

Critics say police have summarily executed drug suspects with impunity, terrorising poorer communities and exacerbating the lawlessnesss.

It is claimed the death toll is far above the 5,000 that police have identified as either drug-related killings or suspects shot dead during police operations

A customs police officer shows a package containing crystal methhidden in candy wrappers during a press conference at the Bureau of Customs' office at the Manila airport in March

Filipino priest Amado Picardal said: 'This president behaves as if he is above the law - that he is the law. He has ignored the rule of law and human rights.'

Critics say the death toll is far above the 5,000 that police have identified as either drug-related killings or suspects shot dead during police operations.

Most victims are small-time users and dealers while the masterminds behind the lucrative drug trade are largely unknown and at large, it is claimed.

In October, the Hague-based International Criminal Court said it could investigate the killings if they were 'committed as part of a widespread or systematic attack against a civilian population.'

Police operations were halted for much of February after it emerged that anti-drug police abducted and killed a South Korean businessman last year, but the outcry over the rising body count has rarely slowed the killing or led to prosecutions.

The Philippine Commission on Human Rights is investigating 680 drug-war killings.

Activists scuffle with police during a protest against Duterte's brutal war on drugs in February

Jose Felipe Mesias, 60, touches the casket of his son who went missing last January. Police barged into his house and commanded him to sign a paper saying he is a drug surrenderee and he then found out that his son was dead

Duterte supporters gather during a vigil backing the drugs crackdown in Manila in February

Chito Gascon, the commission's chairman, said: 'In this country the basic problem is impunity. No one is ever held to account for the worst violations. Ever.'

Police chief Albayalde says that the force's Internal Affairs Service (IAS) investigates all allegations of abuse by his officers.

He added: 'We do not tolerate senseless killings. We do not just kill anybody.'

Indeed, the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency's own data suggests crystal meth has become even cheaper in Manila.

In July 2016, a gram of the substance cost 1,200-11,000 pesos (19-172), according to official figures - while last month a gram cost 1,000-15,000 pesos (16-234).

Gloria Lai of the International Drug Policy Consortium said: 'If prices have fallen, it's an indication that enforcement actions have not been effective.

Duterte declared martial law in Mindanao last month after militants inspired by Islamic State stormed Marawi City, and the army's failure to retake the city quickly has dented the president's image as a law-and-order president.

Duterte declared martial law in Mindanao last month after militants inspired by Islamic State stormed Marawi City. Pictured are Philippine troops on patrol

Military spokesman Brigadier General Restituto Padilla said around 500 civilians remained trapped in areas where the fighting is concentrated

About 500 gunmen aligned with ISIS, including several foreigners, stormed the lakeside city of 200,000 people, occupied buildings, burned schools and hoisted black flags on May 23.

The fighting has forced more than 300,000 people to abandon their homes in Marawi and outlying towns and flee to evacuation centers, which rapidly became overcrowded, making it difficult for them to celebrate the Eid el-Fitr holiday.

An eight-hour ceasefire allowing residents to celebrate the end of Ramadan came to an abrupt end on Sunday afternoon.

Assaults backed by air and artillery bombardment had stopped at the start of Islamic prayers at 6am but gunfire broke out as soon as the truce ended at around 2pm.

Regional military commander Lieutenant General Carlito Galvez said the truce also allowed five Muslim religious leaders to enter ground zero and negotiate with the militants to release civilian hostages, especially children, women and the elderly.

Galvez said: 'It's already been more than 30 days (of fighting) and we received reports that some of them have nothing to eat.'

The negotiators later Sunday emerged from the conflict zone with five civilians, incuding a mother and her 16-month-old daughter.

The fighting has forced more than 300,000 people to abandon their homes in Marawi

Military officials have said troops are having difficulty because the militants are using civilians as human shields

Nearly 300 militants and 67 troops have been killed in the fighting, according to official figures

The woman said she had given birth to another child just two weeks ago in the middle of the fighting but her infant boy died due to lack of food, according to police who interviewed her.

A video released by the military showed the rescued residents looking terrified, pale and haggard.

Military spokesman Brigadier General Restituto Padilla said around 500 civilians remained trapped in areas where the fighting is concentrated.

Nearly 300 militants and 67 troops have been killed in the fighting, according to official figures.

Military officials have said troops are having difficulty because the militants are using civilians as human shields.

Foreign fighters, including those from Chechnya, Indonesia and Malaysia, are among those killed in the Marawi conflict.

Foreign fighters, including those from Chechnya, Indonesia and Malaysia, are among those killed in the Marawi conflict

An eight-hour ceasefire allowing residents to celebrate the end of Ramadan came to an abrupt end on Sunday afternoon

A senior military commander said on Saturday that Isnilon Hapilon, a leader of the Marawi attack and one of America's most wanted terrorists, may have slipped out of the city.

Regional military spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Jo-ar Herrera said Sunday the military was still checking the report.

'He (Hapilon) is not being heard or monitored commanding troops on the ground,' Herrera said in Marawi.

Australia has sent two high-tech surveillance planes to help Filipino troops in Marawi, joining the United States in providing military assistance.
Donald Trump is set to take credit for increasing US exports of gas and oil during his White House's 'Energy Week'.

The president is going to use the themed-week to talk up America's move towards energy dominance as the country edges closer to becoming a net exporter of oil, gas, coal and other energy resources after decades of relying on other countries for supplies.

Trump will give a speech at the Energy Department on Thursday said to be 'focused almost entirely on energy exports', according to Bloomberg News.

The outlet reports the speech will describe: 'how the foreign sale of US natural gas, oil and coal helps strengthen the country's influence globally, bolster international alliances, and help stabilize global markets'.

Donald Trump is set to take credit for increasing US exports of gas and oil during his White House's 'Energy Week'

Ideas written into the president's speech are expected to be echoed by Energy Secretary Rick Perry when he addresses the Energy Information Administration conference in Washington on Tuesday.

Dave Banks, a special assistant to the president for international energy, told Bloomberg that fact the US is in a new age of 'energy abundance' means the country is in a drastically different position than it has been previously.

'This gives access to affordable, reliable energy in the United States, and gives the US a major competitive advantage,' Banks said.

Another Trump adviser, specializing in domestic energy policy, said the president's plan is to make the most of all the natural resources found in the US.

Donald Trump wears a coal miner's protective hat while addressing his supporters during a rally in West Virginia in May 2016

Ricky Perry is expected to give a similar speech to Trump when he addresses the Energy Information Administration conference in Washington on Tuesday

'It's about utilizing our abundance of resources at home to create jobs and grow the economy, and at the same time use those to strengthen America's leadership and influence abroad,' Michael Catanzaro told Bloomberg.

Trump frequently spoke about the energy sector during his campaign, and even delivered his first policy promise from North Dakota - a state heavily reliant on the oil industry.

He has also tried to undone changes made by President Obama designed to move America away from fossil fuels to help the environment and modernize the energy industry.
Derek Lamond (pictured) had his sentencing hearing put back because he wanted to attend his friend's wedding in the Channel Islands

A paedophile who abused a young girl had his sentencing hearing delayed so he could attend his best friend's wedding in the Channel Islands.

Derek Lamond, 51, was not sentenced after he told a court he had pre-booked the trip so he could be best man at a friend's wedding.

The family of his teenage victim were left outraged when he was 'excused' at Dunfermline Sheriff Court after his lawyer explained he had already booked the holiday.

They had travelled to the court to see him punished but will now be forced to wait until June 29 for sentencing.

The youngster's devastated mother said: 'I can't get my head around it. I felt physically sick when I found out.

'I wanted closure - my bairn wanted closure on it. I'm fuming.

'That's another week my daughter has to suffer. The sooner he is locked up the better. I hope they throw away the key.'

She said her normally easy-going teen had been left scarred by the assault.

But she added: 'I'm so proud of my daughter for telling me what happened that night. She did so well telling the police what he did.'

Three members of the girl's extended family and a close friend were in court on Wednesday to see Lamond, who had previously admitted a charge of sexual assault, being sentenced by Sheriff Craig McSherry.

But defence lawyer Gwen Haggerty told the court her client was not present as he was on a pre-booked holiday.

The victim's 49-year-old aunt said afterwards: 'We were expecting him to be there, and when he didn't appear it was a slap in the face.

Dunfermline Sheriff Court (pictured) heard Lamond had already booked the trip so he could be best man at his friend's wedding

'It's shocking. I can't believe the court accepted it. He should have been there. Instead he's at a wedding on Guernsey.

'It's just a shame the bairn has to go through this. It's that bad she was crying the other day, asking, Do I have to go to court?'

Lamond will now be sentenced by Sheriff Derek Reekie - who previously heard the case - on Thursday.

When approached at his home in Dunfermline, Lamond confirmed he had been at a wedding on the Channel Islands.

But he said he had told the court about the holiday weeks ago and was given permission not to attend. He declined to make any further comment.

It is understood Lamond's defence contacted Sheriff Reekie to request their client's absence and this was granted - but the Crown Office were unaware of the decision until Wednesday at court.

A Crown Office spokeswoman said scheduling sentencing was a matter for the court's Sheriff Clerk, while Dunfermline Sheriff Court said it was the sheriff's decision.
The girlfriend of a father-of-one who died in police custody boycotted a protest because she feared violence from rioters who would later threaten to burn down houses, MailOnline can reveal today.

Edir 'Edson' Frederico Da Costa's family insist he was 'brutally beaten' and left with a broken neck after he was stopped by the Met in Newham, east London on June 15 - he died in hospital six days later.

Scotland Yard believes the 25-year-old fell ill because he had 'swallowed a large quantity of drugs' and a post-mortem found 'no injuries to suggest severe force was used', according to the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC).

Edson's partner of six years Jucelma Da Silva warned supporters not to join yesterday's march from Forest Gate to Stratford because it would be hijacked by agitators who injured 14 police after pelting them with bricks and bottles.

Organisers had used an image of Edson and his son for a poster and Miss Da Silva said: 'I don't think its fair for so many people to plaster my son's face and start a movement which will then lead to a riot'.

Today east London residents told MailOnline that rioters set fire to 21 bins in one street and told them their houses would be next if they put them out.

Warning: The girlfriend of father-of-one Edir 'Edson' Frederico Da Costa, 25, pictured with their son, boycotted a protest against police after his death in custody because activists planned to riot

Miss Da Silva, pictured with her partner of six years before his death, warned against rioting in his memory

There was also anger that organisers used this picture of Edson and his son to encourage people to attend yesterday's march marred by violence

Six police officers have been injured after rioters launched bricks, bottles and lit street fires over the death of a young black father-of-one

A rioter appears to set fire to the contents of an overturned bin used to block Romford Road

The Black Lives Matter movement sat that police beat up Edson - the IPCC say that speculation like this is 'unhelpful' because a post-mortem found 'no injuries to suggest severe force was used'

The gang of thugs, described mainly as 'young adolescents', splintered away from a protest outside Forest Gate Police Station and started lighting fires in neighbouring streets.

IPCC STATEMENT ON THE DEATH OF MR DA COSTA This statement was released with the Independent Police Complaints Commission on Friday: 'We have contacted Mr Da Costa's family to share with them the findings from the pathologist and we are now able to correct some misinformation that is being widely shared on social media. 'The preliminary post mortem found that Mr Da Costa did not suffer a broken neck, or any other spinal injury during his interaction with the police. It found he did not suffer a broken collarbone or bleeding to the brain. Rigorous investigations into the cause of Mr Da Costa's death are continuing, including into the use of force. 'We are releasing this information now out of concern at the rapid spread of false and potentially inflammatory information. Our robust and independent investigation will seek to explain the circumstances around Mr Da Costa's death. In the meantime, false information could have very dangerous consequences, so please don't share it'. Advertisement

Shocked residents of Windsor Road told how they spent most of the night awake 'guarding their property'.

Father-of-three Fayzur Rahman, 50, said: 'It was terrifying, they were everywhere outside. They had lit loads of bins on fire and were threatening residents who wanted to put the fires out. They were saying we will burn your house down if you put it out.'

He added 'There was no police down here, we were just left, people stayed up guarding their homes. The police should never of let them come down here.'

Friend Mohammed Rashid, 55, added: 'It's really shocking, everyone is pretty scared today. We got no sleep at all.'

Rae Vegum, 30, told how her young son was too scared to sleep.

She said: ''We heard chanting all day and then they started coming up here and getting bottles out of people's bins to throw at police.

'When they had finished doing that they started dragging the wheelie bins in the road and I saw them emptying petrol cans on them.

''They were sat in my garden, I was too scared to go out. I could see them shouting at other people telling them to get back inside, telling them that it had nothing to do with them.

'My five year old son couldn't sleep at all, he kept having nightmares about fires.''

She added: 'They had total control of the street, police weren't coming round here.

Councillor Ahmed Noor, who also lives in Windsor Road, said: ''We had all the family round for Eid celebrations, so this came as quite a nasty surprise.

'The fires were going for about four hours, it could of got very dangerous if a car had gone up. The youth got frustrated at the end of the protest and started burning bins. I think they just wanted to make a statement.

'They must have burnt around 21 wheelie bins. It was a truly terrifying experience.''

Fayzur Rahman revealed rioters warned residents their houses would be set alight if they trued to put out any fires. Rae Vegum says her five-year-old son was too scared to sleep

This is the shattered window of Forest Gate Police Station today where rioters started trouble overnight

A scorched road near Forest Gate Police Station today - the site of the main riots overnight

This white van was left with a shattered windscreen damaged by agitators who hijacked a peaceful march

A splinter group of rioters set fire to 21 bins in Windsor Road after raiding them for bottles to throw at police

Ahead of yesterday's protest Black Lives Matter UK said on their Facebook page: 'Forest Gate police. GUILTY OF MURDER. Join us if you're in Stratford' and later tweeted: 'ForestGate trending coz the police beat up a black man so bad he lost his life #JusticeforEdson'.

Edson's partner Miss Da Silva warned on Saturday that 'people were ready to use this protest and make justice with their own hands' and a family social media statement also said: 'Do not attend. Family does not support and have been informed this is a riot'.

As they predicted, last night rioters injured 14 police officers by throwing bricks and bottles at them and starting fires in the streets.

Miss Da Silva said on Instagram: 'Riots lead to a lot of casualties , ppl end up loosing [sic] their life's, some end up in jail and so on, so how is that justice for someone that just lost their life causing more pain to other families?! Lets us all not be blinded by our grief and pain. #JusticeforEdson [sic]'.

The Met said that the trouble started at 7.40pm last night when a crows - 'many of whom had not been involved in the original protest'returned to Forest Gate Police Station and attacked officers and the building.

Over the next few hours the rioters splintered off into small groups, still pelting police and starting fires.

Fourteen officers received injuries, four of whom were taken to hospital for medical treatment.

These include a male police sergeant who was knocked unconscious after an object struck his helmet, as well as officers with neck, leg and wrist injuries. All four officers have since been discharged.

Borough Commander Ian Larnder said: 'Whilst we will always support the right for lawful protest, the events of last night cannot be justified. Not only were our officers confronted by violence, with several of them being injured, but local residents were severely disrupted.

'Behaviour such as that seen overnight will not be tolerated and an investigation will begin to identify those individuals who targeted our officers.'

At this time, police are not aware of any members of the public being injured or any significant damage to property.

Five people were arrested including a 16-year-old, a 26-year-old and a 22-year-old held on suspicion of criminal damage. Two men, aged 19 and 26, were arrested on suspicion of violent disorder. Three remain in custody.

The march from Forest Gate to Stratford turned violent after protesters chanting 'f*** the police' clashed with officers in riot gear.

Protesters, many with their faces obscured by scarves and t-shirts, hurled bricks and glass bottles, attacked police cars and lit fires in the road.

Footage published on social media shows hooded protesters starting large fires in the streets before taking bricks and hurling them at police officers and their vehicles. Others threw bottles as riot policed kettled them into streets.

The Black Lives Matter UK movement claims they didn't organise the rally but its supporters were at the event using the hashtag #ftp - short for f*** the police.

In a series of tweets it said: 'Riot police inflicting even more violence and brutality on the community. They pushed a pregnant woman on the ground and dragged her'.

'#ForestGate trending coz the police beat up a black man so bad he lost his life. His name was Edson Da Costa. Look him up #JusticeforEdson'.

Edir 'Edson' Frederico Da Costa (pictured), 25, died six days after he was arrested during a traffic stop in Newham, east London - his family claim it was police brutality but the police say he swallowed drugs

A young man ho appears to have been injured is taken away by riot police during the clashes in east London last night

A protester says something to riot police while being pushed back by another man last night

A rioter attacks a police car with a plank of wood as protests were hijacked last night

One protester held a sign saying 'police need to stop killing' at the demonstration

Social media is packed with footage of the rioting with this eyewitnesses saying that bottles were thrown as firefighters tried to put out street blazes

Critics accused Black Lives Matter of making claims of murder without evidence and seeking to divide the UK

Edson's family had asked supporters not to attend yesterday's protest fearing it would turn violent.

They claim his neck was broken and he suffered head injuries after police stopped a car carrying the father-of-one and two other people at around 10pm on June 21.

The Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) is investigating his death and say preliminary post-mortem examination indicated there were no neck, spinal, shoulder injuries or bleeding on the brain caused by police.

Scotland Yard say they believe Mr Da Costa had swallowed a 'large quantity' of drugs which may have been to blame for his death.

Edson's family claim his neck was broken and he suffered head injuries after police stopped a car carrying the father-of-one and two other people at around 10pm on June 21.

The 25-year-old has a two-year-old son and his girlfriend is believed to be pregnant with their second child. He moved to Britain from Portugal in 1996.

His father, Ginario da Costa, told the Portuguese press that witnesses claimed Edson 'fell to the ground and a policeman put a knee on his throat'.

His cousin Larissa has claimed that his injuries were 'indescribable' - the IPCC post-mortem examination claims he had no 'injuries to suggest severe force was used'

According to the Socialist Worker she wrote on Facebook 'My family hired a private doctor who gave us the list of injuries.'

'I will not rest until justice is served and these gangsters are put behind bars'.

'A system that constantly condones violence without repercussion doesn't need to be revised, it needs to be dismantled.'

Videos show some attacking police cars with planks of wood, and a windscreen on one van was shattered

Police used dogs in a bid to push back the crowds of demonstrators surrounded by broken bricks thrown at them

Pictured is an injured person on the ground at Forest Gate in east London

Officers were seen holding a person on Romford Road in Forest Gate during the protests

A GoFundMe page set up to support Edson's family to pay for legal help and his funeral says: 'Edson was lying in hospital for six days on life support after having his neck broken in two places, head injuries that caused his brain to completely die and was sprayed directly into his eyes so heavily that he lost his eye sight.

'The police that did this left the scene immediately after following no basic protocol. Sadly we were forced to say goodbye on Wednesday 21st June and lost a priceless soul.

'This is a call for justice, not just for Edson but for all young men that are forgotten and unprotected in this reckless system.'

The IPCC has called speculation about the cause of his death 'unhelpful'.

There has been growing anger online about Edson's death on social media - with many demanding a full inquiry into his death.

But others have demanded demanded direct action against police, and have used the hashtag #justiceoelseforedson and said that his death was racially motivated.

Yesterday afternoon dozens marched on Forest Gate police station chanting 'justice for Edson' but the crowds swelled to hundreds as they walked the two miles to Stratford chants of 'f*** the police' increased.

Protesters, some carrying Black Lives Matter posters and others with homemade placards which read 'Justice for Edson + How Many More???', stood in front of a line of uniformed officers.

By 11pm bricks were pulled from walls and thrown at riot police who blocked the road watched by force helicopters from above.

One rode his motorbike up to the police line and revved his engine. Another turned his bike towards the officers and span the wheels so that smoke blew towards them.

Police were seen tending to a woman lying on the pavement. The trouble continued until around 3am and four arrests were made.

Borough commander superintendent Ian Larnder stood in the middle of a group of demonstrators trying to answer their questions. 'All police officers are fully aware that they will be asked to account for their actions, officers are not exempt from the law and we would not wish to be,' he told the Evening Standard.

'I know Edir's family, friends and the wider community want answers, but it is important that the investigation is allowed to take place to establish the full facts of what happened before any conclusions are made.'

Police officers line up in Forest Gate in London as more than 100 people attacked them

Youths with their faces covered bloacked roads with large bins and set fire to them

Many said they were angry about Edson's death after his arrest and some wore 'Justice for Edson' T-shirts

Officers responding to the disorder were dressed in riot gear

Protesters who had covered their faces were seen facing off against police who were carrying riot shields

An estimated 200 people were at the 'hostile' demonstration by midnight with crowds covering their faces as they threw projectiles at police

The IPCC said a preliminary post-mortem examination on Thursday indicated there were no spinal injuries caused by police.

Transport for London said that from just before 6pm there were 'a number of bus diversions at police request' due to the protest. A Met spokesman said: 'Shortly after 11.10pm, the main group dispersed into a number of smaller groups and again officers had items thrown at them. Two officers were injured, one suffered facial injuries and the other head injuries. They have both been taken to hospital for medical treatment.'

Police officers and firefighters were still at the scene in the early hours of the morning - but some local residents were forced to put out fires.

Stratford bus station in east London was evacuated after more than 100 demonstrators clashed with officers in riot gear.

Anger had been brewing on social media since under the hashtag #justice4Edson, and the protests had initially started peacefully, but as the mob's numbers increased further trouble broke out in Stratford, with the trouble continuing until around 3am.

Witnesses told MailOnline that at least four bins were ablaze with marauding protesters trying to set more alight

Police were still at the scene outside the station in large numbers late into the evening as the march descended into chaos - a woman in a mobility scooter stands in from of police

Many of the protesters were seen covering their faces with bandannas, jumpers and balaclavas and furiously gesticulating at riot officers

Family campaigners were insisting that the violence was not coming from them and it had been set up as a peaceful march

A protester is pictured climbing up a lamp post

At one point a blaze appeared to have been lit just yards from a petrol station

Furious crowds gathered outside Forest Gate police station from the early afternoon claiming that Metropolitan Police officers were to blame for Mr Da Costa's death, despite an initial post mortem not finding any force-related injuries.

Witnesses told MailOnline that at least four bins were ablaze with marauding protesters trying to set more alight.

An estimated 200 people were at the 'hostile' main demonstration by midnight with crowds covering their faces as they threw projectiles at police.

At one point a blaze appeared to have been lit just yards from a petrol station.

Campaigners shouting 'we want justice' and 'Justice for Edson', Mr Da Costa's nickname, caused buses to be diverted as they marched on Forest Gate police station this afternoon.

Many of the protesters were seen covering their faces with bandanas, jumpers and balaclavas and furiously gesticulating at riot officers.

Last week the Independent Police Complaints Commission urged people to stop spreading 'false' and 'inflammatory information', fearing an incident such as the riots yesterday.

The campaigners were shouting 'we want justice' and 'Justice for Edson', Mr Da Costa's nickname

Police formed a line to keep the campaigners at bay during the protest in north east London

Black Lives Matter campaigners hold a tense stand-off with Metropolitan Police officers over the death of Frederico Da Costa

Pictured: A protester angrily points at police during the tense demonstration yesterday

A spokesman said: 'We are releasing this information now out of concern at the rapid spread of false and potentially inflammatory information.

'Our robust and independent investigation will seek to explain the circumstances around Mr Da Costa's death. In the meantime, false information could have very dangerous consequences, so please don't share it.'

Borough Commander Superintendent Ian Larnder was also seen standing in the middle of a group of protesters trying to answer their questions and calm tensions.

Transport for London said that from just before 6pm there had been 'a number of bus diversions at police request' due to the demonstration at Stratford.

One person was arrested on suspicion of disorder offences; three others were arrested on suspicion of arson and criminal damage.

The Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) has launched an investigation into the treatment of Mr Da Costa who died on June 21.

The IPCC said a preliminary post-mortem, carried out on Thursday, indicated there were no spinal injuries caused by police.

Pictured: A protester drives his motorcycle up to a line of riot police during today's demonstration

Pictured: Protesters hold placards saying: 'Justice for Edson + How many more?'

Pictured: A line of riot police block off the road outside Stratford bus station in east London

On Friday it posted a statement on Twitter, which read: 'Today we have contacted Mr Da Costa's family to share with them the findings from the pathologist and we are now able to correct some misinformation that is being widely shared on social media.

'The preliminary post mortem found that Mr Da Costa did not suffer a broken neck, or any other spinal injury during his interaction with the police.'
North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un has ordered the construction of a Benidorm-style beach resort after officials were left 'amazed' by a trip to tourism hotspots in Spain.

Twenty officials from the state visited a number of spots in Spain, including Benidorm, Salou and Barcelona on a month-long tour through the country.

While they left unimpressed by the culture-rich city of Barcelona, the officials were enthralled by Benidorm's resorts like Costa Blanca and the history-themed Terra Mitica amusement park.

And now North Korea is planning its own beach resort in Wonsan, a port city in the country's eastern coast, which will be 'aimed at the domestic and international markets'.

North Korea is planning its own beach resort in Wonsan, a port city in the country's eastern coast, which will be 'aimed at the domestic and international markets'. Pictured above, North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un

While they left unimpressed by the culture-rich city of Barcelona, the officials were enthralled by Benidorm's (pictured above) resorts like Costa Blanca and the history-themed Terra Mitica amusement park

A spokesman from North Korea's embassy in Madrid said that the touring officials were amazed by the dimensions' of Benidorm's towers and holiday parks.

'We wanted to focus on the beaches because that is what we are interested in,' the embassy spokesman said.

The spokesman said that the complex in Oropesa del Mar was the closest match to what the country wants to build Wonsan, though their complex will be 'a little bit bigger'.

He said that the resort could be ready to welcome holidaymakers by as early as mid-2018, though the officials were more interested in creating a campsite resort than the high-rise hotels loved by tourists in Spain.

Matias Perez Such, an organiser of the trip, told El Confidencial: 'They put a lot of emphasis on the unit costs of each element of camping.

'It's logical that if they want to begin developing tourism, they start with campsites and not with a 55-storey hotel.'

He added: 'But it is very positive that they want to stop being the most hermetic country in the world.'

News of North Korea's growing interest in tourism comes days after the tragic death of Otto Warmbier, a 22-year-old American student who died after being imprisoned by the country last year

News of North Korea's growing interest in tourism comes days after the tragic death of Otto Warmbier, a 22-year-old American student who died after being imprisoned by the country last year.

Warmbier was in a coma when he was released by North Korean officials last week.

The North's official Korean Central News Agency denied that North Korea cruelly treated or tortured Otto Warmbier and accused the United States and South Korea of a smear campaign that insulted what it called its 'humanitarian' treatment of him.

The comments published by KCNA were North Korea's first reaction to Otto Warmbier's death in a US hospital on Monday after it released him for what it called humanitarian reasons.

Doctors at the hospital said Warmbier had suffered a severe neurological injury from an unknown cause. Relatives say they were told the University of Virginia student had been in a coma since shortly after he was sentenced to 15 years of hard labor in North Korea in March 2016.

His family and others have blamed North Korea for his condition.

Warmbier was accused of stealing a propaganda poster. Through statements on KCNA, North Korea said it dealt with him according to its domestic laws and international standards.
A single mom who emailed her professor to apologize for missing a class because she couldn't find childcare, has shared the heartwarming reply.

Morgan King studies therapeutic recreation at the University of Tennessee but had been struggling to find child care for her daughter Korbyn.

The student is a single mother who lost her own mom to breast cancer last year.

After missing one class on June 15, she emailed Professor Sally Hunter, from the Department of Child and Family Studies, apologizing and warning that she may be forced to be absent from future classes if she faced the same issue.

Morgan King emailed her professor to apologize for missing a class on June 15 after she couldn't find child care for her daughter Korbyn (pictured together)

However, her professor emailed her back with a solution; just bring Korbyn to class. That email was shared by King in a post which has now been liked more than 25,000 times (pictured)

However, her professor had a simple solution; just bring Korbyn to class, KGW reports.

'In the future, if you are having trouble finding someone to watch Korbyn, feel free to just BRING HER with you to class,' Hunter wrote in the email.

'I would be absolutely delighted to hold her while I teach, so that you can still pay attention to the class and take notes.'

Morgan King studies therapeutic recreation at the University of Tennessee (pictured)

But as a single mom, who lost her own mother to breast cancer last year, King says she finds it hard to balance school and looking after her daughter Korbyn (left and with her mom right)

King, pictured with her daughter, says she was overwhelmed by her professor's response

King said she was moved to tears by the heartwarming, and understanding email.

'Told my professor I missed class yesterday bc I couldn't find childcare & this was her response. I'm literally crying. So blessed/thankful,' she said, sharing the email on Twitter.

The post has quickly gone viral and has gained more than 25,000 likes.

University of Tennessee Chancellor Beverly Davenport also retweeted King's post, writing: 'Morgan, thanks for showing us challenges college students face. Prof Hunter, thanks for being part of the solution.'

Prof. Hunter also responded thanking King for making her 'Twitter famous', adding that it seems like 'inviting Korybn to class was just the decent thing to do.'

Meanwhile, King says she has found it 'so hard' balancing school and motherhood but she was 'so determined to graduate and get my degree for Korbyn and I.'

'It's not just about me anymore. I have to do this for us.'
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New York City revelers waved rainbow flags and carried colorful balloons during the 48th annual Gay Pride parade that saw an estimated 40,000 people, including Chelsea Manning and Kelly Osbourne, take to the streets on Sunday.

Manning was photographed smiling on the American Civil Liberties Union float during the parade in the Big Apple as she celebrated her first pride as a free woman.

Manning, the private first class soldier in the US Army who leaked hundreds of thousands of military intelligence reports and documents to WikiLeaks in 2010, was released from prison last month. The 29-year-old, who is transgender, was originally sentenced to 35 years but had her sentence commuted by then-president Barack Obama in January 2016.

Sporting a plaid dress, Manning was spotted later in the day waiving to crowds as she rode in a convertible while it crossed over a freshly painted rainbow crosswalk on Sixth Avenue in Manhattan.

Of her experience, she tweeted: 'honored to represent the @aclu at this years @NYCpridemarch ... lost my voice from screaming so much ... thank you'.

Dozens of gay pride parades were held around the country in New York, San Francisco and other cities, and some spotlighted the resistance to what participants see as new pressure on gay rights, while contending with the prospect of protests over the events' own diversity and direction.

First time: Chelsea Manning (above) participated in her first pride parade in New York City on Sunday. Manning was photographed smiling on the American Civil Liberties Union float during the parade in the Big Apple as she celebrated her first pride as a free woman

Members of Resist, a foundation that supports people's movements for justice and liberation. protest President Donald Trump as they march during the New York City Pride Parade

T-Mobile employees show #UnlimitedPride as they celebrate equal rights for the LGBTQ community during the Pride March

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, bottom center, marches during the New York City Pride Parade on Sunday

Members of the Caribbean pride pause during the New York City Pride Parade

Singer LeAnn Rimes performs onstage at the New York City Pride 2017

Actresses Ilana Glazer (L) and Abbi Jacobson attend the 2017 New York City Pride March

Sporting a plaid dress, Manning (left) was spotted later in the day waiving to crowds as she rode in a convertible

Manning (above) seemed to enjoy the day as a free woman after being released from prison last month

Of her experience, she tweeted: 'honored to represent the @aclu at this years @NYCpridemarch ... lost my voice from screaming so much ... thank you'.

Kelly Osbourne, 32, also took part in the LGBT Pride March in Manhattan on Sunday

Participants in the annual New York Gay Pride Parade, one of the oldest and largest in the world, make their way down 5th Avenue in Manhattan

New York City revelers waved rainbow flags and carried colorful balloons during the 48th annual pride that saw an estimated 40,000 people

Gay pride parades were held around the country in New York, San Francisco and other cities, and some spotlighted the resistance to what participants see as new pressure on gay rights, while contending with the prospect of protests over the events' own diversity and direction

In a year when leaders are anxious about President Donald Trump's agenda, both the New York (above) and San Francisco parades were headed by groups more focused on protest than celebration

The annual march is a civil rights demonstration as well as a political event and a remembrance of past and current struggles

Many said that visibility is especially important now given the changing political climate in Washington

LGBT activists have been galled by the Trump administration's rollback of federal guidance advising school districts to let transgender students use the bathrooms and locker rooms of their choice. Above people participate in New York's pride parade

In a year when leaders are anxious about President Donald Trump's agenda, both the New York and San Francisco parades were headed by groups more focused on protest than celebration.

The grand marshals in New York's parade included Brook Guinan - a transgender woman FDNY firefighter and advocate, the American Civil Liberties Union, Krishna Stone  the director of community relations at the Gay Men's Health Crisis advocacy group, Geng Lee  a leader for LGBT rights in the People's Republic of China and the ACLU.

All were chosen to represent facets of a 'resistance movement.'

'Visibility has always been one of the most influential tools that we have to combat the ignorance and hatred and violence that our community faces,' Guinan told CBS New York.

LGBT activists have been galled by the Trump administration's rollback of federal guidance advising school districts to let transgender students use the bathrooms and locker rooms of their choice.

The Republican president also broke from Democratic predecessor Barack Obama's practice of issuing a proclamation in honor of Pride Month.

New York Sen. Chuck Schumer is pictured above walking in New York's pride parade on Sunday

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio is pictured above waiving a rainbow flag during Sunday's pride parade in the city

Participants dance during the New York City Pride Parade on Sunday

Participants perform on a float during the New York City Pride Parade

People cheer as floats travel along Fifth Avenue during the New York City Pride Parade

A reveler poses for a picture during the New York City Pride Parade

Parade participants are pictured above carrying what appears to be a casket with 'women's health' written across the side

Member of the Siren Motorcycle club participate in the New York City pride parade

Facebook employees carry a banner during the parade in New York City on Sunday

Members of the Stonewall Veterans participate in the pride parade on Sunday in New York City

It's a colorful day in Manhattan Sunday for the annual LGBT Pride March

The procession stepped off at noon at 36th Street and Fifth Avenue

Participants headed south on Fifth Avenue until they hit 8th Street, where they turned west toward Greenwich Village

Revelers started to line up early Sunday for the march, waving rainbow flags. Kendall Bermudez, 21, from New Jersey, said she thought people might be afraid to come out this year.

'But I think with all these people here, they're going to show we're fighting back and we're proud of who we are,' she said.

'I think we're going to overcome it and show Trump who's boss, well, who's the real boss.'

Earlier Sunday, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said the state would continue to lead the way on equality - and Washington would eventually listen.

He said the state is 'at the spearhead of the movement for social justice for the LGBT community.'

Singer Dragonette attends the 2017 New York City Pride March

The Heritage of Pride group carry banners and balloons during the New York City pride parade

Steven Menendez blows a kiss while participating in the New York City pride parade

Members of Cheer New York, a volunteer cheerleading and dance squad by and for the LGBTS community, throw performers into the air

Spectators lined up deep behind the barriers on each side of the parade route, attending for their own reasons  personal and political

The New York march's grand marshals this year include the American Civil Liberties Union, which was chosen for its history of litigation defending gay rights

People march down 5th Ave. in the annual New York Gay Pride Parade, one of the oldest and largest in the world

Many participants carried political themed signs as President Trump's adminstration has angered some in the LGBT community

A man holds a sign to protest against US President Donald Trump during the annual New York LGBT Pride March in New York

Thousands cheered as members of LGBT community danced and marched under a bright summer sun

Participants in the annual New York Gay Pride Parade, one of the oldest and largest in the world, make their way down 5th Avenue in Manhattan

The parade marched by the Stonewall Inn, which is widely considered the birthplace of gay rights activism

The march route ends on Christopher Street in Manhattan's West Village in order to commemorate the riots that broke out there in 1969 after police raided the Stonewall Inn, a gay bar, in an event seen as a turning point in the gay rights movement

Tens of thousands lined the streets of Manhattan Sunday for the 48th NYC LGBT Pride March

The annual march, which started at 36th Street and Fifth Avenue, ends in the West Village

Cuomo, a Democrat, was speaking Sunday at a ceremony that formally appointed Paul G. Feinman to the New York Court of Appeals, the state's highest court. Feinman is the first openly gay judge to hold the position.

Twelve people were arrested and charged with disorderly conduct after obstructing the parade outside the Stonewall Inn, police said.

Marching behind a sign that read 'No Cops, No Banks,' the demonstrators appeared to be protesting the increasing corporatization and police involvement with the annual event.

The demonstration was resolved calmly, with police giving the protesters space for 10 minutes before making arrests.

The crowd was 'mostly irritated by the delay, and heartily cheered the police band that followed,' according to Gothamist.

The FDNY has also been reporting that seven firefighters were injured in a fire near the Pride March route.

The fire broke out just before 3:30 p.m. Sunday on Hudson Street near West 12th Street.

Two firefighters have serious injuries, and five firefighters have minor injuries.

Back on the route, the pride celebrations also faced some resistance from within the LGBT world itself.

Some activists feel the events are centered on gay white men and unconcerned with issues that matter particularly to minorities in the movement, such as economic inequality and policing.

The divide has disrupted some other pride events this month. The No Justice No Pride group blocked the Washington parade's route, and four protesters were arrested at the parade in Columbus, Ohio.

In Minneapolis, organizers of Sunday's Twin Cities Pride Parade initially asked the police department to limit its participation, with the chairwoman saying the sight of uniformed officers could foster 'angst and tension and the feeling of unrest' after a suburban officer's acquittal this month in the deadly shooting of Philando Castile, a black man, during a traffic stop.

The NYC Pride March started in 1970 as a civil rights demonstration on the 1-year anniversary of the Stonewall Uprising

It is one of the world's best known LGBT events, with 350 marching contingents and more than 2 million spectators in 2016

The march in New York and other cities are spotlighting resistance to what participants see as new pressure on gay rights, while contending with the prospect of protests over the events' own diversity and direction

In a year when leaders are anxious about President Donald Trump's agenda, both the New York and San Francisco events were headed by groups more focused on protest than celebration

In New York, grand marshals - including the American Civil Liberties Union - were chosen to represent facets of a 'resistance movement'

LGBT activists have been galled by the Trump administration's rollback of federal guidance advising school districts to let transgender students use the bathrooms and locker rooms of their choice

Grand Marshal Krishna Stone attends the 2017 New York City Pride March

Grand Marshal BGeng Le attends the 2017 New York City Pride March

Revelers started to line up early Sunday for the march, waving rainbow flags

Millions of people lined the streets of lower Manhattan for the 2017 Pride parade

Members of Gays against Guns wear all white and signs of those killed at the Pulse Night Club in Orlando during the New York City Pride Parade

A man dressed in rainbow colors walks during the annual New York LGBT Pride March

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo (C) participates in the annual New York LGBT Pride March

New York became the first large state to approve same-sex marriage in 2011

Member of the Siren Motorcycle club participate in the New York City Pride Parade

T-Mobile employees show pride as they celebrate equal rights for the LGBTQ community during the New York City March

Members of the ACLU float cheer and interact with the crowd during the New York City pride parade

Two women attend Teaze during New York City pride at The DL in the Lower East Side of the city

Participants march during the New York City Pride Parade

A participant performs during the New York City Pride Parade

The city's openly gay police chief called the decision divisive and hurtful to LGBT officers. On Friday, organizers apologized and said the officers are welcome to march.

Meanwhile, pride march organizers have taken steps to address the criticisms about diversity.

'The pride celebration is a platform for that dialogue to happen,' San Francisco Pride board president Michelle Meow said this week. The large 'resistance contingent' leading San Francisco's parade includes groups that represent women, immigrants, African-Americans and others along with LGBT people.

New York paradegoers Zhane Smith-Garris, 20, Olivia Rengifo, 19 and Sierra Dias, 20, all black women from New Jersey, said they didn't feel there was inequality in the movement.

'Pride is for gay people in general,' Dias said.

New York City pride parade spokesman James Fallarino said if there are any disruptions or protests, organizers will 'do everything in our power to respect the people who are disrupting or protesting and to respect their message.'

Bo Dietl (C), a retired police detective and former Fox News contributor who is running to be mayor of New York City, participates in the annual New York LGBT Pride March in New York

The Pride March is a magnificent way of celebrating the contributions of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender people

People cheer outside The Stonewall gay bar, during the annual New York LGBT Pride March in New York

A man jumps in the air in Seventh Avenue after the annual New York LGBT Pride March
An Arkansas prison escapee who had been on the run for 32 years has been recaptured.

The state Department of Corrections said 60-year-old Steven Dishman was arrested Sunday at a home in Springdale in northwest Arkansas by local law enforcement and state troopers.

Details of what led authorities to Dishman and his arrest were not immediately released.

Steven Dishman, 60 (left and right), was recaptured on Sunday in Springdale, Arkansas, after spending more than three decades on the run

Dishman was originally arrested for theft of property and burglary and received a seven-year sentence in December 1984 (pictured). He would have been eligible for parole in 1987

Dishman was originally arrested for theft of property and burglary, according to Solomon Graves, the Arkansas Department of Corrections Public Information Officer.

He was serving a seven-year sentence in the Cummins Unit in Washington County when he escaped on May 28, 1985, the correction department said.

Dishman was sentenced in December 1984 would have been eligible for parole in 1987.

Dishman was serving time in the Cummins Unit (pictured) when he escaped in May 1985. He will be required to finish his original sentence

Graves said Dishman will be required to finish his original sentence.

Another Arkansas inmate was also caught on Sunday, reported the Arkansas Democrat Gazette.

Joel Lane, 39, was captured after a foot chase in Pine Bluff.

Lane escaped Saturday from a work release program in Pine Bluff while serving a sentence for simultaneous possession of drugs and a firearm and possession of a firearm by a certain person.
First son Eric Trump has a new nickname for Democratic National Committee chairman Tom Perez.

'If you look at the head of the DNC, he's, quite frankly, a nut job,' Trump told Maria Bartiromo Sunday on Fox News Channel.

The middle Trump son told the anchor that the Democratic Party was 'imploding,' especially in the wake of last week's Georgia special election, in which Republican Karen Handel bested Democratic candidate Jon Ossoff.

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Eric Trump pointed a finger at the Democratic Party on Sunday for obstructing his father's agenda, calling the party's leader, Tom Perez, a 'nut job'

Eric Trump (left) sat down with Maria Bartiromo (right) on Sunday and told her he thought the Democratic Party was 'imploding'

President Obama's former Labor secretary Tom Perez (pictured) took over the helm of the party in late February, and has gotten in some trouble for his filthy mouth

'If you look at the Democratic Party, and I keep saying it, they're imploding, they've got no leadership, they've got no message,' Eric Trump began.

'If you look at the DNC, the DNC is half-defunct. They've got no money in the bank, they have no operation,' the Trump son continued, then throwing out the term 'nut job.'

Earlier in June, Eric Trump had appeared alongside Sean Hannity on Fox and referred to Perez, President Obama's former labor secretary, as a 'whack job.'

In the same interview, he suggested that Democrats were 'not even people.'

'I've never seen hatred like this,' he said in early June. 'To me they're not even people. It's so, so sad. Morality's just gone, morals have flown out the window and we deserve so much better than this as a country.'

'You see the Democratic Party, they're imploding, they're imploding,' the young Trump also claimed. 'They became obstructionists because they have no message on their own.'

Eric Trump went after the Democrats' messaging on Sunday too.

'What is the Democrats message now? What are they running on?' he mused. 'All they're doing is obstructing. And it's clearly not working because every race that comes along, every special election, my father is winning.'

Perez became the DNC chair in late February after former DNC chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz resigned from the position last summer, in the wake of the DNC email leaks. Donna Brazile held the position on an interim basis.

The former Obama cabinet member beat out Sen. Bernie Sanders' pick for the job, Rep. Keith Ellison, one of only two Muslim members of Congress.

Since getting on the job, Perez has taken some flack for crude language.

Perez had asked audience to give him a 'h**l yeah,' to fire up the crowd.

He said that the budget President Trump floated wasn't a skinny budget, but a s**tty budget.'

Perez also claimed that 'Republicans don't give a s**t about people.'
A five-month-old baby is lucky to be alive after an alleged drunk learner driver crashed into a home in Adelaide's northeast.

The car crashed into the baby nursery of the Kelham Street, Hillcrest home about 6.30pm on Sunday, Nine News reports.

The baby was not in its bedroom when the car ploughed through the wall.

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The car crashed into the baby nursery of the Kelham Street, Hillcrest home about 6.30pm on Sunday

The learner driver behind the wheel of the Ford also escaped injury.

The 20-year-old Gawler man was arrested after he allegedly blew 0.120, more than twice the legal limit for a driver on an unrestricted license.

Learner drivers are not permitted to have any alcohol in their system.

Police charged the man with aggravated driving without due care, exceeding the prescribed concentration of alcohol and breaching his learner's permit conditions.

He lost his license for six months, and was issued with a notice to appear in court.

A female passenger in the vehicle was also uninjured. Police said she was not acting as the driver's supervisor.

The baby was not in its bedroom when the car ploughed through the wall of its Adelaide home

Police charged the man with aggravated driving without due care, exceeding the prescribed concentration of alcohol and breaching his learner's permit conditions
A fire has broken out at a North London tower block under a mile away from an estate where thousands were evacuated over flammable cladding.

Crews of almost 60 firefighters are battling flames at Waxham House in Camden this evening.

The block is minutes away from Chalcots Estate, where 4,000 people were evacuated on Friday.

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Crews of almost 60 firefighters are battling flames at Waxham House in Camden this evening

Shocked residents were ordered to leave their homes for up to three weeks while 'urgent fire safety works' were carried out.

Roads have been closed outside Waxham House while crews deal with the fire.

It is not thought anyone was injured but this is yet to be confirmed by emergency services.

Witness footage shows smoke billowing from the building's second storey.

One frustrated resident tweeted a video of the fire with the caption: 'Well done #@camdencouncil for not fixing the lift at waxham for two months, way to go #Camden'

The incident comes less than two weeks after a devastating blaze ripped through Grenfell Tower in Kensington.

According to the London Fire Brigade, there were 440 dwelling fires across the capital in May 2016.
A teenage boy has appeared in court charged with the rape of an eight-year-old girl in a park.

Officers were called to Nuthurst Park in Moston, Greater Manchester, at around 6.55pm on Saturday night after reports the girl was found in tears after being raped and the offender had been chased off by members of the public.

The suspect, aged 16, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was arrested by police in a nearby shop on Saturday evening.

The boy was remanded in custody and today appeared at Manchester Youth Court.

The alleged attack happened in Nuthurst Park in Moston, Greater Manchester, shortly before 7pm on Saturday

Police have arrested and charged a 16-year-old boy with rape after the attack on an eight-year-old girl

The boy appeared in a grey tracksuit looking nervous and timid and spoke only to confirm his details.

His parents sat in court holding hands throughout looking straight faced.

The case was deemed too serious to be dealt with by District Judge Mark Hadfield and it has been referred to Manchester Crown Court on July 10.

Judge Hadfield said: 'You will appreciate the charge you face is a very serious charge. This matter is so serious that it is going to be committed to Manchester Crown Court.'

He has been remanded in custody until the next hearing.

The victim is being provided with support from specially trained officers.

Greater Manchester Police have urged the public not to speculate over the circumstances of the incident.

The force said: 'This is in relation to an incident that happened just before 6.55pm on Saturday 24 June 2017 when police were called to reports that an eight-year-old girl had been raped in Nuthurst Park.

'We are aware of a lot of local speculation regarding the investigation and we would ask that this please stops to allow the investigation and legal process to continue without prejudice.'

Specially trained officers are providing the victim and her family with support

A police tent has been erected at the spot where the alleged attack is said to have taken place and detectives were seen combing the long grassy area nearby for clues.

Today those living near the park spoke of their shock and disgust at what had happened.

Lindsey Litten, who has lived opposite for 43 years said: 'It's so, so sad. And absolutely shocking.

'There must have been at least 30 people in there at the time, including kids in the playground.

'You just couldn't dream something like that would happen in broad daylight with so many people around.

'We've got grandkids and they go in there, thankfully not without me. It's so scary.'

John Patterson, 68, said: 'We saw all the police who came swarming in last night.

'But it wasn't until later we found out what it was all about. We couldn't believe it, we thought it can't be this park.

'In broad daylight like that it beggars belief it really does.'

Police say they are stepping up patrols but have asked locals not to speculate further on the details of the attack

A mother who lives opposite but did not want to be named said: 'We saw the girl get carried away and the lad being chased.

'Frightening doesn't even cover it.

'It's happened facing my house and I'm sickened at the thought of it.'

Speaking on Saturday, Inspector Dave Whelan added: 'I know this incident has understandably caused a lot of unrest in the local community, particularly among those who were in the nearby area at the time but I want to assure everybody that we have launched a full investigation.

'We treat all reports like this with the utmost seriousness and as such officers swiftly attended the scene and arrested a teenage boy within 16 minutes of the initial call coming in.

'We would like to thank the local community who assisted in our initial inquiries earlier today.

'Local residents may notice an increased police presence in the area so if you have any information about the incident or concerns that you wish to raise with officers, then I would encourage you to either approach them directly or call police.'
British Airways is facing a backlash from passengers after forcing them to pay extra to guarantee sitting with their family on flights.

Furious travellers complain that they are being split up from loved ones as they head off on holiday.

Worst affected are passengers who have bought the cheapest deals. But even BA's executive club members who have been awarded 'companion vouchers' to go on a romantic break or honeymoon with their partner are being separated on flights.

The only way to ensure a seat with your family is to pay 20 to reserve one on longer flights of five hours or more, or 7 a seat on short-haul flights.

Split up: Furious travellers complain that they are being split up from loved ones as they head off on holiday. Worst affected are passengers who have bought the cheapest deals

Seats by the emergency exit cost 50 to reserve, while executive club members are charged 24 per seat on longer flights.

The policy was introduced in 2009. Paid-for reservations were said to be based on requests from customers  but many are now complaining about the policy on social media, as the airline also faces a backlash for scrapping free sandwiches on short-haul flights and for its plans to reduce leg room on some flights.

Economy class passengers can check in online up to 24 hours before departure.

BA says its computer system then randomly allocates seats for those who do not pay extra. It says this programme aims to sit family and friends on the same booking together. But those who have bought basic fares  where they are only allowed cabin luggage  are given the lowest priority.

Earlier this month Ryanair was accused of deliberately splitting up families to force them to pay extra, which the budget airline denied. But BA customers assumed Britain's flagship carrier was above levying sneaky extra charges.

Slipping: Critics say BA is becoming similar to budget airlines under its Spanish boss Alex Cruz

Passengers have criticised BA on Twitter in recent days. Hannah Nutley wrote: 'So angry with @British_Airways paid 100 to book seats. At checkin seats changed. 3 people now split. On phone 30min+ refused to help.'

Sarah Brovda complained: 'Unable to check in online bec of new system, so couldn't pre-pay to choose seats. Sitting sep from fiance, flight delayed @British_Airways.'

The row will fuel criticism that BA is becoming similar to a budget airline under its Spanish boss Alex Cruz. Its reputation has been badly bruised by last month's IT shutdown, which grounded flights and led to tens of thousands being stranded.

A BA spokesman said: 'We can never guarantee customers will be sat together, especially on very busy flights, and we will always prioritise seating for families travelling with children and customers with special needs. Customers can choose to pay to select specific seats in advance if they wish to do so.'
With all the cruelty animals suffer at the hands of humans, it's nice to see some kindness offered.

And as these images from around the world prove, people are often quick to leap to the aid of a struggling creature in its time of need.

One captures a heroic boy in Noakhali, Bangladesh, who jumped into a flooded river to rescue a drowning fawn. Miraculously, the baby deer was returned to its herd and ran off unscathed.

Another sees a group of firefighters in Wisconsin, USA, administering an improvised version of CPR to a dog they'd just pulled from a burning house.

Other success stories include a donkey which fell down a well in China, and a group of people in the Caribbean who formed a human wall to help guide baby sea turtles safely to the ocean.

Read on for a selection of rescue missions rounded up by MailOnline that might just melt your heart.

When a massive earthquake struck Chile in 2010, rescue teams worked tirelessly to free residents - both human and otherwise

In another image, a squirrel is seen getting aid from rescuers by means of an oxygen mask

This beachgoer marched out to sea to rescue a beached baby dolphin, according to the uploader, who didn't share the location

This heroic boy jumped into a flooded river in Noakhali, Bangladesh, to rescue a drowning fawn. Miraculously, it was returned to its herd and ran off unscathed

These fireman managed to rescue a dog from a fire, and raced it to safety where it was treated

The team administered the dog CPR before it was safely handed to its highly relieved owner

When this pup was knocked into the sea by a powerful guest of wind in Melbourne, Australia, a stranger wasted no time in leaping in

The 20-year-old German tourist was hailed a hero after he successfully rescued the small dog

This group of people in the Caribbean formed a human wall to help guide baby sea turtles safely to the ocean

Teenager Vladamir Maksimov saw this puppy drowning in flood waters, so he rescued him, adopted him and named him Lucky

In this case, three fireman worked together - one being lowered head first down a hole - to rescue a trapped fox

During a natural disaster in China's Sichuan Province, rescuers were seen pulling free a dog who was trapped under the rubble

This Polish resident rescued a deer who was caught struggling in the flooded town

This donkey in China slipped and fell down a well, after which it was lifted free

Sergeant Frank Praytor looked after this two-week old kitten during the height of the Korean War

A fireman who seems understandably delighted to have rescued these ducklings in a small bin

A tiny puppy is seen being revived by a rescue team in Cleveland, Ohio, using an oxgyen mask

When this dog was found abandoned and emaciated (left) his future looked bleak. Today, he's thriving in the arms of his loving owner
They've been A-list fixtures at this year's Glastonbury.

And on Saturday, Suicide Squad co-stars Margot Robbie and Cara Delevingne, 24, enjoyed another day of fun at the world-famous festival.

Margot, 26, rocked a Mickey Mouse jumper with chic yellow shades, and was in high spirits as she soaked up the atmosphere.

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Margot and the music! Margot Robbie wore a Mickey Mouse jumper and yellow shades as she joined supermodel Cara Delevingne for another day at Glastonbury Festival in England

The girls are out! Margot was pictured with her friend, model and actress Cara Delevingne

Margot paired her top with black leggings and boots, which have come to be an essential accessory at the famously muddy music festival.

The Wolf of Wall Street star styled her long blonde hair loosely and appeared to be wearing light makeup.

Cara, who has walked for the likes of Burberry and Chanel, wore double denim.

Peace out! Margot, who is married to an Englishman, appeared in high spirits on the day

Casual chic: Cara, who has walked for the likes of Burberry and Chanel, wore double denim

Low-key look: The Wolf of Wall Street star styled her long blonde hair loosely and appeared to be wearing light makeup

The catwalk queen wore denim shorts and a matching jacket, and finished off her look with a white hoodie, T-shirt and boots.

The girls could be seen laughing as they walked through the festival grounds, and even held each other's arms during their stroll.

Over the weekend, Margot shared an Instagram photo of herself in a rainbow wig and glittery tights from another day at the event.

Who's that girl? Over the weekend, Margot shared an Instagram photo of herself in a rainbow wig and glittery tights from another day at the event

'The gang's all here': Margot, Cara and their group of friends appear to be having a great time

Where to next? The girls could be seen laughing as they walked through the festival grounds, and even held each other's arms during their stroll

Cara and Margot struck up a friendship after starring in Suicide Squad last year.

The English model played Enchantress in the DC Comics film, while the Australian actress starred starred as sexy supervillain Harley Quinn.

The friends have been spotted partying together regularly since the film's release.

Fast friends: Cara and Margot struck up a friendship after starring in Suicide Squad last year

Co-stars: The English model played Enchantress in the DC Comics film, while the Australian actress starred starred as sexy supervillain Harley Quinn

Girl talk! Discussing their friendship, Margot previously said: 'We just talk about regular girl stuff. She is like, "I've had sex on a plane" and I'll be like, "Yeah, but I've had it on a jet ski"'

Margot previously said of their friendship: 'We just talk about regular girl stuff. She is like, "I've had sex on a plane" and I'll be like, "Yeah, but I've had it on a jet ski".

'And she will then blow me out of the water and tell me she 'drunk texts' Prince Harry. So I'm just like, "Okay, you win",' she told The Daily Star Sunday.

While Cara broke up with songstress St Vincent at the beginning of the year, Margot married her longtime boyfriend Tom Ackerley last December in Australia.

Off the market! Margot married her longtime boyfriend Tom Ackerley in December

That rock! On the day, Margot showcased her stunning wedding and engagement rings

Rumours: According to NW , the blonde beauty is getting ready for motherhood and 'may have conceived during a trip to Hawaii in March'

Meanwhile, NW magazine reported earlier this month that Margot is getting ready for motherhood and 'may have conceived during a trip to Hawaii in March.'

'Margot's been ready for motherhood for a while now, and Tom can't wait to be a dad,' a source reportedly said.

They added: 'Having kids was a big part of why they decided to tie the knot. Margot's traditional and wanted a ring on her finger before they started a family.'
The rest of his family are camera-ready and willing to pose at a moment's notice.

But Kim Kardashian's one-year-old son Saint looked more in deep thought than up for an impromptu photo shoot as she snapped his pic on Saturday.

The adorable tyke looked laid back in his car seat with a big beverage cup as his 36-year-old reality star mom posted the shot on Snapchat.

Whacha lookin' at: Kim Kardashian's one year-old son Saint looked more in deep thought than up for an impromptu photo shoot as she snapped his pic on Saturday

Saint - whose father is rapper Kanye West - rocked a tiger striped sweater and some black and white sweet high tops.

Earlier, Kim posted a cute photo of Saint's four-year-old sister North who followed in the matriarch's footsteps by being ready for her close up.

She giggled and smiled with her hair done in cute braids as she wore a fun black sundress and some fuzzy brown slippers.

Kid sister: Kim posted a cute photo of Saint's four-year-old sister North who followed in the matriarch's footsteps by being ready for her close up

Kim and Kanye also share North together.

The dynamic duo began dating in 2012 and eventually married in 2014.

Meanwhile, Kim, her sister Kourtney, their kids, and gal pal Larsa Pippen celebrated a friend's birthday on Friday.

Bday bash: Kim, her sister Kourtney, their kids, and gal pal Larsa Pippen celebrated a friend's birthday on Friday

The stars all took to social media to share a series of photos from the family-friendly bash.

Kourtney appeared ready for bed in many of the photos, donning a fluffy white bathrobe.

The 38-year-old posed for a series of photos alongside The Real Housewives Of Miami star.
Oliver Curtis refused to answer questions about his wife Roxy Jacenko's too-close-for-comfort friendship with her ex-boyfriend upon his release from prison on Friday.

And it appears that Nabil Gazal himself is trying to keep a low profile amid the media frenzy, and has reportedly fled Sydney for Lebanon to avoid the spotlight.

The multi-millionaire property developer 'timed' his trip to his ancestral home so he would be out of the country when Oliver finished his jail sentence, Fairfax reports.

He's off! It appears Roxy Jacenko's ex-boyfriend Nabil Gazal (pictured) is trying to keep a low profile as her husband is release from prison, as he reportedly fled Sydney for Lebanon

Meanwhile, Nabil's socialite sister Nicole Gazal O'Neil - who avoided questions about her brother on The Morning Show last month - has also conveniently left the country.

The Real Housewives Of Sydney star, 37, is currently as far away from Australia as possible, attending Royal Ascot in England with her husband Adam and friends.

The Sydney Morning Herald reported on Saturday that Nabil, known as 'Junior', went to Lebanon to 'avoid being caught up in the fanfare' surrounding Oliver's release.

Happy family? Oliver Curtis refused to answer questions about his wife Roxy Jacenko's too-close-for-comfort friendship with her former lover upon his release from prison on Friday

In April, Daily Mail Australia published photos of Nabil and Roxy sharing a passionate late-night kiss at his Sydney apartment following an evening out with friends.

The former couple, who dated until 2010, have not commented on the scandal - but Private Sydney reported the photos had a 'devastating' effect on their families.

'It is simply devastating... they have been so public, the family has been really torn up about it,' a source told the gossip column in May.

In England: Meanwhile, Nabil's socialite sister Nicole Gazal O'Neil - who avoided questions about her brother on The Morning Show last month - has also conveniently left the country

What's going on here? In April, Daily Mail Australia published photos of Nabil and Roxy sharing a passionate late-night kiss at his Sydney apartment following an evening out with friends

Roxy, 37, joined by her children Pixie and Hunter, flew via private jet to Cooma to collect her husband from prison, after he had served a year for insider trading.

She did not meet her husband at the prison gates, as was previously rumoured, but they were instead reunited a nearby airfield before flying back to Sydney.

It was previously rumoured that Roxy and Oliver had quietly ended their relationship before he began his sentence, but the publicist later clarified she was still 'married'.
She's the Logie-winning actress whose Offspring character Nina Proudman is a definite fan favourite.

And Asher Keddie, 42, has revealed that she looked to her own life experience to draw inspiration for the role.

As an upcoming story line sees Nina and her young daughter Zoe moving in with onscreen beau Harry Crewe, Asher said the new season 'resonated' with her.

'I knew it would be a forever choice': Asher Keddie has spoken about the responsibility of being a stepmother to husband Vincent Fantauzzo's six-year-old son Luca

In a case of art imitating life, Asher told The Sunday Telegraph's TV Guide that she drew inspiration from her own experience of moving in with now husband Vincent Fantauzzo, who has a six-year-old son, Luca, from a previous relationship.

'I knew that when I was making that choice, it would be a forever choice,' she explained.

Asher added that, like her character in Offspring, moving in with Vincent and Luca was not a decision she took lightly.

Art imitating life: As an upcoming story line in Offspring sees Nina and her young daughter Zoe moving in with onscreen beau Harry Crewe, Asher said the new season 'resonated' with her

'There came a point for me when I thought, "I can't go halfway here, this is actually boots and all,"' she said.

'Otherwise I might as well walk away now because this little boy is falling in love with me and I'm falling in love with him and I've got to be very careful here.'

Asher said that she found communication was essential in dealing with such a potentially sensitive situation.

'There came a point for me when I thought, "I can't go halfway here, this is actually boots and all"': Asher took her role as stepmother very seriously as she began to bond with Luca

'Our communication at that time was very clear... and very open,' she said. 'We didn't pussyfoot around it. We knew the enormity of the effect that it was going to have on Luca if we were to join up and move in together.'

After splitting with first husband, Jay Bowen, in April 2014, Asher and Vincent tied the knot in November of that year.

In March 2015, they welcomed their first child together, Valentino.
It may seem like a small problem in the great scheme of things, but revellers this year face dire warnings that taking a crafty wee could kill off the entire festival.

It is hoped posters warning You Go! Wee Go! will encourage use of the sites 1,400 composting loos.

The festival was previously fined thousands for violating environment regulations and further breaches could mean a ban on future events.

You won't BELIEVE what they tell me!



I think I might retire. I want to retire.

Australian director Baz Luhrmann may be one of the most successful directors in Hollywood, but hints to me at the V&A Summer Party that hes really had enough of Tinseltown.

My whole goal in life is not giving a damn.

Artist Grayson Perry takes a very quirky approach to most things, including, he reveals, his philosophy on life.

KT Tunstall has no illusions about who is the biggest draw as their schedules clash at Glastonbury

I cant believe Corbyn is actually on stage the same time as me... its such an unfortunate clash. Im going to be in too much competition. I wish he could have looked at his guide and timed it a bit better.

Seems KT Tunstall has no illusions about who is the biggest draw as their schedules clash at Glastonbury.

If it was up to me Id take 300 sheep over London Bridge and people would shout, What is going on?

Country boy and new MBE Ed Sheeran looks ahead to his next honour as he toys with the idea of becoming a freeman of the City of London and enjoying one particular privilege.

I went to see a clairvoyant. This lady with big blue earrings took me into a room painted with a big crucifix. I thought Id never get out alive. And she did have a crystal ball, and I thought Im such an idiot.

Hannah Rothschild talks at the China Exchange about how her one and only visit to a fortune-teller didnt go too well. Well, she should have seen it coming.

Michael used to call me up and ask me to sing. This was his habit.

Former Bee Gee Barry Gibb tells me about his unusual relationship with Michael Jackson, and unexpected calls from him in the night. Sounds like Jacko had a touch of the Night Fever
She made headlines earlier this month when she announced her engagement to a mystery man.

And while Brynne Edelsten has kept her rumoured 'fiance' under wraps, it appears the young gentleman has made his public debut.

The blonde socialite, 34, was spotted in a crop top as she passionately kissed her lover, Brett Hunter, after greeting him at Melbourne Airport on Friday.

Smitten! Brynne Edelsten was spotted at Melbourne Airport in a midriff-baring crop top on Friday as she kissed her rumoured fiance, Brett Hunter

If you've got it, flaunt it! The blonde socialite, 34, wore a crop top and jeans to greet her 'fiance'

Brynne wrapped up against the chill in a black and white cardigan and beanie, which she paired with ripped black jeans.

Despite wearing a full face of makeup, the former reality TV star looked a little tired perhaps after a sleepless night.

She wore her newly-straightened hair loosely and displayed a ring on her left hand - but notably her engagement finger was left bare.

Early start? Despite wearing a full face of makeup, the former reality TV star looked a little tired

The real deal? The 'couple' seemed happy to be reunited at last, with Brynne affectionately rubbing his cheek as they talked

Candid moment: In a public display of affection, the pair held hands while walking through the airport - blissfully unaware they were being photographed

The 'couple' seemed happy to be reunited at last, with Brynne affectionately rubbing the man's cheek as they talked.

In a public display of affection, the pair held hands while walking through the airport - blissfully unaware they were being photographed.

Brynne told Daily Mail Australia last week about her engagement, keeping his name a secret but confirming she had told her mother the news.

'He has left the country the same day as the engagement and comes back at the end of next week,' Brynne explained.

What a surprise! Brynne told Daily Mail Australia last week about her engagement, keeping his name a secret but confirming she had told her mother the news

Fake news? Two weeks ago, Brynne took to Facebook to announce her engagement - but some fans claimed it could just be a publicity stunt

Wedding bells? 'I'm engaged,' Brynne wrote on Facebook, adding the hashtags 'engagement' and 'save the date'

Two weeks ago, Brynne took to Facebook to announce her engagement - taking her fans, the media and her ex-husband Geoffrey Edelsten by surprise..

'I'm engaged,' Brynne wrote, adding the hashtags 'engagement' and 'save the date'.

Some fans were skeptical about the 'announcement', with one Facebook user commenting: 'Have you been hacked?'

Another follower pointed out that Brynne appeared to be single only a week prior.

Really, Brynne? Some fans were skeptical about the 'announcement', with one Facebook user commenting: 'Have you been hacked?'

What's going on? Another fan pointed out that Brynne appeared to be single only a week prior

Just stepping out: Brynne wrapped up against the chill in a black and white cardigan and beanie, which she paired with ripped black jeans

Case of the ex! Brynne's high-profile marriage to eccentric Melbourne millionaire Geoffrey Edelsten, 74, ended in divorce in April 2015

Brynne's high-profile marriage to eccentric Melbourne millionaire Geoffrey Edelsten, 74, ended in divorce in April 2015.

More recently, she split from philanthropic poet Ian McAllister in October last year after just two months of dating.

Meanwhile, businessman Geoffrey has reacted to news of Brynne's engagement, saying it was all 'very sudden'.

He told The Sydney Morning Herald: 'I have been talking to her a fair bit over the last few months and she never mentioned a relationship, so the news seems surprising.'

Split! More recently, she split from philanthropic poet Ian McAllister in October last year after just two months of dating

Thrilled: Brynne couldn't wipe the smile off her face as she took a stroll with her 'fiance'
She looks every inch of glamour when she sashays down the runway.

But Suki Waterhouse ditched her usual sky-scraper heels when she waded through the mud-filled site in a pair of wellies at Glastonbury in Somerset on Saturday.

Gearing up for the day's festivities, the catwalk queen, 25, flaunted her model-honed legs at the festival in tiny ripped denim shorts.

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Worlds away: Suki Waterhouse ditched her usual sky-scraper heels when she waded through the mud-filled site in a pair of wellies at Glastonbury in Somerset on Saturday

The model kept it casual in a striking scarlet bomber jacket, complete with kooky stripes, worn over a comfortable white tee.

Soaking up the sweltering heat, Suki sheltered her eyes from the blazing sunshine with a pair of trendy circular shades.

Slinging a green bag over her left shoulder, the actress geared herself up for her time at the festival as she let her golden hair down in a choppy cut.

What a figure: The catwalk queen, 25, flaunted her model-honed legs at the festival in tiny ripped denim shorts

Suki joined a whole host of stars at the festival including Johnny Depp and David Beckham.

Recently, she has been crafting a career in the spotlight in the film industry as she moves away from modelling.

Her latest movie The Bad Batch takes a gruesome direction as her character Arlen has her limbs hacked off.

Specs appeal: Suki sheltered her eyes from the blazing sunshine with a pair of trendy circular shades

As for romance, rumours are swirling again that Suki is dating Mexican actor and director Diego Luna, 37, after they spent a few days together in New York.

Suki was first romantically linked with the Rogue One: A Star Wars Story actor in January when they were spotted looking cosy during a trip to Mexico.

The young starlet was reportedly dating Game of Thrones actor Richard Madden, however her recent appearances with Diego suggested she's already moved on.

Good company! She was joined by pals at the festival as they headed through the site

Previously, Suki enjoyed a two-year romance with The Hangover star Bradley Cooper but the former flames parted ways in 2015.

At the time, a source told E! News: 'They both want different things right now.

'She loves Bradley and he loves her but she's so young and wants to concentrate on her acting career before becoming a mum.'
He has produced hard-hitting news reports from some of the most volatile regions on Earth.

But his penchant for sharing revealing pictures of his gym-honed body means James Longman has earned more praise for his good looks than for his work as the BBC's Middle East correspondent.

However, British fans of the reporter dubbed the Beirut Beefcake will now be denied the chance to swoon at him on screen, as he has left the Corporation to sign for a major US broadcaster.

Six packing his bags: James Longman (pictured), the reporter dubbed the Beirut Beefcake, has left the BBC to sign for America's biggest network broadcaster, ABC News

Toned: His penchant for sharing revealing pictures of his gym-honed body means James Longman has earned more praise for his good looks than for his work as the BBC's Middle East correspondent

Longman, 30, took a rumoured multi-million-pound contract to serve as a foreign correspondent with ABC News, America's biggest network.

He is even being tipped as a potential candidate for the coveted job of anchoring the evening news, with one US magazine describing him as 'smoking hot' and gushing: 'There's a new hunk in town.'

Longman won legions of fans for posting pictures of his rippling six-pack to his 34,000 followers on Instagram, leading to comparisons with Poldark star Aidan Turner.

Smoking! Longman is being tipped as a potential candidate for the job of anchoring ABC's news, with a US magazine describing him as 'smoking hot', saying: 'There's a new hunk in town'

Happy days: Longman, 30 (pictured with Tim Worlock), took a rumoured multi-million-pound contract to serve as a foreign correspondent with major US broadcaster, ABC News

A former head boy of 31,000-a-year Worth School in West Sussex, he worked for the BBC for four years, covering terror attacks in Paris and Nice as well as the horrors of IS.

But when he took part in an online question-and-answer session about the crisis in Syria, many fans posted gushing compliments rather than queries about the situation.

Announcing the appointment, ABC News president James Goldston praised Longman's 'deep understanding of the Middle East'.
Danny Dyer and Sarah Harding allegedly had a six-week fling when the pair filmed the 2012 flick Run for Your Wife together.

It is claimed Sarah, 35, didn't know the EastEnders' hunk, 39, had a long term partner at the time, according to The Sun.

The revelation comes after his wife Joanne Mas reportedly kicked him out of their marital home, for becoming involved with a shifty crowd.

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'They had a wild sexual relationship': Danny Dyer (pictured at BAFTA 2017) and Sarah Harding allegedly had a six-week fling

A source told the publication of their affair: 'For a while they were head over heels and had a wild sexual relationship. He fell in lust with her.'

The insider, and so-called friend of Sarah, further claimed: 'She was flattered by him and soon they had become an item.

'She's really not the kind of girl to get involved with someone with a partner. Things would never have gone so far.'

Danny is said to have told Sarah he was single and living with his father in Canning Town at the time.

Steamy scenes: It is said to have happened when the pair filmed the 2012 flick Run for Your Wife together

Sarah's representative refused to comment when contacted by MailOnline, while a representative for Danny has been approached.

The shocking revelation comes just days after it emerged his wife Joanne, 40, 'sent him packing' from their home.

It was reported last week that Danny has been living in a hotel in Hertfordshire while he films BBC soap EastEnders, despite only living 19 miles away.

However the Mirror now reports that he was kicked out by his wife, when she discovered he was texting friends who she deemed a bad crowd.

A source told the paper: 'Jo looked at his phone and found he was back in touch with a group of pals who were not a good influence.

'She was furious and sent him packing. It's the people that hang around him which cause him problems.'

Danny, who plays Queen Vic landlord Mick Carter on the BBC soap, previously stayed at the same hotel alone in 2015 after claiming the show had 'rinsed the life out of him'.

Not impressed: The shocking revelation comes just days after it emerged his wife Joanne, 40, 'sent him packing' from their home after becoming involved in the wrong crowd

However a BBC spokesperson told the paper: 'Hes filming as usual  nothing has changed. Sometimes, if cast members have an early or late call, they stay nearby.'

His alleged affair with Sarah occurred while they filmed Run For Your Wife, which saw them play a married couple on set.

The 2012 movie tells the story of John (Danny) who lives a double life despite being a married man but his secret is let out the bag when he does something heroic.

For the role, the actor and actress were required to practice their lines together and share smooches.

But it is reported the couple found themselves unable to deny the sexual chemistry between them when they were off set.

The alleged fling is said to have kicked off when they couldn't resist locking lips when they weren't filming.

Sarah was reported to be 'devastated' when she was faced with the reality the soap star was dating someone long-term.

Danny was in a relationship with Joanna Mas at the time who he has gone onto marry.

The pair wed in September 2016 and share three children together.

The actor has been led astray by other woman during his 20-year relationship.

In June 2014, it was reported he had 'spent the night with a 21-year-old student after meeting her in a club and was allegedly pictured naked on her mobile phone.

Exposed: The alleged fling is said to have kicked off when they couldn't resist locking lips when they weren't filming

Earlier that year, Cara Chamberlain, 29, came forward after a night out she reportedly spend with the actor in 2010, which involved partying in a nightclub, and then going back to his hotel room.

But he vowed to change and in 2015 said: 'I don't want to go there again. I have cheated in the past and I suffered the consequences quite badly.

'Jo's always been the girl for me. Those things happened a long time ago and what we've got together is much more important than that.'

In February 2017 he was embroiled in another cheating scandal after allegedly sending pictures of his penis to a fan.

According to the young mother, who he met at an Essex book signing event the previous year, he told her 'bend over and show me that bottle' - cockney rhyming slang for her backside.
She lends her voice talents to the Despicable Me films.

And Miranda Cosgrove came out to show her support as she dazzled on the red carpet for the third entry of the franchise in Los Angeles on Saturday.

The 24-year-old actress dressed to impress in an all white gown as she enjoyed making her way to the premiere.

Summer chic: Miranda Cosgrove, 24, dazzled on the red carpet for the third entry of the Despicable Me franchise in Los Angeles on Saturday

The iCarly star brought the summertime glitz with her as she dared to impress in a short length number that was pleated at the hem.

The flirty couture hugged her body tightly as she revealed her gorgeous gams in a pair of yellow high heeled pumps.

She kept her raven hair short and loose and parted to one side as she went virtually makeup free letting her natural beauty shine.

Meanwhile, Angie Harmon brought her two daughters Finley, 13 and Avery, 12 to the premiere at the Shrine auditorium.

Stunner: The iCarly star brought the summertime glitz with her as she dared to impress in a short length number that was pleated at the hem

Gal Pals: Miranda posed with the comic legend Jenny Slate

Kids: Angie Harmon has three kids with ex-husband Jason Sehorn. And on Saturday she brought two of them to the LA premiere of Despicable Me 3

Knockout: Angie looked slender in a gingham top that was part dress. She added white ripped jeans and heels

Angie looked slender in a gingham top that was part dress. She added white ripped jeans and heels.

The Texas native looked to be in great spirits.

Stars Kristen Wiig and Steve Carell looked nicely attired for the afternoon event.

Time for popcorn! Despicable Me 3 had its world premiere in Los Angeles on Saturday

Classy: Stars Kristen Wiig and Steve Carell looked nicely attired for the afternoon event held at the Shrine Auditorium

Wiig wore a pretty summer dress that looked like it came from the 1940s.

There was a plunging neckline and the skirt had an A line that pouffed out.

The SNL vet showed off a tiny waistline cinched by a wide belt.

Impressive: Wiig wore a pretty summer dress that looked like it came from the 1940s

She added black strappy heels and an impressive jeweled bib necklace.

The looker wore her blonde locks short and slicked back.

Carell, 54, looked handsome in a grey suit as she posed up a storm with his leading lady.

Close: She added black strappy heels and an impressive jeweled bib necklace. The looker wore her blonde locks short and slicked back

Still a looker: Carell, 54, looked handsome in a grey suit as she posed up a storm with his leading lady

The animated movie focuses on Gru who meets his long-lost charming, cheerful, and more successful twin brother Dru.

He wants him to team up with him for one last criminal heist.

The movie opens in the US on Friday.

Draya Michele wore a floral miniskirt with a pink background and a white blouse with gold heels.

Flower power: Draya Michele wore a floral miniskirt with a pink background and a white blouse with gold heels

Jenny Slate looked lovely in a black floral dress that had a tank top style and was a wrap skirt on the bottom. She added gold heels ad wore her hair up.

She has been linked to Jon Hamm lately, though they may just be friends after making a movie together last year.

Last week they were seen leaving an Arc Light movie theater in Hollywood together.
Blanket Jackson was spotted out in Calabasas on Saturday, just one day before the eight year anniversary of his father Michael Jackson's death.

The 15-year-old, now known as Bigi, was seen leaving a martial arts studio.

The teen was spotted in uniform with a black duffel bag slung over his shoulder.

Pop heir: Blanket Jackson, 15, now known as Bigi, was seen leaving a martial arts studio in Calabasas on Saturday

Blanket heaved his bag out of the car as he approached the studio.

Bigi has an older brother Prince Michael, 20, and older sister, Paris, 19.

Blanket was only seven when his father Michael died from cardiac arrest in 2009 caused by a lethal combination of prescription drugs.

Taking a stand: The 15-year-old, now known as Bigi, was seen leaving a martial arts studio

On the go: The teen was spotted in uniform with a black duffel bag slung over his shoulder

Staying strong: Bigi has an older brother Prince Michael, 20, and older sister, Paris, 19; (pictured 2012)

The pop star's personal physician Dr Conrad Murray was later convicted of involuntary manslaughter and sentenced to four years in prison over his death.

Michael's children have been forging their own impressive careers in recent years.

Prince, following in his dad's footsteps, has started a production company aptly titled King's Son.

Paris has recently launched a career in modelling, and has even posed for Chanel.
Last week, Tim Robards and Anna Heinrich took an economy flight to begin their overseas holiday.

But when flying between Thailand and Milan on Sunday, the original Bachelor couple decided to splash out on Business Class tickets.

But the reality TV lovebirds were in for a surprise, however, after being stopped at the boarding gate and upgraded to First Class.

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Economy no more! When flying between Thailand and Milan on Sunday, The Bachelor's Tim Robards (right) and Anna Heinrich (left) were upgraded from Business to First Class

Tim, a fitness entrepreneur and model, appeared pleased by the unexpected turn of events, writing on Instagram: 'This never happens!'

He added: 'Got stopped at boarding gate and handed new ticket... it said FIRST.'

Tim didn't question why the couple got upgraded, but made sure to thank the airline on Instagram.

'Got stopped at boarding gate and handed new ticket... it said FIRST!' The reality TV lovebirds enjoyed a luxury flying experience as they travelled from Thailand to Milan

Anna looked equally as pleased, as she relaxed in her seat and adjusted her chair settings in Tim's Instagram Story clip.

Tim panned the camera around, showing off the luxury features of their spacious area, which included two full-sized beds.

Upon their arrival in Milan, Italy's picturesque fashion capital, the personal trainer boasted about their flight experience.

So lucky! Anna looked especially happy, as she relaxed in her seat and adjusted her chair settings in Tim's Instagram Story video

'Just got to Milan on about three hours sleep, trip was so bloody good!' he captioned a video of the couple walking into a shopping mall.

Anna agreed and commented on how comfortable her bed was, before suggesting Tim had her to thank for the upgrade.

'It was probably because of me,' joked the socialite and part-time criminal lawyer.

Tim agreed, hinting that the Italian airport staff took a liking to his fiancee because of her blonde hair and striking looks.
They're celebrating their two-year anniversary on holiday in Italy.

And over the weekend, Natasha Oakley and her boyfriend Gilles Souteyrand jumped off a cliff and into an ocean together in a fun Instagram clip.

Showing off her pert derriere in a tiny G-string bikini, Natasha could be heard saying she was scared and insisted they did not hold hands before jumping.

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The two-year plunge! Natasha Oakley (left) and her boyfriend Gilles Souteyrand (right) jumped off a cliff into the ocean in a fun Instagram clip taken during their anniversary holiday in Italy

'Oh my God, I'm so scared scared, I can't hold hands,' Natasha said, as Gilles counted down from three.

Afterwards, the couple could be seen cheering as they emerged from the water.

Blogger-turned-model Natasha and personal trainer Gilles are currently on vacation in Syracuse, Sicily.

'Oh my God, I'm so scared scared, I can't hold hands': Natasha, a blogger-turned-model from Sydney, sounded nervous before taking the plunge with her personal trainer boyfriend

Gilles also shared a photo of himself on Instagram, showing off his ripped torso as he went snorkelling.

'Planning to snorkel this place like it's never been snorkelled before,' Natasha wrote.

The pair are celebrating their two-year anniversary, with Gilles taking to Instagram recently to mark the occasion.

Posting a snap of himself on a sunbed with Natasha, he wrote in the caption: 'Two years and still truly happy.'

'Two years and still truly happy': The pair are celebrating their two-year anniversary on holiday in Europe, with Gilles taking to Instagram recently to mark the occasion

Natasha shared the same image and captioned it: 'You're funny.'

Last month, Natasha gushed about Gilles, writing on Instagram just how much he means to her.

'I could have everything in the world but it would mean nothing without you honey,' she stated.
She is set to star in four projects until 2018.

And on Friday, Ruby Rose enjoyed a well-deserved work break to enjoy a visit to L.A.'s Museum of Ice Cream.

The 31-year-old stunner displayed her grunge sense of style in black, paired with a contrasting print piece.

Bringing out her inner child: On Friday, Ruby Rose, 31, took time away from adulthood to enjoy a visit to L.A.'s Museum of Ice Cream

The Pitch Perfect 3 star tucked in a solid tank into a pair of distressed skinny jeans.

The Australian beauty threw on a pair of black combat boots and a vibrant, collared duster to complete her outfit.

Ruby accessorized with layered cross necklaces, earrings and a black belt.

Mixing it up: The Australian beauty displayed her grunge sense of style in black, paired with a contrasting print piece

In 2015, Ruby Rose to fame when she starred as Stella Carlin in the Netflix show, Orange is the New Black.

The following year, the Melbourne-native starred in Resident Evil: The Final Chapter.

Since her feature film debut, blue-eyed stunner has earned four starring roles in major motion pictures.

Casual: The Pitch Perfect 3 star tucked in a solid tank into a pair of distressed skinny jeans

Earlier this year, she was Ares in John Wick: Chapter 2, alongside Keanu Reeves and Adele Wolff in xXx: Return of Xander Cage.

In December, she'll star alongside the ensemble cast of Pitch Perfect 3.

Come 2018, Ruby will join Jason Statham and Rainn Wilson in the action horror film, Meg.

Her beginning: In 2015, Ruby Rose to fame when she starred as Stella Carlin in the Netflix show, Orange is the New Black
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She was named Maxim magazine's World's Sexiest Woman for their annual Hot 100 issue.

So at a party celebrating the yearly list of sexy stars, Hailey Baldwin turned up the heat on the red carpet.

Wearing a backless white dress, the 20-year-old model stormed the shindig wearing a slicked back half up, half down hairdo that put extra emphasis on her always camera-ready face.

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All hail Hailey: Hailey Baldwin hit the red carpet at the Maxim Hot 100 party on Saturday, the magazine named her the World's Sexiest Woman in their June/July 2017 issue

A pair of silver statement earrings adorned her ears and matched her towering metallic platform heels that added many inches to her 5ft7in frame.

Baldwin's back tattoo, which reads Coeur D'Alene, could be seen from the revealing garment as she gave an over-the-shoulder pose.

While Coeur D'Alene is a city in Idaho, the significance of the tattoo is that her sister Alaia's middle name is Alene, and coeur is the French word for heart.

Backless: The 20-year-old model and daughter of Stephen Baldwin wore a revealing white mini dress that showed off her back

Blonde ambition: In Maxim 's June/July 2017 Hot issue, Hailey opened up about life in the spotlight, saying, 'I was always the entertainer in my family'

Hailey has over 16 tattoos, including a heart on her ankle and another that reads Minas Gerais, which could be seen on her opposite ankle on Saturday.

In Maxim's June/July 2017 Hot issue, Hailey opened up about life in the spotlight, saying, 'I was always the entertainer in my family.'

But even with her sexy reputation and being named the World's Sexiest Woman, she said, 'Last night, I was at my pastor's house with his wife and kids having family dinner and playing Bananagrams and board games.

Family act: Hailey's cousin Ireland, daughter of Alec Baldwin, was also on hand in this orange lace dress with black boots

Cutting the mustard! The gown was made of semi-sheer lace, which teased at her frame underneath, while she wore her blonde locks in loose, natural waves

All smiles: Ireland and Hailey posed together, and beamed huge grins as they enjoyed the evening together

Hailey's cousin Ireland was also in attendance at the annual bash, which was held this year at the Palladium in Hollywood.

Ireland, who is Alec Baldwin's daughter, wore an orange maxi dress with lots of lace detail and black boots.

This year, the Hot 100 list is not ranked by number, but instead by groupings. Ireland was included as one of The New Guard girls, along with Sistine Stallone, Selah Marley, Megan Williams, Delilah Belle Hamlin, Haley Bennett, Daisy Ridley, Ruth Negga, Ireland Baldwin, Deepika Padukone and Becky G

Fine Chyna: Blac Chyna hit the red carpet the same day she was rear-ended at 2:30am and held in an ambulence

Saucy: The model, who somehow did not make Maxim's Hot 100 list, still showed up to strut her stuff in a sheer black cover-up with feather detailing and a daringly plunging neckline

Blac Chyna made her first red carpet appearance since she was rear-ended at 2:30 am that same day.

The model, who somehow did not make Maxim's Hot 100 list, still showed up to strut her stuff in a sheer black coverup with feather detailing and intricate black cage heels.

Her nipples were on display underneath the jacket, which was worn with a bodysuit that began under her impressive cleavage.

Tookes' poofs: Victoria's Secret Angel Jasmie Tookes wore a white silk skirt suit with a tube top and pink puffy heels

Victoria's Secret Angel Jasmine Tookes was on hand as she was named one of the magazine's 2017 sirens.

For the party, the stunning 26-year-old wore a white silk skirt suit with a tube top and pink puffy heels.

Joining her in the magazine's sirens category are Lana Zakocela, Bo Krsmanovic, Anne Vyalitsyna, Aline Weber, Lily Aldridge, Barbara Palvin and Alexis Ren.

Shaik it off: Shanina Shaik rocked a metallic bodysuit with nude heels as she struck a sexy pose for photographers

Golden girl: The one-piece, formed of shimmering sequins, hugged her enviably slender frame from head to toe

Sex appeal: Iskra Lawrence, 26, looked sensational as she partied at the Maxim Hot 100 event in Los Angeles, California on Saturday in a figure-hugging white bandage dress

Shanina Shaik rocked a metallic bodysuit with nude heels as she struck a sexy pose for photographers.

And while the Australian model did not make the Hot 100 list, she still seemed ready to party.

Newly single Joanna Krupa, who split from husband Romain Zago in May of this year, sported an LBD that showed off her famous curves with a pair of pink heels.

Single and ready to mingle: Joana Krupa sported an LBD that showed off her famous curves with a pair of pink heels

Slinky: The dress clung to her frame from head to toe, and cut into an asymmetric neckline to give a flash of her cleavage

Sleek: Chantel Jeffries flaunted curves in silky black bottoms with a matching crop top

Beautiful: Delilah Belle Hamlin chose a silver mini dress with coordinating pointed heels for the bash

Shining star: Nick Cannon wore a sparkling blazer and trouser set, adding glittering dress shoes

Chic: Brittany Furlan chose a cut-out bodysuit with velvet flared bottoms for the Maxim party

Strike a pose: Emily Sears decided to wear a floral number with a plunging neckline
He is one Australian TV's most iconic faces.

And Bert Newton, 78, has flashed his famous smile in a sweet photo shoot with his granddaughter on Saturday.

The photo shows the child using her pink toy camera to capture her grandfather looking comfortable in his black, jacket and multi-coloured scarf sitting on the leather couch.

'So far Bert's favorite photo shoots': Australian TV icon Bert Newton, 78, has flashed his famous smile in a sweet photo shoot with his granddaughter on Saturday

Bert is all smiles as he poses for the snap, about to drink the can of soft drink.

His wife Patti, 72, who shared the photo on Instagram, captioned the adorable post: 'So far Bert's favorite photo shoot.'

A fan who liked the post wrote: '@pattinewtonofficial with such a cutie patootie photographer, it's no wonder he has that famous grin on display.'

Showbiz royalty! His wife Patti, 72, who shared the photo on Instagram, captioned the adorable post, 'So far Bert's favorite photo shoot'

'I'm feeling better now': Earlier in the month he confirmed that he is finally feeling like his old self again after battling pneumonia over the past few months

Another commented: 'Soo cute ! Children are priceless ! '

Meanwhile, former Australia's Funniest Home Videos host Jobeth Taylor said: 'Beautiful,' and added with a kiss face emoji.

This comes after the former Family Feud host's battle with pneumonia over the past few months.

And he recently confirmed that he is finally feeling like his old self again in a report by The Daily Telegraph.

Health struggle: In March this year, Bert was hospitalised as he battled a bout of pneumonia

'I'm feeling better now. It took a while. I didn't realise until I copped it the first time, that pneumonia is such a serious thing, but I'm feeling better now,' he said.

In March this year, Bert was hospitalised as he battled a bout of pneumonia.

He returned to hospital in April, spending five days recovering from another attack.

Bert's health has been a concern since 2012 when he underwent a quadruple heart bypass.
Blac Chyna made an appearance at the 2017 Maxim Hot 100 party on Saturday night, sponsored by Absolut Elyx and produced by Karma International, just hours after an alleged drunk driver plowed into the back of her Rolls Royce early that same morning.

The 29-year-old looked in good spirits as she was seen in a sheer ensemble that left little to the imagination at the star-studded bash in Hollywood.

The star rocked a sheer lace outfit that was cinched at her hourglass figure.

Sheer madness: Blac Chyna, 29, dazzled on the red carpet at the 2017 Maxim Hot 100 party on Saturday

The sheer black fabric allowed her perfect skin tone to peek through as her decolletage took center stage.

While the sleeves flew past her wrists, the hem stopped short at the knees with a fringe touch that tickled her calves.

Giving it: The reality star was seen in a sheer ensemble that left little to the imagination as she showcased her enviable figure for the annual event in Hollywood

Cheeky: Blac Chyna's bountiful backside made a grand entrance as well

Chyna wore a black bodysuit underneath her frock that accentuated her curvy hips and ample backside.

She cinched her petite waistline with a simple leather black belt that matched the wardrobe perfectly.

Her lace high heels gave way to her gorgeous lips while her tasteful sparkly necklace was one of few accessories.

Peek-a-boo: The sheer black fabric allowed her perfect skin tone to peek through as her decolletage took center stage

Front and center: Her ample bosom was on full display

Ladies night: Daring to impress, the woman whose face could launch a thousand ships rocked a lace robe wrap that covered her curves in a fashionable way

Throwing caution to the wind, Blac Chyna wore her hair in a platinum hue leaving the locks long and straightened.

She topped the look off with a black fedora that highlighted her soft neutral makeup and touch of berry on the lip.

Chyna took to social media as well to document her fun evening.

Stunning: While the sleeves flew past her wrists, the hem stopped short at the knees with a fringe touch that tickled her calves

Demure: Blac Chyna wore a pair of black briefs underneath that accentuated her curvy hips and ample backside

Hot mama: She topped the look off with a black fedora that highlighted her soft neutral makeup and touch of berry on the lip

Meanwhile, the mother to Rob Kardashian's daughter Dream was recovering from a car accident in the wee hours of the morning in Studio City.

According to witnesses on the scene, the Rob & Chyna star was driving her white Rolls-Royce at 2:30 am on Laurel Canyon Boulevard when she was rear-ended by a suspected drunk driver in a black vehicle which sustained substantial damage.

The 29-year-old star could be seen with her short blonde hair in the back of an ambulance. She appeared to have a male friend with braids with her at the time.

Power posse: The girls posed for a group shot

Hair do: Throwing caution to the wind, Blac Chyna wore her hair in a platinum hue leaving the locks long and straightened

Social climber: Blac Chyna took to social media as well to document her fun evening

The ex of rapper Tyga did not appear to be hurt and because she was not laying down on a stretcher, her injuries appeared to not be life threatening.

Paramedics looked at her for 45 minutes, it was claimed. The Keeping Up With The Kardashians guest star was released by the paramedics and was taken away in another vehicle.

The driver of the other vehicle was detained by the Los Angeles Police Department, a witness said. It is believed the driver was given a DUI test.

All seemed well, as the mother of two was back to work rocking the red carpet for the Maxim event tonight.

Step it up: Her lace high heels gave way to her gorgeous gams while her tasteful sparkly necklace was one of few accessories
They enjoyed a whirlwind three-month romance before secretly tying the knot four years ago.

And Zoe Saldana proved she was absolutely smitten with her husband Marco Perego as they attended the NALIP Latino Media Awards in Los Angeles on Saturday night.

The 39-year-old actress proved to be as sartorially savvy as ever as she cosied up to the Italian artist, 38, for the awards ceremony - where she was presented with the Outstanding Achievement Award.

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Power couple: Zoe Saldana, 39, proved she was absolutely smitten with her husband Marco Perego, 38, as they attended the NALIP Latino Media Awards in Los Angeles on Saturday night

Zoe looked incredible as she dressed to accentuate her slender frame in a stunning strawberry print maxi-dress.

The sleeveless number flaunted her trim arms and cinched in her tiny waist with a thick black bow-tie.

The garment went onto skim the rest of her figure and allowed her open-toe heels to peek out from underneath.

Zoe - who shares baby Zen and two-year-old twins Bowie and Cy with Marco - ensured her beauty look was also on point, with her raven tresses immaculately tousled down her front.

Gorgeous: The actress looked incredible as she dressed to accentuate her slender frame in a stunning strawberry print maxi-dress

Chic: The sleeveless number flaunted her trim arms and cinched in her tiny waist with a thick black bow-tie

Fashionista: The garment went onto skim the rest of her figure and allowed her open-toe heels to peek out from underneath

Stunning: Zoe - who shares baby Zen and two-year-old twins Bowie and Cy with Marco - ensured her beauty look was also on point, with her raven tresses immaculately tousled down her front

The Guardians Of The Galaxy star donned a striking coat of make-up, including purple smokey eyes and a healthy dose of pink blusher.

Joining Zoe was her hunky husband Marco, who looked dapper in a pinstripe navy suit.

He completed the look with a matching top and trousers and gave Zoe a run for her money with his glistening blonde tresses.

Beauty: The Guardians Of The Galaxy star donned a striking coat of make-up, including purple smokey eyes and a healthy dose of pink blusher

Handsome: Joining Zoe was her hunky husband Marco, who looked dapper in a pinstripe navy suit

Well deserved: It proved to be a big night for the half Dominican, half Puerto Rican beauty, who was honoured with the Outstanding Achievement Award by Vin Diesel

Having her say: The Avatar beauty, who has been in the acting business for nearly twenty years, looked thrilled as she took to the stage

It proved to be a big night for the half Dominican, half Puerto Rican beauty, who was honoured with the Outstanding Achievement Award.

The Avatar beauty, who has been in the acting business for nearly twenty years, looked thrilled as she presented with the honour by Vin Diesel.

Meanwhile, the event proved to be a glamorous affair - turning out the likes of Bianca Santos, Blanca Blanco, Sol Rodriguez and Kate del Castor.

Big night for her: Zoe couldn't look happier as she posed with her award and Vin backstage

Wow: Bianca Santos looked sexy as she put on a leggy display in purple lace mini dress

Lovely: Blanca Blanco looked funky in a multi-coloured dress which showed off her sensational frame

Demure: Sol Rodriguez opted for a slinky grey dress

Suits her! Kate del Castor looked like the ultimate babe in a white blazer dress

Hunk: Tony Revolori was incredibly dapper in a fitted grey suit




She's the Australian swimwear designer who is making waves overseas with her designs.

And on Saturday Bianca Elouise was spotted flaunting her enviable beach body as she donned very revealing swimwear as she hit the beach in Miami.

Making the most of the Florida sunshine, the 26-year-old opted for a one-piece from her MyraSwim line that left little to the imagination.

Leaving little to the imagination! Australian swimwear designer Bianca Elouise donned a VERY revealing one-piece as she went for a swim at a beach in Miami on Saturday

The high-cut strapless black number showed off her toned and smooth body at the front and accentuated the blonde beauty's well-sculpted pins.



Cinching the one-piece at the waist was a taut piece of swimwear fabric which ensured a wardrobe malfunction was avoided.

At the back, Bianca put on a cheeky display thanks to one-piece's skimpy-cut bottom half as she frolicked in the glistening sun.

Front and centre: The high-cut black number showed off the designer's toned, smooth body

That extra touch! Bianca added Miami-glam to the black ensemble with stylish square-framed shades and gold necklaces, watches and rings

Cheeky! The skimpy-cut swimwear accentuated Bianca's impressive posterior

In full Miami-glam mode, the star accessorised with a swathe of jewellery.

Gold watches and bracelets looked fabulous on her wrist while equally stunning gold rings adorned her fingers.

Necklaces, including a chain with the letter 'B' hung delicately from her neck and added a touch of luxury to her body.

She completed the look with stylish square-framed sunglasses.

Doing the swap: Bianca was also seen rocking an equally revealing bikini at the beach

Beach babe: The designer opted for a black bikini with a bandeau-style top and high-cut bottoms

Fond of sporting a variety of swimwear, Bianca swapped her one-piece for another skimpy number.

Again showing off her shapely figure, the designer opted for a black bikini which consisted of a bandeau-style top and cheeky high-cut bottoms.

Joining Bianca was her boyfriend Sunny as well as her fit and fabulous friend who drew attention in her own right dressed in an equally revealing one-piece that appeared to also hail from the MyraSwim line.

Putting on a loved-up display, Bianca and Sunny appeared enamoured with one another as Bianca was snapped giving her beau an affectionate shoulder rub and holding his hands in the water.

Fit an fabulous friends! Bianca's pal sported an equally revealing swimsuit which also appeared to be from the MyraSwim line

Loved-up! The 26-year-old was spotted being affectionate towards her boyfriend Sunny

Making waves! The trio seemed to be enjoying their time in the water
She recently returned from a booze-fuelled holiday to Ibiza with the cast of Made In Chelsea.

And Lottie Moss showed off her fashion-forward credentials in a delicate lacy camisole as she enjoyed a night out in London on Saturday.

The model, 19, shielded her eyes with a pair of boxy sunglasses as she strutted her stuff in black coulottes.

Chic look: Lottie Moss looked hot to trot in a lacy camisole and a black camisole as she enjoyed a night out in Chelsea

Lottie's camisole was held up with delicate sleeves, which stood up at the edges, adding a romantic feel to her ensemble.

The top was tied together with a knot at the front of the garment, teasing a hint of cleavage.

The model nipped in her waist with a thick black belt, which largely covered her bare midriff.

Her baggy trousers tapered down to her ankles, showing off Lottie's silver anklet.

Statuesque: Lottie's camisole was held up with delicate sleeves, which stood up at the edges, adding a romantic feel to her ensemble

Night on the tiles: Lottie was seen leaving the Bluebird in west London, days after returning from a booze-fuelled holiday to Ibiza with the cast of Made In Chelsea

She paired her chic look with a pair of chunky cork heels and accessorised with a choker necklace.

The half-sister of Kate Moss was signed by a modelling agency at the tender age of 13 and has posed for Teen Vogue and walked in Paris Fashion Week.

The model posed for Tings Magazine, and revealed how she looks up to her sister Kate's success in the industry.

She said: 'I just hope that I can become half as successful as she is.'

Blonde beauty: Lottie let her golden locks spill over her shoulders as she strutted her stuff with friends

Summer chic: The top was tied together with a knot at the front of the garment, teasing a hint of cleavage

But despite Kate's stratospheric success, Lottie said she doesn't feel pressured by her legacy.

She said: 'My sister and I are two different people and she is on her path and I am on my own.'

Kate has worked in the modelling industry for almost four decades and has graced the cover of British Vogue 30 times.

Strutting her stuff: The model nipped in her waist with a thick black belt, which largely covered her bare midriff

Fashion-forward: Her baggy trousers tapered down to her ankles, showing off Lottie's silver anklet

Lottie was signed to Storm models at the tender age of 13, a year younger than Kate was when she was discovered.

She said she was signed so young she never thought about any other career.

Lottie said: 'To be honest I never really thought about what I was going to do as a career as Storm Management approached me at such a young age.

Famous family: Lottie's half-sister Kate has worked in the modelling industry for almost four decades and has graced the cover of British Vogue 30 times
He recently credited his cleaner, drug free lifestyle to his girlfriend Francesca Suter.

And Marco Pierre White Jr looked very much smitten, as he embarked on a relaxed picnic with the stunning blonde and a friend in London on Saturday.

The reality star, 22, displayed his inked torso by going shirtless as he cosied up to his other half - proving he had very much changed his ways after finding himself on a downward spiral since exiting the Big Brother house almost a year ago.

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Day out: Marco Pierre White Jr, 22, looked very much smitten, as he embarked on a relaxed picnic with his girlfriend Francesca Suter and a friend in London on Saturday

The pair decided to make full use of the British capital's warmer weather and even roped in a friend to join them on a romantic picnic date.

Clearly keen on topping up his tan, Marco forwent a top and donned only a pair of white skinny and trainers.

The star, who recently got a face peel and botox, utilised his white shirt as a mat as he got comfortable on Francesca's lap.

His girlfriend embraced summer chic in a cool white tee, which was effortlessly tucked into a pair of denim hotpants.

Edgy: The reality star displayed his inked torso by going shirtless for the casual day out

Chilling: Marco cosied up to his other half - proving he had very much changed his ways after finding himself on a downward spiral since exiting the Big Brother house almost a year ago

Third wheel: The pair decided to make full use of the British capital's warmer weather and even roped in a friend to join them on a romantic picnic date

Relaxed style: Clearly keen on topping up his tan, Marco forwent a top and donned only a pair of white skinny and trainers

The threesome soaked up the sun as they chilled on the grassy terrain, before deciding it was time for a stroll.

Holding hands, Marco - who famously sucked on fellow housemate Laura Carter's boobs during his time in Big Brother - and Francesca then proceeded to run off without their pal.

In May, Marco, who has struggled with a cocaine addiction, revealed he had gone cold turkey on his TV chef dad's farm in Wiltshire.

Placing his bum on it: The star, who recently got a face peel and botox, utilised his white shirt as a mat

Stunning: His girlfriend embraced summer chic in a cool white tee, which was effortlessly tucked into a pair of denim hotpants

Mixing it up: The threesome soaked up the sun as they chilled on the grassy terrain, before deciding it was time for a stroll

The TV personality admitted earlier this month that he feels 'so much better' since quitting the Class A drug, adding that he's the 'best [he's] been in over a decade'.

He put the change in his lifestyle down to his business student girlfriend Francesca Suter - whose name he's now got tattooed down the side of his body.

Marco told The Mirror: 'My rehab is being here on the farm at my dads hotel

'Now Im relaxing, tending to the animals. Weve got pigs, bulls  and turkeys. And Ive got Francesca.'

Speaking about the blonde beauty, he added: 'Ive never felt like this about anyone before. I dont want it to end. Shes the most amazing girl.'

Holding hand: Marco - who famously sucked on fellow housemate Laura Carter's boobs during his time in Big Brother - and Francesca then proceeded to run off without their pal

Clean: The TV personality admitted earlier this month that he feels 'so much better' since quitting the Class A drug, adding that he's the 'best [he's] been in over a decade'

She rubbed off on him: He put the change in his lifestyle down to his business student girlfriend Francesca Suter - whose name he's now got tattooed down the side of his body

Speaking about the blonde beauty, he added: 'Ive never felt like this about anyone before. I dont want it to end. Shes the most amazing girl'

He also revealed that doctors told him that his nose was in danger of collapsing if he continued snorting cocaine.

Marco had previously revealed that he was giving up cocaine in February, but vowed to continue smoking marijuana.

Speaking at the time, he said: 'I don't class weed as a drug, weed is not a drug for me, it's a way of life, I'm never going to stop that s***.'

The reality TV star has flooded Instagram with photographs of himself cuddling up with his pretty new girlfriend, while constantly expressing his love for her.

'I'm never going to stop': Marco had previously revealed that he was giving up cocaine in February, but vowed to continue smoking marijuana
She has been close pals with supermodels Kate Moss and Naomi Campbell for more than twenty years.

But Stella McCartney has admitted that despite their friendship, she regrets using them as models for her graduate fashion show back in 1995.

Speaking on BBC Radio 4's Desert Island Discs, the 45-year-old designer confessed she feels she was 'naive' to enlist them for her catwalk, resulting in huge backlash at the time.

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'I just feel a bit embarrassed!' Stella McCartney has admitted that despite their friendship, she regrets using Kate Moss and Naomi Campbell as models for her graduate fashion show in 1995

Top models Kate Moss, Naomi Campbell and Yasmin Le Bon all walked in Stella's final student catwalk back in 1995, marking her graduation from Central St Martin's.

Despite the beauties being the designer's close friends, the decision was met with uproar at the time - with many claiming their appointment had overshadowed the other student shows.

Reflecting on the decision, mother-of-four Stella admitted on the radio show: 'I look back on that moment and just feel a bit embarrassed that I was so naive.'

Dazzling: Top models Kate Moss (above), Naomi Campbell and Yasmin Le Bon all walked in Stella's final student catwalk back in 1995, marking her graduation from Central St Martin's

Hindsight: Speaking on BBC Radio 4's Desert Island Discs, the 45-year-old designer confessed: 'I look back on that moment and just feel a bit embarrassed that I was so naive'

She went on to admit that she hadn't thought about the effect their fame would have on the project, as in her mind she was simply asking her close friends to help out.

She continued: 'They were my mates and that's who I was hanging out with when I was at college, so when it came to choosing the models for my degree show I kind of thought I might as well ask my friends.'

However Stella appears to have stood by her decision ever since - with Kate going on to appear in eight campaigns for the designer.

Gal pals: She went on to admit that she was simply asking her close friends to help out, adding: 'I kind of thought I might as well ask my friends' (pictured with Naomi Campbell in 2009)

The fashionista embarked on the very candid interview with Kirsty Young on Sunday morning, which also saw her discuss her upbringing with famous father Paul.

Revealing music was a central focus in their house, as one of the members of the Beatles, she explained: 'Dad would come home every day in the studio and we'd listen to what he'd created that day in the office.

'He always jokes that he literally couldn't get arrested. He'd pick up his guitar and be jamming out and we'd be like 'Dad, shut up, we want to watch telly'.

Dream team: However Stella appears to have stood by her decision ever since - with Kate going on to appear in eight of her campaigns (pictured at her PFW show in 1997)

Close bond: Stella, Naomi (L) and Kate (R) have been friends for more than twenty years, and are still seen socialising today

'He'd be like, people would die to hear me play and my children are telling me to shut up!'

However despite having grown up with the musician as a parent, Stella went on to confess that she ditched her famous surname at school, in order to avoid fellow students and teachers passing judgment.

She explained: 'When I started college I tried to do it under a different name. I would never tell anyone.

'The discovery was always a bit painful, when you could tell people in the corridor were kind of looking at you differently. It would always be a bit 'oh God.''

Rocking out: The fashionista embarked on the very candid interview with Kirsty Young on Sunday morning, which also saw her discuss her upbringing with famous father Paul (above)

After finding huge success as a designer, Stella now juggles her high-flying career with raising her four children.

In 2003, the musician's daughter married British publisher Alasdhair Willis at the Mount Stuart House in Scotland.

The couple raise sons Miller Alasdhair, 12, and eight-year-old Beckett Robert Lee and daughters Bailey Linda, aged ten, and Reiley Dilys, six.

Speaking about raising her two daughters in a recent interview, she told W magazine: 'I take it for granted that my daughters are pretty solid, strong girls.

'They're fearless. They can have an opinion and a voice. We have moments of mindful awareness. And then we talk absolute cr*p.'
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She is known for her sensationally slender figure, which she is never afraid to show off to fans on her social media pages.

And Emily Ratajkowski certainly showed no signs of stopping on Friday, as she slipped into another sexy swimsuit for a day at sea with her boyfriend Jeff Magid in Positano, Italy.

The brunette beauty, 26, set pulses racing in her raunchy one-piece, which cut out at her chest and into a skimpy thong at her rear, as she caught some rays from the comfort of a luxurious boat with her man, and a host of other friends.

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Bikini babe: Emily Ratajkowski certainly showed no signs of stopping her typically saucy displays on Friday, as she slipped into another sexy swimsuit for a day at sea with her boyfriend Jeff Magid in Positano, Italy

Life's just peachy! The brunette beauty, 26, set pulses racing in her raunchy one-piece, which cut out at her chest and into a skimpy thong at her rear, as she caught some rays from the comfort of a luxurious boat with her man

The brunette displayed her enviable model physique in the grey and brown swimsuit, which tightly clung to her incredibly trim and toned figure all the way down.

Proving her chic style extends to her swimwear, Emily opted for a quirky swimsuit, formed of brown bottoms and a grey top - which slit into an oval cut out at the chest, to tease at her ample cleavage and womanly curves underneath.

Cinching in at her impossibly petite waist, the swimwear then rose eye-wateringly high at both her hip and rear, to elongate her already long and slender legs, and give onlookers a flash of her famously peachy derriere as she observed the stunning coastal views from the boat.

Only making the look sexier, the suit was secured by black crossover spaghetti straps - leaving the garment backless, in order to flash even more of her smooth and sun-kissed skin.

Svelte: The brunette displayed her enviable model physique in the grey and brown swimsuit, which tightly clung to her incredibly trim and toned figure all the way down

Stylish: Proving her chic style extends to her swimwear, Emily opted for a quirky swimsuit, formed of brown bottoms and a grey top

Slender: The swimsuit cinched in at her impossibly petite waist, to accentuate her slim figure

Model material: The swimwear then rose eye-wateringly high at her hip, to elongate her already long and slender legs as she frolicked in the sea

Beach babe: Only making the look sexier, the suit was secured by black crossover spaghetti straps - leaving the garment backless, in order to flash even more of her smooth and sun-kissed skin

Stunning: Emily looked completely relaxed as she jumped off the boat on numerous occasions to cool off in the sea, while her boyfriend Jeff paddled in the water (above)

Letting her sexy swimwear take centre stage, the brunette kept her hair in loose, natural waves and her face make-up free to prove her natural beauty as she relaxed in the Italian sunshine.

First relaxing on the boat with her hair swept back in a navy bandana, Emily later showed off her more playful side as she plunged into the crystal blue sea with her man.

After cooling off in the water, she was then seen returning to the comfort of the boat to further top up her tan, and enjoy an ice-cold beverage as she spent quality time with Jeff.

Emily and Jeff looked as loved-up as ever as they soaked up the sun together on deck, having been together now for almost three years.

Bombs away! Emily later showed off her more playful side as she plunged into the crystal blue sea with her man

Relaxing: After cooling off in the water, she was then seen returning to the comfort of the boat to further top up her tan

Quality time: After her time in the water, Emily proceeded to pull her locks back into a blue bandana and continue her day of tanning

Bottoms up! The couple and another friend happily sipped on an ice-cold beverage as they took in the sights of the coast

Natural beauty: Letting her sexy swimwear take centre stage, the brunette kept her hair in loose, natural waves and her face make-up free to prove her natural beauty as she relaxed in the Italian sunshine

Something funny? The brunette happily laughed as she topped up her tan on the boat

The pair reportedly started dating in 2014 when music producer Jeff offered Emily support, after she became a victim of the iCloud hacking scandal in September of the same year.

Despite Emily's openness with fans on Instagram and Twitter, she prefers to keep her relationship private and besides a few red carpet appearances she is rarely seen with her man.

The Gone Girl actress is no doubt having a ball in the holiday hot spot, considering that when she did Vogue's 73 Questions in 2015 and was asked: 'What's your favourite country to visit?' she said: 'Italy.'

Emily shot to fame after starring in Robin Thicke's music video for his song Blurred Lines - and has bagged a number of high profile modelling campaigns a well as big movie roles since.

Finishing touches: She rounded off her look with chunky gold hoops and a pair of retro rounded shades

Top up! The group happily refilled their glasses as they continued to sip on drinks in the sunshine

Catching up: Emily and Jeff (above) then spent some alone time on the boat and happily chatted as they sped across the water

Still going strong: Emily and Jeff looked as loved-up as ever as they soaked up the sun together on deck, having been together now for almost three years

I'll stand by you: The pair reportedly started dating in 2014 when music producer Jeff offered Emily support, after she became a victim of the iCloud hacking scandal in September of the same year

Main man: Jeff is a music producer, and was first spotted publicly with Emily in December 2014

Trademark: Emily is known for her show-stopping figure, which she often shows up on social media

However, her high-flying career has not been without its drawbacks, and she often becomes subject to hate from trolls due to the saucy nature of her snaps.

She explained to Glamour last year: 'Ive been called an attention w**** so often that I had almost gotten used to it.'

'And as women we are accused of seeking attention more than men are, whether for speaking out politically, as I did, for dressing a certain way, or for even posting a selfie.'

The brunette beauty is also known for her body confidence, and has previously revealed exactly how she achieves and maintains the enviable body.

Intimate:Despite Emily's openness with fans on Instagram and Twitter, she prefers to keep her relationship private and besides a few red carpet appearances she is rarely seen with her man

In her element: The Gone Girl actress is no doubt having a ball in the holiday hot spot, considering that when she did Vogue's 73 Questions in 2015 and was asked: 'What's your favourite country to visit?' she said: 'Italy'

Life of luxury: Emily shot to fame after starring in Robin Thicke's music video for his song Blurred Lines - and has bagged a number of high profile modelling campaigns a well as big movie roles since

Inspiring: The brunette beauty is also known for her body confidence, and has previously revealed exactly how she achieves and maintains the enviable body

Bottoms up: Emily couldn't help but flaunt her enviably peachy posterior on Instagram

Discussing her eating habits with ELLE, she said: 'You know, I'm a carnivore. I really like to eat meat. I crave iron so I am definitely not the kind of person who you will find eating a salad.

'I like to keep it really balanced to give my body energy and also be healthy.'

Prior to her holiday, Emily had been in the Todi region of Italy filming new thriller Welcome Home with Breaking Bad's Aaron Paul.

The flick, written by David Levinson, follows the story of a couple who are mending their relationship in Italy before becoming victims of the sinister owner of their vacation home.

On announcing the new project - which is due out next year - Emily posted on Twitter: 'So excited for this amazing project in Italy with the incredible @aaronpaul_8!'

Meanwhile, Aaron, 37, added: 'It's such a fun and twisted ride. Italy, I will see you soon. Can't wait to drink your wine and eat your pasta in between takes.'

Next project: Prior to her holiday, Emily had been in the Todi region of Italy filming new thriller Welcome Home with Breaking Bad's Aaron Paul

Dramatic: The flick, written by David Levinson, follows the story of a couple who are mending their relationship in Italy before becoming victims of the sinister owner of their vacation home
Rumours have been rife for months that they're officially a couple.

And now it looks like things are getting serious between The Bachelorette star Sam Frost and her reported new beau Dave Bashford, with the duo appearing to spend a quiet weekend together.

Taking to her Instagram on Sunday, the 28-year-old shared videos in which Dave appears in the background comfortably hanging out in a lounge room.

Cosy night in: On Sunday, Sam Frost (left) seemed to be enjoying a cosy weekend at home with Dave Bashford (right) as she shared a video on Instagram of her rumoured new boyfriend hanging out with her dog Rocky

In one video, Dave can be seen patting Sam's dog Rocky, while eating a bowl of food.

In another video, which was posted several earlier and captioned 'clean eating, glimpse of Dave can be seen in the background as Sam zeros in on a tasty-looking burger.

'This is the greatest thing I've ever seen in my life,' the reality TV star can be heard saying.

'This is the greatest thing I've ever seen in my life': In a video where Sam focuses on a tasty-looking burger, glimpses of Dave in the background can be seen

New romance? Dave and Sam have been spotted several times enjoying each other's company, sparking rumours of a relationship

Sam and Dave are yet to officially confirm their relationship but were romantically linked several months after they were introduced in October last year.

The Bachelor beauty was recently spotted with Dave during what appeared to be a romantic stroll on Bondi Beach.

The pair were also previously spotted getting close on Australia Day, sparking rumours of a secret romance.

Sam's new man? The Bachelorette star reportedly met Dave (pictured) late last year

Unlucky-in-love Sam split from Sasha Mielczarek in December last year.

The couple had met on The Bachelor but called time after 18 months together.

While his ex was spending the weekend indoors, Sasha was enjoying a boys trip to New Zealand with model Kris Smith.

The pair, along another male companion, managed to rack up a whopping $800 bar tab during their holiday.
She never fails to make a sartorial statement.

And Suki Waterhouse continued to flaunt her festival style as she attended day three of Glastonbury in Somerset on Saturday.

The British model, 25, put on a leggy display as she traded in her usual high heels for a pair of wellies while wading through the mud-filled site.

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Sartorially chic: Suki Waterhouse, 25, continued to flaunt her festival style as she attended day three of Glastonbury in Somerset on Saturday



Suki looked sensational as she showed off her toned legs in a pair of denim hotpants - which boasted a frayed hem.

Ever the fashionista, the beauty teamed the shorts with a black and white top - as well as a funky khaki jacket, which boasted a light plaid design on the sleeves.

Suki looked absolutely sensational as her bed-head inspired locks effortlessly caught the wind.

She completed the look with a pristine coat of make-up and shielded her eyes from the sweltering rays in a pair of cool circular shades.

Festival style: The British model put on a leggy display as she traded in her usual high heels for a pair of wellies while wading through the mud-filled site

Specs appeal: Suki sheltered her eyes from the blazing sunshine with a pair of trendy circular shades

What a figure: The catwalk queen flaunted her model-honed legs at the festival in tiny ripped denim shorts

The day before, she stunned yet again as she flaunted her model-honed legs at the festival in tiny ripped denim shorts.

Suki kept it casual in a striking scarlet bomber jacket, complete with kooky stripes, worn over a comfortable white tee.

Slinging a green bag over her left shoulder, the actress geared herself up for her time at the festival as she let her golden hair down in a choppy cut.

Good company! She was joined by pals at the festival as they headed through the site

Suki joined a whole host of stars at the festival including Johnny Depp and David Beckham.

Recently, she has been crafting a career in the spotlight in the film industry as she moves away from modelling.

Her latest movie The Bad Batch takes a gruesome direction as her character Arlen has her limbs hacked off.

Glam arrival: Jo Whiley, 51, also put on an incredibly leggy display for Glastonbury

Gorgeous: Jo opted for a minimal beauty look and her blonde tresses were styled super sleek

Having fun: Game of Thrones star Alfie Allen, 30, was spotted at the music festival alongside a peroxide blonde female companion

No shade! The brother of Lily Allen worked a pair of retro inspired Ray-Bans for the musical occasion

All smiles: Comedian and actor Jack Whitehall, 28, joined Alfie for the festivities

Fashion fiend: Fellow GoT star Richard Madden, 31, sported an eye-catching Mandarin collared silk coat for the day

As for romance, rumours are swirling again that Suki is dating Mexican actor and director Diego Luna, 37, after they spent a few days together in New York.

Suki was first romantically linked with the Rogue One: A Star Wars Story actor in January when they were spotted looking cosy during a trip to Mexico.

The young starlet was reportedly dating Game of Thrones actor Richard Madden, however her recent appearances with Diego suggested she's already moved on.

Chit chat! Kit Harington, 30 - another actor from the HBO series - caught up with TV presenter Emma Willis, 41, and her musician husband Matt Willis, 34

Hugging it out! The London native covered his signature tousled locks under a Converse baseball cap

Soaking it up! The acclaimed actor appeared at ease while he soaked up the atmosphere

Hitting the right notes! Sophie Dahl, 39, stunned in her festival fashion as she watched her love onstage

Previously, Suki enjoyed a two-year romance with The Hangover star Bradley Cooper but the former flames parted ways in 2015.

At the time, a source told E! News: 'They both want different things right now.

'She loves Bradley and he loves her but she's so young and wants to concentrate on her acting career before becoming a mum.'

Taking to the stage: Designated Survivor actor Kiefer Sutherland, 50, performed at the Somerset festival

Music to his ears: The star appeared in his element as he performed on the Avalon Stage Glastonbury
She's the scantily-clad Instagram babe who shot to fame ten months ago when she enjoyed a naked romp in Hawaii with Justin Bieber.

And on Sunday, Sahara Ray showed exactly why the pop star was so keen to disrobe with her when she showcased her enviable assets during a half-naked dip in the ocean.

Wearing a completely sheer top that did nothing to hide her artificial assets, the 24-year-old beamed as she showcased her curves for her 1.4 million followers.

Wet and wild! Sahara Ray showed exactly why Justin Bieber was so keen to disrobe with her when she showcased her enviable assets during a half-naked dip in the ocean

The plastic fantastic socialite was far from shy as she frolicked in the sea with her breasts on full display for all to see.

This is far from the first time that Sahara has bared all.

Last weekend, the Australian stunner was back up to her usual tricks when she stripped off for a skinny-dipping session in Mexico.

She isn't shy! Wearing a completely sheer top that did nothing to hide her artificial assets, the 24-year-old beamed as she showcased her curves for her 1.4 million followers

Who needs clothes? The plastic fantastic socialite was far from shy as she frolicked in the sea with her breasts on full display for all to see

To further entice her fans, the busty blonde followed with a video of herself laughing whilst trying to cover her breasts with one hand.

The raunchy 24-year-old is currently enjoying a scantily-clad vacation in Mexico.

On Monday, she shared an Instagram photo of herself in a see-through top with one of her glamorous girlfriends.

Who needs clothes? Socialite Sahara Ray went skinny-dipping in Mexico over the weekend

Showing Justin what he's missing? The 24-year-old topless model is best known for going on a naked romp with Justin Bieber in Hawaii last year

Sahara's windswept hair covered her artificial face in the risque selfie.

Her suspiciously ample breasts were also on display in a skimpy polka dot top.

The daughter of surf legend Tony Ray went braless as she covered her modesty with a spare hand.

Feeling nippy? Justin Bieber's 'ex-fling' shared an Instagram photo of herself in a see-through top while on holiday in Mexico on Monday

Before and after: Sahara's looks have changed dramatically over the past two years

Born in the Australian coastal town of Torquay, Sahara was raised in Santa Cruz, California.

She found herself in the spotlight last year after she was spotted skinny dipping in Hawaii with Justin Bieber - whose impressive manhood was revealed to the world through some racy paparazzi photos.

They were reportedly shacking up in $10,000-a-week villa.

Look at me! Sahara's always getting naked on social media for her millions of followers
She's never been on to bite her tongue when is comes to discussing her personal life.

And now Charlotte Crosby, 27, has revealed explicit details about her bedroom antics with her reality star other half Stephen Bear, also 27, confessing that they regularly got hot and heavy on set of their MTV series Just Tattoo Of Us.

The former Geordie Shore star didn't stop there as she continued her graphic admission, admitting to The Sun that they riled crew members up with the constant PDA.

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Steamy: Charlotte Crosby, 27, has revealed explicit details about her bedroom antics with her reality star other half, confessing that they regularly got hot and heavy on set of their MTV series Just Tattoo Of Us

She divulged: 'If there was a camera in our dressing room there would have been a whole different show from the one that aired on MTV. Me and Stephen couldnt keep our hands off each other.

'When we got in the dressing room and no one was looking we were all over each other. It was so exciting, so full-on. He has a gorgeous body. Hes like a little Action Man and has loads of abs  I dont know how many but he definitely has more than a six-pack.

Aside from her bedroom confession, she insisted that they were soulmates and would walk down the aisle in the future.

'I think were gonna get married. We cant leave each others side,' she said. 'This must be what having a soulmate is like. I am so happy.'

Packing it on: The former Geordie Shore star didn't stop there as she continued her graphic admission, admitting to The Sun that her and Stephen Bear (pictured above) riled crew members up with the constant PDA

Racy: She divulged: 'If there was a camera in our dressing room there would have been a whole different show from the one that aired on MTV. Me and Stephen couldnt keep our hands off each other'

Her most recent racy revelation comes after she discussed how she suffers from body insecurities and won't wear low-cut outfits after she was targeted by trolls who made her feel 'ugly'.

The reality star claimed she was 'body shamed' online because of her 'uniboob', where her breasts are merged at the centre as a result of a rare condition symmastial.

Recalling the incident in her new autobiography Brand New Me - as obtained by the newspaper - she insisted it didn't 'bother' her until she shared a photo of herself in a plunging dress and her followers pointed out her flaws.

Body confidence: Charlotte (pictured at The Style Summer Party in May 2017) no longer wears low-cut dresses after she was targeted online by trolls because of her uniboob

Loved up: Despite her lacy of body confidence, she is madly in love with her beau Stephen

Despite her knock to her body confidence, she is very loved-up with Ex On The Beach hunk Stephen

Stephen was spotted out in Manchester on Saturday night sporting a camouflage bomber and a red neck tie.

The reality star stepped out in a black T-shirt with a line of roses around the bottom, which he teamed with a pair of ripped blue jeans.

Stephen's bomber featured an embroidered butterfly and a bright orange lining.

The Ex on the Beach star completed his look with a pair of leopard print trainers.

Edgy: Stephen Bear stepped out in a camouflage bomber jacket and a red necktie as he partied in Manchester on Saturday night

Working guy: The reality star stepped out in a black T-shirt with a line of roses around the bottom, which he teamed with a pair of ripped blue jeans

Rawr: The Ex on the Beach star completed his look with a pair of leopard print trainers

The couple - who fell madly in love on the set of their reality show Just Tattoo Of Us - are now planning to take their relationship up a notch and move in together.

They went public with their romance in February and have been dating for five blissful months.

The Geordie Shore star confessed she knew he was Mr Right when they were enjoying a sun-soaked holiday abroad in Barcelona.

The big reveal: The Just The Tattoo Of Us starlet made her beau wait more than a week for sex despite really hitting it off with him when she first met him

Cute couple: The pair have been all over each other in recent times

And although Charlotte was instantly head-over-heels for the Celebrity Big Brother winner from the moment she met him, the star revealed she made him wait more than a week before inviting him into the bedroom.

Completely smitten with each other, they are already planning on getting engaged and starting a family together.

But the star revealed she was terrified she may not be able to have kids after she suffered from a ectopic pregnancy, where a fertilised egg implants outside the womb, last April.

Completely smitten! The lovebirds are planning to have a family together and get engaged, taking their first step to move in together soon

Charlotte, at the time in a relationship with her former flame and Geordie Shore co-star Gary Beadle, was rushed to hospital in severe pain.

While she survived, the doctor told her she could have died as a result of the pregnancy complication.

Describing the traumatic moment, she wrote: 'The doctor told me I could have died, which I still can't get my head around, and I was scared I might not be able to have kids.'
He was rumoured to be enjoying a secret romance with Caroline Flack this week, something which she strenuously denied.

And Richard Madden narrowly avoided an awkward run-in with the Love Island presenter, as he rocked up to Glastonbury on Sunday only a day after she'd left.

The 31-year-old actor, known for playing Robb Stark in Game of Thrones, looked handsome and stylish in a mint green jacket covered in oriental flower print.

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Near-miss: Actor Richard Madden, 31, narrowly avoided an awkward run-in with Caroline Flack, 37,who he was linked to this week, as he rocked up to Glastonbury on Sunday only a day after she'd left

Friends: Caroline was seen taking a musical break from her Love Island duties and enjoying a quick sojourn to Glastonbury, leaving only a day before Richard was spotted

The star wore a black and white cotton top underneath his vibrant jacket with a delicate silver bar necklace dangling from his neck.

His chocolate locks were worn in a quiffed style and he sported a distinguished smattering of stubble.

Rumours swirled that the Cinderella actor was getting steamy with Caroline after they attended a nightclub launch in Amsterdam in April.

But a representative for Caroline said there was no truth in the rumours.

Handsome: The actor, known for playing Robb Stark in Game of Thrones, looked handsome and stylish in a mint green jacket covered in oriental flower print

Relaxed: The star wore a black and white cotton top underneath his vibrant jacket with a delicate silver bar necklace, as well as festival trademark wellies

'It was short but sweet glasto my old pal': Caroline posted a farewell shot with two friends as she prepared to leave the festival

Cool as a cucumber: Richard was joined by fellow GOT star Alfie Allen, 30, who was seen cheerily greeting photographers, looking effortlessly cool in his black and white t-shirt emblazoned Dominating Babylon

Pals: Giving a splash of the flamboyant Alfie slipped on a ebony bomber jacket with multi-coloured sequin sleeves as he joined comedian Jack Whitehall, 28, who looked funky in a navy fitted shirt decorated with bird print.

Caroline was seen taking a musical break from her Love Island duties and enjoying a quick sojourn to Glastonbury, leaving only a day before Richard was spotted.

A representative for Caroline told MailOnline: 'Caroline left Glastonbury on Saturday because she is at ITV from midday on Sunday preparing for her live Aftersun show.'

Carolines spin-off show Aftersun is now attracting the same audience as Big Brothers main show. Love Island has reached a series high of 1.6 million and is still climbing.

The star recently confirmed to Cosmopolitan that she was back on the dating scene.

'I'm dating again now  maybe I've already [met someone].'

'Let's just say, I'm in a brilliant place.'

The presenter looked chic in a black top and gold jacket as she mugged for the cameras with friends before putting on a leggy display in a denim miniskirt as she bade farewell to the festival.

It was something of a lads on tour scenario for Richard as he was joined by actor Alfie Allen, 30 and comedian Jack Whitehall, 28.

Fellow GOT star Alfie, who was seen cheerily greeting photographers, looked effortlessly cool in his black and white t-shirt emblazoned Dominating Babylon

Lads on tour: The trio looked to be having a whale of a time as they soaked up the festival atmosphere

Giving a splash of the flamboyant he slipped on a ebony bomber jacket with multi-coloured sequin sleeves.

Proving he was a seasoned festival goer Alfie toted a can of finest West Country cider and slipped on a pair of dark shades.

Charismatic Jack, who laughed out loud with his boys, looked funky in a navy fitted shirt decorated with bird print.

The bearded funnyman flashed his Calvin Klein underwear as he strolled along with a glitter painted friend in denim jeans.

He shielded his eyes with dark shades.
She welcomed daughter Lily Grace nearly one year ago.

And on Sunday, Nicky Hilton enjoyed precious mommy-and-me time with her little one, as the two went for a stroll in New York.

The pretty heiress was spotted in the city's East Village, pushing her 11-month-old in a large stroller.

Family time: On Sunday, Nicky Hilton, 33, enjoyed precious mommy-and-me time with daughter Lily Grace, 11 months, as the two went for a stroll in New York

The blonde stunner looked relaxed in a multi-color, striped maxi dress.

Nicky, 33, wore her long tresses in a simple braid, pulled to one side.

The mother-of-one accessorized with mirrored shades, her wedding ring and a leaf-like necklace and earrings set.

Beating the heat! The blonde stunner looked relaxed in a multi-color, striped maxi dress

'Post bath': On Saturday, Nicky shared an adorable photo of Lily, wrapped in a comfortable robe, decorated with her name on its back

On Saturday, Nicky shared an adorable photo of Lily, wrapped in a comfortable robe, decorated with her name on its back.

'Post bath,' read the snap's caption, which featured a tub emoji.

The little one was seen from behind, as she looked out window decorated with a string of pastel bunnies.

Little family: In July of 2015, the New York native married finacier James Rothschild, and the very next year, the couple welcomed Lily

In July of 2015, Nicky married finacier James Rothschild, and the very next year, the couple welcomed Lily.

In an interview with Hello! magazine, the sister of Paris Hilton revealed the family's plans for their daughter's first birthday.

'[Lily] shares a birthday with her cousin from London, who is turning four, so we're going to do a little, fun joint birthday party,' began the animal lover. Nothing fancy. Just family and friends.'

Nicky also discussed her little one's milestones.

'She's crawling everywhere and she's trying to walk. She's standing everywhere and hanging on to things. She wants to walk so bad, but not yet!'
She's the Gold Coast swimwear designer everybody's talking about.

And Bianca Elouise was giving the locals at Miami Beach another reason to gossip on Sunday when her bikini top unexpectedly snapped.

The Myra Swim founder, 26, looked happy and confident as she soaked up the Florida sun with boyfriend Sunny.

Everybody's talking! Bianca Elouise was giving the locals at Miami Beach another reason to gossip on Sunday when her bikini top unexpectedly snapped

Wow! The Myra Swim founder looked happy and confident as she soaked up the Florida sun

So in love! The 26-year-old, who hails from the Gold Coast, was joined by her boyfriend Sunny

Bianca, who hails from Australia but now lives in the US, flaunted her ample cleavage and pert derriere in a stylish nude bikini.

Her label Myra Swim has a strong celebrity following and is known for its signature high-cut designs ideal for women with curves.

And it seems Bianca was her own best advertisement over the weekend, as she hit the beach in a '90s inspired ribbed bikini top.

Rising star: Bianca, who hails from Australia but now lives in the US, flaunted her ample cleavage and pert derriere in a stylish nude bikini

Sexy entrepreneur! Her label Myra Swim has a strong celebrity following and is known for its signature high-cut designs ideal for women with curves

It's all about the brand! It seems Bianca was her own best advertisement over the weekend, as she hit the beach in a '90s inspired ribbed bikini top

In April, Bianca spoke to Daily Mail Australia about the fashion label she launched back in 2014.

'It's quite overwhelming how big it's getting,' she said.

'I started in 2014 with a really small collection aimed at women like me - women with a butt, with cleavage and a small waist.'

'It's quite overwhelming how big it's getting': In April, Bianca spoke to Daily Mail Australia about the fashion label she launched back in 2014. Pictured with boyfriend Sunny

Early days: 'I started in 2014 with a really small collection aimed at women like me - women with a butt, with cleavage and a small waist,' said Bianca

Popular: Since the label launched, Myra Swim designs have featured in music videos, like Ariana Grande and Nicki Minaj's Side by Side

Since the label launched, Myra Swim designs have featured in several music videos, like Ariana Grande and Nicki Minaj's Side by Side.

The bikinis and one-piece swimsuits have also been worn poolside by models Emily Ratajkowski and Karrueche Tran.

Bianca added: 'My aim has always been the same - I make bikinis and swimsuits for real women's bodies.'
Mayuko Toyota, a 42-year-old Harvard graduate and up-and-coming member of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), can be heard on the tape screaming at the unnamed aide, saying he should die as she mocked his thinning hair

A female Japanese politician has resigned after an audio tape emerged of her violently attacking a male secretary, and reportedly threatening to crush his head with a lead pipe.

Mayuko Toyota, a 42-year-old Harvard graduate and up-and-coming member of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), can be heard screaming at the unnamed aide, saying he should die as she mocked his thinning hair.

Her 55-year-old secretary can be heard repeatedly apologising and begging the lawmaker to stop kicking and beating him.

"Don't damage my reputation anymore," Toyota screams, apparently in response to a mistake she claims the man had made.

Major Japanese media, including public broadcaster NHK, named Toyota as the woman heard on the tape. No one picked up the phone at her office on Friday.

The secretary recorded the exchange, which took place last month inside a car that he was driving, according to a weekly magazine that was given the tape and uploaded on YouTube.

The magazine wrote a story that claimed Toyota had threatened to crush the man's head with a pipe in a separate incident, and made references to the hypothetical rape and murder of his daughter.

An LDP official said Toyota submitted a letter of resignation on Thursday, but it was not clear if it would be accepted.

Toyota has been hospitalised due to an "unstable mental condition", an LDP official said -- a not uncommon turn of events for a Japanese politician at the centre of a crisis.

The incident marks the latest in a string of scandals involving younger LDP members, including one who quit over an extramarital affair and another who quit over his financial dealings.
Dried monitor lizard penises are allegedly being sold online as rare plant roots

An Indian man has been arrested for selling dried monitor lizard penises online as a rare root plant believed to bring good luck, Indian forest department officials said Friday.

The news comes days after Indian and British investigators said they had uncovered a scam in which Indian internet retailers were passing off the lizard parts as the plant, known as Hatha Jodi.

The monitor lizard is protected under the Indian Wildlife Act.

Officials believe the arrested man, Kalki Krishnan, was sourcing the parts from central India's Madhya Pradesh state.

"We have made seizures (of the monitor lizard penises) and sent them to the lab for tests. We will also ask the court for the arrested man's custody to further our investigations," a divisional forest officer, H.V Girish, told AFP.

Other banned wildlife items were also seized from Krishnan, an official at the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau told the Hindustan Times.

According to the report by UK and Indian investigators, apart from India, the fake plant roots are being shipped to addresses across the world.

Prices vary from $6 to $63 for purchase in India and $254 outside the country.

"These lizards are being illegally poached from the wild, caught in traps and snares. Some will have their throats slit or their skulls smashed in before their genitals are removed for use as 'Hatha Jodi'," Neil D'Cruze from World Animal Protection said in a statement at the time.

The team's lead researcher Aniruddha Mookerjee, from the University of Oxford's Wildlife Conservation Research Unit (WildCRU), told AFP that locals in pockets of Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Karnataka and Uttar Pradesh states, would kill the monitor lizards and remove and dry the penises.

"We launched our investigation after a surprise discovery in 2016 that penises were being removed from monitor lizards, a preferred meat source for some Indian tribal communities," he said.

"These local communities told us that they were sold as 'Hatha Jodi'. We searched online and found its widespread sale as a rare plant that promises good luck and changed lives," Mookerjee added.
The Abu Samrah border crossing with Saudi Arabia has been quiet since Qatar's neighbours cut ties as part of a major diplomatic row

Qatar on Saturday denounced a sweeping list of demands from Saudi Arabia and its allies in an escalating Gulf diplomatic crisis as unreasonable and an impingement on the emirate's sovereignty.

Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt want Qatar to meet the 13-point ultimatum in return for an end to a nearly three-week-old diplomatic and trade "blockade" of the emirate.

Qatar has been given 10 days to meet the demands, which apparently include a call to close down broadcaster Al-Jazeera, but Doha said the requests were unrealistic.

"This list of demands confirms what Qatar has said from the beginning -- the illegal blockade has nothing to do with combating terrorism, it is about limiting Qatar's sovereignty, and outsourcing our foreign policy," said Sheikh Saif bin Ahmed Al-Thani, head of Qatar's government communications office.

"The US secretary of state recently called upon the blockading nations to produce a list of grievances that was 'reasonable and actionable'.

"The British foreign secretary asked that the demands be 'measured and realistic'. This list does not satisfy that criteria."

The four Arab governments delivered the demands to Qatar through mediator Kuwait on Thursday, more than two weeks after severing all ties with the emirate and imposing an embargo.

The document has not been published but has been widely leaked and the demands are sweeping in their scope.

They include the closure of Al-Jazeera television, a long-standing source of conflict between Doha and neighbouring countries which accuse it of fomenting regional strife.

- Qatar faces Gulf 'divorce' -

The ultimatum also includes calls for Doha to cut ties to groups including the Muslim Brotherhood, the Islamic State organisation, Al-Qaeda and Lebanon's Iran-backed Hezbollah movement.

Qatar has also been asked to hand over opposition figures wanted by its three neighbours and Egypt and to downgrade diplomatic ties with Iran.

Notably, it has also been told to shut a Turkish military base in the emirate.

Qatar's foreign ministry said it was "studying" the list, "in order to prepare an appropriate response".

Meshal Hamad Al-Thani, Qatar's ambassador to the United States, tweeted that the list was meant to "punish Qatar for its independence".

Anwar Gargash, the UAE state minister for foreign affairs said Qatar should yield to the demands

Qatar was warned by one of its most hawkish critics in the region that unless it meets the list of demands, Doha faces "divorce" from its Gulf neighbours.

Anwar Gargash, the UAE's state minister for foreign affairs, said Qatar should yield to the demands.

"It would be wiser that (Qatar) deal seriously with the demands and concerns of the neighbours or a divorce will take place," he wrote on Twitter.

The demands confirm that "the crisis is profound," Gargash said, adding Qatar had leaked the document containing the demands.

Speaking at a news conference on Saturday, Gargash called for guarantees from Western countries to help resolve the row.

"If Qatar follows the path of wisdom... we would need a system of guarantees and controls" in order to implement an accord with Doha, he said, calling for "European and American guarantees".

- 'Attempt to silence' -

Al-Jazeera, one of the largest news organisations in the world, responded to the demands by saying it "deplores" calls for it to be taken off air.

"We in the network believe that any call for closing down Al-Jazeera is nothing but an attempt to silence the freedom of expression in the region and to suppress people's right to information," said the broadcaster.

In the other official response out of Qatar, its Human Rights Committee said the demands represented "gross violations" of basic rights.

Qatar is a member of the Gulf Cooperation Council with Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Saudi Arabia and the UAE.

As well as cutting diplomatic ties, Qatar's neighbours closed their airspace to Qatari carriers and blocked the emirate's only land border, vital for its food imports.

Qatar is home to the largest US base in the region, Al-Udeid, and Bahrain is home to the Fifth Fleet of the United States Navy.

US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has urged a diplomatic solution, and Washington has been pushing for a clear list of grievances that are "reasonable and actionable".

His spokeswoman Heather Nauert said Tuesday the United States was "mystified" that Saudi Arabia and its Gulf allies had failed to present details justifying their embargo on Qatar.

US President Donald Trump, however, has made statements siding with Saudi Arabia in the crisis.

British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson said Friday that any conditions placed on Qatar should be "measured and realistic".
Former Michigan State University and USA Gymnastics doctor Larry Nassar faces multiple sexual misconduct charges

A former doctor to gymnasts from successive US Olympic teams is to stand trial on charges that he sexually assaulted female athletes, one of whom was only 11, over almost two decades.

A Michigan court on Friday said Larry Nassar will face 17 counts of criminal sexual conduct, a ruling that followed three days of hearings during which six of his accusers testified.

The 53-year-old, a member of USA Gymnastics from 1996 to 2015, maintained a practice at Michigan State University before he was fired last year.

He denies abusing his position to assault young girls.

At Friday's final hearing, Judge Donald Allen Jr watched video of a police interview in which Nassar claimed the acts that one alleged victim considered assault were in fact medical treatment.

The recording helped corroborate some statements made by Nassar's accusers, and that the doctor's words helped establish enough cause to take the case to trial, the judge said.

Prosecutor Angela Povilaitis had recounted victims' testimony in graphic detail, saying Nassar would digitally penetrate the women's vaginas, without gloves, under the guise of medical care.

One girl, identified only as Victim A, was 11 years old at the time of the alleged abuse and is now 16, the prosecutor said, adding that at least two victims claimed Nassar displayed signs of arousal during the abuse.

One of those who testified was Rachael Denhollander, 32, who has publicly revealed her identity in accusing Nassar of sexually abusing her when she was 15 years old.

- Complaining could end dreams -

"She described that the defendant had a visible erection during those appointments," Povilaitis said of Denhollander's testimony.

"He convinced these girls that this was some type of legitimate treatment," the prosecutor said of the accused.

"Why would they question this gymnastics god?"

Nassar served as the US gymnastics team's doctor through four Olympic Games.

Law enforcement officials have accused him of using his position with the governing body that sets rules and selects US Olympic gymnasts to sexually assault dozens of athletes and other patients over decades.

Ex-athletes accusing Nassar of crimes say he was empowered by an environment in elite gymnastics where complaints or signs of injury could jeopardize Olympic dreams.

The president of USA Gymnastics, Steve Penny, resigned in March after repeatedly being urged to quit for allegedly being slow to notify authorities about sexual abuse allegations in the organization.

Nassar has pleaded not guilty to the charges against him, including child pornography, and remains in jail pending trial.

A federal trial on the child pornography charges is scheduled for August, with state trials following later in the year.
Some 3,000 workers with life-detection equipment are taking part in the search for people still missing in the landslide

Rescuers kept digging through rocks and earth for more than 90 people still missing Sunday after a huge landslide entombed a village in southwest China, but some relatives lost hope of finding them alive.

At least 10 people have been confirmed dead, a day after the avalanche of rocks buried 62 homes in Xinmo, a once-picturesque mountain village nestled by a river in Sichuan province, the local government said.

Only three survivors -- a couple and their one-month-old baby -- have been found since heavy rain brought down a side of the mountain early Saturday.

The official Xinhua news agency cited geological experts at the site as saying the chance of finding any survivors "was really slim".

Huo Chunlai, wearing a lace-brimmed sunhat, returned from the affected site on foot. Her cousin and two aunts lived in Xinmo. She said locals asked rescuers to stop the search.

"There's no hope they're alive," Huo said.

"The house is in one place here but the people who were inside were dragged way out over there. They're not in the same place any more. The landslide washed away the people all over the place. You simply can't find them any more."

You Sunfang and her husband rode five hours on a motorbike from another village to get news about her uncle, but police would not let them into the site.

"If he had lived on the edges maybe there would have been hope. But he lived right in the middle of the slope where the landslide came down," she said, wiping away tears.

Heavy rains that hit the region in recent days triggered the landslide, burying the village under several tonnes of rock

At least half a dozen red excavators removed debris at the base of the grim and grey slope on Sunday as rescuers in orange jumpsuits searched between rocks for a second day.

Some 3,000 workers with life-detection instruments and sniffer dogs were taking part in the search, state media said.

Yang Kaichun, a woman wearing a pink beaded veil over her hair who brought food to the rescuers, was pessimistic.

"The debris is so deep, everyone they dig out will be dead," she said.

The landslide blocked a two-kilometre (one-mile) stretch of river and 1.6 kilometres of road.

Rescuers found a droopy-eyed white dog on the rubble, apparently looking for its owner, according to state broadcaster CGTN.

Authorities reduced the number of people reported dead from 15 to 10 and the missing from 118 to 93, saying that some who had been unaccounted for earlier had been traced.

- 'Heartbroken' -

In the only story of survival, Qiao Dashi, whose wife and baby also escaped, said he had woken up after 5:00 am to change his crying son's diaper when the house shook.

"Rocks were in the living room. My wife and I climbed over, took the baby and got out," he told state broadcaster CCTV from his hospital bed.

But his parents and three-year-old daughter remain missing.

In Diexi, another hamlet overlooking Xinmo, corn farmer Yang Cangxin said she knew everyone in the neighbouring village.

Geological experts at the site told state media that the chance of finding any survivors was "really slim"

"It's so hard to imagine something like that happening when you're sleeping quietly and peacefully in your own bed. It's just awful. They had no idea what was coming," Yang, a woman in her 40s, told AFP.

"We were all crying, heartbroken," she said.

Xinmo residents were farmers who grew corn, peppercorn and potatoes, she said, though some had opened guest houses for tourists.

Xu Zhiwen, the prefecture's deputy governor, said there had been 142 tourists visiting the village on Friday but none of them were buried.

AFP reporters were not allowed to enter the disaster area. A Maoxian county government official, Yang Baihui, said it was "because this is a Tibetan area, foreign media are not allowed to go in and interview people."

- Past disasters -

Landslides are a frequent danger in rural and mountainous parts of China, particularly at times of heavy rains.

At least 12 people were killed in January when a landslide crushed a hotel in the central province of Hubei.

More than 70 were killed in the southern commercial hub of Shenzhen in December 2015, by a landslide caused by the improper storage of waste.
Fashion designer Mandisa Zwane is one of dozens of township entrepreneurs being helped by Soweto's Box Shop not for profit organisation

At the back of Mandisa Zwane's typical yellow plaster-clad Soweto house is a bustling hive of activity set to a soundtrack of gospel music and crying babies that emanates from nearby.

Every day the 42-year-old fashion designer packs into her small improvised workshop surrounded by sewing machines and brightly coloured spools of thread.

When she began making her distinctively bold and bright African print garments in South Africa's most famous township in 2009, she made just three every month.

"Before I was just making for friends and family -- and they weren't even paying! Then I was able to hire four people to grow," she told AFP.

Zwane is one of dozens of township entrepreneurs whose creations have sold worldwide with help from Soweto's Box Shop, a not for profit organisation helping local designers and craftspeople market their creations internationally.

She now sells her designs as far away as Atlanta and London, making up to 60 pieces every month supported by her four-strong team which includes two salespeople, a tailor and an assistant.

"I was just playing with my passion then they came in and helped me organise my business financially," she said of the Box Shop, situated just miles away from her Soweto base.

"My ambition is to take take my brand to the world -- I want to be the go-to for contemporary African design."

Dresses pictured at The Box Shop on Vilakazi Street in Soweto, Johannesburg on June 8, 2017

- 'The next IKEA' -

Zwane, who lived in Benin for seven years, travels to the west African country every two months to source the materials which she transforms into dresses, skirts and trousers.

Buyers worldwide can purchase many products of the Box Shop's 43 local brands on its website, while a larger selection is available for South African and international visitors at its physical store in Soweto.

The store is made of large metal shipping containers, giving the project its name, and hosts offices, a coffee shop and will soon be extended to include a hair salon and a radio station.

The hilly tourist hub is one of the most famous in Africa and is the site of Nelson Mandela's one-time house as well as one of Desmond Tutu's current homes.

"It's about access to market -- taking backyard fashion designers, backyard furniture makers who don't have a place to showcase their products," said Xolo Ncanywa, a consultant on the project. "We want them to be the next IKEA."

The entrepreneurs on the scheme receive mentoring, practical assistance and investment advice from Box Shop's team of 11 experts. Such hands-on "start to finish" support for small-scale entrepreneurs is a first for South Africa.

The Box Shop, which has a physical store in Soweto, is transforming township cottage industries by giving them scale and visibility

Designers and manufacturers like Zwane pitch their ideas to the Box Shop, which is backed by US-based not-for-profit TechnoServe, to win support for their products.

"Selling out of their car boots, they were always doomed to be small... This changes all that," said Shungu Kanyemba, co-founder of the Box Shop.

The Box Shop gives the successful entrepreneurs feedback on their plans and advises on sourcing materials and finance, handling personnel issues and managing their operations.

It also takes a risk on the entrepreneurs it chooses: the Box Shop advances money for the raw materials for products to be sold on the website so the entrepreneurs are not out of pocket.

The Soweto store now carries an eclectic range of products that includes bespoke speakers, shoes, furniture, clothes, cosmetics and freshly-brewed coffee.

- Entrepreneurial gold-rush -

Despite receiving support from banking giant CitiGroup's philanthropic foundation, the project is not charity. It recoups its operating costs when the entrepreneurs make their profits when their objects sell on the website.

The store in Soweto opened in 2016 and has since signed-up 80 different small-scale entrepreneurs. It now makes around 100,000 rand ($7,800, 7,000 euros) in sales per month.

The Box Shop team are already picking a site for another store, this time in Durban, as well as planning 15 'pop-up' locations to coincide with major events.

Despite the government spending six billion rand developing the townships in 2016 and vowing to make small-scale entrepreneurship part of its economic strategy, South Africa's townships are struggling to become hubs of commercial activity.

A citizen of Egypt or Burkina Faso is six times more likely to start a business than a South African, according to the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor group.

But with about half its urban population living in townships -- 38 percent of working-age citizens -- South Africa is hoping that the nascent entrepreneurial gold-rush taking hold in Soweto will benefit the country's poorest citizens.

Velaphi Mpolweni, 49, began making home furnishings from the back of his modest Johannesburg home in 2013.

"Before the Box Shop I had been struggling -- people weren't seeing my products," he said at the bustling, sawdust-strewn Furntech community workshop on the edge of Soweto.

Mpolweni is now making 670,000 rand a year in sales, employs four men and has just inked a major deal to supply a chandelier to a client in the USA.

Oscar Hilary, 33, who lives in Soweto, has been employed by Mpolweni as a joiner for a year and credits his boss' international exposure for keeping him in a job.

"It helps a lot," he said. "It keeps us going."
French-Vietnamese blogger and lecturer Pham Minh Hoang was convicted in 2011 of "attempted subversion" for publishing a series of articles that prosecutors said were aimed at overthrowing the government

A Vietnamese blogger with French citizenship has been deported to Paris, the wife of the former political prisoner said Sunday, in a rare move by authorities in the one-party state.

Former math lecturer Pham Minh Hoang was put on a plane to Paris late Saturday, after the Vietnamese government stripped him of his citizenship last month.

"My husband left Vietnam at 11:30 last night, on a direct flight to Paris," Le Thi Kieu Oanh told AFP Sunday.

Oanh said Hoang was granted access to a lawyer before boarding the plane, but that she was not given a chance to see him.

"I feel totally defeated... when my husband left, I couldn't say any farewell words, I also feel very angry," she said.

The French Embassy in Hanoi also confirmed Hoang departed on Saturday evening.

While authoritarian Vietnam routinely jails critics of its regime, 62-year-old Hoang is the first Vietnam-based dissident to have his citizenship revoked in recent history.

Hoang found out his Vietnamese citizenship had been revoked after he was sent a letter dated May 17 and signed by the president.

He was convicted in 2011 of "attempted subversion" for publishing a series of articles that prosecutors said were aimed at overthrowing the government.

He was released from jail after 17 months and ordered to serve three years house arrest. He continued to post articles critical of the government on social media since he was released from jail.

Hoang moved to France in 1973 and lived there for 27 years before returning to Vietnam to work as a mathematics lecturer at the Polytechnic University of Ho Chi Minh City.

He told AFP this month he had to stay in Vietnam to care for his disabled brother and elderly mother in law.
According to 2014 Ghana government figures, almost half of the working population are involved in agriculture, and just over half of Ghana's land is used for farming

Agyei Douglas is a farmer who grows vegetables near Kumasi in Ghana's central Ashanti region. He used to struggle to access markets and capital.

The information he needed was broadcast on the radio but often it wasn't specific enough to improve his yield of lettuce, spring onions, cabbage and chilli pepper.

Two years ago, the 43-year-old began using Farmerline, which delivers weather updates, the latest market prices and other details to his second generation mobile phone.

"It has helped us improve on our productions through the information we get from them, it has made things easier for us as compared to our previous system," he told AFP.

The Ghanaian tech company behind Farmerline is one of a number of start-ups in the West African country working to bolster food security through better access to information.

The initiative was established in 2012 and has so far helped connect some 200,000 farmers in 10 countries using the mobile technology.

- Farming industry -

According to 2014 Ghana government figures, almost half of the working population are involved in agriculture, and just over half of Ghana's land is used for farming.

World Bank figures indicate some 80 per cent of agricultural output came from smallholders on family-operated farms with average landholdings of less than two hectares (4.9 acres).

A lack of more in-depth and accurate data have been seen as a stumbling block for Ghana's farmers, preventing them from better production or accessing financial loans.

Farmerline offers a range of services for both farmers and those who want to connect to them, including non-government organisations, global food companies and local businesses.

Businesses can access data and farm auditing services as well as farmer profiling, and farm mapping.

For farmers, there are also weather forecasts, market prices and agricultural tips all offered as voice messages in local languages such as the Akan dialect Twi.

- Award winner -

A point of pride for Farmerline's chief executive and co-founder Alloysius Attah is its business model.

It puts people in direct touch with farmers, breaking the cycle of poverty and dependency on aid.

"The business of agriculture has always been about aid, a feel-good project," said Attah.

"But we are working really hard to show you can create a business around it that provides value to farmers and... you can get paid for those values you create."

Farmerline this week won the King Baudouin African Development Prize, which rewards "exceptional contributions to development work in Africa".

The two other winners were an online legal services firm from Uganda, BarefootLaw, and Kytabu, which provides school reading content for students across Kenya.

All three received 75,000 euros ($83,750) each.

The prize, announced on June 20 in Brussels, aims to highlight work in driving social change across the continent -- and with funds attached, to help them advance.

Organisers say the prize is based on the idea that "entrepreneurship and local leadership, rather than traditional aid, is the key to sustainable change".

- Tech boom -

Attah isn't alone in his quest to use technology to make agriculture more sustainable and productive in Ghana.

The country's government says it wants to modernise agriculture, including mapping cocoa farms and collecting data on them.

In the private sector, agri-tech firm Ghalani, set up in late 2016, also has data-collection as a key focus, digitising any manual records farmers may have.

It also gives farmers access to software to keep better records, and make reports that could put them in a better position to get financing.

CowTribe uses mobile technology to connect livestock farmers in northern Ghana with vets, while the start-up Hovver uses drones to help farmers map out their land.

Attah says the prize has been "life-changing" for him but also the farmers he wants to help with the and especially the farmers he wants to help with the funds.

His next project is an app that helps connect banks to farmers in need of loans, and is able to use data to predict how much can be borrowed and when it will be paid back, without having to put up collateral.
The scandal erupted after the mother of one teen victim fled to Bangkok and told the media that girls were being blackmailed into sex work

When senior bureaucrats visited the remote Thai province where local official Boonyarit worked, the routine was often the same: welcome them with the finest food and drink and then bring out the teen girls, often referred to as "dessert".

The tradition -- known by the euphemistic Thai phrase "treat to food, lay down the mat" -- refers to the expectation that underlings lavish superiors and VIPs with local delicacies, top-notch accommodation and sex services.

Until recently the most sinister part of that tradition, the procurement of underage girls, was well-known but rarely discussed.

Yet a trafficking scandal involving teens, police and officials in Boonyarit's province has flung the practice onto the nation's front pages, prompting calls to root out a culture that helps fuel the kingdom's infamous flesh trade.

While Thailand is known globally for flashy red-light districts that cater to foreigners, the bulk of its sprawling sex industry is geared mostly towards locals.

"This tradition became common a long time ago," explained Boonyarit Nipavanit, a district official in Mae Hong Son, a poor and rugged province in the mountainous north.

"When groups of senior officials come for seminars or work trips, there is a custom of 'treating them', which means welcoming them with food, and then 'laying down the mat,' which means providing girls," he told AFP.

"Sometimes we received information about what type of girls they liked... sometimes officials had to prepare five to ten women for a senior to chose from."

- 'She is a present' -

Boonyarit is comfortable speaking freely about the practice now that detectives have opened 41 cases into an alleged police-run prostitution network in his province.

The probe was launched after the mother of a victim fled to Bangkok and told the media that her then 17-year-old daughter and other teens were blackmailed into sex work and forced to entertain officials and cops.

Sex trafficking in Thailand

Some of the victims, she said, were branded with owl tattoos by the gangmasters as a kind of ownership stamp.

Under pressure from the press, national police arrested a Mae Hong Son police sergeant accused of trafficking girls into the sex ring and charged eight other officers with sleeping with the minors.

Five administrators from central Nonthaburi province have also been charged for allegedly hiring the teens with government funds during an official visit to Mae Hong Son.

"Since this story broke, many officials feel relieved that we don't have to do it anymore," said Boonyarit.

But the so-called tradition is far from unique to Mae Hong Son.

Trafficking experts say it is widespread in a hierarchial country where subordinates -- both in government and the private sector -- are expected to pamper bosses to hold onto jobs or move up the career ladder.

"We don't have a merit system in the bureaucracy, we have to bribe our bosses," explained Lakkana Punwichai, a Thai columnist covering social issues.

The practise of arranging sex for superiors comes from "a culture that sees girls not as human beings but as property", she added.

"She is a present. She is the same as food, as beautiful clothes -- something that has a price."

- Protecting the boss -

Many sex trafficking victims are too fearful to come forward when it is powerful figures who control or patronise the business -- especially in rural areas like Mae Hong Son, where social networks are small.

Local authorities are also under pressure to protect their own.

That was the case in Mae Hong Son, where police initially tried to bury the accusations made by the whistleblowing mother, who has requested anonymity and is now under government protection in Bangkok.

The whistleblowing mother met with Thai police officials during an inquiry into the scandal

"She was asked to compromise the case by some (local) police," her lawyer told AFP.

In the wake of the Mae Hong Son scandal, Thailand's Social Development Ministry said it would "lead by example" as an agency "opposed to the 'treat to food, lay down the mat' practice".

Anti-trafficking police also vowed to accelerate a crackdown on the flesh trade.

Last week a task force arrested three local officials from northeastern Nakhon Ratchasima province accused of having sex with teen girls -- some as young as 14 -- who were trafficked into an underage prostitution ring.

But experts say it is almost always only low-level pimps or officials who are punished.

"After police rescue the girls and handlers, they never expand the case," said Ronnasit Proeksayajiva from anti-trafficking NGO Nvader.

"They never investigate more about who the customers are."
An Indian artisan attends a government-run training workshop to learn new techniques in glass art in Firozabad

Hanuman Prasad Garg doesn't blame rising fuel prices or pressure from cheap knock-offs for the slow demise of the glass industry where Indian artisans have forged bangles for centuries. He blames the Taj Mahal.

The ancient glass quarter in Firozabad never recovered after authorities blamed smoke drifting from its furnaces for yellowing the Taj's magnificent white marble, threatening the beauty of India's number-one tourist attraction.

The artisans were banned from burning coal and forced to use costly gas to fuel their furnaces instead -- and yet two decades on the Taj is still losing its lustre.

"Because of the Taj Mahal, the entire industry is suffering," said Garg, president of a glass industry association in Firozabad, roughly 35 kilometres (22 miles) from the 360-year-old monument.

Inside the blazing-hot workshops dotting the district, the Taj is a sore point for many of the craftsmen toiling over thousand-degree furnaces to fashion the glittering bangles that sell for pennies across India.

Their industry dates back almost as far as the Mughal-era mausoleum itself.

But many factories have closed or downsized considerably as the price of natural gas has steadily climbed in recent years, throwing generations of glass artisans onto the scrap heap.

Now authorities are considering closing the historic district for good.

- A fragile industry -

Crouched over a flame in his tiny workshop, Zafar Ahmad skillfully carved a delicate bird from a searing hot blob of molten glass as he fretted about his family-run business.

"I have been making glass items since I was 10 years old. This is the only thing I know. My entire household is involved in this work," he told AFP, using a naked flame to tease the glass into form.

"But still it is so difficult to survive. I can't even afford sending my four children to decent schools. I can't imagine what will happen to them if God forbid I am out of work," he added.

Artisans earn little more than 300 rupees ($5) per day, despite the extreme conditions.

An Indian artisan attends a government-run training workshop to learn new techniques in glass art at Firozabad

Competition from cheaper plastic and metal bangles has also made it harder for those crafting glass by hand, a costlier and more time consuming process.

A Supreme Court ruling in 1999, giving Firozabad two years to retrofit their factories with gas instead of coal, has gradually eroded their razor-thin margins, pushing many to the wall.

Garg said pollution had come down, but the phasing out of gas subsidies had seen input costs climb year on year.

"Ours is a labour-intensive industry and everyone suffers on account of this," he said.

- Polishing talent -

Despite the interventions, the Taj is still yellowing, prompting authorities to search for stricter rules on potential pollutants in the area.

Other coal-powered industries in districts closest to the mausoleum have also been shut down, while motor vehicles are not allowed within a 500 metre radius of it.

Mud packs have been applied periodically to draw the stain from the stone, but authorities have struggled to stop the discolouration.

The ancient glass quarter in Firozabad has never recovered after authorities blamed smoke drifting from its furnaces for yellowing the Taj Mahal's magnificent white marble, threatening the beauty of India's number-one tourist attraction

A 2015 joint study by Indian and US researchers concluded smog from burning fossil fuels, dung and garbage in and around Agra city was tarnishing the marble.

The artisans of Firozabad feel their days are numbered, and face the very real threat of being turfed out of their homes and businesses for good.

The National Green Tribunal, India's federal environment court, is considering shifting the entire industry elsewhere, and has ordered samples be taken from the furnaces of Firozabad to test for pollutants.

To offset the disruption, the government is trying to bring artisans like Ahmad into the modern era, teaching them to sell their goods online and run stalls at state-run craft fairs in major centres.

Shahbaz Ali, chairman of the National Minorities Development and Finance Corporation, said: "No one can take away their talent. They have rich traditional knowledge, we are just polishing it."
Two alleged Islamic State group militants stabbed a police officer to death in western Indonesia in the latest assault targeting officials in the world's most populous Muslim country.

The two attackers shouted 'Allahu Akbar', or God is great, as they entered a security post in North Sumatra's police headquarters in Medan city before Eid prayers to mark the end of Ramadan.

Several police officers fought back against the two militants, killing one and critically injuring another.

An Indonesian policeman stands guard by the armoured vehicles at a security post in North Sumatra's police headquarters in Medan city on June 25 after two attackers shouted 'Allahu Akbar', or God is great, as they entered and stabbed a police officer.

A group of policemen stand outside the security post in North Sumatra's police headquarters

Police officers carry the coffin of Aiptu Martua, the Indonesian police officer who was killed in an alleged terrorist attack, to an ambulance in the police hospital in Medan, North Sumatra, Indonesia,

Two people drive away on a motorbike as a police officers stands by with a bomb disposal truck in the background

National police spokesman Setyo Wasisto said: 'We suspect the attackers have links with ISIS and Bahrun Naim, because we found a ISIS flag, books and CDs linked to ISIS in the house of one attacker.'

The victim was named locally as Aiptu Martua.

Bahrun Naim, an Indonesian who is fighting with ISIS in Syria, has been accused of directing a series of mostly botched terror plots in his homeland in recent years.

Hundreds of radicals from Indonesia have flocked abroad to fight with ISIS, and the country has seen a surge in plots and attacks linked to the jihadists over the past year.

The attack happened just hours before Eid prayers were held, including at the North Sumatra police headquarters, as part of the Eid al-Fitr celebrations that mark the end of the holy fasting month of Ramadan.

Indonesia has long struggled with Islamic militancy and has suffered a series of fatal attacks in the past 15 years

Police are also investigating whether Sunday's incident was linked to the recent capture of three militants accused of plotting to attack police, Wasisto added.

In May suicide bombers killed three police officers at a bus station in Jakarta in the deadliest attack in Indonesia since January 2016, when a suicide blast and gun assault claimed by IS left four assailants and four civilians dead in the capital.

Indonesia has long struggled with Islamic militancy and has suffered a series of fatal attacks in the past 15 years, including the 2002 Bali bombings that killed 202 people.

A sustained crackdown weakened the country's most dangerous networks but the emergence of IS has proved a potent new rallying cry for radicals.
Pakistan oil tanker fire

At least 123 people were killed and scores injured in a fire that broke out after an oil tanker overturned in central Pakistan early Sunday and crowds rushed to collect fuel, an official said.

The tragedy came one day before Pakistan was due to begin Eid ul-Fitr celebrations marking the end of the holy fasting month of Ramadan, with many roads crowded as people travel home for the holidays.

Images of the crash showed rising flames and a thick plume of smoke, along with charred vehicles. The crash happened near the town of Ahmedpur East, some 670 kilometres (416 miles) south of the capital Islamabad.

"At least 123 people have been killed and more than 100 wounded in a fire which erupted after an oil tanker turned over and victims rushed to collect spilt fuel," senior local government official Rana Mohammad Saleem Afzal told state television.

The military said it was sending army helicopters to evacuate the wounded and hospitals were put on high alert. The nearest burn centre is believed to be more than 150 kilometres away.

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif expressed his grief and directed the government of Punjab province, run by his brother Shabhaz Sharif, to provide "full medical assistance".

Pakistan has an appalling record of fatal traffic accidents due to poor roads, badly maintained vehicles and reckless driving.

At least 62 people including women and children were killed in southern Pakistan in 2015 when their bus collided with an oil tanker, starting a fierce blaze that left victims burnt beyond recognition.

The country has also long struggled to contain a chronic energy crisis, with regular blackouts suffocating industry and exacerbating anger against the government.

The crash came days after a series of militant attacks killed at least 57 people across the country Friday, unnerving many Pakistanis, with authorities ordering a security crackdown.

On social media Sunday users posted messages of grief and solidarity with the victims of the oil tanker crash as well as Friday's attacks, as many prayed for a safe Eid.
Presidential trips outside the capital have become rare since Syria's conflict broke out more than six years ago

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad led Eid al-Fitr prayers in the central city of Hama on Sunday, appearing in public outside the capital for the first time in a year.

Assad's office published images of him praying inside the brightly-lit Al-Nuri mosque at dawn on Sunday before greeting worshippers outside.

He was flanked by Islamic Endowments Minister Mohammad Abdel-Sattar Sayyed and Syria's top Muslim cleric Ahmad Badredine Hassoun.

Eid al-Fitr marks the end of the holy month of Ramadan, during which Muslims fast from dawn until dusk.

Ahead of the holiday, Syria's government released more than 670 detainees -- including some children born to prisoners -- from jails around Damascus on Saturday.

Assad's last public appearance outside Damascus was during Eid al-Fitr in July 2016, which he spent in third city Homs.

Presidential trips outside the capital have become rare since Syria's conflict broke out more than six years ago.

Hama city is the capital of the governorate by the same name, where Syrian government troops are battling jihadists and their rebel allies.
The AirAsia flight landed safely after a technical problem

An AirAsia flight to Malaysia was forced back to Australia Sunday due to a technical problem, with one passenger saying the plane was "shaking like a washing machine".

The Airbus A330 from Perth to Kuala Lumpur experienced problems about 90 minutes into the journey.

It landed safely, with Perth Airport reporting a "technical issue".

"The pilot identified technical issues, turned around and returned," an airport spokesman told AFP, adding that emergency crews were put on standby but not needed.

The Malaysian low-cost carrier said only that "flight crew are taking precautionary measures to check the aircraft".

It was the second scare involving an Airbus A330 in Australia this month, with a China Eastern plane making an emergency landing in Sydney after a huge hole appeared in one of its engine casings.

Terrified passengers on that flight described a very loud noise soon after it left Sydney for Shanghai. No one was hurt.

The West Australian newspaper cited passengers on Sunday's flight as saying they heard a bang and then the plane started shuddering.

"You could tell by the cabin crew's reaction that it was really bad," said Sophie Nicolas, who said she heard a small explosion from the left wing. "It was terrifying."

Another passenger, Brenton Atkinson, told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation the whole plane started shaking, far more than standard turbulence.

"It was essentially the engine seized up I think, that's what they told us anyway," he said.

"It was literally like you were sitting on top of a washing machine. The whole thing was going. We could see the engine out the window which was really shaking on the wing.

"Once we landed we realised one of the blades had actually come off the turbine."

The airline suffered its first fatal incident in December 2014, when AirAsia Flight QZ8501 crashed in stormy weather off Indonesia with 162 people on board.

That followed two Malaysia Airlines incidents in the same year which left hundreds dead, raising concerns among some travellers about the safety of the country's carriers.
Revelers take part in Saturday's Gay Pride parade in San Salvador

Some 5,000 supporters of gay rights marched in the Salvadoran capital Saturday in a show of solidarity after the recent murders of several gay men.

"We are united in the demand of respect for our rights, and united in a call for justice for the 15 members of our community who were murdered over the past year," said Joaquin Caceres one of the leaders of a gay rights group in El Salvador.

In neighboring Guatemala, hundreds of marchers from the gay community marched in downtown of Guatemala City, demanding equal rights and an end to discrimination.

Some protesters carried rainbow banners as well as the flag of Guatemala. Others carried signs, some in English, with slogans such as "Love is not a crime" and "Sorry girls I like boys."
Opposition leader Kem Sokha casts his ballot earlier this month

Cambodian election authorities on Sunday released final results from this month's local polls, confirming that the opposition to the country's strongman leader made significant gains.

More than seven million people voted on June 4, testing the political temperature of a country rife with tension between Prime Minister Hun Sen and an embattled opposition determined to end his more than three-decade rule.

Hun Sen faces a national election next year and has vowed "civil war" if he is toppled.

The official results released by the National Election Committee on Sunday showed his ruling party won 1,156 out of the country's 1,646 communes.

But the opposition party won 489 communes, a more than tenfold increase on the 40 they won five years ago. A third party won one seat.

The popular vote was closer. Hun Sen's Cambodian People Party (CPP) received 51 percent while the opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) got 44 percent.

During a ceremony on Sunday morning, CNRP leader Kem Sokha hailed the gains and told his supporters the opposition would win next year.

"We have moved each step to this point, but we will move forward for happiness and progress," Kem Sokha said, adding "there will be no war".

Hun Sen's ruling party said they remained confident.

Sok Eysan, a spokesman for CPP, told AFP that from the results of the local polls, he would expect the party to win 71 of the 123 National Assembly seats next year.

In recent months Hun Sen has issued a series of increasingly shrill warnings of violence if his three-decade rule is ended.

On Wednesday he told his critics to "prepare coffins" and said he would be happy to "eliminate 100 or 200 people" if that ensured the country's stability.

Rights groups and the opposition have accused Hun Sen of using the courts to pursue CNRP figures as well as dissidents and rights workers.

Amnesty International said some 27 political prisoners had been placed behind bars since 2013, with dozens of ongoing prosecutions against others.

Supporters see the 64-year-old Hun Sen as a beacon of stability while detractors accuse him and a coterie of allies of huge self-enrichment, corruption and autocracy.

The opposition has proven particularly popular among young voters, who often complain about a culture of corruption that only seems to benefit a wealthy elite or those with the right connections.
Bahrain, whose capital Manama is shown in a 2016 photograph, has been rocked by sporadic unrest since March 2011

A independent Bahraini newspaper has sacked its staff three weeks after Sunni-dominated authorities banned it on accusations that it "sows division" in the Shiite-majority Gulf kingdom.

"We regret to inform you that the board of directors... has decided to terminate the employment contracts with the employees," board chairman Adel al-Maskati wrote in English in a message addressed to "all staff" on Saturday.

The information ministry banned Al-Wasat in early June "until further notice" for its "violation of the law and repeatedly publishing information that sows division in society and affects Bahrain's relations with other states," said BNA state news agency.

That came after the paper published an article that was "offensive to a sisterly Arab state," BNA said, an apparent reference to an article that praised protests in Morocco's neglected Rif region.

In his message on Saturday, which was seen by AFP, Maskati said the paper had halted its activities in accordance with the ban, which had "caused losses" to its owner, Dar Al-Wasat for Publishing and Distribution.

Al-Wasat had some 160 staff including 30 expats.

The London-based Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy said the ban on the paper was "the latest in an escalated crackdown on independent civil society".

Bahrain has been rocked by sporadic unrest since March 2011, when security forces crushed an Arab Spring-inspired uprising.

Authorities suspended the online edition of Al-Wasat for several days in January over accusations of sowing sedition and harming national unity.

The newspaper was also suspended for two days in August 2015 on similar charges.

At the height of the 2011 uprising, Al-Wasat was suspended and its chief editor Mansoor al-Jamri tried and fined for publishing false information.

The paper's suspension came days after five demonstrators were killed when police opened fire on a long-running sit-in outside a prominent Shiite cleric's home.

In late May a Bahrain court dissolved the secular opposition party Waed, months after the main party representing the kingdom's Shiite majority, Al-Wefaq, was also outlawed.

Tiny but strategic Bahrain, which lies just across the Gulf from Iran, is a key regional ally of the United States and home to its Fifth Fleet.

It has come under frequent criticism from international human rights groups.

The administration of Barack Obama often criticised Manama authorities for not doing more to reconcile with the opposition.

However President Donald Trump made a clear break from that policy during a visit to the region in May, telling Bahrain's King Hamad in neighbouring Saudi Arabia "there won't be strain with this administration".
Pakistani President Mamnoon Hussain (R) shakes hands with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi upon his arrival in Islamabad

Pakistan has deployed a 15,000-strong military force to protect Chinese nationals working on energy and infrastructure projects in the country, the president said Sunday, after the abduction of a Chinese couple raised safety concerns.

President Mamnoon Hussain told visiting Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Islamabad that the protection of Chinese citizens working in Pakistan was the "top priority" of the government, according to a statement issued by the presidency.

Beijing is investing around $50 billion in its South Asian neighbour as part of a plan unveiled in 2015 to link its far-western Xinjiang region to Gwadar port in Balochistan with a series of infrastructure, power and transport upgrades.

But fears over safety arose last month when two Chinese workers were abducted in Quetta, the capital of the southwestern Balochistan province, which is at the heart of the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project but racked by separatist and Islamist insurgencies.

Authorities were going to all possible efforts to arrest those responsible for kidnapping, Hussain said.

China has stated it will cooperate with Pakistani authorities to investigate whether the two Chinese citizens -- who were allegedly killed by the Islamic State group in the country -- had been illegally preaching.

So far there has been no official confirmation of the Chinese pair's fate.

Pakistan has been battling Islamist and nationalist insurgencies in mineral-rich Balochistan since 2004, with hundreds of soldiers and militants killed in the fighting.

The IS group has been making inroads in the country through alliances with local militant outfits, although its presence is generally downplayed by the government.
An aerial view of South Waziristan homes whose roofs were removed by the military as part of the anti-insurgent fight

A bomb resembling a toy killed at least six children Sunday in Pakistan's northwestern tribal area bordering Afghanistan, officials said.

The bomb exploded while the children were playing with it in Speenmark village in the South Waziristan tribal district.

"Six children aged between six to 12 years, all boys, were killed by a toy bomb and two others wounded critically," a local government official told AFP on condition of anonymity.

Another local security official confirmed the incident and casualties.

The origin of the bomb was unclear.

Dozens of children, mostly in northwest Pakistan, have lost their lives in the past when playing with "toys" that turned out to be explosive devices.

"Toy" bombs were airdropped in neighbouring Afghanistan by Soviet forces during the 1980s as weapons against those who opposed their invasion.

South Waziristan is also one of the seven semi-autonomous tribal areas, where the army has for more than a decade been battling militants linked to the Taliban and Al-Qaeda.

The army launched an operation in June 2014 in neighbouring North Waziristan to wipe out militant bases in the tribal areas and end an insurgency that has cost thousands of civilian lives since 2004.

As a result security has improved. Attacks still take place but fewer than previously.
US President Donald Trump said the Senate Republican health care bill "would be so great if the Democrats and Republicans could get together, wrap their arms around it so that everybody is happy with it"

As Republicans scrambled Sunday to wrangle enough votes to pass health care reform legislation, US President Donald Trump lashed at Democrats accusing them of "obstruction" over the bill.

Senate leaders last week unveiled a revamped health care plan aimed at fulfilling Trump's pledge to repeal Obamacare, the landmark reform of his Democratic predecessor Barack Obama.

But the measure so far has failed to garner enough support to pass with only Republican votes -- although the party has a majority in the Senate -- after a handful of GOP lawmakers revolted.

"The health care bill would be so great if the Democrats and Republicans could get together, wrap their arms around it so that everybody is happy with it," Trump complained on the "Fox and Friends" program, in a previously taped interview broadcast early Sunday.

"But we won't get one Democratic vote -- not one," he said. "Their theme is resist. It is obstruction," Trump said, as he singled out top Senate Democrat Chuck Schumer for attack: "I saw Senator Schumer criticizing the bill a couple weeks ago and he had no idea what was in the bill."

Democrats have formed a united front against the controversial health measure, criticizing it as a "war on Medicaid," the health care program for lower income Americans, and calling it a worse plan than one that passed the House of Representatives in May.

Schumer said the Republicans shouldn't expect any support from the opposition.

"As Democrats, we're doing everything we can to fight this bill. It's so devastating to the middle class," he said on ABC, putting the Republicans' chances of passing the current bill at "50-50."

For the past seven years, Republicans have worked to repeal Obamacare.

Senate Republicans are painting the new plan as less austere than the House bill which, according to a forecast by the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO), would leave 23 million fewer people insured than under current law.

"Right now, we've got premiums going through the roof, deductibles are sky-rocketing. Folks with health coverage cards but no care because they can't afford the deductible," Health Secretary Tom Price said on CNN, making the rounds on Sunday morning news shows to promote the Senate Republican plan.

Deductibles refer to the amount consumers must first pay out of pocket -- which can be thousands of dollars -- before their insurance benefits kick in.

"The status quo is unsustainable, completely. We've got to act. Action is absolutely vital," Price said.


th (Photo: VNA)

The PM welcomed the Cambodian delegations official visit to Vietnam on the occasion of the 50th founding anniversary of the countries diplomatic relations (June 24th, 1967).

He also informed the visiting President about the success of the recent working session and meeting with Cambodian PM Samdech Hun Sen, who retraced his revolutionary path in Vietnam four decades ago.

The last 50 years is a special period in bilateral relations when the two people were united and ready to sacrifice their lives for the sake of each other, he said, considering this as a priceless and sacred asset that Vietnamese and Cambodians, especially younger generations, must maintain and nurture.

PM Phuc also expressed his sincere gratitude to late King Norodom Sihanouk, King Norodom Sihamoni and other leaders and people of Cambodia for supporting Vietnam in the fight for national liberation in the past and the national development and protection at present.

Vietnam is happy about Cambodias huge achievements, he stressed, expressing his belief that under the clear-sighted leadership of King Norodom Sihamoni, the Senate, the NA and the Government of Cambodia that is led by the Cambodian Peoples Party, the Cambodian people will continue to obtain even greater accomplishments in building a country of peace, stability and prosperous development.

Regarding bilateral ties, PM Phuc noted with satisfaction the continually reinforced and developing friendship and cooperation between the two countries.

Amidst the complex global and regional situation, the two sides should further enhance solidarity, friendship and cooperation in economy, trade and investment, while increasing people-to-people exchanges, especially between young people.

For his part, NA President Samdech Heng Samrin expressed his pride in the flourishing bilateral ties. He congratulated Vietnam on its major development attainments and voiced the belief that under the leadership of the Communist Party of Vietnam, the country will develop more strongly in the near future.

Applauding the completion of the land border demarcation and border marker planting, he said this achievement reflects the countries efforts and resolve to soon finish this task. Both sides will continue to finish the remaining work to help ensure peace, stability and development in Vietnam-Cambodia border areas.

Cambodia thanked the valuable assistance that the Communist Party of Vietnam and the Vietnamese people have given to the Cambodian people in the fight for national liberation and the national development, he added./.
A picture taken on June 25, 2017 shows Mosul's destroyed ancient leaning minaret, known as the "Hadba" (Hunchback), in the Old City after being blown up by Islamic State group fighters

Iraqi forces have retaken two thirds of old Mosul, a week after launching an offensive against the Islamic State group's last bastion in the city, a senior commander said Sunday.

Lieutenant Colonel Salam al-Obeidi was speaking to AFP inside the devastated Old City, about 50 metres (yards) from what is left of the "Hadba" leaning minaret the jihadists blew up four days earlier.

"Sixty-five to 70 percent of the Old City has been liberated, there is less than a square kilometre left to retake," said Obeidi, from the elite Counter-Terrorism Service that has spearheaded the assault.

He estimated that only "a few hundred Daesh fighters" were left in the Old City, using an Arabic acronym for IS.

The ornamental brickwork on the base of the 12th century "Hadba" (Hunchback) minaret, which was Mosul's symbol and one of the most recognisable landmarks in Iraq, was visible in the background.

The cylindrical shaft of the minaret came tumbling down when IS on June 21 detonated explosives the jihadists had rigged to it.

The jihadists simultaneously blew up the nearby Nuri mosque, where Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi gave his first sermon as IS leader in July 2014, his last public appearance to date.

The narrow, windy streets of the Old City, an area packed with heritage treasures covering about three square kilometres on Mosul's west bank of the Tigris, were littered with rubble.

The fighting has been among the most intense in the three-year-old war against IS and AFP reporters said the destruction in old Mosul was extensive, with some buildings still standing but none unscathed.

The jihadists, who have no escape from their last redoubt in the Old City, have mounted a fierce defence using booby traps, mortars, suicide attacks and snipers.

The massively outnumbered and outgunned group of die-hard jihadists are holding tens of thousands of civilians as human shields.
A handout image provided by United Arab Emirates news agency WAM on June 25, 2017 shows UAE President Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan (R) speaking to a relative in Abu Dhabi

United Arab Emirates President Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed al-Nahyan made his first public appearance Sunday since suffering a stroke more than three years ago, to mark the Eid al-Fitr Muslim holiday.

The official WAM news agency published pictures showing Sheikh Khalifa meeting a number of prominent officials and rulers of the other six emirates that with Abu Dhabi form the UAE.

The guests came to his Abu Dhabi palace on the first day of the Eid, which marks the end of the fasting month of Ramadan, and Sheikh Khalifa appeared to be in good spirits, according to the pictures and a short video posted on WAM's Twitter account.

Sheikh Khalifa, 69, had not made a public appearance since the UAE announced that he underwent an operation following a stroke in January 2014.

The president is also the ruler of the oil-rich emirate of Abu Dhabi, the wealthiest of the seven emirates that form the UAE as it sits on the bulk of the nation's oil wealth.

After his illness, Sheikh Khalifa's half-brother Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed took over as de facto ruler, though Sheikh Khalifa continued to issue decrees and deal with protocol issues.

In addition to Abu Dhabi, the UAE comprises the emirates of Ajman, Dubai, Fujairah, Ras al-Khaimah, Sharjah and Umm al-Qaiwain.
A member of the Iraqi forces advances through the Old City of Mosul on June 25, 2017, during the ongoing offensive to retake the last district held by the Islamic State group

Iraqi forces battled deep into the devastated historical heart of Mosul and closed in fast on the last pockets of jihadists Sunday, eight months into an epic battle to retake the city.

Three years after overrunning Mosul and making it the de facto Iraqi capital of the "caliphate" they proclaimed, the jihadists only controlled about a square kilometre in the city, commanders said.

Lieutenant Colonel Salam al-Obeidi was speaking to AFP inside the devastated Old City, about 50 metres (yards) from what is left of the Hadba leaning minaret the jihadists blew up four days earlier.

What remains of the centuries-old Hadba minaret, Mosul's symbol which was blown up by IS jihadists on June 21

"Sixty-five to 70 percent of the Old City has been liberated, there is less than a square kilometre left to retake," said Obeidi, from the elite Counter-Terrorism Service (CTS) that has spearheaded the assault.

He estimated that only "a few hundred Daesh fighters" were left in the Old City, using an Arabic acronym for IS.

The ornamental brickwork on the base of the 12th century Hadba (Hunchback) minaret, which was Mosul's symbol and one of the most recognisable landmarks in Iraq, was visible in the background.

The cylindrical shaft of the minaret came tumbling down when IS on June 21 detonated explosives the jihadists had rigged to it.

The jihadists simultaneously blew up the nearby Nuri mosque, where Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi gave his first sermon as IS leader in July 2014, his last public appearance to date.

The narrow, windy streets of the Old City, an area packed with heritage treasures covering about three square kilometres on Mosul's west bank of the Tigris, were littered with rubble.

- Stench of bodies -

The fighting has been among the most intense in the three-year-old war against IS.

AFP reporters said the destruction in Old Mosul was extensive, with some buildings still standing but none unscathed.

Iraqi forces trudge through the rubble of a building as they advance through the Old City of Mosul on June 25, 2017

"We will finish the operation within a few days. The end is going to be very soon, it will take days," Staff Lieutenant-General Abdulwahab al-Saadi, a top CTS commander, told AFP in the Old City.

The jihadists, who have no escape from their last redoubt in the Old City, have mounted a fierce defence using booby traps, mortars, suicide attacks and snipers.

On Sunday the Joint Operations Command coordinating the war against the jihadists said some IS fighters "tried to infiltrate into the Al-Tanak" neighbourhood in west Mosul.

CTS forces surrounded the area, backed by the army and the air force, and "killed many of the IS fighters", a statement said, adding "the situation is now under control".

The massively outnumbered and outgunned group of die-hard jihadists are said to be holding tens of thousands of civilians as human shields.

Iraqi forces launched a perilous assault on the Old City on June 18, eight months into an offensive to retake Mosul, the country's biggest military operation in years.

Hundreds of IS fighters have been killed since the operation started on October 17, hundreds of civilians have also died. More than 800,000 people have had to flee their homes and many are still housed in overcrowded camps.

The stench of putrefying bodies fills streets blocked by mounds of rubble and mangled cars in Mosul

The part of Mosul that lies east of the Tigris river that divides the city was reconquered by January with limited damage to homes and infrastructure.

Life and business has returned there, despite an administrative vacuum that still needs to be filled, reconstruction projects that have yet to take off and fears that IS sleeper cells could sow fresh chaos.

The west bank, where the Old City is located, has seen extensive destruction however and areas considered among the heritage jewels of the Middle East have been completely levelled.

AFP reporters in the Faruq neighbourhood of the Old City Sunday saw ancient buildings, some of them from the 11th century, reduced to dust.

As the din of mortar, rocket and gun fire echoed only a few blocks away, the stench of putrefying bodies filled streets blocked by mounds of rubble and mangled cars.

The rotting corpses of dead jihadists could be seen but it was still unclear, only hours after the neighbourhood was retaken, how many civilians might also have died under their own collapsed homes.
Russian President Vladimir Putin (L) meets with then-US President Barack Obama on the sidelines of the G20 Leaders Summit in Hangzhou on September 5, 2016

President Donald Trump on Sunday stepped up his criticism of Barack Obama's response to concerns Russia was trying to disrupt the 2016 election, and some Democratic lawmakers agreed, with one calling the former leader's handling of the threat a "serious mistake."

In a flurry of weekend tweets and a prerecorded television appearance, Trump said his predecessor failed to act after the CIA informed him in August that Russian President Vladimir Putin had personally ordered an operation to help Trump defeat Hillary Clinton in the November election.

"Since the Obama Administration was told way before the 2016 Election that the Russians were meddling, why no action?" he asked in one tweet.

In another, alluding to a Washington Post article that laid out the Russia timeline, he tweeted: "Obama Administration official said they 'choked' when it came to acting on Russian meddling of election. They didn't want to hurt Hillary?"

A top Trump aide, Kellyanne Conway, was more blunt still.

"It's the Obama administration responsible for doing absolutely nothing from August to January with the knowledge that Russia was hacking into our election. They did nothing. They're responsible," she said Sunday on ABC.

Some Democrats saw abundant irony in Trump blaming Obama for indecisiveness against a Russian operation that Trump himself has long seemed to play down -- including when he fired FBI chief James Comey for pursuing his investigation of "this Russia thing."

But one influential Democratic lawmaker joined in the criticism of the previous president.

Adam Schiff, the ranking Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, said on CNN that he understood that the Obama administration was worried about being seen as "trying to tip the scales for Hillary Clinton."

After Donald Trump's shock victory in November, some Obama administration officials expressed regret at the lack of tougher action

But he went on: "The American people needed to know. I didn't think it was enough to tell them after the election... I think the administration needed to call out Russia earlier, needed to act to deter and punish Russia earlier and that was a very serious mistake."

Another Democrat, Senator Ron Wyden, a member of the intelligence committee, expressed similar disappointment.

"I am troubled learning this new information that the Obama administration didn't do more," he told CNN on Friday. Such matters should transcend politics, he added.

- 'Quite sad' -

Timeline and factfile on the latest allegations linked to Russia concerning US President Donald Trump's administration as of May 2017

The Washington Post, in a behind-the-scenes account of the Obama response to reports of Russian meddling, said that amid confidence that Clinton would win and for fear of Obama being seen as interfering, the administration warned Moscow but left countermeasures for later.

The Post said Obama issued four warnings to the Russians -- including one he delivered directly to Putin -- causing Moscow to pull back on possible plans to sabotage US voting operations.

But after Trump's shock victory in November, some Obama administration officials expressed regret at the lack of tougher action.

"Wow, did we mishandle this," a former administration official told the newspaper.

How Russian hackers allegedly attacked the US Democratic Party

In an interview with Sunday's "Fox and Friends" program, Trump groused about Obama's response, saying: "If he had the information, why didn't he do something about it? He should have done something about it. But you don't read that. It's quite sad."

Following Trump's election win, Obama expelled 35 Russian diplomats and added new sanctions.

- Schumer pushes back -

While Schiff criticized Obama, Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer pushed back hard.

The New York lawmaker helped steer a bill through the Senate this month to toughen sanctions against Russia and bar Trump from weakening them on his own.

The bill passed with overwhelming bipartisan support, but Trump administration officials have been working to weaken the House version.

"If Donald Trump wants to do something about Russia and Russia meddling, instead of saying Obama didn't do enough, support our sanctions bill," Schumer said on ABC.

"I have not sat down and talked to him about that specific thing (of Russian interference in the US election)," White House spokesman Sean Spicer said

Criticism of Trump's failure to sharply condemn Russian interference has continued to vex his administration.

As recently as Tuesday, White House spokesman Sean Spicer could not give a clear answer when asked repeatedly whether Trump believes the Russians interfered in the 2016 elections.

"I have not sat down and talked to him about that specific thing," Spicer said. "Obviously we've been dealing with a lot of other issues."
A picture taken on June 25, 2017 shows smoke billowing after Israel responded to stray fire from Syria that hit the occupied Golan Heights

Israeli forces fired on Syrian regime positions after projectiles from the war-torn country hit the occupied Golan Heights on Sunday, the army said, in the second such exchange in two days.

The military "targeted two artillery positions and an ammunitions truck belonging to the Syrian regime," a statement read, noting the army had also ordered Israelis to keep away from open areas near Quneitra, where internal fighting was heavy.

Hours earlier, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed the Syrian spillover and Israeli retaliation that took place on Saturday and reportedly resulted in the death of two Syrian soldiers.

"We will not tolerate any spillover or trickle whatsoever -- neither mortars nor rockets, from any front. We will respond strongly to any attack on our territory or our citizens," Netanyahu said at the start of a cabinet meeting.

Israel has conducted multiple air strikes in Syria since that country's civil war erupted in 2011, most of which it has said targeted arms convoys or warehouses of its Lebanese arch-foe Hezbollah, which is a key supporter of the Syrian regime.

"We also view with utmost gravity Iran's attempts to establish itself militarily in Syria as well as its attempts to arm Hezbollah -- via Syria and Lebanon -- with advanced weaponry," Netanyahu said on Sunday.

Israel seized 1,200 square kilometres (460 square miles) of the Golan from Syria in the Six-Day War of 1967 and later annexed it in a move never recognised by the international community.

Around 510 square kilometres of the Golan are under Syrian control.

The Israeli side of the Golan Heights has been hit sporadically by what is thought to be stray fire from fighting between forces loyal to Syria's government and rebels.

Syria and Israel are still technically at war.
Supreme Court Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Anthony Kennedy pose for an official photo

The White House declined to comment Sunday on speculation that a pivotal US Supreme Court justice might announce his retirement on Monday, the last day of the high court's current session.

Justice Anthony Kennedy, who has cast the decisive vote in some of the court's most far-reaching decisions, turns 81 next month and is widely believed to be thinking of retiring.

When asked about that, White House adviser Kellyanne Conway told ABC: "I will never reveal a conversation between a sitting justice and the president or the White House, but we're paying very close attention to these last bit of decisions."

One of those decisions could come Monday, if the nine justices are prepared to rule on a White House challenge to lower-court findings blocking Trump's attempt to limit travel from six predominantly Muslim countries.

The court could also delay its recess to allow more time to consider the case, or even put it off to the fall session.

Two federal appeals courts have so far ruled against the travel ban, with one saying it violated laws against religious discrimination and another finding that Trump had exceeded his authority on immigration matters.

The original ban and a later revised order, both blocked by courts, represented one of Trump's most controversial actions. They sparked global condemnation and threw travel from the targeted countries -- Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen -- into turmoil. Iraq was removed in the second version of the ban.

Kennedy, who was appointed to the high court by President Ronald Reagan in 1988, has often cast a "swing" vote from the bench.

He typically sides with conservatives on economic matters, gun control and voting rights, but with liberal justices on social issues like gay rights, the death penalty and abortion.

It was Kennedy who wrote the decision establishing a constitutional right to same-sex marriage nationwide.

Speculation about a Kennedy retirement was sparked partly because he was slow to hire clerks for the court's next term.

If he does step down, Trump would have a chance to deepen his mark on the nation's judiciary with the opportunity to pick another nominee for a lifetime appointment to the bench.

His first nominee, Neil Gorsuch -- once a clerk to Kennedy -- joined the court in April.

Republicans hold a 52-48 majority in the Senate, and under rules they passed to expedite Gorsuch's confirmation they would need only a simple majority to fill the next court vacancy.

But a strongly conservative successor to Kennedy could push the court firmly to the right, and Democrats say they would fight such a pick fiercely.

"I expect Armageddon on the next one," Republican Senator Orrin Hatch said after the Gorsuch confirmation, "because that's going to change... the direction of the court" far into the future.
US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson recently hosted Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir for a meeting in Washington

US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson called Sunday for a "lowering of rhetoric" between Qatar and a four-nation group led by Saudi Arabia after Doha denounced their sweeping list of demands.

Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt want Qatar to meet their 13-point ultimatum -- ostensibly aimed at fighting extremism and terrorism -- in return for an end to a nearly three-week-old diplomatic and trade "blockade" of the emirate.

But Qatar on Saturday rejected the demands as unrealistic, calling the blockade "illegal." Its ally Turkey joined in, with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan saying on Sunday that the ultimatum was "against international law."

Tillerson attempted to soothe fraying tempers in a statement Sunday, following days of telephone diplomacy with Riyadh and Doha.

The diplomatic tiff, which some observers believe President Donald Trump might have encouraged through his full-throated support for Saudi Arabia during a recent visit, could threaten the future of a huge US air base in Qatar.

"While some of the elements will be very difficult for Qatar to meet, there are significant areas which provide a basis for ongoing dialogue leading to resolution," Tillerson said, urging the countries to "sit together and continue this conversation."

"We believe our allies and partners are stronger when they are working together towards one goal which we all agree is stopping terrorism and countering extremism," he said. "A lowering of rhetoric would also help ease the tension."

Qatar insists that the moves against it have more to do with long-standing differences than with the fight against extremism.

"It is about limiting Qatar's sovereignty and outsourcing our foreign policy," said Sheikh Saif bin Ahmed Al-Thani, a government spokesman.

The four Arab governments delivered the ultimatum on Thursday. The document has been widely leaked and the demands are sweeping.

They include the closure of Al-Jazeera television, which neighboring countries accuse of fomenting regional strife; and a call for Doha to cut ties to groups including the Muslim Brotherhood, the Islamic State organization, Al-Qaeda and Lebanon's Iran-backed Hezbollah movement.

Qatar has also been asked to hand over opposition figures wanted by the four countries, to downgrade diplomatic ties with Iran, and to shut a Turkish military base.
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani holds a press conference in Tehran on May 22, 2017

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani on Sunday said his country wants to bolster ties with Qatar and rejected a Saudi-led blockade of the Gulf Arab emirate.

"Iran's policy is to develop more and more its relations with Doha," Rouhani said in a phone conversation with the emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, according to the presidency website.

"Tehran stands alongside the people and government of Qatar and we believe that... pressure, threats and sanctions are not a good solution to solve problems" between countries of the region, Rouhani added.

Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain are among several countries which announced on June 5 the suspension of all ties to Qatar, accusing it of support for extremist groups, a claim Doha denies.

They have also closed their airspace to Qatari carriers and blocked the emirate's only land border -- vital for its food imports.

Shiite dominated Iran, an arch-rival of Sunni-ruled Saudi Arabia, has stepped in by shipping to Qatar tonnes of fruit and vegetables.

"Helping Qatar economically and developing ties, particularly in the private sectors of both countries, could be a common goal," Rouhani said on Sunday.

Saudi Arabia and its allies, including Egypt, have issued 13 demands which they want Qatar to meet in return for an end to the nearly three-week-old diplomatic and trade "blockade".

Doha has said denounced the demands -- including the closure of Al-Jazeera news channel and downgrading ties with Tehran -- as unreasonable.
Mongolia's next president will inherit an IMF-led bailout designed to stabilise its economy and lessen its dependence on China

Mongolia's presidential election on Tuesday appeared to be headed towards the country's first ever run-off vote after none of the three candidates secured an absolute majority following a campaign fraught with corruption scandals.

The suspense capped a campaign marked by mudslinging between the candidates that overshadowed voter concerns over unemployment in the debt-laden country wedged between Russia and China.

Former judoka Khaltmaa Battulga of the opposition Democratic Party was leading on 40 percent with most of the ballots counted following Monday's vote, according to preliminary results of the General Election Committee.

Sainkhuu Ganbaatar of the Mongolian People's Revolutionary Party (MPRP) had 31 percent, slightly and surprisingly leading parliament speaker Mieygombo Enkhbold of the Mongolian People's Party (MPP).

The election committee, however, had yet to announce the victor and second place finisher as it waited for results from the last 100 of nearly 2,000 polling stations.

It did not say when final results would be announced. Any run-off vote will be held within two weeks.

A man in traditional dress was among those who cast their votes in 'yurt' polling stations across the vast country

The delay angered Ganbaatar's MPRP, which is seeking to break the domination of the main parties.

"The General Election Committee intentionally delayed the reports from the polling stations," Erdenebileg Erdenejamiyan, a senior MPRP official, told reporters. "We believe they are changing the results."

- Slew of scandals -

On Monday, Mongolians voted in the capital, the country's sprawling steppes and even in yurts serving as polling stations.

"I didn't like the campaigns, I felt like I had no one to vote for," Batbayar Nyamjargal, 24, said after voting at a polling station next to a playground in Ulan Bator.

"I thought about the decision for a long time, and I'm still not 100 percent sure I made the right choice. All three of them had issues."

The resource-rich nation of just three million has struggled in recent years with mounting debt.

The next president will inherit a $5.5 billion bailout led by the International Monetary Fund and designed to stabilise its economy and lessen dependence on China, which purchases 80 percent of Mongolian exports.

Voters have heard little from the candidates about hot issues like unemployment and jobs, in a campaign that has been overshadowed by scandal

But voters heard little from the three candidates about unemployment and jobs, their top concerns according to opinion polls. Campaigning has instead focused on their opponents' allegedly shady pasts.

A video showed Enkhbold and two MPP officials discussing a $60 billion tugrik ($25 million) plan for selling government positions.

Battulga, a brash businessman, was haunted by reports of offshore accounts attached to his name, as well as the arrests of several of his associates by Mongolia's anti-corruption body last spring.

And Ganbaatar appeared in a video in which he allegedly received a $44,000 donation from a member of the "Moonies," or Unification Church, a South Korean-based Christian group that critics consider a cult.

All three rejected the allegations against them.

- 'Testing nerves' -

The campaign was also marked by moments of anti-Chinese sentiment. Enkhbold published his family tree to rebuff claims that he had Chinese blood.

"(The election) is truly testing the nerves of voters," analyst Gerel Orgil told AFP. "It's been like watching a bullfight."

Several voters described the campaigns as "dark" and accused the candidates of using smear tactics to distract from real issues.

"The biggest problem is that Mongolians don't trust each other. On my Facebook, all I see is fighting. We should be harmonious and civil to each other. We need a president who can unite us," said Nomuna Gankuyag, a recent graduate of Seoul National University in her 30s and an Enkhbold supporter.
A member of the Iraqi forces stands guard as they advance through the Old City of Mosul on June 25, 2017

Devastated buildings, piles of rubble and putrid corpses of jihadists: apocalyptic scenes unfold in the Old City of Mosul where Iraqi forces are battling the last Islamic State group fighters.

Lieutenant Colonel Mohammed al-Tamim walks past the body of a jihadist half buried under the ruins of a building in Faruq district, three times within minutes, without giving it a glance.

The body, which has been decomposing for days in scorching heat of 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit), is bloated and turning black and the remains let off a pungent smell.

The bearded fighter died holding his weapon.

Lieutenant Colonel Salam al-Obeidi told AFP that he believes only "a few hundred Daesh fighters", an Arabic acronym for Islamic State group jihadists, are left in the Old City.

Three years after overrunning Mosul and making it the de facto Iraqi capital of the "caliphate" they proclaimed, the jihadists now only control about a square kilometre in the city, commanders said.

A warren of alleyways, the Old City resonates with the sound of gunfire from automatic rifles, exploding rockets and the thuds of mortar rounds as Iraqi forces battle the jihadists for their last holdouts.

"Daesh members don't turn themselves in," said Tamim.

Iraqi forces believe only a few hundred IS jihadists remain in the Old City of Mosul

"And if they dont get killed, their last option is to blow themselves up and commit suicide."

Carcasses of motorcycles and scooters that had been rigged with explosives and blown up are scattered along the sides of the Old City's alleyways.

IS fighters have tried repeatedly to slow down the advance of Iraqi forces with suicide attacks.

Rubble from what used to be roofs or facades damaged in the fierce fighting litters the narrow streets, sometimes piled several metres (feet) high.

A soldier who took part in the battle to retake Faruq says air strikes were an important factor because armoured vehicles were unable to be squeezed into the alleyways.

"We advance and determine where enemies are, then we call for air strikes to eliminate them, (and) then we advance, cautiously," said a soldier who did not wish to be identified.

"We see lots of dead bodies. We're searching for the others" who are still alive, he said of the IS fighters.

- Civilians in the crossfire -

The devastation is overwhelming.

The Old City of Mosul has been reduced to street after street of crumbling facades and mounds of rubble

Buildings have been levelled entirely, with electrical cables dangling from them and debris from blown up cars found on the upper floors of those still standing.

Once a residential neighbourhood, Faruq has been reduced to a wasteland of flattened buildings and streets filled with chunks of concrete and dust.

Inside the houses that have withstood the fighting, anarchy reigns.

Household items, furniture, clothes and cooking utensils are strewn everywhere, alongside bikes, toys and blankets, but not a soul to be seen.

The Iraqi army says it is taking every possible precaution to avoid harming civilians as it presses its offensive against the jihadists.

Tens of thousands of people are believed to be still trapped in the Old City, half of them children.

The civilians "are our priority and we have helped them," said Lieutenant-General Abdulwahab al-Saadi, from the elite Counter-Terrorism Service (CTS) that has spearheaded the assault.

Iraqi forces launched an assault on the Old City on June 18, eight months into an offensive to retake Mosul, the country's biggest military operation in years.

Hundreds of IS fighters have been killed since the operation started on October 17, hundreds of civilians have also died. More than 800,000 people have had to flee their homes and many are still housed in overcrowded camps.

Survivors of the battle of Mosul say most families have lost one or several relatives, some killed by jihadists, and others due to the fighting.

Civilians who have fled the battleground city say entire families who had sought refuge in the basements of homes occupied by jihadists were killed in the bombardment.
An art item performed at the opening ceremony (Photo: VGP)

The forum takes place on June 21st -25th with the participation of 108 official delegates, of them 72 delegates are selected from universities across the country, and 36 delegates come from Cambodia, Cameroon, Taiwan (China), Indonesia, Japan, Laos, Malaysia, Thailand, China and Vietnam. In addition, the forum also attracts more than 1,500 Vietnamese students to attend and participate in exchange activities.

After the opening ceremony, the delegates listened to the experts presenting speeches relating to the theme of the forum. In the afternoon of the same day, the delegates presented reports and discussed the five main topics: the 4th Industrial Revolution; models, ideas about a smart city; platform technologies, innovative software to build a smart city; services of a smart city; and role of people in a smart city.

In addition, the Organizing Committee also organizes exchanging activities such as visiting key projects, science and technology centres and historical relics in Ho Chi Minh City, including Ho Chi Minh City Hi-Tech Park, Cu Chi Tunnels, Thong Nhat Hall and exchange with students of universities in the city, including Ho Chi Minh city Medicine and Pharmacy University; Ho Chi Minh city University of Technology; International University - Vietnam National University, Ho Chi Minh city and University of Finance-Marketing.

The forum is an international academic activity organized by the Vietnamese Student Association of Ho Chi Minh city; Vietnam National University-Ho Chi Minh ity; and Ho Chi Minh city Department of Science and Technology to create opportunities to exchange and learn about academics and creation between Vietnamese students and international students, as well as the overseas Vietnamese community./.
DILI, East Timor (AP) - Authorities in East Timor arrested two foreign inmates who escaped from a prison in neighboring Indonesia's resort island of Bali and plan to return them, police said.

Bulgarian Dimitar Nikolov Iliev, 43, and Indian Sayed Mohammed Said, 31, were among four foreign inmates who escaped Monday from the Kerobokan penitentiary in Bali provincial capital, Denpasar, through a 50-by-70-centimeter (20-by-28-inch) hole found under the walls that connects to a 15-meter-long (49-foot-long) water tunnel heading toward a main street.

The two men were recaptured by East Timor maritime police on Thursday near a port in the capital city of Dili, said East Timor police chief Julio da Costa Hornay.

Hornay said that Iliev, who is serving a seven-year sentence for money laundering and another offense, and Said, who is serving 14 years for drug offenses, told authorities they had reached Dili on Wednesday by boat from Indonesia's Alor Island and stayed at a hotel before police arrested them. Police found $7,000 in cash in their hotel room.

They will be sent back pending approval from East Timor's Attorney General's Office, he said.

Indonesian police are searching for two other foreign inmates. Police identified them as Australian Shaun Edward Davidson, 33, who is serving a one-year sentence for an immigration violation, and Malaysian Tee Koko King bin Tee Kim Sai, 50, who is serving seven years for drug offenses.

Police have distributed pictures of the escaped inmates to police station across the country and had provided information and official letters to neighboring countries.

Jailbreaks are common in Indonesia, where overcrowding has become a problem in prisons that are struggling to cope with poor funding and an influx of people arrested in a war on drugs. Most prisoners have been convicted on drug charges.

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Associated Press writer Niniek Karmini in Jakarta, Indonesia, contributed to this report.
LONDON (AP) - One of Britain's most senior police officers has warned that funding cuts have stretched resources and would prompt "real challenges" should the country experience a repeat of the 2011 riots that rocked London.

In a blog for the National Police Chiefs' Council, the chief constable of the West Midlands Police, Dave Thompson, urged the government on Friday to protect frontline policing

Thompson says the funding forces receive needs to be stabilized.

He says that last year the prison service snapped and that Britain "cannot afford this to happen to policing but the strain is showing from recent weeks and we'd have real challenges in dealing with something like the 2011 riots again."

Britain has experienced four extremist attacks and a severe fire in recent months, straining police and emergency services.
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) - The Latest on North Korea's denial that it tortured an American student who was detained for more than a year and died days after being released in a coma (all times local):

6:20 p.m.

North Korea has called itself the "biggest victim" in the death of an American student who was detained for more than a year and died days after being released in a coma.

Fred and Cindy Warmbier watch as their son Otto, is placed in a hearse after his funeral, Thursday, June 22, 2017, in Wyoming, Ohio. Otto Warmbier, a 22-year-old University of Virginia student who was sentenced in March 2016 to 15 years in prison with hard labor in North Korea, died this week, days after returning to the United States. (AP Photo/Bryan Woolston)

The North's official Korean Central News Agency on Friday denied that North Korea cruelly treated or tortured Otto Warmbier and accused the United States and South Korea of a smear campaign that insulted what it called its "humanitarian" treatment of him.

Doctors in the United States who examined Warmbier after his release by North Korea said he had suffered a severe neurological injury from an unknown cause. Relatives say they were told the 22-year-old University of Virginia student had been in a coma since shortly after he was sentenced to 15 years of hard labor in North Korea in March 2016.

His family and others have blamed North Korea for his condition.

Warmbier was accused of stealing a propaganda poster. KCNA said North Korea dealt with him according to its domestic laws and international standards.
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - A San Francisco UPS driver who killed three colleagues in a shooting rampage at a company warehouse was armed with two stolen guns and appeared to target his victims, police said Friday.

Police Commander Greg McEachern told a news conference that investigators have not yet determined Jimmy Lam's motive, but "the shooting appeared purposeful and targeted."

Lam, 38, shot and killed three fellow drivers and wounded two others before killing himself in front of police in the June 14 shooting. An 18-year veteran of UPS, Lam opened fire at a morning meeting of UPS drivers before the drivers went out on deliveries.

San Francisco Police Commander Greg McEachern addresses the media on Friday, June 23, 2017. Commander Greg McEachern said Friday that a UPS driver who fatally shot three colleagues last week before killing himself was armed with two stolen guns. McEachern said investigators still haven't established a motive for why Jimmy Lam, 38, went on his deadly rampage June 14. (AP Photo/Paul Elias)

Lam began by shooting Benson Louie, 50, in the meeting before turning the gun on Wayne Chan, 56, McEachern said. He then walked outside and confronted Mike Lefiti, 46, and fatally shot him multiple times.

Lam then walked back inside the warehouse, where police found him after a two-minute search. Lam walked by several other employees he could have shot but didn't, McEachern said.

When police confronted Lam, he had the gun pointed to his head and police ordered him to drop the weapon. Instead, he shot himself, McEachern said.

Lam didn't say anything during the rampage, McEachern said.

Lam was armed with two stolen weapons. One was an assault pistol that is illegal in California and was stolen in Utah, which he used in the killings, McEachern said. Lam also had a semi-automatic handgun stolen from Napa County, California.

It was not known who stole the weapons, McEachern said.

A San Francisco Police Department official told The Associated Press last week that Lam appears to have felt disrespected by co-workers, but it's not clear what role that feeling played in the shooting.

"We are going to work painstakingly to try to get a motive," McEachern said.

Friends and colleagues have said that Lam struggled with personal issues and was depressed a few years ago. Lam had shown improvement, but he started to look troubled a few weeks ago, they said. That was around the time Lam filed a grievance in March claiming he was working excessive overtime.

Investigators seized multiple phones, computers and a journal that forensic experts are attempting to gain access to and read, McEachern said.

Lam shot his victims with a MAC 10 made by MasterPiece Arms, an automatic pistol that is illegal in California. The pistol was also equipped with a special magazine that held 30 bullets instead of 10, gun gear that is also illegal in California, McEachern said.

Lam fired a total of 20 shots and didn't use the other gun recovered at the scene. Police found a box of bullets in Lam's backpack.

Investigators have interviewed more than 100 people and are re-interviewing key witnesses, McEachern said.

FILE - In this Wednesday, June 14, 2017, file photo, UPS workers gather outside a UPS package delivery warehouse where a shooting took place in San Francisco. A San Francisco UPS driver who killed three colleagues in a shooting rampage at a company warehouse was armed with two stolen guns and appeared to target his victims, police said Friday, June 23, 2017. (AP Photo/Eric Risberg, File)
LOS ANGELES (AP) - A state appeals court on Friday reversed five of 11 criminal counts against an official convicted in a scheme to bilk millions of dollars from a small California city.

The 2nd District Court of Appeal ruled that jurors received erroneous instructions before they convicted former Bell Assistant City Manager Angela Spaccia of misappropriating public funds.

"It's a significant victory for her," said Harland Braun, her attorney. "She's very grateful."

FILE - In this April 10, 2014, file photo, former Bell assistant city administrator Angela Spaccia appears in court in Los Angeles. An appeals court has reversed five of 11 criminal counts against Spaccia, an official convicted in a scheme that bilked millions of dollars from a small Southern California city, Friday, June 23, 2017. The 2nd District Court of Appeal ruled that jurors received erroneous instructions before they convicted former Bell Assistant City Manager Angela Spaccia of misappropriating public funds. (AP Photo/Los Angeles Times, Mark Boster, Pool, File)

The court upheld six other charges against Spaccia, including two counts of hiding public records.

Spaccia and several other former officials were accused of bilking the blue-collar Los Angeles suburb of millions of dollars through a long-running scheme to pay themselves hugely inflated salaries they hid from the public.

Bell's former city manager, Robert Rizzo, pleaded no contest to 69 corruption counts and was sentenced to 12 years in prison.

District attorney spokesman Greg Risling said prosecutors were reviewing the court's opinion and will make a decision on a possible retrial after considering the legal options.

Braun said he doubts prosecutors would refile charges because Spaccia, who was incarcerated following her 2013 conviction, has already been released from prison.

She is living under house arrest and working full-time at an office job in Los Angeles, Braun said, adding that she's expected to be paroled in December.

During sentencing, Spaccia was ordered to repay Bell more than $8 million, but Braun said she's broke.

When she and others were arrested in 2010, Spaccia was making $564,000 a year in salary and benefits, according to court documents. Spaccia said in testimony that Rizzo masterminded the scheme and was making $1.2 million a year.

An audit by the state controller's office found the exorbitant salaries were funded by illegally raising property taxes, business license fees and other sources of revenue.

At one point, property taxes in Bell, where the average annual household income is $37,000, were higher than Beverly Hills.

Current City Councilman Ali Saleh, one of a handful of residents who suspected abuse and pressed for years for reform, said he was disappointed in the appeals court ruling.

"The 40,000 residents in the city of Bell know that Spaccia and Rizzo deliberately schemed together to defraud the community," he said. "Spaccia should be ashamed of herself."
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) - A popular wilderness race in Alaska has been suspended for a year following two deadly attacks by black bears this week, including one at a mountain race.

University of Alaska Anchorage officials say the move will allow them to add more communication resources and medical support to the 24-mile (39-kilometer) Crow Pass Crossing race. This year's even was scheduled for July 22.

In one of this week's bear attacks, 16-year-old Patrick "Jack" Cooper of Anchorage was killed Sunday after he got lost and veered off a trail during a mountain race south of Anchorage.

A sign warns people that the trail head is closed on Monday, June 19, 2017, after a fatal bear mauling at Bird Ridge Trail in Anchorage, Alaska. Authorities say a black bear killed a 16-year-old runner while he was competing in an Alaska race on Sunday. (AP Photo/Mark Thiessen)

On Monday, 27-year-old Pogo Mine contract worker Erin Johnson of Anchorage died and her 38-year-old co-worker Ellen Trainor of Fairbanks received minor injuries in a mauling about 275 miles northeast of Anchorage.
Trump: Not 'that far off' from passing health overhaul

WASHINGTON (AP) - Making a final push, President Donald Trump said he doesn't think congressional Republicans are "that far off" on a health overhaul to replace "the dead carcass of Obamacare." Expressing frustration, he complained about "the level of hostility" in government and wondered why both parties can't work together on the Senate bill as GOP critics expressed doubt over a successful vote this week.

It was the latest signs of high-stakes maneuvering over a key campaign promise, and the president signaled a willingness to deal.

"We have a very good plan," Trump said in an interview broadcast Sunday. Referring to Republican senators opposed to the bill, he added: "They want to get some points, I think they'll get some points."

Trump's comments come amid the public opposition of five Republican senators so far to the Senate GOP plan that would scuttle much of former President Barack Obama's health law.

Unless those holdouts can be swayed, their numbers are more than enough to torpedo the measure developed in private by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., and deliver a bitter defeat for the president. That's because unanimous opposition is expected from Democrats in a chamber in which Republicans hold a narrow 52-48 majority.

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Over 150 dead as overturned fuel truck explodes in Pakistan

BAHAWALPUR, Pakistan (AP) - Alerted by an announcement over a mosque's loudspeaker that an overturned tanker truck had sprung a leak, scores of villagers raced to the scene with fuel containers Sunday to gather the oil. Then the wreck exploded, engulfing people in flames as they screamed in terror.

At least 153 men, women and children were killed, with dozens more in critical condition, hospital and rescue officials said.

"I have never seen anything like it in my life. Victims trapped in the fireball. They were screaming for help," said Abdul Malik, a police officer who was among the first to arrive on the scene of horror in Pakistan's Punjab province.

When the flames subsided, he said, "we saw bodies everywhere. So many were just skeletons. The people who were alive were in really bad shape."

About 30 motorcycles that villagers had used to rush to the site of the highway accident lay charred nearby along with cars, witnesses said. Local news channels showed black smoke billowing skyward and army helicopters taking away the injured.

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Europeans learn to live with _ and adapt to _ terror attacks

PARIS (AP) - The jihadis' targets in Europe are depressingly repetitive: the Brussels metro, the Champs-Elysees in Paris (twice), tourist-filled bridges in London (twice) and a U.K. rock concert. And that's just the past few months.

The steady stream of attacks on centers of daily life have drawn pledges from Europeans not to let terrorists change how they live, but in ways large and small they already have.

There is a heightened awareness and quicker reactions, especially in the hardest-hit countries of France, Britain and Belgium, that would have seemed unthinkable just a few years ago.

In Brussels on Tuesday, a 36-year-old Moroccan man shouting "Allahu akbar!" set off a bomb among subway commuters. The bomb didn't detonate in full and a soldier shot him dead.

It was another Muslim, Mohamed Charfih, who demanded that the subway's doors be closed before the attacker could enter.

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UK: All samples from high-rise towers fail fire safety tests

LONDON (AP) - The list of high-rise apartment towers in Britain that have failed fire safety tests grew to 60, officials said Sunday, revealing the mounting challenge the government faces in the aftermath of London's Grenfell Tower fire tragedy.

All of the buildings for which external cladding samples were so far submitted failed combustibility tests, Communities Secretary Sajid Javid said. As of late Sunday, that includes 60 towers from 25 different areas of the country- double the figure given a day earlier.

The number of buildings at risk is likely to grow as owners and local officials provide more samples for safety tests.

The national testing was ordered after an inferno engulfed Grenfell Tower in west London on June 14. The tower's cladding - panels widely used to insulate buildings and improve their appearance - was believed to have rapidly spread that blaze, which killed at least 79 people.

In north London, officials trying to avoid another fire disaster sought to complete the evacuation of hundreds of apartments in four towers deemed unsafe. They faced resistance as some 200 residents refused to budge.

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Activists kept from gathering en masse for Istanbul Pride

ISTANBUL (AP) - Turkish police stopped activists for lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans and intersex rights from gathering in large numbers for an LGBT pride event in Istanbul on Sunday, but smaller groups made impromptu press statements defying a ban imposed by the governor.

Organizers of the 2017 Istanbul LGBTI+ Pride had vowed to march in central Taksim Square, using a Turkish hashtag for "we march," despite the ban on gay pride observances ordered by the Istanbul governor's office for the third year in a row.

Police established checkpoints in the area, preventing groups from entering Istiklal Avenue and turning back individuals who were deemed to be associated with the planned march. Small groups assembled on side streets were chased away by officers.

At least a hundred protesters gathered in a nearby neighborhood, beating drums and chanting slogans such as, "Don't be quiet, shout out, gays exist!" and "Love, love, freedom, State, stay away!" They carried a banner that read, "Get used to, we are here."

Police used tear gas to disperse the crowds and activists said plastic bullets were also used. Riot-control vehicles and buses were dispatched to the area. Turkey's official Anadolu news agency said "an estimated 20 people" were detained after protesters did not heed warnings to disperse because the march did not have a permit.

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Air bag maker Takata bankruptcy filing expected in Japan, US

DETROIT (AP) - Drowning in a sea of lawsuits and recall costs, Japanese air bag maker Takata Corp. is expected to seek bankruptcy protection in Tokyo and the United States early Monday.

Takata was done in by defective air bag inflators that can explode with too much force, spewing out shrapnel. They're responsible for at least 16 deaths and 180 injuries and have touched off the largest automotive recall in U.S. history. So far 100 million inflators have been recalled worldwide including 69 million in the U.S., affecting 42 million vehicles.

Rival Key Safety Systems, based in suburban Detroit, will buy most of Takata's assets for $1.6 billion and take over its manufacturing operations to make seat belts, air bags and other automotive safety devices, according to two people briefed on the matter.

Some remnants of Takata will be folded into an entity with a different name to keep manufacturing inflators used as replacement parts in recalls, said the people, who didn't want to be identified because the bankruptcy terms have not been made public.

The recalls, which are being handled by 19 affected automakers, will continue.

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Analysis indicates partisan gerrymandering has benefited GOP

The 2016 presidential contest was awash with charges that the fix was in: Republican Donald Trump repeatedly claimed that the election was rigged against him, while Democrats have accused the Russians of stacking the odds in Trump's favor.

Less attention was paid to manipulation that occurred not during the presidential race, but before it - in the drawing of lines for hundreds of U.S. and state legislative seats. The result, according to an Associated Press analysis: Republicans had a real advantage.

The AP scrutinized the outcomes of all 435 U.S. House races and about 4,700 state House and Assembly seats up for election last year using a new statistical method of calculating partisan advantage. It's designed to detect cases in which one party may have won, widened or retained its grip on power through political gerrymandering.

The analysis found four times as many states with Republican-skewed state House or Assembly districts than Democratic ones. Among the two dozen most populated states that determine the vast majority of Congress, there were nearly three times as many with Republican-tilted U.S. House districts.

Traditional battlegrounds such as Michigan, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Florida and Virginia were among those with significant Republican advantages in their U.S. or state House races. All had districts drawn by Republicans after the last Census in 2010.

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Possible effects of gerrymandering seen in uncontested races

When voters cast ballots for state representatives last fall, millions of Americans essentially had no choice: In 42 percent of all such elections, candidates faced no major party opponents.

Political scientists say a major reason for the lack of choices is the way districts are drawn - gerrymandered, in some cases, to ensure as many comfortable seats as possible for the majority party by creating other districts overwhelmingly packed with voters for the minority party.

"With an increasing number of districts being drawn to deliberately favor one party over another - and with fewer voters indicating an interest in crossover voting - lots of potential candidates will look at those previous results and come to a conclusion that it's too difficult to mount an election campaign in a district where their party is the minority," said John McGlennon, a longtime professor of government and public policy at the College of William & Mary in Virginia who has tracked partisan competition in elections.

While the rate of uncontested races dipped slightly from 2014 to 2016, the percentage of people living in legislative districts without electoral choices has been generally rising over the past several decades.

About 4,700 state House and Assembly seats were up for election last year. Of those, 998 Democrats and 963 Republicans won without any opposition from the other major political party. In districts dominated by one party, election battles are fought mostly in the primaries; the winner from the majority party becomes a virtual shoo-in to win the general election.

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Forest fire in Spain threatens renowned national park

BARCELONA, Spain (AP) - A forest fire in southern Spain forced the evacuation of at least 1,000 people and threatened a national park famous for its biodiversity and endangered species, authorities said Sunday.

The fire started on Saturday night on Spain's southern coast, then advanced east to reach the Donana Nature Reserve, one of the country's most important wildlife sanctuaries and a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1994.

"The fire has entered in the limits of the reserve, and that is where we are focusing our efforts," Jose Gregorio Fiscal Lopez from the regional Andalusian authority in charge of the environment told Spanish national television.

The reserve protects over 107,000 hectares (264,403 acres) considered of extreme ecological value for their mix of ecosystems, including wetlands, dunes and woods. It is a key stop for migratory birds home to a variety of animals, including about a fifth of the 400 remaining Iberian lynxes.

Ecologists who work in the park are concerned that the fire could wipe out some of the area's prized species and terrain.

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Scores missing in massive China landslide; 10 bodies found

MAO COUNTY, China (AP) - Rescuers recovered 10 bodies and were still searching for 93 missing people on Sunday, a day after a massive landslide buried a picturesque mountain village in southwestern China.

More than 2,500 rescuers with detection devices and dogs were looking for signs of life amid the rubble of huge boulders that rained down on Xinmo village in Sichuan province early Saturday.

As of Sunday night, only three people - a couple and their month-old baby - had been rescued from the disaster site.

Sitting on the eastern margin of the Tibetan Plateau in Aba prefecture's Mao County, Xinmo has in recent years become a tourism destination for its picturesque scenery of homes in lush meadows tucked between steep and rugged mountains. But after the landslide, the village was reduced to a vast area of rubble.

As heavy machines removed debris and men scoured the rubble for survivors on Sunday, relatives from nearby villages sobbed as they awaited news of their loved ones.
MEDAN, Indonesia (AP) - Two suspected militants attacked a provincial police headquarters in western Indonesia on Sunday, leaving an officer and an assailant dead during Islam's most important holiday, an official said.

Wielding a knife and a machete, the men stormed the police headquarters in North Sumatra's provincial capital of Medan and stabbed to death an officer who was at his post, said National Police spokesman Setyo Wasisto.

Responding officers shot the two attackers, killing one and seriously wounding the other, he said.

A police officer stands guard near a bomb disposal truck at the entrance to the North Sumatra Regional Police headquarters in Medan, Indonesia, Sunday, June 25, 2017. Two suspected militants on Sunday attacked the provincial police headquarters in western Indonesia, leaving an officer and an assailant dead during Islam's most important holiday, an official said. (AP Photo)

The attack came when most Indonesians were celebrating the first day of the Eid al-Fitr holiday, which marks the end of the fasting month of Ramadan.

Wasisto said the attackers were allegedly part of an extremist group that has pledged allegiance to Islamic State group militants in Syria. He did not identify the group by name, but said police arrested three members who were plotting an attack.

"They want to execute an Islamic State command that tells their followers to carry out attacks anywhere with whatever they have," Wasisto told reporters in the capital, Jakarta.

Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim nation, has carried out a sustained crackdown on militants since the 2002 Bali bombings that killed 202 people, but a new threat has emerged from Islamic State group sympathizers. In recent years, smaller and less deadly strikes have been targeting the government, mainly police and anti-terrorism forces.

North Sumatra police spokeswoman Rina Sari Ginting said police searched the attackers' houses and seized a black flag of the Islamic State group, a document planning the attack, a picture of IS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, a laptop computer, a jihadi video and machetes.

Twin suicide bombings last month killed three officers in the deadliest militant attack in Jakarta in a year. Police announced Thursday that they had arrested 41 suspected militants following the bombing, allegedly carried out by members of Jemaah Anshorut Daulah, which is affiliated with the Islamic State group.
MIAMI BEACH, Fla. (AP) - Mayors are warning President Donald Trump that toughening immigration enforcement meddles with U.S. cities' affairs.

More than 250 mayors are meeting at the U.S. Conference of Mayors in Miami Beach to take a stance on issues from climate change to the federal budget and health care. They are reviewing resolutions that would strongly oppose Trump's crack down on illegal immigration.

Mayors were struck a blow in January, when Trump ordered to cut funding to jurisdictions that deny in some way cooperation with federal immigration agents. Most cities have defied the order, and a federal judge blocked it in April, at least temporarily.

FILE- In this March 8, 2017, file photo, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti speaks to media after his election victory in Los Angeles. More than 250 mayors are meeting at the U.S. Conference of Mayors in Miami Beach, some warning President Donald Trump that toughening immigration enforcement meddles with U.S. cities' affairs. "Some of us are proud to be places of sanctuary, to protect immigrants, but this idea that we're in violation of something, I think is a big charade," said Garcetti. (AP Photo/Nick Ut, File)

"Some of us are proud to be places of sanctuary, to protect immigrants, but this idea that we're in violation of something, I think is a big charade," said Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti.

Garcetti argued that all he wants from immigration officials is that they conduct enforcement in a "lawful, constitutional, court-ordered way," referring to policies where sanctuary cities demand warrants to turn over suspects to the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

"Police officers in Los Angeles do 20,000 to 30,000 requests for warrants from judges every year in the middle of the night when the judges are probably in their pajamas," Garcetti said. "The idea that ICE can't do the same thing seems ridiculous."

Mayors from big cities say they fear the increased enforcement will push immigrant communities into the shadows, deterring them to report crimes or cooperate as witnesses. The police chief of Los Angeles, Charlie Beck, said in March that sexual assaults and domestic violence reports by Latinos had dropped.

Miami-Dade County, which houses 34 municipalities including the conference host of Miami Beach, heeded Trump's January order and changed its policy so the corrections department honors all requests by ICE. Authorities have turned over 124 people to the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement since Jan. 27.

But GOP-identified mayors from states such as Indiana and Florida disagreed this weekend on targeting non-criminal immigrants solely for being in the country illegally.

Kent Guinn, mayor of Ocala, Florida, says that although he is against offering a pathway to citizenship to the 11.5 million immigrants who are in the country illegally, most immigrants he sees are "good."

"I don't think people realize there are some bad people that are here that need to leave," Guinn said. He referred to the 2015 shooting death of a San Francisco woman often highlighted by Trump when attacking sanctuary policies because the man charged with her death was in the country illegally and had been released by local law enforcement. "But the ones that we encounter on a day-to-day basis, they're very hard-working individuals that do the things that they need to do and participate in the economy. They work on horse farms, in restaurants. We see them. They're good people. We're not going around looking for them."

The Republican Mayor of Carmel, Indiana, Jim Brainard, who is also bucking his party on the climate front, says he opposes Trump's immigration views.

"Punishing cities makes no sense," Brainard said. "Everyone who has come to this country, regardless of whether it was illegal, ought to have a pathway to legalization and then we can move to issues that really can help make our country better."

Besides opposing the order on sanctuary cities, several mayors propose extending a deportation reprieve granted by former President Barack Obama to young immigrants who arrived illegally. Trump had vowed to end the program known as Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, calling it "illegal executive amnesty" but has not yet decided whether he will revoke it.

ICE said it arrested more than 41,000 people on immigration charges in Trump's first 100 days in office, an increase of nearly 40 percent from the same period a year earlier. Nearly 11,000 had no criminal convictions, more than double the number of immigrants without criminal convictions that were arrested during a comparable period last year.

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Adriana Gomez Licon is on Twitter http://twitter.com/agomezlicon

Marcos Martinez is on Twitter http://twitter.com/marcosmchacon
BEIRUT (AP) - Syrian President Bashar Assad has travelled to one of Syria's core cities to attend Eid al-Fitr prayers marking the end of Ramadan, in a rare departure from his capital stronghold.

Syrian state media says Assad traveled to Hama on Sunday for the first time since protests erupted against him in 2011 and Syria descended into war. Hama, in western Syria, saw some of the largest protests.

Assad joined Muslim worshippers at the Nouri Mosque for prayers on the first day of the three-day holiday.

Syrian government forces have steadily advanced in recent months with help from Russia and Iran, and now control the country's five largest cities.
Painter Hoang Tuyet Hanh introducing her paintings to visitors (Photo: vov.vn)

Hoang Tuyet Hanh was one of the first Vietnamese artists to be admitted to the Academy of Fine Arts in Prague for professional training, more than 30 years ago.

From the day she arrived in Prague, she was attracted by the peaceful beauty, the romantic scenery and the friendliness of the people there. It is an endless source of inspiration to promote her passion and inspire her work. All 17 paintings at the exhibition describe the simple beauty and simplicity of the many landscapes, hills and the people of the Czech Republic.

Unlike the exhibition organized three years ago, painter Hoang Tuyet Hanh selected the theme Greeting from Vietnam for the exhibition as an expression of gratitude to the country and people of the Czech Republic, for it protected and nurtured her and her colleagues in the previous time.

Through the paintings at the exhibition, she wanted to convey a message: the people of Vietnam love the nature and people of the Czech Republic very much; they are so friendly and love peace, as the people of the Czech Republic.

"I have thought for a long time and always desired that the Czech people know that the Vietnamese people in the Czech Republic not only do business as they think, but they also had to know many other things such as art, singing, dancing or cultural festivals of the Vietnamese people organize in Czech. These art activities, including my paintings, help the Czech people know that art is the fastest way that peoples in the world can understand each other better," said the painter.

At the exhibition, 17 canvas paintings impressed viewers by the simplicity of each brushstroke, while depicting the beauty of the natural landscape and charisma of characters.

Mr. Martin Devera, a person living in the suburban area of Prague and one of the people attending the exhibition, said he didnt think a Vietnamese person would have such a strong love for the Czech Republic.

"This is the first time I have visited a painting exhibition by a Vietnamese artist. I'm totally fascinated by the lively colourful paintings that the artist presents. They gave me a light, relaxed feeling, more love for my country. It is interesting that these works are painted by a Vietnamese artist, not by a Czech artist," said Mr. Martin Devera.

At the exhibition, Ms. Jitka Vesela, a Czech economic engineer, also found a sense of calm and romance in the artworks. She especially liked the ideas, and the method of colour combination under the impressionism and romance style the artist showed.

"I think the painter must have love for the Czech Republic and passion for art, so that she can paint such beautiful flower fields. The structures of the paintings are harmonious with flowers, sunshine, wind, grass and clouds. Sometimes I go through such flower fields, but rarely notice them until I see these paintings. They are beautiful and lively to me, she said.

The painting exhibition will last until July 16th. It is known that painter Tuyet Hanh intends to invite other painters from Vietnam to organize painting exhibitions on lacquer, silk and sculpture in the near future./.
ISTANBUL (AP) - Turkey's president on Sunday rejected a demand by major Arab states to remove Turkish troops from Qatar, among a sweeping list of ultimatums that the United States has described as "difficult to meet."

Speaking after Eid al-Fitr prayers in Istanbul, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called the demand to pull the Turkish troops "disrespectful" and said his country would not seek permission from others when making its defense cooperation agreements.

"Demanding that Turkey pull its soldiers is unfortunately also disrespectful toward Turkey," he said.

Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan speaks to the media after the Eid al-Fitr prayers in Istanbul, early Sunday, June 25, 2017. Eid al-Fitr marks the end of the Muslims' holy fasting month of Ramadan.(Presidential Press Service, Pool photo via AP)

He said Turkey would continue to support Qatar against the many sanctions it has faced since several Arab countries moved earlier this month to isolate the country for its alleged support of terrorism. Turkey shipped suppliers and food via cargo planes to Qatar after its neighbors closed down air, land and sea routes.

The United States said the demands on Qatar by its Mideast neighbors "will be very difficult to meet." But the U.S. isn't rejecting the demands outright.

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson added in a statement Sunday that the list of demands from Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates includes major areas that "provide a basis for ongoing dialogue leading to a resolution."

He called on the Arab countries to "sit together" with Qatar to work through what he hoped would be "reasonable and actionable" demands.

In a sign of support, the Turkish parliament swiftly ratified a 2014 military agreement with Qatar earlier this month, allowing the deployment of troops to its base there. The military said a contingent of 23 soldiers reached Doha on Thursday. Turkey has also shipped supplies and food via cargo planes after

Erdogan said he made a similar offer to Saudi Arabia to set up a base there in the past but did not hear back from the king.

A Turkish foreign ministry statement Sunday reiterated that the deployment of Turkish troops in Qatar contributed to regional security and was not aimed at a specific country.

"Just like the presence of other foreign military bases or units in other countries of the region, our military presence in Qatar is principally based on a decision taken by the two countries relying on their sovereign rights," ministry spokesman Huseyin Muftuoglu said.

Doha received a 13-point list from Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Bahrain that included demands to shut down the media network Al-Jazeera and cut ties with Islamist groups including the Muslim Brotherhood. The energy-rich country said it was reviewing the ultimatum but added it would not negotiate under siege.

Turkey's president said his country "admires and embraces" Qatar's attitude, while slamming the demands by arguing they contradict international law.

"Here we see an attack against a state's sovereignty rights," Erdogan said.

Erdogan called the demand that Qatar shut down Al-Jazeera an attempt to take away the network's press freedom and urged rights groups to speak out against that.

Erdogan spoke to journalists after experiencing a diabetes-related blood pressure problem during prayers marking the end of the holy month of Ramadan.

Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan speaks to the media after the Eid al-Fitr prayers in Istanbul, early Sunday, June 25, 2017. Eid al-Fitr marks the end of the Muslims' holy fasting month of Ramadan.(Presidential Press Service, Pool photo via AP)

Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan waves toward his supporters after the Eid al-Fitr prayers in Istanbul, early Sunday, June 25, 2017. Eid al-Fitr marks the end of the Muslims' holy fasting month of Ramadan.(Presidential Press Service, Pool photo via AP)

Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan smiles to his supporters after the Eid al-Fitr prayers in Istanbul, early Sunday, June 25, 2017. Eid al-Fitr marks the end of the Muslims' holy fasting month of Ramadan.(Presidential Press Service, Pool photo via AP)

Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan leaves a mosque after the Eid al-Fitr prayers in Istanbul, early Sunday, June 25, 2017. Eid al-Fitr marks the end of the Muslims' holy fasting month of Ramadan.(Presidential Press Service, Pool Photo via AP)

Turkish Muslims arrive for Eid al-Fitr prayers at the city's landmark Sultan Ahmed Mosque, or Blue Mosque, in Istanbul, early Sunday, June 25, 2017. Eid al-Fitr marks the end of the Muslims' holy fasting month of Ramadan. (AP Photo/Emrah Gurel)
PARIS (AP) - The jihadis' targets in Europe are depressingly repetitive: the Brussels metro, the Champs-Elysees in Paris (twice), tourist-filled bridges in London (twice) and a U.K. rock concert. And that's just the past few months.

The steady stream of attacks on centers of daily life have drawn pledges from Europeans not to let terrorists change how they live, but in ways large and small they already have.

There is a heightened awareness and quicker reactions, especially in the hardest-hit countries of France, Britain and Belgium, that would have seemed unthinkable just a few years ago.

FILE - In this May 25, 2017 file photo, people observe a minute of silence in Westminster in London, after the suicide attack at an Ariana Grande concert that left more than 20 people dead and many more injuredat the Manchester Arena. The jihadis' targets are depressingly repetitive: the Brussels metro (twice), Paris' Champs-Elysees (twice) and tourist-filled bridges in London (twice). And that's just the past few months. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth, File)

In Brussels on Tuesday, a 36-year-old Moroccan man shouting "Allahu akbar!" set off a bomb among subway commuters. The bomb didn't detonate in full and a soldier shot him dead.

It was another Muslim, Mohamed Charfih, who demanded that the subway's doors be closed before the attacker could enter.

"I heard people on the platform shouting for help," he told the news site DH. He looked out and knew what he saw. "I screamed to close the doors immediately. I asked to get out of there as fast as possible and that everyone get down on the floor."

That reaction, blocking the door and fleeing, has become part of official instructions on what to do in case of an attack in France. Signs have been posted in public areas and even schools showing people running, ducking beneath a window, or using heavy furniture as a barricade.

Tensions are high enough in central Paris that on Thursday the quick-response police unit reacted to a witness' phone call about a man wearing a sidearm by tackling him on the street, only to learn that he was a ranking member of the anti-terrorism squad, according to French media.

In Britain, decades of IRA attacks prompted the installation of country-wide TV surveillance cameras - one of the most expansive systems in the world. Paris is quickly ramping up its own camera system, to the point where authorities were able this week to track the minute-by-minute path of the man who tried to attack a Champs-Elysee gendarme patrol until the moment he rammed their vehicle. The man died of burns and smoke inhalation - the only casualty of his act - but left behind a substantial arsenal.

Both Britain and France have installed barriers around airports, train stations and other public buildings in recent years. Since the Westminster bridge attack in March, however, talks are underway to install even more barriers on bridges and around crowded places such as London's Borough Market, where three attackers this month went on a stabbing rampage after crashing their vehicle on a busy street not far from London Bridge.

Echoing France, London's security authorities have issued advice to pubs and restaurants since the attacks with the message of "Run, Tell and Hide." The advice includes establishing whether the threat is inside or outside and not waiting for police to decide whether the venue should be locked down or evacuated.

Few British commuters have changed their habits. After suicide bombers in 2005 struck trains and buses during a busy London morning rush-hour, scores of commuters started riding bicycles to work. That method of transport has its own problems in London - with the number of annual cyclist deaths a rising concern.

Three of the four recent attacks, however, have involved the use of a vehicle as a weapon - much like the deadly 2016 Nice attack in France that killed 87 people.

"I suppose I could try taking a boat to work, but before long I'm sure they would attack those too. So I'm just taking my chances," said Rohan Chansity, a 34-year-old finance worker in London.

Parents and teachers are talking to children more about being observant - a skill often lost on a gadget-obsessed generation.

A suicide bomber blew himself up last month at Manchester Arena, killing 22 people, mostly young concert-goers.

"We talk about being observant, looking for exits, making sure you're around a responsible crowd - but in the end, it's not like I'm going to keep her from going to concerts," said Moira Campbell, 45, who has a 15-year-old daughter.

Tourists, too, say they are aware of potential dangers but have refused to be cowed.

Dave Howland, who traveled from New Hampshire to London with his youngest son a few days before the Borough Market attack, said he was conscious of the threat when he went to Shakespeare's Globe theatre, a round wooden venue in the Borough Market area.

"I looked around and didn't see exit signs," the 47-year-old English teacher said. "But then I looked around and saw this performance and that people were celebrating life. So I thought, we're going to enjoy the moment. London is an incredible city, and life is too short not to enjoy everything you can."

The latest would-be assailant on the Champs-Elysees had an arsenal of firearms in both his car and at home, and France's anti-terrorism prosecutor said a disaster was averted only by sheer luck. It was the second attack in less than two months on the famous avenue.

Still, tourists and Parisians flock to the Champs-Elysees, watched over by camouflaged soldiers carrying automatic rifles. And in Brussels, the day after the fizzled metro bombing, the headlines focused on how to cope with the recent heat wave.

The weather, it seems, is not going away - just like the jihadi threats.

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Associated Press writers Paisley Dodds in London and Raf Casert in Brussels contributed.

FILE - In this June 7, 2017 file photo, debris from Saturday's attack in Borough Market, London, remain in the street. The jihadis' targets are depressingly repetitive: the Brussels metro (twice), Paris' Champs-Elysees (twice) and tourist-filled bridges in London (twice). And that's just the past few months. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber, File)
WASHINGTON (AP) - One shirt, one pair of pants.

Those are the basics for outfitting an Afghan soldier. But in that simple uniform combination are the threads of two troubling stories - one about the waste of millions in American taxpayer dollars, the other about the perils of propping up a partner army in a seemingly endless war.

Together these tales help explain why some in Congress question the wisdom of investing even more resources in Afghanistan, nearly 16 years after the United States invaded the Taliban-ruled country in response to the al-Qaida attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. The Army general who runs the U.S. war effort in Afghanistan calls it a stalemate. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis says the U.S. is "not winning," and he vows to "correct this as soon as possible."

FILE - In this Tuesday, Nov. 26, 2013 file photo, an Afghan army soldier adjusts his uniform during an outdoor lesson at a training facility in the outskirts of Kabul, Afghanistan. Sixteen years into a stalemated conflict with no end in sight, the Trump administration is planning to send more troops. Some question the wisdom of investing even more resources in Afghanistan, which is still dependent on the U.S. for everything from bullets to uniforms. (AP Photo/Anja Niedringhaus, File)

The Trump administration is searching for an improved approach to achieving the goal it inherited from the Obama administration: to get the Afghan government to a point where it can defend itself and prevent its territory from being a haven for extremists. Mattis has said he expects to have that revised strategy ready for Congress by next month. This coming week he will be consulting with NATO allies in Brussels on troop contributions and other Afghan issues.

The long war has generated repeated examples of wasted funds, which may be inevitable in a country such as Afghanistan, where the military has been built from scratch, is plagued with corruption and relies almost completely on U.S. money for even the most basic things, including salaries and uniforms. Among the costs rarely noted publicly: The Pentagon has spent $1 billion over the past three years to help recruit and retain Afghan soldiers.

The money wasted on uniforms is small potatoes by comparison with other U.S. missteps in Afghanistan, but it is emblematic of broader problems.

The Pentagon has not disputed the gist of findings by its special inspector general for Afghanistan, John Sopko, that the U.S. spent as much as $28 million more than necessary over 10 years on uniforms for Afghan soldiers with a camouflage "forest" pattern that may be inappropriate for the largely desert battlefield. In a report released this past week, Sopko's office said the Pentagon paid to license a propriety camouflage pattern even though it owns patterns it could have used for free. The choice, it said, was based on the seemingly offhand fashion preference of a single Afghan official.

"This is not an isolated event," Sopko said in a telephone interview. The U.S., he said, has been "in a mad rush to spend money like a drunken sailor on a weekend furlough." It reflects a pattern, he said, of spending too much money, too quickly, with too little oversight and too little accountability.

Sopko's office is still investigating the camouflage uniform contract process, which it found "questionable."

"This was more than just a bad fashion move," he said. "It cost the taxpayer millions of dollars" more than might have been necessary.

Money is rarely part of the debate over what the United States should do differently or better in Afghanistan, and thus the accumulating costs are often overlooked.

Since 2002, the U.S. has spent $66 billion on Afghan security forces alone. In recent years this spending has grown, even though President Barack Obama's stated goal was to wean the Afghans from U.S. military help after he formally ended the American combat role there three years ago. U.S. spending on Afghan forces rose from $3.6 billion last year to $4.2 billion this year, and President Donald Trump's proposed 2018 budget asks for $4.9 billion.

Stephen Biddle, a professor of political science and international affairs at George Washington University, said the money wasted on camouflage uniforms is symptomatic of a broader problem of official corruption that has sapped the strength and spirit of too many Afghan soldiers.

"The real problem in Afghanistan is not, 'Can we get a rational decision about which camouflage design it should be.' The real problem in Afghanistan is that cronyism and corruption in the government and the security forces saps the combat motivation of the soldiers," Biddle said in an interview.

"That's why they they're having such a problem holding onto a stalemate," he added. "That's why they can't retake ground, even though they have vastly more forces in the field than the Taliban does."

Even keeping Afghan troops in uniform - any uniform - is a problem. The army is chronically about 20,000 soldiers short of its authorized total of 195,000. The U.S. has about 8,400 troops there to train and advise the Afghans and to hunt extremist groups, down from a peak of 100,000 in 2010-2011.

Trump has delegated to Mattis the authority to decide how many troops the U.S. should have in Afghanistan, and Mattis is expected to send nearly 4,000 more this summer. That would be in line with a standing request by U.S. commanders, who say it would address a shortfall in troops to train and advise Afghans. A small percentage of the additional troops would be designated for a related U.S. mission of fighting al-Qaida and other extremist groups there.
WASHINGTON (AP) - Why are Republicans struggling mightily to reach a consensus on how to overhaul the nation's tax system?

The GOP is supposed to be really good at cutting taxes. President George W. Bush cut taxes. So did President Ronald Reagan, though he also raised them.

Why is President Donald Trump, who has promised the largest tax cut ever, having so much trouble accomplishing one of his main initiatives?

FILE - In this March 31, 2017, file photo, The U.S. Capitol is seen in the distance as rain falls on Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington. Why are Republicans struggling mightily to reach a consensus on how to overhaul the nation's tax system? The GOP is supposed to be really good at cutting taxes. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, file)

Some questions and answers about why tax overhaul is hard and why Republicans have been unable to reach a consensus.

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WHAT'S THE HOLDUP?

After weeks of private negotiations, the White House and congressional Republicans still don't agree on exactly what they want to accomplish.

House Republican leaders are firm that they want to completely overhaul the tax system for businesses and individuals. They want to make the tax law simpler and more efficient, and they want the changes to endure beyond the next decade.

They want to cut tax rates, but they don't want the changes to add to the federal government's long-term debt. That means Congress would have to eliminate a lot of exemptions, deductions and credits, and probably come up with a new source of revenue.

The White House is all about tax cuts. Administration officials have talked about simplifying the tax system and getting rid of deductions, but have offered few specifics.

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WHY NOT JUST CUT TAXES?

A growing number of Republicans say they would rather cut taxes than tackle the difficult task of overhauling the tax system. House Speaker Paul Ryan vehemently opposes this approach.

Here's why:

Republicans are working to pass a tax plan under a procedure that requires only a simple majority in the Senate, preventing Democrats from blocking it. But to use this procedure, the package cannot add to the government's long-term debt.

That means simple tax cuts would have to be temporary, like the ones passed under Bush.

"Every expert agrees that temporary reforms will only have a negligible impact on wages and economic growth," said Ryan, R-Wis. "Businesses need to have confidence that we will not pull the rug out from under them."

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WHY IS RYAN PUSHING FOR A TAX ON IMPORTS?

Ryan is pushing a plan that would increase taxes on imports and cut taxes on exports. It's called a border adjustment tax.

One reason Ryan likes it is because it would raise enough revenue - about $1 trillion over the next decade - to lower the corporate tax rate from 35 percent to 20 percent without adding to the government's debt.

The tax would provide strong incentives for U.S.-based companies to keep their operations in the United States and perhaps persuade companies to move overseas operations to the U.S.

The tax, however, has no support in the Senate because senators fear it would increase the cost of consumer goods.

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HOW WOULD RYAN'S TAX WORK?

The border adjustment tax is a cash-flow tax in which corporations could deduct business expenses immediately instead of depreciating them over time. But interest on debt would no longer be deductible, though current debt would be grandfathered.

A U.S. company that makes a product and sells it domestically would pay a 20 percent tax on the profit. A U.S. company that makes a product and exports it would pay no taxes on the proceeds from the sale.

Both of these companies could deduct the cost of making their products as a business expense.

The tax is often described as a tax on imports because companies that import goods would also pay the tax, but they could not deduct the cost of imported goods as a business expense.

For example, if a U.S. retailer imports a product from China for $5 and sells it for $10, the retailer would have to pay tax on the entire $10.

If a U.S. retailer buys a domestically-produced good for $5 and sells it for $10, the retailer would only pay tax on the $5 profit.

Retailers that rely on imports hate the proposed tax. U.S. exporters love it.

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WHY NOT JUST CUT LOOPHOLES?

A popular idea on Capitol Hill is to cut tax rates for everyone - individuals and corporations - and make up the lost revenue by eliminating special-interest loopholes.

The numbers, however, don't add up.

On the corporate side, if Congress eliminated just about every tax break enjoyed by corporations, it would raise only enough revenue to lower the corporate tax rate to 28.5 percent, according to an analysis by Scott Greenberg, a senior analyst at the conservative Tax Foundation.

Ryan wants to lower the tax rate to 20 percent; Trump wants to lower it to 15 percent.

Greenberg modeled the effects of eliminating 54 different tax breaks enjoyed by corporations, including the widely used domestic production credit and the popular credit for research and development.

"If lawmakers are interested in paying for a large corporate rate cut solely by 'closing corporate loopholes' or 'repealing special preferences,' then they will be greatly disappointed," Greenberg wrote.

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Follow Stephen Ohlemacher on Twitter at http://twitter.com/stephenatap
TEHRAN, Iran (AP) - Iran said Sunday the two-stage missiles it fired at Islamic State targets in Syria broke apart over the Iraqi desert as planned, mocking reports that some of the projectiles fell short.

State TV's website quoted the airspace division chief of Iran's Revolutionary Guard Gen. Amir Ali Hajizadeh as saying "we had coordinated the fall of the engines in the desert in Iraq" in advance.

"The missiles we used were two-stage, it means that the engine separates from the warhead," said Hajizadeh.

Hajizadeh said U.S. drones hovered over the targets after shortly the Iranian missiles hit them. He said the U.S. may have been informed beforehand about the attack, as they had informed the Russian military, which may have relayed the information to the Americans.

The Guard said it fired six such missiles on Sunday at IS targets in the city of Deir el-Zour, more than 600 kilometers (370 miles) away.

He mocked media reports citing Israeli sources who said some of the missiles fell short of their targets, suggesting that the Israelis were unable to identify two-stage missiles, which are designed to split apart mid-flight.

"Pity those who call themselves experts and do not understand that these were the first-stage engines (that fell), while the warheads hit targets."

Iranian reports said the guard launched six Zolfasghar and Qiam missiles. The latter have detachable warheads.

Iran says it is continuously developing its missile program; a key reason U.S. President Donald Trump's administration has put Iran "on notice".

Iran said the strikes were in retaliation for the attack by five militants linked to the Islamic State group that stormed Iran's parliament and a shrine to revolutionary leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini this month, killing at least 18 people and wounding more than 50.

Iran has long supported Syrian President Bashar Assad in his fight against IS and other extremists groups.
HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) - Eight brutality lawsuits settled over the past 10 months paint a disturbing picture of a former Connecticut police officer accused of beating people while they were handcuffed and ordering his police dog to attack others who were not resisting arrest.

Among other allegations, former Enfield officer Matthew Worden is accused of punching people in the face when they were already subdued, smashing a man's face to the pavement causing him to lose two front teeth, using a stun gun multiple times on a man with a heart condition and striking a man in the groin with a baton, causing him to lose consciousness.

In a ninth case that is pending, Worden and other Enfield officers are accused of smashing Tyler Damato's head into asphalt and shooting him with a stun gun on Christmas Day 2012, aggravating a traumatic head injury he suffered two months before when he was hit by a car. Minutes before the encounter, the man's mother warned police about her son's head injury.

FILE-- In this 2013 file photo, former Enfield Police Department K9 Officer Matthew Worden and his dog Falco negotiate a low crawl obstacle during the annual K9 Olympics in Mansfield, Connecticut. Eight brutality lawsuits settled over the past 10 months paint a disturbing picture of Worden. The allegations include the officer punching people in the face when they were already subdued and smashing a man's face to the pavement causing him to lose two front teeth. Worden's lawyer denies Worden did anything wrong. (Jared Ramsdell/Journal Inquirer photo via AP)

Damato died in February 2013 after a car accident. He was 20. The lawsuit by his mother blames Worden and the other officers for his death because of the injuries they caused.

Plaintiffs in the lawsuits said they did nothing to warrant Worden's use of force.

Worden worked for the Enfield Police Department from 2004 to 2014. He was fired after an internal affairs investigation of a beating, but town officials later changed the termination to a resignation to settle his labor grievance over the firing.

Worden, 35, now an emergency medical technician, declined to comment on the lawsuits.

His attorney, Elliot Spector, called Worden the type of officer that was respected in the past.

"They would take aggressive action," Spector said about police years ago. "In today's world of policing, you kind of have to step back and accept minor crimes and be tolerant. It's all about de-escalating and being kinder and gentler. He didn't fit into today's culture."

Worden did not admit any wrongdoing in the settlements. Spector called many allegations "manufactured" and said the cases were settled because it was cheaper than going to trial.

"These were all people who violated the law and acted in a way that required use of force," Spector added.

A lawyer for several of the victims, A. Paul Spinella, disputed Spector's characterization of Worden.

"You have a police officer who was completely and totally out of control," Spinella said. "This officer and his group ran rampant through this town year after year after year."

Asked about Worden and the lawsuits, Enfield Police Chief Carl Sferrazza would only say, "It is what it is."

Town officials have refused to release any information about the settlements including payouts, which has sparked a legal fight involving public records laws.

Town officials rejected a request by the American Civil Liberties Union of Connecticut to release some settlement information. Officials said the town's insurer settled the cases and keeps the records, arguing those records are not public documents. But the town council had approved the settlements.

The state Freedom of Information Commission rejected the town's arguments and ordered officials earlier this month to release the records to the ACLU. The town's attorney is expected to appeal that order to Superior Court.

In most publicized case against Worden, a police cruiser dashboard camera recorded Worden punching Mark Maher in the face as other officers had him pinned to the ground in 2014. Police said they were investigating possible illegal drug and alcohol use at a boat launch, while Maher said he was just smoking a cigarette with friends.

Maher was charged with interfering with police, but the charge was later dropped. His booking photo shows him with a serious injury to his right eye area, and he says he now has a permanent scar.

"He punched me quite a few times," Maher said. "He's just somebody who has a very short temper and can't control themselves, somebody who shouldn't have a badge and call himself an officer of the law."

Enfield police prepared a warrant to charge Worden with misdemeanor assault and fabricating evidence in the Maher case. But Hartford State's Attorney Gail Hardy rejected it, saying Worden didn't commit any crime.
ISLAMABAD (AP) - China's foreign minister says Beijing will hold a dialogue with Afghanistan and Pakistan to help improve relations between the two South Asian neighbors.

Wang Yi said during a visit to Pakistan on Sunday that foreign ministers from the three countries would discuss relations, with an emphasis on economic cooperation.

Afghanistan and Pakistan have accused each other of turning a blind eye to militants operating along their porous border. Pakistan's construction of a fence along part of the frontier has also caused tensions, as Afghanistan does not recognize the colonial-era line as an international border.

Visiting Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, left, gestures to Pakistan's adviser on foreign affairs Sartaj Aziz during a press conference, in Rawalpindi, Pakistan, Sunday, June 25, 2017. China's foreign minister says Beijing will hold a dialogue with Afghanistan and Pakistan to help improve relations between the two South Asian neighbors. (AP Photo/Anjum Naveed)

Visiting Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, right, and Pakistan's adviser on foreign affairs Sartaj Aziz, left, leave after a press conference, in Rawalpindi, Pakistan, Sunday, June 25, 2017. China's foreign minister says Beijing will hold a dialogue with Afghanistan and Pakistan to help improve relations between the two South Asian neighbors. (AP Photo/Anjum Naveed)

Visiting Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, left, and Pakistan's adviser on foreign affairs Sartaj Aziz, right, leave after a press conference, in Rawalpindi, Pakistan, Sunday, June 25, 2017. China's foreign minister says Beijing will hold a dialogue with Afghanistan and Pakistan to help improve relations between the two South Asian neighbors. (AP Photo/Anjum Naveed)
JERUSALEM (AP) - The Israeli government froze a long-overdue plan Sunday to open a mixed-gender prayer area at Jerusalem's Western Wall, a major policy reversal that infuriated the liberal streams of Judaism that represent most Jews in the United States.

Israel had approved the plan in January 2016 to officially recognize the special prayer area at the Western Wall - the holiest site where Jews can pray - a compromise reached after years of negotiations between liberal Israeli and American Jewish groups and the Israeli authorities. It was seen as a significant breakthrough in promoting religious pluralism in Israel, where the ultra-Orthodox authorities govern almost every facet of Jewish life.

But the program was never implemented as powerful ultra-Orthodox members of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition government raised objections to the decision after they had initially endorsed it. Under ultra-Orthodox management, the wall is currently separated between men's and women's prayer sections.

FILE -- In this May 24, 2017 file photo, Jewish men pray at the Western Wall, the holiest place where Jews can pray, in Jerusalem's Old City, during Jerusalem Day celebrations. An Israeli official said Sunday, June 25, 2017 that the government has frozen a long-overdue plan to open a mixed-gender prayer area at Jerusalem's Western Wall. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit, File)

Netanyahu, trying to placate both his coalition partners and wealthy American Jewish donors, had promised the new $9 million plaza for mixed-gender prayer would be established.

On Sunday, he ordered top aides to formulate a new plan but said little more. In another controversial decision Sunday, his government promoted a bill to maintain the ultra-Orthodox monopoly over conversions.

It set off a cascade of criticism from liberal groups both in Israel and abroad.

"I'm outraged by this government decision. I think it shows cowardice. For two years we negotiated in good faith with the government," said Anat Hoffman, chair of the Women of the Wall group, which has pushed for egalitarian access to the wall. "And then today they decide that it is null and void, that they're not going to implement it, that equality is out the window."

Earlier in the day, her group held its weekly prayers at the site and was harassed by ultra-Orthodox worshippers.

American Jews, who have long lamented Israel should be as accepting of their religious practices as they are of their financial and political support, have been pushing for the new prayer area and had warned that if the deal did not go through it would lead to a dangerous rupture with North American Jewry.

Rabbi Rick Jacobs, the President of the Union for Reform Judaism, the largest stream of Judaism in the United States, said the decision could lead many to rethink their support for Israel.

"There is a limit to how many times you can be delegitimized and insulted," he said. "This is the core mission of the Jewish state - to be a home for all Jews ... it is unthinkable but the unthinkable just happened."

Rabbi Julie Schonfeld, head of the New York-based Rabbinical Assembly, an association for Conservative movement rabbis, said the decision was not surprising given the clout of ultra-Orthodox parties yet shocking nonetheless for its divisive message. Still, she said it would not affect her devotion to Israel.

"The people of Israel still need our support and our love and the fact that an unbelievably, spectacularly shortsighted government cannot see its way to understand the critical importance of unity of world Jewry is something that is the fault of the politicians," she said.

"Israel is turning its back on the institutions through which we love Israel."

The liberal Jewish groups had accused Netanyahu of delaying implementation because of pressure from the two ultra-Orthodox parties that keep his narrow coalition afloat. They have already petitioned Israel's Supreme Court to implement the decision and still hold out hope it will overturn it.

Ultra-Orthodox rabbis strictly govern Jewish practices in Israel such as weddings, divorces and burials. The ultra-Orthodox religious establishment sees itself as responsible for maintaining traditions through centuries of persecution and assimilation, and it resists any inroads from liberals it often considers to be second-class Jews who ordain women and gays and are overly inclusive toward converts and interfaith marriages.

Arieh Deri, head of the ultra-Orthodox Shas party, said he was pleased the government blocked a plan that would have harmed the "sanctity of the site."

"Preserving the status quo of the Western Wall reflects the will of most of the people," he said. "There is no room there for destructive factions whose only purpose is to desecrate the site."

The liberal streams have made strides in recent years, establishing synagogues, youth movements, schools and kindergartens, and Israel's secular majority has become more accepting. But they still have very little political backing, and authorities have generally tended to regard them as a somewhat alien offshoot imported from North America that does not mesh with how religion is typically practiced in Israel.

Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman, one of the few dissenting votes, said freezing the plan "represented a severe blow to the unity of the Jewish people, to various Jewish communities and to the relations between Israel and the Jewish diaspora."

Yair Lapid, a leading opposition figure, accused Netanyahu of national irresponsibility and of forfeiting his role as leader of the Jewish people.

"Israel today became the only democracy in the world where there is no equal rights for Jews," he wrote on his Facebook page. "This is an insulting, irrational affront to the deep religious feelings of millions of Jews."

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Follow Aron Heller at www.twitter.com/aronhellerap
MUNICH (AP) - Andres Romero had seven birdies in his last 11 holes to win the BMW International Open by 1 stroke on Sunday.

The 837th-ranked Romero carded a bogey-free round of 65, the day's best, to finish on 17-under 271 overall, a shot better than Thomas Detry (66) and overnight leaders Sergio Garcia (69) and Richard Bland (69).

It was Romero's second European Tour title, 10 years after the Argentine won the Players Championship of Europe.

Andres Romero of Argentina tees off during the final round of the German Open golf tournament in Eichenried near Munich, Germany, Sunday, June 25, 2017. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)

"This is a moment that changes my life," the 36-year-old Romero said.

Detry had been leading but the Belgian could only watch as Romero finished with his seventh birdie on Munich's Eichenried course.

Garcia's hopes took a hit with his second bogey on the 16th hole, while Bland had his second bogey on the 17th. Both ended with birdies but it wasn't enough to force a playoff.

Rikard Karlberg (66) was fifth at 14 under, a stroke ahead of Tommy Fleetwood, who finished with an eagle for a 67, and Renato Paratore (68).

Hennie Otto (69) and Nacho Elvira (66) were 12 under, ahead of defending champion Henrik Stenson (69) and American David Lipsky (70).

Andres Romero of Argentina lifts the trophy after winning the final round of the German Open golf tournament in Eichenried near Munich, Germany, Sunday, June 25, 2017. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)

Thomas Detry of Belgium lifts a ball during the final round of the German Open golf tournament in Eichenried near Munich, Germany, Sunday, June 25, 2017. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)

Richard Bland of England lines up for putt during the final round of the German Open golf tournament in Eichenried near Munich, Germany, Sunday, June 25, 2017. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)

Sergio Garcia of Spain lines up for putt during the final round of the German Open golf tournament in Eichenried near Munich, Germany, Sunday, June 25, 2017. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)
WASHINGTON (AP) - The United States says some demands on Qatar (KUH'-tur) by its Mideast neighbors "will be very difficult to meet." But the U.S. isn't rejecting the demands outright.

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson says in a statement that a list of demands from Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates includes major areas that "provide a basis for ongoing dialogue leading to a resolution."

He's calling for Qatar and the other Arab countries to "sit together" to work through the list.

FILE - In this Thursday Jan. 6, 2011 file photo, a traditional dhow floats in the Corniche Bay of Doha, Qatar, with tall buildings of the financial district in the background. Acting as a mediator, Kuwait has presented Qatar a long-awaited list of demands from Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt, four Arab nations that cut ties with Qatar in early June, 2017. (AP Photo/Saurabh Das, File)

Tillerson is also calling for a "lowering of rhetoric" to "help ease the tension." He says the U.S. is supporting Kuwait's efforts to mediate.

The demands include shuttering Al-Jazeera and severing ties to the Muslim Brotherhood. Tillerson had previously insisted any demands be "reasonable and actionable."




This years resolution on climate change, co-created by Vietnam, the Philippines and Bangladesh, focuses on climate changes impacts on migrants enjoyment of their rights and on cross-border migration. It calls on countries to issue climate change response policies which are in line with the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change.

In the resolution, the UNHRC decides to organise a discussion on human rights, climate change, migrants and persons displaced across international borders to contribute to the intergovernmental process leading to the Global Compact on safe, orderly and regular migration in December 2017. It also asks the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights to consider this theme and report to the UNHRCs 37th session.

Aside from the three co-creating countries, the resolution was also co-sponsored by nearly 50 other countries.

Other resolutions approved by the UNHRC included those relating to the prevention of discrimination and the eradication of violence against women and girls, the right to education, youth and human rights, and migrants.

At the 35th session, Ambassador Duong Chi Dung, head of Vietnams permanent delegation to the UN, the WTO and other international organisations in Geneva, and other members of the Vietnamese delegation had many speeches at discussions on different issues.

They stressed that the UNHRC needs to work harder to promote dialogue and constructive cooperation while persisting in seeking balanced and satisfactory solutions to disputes.

The Vietnamese delegation also engaged in many common speeches of ASEAN, Francophone countries and other countries with the same viewpoints at discussions on issues of shared concern.

At this session, Vietnam co-sponsored the resolutions on the contribution of development to the enjoyment of all human rights, and on the eradication of discrimination against persons affected by leprosy and their family members.

It also worked with Australia, Germany, Madagascar and Fiji to successfully organise a fringe event on promoting and protecting coastal womens rights amid climate change. The function drew more than 50 representatives of countries, UN agencies and non-governmental organisations.

The next session of the UNHRD is scheduled to be held in Geneva in September 2017./.
SOCHI, Russia (AP) - World champion Germany reached the Confederations Cup semifinals on Sunday with a 3-1 victory over a Cameroon side reduced to ten men after further confusion with experimental video replays.

Germany was leading through Kerem Demirbay's 48th-minute strike when a case of mistaken identity halfway through the second half that replays were meant to eradicate left the African champions bemused and irritated.

Sebastien Siani was dismissed for a foul challenge on Emre Can after referee Wilmar Roldan inspected a pitch-side monitor.

Germany's Timo Werner, front, scores his side's second goal during the Confederations Cup, Group B soccer match between Germany and Cameroon, at the Fisht Stadium in Sochi, Russia, Sunday June 25, 2017. (AP Photo/Sergei Grits)

It took furious protests from the Cameroon players, including Siani sarcastically applauding Roldan, for the Colombian to check the monitor again and discover he had sent off the wrong player. Siani was called back on and Ernest Mabouka was correctly sent off.

"The referee did not give any explanation," Cameroon coach Hugo Broos said through a translator. "It's a foul, fair enough but both players had their legs high up to reach the ball. I don't understand why only my player received a red card."

Germany extended its lead two minutes after the red card courtesy of a diving header from Timo Werner. There were flickers of a comeback by Cameroon when Vincent Aboubakar's flicked header slipped through Marc-Andre Ter Stegen's raised hands. But Werner netted again in the 81st minute to secure a 100th victory for Joachim Loew in his 150th match in charge of Germany.

By securing top spot in Group B of the World Cup warm-up tournament, the inexperienced Germany squad playing without many of its 2014 World Cup winners will now stay in the Black Sea resort of Sochi and play Mexico on Thursday.

The other semifinal on Wednesday sees Portugal play Chile, which finished second in Group B after drawing 1-1 with Australia in Sunday's other game.

The Germans will have to display greater urgency against Mexico than they did in the first half against Cameroon. Loew's side was wasteful, with wing back Joshua Kimmich sending a diving header wide, and largely restricted to attacking down the flanks.

Ter Stegen prevented Cameroon going in front, with the goalkeeper's one-handed save blocking Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa's hooked shot across goal at the end of a nervy first-half for the Germans.

"Some of my players have no experience and were nervous because one mistake could have eliminated us," Loew said through a translator. "It's good to see how we were able to ... up the ante."

Taking the lead in slick fashion. Julian Draxler fed Demirbay with a back-heel through Siani's legs and the midfielder marked his first international start by slicing a shot into the top corner with his weaker right foot.

Cameroon goalkeeper Fabrice Ondoa prevented Germany from extending its lead by blocking Kimmich's shot from a tight angle.

Then came the red-card confusion, swiftly followed by Germany's second goal. Werner evaded Adolphe Teikeu to meet a cross from Kimmich and open his international account with his stooping header.

The blunder by Ter Stegen for Cameroon's goal should concern Loew. It was the latest by a Germany goalkeeper in the World Cup warm-up tournament. Bernd Leno was also at fault for Australia's two goals in Germany's 3-2 victory in its Group B opener.

But Werner restored Germany's two-goal cushion. The striker whose goals propelled Leipzig to a surprise second-place finish in the Bundesliga turned a cutback from Benjamin Henrichs into the net.

"He has a killer instinct," Loew said.

Cameroon leaves Russia early and might not be back next year, given its struggles in qualifying.

"We are one of the best teams in Africa but there is still a difference between us and modern football," Broos said. "We see the proof of that, that there's a lot still to be done."

___

Rob Harris is at www.twitter.com/RobHarris and www.facebook.com/RobHarrisReports

More AP Confederations Cup coverage: www.apnews.com/tag/ConfederationsCup

Referee Wilmar Roldan shows a red card to Cameroon's Ernest Mabouka during the Confederations Cup, Group B soccer match between Germany and Cameroon, at the Fisht Stadium in Sochi, Russia, Sunday, June 25, 2017. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)

Germany's Kerem Demirbay celebrates after scoring his side's first goal during the Confederations Cup, Group B soccer match between Germany and Cameroon, at the Fisht Stadium in Sochi, Russia, Sunday, June 25, 2017. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)

Germany's Kerem Demirbay, 2nd right, scores his side's first goal during the Confederations Cup, Group B soccer match between Germany and Cameroon, at the Fisht Stadium in Sochi, Russia, Sunday, June 25, 2017. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis)

Germany goalkeeper Marc-Andre Ter Stegen deflects the ball during the Confederations Cup, Group B soccer match between Germany and Cameroon, at the Fisht Stadium in Sochi, Russia, Sunday, June 25, 2017. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis)
NEW YORK (AP) - The Latest on pride marches (all times local):

4:05 p.m.

Thousands of revelers wrapped in rainbow flags and wearing rainbow tutus and boas are marching in San Francisco to celebrate diversity but also to protest prejudice and exclusion.

From left, Emma Chalut gets a rainbow sticker on her cheek from her sister Ellie before the gay pride parade in St. Petersburg, Fla., Saturday, June 24, 2017. (Eve Edelheit/Tampa Bay Times via AP)

Some partygoers celebrating gay pride held signs Sunday that read "No Ban, No Wall, Welcome Sisters and Brothers" while they danced to electronic music at a stage near San Francisco's City Hall.

Frank Reyes and his husband Paul Brady said they decided to march for the first time in many years because they feel the need to stand up for their rights.

Brady says things are changing quickly and "we need to be as visible as possible."

Pride parades in New York, San Francisco, Minneapolis and other cities are spotlighting resistance to what participants see as new pressure on gay rights.

___

1:25 p.m.

New York City revelers waved rainbow flags and carried colorful balloons at the annual pride. But some of them also got political.

A group against changes to the federal health care law pulled a gurney and carried IV bags. A group called Gays Against Guns chanted "What do we want? Gun control!"

Pride parades in San Francisco, Minneapolis and other cities are spotlighting resistance to what participants see as new pressure on gay rights.

In New York, tens of thousands lined the streets Sunday. Many said the political climate was prompting them to turn out.

Twenty-year-old Lee Sorge, a transgender man from New York, said he came for the first time in part to show support for the gay community in light of the political climate.

___

9:20 a.m.

Gay pride parades in New York, San Francisco and other cities are spotlighting resistance to what participants see as new pressure on gay rights. But the events are also contending with the prospect of protests over their own diversity and direction.

Both the New York and San Francisco parades Sunday will be headed by groups more focused on protest than celebration at a time when leaders are anxious about new President Donald Trump's agenda.

But the pride celebrations also face some resistance from within the LGBT world itself. Some activists feel the events are centered on gay white men and unconcerned with issues that matter particularly to minorities in the movement, such as economic inequality and policing.

March organizers have taken some steps to address the criticisms about diversity.

Members of the Caribbean pride pause during the New York City Pride Parade on Sunday, June 25, 2017, in New York. (AP Photo/Andres Kudacki)

Paul Brady, left, and his husband Frank Reyes pose for a photo at the Pride parade in San Francisco, Sunday, June 25, 2017. Reyes, who dressed as a "legal alien," and Brady said they decided to march in San Francisco's Pride Parade for the first time in many years because they feel need to stand up for their rights and those of people in their community. (AP Photo/Olga Rodriguez)

Broadway musical "Hamilton" cast members Michael Luwoye, left, and Solea Pfeiffer wave during the Pride parade in San Francisco, Sunday, June 25, 2017. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

A group of marchers yell during the Pride parade in San Francisco, Sunday, June 25, 2017. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

A marcher walks during the Pride parade in San Francisco, Sunday, June 25, 2017. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

A group of marchers walk during the Pride parade in San Francisco, Sunday, June 25, 2017. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

Spectators watch the Pride parade in San Francisco, Sunday, June 25, 2017. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

Cecilia Gaio, left, kisses her girlfriend Gaya Blair at the Pride parade in San Francisco, Sunday, June 25, 2017. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

Chris Caldeira is shown reflected in the mirror of her motorcycle before riding in the Pride parade in San Francisco, Sunday, June 25, 2017. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

Confetti falls over SF Balloon Magic marchers during the Pride parade in San Francisco, Sunday, June 25, 2017. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

A group of marchers walk during the Pride parade in San Francisco, Sunday, June 25, 2017. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)
XALAPA, Mexico (AP) - Gunmen burst into a restaurant and killed the federal police commander for Veracruz and a second officer in another bloody day for the troubled Mexican state.

The police officers were among at least 10 people slain in Veracruz state on Saturday, including four children from one family, according to local officials.

Veracruz Gov. Miguel Angel Yunes released a video calling the killers "beasts" and "cowards" and repeated his vow to crack down on organized crime in the Gulf coast state.

"We are going to do everything, whatever it may be," he said. "Veracruz will not be hostage to these animals."

The killing of federal police commissioner Camilo Castagne in the city of Cardel came two days after he had appeared with Yunes at an anti-crime event that was prompted by the discovery of dismembered bodies in bags left outside the office of a security official. Yunes said in the video that two police officers died with Castagne but later clarified that one officer had died and the other was injured.

Also in Veracruz, gunmen killed an entire family made up of four children and two adults in Coatzacoalcos, and two women were killed in the city of Orizaba.

The state has suffered waves of killings, kidnappings and extortion by organized crime gangs. Federal statistics indicate 625 people were killed in Veracruz during the first five months of 2017, a 93 percent jump over the same period last year. And at least 300 bodies have been unearthed from mass graves used by gangs to bury their victims.

Yunes took office late last year following turmoil over the resignation of former Gov. Javier Duarte, who vanished while facing corruption allegations. He was tracked down and arrested in Guatemala in April and faces extradition proceedings. Mexican prosecutors accuse him of using front men and shell companies to amass properties acquired with money stolen from the state.
JERUSALEM (AP) - The Israeli military on Sunday said it attacked a series of targets belonging to the Syrian military, after several projectiles from neighboring Syria landed in the Israeli-controlled Golan Heights for a second day.

The military said it targeted two Syrian artillery positions and an ammunitions truck. There were no immediate reports of casualties. But as an added precaution, the military instructed Israeli civilians from gathering in open areas in the border area.

It was the second straight day that Israel responded to what it has described as errant fire from Syria. Israel has tried to stay out of the six-year civil war in Syria and refrained from taking sides, but has responded to spillover fire on numerous occasions.

Israel also is believed to have carried out airstrikes on suspected weapons shipments to its archenemy Hezbollah, whose fighters are in Syria backing government forces.

"Our policy is clear: We will not tolerate any spillover or trickle whatsoever - neither mortars nor rockets, from any front," Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told his Cabinet on Sunday. "We will respond strongly to any attack on our territory or our citizens."

He also said Israel views "with utmost gravity" Iranian attempts to gain a foothold in Syria or to provide advanced weapons to Hezbollah, its Lebanese proxy.

In Saturday's fighting, Israeli aircraft struck various positions, destroying two tanks, in response to more than 10 projectiles that landed in its territory, the military said.

Syrian state media said a number of people were killed and, citing the Syrian military command, said five soldiers were wounded.

Israel captured the Golan Heights from Syria in the 1967 Mideast war. It subsequently annexed the strategic plateau overlooking northern Israel, but that annexation is not international recognized.
A number of Ohio state government websites have been hacked by groups displaying pro-Islamic State messages.

Republican Gov. John Kasich's page and nine other sites were targeted in cyber attacks on Sunday.

The hackers broke into the webpages and left a message saying: 'You will be held accountable Trump, you and all your people, for every drop of blood flowing in Muslim countries.'

The message left by Team System Dz on the website said: 'Anti: Govt all word. You will be held accountable. Trump, you and all your people for every drop of blood flowing in Muslim countries. I love the Islamic state'

Ohio Republican Gov. John Kasich's website was hacked on Sunday along with first lady Karen Kasich's, the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction and more from the govt

All websites were immediately taken down once the messages were discovered on Sunday

The websites hacked with the message include Kasich's, first lady Karen Kasich's, the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction, the Office of Workforce Transformation, the Casino Control Commission, Medicaid, the Office of Health Transformation and LeanOhio.

All websites were immediately taken down once the messages were discovered on Sunday.

In a Facebook post, Ohio Treasurer John Mandel said: 'OH Dept of Corrections website right now, this is what you see. Wake up freedom-loving Americans. Radical Islam infiltrating the heartland'

ODRC spokeswoman JoEllen Smith released a statement saying that her agency was aware of the hack.

'We are aware of the situation and we are working aggressively to correct the situation,' she said.

'A thorough investigation will be conducted to determine how this occurred and how it can be prevented in the future.'

On Facebook, Ohio Treasurer Josh Mandel posted his own message regarding the hack.

Mandel said: 'OH Dept of Corrections website right now, this is what you see. Wake up freedom-loving Americans. Radical Islam infiltrating the heartland.'

According to the New York Post, Team System Dz also hacked the Brookhaven, Long Island website on Sunday.

The group has also claimed responsibility for hackings at the Richland County Sheriff in Wisconsin and the Aberdeen City Council in Scotland.
BOSTON (AP) - President Donald Trump lashed out at Sen. Elizabeth Warren over her criticism of his health care bill, calling her a "hopeless case" and "highly overrated voice."

Trump said during an interview on "Fox & Friends" that aired Sunday that Warren has a lot of "hatred" and "anger" that came out when Warren campaigned for Hillary Clinton, hurting the candidate's chances of winning the election.

Warren, a leading liberal and defender of the Affordable Care Act, has opposed efforts to pass a bill to replace the law.

The Democrat reiterated her opposition in a statement to The Associated Press on Sunday, saying the health care bill being pushed by Senate Republicans is a "monstrosity" and Trump should "junk it and start over."

Warren says the bill will kick "millions off health insurance."
A major evacuation is taking place at a London housing estate over fire safety fears after the Grenfell Tower disaster.

Some 800 households in five tower blocks on the Chalcots Estate in Camden are being moved to temporary accommodation after firefighters said they could not guarantee the safety of the buildings, council leader Georgia Gould said.

The buildings have been found to be covered with the same type of cladding as used at Grenfell, five miles to the south west, where at least 79 people died in the June 14 tragedy.

Camden Council said late on Friday there were also concerns over gas pipe insulation that made a decant of residents essential.

Ms Gould told Sky that council officials and firefighters had been examining the Chalcots buildings on Friday, and the decision to evacuate was made at around 6.30pm.

She said: At the end of today, they told us they could not guarantee our residents safety in those blocks and so I have made the really, really difficult decision to move the people living there into temporary accommodation while we do the urgent works to guarantee safety.

I know its difficult, but Grenfell changes everything and I just dont believe we can take any risk with our residents safety and I have to put them first.

Evacuation of Taplow block - Leader statement https://t.co/ViKzCBONPE  Camden Council (@CamdenCouncil) June 23, 2017

Camden Council initially said just 161 households in the Taplow building on the estate were being temporarily decanted to allow up to four weeks of work to the building.

But Ms Gould later told Sky the number had increased to include all the buildings, with a rest centre set up at Swiss Cottage Library.

There was confusion on the ground at the estate as people were told to leave as darkness began to fall, with some leaving with belongings in suitcases and carrier bags.

Some locals said they found out about the evacuation from watching breaking news on television.

I'm in regular contact with #Camden & they are doing everything to keep our residents safe. As always, that's everyone's top priority.  Tulip Siddiq (@TulipSiddiq) June 23, 2017

I am on the Chalcots estate this evening while the residents are being relocated. Please find regular updates at https://t.co/ZlawyFZQBd  Tulip Siddiq (@TulipSiddiq) June 23, 2017

The council had already announced it would immediately begin preparing to remove cladding from the five towers on the estate discovered in checks following the fire in north Kensington.

Refurbishment of the Chalcots estate was overseen by Rydon, the company involved in the refit of Grenfell Tower, according to the Rydon website.

The site said the Chalcots project was a 66 million refurbishment that lasted 191 weeks.

The work included external thermal rain screen cladding on five towers, new aluminium thermally broken windows on five towers and an overhaul of external roofs.

PM: My thoughts are with residents being evacuated in Camden while their homes are made safe tonight.  UK Prime Minister (@10DowningStreet) June 23, 2017

PM: We will work with and support the emergency services and relevant authorities to safeguard the public.  UK Prime Minister (@10DowningStreet) June 23, 2017

PM: Have asked @sajidjavid to keep me regularly updated & ensure we are offering every support we can to residents & those working onsite.  UK Prime Minister (@10DowningStreet) June 23, 2017

It added that 711 flats were modernised with new wiring, heating, kitchens and bathrooms.

It came as four more victims of Grenfell Tower were formally identified, taking the known victims to nine.

Scotland Yard also revealed manslaughter charges are being considered by detectives investigating the blaze in the tower, which had failed fire safety tests.

"We will identify and investigate any criminal offences, including a possible manslaughter investigation" #GrenfellTower pic.twitter.com/b9FgvVuZLh  Metropolitan Police (@metpoliceuk) June 23, 2017

Camden Council said officials were going door-to-door one at a time for safety reasons, starting at Taplow then working through Burnham, Bray, Blashford and Dorney.

A spokesman said residents would be allowed in at the weekend to collect more possessions under escort from the London Fire Brigade and recommended people pack enough belongings for a two to four-week stay.
A rally by the far-right Britain First group has passed without any major disorder after a high-profile policing operation.

An estimated 250 supporters of the party were escorted by police on a short route through Birmingham city centre, with a similar number of people attending nearby counter-protests.

Officers said one arrest had been made for a minor public order offence after several roads were closed briefly to allow protesters to move from the Hill Street area to Centenary Square.

During the protests, a smoke bomb was let off and a plastic bottle was thrown at officers, who repeatedly had to form cordons to prevent rival protesters from confronting each other.

In a statement issued prior to the march, West Midlands Police said: "We recognise the impact such protests can have on the city but we have no power to ban a static peaceful protest.

"In fact, we and the council have a duty to facilitate the fundamental democratic right of peaceful protest."

Britain First supporters

Saffiyah Khan, whose image went viral online in April after she was pictured smiling during scuffles at an English Defence League march, attended Saturdays protests as part of a film crew documenting both sides of the event.

Speaking near where she was pictured standing face-to-face with EDL leader Ian Crossland, Ms Khan said of Britain First: I think, like with the EDL and every right-wing group that comes to Birmingham, they cause a bit of a scene, affect traffic, affect locals and they come in from all over the UK.

While they have the right to be doing that, as part of freedom of speech if they march they will be doing it on the polices rules and more importantly the communitys rules  and they will be challenged by locals.
England Under-21 midfielder Lewis Baker has vowed they have no fear as they plot Euro 2017 glory.

The Young Lions are in the semi-finals of the tournament for the first time since 2009 after winning Group A in Poland.

They have moved to Krakow from their previous base in Kielce as they prepare for Tuesdays last four game against Germany in Tychy.

England Under-21 midfielder Lewis Baker scored a penalty in the Young Lions' 3-0 win over Poland on Thursday (Nick Potts/PA)

And then there were four!



 Tuesday 27 June

Tychy/Krakow#U21EURO pic.twitter.com/unYlUDJu5L  UEFA U21 EURO (@UEFAUnder21) June 24, 2017

And Chelsea man Baker insisted England are not frightened of any team, including favourites Spain  who they can only meet in the final.

He said: Yes definitely. I think the pressure has come off us a little bit now because we got through the group stages and into the semi-finals but I know the boys want to go as far as we can and were all looking to achieve something big.

Weve been in big games before like at the Toulon tournament last year when we won that. As a team and a squad were used to playing together in important matches so well just take it in our stride.

England 



 3

 2

 1

 5

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Semi-finalists #U21EURO pic.twitter.com/pCPTScV2kz  UEFA U21 EURO (@UEFAUnder21) June 22, 2017

As you start playing more and more games the momentum starts building and the confidence builds and weve started playing like we know we can.

Baker started the tournament playing further forward but has dropped deeper after John Swift was introduced in the second game  a 2-1 win over Slovakia.

The 22-year-old, who has spent the last two seasons on loan at Vitesse Arnhem, still scored a penalty in Thursdays 3-0 win over Poland which booked a semi-final spot and is happy with whatever role boss Aidy Boothroyd gives him.

He added: Whatever the manager thinks is the best formation that is what we will go with. I like to do a bit of both defending and attacking, trying to get from box to box, is what my game is all about. Whatever the manager thinks is best we have to go with that.
Labour and the SNP are both demanding the Scottish Government have a role in the UKs Brexit talks, with Jeremy Corbyn insisting: We are clear that the voice of the Scottish people must be heard.

A year after the UK voted to leave the European Union (EU), both Mr Corbyn and Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon pressed the UK Government to give the devolved administrations a greater say in negotiations.

Ms Sturgeon, the SNP leader, claimed so far Scotland and Northern Ireland  which both voted to remain part of the EU  had been disregarded by Tories at Westminster as they pursued a reckless drive to impose an extreme Brexit.

(Russell Cheyne/PA)

Writing in the Sunday Herald newspaper, Ms Sturgeon said leaders from Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland had often been left frustrated by high-handed actions of Whitehall ministers who seem unwilling to accept there are now four national governments in the UK.

After the Tories lost their Commons majority in the snap general election, the First Minister said Theresa may and her government must recognise the reality of devolution and meet its constitutional obligations.

She stated: As a first step there should be a meeting of the UK and devolved governments to decide objectives before the next cycle of negotiations with the EU in July. And there must be a commitment to take seriously and act upon, the interests of Scottish businesses, universities and a range of other groups becoming increasingly alarmed at the way Brexit is being handled.

(Jane Barlow/PA)

The First Minister continued: There has been genuine astonishment from EU partners that the UK Government had not consulted Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland before publishing the Article 50 withdrawal letter. This kind of attitude needs to change and I hope it will.

Meanwhile, Mr Corbyn said Labour was clear that the voice of the Scottish people must be heard  and the same goes for the other devolved administrations.

Writing in the same paper, he added: The EU will only negotiate with the British government. But Scotland needs a clear input into the Brexit negotiating process.

(Ben Stevens/PA)

The Scottish Government must have regular and systematic access to the British negotiating team so that the Scottish perspective, especially in those areas for which the Scottish Parliament is responsible, is fully taken into account.

But he also said such engagement must be a two-way street, saying the Scottish Government should regularly share the details of its dialogue with Westminster with the Scottish people through the Scottish Parliament and the other political parties in Scotland.

While the Scottish Government continues to press for both Scotland and the UK to remain in the single market after Brexit  something which has been rejected by Whitehall ministers  Mr Corbyn said Labours Brexit team would seek continued tariff-free access to the single market, with no new non-tariff burdens for British business.

(Dominic Lipinski/PA)

He stated: Of course, Brexit is going to be difficult and the negotiations will be challenging. But with the right approach and negotiating plan, I am convinced we can negotiate a new relationship with the EU that works for all our people, not just a privileged few.

Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson wrote in the Sunday Herald that the UK needs to up our game in ensuring that Britain intends to remain a key partner to our friends and allies across the continent.

She said Britain should as a priority, maintain the free trade of goods and services across the continent  in the knowledge that it is commerce and trade which does more to promote peace and prosperity than anything else.
Eddie Jordan just won't give up, the Channel 4 pundit sticking to his claim that Mercedes will pull out of Formula 1 at the end of the 2018 season.

The former team owner says that talks are already underway between the German manufacturer and The Formula One Group, the sport's commercial rights holder, to organise the manufacture's exit.

Mercedes has a commitment to remain in Grand Prix racing beyond 2018 but could leave if the entire team is sold, which Jordan is speculating will happen.

Jordan also said the Mercedes board of directors had agreed in principle to supply McLaren next season with its power unit.

Mercedes boss Toto Wolff was quick to respond to EJ's latest fantasies however.

"Petronas is not leaving us, UBS is not leaving us. We're staying in F1!" insisted the Austrian manager.

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Roger Federer brushed aside the challenge of rising star Alexander Zverev to clinch his ninth Gerry Weber Open title in Halle.

The 35-year-old Swiss required just 53 minutes to complete a 6-1 6-3 victory which also gave him his fourth ATP title of the year to date.

Federers victory answered questions about his recent lay-off, which ended in a shock defeat to Tommy Haas on his comeback in Stuttgart this month.

Roger Federer holds the trophy after winning the Gerry Weber Open title

The 20-year-old Zverev had no answer to Federers inch-perfect execution and was broken three times in a lightning-fast first set.

Zverev did finally set a break point on the Federer serve in the first game of the second set, but it passed by and Federer raced on to complete victory.
Petra Kvitova described winning the Aegon Classic title as a fairy tale just six months after a career-threatening stabbing incident at her home.

Kvitova saw off Australias Ashleigh Barty 4-6 6-3 6-2 in Birmingham in only her second tournament since the start of her comeback at the French Open last month.

The two-time Wimbledon winner was stabbed in the Czech Republic in December and could have lost her career, escaping instead with hand injuries.

But in a stunning performance against Barty, Kvitova battled back from losing the first set and stepped up in the second half of the decider to seal victory.

She said: Im very, very happy, of course. I didnt expect this in my second tournament after my comeback. So yeah, I think its kind of a fairy tale.

I think Ive been through a very difficult time in my life, and it wasnt about the tennis, but about coming back healthy and alive and move my fingers properly and everything like that. And this is something clearly special.

Its some bonus to have my life and my career and everything. And thats why I fight that hard to come back to play tennis. And I always said that Im not here just to play tennis. Im here to play my best and to win trophies, like today. So I have to say Im kind of proud of myself that I did it today.

Petra Kvitova kisses the trophy

Barty, the world number 77, made a strong start as she broke to lead 2-1 in the opening set and carried her advantage through to claim the opener with relative ease.

But Kvitova stepped up her game at the start of the second, breaking for 2-0 and moving to the brink of levelling the match when she secured a double break to move 5-1 in front.

Serving for the set, the Czech suffered an attack of nerves as two double-faults enabled Barty to claw one break back, but that was not enough as Kvitova served out for the set at the second attempt.

And we're going to a decider as @Petra_Kvitova takes the 2nd set 6-3 at the #AegonClassic!pic.twitter.com/QxRMEEq5bQ  LTA (@the_LTA) June 25, 2017

Kvitova seized control of the decider as she broke immediately then pressured the Barty serve again only for the momentum to swing again as the Australian broke back to level at 2-2.

But a fired-up Kvitova responded immediately as she blasted back from 40-0 down to reel off a series of winners and once again take control of the set.

Building on her advantage, Kvitova followed up with a second break before serving out strongly with an ace to seal her remarkable comeback success and despite tasting defeat Barty was full of admiration for her opponent.

Its so amazing to have Petra back on the court. Shes such an inspiration, said the Australian.

Shes always been a great champion but I think we appreciate that more now that shes back playing week in and week out.
A 16-year-old boy has been charged with the rape of an eight-year-old girl in a Manchester park.

The teenager, who cannot be named for legal reasons, is alleged to have attacked the girl in Nuthurst Park, in the Moston area of the city, on Saturday evening.

Police said the boy has been remanded to appear in custody at Manchester Youth Court on Monday.

Police

UPDATE: 16yr old boy charged in connection with rape of 8yr old girl in Nuthurst Park, Moston https://t.co/8tbKCbO5ZI  Greater Manchester Police (@gmpolice) June 25, 2017

Greater Manchester Police have urged the public not to speculate over the circumstances of the incident.

The force said: This is in relation to an incident that happened just before 6.55pm on Saturday 24 June 2017 when police were called to reports that an eight-year-old girl had been raped in Nuthurst Park.

We are aware of a lot of local speculation regarding the investigation and we would ask that this please stops to allow the investigation and legal process to continue without prejudice.
ILLIMANI MOUNTAIN, Bolivia, June 21 (Reuters) - A team of international scientists are transporting samples of ice from a melting glacier in Bolivia to Antarctica, for study and preservation before the glacier disappears.

The international "Ice Memory" expedition of 15 scientists took samples from the glacier on Illimani Mountain in the Andes and will store them in Antarctica at the French-Italian base of Concordia.

The scientists were helped by local guides and porters, who live near the base of Illimani. Clearly visible from Bolivia's capital La Paz, Illimani's "eternal snows" are frequently referenced in the music, mythology and literature of the Aymara people.

But scientists say global warming is rapidly melting the glaciers of the Andes, removing an important source of fresh water for many communities and threatening others with deadly avalanches. Illimani itself has warmed by 0.7 degree Centigrade in the last 18 years, said Ice Memory glaciologist Patrick Ginot.

The team dug over 130 meters (430 ft) into the glacier to remove 75 ice samples, which they say yield some 18,000 years of climatic history.

"As glaciologists, we want to keep this kind of glacier sample because for us it is an encyclopedia of the climate and environment," Ginot told Reuters on Tuesday.

"When you remove a glacier sample, you're perforating through into the world's history."

The French-led Ice Memory organization says its goal is to create a global ice archive sanctuary in Antarctica. It has also run a similar expedition on Mont Blanc in the Alps and plans further trips to Russia and Nepal. (Reporting by Monica Machicao, writing by Rosalba O'Brien, editing by G Crosse)
BEIJING, June 25 (Reuters) - China has urged Afghanistan and Pakistan to improve relations and establish a crisis prevention and management mechanism, the Chinese foreign ministry said.

Foreign Minister Wang Yi met Afghan President Ashraf Ghani in Kabul on Saturday and said a three-way conference mechanism involving the two countries and China could promote dialogue and cooperation, the ministry said in a statement on its website.

"China sincerely wishes for Afghanistan and Pakistan to improve relations, rebuild mutual trust strengthen cooperation, achieve mutual safety and mutually development," Wang said, according to the statement.

"As Afghanistan and Pakistan's mutual friend, China encourages them to establish a crisis prevention and management mechanism as soon as possible, to properly deal with any kind of sudden occurrence."

Wang was visiting Pakistan on the weekend.

Neither Afghan nor Pakistani officials were available for comment.

Afghanistan and Pakistan have been uneasy neighbours ever since Pakistan's independence in 1947.

Their ties have been poisoned in recent years by Afghan accusations that Pakistan is supporting Taliban insurgents fighting the U.S.-backed Kabul in order to limit the influence of its old rival, India, in Afghanistan.

Pakistan denies that and says it wants to see a peaceful, stable Afghanistan.

Several people were killed when Afghanistan and Pakistan border troops exchanged fire for hours in early May. As a result, a major border crossing was closed for more than three weeks.

China is also worried about the spread of Islamist militancy from lawless ethnic Pashtun lands along Pakistan's border with Afghanistan, in particular the danger of members of its Uighur Muslim minority being radicalised there.

In Pakistan on Saturday, Wang said counter-terrorism was an important part of China's relations with Pakistan and he thanked Pakistan "for its firm support for China's fight against the violent terrorist group the 'East Turkistan Islamic Movement'," China's Xinhua news agency reported.

China says the East Turkistan Islamic Movement is a violent Uighur separatist group with links to militants in South Asia.

China is also investing heavily in both Afghanistan and Pakistan.

It has promised $57 billion in investment in projects along a China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, part of its ambitious Belt and Road plan linking China with the Middle East and Europe.

The state-run China Metallurgical Group Corp won a contract to develop Afghanistan's Mes Aynak copper mine in 2007 but the project has been mired in delays. (Reporting by Jake Spring; Editing by Robert Birsel)
LONDON, June 25 (Reuters) - Talks with Northern Ireland's Democratic Unionist Party on a deal to prop up Britain's minority government in parliament are "progressing in the right way", the international development secretary, Priti Patel, said on Sunday.

Prime Minister Theresa May's Conservatives hope to secure the support of the DUP to pass legislation after the party lost its parliamentary majority in an election earlier this month.

"From what I understand with the DUP, the talks are ongoing and they are progressing in the right way as well, so that deal will come to the conclusion at the right time," Patel told ITV's Peston on Sunday show. "I think the reality is that we have key votes coming forward in the next week on the Queen's Speech and we'll work with the DUP obviously to ensure that they give us that support." (Reporting by Elizabeth Piper; editing by Mark Heinrich)
PARIS, June 25 (Reuters) - French President Emmanuel Macron is considering convening parliament in the palace of Versailles to address deputies and senators, government spokesman Christophe Castaner said on Sunday.

Castaner, speaking on LCI television, said he could not confirm or deny that July 3 was the date when both houses of parliament could convene at Versailles. French deputies usually meet in the National Assembly in Paris and French Senators in the French Senate also in Paris.

(Reporting by Dominique Vidalon. Editing Jane Merriman)
PARIS, June 25 (Reuters) - French President Emmanuel Macron is considering convening a joint session of parliament in the palace of Versailles to address deputies and senators, government spokesman Christophe Castaner said on Sunday.

Speaking on LCI television, Castaner said he could not confirm or deny that July 3 was the date when the National Assembly lower house and the Senate upper house could hold a rare joint Congress at Versailles - something promised by Macron during his election campaign.

"I do not know the date. (But) it is important that he sets a direction," he said.

Macron's year-old Republic on the Move party (LREM) won a huge parliamentary majority on June 18 that boasts scores of lawmakers never before elected - unprecedented in France and central to his promise to clean up French politics.

Convening a Congress at Versailles, the palace of France's former monarchy, is a procedure generally reserved for constitutional revisions and major presidential speeches.

Former conservative President Nicolas Sarkozy addressed a Congress at the 17th-century palace in 2009, at the height of the global financial and banking crisis. Sarkozy's successor, Francois Hollande, convened a Congress in November 2015 after militant Islamist attacks, declaring France "is at war".

French parliamentary deputies usually meet in the National Assembly and senators in the Senate, both in Paris. (Reporting by Dominique Vidalon; Editing by Mark Heinrich)
BRATISLAVA, June 25 (Reuters) - Volkswagen's Slovak unit said on Sunday it had reached a wage deal with a trade union to end a six-day strike that has hit production at the country's biggest private employer.

A VW spokeswoman said workers will get a 4.7 percent wage rise from this month, another 4.7 percent increase from January 2018 and a further 4.1 percent boost from November 2018 plus a 500 euro ($560) one-off bonus.

The deal is a compromise between the union's original demand of a 16 percent hike over two years and the company's offer of a combined 8.7 percent boost.

About 70 percent of VW's 12,300 workers who joined the strike on Tuesday will return to work, and production lines that normally make about 1,000 cars a day will resume operations on Monday morning, the spokeswoman added.

The union confirmed on its Facebook page that an agreement had been reached.

"We're ending the strike with a very successful negotiation. We managed to agree on a combined wage hike of 14.12 percent by November 2018," union chief Zoroslav Smolinsky said.

VW produced 388,687 cars in Slovakia in 2016, including the Volkswagen, Audi, Seat and Skoda marques.

The company pays its Slovak employees, excluding top management, an average of 1,800 euros a month including bonuses, double the national average but less than half of the 4,200 euros earned by equivalent employees in Germany, according to the union.

Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico has supported the strike, saying Volkswagen should pay its Slovak workers the same pay as its western European ones.

The Finance Ministry has estimated that 12 days of strike would have cut 0.1 percentage point off the country's annual economic output.

The company, which exports almost all of its output, did not comment on the impact of the six-day strike.

Slovakia's growth is seen at 3.3 percent this year and above 4 percent in coming years, with the auto sector the most important driver. Slovakia, with a population of 5.4 million, produces more than 1 million vehicles a year, making it the biggest per-capita auto producer in the world.

Kia Motors Corp and Peugeot also have plants in Slovakia and Jaguar Land Rover is due to open one next year. ($1 = 0.8934 euros) (Reporting by Tatiana Jancarikova; Editing by Adrian Croft)
The US Navy Ship Fall River belonging to the US Pacific Command at the Hambantota Port in March

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe has stated in parliament that the government would renew the Acquisition and Cross Service Agreement (ACSA) with the United States which had lapsed in March this year. Apart from asserting that such bilateral agreements are important for Sri Lanka in the current international context, he gave no details regarding substance or amendments in the new agreement, which is yet to be made public.

When the previous 10-year ACSA was signed in 2007, a war situation prevailed in Sri Lanka when it could have been argued there was some benefit to the Sri Lankan side. But the new agreement will be operative in a peace-time situation where the advantage to Sri Lanka could be questionable. For the US on the other hand, securing access to logistics support, supplies and services in this part of the world at a time when its strategic focus has shifted to the Pacific and Indian Ocean regions, would have undoubted benefits.

According to the information available on the 2007 ACSA, logistics support, supplies and services where mutual cooperation is undertaken refers to areas such as food, water, billeting, transportation - including by air, petroleum, clothing, communication services, medical services etc., as well as base operations support, use of facilities, training, spare parts and components, repair and maintenance and port services. It may be seen that in the event of a confrontation with another state in the region it would be very useful to the US to have such access, in a strategic location such as Sri Lanka.

Weapons systems and major items of military equipment are expressly excluded from the agreement but then, Sri Lanka does not have weapons systems, or military equipment anywhere near the scale and sophistication of the arsenal of the worlds superpower (which includes nuclear weapons as well). So what this exclusion really means is that the US will not be obliged to share its military expertise and assets with Sri Lanka.

"The Americans and Indians would be in Trincomalee, while the Chinese were in Hambantota. Although the SL government says no military use of its ports would be allowed, Prof. Vitharana warned that if a military confrontation broke out in the South China Sea, for example, Sri Lanka could get unnecessarily caught up in a big power conflict"



In addition to host nation supplies and services, ACSA can give US access to basing and infrastructure necessary for force projection in and through the USPACOM (US Pacific Command) area of responsibility wrote two US army officers in a 2004 position paper presented to the US Military War College in Pennsylvania. Agreements of this nature continue to prove critical as countries in the USPACOM area of responsibility currently provide access in support of Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraq Freedom they wrote, referring to attacks launched by the US in wars against Afghanistan and Iraq respectively. The paper, titled United States Security Strategy for the Asia-Pacific Region, refers to the military benefits of ACSAs that give vital access to other countries infrastructure and other facilities during a time of conflict. PM Wickremesinghes assertions that It is not a defence agreement and that we havent left the Non-Aligned Movement give rise to some scepticism in the light of such analyses coming from the US military establishment.

The alliance which we are forming with the US is not only going to be costly to us, but also endangers national sovereignty and independence warns LSSP leader Prof. Tissa Vitharana. The veteran leftist has repeatedly drawn attention to the signs indicating the US is moving towards establishing a military base in Trincomalee. Not only the paperwork but the actual process of getting together in military manoeuvres is taking place he notes. Apart from frequent visits by US warships, joint exercises with our sailors are taking place. He referred to the Second edition of Staff Talks between the high ranking officers of the US 7th Fleet and SL Navy held in May at the Sri Lanka Naval Headquarters, where discussions were reported to have highlighted the importance of furthering the mutual cooperation between the two naval units. These exercises are gathering momentum he said.

Prof. Vitharana referred to several statements from US officials that revealed their interest in setting up a base in Trincomalee. The present US ambassador had listed his priorities at the time he was appointed (as ambassador elect) and second on his list was the setting up of this base, Prof. Tissa Vitharana told the Daily Mirror.

The 10-year ACSA signed in 2007 showed some benefits for SL

ACSA can give US access to basing and infrastructure necessary for force projection

Alliance SL forms with US endangers national sovereignity and independence

Govt was moving in the direction of making Sri Lanka a part of the military machine formed by the US to control the world



He said further confirmation that the government was moving in the direction of making Sri Lanka a part of the military machine formed by the US to control the world could be seen in Premier Wickremesinghes statement in April last year, addressing a Commissioning parade at the Naval Academy in Trincomalee, that the Sri Lankan armed forces would have to protect the Indian Ocean from the Maldives to the Straits of Malacca. The Premier pledged to buy more ships and weapons to facilitate this exercise. Prof. Vitharana pointed to the irony of suggesting such a course of action at a time when the country was deeply indebted, having sought $1.5 billion from the IMF with the entire attendant conditions for neo-liberal changes that would enable US exploitation of our economy. This situation is fraught with danger he said, though nobody is talking about it.

The Americans and Indians would be in Trincomalee, while the Chinese in Hambantota. Although the SL government says no military use of its ports would be allowed, Prof. Vitharana warned that if a military confrontation broke out in the South China Sea, for example, Sri Lanka could get unnecessarily caught up in a big power conflict. He cited award-winning film-maker/journalist John Pilger (director of The coming war on China) who has described the imminent dangers of the major US military build-up in Asia and the Pacific, also mapping a situation where India has come within the ambit of the American defence arc.



For statements on US intentions in the Indian Ocean region, which would seem to reinforce Prof. Vitharanas arguments, one only has to look at the keynote speech made by the Commander of the US Pacific Command, Adm. Harry Harris at the Raisina Dialogue in New Delhi in January.

I believe the U.S. and India can truly shape the New Normal  indeed, must shape it  because I guarantee our adversaries are trying to do so said Harris. Describing what he called the Global Operating System (shaped by US interests, one would infer) he said Our leaders have affirmed  and I too believe  that the deepening US-India relationship will be the defining strategic partnership of the 21st century. The challenges he identified to this Global Operating System in the Indo-Asia-Pacific were the ISIL, North Korea, Russia and China. (So it appears the Operating System is not entirely Global).

Against this background, the fact that so little is known about the contents of the proposed ACSA is a cause for worry. Arent the public entitled to be informed and to be allowed wider discussion before a decision is taken to sign an agreement that could compromise the countrys sovereignty and independence?
n a major electoral upset seven months ago, the Republican Party nominee Donald Trump - a billionaire businessman with no political experience - was elected 45th President of the US. A shell-shocked media highlighted the President-elects weak points and numerous idiosyncrasies. One of the main differences between the Republican and Democratic Party nominees apart from Trumps lack of political experience at any level of governance was the President-elects bent toward Russia and its President Vladimir Putin. The Democratic candidate in the run-up to the election often charged Trump of being a Putin lackey.

Today, seven months after the 45th President was sworn into power, his administration has descended into a quagmire of investigations into alleged Russian interference into the US Presidential election, and Trump and his campaign staffs involvement with the said Russian attempts to subvert the US electoral process and challenges to the Presidents executive orders.

Trumps firing of the head of the FBI chief who was leading an investigation into the charges of Russian interference, led to suspicions the US President had in fact something to hide and led the Senate (controlled by Trumps own Republican Party) to appoint a special investigator to take up the issue.



Two days ago, the US media and Trump via his twitter feed raised the spectre that he may have the independent investigator fired! The President on assuming office issued executive orders banning Syrian refugees and all persons from seven Muslim countries from entering the United States for 90 days. The ban tellingly did not cover countries like Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and the Emirates, in which Mr. Trump has business interests!

The Presidents executive order to ban people from Islamic countries has been stayed by a number of US Courts. Fresh executive directives on the same matter met with the same fate. The niceties of US constitution drawn up by freedom fighters who had the interests of their country and countrymen at heart is understandably not understood by a billionaire businessman whose interests are motivated by profit.

Embroiled in court struggles and investigations the new president is seemingly unable to attend to important matters of state. Since his election, despite campaign promises to de-escalate tensions with Russia, there has in fact been an escalation of tensions with that country after the US shot down a Syrian jet which resulted in the Russians closing down emergency channels of communication and threatening US flights entering Syrian airspace.



The array of investigations, the President is facing and the resulting chaos is getting more and more complicated and leading him to antagonise his NATO allies. He has openly insulted his closest allies with claims of not paying a fair share for the maintenance of US troops and defence systems in Europe, blissfully oblivious to the fact it is the US itself, which needs the physical presence of its troops in Europe. He also refused to renew a pledge to defend NATO allies against external attacks at a recent NATO meeting in Europe.

It was therefore not surprising that nations within NATO largely worked their way with each other, ignoring the US when these countries were hit by a series of terror attacks during the past week - last Mondays terror attack on Finsbury Park mosque in the UK. A terrorist attack in Paris also took place on Monday, where a motorist was shot after he ploughed his car carrying gas canisters into a police vehicle. In Belgium, police shot and killed a suspect after a failed bombing attack at Brussels Central Railway Station. In Canada, a man yelling Allahu Akbar was shot before he allegedly stabbed a police officer.

"And North Korea, continues with its provocative missile launchesThe US response has been akin to exuding hot air without any substance"



In the Middle East, a major diplomatic crisis is brewing. The Saudis and their regional allies have cut all ties with Qatar, whom the Saudis accuse of funding terrorism, among other things. The list of demands sent to Qatar shows the situation is worsening. But the US which has its biggest military base in Qatar, is unable to help defuse tensions. US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has been making polite noises recently, but his intervention was too late. Even US client states like Saudi Arabia pay scant heed to him.

Trumps first overseas trip as President to Rome, Brussels and finally, to Sicily for the G-7 meeting solidified the rifts between US/Trump administration and NATO members. Trump appeared to be in another world concerning environment issues and pulled out the US from the Paris Agreement.

And North Korea, continues with its provocative missile launchesThe US response has been akin to exuding hot air without any substance.
Piyasena Gamage, the UPFAs next in line Candidate in the Galle District at the 2015 Parliamentary Election intervened in the Appeal filed in the Supreme Court by Galle District UPFA Parliamentarian Geetha Kumarasinghe, who had challenged the Court of Appeal judgment.

The Bench comprising Chief Justice Priyasath Dep, Justices Eva Wanasundera and Upaly Abeyrathne fixed for July 7 to be taken up this matter along with Geetha Kumasinghes appeal.

He filed intervention papers crying foul at her for the failure to name him as a Respondent, whereas he should have been named to the appeal application.

He alleged that she had been guilty of fraudulently suppressing material facts from the Court. He is among others seeking the Court to dismiss her appeal in limine and to vacate the Interim Order granted by the Supreme Court staying the judgment of the Court of Appeal.

A motion in limine is a motion filed by a party to a lawsuit which asks the court for an order or ruling limiting or preventing certain evidence from being presented by the other side at the trial of the case.

Intervenient-Petitioner Piyasena Gamage states at the August 2015 General Election, he received the 7th highest number of preferential votes among the UPFA candidates in the Galle District.

He states Geetha Kumarasinghe received 5th highest number of preferential votes thus secured a seat and the Court of Appeal on 3rd May 2017 issued a Writ of Quo Warranto against her and that she was thus disqualified from continuing to hold office.

On 4th May 2017, he was informed by the Secretary of the UPFA that he would be appointed as the MP to fill the said seat fallen vacant.

He cited Supreme Court Rules wherein there shall be named a respondent, the party or parties in whose favor the judgment or order complained against was delivered or adversely to whom such application is preferred, and the names and present addresses of all such respondents shall be set out in full.

He contends that he is a party whose interest may be adversely affected by the success of the appeal, and he should thus have been named as a Respondent in accordance with the terms of Supreme Court Rules.

He impugns the failure to do so is a clear violation of the Supreme Court Rules, due procedure and natural justice and warrants the vacating and/or setting aside the Interim Order issued and the dismissal of the appeal.

The Supreme Court on15th May 2017 granted Special Leave to Appeal with the application filed by Ms Kumarasinghe seeking to set aside the judgment of the Court of Appeal which disqualified her as a Member of Parliament on her impugned dual citizenship.

In the majority decision of the Bench comprising Justices Eva Wanasundera, Upaly Abeyrathne and Anil Gooneratne, the Court extended the Interim Order staying till final determination the operation of the Court of Appeal judgment. Hearing is fixed for September 25. S.S. (Selvanayagam)
Islam, as a religion, caters to everything good in society. It not only directs man on how to worship his creator and sustainer and obey him but also changes his behaviour and attitudes as regards his celebrations.

Before the advent of Islam, Arabs used to celebrate certain days and occasions in an uncivilised way, indulging in drinking, gambling and adultery. But after Prophet Muhammad, Islam changed that barbaric society and introduced a civilised, refined and cultured way of celebrating.

The aim of Id-ul-Fitr is to introduce a cultured form of celebration that offers the following benefits to mankind.

Id-ut-Fitr gives the true picture of social equality, when all the Muslims irrespective of caste, creed and colour, wealth and position gather together and bow down before Allah the Almighty. The only greatness in their mind is the greatness of Allah, which they utter with their tongues.

Allah is the Most Great, Allah is the Most Great. None is worthy to be worshipped besides Allah. And (I again declare) Allah is the Most Great. Allah is the Most Great.

On this happy occasion a Muslim does not forget the poor, charity which is the form of Sadakathul Fitr (Commonly known as Fitra) is compulsory for all Muslims, who have an adequate amount of wealth as described in Islamic Law.

" On this happy occasion a Muslim does not forget the poor, charity which is the form of Sadakathul Fitr (Commonly known as Fitra) is compulsory for all Muslims, who have an adequate amount of wealth as described in Islamic Law"



Id-ul-Fitr is the occasion to demonstrate self-discipline and moral consciousness earned through the devotional exercises of fasting during the Holy Month of Ramadhan.

To achieve real success in all circumstances in life a disciplined moral-self is indispensable. The day of Id is the starting point of that disciplined life which was fashioned as a result of the rigid sustained devotion in the form of fasting.

At this point we must comprehend that social and spiritual bliss cannot be achieved without a strong inner conviction. Honesty cannot be advocated for others if we cannot practice it ourselves.

Love and affection cannot be strengthened if we ourselves cannot practice it. The Muslims are those who believe in the commands of Allah and do service to others.

The fasting teaches us to solve our daily problems and to learn to adjust our system to reduce hunger, poverty, and discomfort so prevalent in our community.

Let us therefore, on this important and significant occasion return to this natural and purified state in which God created us.

Let us from this day, maintain this state free from sins, so that we can truly withstand evil and destructive temptations that are ruining mankind.

Thus, Id-ul-Fitr conveys the message of social equality, charity to the poor and self-discipline to all mankind irrespective of their social status and ethnic origins. At this juncture it is our profound duty as true Muslims to transmit these values to other nations.

May Allah guide us to achieve these noble aims and grant us the good of this world and the good in the hereafter.
Global media started broadcasting footage of the destruction of the Grand al-Nuri Mosque and its leaning al-Hadba minaret, a holy site and a symbol of resolve of people in Mosul for nearly eight centuries by the Islamic State (IS) in the early hours of last Thursday. The destruction was popularly argued as the case of Islamic States reign in the key Northern Iraqi city of Mosul coming to an end with the imminent fall of the city to advancing Iraqi forces in the coming days.

Currently, amidst many wars that are gripping Middle East and North Africa, two key decisive battles are raging and their outcomes anticipated shaping the future of Middle Eastern politics and security. The battle for the second largest city in Iraq, Mosul and the Syrian city of Raqqa are underway and analysts fear especially the Syrian battle theatre may end up being the catalyst for a much larger conflict beyond the region given the number of players from USA, Russia, France, UK, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Iran being key participants.

The Battle for Mosul is key, the former strong hold of the deposed Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein and his Baath Party, was stormed by IS militants, numbering around 1,500 and successfully drove out an Iraqi military numbering 30000 troops of two divisions and another 30000 police personnel exactly three years ago.

The destruction was a sign of ISs reign coming to an end in Mosul

Radical extremism makes a lot of sense in the current global context, including Sri Lanka

Asian countries brace for more security threats after IS seizure of southern Philippines



The ISISs assault on Mosul in June 2014 was the largest military debacle in the history of the recent wars in the Middle East. The inability of 60000 Iraqi personnel armed with American weapons and weapon platforms to stop a few thousand rebels was a major embarrassment to the Iraqi government and the Americans. A simple figure is sufficient enough to expose sheer magnitude of this debacle, the Iraqi military lost between 2000  2300 Humvee vehicles to the IS, that were abandoned by the retreating forces.

These debacles led to the IS declaring its caliphate three years ago at the heart of Mosul by its leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi in the Al Nuri Mosque which was destroyed last week. While the current battle to retake Mosul is spearheaded by the Iraqi military aided by American advisors, the war in Raqqa is much more complex with Iranian, American, Saudi Arabian and Russian involvement. Yet the key observation among many experts is that the resolve of the IS and its grand plans to install a caliphate three years ago is withering away with imminent defeats in the last two major citiesthat it is controlling in Iraq and Syria.

Since the fall of Mosul in June 2014, as a response to ISs military advances the United States assembled a coalition of states to counter the threat from IS and launched a military operation code named, Operation inherent resolve. This coalition of North American, Western European, Gulf and Asian states allied to the United States is based on achieving five key objectives.

These objectives include efforts to curb IS funding and financing operations, deter and mitigate the flow of foreign fighters to the outfit, countering the intense IS propaganda that is driving global recruitment of Islamic State fighters, to provide military assistance to fight the IS and finally to find ways and means to stabilize areas that are freed from its control. While all five objectives are important, the last seems to hold the key in preventing a catastrophic implosion of the region.

Long term stability seems to be the hardest to achieve, the most visible aspect of these efforts have beenthe military operations especially the air campaign against IS targets. The cost of inherent resolve is significant; the total cost for the 1000-day campaign is around $ 13 billion which translates into a daily cost of $13 million. The air campaign has been the most significant coalition weapon of choice with a total of just over 22,000 air strikes over the last three years on targets in Syria and Iraq conducted by the US led coalition. The US has conducted nearly 18,000 of these strikes. Strikes by Russian or Assad regime forces on IS targets are not included in the statistics above.



The coalition is making a case that such military pressure coming from coalition campaigns and through coalition armed proxies are finally pushing the IS out of its strongholds and will eventually be defeated. On the contrary to these assessments, one enduring feature of modern day terrorism is its high adaptability, strategic retreat options and to re-manifest far away from current battle theatres. Al Qaedas major attacks did not start in the West or in Middle East, it announced itself to the world by a wave of simultaneous attacks in Kenya and Tanzania in 1998 targeting US embassies and the UN compounds, a decade on IS has taken the fight to the peripheries.

The best example is the emergence of IS-inspired Maute Group, in Lanaodel Sur in Mindanao, in the southern Philippines. The siege in the township of Marawi in Mindanao has just crossed 30 days, the more the conflict drags, IS will reap strategic benefits in its new campaigns in theaters far from the heartland of the caliphate. Mindanao is an island that has a population of nearly 22 million, little over the Sri Lankan population and nearly two thirds of the Sri Lankan land mass. Thus when an internal conflict flares in a region such as Mindanao, it is no easy task for a government to launch a full scale counter terror operation.

"Since the fall of Mosul in June 2014, as a response to ISs military advances the United States assembled a coalition of states to counter the threat from IS and launched a military operation code named, Operation inherent resolve. This coalition of North American, Western European, Gulf and Asian states allied to the United States is based on achieving five key objectives."



Such manifestations of the IS organization signify the potency of its ideology to be easily exported and adaptable to organizations that are not necessarily IS affiliates. From Boko Haram in Nigeria, Al-Murabitoun Brigade in Mali to recruitment of Uzbeks in Central Asia, IS has expanded its operations globally and in peripheral states. Attacks last year in Turkey were attributed to IS fighters from Uzbekistan and Chechnya.

A major concern for the global intelligence community is not the pure violent potential of IS and its affiliates but its ability to infiltrate liberal and conservative societies alike and remain hidden in plain sight while spreading its influence. There is a strategic sophistication of the IS organization which is far more superior to all other radical Islamic groups that operate globally. While Hezbollah maybe a well oiled military machine, IS seems to have a sense of global presence and global adaptation. Al Qaeda did have a global reach but its operations apart from 9/11 were more tactical in nature, purely attacking and harassing Western targets.

In a country like Sri Lanka, evolving a national security architecture which can detect and respond to threats emerging from radical extremism makes a lot of sense in the current global context. As in some societies extremist groups have chosen to lie dormant and silent but at the same time create necessary infrastructure and ground conditions ripe to exploit when deem necessary. With the IS attacks and activities increasing in peripheral states such as Philippines with increasing activity in countries like Indonesia, governments should take these signs as potential future threats of serious transnational terror activities. President Duterte was waging a war against drugs in the Philippines, now he has to deal with a fully-blown insurgency, some analysts try to connect the two, yet Philippines is a classic case study of mass strategic miscalculations and myopia of political populism.



The writer is the Director, Bandaranaike Centre for International Studies (BCIS)
he recent crisis in Sri Lankas Northern Provincial Council (NPC) has more to it than a fight against corruption. The recent no-confidence motion in the NPC in Jaffna, moved by a section of the Council members against Chief Minister C.V. Wigneswaran, has brought the deep divide in Tamil nationalist politics to the fore.

The turbulence lasted a week, after he called on two ministers to resign on corruption charges and two others to go on compulsory leave, until Tamil National Alliance (TNA) leader R. Sampanthan engineered a compromise that let Mr. Wigneswaran continue in power.

The controversy was essentially a manifestation of a simmering political conflict within the Tamil polity. Tension had been brewing within the NPC since the regime change in January 2015. The Tamil nationalists preferred discourse of victimhood and the need for international intervention during the authoritarian Rajapaksa regime suddenly confronted the geopolitical agenda of the West and India, which moved close to the new government in Colombo. The TNA leadership in Parliament shifted its approach towards engaging Colombo. However, the CM, along with politicians within and outside the NPC, firmly held his exclusivist, if not separatist, line.

In the parliamentary elections of August 2015, these fissures became pronounced with the CM supporting the hard-line Tamil National Peoples Front (TNPF) which suffered a thumping defeat. The TNAs landslide victory seemed a timely moment for the CMs removal, but Mr. Sampanthans indecisiveness let the status quo be.

"It is only a generational political shift breaking away from Tamil nationalism that can redeem Tamil society from its tragic predicament"





Political culture

The recent developments in the NPC also reflect worrying trends in Tamil political culture. The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and later the Rajapaksa regime had curtailed peoples struggles for decades. However, with democratic space opening after 2015, protests around land, fishing rights, wartime disappearances and militarization mounted. Through these agitations, the war-affected people voiced their growing frustration as their livelihoods remained precarious. But the government in Colombo was comfortably indifferent.

The lack of solutions through meaningful leadership in the TNA and the Colombo government has left the field open for the crass politics of nationalists aligned with Chief Minister Wigneswaran. Their campaigns are essentially repackaging the LTTEs politics of ethnic exclusion, often with anti-Muslim sentiments. They glorify martyrdom and victimhood, blame all ills on the south, and claim to be devoted nationalists who can lobby the West for deliverance.

"Tamil nationalist politics that has centred on exclusivism culminating in separatism, or demands towards constitutional change without political rapprochement requires a rethink"



It is true that substantive devolution is yet to be realised in the country, but the CM actively blocks development projects allocated from Colombo.The pro-Wigneswaran mobilizations culminated in attacks on the dominant sections of the TNA, with the labelling of politicians as traitors, reminiscent of the LTTEs politics of character assassination. Meanwhile, sections of the local Tamil media project his populist appeal through religious and cultural imagery betraying an emergent Hindu nationalism in Jaffna.

The Tamil chauvinist forces do not pose any threat to the state for the Tamil community cannot stomach another insurrection. However, they can further undermine the Tamil community by preventing moves to rebuild its social, economic and political institutions. While the LTTE mowed down committed social and political Tamil leaders for its military project seeking a separate state, its opportunistic and talking-head avatars pose a political threat to what remains of progressive Tamil society and its institutions.



Downward spiral

The next year, ahead of NPC elections, is likely to be wasted with a lame duck Council, with possibly more extreme nationalist theatrics to keep the Tamil population at boiling point. In this context, early elections, following its dissolution is one possibility. Alternatively, the electorate may demand changes in provincial governance through local struggles. The Centre also aggravates the dire state of the Tamil community with a terribly flawed reconstruction programme, with no meaningful investment in the local economy or job creation. The promised constitutional reforms to expand devolution of power have been virtually put on hold as the coalition government wobbles, with unchecked Sinhala-Buddhist chauvinist forces surging. Having wasted two and a half years in power, the President and the PM offer little confidence to the war-torn population by way of a solution. As for Tamil nationalist politics, whether it is the TNA leadership or its rivals little is likely to change. There isnt even reflection and introspection about how the LTTE and, for that matter, the current leadership have brought about this abject situation.

Chief Minister Wigneswarans politics have been a disaster. He has severed relations with the south and is the subject of ridicule by international actors whom he claims to lobby. However, the faith placed by many in Mr. Sampanthan as a senior leader who can finally deliver a solution is also waning, thanks to his political indecisiveness and failure to engage and mobilize the Tamil population.

In this context, Tamil nationalist politics that has centred on exclusivism culminating in separatism, or demands towards constitutional change without political rapprochement requires a rethink. It has never sought to genuinely engage the other minorities and progressive Sinhalese, or consider ways of achieving devolution of power in tandem with broader democratization and economic justice. Worse, it has failed to address the contradictions within its fold of caste, gender, class and religion, and instead depended on an elite consensus within its narrow, Jaffna-centred base. The downward spiral of Tamil nationalist political competition in recent years signals a destructive path for an already debilitated, war-torn society. It is only a generational political shift breaking away from Tamil nationalism that can redeem Tamil society from its tragic predicament.



Ahilan Kadirgamar is a political economist based in Jaffna

Courtesy The Hindu
A Constitution bench of the Supreme Court concluded its hearing on the issue of whether or not triple talaq in one sitting is valid. This was probably the first time when the Supreme Court took the initiative to examine the issue pertaining to personal laws. The central government and its allies heavily relied upon the practice in Muslim countries like Saudi Arabia and Pakistan where the practice of triple talaq has been abandoned. They also argued that it violated the principle of equality and constitutional morality.

When a similar issue relating to Muslim personal law was being argued in the Supreme Court in 2001  to save a 1986 law relating to maintenance  the central government, led by the BJP, argued that "personal law is legitimate basis for discrimination, if at all, and therefore, does not offend Article 14 of the Constitution".

This time, however, its stand has changed. Pro-ban parties never made the effort to tell the court that many of the practices followed by Indian Muslims are not similar to those held by other Islamic countries. Saudi Arabia largely follows Imam Hambal, Ibn Taimiya and Abdul Wahab, who laid the foundation for the fifth school of thought for Sunnis  the Ahl-e-Hadith.

Saudia Arabia has a population of about three crores and does not believe in many practices considered religious by Indian Muslims.

Traditions prevailing in Saudi Arabia should not be guiding factors for practices in India. The kingdom has not allowed the preservation of the houses of the Prophet and many of his companions. They have also not preserved the graves of many of the Prophet's close companions.

According to Saudi law, at the time of Namaz, nobody should be found outside the mosque. Women should don the burqa before leaving their homes. Polygamy is much more freely practised there than by Indian Muslims for whom it is a dying practice. Muslim women's literacy rate in Saudi Arabia is 81 percent.

On the other hand, of the total 17 crore Indian Muslims, the majority is Sunni and follows the Abu Hanifa school of thought. While practices like Dargah and Sufiism are not recognised in other parts of the Islamic world, for a large number of Indian Muslims they signify religious belief  protected by courts in India under religious practice.

Their social security, the duration of the legal process for undergoing divorce, their economic and educational status is different from a kingdom like Saudi Arabia. In India, if a Muslim does not wish to perform certain religious rites, she is protected under the Constitution and has the option of taking the route of Special Marriage Act.

Similarly, neighbouring Pakistan too cannot be compared with India. There too the issue of triple talaq created serious controversy. Ulemas in the country had expressed severe criticism in the face of a ban. While the law prohibiting triple talaq in one sitting is in place in Pakistan, the Talaq pronounced initially, if not revoked through arbitration process within 90 days, becomes final.

There is a time-bound conclusion recognised by legislation unlike in India. The supposed arbitrariness pointed out by the activists remains there as Talaq comes into effect after 90 days. Pakistan is an Islamic (theocratic) state where minorities belonging to all other religions make up less than four percent of the population. After decades of delay, they have a separate law for Hindu citizens.

Many scholars have stated that the practice of triple talaq, which is undesirable, is sinful as per Sharia and should be banned immediately. To do away with triple talaq, they rely upon the Ahl-e-Hadith. The courts in India too have relied upon it to decide cases of triple talaq. This has created the impression that the Ahl-e-Hadith is the general Islamic interpretation for all Indian Muslims  and it is incorrect.

In 1954, a seven-judge bench of the Supreme Court deciding the Shirur Muth case held: "After Sankara, came a galaxy of religious teachers and philosophers who founded the different sects and sub-sects of the Hindu religion that we find in India at the present day. Each one of such sects or sub-sects can certainly be called a religious denomination' as it is designated by a distinctive name, - in many cases it is the name of the founder, - and has a common faith. The Court clarified then that "Article 26 contemplates not merely a religious denomination but also a section thereof, the Muth or the spiritual fraternity represented by it can legitimately come within the purview of this article."

In December 2016, the Supreme Court held that "the freedom of religion under Articles 25 and 26 of the Constitution is not only confined to beliefs but extends to religious practices also".

In yet another judgment, the SC has held that "religious beliefs, customs and practices based upon religious faith and scriptures cannot be treated to be void" and in a pluralist society, as exists in India, the task of carrying out reforms affecting religious beliefs has to be left in the hands of the state and while performing judicial functions, the judiciary cannot and should not be equated with other organs of state  the executive and the legislature.

Another court

The Indian Hanafi School of jurisprudence too has a massive following based upon their faith and practice and a religious denomination. Like Christianity in India has different denominations  such as Catholicism, Protestantism, and Oriental Orthodox or denominations like Anand Margis, Agamas and Podhu Dikshitars among Hindus. The Supreme Court acknowledges all such denominations and certain practices have been refused permission only where public order and fraud are concerns.
Recent press reports indicate the US is preparing a new strategy for dealing with Afghanistan which would shortly be presented to President Donald Trump.

Inputs indicate a changed perception towards Pakistan, including reduction of financial aid, more drone strikes and removing the nation from the status of non-NATO ally, an action already initiated in the Senate, in addition to a surge in troops between 3,000 and 5,000 in Afghanistan.

Earlier, reports also indicated that under pressure from the Senate, the US government has ordered an inter-agency review of Americas support to Pakistan, which could curtail US funding.

To further add insult to injury, the ambassadors of Pakistan and Afghanistan clashed at an event organised by a Washington-based thinktank, Indus. The Afghan ambassador stated that only fish in the Indian Ocean do not complain of Pakistani interfering in their internal matters, all else do.

The Pakistani ambassador defended his nation by claiming that it cannot be blamed for all ills in Afghanistan, as terrorist attacks originate within the nation itself. To rub salt to the wounds, the US national security adviser, General McMaster, told Pakistani officials that the US could attack targets within Pakistan if American hostages held by the Haqqani network were killed.

This policy change comes when the US appears to be moving into a security isolation, with its NATO allies hesitant to contribute to a planned surge of troops in Afghanistan, which is on the cards.

Therefore, this reduces options for the US in handling the growing crises in Afghanistan, where Afghan casualties mount by the day, without seeking cooperation from nations, which though not part of NATO and unlikely to provide troops, could contribute in other ways. The US is compelled to shift tack because Afghanistan is unlikely to stabilise in the foreseeable future.

A few recent statements by the Pentagon seem to suggest their desperation in involving India, which could contribute in multiple ways. The first statement that India is Afghanistans most reliable partner, was mentioned in the latest Afghan report of the Pentagon, issued last week.

The second statement made in the same report reads Afghan-oriented militant groups, including the Taliban and Haqqani network, retain freedom of action inside Pakistani territory and benefit from support from elements of the Pakistani government.

Criticising Pakistans selective anti-terror operations, the report continues to state: Although Pakistani military operations have disrupted some militant sanctuaries, certain extremist groups, such as the Taliban and Haqqani network, were able to relocate and continue to operate in and from Pakistan. They were echoing Indias words of good and bad terror groups being employed as part of state policy by Pakistan.

These statements, as also releasing the sale of 22 Guardian drones to India, prior to the visit of PM Narendra Modi to the US, is an indicator of the US seeking to woo India, specifically for its anti-terror campaign.

Modi may not be expecting much from the US, other than ensuring that earlier relations continue and possibly develop, however, recent statements from the US as also a strong reference to terror emanating from Pakistan as part of the joint statement, indicate that the US desires that India become a partner in its anti-terror campaign.

While being aware that India is unwilling to contribute boots on the ground, there are many more areas for India to be involved. These areas include provision of spares for Russian origin equipment, enhancing supply of military equipment, financial assistance in developmental projects and training support for the Afghan military.

Training of the Afghan army has immense value in the long term and should be enhanced to the levels possible. The major benefit is, those who train in India, carry Indian ethos, culture and outlook, when they return. They would always be Indian supporters, hence unlikely to be swayed by Pakistan-supported militant sentiment. They would value freedom more than imposition of Sharia law.

For Pakistan, the pressures are only likely to increase. Removing Pakistan from non-NATO ally status would be akin to a slap on its face. Increasing drone strikes within Pakistan has more relevance, as it would severely impact the hallowed power of the army and the standing and stature of the government, especially as elections are around the corner.

The latest drone strike resulted in the death of a commander of the Haqqani network and led to the Pakistan opposition questioning its army chief on ensuring sovereignty of the nation. Regular drone strikes would anger militant groups, with breakaway factions within them changing tack to target Pakistan, adding to woes.

For the US, the ground reality is that talks with the Taliban is the only possible solution, but these must be conducted from a position of strength. Therefore, the Taliban and Haqqani leadership, operating from within Pakistan, must either be eliminated or forced into the mountains of Afghanistan, for subsequent engagement by US missile and air power.

It is only by degrading the leadership can they expect to negotiate. Hence, the US appears to be slowly losing patience with Pakistan, therefore it now seeks a new strategy aiming to deal with it.

The US still has to bank on the Karachi port and the land route emanating from there for move of its stores and supplies to Afghanistan. With a surge in troop strength, this dependency would only increase. Thus, any hard and determined action against Pakistan would be weighed within this limitation.

Pakistan knows it is being pushed into a corner. It is being compelled to walk a tightrope. It cannot let loose its dogs of war across either India or Afghanistan as one wrong strike could blow back on its face.
To win the Virginia governorship, Ralph Northam needs a message of his own  not a warmed-over version of Terry McAuliffes.

Northams campaign says hes working on it; that summer will yield for fall an emphasis on improving rural and urban economies untouched by the current expansion.

The lieutenant governors lopsided victory for the Democratic nomination  he defeated former U.S. Rep. Tom Perriello by nearly 12 percentage points  is viewed by activists as a better-than-encouraging sign for November.

But Ed Gillespie, the Republican nominee, will not go gentle into that good night  not in a lower-turnout gubernatorial election that can magnify the strength of the reliable, albeit narrowing, GOP vote.

Gillespie is a cagey, smooth-talking competitor who nearly retired U.S. Sen. Mark Warner in 2014. Gillespie wants to avenge that loss with an updated version of the tax-hostile, jobs-friendly meme that he hurled at Warner.

The Democratic primary wasnt as much about Northams vision for Virginia as it was his differences with Perriello on issues that resonate with the partys grass roots.

That Northam was firm on abortion rights and Perriello had been squishy. That Northam wanted tougher gun laws while Perriello hedged. That Perriello opposed twin natural-gas pipelines and Northams position was  and remains  mostly hot air.

Northam, balancing his loyalty to the pipeline-supporting McAuliffe with his need for the votes of pipeline-opposing greens, says he isnt taking a position on the projects until science weighs in. What Northam doesnt say is that a governor is pretty much helpless to stop the pipelines; that the issue will be decided by federal regulators.

Virginias enduring distaste for Donald Trump  he lost the state to Hillary Clinton in November and, ever since, his approval rating has been sinking  will stoke Democratic enthusiasm for Northam.

But the office for which Northam is running is not critic-in-chief of an unpopular Republican president, but governor of a state whose population increasingly reflects the nation as a whole.

McAuliffes approval rating  just more than half of Virginians say that he is doing a good job  means that Northam can promise a continuum; that he will preserve the policies that are the underpinnings of McAuliffes popularity.

This includes an emphasis on diversifying a state economy that, as the fiscal aftershocks of sequestration demonstrate, is over-reliant on federal largess, drawing more than 1 in 4 dollars from Washington.

But because campaigns are about the future, Northam must tell his own story, make clear what he would do free of McAuliffes shadow.

The Northam narrative has yet to fully emerge. His focus apparently will be on the economy, concentrating on regions overlooked or left behind as joblessness  measured statewide  which has steadily fallen over McAuliffes term. It is holding at 3.8 percent.

This month, Virginias labor force expanded for the 14th consecutive month to a record 4.3 million. But employment is largely contracting in Southside and Southwest Virginia, where textiles and coal  because of global trade and falling energy prices  have evaporated as legacy job-generators.

Its a topic on which Northam, so his handlers believe, can speak with authority. He is a native of the rural Eastern Shore, where farming and fishing once reigned. He migrated to a city  Norfolk  to practice pediatric neurology, mastering the business of medicine.

In a state where a governor is limited to a single non-renewable term  Virginia alone has such a restriction  running to succeed a popular chief executive of the same party is, on one level, the equivalent of the departing politician seeking re-election.

Thus, Northams thrust on the economy demands something old and something new.

The former would be the frothy salesmanship McAuliffe brought to economic development. The latter would include Northams proposal, rolled out in February, to make community college and job training free in high-demand fields such as cybersecurity and health care. In return, students would be obligated for a year of public service.

Plus, advancing a Wagnerian theme of his own is a diversionary tactic. Northam perhaps prevents Gillespie from picking away at the McAuliffe legacy. Also, Gillespie wont be able to depict Northam as more interested in treading water than navigating the currents of change.

This looking-back-while-looking-forward approach has been used by Democrats and Republicans.

In the 1985 gubernatorial election, Jerry Baliles said fellow Democrat Chuck Robbs investments in education would be part of larger emphasis on economic development that demanded improvements in transportation, later paid for with a promise-breaking tax increase.

Twenty years later, Tim Kaine said that Warners tax increase for schools, cops and human services  Warner also went back on his word not to raise taxes  required doing the same for the road system that hadnt been properly financed since the Baliles era.

In 1997, Republican Jim Gilmore said his plan to cut the car tax would perpetuate George Allens effort to control government spending.

What Gilmore didnt say is that the cost of his scheme would be far more than he claimed as a candidate, approaching a budget-busting $1 billion a year  and instilling, even in some Republicans, a wariness of tax cuts that potentially imperil Virginias ability to pay for basic services.

That includes Gillespies proposal for an across-the-board cut in the state income tax.

He says it would prune cash flow to the state by $1.4 billion. But those revenues wouldnt be available, for example, for higher education, forcing public colleges and universities to take even more out-of-state students who pay premium to attend a Virginia school.

Its a safe bet that Gillespie is pining for Northam, who wants to do away with the sales tax on groceries, to attack the income-tax cut as unaffordable. For Gillespie, theres no easier way to affix to Northam a tried-and-true GOP putdown: tax-and-spend liberal.

Its not a new message, but at least Gillespie has one.

Jeff E. Schapiro is a writer for the Richmond Times-Dispatch. Contact him at (804) 649-6814.
According to the provisions of GST, any entity whose business is above or equal to Rs 20 lakh must register itself for GST in the state where it carries its business

New Delhi: Days ahead of the launch of GST, the RSS's economic wing SJM has said the new indirect tax regime will "badly hit small businesses and push Chinese imports".

As the date of implementation of GST is approaching, the heartbeats of small entrepreneurs and traders are increasing, Swadeshi Jagran Manch National co-convener Ashwani Mahajan said.

He claimed that there was exemption on excise duty for production of up to Rs 1.5 crore for small scale industries.

"But now, according to the provisions of GST, any entity whose business is above or equal to Rs 20 lakh must register itself for GST in the state where it carries its business," Mahajan told PTI.

Small scale and cottage industries which are labour intensive will be severely hit by this law, as many of them are in the higher tax bracket, he said.

With the negative impact on these small industries, people in rural areas will lose jobs and at the same time imports of Chinese products will jump due to a slump in domestic production, Mahajan claimed.

The government has said the Goods and Service Tax (GST) could add two percentage points to economic growth. It is termed as India's most ambitious tax reform, creates a single economic zone with common indirect taxes.

There will be four tax slabs - 5, 12, 18 and 28 per cent.

The new tax regime will be launched at midnight on June 30 in the Central Hall of Parliament.
Mumbai: The BJP-led Maharashtra government on Saturday unveiled a Rs 34,020 crore farm loan waiver scheme, under which debt of up to Rs 1.5 lakh each will be written off, making 40 lakh farmers debt-free and providing relief to 49 lakh others.

Making the announcement here, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said this was the "biggest" loan waiver scheme in the country.

He also informed that all BJP ministers and legislators would contribute a month's salary towards the loan waiver.

"This Rs 34,020 crore loan waiver scheme -- 'Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Krushi Sanman Yojana' -- will benefit total 89 lakh farmers in the state, out of which 40 lakh cultivators will become debt-free," he told reporters here.

Fadnavis, who had been under pressure to bring in a major agrarian relief programme to help farmers hit by falling prices of produce and recurring drought, said the state cabinet approved the decision on Saturday.

"There has been a demand for loan waiver for farmers, who have been severely affected due to continuous drought since 2012. They were not able to get new loans for their crops until previous debt was paid. We have time and again assured that we will help the distressed farmers," he said.

"In the last 2-3 days, we have held dialogues with various stake-holders, leaders of political parties, farmers groups, and finally decided to grant the biggest loan waiver given by any state in the country," the chief minister said.

He said although the agriculture loans per household in Maharashtra were almost half as compared to other states, the state government decided to announce the biggest loan waiver scheme.

"The 7/12 land extracts of farmers having loans up to Rs 1.5 lakh will be cleared, thereby making around 40 lakh cultivators debt-free. Farmers, whose crop loan has been restructured from 2012 to 2016 and who are still defaulters as on June 30, 2016, will get incentives up to 25 per cent of the crop loan or Rs 25,000, whichever is less," he said.

He added: "For 6 per cent farmers, the government will bring in an OTS (one time settlement) scheme, under which those who have debts of Rs 1.5 lakh, will get 25 per cent of the outstanding amount or Rs 1.5 lakh, whichever is less."

According to Fadnavis, although the decision would put a burden on the government, it take some tough decisions to tide over. "We are aware that a decision of this scale will have a bearing on the fiscal health of the state. To counter this, some tough decisions will have to be taken".

He further said that all ministers, members of the state Legislature, Class-I officers, government employees, traders who are eligible to pay Value Added Tax (VAT), those people who are liable to file I-T returns from sources other than agriculture, have been exempted from the loan waiver decision.

He said, "Unlike the last time when the loan waiver was announced (by the Congress-NCP government), we take due diligence to ensure that there is no corruption in this scheme by banks. Banks will be monitored so that they disburse the loan amount to the beneficiaries."

According to the chief minister, the government would tie up with banks to fix a repayment schedule for farmers who take new loans, on the lines of that done by Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.

Farmers in the state had launched an agitation on June 1 to press for several demands, including loan waiver. The stir had disrupted supply of vegetables and other essentials to cities, including Mumbai for some days.

Their demand for loan waiver was backed by all political parties, including the alliance partners Shiv Sena.

The stir was called off on June 11 after the state government gave a firm assurance on brining in a comprehensive scheme to help the debt-pressed cultivators.

The government had also announced setting up of a high- level committee for the implementation of the scheme to decide on the criteria of debt relief.

The state government had also promised Rs 10,000 initial loan assistance at the start of Kharif season.
Kangana Ranaut and Karan Johar have been going at each other since their 'Koffee with Karan' episode.

New Delhi: The bold and beautiful Kangana Ranaut, once again, opened up on nepotism, adding that her much-talked about debate with Karan Johar on the same did not affect her at all.

During a recent interview with Anupam Kher, on his show 'Anupam Kher's People' for a leading channel, the 'Queen' star said that she felt KJo's blog on nepotism was "more of a brainwash than being objective."

"Honestly, the debate did not affect me at all. I am quite self-sufficient at this point of time in my life as I have also launched my own production house. I want to propagate my story and there should be nothing wrong about it. When Karan Johar posted a blog on nepotism, I felt it was more of a brainwash than being objective," she said.

For the unversed, in one of the episodes of the last edition of 'Koffee with Karan,' Kangana accused the filmmaker of favouring star kids. Though Karan took it sportingly on the show with a smile on his face, he later confessed that he was offended by the former's remark.

As a result, came the Dharma Production head honcho's cryptic tweet and blog 'In Defence Of My Nepotism,' leading the term to be the buzzing word in the B-town.

"Dear Nepotism...can you pave the way for skepticism and cynicism....both these words also want to be famous!!!!" he tweeted.

Being at her candid best, Kangana, during the interview, further said that the 'privileged' star kids effortlessly get audience and critics from the very beginning of their career, whereas, it takes a lifetime for an outsider to reach that starting point.

"Do these Bollywood kids know that it takes almost 10 years to build an audience and to get a critic. These star kids already start from a point where they have everything and they are not aware of the fact that for an outsider, it can take his entire lifetime to reach the starting point," she said.

Adding, "I got one critic after struggling for 10 years and no one cared whether I was alive or dead prior to me becoming a star. One has to earn their critics, so you are privileged, let me put this way and yes, it is not your fault. But at the same time, it is a democracy and we cannot let the society be segregated in this extreme manner and we have to make sure everyone is given the equal opportunities."

On the same note, the 30-year-old actress, who has been the target of several debates, when asked, is she someone who gets misunderstood easily, politely denied the statement.

She explained, "I don't think I am misunderstood, because I am an unusual person with an unusual life. The ones who get me, they are also unusual people. I don't think I am misunderstood by a set of people I know, but conventional people can have strong prejudice. Most of them who know me, they know, that she is someone who is hard to get."

On the work front, the actress will next be seen in Hansal Mehta-helmed 'Simran' and later in Krish's 'Manikarnika-The Queen of Jhansi.'
Fans of Sridevi would have been delighted to see her in the role of Sivagami, eventually played by Ramya Krishnan.

Mumbai: Sridevi is all set to make a comeback in Bollywood with Mom after a gap of five years post 2012 release English Vinglish.

The actress had also featured in the Tamil film Puli starring Vijay in 2015 between the two films, but could also have featured in another South film in the same year with a similar theme, the much more popular Baahubali: The Beginning.

Sridevi was offered the role of Sivagami, eventually played by Ramya Krishnan, but she turned it down.

Reports claimed that she turned it down because of the low remuneration she was offered for the part.

The actress finally spoke about refusing Sivagami role in a recent interview with journalist Rajeev Masand, though she didnt mention the reason for taking that decision.

Masand asked Srievi if she had watched the film, to which she replied, No. To be honest, I didnt see the movie.

She then went to on to say, But I would like to talk about this. It has become such a big issue and people are imagining things [as to why I have said no the film]. I have my own reasons. First of all two parts of Baahubali have come out, and now they are asking me. There are many films, I refused. Why are they not talking about it? Why only this film? I will go there and talk about it.

Though we would have loved to see Sridevi in a film of the scale of Baahubali, we also know that she has always been choosy about her characters.

The recent promos of Mom suggest that she has made the right choice again.
Washington D.C.: Rapper 50 Cent has admitted his love for the lauded British actress, Dame Helen Mirren.

The 71-year-old Oscar winner and the rapper were photographed at the closing ceremony of the Monte Carlo TV Festival on Tuesday.

The 41-year-old posted a newspaper clipping of the duo at the Monte Carlo TV Festival in Monaco, captioning, "I think I love her man, I'm trying not to stare at her. She know she turns me on. She just has that thing (sic), you know I can't describe it. LOL."

He's not the first younger star to admit to have a crush on 'The Queen' actress as her 'Woman in Gold' co-star Ryan Reynolds is also her huge fan.

Helen married movie maker Taylor Hackford in 1997 after a lengthy romance.
Its taken him a rather long time to get here, but actor Gautham Karthik has finally seen a hit in his latest Tamil film Rangoon. On a high after his movie received critical acclaim and praise from audiences, this Christ University graduate gets talking about his journey so far, his famous father and more.

Reacting to Rangoons success, an elated Gautham shares, Its a real morale booster. A lot of my films have gone unappreciated till now, but at least in this one, there is some recognition for my performance. Our entire team put in a lot of hard work, so obviously, everyone is thrilled to bits.

The actor now has Ivan Thanthiran lined up for release on June 30, post which he will be seen in Hara Hara Mahadevaki, Indrajith and Oru Nalla Naal Paathu Solren. Having worked with namma hudugi Shraddha Srinath in Ivan Thanthiran, he says, Shes a very talented, focused and determined girl. You can see her true passion for acting and performing when you work with her. Shes made a lot of sensible choices, so Im sure they will take her pretty far.

For someone who made his debut with the legendary Mani Ratnams Kadal, success evaded him for quite some time. How did he deal with the tough times? You just have to try and try again. Im not the kind to give up easily, especially when Im doing what I love to do. I love performing and putting myself in other characters shoes and try to deliver my best. Luckily, I had an abundance of scripts coming in despite the performances of my movies as people always believed that I could perform, says the actor.

Coming to the inevitable question that is often thrown at him, how has he dealt with the tag of being Karthik aka Navarasa Nayagans son? I dont think that tag will ever leave me. My dads a legend. I dont feel any pressure because I know Ive carved a track for myself and people have realised that Im not doing what my dad would do.

Interestingly, Gautham was part of a band during his college days. But he admits that he no longer finds the time to perform. I do go and chill out with other bands. Incarcerated is one of my favourites  they play blues and jazz  I like that kind of music. If I do perform, its usually when Im with my close friends, says the classic rock enthusiast. Having spent nearly five years here, Gautham cant help but get nostalgic about the city. I enjoyed cruising through Brigade Road. Id love to have my carefree college days back. I always had people around me and thats something I miss. I met some truly wonderful people there. I hope Bengaluru audiences like Rangoon when it releases there.
Separating conjoined twins can be a hard and difficult challenge and can even result in death. But, thanks to the efforts of close to 50 surgeons, two-year-old conjoined twins were successfully separated in Kenya.

In September 2014, twins Blessing and Favour, who were conjoined at the lower back, were referred to the Kenyatta National Hospital in Nairobi soon after their delivery, the Daily Mail reported.

Certain cases of separating conjoined twins can be complex and inoperable. However, the complication can be less for separating twins that are joined in the way the girls were. They shared a spinal cord, rectum, anus, some muscles, subcutaneous tissues and skin.

A team of neuron surgeons, plastic surgeons and paediatrics agreed that it was possible to separate the two, but it had to be done when the they got a little older to be able to handle the operation. So, for an entire year nurses and nutritionists at the hospital took care of the babies to get them ready for the surgery.

Meanwhile in preparation for the massive operation, a plastic surgeon created a 3D model of the childrens pelvis to map the surgery. After careful planning and precision the team was ready to perform the surgery. Medical experts operated on the twins for 23 hours straight.

While the operation was a success, one of the babies developed impaired movement on one of her ankle joints. However, after occupational therapy she was able to finally walk. Their wounds took three months to heal.

On June 15, 2017, Blessing and Favour were finally ready to go home where they received a warm and joyous welcome fit for two princesses.

The achievement by doctors at the Kenyatta National Hospital is a medical milestone for the country.

Their case, Dr Joseph Wanjeri one of the surgeons told The Conversation Africa, is an example of how intense nursing care, nutritional support, advanced wound care techniques and close monitoring by paediatric specialists has been imperative and critical to their recovery.

While the cause of conjoined twins is not yet known, it is thought genetic and environmental factors interacting could be a contributing reason. Globally, conjoined twins are found in one of every 50,000 live births.
Washington: According to a recent study, the scientists have tested an anti-epileptic drug for its potential impact on the brain activity of patients with mild Alzheimer's disease.

The team led by Daniel Z. Press, MD, of the Berenson-Allen Center for Non-invasive Brain Stimulation at BIDMC, documented changes in patients' EEGs that suggest the drug could have a beneficial effect. "In the field of Alzheimer's disease research, there has been a major search for drugs to slow its progression. If this abnormal electrical activity is leading to more damage, then suppressing it could potentially slow the progression of the disease," said Press, an Instructor of Neurology in the Cognitive Neurology Unit at BIDMC and an Associate Professor of Neurology at Harvard Medical School.

In the study, a small group of patients with mild Alzheimer's disease visited BIDMC three times. At each visit, patients were given a baseline (EEG) to measure the electrical activity in the brain. Next, patients were given injections containing either inactive placebo or the anti-seizure drug levetiracetam, at either a low dose (2.5 mg/kg) or a higher dose (7.5 mg/kg).

Neither patients nor medical professionals knew which injections patients were receiving, but each patient eventually got one of each type, in a random order. After receiving the injection, patients underwent another EEG, then magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) -- which measures blood flow in the brain, another way to quantify brain activity and determine where in the brain it is taking place.

Finally, patients took a standardized cognitive test, designed to measure memory, executive functioning, naming, visuospatial ability and semantic function - capabilities all affected by Alzheimer's disease. In the seven patients who were able to complete the study protocol successfully, Press and colleagues analyzed changes in their EEGs.

Overall, higher doses of the anti-seizure drug appeared to normalize abnormalities seen in the patients' EEG profiles. That is, researchers saw overall increases in brain wave frequencies that had been abnormally low in Alzheimer's disease patients prior to receiving the higher dose of levetiracetam, and, likewise, saw decreases in those that had been abnormally high. "It's worth noting, we did not demonstrate any improvement in cognitive function after a single dose of medication in this study. It's too early to use the drug widely, but we're preparing for a larger, longer study," noted Press.

The risk of developing Alzheimer's disease increases sharply with age. Today, it affects more than 5 million Americans, a figure that is projected to reach 16 million by 2050 as the population ages. In recent years, researchers have focused on developing techniques to clear the brain of amyloid and tau protein plaques that build up and wreak havoc in the brains of patients with Alzheimer's disease.

Press concluded by saying, "These strategies have not led to new therapies to date. There have been a lot of disappointments. So our findings represent an interesting new avenue." The research was published in the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease.
Hyderabad: The use of psychedelic drugs like Ecstasy can help to decrease suicidal thoughts, according to a Canadian study, but doctors in the city state that the risk-benefit analysis shows that there is more risk involved in taking the drug.

Those suffering from extreme depression or who are prone to suicide are prescribed anti-depressants and lithium carbonate. Dr I. Bharat Kumar Reddy, consultant psychiatrist at Apollo Hospitals, explained, Ecstasy is a psychoactive drug which gives an individual a sense of euphoria and heightened sensation. Many studies have spoken about its negative effects like memory problems and depression on long-term use. As such, it has not been accepted as yet for authorised medicinal usage. Doctors feel that even if it reduces anxiety symptoms it is only on a transient basis. Looking at the drugs risk-benefit ratio, using the drug is definitely more risky than beneficial.

Anti-depressants and other narcotic drugs are approved by the US Food and Drug Administration after extensive research. Dr Preeti Swaroop said, The existing line of drugs elevates the mood and helps people come off depression. It helps them to think less about suicide. But these drugs can be given only for a certain time period. It has to be followed up with therapy and other supportive programmes where the person finds himself of value to the family and society. A sense of belonging has to be felt by them and the family has to express the persons importance in their lives in many different ways.

The side effects of these drugs are nausea, dryness of the mouth, constipation and also drowsiness. Doctors state that they are self-limiting and the family has to supervise as there are chances that they can get addicted to these drugs.

Those suffering from mood swings in the working class benefit from medicines immediately. But those who have retired or are senior citizens require not just medicines but also a strong support therapy. Senior citizens, single adults and teenagers require a good combination of medication and therapy to move them out from their low mood swings.

Experts dealing with these cases in counselling centres across the city, state that those who contemplate suicide succumb to the mental trauma which they are no longer able to deal with themselves.

Dr G. Padmaja, a counsellor, said, They require to be handled very carefully by family members as even the slightest demonstration of anger or even a wayward comment makes them feel unwanted. We follow up on patients, sometimes for over two years. It takes a lot of time for them to unburden themselves. For this reason, therapy has to continue for a longer period of time and even after the medicines have stopped.

Often, therapy is not given importance by the patients relatives who find that they are absolutely normal after medical treatment. Mr Narendra P. Rao, counsellor at a helpline centre, said, When therapy is followed properly the chances of a relapse are minimised. Even if there are episodes of depression the family is aware about whom to reach out to. The close family members living with them are taught to look out for particular signs and symptoms of depression. They are also aware of the points of contact where immediate help can be provided.

Drugs used for therapy

LSD  Lysergic acid diethylamide/Acid  that causes hallucinogen

DMT and Ayahuasca

Magic mushrooms called psilocybin

Mescaline

PCP or Angel Dust

Side effects

Nausea, dryness of the mouth, constipation and drowsiness.

Doctors state that these drugs are self-limiting and the family has to supervise as there are chances that they can get addicted to these drugs
Video footage captures a stunning battle between two deer, whilst up on their hind legs. The 11-second clip posted on Facebook shows the white-tailed bucks getting in a vicious brawl and hitting each other with their front hoves.

During this time of year, bucks form "bachelor groups", according to the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA) who posted the video. This happens when their antlers are still growing and they have low levels of testosterone.

Antlers at this stage become very sensitive, which is why deer become protective of them. Hence, when they fight they use their hooves.

TWRA believe the pair was fighting over the food plot in Hardeman County. "They were both eating. Anytime you get two animals the same size like that nobody wants to back down," wildlife officer Bubba Spencer told WMC Action News 5. Adding, "I think if it would have been a bigger food plot I don't think it would have been an issue."

Even thought the fight looked brutal, Spencer confirmed neither buck suffered horrific injuries. The video has garnered 333, 000 views.

Watch them in action here:
On June 18, he took the girl and travelled to Sindanur in Karnataka where he kept the girl in a government primary school and raped her on multiple occasions. (Representational image)

Hyderabad: Hayathnagar police arrested a man who raped his 13-year-old step-daughter in Karnataka. Police said Medishetty Santosh Reddy, 36, was earlier arrested for raping and was out on bail. Hayathnagar inspector J. Narender Goud said the girl is the daughter of a woman who is in a live-in relationship with Santosh since 2011.

Police said he had previously picked up the victim from school and raped her in a wooded area. He was arrested and sent to remand and released on bail three months later. He found that the woman had shifted to Hayathnagar, apologised to the mother and resumed their relationship. On June 18, he took the girl and travelled to Sindanur in Karnataka where he kept the girl in a government primary school and raped her on multiple occasions. On June 21, he brought her back to Hyderabad, dropped her at the bus station and fled. The police tracked him down and arrested him on Saturday.
Lucknow: In a shocking incident, a man and his family tied their 22-year-old daughter to the cot, doused her with kerosene and burnt her to death in Moradabad district on Saturday afternoon. The victims sister-in-law was also set on fire when she tried to protest.

The father Mashroof Raza Khan was upset because his daughter Gulfasha had married one Sajjad three years ago against wishes of her family. Her family had refused to accept the relationship.

City SP Ashish Srivastava said that Mashroof Raza Khan attacked Gulfashas house at a time when all her in-laws were away to attend a funeral.

Gulfasha was at home with her two-year-old son and sister-in-law Shabnoor on Friday when her father and others allegedly roughed her up and set her on fire. Shabnoor tried to raise an alarm and was also set on fire by the assailants. Both the women died on the spot but the child was spared.

SP Ashish Srivastava said that based on preliminary evidence and the statements given by the families it seems to be a case of honour killing. The charred remains of the bodies were also recovered and sent for postmortem.

Sajjads father registered an FIR under 302 (murder) and other sections of IPC against 11 people including Mashroof Raza Khan. One of the accused, Gulfashas cousin Ashraf, has been arrested. Police are on the lookout for the others.
New Delhi: The Army is now actively considering recruiting civilian staff in peace stations to do away with the colonial-era Sakayak system, in the wake of rising cases of jawans coming out openly against it.

A top Army official, however, said the Sahayaks or buddy system whereby a solider is attached to officers  will continue be deployed in key bases and field areas as they have defined military duties.

"We are looking at getting civilian staff to replace Sahayaks in peace stations," the official said.

In the recent months, a number of videos had surfaced where some army jawans were seen voicing their anger over the Sahayak system with some even alleging that they are treated as servants by the officers whom they are attached to.

The official said the option of deploying civilian staff at peace stations instead of Sahayaks will help the Army in economising on its man power as well.

"Currently, we are examining various aspect of the option," he said, insisting Sahayaks cannot be replaced in field units.

In March, the government had strongly defended the Sahayak system in the Army, saying it provides an "essential support" to officers in "fully" attending to their duties in times of peace and war.

At the same time, the government had said Sahayaks or orderlies are combatants and exhaustive instructions have been issued to not make them perform menial tasks which are not in conformity with the dignity of a soldier.

An annual conference of top army commanders in April had held extensive deliberations on the Army's "internal health" including on Sahayaks, and decided to reorient the human resource policy of the force.

Sahayaks are soldiers and their duties include protecting the officers, maintaining their weapons and equipment and helping them in carrying out their responsibilities.

In March, the body of a jawan, Roy Mathew, was found hanging at Deolali cantonment in Maharashtra after a sting video, which showed him complaining about being made to do household chores of superior officers, went viral.

Days later, a sepoy also posted a video online criticising the Sahayak system and accused the senior officers of treating them as "slaves".
Srinagar: Seven persons, including four of a family from Delhi, were killed and two persons were injured on Sunday after the Gondola (ropeway) in Kashmirs premier resort of Gulmarg derailed. Chief Minister, Mehbooba Mufti, has ordered an inquiry into the mishap and announced ex-gratia relief of Rs. 5 lakhs to the kind of each killed person.

The witnesses said that a cable car came crashing down from a height of, at least, 100 feet after derailing from a pulley. Officials said that the mishap occurred after a pine tree fell in the impact of strong winds on the Gondola, snapped the cables and brought one of the cable cars crashing to the ground. The victims have been identified a couple from Delhis Shalimar Bagh -Jayat Andraskar and Manisha Andraskar- and their daughters Anaga Jayant and Anushka Jayant and their local guide Mukhtar Ahmed, a resident of Chountpathri Babareshi (Gulmarg). Two others who also lost their life in the mishap are Jahangir Ahmad Khanday, also a guide, and Farooq Ahmad Chopan. The injured are Ajaz Ahmed Ganie and Tariq Ahmad Katariya.

Director Tourism Mahmood A. Shah who immediately rushed to the scene of occurrence said. The very unfortunate happened due to felling of a tree in the impact of heavy winds over the ropeway between tower number 7 & 8 of the Cable Car Project. One cabin got derailed from its pulley and crashed down resulting into the tragic death of seven people.

He said that a rescue operation was quickly started for about 100 other people who were stranded in other 15 cable cars. Necessary efforts were made to take back the cabin, fixe the ropes and ferry stranded tourists back to Gulmarg bowl, Shah said. Officials in Gulmarg told over the phone that the service was restored after being stopped briefly.

The Gulmarg Gondola service has been operated successfully since 1998 when it was built by the French firm Pomagalski. The two-stage Gondola ferries about 600 people per hour to and from Kongdoori Mountain, a shoulder of nearby 13,780-feet-high Afarwat Peak. It is for the first time that the joint venture of the Jammu and Kashmir government and Pomagalski witnessed a deadly mishap.

Former Chief Minister and opposition National Conference (NC), Omar Abdullah, while expressing his condolences in a series of tweets, questioned why the service was not shut down during high winds as a precautionary measure. He tweeted, If this is what happened it begs the question as to why the cable car operations weren't suspended in high winds. That's a laid down SOP".

The present incumbent Mehbooba Mufti has expressed grief and shock over the tragic accident and said that she was herself monitoring the rescue operations. She announced ex gratia relief of Rs. five lakh in favour of next of kin of those killed. She also directed conducting of a high level inquiry to know of the causes or lapses, if any, that led to the accident.
Mumbai: The steering committee of farmer leaders on Sunday rejected the Maharashtra government's mega loan waiver scheme, saying there should be no upper limit for the waiver.

The BJP-led government had on Saturday unveiled a Rs 34,022 crore farm loan waiver scheme, under which debts of up to Rs 1.5 lakh would be written off, giving relief to some 89 lakh farmers.

However, the committee of farmer leaders, which met at the office of Communist Party of India (M) in Mumbai, demanded that the entire outstanding loan be waived.

Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Dr Ajit Navale, member of the committee, said, "The scheme has upper limit of Rs 1.5 lakh. So if a farmer has an outstanding loan above it, he would not benefit from it. It is not in line with our demand of blanket loan waiver.

"A meeting will take place in Nashik on July 9, where the waiver scheme and its details will be discussed. The steering committee will then kick-start a Sangharsh Yatra (protest campaign) against the government which will conclude on July 23.

"We will hold a statewide agitation on July 26 because our demands have not been addressed by the government. We do not subscribe to this loan waiver scheme," Dr Navale said.

The steering committee of farmer leaders and activists was formed amid the farmers' agitation which roiled the state earlier this month.
New Delhi: Investigations into a case of terror funding in the Kashmir Valley being carried out by the National Investigation Agency (NIA), has revealed that the founder of Jamaat-ud-Dawa, Hafiz Saeed, pumped in almost Rs 50 crore for subversive activities in the region following the killing of top Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani in July last year.

The FIR lodged by the NIA in connection with the case also names Saeed, who is probably the most-wanted terrorist in India and mastermind of the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack, as one of the main accused for financing terror activities in the Valley. The Enforcement Directorate (ED), which also lodged a case on Saturday to investigate the money laundering angle in terror financing, too, has named Hafiz.

The NIA, along with Central intelligence agencies, has launched a massive probe into money being pumped into the Valley through the hawala channels and cross-border trade across the Line of Control. This money is being used not just for terror operations but also being paid to separatists for stepping up violent activities like stone pelting in the Valley.

These details have emerged during the course of elaborate investigations carried out by the NIA and intelligence agencies.
Father Vazhachira was last seen near St John Church. (Photo: Twitter | @Religiolizer)

Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Sunday urged the Centre to take steps for a probe into the death of 33-year-old Keralite priest at Edinburgh in the United Kingdom.

The body of Father Martin Xavier Vazhachira, belonging to the CMI Congregation, who had gone missing, was found on a beach in Edinburgh yesterday, as per a message received by the CMI Church in Thiruvananthapuram.

In a letter to External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, Vijayan sought an investigation into the death citing concerns of the priest's family.

Vijayan said the priest, hailing from Pulinkunnu in Alappuzha district of Kerala, had gone to Edinburgh for higher studies last year.

He had served at St John the Baptist Church, Corstorphine in Edinburgh.

The chief minister also asked Swaraj to take steps to bring the body of the priest to the state as early as possible.

He said the church and relatives of the priest were anxious over the incident.

The role of terror outfits in the case was also being discussed on social media.

In these circumstances, the Indian High Commissioner in London should be directed to arrange for a probe to find out the truth behind the death, Vijayan added.
Raipur: Over one dozen Naxals and three jawans were killed in anti-Naxal 'Operation Prahaar' in Chhattisgarh, said Special Director General of Police DM Awasthi on Sunday.

The DG said that approximately 1500 security personnel participated launched a 56-hour long offensive against Naxals.

"Three District Reserve Guard jawans have been killed and five suffered injuries. Over one dozen Naxals were killed and eight to ten were injured. It was a 56-hour long operation. Approximately 1500 security personnel participated in this joint operation which ended today," said Awasthi.

He said that it was first of its kind initiative wherein the firing lasted approximately for 12 hours.

A composite squad of the STF, District Reserve Group (DRG), Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and its elite unit-CoBRA (Commando Battalion for Resolute Action) began the operation based on inputs about the location of Maoist hideouts in the interiors of Chintagufa, around 500 km from Bastar, on Friday.

Meanwhile, two CoBRA personnel have been critically injured in an IED blast in Bijapur, while returning from an operation on Sunday.

Also, the security forces in Dantewada's Dodi Tumnar busted a naxal camp from where they recovered five hand-made grenades and paraphernalia from their possession.

Earlier on Saturday, two police personnel were killed and seven other personnel injured in two separate encounters with Naxalites in insurgency-hit Sukma district.

Four separate encounters between Naxalites and security forces have been reported in the state since Saturday. While two encounters took place in Sukma on Saturday, others occurred in Bijapur, including one on Sunday morning.
Special task force of police positioned outside a school during search operation after the CRPF vehicle was attacked by militants at Pantha Chowk in Srinagar. (Photo: PTI)

Srinagar: The militant duo trapped inside a school in Srinagar after they killed a CRPF Sub-Inspector and injured a constable in a sneak attack on Saturday was killed in a gun battle which lasted for over 17 hours on Sunday.

Officials said that the militants targeted a stationary CRPF vehicle at Pantha Chowk along the Srinagar- Jammu highway and about 6 kilometres from the City centre Lal Chowk at round 5:30 pm on Saturday. CRPF SI Sahab Shukla was killed and constable driver Nisar Ahmed and a civilian pedestrian were injured.

The assailants after the attack rushed into nearby Delhi Public School (Srinagar) campus which was encircled by the security forces to start operation to flush them out. The officials said that a gunfight broke out around midnight between the security forces and holed up militants. An Army Captain and two other security personnel were injured in the encounter.

There condition is stable now, officials said.

Shortly before dawn huge blasts erupted inside the camps which was followed by intense firing from automatic weapons. Reporters and TV crews were not allowed to go near the encounter site.

Later the security forces officials announced that both the militants have been neutralised and that their bodies were lying inside.

J&K Police Chief, Shesh Paul Vaid, while speaking to reporters said that the enemy has nefarious designs to destroy school buildings in the Valley so that our children abandon their studies.

He added that the operation at the DPS (Srinagar) was carried out meticulously. The staff and whoever was inside the building was evacuated yesterday. Cordon was maintained and we have had room intervention done and got these terrorists eliminated, but with minimum collateral damage, he said. He also said that the security forces ensured that school property stayed safe because the enemy has a nefarious design that the school buildings are destroyed and children have nothing to study and ultimately abandon their studies. We will foil such attempts.

Replying to questions, he said that the operation drew longer because it was a huge building having 36 rooms and halls and long corridors and balconies and the security forces had to search and secure these one by one. The school has six more buildings.

The attack on the CRPF was owned by Lashkar-e-Taiba.

On Saturday evening while the security forces were readying for the operation, a policeman accidentally fired his weapon injuring a J&K policeman and a CRPF jawan.

The authorities imposed security restrictions under Section 144 CrPc in the four kilometres radius area and Ram Munshibagh - Sempora stretch of the Srinagar-Jammu highway to enable smooth operation and prevent people from relocating to the encounter site. Mobile 3G and 4G Internet services were suspended and the speed of broadband on fixed landline was also brought down in the Kashmir Valley as a precautionary measure.
Hubballi: Questions over whether the Karnataka government was clamping down on press freedom was uppermost as officers of Bengaluru Crime Branch reached Dharwad on Saturday to arrest well known journalist Ravi Belagere, editor of Hi Bangalore, in the aftermath of order of a years imprisonment announced by Speaker K B Koliwad earlier this week.

High drama unfolded outside SDM Hospital, where Mr Ravi Belagere has been undergoing treatment as these officers waited to take him into custody soon after his discharge. Doctors, however, did not disclose his health condition till night and whether he would leave the hospital Saturday night.

The ailing but feisty editor has said however that he would rather end his life than surrender to the police, and described the order to arrest him as an attempt to stifle the media. I have no enemies in political circles. All are my friends once I enter the legislature, but they are all enemies once I come outside. I am not the kind of person who will remain a mute spectator, silently watching my arrest. I am strong enough to fight a legal battle against the system and attempt to curtail my rights to write against the mistakes and failures of the government", he told the media. He was admitted to the hospital when he complained of chest pain at 3 am on Saturday. The CCB police had rushed to a farmhouse in Joida taluk of Uttar Kannada district where the journalist was staying. The police officials reached the hospital in Dharwad when they did find him in the farmhouse.

Members of his family told DC Mr. Ravi Belagere had been suffering from hyperglycemia and high blood pressure for several years. On Friday, he was in Joida in Uttara Kannada district. By afternoon, he developed health complications and was rushed to Dharwad and he has been hopitalised since Friday night. Doctors have said that he has to be under observation for four days. However, we will move the high court for bail on Tuesday, they said.

The run in with the law is a direct result of article published in Hai Bangalore in 2014 where Mr. Belagere writes a weekly column that is as notable for its prose and command of language as for its trenchant critique of the establishment. In 2014, when he was a legislator, Mr Koliwad had moved a breach of privilege motion against Mr Belagere. It was referred to the Privileges Committee by Speaker Kagodu Thimmappa. Earlier this week, Mr Koliwad gave his consent for the detention of Mr Belagere and Anil Raju, editor of Yelahanka Voice.

In Bengaluru, members of Bangalore Reporters Guild and Bangalore Press Club submitted a memorandum to CM Siddaramaiah expressing grave concern over the order by Mr Koliwad. We respect the decision of the Speaker, the memorandum said, but added it was causing concern among the media fraternity. The legislature commands great respect. We request you to ensure that the decision is reconsidered, it said.
Hyderabad: Thousands of abandoned borewells are posing a threat in rural Telangana. The panchayat raj and rural development department which conducted a survey in February-May 2015 after a girl died in a Ranga Reddy district borewell, found that there were around 30,000 unused borewells which have to be capped.

Then PR&RD minister K.T. Rama Rao issued orders to collectors to cap and fence abandoned borewells but nothing was done.

Mr Rao warned of police cases against the officials concerned in case a mishap occurs in an unused borewell in their jurisdiction. However, even after two years thousands of unused borewells continue to exist.

With one more girl dying in RR district on Sunday, the government has again issued directions to all collectors to cap unused borewells as per the 2013 guidelines of the Supreme Court. After the latest mishap officials closed over 5,000 unused borewells in three days in undivided RR district alone.

The main problem is the lack of monitoring of borewells. Though laws say that permission from panchayats and urban local bodies are a must to dig a borewell that remains on paper. The menace of borewells is more in Telangana due to lack of irrigation facilities. On an average, each farmer digs five borewells to irrigate a five to 10-acre field. Of this, only one yields. Normally, farmers dont fill up failed borewells hoping that it may collect water if there are rains. So abandoned borewells exist in all villages.

PR&RD minister Jupally Krishna Rao said, A special drive is being planned till July-end to cap unused borewells. Teams from PR&RD, revenue and local bodies will inspect all villages. If any unused borewell without cap or fencing is found after this criminal cases will be booked against the landowner and in case of deaths the officials concerned will be held responsible.

Mr Rao said panchayats will be held responsible for borewell mishaps as they are the competent authority to approve borewells.
Bengaluru: With Governor Vajubhai Vala accepting the resignation of Dr G. Parameshwar on Saturday, intense speculation has commenced within the Congress on who take over the coveted portfolio of home ahead of next years elections to the Legislative Assembly.

Initially, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah was contemplating retaining the portfolio or asking his aides, K. J. George or Dr H. C. Mahadevappa, take over the mantle, but top sources in the ruling party said the old formula was dumped as both seemed to have expressed their helplessness to take over this portfolio.

Besides, Mr George taking over as home minister was ruled out as Mr Siddarmaiah himself was not keen to handover this key portfolio to any leader from minority community as it could provide the Opposition BJP, to focus all efforts on highlighting failures of the new home minister.

While the names of energy minister, D. K. Shivakumar, and some senior leaders cropped up for discussion, Mr Siddaramaiah felt that the former was not a media friendly person as he was at logger heads with many media personalities due to his highhanded behaviour.

Although, a section of journalists back him for various reasons, there is silent influential group within media too, which at times becomes vocal against leaders like Mr Shivakumar. Thus the Chief Minister camp is weighing lot many options before picking the next home minister, sources added.

Sources said the Chief Ministers camp had set off a new round of speculation that Mr Siddamaraiah could pick an youngster to head the key department as minister of state under tutelage of his adviser and retired IPS officer, Kempaiah.

Such a person's job will be cut out for him. He or she will insulate the Chief Minister from trouble. While another important job is to win the confidence of a large group of influential police officers, who developed some kind of disliking for Mr Kempaiah, who is the de facto home minister, Mr Kempaiah is known for his highly opinionated personality. Thus he has his share of enemies within his former department. Hence, the Chief Minister is contemplating a candidate who will suit such a role ahead of the Assembly elections, sources added.
The BJP central parliamentary boards choice of Ram Nath Kovind as the nominee of the party and of the National Democratic Alliance for the presidential election next month, and the rump Opposition choosing the Congress Meira Kumar as its candidate to counter Mr Kovind, is seen for what it is  a battle of symbolism at many levels. It is obvious that the two main political formations decided to field dalit candidates as they believe the office of the President of India is not politically crucial, and that they can afford to appear to be liberal and inclusive and generous in choosing a member from the most oppressed segment of Indian society. There is a temptation to dismiss this as mere tokenism, but that would be inaccurate. The Indian polity has changed in a great many ways, and dalits cant be used as political pawns any longer. Dalits, thanks to Bhim Rao Ambedkar, and in the last quarter-century Kanshi Ram and Mayawati, have become the bishops, knights and rooks on the Indian chessboard. They have become strategically important. Dalits now have a rightful place in the Indian polity despite the persisting discrimination and oppression.

Its not hard to guess that neither the BJP nor the Congress will ever choose a dalit as Prime Minister of India, at least not yet. But these parties and the others recognise that dalits are important in the electoral arithmetic and they cannot be ignored, and that they need to be offered something substantial. The Presidents office seems to be substantial enough, without giving away the key post of Prime Minister. Congress-baiters are sure to argue that the choice of both P.V. Narasimha Rao in 1991 and Manmohan Singh in 2004 was based on the perception that they were politically weak and that the need of the hour from the Congress point of view was a weak Prime Minister. But Rao did not follow the script and Dr Singh held his own contrary to perceptions and insinuations. And it has to be said in favour of the BJP that it chose the strongest person they could find at the time  Atal Behari Vajpayee in 1996 and Narendra Modi in 2014. It means there is a possibility that the BJP could choose a dalit Prime Minister if someone with the energy and ambition and flair of a Vajpayee or a Modi were to emerge, and who was able to carry the other sections with him or her.

Ambedkarites are sure to ask was not Ambedkar the man who could have carried the others with him? The harsh fact is no, he could not have and no one saw it more clearly than Dr Ambedkar himself. The Catch-22 situation for the dalit leader is this: Once you identify yourself as a dalit leader, you lose out on the support of others, and if you take the position of an unaffiliated leader  like Jawaharlal Nehru, and to a great extent Indira Gandhi  you will lose out on the support of the core group. There is little doubt that Indian democracy will throw up a dalit leader who will not be identified only as a leader of dalits. We must remember that Barack Obama would not have become President of the United States if he was seen only as a black leader. For now, dalit leaders must settle for the second-best post in the political arena: that of President. The apparently tangential and hypothetical question needs to be asked: would the Congress leaders in the 1950s have chosen Ambedkar for President? The answer is a clear no. There are two reasons for this. The competition was immense, and there is little doubt that Ambedkar ranked high among his peers though they strongly disagreed with his unambiguous political stances. Rajendra Prasad was not really a backbencher who was pushed into the front row to be President.

Again, to be fair to Nehru, he wanted C. Rajagopalachari to be the first President, and Rajagopalachari was no second-ranking leader by any stretch of the imagination. Second, Ambedkar was not a member of the Congress, despite the many efforts the party makes to appropriate him, though again only symbolically and not substantially. Ambedkar, Prasad and Rajagopalachari would have made for a great contest. By 1957, Nehru preferred S. Radhakrishnan as President, but Prasad held his own because he had strong backing in the generally conservative Congress. Nehru, the liberal and socialist, was in a minority in his own party, a fact that is often overlooked by historians as well as political commentators. But Nehru seemed to have felt that the Presidents office should not become another political centre. He wanted it to remain a ceremonial, constitutional office, without much pomp and much less power. Radhakrishnan was seen as an eminent, non-political person.

This perception that the President should be a weak political leader has strengthened. The only man who could not be called a weak political leader and who became President was Shankar Dayal Sharma. Though R. Venkataraman was politically shrewd, he was not a political leader. Outgoing President Pranab Mukherjee too belongs to the Venkataraman group, and not to that of Sharma. The BJP, then, has chosen a weak political leader, Ram Nath Kovind, to be President, and the Congress has reciprocated, by zeroing in on the second-ranking Meira Kumar. The two parties share the view that the President shouldnt be a force to reckon with politically. It will be argued that in a parliamentary democracy, theres no room for a politically assertive President. It seems to make sense, but its not true. The Constitution has vested the President with enormous discretionary powers, and political parties are aware its not safe to trust the powerful office with a powerful leader. Thus everyone talks of how the President of India is the symbol of the republic, which is inane and platitudinous talk.
Forget Gen. Raheel Sharif this, Gen. Qamar Bajwa that, Nawaz Sharif stupid, Imran Khan clueless. Step back, breathe, and try and trace where this is going. We are sinking into a militancy trap. Because were hitting them, the militants, they cant strike as much and as often as they did or would like. But the pattern is clear. Occasionally, theyll get past the defences and wreak carnage in the heartland. Parachinar and Quetta are shorthand for violence. If there were no militancy, those areas would still be violent. Parachinar and Quetta are violent because of State failure. And there lies the militancy trap were sinking in. Assume Quetta was RAW, Parachinar, the Afghan NDS. Monsters both of them and not very hard to believe. The bald version of why theyre doing it is that they hate us and hate the idea of Pakistan; they will not stop until Pakistan ceases to exist. The slightly more sophisticated version is that the militants are real but India and Afghanistan prefer an unstable Pakistan to a meaningfully stable one. The stronger version of that is a stable Pakistan is inimical to the interests of India and Afghanistan. The milder version is that its a game of reciprocity; they hit us because they think were hitting them.

Because of the way Pakistan is, because of the resources the State has and the ideas that flow through its people, Pakistan is  and will remain  vulnerable. Not vulnerable in a do-as-you-please kind of way, but vulnerable in the way were seeing: this pattern of frequent, sometimes big strikes in the periphery and occasional, mostly small strikes in the heartland. Lets scratch around the RAW-NDS rabbit hole a bit more. The dirty little secret is not that Pakistan is newly vulnerable, but that Pakistan has always been vulnerable. On Indias side, it was hesitation before  the systems aversion to dabbling in non-states. In Afghanistan, it was chaos that prevented the coalescing of a tit-for-tat strategy. So, if anythings changed its the willingness of India and Afghanistan to do with enthusiasm now what they did reluctantly before, and their luck in finding these proxies here and now. Terrible, awful, villainous. But that still leaves us with a question: How do we get to zero? From maximum militant violence, the peak between 2007-2011, weve arrived at the current point: the occasionally big attack in the heartland and the many, frequently big in the periphery. Put a number on it. Lets say were 70 per cent of the way there; the optimists may say 85.

From here, more of the same wont  cant  work. Hammer away at the militant remnants, penetrate the hardest of networks. Not as long as zones such as Parachinar and Quetta exist. And they will always exist. Not those places specifically, but zones that look like them. Zones that much of Pakistan looks like: big populations, limited State, vulnerable to all kinds of non-State and outside influence. The obvious State response, from inside the rabbit hole, is to continue relentlessly with operations  find and eliminate militants wherever they are found  and raise the cost on the outsiders interfering. But that is exactly the militancy trap. To raise the cost on outsiders interfering, we need to retain the types causing them trouble.

But survival of one kind of militancy is survival of other kinds of militancy. To put it another way: hanging on to the anti-India and anti-Afghan lot makes us vulnerable to other kinds of militancy, the kinds that India or Afghanistan could be tempted to use against us. If thats trite enough  zero tolerance is the only path to zero militants  work through the implications. Somewhere, someone knows the same. Somewhere, someone, here in this land, has decided that its a price worth paying  by us. The further depressing possibility is that India and Afghanistan also know the same. They want to hurt us  or at least make our security architects think they are hurting us  because they want to punish us and cause a rethink in policy here. But the hurt and punishment they inflict on us may only cause us to prolong what theyre trying to curb. If we, Pakistan, are unwise, they, India and Afghanistan, are foolish. Thats the tragedy of our region. Thats the militancy trap.

By arrangement with Dawn
(Xinhua) 10:21, June 25, 2017

BEIJING, June 24 -- Sun Lingjun, 35, is looking forward to the upcoming Summer Davos meeting in northeast China's port city of Dalian, Liaoning Province.

Representing Dalian locals at the forum, the entrepreneur will have access to nearly all conferences but the closed-door sessions, a rare opportunity for him to rub shoulders with global opinion-makers.

"I am eager to hear new insights and incorporate them into our strategies and operations," he said.

Sun believes the meeting will give a push to his company, Dalian CheeringTech, which made more than 6 million yuan (around 900,000 U.S. dollars) from sales and services of its primary product, the world's smallest smart camera controller, in Europe, the United States and other overseas markets last year.

FAVORABLE TRADE WINDS BLOWING STRONG

Sun's enthusiasm for Summer Davos, officially the Annual Meeting of the New Champions, is echoed across the country. Over 2,000 figures from politics, business, civil society, academia and the arts will assemble in the city from June 27 to 29 to discuss topics from inclusive growth to the new industrial revolution.

Established by the World Economic Forum in 2007, the meeting is held each year in China, alternating between Dalian and Tianjin.

Summer Davos has been good for Dalian, reshaping the landscape of regional economy and strengthening the port's trade with other markets. The city has become a financial, shipping and logistics center for northeast China and beyond.

"By hosting Summer Davos, Dalian has become an international city, a showpiece of reform and opening up and a center of economic growth," said Guo Xikun, an official coordinating the meeting.

Dalian registered 6.5 percent economic growth in 2016, the only city with any significant growth in the whole province. The city imported nearly 180 billion yuan of goods last year, and exported over 160 billion yuan, more than half of the province's total.

Summer Davos has brought the world to doors of many local firms.

"We are based in Dalian but think of ourselves as a global business," Sun said. Around 95 percent CheeringTech business came from overseas last year and Sun is now helping other companies raise funds via websites like Indiegogo and Kickstarter.

A local manufacturer of numerical control machines, Dalian Guangyang Science &Technology Engineering has products that compete with global leaders.

"We have mastered the core technology of an area once seen as a weak link in China's manufacturing sector and we are now expanding into the international arena," Guangyang's chairman Yu Dehai said.

SMOOTH SAILING AHEAD

"Foreign firms see Summer Davos as a bellwether of China's economy and external policies," said Lawrence Lin, managing director of Orix Corporation's China branch.

The Tokyo-based financial multinational set up its China headquarter in Dalian in 2009 when the meeting was held there for the second time. In 2015, it increased its registered capital by 300 million U.S. dollars, encouraged by growth prospects.

"The decision to invest more in China has been very good for our company," Lin said. Orix's global revenue grew 13.1 percent in the last fiscal year and net profits rose by 5 percent.

Following Orix, other foreign investors began to set up businesses in Dalian. Temasek, a Singapore investment company, established a joint venture and spent 1 billion yuan building an IT park, which is now home to branches of IBM and Konica Minolta, among others. Woon Yun Ling, senior general manager of the park, said the company plans to spend another 200 million yuan on expansion.

During the Meeting of the New Champions two years ago, Dalian reached investment agreements worth 3.4 billion U.S. dollars with foreign companies, including Goodyear, Maflow, Pfizer and SoftBank Group, in areas including finance, manufacturing and e-commerce. To date, 18,600 foreign-funded companies have invested more than 100 billion U.S. dollars in Dalian.

Lin's company is considering patent cooperation with a local research institute and hopes to assist in the reorganization of state-owned enterprises.

"The industrial potential and R&D capability of the city and broader northeastern China are attractive to overseas investors," he said.
The second big wave of farm loan waivers has come. Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis hasnt just waived off loans of almost 90 per cent farmers but also offered an incentive to reward loan-repaying farmers with a grant. This will cost the state exchequer Rs 34,000 crore, the huge sum being second only to UPs Rs 36,000 crore. It represents good politics, at a time farmers are hit by a double whammy of deficient monsoons and falling prices after a good harvest. With farmer suicides on the rise, the threat of an escalating agitation has forced a major agricultural state to act before things get more out of hand. With Karnataka waiving Rs 8,165 crore in crop loans and the Madras high court ordering waiver of loans of all farmers, the total is almost Rs 75,000 crore.

In principle, loan waivers make for bad economics. The quantum of loans written off may ultimately reach Rs 1.8 lakh crore. The Union finance minister has declared the Centre will not foot any bills. Besides such waivers setting off a chain effect among all states, which may be forced to follow suit or be seen as anti-farmer and thus anti-people, it brings into question the very framework of the borrowing and lending process. Farmers are fighting not just drought but also falling prices, while support prices have been stagnant. The real solution doesnt lie in loan waivers but in a package of science, technology, insurance and money.
There are ten asteroids that the space organisation NASA said this month have been classified as potentially hazardous based on their size and their orbits in our Solar system.

NASA has now identified 693 near-Earth objects thanks to the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer spacecraft thats been looking for potential threats to Earth since 2013.

The organisation doesnt specify what kind of hazard these ten asteroids pose. But Earth has been hit by objects in the past, with devastating effects. Scientists largely agree that it was an asteroid or comet impact that started the chain of events that wiped out the dinosaurs around 60 million years ago.

Every year several previously unseen asteroids whizz past Earth, sometimes with only with a few days warning. This year two of these asteroids came very close to Earth, with one in May sailing past only 15,000km away. On cosmic scales, that was a very close shave.

But impacts from objects in space are just one of several ways that humanity and most of life on Earth could suddenly disappear.

We are already observing that extinctions are happening now at an unprecedented rate. In 2014 it was estimated that the extinction rate is now 1,000 times greater than before humans were on the Earth. The estimated number of extinctions ranges from 200 to 2,000 species per year.

From all of this very worrying data, it would not be a stretch to say that we are currently within a doomsday scenario. Of course, the day is longer than 24 hours but may be instead in the order of a century or two.

So what can we do about this potential prospect of impending doom? We can try to avoid some of the likely scenarios. We should act to tackle climate change and we can develop new asteroid-tracking systems and put in place a means to deflect an asteroid on a collision course with Earth.

But the threats we face are so unpredictable that we need to have a backup plan. We need to plan for the time after our doomsday and think about how a post-apocalyptic Earth may recover and humanity will flourish again.

A backup plan

Some efforts to backup life on our planet have already started. Since the 1970s scientists around the world began to store seeds of potentially endangered plants. There are now dozens of seed banks or vaults scattered around the world.

The most famous is the Svalbard Global Seed Vault, located on a remote Norwegian island about 1,300km from the North Pole. The location was deliberately chosen to afford the project safe and secure long-term storage in cold and dry rock vaults.

But there were reports earlier this year that the vault had suffered issues with water from the surrounding melting permafrost (caused by global warming) gaining entry to parts of the structure.

Less common are vaults for storing biological material from animals. There are a handful of so-called frozen zoos around the world. They store embryos, eggs, sperm and more recently DNA of endangered animals. So far, sperm, eggs and embryos that have been frozen for roughly 20 years have been shown to be viable.

All of the storage methods that involve freezing have the same problem that the material is at risk of thawing out if the freezing methods fail. Storing frozen biological material for centuries or even millennia on Earth is not realistic.

Humans can now sequence a whole genome of a living organism and the cost has reduced to the point where it costs less than US$1,000 to sequence the human genome. This process effectively turns the information from any organisms cells into data.

If future scientists can create living DNA from the genome data and can then create living organisms from that DNA, then having the data alone may be sufficient to backup the Earths living organisms.

Where to store the backups?

But where should humanity store the backups? As French president Emmanuel Macron said recently, there is no plan B because there is no planet B, echoing 2014 comments from Ban Ki-moon when he was secretary general of the United Nations.

Backing up on Earth seems a high-risk strategy, equivalent to having a computer backup on an external hard drive that sits right next to your computer.

So given that the motivation for backing up Earths organisms is the likelihood of Earth itself suffering a catastrophe, it follows that our planet is not the best location for the backups. The partial flooding of the Svalbard Global Seed Vault illustrates that perfectly.

Perhaps the obvious place to locate the backups is in space.

Seeds have already been taken to space for short periods (six months) to test their viability back on Earth. These experiments so far have been motivated by the desire to eventually grow plants in space itself, on space stations, or on Mars.

Space is a harsh environment for biological material, where cells are exposed to potentially very high doses of radiation that will damage DNA. Storage of seeds in low Earth orbit is desirable as Earths magnetic field provides some protection from space radiation. Storage outside of this zone and in deep space would require other methods of radiation protection.

The other question is how you would get seeds and other biological material safely back to Earth after a global disaster. Now we get to the robotics that can help, as autonomous re-entry of biological material from orbit is totally feasible.

The tricky part is for our orbiting bio-backup to know when its cargo is required and where to send it to. Perhaps we need a global limited robot crew  such as David in the recent Alien films  that would wake up the orbiter when it is needed.

Alternatively, it could be staffed by a rotating crew of wardens similar to the International Space Station. These people could carry out other important scientific work too.

Other locations in space for storage of biological material or data include the Moon, and the moons of our solar systems gas planets asteroids or deep space itself on free flying spacecraft. Such projects have been proposed and groups around the world have begun planning such ventures.

So it seems that some people have already accepted the fate of humanity version 1.0 and that it will end sometime in the relative near term. The movement to create our backup ready for humanity version 2.0 has already begun.

(This article has been taken from The Conversation.)

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Welcoming the UKs focus on low-cost, reliable commercial spaceflight activities in todays Queenss Speech, a UK company has revealed details of a 1200m2 space rocket factory currently building vertical launch vehicles that will be launched into orbit from the UK.

Orbex, a UK company that has raised significant venture capital investment, is building a space micro-launcher, a small launch vehicle able to transport payloads of up to 150kg to Low Earth Orbit (LEO). The company is already using the existing factory to build key launch vehicle subsystems, and is currently looking for an additional 2000m2 production facility in Scotland.

Were planning to launch our vehicles into orbit from Scotland, so building up a new production facility to support that activity locally makes complete sense, said Chris Larmour, CEO. Weve identified an excellent launch site on the north coast of Scotland and have been working with various regional and national agencies to make detailed proposals for development. We expect to create around 250 new high-tech jobs directly or indirectly, and create significant new revenues for UK-based suppliers and partners as our activities expand in the UK, he continued.

Orbex has kept development under wraps over the past two years, but has been making rapid progress in private, while also keeping regulatory authorities fully informed. Weve already built ignition systems, main engines, avionics and cryotanks at our existing factory and have recently completed a series of main engine hot fire tests at our own engine test site, said Kristian von Bengtson, Orbex CTO. Our engineering team has experience of building several rocket engines and launch vehicles, many of them with backgrounds working at NASA and ESA, which is a set of skills that gives us a very strong competitive advantage against global competition, he added.

The UKs focus on orbital launch of small satellites is a perfect match for the Orbex vertical launcher, which has been specifically designed to transport small satellites into low Earth orbit from the UK. A UK-based vertical launch capability also completes the end-end value chain in the UK, which already has a very strong satellite manufacturing sector. Vertical launchers are the industry standard, used by all major nations and spaceflight companies for efficiency and cost effectiveness. The Spaceflight Bill first published earlier in 2017 and confirmed in todays Queens Speech reinforces the UKs commitment to creating a native vertical launch capability.

Orbex recently demonstrated its rocket engine technology to 450 investors during a major venture capital conference in Germany, as well as presenting privately during the Paris Air Show at Le Bourget this week. Orbex has also recently made several new hires from the UK aerospace sector to work on launch vehicle avionics subsystems.

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The Trump administration has authorized the sale of unarmed surveillance drones to India, the manufacturer said Friday, as the two nations' leaders prepare for their first face-to-face meeting.

India initiated its request to buy 22 Guardian MQ-9B unmanned aircraft for maritime surveillance last year. The deal is estimated to be worth about $2 billion. The offer is still subject to congressional approval.

The green light from the administration marks a further deepening in defense ties as India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi meets with President Donald Trump at the White House on Monday.

Modi's two-day visit to Washington, which starts Sunday, takes place amid uncertainty over the relationship because of differences on trade and other issues.

So far in his presidency, Trump has focused on outreach to China, India's strategic rival, as he looks to Beijing to rein in North Korea. But Washington and New Delhi share concerns about China's rise as a military power.

India reportedly wants the drones for surveillance of the Indian Ocean - waters that China's navy increasingly traverses after establishing its first overseas base in the Horn of Africa nation of Djibouti. India's archrival Pakistan would also likely be opposed to the drone sale.

"We are pleased that the U.S. government has cleared the way for the sale of the MQ-9B Guardian to the Indian government,'' Linden Blue, CEO of the manufacturer, General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, said in a statement. Blue added that it would "significantly enhance India's sovereign maritime domain awareness in the Indo-Pacific.''

A congressional staffer familiar with the matter confirmed the administration has approved the sale. The staffer was not authorized to discuss the potential deal and requested anonymity.

David McKeeby, spokesman for the State Department bureau of political-military affairs, said it does not comment on proposed defense sales before Congress is formally notified.

A senior White House official said Friday that the U.S. is interested in providing India the kind of high technology it provides to its closest allies and defense partners. That is important to the strategic partnership and for cooperation in areas like the Indian Ocean, and also creates U.S. jobs, said the official, who requested anonymity to brief reporters on the preparations for Modi's visit.

India does not have a formal alliance with the U.S., but defense ties have intensified in recent years with joint drills between the two militaries and defense sales. The South Asian nation, which has traditionally bought most of its defense equipment from Russia, is looking to upgrade its capabilities.

Since 2008, India has signed more than $15 billion in U.S. defense contracts, including for C-130J and C-17 transport aircraft, P-8I maritime patrol aircraft, Harpoon missiles and Apache and Chinook helicopters.

Ashley Tellis, an expert on South Asia at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, said the U.S. decision to offer the Guardian aircraft to India is significant as the U.S. has a standing policy of declining export of such advanced drones other than to allies involved in combined operations with U.S. forces.

"Much bureaucratic china within the U.S. government had to be broken to get to this decision,'' he said.

There could still be pushback from Congress. While there is bipartisan support for closer U.S.-India security ties, some lawmakers remain wary of the export of U.S. drone technology to non-allies.

Modi, a Hindu nationalist, will be making his fourth visit to the U.S. since he took office in 2014. He forged a strong relationship with President Barack Obama, and on his last visit in June 2016, he addressed Congress and described the U.S. as an "indispensable partner.''

The visit is likely to be lower key and aimed at building a personal bond between the two leaders, who have spoken twice by phone since Trump took office. Modi will be the first foreign dignitary to be hosted for dinner at the White House during Trump's presidency.

They share a populist streak and a knack for using social media, and are likely to find common ground on combating Islamic extremism. Modi will be urging a tougher stance on Pakistan over militants that India blames for attacks on its territory.

But there could be increased strains on trade issues.

India is among nations singled out by the Trump administration for their trade surpluses with the U.S., which in India's case totaled $30.8 billion in 2016. New Delhi is also closely watching the administration's review of the H1B visa program, under which thousands of skilled Indian workers come to the U.S.

New Delhi was irked by Trump's decision to pull out of the Paris climate accord. In making the announcement, the U.S. president said New Delhi had made its participation ``contingent on receiving billions and billions and billions of dollars in foreign aid.'' India denies that and says it will continue to be part of the accord, regardless of U.S. participation.

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The National Cyber Security centre is part of Britain's GCHQ spy agency, set up last year to tackle what the government believes is one of the biggest threats to British security.

Britain's parliament was hit by a "sustained and determined" cyber attack on Saturday designed to identify weak email passwords, just over a month after a ransomware worm crippled parts of the country's health service.

The House of Commons said it was working with the National Cyber Security Centre to defend parliament's network and was confident it had protected all accounts and systems.

"Earlier this morning we discovered unusual activity and evidence of an attempted cyber-attack on our computer network," an email sent by parliamentary authorities to those people affected said.

"Closer investigation by our team confirmed that hackers were carrying out a sustained and determined attack on all parliamentary user accounts in an attempt to identify weak passwords."

Britain's National Health Service was hit by a massive global ransomware worm in May which crippled the computer system and forced some hospitals to turn away patients.

The National Cyber Security centre is part of Britain's GCHQ spy agency, set up last year to tackle what the government believes is one of the biggest threats to British security.

Chris Rennard, a member of the Liberal Democrat party in the upper House of Lords, was the first to draw attention to the problem, using Twitter to announce: "Cyber security attack on Westminster, Parliamentary emails may not work remotely, Text urgent messages."

A spokeswoman for the House of Commons confirmed that unauthorised attempts had been made to access parliamentary accounts and said systems were in place to protect member and staff details.

"As a precaution we have temporarily restricted remote access to the network," she said. "As a result, some Members of Parliament and staff cannot access their email accounts outside of Westminster."

Liam Fox, the minister for international trade, said the attack was not a surprise and should act as a warning to people across the country to the threat posed by cyber hackers.

"We've seen reports in the last few days of even cabinet ministers' passwords being for sale online," he told broadcasters.

"We know that our public services are attacked so it's not at all surprising that there should be an attempt to hack into parliamentary emails."

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi reached Washington DC. His USA visit will witness various programmes including talks with US President Donald Trump and meeting with top CEOs. (Photo: PMO_India/Twitter)

Washington: Prime Minister Narendra Modi was on Sunday greeted by a group of people from the Indian community who were waiting for him outside a high-security hotel here where he is staying.

Modi arrived in the American capital on Sunday for his first bilateral meeting with US President Donald Trump.

A small group of people from the Indian community were waiting outside Willard InterContinental to catch a glimpse of the Indian prime minister.

As Modi's motorcade arrived at the hotel, he got out of his vehicle and walked up to the group of people, waving his hand.

The Indian community members burst into loud cheers and chanted "Modi-Modi" as Modi walked up to them.

During his three-day visit, Prime Minister Modi will also interact with about 20 leading American CEOs followed by an Indian-American community event in Washington DC suburb of Virginia.

The programme is likely to be attended by about 600 members of the community.

Trump will host Modi at the White House on Monday afternoon and the two leaders will spend about five hours together in various settings beginning with their bilateral discussion, delegation level talks, a reception and a working dinner, the first of its kind hosted by this administration.
President Donald Trump appeared to admit that Russia had interfered in the 2016 US presidential election in a Friday night tweet in which he criticised Barack Obama for his handling of Russia's cybertattacks that were meant to swing the election away from Hillary Clinton.

Just out: The Obama Administration knew far in advance of November 8th about election meddling by Russia. Did nothing about it. WHY, Mr Trump tweeted.

If that wasnt enough, Mr Trump in an interview on Fox News also said that Mr Obama knew about Russia before the election, and he did nothing about it. The CIA gave him information on Russia a long time before they even before the election, he said, adding, if he had the information, why didnt he do something about it?
Washington: Calling Prime Minister Narendra Modi a true friend, President Donald Trump has said he looks forward to the Indian leaders visit to the US.

Look forward to welcoming India's PM Modi to @WhiteHouse on Monday. Important strategic issues to discuss with a true friend!  President Trump (@POTUS) June 24, 2017

Modi arrived in Washington on Sunday for his first meeting with US President Donald Trump as part of a three-nation, four-day tour.

The two leaders will hold talks on Monday afternoon in the White House and will spend several hours together in various settings including one-on-one and delegation level meetings, a reception and a working dinner.

The working dinner that Trump is hosting for Modi is the first of its kind under the administration.

The White House is very interested in making this a special visit. Were really seeking to roll out the red carpet. In fact, the two (leaders) will have dinner, a working dinner at the White House.

This will be the first dinner for a foreign dignitary at the White House under this administration. So, we think thats very significant, a senior administration official told reporters at the White House.

Ahead of his US visit, Modi said he is looking forward to the opportunity of having an in-depth exchange of views.

My USA visit is aimed at deepening ties between our nations. Strong India-USA ties benefit our nations & the world, he had tweeted.

In a statement posted on Facebook, Modi said his two-day visit to Washington from June 25 was at the invitation of Trump.

Apart from official meetings with Trump and his cabinet colleagues, Modi will be meeting some prominent American CEOs.

I welcome Indian PM @NarendraModi to the United States and reaffirm the unbreakable bonds between our two nations.  Kamala Harris (@SenKamalaHarris) June 24, 2017

In the first leg of the tour, Modi visited Portugal where he held talks with Prime Minister Antonio Costa.

After the US visit, Modi will travel to the Netherlands on June 27 where he will have a meeting with the Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte and call on King Willem-Alexander and meet Queen Maxima.
Washington: Prime Minister Narendra Modi today said India has now emerged as a business-friendly destination, more so with the upcoming implementation of landmark GST beginning next month, while asking CEOs of top US companies to invest in the country.

Modi, during his meeting with the CEOs of top 20 American firms, also said that India attracted largest foreign direct investment (FDI) as a result of the NDA government's policies in the last three years.

"Interacted with top CEOs. We held extensive discussions on opportunities in India," Modi tweeted after the meeting that lasted for about 90 minutes.

In the round table interaction with the group that included Tim Cook of Apple, Sunder Pichai from Google, John Chambers from Cisco and Jeff Bezos of Amazon, Modi listed out steps taken by his government in the last three years and next moves.

"The whole world is looking at India. 7,000 reforms alone by GOI for ease of (doing) business and minimum government, maximum governance," Gopal Bagley, spokesman of the Ministry of External Affairs quoting the prime minister as saying. India's growth presents a win-win partnership for the country and the US, and American companies have a great opportunity to contribute to that, Modi told the CEOs, according to Bagley.

"The implementation of the landmark initiative of GST (Goods and Services Tax) could be a subject of studies in US business schools," Modi said. During the interaction at the Willard Hotel, where he is staying, Modi gave a patient hearing to the wish-list of the CEOs.

The Prime Minister pointed out opportunities for tourism through developing hotels in "PPP (public private partnership) model" at 500 railway stations, Baglay said.

"In concluding remarks, PM stresses imp of coopn 4 start up, innovation &tapping huge intellectual, edu & vocational training potential in India," Baglay tweeted.

The CEOs lauded the Prime Minister's initiatives of demonetisation and digitisation of economy and the GST, the spokesman said. The CEOs also expressed support for 'Make in India', 'Digital India', 'Start Up India' and other flagship initiatives of the government.

"CEOs applaud reform measures and steps taken by the government to improve ease of doing business," Baglay tweeted. "CEOs outline priorities in India and suggestions for mutually beneficial partnerships in line with inclusive growth," he said, adding that they reaffirmed their commitment to growing with India and attested to its attractiveness as an FDI destination.

Pichai told reporters after the meeting that they were excited about investing in India. Praising the steps being taken by the Indian government in the last three years, he said the US companies are looking forward to the roll out of the GST.

"Good," said Cook as he emerged out of the meeting. The US-India Business Council (USIBC) president Mukesh Aghi said the CEOs praised the reforms being undertaken by the Prime Minister and underscore his efforts to make India a business-friendly destination.

Responding to a question, Aghi said H-1B issue was not discussed at the meeting. Among other CEOs present at the meeting were Shantanu Narayen from Adobe, Ajay Banga from Mastercard, David Farr from Emerson, Doug McMillon and Punit Renjen from Deloitte Global. Mukesh Aghi, president of the US India Business Council, was also present at the meeting. Posting a group picture of the prime minister with the CEOs, Bagley said, "strengthening the Indo-US economic partnership".

In a recent policy document, USIBC said the US-India commercial and strategic relationship supports global security, promotes economic growth and creates jobs for both countries and the global economy.

"Today, as we witness a paradigm shift in the erstwhile global order, an opportunity has emerged for both countries to set new standards in bilateral ties that will be bound by their shared values," USIBC said.

Noting that US-India trade has tripled over the last decade, reaching a historic high of nearly USD 110 billion in 2015, USIBC said there is an opportunity for both the countries to also sync their regulatory and standards system to increase trade and investment.

In a separate statement, Jagdip Ahluwalia, executive director of Indo American Chamber of Commerce of Greater Houston, said the United States and India share a very symbiotic relationship, and Modi?s first face to face visit with Donald Trump is important to strengthen the relationship between the two.

"On behalf of Houston, the energy capital of the world and home of the world's largest Medical Center the IACCGH and the strong Indian American community hope to welcome Prime Minister Modi to Houston in the not too distant future,? Ahluwalia said.
National police chief Tito Karnavian said last week about 40 suspected militants had been detained in recent weeks. (Photo: Representational/AP)

Medan: An Indonesian police officer was stabbed and later died of his wounds in an attack by suspected Islamist militants in the city of Medan, a police spokesman said on Sunday.

Police shot dead one suspect and one was arrested after the attack on a police post in the capital of North Sumatra province, police spokesman Rina Sari Ginting said by telephone. The perpetrators had scaled the fence of the police post near police headquarters and shouted "Allahu Akbar" (God is greatest) before stabbing the officer, said Ginting.

The attack will compound fears about rising militancy in Indonesia, which has the world's biggest Muslim population.

Islamic State sympathizers have carried out a series of mostly low-level attacks in Indonesia over the past few years.

National police spokesman Setyo Wasisto said authorities were investigating whether the attackers were inspired by Islamic State and acting on the instructions of Bahrun Naim, an Indonesian who went to fight for the militants in Syria.

There are fears across Southeast Asia that as Islamic State loses ground in the Middle East, it will seek footholds elsewhere. Indonesian authorities have tightened security for this weekend's Eid al-Fitr holiday marking the end of the fasting month of Ramadan.

Last month, a suicide bomb attack by Islamic State-inspired militants at a bus station in the capital, Jakarta, killing three police officers.

President Joko Widodo has urged parliament to accelerate plans to tighten anti-terrorism laws to meet new dangers, including giving police powers to detain suspects without trial for longer and to arrest people for hate speech or for spreading radical content and joining proscribed groups.

National police chief Tito Karnavian said last week about 40 suspected militants had been detained in recent weeks.
Government troops have launched a relentless air and ground offensive in a bid to crush the militants. (Photo: Representational/AP)

Marawi: The Philippine military declared an eight-hour ceasefire Sunday in its offensive against Islamist militants occupying parts of the war-torn city of Marawi, to allow residents to celebrate the end of Ramadan.

Military chief General Eduardo Ano said his forces would implement a "humanitarian pause" during the Eid al-Fitr holiday in Marawi, the most important Muslim city in the mainly Catholic Philippines.

"We declare a lull in our current operations in the city on that day as a manifestation of our high respect to the Islamic faith," Ano said in a statement.

The Eid al-Fitr festival ends the fasting month of Ramadan when observant Muslims do not eat or drink between dawn and nightfall.

Hundreds of militants, flying the Islamic State group flag and backed by foreign fighters, seized swathes of Marawi in the southern region of Mindanao last month, sparking a bloody street battle.

Government troops have launched a relentless air and ground offensive in a bid to crush the militants but have failed to dislodge gunmen from entrenched positions in pockets of the city.

Much of the lakeside city is now in ruins while most of its 200,000 residents have fled to evacuation centres or to the homes of relatives and friends in other towns. In Iligan just north of Marawi, evacuees from the conflict dressed in colourful flowing robes marked the end of Ramadan by holding prayers on the grounds of the city hall.

Armed commandos from the police Special Action force stood guard as the prayers were held.

Ano said the ceasefire will last from 6am, when Eid prayers start, until 2pm when festivities are expected to culminate. But he warned the truce would be "lifted immediately" if the security of troops or civilians is jeopardised by renewed firing from the militants.

Military spokesman Brigadier General Restituto Padilla said around 500 civilians remained trapped in areas where the fighting is concentrated. Fourteen people, mostly elderly, were rescued on Friday, he said.

After the ceasefire ends "we will continue to try to enter the areas occupied by them and liberate Marawi," Padilla said on radio station DZBB.

Nearly 300 militants and 67 government troops have been killed in the fighting, according to official figures. Marawi's mayor Majul Usman Gandamra said volunteers are trying to take advantage of the lull to "rescue" some of the trapped civilians. "This (Eid) is memorable because we are celebrating it away from our homes," he said.

"We are hoping that this problem will soon be over. I urge everybody to continue praying so that the turmoil in our city of Marawi will end," the mayor said on ANC television.

In May Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte declared martial law across all of Mindanao to quell what he said was a rebellion aimed at establishing an Islamic State province in the area.

Foreign fighters, including those from Chechnya, Indonesia and Malaysia, are among those killed in the Marawi conflict. A senior military commander said on Saturday that Isnilon Hapilon, a leader of the Marawi attack and one of America's most wanted terrorists, may have slipped out of the city.

Australia has sent two high-tech surveillance planes to help Filipino troops in Marawi, joining the United States which has also provided military assistance.
Sydney: An Air Asia flight to Malaysia was forced back to Australia on Sunday due to a technical problem, with one passenger saying the plane was "shaking like a washing machine".

The Airbus A330 from Perth to Kuala Lumpur experienced problems about 90 minutes into the journey. It landed safely, with Perth Airport reporting a "technical issue".

"The pilot identified technical issues, turned around and returned," an airport spokesman said, adding that emergency crews were put on standby but not needed.

The Malaysian low-cost carrier said only that "flight crew are taking precautionary measures to check the aircraft".

It was the second scare involving an Airbus A330 in Australia this month, with a China Eastern plane making an emergency landing in Sydney after a huge hole appeared in one of its engine casings.

Terrified passengers on that flight described a very loud noise soon after it left Sydney for Shanghai. No one was hurt. The West Australian newspaper cited passengers on Sunday's flight as saying they heard a bang and then the plane started shuddering.

"You could tell by the cabin crew's reaction that it was really bad," said Sophie Nicolas, who said she heard a small explosion from the left wing. "It was terrifying." Another passenger, Brenton Atkinson,said the Australian Broadcasting Corporation the whole plane started shaking, far more than standard turbulence.

"It was essentially the engine seized up I think, that's what they told us anyway," he said. "It was literally like you were sitting on top of a washing machine. The whole thing was going. We could see the engine out the window which was really shaking on the wing.

"Once we landed we realised one of the blades had actually come off the turbine." The airline suffered its first fatal incident in December 2014, when AirAsia Flight QZ8501 crashed in stormy weather off Indonesia with 162 people on board.

That followed two Malaysia Airlines incidents in the same year which left hundreds dead, raising concerns among some travellers about the safety of the country's carriers.
Istanbul: Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said on Sunday he backed Qatar's response to a list of demands issued by Arab states boycotting the Gulf emirate, and said calls for a Turkish military base there to close were disrespectful.

Qatar has described the pressure by its larger neighbours as an "illegal blockade" aimed at curbing its sovereignty, and said that the ultimatum by Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Bahrain was unreasonable.

Erdogan said Turkey appreciated and endorsed Qatar's response to the 13 demands, which include closing the Al Jazeera satellite television network, curbing relations with Iran and shutting a Turkish base in Qatar.

Erdogan said Turkey had offered to set up a military base in Saudi Arabia as well as Qatar, but Riyadh had not responded.

"Even though they still didn't come back to us on this, asking Turkey to pull back its troops (from Qatar) is disrespectful against Turkey," he said.

Speaking outside a mosque in Istanbul after prayers marking the Muslim Eid al-Fitr holiday, Erdogan said he would continue his planned programme despite feeling briefly unwell.

"I had a little condition about my blood pressure, related to my diabetes," he said.
One mother said her daughter had been told to write the note despite having lost three friends to suicide.(Representational Image

An English teacher in a secondary school in London asked students to write a suicide note for their homework as part of their course on Shakespeares tragedy Macbeth.

Over 60 students at Thomas Tallis school, Kidbrooke, London were asked to pen a final note to their loved ones after reading one of the plays most celebrated scenes, when Lady Macbeth takes her own life, the Daily Telegraph reported.

This has caused an outrage among the parents. Some claimed that their children were personally affected by the issue. One mother said her daughter had been told to write the note despite having lost three friends to suicide. My daughter had had personal experience with people her age committing suicide. On what universe was it ever, under any situation, a good idea to ask a group of teenagers to write suicide notes? she asked.

Other parents said the decision was absolutely disgusting and insensitive. One of them claimed the assignment was ill-conceived given the age of the students involved.

The school has apologised to the parents. Headmistress of the school, Caroyln Roberts, told Daily Telegraph said she met the parents and apologised wholeheartedly on behalf of the school and reassured them about the actions that have been taken.
London: Ten fire engines and 72 firefighters were battling a blaze in east London on Saturday after flames engulfed a third-floor apartment in a low-rise block of buildings, injuring one man who was taken to hospital.

Britain has been rocked in recent days by a fire which killed at least 79 people when it engulfed a 24-storey building in west London on June 14, trapping residents in their beds as they slept.

That fire at Grenfell Tower spread rapidly, turning the burning building into a giant torch and terrifying residents.

The worst fire to hit the capital since World War Two has prompted a nationwide review of high-rise buildings after police said the cladding used on Grenfell had failed all safety checks.

The London Fire Brigade, which is also working to evacuate residents from an estate in north London found to have similar cladding to Grenfell, said it had been called on Saturday to a building in Bethnal Green, east London, where the third floor apartment and roof were on fire.

It had received 50 calls to its emergency telephone line.

Firefighters from Bethnal Green and surrounding fire stations are attending the scene, they said in a statement. The cause of the fire is not known at this stage.

The whole of a flat on the third floor and roof is also alight. A man has been taken to hospital by London Ambulance Service crews.
The Taliban have steadily expanded their reach across Afghanistan. (File Photo)

Kabul: At least 10 policemen were killed and four others injured on Saturday night when Taliban militants attacked a checkpost near India-made Salma dam in Afghanistan's Herat province.

"A group of Taliban militants attacked the checkpoint near Salma dam in Chasht district and fled after killing the policemen," a security official said.

Jelani Farhad, spokesman for the governor of the western Herat province, said the Taliban attacked late Saturday, setting off a gunbattle in which five insurgents were killed.

The Taliban have steadily expanded their reach across Afghanistan since US and international forces formally concluded their combat mission at the end of 2014, switching to a support and counterterrorism role.

In an address on Sunday marking the start of Eid al-Fitr, a major Muslim holiday, President Ashraf Ghani reiterated his call for the Taliban to return to peace talks.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi today arrived here on the second leg of his three-nation tour for his first bilateral meeting with US President Donald Trump, as the two leaders are set to hold discussions on a set of "strategically important" issues.



Modi arrived in the American capital early today after a day-long working visit to Portugal, the first ever bilateral visit by an Indian PM to the European nation.



Modi's three-day visit to the US will begin today. The PM will interact with about 20 leading American CEOs followed by an Indian-American community event in the DC suburb of Virginia. The programme is likely to be attended by about 600 members of the community.



American CEOs expected to meet Modi today include Apple's Tim Cook, Walmart's Doug McMillon, Caterpillar's Jim Umpleby, Google's Sundar Pichai and Microsoft's Satya Nadella.



Trump will host Modi at the White House on Monday afternoon and the two leaders would spend about five hours together in various settings beginning with their bilateral discussion, delegation level talks, a reception and a working dinner, the first of its kind hosted by this administration.



The two leaders will not address a press conference but will issue individual press statements. Just hours before Modi landed in Washington, Trump tweeted from his official Twitter handle- POTUS, an acronym for President of the US, that he is looking forward to welcome the Indian leader to the White House, during which he will discus "important strategic issues" with a "true friend".



US Senator Kamala Harris tweeted that she welcomes "Indian PM @NarendraModi to the United States and reaffirm the unbreakable bonds between our two nations." The Trump administration said it is rolling out the "red carpet" for Modi, emphasising that it is wrong to say that the US is ignoring or not focusing on India.



"President Trump realises that India is a force for good and that will come through in the visit on Monday," a senior official said. A host of strategic issues are expected to be discussed during the bilateral talks between the two leaders of the world's largest democracies, including defence cooperation, boosting economic ties, discussions on the civil nuclear deal, cooperation on combating terrorism, security cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region and India's concerns over the H-1B work visa.



Earlier, a senior administration official said the visit is an opportunity to strengthen the US-India strategic partnership, which Trump very much views as a critical partnership in promoting stability and security in the Asia Pacific region and globally.



"We anticipate that their discussions will be broad- ranging, hitting on a variety of regional and global issues that would seek to advance our common priorities, including fighting terrorism, promoting economic growth and prosperity," the official said, briefing reporters at the White House.
The efforts of rescue teams to save 14-month-old girl child Chinnari who fell into an unattended open bore well in Chenvelli village in Vikarabad district of Telangana failed. She died deep inside the borewell. Almost seventy hours after Chinnari fell into the borewell the rescue teams flushed out her body parts by using high-pressure flushing technology.



District collector M Raghunandana Rao, confirming the news early on Sunday morning said that the only parts of her body and few pieces of her frock could be collected through the flush, indicating that the child might have died within hours into the three-day long ordeal. The district administration after consulting the parents of Chinnari have given their consent for flushing the child on Saturday night as all other techniques have failed.



The NDRF team who has carefully collected the parts of the body immediately rushed them in a box to a waiting ambulance for a post mortem. A pal of gloom descended on the Chenvelli village as the exhausted parents of the child broke down after hearing the news. Hundreds of bystanders who came from nearby villages also expressed grief.



Meanwhile, Chevella police on Saturday filed a case against Mr Malla Reddy the owner of the land where the bore well was sunk. He was booked under Section 336 of IPC. Police said that Malla Reddy will be arrested anytime. Telangana Transportation Minister P. Mahender Reddy said that the parents of Chinnari will be paid compensation and the government will be assisting them in all aspects.




Police said investigations were on and they were hopeful of nabbing all the accused after a Muslim youth was stabbed to death by a group of people when an altercation over a train seat turned communal near Ballabhgarh in Haryana, even as the brother of the victim today narrated the harrowing experience. "One accused has already been arrested. He is being quizzed. Further investigations in the case are under progress," a Government Railway Police official in Faridabad said over the phone.



He said some facts have come to light on the basis of which further investigations are going on. "The investigations have revealed that there was a dispute over a train seat. The complainant party has said the accused used some words which hurt their religious sentiments after which the issue flared up resulting in the incident," the official said.



Junaid (17) was stabbed to death while his three brothers - Hashim (20) and Sakir - were injured by a mob which also allegedly hurled slurs against them after the dispute over the seat onboard the Delhi-Mathura passenger train between Ballabgarh and Mathura stations on Thursday night. The arrested accused, before being remanded to police custody by a court in Faridabad district today, told reporters that he was in an inebriated state at during the incident.



However, Hashim gave a different account indicating that there was no dispute over seats on the train. Giving details, he said that they finished their Eid shopping from Sadar Bazaar in Delhi and boarded a train from there on Thursday.

"When we sat on the train, it was almost empty. When the train started running from Sadar station, a couple of stations came in between and from Okhla it was full. From there 20-25 persons boarded it. My brother Junaid was asked by an aged man who boarded the train to give the seat to him. He got up and gave the seat to him.



"All of a sudden the group of 20-25 persons who had boarded the train from Okhla station pushed us and my brother Junaid fell down. When I and Junaid told them why they were pushing they pointed to a skull cap on my head. They told us that we are 'Muslims, anti-nationals, Pakistani, ate beef' and then while hurling abuses at us they pulled my cap and threw it down. They also tried to pull my beard," Hashim said recounting the harrowing experience.



Hashim said that later the group started beating him and his brothers in the train. "I was the eldest at 20 years of age, rest all were younger ones," he said. He said when the train reached Tughluqabad railway station in Delhi, he rang up his brother who was at home, for help. "I told him to reach Ballabgarh (Haryana). When it reached Ballabgarh, the train was full and my brother, whom I had asked for help, reached there. He too was pulled inside by this group of people and he was also beaten. When the train started from Ballabgarh for onward journey, the accused took out a knife and attacked Sakir.



"Junaid tried to help him, but he too was stabbed. Four to five people were holding me and I was trying to free myself. In the meantime, both my brothers Sakir and Junaid fell down. They inflicted injuries on me as well. They thought both Sakir and Junaid had died..," Hashim said. The complainant in the case, Hasib, said the police have assured them that all the culprits will be nabbed and justice will be done to them.



"They asked us if we could identify the accused if they are paraded before us. We told the police that we can identify every single person. They have assured that action as per law will be taken in the case and we are hopeful that we will get justice," he told reporters in Ballabgarh. Junaid's father Jamaluddin said they were cooperating with investigators in the case.



"Police asked us about the sequence of events, like from where the victims had boarded the train. We told them that they had gone to Sadar Bazaar in Delhi for Eid shopping and boarded the train from there and were returning home when they were attacked," he said. Earlier, a CPI(M) delegation today visited the family of the victims.



The delegation, which asked the police to ascertain the political affiliation of those involved in the "horrific mob lynching", said the accused would not dare target the victims sans "political patronage" in the BJP-ruled state.



CPI(M) politburo members Brinda Karat and Mohammed Salim reprimanded the Centre over the attack and rued that no government representative issued a statement on the incident or met the youths' family. P


Photo taken on March 17, 2016 shows Hong Kong tycoon Li Ka-shing (R) attending a news conference to announce his CK Hutchison Holdings company's annual results in Hong Kong, south China. Li had an exclusive interview with Xinhua News Agency lately as the 20th anniversary of Hong Kong's return to China is drawing near. (Xinhua/Qin Qing)

HONG KONG, June 24 -- Hong Kong's wealthiest man Li Ka-shing said "one country, two systems" has provided the region with "front row seats" in the country's development, enabling it to participate in various national development plans.

Ahead of the 20th anniversary of Hong Kong's return to China, the 88-year-old billionaire, in the capacity of Chairman of CK Hutchison Holdings and CK Property Holdings, shared his perspectives on the implementation of "one country, two systems" in an exclusive interview with Xinhua.

Before the return, Li Ka-shing served as a member of the Drafting Committee of the Basic Law of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and Preparatory Committee for the HKSAR. He witnessed Hong Kong's journey into a new era under "one country, two systems."

Hong Kong's return to China is an important landmark in our history, Li said, adding that the smooth transition eased the concerns of many people about theone country, two systems' as it allowed for the fostering of a mutual symbiotic relationship.

The "one country, two systems" principle epitomized the creativity and flexibility of the Chinese leaders, he said. Before 1997 when Chinese and British governments were in negotiations on Hong Kong's future, some foreign companies showed pessimism about Hong Kong's economic and social development after the return. However, Li was more optimistic about Hong Kong and the whole country and increased his investments.

"One country, two systems" not only ensured the stability of Hong Kong after the return, it also created time and space for its people and businesses to thrive and evolve with a stable social foundation and structure in an increasingly competitive environment, said Li.

Li said "one country, two systems" offers Hong Kong "front row seats" in the country's development, helping it understand the country better and participate in various national development plans.

With policy dexterity, both Hong Kong and the Chinese mainland could stay competitive, enjoy multiple returns in a high economic growth age, said Li.

Commenting on Hong Kong's economic development during the past two decades, Li said Hong Kong's economy has been symbiotic and intertwined with the mainland.

"Hong Kong is rooted in China, the ebb and flow of daily needs, unique opportunities as well as our role as a financial bridge for China are all safeguarded under the 'one country, two systems'," he said.

"One country, two systems' is a profound concept. If we cherish freedom and opportunities, we need to be mindful of the essence of mutual tolerance and respect under 'one country, two systems', " Li said.

"It is Hong Kong people's duty to be engaged and to have faith, to develop our unique system together into a vibrant and civil society," he noted.

Born in Chaozhou in southern China's Guangdong Province, Li Ka-shing moved to Hong Kong in the 1940s and started his businesses from manufacturing plastics. According to Bloomburg's billionaires index, Li now remains to be the wealthiest man in Hong Kong and ranks the 22nd around the world.

He said many policies of the central government have been proven very successful in three decades of reform and opening up, which unleashed tremendous productivity and boosted immense growth.

Hong Kong's business sector has always valued every-blueprint for reform and had actively participated in them, he added.

Now the Belt and Road Initiative, in combination with innovation and past infrastructure investment, will certainly become another conduit of growth, Li noted.

Over the years, Hong Kong's overreliance on finance and real estate has been a concern about its future development. Some people worried that there was not enough space for the development of other industries.

In Li's view, high growth returns in the future will be innovative and tech-centric, and the government needs to make more efforts in boosting investment and promoting education and reform.

"This is the same for both the mainland and Hong Kong," he said.

The fifth term of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government led by Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor will be sworn in on July 1.

Li believed that the incoming SAR government will push forward more effective policies to advance social development and economic diversification.

A flourishing "one country, two systems" civic habitat requires human mind and spirit to interweave with responsibilities and reason, as well as the importance of self-discipline, he said.

The renowned tycoon who will celebrate his 89th birthday next month has kept a young mind with visionary investment choice and swift response to the latest achievement of the world's science and technology.

AlphaGo, an artificial intelligence computer program, has become a tech-star since last year for defeating all human masters in the board game Go, which used to be considered impossible for computer programs in decades.

Li Ka-shing's Horizons Ventures was one of the early-stage investors of DeepMind, the London-based artificial intelligence company which created AlphaGo.

"Actually, Hong Kong has many unique foundations to support innovation and technology, " Li said during the interview, "which have not been well tapped over the past several years."

High housing price, the personal development of Hong Kong's young generation and Hong Kong's social mobility has been a major concern to both the government and society.

As an exemplary figure for operating start-ups, Li said Hong Kong has advanced significantly since 1997. "With new technology and mindset, we need to gear up for the future. Learning to think differently is more important than ever."

He believed that the clear winners will be those who know how to marry a high degree of creativity and discipline. "We must make good use of creativity and imagination," Li said, citing the Analects of Confucius: "it is the individual who can carry forward progress and development, not the other way around".

Asked about what kind of life attitude the young generations should uphold towards the future development, Li Ka-shing said "opportunities favor those with ambitions."

Li quoted Albert Einstein to encourage Hong Kong's young people: "Never give up on what you really want to do. The person with big dreams is more powerful than one with all the facts."


Asked whether the security forces were using drone cameras and other hi-tech gadgets to help flush out the militants, the top cop said, "We will use whatever equipment we have. Two army personnel were injured in the encounter today as the security forces launched an offensive to flush out the militants.



The militants had entered into the premises of the DPS Srinagar last evening after carrying out an attack on CRPF personnel deployed on road opening duty near the school on Srinagar-Jammu National Highway.



One CRPF officer was killed and a constable of the force injured in the attack that took place in high security zone located less than a kilometer away from headquarters of Army's Chinar Corps.



Security forces immediately cordoned off the area and launched search operations in the large school campus.



Authorities have imposed restrictions under section 144 CrPc from Ram Munshibagh to Sempora stretch of the national highway as a precautionary measure to avoid protests near the encounter site.

As an encounter raged between security men and militants holed up inside the Delhi Public School here, Jammu and Kashmir's top cop today said the enemy has nefarious designs to destroy school buildings in the Valley so that children abandon their studies.Director General of state Police S P Vaid said his men want to ensure minimum collateral damage. "The staff and whoever was inside the building was evacuated yesterday. Cordon was maintained and we will have room intervention done and get these terrorists eliminated, but with minimum collateral damage."We want to ensure that the (school) building is safe, because the enemy has a nefarious design that the school buildings are destroyed and children have nothing to study and ultimately abandon their studies, which we will ensure that no such thing happens," he told reporters here.He was speaking to the media on the sidelines of a wreath laying ceremony of a CRPF officer killed in the attack by militants on a road opening party of the force on Srinagar- Jammu National Highway at Pantha Chowk yesterday.The militants then took refuge inside the school premises. The DGP said the operation to flush out the militants was getting prolonged because of the size of the building. "There are 36 rooms, the building is huge. So, it has to be searched floor by floor, room by room, he said, adding the building where the militants are holed up has been located.The school has seven buildings. Vaid said there are reports of the presence of two militants inside the building. "The exact number will be known after the search of the building is over, but as per the information, there are two probably, he said.
The proposal to privatise Air India is a welcome move but salary arrears should be settled first as promised earlier, feel pilots at the national carrier.



Facing tough financial conditions, Air India had resorted to salary cuts in 2012. Since then, arrears have been accumulating even as certain section of employees accepted revised pay scales.



The arrears to be paid to the 27,000-odd staff of Air India that includes pilots and cabin crew are estimated to be around Rs 1,200 crore. Out of the total amount, about Rs 400 crore is due for pilots, according to a senior pilot.



When Ashwani Lohani took over the reins of the ailing carrier nearly two years ago, he had assured that all pending dues would be paid in a phased manner.



Now, as the government looks at privatisation and other options to revive the airline, pilots want the salary dues to be cleared first before any decision is taken at the highest level amid uncertainty over the future course of action.



"We are looking forward to the privatisation of Air India. We are very pleased by this news and we hope that a professional management takes over. We want to work in an environment where there isn't too much government interference," a representative of the Indian Pilots' Guild said.



Before privatisation happens, "our dues have to be cleared," he said. The Guild, comprising pilots of wide-bodied aircraft, has around 500 members.



Echoing similar sentiments, a representative of Indian Commercial Pilots' Association (ICPA) said having a professional management could help in the airline's revival.



"If Air India is going to be privatised then we will take up the issue of our dues," he said.



The ICPA, which claims to have more than 1,000 members, represents the pilots of narrow-bodied planes.



According to the pilots, if the government privatises the airline they would like to start on a "clean slate" rather than just "outsourcing the current problems" such as salary arrears to the new investor.



"This is a problem created by the management and they have to first resolve the issue," the pilot from IPG said.



While discussions are still at initial stages on the way forward for the debt-laden Air India, sections of employees seem to be on different pages when it comes to the idea of privatisation.



Earlier this month, seven unions of Air India employees warned of large scale protests if the government went ahead with privatisation of the airline.



The government think tank NITI Aayog has suggested complete privatisation of the airline, which has a debt burden of over Rs 52,000 crore. The ministry of civil aviation is looking at ways to revive Air India, which is surviving on Rs 30,000 crore bailout package extended by the previous UPA regime.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday reminded people of the dark night when the Emergency was imposed in India on this day in 1975 under the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi's regime.



June 25, 1975it was a dark night that no devotee of democracy can ever forget. No Indian can ever forget. The country had virtually become a prison, he said during his 'Mann Ki Baat' monthly radio address.



The voice of the opposition had been smothered, he recalled.



Several prominent leaders including Jai Prakash Narayan had been jailed. The judicial system too could not escape the sinister shadows of the Emergency. The press was completely muffled, he added.



Modi said eternal vigilance was the price of liberty.



The believers of democracy fought a prolonged war, and the great nation that India is, where the spirit of democracy pervades the very being of all its people, the strength of that spirit was demonstrated when the opportunity of elections came. We have to further fortify that legacy, he added, referring to the defeat of the then Congress government in elections post-Emergency.



The Congress hit back and accused the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government of imposing an undeclared emergency on the country during its regime today, referring to the recent CBI action against NDTV promoters Prannoy Roy and his wife Radhika.



The fact is that there is a muzzling of the media and the raids on media, which can only be listed as undeclared emergency, a multimedia news agency quoted Congress leader Tom Vaddakan as saying.



During his radio talk, Modi greeted the nation on the occasion of Hindu's festival Rath Yatra and Muslim's Eid-ul-Fitr.



Indias diversity is its unique characteristic. Indias diversity is also its strength, he added.
Ham radio operators working with the security forces to track down radio communications of underground GJM leaders have picked up "suspicious and coded signals" of the activists to other countries and states.



The security forces and intelligence agencies first got the clue that the GJM was using radio signals as a mode of communication when two radio sets were seized during the June 15 raid on the premises of some Gorkha Janamukti Morcha (GJM) leaders.



It was then that the police administration decided to deploy a group of Ham radio operators to track the radio communication of GJM activists. The operators picked up the suspicious cross border signals during the drill.



"Most of the coded signals and communications were in Nepali and Tibetan languages. After decoding the words, we came to know about some kind of consignment that is about to come. The rest is classified and we cannot disclose it," an official privy to information told PTI.



Ham or amateur radio operators are under the ministry of communications and are licenced card holders to conduct such communication under specific radio frequencies.



A team of ham radio operators is monitoring the radio signals round-the-clock and another team of language experts is helping the officials break the coded language, he said.



Radio communication among leaders of pro-Gorkhaland leaders and activists has increased by "leaps and bounds" after Internet services were suspended on June 18 and their phones are being tracked by the agencies, the official said.



Several top GJM leaders have gone into hiding after last week's violence in the hills.



According to official sources, the GJM has imparted radio communication training to its cadres and has also set up small temporary radio stations in various parts of the hills. It is through these radio stations that such signals are being sent and received.



"Some of the radio communications have pointed out that they were well prepared for a showdown and the violence in the hills is not just an incident which happened in the heat of the moment. It was pre-planned," said an official.



GJM General Secretary Roshan Giri, however, denied recovery of any kind of radio sets and called it a malicious campaign of the state government to defame the party.
Come August, an institute associated with the RSS will start a training course for "well-meaning" would-be politicians of any party.



The Rambhau Mhalgi Prabodhini (RMP) will offer a nine-month residential course in leadership, politics and governance on its campus located in Uttan in the Thane district of Maharashtra.



The course is open to anyone with a bachelor's degree -- aspiring politicians, civil servants, journalists and others, an RMP administrator said.



The institute will train a batch of 40 students to begin with, charging a fee of Rs 2.5 lakh, which would include expenses for study tours, hostel and mess services. The deadline for applying for the course commencing on August 1 is June 30.



"A lot of politicians today unfortunately don't know that they don't know," BJP vice president and RMP vice chairman Vinay Sahasrabuddhe said, referring to lack of awareness about issues. "We would like to do away with this situation. We would like to empower and enrich political enthusiasts with knowledge, understanding and information. Therefore, this course," he said.



Sahasrabuddhe said students were free to join any party after the course.



"We rise above ideologies. Our aim is to help produce good, well-meaning politicians," he said.

It will be in the "interest" of democracy if the student undertook programmes that helped the people. It will also be in our interest then," he added.



The leader made the remarks during a recent interaction organised by the BJP's 'Good Governance' department at the institute, where events are often held for party workers.



He added the RMP in the past had trained activists of parties such as the Shiv Sena, Nationalist Congress Party, Congress and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena under its old 10-day 'Netritva Sadhana" programme -- the precursor to the new leadership course.



Sahasrabuddhe said the RMP was also open to leaders from other political parties delivering lectures on relevant issues to its students.



"Instead of asking any professor to teach communism, we will invite (CPI-M general secretary) Sitaram Yechury directly. We will be more than happy to welcome him, there is no issue," he added.

Sahasrabuddhe, however, said the ideological identity of the institute's administrators was "very clear" and that they were not apologetic about it.



Devendra Pai, executive head, academic programme at the RMP, said the programme comprises classroom lectures by politicians, social activists, administrators and journalists.



In addition to this, there will be field/study tours to gram panchayats, zilla parishads, municipal corporations, assembly, NGOs, CSR projects, tribal villages in Maharashtra and Parliament.



The RMP will also offer students internship with elected representatives to help them understand how leaders work.
Fisheries department sources here said that fishermen from Rameswaram ventured into the sea in the morning and they were involved in deep sea fishing. Sri Lankan navy

intercepted their boat and arrested five fishermen. They were taken to Kangesanthurai port in Sri Lanka.



A few days back, five fishermen from Tamil Nadu, who were arrested by the Lankan authorities, were lodged in Sri Lankan jail. During the last one month, more than 30 fishermen from the State were held by Lankan Navy



On Saturday, Palaniswami asked Modi to take up fishermen issue urgently with the concerned authorities in Sri Lanka and arrange for an early release of the 28 fishermen and 138 boats, which were currently in Sri Lankan custody.



He said things have come to such a pass that fishermen were unable to access their traditional fishing waters for fear of being abducted or attacked by the Lankan Navy.



Palaniswami said fishing boats are perilously berthed and are in imminent threat of irreparable damage due to long periods of disuse and the onslaught of the monsoon.

A after Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami sought Prime Minister Narendra Modi's personal intervention to take diplomatic measures for the release of Indian fishermen, who are in Sri Lankan custody, five fishermen were arrested by the Lankan navy on Sunday on the charges of International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL) violation.
A police jawan injured in an encounter with Naxals in Chhattisgarh's Sukma district succumbed to injuries today, taking the death toll of security personnel killed in the operation to three.



Two district reserve guard (DRG) jawans were earlier killed and as many others sustained injuries in the gun-battle in Sukma's Chintagufa area.



Four separate encounters between Naxalites and police have been reported in the state since yesterday, in which three security men have been killed and seven injured, including a sub-inspector.



Two Naxals were also gunned down in these face-offs.



While two encounters took place in Sukma yesterday, as many others occurred in Bijapur, including one this morning.



A composite squad of the Special Task Force (STF), the DRG, the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and its elite unit-CoBRA (Commando Battalion for Resolute Action) was yesterday out on the operation based on inputs about the location of Maoist hideouts in the interiors of Chintagufa, around 500 kms away from here.



When the security men were advancing through the forest of Dondamarka, a Maoist den, armed Naxalites opened fire on them, leading to a gun-battle.



Five STF personnel sustained bullet injuries, three of them critically, in the face-off.



Some personnel of the patrolling team were on their way back to the base when they again came under heavy fire from the ultras near Durma village, around 17 kms deep inside forest from Chintagufa.



Two DRG jawans were killed and as many others sustained injuries in the gun-battle.



"Two DRG jawans were initially killed and as many others injured in the incident. Later, one of the injured succumbed while being retrieved from the forest," Deputy Inspector General of Police (Dantewada range) Sundarraj P told PTI.



The team engaged in the fierce gunbattle with Maoists since yesterday reached its camp this morning, he said.



"Three DRG jawans have been martyred and another injured in the face-off. The body of a Naxalite was also recovered from the spot along with an SLR weapon," he said.



The intermittent exchange of fire lasted for several hours following which the security men cautiously stepped out of the forest, he said, adding that bad weather and rainfall disrupted the evacuation operation.



The slain DRG jawans have been identified as constable Kattam Rajkumar, assistant constable Sunam Manish, both natives of Sukma, and assistant constable Rajesh Komra of Kanker district, the DIG said.



The injured assistant constable has been admitted to a local hospital and efforts are on to airlift him to Raipur for further medication, he said.



The DIG claimed that "nearly 12 Maoists were killed during the operation. However, the body of only one Maoist was recovered along with a SLR weapon from Durma."



He said a major offensive action was undertaken in Chintagufa, considered as the military battalion station of the Maoists.



Earlier yesterday, the same team of security forces had an exchange of fire with ultras in which five STF jawans were injured. They are undergoing treatment here at a private hospital.



Besides, a Naxal was yesterday killed in an exchange of fire with police in Bijapur district.

Also, a sub-inspector was today injured in an exchange of fire with Naxals in a forest under Bijapur's Gangaloor police station limits, police said.



On April 24 this year, 25 CRPF personnel were killed in a Naxal ambush in Burkapal area under Sukma's Chintagufa police station of limits.
Nearly nine years after the 26/11 terror attacks in Mumbai, a new controversy on the sub-standard life-jackets came to light when it was found that the vest worn by slain Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) chief Hemant Karkare found way into a dustbin.



Karkare, 53, the then Special Inspector General of Police heading the ATS was shot dead in the Rang Bhavan Lane next to St Xaviers College when terrorists Abu Ismail and Mohammed Ajmal Kasab sprayed bullets at a police vehicle killing top officials besides him. Along with Karkare, Additional Commissioner of Police (East Region) Ashok Kamte and Senior Inspector of Police and Anti-Extortion Cell chief Vijay Salaskar died in the shoot-out that took place when they were escaping police after the mayhem at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus.



An application filed under Right to Information Act (RTI) filed by veteran activist Anil Galgali, led to this shocking bit of information that Karkares bullet-proof jacket was dumped in a dustbin.



Apparently, the Mumbai police learnt about the lapse a year after 10 LeT men brought carnage to the streets of Mumbai, but chose to keep mum.



Public Relation Officer Suresh Sakpal informed Galgali that the bullet-proof jacket was thrown into a dustbin by a ward boy at Sir JJ Hospital.



Galgali has termed it abject carelessness of the statement stating that the bulletproof vest has been lost and thrown in the dustbin. There exists a huge question mark on the quality and the standard of the bullet proof jacket. Had the bulletproof jacket worn by Karkare been examined, the whole scam in the purchase of the jackets would have stood exposed, said Galgali.


Two militants were killed and two soldiers injured in a 14-hour long encounter that erupted on Saturday evening with an attack on a CRPF patrol on the outskirts of Srinagar.



On Saturday a Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) officer was killed and two other troopers injured when the militants ambushed a paramilitary vehicle at Pantha Chowk, on Srinagar-Jammu national highway. After carrying the deadly attack, the militants ran into the nearby Delhi Public School (DPS) complex, which by then had closed for the day.



Sources said a joint party of army, police and CRPF immediately surrounded the complex to prevent the militants from escaping and the exchange of fire between holed up ultras and forces started at around 3.40 am.



"Drone cameras were used to trace the exact location of the militants and after 14-hours of intense firing from both the sides, both the holed up ultras were neutralized," they said and added two soldiers, including an officer were also injured in the incident.



Sources said army also resorted to heavy mortar shelling to target militants who had taken cover inside a huge concrete building of the DPS, Pantha Chowk, which is barely a km away from Army's 15-Corps headquarters. "The school, whose students are mostly from the Kashmiri elite families, suffered partial damages due to the shelling," they said.



State police chief Shesh Pal Vaid confirmed the killing of two militants in the encounter. On the operation getting prolonged, he told reporters, "There are 36 rooms, the building is huge. So, it had to be searched floor by floor, room by room."



Vaid said the the enemy has a nefarious design that the school buildings are destroyed and children have nothing to study and ultimately abandon their studies. "We will ensure that no such thing happens," he vowed.



Fearing protests by the locals near the site of the encounter, the district administration in Srinagar imposed restrictions under section 144 CrPc from Ram Munshibagh to Sempora with immediate effect, last evening. To prevent civilian casualties, authorities had also restricted traffic movement on the highway.



The mobile internet services have also been affected across the valley as the network speeds have been reduced.



Earlier, the Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) militant outfit had claimed responsibility for the attack on the CRPF vehicle in which sub inspector Sahab Shukla was killed and two other CRPF personnel injured.
US President Donald Trump said today that "strategic issues" would be on the table when he holds talks with his "true friend" Prime Minister Narendra Modi here tomorrow, as the two leaders look to strike a personal rapport in their maiden meeting.



"Look forward to welcoming India's PM Modi to @WhiteHouse on Monday. Important strategic issues to discuss with a true friend!," Trump posted on his official (@POTUS) Twitter handle.



Modi, in his reply to Trump, thanked him for the "warm personal welcome" and said he was "greatly" looking forward to the meeting and discussions tomorrow at the White House.



Modi, who arrived here this morning, will hold summit talks with Trump tomorrow afternoon in the White House and the two leaders would spend several hours together in various settings including one-on-one and delegation-level meetings, a reception and a working dinner.



The working dinner that Trump is hosting for Modi is the first of its kind under the current US administration.



"The White House is very interested in making this a special visit. We're really seeking to roll out the red carpet. In fact, the two (leaders) will have dinner, a working dinner at the White House," a senior administration official told reporters at the White House.



"This will be the first dinner for a foreign dignitary at the White House under this administration. So, we think that's very significant," the official said.



Modi was welcomed with loud cheers and applause by the Indian community members who were waiting outside the Willard InterContinental Hotel here to catch a glimpse of the Indian leader.



During his visit, Modi will also meet top American CEOs of global giants, including Apple, Microsoft and Google, here, with issues ranging from visas, investment and job creation expected to occupy centerstage during the discussions.



On the eve of Modi's US visit, the Trump administration had dismissed reports that it has been ignoring India, saying President Trump realises that the country has been a "force for good" in the world and ties with it were important.



"I think that it would be wrong to say that this administration has been ignoring or not focused on India," a senior administration official had said.



"I think that the US really appreciates India, and I think that President Trump realises that India has been a force for good in the world and that it's a relationship that's important. And I think that will come through in the visit on Monday," the official said.



The senior administration official made the remarks while responding to questions on whether the US-India relationship has drifted under the new government, in part, because of President Trump and the administration's support to China.



"I think it's a bit unfair. I mean, we're only six months into the administration. But there have been two very good phone calls between President Trump and Prime Minister Modi that you can point to as showing both countries' interest in the relationship," the White House official argued.



"Yes, this will be the first opportunity for them to sit down and have a conversation, but I think that this is still fairly early on in the administration," the official said.



Meanwhile, White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer had said President Trump and Prime Minister Modi would have a very robust discussion when they meet at the White House.



"During the meeting, the President and the Prime Minister will discuss ongoing cooperation, including counter-terrorism, defence partnership in the Indo-Pacific region, global cooperation, burden-sharing, trade, law enforcement, and energy," Spicer had said.



On whether the contentious H-1B visa issue would come up for discussion during the meeting, a senior administration official said it was unlikely to be raised from the US side but if raised by the Indian side, the Americans were ready for it.



Ahead of the visit, Indian Ambassador to the US Navtej Sarna said the first face-to-face meeting between Prime Minister Modi and President Trump will give them an opportunity to look at the entire gamut of Indo-US engagement and to exchange views on issues of global interest.


External affairs minister Sushma Swaraj on Sunday pulled out a four-year-old video of Opposition's presidential nominee Meira Kumar on frequent "interruptions" which was seen as a veiled attack on former Lok Sabha speaker's bias while conducting the House during the previous UPA II regime.



In one of the several tweets, Swaraj captioned the video, "This is how Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar treated Leader of the Opposition" that showed repeated interruption during her speech in the budget session of 2013. She had charged that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had led the "most corrupt government".



The senior BJP leader also shared a news report in the tweet carrying a headline Speaker interrupted Sushma 60 times in 6-min speech. The reportage of May 2013 quoted by union minister stated that as the leader of opposition she had walked out of the Lok Sabha after abruptly completing her speech that was cut short due to disruptions from treasury benches.



President of India is supposed to rise above party interests to discharge constitutional duties.



By fielding Kumar against NDA candidate Ram Nath Kovind, the presidential election is witnessing a Dalit versus Dalit contest. Both the candidates belonging to Schedule Caste but from different adjoining Hindi speaking states. While Kumar is from Bihar, Kovind is from UP. Now the parties are trying to dig into the past of the rival candidates to generate controversy.



Congress leader Kumar is reportedly under the scanner of the NDA government for owing rent dues of Rs 12 lakh for government house she was allotted in the national capital. Earlier the Manmohan Singh government had let her go scot-free from paying a rent of Rs 1.96 crore for holding on two bungalows in New Delhi area. One of the two houses was allotted to her father Jagjivan Ram, a former prime minister.



The opposition has dusted off past uncomfortable details to say that Kovind was a defence witness in Tehelka.com expose that ended up in the conviction of former BJP president Bangaru Laxman for accepting a bribe of Rs 1 lakh. Similarly, Kovind was reportedly against extending reservation benefits to Dalit Christians and Muslims in the Scheduled Caste (S/C) category. The former Bihar governor had taken that stand as a BJP spokesperson in the past.




You are advised to instruct the field and subordinate formations that they shall not offer Eid prayers in isolated or general mosques or eidgahs, an advisory issued from Police Control Room (PCR) on behalf of inspector general of police, Kashmir, to all police stations across the Valley reads.



The advisory has been marked to all wings of J&K Police, Armys 15-Corp, ITBP, SSB, CRPF, BSF and CISF. The Eid-ul-Fitr, that marks the end of Ramadan, the Islamic holy month of fasting, is being celebrated in Kashmir on Monday.



State police chief Shesh Pal Vaid said it is good to take precautions. "They (police personnel) are my children, so we will advise them to take precautions," he told reporters when asked about the advisory which comes in the backdrop of a mob lynching of Deputy Superintendent Police Mohammad Ayub Pandith outside the historic Jamia Masjid in Nowhatta area of old city on Thursday during Shab-e-Qadar prayers.



Earlier, in April the police had issued an advisory to its personnel to avoid visiting their hometowns for the next few months, following incidents of attacks by militants on their residences and family members.



The advisory has been issued after increasing attacks on families of police personnel in Kulgam and Shopian in South Kashmir. The unprecedented incidents had sent shock waves through the police force, prompting the Vaid to issue a warning: "Militants should realise they too have families. Let them (militants) take this as a warning."



On May 9, a 22-year-old army officer from Kulgam was kidnapped from a family wedding and later killed by unidentified militants in south Kashmirs Shopian district.

In the backdrop of lynching of a senior police officer by a mob outside the Jama Masjid in Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir Police has advised its personnel not to offer Eid prayers in public places.


"I am happy that often we can talk easily on telephone, we can discuss everything. It has very rarely happened. In your case it has happened," Modi had told Netanyahu during their meeting on the sidelines of Paris Climate summit in November 2015. The Israeli premier had then promptly responded saying, "in your case too".



The defence ties between India and Israel have often drawn worldwide attention and acquired strategic dimensions. It is believed that Modi's visit would further solidify security ties as Israeli defence industries have shown greater inclination towards participating in joint ventures to give a boost to NDA government's 'Make in India' campaign.



Prime Minister Modi's visit has been preceded by several other high-profile visits, including the trip of National Security Adviser Ajit Doval, several senior secretaries, Minister of State for Agriculture S S Ahluwalia-led 11 member multi-party parliamentary delegation and Navy Chief Admiral Sunil Lanba's five-day visit earlier this month.



All these visits have laid the ground work for several MoUs that are likely to be signed during Modi's visit.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu today hailed his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi's upcoming visit to Israel, the first by an Indian premier, as a "very significant step" in strengthening bilateral relations that are on a "constant upswing".In a big fillip to already robust ties, Prime Minister Modi is scheduled to land in Israel on July 4 on a three-day visit.Netanyahu, while speaking at the start of the weekly Cabinet meeting, said, "Next week, the Indian Prime Minister, my friend, Narendra Modi will arrive in Israel, This is a historic visit to Israel. In the 70 years of the country's existence, no Indian Prime Minister has ever visited and this is further expression of the state of Israel's military, economic and diplomatic strength.""This is a very significant step in strengthening relations between the two countries," Netanyahu said.India is a huge country with over 1.25 billion people and is one of the world's largest, growing economies. Ties between Israel and India are on a "constant upswing", the Israeli premier said.Modi's visit is aimed at commemorating 25 years of establishment of diplomatic ties between the two countries.Modi would be arriving in Israel on July 4 and is likely to meet Netanyahu the same day in the evening. He would also be addressing the Indian community the following day in Tel Aviv.Netanyahu, in his remarks today, said the Cabinet will approve decisions that will deepen Indo-Israel ties, beginning with expanding exports and deepening cooperation in agriculture and water."We will establish a joint innovation, and research and development, fund. We will also increase tourism from India to Israel; this has very great potential. All of this is an additional expression of Israel's enhanced international position in recent years as we strengthen the state of Israel," Netanyahu said.The two leaders have already met twice on foreign soil on the sidelines of UN-related events and are said to be constantly in touch with each other over the phone.
Anandpal, a wanted criminal, carrying a bounty of Rs 5 lakh on his head, was killed by Rajasthan Police in a shootout that lasted three hours in Churu districts Malasar village late on Saturday night. Two policemen were also injured in the encounter.



Two policemen were wounded in the incident and an inspector fractured a limb. Special Operation Groups Inspector General of Police Dinesh MN said "All three were taken to SMS hospital in Jaipur. None of them is critical." Fifty commandoes were involved in the gun battle. Singh was hit by six bullets and died at the encounter site. .



"He was alone in the house in Churu district and opened fire at police from rooftop when the police surrounded the house and challenged him. In the exchange of fire, he was killed," DGP Manoj Bhatt Confirmed. He was hiding at the house of a villager in Malaser.



We have recovered two AK 47 guns from Singh with which he fired around 100 rounds on the police. Two of our men got injured in the firing but retaliated bravely without caring for their lives which resulted in the death of Singh, said Bhatt.



The officials said that the SOG has arrested his brother Rupendrapal alias Vicky and cousin Devendrapal alias Gattu from Sirsa in Haryana earlier on Saturday evening.



Both the members carried a bounty of Rs. 1 lakh each and were the founding members of Singhs dreaded Shekhawati gang.

It was from them that the police got to know about the location of Singh, said Bhatt. The Haryana police too played a crucial role in the operation, he said.



Singh had managed to escape from custody of police while being taken back to high-security prison in Ajmer from a court in Nagaur in September 2015, had taken a shelter in a house. He has been suspected of being involved in more than two-dozen criminal cases, among them banditry and murder. Close to 100 aides of Anandpal were arrested from different places after his escape in 2015 but the gangster remained the major challenge for the state police.



In the last one year, the police had arrested several key members of the gang, which was instrumental in the syndicate losing its clout to a great extent.


NDA nominee for the Presidential post, Ram Nath Kovind on Sunday kicked off his presidential campaign from his home state of Uttar Pradesh.



Kovind, who hailed from Kanpur Dehat district of UP, met BJP members of Parliament and state assembly at the official residence of chief minister Yogi Adityanath.



Almost all the BJP MLAs, ministers in the Yogi cabinet and senior BJP leaders were present at the meeting.



Speaking at the meeting Adityanath heaped praise on Kovind and appealed to all the political parties in UP to ''rise above'' party politics and support Kovind.



''It would have been better had all the parties supported Kovind.....I appeal to the political parties to shed their narrow mindset and support someone, who has all along fought for the weak and downtrodden,'' he said.



''Fir the first a person from UP will be occupying the top constitutional post....it is our duty to support him,'' he added.



Union minister Nitin Gadkari, who also accompanied Kovind, explained to the electorate about the method of voting in the presidential polling.



Adityanath will be holding a dinner later in the evening at his residence in which many opposition party leaders have also been invited.



Sources said that Samajwadi Party (SP) patron Mulayam Singh Yadav, his son and SP president Akhilesh Yadav, Congress Rajya Sabha member Pramod Tiwari, BSP supremo Mayawati and several other opposition leaders have been invited at the dinner.



BJP sources said that the saffron party was trying to woo some opposition MLAs and some senior party leaders had been especially deputed to speak to them.



Though Mulayam had indicated that he could support the NDA nominee, Akhilesh Yadav and Mayawati had declared their support for the opposition candidate Meira Kumar. Akhilesh's uncle Shivpal Singh Yadav has said that he will follow the directive of Mulayam on whom to vote.




She also said the President's post cannot be used for narrow political interests.



Taking a leaf from former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi's appeal made during the 1974 presidential poll in favour of V V Giri, Kumar said, "This is that moment when one should heed the inner voice of conscience and set the course of the nation."



She said, the Constitution recognises the office of the President as the "final touchstone" for the passage of laws. "It, therefore, cannot function to serve narrow political interests."



She has issued the appeal to the members of the electoral college even before filing her nomination papers which she is likely to do on June 28, the last date for filing nominations.



Kumar said, she was fortunate to have been associated, in various ways, with two monumental struggles of India -- the struggle to free India from the colonial rule and the fight against the tyranny of caste system -- that, she said, still plagues the Indian culture and polity.



"The nature of these two struggles has deeply influenced my sentiments, my thoughts and my actions," she said.



Kumar said during her public life, she has been inspired by the example set by the founding fathers of India, regardless of their political affiliations.



"Despite the differences, I have found that when it comes to preserving the values of inclusiveness and the need for social justice, we all share the same goals," she said.



Kumar said the President takes an oath to "protect and defend the Constitution - the backbone of Indian democracy".



"It is this Constitution that I and countless others have invoked to reinforce our democratic values. It has guided and elevated us in times of crisis and confusion," she said.

Making an emotional appeal to MPs and MLAs, Opposition presidential candidate Meira Kumar today urged them to cast their votes with their "inner conscience".
Darjeeling remained tense but incident-free on Day Eleven of the indefinite shutdown, while, in a change of stand, agitation-spearhead the GJM decided to give a 12-hour bandh relaxation only for Muslims to celebrate Eid tomorrow.



Security forces patrolled the streets as the situation in the hills where shops and markets, other than medicine outlets, remained shut and Internet services suspended.



The Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) leadership decided to give a 12-hour relaxation for the Muslim community to celebrate Eid-ul-Fitr in the hills tomorrow, although party chief Bimal Gurung had earlier announced that there would be no such relief during the shutdown.



"The Muslim community in the hills will be given a 12- hour relaxation on June 26, from 6 am to 6 pm, to celebrate Eid," a senior GJM leader said.



Muslims can also use vehicles with stickers mentioning the purpose to go to the plains and meet their relatives, he said, adding except this, everything would remain the same.



"Shops and markets will remain closed and no cars will come in or go out of Darjeeling. The shutdown will continue as it has been the last 10 days," the leader said.



The GJM had given a similar 12-hour relaxation to boarding schools of the hills on Friday to evacuate their students.



Meanwhile, the GJM head office in Singhmari, which was closed after the police raid on June 15, was opened today.



Senior GJM leaders and supporters organised a rally from Chowkbazar to Singhmari GJM head office and opened the office amidst slogans of "we want Gorkhaland".



In a video message last night, Gurung had urged people to hit the streets, but also cautioned them that leaders from other parties might "try to betray" the Gorkhaland agitation.



"We are ready for talks only on the issue of Gorkhaland, not on any alternative formula.... Remember that one day, everyone has to die. Either my body will go home or I will return with Gorkhaland," he had said in the message.



Internet services remained suspended for the eighth day. Meanwhile, in Siliguri, an outfit 'Amra Bangali' (we are Bengalees) organised a rally in protest against the "separatist movement" of the GJM.



"The Darjeeling hills are very much part of Bengal. Who are they (GJM) to demand a separate state?" an activist of the outfit said.



Traders at the popular Hong Kong Market in Siliguri complained of huge losses as the tourist inflow had stopped.



"This is the peak season. Tourists, either on their way to Darjeeling or during their return journey, visit our shops. But this time, due to the shutdown in the hills, we are facing huge losses," said the owner of a garment shop.
Hyderabad: Around 15 tribals died and 20 others took to ill after consuming contaminated non-vegetarian food at a marriage party in Chaperai in Y. Ramavaram block, a very remote tribal hamlet in the East Godavari district of Andhra Pradesh.



The tragedy came to light on Sunday after the villagers reported the matter to the Integrated Tribal Development Agency (ITDA).

Initially, the authorities thought that the villagers are dying due to seasonal malaria, the health officials found the link between the food served in marriage party and the deaths. Medical teams have been rushed to the hilly village. Locals say that around 100 tribals ate dishes made out of some meat which was served to the guests as per the local culture.

However one after another the guests started falling sick. All those who suffered vomiting and dysentery for ten days started dying. East Godavari District collector Kartikeya Mishra confirmed the deaths and said all those ill have been shifted to different hospitals in the district for better treatment.

On Sunday Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu reviewed the situation and directed the district officials to arrange special medical camps. The Chief Minister also instructed the officials to pay Rs 5 lakh each for the kin of the dead, if the deaths are because of seasonal fever.
The first meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump is expected take the Indo-US ties to the next level.



Maintaining the upward trajectory of the Indo-US ties of the last three decades, beginning with the Clinton (Bill) administration and followed by those of Bush and Obama, signals coming from both sides strongly indicate stronger continuation in that regard.



"We really think that this visit will leverage the relationship to a higher level," Indian Ambassador to the US Navtej Sarna told PTI.



Modi and Trump, who have earlier spoken three times over phone, would be together spending several hours at the White House, beginning a one-to-one meeting, followed by a delegation level talk, a cocktail reception and a working dinner, the first for a foreign leader inside the White House under the Trump administration.

"It would be historic, never seen before," a mid-level American source familiar with the preparations told PTI.



The source, however, did not elaborate the nature of the outcome of the visit, but reiterated that it would bring the two countries closer than ever.



Trump, has been personally involved in the preparation. Elaborate arrangements are being done by the White House kitchen for Trumps dinner with Modi.



Modi and Trump are among the most followed world leaders on the social media. Together they have more than 60 million followers on their personal accounts.

The two leaders are expected to discuss a wide range of issues during their White House interaction.



"I think the first face to face meeting will allow the two leaders an opportunity to look at the entire India-US engagement and also to exchange views on issues of global interest," Sarna said in an earlier interview.



"When they sit across the table and they have a one on one discussion or they have an extended delegation that will talk, I would presume that they would cover the wide gamut of relations between India and the US," Sarna had said.

A White House official echoed the similar views.



"The trip is an opportunity to strengthen the US-India strategic partnership, which Trump very much views as a critical partnership in promoting stability and security in the Asia Pacific region and globally," the White House official said.



"We anticipate that their discussions will be broad- ranging, hitting on a variety of regional and global issues that would seek to advance our common priorities, including fighting terrorism, promoting economic growth and prosperity," the official said.



Noting that the US is very much interested in facilitating India's defence modernisation and helping to enhance its role as a leader in the Asia Pacific, the official said the Trump administration believes that a strong India is good for the US.
The much anticipated first bilateral meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump is not a policy summit but a "start" of a "great friendship" between the two leaders, a top Indian- American Republican supporter said today.



Shalabh Kumar, founder of the Republican Hindu Coalition (RHC), said the meeting will be a platform for the two leaders to get to know each other and set the pace for strengthening Indo-US ties.



"The bilateral meeting is the start of a great friendship, it's really not meant for any policy implementation," Kumar told PTI here as he arrived in the Virginia suburb for the community event to be addressed by Modi.



About 700 members of the Indian diaspora arrived here, dressed in their cultural finery to hear Modi.



"This is not a policy summit. This is a feel good meeting between the two leaders to get to know each other and establish the relationship. Both leaders are on the same page," Kumar said.



He noted that in the RHC rally held in New Jersey in October last year, the then presidential candidate Trump had declared that India and the US will be best friends and this meeting is "just the start of that."



Terming the future of Indo-US relations as "phenomenal", Kumar expressed confidence that bilateral trade between the two nations will reach four trillion dollars in the years to come, "much bigger than the US trade with Saudi Arabia."



"India is a strong player in Asia and in establishing peace and security in the region," Kumar said.



Modi arrived in the US capital today for his three-day visit during which he will also interact with members of the Indian diaspora at a relatively low-key community event.
US President Donald Trump's signals on his priorities have caused some confusion in India so it is important for his administration to put its own stamp on the bilateral relationship, a former top American trade official said today.



"The Trump Administration has been focused on large deal announcements on one hand and trade deficits on the other. It must take into account the disinclination of Indian leaders to view the relationship on a transactional basis," Arun M Kumar, who served as Assistant Secretary of Commerce and Director General of US Commercial Service in the Obama administration told PTI.



"President Trumps signals on his priorities have caused some confusion in India. Therefore, it will be important for the Trump Administration to put its own stamp on the bilateral relationship," he said ahead of Trump's first meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the White House tomorrow.



Kumar, who currently is chairman & CEO of KPMG India, said that the US trade deficit with India has stayed flat over the last three years while bilateral trade has grown.



It would be constructive to recognise that the trade between the US and India is diminishing as a percentage of total trade, he said.



"The Trump Administration can place its imprimatur on the US-India relationship by expanding the canvas of the S&CD to foster engagement at the level of the two countries states," he said.



It would make eminent sense for leaders from states in both countries to meet once a year in a structured setting to advance business and mutual interests, he said.



A business forum between US and Indian states will go a long way in creating the next paradigm of growth for the US - India relationship and will be aligned with the themes and priorities of both leaders, he asserted.



Underscoring that US-India relationship carries great political and economic significance in the current geopolitical and security context, he said the two countries share concerns on global terrorism.



"And on economic globalisation, their impulses differ as India has been a beneficiary of globalisation," he observed.
A seminar on Food Habits and Freedom of Expression was inaugurated with consumption of beef to protest against the Central governments recent ban on sale of cattle for slaughter.



The seminar was organised by Charvaka Social and Cultural Trust in association with the Kannada and Culture department here on Sunday.



Writer K S Bhagawan, who inaugurated the seminar, said that the rules laid out by the Centre are against the spirit of the Constitution.



The government is violating the rights of the people. Even in Vedic times, many scriptures like the Vajasaneya Samhite and Apatstamba Samhite mention about the benefits of consuming beef. There are details about consumption of beef in Aithreya Brahmana, a Vedic scripture. Brahmins, who patronised consumption of beef earlier, are now opposing the same food habit, he said.



Dictating food habits to people is against the Constitution. As Brahmins have stopped consuming meat, they are imposing the same food habits on all, he said.



Hindulida Vargagala Jagruti Vedike president K S Shivaram said that governments have no business to decide what people should eat. By banning beef, the government is trying to accord the status of god to cattle. Thus it is politicising the issue and is communalising the society. Prime Minister Narendra Modi should recall how his own party prime minister A B Vajpayee had announced that he too liked beef, he said.
The state should take cue from the Centre and increase the extent of reservation for the Scheduled Tribes from 3% to 7.5%, said JD(S) ST cell state president Hodigere Ramesh.



In a press meet held here on Sunday, he said, The population of Valmiki communities is 60 lakh. Most of them are denied reservation facility. In such scenario, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah is trying to create rift between the communities by including more groups/communities in the Scheduled Tribes list.



He demanded the government to release the Caste Census report and uphold social justice.



JD(S) national president H D Devegowda in 1991 made sure the splinter groups of the Valmiki community are included in ST list. Because of which, the community made good strides in politics, education, employment, Hodigere Ramesh said.



He said that the then chief minister Kumaraswamy had provided the much-needed assistance for procuring land to establish Maharshi Valmiki Gurupeeth at Rajanahalli and added that the community should support the party and Kumaraswamy, who have played a big role in helping the Valmiki community make strides in various fields of human endeavour.



Mega convention on July 1



The JD(S) leader said that the ST cell of the party will organise a mega convention in Davangere on July 1. As many as 500 buses have been arranged to ferry the people from various taluks to Davangere convention.



Party leaders Chennigappa, Chikkanayakanahalli MLA Sureshbabu, Patel Shivaram, Govindaraj, Narasegowda and others were present.



Chennigappa dismisses Reddys kickback charge



Former Forest minister and JD(S) leader Chennigappa on Sunday dismissed the allegations made by BJP leader Janardhan Reddy that the then chief minister H D Kumaraswamy had received a kickback of Rs 150 crore from mining companies, saying that the charges made by Reddy are false and concocted. In a press meet here, the JD(S) leader said, We played no role in Janthakal Mining case.



We (Kumaraswamy, M P Prakash and Chennigappa) have not received even 150 paise, leave alone, Rs 150 crore. The opposition parties, unable to digest the popularity of JD(S), are doing so to bring disrepute to the party.


Folk artists perform Chinese traditional dragon dance during an anti-crime event named "Youth Making Noise Against Crime" in Atlantis, a crime-stricken community outside Cape Town in South Africa, June 24, 2017. The event was held to mark the "Youth Month" in the country. (Xinhua/Gao Yuan)

CAPE TOWN, June 24 -- The Chinese traditional dragon dance added much fanfare to an anti-crime event taking place on Saturday in Atlantis, a crime-stricken community outside Cape Town.

The event, codenamed "Youth Making Noise Against Crime", was held to mark the "Youth Month" in the country.

This was an initiative aimed at highlighting the seriousness of violent criminal activities that are currently affecting South Africa's youth.

Since the beginning of 2017, there have already been 24 reported cases of youth deaths as a result of violent crimes such as robbery, rape, human trafficking and drug abuse.

The event was organized by the Milnerton Community Police Forum (CPF) Cluster Board in conjunction with the nine police stations within the cluster congregated in Atlantis to demonstrate their stand against crime and gang violence.

Commander of the Milnerton police cluster Major General Aneeqah Jordan urged the youngsters present at the event to follow the right path and make something of themselves.

With proper conduct, the children can achieve their goals and become respected members of society, Jordan said.

As an offering of friendship and support, representatives from the Cape Town Chinese community, led by Chinese Consul General Kang Yong attended the event. They brought with them the traditional Chinese dragon dance, a symbol of power, prosperity and peace.

Kang expressed his love for South Africa and its people, saying: "The children are the future of this nation. It is vital that they stay away from gang activity and learn to respect their teachers and family."

The dragon dance, performed by members of the Chinese Huaxing Artistic Troop in Cape Town, cheered up the youths who burst into applause.

Alice Matisha, 13, told Xinhua that she never saw dragon dance before.

"It is amazing and I love it," she said.

Dong Gang, head of the Chinese Huaxing Artistic Troop, said the Chinese community cannot turn a blind eye to rampant crime and must do something to help curb the scourge.

"We bring the dragon dance to show our support for the community," Dong said.

Moreover, the dragon dance can serve as a bridge between the local and Chinese communities, he said.

"We want to interact with the local communities on the one hand. On the other hand, we also want the local communities to understand the Chinese community and know more about the Chinese culture," Dong said.
The rift between Qatar and Saudi Arabia has split the six-member Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and threatens to undermine the stability of the oil-rich Gulf region. Qatar has been blockaded from land and air and Qataris sent home by Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) which, along with Egypt and others, have cut diplomatic relations with Qatar. The GCC is divided three ways. Neutral Oman is transhipping Qatar-destined supplies to Doha while pro-Saudi Kuwait is trying to mediate.



Qatar has backing from Iran, Turkey, and Morocco which have sent food supplies to Doha to provide for 313,000 Qataris and 2.3 million expatriate workers, 25% from India. Turkey has also dispatched soldiers to Qatar to take part in joint military exercises and, eventually, establish a base.



A peninsula jutting into the Gulf, its only land border with Saudi Arabia, Qatar has long annoyed Arab leaders. Al-Jazeera, the Arab worlds first independent, professional Arabic satellite television channel launched in 1996, has been accused of being a mouthpiece for Qatars al-Thani ruling family, which funds the channel.



Al-Jazeera has broadcast programmes critical of Arab rulers who have said the channel is interfering in their domestic affairs and has a pro-Muslim Brotherhood bias. Reception has been blocked from time to time and al-Jazeera staff deported.



Following the attacks on New York and Washington in September 2001, Al-Jazeera carried interviews with Osama bin Laden, who was responsible for the operation, angering Washington. The channel also broadcast live coverage of the 2003 US-led war on Iraq and its dire consequences, upsetting Britain as well as the US.



The establishment in 2006 of an English language channel enabled Al-Jazeera to provide world-class coverage of global events. But both channels broadcasts of the 2011 Arab Spring uprisings and the 2013 Brotherhood reaction to the ousting of Egypts President Muhammad Morsi, a Brotherhood stalwart, renewed Arab anger over Al-Jazeera. Saudi Arabia, in particular, regards the Brotherhood as a rival for the fealty of Sunni Muslims.

The Saudis and their allies have rightly charged Qatar with funding and arming terrorist organisations, notably al-Qaeda, Islamic State, and affiliates. The accusation, however, did not surface until the May visit to Riyadh of US President Donald Trump who called on Arab leaders gathered there to join the fight against terrorism.





Since Saudi Arabias puritan Wahhabi ideology has been adopted by radical fundamentalist factions, thousands of Saudi jihadis have fought in Syria and Iraq, and Riyadh has been the principal patron of jihadi factions, Riyadhs attack on Qatar is all too clearly a ploy to deflect attention from Saudi policies  including the export of Wahhabism  which are causing mayhem in West Asia, Europe, Asia, and Africa.



Qatar-Iran ties

Sunni Saudi Arabia and its allies were also angered when Qatar asserted its independence from Riyadh by refusing to cut ties with Shia Iran which the Saudis regard as its chief regional antagonist. Qatar cannot afford to acquiesce in this demand as the emirate shares with Iran the worlds largest natural gas field.



In April this year, Qatar decided to go ahead with its development which had been postponed from 2005 while studies were made of potential output. This may have led the Saudis to act.

Qatar has balanced the sponsorship of Al-Jazeera, the Brotherhood and terrorist factions by hosting the largest US airbase in the region. Al-Udaid, built in 1991 and expanded in 1996, is used by the Qatari, US and British air forces to launch air operations and is the headquarters of the US Central Command which carries out operations in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Syria.



Al-Udaid was a major staging area for the 2003 US war on Iraq. Although accused of terrorism by Trump as well as the Saudis, he agreed to sell the Qataris F-15 fighters worth $12 billion and ordered the US navy to stage exercises with Qatari naval vessels. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson urged the Saudis to ease their blockade.



The GCC split over Qatar is a direct consequence of Saudi assertiveness. Since taking the throne in early 2015, King Salman and his favourite son, Crown Prince Muhammad, have adopted risky policies. They have waged an unwinnable war in Yemen, stepped up warfare in Syria, and tried to bully or bribe other GCC rulers and Arab leaders to follow the Saudi line, particularly against Iran.



Muhammad bin Salman, 31, has been the prime mover of the kingdoms shift from chequebook diplomacy to warfare, dragging in the UAE, Pakistan, Egypt, and other countries. The adventurist young man can be expected to cause further mayhem in West Asia and consternation in the region and the inter-national community.



Crown Prince Muhammeds decision to take on Qatars equally ambitious ruler, Shaikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, 37, is a major mistake. He is determined to defend his country and its global reach through Al-Jazeera.



While he might be prepared to reduce support for jihadi groups, Turkey, another sponsor, is likely to exert counter-pressure on Qatar to continue its backing. On this issue, Qatar is caught between the Saudi rock and the Turkish hard place.
The present state of legislature has forced the judiciary to make laws and the court will do the same in the issue of Uniform Civil Code, said former High Court judge Justice N Kumar.



Speaking at a seminar on 'Uniform Civil Code', he said, Parliament relied on Visakha judgement to frame a law for preventing sexual harassment at work place. The issue of Uniform Civil Code may also take the same route," he said.



Waiting for change



He said many in Muslim community were waiting for a change. The whole Muslim community is in the hands of a few and none of them are ready to fight for change. There is no Rajaram Mohan Roy among them, he said.



Stating that the Uniform Civil Code should not be viewed from the religious angle, he said it was essentially a move towards giving equal rights for women.






The whistleblower in the seat-blocking scam at Dr B R Ambedkar Medical College (AMC) in Bengaluru continues to be jobless since 2007.



Shivalingaswamy, who was a physical instructor in the college, had unearthed that a few members of the Ananda Social and Educational Trust, which runs AMC, and its PRO had swindled Rs 51 crore refunded to students who surrendered their merit seats in three years.



Shivalingaswamy was placed under suspension and dismissed from service in January 2007. Shivalingaswamy continued his fight against the order of dismissal. He was charged with misconduct without holding a enquiry. He moved the Educational Appellate Tribunal in 2007 against the order. After a legal battle for over nine years, the tribunal dismissed the order and directed AMC to reinstate him.



The order was issued in June 2016. The institution was directed to reinstate me without consequential benefits and back wages. I will have to start another battle for consequential benefits and back wages. The institution did not reinstate me, instead moved the High Court, challenging the Tribunals order, Shivalingaswamy said.



When the matter did not reach the High Court for almost six months, he moved the city civil court seeking attachment of the bank account of the Trust, through which employees salaries were disbursed. The court passed an order in May 2017, attaching the account of AMC at Anand Co-operative Bank. The institutions excuse was that the writ petition filed challenging the Tribunals order was pending.



The court held, Even if such writ petition is filed, unless there is an interim order by the HC staying the award under execution, this court cannot suo motu postpone the execution of award indefinitely.



The court ordered attachment of the account maintained and operated by the Trust in Anand Co-operative Bank at AMC branch, Shamapur Main Road, Bengaluru. I have learnt that the institution has now opened another account to disburse salaries, Shivalingaswamy said.



CCB findings



Shivalingaswamy had filed a complaint in the DJ Halli police station with regard to irregularities during 2011-2014. The AMC case was handed over to the CCB in August 2014. The FIR named Amanullah Khan (public relations officer of AMC) as the main accused and Radhakrishna, son-in-law of former union minister Mallikarjuna Kharge, as the second accused, along with 14 other founder trustees and associate trustees.



The CCB found that while other private colleges charged Rs 50 to Rs 70 lakh for an MBBS seat under management quota, AMC accounts showed a mere Rs 4.5 lakh per seat. A total of 668 students had surrendered merit seats between 2011 and 2014 after getting through ComedK entrance test. Seventy-three of them opted for AMC seats before dropping out. The fees they paid to ComedK and the college (Rs 2.6 crore) were refunded to them by cheque. These cheques were credited in the accounts of the AMC principal at the Corporation Bank in RT Nagar and Indian Bank in Hosur, Tamil Nadu.






The Muzrai officials, who had announced that the 350-year-old Vasanthpura Kalyani off Kanakapura Road would be developed according to the 100-year-old village map, have now developed cold feet.



The officials said there is tremendous pressure on them not to restore the tank to its earlier state.



The Muzrai officials had almost levelled three-fourth of the Kalyani on the pretext of reviving it.



The plan was to build a small tank of 22,000 sq ft and build a 40 ft road on the eastern side of the tank connecting the main road in the north to a private property in the south.



The work stopped ever since DH broke the story about the Muzrai departments plan to cover the tank to benefit a realtor. The officials later said they will scrap the development plan and retain the actual water holding area of the tank.



Now, the Muzrai officials want a hearing with Infosys Foundation chairperson Sudha Murty, who is funding the development project at an estimated cost of Rs 2.5 crore.



Four days ago, Bengaluru rural MP D K Suresh visited the place when he learnt about the controversies surrounding the temple tank.
The Editors Guild of India (EGI) on Sunday urged Karnataka Legislative Assembly to immediately withdraw its resolution to sentence two journalists to prison for publishing certain articles against a few of its members, describing the move as pernicious as well as gross misuse of the powers and privileges.



The decision violates the fundamental right of freedom of speech guaranteed under the Indian Constitution and the freedom of the Press. It is also a gross misuse of the powers and privileges of a state legislature, it said in a statement.



The Speaker of the Karnataka Assembly on June 22 declared that the two journalists Ravi Belagere and Anil Raju were being sentenced to one year in prison and a fine of Rs 10,000 each, the EGI noted.



The two journalists were accused of writing defamatory articles about the Speaker and a few MLAs, including a member of the House Privileges Committee which recommended the award of punishment to them.



The right to try and sentence journalists for defamation vests with the courts of law and the Karnataka Legislative Assembly cannot and should not misuse its powers and privileges to conduct a trial and sentence any member of the press for libel, the EGI pointed out.

The privileges of the Assembly, under which the action have been taken against the scribes, were not even codified, it said.



If individuals of the legislature feel that their reputations have been affected, they are free to take the matter to court against the journalists or publication and not act as complainant, prosecution and judge as they did in this case, the EGI added.



The EGI expressed a firm disapproval to the Karnataka Assemblys resolution, saying journalists must have the freedom to write critical articles against all such elected representatives of the country and hold them accountable for their actions without fear or favour. The Guild urges the Karnataka Assembly to withdraw its resolution without delay. The Guild hopes that wisdom will prevail and the Karnataka Legislative Assembly will immediately take corrective measures and withdraw its pernicious resolution against the two journalists, it added.



Belagere still in hospital, Bluru cops return



A team of police from Bengaluru which had camped at the SDM Medical Hospital had to return empty handed as Hai Bangalore editor Ravi Belagere was not discharged on Sunday, reports DHNS from Dharwad.



As many as eight police officials had come to Dharwad on learning that Belagere was admitted to the hospital after he complained of chest pain and high blood pressure.

The doctors told the police that Belagere is stable but several tests have been conducted, including those to check brain and heart health, and these reports are awaited.

With Ramzan festival falling on Monday, it is a closed holiday for the hospital staff and duty doctors.



On getting this information, the Bengaluru police, as per instructions from the Home department, returned to Bengaluru, while Belagere is under surveillance by the Vidyagiri police. Four policemen are guarding the ward in which Belagere is undergoing treatment.


It is that time of the year when people make a beeline for water bodies to relax and enjoy nature in its full splendour. But they should exercise caution as danger looms large, especially in the form of crocodiles.



Sundays incident where a start-up entrepreneur lost his hand after being attacked by a crocodile at Thattakere lake in Anekal forest division is yet another pointer of how misadventure can misfire.



The victim, Mudit Dandwate, and his friend ventured into the water body, despite being warned. We have put up many signboards around the lake. Signages have been put up wherever crocodiles are present, warning people against venturing into the water body. But people do not listen. It is a very unfortunate incident. But he is lucky to have survived, said Javed Mumtaz, deputy conservator of forests, Bannerghatta National Park.



According to forest officials, crocodiles are found in a number of water bodies on the citys outskirts. Crocodiles can survive even in marshes. They are very strong and can move on land too. Fences are put around the water bodies, but people do not pay attention in their excitement. This time, pre-monsoon showers and early monsoon rains have been good. The lakes are full of water. This has not only brought the crocodiles back, but has also drawn tourists, said a forest official.



The officials list out popular water bodies where crocodiles are found - Bheemeshwari, Galibore, Sangam, Mekedatu, Ranganthittu on the banks of River Cauvery, Anekal and BNP. A healthy water body is good in a way as man-animal conflict comes down. Thattakere is popular because people and forest staff have sighted at least 30 elephants taking a dip in the lake. The lake and the Male Mahadeshwara temple are located inside the forest. Local residents and temple authorities want the road leading to the temple to be asphalted. We are not permitting this, as it will attract more people and could lead to casualties like the one on Sunday, said a forest official.



We have listed over 200 water bodies around Bannerghatta where crocodiles are present. Signboards have been put up everywhere, warning people not to enter the lakes. But they do not listen, Mumtaz said. Announcements are frequently made on loudspeakers, asking residents not to wash their clothes or bathe in the water bodies. The rush is high during weekends and festivals. The full 400-staff strength of Bannerghatta has been pressed into duty to ensure there are no untoward incidents during the long weekend this time, he said.




The JD(S) on Sunday decided to support former Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar, the Opposition candidate for the Presidential polls.



Former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda and his son H D Kumaraswamy endorsed the candidature of Meira by signing on her nomination papers in the presence of the Congress leaders in Bengaluru.



Interestingly, the JD(S) decision to support the Congress-backed candidate for the Presidential polls comes days after the party supported the BJP to defeat a resolution moved by the Congress to remove D H Shankaramurthy as Legislative Council Chairman. The JD(S) has said that it will never associate with the BJP at the national level.



Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee president G Parameshwara, AICC Secretary Suraj Hegde and other Congress leaders met Gowda at his residence in Bengaluru and sought JD(S) support for Meira.



The JD(S) has 40 MLAs and three MPs. However, the JD(S) has disqualified eight of its MLAs on the grounds of indulging in anti-party activities during elections to the Rajya Sabha last year.



Meanwhile, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah also endorsed the candidature of Meira by signing on her nomination papers. Former Union minister M Veerappa Moily, Energy Minister D K Shivakumar, Primary and Secondary Education Minister Tanveer Sait are among the other signatories.



Moily said that neither the ruling party candidate Ram Nath Kovind nor the Opposition candidate Meira had absolute majority to win the Presidential polls, scheduled to be held on July 17.



He said all members of the electoral college should cast their vote as per their conscience.

Shivakumar said anything can happen in politics. Changes can happen at the last minute, he said apparently referring to the electoral tilt in favour of Kovind.






Environmentalists, scientists and members of the public on Sunday expressed reservation over the move to set up units 5 and 6 of the Kaiga nuclear power plant, at a meeting at Yellapur.



The meeting was presided over by Gangadharendra Saraswathi Swami of the Swarnavalli Mutt.

The pontiff said the government could harness renewable forms of energy like solar and wind to meet the growing needs of electricity, instead of spending huge amounts for the expansion of the nuclear plant. He said thermal power harmed only the immediate surroundings. But nuclear power plants harm the environment in a radius of 100 km, the pontiff said. The seer said this was the only rain forest in the world where a nuclear plant had been set up.



T V Ramachandra of the Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, said 1,474 hectares of forest in the two-km buffer zone of the Kaiga power station had been reduced 407 hectares.




The Grand Alliance in Bihar seems to be heading towards a collapse under it own weight, even as Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar denies any threat to his government.



Ever since the JD(U) strongman decided to back former Bihar governor and NDA Presidential nominee Ram Nath Kovind instead of Opposition candidate Meira Kumar, the war of words between the two major alliance partners  RJD and JD(U)  has got murkier.



With RJD using terms like traitor and comparing Nitish to historical figures such as Jaichand and Mir Zafar (better known for their betrayal), it is only a matter of time when Nitish reacts strongly and repeats his four-year-old act.



In June 2013, Nitish threw the BJP out of the government and snapped 17-year-old ties with the saffron party once it was clear that it was his then arch-rival Narendra Modi, and not he, who was the NDAs prime ministerial candidate for the 2014 Lok Sabha elections.



No more bonhomie



According to the latest developments, Nitishs differences with RJD chief Lalu Prasad have reached a point of no return.



Even a layman here is aware that BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi, who made well-documented allegations against Lalu and his family of amassing huge wealth and benami property, was being fed by the ones close to the Bihar chief minister.



An image-conscious chief minister, who in his earlier two dispensations, was known for good governance, is, this time, reportedly feeling uncomfortable in the company of Lalu and sons.



However, it is undeniable that Nitish would have been decimated politically had he not joined hands with Lalu.



A shrewd leader that he is, Nitish put his animosity with his bete noire at the back-burner in August 2014 and assiduously cultivated a Grand Alliance so as to give the Narendra Modi-led BJP a crushing defeat during the 2015 Bihar Assembly elections.



However, Nitish and Modi now shower praise on each other. The day Nitish becomes absolutely sure that he stands no chance of being the Opposition prime ministerial candidate for the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, he will dump Lalu and sons, and join the NDA bandwagon, a Congress leader told DH.




Visiting Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi (L) shakes hands with Pakistani top foreign affairs advisor Sartaj Aziz during their meeting in Islamabad, Pakistan, on June 24, 2017. (Xinhua/Liu Tian)

ISLAMABAD, June 25 -- Visiting Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said Saturday that tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan are not conducive to their stability and development as well as regional cooperation, calling on both countries to meet each other halfway so as to improve bilateral ties.

Wang made the call during his meeting with Pakistani top foreign affairs advisor Sartaj Aziz. He said that Pakistan and Afghanistan should send the international community a positive signal that the two sides are willing to restore mutual trust and conduct cooperation through bilateral channels.

Wang also said that China supports the two sides in seeking to establish a crisis managing mechanism as quickly as possible so as to properly deal with contingencies and to form a trilateral meeting system among foreign ministers of China, Afghanistan and Pakistan in order to enhance dialogue and cooperation in all areas.

For his part, Aziz said that Pakistan is willing to intensify communication and improve relations with the Afghan side and to support the political reconciliation process in Afghanistan as these are in line with both countries' common interests.

The advisor said that the Pakistani side has made political and diplomatic efforts on the issue and is willing to activate relevant dialogue mechanisms and channels, adding that it requires the two sides to meet each other halfway.

He added that Pakistan is willing to form the trilateral foreign ministers meeting system and Pak-Afghan crisis managing mechanism through negotiations to enhance talks and cooperation and properly handle divergences.

On China-Pakistan ties, Wang said that Pakistan is China's all-weather strategic cooperative partner and the relationship is a unique one in China's foreign relations and is tested by history.

He added that China is willing to improve strategic communication and strengthen mutually beneficial cooperation with Pakistan in order to maintain the two countries' common interests.

The Chinese foreign minister highlighted that counter terrorism is an important content of bilateral relations and expressed thanks to the Pakistani side for its firm support for China's fight against the violent terrorist group the "East Turkistan Islamic Movement."

Wang also hailed Pakistan's important contribution to the international counter terrorism cause as it is in the frontline of global fight against terror.

Aziz said that international counter terrorism situation is getting tougher recently as terror incidents have occurred more frequently, and Pakistan has suffered a lot from terrorist attacks. He pledged that Pakistan will make greater efforts to fight against terrorism of all forms together with the international community.
Taking a dig at the Congress on the 42nd anniversary of the Emergency, Union Minister Arun Jaitley on Sunday asked the Opposition to introspect their own roles during those black days.



Countering the Opposition charge that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has unleashed an undeclared emergency, Jaitley said, Those making these exaggerated comments need to introspect their own roles during the Emergency. Most of them were either supporting the Emergency or were absent in any protest against it.



In his write-up, Forty Two Years Ago  The Emergency, released to the media, the senior BJP leader said it not only established the dictatorship of an individual, the then prime minister Indira Gandhi, but created an environment of tyranny and fear in the society, and the result was that most institutions collapsed on their own.



The Emergency was declared on the intervening night of June 25-June 26, 1975.

The minister said Indira suspended all the fundamental rights because she wanted to continue as prime minister, despite the Supreme Court granting conditional stay on an Allahabad High Court verdict, which had unseated her in a petition challenging her

election.



The official reason was a threat to public order, but this was phoney reasoning. She wanted to continue in power and resorted to the imposition of Emergency, he said.
A government-sponsored study has recommended the creation of a special police force for the safety of tourists, noting that the existing mechanism failed to effectively check crime against tourists in India.



In its report to the Union Ministry of Tourism, the study team noted that the introduction of tourist police could reduce the crime rate against tourists by more than 70%.



According to tour operators, theft (25%) has been the most common crime faced by tourists, followed by cheating (16%) and sexual harassment (16%), the study noted.



Bhubaneswar-based Indian Institute of Tourism and Travel Management (IITTM), an autonomous body under the Ministry of Tourism, conducted the study.



Like the general police, the tourist police should also be under the state governments control. It should work under the district police administration with policing powers exclusively for maintaining the safety and security of the tourists, so that the crime rate can be reduced by more than 70%, the study team recommended in its report.



The mode of operation, functions, powers, training and uniform of the tourist police should be designed keeping in mind the requirement of a tourist. The tourism ministry can provide financial assistance to the state governments for effective implementation of the scheme, it added.



In almost all the states and Union Territories, there exists one or the other form of a police system to assist tourists.
BJP Lok Sabha member and firebrand saffron leader Sakshi Maharaj on Sunday said that Ram Temple construction dates would be declared this year.



The dates for construction of Ram Temple will be declared in November this year... will be announced by the saints at a meeting, Sakshi Maharaj told reporters in Unnao, his Lok Sabha constituency.



The saffron leader, who is known for his controversial remarks, said the discussion was in its final stage.



He said prominent saints from across the country were unanimous in their resolve to ensure that the temple construction take place at Ayodhya without further delay.



No power on earth can stop the Ram Temple construction... the dates, once declared, will not be changed, he said. The saffron party MP also said that besides the saints, a large number of Muslims were also in favour of the Ram Temple at Ayodhya.



Sakshi Maharaj had earlier said that there was no question of allowing the construction of the Babri mosque at the disputed site. The people of the country want Ram Temple at Ayodhya, which is the birth place of Lord Rama, he had said.



Muslim leaders here reacted sharply to Sakshi Maharajs remarks and said that such comments only undermined the authority of the judiciary. The matter is pending in the Supreme Court... all sides are bound by the apex court verdict, said a senior Muslim cleric here.




At least two persons were washed away on Juhu beach on Sunday, while two were injured in lightning at Shahpur in the Thane district of Maharashtra.



Parts of Dahanu taluka in Palghar district was inundated after receiving 125 mm of rain. The Surya river overflowed in several places.



This is the first major monsoon-related disruption in Mumbai and its suburbs this season.

Weathermen feel that the wet spell will continue for the next 24 to 48 hours. Fishermen of the coastal Konkan-Goa belt have been advised not to venture out into the Arabian Sea.



Talasari town in Palghar district recorded 470 mm rain, the highest in the state.

Vada and Vikramgadh in Palghar district recorded 360 mm and 320 mm, respectively, in the last two days. Pune, Nashik, the hill stations of Mahabaleshwar, Matheran and Lonavla-Khandala, too, received good rainfall. Train services were hit.



10 hurt in Kerala



Heavy rain and strong winds in the Kunnamkulam region of Thrissur district of Kerala caused damages to houses, a school, a church and many vehicles.



A portion of the ceiling at the St Marys Cathedral in Kunnamkulam collapsed, causing minor injuries to about 10 people.



Trees were uprooted in a spell of heavy rain, causing damage to parked vehicles and snapping power lines in some areas.



According to a daily bulletin released by the meteorological centre in Thiruvananthapuram, while parts of Thrissur district received steady rain on Sunday.



The Met department has predicted heavy rainfall in Kerala till June 28. On Sunday, heavy rainfall was reported from parts of Ernakulam district, Peerumed in Idukki district and Kodungallur in Thrissur district.



Rain lashed the south Gujarat region, with Valsad district receiving the highest rainfall of 194 mm in the state since Saturday.



The heavy downpour triggered a flash flood in Darotha river, leaving 15 people stranded near Bhilod village, who were later rescued.



The Met department has forecast heavy to very heavy rainfall in south Gujarat in the next five days.



Yesterdays (Saturday) offshore trough at mean sea level from south Gujarat coast to Kerala coast persists. The upper air cyclone circulation over southeast Rajasthan and neighbourhood from 5.8 and 7.6 km persists, the India Meteorological Department stated.




An oil tanker overturned and burst into flames as crowds rushed to collect fuel that spilled over on a highway in Pakistans Punjab Province, killing over 151 people.



More than 140 people were injured in one of the deadliest accidents in the country. The oil tanker coming from Karachi and headed to Lahore overturned early Sunday morning on the national highway at the Ahmedpur Sharqia area of Bahawalpur district, some 400 km from Lahore, after a tyre burst and the driver lost control.



The fire was apparently caused by someone who lit a cigarette after people from nearby localities gathered on the highway to collect petrol, officials said.



Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, who was in London to celebrate Eid along with his family members, cut short his visit and left for Pakistan.



This is a tragedy of its kind in the countrys history that has left everyone in grief in Pakistan. My thoughts are with the victims families, Sharif said before leaving for Pakistan. Rescue officials said the blaze from the oil spill engulfed scores of residents.




Not many people live to tell the tale of a crocodile attack. Mudit Dandwate, a 26-year-old IIT graduate, escaped from the jaws of death after a reptile bit his arm off.



On Sunday morning, Dandwate  a resident of Indiranagar  and his female friend had gone to Mahadeshwara temple, located 38 km from city centre. The duo had also taken their two dogs with them. After visiting the temple, Dandwate and his friend decided to take a plunge in the Thattakere lake adjacent to the temple in Anekal forest division, along with the dogs. The place is just 15 km from Bannerghatta National Park.



Smelling food and sensing some movement in the still waterbody, a juvenile crocodile attacked them around 7.30 am. The reptile grabbed Dandwates left arm and tried to pull him inside the water.



His friend screamed for help and four forest department officials, who were perambulating the area, saved them out. Dandwates left forearm was chewed off by the crocodile.



The forest staff rushed him to Sagar Hospital on Bannerghatta Road, after which he was shifted to Hosmat Hospital for specialised treatment, reports DHNS from Bengaluru. Dr Thomas Chandy, director and chief of orthopaedics and joint replacement centre, Hosmat Hospital, told DH that it is rare for anyone to survive a crocodile attack.



I applaud Mudits courage and strength. He is in the ICU. His left forearm has been chewed off by the crocodile. Crocodile jaws are very strong. Debridement (removal of damaged tissue from a wound) has been done.



The procedure will be repeated on Monday and then an artificial limb will be attached, he said. Dr Priyadarshan K, plastic and cosmetic surgeon, along with a team of doctors, is attending to Dandwate. Mudit Dandwate is a native of Nagpur. The IIT graduate came to Bengaluru two years ago and launched a startup.



His parents have rushed to the city upon receipt of the news. In the meantime, the forest department is also looking into its rules to pay for the medical treatment of Dandwate.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi today said India has succeeded in telling the world about the need to uproot the menace of terrorism and the surgical strikes conducted across the LoC prove that the country can defend itself when needed.



"When India talked of terrorism 20 years back, many in the world said it was a law and order problem and didn't understand it. Now terrorists have explained terrorism to them so we don't have to," Modi said at a community reception at the Ritz Carlton in Tysons Corner, Virginia.



He said India has succeeded in telling the world about the need to uproot the menace of terrorism.



"When India conducted surgical strikes the world experienced our power and realised that India practices restrain but can show power when needed," the Prime Minister said as he highlighted the achievements of his government in the last three years.



India conducted surgical strikes on terror pads across the LoC on September 29 last year after the Uri attack.



Modi said India has been a victim of terrorism, but "the world did not and cannot stop us. We have succeeded in conveying to the world the deleterious effects of terrorism on India."



In an apparent dig at China, Modi said that India believed in following the world order.

India, he said, does not believe in achieving its goals by not following the global rules.



Modi said India has always followed the path of development within the confines of the global order and rule of law.



"This is Indias tradition and culture," he noted, apparently referring to China's assertiveness in the South China Sea.



Modi also promised to the Indian American community that he will fulfil their dreams of India's development.



Modi said he is relentlessly working to fast-track India's development wherein there is no scope for corrupt and dishonest.



He said Indians hate corruption and that his government is determined to address this challenge of corruption.



The Prime Minister said that there has not been a single allegation of corruption against his government in the last three years.



Modi said with the help of technology his government has developing a system where honesty is the common practice.



Technology brings transparency and helps in fighting corruption.

"The results are there for all to see," he said.



Noting that infrastructure is essential for sustainable development, Modi said the focus of his government is on global benchmark, setting high standards of development.



Modi also praised the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) and Sushma Swaraj for giving a human face to diplomacy and effective use of social media in good governance.



"MEA is one ministry of the government which has demonstrated through the use of social media, for the first time, that it cares for poorest of Indians," he said.



The Prime Minister assured the Indian-Americans that if they have a problem, the Indian Embassy will always find a solution.
Baku, Azerbaijan, June 25

Trend:

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has sent a congratulatory letter to Muhammad bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince, deputy prime minister and minister of defense of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

I extend my heartfelt congratulations to you on the occasion of your selection as Crown Prince of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Ilham Aliyev said in his letter.

Azerbaijan and Saudi Arabia are bound by ties of friendship and cooperation, which stem from common spiritual values of our peoples. I believe that built on such a solid foundation, our relations will continue to successfully develop and expand. I have pleasant recollections of our meetings and exchange of views with you.

Taking this opportunity, I extend my sincere congratulations to you on the occasion of Eid al-Fitr and wish you robust health, happiness and success in your responsible job, President Aliyev added.
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A judge has criticised the granting of "station bail" at Dundalk Garda Station to a man accused of having over 1,200 worth of cannabis for sale or supply.

Judge John Coughlan said he wanted strict bail conditions to be imposed in the case of old Joseph Owens formerly with an address at Roebuck, The Loakers, Dundalk.

The 35 year old was before the court charged with unlawful possession of cannabis and having the drug for sale or supply at his former address at The Loakers, on February 18th last.

He is also accused of possessing cannabis oil and controlled drugs Psilocin and Psilocybin.

The investigating garda gave evidence last Wednesday that the accused made no reply when a further charge was put to the defendant that morning.

Judge John Coughlan accepted jurisdiction, which means the case will be heard at district court level and he adjourned the case until September 20th.

However when he queried what bail conditions were attached, and he was told that station bail had been granted, Judge Coughlan said "That is not good enough. This is an alleged seller of drugs. I want very tight conditions".

When the case was recalled, the court was told that bail conditions had been agreed.

Under the terms, the accused must reside at a new address at Doolargy Avenue, Muirhevnamor as he has since moved. He must also inform gardai in writing of any change of address and must sign on at Dundalk Garda Station every Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

The court heard it had also been agreed that he attend drugs counselling through his GP, that he remain sober and provide a mobile phone number on which he is contactable by gardai 24 hours a day.
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Tehran, Iran, June 25



By Emil Ilgar - Trend:



Irans President Hassan Rouhani has expressed dissatisfaction with the status of privatization in the country, calling for "real" privatization, IRNA news agency reported June 23.

In a meeting with economic figures, Rouhani pointed out to the former president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's administration, saying that at the time, government's assets were given to bodies that were not really private.



He said that in the Ahmadinejad administration, real privatization counted for just 13 percent of transfer of government assets.



He expressed regret that the private sector in Iran is "really weak" and has not been able to find markets in regional countries such as Russia over the past couple of years, despite good grounds.

The privatization of government-owned assets in Iran has increased by 2.5 times during the Rouhanis first round (May 2013 to May 2017) administration.

Since the Privatization Organization was formed in 2001, worth 1.14 quadrillion rials ($35.2 billion, each USD 32,262 rials) assets have been privatized, 40 percent of which fell in the time of the Rouhani administration, the organizations head Jafar Sobhani said, IRNA news agency reported February 3.

Prior to the Rouhani administration, only 18 percent of the privatized assets would go to private owners, while 39 percent of them went to semi-governmental entities, he said.

"This is while during the first three years of the current administration, 45 of the privatized assets went to private entities, resulting in a 2.5 times increase."
Tehran, Iran, June 25

By Mehdi Sepahvand - Trend:

Iran expects to have exported chemical and cellulose products worth $23 billion by March 2018, according to Parvin Nabati, director of the Chemical and Cellulose Industries Department of the Ministry of Industry, Mine and Trade.

Over the last fiscal year (which ended March 20), the export of some of these products has witnessed 50 percent rise, she told Mehr news agency June 25.

According to Nabati, 19,700 chemical and cellulose production units are running in Iran.

The chemical and cellulose sectors are together responsible for 23 percent of Irans entire industrial export, she noted, adding they are also responsible for 31 and 18 percent of Irans industrial employment, respectively.

In addition, she said that Iran has lessened tariffs on Turkish-imported chemical and cellulose products from 30 to 5 percent in hope of helping the domestic industry.

She noted that last fiscal year, Iran exported 39 million tons of these products, worth $18 billion, showing 34.5 percent year on year increase.
Tehran, Iran, June 25

By Mehdi Sepahvand - Trend:

Irans annual export to Ghana increased by 170 percent last fiscal year (which ended March 20) compared to the preceding year.

This meant a jump from $1.307 million to $2.226 million, Farzad Piltan, director of the Arab-African Office of Irans Trade Promotion Organization told IRNA news agency June 25.

The main exported goods were industrial oil, oil products, bitumen, petroleum jelly, engine oil, and household chemical products, dairy products, home appliances, chocolate, marble, and carpet, he said.

In February 2016, Iran and Ghana signed new documents for cooperation as President John Dramani Mahama visited Tehran at the head of an economic and political delegation, hailing the trip as the beginning of a new epoch in bilateral ties.

I am proud to be the first African leader to visit Iran after the nuclear agreement and also the first Ghanaian leader to come here after the Islamic Revolution, Mahama said at a joint news conference with his Iranian counterpart Hassan Rouhani back then.
We need a Fox News of the left. But all we have is you.

Medicaid is the biggest health insurance provider in America, covering more than 70 million with per capita spending growth that is lower than private insurers and even Medicare.

But if you think Obamacare is hard to explain, you probably have never attempted to describe Medicaid.

Our health care provider of last resort not only has different names in all 50 states but it generally includes dozens of different programs in each state, all designed to primarily assist three groups: the elderly, the disabled and the poor, especially poor kids*.

It has a smaller budget item than Medicare and Social Security, but it covers tens of millions more Americans.

The program is popular  a 74 percent favorable rating in the latest Kaiser Health Tracking Poll, which is why Donald Trump ran on never cutting it. So how does he think he can get away with the biggest broken campaign promise in modern American history?

Because Medicaid programs have hundreds of different names, many beneficiaries have no idea theyre on Medicaid.

Even worse, most Medicaid enrollees  or people who will likely depend on Medicaid one day, like you  have no idea that the House Trumpcare proposes to gut the program by about 25 percent and the Senate bill goes even further but slyly pushes the cuts outside the 10-year window the Congressional Budget Office scores.

The biggest cuts to an extraordinarily popular program in its 52-year existence  cuts that to many experts end the program as we know it  are scheduled to be voted on in just a few days.

And most Americans still have no idea this is even happening.

Mitch McConnells plan is working perfectly.

The speed and secrecy of the GOPs assault on our health care system combined with the complicated design of Medicaid and Republicans willingness to outright lie about what theyre proposing has led to this, almost a complete media black out of this story:

Here are ~300 front pages from today. Few mention health care.. Zero mention how the GOP will soon vote to end Medicaid as we know it pic.twitter.com/416Y8TQF5y  Brett Banditelli (@banditelli) June 24, 2017

This chart explains who is covered by Medicaid:

For disabled people like Michael Phillips, Medicaid is the only hope of a decent life:

Andy Slavitt on The Last Word with Lawrence ODonnell from Andy Slavitt on Vimeo.

And for the parents of severely disabled kids like Natalie Weaver, its all that keeps her family from ruin:

Look into the life of my child who suffers daily & tell me she doesnt deserve Healthcare #HellerVoteNo pic.twitter.com/WrhAuvMFe3  Natalie Weaver (@Nataliew1020) June 24, 2017

But the 1 and 5 Medicare beneficiaries who also benefit from Medicaid present massive expenses promising to grow as our population ages.

With a simple statistic, the New York Times paints a clear picture of the program:

While most Medicaid enrollees are children, pregnant women and nonelderly adults, long-term services such as nursing homes account for 42 percent of all Medicaid spending  even though only 6 percent of Medicaid enrollees use them.

If the 64 percent of Americans in nursing care thanks to Medicaid knew what the GOP is proposing, there would be riots in the TV room of the nursing homes. Or possibly in the TV rooms of the kids and family members that may soon be required to pay for or provide their care themselves.

House Trumpcare makes the already strict requirements elderly nursing care higher and both bills require cuts to nursing homes that would likely force them to reduce the number of Medicaid beneficiaries they serve. And the worst of these cuts really kick in right around the time Baby Boomers by the millions hit their 80s.

Why is the GOP doing this?

Its not to balance the budget. Nearly all the benefits of these cuts will go to corporations and the rich Americans who will get a 3.8 percent tax cut on investment income over $250,000.

The GOP is not telling seniors, the disabled and poor kids that we cant afford their care. The GOP is saying tax breaks for the rich are more important than their care.

Youd think with this scheduled to happen in just days, people would be positioning their pitchforks in their parents wheelchairs. Thats what happened in 2009-2010 when we were about to expand health insurance to more than 20 million Americans.

Why hasnt uninsuring them generated the same outcry?

The Tea Party movement was fueled by the threat of imaginary Medicare benefit cuts that never came. Where did people get the idea that the gubbermint was coming for their Medicare?

Fox News.

There is simply no liberal media entity that has the audience among seniors, the time and the interest to explain to people what is about to happen to one of the crown jewels of Americas social safety net. Instead this sneak attack will likely remain a sneak attack until the damage is impossible to ignore.

Our only hope is raising holy hell and making this story inescapable for the rest of June so that the constituents of these four possibly swayable Republicans let their Senators know that they understand the heist the GOP is trying to pull off:

Please:

Share all the information you can about the damage Trumpcare will do  especially to Alaska and Maine  with your Facebook friends and encourage them to do the same. And only focus on this specific Trump atrocity until its dead.

And know this: If they can get away with gutting Medicaid to give rich guys a tax break, Medicare and Social Security are next.

*I wasnt even aware of the complexity of Medicaid until I interviewed Emma Sandoe, who worked on the drafting of the Affordable Care Act, for this weeks The Sit and Spin Room, coming Wednesday.

[Image by sima dimitric | Flickr]
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Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani in a phone conversation with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani on Sunday, discussed development of bilateral economic and political relations with Iran, IRNA reported.

Hamid Abutalebi, political director of the Iranian presidential office said in his twitter account that Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and Rouhani have stressed promotion of economic and trade relations between Tehran and Doha, in particular two countries' private sectors.

During the phone conversation, the two leaders congratulated Eid al-Fitr to each others, Abutalebi said.

He noted that the two leaders dismissed use of pressure and sanction in the region and also siege of Qatar.

Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and President Rouhani underlined necessity of protection of unity in the Islamic World, Abutalebi added.
To build the largest and most complete Amateur Radio community site on the Internet - a "portal" that hams think of as the first place to go for information, to exchange ideas, and be part of whats happening with ham radio on the Internet. eHam.net provides recognition and enjoyment to the people who use, contribute, and build the site. This project involves a management team of volunteers who each take a topic of interest and manage it with passion. The site will stand above all other ham radio sites by employing the latest technology and professional design/programming standards, developed by a team of community programmers who contribute their skills to the effort. The site will be something of which everyone involved can be proud to say they were a part. We welcome your comments. The eHam.net Team, Revision 07/2020.




Iran's recent missile attack on ISIS targets in eastern Syria represents another escalation in the ongoing war between radical Shi'ites and jihadist Sunnis across the Middle East.



Iran, which is leading an array of heavily armed Shi'ite proxies and militias deployed in the region, fired a volley of six to seven missiles at targets located 700 kilometers away. It was in retaliation for deadly ISIS terror attacks earlier this month on Tehran's parliament and a shrine of Ayatollah Khomeini, who founded the Islamic Republic.
By Khalid Kazimov  Trend:

Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has agreed to pardon or commute prison sentences of 1049 prisoners on the occasion of the Eid al-Fitr.

The pardon was made at the request of the country's Judiciary Chief Ayatollah Sadeq Amoli Larijani and was approved by Ayatollah Khameni on the occasion of Eid al-Fitr marking the end of Islamic holy month of Ramadan, Leaders official website reported. According to Iranian constitution, the supreme leader enjoys the right to pardon and commute prison terms of a group of convicts.
Home  Articles  What does a minority government mean for the economy this parliament? Fri, 11th November 2022

What does a minority government mean for the economy this parliament?

Published: 25 Jun at 4 PM by Admin and tagged under category Economy



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The UK election in early June produced one of the most shocking results in recent electoral history. Despite most commentators widely anticipating a landslide victory for Theresa Mays incumbent Conservative government, instead the result proved inconclusive, with a hung parliament voted in. As we move forward into this period of governance, what are the possible outcomes for the UK economy? And what should we expect from future Budgets?The first thing to note is, for the short term, not a lot. Chancellor of the Exchequer, Phillip Hammond, has already ruled out a potential summer Budget. Speaking to Andrew Marr he said that there will no such Budget, or anything like that. The move away from any immediate budget in the new parliament may suggest the governments confidence in their shaky deal with the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) may not be up to a significant test so soon.Instead, Hammond said, there will be a Budget in November  as is standard  instead. Commenting on these plans, he said, In that Budget, we will set out our future plans for public spending, for taxation, for fiscal balance and everything else that needs to be clear.So far, the government has given limited indications where its economic policy is heading. There have been suggestions that the government will move away from its austerity policies of the last seven years. Hammond has hinted that taxes may be raised over the next parliament, with further signals that council budget cuts may no longer go ahead.Furthermore, prior to the election result, the Conservative manifesto was notably thin on in-depth economic policy, with several policies back-tracked on, unclear on their finances, or vague. The Queens Speech, which was delivered on Wednesday 21 June, suggests that many of those policies that were put forward have since been dropped in the new political circumstances. In a further indication that any manifesto promises are now off the table, the Conservatives manifesto was removed from their website shortly before the Queens Speech took place.These moves have been welcomed by several commentators who found the manifesto wanting, suggesting that the election result may actually bring some positives to economic policy. Furthermore, there are initial signs that the pound may be making a recovery, after the significant hit it took in the post-election uncertainty of a hung parliament result.Finally, as Brexit talks now are underway, there have been initial offerings of what the economic side of negotiations may bring. Over a quarter of the bills outlined in the Queens Speech concerned Brexit, with strong indications that a slow process of disengagement is what the government is seeking. My Government will seek to maintain a deep and special partnership with European allies and to forge new trading relationships across the globe, were the words spoken by the Queen with reference to trade policy.Speaking ahead of his meeting with EU leaders, Hammond said the focus of his role was to prioritise protecting jobs, protecting economic growth, and protecting prosperity. Prime Minister Theresa May has been similarly abstract in her claims, but made clear that the UK will leave the single market.
The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) attacked the Syrian army positions for the second time this week after projectiles from Syrian territory again fell in the Israeli-controlled part of the Golan Heights, Sputnik reported.

"In response to several Syrian projectiles launched towards Israel, IDF targeted 2 Syrian regime artillery positions & an ammunitions truck," the IDF wrote.

Earlier on Sunday, the IDF said that several projectiles launched from the Syrian territory fell in the Israeli-controlled part of the Golan Heights, causing no injuries.

On Saturday, the Israeli Air Force attacked the Syrian government forces' tanks and artillery positions after 10 projectiles fell on the Israeli-controlled part of the Golan Heights. A source told RIA Novosti that the Syrian government forces were repelling a massive Nusra-Front terrorists' attack in the Golan Heights when they were struck by the Israeli Air Force in the area. According to Al Mayadeen channel citing a source, at least two Syrian soldiers were killed in the airstrike.
The San Antonio City Council made a historic decision this year when it approved a seven-year plan for Alamo Plaza, a busy urban space that once was the main courtyard of an early Spanish mission and fortified compound at the center of a famous 1836 battle for Texas independence.

Under a nearly two-year-old agreement with the Texas General Land Office and nonprofit Alamo Endowment, which together manage the state-owned Alamo complex, the city has committed $38 million in capital or voter-approved funds for pedestrian and aesthetic enhancements in and around the city-owned plaza, to improve the visitor experience.

Built as the third site of Mission San Antonio de Valero and inhabited by friars, craftsmen and Native American families from the 1720s to early 1790s, the site then became a military fortress known as the Alamo, occupied by Spanish and later Mexican troops. Its most recognized role in history was as the site of a 13-day siege, with about 200 Texians and Tejanos against a much larger Mexican force. All Alamo defenders died in battle or were executed, and 300-400 Mexican soldiers were killed or wounded. News of the battle inspired others to rally for Texas independence.

The master plan project, set for completion by 2024, the 300-year anniversary of the 1724 founding of the site as a mission, is expected to cost about $400 million, with half to be raised privately. The council voted unanimously May 11 to support the plan, which is evolving.

Every member of City Council joined me in taking action showing our commitment to work with our partners, the State of Texas and the GLO, Mayor Ivy Taylor, who has served with Texas Land Commission George P. Bush on a two-member executive committee administering the plan, said in a press release after the council vote.

From this effort will emerge the creation of a place of honor where our layers of history transcend time and are embodied by the spirit of We the people, added Councilman Roberto Trevino, who has served with City Manager Sheryl Sculley as the two city representatives on a six-member management board.

But some people question the citys action to begin a study to close most of the plaza to traffic, for reverence and pedestrian safety.

The city also is pursuing a plan to disassemble, repair and possibly relocate the 1930s Alamo Cenotaph, a nearly 60-foot-tall monument to the fallen Alamo defenders. While some Alamo enthusiasts support the move, intended to provide open space for public gatherings, others oppose it. City officials are studying alternative locales for the Cenotaph, including a small park by Market Street, near a site where defenders bodies are said to have burned in a post-battle funeral pyre.

The plan also seeks to spend up to $40 million on repair and preservation of the mission-era church and Long Barrack; a representation of the Alamos main gate as the primary access point from the south; use of barriers or pavement to delineate the historic compounds geographic footprint; and renovation of three state-owned buildings to a 135,000-square-foot museum.

Some feel the spirit of the defenders is best preserved by keeping the plaza open, with traffic, amusement businesses, raspa vendors and demonstrators and others exercising free speech.

Councilwoman Shirley Gonzales has said the plaza can be improved without closing it off to the community. She supports the principles of the plan, but wanted to add an extra layer that would allow the design of the Alamo complex and plaza to remain dedicated to the historic use as a public civic space.

Officials overseeing the plans implementation have vowed to weigh input from the public and city advisory boards in developing a final design. They promised to keep 15 trees planted in 1976 in the plaza, while adding 102 new ones and expanding pedestrian space from 2.3 acres to 9.5 acres.

Taylor said she was pleased to see that the team has listened to community concerns and made a number of significant changes and improvements, including tree preservation.

I remain open to the full range of solutions that the design team might bring forward, she added.

Learn more at reimaginethealamo.org.

shuddleston@express-news.net

Twitter: @shuddlestonSA
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It took Janet Dellaria most of the day to get to school.

Shed start with a drive from her house in Trout Creek, Michigan, a tiny cluster of homes in the Ottawa National Forest, to park at a motel in Rhinelander, Wisconsin. Shed get a taxi to the nearby airport, where she boarded a plane for Minneapolis, then another plane to San Antonio and her final destination, Our Lady of the Lake University.

This went on for years. Occasionally, she would instead drive to the Chicago area to check on her second home in suburban Geneva before flying to Texas from the OHare or Midway airport.

In total, Dellaria calculates, she traveled 570,000 miles by air and thousands more by car, all so she could earn a doctorate of philosophy in leadership studies. On Wednesday, at 73, she did just that.

For her dissertation presentation, which focused on the relationship between spirituality and the behavior of leaders, Dellaria wore a pair of leis sent by friends she had met in Hawaii, along with a yellow flower pinned in her hair. A table in the back of the room was laden with slices of Hawaiian wedding and tres leches cakes she had baked for the occasion.

Alongside paper handouts on her research, Dellaria included the Hawaiian cake recipe.

I could not get over that she would take on a project like this for a Ph.D. at this particular stage in our lives. But her desire was there for the learning and the doing, Yolie Farris, Dellarias longtime friend and OLLU classmate, told the room after the presentation.

I just admire her so much for all the hard work and going back and forth between Michigan and Texas and Hawaii and Texas and all the cost that it involved, Farris said.

After about two minutes of deliberation among the professors, Dellaria was called back inside.

Ladies and gentlemen, it is my pleasure to introduce for the first time, Janet M. Dellaria, Ph.D., declared Malcolm Ree, professor of research and statistics in the leadership studies department, to a round of applause. A beaming Dellaria embraced her friends.

The moment took eight years of study and research, and many more of life experiences that led her down that path.

Decades ago, when Dellaria was considering which college to attend, she knew she wanted to be closer to her father, who then lived in Houston. She ended up at what was then Our Lady of the Lake College, graduating in 1965 with degrees in math and library science. She soon returned to earn a masters degree in library science, graduating in 1969.

Dellaria spent her career as a teacher and librarian, working in various roles at Chicago-area schools. Retiring in 2003, she moved to Trout Creek, where she worked as a cook, preparing cinnamon rolls and homemade soup at a family-style restaurant. When the business shuttered, Dellaria became a partner in the towns sole grocery store.

Even as she kept busy, by 2009, Dellaria resolved to pursue a doctorate. I just realized one day that I had always wanted to get a Ph.D., she said. Neither Michigan Technological University or Northern Illinois University, near her Geneva home, seemed right for her, so she applied again at her alma mater, by then called Our Lady of the Lake University.

I knew I would get a really outstanding education, Dellaria said.

For the first four years, Dellaria commuted two weekends a month  while still working at the grocery. Over the summer semester, she would rent a room at the university convent. She estimates that she missed only two classes during that time.

The store closed in 2011. When it came time to craft her dissertation, Dellaria relied heavily on technology, communicating with her professors by phone, email and video chat. She would work on it during her winter visits to Hawaii, where she became a docent at the East Hawaii Cultural Center in Hilo.

Reflecting on her journey, Dellaria realized that the work kept her body active and her mind sharp, as she studied alongside academics who were decades her junior. Her feat, undeniably unconventional, revealed another truth: Its never too late to pursue lifelong goals.

Next, she hopes to develop her dissertation into an academic article and share her experiences as a motivational speaker.

As life shifts and changes, sometimes theres a perfect spot to start following your dream, and not to look at age as a hindrance, Dellaria said.

lcaruba@express-news.net
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Several dozen San Antonians gathered at the dry source of the citys eponymous river near the University of the Incarnate Word on Saturday evening, using a delicate dance and soft music to draw attention to water issues while also criticizing President Donald Trumps decision to withdraw the United States from the Paris Climate Accords.

The event was held at the Blue Hole, part of the Headwaters at Incarnate Word, an independent nonprofit of the Sisters of Charity. It was one of numerous Global Water Dances around the world, in which people on six continents sought to draw attention to water issues. The dance and percussion accompaniment were provided by URBAN-15.

Two URBAN-15 members stood in the dry riverbed and waved a white and blue banner where the water would be running while others, dressed to match the banner, danced slowly on the riverbank.

The event comes two days after the San Antonio City Council voted 9-1 to adopt and support the Paris Climate Accord. Trump pulled the United States out of the agreement earlier this month.

After opening remarks by Sister Martha Ann Kirk, chair of the Incarnate Word Sisters Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation committee, and Alyssa Cook, an education intern for Headwaters at Incarnate World, the attendees gathered around the spring.

With the global community, we join in the movement for water  clean water for all, Kirk said at the beginning of the ceremony.

After the dance was over, attendees recited in unison a statement from the nuns, criticizing Trumps action.

This decision will only increase the negative impacts of climate change already affecting vulnerable populations around the world, the statement reads in part. As one of the industrialized nations most responsible for climate change, the United States has a moral responsibility to continue working with the global community to reduce our impact and support those already affected.

After the recitation, the attendees were invited to take a colorful marker and sign a large version of the statement, the top of which was pinned to a table by a large candle holder that read compassion.

Cook, who educates people about water conservation issues, said it is not abnormal for the Blue Hole to be dry. The reading at the J-17 well that monitors the Edwards Aquifer stood at 663 feet above mean sea level Saturday, down from 685.9 just six months ago. It was at 676.7 at this time last year.

Id really like people to know that the San Antonio River was crucial to the beginning of our city, Cook said. And its still crucial today. With tourism, a lot of peoples jobs rely on the San Antonio River, and a lot of peoples drinking water and jobs rely on the Edwards Aquifer.

One of the performers from URBAN-15 was Gloria Barba, 67, who said her family is from Aguascalientes, meaning hot water, in Mexico and that concern for water and the environment has been passed down for generations.

Environment has no fences, Barba said. I think everybody in the whole wide world should get involved.

jpound@express-news.net

Twitter: @jesserpound
SEGUIN  Early Saturday morning, a procession of cars carrying members of the Wilson family wound along FM 466 through hardscrabble countryside to a small rural cemetery to honor ancestors who left a unique stamp upon Texas history.

The visitors are descendants of late-19th-century potters Hiram, James and Wallace Wilson, who started the first recorded African-American business in Texas, in 1869, four years after they had been freed from slavery. The Wilson brothers had learned the pottery trade while they were slaves owned by Presbyterian minister John McKamey Wilson Jr., who had moved from North Carolina to Texas in 1857.

The brothers set up three pottery companies, which experts say were known for high-quality pieces that are highly collectible today, some fetching thousands of dollars. The last company closed in the early 1900s, but its legend lives on.

Over the years, the legacy was woven into the society of Seguin, said Joseph Reid, 76, interim president of the Descendants of Hiram, James and Wallace Wilson Historical Foundation. Were so proud of the Wilson story.

Saturday, Reid was among 25 descendants who assembled at the Capote Cemetery, 10 miles east of Seguin, to celebrate and honor their ancestors. They prayed, sang Amazing Grace and sought out the graves of the three Wilson brothers at the cemetery that was part of the freed slave community founded by Hiram Wilson. Reid noted how his great-grandfathers first name was etched on a tall, aged headstone as Hyrum, as it sounded.

Were proud people, said Cheryl Ann Mims, 61, president of the Hiram and James Wilson Family Reunion Committee. We come from good stock.

The cemetery tour was one of several activities scheduled for the 11th Wilson family reunion, which began Friday and ends today with a day of worship and a group picture. An estimated crowd of more than 300 descendants are attending the event, some traveling from as far as Alaska, California, Georgia and Michigan.

Other items on Saturdays itinerary included a tour of the Sebastopol house, where historic and rare pieces of the Wilson pottery collection are on display. Later, the descendants assembled at the Seguin Coliseum for festivity, sharing and fellowship. Attendees recalled that until the mid-1980s, the gatherings were held at cousin Tom Wilsons farm, down the hill from the Capote Cemetery, where the Guadalupe River snaked beside the property.

At the coliseum, there was a reading of the familys history, first shared with the world when Wilson descendant, LaVerne Britt discovered her family link to the potters. The descendants heard how the Presbyterian minster traveled to Seguin with his family and established J.M. Wilson Pottery in 1857 to offer food storage vessels to local residents. The minister had expert potters teach his slaves how to create crocks, jars and jugs that sold for less than $1 each.

In 1869, the emancipated slaves, who took the last name of their owner as was the custom, founded Hiram Wilson Pottery. Hiram was the oldest of the brothers.

Mims sister Denise Jackson, vice president of the reunion committee, said she could only imagine what the three men had to overcome during slavery and reconstruction, to make their dream a reality.

During the tour of the historic Sebastopol house, 704 Zorn St., the descendants were led by interpretive guide Charles Mead. He said the Greek Revival-style house, now a museum created through a partnership between the city of Seguin and the Wilson Pottery Foundation, was built by 22 slaves.

Dana Wilson, 42, toured the building with her twin sister, Lana, and brother Frank Wilson Jr. Dana Wilson and her siblings are descendants of Isom Wilson, one of Hiram Wilsons sons. She said she was taken by the home whose history is intertwined with her familys saga.

The intellect it took to build something this gorgeous is impressive, Dana Wilson said. Its a good reminder of the bloodline were from. Just knowing the presence this building has with the heartaches and efforts from slaves.

Helen Inman Embry recalled how she was born in James Wilsons home and how his daughter, Betty Wilson Inman, used to take her to the old cemetery and point out relatives markers. She said she wishes there was more concrete evidence about her great-grandfather and his involvement with the pottery business.

I always thought of him as not an ordinary man, said Embry, 79.

Reid thinks the same thing about his forebears. Mims said all descendants believe in the upbeat words Reid uses to end his correspondence: Who has it better than us Wilsons?

vtdavis@express-news.net
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In Barrio Barista, where cool jazz plays and the aroma of coffee fills the air, teens from the South San Antonio Independent School District were learning how to document Mexican-American stories with an artistic angle on a recent morning.

For the third summer, MAS for the Masses was conducting its Mexican American Studies Summer Program, which lets students delve into their culture and history. Moni Avila, director of MAS for the Masses, says the program features stories that have been minimized and sometimes not even included in schoolbooks.

Even with what is in the textbook, a lot of times it is very biased, she said. Ive always been a firm believer that I cant sit around and wait for somebody to educate my children. Its not someone elses job to do that. Its my job, its our job as community members, to educate the kids on what we feel is important.

In 2016, a textbook called Mexican American Heritage caused controversy across the state because of errors and disparaging depictions of Hispanics. The State Board of Education voted not to adopt the book for courses on Mexican-American studies.

MAS education director Lisa Knecht said its important for students to share their stories in the language they feel comfortable with. For the first assignment during Junes workshop, Knecht asked the teens to draw Mexican folklore legends many had grown up hearing about from their grandparents. The students began with Lechuza, an old woman who can transform into a gigantic, black bird.

Marco Mendez, 17, a senior at South San High School, lowered his face to the tabletop as he penciled the outline of the witchs face. A fellow student erased scribbled lines from her image as Marco refined his drawing.

The lesson plan involves our culture, said Mendez, who enrolled in the class to improve his writing. They really get us involved.

The June workshop was held at Barrio Barista, 3735 Culebra Road. More than a dozen students attended each session. The group will host two more workshops, these for all ages. One is set for July and another in August at Cafe College, 131 El Paso St. For more information about times, check the MAS for the Masses website or its Facebook page.

Avila, 37, a former educator, started the grass-roots group at the West Side coffee shop with a call for volunteers to teach a Mexican-American studies class to children in the community. Avila said the lessons have helped her own four children have discussions, challenge dialogue in an educated manner and support their positions.

Its about planting the seed, she said. What we focus on is how our stories fit into the rest of history and the big global narrative.

Last year, Avila connected with contacts from South San Antonio ISD to send out invitations to the districts students, including migrant and bilingual teens who may have traveled with parents for seasonal work.

Jose Guereca, migrant specialist and South San Antonio ISD liaison, said the workshop helps youth catch up and sharpen their writing skills.

It helps them beyond high school and to prepare for college, Guereca said, while also helping them to tap into their heritage.

Avila said having the workshop in her West Side neighborhood is a way to give back to the community where she grew up.

When Avila approached Barrio Baristas owners, Gilbert De Hoyas and his son, Gil De Hoyas, about holding the classes at the coffeehouse, they were immediately on board.

I admire what theyre doing, Gil De Hoyas said as he watched the teens confer about their project. Its great to bring kids in and keep them focused on new challenges.

Knecht said they want to show the teens that their history and story is valid.

Its a lot of critical thinking, she said. We have to have those conversations so they can find their voice. We can focus on similarities and respect the differences.

vtdavis@express-news.net
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AUSTIN - As Gov. Greg Abbott and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick drive an agenda that would chip away at local officials control of everything from bathroom regulations to property taxes, House Speaker Joe Straus is talking up the belief that the best government is locally driven.

It may not be popular right now, but we still believe something that one of my first mentors, Sen. John Tower, liked to say  that the best government is that which is closest to the people, Straus said in a widely noticed speech to a Texas Association of School Boards conference. In other words, we believe that you know whats best for your students and for your taxpayers.

The contrast could foretell a rough ride for the special-session agenda laid out with much fanfare by Abbott, who like Patrick is attuned to the wishes of the GOP primary voters statewide who trend quite right.

Unlike the other two leaders, however, Straus political fortunes arent tied to statewide voters.

Hes elected to the House from San Antonios District 121, in which he has a record of beating challengers. And hes elected speaker by his fellow House members, who unanimously gave him a record-tying fifth term in January. They, too, are more beholden to their local constituencies rather than a broad party platform.

It (Strauss district) is Republican for sure, and its conservative for sure, but it is the kind of conservative, reasonable Republican that is well represented by someone like Joe Straus, said Republican consultant Kelton Morgan. People like me who are constituents of Joe Straus  are happy with him, and people like me will continue to vote to re-elect him.

I would say that Joe believes in the long-held conservative value of local control, whereas the governor and the lieutenant governor are content to replace the social engineering of the left that Republicans decried for so long with the social engineering of the right, Morgan said.

Newly elected San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg said Straus has demonstrated a very reasoned understanding of his local community and the needs of the state.

Efforts to infringe on local control, Nirenberg said, are damaging to the state.

Its foolish, because whats happening with the state clamping down on local control is the loss of business in cities throughout Texas which are producing the revenue required for the state to function, Nirenberg said. Businesses are concerned about discriminatory legislation that would be coming to our state, and theyre looking elsewhere.

The city will continue to work with the San Antonio delegation and the Legislature in general to find compromise when possible, he said, and it is seeking an active partnership with the state.

We answer to the same voters that they do, Nirenberg said. There is a reason why in the state and throughout the country, its local governments that have the highest approval ratings theyve had in history while the state and more so the federal government are at the lowest points in history.

Same outcome?

Some lawmakers and observers say theres no reason to think there will be a different outcome in the 30-day special session that begins July 18 for the controversial issues that died in the 140-day regular session. Abbott can call repeated special sessions; Straus can adjourn the House.

Certainly, everybody is sending the same sets of signals that they were sending during the (regular) session, except in a more cranky and direct way, which is leading us not to expect that its going to be much different, said James Henson, director of the Texas Politics Project at the University of Texas at Austin.

The speakers post traditionally has included protecting House members from votes theyd rather not take. Some lawmakers say they arent hearing from their constituents about Abbotts agenda items.

Certainly in my time in the district on a day-to-day basis, I am not hearing a large outcry on any of these issues, said House Appropriations Committee Chairman John Zerwas, R-Richmond. I dont make any predictions that it (the session) will end up any differently than it did last time.

But there could be increased pressure on Republican House members from those who support some of the contentious special-session agendas, since the spotlight will be on the limited number of proposals in a way it wasnt during the regular session.

Pressure from Abbott also could help persuade some lawmakers.

Abbott spokesman John Wittman said the governors office has been engaged with individual House and Senate members. Abbotts office has begun announcing bill sponsors. And sources said Abbott will actively and aggressively support people who support him. Abbott didnt get involved in last years primary elections.

Some tea-party-aligned House members have long publicly disagreed with Strauss approach, including Rep. Jonathan Stickland, R-Bedford.

I think that Joe is completely out of touch with the state of Texas and the voters in the state, Stickland said, contending that Strauss positions will cost him everything.

I dont think that Speaker Straus can publicly oppose the legislation that he has been and maintain the (position of) speaker of the Texas House, Stickland said, adding that during the special session, My plan is to push for things to get done as fast as possible and to use every bit of public pressure or rules to accomplish that goal.

Sticklands confidence belies his relative inexperience compared to Straus; Straus has been speaker longer than Stickland has been in the House. Stickland joined in the unanimous vote for Straus in January, but said he wont vote for him in the future.

Lawmakers also may worry about drawing a GOP primary opponent if they oppose Abbotts agenda.

For the Republican supporters of Straus in the House, they will have to decide in the very public spotlight of a special session who to serve: their conservative constituents, or Straus' obstructionist agenda. Those who decide to join the Straus-Democrat coalition in obstructing Gov. Abbott's agenda will have to hope Straus will spend big in the 2018 primary to protect them from their constituents, said Michael Quinn Sullivan, president of the tea-party-aligned, free-market group Empower Texans and a frequent Straus critic.

But lobbyist Bill Miller said Straus is doing what the House expects.

They dont expect their leader to follow the lead of the governor or lieutenant governor. Thats what political leadership is about, Miller said, pointing to Straus high-octane option of adjourning the House if the special session becomes too wearing. He effectively has the power of sine die (adjournment) any time he chooses to. Its like a pocket veto that the speaker enjoys during any special session, as does the lieutenant governor.

Rep. Rafael Anchia, D-Dallas, chairman of the Mexican American Legislative Caucus in the House, also cited that option, saying the only bill that must pass is so-called sunset legislation to keep open state agencies including the Texas Medical Board.

Patrick stalled Senate action on the sunset bill in the regular session in order force a special session after the House didnt follow the Senates lead on two of his priority bills.

The House didnt vote on requiring automatic rollback elections when cities and counties raise property taxes above a certain rate; and it didnt pass a measure that satisfied Patrick regarding transgender peoples use of public restrooms, which the lieutenant governor called a matter of safety and privacy. Straus opposes the bathroom bill, joining the business community in expressing concern that a law viewed as discriminatory could cause boycotts affecting Texas economy.

We should work on and pass the sunset bill and then save taxpayer money by just adjourning sine die. That would be my preference, Anchia said.Nothing else on that list is critical. Theres a reason they didnt pass in the House. They didnt have widespread support.

Abbott, however, could simply call lawmakers back into another session if the House adjourned early.

Straus support

Numerous House members see little shift in the Houses support for Straus.

He (Straus) continues to be in a very strong position, Zerwas said. I would say his support is unchanged by anything that happened in the regular session.

Rep. Diego Bernal, D-San Antonio, noted that, in standing firm in the face of Abbotts agenda, Straus is being a leader.

The bathroom bill is a priority only in the halls of the state Capitol. Once you leave that place and you talk to people in the real world, it doesnt come up. Its not a concern, Bernal said. Most people dont understand why were having a special session at all.

Besides the bathroom and tax measures, the special-session agenda includes a proposal to allow parents of special-needs children to get state-supported funding for private school tuition. The House has voted against the voucher idea, which backers say empowers parents but critics see as a drain on already-underfunded public schools.

On that issue, Henson said, Straus is being straightforward about the sentiment in the chamber he leads.

The speaker just called the reality what it is, which is that he knows where the votes are, particularly on vouchers, Henson said.

Straus has Republican bona fides that predate his time in the Legislature. Strauss mother has been a force in Republican politics; and he started at the grassroots level, serving as a Bexar County precinct chair. He interned for Tower, worked in the Reagan and George H.W. Bush administrations, managed U.S. Rep. Lamar Smiths first campaign for Congress and last year chaired the Republican Legislative Campaign Committee. He has raised and donated millions of dollars to benefit Republican candidates, a spokesman said.

What Im expecting from him (in the special session) is what he has provided during the regular session, and that is the voice of reason, said Austin lawyer Hector De Leon, co-chairman of the Associated Republicans of Texas, which had a fundraiser featuring Straus Tuesday. The group traces its roots to Tower, who in 1961 became the first Republican U.S. senator elected in Texas since Reconstruction.

There is no doubt that Speaker Straus is motivated by what he believes to be in the best interest of the state of Texas and of all its citizens, and not interested in pursuing any particular agenda and not interested in catering to any particular interest group, De Leon.

Not everyone agrees.

It seems that the statewides are on the same page in terms of priorities, while a single blue-blood state representative from the country clubs of San Antonio is being the obstructionist, Sullivan said. Straus may be in tune with the mood of Democrats and the Austin lobby, but he is out of touch with Texas' conservative majority.

As the special session approaches, Straus is highlighting issues including school finance reform, which he suggested deserves more than the study commission that Abbott included in the special-session agenda. He says putting more money into schools would benefit education while relieving pressure on local school property taxes that make up the biggest overall share of the property tax levy statewide.

I think he (Straus) is absolutely a beacon of hope, said Paul Sugg, legislative director of the Texas Association of Counties. His group is among those fighting automatic rollback elections, which critics say would impair local governments ability to fund services including public safety.

The speaker is not about empty political symbolism. The speaker and his leadership team are about real policy, said Sugg. Hes the Lone Ranger, but hes not afraid of being the Lone Ranger.

pfikac@express-news.net

Twitter: @pfikac
VICTORIA  A suspect accused of setting a fire that destroyed the Victoria Islamic Center in January has been indicted on a hate crime charge, among other counts.

Acting U.S. Attorney Abe Martinez stood alongside federal, state and Victoria authorities Thursday as he announced that a federal grand jury here had returned a three-count indictment against Marq Vincent Perez, 25. Hes charged with one count of a hate crime regarding damage to religious property, one count of using fire to commit a federal felony and one count of possession of an unregistered destructive device.

We feel safe in that theyre working very hard on the case, said Osama Hassan, the centers imam, referring to the multiple law enforcement agencies involved. From us, and our community, we forgive him, but we believe that the law should take place.

Authorities arrested Perez less than a mile away from the mosque grounds March 3 on a charge of possession of a destructive device; he was accused of taping together several fireworks and setting a car on fire Jan. 15.

Perez was not initially charged with any crime related to the mosque. Shortly after the arrest, court testimony described him as an extremist who was having trouble adjusting after he spent several weeks in the Air Force. He attended high school in Victoria and has a son, born in January.

Martinez said Thursday that evidence indicating Perez had been in the mosque was found shortly after his arrest. Martinez declined to say exactly what evidence authorities found.

Perezs attorney Mark Di Carlo said he found out about the Thursday news conference from a reporter with the Victoria Advocate. Moments after the call, he filed an objection against the conference for several reasons.

He felt it was not fair that reporters were notified of the new indictments before himself or even Perez. Despite having a prior engagement, he was still able to attend the conference.

I think the procedure of doing a press conference is wrong, Di Carlo said during a phone interview. Doing it in U.S. district courthouse is wrong.

At the same time, he said the conference is contaminating the jury pool for Perez, and that the showing of law enforcement leaders would convince Victoria residents Perez was guilty before the trial.

During the conference, Martinez, the acting U.S. attorney, emphasized the indictment is simply an accusation of criminal conduct, and that Perez is innocent until proven guilty.

Di Carlo said other major problems he has had with the case include that Perez has no prior record, and that he and his family feel he has been held for a long period of time on a minor charge.

In March, U.S. Magistrate Judge B. Janice Ellington decided to hold him without bond pending further proceedings, in part because of evidence of his involvement in a hate crime.

During the coming court hearings, Di Carolo said Perez has the right to ask for another bond.

Prosecutors allege that Perez burglarized the mosque Jan. 22 and again Jan. 28, when he started the fire, with the intent of destroying the mosque.

According to testimony, Perez didnt hide his disdain for Muslims and took several steps to carry out his planned actions. Officials said they could not confirm whether Perez acted alone because of the ongoing investigation.

Perez could face up to 40 years in prison and up to $750,000 in fines. He is in custody pending further criminal proceedings, officials said.

This is a pretty major undertaking that requires the help of everyone around here, Victoria Police Chief Jeffrey Craig said at Thursdays news conference. I think it has taken an awful lot to get here today. It certainly has been an event that was important to us and our community.

Edward Michel, assistant special agent in charge with the FBI, said he hopes the cooperation of law enforcement will encourage victims of hate crimes to reach out to authorities for help.

We want this to be a deterrent to anyone else thinking about doing something like this in the future, he said. We are here. Dont do it.

He added that officers are still gathering evidence in the case. Anyone with information regarding the mosques burning should call the FBI at (713) 693-5000 or report anonymously online at fbi.gov, Michel said.

In a large portion of these crimes, someone saw something or heard something, he said. We welcome the public to help us. We cant do this by ourselves.

Dr. Shahid Hashmi, the mosques president, said the indictment is a step in the right direction, and that members of the center now are waiting for the trial.

Since the fire, the mosque has hired a security guard for larger gatherings. An architect is working on a design for a new mosque.

Were anxiously waiting. We cant wait to get into the new building, Hashmi said. But it wont be the same.

Having spent so much time building and creating a community in the previous building, Hashmi said, mosque members wont forget what they lost.

Looking forward, however, Hashmi said cooperation from the city and authorities has bolstered members confidence and security. An online fundraiser quickly raised more than $1 million to rebuild the mosque in the weeks after the fire.

The support of the community, the openness and discussions with the authorities who have been involved with back-and-forth dialogues, that has helped, he said.

jbeltran@express-news.net

Staff Writer Fauzeya Rahman contributed to this report.
A shooting in National City, San Diego, the US state of California left one person dead and another injured, local media reported Saturday.

According to the Times of San Diego newspaper, the suspected attacker barricaded himself in a building, with the SWAT unit carrying out an operation to neutralize him.

A number of ambulances was sent to the area, Sputnik reported.

No reports on the reason behind the shooting have been available so far.
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At a time when womens achievements in the business world were neither expected nor particularly recognized, Ethel Wilson Harris kept achieving a series of firsts. Despite her prodigious impact on San Antonio through much of the 20th century, its difficult today to find a lasting memorial to one of the citys most influential women.

Harris was born in Sabinal in 1893 and died in San Antonio, where she lived almost all of her life, in 1984. She married an Army officer, had four children and was widowed by her middle forties.

A charter member of the San Antonio Conservation Society, who later served as its president from 1951 to 1953, she ran three successive, nationally prominent arts and crafts businesses, which exhibited at worlds fairs in Chicago (1934) and New York (1939) and helped communicate San Antonios unique, bicultural brand to a larger stage.

As the technical supervisor for the federal Works Projects Administrations Arts and Crafts division from 1939 to 1941, she and her staff crafted decorative tile murals, along with other art objects, that grace San Antonio today  on the River Walk, at Alamo Stadium and in private and museum collections.

Decades before

UNESCO designated the missions a World Heritage Site, Harris work developing and implementing a cohesive vision for the missions was instrumental in their growing importance and popularity. She was the first site manager for Mission San Jose, making her the first female park ranger in Texas and one of the first in the nation.

She lived on the grounds of Mission San Jose for decades, first in the walls of the Indian Quarters, later in a Frank Lloyd Wright-style house that she and an architect son designed and built right outside the mission walls. The house, built in 1956, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Harris was even responsible for co-founding Night in Old San Antonio, along with her Conservation Society colleague Elizabeth Graham, which has since gone on to become a beloved tradition, as well as the most lucrative preservation fundraiser in America, according to former San Antonio Express-News reporter Lewis Fisher, author of Saving San Antonio.

Tom Bremer, who wrote Blessed with Tourists: The Borderlands of Religion and Tourism in San Antonio, addresses Harris multiple dimensions of impact, calling her a nationally recognized tile artist, a leader in San Antonios conservation movement, and the custodial manager of Mission San Jose who developed influential interpretations of the missions.

Ethel Wilson Harris had an indelible impact in establishing the San Antonio aesthetic in the middle decades of the twentieth century, he wrote via email.

Her fascination with Old Mexico as she understood it continues to define how many residents and visitors regard the city, even as Ms. Harris role in emphasizing this strand of San Antonios history has been largely overlooked.

The National Register of Historic Places application cited her single-minded commitment to preserving, enhancing and communicating the culture and the landscape of the missions for future generations.

Later in the application the authors refer to this exceptional womans life, and exceptional she clearly was.

But some had other terms for it. Tenacious, ferocious, formidable and pretty ornery  but a hero nonetheless were a few of the others.

We make a good pair, remarked Amanda Taylor, who served several times as president of the Conservation Society and worked with Harris off and on for 50 years. In an oral history interview with Harris from 1976, now housed in the University of Texas at San Antonios library collection, she recounts Taylors description: When we need the soft glove (on a project), they give it to me, and when they need the bulldozer, we give it to you.

A force for San Antonio preservation with a sophisticated vision for how to blend the past and the future, who published at least one book, San Jose: Queen of the Missions, Harris, never completed her formal education. A few courses at San Antonio Female College, a precursor to Trinity University, were enough for her.

It was a horrible place and I was so bored, she said later, apparently because their emphasis was on turning students into ladies, a prospect that held little appeal for the independent Harris  who enjoyed her auto mechanics course at Fort Sam Houston quite a bit more.

As someone who made her living from art, she wasnt an artist. Despite her lifelong appreciation for Hispanic art and culture, she wasnt Hispanic. A widowed mother of four, she wasnt even typical as a single parent.

The story goes that she missed her daughters high school graduation because she was stranded in the mountains of Mexico on a buying trip  a place so remote, a professor later told her daughter, that only one American had ever been there: some lady named Ethel Harris.

What she was, though, was an entrepreneur, according to her youngest son, Don, interviewed for the book Voices from the San Antonio Missions in 1995.

She always seemed to be on the edge of things, he said.

Her lifelong motto, borrowed from an architect contemporary, might help to explain things: Make no little plans, (because) they have no power to influence men, she quoted frequently, calling that saying her bible.

An early exposure to Mexican arts, crafts and culture created an indelible impression. At 83 years old, she could still remember the impact of a riding across one of the citys downtown plazas with her father in his truck. A fiesta was going on, and although Harris was falling asleep, perhaps sick with the mumps, she was captivated by the lights and the sounds.

What a thrilling thing it was to see all this, and hear the music and (see) all this color, she said.

A few years later, still in her youth, when family friends would come from out of state to visit, shed head over with them to the West Side to enjoy the authentic sights and sounds of Hispanic culture, including the pat of the tortillas and buying Mexican, handmade things from people on the street making them.

In 1935, a few years after Harris work through Mexican Arts and Crafts, the first of her three decorative arts businesses that employed Hispanic artisans and celebrated Hispanic culture, was displayed at the Chicago Worlds Fair, the Christian Science Monitor wrote a feature story about her work and noted its exuberant color palette and designs. They were impressed with the pains she took for both authenticity and permanence.

Her appreciation for Hispanic culture continued throughout her lifetime. Despite what her son described as her frugal means, Harris made more or less annual trips into Mexico, even into her early seventies, bringing back artifacts and musical instruments  sometimes even the artists and musicians themselves  to enhance Mission San Joses cultural experience for its visitors.

She ran one of her decorative arts businesses there, in the restored granary, selling its wares to mission visitors, but she also filled the grounds nearby with artisans demonstrating their crafts, troubadours, even peacocks and donkeys.

Over her lifetime, Harris passions earned her numerous honors  from the chamber of commerce, from the Texas Legislature and the Texas Society of Architects, among others. But years after her passing, its hard to see the extent of her considerable and expansive influence.

As the National Register of Historic Places application described, only her home on the edge of the missions remains today as a reminder of her impact. Stepping out the doors of a home as unique as she was, she could cast a glance toward the history of San Antonio and simultaneously envision its future.

COMING TUESDAY: popular artifacts at the Institute of Texan Cultures.
The livestock export industry has always been a leader in animal welfare inside Australia so its not something that exporters are concerned about because were already compliant with all of the things we need to do as far as animal welfare goes, he said.
La Bergerie is leased by WGH to Wellard and it is expected the lease will continue under a new owner, allowing Wellard to use the property as a pre-export feedlot for at least four more years and possibly up to eight years before the site is redeveloped for housing.
Britain's parliament was hit by a "sustained and determined" cyber attack on Saturday designed to identify weak email passwords, just over a month after a ransomware worm crippled parts of the country's health service, Reuters reported.

The House of Commons said it was working with the National Cyber Security Centre to defend parliament's network and was confident it had protected all accounts and systems.

"Earlier this morning we discovered unusual activity and evidence of an attempted cyber-attack on our computer network," an email sent by parliamentary authorities to those people affected said.

"Closer investigation by our team confirmed that hackers were carrying out a sustained and determined attack on all parliamentary user accounts in an attempt to identify weak passwords."

Britain's National Health Service was hit by a massive global ransomware worm in May which crippled the computer system and forced some hospitals to turn away patients.

The National Cyber Security center is part of Britain's GCHQ spy agency, set up last year to tackle what the government believes is one of the biggest threats to British security.

Chris Rennard, a member of the Liberal Democrat party in the upper House of Lords, was the first to draw attention to the problem, using Twitter to announce: "Cyber security attack on Westminster, Parliamentary emails may not work remotely, Text urgent messages."

A spokeswoman for the House of Commons confirmed that unauthorized attempts had been made to access parliamentary accounts and said systems were in place to protect member and staff details.

"As a precaution we have temporarily restricted remote access to the network," she said. "As a result, some Members of Parliament and staff cannot access their email accounts outside of Westminster."

Liam Fox, the minister for international trade, said the attack was not a surprise and should act as a warning to people across the country to the threat posed by cyber hackers.

"We've seen reports in the last few days of even cabinet ministers' passwords being for sale online," he told broadcasters.

"We know that our public services are attacked so it's not at all surprising that there should be an attempt to hack into parliamentary emails."
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Regulatory News:

Carmila (Paris:CARM):

Capital increase up to Euro 632 million including:

A Global Offering of Euro 578 million including the overallotment option of Euro 75 million



Global Offering Price: Euro 24 per share1

Carrefour subscribing an additional Euro 50 million 2 , thereby confirming its long-term commitment to Carmila and its full support to the Company's strategy. Post completion of the Offering, Carrefour will hold a 35.7% stake in Carmila 3

, thereby confirming its long-term commitment to Carmila and its full support to the Company's strategy. Post completion of the Offering, Carrefour will hold a stake in Carmila Exercise of theremaining warrants for a maximum of Euro 3 million

Market capitalization3 post capital increase up to Euro 3,245 million4

The closing of the Global Offering is scheduled on July 10, 2017.

Jacques Ehrmann, Chairman and CEO of Carmila declared: "The successful completion of this capital increase allows Carmila to diversify its funding sources to accompany over the long term its ambitious growth strategy and reinforce its positioning as one of the major players of the Pan-European listed retail property sector. We are pleased to welcome new individual shareholders and leading institutional investors well-known for the quality of their investment strategy."

Carmila announces today the successful completion of its Euro 578 million share placement launched on June 25, 2017.

This placement attracted the interest of a wide range of institutional investors, international and French, active in the long term in the sector. It also allows to widen the base of individual shareholders. 1.1% of the Offer has been allocated to more than 1,000 individual shareholders.

Carmila is a major listed property company specializing in the development and management of locally-leading food-anchored shopping centres in France, Spain, and Italy. Its owns a Euro 5.4 billion portfolio of shopping centers and leverages its strategic partnership with Carrefour Group to develop a strong growth strategy, therefore requiring access to all financing sources including the equity capital market.

With this equity offering, Carmila reinforces its financial flexibility and is funding its ambitious 2017-2020 development plan including 37 extension projects, selective and accretive acquisitions and the roll-out of a unique and innovative digital marketing strategy designed to support retailers in increasing their revenues

The transaction also significantly increases the Company's free float from 0.5% to 16.2%5

Final terms of the Global Offering

The Offer Price is set at Euro 24 per share.

The New Offering Shares offered in the Global Offering were allocated as follows:

23,832,680 shares were allocated to the International Offering (representing c.Euro 572 million);

269,404 shares were allocated to the French Retail Offering (representing c.Euro 6 million).

The gross proceeds from the Global Offering represent an amount of Euro 503 millionbefore exercise of the overallotment option of Euro 75 million.

In addition, Carrefour is subscribing Euro 50 million and remaining warrants may be exercised.

Hence, the total proceeds from the capital increase may amount up to Euro 632 million.

Stabilization

The Company has committed to issue warrants to the managers allowing them to subscribe for 15% of additional new shares corresponding to an additional capital increase amount of Euro 75.5 million (including issue premium) at the Offer Price in case the Overallotment Option is exercised in order to cover potential overallotments and enable stabilisation.

Morgan Stanley (or any entity acting on its behalf), acting as Stabilizing Manager on behalf of the Managers, may (but is under no obligation to) carry any and all stabilization operations deemed useful aiming to support Carmila's share price in accordance with applicable laws and regulations, in particular the provisions of EU Parliament and Council Regulation 596/2014 of 16 April 2014 and Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2016/1052 of 8 March 2016. There is, however, no obligation for the stabilizing manager to undertake such transactions and such transactions, if commenced, may be discontinued at any time and without warning.

Stabilization transactions are intended to support the market price of the shares and may support a price higher than that which might otherwise prevail in the open market. In the event that the stabilizing manager undertakes stabilization transactions, such transactions may take place at any time during 30 calendar days following the determination of the Offering Price until August 4, 2017, according to the indicative timetable.

The stabilizing manager will ensure that the public and the competent market regulators are informed in accordance with Article 5.5 of the 596/2014 Regulation and Article 6 of the 2016/1052 Delegated Regulation. Therefore, during the stabilization period, the persons designated as responsible ensure adequate public disclosure of the details of all stabilization transactions no later than the end of the seventh daily market session following the date of such transactions.

In compliance with Article 7.1 of the 2016/1052 Delegated Regulation, stabilization transactions may not be effected at a price greater than the Offering Price.

Indicative timetable for the Global Offering and the exercise of the warrants

July 6, 2017 : setting of the Offer Price and of the exercise price of the warrants (equal to the Offer Price)

: setting of the Offer Price and of the exercise price of the warrants (equal to the Offer Price) July 7, 2017 : first day of trading of Carmila shares on continuous trading

: first day of trading of Carmila shares on continuous trading July 10, 2017 : Beginning of the exercise period of the warrants with a ratio of 2 new shares for 9 warrants exercised Beginning of the trading period of the warrants on the regulated market of Euronext Paris Closing of the Global Offering and the new Shares resulting from the exercise of the warrants before 11.00 am

: July 11, 2017 : admission to trading on Euronext Paris of the new shares resulting from the Global Offering

: admission to trading on Euronext Paris of the new shares resulting from the Global Offering July 17, 2017 : end of the exercise period of the warrants and end of the trading period on Euronext Paris

: end of the exercise period of the warrants and end of the trading period on Euronext Paris July 18 to July 20, 2017 : centralisation period for the remaining warrants that are exercised

: centralisation period for the remaining warrants that are exercised July 21, 2017 : announcement of the results of the centralisation

: announcement of the results of the centralisation July 25, 2017: settlement and delivery of the new shares issued through the exercise of the remaining warrants

Lock-up undertakings

Carmila, certain members of management and shareholders included in the table below6 have agreed to a lock-up, subject to certain exceptions, starting on June 26, 2017 and ending 180 days after the closing of the Global Offering.

_________________________

1 Price of the French retail offering ("French Retail Offering") and the international offering (the "International Offering") together "the Global Offering"

2 Subscription of Carrefour (through CRFP 13) through the exercise of a portion of its warrants

3 Assuming the full exercise of the overallotment option and the full exercise of the warrants including Carrefour's (through CRFP 13) Euro 50 million subscription

4 On the basis of a Global Offering price of Euro 24 per share and shares composing Carmila's share capital after the capital increase including the full exercise of the overallotment option

5 Assuming the full exercise of the overallotment option and the full exercise of the warrants by holders including Carrefour's Euro 50 million subscription (through CRFP 13)

6 Excluding Kartam and Swiss Life Dynapierre

Shareholding structure post capital increase

Shareholders Shareholding

(before any exercise of the overallotment option) Shareholding

(In case of full exercise of the overallotment option) Number of outstanding shares of shares outstanding and voting rights Number of outstanding shares of shares outstanding and voting rights CRFP 13 (Carrefour) (1) 48,292,568 36.57% 48,292,568 35.72% Colkart S.a.r.l. et ColKart Investment II S.C.S. (2) 13,880,606 10.51% 13,880,606 10.27% CAA Kart 2 (3) 12,168,946 9.22% 12,168,946 9.00% C Commerce 2 (4) 11,671,852 8.84% 11,671,852 8.63% SAS Sogecar 2 (5) 6,333,020 4.80% 6,333,020 4.68% LVS II France I SAS (6) 6,333,020 4.80% 6,333,020 4.68% SCI Vendome Commerces (7) 5,835,926 4.42% 5,835,926 4.32% Primonial (10) 2,891,798 2,19% 2,891,798 2.14% KART SBS (8) 2,192,984 1.66% 2,192,984 1.62% Swiss Life (11) 1,903,025 1.44% 1,903,025 1.41% Kartam (9) 1,688,422 1.28% 1,688,422 1.25% Auto-detention 7,280 0.01% 7,280 0.01% Dirigeants et salaries 93,708 0.07% 93,708 0.07% Autres 18,752,736 14.20% 21,896,486 16.20% TOTAL 132,045,891 100.0% 135,189,641 100.0%

Note: Assuming a full exercise of the remaining warrants

(1) The company CRFP 13 SAS is controlled by Carrefour

(2) The companies Colkart S.a.r.l. and ColKart Investment II S.C.S. are controlled by Colony

(3) The company CAA Kart 2 is controlled by Predica

(4) The company C Commerce 2 is controlled by Cardif

(5) The company SAS Sogecar 2 is controlled by Sogecap

(6) The company LVS II France I SAS is controlled by Pimco

(7) The company SCI Vendome Commerces is controlled by Axa

(8) The company KART SBS is controlled by Blue Sky Group

(9) The "OPPCI" Kartam is controlled by Amundi

(10) Stake held by the companies Charles de Gaulle Neuilly ans CapImmo, which have declared that they act in concert

(11) Stake held by the companies Delta Immo and SwissLife Dynapierre, which have declared that they act in concert

Information available to the public

Copies of the prospectus that has been granted visa n17-298 by the AMF on June 23, 2017, consisting of the Registration Document of Cardety registered by the AMF under number D.17-0428 on April 25, 2017, the Appendix II to the Document E containing information about Carmila filed with the AMF, which received visa No. E.17-040 dated May 5, 2017 and a securities note (including a summary of the prospectus) are available on the dedicated website of Carmila www.augmentation-de-capital-2017-carmila.com and the AMF website (www.amf-france.org), and free of charge upon request to Carmila at 58 avenue Emile Zola, 92100 Boulogne-Billancourt, France.

Carmila draws the public's attention to the risk factors in paragraph 5 of the management report of Cardety's board of Directors in chapter 9.2 of Cardety's Registration Document, in Chapter 4 of Appendix II of the Document E as well as to the Section 2 of the securities note.

2017 indicative financial calendar

September 5, 2017 First-half 2017 results

About Carmila

Carmila was founded by Carrefour and large institutional investors in order to develop the value of shopping centers anchored by Carrefour stores in France, Spain and Italy. Its portfolio pro forma for the merger with Cardety effective as of June 12 consisted, as at March 31, 2017, of 205 shopping centers in France, Spain and Italy, mostly leaders in their catchment areas, and valued at Euro 5.4 Bn as at March 31, 2017. Inspired by a genuine retail culture, Carmila's teams include all of the expertise dedicated to retail attractiveness: leasing, digital marketing, specialty leasing, shopping centre management and portfolio management.

This press release does not constitute a public offer to sell or purchase, or a public solicitation of an offer to sell or purchase, securities in any country or jurisdiction.

No communication nor any information relating to the transaction described in this press release or to Carmila may be distributed in any country or jurisdiction where such distribution would require registration or approval of securities. No such registration or approval has been or will be obtained outside of France. The diffusion of this press release in certain countries may be prohibited under applicable law. Carmila assumes no responsibility if there is a violation of applicable law and regulations by any person.

This press release constitutes promotional material only and not a prospectus within the meaning of Directive 2003/71/EC (as amended, in particular, by Directive 2010/73/UE (together, the "Prospectus Directive")).

In France, an offer of securities to the public may not be made except pursuant to a prospectus that has received a visa from the French Financial Markets Authority (the "AMF"). For any other Member State of the European Union or the members of the European Economic Area Agreement that has transposed the Prospectus Directive (each, a "Concerned Member State"), no action has been nor will be undertaken to allow the public offering of securities requiring the publication of a prospectus in any Concerned Member State, except pursuant to Article 3(2) of the Prospectus Directive to the extent transposed by such Concerned Member State or under other circumstances that will not result in the requirement of the publication of a prospectus (within the meaning of the Prospectus Directive or other applicable regulations in such Concerned Member State) by Carmila.

The distribution of this press release is directed only at (i) persons outside the United Kingdom, subject to applicable laws, (ii) persons having professional experience in matters relating to investments who fall within the definition of "investment professionals" in Article 19(5) of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Financial Promotion) Order 2005 as amended (the "Order") or (iii) high net worth bodies corporate, unincorporated associations and partnerships and trustees of high value trusts as described in Article 49(2) (a) to (d) of the Order (all such persons together being referred to as "relevant persons"). The transaction mentioned herein is only available to, and any invitation, offer or agreement to subscribe, purchase or otherwise acquire Carmila's shares will be engaged in only with, relevant persons. Any person who is not a relevant person should not act or rely on, this press release or any information contained herein. This press release does not constitute a prospectus approved by the Financial Services Authority or any other regulatory authority in the United Kingdom within the meaning of Section 85 of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000.

This press release does not constitute an offer or invitation to sell or purchase, or a solicitation of any offer to purchase or subscribe for, any securities of Carmila in the United States of America. Securities may not be offered, subscribed or sold in the United States of America absent registration under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "U.S. Securities Act"), except pursuant to an exemption from, or in a transaction not subject to, the registration requirements thereof. The securities of Carmila have not been and will not be registered under the U.S. Securities Act and Carmila does not intend to make a public offer of its securities in the United States of America.

This press release may not be published, transmitted or distributed, directly or indirectly, and does not constitute an offer of securities, in the United States (including in the territories and dependencies and in any State of the United States), in Canada, in Australia, or in Japan.

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170706005963/en/

Contacts:

For individual shareholders:

Agnes Villeret, +33 6 83 28 04 15

(from 9h00 to 18h00 Paris time from Monday to Friday,

and from 9h00 to 12h00 Paris time on Saturday)

Actionnaires_individuels@carmila.com

or

Press contacts:

Candice Baudet Depierre, +33 6 26 60 85 01

candice.baudetdepierre@shan.fr

or

Alexandre Daudin, +33 6 34 92 46 15

alexandre.daudin@shan.fr

or

Investors and analysts contact:

Marie-Flore Bachelier, +33 6 20 91 67 79

marie_flore_bachelier@carmila.com
More than 100 people died in Eastern Pakistan after an oil tanker turned over and caught a fire on a highway, Sputnik reported citing local media.

The incident that occurred in Pakistan's eastern region of Punjab killed at least 123 people, according to local Geo TV channel.

At least 40 people are reportedly injured, with most of them suffering burns. The BBC reported the people were wounded as they attempted to collect the spilled oil. Most of them were rushed to hospitals.

Rescue services and firefighters are on the scene, responding to the incident.
Harry Potter turns 20 on Monday when muggle readers in gowns and glasses from Indonesia to Uruguay will celebrate the birth of a global publishing phenomenon in 1997.

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (later renamed Sorcerer's Stone for the US market) introduced the boy wizard and a magical cast of supporting characters.

Penniless single mother JK Rowling finally succeeded after a series of rebuffs from publishers, and the book became the first installment of a seven-novel series that has sold 450 million copies worldwide and spawned eight blockbuster films.

The Potter universe now encompasses theme parks in the United States and Japan and a permanent exhibition at London's Warner Bros Studios, helping to turn Rowling into a billionaire.

No other children's book has achieved quite as much in terms of both commercial and cultural impact, turning an entire generation of boys as well as girls into enthusiastic readers who would happily join midnight queues at bookshops as each novel came out.

If some of the early reviews took issue with Rowling's pedestrian writing and bald characterisation, everyone agreed about the narrative verve on show in the Philosopher's Stone, starting with the delivery of a letter that will, like alchemy, transform the 11-year-old hero's life forever.

"Once you start reading it, you enter a magical world, a world where you could be special, a world with clever things, with the idea that it all just might exist," Durham University education professor Martin Richardson told AFP.

"The characters become part of the family. It starts to enter the nation's DNA," he said.

"I think people will be reading Potter in 20, 30, 40, 60 years time, even if it's only for the story."

Far beyond Britain and English-language markets, the saga wove itself into the world's literary DNA.

The seven volumes have been translated into 79 languages in 200 countries, and Monday's 20th anniversary will feature fancy-dress reading parties around the world starting in Australia and ending in Canada and the US West Coast, at libraries, bookshops and British embassies.

- Love at first sight -

Marie Lallouet, editor-in-chief of a children's literature digest at the National Library of France, underlined the scale of the books' appeal beyond Britain, which already had a rich stock of literature conjuring tales out of the worlds of boarding schools and magic.

"Harry Potter re-validated children's literature in the eyes of adults, and encouraged an entire generation (of French children) to learn English so that they could read the books as soon as they came out in English," she said.

Rowling managed to magic "something very powerful" into existence, Lallouet said, by portraying one boy's struggle to come to terms with his tragic beginnings against the backdrop of an existential struggle of good against evil. The first print run of the Philosopher's Stone produced 1,000 copies -- all now highly sought after by collectors  and earned Rowling a 1,500 contract from Bloomsbury after numerous rebuffs from other publishers. "I just loved it at first sight. I'd worked with Roald Dahl in his glory days, so I suppose the opening chapters reminded me a little of him," Barry Cunningham, Rowling's original publisher at Bloomsbury, told The Daily Telegraph.

Bloomsbury affected one small change by persuading Joanne Rowling to publish under the nom de plume JK, convinced that boys would shy away from a book written by a woman.

Still, Cunningham was not sure the Philosopher's Stone would make any money, and urged Rowling to stick to a day job while writing on the side.

"I couldn't be prouder of the Harry Potter legacy: not only has it made reading cool again, it has shown that families can all enjoy great stories together," he said.

"We can believe that there is a real purpose to standing up to evil. And, of course, we can find our own magic."
Telegu film actor Ravi Teja's brother Bhupatiraju Bharath Raju died in a road accident late Saturday night, as reported by ANI.

Telangana: Tollywood actor Ravi Tejas brother B Bharath Raj died after his car hit a parked lorry in outer ring road, Hyderabad last night.  ANI (@ANI_news) June 25, 2017

The incident occurred when the car Bharath was travelling in, crashed into a stationary lorry at Kotwalguda on the outskirts of Hyderabad at around 10 pm. The front portion of the car was completely damaged due to the impact of the collision.

Bharath was driving the car alone and was on his way towards Gachibowli from Shamshabad on the Outer Ring Road. The police were unable to identify him till Sunday morning as the accident had left his face disfigured.

His body was then shifted to the Osmania General Hospital for a post-mortem.

We are yet to find out whether he was under the influence of alcohol or not. But he was speeding, which led to his death, inspector M Mahesh of the RGI Airport police station told The News Minute.

The inspector also said that any additional details would only be available after the post-mortem and further investigations are completed.

While Bharat has appeared in numerous Telugu films including Aa Mugguru and Jump Jilani, his brother Ravi Teja is the more famous star. He has appeared in several hit films like Kick 2 and Bengal Tiger.

Bharat's brother Ragu and their actor friend Uttej reached the Osmania General Hospital Mortuary where the postmortem was happening. "I am not in a condition to talk," Uttej told Times of India. Raghu refused to speak with the press.
Ever since the Dhanush-Kajol-starrer Tamil film, Velaiilla Pattadhari 2 aka VIP 2, came into being, fans have been eagerly waiting to catch these two powerhouse performers together.

The movie will have a bilingual release, as reported by india.com. The film's teaser was launched on 7 June. Now, the makers of the film also launched a motion poster on 23 June. With that poster, they also revealed the Hindi version's title.

The Hindi equivalent is named VIP 2 Lalkar; the filmmakers feel a name like this will ensure a pan India viewership. Soundarya Rajinikanth, director of the movie, spoke to IANS as reported by india.com and said, "It was a strategic move to make sure the film reaches across all states. With Kajol and Dhanush coming together in a movie for the first time, the title has to connect with the masses. Both the actors have a huge fan base in the North, so we thought of leveraging it thereby keeping a more relatable and easy name for the audience."

Not much is revealed about the film, except for obvious sequences where Raghuvaran, who plays a civil engineer, once again fights his enemies, much like in the first part. The actor's look is also quite similar to the first film, but the intriguing background score and dialogues make us curious for more. Kajol is reportedly essaying a negative role in the film.

Samuthirakan, Saranya Ponvannan and Amala Paul will once again be seen donning the same characters from the first installment of the movie.

The trailer and audio of the movie will be launched on 25 June. The film is slated to release on 28 July.
NEW DELHI Indian online retailer Snapdeal has filed a police complaint against some former directors and former management of a local logistics company, in which it owns a stake, accusing them of defrauding the company of 3.57 billion rupees ($55.37 million), a police report showed.The company, which is backed by Japan's Softbank, accused some former directors and former management of Quickdel of misappropriation, cheating and misleading it, in the police first information report filed in New Delhi on Friday.Reuters has a copy of the police report.

Vineet Rai, the administrative officer at the Gurgaon headquarters of Quickdel, said the company could not immediately comment.A spokeswoman for Snapdeal was not reachable by phone.

Snapdeal said it had bought a 49.99 percent stake in Quickdel in 2014 and early 2015, after the former heads of the logistics company said it would help the two to grow the business. Snapdeal said in the police complaint that it realised later that the former heads of the logistics firm had misrepresented facts.Snapdeal has been at the center of takeover speculation, with its largest backer Softbank seen as keen to sell the company to its larger rival, Tiger Global-backed Flipkart.

In May, television channel ET Now reported that the founders of Snapdeal and one of its early investors, Nexus, have reached an agreement with SoftBank Group that would allow the Japanese firm to move ahead with its plan to sell Snapdeal to Flipkart.Sources told Reuters last month that SoftBank was working to engineer a sale of Snapdeal to Flipkart, as it seeks to play consolidator and take a more active role at a trio of leading start-ups in India.($1 = 64.4800 rupees) (Reporting by Malini Menon; Writing by Sanjeev Miglani; Editing by Ros Russell)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
New Delhi: Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal on Sunday discussed with Home Minister Rajnath Singh the ongoing works for strengthening security along the Indo-Bangladesh border, besides a host of other issues.

During the 20-minute meeting, Sonowal briefed the home minister on the construction of a fence along the land border and special protection measures being undertaken along the riverine areas.

Singh had in December last year said the security of the Indo-Bangladesh border was a priority for the BJP government and that it would be completely sealed by June 2018.

India and Bangladesh share a 4,096-km-long border, of which 262 km falls in Assam.

The chief minister also briefed the home minister on the prevailing security situation in Assam and the steps taken to contain the insurgency problem, official sources said.

Sonowal's media advisor Hrishikesh Goswami was also present at the meeting.
Even if Theresa May is heading a minority government with support from another party, she happens to be the prime minister of all of United Kingdom, and not just those who voted for her or her party. She may, and she will, push for her partys programme that she took to the electorate in the recent snap poll.

Even if there are strong voices, with or without good reason, against the way Narendra Modi runs the government in India, he is not just BJPs prime minister but all of Indias. And to disagree with him is a right in a participatory democracy  the ruling dispensation can't just make things difficult for those who are not in sync with it.

Similarly, furthering a partys programme is the entitlement of the elected, and those who lost have to wait for their turn till the electorate accepts their narrative. An MP or an MLA is a representative of the entire constituency even if a part of it did not vote in his or her favour. To behave like a representative of the entire constituency and not remain partisan is what is required of the elected.

However, this principle has been thrown out of the window by Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu, who has been in electoral politics long enough to understand the tenets of democracy. That he has tried to scare constituencies by saying, in effect, that he would divide them into two  one that went with him and another that did not vote for his party  just cannot be allowed. The very idea should be roundly condemned, and Naidu chastened for it.

He has committed a serious folly, which merits the attention of the Election Commission of India. Talking to his cadre, he reportedly said, "You are taking the pension I am giving, using the roads we have built, taking rations that we give, benefiting from our schemes, then why should you not support us politically?"

He was talking, of course, to his party men but the message is to the voters who would be participating in a byelection soon in Nandyal constituency of his state. It amounts to a threat, for it was not his policy to bribe voters  I can give Rs 5,000 but thats not my policy  but he will not hesitate to ignore the villages which don't vote for us." Is the chief minister alluding that non-TDP voters would be sent to Coventry?

To say the least, it is antithetical to democracy and to what the Election Commission of India is striving to achieve by trying to curb corruption in electoral politics: threat is just another form of corruption. The other point is how would he know that a specific village did not vote for the Telugu Desam Party but preferred another? That would at best be guessed by a general subjective assessment because rarely does an entire village swing one way.

This is unexpected from a chief minister who is considered sophisticated, farsighted, and who is known to use firm ways of policy implementation. He, as the chief minister of the erstwhile undivided Andhra Pradesh, touted the state as the best host for investment in high technology and that too successfully. This threat should make him ineligible to be involved in any democratic process.

Like others who steward the nation or state, he took oath of office as chief minister of Andhra Pradesh, not chief minister of only those who voted for him and his party. Bipartisanship is what makes a statesman out of a politician. Partisanship of the kind he had threatened is what makes politics petty.
Gandhinagar: Senior Congress leader Shankersinh Vaghela on Saturday said he would not follow the party leadership if it continued on its present "suicidal path" in Gujarat where elections are due in 2017.

He also said after he spoke out about the need to prepare for the Gujarat Assembly elections, all other state leaders were working to "oust him from the Congress". Mincing no words, he said the Congress leadership "lacked foresight".

Vaghela, sulking after the high command refused to give him a free hand ahead of the polls, addressed a meeting of his supporters, which is being seen as a show of strength. "I have conveyed my grievances to the Delhi leadership. Even for undertaking a small trip, you plan it out. I can't understand why these Delhi people don't realise that elections will be held in December."

"After the crushing defeat in Uttar Pradesh, you have to be more alert in Gujarat," Vaghela said. "As you are the owners of the party, we have to follow whatever you say. We have to follow if you give wrong orders. We follow whatever you say because we are in the party, but do not consider this as my weakness."

"My problem with the party is they have done no planning to win Gujarat elections, when we know that it (elections) won't be delayed for even a month. Owners lack the foresight. They do not know what is going to happen tomorrow.

"(AK) Antony committee's report was accepted which said that candidates should be declared one year prior to elections... do it (at least) six months in advance. But the time is running out here," Vaghela said.

"You are heading for committing suicide. There is a big ditch ahead, if you want to fall, then go on. I won't stay on this path," he said.

"I have made my case before the Delhi high command and told them all this," said Vaghela, who visited the national capital two days ago.

"One cannot sit (idle) and expect to win, one has to do homework. If you do not want to do anything then I believe you have taken a 'supari' (contract) to lose to the BJP," he said.

Many of his supporters, who spoke at the meeting, urged him to fight till the end. Vaghela said he will meet party vice-president Rahul Gandhi after the latter returns in the first week of July.
New Delhi: Undue sympathy towards convicts by awarding inadequate jail term "undermines public confidence in efficacy of law", the Delhi High Court has said while upholding a 10-year term awarded by a trial court to a man for raping and trying to kill his ex-employer's daughter-in-law.

Dismissing the 45-year-old man's plea for reduction of his punishment, Justice SP Garg said that awarding inadequate sentences is a "serious threat" to society which it would not be able to endure.

"It is the duty of every court to award proper sentence having regard to the nature of the offence and the manner in which it was committed.... Undue sympathy to impose inadequate sentence would do more harm to the justice system to undermine the public confidence in the efficacy of law and society could no longer endure under such serious threat," the court said.

The trial court had awarded 10 years to the convict for the offence of rape and seven years for attempting to murder the victim, who had assisted him in getting a job and also used to teach his kids.

His conviction was affirmed by the high court after he gave up his challenge to the findings of the trial court. He had, however, sought modification of his sentence on the ground that he has to support his family.

Rejecting his plea, the court said that the man had betrayed the trust of the victim and "exhibited animal instinct at the time of commission of the crime".

"She was defiled for no fault of hers. The appellant (convict) had pre-planned to commit the crime. In the early hours of morning he had consumed liquor. He was well aware that the prosecutrix (victim) was alone at her residence.... During the crime, he claimed that it was due to revenge against her father-in-law. Possibility of the appellant to be doing the horrible crime at someone's behest cannot be ruled out," the high court noted in its judgement.

It said the trial court's sentence order was "based upon fair reasoning and no sound reasons exist to modify it".

According to the prosecution, the convict had gained entry into the house on 24 June, 2014, on the pretext to have water. At the time he was under the influence of alcohol and he followed the "unsuspecting" victim to the first floor of the house and taking advantage of the fact that she was alone, he had "executed his nefarious plan", the prosecutor had argued before the high court.

The prosecutor had also contended that the convict had attempted to strangulate her, by throttling her neck with a pillow and mobile charger and when he did not succeed because of the victim's resistance, he raped her.

"She begged for mercy, but it had no impact upon him. Timely arrival of the maid prevented more harm," the high court noted in its verdict.
Srinagar: Two suspected militants were killed and three para commandos were injured in an encounter on Sunday afternoon at Pantha Chowk, on the outskirts of Srinagar.

Earlier on Saturday, the encounter started when the two suspected militants had fired a volley of bullets at a CRPF vehicle in front of a bank ATM, near the main gate of the Delhi Public School at Pantha Chowk. A sub-inspector, Sahib Shukla, was killed in the gunbattle that continued for almost two days.

Zulfikar Hassan, IG (operations) of CRPF, said his officer Shukla took bullets but had also retaliated. He always led any operation from the front. The encounter brought vehicles to a standstill on the highway for many hours on both Saturday and Sunday, a day before Eid begins in the Valley.

According to eyewitnesses, on Saturday, the attackers in police uniforms had fired indiscriminately at the CRPF vehicle before entering the Delhi Public School campus where they took refuge. It took some time for the security forces to be certain of where the militants were hiding.

After the firing, a large contingent of police, CRPF and army personnel had arrived in the area  a highly fortified zone  a few hundred metres away from the Indian Army's 15 Corps headquarters. During the search operation, a school staff informed the forces that they had seen the militants enter one of the school buildings.

The school was immediately cordoned off but no contact was established with the suspects. After a night-long siege, sounds of firing and shelling were heard in the army offensive to flush out the militants. By afternoon, the militants were finally cornered and killed by the forces' intermittent firing at the school building.

The 17-hour long gunbattle shows the militants are fast taking the battle from south Kashmir to capital Srinagar. Police officials said, it was a well-planned strategy to prolong the encounter by taking refuge inside the school, which has a sprawling campus with more than 400 rooms in over five buildings.

It seemed the intention was to take refuge in a high-rise like the Entrepreneurship Development Institute (EDI) complex, where militants took refuge twice, to extend the encounter and grab maximum attention, a senior police officer at the encounter site said.

The authorities had imposed restrictions under Section 144 CrPc on Saturday night from Ram Munshibagh to the Sempora stretch of the national highway as a precautionary measure to avoid protests near the encounter site.

The fresh attack in Srinagar just adds to intelligence reports of militants attempting a major attack in the capital city but the strict security arrangements on the national highway have prevented it. Given the rise in the number of active militants, such an attack must not be ruled out in the immediate future.

In October 2016, before the militants launched the second attack in a year, from Sempora, militants had been trying to enter Srinagar but were forced to retreat after noticing checking of vehicles at the entry and exit points.

However, they did manage to gain entry into Jammu and Kashmir EDI in Sempora twice, but by rowing a boat across the Jhelum river. Both the attacks proved costly for the state as well as the security forces.

Intelligence agencies have been long been apprehensive of hit and run style attacks by militants on the National Highway between Pampore to Panth Chowk. The highway helps militants to strike and disappear easily and also grab attention by disrupting vehicular movement.

"It is impossible to keep vigil all along the 302-kilometre-long highway from Srinagar to Jammu. We have identified vulnerable stretches where there is a 24x7 vigil to thwart any possible militant attack. It was due to our alert troopers that the militants were killed," a senior army official said.
Over the 25 years of diplomatic relations, Russia and Belarus have established strategic allied relations that are in the interests of both nations, the Russian and Belarusian foreign ministries said in a joint statement on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of diplomatic relations, TASS reported.

The statement was posted on the Belarusian foreign ministrys Facebook account on Sunday.

"July 25, 2017 marks the 25th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Russia and Belarus," the statement says. "Over these years, our countries have established strategic allied relations which are in the interests of both nations."

The document notes that the two countries are maintaining active political dialogue at all levels. "The sustainable infrastructure of cooperation that has been formed over these years helps to swiftly find mutually acceptable solutions to all problems of the bilateral agenda," the statement says.

It stresses that Belarus and Russia are among most active members of integration associations within the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS). They are a driving force promoting multilateral initiatives within such associations as the Eurasian Economic Union, the CIS, the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO). "We stand for multilateral and collective approaches to the resolution of pressing global and regional problems, the principle of non-interference into domestic affairs of states, non-acceptance of the policy sanctions and unilateral economic and trade restrictions," the statement says.

The two countries condemn terrorism in any of its manifestations and believe that this phenomenon can be efficiently rebuffed only through collective effort, without politicizing and double standards, with strict compliance with the United Nations Security Council resolutions.

Moscow and Minsk share the opinion that "the crisis in eastern Ukraine has no military solution and should be settled by political and diplomatic means on the basis of the Minsk agreements," the statement stresses.

The two countries pledge to continue to coordinate their approaches to the most acute problems of the OSCE agenda and stand for reforms in this organization. "Russia and Belarus continue to coordinate their relations with the European Union and will exert joint effort to establish ties between the Eurasian Economic Union and the European Union," the document says.
Mumbai: A day after the BJP-led Maharashtra government unveiled a mega Rs 34,022-crore farm loan waiver scheme, its ally the Shiv Sena again sounded a discordant note, saying it was not useful at all.

Kick-starting the party's Shetkari Samwad Yatra (farmer outreach campaign) at Pimpalgaon in Nashik district, Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray said, "The government has decided to waive outstanding loans up to 30 June last year.

"In reality, the need was to waive the outstanding loans up to June this year. So, this loan waiver is not helping the farmers at all," he said, but asserted that the decision to grant loan waiver is a victory of farmers' struggle.

Marathwada region farmers may rejoice over the decision, but those from Nashik, where the real battle for loan waiver started, are still not getting any relief, Thackeray said, adding, "If farmers are to benefit, the recommendations of Swaminathan commission should be implemented."

The Shiv Sena, though a part of the ruling coalition, had backed the farmers' agitation for loan waiver in Maharashtra earlier this month.

"I will also personally look into the issue of criminal charges registered against agitating farmers. I will ensure that these charges are dropped," Thackeray said.

According to the state government, the loan waiver scheme will benefit 89 lakh farmers.
New Delhi: Aadhaar is not a valid identification document for Indians travelling to Nepal and Bhutan, the Union home ministry has said.

Indians can travel to Nepal and Bhutan--both countries for which they don't need visas--if they possess a valid national passport or election ID card issued by the Election Commission.

Moreover, to ease travel, persons over 65 and below 15 years can show documents with photographs to confirm their age and identity. These include PAN card, driving licence, Central Government Health Service (CGHS) card and ration card but not Aadhaar.

"Aadhaar (UID) card is not an acceptable travel document for travel to Nepal/Bhutan," a communique issued by the ministry said.

The advisory assumes significance as Aadhaar is mandatory for a host of things, including government subsidies on LPG and other social welfare schemes.

The Aadhaar card, which has a 12-digit unique identification number and personal details like name and address, acts as a proof of identification and residence.

Indians entering Bhutan by road are required to obtain an 'Entry Permit' on the basis of a valid travel document from the immigration office of Royal Government of Bhutan at Phuentsholing, located on the Indo-Bhutan border opposite Jaigaon, West Bengal.

The border with Nepal is an open one with people who enter the country needing to show any valid identity card.

Nepal shares borders with five Indian states--Sikkim, West Bengal, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand. Around six lakh Indians are living or domiciled in Nepal.

Bhutan, which shares borders with Sikkim, Assam, Arunachal Pradesh and West Bengal, has about 60,000 Indian nationals, employed mostly in the hydroelectric power and

construction industry. In addition, between 8,000 and 10,000 daily workers enter and exit Bhutan everyday in border towns.

In another development, Indians flying abroad will not be required to fill departure cards from next month.

However, those going out of the country via rail, seaport and land immigration checkposts will have to fill the embarkation card.

"It has been decided to discontinue the practice of filling up of the departure card by Indians at all international airports with effect from July 1, 2017," an order issued by the home ministry said.

The move is aimed at ensuring hassle-free movement of Indians going abroad.

At present, those going abroad need to fill in details such as name, date of birth, passport number, address in India, flight number and date of boarding in the departure card.

The decision will help reducing the time required to complete immigration related formalities by passengers and also enable airports and authorities concerned to cater to a larger number of people.

The need for Indians to fill such cards on their arrival in India has already been done away with.
Raipur: Two security personnel were injured on Sunday in an improvised explosive device (IED) blast, triggered by naxals, in Chhattisgarh's insurgency-hit Bijapur district, police said.

The incident took place in the forests under Tarrem police station limits when a joint team of security forces was returning after carrying out an anti-maoist operation in the area, a senior police official told PTI.

The composite squad of CoBRA (Commando Battalion for Resolute Action), DRG and district force was out on an operation in the interiors of Basaguda and Tarrem area, around 450 kms from here, for past couple of days.

While cordoning off a forested patch on way back to the base camp on Sunday, two jawans came under the impact of explosion, triggered by naxals, that left them injured, he said.

Of the injured, one belongs to CRPF's elite wing  CoBRA 204th battalion  and has been identified as constable Badal Murmu, while the other is a district police assistant constable Roshan Kumar, he said.

Soon after getting information of the incident, reinforcements were rushed to the spot and the injured were admitted to a local hospital, he added.

Meanwhile, a search operation was underway in the region to nab the ultras involved in the incident, he added.
Jammu: Pakistan violated ceasefire along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir's Naushera sector on Sunday.

Indian and Pakistani troops traded heavy fire along the LoC in Jammu and Kashmir's Rajouri district, a defence official said.

According to NDTV report one civilian has been killed in firing.

#WATCH Ceasefire violation by Pakistan Army in J&K's Naushera sector along the Line of Control, from 6:30 am. Indian Army retaliating. pic.twitter.com/b5JOeYOnrr  ANI (@ANI_news) June 25, 2017

#Visuals: Ceasefire violation by Pakistan Army in J&K's Naushera sector along the Line of Control, from 6:30 am. Indian Army retaliating. pic.twitter.com/2cYfAKkdvZ  ANI (@ANI_news) June 25, 2017

"Pakistan army began indiscriminate firing and shelling on our positions on the LoC in Naushera sector from 6.30 am," defence ministry spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Manish Mehta told IANS.

"They first initiated small arms and automatic gunfire, but later used mortars."

"The firing is ongoing and our forces are effectively retaliating," Mehta added.
Srinagar: Rina Mitra, special secretary, Department of Internal Security, Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), on Sunday called on Jammu and Kashmir governor NN Vohra in Srinagar and discussed internal security and safeguarding of the Line of Control (LoC) in the state.

Mitra, accompanied by Gyanesh Kumar, joint secretary (J-K), MHA, met Vohra at the Raj Bhavan in Srinagar, an official spokesman said.

He said the governor discussed with Mitra a range of issues relating to effective maintenance of law and order, internal security and the safeguarding of International Border, the LoC and the Line of Actual Control (LAC).

They also discussed the increasing infiltration attempts and growing incidence of terrorism in the valley, continuing attacks on the state police personnel and the most worrying consequences following the involvement of the youth and the students in agitational activities, the spokesman said.

He said they also discussed the security arrangements for the smooth conduct of Amarnath yatra, commencing on 29 June.
Srinagar: The Jammu and Kashmir Police has asked its personnel to avoid Eid prayers in public places in the wake of mob lynching of a deputy superintendent of police outside the Jamia Masjid in Srinagar.

Police personnel have been advised to offer prayers in mosques in district police lines or protected mosques.

"You are advised to instruct the field and subordinate formations that they shall not offer Eid prayers in isolated or general mosques or eidgahs," an advisory issued from Police Control Room (PCR) on behalf of Inspector General of Police, Kashmir, to all police stations across the Valley read.

It said all police personnel shall offer Eid prayers in mosques in district police lines (DPL) Srinagar or PCR Kashmir.

"In other districts also, the Eid prayers shall be offered in DPL mosques or protected mosques where the safety of your personnel is ensured," the advisory read.

Asked about the advisory, Director General of Police S P Vaid said, "It is good to take precautions.

"They (police personnel) are my men, I will advise them. They are my children, so we will advise them to take precautions, he said.

The advisory comes in the wake of mob lynching of Dy SP Mohammad Ayub Pandith outside the historic Jamia Masjid in Nowhatta area of the city on Thursday during Shab-e-Qadar prayers.
Washington: A Kashmiri Hindu group on Sunday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to recognise Kashmiri Pandits as internally displaced people and ensure that the property left behind by them in the Valley is protected and illegal occupants removed.

"If Kashmiri Hindus lose their temples, houses and property, their ethnic cleansing will become permanent," Kashmiri Hindu Foundation said in a memorandum submitted to Modi.

"Kashmiri Hindus should be recognised as internally displaced people and a declaration should be made to this effect. Implement a plan to ensure that property left behind by the refugees is preserved and protected and illegal occupants removed," it said.

This plan should also cover those Kashmiri Hindus who have been forced to sign documents of sale under any kind of duress, the foundation said.

"Our places of worship have been burnt, vandalised and damaged. We strongly urge the Government of India and the state government that our temples and cultural institutions in the Valley be secured, preserved and protected," said Florida-based Deepak Ganju, head of the foundation.

She was here to attend the community event being held in the honour of Modi.

"Financial and state support for our socio-cultural-religious organisations, that we have managed to run even in our exile, is required urgently. State recognition should be given to Kashmiri Pandit writers, artists and social activists and grants should be provided for them to further their work.

"Centres need to be built for the preservation of thousands of years of our history, culture, tradition and works of art," it said.

Ganju said 4,00,000 Kashmiri Pandits have been forced to leave the Valley en-masse.

"About 1,200 killed and it goes on with just a few thousand remaining in the Valley," Ganju added.
Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala government has convened a meeting of diplomats from 14 African nations as part of its effort to revive the sinking cashew sector in the state that provides jobs to more than two lakh people, majority of them women.

The meeting to be held on 28 and 29 June in Thiruvananthapuram is to find ways to import raw cashew from African countries without middlemen at reasonable rates, Minister for Fisheries and Cashew Mercykutty Amma said on Sunday.

Representative of Union external affairs ministry would also participate in the meeting, that among other things envisage to increase the cashew export of the country from the present Rs 6,000 crore to Rs 9,000 crore, it was stated.

Effort was also to make the Kerala Cashew Development Corporation and Kerala State Cashew Workers Apex Industrial Co-operative, the two agencies of the state engaged in cashew processing sector, profitable ventures.

Cashew industries would sustain only if quality raw cashew was made available without any disruption and the government was making efforts in this regard, she said.

It was also necessary to have partial modernisation, environment friendly processing and manufacture of value added products for the growth of this sector, she said.

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan would inaugurate the meeting.

Kerala accounts for 11 percent of cashew production and 35 percent of cashew nut processing units in the country, as per the Economic Review for the year 2016.

One of the main challenges the sector faces is the mismatch between demand and supply on its requirement of around six lakh million tonne of raw cashew in a year for catering to the demands of 800 factories.

The state exported 68,150 tonnes of cashew and cashew kernels in 2014-15.
The appointment of 23 transgenders gave Kochi Metro Rail Limited (KMRL) world-wide publicity. Even as various international agencies and media hailed it as a path-breaking initiative, the publicity has ironically confounded the miseries of the sexual minority.

While some of the transgenders, who were living in the state by hiding their real sexual identity, were forced to leave their homes, facing difficulty in finding alternate accommodation in the city. Many of those who are sticking on with the job are also finding it hard to continue the service due to lack of accommodation.

Amruta, who was appointed in the housekeeping department of KMRL at Aluva station, has taken long leave three days after she joined the service as she has not been able to find a place to sleep near Aluva. She now stays in a lodge at Ernakulam South, which is 19 kms from Aluva, by paying Rs 400 a day.

I cannot afford this as the KMRL is giving us only Rs 9400 per month as salary. I am unable to take up any part-time job to supplement my income as my shift keeps changing every week, says Amruta, who lived with her mother in a rented house in a village on the outskirts of the city hiding her real identify before she was appointed in the KMRL.

Amruta used to wear shirt and trousers when she is at home, as she didnt want her sick mother to suffer the humiliation. But the job in KMRL changed her life for the worse. She was forced to leave the house after the local people recognized her real identity from media reports and the KMRL publicity.

This is not the plight of Amruta alone. As many as 11 of the 23 transgenders appointed by the KMRL have dropped out of the job. While two did not join at all, nine have left after working for few of days. The first stretch of the metro from Aluva to Palarivattom was commissioned by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 17 June.

The transgenders were thrilled when they received the appointment. But their joy was short-lived after they found that they could not find a place to sleep in the city. Faizu, who has been trying to stick on with the job, said he was staying in a lodge paying Rs600 per day.

I have been trying to rent a house along with some of my friends ever since I got the appointment. But we were turned away everywhere. All people whom we approached excused themselves saying neighbours would create trouble. Most people think we are looking for space for prostitution, Faizu said.

She told Firstpost that most of the people continuing in the service were also facing problem. Some of them are staying in lodges paying Rs 400 to Rs.600 every day. We brought this to the notice of the KMRL authorities but they have pleaded helplessness, he added.

KMRL managing director Elias George was not available for comments. However, CR Reshmi, a spokesperson of the KMRL, said that the company was unable to provide the transgender employees accommodation as they were appointed under a contract given to Kudumbasree, an all-women anti-poverty mission.

We have 628 members of Kudumbasree working in various wings of the KMRL. If we give any special consideration to the TGs, these women will also claim it. It will not be possible for us to provide accommodation to everybody. We are not an employer but a facilitator, Reshmi told the Firstpost.

However, she said that KMRL was trying to help the transgender employees by identifying suitable space that they can hire in the city. However, the transgender activists say it will not be easy as the people in the state were still not ready to accept different gender identities.

The Kerala government and the Kochi Metro are trying to give us an equal space in the society. But the society is still conservative. The KMRL gesture will not help the transgender people unless the society changes its mindset, says Vijaya Raja Mallika, a transgender and transgender activist.

She pointed out that the transgenders had failed to get a private space for setting Indias first transgender school in the city. We approached some 700 people and 51 households, and all of them turned us away. They seemed thinking that we were looking for space for prostitution, she said.

The school could be set up after the Pro-Life initiative of the Kerala Catholic Bishops Council came to their help. Following the councils intervention, the Congregation of Mother of Carmel nuns accommodated them in their facility.

Chilla Anil, head of the Kerala unit of Sangma, an NGO working for the rights of the transgenders, doubts the sincerity behind the measures taken by the government. He said many projects initiated by the government and its agencies were still remaining on paper. He pointed out that the G-Taxi proposed by the Social Justice Department for the transgenders was yet to take off.

A project for sex reassignment surgery launched by the government in medical colleges has turned controversial after a transgender, who underwent the surgery at Thiruvananthapuram Medical College, alleged irregularities in the surgical process.

Transgender activists said that the problems faced by these people were not limited to a lack of accommodation alone. They are ridiculed and abused in public places like railway stations, bus stands, schools, workplaces, malls, theatres and hospitals. They are sidelined and treated as untouchables.

Besides, they are the ones to be blamed whenever anything goes wrong in places the transgender work. For example, the accusing finger was turned towards a transgender employee when a cash shortage was found at the ticket counter of KMRL at Edappally Station two days ago.

The activists say that this sort of hostile approach was forcing many transgenders to hide their sexual identity or leave for cities like Bengaluru and Chennai where they are not treated as poorly as in Kerala. They said that the transgenders in Kerala were not even safe in their homes.

A survey by the Social Justice Department revealed that 51 percent transgenders had concealed their gender identity from their families because of the mistreatment. It showed that 78 percent transgenders have not revealed their gender identity at work due to fear of discrimination.

The survey found that the transgenders were discriminated in every aspect of life. As high as 70 percent have at least one experience of being denied a job due to their gender identity, 52 percent transgenders face harassment from the police, 89 percent reported of being mistreated at their workplaces and 28 percent have been sexually harassed or raped.

Though the Kerala was the first state in India to bring out a policy for transgenders, the approach of the society as well as some government agencies has remained the same.
New Delhi: BJP ally and farmers' leader Raju Shetti has attacked the government for not doing enough for the community and said he will start a nationwide programme from 7 July in Mandsaur, which recently witnessed violent protests by farmers.

The Lok Sabha member who was at the forefront of the recent farmers agitation in Maharashtra said leaders of over 100 farmers' bodies will join him in the exercise which will end on 2 October in Champaran.

2 October is Mahatma Gandhi's birth anniversary and Champaran in Bihar was the site of his pro-farmers agitation against the then British rule. The Swabhimani Paksha leader said the Union government had not done enough for farmers.

He said a loan-waiver for farmers and implementation of the Swaminathan report are his main demands.

He had earlier met JD(U) leader Sharad Yadav, who has been working to organise a bigger front against the BJP over issues of farmers.

Shetti, however, appeared to have tampered his stand after earlier threatening to reconsider his ties with the BJP. He joined the BJP leaders in the nomination-filing exercise of the NDA's presidential nominee Ram Nath Kovind.

Asked if continued to be part of the NDA, he said, "As of now I am."

To a question about support of Opposition to his programme, he said everybody is welcome to extend their support. He had earlier accused the BJP-ruled Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh governments of mishandling the farmers' issue.
Turkey will not surrender to any regional plot, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Saturday, Anadolu reported.

In a televised message on the eve of Eid al-Fitr, Erdogan said Turkey is aware of the games being played in Syria and Iraq, and the crisis in the region, adding the country is not an easy target.

"We are determined to give an answer to those who think they will be able to seize our country through such traps," the president said.

He praised the resilience of the Turkish nation and security forces in the face of threats against Turkey.

"There is no stopping or rest for us until we emerge victorious in this struggle which we have carried out in the way of one state, one nation, one flag and one homeland," Erdogan said.

In his Eid message, Prime Minister Binali Yildirim emphasized on Turkey's role in sheltering millions of refugees and helping needy people around the world.

Describing Turkey as the world's most generous country, Yildirim said the country will continue "to be the protector of the oppressed and victims, and the conscience of mankind with all its strength and determination".

According to UN, Turkey is the top refugee host in the world that is home to nearly 3 million Syrian refugees. This number accounts for over 50 percent of the 5.5 million Syrian refugees in the world.

Turkey has so far spent $25 billion on the refugees, while receiving only $725 million from the European Union, and $550 million from the UN Refugee Agency, Erdogan said in April. But Turkey will continue to help out refugees "with or without outside help", the president had added.

In his Eid message, Chief of General Staff Gen. Hulusi Akar hailed all Turkish soldiers, especially those who were fighting against terrorism at home and away from their families in various parts of the world in summer and winter, day and night.

Akar said the Turkish army and its personnel whose hearts were filled with love for the country, nation and flag remain devoted to their obligations towards unity and peace.
Mumbai: The steering committee of farmer leaders on Sunday rejected the Maharashtra government's mega loan waiver scheme, saying there should be no upper limit for the waiver.

The BJP-led government had on Saturday unveiled a Rs 34,022 crore farm loan waiver scheme, under which debts of up to Rs 1.5 lakh would be written off, giving relief to some 89 lakh farmers.

However, the committee of farmer leaders, which met at the office of Communist Party of India (M) in Mumbai, demanded that the entire outstanding loan be waived.

Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Ajit Navale, member of the committee, said, "The scheme has upper limit of Rs 1.5 lakh. So if a farmer has an outstanding loan above it, he would not benefit from it. It is not in line with our demand of blanket loan waiver.

"A meeting will take place in Nashik on 9 July, where the waiver scheme and its details will be discussed. The steering committee will then kick-start a Sangharsh Yatra (protest campaign) against the government which will conclude on 23 July.

"We will hold a statewide agitation on 26 July because our demands have not been addressed by the government. We do not subscribe to this loan waiver scheme," Navale said.

The steering committee of farmer leaders and activists was formed amid the farmers' agitation which roiled the state earlier this month.
Coatzacoalcos: Three federal police officers were mowed down in Mexico's Veracruz state, where gunman also killed a family of six, in the latest spasm of violence linked

to criminal gangs.

"Organised crime has sparked a serious problem of violence in Veracruz," said the state's governor Miguel Angel Yunes in a statement, calling the latest violence "an act of terrible barbarism."

Among Saturday's victims were a federal police commander and two agents, who were ambushed by gunmen in the city of Cardel.

In the nearby city of Coatzacoalcos, the dead included two adults and four children who died in a hail of bullets as they ate dinner at an outdoor restaurant.

Authorities added that two women were fatally shot in the town of Orizaba, also in Veracruz, one of Mexico's most violent states.

Much of the violence is the result of turf battles between two rival drug trafficking gangs, the Zetas and Jalisco Nueva Generacion.
New Delhi: The India-US civil nuclear deal is expected to figure during talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Donald Trump on Monday, but a pact between the NPCIL and Westinghouse to build six power reactors in Andhra Pradesh is unlikely to be signed.

A host of strategic issues is expected to be discussed during the parleys between the leaders of the world's two largest democracies, including the progress on the 2008 civil nuclear deal, according to official sources in New Delhi.

They said a financial turmoil in Westinghouse and absence of a functional reference atomic plant were the main impediments behind the Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited's (NPCIL) unwillingness to sign the agreement with the American nuclear giant.

According to a joint statement by Modi and the then US president Barack Obama in 2015, both the sides had resolved to work towards "finalising the contractual agreement by June 2017".

However, a lot of water has flown under the bridge since then.

Westinghouse, which was acquired by Japanese conglomerate Toshiba in 2007, filed for bankruptcy in March.

Apprehending uncertainty, the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) and the NPCIL are unwilling to go ahead with any agreement with the beleaguered company till it comes out of the financial turmoil.

"It is unlikely that we will sign an agreement with Westinghouse when the prime minister visits the US. However, we are making good use of time to hold discussions on techno-commercial aspects," a senior government official said.

An email sent to Westinghouse seeking a response from it on the issue was not replied to.

During his visit to the US on 25-26 June, Modi is slated to meet Trump.

The India-US nuclear cooperation agreement was signed in 2008, under which Westinghouse and GE Hitachi were going to build six power reactors each in Andhra Pradesh and Gujarat.

Initially, Westinghouse was allocated the Mithi Virdi site in Gujarat, but was later given the Kovvada site in Srikakulam district of Andhra Pradesh.

The company was to build six AP-1000 atomic reactors with a capacity of 1,208 MW each at Kovvada.

With a total capacity of 7,248 MW, the government had a plan to make it one of the largest nuclear parks in south Asia.

The official said any foreign company need to demonstrate a functional nuclear plant using the same technology. This is a pre-requisite to obtain permission from the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB), the nuclear watchdog in the country.

Westinghouse's AP-1000 technology plants are at various stages of construction in different countries and are yet to start commercial operations.
New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday extended Eid-ul-Fitr greetings to all and said inspiration should be drawn from such pious festivals to spread happiness and to take the nation forward.

He emphasised that India's diversity is its speciality as well as its strength.

"The holy month of Ramadan was celebrated with devotion. Now it is time for Eid. On the occasion of Eid-ul-Fitr, my best wishes to all," Modi said in his monthly radio programme Mann Ki Baat.

Eid-ul-Fitr, which marks culmination of the fasting month of Ramadan, will be celebrated on Monday.

"Ramadan is a month of holy donations, to spread happiness... Come, let us all together take inspiration from such pious festivals to keep spreading the treasure of happiness and keep taking the nation forward," he added.

While talking about the diversity, the prime minister also referred to the Lord Jagannath Yatras taken out on Sunday in the country as well as some parts of the world with devotion and religious fervour.

While talking about Ramadan, the prime minister highlighted an "inspiring" gesture of the people of Muslim-dominated Mubarakpur village in Bijnaur district of Uttar Pradesh.

He said during the Ramadan, the people of the village with a population of about 3,500 families, mostly Muslims, decided to collectively construct a toilet.

To extend help in this endeavour, the government provided about Rs 17 lakh, Modi said.

"But you will be happy to know that all the Muslim brothers and sisters, on the occasion of Ramzan, returned the amount of about Rs 17 lakh to the government saying they would construct their toilet with their own money and labour," the prime minister said.

He said the villagers told the government to spend the amount on providing other facilities in the village.

Congratulating the villagers of Mubarakpur for this, Modi said while their gesture was inspiring, the bigger element was that village was made 'open defecation free' (ODF).

He said three states  Sikkim, Himachal Pradesh and Kerala  had already been declared ODF and recently Uttarakhand and Haryana had also joined these states.

"I thank the governments and public of these five states for accomplishing this task," Modi said.

The prime minister, who is vigorously pushing the Swacch Bharat campaign, said accomplishment of the programme will need a sustained and a prolonged effort.
Lahore: An overturned oil tanker exploded killing at least 123 people in Pakistan on Sunday, as most of the victims had gathered round when spilt fuel from the stricken vehicle ignited, officials said.

The tanker overturned after trying to make a sharp turn on a highway on the outskirts of the city of Bahawalpur. A large crowd of people gathered at the scene when it caught fire and exploded, rescue workers said, adding about 80 people had been injured.

"People of the area and passersby had started gathering fuel when the tanker exploded, burning everybody on and around the spot," provincial government spokesman Malik Muhammad Ahmed Khan told Reuters.

Serious burn victims, several in critical condition, were airlifted by helicopter to hospitals in Bahawalpur and nearby cities for treatment.

"According to the initial reports, somebody tried to light a cigarette, and when the spilt fuel caught fire, leading to the tanker's explosion," Jam Sajjad Hussain, spokesman for the rescue workers service said.

Firefighters fought the flames for over two hours before extinguishing the fire.

The prime minister's office said the Punjab provincial government had been directed to provide full medical assistance.

"Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif has expressed deep grief over the heavy loss of life in the unfortunate accident of oil tanker fire at Ahmad Pur Sharqia, Bahawalpur," the statement said.
Jammu: Pakistani Army on Sunday again violated ceasefire by firing from automatic weapons and shelling mortars along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir's Rajouri district.

The Pakistan forces initiated unprovoked and indiscriminate firing from small arms, automatic weapons and mortars from 6:30 am on Sunday on Indian Army posts along the LoC in Naushera sector, a defence spokesman said.

The Indian troops returned the fire strongly and effectively, he said.

This was the second ceasefire violation by Pakistan in the past 24 hours.

The violation comes just days after an attack by a Pakistani special forces team that sneaked across the LoC into Poonch under heavy fire-cover and killed two jawans while losing one of their men.

On Saturday, the Pakistan Army had initiated unprovoked and indiscriminate firing from small arms, automatic weapons and mortars from 11:30 pm to 2:30 am on Indian Army posts along the LoC in Poonch sector.

Earlier on Thursday, in the third such attack this year, a team of Pakistani special forces sneaked 600 metres across the LoC into the Poonch sector and killed two Indian jawans and lost one Border Action Team (BAT) member in retaliatory action.

The Border Action Team (BAT) comprises special forces personnel of the Pakistan army and terrorists.

It had carried out the attack at around 2 pm on an army patrol party in the Gulpur belt of Poonch on 22 June under heavy cover fire by Pakistani troops.

In the firefight, two Indian soldiers  34-year-old Naik Jadhav Sandip of Aurangabad and 24-year-old Sepoy Mane Savan Balku of Kolhapur  were killed.

The Pakistani BAT members were armed with 'headband cameras' to record the attack on the Indian Army patrol.

Earlier, on 16 June, Pakistan violated the ceasefire by firing on forward posts along the LoC in Naushera sector of Rajouri district of Jammu and Kashmir, killing an Indian Army jawan.

There have been 19 ceasefire violations along the LoC and the international border in Jammu region in June in which one civilian also lost his life while seven others were injured.
Melbourne: Scientists have developed new drones that can identify ideal places to grow trees and sow one billion plants every year, an advance that may help combat deforestation.

Deforestation and forest degradation make up 17 percent of the world's carbon emissions - more than the entire world's transportation sector, according to the United Nations.

Researchers from UK-based company BioCarbon Engineering helped build a drone system that can scan the land, identify ideal places to grow trees, and then fire germinated seeds into the soil.

The new drones can plant in areas previously impossible to reach, like steep hills, researchers said.

The firing drone follows a pre-set planting pattern determined from an algorithm, which uses information from a separate scanning drone, they said.

To work out the best possible place to plant, the team used the drone to map the area, looking to create a 3D model of the land, 'ABC News' reported.

"The data gets downloaded and we've developed the algorithms that use that data to make smart decisions about exactly where to plant and how to manage that ecosystem,"

said Susan Graham, from BioCarbon Engineering.

The planet loses 15 billion trees every year and much of it is cleared for farmland to feed the world's booming population, but it is feared this could be exacerbating

climate change,

"Although we plant about nine billion trees every year, that leaves a net loss of six billion trees. The rate of replanting is just too slow," Graham said.

Graham is hoping to change that with a system that plants at "10 times the rate of hand planting and at 20 per cent of the cost."
Hyderabad: Telangana was created three years ago, but many promises made during the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh are still pending, said a key leader of the ruling Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS), adding the onus is on BJP and Congress to put them on top of their agenda for speedy implementation.

Many of the promises made in the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act of 2014, which gave birth to the country's latest state, are yet to be fulfilled, TRS MP Kalvakuntla Kavitha said.

"Many of them are pending... the division of many institutions is still pending, division of employees (between Andhra Pradesh and Telangana) in certain cases, high-court (for Telangana) is not yet given, national projects for Telangana is not given," she told PTI.

"Many issues are yet to be fulfilled. Even I believe (the successor state of) Andhra Pradesh has similar issues... Railways... on both sides, there are many pending issues," said the daughter of Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao.

But Kavitha did not appear bitter about the delay in promises being fulfilled and indicated that some lag was perhaps expected given the country's "system".

"Our system takes too long to set focus on certain issues. This is such a case. That is the only issue I feel is problematic with national parties," the Lok Sabha member from Nizamabad said.

"They have many items on their agenda whereas regional parties (like TRS), we have only one item on our agenda (state). BJP and Congress have so many things to think about. That is why I believe they are not setting focus on solving these issues," she said.
In the week that Narendra Modi travelled to the US, The Economist carried a negative cover story which will not please Indias prime minister. The weekly magazine's view is important because it is a conservative, business-friendly publication seen by world leaders as being authoritative on the subject of the economy.

It is also seen as not being quick to judgment and that makes its view on Modi particularly damaging.

I think the cover was a little unfair and too tough on Modi and on India, but perhaps mine is the view of someone who comes from a culture where symbolism is important. The cover features Modi riding a tiger made of paper and is headlined "Modis India: The illusion of reform".

The accusations in it are many. The most devastating is that the magazine is convinced Modi does not have the capacity to be a reformer. The magazine feels the record shows that Modi is not so good at working systematically to sort out the underlying problems holding the economy back.

Instead his reputation as a friend to business rests on his vigorous efforts to help firms out of fixes  finding land for a particular factory, say, or expediting the construction of a power station.

As evidence, it says that the ideas that he is currently working with in the fourth year of his administration, such as the Goods and Services Tax, are mostly the product of previous administrations and not his own. The magazine concedes that Modi is energetic, but occupied by launching glitzy initiatives on everything from manufacturing to toilet construction. He is bold but directionless.

Demonetisation was brave but not sound policy and a lack of planning and unclear objectives mean the exercise has damaged the economy. The magazine fears more erratic decision-making as the government aims to prove it is 'doing something'."

The lack of concentrated focus and strategy has meant that Indias economy is currently growing at a slower pace than it was three years ago. The advantages India has of low oil prices and a young population are being lost as Modi, in short, is squandering a golden opportunity.

Going over the record, there are not many linings of silver in the dark cloud. The Economist has decided it has found an answer to the question of whether Modi was a Hindu zealot disguised as an economic reformer, or the other way around. It believes that he is more a chauvinist than an economist. As evidence it writes that the government has created havoc in the booming beef-export business.

The language used after this is particularly strong and will upset many in government and its supporters. Under Modi, The Economist writes debate about public policy, and especially communal relations, has atrophied. Hindu nationalist thugs intimidate those who chide the government for straying from Indias secular tradition, or who advocate a less repressive approach to protests in Kashmir.

This has happened in an atmosphere where Modi himself has become the object of a sycophantic personality cult. There are other judgments on intolerance that readers who have followed the recent controversies will not find surprising.

The magazines report will delight those who oppose Modi and this government, and they will see their views vindicated by a neutral and informed observer. However, The Economists judgment should concern all Indians, whether or not they support Modi.

If it is true that we are in moment in time when the few economic advantages we hold are being lost, our focus must be on that rather than on finger-pointing. And it would be helpful if the government were to acknowledge its shortcomings, if not its failures, on some of these issues.

Unfortunately, I do not see that happening as we enter the last two years of Modis first term in office.

Tailpiece: I had written a couple of weeks ago in this column of the Congress as being the source of most of the problems we face today on the side of intolerance. I had said that P Chidambaram was saying things today about Armed Forces (Special Powers) Acts (AFSPA) that he could have corrected when in power.

He sent me a message expressing his disappointment at what I had written.

He said: "I pleaded for repeal of AFSPA when I was home minister or at least amending the offensive clauses. The matter was discussed in the Cabinet Committee on Security. Draft amendments were prepared by National Security Advisor and myself. The PM was supportive but I failed to convince the defence minister. I have spoken and written about the subject. The proposal to lift AFSPA from several areas of Kashmir was discussed many times by Omar Abdullah and me with the army. The defence forces and the defence ministry refused to budge. Omar has spoken and written about our joint efforts. All this is in the public domain and seems to have escaped your attention."
Srinagar: A gunbattle broke out at the Delhi Public School (DPS) in Srinagar in the early hours of Sunday as security forces launched an offensive to flush out the militants who took refuge inside the campus after attacking Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel in Pantha Chowk area on Saturday.

Three army personnel, including a captain, have been injured in the encounter. However, their condition was stable, authorities said.

"All injured army personnel are stable and out of danger," a police officer said, confirming that the injured have been shifted to the 92 Base Hospital of the army in Badami Bagh cantonment.

Director General of Police SP Vaid told reporters, "The room intervention inside the DPS complex has been started to eliminate the holed up terrorists." He said two militants are holed up inside the DPS complex.

According to the security sources the two militants have been killed. However, the police did not confirm the development.

The Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) militant outfit owned the responsibility for the attack.

Srinagar District Magistrate Farooq Ahmad Lone on Saturday imposed restrictions on movement of people and traffic on the stretch of Srinagar-Jammu Highway between Ram Munshi Bagh and Sempora.

The site of the attack happens to be a high-security zone located less than a kilometre away from the headquarters of the Indian Army's Chinar Corps. The area was immediately cordoned off by the security forces and search operations were launched in the school premises.

Mobile internet services were also suspended in the Kashmir Valley. Landline broadband speed has also been brought down.

Also on Saturday, a policeman and a CRPF jawan were injured when a policeman's rifle went off accidentally as Srinagar Senior Superintendent of Police Imtiyaz Parray was addressing the media.
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Sunday demands by Saudi Arabia and three other nations are "an attack to Qatar's sovereignty right, Anadolu reported.

He said Turkish can appreciate and embrace' Qatar's stance against the 13-article demand by Saudi Arabia the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt.

"We consider these demands are against international law," Erdogan told journalists after Eid al-Fitr prayers in Istanbul. "It is a breach of Qatar's sovereignty rights."

Qatar said early Saturday it received the list of demands to be met to end a blockade against the Gulf state but they were "not reasonable" and "actionable".

The demands include the closure of Al Jazeera television network, downgrading ties with Iran and extraditing "terrorists", according to reports.

The four countries have given Doha a 10-day deadline to meet the demands.
Srinagar: Security forces on Sunday gunned down two militants holed up inside a school on the outskirts of Srinagar, ending an encounter of over 14 hours in which two Army men were also injured.

The militants had entered the Delhi Public School located close to the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway last evening after attacking a CRPF party in the nearby Pantha Chowk, killing one officer and injuring a constable.

The road opening party of the CRPF was attacked in high security zone located less than a kilometre away from the headquarter of the Srinagar-based Army corps.

Immediately thereafter, the security forces cordoned off the school premises which has seven buildings, comprising 36 rooms, and the staff and others were evacuated last night itself.

An offensive to flush out the militants was launched Sunday morning, a police official said.

"The exchange of fire between security forces and militants began at around 3.40 am," he said.

"The gunbattle is over and two militants have been killed," the official said this evening after over 14-hour armed engagement.

He said the search and sanitization operation was, however, underway at the encounter site.

Two Army personnel were injured in the gunbattle this morning, the official said. He said the injured have been taken to a hospital.

Earlier, Jammu and Kashmir's Director General of Police S P Vaid had said that there were reports of the presence of two militants inside the building but the exact number would be known after the search of the complex was over.

On the operation getting prolonged, he told reporters, "There are 36 rooms, the building is huge. So, it has to be searched floor by floor, room by room."

He said the security forces wanted to ensure that the (school) building was safe.

"The enemy has a nefarious design that the school buildings are destroyed and children have nothing to study and ultimately abandon their studies, which we will ensure that no such thing happens," the state police chief said.

He was speaking to the media on the sidelines of wreath laying ceremony of CRPF officer killed in Saturday's attack.

The authorities had imposed restrictions under section 144 CrPc from Ram Munshibagh to Sempora stretch of the national highway as a precautionary measure to avoid protests near the encounter site.

The mobile internet services have been affected across the valley as the network speeds have been reduced.
Mumbai: Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray on Sunday met farmers of Puntambe village in Ahmednagar district, who had first given the call for a strike, and credited them for the loan waiver announced by the Maharashtra government.

"Your contribution in this struggle for loan waiver is very important and no one can take the credit away from you," he said while addressing farmers in the village.

The BJP-led Maharashtra government had on Saturday unveiled a Rs 34,022 crore farm loan waiver scheme, under which debts of up to Rs 1.5 lakh each would be written off, which would make 40 lakh farmers "debt-free" and provide relief to 49 lakh others.

The Shiv Sena is part of the Devendra Fadnavis-led Maharashtra government.

On 1 June, farmers from Puntambe had gone on strike followed by many farmers' groups in other parts. The strike was later called off.

However, Uddhav hit out at the BJP-led Central government over demonetisation.

"It is a grave sin by the party because the demonetisation decision has affected the farmers mostly. The money was withdrawn from the economy and farmers were left without any help.

"They had no money to buy seeds, fertilisers etc," claimed the Sena chief, whose party is also part of the Narendra Modi-led government.

The same BJP government had asked farmers to go for tur cultivation but it ignored them at the time of its purchase. Such decisions led to farmers incurring more losses, claimed Uddhav.
Hyderabad: Terming 'Emergency' as the "darkest chapter" in India's democratic history, Union minister M Venkaiah Naidu on Sunday stressed the need for dedicating a chapter on it in the school curriculum.

"The Emergency, a historical scar in the minds of one generation, is treated as a curiosity today. It is hardly remembered by younger generations and a few of them can recite the trauma and torture stories of that era. Though four decades have passed, Emergency should not be forgotten and forgiven," said the Union information and broadcasting minister.

"I feel there should be a chapter on Emergency in our school curriculum to make the younger generation know about the murder of democracy and how it was restored. This is quite essential I feel," he said, adding the Indian Council of Historical Research should bring a volume on the same and it should be made part of the curriculum.

Naidu was speaking at an event to mark the 42nd anniversary of imposing of Emergency organised by BJP's Telangana unit here.

He said the younger generation must know what was Emergency, why it was imposed, its effect and how it was lifted.

"This function is organised to recall those memories. What happened in 1975...what is Emergency...the younger generation should know why Emergency was imposed, how it was misused and who is responsible for it. Emergency was one of the darkest periods in India and could not be forgotten...every youngster should be made aware of the importance of 'eternal vigilance' to safeguard and preserve democracy in the country," added Venkaiah.

He also said during Emergency, the role of media was less than inspiring.

"Except for Ramnath Goenka's Indian Express, CR Irani's Statesman and Nikhil Chakrabarty's Mainstream, hardly any newspaper stood up against the Emergency. Similarly, the judiciary also failed to come to the aid of common man. Unfortunately, the role played by intellectuals was also very shameful and many of them could not condemn Emergency," Naidu said.

He further said it was time for the media and social scientists to re-tell the Emergency story.

Venkaiah said every step taken by Prime Minister Narendra Modi is to strengthen democracy and India.

Meanwhile, on NDA picking Ram Nath Kovind as its presidential nominee, the BJP leader said, "It was due to his calibre, contribution and conduct that he was made the candidate. We do not attack other candidates. We do not play caste politics...they (opposition) play...we do not play communal politics...they do...we do not play family politics."

He reiterated that there was absolute freedom of the press in the country and the government is committed to the same, but in the name of freedom of the press, one cannot escape from other crimes and faults.

"Freedom of the press is to express and write and not to suppress the truth. We have to understand that.. One of the channels was given notice by the Congress government because of some financial irregularities and now they are portraying as if there is an assault on media and there is nation-wide campaign," Naidu said.

"Time has come to stop pseudo secularism. Hindu bashing has become a fashion...Hindu bashing cannot be called as secular. Secularism is respecting everyone. The country has to be alert about these people and forces," he added.

Union HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar claimed that in 1975, then prime minister Indira Gandhi imposed the Emergency for "her selfishness and only to retain power".

"It was the second round of the fight for independence between 1975 and 1977. Till Congress is there in this country and even today they have Emergency mindset...we need to remember Emergency till the country becomes 'Congress Mukt Bharat'," Javadekar said.

Union labour minister Bandaru Dattatreya was also present at the function.
Lucknow: The Uttar Pradesh government has started a scheme under which informers would alert the state authorities about attempts and incidents of female foeticide.

At an event here, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath expressed concern over the declining sex ratio in the state and launched the 'Mukhbir Yojana' (Informer Scheme) aimed at arresting cases of female foeticide.

The chief minister also launched 181 Women Helpline and flagged off 64 rescue vans.

Adityanath said that the state government is committed to providing complete security to women and also ensure that they are strengthened  socially and economically.

"The state government is serious about providing a fear-free atmosphere to women so that they can feel secure. Along with this, the government is also serious about making them self-reliant. A society, which respects the women can develop and progress," he said on Saturday at the programme held at his official residence.

At another programme, 'Uttar Pradesh Aam Mahotsava', held at the Indira Gandhi Prathisthaan here, Adityanath said that the UP government is making continuous efforts to increase the income of the farmers.

"Efforts are being made, so that the farmers adopt new technologies. The state government is also encouraging export of mangoes and is giving grants for the same," he said. The chief minister also planted a mango sapling and released a book of the horticulture department.
I was 10 years old the first time I read a Ruskin Bond book. The Blue Umbrella was also one of the first books I had bought for myself, instead of relying on an adult to get it for me. That's why when I went to Mussoorie, one of my first stops was Cambridge Book Depot. It so happens that the 83-year-old legend lurks around the bookstore and chats with fans if you are lucky. Unfortunately, my lurking was fruitless.

So when I recently stumbled upon a stream of new releases from Ruskin Bond, I was delighted. Bond's autobiography, Lone Fox Dancing, chronicled his foray into writing and life in Mussoorie in the 1950s, his memoir Looking for the Rainbow: My Years with Daddy, chronicles the time he spent with his father (with illustrations by Mihir Joglekar). Confessions of a Book Lover was a curated collection of lost stories, that were his favourites; each story had an introduction of how he had stumbled upon them. Bond explores bookshelves in Hampstead General Hospital in London, the Select Bookshop of Mr Rao and Ms Murthy in Bengaluru, among others from where he picks out the most incredible stories.

I was hooked.

When I phoned Bond to talk about his new books recently, it struck me that this is the first interview I was conducting by calling a landline instead of a mobile.

Bond picked up with a cheery hello, and as I questioned him about how he came to release three books together, he said, "Ah well, it's not in my hands when I publish books. I have several publishers; they are unlikely to coordinate with each other. I just write, and I am lucky enough to have a few readers that care. And if three books come out together, maybe next year there will be none."

In Confessions of a Book Lover, Bond has carefully selected a bunch of short stories that he thinks will appeal to his readers. When asked how he thought he should curate a certain number of stories instead of writing them, he says, "Well, the suggestion for curating these stories came from my publisher who said, 'Mr Bond you are a book lover, you have been reading books since your school days, so why not write about books/stories that have been forgotten or books that have been out of print and maybe that would create an interest in them again.' So I put it up along with parts where I talked about my days as a young man exploring bookshops."

Bond says he choose the title for a unique reason. "Well, I choose the term 'confessions' because it is an equivalent to confessions of an opium eater. Maybe at the back of my mind, books have occupied the same place as opium and other stimulants for other people, the way they depend on them to keep them going for their life. In the same way, I have come to depend on books to keep me going for life."

As for the title of his autobiography, he says, "For most of my life, well at least till I was in my 50s, I was pretty much alone. I had to make my living without any great deal of encouragement and other sources or family. The independence brought me happiness, but it also brought me companionship, and Lone Fox Dancing expressed my feelings at that time, and it's also the name of the poem in the book."

Bond says it took him a year to write the autobiography and Confessions..., that too with alot of prodding from his publisher. As Bond jovially points out, "I'm quite a lazy guy actually, well over a 100 titles published over a lifetime  but if you write for 60 years, 2-3 titles a year, then it is going to mount up over a lifetime. But the autobiography took me a year. Whereas Looking for a Rainbow took me about a week... I just got into the mood and wrote everything down. I hate deadlines  you probably have a lot of them in your profession  but I am not very good with them."

His books tend to have a nostalgic touch, and of this, Bond says: "Well, the longer you live  your life pans about before you and you often think about the good times rather than the bad times  so yes there is a certain longing for things that are lost, which I suppose is called nostalgia. But then one must also preserve all that was good in the past, and nostalgia helps people with that."

With Confessions out in the market, I asked him about his other favourite authors. He says, "Oh there are lots. I have been reading since I was little, so I have so many favourite authors. I love crime fiction so I have read everything from Sir Author Conan Doyle to Agatha Christie to PD James, right up to the present, I could even write a history of crime fiction. But then again this would be the real crime fiction: the one that requires an intellectual challenge on the part of the reader and the detective without needless violence."

What does the veteran author think about young writers these days? He says, "A lot of young people want to write and are writing these days. A lot of people now want to get published, but there are great many people who don't get published  writing has suddenly become a very fashionable profession. I don't know if that's got to do with these literary festival or the fact that now these writers have acquired celebrity status which they didn't have 30-40 years ago because of the visual media. Back when I set out to be a writer in the 1950s, if you got your book published, suddenly if it was successful, you were known by your name  no one would recognise you on the street. In a way, a writer lead a very anonymous life  which was good because it gave him time to lead a normal life."

The celebrity status Bond has achieved is phenomenal. I tell him about missing seeing him at Cambridge Book Depot in Mussoorie three years ago and he says, "I sort of prefer the solitary life I used to lead before this digital medium came in. Now, so many people know me. People come here a lot. Tourists come and ring my bell, and bang on the door. The crowd has definitely increased as days go by. But it's true that while you need solitude, you also need people around you."

Before the octogenarian puts down the phone, I ask him about his aversion to technology. Bond shrugs it off, and says, "No, I am simply lazy. Why should I be forced to depend on technology if I am getting along perfectly fine without it? If I can avoid it, I will avoid it. I will relax, I mean I don't need Whatsapp buzzing in my pocket. The landline is bad enough!"
The woman in a hijab, painted on a wall in Kabul, seems mischievous, impish  and the bright colour of her headscarf seems very much at odds with the drab and gloomy setting youll find her in. But this is precisely the quality of her art that has made Shamsia Hassani  considered Afghanistans first female graffiti artist  so striking. Hassani, who works to bring art to her countrys public spaces, wants to create conversations on subjects other than war in Afghanistan. Her bright, quirky graffiti is the first step in doing just that; at the same time, Hassani is also navigating the boundaries that define gender roles in her country.

Shamsia was born in Iran, but moved back to the country of her origin  Afghanistan  in the mid-2000s, to pursue an education in art.

In an interview with Firstpost, Hassani spoke about her influences and what she hopes her art will achieve.

Shamsia, you moved back to Afghanistan from Iran as you weren't allowed to study art there... Before you enrolled at Kabul University, did you ever worry about your future as an artist and whether or not you would have an opportunity to get the formal education you needed?

When I got to Afghanistan, I did not know that one day I will get to be a known artist. So I did not worry much about not getting enough success. I was very happy just because I did not have the limitations that were imposed on me in Iran.

You had always loved to paint, from the time you were a little child...what did being able to draw or paint mean to you and when did you realise that you wanted to pursue art for the rest of your life?

All kids love to draw and paint... when they get older, either their elders interfere in their choices or they decide if they want to continue (with) the art form. The number of people who grow and want to continue drawing and painting (arts) is very few, but I was one of those who wanted to continue.

When I was little, my drawings were much better than my fellow classmates and my drawings had feeling. These were very simple drawings, but my teachers always appreciated my work and asked others to observe and learn from my drawings. My parents also supported me a lot.

It was at a graffiti workshop with (the artist) CHU that you discovered your fascination with this art form. What was it about graffiti that so appealed to you?

It took me time to choose arts, I did not directly become an artist or started following art, it was a gradual process.

There are a couple of reasons for which I chose to do graffiti: One, it is a new art form. And two, in Afghanistan we do not have galleries and exhibition areas; the ones available are for a few people only. I thought if I chose to take exhibitions, there might be only a few artists who will come and see my artworks. On the other hand, if I put my works on the streets, there will be more people  who have no idea about arts  that will have a chance to see my work and observe.

I really felt good when people took pictures in front of my works on the streets. Maybe they didnt know the meaning of my work, but they felt the difference between a plain wall and the walls that had my graffiti on them.

I do not expect everyone to understand the meaning of my work, but that they feel a little happy to see them is enough of an appreciation for my work.

What do you look for in a location (for one of your graffiti works)?

The first thing that is important for me is the security aspects, the wall has to be in a secure area with not a lot of traffic. To be honest, it is very hard for me to find a wall, as everyone wants you to paint what they like on their walls!

The challenges that you face as a female artist in Afghanistan are vastly different from the issues of graffiti artists in western countries. Could you speak about the issues you face? Has the public mindset towards your art changed over the years?

In western countries, graffiti artists are mostly worried about the government. They are worried about getting caught by the police. People passing by while they work, are not counted as obstacles for them.

In Afghanistan, however, the police doesnt care about what you are doing on the wall (graffiti), it is everyone else who has an issue with your work on the streets. People who have not been civilised enough are the ones who try to create problems (sic). For example, the girl Farkhundah who didnt do anything to harm anyone, was killed and burned on the streets of Kabul by uncivilised and uneducated people. [Editor's note: Farkhunda Malikzada was a 27-year-old Muslim woman, killed by a mob in Kabul, after being falsely accused of burning a Quran. The incident was filmed by spectators.] You can be a victim. Even if later you are found not guilty of the crime, it doesnt matter since you are dead by then.

In Afghanistan, people who are still stuck in the past and havent updated their thinking are the biggest problem for me. The second obstacle that I face while working is the suicide attacks. But this is something that everyone faces, and is not specific to me.

It is very difficult to change peoples minds, they have had their old rotten ideas for decades and it is impossible to change them in a couple of years. I cannot change everyone with my art, but art can change peoples mind and then people can change society positively.

What are the influences on your approach, style and aesthetic as an artist?

My working style has evolved slowly and gradually. The elements seen in my works are added one by one and did not appear all together suddenly. For example, the musical instruments that portrays womens voices, bubbles, bats, they slowly got added to my work.

After a while, a composition was created of all these elements that now can be seen in my works.

Who are the contemporary artists in Afghanistan whose work you admire?

We have a lot of contemporary artists in Afghanistan and I respect each and every one of them dearly.

Hamed Hassanzadah is one of those artists that I admire and (he) has a lot to say through his works. His general knowledge regarding modern arts is fascinating and his works are pretty unique.

What are the unique problems or concerns of artists in your country? Do you see common themes reflected across the works of your peers?

It all depends on the form of every artists artwork.

For example, the artists who do calligraphy and miniature are appreciated a lot by society as people are used to the work and also it has an Islamic form. Artists who draw natural scenery are also appreciated in society and welcomed by the people. Those who draw portraits are not much appreciated as it is not a form allowed in Islam and people do not approve of their work much. All these artists work in their indoor studios, where there is no danger facing them.

Artists who work outside their safe zone (home, office, and indoor studio) are taking a lot of risk in doing so. Artists who work indoors usually sell their work and can take care of their expenses; those who work outdoors on (the) walls and streets are not supported by society. Street artists have a different goal in their minds, as their works are not purchased and they cannot even take care of their art expenses.

Could you tell us a little about how art and artists survived the Taliban years?

I was not in Afghanistan during the reign of Taliban. I have heard from lecturers and professors at Faculty of Fine Arts that during Taliban years there was scenery painting, calligraphy, and Islamic designs on mosques that were popular amongst people.

Other art forms were not even allowed during Taliban years. When I got back to Kabul from Iran, I went to the National Gallery of Afghanistan and saw a box filled with ripped paintings. I asked the staff at the National Gallery what this meant, and they responded: These are the old historic paintings of Afghanistan that included faces (portraits) and these were torn by the Taliban.

Please tell us a little about any project or series you are currently working on. How do you continue to balance your artistic work with your teaching work at the university?

My final series of works  Birds of No Nation  is about my people who have lost their identity, who migrate to different countries, leave their own homes, and search for peace. I want to show the world the situation of migrants, those who have fled their countries...

Currently, I am working on my Identity Series, which is about people who have left their homes and countries in search of a better life.
On 7 December 2014, Uber driver Shiv Kumar Yadav raped a female passenger in Delhi. The news spread quickly. I panicked. I was in Delhi that day and had to reach the airport at 3 am on 8 December. When several attempts to book an alternate service failed, I booked an Uber.

Ubers official response came quickly: "Safety is our #1 priority in India. Uber exclusively partners with registered for-hire drivers who have undergone the commercial licensing process, hold government issued IDs, state-issued permits, and carry full commercial insurance.We will continue to cooperate fully with law enforcement officials in their investigation to bring this crime to justice.

I felt reassured and then asked my driver why his picture in the app didnt look like him. He said something I couldnt understand. I reached the airport safe and in time for my flight. Thats all I wanted.

A year later, Shiv Kumar Yadav was given a life sentence. Meanwhile, Ubers business in India was growing fast. Worldwide, it was worth more than $ 70 billion. Uber went quickly from start-up to that. Six years.

Travis Kalanick quits as Uber CEO: Here's a timeline of the company's troubles this year

The general impression among investors was that Uber had become so indispensable to customers that it could get away with murder. Or rape. Cut to 2017, and things have changed. Uber CEO Travis Kalanick, stepped down this week under pressure from investors. The reasons are quite a few:

1. Sexual harassment complaints against company executives.

2. Potential legal trouble with Apple.

3. Legal trouble with Waymo, Googles self-driving car.

4. Compromised transportation and safety regulations.

5. Using Greyball to fool law enforcement agencies.

6. A shouting match with an Uber driver.

7. High-profile exits from the company.

Even though Kalanick did the best he could when faced with criticism  apologised and said he needed help; one wonders if all this could have been handled better. When Susan Fowlers Medium blog that accused Uber of being lax about sexual harassment went viral in February, Ubers response to it was pretty good. In fact, it ticked all the boxes in the corporate PR manual.

1. Kalanick issued a strong statement against sexism. (There can be absolutely no place for this kind of behaviour at Uber  and anyone who behaves this way or thinks this is okay will be fired.)

2. Kalanick hired former Obama attorney general Eric Holder to investigate Fowlers charges of sexism.

3. Board member Ariana Huffington got involved in the investigation.

4. Kalanick released statistics about diversity at Uber.

All the negative press and campaigns like #deleteuber, did cost the company millions of dollars, but the investors still had faith in Kalanick. And maybe, secretly Silicon Valley was happy with the way things were progressing. Ubers success, despite its many faults, seemed to make a statement. Aggression and the willingness to succeed at any cost was acceptable to society in general. And PR was working.

Ubers case though is not an ordinary PR disaster. Usually you have a decent company stuck in a situation because of a mishap, a serious but arbitrary problem with employees or a failed regulatory test. Remember Maggi and Dairy Milk? Uber has been flouting rules since the day it was born. The cost advantages that the company has over rivals are largely because of the use of non-commercial vehicles and all the money it saves by going around laws that require its cars and drivers to have commercial insurance, special drivers licences, vehicle inspections and many other requirements that make a business legitimate.

Also, if you get caught going to a karaoke and escort bar in Seoul, spy on rivals, underpay drivers, fire 20 employees after your sexual harassment investigation ends (technically, that should count as taking action but I guess people had to fault the company for keeping so many of these men on its rolls for so long), question rape victims and make sexist jokes at board meetings  theres little even genius PR can do. Of course, Uber owned up. I mean, a lot of it was on YouTube, so they didnt really have a choice. But it did little beyond that. It didnt seem to be cleaning up its mess. Acknowledging that youve made a mistake is an important step. But after that youve got to show people that youve taken some action. With a business steeped in illegality and slogans like always be hustlin, super-pumped and bold  Uber was being too forthright about its lack of respect for the law.

Also read  Uber after Travis Kalanick: The most valuable startup faces the ultimate test of its business model

Infact, Uber may have done well to follow Fowlers format. A step-by-step account of what the company did after each accusation and what the results were. No emotion. Just facts. Well, their PR head Rachel Whetstone did quit in April. And things have gotten worse after that but hey, like a friend said to me, Can good PR really save a really rotten company?" Well, we dont know about rotten companies, but it definitely saves rotten individuals. Heard of that famous chap that shot a blackbuck?
New Delhi: BJP national president Amit Shah will start a 110-day nationwide tour on Monday as part of an effort to strengthen the Bharatiya Janata Party with a two-day halt in Puducherry.

Shah will pay floral tributes to the poet Subramania Bharati's statue installed at the Puducherry airport. Besides presiding over the party's core committee meeting, he will hold talks with office bearers, district presidents and general secretaries, among others.
New Delhi: Claiming that the country's internal security is in jeopardy, the Congress criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for not raising the issue during his monthly radio programme 'Mann Ki Baat' on Sunday.

It said that in the last three years of the BJP's rule, internal and external security of the country have become inter-linked as the militants and separatists are "actively engaged" in Jammu and Kashmir.

"The so-called separatists have now become full-grown terrorists, thanks to the help of PDP and choreography of the BJP which speaks one language in the Kashmir Valley and talks about nationalism all over India," Congress spokesperson Tom Vadakkan told reporters.

"We listened to his 'Mann ki Baat'. There were various issues raised by him, but I wish issues of internal security were also raised, a thought for those killed while defending this nation, not one word have we heard on the death of a DSP (in Srinagar)," he said.

On China's refusal to allow entry to the first batch of around 50 Indian pilgrims to Kailash Mansarovar through the Nathu La pass in Sikkim, Vadakkan said this reflects that India's ties with neighbouring countries are suffering.

He said the threat to the country's internal and external security "is running parallel" and reasoned that whenever there is firing and incursions from Pakistan, terrorists and separatists become actively engaged in Jammu and Kashmir.

Vadakkan also accused the government of decaying the country's democratic institutions.

Referring to Modi's remarks during the radio programme that the "more we promote sports, the more we see the spirit of sportsmanship", he sought to know what kind of "sportsman spirit" it was to charge those who praised Pakistan's performance in ICC Champions Trophy final held last week.

In sports, there is a winner and a loser. We must have the heart to accept the victory and defeat. But in this country, we find a situation that if somebody praises a stroke of a opponent team's batsman, he is immediately labelled as anti-national, he said.

Vadakkan also slammed National Commission for Minorities chairman Gairul Hasan Rizvi for saying that those who celebrated Pakistan's victory over India in the tournament should go and live in the neighbouring country.
Editor's note: On 12 June 1975, for the first time in independent Indias history, the election of a prime minister was set aside by a High Court judgment. The watershed case, Indira Gandhi vs Raj Narain, acted as the catalyst for the imposition of the Emergency. Based on detailed notes of the court proceedings, Prashant Bhushan has authored 'The Case That Shook India', a close look at a case that shaped Indias political destiny. An extract from Bhushan's book details how it all began. It has been reproduced here with permission from Penguin Books India.

***

...Meanwhile, the Opposition parties were also choosing their candidates for various constituencies. On 19 January 1971, the Opposition parties which had forged an alliance against Mrs Gandhis Congress party announced Raj Narains candidature from Rae Bareli to oppose Mrs Gandhi. He would be their jointly sponsored candidate and even other Opposition parties like the Bhartiya Kranti Dal, which were not members of the alliance, decided not to put up their own candidate from Rae Bareli. The next day, Mrs Gandhi, giving a speech in Coimbatore, lashed out against Raj Narains candidature from Rae Bareli. She said that Mr Narain had been chosen by the Opposition parties to contest from Rae Bareli because he was a well-known Nehru hater and baiter.

On 25 January, the Election Commission allotted the symbol of a cow and calf to the ruling Congress party of Mrs Gandhi and the symbol of a lady with a charkha to the Congress (Organisation) Party led by Morarji Desai. A few days later, Shanti Bhushan received a telegram from C Rajagopalachari which expressed his dissatisfaction at the allotment of the cow and calf symbol to the ruling Congress party. He asked Bhushan to challenge this allotment in the court on the ground that it was a religious symbol. Bhushan replied that as the election process had already started with the issue of the Presidential Notification on 27 January, it was not possible to challenge the allotment of the symbol till the elections were over.

The polling dates were 3, 5 and 7 March and the last date for filing nomination papers was 3 February. Meanwhile, on 25 January, Mrs Gandhis tour programme for Rae Bareli was issued for 1 February. In the tour programme, 11 am was marked out for filing her nomination papers in the District Magistrates office. In accordance with her tour programme, Mrs Gandhi went to Rae Bareli on 1 February and filed

her nomination papers. She appointed Yashpal Kapoor as her election agent. Kapoor was earlier working as officer on special duty in the

Prime Ministers Secretariat and he had resigned just a few days before. It is noteworthy that Kapoor, who was Mrs Gandhis Private Secretary earlier, had resigned at the eve of the 1967 elections and had worked in Mrs Gandhis election campaign. Immediately after the elections, he had rejoined Mrs Gandhis Secretariat as officer on special duty.

With the last date for filing nomination papers over, the din for getting party tickets died down and the election campaign of the parties started in a big way. The Opposition parties slogan was Indira Hatao and their main charge against her was that she was responsible for the corruption which had crept into the government in the past two years. Mrs Gandhi who had earlier nationalised the 14 major banks of the country and had tried to abolish the privy purses of the erstwhile maharajas was successful in projecting her image as a radical socialist, who was seriously interested in bridging the gap between the rich and the poor as quickly as possible.

In reply to the Oppositions slogan of Indira Hatao, she coined her own simple slogan Garibi Hatao. In every election speech, she said,

All that the Opposition wants is the removal of Indira, and all that I want is the removal of poverty. Now, it is up to you to decide what

you want. The effectiveness of this rhetoric can only be gauged by the election results.

The polling date for Mrs Gandhis constituency was 7 March. The day went off uneventfully and counting of votes started on 9 March. Meanwhile on 8 March, before the votes were counted, Raj Narain led a victory procession through the streets of Rae Bareli, thanking the people for their support and for having elected him.

The results started coming in by 10 March and early returns showed that the Congress was heading for a landslide victory, even beyond the most optimistic estimates of the Congress supporters. In her own constituency, Mrs Gandhi routed Raj Narain by more than 1,10,000 votes. Mrs Gandhi polled 1,83,309 votes while Raj Narain could get only 71,499 votes. The only other candidate, Swami Adwaitanand, who had fought as an independent candidate, did not get any significant number of votes.

Raj Narain was a very optimistic man and the victory procession was taken out by him on his firm belief that he would indeed win. The results, however, shook him, and he started believing the stories which were being circulated about the chemical treatment of ballot papers. The results were so surprising that some other Opposition leaders also started believing that the ballot papers might indeed have been treated chemically so that the ink of the actual stamp mark disappeared after some time, and an invisible stamp mark, which had been put on the ballot papers at the time of their printing, appeared on the paper just before counting. If it was true that the marks had been manipulated, then they should have been identically placed on the ballot papers. But the only way in which this could be determined was by examination of the ballot papers, which could only be done by means of an election petition. The fear that such rigging had taken place was perhaps the main reason why Raj Narain decided to file a petition challenging Mrs Gandhis election. The charges of corrupt practices were at that time regarded as only subsidiary issues. This was the background of the court battle which was destined to create history.

Prashant Bhushan is an eminent public interest lawyer in the Supreme Court of India. He is also an activist and a founder member of Swaraj Abhiyan. He was a prominent member of the group India Against Corruption (IAC) and worked alongside Anna Hazare for the implementation of the Jan Lokpal Bill.
Turkeys military deployment in Qatar aims to promote regional security and should not be seen as a move against any country, according to a Foreign Ministry spokesman on Sunday, Anadolu reported.

In a statement, spokesman Huseyin Muftuoglu referred to an agreement signed in 2014 between Turkey and Qatar as proof that Turkish efforts to set up a military base in Qatar had nothing to do with the ongoing crisis among the small Gulf state and other Arab countries.

On June 5, five Arab countries -- Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Yemen -- abruptly cut diplomatic ties with Qatar, accusing it of supporting terrorism.

Doha denies the accusations, describing the attempts to isolate it as unjustified.

"The purpose of the deployment of the Turkish Armed Forces in Qatar is to contribute to the security of the region as well as to provide Qatar with support in military training. Our activities are not against any particular country," Muftuoglu said.

He emphasized that Turkey had close ties with all Gulf countries and underlined the existence of a strategic dialogue mechanism between Turkey and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC).

Muftuoglu said the establishment of the Turkish military base in Qatar was in line with the common vision of Turkey and the GCC for promoting regional peace, security and stability.

Just like the presence of other foreign military bases or units in other countries of the region, our military presence in Qatar is principally based on a decision taken by the two countries relying on their sovereign rights, he said.

Qatar said early Saturday it has received a list of demands by the Saudi-led Arab countries to end their blockade on the Gulf country.

According to foreign media, the 13-point list of demands includes the closure of Al Jazeera television, downgrading ties with Iran and extraditing "terrorists". The Arab countries have given Doha a 10-day deadline to meet the demands.
Lucknow: Kick-starting his nationwide tour from his home state to seek support from various political parties, NDA presidential nominee Ram Nath Kovind on Sunday met with MPs and state legislators of BJP and its allies from Uttar Pradesh.

Accompanied by Union minister Nitin Gadkari and BJP national general secretary Bhupendra Yadav, Kovind drove straight from the airport to Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's official residence for his interaction with the legislators.

Adityanath and other senior BJP leaders and ministers received 71-year-old Kovind at the airport.

At the chief minister's residence on Kalidas Marg, he interacted with a host of senior party leaders including Union ministers Uma Bharti and Gadkari, deputy chief ministers Keshav Prasad Maurya and Dinesh Sharma. He also met with Uttar Pradesh Assembly Speaker Hriday Narayan Dixit.

Sakshi Maharaj, the BJP MP from Unnao adjoining Kanpur from where Kovind hails, was also present.

Bhupender Yadav, Kovind's authorised representative for the presidential poll, said he has come to Lucknow to seek support from the members the electoral college.

He will now visit other states, Yadav said.

BJP sources said a Union minister, a senior organisation leader from the party and two MPs will accompany Kovind during his nationwide tour to reach out to all members of the electoral college.

Though his meeting will be with the supporting MPs and MLAs, Kovind will make an appeal to all the members of the electoral college in every state to support him.

Opposition parties have fielded former Lok Sabha speaker Meira Kumar, a Dalit leader, against Kovind.

With over 62 percent of votes firmly behind him, Kovind's election as the next president is almost certain.

Besides, the BJP and its NDA allies, parties like the TRS, YSRCP, AIADMK, BJD and the JD(U) have announced their support to him.

The presidential election is scheduled for 17 July and the counting of votes will take place on 20 July.

While Kovind filed his nomination papers in presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and NDA chief ministers in New Delhi on 23 June, Kumar is yet to file hers.

Kovind, if elected, will be the second Dalit to occupy the highest constitutional office, the first being KR Narayanan.
New Delhi: Set for a comfortable victory, NDA presidential nominee Ram Nath Kovind may bag over 62 percent votes but fall short of the 69 percent votes polled by incumbent Pranab Mukherjee in 2012.

With the battle lines drawn in the first-ever Dalit versus Dalit presidential contest, the odds are heavily stacked in favour of the saffron brigade candidate Kovind who is set to get around 7 lakh votes which is around two-thirds of the total 10,98,903 votes of the electoral college.

The joint opposition candidate Meira Kumar is likely to bag around 4 lakh votes despite the support of many regional parties like the RJD, traditional rivals the SP and the BSP and the TMC and the CPM.

Chances of Kovind registering a comfortable win brightened after some major non-NDA parties like the JDU, the BJD, the AIADMK, the TRS and the YSR-Congress extended their support to him. Aware of its chances in the 17 July presidential election, the opposition now views it as an ideological battle.

As per vote projections, after some non-NDA parties extended their support to the BJP nominee, Kovind has an assured 6,82,677 votes in his kitty.

Kumar on the other hand has 3,76,261 committed votes, which is 34 percent and one-third of the total collegium vote.

This time around, there are around 39,965 votes of fence sitting parties like the AAP, the INLD, the AIMIM and some Independents, who have not yet opened their cards about which candidate to back.

Which way this block tilts will mainly depend on the campaign strategy of the contestants of the ruling party and the opposition.

Of the total 776 MPs in the presidential election collegium, Kovind has the support of 524, including 337 of its BJP, while his opponent Kumar has the support of 235. The value of one MP vote is 708 votes.

Accordingly, the NDA nominee will get 3,70,992 MPs votes. The rest of Kovinds vote value  3,11,685  will come from state legislators.

Meira Kumar has 1,66,380 votes of MPs while the remaining 2,09,881 committed votes for her are coming from legislators in states.

Among state assemblies, UP MLAs have the highest vote value of 83,824 votes, with 208 votes per legislator, while Sikkim House has the lowest value of 224 votes with each MLA commanding just 7 votes.

Incidentally, the opposition is already on the back foot as it announced Kumar's name later than the BJP announced Kovind's.

Kumar is yet to file her nominations and is likely to do so on 28 June, while Kovind has scored an early lead by embarking on his campaign starting from Uttarakhand and then Uttar Pradesh. Some central ministers are also accompanying him.

Despite numbers on its side, the BJP is going into the battle aggressively. It also has a lead in almost all states barring West Bengal, Karnataka, Kerala, Punjab, Tripura and Himachal Pradesh.

The total strength of the collegium which votes to elect the president comprises all elected MPs and members of legislative assemblies of all states and UTs of Delhi and Puducherry.

The total vote value comes to 10,98,903. The vote weightage of an MLA depends on the population of the state he or she represents. A candidate needs 50 percent plus votes to win the poll.

The halfway mark is 5,49,452 votes.

Voting is through a secret ballot and the party whip does not apply.

In the 2012 elections, Congress led UPA nominee Pranab Mukherjee garnered 7,13,763 votes which was 69.31 percent of the total collegium vote. UPA's candidate Pratibha Patil had in the 2007 election secured 6,38,116 votes, polling 65.82 of the total electoral college vote.

Both Mukherjee and Patil were Congress nominees and defeated joint opposition candidates PA Sangma and Bhairon Singh Shekhawat respectively.
Pune: Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) president Sharad Pawar on Sunday said he expected the BJP-led NDA to field "someone like LK Advani or Murli Manohar Joshi" for the 17 July presidential election.

Speaking to reporters in Pune, he also said Meira Kumar was the "best pick" by the opposition.

Asked if the NDA could have found a better candidate than former Bihar governor Ram Nath Kovind, Pawar said it was an "internal matter" of the ruling coalition.

"But, we were expecting someone like Lal Krishna Advani or Murli Manohar Joshi as their candidate," he added.

The Maratha strongman also praised Kumar's credentials.

"Kumar has worked in various Indian missions as an IFS officer, she is a five-time Lok Sabha MP and has also served as a cabinet minister and the Lok Sabha speaker. Looking at her illustrious career in politics as well as on the international level, she is the best pick," he said.

Pawar, whose name was doing the rounds as a possible opposition candidate till some time ago, said he had made it clear that he was not interested in contesting the election to the country's top constitutional post.

"My name was suggested by some people, but I had already clarified that I never wanted to get into this," he said.

Talking about the situation prevailing in Jammu and Kashmir, the former defence minister said strict measures were needed to improve the internal security and curb the infiltrations from across the border.

"As per my knowledge, the locals are cooperating and we should try to understand them as the outside elements are destabilising the situation. The government should take strict measures to curb their entry from across the border," Pawar said.

All parties, including the Congress, were ready to support the Centre in resolving the Kashmir issue, he said, adding, "The opposition does not want to do politics on it."

However, the NCP chief said in view of the situation prevailing in the Valley, the country needed a "full-time defence minister" to keep the morale of the armed forces high.
Patna: Senior BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi on Sunday claimed that Bihar chief minister and JD(U) president Nitish Kumar has started "correcting his mistakes" by extending support to Ram Nath Kovind, the NDA's presidential nominee.

"Actually, Nitish Kumar has begun to correct his mistakes by extending his support to Kovind," Modi said countering RJD chief Lalu Prasad's statement that Nitish Kumar has committed a "historic blunder" by extending his support to Kovind.

The RJD chief had on 22 June said that its ally the JD(U)'s call to support NDA presidential candidate Ram Nath Kovind was "a wrong decision", adding he would appeal to Nitish Kumar not to commit "a historic blunder".

On 23 June, the RJD chief and opposition parties had also appealed to Kumar to reconsider the JD(U)'s support to Kovind but he stood his ground.

Stating that "emergency" was a black spot in the nation's history, Sushil Modi, former deputy chief minister of Bihar said that the Congress cannot absolve of its "sin" of proclaiming emergency on 25 June, 1975 by the then Indira Gandhi government to just remain in power.

The then Indira Gandhi government not only put Jay Prakash Narayan and other opposition leaders in jail but also inflicted torture on Narayan which led to his untimely demise, he claimed. He also added, "Nitish Kumar, who is a disciple of Narayan, did a "historic mistake" when he aligned with the Congress which proclaimed emergency in the country."

Veteran socialist leader Ram Manohar Lohia and other socialist leaders fought with the Congress all through their lives but his disciples have now joined hands with the same Congress party, he said and advised them (Lohia's disciples) to consider their relations with the Congress.

Even Jagjivan Ram, the father of UPA's presidential candidate Meira Kumar, felt "suffocated" in the Congress and left the party after the Emergency, the senior BJP leader said and claimed that it was the Janata Party government, of which Jan Sangha was a part, which honoured Jagjivan Ram by making him the deputy prime minister.
Kabul: Afghan President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani on Sunday again urged the Taliban militants to give up fighting and join the peace and reconciliation process.

"If you are Afghans you should join the peace process to help stabilise the country," Ghani said after performing Eid prayers at the Presidential Palace.

The president also warned the Taliban fighters that "you (Taliban) don't have more time and your supporters are alone and you will also be alone", reports Xinhua news agency.

Earlier, Taliban leader Mullah Haibatullah Akhundzada on Friday rejected any talks with the government, saying the Taliban would continue to fight against foreign troops stationed in the country.
Kabul: China and Afghanistan have pledged to enhance cooperation in the fight against terrorism.

Visiting Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi on Saturday expressed hope that both countries will continue to support each other on issues of core interest and deepen cooperation in anti-terror fight, reports Xinhua news agency.

He also said China welcomes Afghanistan to actively participate in the Belt and Road Initiative.

Wang reaffirmed China's steadfast support for the Afghan-led reconciliation process.

He reiterated that China supports the revival of the Quadrilateral Coordination Group of Afghanistan, China, Pakistan and the US and supports the activation of the work of the liaison group between the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation and Afghanistan, which will help create favourable atmosphere for the peace process.

Yi's counterpart Salahuddin Rabbani pledged that Afghanistan will actively take part in the Belt and Road Initiative, strengthen cooperation with China in fight against terrorism and take firm actions to crack down on the "East Turkistan Islamic Movement" terrorist group.

He appreciated China's constructive role in helping push forward his country's peace and reconciliation process and vowed continuous efforts in this regard in whatever circumstances.

He also expressed gratitude for the active role China has played in the efforts of Afghanistan and Pakistan in improving ties.
Eid-ul-Fitr, which marks the culmination of the fasting month of Ramadan, will be celebrated on Monday. It is expected to begin on the evening of 25 June and end on the evening of 26 June.

Several National and World leaders took this chance to wish Muslims across the world.

US President Donald Trump sent "warm greetings" to Muslims celebrating the end of the holy month of Ramadan even though his administration broke the tradition of hosting a White House event to recognise the holy month a report by PTI said.

According to the report, Trump said in a statement on Saturday, "On behalf of the American people, Melania and I send our warm greetings to Muslims as they celebrate Eid-ul-Fitr. During this holiday, we are reminded of the importance of mercy, compassion, and goodwill."

Muslims across the word observe a month-long fast every day from dawn until sunset  this establishes the principle of abstinence during these hours. Ramadan celebrates the revelation of the Quran to Prophet Mohammad in 610 AD.

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad led Eid-ul-Fitr prayers in the central city of Hama on Sunday, appearing in public outside the capital for the first time in a year.

Assad's office published images of him praying inside the brightly-lit Al-Nuri mosque at dawn on Sunday before greeting worshippers outside, a PTI report said.

Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau wished all Muslims a joyous Eid-ul-Fitr in a video on Facebook on Sunday. In an official statement on Saturday, Trudeau said, "It is a time to give thanks for the spiritual growth and the blessings received throughout the holy month." He also added that cultural diversity was one of the greatest strengths and sources of pride for Canada.

Indian leaders were not far behind in showering Muslims across the world with their wishes on an auspicious day.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during his monthly radio programme 'Mann Ki Baat' said, "The holy month of Ramadan was celebrated with devotion. Now it's time for Eid. On the occasion of Eid-ul-Fitr, my best wishes to all."

According to the report, he emphasised that India's diversity is its speciality as well as its strength.

President Pranab Mukherjee on Sunday greeted the country on the eve of Eid as he expressed hope that the festival will strengthen the people's "unflinching" faith in unity and common destiny.

"On the auspicious occasion of Eid-ul-Fitr, I extend greetings and good wishes to all my fellow citizens, particularly my Muslim brothers and sisters, in India and abroad," said Mukherjee according to a PTI report.

Assam Governor Banwarilal Purohit and Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal also joined the growing list of leaders wishing people on the festival also known as Eid-ul-Fitr.

According to a PTI report, Sarbananda Sonowal said he hoped that this auspicious occasion would further strengthen the bonds of communal harmony, brotherhood and usher in a period of sustained peace, progress and prosperity.

Sonowal also wished happiness and prosperity to the people saying that Eid-ul-Fitr symbolises amity, fraternity and harmony.

Arunachal Pradesh governor PB Acharya and Chief Minister Pema Khandu conveyed their warm greetings to the people of the state and expressed hope that the sacred occasion will usher in goodwill and harmony and further strengthen the values of a composite society.

Acharya, according to a PTI report said that the festival of Eid-ul-Fitr marks the culmination of the holy month of Ramadan, the month of prayers, blessings and forgiveness.

"On this Eid, I wish that Allahs blessings light up the path oneness and lead to happiness and success," the governor said. "It reminds every members of the community their obligations and responsibilities towards other members of the society, especially the poor and downtrodden for peaceful coexistence and equitable progress of the state and the nation, " he added according to the report.

Also, West Bengal Governor Keshari Nath Tripathi on Sunday expressed his heartiest greetings to the people of West Bengal on the eve of the auspicious occasion of Eid-ul-Fitr.

"May this joyous festival provides an opportunity to reaffirm our faith in the country's cultural heritage, strengthen the secular fabric of our country and spirit of friendship-fraternity among all sections of society," the Governor told PTI.
Washington: US president Donald Trump sent "warm greetings" to Muslims celebrating the end of Ramadan, after his administration broke with the tradition of hosting a White House event to recognize the holy month.

"On behalf of the American people, Melania and I send our warm greetings to Muslims as they celebrate Eid al-Fitr," Trump said in a statement on Saturday.

"During this holiday, we are reminded of the importance of mercy, compassion, and goodwill." "With Muslims around the world, the United States renews our commitment to honor these values."

Since the Bill Clinton administration, the White House has each year hosted either an event to mark the Eid al-Fitr feast  which ends the fasting month of Ramadan  or a meal breaking the dawn-til-dusk fast, known as an iftar.

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson reportedly rejected a request by his department's office of religion and global affairs to hold an event for the holiday.

Trump has come under fire for his history of anti-Muslim rhetoric on the campaign trail, that included calls for surveillance of US mosques and an outright ban on Muslims entering the country in the name of national security.

A week after becoming president he issued a ban on travelers from several predominantly Muslim countries, which has been frozen by the US courts after sparking global chaos and outrage. Yet during a visit to Saudi Arabia last month, Trump softened his tone on Islam, rejecting the idea of a battle between religions in an address before dozens of leaders of Muslim countries.
Washington: As Republicans scrambled Sunday to wrangle enough votes to pass health care reform legislation, US president Donald Trump  in an unusual bid to reach out to his political opponents  urged Democrats to support bill.

"The Republicans and Democrats don't get together," Trump complained on the Fox and Friends program, in a previously taped interview broadcast early on Sunday.

Democrats slam GOP healthcare proposal as Obamacare premiums & deductibles increase by over 100%. Remember keep your doctor, keep your plan?  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 24, 2017

"They fight each other," the US leader continued.

"The health care bill would be so great if the Democrats and Republicans could get together, wrap their arms around it so that everybody is happy with it," Trump said. "But we won't get one Democratic vote - not one."

Senate leaders last week unveiled a revamped health care plan aimed at fulfilling Trump's pledge to repeal Obamacare, the landmark health reforms of Trump's Democratic predecessor Barack Obama.

But the measure so far has failed to garner enough support to pass with only Republican votes  although the party has a majority in the Senate  after a handful of GOP lawmakers revolted.

Democrats have formed a united front against the controversial measure that was drafted in secret, criticizing it as a "war on Medicaid," the health care program for lower income Americans, and calling it a worse plan than one that passed the House of Representatives in May.

For the past seven years, Republicans have worked to repeal Obamacare.

Senate Republicans are painting the new plan as less austere than the House bill which, according to a forecast by the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO), would leave 23 million fewer people insured than under current law.
Brussels: Back in January, when his chances of winning the French presidency were considered slim, Emmanuel Macron came to Berlin and spelt out what he felt was needed to fix Europe.

"As Jacques Delors said, for Europe, we need a vision and a screwdriver," Macron told an audience at the Humboldt University, citing the former president of the European Commission. "Unfortunately, we currently have a lot of screwdrivers but we are still lacking a vision."

Now, less than two months after surging to victory in the French election, Macron is filling the void, articulating a path forward for the continent, and crucially, bringing Germany along with him.

That was the main takeaway from a meeting of European Union leaders last week in which Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel stood side by side at an end-of-summit news conference and sent a message of total unity.

After more than a decade of sputtering and stalling, it may be premature to declare that the Franco-German engine is revving on all cylinders again.

Macron still faces the daunting challenge of delivering on his plans to reform the French economy. Only if he is successful will he end the mutual distrust between Paris and Berlin that has prevented close cooperation in past years.

Merkel, for her part, must win a fourth term in September. If she does, she could still struggle to convince sceptical conservative allies to work with the centrist Macron.

But the past weeks, culminating in the joint appearance in Brussels on Friday, have helped lay to rest two of the big question marks that loomed over Macron's election victory last month: whether he could maintain the momentum that propelled him into the Elysee Palace, and whether Merkel would be prepared to embrace his ideas on Europe.

For the past decade, as the continent lurched from one crisis to the next, Merkel seemed more comfortable making gradual adjustments to European structures, like tightening screws with a screwdriver, than coming up with inspiring new visions.

Now, with Europe out of acute crisis mode and feeling more confident against a backdrop of economic growth and political disarray in Britain and the United States, the 39-year-old Macron, emboldened by his party's strong performance in parliamentary elections this month, is stepping into the breach.

Full weight

In Brussels, he made clear that he would not shy away from confronting countries like Poland and Hungary if their right-wing governments failed to respect European democratic values.

He promised to respond in kind if countries like China and the United States do not play fair on trade. And he pressed his fellow leaders to embrace a more ambitious approach to European defence cooperation.

On all three of these issues, Merkel's instinct in the past would have been to soft-pedal out of concern for sensitivities in Warsaw, Budapest, Washington, Beijing and - on the issue of defence - in Germany.

But in Brussels, she threw her full weight behind Macron. This did not go unnoticed in other EU delegations, particularly among Eastern Europeans unsettled by the looming departure of Britain and the erratic US presidency of Donald Trump.

"If the (Franco-German) engine works too well it is not always the best for the EU," said a senior EU diplomat from an eastern country. "We hope that they will be wise enough to control their speed."

Officials in Britain and the United States are also uneasy.

A more confident, assertive Europe is likely to be a tougher counterpart in Brexit negotiations. At the summit, British Prime Minister Theresa May looked diminished and defensive next to the rejuvenated duo of Merkel and Macron.

While applauding the political momentum in Europe generated by Macron's victory over far-right leader Marine Le Pen, Charles Kupchan, a former European adviser to US President Barack Obama, expressed concern that a bolder, brasher Europe might end up defining itself in opposition to Washington.

"I worry about that," Kupchan said. "The worst outcome is a revived European project that is in part about breaking with the United States."

That seems unlikely given Merkel's Atlanticist leanings.

But with an election looming, she has shown a willingness speak out more forcefully against the Trump administration, which is deeply unpopular in Germany.

Earlier this month, she surprised people at home and abroad by stating that Europe may not be able to rely on the United States any longer and must prepare to fend for itself.

Whether she persists with this defiant line at a G20 summit she will host in Hamburg on 7-8 July will be telling.

Euro Zone

One of Europe's biggest challenges, reform of the euro zone, was not a major topic at the meeting of EU leaders in Brussels.

But it is the focus of intense talks between Berlin and Paris ahead of a meeting of the two governments a week after the G20 in which a number of new bilateral initiatives are expected to be unveiled.

Here too, Merkel has shown a readiness to move towards Macron.

Speaking at an industry conference in Berlin last week before the EU summit, she surprised members of her own party by expressing an openness to two of Macron's most controversial ideas  the creation of a budget and a finance minister for the euro zone.

"That really got people's attention," said a senior French official who is involved in the preparations of the Franco-German meeting. "Paris and Berlin are edging closer than they have been in a very long time."
At least 14 people, mostly children, have died in Niger and 11 in Ivory Coast after heavy rains this week triggered landslides and caused homes to collapse, UN and local officials said Friday.

The UN's humanitarian affairs office OCHA said 14 people had died when houses collapsed in Niger's capital Niamey with another four missing. Nine children were reported dead there earlier this week.

In Ivory Coast's economic capital, Abidjan, the toll from the rains climbed from eight to 11 on Friday, with one person unaccounted for and hundreds affected by landslides and flooding, rescue workers said.

"If the rain continues, we're going to have a lot to do," said Vital Oulai who runs the military firefighting unit.

West Africa's rainy season, which lasts three to four months, regularly causes fatalities and damage across Abidjan's hillside shack communities, with 16 people killed last year and 39 in 2014.

In Niger, this week's rain destroyed 350 homes, leaving 3,000 people homeless. Last year, 50 people died in flooding in the country.

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Paris: French President Emmanuel Macron promised on Saturday to play an active role in a campaign aimed at securing a global pact to protect the human right to a clean and healthy environment.

He made the pledge at a meeting at Sorbonne University where politicians, legal experts and activists presented him with draft proposals for such a pact.

Macron has been pushing to maintain momentum generated by a global agreement to combat climate change reached in Paris in 2015, after President Donald Trump pulled the United States out, drawing condemnation from other leaders.

"On the basis of this draft proposal, I pledge to act... so that the work initiated continues, so that we reach a text, convince our partners, place these efforts under the aegis of the UN... and from September have the basis of a world environment pact," Macron told his audience.

The pact should eventually be put to the United Nations for adoption and impose legally-binding obligations on signatory states, its drafters - comprising legal experts from several countries - have said.

Attendees at the Sorbonne included former California governor turned green activist Arnold Schwarzenegger and former United Nations chief Ban Ki-moon. It was chaired by former prime minister Laurent Fabius, who chaired the 2015 conference on climate change.

Under the Paris accord, countries committed to reducing emissions of greenhouse gases generated by burning fossil fuels that are blamed by scientists for warming the planet.
Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Sunday that he backed Qatar's response to a list of demands issued by Arab states which have been boycotting the Gulf emirate, and said calls for a Turkish military base there to close were disrespectful.

Erdogan said Turkey had also offered to set up a military base in Saudi Arabia  one of the four countries which issued the ultimatum to Qatar  but Riyadh had not responded.

"Even though they still didn't come back to us on this, asking Turkey to pull back its troops (from Qatar) is disrespectful against Turkey," Erdogan said.
Washington: The United States says some demands on Qatar by its neighbors "will be very difficult to meet." But the US isn't rejecting the demands outright.

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson says in a statement that a list of demands from Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates includes major areas that "provide a basis for ongoing dialogue leading to a resolution."

He's calling for Qatar and the other Arab countries to "sit together" to work through the list.

Tillerson is also calling for a "lowering of rhetoric" to "help ease the tension." He says the US is supporting Kuwait's efforts to mediate.

The demands include shuttering Al-Jazeera and severing ties to the Muslim Brotherhood. Tillerson had previously insisted any demands be "reasonable and actionable."
An Indonesian police officer was stabbed and later died of his wounds in an attack by suspected Islamist militants in the city of Medan, a police spokesman said on Sunday.

Police shot dead one suspect and one was arrested after the attack on a police post in the capital of North Sumatra province, police spokesman Rina Sari Ginting said by telephone.

The perpetrators had scaled the fence of the police post near police headquarters and shouted "Allahu Akbar" (God is greatest) before stabbing the officer, said Ginting.

The attack will compound fears about rising militancy in Indonesia, which has the world's biggest Muslim population.

Islamic State sympathizers have carried out a series of mostly low-level attacks in Indonesia over the past few years.

National police spokesman Setyo Wasisto said authorities were investigating whether the attackers were inspired by Islamic State and acting on the instructions of Bahrun Naim, an Indonesian who went to fight for the militants in Syria.

There are fears across Southeast Asia that as Islamic State loses ground in the Middle East, it will seek footholds elsewhere.

Indonesian authorities have tightened security for this weekend's Eid al-Fitr holiday marking the end of the fasting month of Ramadan.

Last month, a suicide bomb attack by Islamic State-inspired militants at a bus station in the capital, Jakarta, killed three police officers.

President Joko Widodo has urged parliament to accelerate plans to tighten anti-terrorism laws to meet new dangers, including giving police powers to detain suspects without trial for longer and to arrest people for hate speech or for spreading radical content and joining proscribed groups.

National police chief Tito Karnavian said last week about 40 suspected militants had been detained in recent weeks.
Beijing: More than 10,000 people took part in the final event marking the third International Day of Yoga in China on Sunday, the largest participation of enthusiasts in a yoga programme organised in the communist nation this year.

The event  the final in a series of programmes organised in 12 cities  was held in Wuxi in Jiangsu province in eastern China. The setting to celebrate the grand finale was the scenic Lingshan Dafo (Buddhist Temple in Wuxi) and the Buddhist Palace.

Spread over 10 practice venues, with nearly nine Indian yoga teachers taking the stage, a mass yoga session was held concurrently for the 10,000 participants, according to a statement from the Consulate General of India, Shanghai.

The record number of participants turned up from Wuxi and its neighbouring cities for the event jointly organised by the consulate and Wuxi Municipal People's Government.

A large number of Indian students, pursuing medicine at Suzhou and Yangzhou, also travelled to Wuxi for the event.

Mayor of Wuxi, Wang Quan, said that yoga is another facet of the long-standing cultural cooperation between India and China, and with Sunday's massive event he expects that yoga will become the "signature name card" for his city.

Since Buddhism came from India to China, it was ideal for Lingshan Dafo Buddhist Temple to host the event, he added.

Stanley Tong, Director of 'Kung Fu Yoga' - a Chinese-Indian co-production movie, also attended the event and urged greater cultural exchanges between the peoples of India and China.

The film's lead actress, Muqi Miya enacted a special yoga performance during the session.

The event concluded with a conference on the objectives of yoga and ayurveda at the Buddhist Palace, which was attended by yoga teachers and ayurveda doctors from India.

Over the past three days, Wuxi hosted a three-day workshop on the benefits of yoga. These sessions were conducted by KYM teachers and more than 300 participants turned up each day to participate in the workshops.

The consulate had organised yoga events in the eastern China region of Shanghai, Zhejiang and Jiangsu from 17-25 June, bringing together 20,000 yoga lovers closer to India and promoting healthy and harmonious lifestyles.
Mosul(Iraq): People in the Iraqi city of Mosul celebrated their first Muslim Eid holiday without Islamic State in years on Sunday after the militants were ejected from much of the city, and hoped the battle to recapture the remaining area would soon be over.

Children gathered in squares on the eastern side of the city.

Some played on old swings and others with toy guns and rifles, which were among the toys allowed by Islamic State militants after they took over the city in June 2014.

The militants implemented an extreme version of Islam which associated toys with a face, like dolls, with idolatry. They encouraged youngsters to train on weapons and changed text books to reflect their military ideology. Children were asked to add up bombs or bullets in maths exercises.

Eid prayers were allowed under Islamic State but festivities were not.

But for many, Sunday's Eid celebrations were overshadowed by the destruction of their historic leaning minaret, blown up by the militants on Wednesday, and fears for thousands of civilians trapped in the Old City in western Mosul still under Islamic State control.

"It won't be real Eid before we return home," said a man in his sixties, displaced from the western side of the city, across the Tigris river, where fighting continues.

Some expressed sadness over the destruction of the 850-year-old Grand al-Nuri mosque and its leaning 150-foot (45-metre) minaret.

"Eid is not the same," said a man who declined to give his name as fear is still present even though Iraqi forces dislodged the insurgents from the eastern part of the city months ago.

Iraqi forces took the eastern side from Islamic State in January, after 100 days of fighting, and started attacking the western side in February. The militants are now besieged in Mosul's Old City.

"As our heroic forces are closer to declaring final victory over the Daesh (Islamic State) gangs, I offer my most sincere congratulations for Eid al-Fitr," Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said in a statement.

A US-led international coalition is providing air and ground support in the 8-month-old offensive to drive the militants from their de facto capital in Iraq.

About 350 Islamic State fighters, most of them non-Iraqis, are defending their remaining stronghold in Mosul's densely populated Old City, an Iraqi general said on Sunday. He expected the battle for the city to end in days.

Trapped

"Most of the dead bodies are foreigners, most of the fighters are foreigners, we see some trying to escape across the Tigris," said Major-General Sami al-Arithi, a Counter Terrorism Service (CTS) commander.

The US-trained urban warfare units are leading the fight in the narrow alleyways of the historic district which lies by the western bank of the Tigris.

More than 50,000 civilians, about half the Old City's population, remain behind Islamic State lines, complicating the troops' advance, Arithi told state TV.

The civilians are trapped in crumbling old houses in harrowing conditions, with little food, water or medicines, according to those who have escaped.

Aid organizations say Islamic State has stopped many from leaving, using them as human shields. Hundreds of civilians fleeing the Old City have been killed in the past three weeks.

Iraqi authorities were hoping to declare victory in the northern city by Eid, a three-day festival which started on Sunday for Mosul's Sunni Muslim population and many Iraqi Shia, celebrating the end of the fasting month of Ramadan.

Arithi said the CTS were about 25 meters (yards) from the Nuri mosque, from where Islamic State's leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi proclaimed his "caliphate" over parts of Iraq and Syria three years ago.

The Iraqi government once hoped to take Mosul by the end of 2016, but the fighting has dragged on as the militants reinforced positions in civilian areas, launched suicide car bomb attacks, laid traps and kept up sniper and mortar fire.

The fall of Mosul would mark the end of the Iraqi half of the "caliphate". Islamic State remains in control of large areas of both Iraq and Syria.

Baghdadi has left the fighting in Mosul to local commanders and has been assumed to be hiding in the Iraqi-Syrian border area.

There has been no confirmation of Russian reports over the past week that he has been killed.

In Syria, the insurgents' "capital", Raqqa, is nearly encircled by a US-backed, Kurdish-led coalition.
More than 700 people were evacuated from homes, campsites and hotels due to the threat from a forest fire in southern Spain, emergency services said on Sunday.

Like much of Spain, the area near Huelva is on high alert for forest fires because of a heat wave. Last week, 63 people died in a forest fire in neighbouring Portugal.

The blaze in southern Spain was detected on Saturday night in the Moguer area near Huelva and is being treated as a level 1  or maximum threat  by emergency services.

By 11 am (0900 GMT) on Sunday emergency services had deployed 11 planes, 10 helicopters and dozens of land vehicles against the flames in a joint military-civilian operation.

Around 750 people were in local rescue centres, according to the emergency services. Some residents had already been allowed to return to their properties.
By Alaa Marjani

| MOSUL, Iraq

MOSUL, Iraq People in the Iraqi city of Mosul celebrated their first Muslim Eid holiday without Islamic State in years on Sunday after the militants were ejected from much of the city, and hoped the battle to recapture the remaining area would soon be over.Children gathered in squares on the eastern side of the city. Some played on old swings and others with toy guns and rifles, which were among the toys allowed by Islamic State militants after they took over the city in June 2014.The militants implemented an extreme version of Islam which associated toys with a face, like dolls, with idolatry. They encouraged youngsters to train on weapons and changed text books to reflect their military ideology. Children were asked to add up bombs or bullets in maths exercises.Eid prayers were allowed under Islamic State but festivities were not.But for many, Sunday's Eid celebrations were overshadowed by the destruction of their historic leaning minaret, blown up by the militants on Wednesday, and fears for thousands of civilians trapped in the Old City in western Mosul still under Islamic State control."It won't be real Eid before we return home," said a man in his sixties, displaced from the western side of the city, across the Tigris river, where fighting continues. Some expressed sadness over the destruction of the 850-year-old Grand al-Nuri mosque and its leaning 150-foot (45-metre) minaret. "Eid is not the same," said a man who declined to give his name as fear is still present even though Iraqi forces dislodged the insurgents from the eastern part of the city months ago.

Iraqi forces took the eastern side from Islamic State in January, after 100 days of fighting, and started attacking the western side in February. The militants are now besieged in Mosul's Old City."As our heroic forces are closer to declaring final victory over the Daesh (Islamic State) gangs, I offer my most sincere congratulations for Eid al-Fitr," Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said in a statement.A U.S.-led international coalition is providing air and ground support in the 8-month-old offensive to drive the militants from their de facto capital in Iraq.About 350 Islamic State fighters, most of them non-Iraqis, are defending their remaining stronghold in Mosul's densely populated Old City, an Iraqi general said on Sunday. He expected the battle for the city to end in days.TRAPPED

"Most of the dead bodies are foreigners, most of the fighters are foreigners, we see some trying to escape across the Tigris," said Major-General Sami al-Arithi, a Counter Terrorism Service (CTS) commander.The U.S.-trained urban warfare units are leading the fight in the narrow alleyways of the historic district which lies by the western bank of the Tigris.More than 50,000 civilians, about half the Old City's population, remain behind Islamic State lines, complicating the troops' advance, Arithi told state TV.The civilians are trapped in crumbling old houses in harrowing conditions, with little food, water or medicines, according to those who have escaped.

Aid organizations say Islamic State has stopped many from leaving, using them as human shields. Hundreds of civilians fleeing the Old City have been killed in the past three weeks.Iraqi authorities were hoping to declare victory in the northern city by Eid, a three-day festival which started on Sunday for Mosul's Sunni Muslim population and many Iraqi Shi'ites, celebrating the end of the fasting month of Ramadan.Arithi said the CTS were about 25 meters (yards) from the Nuri mosque, from where Islamic State's leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi proclaimed his "caliphate" over parts of Iraq and Syria three years ago. The Iraqi government once hoped to take Mosul by the end of 2016, but the fighting has dragged on as the militants reinforced positions in civilian areas, launched suicide car bomb attacks, laid traps and kept up sniper and mortar fire.The fall of Mosul would mark the end of the Iraqi half of the "caliphate". Islamic State remains in control of large areas of both Iraq and Syria.Baghdadi has left the fighting in Mosul to local commanders and has been assumed to be hiding in the Iraqi-Syrian border area. There has been no confirmation of Russian reports over the past week that he has been killed.In Syria, the insurgents' "capital", Raqqa, is nearly encircled by a U.S.-backed, Kurdish-led coalition. (Writing by Maher Chmaytelli; Editing by Janet Lawrence)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
Washington: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday arrived on the second leg of his three-nation tour for his first bilateral meeting with United States president Donald Trump, as the two leaders are set to hold discussions on a set of "strategically important" issues.

Modi arrived in the American capital early on Sunday after a day-long working visit to Portugal, the first ever bilateral visit by an Indian prime minister to the European nation.

Modi's three-day visit to the United States will begin on Sunday. The PM will interact with about 20 leading American CEOs followed by an Indian-American community event in the DC suburb of Virginia. The programme is likely to be attended by about 600 members of the community.

American CEOs expected to meet Modi include Apple's Tim Cook, Walmart's Doug McMillon, Caterpillar's Jim Umpleby, Google's Sundar Pichai and Microsoft's Satya Nadella.

Trump will host Modi at the White House on Monday afternoon and the two leaders would spend about five hours together in various settings beginning with their bilateral discussion, delegation level talks, a reception and a working dinner, the first of its kind hosted by this administration.

The two leaders will not address a press conference but will issue individual press statements.

Just hours before Modi landed in Washington, Trump tweeted from his official Twitter handle that he is looking forward to welcome the Indian leader to the White House, during which he will discus "important strategic issues" with a "true friend".

United States Senator Kamala Harris tweeted that she welcomes "Indian PM @NarendraModi to the United States and reaffirm the unbreakable bonds between our two nations".

The Trump administration said it is rolling out the "red carpet" for Modi, emphasising that it is wrong to say that the United States is ignoring or not focusing on India.

"President Trump realises that India is a force for good and that will come through in the visit on Monday," a senior official said.

A host of strategic issues are expected to be discussed during the bilateral talks between the two leaders of the world's largest democracies, including defence cooperation, boosting economic ties, discussions on the civil nuclear deal, cooperation on combating terrorism, security cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region and India's concerns over the H-1B work visa.

Earlier, a senior administration official said the visit is an opportunity to strengthen the US-India strategic partnership, which Trump very much views as a critical partnership in promoting stability and security in the Asia Pacific region and globally.

"We anticipate that their discussions will be broad-ranging, hitting on a variety of regional and global issues that would seek to advance our common priorities, including fighting terrorism, promoting economic growth and prosperity," the official said, briefing reporters at the White House.
The Donald Trump administration is getting set to welcome India prime minister Narendra Modi, who will meet the US president at the White House on Monday. The meeting has generated a lot of interest worldwide as it will be Trump's first evening meal with a visiting head of state in the White House since he took office in January 2017.

Ahead of the meeting, Trump posted a tweet saying that he was eager to welcome Modi and also called him a "true friend". Modi responded to the tweet on Sunday and thanked him for the warm welcome.

Thank you @POTUS for the warm personal welcome. Greatly look forward to my meeting and discussions with you @realDonaldTrump. https://t.co/lOfxlLI7v0  Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) June 25, 2017

Look forward to welcoming India's PM Modi to @WhiteHouse on Monday. Important strategic issues to discuss with a true friend!  President Trump (@POTUS) June 24, 2017

The pleasantries have been exchanged, but it remains to be seen how the meeting on Monday unfolds. Here is a look at what others are expecting from the meeting:

Chinese media on Sunday showed interest in the meeting as it may bring some significant changes to the India-US bilateral ties which also concern China's interests. An article in the state-run Global Times said, "It will be interesting to see how Modi's visit to the US will influence the two countries' bilateral economic ties."

It also said that discussions and negotiations regarding climate issues and H1B visa programme will be important to China as these are issues that affect the Chinese as well.

Back home, Infosys CEO Vishal Sikka hoped that Modi will convey the contribution made by Indian IT companies towards the US economy during his deliberations with Trump.

"I think we have created a lot of value in the US economy. All the IT industry, in general, is responsible for a massive amount of value creation in the US and its economy. I think the prime minister, among other things on his agenda, will also convey that. Of course, we are deeply committed to the US economy in various forms," he said on Saturday on the sidelines of Infosys' 36th annual general meeting.

On the political front, Congress had earlier urged Modi to demand and obtain firm assurances from Trump on reversing his decision to tighten granting of H-1B visas, which affects Indian professionals.

"We do not want mere statements and photographs. We want answers and also how the prime minister responds and registers our protest over the disparaging observations made about the Republic of India recently when the US decided to walk out of the Paris (climate) pact. We will wait for the prime minister's response or reaction," said senior Congress spokesperson Anand Sharma.

A report from PTI said that the discussions could also focus on employment opportunities as well as regional security issues. Pakistan-sponsored terrorism is one contentious issue that might figure prominently in the discussion.

However, in an interview with Time, Dhruv Jaishankar, an expert on Indo-US relations at the Brookings Institute said that troublesome issues will not be discussed just as yet.

The meeting is about setting the right tone for the relationship moving forward. Modi will seek to emphasise ways in which India is there to help make America great again. I suspect we will see a lot of the big troublesome issues swept to the side because that could lead to a backlash from Trump. It would be like waving a red flag in front of a charging bull," he said.

He also said that there will be ways in which American investment in India will actually be a good deal for America by creating jobs in America and making the US more competitive.

Supporting the statement, Michael Kugelman, another scholar at the Woodrow Wilson Centre think-tank told Al-Jazeera,"The summit will be a no-frills, let's-get-acquainted affair. Its outcomes, from body language to any post-meeting joint statement, will offer clues about the future of ties that have progressed in recent years, but now face considerable uncertainty under Trump's mercurial stewardship," he said.

With inputs from agencies
Egyptian police in the city of Arish, capital of North Sinai, fought off a major terrorist attack on a security checkpoint on Monday, the interior ministry said.

Militants opened fire at security personnel at a checkpoint on the International Road, meanwhile deploying a car loaded with explosives. However, the police were able to win the firefight and prevent the car from reaching its target.

"Security forces repelled the attack and destroyed the trapped vehicle before it reached the checkpoint," an interior ministry statement said.

Egypt's military spokesman also reported on anti-terrorist actions elsewhere in the Sinai Peninsula.

The Egyptian Air Force targeted a "terrorist assemblage" for leaders of Ansar Bait El-Maqdis, the Daesh offshoot, in North Sinai on Tuesday.

Reporting on another operation, the military spokesman said that security forces units have arrested several "extremely dangerous takfiri terrorists" in Central Sinai.

Egypt's army and police have been fighting an insurgency in parts of North Sinai for the past few years. Hundreds of militants and security forces personnel have been killed in the insurgency since the 2013 ouster of Islamist president Mohamed Morsi.

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Washington: The first meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump is expected take the Indo-US ties to the next level.

Maintaining the upward trajectory of the Indo-US ties of the last three decades, beginning with the Clinton (Bill) administration and followed by those of Bush and Obama, signals coming from both sides strongly indicate stronger continuation in that regard.

"We really think that this visit will leverage the relationship to a higher level," Indian Ambassador to the US Navtej Sarna told PTI.

Modi and Trump, who have earlier spoken three times over phone, would be together spending several hours at the White House, beginning a one-to-one meeting, followed by a delegation level talk, a cocktail reception and a working dinner, the first for a foreign leader inside the White House under the Trump administration.

"It would be historic, never seen before," a mid-level American source familiar with the preparations told PTI.

The source, however, did not elaborate the nature of the outcome of the visit, but reiterated that it would bring the two countries closer than ever.

Trump, has been personally involved in the preparation. Elaborate arrangements are being done by the White House kitchen for Trumps dinner with Modi.

Modi and Trump are among the most followed world leaders on the social media. Together they have more than 60 million followers on their personal accounts.

The two leaders are expected to discuss a wide range of issues during their White House interaction.

"I think the first face to face meeting will allow the two leaders an opportunity to look at the entire India-US engagement and also to exchange views on issues of global interest," Sarna said in an earlier interview.

"When they sit across the table and they have a one on one discussion or they have an extended delegation that will talk, I would presume that they would cover the wide gamut of relations between India and the US," Sarna had said.

A White House official echoed the similar views.

"The trip is an opportunity to strengthen the US-India strategic partnership, which Trump very much views as a critical partnership in promoting stability and security in the Asia Pacific region and globally," the White House official said.

"We anticipate that their discussions will be broad-ranging, hitting on a variety of regional and global issues that would seek to advance our common priorities, including fighting terrorism, promoting economic growth and prosperity," the official said.

Noting that the US is very much interested in facilitating India's defence modernisation and helping to enhance its role as a leader in the Asia Pacific, the official said the Trump administration believes that a strong India is good for the US.
Washington: Leading US congressmen have called on President Donald Trump to press Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to remove barriers to US trade and investment when they meet for the first time on Monday.

The lawmakers, from the Republican and Democratic parties, said in a letter to Trump that high-level engagement with India had failed to eliminate major trade and investment barriers and had not deterred India from imposing new ones. "Many sectors of the Indian economy remain highly and unjustifiably protected, and India continues to be a difficult place for American companies to do business," they wrote, noting that a 2017 World Bank report ranked India 130th out of 190 countries for ease of doing business.

The lawmakers  Republican House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Kevin Brady and Ranking Member Richard Neal, and Republican Senate Finance Committee Chairman Orrin Hatch and Ranking Member Ron Wyden  said the bilateral economic relationship "severely underperforms" as a result of India's failure to enact market-based reforms.

They said the barriers covered multiple sectors and included high tariffs, inadequate protection of intellectual property rights, and inconsistent and non-transparent licensing and regulatory practices. Among US goods affected were solar and information technology products, telecommunications equipment and biotechnology products, they said.

The lawmakers also pointed to limitations on foreign participation in professional services, restrictive foreign equity caps for financial, retail, and other major services sectors and barriers to digital trade and Internet services. "The list is long and growing," they said.

Modi is due to meet with about 20 leading US CEOs in Washington on Sunday before his first meeting with Trump on Monday at the White House, when he will seek to revitalize ties that have appeared to drift, in spite of the priority they were afforded under former President Barack Obama.

While progress is expected in defense trade and cooperation, Trump, who campaigned on an "America First" platform has been irritated by the growing US trade deficit with India and has called for reform of the H1B visa system that has benefited Indian tech firms.

Other signs of friction have included Trump accusing New Delhi of negotiating unscrupulously at the Paris climate talks to walk away with billions in aid.

Indian officials reject suggestions that Modi's "Make in India" platform is protectionist and complain about the US regulatory process for generic pharmaceuticals and rules on fruit exports to the United States. They stress the future importance of the huge Indian market to US firms and major growth in areas such as aviation which will offer significant opportunities for US manufacturers.
Brazzaville: More than 80,000 people have fled their homes in Pool province surrounding Congo Republic's capital since the government began a military operation there last year, a joint UN and government statement said.

The campaign, involving occasional aerial bombardments, aims to curb what the government says is a resurgent rebellion led by Pastor Ntumi, an enemy of president Denis Sassou Nguesso from the oil-rich country's 1997 civil war.

While it has been hard to confirm death tolls and the impact on residents, any clear evidence of escalating violence could be damaging to Sassou Nguesso's ruling party, the Congolese Party of Labour, ahead of legislative elections next month.

The United Nations is seeking around $20 million in emergency funding to provide humanitarian assistance in the province, after a recent visit found widespread signs malnutrition, the statement released late on Friday said.

Many of the displaced remain beyond the reach of aid workers, it added.

"In non-accessible zones... there is reason to fear an even more complicated situation as the number of (displaced) continues to increase and living conditions worsen more every day."
Kabul: Ten policemen were killed and four others injured on Sunday when Taliban militants attacked a checkpost in Afghanistan's Herat province.

"A group of Taliban militants attacked the checkpoint near Salma dam in Chasht district and fled after killing the policemen," a security official told Xinhua news agency.

Four militants were killed in the attack.
By Mehmet Caliskan

| ISTANBUL

ISTANBUL President Tayyip Erdogan on Sunday dismissed calls for Turkey to close a military base in Qatar and said a wider list of demands issued by four Arab states was an unlawful intervention against the Gulf state's sovereignty.In his strongest statement of support for Qatar in the nearly three-week-old crisis centred on the Gulf state, Erdogan said the call to withdraw Turkish forces was disrespectful and that Doha - which described the demands as unreasonable - was taking the right approach. Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Bahrain imposed a boycott on June 5 on Qatar and issued 13 demands including closing Al Jazeera television, curbing relations with Iran, shutting the Turkish base and paying reparations.Doha said it was reviewing the list, but said it was not reasonable or actionable."We approve and appreciate the attitude of Qatar against the list of 13 demands," Erdogan, speaking outside a mosque in Istanbul, said. "...This approach of 13 demands is against international law because you cannot attack or intervene in the sovereignty of a country."Bahrain's foreign minister said on Sunday that outside interference would not solve the problem."It is in the interest of these powers to respect the existing regional order which is capable of solving any issue that may arise," Sheikh Khalid bin Ahmed al-Khalifa said in a message on Twitter, without naming Turkey.

The 13 demands are apparently aimed at dismantling Qatar's interventionist foreign policy which has incensed conservative Arab peers over its alleged support for Islamists they regard as threats to their dynastic rule.Qatar along with Turkey, whose ruling AK Party has its roots in Islamist politics, backed a Muslim Brotherhood government in Egypt before it was overthrown in 2013. The Arab states have demanded Qatar cut any links to the Brotherhood and other groups they deem to be terrorist, ideological or sectarian."NO PULLOUT"

Turkey, the most powerful regional country to stand by Qatar, has sent 100 cargo planes with supplies since its neighbours cut air and sea links. It has also rushed through legislation to send more troops to its base in Doha.Two contingents of Turkish troops with columns of armoured vehicles have arrived since the crisis erupted on June 5, and Defence Minister Fikri Isik said on Friday that further reinforcements would be beneficial."The strengthening of the Turkish base would be a positive step in terms of the Gulf's security," he said. "Re-evaluating the base agreement with Qatar is not on our agenda." Hurriyet newspaper said last week a joint exercise by Turkish and Qatari forces was expected following the Islamic Eid al-Fitr holiday which started on Sunday, and the number of Turkish soldiers sent to the Gulf state could eventually reach 1,000. An air force contingent was also envisaged, it said.

Erdogan said Turkey had also offered to establish a military base in Saudi Arabia, but never received a clear answer."If Saudi Arabia wants us to have base there, a step towards this also can be taken," he told reporters. "I made this offer to the king himself and they said they will consider this." "They did not come back to us since that day and even though they still didn't come back to us on this, asking Turkey to pull back its troops (from Qatar) is disrespectful against Turkey."Speaking outside the Istanbul mosque after prayers marking the Muslim Eid al-Fitr holiday, Erdogan said he would continue his planned programme despite feeling briefly unwell. "I had a little condition about my blood pressure, related to my diabetes," he said. (Additional reporting by Mohammed el Sherif in Cairo and Sami Aboudi in Dubai,; Writing by Dominic Evans; Editing by Robert Birsel, Jane Merriman and Susan Thomas)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
Miami: Mayors are warning President Donald Trump that toughening immigration enforcement meddles with US cities' affairs.

More than 250 mayors are meeting at the US Conference of Mayors in Miami Beach to take a stance on issues from climate change to the federal budget and health care. They are reviewing resolutions that would strongly oppose Trump's crack down on illegal immigration.

Mayors were struck a blow in January, when Trump ordered to cut funding to jurisdictions that deny in some way cooperation with federal immigration agents. Most cities have defied the order, and a federal judge blocked it in April, at least temporarily.

"Some of us are proud to be places of sanctuary, to protect immigrants, but this idea that we're in violation of something, I think is a big charade," said Los Angeles mayor Eric Garcetti.

Garcetti argued that all he wants from immigration officials is that they conduct enforcement in a "lawful, constitutional, court-ordered way," referring to policies where sanctuary cities demand warrants to turn over suspects to the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

"Police officers in Los Angeles do 20,000 to 30,000 requests for warrants from judges every year in the middle of the night when the judges are probably in their pajamas," Garcetti said. "The idea that ICE can't do the same thing seems ridiculous," he added.

Mayors from big cities say they fear the increased enforcement will push immigrant communities into the shadows, deterring them to report crimes or cooperate as witnesses. The police chief of Los Angeles, Charlie Beck, said in March that sexual assaults and domestic violence reports by Latinos had dropped.

Miami-Dade County, which houses 34 municipalities including the conference host of Miami Beach, heeded Trump's January order and changed its policy so the corrections department honors all requests by ICE. Authorities have turned over 124 people to the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement since 27 January.

But GOP-identified mayors from states such as Indiana and Florida disagreed this weekend on targeting non-criminal immigrants solely for being in the country illegally.

Kent Guinn, mayor of Ocala, Florida, says that although he is against offering a pathway to citizenship to the 11.5 million immigrants who are in the country illegally, most immigrants he sees are "good."

"I don't think people realize there are some bad people that are here that need to leave," Guinn said. He referred to the 2015 shooting death of a San Francisco woman often highlighted by Trump when attacking sanctuary policies because the man charged with her death was in the country illegally and had been released by local law enforcement.

"But the ones that we encounter on a day-to-day basis, they're very hard-working individuals that do the things that they need to do and participate in the economy. They work on horse farms, in restaurants. We see them. They're good people. We're not going around looking for them," he said.

The Republican Mayor of Carmel, Indiana, Jim Brainard, who is also bucking his party on the climate front, says he opposes Trump's immigration views.

"Punishing cities makes no sense," Brainard said. "Everyone who has come to this country, regardless of whether it was illegal, ought to have a pathway to legalization and then we can move to issues that really can help make our country better," he added.

Besides opposing the order on sanctuary cities, several mayors propose extending a deportation reprieve granted by former President Barack Obama to young immigrants who arrived illegally. Trump had vowed to end the program known as Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, calling it "illegal executive amnesty" but has not yet decided whether he will revoke it.

ICE said it arrested more than 41,000 people on immigration charges in Trump's first 100 days in office, an increase of nearly 40 percent from the same period a year earlier. Nearly 11,000 had no criminal convictions, more than double the number of immigrants without criminal convictions that were arrested during a comparable period last year.
Washington: The US Supreme Court is set to rule on Monday in a closely watched religious rights case involving limits on public funding for churches and other religious entities as the justices issue the final rulings of their current term.

The nine justices are due to rule in six cases, not including their decision expected in the coming days on whether to take up President Donald Trump's bid to revive his ban on travelers from six predominantly Muslim countries in which an emergency appeal is pending.

Of the remaining cases argued during the court's current term, which began in October, the most eagerly awaited one concerns a Missouri church backed by a conservative Christian legal group. The ruling potentially could narrow the separation of church and state.

A decision in favor of Trinity Lutheran Church, located in Columbia, Missouri, set the stage for more public money to go to religious entities. The church sued after being denied state taxpayer funds for a playground improvement project because of a Missouri constitutional provision barring state funding for religious entities.

Trinity Lutheran could be headed for a lopsided win, with two liberal justices joining their conservative colleagues in signaling support during the April oral argument. It was one of the first in which Trump's conservative appointee to the court, Neil Gorsuch, participated. The dispute pits two provisions of the US Constitution's First Amendment against each other: the guarantee of the free exercise of religion and the Establishment Clause requiring the separation of church and state.

A broad ruling backing the church could hearten religious conservatives who favor weakening the wall between church and state, including using taxpayer money to pay for children to attend private religious schools rather than public schools. President Donald Trump's education secretary, Betsy DeVos, is a leading supporter of such "school choice" plans.

The most notable of three immigration-related cases in which rulings are due on Monday is a dispute over whether immigrants detained by the US government for more than six months while deportation proceedings unfold should be able to request their release. The case takes on additional significance with Trump ratcheting up immigration enforcement, placing more people in detention awaiting deportation.

The court also is set to decide a case that could clarify the criminal acts for which legal immigrants may be deported. Another involves whether the family of a Mexican teenager shot dead while standing on Mexican soil by a US Border Patrol agent in Texas can sue for civil rights violations.

As the justices look to finish work before their summer break, they must decide what to do with Trump's travel ban, which was blocked by lower courts. His administration has made an emergency request asking for the ban to go into effect while the litigation continues.

The 6 March executive order called for a 90-day ban on travelers from Libya, Iran, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen and a 120-day ban on all refugees entering the United States to let the government implement stronger vetting. Trump has said the order is needed urgently to prevent terrorism in the United States.
Chinese President Xi Jinping will visit Hong Kong next week to mark the 20th anniversary of its handover from Britain to China.

Xi's three-day visit to Hong Kong, China's special administrative region, will begin on 29 June, Xinhua news agency reported.

After becoming the President, this is Xi's first visit to the island which is governed by China under the principle of "one country, two systems".

As per the pact agreed between Britain and China when the former handed over the rule to the latter, Hong Kong will have a high degree of autonomy and will preserve it for 50 years from the date of the handover in 1997.

Hong Kong has its own currency but its foreign and defence policies are decided by Beijing.

Pro-democracy forces worry over slow electoral reforms and indirect election of half of the lawmakers -- said to be handpicked by Beijing -- in Hong Kong.

There have been protests in the past.

According to the South China Morning Post, Xi has a packed itinerary that includes overseeing the swearing-in of the new Chief Executive, Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor, and her cabinet on July 1.

Before flying out later that day, he is expected to visit one of the city's two major controversy-plagued infrastructure project sites - either the Hong Kong-Zunhai-Macau bridge or the high-speed rail link to Guangzhou.

Informed sources said Xi's tight schedule would leave no time to visit a local family or neighbourhood as his predecessors had done in the past.

However, his wife Peng Liyuan will meet residents of an elderly home on Friday.

According to the itinerary, the president and his wife will land at Hong Kong International Airport on Thursday.

He is scheduled to attend a banquet that evening with Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying at the Government House.

On Friday, he will inspect the local garrison of the People's Liberation Army, before attending functions at the convention centre in Wan Chai.

On Sunday, Leung expressed his "deepest gratitude" to Xi for the visit.

"President Xi's visit at this important moment to attend the celebration and the inauguration ceremony fully shows the importance that the central authorities attach to Hong Kong," Leung said in a statement.

Meanwhile, Lam said it was heartening to have Xi visit Hong Kong during the historic event as China had offered the city enormous support to ensure its stability and prosperity since the handover.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Sunday welcomed Qatar's dismissal of a list of demands from Saudi Arabia and its allies and said the ultimatum was "against international law."

"We welcome (Qatar's position) because we consider the 13-point list against international law," Erdogan was quoted as saying by the state-run Anadolu news agency.

Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt want Qatar to meet the 13-point ultimatum in return for an end to a nearly three-week-old diplomatic and trade "blockade" of the emirate.

The four Arab governments delivered the demands to Qatar through mediator Kuwait on Thursday.

The demands includes the closure of Al-Jazeera television, a long-standing source of conflict between Doha and neighbouring countries which accuse it of fomenting regional strife.

Doha has also been told to shut a Turkish military base in the emirate.

Erdogan on Sunday said demanding the withdrawal of Turkish troops from Qatar was a "disrespect to Turkey."

The Turkish parliament passed a bill this month allowing Ankara to send up to several thousand troops to the Turkish base in Qatar.

Since the crisis erupted between Doha and its Gulf neighbours, Erdogan has vowed to back Qatar and rejected the accusations that it supports terrorism.

But Ankara has stopped short of directly criticising Saudi Arabia's actions, merely calling on Riyadh to take a lead role in solving the crisis.

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Michael Jacksons older brother Jermaine Jackson says he believes more people, other than convicted doctor Conrad Murray, are to blame for his brothers death ahead of the 8th anniversary of the pop icons passing Sunday.

Ill just say my observation to the whole thing that happened, during the time it happened, was that he [Conrad Murray] was just a finger to a bigger hand, there were more people involved in taking my brothers life but his spirit will live on. Hes with us all the time, Jackson told FOX Business.

Conrad Murray, who was Michael Jacksons personal physician at the time of his death in 2009, was convicted of involuntary manslaughter in 2011 for administering a lethal dose of propofol  an anesthetic used in hospital settings. Murray was sentenced to four years in jail but only served two and was released in 2013.

More on this... Inside The Jackson 5 dynasty: 50 years later

Earlier this month, Trinidad and Tobago Newsday reported that the Medical Board of Trinidad and Tobago (MBTT) was investigating claims that Murray was attending to patients at a local private medical facility without a license. However, a week later, the Trinidad Express reported that Murray is fully registered with the MBTT and has been seeing patients locally as a cardiovascular consultant. While Murray is banned from practicing in the U.S. since his conviction, he is legally able to practice medicine internationally.

Jackson says his family has learned to deal with all the sensationalized headlines surrounding Michaels death, including family rifts over the pop icons estate, which is estimated to be worth over $600 million, according to Forbes.

I really dont know much about him. I dont care. I dont care where he goes, Jackson said about Conrad Murray.

We know who we are, and the rest is propaganda and its sensationalism, he added. People can say what they want to say about us but at the end of the day, we were family, we had each other before success so were going to continue being a family.

Instead Jackson says the family is focused on healing and new beginnings, which is why he and his brothers Tito, Jackie and Marlon decided to go on tour to celebrate 50 years since the start of the Jackson 5.

And though Michael is not physically present to perform with his brothers, Jermaine adds: Hes with us all the time, hes even with us on the stage and we miss him every day.
Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg paid a visit to Nebraska and Iowa and toured Union Pacific's railyard in central Nebraska.

Zuckerberg also attended part of the Heartland Pride Festival in Omaha on Saturday and stopped in several Iowa towns as part of a tour of the area.

After touring the railyard, Zuckerberg posted pictures on Facebook and commented about how important railroads are to the economy because of everything they haul.

Zuckerberg spent about an hour at the Omaha event Saturday meeting with community leaders.

Previously, Zuckerberg had said he planned to tour the country this year as part of an effort to meet people in every state.
There are a lot of good reasons for Harley-Davidson (NYSE: HOG) to open up an assembly plant in Thailand, and few, mostly jingoistic, ones against it, but the irony is that the quintessential American motorcycle maker is going abroad because it is being punished by the same sort of trade rules it once championed.

Where once it lobbied for -- and obtained -- draconian tariffs on foreign rivals to limit their ability to compete in the marketplace, Harley-Davidson is being hurt by similarly restrictive trade laws in Asia. By opening up a new plant there, the big bike maker will be able to skirt the rules and compete more effectively.

Trade for me but not for thee

In 1983, President Ronald Reagan imposed for the first time ever strict trade rules that benefited a single company. Harley-Davidson had become the last man standing in the U.S. motorcycle market, but even as the sole American manufacturer left, it was struggling financially.

Like today, the motorcycle market was in the midst of a downturn that affected all players, Harley as well as its vaunted Japanese competition. But Harley chose protectionism to beat its rivals and won from Reagan tariffs that soared as high as 49.4% in the first year with scheduled declines each year thereafter until their removal after five years. (Harley completed its turnaround early and had the tariffs scrapped ahead of schedule.)

In Thailand, Harley-Davidson faces tariffs of 60% on its imported motorcycles (cars face rates of 80%) that put its bikes at a competitive disadvantage on retail pricing. By opening a facility there that assembles bikes from U.S.-made parts, it will be able to get around those restrictive tariffs just like it does in India, which imposes a 100% tariff on motorcycle imports. (Harley also has an assembly plant in Brazil it opened in 1999 to take advantage of the country's free trade zone.)

That's why making this move into Thailand makes a lot of sense, both practically and financially. By being located there, Harley-Davidson will have access not only to the Thai market but also the markets of the 10 countries that comprise the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). Moreover, it puts Harley in the position of having its bikes closer to China, a huge, albeit weakening, market.

According to industry analysts at MarkLines, the Asian motorcycle market remains largely robust, though there have been pockets of weakness, with China being one of those contracting. Sales fell 12% in 2016 to under 8 million units, continuing their decline from the year before. Conversely, India is strong, with sales growing nearly 10% last year and expected to gain almost 8% this year. Indonesia is expected to rebound in 2017 and Thailand is predicted to grow almost 3%. A Harley assembly plant in the region will be better able to target these markets.

Trading freedom for security

However, the United Steelworkers union has complained that the bike maker is shipping American jobs overseas, but as Harley notes, because the facility will be using American-made parts, it will actually keep U.S. jobs intact. Similarly, others pointed to the paradox of Harley opening a plant in a foreign market when it was lauded by President Donald Trump for keeping jobs in America.

Along those same lines, the president's decision to pull out of the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade agreement was also criticized, because it would purportedly help companies avoid high tariffs like those imposed by Thailand. But such arguments ignore the fact that Thailand itself isn't a signatory to the pact, so there might have been no benefit regardless, though it would have avoided tariffs in other countries.

Bilateral agreements are probably better as a matter of policy, which is what groups in Thailand are advocating, and by locating its plant in Thailand, Harley-Davidson will bypass the tariffs in other countries anyway.

The Asia-Pacific market is Harley's third largest, and it sold almost 32,900 bikes there last year, or 12% of the total. Harley noted that it had its best-ever retail sales there in 2016, but in the first quarter it was the worst-performing region, with sales tumbling more than 9%. And when you exclude Japan, the results were even worse.

If it wants to be able to compete and grow once more, Harley is almost required to build its bikes overseas. The greater irony, though, is that Harley-Davidson is being forced to construct this plant, and possibly earn the enmity of its unions, because of the same types of laws it once had imposed on its own competition.

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Constellation Brands (NYSE: STZ) is set to post fiscal first-quarter results before the market opens on Thursday, June 29. The stakes are high for the alcoholic beverage giant, given that shares have trounced the market so far in 2017.

Below, we'll look at a few key operating trends that might determine whether that rally continues through the second half of the year -- or falls flat.

Sales growth

The alcoholic beverage category is one of the few packaged foods segments that are expanding right now. And almost all of the industry gains are coming at the high end of the business.

That puts Constellation Brands, with its powerhouse Corona brand, in an unusually strong position. Corona, the country's top-selling premium beer, joins Modelo, Corona Light, and Pacifico to create a portfolio that dominates the high-end beer segment and has generated impressive sales growth for the company. Beer sales rose 17% in the past year, helping overall revenue rise 12%.

CEO Rob Sands and his team believe the beer business will continue fueling market-beating growth as consumers increasingly opt for its pricier brands and as Constellation Brands takes advantage of new distribution avenues and favorable demographic trends. For fiscal 2018, executives' initial outlook targets beer growth of 10% at the midpoint of guidance, or double the expansion pace from its spirits and wine segments.

Profit

Operating income should grow at an even faster pace of 11% to 13% as the company benefits from the type of rising prices that can only be supported by robust demand. This is part of a long-term trend for Constellation Brands: Gross profit spiked by 20% last year after rising by 17% the year before. As a result, profitability is an all-time high of nearly 50% of sales.

Again, it's the beer business that investors can thank for these gains. Since fiscal 2013, before Constellation Brands acquired its way into this alcoholic beverage segment, operating margin hovered around 20% of sales. Today, it's closer to 30% -- and rising.

Spending plans and outlook

It will take major cash outlays for Constellation Brands to reach its aggressive long-term sales and profit goals. Its biggest investment priority today is boosting its beer production capabilities. That's why management is planning to spend $3 billion over the next four fiscal years on its Mexican plants to bring capacity up to 385 million cases per year, up from around 250 million cases today.

Sands and his team will also likely keep hunting for targeted acquisition ideas that fill gaps in its portfolio and provide added growth opportunities. A few of the latest purchases, including the Meiomi wine brand and the Casa Noble spirits franchise, fit that bill and helped the company move its portfolio toward the higher end of each category.

Over the next three years, Constellation Brands believes it can average 10% annual earnings growth that's powered by steady gains in spirits and wine and blockbuster results from the beer segment. Capital spending should peak in fiscal 2018, allowing free cash flow to begin expanding at a healthy clip, likely passing $1 billion by 2019.

10 stocks we like better than Constellation BrandsWhen 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 Constellation Brands 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 June 5, 2017

Demitrios Kalogeropoulos has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
Pamela Anderson, who has been a longtime animal rights activist is opening a vegan restaurant in France, her new home and has invited France's new President Emmanuel Macron to dine there.

The announcement was buried in a letter about her rumored beau, WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, who is residing inside the Ecuadorian embassy in London.

The former "Baywatch" actress has been trying to convince political leades to help free Assange.

"I am reaching out to Emmanuel Macron, and to his wife Brigitte Trogneux," she wrote. "As a resident of France, my adopted home, I would like to meet with you and discuss Julian's situation. I am opening a new vegan restaurant in France in July, and I would like to extend my invitation to the new President and his First Lady. Join me on the day I open the doors, and we will sit and eat good food and discuss what can be done for Julian. France could display its strength, and so could you, if you give Julian asylum."

Anderson is partnering with chef Christophe Leroy on the new restaruant which is dubbed La Table du Marche, and is part of the country inn called Les Moulins de Ramatuelle, which is owned and operated by Leroy.

According to her website, La Table du Marche will open on July 4 for 50 nights only.
The Philippine military declared an eight-hour ceasefire Sunday in its offensive against Islamist militants occupying parts of the war-torn city of Marawi, to allow residents to celebrate the end of Ramadan.

Assaults backed by air and artillery bombardment stopped at the start of Islamic prayers at 6am but gunfire erupted as soon as the truce ended around 2pm, AFP reporters in Marawi said.

Military chief General Eduardo Ano ordered his forces to observe a "humanitarian pause" during the Eid al-Fitr holiday in Marawi, the most important Muslim city in the mainly Catholic Philippines.

"We declare a lull in our current operations in the city on that day as a manifestation of our high respect to the Islamic faith," Ano said in a statement. The Eid al-Fitr festival ends the fasting month of Ramadan.

Hundreds of militants, flying the flag of the Islamic State group and backed by foreign fighters, seized swathes of Marawi in the southern region of Mindanao last month, sparking bloody street battles and raising regional concern.

Troops have launched a relentless air and ground offensive but have failed to dislodge gunmen from entrenched positions in pockets of the city.

Much of the lakeside city is now in ruins while most of its 200,000 residents have fled to evacuation centres or to the homes of relatives and friends in other towns.

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Trump supporters flooded a North Carolina Starbucks on Saturday for a sit-in after they said a woman was mocked for wearing T-shirt supporting the president.

The group, wearing some Trump T-shirts and carrying signs, entered the Starbucks on East Boulevard in Dilworth, a neighborhood in Charlotte.

They told Fox 46 Charlotte it was to support Hart, who was reportedly mocked by a barista for wearing some Trump apparel a few days before.

They shouted out 'build a wall' and shoved a drink at me and then all the baristas in the back started cracking up laughing, she told Fox 46 Charlotte.

CALIFORNIA FATHER BURIES WRONG MAN AFTER CORONER'S MISTAKE

The group called it unfortunate and very heartbreaking.

At all cost, we have to rise above any opposition or anybody that treats us poorly. Somebody says something, please ignore it. Dont engage in it, Sean Kilbane told Fox 46 Charlotte. Just be proud to be wearing the Trump attire, pins, stickers, hats that we have, that we live in a great country, that we have the ability to go into this establishment.

Starbucks issued a statement apologizing to the woman and said they planned to speak with the store, the station reported.

On Saturday, the group said the sit-in was a little tense at the beginning, but as more and more people ordered coffee, the mood lightened.

I gave them the name Trump and they did. They were very gracious about it, Shellie Anderson told the station. We just wanted to reverse the little negativity. So we did it.

Anderson added: Its really good to come together and take something negative and just come in here and be respectful.

Read more news at Fox 46 Charlotte.
Its permissible in the United States to decorate police cars with rainbow flags to celebrate gay pride, but its not permissible to decorate police cars with Bible verses honoring law enforcement officers.

Click here to for a free subscription to Todd's newsletter - a must-read for Conservatives!

The Houston Police Dept. is debuting a Pride Car for the citys gay pride parade, the Houston Chronicle reports.

Police Chief Art Acevedo is downright giddy about the new rainbow cruiser and the parade.

The newspaper reports the chief strongly encouraged top police brass to join him in the march.

"By actually participating ... we send a very powerful message that we're an inclusive department," he said, "where every segment of society is welcome, is respected, and will be protected by the Houston Police Department," he told the newspaper.

The rank and file, however, are not so appreciative of the police chiefs strong-arm tactics.

Our duty is to protect and serve, not participate in an event that completely goes against our religious beliefs, one unidentified commander told the newspaper.

Houston is not the first American city to place gay pride decals on taxpayer-funded vehicles.

Click to read Todd Starnes complete column.




Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin, the Senates No. 2 Democrat, on Sunday characterized the GOP-led chambers ObamaCare overhaul bill as a tax cut for the wealthy, not health care reform.

What's driving this is a tax cut that Republicans insisted on of about $700 billion for the wealthiest people in America and the pharmaceutical companies, Durbin told Fox News Sunday.

Durbin also said leaders of the GOP-run Senate had to put the cut in the plan, released last week by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, to make it work for Republicans and that the GOP took the money out of Medicaid.

Thats why 23 million Americans will be out of insurance, he continued. So those in the highest income categories can get a tax break.

Wyoming Sen. John Barrasso, a doctor and one of roughly 13 Republican senators who crafted the bill in closed-door sessions, strongly disagreed with Durbins assessment.

Thats absolutely wrong, he told Fox News Sunday in a debate with Durbin.

Barrasso argued the Senate plan eliminates taxes imposed by ObamaCare for all Americans.

ObamaCare raised taxes on every American who uses health care, he said. They put [taxes] on over-the-counter medicine, prescription medicine, medical devices. They put taxes on people who buy health insurance.

The debate underscores the partisan divide in overhauling ObamaCare -- former President Barack Obamas signature, 2010 health care law that extends health coverage to millions more Americans but has also struggled with rising premium costs and fewer premium options.

No Senate Democrat backs the new GOP plan. So McConnell will need support from at least 50 of his 52 senators to pass the bill.

Barrasso also disagreed with the argument by Durbin and other Democrats that the GOP is trying to dismantle Medicaid to use the money for tax breaks.

Republicans have long argued the continued growth of the entitlement program is a growing strain on the federal budget. And Senate Republicans say their plan attempts only to slow the growth of Medicaid, not de-fund it.

Only in Washington is giving more each year considered a cut, said Barrasso, who also said the new health care plan will provide subsidies for insurance for those who dont qualify for Medicaid.

Senator Durbin doesnt want to talk about the fact that in Illinois they are way down on the number of people even selling insurance and prices are way up, he also said.
Republican candidates will be bolstered by up to $400 million of outside spending from the Koch brothers' network of donors in the lead up to the 2018 midterms, the group said Saturday.

Three-hundred million to $400 million for this cycle for politics and policy -- we believe were headed to the high end of that range, said Tim Phillips, who heads Americans for Prosperity, a group funded by conservative billionaire financiers Charles and David Koch.

What were urging Republicans in the House and the Senate to do is to be bold, to go big, Phillips said, emphasizing tax and health care reform. It gives them the opportunity to point to real accomplishments when they get to 2018.

But it remains to be seen whether congressional Republicans will have major accomplishments on which to run, as GOP senators attempt to produce a health care bill that can pass muster with conservatives, without losing support from moderates.

A major sticking point for conservatives is congressional Republicans' effort to slowly phase out expansion of Medicaid, a program that they say is overburdened.

To simply say were just going to do a slight nip and tuck to a program that, because of Obamacare, has added millions and millions of people, is frankly immoral, Phillips said.

Koch officials who have gathered in Colorado Springs for their summer donor meetings say the Trump administration has invited their input, a marked difference from the House health care debate earlier this year. During that saga, the Kochs offered 2018 financial backing to House Republicans who opposed the measure.

We did want to remind them that this was a promise that had been made to repeal ObamaCare during four consecutive national elections, Phillips said. It was important to be a little more demonstrative.

This time is different. While Koch officials says theyre disappointed that a more dramatic repeal hasnt been proposed, they say theyre working with the White House to get there instead of issuing threats.

The GOP-led House passed it ObamaCare overhaul legislation this spring, and the Republican-controlled Senate could vote on its version as early as next week.

Weve been disappointed that movement has not been more dramatic toward a full repeal or a broader rollback of this onerous law, ObamaCare, Phillips said. But we are not walking away.

Charles Koch and other members of his team met with Vice President Pence on Friday in Colorado Springs. Phillips called it a cordial discussion of issues, which included health care.
Sen. Bernie Sanders and his wife have hired defense attorneys amid an FBI probe into a loan the senators wife procured for Burlington College while she was school president, according to news reports.

Sanders, a Vermont Independent, and wife Jane hired a legal team in connection to a 2010 loan application Jane Sanders purportedly filed so the school could borrow $10 million to purchase 33 acres of land, as reported first by Politico.

The hiring of the attorneys was confirmed to CBS News by Jeff Weaver, the campaign manager for Sanders in his bid to win the Democratic Party nomination in the 2016 presidential race.

Jane Sanders purportedly distorted school donor levels in the loan application she filed to Peoples United Bank, according to the January 2016 complaint. The liberal arts college closed that same year.

Politico also reports that federal prosecutors could be looking into allegations that Sen. Sanders' office tried inappropriately to get the bank to approve the loan.

Sanders supporter Rich Cassidy has reportedly been hired to represent the senator, and Washington defense attorney Larry Robbins has reportedly been retained for his wife.

The claims regarding the loan were filed to the U.S. attorney in Vermont by Brady Toensing, who led President Trumps 2016 presidential campaign in the state.

Toensing told CBS that the investigation was started during the Obama administration.

Sanders has called the allegations nonsense, but last month said commenting on the matter would be improper.
A North Carolina teenager who disappeared more than a year ago has been found alive in Georgia and a 31-year-old man has been arrested in connection with the case, authorities say.

Hailey Burns, now 17, has been reunited with her parents after being found overnight at a home in Duluth, about 30 miles northeast of Atlanta.

The suspect, Michael Ren Wysoloyski, faces a number of charges, including cruelty to children and false imprisonment.

Burns vanished from her home in Ballantyne, an upscale part of Charlotte, in May 2016. At that time, her father told local media that his daughter left behind a diary that detailed plans to run away with a man she had met online.

"He gradually wormed his way into her good graces, he coerced her into listening to him and not following our directions and the next thing I knew my daughter wasnt communicating with me," the father told WBTV.

Family members say Burns has been diagnosed with Asperger Syndrome.

The FBI says Burns' family have asked for privacy "to focus on their daughter."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
A young Saudi national facing charges stemming from a fatal hit-and-run incident in Oregon in 2016 removed a court's monitoring device last week and fled.

Abdulrahman Sameer Noorah, 21, was arrested last August and indicted for first-degree manslaughter, hit-and-run, reckless endangerment and reckless driving after allegedly killing 15-year-old Fallon Smart in Portland.

However, on Sept. 11, 2016  what would have marked Fallons 16th birthday  Noorah's $100,000 bond was posted by the consulate of Saudi Arabia, according to court records. Earlier this month, police say Noorah removed his monitoring device bracelet and his current whereabouts are now unknown.

He is depicted as being Saudi Arabian, 150 pounds and 6 feet tall and was last seen near the Southeast 106th Avenue and Division of Portland. Investigators are said to be concerned that Noorah poses mental health issues and are offering a reward for information leading to his whereabouts.

Noorah, a Saudi national who had been in Oregon since 2014 and enrolled at Portland Community College, was awaiting trial on charges that he struck and killed the young teenage girl while speeding down Southeast Hawthorne Boulevard, before running and later returning to the scene. Her relatives have called the latest development in the case as having broken (their) hearts again.

Shane Smart, Fallon's uncle, expressed his anger in a Facebook post.

"From Day 1, our family objected to a bail because of things known about Abdulrahman Noorah that made us believe he was a flight risk," Shane Smart wrote on Facebook. "The deputy district attorney representing the state's case against Abdulrahman Noorah expressed our objection of allowing a bail and house arrest to the presiding Judge."

SAUDI ARABIA REWRITES SUCCESSION PLAN MONTHS AFTER TRUMP MEETING

CALIFORNIA TEEN DIES AFTER POLICE SHOT AT PIT BULL, BULLET RICOCHETS

Local reports also unveiled last week that Noorah was already considered to be a high flight risk, but authorities had no power to prevent him from fleeing due to Oregon bail legislation and the entanglement of a foreign government.

The Saudi Consulate in Los Angeles, which reportedly paid the bail and hired two prominent criminal defense lawyers to represent him, has yet to comment on the matter.

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has on several occasions made bail for its nationals  including for a man accused of rape in Utah in 2015, who also fled and was subsequently convicted, and for a Missouri resident in 2013 who was accused but later acquitted of murdering a bar owner. That same year the government put up the $5 million bail for a Saudi princess charged with human trafficking in California, yet those charges, too, were let go.
A 14-year-old girl visiting from Delaware survived a 25-foot fall from a stopped gondola ride at a Six Flags in upstate New York Saturday night.

The unidentified teenager was riding on the Sky Ride at Six Flags Amusement Park in Queensbury, New York just after 8 p.m. Saturday.

Authorities said the girl was riding the attraction with a child relative and fell about 25 feet from a stationary two-person car. The ride was stopped by an operator after word was received that there was a rider in distress.

OBITUARY OF 15-YEAR-OLD WHO COMMITTED SUICIDE CALLS OUT SCHOOL BULLIES

It was all caught in a dramatic video.

The Warren County Sheriffs Office said the girl, from Greenwood, Delaware, fell from the car and struck a tree before landing in the crowd. She was treated by park emergency medical staff and transferred by ambulance to Glens Falls hospital before being taken by helicopter to the Albany Medical Center.

She was in stable condition with no serious injuries.

Officials inspected the ride and said it was in proper working order. The park said in a statement that the safety of guests is a top priority.

"There does not appear to be any malfunction of the ride, but we have closed the attraction until a thorough review can be completed," a park official said.

Authorities also said an unidentified 47-year-old man from Schenectady, New York, who was a guest at the park, was treated and released from a hospital for a back injury sustained when he attempted to catch the falling girl.

No additional information was immediately available.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin exchanged vows with Scottish actress and model Louise Linton at the Andrew W. Mellon Auditorium in Washington on Saturday.

President Trump and first lady Melania Trump were among the high-profiled guests that attended the Cabinet members ceremony.

Melania Trump was seen wearing a pink blush dress and the president was in a tux. Vice President Mike Pence was also spotted at the event.

The nuptials were kept secret until earlier this week, when Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross introduced Mnuchin at a conference in Washington.

Ross said both he and his wife extend our congratulations and look forward to seeing you wed your dear fiancee, Louise Linton, on Saturday."

Prior to joining the Trump administration, Mnuchin worked for the Goldman Sachs investment firm for nearly two decades before founding a hedge fund. He also ran a company that invested in Hollywood movies and was finance chairman of Trump's presidential campaign.

Linton has had small roles in a number of movies and television shows and more recently has turned to producing movies.

This is Mnuchin's third marriage and the second for Linton. The couple has been engaged since 2015.
Syrian President Bashar Assad has travelled to one of Syria's core cities to attend Eid al-Fitr prayers marking the end of Ramadan, in a rare departure from his capital stronghold.

Syrian state media says Assad traveled to Hama on Sunday for the first time since protests erupted against him in 2011 and Syria descended into war. Hama, in western Syria, saw some of the largest protests.

Assad joined Muslim worshippers at the Nouri Mosque for prayers on the first day of the three-day holiday.

Syrian government forces have steadily advanced in recent months with help from Russia and Iran, and now control the country's five largest cities.
The landmark Paris Agreement on climate change was a key achievement of multilateralism, of which both the EU and Egypt can and should be proud

The progress on ratification has been extraordinary - the Paris Agreement entered into force on 4th November last year and 148 countries have already ratified it. We welcome and appreciate the finalisation of the internal ratification process of the Paris Agreement in Egypt.

Ratification is of course an important step towards achieving the implementation of the Paris Agreement, but ratifying the agreement on its own will not deliver the necessary greenhouse gas reductions, adaptation action and financing.

For the vision of a global climate-resilient, low-emissions future to actually materialise, we must now focus all our attention on putting our words into action.

Addressing climate change provides countless opportunities to invent new and better ways to produce and consume, invest and trade and protect lives, assets and livelihood opportunities, for the benefit of all people as well as the planet. To deliver the much-needed economic and social transformation, it will be vital that the emissions reduction targets and adaptation strategies and plans countries have put forward are now translated into concrete, actionable policies and measures in all sectors of the economy. Intent alone does not guarantee delivery.

The EU and its Member States are determined to play our full part in implementing the Paris Agreement, both at home and internationally. Europe has provided and will continue to provide substantial funding to support climate action in partner countries. Globally, in 2015 alone, support totalled EUR 17.6 billion.

Domestically, we are committed to ensuring the completion of the legislative and regulatory package necessary to deliver the EU's target for Paris  reducing emissions by at least 40% by 2030. Our legislative actions cover all sectors of the economy and we are putting energy efficiency first, as well as boosting uptake of renewable energy across the bloc.

We hear and understand concerns that taking action on climate change can affect economic growth. But we have found that the opposite is in fact true: our emissions have fallen by 22% since 1990, while EU GDP has grown by 50%.

During this period, we have created new jobs, businesses, technologies and competitive advantages, preparing our economies well for the climate-resilient, low-carbon future.

At the same time, we are investing in increasing resilience of our societies: our experience shows that for each euro invested in flood protection, we can save six euros in avoided damages. In other words, investing in climate resilience reduces current and future risks.

While the EU has more than two decades of experience in developing and implementing ambitious climate policies, we know that many of our partners are doing so for the first time. We stand ready to share our experiences and lessons learned  and we have already established extensive climate policy cooperation with some of our key partners, including Egypt.

The EU has committed to devote at least 20% of its global development assistance funding to climate action. In Egypt we already do significantly more than that, with over a half of our assistance impacting on the problem.

Adaptation to, and mitigation of climate change are important priorities for our assistance programme here. Over 700 million Euros of current EU grant assistance in Egypt is climate relevant, and part of this has also helped leverage additional concessional loans from the European Investment Bank and other EU development Banks of some 4.65 Billion Euros. A number of EU member states are also involved in their own right, through their various bilateral programmes.

We are working throughout the country, supporting renewable and clean energy, energy efficiency, transport, sanitation, water and waste management, pollution abatement, housing and agriculture.

Our assistance in the water sector also focuses on a climate relevant integrated approach to water resources management. And there are other adaptation programmes covering areas such as energy efficiency in the housing sector, integrated coastal zone management, agriculture and disaster risk reduction.

As well as developing long-term climate strategies, there are actions we all need to take urgently now. In just a few months, in November this year, countries will gather in Bonn at COP23 to continue the hard work of turning the political agreement struck Paris into reality.

Next year we have another milestone ahead of us: the so-called 'Facilitative Dialogue' to be held in 2018 will be the first opportunity since Paris to look at our collective efforts to limit global warming and what we have done concretely in terms of delivering on the commitments made. It will be the moment to demonstrate our ability to follow through on what our leaders pledged in Paris.

And it is not just governments that are taking action. The global climate challenges are of unprecedented breadth and scale. Businesses, cities and regions and civil society all have a crucial role to play in delivering action on the ground that will really make a difference. We need enhanced cooperation and coordination between governments, civil society, the private sector and other key actors. Only by working together will we be able to live up to the level of ambition we have set ourselves  and the expectations of future generations.

Paris was a defining moment in the fight to safeguard the planet for future generations. We must maintain that momentum in the months and years ahead, because the prize is truly worth it: lower emissions, greater energy security and energy efficiency, innovation-driven growth, job creation, more resilient societies and a better environment. There is a lot of work to do, and we look forward to continuing our partnership with Egypt.

The writer is Head of European Union Delegation to Egypt.

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The jihadis' targets in Europe are depressingly repetitive: the Brussels metro, the Champs-Elysees in Paris (twice), tourist-filled bridges in London (twice) and a U.K. rock concert. And that's just the past few months.

The steady stream of attacks on centers of daily life have drawn pledges from Europeans not to let terrorists change how they live, but in ways large and small they already have.

There is a heightened awareness and quicker reactions, especially in the hardest-hit countries of France, Britain and Belgium, that would have seemed unthinkable just a few years ago.

In Brussels on Tuesday, a 36-year-old Moroccan man shouting "Allahu akbar!" set off a bomb among subway commuters. The bomb didn't detonate in full and a soldier shot him dead.

It was another Muslim, Mohamed Charfih, who demanded that the subway's doors be closed before the attacker could enter.

"I heard people on the platform shouting for help," he told the news site DH. He looked out and knew what he saw. "I screamed to close the doors immediately. I asked to get out of there as fast as possible and that everyone get down on the floor."

That reaction, blocking the door and fleeing, has become part of official instructions on what to do in case of an attack in France. Signs have been posted in public areas and even schools showing people running, ducking beneath a window, or using heavy furniture as a barricade.

Tensions are high enough in central Paris that on Thursday the quick-response police unit reacted to a witness' phone call about a man wearing a sidearm by tackling him on the street, only to learn that he was a ranking member of the anti-terrorism squad, according to French media.

In Britain, decades of IRA attacks prompted the installation of country-wide TV surveillance cameras  one of the most expansive systems in the world. Paris is quickly ramping up its own camera system, to the point where authorities were able this week to track the minute-by-minute path of the man who tried to attack a Champs-Elysee gendarme patrol until the moment he rammed their vehicle. The man died of burns and smoke inhalation  the only casualty of his act  but left behind a substantial arsenal.

Both Britain and France have installed barriers around airports, train stations and other public buildings in recent years. Since the Westminster bridge attack in March, however, talks are underway to install even more barriers on bridges and around crowded places such as London's Borough Market, where three attackers this month went on a stabbing rampage after crashing their vehicle on a busy street not far from London Bridge.

Echoing France, London's security authorities have issued advice to pubs and restaurants since the attacks with the message of "Run, Tell and Hide." The advice includes establishing whether the threat is inside or outside and not waiting for police to decide whether the venue should be locked down or evacuated.

Few British commuters have changed their habits. After suicide bombers in 2005 struck trains and buses during a busy London morning rush-hour, scores of commuters started riding bicycles to work. That method of transport has its own problems in London  with the number of annual cyclist deaths a rising concern.

Three of the four recent attacks, however, have involved the use of a vehicle as a weapon  much like the deadly 2016 Nice attack in France that killed 87 people.

"I suppose I could try taking a boat to work, but before long I'm sure they would attack those too. So I'm just taking my chances," said Rohan Chansity, a 34-year-old finance worker in London.

Parents and teachers are talking to children more about being observant  a skill often lost on a gadget-obsessed generation.

A suicide bomber blew himself up last month at Manchester Arena, killing 22 people, mostly young concert-goers.

"We talk about being observant, looking for exits, making sure you're around a responsible crowd - but in the end, it's not like I'm going to keep her from going to concerts," said Moira Campbell, 45, who has a 15-year-old daughter.

Tourists, too, say they are aware of potential dangers but have refused to be cowed.

Dave Howland, who traveled from New Hampshire to London with his youngest son a few days before the Borough Market attack, said he was conscious of the threat when he went to Shakespeare's Globe theatre, a round wooden venue in the Borough Market area.

"I looked around and didn't see exit signs," the 47-year-old English teacher said. "But then I looked around and saw this performance and that people were celebrating life. So I thought, we're going to enjoy the moment. London is an incredible city, and life is too short not to enjoy everything you can."

The latest would-be assailant on the Champs-Elysees had an arsenal of firearms in both his car and at home, and France's anti-terrorism prosecutor said a disaster was averted only by sheer luck. It was the second attack in less than two months on the famous avenue.

Still, tourists and Parisians flock to the Champs-Elysees, watched over by camouflaged soldiers carrying automatic rifles. And in Brussels, the day after the fizzled metro bombing, the headlines focused on how to cope with the recent heat wave.

The weather, it seems, is not going away  just like the jihadi threats.

___

Associated Press writers Paisley Dodds in London and Raf Casert in Brussels contributed.
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Japan has marked the 75th anniversary of diplomatic ties with the Holy See with a performance of ancient traditional Noh theater in Rome.

At the performance Saturday in Rome at the Palazzo della Cancelleria, a Renaissance architectural masterpiece housing Vatican tribunals, visitors were shown how to wear a Noh theater mask.

Japan's ambassador to the Vatican, Yoshio Matthew Nakamura, says Noh theater absorbs cultural elements from various countries and civilizations.

Japan has been a strong admirer of Vatican artistic treasures. Decades ago, Japanese television sponsored the restoration of the Sistine Chapel ceiling, which was frescoed by Michelangelo.

Presenting his diplomatic credentials last year to Pope Francis, Nakamura gave him binoculars "to see the lives of people in the periphery," an area where Francis says the church must pay more attention.
Turkish police stopped activists for lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans and intersex rights from gathering in large numbers for LGBT pride in Istanbul on Sunday, but smaller groups made impromptu press statements defying a ban imposed by the governor.

Organizers of the 2017 Istanbul LGBTI+ Pride had vowed to march in central Taksim Square, using a Turkish hashtag for "we march," despite the ban on gay pride observances ordered by the Istanbul governor's office for the third year in a row.

Police established checkpoints in the area, preventing groups from entering Istiklal Avenue and turning back individuals who were deemed to be associated with the planned march. Small groups assembled on side streets were chased away by officers.

At least a hundred protesters gathered in a nearby neighborhood, beating drums and chanting slogans such as, "Don't be quiet, shout out, gays exist!" and "Love, love, freedom, State, stay away!" They carried a banner that read, "Get used to, we are here."

Police used tear gas to disperse the crowds and activists said plastic bullets also were used. Riot-control vehicles and buses were dispatched to the area and police detained several people, but did not immediately say how many.

In banning the event, the governor's office on Saturday cited safety and public order. It also said a valid parade application had not been obtained for Sunday's event, a claim rejected by organizers.

The governor's ban referred to "serious reactions by different segments of society" as several nationalist and religious groups called for the march's cancellation.

But Pride organizers said in a statement Sunday that the threats themselves should be dealt with rather than limiting demonstrations.

"Our security will be provided by recognizing us in the constitution, by securing justice, by equality and freedom," the statement said.

LGBT activists have lobbied unsuccessfully to have sexual orientation and gender identity covered by Turkish laws protecting civil rights and prohibiting hate speech. Homosexuality has been legal in Turkey since the republic's founding more than nine decades ago.

The Turkish government says there is no discrimination against LGBT individuals and that current laws already protect each citizen. It also insists that perpetrators of hate crimes are prosecuted.

Turkish authorities allowed pride marches to take place for more than a decade since the first one was held in 2003. Up to 100,000 people attended Istanbul Pride in 2014.

But in 2015, police dispersed crowds using tear gas and water cannons after a last-minute ban. In 2016, amid a spate of deadly attacks blamed on the Islamic State group or on outlawed Kurdish militants, the event was banned again but participants still tried to gather.

Pride organizers think the celebrations have been banned since 2014 because they coincided with the holy month of Ramadan and a rise in conservatism.

Sunday's scheduled march was on the first day of the Eid al-Fitr holiday, marking the end of a month of fasting.
North Korean officials, in their first remarks responding to the death of American student Otto Warmbier, are calling themselves the biggest victim in the tragedy and accusing the U.S of corroborating with South Korea in a smear campaign.

The Norths official state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) released a statement from an unidentified foreign ministry official in Pyongyang on Friday, defending their actions and insisting that although the country had no reason at all to show mercy to such a criminal of the enemy state, Warmbier was provided with medical treatments and care with all sincerity on humanitarian basis until his return to the U.S.

The fact that Warmbier died suddenly in less than a week just after his return to the U.S., is a mystery to us as well," the statement continues, noting that his health indicators were normal at the time of release.

Warmbier died June 19, just days after being returned to the U.S. in a coma after having been detained in North Korea in early 2016 on allegations of stealing a propaganda poster. U.S. doctors noted that Warmbier had suffered extensive brain damage, but could not determine the cause. He was laid to rest on Thursday, but no autopsy was performed, due to his familys wishes.

North Korea officials claimed the 22-year-old, who is believed to have been in a comatose state for more than a year, contracted botulism and fell into a coma after being given a sleeping bill. However, doctors have rejected such an explanation and his parents also have refuted those claims  instead vowing that their son was brutalized and terrorized while imprisoned.

DEFECTORS FROM NORTH KOREA DESCRIBE CONCENTRATION CAMP, DAILY LIFE

NORTH KOREA CAPTIVE OTTO WARMBIER 'GOT EXACTLY WHAT HE DESERVED,' COLLEGE PROF SAYS

NORTH KOREA TRAVEL RULE BOOK: HOW TO BE AN OBEDIENT TOURIST IN THE HOSTILE NATION

The Foreign ministry official does not address the cause of Warmbier's coma, and goes on to call any speculation of torture or abuse as groundless.

To make it clear, we are the biggest victim of this incident and there would be no more foolish judgment than to think we do not know how to calculate gains and losses, the statement adds. The smear campaign against (North Korea) staged in the U.S. compels us to make firm determination that humanitarianism and benevolence for the enemy are taboo and we should further sharpen the blade of law.

Nonetheless, the Virginia university students coma and death has ignited outrage in the U.S. toward the regime of Kim Jong Un, with President Trump condemning the nations brutality.

As it stands, three American citizens  all ethnic Koreans  are still being detained in the North. The State Department strongly discourages travel to North Korea, but is reportedly mulling a full travel ban for U.S citizens to the increasingly hostile dictatorship.
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Thousands of protesters are demanding that Belgium immediately shut down two nuclear reactors because of safety concerns.

German news agency dpa reported that people from Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands formed a human chain across the border triangle of the three countries on Sunday.

Protesters are concerned over the safety of the pressure vessels at the Tihange 2 and Doel 3 reactors in Belgium.

Germany, which plans to switch off all of its nuclear reactors by 2022, is sensitive to concerns about nuclear plants outside of the country.

German Environment Minister Barbara Hendricks urged Belgium last year to take the two reactors offline "until open safety questions are cleared up."

Berlin also has called on France to shut down its oldest plant, at Fessenheim on the German border.
The last week of June will bring some refreshing weather to Fredericksburg.

A reinforcing cold front pushed across the region late yesterday bringing cooler and  more importantly  dryer air down from the Canadian provinces. Today (Sunday) Fredericksburg is the beneficiary of this change in air mass as both dew points and temperatures have dropped into a much more comfortable range. The graphic for 6 a.m. this morning shows many parts of Virginia are 10-15 degrees cooler than yesterday at the same time.

Thermometers today will top out in the mid-80s with decent humidity levels for a nice conclusion to the weekend weather. Breezes out of the west will aid in the comfort of folks heading outdoors this afternoon. Skies will be at least partly sunny as clouds roll through periodically, associated with yesterdays cold front now stalled across the Tidewater area.

Several more weak cold fronts will swing through Fredericksburg over the next 48-72 hours as an upper level trough keeps the Canadian air pointed in our direction. Temperatures on Monday will climb only to the lower 80s after dropping into the upper 50s in many area locations for some awesome sleeping weather tonight. Skies tomorrow look to remain partly sunny as well.

So enjoy this brief late June break from the heat and humidity. Rest assured that both parameters will return with a vengeance during the latter half of the upcoming work week. But then its almost July!
THIS column features a local historic site used as a location for the popular AMC TV series Turn: Washingtons Spies, about the Culper Spy Ring during the Revolutionary War.

Much of one episode was shot at Stratford Hall in Westmoreland County several months ago, during two weeks in February.

The episode with those scenes, called Blood for Blood, aired first Saturday night at 9. But it will air several more times over the coming weeks, as well as being available on demand for those who get the AMC cable channel.

I would have written sooner about this episode filmed in our area, but the cable channel is fairly strict about what can be released by the locations where the show is shot before the episode airs.

Jim Schepmoes at Stratford Hall said that Stalwart Films of Richmond, the production company for AMCs TURN series, filmed at the Westmoreland County home of the Lees of Virginia on weekdays earlier this year from Thursday, Feb. 2 until Tuesday, Feb. 14.

The locations where scenes were shot there included the working gristmill at the 1,900-acre site, as well as at a beach and riverfront on the grounds.

He noted that there were about 200 crew members there each day, with Stratfords visitor center parking lot used as a base camp taken up by several tractor-trailers.

Said Schepmoes: The crew was transported back and forth from base camp by vans. The field in front of the visitor center was used to park the crews vehicles each day. A large catering tent along with other support trucks were setup in the field near the Potomac overlook.

He noted that the crew of 200 stayed locally during their filming, some at Stratford Hall and others spread out at lodging in the county and all the way to Tappahannock in Essex County.

The Stratford Hall spokesman said the weather during this filming ranged from nice, clear February days to one where several snow squalls kicked up along the river.

Schepmoes noted that because the filming was done in February, a relatively slow tourist time for Stratford, the impact on our visitors and our normal operations was very low. The crew normally came in around 7 a.m., and left around 7 p.m., the typical 12-hour-days observed by film crews.

He said the process involved many pre-filming site visits by members of the production crew starting back in October of 2016.

Despite the fact that they would have looked great in their period costumes, no Stratford Hall staffer show up in the filming.

The episode does feature several of the main characters in Turn, including Jamie Bell, who plays spy Abraham Woodhull, Seth Numrich, who portrays soldier Ben Talmadge and Daniel Henshall, who is the rough and tumble spy and fighter Caleb Brewster.

Turn has been a tourism bonus for Virginia, bringing in business dollars for the filming but also used by state tourism officials to generate interest in the wealth of Revolutionary War sites and history in the state.

For more about Stratford Hall, the home of Robert E. and so many other Lees, go to stratfordhall.org.
If you can imagine a list of places people aim to visit, you can bet there are people with that same list out there checking off each place.

The other day I was looking at a book listing the highest spot in each of the 50 states.

Then I remembered a guy I wrote a column about many years ago who was on a determined quest to climb every single one of these natural high points within a single year. That included Alaskas, Denali, the highest point in North America. While Ive long since forgotten his name, he not only reached that peak, he met his goal and bagged all 50 high points in a single year.

The only thing like that I have isnt even a list. Its a goal to visit every single one of the 50 states.

Depending on what you count as a visit, Im pretty close to the end.

If a visit includes stepping onto the soil in a state, then Ive done 49.

But if you define visit as something more substantial, like taking a look around a state or spending the night there, then Im still two states shy of 50.

So what are the missing two? One seems fairly obvious, being farther away and requiring more travel and planning; the other might surprise you.

Here are my missing states in three words: Hawaii, Rhode Island.

Hawaii is the zinger depending on how you define visit. On a 1963 trip to New Zealand aboard a Quantas Airlines Boeing 720, we stopped in the middle of the night in Honolulu for a bit less than an hour to refuel. I got off the plane, walked across the ramp and a lady dropped a colorful lei of real flowers around my neck, said Aloha with a lovely smile and welcomed me to Hawaii.

There was no security to speak of. So I just wandered around the terminal, noting the laid-back ambience; bought a drink, and after perhaps 20 to 30 minutes, reboarded my flight.

No way am I going to count that as a visit to the Aloha State, despite the sociable welcome.

But Rhode Island? I cant really explain how I missed tiny Rhode Island except that you can zoom north and south along the Eastern Seaboard without ever passing through the state with the rather enigmatic motto: Hope.

It isnt even that far from Virginia to Rhode Island. And Ive been to all the other New England states, Maine at least several dozen times as well as most of the eastern Canadian provinces except Newfoundland. But somehow I overlooked tiny Rhode Island, one of the original 13 colonies.

That is a serious embarrassment. Sorry, Rhode Island, Ill have to make up for that.

As for the other 48, the ones I have been to, I am fairly sure I drove to every single one, many of them more than once.

Driving long distances was a pleasant experience in the 1950s, 60s and 70s. Then the interstates came along, traffic exploded, vehicles overran cities and even some towns and the very nature of driving changed.

Driving became a chore; something to endure. Ironically, this happened as cars became faster, more efficient and safer, but driving for fun went out the window.

I loved birds and birding, travel, history and photography. Road trips were great. I was hard-core, piling up tens of thousands of miles in the more than 50 (have lost exact count) cars Ive owned.

New discoveries seemed to lie around every bend in the road. Really. I literally wore out four VW Beetles, among those vehicles. Not to mention the Fords, Alfa Romeos, Porsches, MGs and others.

I traveled the Gulf Coast from Texas to Florida. I drove to New Orleans (Army duty station) many times along two-lane highways. Drove to the Southwest and from New Mexico to the Pacific Northwest, multiple times, marveling at the incredible scenery, unparalleled anywhere I have traveled including most of Europe.

Even after the family came along, we traveled South and West, heading out along the northern border states to Washington and back across the country through the next layer of states below.

I feel like I have taken a pretty good look at America and I totally love it, from Virginia to Kentucky to Indiana to Colorado and Wyoming and on and on and on.

And everywhere I went I found folks to talk with (still do), because thats how you learn what people think, not with an open mouth but with listening ears.

Someday Id imagine Ill do a weekender in Rhode Island. As for Hawaii, Ive come pretty close to doing that trip and Id hate not to have seen it. People I know, whose views I respect, tell me that, if nothing else, I have to explore Kauai and maybe take a peek at Maui.

Time will tell.

Paul Sullivan of Spotsylvania County, a former Free LanceStar reporter, is a freelance writer. Email him at pbsullivan22@gmail.com.
Sharon Tyson smiled as her three youngsters cast fishing lines into a pond at Wilderness Run Vineyards on Saturday, happy to see them enjoying an outdoor activity in the summer sun.

The Tysons were joined by scores of others at the Spotsylvania County vineyard and farm for the special day of fishing, archery, shooting instruction and conservation education.

It was all part of the 2nd annual Greenwing event presented by the Fredericksburg chapter of Ducks Unlimited.

The hunting and conservation group provided poles and worms for the fishing competition and burgers for the young fishermen and their families after theyd worked up an appetite.

Jorge Ibarra, chairman of the local chapter, said that Greenwings is what Ducks Unlimited calls its youth members up to the age of 17.

This day is about getting families to come out with their youngsters and enjoy outdoor activities like fishing, archery and target shooting, he said. Mixed in will be some education about why wetlands and other natural areas are important to us all, and how they need to be conserved.

Tyson, that mother of three whose family lives in Spotsylvania, said she and husband Matthew are like most parents these days. They realize its always a bit of a chore to get youngsters away from television and electronic devices in order to do something outside.

Two of our kids love to come out here and fish, but its still a challenge, she said. Were working hard this summer to minimize time with electronics and do more outdoor activities. It is more of a challenge when its hot outside.

Dave Ross, chairman of the state Ducks Unlimited organization and a Spotsylvania resident, was at Saturdays event. He said it was typical of many held across the state and nation, aimed at getting youngsters interested in traditional outdoor pastimes like fishing, hunting and target shooting.

Its so important to get todays kids outside, said Ross, who travels around the state working with DU chapters on a range of projects. They have so many devices and electronics giving them reasons to stay inside in the AC.

The other message today is the need for more conservation, like the 47,000 acres DU has helped to preserve in Virginia, he said.

Melissa Newman of Stafford Countywhose sons Dylan, 8, and Collin, 6, competed by catching a mess of small bass and bluegill Saturdaysaid the boys grandfather was the one who instilled a love of outdoors for them, taking them fishing and hunting as youngsters.

Keith Harrison, a DU member, brought his children Addie, 11, and Cole, 9, to enjoy the activities at the farm, and was proud to see them bait their own hooks with the provided worms.

They like to be outside, but I guess thats because weve always done outdoor activities, said Harrison. At least, I like to think thats why.

Youngsters who filled the pond area with whoops and hollers whenever fish were caught also enjoyed a small petting zoo of sorts set up at Saturdays event.

It was manned by Mark Kilberg of the Luray Zoo, a facility where injured, rescued or unwanted animals are cared for and released back into the wild when possible.

For this visit, Kilberg brought a beautiful corn snake, a screech owl and a red-footed tortoise for youngsters to see and touch.

He told the youngsters that while many people are terrified of snakes, they perform the valuable duty of killing diseased animals, ending that cycle of disease without passing it on.

Ibarra said that anyone, of any age, interested in joining Ducks Unlimited can contact him via email at chairmanfxbgdu@gmail.com.
RICHMONDThere were prayers, dancing and remarks Saturday at the groundbreaking of the Indian Tribute monument, entitled, Mantle, under shade trees on Capitol Square.

Representatives of more than a half dozen tribes from Virginia and elsewhere and scores of spectators attended. The monument will recognize the legacy and significance of American Indians in Virginia.

The event was hosted by the Virginia Indian Commemorative Commission and the Virginia Capitol Foundation. According to the foundation, Mantle will be in the shape of a nautilus and feature natural landscaping. It will serve as a meditation space, a gathering spot, and as an educational vehicle about Virginias native peoples.

It will be located near the clock tower on the Capitol grounds.

Billy Mills, of the Oglala Lakota (Sioux) tribe and the upset winner of a gold medal in 10,000-meter run at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, was the featured speaker. He said there is a contemporary lesson offered by the centuries-old doctrine of discovery used by European Christians to seize and colonize new lands peopled by pagans.

Mills, himself a Christian, said the doctrine demonstrates, how using free will, individuals have manipulated the teachings of Jesus for their own benefit. The devastation the doctrine of discovery has brought to the tribal nations throughout the Americasand definitely throughout the United Statesis still faced today.

This mantle will tell a story that will empower our young people, that will empower America and will give us opportunities, collectively to choreograph ... our future and build a country that we know we can become, said Mills, a former U.S. Marine Corps officer.

Half Indian and half white, he said, Were a great country, I love this country, but I also live for the day when I know half of me no longer feels something is broken inside and the other half of me understands what I call white privilege.

The ground and the footsteps laid as people visit this mantle will unite America, will give all of us an understanding the future is global unity through the dignity, character and beauty of global diversity, he said.

The Virginia Indian Commemorative Commission was established by the General Assembly and former Gov. Tim Kaine in 2009 to install a permanent monument on Capitol Square to recognize the Virginia Indian tribes legacy.

State Del. Christopher K. Peace, RHanover and the vice chair of the commission, asked those on hand Saturday: What do Americans or Virginians, really know about her native peoples, peoples who have lived on this land for tens of thousands of years? Im sorry to say that most dont know much. I can say that because it was also true of me before I had the privilege and honor of representing three state-recognized tribes and one federally-recognized tribe.

We certainly do not know as much as we should about this important part of all of our history, he said.

Peace said he hoped the installation of the monument will help educate more Virginians.

The Virginia Capitol Foundation said a competition was held in 2013 and the Virginia Indian Commemorative Commission selected artist Alan Michelsons Mantle as the winning design.

As of earlier this month, nearly $400,000including a $100,000 matching grant from the Mary Morton Parsons Foundationhad been raised toward the monuments total cost of $900,000, said the Virginia Capitol Foundation, which is coordinating the fundraising efforts.
PRESIDENT Donald Trumps decision to withdraw the United States from the Paris climate accord has induced a fateful pessimism about what can be expected of the country on this critical issue.

Yet our long experience in Washington has taught us that the transition from the inconceivable to the inevitable can sometimes be very rapid.

The pressure on the administration to find an alternative to Paris will only mount, and its foundations have already been laid in the reasons the president cited for withdrawing. That is, any viable climate solution must promote growth and jobs, be fair to ordinary Americans and prevent other economies from taking advantage of us. It must also meet the broader test of American politics: the ability to appeal to the general public, corporate America and leaders in both parties.

Such a climate plan is not only feasible but is now gaining traction. Last Tuesday, the Climate Leadership Council announced its founding members, a group of companies, opinion leaders and nongovernmental organizations who have joined forces to promote a consensus climate solution based on carbon dividends. We are proud to be part of this distinguished group.

The companies involved represent a cross section of industries: BP, ExxonMobil, General Motors, Johnson & Johnson, PepsiCo, Procter & Gamble, Santander, Schneider Electric, Unilever, Total and Shell. Two top environmental organizations are also involved, as are other opinion leaders from across the political spectrum.

We are convinced that the carbon dividends approach first put forward by one of us (Shultz) along with former secretary of state James A. Baker III a few months ago can strengthen the U.S. economy in ways valued by both the left and right and simultaneously spur global efforts to address climate change. Adopting a carbon dividend approach would pay huge dividends for the global climate, the U.S. economy and U.S. leadership in the world.

Our carbon dividend strategy has four interrelated elements that account for its strength: a gradually rising and revenue-neutral carbon tax; carbon dividend payments made equally to all Americans, to be funded using all the carbon-tax revenue; rollback of costly regulations that were implemented because the environmental costs of carbon fuels have not been incorporated into their price; and a border adjustment tax to ensure a level playing field and U.S. competitiveness.

A carbon tax set at $40 per ton would achieve substantially greater reduction in greenhouse-gas emissions than all of the regulations now on the table. The application of a border carbon adjustment that levied a tax on the carbon content of imported products would incent other countries to adopt carbon pricing, increasing its impact and preventing free-riders. So the carbon dividend approach is best for the environment.

It would also be best for economic growth, which explains why prominent companies are backing it. The alternative to a carbon tax is not the application of the free market. It is the current extensive regulatory apparatus in which government judges the products and production techniques that businesses employ and mandates particular business practices. The enactment of a significant carbon tax justifies the removal of these regulations, thus taking a burden off the economy. And unlike regulation, carbon dividends are consistent with border adjustment, assuring that U.S. firms are not disadvantaged against foreign exporters and carbon-intensive products.

The carbon dividend also represents an important innovation in social policy. Unlike many advocates of carbon taxes, we do not believe this revenue should be earmarked for any form of government spending or for the reduction of other taxes. Rather, we believe it should be rebated as a monthly dividend equally to all Americans.

This approach ensures that working-class Americans benefit financially. Because energy use rises with income and the dividend would be equal for all, the Treasury Department estimates that the bottom 70 percent of Americans would be better off with a carbon dividend plan in a direct sense. At a time when uncertainty about technology and trade looms large for many workers, assuring every American a basic benefit of citizenship with no need to go through an income test or qualification process is desirable.

Finally, there is the question of alternatives. We do not believe the American people will for long wish to stand apart from the global effort to limit the damage from climate change. Nor do we believe that an ever-growing web of government regulation or a proliferating program of subsidies is in our national economic interest. And we share the presidents conviction that in approaching international economic policy, we need to ensure that other nations do not free-ride on the United States.

Only the carbon dividend approach is consistent with these convictions. What we said at the outset here bears repeating: Our experience is that the transition from inconceivable to inevitable can be surprisingly rapid.
VISITORS to the General Motors Futurama pavilion at the New York Worlds Fair of 1939 saw something quite amazing: an automated highway system. It was a dazzling display of thousands of cars and trucks operating without driver assistance, allowing for maximum traffic flow and efficiency.

The Futurama program was the work of famed industrial designer Norman Bel Geddes, who many credit with conceiving what became the first modern interstate highway system.

Today, Bel Geddes, who died in 1958, is being given even more creditfor inspiring a whole new world of automated transportation. While he didnt have the technological solutions back in 1939 to make his system work, he did have a keen vision for the future. Like most visionaries, he left the technology pieces to future generations. And today, his vision is right around the corner.

Todays motor vehicles are becoming increasingly able to monitor their surroundings and respond as needed thanks to automated systems that can interpret data from sensors, cameras and radar-based technologies. These technologies are coming to the marketplace swiftly and will lead to vehicles with ever higher levels of automation. Eventually, well have fully autonomous vehicles.

Yes, this is going to be a real challenge for much of the driving public, particularly those with a fondness for controlling the speed and steering of their vehicle. But, as younger generations like to remind their elders: Youll just have to deal with it.

Ultimately, automated driving systems could usher in a host of benefits, from improved highway safety to reduced emissions and congestion. They might also save money, increase productivity and give more people access to mobility.

Government data shows that driver error is a factor in 94 percent of crashes. For example, fatigued drivers are twice as likely to make mistakes behind the wheel. Driver assists like alarms for a drowsy driver, blind-spot monitoring and lane-departure warnings can help reduce crashes.

When vehicles achieve full automation, the impacts of dangerous behaviors could be cut dramatically. The greatest promise may be reducing the devastation of impaired driving, which causes a third of road fatalities today. In addition, a fully automated vehicle will not exceed the speed limit, thus reducing speed-related crashes.

From an environmental standpoint, automated driving systems are projected to reduce fuel use and, in turn, carbon emissions. Fewer traffic jams will result in lessened fuel consumption and reduced greenhouse gases from needless idling. Also, fewer crashes translates to fewer roadway backups. Available technology like adaptive cruise control keeps a prescribed distance between vehicles, eliminating stop-and-go waves that produce road congestion for no apparent reason.

Of all the benefits of automated vehicles, none will be more welcomed by consumers than those that impact the pocketbook. With this technology, the costs of medical bills, lost work time and vehicle repair will diminish. Insurance costs should also drop. Car sharing, which reduces overall vehicle costs, is expected to become more commonplace.

For the millions of American commuters, less congestion will mean less commuting time and more productivity.

Importantly, fully automated driving systems will provide Americans with more personal freedom. They will allow people with disabilities to travel more independently. They will increase the mobility of the elderly who can no longer drive. And, by reducing the many costs cited above, they will provide more affordable mobility to people at every income level.

While it is still many years away, the automated highway system has the potential of advancing broad shifts in American life. Just as the drive-in restaurant and theater changed lifestyles in the 20th century, automated driving will make even greater changes in the years ahead.

In a nutshell, people will be sitting in their cars, reading, working, talking on the phone or just watching the scenery go by. Those with a yen for performance driving will have to find a track.

As expected, the specter of automated highways has garnered the attention of governments at every level. Federal, state and even local governments are considering the changes coming and how to best regulate them.

Overall, I believe the automated driving system will be a good thing when fully developedgood for safety, the environment and our pocketbooks. The change will be enormous, something on the order of when Henry Ford decided a small internal combustion engine would be better than a horse.

Whatever the future holds, its coming. Buckle your seat belts.
This is in response to columnist Donnie Johnston's tiresome tirade on June 15, "Americans are their own worst enemies." That is not even close to the truth!

We have our isolated American maniacs, that's true. But we also have millions of normal Americans who are loving, kind and helpful to their friends, family and even to strangers they meet.

We also have our American heroes, too numerous to countsuch as the two U.S. Capitol policemen who risked their lives to prevent further carnage in the June 14 shooting disaster at the Alexandria ballfield.

This wasn't the first tirade by Johnston chastising millions of Americans for the actions of a few sick or evil people who happen to live in America. He should stop being Chicken Little; just because an acorn hits one on the head doesn't mean the sky is falling.

I would rather live in America than anywhere else in the world. We have great freedom here.

I submit that anti-American hysteria is not helpful, anyway. We need calm and thoughtful Americans to study and address these acts of senseless, random violence, and try to find deterrents to them.

One of the first things for experts to analyze is, what medications or drugs are these violent people on now or have they been on in the past? How many have been in therapy? What treatment did they receive? What led to each violent event? Are there common denominators?

We need answers, not hysteria.

It would be prudent to make all of our schools and public places safer by giving people the means to defend themselves and their students. We need to plan for the unexpected. We have the capability, and by now we should also have the motivation.

JoAnne Alexander

King George
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A 14-year-old girl was injured when she dropped from a ride Saturday night at a Six Flags amusement park in upstate New York, the sheriff's office said.

The girl was not seriously injured and was in stable condition Sunday morning at the Albany Medical Center, the Warren County Sheriff's Office said.

Employees at The Great Escape & Splashwater Kingdom in Queensbury treated the girl before emergency crews arrived, the sheriff's office said. She was taken initially to the Glens Falls Hospital and later flown by helicopter to Albany.

The girl, from Greenwood, Delaware, was on the Sky Ride, a slow gondola-style attraction. Video shows her hanging by her hands as a crowd 25 feet below reaches up and calls to her. She lets go, strikes a tree limb on the way down, and is caught by people in the crowd.

Sheriff: Safety equipment in working order

The operator had stopped the ride after being told a rider was in distress, the sheriff's office said. It is unclear why the girl was hanging.

CNN tried to reach Six Flags for comment, but the amusement park did not immediately respond to voice and email messages.

Investigators assisted by park personnel inspected the ride and the car the victim had used. They found everything was in proper working order and all safety equipment was intact and operational at the time of the incident, the sheriff's office said.

Another child was also in the car, the sheriff's office said. In the video, that child does not seem to be distressed.

A 47-year-old man from Schenectady, New York, was treated for a back in jury and released from Glens Falls Hospital, the sheriff's office said. He was injured as he tried to catch the teen.
Premier Li Keqiang will attend the Summer Davos Forum in Northeast Chinas Dalian from June 26 to 28.

Premier Li will address the opening ceremony, hold talks with leaders from several countries, including Finland and Sweden, meet some forum participants, and exchange views with representatives from fields such as business, finance, think tanks, and media outlets.

The following highlights focus on this years forum and look back at Premier Lis attendance at past forums.

About Summer Davos Forum

Premier Li Keqiang addresses the opening ceremony of Summer Davos Forum in Tianjin on June 27, 2016. [Photo/Xinhua]

Summer Davos Forum, also known as the World Economic Forums Annual Meeting of the New Champions, is held alternatively in the Chinese cities of Tianjin and Dalian.

Established in 2007, the event has become an important global meeting on innovation, science and technology.

This years forum, under the theme, Achieving Inclusive Growth in the Fourth Industrial Revolution, focuses on how technology and policy innovations can accelerate a more inclusive style of economic growth that prioritizes meaningful job creation and sustainable development.

By June 20, over 2,000 politicians, officials, entrepreneurs, scholars, and media representatives from over 90 countries and regions had registered to attend this years forum.

Premier Li has attended the forum since 2013 and the past four forums were, respectively, held under the themes of Meeting the Innovation Imperative, Creating Value through Innovation, Charting a New Course for Growth, and The Fourth Industrial Revolution and its Transformational Impact.

Premier Lis buzz words at Summer Davos

Premier Li Keqiang speaks to entrepreneurs and business leaders ahead of the Summer Davos in North Chinas Tianjin municipality on Sept 9, 2014. [Photo/Xinhua]

Premier Li mentioned several new concepts, including mass entrepreneurship and innovation, and two engines for economic growth, which later became buzz words within the international society.

During the opening ceremony of the 2014 Summer Davos Forum, Premier Li initially mentioned his plan of promoting mass entrepreneurship through the reform of innovation, and turning the plan into a national strategy, in an effort to forge ahead a nationwide spirit of innovation and entrepreneurship.

In 2017, the UN conference set each April 21 to celebrate World Creativity and Innovation Day and called for more supportive action from each nation.

Premier Li also, for the first time, mentioned the concept of two engines for economic growth during the World Economic Forum in Switzerland in January 2015. The concept includes two parts, creating new engines and upgrading old engines.

According to scholars, the new concept is not only the solution for the future growth of the Chinese economy but also for political and economic issues in the world.

Confidence in Chinas economy

Premier Li Keqiang delivers a speech ahead of the WEF annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland on Jan 21, 2015. [Photo/Xinhua]

The Premier attended and addressed the 2015 World Economic Forum held in Davos, Switzerland. His speech focused on safeguarding peace and stability, promoting structural reform and strengthening new development momentum.

Premier Li used a mathematical problem to express Chinas confidence for its development in the future to the world. And he further explained that Chinas economic scale ranks second in the world with an increasing basic value. Even a growth rate of 7 percent will bring an annual increase reaching over $800 billion. Such a number is larger than a growth rate of 10 percent in the past five years.

China will switch from long-term, high speed growth to medium to high-level growth. Meanwhile, the economic development level will move from low scale to high scale, with rebalanced economic structure and lower risk, to ensure stable growth of the Chinese economy, the Premier said.

In 2016, during Premier Lis dialogue with entrepreneur representatives, he said that China has provided the world with not only a blueprint but supportive actions, which can be realized through entrepreneurs efforts and to achieve win-win results.

Premiers old friend

Premier Li Keqiang (R) meets with Klaus Schwab, founder and executive chairman of the World Economic Forum, in Tianjin, North China, June 26, 2016. [Photo/Xinhua]

Klaus Schwab, founder and executive chairman of the World Economic Forum, is one of Premier Lis old friends. They have met each year since 2013 due to the Davos Forum.
Sessions-Start : Hier finden am 11.11. Partys in Bonn und der Region statt
An opportunity for foodies and beer lovers to get lost in a world of food and drink from a hand-selected range of food trucks and breweries from around New Zealand.
U.S. Department of Defense

Press Operations

News Transcript

Presenter: Colonel Ryan Dillon, Combined Joint Task Force-Operation Inherent Resolve Spokesman; Captain Jeff Davis, Director, Defense Press Office June 23, 2017

Department of Defense Press Briefing by Colonel Dillon via teleconference from Baghdad, Iraq

CAPTAIN JEFF DAVIS: Good morning.

All right, we have -- we have Colonel Ryan Dillon joining us live today from Baghdad for our weekly Operation Inherent Resolve update. Thank you for -- everybody for your flexibility, and Ryan, for you -- for your flexibility in doing this today. We didn't want to go the -- with a week without missing you. So, happy Friday to you.

COLONEL RYAN DILLON: Right back at you, Jeff, and everybody.

CAPT. DAVIS: Ryan, the floor is yours.

COL. DILLON: All right. Thanks a lot.

Hello, everyone. There's a lot to cover this morning. And I know you all have many questions, so let's just jump right into it.

We'll start in Syria and then move to Iraq.

Our partnered force in Raqqa, the Syrian Democratic Forces, are in their third week of offensive operations to unseat terrorist fights from ISIS' de facto capital. The SDF have taken 45 square kilometers of ground from ISIS, in and around Raqqa, this past week. The SDF continue to fight along with three axes towards the center of Raqqa against substantial ISIS resistance.

Moving from the east, the SDF have reached the ancient Al-Rifai (sic Rafiqa) Wall. From the northwest, they continue to push past the sugar factory, amidst well in-emplaced IED-laden defenses, and from the west, they continue steady progress one neighborhood at a time into the city. South of the Euphrates River, the SDF continue to push eastward to retake ISIS-held territory.

On 18 June, last Sunday, a U.S. F-18 Super Hornet shot down a regime SU-22 jet in defense of coalition partnered forces that were operating within an agreed upon regime SDF de-confliction area. And in southern Syria, a U.S. F-15 shot down an Iranian-made Shaheed 129 armed drone as it approached our forces near At Tanf. The regime drone, advancing in a similar manner to their attack on 8 June, was shot down as it approached its weapons employment zone.

The coalition has made it clear to all parties, publicly and through de-confliction line with Russia forces, that the demonstrated hostile intent and actions of pro-regime forces toward coalition and partnered forces will not be tolerated. The coalition reemphasizes that we do not seek to fight Syrian regime or pro-regime forces. Partnered with them, our mission is to defeat ISIS in Iraq and Syria.

Moving to Mosul, in the last two days, Iraqi Security Forces made significant progress, pushing into the old city and also isolating the Al Jamhuri Hospital, severing the two remaining areas held by ISIS.

Emblematic of their own impending destruction, on 21 June, ISIS destroyed the historic Grand Al-Nuri Mosque from which Al-Baghdadi proclaimed the caliphate in July 2014.

The nearly 800-year-old mosque and the famous leaning Al-Hadba minaret stood as a symbol of faith in unity for the people of Mosul. ISIS used this mosque to publicly justify its criminal campaign of genocide, mass rape, slavery and murder.

On Wednesday night, as Iraqi counterterrorism service members moved within 50 meters of the mosque, ISIS detonated it with explosives. Their destruction of the mosque in its -- is another despicable act, another crime that is consistent with the hundreds of other ancient and historic artifacts ISIS has destroyed in their wake.

The time is near when Iraq will celebrate their long-fought victory over ISIS in Mosul. There's no question about that.

And there's no question to the significant effort that will be required to stabilize west Mosul. However, if there was any doubt in Iraqi resolve, in their ability to quickly rebound from adversity, all you need is to go to East Mosul.

Wednesday this week, I accompanied our deputy commander, British Army Major General Rupert Jones, to East Mosul. While there, we met with the chief of police for the Ninawa province, Brigadier General Watiq. He is responsible for security throughout Mosul and its surrounding areas.

General Watiq briefed us from his headquarters, highlighting the fusion of Iraqi police, army and popular and tribal mobilization forces, how they have collectively captured almost 400 ISIS fighters in the last three months in both East and West Mosul, and in IDP camps. He also emphasized that civilians have been an increased source of information leading to arrests and stopping attacks before they happen.

My father used to say, "Don't tell me, show me." Well, after General Watiq's briefing, we went to the Prophet Yunus Market, not far from Mosul University, and got to see firsthand what life is like in East Mosul now.

Driving to the market, multiple crews of 20 to 30 workers were shoveling rubble into wheelbarrows, sweeping the streets and fixing signs and sidewalks. Once we arrived at the market, it was teeming with activity, busy with hundreds of people selling and buying everything you could think of: nuts, fruits, clothes, candy, fish and gold.

And it was brought to my attention that, because of Ramadan, most people were in their homes at the time that we were there, and a shopper -- owner told me, "This is nothing. There are at least double this amount of people after breaking fast at sundown."

And while I saw this with my own eyes, there are some significant figures that further illustrate the progress: 191,000 Moslawis are back in their homes; 350,000 children are back in school; 320 out of 400 schools have reopened; and four of nine water treatment plants are providing water to nearly a million people, with more than 3.5 million liters trucked in daily.

The greater coalition will do all we can in working with Iraqi authorities to make sure that these trends continue, while mindful of the extraordinary, difficult nature of this battle and what lies ahead.

West Mosul stabilization efforts unquestionably will be more difficult. The level of destruction has proved to be more extreme, but the Iraqi resolve, determination and support from the coalition and international community will all help to bring West Mosul back.

In closing out, before I take questions, I would like to recognize that this afternoon at Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado, my predecessor, someone you all know very well, Colonel John Dorrian, is set to retire after 25 years of service to our country. He's a professional, a leader and a mentor. But most importantly, he's just a good dude.

So, in appropriate J.D. fashion, I will now be delighted to take your questions.

CAPT. DAVIS: Let's start with Bob Burns, from the Associated Press.

Q: Thanks, Colonel.

A couple questions related to Russia. Do you have any reason to believe the Russians are incorrect in asserting that they have killed Baghdadi -- al-Baghdadi? Do you have any comment on their cruise missile strike today in Syria? And -- and also, can you give us any update on the activity on a de-confliction line today?

COL. DILLON: All right. Sir, thanks for that.

First off, with the Russian claims of killing al-Baghdadi, we will hold fast with our previous statements in that we do not have any definitive proof to -- to corroborate their claims to that. We certainly would welcome the death of al-Baghdadi, but we do not have any definitive proof to lead us to believe that that is accurate.

Secondly, on the cruise missile strikes that you had mentioned, from Russia, we are still using, and the de-confliction line is open. And it is open for a reason, to make sure that our collective air crews and -- and forces on the ground are operating in a safe manner and that there are no strategic mishaps that happen as a result of un-de-conflicted actions. I think that answers all your questions. Please follow up if you need to.

Q: I do have one follow-up there. You brought those two points together about de-confliction on the cruise missile strike. Are you saying that they -- did they use it to alert you that they were about to do the cruise missile strikes to de-conflict the airspace?

COL. DILLON: We won't discuss every single detail that is talked about on the de-confliction line. I will say that the de-confliction line is in use, and it is in use to make sure that we de-conflict our -- our actions and make sure that our crews -- air crews and ground forces are safe.

CAPT. DAVIS: Next to Laurie Mylroie, from Kurdistan 24.

Q: Thank you, Colonel.

There have been reports that Turkey is reinforcing its military presence in northern Syria in preparation for a -- an attack on the Kurdish Canton of Afrin. Do you have any information on that, and do you have any comment?

COL. DILLON: We have seen these reports as well, but I don't have any further comment to -- to talk about that. Our focus right now is -- in northern Syria, is on Raqqa. And as I mentioned in our opening, the status and the update of our partnering with the SDF and -- and how -- what they're doing there in Raqqa.

Q: So, you don't have any information to judge whether those reports are accurate or not so accurate?

COL. DILLON: We'll just say that we have seen some movement. But, you know, I don't have any further comment on that right now.

Q: Thank you.

CAPT. DAVIS: Okay. Next, to Barbara Starr -- I'm sorry. Nancy Youssef. You were next in line. Nancy Youssef, from Buzzfeed.

Q: I had a question about the operations in Raqqa. There have been allegations on the ground from local groups that the SDF has harmed or killed civilians in and around Raqqa. I'm curious if you've had -- seen similar reports, and had a -- ways to look at them. And is there a means to investigate allegations of civilian casualties by the U.S.-backed SDF?

COL. DILLON: As you know, we will look into civilian casualty allegations. The other thing is that we will also, if we see any kind of violation of Law of Armed Conflict, we have a duty to report that. And we have not seen that. I am not aware of any particular instances or events that have been reported or seen.

But as far as the Syrian Democratic Forces, I do not know if they are investigating or looking into allegations. I certainly know that -- that we are, and we have our process, and we present our civilian casualty report on a monthly basis.

Q: Sorry. To clarify, you look into civilian casualties by U.S. strikes. Is -- you don't look into them for SDF?

COL. DILLON: That is correct. We do not.

Q: And there's -- and -- and it falls, then, on the SDF to look into allegations of civilian casualties?

COL. DILLON: I missed a little bit of that question there, Nancy. What was that again, please?

Q: (Off mic) falls on the SDF to then look into allegations of civilian casualties by their forces. Is that right?

COL. DILLON: Well, I -- I do not know if they are, you know, looking into those or not. I know that we definitely look into ours. Any allegations, we take very seriously. I can't speak for the SDF.

CAPT. DAVIS: Next, Barbara Starr, CNN.

Q: Hi, Colonel Dillon. Thank you for doing this.

A couple of questions: The Mayadin area -- can you bring us up to date on what you see there in terms of an ISIS leadership presence, especially because the last several HVTs that have been killed have been in that area? So -- so what do you think the ISIS presence is in Mayadin? How are you going to get after it?

And, related, what's your assessment now of Russia's ability to actually influence Iranian-backed forces, as well as the regime -- but in particular, Iranian-backed forces -- to steer clear of your forces?

COL. DILLON: Okay. So the -- to the first question about Mayadin, I mean, we are -- are very much looking at ISIS resources, fighters, leaders, not just in Raqqa. That is clearly where our focus is, but if you look into our daily strike releases, you will see that we continue to strike ISIS targets wherever we find them.

And in the -- specific to what you were asking, I don't have the details right here in front of me, but I know that we have struck several HVIs -- high-value targets -- in and around the Abu Kamal, Deir Ezzour and Mayadin area since I've been in this position.

At the end of May, when I was in London, two out of the three HVTs that I had announced were in Mayadin, you had Turki al-Binali, that was announced last week, he was also in Mayadin. And then you have some others in Abu Kamal and Deir Ezzour.

This is still ISIS-held territory, and we know that they have resources, particularly financial resources, in the way of oil revenue producing things that they have in and around Deir Ezzour. So we will continue to strike in these areas when we have the targets, and they do not have any sanctuary -- ISIS has no sanctuary wherever they hold ground.

Now, to your second question about Russia influence over Iran, I can't speak for that. I know that we will continue to use a de-confliction line for the reasons as I've mentioned before, to make sure that our crews and our forces on the ground can stay focused on what it is that they are here to do, which is to defeat ISIS.

Q: But if I could just follow up, at this point now you've had several incidents. More directly, what potential threat do you believe these Iranian backed militias and regime forces continue to pose to your forces and your partner forces in the At Tanf -- Abu Kamal area?

COL. DILLON: Well if the Syrian regime -- and it looks like they are making a concerted effort to move into ISIS held areas. And if they show that they can do that, that is not a bad sign. We are here to fight ISIS as a coalition, but if others want to fight ISIS and defeat them, then we absolutely have no problem with that. And as they move eastward toward Abu Kamal and to Deir Ezzour, if we -- as long as we can de-conflict and make sure that we can focus on what it is we're there to do, without having any kind of strategic mishaps with the regime or with pro-regime forces or with Russians, then that is -- we're perfectly happy with that.

CAPT. DAVIS: Okay next to Jack Detsch, Christian Science Monitor.

Q: Thanks for doing this, Colonel.

I'm curious, sort of, with the shoot down of the Su-22 and, sort of, all of the activity we've had in and around the de-confliction zone. Does that call for a need for an expanded AUMF, given that General Dunford said the 2001 AUMF covered that activity?

COL. DILLON: I'm not familiar with the AUMF, but what I can say is that has -- at least in the course of the last few days, things have gotten back to the way we want them, de-escalated, and we have also been able to focus on what it is that we're doing. So, I don't know if you want to ask further about the AUMF, I'm not familiar with that. But right now we will continue work de-confliction lines and de-confliction channels to make sure that we can focus on what we're doing.

Q: Okay, at least, do you plan on sort of releasing any numbers or -- I mean, it seems like there's been a bit of an uptick in pro-regime forces in and around that area. I mean, do you plan on releasing any numbers that indicate that activity at all?

COL. DILLON: I think what we have -- as far as the -- the strikes that have happened on regime forces and pro-regime forces, we have come forth on that. As far as numbers of the Syrian units and the regime units that are continuing to move east, that is not something that -- that we will provide and give detailed information on.

If you're talking about number of T-72 tanks or technical vehicles or number of soldiers, that is not something I expect that we are going to provide to the public.

CAPT. DAVIS: Joe Tabet, Al Hurra.

Q: Thank you, Colonel Dillon. If I could go back to -- to Baghdadi, if you don't have any information that he was killed, could you confirm that he's still alive?

COL. DILLON: I don't have any particular concrete evidence to say that he is still alive. We certainly know that, if he is still alive, we expect that he has not been able to influence what is currently happening in Raqqa or Mosul, or overall in the -- ISIS as they continue to lose their physical caliphate.

That said, we don't have any concrete evidence on whether or not he's dead, either. So our statement stands and we still cannot confirm with 100 percent of surety that al-Baghdadi has been killed.

Q: Quick -- excuse me, quick follow-up on Mosul. Why do you think ISIS blew up the Al-Nuri Mosque? What's the reason that led ISIS to blow up the mosque?

COL. DILLON: I can't tell you why they would have blown up the mosque. But I will say that it is consistent with the things that they've done in the past. They have absolutely no concern at all for, you know, people's, you know, ancient artifacts or history or -- or anything like that.

I can't even fathom, you know, how ISIS thinks. It is deranged, and their actions are theirs alone. So this doesn't surprise me, that they would do something like this, especially during Ramadan, which goes completely -- even further against Islam. So I can't tell you what they are thinking. I don't know if anybody can.

CAPT. DAVIS: Okay. Next, to Nafeesa Syeed from Bloomberg.

Q: Hi, thanks.

I wanted to get an idea of -- when we talk about continued coalition airstrikes, who's actually carrying out the missions? Is it still mostly U.S.? Or what other countries that are part of the coalition are still actually actively carrying out those strikes, as well?

COL. DILLON: We don't typically get into, you know, the -- the by-aircraft or by-country. But we -- we do have multiple countries that are supporting the coalition, not just in the air, but on the ground. And we will continue to conduct strikes to make sure that our partner forces in both Iraq and in Syria can continue their advance on ISIS in both of those countries.

CAPT. DAVIS: Next, to Tara Copp, Stars and Stripes.

Q: Hey, Colonel Dillon. Could you talk a little bit more about the cruise missile strike, confirm that it was six missiles that were launched, and where they hit?

And at what point was the coalition aware that they were in the air? Was it before launch, or were you tracking them from the ship? Were there any forces ever -- coalition forces ever in danger, either on the ground or aircraft?

COL. DILLON: Tara, I'm not going to, you know, talk on behalf of the Russians. I think that's something that is a question for them, about their strikes.

I just can tell you that the de-confliction line remains open, and it is open for the reason to make sure that our forces are out of the way of potential strikes or potential actions from Russia and any other actors that are working with them.

Q: Did you find out about the launch through the de-confliction line? Or did you find out through other methods?

COL. DILLON: Again, I'm just going to say that the de-confliction line is open and it is working, and we can make sure that our forces are -- can continue to focus on their missions on the ground and in the air.

Q: Once the coalition was aware that there were six missiles headed into Syria, what, I guess, efforts were made to ensure that forces on the ground or aircraft were out of harm's way?

COL. DILLON: If we know through the de-confliction line that there are going to be particular strikes, and our forces are not in the area, then, you know, that is how we want things to be.

So the de-confliction line remains open. We're not going to discuss every detail about what is discussed on that de-confliction line. But I can tell you, in the last 24 hours, 48 hours, we have been able to make sure that we can stay focused on what we're doing without any kind of incursion or strikes or harm to our soldiers and our partner forces.

CAPT. DAVIS: Zachary Biggs, from Jane's.

Q: Thanks.

Colonel, so, after the F-18 shot down the Syrian regime aircraft, the Russians made the threat about coalition aircraft west of the Euphrates. Obviously coalition aircraft have continued to operate in that area, but have any anti-aircraft systems illuminated any of those aircrafts during their operations after that incident?

And then a separate follow-up there, just -- with claimed territory in Syria, what's the organization to make sure that the SDF is able to hold that territory? Obviously in Iraq, you've got the Iraqi military to manage that, but since it's more of a coalition of disparate forces, how is Syrian territory being secured after it's reclaimed?

COL. DILLON: Okay.

So to your first question, in reference to whether or not our aircraft, after the statements made, were painted -- were illuminated, I think, is what you -- the way you brought that up, we were able to continue to operate throughout the rest of Syria. And as I think you may have read from Lieutenant General Harrigian's statement and comments to New York Times, we will continue to operate in areas.

But we're going to make sure that our air crews are -- you know, can manage that safely. And if it takes a specific aircraft with specific capabilities to fly in -- in particular areas, then that is what he will do as a commander. That is what our -- our air crews will continue to do.

We're not going to get into the details on whether or not, you know, certain aircraft were painted. We will take very specific and calculated measures to make sure that our air crews can continue to fly safely.

In reference to your second question on SDF holding areas. I know that, first off, you know, we are continuing to, in particular in Raqqa, and then in -- in Tabqa and to the north of Raqqa. Those are continuing to be SDF held areas as they have beat ISIS in those particular locations. As far as holding that area, and specifically, to who that goes to, that is something that will have to be addressed in the future.

And I don't -- I can't really predict as to what will happen when, you know, either Syrian regime or what the SDF will do after that. I know that we are consistently pushing towards local governance, which is the, you know, the councils and the security forces that liberate areas from ISIS, are representative and responsive to the people in those areas.

Q: Just a quick follow on the first part there, so I am not asking about a specific flight, a specific aircraft, a specific mission. Have any of coalition aircraft been painted, since -- or, we could say in the last month. Have there been coalition aircraft painted during their operations in the area?

COL. DILLON: I do not know that answer. And that is something that I would either point you in the direction of the CAOC, or I can find that out for you, but I -- I do not have an answer to that.

CAPT. DAVIS: Okay. T.M. Gibbons-Neff, Washington Post.

Q: Hey, Colonel Dillon. Thanks for doing this. First question, the second Iranian drone that the U.S. shot down a week or so ago. I believe in the release it said there was -- it was approaching an established combat outpost, which I assume is the outpost at Zeke.

Obviously, there's a training base At Tanf. What is the purpose of that established combat outpost and what's the reasoning behind it? I know Tanf is a key border crossing. What's the strategic significance of Zeke and do you plan on building any other outposts closer to Abu Kamal? And I have a follow-up question on civilian casualties.

COL. DILLON: All right. Okay, T.M., the -- that is correct. It was a combat outpost who was outside of At Tanf. But this is, as we've stated in the past, that this particular area in and around At Tanf is where we have been training with the -- our partner forces for over a year. We been operating out of At Tanf for the -- since the beginning of the year, 2017. But we also continued to conduct patrols out into the Hamad desert, going towards the middle Euphrates River Valley and also further to the west.

Now with the presence of the regime around, we are going to make sure that we continue to de-conflict and make sure that we respect what has been discussed in de-confliction. But what of we are going to continue to do is train our partner forces, and that also includes establishing combat outpost and -- and also going into the Hamad desert area, just as we've been doing for well over a year now.

In reference to -- I think that covers both of them. The outpost towards Abu Kamal. I think I addressed both of them. So if the regime is -- has moved into an area that is towards Abu Kamal, then we are going to be limited to how far out we do patrols with our partner forces.

Q: And then the follow-up question. I think Airwars said today that the U.S.-led coalition killed more than 500 civilians in Syria. I know you guys kind of do a rolling estimate on this.

But how many assessments have you started, your crew of civilian casualty -- the civilian casualty team? How many assessments did you start last month into hostile casualties?

COL. DILLON: So, right now, I am tracking -- currently, the -- we have 38 open allegations. But that, you know, could have, you know, gone up. And that -- the -- the allegations that we have received in May will come out in a couple weeks. So, obviously, that'll give a -- a roll-up of all of the allegations.

We have seen, through Airwars and others, many unsubstantiated social media claims that are taken as -- as face value. And as far as I know, the coalition are the only ones who actually take evidence and, you know, put it together with strike logs and information to give credible assessments after the fact.

We will continue to do that. We will continue to take allegations, and we take them very seriously. But, you know, we are -- we have seen a lot of the numbers, and they're -- they are high. But I think that we are the ones who do the -- the work to come out to a -- a very detailed process that can credibly say whether or not it was credible.

CAPT. DAVIS: Okay, next to Kasim Ileri from Anadolu News Agency.

Q: Actually, my questions have been covered. But I will try to ask it in a different way. Maybe I can get something from him because the answer is still not here.

So, there -- there are reports that are saying that Russians have just informed Turks and Israelis about the cruise missile strikes, and did not inform the U.S. Could you deny -- would you deny those reports? Would you say that the -- the Russians have not informed the U.S. and the coalition that they will strike ISIS targets in Syria with cruise missiles?

COL. DILLON: Again, I'll -- I'll go back, and I'm going to say that the -- the de-confliction line is open, and it remains in place. If -- if Russia or any other actors want to -- want to target ISIS, that is very welcome, and is something that -- that we are okay with.

We are going to continue to use a de-confliction line to make sure that our forces are operating in a safe manner, just in the same way that the Syrian regime or Russian forces, when they are operating in an area, and we want to conduct strikes -- we will use the de-confliction line for that purpose.

Q: De-confliction line being open doesn't really mean that the Russians have informed the coalition that they are going to strike targets in Syria with cruise missiles. The question is whether they have inform -- notified or not, rather than whether de-confliction line is working or not.

COL. DILLON: Well, the -- the de-confliction line serves that purpose. If they have missiles that are, you know, entering into the airspace, and we have aircraft or ground forces that are operating in particular areas where those strikes are to happen or to occur, then that is why the de-confliction line exists. And the de-confliction line is open and it is in use.

CAPT. DAVIS: Okay. Next, to Corey Dickstein, Stars and Stripes.

Q: Hey, sir.

When -- going back to the incident when -- where the U.S. fighter jet shot down the Syrian fighter jet, when the Syrians bombed the SDF controlled areas, were there any U.S. special operations forces or any U.S. forces endangered? I know you don't want to get into exactly where American forces are. But did those strikes, or any Syrian regime actions, endanger American forces?

COL. DILLON: No American forces were injured or -- or killed as a result of this, obviously. Otherwise, it would've been reported. But no, American forces or coalition forces were not in that immediate area when those strikes happened.

Q: And then, just a second one. You -- you said that there is a de-confliction zone where the SDF are operating I -- I guess. Can you kind of explain that? Do you have an -- agree -- you know, some kind of agreement with regime, then, to leave the SDF alone?

COL. DILLON: So, right now, there is a -- a de-confliction line as we have seen the forward line of troops from the Syrian regime and the Syrian Democratic Forces. They have, you know, butted up against one another. We want to make sure that there are measures in place to -- to make sure there are -- are not incursions.

And so, between the Syrian Democratic Forces and the Syrian regime, and then all the way up through the -- the Americans, and the coalitions, and the -- the Russian forces, everyone who is operating in the area, a de-confliction line has been established so that we can make sure that we are focused on what we're there to focus on, and to not have these incursions, and not to have any more strikes as a result of not understanding or knowing where the line is and -- and where each other can operate.

CAPT. DAVIS: Gentleman in the back. I'm sorry, sir. I don't know your name.

Q: Saagar Enjeti, Daily Caller.

Turkish officials say that the Secretary Mattis gave them assurances that armed supply to the SDF would be returned to the U.S. after the Raqqa campaign is over. Can you characterize any systems that are currently in place in order to track these weapons and ensure their return?

COL. DILLON: Well, first off, there was a private letter that went to Secretary Mattis, to his counterpart in Turkey. And -- and that -- that is between -- between them.

We currently have a process in place where we are -- we know, by serial number, the weapons and the equipment that we are providing to the SDF. We are very open and transparent with our Turkish allies to the north, and they understand and -- and know, by serial number and by type of equipment, what those -- what that equipment is, what those weapons are. So, that process is already in place right now. And we will continue to be transparent with our -- our Turkish allies.

Q: So, follow-up question.

Did that -- did that letter not give a guarantee that the arms would be resupply -- would be given back to the U.S. from the SDF after the campaign is over?

COL. DILLON: Yeah, again, you know, that is a private letter that went from Secretary Mattis to his counterpart in Turkey, and I'm not going to, you know, speak -- I'm not going to talk to it, because it's a -- it's a private letter. It's a conversation between those two.

But I will say we have a process in place, and we will continue to use it.

CAPT. DAVIS: Ryan Browne, CNN.

Q: Colonel, thank you for doing this. I just had a couple follow-ups on some of your earlier exchanges.

One, with T.M., I think you said that the -- if the regime put outposts, kind of, near Abu Kamal, that would, kind of, hinder or deter the coalition and -- and its local forces' ability to, kind of, move north into the Euphrates River Valley. Can you clarify that a little bit?

I mean, we are -- we have heard reports that the regime is setting up a lot of outposts. We're setting up these COPs, the regime's setting up these outposts. Is that having an effect? Is that preventing the coalition and the local forces we're backing -- move north against the Euphrates River Valley?

COL. DILLON: So what I was saying about that is that, out of the At Tanf area, we have used that to train our partner forces and to continue to -- to fight ISIS, you know, if they are in and around that area.

You know, now that the regime has moved in, and they have made some significant, you know, progress, as it looks, towards moving to Abu Kamal and perhaps Deir Ezzour, if they want to fight ISIS in Abu Kamal and they have the capacity to do so, then, you know, that -- that would be welcome.

We as a coalition are not in the land-grab business. We're in the killing ISIS business, and that is what we want to do. And if -- if the Syrian regime wants to do that, and they are going to, again, put forth a concerted effort and show that they are -- are doing just that in Abu Kamal or Deir Ezzour or elsewhere, that means that we don't have to do that in those locations.

So I guess that -- what I'm saying is, in the At Tanf area, we will continue to train our partner forces. We will continue to do patrols in and around At Tanf in the Hamad desert. But if our access to Abu Kamal is shut off because the regime is there, that's okay.

Q: And just one follow-up.

You -- you mentioned that the regime is making a concerted effort to fight ISIS, it looks like, now. But you also -- we talked about, you know, that push near Tabqa, where they moved talks and artillery against the SDF. We've seen these drone flights, the bombing run with the Su-22.

I mean, clearly they've also made some efforts against U.S.-backed forces -- coalition-backed forces. What are you -- is there a broader strategic intent, do -- do you ascertain, on the part of the regime to, kind of, you know, challenge forces that the coalition is backing? Or do you think these are just individual, local, localized events?

COL. DILLON: Yeah, Ryan, I can't -- I can't characterize or, you know, guess for what has happened or what -- what happened as a part of the, you know, regime elements. And so I -- I won't speak to it. I know that, you know, there's been some open reporting that has said that they thought that they were fighting ISIS.

Well, I just -- all I know is that, you know, we have established a de-confliction line in the ground where we want everybody to adhere to so that we can focus on what we're there to focus on without having to get into any further skirmishes, any further engagements between regime, SDF, U.S., coalition and the regime or pro-regime forces.

COL. DILLON: I -- you've probably heard me say this 20 times as we look at the transcript, but we want to fight ISIS, and that's what we want our focus to be. And anything that takes us away from doing that is, you know, fewer resources towards doing what we're there to do.

CAPT. DAVIS: Ma'am, on the side.

Q: Cansu Camlibel from Hurriyet in Turkey. Colonel, thanks for (Off mic).

My question on Secretary Mattis' letter to his Turkish counterpart is covered. So I have a second one, and actually, it goes back to Barbara's question on the Iranian-backed militia being active in the -- in the Abu Kamal, Deir Ezzour region.

So just a bit of clarification on this, maybe. When you're talking about, everyone targeting ISIS is welcome so that you don't have to fight with ISIS in those areas, does that specifically include the Iranians, the Iranian-backed militia?

And does that hold for Deir Ezzour specifically?

COL. DILLON: You came in, you know, awfully broken up, but I think you're asking about Iranian militia fighting ISIS as well. You know, we're working through the Russians, and -- as they, you know, talk to the regime and pro-regime elements.

And again, if they are showing a concerted effort towards looking to defeat ISIS and can show that they are doing that and they are actually defeating ISIS, then, like I said, that is not a bad thing. That is what we're there to do, but if others are there to do it as well, then -- then we're okay with that.

CAPT. DAVIS: We -- Laurent is up next, but I'm going to save you, Laurent, to the end, where you're going to get the last question today. So we'll take a couple of follow-ups in advance of that.

Barbara Starr -- new one, or -- new business. Okay. Carla.

Q: Hi, Colonel.

You had just told Ryan that, if access is shut off to Abu Kamal because the regime is there, that's okay. Has that already happened?

COL. DILLON: Well, they are -- between the -- our elements that are currently in At Tanf, and moving to Abu Kamal, to the -- to the northeast. That's not to say that we could not continue to, you know, bring forces in, you know, through another means or another way.

We clearly are continuing to conduct strikes in the area. But I would say that, you know, without having to, you know, work, you know, some kind of -- not deal, but I think that the only way we could get to Abu Kamal right now, if that were something that was even on the -- the table, it would have to be from a different direction or a different location.

But we will continue to strike ISIS targets wherever we find them -- in Abu Kamal, or anywhere else along the Euphrates River Valley going north.

CAPT. DAVIS: Barbara, I think you had a follow-up.

Q: I need to come back on this very same point, because I -- I'm just sort of really not understanding this.

You seem to be saying, Colonel, that U.S.-backed forces, leaving aside airstrikes for the moment -- that U.S.-backed forces will now potentially -- and U.S. forces will now potentially defer to both the Syrians and the Iranians on the ground if you believe they're fighting ISIS.

I don't know -- if you believe they're making a concerted effort. What does a concerted effort, from a military standpoint, mean? Do you wait to see if they're striking ISIS targets? How long do you wait? Do you ask the militias that -- the people that you're training to wait?

Is this a new policy of the U.S., to wait? And you've suggested a deferring on the ground to the Syrian regime and to the Iranian-backed forces, and I'm just not clear what that means.

COL. DILLON: All right. I don't know if there's a specific question in there, but I guess what I would say is that -- not guess what I would say. What I will say is that, clearly, our focus right now is on the fight in Raqqa. And we're supporting our, you know, Syrian Democratic Forces there.

So, we are going to see that through. And once we call the liberation, or once Raqqa has been liberated, then we have to see, then, where else is there to go, where else is there ISIS-held territory.

And right now, we know that ISIS-held territory is along the middle Euphrates river valley. But is that going to, you know, still be true at the end of the fight in Raqqa? We're going to have to see that. We're three weeks into Raqqa right now. And we've made, you know, significant process. But we know that there's still a -- a difficult fight ahead.

So we will have to evaluate and see where ISIS still holds territory after the fight of Raqqa. Clearly, right now, that's along the middle Euphrates river valley. And, as you asked in your first question, we will continue to strike resources and leaders throughout that middle Euphrates river valley -- in Mayadin, Abu Kamal, Al-Qaim.

So, again, we're going to have to see where things go after Raqqa. And we'll see what the -- where the regime is at that point, and if they are in fact making an effort to defeat ISIS in their -- in those ISIS-held territories.

Q: You're talking -- you were talking much more near-term, I thought -- that you see regime forces moving, you know the Iranian-backed militias are moving, and that the coalition -- the U.S.-led coalition is now going to defer, if you see them making progress against ISIS. So, are -- is it U.S. military policy now to defer to the regime and to the Iranian-backed militias?

COL. DILLON: All right, I -- maybe -- it's a -- it's awfully nascent, right now, to be able to say where -- where -- where the Abu Kamal and the Deir Ezzour, you know, fight is going to be, and where the regime is going to be. They are moving along in that direction right now.

But, again, it's something -- I -- I don't see that as, necessarily, near term, and I just told you where our focus is. But we will have to see, in the future, after Raqqa -- and see where everybody else is in and around Syria at that time.

CAPT. DAVIS: Zach, did you have a follow-up?

Q: Yeah, I wanted to go back to something Nancy asked about. So when the SDF was initially getting armed with coalition arms last month, we were told that both there was a database being kept of the arms, and that trainers and advisers were -- who are embedded with the SDF would be keeping an eye on how the weapons are used, to make sure that they are being used specifically against ISIS.

If those arms are being used by the SDF and resulting in civilian casualties, are those trainers and advisers obligated to report those incidents up the chain of command that would disclose some of those civilian casualties that are -- could be the result of use of coalition arms?

COL. DILLON: I'm not going to speculate, you know, if-type questions. So, you know, we haven't seen that to -- to date, right now. We do have advisers who are -- advise and accompany and assisting our Syrian Democratic Forces, and they are there with them.

So -- not going to speculate on something that hasn't happened yet.

(CROSSTALK)

Q: Yeah.

Sir, I just had a follow-up on -- on just Raqqa in general. Haven't really heard much about it, as far as the defensive belt, and -- and, basically, what are the -- the SDF casualties looking like? I don't know if you can give a specific number, if they're heavy or moderate.

Thanks.

COL. DILLON: Yeah, I'm not going to go ahead and -- and give you numbers at all.

What I will say is that, in the first two weeks, there was significant progress -- very, you know, quick progress that was made.

The SDF in the advance have since hit some significant resistance from ISIS. And now we are starting to see some of these, you know, better-emplaced defenses as we have gotten to the places where we have -- where we have advanced to in the campaign in and around Raqqa.

But I'm not going to give you numbers. I will say that the resistance by ISIS has steadily increased in this last week.

CAPT. DAVIS: We wanted to save our last question today for Laurent Barthelemy from Agence France-Presse.

In -- as Ryan drinks an extra dose of truth serum in advance of your final question, I just wanted to say, on the behalf of the Department of Defense, thank you for faithfully covering this department for the past five years -- only two? It seems like you've been in town longer, I guess.

But you have been great to work with. You have reported on us faithfully, aggressively, honestly, and we're sad to see you moving back to France. You also have the coolest accent of anybody in the Pentagon press, and we will miss you.

So with that said, sir, the floor is yours.

Q: Thank you very much. I appreciate what you said. Thank you.

Colonel, you have said that you would be perfectly happy to de-conflict with the Syrian regime forces in their push towards Deir Ezzour and Abu Kamal. Just to be clear, are you actually asking the regime to share informations with the coalition on the moves, on the intention? And -- and would you -- would you consider some kind of direct conversation with the regime forces on their move?

COL. DILLON: Thanks, Laurent.

So, no, we are not talking with the regime. But clearly we are able to see their advance and where they are on the battlefield.

And when I said, you know, "perfectly happy," I think I meant perfectly happy with the defeat of ISIS, regardless of who it is who -- who is able to do that. So if I said perfectly happy with the regime, you know, moving, I want to just clarify that we're perfectly happy with, you know, ISIS being defeated, regardless of who that is.

That said, you know, we -- we are -- are -- we can see their movements and how far along they are moving. That's -- that's -- we're not coordinating with them or de-conflicting with them. That de-confliction remains solely with the Russian forces.

Q: And just -- just a quick follow-up: Would you say that it could be the regime that finally leads the last battle against ISIS in Syria in the Euphrates River Valley?

COL. DILLON: I mean, I'm not going to -- I will say it is -- is it likely or probable? I don't know. But that could be the case. Again, we're going to have to see where everybody is, and how the collective efforts of defeating ISIS, in our own particular ways, where everything is going to pan out at the very end.

But the one thing that is constant and consistent throughout both Iraq and Syria is that ISIS is losing, and their losses are irreversible. And we know that that time will happen when there's no longer a physical caliphate, and we'll be -- that is what our mission here, is to defeat ISIS in Iraq and Syria, and we want to accomplish that.

CAPT. DAVIS: All right. Thank you, Ryan, very much for your time today.

And for everybody, have a good weekend.

Thank you, Laurent, and Godspeed to you.

Q: Thank you.

COL. DILLON: Thank you.

Thanks, Laurent, and safe travels.

http://www.defense.gov/News/News-Transcripts/Transcript-View/Article/1227963/

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Israel strikes Syrian tanks, post in occupied Golan Heights

Iran Press TV

Sat Jun 24, 2017 3:58PM

Israeli fighter jets have carried out a series of airstrikes against a number of Syrian army targets near the Golan Heights after several mortar shells exploded in an open area in the occupied territory.

The Israeli army announced in a statement on Saturday that some 10 rounds of mortar, presumably errant fire from Syrian factions fighting each other, had hit around Syria's strategic southwestern region of Quneitra near the border with Israeli-occupied Palestinian territories.

The statement added the projectiles did not cause any damage or casualties.

The Israeli army said its airstrikes struck two tanks and a post from which the mortars were allegedly fired.

On April 21, Israeli warplanes launched an attack against Syria's Golan Heights after mortar fire from the Arab country landed in an open area in the occupied territory.

The official Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA), citing unnamed military sources, said Israeli fighter jets had fired two missiles at a military position in the vicinity of Khan Arnabah town in the countryside of Quneitra, causing material damage.

During the past few years, Israel has frequently attacked military targets in Syria in what is considered an attempt to prop up terrorist groups that have been suffering heavy defeats against Syrian government forces.

Back in April 2015, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu officially admitted for the first time that the regime's military had conducted strikes in Syrian territory.

Damascus says Israel and its Western and regional allies are aiding Takfiri terrorist groups operating inside the Arab country, while the Tel Aviv regime's military carries out such sporadic strikes against Syrian government forces. The Israeli regime has even set up field hospitals to treat wounded militants evacuated from Syria.

Moreover, the Syrian army has repeatedly seized huge quantities of Israeli-made weapons and advanced military equipment from the foreign-backed militants inside Syria.

Israel seized the Golan Heights from Syria after the 1967 Six-Day War and later occupied it in a move that has never been recognized by the international community. The regime has built dozens of settlements in the area ever since and has used the region to carry out a number of military operations against the Syrian government.

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UAE not after regime change in Qatar, but behavioral change: FM

Iran Press TV

Sat Jun 24, 2017 1:55PM

The United Arab Emirates says it does not seek "regime change" in Qatar but only demands a "behavioral change" in the Arab country, as an unprecedented diplomatic crisis in the Persian Gulf region seems headed for a stalemate.

UAE Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Anwar Gargash made the remarks in a press conference in Dubai on Saturday, adding that his country, along with Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Egypt, would sever relations with Doha if it did not agree to the requested list of demands.

"The alternative is not escalation, the alternative is parting of ways, because it is very difficult for us to maintain a collective grouping," he told reporters, reiterating warnings he had voiced against Doha on Friday.

His comments came hours after Qatar's Ministry of Foreign Affairs officially announced that it had received a list of demands from Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt on Thursday, a day before news agencies reported that Doha had been given a copy of the 13-point demand list by Kuwait, a key mediator in the crisis.

The four Arab countries have demanded that Qatar shut down the Doha-based Al Jazeera broadcaster, sever diplomatic ties with Iran, close down a Turkish military base in Qatar and pay an unspecified sum in reparations. The wealthy Persian Gulf country is also given 10 days to look into the demands and comply with them. Qatar's Foreign Ministry said it was reviewing the demands and was preparing an official response.

Earlier today, Sheikh Saif al-Thani, the director of Qatar's government communications office, said the so-called demands were not "realistic", adding that they were neither "reasonable" nor "actionable."

The unprecedented crisis was created on June 5, when Riyadh, Manama and Cairo cut ties with Doha, officially accusing it of supporting "terrorism" and destabilizing the region. Qatar, however, has slammed the measures as unjustified, saying they are based on false claims and assumptions.

In their apparent bid to secure Washington's support and that of Israel, the four states suspended all land, air and sea traffic with Qatar, expelled its diplomats and ordered Qatari citizens to leave their countries.

To further pressure Qatar, Saudi Arabia has totally closed its land border with its tiny neighbor, through which much of Qatar's food supply crossed. Iran and Turkey are now providing Qatar's required food supplies. The Persian Gulf Arab states further gave Qataris two weeks to leave their countries and ordered home their own citizens living in Qatar.

"This list of demands confirms what Qatar has said from the beginning, the illegal blockade has nothing to do with combating terrorism, it is about limiting Qatar's sovereignty, and outsourcing our foreign policy," Sheikh Saif said.

Doha has already reached out to the boycotters for de-escalating negotiations but has also said it will not allow its neighbors to dictate its sovereign affairs. It has also said it will not enter negotiations unless the blockade is lifted.

Some analysts believe that the list of demands is actually aimed at dismantling Qatar's two-decade-old alleged interventionist foreign policy, which has enraged its Arab neighbors, particularly Saudi Arabia.

The punitive measures against Qatar have drawn condemnation from rights groups, including Amnesty International, which says the diplomatic dispute has been toying with thousands of lives.

The coordinated move against Doha is spearheaded by Riyadh, which often manages to have its vassal states fall into line. Saudi Arabia itself is known as the main sponsor of the violent Wahhabi terrorists it has accused Qatar of supporting. Some analysts believe the Saudi anger is rather because Qatar acts more independently of Riyadh, including in its relations with Iran.

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Saudi, allies demands not 'realistic': Qatar

Iran Press TV

Sat Jun 24, 2017 12:29AM

Qatar says the demands presented by Saudi Arabia and three of its allies that have imposed a blockade on Doha are not "realistic", as the unprecedented diplomatic crisis in the Persian Gulf region seems headed for a stalemate.

"We are reviewing these demands out of respect for... regional security and there will be an official response from our ministry of foreign affairs," Sheikh Saif al-Thani, the director of Qatar's government communications office, was further quoted as saying by Reuters on Saturday.

He added that US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson had recently called on the boycotters to draw up a list of grievances that was "reasonable and actionable."

"This list does not satisfy that criteria," Sheikh Saif added.

Meanwhile, Qatar's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement that Doha had received "a paper, on June 22, containing demands from" Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Egypt, confirming reports by news agencies on Friday that Doha had been given a copy of the 13-point demand list by Kuwait, a key mediator in the crisis, the day before.

"The State of Qatar is currently studying this paper, the demands contained therein and the foundations on which they were based, in order to prepare an appropriate response," added the statement by Qatar's Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The wealthy Persian Gulf country is given 10 days to look into the demands and comply with them.

Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Egypt, and the UAE severed ties with Qatar on June 5, officially accusing Doha of supporting "terrorism" and destabilizing the region. Qatar, however, has slammed the measures as unjustified, saying they are based on false claims and assumptions.

In their apparent bid to secure US support and that of Israel, Riyadh, Manama, Cairo and Abu Dhabi suspended all land, air and sea traffic with Qatar, expelled its diplomats and ordered Qatari citizens to leave their countries.

To further pressure Qatar, Saudi Arabia has totally closed its land border with its tiny neighbor, through which much of Qatar's food supply crossed. Iran and Turkey are now providing Qatar's required food supplies. The Persian Gulf Arab states further gave Qataris two weeks to leave their countries and ordered home their own citizens living in Qatar.

The four Arab countries have demanded that Qatar shut down the Doha-based Al Jazeera broadcaster, sever diplomatic ties with Iran, close down a Turkish military base in Qatar and pay an unspecified sum in reparations.

Doha has reached out to the boycotters for de-escalating negotiations but has said it will not allow its neighbors to dictate its sovereign affairs. It has also said it will not enter negotiations unless the blockade is lifted.

The punitive measures against Qatar have drawn condemnation from rights groups, including Amnesty International, which says the diplomatic dispute has been toying with thousands of lives.

The coordinated move against Doha is spearheaded by Riyadh, which often manages to have its vassal states fall into line. Saudi Arabia itself is known as the main sponsor of the violent Wahhabi terrorists it has accused Qatar of supporting. Some analysts believe the Saudi anger is rather because Qatar acts more independently of Riyadh, including its relations with Iran.

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Qatar Shuns 'Unreasonable' Saudi-Led Demands To Cut Ties With Iran, Shut Al-Jazeera

June 24, 2017

Qatar on June 24 labelled as "unreasonable" demands made by four Arab states to shutter the Al-Jazeera network, cut most ties with Iran, and close Turkey's air base as the price of ending a regional boycott of the small Persian Gulf state.

The demands were included in a 13-point list presented to Doha as an ultimatum by Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Bahrain, and the United Arab Emirates which went well beyond the original reason those states cited for snubbing Doha -- that it was funding and harboring "terrorists."

"This list of demands confirms what Qatar has said from the beginning: the illegal blockade has nothing to do with combatting terrorism. It is about limiting Qatar's sovereignty, and outsourcing our foreign policy," Sheikh Saif al-Thani, director of Qatar's government communications office, said.

Thani said the demands are not "reasonable and actionable" -- two criteria laid down by the U.S. State Department this week in an attempt to mediate the dispute.

The department did not comment on the list of demands on June 23, but the White House appeared to distance itself from the dispute, calling it a "family issue" that should be sorted out among the Arab states.

Based on reporting by AP, AFP, and Reuters

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/qatar-shuns- unreasonable-saudi-led-demands-cut-ties-iran- shut-al-jazeera/28576443.html

Copyright (c) 2017. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

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China Reiterates Warning to India Not to Meddle in South China Sea

Sputnik News

13:50 24.06.2017

China has again warned India to stay out of the South China Sea and the geopolitics that surrounds it. It asked both India and the US not to disturb peace in the region which Beijing considers its backyard, just a few days ahead of the Modi-Trump meeting in the US.

New Delhi (Sputnik)  Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is visiting the United States for bilateral talks with President Donald Trump on June 25 during which the South China Sea issue is likely to be discussed.

"India and the US should not disturb peace in the South China Sea and play a constructive role in the disputes," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang said.

"With concerted efforts of China and ASEAN countries, the situation there is cooling down. We hope other countries especially non-regional countries can respect the efforts by the non-regional countries to maintain peace and stability in the South China Sea and play a constructive role in this regard," Geng Shuang said.

It's not the first time that China has warned India to stay from the disputed region. China claims almost all of the South China Sea which is the bone of contention as other countries such as Malaysia, Philippines, Taiwan, Brunei and Vietnam also have their counter claims.

 Sputnik

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Cameroon Says Attacks Increased During Ramadan

By Moki Edwin Kindzeka June 24, 2017

Cameroon has dispatched its defense minister to its northern border with Nigeria following a recent series of suicide bomb attacks that has left dozens dead. Militant group Boko Haram is believed to be behind the carnage. The central African state says the bombers have infiltrated markets and mosques as end of Ramadan feast draws near.

Medical staff at the Mora hospital on Cameroon's northern border with Nigeria have attended to at least 50 people injured in six suicide bomb attacks in the towns of Mora and Kolofata within 24 hours. Among the medical staff brought in from the neighboring town of Maroua is Dr. Jean Daniel Essam Sime.

He says they are struggling to save the life of a woman who was brought to them with parts of her abdomen and legs cut off, as well as a breast feeding 40-day old baby whose hands were injured.

Security stepped up

Among the wounded is 37-year old self defense group member Younoussa Ousmanou. He says he got wounds from explosives detonated by one of the bombers. He says two of his colleagues died. Ousmanou says he is going back to join other members of the self defense groups in protecting their villages.

He says they noticed that attacks had increased during Ramadan and decided to assist the military by intensifying control along the border zones with Nigeria where most of the suspects come from. He says they work round the clock in groups of ten dispatched to all road junctions and all entrances to their villages.

Midjiyawa Bakari, governor of the far north region of Cameroon says the six teenage suicide bombers, including 3 females, came from Nigeria to target areas with crowds of people. He says 15 suicide bomb attacks have killed dozens in Mora and Kolofata within the past 10 days.

He says while waiting for Cameroon's defense headquarters in Yaounde to take more drastic measures to stop suicide bombing, he has instructed the military in his region to create security belts around border zones and in affected villages to assure the security of all. He says the military should double vigilance, be very rigorous in control and seal all border zones used by suicide bombers.

Clerics instructed to be watchful

Moussa Oumarou, president of the Cameroon Association of Muslim Dignitaries and Imams says they have sent members to the area to educate the population and instruct local Muslim clerics to be watchful. He says the attacks are increasing because terrorists use the holy month of fasting to deceive young Muslims that if they die fighting for Allah they will go straight to paradise.

Oumarou says it is imperative for Muslim leaders to teach all of their faithful, especially the youths that terrorists are using Islam to kill and destroy. He says the population should be made to understand that Islam is synonymous to peace and tolerance and has nothing to do with radicalization.

Saturday Cameroon dispatched its minister of defense, Joseph Beti Assomo, and its top military leadership to the northern border with Nigeria to reinstate peace and security as Muslims prepare to celebrate the end of Ramadan.

The UNHCR reports that the Boko Haram insurgency in Nigeria and its spill over to neighboring Cameroon, Chad and Niger has caused the displacement of more than 2.7 million people and killed 25,000.

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Mecca Terror Plot Foiled, Saudi Authorities Say

By Edward Yeranian June 24, 2017

Saudi forces disrupted a terrorist plot to attack worshippers Friday in the vicinity of Mecca's Grand Mosque, a spokesman for the Interior Ministry said Saturday.

Attempts by security forces to storm a terrorist lair on a narrow side street near the mosque, however, prompted a man holed up inside an upper-story flat to blow himself up, causing part of a building to collapse and wounding a number of people.

The ministry spokesman, General Mansour Ben Turki, told Arab media that the suspects had ties to the Islamic State terrorist group. A ministry statement said the plotters' "evil and corrupt ... schemes were directed from abroad," but did not say by whom.

No one has claimed responsibility for the attempt. Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, blamed Saudi Arabia for two recent terror attacks in Tehran, one at the Iranian parliament and the second at the tomb of revolutionary leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini.

Saudi news channel al-Ekhbariya showed several vehicles damaged by falling rubble and a structure with collapsed upper stories after Friday's explosion. Saudi-owned al-Arabiya TV reported that nearly a dozen people were wounded. Five terrorists, including a woman, were reportedly captured in raids prior to the explosion. Three terrorist cells were allegedly uncovered, two in Mecca and one in Jeddah.

Recent arrival

A resident living in the narrow maze of side streets surrounding the building that collapsed said that the terrorist who blew himself up "had arrived just recently, renting a flat for the month of Ramadan." He added that no one in the area "really knew who the man was or where he was from."

Saudi media compared Friday's attack to a series of suicide bombings in the holy city of Medina last year, during the final hours of Ramadan. At that time, a man, cornered by security forces in a parking lot near the Prophet's Mosque, blew himself up, killing and wounding a number of policemen.

Hilal Khashan, who teaches political science at the American University of Beirut, told VOA that it was unclear whether the man who blew himself up was actually plotting a terrorist act near Islam's holy shrine, or whether he was "just part of a terrorist sleeper cell and preferred to blow himself up rather than be captured by police."

The alleged plot was uncovered just days after a dynastic shake-up in which former Saudi Crown Prince and Interior Minister Mohammed bin Nayef was replaced by his younger cousin Mohammed bin Salman. Khashan pointed out that bin Nayef had a solid record of fighting terrorism, "defeating al-Qaida in Saudi Arabia" following a wave of terrorist attacks starting over a decade ago.

"It will take time," Khashan said, "to determine if the shake-up [replacing bin Nayef as interior minister] will have an effect on terrorism."

Credit to bin Nayef

Middle East analyst Theodore Karasik insisted that "credit should be given" to bin Nayef "for the the capabilities of the Saudi Interior Ministry." He added that some commentators were comparing this failed attack to the storming of the Grand Mosque in 1979 by pro-Iranian militants, but he thought the "comparison is mistaken," since the foiled plot was on a much smaller scale, "meant to inflame, rather than [physically] hold ground."

Hundreds of people were killed after that 1979 terror attack, in which militants claiming allegiance to the then-recent Iranian Revolution stormed the Grand Mosque compound and held it for several weeks, demanding an end to the Saudi monarchy.

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Trump approves sale of drones to India: Report

Iran Press TV

Sat Jun 24, 2017 1:10AM

The administration of US President Donald Trump has authorized the sale of more than 20 unarmed surveillance drones to India, the manufacturer says.

Last year, India submitted a request for 22 Guardian MQ-9B unmanned aircraft for maritime surveillance as part of a deal worth about $2 billion.

Trump authorized the sale, the manufactures said on Friday, but the offer is still subject to congressional approval.

"We are pleased that the US government has cleared the way for the sale of the MQ-9B Guardian to the Indian government," Linden Blue, CEO of the manufacturer, General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, said in a statement.

It would "significantly enhance India's sovereign maritime domain awareness in the Indo-Pacific," Blue added.

A congressional staffer familiar with the matter also confirmed the approval by the Trump administration.

This comes as Trump and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will meet at the White House on Monday.

The administration's green light marks a further deepening in defense relations between the two countries.

Although Trump has so far focused on outreach to China, India's strategic rival, Washington and New Delhi both share concerns about China's rise as a military power.

India reportedly plans to use the drones for surveillance of the Indian Ocean where China's navy has increased its presence after establishing its first overseas base in the Horn of Africa nation of Djibouti.

A senior White House official said Friday that Washington wants India to have the kind of high technology it provides to its closest allies and defense partners.

The US and India do not have a formal alliance, but defense relations have improved in recent years as the US has raised its defense sales to India and two have increased their joint drills as well.

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Iran's Nuclear Chief Warns U.S. Against Tilting Power Balance In Middle East

RFE/RL June 24, 2017

Iran's atomic energy chief Ali Akbar Salehi, who helped forge the 2015 nuclear agreement, warned the United States on June 23 against upsetting the balance of power in the Middle East by siding with arch-rival Saudi Arabia.

Writing in The Guardian newspaper, Salehi said Tehran views a "lavish" deal U.S. President Donald Trump's administration recently announced to sell Saudi Arabia $110 billion in weapons as "provocative."

"This is especially the case if the national defense efforts of Iran...are simultaneously opposed and undermined," he said, alluding to steps the Trump administration has taken to increase U.S. sanctions on Iran for developing ballistic missiles even as it has ramped up arms sales to Riyadh and its allies.

"It would be unrealistic to expect Iran to remain indifferent to the destabilizing impact of such conduct," said Salehi, an MIT graduate who has also served as Iran's foreign minister and was a senior negotiator on the nuclear deal.

Salehi stressed that Washington's strong tilt toward Tehran's rivals in the Middle East not only risks setting off a regional arms race and "further tension and conflict" in the region, but it imperils the "hard-won" nuclear deal, which took two years to negotiate.

If the nuclear deal is to survive, he said the West must change course. "The moment of truth has arrived."

Trump and the Saudis frequently blame Iran for wars ranging from Yemen to Syria, as well as for restive minority Shi'ite populations within the borders of the kingdom and other Persian Gulf states ruled by Sunni Muslims.

The Saudis, like Trump, were strongly opposed to the nuclear deal. But while Trump has promised to "dismantle the disastrous deal," he has not so far taken any concrete steps to do so.

His administration has indicated it will adhere to the deal, which requires Iran to curb its nuclear activities in exchange for the lifting of international sanctions, as long as Tehran continues to do so.

But Salehi's article in the Guardian suggested that -- what Iran says is -- its so-far strict honoring of the deal may come into doubt in the future if the United States continues to disregard Iran's "genuine security concerns" and "stokes Iranophobia" in the region.

Salehi urged the United States and its Western partners to "save" the nuclear deal with "reciprocal gestures" showing a commitment to engagement with Iran.

Iranian voters recently showed their preference for engagement with the West by re-electing President Hassan Rohani with his pro-Western platform, but "engagement is simply not a one-way street and we cannot go it alone," Salehi said.

"Unfortunately, as things stand at the moment in the region, reaching a new state of equilibrium might simply be beyond reach for the foreseeable future," he said.

With reporting by AFP and The Guardian

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-nuclear -chief-wars-us-against-tilting-power-balance-middle- east-saudi-arms-sales-/28576396.html

Copyright (c) 2017. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

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Under 200 Daesh Terrorists in Mosul as Iraqi Forces Prepare for Final Assault

Sputnik News

18:22 24.06.2017(updated 18:24 24.06.2017)

Less than 200 militants of Daesh (banned in Russia) terror group are still in Mosul as Iraqi forces prepare for a decisive storming of the city center, media reported Saturday, citing military sources.

MOSCOW (Sputnik)  On Thursday, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider Abadi said Mosul was likely to be cleared of terrorists within days.

"The Daesh occupies only 500 square meters [approximately 5,382 square feet ] in the center of the old city, where no more than 200 radicals, including snipers and suicide attackers, are staying," the sources said, as quoted by the Al Arabiya broadcaster.

The broadcaster noted that the Iraqi forces from various structures, including elite anti-terror units, are deployed near the landmark al-Nuri mosque, which was reported Wednesday to have been blown up by the Daesh militants.

Mosul has served as the Daesh headquarters in Iraq since the group's invasion from Syria in 2014. On February 18, Abadi announced the start of operations to liberate the city. Iraqi and the US-led coalition forces freed its the eastern part in late January 2017, with fighting is now ongoing to complete the liberation.

 Sputnik

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Death Toll Climbs To At Least 85 In Pakistani Attacks

RFE/RL's Radio Mashaal June 24, 2017

Pakistani officials say the death toll from twin explosions in the northwestern town of Parachinar has risen to 67, bringing total deaths from multiple attacks across Pakistan on June 23 to at least 85.

The death toll could rise further as local government and hospital officials in Parachinar said on June 24 that many of the victims of the attacks are in critical condition.

Dr. Zulfiqar Ali, an official at a state-run hospital, told RFE/RL's Radio Mashaal that they had received 261 victims from the twin attacks, with dozens in critical condition.

Ali said 61 people with severe injuries were airlifted to a hospital in Peshawar, a main city in Pakistan's northwest.

The Sunni extremist group Lashkar-e Jhangvi claimed responsibility for the blasts at a crowded market in Parachinar, a predominantly Shi'ite town in the Kurram Tribal Agency. Kurram has a history of sectarian violence between Shi'ite and Sunni Muslims.

Police say the two blasts went off almost simultaneously near a bus terminal at Parachinar's Tori market that was packed with people buying food to break their Ramadan fast.

The second blast occurred as people rushed to help those injured in the first explosion.

Three others were killed in Parachinar hours later when security officers opened fire to disperse demonstrators who gathered to condemn the attacks and demand authorities provide better security.

Local elders say police opened fire at protesters, but authorities insist that officers fired into the air.

RFE/RL's correspondent in Parachinar says that all markets and shops were closed on June 24 in a protest of authorities' failure to provide security.

In the southwestern city of Quetta, 13 people, including seven policemen, were killed and 20 injured in a suicide car bombing on June 23. Two different militant groups -- a breakaway Taliban faction and the Islamic State -- claimed the Quetta attack.

On the evening on June 23, unknown attackers gunned down four police officers at a roadside restaurant in the southern port city of Karachi.

The latest wave of violence hit Pakistan as people prepare to celebrate the festival of Eid marking the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan on June 26.

With reporting by AP, dpa, and the BBC

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/death-toll-70- pakistani-attacks/28576851.html

Copyright (c) 2017. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

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Syrian forces advance on Daesh-held Dayr al-Zawr province

Iran Press TV

Sat Jun 24, 2017 6:29AM

Syrian army forces, supported by allied fighters, have reportedly managed to advance on the Daesh-held eastern province of Dayr al-Zawr for the first time since 2014 days after an Iranian missile strike against terrorist positions there.

Backed by pro-government forces, "the Syrian army entered Dayr al-Zawr Province from the southeast, near the Iraqi border," the so-called Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) said on Friday.

SOHR Head Rami Abdel Rahman noted that the Syrian forces had advanced eight kilometers into the province and were just 12 kilometers from the key T2 oil pump.

The Syrian forces now control part of Dayr al-Zawr city and a nearby military airport, but Daesh is in control of most of the provincial capital.

Earlier this month, the Syrian troops reached the eastern border with Iraq and they were reported to be in control of an 85-kilometer stretch of the frontier by Friday.

The fresh gains came less than a week after the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) pounded Daesh headquarters in Dayr al-Zawr with six medium-range ballistic missiles fired from western Iran.

The missile attack killed more than 170 Takfiri terrorists and inflicted heavy damage on their equipment and systems, the IRGC said in a statement. The strike was conducted in retaliation for the June 7 terror attacks in the Iranian capital, Tehran.

Over the past few weeks, tensions have escalated in Syria between the government forces, the US and Russia.

In two occasions in June and May, US warplanes attacked Syrian military forces near the town of At-Tanf, claiming they posed a threat to US forces, an allegation rejected by Damascus.

Last week, a US Navy F/A-18 Super Hornet shot down a Syrian SU-22, which was conducting an operation against Daesh militants on the outskirts of the city of Raqqah.

The shootdown led Moscow to announce a halt to a hotline with the US meant to minimize incidents in Syrian airspace and vow to track US-led coalition aircraft in central Syria as "targets."

Syrian forces advance in Homs, Damascus

Separately on Friday, drone footage showed smoke rising above the al-Waer district on the outskirt of Homs city, where fighting is underway between Syrian troops and terrorists. The pro-government forces recaptured Ard al-Washash, al-Waer Dam and Al-Waer Canyon region.

The Syrian fighters further retook almost the entire Ayn Tarma Valley in east Damascus and several sites in the southern part of the city such as al-Jisr neighborhood.

Bombing rips through Aleppo

In another development on Friday, a bomb blast hit the al-Furqan neighborhood of the city Aleppo, killing four people and wounding 30 others.

Aleppo police chief said the bomb was planted beside a trash bin, but media reports said the explosion was caused by a mortar fire.

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The increasing polarization in American politics has been on the minds of a great many people in recent days. One commentator, New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman, said the partisan divide reminds him of the split between Shiite and Sunni Muslims thats tearing the Middle East apart.

While the causes of this polarization are many, one of the more important is hyper-partisanship in the legislative redistricting process, at both the state and federal levels of government.

First, a quick explanation of the redistricting process. After each 10-year U.S. Census, state legislatures are required to redraw their local and congressional districts to reflect these new numbers. In the vast majority of states, it falls to the legislature, as the arm of government that is directly elected by the people, to redraw the lines. As you would expect, the party controlling the legislature is the one running the show. There are legal and constitutional guidelines to follow, but the courts traditionally have given a great deal of leeway to the legislative branch in this process.

But when does partisan redistricting cross the line and become hyper-partisan redistricting? When is too much more than the system can withstand? Thats a question courts have skirted around for years.

Until now.

Last week, the U.S. Supreme Court announced it would hear arguments involving Wisconsins legislative redistricting, creating the possibility the justices would finally answer that question: When does partisan redistricting cross the line and become unconstitutional?

Going into the redistricting process after the 2011 Census, Republicans were in control of the legislature, however tenuously. With Republican Gov. Scott Walker, they set out to solidify that control through redistricting. Their success could be seen in the next round of state elections. Across the state, Republicans pulled in only 48.6 percent of the total vote  they wound it with a 60-39 advantage in the State Assembly, though.

If you think this is a problem only in Republican controlled legislatures, youd be wrong. In Maryland, for example, registered Democrats outnumber registered Republicans, by a 2-1 margin; Democrats have a tight grip on state assembly, which draws congressional districts. The makeup of the states congressional delegation? Seven of eight congressmen are Democrats, as are both U.S. senators.

Last November, a federal appellate panel ruled that the hyper-partisanship of the Wisconsin plan violated the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution and the Equal Protection clause of the 14th Amendment. It was the first time in more than three decades a court had spoken on the question of partisan redistricting.

By creating districts that are safe either for the incumbent or the party in control, the contest for the district shifts from the general election to the party nominating process, which favors candidates more likely to come from the ideological extremes, where party members reside, rather than the center, where the general electorate resides.

Virginia is far from the worst when it comes to partisan redistricting; the 2011 redistricting split more than 130 cities and counties, but the districts at least still resemble traditional districts. Virginia has become more Democratic at the state level in gubernatorial and U.S. Senate elections, but in the House of Delegates, Republicans hold a 66-34 majority. In the 2015 House elections, 71 incumbents ran with no major party opposition, and every one of them was victorious.

Is that good for the health of a democratic republic? We would argue its not. It will be interesting to see which way the high court rules in June 2018. Hanging in the balance is Americas political health.
Four emergency managers share what they learned during the heat of the moment and their go-to strategies during an evacuation.
Grumblings about Pirelli have returned to the F1 paddock.

Not too long ago, the complaint about the official F1 supplier was that its tyres degraded too quickly.

But now, although grip has increased and drivers are able to push hard through a stint, the grumble is that the tyres being offered by Pirelli are too hard.

Referring to the recent Montreal race, Haas team boss Gunther Steiner said of the so-called 'super soft' compound: "We could have done three races with this tyre."

Renault's Nico Hulkenberg agreed: "If you look at the tyres after 30 laps, they're like new."

Part of the problem is the high tyre pressures demanded by Pirelli, but the Italian marque is reluctant to reduce them further, particularly with ever harsher kerbs.

Germany's Auto Motor und Sport reports that one solution is that a new soft tyre - softer than the 'super' and 'ultra'-soft - could be introduced, but that would not arrive until 2018.

The report said the new soft tyre could be called 'mega-soft'.

(GMM)
Toto Wolff says Mercedes needs to know if McLaren needs a customer engine supply for 2018 sometime "after the summer break".

Although Honda made a step forward in Baku, it is increasingly clear that McLaren and Fernando Alonso's patience with the hapless Japanese supplier is up.

"I think our opponents are even a bit confused about our speed," Spaniard Alonso said at Baku.

"We are so slow that they probably think we are going into the pits when we are actually starting a flying lap. I'm sorry, but it's true," he added.

So rumours are rife that a McLaren-Honda divorce is in the works, with the British team lining up a Mercedes deal instead.

Mercedes boss Wolff says nothing is confirmed, but a deadline is looming.

"We would have to know something after the summer break," he said at Baku.

"McLaren probably needs to know earlier than we do, but I say again -- we do not interfere in the relationship between Honda and McLaren.

"We will not be a reason for any divorce. Only if McLaren is at the point where they need an engine will we listen. We do not grab a partner away from another manufacturer," Wolff insisted.

(GMM)
It is learned that half of the 16 Indian sailors aboard the vessel were handed over to Nigeria on Friday.
For Russian ears only: Stephen Colbert is running for president of the United States in 2020.

In an appearance Friday on the Russian late-night show "Evening Urgant," "The Late Show" host sat on the other side of the desk for once, bantering with host Ivan Urgant through a translator and playing "Russian roulette" with a tray of vodka-filled shot glasses and pickles.

Midway through their game, the American comedian interrupted Urgant to say he had something to disclose - but only if he could confirm first that the show wasn't broadcast in the United States.

"I am here to announce that I am considering a run for president in 2020," Colbert said, delivering what was ostensibly a joke with a straight face.

The audience applauded as Colbert nodded seriously.

"And I thought it would be better to cut out the middleman and just tell the Russians myself," Colbert continued. "If anyone would like to work on my campaign in an unofficial capacity, please just let me know."

The "announcement" was an obvious jab at President Donald Trump and the swirling allegations that his campaign colluded with Russia to meddle in the 2016 presidential elections. Stateside, Colbert has been one of the most vocal critics of Trump, making the president the chief target of CBS's late-night show.

Colbert has continued to troll Trump, apparently even while traveling abroad. After Trump tweeted earlier this week that he had in fact made no "tapes" of his conversations with former FBI Director James B. Comey - despite ominously tweeting a warning last month to Comey that there might be - Colbert responded by posting a picture of himself in Russia.

In his appearance on "Evening Urgant," Colbert joked that, because the show was part of a state-owned TV channel, Urgant was "officially an employee of the state."

"I look forward to going back to America and testifying before the Senate Intelligence Committee about colluding with Russia," Colbert deadpanned.

Later, Urgant encouraged him to take a shot of vodka during their game of "Russian roulette."

"To the beautiful and friendly Russian people," Colbert toasted, before throwing back his first shot. "I don't understand why no members of the Trump administration can remember meeting you."

With their final shots, Colbert and Urgant clinked glasses.

"A strong America!" Colbert yelled. "A strong Russia!"

Joking aside, Colbert has in the past ventured into politics, albeit, well, facetiously. In 2007 he attempted to be listed as a presidential candidate on the Democratic primary ballot in his native South Carolina but was rebuffed by the state's Democratic Party leaders for not being a viable candidate.

At the time, Colbert was the host of Comedy Central's "Colbert Report," where he played a caricature of a conservative TV personality. He would continue his antics in 2012, when he formed a "super PAC" and once again tried unsuccessfully to get on the presidential primary ballot in South Carolina.

Failing that, Colbert threw the full weight of his satirical support behind Herman Cain - a Republican candidate perhaps best known for his "9-9-9" tax plan - running television ads that encouraged voters to choose "the one name on the ballot that stands for true Americanimity: Herman Cain." Cain, a favorite among tea party conservatives, had already dropped out of the race at that time.

Since last November's election, Colbert's show on CBS has enjoyed blockbuster ratings, in large part because he has been unafraid to skewer Trump and his policies, week after week. However, Colbert's relentless criticism of the president hit a bump in the road last month, after he came under fire for making a vulgar joke about Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin. The joke prompted accusations of homophobia and calls on the right for Colbert to be fired.

Colbert was relatively unapologetic.

"I would change a few words that were cruder than they needed to be," he told his audience a few days after the joke. "I'm not going to repeat the phrase. But I just want to say, for the record, life is short, and anyone who expresses their love in their own way, is to me an American hero. I think we can all agree on that. I hope even the president and I can agree on that. Nothing else. But that."

There has been little love lost on Trump's side. In a recent interview with Time magazine, Trump called Colbert a "no-talent guy."

"There's nothing funny about what he says," Trump told the magazine. "And what he says is filthy. And you have kids watching. And it only builds up my base. It only helps me, people like him."

In a rare unvarnished interview, Colbert recently described what it has been like to deliver jokes, night after night, under a Trump presidency.

"It's all so petty and venal, and there's nothing grand about it," he said in his appearance at the Vulture Festival. "It's not Shakespearean at all. It's 'Veep.' "

colbert-russia

Washington Post News Service (DC)

6/24/2017 12:00:20 PM Central Daylight Time
June 25, 1876

Lt. Col. Colonel George A. Custer and his 7th Cavalry were wiped out by Sioux and Cheyenne Indians in the Battle of the Little Bighorn in Montana. Crazy Horse and Sitting Bull, leaders of the Sioux, strongly resisted the efforts of the U.S. government to confine their people to reservations. According to History.com, in 1875, after gold was discovered in South Dakotas Black Hills, the U.S. Army ignored previous treaty agreements and invaded the region. This betrayal led many Sioux and Cheyenne tribesmen to leave their reservations and join Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse in Montana. By the late spring of 1876, more than 10,000 Native Americans had gathered in a camp along the Little Bighorn River ... in defiance of a U.S. War Department. ... On the morning of June 25, Custer drew near the camp and decided to press on ahead rather than wait for reinforcements. At mid-day, Custers 600 men entered the Little Bighorn Valley. ... Crazy Horse set off with a large force to meet the attackers head on. Despite Custers desperate attempts to regroup his men, they were quickly overwhelmed. Custer and some 200 men in his battalion were attacked by as many as 3,000 Native Americans; within an hour, Custer and every last one of his soldiers were dead.
Updated at 4:25 p.m.

GREENSBORO  Three men were shot after an argument Saturday afternoon.

It's unknown what the argument was about, said Capt. Nathaniel Davis, commander of the police criminal investigations division.

"We're trying to run down leads," Davis said.

Davis said there was more than one shooter and police are trying to figure just how many there were.

About 1:50 p.m., police were called to 1208 Randolph Ave. for a shooting. Police found a victim suffering from gunshot wounds. He was taken to an area hospital by Guilford County EMS. Two other victims drove to the hospital.

Davis said two of the victims sustained life-threatening injuries.

Anyone with information about this incident is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 336-373-1000.

Posted 2:55 p.m.

GREENSBORO  Police are investigating a shooting that sent three people to the hospital, two with life-threatening injuries.

About 1:50 p.m., police were called to 1208 Randolph Ave. for a shooting, according to a Greensboro police news release.

A victim was taken by ambulance to an area hospital with life-threatening injuries. Police said two other victims, another with life-threatening injuries, drove to the hospital.

Anyone with information about this incident is asked to call Crime Stoppers at (336) 373-1000.
EDEN  Yvonne Stevens Freeman, 63, says she will never forget the first time her husband hit her about a year after their marriage in 1999.

An alcoholic, he had been sober 15 months when they met. A year after they married, he started acting strange. He became hostile and dissatisfied, and had frequent mood swings.

He was a completely different man, Freeman said.

One day, Freeman looked out her back door and was shocked to see her husband reach into the gutter and pull out a vodka bottle, take a long swig and put it back in the gutter.

When he came back in the house, they were eating when, suddenly, he got up and threw the plate of hot food on her head and slapped her across the face. He complained about it being microwaved and said he wanted real cooking. Then, he went to the bathroom and took a shower as if nothing had happened.

At the time, Freeman worked 12-hour shifts at Bassett Walker in Martinsville and had just gotten off work.

Her horrified daughter, Martha Mitchell, 16 at the time, called the police. When they arrived, the husband came out laughing and joking with the officers. He said they would have to forgive his wife, who was mentally unbalanced and couldnt hear. Freeman is legally deaf.

While he was outside with the police, Freeman packed an overnight bag for her and her daughter and left to spend the night with her mother, Naomi Stevens.

That was the start of the physical abuse. But the history of the mental abuse dated back to when they were dating. Her future husband was a charming and very romantic man, everything a woman dreams about, sending flowers and writing poems to her but, he had jealous fits.

I thought he really loved me; he cant live without me, Freeman said. I thought the jealousy was love.

After they married, Freeman suffered degrading mental abuse over the years. He urinated in her shoes or in her bathwater while she was in the tub, and threatened her with guns in front of Martha.

That first violent night, her husband came and begged her to come back, saying he was sorry, he didnt know what had gotten into him, and promised it would never happen again.

I went back, Freeman said. That was the first of six times she left him, then went back when he came begging on hands and knees. Eventually Freemans family and the police tired of trying to help her.

They wouldnt help me, she said. All my friends were gone. I had nobody.

Three times, Freeman went to Freedom House, the battered womens shelter. She was back and forth in court. Help Inc. became involved and encouraged her in her decisions.

Each time I went back, it got worse. One night after he beat her and she awoke the next morning, he was standing there with a breakfast tray.

He said, Did I do that to you? I dont remember it. Please cut my hands off so I will never hit you again. 

Usually, the good times lasted about a week, and then it would start again.

It was like living with two men, Freeman said. I could tell by the way he walked or the way he shut the door, which one I would be dealing with. It was like living with Prince Charming and the Devil at the same time. I walked on eggshells all the time.

To explain her bruises and bumps to friends, family and co-workers, Freeman had many excuses: I fell in my high heels going to church. I fell down the steps. I ran into a wall/door in the night. Once after he bit her, she said a dog bit her.

Many people asked why she stayed and, like most abuse victims, Freeman said she always hoped he was going to stop drinking and do better.

I loved him. I believed in him. I never loved anyone like that in my life.

Martha was terrified of him. He never hit her, but he degraded her and offered her and her friends drugs and alcohol when Freeman wasnt home.

If he had ever physically hurt her, I would have left him immediately, Freeman said.

Eventually, Martha moved in with her father.

Freeman said that one day, hope for change just died.

I realized he would never change. I knew one of us was going to die. I knew I had to get out. I would rather be dead than keep living like I was.

Because of a hereditary hearing problem that left her partially deaf, Freeman was forced to retire after 27 years, and applied for disability, waiting 12 months to get approved. She expected a large sum of money to cover the time from the waiting period.

The day that large check arrived, her husband accompanied Freeman to the bank to get the check cashed, not realizing there was a week-long waiting period. In his anger at this, he smashed his fist on the bank counter. He wanted that money.

Freeman tried to reason with him, promising him half the money. He didnt want to wait and tried to force her to write a check to him, squeezing her hand around a pen to sign a check he wrote, but she refused to sign it.

The morning the check was to clear, he kicked Freeman out of bed with a pointed cowboy boot. While she was on the floor, Freemans husband told her he was going to his mothers house, and when he returned, I had better act right.

But Freeman had been planning for weeks to leave. She had hidden a large black trash bag filled with clothes, necessities, important papers and a spare key to her car under the crawl space beneath the house, the only place she felt safe from her abusive husband.

I had spent the night under my house many times with rats running over my legs. I was more afraid of him that I was those rats, she said.

Freeman grabbed the bag as soon as he left, got in her car and fled, heading straight to the bank. The teller, who witnessed the previous episode, said she knew what Freeman was going through because she had been there. Rather than deposit the money in the couples joint account, the teller helped Freeman open a new account.

Next, Freeman took out a protective order against her husband. For the next week, she hid out in a motel with nothing but a few clothes and the Bible he had given her.

Searching ads for a place to live, one for a trailer on Westerly Park Road seemed to be coming toward me. Freeman told the property owner what was going on and made her aware her husband might come there and cause a scene. (The teller) said, I know what you are going through. I have been there. Angels were with me that day.

Help Inc. was her lifeline, and Freeman reached out with both hands, accepting all the help the organization could give her.

It was a lot. They taught me in support groups that I was someone like they told me all along, Freeman said. They gave me the education to understand myself and what I needed. They understand the battered woman.

Nearly 19 years later, Freeman knows that without Help Inc., she would not be alive today.

It was a long journey full of court battles and fighting, but somewhere I kept hearing the words Jesus promised to me that night. He told me to leave that house, leave my husband in his hands, and he would replace everything I left there. God doesnt lie. I walked out with nothing but my life.

Freeman said God has used her to help other women who have walked in her shoes. They bond knowing the terrible ordeal of keeping silent and being a prisoner in their own homes.

In November, Freemans former husband passed away. She said she cried for a long time.

I forgave, but I never forgot. I cried for the love I thought I knew and the man who was very sick. I really didnt think I would make it out of this alive. I prayed for his soul.

She tells other abuse victims that it is not over when they leave.

It is only the beginning of learning to stand up for yourself, find out who you are and trust once again. It is full of anger, hurt, and finally, looking into the mirror and saying, I am somebody. 

My main mission in revealing my ordeal is to let people in the same situation know there is help available for them, and they need to reach out for it with both hands, Freeman said.
WENTWORTH  The Rockingham County Board of Commissioners unanimously approved an agreement with the North Carolina Office of State Budget and Management on Monday night that will improve, connect and expand water systems within Rockingham County.

The $10.9 million agreement with the state is part of a $14.5 million allocation that covers water infrastructure improvements for southwest Rockingham County and northwest Guilford County  providing an interconnection and extension of water lines between the neighboring counties.

"Senator Berger has graciously been working on state funding for the expansion of water on U.S. 158 and U.S. 220," said Rockingham County Manager Lance Metzler during the new business portion of the agenda.

Metzler confirmed the infrastructure for Rockingham County will begin where the Reidsville water line ends, just past Winsome Forest on U.S. 158. It will continue southwest towards Stokesdale, eventually running northeast on U.S. 220 to where the current waterline stops near the Huddle House in Madison. From there, it will head back south and connect at the Guilford County line.

Funds allocated will be used for planning, design, surveying, real property acquisition, construction, repair and any other activities necessary to improve the performance and reliability and expand the capacity and service footprint of participating water systems in Rockingham County.

The infrastructure agreement is for water system improvements only and does not include appropriations for sewer line expansion.

That struck a slight chord with Commissioner Keith Mabe.

Thats like being half pregnant, youre half there  you need water and sewer. Granted, you cant turn your nose up to $11 million for funding and I certainly dont intend to, Mabe said prior to voting in favor of the measure.

...I certainly dont have any problem with it and I know its a part of what all of us had conversations about several months ago about how to get this routed and thats great, but we need to figure out the other half of it, in order to get businesses to come in here cause they cant do it off septic systems, but Im still for it, Im good with it.

According to the agreement, the county will serve as an over-arching coordinator that... facilitates project management and resource allocation functions of the participating municipalities of Reidsville, Madison and Mayodan.

The county will receive the funds in three separate installments and will also be required to provide quarterly status updates to the state  which will include the beginning and ending balance of the project fund at the start and end of each quarter. The reports will also include the total expenses disbursed through planning, design, survey, land acquisition and constructions.

In total, 50 percent of the total allocation  or $5.45 million  will be given to the county in the first installment of funds.

That money will be disbursed upon the submission of an invoice and a fully executed applicable interlocal agreement, which may include records that verify the formation of regional water and sewer authorities or a combination of interlocal agreements and regional water and sewer authorities.

To receive the first disbursement, one or more of the municipalities of Reidsville, Madison and Mayodan have to be agreement parties in the formation process.

Rockingham County can provide an invoice for payment number two approximately six months after payment one is collected. The third invoice can be sent to the state approximately three months after the second invoice is received.

Both appropriations total 25 percent of the total infrastructure funds, or $2.72 million per request.

The agreement, which is effective upon full execution, will terminate on June 30, 2020. It includes a monitoring and auditing clause that states the county agrees from the point of execution of the payment schedule and five years after the termination of the contract agreement.

Books, records, documents and facilities of Rockingham County are subject to inspection or to be monitored at any time by the Office of State Budget and Management.

It also states that if a breach of contract isnt made up by the county within 30 days of written notice, the state can make demand in writing of the recipient that it repay the agency the remaining balance of the agreement funds awarded.
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Ivanka Trump, you're fired.

According to plastic surgeon Dr. Franklin Rose, first lady Melania Trump has eclipsed first daughter and former fashion designer Ivanka  as a plastic surgery muse, anyway.

"I've have had many women visit my office wanting the 'Ivanka look,'" Rose said in a press release on Monday. "So it's not really surprising to see women now requesting to look more like Melania, who is simply gorgeous."

One such request came from Cypress, Texas, mom and cancer survivor Claudia Sierra.

"I want to feel like the first lady that I know I am inside," Sierra explained in the same media statement.

On Tuesday, she was scheduled to undergo eight surgeries in an effort to look more like the Slovenian-born first lady and former model.

Her procedures were to include a revision breast reconstruction, revision rhinoplasty, tummy tuck, liposuction, Brazilian butt lift, eyelid lift, Botox, fillers, and unspecified injectable treatments.

Sierra's "Melania Makeover" is slated to air on Inside Edition this fall. Until her "mommy makeover" is revealed, check out her before photos in the slideshow above.
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate 3 1 of 3 Matthew Brown / Hearst Connecticut Media Show More Show Less 2 of 3 Dru Nadler / Dru Nadler Show More Show Less 3 of 3





STAMFORD  A 51-year-old Harrison, N.Y. man died after falling into the Stamford Harbor Saturday night, leading to an hour-long search for the victim.

Boaters had noticed one of their companions was missing from their 38-foot cabin cruiser as they neared the docks in Stamford Harbor, said Dennis Schain, spokesperson for the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection.
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A popular fitness blogger and Instagram model in France died after a pressurized canister used for dispensing whipped cream exploded, hitting her in the chest.

Rebecca Burger's death from the June 17 incident was announced on social media Wednesday by her family, who warned of the potential risks of defective whip cream dispensers.

The post published on Burger's Instagram page to her more than 150,000 followers read:

---

... an example of the cartridge/siphon from Chantilly that exploded and struck Rebecca's chest, killing her. Take note: the cartridge that caused her death was sealed. Do not use this type of device in your home! Tens of thousands of these appliances are still in circulation.

---

Authorities in Eastern France told the French newspaper 20 Minutes, that the victim suffered cardiac arrest in her home in Galfingue on Saturday and firefighters were able to revive her heartbeat. But Burger was unconscious when she arrived to the hospital and died the following day.

Whipped cream dispensers use nitrous oxide canisters, which, when pierced by a pin, release the gas and pressurize the cream container.

According to the consumer magazine, 60 Millions, two people were gravely injured in 2014 by whipped cream canister dispensers in France.

A 2014 news release by the French economy ministry advised people to be cautious when using cream dispensers: "Since 2010, several models of kitchen syphons, also called cream syphons, have turned out to be dangerous and led to home accidents."

Ard'Time, the company of the whip cream dispenser Burger reportedly used has been recalled because of reports that the plastic head could explode and fly off, according to their website.

In addition to posting fitness pictures on Instagram, Burger ran the lifestyle blog Rebecca Likes where she would document her travels and outfits. She uploaded her first YouTube video on June 10 showing her on a trip in Bali.

In an Instagram post, Women's Best, an online health store which Burger promoted online, paid tribute to the blogger:

We are sorry to announce the sad news of losing this beautiful soul. Our french athlete Rebecca Burger (@RebeccaBlikes) passed away. Rebecca was not only a great fitness figure but a generous and kind person to work with. Please pray for her soul to rest in peace and for her family to stay strong. We will always be proud of you Rebecca  A post shared by WOMEN'S BEST (@womensbest) on Jun 19, 2017 at 11:48am PDT

We are sorry to announce the sad news of losing this beautiful soul. Our french athlete Rebecca Burger (@RebeccaBlikes) passed away. Rebecca was not only a great fitness figure but a generous and kind person to work with. Please pray for her soul to rest in peace and for her family to stay strong. We will always be proud of you Rebecca

---

The BBC reported that in 2013, one victim of an exploding cream dispenser told RTL radio: "I had six broken ribs, and my sternum was broken. At the hospital, I was told that if the shock and blast had been facing the heart, I would be dead now."

In 2014, a consumer watchdog group in France issued a warning about dispensers with "defective parts . . .. When a user screws a new gas cartridge into the head of one of the defective canisters the resulting pressure causes the spray nozzle to break free and fire off like a rubber bullet," it reported, according to The Local.

Officials have opened an investigation into Burger's death.
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Published on 2017/06/24

Gavel of Justice

Based off of the same title Japanese novel, Solomon's Perjury has one of the most gripping mystery storylines of the year. The story begins with a mysterious death at an elite high school that has all the students rattled. Frustrated with the situation and the adults who're ignoring the facts, the students decide to hold their own school mock trial for this case. Each student has their own role to play, from the prosecutor to the defense attorney.

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This is a drama brimming with youth, angst, and suspense. It's a story with a strong message highlighting one of the major faults of the social constructs in the educational sector - lobbying - along with other serious topics like school bullying and child abuse. At the beginning, I could never have imagined that the drama would go as far as it did with its emotional rollercoaster, and deliver on its promise in every single way.

"This is a drama brimming with youth, angst, and suspense".

At first sight, "Solomon's Perjury" is your normal high school drama with all the torment that accompanies teenage years - growth, friendship, betrayal, and youth. But two episodes into the drama and you're roped into an erratic frenzy of suspense, possible murders, and a whole lot of tears. The drama moves quickly with setting up the premise, and immediately draws the viewers into the same state of mind as the characters in the drama.

Continue reading on Funcurve.com

Funcurve is a new kind of reviews site. Their reviews help readers visualize the ups and downs of a drama from start to finish with an impression graph. Read more Korean drama reviews at funcurve.com.

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Note: Due to licensing, videos may not be available in your country
By Panos Kotzathanasis | Published on 2017/06/24

Kim Ki-duk's experimental endeavors brought him back in Europe, 14 years after "Wild Animals".

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The film follows an unnamed young girl who arrives in Europe to search for her boyfriend, for an, initially, unknown reason. Starting from Venice, however, he seems to have left the place she arrives each time, just a bit before she gets there. Furthermore, during her travels, and particularly when she is asleep, a masked man visits her, initially raping her and stealing all her things, but then changing his behaviour. As her interactions with him become more frequent, she seems to understand more of his role in her life.

Kim Ki-duk directs a very minimalist film, shot almost exclusively with a handheld camera, with a duration of 72 minutes, and featuring only two protagonists, one of which is himself. Furthermore, he did his own cinematography and editing. The camera, however, moves in rather frantic fashion as he follows the movement of the girl, occasionally ending up in a succession of dizzying shots, in an attempt to give a kind of a first person perspective in the film. Furthermore, the editing follows the same paths, repeating an abrupt succession of scenes. His purpose seems to be to give a sense of disorientation to the viewer, but his technique does not work so well.

The combination of the production values with the abstract and occasionally surrealistic narrative results in "Amen" looking like an extreme fairy tale, somewhere between a dream and a nightmare. This last aspect is presented through the exploitation elements featuring in the movie, although, this time, Kim is rather restrained in their depiction, to the point that they are more implied than presented on screen. The rape scene is a distinct sample of this tendency. Nevertheless, the scenes where the masked stranger appears are the ones that the cinematography and editing seem to work the best, along with the ones where the girl is performing some ballet routines in the fields, and some very beautiful images are presented.

Among all this confusion, Kim manages to built-up some tension, which finds a way out when the girl's reasons for searching her boyfriend are revealed. The fact that an important elements for this revelation takes place inside a church seems to symbolize that religion can provide answers and a solace, although the message is, again, abstract.

Kim Ki-duk was never much for words and "Amen" is not an exception. The masked man never utters a single word, while the girl's speaking comprises mostly of her yelling her boyfriend's name and asking in various houses if he is there. Kim Ye-na, however, provides a great performance, in naturalistic fashion, which benefits the most by both her acting style and her physique, and particularly her face.

"Amen" is a difficult film to watch, as Kim Ki-duk seems to be at his most experimental moments. Kim Ye-na, the extreme and exploitative mystery, and some beautiful images of Europe help a bit, but the movie remains one for the hardcore fans of the director.

Review by Panos Kotzathanasis

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"Amen" is directed by Kim Ki-duk and features Kim Ye-na.
By Lisa Espinosa | Published on 2017/06/25

"Lookout" is barreling forward with Soo-jin at the lead. This grieving mother is brave, intelligent, and determined to bring her daughter's killer to justice. Her independence throws a wrench in the plans of Do-han and keeps everyone else on their toes. It's hard not to love such a driven heroine who keeps us guessing at how she will escape each new situation.

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The focus of this pair of episodes is the search for Woo-sung, the man whose case incited cover ups and began Soo-jin's involvement with Chief Prosecutor Yoon and Chief Oh. Woo-sung is a lowlife, having taken the life of a man and then living free while an innocent young man took the fall for his crime. It is only Soo-jin's dogged hunt for him that brings him back to prison after Yoon releases him. In general, it is the chase and capture of Woo-sung that drives the episode, shows off how amazing Lee Si-young is at being a badass woman, and allows for Team Justice (Soo-jin, Bo-mi, and Kyeong-soo) to really get to know each other and reveal some of their stories to us. Mostly it is Bo-mi, the closeted woman who monitors the CCTV feeds of the city, who reveals herself to us. A cranky nay-sayer and the primary person who thinks Soo-jin should strickly follow their Leader's orders, Bo-mi has a trauma that keeps her shut up 100% of the time. She alludes to it when she decides to go against their Leader's orders and help Soo-jin find and apprehend Woo-sung, who kidnapped his daughter to get revenge on his ex-wife. She mentions not wanting any other children to live in fear. Both she and Kyeong-soo have backstories that I want to unearth.

The events of this episode are those of the very first scene with Soo-jin chasing Woo-sung and I do very much appreciate the show coming full circle and then spinning us into new territory. We now clearly see Do-han's involvement, both as his coverup as a smarmy, ladder-climbing prosecutor, and as the leader of a secret group that he uses for punishing the corrupt people protected by money and power. While he's a fascinating character to watch (and I'm sure for Kim Young-kwang to play), he is not very likable. I hope this changes soon because a anti-hero one understands but does not empathize with is not going to stay in the good graces of the viewership for long. For now, Do-han is interesting because of his dual role and because of how brilliant and flexible he is, playing both roles with extreme dexterity.

Another solid aspect of the show is the corrupt prosecutors played by Choi Moo-sung and Kim Sang-ho. These men usually don't fill roles quite like these. Choi is chilling as the ruthless Chief Prosecutor Yoon, a role much different than his usual kindly father figure. I'm glad to see such a talented man make use of his wide variety of acting skills. The same is true for Kim as Chief Oh, whose nervousness and supplicating behavior takes finesse to execute convincingly. Kim Sang-ho and Kim Young-kwang have remarkable chemistry that makes Do-han's manipulation of Chief Oh much more real and grounded.

But in the end, the story is about Soo-jin and the emtpiness she feels at the loss of her daughter. She goes on eating and sleeping each day despite her loss and grief. Will she be able to capture Yoon and his sociopath son Si-wan?

Written by: Lisa Espinosa AKA Raine from 'Raine's Dichotomy'

"Lookout" is directed by Son Hyeong-seok, written Kim Soo-eun, and features Lee Si-young, Kim Young-kwang, Kim Tae-hoon, Kim Seul-gi, Key, and Choi Moo-sung.
Published on 2017/06/25 | Source

Korean Air has opened the country's biggest privately owned marina in Incheon on 98,000 sq.m of reclaimed land capable of mooring 300 yachts.

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The marina is a joint project between Korean Air and the Incheon city government to develop the area into a venue for water sports.

Korean Air spent W155 billion on the project, which neighbors a popular beach (US$1=W1,134).

Incheon used the marina as a regatta venue during the 2014 Asian Games in the city, but the public opening stalled when auditors accused Korean Air of accepting W16.7 billion in investments from the Incheon Free Economic Zone Authority, prompting Incheon city to threaten to withdraw its own share.

Under Asian Games rules, state-owned entities are prohibited from investing in private sector-funded facilities.

But Korean Air insisted the investment was part of the contract terms.

Last year, Incheon city backed down, so now the marina can finally open to the public.

A Korean Air spokesman said, "We plan to invest another W200 billion in hotels and shopping facilities as well as a boat repair yard and club house".
Washington Holds Guam Back, Despite Not Knowing Where It Is

by Dennis Lennox, Daily Caller, June 23, 2017

Guam, so far west that its actually east, is where Americas day begins, at least thats how Gov. Eddie Calvo described the geographic location of this American soil in Asia.

Yet the territory, an anachronism from when the United States vanquished Spain, gaining many of the formers long-held colonial possessions, is more than a footnote in the annals of a dusty old volume on U.S. history.

Guam is front and center as the situations in North Korea and the South China Sea continue to unfold.

The Pentagon may know where Guam is  the island is home to Air Force and Navy installations  but few politicians and bureaucrats in the federal government can even find it on the map.

Benign neglect, were the words Lieutenant Gov. Ray Tenorio used to describe Washingtons relationship with his island. The feds view Guam only as a military asset. Nothing more.

The situation is only magnified by a political status that denigrates the loyal Americans who live here to second-class status.

Denied a full voting member of the House of Representatives, its delegate to Congress can only vote in committees. It also has lacks senators and has zero votes in the Electoral College for president, meaning Guam has little political capital in a city where influence is everything.

Notwithstanding Washingtons indifference to what happens beyond the fences encircling the Navy and Air Force bases, the island has a strong economy rooted in tourism.

While Japanese and South Koreans know Guam is comparable to Hawaii, American tourists are non-existent thanks to the federal government.

Blame cabotage, an obscure legal doctrine that prevents foreign-flagged airlines from flying between two U.S. airports. The only way to get to Guam without leaving America is on United via Honolulu, a flight that is longer and more expensive than most flights to Europe from the East Coast.

Cabotage also extends to the seas via the Jones Act, an imperialist federal law that massively increases the costs of living and doing business through mercantilism. As a result, pretty much everything is shipped in from the mainland even though it would make much more sense to buy say fresh food from the Philippines or Taiwan.

The federal government is also hurting Guams economy in two other areas.

Between its relatively small population of about 170,000 people and its considerable distance from the mainland, Guam has relied upon Filipino workers going back to when the Philippines was a territory under the Star and Stripes.

That wasnt a problem until H-2B worker visas went from nearly a 100 percent issuance rate to a nearly 100 percent denial rate under the now-former Obama administration. Worse yet is the fact that the feds wont provide any real explanation for the sudden change.

Flash forward to today and there arent enough workers to handle both private sector development  hotels, new housing and even backyard pools  and the massive build-up resulting from the pending transfer of U.S. Marines from Japan. When there are spare workers they are lured away by lucrative work on the bases.

Politically its difficult for Guam, without senators and a vote in the House, to convince Washington that its need for guest workers is substantively different than those exploiting guest worker visas back on the mainland.

Completely separate from the issue is something more outrageous.

Since the World War II-era there has been a shipyard here with at least one dry dock to maintain and repair Navy vessels.

Following post-Cold War military installation closures the ship repair facility was eventually privatized with a company called Guam Shipyard operating the dry dock. Unlike those on a H-2B visa, dry dock workers are Americans.

These skilled trade jobs, which numbered in the hundreds and paid premium wages, are exactly the sort of job that President Donald Trump talked about during his campaign.

Skilled trades are critical to revitalizing American industry, including in the Rust Belt but also on a small island like Guam, where good-paying jobs like those at the dry dock diversify an economy overly dependent on tourism.

Unfortunately for Guam, penny-pinching bureaucrats in the Pentagon have sacrificed the national interest and put hundreds of Americans out of work by taking vessels to dry docks in Singapore, the Philippines and now India.

With communist Chinese nationals making up 25 percent of workers in Singapores shipyards it isnt wise to have foreign nationals repairing billion-dollar Navy vessels.

Despite Congress recognizing, as recently as the 2017 National Defense Authorization Act, that utilizing a dry dock in Guam was a vital national interest  economically, militarily  the Navy is deliberating playing games by designating vessels as forward-deployed to circumvent a federal law that would otherwise require maintenance and repairs to occur in Guam or other U.S. ports.

One cannot help but to wonder what motivates Pentagon bureaucrats to ignore the national interest, especially in light of the so-called Fat Leonard corruption scandal plaguing the Navy.

Of course, one also realizes that Guams political status makes it easier to send Navy vessels to shipyards in foreign countries.
BLOUNTVILLE, Tenn.  Sullivan County assistant district attorneys believe that a new state law may help them more successfully prosecute a high number of vulnerable and elderly adult abuse cases in the county.

Assistant District Attorneys Amy Hinkle and Peter Mike Filetti believe the Elderly and Vulnerable Adult Protection Act will give prosecutors more options to look into cases of suspected financial exploitation of vulnerable and elderly adults, and to give victims an alternative way to participate in case proceedings. It takes effect on July 1.

Vulnerable adults are defined under the law as anyone over the age of 18 who because of a mental or physical disability cannot manage their resources, perform daily tasks or protect themselves from abusive situations. The age that an adult is considered elderly was changed under the act from 65 to 70.

The act goes hand in hand with the states multi-disciplinary vulnerable adult protective investigative teams, or VAPITs. Every county in Tennessee was required by law to create a team by Jan. 1. The goal of the law is to provide more outreach and awareness, better trained officers to detect vulnerable adult abuse, and more resources to help victims.

Hinkle and Filetti spearheaded Sullivan Countys VAPIT.

Sullivan County has received 243 referrals from the states Adult Protective Services since then for the team to review; 232 have been reviewed by VAPIT. The rest are either still being investigated or charges are being sought. Hinkle attributed the high number of referrals to the countys aging population.

Sullivan County District Attorney General Barry Staubus previously said that exploitation of vulnerable adults is on the rise in the county, especially of the elderly. The population of adults who are 65 years old or older is also increasing, meaning there are more people to take advantage of, he said.

Financial exploitation is redefined in the law as the use of deception, intimidation, undue influence, force or threat of force to gain control of property. Its enough to give prosecutors grounds to look into the financial records of a vulnerable adult.

Before it was more of if they misused the funds, said Hinkle. Thats a very broad spectrum, whereas now I feel like its a lot more specific and it gives us more to go after someone. ... It just kind of gives it a little bit more backbone.

The act also clarifies that powers of attorney cannot use elderly or vulnerable adults money for whatever they like; it has to be used for the owner. It allows prosecutors to investigate any transfers of property in excess of $1,000 within a 12-month period to a person who isnt a relative of the vulnerable adult and has known the person for less than two years.

We do have a lot of people who complain of non-family members, mainly, coming in, befriending an elderly or vulnerable adult and before you know it, they have signed over all their property to that person, said Hinkle. Its actually happened a lot more than what people would think.

Financial exploitation cases generally tend to involve elderly adults in Sullivan County, she said. Filetti said a lot of cases also involve family members who steal prescription medications.

The act will allow the use of depositions from victims in court for cases that make it before a judge, which is currently a complicated task.

If a person is unable to come to court for their health reasons we can get a doctor to simply say that, said Hinkle. In those cases, a judge is supposed to give that preference. ... Thats a big help because a lot of times our victims have dementia; they may lose their ability to remember, or pass away before we can get it to a jury. That [depositions] will preserve their right to actually be part of the proceedings without actually having to come in.

Under the act, it is no longer necessary for the state to prove that an elderly or vulnerable adult sustained serious bodily injury to convict a person of aggravated abuse or aggravated neglect. Stipulations now include psychological injury in addition to physical injury.

The trend in Sullivan County, however, is that most of the cases are not criminal in nature, according to Hinkle and Filetti.

Thats good, but were still getting these people the help that they need, said Hinkle. Thats really what VAPIT is all about.

They said the team still investigates each APS referral for the possibility of criminal activity.

Hinkle added that each of the states teams are responsible for focusing more on making sure victims are linked to resources that can help them, especially when neglect isnt intentional.

We run into a lot of folks who are in their homes that for them to remain in their home they need additional services, she said. You may have a husband and wife who both suffer from dementia and theyre trying to care for each other. There may be neglect going on, but its not intentional. You have two individuals who are doing their best.

The act also requires the secretary of state to create a no-solicitation list of elderly and vulnerable adults. The adult, or the adults designee, can register the address and phone number of individuals to be added to the list.

Hinkle, Filetti and Staubus said they also hope a statewide collaborative public education initiative, Tennessee is Talking About Elder Abuse, will encourage reporting of any suspected elder abuse. They are disappointed that it isnt mandatory under Tennessee law to report suspicion of elder abuse as it is with child abuse.

The initiative involves the Tennessee District Attorneys General Conference, Tennessee Department of Human Services and Tennessee Voices for Victims.

VAPIT is considering setting up its own space in the countys Branch House Family Justice Center  a facility that, once open, will provide counseling, legal services, orders of protection, and more from several agencies to victims of elder abuse, child abuse, sexual assault and exploitation.
Following the passage of bills in the Virginia General Assembly this year, Dominion Energy is searching for sites in the coalfields of Southwest Virginia where it can build a pumped hydroelectric storage facility.

In December 2016, Virginia Sen. Ben Chafin, R-Lebanon, and Dels. Terry Kilgore, R-Gate City, and Todd Pillion, R-Abingdon, traveled to rural Bath County, about two hours from Roanoke, to visit Dominions pumped hydroelectric storage facility. It began operating in 1985.

The Bath County site, which can generate power for 750,000 homes, is the largest pumped hydroelectric storage facility in the world, Dominion spokesman Dan Genest said. Its a traditional facility consisting of two reservoirs, one at a higher elevation and the other at a lower elevation. The two reservoirs are connected by huge pipes.

A turbine and generator are situated between the two reservoirs, Genest said. As the water flows down from the upper reservoir, it hits the turbine. It spins the generator and produces electricity, he explained.

The water then flows into the lower reservoir. At night, when the demand for electricity is not too high, Genest said the turbine becomes a pump. The water is then pumped back up from the lower reservoir to the upper reservoir, he said.

You pump the water back up, essentially filling up the upper reservoir so it has energy for the next time you need it, Genest said.

He described pumped hydroelectric storage facilities as large batteries that store energy in the form of water. Such sites, he said, generate power at peak use times.

As a result of the trip to Bath County, the legislators wrote House and Senate bills, which were eventually signed by Gov. Terry McAuliffe.

As the coal industry has waned, Chafin said he and other lawmakers have been looking for ways to bring more jobs and money to the region. The bills specify that utilities consider sites in the coalfields.

The bills authorize electric utilities, such as Dominion or Appalachian Power, to apply to the Virginia State Corporation Commission for permission to construct pumped hydroelectric storage facilities in Virginias coalfield region. At least part of the energy stored in such facilities must be generated by renewable resources, the bills state.

It was in the publics interest, Chafin said. And this bill fast-tracks these types of sites.

Kilgore, who sponsored the House bill, said hes thrilled Dominion is moving forward with plans for a pumped hydroelectric storage facility.

I sponsored this legislation this year because it is imperative that we seek every opportunity to grow our economy and create jobs in our region, which has experienced significant challenges over the last several years with the downturn of the coal industry, Kilgore said. These power plants could help Southwest Virginia remain the energy provider of Virginia.

The legislation encourages companies to establish sites in an abandoned coal mine cavity.

We have started doing preliminary research, said Genest, describing the use of computers, maps and satellite imagery to find potential sites.

Richmond, Virginia-based Dominion Energy currently has identified dozens of possible sites in the coalfields, Genest said. In the next couple of months, the company plans to narrow the list to five to 20 sites.

When the top sites are chosen, Dominion will host public meetings in the coalfields to let residents know what the company is doing and make contact with landowners who might be near potential sites, Genest said.

During the first quarter of 2018, Genest said Dominion plans to select one site to go forward with the project.

Potential sites depend on altitude changes, water supplies and ground strength, he added.

Dominion already has a presence in Southwest Virginia. The company owns the Virginia City Hybrid Energy Center in St. Paul, which powers about 150,000 homes. The center uses coal and biomass.

A pumped hydroelectric storage facility utilizing a mine in Southwest Virginia, which Genest said could create about 50 jobs, would be the first in the United States. Dominions $1.6 billion site in Bath County doesnt use a mine. Elsewhere, one project is currently being established at a mine in Germany, where the site is expected to power more than 400,000 homes, according to Bloomberg News.

Genest said its too early to determine the cost of a site in Southwest Virginia, or how much power one could generate in the coalfields.

Appalachian Power, which provides electricity to many customers in Southwest Virginia, has also shown interest in pumped hydroelectric storage power.

We started off to develop the study group to look at the coalfields, said Appalachian Power spokesman John Shepelwich. Dominion got a bit ahead of us and they got a lot of work done, apparently. And theyve moved on to a second phase.

Shepelwich added that Appalachian Power is open to potential opportunities, but does not currently have pumped hydroelectric storage facilities on the drawing board.

Were adding renewable energy projects like solar and wind, Shepelwich said. Our idea is to get more of those which could be added in relatively small increments, rather than these huge power plants.

Appalachian Power currently has a request for proposals for solar projects in its service territory, which includes the coalfields, Shepelwich said.

Appalachian operates a pumped hydroelectric storage facility using Smith Mountain Lake, the upper reservoir, and Leesville Lake, the lower reservoir.

Both Appalachian Powers Smith Mountain Lake and Dominions Bath County site feature recreation opportunities, such as fishing, swimming and boating. Its not known whether a Southwest Virginia site would offer recreation amenities.

In mid-June, U.S. Rep. Morgan Griffith, R-9th, said he filed federal legislation similar to the state bills.

It is similar to the state legislation in that it helps anybody who wants to build a closed-loop hydro facility, but it is not something that we drafted specifically with any proposal from any particular company in mind, Griffith said. It just makes good sense.

The congressmans bill would allow the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to impose licensing conditions only as necessary to protect public safety; or that are reasonable, economically feasible, and essential to protect fish and wildlife resources.

Griffith said environmental impact statements would not be necessary with a closed-loop system, because no animals or plants would be affected.

With the closed-loop situation, youre bringing the water in, Griffith said. Its H20, theres nothing else in it. In a mine situation, you already have your infrastructure built, all you have to do is put your pump and your generator in.  Its an attractive concept.

Many of the recently proposed pumped storage projects can be classified as using a closed-loop system, according to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commissions website. The agency describes closed-loop as projects that are not continuously connected to a naturally flowing water feature.

I appreciate Congressman Griffith's work to promote closed-loop pumped storage hydropower, Del. Pillion said in a statement. This builds upon critical legislation passed by the Virginia legislature earlier this year allowing for the development of pumped hydro storage facilities in the coalfields. Our commitment to an above and below energy approach will allow us to utilize the energy resources available to provide cheap and reliable energy for our families and create jobs.

Chafin described Griffith as a great partner to work with for the betterment of Southwest Virginia.

His legislation, similar to legislation we passed on the state level, will help fast-track the process for hydro pump storage, Chafin said. These facilities will create jobs and help our localities financially.

Dominion will submit preliminary permit applications to FERC for the initial sites that are under consideration, the company said in a statement. The pre-application doesnt commit Dominion to the project. If the company determines one or more facilities make sense, Dominion said it will then submit a license application to FERC for review.
Yes, were going to talk about the Bristol Mall again. But unlike our previous tone, our revised one is much more somber, frustrated and admittedly a little defeated.

We reported on Thursday and Friday that history does indeed repeat itself: Another store, Bounce Bristol, closed its doors at the retail shell, and another, Belmeade Formal Wear, is moving to a new location. Were not so much as surprised as disappointed.

While no news about the centers plans were ever announced, the inklings of continued closures, a somewhat discreet auction of mall inventory (benches and such) and the owners cryptic message about its future divulge more than any press release could  and were just about out of ideas for next steps. But maybe something great awaits the structure, if we can come to terms with its present state.

Weve previously pushed for the new owners to provide us, the city of Bristol, with updates or plans. The mall was purchased early last year by New Jersey-based Sunstar Keshav LLC, and the lingering stagnation of incoming businesses and silence on concrete plans begs the question of intention.

Ashwin Desai, one of the owners, told one of our reporters Thursday, We will get something soon.

Lets be blunt: That does nothing to negate the problem. Whats the strategy here? Does one exist?

Then we pushed for local leaders to get more involved  and they responded. In an op-ed we published, Bristol Virginia Vice Mayor Archie Hubbard explained the city made attempts to work with the new owner, but not much can be accomplished without a business plan. You cant force private owners to cooperate, he supplemented.

Responsibility for movement with the development was figuratively kicked back to the owner  and, well, here we are.

The dilemma thats perhaps misunderstood or underestimated by the real estate group is the citys repercussions from the malls seemingly imminent demise. Bristols fiscal suffering is a saga that never ends, and when the mall was purchased, some optimism piqued. But while Desai believes its a long-term investment for someone, it also necessitates an investment in us, both of a financial capacity and our esprit de corps.

Now, not only is the mall an eyesore but a blow to morale, an unintentional kick when were down and just another scar on the face of our economy.

What about what we want to see done with it? If residents  and quite possibly tourists  will contribute to its longevity via commerce, our interests should, to some extent, guide what happens. Our culture and interests should be reflected in our shopping center. And what that reflection displays now and has displayed for some time is a disinterest in our own well-being  and thats not the case.

Some readers have commented that the possibility of using the mall as a shameless tax write-off may have motivated Sunstars purchase. Potential ideas for some of the malls space  including a haunted house and a mystery dinner theater  couldnt be re-verified this week by the malls manager Nancy Mitchell.

Desai did reiterate that a prospective company is interested in occupying the entire structure, and that deal is still in progress. Well, that sounds super, but whats to be done in the meantime?

A part of us wants to give up the effort of trying to pump blood back into this lifeless body of a shopping center, a sentiment expressed by some readers via social media. Perhaps its time to start the grieving process, then: We should accept that the mall as we know it is, well, gone.

But its just not in us to claim complete defeat. This is Bristol: Weve bounced back from a lot worse. Think about downtown Bristol: With some time and effort, the area is now a thriving attraction. But it first required a transformation to resurrect.

If we accept the malls end, we can then make room for whatever new beginnings lie ahead. Think of this as a transition, then, not a permanent dead end.

For now, though, we await the next step, whatever and whenever that may be.
Nearly 80 PA people have been charged for Jan. 6 riot. Three are dead.

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Bollywood star Sridevis daughter Jhanvi Kapoor is yet to join the industry but the actress has already told her girl about the pros and cons of being an actor.

The 53-year-old actress said initially Jhanvi was getting affected of what was being written about her personal life in media.

The other day she was very upset with reports that she was chasing a hero in a party, but that was not true. She was with director Gauri Shinde who was also there at the same party. Since its happening in the beginning of her career she isnt liking it. She was quite upset and I was like, Welcome to this world, Sridevi said.

There were reports that Jhanvi had followed Ranbir Kapoor, supposedly her celebrity crush, around at a showbiz party.

Sridevi said now that her daughter has decided to come into films, she really cannot stop anyone from writing about her. There is nothing wrong in going out with friends. A person wants to write something wrong, he will write it even if you are just going out with friends. I cant stop that as she is a public (figure now). I have no control over anything.

The actress said she knows her daughter too well, and therefore does not care what others say. I know what she is doing and where she is going. I am a very friendly mom and my children share everything with me. I dont have anything much to say about all this.

Jhanvi has been in news for her appearance at social events and parties for a while now and Sridevi says she is okay with her getting all the attention by paparazzi. Wherever she goes she gets clicked, so what do I say about that. Even when you go to a restaurant or gym or anywhere, they (media) are everywhere and I cant blame them also as they are doing their job. But at the same time it is quite tough (to deal with all this), but she has chosen this profession so she has to cope up with this.

Jhanvi, whose father, Boney Kapoor, is a well known producer, will be launched by Karan Johars Dharma Productions.She is likely to make her acting with Student of the Year 2. When asked about it, Sridevi says, I dont want to talk about her film as it is too early. I dont think I should say anything.

Meanwhile, Sridevi is gearing up for the release of her film Mom on July 7. The thriller is directed by Ravi Udyawar and also stars Nawazuddin Siddiqui, and Pakistani actors Adnan Siddiqui and Sajal Ali in pivotal parts.

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Harry Potter turns 20 on Monday when muggle readers in gowns and glasses from Indonesia to Uruguay will celebrate the birth of a global publishing phenomenon in 1997.

Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone (later renamed Sorcerers Stone for the US market) introduced the boy wizard and a magical cast of supporting characters.

Penniless single mother JK Rowling finally succeeded after a series of rebuffs from publishers, and the book became the first instalment of a seven-novel series that has sold 450 million copies worldwide and spawned eight blockbuster films.

The Potter universe now encompasses theme parks in the United States and Japan and a permanent exhibition at Londons Warner Bros Studios, helping to turn Rowling into a multi-millionaire.

No other childrens book has achieved quite as much in terms of both commercial and cultural impact, turning an entire generation of boys as well as girls into enthusiastic readers who would happily join midnight queues at bookshops as each novel came out.

Rowling once told a beaming crowd of Harvard University graduates how she had initially failed on an epic scale.

An exceptionally short-lived marriage had imploded, and I was jobless, a lone parent, and as poor as it is possible to be in modern Britain, without being homeless, she said..

If some of the early reviews took issue with Rowlings pedestrian writing and bald characterisation, everyone agreed about the narrative verve on show in the Philosophers Stone, starting with the delivery of a letter that will, like alchemy, transform the 11-year-old heros life forever.

JK Rowling attends the world premiere of Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them in New York. (AP)

The wealth amassed along the way gives Rowling an estimated fortune of 650 million ($825 million, 743 million euros), according to The Sunday Times newspapers 2017 Rich List.

Such riches would have seemed impossible to Rowling in the early 1990s, when she worked as an English teacher in Portugals second city Porto.

She spent her free time writing early drafts of the Potter world, but in 1993 split from her husband and left Portugal with her four-month-old daughter.

Rowling continued crafting Harry Potter in Edinburgh sitting on a modest oak chair, part of a mismatched set of furniture which she was given for free while living in subsidised housing.

Such is the magic of the authors own story, the chair sold in a New York auction last year for $394,000.

Once you start reading it, you enter a magical world, a world where you could be special, a world with clever things, with the idea that it all just might exist, Durham University education professor Martin Richardson told AFP.

The characters become part of the family. It starts to enter the nations DNA, he said.

I think people will be reading Potter in 20, 30, 40, 60 years time, even if its only for the story.

Far beyond Britain and English-language markets, the saga wove itself into the worlds literary DNA.

The seven volumes have been translated into 79 languages in 200 countries, and Mondays 20th anniversary will feature fancy-dress reading parties around the world starting in Australia and ending in Canada and the US West Coast, at libraries, bookshops and British embassies.

A store assistant holds copies of the book of the play of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child parts One and Two at a bookstore in London.

Marie Lallouet, editor-in-chief of a childrens literature digest at the National Library of France, underlined the scale of the books appeal beyond Britain, which already had a rich stock of literature conjuring tales out of the worlds of boarding schools and magic.

Harry Potter re-validated childrens literature in the eyes of adults, and encouraged an entire generation (of French children) to learn English so that they could read the books as soon as they came out in English, she said.

Rowling managed to magic something very powerful into existence, Lallouet said, by portraying one boys struggle to come to terms with his tragic beginnings against the backdrop of an existential struggle of good against evil.

Cosplay fans (L-R) George Massingham, Abbey Forbes and Karolina Goralik travel by tube dressed in Harry Potter themed costumes, after a visit to one the literary franchise's movie filming locations at Leadenhall Market in London, Britain. (Reuters)

The first print run of the Philosophers Stone produced 1,000 copies -- all now highly sought after by collectors -- and earned Rowling a 1,500 contract from Bloomsbury after numerous rebuffs from other publishers.

I just loved it at first sight. Id worked with Roald Dahl in his glory days, so I suppose the opening chapters reminded me a little of him, Barry Cunningham, Rowlings original publisher at Bloomsbury, told The Daily Telegraph.

A member of staff at Waterstones holds a story written by JK Rowling donated by the author, for the What's Your Story? auction in aid of English PEN and Dyslexia Action, in London. (AP)

Bloomsbury affected one small change by persuading Joanne Rowling to publish under the nom de plume JK, convinced that boys would shy away from a book written by a woman.

Still, Cunningham was not sure the Philosophers Stone would make any money, and urged Rowling to stick to a day job while writing on the side.

I couldnt be prouder of the Harry Potter legacy: not only has it made reading cool again, it has shown that families can all enjoy great stories together, he said.

We can believe that there is a real purpose to standing up to evil. And, of course, we can find our own magic.

Famed for creating her much-loved wizarding realm, Rowling has in the real world become a vocal champion of social causes and speaks up frequently for minorities.

We do not need magic to change the world, we carry all the power we need inside ourselves already: we have the power to imagine better, the author said in 2008.
Infosys CEO Vishal Sikka on Saturday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi would convey the contribution made by Indian IT companies towards the US economy during his deliberations with President Donald Trump.

I think we have created a lot of value in the US economy. All the IT industry in general is responsible for massive amount of value creation in US and its economy. I think the Prime Minister, among other things on his agenda, will also convey that. Of course, we are deeply committed to the US economy in various forms, he said on the sidelines of Infosys 36th annual general meeting here.

Sikka was responding to a query if Modis visit to the US will salvage Indian IT industry to some extent.

To another query on the preparedness of the company for GST rollout, Sikka said there are concerns because of the enormity of the project. He, however, exuded confidence that Infosys will be doing its best working on it.

We are really proud of it. Look, in a complex project, things go wrong, absolutely. But, we are doing our best working on it. So, we are really excited, confident and nervous -- all at the same time, he said.

Responding to another question, Sikka said he has been doing periodic reviews and working with his team closely.

I have been doing reviews periodically, and I am working with the team very closely. It is a 60,000 transaction per second. It is a completely stack base system. We are really proud of it, he said.

On AGM, which is also the last for Infosys Chairman R Seshasayee before his retirement next year, Sikka said it is wonderful to hear both support and concern coming from shareholders.

Eulogising Seshasayee for his work in the company, Sikka said he had worked extraordinarily hard for the company.

It was wonderful to hear both support and concern from shareholders. It was Seshas last AGM. He has worked extraordinarily hard, and I think any time you get an opportunity to share the story with shareholders is always a good thing, he said.
British lender Royal Bank of Scotland on Sunday said that it is cutting 443 UK jobs dealing with business loans, and plans to shift many of the roles to India.

The UKs largest government-owned bank said it was moving the jobs, which help handle loans for small businesses, as part of an ongoing cost-cutting drive.

As we become a simpler, smaller bank, we are making some changes to the way we serve our customers. Unfortunately, these changes will result in the net reduction of 443 roles in the UK, a spokesperson for the bank said.

The bank said it would support staff affected by the disappointing news, including by moving them into new roles where possible.

Workers union Unite said British workers and taxpayers would lose out from the move.

By shipping these jobs to India, RBS will be getting that work done more cheaply at the cost of jobs and livelihoods here in the UK, the spokesperson said.

RBS is 73 per cent owned by the UK government after a 45- billion-pound bailout in 2008.

Last month also, the bank had announced some job cuts and plans to move some of them to India.
Indian online retailer Snapdeal has filed a police complaint in Delhi against some former directors and former management of a logistics company, in which it owns a stake, accusing them of defrauding the company of Rs 3.57 billion ($55.37 million), a police report showed.

The company -- which is backed by Japans Softbank -- accused some former directors and former management of Quickdel of misappropriation, cheating and misleading it, in the police first information report filed in New Delhi on Friday. Reuters has a copy of the police report.

Vineet Rai, the administrative officer at the Gurgaon headquarters of Quickdel, said the company could not immediately comment. A spokeswoman for Snapdeal was not reachable by phone.

Snapdeal said it had bought a 49.99% stake in Quickdel in 2014 and early 2015, after the former heads of the logistics company said it would help the two to grow the business.

Snapdeal said in the police complaint that it realised later that the former heads of the logistics firm had misrepresented facts.

Snapdeal has been at the centre of takeover speculation, with its largest backer Softbank seen as keen to sell the company to its larger rival, Tiger Global-backed Flipkart.

In May, television channel ET Now reported that the founders of Snapdeal and one of its early investors, Nexus, have reached an agreement with SoftBank Group that would allow the Japanese firm to move ahead with its plan to sell Snapdeal to Flipkart.

Sources told Reuters last month that SoftBank was working to engineer a sale of Snapdeal to Flipkart, as it seeks to play consolidator and take a more active role at a trio of leading start-ups in India.
Keen to increase trade with India and other Commonwealth countries to compensate for the loss of the European Single Market after Brexit, Britain has promised improved market access to the group that currently exports goods worth 20 billion annually.

The Theresa May government said it will use Brexit to cement Britains standing in the world and meet our commitments to the worlds poorest by securing their existing duty-free access to UK markets and providing new opportunities to increase trade links.

May has shown much enthusiasm to sign a free trade agreement with India, which can happen only after Britain formally leaves the EU, expected in March 2019. Initial talks have been held on such an agreement between London and New Delhi.

Downing Street said the commitment meant that around 48 countries across the globe, from Bangladesh to Sierra Leone, Haiti and Ethiopia will continue to benefit from duty-free exports into the UK on all goods other than arms and ammunition, known as everything but arms.

International trade secretary Liam Fox said: Our departure from the EU is an opportunity to step up to our commitments to the rest of the world, not step away from them.

The UK is the fourth largest inward investor in India, after Mauritius, Singapore and Japan, with a cumulative equity investment of US $ 24.59 billion (April 2000- March 2017). UK ranks second among the G20 countries and accounts for around 7% of all foreign direct investment into India for the period April 2000  March 2017.

According to the latest Inward Investment Result 2015-16 released by the Department for International Trade, India retains the position as the third largest investor in the UK. India is also the second largest international job creator in UK.

Indian companies created 140 FDI projects in the UK in 2015-16, and created 7,105 new jobs and safeguarded 344 jobs, official figures state.

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Leading US congressmen have called on President Donald Trump to press Prime Minister Narendra Modi to remove barriers to US trade and investment when they meet for the first time on Monday.

The lawmakers, from the Republican and Democratic parties, said in a letter to Trump that high-level engagement with India had failed to eliminate major trade and investment barriers and had not deterred India from imposing new ones.

Many sectors of the Indian economy remain highly and unjustifiably protected, and India continues to be a difficult place for American companies to do business, they wrote, noting that a 2017 World Bank report ranked India 130th out of 190 countries for ease of doing business.

The lawmakers - Republican House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Kevin Brady and Ranking Member Richard Neal, and Republican Senate Finance Committee Chairman Orrin Hatch and Ranking Member Ron Wyden - said the bilateral economic relationship severely underperforms as a result of Indias failure to enact market-based reforms.

They said the barriers covered multiple sectors and included high tariffs, inadequate protection of intellectual property rights, and inconsistent and non-transparent licensing and regulatory practices.

Among US goods affected were solar and information technology products, telecommunications equipment and biotechnology products, they said.

The lawmakers also pointed to limitations on foreign participation in professional services, restrictive foreign equity caps for financial, retail, and other major services sectors and barriers to digital trade and Internet services.

The list is long and growing, they said.

Modi is due to meet with about 20 leading US CEOs in Washington on Sunday before his first meeting with Trump on Monday at the White House, when he will seek to revitalise ties that have appeared to drift, in spite of the priority they were afforded under former President Barack Obama.

While progress is expected in defense trade and cooperation, Trump, who campaigned on an America First platform has been irritated by the growing US trade deficit with India and has called for reform of the H-1B visa system that has benefited Indian tech firms.

Other signs of friction have included Trump accusing New Delhi of negotiating unscrupulously at the Paris climate talks to walk away with billions in aid.

Indian officials reject suggestions that Modis Make in India platform is protectionist and complain about the US regulatory process for generic pharmaceuticals and rules on fruit exports to the United States.

They stress the future importance of the huge Indian market to US firms and major growth in areas such as aviation which will offer significant opportunities for US manufacturers.
As I write this column, I am in Bhubaneswar for a function in the family. Thanks to my mother, any function in our family has to be an elaborate affair, with an extended list of relatives who would be invited and made to stay over for days. In the past, she and I would often fight over it, but this time I am enjoying the crowd of relatives. Conversations with them are yielding very helpful insights into what might happen as Odisha heads for simultaneous parliamentary and assembly elections in 2019.

Our relatives are spread all over the state; most of them are first-generation urban immigrants with strong roots in villages; they are educated, politically aware and usually have their ear to the ground. So far, their electoral choices have swung between the Congress party and Naveen Patnaiks Biju Janata Dal (or its earlier avatars  the Janata Dal and the Janata Party) in what has been a bipolar polity for decades. But in 2019, they will have a third option to consider  Prime Minister Narendra Modis Bharatiya Janata Party. In fact, calling it a third option isnt being fair to the BJP, which has seen a meteoric rise over the past two years to emerge as a credible challenger to the ruling BJD.

To be sure, my conversations with the visiting relatives have not been limited to choices they might make in the next elections. Here is what I am hearing from them, about the changes they are seeing in their areas and how these could redefine the political landscape of Odisha.

Elections in 2019 will be a close contest between Naveens BJD and Modis BJP. Thats seen as a big change in peoples perception in a very short span of time. When I came here two months ago for the BJPs national executive meeting, not many were willing to take it seriously, because its influence was still seen as limited to western Odisha. In the coastal districts, which elect more than half of Odishas 147 MLAs and where politics is highly competitive, the BJP was a non-entity.

That has changed now. Relatives from my ancestral village, which falls under the Kendrapara constituency, report a lot of BJP hawa in their area.The hawa could be seen in other coastal constituencies, where the party has been aggressively pushing a booth-level campaign to induct volunteers. Not a week passes these days with Union petroleum minister Dharmendra Pradhan  the BJPs likely chief-ministerial face for the state  showcasing his success in winning over local leaders from rival parties.

At this point, however, Naveen is still seen returning to power for a record fifth term. All that anti-incumbency talk, one hears, holds true mostly for urban voters, insists a relative from Kandhamal  an impoverished, tribal-dominated district in central Odisha. People in that part are happy with the BJD governments one-rupee-a-kilo rice scheme, free bicycles to girls, mobile phones and laptops to meritorious students.

The vote-winning welfare schemes apart, there is one more thing that Naveen does well  in choosing when and how to hit his rival. Like Modi, he loves to surprise. Earlier this week, he hit out at the Centre, in an unusually aggressive style, over the inadequate hike in minimum support price for paddy. At his behest, his party quickly held a farmers rally outside the Governors house. Naveens outburst and the rally, both of which got generous coverage in the local media, ensured that if the paddy crop didnt get them enough money the farmers would likely blame the BJP.

There are a few other things that are not working out in the BJPs favour. Its attempt to polarise the states politics on communal lines hasnt gone down well with people. Odisha has a small share of Muslim population, less than 3%, but its politics has rarely been influenced by religious or caste divides, argued a relative who lives near Bhadrak, a coastal town that recently witnessed Hindu-Muslim clashes, allegedly engineered by groups associated with the BJP. Success also brings new challenges. While the party is winning new friends and allies, internal squabbles have been on the rise. Two of its national executive members are sulking. One of them, an MLA, is rumoured to be rejoining the BJD.

Between now and 2019, Odisha politics will remain action-packed. How the script unfolds from now on, well have to wait and see. One thing is clear though. It will be a fight between the BJD and the BJP, and a good one at that.

(The author is the Chief Content Officer, Hindustan Times. Follow him @rajeshmahapatra)
If this monsoon season has a theme in India, it has to be debt.

The Reserve Bank of India is flexing its new powers and has initiated action against 12 companies under the new Bankruptcy Code. These companies account for around a fourth of the gross non-performing assets of the banking system. That works out to around Rs 2 lakh crore or Rs 2 trillion (or $31 billion).

Farmers across India are protesting, demanding waiver of their loans and better prices for their crops. Bank of America Merrill Lynch estimates that by the time the next parliamentary elections come around, in 2019, Indian states would have waived farm loans worth $40 billion. Thats around Rs 2.6 trillion.

Meanwhile, a bunch of telecom companies  in fact, all but one  is lobbying the government for a bail-out. The telcos were carrying debt of around Rs 4.85 trillion on their books as of 31 December 2016. In addition, they owe the government close to Rs 3 trillion for spectrum they have already bought. The numbers work out to around $75 billion and $46 billion, respectively.

Together, that works out to around $146 billion of debt which explains why the theme is dominating the headlines.

Lets look at the three cases in ascending order of complexity.

The non-performing asset problem is, believe it or not, the easiest to solve. Sure, bankruptcy proceedings could be long-drawn, and the discretion required to write down loans isnt easily found in a banking system dominated by state-owned banks  not in an environment where investigative agencies can ask why loans are being written down  but at the heart of most non-performing assets is an asset. This could be a steel factory, a power plant, a stretch of road, even part ownership of an airport. All are assets that a growing economy needs and which, if run properly, or when the commodity cycle turns (or both), could be viable, even profitable. With the right regulatory regime, some hard calls, and the courage to take write-downs, this could happen.

The debt on the books of the telcos poses a more difficult problem. This is debt that has been built up because the government insisted on transparency and a market-driven approach above all else. The newsroom I work for, Mint, believes in free markets so it is difficult for me to argue with this approach. This is debt that has been built up because the government has sought to do the right thing from the perspective of technology, and by customers. Again, it is difficult to find fault with this approach although, over the years, this has benefited only three companies  the two Reliance entities in telecommunications, and Tata Teleservices. And this is debt that has been built up because most telcos have adopted the debt-based model of growth (over bringing in equity). It is difficult to blame this model too. Together, these three approaches have benefited the government, through higher revenue, and customers, though lower tariffs. But the industry is in distress now, and crying for a bailout. The government should wait for market forces to play out and watch the ensuing consolidation (this has already begun, with the second and third largest telcos, Vodafone India and Idea Cellular announcing a merger), but it should also push for these companies to bring in more equity, agree to take a haircut on some spectrum payments, make mergers easier, ensure that the telecom regulator and the anti-trust body stay sharp and fair, and promise not to meddle with policy anymore (at least for a few years).

Farm loans pose the most difficult problem, not because they cant be waived  they can be, as various state governments have shown  but because they are a symptom of the larger malaise in Indian agriculture. Despite assorted claims, all governments have largely steered clear of pushing through the kind of agricultural reform and building the agricultural infrastructure required to make farming a viable business. The order of investments required is huge; the changes required, complex and, in some cases, politically inconvenient; and the time horizon for outcomes, long. Waivers are the easy way out.

R Sukumar is editor, Mint

letters@hindustantimes.com

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At Patnas Gandhi Maidan, we were waiting for the governor to arrive at the book fairs cavernous pandal. He arrived two minutes before time. Owing to his stature and the occasion, the black suit he was wearing sat well on his tall frame. As soon as the door of the car opened, I welcomed him with my introduction. Shaking my hand with warmth, he said: You dont need any introduction.

Generally, modern-day politicians say this to mock the people they meet. Arrogance and disdain have become the signature of most Indian politicians these days. He appeared the opposite to these traits: matured, polite and graceful. On the dais, I discovered that the governor had already read my book. The portions that he had underlined to quote were the ones that I had also selected for my speech. Does he think on the same lines as me? The question sprang to my mind.

In my speech, I invoked Nigerian Nobel laureate Chinua Achebe. Achebe has written: Until the lions have their own historians, the history of the hunt will always glorify the hunter. After the speech, he whispered in my ear: Your views are extremely convincing in the Indian context! His speech was succinct and rich with content. Before he bid goodbye, his polite nature, intellectual depth, social commitment and graceful retorts had left an imprint on everybody.

By now you would have understood that I am speaking about Ram Nath Kovind. His educational background, his views and his personality make him suitable for the Presidents post. His candidature did take many with surprise, because he always done his work keeping a low profile. But this is Narendra Modi and Amit Shahs style. The duo has made a smart political move. Let us begin with the politics behind it. Kovind was born in a Dalit household. Every political party would have to think twice before opposing him since they dont want to earn the stamp of being anti-Dalit. The opposition had faced a similar dilemma when the Congress put forward KR Narayanans name. The record of his victory is still intact. The compulsions of a similar brand of politics compelled the Opposition to nominate Meira Kumar as their candidate. Kumar is the daughter of renowned Dalit leader Jagjivan Ram and has held a number of high posts including speaker of the Lok Sabha. For the first time, two extremely qualified Dalit candidates are pitted against each other for the Presidents post. The Congress hopes that by fielding Kumar, it will be able to keep some of its remaining Dalit support base intact.

The BJPs leadership realises it will never get the Muslim votes. So, they want to draw away the Dalits who have traditionally been the Congresss vote bank. Even before Kovinds candidature, the Bhim app, the razzmatazz around the Ambedkar anniversary and Amit Shah having lunch with a Dalit family were indicators of this. Kovind hails from the Koli community. Being a native of Uttar Pradesh, not only will he influence voters in the state, the BJP will also gain in Bihar, his karmabhoomi. The support of the Janata Dal (United) is a sign of this.

Apart from the entire NDA, the JD (U) and a faction of the AIADMK have come out in Kovinds support. These elections could prove to be a trial by fire for the Opposition because people are seeing it as a rehearsal for 2019. The assessment till now makes it clear that Kovinds victory is a certainty and the Opposition is only in the fray since it doesnt want to give the NDA a walkover.

Ram Nath Kovinds critics may say that he has never won an election despite getting the opportunity to fight elections twice. The buzz is that he didnt get a Lok Sabha ticket in 2014 because of this. Those who are jealous may allege he has always preferred the backdoor to assume office. Without getting into an argument, I would politely like to remember Abraham Lincoln here. He, too, lost many elections, went bankrupt and even suffered from gangrene, but he won the election for an office considered to be the most powerful in the world. As the president of the United States, he abolished the system of slavery. While it is true that the Indian President has his constraints, but after reaching the office of the President Ram Nath Kovind can do a lot of things that are required.

Even today the nation doesnt want to hear the voices of the Dalits and the dispossessed. A person who has risen from among them will have to take this initiative. Will he keep Chinua Achebes saying in mind? History is looking at Ram Nath Kovind with anticipation.

Shashi Shekhar is editor-in-chief, Hindustan

letters@hindustantimes.com
Most of the cases of disputed assets between Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh that had been lingering for the past 17 years will be resolved by next month, chief minister Trivendra Singh Rawat announced here on Sunday.

Speaking at a function held here to mark the completion of 100 days of the BJP government in Uttarakhand, he said both sides have resolved several cases relating to disputed assets.

For instance, we will soon get the ownership of some 33 canals, Rawat said, adding that the Uttar Pradesh government had also agreed on the construction of Jamrani dam project in Haldwani.

Once this project is completed the water requirement of the entire Bhabhar and Terai areas in Kumaon will be met, he said. Similarly, the water requirement of several areas in Uttar Pradesh would also be met.

Rawat described the approval of a CBI probe into the 300 crore NH-74 land scam as the biggest achievement of his 100-day old government.

I recommended the CBI inquiry within five days of taking over as the chief minister, he said.

Rawat claimed that the CBI probe into such a massive land fraud is a clear proof that the BJP government is sincere about implementing its zero tolerance for corruption.

It was one of the key promises we made to the people during the assembly elections and they reposed trust in us by giving our party the unprecedented mandate, he said while sharing a number of anti-graft measures taken by his government during its first 100 days in office.

Rawat said his government also discovered a massive scam involving the previous Congress government in the appointments of block development officers. We immediately cancelled those appointments and have issued an order whereby all appointments relating to government jobs would be made in a transparent manner, he said.

Rawat announced that his government succeeded in blocking a number of leakages reported under the previous Congress government relating to the revenue generated through mining.

In Haridwar alone, we collected a fine of 25 crore from illegal mining alone within 21 days since we came to power, he said.

Conversely, the revenue of just 13 crore was recorded in a year from that district under the previous Congress government.

Rawat said his government had collected excise revenue to the tune of 2.70 crore from in the past 100 days.

On the infrastructure side, he said the Dehradun-Rishikesh-Haridwar Metro rail project would be completed within the next five years.

That will divert a massive traffic load from that busy route that links Uttarakhand with the national capital, said the chief minister.

He said Uttarakhand would also be benefited by the Rookree-Deoband-Mujaffarnagar rail project on which an agreement was recently reached between his government and the Centre. This project will shorten the distance between Delhi and the states border districts by six hours, he announced.

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A last-minute weekend holiday plan turned into a tragedy for the Andraskar family.

Jayant and his wife Manshea, along with their two daughters Anagha and Janhvi, were among the seven people killed on Sunday in the Gulmarg cable car accident.

The four had come back from Maharashtra only last week.

They loved to travel. They just went to Maharashtra for a wedding and returned last week. To go to Kashmir was a sudden plan. Maybe because of the weekend. They left on Friday and were to return on Tuesday, Mohini, a neighbour, whose daughter studies with Anagha, said.

The family, hailing from Nagpur, had been staying in Shalimar Bagh for the past five years. Jayant worked as a lecturer of civil engineering at Pusa Institute and his wife was a homemaker. While Anagha had just joined nursery school, Janhvi was a Class 2 student.

The kids were so excited for the trip that the elder daughter asked her tuition teacher to get done with the class early as she had to sleep and wake up early morning to catch a flight... Manshea told me that they were going for a short trip with the kids and will be back on Tuesday and that I should take care of the house, she added.

The unfortunate news came on Sunday evening after which the media thronged the Shalimar Bagh residence of the family. That is when the neighbours realised that the family was no more. Their door was found to be locked.

The family lived in Shalimar Bagh, and neighbours had expected them back on Tuesday. (Arun Sharma/HT File Photo)

I got a call from one of our common friends when she saw the news on TV. I was numb when I heard about the accident. We then made a few calls to Srinagar and were told that they were fine. The police told us that they have been admitted. But we saw the visuals on TV. The policemen were carrying them to the ambulance. I could not see the faces but was really hoping and praying that they were fine. It is only now that I found out that they are no more. I do not know what to tell my three-year-old daughter. She has been asking me so many questions, Mohini said.

The family, hailing from Nagpur, had been staying in Shalimar Bagh for the past five years.

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Sidharth Malhotra has a message for Delhiites: Have fun but drive responsibly. The actor who was shooting for his new film, Aiyaary at India Gate, took part in the road safety campaign by Delhi Traffic Police to raise awareness about anti-drunken driving and anti-stunt riding. Delhi is my home town. This is a great step. It is going to be helpful for everyone. Anyone can be involved in road accident. Drunk and stunt driving must be avoided. Its not just about us, its about our family and friends as well, he said.

The actor also advised Delhiites to be stress free while driving. Listen to Bollywood songs to reduce stress. Go and roam around but be responsible. You can easily call a cab and travel, said the actor.

AK Singh, DCP, Traffic Police, said that as a youth icon, the actor can connect with people. Youngsters often indulge in stunt biking and drunken driving, which is dangerous. We want Sidharth to spread this message.

Actor Sidharth Malhotra was shooting for his film at India Gate and joined Delhi Traffic Polices road safety campaign. (Manoj Verma/ HT Phot)

Students from various schools of Delhi also participated in the event and supported the cause. We have a road safety club run by Delhi Traffic Police. It covers more than 100 schools. Several students who are a part of our initiatives joined us today. They all turned up at a very short notice and I would like to thank them, said Singh.

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Feeling peaceful with Manisha Andraskar, was the last message that friends of Jayant Andraskar saw on his Facebook page before tragedy struck.

The Delhi couple and their two young daughters  Anagha and Janhvi  were among seven who met a tragic death in Kashmirs Gulmarg when a cable car was violently flung after the ropeway sagged under the weight of a fallen tree.

The Andraskars, residents of Shalimar Bagh in north west Delhi, had gone to Kashmir for holidaying.

One of their daughters was a class I student while the other was in playschool, according to one of their relatives, Sourabh. The couple had gone to Kashmir on June 22, he said.

The last time we talked, they spoke about Kashmir, said Sourabh.

The family hailed from Nagpur but had come to Delhi as Jayant was working in a Delhi government department, he said.

Apart from the Andraskars, three persons from Kashmir  Mukhtar Ahmad, a resident of Chonti Patri Babareshi, and Jahangir Ahmad and Farooq Ahmad Chopan, both residents of Tangmarg  were also killed in the accident.

A tree, uprooted by strong winds, fell on the ropeway of Gulmarg Gondola and severed the lines due to which the cable car came crashing to the ground, an official said.

Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah questioned why the cable car service had not been shut down as a precautionary measure because of high winds.

What terrible news, he tweeted.

It begs the question as to why the cable car operations werent suspended in high winds. Thats a laid down SOP [standard operating procedure], he posted on Twitter.
Hashim, one of the four youths attacked on a Mathura-bound train, says he hasnt slept since the incident took place on Thursday. He regrets not being able to save Junaid, his younger brother who died of stab wounds, following an argument with fellow passengers, that soon took a communal turn.

I get flashes at night. I cannot close my eyes. The moment I do, I feel as if it is all happening again before my eyes, says Hashim, his hands trembling, voice shaky. He takes a break, closes his eyes and continues. It is impossible to get rid of the image of Junaid lying in my lap, soaked in blood. His white kurta had turned red. His screams, which became louder with every stab, are still echoing in my ears, he says.

The brothers had gone to Delhis Sadar Bazar to shop for Eid on Thursday. They boarded a train from Sadar Bazar and got into a fight over seats with some unidentified men who called them beef-eaters and anti-nationals. The altercation later turned bloody. After two hours of violence on the train that night, Hashim was allowed to get off at Asota with Junaids dead body and his two brothers, who too were badly injured.

A day later, when I was alone at night in the room with all the lights switched off, I cried my heart out. I could not save my brother. I lost him. The feeling sank in much later. I still wish if I could turn back time and do something to stop those men from butchering my brother. The images of blood on the ground and on the walls of that train, when my brother was running around to find a way out to escape, will haunt me forever, he says.

In the same breath he adds, What did we do to deserve this treatment? I do not understand why they started calling us names. I know nothing about nationalism. All I know is that I am an Indian. This is my home.

Mausim, who too was attacked and sustained injuries that night, comforts Hashim.

Why is there so much hatred against us? Mausim says. Why were we cornered like that? To escape their blows and knife stabs, I hid under the seat of the train. I will never be able to forget helplessly looking at my brothers getting thrashed and then stabbed, he says. There were so many people on the train, but not a single person stood up to help us. The men instead kept saying that we were beef eaters and deserved to die, he says.

Hashim interrupts Mausim. They attacked us because we were wearing skull caps. Instead of saving us the crowd was egging the attackers on. They held us by our arms, while the men pierced our bodies with their knives. Our screams for help fell on deaf ears he cries.

Before he could finish, a group of men come to take them to the GRP police station. They are calling you to identify the men. Thy have detained a few persons, a man says. Now, we will have to recall the entire episode for the 300th time. I just wish to go home and talk to no one, Hashim says, before leaving.

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Rajkor, 65, runs a small grocery shop from the living room of her house at Surakhpur village in Najafgarh. The glass counter is crammed with toffee boxes, while strings of tea packets, shampoo and gutkha sachets hang on the walls. She is sitting on a charpoy with children in the shop.

Rajkors is one of the two shops that accept card payments. As we propose to buy cold drinks and pay with a credit card, she pulls out a neatly packed swipe machine from the drawer.

I do not know how to use it, so I will call my husband, she says and rushes inside the house. Soon her husband, Surat Singh Solanki, comes to the room but he too expresses his inability to use the machine. The village has poor internet connectivity and the machine does not work most of the time, he says.

Ironically, on February 7, Surakhpur was declared Delhis first fully digital payment enabled village by the government. The Delhi government organised an Aadhar camp, invited over 20 banks to the village to open Aadhar-seeded bank accounts, videos were played on a large LED screen at the chaupal to educate villagers about e-wallets, mobile banking, BHIM App and many bank-specific applications. Two grocers in the village, including Surat Singh, received the swipe machine and the training to handle it.

The deserted and dilapidating DTC bus stand. Villagers say DTC buses stopped coming a few years ago. (Vipin Kumar/HT PHOTO)

Singh, however, does not remember when he last used the machine. Most villagers buy bread, butter and soaps from me and like to pay in cash, says Surat Singh sitting at the counter.

Four months on, the governments attempt to implement digital economy has come a cropper in the village which has poor internet connectivity, low smart phone penetration and lacks basic amenities such as transport and water.

Poor internet connectivity in the absence of a mobile tower is a common refrain in this fully digital payment enabled village.

Pranjal Solanki, 14, says that his family bought a laptop last year but had to gift it to a cousin in a neighbouring village. The dongle would not receive any signal. We realised that buying it was a mistake, he says. No wonder then many in the village ask why the issue of internet connectivity was not addressed before their village was chosen for the digital initiative.

Read: A host of new digital literary magazines are giving a boost to Indias literary magazine culture

Nagender Solanki, a student, says that villagers have been switching from one cell phone operator to another for better connectivity, but to no avail. Forget netbanking, it is difficult to use internet in the village even for emails, he says.

One of the stated objectives of promoting digital economy in this village of 113 households was to empower women, but there are many women such as Pushpa Solanki, who do not have a bank account yet. My husband has an account and the new debit card arrived today. But it is of no use. The village does not have a bank or ATM, she rues.

Amit Solanki, 37, says what the village needs first and foremost is potable water. He takes us on a guided tour of the village showing us tanks placed outside every household. Every house also has an underground water tank. Three families have to share one Delhi Jal Board tanker for a week. So people have no choice but to store water. It is a desperate situation when the tankers do not arrive, he says.

Poor internet connectivity in the absence of a mobile tower is parts of the common refrain in this fully digital payment enabled village. (Vipin Kumar/HT PHOTO)

Not just water, the village lacks a transport service, primary health care centre and secondary school. As one enters the village, one sees an abandoned, rusting DTC bus stand. A few stray dogs have taken shelter under it in the scorching summer. The villagers say DTC buses stopped coming a few years ago. You have to have your own vehicle to reach the village, says Amit.

Many villagers say when a host of government and bank officials descended on the village every so often in January, they thought their village was in for a big transformation. After all, the village had never witnessed such governmental interest, buzz and excitement.

But it is all quiet now and nothing has changed, says Amit. A lot of people readily agreed to become part of the governments initiative because they thought digital economy was only the beginning, the village would be transformed into a modern village with all facilities, says a villager, who played a key role in mobilising support for the governments digital initiative.

On her part, Anjali Sehrawat, sub divisional magistrate of Najafgarh, who spearheaded the initiative, says the government is trying to sort out the problem of internet connectivity. We have written to cellular phone companies to install towers. Our objective was to enable every household in the village to make cashless transactions. Every household now has an Aadhar-seeded bank account linked to their mobile phones, she says. But yes, digital transactions have been way below our expectations.

Jagbir Singh, a villager, says many residents now wonder why the village was chosen in the first place for the cashless initiative. This is a small village of few needs with little buying and selling within the village, which has only two grocery shops, he says. Anyway, we have got loads of free fame if nothing else, he laughs, and rides away on his bike.

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If youre heading off on a vacation this summer, keep these food safety tips in mind to ensure an upset stomach doesnt ruin your perfect holiday. Reduce your chances of illness by sticking to the following safe food and water habits:

Purchase bottled water that is sealed, and do not refill bottles with or drink tap water. (Shutterstock)

* Only eat food that is cooked and served hot. Avoid all food that is served at room temperature, including sauces and buffet offerings.

* Steer away from food from street vendors.

* Purchase bottled water that is sealed, and do not refill bottles with or drink tap water.

* Avoid ice made with tap water and if youre unsure, ask for drinks without ice.

* Remember to keep your mouth closed while showering.

* Use bottled water to clean your teeth.

Reduce your chances of illness by sticking to the following safe food and water habits. (Shutterstock)

* Order hot drinks such as tea and coffee but make sure they are steaming hot.

* Make pasteurised dairy a rule. Avoid unpasteurized dairy, including ice cream.

* Ask for eggs to be hard-cooked and do not eat raw or soft-cooked (runny) eggs.

* Make sure you washed the fruits and vegetables in clean water or peeled them yourself first. If you have a choice, opt for peelable fruits such as bananas, oranges and avocados.

* Be wary of fruit salads and sliced fruits which may have been washed by someone else in tap water.

Avoid fruit salads and sliced fruits that may have been washed in tap water. (Shutterstock)

* Dont take risks with meat and fish, and do not eat raw or undercooked (rare) meat or fish or shellfish.

* Avoid bushmeat (monkeys, bats, or other wild game) no matter how it is cooked.

* Carry a box of essential medicines. Talk to your doctor about taking prescription or over-the-counter drugs with you on your trip in case you get sick.

Talk to your doctor about taking prescription or over-the-counter drugs with you on your trip in case you get sick. (Shutterstock)

* Also ask your doctor about how to prevent travellers tummy. As a preventive measure, some doctors suggest taking bismuth subsalicylate (Pepto-Bismol), which has been shown to decrease the likelihood of diarrhea. However, dont take this medication for longer than three weeks, and dont take it at all if youre pregnant, allergic to aspirin, or on medications such as anticoagulants.

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The citys water table is shrinking by two metres or more every year, say water experts.

Presently, the citys groundwater extraction is at 308%, far out-stripping neighbouring Faridabad at 75%, Palwal at 80% and Mewat at 85%.

Because of the rapid urbanisation and concretisation, the city is extracting three times more the groundwater than it is recharging, Vijender Singh Lamba, district hydrologist Gurgaon, said.

Even though the Central Ground Water Authority (CGWA) declared the area as Dark Zone in 2008 and advocated urgent steps to boost the citys water table, there has been little or no effort on the ground towards that end.

Over the last six years, the citys water table has shrunk by seven metres post monsoon, says data issued by the Central Ground Water Board (CGWB).

Though 22 teams have been formed by the district administration to crack down on illegal extraction of groundwater, the practice continues unabated. Since residents in 40% areas of Gurgaon are still unable to source potable water from civic agencies, they are largely depended on groundwater to meet their day-to-day requirements.

In more alarming data released by the CGWB, as many as 2,300 tube wells in the city have been sealed till 2016 for illegal extraction of groundwater. However, despite regular checks, the citys water table continues to be in a free fall.

We get four-five complaints of groundwater extraction from illegal borewells every month. We have been taking measures to deal with this problem, Lamba said.

Gauhar Mehmood of Delhis Jamia Millia Islamia University, who conducted a groundwater survey in the city, said, For the city to survive, urgent effort needs to be taken to conserve rainwater and treat waste water as well.

He said over-exploitation of groundwater has caused its depletion at an alarming rate. He said that if the water table keeps shrinking at this rate, Gurgaon, which is believed to be positioned on Seismic Zone 4, making it vulnerable to earthquakes, could soon have voda-zones (shallow areas) under its surface.

Read I Groundwater deleption in Gurgaon: HC directs petitioners to highlight core issues

According to a study conducted by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), the city has lost around 137 water bodies, which is also one of the prime contributors to the alarming depletion of groundwater.Unchecked extraction of groundwater in the city has resulted in the water table falling at a rate of 1-3 meters a year, said Anumita Roy Chowdhury, executive director, CSE.
Nothing signals a studios confidence in their film more than lifting the embargo on audience reactions. Marvel invited fans (and critics) to share their reactions on Spider-Man: Homecoming, a full two weeks ahead of its release - and while theres a lot of standard this is the best Spider-Man ever talk - theyre universally positive.

This is routine practice for Marvel, who hold industry and press screenings for their films well in advance of the general release to build buzz around their movies. And since we havent really seen a critically panned film coming out of the studio, it is a practice that is serving them well.

Spider-Man: Homecoming is the second cinematic reboot of the iconic superhero, following the Amazing Spider-Man series, which starred Andrew Garfield. Its the characters first solo film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, after he was debuted in 2016s Captain America: Civil War.

Tom Holland, who is receiving wide praise for his performance, stars as the friendly neighbourhood web-crawler. The cast is rounded off by Robert Downey Jr, Michael Keaton and Marisa Tomei. The film, directed by Jon Watts, is scheduled for a July 7 release.

Check out the enthusiastic reactions below:

SPIDER-MAN: HOMECOMING is pure joy. Tom Holland is perfect: He's having the time of his life, and it shows.  Devan Coggan (@devancoggan) June 24, 2017

I'd kind of forgotten how much I loved Spider-Man growing up & related to Peter Parker until I saw Homecoming. Movie captures why he endures  Jim Vejvoda (@JimVejvoda) June 24, 2017

If you loved @TomHolland1996 in Civil War, you're gonna love him in #SpiderManHomecoming! & @MichaelKeaton is such a great bad guy in this!  Dan Slott (@DanSlott) June 24, 2017

#SpiderManHomecoming is one of the best Marvel movies and the best Spider-Man movie, period. So completely terrific, a true crowd pleaser.  Eric Walkuski (@ericwalkuski) June 24, 2017

My #SpiderManHomecoming take: Tom H >Tobey, high school stuff works, Avengersverse doesn't, and it's a benchmark for blockbuster diversity  jen yamato (@jenyamato) June 24, 2017

#SpiderManHomecoming is fantastic. Perfectly cast. Does an impressive job of balancing superheroics & high school drama.  Angie J. Han (@ajhan) June 24, 2017

Absolutely LOVED LOVED LOVED Spider-Man Homecoming. Funny. Filled with surprises. Tons of fun. Going to make insane $ at box office. pic.twitter.com/8cxce4OmHi  Steven Weintraub (@colliderfrosty) June 24, 2017

SPIDER-MAN: HOMECOMING is an absolute, gosh-darned DELIGHT. It's like Spider-Man meets CAN'T HARDLY WAIT.  Mike Ryan (@mikeryan) June 24, 2017

#SpiderManHomecoming is SUCH a good time. Fun, inventive action w/ some of the best humor in a Marvel film yet. Great start for MCU Spidey! pic.twitter.com/8kTnG6wtO2  ErikDavis (@ErikDavis) June 24, 2017

Spider-Man: Homecoming...



My new favorite super hero movie of all time.  Brandon Davis (@BrandonDavisBD) June 24, 2017

#SpiderManHomecoming is the third best Spider-Man movie. The cast is great, the tone is affable, the drama is... a little thin, honestly.  William Bibbiani (@WilliamBibbiani) June 24, 2017

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Hollywood actor Nicole Kidman has said her children were upset about her negative character in Paddington.

In this June 13, 2017 photo, Nicole Kidman, left, and the The Beguiled writer-director Sofia Coppola pose together for a portrait at the Four Seasons Hotel in Los Angeles. (AP)

The 50-year-old actress has children Isabella, 24, and Connor, 22, with former husband Tom Cruise and Sunday, nine, and Faith, six, with spouse Keith Urban. I did Paddington and they were able to come and be a part of it, but they have very little understanding of what I do - their lives are obviously far more important, femalefirst.co.uk quoted Kidman as saying.

They saw Paddington and were appalled because I played the villain, so I try to keep it separate for now, she added.

Though the Beguiled star has a moral compass she considers when looking for work, she says she isnt in a position to be a control freak about her career. I have a certain moral compass which I abide by in terms of what I will and wont do as a human being. But a lot of the time you are not in a position of power.

An actor cant be a control freak. You have to be able to give yourself over to the process and be willing to change and be moulded, she told OK! Magazine.

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Aadhaar is not a valid identification document for Indians travelling to Nepal and Bhutan, the Union home ministry has said.

Indians can travel to Nepal and Bhutan--both countries for which they dont need visas--if they possess a valid national passport or election ID card issued by the Election Commission.

Moreover, to ease travel, persons over 65 and below 15 years can show documents with photographs to confirm their age and identity. These include PAN card, driving licence, Central Government Health Service (CGHS) card and ration card but not Aadhaar.

Aadhaar (UID) card is not an acceptable travel document for travel to Nepal/Bhutan, a communique issued by the ministry said.

The advisory assumes significance as Aadhaar is mandatory for a host of things, including government subsidies on LPG and other social welfare schemes.

The Aadhaar card, which has a 12-digit unique identification number and personal details like name and address, acts as a proof of identification and residence.

Indians entering Bhutan by road are required to obtain an Entry Permit on the basis of a valid travel document from the immigration office of Royal Government of Bhutan at Phuentsholing, located on the Indo-Bhutan border opposite Jaigaon, West Bengal.

The border with Nepal is an open one with people who enter the country needing to show any valid identity card.

Nepal shares borders with five Indian states--Sikkim, West Bengal, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand. Around six lakh Indians are living or domiciled in Nepal.

Bhutan, which shares borders with Sikkim, Assam, Arunachal Pradesh and West Bengal, has about 60,000 Indian nationals, employed mostly in the hydroelectric power and construction industry. In addition, between 8,000 and 10,000 daily workers enter and exit Bhutan everyday in border towns.

In another development, Indians flying abroad will not be required to fill departure cards from next month.

However, those going out of the country via rail, seaport and land immigration checkposts will have to fill the embarkation card.

It has been decided to discontinue the practice of filling up of the departure card by Indians at all international airports with effect from July 1, 2017, an order issued by the home ministry said.

The move is aimed at ensuring hassle-free movement of Indians going abroad.

At present, those going abroad need to fill in details such as name, date of birth, passport number, address in India, flight number and date of boarding in the departure card.

The decision will help reducing the time required to complete immigration related formalities by passengers and also enable airports and authorities concerned to cater to a larger number of people.

The need for Indians to fill such cards on their arrival in India has already been done away with.
PATNA After enforcing prohibition, Bihar is now planning to rope in panchayat representatives and religious leaders in its campaign against dowry and child marriage.

Chief minister Nitish Kumar, who successfully championed the prohibition drive after returning to power in 2015, had announced last month that he would launch a campaign against child marriage and dowry on October 2 - Mahatma Gandhis birthday.

In pursuance of his commitment, he has tasked the Womens Development Corporation (WDC) to prepare a strategy for ushering in a social change.

The WDC, on its part, plans to have dowry free villages to begin with. It has, however, not identified the villages or districts to be taken up under the first phase of the campaign.

Managing director N Vijayalakshmi told Hindustan Times, We will first train representatives of the panchayati raj institutions (PRI) through workshops and motivate them to take up the social cause. Identifying the villages will take time.

The PRI representatives like mukhiyas will be expected to interact with local villagers, sensitise and motivate them to shun the age old social malaise.

There is need to change peoples mindset. Child marriage here seems to be closely linked with dowry. The common perception in Bihar villages is that one has to shell out huge money as dowry for marriage of highly educated girls. The general belief then is to marry girls early, Vijayalakshmi added.

Cases of child marriage in Bihar have declined only marginally. The Census 2011 reported 31% cases of child marriage among Hindus as against 34% in 2001.

Going by the data of the National Crime Record Bureau, dowry deaths in Bihar have been on the rise. Against 1,275 dowry deaths reported in 2012, the number had gone up to 1,373 in 2014.

Political commentators are keenly watching chief minister Kumar. By imposing prohibition on liquor, they say Kumar has already won the hearts of women. Notably, he has also taken the lead over other states and the Centre in revoking Gandhian philosophy as part of centenary celebrations of the Champaran satyagraha.

Now, by espousing the cause of girls and young women, by timing to launch the campaign against dowry and child marriage on Gandhi Jayanti this year, he is only raising the bar in an attempt to emerge as a social reformer.

With differences between coalition partners Kumars JD(U) and Lalu Prasads Rashtriya Janata Dal apparent  the most recent being over the presidential candidate  political analysts believe Kumar is preparing ground so that he does not need Prasads crutches even if he decides to sever ties with the RJD any time before the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.

SOCIAL REFORM Womens Development Corporation has been assigned to prepare a strategy for ushering in change through campaign against child marriage and dowry

QUOTE

There is need to change peoples mindset. Child marriage seems to be closely linked with dowry. Common perception in villages is one has to shell out huge money as dowry and also to marry girls early

N Vijayalakshmi, MD, WDC

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Former Calcutta High Court Justice C.S. Karnan continued to be in hospital for the fourth day on Sunday with doctors saying his condition is now stable.

He was stable last (Saturday) evening, said Ajay Kumar Ray, director of the state-run SSKM hospital, where Justice Karnan was admitted after he complained of chest pain.

A source from the Presidency Correctional Home said Karnan was still admitted at the hospital.

He is under observation. I do not have any information about his illness or the kind of treatment he is getting, the source added.

The retired judge was lodged in Presidency Correctional Home on Wednesday after he was brought to Kolkata from Chennai following his arrest by the West Bengal CID officials from near Tamil Nadus Coimbatore on June 20 in a case of contempt of court.

The controversial judge was sentenced to six-month imprisonment on May 9 by the Supreme Court and thereafter remained untraceable till his arrest.

Justice Karnan was held guilty of contempt for his utterances against the Chief Justice of India and other judges of the higher judiciary. Karnan who had left Kolkata for Chennai went underground thereafter. He retired from service earlier this month.
Ramnath Kovind, the 71-year-old Dalit leader from Kanpur, who is the ruling BJP-led NDAs pick for Presidential polls, urged lawmakers from his home state of Uttar Pradesh to help him find support from across the political spectrum for his campaign.

Before leaving for Uttarakhand, where he also met chief minister Trivendra Singh Rawat and addressed party lawmakers, Rawat interacted with MLAs and MPs of Indias most populous state ahead of the first ever Dalit vs Dalit contest for the July 17 Presidential polls.

Congress nominee for the Presidential polls is former Lok Sabha speaker Meira Kumar, who is backed by 17 opposition parties.

With Union home minister and Lucknow MP Rajnath Singh down with a leg fracture, Kovind was accompanied on his Lucknow visit by Union minister Nitin Gadkari and BJPs national general secretary Bhupendra Yadav who also attended the meeting that Kovind had with NDA lawmakers at chief minister Yogi Adityanaths 5 Kalidas Marg residence on Sunday.

Main Uttar Pradesh ka hoon aur yeh mera saubhagya hain ki main apne abhiyaan ki shuruat apno ke beech se kar raha hoon (I am from UP and its my privilege that I am launching my campaign from amongst our people), Kovind reportedly said at the lawmakers meeting, for which media was denied permission.

The election for the next President of India is to be held on July 17 as President Pranab Mukherjee will demit the office on July 24.

Kovinds meeting with NDA lawmakers from UP is important as its legislators  being the most in number  carry the highest value.

The electoral college of the Presidential election comprises both MPs and MLAs, and each vote weighs in accordance with proportional representation. While all MP votes bear equal value  708  the weightage of MLA votes differs from state to state on the basis of population.

Kovindji told us that we should not only vote for him, but also try to convince opposition lawmakers in UP to vote for him, an MP who attended the meeting told HT. Several BJP allies from UP, including Apna Dal and Soheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party, also met Kovind to express their support.

Though the ruling NDA has a comfortable edge over the Congress-backed opposition, many feel that the forthcoming presidential polls in July may turn out to be the closest electoral contest of the kind since 1969, when VV Giri faced off Neelam Sanjeeva Reddy.

On his part, Kovind, who has been assured of support by some opposition parties including the JD(U), has said that the Presidents post should be above party politics.

During the meeting, Gadkari explained to the lawmakers the process of electing the President of India.

Earlier in the day, Janata Dal (Secular) chief and former prime minister HD Deve Gowda extended his support to Meira Kumar, who is also expected to visit Lucknow soon to seek support of lawmakers.

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Owing to poor waste management practices, a staggering 88 square km of land will have to be dedicated for waste disposal through landfilling by 2050, nearly equal to the area under the administration of New Delhi Municipal Council, a PwC-Assocham study has revealed.

The study has recommended the government to accord industry status to the countrys waste management sector to provide it regulatory adherence with a dedicated monitoring and compliance cell.

At present, most of the waste in India is dumped without proper treatment.

This will eventually render the land unfit for any other use for as long as a half century before it can be stabilised for other uses, said the report.

According to a previous estimate, by 2050, about 50 per cent of Indias population will be living in urban areas, and the volume of waste generation will grow by five per cent every year.

The expected waste quantity we are looking at for the year 2021, 2031, and 2050 are 101 million metric tonnes (MMT) per year, 164 MMT, and 436 MMT per year respectively, the report estimated.

It noted that waste generation of Class I cities (with population between 0.1 million to 5 million) in India has been estimated to be around 80 per cent of countrys total waste generation.

Highlighting the concerns about per capita waste generation rate, the study said that presently it is about 300-400 gm/capita for medium cities and 400-600 gm/capita for large cities.

It observed that poorly managed waste has direct implications on urban environment leading to air, water, and soil pollution, along with long-term health impacts, while it has indirect implications on our economy and growth prospects.

Improper planning for waste management, complex institutional setup, constraints in capacity for waste management and limited funds with urban local bodies are some of the reasons waste management in India have become a matter of concern, the study said.
Congress legislator Roji M John went to the home of a hearing and speech impaired man in Kochi to apologise on behalf of everyone who had shared his picture on social media, captioning it the first drunkard on Kochi Metro.

In the picture, Eldo can be seen reclining on a seat inside the metro.

This was a cruel joke. Eldo, along with his wife and children, had visited his brother who is hospitalised in a critical condition. On their way back home, Eldos son asked if they could travel on the newly-opened metro.

Eldo, who was deeply upset and sad about his brothers condition and tired too, just lay down on a seat, said John adding that nobody should have taken a picture of him in that state and then posted it on social media with a totally wrong caption.

This should not have happened as neither he nor his wife can express their feelings and emotions like the rest of us as they are hearing and speech impaired, said the first-time legislator, whose constituent Eldo is.

Eldos son said: It was I who had requested my parents to take the metro as it had just opened. My father was sad and also tired so he decided to lie down.

Meanwhile, a relative of Eldo said they are ordinary people and have no clue how to go about taking legal action against the wrongdoers nor do they have the money to fight a case.

Eldo is very sad. We have received many calls since the picture came out. It was most unfortunate that he became a victim, said the relative.

Eldo works with a state government organisation and his colleagues described him as a very simple and extremely nice.

The states first metro opened for commercial operations on Monday.
Claiming that the countrys internal security is in jeopardy, the Congress criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for not raising the issue during his monthly radio programme Mann Ki Baat on Sunday.

It said that in the last three years of the BJPs rule, internal and external security of the country have become inter-linked as the militants and separatists are actively engaged in Jammu and Kashmir.

The so-called separatists have now become full-grown terrorists, thanks to the help of PDP and choreography of the BJP which speaks one language in the Kashmir Valley and talks about nationalism all over India, Congress spokesperson Tom Vadakkan told reporters.

We listened to his Mann ki Baat. There were various issues raised by him, but I wish issues of internal security were also raised, a thought for those killed while defending this nation... not one word have we heard on the death of a DSP (in Srinagar), he said.

On Chinas refusal to allow entry to the first batch of around 50 Indian pilgrims to Kailash Mansarovar through the Nathu La pass in Sikkim, Vadakkan said this reflects that Indias ties with neighbouring countries are suffering.

He said the threat to the countrys internal and external security is running parallel and reasoned that whenever there is firing and incursions from Pakistan, terrorists and separatists become actively engaged in Jammu and Kashmir.

Vadakkan also accused the government of decaying the countrys democratic institutions.

Referring to Modis remarks during the radio programme that the more we promote sports, the more we see the spirit of sportsmanship, he sought to know what kind of sportsman spirit it was to charge those who praised Pakistans performance in ICC Champions Trophy final held last week.

In sports, there is a winner and a loser. We must have the heart to accept the victory and defeat. But in this country, we find a situation that if somebody praises a stroke of an opponent teams batsman, he is immediately labelled as anti-national, he said.

Vadakkan also slammed National Commission for Minorities chairman Gairul Hasan Rizvi for saying that those who celebrated Pakistans victory over India in the tournament should go and live in the neighbouring country.
As an encounter raged between security men and militants holed up inside the Delhi Public School in Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmirs top cop said on Sunday the enemy has nefarious designs to destroy school buildings in the Valley so that children abandon their studies.

Director general of state police SP Vaid said his men want to ensure minimum collateral damage.

The staff and whoever was inside the building was evacuated on Saturday. The cordon was maintained and we will have room intervention done and get these terrorists eliminated, but with minimum collateral damage.

We want to ensure that the (school) building is safe, because the enemy has a nefarious design that the school buildings are destroyed and children have nothing to study and ultimately abandon their studies, which we will ensure that no such thing happens, he told reporters in Srinagar.

He was speaking to the media on the sidelines of a wreath laying ceremony of a CRPF officer killed in the attack by militants on a road opening party of the force on Srinagar-Jammu National Highway at Pantha Chowk on Saturday.

The militants then took refuge inside the school premises.

The DGP said the operation to flush out the militants was getting prolonged because of the size of the building.

There are 36 rooms, the building is huge. So, it has to be searched floor by floor, room by room, he said, adding the building where the militants are holed up has been located.

The school has seven buildings.

Vaid said there are reports of the presence of two militants inside the building.

The exact number will be known after the search of the building is over, but as per the information, there are two probably, he said.

Asked whether the security forces were using drone cameras and other hi-tech gadgets to help flush out the militants, the top cop said, We will use whatever equipment we have.

Two army personnel were injured in the encounter on Sunday as the security forces launched an offensive to flush out the militants.

The militants had entered into the premises of the DPS Srinagar last evening after carrying out an attack on CRPF personnel deployed on road opening duty near the school on Srinagar-Jammu National Highway.

One CRPF officer was killed and a constable of the force injured in the attack that took place in high security zone located less than a kilometre away from headquarters of armys Chinar Corps.

Security forces immediately cordoned off the area and launched search operations in the large school campus.

Authorities have imposed restrictions under section 144 CrPc from Ram Munshibagh to Sempora stretch of the national highway as a precautionary measure to avoid protests near the encounter site.
An unruly mob of examinees vandalized the railway station at the north Bihar district headquarters town of Muzaffarpur, late evening on Saturday, causing damage to railway property estimated to be worth Rs 50 lakh or more.

The students went on the rampage after they failed to board a train that would have taken them to Bhagalpur in south eastern Bihar to appear in a competitive examination on Sunday. The examination was conducted by the Bihar combined entrance competitive examination (BCECE) board.

Officials said the examinees wanted to board the Muzaffarpur-Bhagalpur intercity express train but many of them could not do so because it was packed to capacity.

Upset that their demand to run an examination special train did not elicit a response, the examinees ransacked the parcel room and offices of the station manger and station superintendent. They disrupted the running of trains for quite some time by pelting stones on them.

The situation was brought under control only after the superintendent of railway police BN Jha reached to railway station. He had a talk with agitating students and convinced them to stop vandalizing railway property.

Confirming the incident, Jha said, One person has been arrested in the matter. He was trying to stealing the goods from platform number 3. We have also registered an FIR against unknown students in the matter.

A railway official said property worth Rs 50 lakh was either damaged or looted during the trouble. Our officials from different departments are assessing the damage. W can provide exact quantum of damage only after that, he said.

Trouble erupted at around 9.30 pm, when the Intercity express reached Muzaffapur. The examinees tried to force their way into the train but were resisted by passengers having reserved berths, leading to a fracas and very few examinees could actually get in, said a passenger, Sumit Kumar, who had to go to Munger.

With no railway official present on the scene, the irate examinees ravaged the inquiry counter, SS office and SM office, one by one, he said.

The government railway police (GRP) officials tried a lot to pacify the students, instead, started pelting stones on them. The engine of the intercity train was badly damaged in the attack. The driver and the guard of the train then refused to move with damaged engine.

Personnel of the railway protection force (RPF) kept themselves away from the entire episode.
Seven people including a family of four from Delhi were killed in a freak accident that hit Gulmargs famous Gondola cable lift system on Sunday.

Officials said a tree fell on the ropeway, causing it to recoil so violently that passengers in two cars were left with fatal injuries.

Among the dead were Jayant Andraskar, his wife Manshea and their daughters Anagha and Janhvi  residents of Delhis Shalimar Bagh, and their guide Mukhtar Ahmad Ganai.

Jahangir Ahmed Khanday, also a local guide, and Farooq Ahmad Chopan were the other casualties.

Locals said a storm hit the region around 3pm. A tree was uprooted, and it hit a second tree that fell on the ropeway. Seven people were killed, said Imtiyaz Hussain, the senior superintendent of police in Baramullah.

Authorities at Tanmarg hospital, where the bodies were taken, said the victims showed signs of multiple internal injuries.

Passengers who were stuck on the cable lift system for three hours after the accident emerge in shock. (Waseem Andrabi/HT photo)

The post-mortem examinations will be conducted tomorrow before the bodies are flown to Delhi, a doctor at the hospital told Hindustan Times.

Chief minister Mehbooba Mufti announced a Rs 5 lakh payout to the relatives of those who died and ordered a high-level investigation.

The Gulmarg Gondola is among key tourist attractions in a region known as one of Asias best ski resorts. The service is one of the highest and longest cable-based lift services in the continent, ferrying passengers to and from the Gulmarg base to the Kongdori station roughly 4,000 feet above.

Survivors in other cars recounted feeling shocked when they stopped moving with a violent lurch.

It was panic for the three hours that we were stuck on the cable car, said Rekha Lakhanpal, an Indian-origin American woman visiting Kashmir with her Delhi-based relative Chitra Wazir Kumar.

Our car was right behind the victims. We saw it happen, said a shaken Kumar, who later said she was grateful to their guide Muzaffar Hussain who kept talking to them to calm them down.

The system was stopped for three hours after the tree fell, and officials slowly started to reel in the cars that had been in the air around 6pm. The services was resumed after checks to bring back nearly 150 people who were stuck at the Kongdori station.

According to officials, civilians  tour guides and operators of all-terrain vehicles in the region  assisted in rescue efforts that was carried out by the local administration, police and the Indian Army.

According to the Jammu and Kashmir state tourism department website, the Gulmarg Gondola ferries nearly 600 people per hour. It was set up jointly by the Jammu and Kashmir government and French firm Pomagalski.

What terrible news! If confirmed this will be the first such incident with the Gulmarg cable car. My heart felt condolences to the families. https://t.co/wga3ENjZlG  Omar Abdullah (@abdullah_omar) June 25, 2017

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Madhya Pradesh minister Narottam Mishra, who was disqualified by the Election Commission of India (ECI) for three years from contesting polls for allegedly filing wrong accounts of election expenditure in 2008 assembly elections, on Sunday said EC doesnt have the power to declare his election null and void. Talking to HT on phone, Mishra said according to his lawyer, the power to declare his election null and void lies with the governor.

When governor gets a copy of the EC order, he will take the opinion of the law department following which he will take a decision on the issue, he said.

Mishra alleged ECs order was visangatipoorn (anomalous) and the loophole in it will be misused by political rivals in the elections across the country.

There is no proof that I have paid for the news. This order is based on imagination and possibilities. What this means is that anybody can pay for a news item in your favour and get you trapped. This EC order will have an impact on the politics of our country, Mishra said.

Meanwhile Awadhesh Pratap Singh, principal secretary Madhya Pradesh Vidhan Sabha secretariat told HT that Mishra had two legal options- he can approach the state high court or appeal before the EC.

Singh said if Mishra doesnt get relief through these two options, then prima facie it seems he stands disqualified as MLA. There is some confusion as the order pertains to 2008 elections and he has been re-elected in 2013. Things will be clear once the assembly secretariat receives gazette notification from EC regarding this order within a few days. Then that gazette notification will be sent to the governor, who will take a decision after consultation with the EC. If governor declares his election null and void, then assembly secretariat will have to issue a gazette notification on disqualification and bypoll in the Datia assembly segment, he said.

The EC order came on Saturday on a complaint by Rajendra Bharti, who had fought the 2008 elections as a BSP candidate, but is now with the Congress. In its order, EC stated that Narottam, Mishra was complicit in the publication of the impugned paid news as news items and has derived benefit from and taken advantage of the same, without reporting or acknowledging it, and thereby attempting to bypass the rigours of the law.

Mishra is parliamentary affairs and public relations minister. He is also the spokesperson of the state government.

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Areas close to the International Border in Rajasthan have witnessed a spurt in establishment of mosques and madarsas, the Border Security Force (BSF) said.

BSF DG KK Sharma said an increase in the number of mosques and madarsa has been noticed in the border areas in the last 10 years and the message coming out of those places is not of peace.

We have noticed marked increased in the number of madarsas and mosques in the last 10 years but it is not our mandate to take action against them, we pass on information to the local administration because the construction of such places is regulated by the state government, Sharma said.

He said The people who come to most of these madarsas to teach and the maulvis are not from the state which indicates that the message coming out of those places is not that of peace.

Sharma said that the incidence of smuggling from across the border in Rajasthan is low as compared to the border in Punjab and Jammu and Kashmir and the border in the desert state is peaceful.

We have increased deployment in Punjab therefore there is some pressure in Srigangangar in Rajasthan and there also we have strengthened our deployment, he said while speaking at the India Today conclave in Jaipur.

On the border management, he said the BSF is in the process of modernising the border defence by incorporating latest technologies.

He said the BSF will implement a comprehensive integrated border management system on the entire Pakistan border after implementing it in Jammu and Kashmir on a pilot basis.
A new analysis of voting during a decade at the UN Human Rights Council suggests that India did not consistently support issues such as civil and political rights including the death penalty, reprisals, defamation of religions, torture, drones, and the right to peace and peaceful protests.

The analysis by the Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative (CHRI) released in Geneva is focused on voting patterns at the apex international forum by Commonwealth countries between 2006 and 2016. The event was chaired by CHRI director Sanjoy Hazarika.

India is currently serving its fourth term at HRC from January 2015 to December 2017.

The CHRI report said the United Kingdom and Canada repeatedly voted against resolutions relating to international solidarity, foreign debt, unilateral coercive measures, promotion of the right of peoples to peace, combating defamation of religions, and multiple resolutions regarding racism.

India sponsored four resolutions during the period, while Pakistan moved 64 during the decade. India was the only Asia-Pacific Commonwealth country to abstain from voting on resolutions on defamation of religions. Resolutions on defamation of religions are regarded by the international community as an attempt to pass an anti-blasphemy resolution in the UNHRC.

The analysis concludes that India abstained from voting on 16 resolutions concerning sexual orientation and gender identity, the right to peace, the use of drones, transitional justice, torture, and reprisal killings against those who cooperate with UN human rights mechanisms.

India voted against four resolutions and one decision concerning: peaceful protests, the question of the death penalty, and the protection of human rights while countering terrorism, the report says.

Indias voting record, the report says, demonstrates repeated opposition to country situation resolutions. In June 2016, India voiced its concern over putting a spotlight on country situations at the UNHRC by stating it supports greater cooperation and dialogue, but rejects the perpetuation and proliferation of country-specific mandates under this agenda item, focusing only on developing countries.

The report adds that there is potential for the Commonwealth to form an influential bloc in Geneva. During the UNHRCs first decade, 19 Commonwealth members served on it, on average comprising 23% of its members in each session.

The report though demonstrates that so far, collective Commonwealth action has been disappointingly absent, the report says.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi kicked off his US visit on Sunday, telling American business leaders that Indias growth presented a win-win opportunity for both nations.

Modi referred to his governments attempts to improve the business climate, including the landmark single unified tax regime GST to woo American companies to contribute Indias growth.

Growth of India presents win-win partnerp (partnership) for India & US both, the Prime Minister told the CEOs at a closed-door roundtable, according to remarks posted on Twitter by an official who was in the room.

The meeting was attended by the chief executive officers (CEOs) of 21 top companies. Among them were four of Indian descent  Microsofts Satya Nadella, Googles Sundar Pichai, Adobes Shantanu Narayen and MasterCards Ajay Banga.

Others included Amazons Jeff Bezos, Apples Tim Cook, Walmarts Doug McMillon and Johnson & Johnsons Alex Gorsky.

The whole world is looking at India. 7,000 reforms alone by GOI for ease of biz n minimum govt (government), max (maximum) governance Modi said in tweeted remarks, adding, The implementation of the landmark initiative of GST could be a subject of studies in US business schools.

He was referring to Goods and Services Tax that will untangle a mesh of local taxes and replace it with one unified system that is set to roll out on July 1.

Some CEO had concerns about tax rates under the coming GST regime, but Mukesh Aghi, president of the US-India Business Council, said he was surprised no other concerns or issues were raised at the meeting.

This is Prime Minister Modis first trip to the US since Donald Trump took over as president.

The United States is pushing India to do more on reforms to enhance market access for foreign companies and strengthen its Intellectual Property Rights regime. This along with Indias own concerns and market access demands are on the agenda for discussion when the Prime Minister meets President Donald Trump on Monday, the highlight of the visit.

Four US lawmakers, in a letter to Trump, asked him to bring up the issue of trade and investment barriers at his meeting with Modi. We write to you ahead of the upcoming visit by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to urge you to prioritise the elimination of Indian trade and investment barriers that significantly harm American businesses and workers.

The prime minister, who arrived Saturday for the two-day visit, will meet President Trump on Monday when the two leaders are expected to put to rest recent concerns about a relationship adrift due to the new administrations focus on other issues.

There has also been some disquiet in India about the Presidents remarks wrongly accusing India of seeking billions in aid under the Paris Climate Accord and the review he has ordered of the US H-1B visa system used heavily by Indian IT firms operating in the US.

Trump and Modi have never met before, but have spoken on phone several times  twice after the American presidents inauguration in January. Their first conversation was on the morning after Trumps upset electoral victory in November 2016. As the Republican nominee for the White House, Trump had told Indian-American supporters at a rally in New Jersey that if he was elected, India and the US would be best friends.

On Saturday, Trump called Modi a true friend in a tweet from the his official account, which is managed by his aides, unlike his personal account @realDonaldTrump that he runs himself as his personal bullhorn.

Look forward to welcoming Indias PM Modi to @WhiteHouse on Monday. Important strategic issues to discuss with a true friend! the tweet from the handle @POTUS said.

Modi responded warmly, but displaying an awareness of the difference between Trumps two accounts. Thank you @POTUS for the warm personal welcome, he wrote, adding, Greatly look forward to my meeting and discussions with you @realDonaldTrump.

The Prime Minister is scheduled to address Indian Americans at a reception later on Sunday before he holds private meetings with government officials and business executive the rest of the day. On Monday, he will be at the White House.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi was on Sunday warmly greeted by a group of people from the Indian community who were waiting for him outside a high-security hotel in Washington where he is staying.

Modi was welcomed with loud cheers and applause by the community members, who hoped that the PM would raise with US President Donald Trump pressing issues related to the H-1B work visa, terrorism and defence cooperation.

As Modis motorcade pulled up in front of Willard InterContinental Hotel where the Prime Minister will be staying during his three-day visit, the crowd of Indians gathered outside, burst into a huge applause behind a barricade and started chanting Modi, Modi.

Before entering the hotel, the Indian leader got out of his vehicle and walked across the road to the cheering crowd, smiling and waving at it. After stopping briefly in front of the crowd, Modi, surrounded by Indian and American security officials, walked back towards his motorcade.

Among those waiting to catch a glimpse of Modi was Mridula, originally from Hyderabad, and working in New York on an H-1B visa.

We hope that the outcome on the issue is positive for Indians and at the same time does not anger Americans as well. It is scary when we hear reports of attacks against Indians in the US, she told PTI.

Modi is a very powerful leader and I am sure something very positive on the H-1B visa is going to come out of his meeting with Trump, she said.

Avinash Bilugu, another H-1B visa holder working in Albany, echoed the concerns over the work visas.

This is a major issue for us. I hope Modi brings it up in his meeting with Trump. Defence and security are other important issues that the two leaders should discuss, he said.

The Trump administration has said that if the Indian side raises the contentious H-1B visa issue during President Trumps meeting with Modi, the Americans were ready to respond.

Trump signed an executive order in April for tightening the rules of the H-1B visa programme to stop visa abuses. Trump said his administration is going to enforce Hire American rules that are designed to protect jobs and wages of workers in the US.

Trump will host Modi at the White House on Monday and the two leaders would spend about five hours together in various settings beginning with their bilateral discussion, delegation level talks, a reception and a working dinner, the first of its kind hosted by this administration.

Modi will also interact with about 20 leading American CEOs followed by an Indian-American community event in Washington DC suburb of Virginia.

The programme is likely to be attended by about 600 members of the community.
Jammu and Kashmir governor NN Vohra became the president of the India International Centre (IIC)  a prestigious cultural hub in the national capital  replacing eminent jurist Soli Sorabjee, who stepped down after an intense power struggle.

Sorabjee whose recent re-election as the IIC president was questioned by many life trustees and members of the IIC announced his decision to relinquish the coveted post at the annual general meeting on Friday.

It was done in a very cordial manner. I would now concentrate on work and be seen more in the court, Sorabjee said. First, my family did not want me to continue. They said dont have this burden. Second, I was seen more often at the IIC than in the court and so my professional commitment was also getting affected. Third, we wanted to do it in a graceful and coordinal manner so that there is no controversy or acrimony, said the former attorney general.

One of the early proponents of jazz in the city, Sorabjee said he would now spend time organising jazz yatras and festivals as his pastime. He is the president of Capital Jazz.

Some life trustees and members had earlier termed his re-election as president invalid during the AGM in March as it was held despite a vacancy in the IIC Board of Life Trustees following the resignation and subsequent demise of MGK Menon. Former diplomat Shyam Saran was inducted as the fifth Life Trustee of IIC on April 29.
Two army personnel were injured in an encounter on Sunday with militants who took refuge inside the premises of the Delhi Public School near the Srinagar- Jammu national highway after attacking a CRPF party in Pantha Chowk area on Saturday evening.

A police official said security forces launched an offensive to flush them out the militants on Sunday morning.

The exchange of fire between security forces and militants began at around 3.40 am and is going on intermittently, he said.

Two army personnel were injured in the gunbattle today, the official said. He said the injured have been taken to a hospital.

The militants entered into the premises of the DPS Srinagar on Saturday evening after carrying out an attack on CRPF personnel deployed on road opening duty near the school.

One CRPF officer was killed and a constable of the force injured in the attack that took place in high security zone located less than a kilometre away from headquarters of Armys Chinar Corps.

Security forces immediately cordoned off the area and launched search operations in the large school campus.

Sources said drone cameras and other hi-tech gadgets were used to trace the location of the militants but police officials refused to comment on operational details.

The authorities have imposed restrictions under section 144 CrPc from Ram Munshibagh to Sempora stretch of the national highway as a precautionary measure to avoid protests near the encounter site.

Mobile Internet services have been affected across the Valley.
The body of CRPF sub-inspector Sahib Shukla, who was killed by militants in Srinagar, arrived at Gorakhpur airport by a special plane around 7.30 pm on Sunday.

Senior CRPF officials, commissioner Anil Kumar, district magistrate Rajeev Rautela and deputy inspector general Neelabja Chowdhary paid floral tributes to the martyr in the presence of his son, Devasheesh Shukla, and other family members. Local residents also joined in, hailing the officers sacrifice with slogans of Shaheed Sahib Shukla amar rahein.

As there is no power supply in Shuklas village, Kanail Majhgawan, his body will be kept in the post-mortem house at the district hospital until it is time for the last rites on Monday morning.

The village has been shrouded in gloom ever since news of his death arrived at its doorstep. Local residents, relatives and district administration officials began gathering at his residence soon afterwards.

Sahib Shukla was killed when militants attacked his vehicle at Pantha Chowk in Srinagar on the Srinagar-Jammu national highway on Saturday. Militant group Lashkar-e-Taiba has claimed responsibility for the attack.

While the CRPF officers wife, Shobha Shukla, was inconsolable, their sons  Samrat and Devasheesh  still couldnt bring themselves to believe the news. It was Devasheesh who first learnt about his fathers death after a senior CRPF official called from Srinagar to inform the family.

He looked very happy when he visited the village on June 12 to attend Devasheeshs marriage. He met everyone in the village and promised to visit again, but how were we to know he would never return, said Shuklas nephew Upendra, his tears welling up with tears.

Devasheesh had earlier said that he would not cremate his fathers body until chief minister Yogi Adityanath visited them. However, the matter was resolved when Adityanath, who had announced an ex-gratia of Rs 25 lakh for the family, spoke to the martyrs kin over the phone and promised to meet them during his two-day visit to Gorakhpur on July 9.

This made Devasheesh agree to cremate his fathers body on Monday morning.

Meanwhile, residents of Kanail Majhgawan shouted slogans against Pakistan for supporting terrorism and sheltering militants.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the nation on various themes and issues in his monthly radio address Mann Ki Baat on Sunday.

In the 33rd edition of Mann Ki Baat, Modi greeted the nation on the occasion of Ramzan and Jagannath Yatra and said that diversity makes India unique.

The programme was broadcast on the All India Radio and Doordarshan and streamed on the YouTube channels of the Prime Ministers Office, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and DD News.

In his previous address, the Prime Minister had spoken on a range of issues and national initiatives such as the Swachh Bharat mission and food wastage.

Highlights:

11:30pm: PM concludes the radio address.

On sports, the PM says children shouldnt be discouraged from following a career in sports. He then congratulates Kidambi Srikanth for his victory in the Indonesian Open and says sportspersons make the country proud.

11:25am: Modi hails ISROs achievements and says the Indias Mars Mission completed a year.

11:20am: The Prime Minister recounts the time Queen Elizabeth gifted him a Khadi handkerchief gifted to her by Mahatma Gandhi as a wedding present.

11:15am: The whole world woke up on World Yoga Day. From China, Peru and Paris, the world knows about Yoga day.

11:10am: Modi talks about the Emergency and recalls the resistance movement in which leaders were jailed for opposing, adding that democracy has to be strengthened.

The Emergency will be remembered for the way in which people of India came together and safeguarded the democratic values.

Democracy is not only a system but also our ethos. Eternal vigilance is the price of liberty: PM Narendra Modi

11:07am: We have to work together for a clean India... The movement to clean India is a mass movement. It is no longer restricted to Governments alone: PM

11:05 am: PM Modi hails the diversity of the nation and sends his greetings on the occasion of Eid and Ramzan.

Greetings to everyone on Eid: PM @narendramodi during #MannKiBaat  PMO India (@PMOIndia) June 25, 2017

Modi cites the example of Muslims in Uttar Pradesh who decided to build toilets in the holy month of Ramzan.

People in a village in Bijnor did not accept money from the administration to build toilets. They did it themselves. This is heartening.

11am: Car festival of Lord Jagannath, Rath Yatra being celebrated in several parts of country with great piety and fervour: PM Modi.
Prime Minister Narendra Modis engagements in the US began on Sunday with a meeting with some of Americas leading CEOs, a trend he started during his first visit in 2014.

The PM was later attending a reception with Indian-Americans.

Modi will meet Trump on Monday, starting with a one-on-one, followed by a delegation-level bilateral meeting, some remarks to the press, followed by a cocktail reception and dinner.

Here are live updates from Modis US visit:

1.21am: It is now well known in India - anyone in trouble tweets to Sushma Ji, she promptly replies and the government takes prompt action: PM

1.21am: Our foreign ministry and in particular our foreign minister, Sushma Swaraj has shown the way in helping people: PM

1.17am: The Indian diaspora has faith that in times of trouble the local embassy is there to help: PM

1.16am: It is for everyone to see how the external affairs ministry has, in addition to their routine work, emerged as a strong humanitarian force for Indians globally. 80,000 Indians in distress have been rescued from different parts of the world in three years: PM

1.13am: If you want to give back to India, this is the best time to do so: PM Modi to the Indian community in US.

1.12am: When India talked of terrorism 20 years back, many in the world said it was a law and order problem and didnt understand it. Now terrorists have explained terrorism to them so we dont have to: PM Modi

1.11am: Innovation, technology and talent are crucial in this day and age: PM

1.10am: India has succeeded in telling the world about the need to uproot the menace of terrorism: PM

1.09am: The world could have questioned and criticized us on surgical strikes but they didnt because we succeeded in explaining menace of terrorism: PM

1.09am: When India conducted surgical strikes the world experienced our power and realised that India practices restrain but can show power when needed: PM

1.06am: With proper policies and governance, aspirations of people of India can become achievements. We are already seeing the results of this: PM

1.06am: With proper policies and governance, aspirations of people of India can become achievements. We are already seeing the results of this: PM

1.02am: Through technology driven governance we are creating an Adhunik Bharat : PM

12.57am: The youth of India understands technology and the importance of technology very well: PM

12.56am: Transparent policies create an environment of trust among the people: PM

12.53am: When I think of a developed India, I think of a healthy India, particularly the good health of the women and children of our nation: PM

12.48am: Increased usage of technology brings transparency in systems: PM

12.47am: There has not been a single stain of corruption on my government: PM

12.46am: The reasons governments have been defeated in India are things like corruption and cheating. People of India do not like corruption: PM

12.45am: I can see that every Indian wants to contribute towards Indias development. India is progressing at a record pace today: PM

12.41am: About the Indian diaspora, I can say that they rejoice when there is good news from India & want India to scale newer heights: PM

12.41am: Have travelled across the US before I became CM or PM and after taking over as PM, the warmth the Indian community gave is memorable: PM

12.40am: In this programme, I see both a mini-India and a mini-US. People from all the states of both the nations are represented here today: PM

12.36am: I see immense energy in the Indian community that is based in the US: PM

12.36am: When I meet you all, I experience the kind of joy one feels while meeting family. You fill me with new energy: PM to Indian diaspora

11.10pm: Looking forward to roll out,I know it was difficult; excited to see it happen,shows you can achieve reform by pushing for it: Pichai on GST.

11.06pm: PM was looking for insights into how India can attract more foreign investment,many good ideas discussed: Google CEO Sundar Pichai

11.04pm: It was a discussion across many industries: Google CEO Sundar Pichai after meeting PM Modi at CEOs round table.

10.43pm: PM Modi emphasises importance attached by the government to efficiency, transparency, growth and benefit for all.

10.42pm: PM Modi points out opportunities in developing hotels at 500 railway stations.

10.41pm: PM Modi suggests linking sanitary practices, products and technology with requirements of school-going girls.

10.40pm: PM Modi stresses on importance of cooperation for start-ups, innovation and tapping huge intellectual, education and vocational training potential in India.

9.32pm: The implementation of the landmark initiative of GST could be a subject of studies in US business schools.

9.29pm: Growth of India presents win-win partnership for India and US both. American companies have a great opportunity to contribute.

9.27pm: The whole world is looking at India. Seven thousand reforms alone have been done by the government for ease of business.

9.05pm: Modi meets US business leaders in Washington DC.

8.44pm: Counter-terrorism would be a major topic of discussion: Vijay Chauthaiwale,BJP foreign affairs in-charge on upcoming Modi-Trump meet.

8.36pm: My main aim is to raise cyber laws issue during meet with PM as India is growing: Sukhwinder Kalia,CEO,IT by Design,US-based company.
Maharashtra farmers outfits rejected on Sunday the Rs 34,000 crore loan waiver announced by chief minister Devendra Fadnavis last week, terming it incomplete.

The farmer leaders want the state government to fulfill their demands by July 26 after which theyll begin their protest.

Besides calling for a blanket loan waiver, the outfits have opposed the cut-off date of June 30, 2016 for the relief. They have also stressed implementing recommendation of Swaminathan Commission that has suggested 50% minimum support price (MSP) for crops over and above input cost.

The cut-off date for waiving off loans means farmers who have taken loans after June 30, 2016 will not be held eligible for loan waiver benefit.

The committee, which held a meeting here on Sunday, also decided to start Sangharsh Yatra (struggle march) from July 9 to July 23 to create awareness against the injustice to the farmers.

Raghunath Dada Patil, veteran farmers leader, said they have rejected the governments waiver decision as it will cover only 89 lakh farmers. We have been demanding a blanket waiver for the farmers from the beginning and also want the cut-off date to be extended till this year but government decided not to accept our demands. They have not kept the assurance of blanket loan waiver, Patil said after the meeting. He further said the government did not utter a word on implementing recommendations of the Swaminathan Commission report.

The reaction of political parties in the state was also cautious. Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar said his party would cooperate with the Fadnavis government for now though it was not completely satisfied with the waivers decision. BJP ally, Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray, was more vocal about his unhappiness with the governments waiver saying he sided with the farmers.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi engaged in a warm but slightly awkward exchange on Twitter with President Donald Trump as he landed in the United States on Saturday evening. The interaction exemplified how ties between India and the United States are strong but starting to fray.

The official President of the United States Twitter handle declared that Modi was a true friend hours before the arrival of the Prime Minister for a two-day visit: Look forward to welcoming Indias PM Modi to @WhiteHouse on Monday. Important strategic issues to discuss with a true friend!

No such message was sent from Trumps personal account. According to The Washington Post, the official account is controlled by aides, not the president himself.

In his appreciative response, Modi expressed an awareness of the difference. Thank you @POTUS for the warm personal welcome, he wrote.  Greatly look forward to my meeting and discussions with you @realDonaldTrump.

Modi arrived at the Andrews Air Force Base late Saturday evening after a short stay in Portugal. He was received by the Indian ambassador to the United States, Navtej Sarna, and Sarnas wife, Aveena Sarna. Modi proceeded to his hotel, which is less than a kilometre from the White House in downtown DC.

Before leaving India, Modi issued an optimistic statement about the visit: I look forward to this opportunity to have an in depth exchange of views on further consolidating the robust and wide ranging partnership between India and the United States.

Trump and Modi have not met, but they have spoken twice since the American presidents inauguration in January. Their first conversation came the morning after Trumps upset electoral victory in November 2016.

In October, as the Republican nominee, Trump promised Indian-American supporters at a rally in New Jersey that relations between the two countries would reach new heights.Under a Trump administration, we are going to become even better friends, he said. In fact, Ill take the word even out because we are going to be best friends. There wont be any relationship more important to us.

Since Trump took office, however, there has been tension between the two countries. Indian-Americans have suffered a spate of racially-charged attacks. Trump has issued an executive order calling for a review of the H-1B visas programme, which disproportionately benefits Indians: by last August, Indians had received 72% of all the H-1B visas available in 2016. And during the presidents speech pulling the US out of the Paris climate deal, he repeatedly singled out India for having received unfair positive treatment.

Dismissing reports that India is not a top priority of the Trump administration, a senior official told reporters Friday that Modis visit would be special and memorable. He is the first foreign dignitary Trump has invited to dinner at the White House.

The other world leaders Trump has hosted at dinner have been Japans Shinzo Abe and Chinas Xi Jinping. Both visited the presidents plush Florida resort, Mar-a-Lago. It was during a lavish dinner there  with the most beautiful chocolate cake in front  that Trump had told Xi about the cruise missiles he had launched against a Syrian airfield moments ago.

Modis first activity on Sunday morning is a meeting with some of Americas leading CEOs. He has held such meetings on all of his bilateral visits to the US. The next event will be a reception with prominent Indian-Americans, another of his routines in America.

The Prime Minister will not meet Trump until Monday. They will begin with a private conversation in the afternoon, followed by a larger meeting attended by aides, some remarks to the press, a cocktail reception, and then dinner.

Modi leaves for the Netherlands, the third and final leg of the tour, that night.
An encounter between security forces and militants holed up in a prominent school on the outskirts of Srinagar entered its second day on Sunday.

Authorities did not officially confirm the killing of any militant on the Delhi Public School premises till Sunday afternoon. Denying reports that two militants were shot dead by security personnel, the state police tweeted: Some media outlets are misquoting director general of police SP Vaid regarding the Pantha Chowk encounter. We will confirm once the bodies are recovered.

However, Army sources confirmed that two soldiers have suffered minor injuries in the ongoing encounter.

Sources said security forces were still conducting a room-to-room search of the school building until late that evening. The windows of one of the main structures in the complex were reportedly shattered in the encounter.

A CRPF sub-inspector was killed and a jawan injured when militants opened fire at a road-opening party passing through Pantha Chowk on Saturday evening. The attackers then fled into the school building.

The wreath-laying ceremony of the deceased CRPF sub-inspector, Sahab Shukla (50), was held at the Recruit Training Centre in Humhama. Top civil officials, besides a number of paramilitary and police personnel, attended the ceremony to pay their respects to the fallen officer. Shukla hailed from Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh.

The Pantha Chowk encounter has turned the spotlight on how the Kashmir unrest continues to affect childrens education in the state. Over 30 schools were either completely or partially gutted by miscreants last summer.

We want to ensure that the building remains intact because the enemy seems intent on destroying our schools. They want students to abandon their education, but we will ensure that nothing like that happens, Vaid told mediapersons on the sidelines of Shuklas wreath-laying ceremony.

The ruling PDP agreed with the police officers contention. The attack on #DPSSrinagar is another attempt by these anti-Kashmir elements to push the youth of the state towards illiteracy, it tweeted. Destroying schools is a heinous ploy of anti-Kashmir elements who dont want kids here to study and prosper.

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A 23-year-old woman from Bengaluru was denied a pre-booked accommodation at a Hyderabad hotel on Saturday morning because she was a single lady traveller.

So, I am standing outside a hotel in Hyderabad that didnt let me stay because they realised I was a single lady even after confirming the online booking.... Somehow they decided I was safer on the streets than in the hotel, wrote Nupur Saraswat, an environmental engineer and a performance poet, in a Facebook post that has received over 2,000 likes and 1,300 shares.

The hotels policy, a screenshot of which was shared by Saraswat, states that locals, single ladies and unmarried couples are not allowed. Following this, Saraswat tweeted hotel aggregator Goibibo to ask why her booking was approved when the hotel was so rigid about its policies.

(Nupur Saraswats Facebook page)

Here's my question - why do you ask my gender and number of people if not to have a filter to avoid this.  Nupur Saraswat (@TheRealNupur) June 24, 2017

Saraswat said Goibibos PR team offered her a verbal apology soon after her Facebook post was widely shared on the social media. The company explained to her that they are trying hard to filter out such hotels either by not partnering with them or by alerting customer at the time of the booking.

Throwing some light on the inconvenience faced by women while travelling solo in India, the artist wrote: I am making a fuss because I am not ready to settle. I am not ready to live in fear of my safety anymore. I am not ready to have an entire system push me around until I find a man to travel with. I AM NOT READY TO BE CHAPERONED.

Goibibos Twitter handle stated that they have refunded the booking amount to Saraswat, and offered her free accommodation at another hotel for the duration of the Hyderabad trip. They also claimed to have delisted the hotel from the Goibibo platform, and were reportedly enquiring about the rationale behind such policies from the hotel management and the local police.

Responding to Goibibos statement, the Hyderabad hotel said they werent against single women. They had only turned down Saraswat response for accommodation because it was not the right place (area) for women to be staying single in a hotel.

You can read Saraswats Facebook posts here:
Prime Minister Narendra Modi brought up cross-border terrorism and the surgical strikes carried out by India across the Line of Control last year as he addressed Indian Americans on Sunday, a day before his first meeting with US president Donald Trump. The US President has made counter-terrorism a key plank of his administration.

The surgical strikes showed the world that India can exercise self control but, when needed, it can also show its might, Modi said to a loud cheer from the audience during a 45-minute speech in which he presented an account of his three-year-old governments achievements, plans and vision.

India is bound by the laws of global order, the prime minister said but added that for the sake of its sovereignty, security, common good, peace and progress, it was prepared to undertake the hardest of steps and measures. We have always done that and no one in the world can stop us, Modi said while interacting with the Indian diaspora in Virginia.

The prime minister did not refer to Pakistan or any other country by name, but referred to the surgical strikes, carried out by Indian armed forces against terrorist camps inside Pakistani territory in September, 2016.

No one in the world criticised or questioned India, Modi said, except those at the receiving end of it, inviting a loud reaction from the audience.

Puneet Ahluwalia, a Republican operative who was in the audience, said he found Modis remarks on the surgical strikes a very clear enunciation of Indias position on the issues. As any thriving democracy (India) has the right to protect their sovereignty and its people.

Terming corruption the reason because of which the previous governments were changed in India, Modi said his government had emerged corruption-free in the past three years.

Previous governments changed because of corruption. The people hated this... There has been not a single stain on our government for the past three years. And governance is being modified so that honesty becomes an in-build process... Technology is helping with that, Modi said.

Modi also praised external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj for her ministrys actions to help Indians anywhere.

The way Sushma Swaraj has worked and helped every Indian abroad is commendable. It is now well known in India that when anyone in trouble tweets to Sushma, she promptly replies and the government takes prompt action, Modi said.

He added that the Indian government had helped around 80,000 Indians abroad in the past three years.

Modi spoke of reforms at home, the increased use of technology in every sphere and cited rising aspirations as an achievement. He invited Indian Americans to bring their expertise and experience to the country that raised them.

He also urged them to keep the next generation of Indian Americans strongly aligned with the country of their origin.
Attempting to boost her prospects of winning the presidential poll, the Oppositions nominee Meira Kumar on Sunday appealed to MPs and MLAs to heed to their inner voice of conscience when they vote on July 17.

The NDAs presidential candidate, Ram Nath Kovind, seems set for a comfortable victory with the already assured support of about seven of 11 lakh electorate, including those belonging to the NDA, JD(U), TDP, and AIADMK.

There is no party whip in the presidential election and therefore, voting against the party line doesnt attract anti-defection law.

Lauding the Congress-led Opposition group, Kumar said representatives of 17 major political parties unanimously decided to fight the presidential election on the basis of values and principles, adding that the presidential election was a process larger than any individual or party.

I am fortunate to have been associated, in various ways, with two monumental struggles of our land - the struggle to free India from the colonial rule and the fight against the tyranny of caste that still plagues our culture and polity. The nature of these two struggles has deeply influenced my sentiments, my thoughts and my actions, Kumar said.

During her life in public service, Kumar said, she was inspired by the example set by the foundational leaders of our country, regardless of their political affiliations.

Despite the differences, I have found that when it comes to preserving the values of inclusiveness and the need for social justice, we all share the same goals. The Constitution recognises the office of the President as being the final touchstone for the passage of laws. It, therefore, cannot function to serve narrow political interests.

In the open letter to the members of the collegium, she said, they have the unique privilege to make history. This is that moment when one should heed the inner voice of conscience and set the course of the nation. Let us stand together, in spirit and action, to affirm our pledge to this sacred process  and to that guiding voice within us, said the Oppositions presidential candidate.

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PATNA The rift in Bihars ruling grand alliance, over the presidential elections, reached a flashpoint on Sunday when the JD (U) state leadership issued a terse warning to alliance partner - the RJD, to exercise restraint and rein in its leaders making personal attacks on Nitish Kumar, or else be ready for a fallout.

Taking strong exception to the continued onslaught against Kumar by RJD leaders, JD (U) state president Bashistha Narayan Singh said, there is a limit to everything. If the leaders of ruling alliance (read RJD) cannot maintain decorum and exercise restraint, things can take an ugly turn.

Our national president and chief minister (Nitish Kumar) had explained the reasons for extending support to BJP nominee Ramnath Kovind, both to Congress president Sonia Gandhi and RJD chief Lalu Prasad. Yet, RJD leaders are bent upon making it an issue, Singh said, expressing surprise over the desperation in the RJD camp.

Alliance and individual party policies were two separate things and nobody could dictate terms to the JD (U) on policy matters, he said, hinting that it was not in the interest of the alliance to continue under a cloud of uncertainty.

The simmering discontent in the alliance has been evident ever since Prasad termed JD (U) national presidents decision to back Kovind a historical blunder. His appeal for reconsideration on the issue provided a cue to known Kumar baiters in RJD, especially Raghuvansh Prasad Singh and Bhai Birendra, to go after him.

Bhai Birendra, the RJD MLA from Maner in Patna district, even targeted the CM with a personal attack.

But, with the strong rebuff by JD (U) state president sending out a strong signal that the ongoing spat had reached a flash point, the RJD chief apparently stepped in and directed his foot soldiers to stay away from making public statements on the JD(U) leadership.

State RJD president Ramchandra Purbe, who had earlier pitched Prasad as the architect of the grand alliance, in response to JD (U) spokesman Sanjay Singhs claim that RJD would have not fared well in the 2015 Bihar assembly poll absence of acceptable face of Kumar, also softened his stance.

It is our collective responsibility not to speak out things that may hurt public sentiment, Purve said on Sunday.

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Security forces gunned down two militants holed up in a school on the outskirts of Srinagar on Sunday, ending a 14-hour-long encounter in which a couple of soldiers were also injured.

Jammu and Kashmir director general of police SP Vaid confirmed the militant deaths that evening. Both the soldiers are reportedly out of danger.

The encounter began after two militants opened fire at a road-opening party passing through Pantha Chowk, killing a CRPF sub-inspector and injuring a jawan, on Saturday evening. The attackers then fled into the Delhi Public School building.

The exchange of fire between security forces and militants, which began around 3:40 am, is over. Two militants have been killed, an official said, adding that search-and-sanitisation operations were underway at the site.

Security forces had to conduct a room-to-room search of the structure to locate and eliminate the duo. Restrictions prescribed under Section 144 of the CrPC were also imposed on the Ram Munshibag-Sempora stretch of the nearby Srinagar-Jammu national highway to discourage people from protesting near the encounter site.

Terror organisation Lashkar-e-Taiba earlier claimed the attack, even saying that its militants killed three security personnel.

The wreath-laying ceremony of the deceased CRPF sub-inspector, Sahab Shukla (50), was held at the Recruit Training Centre in Humhama earlier in the day. Top civil officials, besides a number of paramilitary and police personnel, paid their respects to the fallen officer. Shukla hailed from Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh.

The Pantha Chowk encounter has turned the spotlight on how the Kashmir unrest continues to affect childrens education in the state. Over 30 schools were either completely or partially gutted by miscreants last summer.

We tried to keep damage to the building at a minimum because the enemy seems intent on destroying our schools. They want students to abandon their education, but we will ensure that nothing like that happens, Vaid told mediapersons on the sidelines of Shuklas wreath-laying ceremony.

The ruling Peoples Democratic Party agreed with the police officers claim. The attack on #DPSSrinagar is another attempt by these anti-Kashmir elements to push the youth of the state towards illiteracy, it tweeted. Destroying schools is a heinous ploy of anti-Kashmir elements who dont want kids here to study and prosper.

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A 60-hour long rescue operation to pull a toddler out of borewell at Ikkareddygudem village in Telanganas Rangareddy district about 70 km from Hyderabad, proved futile with 18-month old Veena alias Chinnari dying during the operation.

Veena had accidentally fallen into the open borewell on Thursday and had got stuck around a depth of 40 feet. The well is said to 450 feet deep.

The decomposed parts of Veenas body were flushed out from the borewell by rescuers after a massive operation that went on for over 60 hours. District Collector M Raghunandan Rao and transport minister P Mahender Reddy officially declared the death of the girl at around 6 am on Sunday.

We suspect the girl died on the second day itself. However, we made our best efforts to rescue the girl using all the technologies available with us. Unfortunately, we could not succeed, the minister said.

Veenas parents -- Yadaiah and Renuka, both migrant workers from Gorepalli village of Vikarabad district, wept inconsolably as the authorities told them that the girl was no more.

Veena fell into the open borewell when she was playing in the fields along with her elder sister Akshita, when their parents were at work at an adjacent farmhouse in the village.

Rescue teams from NDRF and state agencies like Singareni Collieries made hectic efforts to bring out Veena alive, despite heavy rains in the area. Experts from the ONGC were also summoned from neighbouring Andhra Pradesh to dig a parallel well to reach the girl. During the course of the operations it was found that the girl slipped further deep into the well.

High-tech sensitive cameras were dropped into the bore well up to 240 ft to locate the girl but she could not be traced. Oxygen was supplied continuously into the borewell, and a team of doctors was on stand-by.

By Saturday evening, the authorities concluded that Veena might have died much earlier. The rescuers then started using air pressure to bring the dead baby up but they got only some remnants of her body and her frock.

The body parts were sent to Chevella government hospital for post-mortem and later handed over to her parents for burial in their native village.

The Cyberabad police have registered a criminal case against landlord Malla Reddy in whose fields the bore well was located under Indian Penal Code section 336 (endangering the life of someone).
The situation was tense at the district court compound in Uttar Pradeshs Bulandshahr on Friday, with several BJP activists shouting anti-police slogans to protest the action taken against one of their leaders. They, however, did not reckon on a woman police officer taking them head on.

Syana circle officer Shrestha Thakur was sent by senior superintendent of police (SSP) G Muniraj to quell a mob of BJP activists that was trying to prevent Pramod Lodhi  the husband of a Zila Panchayat member  from being produced in court.

Lodhi was challaned for a traffic violation on Thursday, and later charged with assaulting a public servant.

A video of the heated conversation that went viral on the social media showed Thakur fearlessly facing off against the agitated crowd. You please get orders in writing from the chief minister that the police have no powers to check vehicles, she told them, adding that law-enforcement personnel who stay awake all night to discharge their duties deserve more respect from political activists.

Thakur, a resident of Unnao, is an MBA graduate.

The ongoing confrontation between police and BJP workers began when Lodhi  found to be lacking in vehicular documentation  was challaned Rs 200 on Thursday. Saffron party activists claimed that police allegedly confiscated the keys to his vehicle and assaulted him repeatedly.

A station house officer slapped Pramod 15 times before putting him in the lockup. He was later sent to jail. When Pramod was being taken to court, a few of us decided to question the police about the manner in which they were treating him. We did not misbehave with the police, but they slapped an FIR on us anyway, said BJP district president Himanshu Mittal.

Muniraj confirmed that an FIR has been filed against several people involved in Fridays incident. The circle officer was sent to the court because the protesters were preventing police from producing Pramod Lodhi in court. The officer did her duty. It was after nearly 40 minutes that she was able to get the accused produced before the court, the SSP said.

However, the BJP district unit is in no mood to back down. We have spoken to the deputy chief minister and a few others. The police have been given two days time to investigate the issue and take action against the circle officer. If that does not happen, we will approach our state unit for further directions, said Mittal.

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Tension erupted in Sanvrad, the native village of Anandpal Singh on Sunday, a day after the gangster was killed in a police encounter.

Singhs family refused to take his body and are demanding a CBI probe into his death. We havent received anything in written, said Nagaur SP Paris Deshmukh. He added that 31 people have been taken into preventive custody after the stone pelting incident.

Despite the many criminal cases against him, Singh, who was shot dead by the police after a gun battle in Churu district on Saturday night, was considered a hero by many, particularly the youngsters in his village.

According to the police, more than 500 people pelted stones and attacked the police in Sanvrad, which is situated in Nagaur district of Rajasthan.

In the afternoon, around 500-700 people started pelting stones and vandalising property. They also attacked the police and injured two officials, including the station house officer of Jaswantgarh police station, Narsi Lal Meena, circle officer, Didwana said.

The police had to resort to firing tear gas shells to control the crowd.

The protesters vandalised a police car and tried to assault police personnel, said Meena.

The police said that the protestors also created a traffic jam in the Kishangar Hanumangarh highway.

We have initiated talks with the protesters and the situation is under control. Both the policemen who were injured in the attack are receiving treatment, said the circle officer.

Meanwhile, the Ravana Rajput community, to which Anandpal Singh belonged, also staged a protest and demanded a CBI probe into the incident.

The SOG has killed Anandpal Singh in a fake encounter, alleged Umed Singh Tanwar, the state president of the community.
After eluding the police for almost two years, dreaded Rajasthan gangster Anandpal Singh finally met his end in a police encounter late on Saturday night.

Singh was killed during a raid by the special operation group (SOG) of Rajasthan police at Malasar in Churu district.

Singh died in police firing in Churus Malasar late on Saturday night. A few police personnel have also sustained injuries in retaliatory firing by the gangster, Rajasthan director general of police Manoj Bhatt told reporters on Sunday.

The DGP said that a fierce gun battle had ensued between the police and Singh with the gangster opening fire with automatic weapons.

We have recovered two AK 47 guns from Singh with which he fired around 100 rounds on the police. Two of our men got injured in the firing but retaliated bravely without caring for their lives which resulted in the death of Singh, said Bhatt.

He added that SOG inspector Suraveer Singh had also sustained fracture in his hand.

The officials said that the SOG has arrested his brother Rupendrapal alias Vicky and cousin Devendrapal alias Gattu from Sirsa in Haryana earlier on Saturday evening.

Both the members carried a bounty of 1 lakh each and were the founding members of Singhs dreaded Shekhawati gang.

It was from them that the police got to know about the location of Singh, said Bhatt. The Haryana police too played a crucial role in the operation, he said.

We have decided to give gallantry promotion to emergency response team commando Sohan Singh and constable Dharampal. We will also recommend their names to the centre for gallantry medals, said the DGP.

Sohan Singh, who sustained several bullet injuries, is currently admitted at the SMS Hospital.

A surgery has been conducted and he is better now. He sustained bullet injuries in his back, said a senior hospital official.

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At a time when many top-ranking police officials swear by latest technological innovations in catching criminals, the special operations group (SOG) of the Rajasthan Police showed that at times there is no alternative to old-fashioned policing.

The SOG killed dreaded gangster Anandpal Singh in an encounter in Churu on Saturday night.

For the last several months, we have been trying to track Singh and his associates and had sent teams to several places. This operation was unique as we were proceeding solely on the basis of intelligence gathered from trusted informants, said Dinesh MN, inspector general, SOG.

Two months ago, it was one such piece of information that made the SOG depute a team to Haryana. We had learnt that Singh and his brothers were dividing their time between Haryana, Churu and Hanumangarh. They didnt use mobile phones so we couldnt take help of technology rather we had to rely on the age-old informer system, said MN.

The police said that they got a tip-off that changed things. The police came to know that two of the gangsters brothers  Devendrapal and Rupendrapal  were hiding in Sirsa, Haryana.

Our team in Haryana arrested them on Saturday evening and it was during their questioning that they divulged Singhs location in Churu. We then conducted a raid, which led to the death of the gangster, said the inspector general.

Even when he was cornered, Singh showed no intention of surrendering. Instead, he started firing at the police with two AK 47 guns, which he had earlier stolen from the police, said the official.

The 44-year-old gangster had a B. Ed degree and carried a 5 lakh bounty on his head and was Rajasthans most wanted criminal. Anandpal was involved in over two dozen cases in Didwana, Jaipur, Sikar, Sujangarh, Churu, Sanganer among others and was also the main accused in high-profile murder cases like Jivan Ram Godara murder case of Didwana (Nagaur) and Gopal Fogawat murder case of Sikar district.

Anandpal has been absconding since September 2015 when he made a dramatic escape from police custody while being brought back to the Ajmer jail after a court hearing.

The police van was attacked by gunmen in two SUVs. The policemen escorting Singh were drugged and failed to prevent the gunmen spiriting away with the three prisoners.

The death of Singh marks the end of the Shekhawati gang, which was the most notorious criminal syndicate to come out of Rajasthan till date.

The gang engaged in extortion, robbery, murder and a large array of criminal activities which gave Singh and his deputies the tag of being the most dreaded criminals in the desert state.

In the last one year, the police had arrested several key members of the gang, which was instrumental in the syndicate losing its clout. Our network of informants helped us with crucial inputs about the people who sheltered Singh and his associates which helped us plan and execute the operation in a meticulous way. Otherwise, this wouldnt have been possible, MN told HT.

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Even as the triple-talaq controversy rages on, the Muslim community in India is all set to see its first batch of women kazis  or Islamic judges  make inroads into a domain hitherto considered exclusively for men.

Besides being trained to solemnise the nikah (marriage) and validate the talaq (divorce), they are also qualified to oversee the khula (legal separation initiated by the wife) and assess the mehr (money given to the bride by her in-laws).

Ive placed an order for my very own seal, complete with a registration number. People in my neighbourhood have reacted positively to my decision to become a kazi. Even the imam of the local jama masjid wished me well, said 28-year-old Jamila Laskar, a resident of Howrah.

Hakima Khatun, a mother of two, says she enjoys the full support of her husband and family. Absolute male dominance among kazis is one of the major reasons for males allowing arbitrary talaqs. A woman kazi would ensure that wives benefit from the equal rights accorded to them by the Quran, the 40-year-old woman added.

Both Laskar and Khatun were among the 15 women who graduated from the Mumbai-based Darul Uloom Niswan (DUN), an Islamic centre of learning, in April. Thirty women from various states had enrolled in the first-of-its-kind course in 2015.

The road ahead, however, may not be smooth. Two of their batchmates from Rajasthan  Jahan Ara and Afroz Begum  ran into trouble in February 2016, when several conservative clerics dubbed the appointment of women kazis as un-Islamic. But I completed my training despite all the opposition. I am eligible to solemnise the nikah now, Ara told HT over the phone.

Hakima Khatun (left) thinks absolute male dominance among kazis is one of the major reasons why men get arbitrary talaq sanctions in their favour. (HT Photo)

Suraiah Sheikh (45), who grew up in a Bandra slum, overcame resistance from relatives by convincing them that the Quran does not disapprove of women kazis. Once we begin practising, we will act against social evils like underage marriages and polygamy. We will also ensure that the groom provides residential and income proof before signing the marriage contract, she said.

Suraiah, along with Khatun Sheikh and Hena Siddiqi, are the first women kazis from Maharashtra.

We know that not many will approach us in the initial days. But then, lets not forget that this is just the start of a new trend, said 61-year-old Khatun Sheikh, also from Bandra.

The concept of women kazis has been the cause of widespread controversy in recent times. In 2008, rights activist Naish Hasan got a noted woman scholar  Syeda Hamid  to solemnise her marriage. The ethical debates that followed virtually split the Muslim community.

While some Muslim religious leaders  including the All India Muslim Personal Law Board  vehemently opposed the idea, scholars such as former Law Commission member Tahir Mahmood insisted that the Quran doesnt bar women from becoming kazis. Institutions like the Darul Uloom Deoband also supported the cause of women kazis.

Last year, the All India Muslim Women Board appointed Hena Zaheer and Maria Fazal as shahar kazis of Kanpur for the Shia and Sunni sects respectively. Their roles, however, were restricted to arbitration and counselling for fear of annoying conservative clerics.

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Acknowledging the state governments decision to write off farm loans, former union agriculture minister and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) president Sharad Pawar said his party would cooperate and coordinate with the government despite having reservations over the loan waiver.

Though we arent fully satisfied, well cooperate and coordinate with the government, Pawar told journalists.

He said the NCP made two suggestions to the state  pertaining farmers who are paying their instalments regularly and cut-off date for the waiver.

Both the suggestions were addressed by the government. There are a few unresolved issues, which will be discussed and sorted later. Also, the government must address the others demands made by the farmers without wasting time, Pawar.

The NCP chief insisted that the BJP government must implement recommendations of Swaminathan Commission to rid farmers across India of their financial woes.

The BJP had promised this in its election manifesto, while Narendra Modi had assured it in all his election rallies, Pawar said.

Pointing out that it has been two years since the state formed an Agriculture Price Commission, Pawar said the commission will ensure implementation of minimum support price to farmers.

He also drew attention to the plight of onion and tur farmers across Maharashtra. Pawar said onion farmers were facing hardships as the price bottomed because of a bumper crop, while the government had stopped purchasing tur.

We need to export both the items and farmers needed financial assistance to do so. The decision to waive farm loan will backfire if the state fails to address this issue in time, he said.

BOX

Symbolic election

Sharad Pawar described the upcoming election between NDA nominee Ramnath Kovind and Opposition nominee Meira Kumar as symbolic. He said the electoral arithmetic was in favour of the NDA candidate and the outcome was a forgone conclusion. But it is democracy and we need to fight the election, he added. Pawar also clarified that he was never interested in the post.

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Farmers outfits rejected the governments decision to waive farm loans worth Rs 34,000 crore and plan to resort to protests after July 26. Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray hinted that the party will support the agitation and force the government to their meet demands.

From now, we will sit on the governments head to ensure that all our demands are accepted, Thackeray said while addressing a farmers rally in Nashik on Sunday.

The decision of the Rs34,000-crore waiver is historic but our party is still not satisfied as farmers are not happy. There is still resentment among them, Thackeray said. "The waiver will bring relief to lots of farmers but all those who agitated and went on strike for so many days should also get some respite, he added.

Thackeray met farmers from Puntamba village of Ahmednagar district and Nashik district on Sunday. These farmers had taken the lead during the strike, which started on June 1, demanding loan waiver. I have come to meet the farmers who made history, the Sena chief said praising them for the protest that jolted the state government.

He demanded that the cut-off date be extended from June 30, 2016. The cut-off date makes farmers who have taken loans after June 30, 2016 ineligible for benefits.

If I come to know of cases being registered against farmers for agitating, I will see what can be done with this government, Thackeray said threatening to take on the BJP-led state government.

The Sena chief will also meet farmers who are opposing the Mumbai-Nagpur Samruddhi Expressway in Nashik. The project is already courting controversy after farmers raised objections for their lands being acquired for the project.

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The showers in the city on Sunday brought complaints of water logging in several areas with it. While civic workers could be seen at several spots cleaning the drains, citizens took to Twitter to complain about inundation. Water logging complaints were reported from Hindamata, Kings Circle, Gandhi market, Dadar in island city, and Andheri and Milan subway in the western suburbs.

Mumbai recorded heavy rainfall of 50 mm in an hour. In spite of heavy rainfall, no major flooding has been reported in the city, said Mahesh Narvekar, chief officer, disaster management cell, Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC).

A house gets flooded at Thane. (Praful Gangurde)

After missing two deadlines of May 31st and June 9th, Gazdarbandh pumping stations additional two pumps also started working on Saturday. With the pumping station, BMC is expecting to mitigate water logging in areas like Bandra (West), Santacruz and Khar (West) and Vile Parle.

If continuous and heavy rainfall is witnessed throughout Sunday afternoon, BMC fears increase in water logging complaints as high tide is expected at 1.01pm. I am observing the condition at Hindmata and Parel, the situation is normal now,said VP Mote, assistant municipal commissioner.
The Amboli cops called in the estranged husband of actress Kritika Chaudhary for questioning after she was found murdered in her home at Lokhandwala on June 12, but have now arrested him in connection with a Rs55-lakh cheating case dating back to 2016.

The cops were on Sunday interrogating Vijay Jagatnarayan Dwivedi, 37, when they realized he was the person who had conned a businessman from Delhi in filmi style, walking away with Rs55 lakh in suitcase while he waited in a car. The murder case as well as the cheating case are registered at the Amboli police station.

The businessman from Delhi, Maheshkumar Narula, 59, had completed a movie in December 2015. Through a friend, Narula met Dwivedi at the latters office in Andheri west.

According to police sources, Dwivedi apparently told Narula he knew an RS Yadav based in Lucknow who could help him get a subsidy from the Uttar Pradesh government for his movie as it had been shot entirely in that state. Dwivedi allegedly told Narula he would have to pay Rs55 lakh in cash to Yadav and would then get a subsidy amount of Rs2.88 crore by cheque.

On January 20, 2016, Dwivedi picked Narula up from Juhu and took him to a posh area in Vimannagar, Pune, in a taxi to meet Yadav. Dwivedi then asked Narula to hand over the bag saying he would go into the building and make the payment. When Narula said he wanted to go too, Dwivedi told him that Yadav did not meet strangers directly, police sources said.

Narula was convinced to wait in the taxi. After an hour with no sign of Dwivedi, Narula got suspicious and checked with the security guard of the building. When they scanned the CCTV footage, they saw Dwivedi with the bag of money leaving the building in an autorickshaw.

Dwivedi then switched off his phone and locked up his office. Police said Dwivedi remained untraceable all this while until sub-inspector Daya Nayak realized the man he was interrogating in the Kritika Chaudhary case was the same as the accused in the 2016 cheating case.
Former media entrepreneur Indrani Mukerjea, accused of murdering her daughter Sheena Bora, was among scores of prisoners booked for rioting in Mumbais Byculla jail after an inmate was allegedly beaten to death on Friday.

Police have also booked six jail officials for the death of Manjula Shetye, 45, convicted for the murder of her sister-in-law. The post-mortem report from JJ hospital said Shetye had sustained 11 to 13 contusions all over her body on being assaulted. The police registered the case after receiving the report on Saturday.

TP Lahane, dean of JJ hospital, told HT, The womans lungs were damaged. We have mentioned this as the cause of death. One of the injuries was on her scalp, Lahane added. The FIR for murder was registered on the complaint of Shetyes cell mate, who alleged that she was beaten by a sub-inspector and five prison guards.

Shetyes elder brother Sharad, a Kalyan resident, told HT, She was taken to the hospital on Friday around 7.30 pm and two constables from Manpada police station came to inform us at 7 am on Saturday. I want to know why did it taken them so long to inform me about my sisters death? My sister has been beaten to death for no fault of hers. She was innocent.

The complainant, identified as one Shaikh, has also been booked for rioting. Soon after the murder, around 200 inmates, including Mukerjea, went to the prisons terrace and began protesting against the incident. They allegedly also hurt prison staff and damaged property. Senior inspector Sanjay Baswat of Nagpada police station said, Apart from rioting, they have been booked for assault, grievous assault on public servants while discharging duty and for burning books and wood in the prison.

Shetye and her mother had been convicted for her sister-in-laws murder. My sister and mother were lodged in Yerwada jail. My mother died seven months ago. After being in Yerwada jail for 12 years, my sister was shifted to Byculla prison a month-and-a-half ago. She was complaining of being overworked and sleepless when we met her last month, added Sharad.

BK Upadhyay, additional director general of prisons, told HT, Inspector general of prisons,Rajwardhan Sinha will conduct a departmental inquiry into the incident. After he submits a report, we will take appropriate action.
The Bandra police recently arrested three more waiters working for a hotel in Sakinaka for allegedly using skimmers to steal credit and debit card details of their customers to cheat them later. With this, the total number of arrested accused in the case reached eight.

DCP, zone IX, Paramjit Dahiya said, Eight people, including six waiters, have been arrested. Eight skimmers and 50 ATM cloned cards have been seized.

Apart from Bandra police in Mumbai, FIRs have been registered in Thane and Pune districts for duping unsuspecting customers. According to Bandra police, the three waiters were working in Persian Durbar in Sakinaka area in Andheri east. Two other waiters  one from Pune and another from Thane  were also arrested. The unsuspecting customers coming over to the Sakinaka hotel not only handed over their credit card/debit card to the three waiters but also gave their PIN code to them.

The waiters swiped the card on the three skimmers that have been recovered from them. The stolen information was then used to clone cards with the help of a software and laptop, said detection officer, sub inspector Bhimsen Gaikwad from Bandra police station. Santosh Shetty, general secretary of Association of Hotels and Restaurants (AHAR) having 8,000 hotel establishments as members in Mumbai told HT, We have put up sign boards at our hotels as well as we ask our waiters to go up to the table with the payment machine. We ask customers to swipe the card and enter the pin code with their own hands. In general, customers should desist from handing over their card and pin while making payment at anyplace.
A major portion of work on construction of the 400 kiloVolt (kV) electricity substation at Indirapuram is complete and the substation will become functional within a week, but only in a test stage, according to electricity department officials. In this stage, it will deliver 100 mega volt amp (mva) of its total capacity of 1,000mva. The 100mva power will be supplied to around two lakh consumers in Indirapuram, officials added.

The substation was supposed to start last year, but was delayed due to litigation, land availability for installing towers and farmer protests over land acquisition. The substation forms a major 36km transmission line loop from Hapur (765kV), Ator (400kV) to Indirapuram. It is supposed to meet the power demand of all the trans-Hindon areas and also provide supply to Noidas Sector 62 substation.

The 100mva capacity will be supplied to the whole of Indirapuram. After running in the testing phase for nearly a month, during which it will cater to the demand of two lakh consumers, the substation will be fully energised and will cater to Indirapuram, Sahibabad, Vasundhara, Vaishali, Vijay Nagar and even Noidas Sector 62, said Yatendra Kumar, superintending engineer, UP Power Transmission Corporation Limited.

During the testing phase, the electricity will be diverted directly from the Hapur substation, bypassing Ator. Thereafter, the entire loop will be made functional. The substation at Hapur will convert power to 400kV and supply it further to Indirapuram. The Indirapuram substation will convert the available power to 220kV and further to 33kV to be supplied to residential areas.

Once the substation is operational at its full capacity, it will branch out to 12 feeders of 33kV and three feeders of 220kV capacity. One of the 220kV feeders will cater to Noida. The Indirapuram substation will address the overloading in residential areas. Once fully operational, it will be able to inject into distribution around 3,000mw of power, which is thrice the present demand. It will also considerably enhance the installed capacity of the transmission network, Kumar said.

The whole project, forming a loop between Hapur, Ator in Ghaziabad and Indirapuram, is estimated to cost Rs1,000 crore.

The discom Paschimanchal Vidyut Vitaran Nigam Limited (PVVNL) covers 14 districts, including Ghaziabad and Gautam Budh Nagar. For this entire area, officials have proposed installation of new 72 (33/11kV) substations and capacity enhancement of 58 substations. This is apart from the 68 new substations and another 72 slotted for capacity enhancement under the Central governments Integrated Power Development Scheme.

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The Ghaziabad police on Sunday lodged an FIR against several protesters, including parents, for protesting outside a school on Saturday and allegedly confining the school staff to the school premises by locking the gates.

Sudheer Tyagi, the station house officer of Sahibabad police station, said, An FIR was lodged on a complaint from school officials. The case was registered against three to four persons, under sections of rioting and illegal confinement.

The protesters had locked all four main gates of the school and did not allow our staff to move inside or outside the premises. They even manhandled a courier boy. Of the protesters who had gathered outside the school, only 20-25 of them were parents of students of the school; the rest do not have any ties with the school. We have forwarded a complaint to the police and they have lodged an FIR, said the schools principal.

Nearly 200 persons, including parents, had gathered outside the school after the management had expelled 29 students by issuing transfer certificates (TC). Parents had alleged that the school authorities were harassing them by not accepting fees as per the old fee structure.

On the other hand, school officials said that the parents were notified about the hiked fee structure in September and also served notice and notified the stipulated time frame for depositing the fee as per the revised structure.

The police and administration officials had reached the spot on Saturday to pacify protesters and convince them to call off their demonstration. Sanjay Bansal, the additional city magistrate, had also promised them of a joint meeting with officials of the school and the administration in the next week.

In an earlier incident as well, an FIR was lodged by the Kavi Nagar police after protesting parents and association members staged a demonstration against the arbitrary fee hike and blocked an intersection.

The issue of arbitrary fee hike has been repeatedly raised by parents and several private associations. There have been several protests by parents, who have been demanding a rollback of the hiked fee hike and also action against schools by the district officials.

However, the administration declined to take a decision at the district level. The state government formed a nine-member committee to look into the complaints and allegations of parents.

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The Gautam Budh Nagar police on Saturday nabbed three persons for allegedly stealing vehicles from Delhi and suburbs of the capital, and recovered six motorcycles from their possession.

The police said that the thieves mostly stole two-wheelers and sold them in Uttar Pradesh. The vehicles that were recovered from their possession were bearing registration numbers of Delhi, Ghaziabad and Noida.

Arun Kumar Singh, superintendent of police (city), on Sunday told reporters that the accused were caught during a surprise check in Sector 62 on Saturday evening.

Singh said, These three persons were apprehended at a checkpoint and could not produce vehicle registration papers. When the police cross-checked it with the database, it was found that they had put fake number plates on the vehicles.

After a brief questioning, the accused admitted to having stolen the vehicles. Four more motorcycles were recovered from their possession, the police said.

The gang stole vehicles, hid them and sold them when they found a buyer, Singh said.

Further questioning in the matter may also provide more information about other gangs that steal vehicles in the NCR, the police said.

Dalip Singh Bisht, the station house officer of Sector 58 police station, said that the criminals mostly lifted motorcycles by breaking the handle locks and using master keys to start the vehicles.

The accused are school dropouts and residents of Khoda in Ghaziabad. The police said they stole vehicles to meet their expenses.

Duo held

During a surprise check on Saturday evening, the Gautam Budh Nagar police arrested two persons for possessing a countrymade weapon, four live rounds and a knife. The duo was arrested from Khoda.

The accused told the police that they were carrying weapons for their own safety. However, the police said that there is no reason for them to be threatened and arrested them under the sections of Arms Act, 1959.
The proposed international airport in Jewar along the 165km Yamuna Expressway is expected to lead to the relocation of many villages, a canal, ancient temples, mosques and thousands of fully grown trees.

The Union civil aviation ministry on Saturday gave an in-principle approval for the site in Jewar. The Yamuna Expressway Industrial Development Authority (YEIDA), which has the mandate to acquire land for development, had in 2016 notified 3,000 hectares of agricultural land for the project. The land falls between Yamuna Expressway and river Yamuna. There are around 40 old villages in this area, farmers of which farmers own the 3,000 hectares identified for the project.

In the first phase, we will acquire 1,000 hectares, Dr Prabhat Kumar, chairman of YEIDA, said.

The obstacle limitation survey (OLS) conducted in June, before the site clearance, identified the issues  relocation of around 10 villages and other obstacles that are in the way of the runway  in the first phase of the project, for which 1,000 hectares are required.

Officials said that farmers cooperation for the project is crucial. We trust that farmers will cooperate and help us with the land acquisition. Farmers support will empower us to acquire 1,000 hectares in one year. We have demanded Rs2,000 crores from the UP government to start the acquisition. We will ensure that property brokers stay away from land acquisition and all benefits are directly transferred to the farmers, said Kumar.

YEIDA officials will start meeting farmers on the issue of land acquisition after receiving funds. YEIDA will talk to farmers and then decide whether to acquire the land under the Land Acquisition Act of 2013 or by a direct transaction between the government and farmers.

The Centre will also invest Rs20,000 crore in the first phase of the project, officials said.

Two companies dealing in aviation sector  GMR and GVK  have expressed a keen interest in setting up the international airport in Jewar. Therefore, we believe that the project will be developed at a record speed. It took 20 years for the Mumbai (Navi) airport to be developed, but with the smooth land acquisition and farmers cooperation, we aim to get all necessary clearances, including environmental ones, by 2019 for the first phase, said Kumar.

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A day after the civil aviation ministry gave the green signal for an international airport to be set up in Jewar, the Yamuna Expressway Industrial Development Authority (YEIDA) on Sunday decided to form a dedicated team for handling the project.

The civil aviation ministrys green signal means that the real challenge has just started. It is just the beginning; we need to put in a lot of hard work to fast-track this project. However, to do that, we need a dedicated team because we do not have adequate personnel for the special project at present. I have written for to the government for the formation of a dedicated team, said Dr Prabhat Kumar, chairman of the Yamuna Expressway and the Greater Noida authorities.

Kumar also holds the charge of the commissioner for Meerut division.

YEIDA has demanded a dedicated provincial civil service (PCS) officer for this project. I have already requested the chief minister for a dedicated PCS officer, supported by a team of tehsildars and other officials, to be put in place immediately for the project, said Kumar.

At present, YEIDA has a chief executive officer, an additional CEO and an officer on special duty, besides other lower level staff.

I have also requested the UP board of revenue to provide us with a team of tehsildars because we need to acquire 1,000 hectares for the first phase of the project. We need to deal with thousands of farmers. Therefore, we need a dedicated team to ensure smooth land acquisition, said Kumar.

YEIDA will play a crucial role as it is tasked with acquiring agricultural land for the project. Also, the authority has decided to get environmental clearances for the project by 2019.

Once we acquire the land and prepare it for the project, we will get environmental clearances. Subsequently, we will get an in-principle approval for the project from the civil aviation ministry. Right now, the ministry has given us the in-principle approval for the site. My target is to get all necessary approvals and prepare the land for setting up the project by 2019, said Kumar.

The UP government had set up YEIDA on April 24, 2001, to build the 165 km Yamuna Expressway, set up industries and develop urban areas along this road. However, the authoritys plan to house 35 lakh people by 2031, as per its master plan, is yet to pick up pace.

Around 2.5 lakh hectares in 1,187 villages of six districts  Gautam Budh Nagar, Bulandshahar, Aligarh, Hathras, Mathura and Agra  have been notified under YEIDA. However, in the last 15 years, no major industry, except yoga guru Baba Ramdevs Patanjali food park and five mobile phone manufacturers, has set up base here.

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The rate of growth of Indias population has begun to decline in the last two decades, but its population will continue to grow in the next four or five decades. From 1.21 billion people in 2011, it will increase to 1.5 billion by 2025 and to 1.7 billion by 2050. In just a decade from now India will replace China as the most populous country in the world. Indias policy makers need to start planning for population of 1.7 billion while keeping in focus the changes that will take place in the age structure, composition and distribution of population in the years to come along with the rising aspirations of the people.

Let us examine the changes in Indias age structure from a historical perspective. From 41% in 1971 Indias population in the age group 0-14 declined to 31% in 2011 and will further decline to 25% by 2025. India will also experience gradual increase in the proportion of the 60 + population between 2000 and 2025 from 4.6 to 7 %. These two opposing trends will change the proportion of population in the working age group 15-59 somewhat slowly from 62 in 2011 to 64 by 2025 and 68 by 2050. In absolute terms, however, the working age population of 750 million today will be close to a billion by 2025. The number of old more than 60 will also increase dramatically from about 96 million in 2011 to 165 million by 2025 because of falling mortality and increase in longevity.

The decreasing share of young dependents in population and increasing share of those in workforce, viewed as a window of opportunity or known as demographic dividend, lasts about 30-40 years. But the demographic dividend is not automatic and does not by itself trigger processes that would help exploit its benefits. We have to seize the opportunity created by the reduction in child dependency. For reaping the benefits, there is an urgent need to invest in providing quality education at all levels to our children who will become the future work force, and designing and imparting meaningful skills to them while taking advantage of technological innovations. Good health and nutrition along with providing children protection from infectious diseases would contribute to improving the quality of the future work force.

To fully employ this segment of population gainfully and productively, India will have to create millions of jobs over the next few years. Given the limited education and other skills, labour-intensive manufacturing would need to grow to absorb Indias growing labour force at reasonably high productivity levels. It is expected that with the reduction in the number of children women have, a positive climate is created for them to enter the world of work. While greater female labour force participation can boost economic growth by increasing the labour supply, the absorption of women will continue to be a thorny issue for years to come, especially when employment growth does not keep pace with the growth in working-age population. The adverse economic, political and social consequences of what some call jobless growth will be inevitable in the form of unrest.

While addressing these concerns, India will have to reckon with another inevitable fact. It is the increase in the number of the aged. With continuous fertility decline in India, there will be fewer children to look after elderly parents in future. In such a situation, the State will have to step in through provision of social pension that is more than just a token amount. Healthcare facilities to treat chronic ailments the elderly suffer from like dementia, Parkinsons disease, mental health problems as well as diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and cancers will have to be increased. If and wherever possible, the creation of appropriate income generation opportunities for able and willing elderly will let them live with dignity.

India will have to tap its potential human resource by investing in quality education and training and while doing so, ensure equitable distribution of and access to resources to all social groups and all ages and address regional inequality.

Leela Visaria is Honorary Professor and former Director, Gujarat Institute of Development Research, Ahmedabad.

The views expressed are personal
The Pakistan embassy has issued visas to 300 Sikh pilgrims on the request of different Sikh organisations including International Bhai Mardana Yadgari Kirtan Darbar Society.

The jatha is set to leave for the neighbouring country on June 28 after getting assurance that a special train will be sent by Pakistan to receive them at Wagah Border. The jatha will visit Pakistan to observe death anniversary of Maharaja Singh Ranjit Singh at his samadhi (tomb) situated near Gurdwara Dehra Sahib, Lahore.

Bhai Mardana Society president Harpal Singh Bhullar said, We had written to Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (PSGPC) and Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB) for visas. The Sikh pilgrims who have been issued the visas owe allegiance to Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC), Khalra Mission Committee and Nankana Sahib Committee besides our society, said Bhullar.

Notably a jatha of this society and other organisations were to leave for Pak in wake of martyrdom day of Guru Arjan Dev. But the special train did not arrive leaving the pilgrims disappointed. If the same situation arises again, we will go by road, said Bhullar. The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) should also send its jatha to pay tribute to Maharaja, he said.The pilgrimage will start from June 28 to July 7. Notably, the SGPC did not send its jatha after the central government refused to guarantee security for the pilgrims.
Guided by a newly floated organization, Adivasi Mahasabha, tribals in select villages of Jharkhands Khunti district have launched a unique satyagrah (non-cooperation movement) against the state government. They are demanding complete sovereignty in schedule areaswhere tribal population is more than 50 %--guaranteed to them in the Constitution.

They are rejecting welfare schemes, urging police and civil administration not to interfere in their community matters, settling disputes in the gram sabhas, asking tribal MLAs and MPs to resign, instructing community brethren to quit government jobs and asking those who have retired to refuse pension.

The movement, though confined to few villages in the state with 26 % tribals, is fast spreading across districts posing a serious problem for the BJP governmen, which they have branded anti-tribal.

The Mahasabha argues that the Constitution guarantees tribals complete right on land, forest, water and other natural resources in their areas. They are free to use these resources at their will and the government agencies have no right to check, or control them. They disapprove of any role of police and civil administration in tribal areas.

The tribals, Mahasabha leaders say, are not bound to follow the policies or legislations framed by the elected governments, and any effort to force them to follow government diktat, would be violation of their constitutional rights.

Recently, HT had reported how the Mahasabha was encouraging villagers to install stone plaques at the entrance of their villages debarring entry of outsiders (read non-tribals), a step the government said was impeding welfare and development work in villages, besides straining peaceful coexistence of tribals and non-tribals across the state.

There is nothing unconstitutional in our actions, said Mahasabha leader Belosa Babita Kachhap, a woman who is spearheading the entire campaign along with few other male leaders. Our traditional gram sabhas are way above the state and Central governments, the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. The constitution has lent it legislative, executive and judicial powers. We are only making the villagers aware of their rights.

But not all tribals are on board with the Mahasabhas non-cooperation movement. As HT travelled to some of these villages accompanied by a tribal journalistnon-tribal journalists too fear the risk of being attacked for trespassingseveral tribals said the movement is highly confusing and void of logic.

We need toilets in our homes but they are forcing us not to accept any grant from the government. Where do I arrange the money to build toilets, said Vijay Hansda, a farmer from Chandidih village who supplements his income working as daily waged labourer.

Jeetu Gope of Bhandra said the Mahasabha leaders have asked villagers not to take ration from PDS shops, decline houses under Indira Awas Yojna and not to participate in any government surveys. Its monsoon time and several mud houses are crumbling. I wish the Mahasabha has a plan for the poor families who live in leaking huts. Unfortunately they do not care for the sufferings, he said.

Mangru Hansda, a 63-year-old retired army man from the same village is yet to understand why he is being coerced to stop availing his pension. I am old and self dependent. How will I survive without pension? he wondered, stressing, whenever he questions them, they fail to come up with any valid argument.

Mahsabha supporters Bali Munda and Mogo Munda were unrelenting though. Once we succeed in establishing self rule in our villages, we will turn rich overnight, said Mogo,.

Khunti deputy commissioner Manish Ranjan said he is meeting villagers and clearing confusing notions being spread by the Mahasabha.

Deputy inspector general of police A V Homkar said they have a plan to prevent confrontation and resolve issues through discussions and dialogue.
The state health, medical education and family welfare department has set a July 15 target for starting services at 500-bed super specialty wing of Ranchi sadar hospital, lying defunct since its construction was completed in 2011.

In the first phase, the hospitals seven-storeyed ward section will have 200 beds and an operation theatre, while remaining 300 beds will come to function in near future.

The department has started procedure for appointment of doctors, nurses and other hospital staff besides procuring medicines and medical equipment to run the hospital. We have already posted 13 doctors while appointment process of other hospital staff is in progress, said Ranchi civil surgeon Dr Shiv Shankar Harijan.

Harijan said they had set target of July 15 to start functioning of the hospital with two unitsmaternity and paediatrics. A list of medicines and medical equipment is ready. It has been handed over to the suppliers and the equipment would start reaching the hospital by July end, he said.

Spread over around 10 acres in the heart of Ranchi at Albert Ekka Chowk, the hospital was built at a cost of Rs 131 crore along with a 10-storeyed doctors hostel by the Jharkhand government.

Health officials said initially it was planned to operate the hospital on a public-private partnership (PPP) mode. However, private players did not accept the financial terms of the health department and later the state decided to run it on its own.

In 2016, a public interest litigation (PIL) was filed in the Jharkhand high court over non-operation of the hospital. The health department had informed the court that it would complete the first phase of Sadar super specialty hospital by March 2017. However, in the next hearing of PIL in April this year, the department told Jharkhand high court that it would start functioning of the hospital with 200 beds in July this year.

The department, in its affidavit had stated that purchase of equipment such as wheel chair, bed side screen, refrigerator, examination table had been completed by the Ranchi civil surgeon.

Operation of the much-awaited hospital would help reduce struggle of patients to find beds in government hospitals. Jharkhand has one of the lowest bed to patient ratio in India at 1:6052 compared to the national average of 1:1833, according to the National Health Profile 2015.

The only government hospital in the capital, the Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS), currently operates 991 beds at its general section against a patient flow of 1200 per day.

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Ranchi: Parents preferring private school over government school for their wards is no new phenomenon in India. But in Bagru, a left wing extremist (LWE) village in Jharkhands Khunti district, there is a rush for admission in the local state-run primary school.

Interestingly, in the last one week, at least 35 children withdrew their names from private schools and enrolled in this government school located around 50 km from capital Ranchi. Enquiries for more admissions have enthused authorities who not long were worried over the extremely low admission and high drop out rate. But at the same time, they are apprehending overcrowding of the classes.

A creative and innovative effort by the local civil administration, which gave the school the look of a train has made the government funded primary school the most popular and attractive school in the district. Hundreds of children, young and old people from adjoining villages and panchayats are travelling to Bagru to catch a glimpse of the school.

The school building has been painted so dexterously that from any angle, it gives the feel of a train parked at a railway station. For majority of children in this village, who have seen a train- either in books or on television- their train shaped school is a coveted gift.

Class rooms designed as bogies of train at Government Primary school , Bagru in Khunti (HT Photo)

We are overwhelmed by the response to our initiative primarily aimed at curbing the high drop out rate, said Khunti deputy commissioner, Manish Ranjan, who had conceptualized the idea during a visit to the Ranchi railway station. He said he clicked pictures of the station and engaged Manoj, a painter from Ranchi, to transform the shape of the school building into a train.

With an abysmal 61 % literacy rate in its rural areas, Jharkhand faces the daunting task of luring children to government schools and simultaneously checking the high drop out rate. There are a couple of government schools where the number of students is not even into double digits. The Birbanki Project High School for years had only six students and one teacher, before Maoist insurgents blew up the building early this year, prompting the local administration to shift the school to a safer place.

The quality of education too is abysmal in this tribal dominated state, where 21 out of the 24 districts are declared LWE affected. According to the latest Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) 2016 around 49.7% class 6 students in the state failed to read class 2 textbooks and only 67.7% class 8 students managed to understand them

Total 48.1% class 1 students couldnt recognize numerical and 56.6% students of the same class couldnt recognize English letters, the survey said.

Ever since my child, who goes to a private school, has seen the train shaped school, he is adamant on going to that school, said Kartik Munda, a local villager.

While the headmasters room has been given the shape of engine, the rooms mimics bogies. A part of the boundary wall has been painted by the students.

Teachers said they never expected a response of this magnitude. We will make this a model school in the state, said a teacher.

The deputy commissioner said soon they would come up with schools in the shape of airplanes and buses to catch the fancy of children and attract them to the classrooms.
One Monday in January, Aaliyah Palmer, 19, spent several hours telling law enforcement in Fayetteville, North Carolina, that she had been raped.

Things started out OK, she said, in a consensual encounter in a bathroom. But when the man having sex with her began tearing out her hair, she demanded he stop; he didnt. It was here a detective interrupted Palmers account with a question. At any time after she said no, did her attacker stop having sex with her, then penetrate her once again?

Yes, Palmer said.

OK, the detective replied, according to Palmer. Thats important.

It was important because in North Carolina, a person cannot withdraw consent for sex once intercourse is taking place. Because of a 1979 state Supreme Court ruling that has never been overturned, continuing to have sex with someone who consented then backed out isnt considered to be rape.

The whole thing is ridiculous, Palmer told the Guardian. Its crazy. The North Carolina law is an example of how the US legal system has not always kept pace with evolving ideas about rape, sex and consent. Just last year, an Oklahoma court ruled that the states forcible sodomy statute did not criminalize oral sex with a victim who is completely unconscious. The toughest charge available to prosecutors was unwanted touching.

But the North Carolina law appears to be unique. And it has shocked even those who are used to dealing with such legalistic vagaries. Its absurd, said John Wilkinson, a former prosecutor and an adviser to AEquitas, a group which helps law enforcement pursue cases of sexual violence. I dont think you could find anyone today to agree with this notion that you cannot withdraw consent. People have the right to control their own bodies. If sex is painful, or for whatever reason, they have the right to change their mind.

The ruling has devastated victims and frustrated prosecutors in North Carolina for years. State senator Jeff Jackson, who has introduced legislation to amend the law, encountered a similar case when he was a criminal prosecutor. His office was ultimately forced to dismiss the rape charge. North Carolina is the only state in the country where no doesnt really mean no, he said in a statement. We have a clear ethical obligation to fix this obvious defect in our rape law.

This May, another North Carolina woman, Amy Guy, revealed that the law had prevented prosecutors from charging her husband with rape, after a violent attack in which she repeatedly resisted. Guy was estranged from her husband when he showed up unannounced at her new home and demanded she sleep with him. Her husband had been violent in the past, Guy said, so she consented. When he began to hurt her, she told him to stop. He did not.

The person she says attacked her has not been arrested or charged. She wonders if that is because it would be difficult to prove he penetrated her multiple times, after she told him to stop.

A rape conviction could have carried a prison sentence of five and a half to nearly seven years, according to Guys attorney. But once somebody in the prosecutors office recalled the 1979 ruling, law enforcement allowed Guys husband to plead guilty to a lesser charge, of misdemeanour assault, for being violent during their encounter.

I was devastated, Guy said in an interview. That did not make any sense. I was taught that no means no and its not really true. He was given a sentence of 10 months and is due to be released in November.

The 1979 ruling, State v Way, arose after a man named Donnie Leon Way appealed his recent conviction for second-degree rape. Way was convicted of using extreme violence to force an acquaintance to submit to rape and oral sex. Wilkinson, the AEquitas adviser, said he was confounded as to why the state Supreme Court even introduced the idea of withdrawing consent.

No one can seriously defend this loophole, Jackson said in his statement. His bill would amend state law to read, in part: A person may withdraw consent to engage in vaginal intercourse in the middle of the intercourse, even if the actual penetration is accomplished with consent and even if there is only one act of vaginal intercourse .

A defendant who continues the act of vaginal intercourse after consent is withdrawn is deemed to have committed the act of vaginal intercourse by force and against the will of the other person. The proposal is stuck in committee with no sign that lawmakers will try to pass it before the current legislative session ends.

In an emptier apartment, she recalled, he pulled her into a bathroom to have sex. But when he began to grab her hair so hard that she could feel it ripping out, she told him he was hurting her and he had to stop.

Palmers case, however, has put the decades-old ruling back in the spotlight. The person she says attacked her has not been arrested or charged. Palmer wonders if that is because it would be difficult to prove he penetrated her multiple times, after she told him to stop. In his defence, she reasons, he could say she consented at the beginning of intercourse and they only had sex once.

A Fayetteville police spokesperson did not respond to a message asking if the 1979 ruling had any influence on law enforcements decision not to bring rape charges. Police have told Palmer and the Fayetteville Observer, which first publicized her case, that the evidence they collected wasnt enough to substantiate a rape.

Palmer agreed to be identified by name to create awareness of her case. On a Saturday in January, according to Palmer and court documents, she and a friend went to Fort Bragg to connect with men they met on Tinder Social.

After Palmer and her friend split up, Palmer went to a party in an apartment complex where she met the man she identifies as her assailant. In an emptier apartment, she recalled, he pulled her into a bathroom to have sex. But when he began to grab her hair so hard that she could feel it ripping out, she told him he was hurting her and he had to stop. He told her to be quiet and relax, Palmer said. He didnt stop.

Palmer said she repeated her demand several more times, but he never relented. Fighting back seemed dangerous: Army guys are trained in physical combat, she said. During the ordeal, she said, she saw at least one camera phone that had been slipped under the bathroom door, apparently to make a recording. Four soldiers stationed at Fort Bragg were later charged with creating or possessing video recordings of the incident.

The following Monday, Palmer submitted to a rape kit and gave police the clothes she had worn that night. But Fayetteville police did not charge the man Palmer says raped her. Palmer believes they waited too long to collect vital evidence. Between the time she reported a crime and the time investigators entered the apartment where she says the attack took place, she said, a week elapsed.

Since then, Palmer has become too depressed and anxious to go to class. Videos of her encounter circulated on Snapchat, and she is tortured by the thought that classmates might have seen them. This spring, she withdrew from North Carolina State University, and she has lost at least one of her two scholarships because she is no longer a full-time student. She has also lost friendships. It was really heartbreaking for me, she said. Everyone just believes that women are lying about rape  Im going public about this to say, my word should be enough to be believed.

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Actor Tanvi Thakkar, who has been part of shows such as Miley Jab Hum Tum, Palampur Express and Pavitra Rishta, says her journey has been fun but challenging as well. Coming from Ooty, Tanvis major struggle was to overcome her Tamilian accent.

I came to Mumbai to do television shows without even knowing how to talk in Hindi, so when I used to go for auditions, initially, I would pronounce the words with a different accent. And there were so many times when I was sent back without even auditioning as they were not happy with the way I spoke. After that, I watched a lot of Bollywood movies, so that I could get my accent right, she says.

In fact, language is still an issue for her. I find it challenging even now. This is because I dont understand some of the words in the script. I remember how many production houses sent me home because of this. At that time, I couldnt say a word of Hindi and had a major Tamilian accent. Sometimes I feel that I still have it, she says.

The actor says that she never had a role model in the industry and likes to motivate herself to perform better. Its tough to say who has inspired me to become an actor. I look up to a lot of actors but I dont think that I am inspired by anybody. My melodramatic nature has inspired me to do what I have been doing. Even as a person, I am very dramatic. Its really easy for me to express love, hate, and anger, says Tanvi, who is seen in the show TV Biwi

Aur Main.

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Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi on Saturday ratified an agreement that cedes sovereignty over two uninhabited Red Sea islands to Saudi Arabia, brushing off widespread public criticism of the deal.

The Red Sea islands accord has become politically-sensitive for Sisi. He counts on Saudi Arabia as a key ally, but street protests broke out over the agreement last year among Egyptians angered over the concession.

Egypts parliament last week backed the deal handing control of Tiran and Sanafir islands to Saudi Arabia, but it has also become the subject of a legal tussle between different courts over jurisdiction.

President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has ratified the maritime demarcation agreement between the Arab Republic of Egypt and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the cabinet said in a statement.

The announcement was made just as the Muslim holy month of Ramadan ends and on the eve of Eid al-Fitr festivities, a major public holiday when Egyptians are busy preparing to spend time with their families.

The presidency did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Government lawyer Rafiq Sharif told Reuters the decree was now law and the two uninhabited islands were under Saudi sovereignty.

All court decisions on the agreement were temporarily suspended this week by the head of the constitutional court, until it makes a ruling on which institution had the final say.

Parliamentary leaders and government lawyers say the House of Representatives is the only entity allowed to rule on sovereignty. But in June last year the countrys highest administrative court ruled Egypts sovereignty must stand.

Sisis government announced the maritime agreement last year with Saudi Arabia, an ally which has given billions of dollars of aid to Egypt. The Egyptian and Saudi governments said the islands are Saudi but have been subject to Egyptian protection.

Saudi Arabia had helped Sisi since he toppled President Mohamed Mursi of the Muslim Brotherhood in 2013, and legal wrangling over the Red Sea deal was a source of tensions between the two countries.

National pride

After last years administrative court ruling, Saudi Arabia temporarily halted fuel shipments to Egypt, part of its aid deal. At the time, both sides denied any political fallout was involved and relations have since improved.

The transfer has been a long time coming; Riyadh has made it clear they expect the islands and Cairo agreed, said HA Hellyer, senior non-resident fellow at American think tank Atlantic Council.

But considering the amount of opposition to the transfer, the speed at which it happened is instructive. It shows Sisis administration doesnt feel there is much of a risk to be taken.

Still, Egyptians are increasingly critical over the state of the countrys economy after years of political upheaval and a devaluation, tax rises and subsidy cuts introduced by Sisis government.

The islands issue touched a patriotic nerve, bringing thousands of protesters to the streets in April chanting people want the fall of the regime, a slogan little heard since the Arab Spring uprisings of 2011.

Those rallies were one of the first signals the former general no longer enjoyed the broad public support that let him round up thousands of opponents after he seized power.

Now that the president has ratified it, the agreement is a law, said Khaled Ali, chief lawyer defending the case for the islands being Egyptian and a former presidential candidate.

So we will continue the legal battle to show that it is unconstitutional and void.
An Indonesian police officer was stabbed and later died of his wounds in an attack by suspected Islamist militants in the city of Medan, a police spokesperson said on Sunday.

Police shot dead one suspect and one was arrested after the attack on a police post in the capital of North Sumatra province, police spokesperson Rina Sari Ginting said by telephone.

The perpetrators had scaled the fence of the police post near police headquarters and shouted Allahu Akbar (God is greatest) before stabbing the officer, said Ginting.

The attack will compound fears about rising militancy in Indonesia, which has the worlds biggest Muslim population.

Islamic State sympathisers have carried out a series of mostly low-level attacks in Indonesia over the past few years.

National police spokesperson Setyo Wasisto said authorities were investigating whether the attackers were inspired by Islamic State and acting on the instructions of Bahrun Naim, an Indonesian who went to fight for the militants in Syria.

There are fears across Southeast Asia that as Islamic State loses ground in the Middle East, it will seek footholds elsewhere.

Indonesian authorities have tightened security for this weekends Eid al-Fitr holiday marking the end of the fasting month of Ramadan.

Last month, a suicide bomb attack by Islamic State-inspired militants at a bus station in the capital, Jakarta, killing three police officers.

President Joko Widodo has urged parliament to accelerate plans to tighten anti-terrorism laws to meet new dangers, including giving police powers to detain suspects without trial for longer and to arrest people for hate speech or for spreading radical content and joining proscribed groups.

National police chief Tito Karnavian said last week about 40 suspected militants had been detained in recent weeks.
Pepped up by better results in the recent election, Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn was given a rockstar-like reception by thousands of people at the Glastonbury festival on Saturday, marking a remarkable turnaround in his stature that was until recently seen as disastrous for the party.

Corbyns own party MPs passed a no confidence vote against him, veterans such as Tony Blair believed he was unelectable, while Conservative leaders lampooned him for his choice of ties as well as his vision for Britain that sought to focus On the many, not the few.

The Corbyn speech hit headlines and went viral, while Brexit-related politics continued to dog Prime Minister Theresa May  there was speculation that she could soon be ousted to make way for chancellor Philip Hammond as the consensus prime minister.

Britains parliament was also targeted in a major cyber attack, weeks after the National Health Service grappled with a similar attack, crippling several services. Email accounts of MPs were targeted, a parliamentary spokesperson said.

We have discovered unauthorised attempts to access accounts of parliamentary networks users and are investigating this ongoing incident, working closely with the National Cyber Security Centre.

But it was Corbyns speech and the rapturous reception that was the talk of many over and beyond the Westminster village. The iconic festival in Somerset is attended by large numbers who book months in advance to enjoy five days of performing arts.

Corbyn said: Look at the wall that surrounds this festival. Theres a message for President Donald Trump. You know what it says? Build bridges, not walls...Politics is actually about everyday life. Its about all of us: what we dream, what we want, what we achieve and what we want for everybody else.

The commentariat got it wrong, the elites got it wrong. Politics is about the lives of all of us. The wonderful campaign I was a part of and led, brought people back to politics because they believed there was something on offer for them, he said, on the election results that saw Labour improve its tally of MPs and votes.

Dressed casually in an untucked light blue shirt and trousers, Corbyn ended the speech with his favourite line from P B Shelleys poem, The Masque of Anarchy. The line was evidently the inspiration of his and Labour partys election slogan.

The line is: Ye are many  they are few.

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An AirAsia flight to Malaysia was forced back to Australia on Sunday due to a technical problem, with one passenger saying the plane was shaking like a washing machine.

The Airbus A330 from Perth to Kuala Lumpur experienced problems about 90 minutes into the journey.

It landed safely, with Perth Airport reporting a technical issue.

The pilot identified technical issues, turned around and returned, an airport spokesman told AFP, adding that emergency crews were put on standby but not needed.

The Malaysian low-cost carrier said only that flight crew are taking precautionary measures to check the aircraft.

It was the second scare involving an Airbus A330 in Australia this month, with a China Eastern plane making an emergency landing in Sydney after a huge hole appeared in one of its engine casings.

Terrified passengers on that flight described a very loud noise soon after it left Sydney for Shanghai. No one was hurt.

The West Australian newspaper cited passengers on Sundays flight as saying they heard a bang and then the plane started shuddering.

You could tell by the cabin crews reaction that it was really bad, said Sophie Nicolas, who said she heard a small explosion from the left wing. It was terrifying.

Another passenger, Brenton Atkinson, told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation the whole plane started shaking, far more than standard turbulence.

It was essentially the engine seized up I think, thats what they told us anyway, he said.

It was literally like you were sitting on top of a washing machine. The whole thing was going. We could see the engine out the window which was really shaking on the wing.

Once we landed we realised one of the blades had actually come off the turbine.

The airline suffered its first fatal incident in December 2014, when AirAsia Flight QZ8501 crashed in stormy weather off Indonesia with 162 people on board.

That followed two Malaysia Airlines incidents in the same year which left hundreds dead, raising concerns among some travellers about the safety of the countrys carriers.
A Muslim woman has filed a religious discrimination complaint against her employers at a UK tribunal for allegedly ordering her to remove her black hijab because it signified terrorist affiliation.

The estate agent, who has not been named, had been working for Harvey Dean in Bury, Greater Manchester, for about a year when she said her managers took issue with her hijab.

A complaint filed at the Manchester Employment Tribunal was quoted by The Independent as saying that the woman was told that moving from a back office into public view meant that it would be in the best interest of the business for her to change the colour of her hijab, due to the supposed terrorist affiliation with the colour black.

A colleague allegedly claimed that the predominantly white and non-Muslim community around the companys office would feel intimidated and scared if they saw the claimant.

The woman, who had been wearing a black headscarf that left her face uncovered since starting at Harvey Dean, was quoted as saying that she was not prepared to change her attire for the reasons given.

She said she refused her employers orders again in a phone call and a meeting held the following day with the male manager, who had allegedly brought coloured hijabs into the office for her to change into.

Hours later, the woman said she was reprimanded for sending a text message to her father.

He then went on a tirade accusing the claimant of not working, according to the complaint filed with tribunal.

The claimant informed him that she was on her lunch break but he told her that he did not care (and) then proceeded to tell her to: Get the (expletive) out of here.

The woman left the office and, after hearing nothing further from the company, submitted a letter of resignation the following week.

She claimed that her objections to the order fell on deaf ears and left her feeling unable to remain at the company.

The former housing sales negotiator said she felt singled out as the only Muslim woman in the office and claims the company discriminated against her on the basis of both religion and gender.

The tribunal complaint argues that her treatment created an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating and offensive environment, and is seeking a written admission that she was subjected to unlawful discrimination.

The case, which will be considered at a preliminary hearing at the Manchester Employment Tribunal on July 20, could result in Harvey Dean paying aggravated damages and compensation covering loss of earnings, holiday pay and legal fees, the report said.

Zillur Rahman, an employment lawyer representing the claimant for Rahman Lowe Solicitors, believes the case is the first of its kind in the UK following a landmark ruling at the European Court of Justice in March.

Judges found that companies could legally ban employees from wearing the Islamic headscarf, but only as part of prohibitions encompassing all religious and political symbols equally.
Pakistan has done its best and maximum in the fight against terrorism and it is now time for other stakeholders especially Afghanistan to do more, army chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa has asserted days after devastating twin blasts in a market in Parachinar area of Kurram tribal district.

Bajwa, who chaired a high- level meeting in Rawalpindi on Saturday night to review the security situation, said Pakistan has sacrificed a lot in the fight against terrorism since 9/11 but unfortunately our sacrifices against terrorism are not well acknowledged.

Pakistan has done its best and maximum in the fight against terrorism. It is time now for other stakeholders, especially Afghanistan, to do more, he said.

The Pakistan army in a statement blamed the RAWs network in Afghanistan for the recent terror attacks in the country.

The COAS was briefed in detail about the recent incidents and their manifest linkages with terrorist sanctuaries in Afghanistan operating under the patronage of NDS (Afghanistans National Directorate of Security) and the RAW (Research and Analysis Wing), the army said.

He said that Pakistan will not allow its land to be used against any other country.

Meanwhile, the death toll in the devastating twin blasts that tore through a market crowded with people shopping for Eid in minority Shia-dominated Parachinar area of Pakistans Kurram tribal district rose to 67.

The blasts on the last Friday of the holy month of Ramzan targeted people shopping in the area and those heading out of the city ahead of Eid.
A bomb resembling a toy killed at least six children Sunday in Pakistans northwestern tribal area bordering Afghanistan, officials said.

The bomb exploded while the children were playing with it in Speenmark village in the South Waziristan tribal district.

Six children aged between six to 12 years, all boys, were killed by a toy bomb and two others wounded critically, a local government official told AFP on condition of anonymity.

Another local security official confirmed the incident and casualties.

The origin of the bomb was unclear.

Dozens of children, mostly in northwest Pakistan, have lost their lives in the past when playing with toys that turned out to be explosive devices.

Toy bombs were airdropped in neighbouring Afghanistan by Soviet forces during the 1980s as weapons against those who opposed their invasion.

South Waziristan is also one of the seven semi-autonomous tribal areas, where the army has for more than a decade been battling militants linked to the Taliban and Al-Qaeda.

The army launched an operation in June 2014 in neighbouring North Waziristan to wipe out militant bases in the tribal areas and end an insurgency that has cost thousands of civilian lives since 2004.

As a result security has improved. Attacks still take place but fewer than previously.
US President Donald Trump sent warm greetings to Muslims celebrating the end of Ramzan, after his administration broke with the tradition of hosting a White House event to recognise the holy month.

On behalf of the American people, Melania and I send our warm greetings to Muslims as they celebrate Eid al-Fitr, Trump said in a statement. During this holiday, we are reminded of the importance of mercy, compassion, and goodwill.

With Muslims around the world, the United States renews our commitment to honor these values.

Since the Bill Clinton administration, the White House has each year hosted either an event to mark the Eid al-Fitr feast -- which ends the fasting month of Ramzan -- or a meal breaking the dawn-til-dusk fast, known as an iftar.

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson reportedly rejected a request by his departments office of religion and global affairs to hold an event for the holiday.

Trump has come under fire for his history of anti-Muslim rhetoric on the campaign trail, that included calls for surveillance of US mosques and an outright ban on Muslims entering the country in the name of national security.

A week after becoming president, he issued a ban on travellers from several predominantly Muslim countries, which has been frozen by the US courts after sparking global chaos and outrage.

Yet during a visit to Saudi Arabia last month, Trump softened his tone on Islam, rejecting the idea of a battle between religions in an address before dozens of leaders of Muslim countries.
Turkeys president on Sunday rejected a demand by major Arab states to remove Turkish troops from Qatar, saying their sweeping list of ultimatums has threatened the small Gulf countrys sovereignty.

Speaking after Eid prayers in Istanbul, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called the demand disrespectful and said Turkey would not seek permission from others when making its defense cooperation agreements.

Demanding that Turkey pull its soldiers is unfortunately also disrespectful toward Turkey, he said.

He said Turkey would continue to support Qatar against the many sanctions it has faced since several Arab countries moved earlier this month to isolate the country for its alleged support of terrorism.

In a sign of support, the Turkish parliament swiftly ratified a 2014 agreement with Qatar earlier this month, allowing the deployment of troops to its base there. The military said a contingent of 23 soldiers reached Doha on Thursday.

Erdogan said he made a similar offer to Saudi Arabia to set up a base there in the past but did not hear back from the king.

Doha received a 13-point list from Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Bahrain that included demands to shut down the media network Al-Jazeera and cut ties with Islamist groups including the Muslim Brotherhood. The energy-rich country said it was reviewing the ultimatum but added it would not negotiate under siege.

Turkeys president said his country admires and embraces Qatars attitude, while slamming the demands by arguing they contradict international law.

Here we see an attack against a states sovereignty rights, Erdogan said.

Erdogan called the demand that Qatar shut down Al-Jazeera an attempt to take away the networks press freedom and urged rights groups to speak out against that.

Qatar has described the pressure by its larger neighbours as an illegal blockade aimed at curbing its sovereignty, and said that the ultimatum by Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Bahrain was unreasonable.

Erdogan said Turkey appreciated and endorsed Qatars response to the 13 demands, which include closing the Al Jazeera satellite television network, curbing relations with Iran and shutting a Turkish base in Qatar.

Erdogan said Turkey had offered to set up a military base in Saudi Arabia as well as Qatar, but Riyadh had not responded.

Even though they still didnt come back to us on this, asking Turkey to pull back its troops (from Qatar) is disrespectful against Turkey, he said.

Speaking outside a mosque in Istanbul after prayers marking the Muslim Eid al-Fitr holiday, Erdogan said he would continue his planned programme despite feeling briefly unwell.

I had a little condition about my blood pressure, related to my diabetes, he said.
A Texas mother has been arrested for the deaths of her two toddlers who she said were left in a hot car to teach the older child a lesson while the woman smoked marijuana and took a nap, authorities said.

Cynthia Randolph, 24, was being held on Saturday on $200,000 bail for the deaths of her 16-month-old son and 2-year-old daughter last month, Danie Huffman, a spokeswoman for the Parker County Sheriffs Office, said in an email.

Randolph had originally told investigators that she had been folding laundry and watching television in her rural home west of Fort Worth while the boy, Cavanaugh Ramirez, and his sister Juliet Ramirez played in a back porch, according to a criminal complaint.

After noticing the children were missing, Randolph told officers she found them unresponsive in a locked car and broke a window to rescue them. The temperature was close to 36 degrees Celsius and emergency personnel that Randolph had called pronounced the children dead at the scene, the court filing said.

Randolph repeatedly changed her story under questioning and told a Texas Ranger on Friday that she had found Juliet and Cavanaugh playing inside the car, the sheriffs office said in a statement.

When she told them to get out and they refused, Randolph shut the car door to teach Juliet a lesson, thinking she could get herself and her brother out of the car when ready, the statement said.

Randolph went inside the house, smoked marijuana and took a nap for two or three hours. When she awoke, she found the children unresponsive inside the car and broke the window to make it look like an accident, the statement said.

Randolph faces two first-degree felony counts of injury to a child causing serious bodily injury. Huffman and a person who answered the phone at the Parker County jail had no information about whether she had an attorney.

Thirteen children left in vehicles have died of heat stroke this year, and 713 have died since 1998, according to the NoHeatStroke.org website maintained by Jan Null, a meteorology lecturer at San Jose State University in California.
An English teacher in the UK asked over 60 teenage students to draft a suicide note for homework as part of a module on Shakespeares tragedy Macbeth, sparking outrage and prompting the school to apologise.

Pupils at Thomas Tallis school in Kidbrooke, London, were asked to pen a final note to their loved ones after reading one of the plays most celebrated scenes, when Lady Macbeth takes her own life.

However, the decision caused outrage among parents, some of whom claimed their children had been personally affected by the issue, The Telegraph reported.

Criticising Thomas Tallis for its lack of sensitivity, one mother said her daughter was told to write the note despite having lost three friends to suicide.

She was quoted as saying that her daughter had become very distressed over the issue, and had told the teacher in question that such material made her feel uncomfortable.

My daughter had had personal experience with people her age committing suicide, the mother said.

On what universe was it ever, under any situation, a good idea to ask a group of teenagers to write suicide notes? she said.

Other parents branded the decision absolutely disgusting and insensitive, with one claiming that the assignment had been ill-conceived given the age of the students involved.

I cant imagine why a place of education would do something so insensitive, especially as childhood and teenage depression and anxiety is at an all time high at the moment, another parent said.

Headmistress Caroyln Roberts said, A parent contacted us with concerns about a written exercise given to a class during studies of a play by Shakespeare.

We appreciate that the exercise was upsetting to the family and have discussed the subject matter and approach with teaching staff, Roberts said.

I met with the parent last week and apologised wholeheartedly on behalf of the school and reassured them about the actions that have been taken. The parent accepted the apology in a meeting that was friendly and cordial, she said.
North Korea is said to be interested to stop its nuclear and missile testing only in the United States will agree to the demands the country will be offering. It has been reported that the said county prepared a list of demands which it will be presenting to the U.S. in exchange for an end to its missile testing.

According to the North Korean Ambassador to India Kye Chun Yong, his country is interested in halting the missile testing it is currently undergoing if only their demands will be fulfilled. He then added that if their demands are met, the country is willing to negotiate when it comes to the moratorium on its weapon testing.

Furthermore, New York Times reported that North Korea was not actually looking for another nuclear war in the Korean peninsula. Instead, the North Korean government is urging the United States to fulfill its demands in order to achieve a peaceful resolution.

One of the demands which North Korea I offering the United States will be to stop the South Korean and the U.S. joint military drills. According to North Korea, the military drill was an initial phase of invading the country even if the U.S. said before that the drills were part of the defensive preparations.

However, even if North Korea will set these conditions before the government of the United States, chances are the U.S. will no longer give in to such demands. North Korea has been known to claim to halt its nuclear testing programs for good in the previous years but the country ended going back on it again.

It can be recalled that in the year 2012, President Barack Obama agreed to a deal offered by Kim in order to stop its nuclear testing. The said deal involved putting an end to North Korea's missile testing in exchange for food support from Washington. But after some months, the country was back again on its rocket launching.

But Reports were claiming that perhaps this time, Donald Trump administration might give in to North Korea's demands and will open a negotiation with the North Korea government. Since the U.S. government is already facing pressure to stop the country from conducting further missile testing, there is a possibility that President Donald Trump will be open to this.

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Amidst the battles between the Philippines troops and Islamists gunmen, the "trilateral coordinated maritime patrol" was launched. Notably, the Islamic State group has occupied the Marawi City in the southern Philippine island.

According to Channel News Asia, the Philippine military has stated that few of the Islamist militants have pledged loyalty to Islamic State. Along with them, some foreign fighters have also mingled with evacuees in order to flee during the battle for the Marawi City that has been going on for four long weeks.

Gatot Nurmantyo, the Indonesian militant chief, has said that there are approximately 500-600 terrorists in the region, out of which 257 have already been killed, ABS-CBN reported. The rest of terrorists are trying their best to mingle with the refugees to flee the area. The tragic situation of Philippine has also drawn the concern of the neighboring countries such as Indonesia and Malaysia.

Moreover, Colonel Didik Krisyanto, the head of Tarakan air base, has said that three Sukhoi fighters have been deployed by Indonesia to help the security and prevent the militants from fleeing towards Indonesia. Along with it, the country has also inaugurated a maritime command center in Tarakan.

The maritime command centers will coordinate with the patrols and the information gathered in the patrols will be shared through the setups present in Tawau in Malaysia and Bongao in Philippine. Military Chief Nurmantyo has said that the command centers will function like a spider web and all the happenings within the triangle will be watched with close surveillance.

The local people of Indonesia have also been asked to report any suspicious people in the area to the Indonesian Naval Authorities. To prevent the militants from crossing the border, a police mobile brigade has been sent to northern Sulawesi. Notably, this trilateral naval patrols is the first strong sign of cooperation against terror groups present in the region.

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Maj. Gen. Mark Wise, the commanding general of 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing took the decision of suspending flight operations. The reason behind such a step was the discovery of certain anomalies in the Autonomic Logistics Information System software upgrade.

According to reports from CNN, Maj. Kurt Stahl, the Marine Corps spokesman has said that the deferral of the operation of the F-35 is temporary as the air station officials just want to make sure that the Autonomic Logistics Information System on board is functional. However, no information has been revealed about the suspension period. Hence, it is still not clear when the suspension will be lifted.

The Air Force grounded several F-35 flights at Luke Air Force Base in Arizona due to insecurity about oxygen supplies. The initial suspension was to last only a couple of days but now the days have been extended because of the health status of five pilots who experienced symptoms similar to hypoxia. The pilots used backup oxygen in order to land the planes safely on the ground.

It was later announced by the Air Force that the suspension will end on Wednesday. However, no information was revealed about the reasons behind dizziness, disorientation and tingling sensation that the pilots experienced during the flights. The investigators have narrowed down the possibilities but still no concrete statement has been given in this regard. As a precautionary measure, the amount of backup oxygen available in the flights has been increased.

The Air Force has introduced new sensors for experimenting in order to find the cause of the problem in the aircraft. Along with Air Force, reports from the Navy also suggests that similar situations as pilots had to struggle with hypoxia. Moreover, Bill Moran, Vice Chief of Naval Operations Adm. told reporters that there has been an increasing trend in the cases of hypoxia and the cause of it is still not clear.

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Four Arab states have made a list of 13 demands which need to be complied by Doha. The main objective of these demands is to dismantle the interventionist foreign policy of Doha. Kuwait is trying to be a mediator in the whole dispute.

Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates have formulated various demands, which include closing down of Al Jazeera television, cutting back ties with Iran, closing down a Turkish base and payment of reparations. Along with it, there are nine more demands.

According to a report by Reuters, a Qatari government spokesman has said that Doha is going through the list of demands and after the completion of the reviewing work, a formal reply would be made by the foreign minister which will be delivered to Kuwait. The spokesman also added that the demands made were unreasonable and non-actionable. Further views were expressed by a semi-government human rights body of Qatar who said that the demands clearly violated the human right conventions and this reason was enough for the refusal of the acceptance of the demands.

Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani, Foreign Minister of Qatar said in a statement that until the economic, diplomatic and travel ties cut is restored in this month, it will not negotiate on any matter with the four states. The four states that have decided to boycott Qatar, has accused it of funding terrorism, increasing regional unrest and maintaining close ties with their enemy state, Iran. However, Qatar has rejected all the accusations and has played the victory card by saying that it has been punished for wandering away from its neighbor's support for authoritarian hereditary and military rules.

Moreover, a regional analyst has remarked that the demands have a little prospect of ending this diplomatic crisis. Agreeing to this, Olivier Jakob, Switzerland-based oil consultancy Petromatrix strategist has said the aggressive demands will make it impossible for the conflict to end.

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Wall Street appears to have lost its taste for the resurgent U.S. shale industry as oil prices tumble and energy share prices fall.

Oil companies have only raised $3 million this month through selling new shares to investors, a dramatic drop in the public equity offerings that have helped fuel the return of drilling rigs across the nation this year.

It's a stark shift in investor sentiment after last month, when producers like Kosmos Energy and RSP Permian collected a combined $1 billion from stock-market investors. That was before U.S. oil prices took a month-long tumble of around 20 percent to $43.15 a barrel on Friday.

Some investor groups have said "they had little-to-no interest in providing a second lifeline to the industry," Houston investment bank Tudor, Pickering, Holt & Co. said in a note to clients on Friday.

"It's like you're having a party, and it's awesome, and then the parents come home, and the party's done," said David Pursell, head of macro research at Tudor Pickering. "There's no appetite to fund further growth. Oil prices went from the mid-$50s to the low $40s. It's a big change and it happened quickly."

Related: The one man who could stop oil market's plunge

The once-vibrant public equity markets had poured $8 billion into U.S. shale drillers in the three months after OPEC announced it would cut oil production, and the number of active U.S. drilling rigs boring has more than doubled since last summer.

But the in wake of the recent slump in oil prices, the oil companies that raised billions of dollars this year have seen their shares drop by 22 percent this year. If investors keep pulling back, the surge in drilling could slow sharply, Pursell said. And why wouldn't they? Other industries are performing much better than energy.

"The Dow's at record levels and energy isn't working," Pursell said. "It's just maximum indifference. You have to get the oil price up for investors to care."

In the note, Tudor Pickering analysts said some oil companies "will need to change course on capital plans sooner rather than later if crude continues to drift lower."

Related: Falling oil prices could drag on Houston's economy, again
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A woman was killed in a three-car crash that snarled Sunday morning traffic on Interstate 10.

Just before 3 a.m., the 19-year-old woman behind the wheel of a white Pontiac lost control of her car and spun into a red Chevy Silverado before crashing into a white Nissan Maxima, Houston police said.

The Silverado driver escaped the wreck uninjured, while the driver and passenger in the Maxima were taken to a local hospital. The Maxima driver showed signs of intoxication and a DUI charge is pending.

The teenage driver of the Pontiac died at the scene.

The wreck shut down outbound traffic for hours and forced police to divert drivers to the feeder road.

Authorities did not immediately offer any other details on what sparked the collision.
A lawsuit filed Friday against the owners and managers of a northeast Houston apartment complex where a March shooting took place alleges that the residential community did not have adequate security, according to court documents.

The latest legal action follows a shooting on March 26 at the complex, Haverstock Hills, that left two dead and four, including a former America's Next Top Model contestant, injured.

Four family members and three people injured in the gunfire are suing the owners of Haverstock Hills, Equality Community Housing, and the company that manages the property, J. Allen Management Company, for gross negligence, according to court documents.

They are asking for more than $1,000,000 in damages, said the lead attorney on the case, Benny Agosto, Jr., partner at the law firm Abraham Watkins. The two companies declined to respond to requests for comment.

The lawsuit accuses both companies of putting residents at the complex at 5619 Aldine Bender Road at risk for injury.

Neither company adequately secured the complex, despite a history of gang violence in the area and on the premises, according to the lawsuit. Both companies also failed to respond to the 30-minute dispute at the complex before it escalated into a fatal shooting, the lawsuit alleges.

The suit was filed on behalf of the mothers of the two men who died in the gunfire at Haverstock Hills, 33-year-old Christopher Beatty and 31-year-old Wayne Rusher; the two mothers of Wayne Rusher's four children; and three of the four people who were injured during the shooting, 47-year-old Arthur Larkin, 28-year-old Isaiah Rusher and 32-year-old Brandy Rusher, the former Top Model contestant.

It comes days after the accused gunman, 35-year-old Harvey Jones, was arrested in Jacksonville, Fla.

Jones was charged with capital murder in March. Jones' brother who was at the complex with him that day, 34-year-old Harvey Jones, was charged with aggravated assault in March. He turned himself in to authorities shortly after.

Haverstock Hills has had a reputation for decades as a crime-ridden apartment complex. In 2010, it was the site of the first gang injunction in Harris County. The injunction banned known members of the Bloods and the Crips street gangs from the premises and surrounding businesses and schools.

The 2010 injunction was expanded in 2014.

The lawsuit points toward the complex's open gates, unmanned security station and lack of working security cameras as evidence of negligence on behalf of the owners and management companies.

Since the March 26 shooting, the companies have demolished the unmanned security station to make way for a secure gate.

The sole person injured in the shooting who is not included in the suit is 16-year-old Ty'bra Baptiste. Agosto said he was unsure if she planned to file a separate suit.
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PETALUMA, Calif. - Martha is big, ugly, lazy and gassy. And a world champion.

In a competition annually dominated by the old, the tiny, and the hairless, the 3-year-old, 125-pound Neapolitan Mastiff used her lollygagging youth to win the 29th annual World's Ugliest Dog Contest.

She was a favorite of the Northern California crowd from the start, often plopping down on her side on stage with her droopy face spread across the ground when she was supposed to be showing off. The judges didn't even need to hear her signature snore to give her the award.

"Do you know you just won the World's Ugliest Dog Contest?" said Kerry Sanders of NBC News, one of three judges who gave Martha the crown.

Her handler Shirley Zindler answered for her: "I'd gloat, but I need a nap."

Martha lumbered away with $1,500, a flashy trophy and a trip to New York for media appearances.

The dog, from nearby Sebastopol, was rescued by the Dogwood Animal Rescue Project in Sonoma County when she was nearly blind from neglect. After several surgeries, she can see again, Zindler said.

The only animal in this year's contest too big to be held by her handler, Martha beat out 13 other dogs, most of them the kind of older, smaller dogs who often win here. The contestants were judged on first impressions, unusual attributes, personality and audience reaction.

Many of the contestants were adopted.

These dogs - some with acne, others with tongues permanently sticking out - are used to getting called ugly. But for their owners, it was love at first sight.

"He's my sexy boy," Vicky Adler, of Davis, Calif., said of her 8-year-old Chinese Crested named Zoomer.
On Nov. 21, 2012, Sheila Bartels walked out of the Sunshine Medical Center in Oklahoma with a prescription for a "horrifyingly excessive" cocktail of drugs capable of killing her several times over.

A short time later, she was at a pharmacy, receiving what drug addicts call "the holy trinity" of prescription drugs: the powerful painkiller Hydrocodone, the anti-anxiety medication Xanax and a muscle relaxant known as Soma.

In total, pharmacists handed her 510 pills that day - all legal, because she had a prescription with the signature of her doctor, Regan Ganoung Nichols, scrawled at the bottom, according to a probable cause affidavit.

Bartels' lifeless body was found later that day,court documents say. A medical examiner concluded that she died of multiple drug toxicity, another victim of the America's opioid epidemic.

But investigators say the 55-year-old Bartels was also a victim of Nichols, a pain management doctor who investigators concluded "either didn't know or didn't care what she was doing."

Nichols is charged with second-degree murder in the death of Bartels and four other patients, some of whom died just days after receiving large prescriptions from the doctor. She was arrested Friday and released from Oklahoma County Jail on $50,000 bail.

She couldn't be reached for comment on Saturday. A number listed for Sunshine Medical Center was disconnected. Jail officials didn't know whether she had hired an attorney.

The doctor's arrest is part of a new and growing offensive in America's battle against the abusive use of opioids, which kill an average of 91 people a day, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Law enforcement agents aren't just going after drug dealers and Mexican cartels - they're also targeting pharmaceutical companies and doctors, who they say are irresponsibly flooding the nation with potent painkillers, and holding them responsible for overdose deaths.

"Nichols prescribed patients, who entrusted their well-being to her, a horrifyingly excessive amount of opioid medications," Oklahoma Attorney General Mike Hunter told the Associated Press on Friday as his office announced the doctor's arrest. "Nichols' blatant disregard for the lives of her patients is unconscionable."

Opioids killed more than 33,000 Americans in 2015, according to the CDC. Since 1991, the number of opioid overdose deaths has quadrupled. In 2014, according to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, 1.3 million Americans were hospitalized for opioid-related issues.

And prescription opioids are a primary driver, and prosecutors increasingly have gone to the source to stop abuse. InFebruary 2016, another doctor, Hsiu-Ying "Lisa" Tseng, was sentenced to 30 years to life in prison after three of her patients fatally overdosed, according to the Los Angeles Times.

Prosecutors said Tseng made millions from overprescribing opioids to drug-addicted patients.

And lawyers for the Cherokee Nation in Oklahoma have sued the nation's top six drug distributors, according to The Washington Post's Scott Higham and Lenny Bernstein. The suit says the pharmaceutical companies are profiting from the epidemic and "decimating communities across the nation's 14 counties in the state."

Last month, seven counties in West Virginia, a state that has the highest prescription drug overdose rate in the nation, filed suits against many of the same corporations, according to Higham and Bernstein.

A lawsuit by the state of Missouri against pharmaceutical giants strikes a similar tone.

Missouri Attorney General Josh Hawley said the companies have used bogus science to mislead patients about just how addictive opioids are, according to The Washington Post's Katie Mettler. As a result, the companies have "profited from the suffering of Missourians."

The lawsuits have different aims, although attorneys in the Missouri case say they want state legislatures to more closely monitor prescription drug use.

Oklahoma's attorney general has been trying to paint Nichols in the same light.

Nichols prescribed more than 3 million doses of controlled dangerous drugs from 2010 through 2014, according to court documents, including "irrational" and dangerous combinations of drugs that led to five deaths.

On March 24, 2010, for example, Debra Messner received a prescription for 450 pills - the same cocktail of Hydrocodone, Xanax and Soma and died six days later of acute drug toxicity, according to court documents. A doctor contracted by the Drug Enforcement Administration to review her case file found that there was "no need for the quantity or combination" of those drugs.

Lynette Nelson was evaluated by Nichols once, a few days before Christmas in 2008. Still, over the next four years, Nelson was prescribed so many potent drugs from Nichols's clinic that investigators were baffled that she didn't die sooner.

She was found dead on March 1, 2012, five days after getting her final prescription of Xanax filled.

In the probable cause affidavit, the doctor contracted by the DEA to examine the dead patients' files concluded that because of Nichols's "lack of the use of the basic fundamental safeguards, patients suffer and very well may end up paying the ultimate price as all ten of these patients did."
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A former America's Next Top Model contestant was likely the first person the gunman targeted.

He fired an AR-15 on a Sunday evening in March inside the Haverstock Hills apartment complex in northeast Harris County. He aimed at the former contestant, 32-year-old Brandy Rusher. Her brother tried to protect her. The bullet headed for Rusher pierced his hand instead.

A second round of gunfire hit Rusher, in the pelvis and back, according to police. She lay on the ground, playing dead, as the shooter opened fire at her family, her friends and residents of Haverstock Hills.

Brutal shootings were supposed to be a thing of the past at the troubled apartments. Haverstock Hills was supposed to be rid of crime thanks to two gang injunctions - civil suits that banned nearly 100 suspected gang members from the complex and surrounding area - and a host of social service programs. The first injunction in 2010 was the first of its kind in Harris County.

Data compiled by the Harris County Sheriff's Office and obtained by the Houston Chronicle indicates the complex is somewhat safer than it was seven years ago. Calls to the sheriff's office for burglaries, robberies and disturbances involving weapons have dropped. Yet, after an initial dip, calls for assaults started to rise after 2014, the year the second injunction went into effect.

And it's not clear how much of a role the gang injunctions had on what crime was curtailed. Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg, who drafted the 2010 injunction as an attorney for then-DA Pat Lykos' office, said she is doubtful enforcement today is where it needs to be to protect residents.

"(Efforts) just withered," said Ogg, who was elected in November. "I don't know (whether) the individuals that were identified in the former permanent injunctions have anything to do with the current level of violence. It just needs to be examined. And we haven't have time to do that yet."

Residents, it appears, agree. Some said Haverstock Hills wasn't as rough as its reputation. But those milling around the property in the days following the shooting that left two dead and four injured said they didn't feel the effects of off-duty deputies patrolling the grounds or the zero-tolerance gang policy.

They felt unsafe. They wanted out. Some wanted the apartments razed.

"I hate that I came back," said 23-year-old Richnique Brooks, who had previously lived at the complex, left and returned. A month after the gunfire, Brooks, her mother and her two young sons were living out of boxes. They started packing immediately after the shooting.

A tough reputation

The sprawling 700-unit Haverstock Hills off Aldine Bender Road has had a tough reputation for years.

The first phase was built in the 1970s, when large-scale, low-income housing was more typical than it is now. Rent at Haverstock Hills is subsidized on a sliding scale based on income by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

By the 1980s, rival street gangs the Bloods and the Crips started colluding inside the complex's gates. The apartments became a hub for crack cocaine, shootings, robberies and prostitution.

Longtime residents can point to corners of the grounds where they heard gunfire or saw a fight. From the stoop of an apartment, one resident, who for safety reasons asked to be identified by her middle name, Renee, gestured across the road to an alley near the gated entrance to the community. A few years ago, she said, she heard gunshots. She found a man lying in that alley and sat with him as he died.

In 2002, an organization specializing in affordable housing, Equality Community Housing, bought the property, which was in foreclosure. Intent on turning the complex around, the nonprofit, based in Arizona, brought in new social services. In 2010, it built a 4,400-square-foot community center that offers free classes and computers for the complex's 2,400 residents and an after-school program for children.

"We knew stepping in that we had a job in front of us to prevent crime," said Flynann Janisse, president and executive director of Equality Community Housing. "We were also aware that it was going to be a long-term focus for us to get that turned around."

Violence tied to visitors

After early attempts proved fruitless - more than 3,000 calls for service at Haverstock Hills were reported in 2009 alone - the coalition of the property's managers, owners and law enforcement officials tried a new tactic: a gang injunction.

A similar, though more expansive, proposed injunction in the Houston neighborhood of Southlawn was struck down last year after objections by activists and criminal defense lawyers.

The 2010 injunction banned 47 suspected gang members from entering a 57-acre safety zone that included Haverstock Hills, a neighboring Aldine ISD elementary school and a nearby strip mall.

A second injunction approved in 2014 identified another 47 people as gang members and banned them from Haverstock Hills and a larger surrounding safety zone. The zone encompassed 217 acres and included additional apartment complexes and two more schools.

If the suspected members forbidden from the safety zone stepped foot in Haverstock Hills, they faced a Class A misdemeanor and up to one year in jail.

The reasoning behind the injunctions at Haverstock Hills was most of the crime at the complex stemmed from visitors. Visitors - many of them suspected gang members - would commit strings of minor crimes on the premises that later erupted into violence.

"It was the hanging around that was leading to the violence," Ogg said. "It was the loitering. It was the activity that preceded the violence that we sought to stop."

Ogg said the 2010 gang injunction - she was not involved in the 2014 one - coupled with social service efforts made the complex safer, at least in the short term.

By December 2011, five of the suspected gang members banned from the premises had been arrested on-site. Ogg said at the time that prosecutors did not offer plea bargains so violators would serve almost a yearlong sentence.

"You want to send a message: Gangs are not wanted here," said assistant county attorney Celena Vinson, who helped implement the 2014 gang injunction. "The point is to take back power to these neighborhoods."

Calls to the sheriff's office for crimes - including burglaries, robberies and assaults - dropped. Calls for assaults fell from 93 during 2011, the year the first injunction was fully implemented, to 75 in 2014.

Burglaries dropped from 62 in 2011 to 54 in 2014.

"We made a good start," Ogg said.

But while burglaries continued to fall in the years following the second injunction - reaching a low of 41 in 2016 - efforts don't appear to have panned out long-term in other ways.

Assaults started to creep up after 2014. Within two years, they were back to 92, just one less than in 2011.

All of the security at Haverstock Hills comes from off-duty deputies with the Harris County Sheriff's Office, who are paid by the complex. The number of deputies working at the apartments dropped, as assaults started to creep up. Between January and May 2010, 33 deputies were approved to work there. By 2017, it was only 20 in the first five months of the year.

The number of deputies patrolling the apartment complex does not reflect the amount of time deputies are on the premises nor Equality Community Housing's commitment to security, Janisse said.

There was no one on duty during the March shooting, which happened within eyesight of the empty deputies' office.

More security sought

Yet, Haverstock Hills is still typically 98 to 99 percent occupied. Houston needs the affordable housing, Janisse said.

Residents noticed the shift and liked having the law enforcement around. Renee, for one, wished they were there more often.

Deputies haven't stopped trying to keep unwelcome visitors off the premises. Towings of unauthorized cars at Haverstock Hills skyrocketed in the years following 2010. And in the month following the March shooting, deputies arrested and charged with criminal trespassing at least nine people who were not tenants and came uninvited onto the property or were staying in residents' apartments in violation of their leases. At least four of them had been booted at least once before. One had been kicked off seven times.

None of them, though, was named in either of the gang injunctions provided to the Chronicle by the district attorney and county attorney's offices.

Neither was Kenneth Jones, 35, the man accused of shooting Rusher and the other residents and guests in March. Nor his brother, Harvey Jones, 34, who invited the elder Jones onto the premises that day.

The brothers were not on a lease at Haverstock Hills, but the younger Jones was around so often visiting his girlfriend that other residents knew his name.

Gang injunctions have to be updated periodically, Ogg said. New members move in and replace those who have been banned from the safety zone.

The recent shooting has not yet prompted the DA's office to pursue a third injunction, but she would not rule out adding another, if it could be effective, Ogg said.

Ogg herself came out against the Southlawn injunction, arguing it was too broad and lacked community support.

Once a handful of criminal defense attorneys learned of the implementation of gang injunctions through the Southlawn case, the attorneys vowed to fight any future attempts by Harris County.

"We really felt like it was a blatant violation of people's constitutional rights," said Jennifer Gaut, an attorney who represented people named in the Southlawn injunction, which banned 92 suspected gang members from just over 2 square miles.

In Southlawn, representatives from the county attorney, district attorney and mayor's offices and the criminal defense attorneys meet regularly to find other strategies to improve safety in the neighborhood, Gaut said.

Back at Haverstock Hills, Equality Community Housing, the management firm, J. Allen Management Company, and county officials meet regularly as well.

Equality Community Housing started implementing changes - installing more lighting, securing the front gate of the property, which was previously left open.

Leaving isn't easy

For most people injured in the March shooting, it's too little, too late. Four family members and three people who were injured are suing Equality Community Housing and J. Allen Management for gross negligence. They're seeking more than $1 million in damages, alleging the owner and management companies' lax security put residents and visitors at risk for injury, said Benny Agosto Jr., a partner at the law firm Abraham Watkins and lead attorney on the case.

The lawsuit was filed May 12.

About a week after the shooting, Arthur Larkin, 47, one of the residents who was injured, returned to Haverstock Hills, his arm bandaged from one of the bullets police believe the elder Jones fired into the crowd.

Larkin walked through the complex with his toddler granddaughter - he is there most days watching her.

"Lee Lee!" A passerby called out, referring to Larkin by his nickname. "How are you doing?"

"I'm just fine," He responded.

Larkin's half-brother, Christopher Beatty, 33, and Rusher's brother, Gary Wayne Rusher, 31, were both killed in the gunfire.

Beatty's father sat outside of his apartment, smoking a cigarette. One of Beatty's other brothers wore a T-shirt with Beatty and Wayne Rusher's pictures on them.

Around him, residents talked about leaving. But few at Haverstock Hills have other options.

Said one resident: "If it were that easy for me to get up and leave, I wouldn't be here."
President Donald Trump on Saturday called out Obama administration officials for not taking stronger actions against Russian meddling in the 2016 U.S. election, contradicting his past statements and suggesting without proof that they were trying to help Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton.

His tweets came after The Post revealed Friday that the Obama White House had received reports as early as August 2016 regarding Russian President Vladimir Putin's direct involvement in the cyber campaign with instructions to defeat or damage Clinton and help to elect Trump, according to "sourcing deep inside the Russian government."

The Obama administration would not publicly say Russia was attempting to interfere with the election until Oct. 7, and the news of Putin's attempts to aid Trump would not surface until after the election.

Trump has long disputed that the Russians interfered with the election, calling it "all a big Dem HOAX" just this week.

But on Friday evening, after the publication of The Post's article, Trump demanded to know why Obama hadn't done more to stop the meddling.

His first tweet read: Just out: The Obama Administration knew far in advance of November 8th about election meddling by Russia. Did nothing about it. WHY?

He followed up with more tweets on Saturday, attempting to put the focus on Obama's inaction.

One read: Since the Obama Administration was told way before the 2016 Election that the Russians were meddling, why no action? Focus on them, not T!

The Post's article explains in detail why Obama, who reportedly was gravely concerned by an August CIA report about the hacking, managed to approve only "largely symbolic" sanctions before he left office.

Those reasons included partisan squabbling among members of Congress, initial skepticism by other intelligence agencies about the CIA's findings, and an assumption that Clinton would win the election and follow up.

"We made the judgment that we had ample time after the election, regardless of outcome, for punitive measures," a senior administration official said in the article.

Trump, however, raised his own theories, tweeting: Obama Administration official said they "choked" when it came to acting on Russian meddling of election. They didn't want to hurt Hillary?

He provided no explanation or evidence for why this would have helped Clinton.

The Post article recounts how Obama learned about the Russian intrusions and the administration's attempts to find support to make the information public.

According to the article, less than a month after 20,000 stolen Democratic Party emails were leaked to the public, a CIA memo warned Obama that the hack had been ordered by Putin in an attempt to "defeat or at least damage the Democratic nominee."

Interviews with administration officials revealed that Obama directly confronted Putin over the allegations during a meeting of world leaders in China. He also ordered his deputies to safeguard the election and seek bipartisan support from congressional leaders to condemn Russia's actions.

"The administration encountered obstacles at every turn," write Greg Miller, Ellen Nakashima and Adam Entous.

Complacency may have also undercut the administration's efforts to punish Russia. Like many polls suggested, it believed Clinton would win despite the hacks.

By his final weeks, aside from warnings and rhetoric, Obama had approved only narrow sanctions and a plan to plant "cyberweapons in Russia's infrastructure" - if the next president so chose.

As one senior Obama official told The Post, "I feel like we sort of choked," which Trump would quote in his tweet.

As he has with other newsmaking events, Trump used the article to argue that a months-long focus by the media, Congress and federal investigators on his campaign's alleged ties to Russia has been misdirected.

"Focus on them, not T!" he tweeted Saturday afternoon.

For some Democratic lawmakers, meanwhile, the bombshell report affirmed what they said they had long suspected.

"Nothing like the extensive hacking effort and manipulation effort could occur without involvement," Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., told CNN. "Now we actually know: Yes, Putin directed it. . . . He had a specific goal to defeat Hillary Clinton."

Some Republicans expressed concern about another country threatening democracy in the United States.

Rep. Adam Kinginger tweeted: #Russia is a problem & they attacked our democracy. This is about defending the integrity of our government & our election system.

"The reality is, in two or four years, it will serve Vladimir Putin's interest to take down the Republican Party," Rep. Adam Kinzinger, R-Ill., told CNN. "If we weren't upset about it, we have no right to complain in the future."
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Tens of thousands of rainbow-bedecked revelers descended on downtown Houston for PrideHouston 2017, the annual festival and parade celebrating the LGBT community.

Mayor Sylvester Turner led the parade wearing a blinking bead necklace as a varied crowd cheered loudly along the parade route. "Tonight shows the diversity of our city," Turner said minutes before the parade began. "Tonight we show that not only are we diverse, we are also inclusive."

Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo led most of the department's command staff along with a police SUV specially decked out with rainbow decals.

"We have members of our extended HPD family, members of our team" who are LGBT, he said. "This is our community, and we have to serve all sections of our community."

Earlier in the day, the seven-hour festival by City Hall had a tailgate atmosphere that included stages with DJs and live music, voter registration, shaved ice, AIDS prevention groups, churches, a lingerie shop and plentiful food trucks and drink tents.

Attendees come from across the Houston region and beyond, young and old, of all ethnicities and races in an broad representation of Houston's vaunted diversity.

Listening to a speaker on transgender issues, Fred Josephson, 67, said he remembered when Houston's pride celebration was just two drag queens and a bartender getting together in Montrose. Things have changed since he came out in 1967.

"The voices have been heard," he said, standing with a friend who only came out 12 years ago and came to Pride with his supportive daughter.

Today, Josephson said, transgender people suffer the most and need support from the wider LGBT community, which he said was narrowly focused on gay and lesbian issues until recently.

Camera Linton, 11, was leaving the festival about 3 p.m. with her mom, stepdad and two little sisters.

"People should be able to love who they love," she said as her little sisters ran around a park, all three faces painted with rainbow butterflies. Camera said she's passionate about LGBT rights because her aunts were not able to marry until just a few years ago.

Arianna Perez, 20, said she came from Cypress for her first-ever Pride after coming out four years ago. She said she was surprised how much the event impacted her, making her feel accepted by a wide swath of society.

"It changed me a little bit," she said.

Perez added that she was surprised to see a few churches with welcoming booths. Her family fell away from the Catholic Church after she came out.

She spoke with members of Bering United Methodist Church, whose Montrose congregation was the first Methodist "reconciling" church in the 1980s.

Mark Albright, 60, is the Bering historian and remembers going to Pride parades decades ago. He said he reaches out to people rejected or unwelcome in more conservative churches with traditional interpretations of scripture, with which he disagrees.

"Allow God to be God," he said. "Your job is not to judge. Your job is to love."

The event had a few anti-gay protesters on the sidelines.

Westboro Baptist Church, the Kansas-based congregation known for picketing soldiers' funerals, made an appearance for an hour, said HPD Capt. Kristine Anthony, a commander whose division manages special-events security. A group called Bulldog Ministries occupied a spot negotiated with HPD and held signs such as "Homo Sex Is Sin" and "Repent or Perish."

A couple of men gathered a crowd that blocked an entrance about 7 p.m. as they preached against homosexuality. Anthony hustled over as the crowd gawked at the men, one of whom held a Bible in his hands. She talked with them until they agreed to leave that disruptive spot.

A couple in their 40s who have attended Houston's Pride celebrations since 1999 laughed as they said the parade has gotten a little more tame over the decades. The crowds are certainly bigger and more rambunctious, they said, but the marchers are more mainstream.

"Pride means the world to us," said one member of the couple, Patricia Capito, 47. "Pride means that we can celebrate together our love."

The couple have been together 18 years, married in California in 2007 and finally got legally married in their home state of Texas this year. They said one of their sons is transgender, adding another reason to keep showing up to LGBT events. And they note that more and more letters have joined that acronym.

One young couple said Pride was not just a chance to express their identity but also to remember recent advances for LGBT rights and honor the older trailblazers.

Jorge Ibarra, 19, was walking hand-in-hand with his fiance, Stefan Rios, and wearing matching blue-and-green tie-dye.

"We grew up in an era when ... it became more open. People are a lot more comfortable," Ibarra said. However, he said his own parents do not accept his sexual orientation or his fiance.

"It's something that we need to fight for," he added. "We didn't get here by luck."
One morning before work a couple of weeks ago, Adam Brown stood in his closet picking out a tie and checking his email. He saw a message from a state appellate court.

After 15 years as a Houston defense attorney who handles hard-to-prove appeals, he didn't get his hopes up.

Then he saw something he'd never seen before.

"I literally ran down the stairs and grabbed my wife and said, 'You're not going to freaking believe this. I got a dissent!' " Brown said. "Of course, my sweet wife, she patted me on the head like 'that's nice honey.' "

Brown hadn't won. The majority of a three-judge panel in the Court of Appeals for the First District of Texas had affirmed a lower court ruling sending his client to prison for 10 years. But one justice, Terry Jennings, had written an eloquent dissenting opinion.

Normally, that sort of development doesn't make the local newspaper.

But Jennings' dissent is relevant not just because it's rare. The jurist, elected in 2000, looked at the broader picture.

He saw a young woman whose experiences growing up in foster care appeared to have left her without the skills and support to make it in this world. He saw a court system that didn't take those experiences into account. He saw injustice. And he said so.

It's an opinion that should make all of us think. Lawmakers made a decent effort last session to reform foster care in Texas. Yet the ramifications of a long-broken system, which has been found unconstitutional, play out every day.

Brown's client, Nadia Williams, was charged in 2014 with felony assault of a public servant for striking a security guard with her hand. She pleaded guilty, and the trial court placed her on community supervision for three years.

But prosecutors eventually moved to revoke the agreement, alleging numerous violations by Williams, including failing to report to her community supervision officer, to pay fines and to attend an anger management class, according to court records. The records also indicate Williams tested positive at least once for marijuana.

The trial court found some of the allegations true. Williams was sentenced to 10 years in prison, the maximum allowed by law.

At issue in her appeal is whether an earlier attorney failed to present "critical" evidence to the judge considering her punishment. Namely, a letter Williams had sent to the court detailing her struggles.

In the letter, she described raising her two children as a single mother, her battle with depression after being diagnosed with breast cancer, and most importantly, the fact that she had been raised in foster care and therefore had virtually no support system.

She pleaded for an opportunity to be better than her mother and for a chance at life with her kids. The state, in its brief, did not dispute the assertions in the letter.

Finds 'support system'

At a hearing, Williams testified as her only witness. She explained that she had struggled to report to her supervision officer because of her health problems and those of her daughter, who had undergone surgery. The only evidence presented as to why she shouldn't go to prison was that she had a newfound "support system," a godmother who had begun to help her with the children, so she could go to work.

The letter. The foster care. They never came up.

In his opinion, Jennings argued those facts could have changed the outcome for Williams, who had no previous criminal convictions.

"Sadly, in seeking 'the higher end' of the punishment range in this case, the State not only made it virtually impossible for appellant to ever overcome her disadvantages related to growing up in Texas' foster care system, but it has also essentially condemned her two children to the same awful fate," Jennings wrote.

Jennings cited numerous newspaper and law review articles to describe the "extraordinary social and psychological problems" that children suffer from having been placed in a foster care system where they often come out worse off than they went in.

He quoted research showing that youths who "age out" of foster care, meaning they were never adopted, are more likely than peers to suffer homelessness, poverty and unemployment, to be involved in criminal activity or be unemployed.

In this context, it appears Williams was doing reasonably well. In a letter she wrote to the lower court judge in August, she said she was "really good at doing hair" and had operated a shop for four months. In jail, she said, she'd been reading and trying to focus on making something of herself.

She begged for a reduction of her 10-year sentence. "I am not a bad person," she wrote. "I am asking you to be reasonable with me and don't take me from my kids."

'A powerful message'

Williams' fate now is grim, but not final. She and Brown haven't yet discussed another appeal. Regardless, he said, Jennings' opinion took courage, time and research. It shows he paid attention. It sends a powerful message.

"He's saying foster care people are different, and they should be treated differently," Brown said.

Jennings told me he couldn't comment on the facts of the case, which technically is still pending before his court. But he said he hoped his dissent would encourage the state to study how former foster care children are faring in the criminal justice system. He suggested their circumstances may be worthy of special consideration, such as military personnel receive in veterans court.

"Part of the role of the criminal justice system is not just to punish people, but to rehabilitate people," Jennings said. "How can you rehabilitate people if you're the State of Texas and you're part of the problem?"

Couldn't have said it better myself.
Two Houston police officers nearly died in a firefight this week with a career criminal from the 52 Hoover Crips.

Days later, two MS-13 gang members laughed outside a courtroom after facing a judge on charges of murder and aggravated kidnapping of young women.

A drive-by shooting in southeast Houston last month sent three men to the hospital.

The violence comes amid a spike in gang-related killings and assaults in recent months. Communities dominated by gangs are reeling as police grapple with a troubling threat and prosecutors vow harsher penalties for gang perpetrators.

"The gang issue we've had here in Houston has always been like this," said HPD Sgt. Clint Ponder, who works in the department's Gang Intelligence Unit. "It goes through peaks in valleys. And right now we're seeing an uptick. We're absolutely seeing an uptick."

Reasons for the spike are unclear, but law enforcement veterans say light criminal sentencing, a decline in specialized gang units, and the evolving nature of Houston's gangs from turf-bound cliques into roving, cash-focused enterprises are all potentially to blame.

"People fear these guys," said Houston Police Officer Doug Griffith, who has worked on an anti-gang task force in southeast Houston for more than 20 years. "This is how they maintain power in their neighborhood, they use fear and intimidation  It's very sad for residents living in area controlled by these gangs."

Transnational and homegrown gangs have remained a troubling bane of law enforcement for years.

A Texas Department of Public Safety threat assessment released in January warned of the specific danger posed by transnational gangs such as Tango Blast, the Latin Kings and Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13).

"These groups pose the greatest gang threat to Texas due to their relationships with Mexican cartels, high levels of transnational criminal activity, high levels of violence, and overall statewide presence," the assessment noted.

Hundreds of smaller, homegrown gangs and cliques pose costly and often lethal threats to Houston communities. Some of the region's largest, like the Houstones, have hundreds of members. Others may have just a handful of associates.

All told, approximately 20,000 gang members, belonging to at least 300 gangs, live in the Houston region, said FBI Supervisory Agent Mark Sabol, who oversees the agency's Multi-Agency Gang Task Force in the city's Texas Anti-Gang Center, where members from local and federal agencies work to address the region's gang violence. Law enforcement has also created the website www.stophoustongangs.com to give residents a way to anonymously report gang activity.

Shift in manpower

While the number of gang members has held fairly steady, he said, anti-gang units have seen an uptick in brutal, violent incidents involving MS-13 gang members.

Anti-gang units recently arrested and charged two MS-13 gang members, tying them to a shocking murder last month of a young woman. The two men, Miguel Alvarez-Flores, 22, and Diego Hernandez-Rivera, 18, committed the murder as part of a satanic sacrifice, police said Friday.

"It's not just a murder. It's not just, 'I'm going to shoot someone for a beef,' it's 'I'm going to chop their heads off with a machete, or stab them 22 times and light them on fire and laugh at them while they're crying for their mother,'" Sabol said. "When I say brutality, that's what I mean. It's just incredibly violent and we're seeing more of that."

Besides the most recent murder the gang has been tied to, MS-13 gang members have also been blamed in recent years for the execution of Jose Meraz, a 14-year-old north Houston boy, after he tried to disassociate from the gang and start going to church. A year before, gang members killed a 16-year-old Klein Forest high school student and left his body in a state forest near Huntsville.

The gang's brutality stems in part from the desensitization of its members, many of whom come from violence plagued cities in El Salvador, where more than 6,000 people were killed last year, and where children as young as 9 can be forced into joining gangs, Sabol said.

Among local gangs, anti-gang officers are seeing "a moderate increase" in aggravated assaults and murders, he said.

One area where authorities have noticed such an uptick is in southeast Houston, where a spate of gang-related shootings and murders has forced police to move units from other areas of the city to bring the violence under control.

On Feb. 23, for example, one drive-by shooter hit three people outside a convenience store near Southlawn and Faulkner. It was just one of the 10 to 15 shootings the area has seen in the last two months, said Southeast Patrol Capt. Kevin Deese, who oversees the district where much of the violence has occurred.

Police are still trying to figure out what provoked the recent mayhem, he said.

"We've been trying to figure out the catalyst on why things increased," he said in a recent interview. "The hardest thing in these shootings is that they're not happening in any specific location. We can't really predict where the next will take place."

Police have also been challenged by a shift in local crews, he said. Previously, many local American gangs fought over turf, colors, and flags or symbols, with well-known rivalries, most notably with groups like the Bloods and Crips.

But in Houston, police say, those local rivalries and deep loyalties have faded as gangs work together to make money.

"Here, criminals can be in whatever gang but can get along," he said. "It's all about making money."

With the willingness of different groups to work together, it can make it harder for police to identify gang members.

"One of the biggest things is that gangs don't look like gangs anymore," Deese said. There's much less structure, so it's harder to track."

On the other hand, he said, many gangs or cliques do not have the structure or mentorship they might have in years past.

"It's more fly by the seat of their pants," he said. "It's more sloppy."

Despite the fact they are less infamous than transnational gangs like MS-13, they are still a serious public safety problem, said Lisa Collins, chief prosecutor of the gang unit in the Harris County District Attorney's Gangs and Organized Crimes Division.

"Don't underestimate the lower level cliques," said Collins. "They do just as much as damage, and sometimes more so."

Anti-gang efforts have been complicated, however, by the police department's lack of manpower and by gang members' ability to return to the streets soon after being arrested, law enforcement veterans said.

Previously, each patrol station was staffed with both divisional gang units and a gang task force.

Public support crucial

Over the past years, gang task force members have shifted to tactical operations units, leading to fewer officers working gangs, less intelligence gathering, and wariness by residents in cooperating with police and prosecutors.

"We definitely need bodies and people to do that," said Ponder, the HPD gang sergeant. "If you're really working gangs and doing it correctly, it's not about statistics  It's about intelligence, so when you have a big pattern of crime or a big series of crimes you already have that gang intelligence to put them in jail, that's really what we're lacking here."

Police say another problem reining in illegal gang violence is the quickness with which some criminals are able to return to the streets.

That was one issue police pointed to after the shooting of Houston police officers Ronny Cortez and Jose Munoz this week. Earl Donnell Riley, the 25-year-old shooter, had recently completed a three-year sentence after being convicted of on felony burglary and illegal weapons possession charges. In the last seven years, he had been arrested for multiple burglaries, marijuana, driving while intoxicated, felony possession of a weapon, criminal mischief, trespassing and evading arrest.

"We investigate crimes, we put them away," Ponder said. "The DA does something else, granted we're upset they're not getting the time we believe they're due and they deserve, but that's out of our control."

Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg vowed recently to crack down on gang violence with harsher prosecutions and stiffer penalties for gang members sowing mayhem across the city.

"We are going to seek stiff penalties against violent gang members: heftier charges, higher bonds and harsher sentences," said Ogg, who previously worked as Houston's Anti-Gang Task Force Director and wrote a book on community efforts to fight gangs. "Regarding gang members, these are the people we need to pull out of the pack. Gang members pose a greater threat together than they do as individuals, because of their collective strength, access to bail money, weapons, and the ability to intimidate witnesses."

Both police and prosecutors say the public's help is their best tool fighting gangs and the mayhem they sow.

"We want to help. We want to make these situations better, but we're only as good as the info we receive," Collins said. "And it does take the community cooperating with us to hopefully start to see a downturn in these types of offenses."
Emmett Jolley pulled up to the intersection near his northeast Houston home one spring night 14 months ago when the gunfire began.

A hail of bullets riddled his gray Nissan, striking him and a passenger sitting next to him.

The gunman fled moments later, leaving police to pick through the crime scene and bag the shell casings he'd left behind.

Miraculously, Jolley and his friend survived, victims of one of the thousands of gun crimes that plague Houston every year, and one that easily might have gone unsolved in years past.

This time, however, investigators had a weapon of their own - the National Integrated Ballistics Information Network, a revamped ballistics testing program run by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

The bureau has pumped millions of dollars into the program to help local law enforcement make faster and better use of the federal database, creating joint investigative task forces with police in cities most prone to gun violence.

It gives police the clues they need in just days, not months.

"We're looking for a particular gun," said Art Peralta, assistant special agent in charge at ATF's Houston Field Division. "When we find that gun, we're usually going to find the person responsible for pulling that trigger."

Using NIBIN, investigators gained a valuable clue in Jolley's shooting: a ballistics match with a bullet casing from an attempted robbery just three days earlier.

The evidence helped pin the case on 17-year-old Timothy "Dough-Boy Ru" Grimes, an acquaintance who apparently thought Jolley had insulted his girlfriend.

Grimes' guilty plea earlier this month marked the first conviction in Houston using the retooled NIBIN database, part of a new effort by ATF to help local police get trigger-happy criminals off the street.

In the 18 months since the ATF launched the retooled program, NIBIN has generated dozens of leads that led to 20 arrests. Investigators linked one weapon in another case to six different shootings and connected another gun to a known drug dealer they say killed a horse.

"We're going to solve crime sooner, bring criminals to justice sooner, and more often," said Police Chief Art Acevedo. "When we do those things, we're going to ultimately prevent future crimes and save lives."

'Our flashlight'

Gun violence leaves a deadly toll in its wake across Houston annually.

More than 400 people died in the Bayou City from guns in 2016, including 259 homicides and 160 suicides. Gunmen committed 5,457 aggravated assaults with a firearm.

And Houston law enforcement leads the state - by far - in the recovery of firearms. Police seized more than 5,400 guns in Houston in 2015, twice as many as in Dallas and San Antonio, according to the most recent federal data.

In years past, slow ballistics testing left dangerous criminals on the streets for weeks or months while investigators waited for evidence.

Since the same firearms often are used repeatedly - even by different people - tracking the gun can identify an active shooter before another crime is committed. In Memphis, for example, NIBIN linked 30 percent of cases to guns that had been used more than once.

"Those are shooters, the worst of the worst," Peralta said. "NIBIN is our flashlight - it's not going to be able to see the whole room, but it will give us the ability to focus in on specific things."

The database allows firearms experts to match high-resolution photos of marks left on bullet casings after being fired. The guns' firing pins leave a mark unique to each gun, allowing investigators to connect casings fired at different shootings.

Turning NIBIN into the crime-fighting tool agents envisioned, however, didn't go as ATF leaders initially hoped.

Twenty years ago, ATF equipped hundreds of law enforcement agencies and crime labs with ballistic imaging machines and began compiling photos of casings collected at crime scenes or test-fired from guns seized in investigations.

Whipsawing budgets, disinterest and poor implementation at the local level, however, hampered NIBIN's impact on helping stop gun crime.

The problems left some gun cases unsolved, giving repeat shooters more time to wreak havoc. Bodies piled up.

"The right answer, late, doesn't help the investigators any more than the wrong information on time - they need that information quickly," said Ramit Plushnick-Masti, with the Houston Forensic Science Center, an independent lab that tests casings for the Houston Police Department.

Speeding up the clock

After an external study four years ago found slow turnaround times were hobbling NIBIN's effectiveness, ATF pumped millions of dollars into the program, forming task forces across the country with local police agencies.

The agency began urging investigators to collect all shells found at a scene - even if no one was hurt - so they could be entered into the database, increasing the chances of finding future matches.

"The ability to get hits is not linear," said William King, a Sam Houston State University criminology professor who has studied the NIBIN system. "The more you put in, the more you produce. The lesson is, everything needs to go in."

ATF also began encouraging local law enforcement departments and crime labs to test casings more quickly. Treating minor gun crimes as future homicides helps cut down on violence, said Ron Nichols, NIBIN's former national technology coordinator.

"If we can get timely intelligence to investigators with respect to these different shootings and what is occurring in the streets, there's potential to get an active shooter off the street before a homicide actually occurs," he said.

Since its inception, the NIBIN database has produced approximately 75,000 "hits" linking two or more crimes together.

"You only get NIBIN hits off repeat gun use," King said. "You get them off the street. ... That's huge value-added."

Lisa Meiman, a spokeswoman for the Denver Field Office, said the agency focuses on links rather than arrest totals because arrests misrepresent the impact of the system.

"Catching one suspect using NIBIN means solving multiple shootings," she said.

The Denver office was one of the first where ATF launched a gun crime task force. Houston's came two years later, in 2015.

In concert with the intelligence center, the Houston Police Department and the city's crime lab have taken other steps to speed up gun crime investigations.

Two months ago, Acevedo ordered his department to prioritize bullet cartridge testing. Previously, officers had to wait a week for technicians to test cartridges for latent fingerprints or DNA, but such tests are rarely successful, said Darrell Stein, the Houston Forensic Science Center's firearms section manager.

The faster turnaround from NIBIN has helped provide better intelligence for investigators, officials said.

"If you get NIBIN hits, and you don't go and have good people to go out and aggressively pursue what that hit provides in terms of leads, then you might as well not have it at all," Acevedo said. "We wanted to speed up the clock."

Investigators now are getting leads from shootings that took place just 48 hours earlier.

Other local and state departments also are expanding their efforts to beef up their use of the database.

Montgomery County, which currently sends cartridges to Houston's lab once a week, hopes to acquire a ballistics imaging machine soon. ATF plans to put an imaging machine and deploy two of the bureau's investigators from Houston to work with the San Antonio Police Department.

Headed to prison

Darrell Stein the Houston Forensic Science Center Firearms Section manager, demonstrates the a federal database known as the National Integrated Ballistics Identification Network used to track guns being used in violent crime by comparing matches with a bullet casing, Tuesday, April 18, 2017, in Houston. less Darrell Stein the Houston Forensic Science Center Firearms Section manager, demonstrates the a federal database known as the National Integrated Ballistics Identification Network used to track guns being used ... more Photo: Marie D. De Jesus, Houston Chronicle Photo: Marie D. De Jesus, Houston Chronicle Image 1 of / 10 Caption Close Stopping gun crime 1 / 10 Back to Gallery

Grimes walked into a Harris County courtroom earlier this month, a year after his outburst of gun violence in northeast Houston.

His arrest offers a blueprint for how authorities might tackle gun crimes in the future.

After investigators sent the abandoned shell casings off for testing, the Houston Forensic Science Center photographed the cartridges and ran them through the NIBIN database. They learned the shooter had used just one gun - but two types of ammunition - in the attempted robbery and the aggravated assault.

By the time officers identified Grimes and searched his home, the firearm was gone. He said he tossed it into a sewer. They did, however, find a pair of sweatpants like ones they'd seen in surveillance video taken from the attempted robbery.

He eventually confessed, authorities said, telling investigators he had supplied the gun in the attempted robbery and acted as the lookout.

He finally agreed to plead guilty to one count of aggravated assault and another of aggravated robbery.

Jolley could not be reached for comment. Grimes' attorney, Michael Trent, declined to comment.

But two weeks ago, Grimes trudged to the front of the 183rd Harris County District Court to admit to his crimes, knowing he faces 12 years in prison at his sentencing next month.

State District Judge Vanessa Velasquez peered down at the glum teen.

"Are you pleading guilty because you are?" Velasquez asked him.

His answer was almost lost in the shuffle of the courtroom.

"Yes."

Editor's Note: This story has been corrected since it originally was posted. The title for Lisa Meiman was changed to note that she is a spokeswoman for the ATF Denver Field Office.

Matt Dempsey contributed to this report.
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WASHINGTON - The odd shapes tell the story.

A huge Republican majority in the Houston-area 2nd congressional district represented by Ted Poe curls around the region from Lake Houston, northeast of the city, makes a meandering, snakelike loop out to the western suburbs, and ends south of downtown near Loop 610.

Nearby, the 29th congressional district has a big Democratic majority and is represented by Gene Green. It resembles a partially-eaten doughnut, forming an undulating shape from north to east to south.

Like virtually all 36 congressional districts in Texas - Republican Will Hurd's West Texas district being the only exception - neither Poe's nor Green's district is particularly competitive in general elections.

The political art of drawing boundaries to protect incumbents is called gerrymandering - a word derived from salamanders, lizard-like creatures known for their slender bodies and short limbs. The whole idea behind the practice is to carve up the political map for partisan advantage.

It happens everywhere, and has been the subject of legal challenges for years.

And now the U.S. Supreme Court has signaled it may take a fresh look in a Wisconsin redistricting case that has the potential to fundamentally alter the political landscape from Texas to Washington, D.C.

In Austin, where a generation of Republican dominance has helped give the party a 25-11 advantage over Democrats in the state's U.S. House delegation, the implications could be profound - however distant in the future.

In the past week since the high court announced that it will consider the constitutionality of overtly partisan gerrymandering, Texas Democrats have cheered the review, hoping the Wisconsin case might set a precedent that evens the playing field in the state.

"Clearly the Texas congressional map, and the state House map and state Senate map, are partisanly gerrymandered, and they are way out of balance with the political performance of the state," said Matt Angle, head of the Lone Star Project, which seeks to make Democratic gains in Texas.

'Packing' and 'cracking'

Some Republicans downplay the significance of the Wisconsin case, saying that they believe Texas' political boundaries are already fair and, most importantly, legal.

"Unless the court does some serious overreach, we shouldn't be facing needing to redraw those lines at all," said James Dickey, the newly-elected chairman of the Texas Republican Party.

The problem for Texas Republicans is that the state's congressional district boundaries already are under legal challenge over alleged racial discrimination for the way minorities were packed into a limited number of urban districts.

Some of the boundaries drawn in 2011 already have been ruled intentionally discriminatory, and a federal court is set to hear a challenge next month on a new map drawn in 2013.

Unlike the Texas challenge, which focuses in the racial makeup of political districts, the legal fight in Wisconsin is over the partisan makeup of the state's boundaries, which also favor Republicans.

But the two criteria are closely related. "If you correct for the racial discrimination in Texas, you go a long way toward balancing the partisan makeup of these districts," Angle said.

Others predict that the high court will have a hard time finding a coherent legal standard for deciding whether a state's map-drawing process - most are created by state lawmakers - shows undue partisanship.

"It is inherently a political process," said U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, who chaired Texas' legislative redistricting board in 2000. "Which is not to say it's a bad process. It's just hard to know what alternative might be available."

Nobody knows how the Supreme Court might rule. The court recently threw out North Carolina's GOP-drawn congressional map on racial grounds. But challenges based on party affiliation alone could be a different matter.

A pending challenge in Maryland - the only case in which Democrats drew the map - could be telling. Until now, redistricting cases based purely on politics have produced a kaleidoscope of opinions from different justices.

Some reformers advocate for handing the redistricting process - normally done once each decade after the national census - to independent boards or commissions. But legislative veterans say it's hard to keep the politics out.

"They end up being very partisan commissions, no matter who selects them," said Green, who has served in both the state Legislature and Congress.

Green has been on the receiving end of political gamesmanship in redistricting, having been drawn out of his district by Texas Republicans in the controversial mid-decade redistricting plan of 2003, spearheaded by then U.S. House Majority Whip Tom DeLay of Sugar Land.

Finding himself suddenly placed in Poe's looping district, Green decided to sell his house and move. He recalls telling DeLay, "I want to thank you for the new mortgage."

Green has persevered in Congress, despite moving into a district that's more than 70 percent Hispanic. He's the only non-Hispanic white Democrat representing a part of Houston.

Partisan gerrymandering has been around since the beginning of the Republic. The term was coined in 1812. But the practice, critics say, has grown out of hand, with corrosive effects on elections, which are conducted in districts largely drawn by incumbent politicians for their own benefit. In effect, they choose their own voters, rather than the other way around.

Some analysts link the pervasiveness of safe partisan districts to a growing brand of political polarization that rewards extremism on both sides, effectively turning party primaries into general elections, and largely ignoring centrist and independent voters.

The tools of the trade are called "packing" and "cracking." Packing refers to the practice of concentrating voters of one party into a limited number of districts to blunt their influence; cracking entails dispersing them into different districts to dilute their strength.

The bottom line: Some voters just don't count as much as others, leaving them effectively disenfranchised.

An 'efficiency gap'

In Texas, Angle argues, "There's no question what's happened is you've got safe districts created, Democrats packed into as few districts as possible, and the rest of them cracked into as many safe Republican districts as possible, and what that's done is it's made the primaries matter the most, and primaries are driven by the most ideological people within their party."

In the Wisconsin case, Gill v. Whitford, the court will be asked to look at the allegedly skewed results of the state's recent elections. In 2012, Republicans won 60 of 99 legislative seats despite winning only 48.6 percent of the state's two-party statewide vote. In 2014, Republicans won 63 seats with only 52 percent of the statewide vote.

Texas Democrats say they could make the same case. While Democratic presidential candidates won more than 40 percent of the statewide vote in the past three elections, Democratic voters were distributed in such a way that their party controls only about a third of the state's legislative and congressional seats.

Critics call that an "efficiency gap," which can only be explained by partisan gerrymandering. Now before the high court, they hope to find a way to close the gap.

"This is a historic opportunity to address one of the biggest problems in our electoral system," said Wendy Weiser of the Brennan Center for Justice, a left-leaning law and public policy institute at the New York University School of Law. "Gerrymandering has become so aggressive, extreme and effective that there is an urgent need for the Supreme Court to step in and set boundaries."

Conservative groups argue that there is no way to estimate what each party "should" win in a fair election. The redistricting tests that have been proposed to close the "efficiency gap" in Wisconsin, they say, are arbitrary.

"Leftists want the courts to overturn district lines if not enough Democrats win," said Tom Fitton, president of Judicial Watch, a conservative watchdog group that has filed briefs defending Wisconsin's electoral map. "We're happy that the Supreme Court will now have a chance to rule that Democrats - or any political party - will not have a constitutional right to win elections."

Political analysts say that even if the Supreme Court were to somehow chip away at partisan gerrymandering, the impact would be far more dramatic in battleground states like Wisconsin than in states where one party is as dominant as Republicans are in Texas.

"Democrats aren't winning statewide elections in Texas," said Craig Goodman, a political scientist at the University of Houston in Victoria.

The Supreme Court's move also could reshape political power in Harris County, where a Republican establishment already faces pressures from an increasingly left-leaning populace.

Republicans have dominated Harris County's governing board with a 4-1 advantage over Democrats on the commissioners court since 2010.

But fueled by growth and demographic change, the county is shifting increasingly leftward: According to the 2016 Kinder Institute Survey by Rice University, a majority of Harris County's four-plus-million population leans Democrat. In the November 2016 election, Democrats won every countywide position on the ballot as Hillary Clinton beat Donald Trump by more than 12 points - a larger margin of victory than George W. Bush had.

Impact on Harris County

A decision in the Wisconsin case also could help further tilt the scale in Democrats' favor after the 2020 Census by disallowing precincts to be drawn based on partisanship, said Rice University political scientist Robert Stein.

"What will happen here, is there will be litigation, and there will be litigation based on the court's decision," Stein said.

Efforts to challenge the county's redistricting efforts are not without precedent. After the 2010 U.S. Census, two Houston city councilmen and others sued the county over a redistricting scheme they said violated the Voting Rights Act by diluting Latino voting power - a suit that was quashed by the federal courts.

But during that case, testimony indicated the lines were not drawn to disenfranchise Hispanic voters, but to create a stronger Republican district, said Douglas Ray, managing attorney for the public law practice group in the Harris County attorney's office.

"It was about partisan considerations," Ray said.

He said he does not believe the Supreme Court would eliminate the ability for the county to consider partisanship in redrawing precincts.

One other impact of more politically-balanced electoral districts could be to boost voter turnout. Texas has one of the lowest voter turnout rates in the nation.

Lopsided congressional races, like those all across Texas, provide little incentive to vote. "It's certainly not healthy for democracy," said Goodman at UH-Victoria. "It's hard to encourage people to go out and vote when you don't really have any chance of winning."
Even as he tried to strike an optimistic tone, the head of the Democratic National Committee acknowledged Friday to labor leaders in Houston that both the party and unions are facing a daunting task ahead of them.

"It is undeniable that this is the most challenging stress test, perhaps ... in my lifetime and one of the most challenging stress tests in the history of our Democracy," said Tom Perez, the new chairman of the Democratic National Committee.

The Texas Legislature and Gov. Greg Abbott are going after unions again in an upcoming special session, Democrats struck out badly in their efforts to pick up seats in Congress earlier this week, and U.S. Senate Republicans unveiled a health care plan yesterday that many see as a direct assault on former President Barack Obama's signature accomplishment.

But Perez, a former U.S. Labor Secretary, told the Texas AFL-CIO Convention at the Hilton Americas-Houston that even though the sense of urgency is heightened, he still "absolutely" believes Democrats -- with help from organized labor -- will retake the U.S. House in 2018. And he said past legal fights with Abbott show his latest "mean spirited" proposals on so-called sanctuary cities can be stopped in Texas.

Perez reminded a ballroom with hundreds of union leaders that he was an attorney in Obama's Justice Department in 2011 and was assigned to fight Texas and it's stricter voter identification laws. Abbott was the attorney general for Texas then.

"Your governor is no better, I fought with him when I was at the Justice Department," Perez said, explaining how he helped block key parts of Texas' ID laws.

Perez' comments come as Houston and other Texas cities have joined a lawsuit in opposition of the new law that would allow police to question people about their immigration status during routine stops and threatens to punish law enforcement officials who refuse federal immigration holds.

Perez said the Justice Department successfully fought similar proposed laws in Arizona and are working with Texas Democrats to help make sure the law here also gets tossed by the courts.

"I'm confident the same thing will happen here," Perez told the Houston Chronicle in an interview after his speech. "Texas is going to waste a lot of money on legal fees that they could be investing in workers and other opportunities."

Perez also did his best to downplay the results from Tuesday, when Democrats lost a special election for a U.S. House seat in Georgia. The party was hoping an upset victory would show a tide turning against President Donald Trump heading into 2018. Perez said in both that Georgia race and in South Carolina, Democrats did far better than they have in decades in those districts. Sure they didn't win either, but Perez said Tuesday showed progress.

"I know people are disappointed in the results from earlier this week," Perez said. "We didn't quite get to the finish line. But you know what folks, those are beet red districts."

Perez said there are more than 70 other districts that are more competitive for Democrats than the Georgia race and Democrats will be aggressive in all of them. One of those districts is the 7th Congressional District based in Houston and represented by Rep. John Culberson, R-Houston.

Democrats need to win 25 House seats next year that are held by Republicans now. Perez said he is absolutely confident that will happen in 2018.

The Republican National Committee says no way.

In a statement to the Chronicle, RNC chairwoman Ronna McDaniel said the problem for Democrats in Georgia is the same as what they have going into 2018: no vision.

"Obstruction and resistance is not a vision," McDaniel said. "It's lost them these last four [special] elections, and it'll continue losing them elections going forward."

Texas Republicans agreed. "Perhaps Mr. Perez should spend less time attacking laws that a majority of Texans support, and more time figuring out how to win elections," Abbott press spokesman John Wittman said.

Perez also used his speech to stress that the Democratic Party is committed to fighting for organized labor. He recounted growing up in a union household in Buffalo and said history shows that the middle class has been healthiest when unions were at their strongest.

"The health of the middle class and the health of the labor movement go hand and hand," he said.

He said in politics there are a lot of twists and turns, but he said the DNC remains committed to helping labor.

"The Democratic Party will always be there with you," Perez said.

Texas AFL-CIO president John Patrick said the recently completed legislative session was the "most miserable" he's ever experience but ticked off examples where unions beat back attempts to go after their memberships.

"Unions are at the core of the mighty resistance here in Texas," Patrick said.
We don't get many tumbleweeds blowing through the streets of Houston. So we wouldn't dare tell the good people of El Paso how they should deal with those thorny nuisances rolling into their backyards.

Too bad our elected leaders in Austin don't have the same good sense when it comes to what some folks call "urban tumbleweeds." Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has his shorts in a twist because local governments have been trying to regulate or ban plastic grocery bags. That's an odd obsession for one of our state's elected leaders, a crusade our AG really should abandon. And it's yet another example of how our supposedly conservative state government is trying to force its will on city halls across Texas.

Our attorney general recently filed an amicus brief asking the Texas Supreme Court to affirm a lower court's decision against Laredo's plastic bag ban. If Paxton has his way, the state's highest court would effectively forbid Texas cities from regulating or banning plastic shopping bags.

Laredo is just one of several Texas cities to decide these bags pose a special problem for their communities. Ranchers in Fort Stockton convinced their city government to ban them because their horses were dying after eating plastic; another rancher in the small town of Freer reportedly cut open a dead cow and discovered one of her stomachs was bloated with heaps of plastic bags. Austin and other cities adopted similar ordinances partly because the ubiquitous plastic litter has been clogging sewers and drains.

Galveston's City Council last year seemed on the brink of unanimously passing a prohibition - widely supported by local citizens - because plastic bags were killing turtles and birds and messing up beaches. But a funny thing happened in Galveston, and it shines a light on what's really behind the opposition to these local initiatives. Plastic bag manufacturers, frightened by statewide bans in California and Hawaii, recruited help from conservative think tanks and leapt into this local fight. They stirred up fierce opposition and wrote threatening letters that led Galveston city officials to back away from their proposed ordinance.

What happened in Galveston fits a pattern. Dallas quickly rescinded a nickel tax on plastic bags after manufacturers filed a lawsuit. Brownsville recently agreed to repeal a $1 per transaction fee on plastic bags after Paxton sued the city over an ordinance that had been in place since 2010. The industry tried but failed to get the Legislature to pass a bill that would've forbidden Texas cities from outlawing plastic bags. Now Paxton is carrying water for his bag buddies, trying to get the courts to do what the Legislature wouldn't.

The attorney general flatly claims local bag bans violate state law, but his argument stands on shaky ground. The section of the Texas Health and Safety Code he cites deals with regulating containers "for solid waste management purposes." In other words, he's claiming an old state law about garbage also applies to grocery bags.

This battle over bags is just one more instance of state officials in Austin arrogantly assuming authority over community issues and local government. A glance at Gov. Greg Abbott's priorities for the upcoming special session of the Legislature reads like a small town city council agenda micromanaging municipal matters like annexation and tree preservation ordinances. GOP leaders in Texas spent much of the last decade publicly posturing against the federal government interfering in state business, but now they're trying to run local governments from their offices in Austin.

Here in Houston, we like plastic. It's a big industry in our petroleum-based economy. But if ranchers in west Texas want to ban the plastic bags killing their cattle, the state government should leave their mayors and city councils free to do what's best for their local communities.
Fixing the fire department

Regarding "Chilling HFD audit" editorial (Page A31, June 18), I applaud the editorial in suggesting one innovative way to improve customer service is by splitting the traditional fire department services into three departments: fire, emergency medical service and life safety inspections. This might also be a way to break the stranglehold the current organization currently has over the city and its citizens when it comes to retirement costs.

Starting fresh with two new departments would allow for an overall lowering of cost of manpower and equipment by staffing and providing personnel and equipment suited to the specific jobs of each department. And by focusing on the fundamentals of fire protection, emergency medical service and life safety inspections and education, the public will be better-served.

The small increase in management and administration will be more than offset by efficiencies. We won't see a repeat of the problems 12 years from now and hopefully new management will be accountable to the citizens of Houston.

Bill Turney, Houston

Education standards

Regarding "Kindergarten is now the new first grade" (Page A11, Tuesday), I have spent 30 years teaching in low socioeconomic status (SES) schools. No matter where students start we need to honor their progress, not just reaching the standard.

We all learn at different rates. We need to hold accountable fast processors as well. Simply honoring those who are already at the standard will discourage many others whose standards need to be individualized.

I would recommend to those interested in this area, "The End of Average" by Todd Rose, director of the Mind, Brain and Education program at Harvard Graduate School of Education.

John McManus, Pearland

Texas prisons and AC

Regarding "Lethal heat" (Page A14, Thursday), here we go again with your editorial making fun of people like me who grew up without air conditioning and trying to make a case for prison AC. Our manufacturing company has employees in our warehouse and the warehouse has no AC. Like millions of businesses nationwide, our warehouse has big fans that create a comfortable environment. Why can't prisoners use personal fans in their cells just like the rest of us honest working people in the warehouse at our work stations?

In a prison, guards can open the main doors leading to the recreation area and have huge floor fans to suck air into the building as we do in our business. At the back of our building are exhaust fans creating a cross-ventilation that is distributed by other floor fans in our warehouse. Our employees work eight hours daily in the hottest part of the day, and offer no complaints. Problem solved.

The editorial says an inmate is dormant, can't get up and go outside for fresh air, etc. Being dormant conserves energy and does not make one hotter. Working hard on lathes, mills, stacking and loading makes you hotter than laying on a bunk bed in prison with a personal fan.

The expense of fans vs. AC is at least 90-plus percent less in both capital and electric costs.

Harry L. Bowles, Houston

Not buying it

Regarding "Choice Act holds Big Banks accountable" (Page A11, June 20), U.S. Rep. Jeb Hensarling of Texas and the GOP have no credibility when it comes to financial regulation. Immediately after the devastating meltdown in 2008-09 they opposed any regulation of the banking industry at all.

And they opposed the creation of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, which was designed to help consumers understand their financial dealings.

Now the GOP wants to allow the banking industry to go back to secrecy and allow them to operate in the dark again.

Kevin Davidson, Houston
Wilfredo Lee/POOL

During his confirmation hearings, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson stated that he would "seek to review the details of Colombia's recent peace agreement, and determine the extent to which the United States should continue to support it." U.S. support to the government of Colombia through a range of initiatives from a variety of funding sources has historically been one relatively bright spot of bipartisanship in Congress. Among these, the most well-known is the effort referred to as Plan Colombia, in which U.S. assistance was directed toward counternarcotics, sustainable economic development, the protection of human rights, humanitarian aid and stimulating private investment. This support has helped Colombia negotiate peace with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) from a position of military strength. The latest budget proposal from the White House, with its proposed 31 percent cut in aid to Colombia combining both military and nonmilitary assistance, threatens to take that momentum in a different direction right when the investment appears to be paying dividends.

For several years now, U.S. officials have pointed to Colombia as a success with lessons for partners in the Middle East and South Asia. However, the dark side of the Colombian peace agreement has been a notable increase in coca cultivation in areas controlled by the FARC. Some might argue that backing off an aggressive approach to illicit crop eradication in guerrilla-controlled areas was a temporary and necessary sacrifice that had to be made to create the time and space for the FARC to commit all the way to the peace process. The success of the UN-monitored peace agreement with the FARC is by no means a foregone conclusion. That's particularly so as it relates to illicit narcotics trafficking. A significant number of guerrillas are expected to either join the country's other left-wing narco-insurgency, the National Liberation Army, or organized criminal organizations rather than test their luck in the country's rural peasant economy.
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I wasn't going to write this.

On this subject, I felt I had already spilled enough outrage onto enough pages to last a lifetime. I needed a break from the emotional carnage.

Then I saw the dashcam video that was released last week.

Granted, it told me nothing I didn't already know. I knew how a black man named Philando Castile was pulled over last year in a Minneapolis suburb. I knew how he politely informed the police officer that he had a legal firearm in the car. I knew how the officer panicked and started shooting as Castile was complying with a request for his license and registration.

But as it turned out, I had the facts, but not the visceral truth. I didn't know how shattering and sudden it all was. One moment it's a traffic stop and then - bangbangbangbangbangbangbang! - it's an execution.

That video shocked me. It left my heart trembling. It left my thoughts tumbling.

I thought of the NRA, which supposedly exists to protect law-abiding gun owners from government overreach. Obviously, that extends only to law-abiding white gun owners, because it's been nearly a year since Castile's death and, at this writing, the group has uttered barely a peep about a black man who was martyred for that cause.

I thought of all those people who assure me, with a smugness found only in the profoundly ignorant, that if black people would just treat police with respect and obey their commands, they wouldn't get hurt. I would ask them to tell me which of those things Castile failed to do.

I thought of that time Sean Hannity explained how, when he is stopped, he informs the officer that he has a legal firearm and it all goes smoothly after that: " 'Yes, sir,' 'No, sir,' writes me a ticket, 'Thank you, sir,' and that's it." I thought of the frequent inability of white men to recognize privilege even when it's shooting a black man in the chest.

And I thought of a tweet from "Sydette" that has haunted me the last few days: "Why," she asked, "must black death be broadcast and consumed to be believed, and what is it beyond spectacle if it cannot be used to obtain justice?"

I don't know who Sydette is, but she raises a question of deep historical implications. Black death, after all, has been spectacle for generations. Deep into the 20th century, it was common for white people to murder black ones in the cruelest ways they could invent, then pose for pictures with the maimed and ruined bodies. Yet even armed with such damning photographic evidence - see some of it for yourself at withoutsanctuary.com - police routinely declined to arrest, and prosecutors, to prosecute.

Generations later, in the era of the smartphone and the dashcam, damning photographic evidence still is not enough. Black death must be "broadcast and consumed to be believed" - and even when believed, often doesn't seem to count for much. That's why many of us were unsurprised when Castile's killer was acquitted.

So this man's death is reduced to - what? - clickbait? A TV news segment? We get our spectacle, but the profoundly ignorant remain profoundly ignorant, Sean Hannity still can't see what the fuss is about, and justice is just a voyeur, avidly watching the show - black death, live! - but doing nothing about it.

Castile says, "Sir, I have to tell you: I do have a firearm on me."

The officer says, "Don't reach for it, then. Don't pull it out."

Castile says, "I'm not pulling it out."

The officer says, "Don't pull it out!"

Bangbangbangbangbangbangbang!

Pitts is a columnist for the Miami Herald. Contact him via e-mail at lpitts@miamiherald.com.
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Democrats have hit rock bottom.

We keep losing elections because voters aren't buying what we're selling. This isn't just a partisan concern. Our nation has had enough of "us vs. them." Having two strong political parties is what keeps our democracy working well. Making public policy should not be a one-sided deal, as it was for many key issues in the recent session of the Texas Legislature.

Texas Democrats, of course, have been in the wilderness for decades, some still licking wounds from the 20-point loss in the Greg Abbott-Wendy Davis race for governor.

But the rest of the country is waking up to this reality as more than 900 Democratic candidates have come up short in the past few election cycles. Republicans now run the show nationally and in 25 states, with Democrats dominating in only six.

No single reason explains these losses. But one thing I learned from my 12 years in Washington, D.C. is that the winner in politics is often the better communicator.

And Democrats have a communications problem.

National party leaders acknowledge the blind spot. Following the 2016 election, President Barack Obama urged Democrats to "rethink our storytelling, the messaging  so that we can make a persuasive case to the country." In its autopsy following the 2014 midterms, the Democratic National Committee admitted we didn't connect with voters. And the loss in Georgia's special congressional election last week pretty much drove home the point.

The problem? Progressives tend to be obsessed - obsessed - with making logical, fact-driven, even haughty, arguments around five-point policy proposals. But that isn't the stuff of winning an election. Big-brand concepts and simple storytelling do.

Think Obama's hope and change, Donald Trump's railing against the D.C. establishment, George W. Bush's use of fear around terrorism. Each settled on a single, memorable narrative that stirred emotions and eschewed policy.

It's not clear what the Big Brand is for Democrats - something that persuades people to vote for us, not just against Republicans. Even years after that DNC autopsy noted that "[W]e lack a clear message about what unites and animates" us, Democrats can't seem to answer the question: What do we stand for?

So, what now?

A strong brand - whether a company or candidate - conveys credibility, clarity and connection. It pulls people in. And it sure helps if the brand conveys action, not just emotion.

In Texas, we have to connect with folks by meeting them where they are. And jobs, jobs, jobs are on Texans' minds. Statewide public polling consistently shows people here prioritize the economy/jobs over many other things, including social issues (which sometimes seems to be the only emphasis of Texas Democrats.)

The Democratic Party has a rich history as job creators - see Bill Clinton - that continues today. Recently, Democratic leaders in Texas tried to increase the state's minimum wage to get people off government assistance. They also effectively approved responsible fracking, the drilling-technology and jobs boon. But we need to do much more - in message and deed - on employment for all Texans.

And let's go further than that. Democrats have a unique opportunity to win over the Texas business community, historically tucked tightly in bed with the Republican Party. Dennis Nixon, CEO of the ninth-largest bank in Texas and campaign fundraiser for then-candidate Trump, told the Houston Chronicle that during the regular session of the Legislature, the Texas GOP "disregarded the business community of Texas, just threw us under the bus."

Hard-right GOP leaders pushed forward measures on immigration and transgender bathroom use, despite fierce objections from blue-chip corporations.

The emerging wedge here is a gift. Let's use it.

Texas has become stronger - and more appealing to younger generations, I would suspect - now that Democrats are winning in our big cities, including Houston. It's good to see some blue on the map, but we need much more of it for balanced decision-making.

Until then, in the absence of the checks and balances that two strong political parties historically have provided, our nation faces a great threat from the growing political instability. In 2011, Standard & Poor's downgraded the United States' credit rating for the first time in history because "the effectiveness, stability, and predictability of American policymaking and political institutions have weakened." I can't imagine what the S&P view is now.

The lack of leadership from both parties - sorry, this is one of those rare true equivalencies - is tearing this country apart (well before President Trump entered the picture), while little is getting done to actually fix problems affecting lives and livelihoods.

It's time for real leaders, not prickly partisans, to step up on the Democratic side of the aisle and lead us out of this hot political mess. This means persuading non-ideological voters - including some of the 38 percent of Texas voters who say their political views are "in the middle" and the 44 percent who described themselves as "independent" - to come on over into the tent.

Today's "Resistance" movement against President Trump is critically important and has a growing audience. But it's not enough to win at the ballot box.

We need to make our politics - and our democracy - work again.

Nix lives in Houston and is author of "Communications 101: How Democrats Can Win Again," forthcoming later this summer.
No one seems to like the Senate health care bill. Liberal wonks detest it. At least four Republican senators claim they aren't prepared to support it, while other colleagues grumble about it. The White House, whose chief executive promised he wouldn't cut Medicaid, as this bill does, is balking.

But the Senate bill is similar to the bill passed last month by the House. And the reason for that similarity is pretty basic: Both bills accomplish what Republicans want.

Despite the periodic dramas of reactionary versus conservative factions, Republicans are united around a couple of key goals. Both versions of the Republican health-care legislation accomplish those goals, albeit in slightly different ways along slightly different timelines. That's why, all the wailing aside, Congress probably will put a bill on President Donald Trump's desk that grievously damages Obamacare, if not precisely repealing it.

Both Senate and House versions will transfer hundreds of millions of dollars from poor and middle-class people, in the form of health care, to rich people in the form of tax cuts.

The wealthiest Americans, who have a disproportionate role in managing the economy, have famously awarded themselves a gargantuan share of its gains in recent decades. But Republicans continue to insist that gargantuan is less than sufficient. According to the liberal (and reliable) Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, the House health care bill would provide the 400 highest-income families in the U.S. with tax cuts worth about $7 million annually.

Thus, health care legislation is a vehicle to achieve a preeminent goal of the Republican Party - transferring more wealth to the wealthy. In addition, by changing the baseline for federal revenues, the legislation will facilitate another round of tax cuts later this year.

Another paramount goal is destroying Barack Obama's presidency. Since Republicans were unable to accomplish that in real time, they hope to do it retroactively. The Republican legislation keeps much of the architecture of Obamacare. But by cashing in its funding base, Republicans can seriously damage it.

More important, their "repeal" of Obamacare, however compromised in detail or drawn out over multiple election cycles, serves as a repudiation of Obama himself. Argue among yourselves whether the driving force behind GOP animus is Obama's liberal, multicultural, cosmopolitanism or something even more atavistic. But after spending years voting to smite Obama symbolically, Republicans are now poised to deliver a blow for the history books.

The third goal the Republican legislation accomplishes is the rollback of an "entitlement" and a reversal of the trend toward universal health care.

Government support - Medicare, Social Security, Medicaid - tends to go on and on. Historical Republican opposition to all three of those programs long precedes their obsession with high-end tax cuts. If Obamacare laid the track for universal health care, Trumpcare promises to blow up the railroad bridge and send the whole enterprise plunging into a ravine, albeit in slow motion.

The Republican senators currently expressing their displeasure with the plan could easily thwart it. But will they? Majority Leader Mitch McConnell knows his troops. He knows what they want and, more important, what they will settle for. Opioid treatment funding, maybe, for Sens. Rob Portman of Ohio and Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia, whose states have serious addiction problems. Perhaps a more aggressive retreat from Obamacare regulations for Sen. Mike Lee of Utah.

The chorus of boos heightens the political drama but it doesn't stop the play. Concessions are made. Victories are claimed. The legislation moves toward conclusion.

How many Republicans will really abandon the twin pillars that have upheld the GOP for nearly a decade - tax cuts for the rich and the repudiation of Obama? How many will walk away from the cause of multiple generations of Republicans - rolling back the welfare state?

I'm betting fewer than three.

Wilkinson writes editorials on politics and U.S. domestic policy for Bloomberg View. He was executive editor of The Week. He was previously a national affairs writer for Rolling Stone, a communications consultant and a political media strategist.
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This week I joined Tim Farron at a pre-Council lunch with leaders of the liberal family from across Europe. We discussed issues common to us all in Europe: migration, the economy and, of course, Brexit. What I had wanted to hear, but was disappointed it wasn't mentioned, was the environment. It was the hottest of Brussels days for years, and yet the cause of such heat seemed to Escape them all.

We know that last year the global average temperature was the highest ever recorded. Our climate is changing. The biodiversity that sustains life is under great threat. The environment must get more traction with those who are in a position to plan for the future. What we need is leaders who 'get' the environment.

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As a Liberal Democrat I am now facing a choice of who I should be supporting as a new leader. I was sorry Jo Swinson felt she could not contest this position just now, but as a deputy leader she will do us proud. Tim Farron has led us with great passion and drive, his commitment for our place in the European Union has come from a great Liberal tradition of internationalism and I am sorry that he is standing down. But this does give us an opportunity to take stock and think about the future direction of the party. For me Ed Davey has the right credentials.

Ed has a real commitment to tackling climate change and a record of achievement in government. Like Tim he is very committed to the values and benefits of the European Union, and whilst in government convened the Environment Ministers from across the European Union to work together in order to plan how they could mitigate the effects of climate change and biodiversity loss. Ed worked with them ahead of the Paris negotiations to get coordinated answers and a committed voice from the European member states. Despite growing evidence that the environment is not getting better that voice has faded in all our political discussions. We need that voice now from the Liberal Democrats and for me, as a committed environmentalist that would be enough to support Ed Davey.

But a leader needs to have more than one issue, in a media driven world we also need someone who has a TV presence with charisma and Ed has this, but he is also the sensible confident voice of integrity with deeply Liberal roots who has proven himself as a skilled and adept negotiator.

The Liberal Democrats have shown that they still have a place on the political map of the UK - our membership has surged, young and old and the pro-Europeans have joined us. Now it's clear that the left and right are back to pulling in opposite directions the centre ground is there to be won. We will win it if we have a clear message on Europe - we want to stay; we will win if we put the environment at the heart of all our policies - to get on with mitigating the effects of climate change and the loss of biodiversity; and we will win it if we have a programme to reform society to bring openness and tolerance back to the UK and to ensure equality of opportunity for all in our communities.

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The news just announced that free sanitary pads are to be offered to Kenya's schoolgirls is a welcome relief. It is an unfair and distressing reality that millions of girls in the developing world are held back by their periods - a process that is natural and unavoidable.

"The Kenyan government is making a vital contribution to ensuring girls receive an education and are treated the same way as boys," says Agnes Kola, National Women's Rights Coordinator at ActionAid Kenya. "Lack of access to quality, free and sufficient sanitary products means many young girls drop out of school while on their period, putting them at greater risk of child marriage and getting pregnant at a younger age."

Purity, 13, and Abigail, 14, are two girls who would often miss classes at their mixed school in West Pokot, Kenya, because they couldn't afford sanitary pads and were worried they would stain their clothes. This new initiative will help to change this for other schoolgirls.

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It is estimated that one in 10 girls in Africa will miss school when they have their periods. At ActionAid we are working on this problem worldwide. In Rwanda, we have built safe spaces for girls in nine schools. These safe spaces are rooms run by a matron in a separate building and are equipped with a toilet, a shower, sanitary products, spare clothes, and a private space to change and rest. They ensure that girls don't have to fear the embarrassment of stains on their clothes, and boys in their class bullying them about it, which stops them from going to school.

But another key problem that needs to continue to be tackled is how to get other girls out of poverty and enrolled into school, where they can get access to these benefits.

As well as providing free sanitary pads and safe spaces in schools, for example, ActionAid is collaborating with local communities to improve access to toilets and showers and provide safe environments where girls can ask questions about periods, sex and pregnancy. This helps them understand the facts and their rights - that periods are natural and that they can change their lives for good by attending school.

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Cultures all over the world have developed harmful and even destructive ideas and beliefs about menstruation. As a direct result of the persistent menstrual taboo, there is a critical lack of health education resources available for young women about the menstrual cycle. It is this lack of knowledge that perpetuates myths and isolate and shame women each month. Purity and Abigail, for example, had to eat from a separate plate and cup from the rest of their family whenever they had their periods.

So aside from providing free sanitary pads, which we welcome and applaud, there is much more to be done and it is essential that governments like Kenya keep up the good work they are doing.
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Some people consider a hung parliament to be a threat to the Westminster bi-polar norm. But for Plaid Cymru and for Wales, there is a wealth of opportunities in a balanced state of power-play.

We are faced with a situation where no party has a clear majority. This gives Plaid Cymru the chance to act on our opposition to Westminster's disastrous obsession with spending cuts, press for the strengthening of Wales's own Parliament and ensure that Brexit works for Wales - but this time with a stronger hand.

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The balanced Parliament places a duty on all of us - no matter what party - to deliver changes that reflect the outcome of the election. While this is a rare opportunity in the UK, unwelcome and unwanted by the two main parties, it is commonplace in many successful democracies across the world. It obliges parties to work together to deliver for all political opinions from all parts of the UK. Surely this is democracy at its best?

Labour do not recognise this and strive to manipulate another General Election while they are riding high in the opinion polls. Who can say that this move will not mirror May's fatal error in judgement? Plaid Cymru is deeply wary of this. Fantasy politics aside, who really wants to see politicians indulge themselves in the heroics of a yet-another electoral campaign? Surely people want politicians to do their job by balancing and negotiating the opinions, needs and aspirations of diverse electorates in challenging times?

Plaid Cymru has a legacy of negotiating major concessions for Wales in previous balanced Parliaments. This includes securing hundreds of millions of pounds worth of compensation through the Workers Compensation Act 1979 for miners and quarry workers; millions of pounds worth of investment in Welsh transport, culture and economic development; and increasing Wales's representation on the EU's Committee of the Regions.

My parliamentary colleagues and I have the opportunity to make Wales matter. We are in a unique position where we have the chance to use our votes - which become all the more crucial in a balanced Parliament - to leverage the Welsh advantage. After decades of underinvestment and unambitious Wales Bills handing our country the crumbs off of the English table, this is our opportunity to force Westminster to sit up and listen to us. While London is the richest region in Europe, Wales suffers as the poorest of the UK countries, with 22% of people living in absolute poverty.

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Brexit means that this Parliamentary session will be the most significant yet for the future of every nation in the UK. It has been a year since the referendum and the other parties are still squabbling about what their position on Brexit actually is. The Tories are at each other's throats with the Chancellor parading himself on television to criticise the Prime Minister's key soundbite of "no deal is better than a bad deal". It is only Plaid Cymru who have produced a strategy to ensure that we make a success of Brexit.

Plaid Cymru's five-point Positive Post-Brexit Plan will fight for the money, responsibility and respect that Wales deserves. We will make sure Brexit works for Wales and not just the financial services of the City of London. We will create the kind of Wales we want beyond Brexit.

The arithmetic of this Parliament means Plaid Cymru's influence is greater than ever. Plaid Cymru MPs will use this unique position for one purpose - to forward Wales's national interest. This means securing concessions from the debilitated Tory-DUP alliance, to get the money to keep the cogs of our economy turning; the powers so that we can take decisions into our own hands; and the respect to ensure that we can hold our head high as a nation and make sure Wales can succeed throughout Brexit and beyond.
Ramadhan is one of the five pillars of Islam (Sawm). It is a holy month where every year Muslims fast and abstain from eating and drinking (even water, chewing gum and smoking) during daylight hours. This year Ramadan began in the evening of 26th May, and will fend on 26th June (depending on the moonsighting).

The month can have a considerable impact on someone's health. For a lot of people it can be a huge physical and mental challenge, with factors like the hot weather, long summer days, a lack of food and drink, and disrupted sleep patterns. Despite this, people take these challenges in their stride, going about their daily lives, whilst also making time for extra charity work, prayers and reading the Quran - all key activities during the month of Ramadhan.

Many Muslims, including myself, actively look forward to this month, as it provides a temporary change in lifestyle, and can bring a new perspective to things. The month is often a time for self reflection, self control, and a chance to focus on putting others needs above your own. I think of it as something similar to an annual 'training exercise' for self-improvement, a bit like a deep clean physically, mentally and spiritually. Even after the first day of Ramadhan, I notice a difference in myself. Even though it can be a challenge, it also has a positive impact, improving mental wellbeing through finding inner peace during prayers and improving self-esteem through acts of charity.

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The month is intended to bring Muslims to closer to God, to encourage us to be kinder to one another and remind you to help others who may be in need of support. It's a time when friends, families and communities come together, and demonstrates the importance of support networks in helping our mental wellbeing.

Ramadhan, through its focus on charity, and helping others, enables you to connect with people outside or your own community too. Helping others is known to have benefits for our mental well-being - it feels good, as it gives us a sense of self worth and purpose.

After years of observing Ramadhan and seeing others participate in charity work, I thought I'd give it a go. I decided to do a fundraising campaign to raise money for homeless people in Canterbury and in parts of Central London to provide food, water and other necessary items. This process not only taught me a lot, but enabled me to engage with people I wouldn't have normally. It really helped my self-esteem, and I enjoyed having a project to focus on, contributing to helping me maintain my own wellbeing during this month. Some of the people I helped began to recognise me, and I would frequently stop and have lengthy conversations with them, discovering a lot about their lives. Many people, who find themselves homeless often have problems with their mental health. Having experience of depression and anxiety myself, I know how helpful it can be to have someone to talk to, and someone to listen to you. I hope that the conversations I had, and the food and drink we provided, went some way in supporting their wellbeing during this month too.

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North Adams Continuing With Airport Hanger Purchase



The Airport Commission rescinded and the revoted on recommendations related to the purchase of the so-called Shamrock Hangar so that Commissioner Trevor Gilman could recuse himself. NORTH ADAMS, Mass.  As the city moves forward with the purchase of the "Shamrock Hangar," hanger tenants are concerned they will be kicked out.

Owner of Midnav and board member of Mohawk Soaring Brian Doyle asked the commission Tuesday if the Mohawk Soaring tow plane will be forced out of the hangar.

"Our tow plane is based there and it is not the kind of aircraft that can sit outside," he said. "It has an impact on us and we would like to know what's going on."

The city plans to purchase the hangar from current owner Liam Shirley using Non-Primary Entitlement Funds from the Federal Aviation Authority. The airport gets those funds annually and can also borrow them from other airports on the condition they be paid back.

Commissioner Trevor Gilman said no decision has been made on how the hangar will be used.

"There is no plan and there has been no discussion and we won't move forward with discussions until it is owned," he said.

Doyle asked who would be responsible for granting use of the hangar and Gilman said it would be up the commission.

He added that he would recuse himself from any vote because Teamflys  a company Gilman is associated with  uses the hangar.

Commissioner Armand Boillat said the commission has no interest in creating a hard time for its tenants.

Pilot Michael Milazzo said a lot of airport users feel blindsided by purchase and had no idea it was under consideration.

Peter Enzien, representing the airport's engineering firm Stantec, said it was discussed and voted on at a meeting in February.

He said the project is actually two separate pieces: the purchase and renovation of the hangar and upgrades to the motorized gate.

Both projects went out to bid in April and the lowest renovation bid came in at $168,000 and the gate project came in $30,850.

Enzien said construction is anticipated to begin in August.

Before moving on from the project update, the commission withdrew last month's vote to recommend that the city purchase the hangar and to borrow Non-Primary Entitlement Funds from Garner Airport to help fund the project. The commission then revoted the same recommendations with Gilman recusing himself.

Gilman asked that this be done after other airport users felt there could be a conflict of interest because of his participation in last month's vote.

"There has been a question brought up about my conflict of interest and my relationship with Teamflys and while I personally disagree that there is any conflict for safety's sake ... I want to recuse myself from the two votes," he said. "I want to eliminate any question or conflict that could come down the road."

Gilman says he has no financial interest in Teamflys but has helped in its management and is an authorized signer.

Doyle also had concerns about how the airport informs tenants of closures.

Airport Manager Bill Greenwald said he can determine if there will be a partial closure and just must notify the FAA. He said communicates a notice of the closure three days before it occurs.

In order for a full closure, the commission must vote and the FAA must approve it.

Greenwald urged tenants to check with him before they schedule events.

"Don't plan anything without clearing with me first. We may have construction scheduled or something else," he said. "I'm the manager and it is my job to run the airport and if there is ever a question call me and I can clear it up."

In his airport manager report, Greenwald said there was recently crack sealing at the airport through a state-wide program. He added that the state Department of Transportation was able to free up some money in the project to repaint the runway.

"So that is completely freshened up with all new white paint and the red markings were touched up," he said.
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For 1.6 billion Muslims around the world, this weekend marks the end of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan.

As one of the five pillars of Islam, the fast lasts for the daylight hours from roughly 3am to 9pm, dependent on the time of dawn and sunset. For the entire month Muslims abstain from eating and drinking until break fast and the first sweet date of the evening iftar feast.

The sacred month is a time to share with loved ones; where people across the country sit down to eat with relatives, neighbours and friends.

Photographer Elham Ehsas has documented what each day of Ramadan looks like for his family.

"Every culture has their own take on Ramadan and I wanted to give the Afghan take; how we break fast, what we do during the day, Mr Ehsas told The Independent.

"I wanted to get into the habit of shooting more and Ramadan was a conduit not only to show others about my culture but to learn more myself."

Mr Ehsas began to take daily photographs to show how his family experience Ramadan.

Ramadan is celebrated on the ninth month of Islam's lunar calendar or the Hijri calendar, which began in AD622 when Muhammad migrated from Mecca to Medina.

Depending on the sighting of he crescent moon, or hilal, the month began this year on May 26 and continued until the evening of Saturday June 24.

When fasting, Muslims will have one meal before dawn called suhoor and after a sunset prayer, the iftar feast is shared with friends and family.

"I've had days where I wake up and I'm thirsty as hell but it's amazing how your body adapts to when you say no," he told The Independent.

As hard as we think something is, it's not half as hard because we forget the power of the human body and mind," he added.

For Suhoor the pre-fast meal, Mr Ehsas often opts for a toasted peanut butter sandwich with honey drizzled on top. The NHS advises keeping hydrated and having the right proportion of carbohydrates, fats and proteins between fasts.

Oxford based anaesthetist, Dr Razeen Mahroof said in a statement to the NHS that during fasting "any toxins stored in the bodys fat are dissolved and removed from the body.

I've been fasting from a young age and it's quite a good experience, its like a detox, giving yourself and your body a break, Mr Ehsas describes.

Mr Ehsas says dates are his favourite iftar food because they are the first thing eaten when you break fast before the evening feast. This tradition echoes when the Prophet Muhammad broke fast with a sip of water and date at sunset.

"They are a big presence, both tasty and symbolic and every year we try new brands and have ones we always go back to because theyre so sweet and juicy, he says.

For many across the country, the sacred month has involved prayers and charity as Muslims believe that Ramadan was the time when the Qu'ran was revealed to mankind through Prophet Muhammad. Fasting during Ramadan is considered to increase one's generosity, patience and closeness to God.

"The photograph most significant to me is the one of my mum praying, I think that embodies the spirit of Ramadan.

"From a religious perspective it's that devotion. You give of your body, mind and time to your God and religion. I personally don't pray as much, but for my mum and millions of other Muslims around the world Ramadan is the period of time to fully bathe in the stream of religion."

"For me it means unity. Millions of people around the globe, wherever you are, you are all untied. United in principles, values and actions and all eating and breaking fast together.

Mr Ehsas says that Ramadan signifies the time when his whole family sit and eat together, increasingly difficult in todays fast-paced environment.

This also characterises the Eid-al-Fitr celebrations. Eid al-Fitr marks the end of the Ramaddan on the evening of Sunday June 25 and means "festival of breaking the fast."

"Eid, the end of Ramadan was like Christmas for me when I was a kid. In Pakistan we'd go out and buy new clothes for Eid and I'd always look forward to that," Mr Ehsas remembered.

Eid marks the first day of the new Islamic month of Shawwal and according to tradition, those who fast are rewarded on this day and greet each other wishing Eid Mubarak (Happy Eid).

Families come together and you make the effort to see those you haven't seen," Mr Ehsas says.

"You wake up in the morning, do the Eid prayer and then go to your loved ones."
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SATs are having damaging consequences for both children and schools, the results of a major teacher survey have revealed.

The national curriculum tests, undertaken by thousands of primary school children across the country each year, are producing unreliable data, the new report warns, causing some pupils to be incorrectly labelled as low ability, and others to go on to secondary school with unrealistically high grades.

The concerns follow caution from the House of Commons Education Committee in April that the high-stakes system of standard assessment tests does not improve teaching and learning in primary schools.

In their report on primary assessment practices, the cross-party board of MPs found young children were at risk of developing mental health problems as a result of the pressure placed on them to pass the tests.

Publishing the results of its latest survey, the National Union of Teachers (NUT) found as many as 94 per cent of the 2,300 teachers who responded agreed with the Committee board.

The vast majority (84 per cent) also agreed the national curriculum tests had a particularly negative impact on children with special educational needs and disabilities, and 58 per cent suggested the exams were somewhat discriminatory against children whose first language was not English.

Summer born children also tended to be at an unfair disadvantage according to teachers personal experiences, and a third (33 per cent) said that children eligible for free school meals  a common indicator of disadvantage  were particularly adversely affected.

A majority of 96 per cent of teachers from the union agreed that SATs preparation did not support childrens access to a broad and balanced curriculum, as laid out by the Department for Education.

Union members also gave evidence to suggest pressure on schools to perform well was leading some children to be removed from learning where they posed a risk to overall attainment levels.

UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 5 November 2022 Demonstrators with placards calling for a General Election march near the Houses of Parliament AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 4 November 2022 A peacock is seen in the early winter sunshine in the Dutch Gardens in Holland Park AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 3 November 2022 A villager cooks roti bread at the site of the annual Camel Fair in Pushkar, in India's desert state of Rajasthan AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 2 November 2022 A red squirrel gathers nuts in Pitlochry, Scotland Reuters UK news in pictures 1 November 2022 Englands Tara-Jane Stanley scores their sides seventh try against Brazil during the Womens Rugby League World Cup group A match at Headingley Stadium, Leeds PA UK news in pictures 31 October 2022 GBs James Hall competes during the mens parallel bars qualification at the World Gymnastics Championships in Liverpool AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 30 October 2022 People dressed in Halloween costumes paddle board along the river Avon in Christchurch, Dorset PA UK news in pictures 29 October 2022 Members of the public take pictures as police officers remove activists from a road during a Just Stop Oil protest, in London Reuters UK news in pictures 28 October 2022 A cosplayer attends the MCM Comic Con London 2022 at the ExCel Centre in London Reuters UK news in pictures 27 October 2022 98-year-old D-Day Veteran Bernard Morgan, whose story is among those featured on the giant poppy wall, during the launch of The Royal British Legion 2022 Poppy Appeal, at Hay's Galleria in central London PA UK news in pictures 26 October 2022 A meerkat explores a pumpkin in the enclosure at Wild Place, Bristol, where some of the animals are having pumpkin treats as part of their environmental enrichment PA UK news in pictures 25 October 2022 King Charles III welcomes Rishi Sunak during an audience at Buckingham Palace, where he invited the newly elected leader of the Conservative Party to become Prime Minister and form a new government PA UK news in pictures 24 October 2022 Rishi Sunak celebrates with Tory MPs outside the Conservative Campaign Headquarters after becoming the new leader of the Conservative Party Reuters UK news in pictures 23 October 2022 The Green Man at October Plenty, Borough Market's annual Autumn Harvest festival, in London, which returns for the first time post pandemic PA UK news in pictures 21 October 2022 Sculptor Peter McKenna puts the finishing touches to a pumpkin that will form part of the Planet A Hebden Bridge Pumpkin Trail in the West Yorkshire town PA UK news in pictures 20 October 2022 Britains Prime Minister Liz Truss delivers a speech outside of 10 Downing Street in central London to announce her resignation AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 19 October 2022 Salmon leap up Stainforth Force on the River Ribble in the Yorkshire Dales as they swim upriver to their spawning grounds during the annual Salmon migration PA UK news in pictures 18 October 2022 Just Stop Oil protesters continue their protest for a second day on the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge, which links Kent and Essex and which remains closed for traffic, after it was scaled by two climbers from the group PA UK news in pictures 17 October 2022 Hundreds of students take part in the traditional Raisin Monday foam fight on St Salvator's Lower College Lawn at the University of St Andrews in Fife PA UK news in pictures 16 October 2022 A protester holds a placard during a march into central London at a demonstration by the climate change protest group Extinction Rebellion AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 15 October 2022 A member of the public drags an activist who is blocking the road during a "Just Stop Oil" protest, in London, Britain REUTERS UK news in pictures 14 October 2022 Germanys Womens double skulls during day one of the World Rowing Beach Sprint Finals at Saundersfoot beach, Pembrokeshire PA UK news in pictures 13 October 2022 Family and mourners arrive at St Michael's Church, in Creeslough, for the funeral mass of 49-year-old mother of four Martina Martin, who died following an explosion at the Applegreen service station in the village of Creeslough in Co Donegal on Friday PA UK news in pictures 12 October 2022 Motorists in Coventry pass trees showing autumnal colour PA UK news in pictures 11 October 2022 A woman and her dog in the the North Sea at Tynemouth Longsands beach before sunrise PA UK news in pictures 10 October 2022 Police officers remove a campaigner from a Just Stop Oil protest on The Mall, near Buckingham Palace, London PA UK news in pictures 9 October 2022 A drummer plays during the Diwali on the Square celebration, in Trafalgar Square, London PA UK news in pictures 8 October 2022 Timothee Chalamet attending the UK premiere of Bones and All during the BFI London Film Festival 2022 at the Royal Festival Hall, Southbank Centre, London PA UK news in pictures 7 October 2022 Two young male fallow deer lock antlers in Dublins Phoenix park as rutting season begins PA UK news in pictures 6 October 2022 The Princess of Wales during a cocktail making competition during a visit to Trademarket, a new outdoor street-food and retail market situated in Belfast city centre, as part of the royal visit to Northern Ireland PA UK news in pictures 5 October 2022 Greenpeace protesters interrupt Prime Minister Liz Truss as she delivers her keynote speech to the Conservative Party annual conference PA UK news in pictures 4 October 2022 Prime Minister Liz Truss and Britains Chancellor of the Exchequer Kwasi Kwarteng wearing hard hats and hi-vis jackets, visit a construction site for a medical innovation campus in Birmingham AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 3 October 2022 British artist Sam Cox, aka Mr Doodle, reveals the Doodle House, a twelve-room mansion at Tenterden, in Kent, which has been covered, inside and out in the artist's trademark monochrome, cartoonish hand-drawn doodles PA UK news in pictures 2 October 2022 Erling Haaland celebrates after scoring Manchester City's second goal against Manchester United at Etihad Stadium. Haaland went on to score a hattrick, his third of the season in the Premier League. City beat United 6-3. Manchester City FC/Getty UK news in pictures 1 October 2022 Protesters hold up flags and placards at a protest in London. A variety of protest groups including Enough is Enough, Don't Pay and Just Stop Oil all demonstrated on the day AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 30 September 2022 British Prime Minister Liz Truss, who has not been seen in days, leaves the back of Downing Street after a meeting with Office For Budget Responsibility following the release of her governments mini-budget Getty UK news in pictures 29 September 2022 The Virginia creeper foliage on the Tu Hwnt i'r Bont (Beyond the Bridge) Llanwrst, Conwy North Wales, has changed colour from green to red in at the start of Autumn. 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The children who have a very low chance of passing the tests are withdrawn from interventions as the year goes on so that the focus is on borderline children, one teacher said. Absolutely disgraceful but senior management are under immense pressure to get the highest percentage of pass rate.

Children are viewed as data, said another. Children not capable of 'making it' are discounted so that resources can be focused on cusp children. Children assessed as 'safe' aren't always given the support to make progress they deserve.

Both Key Stage 1 and 2 SATs exams have become the subject of much criticism in recent years, with many parents and school leaders of the opinion that they put children under too much pressure at too young an age.

Pressure on schools to compete in national league tables has led to pupils being taught a narrower curriculum, the Education Committee heard earlier this year, with staff neglecting arts and humanities in order to focus more attention on the maths, English and science topics covered in SATs.

Last year, parents across the country took their children out of school for a days protest over the exams to demonstrate the benefits of creative learning away from rigorous testing.

The Government has since agreed to scrap SATs for six and seven-year olds starting next year, but concerns have been raised this may only increase the burden for children facing the Year 6 assessments.

A new Keystage 2 curriculum brought in last year was said to have made the end of year tests especially tough, resulting in several teachers and parents complaining of children left in tears and having panic attacks.

john mcdonnell on education

Responding to the NUT survey, teachers said the current assessment system does not enable schools, teachers, children and their families to celebrate the success of children who do not reach the expected standard.

This lack of recognition could be seen to have a damaging impact on many childrens self-esteem, negatively impacting on their willingness to learn in later years.

Children who know they are not on track to achieve the national standard feel anxious, one teacher said. They should be able to feel proud of how much they have progressed rather than being given a result that shows they have failed.

At the other end of the scale, the most able children were too often limited in their learning due to the parameters of key stage testing  with schools having little choice but to concentrate resources on teaching test skills rather than expanding on subject topics.

Schools teach to the tests because there is such a lot at risk.

Subjects like art and music end up being squeezed out. We are pressured into showing examples of writing across the curriculum and therefore lessons like science and history end up having more of an English focus.

As a result of the concentrated pressure around the end of Key Stage tests, many schools reported suffering recruitment issues for Years 2 and 6 teachers.

The pressure on Year 6 teachers is horrendous. Recruitment of experienced upper KS2 teachers is a challenge. Teachers do not want to teach in Year 6 because of the work overload and ridiculous expectations, a primary school leader confessed.

Calls have been made for the current system to be reviewed  something backed by the Education Committee as well as teaching bodies.

NUT general secretary Kevin Courtney said: The Government will be left in no doubt from this survey that teachers believe the current assessment and accountability of Englands primary school children is not fit for purpose.

There is widespread interest among parents, teachers and educationalists about creating a new assessment system which supports pupils learning rather than serving as a blunt instrument of school accountability.

It was regrettable that this interest is only palely reflected in recent DfE consultations, he added.

A Department for Education spokesperson said: We want a stable primary assessment system that supports the stretching national curriculum, freeing up teachers to do what they do best and providing every child with the opportunity to go as far as their talents will allow.

We want to work constructively with teachers to do this and have this week finished a consultation on proposals developed with and supported by the profession. We will now consider the next steps to ensure children are taught the knowledge and skills they need to succeed in later life.
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Grenfell Tower fire victims were murdered by political decisions, claimed shadow Chancellor John McDonnell in a debate at Glastonbury Festival.

Seventy-nine people died in the London tower block fire.

Mr McDonnells remarks come as evacuations of tower blocks in Camden, North London, began after 34 blocks nationwide are revealed to have failed fire safety tests.

Politicians failure to build enough homes and to allow housing developers to pursue profit over need murdered those families, said McDonnell.

The shadow Chancellor was speaking in Glastonburys Left Field tent the day after Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn drew thousands of festival goers to the Pyramid stage.

Mr McDonnell said: Is democracy working? It didnt work if you were a family living on the 20th floor of Grenfell Tower.

Those families, those individuals  79 so far and there will be more  were murdered by political decisions that were taken over recent decades.

The decision not to build homes and to view housing as only for financial speculation rather than for meeting a basic human need made by politicians over decades murdered those families.

The decision to close fire stations and to cut 10,000 firefighters and then to freeze their pay for over a decade contributed to those deaths inevitably and they were political decisions.

Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson, who was Mayor of London when cuts to the fire service were made, has accused Labour of politicising the Grenfell Tower disaster. Mr Johnson wrote on his Facebook page that Labour were engaged with outrageous politicking and political game-playing over the fire.

Labour MP Diane Abbott told a Progress meeting the previous day that the Conservative approach to social housing played a part in the disaster.

The Tories think people in social housing are second-class citizens. And, as we have seen from Grenfell, they are offering them second-class standards of safety. So, a direct consequence of that, a direct consequence of outsourcing  and a direct consequence of deregulation.

Mr McDonnells London constituency Hayes and Harlington is just miles from Grenfell Tower.

Green Party co-leader Jonathan Bartley and economist Faiza Shaheen also took part in the Glastonbury debate about whether democracy is broken, chaired by Guardian journalist John Harris.
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People with disabilities in the UK could slide back into nursing homes if Brexit restricts the numbers of care staff coming from the EU, according to a new report seen exclusively by The Independent.

They face losing crucial rights and protections following Brexit and could be forced to move out of their homes, the study, published by charity Disability Rights UK (DRUK), claims.

Britains departure from the EU could damage disabled people's quality of life of people due to a loss of funding for support services and a potential scaling back of disability rights that sit within EU law, it warns.

DRUK said the impact of Brexit on disability rights has barely been mentioned in policy debates, despite disabled people making up one in five of the British population.

Among the most pressing concerns, the report warns that changes to immigration laws are likely to impact personal assistance, warning that the loss of carers from EU countries could see disabled people slide back into depending on institutions and unable to live at home.

It states that while the discussion on immigration has so far picked up on highly skilled people and around farm work, there has been little on the people who keep services running like the health and social care services.

The number of non-British EU nationals working in the UKs crisis-stricken social care system has shot up by more than 40 per cent in three years, according to official figures  prompting fears that Brexit will lead to a catastrophic staffing crisis across the sector.

Anna Lawson, co-author of the report who is a professor of law and director of Centre of Disability, told The Independent: The discussion on immigration has so far picked up on highly skilled people and around farm work. But theres been very little on the people who keep services running like the health and social care services.

This all links to the right to independent living. If you cant get access to support and services then people slide back into institutions rather than living at home, or living at home without adequate support.

Researchers also warned that millions of pounds of EU funding currently provided to charities and organisations running support and schemes for disabled people are at risk, and urges that making replacing any lost funding must be a high priority so opportunities aren't bricked up.

UK charities benefit from an estimated 300 million a year, the report states. Funding for people with disabilities includes that from the European Social Fund, which helps disabled people with work experience, wage subsidies and support for the self-employed, and the European Regional Development Funds, which offers funding for projects that enhance disability equality and inclusion.

Philip Connolly, policy and development manager at DRUK, told The Independent: European social fund provides training and employment support to tens of thousands of disabled people.

The Government has said it will match funds up to 2020, but thats only three years away. Whats going to happen after that? A significant move for disabled people into work might be walled up the access route. It will brick up their opportunities.

Based on the assumption that the UK will not be seeking membership of the European Economic Area or single market, the findings also warn that unless urgent action is taken to implement new disability laws in the UK, disabled people will lose important measures that currently fall under EU law.

While some disability-related rights in EU law are already embedded in domestic UK legislation, there are many disability-related rights, such as access to air travel, low flow buses and accessible websites, that are directly applicable in the UK but only apply through our membership of the EU laws.

Ms Lawson warned that on leaving the EU it was crucial for the UK to keep up with developments in EU law regarding protection for disabled people, warning that if action isnt taken to do so the UK could see a regression in rights for disabled people.

Currently, travel on board a plane or ship disabled people are protected from discrimination and have a right to assistance only in EU law. Theres nothing specifically in UK law, Ms Lawson told The Independent.

Unless action is taken to ensure these laws are transferred onto the UK statute book, this could see a return to a time where, for example, you could be assisted up to the boarding gate, but not have help getting onto the plane.

Recommended Charities unite to pressure party leaders over disability cuts

If we dont keep up with the ongoing and fast-moving developments in EU law, we could end up having much lower requirements. Its a complex issue on which our laws are very entangled with EU laws. If were going to disentangle them, theres a risk things will fall out in that process.

The report concludes that explicit attention should be given to this issue in the negotiations to ensure that disabled passengers continue to be able to travel safely and on an equal basis with others.

It also warns that a loss of reciprocal agreements with the EU would have massive implications for disabled people travelling in Europe, and could see some people living in Europe forced to return to the UK for medical care.

Ms Lawson said the loss of such agreements would affect a large number of people, but because disabled people have a heightened need to access healthcare they will be particularly hit hard.

The loss of reciprocal agreements will affect everybody, but because disabled people disproportionately need access to healthcare, they will be hit hard. The cost of getting healthcare insurance if you go on holiday, for instance, is going to be very expensive without those agreements, particularly for disabled people or those with health problems, she said.

Also for people who live or work in other EU countries at the moment who are disabled. There are a lot of older people who are likely to be disabled or have ongoing health conditions, and there are likely to be massive implications for them without the reciprocal health agreements that we currently have.

They might have to come back to the UK for healthcare. That needs to be on the negotiating table, otherwise we wont have reciprocal agreements on that.

Concluding the report's findings, Mr Connolly said: The implications of Brexit for disabled people are both myriad and huge. Disabled people might struggle to get the support they need to live independently, or get access to transport, and we could see a dilution of disabled peoples rights generally.

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

"Its vital that the government starts talking to disabled people and demonstrating its commitment to their needs and concerns.

Responding to the warnings in the report, a Government spokesperson said: This Government made a clear commitment that all protections in equality legislation will continue to apply once the UK has left the EU.

"There will be no going backwards on this issue. We are carefully considering how best to convert EU law through the Great Repeal Bill. The UK has some of the strongest equality legislation in the world and will continue to address discrimination in all its forms.
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An angry resident has confronted the Leader of Camden Council over its decision to evacuate her from her home in the Chalcots Estate and rehouse her in a bed and breakfast with her four small children.

Farah Ikran said she has being staying at a B&B with her family in Wembley since the council announced the four towers of the estate were being evacuated, after fire safety tests revealed they were covered in flammable cladding and had numerous internal issues.

She challenged council leader Georgia Gould over where she had been housed, saying she could not feed her children without a fridge or a cooker.

She said she was worried about her children returning to school on Monday as they were distressed by the upheaval and had not been able to eat properly.

Ms Gould attempted to reassure her that she understood what she was saying and made sure she had registered with the council for help.

The blocks are four of 60 so far which have been found to have the flammable cladding similar to that feared to have played a key role in spreading the flames at Grenfell Tower in Kensington last week.

Some 200 residents of the block were refusing to leave on Saturday evening as many said they would not sleep on an air mattresses in the leisure centre when they could stay in their own home.

Grenfell Tower survivors to be housed in 375 Kensington High Street Show all 10 1 /10 Grenfell Tower survivors to be housed in 375 Kensington High Street Grenfell Tower survivors to be housed in 375 Kensington High Street Inside a flat at 375 Kensington High Street - Located in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea berkeleygroup.co.uk Grenfell Tower survivors to be housed in 375 Kensington High Street The 68 flats are being acquired by the City of London Corporation as part of the response to the tragedy berkeleygroup.co.uk Grenfell Tower survivors to be housed in 375 Kensington High Street The luxury flats are located just a couple of miles from Grenfell Tower berkeleygroup.co.uk Grenfell Tower survivors to be housed in 375 Kensington High Street The families will be offered permanent homes in the building berkeleygroup.co.uk Grenfell Tower survivors to be housed in 375 Kensington High Street Penthouses in the block can go for up to 13m berkeleygroup.co.uk Grenfell Tower survivors to be housed in 375 Kensington High Street A spokesman for the Berkeley Group confirmed they were finalising plans berkeleygroup.co.uk Grenfell Tower survivors to be housed in 375 Kensington High Street The property boasts a gym, swimming pool and 24-hour concierge service harrodsestates.com Grenfell Tower survivors to be housed in 375 Kensington High Street The families will live in the award winning 2bn development berkeleygroup.co.uk Grenfell Tower survivors to be housed in 375 Kensington High Street Families whose lives were devastated by the fire at Grenfell Tower are to be housed in a luxury development berkeleygroup.co.uk Grenfell Tower survivors to be housed in 375 Kensington High Street 68 families are to be rehomed in the block berkeleygroup.co.uk

Ms Ikran was one of the few who were able to be taken to a hotel but she said she cannot stay there without being able to feed her children  regardless of the 100 food and expenses allowance which has been allocated to each displaced family.

She told The Independent: "They are doing nothing. They are saying you get 100 but we dont need money. We need a place for our kids.

"Money is nothing to us, even if she gives us 10,000, it is nothing."

She said she was originally told she would be staying there for just one night but has now been told she may have to stay for two weeks.

The Chalcots Estate in Camden has been evacuated due to fire safety concerns (PA)

She said: "I am not going to stay for 14 nights.I have a child, one-year-old, she is not eating takeaway. Why are they kicking us out of our houses? Why are they kicking out kids?

"They are the ones who created this problem. They need to solve it, they need to open up their houses. They have houses. They have a hundred empty properties they are getting ready now and they are not doing anything."

Speaking to reporters outside the leisure centre on Sunday, Ms Gould said she was going to personally go knock on doors in the estate to persuade people to leave.

She said they have more hotel spaces and 100 flats of their own properties on Maiden Lane which they have just built, becoming available for residents on Monday.

"We hope to get many people into more secure accommodation as quickly as we can," she said.

"The priority is to make sure that the people in those blocks have somewhere that they can directly go to and making sure that they are safe."

London Mayor Sadiq Khan has backed the council's decision to evacuate the tower blocks.

"I think they've done the right thing. Look, you've got to err on the side of caution. You can't play Russian roulette with people's safety," he told Sky News.
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Residents of tower blocks in Camden's Chalcots Estate have said they will sleep in their flats on Saturday night because they had not been offered suitable temporary accommodation.

People who were asked to leave their homes expressed fury at the chaotic response by the council, claiming it has left them with no choice but to return to their flats and spend another night in the towers despite safety warnings.

Around 4,000 residents were displaced after 650 households were told to leave the Chalcots Estate when firefighters said they could not guarantee residents' safety, a week after a blaze in Grenfell Tower killed at least 79 people.

Many slept on air beds in Swiss Cottage leisure centre, while others went to stay at homes of friends and relatives, and around 83 Chalcots households refused to leave their homes.

Camden Council said it was booking hotels for residents to live in while work is carried out to make the building safer, which they said will take up to four weeks.

Council leader Georgia Gould said on Saturday the authority had spent 500,000 on hotel rooms for residents and had offered to reimburse those who have paid for their own temporary accommodation.

But a number of residents told The Independent on Saturday evening that they had not yet been offered any temporary accommodation, or had but had refused to take it because it was too far home, with some reportedly being offered places as far away as Luton.

Sacha Wilde, who lives with her elderly mother, was in one of the households that remained in their homes during the evacuation on Friday. She said they decided not to leave until they had somewhere suitable to go to because her mother suffers from a severe lung condition.

It's not that we are refusing to vacate, it's that we need to have somewhere suitable to go as we have pets and my mum has a severe lung condition, she told The Independent.

My mother is often incapable of walking even short distances without getting breathless so it was that she was just unable to. And then we had the cats and the hamsters on top of that which isn't really something that you can take to large community halls full of people.

Ms Wildes family was offered two hotel rooms in Paddington, but they later discovered the hotel wasnt pet-friendly. When she contacted the council, she claims she was told if she did not take the rooms her family would be moved to the bottom of the list.

She has now independently found an alternative and more suitable option, but said the rooms are not available until Sunday night, meaning she and her family must spend another night in the building, despite the safety warnings.

We found out that the Britannia hotel on the corner is pet friendly. So after some deliberating we have been booked two rooms there from tomorrow. They have advised us that we should not stay at home this evening but as there is no alternative that is what we will be doing, she said.

Daniel Rochester and neighbour, Chantelle, both said they would return to their homes in Chalcots estate on Saturday night, claiming they had had been offered no suitable temporary accommodation (May Bulman/The Independent)

Daniel Rochester, who lives in the Dorney tower, was meanwhile offered a hotel in Wembley, but said it was too far away, adding that authorities' response to the evacuation had been chaotic.

I cant go to Wembley. I was supposed to have my two-year-old daughter today, but how can I have her when Ive got nowhere to take her? This is valuable time for me, that Im spending sleeping in my car. I cant get this time back with her, he told The Independent.

They should be trying to make people as comfortable as possible at this stressful time. But its been extremely chaotic. I feel very stressed. Im not going to Wembley. I have no choice. Its unreasonable to tell me to go to Wembley.

How can you tell people to come out of their house at that hour and not have somewhere suitable for people to stay? We shouldnt have to leave our homes to come and be in this pandemonium.

Chantelle, who asked not be fully named, said she lives on the 16th floor of the Dorney tower with four young children. She also refused to leave her flat on Friday, and said she had not yet been offered any accommodation.

My kids have got school. Theyre crying asking how theyre going to get to school. Everything I need is here. I need to be where I live, where my family are. Dont send me to Watford, Luton, Manchester, she said.

You dont treat animals like that. They should have been prepared for this. Theyre taking people out of their nice, comfortable homes to go sleep on the floor. Im staying at home.

Residents who had accepted temporary accommodation expressed concern about being far from schools, work and medical facilities.

Teenage resident Abdul, who uses a wheelchair, told The Independent he and his family had been offered hotel accommodation for the next five days, but was not sure what would happen after that. He added the location of the hostel they had been offered would make it difficult for him to get to school.

The 16-year-old, who is currently doing GCSEs, said: It will take a lot longer to get to school. I dont think Im going to be able to make it to be honest.

Bribisha, a mother of three, said: I was hanging around with my kids outside until 1am. Why did they evacuate us if they had nowhere for us to go? she asked.

Ms Gould said on Saturday afternoon: Were committed to looking after all our evacuated residents. This afternoon Ive made money available to pay for residents' food, drinks and any necessary items they require over the weekend.

Were encouraging evacuated residents to stay with family and friends if at all possible. If thats not possible, we want to fill up all the hotels rooms weve secured for tonight.

I want to reiterate that both the council and the London Fire Brigade advise in the strongest possible terms that any remaining residents in Taplow, Bray, Dorney and Burnham should evacuate their blocks and take up one of our temporary accommodation options, as this is the safest place for you to be.

Dan Daly, London Fire Brigades assistant commissioner for fire safety, said essential works were needed on those four blocks.

UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 10 November 2022 A grey heron lands on the river Dodder in Dublin on a sunny autumn morning PA UK news in pictures 9 November 2022 Australia and Spain play during the Wheelchair Rugby League World Cup group A match at the Copper Box Arena, London PA UK news in pictures 8 November 2022 A migrant attempting to communicate with journalists is pinned against a fence by members of staff, before being taken out of view, at the Manston immigration short-term holding facility, located at the former Defence Fire Training and Development Centre in Thanet, Kent PA UK news in pictures 7 November 2022 Handout photo issued by Just Stop Oil of a protester who has climbed a gantry on the M25 between junctions six and seven in Surrey, leading to the closure of the motorway PA UK news in pictures 6 November 2022 A grey seal with its pup, at the Donna Nook National Nature Reserve in north Lincolnshire, where they come every 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Haaland went on to score a hattrick, his third of the season in the Premier League. City beat United 6-3. Manchester City FC/Getty UK news in pictures 1 October 2022 Protesters hold up flags and placards at a protest in London. A variety of protest groups including Enough is Enough, Don't Pay and Just Stop Oil all demonstrated on the day AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 30 September 2022 British Prime Minister Liz Truss, who has not been seen in days, leaves the back of Downing Street after a meeting with Office For Budget Responsibility following the release of her governments mini-budget Getty UK news in pictures 29 September 2022 The Virginia creeper foliage on the Tu Hwnt i'r Bont (Beyond the Bridge) Llanwrst, Conwy North Wales, has changed colour from green to red in at the start of Autumn. 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He added: We appreciate the inconvenience residents have experienced and that such immediate action will have an impact on all those involved.

Camden Council have acted swiftly and we will continue to work with them as they make the necessary renovations in these buildings. Working with local authorities and other housing providers we need to do everything we can to ensure the safety of the people we are all here to serve.

On Saturday night the Government said 34 high-rise blocks of flats in 17 local authority areas had failed fire cladding safety tests in the wake of the deadly Grenfell fire disaster.

Communities Secretary Savid Javid said that while cladding on those buildings had failed combustibility tests, evacuations would not necessarily take place at all 34 buildings.

Camden Council has been contacted for further comment.
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Far-right English Defence League protesters clashed with anti-fascist groups amid a heavy police presence as they marched through central London.

Around 50 EDL protesters made their way from a pub near Trafalgar Square to a rally on the Victoria Embankment on Saturday afternoon.

Some members of the group were carrying banners and St George's Cross flags, while others covered their faces as they chanted "EDL" and "Whose streets? Our streets."

Members of the far-right anti-immigration English Defence League (EDL) march from Victoria Embankment to Charing Cross Station under heavy police guard, in Londnon, as anti-Fascist groups held a counter-demonstration nearby (EPA/PETE MACLAINE)

A public disorder arrest was also made in Birmingham city centre on Saturday, where an estimated 250 supporters of the far-right Britain First held a rally, with a similar number attending nearby counter-protests.

EDL supporters in London were met with cries of "Nazi scum, off our streets" as officers kept them separated from anti-fascist groups, including Unite Against Fascism (UAF), who were holding a counter-demonstration on the Embankment some 50 metres away.

Speakers made reference to recent deadly terror attacks in Manchester and London.

One was greeted with cheers as he said if the Islamist attacks continued: "I'll be the first white suicide bomber in England."

A police officer scuffles with a man as members of the far-right anti-immigration English Defence League (EDL) march from Victoria Embankment to Charing Cross Station under heavy police guard, in London (EPA/PETE MACLAINE)

EDL marchers were greeted by more counter-protesters as dozens of police officers escorted them along a pre-planned route to Charing Cross Station.

Members of one rival group scuffled with police as they came within yards of the far-right group.

One man, who was dressed in black, was detained by officers as the march continued with the voices of the EDL drowned out by anti-fascist chants.

But tensions died down as EDL demonstrators talked among themselves in smaller groups while music played within a metal cordon, surrounded by police.

People protest against the English Defence League (EDL) in central London, with one woman holding a Socialist Worker placard reading 'Don't let the fascists divide us, smash the English defence league, say no to Islamophobia (David Mirzoeff/PA)

Counter-demonstrators hold up placards reading 'Never again! No to the Nazis' and 'black and white, unite and fight, smash the EDL' as the English Defence League (EDL) gather for a demonstration in central London (TOLGA AKMEN/AFP/Getty Images)

On Friday, Scotland Yard said it was taking action under public order laws over the marches planned for Saturday "due to concerns of serious public disorder, and disruption to the community".

Superintendent Emma Richards said: "We have made the decision to impose conditions based on current tensions and concerns, information about the intentions of the organisers of these events and intelligence from previous marches held by similar groups."

Rules laid down by police mean the EDL march was only allowed to legally take place for 90 minutes from 1pm.

The counter-demonstration by UAF was allowed to take place on the Victoria Embankment only between 12.30pm and 3pm.

UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 9 November 2022 Australia and Spain play during the Wheelchair Rugby League World Cup group A match at the Copper Box Arena, London PA UK news in pictures 8 November 2022 A migrant attempting to communicate with journalists is pinned against a fence by members of staff, before being taken out of view, at the Manston immigration short-term holding facility, located at the former Defence Fire Training and Development Centre in Thanet, Kent PA UK news in pictures 7 November 2022 Handout photo issued by Just Stop Oil of a protester who has climbed a gantry on the M25 between junctions six and seven in Surrey, leading to the closure of the motorway PA UK news in pictures 6 November 2022 A grey seal with its pup, at the Donna Nook National Nature Reserve in north Lincolnshire, where they come every year in late October, November and December to give birth to their pups near the sand dunes, the wildlife spectacle attracts visitors from across the UK PA UK news in pictures 5 November 2022 Demonstrators with placards calling for a General Election march near the Houses of Parliament AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 4 November 2022 A peacock is seen in the early winter sunshine in the Dutch Gardens in Holland Park AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 3 November 2022 Florence Kasumba, Letitia Wright, Tenoch Huerta and Lupita Nyongo attend the European Premiere of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever in London Getty UK news in pictures 2 November 2022 A red squirrel gathers nuts in Pitlochry, Scotland Reuters UK news in pictures 1 November 2022 Englands Tara-Jane Stanley scores their sides seventh try against Brazil during the Womens Rugby League World Cup group A match at Headingley Stadium, Leeds PA UK news in pictures 31 October 2022 GBs James Hall competes during the mens parallel bars qualification at the World Gymnastics Championships in Liverpool AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 30 October 2022 People dressed in Halloween costumes paddle board along the river Avon in Christchurch, Dorset PA UK news in pictures 29 October 2022 Members of the public take pictures as police officers remove activists from a road during a Just Stop Oil protest, in London Reuters UK news in pictures 28 October 2022 A cosplayer attends the MCM Comic Con London 2022 at the ExCel Centre in London Reuters UK news in pictures 27 October 2022 98-year-old D-Day Veteran Bernard Morgan, whose story is among those featured on the giant poppy wall, during the launch of The Royal British Legion 2022 Poppy Appeal, at Hay's Galleria in central London PA UK news in pictures 26 October 2022 A meerkat explores a pumpkin in the enclosure at Wild Place, Bristol, where some of the animals are having pumpkin treats as part of their environmental enrichment PA UK news in pictures 25 October 2022 King Charles III welcomes Rishi Sunak during an audience at Buckingham Palace, where he invited the newly elected leader of the Conservative Party to become Prime Minister and form a new government PA UK news in pictures 24 October 2022 Rishi Sunak celebrates with Tory MPs outside the Conservative Campaign Headquarters after becoming the new leader of the Conservative Party Reuters UK news in pictures 23 October 2022 The Green Man at October Plenty, Borough Market's annual Autumn Harvest festival, in London, which returns for the first time post pandemic PA UK news in pictures 21 October 2022 Sculptor Peter McKenna puts the finishing touches to a pumpkin that will form part of the Planet A Hebden Bridge Pumpkin Trail in the West Yorkshire town PA UK news in pictures 20 October 2022 Britains Prime Minister Liz Truss delivers a speech outside of 10 Downing Street in central London to announce her resignation AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 19 October 2022 Salmon leap up Stainforth Force on the River Ribble in the Yorkshire Dales as they swim upriver to their spawning grounds during the annual Salmon migration PA UK news in pictures 18 October 2022 Just Stop Oil protesters continue their protest for a second day on the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge, which links Kent and Essex and which remains closed for traffic, after it was scaled by two climbers from the group PA UK news in pictures 17 October 2022 Hundreds of students take part in the traditional Raisin Monday foam fight on St Salvator's Lower College Lawn at the University of St Andrews in Fife PA UK news in pictures 16 October 2022 A protester holds a placard during a march into central London at a demonstration by the climate change protest group Extinction Rebellion AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 15 October 2022 A member of the public drags an activist who is blocking the road during a "Just Stop Oil" protest, in London, Britain REUTERS UK news in pictures 14 October 2022 Germanys Womens double skulls during day one of the World Rowing Beach Sprint Finals at Saundersfoot beach, Pembrokeshire PA UK news in pictures 13 October 2022 Family and mourners arrive at St Michael's Church, in Creeslough, for the funeral mass of 49-year-old mother of four Martina Martin, who died following an explosion at the Applegreen service station in the village of Creeslough in Co Donegal on Friday PA UK news in pictures 12 October 2022 Motorists in Coventry pass trees showing autumnal colour PA UK news in pictures 11 October 2022 A woman and her dog in the the North Sea at Tynemouth Longsands beach before sunrise PA UK news in pictures 10 October 2022 Police officers remove a campaigner from a Just Stop Oil protest on The Mall, near Buckingham Palace, London PA UK news in pictures 9 October 2022 A drummer plays during the Diwali on the Square celebration, in Trafalgar Square, London PA UK news in pictures 8 October 2022 Timothee Chalamet attending the UK premiere of Bones and All during the BFI London Film Festival 2022 at the Royal Festival Hall, Southbank Centre, London PA UK news in pictures 7 October 2022 Two young male 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news in pictures 2 October 2022 Erling Haaland celebrates after scoring Manchester City's second goal against Manchester United at Etihad Stadium. Haaland went on to score a hattrick, his third of the season in the Premier League. City beat United 6-3. Manchester City FC/Getty UK news in pictures 1 October 2022 Protesters hold up flags and placards at a protest in London. A variety of protest groups including Enough is Enough, Don't Pay and Just Stop Oil all demonstrated on the day AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 30 September 2022 British Prime Minister Liz Truss, who has not been seen in days, leaves the back of Downing Street after a meeting with Office For Budget Responsibility following the release of her governments mini-budget Getty UK news in pictures 29 September 2022 The Virginia creeper foliage on the Tu Hwnt i'r Bont (Beyond the Bridge) Llanwrst, Conwy North Wales, has changed colour from green to red in at the start of Autumn. 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Meanwhile, a Britain First rally passed without any major disorder after a high-profile policing operation in Birmingham city centre.

Officers said one man from a counter-protest group was arrested for breach of the peace after several roads were closed briefly to allow protestors to move from the Hill Street area to Centenary Square.

During the protests, a smoke bomb was let off and a plastic bottle was thrown at officers, who repeatedly had to form cordons to prevent rival protestors from confronting each other.

In a statement issued prior to the march, West Midlands Police said: "We recognise the impact such protests can have on the city but we have no power to ban a static peaceful protest.

"In fact, we and the council have a duty to facilitate the fundamental democratic right of peaceful protest."
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The Conservative councillor who managed the refurbishment of Grenfell Tower has been forced to relocate his family after allegedly receiving threats from angry residents outside his luxury 1.2million home.

Rock Feilding-Mellen, who is deputy leader of Kensington and Chelsea Borough Council (KCBC), was said to be concerned for his safety after abusive posters and vandalism were seen outside his three-storey townhouse in north Kensington on Saturday.

Last year the 38-year-old reportedly oversaw the 10m refurbishment of Grenfell Tower, which saw cladding with a flammable core fitted to the outside of the building.

 Stormzy calls out the Government "f***ery" over Grenfell Tower at Glastonbury

The Kensington and Chelsea Tenant Management Organisation are understood to have reported directly to Mr Feilding-Mellen during the building work because he is cabinet member for housing, though there is no suggestion he was aware of fire safety failings.

After his appointment to the role in 2013, Mr Feilding-Mellen said he wanted to ensure that "tenants can live in safe, attractive, and well-built homes that are fully integrated with the rest of the borough thereby preserving our diverse but mixed communities".

A council spokesperson told The Mirror: Following threats and vandalism outside his house, which has been reported to the police, he had to relocate his family  at his own expense  during the course of last weekend."

Police confirmed they are investigating reports of criminal damage outside Mr Feilding-Mellen's address, which is near the scene of the deadly fire that killed at least 79 people.

A spokesman told The Mirror: Police were alerted on Saturday, 17 June, to reports of posters with allegedly abusive content displayed outside a residential address in the borough of Kensington.

In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire Show all 51 1 /51 In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire Police have released images from inside the tower where at least 58 people have died Metropolitan Police In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire A still from a video shared by polices what appears to be a stationary bicycle sitting among the ashes In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire A still from a video shared by police shows the remnants of a burnt-out bathroom In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire Picture showing the lifts on an unknown floor Metropolitan Police In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire Emergency crews outside the front entrance to the tower Metropolitan Police In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire Fire crews inspecting flats in the burnt out tower London Metropolitan Police In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire Grenfell Tower is seen in the distance PA In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire A drone flies near the scene of the fire which destroyed the Grenfell Tower block REUTERS/Stefan Wermuth In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire 'Theresa May Stay Away' message written on the messages of support at Latymer Community Church for those affected by the fire Ray Tang/REX In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire An aerial view of the area surrounding Grenfall tower Getty In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire Donated shoes sit in the Westway Sports Centre near to the site of the Grenfell Tower fire Getty Images In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire Messages of support for those affected by the massive fire in Grenfell Tower are displayed on a well near the tower in London AP In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire A local resident stands on her balcony by the gutted Grenfell Tower in Latimer Road Getty Images In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire Messages of condolence are left at a relief centre close to the scene of the fire that broke out at Grenfell Tower, EPA In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire A police officer stands by a security cordon outside Latimer Road station Getty Images In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire Firemen examine the scorched facade of the Grenfell Tower in London on a huge ladder AP In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire A search dog is led through the rubble of the Grenfell Tower in London as firefighting continue to damp-down the deadly fire AP In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn comforts a local resident (name not given) at St Clement's Church in west London where volunteers have provided shelter and support for people affected by the fire at Grenfell Tower David Mirzoeff/PA In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn hugs councillor Mushtaq Lasharie as he arrives at St Clement's Church in Latimer Road, where volunteers have provided shelter and support for people affected by the fire at Grenfell Tower Getty Images In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn meeting staff and volunteers at St Clementis Church in Latimer Road David Mirzoeff/PA In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire Firefighters with a dog walk around the base of the Grenfell Tower REUTERS/Peter Nicholls In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire Emotions run high as people attend a candle lit vigil outside Notting Hill Methodist Church near the 24 storey residential Grenfell Tower block in Latimer Road, West London Getty Images In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire Debris hangs from the blackened exterior of Grenfell Tower Getty Images In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire A woman speaks to Mayor of London Sadiq Khan outside Notting Hill Methodist Church near Grenfell Tower in west London after a fire engulfed the 24-storey building Yui Mok/PA Wire In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire A woman holds a missing person posters near the Grenfell Tower block REUTERS/Stefan Wermuth In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire Sadiq Khan speaking with a resident James Gourley/REX In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire Ken Livingstone walks near the scene of the Grenfell Tower fire Getty Images In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire Mayor of London Sadiq Khan is confronted by Kai Ramos, 7, near Grenfell Tower in west London after a fire engulfed the 24-storey building Yui Mok/PA Wire In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire Mayor of London Sadiq Khan speaks to a woman outside Notting Hill Methodist Church near Grenfell Tower Yui Mok/PA Wire In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire Volunteers distribute aid near Grenfell Tower Getty Images In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire Family and friends of missing Jessica Urbano, 12, wearing photographs of Jessica pinned to their t-shirts gather near Grenfell Tower EPA In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire Family and friends of missing Jessica Urbano, 12, wearing photographs of Jessica pinned to their t-shirts gather near Grenfell Tower EPA In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire Family and friends of missing Jessica Urbano, 12, wearing photographs of Jessica pinned to their t-shirts gather near Grenfell Tower EPA In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire People attend a vigil at Notting Hill Methodist Church near Grenfell Tower Getty Images In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire People gather to observe a vigil outside St Clement's Church following the blaze at Grenfell Tower Getty Images In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire People light candles as they observe a vigil outside St Clement's Church following the blaze at Grenfell Tower Getty Images In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire People attend a vigil at Notting Hill Methodist Church near Grenfell Tower Getty Images In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire A man distributes food from the back of a van near the scene of the fire which destroyed the Grenfell Tower block REUTERS/Paul Hackett In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire A firefighter is cheered near the scene of the fire which destroyed the Grenfell Tower block REUTERS/Paul Hackett In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire A T-shirt with a written message from the London Fire Brigade hangs from a fence near The Grenfell Tower block REUTERS/Stefan Wermuth In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire A young girl on her way to lay flowers near Grenfell Tower Getty Images In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire The remains of residential tower block Grenfell Tower are seen from Dixon House a nearby tower block Getty In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire Volunteers prepare supplies for people affected by the Grenfell Tower block which was destroyed in a fire REUTERS/Neil Hall In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire Volunteers move a car to make space for a lorry picking up supplies for people affected by the Grenfell Tower block REUTERS/Stefan Wermuth In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire People distribute boxes of food near the scene of the fire which destroyed the Grenfell Tower bloc REUTERS/Paul Hackett In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire A woman touches a missing poster for 12-year-old Jessica Urbano on a tribute wall after laying flowers on the side of Latymer Community Church next to the fire-gutted Grenfell Tower AP In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire A man looks at messages written on a wall near the scene of the fire which destroyed the Grenfell Tower block REUTERS/Paul Hackett In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire Candles and messages of condolence near where the fire broke out at Grenfell Tower EPA In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire Police carry a stretcher towards Grenfell Tower Rick Findler/PA Wire In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire Emergency services at Grenfell Tower Rick Findler/PA Wire In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire Police carry out a body from Grenfell Tower in west London after a fire engulfed the 24-storey building Rick Findler/PA Wire

Officers who subsequently attended the scene did not find any evidence of posters at the scene, or any evidence of criminal damage at the property.

Officers were subsequently sent photographs of the alleged posters. The individual property owner concerned was given advice by police. Enquiries continue.

Mr Feilding-Mellen is the son of the Earl and Countess of Wemyss and March, James Charteris and Amanda Feilding, who have a 5,000-acre stately home in Gloucestershire.

The council said he has remained on duty and worked throughout the fallout of the Grenfell Tower tragedy.

KCBC Chief Executive Nicholas Holgate was forced to quit his 180,000 role following the blaze amid criticism of a "shambolic" response by the council.

Grenfell Tower residents complained two years ago about the refurbishment of the building being done using cheap materials and workmanship that cut corners.

They later claimed that the Conservative-led council, which owns the building, had done nothing to address their concerns.

A number of survivors of the blaze have claimed the exterior cladding was linked to the way the fire spread so rapidly up the outside of the tower, with one describing the flames coming up really fast, because of the cladding, [which] just caught up like a matchstick.

Minutes from an emergency residents meeting held on 17 March 2015 show that more than 100 people living in the block produced a long list of issues about the refurbishment.

The minutes detail anxieties about the way the firm Rydon was doing the work and the role of the towers administrators Kensington and Chelsea Tenant Management Organisation (TMO) and mention the concern that TMO/Rydon are using cheap materials and cutting corners on workmanship.

Other problems included grave concerns at standard of works inside a number of residents properties.

Chancellor Philip Hammond has claimed that the cladding used in the refurbishment - said to be the cheaper, more flammable of two options available to the supplier - is already banned on high rise buildings in the UK.

London Mayor Sadiq Khan has called for a change in leadership at the council and demanded that victims are given a say in the independent public inquiry into the disaster.

He said: "I will continue to fight for residents to get the support they need as well as ensuring changes are made so a similar tragedy never happens again."
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Cordons have been lifted after the London Eye and Waterloo Pier were evacuated following the reported discovery of a World War-era bomb.

A spokesman for Scotland Yard has reportedly confirmed authorites have found a bomb from World War I or II in the Thames near the tourist hotspot.

People on the London Eye were told to evacuate immediately.

Police cordoned off the area, but the barriers have since been lifted.

A tourist reportedly spotted the bomb and called the police.

A Metropolitan Police spokesman told Metro, "Police were called at 10:30hrs on Sunday, 25 June, by a member of the public reporting suspected WW1 or WW2 ordnance in the foreshore on the River Thames near to the London Eye."

Growing Underground: London farm housed in WWII air raid shelter Show all 11 1 /11 Growing Underground: London farm housed in WWII air raid shelter Growing Underground: London farm housed in WWII air raid shelter Growing Underground Growing Underground is housed in a network of dark and dingy tunnels, originally built as air-raid shelters during World War II. Growing Underground Growing Underground: London farm housed in WWII air raid shelter Growing Underground Childhood friends and founders Steven Dring and Richard Ballard had a simple idea  find a solution to the way that weoften arduouslysource our food. Growing Underground Growing Underground: London farm housed in WWII air raid shelter Growing Underground Their business could be a step into changing how we eat. Their aim is to reconnect British consumers with local products while reducing food miles and waste. Growing Underground Growing Underground: London farm housed in WWII air raid shelter Growing Underground This week, Growing Underground celebrated yet another distribution milestone by striking a deal with online retailer Ocado  Growing Underground Growing Underground: London farm housed in WWII air raid shelter Growing Underground A high-tech irrigation system allows the water that is needed to grow the plants to be treated on-site and recirculated, saving water in the process. Growing Underground Growing Underground: London farm housed in WWII air raid shelter Growing Underground Growing Underground Growing Underground: London farm housed in WWII air raid shelter Growing Underground About twenty different types of herb are being cultivated in the former bomb shelters, including pea shoots, rocket, red mustard, pink stem radish, garlic chives, fennel and coriander Growing Underground Growing Underground: London farm housed in WWII air raid shelter Growing Underground Growing Underground Growing Underground: London farm housed in WWII air raid shelter Growing Underground Growing Underground Growing Underground: London farm housed in WWII air raid shelter Growing Underground Growing Underground Growing Underground: London farm housed in WWII air raid shelter Growing Underground

One Twitter user posted that she had been asked to disembark the London Eye ten minutes after the discovery was found.

"So we barely made it on the #londoneye before everyone was evacuated. News, anyone?"

The official Thames Clipper service twitter account announced that the London Eye Pier had been re-opened after an hour, and apologised for the inconvenience.

It said the boat service would resume as per the timetable.

The area also features the popular London Aquarium and the sites see close to 4 million visitors every year.
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If the Home Office takes my son, I will throw myself under the car that takes my son to the station, says refugee Jehad Hassan. His son, Yousef, has been ordered to attend an asylum reporting centre in Middlesbrough on Monday, when his family fear he will be detained for deportation to Italy.

The 22-year-old Palestinian-Syrian asylum seeker was just 15 when the Syrian civil war broke out, fleeing his home country after he reached the age of military conscription and was recruited by Bashar al-Assads forces.

Separated from his parents and siblings in the chaos of the conflict, he journeyed to Europe alone and arrived in the UK in a lorry from Calais in 2014. Now reunited, the Hassan family are rebuilding their lives in Middlesbrough, where all members apart from Yousef have been granted refugee status. He has now lost a two-and-a-half year battle with the Home Office to stop his asylum claim being transferred to Italy.

Too old to gain protection under family reunification laws, a judicial review was dismissed and the Government has rejected a claim under the European Convention on Human Rights on the right to family life.

The Hassan family are from the Yarmouk refugee camp in Damascus, which was overrun by Isis in 2015 (Getty)

If your client does have a close relationship with his family and he was to be removed to Italy, he would be able to maintain a reasonable degree of contact with his family through such means as the telephone, email and letters, reads a letter from the Home Office to lawyers representing Yousef.

The claim has been little comfort to the family, who live together in Middlesbrough where Mr Hassan works as a delivery driver and his other children are studying. Yousef, who was preparing to study engineering at Damascus University when he was forced to flee Syria, is enrolled on English and maths courses at a local college.

My son has lived with me for two years, I support him, we havent taken anything from benefits, Mr Hassan said, adding that his cousin  a restaurant owner  had sent a letter to the Home Office offering to sponsor Yousef.

If my son goes to Italy, he will be on the streets  I dont want him to be taken away, I cant think about it. I want my son to be in front of my eyes.

Refugees welcome here: Protesters demand UK resettle more migrants in response to refugee crisis Show all 7 1 /7 Refugees welcome here: Protesters demand UK resettle more migrants in response to refugee crisis Refugees welcome here: Protesters demand UK resettle more migrants in response to refugee crisis The Solidarity With Refugees group said Saturdays protest aimed to show our Government and the world that Britain is ready to welcome more refugees. Rex Features Refugees welcome here: Protesters demand UK resettle more migrants in response to refugee crisis People march through central London as they take part in a protest rally organised by Solidarity with Refugees in a bid to urge the Government to take more action on the migrant crisis Press Association Refugees welcome here: Protesters demand UK resettle more migrants in response to refugee crisis The protest comes days before world leaders meet to discuss crisis at UN General Assembly Press Association Refugees welcome here: Protesters demand UK resettle more migrants in response to refugee crisis Demonstrators made their way from Park Lane to Parliament Square in London on Saturday afternoon Press Association Refugees welcome here: Protesters demand UK resettle more migrants in response to refugee crisis Marchers chanted refugees are welcome here and waved banners reading no-one is illegal and lets help people Press Association Refugees welcome here: Protesters demand UK resettle more migrants in response to refugee crisis The march was supported by charities and groups including the Red Cross, Asylum Aid, Save the Children, Hope Not Hate, Oxfam and the UN Refugee Agency Rex Features Refugees welcome here: Protesters demand UK resettle more migrants in response to refugee crisis In the wake of Alans death, David Cameron pledged to resettle 20,000 Syrian refugees in the UK over the coming five years but there have been additional calls to re-home those who have already reached Europe, as well as asylum seekers coming from other conflict zones such as Iraq and Afghanistan Rex Features

As the descendants of Palestinians who fled to Syria in the 1948 exodus, the Hassan family have always been classed as refugees, living in the Yarmouk camp in Damascus which was overrun by Isis in 2015. Theyve suffered enough, said Andy McDonald, the Labour MP for Middlesbrough. They escaped war in Damascus, they made it to safety here, and now were putting them through a nightmare.

He described the prospect of Yousef being ripped for his family as cruel beyond belief, adding. He can clearly make a great contribution to the UK, hes a bright young man  doing this would be grotesque.

We should be ashamed as a country.

If Italy accepts Yousefs asylum application he can apply to move back to the UK, but if it is refused he faces the possibility of being forced back to Syria.

Recommended EU launches legal proceeding against member states over refugee crisis

Mr McDonald has written to the Home Secretary Amber Rudd, asking her to intervene in the case, while more than 1,500 people have signed a petition to stop Yousefs deportation.

It was started by Gary Spedding, a human rights campaigner supporting the distraught family. Im extremely concerned that Yousef will be sent back to Syria, where he will be killed, he said.

Yousef is so scared. I wish the Home Office would show a bit of compassion and look at these cases like theyre human beings.

Mr Hassan believes his son is being unfairly punished for cooperating with authorities who fingerprinted him in Italy in 2014, unwittingly handing the UK the means to deny responsibility for his asylum application using the EUs Dublin III Regulation.

Im very confused, Im very angry, the father said. All of us respect the law, but there is a human aspect to it. Yousef is one of countless asylum seekers being returned to the countries where they first arrived in Europe after surviving treacherous crossings over the Mediterranean sea.

 Italian coastguard rescues refugee boat from Libya in the Mediterranean

Italy, which is already housing more than 190,000 migrants in government accommodation as more arrive every day, has appealed for support from the other European nations after attempts to distribute migrants via a quota system failed.

Crossings to Greece have slowed dramatically since the EU-Turkey deal was imposed last year but thousands of refugees remain in overcrowded camps where there have been reports of rape and suicide.

As the crisis continues, Britain is among the countries transferring thousands of migrants back to the front line countries after denying the responsibility of handling their asylum applications.

Judith Dennis, policy officer at the Refugee Council, described the Dublin Regulation as inherently unfair.

It sees Europes border nations, and particularly Italy and Greece, expected to provide shelter to a continents worth of people when they shouldnt have to, she said.

We urge the UK to use its discretion as much as possible and use the Dublin Regulation to bring families together, rather than fighting through the courts to return individuals to countries already struggling to cope with supporting refugees.

Recommended Refugee children being raped and forced into prostitution in Greece

The Home Office said it did not publish statistics on the number of people sent back to Italy and Greece and could not comment on individual cases.

The UK has a proud history of providing protection to those who need it, but it is only fair that we do not shoulder the burden of asylum claims that should rightly be considered by other countries, a spokesman said.

Asylum-seekers should claim in the first safe country they arrive in. Where there is evidence that an asylum seeker is the responsibility of another European country we will seek to return them there.

Mr Hassan said he cannot think about the prospect of his son being removed from the UK.

I respect British people, they have looked after me and let me stay here but I ask them to continue helping my son, he said. Please help us.
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Hundreds of women marched to Downing Street to protest Theresa Mays planned alliance with Northern Irelands Democratic Unionist Party (DUP).

Protesters, including a number of men, descended on Whitehall on Saturday to campaign against a Tory deal with the DUP, which has drawn criticism for its right-wing stance on gay rights and abortion.

They chanted: Racist, sexist, anti-gay, no DUP, no way as they marched through the streets of London, carrying placards reading anti-DUP messages suggesting that such an alliance would put the rights of women in jeopardy.

One woman carried a sign that read: "My body, my choice". Another had a placard featuring a character from the Handmaid's Tale TV series.

Ms May is currently seeking a "confidence and supply" arrangement with the DUP after her loss of seats in the general election left the Conservatives needing the support of the Northern Irish partys 10 MPs in order to pass legislation.

A statement on the Facebook event page for the march said it was taking place "in support of the right to access abortion in Northern Ireland" and "against a Tory working agreement [...] with a political group known to promote policy which restricts the rights of women and LGBT people."

UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 10 November 2022 A grey heron lands on the river Dodder in Dublin on a sunny autumn morning PA UK news in pictures 9 November 2022 Australia and Spain play during the Wheelchair Rugby League World Cup group A match at the Copper Box Arena, London PA UK news in pictures 8 November 2022 A migrant attempting to communicate with journalists is pinned against a fence by members of staff, before being taken out of view, at the Manston immigration short-term holding facility, located at the former Defence Fire Training and Development Centre in Thanet, Kent PA UK news in pictures 7 November 2022 Handout photo issued by Just Stop Oil of a protester who has climbed a gantry on the M25 between junctions six and seven in Surrey, leading to the closure of the motorway PA UK news in pictures 6 November 2022 A grey seal with its pup, at the Donna Nook National Nature Reserve in north Lincolnshire, where they come every year in late October, November and December to give birth to their pups near the sand dunes, the wildlife spectacle attracts visitors from across the UK PA UK news in pictures 5 November 2022 Demonstrators with placards calling for a General Election march near the Houses of Parliament AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 4 November 2022 A peacock is seen in the early winter sunshine in the Dutch Gardens in Holland Park AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 3 November 2022 Florence Kasumba, Letitia Wright, Tenoch Huerta and Lupita Nyongo attend the European Premiere of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever in London Getty UK news in pictures 2 November 2022 A red squirrel gathers nuts in Pitlochry, Scotland Reuters UK news in pictures 1 November 2022 Englands Tara-Jane Stanley scores their sides seventh try against Brazil during the Womens Rugby League World Cup group A match at Headingley Stadium, Leeds PA UK news in pictures 31 October 2022 GBs James Hall competes during the mens parallel bars qualification at the World Gymnastics Championships in Liverpool AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 30 October 2022 People dressed in Halloween costumes paddle board along the river Avon in Christchurch, Dorset PA UK news in pictures 29 October 2022 Members of the public take pictures as police officers remove activists from a road during a Just Stop Oil protest, in London Reuters UK news in pictures 28 October 2022 A cosplayer attends the MCM Comic Con London 2022 at the ExCel Centre in London Reuters UK news in pictures 27 October 2022 98-year-old D-Day Veteran Bernard Morgan, whose story is among those featured on the giant poppy wall, during the launch of The Royal British Legion 2022 Poppy Appeal, at Hay's Galleria in central London PA UK news in pictures 26 October 2022 A meerkat explores a pumpkin in the enclosure at Wild Place, Bristol, where some of the animals are having pumpkin treats as part of their environmental enrichment PA UK news in pictures 25 October 2022 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been covered, inside and out in the artist's trademark monochrome, cartoonish hand-drawn doodles PA UK news in pictures 2 October 2022 Erling Haaland celebrates after scoring Manchester City's second goal against Manchester United at Etihad Stadium. Haaland went on to score a hattrick, his third of the season in the Premier League. City beat United 6-3. Manchester City FC/Getty UK news in pictures 1 October 2022 Protesters hold up flags and placards at a protest in London. A variety of protest groups including Enough is Enough, Don't Pay and Just Stop Oil all demonstrated on the day AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 30 September 2022 British Prime Minister Liz Truss, who has not been seen in days, leaves the back of Downing Street after a meeting with Office For Budget Responsibility following the release of her governments mini-budget Getty UK news in pictures 29 September 2022 The Virginia creeper foliage on the Tu Hwnt i'r Bont (Beyond the Bridge) Llanwrst, Conwy North Wales, has changed colour from green to red in at the start of Autumn. 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It added that the Conservative Party had "no democratic mandate" to form an alliance with a party that is "known for links to far right politics," and encouraged protesters to wear red in protest at "all the blood which has been shed under austerity.

A previous demo was held in Whitehall to protest against Mrs Mays alliance with the DUP the weekend after the election.

The DUP has made it clear it will only cut a deal if it delivers tangible benefits for Northern Ireland in terms of jobs and investment in health and education.
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The Archbishop of Canterbury has called on Theresa May to set up a cross-party commission to steer her withdrawal talks with the EU, claiming it would reduce poison in the Brexit debate.

The Rt Rev Justin Welby urged the move as he compared the current situation to the two world wars when Britain was run by coalitions.

The Anglican leader also contrasted the inspiring spirit of Grenfell with the divisive zero-sum, winner takes all Brexit rows in Westminster.

Writing in The Mail on Sunday, he said: We need the politicians to find a way of neutralising the temptation to take minor advantage domestically from these great events.

We must develop a forum, or commission, or some political tool, which can hold the ring for the differences to be fought out, so that a commonly agreed negotiating aim is achieved.

The future of this country is not a zero-sum, winner takes all calculation but must rest on the reconciled common good arrived at through good debate and disagreement.

Referring to the commission, the Archbishop said: It would be under the authority of Parliament, especially the Commons.

 Jean-Claude Juncker says he has no clear idea of what the UK wants from Brexit

It would need to be cross-party and chaired by a senior politician, on Privy Council terms.

It could not bind Parliament, but  well structured  it could draw much of the poison from the debate.

It comes after senior figures across the Commons have called for a more inclusive approach to delivering Brexit.

The Independent revealed on Saturday how backbench MPs from all parties are forming plans to defeat the Ms Mays hard Brexit proposals in key Commons votes.

But Priti Patel, Secretary of State for International Development, rejected the Archbishops idea, telling BBC Radio Five Lives Pienaar's Politics: I think the point is, this isn't about commissions. The public voted last year to leave the European Union.

Our job as Government now is obviously securing the right deal for the country and not re-running those arguments of Remain and Leave from last year.
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Cabinet minister David Davis has signalled he is willing to do a deal with Brussels over the European Court of Justice's influence in the UK after Brexit.

He said the UK would consider setting up a new arbitration body that would include European officials to rule in future trade disputes. The Brexit Secretary was adamant that it would not mean the ECJ itself continuing to have a role, something Theresa May has made a red-line in her approach.

Mr Davis also said he was "not certain" that an overall deal would be reached with the EU, after the disagreement over the ECJ's role crystallised last week.

Ms May had put her proposals to European leaders over how she planned to guarantee the rights of European citizens to remain, work and use services in the UK after Brexit, insisting that the rights would be protected by British courts. The European Commission has indicated, however, that it wants the ECJ to guarantee the rights, as well as oversee the withdrawal negotiations and arbitrate future trade disputes between the EU and UK.

 Brexit one year on: What happens next?

Speaking to the BBC's Andrew Marr Show, Mr Davis said EU citizens' rights would be enshrined in British law, but signalled a deal could be done on resolving future trade disputes. He explained: "When we are doing all these deals on trade and other areas, there will be arbitration arrangements.

"There won't be the ECJ, there will be a mutually agreed chairman and somebody nominated from both sides, that's the normal way, but there my be other ways too, and it may well be we have an arbitration arrangement over this, but it's not going to be the European Court of Justice."

Such an arrangement could still see the ECJ's judges involved, or mean the new arbitration body's structure and rulings are subject to ECJ influence in Europe  but it would allow Ms May to reach a deal, while still claiming that the ECJ is not directly involved in ruling over trade disputes.

The frosty reaction to the Prime Minister's proposals for EU citizens' rights at the European Council summit last week, underlined how difficult negotiations may be.

How well her proposals are really received, will become clearer after the Government publishes full details on Monday.

 Brexit will make Britain worse off, Bank of England chief Carney says

Mr Davis said: "The key in any negotiation is not a macho clashing of antlers. "It's about finding the place that suits both sides. That's what we're about." He added: "I'm pretty sure [we can reach a deal]. I'm not 100 per cent sure. You can never be. It's a negotiation ...I'm pretty sure, but I'm not certain."
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The Government has reportedly dropped plans to ease fire safety standards in new schools after the Grenfell Tower fire, which killed 79 people.

The cost-cutting plans being consulted by the Department of Education (DoE) would have removed the requirement for sprinklers to be included in the design of new schools. But the Government has now U-turned on its plans.

A suggestion that "school buildings do not need to be sprinkler protected to achieve a reasonable standard of safety" is to be stripped out of the revised draft guidance, The Observer reported.

 Police consider manslaughter charges over Grenfell fire amid failed safety tests

A DoE spokesman said: "There will be no change to the fire safety laws for schools or our determination to protect children's safety. It has always been the case, and remains the case, that where the risk assessment required for any new building recommends sprinklers are installed to keep children safe, they must be fitted.

"Alongside the rest of Government, we will take forward any findings from the public inquiry into the Grenfell Tower fire."

Angela Rayner, the shadow Education Secretary, said: Parents want to know that schools are safe for our children, and there are real questions for the Government to answer. It would be completely unacceptable if they have attempted to water down safety requirements simply to make free schools cheaper or let developers make an easier profit.

In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire Show all 51 1 /51 In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire Police have released images from inside the tower where at least 58 people have died Metropolitan Police In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire A still from a video shared by polices what appears to be a stationary bicycle sitting among the ashes In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire A still from a video shared by police shows the remnants of a burnt-out bathroom In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire Picture showing the lifts on an unknown floor Metropolitan Police In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire Emergency crews outside the front entrance to the tower Metropolitan Police In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire Fire crews inspecting flats in the burnt out tower London Metropolitan Police In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire Grenfell Tower is seen in the distance PA In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire A drone flies near the scene of the fire which destroyed the Grenfell Tower block REUTERS/Stefan Wermuth In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire 'Theresa May Stay Away' message written on the messages of support at Latymer Community Church for those affected by the fire Ray Tang/REX In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire An aerial view of the area surrounding Grenfall tower Getty In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire Donated shoes sit in the Westway Sports Centre near to the site of the Grenfell Tower fire Getty Images In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire Messages of support for those affected by the massive fire in Grenfell Tower are displayed on a well near the tower in London AP In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire A local resident stands on her balcony by the gutted Grenfell Tower in Latimer Road Getty Images In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire Messages of condolence are left at a relief centre close to the scene of the fire that broke out at Grenfell Tower, EPA In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire A police officer stands by a security cordon outside Latimer Road station Getty Images In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire Firemen examine the scorched facade of the Grenfell Tower in London on a huge ladder AP In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire A search dog is led through the rubble of the Grenfell Tower in London as firefighting continue to damp-down the deadly fire AP In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn comforts a local resident (name not given) at St Clement's Church in west London where volunteers have provided shelter and support for people affected by the fire at Grenfell Tower David Mirzoeff/PA In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn hugs councillor Mushtaq Lasharie as he arrives at St Clement's Church in Latimer Road, where volunteers have provided shelter and support for people affected by the fire at Grenfell Tower Getty Images In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn meeting staff and volunteers at St Clementis Church in Latimer Road David Mirzoeff/PA In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire Firefighters with a dog walk around the base of the Grenfell Tower REUTERS/Peter Nicholls In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire Emotions run high as people attend a candle lit vigil outside Notting Hill Methodist Church near the 24 storey residential Grenfell Tower block in Latimer Road, West London Getty Images In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire Debris hangs from the blackened exterior of Grenfell Tower Getty Images In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire A woman speaks to Mayor of London Sadiq Khan outside Notting Hill Methodist Church near Grenfell Tower in west London after a fire engulfed the 24-storey building Yui Mok/PA Wire In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire A woman holds a missing person posters near the Grenfell Tower block REUTERS/Stefan Wermuth In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire Sadiq Khan speaking with a resident James Gourley/REX In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire Ken Livingstone walks near the scene of the Grenfell Tower fire Getty Images In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire Mayor of London Sadiq Khan is confronted by Kai Ramos, 7, near Grenfell Tower in west London after a fire engulfed the 24-storey building Yui Mok/PA Wire In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire Mayor of London Sadiq Khan speaks to a woman outside Notting Hill Methodist Church near Grenfell Tower Yui Mok/PA Wire In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire Volunteers distribute aid near Grenfell Tower Getty Images In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire Family and friends of missing Jessica Urbano, 12, wearing photographs of Jessica pinned to their t-shirts gather near Grenfell Tower EPA In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire Family and friends of missing Jessica Urbano, 12, wearing photographs of Jessica pinned to their t-shirts gather near Grenfell Tower EPA In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire Family and friends of missing Jessica Urbano, 12, wearing photographs of Jessica pinned to their t-shirts gather near Grenfell Tower EPA In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire People attend a vigil at Notting Hill Methodist Church near Grenfell Tower Getty Images In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire People gather to observe a vigil outside St Clement's Church following the blaze at Grenfell Tower Getty Images In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire People light candles as they observe a vigil outside St Clement's Church following the blaze at Grenfell Tower Getty Images In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire People attend a vigil at Notting Hill Methodist Church near Grenfell Tower Getty Images In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire A man distributes food from the back of a van near the scene of the fire which destroyed the Grenfell Tower block REUTERS/Paul Hackett In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire A firefighter is cheered near the scene of the fire which destroyed the Grenfell Tower block REUTERS/Paul Hackett In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire A T-shirt with a written message from the London Fire Brigade hangs from a fence near The Grenfell Tower block REUTERS/Stefan Wermuth In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire A young girl on her way to lay flowers near Grenfell Tower Getty Images In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire The remains of residential tower block Grenfell Tower are seen from Dixon House a nearby tower block Getty In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire Volunteers prepare supplies for people affected by the Grenfell Tower block which was destroyed in a fire REUTERS/Neil Hall In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire Volunteers move a car to make space for a lorry picking up supplies for people affected by the Grenfell Tower block REUTERS/Stefan Wermuth In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire People distribute boxes of food near the scene of the fire which destroyed the Grenfell Tower bloc REUTERS/Paul Hackett In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire A woman touches a missing poster for 12-year-old Jessica Urbano on a tribute wall after laying flowers on the side of Latymer Community Church next to the fire-gutted Grenfell Tower AP In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire A man looks at messages written on a wall near the scene of the fire which destroyed the Grenfell Tower block REUTERS/Paul Hackett In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire Candles and messages of condolence near where the fire broke out at Grenfell Tower EPA In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire Police carry a stretcher towards Grenfell Tower Rick Findler/PA Wire In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire Emergency services at Grenfell Tower Rick Findler/PA Wire In Pictures: Grenfell Tower after the fire Police carry out a body from Grenfell Tower in west London after a fire engulfed the 24-storey building Rick Findler/PA Wire

It comes as the Government announced 34 high-rise blocks of flats in 17 local authority areas failed fire cladding safety tests in the wake of the disaster. Around 3,000 residents of the Chalcots Estate in Camden, north London, now face weeks in temporary accommodation after they were evacuated from their blocks.

The Communities Secretary, Sajid Javid, said Manchester, Camden, Plymouth, Hounslow, Portsmouth, Barnet and Brent have buildings that had failed tests.
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Canada is set to apologise for the "LGBT purge" when actions were taken against thousands of soldiers and public servants due to their sexual orientation and gender during the Cold War.

The apology announcement comes after a recently filed $757 million (594 million) class-action lawsuit filed by former military and public servants who were forced out of their jobs because of their sexuality.

A lawyer on the case, Douglas Elliott said that up to 10,000 Canadians could join in on the lawsuit.

Several were dismissed, fired, demoted, or not promoted from the 1950s up until the late 1980s because the government considered them a threat to national security. They were considered vulnerable to blackmail by Soviet operatives.

Others were given a choice to undergo psychiatric treatment as an alternative to dismissal, which involved crude machines that acted as "lie detectors".

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau also said those discriminated against will have their records expunged, which may allow many to collect benefits associated with their service.

The Canadian Human Rights Act was not amended to included sexual orientation until 1996, nearly four years after former army officer Michelle Douglas helped bring an end to discriminatory policies because she was dismissed for being a lesbian.

Randy Boissonnault, Mr Trudeaus special adviser on LGBTQ issues, is "leading public consultations with a view to ensuring the apology is comprehensive and satisfying," according to Pink News.

The formal apology is expected to be issued this fall and compensation is also being considered. Canada would join the UK, Australia, and Germany in apologising for past atrocities against LGBTQ public servants and military members.
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A rescue operation was underway in Colombia after a tourist boat with about 150 people on board sank in a reservoir near Medellin, killing at least nine people.

The air force said on Twitter that it was sending a helicopter to the Guatape reservoir while Medellin's mayor said firefighters and scuba divers were heading to the town on Sunday.

Videos circulating on social media show a multi-storey ferry sinking as a number of recreational boats rushed to the scene to pull people from the sinking vessel.

Eduardo Rivera, director of a hospital in Guatape, told Teleantioquia that three people killed in the accident had arrived at the medical facility.

Authorities did not immediately say how many people had been rescued or were missing.

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

Survivors told local media that the boat, called El Almirante, appeared to be overloaded and none of the passengers on board were wearing life vests.

The reservoir surrounding the soaring rocky outcrop of El Penol is a popular weekend destination a little more than an hour from Medellin. It was especially busy Sunday as Colombians celebrated a long holiday weekend.

Authorities did not immediately say how many people had been rescued or were missing.

Survivors told local media that the boat, called El Almirante, appeared to be overloaded and none of the passengers were wearing life vests.

The reservoir surrounding the soaring rocky outcrop of El Penol is a popular weekend destination a little more than an hour from Medellin.

It was especially busy on Sunday as Colombians celebrated a long holiday weekend.

AP
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Donald Trumps government has not held an iftar dinner for the end of Ramadan, breaking a Muslim tradition held at the White House for more than two centuries.

The iftar dinner occurs at sunset at the end of the holy month of Ramadan, the ninth month of the Islam lunar calendar and a time of prayer, reflection and fasting.

White House officials reportedly spend months planning the event, which has been held every year under the Clinton, Bush and Obama administrations, but 2017 took a different path.

 Trump promises immigrants won't be able to access welfare for five years- a law which already exists

The White House issued a statement on late Saturday evening.

"Muslims in the United States joined those around the world during the holy month of Ramadan to focus on acts of faith and charity," the statement read. "Now, as they commemorate Eid with family and friends, they carry on the tradition of helping neighbours and breaking bread with people from all walks of life.

"During this holiday, we are reminded of the importance of mercy, compassion, and goodwill. With Muslims around the world, the United States renews our commitment to honour these values. Eid Mubarak."

In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour Show all 39 1 /39 In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour 20 May 2017 US President Donald Trump and Saudi Arabia's King Salman bin Abdulaziz al-Saud arriving for a reception ahead of a banquet at Murabba Palace in Riyadh Getty Images In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour 20 May 2017 US President Donald Trump, accompanied by First Lady Melania Trump, and Saudi Arabia's King Salman bin Abdulaziz al-Saud being welcomed at Murabba Palace in Riyadh Getty Images In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour 20 May 2017 US President Donald J. Trump with King of Saudi Arabia Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud during a welcome ceremony with traditional sword dancers at Murabba Palace, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia EPA In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour 20 May 2017 King of Saudi Arabia Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud with US President Donald J. Trump and wife Melania during a welcome ceremony at Murabba Palace, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia EPA In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour 20 May 2017 US President Donald Trump adjusts the Collar of Abdulaziz Al Saud Medal, after it was bestowed upon him by Saudi Arabia's King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud at the Royal Court in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia Reuters In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour 20 May 2017 Saudi Arabia's King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud presents U.S. President Donald Trump with the Collar of Abdulaziz Al Saud Medal at the Royal Court in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia Reuters In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour 21 May 2017 Palestinians print posters depicting US President Donald Trump in preparations for his planned visit, in the West Bank town of Bethlehem Reuters In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour 21 May 2017 US President Donald Trump accompanied by first lady Melania Trump, his daughter Ivanka Trump and her husband White House senior advisor Jared Kushner, before delivering his remarks to the Arab Islamic American Summit in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia Reuters In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour 21 May 2017 US President Donald Trump looks on as U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Muhammad bin Nayef exchange a memorandum of understanding Reuters In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour 21 May 2017 First Lady Melania Trump shares a laugh with a child during a visit to the American International School in the Saudi capital Riyadh Getty Images In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour 21 May 2017 US President Donald Trump holds a bilateral meeting with Bahrain's King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa AP In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour 22 May 2017 Israeli soldiers rest during preparations ahead of President Trump's landing in Tel Aviv, Israel Getty Images In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour 22 May 2017 First Lady Melania Trump makes her way to board Air Force One in Riyadh as she heads with her husband the US President to Israel Getty Images In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour 22 May 2017 US President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump board Air Force One for Israel, the next stop in Trump's international tour, at King Khalid International Airport AP In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour 22 May 2017 Israeli soldiers wait for the arrival ceremony of US President Donald Trump at Ben Gurion airport near Tel Aviv, Israel AP In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour 22 May 2017 US President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump arrive aboard Air Force One at Ben Gurion International Airport in Lod near Tel Aviv, Israel Reuters In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour 22 May 2017 US President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump disembark Air Force One on arrival at Ben Gurion International Airport AP In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour 22 May 2017 US President Donald J. Trump and his wife, US First Lady Melania Trump are welcomed by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu upon arrival at Ben Gurion Airport, in Lod outside Tel Aviv, Israel EPA In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour 22 May 2017 US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sit during welcome ceremony in Tel Aviv AP In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour 22 May 2017 US First Lady Melania Trump chats wife Sara Netanyahu as US President Donald Trump chats to Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a welcoming ceremony to welcome Trump at Ben Gurion International Airport Reuters In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour 22 May 2017 US President Donald Trump delivers a speech upon his arrival at Ben Gurion International Airport in Tel Aviv Getty Images In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour 22 May 2017 US President Donald Trump gestures during a press conference with Israel's President at the President's Residence in Jerusalem Getty Images In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour 22 May 2017 US President Donald Trump watches as First Lady Melania Trump signs the guest book at the President's Residence in Jerusalem Getty Images In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour 22 May 2017 US President Donald Trump walks with first lady Melania Trump in Jerusalem's Old City Reuters In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour 22 May 2017 US President Donald Trump visits the Western Wall, the holiest site where Jews can pray, in Jerusalems Old City Getty Images In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour 22 May 2017 US President Donald Trump stands next to Rabbi Shmuel Rabinowitz at the plaza in front of the Western Wall, Judaism's holiest prayer site, in Jerusalem's Old City Reuters In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour 22 May 2017 US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and White House senior advisor Jared Kushner leave notes at the Western Wall in Jerusalem Reuters In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour 22 May 2017 US First Lady Melania Trump touches the Western Wall, Judaism's holiest prayer site, in Jerusalem's Old City EPA In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour 22 May 2017 Ivanka Trump, assistant and daughter of US President Donald J. Trump, touches the Western Wall, Judaism's holiest prayer site, in Jerusalem's Old City EPA In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour 22 May 2017 President Donald Trump visits the Western Wall AP In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour 24 May 2017 US President Donald J. Trump arrives in a vehicle to Saint Damaso's Court for a private audience with Pope Francis in Vatican City EPA In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour 24 May 2017 Pope Francis walks past Ivanka Trump and First Lady Melania Trump on the occasion of the private audience with President Donald Trump, at the Vatican AP In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour 24 May 2017 Pope Francis exchanges gifts with US President Donald Trump during a private audience at the Vatican Getty Images In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour 24 May 2017 Pope Francis meets US President Donald Trump and his wife Melania during a private audience at the Vatican Reuters In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour 24 May 2017 Pope Francis with US President Donald J. Trump EPA In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour 24 May 2017 Pope Francis gets into is car after meeting with US President Donald Trump AP In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour 24 May 2017 President Donald Trump and his wife Melania look at the frescoed ceilings during their visit to the Sistine Chapel at the Vatican L'Osservatore Romano/Pool Photo via AP In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour 24 May 2017 US President Donald Trump security vehicles are seen in front of Air Force One before take off from Leonardo da Vinci-Fiumicino Airport in Rome, Italy Reuters In pictures: President Donald Trump on tour 24 May 2017 US President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump wave to reporters before boarding the Air Force One to Brussels, at the end of a 2-day visit to Italy including a meeting with Pope Francis at the Vatican, at Rome's Fiumicino international airport AP

Earlier this year Secretary of State Rex Tillerson reportedly said the government would not host the dinner. He also issued a statement on Saturday, which read, "This holiday marks the culmination of Ramadan, a month in which many experience meaning and inspiration in acts of fasting, prayer, and charity.

"This day offers an opportunity to reflect on our shared commitment to building peaceful and prosperous communities. Eid Mubarak."

The brief statements provide a stark contrast to the holiday message issued by former President Barack Obama, who warned against the rise in attacks against Muslim Americans.

"Muslim Americans have been part of our American family since its founding," he added.

Former President Thomas Jefferson, a staunch advocate of religious freedom, famously hosted a White House iftar in December 1805 in honour of Tunisian ambassador Sidi Soliman Mellimelli during the American conflict with what were known as the Barbary States.

"Dinner will be on the table precisely at sun-set  " the invitation read. "The favour of an answer is asked."

John Quincy Adams noted in his diaries that the dinner was served late in the evening as it was "in the midst of Ramadan".

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 nature of the dinner has divided opinion over the last two centuries, with far-right critics insisting the dinner was only moved back as a courtesy and that the menu was not changed for the guests.

Regardless of what is served at the meal, anyone present at the dinner who is breaking their fast means an iftar is being held.

The White House tradition started with earnest in 1996, when First Lady Hillary Clinton hosted 150 people after learning more about the ritual from her daughter Chelsea, who had reportedly studied Islamic history in school, as reported by Muslim Voices.

President George W Bush hosted the dinner every year for his two terms, including just after the 9/11 attacks. He said at the dinner that the fight was against terrorism, not Islam.

American Muslims might have been hoping for the dinner to be held at the White House this year as a symbol of unity after a spike in hate crimes against the community, the highest level since 2001. Mr Trump has been strongly criticised for his proposal in December 2015 to ban Muslims from entering the US and also for his executive order as President to temporarily ban all immigration and refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries. The order, later revised, was knocked down by federal courts.
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An airline passenger who mocked a Sikh man's turban and suggested he was a terrorist in a series of racist Snapchat posts has sparked outrage on social media.

The bigoted outburst began when the man took a picture of the Sikh from behind, circled his turban, and included the caption: "Never mind I might not make it to Indy."

He later snapped the Sikh as he slept during the flight, writing: "Update I'm still alive."

The bigoted post outraged social media users (Twitter @SikhProf)

And in one post he suggested that the passenger was behaving suspiciously, saying: "Ok he just walk to the back of the Plane then to the front then to his seat."

Sikh academic Simram Jeet Singh posted screen grabs of the Snapchat posts on Twitter and claimed they show "what it's like for anyone who appears to be Muslim to travel by plane".

The professor, who teaches religion at Trinity University in Texas, has frequently spoken out against xenophobia and says he often experiences "uncomfortable stares and misguided fears" while travelling.

 US Sikhs ask for hate-crime probe after man told 'go back to your own country' and shot

"This series of snaps should give you a sense of what it's like for anyone who appears to be Muslim to travel by plane," he tweeted.

"I try to live my life by the Sikh maxim, "Fear none, frighten none". I think about this teaching often when I travel.

"How do I retain my confidence and dignity on an airplane while also being thoughtful not to strike fear in the hearts of others?

"I think twice about getting up to use the restroom. I feel self-conscious when opening the overhead bin to take something out of my luggage.

"I look forward to the day when our kids can travel freely, without having to worry about what others might be thinking or saying about them."

Seven killed in Sikh temple mass shooting Show all 2 1 /2 Seven killed in Sikh temple mass shooting Seven killed in Sikh temple mass shooting Pg-24-sikh2-ap.jpg AP Seven killed in Sikh temple mass shooting Pg-24-sikh1-epa.jpg EPA

Some of Mr Singh's 19,700 followers expressed their dismay over the pictures, which were retweeted and shared more than 15,600 times.

@FloridaVoterNPA replied: "It IS a shame that you have to think about those things. I'm sorry, I can't imagine. Sometimes the people of my country embarrass me."

Author Douglas Karr said: "When did turbans become the universal symbol of a) Islam or b) Terror?"

Sikhs have increasingly been the victims of discrimination in the US following 9/11 and are sometimes mistaken for Muslims because they wear turbans and often have long beards.

Worshippers remain 100 times more likely to be profiled or be targeted in xenophobic attacks in the US, according to figures compiled by the Sikh Coalition.

Recommended Hate crimes against US mosques double so far in 2017

An Army veteran walked into a Sikh temple in Wisconsin and shot six people dead in 2012.

The religion, which originated in the Indian subcontinent, has 27 million followers around the world, and around 500,000 in the US.
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The young woman whose family founded the Westboro Baptist Church has said Twitter helped her to leave the controversial religious group.

Megan Phelps-Roper was born into the church in Topeka, Kansas whose modus operandi is picketing soldiers' funerals and delivering hate speeches against Jewish people, the LGBT community as well as different faiths.

Founded by her grandfather, Reverend Fred Phelps, the church travels across America doing rallies and holding placards which read "God Hates Jews", "God Hates F**s" and "Thank God For Dead Soldiers".

Speaking to Joe Rogan on his radio show the Joe Rogan Experience, Ms Phelps-Roger recalls the moment she began to have doubts about her faith.

My very first conscious doubts came from Twitter.

One of the first things I did on Twitter was attack this Jewish man, David Abitbol, who ran a blog called Jewlicious. He was listed as the second most influential Jew on Twitter ... and he responded initially with sarcasm and hostility, but pretty quickly he sort of changed tactics."

Instead of mocking me  although he still did some of that too  he was asking questions about our picket signs and I started asking him questions about Jewish theology because I wanted to know how to better counter it.

She had initially begun to use the social networking platform as a way to further spread her message, but conversations with Mr Abitbol raised questions she could not answer.

What followed, was a one year correspondence with Mr Abitbol (to whom she is now married), and two meetings at Westboro Baptist church rallies across the country.

Their debates reached an apex when, in one Twitter exchange, she was unable to defend her support of calling for the death penalty for homosexual people.

It was the first time that I connected if you kill somebody as soon as they sin, you lose the chance to repent and be forgiven, she said.

I am just staring at my phone and I really quickly ended the conversation. I didnt even remember quite how. I didnt even known how to handle this.

The church is full of lawyers and they are very intelligent. Their arguments and theology, for the most part, is very well constructed and super consistent and for there to be this hypocrisy, this contradiction, my brain felt like it was exploding.

Ms Phelps-Roper approached her mother as well as other members of her family, but was disappointed when they did not address her questions.

Eventually, the contradictions were too difficult to answer, and she left the church in 2012, shortly followed by her sister Grace.

Asked about Megan and her sisters defection by The Topeka Capital-Journal, church spokesman Steve Drain quoted from St Johns gospel: They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us.

Ms Phelps-Roper is no longer in contact with her family, but reinforces the importance of social media as a platform for conversation and change.

It really bugs me that Twitter gets such a bad rep, she said.
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Ivanka Trump has been ordered to answer questions for a lawsuit with an Italian shoe designer.

A federal judge said Donald Trump's daughter, an unpaid White House advisor, will have to give a deposition in a case filed by Aquazurra Italia in June 2016.

The company has claimed Ms Trump's fashion line copied what they refer to as their "coveted" designs, particularly the "Wild Things" shoe.

Aquzzurra said Ms Trump's "Hettie" shoe design is too close to that design to be a coincidence.

Ms Trump's lawyers have claimed in court documents that Aquazurra designs are not distinctive enough to prove that their client copied the Italian shoe company's style.

They call the lawsuit a publicity stunt. It was filed as Mr Trump was about to receive the Republican nomination for President.

Ms Trump stepped down from her corporate position before her father took office and her legal team said she should not be deposed because she "does not possess any unique information" about her company's shoe designs.

In pictures: Ivanka Trump's Washington DC home Show all 13 1 /13 In pictures: Ivanka Trump's Washington DC home In pictures: Ivanka Trump's Washington DC home The front of the house Zillow In pictures: Ivanka Trump's Washington DC home The lobby Zillow In pictures: Ivanka Trump's Washington DC home The house exterior Zillow In pictures: Ivanka Trump's Washington DC home The patio Zillow In pictures: Ivanka Trump's Washington DC home The bedroom Zillow In pictures: Ivanka Trump's Washington DC home The living room Zillow In pictures: Ivanka Trump's Washington DC home The living area Zillow In pictures: Ivanka Trump's Washington DC home The Living Room Zillow In pictures: Ivanka Trump's Washington DC home The kitchen Zillow In pictures: Ivanka Trump's Washington DC home The living room Zillow In pictures: Ivanka Trump's Washington DC home The bathroom Zillow In pictures: Ivanka Trump's Washington DC home The living room Zillow In pictures: Ivanka Trump's Washington DC home The hall Zillow

US District Judge Katherine Forrest did not think the deposition would interfere or distract from Ms Trump's White House duties and that the President's daughter was important to the case due to her position as a senior executive.

It is customary in cases such as these to depose high-level executives.

She also noted that Ms Trump's "public statements regarding active and comprehensive brand management lead to a reasonable inference that the shoe at issue would not have been released without her approval."

Ms Trump's fashion company has also recently filed several trademark applications in China, adding fuel to the fire that is the debate over the Trump family possibly using their political position for business gain.

In Februrary 2017, Ms Trump's fashion line was dropped by nationwide retailer Nordstrom. They cited poor sales, but there was political backlash from Trump supporters who called for a boycott of the stores.

Mr Trump, per his normal habit, took to Twitter and said his daughter had been treated "unfairly" by the company.

However, Nordstrom's sales and favourability ratings stayed steady - signalling that perhaps not all Trump supporters were opposed to the decision or that other consumers are continued and even increased their shopping at the retailer, according to Bloomberg.

Ms Trump Aquazurra deposition is set to take place in Washington DC sometime before October 2017.
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Donald Trump has launched a fresh attack on former President Barack Obama accusing the former president of failing to act on Russian "meddling" during the election last year.

Lashing out at Mr Obama on Twitter, the President wrote: Since the Obama Administration was told way before the 2016 Election that the Russians were meddling, why no action? Focus on them, not T!

The tweet came a day after the Washington Post detailed the Obama administration's cautious approach to punishing the Russian government for its hacking campaign - apparently signed off by Russian President Vladimir Putin - intended to politically damage Hillary Clinton and swing the election in Mr Trump's favour.

The Obama administration is believed to have found out about the hacking in August 2016, but officials were wary of releasing the information to the public for fear of being accused of interfering in the election themselves.

One official claimed that the administration had "sort of choked" in not acting more quickly, a point Mr Trump jumped on in a second tweet: Obama Administration official said they choked when it came to acting on Russian meddling of election. They didn't want to hurt Hillary?

The slow response by the Obama administration was also a result of confidence in Ms Clintons campaign winning the election. Throughout the fall, as November crept closer, Democrats saw many signs that their candidate would ultimately win: She had three strong debate performances against Mr Trump, polls showed her with an impressive lead most of the time, and Mr Trump appeared to have an incredible capacity for inflicting harm on his campaign just by making controversial remarks on stage.

The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Show all 17 1 /17 The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Paul Manafort Mr Manafort is a Republican strategist and former Trump campaign manager. He resigned from that post over questions about his extensive lobbying overseas, including in Ukraine where he represented pro-Russian interests. Mr Manafort turned himself in at FBI headquarters to special counsel Robert Muellers team on Oct 30, 2017, after he was indicted under seal on charges that include conspiracy against the United States, conspiracy to launder money, unregistered agent of a foreign principal, false and misleading US Foreign Agents Registration Act statements, false statements, and seven counts of failure to file reports of foreign bank and financial accounts. Getty The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Rick Gates Mr Gates joined the Trump team in spring 2016, and served as a top aide until he left to work at the Republican National Committee after the departure of former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort. Mr Gates' had previously worked on several presidential campaigns, on international political campaigns in Europe and Africa, and had 15 years of political or financial experience with multinational firms, according to his bio. Mr Gates was indicted alongside Mr Manafort by special counsel Robert Mueller's team on charges that include conspiracy against the United States, conspiracy to launder money, unregistered agent of a foreign principal, false and misleading US Foreign Agents Registration Act statements, false statements, and seven counts of failure to file reports of foreign bank and financial accounts. AP The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation George Papadopoulos George Papadopoulos was a former foreign policy adviser for the Trump campaign, having joined around March 2016. Mr Papadopoulos plead guilty to federal charges for lying to the FBI as a part of a cooperation agreement with Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation. Mr Papadopoulos claimed in an interview with the FBI that he had made contacts with Russian sources before joining the Trump campaign, but he actually began working with them after joining the team. Mr Papadopoulos allegedly took a meeting with a professor in London who reportedly told him that Russians had "dirt" on Hillary Clinton. The professor also allegedly introduced Mr Papadopoulos to a Russian who was said to have close ties to officials at the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Mr Papadopoulos also allegedly was in contact with a woman whom he incorrectly described in one email to others in the campaign as the "niece" to Russian President Vladimir Putin. Twitter The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Donald Trump Jr The President's eldest son met with a Russian lawyer - Natalia Veselnitskaya - on 9 June 2016 at Trump Tower in New York. He said in an initial statement that the meeting was about Russia halting adoptions of its children by US citizens. Then, he said it was regarding the Magnitsky Act, a US law blacklisting Russian human rights abusers. In a final statement, Mr Trump Jr released a chain of emails that revealed he took the meeting in hopes of getting information Ms Veselnitskaya had about Hillary Clinton's alleged financial ties to Russia. He and the President called it standard "opposition research" in the course of campaigning and that no information came from the meeting. The meeting was set up by an intermediary, Rob Goldstone. Jared Kushner and Paul Manafort were also at the same meeting. Getty Images The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Jared Kushner Mr Kushner is President Donald Trump's son-in-law and a key adviser to the White House. He met with a Russian banker appointed by Russian President Vladimir Putin in December. Mr Kushner has said he did so in his role as an adviser to Mr Trump while the bank says he did so as a private developer. Mr Kushner has also volunteered to testify in the Senate about his role helping to arrange meetings between Trump advisers and Russian Ambassador to the US Sergey Kislyak. Getty Images The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Rob Goldstone Former tabloid journalist and now music publicist Rob Goldstone is a contact of the Trump family through the previously Trump-owned 2013 Miss Universe pageant, which took place in Moscow. In June 2016, he wrote to Donald Trump Jr offering a meeting with a Russian lawyer, Natalya Veselnitskaya, who had information about Hillary Clinton. Mr Goldstone was the intermediary for Russian pop star Emin Agalaraov and his father, real estate magnate Aras, who played a role in putting on the 2013 pageant. In an email chain released by Mr Trump Jr, Mr Goldstone seemed to indicate Russian government's support of Donald Trump's campaign. AP images The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Aras and Emin Agalarov Aras Agalarov (R) is a wealthy Moscow-based real estate magnate and son Emin (L) is a pop star. Both played a role in putting on the previously Trump-owned 2013 Miss Universe pageant in Moscow. They allegedly had information about Hillary Clinton and offered that information to the Trump campaign through a lawyer with whom they had worked with, Natalia Veselnitskaya, and music publicist Rob Goldstone. Getty Images The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Natalia Veselnitskaya Natalia Veselnitskaya is a Russian lawyer with ties to the Kremlin. She has worked on real estate issues and reportedly counted the FSB as a client in the past. She has ties to a Trump family connection, real estate magnate Aras Agalarov, who had helped set up the Trump-owned 2013 Miss Universe pageant which took place in Moscow. Ms Veselnitskaya met with Donald Trump Jr, Jared Kushner, and Paul Manafort in Trump Tower on 9 June 2016 but denies the allegation that she went there promising information on Hillary Clinton's alleged financial ties to Russia. She contends that the meeting was about the US adoptions of Russian children being stopped by Moscow as a reaction to the Magnitsky Act, a US law blacklisting Russian human rights abusers. Getty Images The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Mike Flynn Mr Flynn was named as Trump's national security adviser but was forced to resign from his post for inappropriate communication with Russian Ambassador to the US Sergey Kislyak. He had misrepresented a conversation he had with Mr Kislyak to Vice President Mike Pence, telling him wrongly that he had not discussed sanctions with the Russian. Getty Images The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Sergey Kislyak Mr Kislyak, the former longtime Russian ambassador to the US, is at the centre of the web said to connect President Donald Trump's campaign with Russia. Reuters The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Roger Stone Mr Stone is a former Trump adviser who worked on the political campaigns of Richard Nixon, George HW Bush, and Ronald Reagan. Mr Stone claimed repeatedly in the final months of the campaign that he had backchannel communications with WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange and that he knew the group was going to dump damaging documents to the campaign of Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton - which did happen. Mr Stone also had contacts with the hacker Guccier 2.0 on Twitter, who claimed to have hacked the DNC and is linked to Russian intelligence services. Getty Images The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Jeff Sessions The US attorney general was forced to recuse himself from the Trump-Russia investigation after it was learned that he had lied about meeting with Russian Ambassador to the US Sergey Kislyak. Getty Images The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Carter Page Mr Page is a former advisor to the Trump campaign and has a background working as an investment banker at Merrill Lynch. Mr Page met with Russian Ambassador to the US Sergey Kislyak during the 2016 Republican National Convention in Cleveland. Mr Page had invested in oil companies connected to Russia and had admitted that US Russia sanctions had hurt his bottom line. Reuters The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Jeffrey "JD" Gorden Mr Gordon met with Russian Ambassador to the US Sergey Kislyak during the 2016 Republian National Convention to discuss how the US and Russia could work together to combat Islamist extremism should then-Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump win the election. The meeting came days before a massive leak of DNC emails that has been connected to Russia. Creative Commons The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation James Comey Mr Comey was fired from his post as head of the FBI by President Donald Trump. The timing of Mr Comey's firing raised questions around whether or not the FBI's investigation into the Trump campaign may have played a role in the decision. Getty Images The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Preet Bharara Mr Bahara refused, alongside 46 other US district attorney's across the country, to resign once President Donald Trump took office after previous assurances from Mr Trump that he would keep his job. Mr Bahara had been heading up several investigations including one into one of President Donald Trump's favorite cable television channels Fox News. Several investigations would lead back to that district, too, including those into Mr Trump's campaign ties to Russia, and Mr Trump's assertion that Trump Tower was wiretapped on orders from his predecessor. Getty Images The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Sally Yates Ms Yates, a former Deputy Attorney General, was running the Justice Department while President Donald Trump's pick for attorney general awaited confirmation. Ms Yates was later fired by Mr Trump from her temporary post over her refusal to implement Mr Trump's first travel ban. She had also warned the White House about potential ties former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn to Russia after discovering those ties during the FBI's investigation into the Trump campaign's connections to Russia. Getty Images

The Obama administration considered retaliatory measures against Moscow after they learned about the extent of the meddling, including potentially compiling a personal dossier on Vladimir Putin that could be released to embarrass him. They also considered planting cyber weapons in Russian infrastructure that could harm those services. They ultimately landed on modest sanctions, and expelled 35 Russian diplomats from the country in December - a decision some have criticised.

The latest tweets by Mr Trump appear part of a strategy to raise the Obama administrations' role in investigating the hacking, with the current President's White House facing daily questions about a number of investigations into the meddling, and possible links to the Trump campaign.

Having previously not produced a straight answer about whether he believed Russia had tried to hack the Presidential election, Mr Trump tweeted on Friday: "The Obama Administration knew far in advance of November 8th about election meddling by Russia. Did nothing about it. WHY?".

 Donald Trump Tapes bluff 'wasn't stupid' and kept James Comey 'honest'

That coincided with a video clip being released by the Fox network of an interview with the President where Mr Trump saying that "nobody wants to talk" about the Obama administration and the hacking.

Well I just heard today for the first time that Obama knew about Russia a long time before the election, and he did nothing about it, Mr Trump said in an excerpt of his interview on Fox News' Fox and Friends programme, which is due to be aired in full on Sunday. But nobody wants to talk about that.

The CIA gave him information on Russia a long time before they even  before the election, Mr Trump added. And I hardly see it. It's an amazing thing. To me, in other words, the question is, if he had the information, why didn't he do something about it? He should have done something about it. But you don't read that. It's quite sad.

A Special Counsel, Robert Mueller, has taken over an FBI investigation into the Russian interference - after Mr Trump fired the then-FBI Director James Comey last month. Multiple congressional committees are also currently investigating Russia's role in the election, as well as possible collusion between the Mr Trump campaign and Moscow.

Mr Mueller is said to be investigating Mr trump over potential obstruction of justice over his firing of Mr Comey abd here have been reports that Mr Trump had talked privately about potentially firing Mr Mueller. When asked on Friday whether he believed Mr Mueller should recuse himself over his friendship with Mr Comey. Mr Trump told the Fox News Channel "we'll have to see" and his repeatedly denied any obstruction of justice. Mr Trump called the friendship between Mr Comey and Mr Mueller "bothersome" but said Mr Mueller was an "honourable man". The White House later said Mr Trump had no intention of asking for Mr Mueller to be fired.

The President has denied any coordination between his team and Russian officials and has branded the investigations a witch hunt, claiming they are intended to hamper the work of his administration.
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An overturned oil tanker has burst into flames in Pakistan, killing more than 120 people.

Rizwan Naseer, head of Punjab province's rescue services, said 122 people were killed and 76 wounded, with many suffering serious burns.

The tanker flipped over on a national highway about 60 miles south west of Multan. It was driving from the southern port city of Karachi to Lahore, the Punjab provincial capital, when the driver lost control and crashed.

Local villagers ran towards the overturned tanker with jerry cans to take the leaking fuel, said Mr Naseer.

Police tried to cordon off the area but were overwhelmed by scores of villagers who pushed through to reach the truck.

Witnesses said about 30 motorcycles that had carried villagers to the accident site lay in charred ruins nearby. Eight other vehicles were destroyed, they added.

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. 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Many of the bodies were burned beyond recognition, said Mr Naseer.

The disaster came on the eve of the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Fitr, which marks the end of the fasting month of Ramadan.

While Saudi Arabia and most other Muslim countries celebrated the holiday Sunday, Pakistanis will celebrate on Monday.

Residents were told of the leaking fuel over a loudspeaker on top of the local mosque, said Rana Mohammad Salim, deputy commissioner of Bahawalpur, near where the tanker overturned.

Mr Salim said some of the seriously injured have been moved to Multan. The dead included men, women and children, he said.

AP
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This weekend, Muslims all over the globe begin celebrations for Eid al-Fitr, to mark the end of Ramadan.

The name translates as the festival of breaking the fast as during the month of Ramadan, Muslims perform one of the five pillars of Islam: the fast.

Food, water and sexual activity are all banned until after sunset.

Egyptian Muslim men and women are separated from each other as they gather for a prayer in the village of Dalgamon, Tanta, some 120 kilometres north of Cairo, Egypt (EPA / Khaled Elfiqi)

Ramadan takes place in the ninth month of the Islamic lunar calendar. It is believed that the Qurans first verse was revealed during the last 10 nights of this month.

The exact date of Eid depends on the lunar cycle, and it is traditionally celebrated for three days  although from country to country, the festival can last anywhere from one to four days.

Muslims offer prayers outside the Grande Mosquee de Paris (Great Mosque of Paris) (AFP / Zakaria Abdelkafi)

Muslims in the UK generally celebrate Eid for a single day.

Saudis and foreigners perform prayer at the al-Masmak grand mosque of Prince Turki bin Abdulla palace in Riyadh (EPA / STR)

Its not to be confused with Eid al-Adha, the sacrifice feast  so-called to honour Prophet Abrahams sacrifice of his son Ishmael  which takes place two months later and coincides with the annual Mecca pilgrimage.

Syrias President Bashar al-Assad (3rd R) attends prayers on the first day of Eid al-Fitr, inside a mosque in Hama (SANA Handout via Reuters)

To commemorate Eid, prayers are offered in the morning at the mosque, with readings from the Quran.

Pakistani residents offer Eid al-Fitr prayers on the outskirts of Peshawar (AFP/Getty Images)

Celebrations then take place with friends and family, as well as among the whole community.

Bangladeshi Muslims travel home for celebrations on a crowded ferry in Dhaka (Rex Features / Sony Ramany)

Children often receive new clothes and their first pocket money, and parents exchange gifts and pastries.

Afghan children ride swings during celebrations in Herat (EPA / Jalil Rezayee)

In Albanian capital Tirana, prayers take place on recently renovated Skanderbeg Square (AP / Hektor Pustina)

Egyptians try to catch balloons released after prayers, in a public park outside Cairos El-Seddik Mosque (Reuters / Amr Abdallah Dalsh)

This year marks the first time since 1996 that the White House will not host a celebratory iftar dinner to commemorate Eid.

First held in the White House in 1805, Hillary Clinton made the ritual an annual tradition in 1996 after learning more about it from her daughter Chelsea.

An Afghan woman and her son beg at a Kabul mosque on the first day of Eid (Reuters / Omar Sobhani) (Reuters)

The White House issued a statement on Saturday evening: Muslims in the United States joined those around the world during the holy month of Ramadan to focus on acts of faith and charity. Now, as they commemorate Eid with family and friends, they carry on the tradition of helping neighbours and breaking bread with people from all walks of life. During this holiday, we are reminded of the importance of mercy, compassion and goodwill. With Muslims around the world, the United States renews our commitment to honour these values.

The statement ends with the traditional greeting: Eid Mubarak (blessed Eid).
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The body of an Indian man who died in Saudi Arabia has been kept in South Asia's biggest airport for five months because his family refuse to claim it until they are given DNA results.

Jaswinder Singh burned to death in the Saudi province of Al-Kharj two years ago, but his remains are still lying in a morgue in the Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi.

Shillong, India's homage to Bob Dylan Show all 12 1 /12 Shillong, India's homage to Bob Dylan Shillong, India's homage to Bob Dylan Shillong is known as India's rock music capital Charukesi Ramadurai Shillong, India's homage to Bob Dylan Inside Dylan's Cafe Charukesi Ramadurai Shillong, India's homage to Bob Dylan Inside Dylan's Cafe Charukesi Ramadurai Shillong, India's homage to Bob Dylan Lou Majaw in action Charukesi Ramadurai Shillong, India's homage to Bob Dylan Lou Majwaw in action Charukesi Ramadurai Shillong, India's homage to Bob Dylan Dylan's Cafe Charukesi Ramadurai Shillong, India's homage to Bob Dylan Inside Dylan's Cafe Charukesi Ramadurai Shillong, India's homage to Bob Dylan Inside Dylan's Cafe Charukesi Ramadurai Shillong, India's homage to Bob Dylan Inside Dylan's Cafe Charukesi Ramadurai Shillong, India's homage to Bob Dylan Inside Dylan's Cafe Charukesi Ramadurai Shillong, India's homage to Bob Dylan Inside Dylan's Cafe Charukesi Ramadurai Shillong, India's homage to Bob Dylan Inside Dylan's Cafe Charukesi Ramadurai

Mr Singh's family are demanding DNA test results to prove he is their relative before claiming the body.

They said the diesel mechanic's phone was still active six months after his death in November 2015, and remained hopeful that he was still alive despite the fact that nobody answered their calls.

Saudi officials didn't release Mr Singh's body until his family members sent them DNA samples for an identity match in December 2016, according to India Times.

His cadaver was then flown to India, but authorities did not send the DNA test results with the body.

On Thursday the Punjab and Haryana High Court have given India's Ministry of External Affairs 28 days to obtain the DNA report from Saudi Arabia.

Mr Singh is originally from the Kotla Dhak village of Ludhiana.
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The Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said an ultimatum issued to Qatar is against international law and claimed calls to withdraw his troops from the Gulf emirate are disrespectful.

Mr Erdogan announced his support for the monarchy in Doha after they accused a group of Arab nations including Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, and Bahrain of forming an illegal blockade against them and issuing unreasonable demands.

The anti-Qatar coalition has accused the gas-rich nation of funding terrorist groups in the region  claims echoed by Donald Trump. Earlier this month the US President said Qatar had a history of funding terrorism at a very high level.

 UAE: Diplomacy will be given 'one or two more chances' before they 'part ways' with Qatar

Among demands the boycotting countries have made for restoring relations is the closure of Al Jazeera television, curbing alleged relations with the Muslim Brotherhood and Iran, and closing a Turkish military base.

The demands are apparently aimed at dismantling Qatars interventionist foreign policy, which has incensed conservative Arab peers over its alleged support for Islamists they regard as threats to their dynastic rule.

But officials in Doha rejected the ultimatum and said they wont sit down to negotiate an end to the crisis while the siege conditions remain in place.

Mr Erdogan has backed Qatars stance and said calls for Turkish troops to withdraw from the country were disrespectful on Sunday.

10 examples of Saudi Arabia's human rights abuses Show all 10 1 /10 10 examples of Saudi Arabia's human rights abuses 10 examples of Saudi Arabia's human rights abuses In October 2014, three lawyers, Dr Abdulrahman al-Subaihi, Bander al-Nogaithan and Abdulrahman al-Rumaih , were sentenced to up to eight years in prison for using Twitter to criticize the Ministry of Justice. AFP/Getty Images 10 examples of Saudi Arabia's human rights abuses In March 2015, Yemens Sunni President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi was forced into exile after a Shia-led insurgency. A Saudi Arabia-led coalition has responded with air strikes in order to reinstate Mr Hadi. It has since been accused of committing war crimes in the country. Getty Images 10 examples of Saudi Arabia's human rights abuses Women who supported the Women2Drive campaign, launched in 2011 to challenge the ban on women driving vehicles, faced harassment and intimidation by the authorities. The government warned that women drivers would face arrest. Getty Images 10 examples of Saudi Arabia's human rights abuses Members of the Kingdoms Shia minority, most of whom live in the oil-rich Eastern Province, continue to face discrimination that limits their access to government services and employment. Activists have received death sentences or long prison terms for their alleged participation in protests in 2011 and 2012. Getty Images 10 examples of Saudi Arabia's human rights abuses All public gatherings are prohibited under an order issued by the Interior Ministry in 2011. Those defy the ban face arrest, prosecution and imprisonment on charges such as inciting people against the authorities. Getty Images 10 examples of Saudi Arabia's human rights abuses In March 2014, the Interior Ministry stated that authorities had deported over 370,000 foreign migrants and that 18,000 others were in detention. Thousands of workers were returned to Somalia and other states where they were at risk of human rights abuses, with large numbers also returned to Yemen, in order to open more jobs to Saudi Arabians. Many migrants reported that prior to their deportation they had been packed into overcrowded makeshift detention facilities where they received little food and water and were abused by guards. Getty Images 10 examples of Saudi Arabia's human rights abuses The Saudi Arabian authorities continue to deny access to independent human rights organisations like Amnesty International, and they have been known to take punitive action, including through the courts, against activists and family members of victims who contact Amnesty. Getty Images 10 examples of Saudi Arabia's human rights abuses Raif Badawi was sentenced to 1000 lashes and 10 years in prison for using his liberal blog to criticise Saudi Arabias clerics. He has already received 50 lashes, which have reportedly left him in poor health. Carsten Koall/Getty Images 10 examples of Saudi Arabia's human rights abuses Dawood al-Marhoon was arrested aged 17 for participating in an anti-government protest. After refusing to spy on his fellow protestors, he was tortured and forced to sign a blank document that would later contain his confession. At Dawoods trial, the prosecution requested death by crucifixion while refusing him a lawyer. Getty Images 10 examples of Saudi Arabia's human rights abuses Ali Mohammed al-Nimr was arrested in 2012 aged either 16 or 17 for participating in protests during the Arab spring. His sentence includes beheading and crucifixion. The international community has spoken out against the punishment and has called on Saudi Arabia to stop. He is the nephew of a prominent government dissident. Getty

Speaking outside a mosque in Istanbul, he said: We approve and appreciate the attitude of Qatar against the list of 13 demands.

This approach of 13 demands is against international law because you cannot attack or intervene in the sovereignty of a country.

Mr Erdogan said Turkey had offered to establish a military base in Saudi Arabia but is yet to receive a definitive response.

If Saudi Arabia wants us to have base there, a step towards this also can be taken, he told reporters. I made this offer to the king himself and they said they will consider this.

Theyve not got back to us since that day and in any case, asking Turkey to pull back its troops [from Qatar] is disrespectful to Turkey.

Turkey has sent 100 cargo planes with supplies to the Gulf state whose neighbours cut air and sea links. Qatar has also rushed through legislation to send more troops to its base in Doha.

Two contingents of Turkish troops with columns of armoured vehicles have arrived since the crisis erupted, and Defence Minister Fikri Isik said on Friday that further reinforcements would be beneficial.

The strengthening of the Turkish base would be a positive step in terms of the Gulfs security, he said. Re-evaluating the base agreement with Qatar is not on our agenda.

The Hurriyet newspaper said last week a joint exercise by Turkish and Qatari forces was expected following the Islamic Eid al-Fitr holiday which starts on Sunday, and the number of Turkish soldiers sent to the Gulf state could eventually reach 1,000. An airforce contingent was also envisaged, it said.

Both Qatar and Turkey, whose ruling AK Party has its roots in Islamist politics, backed a Muslim Brotherhood government in Egypt before it was overthrown in 2013. The Arab states have demanded Qatar cut any links to the Brotherhood and other groups they deem to be terrorist, ideological or sectarian.

UAE Ambassador to the US Yousef Al Otaibi insisted there was no threat of military action but warned: The measures that have been taken are there to stay until there is a long-term solution to the issue.

Qatars neighbours are demanding that it:

 Curb diplomatic ties with Iran, and limit trade and commerce.

 Stop funding other news outlets, including Arabi21, Al-Araby Al-Jadeed and Middle East Eye.

 Hand over terrorist figures and wanted individuals from the four countries.

 Stop all means of funding for groups or people designated by foreign countries as terrorists.

 Pay an unspecified sum in reparations.

 Stop all contact with the political opposition in Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Egypt and Bahrain.
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A picture of Sikhs handing out nutritional liquids to Muslims fasting during Ramadan has gained attention on social media.

The picture shows members of the Sikh community pouring the substance, believed to be a non-alcoholic squash called Rooh Afza, from a bucket into bags and handing them to Muslim neighbours in the Pakistani city of Peshawar.

A Facebook user who posted the photo commented, "This is the true face of my Pakistan."

Recommended Images of people breaking Ramadan fast in ruined Syrian town go viral

He added several hashtags with the post: peace, unity and love.

The Rooh Afza milk, which typically contains herbs, fruits, vegetables, flowers and roots, was handed out during the holy month of Ramadan.

It is the ninth month of the Islamic lunar calendar and is celebrated by Muslims around the world.

In pictures: The first day of Ramadan Show all 6 1 /6 In pictures: The first day of Ramadan In pictures: The first day of Ramadan ramadan1-AfPgt.jpg AFP/Getty Images In pictures: The first day of Ramadan ramadan5-EPA.jpg EPA In pictures: The first day of Ramadan ramadan2-AP.jpg AP In pictures: The first day of Ramadan ramadan4-AfPgt.jpg AFP/Getty Images In pictures: The first day of Ramadan ramadan6-AP.jpg AP In pictures: The first day of Ramadan ramadan3-AP.jpg AP

Ramadan is a time of prayer, reflection and fasting, during which Muslims are prohibited from eating or drinking between dawn and dusk despite the heat and humidity.

In Pakistan and India, other religious groups come together to celebrate the iftar feast at the end of Ramadan after Muslims break their fast and begin the several-day celebrations of Eid.

Other pictures during Ramadan have also gone viral.

In Syria, photos showing children breaking their fast at a sunset iftar meal among the ruins of bombed buildings in the rebel stronghold of Douma have been widely shared as a symbol of resilience.
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Saudi Arabia says it has donated $67m (52m) to combat a cholera outbreak in Yemen which has hit more than 200,000 people and been declared the "world's worst" by global health bodies.

More than 5,000 people are contracting the disease every day in Yemen and Unicef and the World Health Organisation (WHO) said it was growing almost impossible to control its spread.

The war in Yemen, to which Saudi Arabia is itself a leading contributor as part of an Arab military coalition, has caused dire disruption to the countrys infrastructure and healthcare system.

Cholera has already killed 1,300, a quarter of them children, officials said. More than 200,000 cases have been diagnosed, and this is expected to rise to 300,000 by September, WHO senior medical consultant Dr Xavier de Radigues told CNN.

Unicef, the WHO and its partners will receive the $66.7 million from Saudi Arabia to spend on countering the epidemic.

Cholera is easily prevented by basic sanitation such as washing hands and food with clean water. But it spreads fast in war zones, where contaminated water and poor hygiene are rampant.

More than 14.5 million people in Yemen do not now have regular access to clean water and sanitation.

The conflict has led to 30,000 local health workers - the front line against any epidemic - not being paid for ten months.

Staff at state utilities such as water, rubbish collection and electricity, have suffered the same.

The sewers in Sanaa, the Yemeni capital, stopped functioning on 17 April, according to the BBC. Ten days later, cholera had broken out.

The war is also preventing healthcare supplies reaching Yemens hospitals, limiting the relief they can offer cholera victims. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is currently the largest single provider of cholera management in Yemen, handling 20 per cent of cases.

"Saudi Arabia is committed to working closely with our aid partners to effectively address the cholera and general humanitarian situation in Yemen," said Dr Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al-Rabeeah, adviser at the royal court and general supervisor of King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center.

'We will continue to work with our partners across a broad range of humanitarian and relief efforts for the people of Yemen.

Saudis new Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, who replaced his cousin as next in line to the throne on 21 June, has ordered the donation.

Cholera is one form of acute, watery diarrhoea, a symptom that can be caused by any number of bacteria, viruses and parasites, Save The Children's Caroline Anning told The Independent last week.

In its most severe form, cholera is one of the swiftest lethal infectious diseases known  characterised by an explosive outpouring of fluid and electrolytes within hours of infection that, if not treated appropriately, can lead to death within hours. In places where drinking water is unprotected from faecal contamination, cholera can spread with stunning speed through entire populations.

Humanitarian organisations are calling the fighting in Yemen "the forgotten war", as international awareness of the conflict is so low. A YouGov poll in March showed more than half of British people don't know about it.

The fighting has displaced three million people and left 18 million relying on humanitarian assistance to survive, according to Amnesty International.
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A leading holiday company has been selling packages with flights to the Greek island of Kefalonia, but with accommodation located 400 miles away on an island on the far side of the country.

Pauline Linger from Harlow, who works in retail, booked a trip with her partner, Andy Parker to Kefalonia. The holiday with Lastminute.com cost 945, including flights from Stansted on Ryanair.

On the ATOL certificate, Lastminute.com told them they had booked a Flight and Hotel Package to Kefalonia for 7 nights. But as she studied the details of the hotel she had booked, she was alarmed to read: With a stay at Skala Hotel, youll be centrally located in Patmos.

Patmos is close to the Turkish coast on the far east of the country, while Kefalonia is the largest of the Ionian islands at the extreme west of Greece.

The journey between them is more than 400 miles, and involves two ferry voyages and a long drive. Sailing schedules make the trip long and arduous, taking three days or more.

Going places: the journey from Kefalonia to Patmos, as recommended by Google (Google)

When Ms Linger realised the nature of the package holiday they had booked, she immediately phoned the company. She says that call-centre staff told her: You knew the deal, you clicked on it. Maam, youre going to that hotel.

Ms Linger told the story on ITVs This Morning. She said that in another conversation, Lastminute.coms call centre told her that no one would contact her until 48 hours before departure. She was left in tears because of the lack of care.

When The Independent intervened, the online travel company promised a full refund to the couple. But a day after The Independent alerted the company to the problem, it continued to sell packages involving flights to Kefalonia with beds at a dozen different properties on Patmos  including the three-star Skala Hotel where Ms Linger was booked.

The company invites customers to choose their destination, then to select from a list of accommodation options. Lastminute.com was selling packages comprising flights to Kefalonia and accommodation in at least a dozen hotels on Patmos.

Lastminute.com, which is part of a Swiss travel firm, blamed a technical issue and said the firm would like to apologise for any inconvenience caused and also for the poor handling of the two initial calls.

A spokesperson for the online travel agent told The Independent: As customers are at the heart of our business and their satisfaction is the number one priority to us, our Senior Customer Care Team have since been in touch with the customer to explain why this happened and offered a full refund.

The firm said it could take two weeks to return the money.

A spokesperson for Abta, the travel association, said: Its perfectly reasonable to expect your hotel to be close to the airport and not to have to trek halfway across the Med.

Kefalonia is the setting for Louis de Bernieres' novel, Captain Corelli's Mandolin. Patmos has an even stronger literary claim, being the location where the Bibles Book of Revelation was written.

Pauline Kimber and Andy Parker bought transfers for the journey from the airport to their hotel for just 20 per person each way  remarkable value considering the journey involved from Kefalonia to Patmos.

From the airport, they would need to travel to the port of Poros, and wait overnight for the first ferry to Kyllini on the mainland. There follows a long trek across the Peloponnese to Athens and the port of Piraeus, where another overnight stay is needed before the first available sailing on Blue Star, on Wednesday evening.

Following an eight-hour overnight ferry trip, the couple would have arrived in Patmos in the early hours of Thursday morning, three-and-a-half days after leaving Stansted. They would have less than a day on Patmos before beginning the long journey back to Kefalonia the same evening.
Garda said a man found unconscious in a Co Waterford street after an alleged assault has died

A man has died a day after being discovered unconscious in a street following an alleged assault, gardai have said.

The dead man, aged 54, was found on Lower Strand Street in Tramore, Co Waterford after an altercation with another man at about 2.15am on Saturday.

A man in his 20s was arrested at the scene and was detained at the local Garda station.

Gardai said the victim was rushed to University Hospital Waterford where he was pronounced dead in the early hours of Sunday.

The State Pathologist's office has been notified and a post-mortem examination is due to take place.

Gardai appealed for witnesses to an altercation in the Lower Strand Street area of Tramore in the early hours of Saturday or for anyone who was in the area between 1.30am and 2.30am on that day to come forward.
The North Korean government of Kim Jong-un is planning a Mediterranean costa-style beach resort, taking its inspiration from emblematic tourism hotspots in Spain, including Benidorm and Salou.

A delegation of 20 officials from the ultra-secretive state enjoyed a fact-finding road trip earlier this month from the French border through Barcelona and Valencia to Alicante, seeking inspiration as North Korea plans its own large beach resort in Wonsan, a port city on the countrys eastern coast.

According to a spokesman for the North Korean embassy in Madrid, the delegation was "amazed by the dimensions" of Benidorm's towers and holiday parks, but added that the Marina d'Or enclosed tourism complex in Oropesa del Mar was the closest match to their plans in Wonsan, "aimed at the domestic and international markets".

The delegation breezed through Barcelona, showing no interest in the architectural wonders of Antoni Gaudi or the famous Rambla boulevard.

We wanted to focus on the beaches because that is what we are interested in, the embassy spokesman said.

The delegation was, however, captivated by the Benidorm history-based theme park Terra Mitica, suggesting that Wonsan may one day boast an amusement park showing how North Korea evolved to perfection on the shoulders of its Asian forerunners.

They loved the recreation of the various ancient Mediterranean civilisations. It would be very interesting to apply that concept in our theme park, maybe with Asian civilisations, the embassy said.

Read More

In Benidorm, as well as visiting the resorts towering hotel buildings, the group went to a local campsite, where they left some clues about the kind of accommodation North Koreans may be using when the Wonsan complex is ready.

They asked many detailed questions about the costs of each element in the campsite, Matias Perez Such, an organiser of the trip, told the online newspaper El Confidencial.

If they want to develop tourism, its logical that they start from the bottom up with campsites and not 55-floor hotels. But its positive that they want to stop being the most hermetic country in the world, Mr Perez Such added. Tourism breaks down barriers.

But North Koreas plans to increase the number of foreign visitors to the country from just over 100,000 to an annual one million were jolted by the recent death of Otto Warmbier, a US visitor who was imprisoned after admitting stealing a propaganda poster and then mysteriously slipping into a coma after his 2016 trial in Pyongyang.

Two days after Mr Warmbier had died on June 13 having been sent home to the United States in irretrievably bad health, North Koreas ambassador to Spain spoke in Madrid of the countrys great potential as a prime tourism destination.

They say its difficult to travel to our country, but this is not true. You can get a visa in less than a month, said Ambassador Kim Hyok-chol.

At the embassy event, the secretary-general of the UNs World Tourism Organization, Taleb Rifai, said he had recently visited North Korea and been impressed by the experience, commenting: I have never met such welcoming people.

But remarks by Ambassador Kim underscored the fact that North Korea is still far from a normal holiday destination.

If you want to eat in a Pyongyang restaurant, you can go on your own. But if you want to visit places beyond that, you will be accompanied. So far, this has been the safest and most comfortable way to visit the country.

Telegraph Media Group Limited [2022]
'Long-forgotten Waterford Airport was first up to the plate this week, announcing routes to London Luton, Manchester and Birmingham.'

Despite all the talk about Brexit reducing passenger numbers between Britain and Ireland, connectivity from here to England is actually on the increase.

A case in point - not one, but four new routes from Ireland to Britain coming on stream in the coming weeks.

Long-forgotten Waterford Airport was first up to the plate this week, announcing routes to London Luton, Manchester and Birmingham.

Flights will be operated by Irish startup Aer Southeast, which has the backing of Irish and Scandinavian investors, and which will be plying its trade with Saab 340 aircraft.

It's a shot in the arm for the regional airport, which will now offer some decent outbound connectivity for business travellers in the southeast, and further open up Ireland's Ancient East for the inbound market, with six flights a week to Luton, three to Manchester and three to Birmingham.

Aer Lingus Regional - operated by Stobart Air - pulled out of the London-Southend route in 2016. British regional carrier Flybe did likewise a year earlier. Now the route is back on (starting on October 29). It will be operated by Stobart Air (again) under Flybe colours. Here's hoping lightning doesn't strike three times.

Joking aside, while the airline's talk of the new route opening up Irish trade to Essex (really ????), Southend Airport does have a lot going for it.

For one, it boasts 15 minutes from plane to train - and its trains, operated by the airport itself, connect to London's Liverpool Street (convenient for the City) in 45 minutes, which is more than a match for Heathrow's Piccadilly Line Tube.

And it has an outspoken, borderline bolshy ceo in Glyn Jones, who's worried about congestion in London's airspace, which is of huge importance given that Dublin-London is Europe's busiest corridor, with 4.8 million passengers a year.

As he puts it himself: "I believe there is another way to approach air travel in London and the South East. A better way. If you don't believe me, give it a go - the next time you fly, fly super-fast through London Southend Airport. And if you still don't believe me after that, I will give you your next flight for free."

Don't email me with requests, folks, try LSAEnquiries@southendairport.com.

But he's a bit of fresh air when it comes to the London situation - and will find friends with anyone who's been stuck in a never-ending holding pattern over Hounslow.

He points out that airports in the region will reach absolute capacity by 2030 - but "believes this situation will actually start this year - a full 13 years ahead of forecast".

Refreshingly, he doesn't pull any punches, claiming "at one of the South East's flagship airports, in August (peak holiday season) almost half of all flights were late"; "rail access to London airports is a joke"; and the airports operate "the UK's most expensive stretch of railway".

This column will be watching the outcome with interest.

Speaking of quick turnarounds at airports, your columnist had to be a human guinea pig in testing Emirates's claim that connections could be achieved in just an hour at Dubai International.

With a flight from Densapar Airport in Indonesia to Dubai worryingly late due to a bad technical fault, a two-and-a-half-hour connection before the last leg to Dublin suddenly turned into something of a scramble.

It's a nightmare scenario when your next flight is actually boarding as you're getting off your inbound flight. Given the fact that your arriving flight is parked as far away as possible from the terminal, then it's looking decidedly dicey. But security was swift, and your columnist even had time to buy a bit of Dubai-style duty free and still be on time for the last leg to Dublin.

Despite an eight-hour layover at Dubai International on the outward leg to the Far East, Dubai's police force weren't able to produce the goods for your columnist and show off their latest innovation - a Robocop. Thankfully unarmed, the robot can be used for members of the public to report crimes (or pay traffic fines), with the information relayed to its human masters.

Robocops are multilingual, and the city state reckons a quarter of its force will be lifeless and devoid of emotion by 2030.

It's the latest 'what will they think of next' idea from the United Arab Emirates with business travellers already looking forward to (or not) the idea of introducing pilotless drones that can transfer passengers by air, Jetsons-style, around the city.
Shane Fitzgerald is a young farmer on a mission and is half way through expanding the Holstein- Friesian herd on the 250 acre home farm to 200 cows by 2019. The herd count is currently 165 cows.

With 40pc of the herd's milk going to Glanbia at a fixed price of 31c/l and the remainder at the market price, the 2016 Teagasc/FBD Student of the Year believes the expansion of the family farm near Portlaw in Waterford will pay for itself.

He is philosophical about milk prices, accepting market fluctuations as part of parcel of the dairy world though in an ideal world he would like a floor price of 30c/l from which the co-ops could not depart.

Shane's educational background - a Level 8 business qualification from Waterford IT and a Level 7 in dairy management from Kildalton - gives him a rounded view on such matters.

In addition to the academic qualifications he also has work experience on a 2,000 cow dairy farm in New Zealand a few years ago.

His trip to New Zealand brought home to him the importance of a qualified farm labour force, something Shane believes is being neglected by the Irish agricultural authorities.

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"In New Zealand we had a big team running the farm outside Christchurch but they were mainly Indians and people from the Philippines who were working there. The same thing is happening here these days with a lot of the hard work being carried out by immigrants. And with the economy improving and more workers transferring back to the construction industry that trend is likely to continue," he says.

Shane is an only son and he says his father encouraged him to complete his business studies in Waterford IT first so he did not have to worry about the ever-expanding paperwork load for the Department of Agriculture and the Co-ops.

"The partnership with Dad is working well. We work well as a team and I do all the financial stuff including the form filling which Dad has always hated."

His mother Bernie, who comes from what Shane describes as "non agricultural" Tramore, works off farm at a Co Waterford frozen food factory, while his sister Sarah (25) also has a business degree from WIT and works as an accountant locally.

And just in case there is any slip up in the form filling Shane's girlfriend Kathy also works as an accountant in Waterford.

Off farm he has the normal interests of a 26-year-old, including Waterford GAA and rugby although his main interest would be travelling.

Education

"Myself and Kathy don't like sitting around so we take as many breaks as possible and always travel somewhere in Ireland of interest in our spare time. We are passionate about getting around the country to see things," he says.

Shane's overall view of the current agricultural scene is simple: "There's a lot of young farmers out there with a lot of drive and passion wanting to make things happen. It's important to spend time in education and to improve yourself"

So what's Shane's next ambition I ask? "I was talking to a few people recently and I might apply for a Nuffield scholarship and see how that goes," he replies.
My youngest son is an avid reader and is currently pursuing the well-worn path of reading the cereal boxes every morning, probably more as a delay tactic in getting ready for school than improving his nutritional knowledge.

The other morning as he read through the boxes he proclaimed: 'After Brexit, there will be no breakfasts'. He has a point.

All the cereal boxes in the press (except for the porridge oats which he classifies as more of a punishment than a breakfast) were produced in the UK and, unfortunately it doesn't stop there.

Most of the food that we eat and drink in this country on a daily basis is directly imported from the UK. As well as breakfast cereals, the bulk of the biscuits, frozen food, canned food, confectionery, flour for bread and most other prepared foodstuffs we consume comes across in the ferries every morning.

What really sticks in the craw, however, is the amount of basic produce like vegetables and potatoes that are imported into this country from the UK.

The value of vegetables imported into the country from the UK is equal to the value of the mushrooms exported, at approximately 100m per annum each way. The value of the potatoes imported (90 million) is almost twice the value of the peat exported (50 million) to the UK.

There can be plenty of discussion around the validity of these figures, some of this produce may well have originated somewhere else, like bananas or salad potatoes which are moved through the UK, but the figures give an example of our dependence on the UK for basic produce. Indeed in 2016 the total agri food exports from Ireland to the UK totalled 4.8 billion, while the scale of imports of the same produce was 3.7 billion.

So where does that leave us now that the UK are opening discussions to leave the party?

While the outcome is unknown, I think what we can say is that whatever restrictions or barriers are applied to our food exports will also be applied to produce currently being imported from the UK to Ireland.

This may create further problems for us in the short term, but in the medium to long term, it also has the potential to open up a huge new market in food production for our own consumption.

If in two years time the shutters come down and the ferries stop rolling, it is not an exaggeration to say that there will be a lot of empty shelves in the supermarkets, it's at that scale.

Sure we will have plenty of butter and burgers to fill the shelves, my young lad will have plenty of porridge in the morning, but the range of produce that we have become accustomed to will no longer be available.

Food production

The conundrum now is how to proceed. Do we go about scaling up home production, getting more growers to produce more foodstuffs? More seed potatoes, more chipping potatoes, more cabbage, broccoli, milling wheat, eating apples?

Do we go start increasing (or restarting) the manufacture of basic foodstuffs - milling our own wheat, making our own biscuits, canning our own beans, potting our own jam.

The catch is that if we encourage wide scale investment in production and the status quo is unchanged once the Brexit negotiations conclude, those people that have invested in food production will quickly go bust.

However, I think that Brexit is giving us the opportunity to look with fresh eyes at our food supply chain.

We have been sorely lacking in designing and implementing a food policy in this country, or putting in place a blueprint of how we feed ourselves.

The entire discussion surrounding Brexit and Irish agriculture has to date focussed on one thing: the amount of milk and meat exported from here to there. The debate has to move on.

Our main customers may or may not be changing their purchasing habits and like any business we have to get over it and adapt. We did it 20 years ago during BSE when all our customers 'stopped returning our calls'.

We have to grasp the reality that no matter what happens with Brexit or any other event in the future, we have to become a real 'food island'.

First and foremost, we need to make the most of the ideal conditions we have been blessed with in this country in which to grow food to feed ourselves.

And my young lad can stop worrying about where the breakfast is coming from.

Richard Hackett is an agronomist based in north County Dublin and is a member of the ITCA and ACA
Epic boasts that it can do 900 years of history in 90 minutes with an innovative use of touch screens, including the biggest iPad in Ireland

Epic, the Irish Emigration museum based in Dublin's docklands, has seen a big jump in visitor numbers, new figures reveal.

The museum, which occupies a large portion of the vaults underneath former Coca-Cola boss Neville Isdell's CHQ building, expects to pass a run rate of 120,000 visitors by the autumn, up from an annual run rate of 50,000 in 2016.

"It is really taking off," said Epic's sales and marketing director, Aileesh Carew. "We are into our first full summer season and the numbers are looking very positive. Tourism in the city is doing well and we are starting to get our share of the pie."

Epic is the world's first fully-digitised museum. Over 4m was invested in technology to tell the story of 900 years of Ireland's emigration and global influence. The museum aims to cater for 750,000 visitors annually by 2020, which would make it Dublin's third-most visited tourist attraction after the Guinness Storehouse and the Book of Kells at Trinity College. The museum is to invest 150,000 over the summer in a major advertising campaign across the city's transport network that will kick off next week, as well as an initiative to allow taxi drivers in for free.

The growing numbers visiting the museum has coincided with increased footfall at CHQ itself with many units let out since Isdell bought the building in 2013 for over 10m. Urban Brewery, the smallest microbrewery in Europe, will open at the building later in the summer and it is expected that a large family restaurant will take one of the last remaining large units.
Irish online lending company Linked Finance is in talks with AIB and other major Irish banks about future collaborations, its founder said.

Serial investor Peter O'Mahony, who founded the peer-to-peer lending platform, said the firm had been approached by AIB, Bank of Ireland and Ulster Bank.

"There are no concrete proposals, but we are very confident that at some stage we will have a relationship with one or more," he said.

Talks with all three banks are still at an early stage, but O'Mahony said there were a number of possibilities for collaboration.

"It could involve a partnership without any financial involvement. It could involve one of the banks taking a stake in our business and helping us to grow, or we could be taken over and we could become a department of a bank," he said.

There is a growing trend for bigger banks to hook up with these smaller lenders to provide boutique online lending opportunities. In the UK, Santander has a partnership with online lending platform Funding Circle for smaller loans, which saw 140m (160m) lent in May alone, while Goldman Sachs' has a new peer-to-peer lending arm called Marcus.com.

O'Mahony's company last month received authorisation to begin lending in the UK market, and its Irish operation saw lending jump more than 300pc in the first quarter.
Homes in urban areas around the country worth 350,000 are expected to rise in value by another 5,000 next month alone

Housing Minister Eoghan Murphy has been warned that further interference in the property market and prematurely ending the help-to-buy scheme will inflate property prices and demand for housing.

Homes in urban areas around the country worth 350,000 are expected to rise in value by another 5,000 next month alone.

Increases will be fuelled by a frenzy of additional first-time buyers entering the market to avail of the Government's tax-incentive before it is too late.

Experts are warning that property prices will continue to grow before October's Budget and predict that monthly increases in July and August could peak at 2pc.

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Fears among first-time buyers that the help-to-buy scheme will be terminated have grown since Mr Murphy said he was concerned it had not achieved the expected results.

However, Mr Murphy has been told that ending the scheme two years early will encourage buyers to rush into the market before October in order to capitalise on the tax incentives before they are removed. This will accelerate demand, driving house prices higher in the short-term.

Philip Farrell, a property consultant and market commentator, said the help-to-buy scheme introduced by Simon Coveney was having a devastating effect on the property market.

"It was brought in to assist first-time buyers who were unable to meet the increased deposit requirements and source the finance required. However, what it has done is inflate prices.

"It is clear Minister Murphy is going to have to remove this. It is unlikely he will do it before the Budget. They tend to do these things in the confines of the parameters of the Budget."

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Prices will continue to rise in urban areas at a significant rate, thanks to the threat now looming over the doomed initiative. July and August, months when the market traditionally catches its breath, will now be exceptionally busy for auctioneers and house-hunters.

"The first-time buyers will be more interested now because of the likely abolishment of the help-to-buy scheme," said Mr Farrell.

"Supply is not going to increase so it is likely that demand will continue to increase and even become stronger in the next month. It is likely to cause increases of between 1pc and 2pc in both July and August.

"If you have an average value in the greater Dublin area of 350,000, 1pc to 1.5pc of that is 5,000, and this [increase] will be purely as a result of pent-up demand in anticipation of the abolishment of help-to-buy."

An additional 18,000 homes are expected to come to market this year but demand is closer to 40,000 units.

More than 7,270 applications have been made for assistance under the help-to-buy scheme since it was introduced last year by Mr Murphy's predecessor, Simon Coveney. The 1,679 claims already made under the initiative will cost 24.5m, but the total cost is set to come in at more than the 50m put aside by then Finance Minister Michael Noonan.

The incentive provides for a refund of up to 20,000 on income tax and DIRT paid over the previous four years for first-time buyers purchasing a house worth less than 400,000. It was due to run until December 2019.

The scheme is being reviewed by officials in the Department of Finance and is expected to be scrapped. However, the minister has been warned this could also have negative consequences.

Tom Dunne, head of DIT's school of surveying and construction management, cited a similar scheme in the UK that had disastrous consequences.

"Nigel Lawson announced he was going to withdraw some incentives that they had in the 1980s for property. He gave a notice period and people reacted by saying 'I better go and buy now' and that drove up house prices.

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"He kept the housing market in the UK well above a level where it should have peaked at. People lost out because when the markets came back to normality, and the prices came down, what they had gained in a tax break was lost in the value [depreciation] of the property."

In some cases then house prices rose by 50pc within six months and Mr Dunne said the minister would have to be wary of further interference in the Irish market.

"People will anticipate and fear a removal of the tax break and may move in advance of that.

"If everyone behaves that way they just compete against each other, get the house prices up a little higher than they would. When the tax break is gone, the prices correct back to normal but effectively they hand the tax break to the builders.

"This is the problem with the Government altering their policy on a very regular basis. They create behavioural patterns in the market that are not desirable. It is better to have a solid policy which you implement where you are secure in your intentions and people can rely on it."
Travellers may not be hit by a huge bill, but using 4G in the EU isnt always easy (stock photo)

Thought the mobile roaming issue had been sorted? Alas, no. Despite Brussels slashing the cost of using your phone across the EU, Irish business users could still face multiple cost barriers.

Top of the list is Brexit.

Next comes the issue of whether operators are actually abiding fully with roaming obligations.

There is good news on Brexit, and less-positive news on roaming implementation.

The good news is that both Vodafone and Three have indicated to your correspondent that they will not reintroduce roaming charges for Irish customers after Brexit.

This is quite a big deal. Britain is the country we visit most in Europe. For those in business, particularly, a return to roaming charges could be very costly, especially if operators decide to return to their ridiculous pre-EU data charges of up to 100 per GB.

The new policy will also come as a big relief to those living in the border counties. Even if residents aren't regularly travelling into the North, many are often caught in roaming patterns by UK-registered towers located a few kilometres away.

With Irish business-users overwhelmingly opting for contracts over pre-pay deals, those looking at new 24-month plans will want to know whether they will be caught towards the end by new Brexit-related roaming fees.

In this regard, the move by Vodafone and Three is likely to ease concerns for a great many business customers. Between them, the two operators hold around 90pc of the business market here.

In doing so, it will also put considerable pressure on Ireland's third- and fourth-largest operators, Meteor (with 20pc of the market) and Tesco Mobile (with 7pc).

Neither owns a network in the UK. As such, neither has the advantage enjoyed by their bigger rivals to control their own roaming charges destiny.

Sure enough, both responded to queries from this newspaper on the issue in a manner that reflects this competitive disadvantage.

"No decision has been made in relation to this," said a spokeswoman for Meteor.

"Tesco Mobile Ireland will continue to maintain a watching brief regarding Brexit as negotiations continue," said a spokeswoman for Tesco Mobile.

Privately, both operators are dearly hoping that an aggregate deal between British and EU authorities is bashed out. Such a deal could get them out of a potentially very difficult spot. Having to reintroduce roaming fees when major rivals can afford not to would damage their competitive prospects.

(For the record, iD Mobile, owned by Dixons Carphone, also says that it will not reintroduce roaming charges after Brexit. Virgin Mobile did not respond to questions on the issue).

It's fair to point out that Brexit-related roaming charges are unlikely to materialise anytime soon. Realistically, a deal between the EU and the UK is expected to take years to finalise. Under EU law, roaming fees between operators must keep reducing until they settle at 2.50 per gigabyte of data in 2022 (down from 7.70 now).

By then, mobile operators will have been used to a trading environment with little or no roaming charges amongst each other. If Brexit does not occur until close to that date, there may not be significant commercial pressure on Irish operators to introduce new roaming fees for travellers to the UK.

Either way, Vodafone and Three may not be taking much of a risk in signalling their post-Brexit charging intentions at this point.

But Brexit isn't the only roaming issue left to tackle. There may be a bedding-in period until Irish mobile customers get a similar experience in other EU countries to the one they have at home.

For example, last weekend (three days after the EU law was introduced), I was in Frankfurt. My family had two phones. One had a Vodafone sim card, and the other had a Three sim card. Neither performed as expected. The Three handset (an iPhone 6) failed pretty badly. Roaming on T-Mobile, it only connected at slow 3G speeds, despite being in 4G-centric central Frankfurt. At times, it simply wouldn't connect. No other operator was allowable on the service. So we were forced to seek wifi or rely on the other handset. This second handset was a Vodafone model (iPhone 7). It connected seamlessly to the local Vodafone network, but speeds were far slower than I'm used to on Vodafone's 4G network at home. Where I get between 20Mbs to 100Mbs on average in Dublin, it appeared to be closer to 2Mbs or 3Mbs in Frankfurt (which has faster speeds). That's not exactly 'roam like home'.

Upon complaint, Vodafone Ireland suggested that there may be a disparity when using Speedtest.net to measure speeds, depending on which server is selected to run the test. However, subsequent tests by me appear to contradict this conclusion.

I'm not the only one experiencing such aberrations in network quality. Several people, including one Irish Government minister, tweeted me during the week with similar complaints (and screenshots) of sub-standard performance on local European networks in France, Spain and other countries.

The problem with this issue is that it will be very difficult to measure and enforce effectively. Operators know that as long as its roaming customers get access to a couple of megabits' connection, the vast majority won't complain. In truth, most are still getting used to the idea of not having to pay extra for any kind of access. But this shouldn't excuse operators. The law is the law. Being placed on 3G in what is clearly a strong 4G zone won't wash for very long. Nor will getting stuck on speeds that could be a fraction of what is available, even if it is on 4G.

We may no longer have the big roaming fees of the past decade. But there may still be some work in making sure that the new rules are adhered to.
Since becoming the US President, Donald Trump has been widely criticised for his Twitter use. One example was his retweet of an image which showed crime statistics categorised by race. Subsequently, it was discovered that the numbers were inaccurate and had come from a source which did not in fact exist. In his defence, Trump said: "I retweeted somebody that was supposedly an expert."

In the US, freedom of expression will in most cases overcome the right to protect one's good name but this is not the case in Europe where reputation and privacy rights receive equal consideration.

Last month, a court in Switzerland decided that by liking defamatory statements on Facebook, the user had adopted those statements as his own and disseminated them further making them accessible to a multitude of people.

In contrast to the law on defamation in Ireland, in Switzerland defamation is treated as a crime rather than a civil wrong. By liking defamatory statements which included content contrary to the interests of the animal rights activist Erwin Kessler and his animal rights group, the court decided that the accused had adopted those statements as his own and had disseminated them.

The Facebook posts which had been liked included references to Erwin Kessler as an anti-Semite, a racist and a fascist. The accused was unable to prove that these statements were true and neither could he show grounds for an honest belief in the truth of the statements. His defence therefore failed.

Not only did the court find that the liking of a Facebook post by a third party amounts to an endorsement and an adoption of that statement as one's own, the court also found that liking a Facebook post is an act of dissemination - ie the onward distribution or publication of content.

Given this recent decision and the possibly wide-ranging implications of it, it is necessary to consider the approach in other jurisdictions on this topic. In 2013 a court in Hamburg also looked at the meaning of a Facebook like in the context of legal liability. The case did not involve defamation but related to an allegation of deceptive advertising, where users could enter a competition to win prizes by liking a Facebook page and by fulfilling certain other criteria.

It was argued here that the defendant was buying positive feedback and that other users, unaware of the competition, might consider the boost in likes as an endorsement of the company's products.

In this case liking a post or page on Facebook was equated by the court with a non-binding expression or neutral act. The court reasoned that in order for the like to be considered an endorsement, it should be accompanied by a comment or post in writing. So, in the absence of additional information, the motive for clicking 'like' effectively remains hidden and neither carries a positive nor a negative meaning. Arguably, this reasoning could be applied to a case in defamation.

In the UK, the widely publicised defamation action by Lord McAlpine, former conservative politician, against Sally Bercow, wife of John Bercow (Speaker of the House of Commons), highlights the dangers of tweeting and retweeting content. This case arose following the broadcast of a BBC Newsnight programme in November 2012 concerning an investigation into the abuse of boys at a children's home in Wales by a leading conservative politician.

The politician was not named but prominent tweeters, including Ms Bercow, inferred that McAlpine was the politician concerned. The rumour that it was McAlpine was later acknowledged by numerous newspapers, broadcasters and the accuser to be completely untrue.

Sally Bercow's tweet did not expressly link the BBC Newsnight broadcast with McAlpine but instead tweeted: "Why is Lord McAlpine trending? *innocent face*". Defamation proceedings were issued with the UK Courts holding as a preliminary finding that the meaning of the tweet and in particular the words "innocent face" was that Lord McAlpine was a paedophile who was guilty of sexually abusing boys living in care and therefore, was defamatory. It was also argued during the case that it was foreseeable that a substantial number of Bercow's followers (she had more than 56,000 at the time) would retweet the message.

Interestingly, a retweet sent by Alan Davies, comedian and actor, naming McAlpine as connected with the allegations also became the subject of defamation proceedings. Following the settlement of that action, Mr Davies issued a statement through his lawyers warning of the dangers of retweeting.

In Ireland, an act of defamation arises if a defamatory statement concerning a person or company is published to at least one other person. Of course, the Defamation Act 2009 was not drafted to deal with the scenario of liking or retweeting potentially defamatory content. However, at its simplest, the law is designed to stop the spread of false rumour and if you take it that repeating a defamatory allegation without saying you agree or endorse the allegation is publication, then if you like a defamatory post or retweet a defamatory tweet, you could be faced with legal action.

Under Irish law, defences could include either establishing the truth of the content or establishing that you honestly held the opinion contained in the published statement. The recent examples in Switzerland and the UK, the Kessler and McAlpine cases, show that users who retweet or like content, if pursued, will invariably fail to defend these actions. This is possibly because the users have simply engaged with content without knowing the facts behind the statements and are therefore not in a position to defend their actions. Defamation law in Ireland and in other jurisdictions is constantly evolving. Legal risks continue to emerge in this area and the Kessler and McAlpine cases are cautionary tales to all social media users to take stock, pause and consider the truth or otherwise of content before sharing, liking or retweeting.
'The company employs 1,800 people in Ireland and will shortly complete a 134m investment in the new Microsoft campus in Leopardstown.' Photo: Bloomberg

The Government is resisting calls from Microsoft for Ireland to become 'a global leader' in cloud-based technology by moving central public services onto a cloud-based system.

According to documents released to the Sunday Independent, officials have concerns over the risks associated with allowing a public cloud system to underpin key government operations.

It also emerged in documents released under Freedom of Information that the Government may build its own cloud-based data-services centre. While this would allow the state to keep more control over digital information, the costs would run into hundreds of millions of euro.

Documents relating to a meeting between Peggy Johnson, executive vice-president of business development at the tech giant, and former Taoiseach Enda Kenny show that Johnson urged the Government to "at a minimum" consider a hybrid system for such a data centre, incorporating public cloud offerings.

In briefing notes prepared for the then Taoiseach, it states that Microsoft ceo Satya Nadella may "express surprise" at Ireland's reticence to use cloud models for delivery of services. In the same paragraph it is noted that under his leadership, Microsoft is rapidly being redefined as a cloud-services business. The company employs 1,800 people in Ireland and will shortly complete a 134m investment in the new Microsoft campus in Leopardstown.

It was flagged ahead of the meeting with Johnson that she would be expected to discuss opportunities for the Government to lead on cloud adoption. However, the notes state there is a "strong preference for onsite hosting".

After the meeting, a senior official suggests a follow-up letter give some comfort to Johnson but be "as direct as possible".

In a statement to the Sunday Independent the company said: "Microsoft works with government on a regular basis to discuss and engage on the transformative potential of cloud.

"There is a huge opportunity for the Irish Government to position Ireland as a global leader in cloud computing by leveraging the investments and expertise that are already here through multinational data centre investments, and by tapping into them to help drive innovation and efficiency gains."
Paraphrasing the 1970s Six Million Dollar Man TV series, pictured, (I watched repeats!): We have the technology. We have the capability to make the worlds first multilateral tax treaty.

More BEPS. More tax uncertainty. More cost. Tax history was made with the strokes of almost 70 pens in Paris this month. Sacre bleu! A giant tax treaty (the Multilateral Instrument, or MLI) was signed by almost 70 OECD member countries, with now former Finance Minister Michael Noonan signing for us.

The MLI is part of the OECD's Base Erosion and Profit Shifting (BEPS) initiative which seeks to deal with, according to the OECD, the avoidance of up to 240bn in tax annually between those countries. Without this giant treaty almost 1,100 double tax treaties between those countries would have had to be renegotiated and amended individually, which could have taken decades. But this is 2017. Paraphrasing the 1970s' Six Million Dollar Man TV series (I watched repeats!): "We have the technology. We have the capability to make the world's first multilateral tax treaty." The MLI will be that treaty. Better than tax treaties were before. Better, stronger, faster to agree. This treaty amends all signatory treaties and seeks to reduce that 240bn hole mentioned earlier.

A double tax treaty recognises that a taxpayer operating in a foreign country can have profits taxed at home and in that foreign country. The treaty reduces that double tax risk by saying which country can tax those profits or by allowing the foreign taxation while granting a credit for the foreign tax against the taxpayer's tax bill back home. In certain instances a reduced withholding tax rate may also apply.

Granted, the MLI is designed to deal with anti-avoidance but it applies to taxpayers in the signatory countries. Those taxpayers will have to satisfy themselves that they were not engaged in tax avoidance and that requires additional work on their part. Avoidance is a legal concept and the rule of law applies.

The MLI allows countries options to deal with the issues outlined in the MLI, with different countries taking differing measures. For example, Ireland is not adopting the MLI provisions dealing with the taxation of certain agents. But it is abiding by the provision designed to prevent corporate groups from breaking up their operating business into smaller operations to avoid taxable presences abroad and all the tax that would go with it.

Overall the MLI increases the possibility of a taxpayer having a taxable presence in another country. Good for the country concerned but potentially costly for the taxpayer. A taxpayer's business profits will generally be taxed at home but a tax treaty allows a foreign country to tax those profits where the taxpayer has a taxable presence (the legalese being 'permanent establishment') in that country.

That means that a taxpayer will then be taxable in two countries but with a credit for the foreign tax back home. Brilliant! However, our standard corporate tax rate is 12.5pc and as we know, much to the chagrin of other countries, they have a higher tax rate than ours. If a company's profits are taxed in a foreign treaty country with the higher tax rate then the maximum credit allowed here will be the Irish tax payable on those profits. The foreign tax over and above that credit is an additional cost to the Irish company.

Ireland, in a somewhat silver lining mode, has certain relieving provisions for that excess tax (T's and C's apply) but nonetheless this brings about additional compliance work for the taxpayer company concerned.

The MLI also addresses concerns that double tax treaties could be used to allow treaty benef-9its in unintended circumstances. This is dealt with by bringing about a "principal purpose test" (PPT) or combining it with a form of "limitation on benefits" provision. Most countries have gone with the PPT option. That effectively says if you enter into an arrangement with a principal purpose of benefiting from the treaty then those benefits aren't available.

We have a similar provision within our domestic law known as the "General Anti-Avoidance Rule". It removes a tax advantage where it is reasonable to consider that a tax benefit was a primary purpose of the transaction. Its application was once explained by a former Revenue Commissioner who likened it to a cross-eyed javelin-thrower competing at the Olympics; he may not win but he will keep everyone on the edge of their seats. I've always thought that very apt in demonstrating the uncertainty that such a provision brings about and now we will have a similar provision within our tax treaties.

Adam Smith wrote that "the certainty of what each individual ought to pay is, in taxation, a matter of so great importance that a very considerable degree of inequality is not so great an evil as a very small degree of uncertainty". That's as true now as it was in the 18th century when he wrote his Wealth of Nations. Bottom line: uncertainty brings about additional compliance costs.

A double tax treaty will only be amended by the MLI if the parties agree between them on the various optional provisions to deal with double tax issues. The OECD has published provisional lists of treaties, options and reservations for each MLI signatory on its website. Businesses benefiting from double tax treaties between the initial signatories can now analyse the potential impact of the changes published. This requires scrutiny as the information available is long and complex with Ireland's position alone amounting to 49 pages. The MLI remains open to interested parties and the OECD hopes that up to 90 jurisdictions will have signed up by the end of this year.

The US did not participate in the MLI's signing ceremony but it does have complex limitation on benefits provisions in existing treaties. The Ireland-US treaty is the subject of a renegotiation process. The limitation on benefits provision in the model used in that process goes far beyond that recommended by the BEPS Report and could deny treaty benefits to many Irish listed companies and certain funds which have their primary listing in certain countries.

It would therefore be preferable to maintain the wording adopted in the current treaty rather than the more onerous version suggested by the model used in the renegotiation process given that the MLI is not yet on the cards for the US.

The next step in the MLI process is for the signatories to complete their home country ratification which will determine when the changes have effect for each tax treaty.

Someone once said "plus ca change plus c'est la meme chose". He obviously didn't work in tax.

Tom Maguire is a tax partner in Deloitte
Parents of children who need organ transplants are being forced to relocate to the UK due to a shortage of air ambulances to bring them to hospital in time when an organ becomes available.

Ireland does not have the capacity to carry out paediatric liver and heart transplants and young patients are treated in the UK under the Treatment Abroad Scheme (TAS).

However, due to staff shortages the Air Corp is now providing a limited air ambulance service.

For paediatric heart patients the window to get to hospital when a donor becomes available is four hours. For liver patients it is six hours.

Families who fear they might not make it to the hospital in time have made the decision to relocate to ensure their child is able to undergo the life-saving operation.

However, one parent whose child underwent a transplant abroad before the changes to the transfer service, said the situation was adding stress to what was already a worrying and stressful time for any family.

"Even post-transplant it's stressful because what if your child needs to be rushed abroad urgently if they get ill, which can happen, what happens if there is nobody there to transfer them?," the worried parent, who asked not to be named, said.

"It's very concerning for any parent, especially when you already have a sick child which is very stressful."

It is understood the restricted service being operated by the Air Corp out of their Baldonnell base is due to staff shortages.

The Children's Liver Disease Ireland charity has written a letter to Our Lady's Chidlren's Hospital in Crumlin (OLCHC) and the Department of Heath raising concern that families of children in need of a liver transplant were not in receipt of financial assistance despite relocating to the UK.

A spokeswoman for the Children's Hospital Group told Independent.ie that measures were being taken to support families who choose to relocate.

"We can advise that air ambulance services are provided to the HSE by a number of providers. In recent months for specific reasons outside the control of the HSE the availability of certain air ambulance services has become restricted," she said.

"The HSE and Department of Health are very aware of the implications of this for individual patients and families and in consideration of same specific assistance in the form of funding to individual families to mitigate these circumstances was put in place.

"Therefore, on February 16 last, the HSE notified OLCHC that families who choose to relocate to the UK to mitigate any risk of timely transfer should an organ become available are being supported in this decision.

"Each case is examined on a case by case basis and is specific to mitigation of the transport risk within the recognised time frames.

In 2016 14 children were referred abroad for heart transplants.

Earlier this year the HSE confirmed that the need for an Irish transplant unit for child cardiac patients was under review.

The HSE introduced a travel policy scheme for the TAS where "the economic air or sea fares of the patient and, in the case of a child, the child and one accompanying adult" are reimbursed.
HSE medical officer Dr Maureen OLeary giving one of the first HPV vaccines at Our Ladys Grove Primary, Dublin. Picture: Fennells

The powerful HPV vaccine won't be rolled out to teenage boys until September next year at the earliest, the Sunday Independent has confirmed.

The human papillomavirus virus is transmitted through various forms of sexual activity and is highly contagious.

Schoolgirls are currently vaccinated to guard against a range of cervical cancers.

Now the authorities are re-examining the possibility of protecting teenage boys against HPV.

It comes as a new study has found that teenage girls who receive the HPV vaccine are not at risk of chronic fatigue syndrome.

Hundreds of Irish schoolgirls have claimed to have suffered from the syndrome in the weeks following their injection.

However, new research on more than 175,000 Norwegian girls showed that there is no increased risk for those who receive the vaccine.

The Norwegian institute of public health scientists discovered unvaccinated girls faced the same risk of developing chronic fatigue syndrome.

A nationwide rollout of the vaccine is now under consideration in Ireland.

An expert analysis on the effectiveness of the drug in preventing HPV cancers in males has been commissioned by the Department of Health.

The HIQA's board approved the initiation of the health technology assessment (HTA) in March.

Work has commenced and the target date for completion of the HTA is September 2018.
Mary O'Connor said the move back to Ireland after emigration has not been easy

A young Irish woman has claimed she was told she would have to "pay double the deposit" on a rental property because she was moving home from the UK and was "high-risk."

Mary O'Connor (31), originally from Youghal, Co Cork, moved to London nine years ago to study nursing.

The general nurse recently made the decision to return home to Ireland, but said she was "appalled" by a comment that her references could not be trusted as she has not lived in Ireland for almost a decade.

"We've been looking at rental properties and found an apartment in Skerries for 1450, we thought it was a very good price for a two-bed on the coast," Mary told Independent.ie.

My partner moves around with his job, and I'll be working in Dublin so we decided to meet halfway and go where he won't be battling as much traffic and I can easily get into the city.

"I told the agent I was speaking to that I could send on my reference, my banking, whatever you need.

"She said because we're coming from England we would have to double the deposit, or sign my guarantors.

"It felt like a slap in the face, she continued.

I'm not an 18-year-old getting a loan out of the bank needing my mammy and daddy to help.

"I said I am pretty low-risk, all my vetting is top notch. In the UK for vetting, they needed my family background and everything.

"I said I can provide that, my banking history.

"I have had two residencies in the UK, of five years each, I'm not jumping in and out of places.

"The agent said that I was high-risk and they don't know the landlords in the UK, I asked did they know of every private landlord in Ireland.

"Imagine if the same thing was said to an Irish person moving to the UK, I was appalled.

"The other letting agencies were fine, they said that's not their policy. I emailed the Property Services Regulatory Authority but there was nothing they could immediately do.

"I couldn't believe it."

Mary said it is particularly difficult to find a rental property in Dublin with the current housing shortage and any properties that feature on the market "are gone in 24 hours."

But she said she appreciated that she has an advantage over people moving home from further afield.

"Imagine trying to do it all from Australia or Canada, to try and organise a life back home again. I know Im lucky."

Mary said her car insurance quote was another "shocker", but said it does not annoy her because the "same rule applies to everyone."

"The car insurance was a bit of a shocker, but you can accept that because the rule applies to everybody.

"My car insurance in the UK, with fully comprehensive for a Mini One is 400 for the year. I was quoted 1200 for it at home. But I can accept that because everybody is in the same situation."

She said there are fantastic opportunities for nurses in the UK, and many are surprised she is coming back to Ireland, but she is looking forward to living near family again.

"I start my first day of work in July, so Ill live with family until we find a place.

"Im looking forward to being near my family, my partner. Ill miss the people Im working with, my friends, the public transport is second to none here, the health system is fantastic, its free.

"Im very lucky to be coming home though.

"Ill probably miss the good weather too," she added.

The Property Services Regulatory Authority, which is part of the Department of Justice and Equality, responded to the incident and said that there is no provision in the Property Services (Regulation) Act 2011 "that provides how low or high a deposit must be or what circumstances would constitute a 'higher risk' that would require a higher deposit."

They said this is a matter for the landlord and the tenant to decide upon.

A spokesperson for Brady Property Agency, based in Dublin, said the reason for their policy of either paying double the deposit or signing a guarantor is because "they wouldn't have knowledge or any way of checking landlords abroad."

"Our policy has never been complained about before," a spokesperson said.

"The second deposit is only held for one year, you receive it back at the end of the year or you can put it towards the rent.

"I wouldn't have said the words 'high risk' were used. It's a set procedure.

"We have a lot of people coming from abroad. If they leave, we have absolutely no way of chasing them. The RTB [Residential Tenancies Board Ireland] have no powers abroad.

"The other option is to have a guardian or a guarantor with a permanent fixed address in Ireland.

"It's security for our clients," he added.
LE Eithne Rescues 183* Migrants 40KM North West of Tripoli During Two Separate Operations

LE Eithne Rescues 183* Migrants 40KM North West of Tripoli During Two Separate Operations

LE Eithne Rescues 183* Migrants 40KM North West of Tripoli During Two Separate Operations

THE LE Eithne has rescued more than 700 migrants around the Mediterranean in a number of operationsthis morning yesterday.

The Irish naval service vessel located and rescued the migrants 40km north west ofTripoli in two separate operations the Libyan capital.

A total of 113 people were rescued from an inflatable craft at 6am, while a second vessel in distress was identified and a second operation launched where a further 70 migrants were successfully rescued.

Later on in the day, significantly larger rescues took place.

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According to Captain of the vessel, Commander Brian Fitzgerald, a total of 606 migrants were rescued by the LE Eithne crew, while a further 106 were taken on board from an NGO vessel operating in the area.

He told RTE news the numbers on board include 571 men and 121 women, 14 of whom are pregnant.
A Dublin man whose heartbeat dropped to dangerous levels was made to wait two days in hospital before being treated.

Patrick OReilly (65) suffers from a condition which causes his heart-rate to fluctuate dramatically, ranging from dangerously high to dangerously low beats per minute.

When this happens he requires defibrillation to regulate the heartbeat.

Mr OReilly, from Ballymun, checked himself into Beaumont Hospitals A&E department last Saturday morning, when his heart was pounding at 130bpm.

He was given an injection to slow his heart and left to wait on a stretcher. He asked to see the hospitals cardiologist, but was told that the cardiologist would not come down except for in an emergency.

When Mr OReilly said his case was an emergency, he said he was told by hospital staff youre still alive arent you?

Mr OReilly told Independent.ie his heartbeat dropped to just 25bpm that evening, when he was put in the hospitals Phoenix ward and given a heart monitor.

He was then treated on Monday morning, when an anaesthesiologist was present at the hospital to assist with the procedure.

Mr OReilly said he was astonished at having to wait two days to be treated and said he had not previously realised what a ghost town the hospital was at the weekend. He believes he was not treated until Monday because there was no-one to assist with the procedure.

He said: When your hearts at a very high rhythm its hard to do anything. Even going down the corridor to brush your teeth is a big effort, youre puffing and panting.

The last time I had to come in to have this done was in February. That time I was taken into the A&Es recovery room and had the job done within three or four hours. I was home the same day.

He continued: Irish people have become so lackadaisical about complaining about these sorts of things, everyone thinks someone else will do it. When are we going to stand up for ourselves and be counted?

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Mr OReilly said he was fearful that his heart would fail before receiving treatment on Monday and questioned why his case had not been treated as an emergency situation.

He said: How far do I have to go to be classed as an emergency? Do you have to be dead?

Beaumont hospital responded by saying it does not comment on individual patient cases due to patient confidentiality.

They said: We would suggest that any patients or family members with concerns should contact the Patient Advisory Liaison Service who can be reached on (01) 809 3234 / 2427.

In recent days people have protested to highlight a lack of cardiac services in Waterford after a local dad-of-three died of heart failure while he was being transferred by ambulance to Cork University Hospital.

Thomas Power (40), a local farmer who was recently married, died last weekend.

A treatment centre in Waterford Hospital - known as a cath lab - is only open on weekdays.

His heartbroken family have said they believe his could have been saved if treatment was available in Waterford at the time.
The burgeoning rift between the Government and judiciary escalated last night as transport minister Shane Ross said the President of the High Court "entered the political arena" by attacking his Judicial Appointments Bill.

Mr Ross's comments followed Mr Justice Peter Kelly describing the minister's reform of judicial appointments as "ill advised" and "ill conceived" at a Bar Association event last Friday evening.

The prominent High Court judge said the Government was pushing through legislation with "undue haste" compared to other laws which he believed should be prioritised.

Mr Justice Kelly's attack comes as the Dail this week prepares to debate the bill which is aimed at bringing an end to political patronage in the appointment of members of the judiciary.

Speaking to the Sunday Independent, Mr Ross said he was "sorry" Mr Justice Kelly "entered the political arena" with his comments on the bill.

"I have huge respect for Peter Kelly as a judge, but he is mistaken in his belief that the bill is being rushed," the Independent Alliance minister said.

Minister Ross said his reforms of judicial appointments have been "several years in preparation". He said "all judges are currently politically appointed" and insisted his bill would "finally end this rotten system".

"The removal of the scourge of political patronage from the choice of judges cannot come a day too early," he added.

Mr Justice Kelly, who is widely experienced and highly regarded, would have some support in challenging Mr Ross's proposals.

The bill creates a body for appointing judges which will have a majority of non-legal members and the chair will also not have a legal background. The Government has committed to passing the legislation before the summer recess. Fianna Fail refused to support the legislation but Mr Ross hopes to pass it with the support of Sinn Fein and a number of Independent TDs.

Fianna Fail's justice spokesman Jim O'Callghan urged the Government to "listen carefully" to Mr Justice Kelly's comments, rather than "rushing through bad legislation to appease" Minister Ross.

The row between Mr Ross and Mr Justice Kelly comes at a time of heightened tensions between the judiciary and politicians.

The controversy surrounding the appointment of former Attorney-General Maire Whelan to the Court of Appeal last week led to criticisms of political leaders from the country's most senior judge,

Chief Justice Susan Denham. In a speech, Ms Justice Denham reminded politicians of the separation of powers between the judiciary and government.

"The separation of powers in the State means that each great organ of State has its own specific powers," she said. "It is a system of checks and balances and inevitably the courts make decisions on the actions of other branches of government."

Her comments followed a clash between Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin over Ms Whelan's appointment. Mr Martin suggested the former Attorney-General would not be the same standard of judge as some of her predecessors.
Team Taoiseach: Leo Varadkar in jovial spirits as he unveils his new Junior Cabinet outside Government Buildings last week. The new leader has come under criticism from some quarters over its gender and geographical balance. Photo: Steve Humphreys

'PLEASE, sir, I want some more," says Oliver Twist, empty bowl in hand, addressing the workhouse master.

Narrating the scene, Dickens describes how the well-fed overseer turns pale, while his assistants are paralysed by wonder. When the stupefaction wears off, Oliver gets a clatter with the gruel ladle for his trouble.

And so to Leo Varadkar and his unwillingness to share what's in the pot with women.

Surrounded by his primarily male gang, well looked-after in the wake of the leadership change, he seems as frozen as that workhouse master when women ask for more.

"No can do," he says, or words to that effect. "Can't break this important new rule I invented a few weeks back. Nobody elected in 2016 is eligible for promotion."

Which precludes a group of able people, women and men, from serving - although we were led to believe that our new Taoiseach accepts the importance of promoting talent as opposed to rewarding supporters.

To recap: there has been a dearth of women in the Dail since the first one was established almost 100 years ago, and a push was made to swell numbers in last year's General Election to the 32nd Dail. When the supply was increased - with a record 22pc of women TDs due to quotas - a new barrier was hastily introduced. Experience. Riddle me this: where is the value in adding to the number of women politicians, only to raise yet another obstacle against their participation once elected? Naturally, experience matters - but so does talent.

We need diversity in key decision-making roles. Not a boys' club reinforcing one another's viewpoints. This isn't about tokenism or political correctness, it's about openness to other voices, other experiences, other backgrounds. Uniformity is not in the State's best interests.

Only seven in 34 ministries are held by women, around 20pc of the total. So much for Ireland's progressive face, of which Mr Varadkar is presented as the manifestation.

I didn't feel proud of our multicultural young Taoiseach representing Ireland in London and Brussels this week, citing the film 'Love Actually' and posting photos of himself with Angela Merkel on social media - I felt let down that nothing of substance has changed.

We are assured we have a Taoiseach who represents a transitioning Ireland. In reality, however, the wrong kind of more is happening - more of the same.

Incidentally, Taoiseach, we're not going to be fooled into believing you're supportive of women simply because you appear to have introduced another new rule: Helen McEntee must be at your side in every photo. Women won't be fobbed off that easily. We can tell when we're sidelined. Both Women For Election and the National Women's Council of Ireland have called you on it, as have a host of female politicians and other public figures.

Mid-week, Fine Gael woke up to the depth of anger among women and forward-thinking men, and cobbled together a statement claiming commitment to raising female numbers in politics and at all levels of the party, yak-yak-yak. Spare us the pious platitudes. Actions not words, if you please.

Huffy in the face of criticism, Fine Gael reminds us it introduced electoral quotas. In fairness, it did stipulate 30pc of candidates should be female or funding would be withheld from a political party. That helped a record 22pc of women TDs to enter the Dail - the previous 'high' was 15pc. But 30pc is regarded as the tipping point, or critical mass, when change can be expected, and we're not there yet.

Those reshuffles at Cabinet and junior ministerial level were a missed opportunity to show leadership. It's hardly a ringing endorsement of the new Taoiseach to say he kept numbers more or less the same for women in ministries. That's setting the bar low.

Where is the sense of a flying start made? New ground broken? Commanding from the front?

Mr Varadkar was helpful enough to explain his promotion policy when deselecting two junior ministers. I'm summarising here, but it goes along the lines of: "Afraid I have to take your jobs away and give them to people in my gang."

Mary Mitchell O'Connor is the only Cabinet minister demoted rather than withdrawing voluntarily, and presumably she feels aggrieved. Yet even allowing for that, it took courage to step out from the Fine Gael ranks and say publicly what others in the party are thinking privately when she attacked Mr Varadkar for "not leading by example" on diversity. "Power and success don't just come in a pinstriped suit," according to the super-junior minister for higher education, speaking before the WXN Network recently.

Predictably, she attracted a wave of personal abuse and I dare say she knew to expect it, but was undeterred. What she says is true. But the men in suits, no matter how trendy the cut, prefer to bat aside her words.

Why agree to divide things up if you are can get away with refusing to share?

There are incompetent male politicians and incompetent female ones - neither deserves to be retained because they supported Campaign for Leo. I do not defend ineptitude in either sex. I simply note that Simon Coveney performed inadequately as housing minister, making promises that won't be kept - for example, the Government has built only 10pc of its social housing target so far this year. Yet he's been promoted to a key ministry.

The stupidity and crassness as regards recognising female talent is breathtaking for a party in a rickety minority government - one that knows not the day or the hour when it will be returning to the electorate.

Our head of Government may be a clever and highly educated young man, but I am dismayed to observe him behave in such a heedless way, not once but twice, in his ministerial selections. Granted, he has a lot on his plate between Brexit, the implications for the Border and the housing crisis. But accepting a mistake was made is not pandering to pressure, it is being mature enough to set right a wrong.

The male, stale cycle needs breaking. It required an act of imagination to see Mr Varadkar as Taoiseach, something he acknowledged himself when he quoted Robert Kennedy and his appeal to people who "imagine the world as it might be and ask, why not?". Where is the corresponding imaginative response towards the women of Ireland in return?
Sacked Jobs Minister Mary Mitchell O'Connor will not be reprimanded by Taoiseach Leo Varadkar over her attack on the lack of diversity in his Government, the Sunday Independent has learned.

Sources close to Varadkar said he does not intend speaking to Mitchell O'Connor about her claim the Government was "not leading by example" on diversity. The source said the Taoiseach "will let it pass" rather than rebuke the only minister he demoted in his Cabinet reshuffle.

However, it has emerged Mitchell O'Connor is unlikely to receive an additional allowance paid to super junior ministers as it would have to be passed by a Dail vote. Fianna Fail is not prepared to support or abstain from a vote on an allowance for the minister and a Taoiseach's Office source said this means it is doubtful her pay will rise.

Meanwhile, Social Protection Minister Regina Doherty yesterday said there is a "special place in hell" for women who do not support women.

"We all recognise how more difficult it is for women to get on in this country and if we don't support each other then we are completely at a loss," she said.

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However, she added: "I think we have a very diverse group of people around the Cabinet table and it is nothing to do with men or women. You have a number of people who are gay, you have a number of people who are different religions and you have an atheist."

Former Minister of State for Health Promotion Marcella Corcoran-Kennedy, who was the only other woman sacked by Varadkar last week said she was disappointed to see women in Government demoted.

She said a lot of progress had been made in getting women into politics through gender quotas but the next step was to see them take up ministerial portfolios.
Young employees "can be taken advantage of in some jobs", according to some of this year's graduating class.

And although some feel there are more jobs available to them in their field now than in recent years, there is still a fear of "unpaid internships".

There is definitely a mixture of opinions amongst this year's new wave of graduates about their future prospects and the opportunities open to them as they exit full-time education.

However, a common thread between them is that they have all admitted that they feel nervous about navigating the working world.

Independent.ie caught up with some of this year's graduating class.

Stephen Murphy (22) from Clontarf, Dublin 3 studied Economics, Politics and Law at Dublin City University

Now that Ive finished, I suppose theres a feeling that the safety net is gone. You have a security in college that you kind of lose when you leave because of this pressure to go and find a job. Ill try to find a job that Im passionate about and enjoy doing. Im thinking of going to the UK to pursue a career as a journalist.

I think I did make the right decision doing my course in the end. I didnt get my 1st or 2nd course but I think it worked very well because I ended up doing a broad degree that I think will suit me very well.

Initially, I was a bit sceptical about whether or not Id enjoy it, or if it was for me. While it was a bit ropey at the start, I definitely did enjoy it, and I'm glad I did it.

It looks like employment possibilities have definitely improved. People who are leaving college now have a bit more optimism but it is still difficult to go out there and get a job. However, I think there are the opportunities to pursue in Ireland.

There remains an issue around the whole unpaid internships are and itd be nice if employers sort of took the responsibility for graduates who are trying to get a foot on the ladder

Often these graduates are not earning very much.

In some cases Ive heard of people being exploited or feel like theyre putting a lot in but not getting much back, so that can be quite difficult.

Thats one of the main challenges I believe, finding a steady job that pays well and you can feel secure in.

Roisin ODonovan (21) from Ballsbridge, Dublin studied Nutraceuticals for Health and Nutrition in Dublin Institute of Technology.

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Whatsapp Roisin ODonovan (21) from Ballsbridge, Dublin studied Nutraceuticals for Health and Nutrition in Dublin Institute of Technology.

Im going to miss all the college events with societies and the Students Union but Ive actually been elected as the Vice President for Welfare for the DIT Student Union which Im really excited to get started with so Ill still be hanging around for another year.

After that, I hope to do further study, a postgraduate degree or get a job thats related to my degree.

I feel confident about employment possibilities in Ireland and abroad. My course was so broad and I gained good experienced from a 3-month internship I did with a start-up company called FEED. However, a lot of places require at least two or three years of experience and thats a bit of a worry for me.

In my opinion, the most important thing for new graduates is that they are trained correctly and treated with respect always for the work they do, no matter how much experience they have or dont have.

I feel young employees can be taken advantage of in some jobs.

It's crucial they know their rights as an employee and they are getting paid well and fairly for their work.

Colm Mansfield (21) from Santry, Dublin 9 studied Multimedia at Dublin City University

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Whatsapp Colm Mansfield (21) from Santry, Dublin 9 studied Multimedia at Dublin City University.

Leaving college is kind of scary. Im in between deciding what I want to do at the moment. Im working with Enterprise Rent-A-Car now, so Ive to decide whether I want to go on pursue a Masters degree or keep doing what Im doing now. Its all very up in the air the moment.

The multimedia field is so broad and there are a lot of employment opportunities out there in Ireland but theres a lot, lot more overseas. A lot of people from my course will be going abroad  a few people have already gone to places already like the US, and Taiwan.

The opportunities are here in Ireland, theres just a lot of competition because theres so, so many people looking for them.

The opportunities are here in Ireland, there's just a lot of competition because there's so, so many people looking for them

I was considering going on a Graduate Visa for a year to the US, but at the moment Id be more likely to go back and do a Masters instead, and see where that takes me.

If you were to go down the internship route a lot of that is so underpaid. A lot of people I know from my course are interns now and theyre only getting travel expenses, or not getting paid at all. That might be OK on a short term basis, but when youre in some of these internships that go on for six or more months theyre just untenable for the long term.

Jenna Clarke Molloy (22) from Tullamore, Co.Offaly studied French and Italian in Trinity College Dublin

I studied French and Italian for my degree because I really enjoyed languages in school, and was told that there were lots of job opportunities available for people who could speak other European languages. Fortunately I enjoyed my degree, however I really can't see myself pursuing teaching or translating, what the majority of my classmates are hoping to do.

Through writing for my college paper, and other bits of work experience over my four years, I've discovered that I would like to pursue a career in journalism or elsewhere in the media. As to how to go about that now, I'm not quite sure.

I'm applying for internships but there are next to no entry level jobs in the area I'm interested in, so I think I will spend the next year doing internships and getting a part-time job, and then do a Masters next year.

I'm scared about the future because it's so uncertain.

But in an age of zero hour contracts and very few full time staff positions anywhere there seems to be uncertainty in all fields of work nowadays, so I can't dwell too much.

Dearbhla Ni Fhaoilleachain Ryan (22) from Portroe, North Tipperary studied Visual Communication in The National College of Art and Design

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Whatsapp Dearbhla Ni Fhaoilleachain Ryan (22) from Portroe, North Tipperary studied Visual Communication in The National College of Art and Design.

Right now I just want to make a living wage. I do a lot of illustration and photography work with a little bit of animation in my own time so any job where I could apply those skills would be a dream. Its been a long time fantasy of mine to animate rap videos, I'll be pretty happy to do anything creative.

People from my area have had to emigrate to get work, and my dad has been away in Australia since I was 17 to keep us afloat.

The economic growth the Government talks about isn't for people like use

A lot of my skills are digitally based so I can work from anywhere with an internet connection, assuming I can get any kind of freelance work.

The thing that bothers me though is the fact that I am skilled, I am competent, I am hard working, I can teach myself the programs I dont know, but the jobs arent there. Unless you want to work for free or do an unpaid internship for some company. My landlady doesnt accept exposure or experience in place of the rent money so thats me out.

Everyone says advertising or corporate work will destroy your soul as a designer but Id take it right now. Ive been running my own online store selling my work to make a few quid throughout the year since I couldnt keep a job with college hours but its not going to be enough.

Laura Horgan (23) from Kerry studied Film & Television Production at Institute of Art, Design and Technology

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Whatsapp Laura Horgan (23) from Kerry studied Film & Television Production at Institute of Art, Design and Technology

I've realised that at this point, as much as I enjoyed my time in IADT, I am ready to move on to something new. At the moment I'm just taking stock and recovering from fourth year but I hope to apply for a Masters in Cinematography in the coming year and work on gaining experience and continue to make contacts. I have a graduate film, 'Jelly Baby', that I was cinematographer on showing at the Galway Film Fleadh so we will see if anything comes from that.

I am nervous to begin in the industry, not knowing when it will be that I can make a sustainable income is worrying but I have no regrets choosing to have a career in the film industry.

If it turns out I need to travel in order to get enough work to be able to live then that's exactly what I'll do.

Eimear Daly (22) from Celbridge, Kildare studied Early Childhood Education at Dublin Institute of Technology

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Whatsapp Eimear Daly (22) from Celbridge, Kildare studied Early Childhood Education at Dublin Institute of Technology.

I chose my course because I looked at it as the back way into primary school teaching. That was always at the forefront for me but I unfortunately didnt get the points I needed for teaching so I decided when going for a Masters degree in teaching, this course would stand for me. I was hoping to apply for primary school teaching this year. Ive had my first offer but I didnt get it. Ive another interview soon though so Im just studying for that. Its very hard to get into. Its very limited places-wise.

The course has really helped me. Id get to chat to teachers through experience. It's not just a 9am-3pm job., its more than that. Ive experienced that first hand and i have had chances I wouldnt have had if I didnt do this degree. There are people who have done the degree in Early Childhood Education who have gone onto become teachers, and thats given me a bit of motivation that it can be done.

I've always wanted to be a teacher.

Even in Transition Year, I did my work experience in a local primary school. Ive never really any thought of any other career. Even in the summers of 5th and 6th year, Id be up at my local primary school just observing in classrooms and helping out. I just get such satisfaction with working with kids. I love it, so Ill get there eventually.

Its hard to get into, I know that. Its really about who you know. I know a lot of people do travel abroad but that wouldnt be my wish, I want to stay at home. I wouldnt mind moving around Ireland but I want to live here. You just have to get your foot in the door. You choose your own placement in your Masters, so when I do get that its just about building contacts, making a positive impact and just working hard.

Kevin OConnor-Conroy (23) Santry, Dublin 9 studied Commerical Modern Music (Guitar) at BIMM Dublin

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Whatsapp Kevin OConnor-Conroy (23) Santry, Dublin 9 studied Commerical Modern Music (Guitar) at BIMM Dublin

Theres a definitely a sense of freedom about being done college, considering how heavy the last year has been with all the academic work. There was a sweet sense of relief, but also a sense of sadness. Ive met a lot of great people throughout the last four years, peers and tutors so its definitely sad to be leaving all of them.

Theres definitely opportunities in the music business, but Im trying to steer clear of becoming a session musician. Its just too saturated with older and newer musicians. No one wants to go for the business side of things so Ill give it a shot because I enjoyed learning about marketing and digital marketing. The way the industry is going now, everything is run online.

As a musician I couldn't imagine doing anything else.

Ever since I was 12, music has always been a big part of mind. Ive never wanted to give it up, I never will. I want to pursue it and Ill keep pursuing it. Ive had no regrets and Id highly encourage any musician to check out BIMM.

Ursula McGinn (22) from Kildare studied Drama and Theatre Studies at Trinity College Dublin

Having come through the Samuel Beckett Centre in Trinity College, I majored in theatre directing and set design. The combination of the various modules I took over my four years, my involvement in DU Players (Trinity's drama society) and my time as a member of Dublin Youth Theatre have assured that I am graduating with a wide variety of skills in theatre and I am confident in my title as theatre maker.

I am currently working as a freelance director, stage manager and designer. I am co-founder of a company called Bombinate Theatre, which produces work for families and young audiences.

At the moment, I would not say I have solid career prospects. The nature of the theatre field means that I will be working on a project-to-project basis.

Currently, I am really excited by the Irish theatre scene. I love working in Dublin and hope to do so for the foreseeable future, however because of the limited funding available in Ireland (particularly for younger makers), leaving Ireland is always in the back of my mind. Luckily enough, I have an American passport, meaning I will be able to work between Ireland and America if necessary.

There are some great resources available to theatre makers in Dublin such as the Dublin Fringe Festival, internships, training opportunities and various residency schemes. However demand always outweighs supply. It really is necessary to have good connections, resilience, a very concise Google calendar along with talent in order to succeed long term.

My five-year plan is constantly shifting, changing and disappearing.

For now, I am basking in the uncertainty of post-graduate life.
Taoiseach Leo Veradkar visits Islamic Cultural Centre in Clonskeagh Dublin to mark the conclusion of the holy month of Ramadan. (Picture: Stephen Collins/Collins Photos)

The Taoiseach has hit back in the simmering row over judicial appointments, warning their judges must keep their noses out of Government business.

As the heated debate over separation of powers continues, Leo Varadkar responded to criticism from senior judges including the Chief Justice and President of the High Court.

But Mr Varadkars claim that "respect" for the separation of powers must go ways risks escalating the ongoing stand-off which has put a rift between Government and judiciary.

The two sides have become embroiled in a series of exchanges which centre on the separation of powers and the new Judicial Appointments Bill.

President of the High Court, Justice Peter Kelly, criticised the new legislation which will see an independent committee set up in relation to judicial nominations.

Mr Justice Kelly described the proposed legislation as "ill informed" and "ill advised", while the Chief Justice Mary Denham has criticised the Government on the separation of powers.

Chief Justice Susan Denham spoke pointedly about the separation of powers amid the fallout of former Attorney General Maire Whelans appointment to the Court of Appeal.

But responding yesterday Mr Varadkar said: "Im conscious of the separation of powers that exists between the Oireachtas and the judiciary and am minded of the Chief Justices comments on that very matter only last week.

"I think that really has to apply in both directions and I think that judges and politicians need to respect the separation of powers to ensure there is a decent distance between the judiciary and the Oireachtas."

He added that the Judicial Appointments Bill has the backing of the Government. "It will bring about a major reform in the way judges are appointed in Ireland. It will be much more transparent and it will also be ensuring that all appointments go through the new appointments board, which isnt and hasnt been the case in the past."

The Taoiseach was speaking at the Clonskeagh Mosque in Dublin at the beginning of Eid, which marks the end of Ramadan.

Much of the current controversy stems from the appointment of Ms Whelan to the Court of Appeal which was described as "stroke politics".

Fianna Fails finance spokesman Michael McGrath has also warned that any further controversies involving Fine Gael could lead to an early general election. "We cant afford for any more examples like this to emerge or else inevitably we will be moving towards a general election if that were to take place.

"We dont believe its necessary," Mr McGrath told RTEs The Week in Politics.

It has also emerged a number of other senior judges have privately expressed alarm at the new Bill and the fact its passage through the Oireachtas will be accelerated.

One told the Irish Independent he believed it would be "a serious mistake" to relegate the Chief Justice to a simple membership role of a proposed new board that will advise the Government on appointments.

"Why would you construct a board where the most experienced person is relegated to a mere supporting role?" he asked.
Terrorist attacks across Europe will continue to "shock" Irish people, despite feelings of empathy fatigue at the ongoing news coverage, a leading psychologist has said.

Orla Muldoon, Professor of Psychology at the University of Limerick, said that terrorists are out "to make headlines" and Irish people will be affected because they can relate to these heinous attacks.

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"Irish people are very efficient at distancing themselves from traumatic events. They're good at saying 'it's not happening here in Ireland so I don't have to concern myself with it'.

"It's a mechanism that we use to feel less vulnerable."

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Prof Muldoon said that while Irish people may distance themselves from the terrorist attack, it may still deeply upset them.

"With the attack in Manchester, Irish people could identify closely with the community and it was very distressing. People saw some similarity with the victims whether it be they were parents too or fans of Ariana Grande.

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"With the London attacks, people might relate because they were on the bridge the previous week. If people see a similarity to their own lives, it can be very distressing."

She added that similar terrorist attacks in Pakistan and Syria aren't generating news coverage here in Ireland because the victims aren't humanised or relatable.

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"Around the same time as the Manchester attack there was a bomb on a school bus in Syria. We didn't hear about it because we didn't know anything about the victims and we couldn't relate. With Manchester, we felt as though we knew every victim personally and had photos of all of the victims. People do care about the attacks but they have to be able to relate to the victims to empathise."

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Prof Muldoon said that people react differently towards the terrorist attacks.

"Some start to have a negative impact towards the group they perceive as being responsible. Others avoid going to the areas where attacks are happening such as London or Paris."

She said that while the news is distressing, it's unlikely to have a huge impact on people's mental health.

"After the 9/11 attacks, studies showed that people who were exposed to the horrendous attack were unlikely to have post-traumatic-stress. Studies showed that you needed to be in the area to be deeply effected.

"However, people who have experienced similar trauma before can see new attacks as a trigger and it can be very difficult for them to watch."

The psychology professor said that the media have a huge responsibility in the way they cover these terrorist attacks.

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"Some outlets are starting to have a warning before their coverage that tells viewers that the content is distressing. Parents could be watching the news with their kids and all of a sudden these horrible terrorist attacks come on and they have to explain to their kids what is happening."

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She said that smartphones are also adding to the chaos as eye-witnesses are sharing very graphic images of bodies and carnage online, where everyone cane see it.

"The media are more responsible with what they publish. They rarely use graphic images, but online anyone can post these horrible images of the aftermath."

However, she added that these graphic images mean that people can't deny what is really happening in the world.

"Once you see the graphic images, you get a true picture of the extent of the brutality. With the fire in the Grenfell tower you couldn't ignore the tragedy. Videos of the burning building were everywhere on social media."

She said that while people may become detached to stories constantly in the news, there will be interest if the victims are humanised and relatable.

"During the Northern Ireland attacks, people particularly related to the Omagh bombings because many people in the south went there to their shopping on Saturdays.

"It's the same with attacks in France and England. We can relate to these attacks."

She dismissed suggestions that after a while, terrorist attacks will no longer make the front pages of newspapers because they will be so common.

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"Bombers want to shock people and keep their attacks in the news. We saw that in Manchester where they attacked children. They got their headline there.

"The whole point of terrorism is to make people afraid so it will be covered.

"As long as it's relevant to the readership, it will continue to make the front pages of newspapers. The readership is the people that the terrorists are attacking. It's a propaganda war."

The psychology professor said that anyone who is affected by the negative news coverage should talk about it and engage in conversation with others.

"We can't ignore it but we should try and engage with others about it."
Several years might pass between sightings of one of Ireland's most elusive birds - and even then, its nesting site might remain in the exclusive care of dedicated people of BirdWatch Ireland, the leading avian charity.

This bird is the red-necked phalarope (Phalaropus lobatus) whose tiny Irish breeding colony in north Mayo is the most southerly in the world and whose principal nesting places are in the Baltic, spending its winters in large flocks in the middle of the Arabian Sea.

It was described as a fairy bird by the renowned naturalist and scientist Robert Lloyd Praeger (subsequent president of the Royal Irish Academy), who, with his wife-companion traversed mountains and bog-lands, sleeping in sheds and on boats, recording what they saw and heard during the early years of the last century.

Praeger's seminal work, The Way That I Went - which is still in print - contains an observation that I have never forgotten, describing an unnamed village as having: "a dozen inhabited houses, a dozen ruined houses and half-a-dozen public houses".

Little has changed in more than a century, except that now there would be just one pub, trading only at night!

Praeger wrote about seeing the phalarope, then unrecognised by him, when he chanced upon it in "a place that shall be nameless, on a barren, storm-swept, half-sandy, half-peaty flat, intersected with shallow pools on the edge of the Atlantic".

In what he described as their most interesting ornithological adventure, they found themselves among "fairy-like little birds quite unknown but evidently belonging to the plover family".

They showed no fear of the couple, "darting about our feet, running over slender water plants which filled the pools, uttering often a small, sharp cry". This has been described by another observer as like a violin string being plucked.

The couple stood, "astonished for a long time" as the birds ran around them. The colour of crown, cheeks, back of neck, breast sides and mantle was lead-grey with rufus-ochre on sides of neck.

When the Praegers got back to Dublin they learned that they had accidentally stumbled upon the sole Irish breeding site of the phalarope which had been uncovered just a year earlier by another ornithologist who may have been named Dresser, quoted by Praeger as describing the bird as "flying lightly as a butterfly and swimming like an egg-shell".

The phalarope in the sea holds its neck slanting forwards, nodding in pace with swimming motions and spinning around stirring up food morsels. The female bird does the courting, leaving incubation to the male, a fearless nest protector.

Praeger quotes a naturalist named Harvie-Brown as describing it as the tamest of birds, exhibiting a "trusting simplicity seldom seen, even in domestic fowls" and Manson Bahr in British Birds (1907) writing of its "infinity of grace in every movement".

These fairy birds were first observed breeding at Annagh Marsh in The Mullet, Co Mayo in 1900 and intermittently ever since. After a lengthy absence, phalaropes returned last June but specific details from the site appear to be professionally sensitive.
Meet Ireland's Strongest Man Patrick O'Dwyer who eats an incredible 10,000 calories each day in the weeks ahead of a competition.

The Newcastle West man (31), who weighs 23st (146kg) was crowned Ireland's Strongest Man for the second year in a row in May and has ambitions of one day becoming the top competitor in the sport.

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Along with a gruelling training regime, the athlete's hardcore daily food diary ranges between 8000 and 10,000kcals and his lunch alone packs a punch with more than a pound of mince as the main ingredient.

The Limerick man's weekly shop sets him back an eye-watering 300 to 400 - vital fuel to continue the high intensity training needed to reclaim his All-Ireland title and also have a shot at competitions across the water.

The athlete admits that he favours horse meat or venison when it comes to animal protein and he eats eight eggs, 1lb of mince, 450g of chicken and a large steak every day as part of his mammoth eight meals.

"I prefer horse meat or venison because there's a higher quality of protein and there's less saturated fat. I get it off chef who does a lot of hunting for the venison and he gets the fillet of horse from an abattoir where they deal with horses and send them to France generally. He's believes you are what you eat and I believe him. It's helped me a great deal eating all that meat."

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To increase his calorie intake Patrick awakens at 3.30am to drink the first of three mass gainer shakes, which each clock in at 1200kcals, and every day the athlete consumes more than 1.5 litres of whole milk.

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After a long day's work Patrick heads to his local -the Bodybuilding Gym in Raheen - where he trains five times a week.

"I do three weight sessions, one strongman session where I practise the things that will be coming up in the competition and one stretching, mobility and foam rolling session."

Despite his size, Patrick reckons he is on the smaller scale when it comes to his international rivals, whose muscles tip the scales at 28st on average. Although he has dreams of one day competing in Britain's Strongest Man, one of the toughest competitions in the world, Patrick can't commit his full time to the sport as he currently works between 50 and 60 hours a week as a truck driver.

"Many of the athletes excelling in this sport are training full-time, four to five days a week, because they are sponsored. Right now I'm working full-time along with the training. I drive a truck around Munster so it's particularly difficult. I would be up at six or seven in the morning and then not back until five or six in the evening. I train between 6PM until 8PM or 9PM, and when I get home I set about making food for the next day," he said.

"The goal I would look towards is Britain's Strongest Man, however, many of these athletes are able to commit to it full time because they have sponsorship. Working full-time, driving 50 or 60 hours a week, it doesn't allow me the recovery time that many competitors have, which is a vital part of their performance."

However, Patrick is keen to hold onto his title of Ireland's Strongest Man for as long as possible and is currently preparing for his next competition, the UK's Strongest Man.

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"It's something you definitely have to be passionate about because outside of the gym you don't really have a social life. I'm very lucky to have such an understanding and supportive girlfriend, because as with any sport, it takes a lot of commitment," he said.

This is Everything Ireland's Strongest Man Eats in Just One Day

Meal 1

250g of organic oats

750ml protein milk

1tbsp of honey

1tbsp cashew butter

1 protein shake with chocolate protein milk

8 raw eggs

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Meal 2

1 Mass Gainer shake (1200kcal)

Meal 3

1lb of horse meat or venison mince

Stir friend vegetables

Pasta

Meal 4

450g of chicken

Baby potatoes

Vegetables

Meal 5

3 pieces of fruit, usually a banana, apple and orange

1 protein bar

2-3 tbsp of cashew butter and coffee

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Meal 6

Mass Gainer shake and a banana (1200kcals)

Meal 7

Large steak (usually venison or horse meat)

Potatoes

Vegetables

Meal 8

Mass gainer shake at 3.30am

Throughout the day

5litres of water

1litre of cranberry juice

1 litre green shake made with wheat grass and spirlina
The tiny state of Rhode Island is more than just a gateway to Boston, says Thomas Breathnach.

Set the mood

New England's seasonal cover girl is one of the East Coast's favourite summer vacation spots and, thanks to Norwegian's new fleet of direct flights, set for take-off from Dublin, Cork and Shannon on July 1, it could be the surprise shore getaway for Irish travellers this year.

Rhode Island is America's smallest state - barely covering an area the size of Co Clare - but it includes 400 miles of surf-shimmered, yacht-dotted coastline.

Pack your Tom Ford shades, however: this preppy pocket is where Martha Stewart flavours her chowders, where Anderson Cooper traces his roots, and where Taylor Swift summers in a $17 million beach pad.

Add in the Providence art scene, flavours of a vibrant Portuguese and Cape Verdean community, plus Newport's scenic seascapes, and you'll soon be in an Ocean State of mind.

Cheap Kick

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Got sea legs? Newport's famous cliff walk (cliffwalk.com) is one of Rhode Island's favourite freebie attractions. Today designated a National Recreation Trail, the 5km winding route is not only flanked by the state's most stunning scenery - it also sits on the path of America's finest Gilded Age estates.

And we're talking mansions. Keep an eye out for The Breakers (above), the 70-room Beaux-Arts former summer cottage of the flush Vanderbilt family.

Guilty Pleasure

Okay, so you may never compete in a Rhode Island regatta, but you're anchoring down in America's capital of sailing, so why not embark on a scenic coastal cruise?

Cruise Newport offers postcard sunset tours (complimentary Champagne, ahoy!) aboard their dashing old-world schooner, the Madeleine, for $41.

Beyond Newport Harbour, the two-hour trip navigates a veritable calendar shoot of local islets, estates and lighthouses, all amid a sunset over dreamy Narragansett Bay.

See cruisenewport.com for details.

Top tip

Rhode Island expands by 3pc at low tide - stat! So why not track the ocean's ebb and flow (see usharbors.com) and plan the perfect New England picnic? Narragansett Town Beach is one of the liveliest sandy strands to roll out your blanket - pop into a local 'shoppe' like Picnic Basket for fresh fare, from lobster rolls to blueberry pie!

Insider Intel

Where better to check-into in Providence than The Dean (no relation to its Dublin namesake), a former brothel turned boutique bolthole and the perfect spot for slumber after a local craft cocktail crawl (thedeanhotel.com, rooms from 135).

Fancy more an opulent ode to Newport's golden age? The Chanler is a stunning 19th century mansion inn with rooms from 449 (thechanler.com). For those wishing to self-cater, summer rentals rocket on the shore but check airbnb for short term deals (airbnb.ie).

Glitches:

All that coastal living catches up with you in the Ocean State. Rhode Island's wispy, maritime cli-mate can appear blissfully benign but always SPF up well, particularly at sea, to avoid nasty sun-burn souvenirs.

Get me there:

Norwegian flies to Rhode Island's T.F. Green Airport from Dublin, Belfast, Cork and Shannon from 129 each way (norwegian.com). Carry-on luggage is free but 20kg checked bags will cost you 70 return. Venturing beyond the Ocean State? It's a 90-minute train ride to Boston, and New England's fall foliage is on the doorstep too. See visitrhodeisland.com.

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Dan O'Brien Opinion While we catastrophise about Covid, we ignore risk of running out of cash

We Irish view the world in an increasingly strange and unhealthy way. We catastrophise about Covid in a way other European countries do not. We focus on how bad the effects of the virus could get, on how many more restrictions might be imposed by Government and how helpless we are in the face of the virus.
Not for nothing was Barbara Bush known as 'The Enforcer'

Barbara Bush, tougher than her husband and known to her family as 'The Enforcer', is probably the most popular of all ex-US first ladies of recent times. Jackie Kennedy is remembered across the globe for elegance and tragedy, but she was not loved. Rosalynn Carter worked hard and was a noted campaigner on issues of mental health, but she has suffered in retrospect because of her bitterness at his defeat by Ronald Reagan, who is widely perceived to have been as great a success as Carter was a failure. The brittle Nancy Reagan was an essential support to her husband, but was thought to care little for anyone else. Hillary Clinton was loathed by those who thought her a careerist. The likeable Laura Bush did a lot of useful work but lacked her mother-in-law's commanding personality. And although Michelle Obama had rock-star status, that has diminished as she and her husband embrace luxury and celebrity. Betty Ford is probably the closest rival, having been far more effective and formidable than her husband Gerald, the 38th president, and still having a posthumous reputation for her prowess as a campaigner on addiction, not least because so many of the famous troop to the Betty Ford Clinic.
The European Commission last March presented a White Paper on the Future of Europe which also set out the main achievements of the EU, among them a peace spanning seven decades and an enlarged union of 500 million citizens living in freedom in one of the world's most prosperous economies.

The Commission now plans to host a series of 'Future of Europe Debates' in the coming months to discuss a desired way forward and intends to further contribute to the process with a series of papers on developing the social dimension of Europe, deepening the Economic and Monetary Union, harnessing globalisation, and on the future of Europe's defence and the future of EU finances.

It is long since past time for the Government to publish a comprehensive statement on Ireland's future European policy. The debate is well under way throughout Europe, with some reports suggesting that the negotiations may even have started on the shape of Europe in five and 10 years' time. Those who argue that Ireland must join this debate and that it must develop a strategy for influencing it are entirely correct.

Over the past years, Europe suffered the worst financial and economic crisis since World War II. The crisis took its toll. More than six million people lost their jobs, youth unemployment has reached record highs, several countries are still far from having sustainable growth and adequate levels of investment. In many countries, trust in the European project is at a record low.

There are strong indicators which show that Europe is finally emerging from the darkest days of the economic crash. So the time has arrived for detailed discussion that focuses on delivering a positive reform agenda. The EU must serve better the needs and wishes of people to live, study, work, move and prosper freely across the continent and to benefit from what is a rich European cultural heritage.

There is a need for improved communications with Europe's citizens, clear and honest language and for the development of an EU that people can trust and support. In general, Europe's citizens are concerned about a perceived lack of control and fears related to migration, terrorism, and economic and social insecurity.

In the next two years, Donald Tusk, president of the European Council, will lead some important discussions about the future of the Union. The new Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar, has been well advised to invite Mr Tusk to address the Houses of the Oireachtas. However, that in itself is not enough. Mr Varadkar needs to instruct his Cabinet and ministers to engage with the Opposition and with the people in general in a wide-ranging discussion on Ireland's future relationship with the European Union.

At a time of Brexit, this is an important moment for Europe and decisions taken now will impact on the lives of citizens here for generations to come. The Government's engagement with the public on this issue has been lacking. It is not good enough, if it ever was, to use forums in Europe as outlets to espouse domestic policy.

Europe is on the cusp of significant change and if Ireland, a de facto founding father of the European movement, wants to shape, direct and influence that change then the Government must seriously engage on these issues.
When you're a former Miss World, there's no such thing as an off day - even at your friend's wedding.

Like the rest of us, Rosanna Davison (31) is in the throes of wedding season and quite frankly, there are only so many floral tea dresses you can wear without getting a little bored.

The model turned nutritional therapist opted for a striking ice blue gown for her pal's recent nuptials, turning heads in the semi-sheer number with floral applique and cut-out detail alongside her tuxedo clad husband Wesley Quirke.

The fairytale wedding in Wicklow required a black tie dress code and Rosanna, a red carpet veteran since winning the world beauty title 12 years ago, rose to the occasion in the designer number from Malahide-based dress rental company Cari's Closet.

Expand Close Rosanna Davison and husband Wesley Quirke at a friend's wedding. Picture: Instagram / Facebook

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If her own nuptials are anything to go by, Rosanna believes in the 'go big or go home' approach to wedding celebrations, famously hosting three separate parties when she wed her businessman beau in 2014 - a small dinner after making it official at a registry office in Dublin, a luxurious bash in Ibiza and one final party at Powerscourt Hotel in Wicklow, attended by 200 people.
United States President Donald J. Trump and first lady Melania Trump depart the White House in Washington, DC on June 24, 2017

United States President Donald J. Trump and first lady Melania Trump depart the White House in Washington, DC on June 24, 2017

United States President Donald J. Trump and first lady Melania Trump depart the White House in Washington, DC on June 24, 2017

Vice President Mike Pence (C) officiates the wedding of Louise Linton (L) and Secretary of the Treasury Steven Mnuchin (R) on June 24, 2017 at Andrew Mellon Auditorium in Washington, DC. (Photo by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for LS)

United States President Donald J. Trump and first lady Melania Trump depart the White House in Washington, DC on June 24, 2017

(L-R) First Lady Melania Trump, President Donald Trump, Secretary of the Treasury Steven Mnuchin, Louise Linton, Vice President Mike Pence, and Second Lady Karen Pence pose at the wedding of Secretary of the Treasury Steven Mnuchin and Louise Linton on June 24, 2017 at Andrew Mellon Auditorium in Washington, DC. (Photo by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for LS)

US Secetary of Treasury Steven Mnuchin wed in an A-list political ceremony in Washington D.C. on Saturday - with President Trump and First Lady Melania among the VIP guests.

Mnuchin exchanged vows with Scottish actress Louise Linton in a fairytale ceremony at Andrew Mellon Auditorium, with Vice President Mike Pence officiating the service.

Linton, originally from Edinburgh, whose credits include a supporting appearance in Lifetime's made-for-tv movie William & Kate, chose a princess-style gown custom designed by Ines Di Santo for the big day; but with an estimated net worth of $300 million, money is no object for the former Goldman Sachs banker and his new wife.

The pair first met four years ago while attending a wedding in Los Angeles and he proposed two years later, according to the New York Times.

Expand Close United States President Donald J. Trump and first lady Melania Trump depart the White House in Washington, DC on June 24, 2017 / Facebook

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Whatsapp United States President Donald J. Trump and first lady Melania Trump depart the White House in Washington, DC on June 24, 2017

It is the third marriage for Mnuchin, who divorced his second wife Heather in 2014 after 15 years of marriage. It is the second for Linton,

Pink was clearly the theme of the night as Melania opted for a baby pink silk chiffon gown by Gilles Mendel with Manolo Blahnik pumps, while her stepdaughter Ivanka wore a similar shade as she attended the bash with husband Jared Kushner, dressed in a classic black tuxedo.

White House press secretary Sean Spicer and his wife Rebecca Miller were also in attendance.

The bride said she admired an oval ring in the window of a Miami jewellery store early on in their relationship and she was thrilled when he popped the question with a similar piece in 2016.

Expand Close Vice President Mike Pence (C) officiates the wedding of Louise Linton (L) and Secretary of the Treasury Steven Mnuchin (R) on June 24, 2017 at Andrew Mellon Auditorium in Washington, DC. (Photo by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for LS) / Facebook

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Whatsapp Vice President Mike Pence (C) officiates the wedding of Louise Linton (L) and Secretary of the Treasury Steven Mnuchin (R) on June 24, 2017 at Andrew Mellon Auditorium in Washington, DC. (Photo by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for LS)

"We were at Art Basel in Miami a few years ago and we walked past a jewelry store. We stopped to admire the shape of an oval engagement ring in the window. Its quite an old-fashioned shape but I love it. Three years later he proposed to me with an oval ring just like the one we saw in the window," she told Town & Country magazine.
The Pride march has been banned in Istanbul for three years in a row

Turkish police have stopped LGBT activists from gathering in large numbers for a Pride event in Istanbul.

Organisers of the 2017 Istanbul LGBTI+ Pride had vowed to march in central Taksim Square, using a Turkish hashtag for "we march", despite the ban on gay pride observances ordered by the Istanbul governor's office for the third year in a row.

Police established checkpoints in the area, preventing groups from entering Istiklal Avenue and turning back individuals who were deemed to be associated with the planned march.

Small groups assembled on side streets were chased away by officers.

At least a hundred protesters gathered in a nearby neighbourhood, beating drums and chanting slogans such as, "Don't be quiet, shout out, gays exist!" and "Love, love, freedom, State, stay away!"

They carried a banner that read: "Get used to, we are here."

Police used tear gas to disperse the crowds and activists said plastic bullets were also used. Riot-control vehicles and buses were dispatched to the area.

Turkey's official Anadolu news agency said "an estimated 20 people" were detained after protesters did not heed warnings to disperse because the march did not have a permit.

In banning the event, the governor's office on Saturday cited safety and public order.

It also said a valid parade application had not been filed for Sunday's event, a claim rejected by organisers.

The governor's ban referred to "serious reactions by different segments of society" as several nationalist and religious groups called for the march's cancellation.

Pride organisers said in a statement that the threats themselves should be dealt with rather than limiting demonstrations.

"Our security will be provided by recognising us in the constitution, by securing justice, by equality and freedom," the statement said.

The private Dogan news agency reported the detention of seven people who were protesting over Pride.

LGBT activists have lobbied for years to have sexual orientation and gender identity covered by Turkish laws protecting civil rights and prohibiting hate speech but the clauses have not been included in updated legislation.

Homosexuality has been legal in Turkey since the republic's founding more than nine decades ago.

The Turkish government says there is no discrimination against LGBT individuals and that current laws already protect each citizen.

It also insists that perpetrators of hate crimes are prosecuted.

Turkish authorities allowed pride marches to take place for more than a decade since the first one was held in 2003.

Up to 100,000 people attended Istanbul Pride in 2014.

But in 2015, police dispersed crowds using tear gas and water cannons after a last-minute ban.

In 2016, amid a spate of deadly attacks blamed on the Islamic State group or on outlawed Kurdish militants, the event was banned again but participants still tried to gather.

Pride organisers think the celebrations have been banned since 2014 because they coincided with the holy month of Ramadan and a rise in conservatism.

Sunday's scheduled march was on the first day of the Eid al-Fitr holiday, marking the end of a month of fasting.

AP
It was Jeremy Corbyns first-ever Glastonbury Festival and he was greeted by crowds of revellers chanting his name.

The Labour leader arrived at the musical extravaganza and met festival staff as well as organiser Michael Eavis, 81.

He was driven to the Greenpeace area of the site, where he posed for pictures in the Greenpeace Cafe and was met by cheering crowds

Festival-goers surrounded his Land Rover Discovery and chanted Oh, Jeremy Corbyn to the tune of the White Stripes Seven Nation Army as Corbyn left the area.

He introduced US hip hop duo Run The Jewels at the Pyramid Stage at 4pm before giving a talk at the Left Field tent.

Judging by his Twitter posts, it appeared Corbyn had a great time at Glasto.

Here he is moments after arriving at the 900-acre site in Pilton, Somerset:

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Posing for a photo op during an emergency staff meeting:

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Serving beer at the Solstice Bar:

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Speaking at the Pyramid Stage:

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Corbyn pledged his support to refugees, young people and the environment, and took a swipe at US president Donald Trump during his speech.

He vowed to cheering crowds that his politics would be put back in a box.

He also paid tribute to Eavis and was cheered by attendees in the Left Field tent as he spoke of the General Election result.

People were fed up, absolutely fed up of being told what to think, he said.
Residents leave the Taplow tower block on the Chalcots Estate in Camden, London, as the building is evacuated in the wake of the Grenfell Tower fire to allow "urgent fire safety works" to take place. Photo: PA Wire

Britain's fire-safety crisis expanded substantially yesterday as authorities said 34 high-rise apartment blocks in London, Manchester, Plymouth and Portsmouth had cladding that failed fire safety tests. London officials scrambled to evacuate four public housing towers after experts found them "not safe for people to sleep in overnight."

Hundreds of residents hastily packed their bags and sought emergency shelter, with many angry and confused about the chaotic situation. Some refused to leave.

Camden Council said it decided to evacuate the buildings on the Chalcots Estate late last Friday after fire inspectors reported the blocks were unsafe. Inspectors uncovered problems with "gas insulation and door stops", which combined with the presence of flammable cladding meant residents had to leave immediately, council leader Georgia Gould said in a tweet.

The evacuation comes amid widening worries about the safety of high-rise blocks following the inferno that engulfed Grenfell Tower in west London on June 14, killing at least 79 people.

Detectives are considering manslaughter charges as part of their investigation into the disaster, a spokesperson from the Metropolitan Police said.

Detective Superintendent Fiona McCormack was speaking after it emerged police had seized documents and materials from a "number of organisations". It has been confirmed that the fire was started by a Hotpoint fridge-freezer before spreading to the building's "combustible" cladding.

DS McCormack said the Hotpoint FF175BP model had not been subject to any product recall but the building's cladding, tiles and insulation failed safety tests carried out as part of the investigation. She said tests carried out as part of the investigation so far were "small scale" but, regards the tiles and insulation, added: "They don't pass any safety tests."

Witnesses at the scene of the 24-storey fire on June 14 said a resident told neighbours his fridge had "exploded" while alerting them to the initial blaze. Ms McCormack said police were still concerned they did not have a full picture of the number of people inside the building.

So far, Camden Council remains the only local authority known to have asked residents to leave as a fire precaution. It said about 650 apartments were evacuated, though initial reports had said that as many as 800 were affected.

"I know some residents are angry and upset, but I want to be very clear that Camden Council acted to protect them," council leader Georgia Gould said. "Grenfell changed everything, and when told our blocks were unsafe to remain in, we acted."

Residents - including families with babies and elderly relatives - trooped out of the buildings last Friday night with suitcases and plastic bags stuffed with clothes as council workers guided them to a local leisure centre, where some spent the night on inflatable mattresses packed into a gym. Others were being put up in hotels and other housing projects. The council said residents would be out of their homes for three to four weeks while it completes upgrades.

Many residents complained of a lack of information and confusion. Officials first announced the evacuation of one building, then expanded it to five and later reduced it to four. Some said they learned about the evacuation on TV before officials came knocking on doors.

Dozens refused to leave their homes. Carl McDowell (31) said he took one look at the inflatable beds offered on the floor of the leisure centre and went back to his own apartment. Police say 79 people are either dead or missing and presumed dead in the blaze, although that number may change. To encourage cooperation, prime minister Theresa May said the government won't penalise any fire survivors who were in the country illegally.
A displaced Iraqi woman moves out of Mosul's Old City with her children during fighting between Iraqi security forces and Islamic State militants in Mosul, Iraq. Photo: Reuters

Iraqi forces yesterday opened exit routes for hundreds of civilians to flee the Old City of Mosul as they battled to retake the quarter from Isil militants defending what was a hugely important stronghold of their self-declared caliphate.

US-trained urban warfare units were channelling their onslaught along two perpendicular streets that converge in the heart of the Old City, aiming to isolate the jihadist insurgents in four pockets.

The week-old battle in the Old City is turning into the deadliest of the eight-month campaign to take back the northern city, which fell to the militants in June 2014.

Reporters saw a young girl with facial injuries walking dazed and shocked across the frontline out of a heavily-populated district with a group of neighbours. All her family were killed when their house collapsed, they said.

The UN voiced alarm yesterday at the rising death toll among civilians in the fighting, saying as many as 12 were killed and hundreds injured last Friday.

"Fighting is very intense in the Old City and civilians are at extreme, almost unimaginable risk. There are reports that thousands, maybe even tens of thousands, of people are being held as human shields by Isil," said Lise Grande, the UN humanitarian coordinator in Iraq. "Hundreds of civilians, including children, are being shot."

Iraqi authorities are hoping to declare victory in the city on the Muslim holiday of Eid (which marks the end of the holy month of Ramadan) during the next few days.

Helicopter gunships were assisting the ground thrust, firing at insurgent emplacements in the Old City.

The government advance was carving out escape corridors for civilians marooned behind Isil lines. There was a steady trickle of fleeing families yesterday, some with injured and malnourished children. "My baby only had bread and water for the past eight days," one mother said.

More than 100,000 civilians, of whom half are believed to be children, remain trapped in the crumbling old houses, with little food, water or medical treatment.

The campaign to clear the militants from the Old City alleyways means moving on foot house-to-house in locations too cramped for the use of armoured combat vehicles.

 Reuters
A long-distance couple who regularly spend hours travelling by plane to see each other made one journey a flight that they will never forget.

Deepum Patel, who works in Atlanta, proposed to his girlfriend Neha Chakravati, who lives in Pennsylvania, at 30,000 feet on a Delta Air Line flight.

The couple were travelling from Atlanta to Boston before continuing on to Iceland to begin a three-week trip of Europe when Deepum popped the question.

The proposal took place with the help of airline staff and fellow passengers, with dental nurse Neha being called for 'medical assistance' while Deepum handed out cards to customers asking them to capture the moment.

The unforgettable moment went without a glitch, and the happy couple were greeted with flowers and balloons when they touched the ground.
Soldiers and rescue workers at the site where a ferry sank in a reservoir in Guatape (AP)

Scuba divers have continued searching for bodies in a reservoir near the Colombian city of Medellin where a tourist boat packed with more than 150 passengers capsized, leaving at least seven people dead and 13 missing.

After suspending their search overnight due to a lightning storm, scuba divers by mid-morning on Monday had pulled a seventh body from the underwater wreckage.

Authorities were also turning their attention to the causes of the sinking and whether the company that owned the boat named El Almirante contributed to the accident.

A flotilla of recreational boats and jet skis had rushed to the scene, pulling people from the boat as it went down and avoiding an even deadlier tragedy.

Dramatic videos circulating on social media show the turquoise-and-yellow-trimmed party boat rocking back and forth as people crawled down from a fourth-deck roof as it sank in a matter of minutes.

Survivors described hearing a loud explosion near the men's bathroom that knocked out power a few minutes after the boat began its cruise around the giant lake.

As water flooded on board, pressure built and people were sucked under by the sinking ship.

"Those on the first and second decks sank immediately," survivor Lorena Salazar told local media.

"All we could do was scream and call for help ... it was completely chaotic."

In the absence of a passenger list, authorities have been relying on family numbers and survivors to report their whereabouts.

On Tuesday the number of people missing was down to 13.

Of those who survived the incident, three remain in hospital but are out of danger, said Margarita Moncada, the head of the disaster relief agency in Antioquia state.

A group of a few dozen scuba divers were working on Monday in hour-long shifts, looking to sweep for trapped bodies in the frigid, algae-filled waters around the wreckage at a depth of more than 30 metres (100ft).

Moncada said the hardest part for scuba divers is to safely search the area around the first deck of the boat.

It is unclear what caused the boat to sink.

Some survivors and people who witnessed the tragedy unfold from the nearby shore said the boat appeared to be overloaded.

But President Juan Manuel Santos, who travelled to Guatape to oversee search efforts, said it was sailing well below capacity.

None of the passengers was wearing a life vest.

"Nobody really knows what happened," said Mr Santos, adding that naval officials were brought in to carry out an investigation.

The reservoir surrounding the soaring rocky outcrop of El Penol is a popular weekend destination a little more than an hour from Medellin.

It was especially busy on Sunday as Colombians celebrated a long holiday weekend, some of them taking a five dollar pleasure cruise on El Almirante.

The transportation ministry said the company that owned the boat, and 12 others, had its certification renewed in December.

Carlos Espinosa, an independent journalist from Guatape, said a few months ago local people awoke to find the El Almirante filled with water and sinking at its dock, suggesting that perhaps the vessel was not ready to return to the water.

"What makes you angry is there are no controls by the government," he said.

As night fell, the usually festive town was silent as people began to register the magnitude of the loss.

Among those huddled under the rain near the port looking for information about loved ones was Alberto Villegas, who was separated from a cousin and uncle in the mad rush to abandon the sinking ship.

"All we ask is that they don't give up the search," said Mr Villegas.

AP
SUNDAY, JUNE 25

The Community Blood Center of the Carolinas is holding a memorial blood drive in memory of Amanda Kendall Barbee from 12:30-4 p.m. at the Westford United Methodist Church Family Life Center, 273 NC 49, Concord. Her friends and family are asking people to come out to donate as a way to honor her memory.

MONDAY, JUNE 26

Play duplicate bridge at 12:15 p.m. at the Cabarrus County Senior Center, 331 Corban Ave., SE, Concord. Bring a partner. Regular fee is $5. Contact Craig Poplin at 704-699-3662 with any questions.

TUESDAY, JUNE 27

Cabarrus Veterans Coalition along with Carms Cafe invites all veterans to the weekly coffee meeting at Carms Cafe, 42 S Union St, Concord, between 8:30-11 a.m. Come and join your fellow veterans and have a free cup of coffee.

Tomatoes and Salsahands on workshop will teach how to preserve the abundant local tomatoes we enjoy using a water bath canner. Cost is $15 per person, and the class will meet from 5:30-9:30 p.m. at the North Carolina Cooperative Extension, Cabarrus County Center, 715 Cabarrus Ave, W, Concord. Pre-registration and pre-payment is required. For more details, contact 704-920-3310 weekdays. Registration can also be done online at: http://go.ncsu.edu/registercabarrus.

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 28

Tomatoes and Salsahands on workshop will teach how to preserve the abundant local tomatoes we enjoy using a water bath canner. Cost is $15 per person, and the class will meet from 1-5 p.m. at the North Carolina Cooperative Extension, Cabarrus County Center, 715 Cabarrus Ave, W, Concord. Pre-registration and pre-payment is required. For more details, contact 704-920-3310 weekdays. Registration can also be done online at: http://go.ncsu.edu/registercabarrus.

A free lecture and tour of Old Camp Ground Cemetery, next to the MLK Monument, will take place on Wednesdays and Saturdays during June. Many of the famous people of Concord are resting in peace like Warren C. Coleman and Rev. Frank Logan. The cemetery also includes 18 veterans from WWI and WWII and beyond. Call Norman J. McCullough, Instructor at RCCC, at 704-787-8242 for a specific appointment.

FRIDAY, JUNE 30

Concord Bingo at American Legion Post 51 has returned in a new Beach Bingo program. Doors open every Friday at 4:30 p.m. Early games at 5 p.m. Mini program at 6 p.m. The main program will start at 7 p.m. We welcome all our loyal followers back to Legion Bingo. Help your local veterans continue to support our community. Concord American Legion Post 51 is located at 165 Wilshire Dr. Concord. For more information, call 864-505-1407.

THURSDAY, JULY 6

Cabarrus Christian Womens Connection at the Cabarrus Country Club, 3247 Weddington Road, Concord, will meet at 9:30 a.m. Program will be Human Trafficking, with Attorney Paula Yost. Guest speaker will be Anne Curry. Reservations for brunch and nursery are needed by Monday, July 3. Program cost is $15, all-inclusive. Call Barbara at 704-786-2722 or email barb1960@windstream.net for reservations.

Cabarrus Lodge No. 720, A.F. & A.M., will have a Stated Communication at 7:30 p.m. Dinner at 6:30 p.m. Union Lodge Masonic Temple is located at 9650 US Hwy 601, Midland at the intersection of Cal Bost Road and Hwy 601. Lodge details at www.720-nc.ourlodgepage.com.

The To Live Again Support Group for Widows and Widowers will meet at 5:30 p.m. at Elo Amigos Mexican Restaurant, 1776 S Cannon Blvd., Kannapolis. For more information, call 704-786-1787.

Exercise classes are held from 5-6 p.m. in the Allen T. Small Family Life Center, at 192 Spring St. SW, Concord. Classes feature walking and aerobics and are tailored to every age group. For more information, call 704-788-6818.

FRIDAY, JULY 7

Play duplicate bridge at 9:15 a.m. at the Cabarrus County Senior Center, 331 Corban Ave., SE, Concord. Bring a partner. Regular fee is $5 each. Contact Craig Poplin at 704-699-3662 with any questions.

TUESDAY, JULY 11

Cabarrus Veterans Coalition along with Carms Cafe invites all veterans to the weekly coffee meeting at Carms Cafe, 42 S Union St, Concord, between 8:30-11 a.m. Come and join your fellow veterans and have a free cup of coffee.

FRIDAY, JULY 14

Concord Bingo at American Legion Post 51 has returned in a new Beach Bingo program. Doors open every Friday at 4:30 p.m. Early games at 5 p.m. Mini program at 6 p.m. The main program will start at 7 p.m. We welcome all our loyal followers back to Legion Bingo. Help your local veterans continue to support our community. Concord American Legion Post 51 is located at 165 Wilshire Dr. Concord. For more information, call 864-505-1407.

TUESDAY, JULY 18

TOPS NC 12, (Take Off Pounds Sensibly), meets at Flow Harris Presbyterian Church, 308 Winecoff School Road, Concord. Weigh in starts at 5:30 p.m. with meeting at 6:30 p.m. For more information, call Gail Floyd at 704-788-8064 or Schaly McCullen at 704-213-2689.

TOPS NC 437, (Take Off Pounds Sensibly), meets at 10 a.m. at Lakeview Baptist Church, 2532 Lane Street, Kannapolis. Weigh-in starts at 9:30 a.m. For more information contact Barbara Lewis at 704-932-1172. Visitors are welcome.

Concord Bingo at American Legion Post 51 has returned in a new Beach Bingo program. Doors open every Tuesday at 4:30 p.m. Early games at 5 p.m. Mini program at 6 p.m. The main program will start at 7 p.m. We welcome all our loyal followers back to Legion Bingo. Help your local veterans continue to support our community. Concord American Legion Post 51 is located at 165 Wilshire Dr. Concord. For more information, call 864-505-1407.

WEDNESDAY, JULY 19

TOPS Chapter 445, (Take Off Pounds Sensibly), meets at 10 a.m. at Center United Methodist Church, 1119 Union St. S, Concord. For more information, call Jewel Payne at 704-782-4852.

THURSDAY, JULY 20

Exercise classes are held from 5-6 p.m. in the Allen T. Small Family Life Center, at 192 Spring St. SW, Concord. Classes feature walking and aerobics and are tailored to every age group. For more information, call 704-788-6818.

FRIDAY, JULY 21

Play duplicate bridge at 9:15 a.m. at the Cabarrus County Senior Center, 331 Corban Ave., SE, Concord. Bring a partner. Regular fee is $5 each. Contact Craig Poplin at 704-699-3662 with any questions.

TUESDAY, JULY 25

Cabarrus Veterans Coalition along with Carms Cafe invites all veterans to the weekly coffee meeting at Carms Cafe, 42 S Union St, Concord, between 8:30-11 a.m. Come and join your fellow veterans and have a free cup of coffee.

FRIDAY, JULY 28

Concord Bingo at American Legion Post 51 has returned in a new Beach Bingo program. Doors open every Friday at 4:30 p.m. Early games at 5 p.m. Mini program at 6 p.m. The main program will start at 7 p.m. We welcome all our loyal followers back to Legion Bingo. Help your local veterans continue to support our community. Concord American Legion Post 51 is located at 165 Wilshire Dr. Concord. For more information, call 864-505-1407.

SUNDAY, JULY 30

The Eastern Cabarrus Historical Society invites you to Christmas in July: Lore of the Belsnickle, Santas Cranky Cousin, a presentation by Dr. Gary R. Freeze, Professor of History at Catawba College in Salisbury. His general interest in the German influences in this area led to his interest in Belsnickling and the lore of this Cranky Christmas Cousin of Santas who was known to bring a wallop with a whip or switch as well as candy and gifts. Admission $5, members are free. The event will be held at Society Hall in Mount Pleasant at 2 p.m.
As we had reported yesterday, director Venkat Prabhu's eighth film as a director has been titled as 'Party' and it will be the biggest multi-starrer in Kollywood with Sathyaraj, Nasser, Jayaram, Sampath, Jai. Mirchi Siva, 'Kayal' Chandran, Ramya Krishnan, Nivetha Pethuraj and Regina Cassandra in the star cast.

For the first time Premji Amaren is not acting in a film directed by his elder brother instead he will do the music score. Yuvan who has been the composer for all the films directed by Venkat Prabhu so far, has suggested that Premji do the music score for a Venkat Prabhu film. so that he will get a better reach as a composer.

Speaking about the shooting plans in his interview to a leading daily, the director said the film will be shot entirely in Fiji in around 60-70 days. The shooting will begin next month.

The director said that the film's script has a serious plot but assured that it will have adequate fun and humor that will be expected in his films.

'Party' is being produced T.Siva of Amma Creations banner.
A day heavy in green Indian equity markets saw a day, heavy in green, today. Nifty 50 ended, up by 321.5 points. Sensex ended, up by 1181.34 points. Top Gainers today were HDFC, HDFC Bank, Infosys. Top Losers ... November 11, 2022 | 3:43 pm

In early trade, Rupee rises 71 paise to 80.69 / $ Early on Friday, the rupee strengthened 71 paise to 80.69 against the dollar as investors' attitudes were bolstered by easing US CPI data and a decline in the dollar index. Forex traders claime... November 11, 2022 | 2:24 pm

Sensex zooms over 1,100 pts; Nifty above 18,300; IT index top contributor Domestic benchmark indices in the fast lane today led by IT and Metal stocks outperforming. Both the Sensex and Nifty benchmarks were nearly 2% higher amid positive global cues. On the se... November 11, 2022 | 2:00 pm

NIBE receives order of Rs11.88 crore from Goa Shipyard; Stock slips 1% Nibe Limited stocks in focus as the company announced the receipt of purchase orders. As per the regulatory filing, it has received two purchase orders dated November 08, 2022 from G... November 11, 2022 | 12:53 pm

Ashoka Buildcon receives provisional certificate for NHAI road project; Stock up 2% Ashoka Buildcon Limited has informed the declaration of October 26, 2021 as the Commercial Operation Date (CoD) for its Hybrid Annuity Mode (HAM) Project of National Highways Authority of ... November 11, 2022 | 12:26 pm
If youre a die-hard fan of Salman Khan, we know that you are also looking for the answer to the most speculated question - when will he get married. And even if youre not a fan, this still makes you scratch your head, right?

The man is 51 years old, and looks like he has no plans of getting married anytime soon. The Dabangg has been unlucky in love quite many times. So much so, that apparently, he doesnt believe in love anymore. Yes, Salman himself admitted the same recently.

Brothers and in law  A post shared by Salman Khan (@beingsalmankhan) on Jun 16, 2017 at 5:45am PDT

Ask him about his marriage plans, and he dodges the question poking all the fun. However, in a recent interview with Mid-day, Khan admitted marriage is a waste of money, and also said that he doesnt believe in love at all.

Rahat Fateh Ali Khan sahab and I are back! #TinkaTinkaDilMera out now on @sonymusicindia https://youtu.be/iD2Enzg0IAY @kabirkhankk @TubelightKiEid A post shared by Salman Khan (@beingsalmankhan) on Jun 9, 2017 at 1:32am PDT

I dont believe in love at all. I dont think theres any reason for the word love to exist. The word is need. It depends on whose need is more. Or who you might need at some point. But she may not need you at all. This can also turn the other way round, when you dont need her sometimes. So, basically, the need has got to be equal at all times. Which may or may not happen, he was quoted as saying by mid-day.

Twitter

However, rumours are abuzz that Salman Khan is dating his Romanian girlfriend Iulia Vantur, who has often been spotted at his place and family functions too. Recently as well, she was spotted at Baba Siddiques Iftar party. But is marriage on cards? Only time will tell.

(Also Read: Mystery Solved! Iulia Vantur Just Confirmed That Salman Khan Is In A Relationship)
RECORDER REPORT



KARACHI: Karachi Shipping Intelligence report incorporating changes till 7 am on Monday (May 3, 2021).



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OP-1 M.T Disc. PNSC 02-05-2021



Quetta Crude Oil



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Delphi Mogas Martimes



B-2 Sea Disc. Alpine 01-05-2021



Fortune Chemical Marine



Services



B-5 Szczecin Disc. Golden 02-05-2021



Trader Load Shipping



Container Lines



B-9/B-8 Glen Disc. Ocean 01-05-2021



Canyon Load Network



Container Express



B-14/B-15 Doric Disc. Eastwind 19-04-2021



Arrow Soya Bean Shipping



Seeds



B-16/B-17 Jin Hao Disc. DAP Wma Ship 15-04-2021



Care Services



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ALONGSIDE WEST WHARF



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B-24/B-25 Gozo Disc. Costal 29-04-2021



Rock Shipping



Phosphate Services



B-28/B-29 Onyx-1 Disc. Riazeda 02-05-2021



Load



Container



-----------------------------------------------------------------------------



ALONGSIDE SOUTH WHARF



-----------------------------------------------------------------------------



Saptl-4 Baltic Disc. Cma 02-05-2021



Bridge Load Cgm



Container Pakistan



=============================================================================



EXPECTED SAILING



=============================================================================



Name of Expected Expected Arrival Agent



Vessel Date Cargo



=============================================================================



Baltic Bridge 03-05-2021 Disc. Load Container Cma Cgm Pakistan



Onyx-1 03-05-2021 Disc. Load Container Riazeda



Szczecin Trader 04-05-2021 Disc. Load Container Golden



Shipping Lines



=============================================================================



EXPECTED ARRIVALS



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Andes 03-05-2021 D/3500 Chemical Alpine Marine Services



M.T Khairpur 03-05-2021 D/40000 Mogas Alpine Marine Services



Cma 03-05-2021 D/L Container Cma Cgm Pakistan



Cgm Moliere



Korea Chemi 04-05-2021 L/4000 Caustic Soda Eastwind



Shipping Company



Hanyu Camellia 04-05-2021 D/3500 Chemical Eastwind Shipping Company



Csl Sophie 04-05-2021 D/L Container Oceansea Shipping



Kmtc Dubai 04-05-2021 D/L Container United Marine Agencies



Diyala 04-05-2021 D/L Container X-press feeders Shipping



Viking Emerald 04-05-2021 D/1945 Vehicle Sharaf Shipping Agency



U Glory 04-05-2021 D/27742 General Cargo Legend Shipping



& Logistic



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SHIP SAILED



=============================================================================



Name of Departure Ships Departures Agent



Vessel Date Cargo



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Eastern Chemi 03-05-2021 Tanker -



Tomini 03-05-2021 Clinkers -



Integrity



Greenwich 03-05-2021 Container Ship -



Bridge



Ym Eternity 03-05-2021 Container Ship -



Nordspring 03-05-2021 Container Ship -



Kmtc Colombo 03-05-2021 Container Ship -



As Roberta 03-05-2021 Container Ship -



Msc Levina 03-05-2021 Container Ship -



Hyundai 03-05-2021 Container Ship -



Colombo



Mahavir 03-05-2021 Tanker -



Alpine 03-05-2021 Tanker -



Persefone



Mid Falcon 03-05-2021 Tanker -



Jia Xiang Da 03-05-2021 General Cargo -



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PORT QASIM INTELLIGENCE



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Berth Vessel Working Agent Berthing



Date



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MULTI PURPOSE TERMINAL



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MW-1 Paran Dowski Gen. Cargo Sea Hawk 28.04.2021



MW-2 Nil 20.04.2021



MW-4 Elbabe Coal Wilhelmsen 01.05.2021



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PAKISTAN INTERNATIONAL BULK TERMINAL



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PIBT Daimongate Coal East Wind 30.04.2021



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PORT QASIM ELECTRIC POWER TERMINAL



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PQEPT Common Atlas Coal Sino Trans 28.04.2021



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LIQUID CARGO TERMINAL



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LCT Chemroute Palm oil Alpine 02.05.2021



Pegasus



-----------------------------------------------------------------------------



QASIM INTERNATIONAL CONTAINER TERMINAL



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QICT MSC Levina Containers MSC Pak 02.05.2021



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2ND CONTAINER TERMINAL



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QICT CMA CGM Containers CMA CGM 02.05.2021



Moliere



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FOTCO OIL TERMINAL



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FOTCO AG Mars Gas oil Alpine 01.05.2021



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GRAIN & FERTILIZER TERMINAL



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FAP Pedhoulas Soya bean Ocean Services 30.04.2021



Rose



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SSGC LPGTERMINAL



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SSGC White Peal LPG M. International 02.05.2021



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DEPARTURE



=============================================================================



Vessel Commodity Ship Agent Departure Date



=============================================================================



Marangas Troy LNG G.A.C 03.05.2021



Fuwairit LNG G.S.A -do-



Seacon-7 Steel Coil Asia Marine -do-



IDC Falcon Coal Sino Trans



=============================================================================



EXPECTED DEPARTURES



=============================================================================



AG Mars Gas oil Alpine 03.05.2021



CMA CGM Containers CMA CGM -do-



Moliere



MSC Levina Containers MSC Pak -do-



=============================================================================



OUTER ANCHORAGE



=============================================================================



Amazon Gas oil Alpine 03.05.2021



Fortitude



Gail Coal Sino Trans -do-



Medi Segesta Coal Sino Trans -do-



Georgia Coal East Wind -do-



Eritta Coal Ocean Services -do-



Bel South Coal Wilhelmsen



Valentia Blue Coal East Wind Waiting for berth



Damas Mogas Alpine -



PRO Alliance Mogas Trans Marine -



Splendour Palm oil Alpine -



Opal



Al-Soor-II Gas oil G.A.C -



=============================================================================



EXPECTED ARRIVAL



=============================================================================



Seago Containers 03.05.2021



Bremerhaven



Diyala Containers Maersk Pak -do-



MSC Qingdao Containers MSC Pak -do-



Le Havre Containers Maersk Pak 04.05.2021



Maersk Atlanta Containers -do-



=============================================================================



Copyright Business Recorder, 2021




At least 10 policemen were reportedly killed and four others injured when Taliban militants attacked a checkpost near India-made Salma dam in Afghanistan's Herat province on Saturday night.

"A group of Taliban militants attacked the checkpoint near Salma dam in Chasht district and fled after killing the policemen," a security official said.

WAPCOS

Jelani Farhad, spokesman for the governor of the western Herat province, said the Taliban attacked which set off a gunbattle in which five insurgents were killed.

The Taliban have expanded their reach across Afghanistan since US and international forces formally concluded their combat mission at the end of 2014, switching to a support and counterterrorism role.

WAPCOS

In an address on Sunday marking the start of Eid al-Fitr, a major Muslim holiday, President Ashraf Ghani reiterated his call for the Taliban to return to peace talks.

Afghan-India Friendship Dam

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Afghan President Ashraf Ghani in June 2016 jointly inaugurated the Salma dam, a Rs 1,700 crore showpiece infrastructure project by India in strategically important Herat province, reflecting India's strong commitment to reconstruction of the war-ravaged country.

WAPCOS

The Afghan-India Friendship Dam, earlier known as Salma Dam, on the river Chist-e-Sharif in western Herat neighbouring Iran, irrigates 75,000 hectares of land and will generate 42MW of power.

Touted as a "landmark" infrastructure project, the dam located 165km east of Herat town, is expected to significantly boost the agricultural economy of the province.
Huriya Um Salem, a Syrian by birth rarely gets to listen to the voice of his family members trapped in war-torn Raqqa. But he grew on the banks of Euphrates and therefore he knows no division. Um Salem is presently an Arabic teacher in Doha and here too he does what he had been doing all his life. In Doha, Salem hosts iftar parties for Syrian during the holy month of Ramadan.

"We cook Syrian food, trying to relive Ramadan gatherings and traditions of eating iftar as one," Um Salem said.

Ramadan in Raqqa would be a simple affair. Um, Salem grew up in the suburbs of Raqqa which was a tight knot neighbourhood and mothers of the neighbourhood prepare food for iftar together.

Reuters

"Every single neighbour in the 'hara' (neighbourhood) has to be invited over at least once," he said.

"A cannon signalled the time for breaking the fast. As little kids we used to run out with our cousins and friends to listen for that boom sound, then run back to the house to join our families for iftar."

"When we were little they used to encourage us to fast half the day by giving us gifts. We called it the little bird fast," Um Salem said.
This year, the White House will not host the iftar dinner, which occurs at the sunset of the holy month of Ramadan. It was former President Thomas Jefferson, who had hosted a White House iftar in December 1805 in honour of Tunisian ambassador Sidi Soliman Mellimelli. From there on, the tradition was followed by many reigning presidents. However, it wont be followed this year.

huffpost

Contrary to Trump, Former POTUS Barack Obama used to happily host the iftar dinner for Muslim Americans. "Muslim Americans have been part of our American family since its founding, he had once said.

Instead the White House issued a statement on late Saturday evening. "Muslims in the United States joined those around the world during the holy month of Ramadan to focus on acts of faith and charity," the statement read. "Now, as they commemorate Eid with family and friends, they carry on the tradition of helping neighbours and breaking bread with people from all walks of life.

Former POTUS during Iftar dinner

"During this holiday, we are reminded of the importance of mercy, compassion, and goodwill. With Muslims around the world, the United States renews our commitment to honour these values. Eid Mubarak."

Trump has had a complicated relationship with the Muslim community in the United States. Therefore, this move is hardly surprising to anybody.
A confessed serial car snatcher, who is a former operatives of the Nigerian Army, has made the startling revelation during his parade at the headquarters of the Bayelsa State Police Command in Yenagoa.

A dismissed soldier, John Andrew, believed to be part of a syndicate that specialises in snatching vehicles with master keys, has confessed that there is no kind of vehicle he cannot open, Punch newspaper exclusively reports.

Andrew, a confessed serial car snatcher, made the startling revelation during his parade at the headquarters of the Bayelsa State Police Command in Yenagoa.

The suspect was arrested on Saturday by policemen on a stop-and-search operation in Akenfa, a suburb of Yenagoa, the state capital.

It was learnt that the suspect, who had allegedly stolen many cars with the help of the master keys specially made for him by a Ghana-based Nigerian, operates a five-man gang cutting across Enugu, Benue and Cross River states.

Andrew, who said he was dismissed from the Nigerian Army for mutiny in 2014, confessed to the crime, saying he usually sold each stolen car for N300,000 to one Ike in Makurdi, Benue State.

He said it was the devil that pushed him into the crime, promising that if he was left off the hook, he would no longer go into crime.

Andrew, who said he had stolen only four vehicles, pleaded with the authorities to free him and that he would turn a new leaf.

He said, I use masterkeys to remove vehicles from where they are parked. There is no kind or make of vehicle I cannot open. The police have apprehended me three times  I stole a Toyota Camry from Port Harcourt, Rivers State. They caught me in Yenagoa before transferring me to Port Harcourt. Another one was a Toyota Hilux; I stole that one from Warri in Delta State and two others.

When they took me to court in Delta State, I was put in prison but the owner told the Magistrates Court that I should pay him the money he used to repair his vehicle and that he was not interested in any case.

I am very sorry, it wont happen again. I am going to sign an undertaking, anytime they catch me again, they should do anything they like to me. It is the devils work. I got the keys from Ghana. I buy (sic) one for N50,000. I have five gang members.

I am a dismissed soldier. My last station was 3 Batallion, Warri, Delta State. I was accused of mutiny while on military operation in Borno State. I was brought to Delta State for court martial and I was dismissed in 2014. I am from Cross River State and I am a yam farmer.

Parading the suspect, the Bayelsa State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Asuquo Amba, described the suspect as a habitual criminal.

Amba said in Bayelsa alone, the suspect (Andrew), had been arrested three times.

He said, Andrew is a habitual criminal. We have apprehended this suspect three times. The first time he stole some vehicles in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, we apprehended him in Bayelsa. The second time, he stole some vehicles in Ughelli, Delta State and brought them into Bayelsa, we were able to apprehend him.

We were able to recover three vehicles from him and the matter was transferred to Delta State Police Command. The Delta State Police Command arraigned him before the court, however, I do not know whether he has finished serving his jail sentence or he was granted court bail because I am definitely sure he was not given police bail.

On June 17, 2017, about 1pm, our policemen, while on routine stop-and-search operation at Akenfa area, flagged a Toyota with number plate AG 599 YEN. The suspect zoomed off to avoid search. He was pursued and arrested by the policemen. The Toyota car was stolen from where it was parked at Green Villa, Biogbolo, Yenagoa.

The owner has been identified. In the course of our investigation, we recovered many masterkeys. He claimed that each of the keys costs N50,000 and were brought in from Ghana. He said with the keys, he could open any vehicle no matter the make.

The police boss said that from the suspects background, the police investigation revealed that Andrew was a dismissed officer from the Nigerian Army. He stated that since his dismissal, the suspect had perpetually operated a gang that specialises in stealing vehicles from where they were parked.

He added, We are happy we have caught him again. I want to assure the public that we are up to all his tricks and that with his arrest, the city of Yenagoa and Bayelsa State will be at peace, especially knowing quite alright that most people in the metropolis do not have garages or car parks as most vehicles are parked on the streets, that is why he took advantage of that.

But with his arrest, I am sure our vehicles will be more secured. We are going to get some of his gang members in Makurdi and Enugu.
DJ Cuppy, daughter of Femi Otedola sent a message to all her ex-boyfriends on social media emphasizing on her preference for champagne over a cup of tea.

The 24-year-old wrote;

Dear Exes, You Used To Be My Cup Of Tea But I Drink Champagne Now! #CuppyOnAMission

In 2014 Cuppy was the resident DJ at the MTV Africa Music Awards in Durban. She then played at the Tatler and Christies Art Ball in London, and at the Financial Times Luxury Summit in Mexico City.

In July 2014 she released her first compilation mix called House of Cuppy in London and Lagos, before launching it in New York on September 2, 2014. That year, Cuppy also launched the music management and content production business Red Velvet Music Group, which is now located in London.

She is reportedly dating Victor Anichebe.

See her message
Nigerian rapper, Sauce Kid a.k.a Sinzu, who relocated to the United States, seems to be in hot soup as he bagged a 2 year jail sentence for stealing $15,388 using stolen credit card numbers in Boise and Meridian.

The rapper who has been said to be Dammy Kranes role model, According to the charge, reportedly stole bank card numbers and identifying information from their owners. He then encoded the account numbers onto blank plastic cards. All of the losses took place at Boise ATMs owned by Idaho Central Credit Union and at Albertsons stores in Meridian, court documents alleged.

According to Idaho Stateman News, he then used an automated system to change account PINs and was able to withdraw cash from bank ATMS and buy merchandise from stores between July 23 and 26 2016.

Police arrested Sauce Kid at the Boise Airport as he was about to board a flight. He was caught with a card encoding device and more than $6,000 in cash.

It was gathered that before now, Babalola Falemi a.k.a Sauce Kid was initially charged with conspiracy to commit bank fraud, eight counts each of bank fraud, aggravated identity theft, and possession of 15 or more fraudulent bank cards.

Source: Idaho Stateman News
Sauce Kid, a talented Nigerian entertainer who relocated abroad will be spending sometime behind bars in the United States of America after being convicted of stealing.

Nigerian rapper, Sauce Kid a.k.a Sinzu, who relocated to the United States of America, seems to be in hot soup as he bagged a 2 year jail sentence for stealing $15,388 using stolen credit card numbers in Boise and Meridian.

The rapper who has been said to be Dammy Kranes role model according to the charge, reportedly stole bank card numbers and identifying information from their owners. He then encoded the account numbers into blank plastic cards. All of the losses took place at Boise ATMs owned by Idaho Central Credit Union and at Albertsons stores in Meridian, court documents alleged.

According to Idaho Stateman News, he used an automated system to change account PINs and was able to withdraw cash from bank ATMS and buy merchandise from stores between July 23 and 26 2016.

Police arrested Sauce Kid at the Boise Airport as he was about to board a flight. He was caught with a card encoding device and more than $6,000 in cash.

It was gathered that before now that rapper originally named Babalola Falemi was initially charged with conspiracy to commit bank fraud; eight counts each of bank fraud, aggravated identity theft, and possession of 15 or more fraudulent bank cards.

Sauce Kid enjoyed a fairly successful music career in Nigeria before he returned to America, his initial base where he reportedly has two kids.
Markets.Rates.SBP



State Bank of Pakistan conversion rates



RECORDER REPORT



KARACHI: Rates applicable for conversion into rupees of Foreign Currency Deposits, Dollar Bearer Certificates, Foreign Currency Bearer Certificates, Special US Dollar bonds and profits thereon by all banks and also for providing forward cover on foreign currency deposit (Excluding FE-25 Deposits) issued by the Foreign Exchange Rates Committee on Monday (May 3, 2021).



===========================



US Dollar 153.4215



Pound Sterling 213.9003



Euro 185.7934



Japanese Yen 1.4105



===========================



Copyright Business Recorder, 2021



Markets.Rates.Banks



Barclays bid rates and maximum rates for payment of interest



RECORDER REPORT



KARACHI: Barclays bid rates, maximum rates for payment of interest by authorised dealers on deposits (other than those brought under FE Circular No: 45 of 1985) and on deposits (brought under FE Circular No: 45 of 1985) - issued by the Foreign Exchange Rates Committee, c/o ANZ Grindlays Bank Ltd, on Monday (May 3, 2021).



========================================================



INTEREST PAYABLE ON FE DEPOSITS



========================================================



BBA BID MAXIMUM RATES



RATES FOR PAYMENT OF



INTEREST BY



AUTHORISED



DEALERS



========================================================



U.S. DOLLARS VALUE 03.05.2021 VALUE 03.05.2021



--------------------------------------------------------



For 3 months and over but less than



6 months -0.0744% PA 0.6756% PA



For 6 months and over but less than



12 Months -0.0436% PA 0.7064% PA



For 12 months 0.0314% PA 0.9064% PA



For 2 Years 0.0314% PA 1.4064% PA



For 3 Years 0.0314% PA 1.6564% PA



For 4 years 0.0314% PA 1.9064% PA



For 5 years 0.0314% PA 2.0314% PA



--------------------------------------------------------



POUND STERLING VALUE 03.05.2021 VALUE 03.05.2021



--------------------------------------------------------



For 3 months and over but less than



6 Months -0.1649% PA 0.5851% PA



For 6 months and over but less than



12 months -0.1376% PA 0.6124% PA



For 12 Months -0.0849% PA 0.7901% PA



For 2 Years -0.0849% PA 1.2901% PA



For 3 Years -0.0849% PA 1.5401% PA



For 4 years -0.0849% PA 1.7901% PA



For 5 years -0.0849% PA 1.9151% PA



--------------------------------------------------------



EURO VALUE 03.05.2021 VALUE 03.05.2021



--------------------------------------------------------



For 3 months and over but less than



6 months 0.2924% PA 1.0424% PA



For 6 months and over but less than



12 months 0.2756% PA 1.0256% PA



For 12 Months 0.2437% PA 1.1187% PA



For 2 Years 0.2437% PA 1.6187% PA



For 3 Years 0.2437% PA 1.8687% PA



For 4 years 0.2437% PA 2.1187% PA



For 5 years 0.2437% PA 2.2437% PA



--------------------------------------------------------



JAPANESE YEN VALUE 03.05.2021 VALUE 03.05.2021



--------------------------------------------------------



For 3 months and over but less than



6 months 0.1812% PA 0.5688% PA



For 6 months and over but less than



12 months 0.2032% PA 0.5468% PA



For 12 Months -0.2008% PA 0.6742% PA



For 2 Years -0.2008% PA 1.1742% PA



For 3 Years -0.2008% PA 1.4242% PA



For 4 Years -0.2008% PA 1.6742% PA



For 5 years -0.2008% PA 1.7992% PA



========================================================



Copyright Business Recorder, 2021



Markets.Forex



Exchange rates: buying and selling



RECORDER REPORT



KARACHI: Exchange rates issued by the Treasury Management Division of National Bank of Pakistan on Monday (May 3, 2021).



===========================================



CURRENCY SYMBOL TT TT



Selling Buying



===========================================



U.S DOLLAR USD 154.95 154.45



EURO EUR 186.31 185.71



JAPANESE YEN JPY 1.4142 1.4097



BRITISH POUND GBP 214.20 213.51



SWISS FRANC CHF 169.57 169.02



CANADIAN DOLLAR CAD 126.05 125.64



AUSTRALIAN DOLAR AUD 119.66 119.27



SWEDISH KRONA SEK 18.41 18.35



NORWEGIAN KRONE NOK 18.64 18.58



DANISH KRONE DKK 25.05 24.97



NEWZEALAND DOLLAR NZD 111.18 110.82



SINGAPORE DOLLAR SGD 116.38 116.01



HONGKONG DOLLAR HKD 20.03 19.96



KOREAN WON KRW 0.1385 0.1381



CHINESE YUAN CNY 24.05 23.98



MALAYSIAN RINGGIT MYR 37.80 37.68



THAI BAHT THB 4.97 04.95



U.E.A DIRHAM AED 42.20 42.06



SAUDI RIYAL SAR 41.32 41.19



QATAR RIYAL QAR 42.57 42.43



KUWAITI DINAR KWD 515.38 513.72



===========================================



Copyright Business Recorder, 2021



Markets.Forex



Currency notes: exchange rates



RECORDER REPORT



KARACHI: Exchange rates for Currency Notes issued by the Treasury Management Division of National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) here on Monday (May 3, 2021).



=================================



EXCHANGE RATES FOR CURRENCY NOTES



=================================



CURRENCY SELLING BUYING



=================================



USD 156.50 152.91



GBP 216.34 211.33



EUR 188.17 183.81



JPY 1.4284 1.3955



SAR 41.74 40.77



AED 42.62 41.62



=================================



Copyright Business Recorder, 2021



Markets.Rates.LIBOR



LIBOR calculating interest on US dollar



RECORDER REPORT



KARACHI: London Interbank Offer Rates on for calculating interest on special US dollar on Monday (May 3, 2021).



===================================================



LIBOR FOR CALCULATING INTEREST ON SPECIAL US DOLLAR



===================================================



BONDS LIBOR VALUE



===================================================



6 MONTHS US DOLLAR 0.2064 03.05.2021



===================================================



Copyright Business Recorder, 2021



Markets.Rates.SBP



Bill buying rates per unit of currency



RECORDER REPORT



KARACHI: Bill Buying Rates per unit of currency -- issued by the Treasury Management Division of the National Bank of Pakistan on Monday (May 3, 2021).



===========================================================================



BILL BUYING RATES PER UNIT OF CURRENCY



===========================================================================



15 DAYS 1M 2M 3M 4M 5M 6M



===========================================================================



USD 154.33 154.23 154.11 153.87 153.75 153.45 153.23



EUR 185.57 185.52 185.49 185.31 185.30 185.05 184.90



GBP 213.30 213.18 213.03 212.71 212.56 212.18 211.88



===========================================================================



Copyright Business Recorder, 2021



Markets.Forex



Banks rates for currency notes (buying and selling)



RECORDER REPORT



KARACHI: The selling/buying rates for currency notes of major currencies issued by National Bank (NBP) here on Monday (May 3, 2021).



=====================================



CURRENCY SELLING BUYING



=====================================



USD 156.50 152.91



GBP 216.34 211.33



EUR 188.17 183.81



JPY 1.4284 1.3955



SAR 41.74 40.77



AED 42.62 41.62



=====================================



Copyright Business Recorder, 2021



Markets.Forex



Open market rates of foreign currencies



RECORDER REPORT



KARACHI: Open market rates of foreign currencies supplied by the Forex Association of Pakistan on Monday (May 3, 2021).



=========================================================================



CURRENCY BUYING SELLING CURRENCY BUYING SELLING



=========================================================================



US $ (O/M) 153.50 153.80 DKK 24.57 24.67



SAUDIA RIYAL 40.70 41.10 NOK 18.17 18.27



UAE DIRHAM 41.70 42.10 SEK 17.90 18.00



EURO 184.00 186.00 AUD $ 117.00 119.00



UK POUND 211.50 213.50 CAD $ 123.00 125.00



JAPANI YEN 1.37862 1.39862 INDIAN RUPEE 2.00 2.25



CHF 166.16 167.16 CHINESE YUAN 23.00 24.80



=========================================================================



Copyright Business Recorder, 2021



Markets.Rates.LIBOR



LIBOR interbank offered rates



LONDON: London Interbank Offered Rates (LIBOR) on Monday (May 3, 2021).



=========================================================



52-Week



=========================================================



Latest Wk Ago High Low



=========================================================



Libor Overnight 0.07125 0.07338 0.08900 0.05725



Libor 1 Week 0.07775 0.08525 0.12163 0.07775



Libor 1 Month 0.10725 0.11100 0.30338 0.10300



Libor 2 Month 0.14413 0.14225 0.53975 0.13150



Libor 3 Month 0.17638 0.18138 0.54088 0.17288



Libor 6 Month 0.20488 0.20413 0.71300 0.18950



Libor 1 Year 0.28113 0.28088 0.83550 0.27588



=========================================================



Sources: FactSet, ICE Benchmark Administration



Copyright Business Recorder, 2021




An armed robbery syndicate terrorizing the residents of Ibadan, Oyo State have been finally nabbed and paraded by the police force prior to their prosecution.

Four robbery suspects namely Liadi Afeez a.k.a. Ige (22), Semiu Fasasi a.k.a Oluomo (21), Afeez Adeyemo a.k.a. Ijoba Oke (25) and Yakubu Kamorudeen (23) were arrested by the police during operation at Wisdom Estate, Akobo, Ibadan, Oyo State.

The state Commissioner of Police, Abiodun Odude, said that the gang, which had been responsible for armed robbery in various parts of the state, not only dispossessed victims of their valuables, its members also inflicted varying degrees of injuries on them through machete cuts.

One of the victims, a woman who was inflicted with machete cuts, narrated her households experience to Tribune: As soon as they entered our house, they started attacking my husband with their machetes.

As they were attacking my husband, one just used the machete to cut his face. One of them even said they should kill him so as to teach him a lesson for refusing to open the door on time.

As one of them raised the machete to cut him, I just used my hand to block the machete, and I sustained deep cut on my right hand. My husband ran through the kitchen door to escape from the house, and they faced me, telling me I had allowed him to escape.

They asked for our mobile phones and our wedding rings but I told them I dont use jewelry. They said if I didnt cooperate, that they would cut the second hand. My right hand was bleeding at that time, and they even removed the wristwatch I had on with the blood.

After they left us, they went to the next house. Inside our house, they fired a shot but my husband had escaped by that time. In the morning, we discovered that they raided about 16 houses in our neighbourhood.
Pastor Enoch Adejare Adeboye, General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) has said that he still iron, press his wifes clothes.

While speaking through his official Twitter handle to millions of his followers on Saturday, the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, Pastor Enoch Adeboye, disclosed that he still irons his wifes clothes.

The renowned pastor, in a series of tweets on humility, said, I still iron/press my wifes clothes when Im allowed to. If you are a true leader, you must always be ready to serve, even when no one can see you.

While speaking further, Adeboye said that any RCCG Pastor who is not humble, was not ordained by him.

He said; If you find a RCCG pastor that is not humble, then it means I wasnt the one who ordained him or her.
The UNESCO 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development agreement oversees such issues as the guarantee of equal and comprehensive education, environmental issues, gender equality  including equal social opportunities for men and women  human rights, ending minority segregation, and encouraging peace and non-violence.

Khamenei emphasized, It has been years since we have proposed the Iranian Islamic advances example. This proposal must be perfected by our college professors and prevent Westerners from suggesting examples for our country.

Accusations by Rouhani during his presidential campaign included allegations that his rivals provided false reports to Khamenei regarding the 2030 Agenda.

In response, Khamenei said he had received correct reports.

After Rouhani posted on his Instagram page that last September the 2030 Agenda was provided to Khameneis office, the parliament, judiciary, the General Inspectors Office, and other state entities, the controversy escalated.

The document was posted without any description, but with under signature of Isaac Jahangiri on September 15, 2016. Therefore, the the fact that the first vice-president signed the document at that time is indisputable.

Government affiliated ISNA news agency wrote, This document indicates that in addition to executive branch, judiciary and parliament were aware about the details of this document, but no one had any objection to its implementation.

The publication of this document has again fueled division between the regimes factions. Khameneis state media has attacked Rouhani and the 2030 document.

In a confusing statement, Cleric Ahmad Salek acknowledges, this document has been signed and communicated in September of last year, but then adds that implementation of some of its articles are attacks on the clerics government, and are, the movements of the enemy. He added, One of the enemies ways in arranging contracts is to influence our fundamental believes. So, we could have gotten engaged in some trades, economics, energy, ballistic missiles, international businesses and etc. contracts, however, the 2030 document contract is such, that with its implementation is going to be no more values left in the country. This the same as infiltration of enemy.

Cleric Ali Salimi, member of the House Education Committee, said that various aspects of the 2030 document should be scrupulously examined. The raised question is that, whether the IRGC affiliated militia military training in the schools is evidence of violence and the culture of violence is a true testimony? These are questions that need to be answered.

Government affiliated Keyhan newspaper, which didnt mention that the date of this document was last year, blamed Rouhani and wrote, The executive branch has lined up all its resources in a psychological war against society that the implementation of document 2030 is not mandatory.

In the meantime, Fazel Lankarani, a cleric who is affiliated with Ali Khamenei, called for a ban of the 2030 UNESCO document, signed in by the government of President Hassan Rouhani. He stated, The pen that has written this document is blasphemous.

In the latest news, at a meeting with Hassan Rouhani on the evening of Tuesday June 13, 2017, Irans Supreme Cultural Revolution Council members revoked the 2030 UNESCO document.

The majority of the members of Irans Supreme Cultural Revolution Council ratified that all the aspects of the fundamental evolutionary plans of education and training should be taken into consideration, and countrys educational issues should be designed according to Iranian superior documents. Therefore, the 2030 document would not be taken into consideration.

In a letter to Rouhani just hours before this announcement, 151 members of parliament stated, Because this 2030 UNESCO document was not approved in the Parliament it is not valid.

Khamenei has previously stated that he considers the implementation of this document illegal, and said, The Islamic Republic will not give in to documents such as UNESCOs 2030 Agenda.
Campaigners shouting "we want justice" have faced off with police in a protest over the death of a man after a traffic stop.

The Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) has launched an investigation into the treatment of Edir Frederico Da Costa, 25, who died on June 21, six days after he was stopped in a car by Metropolitan Police officers in Woodcocks, Beckton, in Newham, east London.

Protesters, some carrying Black Lives Matter posters and others with homemade placards which read "Justice for Edson + How Many More???", stood in front of a line of uniformed officers at Stratford bus station, east London.

They allege the 25-year-old, known by friends as Edson, was "brutally beaten".

Borough Commander Superintendent Ian Larnder stood in the middle of a group of protesters trying to answer their questions and calm tensions.

Campaigners claim that Mr Da Costa's neck was broken and he suffered head and other injuries after he was stopped in a car, containing three people, by Met officers.

The IPCC said a preliminary post-mortem, carried out on Thursday, indicated there were no spinal injuries caused by police.

Transport for London said that from just before 6pm there had been "a number of bus diversions at police request" due to the demonstration at Stratford.

One protester rode his motorbike up to the police line and deliberately revved his engine in front of the officers.

Another motorcyclist turned his bike towards the officers and span his wheels so that smoke blew towards them.

A Met spokeswoman said they are "aware of the protest", adding: "An appropriate policing plan is in place."

A flurry of angry comments such as "you are protecting them" and "you have told us what you can't do, now tell us what you can do" were hurled at Mr Larnder as members of the crowd pressed him about alleged police brutality.

More questions and disbelieving comments drowned him out as he told the largely black crowd: "I am here because l care deeply about what is going on."

He also said: "Police officers are all accountable to the law, they are being investigated ...

"I genuinely feel for you. I will ring the IPCC and ask them what are you doing."

When one of the campaigners asked if the officers involved in the incident were still working, he said: "I am pretty sure they have not been suspended but removed from operational duties."

The crowd later began marching to Forest Gate police station shouting "we want justice" and "justice for Edson" to the beat of a drum.

The crowd arrived at the station at around 8.15pm and a cordon of uniformed officers stood outside the building.

At least a dozen officers wearing helmets stood shoulder-to-shoulder and two-person deep at the station entrance as tempers flared, with swearing and chanting from the campaigners.

They held a calm minute's silence at 8.40pm with each person holding a clenched fist in the air. It was broken with applause, revving of motorbikes and then booming music.

Dozens of police wearing helmets and carrying shields pressed forward in a line from the police station at around 9.35pm.

Members of the crowd had been screaming "no justice, no peace, no racist police".
ELLEN McCourt can still vividly remember the first time she set eyes on her future husband Frank in a pub on a chilly December night in New York.

The Lions Head in Greenwich Village was a much-loved watering hole for the citys writers, journalists and artists, visited by literary giants like Norman Mailer and musical ones like The Clancy Brothers.

That night, one young man who dreamed of being a writer dropped by.

I was in the bar with friends and it was a cold December night. He arrived down the steps in this big black and white coat which I still have, surveyed the bar, and said: Are any of my ex-wives here? laughs Ellen at the memory.

Along with mutual friends, they ended up spending most of the night in the city, visiting a falafel place and taking in New York under twinkling lights.

Im not sure I believe in love at first sight but I was wildly enthusiastic and very intrigued, said Ellen. Regardless of their 24-year age gap they formed a bond.

I loved that he was an original thinker, that he didnt take many things too seriously.

For Frank, the most important thing was kindness. He was a pretty good cook, very funny, easy to live with. We had a lot of laughs.

When seven years after they met, in 1996, Angelas Ashes was first published, it became a literary sensation. Now McCourts stories chronicling his tough childhood growing up in Limerick are about to come to the stage as a musical.

Angelas Ashes: The Musical will have its world premiere in Limerick next month followed by a run in Dublins Bord Gais Energy Theatre, and aims to bring to life the humour and candour, as well as the pathos, of McCourts writings.

Ellen believes her late husband would be extremely proud to see his novel brought to life in such a vivid form.

I grew up in California and he grew up in Limerick, we were a world apart, she said. It was hard to imagine the stories he told, they were almost Dickensian and so different to what I knew.

The manner in which the stories in the book were told really captured the worlds imagination. Everyone knew people of that generation, of growing up with no electricity and no running water, stories that paralleled, even if they grew up in other countries. It takes a real poet to tell it the way it was.

What would Frank have made of the show? I know he would be enormously chuffed, astonished, over the moon in my opinion. He never imagined the book would have both the commercial and critical success that it did.

Ellen says her husband would have been chuffed and astonished at the musical adaptation.

Ellen will come to Ireland to see the show when it debuts. Im very excited, its a great idea. There is practically no subject matter that is not suitable for a musical.

Ellen has been on board with the idea ever since legendary Irish theatre producer Pat Moylan  whos been bringing award-winning shows like Stones in His Pockets and The Shawshank Redemption to Ireland, the West End and Broadway for two decades  mooted the idea as a play.

It emerged that a musical production was already under way in England, and that it was a very good one.

About three and a half years ago I was having lunch with a friend of mine and we were talking about Frank McCourt and Angelas Ashes and it suddenly dawned on me  wouldnt that make a great play? Moylan tells me.

I called Ellen McCourt and asked if it would be possible to talk about rights. She said: You wont believe this but Im going to Derbyshire to see a student production of a musical.

When she came back she said: I think you should have a look at the student production of this musical. I hear Franks voice, and his wit, and his humour throughout the script and in the music.

I said to myself: There is no way Im producing a musical, it is too difficult. I know how hard it is. Still, out of curiosity she watched the DVD of the show, which was penned by Adam Howell and Paul Hurt.

I remember being in my kitchen on a Saturday afternoon, looking at the DVD, and suddenly I thought: This music is sensational. The script is making me laugh, and I never laughed at the movie. It worked. It wasnt shaped into a big theatrical production.

I met these two wonderful guys and Ive been working with them for the last two years.

Paul, who wrote the story for the stage, and Adam, who wrote the lyrics and music, have become a successful team and are also working on Blonde, a musical about Marilyn Monroe.

I came across the book because my mum picked it up on the way home from a holiday, and I got hold of it. I thought there was great humour in there of the Irish experience, particularly around that time, said Adam. Around this time Id got into musicals. The scenes in the book kind of sang to me, so I started working on this series of songs.

Paul and I ended up working together in Derby and Paul being a writer thought it an interesting idea. He didnt laugh at me! Everybody else did. The storys got such great themes of family and his survival through that hardship. Theres romance in it. How complex his father is because hes an alcoholic but a great storyteller and father to the boys as well. Its really about family, facing adversity. The language is so lyrical.

Because Frank in our story talks to the audience hes really able to break that fourth wall and invite the audience in.

Musically it has an Irish sound, but I think it also has a contemporary musical theatre sound to it, and I think its that combination, the mix of the two things, that make it work but also pays homage to Irish music as well.

Paul Hurt, who wrote the story for the stage, with producer Pat Moylan and Adam Howell, who wrote the music and lyrics.

Difficult as it is to bring an original musical to fruition, Pat Moylan was quickly sold.

Ive always done things because I love them, not for any other reason. And my passion for this is through the roof. This is something I really wanted, particularly when I heard the music. In a low-key rehearsal studios in Dublins north inner city, Moylan, her team and her cast are busy bringing the show to fruition.

Its a busy, lively show, full of energy and movement, and crammed with spectacular songs such as Sing River Shannon.

At the heart of it all is musical legend Jacinta Whyte, who grew up on our stages and TV screens before moving to London as a teenager and landing a part in Les Miserables.

Marty Maguire (as Malachy Sr) and Jacinta Whyte (as Angela) in rehearsals for Angelas Ashes: The Musical. Picture: David OShea

Shes had a successful career as a concert and musical singer every since, her work has taken her all over the world, but she is thrilled to be back in her native city

to work on such a prolific project.

What is it like to play such an iconic woman as McCourts mother, Angela? Oh God! Exciting, daunting, terrifying, rewarding. I read the book when it came out and I think I read it twice, I loved it so much. The film I wasnt so keen on, because the pure misery.

The best thing about the musical is that its as funny as it is sad. Its very evenly balanced. To play a role like Angela, first of all this woman existed, she was real. And secondly what she went through.

Its going back to my nanas era, the things that they all went through. Its Limerick based, but it could have been any Irish mother.

Also to originate a role is to make something from the page as an actress, although I always classify myself as a singer who can act a bit. Its such a wonderful thing to be able to create a role and bring her to life from our imaginations.

There was just a small musical theatre scene in Dublin when Jacinta left school, prompting her to make a big move to London.

She still lives in the UK with her husband, Stephen Hill, who is a conductor, and their son Callum.

Her work has brought her all over the world, but shes overjoyed at the opportunity to kick off a new musical in her home country.

Ive been living in the UK since 1988. I went because there was no work here for me. Id done as much as I could do here. I packed the bags, took 500 out of the bank, and off I went and started auditioning. I was very lucky, I went into Les Mis within a month the first time round.

Coming home is always fabulous. And there are some great actors and singers in this company. I think its going to be really exciting. And that it starts here is quite special.

Im hoping that this story follows through and who knows where well end up? I hope it has a life outside of Ireland as well, to tell the tale of what it was like in those days.

A big draw for the actress was the opportunity to work with acclaimed director Thom Southerland, whose passion for the project in infectious. His credits include a highly successful touring run for Titanic and well as numerous West End shows.

Were setting the scene for what is Frank McCourts story. Its been very, very exciting, he says when we speak during a break in rehearsals. The cast have been spending the first week learning this new material and learning all the songs, and now its about putting it on its feet and finding a language of how this story lives on stage.

The story has so many elements to it. There are so many tiny vignettes, so many moments. when youre looking at creating that as a musical youre thinking how do we do that?

We have to see this as Franks memory coming to life around him as he revisits the past.

Its like a memory that revolves around him and hes swept up on it. Were spanning twenty years, theres a we have to cram into an already emotionally intense show. There are great pleasures on bringing an original show to the stage for the first time, he says - but it brings many challenges, too.

The challenge of this for me is to honour not just Franks story but what is the story of many, many people, many families. And not just in Limerick. The story transcends time and place and geography and speaks about anybody whos ever felt oppressed, or felt that theyre stuck in a situation.

Hopes and dreams and aspiration and ambition  to try and make a musical speak about something which is so universal, hopefully, is the big difficulty.

Eoin Cannon, who plays Frank, going through a practice run for Angelas Ashes. The character of Frank breaks the fourth wall to address the audience. Picture: David OShea

Like most involved in the project, hes used to peoples initial surprise at picking such a story for a musical. While people remember the movie adaption for the rain - and indeed, theres a sequence involving umbrellas in the musical adaptation - Southerland strongly believes that any story with strong universal themes can really come alive through the power of song.

Ive, as a director, always tried to stretch the realm of musical theatre. In song, you can portray emotion far greater, and in fact in a far more condensed and quicker way than you can just by text alone.

It has to be a musical, it has to sing.

We have to sing about these times, we have to dance, we have to move. To replicate, and bring back the atmosphere of what this place was like.

These people were absolute heroes, survivors, to fight to struggle every day to put bread and food on the table.

So many of the cast have said: I can see my mother, my father or my grandmother in this. I know who that person was.

Angelas Ashes: The Musical, will world premiere in Limericks Lime Tree Theatre on July 6 for 11 performances before debuting at Dublins Bord Gais Energy Theatre on July 18.
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.
Description

The last of Emma Clark Library's Spring Concert series, hosted by the Three Village Chamber Players, will be on Sunday, June 25. These performances are in the beautiful setting of the original 1892 library. The public is invited to stroll in, relax and listen to the music while taking in the gorgeous historic scenery (and perhaps even read their favorite novel).

There is no need to register, and anyone  resident or nonresident  is welcome to enjoy the program.

The June 25th performance will feature clarinet duo Stanislav Chernyshev and Ann Hung.

Musician Bios

A native of St. Petersburg, clarinetist Stanislav Chernyshev has been praised by audiences and critics for his extraordinary musicianship, charisma and flawless technique. Described by the press as a silken-sounding clarinetist with impressive technique and amazing musicianship to go with it, Stanislav is quickly establishing himself as a soloist and a chamber musician. Mr. Chernyshev is a winner of many international competitions, has worked with such conductors as Vasily Petrenko, Rossen Milanov, Vasily Petrenko, Michael Stern, Robert Spano, Juanjo Mena, Yannik Nezet-Segun and others in venues in the U.S, Russia and Europe. As a chamber musician, Mr. Chernyshev works with the world-renowned musicians such as Roberto Diaz (viola), Pamela Frank (violin), Ida Kavafian (violin), Peter Wiley (cello), contemporary music ensemble eighth blackbird and many others. Stanislav works with such ensembles as Jupiter Chamber Players, Orpheus Orchestra, Novus NYC. Stanislav holds a Bachelors degree from the Curtis Institute of Music and a Masters degree from St.Petersburg Conservatory.

Ann Hung, born in Taipei, Taiwan, began her musical studies at a young age, starting with piano at age five and clarinet at age nine. Ms. Hung is an active performer in the New York area who regularly performs in the realms of both the orchestral and chamber music. She has shared the stage with the members of the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, the faculty of The Juilliard School, and the members of the Cleveland Orchestra. For this past summer, she participated in Norfolk Chamber Music Festival in Connecticut. Ms. Hung is always pushing the boundaries of her repertoire and skills, such as collaborating with jazz musicians and commissioning new composers. As a proponent of new music, she has avidly commissioned new works including a wind quintet with her quintet Opus Now premiering in Symphony Space. Ms. Hung has recently graduated from Stony Brook University in New York with a degree of Doctorate of Musical Arts.



For questions, please email askus@emmaclark.org or call 631.941.4080.


Part 1 of 2

Somethings not right with our job. Were burned out. Many of us have been there at some point.

So whats a person to do? Todays column and my next one will deal with that topic. Ill explore some signs of burnout, what might be causing it and some tips for relieving it. And if burnout ultimately means changing jobs, Ill have some tips and caveats for that as well.

Based on my reading and experience, signs of job burnout might may include frequent tiredness; a feeling of malaise; often worrying about your work during off hours, perhaps losing sleep over it; heart issues; substance abuse; poorer job performance; and worsening relationships with family and co-workers.

Weve all had that bad day at work, but burnout goes beyond that. If youre experiencing signs of burnout, here are some of the probable causes.

Stress is a biggie, whether its due to an impossible workload, a bad boss, poor intercompany communication or the organizations financial instability. Too much work may mean your work-life balance is bad. Other causes of burnout might include a lack of challenge or the ability to move up in a company, a lack of control (Do I have a say in how to do my job?), or a feeling that what you do goes unappreciated.

Any of this stuff sound familiar?

Relieving burnout isnt as simple as just deal with it. Ignoring the signs and causes wont make those issues go away. Lets first explore some options that dont require leaving your job.

From a health standpoint, set aside time for exercise and hobbies. Rediscover some things you always wanted to do someday and try them today.

Cut back on fast foods, smoking, drinking and caffeine to let your body detox.

Try to get more sleep.

Volunteer. Its an outlet for your passion as well as a great way to meet new people.

See whether your company offers an employee-assistance program. And, if you feel you can talk openly without repercussion, ask to discuss your challenges with your boss and/or human resources.

Youve done what you can to relieve your job burnout. Yet it remains. Time for a job change.

Short of winning the lottery, inheriting big bucks or marrying into wealth, you have several options.

You could remain with your current company and seek a different position. You could change employers but stay doing what youve done at your present company. You could change both your employer and your job function. You could go into business for yourself.

Each of those options comes with pros and cons. Theyll be my topic next time.

If youre an area professional thinking about a change or perhaps already in a job search, our professional centers services are free. Contact me at the address below for more information. Good luck!
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Freedom of the press, in my view, has two parts. First there is the freedom to publish, to criticize and to petition. Then there is the critical issue of the freedom to gather the news  not just to report it but also to gather it.

Without the freedom to gather the news, the freedom to print it, broadcast it or comment on it becomes pyrrhic. The official line predominates.

Right now, the freedom to report the news at the White House is under attack and the publics right know is being impinged. What you get: all the news that can be leaked.

Covering the news at the White House has gotten progressively harder since the days of Lyndon Johnson and Richard Nixon, the first administrations I covered.

The Trump administration has attacked the press, ridiculed it and is starving it of critical access. Now there is talk of doing away with the daily press briefing, honored and needed. It is where the government is asked what it is doing and ideally tells the people. It is Americas answer to the much admired Question Time in Britains House of Commons.

It has never been easy to cover the White House, and history is littered with the ways in which presidents sought to affect the way in which they were covered. Jack Kennedy, a darling to some reporters, so hated the coverage he was getting from The New York Herald Tribune that for a while he forbade it in the White House.

Lyndon Johnson worked over the press corps the way he worked over members of Congress: punishment and reward.

Richard Nixon believed that the press was out to get him and his famous enemies list was real. Yet he ran a surprisingly open White House, as had Johnson.

Compared to what was to follow, it was wide open. Once a reporter got through the gate you were a free agent to roam much of the grounds and to visit the West Wing, if you had someone to see. More important, you got one-on-one interviews with principles without some minder from the press office sitting in and acting as a double agent, reporting back on both the journalist and the interviewee.

After your interview, you were sometimes invited into the office of another staffer. As often as not, they wanted to know what you knew as much as you wanted to know what they knew, even during Watergate.

The best information is the information you get face-to-face, one-on-one. That has become very difficult as time has rolled on. Personally, I found the George H.W. Bush open enough. I remember going over to see his chief of staff, John Sununu, without problem. I phoned him, got a time and went over. No press office involvement. Once, he asked me if I would like to write a speech for the president. I averred.

Excessive leaking is a symptom, a cry from within the belly of the beast that all is not well. At this point the leakers are patriots, not criminals.

In recent administrations, the only way for White House reporters to get into conversations with White House staffers has been to travel with the president overseas: a very expensive stab in the dark. A European trip can cost more than $20,000, and few news outlets can afford the gamble. Even if you are in the pool and sitting on Air Force One, nothing is guaranteed.

If, as has been suggested, the daily briefings stop, more leaks are inevitable. If you cannot seek the information directly, you have to try to get it otherwise. If the front door is closed, a ladder up to the window is the next step. At the same time, relationships become more devious. Like an illicit love affair, no public acknowledgment in public places.

If the right to gather the news is abridged, the whole concept of a free press is diminished. The diminishment is underway.

Government in the dark is the government of authoritarians; not the kind of government one expects from a nation that prohibits the abridging of the press in its Constitution. Shame.
The lower house of the German Parliament [official website] on Thursday passed a bill [PDF, in German] to compensate thousands of individuals who had been persecuted and imprisoned for their sexuality. The law under which the individuals had been convicted is paragraph 175 [text] of Germanys criminal code, and was put in place in 1871. The scope of the law was broadened under the Nazi regime, and was used to convict men as recently as 1967. Individuals who were wrongfully convicted are expected to receive [DW report] 3,000 for each conviction and 1,500 for each year in jail as compensation. The bill will still need to be voted on by the parliaments upper house, although it has already announced that the bill will be approved. Stating that The norm created unimaginable suffering, which led to self-denial, sham marriages, harassment and blackmail Germany Justice Minister Heiko Maas [official profile, in German] called the Bundestag decision a belated act of justice.

LGBTQ+ rights and anti-homosexuality laws have been a matter of international controversy for decades, and have been receiving increasing attention and scrutiny in the past few years. In April, Nigeria prosecutors in Kaduna charged 53 men [JURIST report] for celebrating an LGBTQ wedding in violation of the states law against unlawful assembly and the Same Sex Marriage Prohibition Act [text, PDF]. A day earlier Human Rights Watch (HRW) [advocacy website] and other advocacy groups had urged [JURIST report] UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres [official website] to investigate alleged abuse against LGBT people in Chechnya. According to the open letter, about 100 gay and bisexual men were detained, tortured, murdered or went missing under the authority of Chechen officials. The previous week the US Department of Justice [official website] dropped [JURIST report] a federal lawsuit against the state of North Carolina over a bill requiring transgender people to use the public bathroom associated with their birth gender. Earlier the same month the Nebraska Supreme Court upheld [JURIST report] a lower court decision overruling the state of Nebraskas long-time ban on same sex partner foster parenting. In February the UK Ministry of Justice announced [JURIST report] the enactment of the Policing and Crime Act [text, PDF], a law very similar to the Germany bill, posthumously pardoning thousands of gay and bisexual men who were convicted of sexual offenses
The US District Court for the Western District of Washington [official website] on Wednesday denied in part and granted in part a motion to dismiss [order, PDF] a class-action suit filed against President Donald Trump [official profile] and the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) [official website]. The suit was filed against the Controlled Application Review and Resolution Program (CARRP) [USCIS summary] and claims that the USCIS secretly and unlawfully targets immigration applicants who are Muslim or from certain Muslim-majority countries. Judge Richard Jones certified anyone who had applied for naturalization and been subject to CARRP or a successor extreme vetting program as a class. The order also certified an adjustment class for applicants seeking an adjustment to their citizenship status. However, the order dismissed with prejudice a due process claim for the adjustment class.

Cases concerning issues of immigration from predominantly Muslim countries continue to be processed in the Federal Judiciary. On Thursday the US District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan [official website] temporarily blocked [JURIST report] the deportation of over 100 Iraq nationals, arrested by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) [official website] agents, for approximately two weeks, during which time the court will decide whether it has jurisdiction in the matter. Last week the US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit [official website] ruled against [JURIST report; case materials] the majority of Trumps revised executive order limiting travel from six Muslim-majority countries. That ruling affirmed [JURIST report] the majority of a district court injunction in March that blocked the order from being enforced. In May, a federal district court in Washington granted a temporary restraining order [JURIST report] to allow legal aid groups to continue to provide certain kinds of assistance to undocumented immigrants. Five days prior a Michigan federal district court ordered [JURIST report] the Trump administration to disclose the draft of the so-called Muslim ban executive order. In March California Attorney General Xavier Becerra [official website] announced that his state would be joining Washington and Minnesota in their lawsuit against Trumps revised executive order [JURIST report] banning citizens from six Muslim-majority countries from entering the US.
[JURIST] Cambodias former head of state on Friday rejected charges of crimes against humanity in his UN-assisted tribunal. The 85-year-old Khieu Samphan, who was head of the Khmer Rouge regime in Cambodia, said [AP report] the allegations were concocted by neighboring country Vietnam. Samphan denied knowing about the forced marriages, executions, and starvations that occurred during the regime and asserted that he only found about the suffering after the rule ended. Commenting on the trial, Samphan stated I want to bow to the memory of all the innocent victims but also to all those who perished by believing in a better ideal of the brighter future and who died during the five-year war Their memory will never be honored by any international tribunal. Samphans co-defendant, Nuon Chea, did not appear in court but his lawyers stated that the tribunal was a show trial and victors justice. The two men [BBC backgrounder] are already serving life sentences for crimes against humanity.

Cambodia continues to struggle with the legacy of the Khmer Rouge [BBC backgrounder], an extremist group that attempted to set up an agrarian socialist society in the nation in the mid- to late-1970s. In December Cambodias Khmer Rouge Tribunal charged [JURIST report] Meas Muth, the Khmer Rouges ex-navy commander, with genocide, crimes against humanity and other crimes. In March of last year, the tribunal charged [JURIST report] former Khmer Rouge member Cadre Ao An with crimes against humanity for his role in the maintenance of an execution site and two security centers during the Democratic Kampuchea. Earlier that March Human Rights Watch called on [JURIST report] the Cambodian government to act on criminal charges brought against former Khmer Rouge leaders. The Khmer Rouge have been blamed for roughly 1.7 million deaths between 1975 and 1979 while leader Pol Pot was in power.
On November 11, 1918 at 11:00 AM, the Allied Powers signed an armistice with Germany, ending World War I. Armistice Day is marked every year in Europe on the "eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month" by two minutes of silence.


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A Southborough couple has spoken of the heartbreak they suffered after their baby daughter was stillborn  and of the touching way they have remembered her.

Iris and Brent Constant, who have been married for two years, have been carefully placing tiny windmills around Tunbridge Wells in memory of "the most beautiful girl in the world".

Everly, who would have grown up alongside her brothers Ashton, three, and Jackson, six, died in Iris' 38th week of pregnancy  just two weeks away from full term.

"I already had two boys, so when I found out it was going to be a girl, it was just the best thing," said Iris, who is 31.

"I was over the moon. Everything was pink and my family were so excited."

Iris said when she went to sleep the night before she found out she had lost her baby, everything was fine.

"The next morning, I woke up and went to get out of bed, and my bump felt different.

'I was looking in on someone else's life'

"I was on top of the world  no stress or anything  I was a very different person. Even though I still had two weeks to go, I thought maybe she was ready.

"I wanted to show her moving to someone, and she wasn't. I had been told they slow down a bit near the end, but I started to worry in my own head.

"I felt like everything had gone really slow. I think after that, I kind of knew, but didn't really know how to deal with it.

"It was like I was looking in on someone else's life."

Later that day after Brent rushed home from work to take Iris to hospital, doctors confirmed their baby no longer had a heartbeat.

There was nothing they could do to save her and the cause of the stillbirth is still unknown. Iris went ahead with a natural birth two days later.

Everly Constant was born on May 27, 2017.

"After the birth I didn't know what to expect  I was too scared to look at her," said Iris, "But I did, and fell in love immediately.

"She was so beautiful, and everything I thought she would be."

Iris bravely described her feelings in the days following the birth of Everly.

"You don't look into these things until they happen, so you feel like it's just you in the whole world that it's happening to," she said.

"We planned our whole life around her, and got everything ready. We already had two healthy boys, so we didn't expect anything to go wrong.

'I felt incredibly alone'

"When I was made aware of how common it is, I was in shock. The day I was told, I felt incredibly alone. I thought, why is this happening to me?

"The midwife said it was one in every 16 babies  I had to check she didn't say 60.

"I only knew of one other person who had been through it before, which goes to show it's a taboo."

And now, Iris and Brent want to beat the stigma and tell the world about someone they will remember "until our Everly after".

'My princess'

Brent, 33, said: "The whole situation is hard. I am just so, so proud of Everly.

"I'm proud of them both  it's bad enough for me, so I can't even imagine how bad it is for Iris.

"I wanted to be there for Everly, so I made sure I was, but it was hard because I didn't have long with her.

"She's my princess."

So Brent who came up with the idea of the windmills to remember his daughter, and the couple posted it on Facebook so their friends and family could do the same.

And they said they had not expected so many people to join in, with the small gestures appearing all over Tunbridge Wells  and even as far away as Disneyland Paris, Tenerife and Australia.

Iris said seeing these windmills around the town was "very comforting".

"People don't know what to say to you, or know what you are going through," she explained.

"You get avoided sometimes, and people are shocked by it  but other people have come up and hugged me.

"I would like people to just acknowledge it and tell me they're sorry, and then we can talk about other things."

And in the days and weeks that followed, Iris found reading online blogs by people who had gone through the same thing very helpful.

She added talking about what happened had also proved beneficial.

Support

"The support we have had from the funeral ladies to the bereavement midwives, and friends and family is what have got me through it so far, even though this is just the beginning," she said.

She also found Sands, a stillbirth and neonatal death charity, extremely approachable as they would answer a phone call at any time of day.

According to the charity, 15 babies die before, during or shortly after birth every day. The NHS says there are more than 3,600 stillbirths every year in the UK.

Sands can be contacted on helpline@sands.org.uk or 0808 164 3332.
Chung Myung-whun / Korea Times file



By Kim Jae-heun



Former Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra (SPO) music director Chung Myung-whun will return to Korea and head the Youth Orchestra of Lotte Foundation for Arts (LFA) as musical director.

The LFA announced Sunday that Chung will become the first music director to conduct the team of talented young musicians in their teen years and 20s.

"We planned to establish a youth orchestra that produces promising musicians from the beginning of our foundation," the LFA official said in an interview with local press. "And we've decided Chung is the right man."

The LFA added that they are aware of the controversies surrounding Chung, who was in a legal battle with Park Hyun-jung, former CEO of the SPO, last year.

However, the foundation said it could not find an alternative to Chung as his musical talent is world class and only he could build the solid base as well as establish the reputation of the team.

The LFA was established in October 2015 and owns a concert hall exclusively for classical music in Songpa-gu, eastern Seoul.

The foundation is currently holding an audition for young musicians and after holding the inauguration ceremony this year, it plans to open the very first concert next year.

Lotte Group's chairman Shin Dong-bin is the chief director of the foundation as he contributed 10 billion won from his private fortune. The foundation began with 20 billion won.

Chung and the LFA are known to have signed a one-year contract, but they are reportedly taking the project as a long-term business with each other.

Chung told reporters he will contribute to nurturing young prospects in the Korean orchestra scene and developing the local classical music industry.

Chung was called to the prosecution for questioning over rumors alleging his unlawful use of orchestra asset for personal expenses. He was also suspected of tax evasion through donating money to his own foundation.

He became the maestro of the SPO in January 2006 and achieved recognition for transforming the Korean orchestra to a world-class level and gaining global recognition. He also expanded the orchestra's repertoire to draw more and diverse audiences to his concerts. Chung resigned from the post when he was embroiled in controversy at the end of 2015.

The ex-CEO of SPO Park quit after 10 employees at the orchestra filed a complaint with police against Park for allegedly committing sexual and verbal harassment.

However, the police concluded that Chung's wife, only identified by her surname Koo, is suspected of ordering the former maestro's secretary to spread the rumor.

Park filed a petition with the prosecution, seeking investigation into Chung over libel charges.

Chung also filed a counterclaim against Park on charges of defamation and false accusation.

The Seoul District Prosecutors' Office on Friday dismissed charges against Chung, including embezzlement and violation of his duties, after a 10-month investigation.
By Kim Jae-kyoung

SINGAPORE  President Moon Jae-in has pledged to pursue multiple-track diplomacy since he took office.

He believes now is the time for South Korea to diversify its diplomacy because it has been too occupied with its relations with the four great powers  the United States, China, Japan and Russia.

This approach has limited its diplomatic strategies at times of uncertainty deepened by North Korea's continuing provocations and growing global protectionism.

For multilateral diplomacy, Moon is focusing on developing more robust relations with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to reduce its isolation from the rest of Asia  other than China and Japan.

Moon sent Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon to ASEAN as a special envoy on his inauguration and has called for a task force aimed at expanding Korea's diplomacy with ASEAN.

His move is a step in the right direction in that ASEAN will be one of the most important markets to Korea both in economic and political aspects.

However, in order to bring meaningful changes to Korea-ASEAN relations under his presidency, Moon should differentiate himself from his predecessors by taking a leading role in ASEAN diplomacy.

The best and most effective way to do so is to visit ASEAN member states for bilateral summits as soon as possible.

In hindsight, just stressing the importance of the ASEAN region and unveiling related policies has failed to impress ASEAN leaders who feel Korea is not as interested in the region as Japan and China are.

Moon's early state visits to ASEAN member states will surely send a strong message that South Korea is pursuing more comprehensive, stronger ties with the region by working toward enhancing cooperation even in political and security areas.

South Korea has seen robust growth in its economic and cultural presence in ASEAN nations on the rise of hallyu, or the Korean wave, but the country still lacks political links here.

Former President Park Geun-hye's foreign policy should be held accountable. Compared to her counterparts from Japan and China, she did not show a strong commitment to enhancing relations with ASEAN, only placing greater emphasis on the four great powers.

This is in stark contrast to the fact that Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe visited all ASEAN countries in his first year in office alone.

In this regard, the most powerful way to change ASEAN's perceptions toward Korea would be for Moon to visit some key ASEAN nations on his way back to Seoul following his summit with Donald Trump in Washington in late June.

Together with more frequent visits to ASEAN states, Moon needs to make the best use of ASEAN media at the beginning of his presidency to improve Korea's image and thus political presence in the region.

Park and her administration refused a series of interview requests from key ASEAN media, while leaders from China and Japan have often been appearing on media here to voice their opinions.

Moon should acknowledge this kind of effort will be very conducive to solidifying relationships and strengthening a political presence in the region.

There are enough reasons for Moon to spearhead ASEAN diplomacy.

With a combined GDP of over $2.6 trillion, the ASEAN economy is the world's seventh largest. Its population is the third largest with 625 million people. Its middle-class consumer households' purchasing power is steadily rising.

On top of its economic benefits, ASEAN also can play an important role in resolving the North Korean issue because many ASEAN countries have diplomatic relations with the reclusive country and both South and North Korea are members of the ASEAN Regional Forum.

What is more important is that ASEAN and Korea do not have any hidden agenda against each other, and there are no major sources of disputes or tensions.

Moon must remember that once Japan and China become more entrenched in the region, it would be more challenging for Korea to make forays into the promising market. It is time to act swiftly and strategically to win the hearts and minds of the ASEAN people.
By Nam Hyun-woo





KB Financial Group Chairman Yoon Jong-kyoo Shinhan Financial Group Chairman Cho Yong-byoung

Domestic financial firms are disappointed not to be included in a delegation of CEOs and business leaders who will accompany President Moon Jae-in on his first official visit to the U.S. this week.



According to the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI), more than 50 CEOs and leaders of large companies will accompany Moon, who will fly to Washington on Wednesday for a two-day summit with his counterpart Donald Trump.



The delegation, selected by the KCCI, will include Hyundai Motor Vice Chairman Chung Eui-sun, SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won, GS Group Chairman Huh Chang-soo, Doosan Group Chairman Park Jeong-won, Hanjin Group Chairman Cho Yang-ho, Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Kwon Oh-hyun, LG Vice Chairman Koo Bon-joon and KCCI Chairman Park Yong-maan.



But no heads of financial firms are among the leaders of 10 large companies, 14 mid-sized firms, 23 small and medium-sized companies and two public enterprises.



Viva Republica, which operates mobile financial transaction app Toss, is represented, but market watchers say the firm is more an info-tech company.



This year's delegation contrasts with former President Park Geun-hye's 2013 visit to the U.S.



She was accompanied by a slew of financial firm heads including Hana Financial Group Chairman Kim Jung-tai, then Shinhan Financial Group Chairman Han Dong-woo, former Korea Development Bank Chairman Hong Kyttack, then-Citibank Korea President Ha Yung-ku and then-Korea Federation of Banks Chairman Bahk Byung-won.



Financial firms are disappointed this week over their absence because the delegation is widely interpreted as reflecting Moon's economic focus.



"Given the U.S. is one of the most important countries for Korean financial firms, leaving us out is a disappointment for financial companies seeking greater chances to increase their presence globally," said a financial firm official, who asked not to be named.



Another official said it reflected Korean financial companies' status.



"When you look into the delegation, most of the firms are manufacturers or others that can invest into the U.S.," he said.



"On the other hand, Korea's financial industry is largely depending on domestic demand, while their presence in the U.S. market is still at a small level."



Most large financial firms in Korea want to become global players, but their priority is Southeast Asia, not the U.S. or other countries whose financial markets are more advanced than Korea's.



Some observers say this shows the new administration's stance toward the financial sector, which might be the target of regulation.



Most of Moon's financial pledges were about consumer protection, not blueprints or initiatives to nurture the sectors' growth.



"As you could see in the series of regulations or pro-consumer policies introduced in recent months, the new administration is trying to distance itself from the previous Park Geun-hye administration, which sought an economic rebound through financial policies," the official said.
By Park Si-soo



The Thai government is investigating claims that eight students from the Southeast Asian country were sexually harassed and exploited during internships in South Korea.

The Chiangrai College of Agriculture and Technology has also set up a fact-finding committee.

Thailand's English daily The Nation reported the allegations on June 16. The students -- five males and three females -- started their internships at an unidentified farm here "a few months ago," according to the report. It said the students, aged 16-22, filed a joint complaint with the Thai embassy in Seoul and the Thai government's complaints center early this month.

"They hugged us, kissed our cheeks and touched our thighs," a female student was quoted as saying, referring to male Korean staff at the farms where the students worked.

She reportedly said they were told it was a "traditional" way of greeting visitors. But they soon realized this was untrue.














By Kim Rahn

A sanctions-only approach will not resolve the issue of North Korea's nuclear program, and both pressure and dialogue should be applied at the same time, experts on the Korea issue said.

With South Korean President Moon Jae-in set to have a summit with U.S. President Donald Trump from June 29 to 30, they said Moon's step-by-step approach and attempts for talks and negotiations may produce more chances to move the issue forward.





Ken E. Gause

Ken E. Gause, director of the International Affairs Group at CNA, a nonprofit research and analysis organization based in Arlington, Va., said a balanced strategy between pressure and engagement can lead to traction.

"We first need to understand Kim Jong-un's calculus for dealing with the international community. All of his decisions are in support of two core interests: 1) regime survival and 2) perpetuation of Kim family rule," he said in an email interview with The Korea Times.

Gause said Kim would refuse talks if the terms for dialogue do not meet these interests. "The regime says that sanctions must be removed before dialogue can happen. What it is really saying is dialogue cannot be focused on denuclearization, which Kim sees as central to his core interests."

He said the international community needs to have a new approach to open dialogue, such as broadening the aperture for discussion beyond denuclearization coupled with incentives. "Otherwise, why would North Korea enter into talks designed to defang the country and leave it vulnerable to regime change?"

Gause stressed both the carrot and the stick, because the latter will make Pyongyang understand the former is a preferable path. "If Pyongyang realizes that continuation toward a nuclear program will threaten Kim's core interests, and it has an attractive alternative of engagement, which addresses its interests, then a freeze of the program might be possible."





Frank Aum

Frank Aum, a visiting scholar at the U.S.-Korea Institute at Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS), agreed that sanctions and engagement are not mutually exclusive, but he said resuming talks should not require any preconditions.

"I think all sides need to drop any unnecessary preconditions if they want to engage in full-blown, official talks related to security and denuclearization," the former senior adviser for North Korea at the Department of Defense said via email.












By Mark Fitzpatrick

Mark Fitzpatrick

South Korean President Moon Jae-in's visit to Washington at the end of the month presents an opportunity to improve frayed relations and better coordinate North Korea policy. To do so, Moon will have to temper any nationalistic impulses and play to President Donald Trump's self-image.

The bilateral relationship is fundamentally sound, with booming trade ties, common concerns over North Korea, shared frustration with China, and little of the anti-American sentiment that used to be so common among parts of the population. Yet South Korea has found itself on the back foot with Trump, who got it into his head that the nation is a free rider on trade and security.

Trump's misguided suggestion that South Korea should pay $1 billion for the deployment of the THAAD missile defense system had to be walked back by his aides. His silly claim that Korea used to be part of China, because Chinese President Xi Jinping told him so, got the history exactly backward (parts of Manchuria belonged to the ancient Korean kingdom of Goryeo). Most worrisome was his threat to terminate the Korea-U.S. Free Trade Agreement that entered into force five years ago. As with Trump' disastrous visit to Brussels last month and his first telephone conversation with Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull in January, Trump has a tendency to abuse long-standing allies when they are out of tune with his "America first" pitch.

As much as Moon may be inclined to push back on such slights by taking his own "Korea first" approach, he should focus the conversation on the main security issue confronting both nations. North Korea's bristling arsenal and proclivity for provocations has long presented a severe threat to South Korea. Development of nuclear-armed intercontinental ballistic missiles may soon pose a threat to the American homeland as well. Moon should seek reaffirmation that the U.S. security commitment remains firm. Although Trump omitted an Article V commitment to collective defense in his speech to NATO last month, his belated reference to it during the Romanian President's visit this month suggests that he now realizes the importance of honoring security obligations.












Diplomats from 16 Spanish-speaking countries pose during the language promotion event "Spanish Day" at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies in Seoul on Saturday. /Courtesy of Embassy of Colombia





By Rachel Lee



The embassies of 16 Spanish-speaking countries hosted a language promotion event "Spanish Day" at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies in Seoul on Saturday.

Along with the Cervantes Institute in Seoul, Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Spain and Venezuela celebrated the day dedicated to the world's second-most-spoken language.

"At present, Spanish ranks as the second-most-spoken language (after Mandarin)," Embassy of Ecuador third secretary Ana Diaz said.

"Spanish is the second most widely used language in international communications  mainly on social network platforms (Facebook and Twitter)  and the third most frequently used language on the internet."

There are more than 500 million Spanish-speaking people around the world, according to the embassy.

Colombian Ambassador Tito Saul Pinilla said at the opening ceremony that Spanish-speaking countries had been celebrating this day to strengthen the diffusion of the language and to remember the common cultural links that, driven by the language, united a diverse range of people.

"In a world with more than 6,000 languages, it is a source of great pride for Spanish speakers to know that Spanish is greatly accepted and used by approximately 567 million people worldwide, either as a mother tongue or second language," Pinilla said.

"Twenty-two nations share Spanish as their official language."

He said he was proud that Hankuk University of Foreign Studies had a department of Spanish or Latin American studies, and that Seoul was home to one of the 69 Cervantes Institutes around the world.

The promotion featured an introductory program of symbolic words in Spanish. Each country introduced a Spanish word symbolic and/or widely used in their respective countries.

The Cervantes Institute raffled seven scholarships  sponsored by Enforex, Don Quijote Academy, Spanish Language Foundation  to study the language.

The event also featured a salsa workshop, at which two professional dancers taught basic steps.

Other activities included games and storytelling, with participants having an opportunity to try on traditional dresses from several countries.

Diaz said Ecuadorian Ambassador to Korea Oscar Herrera Gilbert had suggested ambassadors from the Spanish-speaking countries should give speeches in Spanish and not English.

"I genuinely hope this great interest will grow steadily over time. We hope that those who have been interested in learning our language continue studying it, and they will surely develop a love not only for the language, but also for the people who speak it, the culture in which this language is used, and the countries that utilize such language," Pinilla said.

"It is our hope that more Koreans visit our countries not only to learn the language, but also to become familiar with the rich culture of these countries."
Slovakia's National Assembly Speaker Andrej Danko

By Rachel Lee

Slovakia wants to intensify parliamentary collaboration with Korea, which is a symbol of success for the Central European country, says Slovakia's National Assembly Speaker Andrej Danko.

Danko, who arrived in Seoul Monday for the second Meeting of Speakers of Eurasian Countries Parliaments, stressed the importance of achieving intensive cooperation in diverse areas including research and development and digitization based on strong economic ties.

"Slovakia has the largest volume of investments (circa 2.3 billion euros) and the largest volume of trade (more than 4 billion euros) with Korea among all Central European countries," Danko told The Korea Times.

He believed bilateral relations were friendly and constructive, accompanied by mutually beneficial cooperation based on shared values, with full respect to cultural heritage and its specifics. The two countries established diplomatic ties in 1993.

The parliament speakers' meeting on June 26 to 28 with the theme "Promotion of Inter-Parliamentary Cooperation for Common Prosperity in the Europe-Asia Region" aimed to add value by developing the parliamentary dimension of Europe-Asia cooperation, which has been missing up to now, Danko said.

He stressed that as a European Union member since 2004, Slovakia believed it was important to seize all available tools to reduce tension between North Korea and South Korea as soon as possible and then to begin talks on freezing and dismantling North Korea's nuclear program.

"Let me assure [you] that one of Slovakia's foreign policy objectives, like the EU was a stable, secure and prosperous Korean Peninsula," Danko said.

"We welcome and support any step related to confidence or building trust."

Denuclearization  in a complete, verifiable and irreversible manner  is a key prerequisite to the peninsula's stability, he said.

"We strictly condemn all nuclear and ballistic missile tests of the North Korea regime, we consistently follow the sanction regime and whenever possible call on Pyongyang to meet its obligations to abide by U.N. Security Council resolutions."

The second Eurasia Parliamentary Speakers' meeting, jointly established by South Korea and Russian parliamentary speakers, has invited parliamentary leaders and speakers from 41 countries in the region.

The inaugural meeting was held in Moscow last year.
By Rachel Lee



The second substantive session of the United Nations (UN) Conference to negotiate a legally binding instrument to prohibit nuclear weapons opened in New York on June 15 under the presidency of Costa Rica's Ambassador to U.N. Elayne Whyte Gomez.



According to the Costa Rican Embassy in Seoul, the envoy presented the draft document with the objective of elaborating a final document.



"The exchange of opinions encompassed all the legally binding aspects of the instrument, including its basic prohibitions and other dispositions," Gomez said.



U.N. High Representative for Disarmament Affairs Izumi Nakamitsu said, "The search for a world free of nuclear weapons is more urgent now than ever," describing the negotiations as "truly historic."



Nakamitsu also affirmed that the deliberations represented the U.N.'s most-sought-out objective  a world free of nuclear weapons.



She said 20 years had passed since the U.N. had elaborated a multilateral legally binding instrument on the issue of nuclear weapons.



Nakamitsu stressed that great care should place placed in "finalizing an instrument that is legally sound, technically accurate and politically wise."



The conference will continue at the U.N. headquarters until July 7.












British Ambassador to Korea Charles Hay, center, poses with Rep. Park Young-sun of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea, newly elected chair of the National Assembly's U.K. Friendship Group, at Hay's residence in Seoul on Thursday. /Courtesy of British Embassy





By Rachel Lee

British Ambassador to Korea Charles Hay met Rep. Park Young-sun of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea, newly elected chairman of the National Assembly's U.K. Friendship Group, at Hay's residence in Seoul on Thursday.

They discussed many areas of U.K.-Korea relations, including trade, culture, finance and civil nuclear cooperation.

During a recent visit to London, Park said she was struck by the clean air, vibrant atmosphere and competitiveness of the U.K.

Park also said she felt Seoul could benefit from London's experience as a world center for culture and finance and become a financial center for Northeast Asia by learning from London.

The ambassador and Park agreed there was a need for a strong U.K.-Korea free trade agreement to continue business between the countries, and welcomed the fact that the U.K. and Korean governments were working together to bring this about.

The meeting also covered the UK/Korea Year of Creative Futures, which is celebrating and showcasing British innovation and excellence in the arts and creative industries, and working to build mutual understanding.

The Year of Creative Futures will run until March 2018.

The ambassador said he hoped the two countries could work together on decommissioning nuclear plants in Korea and on potential civil nuclear projects in the U.K.


By Lee Kyung-min







The Supreme Court will convene an ethics committee, today, to discuss whether its fact-finding committee conducted a thorough investigation before concluding there was no "blacklist of judges." The list was allegedly created by the top court to deny promotions of those critical of the judicial administration and Chief Justice Yang Sung-tae. Possible punitive measures will be also discussed on former Supreme Court officials allegedly involved in suppressing what it deemed an "anti-conformist" move.



The 11-member committee comprised of figures, the identities of whom are withheld, from both within and outside judicial circles will hold a third meeting. If they reach an agreement, their findings will be disclosed within the next two days.



Chief Justice Yang is expected to reflect this in deciding whether to defer his authority to reopen the investigation of such an "explosive" allegation to a group of judges who have been asking for it.



The controversy emerged in February after it was alleged that the Office of Court Administration under the Supreme Court sought to scale down a judges-only academic symposium.



Since August 2015, the meeting, known as a human rights study group, raised questions about whether the judges are able to make independent rulings free of pressure from a Supreme Court justice or other personnel affairs. Judicial reform was another key agenda item.



The allegation grew larger after the chief of the study group, only identified by his surname Lee, revealed he was offered a promotion to the Office of Court Administration in what he said was an exchange of his commitment to scale down such "anti-conformist" activities.



Lee said that he had a phone conversation with Lim Chong-heon, the then-second-in-command at the office, about how Lee "should do what was expected of him." Lee offered to resign and his promotion was withdrawn.



As the allegation grew larger, the Supreme Court asked Judicial Research and Training Institute professor emeritus Lee In-bok, a former Supreme Court justice, to conduct an internal investigation into the allegation in an effort to allay the fury against the judges, but the outrage was further fueled after he concluded there was no such list.



On April 18, Lee said while he found the Office of Court Administration abused its authority in its attempt to scale down or delay the judges' symposium, it is highly unlikely the office created a "blacklist."



Lee, in his 57-page report, said Lee Kyu-jin, a standing committee member at the Sentencing Commission under the Supreme Court, was found to have pressured judges of the symposium. Lim, unlike earlier allegations, had not done so, Lee concluded.



Following the announcement, Lim and Lee Kyu-jin, as well as Office of Court Administration head Ko Young-han, who doubled Supreme Court justices, all resigned amid an allegation they were in charge of such efforts to suppress critical voices within the judiciary.



However, his findings drew skepticism from many judges, given Lee was a highly regarded senior member of the judiciary best characterized by his impartiality, fairness and disinterest in politics.



Most judges found it questionable, especially because Lee was unable to examine the computer hard drive where the passcode-locked list was allegedly stored.



The Office of Court Administration refused Lee's request to go over the files in the computer, saying no documents were to be reviewed by individuals other than those who wrote them. It also cited security protocols.



Such an "absurd" response prompted the Seoul High Court, the most senior and relatively conservative group of judges, to demand the reopening of an internal investigation into the allegation.



As chief justice Yang continued to ignore calls to publicly announce his stance clarifying the allegation and his subsequent measures, over 100 judges nationwide convened a meeting last Monday to discuss measures about the list at the Judicial Research and Training Institute in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province.



After the meeting, judges agreed to demand Yang defer his authority to reopen the investigation, seek immediate punitive measures on all figures involved, offer a clear apology and punitive measures to prevent recurrence of such incidents and establish a standing consultative body of judges.



Meanwhile, a civic group filed a complaint with the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office against Yang and eight former and incumbent Supreme Court key officials on charges of obstruction of justice. The district office is reviewing whether to prosecute the case.



Meanwhile, according to a study conducted by the symposium, of 502 judges who participated in the survey, almost 90 percent, or 443, said they feared punitive personnel actions if they expressed criticism of the Supreme Court chief justice or court heads.



Almost half, or 45 percent, said they also feared punitive actions if they rule against the administration in power or certain political groups.



Such responses reflect the "overwhelming, imperial" power bestowed to the top justice. For a single six-year term, the top justice is granted full discretion over personnel affairs of about 3,000 judges and 15,000 judicial employees including 12 Supreme Court justices.



Promotions of judges are reportedly determined to a considerable degree by the political inclinations of the rulings they make on socially and ideologically contentious cases. Yang, appointed by former President Lee Myung-bak, a known conservative, has about two months until his retirement in September.



Meanwhile, the collective convention of judges is the first in eight years since 2009 when a similar number of judges organized a meeting to protest former Supreme Court chief justice Shin Young-chul.



The meeting was held to demand Shin resign, following the revelation that he, then head of the Seoul Central District Court and a major Supreme Court justice candidate in 2008, called and sent emails to judges at the district court who presided over cases involving candlelit street protesters about the import of U.S. beef to promptly rule against them.



The rulings that greatly suited then-President Lee Myung-bak eventually helped Lee appoint Shin as Korea's top judge. Shin finished his term in full in February 2015.




By Kim Se-jeong





Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon

Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon welcomed the Academy on Social and Solidarity Economy which opens on Monday for one week.

In an email interview with The Korea Times, Park said, "this offers a great opportunity for those in the social economy to learn from each other, especially those in Asia." Park thanked the International Labour Organization (ILO) for its collaboration  ILO representatives will take part in the academy as a speaker.

During the week, social entrepreneurs, scholars and international organization representatives will discuss different aspects of the social economy which is defined by pursuit of social goals beyond making profits. From Thursday to Saturday, the Seoul Metropolitan Government will roll out a fair on the sidelines where people can learn about social enterprises and see their products.

Park was a social entrepreneur himself and a big advocate of the social economy.

He was one of the founders of Beautiful Store, a secondhand shop. He started the business in 2002, and now 143 shops are up and running across the country.

He also purchased handcrafts and coffee from Southeast Asian producers and sold them in the shops.

"First, I imported handcrafts, but it failed. I began importing coffee and I made a lot of money," he said with a laugh at a recent event. "By the time I quit Beautiful Store, the annual profit was almost 3.5 billion won."

He said the coffee success was possible because of participation of local Koreans. "With Koreans' participation, we were able to accommodate the tastes of local consumers. For handcrafts, however, it failed because all the products were ready for sale when they arrived in Korea. And the products weren't attractive to Korean consumers," Park said.

Swearing in as Seoul mayor in 2011, Park pushed hard on policy and financial support for social enterprises and cooperatives. As of last December, the number of registered social enterprises increased to 3,501.

"Unlike the market economy that aims at maximum profit and competition, the social economy's priorities are on people and building communities," Park said. "The social economy helps minorities, the elderly and women to be able to work and offers care and welfare to them. It is a new solution to problems that have resulted from the market economy."

In 2014, Mayor Park launched the biennial Global Social Economy Forum in Seoul. Last year's forum was hosted by Montreal, and the 2018 forum will take place in Bilbao, Spain.

The city's support for the social economy continues this year, with an increased amount of financial support and other administrative assistance.

"The social economy is a solution to inequality, which erupted during last year's candlelit protests. To be hopeful, we need a path that's good for the community and their survival, not for immediate returns for only a few people," Park said.
By Lee Han-soo





Tak Hyun-min

Cheong Wa Dae official Tak Hyun-min, who got into hot water last month over sexist remarks, is under more fire after another book he co-wrote featured similar sentiments.

In "The more I talk, the freer I become" he wrote: "I lost my virginity to a middle school student when I was in high school. She was not pretty, but it didn't matter because she was just a sex object."

He even said he had "shared" the student with his classmates.

He also said: "Men's sexual fantasy is always with teachers  when I was a student, I would feel horny even with pregnant teachers.'"

Opposition parties blasted Tak's remarks as extreme sexism and demanded his resignation.

"My temper rises to see that such a man with a low level of sexual perception is employed at Cheong Wa Dae," People's Party spokeswoman Rep. Kim Yoo-jung said.

Even female lawmakers from the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) have called for Tak's resignation.

"I think it is true that the remarks Tak made in his book went way over the line," DPK spokeswoman Rep. Baek Hye-ryun said on radio.

She said Tak should make a decision, which was interpreted by many as asking for him to resign.

Opposition female lawmakers and a women's group last month bombarded Tak with criticism over sexual remarks in a book he published in 2007.

"Guidebook of Men's Mind" contained phrases such as: "It's like a terror attack against men if a woman with a flat chest wears a tank top."

He apologized then on Facebook, saying his views on women have changed compared with a decade ago.
Kim Jung-sook

By Rachel Lee

One interesting aspect of the upcoming summit between President Moon Jae-in and U.S. President Donald Trump is how their wives will do their part to bring the countries closer.

The two are known to be quite different in character.Korea's first lady Kim Jung-sook will be greeted by U.S. President Donald Trump's wife Melania Trump, who will accompany her for part of her stay here.

Kim, who worked at Seoul Metropolitan Chorus after studying vocal music at Kyung Hee University, went to Busan to support her husband President Moon Jae-in when he began his career as a lawyer.





Melania Trump

Born in Slovenia, Melania Trump studied design and architecture at the University of Ljubljana before advancing her modeling career in Milan and Paris. She married Donald Trump in 2005.

The media has dubbed Kim, always seen beaming during the election campaign, the "pleasant lady Jung-sook," referring to her bright personality that complements her husband's sometimes brusque character.

Kim did not wear "hanbok," the traditional Korean attire, at the inauguration ceremony. She wore a white dress on May 10 _ an unconventional outfit that showed she may not stick to the conventional character of the country's previous first ladies.

In contrast, Melania has maintained a relatively low public profile since her husband's inauguration in January, appearing on just a few key occasions.

There is speculation whether the two will get along but Cheong Wa Dae believes Kim's lively personality could play a role in first lady diplomacy with the U.S. first lady.

The good news is that Melania has begun to appear in public _ during high-level visits of the king and queen of Jordan, and the Chinese president and his wife.

Fashion diplomacy is also gaining attention.

The U.S. first lady chose a simple, over-the-knee red dress at a China-U.S. summit in April _ her deliberate choice of red was interpreted as a diplomatic meaning: a symbolic color in China that represents happiness and luck.

Kim is reportedly considering her outfit for the summit with advice from the foreign ministry.

Apart from activities with Melania, Kim is expected to meet people living in the U.S. and visit education and welfare facilities.

Former President Lee Myung-bak's wife Kim Yoon-ok visited childcare facilities for low-income families and the National Museum of Women in the Arts in Washington in 2008.

Late former President Roh Moo-hyun's wife Kwon Yang-sook met teachers at a Korean language center in New York in 2003.
Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha, center, walks with 8th U.S. Army commander Lt. Gen. Thomas Vandal, right, and Brig. Gen. Kim Tae-up, deputy commanding general of the ROK-U.S. Combined Division, during her visit to Camp Red Cloud, a U.S. military base for 2nd Infantry Division in Uijeongbu, Gyeonggi Province, Sunday. Kang visited the division to mark the anniversary of the outbreak of the Korean War. She lauded the Korea-U.S. alliance during a speech to American soldiers. / Korea Times photo by Seo Jae-hoon



By Kim Hyo-jin



Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha lauded the alliance between South Korea and the United States in a visit to the U.S. Army 2nd Infantry Division (2ID), Sunday.



She visited to mark the 67th anniversary of the outbreak of the 1950-53 Korean War. It is the first time for the country's foreign minister to visit U.S. forces on the anniversary of the Korean War, the foreign ministry said.



Calling the division "freedom fighters" and "heroes and heroines," Kang filled her speech with colorful expressions of appreciation.



"2ID warriors, thank you for your unswerving commitment and devotion. You are truly second to none," she said.



The visit is seen as Kang's show of commitment to bolstering the Korea-U.S. alliance. It conveys a symbolic meaning as it came ahead of President Moon Jae-in's summit with U.S. President Donald Trump this week.



The two leaders are expected to discuss how to deal with North Korea's nuclear and missile threats. The deployment of a U.S. Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) battery here, which has been temporarily suspended for an environmental assessment, will be another key topic.



"In the decades after the Korean War, the ROK-U.S alliance has been the guardian of peace and prosperity on the Korean Peninsula, as Vice President Pence said during his visit in April. Our two countries shed blood together. We prosper together," Kang said in a speech to the U.S. soldiers.



Noting that the Korea-U.S alliance stands at a critical juncture due to North Korea's nuclear and missile program, she said, "But I'm confident we can together overcome it. With our ironclad rock-solid alliance and combined defense posture, we can achieve our common goal."













While highly appreciating the U.S. forces' contributions during the Korean War, the minister exemplified the Hungnam Evacuation conducted by the U.S. ship SS Meredith Victory, on which 14,000 refugees were evacuated from the North's territory in December 1950.



Kang said it was code-named "Christmas Cargo," and also known as the "Miracle of Christmas," noting that President Moon's parents were among the refugees. She stressed that Moon will invite veterans of the Hungnam Evacuation on his visit to Washington.



"The Republic of Korea will never forget the noble sacrifice made by U.S soldiers, sailors, airman and marines," she said.



Kang was also briefed about operating arms system and watched a demonstration of combat vehicles.



While taking a ride on an Apache helicopter, Kang asked how American unmanned surveillance vehicles can be compared to North Korea's drones. A U.S. Army official answered, the U.S.'s are "much more capable" and the North's drones are "not even close" to theirs.



The 2ID is known to have fought in a battle at Jipyeong-ri in February 1951 during the Korean War, losing over 7,000 soldiers. The Jipyeong-ri battle became a turning point for the United Nations Command.



It has been stationed in Uijeongbu, north of Seoul, for 52 years. This year marks the 100th anniversary of its establishment.



The 8th U.S. Army commander Lt. Gen. Thomas Vandal welcomed Kang on behalf of 2ID commander Maj. Gen. Theodore Martin, who was on a business trip to the U.S.



Vandal was accompanied by deputy commanding general of the ROK-U.S. Combined Division Brig. Gen. Kim Tae-up, deputy commanding officer of the ROK-U.S. Combined Division Col. Thomas Drew, and acting U.S. ambassador to South Korea Marc Knapper.




By Maija Rhee Devine





The final scene of "The Apology" (director: Tiffany Hsiung, 2016) about three former comfort women ends with a drum beat of determination. On a bus, Grandma Gil of S. Korea and her activist/caretaker returning from an overseas mission of demanding an apology and compensation from Japan, belt out "Live Like a Rock!"

"Let's stand against windstorms

that whip and slash . . .

and become the foundation stone. . . .

Let's live like a rock!"

In contrast, immediately before this scene, the activist (from The Korean Council for the Women Drafted for Military Sexual Slavery by Japan) is seen sobbing. We see her hands pressed against her eyes. Before this meltdown, she admitted:

"I feel guilty. Maybe, we shouldn't have driven Grandma Gil and other comfort women grandmas, pushing them through alien airports, watching them toss on strange beds,serving them hard-to-digest foods, and keeping them on schedules that daunt even young people. . . . The grandmas suffered plenty and earned respect for what they already endured. We should've left them alone. Instead, here we are, dragging them for years through Japan, the U.S., Geneva, all over. Maybe, this is wrong, especially when the trips have ended in one failure after another."

The honesty needles hearts. But has activism failed? Even a casual glance at the chronology of the events since 1991when former Korean Comfort Woman Kim Hak-soon burst onto the world stage with her story as one of the Comfort Women of WWIIyields examples of impressive successes. True. Sweat and tears have poured into the activism's gains. And urgent work still piles, including the all-important task of assuring all victim nations and Japan teach future generations accurately about this chapter of WWII history.

Random samples of their coups include:

*Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yohei Kono's admission of the Japanese military's use of "coercion in recruitment" of women forced to work in military brothels (1993).

*The International Commission of Jurists' statement that the Japanese military's acts constituted war crimes, crimes against humanity, slavery and the trafficking in women and children" (1994).

*The Japanese Federation of Bar Association's recommendation that Japanese government pay individual compensation to victims (1995).

*The U.N. Commission on Human Rights' recommendation to Japan that "victims of Japan of WWII be compensated." (2001).

*The California State Board of Education's vote to include the history of World War II sexual slaves from Asian countries in the state's 10th-grade curriculums. (2016).

*The U.N. Committee Against Torture's suggestions that the December 2015 Park-Abe agreement needed to be revised, and that the Comfort Women were "sex slaves." (2016).

Setbacks, however, vie with successes. Japanese nationalists, outspoken against "anything Korean" (The National Interest, 6/11/17), demand the apologies already expressed by Japanese high-ranking officials be revoked. The passage on the Japanese military's use of sex slaves fell into a black hole from Japanese middle school textbooks 1997-2001.Shying away from "renegotiation" of the 2015 Park-Abe Agreement of an apology and compensation, the new S. Korean Moon administration proposes a "fresh bilateral effort," a potential setback. However, the Korean activists, who saw the Agreement as a slap across comfort women's faces in the first place, may consider a fresh start as a coup, rather than a failure.

The activist's tears enunciate that she and her fellow advocates believe only a completely satisfactory apology (an on-the-knees atonement) and a Japanese-government-appropriated compensation can finally heal all sorrows, stop the flow of what Koreans call "blood tears" of victims and open up channels of reconciliation and cooperation.

Both sides have miles on moonless roads to go.

The author of an autobiographical novel about Korea, "The Voices of Heaven," and a poetry book, "Long Walks on Short Days," Maija Rhee Devine is working on her next books  a nonfiction book and a novel about comfort women of WWII. Contact: www.MaijaRheeDevine.com or maijadevine@gmail.com.
After losing the most expensive congressional race in history in Georgia Tuesday, and a notching a close-but-no-cigar finish in a lower profile contest in South Carolina, Democrats are getting a lot of advice about what they need to do to have a chance of victory in 2018. Perhaps the best of it comes from the unlikeliest of sources, a frequent Twitter poster under the handle @realDonaldTrump. After a bit of crowing about the failure of "fake news" fueled, big spending candidates and a shout-out to Fox News, President Donald Trump offered up this: "Democrats would do much better as a party if they got together with Republicans on Healthcare,Tax Cuts,Security. Obstruction doesn't work!"



We would dispute the first half of that  joining the GOP in passing a profoundly unpopular health care bill, voting for massive give-aways to the rich and banning Muslims from entering the country are no ticket to taking over Congress in next year's midterm elections. But the second part  "Obstruction doesn't work!"  is sound advice. Merely being against Donald Trump isn't enough, and we now have the results in four special elections to prove it.



The political number crunchers have produced a variety of analyses of the results in the recent special elections in Kansas, Montana, Georgia and South Carolina in an attempt to quantify the two parties' strength in the Trump era. The upshot: Democrats did much better in those districts (and in Montana's at-large seat) than they would under normal circumstances. Even so, they would be in a much better position if they had won somewhere. Losses by Republicans in any of those races would likely have hastened the retirement of incumbents in competitive districts and would have emboldened strong potential Democratic candidates to jump in.



That's the kind of thing that needs to happen under our gerrymandered political map for Democrats to flip the 24 seats they need to take control of the House. For all the attempts to nationalize these elections and make them a referendum on President Trump, candidates matter.



John Ossoff may have raised more money for his campaign than any House candidate in history, but he is still a 30-year-old who had never run for office before and doesn't actually live in the district.



His opponent, Karen Handel, 55, is a well known and experienced Republican politician. Democrats need a lot more candidates with resumes like hers if they want to win, and close losses in these special elections might lead them to conclude they should stick with their safe seats in state or local government rather than take a risk in 2018.



The other ingredient they need is an agenda. Trump's election doesn't necessarily settle the internecine argument between the Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders wings of the Democratic party in favor of full blown socialism, but it does at least make the case that a robust, easily identifiable policy agenda is necessary. Much of what President Trump ran on may have been abhorrent, but it wasn't vague.



It is difficult, of course, for a party to rally behind an agenda when it's out of the White House, and there's plenty of concern after she became an issue in the Georgia election that House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi is too polarizing a figure to lead such an effort. But Democrats don't necessarily need her or anyone to play the role of a former occupant of the seat Handel just won, Newt Gingrich, who led the Republican takeover of the House in 1994 with his Contract for America. They just need to show that the party has answers for the economic anxiety gripping middle class and working class voters across the country.



That's a winning strategy because it should be pretty clear to most voters by 2018, if not already, that Trumpism isn't delivering on its populist promise. The House passed a disastrous health care bill that would result in millions of Americans becoming uninsured over the coming decade, and the Senate's proposal, due to be released Thursday, is likely to be no better. President Trump's tax reform plan amounts to a massive giveaway to people like him. And his tough talk on trade hasn't kept companies from shipping jobs overseas. If Democrats can offer a better idea, voters will be receptive.





This editorial appeared in the Baltimore Sun and was distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.




Rush to scrap comfort women accord may backfire



President Moon Jae-in has persistently questioned the 2015 Korea-Japan deal on reparations for the victims of Japan's sexual enslavement of Korean women during World War II.



During the campaign for the May 9 election, Moon vowed to seek an agreement that would be accepted by the people. Although Moon has not officially said he will seek renegotiation, his latest interviews suggest he may pursue measures to complement the existing deal.



The Moon administration has been trying to build a case for revisiting the deal by highlighting Koreans' disapproval of it. During several interviews with the international media last week, Moon repeatedly underlined that many Koreans cannot emotionally accept the agreement on the comfort women and that many of the victims themselves strongly reject it.



New Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha made similar remarks during her first phone conversation with her Japanese counterpart Fumio Kishida.



As part of the agreement, Tokyo provided 1 billion yen ($8.7 million) for a foundation to help the victims. Although Abe apologized, the victims and civic groups said it was not enough in acknowledging government responsibility for the sexual slavery. Japan calls it a "final and irreversible" agreement in resolving the comfort women issue, but the victims are calling for a renegotiation.



The representatives of the relevant civic groups recently met with senior presidential secretary for social innovation Ha Seung-chang, and called on the government to scrap the existing deal and swiftly embark on renegotiation.



There have been high hopes among the victims over Moon and his new foreign minister, who showed up at the National Assembly confirmation hearing wearing a badge offered to her during her visit with the surviving comfort women. But it is worrisome that the victims may face only more disappointment when their hopes are not met by the new administration. Realistically, renegotiation is impossible unless Japan agrees to it. Japan has been adamant that the deal is final and has urged Korea to deliver on its side of the deal.



The people's discontent cannot be grounds for renegotiation of a diplomatic agreement between two countries which should be continued regardless of change of power. The 2015 comfort women deal is faulty for many reasons, but Japan should not be blamed entirely. Former President Park Geun-hye and the foreign ministry are at fault for rushing an agreement without properly collecting the public sentiment and not proceeding with the deal in a transparent manner.



If Moon jumps at renegotiation solely on the back of strong public sentiment, it will only deepen the long-running feud between the two countries on historical issues. This will seriously impede Korea-Japan relations.








A "blind" recruitment system will be implemented in the public sector later this year to root out discrimination in hiring.



During a meeting with chief secretaries, President Moon Jae-in ordered government agencies and public corporations to adopt the blind hiring system. The Ministry of the Interior and the Ministry of Personnel Management as well as other ministries will soon announce joint measures for implementing the system.



The blind hiring system does not require an applicant to provide a wide range of personal information upon applying for the job. This is intended to prevent employers from discriminating against applicants on the basis of their birthplace, academic degrees, what schools they attended, their height and weight and other elements. Some employers even ask for information on the applicants' parents.



The blind screening is particularly necessary in a country like Korea, a highly competitive society where people are judged heavily on their academic, regional and family backgrounds. People who graduate from universities located outside Seoul are likely to have a harder time finding jobs than their peers who have degrees from elite universities in Seoul.



All major parties except for the main opposition Liberty Korea Party had pledged to expand the blind screening system in light of the increasing need to promote fair competition in recruitment. "Whether one is from a university in Seoul or in the provinces, they should all be given the chance to begin at the same starting line and compete solely with their abilities," Moon said. The remark comforted many young people born with a "dirt spoon" in their mouths, or unprivileged family background.



During the meeting, Moon highlighted the case of state broadcaster KBS, which implemented the blind screening system for five years starting in 2003. During this period, there was a significant increase in the number of successful applicants from regional universities.



The private sector should also join the government's drive to prohibit discrimination in hiring by actively adopting the blind screening system.




By Chang Se-moon





In the turbulent history of the two Koreas, I think now is a very dangerous time for everyone in the two countries. The importance of the coming summit between President Moon Jae-in of Korea and President Donald Trump of the U.S. may well determine the fate of the two Koreas.

Please note that I do support President Moon. If you have any doubt, you can listen to my live interview on "tbse FM This Morning" radio program in Seoul on June 1 (local time). I did explicitly state that we should support President Moon. My suggestion in this article is prepared not as a critic, but as a supporter.

I am aware that spokespersons of the new Korean government have been backtracking on the THAAD issue from virtual opposition to reluctant acceptance. This is not the impression Americans have, however. Every TV channel I turned to in recent days in the United States, the first comment by TV reporters and commentators on Korean issues is that the Korean government wants the U.S. to withdraw THAAD.

It does not matter whether this perception is based on facts or misunderstanding. Numerous statements made by officials of the new Korean government clearly gave the impression, even to me, that Korea does not want THAAD. If this is not your policy, you need to make a very strong statement during the summit and take some serious actions that clearly indicate your support for the defensive umbrella.

President Trump is much shrewder than he is given credit for. One chance he cannot take as President of the United States is the real danger of American troops stationed in Korea to be bombed by North Korea's nuclear weapons. Just as I predicted his election as President (see May 15, 2016 issue of this column), I can predict that it is highly unlikely that President Trump will order the bombing of North Korean nuclear facilities.

This leads to one remaining option, which is even more dangerous to South Korea.

Consider that South Korea continues its wobbly posturing on THAAD through time-consuming requirements of environmental studies and votes by the National Assembly, while North Korea moves fast to complete strategic deployment of their tactical nuclear weapons. What choice could the U.S. have if President Trump feels that American troops in Korea are exposed to the real danger of being bombed by North Korea?

President Trump and his advisors may effectively conclude that the Korea-U.S. Mutual Security agreement is no longer valid, prompting President Trump to consider withdrawal of American troops from Korean soil. If this happens, or even false rumor spreads widely to the effect, the collapse of South Korea will come rather quickly from two sources: turmoil in the financial market and rising demands with threat from North Korea.

Some may think that the U.S. will not allow North Korea to control the entire Korean peninsula. What people do not realize is that once North Korea succeeds in taking over South Korea, the unified Korea will no longer be the enemy of the U.S. If you do not believe it, just think about Vietnam. North Korea now considers the U.S. as their enemy, mainly because the U.S. supports South Korea.

Political leaders in South Korea may feel that the U.S. will not betray South Korea, and will never allow North Korea to take over South Korea. I agree, only if South Korea acts within the unbreakable alliance with the U.S. When U.S. soldiers in South Korea are exposed owing to the reluctance of political leaders of South Korea on such decisions as THAAD, withdrawing U.S. troops from the Korean soil becomes a distinct possibility.

Recall the perception that I mentioned earlier. Because of the perception, right or wrong, that South Korea does not want U.S. protection, American people will support President Trump if he decides to pull the U.S. troops out of South Korea. I could be wrong, but I would not take that chance, if I were you, President Moon.

In this unthinkable scenario, there will be only one group of losers. Can you guess who they are?

I do agree with President Moon that we need to help North Korean people. My suggestion is to develop massive economic assistance program that can create hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of jobs in North Korea. As I proposed to President Moon in my May 16, 2017 issue of this column, everything has a price. If South Korea can prepare a massive economic assistance program to North Korea in exchange for stopping or dismantling their nuclear program, North Korea may still reject it, but will have to reject it at their own great peril of mass revolt.





Chang Se-moon is the director of the Gulf Coast Center for Impact Studies. Write to him at: changsemoon@yahoo.com.
By Lee Min-hyung

The Korean government is considering punitive measures against Google and Facebook for their alleged unfair business practices here, Fair Trade Commission (FTC) Chairman Kim Sang-jo said Sunday.

Kim accused the U.S. tech giants of stifling competition and monopolizing customer information by using their dominant market power.

"They do not pay any costs for sweeping data and using local network systems  established by taxpayers' money here," Kim said.

His comment comes amid growing calls for the FTC and government bodies to stop such overseas IT giants from using the nation's legal loopholes.

"We need to take a careful approach (before implementing regulations on such companies)," Kim said.

He said there was no room for latecomers to compete in new data-driven industries, and this would hamper fair competition in Korea.

"People often think of the FTC as a regulator of chaebol governance structures and unfair business partnerships, but this is a thing in the past," he said.












By Lee Min-hyung



Brokerage houses have been hiring fewer workers recently, despite their booming business on the back of the bullish stock market, as more people trade shares online. Robo-advisers and other advanced technological tools have also made securities firms less labor-intensive, making it harder for people to find work in the brokerage industry.



According to the securities industry Sunday, the nation's top nine brokerages have hired 293 new employees, way down from 952 last year. Samsung Securities was excluded from the list, as the company did not unveil recruitment data.



Mirae Asset Daewoo, the largest securities company here, has hired 100 new employees this year, down from 203 last year. The company has yet to decide whether to recruit new staff in the second half of this year.



Things are no different for other brokerage giants here. KB Securities has not reached an internal consensus over hiring new employees this year. NH Investment & Securities has not recruited new employees since last year. The company hired only 94 experienced workers last year, with the number reaching so far 38 this year.



The slashed employment is in contrast to their booming business this year. According to data by market tracker FnGuide, the nation's seven largest listed brokerages' combined operating profit in the second quarter will grow 5.34 percent to reach 583.5 billion won ($512.51 million), compared to a year ago.



The rosy earnings outlook is attributable to the global economic recovery and a bullish rally of KOSPI-listed firms  led by Samsung Electronics.



The decline in their employment is due to the rise of financial technologies. In recent years, the financial industry has drastically reduced reliance on labor forces, with smartphones and so-called robo-advisers replacing major roles by human staff.



"The rise of big data and fintech has allowed robots to generate more accurate analysis results far more quickly than humans," an IT industry source said. "Roles  done by traditional human labor  will be more rapidly replaced by robots or new state-of-the-art finance software in the future."



For example, users do not have to visit banks or financial consulting firms in person, as smartphones are replacing the roles of humans. In April, the nation's first internet-only bank, K bank, opened, with its services available 24 hours a day on smartphones and the internet.




By Jhoo Dong-chan





Hyundai Wia CEO & President Yoon Jun-mo

The Fair Trade Commission (FTC) has fined Hyundai Wia, an auto parts maker affiliated with Hyundai Motor, for abusing its subcontractors.

The company was also referred to the prosecution by the nation's antitrust regulator for allegedly paying its subcontractors less than promised on subcontract bidding prices to maximize its profitability.

The FTC has decided to fine Hyundai Motor Group's auto parts-making affiliate 361 million won ($317,083) as well as report the company to the prosecution.

Hyundai Wia is the nation's second-largest automotive parts maker following Hyundai Mobis. It also has other business operations, including heavy machinery, defense products and aircraft parts.

Hyundai Wia allegedly carried out an additional supply negotiation with its chosen subcontractors between September 2013 and June last year. Although the subcontractors won the initial supply bidding, the Hyundai Motor Group affiliate allegedly demanded further negotiations to lower the supply price.

Under the related law, a client company is not allowed to get supplied at subcontracted prices lower than the bidding price from its subcontractor.

Also, Hyundai Wia allegedly unilaterally imposed a burden to its 28 subcontractors when Hyundai Motor held the company accountable for supplying defective auto parts. Although subcontractors were not responsible for the defective parts, Hyundai Wia forced them to shoulder the burden, the FTC said.

Hyundai Wia reportedly attempted to correct its practice during the FTC investigation, but the FTC said it upheld its decision because 45 small businesses suffered from the unfair trade practice for nearly three years.

The FTC processed 1,657 unfair trade practices last year, reporting five cases to the prosecution.

Last year, the FTC also fined Doosan Heavy Industries 300 million won and reported them to the prosecution for similar charges.

"The FTC is expected to impose heavier penalties against conglomerates who exploit small businesses," an FTC official said.

Newly appointed FTC head Kim Sang-jo said last week he will do his best to protect social and corporate underdogs to enhance fair market competition.

"The competition law is aimed at protecting competition in the market, but society is calling on the FTC to play a different role," Kim said. "I will never hesitate in enforcing fair competition rules and never step back."

Kim, a former civic activist who advocated for minor shareholders' rights, was appointed the head of the corporate watchdog by President Moon Jae-in despite strong protest from opposition parties. He is regarded as a pivotal figure to spearhead Moon's pledges to reform major conglomerates.
By Jhoo Dong-chan





Lotte Group founder Shin Kyuk-ho

Shin Kyuk-ho, founder of retail giant Lotte Group, has retired as a director of the group's holding company, lowering the curtain on his 70-year management reign.

A director since 1948, Shin, 94, will now serve as honorary president, Lotte Group said after a regular shareholders' meeting at its headquarters in Tokyo, Saturday.

The decision officially ends Shin's practical involvement in the group's management as he left the board of Lotte Confectionary and Hotel Lotte last year. He also stepped down from the Lotte Shopping board in March.

"Shin's term of office as a board director of the group has expired. He will serve as the group's honorary chairman," a Lotte Group official said.

"The shareholders have decided to re-elect eight board directors, including Lotte Group Chairman Shin Dong-bin and two non-executive directors."

The shareholders' decision comes after a year-long upheaval involving a Shin family feud and corruption charges.

The decision is expected to enhance Shin Dong-bin's management position within the group, whereas Dong-bin's brother and rival Shin Dong-joo's suggestion to appoint four directors and one auditor of his choice was rejected.

The SDJ Corp. chairman's request that Dong-bin be removed as group chairman was rejected.

"Shin Kyuk-ho is one of very few first-generation Korean chaebol founders," said an industry insider.

"He started the company as a chewing gum maker in Japan 70 years ago. He was an iconic figure in the nation's rapid economic growth over the last 50 years.

"He led his company as one of largest conglomerates both in Korea and Japan, but the strife between his two sons over the group's management embitters his exit."

Lotte Group, which has expanded its operations in Korea and Japan, has been at the center of a series of scandals since 2015, including not only a succession struggle between Dong-bin and his older brother for managerial control but also a bribery scandal associated with lobbyist Nature Republic CEO Jung Woon-ho.

In June last year, Seoul prosecutors raided Lotte Group offices and those of several affiliates. About 200 investigators reportedly searched 17 locations including group headquarters in central Seoul and the homes of Chairman Shin Dong-bin and other key executives.
Leez Department Store is bringing the GREATEST NEWS EVER for the K-POP fans in New York City!

Leez Department Store carries trendy NYC designers, popular American designers, Italian high end designers and is bringing new arrivals for K-POP fans in New York City.The new arrivals include Korean brands like Siero, MZUU, Club Clio, I Hate Monday and Celecon , popular among the Asian fashionistas and are frequently spotted on Korean celebrities in movies, TV dramas and their casual outings.

K-POP fashion is influenced by the Hallyu Wave. It is dramatically growing in the fashion industry for the past decade. While traditionally, department stores run their main traffic depending on the top luxury brands, LEEZ is breaking the rules by offering the most sought-after Korean brands to K-POP enthusiasts. Many customers are looking for those unique pieces they saw in Korean Dramas and now they can find them in LEEZ Department Store!

"Yes...we do have a Korean Town here in NYC. But being able to shop in such a big department store with numerous amazing products that is made and designed in Korea is just rare in the entire United States...I am so delighted to find one right here in NYC!" Patty, a Super Junior fan, said with a sweet smile on her face as her eyes were glowing with happiness.

Now let's take a closer look at some of their Korean Brands in the store.

The exclusive partnership between LEEZ and Siero marks this South Korean brand's first time entering the US market. Actress Song Hye- kyo, shown above, is wearing Siero's shirt on set when filming Descendants of the Sun. LEEZ has sold hundreds of this particular T-Shirt within the first week of their pre opening, and the product is now low in stock.

Idols like APINK are also wearing Siero's products on Korean shows, which can be found at LEEZ Department Store.

In the latest hit Korean Drama, Goblin, the main actress was also wearing Siero's T-shirt in the drama. LEEZ Department Store wants to provide these merchandises to New Yorkers who loves the K-POP culture but cannot pay a visit to Korea to purchase those items.

Actors Lee Min Ho and Kim Soo-Hyun were both seen wearing the same Siero coat, you could just imagine what a well-known brand it is in South Korea.

LEEZ also carries cosmetic brands like ClubClio and Siero Cosmetics, where customers can purchase sheet masks and Korean skincare products for their beauty routine.

The jewelry line, MZUU, worn by celebrity like Park Si Yeon is also available in store. This brand has appeared in magazines like Vogue, Elle, Marie Claire, Bazaar and Allure. All designs are personally created by the head designer of the company and only have limited availability.

With three floors filled with various designer brands, LEEZ Department Store caters to a wide variety of customers.

Mark your calendar! LEEZ Department Store's Grand Opening Celebration is from June 27th to June 29th which is located on 37 Trinity Pl. New York, NY 10006. Fashion bloggers, designers and celebrities will be present! Go and join the festivities!
Associated Bank plans to start construction of its new bank at 728 Williams St. in August, and be ready to open sometime in spring 2018, according to Andrew Kerr of Rinka Chung Architecture, Milwaukee.

The bank came to the Lake Geneva Plan Commission on Monday for a zoning map amendment, to combine two lots and for a conditional use permit.

The commission recommended approval of all three requests, which now goes to the city council for approval.

The bank property, just south of Marshall Street on the west side of Williams, abuts residential property to the west and is next to the Kwik Trip gas station/convenience store to the south.

Associated Bank is acquiring the former Clark gas station property which Kwik Trip now owns and will also buy the neighboring duplex to the west and raze it to make room for its parking lot.

Candice Kirchberg, a Marshall Street resident, got up during the public hearing on the rezoning and said Associated Bank did a good job of addressing residential neighbors concerns with a 20-foot rear set back (only 10 feet is required) and landscaping to screen residential properties from noise and car lights.

The site was originally two lots, 728 Williams St. and 916 Marshall St. The Williams property was zoned general business, the Marshall lot was zoned residential.

Neighborhood business

The new owners requested that the two properties be zoned neighborhood business and then combined into one lot. Neighborhood business zoning is intended for small scale office and professional services, according to city planning documents.

The new lot has an existing dwelling and garage, both of which will be razed. The 29,825-square-foot property, a little more than six-tenths of an acre, will be large enough to accommodate a 5,000-square-foot building, parking lot and a drive-thru.

Associated Bank, West Allis, first approached the plan commission in March with a concept plan for a bank with a drive-thru.

The commission responded favorably to the banks proposal. The city planner also pointed out that neighborhood business zoning for the area is recommended in the citys comprehensive plan.

Associated Bank also needs approval of a conditional use permit to install a drive-thru.

On the three votes to recommend the zoning change, unification of the lots and the conditional use permit, only Commissioner John Gibbs voted no.

No green space

Later, Gibbs explained that he had nothing against Associated Bank but was disappointed that the former Clark station site did not become a local park, green space or meeting area.

Kwik Trip had originally planned to donate the land to the city for public use. During the March meeting, Commissioner Sarah Hill said that Kwik Trip backed away from the land donation later.

But it doesnt seem the city may have been too eager to take over the property.

At the same March meeting, Alderman Doug Skates, who sits on both the plan commission and the park board, said the proposed pocket park really didnt fit into the citys park plan.
Severin Safari Camp, Kenya Review - A Polished Haven In The Jungle

Severin Safari Camp is located in the heart of Tsavo West, which, together with its sister park Tsavo East, comprise the biggest national park in Kenya, and one of the largest in all of Africa.

Though I have been to Kenya a few times, I had never stayed in this area before. The drive in is framed in places by overhanging palms and verdant plants, like you are entering a new kingdom.

Before the first trip to Kenya, I imagined it to be jungle-like and lush. Instead I discovered it tends to be arid and dry and dusty - especially in the peak tourist season, the summer.

Well, now I have found the mecca of beauty in Tsavo West! Lush green trees, shrubs and grass extend as far as the eye can see, dotted with rich, red dirt. The brush is so thick it keeps the animals fat and quenched. This is the scenery you meet when you enter from the main gateway near the town of Voi, off the Mombasa road.

In the distance are green hills of beauty, called the Five Sisters, which are wonderful to see, looking like breasts rising out of the ground. In the background you see through the clouds the peak of Mount Kilimanjaro, second largest mountain in Africa.

There are lava fields from the Kilimanjaro eruption of two hundred thousand years ago. There are rivers and creeks.

Having just been driven down from Tsavo East - where it is still somewhat dry even though we are at the end of the rainy season - it has been a pleasure to experience expansive lushness and the green.

I am told that even in the dry season, Tsavo West keeps most of its flourishing greenery.

Like a beautiful jewel in the jungle, Severin Safari Camp welcomes you. Here the ancient Kilimanjaro lava is used artistically to line the roadways to the entrance. It is also used decoratively throughout the camp.

When you enter the main lobby and restaurant of Severin Camp, you are greeted with a wet towel to wipe off the dirt from the road, along with some lovely passion-fruit juice. Just past reception is a lounge area and a bar, as well as a small waterfall filled with gorgeous yellow weaver birds busy building nests on the large palm fronds.

These pretty little birds are not in a cage and are free to fly out to the trees outside the patio, and they sometimes do. But they seem to love their beautiful little niche near the bar. In the weaver bird world, it is the males who make nests to attract females. The female can choose from among them the one she likes best. These tiny males labor night and day to attract their mates.

Keep going straight and you enter the large open-air dining area, with tall thatched ceilings, where every table looks out onto the greenery and nature outside. You are told you are entitled to a four-course meal, And, oh yes, there is a vegetarian menu, too. Swahili gourmet dishes are a favorite on the menu. I found them to be scrumptious.

Watering holes have been placed strategically near trees outside the dining room, and also outside each tent cottage, for maximum viewing of animals.

To add to the luxury and relaxation of your stay, there is an inviting swimming pool and also a lovely young masseuse waiting to give you a special treatment - a Balinese relaxing massage. There is also gym equipment set up in a thatched hut just meters away.

The amazing array of birds that make their home on the Severin grounds will astound even the most casual observer. They sing to you in the morning, calling you back to nature with dozens of vibrant sounds. This is a chorus you love to hear! Surely, it is the most wonderful way to wake up. I wish I could identify them all. Birders who come here are in heaven.

Though all the staff are local, Severin Camp is owned and managed by German hosts - and the German style is known for being thorough and conscientious. When I met one of the managers, Manja, the first things she asked were, Is everything good? Is the room clean? Well, yes and yes! There are dozens of workers all day long cleaning both inside and out. They also make up and turn down the beds.

After dark, someone from the camp will always accompany you to the dining area since there is no fence to keep out wild animals. All animals are welcome here. There is even have a security button in your room and a whistle - just in case one wants to visit!

It is wonderful to see so much grass, plants and trees - food and water for the wild ones. But Im wondering if the dense brush makes the animals a bit harder for a human to find. Since this area is so lush and has rivers and streams, and since it is not yet the dry season, the animals have little need to visit the water holes at this time of year (late May).

On our drives around the camp, we have spotted monkeys, buffalo, waterbuck, gnu, impalas, gazelle, baboons, giraffes, and lots of zebras. I am told there are elephants nearby. Perhaps we will spot them tomorrow.

You can go on safari drives, or you can just relax on the grounds and soak in the beauty, living safely among the wild ones. Severin Safari Camp is a luxury vacation destination, and yet it is also dedicated to having something for everyone. Besides the lovely first-class tents which actually look and feel more like cottages, there are also other options.

Just a bit down the road, some smaller bandas, called Kitani cabins, are part of the grounds. There can be self-catering for those, mostly for locals who want to spend a weekend in nature and cook their own food. If those guests choose, they can buy food or have food prepared in their cabins by staff members. They could even choose to buy dinner in the main dining hall, as well as having access to the pool, gym, masseuse and conference tent.

Severin Camp is a tradition in Tsavo West. The history here is amazing. Im told that on Queen Elizabeths last trip to Kenya before she became queen, she stayed in one of the bandas at Severin Camp. It was here that she learned her father died and she would ascend the throne!

To accommodate the huge staff at the camp, a separate little village monjitta has been created with rooms, bar and TV room for hanging out, as well as lots of workshops for tailoring, auto mechanics and vast storage - everything to keep the camp self sustaining and the staff happy too.

And yet the rates at the camp and for park usage are a bit lower than in some of other more famous parks.

I was thrilled to discover this gem. This is definitely a vacation spot worth exploring as a relaxing and gorgeous haven in nature.

Georja Umano is an journaiist, actor and animal advocate. All photos are by Georja Umano.

go to:

Severin Safari Camp

P.O. Box 82169

Mombasa 80100

Kenia

Tel.: +254 41 2111 000, + 254 41 2004153/4,

+254 722284682

Fax +254 41 2111 624



Email: sales[at]severinsafaricamp.com

Severin Safari Camp is part of the The Out Of Africa Collection. A collection of chic eco luxury camps covering most Kenyan National Parks.
People have been asking Ana Lily Amirpour to explain herself a lot lately with the release of The Bad Batch, a psychedelic cannibal Western in which societys undesirables are kicked out through a Texas border wall and left to wander the unforgiving wasteland. But answers dont come easily with the gory quasi-love story that won Amirpour the special jury prize at the Venice Film Festival last year.

Its like having been deeply in love with somebody, and then two years later going to a wedding as their date and everybody in your families are confused by why youre not together anymore, the filmmaker explains with a wide grin, her eyes lighting up as she runs with the metaphor. Because you do love them, and you did, madly and deeply.

Sipping a cappuccino in her West Hollywood home, an airy converted duplex stylishly appointed with Banksy and Gregory Crewdson art books, a custom two-seater Atari cocktail console and an enviable collection of movies and pop culture ephemera, Amirpour has been mulling the strangeness of transporting herself back in time to the emotions that swirled as she made The Bad Batch, the striking follow-up to her 2014 Iranian vampire indie hit debut, A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night.

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Characters maim, murder and munch on each other while pumping iron and blasting Ace of Base in Amirpours dystopian vision of America. They seek solace where they can find it, in makeshift families or under the rave-cult thrall of a sleazy Keanu Reeves. The film opens on Arlen, the sulking young heroine played by British actress Suki Waterhouse, whos spit out by the system and quickly captured by cannibals, leading her to make irrevocable decisions as she thirsts for revenge against those whove wronged her.

I consider my feelings my job. Im led into all these things Im exploring by my feelings.  Ana Lily Amirpour

The film, currently in limited release and also available on demand, pokes and prods its way through its sun-baked Jodorowskian hellscape, reluctant to offer easy moral justification for the bad things wrought by this batch of discarded souls. As an artist, Amirpour says, she is driven by feeling, even as inspiration comes from the harsh realities she sees in the world around her.

Im interested in the intersection of reality and fantasy, says Amirpour, who found parallels to the isolated communities of Bad Batch outside her own door in Los Angeles. She started writing it while editing A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night, spending time with locals in downtown L.A.s Skid Row and the off-the-grid community of Slab City in the Salton Sea.

Filming in 2015, she cast Bombay Beach-area locals to play residents of her desert oasis town, Comfort, alongside an unrecognizable Jim Carrey, who plays a vagrant samaritan living on the fringes of an already fringe sub-society.

This notion of people that are getting systemically pushed into corners, it can be as literal or as metaphorical as someone needs it to be, she says. Id go downtown and wander around 6th Street; it looks just like a refugee community.

I get confused when people say [The Bad Batch] is post-apocalyptic, because where are you looking? Where is your attention focused? I see homeless people. Every single person that lives on the street, I cannot not see them. But I feel that people habitually dont see them.

The films emotional imperative, on the other hand, sprang from Amirpours own life. It was a broken heart, she says, pausing. A big broken heart. I felt like I would never feel that feeling again. If only a fortune teller could tell you, No no, youre totally going to be good in 2017 imagine how different that would be! But I was feeling very alone, and very grim about it.

An image of Arlen, discarded by society and mutilated by her peers, popped into her brain. I thought of that girl in the desert, chopped up, bleeding, in pain, barely alive, says Amirpour, but she was going to live. And she was going to live. That was the beginning of the story.

Ana Lily Amirpour made her directorial debut with the acclaimed indie horror film A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times)

Born in the U.K., Amirpour moved to America with her Iranian parents, bounced around both coasts, and spent her formative years in Bakersfield, the arid oil capital of California. She was the only Iranian kid in her class in a town where the polluted desert, the mall, country rednecks and Mexican gangs were my reality.

Skate culture beckoned, and later gave her the idea of making Girl, a movie about a bloodsucking chador-clad heroine on a skateboard; so did the music of 90s West Coast rappers like Ice Cube, and movies shed watch with her father: Bullitt, The French Connection, Dirty Harry, High Plains Drifter.

Girl, her first film and a moody black-and-white, Persian-language genre piece, made a splash at Sundance and sold shortly thereafter, heralding Amirpour as a visionary feminist voice, a welcome new presence on the indie genre scene, and a rare female director of color in an industry dominated by older white men.

Her films, while aesthetically divergent, share the same pastiche-loving auteurist flair and center on isolated heroines straining to survive in the vicious worlds theyre born into. On her DVD shelf, copies of Miami Blues and True Romance are sandwiched between no fewer than seven  seven  Anna Nicole Smith documentaries in a stack of DVDs. I am deeply obsessed with her, Amirpour smiles.

I cant speak for all filmmakers, but Id guess that they all want for you to answer the questions.  Ana Lily Amirpour

On the set of The Bad Batch, the energetic Amirpour was an absolute predator for the cause, ready to go, always wearing some bonkers costume, remembers Waterhouse. Shes got those big giant chocolate eyes that just stare through you and look into your soul. Shes a breath of fresh air to be around.

But Amirpour can be also be confounding to viewers seeking understanding of her work beyond whats onscreen. Her films offer rich and loaded images, and sparse dialogue to explain them. As an artist, shes more determined to ask questions than answer them.

When you say something, it makes something more certain  and we strip away a lot of certainty by not speaking a lot [in the film], Waterhouse said.

[Arlen] is mad at the system in which these people live. Shes had her limbs taken away. Shes been dismembered by these people. With the truth of seeing things how they are, comes a lot of discomfort.

An aversion to answers is partly how Amirpour found herself at the center of controversy over the intersection of race and violence at a Chicago Q&A during the Bad Batch press tour. When an audience member challenged her over the brutal violence that black characters in the film suffer, she answered: Just because I give you something to look at, doesnt mean Im telling you what to see. Criticism of the exchange spilled onto social media, sparking backlash so sharp it drove her off Twitter.

Addressing the Bad Batch controversy, Amirpour reiterates that the choices she made every step of the way were deliberate  and not meant to offend, but to spark deeper examination.

I consider my feelings my job. Im led into all these things Im exploring by my feelings. I believe what I say, I believe in asking difficult questions through art and through these stories and through these characters, she says.

Im an Iranian immigrant from another country. Im brown! And I grew up and fought my way to my life, working really hard to do what I do and be where I am. I dont have any concept of how it would be possible for someone to misunderstand me as an enemy of anybody.

She says she is asking tough questions in The Bad Batch, even as she resists answering them herself. Can one horrible action justify another? Can you break out of your system? Does everything we do originate out of our social conditioning?

Right now its one superhero movie after another [where] the fate of Earth all depends on one superhero, there are good guys and bad guys. Thats not what I see outside my door. I feel like we all need to take a look at how we treat each other, says Amirpour.

She smiles. Lionel Richie  do you know who he wrote that song Hello about? she asks. Do you need to? Its pure feeling theres something about that song that cuts my gut open.

I cant speak for all filmmakers, but Id guess that they all want for you to answer the questions. Amirpour says shes more interested in talking to people about what they respond to in her films, discovering what questions difficult scenes inspire in them, than explaining her own intentions.

And as a filmmaker courting controversy in the Internet age, she laughs, shes a bit envious of pop idols like Lionel Richie and Michael Jackson, creators behind some of the most powerful music in history  whose songs, unlike certain challenging art films, get to speak for themselves. Oh, those lucky musicians.

jen.yamato@latimes.com

@jenyamato
Hello! Im Mark Olsen, and welcome to another edition of your regular field guide to a world of Only Good Movies.

Some of the most exciting movies so far this year have opened this weekend, and oddly enough they have titles all starting with the letter B  The Big Sick, The Beguiled and The Bad Batch. In their own way, each grapples with what audiences can want and expect from modern movies.

There are also two movies opening Wednesday that are likewise among my favorites of the year, Bong Joon Hos Okja and Edgar Wrights Baby Driver. There will be reviews and more for both in next weeks newsletter, but for now a pair of teaser/previews.

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Justin Chang talked to Bong, the South Korean filmmaker with his own idiosyncratic take on genre. Bong talked about the multi-lingual, cross-cultural storytelling of Okja by saying: I wanted a feeling of bewilderment: How can a person from one universe come into contact with a person from another?

And I talked to Wright about Baby Driver  another B-titled movie!  and the British-born filmmakers idiosyncratic take on genre. In the movie, a young getaway driver meets a girl and hopes to strike out on his own. I did like the idea of starting the film with the fantasy of being a getaway driver and ending it with the nightmare of being a criminal, Wright said.

We have two very exciting screening events coming up in July, with some guests we have been wanting to talk to for quite some time. For updates on future events, go to events.latimes.com.

The Big Sick

One of the biggest hits of this years Sundance Film Festival, The Big Sick is written by Kumail Nanjiani and Emily V. Gordon based on their real-life relationship. Nanjiani stars in the film alongside Zoe Kazan in a contemporary rom-com about family, tradition and medical emergencies.

Reviewing the film for The Times, Justin Chang wrote: Conventionality is a funny thing, though (and so, for that matter, is The Big Sick). The beats and patterns of the average American comedy can often feel as moribund as those of, say, the noisy, CGI-encumbered superhero epic. But as Wonder Woman recently demonstrated, all it takes is the savvy adjustment of a single element  not necessarily limited to the protagonists gender or ethnicity, though there are worse places to start  for something straightforward to look positively radical.

The Times Jen Yamato spoke to Nanjiani and Gordon and asked them a few pieces of relationship advice. The two spoke about the realization that they didnt see everything the same. As Gordon said, We literally had different emotional experiences of the same events in our lives. Sometimes he would remember more details and sometimes I would remember more because they were more salient to me. But it was always the emotional radius of events that wed agree or disagree about.

And how we experienced them, added Nanjiani. Some things, Id be like, That was such a great memory! and shed say, No  I was miserable! There was a lot of that.

Reviewing the film for the New York Times, Manohla Dargis said: Comedy is said to be hard; mostly, I think, by comics. Romantic comedy is apparently even tougher, at least from recent onscreen evidence. Few filmmakers know how to fit contemporary men and women, straight or gay, into narrative forms that were developed once upon a time. In The Big Sick, Mr. Nanjiani and Ms. Gordon vault over that hurdle with openness and delight, revitalizing an often moribund subgenre with a true story of love, death and the everyday comedy of being a 21st-century American.

At Vulture, Emily Yoshida said: The best thing you can say about The Big Sick is that having Kumail Nanjiani as a romantic lead is maybe the 11th most remarkable thing about it. Say what you will about producer Judd Apatow, but his rambling house style is a universal normalizer; five minutes in, youll swear The Big Sick is the 28th Pakistani American girlfriend-in-a-coma romantic-comedy-drama youve seen.

Sofia Coppola in Beverly Hills. (Christina House / For The Times)

The Beguiled

Sofia Coppola won the best director prize at Cannes for The Beguiled, her counterpoint adaptation of the same novel that was the source for a 1971 Don Siegel/Clint Eastwood film. In Coppolas film, Nicole Kidman, Kirsten Dunst and Elle Fanning are among the inhabitants of a Southern all-womens school fending for themselves during the Civil War when a wounded Union soldier arrives among them. Just as if Colin Farrell showed up at your door one day, much emotional intrigue and sexual tension ensue.

Reviewing for The Times, Justin Chang wrote: There is more to Coppolas moody sorcery than an eye for fine embroidery and Antebellum real estate. Films as unique and vivid as Lost in Translation, Marie Antoinette and Somewhere have established the director as a quietly meticulous observer of individuals in enclosed environments, and here she once more displays uncanny patience and intuition, letting the story rise and fall on the subtlest shifts in emotional temperature.

The Times Amy Kaufman spoke to Coppola and Dunst about their ongoing collaboration. Coppola talked about how she sees the project as different from her previous films.

This was kind of an experiment, and I liked trying a different style of filmmaking, Coppola says. Ive never used a lot of dialogue before, because in real life, people dont express themselves that way. They show things through gesture. Nobody can show their feelings. I try to make things based on my impression of how they are in life, which is not as tidy and organized. More impressionistic, to give you the feeling of something.

At the New York Times, A.O. Scott called the film a study in moods and implications, picking up difficult, volatile themes and then carefully putting them down again, adding a fairy tale but you could also describe it as a horror movie, a quasi-Western and a revenge melodrama, perhaps too many things at once. Most effectively, though  and largely thanks to Ms. Kidmans regal, witty performance  its a comedy, a country-house farce about the problems caused by an inconvenient guest.

At Buzzfeed, Alison Willmore gave voice to the growing counter-response to the films depiction, or lack thereof, of race in the Civil War-era South. Its more than frustrating that The Beguiled is so adroit about the pageantry of privilege when it comes to gender and so negligent in treating race as something separable In a film that is so explicitly about white femininity, this omission doesnt feel like the skipping of a topic too significant to be done justice to  it feels instead like willful blindness.

In an essay at The Daily Beast, Ira Madison III also addressed the issue, writing that Coppola has been our foremost raconteuse of Caucasian stories, from Marie Antoinette to Lost in Translation to the aforementioned Virgin Suicides. There are plenty of people who could tackle a black female slaves inclusion in a story like The Beguiled, but Coppola is the last person you should ever want it from. In an era where we can now task black filmmakers with telling our own stories, like Ava DuVernay, Steve McQueen, and Barry Jenkins, why should we have white filmmakers depict black bodies in situations as harsh as the Antebellum South?

Actress Suki Waterhouse, left, and director Ana Lily Amirpour, from the film The Bad Batch, photographed in the L.A. Times photo studio at the 41st Toronto International Film Festival (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

The Bad Batch

Writer-director Ana Lily Amirpour was invited to join the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences after only one feature film, the vampire Western A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night. Her new film, The Bad Batch, is a psychedelic, apocalyptic tale of a young woman (Suki Waterhouse) facing down a harsh and unforgiving world. The movie also features Jason Mamoa, Keanu Reeves and Jim Carrey.

The movie is designed in no small part to shock and provoke, and among those who did not entirely respond to it is our own Justin Chang. In his review for The Times he wrote, As a politically barbed fantasy, The Bad Batch is intriguing but facile; as a bid for cult-classic status, its strained and self-conscious (though it is fun to see Reeves pimping and Jim Carrey slumming as a mute vagrant). Amirpour has vision to burn, and inside this not-so-bad batch of splendid atmospherics and half-baked ideas is a leaner, sharper movie trying to chew its way out.

Jen Yamato spoke to Amirpour for a story publishing soon. The filmmaker said by way of forewarning audiences, Its The Bad Batch. Its not The Medium Batch. Its gnarly.

In her review of the film, Amy Nicholson at MTV News compared the film to Amirpours debut feature when she wrote, Amirpour has ambitions bigger than the art house. She wants to make big, colorful blockbusters too, and The Bad Batch feels like an audition reel to take over Mad Max if George Miller ever hands over the keys. A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night could only have been made by her, a director whod dream up a bloodsucker gliding on a skateboard in a batwing chador. Bad Batch is more generic, but only by comparison. Amirpours brutal, sunbaked Western still feels like a gateway drug to her brain.

And here is Amirpour in conversation with Rian Johnson, director of the upcoming Star Wars: The Last Jedi, for the Talkhouse podcast.

Email me if you have questions, comments or suggestions, and follow me on Twitter @IndieFocus.

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Sitting inside a pen with artificial grass at the Wallis Annenberg PetSpace, a new animal adoption center in Playa Vista, Jane Prather gave her husband a slight nod. He knew what she meant.

Well adopt him, Prather quietly told an adoption specialist kneeling next to her, referring to a 9-year-old Labrador mix named Harry sprawled in front of them.

The Redondo Beach couple had been anxiously looking for a new addition to the family since losing three of their dogs this year  two to a car accident and one that had to be put down.

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Hes basically everything we want  mellow, adult, trained, gets along with kids, likes to walk, said Prather, her voice resonating with relief. Theres something special about coming home and having a dog wait for you.

Over a dozen dogs and cats were adopted during Saturdays opening of PetSpace, the brainchild of Wallis Annenberg, the CEO and president of the Annenberg Foundation. Besides facilitating adoptions, PetSpace will also include educational programming on how to care for pets and will produce scientific research focused on the human-animal bond.

Located on Bluff Creek Drive in Silicon Beach, the 30,000-square-foot facility houses more than 80 dogs, cats and rabbits from the Los Angeles Countys Department of Animal Care and Control shelters. About 30 staff members and more than 100 volunteers work at PetSpace, which will be open Wednesdays through Sundays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. with free admission.

We know that pets make us feel good, said Jackie Ott Jaakola, the senior manager of community outreach and partnerships, explaining that the facility will have a Sunday reading program where children can sit down with a book and an animal. Youre hanging out, youre petting a dog or a cat and reading to them. Theyre captivated and so are you, and you just kind of find the joy in that.

During Saturdays opening, a large barking and tongue-wagging mechanical dog perched on the second floor greeted families streaming into PetSpace. On the ground level, visitors read animal adoption stories displayed on panels or explored a huge touch screen wall announcing upcoming events.

But the animals were the main attraction. Visitors snuggled with cats and rabbits housed inside quiet rooms or goggled at dogs showcased in their own private glass suites. Interactive digital screens next to each suite carried personal information about the pets up for adoption and potential owners could request an appointment with adoption specialists to find the right match. Adoptions carry an $80 fee.

Whats your lifestyle like? What time commitment do you have? Well have a pretty extensive conversation, said J.J. Rawlinson, the facilitys animal care manager and veterinarian. We really take time to get to know the animals.

PetSpace also includes a Leadership Institute with 16 research fellows  experts in different academic fields  who will write a white paper on the science behind the human-animal bond. The team will take a multidisciplinary approach, studying the genetics of domesticated animals and parallels between human and animal disease, among other subjects.

This whole notion of the human-animal bond goes so much deeper than how you choose a pet, said Eric Strauss, a biology professor at Loyola Marymount University and the research papers lead author. Were bonded emotionally through our pets. But were also bonded ecologically, medically and economically. I think thats the real genesis of a new science here.

The facility partnered with organizations across the city to develop its programming, which will also include higher education workshops on human-animal relationships. Its working with the California Science Center to create a 9,000-square-foot exhibit on dogs that will open in 2019.

Allison Cardona, deputy director of operations for Los Angeles Countys Department of Animal Care and Control, said PetSpace will provide medical resources, such as aqua therapy, that are not available in all shelters.

Sometimes people dont want to come to our care shelters because they think it might be sad or that animals are damaged, she said. The truth is the opposite. Many are wonderful animals.

Madeline Bernstein, the president of spcaLA, a nonprofit animal welfare group, said the facilitys approach of combining adoption with education about spaying, neutering and grooming is essential for improving the shelter system.

[It affects] the kind of commitment youre making if you end up having that pet for the rest of that pets life, she said. The more people know about vaccines and herd health, the more they protect other animals that they come in contact with.

Before arriving, many families had perused PetSpaces website, which highlights some of the dogs up for adoption. Paola Guastini from Mar Vista had found three dogs she was interested in, but an adoption specialist recommended another dog to her that could get along with her female alpha dog. Even before meeting the potential pet, Guastinis son thought it was already a perfect match.

I just hope hes not adopted, said Theo Karlin, 10, clapping his hands with excitement.

His mother gently tried to assure him.

This is the first day and they said they had a lot of dogs, she reminded him, smiling.

leila.miller@latimes.com

Twitter: @leilamillersays
The president of the civilian panel that oversees the Los Angeles Police Department said he will direct the LAPDs watchdog to review its cadet program, the latest inquiry stemming from a series of disturbing allegations involving the long-championed youth program.

Matt Johnson, the head of the Police Commission, said he would ask Inspector General Alex Bustamante to look into how the LAPD recruits and supervises its teenage cadets, as well as how the department oversees the program in general.

The goal, Johnson said, is to ensure that this incident is an exception and not a systematic failure.

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He was referring to the recent arrest of a 31-year-old officer accused of having a sexual relationship with a 15-year-old cadet, allegations that surfaced after seven teenage cadets were arrested on suspicion of stealing police cars and other equipment.

Chief Charlie Beck quickly ordered a top-to-bottom review of the cadet program, along with the systems the department uses to check out and track the equipment used by officers. City Councilman Mitch Englander called for an audit of all LAPD youth programs, questioning how the LAPD supervises relations between minors and the officers who mentor them.

A review by the inspector general would allow the five-person Police Commission to publicly discuss the findings  and potentially take action. Johnson said he would also ask the inspector general to look specifically at the departments equipment rooms and how police gear is secured and tracked. He said he would ask LAPD brass for a public presentation in the coming weeks on those procedures.

Johnson noted that Beck had pledged a full investigation, assigning some of the LAPDs top detectives to handle the case.

I am confident that he will get to the bottom of this and ensure all responsible parties, especially supervisors, are held fully accountable, Johnson said. The Police Commission will be tracking this closely.

Bustamante confirmed he would conduct an investigation.

Another commissioner, Cynthia McClain-Hill, said she would rely on the chief and the inspector general to help understand how the alleged acts occurred and to find ways to prevent such problems in the future. It was too soon to know exactly how to do that, she said, but the Police Commission  as well as the LAPD  was committed to helping the cadet program flourish in the years to come.

It sparks outrage, inspires sadness  but also resolve, she said in an interview. Every member of this department is outraged at these allegations and feel resolve on behalf of these young people in this program to keep their heads high and continue down the path that theyve chosen.

The case exploded a week and a half ago, when three cadets were caught driving two stolen police cars. As police investigated how and why the teenagers took the cars, they uncovered details that continued to stun the department.

The cadets had allegedly taken more equipment: police radios, Tasers, a bulletproof vest and a cruiser that had been missing for at least two weeks. Four more cadets were arrested. Investigators learned the teens had pulled over at least one person while in a stolen police car, warning the driver before letting them go.

Last week, perhaps the most explosive accusation surfaced: Officer Robert Cain was accused of having sex with one of the cadets suspected in the thefts. Beck personally handcuffed Cain Thursday morning. Later, investigators found more than 100 guns inside the officers home, raising more questions.

Cain has not yet been charged. The officer remains free on bail and is scheduled to appear in court next month.

Police officials have expressed an array of emotions in the whirlwind week and a half: disgust at Cains alleged acts. Disappointment in the cadets accused of stealing. But also a continued support for the 2,000-plus teenagers currently enrolled in the cadet program  including those caught up in the scandal.

Johnson, McClain-Hill and another commissioner, Steve Soboroff, expressed similar sentiments: If the allegations against Cain prove true, they said, he should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. But they softened when talking about the teenagers who had been arrested.

I am deeply disappointed in the actions of these seven individuals. Their actions were dangerous and could have had disastrous consequences, Johnson said. That said, it is important to remember that they are kids.

They were and continue to be young people, McClain-Hill said. I would support counseling, diversion and whatever other methods that we may have to mitigate the damage that theyve done and to give them an opportunity to build the kinds of lives that brought them to the cadet program in the first place.

Soboroff called it a seminal moment for the teens.

Theyre at a fork in the road, he said. I hope they pick the right way. If they do, Im first in line to try to help.

kate.mather@latimes.com
Muslims across Southern California marked the end of the holy month of Ramadan on Sunday, breaking a month of fasting with prayers and celebrations.

Eid al-Fitr, Islams second holiest holiday, began this weekend and is observed for up to three days. The festival is a chance for the community to celebrate after a month of abstaining from eating, drinking and other sensual pleasures as a way to improve moral character.

Eid is a joyous time for all Muslims to be grateful for what we have, said Dr. Ahsan M. Khan, president of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community Los Angeles East Chapter. It is a time for us to celebrate peace on Earth, engage in service to others and rejoice in the bounties provided by God.

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Muslims gather at Middle Ground Muslim Center to offer Eid al-Fitr prayers Sunday in Upland. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)

About 500,000 Muslims live in Southern California, with more than 120,000 in Orange County, the second-largest population of Muslims in the United States.

At Angel Stadium in Anaheim on Sunday, more than 15,000 worshippers donned their finest outfits and gathered on the infield grass for prayers and festivities. During Eid, it is customary to visit friends and families and greet each other with the phrase Eid Mubarak, which means blessed holiday.

At the Islamic Center of South Bay, families were treated to a community breakfast before gathering at the Mulligan Family Fun Center for an outdoor celebration that included go-kart riding and rock climbing. The Islamic Center of the San Gabriel Valley hosted an array of food vendors after prayers.

In Upland, hundreds of Muslims from different nationalities and ethnic backgrounds gathered for morning prayers at the Middle Ground Muslim Center. An evening celebration was planned at the King Fahad Mosque in Culver City while more than 1,000 congregants were expected to gather for morning prayers on Monday at Baitul Hameed Mosque in Chino.

About 500,000 Muslims live in Southern California. Above, worshippers at Middle Ground Muslim Center. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)

Breaking with a tradition that began in 1996, President Trump did not host an iftar dinner at the White House this year. In the past, the dinner has been attended by leaders of the U.S. Muslim community.

Instead, Trump and First Lady Melania issued a brief statement Saturday:

As [Muslims] commemorate Eid with family and friends, they carry on the tradition of helping neighbors and breaking bread with people from all walks of life. During this holiday, we are reminded of the importance of mercy, compassion, and goodwill. With Muslims around the world, the United States renews our commitment to honor these values.

But late last month, Trump issued a statement intended to mark the beginning of Ramadan that was condemned by members of the Muslim community because of its focus on terrorism. This is an excerpt from that statement:

This year, the holiday begins as the world mourns the innocent victims of barbaric terrorist attacks in the United Kingdom and Egypt, acts of depravity that are directly contrary to the spirit of Ramadan, according to the White House statement. Such acts only steel our resolve to defeat the terrorists and their perverted ideology.

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson also declined to host an Eid celebration this year, breaking a two-decade tradition of the department.

frank.shyong@latimes.com

Twitter: @frankshyong

UPDATES:

7:20 p.m.: This story was updated with new information about more holiday festivities.

This story was originally posted at 2:30 p.m.
A commercial fisherman pulled a live Asian carp out of a northern Illinois river last week about 9 miles from Lake Michigan, prompting a furious dragnet to determine whether more of the voracious fish have evaded electric barriers designed to keep them out of the Great Lakes.

The alarming discovery of an 8-pound, 28-inch adult silver carp comes as President Trump is proposing a federal budget that would gut funding for efforts to block Asian carp and other invasive species from the worlds largest body of fresh surface water.

The Trump administration also has refused to release a government study on new proposals to prevent carp from moving upstream from the Illinois River, where the fish already have wreaked havoc on the ecosystem.

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This is the second time a live Asian carp has been found beyond three barriers in the Sanitary and Ship Canal near Romeoville. The 2010 discovery of a bighead carp in Lake Calumet led to heated debates between Chicago-area business interests and officials in other Great Lakes states who tried unsuccessfully to force the closure of shipping locks that separate Lake Michigan from inland waterways.

Since then a multi-agency effort has focused on maintaining the barriers, checking for Asian carp in waterways and paying commercial fishermen to thin the population in the Illinois River. The roughly $5-million-a-year program is funded by the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, a bipartisan effort Trump is pushing to eliminate.

Officials cautioned Friday that the discovery of a lone fish past the electric barriers in the Calumet River isnt proof Asian carp are reproducing closer to Lake Michigan, or in the lake itself. They plan to conduct more intensive sampling during the next two weeks on both sides of the T.J. OBrien Lock and Dam on the Calumet River.

Its a little disturbing, but its not at a point where we would call this a catastrophic situation, said Charlie Wooley, Midwest deputy director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

The fish carcass will be analyzed at Southern Illinois University, where biologists should be able to determine by mid-July where the silver carp came from. The same lab determined the bighead carp caught in 2010 had spawned in Arkansas, leading officials to speculate it had arrived in the Chicago area in a shipment of farm-raised catfish and somehow made it into Lake Calumet.

Bighead and silver carp are two of the four types of Asian carp threatening the Great Lakes, largely because they eat massive amounts of plankton that walleye, perch, whitefish and other native species depend on during crucial stages of development. Silver carp have become YouTube sensations because boat motors cause them to leap high out the water, in some cases injuring passing boaters.

In this 2012 file photo, Asian carp, jolted by an electric current from a research boat, jump from the Illinois River near Havana, Ill. (John Flesher / Associated Press)

Since 2010, more than 5.5 million pounds of Asian carp have been pulled out of the Illinois River upstream from Starved Rock State Park, said Kevin Irons, aquatic nuisance species program manager at the Illinois Department of Natural Resources.

Members of Congress from other Great Lakes states have been pushing to permanently separate Lake Michigan from waterways that flow toward the Mississippi River.

Illinois and Chicago-area officials have blocked those efforts so far, leading government agencies to focus on a less-expensive overhaul of the Brandon Road Lock and Dam near Joliet. But the Trump administration has delayed making public a report on Asian carp defenses prepared by the Army Corps of Engineers.

One fish isnt a crisis, but it certainly raises a lot of questions, said Peter Annin, codirector of the Mary Griggs Burke Center for Freshwater Innovation at Northland College in Ashland, Wis. Do folks in the Trump administration really want to be the ones on watch when Asian carp finally make it into the Great Lakes?

Hawthorne writes for the Chicago Tribune.

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The big green and white truck hummed gently as a dozen washers and dryers on board sloshed and spun through their cycles. Every few minutes someone dropped off a bag of dirty clothes.

We are now averaging about 300 pounds of laundry per outing, said Marcus Harris. Sometimes clients bring in 10 loads at a time.

Harris, 57, captains the Laundry Truck, a 200-square-foot vehicle that cruises the city three times a week washing, drying and folding laundry for the homeless. The idea is simple enough  clean clothes improve health, morale and job prospects.

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Walking around in dirty clothes only furthers your feelings of being an outcast, he said. This is about basic human dignity.

Harris knows all about it. Hes a former felon and crack addict who spent years living on the streets before getting his life together. When his clothes got so rank he couldnt stand his own smell, hed stroll into a store, put on some new ones and walk out.

For the last few years, Denver has been grappling with an increasing homeless population. In 2016, some 3,631 people reported living without a home in Denver County.

Marcus Harris is outreach and laundry truck coordinator. He drives the truck and does the laundry for the homeless in Denver. (David Kelly / For The Times)

City officials and advocates for the homeless say skyrocketing housing costs, a booming economy and Denvers geographical location have helped fuel the increase. Others say the states legalization of marijuana has contributed to it as well.

The Laundry Truck, which washes clothes at no charge, is the latest in a series of innovative approaches the city and local nonprofits are taking toward homelessness. There are now sidewalk storage lockers, a mobile restroom program and a special court, to clear warrants, held inside a rescue mission.

A Tiny Home Village is scheduled to open this month, offering a dozen 8-by-12 houses for the homeless. The citys Central Library, a magnet for the homeless, employs two full-time social workers to address their needs.

The mayor has said we cant build our way out of this crisis, so we need to be more creative, said Scott Kerr of Bayaud Enterprises, a Denver nonprofit that operates the Laundry Truck.

The organizations executive director, David Henninger, said the one thing the homeless have in common is trauma, sometimes compounded by prison or unemployment. We are taking one more worry from them, he said.

The truck began life as a document-shredding vehicle. Kerr sensed it had potential. A mobile barber shop? Mobile showers? Mobile sleeping quarters?

After talking with advocates for the homeless, he hit upon the idea of a mobile laundromat.

But aside from a laundry truck in Australia and a much smaller one in Snohomish County, Wash., there was little expertise to draw upon.

You need 13,000 watts running through the truck to make it work, said Tim Reinen, executive director of Radian Inc., a nonprofit design group that worked with Bayaud on the truck. Then you have six dryers operating simultaneously at 120 degrees heated by propane.

And an 800-pound generator mounted underneath.

After several redesigns and $90,000 in donations, the truck hit the streets in April. Denver Water, a city utility, lets it hook up to fire hydrants for water and provides a meter to measure how much it uses. Since then the truck has washed 660 loads, or about 10,000 pounds of laundry.

Ideas like the Laundry Truck let us look at things in a different way, said Julie Smith, spokeswoman for the mayors Office of Housing and Opportunities for People Everywhere. Instead of telling people, Here are all the places you need to go, we say, Where are people currently and how do we bring services to them?

The Laundry Truck holds a dozen industrial washers and dryers and cruises the city of Denver doing laundry for the homeless for free. (David Kelly / For The Times)

The truck recently stopped across from Lincoln Park near downtown Denver, where many homeless gather. Harris hooked a hose to the hydrant and checked the pressure in the lines.

Jeremiah Lucero, 29, rode up on his bike. He became homeless when his mother died and now does day labor.

A lot of guys run out on their families, but I pay $320 a month in child support, he said. This laundry saves me money.

He sleeps in the park under a hedge.

A 71-year-old woman name Donna dropped off some clothes. A few years ago, the former radiology technician got sick and lost her job, and then her house. Home is now a Nissan Xterra crammed with her belongings. She parks near Denver International Airport, where she works.

Ive been in my car since 2014. I sleep in it, but I wouldnt say I live in it, she said. I go to the YWCA for showers. I get free meals at places for being a senior citizen.

She also poses as a guest to score free breakfasts at hotels.

I ate at Woolleys this morning  very high-end breakfast  sausages, yogurt, coffee, she said. I also like the Quality Inn, which has a great buffet.

Donna handed Harris her clothes and headed to the senior center for lunch.

Harris was born in Denver and adopted by a pharmacist and a schoolteacher. He attended an elite private school but dropped out of college. He eventually became addicted to drugs and wound up homeless in San Diego; Pasadena; Austin, Texas; and Denver. After spending time in prison for burglary, he found work and a new life at Bayaud.

Harris doesnt ask those bringing in laundry to prove theyre homeless. He sometimes parks in front of low-income schools and washes students clothes.

The best part of my job is hearing all of their stories, he said of his clients. Youd be surprised by how many work and have advanced degrees or were once homeowners.

Once on the streets, they learn to live by their wits. Some break the law in the process.

A young man in a new T-shirt and khakis admitted to shoplifting when he ran out of clean clothes. In fact, he said, he had stolen the very clothes he was wearing.

I keep the stealing under $50, he said. I dont think they really care if its under $200.

Anthony Ruiz, 61, sat in a plastic chair and watched people pick up and drop off laundry. He cried when asked whether he wanted to have anything washed.

This is all I got, he said, tugging at his dirty clothes.

His fingernails looked like they had been chewed almost to the cuticles. Circular patches of skin were missing from his brown, leathery arms. He blamed the wounds on spiders in the grass where he slept.

Ruiz was one of 16 kids. He became homeless seven years ago after his wife died. He admits drinking too much but says hell probably never stop.

I live in the alley back there now, he said. Thats how it is.

Harris walked over and offered to find him some new clothes.

Kelly is a special correspondent.

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Twice Ive seen fanaticism at work. Now I see the signs a third time.

I was born in Tehran to a Muslim family. When I was 6, we traveled to London to see my grandmother and returned home as Christians. Then, for three years in Isfahan, I attended school in a head scarf that obscured my neck and hair, my lanky body draped in a shapeless gray manteau. I often boasted that I had accepted Christ a week before my mother had, that it was my freethinking ways that had led us here. I reveled in being different, a persecuted minority, bound in spirit with the first Christians who died for their faith.

In those days, in our underground church, we often talked about indoctrination and cults, because we believed Islam to be a cult. Their prayers are memorized lines of Arabic, we said. Its all ritual. And they trust whatever the mullahs say. Our pastors condemned the maddening tactics of the state  the single sanctioned news source, the depiction of the West as the Great Satan, the suppression of the arts, the seemingly random enforcement of morality laws, and the deference to the great charismatic leader, Khomeini. We marveled at how the Islamic state used fear to suppress and control and how we, the dissenters, the persecuted, the believers, were the ones who had chosen freely. We had the open eyes, the hearts attuned to truth, the direct line to God.

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My evangelical group at an Ivy League university assaulted my individuality, identity and self-esteem as surely as my state-run school in Iran.

In my state girls school in Isfahan, I saw that the church leaders were right. We children were forced to stand in perfect lines each morning chanting our loyalty to the state, to the Ayatollah. We strained our little lungs  Death to Israel! Death to America!  unaware of who we were cursing, or the meaning of death. When I tried to opt out of weekly religion classes, two teachers held me in the schoolyard for hours. They were both Basij Sisters, members of the volunteer militia, their main function to catch out other women. They warned me of all that could happen to me and to my family if I persisted in calling myself a Christian. My mother would be jailed. She would be beaten and killed.

When I was 8, my mother, brother, and I escaped Iran. We lived for two years as refugees, then we were sent to an Oklahoma suburb where we attended church every Sunday. At 10 I stood unquestioning and determined in a circle of women and girls, our heads down, hands gripped tight on both sides, as the women begged the Lord to grant the girls the gift of Tongues. In less than an hour, the other two girls had achieved this strange ecstasy. The women told me that I simply did not believe enough. How could I believe more, I wondered.

As a teenager, I was invited to attend a retreat called Chrysalis, a gender-segregated event that my friends praised as a transformative spiritual experience. When we arrived, our bags and watches were taken from us and we learned that Chrysalis had its own units of time measured by the space between two fingers. We were disoriented, an effect amplified by the removal of all natural light and a constant supply of caffeine and sugar. We returned to our beds to find that our bags had been unpacked for us, our pajamas and toiletries arranged on the bed in an unsettling performance of care. The weekend was full of confessions and hints at kinship and group identity designed to make us cry. No one was outraged.

At Princeton, I joined Campus Crusade for Christ, a group that took out full-page anti-choice ads in the campus paper, then used the rhetoric of the persecuted religious minority to defend itself  these people thought they were in some underground church, like the one in Isfahan, and, at the time, instead of offending me, this made me feel at home. Soon after, the group changed its name to Agape Christian Fellowship because the word Crusade brought to mind a bloody history.

Agapes primary concern, the subject of most lectures and group discussions, was our sex lives, especially those of the women. Once in a female-only discussion, a virginal 30-year-old spoke about the evils of masturbation, how succumbing to it would guarantee that our future husbands would be unable to satisfy us. She told us that dressing provocatively made us responsible for the sins of men and that we shouldnt date without the intent to marry.

That semester I read The Handmaids Tale and didnt sleep for a week.

Werent we were supposed to be free, we Christians? I had been told that Jesus respected women and hated their treatment by Islam. And yet, here was a free woman in the prime of her life, standing before a group of American university students at the dawn of a new century, saying that we should submit to our husbands, reading from a book called Lady in Waiting.

It all sounded so much like the old hijabi rhetoric, those Basij Sisters from long ago, the glee in their eyes, rolling the power on their tongues the way you roll a piece of sour tamarind. Those women, too, were only teachers, only volunteers, and yet the Basij Sisters roamed the streets of Isfahan and Tehran, stopping women, judging the modesty of every garment, the tightness of every hijab and the meaning of every saunter.

It took me years to see the parallels. Its so easy for us, citizens of democratic countries, to think ourselves immune, in control of our own thoughts. We attach words like brainwashing to cults and radical sects. And yet modern Christians use a shocking variety of tools to program their children. My evangelical group at an Ivy League university assaulted my individuality, identity and self-esteem as surely as my state-run school in Iran.

Recognizing indoctrination at work requires an outsiders eye. Thats why its so easy to see it in other communities and not our own. It is designed to be invisible to those wallowing in its toxic fog. And yet I see it happening again. We are living in an era of fanaticism, and, despite every effort to guard against it, Im not immune. No one is.

After a childhood spent under the hijab, this is the part that keeps me up at night: I dont receive the same news as my conservative neighbors. I dont read the same articles, or hear the same rhetoric. Across the political spectrum, we are dividing ourselves into bubbles, and we are relinquishing our skepticism, curiosity and intellectual independence in favor of tribal allegiance.

In post-revolutionary Iran, too, our truths came from our tribes  the underground church, the Basij teachers, the local mosque. Social programming doesnt happen in just one room or one newsfeed, to just a dozen girls at a time. It is mass deference to a higher authority in a broad range of unrelated issues linked within an ideology. Its a willingness to confess, to chant, to switch off, to feel shame for arriving at different conclusions. And it doesnt look sinister at first. It looks like rescue, freedom from responsibility. Its someone who has the answers and offers them to you, if you will only accept.

Dina Nayeris novel Refuge will be published in July.

Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion or Facebook
Earlier this month, a committee of the Los Angeles City Council backed a plan to reframe Columbus Day as Indigenous Peoples Day, following the lead of Berkeley, Denver, Phoenix and the state of Vermont. The proposal now goes to the full council. It should vote yes, and the sooner the better. Giving Columbus Day a reset would represent a necessary reckoning with the nuances of American identity and history.

Columbus, after all, did not discover America, any more than Amerigo Vespucci or Sir Francis Drake did. It was here all along, home to a wide array of cultures and civilizations. The Taos Pueblo, in New Mexico, was founded more than 1,000 years ago  that is, about 500 years before Columbus found his first Caribbean island. Along with Acoma Pueblo, Taos is cited as the oldest continuously occupied settlement in the United States.

In California, Indigenous Peoples Day would carry particular resonance. The region has always been multicultural, populated by more than 70 ethnicities and tribes before the arrival of Europeans in the 16th century. Since then it has had a complex history, defined in many ways by clashing cultures.

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Holidays are a declaration of what we find important, a recognition of our values and how they evolve.

Native tribes were virtually enslaved in Spanish colonial Alta California. Mexican rule was slightly better, but it gave way to Anglo encroachment that culminated in the independent Bear Flag Republic, which lasted just 25 days before the revolutionaries joined John C. Fremonts California Battalion. Four years later, California was a state.

Californians romanticize this colorful past and gloss over its virulent, conquering racism.

Consider Los Angeles: Beginning in the 1920s, restrictive housing covenants prevented Latinos, African Americans, Jews and Asians from living in many Southern California neighborhoods.

It was law, the citys new poet laureate Robin Coste Lewis recalls in her poem Frame: we could not own property / except in certain codes: South Central, Compton, Watts, / where the construction companies were under contract / with the LAPD to tile or tar our addresses onto our roofs.

In 1924, an epidemic of bubonic plague that killed nearly 40 people led to a quarantine of the citys so-called Mexican District. As USC history professor William Deverell writes in his 2004 book Whitewashed Adobe: There can be little doubt, given the way in which these neighborhoods were described, by language and perimeter, that officials perceived an overlap between ethnicity and disease.

Southern Californias tensions provoked the Zoot Suit riots, the Watts riots, the Rodney King riots. Statewide miscegenation laws, banning interracial marriage, were not overturned until 1948. Los Angeles, the African American novelist Chester Himes remembered, hurt me racially as much as any city I have ever known  much more than any city I remember in the South.

For all the small-d democratic promise of Los Angeles, such realities are a large part of our collective heritage. Im not suggesting that Indigenous Peoples Day would correct any of this; history doesnt work that way. All the same, the change would be a nod in the right direction, acknowledging the massive disruptions of the past.

Opponents argue that renaming Columbus Day is an affront to Italian Americans, who have themselves been subjected to discrimination in the United States. One alternative would be to change the holiday to Immigrant Heritage Day, or keep Columbus Day but add a separate Indigenous Peoples Day. Practically speaking, thats what will happen: Even as Indigenous Peoples Day catches on in cities and states, Columbus Day remains a federal holiday.

Still, the gesture matters. Holidays are a declaration of what we find important, a recognition of our values and how they evolve. Taking a stand on what Councilman Mitch OFarrell  who proposed the name change  calls our really devastating history is particularly important in this era of government assaults on tolerance. We can only become better, more whole, by (in George Orwells phrase) facing unpleasant facts, changing that which needs to be changed.

In May, New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu addressed this dynamic when he explained why it was fitting, finally, to dismantle his citys monuments to Confederate leaders and battles: The Confederacy lost and we are the better for it, he declared.

Like him, I am arguing in favor of engaging with history as a living force. The history of Columbus Day itself offers a strong rationale for taking an evolutionary approach to the holiday. Although it was first celebrated in New York in the 1860s, it did not become a national event until 1937, when President Franklin Roosevelt yielded to pressure from the Knights of Columbus to honor a Catholic.

Thats a telling bit of business: Columbus Day was once its own version of Indigenous Peoples Day, a way of honoring our diversity. That the definition of diversity grows broader, more inclusive, can only be a good thing.

David L. Ulin is a contributing writer to Opinion.

Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinionand Facebook
Democrats have hoped that President Trumps deep unpopularity would propel them to gains in next years midterm election as they fight to take control of the House and improve their position in the Senate.

But last years contests and this years special elections suggest a complication: Trump is so distinctive a politician that its hard to persuade voters that other Republican candidates are carbon copies of the president. Trumps outsized persona makes even those Republicans who share his views seem more moderate, an important attribute to swing voters.



For the record: An earlier version of this story said the race to replace Xavier Becerra was won by by Jimmy Garcia. It was won by Jimmy Gomez.

That presents a problem for the party out of power.

Midterm elections traditionally serve as referendums on the president, but voters complicated views of Trump may give Republicans more running room than his popularity figures suggest. The votes cast by individual Republican incumbents may be more important to their survival than any linkage with the president.

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The first of those key votes is scheduled for this week, as senators confront the GOP healthcare measure, which closely resembles a House-passed bill that is widely unpopular.

In an NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll released Friday, only 16% of adults supported the House plan. Three times that percentage thought it was a bad idea. Yet it is far from clear how powerful the issue will be in 2018, given the fast pace of political events.

Warning signs emerged for both parties after the spring series of special elections. Four of the races picked successors to Republicans elevated to senior positions in Trumps administration; Republicans won all four. A fifth race, to replace California Democrat Xavier Becerra, the states new attorney general, was won by Democrat Jimmy Gomez.

Simply going into the district and trying to tie them to Trump is not going to be enough to defeat them.  Katie Merrill, California-based strategist

In each of the four races in GOP districts, Democratic candidates came far closer to the Republicans than their party has in the recent past  but they did not succeed.

Implicit in the contests was a Democratic effort to repudiate Trump. Yet in the races which attracted more attention and money, Democrats may have suffered from a backlash as the virulence of their opposition pushed more Republicans to the polls.

In the aftermath, Democrats have offered as a partial excuse the Republican voting strength in those districts. But winning next year will require succeeding in Senate races in states that voted for Trump and in House contests where Republicans have the power of incumbency, something they did not enjoy in the special elections this year.

Tuesdays results in the 6th Congressional District in Georgia, the most expensive House race in history, demonstrated what candidates next year face. There, as elsewhere, Trump loomed over the race even though the candidates seldom talked about him directly.

Republican Karen Handel barely mentioned the president, although members of his administration served as reinforcements for her. Her campaign spent much of its time casting Democrat Jon Ossoff as in league with former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and San Francisco values. Handel won by just under 4 percentage points.

Ossoff backed away from criticism of Trump in the latter part of the race, but began it by contending that his victory would make Trump furious.

Connecting the Republican president and Republican candidate did not work there, suggesting it may not work elsewhere, Republican and Democratic strategists said.

Voters have very complex feelings about Donald Trump, said California-based strategist Katie Merrill, citing polling from swing districts around the country. Hes wildly unpopular, but they still want Congress to try to work with him  and Congress is more unpopular than he is.

Simply going into the district and trying to tie them to Trump is not going to be enough to defeat them, said Merrill, who is working for a super PAC seeking to defeat seven Republican House incumbents in California districts won last year by Hillary Clinton.

Rick Gorka, a Republican National Committee spokesman, noted that the president consistently ranks higher than generic GOP candidates among many key voter groups.

Voters look at Trump as his own brand, his own entity, Gorka said. His vision and what he is doing is separate from Republicans in voters minds. Thats been clear from the 2016 campaign to today.

Indeed, the 2017 House race in Georgia bore similarities to Senate races last year in which Republican candidates benefited from Trumps strength among rural and blue-collar voters without losing popularity among the suburban and college-educated voters who were more skeptical about him. Those voters saw the candidates as distinct.

In Pennsylvania, Republican Pat Toomey spent his successful Senate race talking about Trump only when asked and avoided being in the same television frame with the presidential candidate even when they were campaigning near one another.

Democrat Katie McGinty sought to link the two in a state that had voted Democratic in presidential contests since 1988.

Donald Trump and Pat Toomey have plenty in common, her campaign declared in one of many attempts to equate the two men.

But the two Republicans came off as anything but the same. In late October, Trump delivered an address near the heralded battlefield at Gettysburg in which he fulminated angrily at what he said was a rigged electoral system and a corrupt media. He vowed to sue all of these liars  the women then accusing him of sexual misconduct.

At the same time, Toomey was far to the north in Hazleton, looking like a generic suburban dad in his blue button-down shirt and gray pants, softly commiserating with teenagers and greeting a baby as he spoke to supporters in a restaurant.

He did not mention Trumps name.

Hes running his campaign, and Im running mine, Toomey would say when asked about Trump.

Next door in Ohio, Republican Rob Portman operated the same way, avoiding appearing with or mentioning Trump.

We are focused on running our race, his campaign manager, Corry Bliss, said then. This year, Bliss played a key role in directing millions of dollars into the Georgia race for Handels benefit from his new perch as head of a super PAC affiliated with House Speaker Paul D. Ryan.

If Republican candidates in tight races succeeded by avoiding too close an attachment to Trump, they are now in a more difficult position of having to answer for votes that were hypothetical when they ran for office.

The healthcare measure is the most glaring example so far, one that could usher in a rash of carefully calibrated statements as the 2018 elections near.

Democrats are pushing hard against Republicans who vote for the measure. But they are divided themselves on what healthcare moves to take  repairing Obamacare or pushing for universal healthcare  and that contrast could muddle voter reactions.

As happened in Georgia, a strategy that comes off as too partisan threatens to rile those Republicans who might otherwise be interested in switching sides.

For Republican incumbents, the challenge will be to replicate what worked last time  avoiding criticism of the president so as not to alienate his strong supporters, while keeping enough distance to attract voters more skeptical of him.

Only now that they are incumbents in office are they starting to try to define themselves in a way separate from Trump, said pollster J. Ann Selzer, who has conducted surveys throughout the Midwest this year.

In this sharply partisan atmosphere, she noted, the only unifying topic is a disdain for the status quo that could reverberate in unforeseen ways.

Its a long time, she said, between now and the midterms.

For more on politics 

cathleen.decker@latimes.com

Twitter: @cathleendecker

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The latest from Washington

Updates on California politics
The i-word has been on the tongues and in the tweets of several of Californias House Democrats. Rep. Jackie Speier has said impeachment is really the only way we can go if the facts show President Trump obstructed justice in the Russia investigation. Rep. Ted Lieu tweeted a photo of his weekend reading: a report on the impeachment process. Rep. Maxine Waters led a chant of Impeach 45! at the recent L.A. Pride Parade.

But only one member of Congress has actually begun the procedure: Brad Sherman, an 11-term Democrat who represents Los Angeles San Fernando Valley, has drafted and circulated articles of impeachment.

Shermans move puts him at odds with House Democratic leaders, who have tried to quell talk of impeachment to keep the focus on the economy, healthcare and the investigation into Russias interference in the presidential election.

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The impeachment proposal, which Sherman released earlier this month, accuses Trump of trying to thwart the investigation into former national security advisor Michael Flynn and threatening former FBI director James B. Comey, who was heading the inquiry.

Passing the measure will be nearly impossible under a Republican-controlled House, and then it would take a two-thirds vote of the Republican-controlled Senate to remove Trump from office.

Sherman has said he has no illusions that the proposal will pass anytime soon, but he has other goals.

I think that the presidents approach to governance is a threat to the republic, Sherman said in an interview this week. Im circulating the articles to try to move one step closer in the process and also, hopefully  push the White House to say weve got to move toward competence.

In a letter to colleagues, Sherman said he wants the Judiciary Committee to consider his proposal. But he has also said hed be willing to use a procedural move to bring it to the House floor after consultation with colleagues and leadership. Such a tactic could force Democrats into an on-the-record vote on impeachment that many of them consider premature.

 Protesters gather outside Rep. Brad Shermans office in support of his Trump impeachment effort.

In a closed-door meeting of House Democrats, Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi of San Francisco said it was a big deal to talk about impeachment, and she believed Trump would self-impeach, according to a person with knowledge of the meeting. Another colleague said such moves were selfish and could put House Democrats at political risk. (Rep. Al Green, a Democrat from Texas, has also said he will draft articles of impeachment, but has not released them.)

As House speaker, Pelosi fought the failed efforts to impeach President George W. Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney during their second terms.

Only two presidents have been impeached  Andrew Johnson and Bill Clinton  and none have been removed. Democrats used Clintons impeachment to fire up their base and made record gains in the House in 1998.

I do think the issue of impeachment is a very profound issue, one that strikes at the core of our democracy, said Rep. Joseph Crowley (D-N.Y.) at a news conference after the closed-door meeting, adding that many in the caucus agreed further discussion is necessary before a measure like Shermans makes it to the floor.

Sherman says no other members have signed on to support his proposal, and he has assured Pelosi he wont ask for a floor vote on impeachment without consulting the Democratic caucus.

Lieu, who represents Torrance and sits on the Judiciary Committee, doesnt intend to co-write Shermans measure. Lieus spokesman said the congressman believes that aside from declaring war, impeaching a president is the gravest action members of Congress can take and it should never be the first option.

The impeachment effort is a bold move for Sherman, who is viewed as a locally focused politician. He has spent most weekends at ribbon cuttings, community festivals and other low-key events in his district, earning him a loyal following and reelection by 72% of voters last November.

Unlike Lieu, who has made a hobby of sub-tweeting the president, and Waters, dubbed Auntie Maxine by members of the Trump resistance, Sherman has not been a loud critic of the Trump administration.

I think hes taking something of a risk, said Parke Skelton, Shermans longtime political advisor. Brad is willing to strike an independent route when he feels very strongly about something.

Shermans strong stance could hint at his future ambitions.

A poll released in January ostensibly offered an early glimpse of the still-unsettled 2018 race for California governor. It also floated Shermans name as a possible candidate for U.S. Senate if Sen. Dianne Feinstein chooses to retire, and put his numbers ahead of state Senate leader Kevin de Leons.

The Public Policy Polling survey was paid for by Jeffrey Haines, a longtime Sherman donor who has contributed more than $30,000 stretching back to 1998.

Sean Clegg, a political consultant for Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democratic candidate for governor in 2018, said the hypothetical U.S. Senate field used in the survey appeared somewhat artificial.

Is this an indication of interest by Brad Sherman or his supporters of a candidacy for Senate? It sure looks like it to me, Clegg said.

About 30 people gather to support Rep. Brad Shermans impeachment attempt in front of his office in Sherman Oaks. (Glenn Koenig / Los Angeles Times)

Sherman said that the only seat hes running for right now is his own, and he intends to urge his constituents to vote for Feinstein, who has not announced whether shell run for reelection in 2018.

The pressure could also easily be coming from Shermans own district, where Democrats hold a nearly 30-point advantage in voter registration.

A group has promised to gather outside his office weekly to support Shermans effort. About 30 attended last Thursday, some holding Impeach signs. But with the warnings from leadership and after the shooting of House Republican Whip Steve Scalise, Sherman says hes proceeding with caution.

Pelosi is against 1,000 degrees of temperature on impeachment right now, Sherman acknowledged. I have one candle. How many degrees is that?

christine.maiduc@latimes.com

For more on California politics, follow @cmaiduc.

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Updates on California politics and government news
Perhaps no part of California has thought more about the future of voting than Orange County. And yet when it comes to a sweeping change to state elections, the county has decided to take a pass.

In fact, recent events serve as a cautionary tale that changing elections is hard, even when the plan is praised by good government advocates as the kind of reform that will make voting fit in better with the way we live and work.

Less than two weeks ago, the Orange County Board of Supervisors quietly scrapped years of work by its elections officials on a plan to swap neighborhood polling places for universal absentee ballots and a limited number of all-purpose vote centers. There, voters could access a variety of election services  including last-minute registration, a few voting booths and a place to drop off absentee ballots. There would also be ballot drop boxes in heavily trafficked areas of the county.

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The system was blessed by a state law enacted last year, allowing 14 counties  Orange included  to implement the system for 2018. The rest can do so in 2020.

The countys registrar, Neal Kelley, has been a statewide leader of the effort. Absentee ballots are already so popular, he noted in a report to supervisors, that in a few years more than 1,000 polling places would stand nearly empty on election day unless the county changes its approach to voting.

In recent weeks, though, local Republicans have voiced fears of voter fraud under the new system  an unusual reaction, given it relies on the same absentee ballot process thats been in place since the end of the Civil War. Nonetheless, Kelleys request to move to the all-mail system was denied without discussion at the June 13 board meeting after a motion by Supervisor Todd Spitzer.

That drew a sharp rebuke from Secretary of State Alex Padilla, who suggested last week that Republican supervisors were trying to protect the GOPs local dominance.

I am very concerned that your action was driven less by the interests of the people of Orange County and more by political considerations, Padilla said in a letter to the board.

Still, others havent exactly rushed to embrace the new law. At this point, as few as five California counties may enact the system in 2018. Change is hard, said Jill Lavine, the registrar of voters in Sacramento County, where supervisors signed off on it June 6. It requires a whole new way of thinking.

Voting rights advocates have raised questions, too. Some have pointed to research showing higher use of polling places among Californias older voters and in communities of color. Disability rights groups say some voters will lose the right to cast a secret ballot if they have to ask for help to fill it out at home.

Political Road Map: Without state funds, California counties can ignore some election laws 

Confusion is also a worry. The election law is optional  which means adjacent counties may have completely different voting systems, leaving some wondering which one applies to them. State lawmakers could have solved that by making the law mandatory, but then they wouldve had to pay for it.

Cost is an interesting part of the story, as elections officials believe switching to all-mail ballots and vote centers will be cheaper. Lavine said Sacramento County will save $4 million. I have to get new equipment regardless, she said  a common problem, as dozens of California counties are using outdated machines that sort and count votes.

Back in Santa Ana, Kelley was told to switch gears and buy a new traditional voting system for use in the future. That could raise the countys costs by some $20 million.

They set the policy, and I respect that, Kelley said.

But registrars feel the ground shifting under their feet. They know that 58% of California voters used a mailbox last fall, not a voting booth. The states new election system may not be ideal, but neither is the status quo.

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:

There were serious problems in 2016 for some California voters who dont speak English

No stamp, no problem: Californians should get postage-paid mail ballots, says lawmaker

Is it time for statewide rules in California regarding provisional ballots?

Updates on California politics and government news
Trumps latest tweet in media war is a literal show of mock pugilism By Laura King President Trump on Sunday circulated a doctored video clip on Twitter that showed him physically attacking a crudely rendered stand-in for CNN, a post that drew rebukes from critics as an incitement to violence, but prompted renewed expressions of support from backers. In doing so, Trump also ignored pleas to stop tweeting or at least take a more presidential tone -- from lawmakers in his own party -- after he took his war against news media to new heights last week with a coarse post on the appearance and intellect of cable television host Mika Brzezinski. On Saturday he also posted several anti-media messages as Americans began their Fourth of July celebration. Sundays tweet, which used an edited version of a years-old promotional video for professional wrestling, showed Trump, clad in a business suit and tie, administering a choreographed beat-down to a figure whose face was obscured by CNNs logo. #FraudNewsCNN #FNN pic.twitter.com/WYUnHjjUjg  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 2, 2017 CNN, which has been a particular target of the president since the network was forced to retract a story relating to an element of the sprawling investigation into possible collusion with Russia by the Trump campaign, quickly condemned the tweet. It is a sad day when the President of the United States encourages violence against reporters, the network said in statement. It also tweeted a recent assertion by White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders that Trump had never engaged in such incitement. "The President in no way form or fashion has ever promoted or encouraged violence. If anything, quite the contrary." - @SHSanders45 6/29/17  CNN Communications (@CNNPR) July 2, 2017 As is often the case, the presidents surrogates were left scrambling to explain or justify an inflammatory Twitter outburst. Homeland security advisor Thomas Bossert, who was shown the clip while appearing on ABCs This Week, watched it stone-faced and then declared: No one would perceive that as a threat. I hope they dont. The night before, Trump had used a celebration of veterans at Washingtons Kennedy Center to again denounce the news media. The president, who had briefly broken a weekend golf getaway to appear at the rally, pounded away at the theme that he is being treated unfairly. The fake media tried to stop us from going to the White House, he told the raucous crowd. But Im president, and theyre not. Facebook

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Increasing number of states reject request for personal information on voters from Trump commission By Colleen Shalby (Carolyn Kaster / Associated Press) A growing number of states have rejected a request for personal information about voters from a presidential commission on vote fraud led by Kansas controversial Secretary of State Kris Kobach. Kobach, the vice chairman of the commission, sent letters to each state and Washington, D.C., asking for voters personal information. The request asked for names, addresses, voting history and the last four digits of voters Social Security numbers. The commission was set up to look into voter fraud after President Trump alleged that he lost the popular vote in 2016 only because millions of people voted illegally -- a claim that numerous states election officials from both parties and outside experts have dismissed as groundless. As of Friday afternoon, at least 13 states had outright rejected the request from the Presidential Advisory Committee on Election Integrity. Officials in several other states either said they would not supply all the information or needed more information before making a decision. Some officials did not mince words in their nos. They can go jump in the Gulf of Mexico, and Mississippi is a great State to launch from, Mississippi Secretary of State Delbert Hosemann wrote in a statement. California Secretary of State Alex Padilla said in a statement that strongly criticized Kobach that he would continue to defend the rights of all eligible voters to cast their ballots free from discrimination, intimidation or unnecessary roadblocks. Secretary Padilla's response to the Election Commission's request for personal data of CA voters: pic.twitter.com/UdUt55HSim  CA SOS Vote (@CASOSvote) June 29, 2017 As a Kansas official, Kobach has been a leading backer of immigration restrictions and of measures to put new requirements on who is allowed to vote. His opponents note that he was fined last week for misleading a federal court in a voting rights case. Democratic elected officials in several states criticized the commission, itself, not just the information request. The president created his election commission based on the false notion that voter fraud is a widespread issue  it is not, Kentucky Secretary of State Allison Grimes wrote. "I do not intend to release Kentuckians' sensitive personal data to the fed. gov't."  Sec. Grimes



Statement on Pres. Commission request: pic.twitter.com/9Js05x99eF  Alison L. Grimes (@KySecofState) June 30, 2017 In an odd contradiction, Kobach said that Kansas, like some other states, will partially reject at least one aspect of the request. In Kansas, the Social Security number is not publicly available.  Every state receives the same letter, but were not asking for it if its not publicly available, he told the Kansas City Star. The states that have fully rejected the request include California, Indiana, Kentucky, Massachusetts, North Dakota, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Tennessee, Virginia, Mississippi and Minnesota. Others, including Nevada, Ohio, Oklahoma, Connecticut, Missouri, Kansas, Utah and Texas will turn over some of the requested information. Vermont has requested an affidavit from the commission. And Wisconsin has suggested that the commission could purchase the publicly available information, just as political campaigns do. Officials in Washington state said they were reviewing the request. Facebook

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Look at possible conflicts of interest in Trump teams OneWest Bank probes, 2 Democrats urge By Jim Puzzanghera Protesters gather outside a OneWest Bank in Pasadena in 2014. (Gary Friedman / Los Angeles Times) Two House Democrats want Congress to look into possible conflicts of interest in the Trump administrations handling of investigations into Pasadenas OneWest Bank  a bank formerly headed by now-Treasury Secretary Steven T. Mnuchin. Reps. Maxine Waters (D-Los Angeles) and Al Green (D-Texas) said Friday that there was room for considerable doubt as to the impartiality and the adequacy of this administrations investigations into OneWest and a subsidiary, Financial Freedom. Mnuchin was the banks chairman from 2009 to 2015. President Trump has nominated Joseph Otting, the former chief executive of OneWest, to be comptroller of the currency, a key bank regulator who is part of the Treasury Department. And Brian Brooks, who was OneWests vice chairman, reportedly will be tapped to be deputy Treasury secretary. Read More Facebook

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Healthcare issue delivers nothing but pain for Nevadas embattled Sen. Dean Heller By David Montero Dean Heller is Stephanie Diaz-Gonzalezs problem now. Shes never met Nevadas Republican senator and hadnt had much time to familiarize herself. How could she? The 25-year-old is holding down a full-time job and ra+ising a 7-year-old son, who keeps her busy with soccer games, math homework and those too-often terrifying moments when he cant breathe. When President Trump was elected and congressional Republicans moved on their top priority to dismantle Obamacare, Diaz-Gonzalez got to know Heller a whole lot better. Given his back-and-forth on the issue, she came to distrust him. I dont know if I could vote for him or support him, the Democrat said. He seems very contradictory. Which is why Heller is also Karen Steelmons problem. Steelmon, a 48-year-old Republican who grew up in northern Nevada, isnt happy with the lawmaker, who is considered the most vulnerable GOP senator in the country when he comes up for reelection next year. Obamacare has always been an abomination to Steelmon, an ardent supporter of repeal. To her, deeply held principles are at stake. Heller has never acted in favor of what I would consider conservative, constitutional principles as a general rule, said Steelmon, who would like to see the incumbent taken out in a GOP primary. And on the very few times he has, its always come as a surprise. This is Hellers dilemma. Read More Facebook

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Trump will meet face-to-face with Putin in Germany next week By Brian Bennett (Alexei Nikolsky / Associated Press) President Trump has governed five months under a cloud of questions about his relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin, yet the two men will meet next week for the first time, on the sidelines of the G20 summit of world leaders in Hamburg, Germany. White House officials on Thursday confirmed plans for the private meeting but said no decisions had been made about the topics Trump will raise. So its unclear whether the men will discuss Russias election-year cyberattacks that are the focus of criminal and congressional investigations. Our relationship with Russia is not different from any other country in terms of us communicating with them, really, what our concerns are, where we see problems in the relationship but also opportunities, said Trumps national security advisor, H.R. McMaster. McMaster said he expected the two men to have a broad, wide-ranging discussion about problems in the relationship but also about where the U.S. and Russia have common interests. Theres no specific agenda, McMaster said. Its really going to be whatever the president wants to talk about, he added. The White House has refused to say whether Trump would sign legislation with new sanctions on Russia for meddling in the elections by hacking, including into some states voting systems, and by spreading false news stories. But Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin indicated the existing restrictions against Russia were sufficient. Weve got plenty of those as well, Mnuchin said. Trump will also meet with the leaders of China, Germany, Japan, South Korea, Mexico, Indonesia, Singapore and other countries during the summit of 20 major world economies. Trumps director of the White House National Economic Council, Gary Cohn, said the meeting would fall short of a typical bilateral discussion between the American president and the head of another country, but would be more than whats known in diplomacy-speak as a pull aside  a quick, informal get-together on the edge of a conference. Trumps scheduled meeting with Putin in Hamburg places added significance on his stop in Poland next Wednesday. In Warsaw, McMaster said, Trump intends to bolster U.S. relationships with Poland and other central European and Baltic states that were once in Moscows orbit under the Soviet Union, but now rely on the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and the U.S. to counter pressure from Russia. Trumps meetings there seem designed to strengthen his hand with Putin. McMaster called Poland a front-line NATO nation with regards to the eastern flank, noting that it sent troops to fight alongside the U.S. in Afghanistan and Iraq and has exceeded its pledge on NATO defense spending. As a candidate and president, Trump has criticized other NATO countries that have not yet met those pledges for military spending equal to at least 2% of the size of their respective economies. Facebook

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Travel ban seen a win by at least one conservative; Breitbart focuses on upcoming votes in Congress By Kurtis Lee After it stalled for several months in federal courts, a portion of President Trumps travel ban is set to take effect Thursday evening and will bar individuals from six majority-Muslim countries. Some in conservative media are viewing it as a much-needed political victory for Trump. Here are some of Thursdays headlines: Two wins for Trump (Washington Times) Trump has seen setbacks in his fledgling administration  probes into possible collusion with Russia, infighting among his party over a healthcare overhaul, federal courts halting his travel ban. But now, the president gets a W. The Supreme Courts decision to allow portions of President Trumps travel ban to proceed is a much-needed victory for the administration, Cal Thompson writes. In doing so the unanimous court affirmed  at least temporarily, pending a full hearing on the case in the fall  a presidents constitutional authority to determine whether people seeking admittance to the U.S. pose a threat to our safety and security. Thompson also highlights the Supreme Court decision this week that churches have the same right as other charitable groups to seek state money for new playground surfaces and other non-religious needs. Thompson called the ruling in the case, Trinity Lutheran Church of Columbia Inc. v. Comer, a victory for religious institutions and Trump, who at times has touched on the issue of religious freedom. Breitbart prods GOP leaders to pass pro-American immigration reforms (Breitbart) For Trump, Breitbart hasnt always delivered the most approving headlines for his administration  particularly on immigration. Some right-wing bloggers and pundits dont think Trump has done enough on immigration, a key pillar of his campaign platform. This piece turns the attention to members of Congress, where two bills  focused primarily on detaining people in the country illegally  could come up for a vote . The GOP-run House is expected to vote for two modest immigration-reform bills as soon as this week, but pro-American reformers are using the two votes to build loud and energetic public pressure for major reform legislation, notes the right-wing website. Trump attacks Psycho Joe Scarborough, Crazy Mika Brzezinski in Twitter tear (Fox News) At first, they were friends; now, perhaps, enemies?

Trump used Twitter early Thursday to jab Morning Joe hosts Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski, who the president in past has said he admires. The tweets have drawn the ire of Republicans. Heres what the president wrote: I heard poorly rated @Morning_Joe speaks badly of me (don't watch anymore). Then how come low I.Q. Crazy Mika, along with Psycho Joe, came..  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 29, 2017 ...to Mar-a-Lago 3 nights in a row around New Year's Eve, and insisted on joining me. She was bleeding badly from a face-lift. I said no!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 29, 2017 And the response? pic.twitter.com/8YhzcCUwM1  Mika Brzezinski (@morningmika) June 29, 2017 Facebook

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Trump plans to nominate Brendan Carr to fill final FCC seat and provide crucial vote on net neutrality rules By Jim Puzzanghera President Trump intends to nominate Brendan Carr, a former aide to Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai, to fill the final open seat at the agency and provide a crucial vote on the future of tough net neutrality rules. Carr, the FCCs general counsel, would fill a Republican slot on the commission and would be expected to support Pais push to roll back the regulations for online traffic. Carrs intended nomination was announced by the White House on Wednesday night. It comes after Trump nominated Jessica Rosenworcel, a former FCC commissioner, on June 14 to fill a Democratic seat. If the Senate confirms both nominees, as expected, the FCC would have its full complement of five commissioners and a 3-2 Republican majority. Read More Facebook

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Gorsuch is already pushing Supreme Court to the right on religion, guns and gays By David Savage Supreme Court Associate Justice Neil Gorsuch (J. Scott Applewhite / Associated Press) When Judge Neil M. Gorsuch went before the Senate in March as President Trumps first nominee to the Supreme Court, he sought to assure senators he would be independent and above the political fray. There is no such thing as a Republican judge or Democratic judge, he said more than once. We just have judges. But in just his first few weeks on the high court, Justice Gorsuch has shown himself to be a confident conservative activist, urging his colleagues to move the law to the right on religion, gun rights, gay rights and campaign funding. He dissented along with Justice Clarence Thomas when the court rejected a gun-rights challenge to Californias law that strictly regulates who may carry a concealed weapon. The 2nd Amendments core purpose, they said, shows the right to bear arms extends to public carry. He wrote a dissent, joined by Thomas and Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr., when the court struck down part of an Arkansas law that gave opposite sex-couples, but not same-sex couples, the right to have both spouses listed on a childs birth certificate. The court said it had already decided that same-sex couples deserve fully equal rights under state law. And when Trumps travel ban came before the court this week, Gorsuch dissented from the majoritys middle-ground approach, which allowed the ban to take effect except for foreign travelers who had a relationship with this country, such as a close relative or a student enrolled in a university. Read More Facebook

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When he meets South Koreas president, Trump will be asking for trade concessions and help confronting North Korea By Brian Bennett (Nicholas Kamm / AFP Photo) President Trump plans to pressure South Korean President Moon Jae-in to make trade concessions when they meet Friday, while at the same time seeking closer cooperation against North Koreas accelerating nuclear program. Both aims, outlined Wednesday by a senior administration official, could make for some difficult discussions, especially since the newly elected Moon campaigned for a softer approach to the government in Pyongyang. Moon, who arrived Wednesday in Washington, began his four-day visit by laying a wreath at a memorial at Marine Corps Base Quantico in northern Virginia to the U.S. Marines who died during the Korean War in the battle at Chosin Reservoir. Trump will host Moon and his wife, Kim Joon-suk, for dinner at the White House on Thursday before the two leaders meet one-on-one in the Oval Office on Friday morning. Having criticized the two countries trade agreement when he was running for president, Trump will argue for a more balanced trade relationship, the administration official said in a background briefing. In particular, Trump will cite the large amount of Chinese steel that is sometimes processed in South Korea before being sold cheaply in the U.S. market. The two leaders will have a friendly, frank discussion about the trade imbalance between South Korea and the United States, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity. Seouls trade surplus is shrinking, the official added, but there is still a large gap. The visit will mark the first time the two leaders have met since the liberal Moon took office last month after the ouster of President Park Geun-hye, a scandal-tarred conservative who had taken a hard line against North Korea. Trump and Moon share precisely the same goal, the Trump aide said -- the complete dismantlement of North Koreas nuclear program. But the approach of the two leaders is starkly different. Trump has called for maximum pressure against North Korea, seeking additional economic sanctions and demanding that China, North Koreas main ally and patron, do more to shut off assistance to Pyongyang. Moon has risen through the ranks of his countrys politics advocating for closer ties between the Koreas, which technically are still at war. Already he has taken steps to delay the deployment of the U.S. Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system, known as THAAD, an anti-missile system intended to counter any North Korean strikes. The anti-missile system is a divisive issue in South Korea; it prompted protests last weekend at the U.S. Embassy in Seoul. China has objected to installation of the powerful radar defense as well, but the White House believes the U.S. system will ultimately be fully operative. The delay should not be equated as a reversal of the decision to deploy THAAD, the official said, and suggested that the topic would not be central to the two presidents discussions. As important as anything [will be] building a rapport and getting to know each other, the official said. Facebook

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Senate Republicans aim for new healthcare bill by Friday, but skeptics remain By Lisa Mascaro (Alex Brandon / Associated Press) Senate Republicans reconvened behind closed doors Wednesday trying to break the impasse on their healthcare overhaul but emerged with no apparent strategy for resolving differences by an end-of-week deadline. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky vowed to try again for a vote after the Fourth of July recess, despite having abruptly delayed action this week. Senators were aiming for a revised bill by Friday, the Republican whip, Sen. John Cornyn of Texas, told reporters, so it could be assessed by the Congressional Budget Office during the break. But senators remained skeptical after the lengthy lunchtime huddle that appeared to run long on ideas but short on consensus. I think its going to be very difficult, said Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine). McConnell surprised senators by delaying this weeks expected votes once it became clear he did not have a majority for passage  or possibly to even open the debate. As many as 10 Republican senators now publicly oppose the bill, the Better Care Reconciliation Act, and leaders are scrambling to win them over with an estimated $200 billion in savings from the bill that can be applied to their particular states needs. But even with that fund of resources, it is not clear McConnell will be able to satisfactorily improve the legislation, which now threatens to cut 22 million Americans off health insurance. He can only afford to lose two Republican votes in the face of Democratic opposition. Its going to be very difficult to get me to a yes... have to make us an offer we cant refuse, Sen. Dean Heller (R-Nev.) said on a telephone town hall late Tuesday, according to journalist Jon Ralston, who monitored the call. Fresh polling Wednesday showed paltry support for the Republican approach to overhauling the Affordable Care Act, known as Obamacare, which has enjoyed a surge in popularity now that Republicans are closer than ever to repealing it. A USA Today poll put approval of the Senate GOP bill at 12%. Republicans, though, are under enormous pressure from their most conservative supporters  and big dollar donors, including the powerful Koch network  to deliver on their promised to end Obamacare. Senate Democrats, meanwhile, suggested that President Trump convene all 100 senators  much the way then-President Obama did during his first days in office for a session at Blair House  to see how they might be able to work together to improve, rather than repeal, the Affordable Care Act. Id make my friends on the Republican side and President Trump an offer: Lets turn over a new leaf. Lets start over, said Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.). President Trump, I challenge you to invite us  all 100 of us, Republican and Democrat  to Blair House to discuss a new bipartisan way forward on healthcare in front of all the American people. No such invitation, however, seemed forthcoming. Trump dismissed Schumers proposal  he just doesnt seem like a serious person, the president said  and instead promised his own big surprise on healthcare. Healthcare is working along very well, Trump told reporters at the White House. We could have a big surprise, with a great healthcare package. Asked what he meant by a big surprise, Trump simply repeated: A great, great surprise. The Republican bill, like its counterpart passed by House Republicans, does not fully gut Obamacare, but rescinds the new taxes imposed on high-income individuals and healthcare companies to pay for expanding coverage through Medicaid and subsidies for private insurance on the ACA marketplace. Senators said the private talks Wednesday focused mainly on changes to the Obamacare marketplace that could bring down the cost of insurance premiums. One idea from Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) to allow insurers to offer policies that do not meet the Obamacare benchmarks for what insurance needs to cover met with mixed reaction, senators said. Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.), a physician, warned that such changes would alter the risk pool, keeping insurance costs high. You end up with policies that, for example, dont cover maternity, Cassidy said. Do you want a policy that doesnt have maternity, which would be principally appealing to young men, when obviously typically men have had a role in that pregnancy? Other senators were floating new ideas, but McConnell gave no indication whether those proposals would be included in the final revised product. Michael A. Memoli contributed to this report. Facebook

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No new laptop bans, but air travelers to the U.S. will face tighter screening all over the globe By Joseph Tanfani Homeland Security officials said Wednesday they will order stricter passenger screening and other new security measures for all flights entering the United States but will not bar laptop computers in carry-on luggage as airlines and passenger groups had feared. The new order will cover about 2,000 flights a day from 280 airports in 105 countries, a move that could make international flying even more onerous just as the busy summer travel season starts. Security officials would not detail the new measures but said passengers headed to the United States will face more intensive screening at airports, and probably more security dogs. They gave no date for when the new procedures will start. If carriers dont implement the measures effectively, Homeland Security still may ban laptops, e-readers and other electronic devices larger than cell phones from cargo holds as well as passenger cabins. The decision follows intelligence, reportedly gathered from Islamic State in Syria by Israeli spy services, suggesting a lethal new threat from bombs that could be concealed in digital devices and that could evade detection by airport screening devices. In March, U.S. and British authorities banned laptops in cabins on flights from eight Muslim-majority countries in North Africa and the Middle East, saying terrorists were seeking innovative methods to bring down commercial jetliners. Secretary of Homeland Security John Kelly told a security conference in Washington on Wednesday that the new security measures will be both seen and unseen and will be phased in over time. He said they will include tougher screening, particularly of electronic devices, plus new technology and procedures to protect planes from so--called insider attacks by airline employees. It is time that we raise the global baseline of aviation security, Kelly said. We cannot play international whack-a-mole with every new threat. He said terrorists still see commercial aircraft as the crown jewel target for attacks, and that intelligence has shown renewed interest by terrorists to attack airlines. Kelly told a House committee several weeks ago that the department was considering extending the laptop ban to 71 more airports overseas. But Kelly ultimately decided to tighten screening across the board, instead of focusing on laptops or chasing after each item that might be used to bring down a jetliner, senior Homeland Security officials said Wednesday in a conference call with reporters. The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity to brief reporters, said Kelly worked with airlines to find ways to improve screening without unduly inconveniencing passengers. Intensive doesnt always mean slower, said one official. In some cases, airlines have been doing these things at international airports for some time. The officials said more security dogs, which sniff for explosives, may be used. And they said airlines and airports may institute pre-check programs like those approved by the Transportation Security Administration for use in U.S. airports. The officials said restrictions on the first 10 airports will be lifted once airlines in those countries satisfy the new security protocols, officials said. Airport authorities in the eight countries affected by that ban  Jordan, Egypt, Qatar, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Morocco and the United Arab Emirates  have been told about the new security measures and will put them in place so the ban is lifted, the officials said. In recent weeks, Kelly and his aides have huddled with their counterparts overseas, as well as with representatives of major airlines, to discuss whether to expand the ban around the globe. Airlines protested that a laptop ban would inconvenience passengers and not remove the threat. Aviation experts and European security officials warned that putting laptops in cargo holds would pose other dangers because the lithium batteries could start fires. In 1988, a bomb hidden in a radio cassette player exploded aboard a Pan Am jet flying over Lockerbie, Scotland, killing all 259 passengers and crew. The plot was blamed on then-Libyan strongman Moammar Kadafi. In 2010, powerful bombs hidden in printer ink cartridges were found aboard two cargo jets headed from Yemen to Chicago. Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula later claimed responsibility for the plot. Facebook

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Its crunch time for McConnell after Senate GOP is forced to delay vote on healthcare bill By Lisa Mascaro ( (Alex Brandon / Associated Press)) The abrupt decision Tuesday by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to temporarily shelve a vote on the Republican Obamacare overhaul gives him a few extra weeks to build support for a revised bill before it risks becoming hopelessly stalled by the opposition. The seasoned GOP leader will be aided by what amounts to a $200-billion piggy bank to push Republican holdouts into line. Thats the bills extra cost savings, compared with the House version, that McConnell can tap to provide perks to individual senators, from more opioid assistance to expanded tax-free health savings accounts. A similar strategy  delay and enticements  worked well in the House, where Republicans last month passed their healthcare bill on the third try. But prolonging the debate also gives Democrats and other critics time to mobilize, and ensures that senators will be exposed to an onslaught of opposition as they head home for the weeklong holiday break to defend a bill that has estimated would leave tens of millions of Americans without insurance. After the delay was announced, President Trump hosted a White House gathering of all GOP senators. But rather than rally them around the bill with the power of the presidential bully pulpit, he struck a surprisingly detached tone. This will be great if we get it done, Trump told senators in the East Room. And if we dont get it done, its just going to be something that were not going to like. And thats OK. Read More Facebook

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As vote looms, concerns over Medicaid cuts rise from some in conservative media By Kurtis Lee Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) (J. Scott Applewhite / Associated Press ) The vote  for now  is delayed. As President Trump has urged Senate Republicans to pass a bill that would overhaul the Affordable Care Act, some, including Sens. Dean Heller of Nevada and Rob Portman of Ohio, have expressed concerns over cuts to Medicaid. Both represent states that, under Obamacare, expanded Medicaid coverage to low-income adults. The current Senate healthcare bill would deliver deep cuts to Medicaid, leaving millions uninsured. While Trump awaits a vote in the coming weeks  originally scheduled for this week, but pushed back until after the July 4 recess  its on Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to gather enough support from within his GOP caucus to secure the bills passage. Some in the conservative media are questioning the current bill. Here is an overview of todays headlines on this and other issues: Republicans have a Medicaid problem (Weekly Standard) The Republican healthcare bill would cut Medicaid spending by $772 billion over the next decade. Chris Deaton writes that Republicans aim to offset the consequences of these Medicaid changes by offering tax credits for private insurance to people under the poverty line. In this piece, Deaton raises the question of whether low-income earners would be better off with Medicaid coverage or obtaining insurance through a GOP tax credit? He answers by noting, Its long been a contention of conservative thinkers that healthcare outcomes improve with private insurance rather than Medicaid. Paul Manafort, former Trump campaign chairman, registers as foreign agent (Associated Press) Hes among those facing scrutiny in an FBI investigation into Russian meddling in last years election. Now, Paul Manafort, who at one time served as Trumps campaign chairman, has registered with the Department of Justice as a foreign agent. In a filing with the department, Manafort notes that his consulting firm received nearly $17 million between 2012 and 2014 from a Ukrainian political party with links to Russia, according to the Associated Press. Last spring, former national security advisor Michael T. Flynn, who resigned from his position in February after misleading administration officials about contacts with Russians, also registered as a foreign agent, for consulting work he did for a Turkish businessman. A Democratic road to recovery (American Spectator) The party is attempting a reboot. After Hillary Clintons 2016 loss and defeats in several special elections this year, Democrats are in search of a new face for the party. Even so, liberals are in lock-step in their opposition to Trump. This piece offers Democrats some advice  from the right  on how to recover. Leftists: You have been lied to and taken advantage of. When you eventually come out of this haze you are in, you will realize that it was done not by the president, but by the snake oil salesmen and charlatans, who took advantage of your sickness and weakness, simply for money and power, writes Judah Friedman. Ask yourselves this: What is the Democratic Party, right now, without this rage, and hate, with which it is fueling your addictions? The answer is nothing. Facebook

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Sarah Palin sues the New York Times for tying her PAC ad to mass shooting By Associated Press Former vice presidential nominee and Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin is accusing the New York Times of defamation over an editorial that linked one of her political action committee ads to the mass shooting that severely wounded then-Arizona Congresswoman Gabby Giffords. In the lawsuit filed in Manhattan federal court Tuesday, Palins lawyers say the Times violated the law and its own policies when it accused her of inciting the 2011 attack that killed six people. The lawsuit refers to a June editorial in the Times on the recent shooting of Louisiana Congressman Steve Scalise. The editorial later was corrected. Palin is seeking damages to be determined by a jury. A spokeswoman for the Times, Danielle Rhoades Ha, says the company hasnt seen the lawsuit but will defend against any claim vigorously. Facebook

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Trump succeeds where Obama failed  spawning a new wave of liberal activism By Mark Z. Barabak Amanda Litman and Ross Morales Rocketto launched the Democratic activist group Run For Something, which encourages people under 35 to seek elected office. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) The night Hillary Clinton lost the White House, Amanda Litman cried so hard she threw up. In Atlanta, as the returns rolled in, Traci Feit Love faced a question from her anguished 8-year-old daughter: Now what do we do? Across the country, in the heart of Silicon Valley, Rita Bosworth wondered the same thing. The three never met, never spoke, never communicated in any fashion. But in the days and weeks that followed, they became common threads in a sprawling patchwork: the angry and politically aggrieved who  with no help from politicians, political parties or any formal campaign structure  have joined to fight President Trump and his policies. Read More Facebook

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Trump on healthcare bill: If we dont get it done ... thats OK By Associated Press (Evan Vucci / Associated Press) President Trump said that if the healthcare bill fails to pass in the Senate, he wont like it  but thats OK. Trump spoke Tuesday at a gathering of Senate Republicans after their leaders delayed a vote on their healthcare bill until at least next month. Trump said, This will be great if we get it done and if we dont get it done its going to be something that were not going to like and thats OK and I can understand that. He added, I think we have a chance to do something very, very important for the public, very, very important for the people of our country. Facebook

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Watch live: Press briefing with Deputy Press Secretary Sarah Sanders and Energy Secretary Rick Perry Facebook

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Senate GOP leaders abruptly delay vote on healthcare bill until after July 4th recess By Lisa Mascaro Facing resistance from their own party, Senate Republican leaders said Tuesday they would postpone a vote on their healthcare bill until after the July 4th recess. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell wants to provide more time to make changes to the bill to try to convince reluctant GOP senators to vote for the measure. Were going to press on,' McConnell said, adding he remains optimistic. Were continuing to talk. Since the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office said the bill would leave 22 million more Americans without insurance after 10 years, several Republicans senators had said they would not even support allowing the bill to be brought to the Senate floor for a vote. Meanwhile, President Trump invited all GOP senators to the White House for a meeting Tuesday afternoon. But Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine), a moderate who has expressed serious doubts about the bill, questioned whether revisions would make a difference. I have so many fundamental problems with the bill, that have been confirmed by the CBO report, that its difficult to see how any tinkering is going to satisfy my fundamental and deep concerns about the bill,' Collins said on CNN. McConnell is struggling to appease two factions in his party. Centrists like Collins want to lessen the impact of proposed cuts to Medicaid, while conservatives want to go further in repealing benefits provided under Obamacare. Senate leaders hope to continue talks this week, with an eye toward moving quickly when Congress returns after the holiday. McConnell plans to wait for the CBO to review any changes and reissue a score. He can only afford to lose two Republicans given the partys 52-seat majority in the Senate. Theres more work that needs to be done, its pretty obvious, said Republican Sen. Jim Risch of Idaho as he was leaving a Senate lunch with Vice President Mike Pence. Pence ignored reporters questions about the decision. If more work needs to be done, you shouldnt try to light the fire. But the delay in a vote will give Democrats and other opponents of the repeal bill more time to mobilize, particularly as Republicans return to their home districts during the holiday. We know the fight is not over,' said Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer of New York. Facebook

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Trump administration warns of Syrian chemical attack, but with damaged credibility By Noah Bierman The Trump administration Monday night sent the kind of dire warning -- of the Syrian regimes apparent preparation for another chemical weapons attack, and a threat of U.S. retaliation -- that requires credibility to have a receptive national and foreign audience. Yet the initial bafflement about the warning among U.S. defense officials, and the simultaneous distraction of President Trumps unrelated tweets, seemed to undercut the seriousness of the moment. More broadly, the episode is testing the damage Trump has done to his and his administrations trustworthiness by his assaults on the intelligence community as well as other perceived enemies. Trump has spent months attacking the credibility of the intelligence community, at one point comparing their tactics to Nazis and repeatedly calling its findings of Russian meddling in the election a hoax and witch hunt, even as foreign policy experts cautioned that he was diminishing the reputation of a community he would need in times of crisis to rally public support. At a moment of crisis when U.S. decisions and actions rest upon information coming from the intelligence community, [Trump] may have diminished the credibility of that information in the eyes of the public and the eyes of the international community, said Daryl G. Kimball, the executive director of the Arms Control Assn. Kimball called the White House statement unusual and said such messages would normally be sent through private diplomatic channels. He added that the public allegation should be followed by a formal presentation of the evidence to the United Nations Security Council, to build international support against suspected Syrian violations of the chemical weapons ban. The four-line statement on Syria from the White House Press Secretary came just after 9:44 p.m. EDT Monday. The United States has identified potential preparations for another chemical weapons attack by the Assad regime that would likely result in the mass murder of civilians, including innocent children, the statement read. The activities are similar to preparations the regime made before its April 4, 2017 chemical weapons attack. If Syrian President Bashar Assad conducts another mass murder attack using chemical weapons, he and his military will pay a heavy price, it concluded, citing a U.S. missile strike after the previous chemical attack to reinforce the new threat. A Pentagon spokesman confirmed Tuesday that preparations for a chemical attack were observed at the same base in Syria from which its military launched a sarin nerve gas attack that killed 86 people, including children, in April. We have observed activities at Shayrat Air Base that suggest possible intent by the Syrian regime to use chemical weapons again, Pentagon spokesman Maj. Adrian J.T. Rankine-Galloway said in a statement. These activities are similar to what we observed prior to the regime chemical weapons attack against Khan Sheikhoun in April. But some senior U.S. defense and intelligence officials reached late Monday and early Tuesday were caught off guard by the White House statement. Some knew, some didnt, said a U.S. official who sought anonymity to discuss the intelligence matter. The official described the release of the nighttime statement as ungraceful, but said the assessment that Syria was preparing for an attack is sound. Such official statements are typically distributed widely across an administration for internal vetting before theyre publicly released. The White House said the relevant agencies were informed before the statement was published. Yet Trump lent further confusion about the urgency of the matter and his own level of concern by sending out a tweet about domestic politics only minutes later. He cited a Fox news report about the FBIs Russia investigation, writing as he often does about the probe, Witch Hunt! From @FoxNews "Bombshell: In 2016, Obama dismissed idea that anyone could rig an American election." Check out his statement - Witch Hunt!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 27, 2017 Indeed, Trump continued through the next morning to demonstrate his frustration with the Russia investigation and what he calls the American medias fake news with posts on his Twitter feed. Many tweets quoted supportive conservative commentators and Fox News reports. Trump was eager to go after CNN, one of his top media targets, after it retracted a Russia-related story and three journalists involved resigned. So they caught Fake News CNN cold, but what about NBC, CBS & ABC? What about the failing @nytimes & @washingtonpost? They are all Fake News!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 27, 2017 Trumps willingness to mix politics and his administrations ominous red line to Syria opened him up to criticism that he was trying to divert attention from other unfavorable news Monday. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office had found that the Republican plan to replace Obamacare would strip 22 million people of health insurance coverage over the next decade. The Syria statement also prompted a sharp backlash from the Kremlin, which is Assads military ally in his nations civil war. Russian officials denied there is evidence of an imminent chemical attack and called the White House threat unacceptable. The tensions have heightened as Trump is expected to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin next week at the G20 Summit of industrialized nations in Germany. Mondays statement may be seen as a warning not just to Syria but to Russia, which is widely seen as enabling Assads harsh tactics by bolstering his military as he has tried to retain power. Facebook

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Kremlin calls White House warning to Syria unacceptable, denies any Assad chemical attack in the works By Sabra Ayres The Kremlin is calling unacceptable a White House warning to Syrias government that it would pay a heavy price if it carries out another poison gas attack against its own people. Dmitry Peskov, spokesman for Russian President Vladimir Putin, also declared Tuesday that there is no indication that a chemical weapons strike is in the works. The White House said late Monday night that activity had been detected similar to that preceding a nerve gas attack on April 4 that killed dozens of civilians, including children, in rebel-held Idlib province. President Trump responded by launching nearly 60 Tomahawk cruise missiles at a Syrian military airfield that U.S. officials said was used for the chemical attack. It was the first U.S. attack on Syrian forces in the six-year civil war. Russia continues to deny that Assads forces carried out the April 4 gas attack and Peskov criticized the White House for saying there were signs of preparation for another such strike. Peskov said the Kremlin does not think it is possible to lay the blame on the Syrian armed forces for the April strike on the village of Khan Sheikhoun, which the U.S. and its allies said involved sarin, a banned nerve agent. Despite all the demands from the Russian side, an impartial international inquiry into a previous tragedy using chemical agents has not been carried out, the spokesman told Russian news agencies. Peskov criticized the White House warning to Assad, saying such threats to Syrias legitimate leaders are unacceptable. Read More Facebook

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Senate healthcare overhaul hits trouble as Republicans hesitant to proceed to vote By Lisa Mascaro The Senate Republican healthcare bill ran into serious trouble late Monday when key GOP senators indicated they may block the Obamacare overhaul from proceeding to a vote this week. Political turmoil has been building over the bill for days. But GOP tension burst open after the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office reported that 22 million more Americans would lose insurance coverage under the plan and that out-of-pocket costs for many of those buying policies on the Affordable Care Act marketplace would rise. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell hoped to start procedural votes by Wednesday, and President Trump called key senators over the weekend as support splintered. Its the same political dynamic that stalled the House Republican bill last month, as conservative and centrist factions wrestle for dominance. Conservatives want a more complete repeal of the Affordable Care Act, which they hope will lower premium costs, while centrists are trying to avoid leaving millions of Americans without health coverage. Senate bill doesnt fix ACA problems for rural Maine, tweeted Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine). I will vote no on mtp, she said, referring to the motion to proceed to the bill. Conservative Sen. Mike Lee of Utah is also working to change the bill so that he can vote yes on the procedural motion. We are not there yet, Lees spokesman said. Senators have bristled at what they viewed as McConnells secretive and rushed process, and several other senators said they wanted more time before voting. Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas was among those Republicans who shared concerns in weekend calls with Trump. We continue to make progress, Cruz told reporters Monday, as Democrats, who oppose the bill, planned an almost-all-night protest session. Cruz is part of the gang of four conservatives -- including Sen. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin, Sen. Mike Lee of Utah and Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky -- who have said they cannot vote for the bill as is. Among the changes being pursued is one provision that would allow insurers to offer cheaper policies that do not meet ACAs requirements and another to let consumers sock more money into health savings accounts We can get there and Im hopeful we will get there, Cruz said. However, he declined to say whether he would agree to Wednesdays procedural vote. Also hesitant to proceed was Nevada Sen. Dean Heller, who has strongly criticized undoing Obamacares Medicaid expansion that has enabled about 200,000 people to gain coverage in his state. Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski, for example, wanted changes to help residents in her geographically far-flung state where healthcare costs are particularly high. Some senators, though, dismissed the budget analysis and said keeping the ACA would be worse. Its clear the CBO cannot predict the purchasing patterns for millions of Americans, said Georgia Sen. David Perdue, a Trump ally, in a statement. This bureaucratic analysis will do nothing to prevent Obamacare from failing. Others are weighing their votes. Republican Sen. Bob Corker, whose office is receiving thousands of daily calls, spent part of Monday on the phone with health officials in Tennessee as he assesses the fallout in his state of 22 million more people in the country without healthcare. I kind of figured it was going to be a pretty big number, said Corker, who remains undecided. Theres a lot of incoming. CBO says 22 million people lose insurance; Medicaid cuts hurt most vulnerable Americans; access to healthcare in rural areas threatened. 2/3  Sen. Susan Collins (@SenatorCollins) June 26, 2017 Facebook

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Supreme Court puts off decision in three pending cases about borders and immigration By David Savage ((Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images) Amid its flurry of decisions Monday about Trumps travel ban and cases involving religious liberties and guns, the Supreme Court put off final rulings on three pending cases involving immigration and the U.S. border. In Hernandez vs. Mesa, the court in an unsigned opinion told the U.S. appeals court in New Orleans to take a second look at a border shooting case. The parents of a 15-year-old Mexican boy sued a U.S. border patrol agent who shot and killed the teenager when he was standing a few feet from the border on the Mexican side. The 5th Circuit had thrown out the parents suit. The facts alleged in the complaint depict a disturbing incident resulting in a heartbreaking loss of life, the court said in sending the case back for a further hearing. The court said it would rehear in the fall a Los Angeles case involving whether immigrants awaiting deportation can be jailed indefinitely, or instead have a right to a bond hearing after six months. The courts action suggests the eight justices were evenly split in Jennings vs. Rodriguez. The court also said it will rehear the case of Sessions vs. Dimaya to decide whether non-citizens can be deported for an offense like breaking into an empty home because it may be deemed a crime of violence. Facebook

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Refugee advocates says even partial reinstatement of travel ban will cause hardship By Laura King Immigration and refugee advocates expressed disappointment Monday with the Supreme Courts partial reinstatement of President Trumps travel ban, saying even limited implementation could cause hardship to refugees and others seeking to travel to the United States from six affected Muslim-majority countries. However, organizations taking part in the months-long legal fight against the revised travel ban expressed hopes that the high court ultimately will reject the restrictions after arguments are heard in October. And they welcomed what they described as an implicit rebuke of the White Houses assertion that Trump has unfettered powers to exclude arrivals based on purported national security concerns. The initial rollout of the ban, days after Trump took office in January, caused pandemonium at airports across the United States and overseas as tens of thousands of visa-holders arriving from seven affected countries were turned away without warning or detained. After courts blocked that order, Trump issued a revised travel ban that took Iraq off the list. A replay of Januarys travel chaos was unlikely Monday because the courts action will allow visa-holders with bona fide ties to people or entities in the U.S. to enter, meaning students, employees and family members can still get in. But refugee advocates said the courts limited ruling, which the administration can move to implement on Thursday, could leave many would-be arrivals in limbo pending the finalizing of new vetting procedures. The administration had originally said a three-month travel ban was needed in part to review the checks to which would-be entrants are subjected. David Miliband, president of the International Rescue Committee, said the partial reinstatement of the ban particularly threatens vulnerable people waiting to come to the U.S., including those with urgent medical conditions. We urge the administration to begin its long-delayed review of the vetting process and restart a program which changes lives for the better, said Miliband. The National Immigration Law Center, one of the groups that challenged the ban, said that as of this week, approximately 50,500 refugees from the six affected countries had been approved for travel and resettlement in the United States  all having already undergone intensive checks. The Middle East Studies Assn., one the groups contesting the ban in the lower courts, said many students and academics were ensnared by the original order. Even though Mondays court move should allow entry to those studying or working at American academic institutions, many from the affected countries remained wary of leaving and then attempting to re-enter the United States, the group said. Iran  along with Somalia, Sudan, Yemen, Syria and Libya  is one of the affected countries, and Southern California is home to a large Iranian American community that was hit hard by the original ban. Some advocates said even with Mondays limited action, there has already been a chilling effect on movement. Todays Supreme Court decision immediately places the status of many Americans families into question again, said Shayan Modarres, legal counsel for the National Iranian American Council. The group said that visas issued to Iranian passport-holders had fallen by nearly half since the legal battle over the ban began, and that obtaining a U.S. visa was becoming so onerous that many would not even try to get one. The Trump administrations new idea is to make it so hard on Iranians and Muslims to get a visa that visa officers will have the unrestricted discretion to reject visa applications, Modarres said. He added that grounds for rejection could be social media postings critical of Trump or not being able to produce airline boarding passes that could have been issued and used more than a decade ago. Advocacy groups reiterated their position  which was argued in a number of the lower court cases that propelled the issue to the high court  that the travel restrictions run counter to core American traditions and values. Mark Hetfield, president of the refugee resettlement agency HIAS, said the group considered the courts move an affirmation that the president does not have unfettered, unchecked authority to bar refugees from the U.S. without evidence to justify such action. But he added that the executive orders partial resurrection would once again cause irreparable damage to refugees, immigrants, and Americas reputation as a welcoming country. The initial ban prompted large nationwide protests, and advocates suggested they would again seek to marshal popular opposition to the restrictions. When the first order went into effect, tens of thousands of Americans showed the world that this is not who we are and not what we want, said Becca Heller, director of the International Refugee Assistance Project, another of the groups involved in the legal challenge. We will never give up defending the rights of those who are affected by this discriminatory executive order. Facebook

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Trump says Supreme Court action on travel ban gives him important tool By Michael A. Memoli .@POTUS statement says SCOTUS action allows him to "use an important tool for protecting our Nation's homeland." Will admin press further? pic.twitter.com/gxBJO5aYYZ  Mike Memoli (@mikememoli) June 26, 2017 President Trump celebrated the Supreme Courts decision Monday to allow a curtailed version of his travel ban to take effect, calling it a clear victory for our national security. In an official White House statement, the president said he was particularly gratified that at least part of the ruling was 9-0; three conservative justices said they would have let the presidents revised executive order take effect completely. My number one responsibility as Commander in Chief is to keep the American people safe. Todays ruling allows me to use an important tool for protecting our Nations homeland, he said. The White House has long maintained that the president was acting within his authority in seeking to temporarily restrict travel to the United States. They most often point to a provision of the Immigration and Nationality Act that states a president can suspend or limit entry of individuals whenever the president finds that the entry ... would be detrimental to the interests of the United States. Facebook

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Rival Senate factions push competing agendas as healthcare bill hangs in balance By Laura King Heading into a week of intense jockeying and arm-twisting over the Senates polarizing healthcare plan, the rift appeared to widen Sunday between moderates who consider the measure too punitive and conservatives who want to see the sweeping bill toughened up before agreeing to back it. President Trump, who made the repeal of his predecessors signature Affordable Care Act a campaign centerpiece, expressed optimism about chances for Senate passage, but declared again that he wanted to see a plan with heart  suggesting he might undercut Republican efforts to bring recalcitrant conservatives on board. With Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) seeking to push ahead with a vote this week, the bills prospects hung in the balance. Five GOP senators have said publicly they oppose the measure as written; the defection of only three Republicans would be enough to sink it. Read More Facebook

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Analysis: Atop 2017 losses, a sobering challenge for Democrats aiming at Trump next year By Cathleen Decker Republican Karen Handel, winner of last weeks special House election in Georgia. ( (Bob Andres / Atlanta Journal-Constitution)) Democrats have hoped that President Trumps deep unpopularity would propel them to gains in next years midterm election as they fight to take control of the House and improve their position in the Senate. But last years contests and this years special elections suggest a complication: Trump is so distinctive a politician that its hard to persuade voters that other Republican candidates are carbon copies of the president. Trumps outsized persona makes even those Republicans who share his views seem more moderate, an important attribute to swing voters. That presents a problem for the party out of power. Midterm elections traditionally serve as referendums on the president, but voters complicated views of Trump may give Republicans more running room than his popularity figures suggest. The votes cast by individual Republican incumbents may be more important to their survival than any linkage with the president. Read More Facebook

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Conservatives at Koch summit outline changes to Senate healthcare bill to win their support By Lisa Mascaro Tim Phillips, who heads Americans for Prosperity, the largest of the Koch networks advocacy groups, speaks to the media at the White House in Washington on March 8. (Andrew Harnik / Associated Press) Conservatives floated two amendments for toughening up the Senates Obamacare overhaul this weekend at the influential Koch networks confab of wealthy donors, as Republicans seek ways to win over detractors and tip enough GOP votes for passage. That the Koch network quickly panned the Senate bill is no surprise. The organization of deep-pocketed conservative advocacy groups similarly rejected the House GOP bill this spring until party leaders tacked on tough amendments to appease right-leaning Republicans. Weve been disappointed that movements not been more dramatic toward a full repeal or a broader rollback of this onerous law Obamacare, said Tim Phillips, who heads Americans for Prosperity, the largest of the Koch networks advocacy groups. But we are not walking away, he said. We worked to make the House bill better and it did get better. Were doing the same thing on the Senate front. One key lawmaker attending the weekend summit at the luxurious Broadmoor Hotel, Rep. Mark Meadows (R-N.C.), the chairman of the House Freedom Caucus and a chief negotiator on the House bill, outlined two key changes to the bill that he said could likely win enough conservative support for passage. One amendment from Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) would allow companies that offer insurance policies on the Obamacare marketplace to also offer plans that do not meet the ACAs strict requirements. Such a change would in essence allow insurers to offer cheaper, though skimpier, policies that may help achieve the GOPs goal of lowering premiums for consumers. Another amendment would broaden the ability of those who buy insurance on the marketplace to sock away more money in tax-free Health Savings Accounts to help them pay for their premiums. Cruz is one of four Senate conservatives who have said they would not support the bill unless changes are made, positioning them for negotiations in the days ahead. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) needs to win back some of their votes to pass the bill with his slim 52-seat Republican majority. One of the conservatives, Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah), was among those feted Saturday night at a reception with Charles Koch, the billionaire industrialist who funds the conservative network. Koch told those gathered for an outdoor cocktail reception on a breezy Colorado Springs evening about how far his team has come over the years at promoting what is a libertarian-leaning conservative agenda. Now when I look at where we are, at the size and effectiveness of this network, Im blown away, he told donors. Koch met Friday with Vice President Mike Pence. But the politics in the Senate remain difficult as McConnell continues to negotiate behind closed doors and rushes the bill to a vote expected this week. On Sunday, one key centrist, Sen. Susan Collins of Maine, doubted a swift resolution. Its hard for me to see the bill passing this week, she said on ABCs This Week. Another crucial vote, Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, a physician who had offered his own proposal, also criticized the rush. I frankly would like a few more days to consider this, Cassidy said on CBSs Face the Nation. But Republicans are anxious to resolve the healthcare debate, which has created a logjam in their legislative agenda. Meadows also told reporters if the Senate passes the bill this week, the House could quickly follow with a weekend session -- ahead of a Fourth of July bill signing by the president. Facebook

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Schiff: Obama should have acted on Russian interference, but Trump shouldnt complain By Laura King A top House Democrat says President Obama should have reacted more forcefully upon learning of Russian election-meddling, but also asserted that it was illogical for President Trump to levy such criticism against his predecessor. I think the [Obama] administration needed to call out Russia earlier, needed to act to deter and punish Russia earlier, Rep. Adam B. Schiff (D-Burbank), said in an interview aired Sunday on CNNs State of the Union. Failure to do so, he said, had been a very serious mistake. But Schiff, the ranking Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, said Trumps criticism of Obama made little sense in light of the current presidents own inaction in the face of decisive U.S. intelligence conclusions about Kremlin efforts to tip the 2016 race to Trump. Trump, Schiff said, is in no position to complain here in light of the fact that as a candidate, he openly urged the Russians to hack Clintons emails. To criticize Obama is now a bit like someone knowingly receiving stolen property blaming the police for not stopping the theft, said Schiff, a former prosecutor. On Saturday, Trump issued a statement on Twitter referencing a Washington Post report a day earlier detailing the previous administrations wrestling with how, when and whether to make public the degree of Russian interference. Since the Obama Administration was told way before the 2016 Election that the Russians were meddling, why no action? Focus on them, not T! the president tweeted. The Post report said Obama was worried about the appearance of improperly using mounting intelligence reports about Russian activities to aid Clintons candidacy. The subject was particularly inflammatory because at that point in the race, Trump had complained repeatedly about the rigged political process and even suggested he might not respect the election outcome. Facebook

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Trump says hes optimistic about Senate approval of GOP healthcare measure By Laura King President Trump says he believes that backers of a sweeping GOP healthcare measure are going to get there and pass the measure despite the refusal of five Republican senators to endorse the bill as written. Healthcare is a very, very tough thing to get, but I think were going to get it, Trump said on Fox and Friends in an interview aired Sunday that he had touted beforehand on Twitter. We dont have too much of a choice because the alternative is the dead carcass of Obamacare, the president said, referring to the Affordable Care Act, his predecessors signature piece of legislation. Opinion polls have indicated low public support for the version of the healthcare bill passed earlier by the House of Representatives. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), wants to bring the Senate version, unveiled days ago, to a vote this week. In addition to the five Republican senators who have publicly aired their opposition, several others have declined to explicitly endorse the bill, which would overhaul the U.S. healthcare system and set the stage for massive tax breaks that would primarily benefit the wealthiest Americans. With a 52-seat Republican advantage in the 100-member chamber, only three GOP defections would be sufficient to derail the measure, since Vice President Mike Pence could cast a tie-breaking vote. Facebook

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Pro-Trump group launches new attack ad against special counsel Robert Mueller By Lisa Mascaro A Southern California group backing President Trump is out with a new ad attacking special counsel Robert S. Mueller III, criticizing the investigation into the Trump campaigns possible cooperation with Russian interference in the 2016 election. The ad, called Witch Hunt, features conservative favorite Tomi Lahren reflecting Trumps own language to complain about the probe. The more than $400,000 ad buy is expected to start running Sunday. Only in Washington could a rigged game like this be called independent, Lahren says, using air quotes in the ad to emphasize her point. She is now a senior advisor to Great America Alliance, which backs Trump. The ads chief complaint echoes Trumps criticism that Muellers team has ties to Democrats, because some of the lawyers have given campaign contributions to the party. Trump has also complained of the relationship between fired FBI Director James B. Comey and Mueller, who was once his boss. Mueller is a registered Republican. Among the members of the legal team he is assembling for the Russia probe -- which is also looking into whether the president obstructed the federal investigation by firing Comey -- four have donated to Democrats. One who gave the maximum donation to Trump rival Hillary Clinton also donated to Republicans. Both Republicans and Democrats have praised Muellers credentials and ability to handle the Russia probe as an independent investigation. The group, which ran a similar attack against Comey ahead of his testimony earlier this month on Capitol Hill, has emerged as a key pro-Trump organization. Facebook

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Koch brothers political network says Senate GOP healthcare bill is insufficiently conservative By Associated Press ( (Andrew Harnik / Associated Press)) Chief lieutenants in the Koch brothers political network lashed out at the Senate Republican healthcare bill on Saturday, becoming a powerful outside critic as GOP leaders try to rally support for their plan among rank-and-file Republicans. This Senate bill needs to get better, said Tim Phillips, who leads Americans For Prosperity, the Koch networks political arm. It has to get better. Phillips called the Senates plans for Medicaid a slight nip and tuck over President Obamas healthcare law, a modest change he described as immoral. The comments came on the first day of a three-day private donor retreat at a luxury resort in the Rocky Mountains. Invitations were extended only to donors who promise to give at least $100,000 each year to the various groups backed by the Koch brothers Freedom Partners  a network of education, policy and political entities that aim to promote small government. No outside group has been move aggressive over the years-long push to repeal Obamas healthcare law than the Kochs, which vowed on Saturday to spend another 10 years fighting to change the healthcare system if necessary. The Koch network has often displayed a willingness to take on Republicans  including President Trump  when their policies arent deemed conservative enough. Read More Facebook

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Atty. Gen. Jeff Sessions wants to get tough on crime. These people think hes got it all wrong By Jaweed Kaleem Atty. Gen. Jeff Sessions has vowed to crack down on crime by sending more criminals to prison for longer periods of time. Every one of our citizens, no matter who they are or where they live, has the right to be safe in their homes and communities from the scourge of criminal gangs, rapists, carjackers and drug dealers, Sessions said in an address to law enforcement officials in Memphis, Tenn., last month. In his view, imprisoning more criminals would make families safer, and fewer people would break the law if there were more severe punishments for crimes such as drug offenses. In a recent memo to federal prosecutors, Sessions instructed them to pursue the harshest punishments legally allowed, a reversal of an Obama-era move giving federal lawyers more leeway to reserve such prosecutions for repeat offenders and people who had committed the worst of crimes. Department of Justice officials hope the changes at the federal level  where a sliver of crimes across the country is prosecuted  will trickle down to a similar approach to crime in states. Read More Facebook

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Vice President Mike Pence stops in for an unscheduled chat with billionaire Charles Koch By Lisa Mascaro Vice President Mike Pence popped in for a visit this weekend with Charles Koch, the billionaire GOP donor hosting his semi-annual confab of like-minded business leaders assessing their priorities for the White House and Congress. The meeting was not listed on Pences official schedule for the day. President Trump never much enjoyed backing from Koch s sprawling, secretive, political enterprise, which has emerged as a libertarian-leaning power center, sometimes overshadowing the traditional Republican Party apparatus with its high-dollar donors and vast operations. Kochs group did not endorse the GOP presidential nominee. But the network has always had close ties with Pence. The vice president had previously attended the exclusive gathering of donors, held this weekend at the luxurious Broadmoor hotel. And his top staff was plucked from a key Koch organization, Freedom Partners. Pence and Koch and their top aides spoke for nearly an hour late Friday, according to a Koch spokesman. They discussed tax reform, the GOPs healthcare overhaul and other heavy legislative lifts that have run into resistance in the Republican-controlled Congress. The aide described the talks as casual. Pence was in the area making other stops, including at the Air Force Academy and an evening fundraiser for GOP Sen. Cory Gardner. Even without investing in Trump, the Koch network has made impressive strides in advancing its agenda this year. Congress swiftly rolled back more than a dozen regulations, including some intended to protect the environment, that Koch-backed groups complained were too rigorous and invasive in industry operations. The Koch network groups, including Freedom Partners, a free market-oriented, chamber of commerce-type organization, is pushing the Trump administration and Congress to pass tax reform and overhaul healthcare. Both those efforts have stalled in Congress amid Republican infighting, but the Koch groups is able to put their army of resources  money, staff and volunteers in the states  to pressure lawmakers to act. Facebook

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Kris Kobach fined for misleading court and refusing to produce previously exposed Trump memo By Colleen Shalby (Carolyn Kaster / Associated Press) Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach has been fined $1,000 for misleading a federal court in an effort to keep two documents private. The American Civil Liberties Union filed a lawsuit last year against Kobach arguing that his states proof of citizenship law violates the National Voter Registration Act. ACLU lawyers asked Kobach to produce two documents they said pertained to the case. One of those documents was a draft of a proposed amendment to the National Voter Registration Act. The second was a document that had been photographed and widely shared in late November after Kobach met with then-President-elect Donald Trump. The power of a zoom lens exposed certain details of his proposal to Trump to deport potential terrorists. In a 24-page ruling made public Friday, U.S. Magistrate Judge James OHara wrote that Kobach did not accurately represent the contents of the documents when he argued against producing them. Defendant refused to produce these documents, asserting that they are beyond the scope of reopened discovery, do not seek relevant information, and are protected by the attorney-client, deliberative-process, and executive privileges, the judge wrote. The court took Kobach at his word, OHara wrote, but upon review of the documents  produced under a court order  found that they did relate to the voting rights case. The judge wrote that while the court could not say that Kobach flat-out lied, the defendants statements can be construed as wordplay meant to present a materially inaccurate picture of the documents. For now, the documents will remain classified, as Kobach designated them. But, OHara wrote, that status could change. Trump tapped Kobach last month to serve as vice chairman of a presidential commission that would oversee a voter fraud investigation. Facebook

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Number of refugees admitted to U.S. drops by almost half By Tracy Wilkinson (Patrick T. Fallon / For the Los Angeles Times) The number of refugees admitted to the United States was cut by nearly half in the first three months of the Trump administration compared with the final three months of the Obama presidency, reflecting the new presidents skepticism toward immigration. Government statistics released Friday showed that more than 25,000 refugees were permitted to enter and reside in the United States at the end of the Obama administration. In the initial months under President Trump, the number fell to 13,000. The statistics were released by the Department of Homeland Security, based on information supplied by the State Department. Countries of origin were largely unchanged. In both periods, two-thirds of the arrivals came from five countries: the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Syria, Iraq, Somalia and Myanmar. Refugees from two of those countries  Syria and Somalia  would have been banned under Trumps executive order against entries from certain Muslim-majority nations, but federal courts have blocked the order. Trumps original order covered Iraqis as well, but he omitted Iraq from his revised order. The data suggest that the Obama administration, as it was about to turn over power to Trump, significantly stepped up the number of refugees admitted. Arrivals in its final three months reflected an 86% year-over-year increase compared to the same period the previous year. In Trumps first three months, arrivals were 12% lower than for the same period in the previous year. Trump has sought to limit the number of refugees to 50,000 this year. But adverse rulings in the courts could work against him. The United States already has one of the lowest quotas of refugee admissions among major receiving countries. Nations closer to conflict zones such as Syria have taken in millions of refugees. More people have been displaced from their home nations, because of violence and poverty, than at any time since World War II. Facebook

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Trump nominates former Dodgers co-owner Jamie McCourt as ambassador to Belgium By Lauren Rosenblatt Trump nominated Jamie McCourt, former co-owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers, as ambassador to Belgium. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) President Trump nominated Jamie McCourt, former co-owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers, to be the ambassador to Belgium on Thursday night. McCourt, who co-owned the Dodgers with her husband, Frank, until their messy 2011 divorce, has donated money to several Republican organizations, including funds for Trumps campaign and his transition to the White House. McCourt was among many business leaders who signed their support for Trump early on in his campaign, praising his plan for economic development and growth. In the months leading up to Trumps victory, McCourt gave more than $400,000 to the Trump victory fund, according to data from the Federal Election Commission. She signed a letter in October 2016 with 100 other business executives and CEOs championing Trumps plan and criticizing opponent Hillary Clinton for having thrown in the towel on strong economic growth. McCourt was listed as a 2016 State Victory Finance Chair for Trumps campaign in July, according to a report from the GOP. Robert Wood Johnson, chairman and CEO of the New York Jets and Trumps nominee for ambassador to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, was also on the list as Trump Victory vice chair. After Trump won the election, McCourt continued to financially support his transition to office. In December, she helped host a fundraiser breakfast for the incoming president where tickets sold for $5,000 a piece. Prior to her support for Trump, McCourt also donated to the campaigns of several other Republican presidential candidates, including John Kasich, Marco Rubio and Carly Fiorina, although in much smaller amounts. In the past, she has also supported former President Obama, contributing to his campaign and victory funds in 2011 and donating $50,000 to the inauguration in 2009. She donated about $2,000 to Hillary Clinton for her presidential campaign in 2007, according to the FEC. McCourts ex-husband said his former wife had political aspirations of her own, with an end goal of ending up in the White House, according to a March 2010 Los Angeles Times article. Her high-profile divorce gathered a lot of public attention and ended in dispute over finances and assets. McCourt has founded and directed entrepreneurial enterprises in Los Angeles and Boston throughout her career as a entrepreneur and attorney. Her investment firm, Jamie Enterprises, invests in real estate and technology start-ups. She has degrees from Georgetown University, the University of Maryland School of Law and from MIT/ Sloan School of Management. The Senate must confirm McCourts nomination for ambassador. Facebook

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Nevada Sen. Heller -- a key swing vote -- says he opposes Senate healthcare bill By David Lauter (Andrew Harnik / AP) Nevada Sen. Dean Heller said Friday that he planned to vote against the Republican healthcare bill, a potentially key defection. Although the White House and Majority Leader Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky have said they plan further negotiations over the bill, its going to be very difficult to get me to a yes, Heller said at a news conference in Nevada with Gov. Brian Sandoval (R). The bill unveiled Thursday by McConnell is simply not the answer, he said. In this form, I will not support it. Given the unified Democratic opposition to the bill, McConnell can afford to lose only two Senate Republicans, so Hellers announcement is significant. A no vote by Heller would not seal the fate of the bill, however. Heller is widely viewed as the most vulnerable Republican senator up for reelection in 2018 -- the only one running in a state that Hillary Clinton carried last year -- and Republican leaders have been hoping to avoid having to count on his vote. Heller cited several reasons for opposing the bill, but the chief one was its deep reductions in federal support for Medicaid. This bill will mean a loss of coverage for millions of Americans and many Nevadans, he said. Nevada, under Sandoval, has used its authority under the Affordable Care Act to expand Medicaid, which has given health coverage to more than 210,000 additional state residents, Sandoval said. These are folks who are worth fighting for, he added. The cutbacks the Senate bill, which would end Medicaid expansion, would cost the state $120 million a year by 2022, with the cost rising sharply after that the governor said. Thats a cost that the state cannot sustain. Heller also cited the bills impact on treatment for opioid addiction and the likelihood that the plan would fail to reduce premiums. There isnt anything in this piece of legislation that will lower your premiums, he said, contradicting one of the main arguments that supporters of the bill have made. Hellers announcement increases the pressure on McConnell to find ways of persuading several other reluctant senators to support the bill. Four conservatives, Sens. Rand Paul of Kentucky, Mike Lee of Utah, Ted Cruz of Texas and Ron Johnson of Wisconsin, said Thursday they were opposed to the bill in its current form because it does not go far enough to roll back the Affordable Care Act. Several more centrist senators, including Sens. Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Rob Portman of Ohio and Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia, have voiced concerns similar to Hellers about the depth of the bills Medicaid cutbacks and its impact on opioid treatment. Collins and Portman have both said they want to review the analysis of the bill from the Congressional Budget Office before making up their minds. The budget office has said it will release that assessment early next week. Facebook

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Trump signs VA reform bill to make it easier to discipline and fire employees By Lauren Rosenblatt President Trump signed into law Friday a bill that will ease restrictions on the discipline and termination of employees from the troubled veterans affairs department. The Accountability and Whistleblower Protection Act of 2017 is designed to speed up the process to discipline an employee for misconduct and put more decision-making power in the hands of Secretary of Veterans Affairs David Shulkin. The act is in response to the 2014 VA scandals involving long wait times for medical care and attempts by VA employees to cover up the delays. Trump, who promised to improve healthcare for veterans during his campaign, said the bill was one of the largest reforms to the VA in its history and is essential to making sure our veterans are treated with respect. The bill passed the House with bipartisan support June 13 and the Senate on June 6. Although the bill is widely supported by veterans advocacy groups, civil servant unions condemn the legislation as a way to get around long-standing protections for government employees and whistle-blowers. The reform, Shulkin said, will not be used as a tool for mass firings, but rather a way to raise morale throughout the department and attract new employees. Slow, steady, incremental change isnt what this organization needs, Shulkin said. Right now, I believe this is progress. Facebook

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Mexico pushes back against Trumps tweet calling it the second deadliest country in the world By Kate Linthicum Mexicos Foreign Minister Luis Videgaray speaks during a news conference in Cancun, Mexico, on June 19. (PEDRO PARDO/AFP/Getty Images) After President Trump incorrectly tweeted that Mexico is the second deadliest country in the world after Syria, the Mexican government responded quickly. No, Mexico isnt the second deadliest place on the globe, said a tersely worded statement issued by Mexicos secretary of foreign relations, pointing to a host of other Latin American countries that have higher per capita murder rates. And while homicides have been rising in Mexico in recent years, rising violence in Mexico is inextricably linked to demand for drugs in the United States, the statement said. Illicit drug trade is indeed the most important cause of violence in Mexico and drug trafficking is costing thousands of lives both in Mexico and the U.S., the foreign ministry said Thursday. However, as has been repeatedly stated by the U.S. government itself, drug trafficking is a shared problem that will end only by addressing its root causes: high demand for drugs in the U.S. and supply from Mexico and other countries. In order to be effective, we must be able to move beyond finger-pointing, the statement said. The Mexican government issued the response after Trump tweeted a reference to a controversial recent study that ranked Mexico as the worlds second most-dangerous conflict zone after Syria. Trump misrepresented the study in his tweet, saying Mexico was just ranked the second deadliest country in the world. He also neglected the considerable debate about the studys accuracy. The annual Armed Conflict Survey, released this year by the International Institute for Strategic Studies, has been called into question by the Mexican government and others who say it wrongly points to the existence of an armed conflict in Mexico. The existence of criminal groups is not sufficient criteria to speak of a non-international armed conflict, said a joint statement issued by Mexicos secretaries of governance and foreign relations in May, adding that drug-war violence is part of a bigger regional problem. Although Mexicos homicide rate has soared  the first two months of 2017 were the most violent since the government started releasing such statistics in 1997  other countries are experiencing higher homicide rates. In January, Mexico had a homicide rate of 20 deaths per 100,000 people, according to a Times analysis of Mexican crime statistics. By comparison, El Salvadors homicide rate was 81 deaths per 100,000 people in 2016, according to InSight Crime, a think tank that studies organized crime in Latin America. Venezuela had a homicide rate of 59 deaths per 100,000 people. Trump ended his tweet with a frequent campaign mantra: We will BUILD THE WALL! Mexico was just ranked the second deadliest country in the world, after only Syria. Drug trade is largely the cause. We will BUILD THE WALL!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 22, 2017 Facebook

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Supreme Court says final decisions of term will come on Monday By David Savage The Supreme Court is shown at sunset on Feb. 13, 2016. (Jon Elswick / Associated Press) (Jon Elswick / Associated Press) The Supreme Court announced it will hand down its final rulings for this term on Monday. But that does not mean the justices will actually decide the six cases that remain, which include three significant disputes involving immigration and the U.S. borders. Heres a look at the notable decisions so far. On Nov. 30, with one seat on the court still vacant, the eight justices heard arguments in a Los Angeles case on whether noncitizens who face possible deportation can be held in jail indefinitely or instead have a right to a bond hearing after six months. The case, Jennings vs. Rodriguez, has taken on added importance in the Trump era, but the long delay may signal that the justices are split 4-4. If so, the court may announce Monday that the case will be reheard in the fall, leaving it to new Justice Neil M. Gorsuch to cast the tie-breaking vote. Also still pending, since January, is a California case that will decide whether a crime such as breaking into an empty home qualifies as a crime of violence, triggering automatic deportation, even for an immigrant who is a longtime legal resident. A ruling in Sessions vs. Dimaya could affect thousands of deportations The third case, pending since February, is a closely watched border shooting. At issue in Hernandez vs. Mesa is whether a U.S. agent can be sued for fatally shooting a 15-year-old who was standing on the Mexican side of the border. On Friday, the justices gave a second chance to a Korean restaurant owner from Memphis who faces deportation for selling Ecstasy pills. Based on his lawyers advice, he pleaded guilty to the drug charge, having been assured it would not trigger his deportation. The lawyer was wrong. By a 6-2 vote in Lee vs. United States, the court said the Korean man may withdraw his guilty plea and go to trial. But for his attorneys incompetence, he would not have accepted a plea, said Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr.. Dissenting were Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel A. Alito Jr.. The justices, including Gorsuch, are likely to rule in a significant case on religion and funding for church schools. In Trinity Lutheran vs.Comer, the justices will decide whether states may exclude church schools from receiving public funds. Also still pending, but on a different track, is the Trump administrations appeal over his blocked foreign travel ban. The court may act on that appeal at any time. Facebook

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Trump backs L.A. Olympic bid in meeting with IOC officials By Michael A. Memoli The opening ceremonies of the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. (Ken Hively / Los Angeles Times) President Trump pledged his full support for the Los Angeles bid to host a future Summer Olympics, the White House said Friday after an Oval Office meeting with the head of the International Olympic Committee. Trump met Thursday with IOC President Thomas Bach and three U.S. members of the IOC -- Larry Probst, Anita DeFrantz and Angela Ruggiero. A White House official called it a very constructive conversation in which Trump backed a potential third Summer Games in Los Angeles. With only L.A. and Paris bidding to host the 2024 games, the IOC is moving to reward both cities, giving one hosting duties in 2024 and the other in 2028. The United States hasnt hosted a Summer Olympics since the Centennial games in Atlanta in 1996. Salt Lake City hosted the Winter Olympics in 2002. Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti said he discussed the citys Olympic bid during a post-election conversation with Trump last November and that the then-president elect pledged his backing. Facebook

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Trump says he tweeted about tapes to influence Comeys account of their private conversations By Michael A. Memoli .@POTUS on why he wanted former FBI Dir. James Comey to believe there were tapes of their conversations pic.twitter.com/pCuibM5Z6k  FOX & friends (@foxandfriends) June 23, 2017 President Trump called it bothersome that the special counsel now overseeing the Russia probe was good friends with fired FBI Director James B. Comey, and said he hinted at having tapes of his private conversations  apparently falsely  to try to influence Comeys eventual testimony. The president made his remarks during an interview that aired Friday morning on Fox & Friends, but was recorded on Thursday just hours after he tweeted that he did not, in fact, have tapes. Trump said that floating the possibility they did exist might have forced Comey to tell what actually took place at the events. When he found out that, I, you know, that there may be tapes out there, whether its governmental tapes or anything else, and who knows, I think his story may have changed, Trump said. My story didnt change. My story was always a straight story. Foxs Ainsley Earhardt followed up: So it was a smart way to make sure he stayed honest in those hearings? It wasnt very stupid, I can tell you that, Trump answered. Many disagree, including Republicans. Comey testified that Trumps tweet is what prompted him to as
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Danica Paulos can recall the moment she knew she wanted to be a dancer.

My grandmother took me to see The Nutcracker when I was 5 years old, and during intermission, I was dancing in the aisles, Paulos said.

Paulos, who grew up in Huntington Beach, was speaking last week from Boston, where she was performing with the 2016 tour of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater.

The 20-city national tour will bring the company to the Segerstrom Center for the Arts for six performances from April 6 to 10. The program includes eight works that have never been performed at the center, four Southern California premieres and new productions of Ailey classics.

The three new dances include Robert Battles Awakening, created as an interpretation of a community on a journey from lamentation to peace. The movement is Battles first world premiere since becoming artistic director of the dance theater. Also on the bill is Exodus, in which hip-hop choreographer Rennie Harris explores the steps toward enlightenment.

Also new is Open Door, a Cuban-inspired work by choreographer Ronald K. Brown, who is known for his blend of modern dance and West African idioms.

The Open Door is set to the sounds of Arturo OFarrill and the Afro-Latin Jazz Orchestra, featuring songs from their recently released Cuba: The Conversation Continues, which was recorded in Havana days after President Obama announced a warming of relations between the countries.

The company, which will make its seventh visit to the center, will showcase an artistry and spirit of dance that dates to 1958, when it was founded by Alvin Ailey and a group of young African American modern dancers. Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater has gone on to perform for an estimated 25 million people at theaters in 48 states and 71 countries.

Paulos said a place in the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater is the ultimate achievement.

She began her dance training at Orange County Dance Center in Huntington Beach. She also studied in Los Angeles with the semi-private Yuri Grigoriev School of Ballet. Paulos finished her freshman year at Fountain Valley High School followed by her sophomore and junior years at Huntington Beach High School, where she was enrolled in the schools Academy for the Performing Arts.

By senior year, she was in New York, where she graduated from the Professional Performing Arts School.

Paulos trained at The Ailey School as a scholarship student and attended summer intensive at The Juilliard School, both in New York, and the Kirov Academy of Ballet, in Washington, D.C.

Dancing with the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater has allowed her to carry on the founders legacy of uniting and celebrating the human spirit, she said.

I draw from a lot of people I work with, Paulos said of finding inspiration. I call them superheroes because what we do is mentally, physically and emotionally exhausting but exhilarating on stage.

The company has an unusually high profile and a level of recognition that most concert dance troupes can only dream of. Soon after the presidential inauguration in 2009, the entire Obama family was present when the troupe performed at the Kennedy Center.

A U.S. congressional resolution designated the company a vital American cultural ambassador to the world that celebrates the African American cultural experience and American modern dance heritage.

To mark its tour stop in Orange County, the troupe will begin with Revelations Celebration, a free event on April 3 that will welcome visitors to participate and engage with company performers and teaching artists, who will demonstrate movements from three of the troupes most well-known pieces, including Rocka My Soul, Wade in the Water and Ive Been Buked.

Paulos, who will make her debut at the Segerstrom Center, said she is excited to perform on the stage where she has seen several shows and cultural performances.

Ill definitely be very reverent, Paulos said.

About her approach to the work, she said, When I go on stage, I try to be 100% selfless because Im trying to say something with my movement and Im telling a story. Its awesome to be performing.

*

IF YOU GO

What: Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater

When: 7:30 p.m. April 6 to 8, 2 and 7:30 p.m. April 9 and 1 p.m. April 10

Where: Segerstrom Center for the Arts, 600 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa

Cost: Tickets start at $29

Information: (714) 556-2787 or visit scfta.org
Delilah Snell helped start the first farmers market in Santa Ana more than a decade ago and has since been one of the citys biggest advocates for local, sustainable food.

Last year, she opened Alta Baja Market  a community-minded boutique grocer that stocks goods from both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border and across the Southwest inside a spacious corner unit at 4th Street Market.

The shops deli case always is full of curated cheeses and homemade goodies, and a small menu of dine-in dishes shows off seasonal frittatas and loaded toasts.

But its the most basic-sounding item on the menu that showcases what Alta Baja does best: a botana (snack) of cucumber, radishes and avocado, dosed with a pile of chile-lime nuts and covered in hot sauce.

Its got all the sweet-salty-tangy-crunchy-cool you want from a Mexican snack with all the love, care and farmers market sourcing you expect from Snell.

Alta Baja Market is at 4th Street Market, 201 E. 4th St., Santa Ana. For more information, call (714) 486-0700 or visit 4thstreetmarket.com.

SARAH BENNETT is a freelance journalist covering food, drink, music, culture and more. She is the former food editor at L.A. Weekly and a founding editor of Beer Paper L.A. Follow her on Twitter @thesarahbennett.

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The burritos at the original Burritos La Palma in El Monte are so legendary that food critics and fans have multiple times dubbed it L.A.s best taco.

Sure, a burrito isnt technically a taco, but when you have a tiny rolled burro thats about the size of a taco  it looks almost like a chimichanga pre-fryer  and filled with the rich, satisfying traditional meat stews of Zacatecas, Mexico, its hard to argue that you wouldnt choose one of La Palmas creations over the more typical Mexican street meal.

That decision is even easier now that the one-time food truck has opened its second location ever in Santa Ana, where you can get one of their famous burritos filled with the dense, signature, filling, birria de res, and buy a pack of their equally as famous flour tortillas, so you can try your best to roll up a taco-rivaling burrito at home.

Burritos La Palma is at 410 N. Bristol St., Santa Ana. For more information, visit burritoslapalma.net

SARAH BENNETT is a freelance journalist covering food, drink, music, culture and more. She is the former food editor at L.A. Weekly and a founding editor of Beer Paper L.A. Follow her on Twitter @thesarahbennett.

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A three-judge panel of the Fourth District Court of Appeals ruled Wednesday that the Newport-Mesa Unified School District must release dozens of documents related to a former high ranking officials allegations against Supt. Fred Navarro.

John Caldecott, the districts former director of human resources, initially filed a lawsuit against the school district in January to compel officials to release internal emails and other documents related to his complaint against Navarro.

While some of the documents requested are connected to Caldecotts claim that Navarro allegedly created a hostile work environment for employees, many also pertain to Caldecotts allegations that salary reports to the California State Teachers Retirement System or STRS, were completed incorrectly and could inflate pensions.

The school board fired Caldecott shortly after he filed his request with Orange County Superior Court.

In April, Orange County Superior Court Judge Geoffrey Glass decided that because Caldecott is already in possession of the documents he requested, the California Public Records Act request is moot.

The district denied public records requests from the Daily Pilot for the same documents.

However, the panel on Wednesday overturned the lower courts decision, writing that the documents should be released because there is a strong public interest in judging how Navarro responded to Caldecotts claims, especially in light of his decision to almost immediately terminate Caldecott without cause.

Likewise, there is the same strong public interest in assessing how the school districts elected board treated the serious misconduct allegations against its highest ranking administrator, Presiding Justice David Thompson wrote in the decision.

The misreporting to STRS, Caldecott alleged, concerned the salaries of principals and administrators whose jobs require an administrative credential  a category known as certificated management.

He said he suspects the district was considering forms of compensation such as merit pay in pension calculations, a move that may ultimately drive up the cost of pensions for taxpayers.

Caldecott alleged in court documents that Navarro knowingly authorized the misreporting.

The district argued that the school board has not found any of the allegations against Navarro to be true, therefore the documents should not be released in order to protect the superintendents reputation.

There is no requirement that imposition of discipline or found to be true is a prerequisite to release of the complaints to the public, Thompson wrote. "[The] school districts repeated description of the claims against Navarro as meritless does not make them so.

The case will be sent back to Orange County Superior Court, where they will have 90 days to review the documents and determine which, if any, are subject to attorney client privilege. The lower court will also determine the cost of Caldecotts legal fees, which the district will be required to pay, according to the ruling.

Annette Franco, the districts public relations officer, said the district plans to release the documents after the courts review.

Caldecott said in an interview Thursday that he raised issues any Human Resources professional would have brought to the superintendent and school board.

The appellate court decision completely vindicates the fact that I am not simply a disgruntled former employee, he said. I was just doing my job.
SOUTH PACIFIC

Presentation

Bernadette Murphy will take you to the French Polynesian islands of Moorea, Rangiroa and Marlon Brandos private atoll, Tetiaroa.

When, where: 7:30 p.m. Monday at Distant Lands, 20 S. Raymond Ave., Pasadena.

Admission, info: Free. RSVP to (626) 449-3220.

CAMPING

Presentation

Learn the basics of camping in California, including gear and equipment, regional resources and areas to camp.

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When, where: 7 p.m. Tuesday at the REI store in Woodland Hills, 6220 Topanga Canyon Blvd.

Admission, info: Free. (818) 703-5300

CUBA

Presentation

Angel Castellanos will discuss how to travel to Cuba without worry or hassle.

When, where: 6:30 p.m. Thursday at the Adventure 16 store in Los Angeles, 11161 W. Pico Blvd.

Admission, info: Free. (310) 473-4574

SAN PEDRO

Beach cleanup

Discover what marine debris is doing to the ocean and help collect and categorize finds on Cabrillo Beach.

When, where: 8-10 a.m. Saturday at the Cabrillo Marine Aquarium, 3720 Stephen M. White Drive, San Pedro.

Admission, info: Free. (310) 548-7562

Please email announcements at least three weeks before the event to travel@latimes.com.
Nine people were dead and 28 missing after a tourist ferry packed with around 170 passengers for a holiday weekend capsized Sunday on a reservoir near the Colombian city of Medellin, officials said.

A major rescue effort involving Colombias air force and firefighters from nearby cities was looking for survivors at the Guatape reservoir where the four-story El Almirante boat sank. As it went down, a flotilla of recreational boats and jet skis rushed to the scene to pull people from the vessel and deliver them safely to the shore, avoiding an even deadlier tragedy.

Dramatic videos circulating on social media show the turquoise and yellow trimmed party boat rocking back and forth as people crawled down from a fourth-floor roof as it began sinking into the water.

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Those on the first and second floors sank immediately, a female survivor who wasnt identified by name told Teleantioquia. The boat was sinking and all we could do was scream and call for help.

Margarita Moncada, the head of the disaster response agency in Antioquia state, said that according to a preliminary report, 99 people were rescued and another 40 managed to find a way to shore on their own and were in good condition. Speaking to reporters from the reservoir, she said nine people had been killed and around 28 are still missing.

Its unclear what caused the boat to sink, but survivors said that it appeared to be overloaded. Nobody on board was wearing a life vest, they said.

Daniel Giraldo, owner of an Italian restaurant in Guatape, said he went to the bay after hearing the sound of ambulances. When he got to the shore people told him the ship had gone under.

It sank in a matter of four minutes, he said.

Next he went to the hospital where he said he saw a baby girl in a wet dress who had been saved but whose mother he was told is missing.

Authorities were at a loss to say exactly how many people were on the boat and asked passengers or their loved ones to report to a rescue center hastily set up along the shore. They also made a call for scuba divers to assist with the search.

The reservoir surrounding the soaring rocky outcrop of El Penol is a popular weekend destination a little more than an hour from Medellin. It was especially busy Sunday as Colombians celebrated a long holiday weekend.

UPDATES:

5:20 p.m.: This article was updated to say that the death toll had risen to nine.

4:15 p.m.: This article was updated with news that three people had died and other details.

This article was originally published at 2:55 p.m.
Gunmen burst into a restaurant and killed a state commander for federal police and two other officers on another bloody day in the Mexican state of Veracruz.

The policemen were among at least 11 people slain in the state on Saturday, including four children, according to local officials.

Veracruz Gov. Miguel Angel Yunes issued a video calling the killers beasts and cowards and repeated his vow to crack down on organized crime in the troubled Gulf coast state.

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We are going to do everything, whatever it may be, he said. Veracruz will not be hostage to these animals.

The killing of federal police commissioner Camilo Castagne in the city of Cardel came two days after he had appeared with Yunes at an anti-crime event that was prompted by the discovery of dismembered bodies in bags left outside the office of a security official.

The state has suffered waves of killings, kidnappings and extortion by organized crime gangs. Federal statistics indicate 625 people were killed in Veracruz during the first five months of 2017, a 93% jump over the same period last year. And at least 300 bodies have been unearthed from mass graves used by gangs to bury their victims.

Yunes took office late last year following turmoil over the resignation of former Gov. Javier Duarte, who vanished while facing corruption allegations. He was tracked down and arrested in Guatemala in April and faces extradition proceedings. Mexican prosecutors accuse him of using front men and shell companies to amass properties acquired with money stolen from the state.
Yemens internationally recognized government on Saturday ordered the creation of a committee to investigate allegations of human rights violations after reports that U.S. military interrogators worked with forces from the United Arab Emirates who are accused of torturing detainees in Yemen.

A copy of the order issued by Prime Minister Ahmed Obaid bin Daghr was obtained by the Associated Press. It said the investigation would focus on areas liberated by government forces from Shiite rebels known as the Houthis and their allies.

The reports of the abuses were revealed in an AP investigation published Thursday. The investigation detailed a network of secret prisons across southern Yemen where hundreds are detained in the hunt for Al Qaeda militants. American defense officials said U.S. forces have interrogated some detainees in Yemen but denied any participation in, or knowledge of, human rights abuses.

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Defense officials told the AP that the department had looked into reports of torture and concluded that its personnel were not involved or aware of any abuses.

The 18 lockups mentioned in the AP investigation are run by the UAE and by Yemeni forces it created, according to accounts from former detainees, families of prisoners, civil rights lawyers and Yemeni military officials.

At the Riyan airport in the southern Yemeni city of Mukalla, former inmates described shipping containers smeared with feces and crammed with blindfolded detainees. They said they were beaten, roasted alive on a spit and sexually assaulted, among other abuses. One witness, who is a member of a Yemeni security force, said American forces were at times only yards away.

The UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement Friday that the allegations are completely untrue and a political game by Yemeni militias to discredit a Saudi-led coalition, which includes the UAE, that has been fighting since 2015 on the side of the internationally recognized government against the rebels. It says it does not run or oversee any prisons in Yemen and that any such facilities are under the jurisdiction of the legitimate Yemeni authorities.

In Washington, pressure has been mounting on the U.S. Defense Department after multiple U.S. senators called for investigations into the reports, with John McCain (R-Ariz.), chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, and the ranking Democrat, Jack Reed of Rhode Island, calling the reports deeply disturbing.

McCain and Reed of wrote a letter to Defense Secretary James N. Mattis on Friday asking him to conduct an immediate review of the reported abuses and what U.S. forces knew.

Even the suggestion that the United States tolerates torture by our foreign partners compromises our national security mission by undermining the moral principle that distinguishes us from our enemies  our belief that all people possess basic human rights, the senators wrote Mattis. We are confident that you find these allegations as extremely troubling as we do.
The day Nancy Plosi made history, the day Democrats made her their leader in the House of Representatives, she stepped from the Cannon Caucus Room flashing a high-beam smile that nearly outshone the television floodlights. Congressional leadership elections are normally staid affairs, perfunctory even, but on this November day the atmosphere was buoyant, almost giddy. Dressed in candy-apple red, surrounded mostly by men in black and gray, Pelosi cut through the marbled solemnity like a firecracker ringing in a churchyard.

Democrats were clearly pleased, and not just because they had elevated the California lawmaker to House minority leader, the highest position a woman has ever held in Congress. After a disappointing 2002 election, Pelosi promised that House leaders--and, by extension, the rest of the party--would be tougher in 2004. Where we can find our common ground, we shall seek it, Pelosi told the media scrum outside the cavernous Caucus Room. Where we cannot find that common ground, we must stand our ground.

For their part, Republicans were equally thrilled, eager to attack Pelosi as a loopy San Francisco liberal and exploit her citys reputation as the odd-sock drawer of America. Within days, her face--garish and twisted--showed up in an attack ad slamming the Democrat in a Louisiana House race. (He won anyway.) She surfaced as Miss America, complete with tiara, in a spoof on Rush Limbaughs Web site. Her views are highly out of step with most of the country, said Steve Schmidt, a spokesman for congressional Republicans--and many in Pelosis own party agreed.

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But those caricatures, facile as they are, overlook perhaps the chief reason for Nancy Pelosis success. Long before she came to San Francisco, before she had even grown up, she was schooled in the back-scratching politics of Baltimore, trained literally at the knee of a master--her father--who taught that elections are about taking care of people and practicality is more important than ideology.

Does she have the ability to go beyond representing the left wing of her party? The answer is clearly yes, says Rep. Porter J. Goss, a Florida Republican who has worked closely with Pelosi on sensitive assignments, including the House Ethics Committee and, most recently, a probe into the Sept. 11 attacks. While its true she does represent the left wing of the other party, its equally true that if you say thats all shes going to do, you would be underestimating her badly.

At age 62, Nancy Pelosi is living proof that looks can deceive. If she has a negative in her political career, its that shes too attractive, says Agar Jaicks, a Democratic activist who has known Pelosi for close to 30 years. Starting as a volunteer, political hostess and party fund-raiser (she didnt run for office until she was 47), Pelosi has been routinely dismissed, first as a dilettante and then, in Congress, as a legislative lightweight. Her wide brown eyes suggest a perpetual state of wonderment, and, speaking in public, she often falls back on the strained superlatives and canned platitudes that make her sound plastic and superficial.

Her maiden appearance on the Sunday talk-show circuit was so rote that many Democrats cringed. Does that grin ever go away? sniped one senior House aide. But there is a cunning that lies just below the artfully arranged surface. San Francisco is a tough political town, far from the liberal monolith that outsiders perceive. It is home to a boisterous, personal and often brutal form of hand-to-hand politicking, which makes it unusual in California and may help explain why so many of the states political leaders--from Hiram Johnson to Phillip Burton to Dianne Feinstein and, now, Pelosi--have emerged from its roiling cauldron.

Were a tiny city, 47 square miles, but were a city of intense national, international and local interests that converge and compete, says David Lee, an activist in San Franciscos large Asian American community. Every conceivable issue--race, sexual orientation, Taiwan versus mainland China, even Palestinians versus Jews--all get played out here. To get through that and to build a consensus among so many competing interests really takes an unusual amount of talent. And thats why if you can make it politically in San Francisco, you can make it practically anywhere.

But San Francisco is just a part of Pelosis pedigree, and not the most important. She was born and bred in Baltimore, the daughter of a New Deal congressman and revered mayor who ran a political machine from his brick row house and made his five sons and daughter--"Little Nancy"--part of its operation.

Our whole lives were politics, Pelosi told an interviewer during her first race for Congress, a special election she squeaked through in 1987. If you entered the house, it was always campaign time, and if you went into the living room, it was always constituent time.

Politics was not about philosophy or abstractions. It was about jobs, about having your garbage picked up, a fallen tree cleared or getting your child a scholarship and perhaps a ticket to a better life. It was also about pragmatism, about cutting deals and forming alliances, among the Italians, the Irish, the Jews and the Poles, neighborhood by neighborhood, block by block.

It was traditional grass-roots politics, says Peter Marudas, who spent decades in the Maryland trenches. She didnt go off to college like a lot of us and get involved in politics around some particular issue. She was weaned on service to people.

The skills she learned--how to organize a campaign from the street level up, how to count votes, how to build relationships, forge coalitions and cash in favors--would serve Pelosi brilliantly as she climbed the Democratic Party ladder, inside Congress and out.

Her older brother Tommy eventually followed their father into the mayors office, serving a single term in the late 1960s. But for Pelosi, Congress was a second career after working 20-odd years as a full-time mom (five children in six years) and Democratic Party volunteer.

Growing up, Pelosi says, she had no idea what she wanted to do. She married her college sweetheart, followed him to San Francisco and while her kids were in class, did her grocery shopping and service to the Democratic Party. I have never not participated in a campaign, she said during her first run for Congress, no matter how little my babies were, if I was wheeling them in a carriage or carrying them in my stomach.

Her own election was almost happenstance, the result of a hospital-bed endorsement from a dying incumbent. Her rise to a leadership role in Congress was more calculated, something she plotted and pursued for years. Her success will boil down to one thing: Can Democrats regain control of the House after more than eight years in the minority?

There are good reasons to doubt it, starting with the political lines drawn after the last census, which seem to favor Republicans for the rest of the decade. She is surrounded in the Democratic leadership by several potential foes, including an old Maryland chum she leapfrogged in a bitter contest that left wounds still red and raw. Going into the 2004 elections, she faces a president of surpassing popularity and a White House filled with canny campaign strategists.

But those who know Pelosi say if she comes up short, it wont be for lack of hard work or toughness or political smarts. She may have followed an unconventional route to get to where she is today, but looking back, says Rep. Anna G. Eshoo, a Silicon Valley Democrat and one of Pelosis closest friends in Congress, Nancys life was a dress rehearsal for what shes doing now.

Baltimore is a drab city of browns and grays, a world away from the pastel prettiness of San Francisco. In winter, in particular, it has the forlorn feeling of a place whose better days have long passed.

Tommy DAlesandro III, an older brother of Nancy Pelosi, is driving a visitor to her old high school, past a ramshackle housing project in the sagging Johnson Square neighborhood near downtown. At a stoplight, a toothless woman approaches his silver Mercury, begging for change. The driver and passenger sit silently, staring uncomfortably ahead. It was a great town, DAlesandro says wistfully.

It was a thriving city with a bustling shipyard, steel mills, auto plants and factories that churned out soaps and spices, toothpaste and canned tomatoes. It was a stew pot of immigrant neighborhoods, a segregated city until the mid-1950s, and a place with both an inferiority complex and a fierce sense of civic pride. It squats between Washington, D.C., and New York City--like the stupid kid who wound up in the advanced class by mistake, a local newspaperman once wrote--and that makes Baltimore both ordinary and special. Washington and New York are world cities that belong to everyone, say Matthew Crenson, a Baltimore native and urban politics professor at the citys Johns Hopkins University. But Baltimore belongs only to Baltimorians.

Back in the 1920s, Pelosis father, Tommy DAlesandro Jr.--or Tommy the Elder as he came to be called--was a ballroom dancer of some renown. Although he ended up marrying the pretty girl who lived just a block down Albemarle Street, his services were in demand throughout the city and took him well beyond his Little Italy neighborhood. His clientele, and the contacts he made selling insurance, were vital when he decided to run for Marylands General Assembly. The political bosses refused to help, so DAlesandro collected 5,000 signatures on his own, qualifying for the ballot and winning election despite their snub.

He went on to win 22 straight races, going from the General Assembly to the Baltimore City Council to Congress and, finally, three terms as one of the citys most popular mayors. Throughout, he operated mostly from his home, a three-story brick row house with white-trim windows and a portrait of Franklin D. Roosevelt in the home office. Im a paisano, the mayor once said. These are my people. This is where I belong. The family was never wealthy, though DAlesandro eventually got a car and driver when he became mayor. (Nancy, the baby of the family and the only girl, was chauffeured to school, but she insisted on walking the last block, to spare herself embarrassment.)

Back then, life in Little Italy revolved around three things: family, faith and politics. We were all christened into the Roman Catholic Church and the Democratic Party, Pelosi once said.

She grew up at 245 Albemarle St.; one set of grandparents lived at 235 and the other at 204; Aunt Jessie was at 314; and Aunt Mary lived just around the corner, on Eastern Avenue. Everyone pitched in on matters of politics. Little Nancy stuffed envelopes (as her own children would), passed out ballots and often made the rounds of public appearances with her father, standing demurely at his side in a white dress and gloves. Her aunts would help Pelosis mother, Annunciata, cook big pots of stew or spaghetti sauce for constituents who showed up hungry at dinnertime.

Throughout the day a steady stream of supplicants would stop by the house, seeking jobs, financial aid or other help. Their names were kept in the favor file, sheets of yellow legal paper that were stacked and stapled together at the end of the week. The names were then typed onto index cards for use come election time. Few, however, needed such reminding; the transaction was understood. The organizations serviced the people, says Marudas, a chief of staff to two Baltimore mayors, and the people supported them.

On that foundation of mutual interest, the citys Democratic machine thrived. It was a gentle machine, professor Crenson says. Nobody got killed, nobodys knees got smashed. Each boss operated from one of six council districts--DAlesandros base was the 1st District--and power rested on a series of coalitions, built precinct by precinct, among various ethnic groups and rival interests. (Pelosi ran for the House leadership by emulating her fathers painstaking approach.  We need 100,000 votes,  she remembers him saying as he worked backward to break down the numbers.  We need this many from this neighborhood. This many from this neighborhood. How do we get them? )

While Tommy III--or Tommy the Younger"--eventually followed his father into the mayors office, Nancy struck out on her own, at least as far as her parents allowed, leaving Baltimore to attend Trinity College in nearby Washington, D.C. She met her husband, Paul, while he attended Georgetown University, and the two married in 1963. Six years later, they moved to San Francisco, where Paul Pelosi earned a small fortune as a financier and real estate investor and Nancy built a political career from scratch.

Despite their distance, she has stayed close to Tommy, now 73. The two look alike, both stylish dressers with the same high cheekbones, sharp features and impeccable manners. They talk several times a week, often after one of her TV appearances. Im her sounding board and No. 1 critic, he says. Walking through the old neighborhood, now chockablock with touristy restaurants, he muses that his career followed a well-paved path: My names Tommy DAlesandro, same as my dad. Nancy went to a new area and did it on her own. And so he is asked, Would you say your little sister is the better politician? He smiles. No question about it.

Nancy Pelosi juggled two roles--mom and rabid Democrat--during her first 15 or so years in San Francisco. If forced to pick between the two, however, there is little doubt which she would have chosen. As her four daughters and a son grew older, she would say she wished she could take them out in the rain, shrink them and start over.

She was the doting mother who carpooled in her red Jeep Wagoneer, drove on class field trips to the Old Mint, brought cupcakes to school and hand-stitched her childrens Halloween costumes, including an elaborate angel outfit with a pink dress and silver wings that her youngest daughter, 32-year-old Alexandra, still has.

The skills Pelosi learned while running a bustling household and finding time to rise through the Democratic ranks would find great application in Congress, where seemingly every hour of every day brings some matter that someone deems urgent. When you raise five children born six years apart, you do most of the work yourself. You cant attract a good deal of people to help out, she says, barking out a laugh. It trains you to anticipate, to be organized and to be flexible.

As soon as the dinner table was cleared, it was set for breakfast. Each child was responsible for laying out their school uniform and shining their shoes, subject to moms inspection. On weekdays there were 10 slices of wheat bread laid out on the kitchen counter, with an assortment of lunch meats, condiments, five bags of pretzels and five apples. Im not taking any complaints, Pelosi would say, and, Lets have some cooperation. On weekends, the five little Pelosis were dressed in matching outfits, which made it easier to spot them if one strayed away. (Despite a fashion-plate image, Pelosi actually hates to shop. Her husband bought most of the childrens clothing, and he continues to buy many of his wifes outfits.)

Along with being the chief scheduler and events planner, Pelosi was also the main disciplinarian in the household, reigning with the unflappability that comes with overseeing a large family. If there was a mud-clod fight and someone ran inside crying, daughter Christine recalled, Pelosi would shrug as if to suggest, what do you expect? Throw a punch, take a punch, she would say, quoting her late father.

Democratic Party politics were a constant in Pelosis household. Apart from her work at the headquarters downtown, Pelosi turned her elegant Presidio Terrace home into a party salon, where Democratic luminaries came to speak to volunteers about environmentalism, social justice or economic policy. In 1984, as state party chair, Pelosi helped lure the Democratic National Convention to San Francisco, hosting a series of bashes that helped recruit more than 10,000 volunteers. (Republicans are busy examining the source of Pelosis wealth, focusing on her husbands dealings. The couple is worth upward of $23 million, according to Pelosis most recent financial disclosure report, with extensive stock holdings and investments in resort hotels, vineyards and downtown San Francisco real estate. Theres work to be done understanding all the reasons she is where shes at, says one California Republican operative.)

In 1985, Pelosi waged an unsuccessful bid for the chairmanship of the Democratic National Committee. The race turned ugly, with Pelosi accusing her opponents in organized labor of running a smear campaign, calling her an airhead"--a label that followed her for years after. She wont talk about it now, though a bitterness creeps into her voice at the recollection. That was a lesson to me, she says, before abruptly shifting tone and professing that all is forgiven. In 1986, Pelosi headed the national fund-raising committee for Democrats in the U.S. Senate, helping the party win back control of the chamber.

Just a few months later came the event that would change her life.

As San Francisco Congresswoman Sala Burton lay dying, she summoned Pelosi to her hospital bedside in Washington, D.C. Burton and her late husband, Phil, were longtime friends and political compatriots of Pelosi. When Phil Burton suffered a fatal heart attack in 1983, Sala inherited his congressional seat. Now, four years later, she wished Pelosi would succeed her.

Frail and wasted, with just a few days to live, Burton asked Pelosi if she wanted the job, with its 3,000-mile commute. Pelosi expressed hopes Burton would recover (there was no talk of death, though everyone knew it was imminent, says Jaicks, a Burton family friend who was there). Finally Pelosi said yes, she would be honored to follow Sala Burton in Congress.

What followed was a short and exceedingly bitter special election, with 14 candidates vying for the open seat. Overnight, Pelosi went from relative anonymity to being the target of attacks--"a legislator or a dilettante?"--on billboards across the city. She threw herself into the race, eventually prevailing by fewer than 4,000 votes, thanks to support from the citys beleaguered band of Republicans. The second-place finisher, gay supervisor Harry Britt, actually won more Democratic votes and carried the citys most liberal neighborhoods.

Despite her enormous financial advantage and strong establishment backing, Pelosi ran that first campaign the way the DAlesandros always had: from the ground up. She has an organizers instinct, says Fred Ross Jr., who coordinated Pelosis grass-roots operation. An organizer has to have imagination, has to have a very strategic mind about how to think about a campaign, how to organize a campaign and how to win it. What are the vulnerabilities of the other side? What are the resources you can amass? She understands all of that.

Pelosi appeared at more than 120 house parties over the course of that 60-day snap election, and when her brother Tommy flew out to inspect the ground troops, he paid what Ross took as the ultimate compliment. This, DAlesandro said, is how we did it in Baltimore.

In April of 1990, Dianne Feinstein was at a critical stage in her race for California governor. For weeks she had been on the television airwaves, touting herself as the only candidate in the Democratic primary to support the death penalty--a pointed contrast with her chief rival, John Van de Kamp. Now the question was whether the former San Francisco mayor had the guts to say it to the faces of Californias most ardent (and liberal) party activists.

The night before Feinsteins appearance at the state Democratic convention, her chief strategist, Bill Carrick, sought Pelosis advice. He found her in Feinsteins hospitality suite, and together they stepped outside and plopped onto a nearby staircase. Carrick handed Pelosi a copy of the speech Feinstein planned to give the next day. One line practically jumped off the page: an unvarnished endorsement of the death penalty as an issue that cannot be fudged or hedged. Pelosi opposes capital punishment, yet she turned to Carrick and said, I think its really good. She warned that Feinstein might get booed. But thats not all bad, Pelosi added.

She was right. Feinstein was booed, lustily. The scene was captured by a film crew, and the dramatic footage appeared in subsequent campaign spots; in a single swoop the unflinching Feinstein managed to shed the goofy-liberal label that attaches itself to virtually every San Francisco politician. She handily beat Van de Kamp in the June primary before losing narrowly to Republican Pete Wilson in the November general election.

Pelosi herself is undeniably to the left of many Americans, not to mention a good number of those in her own party. She supports legalized abortion with few restrictions, favors stiffer gun laws and vigorously promotes gay rights. Her stance springs from deep in my soul, Pelosi says with passion. I will fight discrimination of any form, including against gays and lesbians. If that makes me unacceptable to some people, that is very fundamental to me and everyone should know it from the start. She has opposed welfare reform, favored needle exchanges and voted against both the Gulf War resolution and the October resolution giving President Bush authority to wage renewed war on Iraq.

She has also been a staunch supporter of human rights, hoisting a protest banner in Tiananmen Square during a 1999 visit to China and bucking presidents of both parties in fighting normalized trade relations with the Communist government. That has alienated many in San Franciscos Chinatown, where long-standing support of Taiwan has shifted in recent years to an embrace of mainland China.

However, it is her position on social issues and her antiwar votes that became an issue when she ran for the House leadership, first for the No. 2 job of Minority Whip, then for the top Democratic job. Rep. Martin Frost of Texas, who vigorously challenged Pelosi for House leader before dropping out days before the November vote, suggested her elevation would cement Democrats minority status for years to come. Democratic Rep. Harold E. Ford Jr. of Tennessee, who jumped into the contest after Frost quit, spoke of old versus new Democrats in a last-ditch bid to stop Pelosi.

Still, she won in a landslide, 177-29, garnering support not just from fellow liberals, but from party moderates and even many conservative Democrats. They were convinced--enough to stake their own futures--that Pelosi is both willing and smart enough to set aside her personal views, the way she did with Feinstein, to pursue a shared goal: electing Democrats of any and all stripes. I do not agree with her on every single issue, says Rep. Mike Ross, a conservative Democrat from small-town Arkansas who backed Pelosi in both her leadership races. But he sees her as someone with leadership qualities and someone who [can] bring the diversity of the Democratic Party together and unite it.

That endorsement, however, has its limits. Ross welcomed Pelosis fund-raising help during his two election campaigns. But she never appeared alongside him in south Arkansas, and no such invitation is likely. The people of my district arent really interested in some outsider, whether theyre liberal or conservative, trying to tell them how to vote, Ross says diplomatically.

Pelosi climbed into the house leadership the old-fashioned way: She earned it. She gave scads of money to her colleagues, the functional equivalent of the favors her father dispensed back on Albemarle Street. During the past several elections, Pelosi has emerged as one of the most prodigious fund-raisers in Congress. For the 2002 elections, she raked in close to $8 million for colleagues as well as the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. (She also ran afoul of campaign finance laws by operating two separate political action committees. She was forced to close one just a few weeks before the November elections.)

Pelosis harshest critics--those on her left--say she practices checkbook politics, selling out principles for campaign cash. The San Francisco Bay Guardian, the citys progressive weekly, has made it a practice never to endorse her. But Pelosi insists her contributions come mostly from individuals who have been idealistic believers in the Democratic caucus and candidates, which suggests a lot of dreamy-eyed labor leaders and trial lawyers.

More than cash, however, Pelosi has prospered for the simple reason that her peers like and trust her. In the small, gossipy world that is Capitol Hill, Pelosi is renowned for a graciousness and compassion that are not only rare these days but almost quaint. When she campaigned for the leadership, Pelosi made a point of never approaching members on the House floor, lest they feel trapped. When Rep. Jane Harman of Venice lost her 1998 bid for governor, Pelosi arranged to welcome her back to Washington with an ice cream social. When a colleagues child committed suicide, Pelosi went to his home and sat with the grieving parents. When Anna Eshoos father lay dying, Pelosi repeatedly checked on the Silicon Valley lawmaker, sometimes calling as late as midnight. Shes a lady, says Eshoo, in the most beautiful sense of the word.

She is also famously energetic, standing out even in a city filled with overdrive personalities. Pelosi is often seen before she is heard--click-click-click-click--as she briskly makes her high-heeled way around Washington. She is constantly in motion, even when shes not, like a hummingbird suspended midair. Standing at a news conference, waiting her turn to speak, her clenched jaw is working and her hands fidget, twirling a sheaf of papers thrust between her two small fists. When she talks, hands fly, as if to coax the words along. She functions on about four hours of sleep, with no naps (Ive never even seen her with her eyes closed, laughs Judy Lemons, her chief of staff for 15 years) and seems to live on chocolate and grapefruit juice.

Pelosi, in fact, is a famous chocolate fiend; there is a big glass jar of Hershey Kisses on her desk and a secret stash of candy bars in a filing cabinet outside her inner office, which she raids during late-night sessions. The meetings she hosts in her Capitol office--like the parties she throws at her $1-million Georgetown condominium--are culinary treats, with fresh muffins in the mornings, cookies and fruit in the afternoons and takeout on the nights when Congress works late.

There is, of course, a less convivial side. Pelosi has a reputation for vindictiveness, which surfaced after she defeated the more senior Steny H. Hoyer of Maryland in a hard-fought 2001 race for Minority Whip, the partys No. 2 job in the House. After defeating Hoyer, Pelosi took some gratuitous shots. Now they are together in the leadership--Hoyer won the Whip job after Pelosi moved up--and tensions linger despite a relationship going back decades. Pelosi also faces a potential rival in Robert Menendez of New Jersey, who won the No. 3 post of caucus chairman over Pelosis preferred candidate. Her biggest weakness is she views the world in two camps: those who are for me and those who are against me,  says a House leadership aide. Shell have to get over that if shes going to succeed.

As a case in point, observers point to Pelosis surprising decision to meddle last year in a Michigan primary that pit the longest-serving House member, John D. Dingell, against a less senior member, Lynn Rivers. Pelosis $10,000 contribution to Rivers was seen as payback for Dingells support of Hoyer and a foolish move, given Dingells rank. Dingell won and aides say he and Pelosi have patched things up. But the move caused many to question Pelosis judgment. A stupid fight that didnt have to happen, says a second leadership aide.

Pelosi allies countered that she sent an important message about loyalty, friendship and her plans to be tougher than the often wishy-washy Richard A. Gephardt of Missouri, the minority leader who relinquished the post she now holds. Shes not going to shy away from decisions that need to be made, even if theyll ruffle some feathers, says one departing leadership staff member who is not a part of the Pelosi camp. The downside is you have to accept a few clunkers every now and then.

Pelosis father always told her: Keep the friendship in your voice.

When she talks about her goals as Democratic leader, Pelosi states the obvious. Foremost is winning back majority control of the House, though she sees that as a multi-year project. While vowing to go all out in 2004, she explains that even if you win in the first cycle, you have to sustain that majority in the 2006 elections. She also talks of serving as a role model, particularly for young women. People try to instill doubt a woman can do a certain job when shes the first, whether its the first woman to head a major corporation or the first woman Army general, Pelosi says. I consider this a challenge to remove all doubt in anyones mind that women can do any job in America.

She also has another goal, less partisan but also personal: returning a measure of civility to Washingtons corrosive political atmosphere. People should know that you can disagree very, very strongly without it becoming a drawing of the line, without it becoming good person, bad person,  Pelosi says. That not only honors the people and their government institutions, she goes on, it also is a tribute to a former mayor of Baltimore and his wife, who taught their children from a very young age that politics was a noble calling, not just the family business.

mark.barabak@latimes.com
Israels government on Sunday scrapped a compromise to allow pluralist prayer at the Western Wall holy site in Jerusalem, bowing to pressure from ultra-religious parties in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus coalition and angering liberal Jewish denominations with large followings in North America.

The agreement, approved by Israels Cabinet in January 2016, would have established a new area for worship at the ancient Old City shrine  part of the retaining wall of the ancient Temple and a leading Jewish pilgrimage site.

The deal was backed by Judaisms Reform and Conservative movements, as well as the feminist Jewish group Women of the Wall, which has become a cause celebre in recent years among liberal Jews for practicing egalitarian prayer at the holy site in defiance of Israels religious and police authorities.

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But the compromise was never put into effect, frozen by opposition from Israels ultra-Orthodox religious establishment for deviating from the Orthodox rituals that have prevailed at the Western Wall plaza for years. Following the decision on Sunday, Israels government will seek to reach a new compromise on prayer at the Western Wall.

Moshe Gafni, the leader of Israels ultra-religious United Torah Judaism party, hailed the decision. We are happy about this, and thank the holy one, blessed is he, on this great success, he told reporters after the decision.

Jewish men pray at the Western Wall during Jerusalem Day celebrations on May 24. (Ariel Schalit / Associated Press)

Critics of the about-face by Netanyahu warned that abandoning the compromise risks alienating large swaths of North American Jewry that Israel has long relied upon for political and financial backing.

This is a shameful move by the Israeli government, said Rabbi Gilad Kariv, the director of the Israel Movement for Reform and Progressive Judaism, in an interview. If the state of Israel decides that Reform and Conservative Jews are second-class Jews, those Jews will know how to react.

Natan Sharansky, a former government minister and Soviet refusenik who helped broker the original compromise as the chairman of the Jewish Agency for Israel, called the decision a deep disappointment.

The original agreement would have established a dignified space for egalitarian prayer at the Western Wall, Sharansky said in a statement. Todays decision signifies a retreat from that agreement and will make our work to bring Israel and the Jewish world closer together increasingly more difficult.

Anat Hoffman, chairwoman of Women of the Wall, accused Netanyahu of folding and going back on a historic agreement with liberal Jewish denominations. Women of the Wall members hold monthly prayer services at the Western Wall plaza in which participants lead prayer and read from Torah scrolls, despite an official ban on such practices by women.

This is a bad day for women in Israel, Hoffman wrote on Facebook. The Women of the Wall will continue to worship at the womens section of the Western Wall with the Torah scroll, prayer shawls and phylacteries until equality for women arrives at the Wall as well.

A spokesman from the prime ministers office declined to comment.

Netanyahu relies on the support of two ultra-Orthodox parties to shore up his majority in the parliament, the Knesset. After watching front-runner candidates underperform in recent votes elsewhere  specifically, Theresa May in Britain  he is loath to imperil his coalitions stability, said Jonathan Rynhold, a political science professor at Bar-Ilan University.

Its all about the coalition, he said. He is worried that the ultra-Orthodox will cause him to lose a majority and lose a confidence vote. And he looks at the elections around the world and says, I dont want to take the risk.

ALSO

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Mitnick is a special correspondent.

@joshmitnick
The all-volunteer Mansfield Township Fire Co. started in 1927. So on Saturday, they celebrated.

A pig roast and concert marked 90 years for the Warren County fire company, which has more than 40 members, according to its website. The ticketed event was held at the firehouse in the township's Port Murray section.

Come on out for this sure to be good time! Tix: http://bpt.me/2933175 Posted by Jesse Bardwell -and the Free Union on Monday, June 5, 2017

Steve Novak may be reached at snovak@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @type2supernovak and Facebook. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.
Crews on Sunday morning battled a fire at a Mansfield Township nail salon that police said happened when a pedicure chair ignited.

The fire began at 9:20 a.m. at Coco Nails in the Mansfield Commons II strip mall, 1885 Route 57. Police said the salon was closed at the time and an employee arriving to work noticed the chair smoldering, and then saw flames.

Police said a fire alarm also was going off when the employee arrived. Crews put out the flames within about 10 minutes or less, according to police.

There were no reported injuries. However, Emergency Medical Services did set up a station for firefighters so they could be medically evaluated and take breaks.

The building sustained significant damage. Yo Blast, a frozen yogurt business next to Coco Nails, received water damage, police said.

The only business open in the strip at the time was Starbucks. Police allowed the store to remain open, but shut down the drive-thru.

All firefighters had gone by 11:38 a.m. Fire officials remained to continue to investigate what caused the pedicure chair to ignite.

Also responding were the Tri-County Fire Department, Mansfield Fire Department, Hackettstown Fire Department, Washington Borough Fire Department RIT Team, Warren County fire coordinators, the Mansfield Rescue Squad and Hackettstown Rescue Squad.

Pamela Sroka-Holzmann may be reached at pholzmann@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow her on Twitter @pamholzmann. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.
The new Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar represents a generational change in Irish politics.

The verdict is very much out, however, as to whether he represents real change on other levels, or just a continuation or variation of the same.

In fairness this is only a few days into a new administration, but the furore over the manner of the appointment of the former Attorney General to the second highest court in the land does not necessarily bode well.

As the time of writing the President had signed off on the appointment, and it looks likely to go ahead.

Of course it may all blow over, and other more pressing issues are sure to make their presence felt.

And the Government's intray is pretty full by any measure.

Look at housing. One of the few new Ministers appointed, Eoghan Murphy now takes the reins over an issue which is affecting thousands of people across the country.

In Laois alone, up to 1,300 people are on the waiting list, and what is being done seems to be piecemeal.

Our complex history with housing looks all set to continue, but whether this Government can produce real and tangible solutions is the question.

And looming large over everything is Brexit, the ramifications of which are unclear, but which has created an uncertain and uneasy environment.

On a local level the Department of Justice is now been helmed by Charles Flanagan. He follows in the footsteps of Kevin O'Higgins in the 1920s.

The challenges here are all too apparent, given the myriad of issues that have surfaced over the past few years, the situation at the Garda training college in Templemore been the most recent.

However, one suspects that what most concerns people is the level of crime which the community is now subject to.

This is evident week after week in both urban and rural areas.

The volume of crime appears to be increasing, as well as its intensity, and this is taking the form of more violent and sinister incidents.

Tackling this is a huge priority for most people, because many are of the opinion it has got out of hand and it could affect anyone.

Success in doing this would be a very welcome development.
There are few words to describe the horror of the Grenfell Tower disaster which unfolded in London.

The stories which emerged, of people bidding goodbye to their friends and loved ones via their phones and social media networks as the fire crept closer, to their apartments are terrifying.

Some 79 people are confirmed dead at the time of writing, with the death toll likely to rise much higher.

Astounding, too, are the emerging indications that building faults, such as the selection of inferior cladding, could have been responsible for the quick spread of the flames which led to the deaths of so many.

Despite the well-documented concerns of the residents of Grenfell Tower that they were living in firetraps  although, sadly, those warnings were ignored by officialdom  it was widely thought that the building was safe. That fire breaks and stay in place survival tactics would work in the case of a fire breaking out. After all, this was a local authority-approved development in the middle of a posh part of the Western world  who would have thought it would go up like a bonfire?

There is no comfort in imagining that such a scenario could not happen in this country, just because such massive residential blocks are not built in Ireland.

This countrys experience with Priory Hall, to name the most notorious Celtic Tiger-era development in which significant fire safety issues were found, is salutary.

Who knows how many developers took shortcuts during the building boom years of a decade ago which could now leave residents lives in serious danger.

Here in Kildare, we remember the horrifying spectacle of the Millfield Manor fire in Newbridge just two short years ago.

Six houses were ablaze in under half an hour, despite the fact that this was  supposedly  an impossibility due to fire safety standards.

A review by an independent expert into fire safety in such developments was prompted by the Millfield Manor disaster. As of last May, according to a written answer given in the Dail by then Minister for Housing Simon Coveney, that report was being considered by his Department with a view to publication at an early date.

Cllr Joanne Pender, at last week's Kildare Municipal District Meeting, also called on the Minister to release the report, and Deputy Fiona O'Loughlin raised the matter in the Dail.

So where is it? Statutory agencies, and householders, need to know what they are facing.

Surely, in the light of the horrifying spectacle which unfolded in full view of the world last week, that is the least people deserve.
Sal Brinton, who sits on the All Party Parliamentary Fire Safety and Rescue Group has said that the Government should declare a civil emergency over fire safety in tower blocks and compensate those who had been evacuated. During the flooding damage in 2015, the Government extended a Council Tax discount to help those who had been badly affected. Sal said that those evacuated should have their Council Tax suspended:

This is a civil emergency. The government must guarantee funding for local councils to do everything necessary to keep people safe and compensate those who have had their lives disrupted.

Camden Council did the right thing by promptly evacuating unsafe tower blocks. But those affected need to be treated fairly and with dignity.

The government should provide funding to ensure people evacuated from their homes dont have to pay a penny of council tax until theyve returned.
Our national politics is in total turmoil. The Tories are between the devil and the DUP. Labour is utterly unfathomable on Brexit. The Lib Dems are pretty Captainless, as far as the media and the country at large are concerned.

And internally, within the party, there is turmoil too. Some successes were had on 8th June but there were huge disappointments. Good MPs were lost. Many of us are still recovering from bruising contests, even where we had little chance of making a breakthrough. I expect most Liberal Democrat candidates standing in key Tory-Labour marginals would attest to a level of online abusive from Progressive Labours supporters that has exceeded anything previously experienced.

Here in Hastings & Rye, as candidate for the third time, I was vilified for having the temerity to stand in an election that unexpectedly (even I would suggest for local Labour), nearly removed the Home Secretary. The eventual result saw Amber Rudd scrape home by a mere 346 votes with even an independent anti-corruption candidate gaining more votes than the eventual majority.

The criticism hasnt only come from trolls. Hastings & Rye Liberal Democrats get excoriated by Compass James Corre here:

But this analysis is misleading, especially when we had explicitly offered to work with the Labour Party in order to send fewer Tories back to Westminster from East Sussex. You can read the statement that I made mid-May here:

Corre certainly does not give Labour fair treatment for their obstinacy in this whole process.

So what should be done now? Locally, and at a national level?

The Party appears to have made a decision to re-appoint willing candidates under emergency procedures by the end of June. Personally, among other reasons for not accepting a re-appointment right now, I do not want to be responsible for the Home Secretary getting back again any time soon. This internal directive does not give a message that we may not contest certain seats on a quid pro quo basis. Is that wise?

Nationally, the Tories are all over the place, and presumably the Labour Party fancies its chances at being able to get back into majority government with one more heave. Maybe there is even less appetite from the Reds for any sort of inter-party co-operation that doesnt mean rolling over for Labour? In the light of this, it is understandable that some Regional Executives (like my own) have rolled their eyes and flatly refused to do anything else towards Progressive Alliance: Progressive? The Labour Party?!

I just wonder whether that sort of attitude from Liberal Democrats is in our (and the countrys) best interests, long-term? Is it not now that the party should be having an open conversation about the possibility of a shared policy platform with others? The kind of joint platform that might protect our environment, might enhance our economy, our security; might finally deliver fair votes?

It will be of course for the new leader to set the direction on this, but it would be useful, would it not, to hear what candidates, declared or otherwise, think about progressive alliances before we cast our votes?

In my opinion, this is one of the most crucial strategic decisions facing us.

* Nick Perry is an approved mental health professional and was the parliamentary candidate for Hastings & Rye at the General Election.
We shouldnt assume that our failure to break through in the General Election means that people dont agree with our policy on a referendum on the Brexit deal.

Polling is consistently showing that a majority of people are coming round to that position. For that reason, it would be unwise for us to ditch it.

A Survation poll carried out less than two weeks ago found that 53% of those who expressed a preference favoured a further referendum.

A poll of Scots for STV similarly showed that 61% of those polled said they wanted to see a referendum on the deal. This is particularly interesting given that 70% didnt want a referendum on independence at the moment. It is significant, though, that 22% of those want to wait and see what happens with Brexit, so that argument isnt entirely over.

Over at the Huffington Post, Tom Brake set out the case to continue wth our policy on a second referendum:

I do not agree with the view that we should just remain silent during the negotiating process and accept any deal the Government comes up with. This issue is far too important to give the Government a blank cheque. This is like saying that after a general election we should just accept and rubber stamp all decisions until the next election, without holding the Government to account. I believe, even more strongly than a year ago, that just as people were able to vote for departure from the EU, they should be given a vote on our destination in our future relationship with the EU. If the process started with a referendum, why shouldnt it end with another one? As the compromises and realities of Brexit unfold following the negotiations and a deal is struck, the British public should be allowed to decide, in a referendum, whether it is the right deal for them, their families, their jobs and our country. Whatever the result of that vote would be, that decision would carry a much heavier mandate then one by a small clique of politicians in Westminster. If you were a Brexit voter for example, would you settle for a deal that still meant paying into the EU budget? Wouldnt you want a chance to have a say if you disagreed with the Governments deal? That is why the Liberal Democrats will continue to push the Government for a public vote on the deal at the end of the negotiations, so people are given the choice to vote for that deal or to remain in the EU.

Whats interesting is that we are also constructively arguing for a cross-party cabinet committee to lead the Brexit negotiations and come up with a deal that should reflect a political consensus  and therefore be more likely to be accepted in any referendum.

The Liberal Democrats are calling for a cross-party joint cabinet committee to be established to negotiate Brexit. This committee would be made up of MPs, selected by their parties and representative of the political make-up of parliament. The team would become the front line of negotiations with Brussels and ultimately have to agree to the final deal, which could then be put to the British people. This is a moment for those in the centre to gather together, whatever our parties, and work in the national interest. I am determined that the Liberal Democrats will be a constructive opposition in this parliament and will play our part in bringing the country together, working with people of all parties and none, to fight for the best possible deal for you, your family, your neighbours and our country Britains future relationship with Europe will be the most important issue in our country for years to come. As the Liberal Democrat spokesperson for Brexit, I will continue to fight for an open, modern and inclusive Britain.

* Caron Lindsay is Editor of Liberal Democrat Voice and blogs at Caron's Musings
The key issue for me in the leadership debate is our strategy for the next election. My take is based on feedback from electors.

On the whole, our manifesto is sound (although I cant help adding a quick pitch for the addition of the term time attendance policy for tourism constituencies & to exemplify our trust in people over government/commitment to family life). There are just two huge, key exceptions.

Ditch the referendum on the deal.

Nothing in recent history, from the AV referendum to Brexit to the Scottish Independence Reernedum, gives cause to trust referenda. The electorate had already learned that lesson. Its our turn now.

Plenty agreed with Brenda from Bristol that there is too much politics and dread the prospect of another election soon, let alone another referendum on a complex issue in which passions ride high. Our system is deeply unsettled; elections/referenda in such circumstances add to the maelstrom, not calm it. More than that, Scottish Independence and Brexit werent just arguments between competing political factions, but caused tensions within families and friendships groups which still linger. Neither we nor the SNP gained by offering another such experience in the last election. We would be idiots to repeat the offer.

Remainers are aware the LibDems dont want Brexit, know we cant stop the juggernaut and know we will do all we can to represent their interests. They just want us to get on with it without bothering them again.

Switch tack on Coalition.

We have to hold our noses on the prospect of coalition in the next Parliament (not in this one). Once the 2nd referendum failed to generate a national tide, the argument that we would form the main opposition looked unrealistic, increasingly so once the unforeseen Corbyn bandwagon started rolling. In that environment, ruling out coalition made us an irrelevance.

If another election is called before the end of the full Parliamentary term, it will be because government is untenable. The country will be in a state of great uncertainty and risk, just as we were in 2010. We stepped up then in the national interest. We may well need to do so again. In the meantime we point out only the LibDems in coalition will be able to hold the extremes of either the Tory or the Labour party in check.

It wont be comfortable and it may not reward us at a future election either, but it may well be a patriotic necessity. Ruling ourselves out of play and relegating ourselves to shouting negatively and ineffectively from the sidelines achieves nothing for anyone. Next time though, a Bill on changing the Westminster voting system.

Finally, we need to be a solution, not part of the problem

Its about tone and balance. Therell be a danger that whoever is seen as responsible for forcing this Government into another election will be punished in the ballot box. The ideal scenario for us is a collapse perceived to be the result of unnecessary Tory  Labour feuding. Tribal aggression and Pavlovian-response attacks on other parties are the biggest turn offs for the majority of the electorate.

We are in very turbulent seas, with the two great warships of our political system, Labour and Tory, blasting cannons at each other. We cant kid ourselves that we have anything like their firepower. Getting in between and firing shotgun blasts at both from our rowing boat just doesnt cut it, much as we might want to blow them out of the water. My sense is we pull back and offer instead a haven of calm; sanity in a mad world. Can we bite our tongues and position ourselves as healers not combatants? I appreciate its a big ask given the air time we get but I think we start not by attacking Tories and Labour in our press releases and speeches, but by explaining them. Tories say this because they see the world this wayLabour react because they see it this way. We see it this way.

* Karen Wilkinson was Parliamentary Candidate for Kingwood in June 2017
A DRINK-driving case had to be adjourned after it was found that the accused was written down as a seven-year-old with the incorrect address.

Limerick District Court recently heard that a passing taxi driver alerted gardai to the woman, who was allegedly attempting to drive to Dublin on a flat tyre, while under the influence.

When gardai arrived at the scene, at Ballysimon Road, the 39-year-old woman was later arrested and brought to Roxboro Road garda station.

The court heard that the woman gave two blood samples at Roxboro Road, and it was later found that the learner driver was 10 times over the limit.

However, after solicitor Brendan Gill argued that there was a discrepancy in her personal details on the medical certificate, Judge Marian OLeary decided to move the case to a later date.

Witness Denis Kavanagh told the court, on Thursday June 8, that he offered to change the womans flat tyre when he spotted her broken down vehicle on the Ballysimon Road flyover, at 5.10am on April 24, 2016.

When she said that she had no spare wheel, the taxi driver offered to drive her to a friends house in Limerick free of charge.

She told me that she wanted to get back to Dublin, and that she was alright, the witness said.

And after he told her that she could not drive, given in the cars state, she attempted to drive but could not control the vehicle due to the flat tyre, the court heard.

At this stage, I became fearful for herself and for the other road users, so I put on my hazards, he said.

After he managed to take the drivers keys out of the ignition and place them into his pocket, he phoned the gardai, who arrived within 20 minutes, he said.

He told the court that it took the gardai a great length of time to arrive at the scene.

Garda Billy Creedon, who was joined by another officer, attended the scene after being alerted to the incident at 5.40am, he told the judge from the witness box.

He told the court that when he approached the driver, he got strong smell of intoxicant from her breath, her speech was slurred and that her eyes were bloodshot.

After he found that the woman, from Wicklow, was unsteady on her feet, he formed the opinion that she was incapable of operating a mechanically-propelled vehicle.

The court heard that after she was placed in the patrol car, she then exited the vehicle, ran across the road before oncoming traffic, and she was quickly apprehended.

Gda Creedon said that when she was brought back to the patrol car, she became very abusive towards the two gardai calling us a number of obscenities. She was then handcuffed and placed in the patrol car, before being brought to Roxboro Road garda station at 6.30am.

A doctor was contacted at 6.52am, and after his arrival at 7.20am, two blood samples were taken and sent for analysis to the Medical Bureau of Road Safety.

Results showed that she had a reading of 213mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood. The court was told she was on a learner permit at the time. The legal limit for a driver on a learner permit is 20mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood.

When Mr Gill asked Gda Creedon why there was a delay returning to Roxboro Road, he replied that they had been waiting for a tow truck to arrive.

When he questioned Gda Kieran Curtin  the person in charge at the time  on why it took them 22 minutes to contact a doctor, Gda Curtin replied: The prisoner was quite difficult to deal with in getting information from her. That was possibly the reason for the delay.

He said the incoherent defendant said she drank five pints and a vodka. Mr Gill told the judge that there were three issues arising out of the case, including the incomplete Section 17 medical certificate. He said that this was not a minor error and that an important section has not been completed.

An incorrect address was written on the certificate and the date of birth was dated 2010, instead of 1977.

Secondly, he said that a doctor can be contacted immediately, and the delay hasnt been properly explained. He added that the person in charge  Gda Curtin  was only present for part of the process as he had left the garda station at 7am.

Insp Dermot OConnor argued that the Section 17 statement was not incomplete, and that it was not possible for a seven-year-old to be providing a blood sample at a garda station.

He added that the certificate relates to one person and one person only. He added that the person has not been, in any way, prejudiced by the administrative errors. He argued that there was no undue delay in contacting the doctor, either.

Judge Marian OLeary said that she would revisit the case on July 6.
A CARDINAL who is tipped to become the next pope will speak at a Limerick conference next month.

Cardinal Christoph Schonborn is due to address the Lets Talk Family: Lets Be Family conference at Mary Immaculate College on July 13.

The cardinal, recognised as a lead reformer within the church hierarchy and chosen by Pope Francis to present Amoris Laetitia  the papacys letter on the family - will be the star turn at the event.

It is the first major conference to be held as part of the build up to the World Meeting of Families next year in Ireland.

Hes as close to Pope Francis as we can get when it comes to Amoris Laetitia, which is a very significant letter from Pope Francis on his understanding of family, said Fr Eamonn Fitzgibbon, director of MICs Institute for Pastoral Studies.

Cardinal Schonborn was chosen by Pope Francis to present Amoris Laetitia following the two Synods on the Family in 2014 and 2015.

The Cardinal, who is Archbishop of Vienna, will give two separate addresses, one specifically on Amoris Laetitia and the other a public lecture in the evening on The Parish: Family of Families.

He will also lead an academic discussion on Amoris Laetitia one year on.

There has been quite an amount of controversy about Amoris Laetitia, with some hardliners in the Church arguing it has gone too far. Others say it hasnt gone far enough. Some say it is ambiguous. Cardinal Schonborn will be able to give clarity to us in a way that no one else can other than Pope Francis. Were very much looking forward to his visit, said Fr Fitzgibbon.

Its undeniable that the family, as we have known it, is changing in many respects and challenged like never before in Ireland today. The World Meeting of Families, and the expected visit of Pope Francis in 2018, comes in the midst of a perfect storm for the Church, much of it of its own making, which challenges the Churchs teaching on family, added Fr Fitzgibbon.

The popes letter on the family is enlightened, according to the cleric, adding that it reaches out to divorced people, marriages of different faiths and people in families with homosexual tendencies.

The cardinal has been reprimanded in the past for his reformist approach. He famously intervened in an Austrian parish, to allow a gay couple remain on a pastoral council in Vienna when there were efforts to have them removed.

The event opens at 2pm.

To book your place, go to www.irishinstituteforpastoralstudies.com, call Deirdre on (061) 204507 or email Eamonn.Fitzgibbon@mic.ul.ie.

The full programme costs 20 to attend, with a 10 fee for the public lecture at 7pm.
THE Fine Gael leader in the council, John Sheahan has warned that a review of speed limits along the N21 and the N69 could lead to faster traffic through the main towns and villages along both routes.

And he has called on Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) to come before the members of Limerick City and County Council to explain the proposed changes. In particular, he wants to know the details of the brief given to RPS Consultants who carried out speed limit reviews along the N21 and N69.

Following a briefing workshop on Tuesday, it is quite clear that the brief was to accelerate traffic through our main towns and villages along each route, Cllr Sheahan declared.

50km speed limits are being reduced to a minimum and some built-up areas are going to be exposed to 80 km zones, he continued. Also, there are areas where three speed limits have to be adhered to within stretches of less than 200m of road. This is unacceptable.

The proposals for both Newcastle West and Abbeyfeale on the N21 are retrograde, said Cllr Sheahan, who is chairman of the Newcastle West Municipal District, before adding: The proposals on the N69 at Loughill, Foynes and Kilcornan are incomprehensible.

He also raised criticisms of a proposal concerning his home base of Glin.

While welcoming an extension of the 60km speed limit at the pier road in Glin, the only place along the N69 an extension is being proposed, the proposal falls short of what is required, he said.

Monies have been spent on traffic calming on these roads over the years by the NRA and Transport Infrastructure Ireland but these are now being rendered null and void by the new proposals, he said.

"I will not be supporting the by-laws in their present format which is a reserved function of the 40 members of Limerick City and County Council, Cllr Sheahan concluded.

The proposals are due to come before each Municipal District and the full council later in the year.
In a David-vs.-Goliath matchup, a bank is an unlikely candidate for the underdog.

But that's the story that celebrated documentarian Steve James tells in his latest film, "Abacus: Small Enough to Jail," which follows the five-year legal saga of the only bank prosecuted for mortgage fraud in the aftermath of the 2008 housing crisis: a family-owned community bank in New York City's Chinatown.

The film, now opening in theaters and airing on PBS' "Frontline" this fall, focuses on the bank's owners, the charismatic Sung family, who argue over legal strategy, laugh over meals and shed tears over the fate of their legacy.

"A lot of the films I've done, if not all, have been about people at important junctures of their lives," said James, director of 1994's "Hoop Dreams," one of the most acclaimed documentaries ever made. "Either trying to make a dream happen, or facing adversity in some fashion, and having to either overcome or not."

Thomas Sung founded Abacus in 1984 to cater to the Chinese and Chinese-American community. One of his four daughters, Jill, later took over as CEO and president. Another, Vera, serves as the bank's director.

Many of the bank's customers work in Chinatown's cash economy, meaning finding paperwork to secure home loans can be a challenge. In 2009, Vera and Jill Sung discovered a fraudulent scheme in which one of the bank's loan officers misrepresented borrowers' income on mortgage applications. Within days, the bank fired the loan officer and investigated and reported the incident. After a borrower filed a complaint to authorities, the bank handed over stacks of documents.

Still, it became a target. A handful of former employees allegedly involved in the scheme were handcuffed and paraded before television cameras in a chain-linked group - and were indicted on 184 counts, including mortgage fraud and conspiracy. The fired loan officer became the prosecution's star witness.

In announcing the indictment, Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr. said Abacus engaged in "a systematic and pervasive mortgage fraud scheme" and sold millions of dollars in fraudulent loans to Fannie Mae.

Fannie Mae, the film takes pains to point out, didn't end up losing money on those loans.

"The way we saw it, it was basically an indictment of the community," Jill Sung said in an interview.

The Chinese-language press covered the story daily, but the mainstream media largely ignored it, James said. He found out about the impending trial from producer Mark Mitten, a friend of Vera Sung's.

"After I got to know the Sungs and heard more about their side of the story and their case, it became pretty clear pretty quickly to me and the rest of our team that this just doesn't seem right," James said. "The film makes no bones about being in the Sungs' corner. We don't go along an objective tone."

The Sungs initially argued about whether to let James make the documentary.

"I wasn't for it," Jill Sung said. "I felt like there was just too much going on with the trial, and I was afraid if the trial didn't work to our favor, what would the documentary be saying?"

But Vera Sung said it was "important to share this story, not for ourselves but for the effect it has had on our community. And also, it's rather eye-opening, to say the least, about the criminal justice system, big banks versus smaller banks."

The family came to a consensus, and James soon developed a good rapport with the Sungs, whom he said he "fell in love with pretty much immediately."

It wouldn't be an easy story to tell. The crew didn't have access to the courtroom, so they hired a sketch artist and paired the images withvoice actors reciting from the trial transcript. There were 7,000 pages of testimony to sort through. And they had no idea how long the trial would take.

James's team made repeated attempts to get the prosecution on camera. Prosecutors and two jurors finally agreed once the trial ended.

Translating complex financial matters into dramatic and accessible on-screen stories can also be a daunting task.

"I remember being fascinated about that, but also scared. Would people find this interesting? The pettiness of the charges contributed to the fact that nobody found this important enough to report on," James said. "If a big bank had been on trial, it would have been huge."

As the film recounts, Thomas Sung started the bank to serve an underserved population; as a Chinese immigrant, he previously had difficulty getting loans from banks himself, despite also being an American-educated lawyer. In the film, Sung walks around Chinatown, shaking hands with activists, eating in local restaurants and visiting educational centers.

Although the 2008 mortgage crisis inflamed people's passions about banks, Sung's mission was "to serve people, so that's what we understood banking to be ever since were little," Jill Sung said.

Thatthe state prosecuted asmall community bank rather than behemoth financial institutions that dealt with subprime mortgages made the story even more important, James said.

Matt Taibbi, author of a book about America's wealth gap, says in the film that while big banks were too big to fail, Abacus was small enough to jail. "If you were going to pick a bank to pick on, a family-owned company wedged between a couple of noodle shops in Chinatown is about as easy a target as you can pick," he adds.

But Vance stands by his decision. "I think Americans were upset that the security against which loans were made were often fictitious. And at Abacus, there was some truth to that, too," Vance says in the film. "It's clearly not a big, big bank. And clearly it was not representative of the entire financial community - but I think the principle was the same."

Legal issues aside, the film's anchor is a loving family full of strong, charming personalities.

Many audience members will relate to the family dynamics, from matriarch Hwei Lin Sung's funny and candid declarations - "she steals the movie," James said - to one of the Sung sisters trying to get a word in edgewise as the others debate.

With all the drama enveloping their lives, the Sungs soon forgot about the cameras. One sister, Chanterelle, came to find the filmmakers' presence "calming" as she could tell them what she was feeling "without expecting any judgment, because they were just documenting it," Jill Sung said.

The trial also brought the Sungs together, as they took time off to work through the legal battle as a group.

"I said, remember these days, these moments, where we're actually together every day," Vera Sung said.

Now that "Abacus" has hit the festival circuit, the film's subjects have found seeing themselves on the big screen quite surreal. But Thomas and Hwei Lin Sung still like watching it with others.

"It's so funny - every time, I say, 'Do you really want to sit through this?' And every time they go, 'Yes! We want to watch it!'" Vera Sung said. "It feels like you're going through it with the audience. It's very cathartic."
Albany

The letter was discovered by a sergeant last November on a shared computer drive at the State Police Academy. It was an anonymous plea for help from a young trooper detailing serious accusations that male training officers were drinking with female recruits in their dorm rooms and at bars near the agency's Albany headquarters.

The author, believed to be a newly appointed trooper, sought help from a counselor for a fellow female trooper who she said was taunted by co-workers for her affair with a training officer while attending the academy with more than 200 other recruits. The sergeant delivered the letter to Lt. Christine Baker, who oversees the academy's Basic School.

Baker, according to a person briefed on the matter, declared the allegations, if true, may cost multiple troopers their jobs.

The letter surfaced as the agency was fighting a lawsuit filed by a female trooper who claimed  in addition to suffering on-the-job sexual harassment  that she was sexually abused by a training officer while attending the academy in 2000. She accused a former sergeant of forcing her to perform sex acts on him "by way of physical and psychological intimidation and threat of being fired." The trooper also claimed multiple supervisors at the Basic School were aware of female recruits being preyed upon by male troopers. In February, the lawsuit was dismissed by a federal judge in a ruling that ignored the sexual abuse allegations and found the agency had not harassed her.

SKIP DICKSTEIN

Baker, who has overseen the Basic School since December 2015, quietly conducted her own probe last fall into the allegations outlined in the letter. She determined at least eight troopers were involved in inappropriate contact with female recruits dating to at least 2015. Baker confirmed that a trooper from western New York may have had an affair with a female recruit who once worked as a nanny for the trooper's son, according to a person briefed on her findings.

For several months, rumors about the scandal engulfed the agency although the allegations were not made public.

Nearly six months later, interviews with multiple people familiar with the investigation, and a review of internal State Police documents, raise questions about whether the agency fully investigated the allegations or may have sought to cover them up. People with knowledge of the investigation said several troopers who were identified as drinking with the recruits were never interviewed by internal affairs investigators. The female recruits  who were sworn troopers by the time they were interviewed about the allegations  were counseled but received no other discipline.

"The State Police holds troopers to the highest standards of professionalism and we have zero tolerance for misconduct, sexual or otherwise," a State Police spokesman said in a statement Friday. "We immediately address all complaints alleging improper behavior with a full investigation and hold anyone found to be at fault fully accountable with the appropriate discipline, including, potentially, termination."

 SEE TIMELINE BELOW

Agency records and minutes from a State Troopers Police Benevolent Association meeting in January indicate the only person to face serious discipline was a longtime sergeant at the academy who was demoted and transferred in January. He was suspended after he reported troubling photos in a Facebook page that appeared to show female recruits drinking with a male trooper in their dorm room. The trooper, then-First Sgt. Raymond E. Saunders Jr., was summoned to internal affairs at 1 p.m. on Jan. 5, the day after he gave Baker a copy of the Facebook photographs.

Saunders, who worked at the academy since 2008, was not accused of sanctioning or taking part in the misconduct. He was disciplined because he initially refused to tell investigators the name of the employee who alerted him to the Facebook photos in late December. Saunders, two people said, became a collateral scapegoat.

The images showed eight female recruits in sweatshirts and smiling wide-eyed in their dorm at the Basic School. The women were members of the academy's 204th class, which graduated in October 2016. A second image accompanying the photograph showed the hands of the recruits holding plastic cups filled with alcohol and the outstretched arm of an unidentified male trooper joining them in a toast.

John Carl D'Annibale

The photographs documented multiple violations of the academy's rules, including the possession of mobile phones in the Basic School, alcohol possession, the taking of photographs, and a training officer alone in a dorm room with female recruits.

"They didn't want to get to the bottom of it," Saunders said when contacted recently by the Times Union. "I wasn't looking to get people in trouble; I was trying to protect the academy and save the agency from embarrassment. They only focused on who told me about the Facebook post, never on the wrongdoing it depicted." He declined additional comment for this story.

Baker, after receiving a copy of the Facebook photographs from Saunders, allegedly took steps to minimize the damage.

SKIP DICKSTEIN

A person familiar with the matter said Baker called a staff meeting, which included sergeants and training officers, and informed them that illicit contact between training officers and recruits had triggered a formal investigation. The training officers were advised to remove any alcohol from dorm rooms and warned that "people were going to lose their jobs," according to the person with knowledge of the meeting.

Thomas Mungeer, president of the State Troopers PBA, said the broader investigation fizzled because the allegations were not found to be as serious as alleged.

"I can confirm that PBA was involved with representation for troopers in an incident and it was fully investigated by IAB (internal affairs bureau) and the case is closed now," Mungeer said.

The female trooper who filed a federal lawsuit against the State Police  alleging she was sexually abused by a training officer at the Academy 17 years ago  told the Times Union last week that she was 26 at the time, a single mother, and felt trapped. She alleges the trooper she accused of using his authority to force her into a sexual relationship also victimized other recruits. He retired in 2008, records show.

SKIP DICKSTEIN

At the time of the incidents, she said, the trooper, who was from Buffalo and married with children, took steps to get her alone in training situations and at social outings. She is appealing the dismissal of her lawsuit.

"All these years later they accuse me of crying wolf," she said, requesting anonymity as a condition of commenting. "But it's still going on at the academy. Nothing has changed. They're not stopping it."

Indeed, the investigation last fall by Baker, the Basic School's supervisor, indicated the allegations in the anonymous letter were part of a larger pattern.

She moved to reassign a second trooper she believed had lied about having an affair with a recruit, but was allegedly instructed by higher-ups not to take any action. Maj. John E. Agresta, the academy's then-director of training and Baker's supervisor, also ordered her to delete the anonymous letter from the academy's shared computer drive, according to a person briefed on the matter.

On Jan. 19, the agency took steps to make sure the accidental discovery of the confidential letter wouldn't be repeated. A three-paragraph memo was emailed to State Police members cautioning the shared folder where scanned documents are kept "is not intended to be used for long term storage or document management." The directive added that by Jan. 22 all documents in that computer drive "will be purged on a nightly basis."

To outsiders, female State Police recruits sneaking alcohol into a dorm room or drinking and socializing with the male troopers who train them might appear to be minor infractions. But in a law enforcement agency that promotes rigid policies and demands strict adherence to its rules, the allegations rocked the academy, especially because veteran troopers who rotate in and out of the Basic School as training officers were complicit. In their world, even informal contact with the recruits under their control is forbidden, including any interaction on social media and especially outside the confines of the academy's walls.

Timeline

The academy's regulations govern everything from how the recruits must walk and shower to the way they must eat meals, make their beds and greet a supervisor. The document warns "regulations governing the use of intoxicating beverages will be strictly enforced. The possession or use of alcoholic beverages on the academy premises is strictly prohibited."

The regulations state that serious violations are to be reported to the officer in charge and can result in immediate dismissal.

"The fact that female recruit troopers, who are basically similar to inmates in a correctional facility, were being fed alcohol and subjected to sexual advances by male troopers was unconscionable," said a State Police source with direct knowledge of the matter.

Information shared with the Times Union indicates some of the troopers involved were tipped to the internal affairs investigation after the anonymous letter was sent to the agency's employee assistance office last fall. According to a person briefed on the matter, those troopers warned the fledgling female troopers  who were scattered around the state after graduating from the academy  about the probe.

For Saunders, who was one of the only supervisors to report the alleged misconduct, the beginning of the end of his career began on Jan. 5 when he was called to internal affairs  the day after he gave the Facebook photographs to Lt. Baker. By then, dozens of troopers and supervisors had already commented or "liked" the photographs that were posted on a Facebook page of a young female trooper.

Still, later that afternoon, Agresta, who was the academy's director, notified Saunders he was suspended without pay for declining to identify the person who told him about the photographs.

The following day, Lt. Baker was summoned to internal affairs. But unlike Saunders, whose statements were recorded and who was compelled to answer under a labor agreement, Baker's interview was not recorded.

SKIP DICKSTEIN

On Jan. 13, Saunders was interviewed a second time by internal affairs. This time, a union representative who accompanied him, Sgt. Michael Collier, told Saunders that he was not allowed to bring a written outline he made documenting widespread misconduct at the academy.

Following that interview, PBA officials told Saunders the agency proposed demoting him to sergeant, removing him from the academy and reassigning him to patrol duties.

The investigation was closed.

On Jan. 19, Saunders received a formal letter from State Police Supt. George Beach confirming he was being demoted and reassigned to Troop G in Latham.

Five days later, according to a person briefed on the matter, Saunders met with PBA officials in Albany who informed him the agency's first-deputy superintendent, Christopher Fiore, had agreed to reduce Saunders' unpaid suspension if he retired immediately. The deal allowed Saunders to preserve retirement benefits worth tens of thousands of dollars.

Saunders, 48, who received top-rated performance evaluations throughout his career, retired in February.

No one else who worked at the academy, including training officers or the 226 members of the 204th academy class that graduated last fall, faced serious discipline.

blyons@timesunion.com  518-454-5547  @brendan_lyonstu
The 2016 presidential contest was awash with charges that the fix was in: Republican Donald Trump repeatedly claimed that the election was rigged against him, while Democrats have accused the Russians of stacking the odds in Trump's favor.

Less attention was paid to manipulation that occurred not during the presidential race, but before it  in the drawing of lines for hundreds of U.S. and state legislative seats. The result, according to an Associated Press analysis: Republicans had a real advantage.

The AP scrutinized the outcomes of all 435 U.S. House races and about 4,700 state House and Assembly seats up for election last year using a new statistical method of calculating partisan advantage designed to detect potential political gerrymandering.

The analysis found four times as many states with Republican-skewed state House or Assembly districts than Democratic ones. Among the two dozen most populated states that determine the vast majority of Congress, there were nearly three times as many with Republican-tilted U.S. House districts.

Traditional battlegrounds such as Michigan, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Florida and Virginia were among those with significant Republican advantages in their U.S. or state House races. All had districts drawn by Republicans after the last Census in 2010.

The AP analysis also found that Republicans won as many as 22 additional U.S. House seats over what would have been expected based on the average vote share in congressional districts across the country. That helped provide the GOP with a comfortable majority that stood at 241-194 over Democrats after the 2016 elections  a 10 percentage point margin in seats, even though Republican candidates received just 1 percentage point more total votes nationwide.

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"The outcome was already cooked in, if you will, because of the way the districts were drawn," said John McGlennon, a longtime professor of government and public policy at the College of William & Mary in Virginia who ran unsuccessfully for Congress as a Democrat in the 1980s.

A separate statistical analysis conducted for AP by the Princeton University Gerrymandering Project found the extreme Republican advantages in some states were no fluke. The Republican edge in Michigan's state House districts had only a 1-in-16,000 probability of occurring by chance; in Wisconsin's Assembly districts, there was a mere 1-in-60,000 likelihood of it happening randomly, the analysis found.

The AP's analysis was based on an "efficiency gap" formula developed by University of Chicago law professor Nick Stephanopoulos and Eric McGhee, a researcher at the nonpartisan Public Policy Institute of California. Their mathematical model was cited last fall as "corroborative evidence" by a federal appeals court panel that struck down Wisconsin's Assembly districts as an intentional partisan gerrymander in violation of Democratic voters' rights to representation. The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to hear an appeal.

Stephanopoulos and McGhee computed efficiency gaps for four decades of congressional and state House races starting in 1972, concluding the pro-Republican maps enacted after the 2010 Census resulted in "the most extreme gerrymanders in modern history."

The efficiency gap formula compares the statewide average share of the vote a party receives in each district with the statewide percentage of seats it wins, taking into account a common political expectation: For each 1 percentage point gain in its statewide vote share, a party normally increases its seat share by 2 percentage points.

The AP used their method to calculate efficiency gaps for all states that held partisan House or Assembly elections for all of their districts in 2016.

Michigan provides a good example of how the formula works.

Last fall, voters statewide split their ballots essentially 50-50 between Republican and Democratic state House candidates. Yet Republicans won 57 percent of the House seats, claiming 63 seats to the Democrats' 47. That amounted to an efficiency gap of 10.3 percent favoring Republicans, one of the highest advantages among all states.

Republicans controlled both Michigan legislative chambers and the governor's office when the maps were redrawn in 2011. The Michigan House redistricting effort was led by then-state Rep. Pete Lund, who denied gerrymandering districts to favor Republicans. He blamed Democrats for their own losses.

"The Democrats don't know how to run campaigns; they're horrible at it," he said.

In addition to Michigan, the analysis found a significant Republican tilt in South Dakota, Wisconsin and Florida, all of which had a Republican-controlled redistricting process after the 2010 Census.

Democrats had high efficiency gap scores in Colorado and Nevada, two places where they won state House majorities in 2016 even though Republican candidates received more total statewide votes. Colorado's map was drawn by a Democratic-dominated commission that Republicans criticized as "politically vindictive." Nevada's districts were decided by a court, but Republicans complained at the time that they appeared more favorable to Democrats.

The AP also calculated efficiency gap scores for U.S. House elections, translating those into estimates of extra seats won because of partisan advantages.

In Pennsylvania, Republicans won 13 of the 18 congressional seats last year, three more than would be expected based on the party's vote share, according to the AP analysis.

"There's one answer for that, one word: gerrymander," said Terry Madonna, director of the Center for Politics and Public Affairs at Franklin & Marshall College in Lancaster, Pa.

In Texas, Republicans gained nearly four excess congressional seats compared to projections from a typical votes-to-seats ratio, according to the AP's analysis.

The efficiency gap scores show Republicans picked up at least two excess seats each in Michigan and North Carolina.

One of the largest Democratic congressional advantages was in Maryland, where Democrats controlled redistricting.

The national Republican State Leadership Committee, the force behind the party's surge in state legislative elections, attributes its victories to candidates who better represent their communities.

For Democrats to complain of gerrymandering is "pure nonsense," said Matt Walter, the Republican committee's president.

"That's just a baseless supposition to blame that all on line-drawing," he said.
RIGA, Latvia - As the United States grapples with the implications of Kremlin interference in American politics, European countries are deploying a variety of bold tactics and tools to expose Russian attempts to sway voters and weaken European unity.

Across the continent, counterintelligence officials, legislators, researchers and journalists have devoted years - in some cases, decades - to the development of ways to counter Russian disinformation, hacking and trolling. And they are putting them to use as never before.

Four dozen officials and researchers interviewed recently sounded uniformly more confident about the results of their efforts to counter Russian influence than officials grappling with it in the United States, which one European cyber-official described as "like watching 'House of Cards.' "

"The response here has been very practical," observed a senior U.S. intelligence official stationed in Europe. "Everybody's looking at it."

In the recent French elections, the Kremlin-friendly presidential candidate lost to newcomer Emmanuel Macron, who was subjected to Russian hacking and false allegations in Russian-sponsored news outlets during the campaign. In Germany, all political parties have agreed not to employ automated bots in their social media campaigns because such hard-to-detect cyber tools are used frequently by Russia to circulate bogus news accounts.

The best antidote to Russian influence, European experts say, is to make it visible.

"We have to prepare the public," said Patrick Sensburg, a member of the German Parliament and an intelligence expert.

President Donald Trump's embrace of the "fake news" label for traditional mainstream news outlets and his own record of unabashed distortions have, moreover, energized Western Europe against the threat of disinformation, said Claire Wardle, strategy and research director at Europe's largest social media accountability network, First Draft News. "Now you're seeing Western Europe wake up.''

Methods vary. Sweden has launched a nationwide school program to teach students to identify Russian propaganda. The Defense Ministry has created new units to seek out and counter Russian attempts to undermine Swedish society.

In Lithuania, 100 citizen cyber-sleuths dubbed "elves" link up digitally to identify and beat back the people on social media employed to spread Russian disinformation in daily skirmishes they call "Elves vs. Trolls."

In Brussels, the European Union's East Stratcom Task Force has 14 staffers and hundreds of volunteer academics, researchers and journalists who have researched and published 2,000 examples of false or twisted stories in 18 languages in a weekly digest that began two years ago.

"What we try to do centrally in Brussels is put all of those pieces of the jigsaw together," Giles Portman, head of the task force, said at a conference last year.

And beyond exposing Russian efforts, European countries are also moving to suppress them.

France and Britain have successfully pressured Facebook to disable tens of thousands of automated fake accounts used to sway voters close to election time, and it has doubled to 6,000 the number of monitors empowered to remove defamatory and hate-filled posts.

The German cabinet recently endorsed legislation - now before Parliament - to impose fines of up to $53 million on social-media companies that fail to remove posts deemed to be "hate speech." Some especially notorious recent examples concerning migrants have been traced to Russian origins.

And sometimes the effort goes face-to-face. Here in Riga, Vladimir Dorofeev, a 42-year-old reporter for the Kremlin's Sputnik news site, widely regarded as a conduit for propaganda as well as news, found out personally how Latvian authorities deal with the challenge.

In Dorofeev's first week on the job, the Latvian Security Police questioned him about Sputnik's local staff size, its editor and its payment procedures.

"Aren't you ashamed of yourself?" he said they asked him. "Do you understand they can use you?"

His answers went into the files, to become part of a standing counterintelligence investigation, the kind Latvia has undertaken since it broke free of the Soviet Union in 1991, to ferret out clandestine Russia meddling.

"Maybe this is new to the Western world, but not for us," said Normunds Mezviets, the security service chief here. "For 20 years, we've been calling attention to this. There is no reason to panic."

Russia has not hidden its liking for information warfare. The chief of the general staff, Valery Gerasimov, wrote in 2013 that "informational conflict" is a key part of war. Actual military strength is only the final tool of a much subtler war-fighting strategy, he said. This year, the Defense Ministry announced the creation of a new cyberwarrior unit.

No longer able to compete in conventional military terms - the U.S. defense budget is about eight times larger than Russia's - Moscow has emphasized this less expensive but difficult-to-thwart tactic. "Weaponizing information" involves the dissemination of factual distortions and outright lies to achieve political ends. It builds on decades of experience wielding propaganda, going back to the Soviet era. In that sense, Europe has had more years of exposure than the United States.

"There has always been Russian propaganda, false information, attempts to smear people - that's nothing new," said Carl Bildt, a former prime minister of Sweden who was in Tallinn, Estonia, recently for a cybersecurity conference.

What is undeniably new, though, is the digital sophistication that Moscow can now employ: hacking and releasing documents from the Democratic National Committee and the campaign of France's Macron, for example, or infiltrating the network of the German Parliament. Russian officials have denied hacking France and Germany and have tended to shrug off the wider allegations, with President Vladimir Putin calling them "nonsense."

Putin's apparent goal, intelligence officials and Russian experts say, is to weaken Western unity, restore Russia's influence in the world and, not least, shore up support at home.

Especially since Putin's return to the presidency in 2012, the Kremlin has portrayed the West as Russia's principal antagonist - supporting popular revolutions in Libya, Ukraine and Syria; backing pro-democracy civil society groups, including independent media; and, more recently, deploying NATO troops in four countries that border Russia.

Russians began experimenting with information warfare 10 years ago in Estonia, followed by attempts at disruption in Georgia, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Finland, Bosnia and Macedonia. But the full power of the disinformation arsenal became apparent only in 2014, following the street protests that overthrew the corrupt, Moscow-friendly government of Ukraine.

As Russian troops, in uniforms without insignia, seized Crimea, Russian media portrayed the fighters loyal to the new government in Kiev as Western-backed fascists and Nazis intent on massacring the Russian-speaking population in eastern Ukraine. That version of events didn't get much traction in the West, but it was effective in the regions of Donetsk and Luhansk, where Russian-backed separatists were quick to launch an insurgency. Washington, the Russian press said, was preparing for World War III against Russia.

The disinformation was effective at home in Russia, too.

U.S. and European intelligence agencies, research groups and journalists describe the Russian disinformation campaign in Europe as an online network of networks that together amplify particular, distorted, anti-Western themes and news items by using hidden ownership, trolls and automated bots.

U.S. intelligence agencies also say Russia covertly funds political parties, think tanks and social organizations in Europe, but they have offered little evidence for these allegations.

In Eastern Europe, hours of combative political talk shows on Russia's domestic channels, featuring Russian nationalists tearing down Western straw men to the roar of approving audiences, carry past borders by way of the Internet and airwaves and reach Russian-speaking populations. In many of Russia's immediate neighbors, there are no Russian-language alternatives to the channels and websites backed by Moscow.

In Scandinavia, Russian efforts are more devoted to the harassment of mainstream journalists and online trolling on social media and news websites.

In Western Europe, local-language versions of the Russian outfits RT and Sputnik use automated bots, Twitter and Facebook accounts to spread their spin to far-right and far-left news websites, from which it sometimes seeps into the mainstream media.

"These are pretty well-designed messages for local audiences," said Jakub Janda, the deputy director of the Prague-based European Values think tank. "They're targeting local decision-makers and the public, and they're trying to shift their opinions."

Monitoring these so-called news websites has become a core mission for some security services. In Sweden, the Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency, which usually prepares for chemical spills, bomb threats and natural disasters, is also monitoring websites for exaggerated news stories about refugees and crime, subjects "the Swedish population is afraid of right now," said Michael Tofvession, who heads the agency.

"Those are our vulnerabilities," he said.

"Most of the malicious activities are aimed at eroding trust within our societies between different groups, political movements, the elites and the people," said Jonatan Vseviov, permanent secretary of Estonia's Ministry of Defense.

Russia's efforts in Estonia have not had much success to date, largely because many in society are aware of such propaganda, the government is vigilant and the nation's ethnic Russians have little desire to join with the Kremlin because they live better in Estonia than they would across the border, analysts say.

The counterassault in Europe involves researchers in Britain, France, Germany, the Czech Republic, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Finland, Sweden, Ukraine and Latvia. In Slovakia, some 1,400 advertisers have agreed to boycott a list of false, conspiratorial websites compiled by one nonprofit research organization.

Political leaders also are appealing to the public and mainstream media to ignore predictable releases of embarrassing documents stolen by Russian hackers in an effort to tip elections in favor of pro-Russian candidates. In France, the media complied with a government ban on reporting documents stolen from Macron's campaign and published less than 48 hours before voting.

Consortiums such as StopFake.org about Ukraine and Correctiv.org in Germany have sped up fact-checking with new digital tools and with cross-border journalistic partnerships.

Traditional news organizations have increased fact-checking, too, with project such as Le Monde's Decodex in France and BBC's RealityCheck. And they have developed tools readers can use to identify what they call "fake news" outlets.

A good-spirited competition has broken out between government, researchers and investigative journalists to be the first to reveal the latest Russian attempt to pollute the legitimate news ecosystem, said Inga Springe, director of the Baltic center for investigative journalism, Re:Baltica.

In April, her website published an article under the headline "Three Baltic Russian-language news sites known collectively as Baltnews are secretly linked to the Kremlin's global propaganda network." Using a clue originally unearthed by the Estonian security service, Re:Baltica painstakingly traced the websites' ownership from Latvia to the Netherlands and then to Rossiya Segodnya, a news agency owned and operated by the Russian government.

"It was our biggest scoop," said Springe, who said she was surprised "the Kremlin didn't try to hide the network behind more offshore companies."

"It also proved our suspicions," she said, that the Kremlin controls considerably more media networks outside Russia than it chooses to admit.

---

Birnbaum reported from Tallinn, Estonia. Ellen Nakashima in Tallinn contributed to this report.
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A Montgomery County grand jury indicted Nathan Reese Smith, 39, on Thursday in connection with a double drive-by shooting in Willis last February.

The Houston man faces two second-degree felony counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon for the Feb. 18 shooting in the 400 block of Paddock Drive. Two men, 27 and 22, were shot with a shotgun but survived. They remembered the shooter was not wearing shoes and the shooter's vehicle had loud aftermarket exhaust on his truck.

ILLEGAL GAMBLING: Deputies raid several establishments in East Montgomery County

Officers said those details helped make Smith the main suspect in the case.

The victims told Willis Police detectives that Smith asked one of them whether they were selling crack cocaine, according to court documents. Police say the victims insisted they did not sell drugs, at which time they say Smith left the conversation and got back into his truck.

The victims claims he circled around the block five or six times before pulling out a shotgun and firing twice, striking the two men, court documents show.

Smith is being held in the Montgomery County Jail on a total of $300,000 in bonds. He is also being held with no bond on a warrant from the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles.

He will be back in Judge Patty Maginnis's 435th state District Court for an arraignment Monday.

Montgomery County grand jury indictments for June 22:

Shaun Thomas Kent, forgery and theft

Tony Daniel Parker, illegal dumping of 1,000 pounds or more

Justin Tyme Talley, illegal dumping commercial

Garrett William Fife, assault causing bodily injury family enhanced

Brian Anthony Gutierrez, assault causing bodily injury family enhanced

Wesley Vernon Neil Miles, unauthorized use of motor vehicle and possession of controlled substance

Keith Allen Golden III, unauthorized use of motor vehicle

Manuel Cantu Jr., DWI  third or more

Roger Dale Davison, failure to register as sex offender

Kenneth Barnett Jr., forgery

Ryan Lance Bostin, aggravated assault with deadly weapon

Brandon J. Bautista-Barajas, possession of controlled substance

Rolando Gonzalez-Martinez, DWI  with a child

Cameron Wade Johnson, possession of controlled substance

Jerrell Christopher Pannell, possession of controlled substance and possession of controlled substance (LSD)

Shalonda Monique Bright, theft

Erick Fraga Hernandez, possession of marijuana

Catrina Monique Massey-Holmes, possession of controlled substance

Jeffrey Ryan Domostoy, possession of controlled substance

Toni Marie Allen, evading arrest detention w/ vehicle

Garrett Wade Howard, possession of controlled substance

Jay Cantu Jr., possession of controlled substance

Sean Mikel Rogers, unauthorized use of motor vehicle

Holly Mae Dunn, theft

Kathleen Frances Steinbruner, possession of controlled substance

Ronan Dale Terry, unlawful carrying of weapon restricted premises and theft of firearm

Ruby Ann Brewer, possession of controlled substance

Cory Nicholas Perez, unauthorized use of motor vehicle and possession of controlled substance

Justin Ryan Walsh, possession of controlled substance
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The health club business in Conroe is getting more competitive as a new crossfit club opens.

A facility called Everyday Strong has rented space in the Piney Woods Business Park on North Loop 336 East, just off I-45. Word of the club's opening, which will undergo a minor name change once its owner, Jennifer Foret, gets affiliation approval, comes after officials with Newcor Commercial Real Estate announced the leasing of 5,000 square feet to Foret. Newcor -- a commercial real estate company based in The Woodlands -- represented the owner of the property -- Kopke & Marek Investments, a Spring-based investment firm.

"I absolutely love training people and love making a positive difference in their lives," Foret said. She plans an official grand opening of her new club on July 15.

Foret's club will be competing with several other facilities in Conroe, including an established club called Crossfit Conroe. National health clubs, such as Gold's Gym and Planet Fitness, as well as a number of independent operations, also have workout facilities in Conroe.

Despite the competition and opening more than five years ago when Conroe and the rest of the nation was still struggling to climb out of the depths of the so-called Great Recession, Crossfit Conroe has expanded from its first location to four gyms, including locations in Willis and Huntsville.

Still, the club's owner, Andrew Edwards, notes the competitive nature of the health club industry.

"A lot of people don't understand the dynamics of this business," Edwards said.

And even as Conroe's population expands, competition among gyms and health clubs for new customers remains stiff.

"It's a tough market right now," Edwards said. "Anything service-related is struggling."

Meanwhile, as for the Piney Woods business park, after construction was finished on the 19,125-square-foot development a little more than two years ago, it's nearly fully rented.

Shortly after announcing that the crossfit club had leased space in the park, Newcor Commercial announced that A.S Electric Services Corp., an electrical contractor that serves the greater Houston area, had also struck a deal to lease office space. With the two new tenants, Newcor Commercial says there are two spaces left available for rent in business park.
On March 20, your Midland Independent School District board of trustees adopted, as part of its Lone Star Governance local policy documents, the following strategy (more formally referred to as a theory of action): Midland ISD will begin to transition from a Managed Instruction theory of action to an Earned Autonomy theory of action with the goal of having implemented a System of Great Schools theory of action by 2027.

More specifically, the adoption included the following elaboration of what is included in the educational strategy that goes by the name the System of Great Schools:

Within no more than five years, the district will have begun the transition to a System of Great Schools theory of action where central office grants autonomy to schools, empowers parents to make choices, creates performance contracts with campuses, annually evaluates performance of and demand for schools, and makes strategic decisions regarding growing access to high performing schools and addressing low performers.

The System of Great Schools strategy is a relatively new system-level, problem-solving approach that has had demonstrated success in pioneering districts such as Denver. It seeks to do the following three things:

-- support educators to design and lead high-quality schools;

-- empower families with high-quality options and informed choices; and

-- focus central office on high leverage oversight, innovation and support.

MISD seeks to become one of those pioneering districts by implementing this strategy here in Midland.

In order to achieve the above three goals, the System of Great Schools approach utilizes what are referred to as the following six Levers of Change:

-- establish and administer portfolio and planning processes in which the district analyzes data to monitor school performance, neighborhood needs and parent demand to determine strategic actions to be taken at each campus;

-- develop and expand great schooling options by building the capacity to create new schools and programs and replicate existing successful programs;

-- help families understand and navigate their school and program choices with a clear process to access them;

-- reimagine central office services to support school-based decision making;

-- build an ecosystem of effective school support and talent providers by analyzing school level talent and school improvement needs and actively cultivating partnerships to address those needs; and

-- align civic partners and engage the community by communicating effectively with internal and external stakeholders and maintaining an engagement strategy with civic, nonprofit, business and philanthropic partners.

Simply put, the System of Great Schools (SGS) strategy is designed to provide greater high-quality choices for students, empower campuses with greater autonomy while holding them accountable for achieving results and replicating their successes district-wide. Or, as it is often described, SGS sees the school as the unit that matters most and tries to build a system of great schools rather than a great school system.

Shortly after adopting this policy, MISD applied to be one of only eight districts in Texas that would make up the first cohort of districts in Texas to become part of the Texas Education Agencys new SGS Technical Assistance Network. It is a two-year program designed to support districts in their exploration, design and implementation of the SGS strategy in their district.

I am pleased to report that MISD was recently named to be one of the first eight schools in Texas to become part of this new two-year program.

As a member, MISD will, among other benefits, be provided, at no cost to the district, an executive advisor with experience in implementing the SGS strategy that will assist us in conducting a SGS district readiness assessment to analyze strengths and opportunities, draft a SGS implementation road map and provide ongoing support and advice.

Meanwhile, TEA also will conduct a series of meetings and webinars and provide access to additional experts and resources for the initial eight-member districts so that they may learn from those that are successfully utilizing the SGS strategy. MISD representatives, including our next superintendent, Orlando Riddick, will attend the two-day kick-off SGS summit this week in Austin.

TEA also has made clear that it intends to support the SGS member cohort districts by helping those districts:

-- understand the SGS strategy;

-- analyze the districts current system structure, capacity and technical ability;

-- develop a SGS implementation road map;

-- implement those SGS plans; and

-- sustain the changes or new systems coming out of the SGS plans.

Additional information about this program can be found by doing an internet search using the terms System of Great Schools Technical Assistance Network.

We are excited that MISD has been accepted to participate in this new program and look forward to learning more about implementing this strategy for our Midland students.

Student outcomes dont change until adult behaviors change, and your MISD board of trustees believes that the SGS strategy will, along with other ongoing efforts, help to ensure that happens at MISD.
A 7-month-old boy was found dead inside a car Friday night after apparently being left by his father when he went to work at a northwest Houston business, according to police.

The baby boy was found by Houston firefighters around 9 p.m. outside a warehouse business in the 7900 block of Northcourt Road, authorities said. The boy apparently died from the heat.

Houston police are investigating the incident, and the case will likely be referred to a Harris County grand jury.

The baby's father, 36, dropped off two of his three children at a daycare Friday morning and then arrived at his workplace on Northcourt Road around 9:30 a.m, according to police.

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The baby usually gets dropped off separately to a babysitter.

When his wife called asking the whereabouts of the baby, the father went out to the vehicle around 7:30 p.m. and found the child unresponsive in the car seat.

Paramedics pronounced the baby dead, according to police.

Investigators interviewed the father, contacted the Harris County District Attorney's Office and then released him pending further investigation.

Temperatures reached the mid 90s on Friday with relatively high humidity levels in the morning hours.

Twelve children have already died this year from heatstroke inside a car, according to Kids and Cars, an organization that collects data on child fatalities inside vehicles.

Last year 39 children died from heat stroke inside a car, and 810 children have died from heat stroke inside vehicles across the country since 1994, according to Kids and Cars.

A child's body overheats three to five times faster than an adult body, and a car's temperature can reach 125 degrees in minutes.

Eighty percent of temperature increase inside a vehicle can happen within the first 10 minutes.

More than 55 percent of parents who left their child inside a car unknowingly left them, according to Kids and Cars.

The organization advises parents to always look in the backseat of their vehicle before locking it. They should also put something in the backseat they'll need such as their cell phone, employee ID or briefcase.

Two young children, a 2-year-old and a 16-month-old, were also found dead inside a car last month in Parker County in North Texas.

The 25-year-old mother found the children playing in the car and told investigators she left the kids to teach them a lesson, authorities reported.

The mom was charged Friday with two first-degree felony counts of injury to a child causing serious bodily injury.
Last year, more than half a million people spent time in a Texas jail to pay off traffic tickets and fines for low-level misdemeanors.

Starting Sept. 1, judges will have to consider a defendants economic means, and allow for alternatives to incarceration for Class C misdemeanors before locking them up in lieu of payment.

While the U.S. Supreme Court outlawed debtors prisons more than 40 years ago  making it unlawful to jail people for their inability to pay a court fine  many states allow it.

Texas just became among growing list of states prohibiting the practice. Legislation authored by state Sen. Judith Zaffirini, D-Laredo, and signed by Gov. Greg Abbott earlier this month mirrors successful policies already in place in municipal courts in San Antonio and Corpus Christi.

The new law allow for alternatives to incarceration, such as installment payment plans, waivers and community service. Jail credit will remain a sentencing options in cases where a defendants is unwilling to use an alternate plan to pay fines.

Among the community service options judges may impose are work- and job-skill training programs and GED prep classes.

Its only good economic sense to keep people out of jail when they cant afford to pay a fine. A court fine can send someone living paycheck to paycheck into a cycle of debt. Jail time and the accompanying unexcused absences from work can threaten a persons only means of income.

More than 640,000 defendants spent at least one night in jail for fine-related reasons, according to the Texas Judicial Council. Jail beds are not cheap. The cost to taxpayers for a night in a county lockup is about $80 a day.

Credit for time served is generally counted at $50 per night, but the new law increases that to a minimum of $100 credit for jail time served or community service performed.

Texas holds the record among states for the most people jailed for failure to pay tickets and fines. Its estimated that 95 percent of all warrants issued in Texas last year were for fine-related offenses.

This change in the law makes better use of the states limited criminal justice and public safety resources.
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More young drivers are coming before the courts because of excessive car insurance premiums, Judge Seamus Hughes has claimed.

The district court judge lashed out at what he termed as the irresponsible actions of claims inspectors in driving up costs. He also said that it was no surprise to see the increase in cases of young people who could not afford motor insurance.

The local judge was speaking during the hearing of an Edgeworthstown man who appeared before him charged with no insurance.

Judge Hughes raised the issue of the number of settlements which are being handed out to parents of young children involved in car accidents.

There are claims inspectors that are coming in and seeking sums of 13,000-14,000 stating that a mother says her child has resumed wetting the bed despite there being no physical injuries, he said.

Judge Hughes said he was in no way surprised about the escalating number of cases of people driving without insurance.

He said young people who could not afford excessive insurance were getting disqualified because they took a chance in order to get to work.

We are in a vicious circle and the powers that be need to do something about exaggerated claims.

Addressing the court, Judge Hughes said he had been left aghast at an RTE Prime Time programme called Irelands Compensation Culture the previous evening.

I was shocked to the pit of my stomach to see Prime Time last night and the weasel words that came from people like that, he said.

Half the youth population of this country are blighted with excessive car premiums of 5,000-6,000.

Judge Hughes said, it was painful to observe the number of young drivers who were being charged with driving without insurance.

We are in a vicious cycle and the powers that be need to do something about the exaggerated and irresponsible actions by claims managers, he claimed.
Czech nuclear power plant decided a bikini contest would be a good way to choose its next round of interns. Facebook users were asked to rate school graduates who posed inside a cooling tower.Power generation conglomerate CEZ had 10 bikini-clad high school graduates pose in a cooling tower of its Temelin nuclear power plant, which was briefly closed for maintenance.In a press release CEZ likened the photoshoot to its previous cultural enrichment programs, such as hosting the Bohemian Philharmonic at the plant in South Bohemia. The release said the experience was greatly enjoyed by the girls, who were required to wear hard hats and enclosed shoes at all times.The competition caused an outcry among Czech news and social media."The competition is absolutely outside the bounds of ethics. In 2017, I find it incredible that someone could gain a professional advantage for their good looks," Petra Havlikova, a lawyer for human rights non-profit Nesehnuti and an equal opportunities adviser, told aktualne.cz.The operators of the 2,000 megawatt plant later apologized on Facebook, and said all finalists were offered an internship."The purpose of the competition was to promote technical education. But if the original vision raised doubts or concerns, we are very sorry," the operators posted on Facebook.
Bernie and Jane Sanders, under FBI investigation for bank fraud, hire lawyersSen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and his wife, Jane Sanders have hired prominent defense attorneys amid an FBI investigation into a loan Jane Sanders obtained to expand Burlington College while she was its president, CBS News confirms.Politico Magazine first reported the Sanders had hired lawyers to defend them in the probe. Sanders' top adviser Jeff Weaver told CBS News the couple has sought legal protection over federal agents' allegations from a January 2016 complaint accusing then-President of Burlington College, Ms. Sanders, of distorting donor levels in a 2010 loan application for $10 million from People's United Bank to purchase 33 acres of land for the institution.According to Politico, prosecutors might also be looking into allegations that Sen. Sanders' office inappropriately urged the bank to approve the loan.Burlington attorney and Sanders supporter Rich Cassidy has reportedly been hired to represent Sen. Sanders. And high-profile Washington defense attorney Larry Robbins, who counseled I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby, former chief of staff to Vice President Dick Cheney, is protecting Jane Sanders.Ms. Sanders' push for the liberal arts college's costly land acquisition was cited in a press release by the college when it shut down in 2016.Sanders criticizes inequality, corruption in commencement speechPlay VIDEOSanders criticizes inequality, corruption in commencement speechBrady Toensing of Burlington, the man responsible for the claims filed to the U.S. attorney for Vermont, was a chairman for the Trump campaign in his state."I filed a request for an investigation in January 2016 and an investigation appears to have been started right away," he said in an email to CBS News. "It was started under President Obama, his Attorney General, and his U.S. Attorney, all of whom are Democrats."So why is it that after all the low talk about Trump, its DEMOCRATS that have to keep"lawyering up"?
Cat lovers and social media influencers joined together on Saturday, June 24 to celebrate Adopt A Shelter Cat month in Boston.

Project Pawsibility gave fans of popular Snapchat @Cake1toDough1 a chance to meet the human behind the account, Audrey Spencer.

People also got the chance to play with Gifford Cat Shelter's felines and check out the shelter. A cat-themed photobooth, animal paw tattoos and a meet and greet with @Cake1toDough1 all made for a cat-tastic celebration of Adopt A Shelter Cat month.

For the entire month of June, popular Snapchatters Audrey Spencer and Alex Richter raised money for the homeless felines at Gifford Cat Shelter through GoFundMe.

The Gifford Cat Shelter in Boston was the first cageless, no-kill shelter in the United States. Since 1884, Gifford Cat Shelter has been dedicated to finding abandoned and homeless cats a place to eat, sleep and hopefully be adopted.
The shooting of an 8-year-old girl in Boston is under investigation after authorities told NBC Boston that the child was injured Sunday morning.

The girl was shot just after midnight in Jamaica Plain. The shooting occurred near the Hailey Apartments, according to the television station.

Authorities said the girl's injuries are non-life threatening and she is being treated at a local hospital.

Boston25 News reports there was another shooting overnight and within a mile of the Jamaica Plain shooting. A man was shot in Roxbury and taken to the hospital with serious injuries, the television station reports.

Police have not said if the two shootings are connected.
ARLINGTON - The body of a man was found near the town line between Arlington and Cambridge Saturday. The recovery came at the end of what police said was an exhaustive search involving Arlington and Cambridge police, Massachusetts State Police and the Northeast Massachusetts Law Enforcement Council.

Arlington police tentatively identified the body as that of Patrick Beagan, 45, of Arlington. Beagan's death is not considered suspicious, authorities said.

The remains were taken to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner for positive identification.

State Police Detectives attached to Middlesex County District Attorney Marian Ryan's office will complete a follow-up investigation.
BROCKTON - Police arrested a 53-year-old woman and charged her with the stabbing death of her 52-year-old boyfriend during a domestic dispute Friday afternoon, the Boston Herald reported.

Police said Kristen Smith was taken into custody at the Maguire Road home she shared with Scott Benoit.

Benoit's body was found at the scene at about 1 p.m. Friday afternoon after police responded to a call for a domestic dispute. He had been stabbed in the chest and was pronounced dead at the scene.

Detectives took custody of evidence they found in the home, including a knife.

Smith will be arraigned on a charge of murder in Brockton District Court Monday.
The leader of MS-13's East Boston Loco Salvatrucha clique, Santos Portillo Andrade, appears to be heading to prison for 10 years after he recently pleaded guilty to assault, drug and firearms charges in federal court.

Andrade, also known as "Flaco", pleaded guilty Friday in federal court to conspiracy to conduct enterprise affairs through a pattern of racketeering activity, more commonly referred to as RICO conspiracy, and admitted to attacking an individual he believed was a rival gang member in Malden in December 2008.

The 33-year-old from Revere also pleaded guilty to heroin and cocaine distribution charges and a firearms charge. Sentencing is scheduled for Sept. 26. The plea deal would send Andrade to federal prison for 10 years with four years of supervised release when he get out, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.

Andrade was one of 61 people caught in a sting involving the leaders and members of MS-13.

"Portillo was the leader of the East Boston Loco Salvatrucha clique of MS-13. According to court documents, MS-13 is a violent transnational criminal organization whose branches or 'cliques' operate throughout the United States, including Massachusetts," the U.S. Attorney's Office said. "MS-13 members are required to commit acts of violence against rival gang members to gain promotions and maintain membership and discipline within the group. Specifically, MS-13 members are required to attack and murder rival gang members whenever possible."
SPRINGFIELD - Dressed in tuxedos and extravagant dresses, crowds of people flocked into the heavily decorated interior of the newly renovated Springfield Union Station Saturday evening, celebrating the building's grand reopening after a long interim of dormancy.

For years, the station sat largely unused, falling into disuse in the 1970s when the popularity of rail travel declined. Yet after a long period of redevelopment it will finally open its doors to the public again.

With $94 million in floor-to-ceiling renovations, the new station has been resurrected, converted into an intermodal transit hub that offers service from Amtrak and Connecticut's commuter rail system to New Haven and New York City, as well as local and long-distance bus service.

The station's grand opening is also seen as an integral part of the revitalization of downtown Springfield, as its completion comes as several other major projects are ongoing, including construction of the $950 million MGM Springfield just down Main Street.

Saturday night's black tie gala saw hundreds who came out to celebrate with an evening of dancing, drink, dinner, and speeches from a number of the prominent state and local officials who helped make the station's new life possible.

Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno and U.S. Rep. Richard Neal, who have both played influential roles in bringing the station back into functional use, were present Saturday. Also present was former Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick, as well as a number of other prominent local community members such as WWLP 22 News President and General Manager William Pepin.

One of the more anticipated moments of the night, however, were remarks made by Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker, who attended the event and spoke glowingly about the revitalized station and what it meant for Springfield.

"I wanted to be here to have an opportunity to congratulate all of you--especially the congressman and the mayor--for all the work the people have done to pull this one off," Baker said. "This is truly a wonderful accomplishment, and a great seminal moment for the City of Springfield and the community of Western Massachusetts.

"We are very excited about the work we're doing here with the folks in Springfield," Baker said, concluding by thanking city officials for the invitation to the event.

There were a number of other speeches Saturday night, including ones from Sarno and Neal.

Sarno complimented Neal for his commitment to the new station, throughout the years. "Through the ebbs and flows, the ups and downs, the trials and tribulations, Richie always kept his eye on the ball for the City of Springfield and his district," Sarno said.

It was an especially emotional moment for Neal, who has been a "driving force" behind the project for years--lobbying for state, federal, and local funding to make the new station a reality.

Speaking Saturday night, Neal commented on the important symbolic role the station has had for the city throughout its history. "When you look at the seal of our city it has the meeting house, it has the armory, it has the river, and it has Union Station--the railroad," he said.

Neal said the the station made an indelible impression on him when he was younger, when he visited it with his grandmother during the structure's heyday; that impression stuck with him as he pushed, for years, to assure that the transportation hub would one day be of use to the public again.

If ever there was a story of renewal and redemption, "this is it," Neal said, concluding his remarks to applause.

The festivities surrounding the station's grand reopening are set to continue Sunday, with a reception for the hundreds of contractors who worked to restore Union Station to its "original glory," along with their families. Then from noon until 2 p.m. Sunday, the station will be opened to the general public with several family-friendly activities planned courtesy of the Springfield Museums.
A Cape Cod couple's children and their babysitter had just got out of the family SUV when it burst into flames even though the engine was off.

Ursula and Tom Daley told WCVB News that their babysitter took their children out in the family 2015 GMC Yukon Denali then returned to their Dennis home Friday for lunch.

About five minutes after getting out, the SUV was engulfed in flames.

Ursula posted pictures of the destruction on Facebook.

"Everyone is safe," she wrote. "But wow - super scary. Kids had literally stepped out of the car minutes before."

The SUV wasn't running at the time. Fire officials told the couple the cause of the fire appears to be electrical.

"It was our Yukon Denali," Ursula said on Facebook when someone asked what happened. "Just exploded."

Tom told WCVB News that they have since contacted the dealership where they bought the vehicle. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration lists several complaints from owners about the Denali's electrical system, but the complaints do not state that any of the reported problems caused a fire.

Another vehicle was also damaged in the fire.
WEST SPRINGFIELD - A search for a man who was seen jumping from the Memorial Bridge Sunday has turned into a recovery effort.

A man was reportedly seen jumping from the West Springfield side of the bridge at about 4 p.m. West Springfield Fire Department, assisted by Springfield and Agawam firefighters, all launched boats and have been searching different parts of the river, West Springfield fire officials said.

Two eyewitnesses reported that they saw a man walking with a cane on the bridge. He then threw his cane off the bridge before jumping himself, Dennis Leger, assistant to Springfield Fire Department said.

As of about 5:30 p.m. nothing had been seen in the water. Some of the boats, including Springfield's, was removed but West Springfield firefighters continue the search, officials said.

"After this time it has returned into a recovery effort," Leger said.

Boats could be seen near the South End Bridge as well as one which motored from one edge of the river to the other just south of the Memorial Bridge. Firefighters and police were also stationed on the Memorial Bridge and scanned the water from above.

Jan Pena, of Connecticut. and David Jimminez, of Springfield were enjoying the nice weather at Riverfront Park in Springfield with other friends. They said they have been in the area of the Memorial Bridge most of the afternoon but didn't see anyone jump.

"I saw the cops and I wondered what happened," Pena said.

He said he was wondering if they were just checking the condition of the water since warning signs had been posted about pollution from sewer overflows.
Democratic gubernatorial candidate Jay Gonzalez said he will be a "governor for the whole state" and pledged to focus on issues important to Western Massachusetts residents if elected.

The 46-year-old Needham resident, who left his job as president and CEO of CeltiCare Health and New Hampshire Healthy Families in December to launch his campaign, said he's committed to doing everything possible to address the needs of people living in the western part of the state.

"I understand that people in Western Mass. legitimately feel that they've been ignored and their interests are often ignored in state government and by folks in Boston," he said in an interview. "I intend to be the governor of the entire state."

Gonzalez, who was the secretary of administration and finance under former Gov. Deval Patrick, said he plans to promote policies to make early childhood education more affordable and accessible, as well as push for greater investments in transportation systems across the state -- like efforts to bring high-speed rail to Springfield.

By speeding up the commute between the Western Massachusetts city and Boston, for example, the state could address housing affordability, jobs and population issues, the Democrat contended.

"We talk about affordable housing as a big problem in the Greater Boston area, but we have plenty of affordable housing in Western Massachusetts and other parts of the state. If we had transportation system that made it a commute to get to the many job opportunities that exist in the Greater Boston area ... that's a win-win," he said. "We need to be thinking bigger. We need to be honest about the fact that we need to invest more in our transportation system."

Gonzalez, who noted that his wife is from Chicopee, said he hopes to demonstrate his commitment to residents living in Western Massachusetts through repeated visits and face-to-face conversations with local voters.

"I'm committed to actually being physically present and engaging with people in Western Mass. and all over this state. ... Aside from that I also want to do everything I can to address the needs of people in Western Massachusetts, as is the case for everywhere else in the state, to help address the challenges they're facing on a day-to-day basis," he said.

The gubernatorial hopeful noted that he has visited the region nearly a dozen times since January, including speeches before the Wilbraham Democratic Town Committee in early April and in Longmeadow in mid-February.

Gonzalez acknowledged that his policy agenda is largely similar to those of other Democrats that have launched 2018 gubernatorial runs. But he said he believes his experience, particularly in Patrick's administration, sets him apart from his rivals.

"It's fine for us to all want to do big things and make progress on big issues that are holding people back, but we actually need to be able to deliver on them," he said. "I have a record of working in a leadership position in state government with the legislature and other key stakeholders to get big things done."

The Democrat further contended that his track record in management makes him the best candidate to go up against incumbent Republican Gov. Charlie Baker.

"I'm very proud of my record of managing while I was in a leadership position in state government. I'll put my record up against Charlie Baker's any day of the week," he said.

Fellow Democrats Setti Warren, the mayor of Newton, and Robert K. Massie, an environmentalist and entrepreneur, have also launched 2018 gubernatorial runs.

Baker has yet to announce if will seek a second term, although it is widely assumed that he will run again.

The election will take place on Nov. 6, 2018.
Montana Infrared Services, Inc. http://www.montanainfrared.com announces that they have joined the United Infrared Network. Montana Infrared Services is an infrared service company based in Laurel, Montana. United Infrared is the worlds largest network of multi-disciplined infrared thermographers.

Montana Infrared Services, Inc. is an infrared service company which has been in business in the area since 2017 and is owned by Michael and Billie Lehman. Michael is a level 2 Certified Infrared Thermographer (#11272).

United Infrared, Inc. provides application-specific resource systems for contractors of infrared thermographic services.

To learn more about Montana Infrared Services, Inc., please visit http://www.montanainfrared.com or call 406 670-4593.

Full Story:
Data breaches. Identity theft. Bank fraud. Every week, we read a fearsome new headline about cybercrime. Reputable services fall victim to anonymous hackers. Ransomware holds random computer users files hostage. And what about those websites that track your every move, targeting you with personalized advertisements?

Maybe youve considered the unthinkable: removing yourself from the Internet.

Kim Komando , Special for USA TODAY

Full Story: https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/columnist/komando/2017/06/23/how-to-delete-yourself-from-the-internet/102890400/
Mr. Bloomberg intends to announce the initiative on Monday in a speech to the United States Conference of Mayors in Miami Beach, where he will castigate federal officials and state governments around the country for undermining cities. He plans to describe the program, called the American Cities Initiative, as a method of shoring up the global influence of the United States despite turmoil in Washington.

By ALEXANDER BURNS

Full Story: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/06/25/us/politics/michael-bloomberg-mayors-trump.html?hpw&rref=politics&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&module=well-regionion=bottom-well&WT.nav=bottom-well
When a company systematically breaks a law, we are often surprised. We shouldnt be.

Every business leader is taught that success depends upon creating an organizational culture with a shared sense of purpose and values between employees and leadership.

Ubers ongoing allegations of hostile and unfair treatment of female employees and Wells Fargos secret creation of millions of unauthorized deposit and credit card accounts at the expense of customers show that company culture can actually incite coordinated illegal activities. How does this happen?

By Jonathan Aberman

Full Story: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/capital-business/wp/2017/06/19/ethical-business-practices-start-at-the-top/?utm_term=.bb7b4dc933b5
Missoula businesses, we hear you. Youve been telling us that we have a workforce shortage, and we want to provide solutions.

Therein lies the call to action for Missoula businesses: Participate in our survey. Tell us whats working for you and what isnt. Then we can tailor our proposed strategies to your actual experiences and needs.

To access the survey, click here https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/5Z2LNZC

JAMES GRUNKE

Full Story: http://missoulian.com/business/columns/james-grunke-survey-aims-to-provide-solutions-to-missoula-s/article_dfdc289e-f67e-5c1f-b6da-3dcafc6652d8.html
The Backcountry Horsemen of Missoula http://bchmt.org/wp/missoula/ hosted a summer rendezvous Saturday at the Blackfoot Clearwater Game Range to thank the community for supporting their work, and to teach visitors how to cook, camp and pack horses for backcountry trips.

About 40 people gathered with trailers carrying horses and camping gear, and sat in camp chairs while backcountry horsemen demonstrated proper crosscut sawing technique and maintenance, the best knots for horse packing, and trail etiquette.

LUCY TOMPKINS [email protected]

Full Story: http://missoulian.com/news/state-and-regional/horse-packing-dutch-oven-cooking-and-respect-for-wild-places/article_10187d87-11b3-5d77-9ba1-988a2a002770.html

Back Country Horsemen Calendar: http://bchmt.org/wp/missoula/calendar/
A local pastor has spent countless hours crafting a unique and illustrative tool for teaching lessons from the Bible. And this special teaching tool will be featured Monday evening on Christian station WGGS TV from Greenville, S.C.

The Rev. Terry Cheek is the pastor of Calvary Missionary Baptist Church, located on U.S. 221 north of Marion. Cheek, with help from his wife Lori, has built an accurate scale model of the Tabernacle from the Old Testament which he plans to use in sermons and Bible lessons.

The theology of the Bible is illustrated in the Tabernacle, he said.

According to the Hebrew Scriptures, the Tabernacle was the movable structure that God instructed Moses to build for the children of Israel. It was used by the Israelites from the time of the Exodus from Egypt through the conquering of the land of Canaan. The Tabernacle is described in detail in the Book of Exodus and other parts of the Bible.

Over 40 chapters in the Bible are devoted to it, said Cheek. This goes back 3,500 years approximately.

The Tabernacle was built out of woven layers of curtains with 48 standing boards clad with polished gold and held in place by five bars on each side with the middle bar shooting through from end to end and other items made from the gold, silver, brass, furs, jewels, and other valuable materials taken out of Egypt at Gods orders, and according to specifications revealed by God to Moses at Mount Sinai, according to a Wikipedia entry.

When Moses was on Mount Sinai, he got the image of the Tabernacle, said Cheek.

And let them make me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them, reads the Book of Exodus. According to all that I shew thee, after the pattern of the tabernacle, and the pattern of all the instruments thereof, even so shall ye make it.

The Book of Exodus goes on to describe in detail how the Tabernacle should be constructed.

The Tabernacle was a place where sacrificial offerings were presented to God by the chief priest. In the innermost section of the Tabernacle was the Holy of Holies, where the Ark of the Covenant was kept.

And there I will meet with thee, and I will commune with thee from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubims which are upon the ark of the testimony, of all things which I will give thee in commandment unto the children of Israel, reads Exodus 25:22.

This portable tent-like structure was transported by the Israelites on their journey through the desert wilderness and they took it with them when they conquered the Promised Land. Joshua had it placed at Shiloh, where it remained for more than 300 years. The Tabernacle was eventually replaced with King Solomons Temple in Jerusalem as the dwelling-place of God.

This model of the Tabernacle came about 10 years ago as a result of Cheeks studies at Covington Bible College in Chattanooga, Tenn.

When I was in seminary, I had to have a subject for a doctoral dissertation, he said.

Cheek began to think about the Tabernacle in the Old Testament and how it is a typology of Christ. He thought this would make a great subject for his dissertation and a model of the Tabernacle would help him illustrate its important lessons. He began researching the Tabernacle and what it looked like based on the Bibles descriptions. As a boy, he built plastic model kits but had never undertaken anything like this before.

At the same time, he wrote his doctoral dissertation, which ended up having more than 57,200 words.

I was doing this simultaneously, he said. I got an A for all of that.

Cheek graduated from the seminary in 2008. The model sat around for a few years until he started refurbishing it and using it for his sermons and Bible lessons.

His wife Lori made the cloth covers for the model. Cheek said Lori has contributed a lot to this project and she helps him transport it. It is 54 inches long and 34 inches wide.

He also has some acacia wood, which is repeatedly mentioned in the Book of Exodus when describing the construction of the Tabernacle. In the King James version, it is called shittim wood. His sample of this wood comes from the Sinai area, where the Tabernacle was built 3,500 years ago.

Through this model, Cheek is able to not only talk about what the Tabernacle meant to the Israelites but also how it is symbolic of what Jesus did for us through His life and sacrifice. It is extremely useful for childrens sermons, Scriptural studies, revivals and Vacation Bible School lessons.

Theres nothing allegorical about it, he said. Its all very sincere. I find it very helpful.

For example, the Tabernacle had only one entrance, which was a narrow gate. For Cheek, this helps him illustrate an important lesson about coming to God.

When you come through that gate, you know that Jesus is that straight and narrow gate, he said.

Today, Cheek will formally present his model of the Tabernacle to the congregation at Calvary Missionary Baptist Church for the first time. He will preach a sermon based on it.

I am really excited to see the response, he said.

Cheek is even more excited about taking his model to Greenville, S.C. Monday evening where he and Lori will appear on the show Niteline, on Christian TV station WGGS (Channel 16). Niteline is a special primetime program, airing weeknights on WGGS. It is a variety program that features Gospel music, Biblical teaching, practical helps for Christians and prayer and counseling by trained phone workers, reads the stations Website.

Cheek said the station heard about him and his model and wanted to put it on the evening show.

We will be taking it that model down for the show, he said.

Terry and Lori Cheek will be interviewed on the Niteline show, which will be aired live Monday evening at 8 p.m. on WGGS Channel 16. He said the broadcast would also be live streamed on their Website (www.wggs16.com) and Facebook page. His Sunday morning message will be available online through his Website www.theinspiringword.org.

He added The Biblical Recorder, the newspaper for the North Carolina Baptist State Convention, has expressed an interest in his Tabernacle model as well.

It is amazing what Gods Word has revealed through this study, said Cheek. Lori and I now see God using the Tabernacle model as a ministry of discipleship to the local church and evangelism to the community through the local church.
A chemical burn can occur when a person comes in direct contact with a chemical or its fumes. Chemical burns can happen to anyone at any place  at home, at work, at school, when outdoors, or in an attack. Chemical burns will cause some skin damage, but most people recover fully without any serious health consequences. Severe chemical burns do require immediate emergency care to prevent complications and, in some cases, death.

Common causes of chemical burns Share on Pinterest Misusing products such as bleach, oven cleaners and paint thinners may result in chemical burns. Most chemical burns occur as a result of misuse of products. Some of the most common household and workplace products linked to chemical burns include: car battery acid

bleach

ammonia

swimming pool cleaners

toilet and drain cleaners

oven cleaners

fertilizers

metal cleaners

concrete mix

paint thinners Many other products used at home and work may contain chemicals that cause burns. Anyone that keeps chemicals for any reason must store chemicals safely to avoid accidents. They must also label the containers in case of exposure so that doctors know what chemicals they are dealing with.

Symptoms Chemical burns tend to be deep burns, and symptoms of a chemical burn will vary depending on a variety of factors. Symptoms of chemical burn depend on: when the skin was in contact with the chemical

whether the chemical was inhaled, swallowed, or touched

whether there were open cuts during contact

the contact location on the body

the amount and strength of the chemical

whether the chemical was gas, liquid, or solid Knowing the type of chemical that caused the burn is important. Symptoms will vary based on how the chemical responds once in contact with the skin, eyes, or inside of the body. Symptoms also vary if the chemical was swallowed or inhaled. General and common symptoms of chemicals touching skin and eyes are: skin that appears black or dead

irritation, redness, or burning in the area that was affected

numbness and pain in affected areas

vision change or loss if the chemical comes in contact with the eyes If someone has swallowed or inhaled a chemical, they may experience one or more of the following symptoms: irregular heartbeat or cardiac arrest

low blood pressure

shortness of breath

headache

coughing

dizziness

seizures

muscle twitching

Seeking medical care Share on Pinterest The emergency medical services should be called for serious chemical burns. If someone has been exposed to a chemical affecting the skin or eyes, the first thing to do is take off contaminated clothes. They should then wash the affected area with water for at least 20 minutes. If this is done quickly enough, burns will be less severe and recovery time might be shortened. Chemical burns often require some kind of medical treatment or a trip to the hospital. If a parent suspects that a child has inhaled or swallowed a chemical, the parent should first call their local poison control center and find out how to proceed in order to avoid further injury. For serious chemical burns and exposures, it is a good idea to call for emergency medical services. A few examples where emergency services should be called include when: The person feels faint, has a pale complexion, clammy skin, or shallow breathing. These might be symptoms of shock.

The chemical has gone through the first layer of skin or the affected area of skin is larger than 3 inches.

The burn is affecting the eyes, hands, feet, face, groin, buttocks, or a major joint. In the emergency room, the person will be evaluated rapidly to determine how much tissue has been affected and the extent of the injury. After evaluation, they will be stabilized. Doctors may carry out further lab work and other diagnostic tests to determine any further health concerns. A treatment plan will then be prepared based on the persons overall condition, the type of exposure, and the likelihood that the persons symptoms may worsen.

Treatment of chemical burns Burns can cause swelling, blisters, scars, pain, shock, and can even be fatal. They can also lead to infection. Treatment will depend on the cause, severity, deepness of burns, and the extent of tissue that has been damaged. The first step in treatment is to determine the burn type, as follows: first degree burns affect the top layer of the skin

second degree burns cause injury to the second layer of skin

third degree burns affect the deepest layers of the skin and tissues underneath Depending on the severity of the burn, doctors will employ different methods to treat chemical burns, such as: antibiotics and anti-itch medicines

fluids given through the vein  fluid loss in common with burn injuries

cleaning and removing dead tissue

skin grafting  removing healthy skin from one part of the body to cover the wound More serious chemical burns require rehabilitation, which may include: skin replacement

pain management

plastic surgery

occupational therapy

counseling

Who is at risk? Share on Pinterest Industries where chemical burns may happen include manufacturing, construction and agriculture. The people at the highest risk for chemical burns are infants, young children, older adults, and people with disabilities because these groups may not be able to handle chemicals properly. Others at risk are those who work in industries where exposure of chemicals to skin is common. Chemical burns at home are sometimes related to cosmetic products, including chemical peels and acne creams. While these types of burns are rare, they can cause very serious injuries and complications. One study looked at the case of a 38-year-old Asian man who had been using an acne treatment. Upon seeing good results, the man increased his daily dose of the medicine. Within a few days, this resulted in chemical burns to the first skin layer on most of his face. The man was treated for his chemical burns but did not return for follow-up, leaving researchers unsure of his treatment outcome. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), report more than 13 million Americans work in industries where their skin and eyes may be exposed to chemicals. Some of these industries include: agriculture

manufacturing

transportation

utilities

healthcare

construction One report from the Joseph M. Still Burn Center at Doctors Hospital in Augusta, GA, found that chemical burns accounted for 16 percent of burn injuries. At this burns center, chemical burns may account for 42 percent of work-related injuries. According to a review of occupational chemical burns treatment over a 2-year period in an emergency room setting, chemical burns cause more tissue damage than other types of burns. The researchers noted the severity of these kinds of wounds were due to the high toxicity of industrial chemicals and methods of use. Carelessness was the most common reason for injury to exposed areas of the body in the workplace. However, the researchers noted that workplace safety protocols, training, and protective equipment have led to fewer accidents, better outcomes, and fewer deaths related to chemical burns.
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Reported in the Entomological Society of America's Journal of Medical Entomology, the historical county-level records compiled by the CDC show Ae. aegypti reported in 220 counties in 28 states and the District of Columbia between 1995 and 2016 and Ae. albopictus reported in 1,368 counties in 40 states and DC during that time.In addition, the data show that in some places the percent of mosquitos found during 1995-2016 was higher, though the researchers attribute the increase not to any sudden spread of the mosquitoes but rather to the increased attention on the risks posed by Zika and other diseases, says Rebecca Eisen, Ph.D., research biologist with CDC's Division of Vector-Borne Diseases and co-author of the study."The study reveals gaps in mosquito distributions--likely resulting from lack of local surveillance rather than mosquitoes being absent," she says. "Prompted by the Zika outbreak, states began work to better assess the distribution and abundance of these mosquitoes, locally. The updated survey CDC conducted in fall 2016 demonstrated that intensified surveillance in the summer of 2016 resulted in Ae. aegypti or Ae. albopictus being collected in many counties where there were no records for them in recent decades."Eisen emphasizes that the findings illustrate the presence, not abundance, of the mosquito species, and they are not meant to represent risk for spread of Zika or any other disease. The findings also do not show how many mosquitoes are living in an area or the exact locations of the mosquitoes. But the data does allow the CDC and local stakeholders to better direct surveillance and control efforts. For instance, in counties where Ae. aegypti or Ae. albopictus have not been recorded but that neighbor areas where they have, the CDC can model the county's suitability for the mosquitoes to be present."This information will help to target limited public health surveillance resources and help to improve our understanding of how widespread these mosquitoes are," Eisen says.For the survey, the mosquito species was considered "present" in a county in a given calendar year if at least one specimen of any life stage of the mosquito was collected, using any collection method, during that year. Ae. aegypti was reported in all southern U.S. states, with most county reports coming from southern California, Arizona, Texas, Louisiana, and Florida. Reports in neighboring Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia, and South Carolina, however, were more sporadic. Ae. aegypti is generally known to thrive in tropical and subtropical climates.The distribution of reports of Ae. albopictus was greater and more consistent in the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic states and even southern New England. It was also recorded in a few counties in the Southwest, including California, Arizona, and New Mexico.Source: Eurekalert
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...
LANSING, MI -- The Grand Rapids maker of

is the first-ever recipient of the Michigan export "Rising Star Award."

The accolade, from the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, was presented earlier this month.

The inaugural award was created to recognize a company new to exporting or just starting to increase exports into one or more countries.

"The Gluten Free Bar sets a great example for other small- and medium-sized companies as to the opportunities exports provide in generating more sales and growth for a company," said Jamie Clover Adams, the department's director, in a statement announcing the award. "Exports are critical to the Michigan food and agriculture economy, and companies like The Gluten Free Bar are a vital part of the growth."

Michigan exported $2.8 billion in food and agriculture products in 2015. The state's biggest markets are Canada, Japan, China, Thailand and Mexico.

Exports help boost farm prices and income, while also supporting over 22,600 jobs both on and off the farm in food processing, storage and transportation, according to Adams.

Every $1 in export activity generates another $2.93 in economic activity, meaning Michigan's total agriculture exports of $2.8 billion have a local impact of an additional $8.2 billion.

Ben Wahl, a partner at The Gluten Free Bar, says the 7-year-old company began exporting two years ago.

"We've had a lot of help since we started exporting in 2015, and we're excited to continue our momentum in the years to come, which will ultimately add more jobs and positively impact our community here in West Michigan," Wahl said.

The company's exports have doubled in a year, creating two jobs.

The demand for gluten-free goods has been growing around the world. In the United States, the market for these products has more than doubled since 2011. Similar trends are being seen in Canada, the United Kingdom, Italy and Australia.

To be eligible for the award, the products must be more than 50 percent grown, processed or manufactured in Michigan.
DETROIT -- Arrests and deportations out of Detroit's Immigration and Customs Enforcement office have spiked since President Donald Trump took office, statistics show.

ICE agents tripled the number of immigrants with no criminal convictions taken into custody between Jan. 20 and April 29, compared to the same period last year.

Figures from that time period are the most recent available from ICE's Detroit office, which covers immigration enforcement operations in Michigan and Ohio.

ICE agents made a total of 436 arrests in the two states from Jan. 20 to April 29, a 43.8 percent rise from 303 during that period in 2016.

"Nearly 70 percent of those arrested have criminal convictions in addition to their immigration violations, which demonstrates a continued focus on threats to public safety," said ICE Detroit spokesman Khaalid Walls, who provided the numbers.

Of the 436, 316 were convicted of a crime and 147 were non-criminals.

During that timeframe in 2016, 258 of the 303 arrested had criminal convictions, and 45 were non-criminals.

The number of deportations has also dramatically risen.

There were 582 deportations between Jan. 20 and April 29, 2016. Of those kicked out of the country then, 382, or 66 percent, were convicted of crimes, and 200 were non-criminals.

This year, the number of deportations during that period grew 53 percent.

ICE reported 893 in total, with 468, or 52 percent, involving convicted criminals and 425 non-criminals.

The more aggressive ICE activity has been obvious to immigrant communities and immigration lawyers around the region.

Activists in Southwest Detroit's hispanic immigrant community have been warning of stepped-up enforcement for months, and a group of area churches in March offered "sanctuary for endangered immigrant families."

In May, the detention of a group of immigrant workers at an Ann Arbor eatery made waves after ICE agents made the arrests after having breakfast just before the kitchen raid at Sava's Restaurant.

And a group of nearly 300 Michigan attorneys and 20 legal organizations on June 1 issued a letter to the federal government urging that ICE stop arresting people in or near courthouses.

The agency has a policy of generally not engaging in enforcement actions at schools, hospitals, places of worship and sites of funerals, weddings, marches, rallies and parades. Courthouses are not on that list, but Walls said agents generally only make arrests at courthouses when investigators have exhausted all other options.

The statistics showing the rise in ICE activity don't include a wave of arrests that took place the weekend of June 9, in which 114 immigrants from Iraq were taken into custody in the Detroit-area.

All but three of those arrests involved immigrants who have already been ordered deported after past criminal convictions that included homicide, rape, aggravated assault, kidnapping, burglary, drug trafficking, robbery and weapons violations, according to ICE.

The deportation orders all go back years, but the convicts were allowed to remain in the U.S. because of the dangers they could face if sent to Iraq, particularly for members of the Christian Chaldean sect, which has been targeted by extremist groups like ISIS.

The Iraqi government, in a deal with the U.S. reached in March, agreed to begin taking back those immigrants with deportation orders, leading to the wave of arrests, according to ICE.

"The operation in this region was specifically conducted to address the very real public safety threat represented by the criminal aliens arrested," said Rebecca Adducci, field office director for ICE Detroit, after the arrests.

The American Civil Liberties Union filed a class-action lawsuit to halt the planned deportations, arguing the detained immigrants "cannot be lawfully removed until they have had an opportunity to renew their requests for protection."

A Detroit federal judge on Thursday agreed to delay the deportations for at least two weeks, but was studying whether he has jurisdiction to keep the detainees in the U.S. any longer.

Usama "Sam" Hamama, 54, of West Bloomfield, was convicted about 30 years ago of felonious assault, possession of felony firearm, and carrying a pistol in a motor vehicle.

He served a two year prison sentence and was later ordered deported, but ultimately was allowed to stay in the U.S. under ICE supervision due to the dangers he'd face as a Chaldean returning to war-torn Iraq.

"My dad, before he left, asked me to take care of everyone. It's my job as the oldest," said his 20-year-old daughter Britanny Hamama.

"Everyone is worried. We don't know. We're not getting all the answers. Just knowing that my dad is worried and stressed and that we're his only source of information, it's scary. That's our rock. He's the head of the household.

"When you see your dad crying, that's when you know things are not okay."
UPDATE:

Pregnant woman dies after weekend shooting in Flint

UPDATE:

Pregnant woman loses unborn child after shooting in Flint

FLINT, MI -- A woman is in serious condition at a local hospital after she was shot Sunday morning inside a Flint apartment building.

Officers responded around 9:45 a.m. Sunday, June 25, to Sunset Village Apartments in the 300 block of Bradley Avenue for a shooting and found a woman shot inside a third-floor apartment.

A specialized chair was used to get the woman, who was wrapped in a blanket, down to the first floor where around a dozen police officers hoisted her onto a stretcher and placed her in the back of an ambulance.

Michigan State Police and Flint police searched the area around the complex for a male suspect but no one is in custody. Deputies with the Genesee County Sheriff's Office and Flint firefighters also responded to the scene.

No further details were released on the incident.

Anyone with information on the shooting incident may contact the Flint Police Department at 810-237-6800 or anonymously to Crime Stoppers at 1-800-422-JAIL (5245) or P3tips.com
CANTON, MI - This is something you don't see everyday. In fact, you may have never seen one of these. A double rainbow appeared this morning in Metro Detroit.

Mike Thornton shot this video from his front porch in Canton. He says it was even more amazing to see in person.

MLive chief meteorologist Mark Torregrossa says it is fairly rare to see a double rainbow, but says conditions have been right for rainbows in general. "The current weather pattern is great for rainbows. Isolated thunderstorms next to sunny skies."

He also points out how the colors are backwards in the second rainbow. The color order is ROYGBIV in the first one, and VIBGYOR in the second.
Updated at 12:51 p.m. on June 25 after police identified the victim.

BERRIEN COUNTY, MI -- Police say a 21-year-old Christopher Herman was killed by a train near the Michigan-Indiana border.

At approximately 10:24 p.m. on June 24, the Berrien County Sheriff's Office was called to Main Street in the Village of Galien to respond to reports that a pedestrian had been struck by a train. Emergency responders found the Herman, a Galien resident, who was pronounced dead at the scene.

The incident remains under investigation by the Berrien County Sheriff's Office. Police did not indicate how the man made contact with the train in a release.

A railroad crossing runs right through the center of Galien.

The victim's family has been notified of his death, however police did not release a name Sunday morning.
The Saginaw Township Fire Department arrived around 11 a.m. to Center Road and West Michigan Avenue to find a driver with their car stuck in the flooded intersection.

The driver went around barriers and tried to drive through the water, causing the car to shut-off.

The car got stuck right across from another car left abandoned in the floodwater.

Firefighters used a boat to rescue the driver, who was taken by ambulance to the hospital.

A deluge of rain has caused massive flooding in the area. The nearby Tittabawasee River is under a flood warning issued by the National Weather Service.

No Additional details were available at this time.
L to R: Sridhar Ramasubban, Rahul Narayan, Sheelika Ravishankar, Dhruv Batra of Team Indus They are all core leadership team members.

As far as his career was concerned, IIT-Delhi alumnus Rahul Narayan was never a conformist. He loathed the monotony of a conventional work life and wanted to pursue something larger than the goals of a regular job. So, in 2010, when he decided to wrap up his three-year stint at Agnicient Technologieswhere he was COOto compete in the Google Lunar XPRIZE, he had no qualms in doing so.

The Google-sponsored Lunar XPRIZE carries a $20 million (Rs 129 crore) reward for the first privately-funded team that successfully soft-lands a spacecraft and manoeuvres for 500 metres a moon rover; the rover must also beam high definition images and videos back to the earth from the lunar surfacea feat not attempted even by the celebrated space agency, Indian Space Research Organisation. (Isros 2008 Moon Impact Probe, part of the Chandrayaan-1 mission, did not have a soft landingit crashed, as planned, on the moons surface.)

The complexity of the mission is enormous, yet Narayan decided its now or never. After doing some initial work on the space mission from Delhi, he shifted to tech town Bengaluru in 2011 to start Axiom Research Labs, the company behind TeamIndus, which is currently one of the five finalists, and the only one from India, in the fray for the Lunar XPRIZE. The other finalists are Israels SpaceIL, the USs Moon Express, Japans Hakuto and Synergy Moon, which is an international collaboration.

The genesis [of the project] was to be a part of something bigger than what we do in our daily lives. This looked like something exciting, a target big enough to pursue, says Narayan, 43, CEO of Axiom Research Labs and Fleet Commander at TeamIndus, which has Star Wars-based designations. TeamIndus was the last to register for the contest, in 2010, three years after the prize was announced.

Seven years, and about $25 million in funding later, it is just months away from launching the first Indian private spacecraft to the moon. On December 28, 2017, riding on Isros Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV), the teams spacecraft will commence its roughly 380,000 km, month-long journey that will hopefully end in an Apollo moment.

To read more articles from Forbes India, click here.

Success would mean more than a private company delivering on a programme-level space project. (Shorn of jargon, this means that TeamIndus itself has defined the mission objective and will design, build and execute it against the usual practice of private companies building something to meet Isros specifications.) It could herald an age where startup-style entrepreneurslike Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos in the USenter Indias spacefaring efforts, ending Isros monopoly.

What they are doing is encouraging. If they successfully [soft] land their spacecraft on the moon, they will be beating Isro to it, points out Gopal Raj, a journalist and space historian, who chronicled Isros story in his book Reach for the Stars. It will give the idea of Indian private enterprise in the space sector a lot of credibility, he tells Forbes India in a phone interview.

Rahul Narayan, CEO of Axiom Research Labs, sees space as infrastructure, not simply as glory for the country

Image: Nishant Ratnakar For Forbes India

The journey to the moon, however, is fraught with challenges. Placing a 600 kg-spacecraft into a lunar orbit and eventually staging a controlled, gentle landing on the moons surface is no mean feat. Adding to the stakes are the payloads TeamInduss spacecraft will be carrying. This includes a rover built by Hakuto, its Japanese competitor for the XPRIZE, besides a clutch of experimental apparatus. The contracts the company has inked to carry the payloads translate into revenues for TeamIndus, but if the mission goes awry, it will hurt the prospects of the clients as well.

To face these challenges, TeamIndus has put together a formidable effort, says Narayan. We are more sure about ourselves, we know a lot of the things that need to fall in place. This is a programme we started from scratch less than seven years ago; and for less than $70 million (Rs451 crore) if were able to land a spacecraft on the moon, it would be a defining moment. For points of comparison, Isros 2008 Chandrayaan-1 mission cost about $80 million Rs 515 crore).

Narayan says the initial inspiration for TeamIndus was the Ansari XPRIZE in 2004, to launch a spacefaring vehicle. I ardently followed it, Narayan recalls. Not confident of himself then, he waited for a more opportune time and when the Lunar XPRIZE was announced, Narayan got his eureka moment.

The stories of competitors in the Google XPRIZE were inspiring, he saysamong them was a father-son team, a lone ranger and a Carnegie Mellon University professor. If so many different teams and groups were aiming for the prize, why couldnt we do it out of India, too? Narayan wondered. It felt like it was the right time in India, the right place and maybe we were the right kind of people to chase it.

For a long time, TeamIndus was Axiom Researchs sole focus. In the last year, however, the team has been identifying new avenues to apply its learnings from the moon mission, which could eventually help commercialise some of the capabilities Axiom has built. Landing a spacecraft on the moon itself could become a viable business proposition in the future.

Possibilities like these underpin the economics of investing in private space enterprises. It also explains why TeamIndus is spending $70 million on the $20 million Lunar XPRIZEthe latter is just the icing on the cake, not the ultimate goal.

Backing this vision is an eclectic cast of investors, which includes Tata Group Chairman Emeritus Ratan Tata, Infosys co-founder Nandan Nilekani, Biocons Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw and Flipkart founders Sachin Bansal and Binny Bansal.

TeamIndus is not the first private company to show interest in the space industry. In the last 30-35 years, private vendorsGodrej, L&T and Walchandnagar Industries to name a fewhave contributed by manufacturing various components that go into a space mission, says Narayan. The difference then is that we see ourselves at a programme level as opposed to the sub-contractor level, says Narayan. If you look at Nasas Mars rover programme, its completely outsourced to Lockheed Martin that takes the specifications and builds the rovers. Learnings that come out of it belong to Nasa. And Nasa, with its scientists, becomes a scientific organisation whereas the industry handles the engineering.

This model will be at the heart of how TeamIndus eventually becomes commercially viable, says Narayan. By entering the ecosystem at a higher value-addition level, it wants to become a programme manager and a system integrator for large organisations such as Isro, and some day possibly for agencies like Nasa. We see ourselves as an aerospace startup. Its a long-gestation industry, says Narayan. The capabilities that TeamIndus has acquired today, and the ones it is building, are much sought-after in the global space industry. It is imminent that the Bengaluru venture will be able to team up with other space agencies and private players in the future. TeamIndus is also building its own integration facility, where it will assemble its spacecraft, in Bengaluru.

But even as it gets future-ready, TeamIndus has to be mindful of the costs, given that it is a commercial entity. To cap expenses on the moon mission, many redundancies have been done away with, says N Srinivasa Hegde, mission director for TeamIndus, who served in the same capacity for Isros Chandrayaan-1 project. Here you have to be frugal in design and content, and actions have to be justified economically. For instance, the spacecrafts reaction wheel, which helps to orient it in a particular direction, has been removed because it adds to the weight and power. Getting the spacecraft to point in a given direction now relies on complex software that will fire the spacecrafts thrusters.

Assembling the hardware on time is another real challenge, and in the space industry, [a delay in making] just one component can delay the entire mission, adds Hegde. Growth at TeamIndus has also only been possible inorganically, buying whatever could be bought and assembling it.

The technical challenges apart, TeamIndus also faces a manpower problem. Apart from the two dozen-odd retired Isro scientists and engineers among its 100-strong team, most of the young people at TeamIndus have not even seen a spacecraft. They are doing so through our eyes, says Hegde, which means he and the other Isro mentors had to distil their collective experience into their younger colleagues, with an average age of 26. Each senior member leads a team of four to 12 younger staffers in multiple sub-disciplines. Together they are able to design, analyse and prototype in-house.

Narayan sums it up: The idea is that we should be able to take a simple problem statementland on the moon, cover 500 metres and beam images and videos to the earthand over seven years, figure out everything else that needs to go into it.

The company was relatively inefficient this time, he admits, as it was the first attempt. But the experience TeamIndus has gained and the team it has weaved together could become a strong business proposition.

And there are many business opportunities that are emerging. Space has moved to new services that are really novel, says Narayan Prasad, CEO of Bengaluru-based Dhruva Space, a private venture building satellites. There are many new servicesInternet of Things, automatic identification of ships, aircraft tracking and GPS radio occultation for weather predictionbeing built on satellite systems that have evolved over the last 10 years, he says.

Such services, however, dont feature in Indias road map yet, as Isro has its own government-approved mandate. The space agency has its hands full with work, including building some 70 satellites over the next five years.

The time is ripe for the private industry to step in, pick up the slack and tap the opportunity. What is needed is a policy framework on how companies such as TeamIndus and Dhruva can be integrated into the countrys space policy, says Prasad.

Narayan echos this view: I see space as infrastructure, not simply as glory for the country. He points out that space-based infrastructure is already a significant part of our lives. We just dont notice it. GPS, television broadcasting, big chunks of mobile networks and weather forecast are all dependent on satellites. Beaming internet down to earth is seen as increasingly viable, and TeamIndus sees itself as a potential engineering vendor to help put up the complex network of ground stations, satellites and so on.

Narayan sees himself and TeamIndus as partners to agencies such as Isro, Nasa as well as the larger established multi-billion-dollar private aerospace companies in the US, in the global $300 billion-space industry. The aim is to usher in the next wave of what needs to happen in space, with space.

Clearly, the companys raison detre stretches beyond the moon mission it is now pursuing.
Consolidation seen in the last three consecutive weeks after a 18 percent rally (without deep correction) in current calendar year indicated that the market has fully priced in all positives -- expected economy & earnings growth, NPA resolution, likely normal monsoon, expected Fed rate hikes. It also, to some extent, knew that Goods and Services Tax (GST) implementation from July 1 will have some impact on India Inc earnings.

Hence, the market will closely watch the impact of GST on overall economy and earnings. But for the time being, there is no trigger that can drive the market on either side. The market sees June quarter earnings as that will begin next month as the next trigger.

In the passing week, the 30-share BSE Sensex gained 0.26 percent at 31,138.21 while the 50-share NSE Nifty fell 0.14 percent to 9,574.95. However, the BSE Midcap index plunged 1.51 percent and smallcap slipped 1.82 percent.

Experts expect the market to correct in the near-term, which may be a healthy correction but not a deep one. A sharp fall is possible only if monsoon disappoints, earnings and economy growth delay or any global events hit, according to them. Volatility is likely in the coming truncated week due to expiry of June derivative contracts on Thursday, they feel.

The market will remain shut on Monday for Ramzan Id holiday.

"This corrective move will continue and fall below 9550," Jayant Manglik of Religare Securities said.

He advises traders to reduce long positions and keep the leveraged trades hedged.

Abnish Kumar Sudhanshu of Amrapali Aadya Trading & Investments said a lack of big trigger in the coming week is likely to keep Nifty hovering in the range of 9485-9700.

Benchmark indices are likely to dance to the tune of GST preparedness as well as monsoon. Hence, he expects the market to remain below 9700 until the GST doesnt turn reality.

"We believe that every correction/consolidation at this juncture should be considered as a healthy buying opportunity as we remain optimistic on Indian equities over the medium to long-term horizon," Hitesh Agrawal, EVP & Head, Retail Research, Religare Securities said.

Here are 10 factors that may chart market direction in the coming week:-

GST

India Inc is expected to get rid of paying multiple taxes soon as Finance Minister Arun Jaitley recently announced that GST - one nation one tax regime - will get implemented from the midnight of June 30, so that it should be effective as per the deadline (July 1) set by the GST Council.

Everyone on the Street knows that every change in the system will have some repercussion, so the GST will also hit earnings as well as economy in short-term but it has huge long term benefits, said experts who will closely watch its impact to analyse and calculate earnings & economic growth estimates for years ahead.

According to experts, the impact on automobile, transportation, pharma and FMCG sectors may be positive but it could be negative for textiles industry and services like technology, telecom, banking, insurance etc.

Monsoon

Weather forecast agencies expect the monsoon in July and August to be far better than June. So far it has been at around the normal level but it will progress gradually and cover the entire country in the next few days.

With monsoon rains expected to be normal this year, the government is targeting yet another bumper foodgrain and horticulture production in the new crop year 2017-18.

DS Pai, Director-Long Range Forecast at India Meteorological Department expects to see fast progress in monsoon in the northern part of the country after June 26. "Overall, we are close to normal or above normal monsoon," he said in an interview with CNBC-TV18.

Modi-US Visit

Prime Minister Narendra Modi started his three-nation tour of Portugal, the US and the Netherlands during which he will hold talks with the top leadership of those countries to boost bilateral ties. The highlight of his four-day visit will be the meeting with US President Donald Trump for the first time on June 26 in Washington.

"Prime Minister Narendra Modi with US President Donald Trump could see discussions on the H-1B visa programme and talks could yield a "win-win formula" for both the sides. We could also see discussions on government's decision to cap prices of heart stents and other life-saving drugs to make them more affordable," Vijay Singhania, Founder-Director, Trade Smart Online said.

The White House has said that there were no specific plans to raise the contentious H-1B visa issue during US President Donald Trump's meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi as the issue was under review and there have been no changes in the existing policy.

F&O Expiry

All futures and options contracts for the month of June will expire on June 29 and traders as well as investors will roll over their positions in July. Hence, experts expect some volatility in the coming week.

Combined open interest addition at 9,600 call and put is greater than 1.1 crore shares, suggesting June expiry near 9,600 level, IIFL Research said.

Technical Outlook

According to experts, 9,550 will be a key level to watch out for in the coming week.

There is maximum call open interest concentrations at 9700 calls indicating strong resistance and support around 9500 as put writers are holding put sell position of those levels. Data indicates some more consolidation or minor dip to around 9550 levels, Singhania said.

IIFL Research said investors should hedge trading portfolios if Nifty breaches below 9,550.

Economic data

On Friday, infrastructure output data for May (was 2.5 percent in April), foreign exchange reserves (till June 23 against USD 381.96 billion till June 16) and external debt for Q1 (was USD 456.1 billion in Q4FY17) are expected to be released.

Stocks in Focus

Coming Tuesday, Adani Power will be in focus as Reuters reports said the company engaged with all stakeholders for remedial steps for long-term sustainability of Mundra plant.

Amtek Auto will also be in focus as the company discussed ways to resolve debt repayment issues as it faced the likelihood of falling under Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code as per RBI guidelines. Its vice-chairman and managing director John Ernest Flintham and independent and non-executive director Sanjiv Bhasin have resigned with immediate effect, it said.

Bajaj Hindusthan Sugar has shelved its plan to sell power business to group firm Lalitpur Power Generation Company for about Rs 1,200 crore, even as its lenders have initiated resolution process under S4A to restructure loans.

Tata Steel sold its stake in Tata Motors to Tata Sons for Rs 3,783 crore.

Infosys will also see some positive reaction after international law firm Gibson Dunn & global risk consultancy Control Risks completed probe into whistleblower's allegations. Audit committee did not find any evidence of wrong doing whatsoever.

Over the weekend, automobile companies will announce their June sales data. Hence, auto stocks may see some reaction ahead of numbers in Friday's trading session.

Corporate Action

HDFC Bank, Tata Coffee, Hero Motocorp, JSW Energy, Capital First, Apollo Tyres, Indian Hume Pipe, Sterlite Technologies, Nucleus Software, Centum Electronics and Jayant Agro will start trading ex-dividend in the coming week.

Cadila Healthcare (for fund raising), Emco (fund raising), and BL Kashyap (stock split) each will have board meetings on June 26 while Federal Bank's board members will meet on June 27 to consider the issue price of qualified institutional placement.

SRF, on June 28, will consider issuance of non-convertible debentures aggregating to Rs 300 crore on private placement basis while Shriram Transport Finance's board of directors, on June 29, will consider raising funds by way of issue of redeemable non-convertible debentures on private placement basis.

MindTree, on June 28, will consider the proposal to buyback of shares.

Nectar Life, Bombay Dyeing, BF Investments, CMI and Deepak Fertilisers will announce their March quarter earnings during the week.

IPO and Listing

AU Small Finance Bank will open its Rs 1,912.5-crore public issue for subscription on June 28, with a price band of Rs 355-358 per share. The IPO, which will close on June 30, is an offer for sale of up to 5.34 crore equity shares by promoters and investors.

SME IPOs - Gautam Exim and ACE Integrated Solutions each will open on June 29 while Accord Synergy will close on June 28.

Meanwhile, Tejas Networks will list its equity shares on exchanges on June 27 while CDSL and Eris Lifesciences are also expected to debut in the coming week.

Global Cues

The US durable goods orders for May 2017 are expected to release on Monday. The US corporate profits and GDP growth rate for Q1 will be declared on Thursday. The US economy expanded an annualised 1.2 percent on quarter in the first three months of 2017, better than the advance estimate of 0.7 percent growth.

Japan's data for household spending, CPI and unemployment rate for May will be announced on Friday.
Hotel credit cards make it easy to earn free stays and upgrades at your favorite hotels and resorts. CreditCards.com evaluated some of the top-rated cards in the hotel card category and asked a panel of judges to rate the CreditCards.com staff's top three picks.

The judges were travel expert Johnny Jet (johnnyjet.com), personal finance expert Holly Johnson (clubthrifty.com), Money Magazine staff writer Taylor Tepper, CreditCards.com editor-in-chief Daniel P. Ray and CreditCards.com senior industry analyst Matt Schulz.

The best hotel credit card is the Starwood Preferred Guest credit card, according to CreditCards.com. Judges praised it for its generously priced Starpoints, which are worth at least two cents apiece (the average credit card rewards point is valued at just one cent). The panel also liked that the card offers an impressive number of Starpoints to frequent Starwood and Marriott guests. A 25,000-point sign-up bonus adds even more value, and the $95 annual fee is waived the first year.

The SPG card allows one-to-one transfers with more than 30 domestic and international airlines, including American Airlines, Delta, British Airways, Korean Air and many others. "Flexibility is so important in a rewards card, and that's what helps the Starwood card stand out from the other hotel cards," said CreditCards.com senior industry analyst Matt Schulz. "The large number of partnerships with airlines makes this card more than just a hotel card."

The Club Carlson Premier Rewards Visa Signature card earned second place, thanks in large part to its ample sign-up and loyalty bonuses. Cardholders are awarded up to 85,000 Gold points if they spend $2,500 in the first 90 days, 40,000 bonus points each year their card is renewed and an extra free night's stay when they spend at least $10,000 a year. Club Carlson points aren't worth as much as the average card rewards point, but the card's generous rewards rate helps make up for the lower value. The Carlson Rezidor network includes more than 1,400 hotels around the world; the Club Carlson card is a good choice for people who typically stay in mid-tier hotels and would like to use their points for higher priced stays.

A great choice for budget travelers, the Best Western Rewards Premium MasterCard ranked third. It isn't as flashy as some of its higher-priced competitors, but for those who care more about affordability and convenience than traveling in high style, this is one of the most valuable hotel cards you can get. It offers 10 points for every dollar spent at a Best Western. In addition, new cardholders are awarded 50,000 bonus points if they spend $1,000 in the card's first three months and an additional 20,000 bonus points each year they spend at least $5,000. That's significantly more valuable than most hotel cards' opening offers. The $59 annual fee is waived the first year.
Commuters watch videos on their mobile phones as they travel in a suburban train in Mumbai, India, April 2, 2016. With smartphone sales booming and India preparing for nationwide 4G Internet access, India's film and TV industry hopes the ease of tapping your phone for the latest release will generate profits at last, overcoming the problems of woefully few cinemas and rampant piracy. Picture taken April 2, 2016. REUTERS/Shailesh Andrade - RTSDS09

State owned MTNL has asked the government to extend the validity of its mobile licence for the lucrative circles of Delhi and Mumbai by two more years till 2021, at no extra cost.

The telecom The cellular licence of Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Ltd (MTNL) is valid till April 2019, after which the debt-laden corporation would be required to renew it.

The reasons cited by the company for seeking an extension includes late start of services owing to a litigation, and spectrum allotted nearly 2.5 years after the grant of licence, according to a recent letter written by MTNL Chairman P K Purwar to the Telecom Department.

MTNL has also said that the geographical coverage of its mobile licence initially was not at par with the private telecom operators.

As per data by the telecom regulator, MTNLs wireless subscriber base stands at over 36 lakh in the two metros put together.

A household telephony brand in the 90s and early 2000, MTNLs revenue and profitability has come under tremendous pressure with intensified competition in mobile and landline telephony services.

Its latest request to Telecom Department comes at a time when the entire telecom industry is reeling under financial stress, and an inter-ministerial group has been constituted to suggest remedial measures to ease the difficulties faced by the sector.

"In case of Delhi and Mumbai service areas, the expiry date of the CMTS (cellular) licence along with administratively allotted spectrum may ...be modified as January 10, 2021, that is 20 years from effective date of granting standard licence in terms of geographical coverage at par with the other telecom service providers to maintain a level playing field," MTNL has said.

MTNL has contended that in the beginning, its licence was a non standard one and the area of operation was restricted to Delhi Municipal Corporation and Mumbai Municipal Corporation.

The licence was brought at par with other private operators when it was allowed to extend the coverage to Delhi NCR areas of Ghaziabad, Faridabad, Noida and Gurgaon and in Navi Mumbai and Kalyan areas of Mumbai in 2001, it pointed out.

settlement of litigation pertaining to grant of licence by DoT took appreciable time, allotment of required spectrum was made after 2.5 years from the grant of licence and parity in terms of geographical coverage with regard to other telecom service providers was given to MTNL on January 11, 2001the standard terms and conditions of licence should not be made applicable earlier than January 11, 2001, MTNL has said.
Esben H stergaard. Founder & Chairman, IDG Ventures India Photo by Nishant Ratnakar for Forbes India 10/05/2017

Forbes India

India-focussed technology venture capital fund IDG Ventures India has raised about Rs 2,600 crore over the last 10 years of which it has invested about Rs 1,700 crore in a slew of Indian startups. To date, the fund has exited from 13 startups that it had invested in, including Myntra, Lenskart, Hiree and Manthan.

Sudhir Sethi, 58, founder and chairman of IDG Ventures India, tells Forbes India that hes now betting big on deep-tech startups. We are investing in technologies which will be relevant 5-7 years down the line, he says. In a freewheeling chat, Sethi, who was a part of the launch team of HCLs and subsequently Wipros computer division, shares his views on the Indian startup ecosystem, high valuations of startups and what excites him about Indian innovation. Edited excerpts:

The Frontier Tech programme is interesting. We saw innovations over the years, not in a wave, but in pieces. We saw them in software and medical devices. The thought of Frontier Tech came to our minds in the last three months of 2016. In India, robotics will improve and other technology will come in as well. We got in touch with TeamIndus as we loved their audacious approach to land a rover on the moon. Thats what innovation and entrepreneurship is all about. We continue to talk to them (we have not invested in them as yet). When I think of technology, I think of Artificial Intelligence (AI), virtual reality, machine language, robotics, defence/space, so we thought we will look for these companies through the Frontier Tech programme. Our internal name for the programme is hatke technologies. In three weeks (between March and April), we saw about 455 companies. Many of them are under evaluation; we will go through the process and hopefully invest in a few of them.

What excites us about India is innovation, deep technology, the ability of an entrepreneur to take risks and also the high quality of entrepreneurs. I have been investing in India since 1998 and these four things havent changed. In fact, they have accelerated. If I look at our first investment under the IDG banner, it was a software company called Manthan Software Services, which was into analytics for the retail sector. We invested in 2007 from our first fund and we exited fully in 2014 with a handsome return. In 2008, we invested in Perfint, which was into medical robotics. Its the first medical device company from India to get FDA approval in China (the only company I know of to have achieved that), USA as well as in 12 other countries. We are still invested in them. We have also invested in a company called Forus Health, which is in the space of ophthalmology device, which enables retina scans. They have done over a million scans so far.

They are very different. We have 62 companies under our portfolio of which 50 are active. The portfolio is a mix of internet, media, ecommerce, software, healthcare and financial technology startups.

That said, we believe that the exit timeframes, which used to be many years, have now come down. We are able to now sell a very high-tech company in two years in India. In the last two-and-a-half years, we sold Pluss [hyperlocal medicine delivery startup] to Netmeds.com, Hiree [online recruitment firm] to Quikr; we have just completed the sale of Zimmber to Quikr and we sold Momoe [mobile payments app] to ShopClues. In two-and-a-half years, from the date of investment, the companies got sold. Fundamentally, these companies were not bought for scale, but for technology which the buyer didnt have. So, we have seen that buyers from India are recognising technology and the missing product gap in their own product profile and are willing to buy. That never happened before. Theres a shift that has happened in the market, which is anecdotal in nature, and not planned for by us. Investors like us want to be ahead of the curve and by doing so, our investments can get more returns.

Read more articles from Forbes India here

If I look at the last 10 years, the exit cycles are reducing. In Myntra and Manthan Software Services, our exit cycle was seven years. We just exited Fintellix and I think that was five years. If we look at some of the exits which are in process, they would be after 5-8 years. As India scales, I think exit timeframes would reduce even more. It would be about 5-6 years as we move forward, which is very healthy. By design, our exit valuations are between $100 million and $500 million. We dont have too many unicorns to have exits at billion-dollar valuations. If we want our investments to work, we cant wait for a billion-dollar valuation to happen in all cases. Those would be exceptions; those also need a lot of luck.

From a capital supply point of view, last year, the total private equity/venture capital funding in the country was about $12 billion. It was $17-18 billion the year before and $10-11 billion in its preceding year. Broadly, India has been absorbing private equity/venture capital funding of around $10 billion, plus or minus. In the middle, a few years ago, it spiked to $17-18 billion a year. It was basically funds which came in once and went out that caused the spike. Traditional investors have always kept the investment flow in the $10-11 billion bracket. The spike happened because a large amount of capital was running after a few companies. Now, that is not happening; only the normal amount is running after a few companies. And to that extent, valuations have come down, which I think is healthy for the startup ecosystem.

The maturity of the startup ecosystem is enormous today. In the internet space, there are about 70-odd million people who buy and sell products on the web. In the next five years, we are looking at 300 million [shopping on the internet]. If at 70 million we can have a Flipkart, FirstCry and Lenskart, imagine what can happen at 300 million. I truly believe that BSE 30 is under threat. The new-tech companies are value builders at a very large scale.

I think Mukesh [Bansal, founder of Myntra] is an entrepreneur par excellence. There is no question about it. He is definitely one of the people we learn from enormously. Mukesh is a role model for many. When we first invested in Myntra, the company was not an online fashion retailer. It was a personalised gifting company. In October 2008, its revenue was Rs 12 lakh. Within 12-18 months of our investment, we found that the gifting paradigm was no longer valid. So, the company had to change its business model. Mukesh was able to pivot the company into fashion, raise more capital and made Myntra into a game-changing company, which is a leader in its space. When the company was sold to Flipkart, it had a $100 million run rate a year. That is, he scaled the company from a run rate of Rs 1.5 crore to over Rs 600 crore in a timeframe of six years. Then he merged the company with Flipkart. And when he left Flipkart, he was handling a revenue scale of $1 billion. He is the only entrepreneur I know from my portfolio who has scaled from Rs 1.5 crore to $1 billion in eight years. Other people who have done this are Sachin Bansal and Binny Bansal. Scaling is complex; it requires a good team, technology and capital. Post Flipkart, when Mukesh decided to start Curefit, for me, it was like: OK, we are on.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi (L) shakes hands with his Portuguese counterpart Antonio Costa at the Necessidades Palace in Lisbon, Portugal, June 24, 2017.

India and Portugal today announced a four million euros joint fund to bolster research in science and technology as Prime Minister Narendra Modi held in-depth talks with his Portuguese counterpart on cooperation in areas like counter-terrorism, space, climate studies and start-ups.

In a joint address to the media after signing 11 bilateral agreements, Modi and Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa, who traces his origin to Goa, said the two countries have made substantial progress since Costa visited India in January.

The agreements signed today included cooperation in outer space, double taxation avoidance, nano technology, improving cultural ties, youth and sports, higher education, scientific research, and setting up of a Portugal-India Business Hub and an Indian Chamber of Commerce here.

"The Portuguese economic rebound and strong Indian growth offer excellent opportunities for us to grow together," Modi, the first Indian prime minister in Portugal on a bilateral visit, said.

"We are also determined to deepen our cooperation against terrorism and violent extremism," he said and thanked Lisbon for its "consistent support" for India's bid for permanent membership of the UN Security Council and multilateral export control regimes.

Speaking on collaboration in cutting-edge technology, Modi announced the setting up of a joint science and technology fund of four million euros.

"Our economic ties continue to follow an upward trajectory, and we can do more for the flow of goods, services, capital and human resources," he said, adding that bilateral trade has grown 17 percent in the past one year.

"We look forward to engaging with Portugal in the Atlantic International Research Centre, both in the Space and Ocean Science fields," Modi said.

These pacts are expected to promote India's ties with Portugal towards the establishment of a unique centre on the Azores Archipelago - the Atlantic International Research Centre, which will act as an innovation hub for trans-Atlantic and north-south cooperation. The goal of the Centre is to provide a shared environment to foster new climate, earth, space and marine research.

With respect to space, cooperation is expected to include development and cooperation of next generation nano and micro satellites. On marine sciences, the project would enable India to study the atmospheric and ocean behaviour of the Atlantic and its linkages with weather patterns including the monsoon.

Modi also announced that India will set up of a Chair for Indian Studies at the University of Lisbon and developing a Hindi-Portuguese dictionary.

"I thank Portugal for sharing a digital version of 12,000 documents comprising exchange of letters between Goa and Portugal in the 17th Century.

"Portugal has emerged as one of the most vibrant ecosystems for entrepreneurship... Start-up sphere here is an interesting space for cooperation. It is a great means to generate value and wealth for society," he said.

Modi said Portuguese Prime Minister Costa represents the best of the Indian diaspora across the world. Portugal has a large Indian-origin diaspora with the Indian community in Portugal estimated at 65,000.

He also praised Indian films having a presence in the country. "Indian films are being subtitled in Portuguese and a Hindi-Portuguese dictionary is being developed for our mutual benefit," Modi said.

Costa said India and Portugal "will make a great deal of progress in digital partnerships."

"A lot of work has been done in six months since I visited India. Great strides have been made in partnerships in economy, science and technology," he said.

Relations between India and Portugal began amicably in 1947 after India's independence and diplomatic relations were established in 1949. Bilateral ties however went into decline after 1950 over Portugal's refusal to surrender its enclaves of Goa, Daman Diu and Dadra and Nagar Haveli on India's west coast.

But with the signing of a treaty in New Delhi in December 1974, bilateral relations were restored.
NDA presidential nominee Ram Nath Kovind on Sunday met with MPs and state legislators of BJP and its allies from Uttar Pradesh, kick-starting his nationwide tour from his home state to seek support from various political parties.

Accompanied by Union Minister Nitin Gadkari and BJP National General Secretary Bhupender Yadav, Kovind drove straight to Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's official residence from the airport. Adityanath and other senior BJP leaders and ministers earlier received 71-year-old Kovind at the airport in Lucknow.

At the CM's residence on the Kalidas Marg, he interacted with a host of senior party leaders including Union ministers Uma Bharti and Gadkari, Deputy Chief Ministers Keshav Prasad Maurya and Dinesh Sharma. He also met with UP Assembly Speaker Hriday Narayan Dixit.

Addressing the MPs and state legislators, Adityanath said, "It is for the first time that we will have the honour of having a person from Uttar Pradesh as our president. This honour has been bestowed upon by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP chief Amit Shah."

"It will be good if all the political parties rise above the narrow party lines and vote for him. It will send a good message," the chief minister said. He said that Kovind has led a simple life and that he has been working continuously for uplift of the poor, the dalits and the marginalised section of the society.

At the meeting, Gadkari also explained as to how to cast the ballot.

Explainer: How The President Of India Is Elected

Though Uttar Pradesh has given the nation a number of prime ministers, it will be for the first time that the politically-crucial state will have the pride of sending someone to Rashtrapati Bhavan if Kovind is elected. The closest the state came to having its representative in the President's House was in 1969, when Mohammad Hidaytullah became the first Acting President of India from July 20, 1969 to August 24, 1969.

Sakshi Maharaj, the BJP MP from Unnao adjoining Kanpur from where Kovind hails, was also present.

Bhupender Yadav, Kovind's authorised representative for the presidential poll, said he has come to Lucknow to seek support from the members the electoral college.

He will now visit other states, Yadav said.

BJP sources said a Union minister, a senior organisation leader from the party and two MPs will accompany Kovind during his nationwide tour to reach out to all members of the electoral college.

Though his meeting will be with the supporting MPs and MLAs, Kovind will make an appeal to all the members of the electoral college in every state to support him.

Opposition parties have fielded former Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar, a Dalit leader, against Kovind.

With over 62 per cent of votes firmly behind him, Kovind's election as the next president is almost certain.

Besides, the BJP and its NDA allies, parties like the TRS, YSRCP, AIADMK, BJD and the JD(U) have announced their support to him.

The presidential election is scheduled for July 17 and the counting of votes will take place on July 20.

While Kovind filed his nomination papers in presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and NDA chief ministers in New Delhi on June 23, Kumar is yet to file hers. Kovind, if elected, will be the second from the dalit community to occupy the highest constitutional office, the first being KR Narayanan.
BJP national president Amit Shah will start a 110-day nationwide tour Monday as part of an effort to strengthen the Bharatiya Janata Party with a two-day halt in Puducherry.

Shah will pay floral tributes to the poet Subramania Bharati at a statue installed in the Puducherry Airport.

Besides presiding over the party's core committee meeting, he will hold talks with office bearers, district presidents and general secretaries, among others.
Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar today hailed the introduction of Goods and Services Tax (GST) as a good initiative to reform the Indian economy, which would lead to shrinking of red-tapism, and facilitate consumers and traders by reducing costs.

Khattar, who was interacting with mediapersons after inaugurating and laying the foundation stones of several development projects in Kaithal, said that several goods had been made tax-free and taxes on some other goods had been reduced under GST.

A GST of 28 per cent would be levied on items such as TVs, air conditioners, refrigerators, washing machines and furniture, which are presently taxed at 33 per cent. Such reduction in costs would boost competitiveness among traders, which would further benefit consumers, he added.

Reiterating that the Haryana government was sensitive towards the interests of the farmers, he said that compensation to the tune of Rs 2,400 crore had so far been disbursed to the farmers.

This included compensation of Rs 268.74 crore announced but not disbursed by the previous government.

He said that 50 per cent of the announcements made by him during the last 32 months regarding development works to be undertaken throughout the state had been implemented while the remaining would soon be completed.
A customer uses Fluid AIs AI-powered, gesture-recognition technology at an RBL Bank branch. Image: Mexy Xavier

Forbes India

Abhinav Aggarwal fondly recounts a favourite bit of fiction about a set of scientists who built the first intelligent computer decades ago. The first question they asked the machine was: Is there a God? The reply: There is now. The lanky, bespectacled twenty-six-year-old flashes a toothy grin as he delivers the punch line.

(L toR)

Abhinav Aggarwal

Founder & CEO

Raghav Aggarwal,

Founder & Managing Director.

It isnt difficult to fathom why this tale tickles Abhinavs funny bone. He is, after all, in the business of creating God-like machines as CEO of Fluid AI, a startup that draws on Artificial Intelligence (AI) to offer businesses intuitive user experiences and data analytics. Started in 2012 along with Raghav (29)Abhinavs elder brother who is managing directorFluid AI wants to reshape how machines talk to humans.

The combination of recent advances in AI and related areas such as speech and image recognition, and the availability of virtually infinite amounts of computing power and storage has heralded the advent of a world in which machines will take over many human functions (see boxes).

Take the case of RBL Bank. Walk into their Nepean Sea Road branch in Mumbai and instead of being greeted by a receptionist, a smart-screen says, Hello, welcome, as it detects a customer using its motion sensors.

Applying for a loan, assessing credit card options or getting the latest rate on various deposits: All these tasks can be done without touching the screen. Gesture with the hand, hover over a virtual button and its done. All the while, with a camera mounted on the kiosk, Fluid AIs software is working away, studying your face to gauge your level of interest. If it senses that youre keen on a home loan, itll suggest options and plans suited to you. Talking back to the screen is also possible. As is taking a selfie. Gesture over a button on the screen, smile, say cheese, and voila, you have a picture of yourself in the bank. Call a toll-free number and get the photograph WhatsApp-ed to yourself. This is to engage millennials, says Abhinav, as he picks up a Rubiks cube lying on the conference table of his Mumbai-based office and plays with it absentmindedly.

Read more articles from Forbes India here

In the coming months, RBL plans to deploy Fluid AIs experience-based, smart-screen solutions across other metros in India. Besides engaging customers, the solution also gathers the data gleaned from them, crunches it and presents the analysis to RBL. The bank in turn is better able to woo customers with products most tailored to their preferences.

What started off as an endeavour to build a hard-core techie product by two self-taught, code-loving brothers is today a 50-person strong, profit-making company. Headquartered in Mumbai, with outposts in Charlotte, North Carolina in the US, the Netherlands and Mauritius, Fluid AI counts heavyweight financial institutions such as Barclays Plc in Britain, Emirates NBD in the Middle East, and one of the largest banks in the US, which the Indian venture isnt allowed to name, as clients. Other customers include Axis Bank, Vodafone India, chip maker Intel, IT consulting companies Accenture and Capgemini, automakers Rolls Royce, Toyota and Hero Group, as well as Intelenet, a large back-office outsourcing company.

If that doesnt put them in the ranks of the big boys, consider this: The founders pitched just one part of their tech, involving the gesture-driven solution, in a televised Shark Tank-like show called The Vault that aired on television in October last year, but walked away from a funding deal that valued that part of their business at around Rs 15 crore. Today, the Aggarwal brothers claim to be receiving acquisition offers for the entire company in the $100 million (around Rs 645 crore) valuation range.

(L-R)

Apurv Anand, Co-founder and CTO

Tathagato Rai Dastidar, Co-founder and CSO

Rohit Kumar Pandey, Co-founder and CEO

Back in 2008 when Abhinav was still in school and Raghav in college, the two developed an online learning management system for schools and colleges. It was their first entrepreneurial venture. At that time, storing software and data on premises, meaning on a computer server located on the premises of whoever used the software and data, was the norm. Even Amazon Web Services, today the worlds largest cloud services vendor, was a nascent business then.

Yet, the brothers built their learning management system, under the name TruTech, as a cloud-based platform. It allowed students, teachers and parents to access relevant information, including attendance, progress and class notes, from any location. The software proved popular with 300,000 students from schools and colleges across the country accessing the B2B platform (business-to-business because, typically, the educational institution would buy the system and the students would use it for free). It gave us good profits, smiles Abhinav, holding on to his now-completed Rubiks cube.

As the boys juggled this work alongside their studies, they realised the software they had built was easily replicable. It was 2012 and a chance holiday to New York alerted them to the ensuing TechCrunch Disrupt Hackathonbilled the worlds largest coding competition. They signed up for it, coded for 24 relentless hours and emerged as one of the winners. The competition gave them a boost of confidence. They realised they had the capabilities to build more advanced technologies which would provide differentiated services, explains Abhinav. Thats when we started building AI-based solutions.

Over the next couple of years they immersed themselves in developing the software and started building Fluid AI, under the parent company TruTech.

All through, the learning management platform generated healthy profits for them, which the boys invested into Fluid AI. It was like our first funding revenue, Abhinav says. (Today too, the platform chugs along, under the same parent company as Fluid AI, with a 95 percent retention rate of annual-licence-fee-paying schools and colleges.)

As Fluid AI started scaling and customers started taking note, Raghav got admitted into the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad (IIM-A), and Abhinav into the Indian School of Business (ISB), Hyderabad. They enrolled in their respective programmes but decided to drop out after a month. They had amassed plenty of business experience, having started out so young, and several of their B-school teachers told them that it didnt make sense to spend two years pursuing an MBA, and then returning to the same business. Plus, in technology, two years is a long time, quips Raghav, adjusting his spectacles, So we dropped out and decided to pursue Fluid AI full time.

Atul Jalan, founder & CEO, Manthan

Fluid AI offers customers two distinct solutions. One is on the experience side, where customers like RBL Bank install a smart-screen based kiosk to better engage and interact with customers. Computer vision built into the technology recognises customers, speaks to them, hears them and understands their gestures. The tech can do a lot more than what RBL is currently using: For instance, the screen prompts the customer to display an identity card. On doing so, the machine reads the required data off that, creates a passport-size photo and matches the photo in the ID with the customers face in real time. With that you can open a bank account in 30-40 seconds, says Abhinav. Video calls with advisors, in real time, are also possible, as is face recognition. So the next time the customer walks into the bank, the machine will remember her by name, know the products she previously browsed and the relationship she has with the bank.

The second piece of technology that Fluid AI offers is on the data side. Their software sits atop companies data and makes sense of it, thereby helping companies make better decisions and even predictions. A retailer, for instance, would know from Fluid AIs analysis of its data that a particular customer is going to churn, and how best to counter that move. We would be able to predict which product to upsell or cross-sell to that customer to retain him and whats the best time to do so, says Raghav. Accenture is among Fluid AIs many clients on the backend, data side. Through our Open Innovation programme, we connect our clients to enterprise-relevant technology innovators to find solutions to their complex business problems. We are collaborating with leading Indian AI startups like Fluid AI to bring the best of innovations to our clients, says Avnish Sabharwal, managing director of Accenture Ventures and Open Innovation in India. The consulting company has deployed Fluid AIs data solution at a client location, he says, without revealing further details.

But use cases are plenty. When the demonetisation of high value currency notes hit in November last year, the banks that used Fluid AIs data solutions were better off, explains Abhinav. Our system learnt on its own that withdrawal patterns have changed and automatically adapted to it. Whereas, a lot of the traditional guys using analytics-based solutions had to come in and recode the backend.

What propels this advanced feature is Fluid AIs use of AI and deep learning. Simply put, AI refers to a technique that enables computers to think, understand and communicate like humans do. Traditionally, code writing entailed programming computers and telling them what to do. However, with machine learning, which is a subset of AI, computers are taught to do things themselves and learn from experience. Within machine learning is a further subset called deep learning, which enables computers to perform tasks like speech, image and voice recognition.

Were replicating human intelligence at a fundamental level, explains Raghav. Both their solutions are powered by genetically evolving networks, he says, which involves adding a layer of genetic evolution on top of deep learning. The technique borrows from human evolution, wherein 100,000 species are built out on a computer, with each species built to carry out an end goal, such as understanding the customers emotions better or figuring out what product to upsell. Our algorithms build these 100,000 species very similar to human evolution. The ones that do well are propagated further. The ones that do not do well are savagely killed off in the cycle, explains Abhinav. This allows their software to learn in real time and have very high levels of accuracy and prediction on both the data and experience side.

Add to this the fact that the company follows a plug-and-play model, allowing customers to set up Fluid AIs solutions as seamlessly as possible. The solutions are on-premise ones, that sit atop client data, doing away with the need to push data onto the cloud. Most of our clients, especially those in the BFSI sector, dont want to push their data onto the cloud for regulatory reasons. Also, because they have so much data, taking it to the cloud will take months. Instead, our solution is deployed in their environment, says Raghav.

Getting entrenched with enterprise and SMB customers, and offering them an end-to-end solution which is easy to adopt will help [AI-based] companies create sticky and sustainable businesses, says Sumit Jain, partner at venture capital firm Kalaari Capital. It also helps that Fluid AI has been able to shrink its sales cycle to one month from about six earlier. Even big, complicated clients can be up and running almost instantly, allowing them to stay nimble, points out Abhinav. Their technology has been validated independently: Forrester Research, which advises large corporate clients on their technology decisions and purchases, recognised Fluid AI as one of the top deep-learning vendors in its recent Global AI Report. Consultancy Frost & Sullivan has also recognised the startups work, as has card seller Mastercard, which included Fluid AI in its Start Path Globalan initiative to support innovative later-stage startups who are reshaping the future of commerce.

While convincing their first big customerVodafone Indiato come on board was trying, conversations have now shifted gears. Its not a nice-to-have, its a must-have now, says Abhinav. When they started out in 2012 developing their AI-based solutions, nobody used to talk about AI. Then there was an inflexion point, driven by an increase in available computing power, low-cost data storage and huge amounts of annotated data.

Vodafone for its part has been very happy with Fluid AIs smart-screen based experience solution, which the telecom major has deployed across its Customer Experience Centers (CEC) in Mumbai, Gurugram and Pune to better engage with clients. The challenge sometimes is that customers dont intuitively know that they need to use their gestures to talk to the screen, says Rutvij Gupte, senior manager, new products and CEC. Abhinav and Raghav are working on this, so that our customers just know what to do, he adds.

The idea of fully automated machine-driven interactions sufficing for offline interactions is a clear challenge. Most offline use cases are driven by the customers need to interact with a real human. Customer behaviour may take a while to change. Some of these debates can only be settled with pilot deployments and data about customer adoption and engagement, says Jain.

Raghav, however, points out that for their clients who have a physical presence, ensuring that every customer gets the same quality experience in each store is a challenge. You need a scalable quality experience, he says. Moreover, with rising manpower costs and short attention spans of customers, Raghav believes that Fluid AIs experience solution engages customers on a more dynamic level. Customers like Vodafone, while aware of the challenges, are also clear about the benefits. Our customers find this engaging. Its a great way to get across information, Gupte says.

In the CEC, next to Fluid AIs solution, there are other interactive systems that Vodafone has installed, like touch screen tables (from other vendors) that also help in conveying information in a fun manner. On the experience side, we consider competition as the guys who do interactive touchscreens, projection based stuff and voice-only systems like Amazons Alexa. But no one is really doing a combination of gesture, voice and face recognition like us, says Abhinav. On the data side, however, he cites Watson, IBMs cognitive AI platform, as competition; but adds that the two have found niches within the same space. Watson is great if you ask it to read law or research papers, whereas we are better at sitting on top of a lot of data, making micro decisions and then genetically evolving and learning from that in real time, he explains.

Today AI has become a hot sector. Globally, $2.5 billion of private capital has been invested into AI startups since 2014 and the number is expected to grow significantly in the coming years, according to Kalaari Capital. In India, a little over $50 million has gone into AI investments since 2014, says Jain.

Fluid AIs revenues (and profits) have followed suit. Since setting up their first learning management platform in 2008, the Aggarwal boys have not taken any investor money. Weve been profitable from day one, says Abhinav. Their business model is straightforward: On the data side, their clients pay them an annual licence fee, and for larger contracts they structure in a profit share in the savings Fluid AI generates for the client. This means if a large international bank deploys Fluid AIs solutions across its ATMs, and is then able to better predict cash flows, the bank can lighten its float by, say, 10 percent. Assuming the bank maintains $200 million in its ATM network, thats a $20 million saving; Fluid AI charges about 10-15 per cent of that. This is of course linked to the performance of our system, so that allows our customers to be confident that we will hit the desired metrics, making it worthwhile for them to invest in our licence, explains Raghav.

This profit share comprises the lions share of Fluid AIs revenues.

On the experience side, along with the annual licence that customers pay, they get a full hardware unit with a kiosk integrated. Customers pay for each location they deploy the unit in. A 50 percent advance is taken when they sign contracts, so cash flow is never an issue, says Abhinav.

The companys founders wont reveal its revenues, but say Fluid AI clocked a 300 percent growth in FY17 over the previous fiscal. Over the last few months weve scaled rapidly, closing deals with several international clients. Were already having conversations with five other American banks, Abhinav says. For the current fiscal, revenue growth projections are pegged at 250 percent, on the conservative side. Going forward, the Aggarwals have their eyes set on a future where people will be unable to distinguish whether they are talking to fellow humans or to machines. We want to be the plug and play AI engine for the world, they say, eyes twinkling through their thick glasses.
business Modi meets Trump: What it means for Indo-US ties going forward? Prime Minister Narendra Modi meets US President Donald Trump. This is the first meeting of the two leaders, they have had three phone conversations since President Trump came into office. CNBC-TV18's Shereen Bhan, outside the White House, spoke with political experts, economic commentators and veteran India and US watchers to get their opinion on what this meeting will mean for Indo-US ties going forward.
Turkey's president on Sunday rejected a demand by major Arab states to remove Turkish troops from Qatar, saying their sweeping list of ultimatums has threatened the small Gulf country's sovereignty.

Speaking after Eid prayers in Istanbul, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called the demand "disrespectful" and said Turkey would not seek permission from others when making its defence cooperation agreements.

"Demanding that Turkey pull its soldiers is unfortunately also disrespectful toward Turkey," he said.

He said Turkey would continue to support Qatar against the many sanctions it has faced since several Arab countries moved earlier this month to isolate the country for its alleged support of terrorism.

In a sign of support, the Turkish parliament swiftly ratified a 2014 agreement with Qatar earlier this month, allowing the deployment of troops to its base there. The military said a contingent of 23 soldiers reached Doha on Thursday.

Erdogan said he made a similar offer to Saudi Arabia to set up a base there in the past but did not hear back from the king.

Doha received a 13-point list from Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Bahrain that included demands to shut down the media network Al-Jazeera and cut ties with Islamist groups including the Muslim Brotherhood. The energy-rich country said it was reviewing the ultimatum but added it would not negotiate under siege.

Turkey's president said his country "admires and embraces" Qatar's attitude, while slamming the demands by arguing they contradict international law.

"Here we see an attack against a state's sovereignty rights," Erdogan said.

Erdogan called the demand that Qatar shut down Al-Jazeera an attempt to take away the network's press freedom and urged rights groups to speak out against that.
Jarrett Coleman goes from school board to statehouse with win in 16th Senate District race
Association of British Hujjaj (Pilgrims) UK ABH, a national organisation working for the welfare and wellbeing of Hajj/Umrah pilgrims, expresses its strong condemnation of the foiled terror attack on the Grand Mosque of Makkah.

A suicide bomber, who was hiding in a house in the Ajyad area near the Grand Mosque, opened fire on security forces and refused to surrender. He later blew up himself after a gun battle with security forces during the anti-terrorist operation.

A three-story building collapsed in the explosion that slightly injured five police officers and six Umrah pilgrims who were taken to the hospital.

Association of British Hujjaj (Pilgrims) UK (ABH) hails the successful action taken by the Saudi security forces to protect the sanctity of the Grand Mosque, the holiest place in the world for Muslims, and to prevent any loss of innocent human lives in Makkah.

As the annual Hajj pilgrimage is approaching fast, where two million pilgrims from around the world will gather in Makkah in a few weeks time, ABH UK strongly urges specifically the Muslim countries across the globe to make joint efforts to eliminate the risk of terrorist attacks on the Harimain-e-Sahrifain. It is extremely vital to ensure that millions of prospective pilgrims can perform their religious obligation in a safe environment and without any fear of a terrorist attack.
Education

Montgomery County Community College will present the spring installment of the interview/talk show program Issues and Insights April 20 from 12:30 to 2 p.m. in Science Center room 214, 340 DeKalb Pike, Blue Bell. The programs will be simulcast to the Colleges West Campus in South Hall room 216, 101 College Drive, Pottstown. Dr. Kolsky will offer a humorous presentation, Carrots, Sticks and Politics: A State of the Nation and the World Message. In this speech, he will provide his interpretation of domestic and international politics and then welcome questions from the audience for discussion. Issues and Insights, is free and open to the public. For information, contact Dr. Thomas Kolsky, professor of political science, at 215-641-6380 or tkolsky@mc3.edu.

Montgomery County Community Colleges STEM Scholars Program will host a STEM Jam! open house April 25 from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. in the Advanced Technology Center at the Colleges Central Campus, 340 DeKalb Pike, Blue Bell. The drop-in event is designed for students interested in learning more about careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Activities will include STEM program information and career advising, STEM speakers throughout the day from industry and academia, micro-helicopter and robotics competitive obstacle courses and demonstrations and static models of STEM student and faculty work. For more information about STEM Jam! or STEM programs at MCCC, contact William Brownlowe at wbrownlowe@mc3.edu or 215-641-6644, or Robin Zuhlke at 215-619-7440 or rzuhlke@mc3.edu.

Temple Ambler, located at 580 Meetinghouse Road, presents the following events:

International Club Global Bazaar April 15 from 5 to 8 p.m. The Ambler Campus International Club invites all students, faculty, staff and the community to celebrate a multitude of diverse cultures, which will be showcased at the organizations Global Bazaar. This family friendly event will highlight cultural traditions and celebrations in Asia, Europe, the Middle East, South American, North America and Africa through music, entertainment, food and informative displays developed and presented by students at the Ambler Campus. Young visitors will be provided with passports, which they may get stamped at each country they visit. Prizes will be awarded to world travelers who talk to cultural representatives, answer questions about the countries theyve visited and take part in fun-filled activities designed to help them learn about the rich diversity of cultures found throughout the world. Refreshments will be served. The event is free. For more information, call 267-468-8108 or e-mail tuc36466@temple.edu.

EarthFest 2011 April 29 from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. More than 75 exhibitors, including the Philadelphia Zoo, The Franklin Institute, the Academy of Natural Sciences, the Elmwood Park Zoo and the Insectarium, will take part in EarthFest 2011. School students of all ages are invited to attend and develop displays of their own. EarthFest partner the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society also offers its Kids Grow Expo, featuring the Junior Flower Show, as part of the event. For more information, call 267-468-8108 or e-mail duffyj@temple.edu.

Annual Spring Plant Sale May 7 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The plant sale  an Ambler Campus tradition dating back to the early 1900s  will feature woody plants and perennials in portable sizes, hardy trees, shrubs, and vines, native plants that are attractive to wildlife, herbs, and hanging baskets. There will also be numerous special plants for sale to highlight Amblers special anniversary year. Garden books and garden tools will also be available for sale. Students, staff, and volunteers from the Department of Landscape Architecture and Horticulture and the Ambler Arboretum Advisory Committee will be available to answer questions. All proceeds from the Spring Plant Sale will support the Ambler Arboretum Fund and the Pi Alpha Xi National Honor Society. Information: 267-468-8001 or judy.shatz@temple.edu. Learn more at www.ambler.temple.edu/anniversary.

June Homecoming/Louise Bush-Brown Garden Dedication June 5 from 12:30 to 2 p.m. (June Homecoming), Bright Hall Lounge; 2 p.m. (Garden Dedication), Ambler Campus Formal Perennial Gardens. Tickets  June Homecoming: Participant  $18 per person; Sustainer  $25 per person; Benefactor  $40 per person. The 2011 June Homecoming, sponsored by the School of Environmental Design Alumni Association, will include the Alumni Association annual meeting and luncheon. June Homecoming will be followed by the formal dedication of Temple University Amblers Formal Perennial Gardens as the Louise Bush-Brown Formal Gardens. During this 100th anniversary of the campus, Temple University Ambler and the Ambler Arboretum of the Temple University is honoring Louise Bush-Browns many contributions to the history of the campus by formally dedicating the gardens in her honor. During the program, campus Executive William Parshall will welcome guests, Ambler Arboretum Director Jenny Rose Carey will speak about the Bush-Browns and the history of the garden, and an official ribbon cutting will be held for the Louise Bush-Brown Formal Garden. Following the ribbon cutting, guests are invited to take a tour of the gardens, which will wend their way to the Campus Greenhouse for the School of Environmental Designs annual Plant Auction. Information (Garden Dedication): 267-468-8001 or judy.shatz@temple.edu. Information (June Homecoming): 215-482-0722. Learn more at www.ambler.temple.edu/anniversary.

Northview Garden Tour and Fundraiser for the Ambler Arboretum June 12 from noon to 5 p.m. Call for reservations. Tickets: $15 per person or $20 at the door. In addition to the gardens of the Ambler Arboretum of Temple University, Arboretum Director Jenny Rose Carey has a garden oasis all her own right in Ambler  Northview. Visitors will have the opportunity to take self-guided tours throughout the many gardens, where garden experts will be available to answer questions about the various designs. The Ambler Keystone Chapter of the Womans National Farm and Garden Association will also provide tea and refreshments. All proceeds from the tours will support the Ambler Arboretum of Temple University. Information or to register: 267-468-8001 or judy.shatz@temple.edu. Learn more at www.ambler.temple.edu/anniversary.

The Senior Adult Activities Center of Montgomery County, 536 George Street, Norristown, will hold the following events:

SAAC Adult Day Care, an alternative to Nursing Home Care is available  for information call 610-275-1960

Volunteers are needed for Meals on Wheels Program (call the number above)

SAACs Fifth Avenue Boutique opens Monday through Friday from 10 a.m.-1:30 p.m.

Exercise with Theresa will be held every Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 1 p.m.

Dance class is held every Monday at 10 a.m.

Tai Chi is held every Monday at 10 a.m.

Yoga is held every Tuesday at 10:30 a.m.

Line Dancing is held every Thursday at 10:30 a.m.

Dancing with Joan is held every Wednesday at 10:30 a.m.

Sculpture Class is held Wednesdays from 2 to 3:30 p.m.

Why Should I Learn Spanish? will be held Wednesdays at 10:30 a.m.

Generations On-Line computer classes for seniors will be held Monday through Friday from 8 a.m.  4 p.m.  computers are available during those hours.

Health Living will be held every Tuesday at 1 p.m.

Boomer U will hold the following events. Boomer U is located at 45 Forest Avenue, Ambler. Registration & payment is required for all events: 215-619-8863.

Pilates Class is held Wednesdays and Fridays at 9:30 a.m. First class is free; please bring a mat. For information call 610-291-5376.

Blue Bell School of Dance, 921 Penllyn Blue Bell Pike, Blue Bell, hosts Argentine Tango Classes and a Milonga dance party every Friday evening. Lessons start at 8:30 p.m. followed by dancing at 9:30 p.m. Andrew Conway, master Argentine Tango dancer, instructor and performer and his partner Linda Chase will instruct. All levels welcome and no partner is needed. Refreshments will be served. Fee is $12 per person and includes lesson and dancing. Information: 215-634-1101 or www.amoretango.com.

The Montgomery Hospital Medical Center will offer the following classes:

Childbirth Education Class- all parents are invited to participate, including those who are delivering at

other hospitals. For more information on maternity services or classes, call 610-270-2020.

CPR and First Aid Courses are offered for beginners to experiences health care providers. Call 610-270-2313.

The Ambler SAAC (Senior Adult Activities Center), located at 45 Forest Ave in Ambler will hold the following events:

Tai Chi every Monday and Thursday at 11 a.m.

Yoga is every Tuesday at 1 p.m. and Friday at 10:30 a.m.

Strength and balance training every Wednesday at 10 a.m.

Armchair Aerobics is held every Monday at 10 a.m.

Gourmet Weight Wise every Thursday at 12:30.

Fitness Center and Pool Room open daily 8 a.m.-4 p.m.

The Diabetes Education Center will offer day and evening classes each month. Health insurance pays for diabetes education classes. Preregistration is required. Call 610-270-2301.

For Kids & Families

The Ambler Kiwanis Club will host its annual Easter Egg Hunt April 26 at 10 a.m. in Ambler Borough Park, located just off of the intersection of Hendricks Street and Valley Brook Road. Members of the Wissahickon Key Club will assist Kiwanians in hiding thousands of wrapped chocolate eggs in a designated area of the park. Also hidden will be plastic colored eggs, which are redeemed for prizes. Elementary school children are separated by age.

Upper Dublin Parks & Recreation will hold its 21st annual Storybook Egg-Stravaganza April 15 fom 6 to 7:30 p.m. at the Upper Dublin Township Building. Toddlers and preschoolers love this annual event where photo opportunities with favorite friends abound! Treasures are collected from UDP&Rs assortment of lifesize cutouts of favorite cartoon characters from Disney, Sesame Street, Nickelodeon and other well-known animation. Children can have their picture taken with Bugsy OHare; bring your own camera. And dont forget a basket for goodies! $7 for UD residents; $12 for non-residents. Pre-register at 215-643-1600 ext. 3443.

Splash Week is a free week-long program that teaches children and families basic swimming skills and water safety practices. All YMCA branches will host multiple classes each day from April 11 to 15. For more information, contact the Ambler Area YMCA at 215-628-9950.

Healthy Kids Day is April 16 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The day is filled with fun, engaging and artistic activities that cultivate healthy living as part of the YMCAs larger efforts to help more kids and families become physically active. All activities are free and open to the community. For more information, contact the Ambler YMCA at 215-628-9950. No reservation is required.

The Ambler Area YMCA has added several new programs for area youngsters. Classes are held late afternoons or evenings on various weekdays. For more information, visit philaymca.org or call 215-628-9950.

Basic Beading: Ages: 10+. Wednesdays 7 to 7:45 p.m. This class will teach you the fundamentals of wiring and stringing along with how color can be used to create unique and vibrant beadwork design. You will create various jewelry including earrings, bracelets, charm pendants and much more! Supplies will be provided. Bringing your own jewelry pliers or tools would be a plus.

Messin with the Masters: Ages: 8-12. Thursdays 7 to 7:45 p.m. Learn about some of the worlds greatest artists. You will be inspired to create your own Starry Night with oil pastels and tempera paints, a tissue paper painted Monet garden, a Picasso head using scraps of paper, a Georgia OKeeffe clay flower bowl and a Rousseau jungle collage.

Super Scientist: Ages: 5-7. Mondays 4:30 to 5:15 p.m. Well be concocting chemistry experiments such as making slime, mixing potions and having fun with magnet magic. Your budding little scientist will enhance his/her creative thinking and motor skills and to top it off will learn that science can be serious fun.

Wacky Junk Art: Ages: 8-12. Thursdays 6 to 6:45 p.m. Why throw it away! Instead join us to make household junk into aliens from outer space, wacky specs, crazy hats, body masks or a recycled train.

Globe Trotters: Ages: 4-6. Tuesdays 4:30 to 5:15 p.m. Youre never too young to start thinking globally. Each week, we explore a new country through crafts, games, music, stories and even some taste-testing. A perfect introduction to our great big world!

Crazy about Crafts: Ages: 5-7, Thursdays 4:30 to 5:15 p.m. Let your childs creative juices flow with our fun arts and crafts projects each week. Fine motor skills and creative thinking skills will be enhanced with this crafty class.

Come out and join the Ambler Area YMCAs Teen and Junior Leaders Club. Participants are given the freedom to plan community service projects year round and truly make a difference in the lives of people in need. Those in Teen and Junior Leaders also attend leadership retreats all along the East Coast three times a year and meet other leaders who are doing the same great work in their respective areas. Dont miss out on this inspiring opportunity. Teen Leaders, ages 13-17, meet every Wednesday from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Junior Leaders, ages 10-12, will begin in the spring and will meet every Monday. For more information, contact Mike Miles, Teen Director, 215- 628-9950 x 1540 or mmiles@philaymca.org.

Did you know that the new Ambler Area YMCA holds childrens birthday parties at its site for members and non members as well. The Ambler Y does all the work from start to finish and birthday parties include a personalized cake, ice cream, beverage and paper products. Parties are held on Saturday and Sunday afternoons and include two party hosts to lead activities, set-up, clean-up and assist with serving. You can have a Splash Party for children ages six to 12 in the new zero depth entry pool with water slide and spray fountains. Up to 25 children have exclusive use of the pool area with 30 minutes in the party room. Sports Parties are offered for kids ages four to 12 with age appropriate activities and games, and sports such as floor hockey, soccer, basketball or dodge ball. Children ages three to five years of age will enjoy parties in the Family Active Center with use of the Moon Bounce and organized activities, such as parachute play and songs. For information, 215-628-9950 ext. 1583.

Community Events at the Ambler Y:

-YAchievers YMCA Achievers is a developmentally based, extracurricular, educational and team mentoring program designed to help students in grades five through 12 prepare for fulfilled livelihoods in college and beyond. Participation is free and all students in this program receive a free YMCA membership. Registration for the 2009 program begins now. You do not need to be a YMCA member to utilize these special services. Call 215-628-9950 to register.

Greater Norristown Art Leagues Childrens Weeklong Summer Art Camps will be held at 800 West Germantown Pike in East Norriton, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday throughout the summer. The cost per session is $125 per student for ages 6 and up. Jo Ann Cooksey Bono teaches an introduction to basic drawing skills and techniques from 10 a.m. until the lunch break each day. In the afternoon sessions, Mary Vogel Lozinak involves the students in hands on projects such as collage, papermaking, T-shirt printing, 3D design and sculpy clay. Fridays Graduation Day includes an art show, awards ceremony and reception for parents, siblings, grandparents and friends. All supplies are included. Students provide their own lunch. A refrigerator is available and the building is air-conditioned. This is the 15th year to run this successful program. Both instructors are professional artists with State Police and Child Abuse Clearances. To register, call Jo Ann at 610-279-1008, or register on-line at www.gnal.org.

Health

Dresher Physical Therapy is hosting an interactive seminar discussing its Golf Assessment Progam April 30 from 10 a.m. to noon at Dresher Physical Therapy, 1075 Virginia Drive, Suite 200, Fort Washington. Physical therapist Chris Miller, certified through the Titleist Performance Institute, will discuss why your body may be the most important piece of golf equipment you invest in and how this can drastically improve your game. $10 in advance; $15 at the door. Call 215-619-4545 to reserve your spot.

The Chestnut Hill Center for Enrichment, Center on the Hill and Chestnut Hill Hospital will host a Senior Health and Resource Fair April 14 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Chestnut Hill Presbyterian Church, 8855 Germantown Ave. The event is free. For more information, call 215-248-0180 or e-mail chseniors@cavtel.net.

The Ambler Senior Adult Activities Center is hosting Help Yourself to Health, a new six-week workshop for older adults with ongoing health conditions such as arthritis, diabetes, high blood pressure, anxiety, heart disease and others. The free workshop will take place at the Ambler Senior Adult Activities Center, 45 Forest Ave. on six Thursdays, May 12 through June 16 from 9:30 a.m. to noon. Although there is no charge to participate, registration is required. To register, call 215-619-8863.

The Ambler Senior Adult Activities Center is sponsoring an eight-week program called A Matter of Balance: Managing Concerns About Falls. Presented by the Montgomery County Health Department, this workshop will be held on Tuesdays, May 3 to June 21 from 10 a.m. to noon at the Ambler Center, 45 Forest Ave. If you pre-register by April 27, the fee is only $5! Registration at the first class is $10. (Checks should be payable to SAAC and will benefit our Meals on Wheels program that serves homebound seniors.) A workbook will be provided and refreshments will be served. Call 215-619-8863 to register or for more information.

Fort Washington Wellness Center classes are ongoing. There are several offered during lunch or right after work, for your convenience: Boot Camp from noon to 1 p.m. on Monday; Zumba is MWF from 11 a.m. to noon and Friday at 4 p.m.; there are 25 cycling classes; Ashtanga and Vinyasana Yoga and Pilates; and a group Womens Strength Training class M-F from 10 to 11 a.m. Questions, call Cathy DeMarco at 215-641-1245.

Following the success of other local area programs, Impact Sports and Upper Dublin Parks and Recreation are delighted to team up again to offer a spring program for the 2011 season! Upper Dublin area children ages 3-5 years old can attend a Sports Program featuring their favorite sports games; soccer, rugby, hockey, track and field, basketball, and more. The program will start on April 27 and run through June 1. Cost for the program is $85 for the six weeks. The classes will be running 12- 1 p.m.; 1- 2 p.m.; 2- 3 p.m. For more info or to register, call Upper Dublin Township on 215 643 1600 or visit their website a http://www.upperdublin.net.

Spring Aquatic Programs  UDHS Pool:

-Summer is just around the corner  Community Aquatic Programs at the UDHS Pool can help get you into shape! Programs begin in March; preregistration is required.

 Shallow Water Aerobics  Two 5-week programs, Wednesday nights, 8-8:45 p.m., $40R/$50NR.

 Adult Swim Instructions  Two 5-week programs, Wednesday nights, 7-8 p.m., $50R/$60NR

-Open Rec Swims are fun for the whole family! Come out on Fridays from 7-9 p.m. or Saturdays from 1-4 p.m. and enjoy use of the pool and diving area. Fridays are offered through June 17; Saturdays are offered March 12-May 21.

-Join a growing group of adult lap swimmers and water walkers. Lanes are set aside evenings and weekends for use; lanes are shared. Monday  Thursday from 7:30-9:30 p.m.; Fridays from 7-9 p.m. and Saturdays (March 12-May 21) from 1-4 p.m.

-Private Swimming & Diving Lessons for ages 3-adult are offered at the UDHS Pool through a partnership with the Upper Dublin Aquatic Club (UDAC). Visit the UDAC website for more information, www.udac.us, and click the link to UDHS Private Lessons.

-Looking for local programs for US Masters Swimming (adults) or Water Polo (all ages)? UDAC and UDSD are working together to develop programs that will be offered at the UDHS Pool. Add your name to Interest Lists by emailing slohoefer@upperdublin.net. emails will be sent about clinics and program start dates.

Questions about Community Aquatic Programs at the UDHS Pool, group use of the pool or pool rental? Contact Susan Lohoefer, Facility & Community Affairs Manager at slohoefer@upperdublin.net or call 215-643-8800 x8994.

SilverSneakers Fitness Program. The Healthyways SilverSneakers Fitness Program is a result-oriented program that enables older adults to take charge of their health. The program is an innovative blend of physical activity, healthy lifestyle and socially oriented programing. Members of the program are eligible for a free YMCA membership, with use of the pool and exercise equipment, along with customized classes designed for older adults who want to improve their strength, flexibility, balance and endurance. If you are a subscriber to Independence Blue Cross (Personal Choice 65 PPO) or Keystone 65 HMO, Bravo Health, or Health Options Programs (HOP), call the Ambler Area YMCA, 215-628-9950 or Hatboro Area YMCA, 215-674-4545. You can also visit www.silversneakers.com.

Zumba Fitness offers Zumba dance/fitness classes at Academy of Dance and Music/BBAD Studio located at 1524 DeKalb Pike in Blue Bell (behind Sherwin Williams). Classes are offered three times a week: Tuesdays at 6 p.m., Thursdays at 6:30 p.m. and Saturdays at 8 a.m. For a free trial pass for your first class, email us at info@danceandmusic.biz or call 610-277-2557. For more info, visit our site at www.academyofdanceandmusic.org.

Chestnut Hill Health Systems presents the following Health Education Programs:

FITNESS CLASSES

Golden Yoga: A Breathing, Stretching and Relaxation Class. Fridays, 2:30-3:30 p.m. Lea Auditorium, Chestnut Hill Hospital, 8835 Germantown Ave. Registration for four classes at a time required. Golden Yoga is Classical Yoga, adapted by the SKY Foundation, to accommodate those who have difficulty getting up and down from the floor. The program includes postures, breathing, relaxation and meditation techniques, all performed while sitting in a chair and standing. Registration required. Call 215-247-3029. Cost: $20 for 4 classes per month.

Tai Chi: Tuesdays & Thursdays, 8:30  9:30 a.m. Springfield Residence, 8601 Stenton Ave. Classes, for the novice or beginner/intermediate student, are designed to improve balance, power, posture, coordination, flexibility and mental focus. Slow, gentle movements are modified to most everyones abilities. For more information or to sign up for a free introductory class, call 215-882-2804. Cost: $8 per class/paid monthly.

SUPPORT GROUPS

Weight Loss Surgery Support Group: Fourth Wednesday of the month, 7-8 p.m. Williams Conference Room, Chestnut Hill Hospital, 8835 Germantown Ave., Philadelphia. Join us for a monthly get-together where well share information for those interested in weight loss surgery, learn from guest speakers discussing current news on issues including lifestyle modification, nutrition and exercise and provide ongoing support for those who have completed surgery. Registration required. Call 215-753-2000.

Breast Cancer Networking Group: Fourth Tuesday of the month 5:30  7 p.m. Williams Conference Room, Chestnut Hill Hospital, 8835 Germantown Ave., Philadelphia. A free, confidential support group for women living with a diagnosis of breast cancer designed to provide a forum for sharing information, feelings and concerns associated with breast cancer. Facilitated by Tish Wakefield, LCSW, Oncology Social Worker. Registration required. To register or for more information, call 215-248-8047.

New Moms Support Groups Tuesdays 10:30 a.m.  12 p.m.; contact Jeanine ORourke, MSW or 2:30  4 p.m.; contact Susan Schack, Ph.D Volunteer Conference Room, Chestnut Hill Hospital, 8835 Germantown Ave. The Center for Postpartum Depression at Chestnut Hill Hospital is pleased to offer two new support groups to support new moms. Both groups will be run by experienced mental health professionals who really get it when it comes to new motherhood and juggling relationships, extended family, work/family balance and self-care. If you are experiencing new mom challenges that often heighten anxiety and involve hormonally driven depression, join us for an informative and supportive forum to connect with other moms. Infants are welcome. $30 per session (flexible based on need). Registration is required. Call Dr. Schack, 646-265-2484, or Ms. ORourke, 215-206-2931.

Man to Man Prostate Cancer Support Group Third Thursday of the month 8-9 a.m. Williams Conference Room, Chestnut Hill Hospital, 8835 Germantown Ave. A networking group for men diagnosed with prostate cancer designed to provide education, support and encouragement. Spouses and partners welcome. Harry M. Baer, MD, Chief, Urology Division, will host Ask the Doctor. Registration required. Call 215-248-8325.

Contact the Senior Center by phone 215-248-0180 or email (chseniors@cavtel.net) with your questions about these programs or any of our on-going activities and classes.

Holy Redeemer HomeCare and Hospice seeks compassionate and emotionally mature volunteers to provide support to local hospice patients and their families in Bucks, Montgomery and Philadelphia counties. Volunteers may also assist with pet therapy and administrative work within the hospice department and are requested to have daytime availability. Hospice patient care volunteers visit with patients in their homes or nursing facilities once a week for two to three hours. They provide emotional support and companionship to patients and family members, assist with errands or provide respite for caregivers. Bereavement volunteers support the families of hospice patients following the loss of a loved one, while administrative volunteers assist with typing, mailings and/or filing. Hospice care workers provide a great service to families and loved ones of hospice patients. Many volunteers also report a great deal of personal satisfaction as a result of their services. Patient care and bereavement volunteers complete an application and attend an 18-hour volunteer training program that covers the medical, psychological and spiritual aspects of hospice volunteering. Day and evening training programs are offered. To sign up for volunteer opportunities in Pennsylvania, contact Holy Redeemer Volunteer Coordinator Jean Francis at 215-698-3737 or email jfrancis@holyredeemer.com.

Librarytalk

Upper Dublin Public Library, 805 Loch Alsh Avenue, Ft. Washington, 215-628-8744

www.upperdublinlibrary.org

APRIL CHILDRENS PROGRAMS:

Storytimes: Please register in the library.

o Wee Ones: 0 to 23 months Thursdays and Fridays 10:30 to 10:50 a.m.

o Tiny Tots: age 2. Wednesdays 10:30 to 10:50 a.m. and Fridays 11 to 11:20 a.m.

o Jr. Book Lovers: ages 3 to 6. Tuesdays 10:30 to 11 a.m.

o Bedtime Storytimes: 7 to 7:30 p.m. April 20 and 27. Wear your jammies, bring your teddy & hear Miss Barbara read bedtime stories! For ages 3 to 6.

APRIL TEEN PROGRAMS:

North Hills Library Teens April 28 from 4 to 6 p.m. Movie Matinee

APRIL UDPL ADULT PROGRAMS:

NEW! ESL Conversation Group. Tuesdays from 7 to 8 p.m. Interested in practicing your English in a safe and caring environment? Come to our conversation group and improve your skills! Please register with Kay Klocko at 215-628-8744 or kklocko@mclinc.org.

One-on-One Computer Mentoring. Get personalized assistance from experienced computer volunteers! Sign-up for a one-hour session. Limit one session per month. Please register  contact info above.

Book Groups Please register with Kay Klocko 215-628-8744.

o Daytimers: April 21 at 1:30 p.m. Tired of book groups where you all read the same book? Read any fiction or non-fiction book on this months theme: Explorers. Please register.

Meetings:

Annual Meeting of the Friends of UDPL: April 14 at 1 p.m.

Board of Directors: April 20 at 7 p.m.

Blue Bell Library www.wvpl.org Upcoming Events: The Wissahickon Valley Public Library, 650 Skippack Pike (Route 73) in Blue Bell, is diagonally across from the Blue Bell Inn. Call 215-643-1320 or visit their website at www.wvpl.org.

For children and teens at Blue Bell:

* Story times with guitar music by Miss Michelle, the singing librarian.

* Mondays at 10:30 a.m. for all ages.

* Wednesdays at 4:30 p.m. for all ages.

* Fridays at 10:30 a.m. for all ages.

* Family Movies, new releases, second Saturdays of the month at 1:30 p.m.

* May 14  Despicable Me

* June 11  Alpha and Omega

* Special Events

* April  watch for date of spring/Easter events

* April 14 at 4:30 p.m.  Junior Lego Club for children ages 3 through 5. Parents and caregivers need to stay with children.

* April 14 at 7 p.m.  Jeopardy for ages 11 to 18. Test your book and library knowledge for prizes. Sign up to be a contestant. No sign up to be in the audience. Snacks provided.

* April 16 at 1 p.m.  Adult Mystery Book Group discussing The Beekeepers Apprentice by Laurie King.

* April 16 at 1:30 p.m.  Childrens event for One Book, Every Young Child celebration. Story and craft for book Whose Shoes?

* April 19 at 7 p.m. and April 26 at 1:30 p.m.- Adult book group discusses The Professor and the Madman by Simon Winchester. Group led by Adam Button.

* April 30 through May 3  Friends book sale with about 10,000 items for sale for children, teens and adults.

* May  sign up for Science in the Summer

* June  sign up for Enrichment Programs for Elementary-Age children

* June  sign up for Summer Reading, all ages

For adults at Blue Bell:

* Daytime Book Discussion Group  fourth Tuesday, Jan  April at 1:30 p.m.

* April 26  The Professor and the Madman by Simon Winchester

* Night-time Book Discussion Group  third Tuesday of each month at 7 p.m.

o April 19  The Professor and the Madman by Simon Winchester

* Art Series with Dr. Sheldon Weintraub, docent at The Barnes and speaker at local colleges

o April 27 at 2 p.m. The Art of Looking at Art-Is She Nude or Is She Naked?

*Mystery Book Discussion Group, third Saturday of the month at 1 p.m.; new mystery theme each month; www.wvpl.org/programs

* Yoga on Mondays at 1:30 p.m. $20 for eight classes; $5 per drop-in class.

* Tai Chi on Mondays at 3 p.m. with Dr. Kurt Findeisen. $20 for eight classes; $5 per drop in class.

* Philadelphia Museum of Art presents class on their Marc Chagall exhibit, April 13 at 2 p.m.

* Giant Book Sale, April 29  May 3

o Starts with almost 10,000 items for children and adults!

o Held during library hours.

o Preview for members of the Friends of the Library, April 28 at 7 p.m.

o Join the Friends and attend the preview sale. Modest fee to join.

* Blooms at Blue Bell Gardening Series

o May 11 at 1 p.m.  Summer Bulbs by PA Horticultural Society

* Knitting group Mondays and Wednesdays at 10 a.m. Work on your project or observe and learn. The groups continue year-round in the community room.

* Socrates Cafe discussion group every Monday at 7 p.m. You pick the topic to discuss each week. No sign-up, nothing to read.

* Bridge every Friday at 12:30 p.m. New players welcome.

* Mah Jong every Wednesday at 1 p.m. New players welcome.

*Chess every Wednesday at 7p.m. for adults and teens 14 and older.

* Movie Matinee showing recent releases every Thursday at 2 p.m. April 14: Maos Last Dancer; April 21: Welcome to the Rileys; April 28: Conviction; May 5: Inception; May 12: Inside Job; May 19 The Kings Speech; May 26 The Fighter; June 2 Rabbit Hole; June 9 Black Swan; June 16 127 Hours

* Ongoing like-new, year-round book sale for adults & children during library hours

* Library opening at 10 a.m. Monday through Saturday!

Ambler Library, a branch of the Wissahickon Valley Public Library, 209 Race St., 215-646-1072. www.wvpl.org. All the following events occur at the Ambler Library.

* Story times with guitar music by Miss Michelle, the singing librarian.

* Tuesdays at 10:30 a.m. for all ages.

* Thursdays at 4:30 p.m. for all ages.

* For adults:

* Beading Group meets the first and third Monday of every month at 1 p.m. Work on your own projects or come to watch and learn.

* Free Family History Lookup with Connie Briggs. Email Connie for an appointment at the Ambler Library. conniebriggs@comcast.net

* Special Events:

* April 14 at 1:30 p.m.  Book Group discusses Skeletons at the Feast by Chris Bohjalian.

* April 19 at 7 p.m.  Travel to Paris with world traveler Harry Balin. Tea and scones at 6:30 p.m.

* April 21 at 7 p.m.  Art with Sara for children in fourth through seventh grades.

*May 2 at 6:30 p.m.  Discuss the movie Lone Star with Temple Professor Lisa Hawkins. Watch the movie ahead of time.

*May 10  Robert Capucci discusses Art into Fashion. Tea and scones served at 6:30 p.m. Program at 7 p.m.

*May 12 at 1:30p.m.  Book Group discusses The Imperfectionists by Tom Rachman.

*May 17  Tour the gardens of Devon and Southwest England with Lois McMullen. Tea and Scones at 6:30 p.m. Program at 7 p.m.

*June 13 at 6:30 p.m.  Discuss the movie Blade Runner with Temple Professor Lisa Hawkins. Watch the movie ahead of time.

Meetings and Lectures

The Unisys Blue Bell Retiree Group will meet in the Church on the Mall in the Plymouth Meeting Mall April 14 at 1:30 p.m. Kathy Sacket Young, director/trainer with the North Penn YMCA, will speak on Keeping Fit in Retirement. For more information, contact Membership Committee Chairperson Jerry Feldscher at 610-275-3538 or President Al Rollin at 215-368-4833.

The next FWBA meeting will be April 28 at the Hilton Garden Inn Fort Washington. Networking begins at 11:30 a.m.; meeting from noon to 1 p.m. Leon Singletary, Principal, First Contact HR and FWBA Executive Board, will present: Social Media: How to Use It To Get More Business. Lunch is provided courtesy of the Hilton Garden Inn Fort Washington. Members are welcome to bring a guest. An RSVP is requested by return email or 215-628-0313.

Big Brothers Big Sisters Southeastern PA is hosting a information sessions over the next few weeks on how to become a Big Brother. The information sessions will take place: April 16 at noon, April 19 at 8 a.m. and April 28 at 6 p.m. All sessions will be held at the groups Norristown Office,t 530 DeKalb St., Norristown. For more information, call 610-277-2200.

The North Penn Chapter of the Institute of Management Accountants (IMA) normally meets on the third Tuesday of each month from now until May. Meetings are held at the William Penn Inn on Route 202 and Sumneytown Pike, Upper Gwynedd, PA. Social hour starts at 5:30 p.m., dinner is served at 6:30 p.m., and the technical program begins at 7 p.m. Cost with reservation is $28 for members. Members without reservations and guests pay $30. Students with reservations pay $15. Reservations may be made by noon on the Monday preceding the meeting by phoning 215-371-1854 or emailing the reservation to northpennima@yahoo.com northpennima@yahoo.com. Information about the North Penn Chapter is available at http://northpenn.imanet.org/.

LeTip, a professional organization of men and women who are dedicated to the highest standards of competence and service meets every Tuesday at Cedar Brook Country Club, 180 Penllyn Pike, Blue Bell at 7 a.m. -meeting officially starts at 7:16 a.m. and ends at 8:31 a.m. Our purpose is the exchange of business tips, leads, and referrals. Each business category is represented by one member and conflicts of interest are disallowed. Guests are welcome to visit any of our breakfast meetings.

Every third Thursday of month, Sunrise Assisted Living of Blue Bell (795 Penllyn Pike, Blue Bell, PA 19422, 215-619-2777) serves as a satellite site to 148th Legislative district PA congressman Mike Gerber from 10 a.m. to noon. Stop by for help needed with things such as disability placards and license plates, vehicle registration, utilities issues, birth/death certificates,property tax/rent rebates, etc. Notary services arranged by appointment.

The Eastern Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce is an action-oriented organization dedicated to promoting its members and the economic health of eastern Montgomery county. The Chamber is committed to serving as a catalyst by uniting business, community agencies, government and education to make our county a great place to live and work. For information, call 215-887-5122 or visit www.emccc.org.

Do you have a fear of public speaking? Blue Bell Toastmasters Club can help. We meet from 7 to 9 p.m., on the second and fourth Tuesday at the Marriott Courtyard, located on Route 202, directly across from the Montgomeryville Mall. Learn how to improve communication and leadership skills in a friendly and supportive environment. Guests are welcome. Admission fee: $5. For more info, visit www.bbtoast.org.

The PennSuburban Chamber of Commerce will hold the following meetings (for reservations to any of the following, email info@PennSuburban.org)

-Breakfast News Network, 7:30-8:45 a.m. at Normandy Farm Hotel (1401 Morris Road, Blue Bell, PA 19422) $15 members, includes full buffet breakfast. Join us for a networking program at Normandy Farm Hotel every Thursday morning for breakfast, business news, informative speakers, and plenty of networking. The cost includes a full breakfast buffet. Copies of the business cards will be made available to those who would like them.

The BNI, Fort Washington Chapter meets every Monday at The Hilton Garden Inn, 520 Pennsylvania Ave., Fort Washington for a networking meeting. Meetings are from 11:30 a.m. until 1 p.m. Visitors are welcome. The only cost to attend is the cost of your meal. For information or a reservation to attend, please call Luanne Cram at 215-947-7784, or visit our Internet site at: http://www.BNIDVR.Com and click on the menu item Find a Chapter.

For the past seven years, people have enjoyed participating in WVWAs Adopt-a-Tree program. Individuals can support the Association in its reforestation efforts by purchasing native trees to be planted. Supporters can plant their adopted tree or have WVWA volunteers will plant it. Trees cost $30 each. If you would like to volunteer or purchase a tree(s), please contact: Bob Adams at Bob@wvwa.org or call: 215-646-8866 for more information. Check www.WVWA.org for directions and maps.

Sustainable Upper Dublin, http://sustainableupperdublin.org, meets the first Thursday of each month at 6:30 p.m., at the Upper Dublin Township Building, 801 Loch Alsh Avenue, Fort Washington, PA 19034. Please send any questions to suec@sustainableupperdublin.org or call 610-996-6316. To learn more about Sustainable Upper Dublin, view or join the discussion at http://googlegroups.com/group/sustainableupperdublin.

Special Events

The Mattie N. Dixon Community Cupboard will hold its first nutrition class April 19 at 10 a.m. at the Community Cupboard, 150 N. Main St., Ambler. Lynne Sinclair, a nutritionist from Abington Memorial Hospital specializing in diabetic nutrition, will conduct the class. Topics will include healthy eating, beneficial foods, recipes, making meals with every day foods, and how to use unfamiliar produce. A healthy snack will be provided.The class is is open to all residents in Montgomery County.

The Historical Society of Fort Washington presents The History of Conshohocken April 19 at 8 p.m. at the Clifton House, 473 Bethlehem Pike, Fort Washington. Jack Coll will present an illustrated program on the history of the Borough of Conshohocken. Coll is a longtime resident of Conshohocken and a member of the Conshohocken Historical Society. He is co-author with his son, Brian, of the Arcadia Then and Now Series book Conshohocken. He has also done books Conshohocken and West Conshohocken Sports and Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Italian Feast. He has taken many photos for the Conshohocken Record and the Norristown Times Herald. This program is free. Refreshments will be served. For additional information, call 215-646-6065.

Taste of the White House Soiree featuring former White House Chef Walter Scheib will take place April 29 at 6 p.m. at Manufacturers Golf & Country Club in Fort Washington to celebrate HealthLinks 10th anniversary and honor its founders, the Eugene Jackson Family. The evening will heat up with a Chef Meet & Greet, followed by a specially selected presidential menu. Gala tickets are $150 per person. Proceeds benefit HealthLink, a free clinic providing compassionate, quality medical and dental care to uninsured, working adults in Bucks and Montgomery counties who fall in between the health care cracks. Go to http://tasteofthewhitehouse.charityhappenings.org to make reservations online or lend support through sponsorship. For event information, call 267-699-0124 or email jmarushak@healthlinkmedical.org.

The Wissahickon Valley Watershed Association will hold an open house at the Evans-Mumbower Mill April 17 from 1 to 4 p.m. The Mill is at the corner of Swedesford and Township Line Roads in Upper Gwynedd. The open house is free but donations are welcome. For more information, call 215-646-8866 o email info@wvwa.org.

The Eastern Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce will host Breakfast With Your County Commissioners and State Representatives April 21 from 8 to 9:30 a.m. at the Holiday Inn Fort Washington, 432 W. Pennasylvania Ave. Commissioners: James R. Matthews (Chairman), Joseph M. Hoeffel (Vice Chair), State Representatives: Todd Stephens (District 151) and Josh Shapiro (District 153). Register onlineat www.emccc.org. $10 for EMCCC member; $20 for non-members.

Upper Dublins Districtwide Allied Art Show will be held April 27 from 5:30 to 9 p.m. in the Upper Dublin High School Athletic Complex.

The Rev. Alfred Muli, chaplain at Fort Washington Estates, will be the featured speaker at the Kiwanis sponsored breakfast observing the National Day of Prayer May 5 at 7 a.m. at the William Penn Inn. The breakfast is open to the public ($15). Reservations can be made by calling 215-646-4356 or by emailing georgesaurman@Juno.com.

The Upper Dublin Shade Tree Commission invites people to participate in its spring bare root planting events, sponsored in part by Upper Dublin Parks & Recreation and Friends of Robbins Park. On April 9, zix trees will be planted at the Evelyn B. Wright Park & Community Pool, 401 Logan Ave., North Hills, at 9 a.m., followed by the planting of 10 trees at Sheeleigh Park, Loch Alsh Avenue and Douglas Street, Ambler, at 10:15 a.m. On April 29, students from Upper Dublin High School will join the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society to plant 16 trees in Robbins Park, Butler Pike and Meetinghouse Road, Ambler, to help launch the societys Million Trees campaign. This event will occur in conjunction with Temple Amblers EarthFest. Experienced tree-tenders are sought to assist the students. For more information,contact Ron Ayres at 215-653-0421 or 215-483-4348.

The Friends of the Wissahickon and the Wissahickon Valley Watershed Association are teaming up once again to clean the Wissahickon Creek from top to bottom April 30 from 9 a.m. to noon. This spring marks the 41st anniversary of Wissahickon Valley Watershed Associations annual Creek Clean Up, and the second year that FOW has teamed up with WVWA. Volunteers of all ages will clean the creek, the surrounding trails and the many tributaries of the Wissahickon Creek. Armed with bags, volunteers will be assigned to sections of the creek. Following the clean up, all volunteers are invited to WVWAs Talkin Trash picnic in Fort Washington State Park, with food provided by Whole Foods Market of North Wales. The pavilion is located on Mill Road in Flourtown. To help out in Montgomery County, all volunteers must be pre-assigned a section of the Wissahickon Creek to clean. Please contact Bob Adams, WVWA director of stewardship, at 215-646-8866 ext. 14 or bob@wvwa.org. To work with the Friends of the Wissahickon in Philadelphia, meet at the pavilion along Forbidden Drive, a short distance south of the intersection of Forbidden Drive and Northwestern Avenue. Limited parking is available along Northwestern Avenue and other nearby streets. Volunteers are encouraged to bike or carpool to the event. To participate, register at www.fow.org. Contact Kevin Groves with questions at 215-247-0417 ext. 105 or groves@fow.org.

Montgomery County Community Colleges International Club invites the community to the second annual International Festival April 20 from 5 to 9 p.m. at the Central Campus, 340 DeKalb Pike, Blue Bell. The rain date is April 26. The International Club will transform the outside quad area into multicultural celebration with various performances by dancers, singers and musicians. Artists will share their artwork at various display tables. Activities include games, raffles, Easter egg decorating and henna tattoos. Students will have samples of international cuisine at tables representing different countries and will serve food from various local ethnic restaurants. Throughout the evening, volunteers will accept donations and will raffle gift baskets and prizes to raise funds for Habitat for Humanity. Donations of food, international clothes and prizes are needed. Volunteers, including artists and performers, are welcome. For more information or to sponsor an activity, contact Gillian Nel, International Club president, at gnel9277@students.mc3.edu or 267-974-0163.

The Arts and Humanities Division at Montgomery County Community College is partnering with the Philadelphia Writers Conference to host Memoirs Matter: How Life Stories (Including Yours) Can Transform Your Relationship to Literature April 23 from 1 to 3 p.m. in Advanced Technology Center room 101, 340 DeKalb Pike, Blue Bell. The event is free and open to the public. In the first part of this two-hour seminar, professor and author Robert Waxler will explain how writing his two memoirs affected his life as well as his relationship to literature. In the second part, blogger and workshop leader Jerry Waxler will present a sequence of steps to help writers find their own story. For information, contact Dana Resente at dresente@mc3.edu.

The Maple Glen Garden Club will hold its fourth annual Plant Sale on May 7 from 8 to 11 a.m. Perennials, shrubs, vegetables and native plants grown by the club members will be sold. The club uses the plant sale proceeds to fund community projects, a college scholarship and community plantings. The sale will be held in the 500 block of Coach Road, Horsham, as part of a neighborhood garage sale. Plants will be sold at bargain prices. For more information, email MapleGlenGardenClub@gmail.com.

The Relay for Life Craft Show is looking for local crafters to participate in show, which will be May 21 from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. on the Wissahickon High School track, 521 Houston Road, Ambler. There is a $10 entry fee, and 20 percent of sales are donated to the American Cancer Society. Participants will receive a 6-foot table under a tent. For information, contact Joanne at joannescoles@comcast.net or Mindy at mcamsilver@comcast.net.

Spring House Estates is hosting its annual book fair on April 18 from 4 to 7 p.m. and April 9 from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Included will be hardback and paperback used books. Spring House Estates is located at 728 Norristown Road, Lower Gwynedd.

The PennSuburban Chamber of Commerce will present the Penn Suburban/Hatfield Joint Business Card Exchange April 20 from 5 to 7 p.m. at Univest Bank Lansdale Area Financial Service Center, 120 Forty Foot Road, Hatfield. The event is free. To make reservations, visit PennSuburban.org/Events. Join Univest National Bank and Trust Co. for a spring-inspired Business Card Exchange at its newest office in the Hatfield Pointe Shopping Center. Come out and meet members of Univests executive management team while enjoying fine food and beverages.

13th Annual Community Reading Day Kick-off Breakfast Get Together April 26 from 8 to 9:30 a.m. at the North Wales Area Library, 233 Swartley St., North Wales. The event is free. To make reservations, visit PennSuburban.org/Events. For more information, contact the chamber office at 215-362-9200 or info@pennsuburban.org. Join presenting sponsor Verizon, chamber staff and fellow members for the Community Reading Day volunteer get together. The Community Reading Day program allows volunteers to read a designated book to second-grade students throughout 38 area public and private schools and present the book as a gift to each class. Even if you are not a volunteer, you are cordially invited to stop by to network, enjoy coffee and pastries.

Ambler Mennonite Church is hosting a Spring Craft Show and Flea Market May 21 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Rain date will be May 28. The community is invited to shop the great craft booths, find some gifts and deals, as well as enjoy home baked goods and tasty lunch specials. Childrens activities are planned. All vendors are encouraged to contact the church at 215-643-4876 or AmblerMennonite@verizon.net. Advertising, signage, customer parking and a shuttle to auxiliary parking at nearby lots for vendors will be provided. 10 foot by 10 foot spaces can be rented for $5 each and tables for an additional $5 each. All proceeds from space and table rentals go toward school kits for children around the world. The church is located at the corner of East Mt. Pleasant Avenue and North Spring Garden Street, Ambler.

The Wissahickon Valley Watershed Association presents The Life & Times of Aquatic Insects in the Wissahickon Creek April 16 from 1 to 3 p.m. Join WVWA for a hands-on program. RSVP required: www.wvwa.org or 215-646-8866. WVWA member fee: $5 per person / $15 per family. Non-WVWA member fee: $10 per person / $20 per family.

The photography exhibition Natures Palette by photo-artist Judy Miller will run March 18 to May 19 at the Art in the Storefront gallery, 41 E. Butler Pike, Ambler.

JPRN  Networking For People in Transition & People Who Can Help Them  Unemployment remains high. JPRN, the Jarrettown Professional Relationship Network can help. Are you trying to network your way to a new job? Do you have expertise or contacts that can help people in transition? Is your company or organization looking for people in the area? This is a free outreach program to support those seeking work, involve people with contacts and networking know how, and involve local companies. Meetings held monthly at Jarrettown United Methodist Church, Limekiln Pike.

Pennsylvanias Low-Income Home Energy Assistance (LIHEAP) grant program is now open for the 2010-11 heating season. Grants are based on income, family size, type of heating fuel and region. Additional information, such as specific income limits, and applications for LIHEAP grants are available online via the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Access to Social Services (COMPASS) website at www.compass.state.pa.us. Applications are available at most public officals district offices, county assistance offices, local utility companies and community service agencies, such as Area Agencies on Aging or community action agencies.

Begin your holiday shopping at Upper Dublin Parks & Recreation! Entertainment books for 2011, Philadelphia North, are now on sale at $30 each. Regal/United Artists movie tickets are on sale for just $7.50 each, and tickets to the Adventure Aquarium, Baltimore Aquarium, and the Philadelphia Zoo are also available. Discounted ski vouchers to area mountains will be arriving in December; call 215-643-1600 x3443 for more information. Upper Dublin Parks & Recreation office hours are Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

RSVP of Montgomery County and the Wissahickon Valley Public Library have partnered again to offer the public their popular free mock interview sessions. The mock interviews are conducted by RSVP volunteers who are retired professionals, some of whom were in hiring positions themselves. Packets of information which include a sample employment application and interviewing tips with mock interview questions are available at the library to pick up prior to a scheduled mock interview or will be sent via email once the interview is scheduled. To schedule your interview, please contact Janis Glusman at RSVP 610-834-1040, ext. 16. The library is also offering a free resume review service. Bring in your current resume and the professional reference staff will assist you with hints and tips on capturing your work history accurately.

Registration for Upper Dublin Parks & Recreation summer playgrounds, Camp B.I.G. and Small Folks, X-Zone, and sports camps has began. Register online at www.upperdublin.net/store, or at the UDP&R office, 801 Loch Alsh Avenue, Fort Washington. Call 215-643-1600 x3443 for more information.

Upper Dublin Parks & Recreation and Danielles Espresso Cafe presents Mornings at Mondaug Bark Park April 16 and May 21 from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. Meet fellow dog lovers. These events include complimentary coffee, treats for people and pups and raffles/giveaways.

Upper Dublins Annual Spring Flea Market will be held June 4 from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Reserve a table, or come and shop. Tables are $15 for UD residents, $20 for non-residents. This successful event occurs rain or shine. Refreshments available. Call 215-643-1600 ext. 3443 to register for a table.

Regal movie tickets available for purchase at Upper Dublin Township Parks & Recreation. Reduced rate: $7.50 per ticket. Some restrictions apply. Call 215-643-1600 x3443.

Whitpain Township Parks & Recreation movie tickets $7.50 Regal Cinemas, United Artist & Edwards Cinemas on sale throughout the year Monday  Friday from 9 a.m.  4 p.m.

Whitpain Township Parks & Recreation Camp Sign-ups for Stony Creek Day Camp  Stony Creek Tracers and Park n Tots. Register on-line at www.whitpaintownship.org OrCome to Township Building with check or Visa MasterCard Monday  Friday from 9 a.m.  4 p.m. For additional information call 610.277-2400 ext. 374

Upper Dublin Parks & Recreation offers exciting new programs for the fall:

-Returning favorites include UK Elite Petite Soccer, Tiny Dancers, Kiddie Tennis, Fun-nastics, Messy Playtime, Little Chefs, and more. Babysitters Training will be offered in November and December. Continuing Adult Fitness Classes include Cardio Circuit, Core & More, Yoga, Boxing, and Adult G.Y.M. For more information call 215-643-1600 x3443. Register for programs online at www.upperdublin.net/store.

Music and Theater

The community is invited to a Cantors Concert April 16 at 8 p.m. Congregation Beth Or, 239 Welsh Road, Maple Glen. Listen and hum-along to the Yiddish, pop tunes and classical music performed by Congregation Beth Ors own Cantor David Green and his special guest, Cantor Irvin Bell, from Temple Beth Israel in Deerfield Beach, Fla. The cantors will be accompanied by Mark Sobol and his Klezmer musicians. Tickets are $18 in advance and $25 at the door. RSVP with payment to Barb Murtha, 239 Welsh Road, Maple Glen, PA 19002, or call 215-646-5806 ext. 220.

Gwynedd Friends Coffeehouse will host the Jameson Sisters May 14. Doors open at 7:30 pm, performance at 8:00 pm. Gwynedd Friends Coffeehouse is located at the corner of Rte. 202 & Sumneytown Pike, Gwynedd. $5 suggested donation. Light refreshment available at a modest cost. For further information, call 215-393-9576 or visit gwyneddmeeting.org/coffeehouse.html.

Celebrate patriotism through song with Gwynedd-Mercy Colleges choir, the Voices of Gwynedd, as it presents Hear America Singing April 15 at 8 p.m. The choir will perform song selections from all over the country, including Georgia on My Mind, New York State of Mind, and a medley including Philadelphia Freedom and Allentown. The performance will end with When the Saints Go Marching In to acknowledge the choirs upcoming tour in New Orleans. Hear America Singing will take place in the Julia Ball Auditorium, located in St. Bernard Hall. Parking is available in lots A, C and D. Admission is free.

The Choristers will present Anton Dvoraks Stabat Mater April 16 at 7:30 p.m. at Upper Dublin Lutheran Church in Ambler. The choir will be accompanied by a 41-piece orchestra. Tickets are $20 for adults, $15 for senior citizens, $10 for students and children are free. Tickets will be sold in advance or at the door. For more information, call 215-542-7871 or visit TheChoristers.org

Religious News

The Staircase Gallery at Or Hadash: A Reconstructionist Congregation in Fort Washington will feature the work of Emily Ennuat-Lustine. The artist will be showing paintings and graphics inspired by her own personal spiritual journey and quest for meaning. Some of the works to be shown have been inspired by Biblical Psalms and writings. Her work has been shown at Abington Art Center, Cheltenham Arts Center and Old City Gallery of Jewish Art among others. The exhibition is open Friday evenings starting Feb. 18 after Shabbat services. Gallery hours are: Mondays through Thursdays 10-4:30, Fridays 10-3 and following Shabbat Services and Sundays 10-1. The synagogue is located at 190 Camp Hill Road in Fort Washington. For additional information contact the synagogue office at 215-283-0276.

Reunions

St. Matthews High School Conshohocken Class of 1961 is looking for classmates. For details, contact Greg Marincola at 215-646-2239, 215-740-1296 or gregcola@comcast.net.

Olney High School Class of 1971 is Lloking for classmates for a 40th reunion Oct. 28. For details, contact Judy at ohsclassof71@yahoo.com or 215-870-7572.

Abington High School Class of 1961 is seeking classmates for a 50-year reunion to be held Oct. 14-15, 2011.Visit the website, www.abington61.com, for details or call 215-947-1779.

Overbrook High School class of January 1956 is having a 55 year reunion on May 22, 2011 at the Bala Golf Club in Philadelphia. For information please contact overbrookreunion56@comcast.net

Germantown High School Class Of January 1961 is looking for classmates for 50th year reunion to take place in May of 2011. Please contact: 215-362-9148, 856-577-0659 or samdelcomo@comcast.net

The June 1961 class of Germantown High School is holding their 50th reunion on May 15, which will be a brunch. For further details please contact Linda Dorfman Alten at lindaalten@yahoo.com or call 215-441-8411.

Support

New Life Presbyterian Church in Dresher, will host GriefShare, a special seminar and support group which will run on Monday evenings from 7 to 9 p.m., from March 7 through June 6. At each meeting there will be a DVD about the grief process, discussion and reference to a grief workbook. Preregistration is required to secure a place in the group and to purchase a GriefShare notebook (for a one-time fee of $15). The notebook goes along with the 13-week schedule covering such topics as: living with grief, the effects of grief, and stuck in grief. For more information or to register, call: Sandy Elder at 215-884-5149.

PUPS (People Understanding Parkinsons) A self-help group for those adjusting to a new diagnosis or dealing with the early stages of Parkinsons Disease. Meets fourth Tuesday of the month from 1 to 2:30 p.m., at Abington Health Center, Schilling Campus, Willowood Building, 2510 Maryland Road, Suite 251, Willow Grove. For more information or to RSVP, contact Lorna at 215-542-2931.

The North Penn Visiting Nurse Associations Meals on Wheels program is looking for volunteers to pack or deliver meals to the elderly and infirmed. Meals are packed and delivered mornings, Monday through Friday. You can volunteer for as many days per week or month as you would like. Packaging meals requires approximately 2-1/2 hours of your time each day and involves making sandwiches, packaging food into individual serving containers and packing coolers with the meals. Delivering meals requires approximately 1-1/2 hours of your time each day and involves loading coolers into your car and delivering a route of approximately 10 to 15 stops. The Meals on Wheels program is also in need of emergency, winter-weather volunteers to pack and deliver meals in bad weather. North Penn VNA is located at 51 Medical Campus Drive in Lansdale and delivers meals in the Lansdale, North Wales and Blue Bell areas. For more information or to volunteer, please call Bridget, North Penn VNA Meals on Wheels coordinator at 215-855-8296.

Elkins Park Area CHADD (Children and Adults with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder) meets the first Tuesday of every month, 7- 8:30 p.m., at Einstein at Elkins Park Hospital in Elkins Park. For information on CHADD or ADHD, please see our website www.chadd.net/249 or call Claire Noyes at: 215-779-6656.

Center for Loss and Bereavement, 3847 Skippack Pike, Skippack (610-222-4110) www.bereavementcenter.org Offers professional counseling for individuals, couples, children and families dealing with issues of loss and bereavement. Six-week adult support groups: Newly forming young adult grief support group  every other Wednesday, 7  8:15 p.m. (free of charge); Monthly loss of child support  second Mondays, 7-8:15 p.m.; Six-week young loss of spouse/partner  Thursdays, 10-11:15 a.m.; Other groups scheduled as interest is shown for suicide loss support, adult loss of parent, motherless daughters, adult loss of sibling, coping with chronic illness and disability and mens loss of spouse. Nellos Corner Family Bereavement program offers peer grief support groups for ages 4 through teen and their caregivers  Every other Tuesday or Wednesday (free of charge) Local chapter of Parents of Murdered Children also meets at the Center. Registration required. Call for further information.

CHADD is a national organization for children & adults with Attention-Deficit/ Hyperactivity Disorder, providing education, advocacy and support for individuals and their families with AD/HD. Einstein at Elkins Park Hospital, 60 Township Line Road, Elkins Park, PA 19027, will host children & adults with Attention-Deficit/ Hyperactivity Disorder on the First Tuesday of each month 7  8:30 p.m. Free, no childcare provided.

The Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphias Kehillah of Old York Road is sponsoring a free Caregiver Support Group for individuals who care for an elderly person with cognitive and/or physical impairments. The group meets at SarahCare Adult Day Care Center, 101 Washington Lane, Suite G-6, Jenkintown, Pa., on the first Wednesday of each month. Patty Rich,
Rabbis installation at Keneseth Israel will get a boost of student creativity
June 25, 2017 Locked Into Al-Tanf U.S. Military Concedes It Lost The Race To Occupy South-East Syria The U.S. military has, for now, given up on occupying south-east Syria. Recent remarks at the Department of Defense press conference concede the defeat of its original plans. Let us recap: The U.S. military had occupied the al-Tanf border station between Syria and Iraq some 12 kilometer east of the Jordan-Syria-Iraq border triangle. The economically important road between Damascus and Baghdad runs through al-Tanf. When Syrian government forces moved towards the al-Tanf area the U.S. military bombed them and unilaterally claimed a "deconfliction-zone", i.e occupied territory, around the station. The U.S. plan was to disrupt any connection between Syrian government held areas in the west and Iraq in th east by moving north from al-Tanf up to the Euphrates river valley around Deir Ezzor. The neoconservatives and Zionist propagandists claimed that this was necessary to interrupt the "Shia crescent" that allegedly would connect Iran through Iraq and Syria with Lebanon. The U.S. forces would thereby interrupt Iranian support for Hizbullah forces defending Lebanon from Israeli incursions. But the "Shia crescent" was never more than an idea. Iran supplies to Hizbullah have never depended on a land connection alone. The "crescent" connection was not disrupted when the U:S. occupied Iraq or when ISIS held the area. The real U.S. plan was much larger. It wanted to control a Sunni corridor from the Saudi-Iraqi border in the south through Anbar province in west-Iraq through south-east Syria up through the Kurdish held north-east Syria to Turkey. This was the planned "Salafist principality" a 2012 Defense Intelligence paper had talked about. The Syrian forces (red), with Iraqi support, sabotaged the U.S. plans by connecting west-Syria with the Syrian Iraqi border northward of the U.S. held area of al-Tanf (blue). They met allied Iraqi forces at the border north-east of al-Tanf and are now proceeding north-east along the border towards Abu Kamal and the Euphrates valley.

Source: Al Watan Online - bigger The Russian military command told the U.S. that any attack on those forces would be a very unfriendly act that would be severely punished. To make the point Iran fired medium range missiles from Iranian territory to Islamic State held areas in Syria. The Russian navy fired cruise missiles from the Mediterranean towards similar targets. The message was that the small U.S. contingent in al-Tanf would be toast if the U.S. military further messed around with the Syrian forces. Meanwhile Popular Mobilization Units (PMU) from Iraq, allied with Syria, closed off al-Tanf from the south. The U.S. forces there have nowhere to go but home. As we wrote in our June 13 piece Syria Summary - The End Of The War Is Now In Sight: The U.S. plans in south Syria, in the west as well as in the east, have failed for now. Unless the Trump administration is willing to invest significant more forces and to openly and against all laws wage war on the Syria government and its allies the situation there is contained. The Syrian forces will over time recapture all the (blue colored) land in the south that is currently held by the various U.S. proxies and other terrorist groups. All recent provocation attempts by the U.S. failed to disrupt the Syrian government plans and its push towards Deir Ezzor.

Map via Weekend Warrior - bigger In a little reported press conference on Friday the U.S. military practically conceded the defeat of its plans: WASHINGTON (AP)  The U.S. military coalition fighting the Islamic State would welcome a concerted effort by the Syrian government or its Iranian-backed partner forces to defeat IS in its remaining strongholds in eastern Syria, a U.S. spokesman said Friday. Army Col. Ryan Dillon, spokesman for the coalition, told reporters at the Pentagon that the U.S. goal is to defeat IS wherever it exists. If others, including the Syrian government and its Iranian and Russian allies, want to fight the extremists as well, then "we absolutely have no problem with that," he said, speaking from Baghdad. From the transcript of that press conference: Q: [...] [W]hat potential threat do you believe these Iranian backed militias and regime forces continue to pose to your forces and your partner forces in the At Tanf -- Abu Kamal area? COL. DILLON: Well if the Syrian regime -- and it looks like they are making a concerted effort to move into ISIS held areas. And if they show that they can do that, that is not a bad sign. We are here to fight ISIS as a coalition, but if others want to fight ISIS and defeat them, then we absolutely have no problem with that. And as they move eastward toward Abu Kamal and to Deir Ezzour, if we -- as long as we can de-conflict and make sure that we can focus on what it is we're there to do, without having any kind of strategic mishaps with the regime or with pro-regime forces or with Russians, then that is -- we're perfectly happy with that. In a later part the spokesperson also concedes that the forces in al-Tanf are now very constricted in their movement: ... if the regime is -- has moved into an area that is towards Abu Kamal, then we are going to be limited to how far out we do patrols [from al-Tanf] with our partner forces. Somewhat later the point is made again and even clearer - al-Tanf is now useless and the Syrian army is free to do what it does: COL. DILLON: So what I was saying about that is that, out of the At Tanf area, we have used that to train our partner forces and to continue to -- to fight ISIS, you know, if they are in and around that area. You know, now that the regime has moved in, and they have made some significant, you know, progress, as it looks, towards moving to Abu Kamal and perhaps Deir Ezzour, if they want to fight ISIS in Abu Kamal and they have the capacity to do so, then, you know, that -- that would be welcome. We as a coalition are not in the land-grab business. We're in the killing ISIS business, and that is what we want to do. And if -- if the Syrian regime wants to do that, and they are going to, again, put forth a concerted effort and show that they are -- are doing just that in Abu Kamal or Deir Ezzour or elsewhere, that means that we don't have to do that in those locations. So I guess that -- what I'm saying is, in the At Tanf area, we will continue to train our partner forces. We will continue to do patrols in and around At Tanf in the Hamad desert. But if our access to Abu Kamal is shut off because the regime is there, that's okay. NEWSFLASH: The Pentagon and, even more important, the U.S. commanders in the Middle East, have finally recognized the basic facts of life. There is no way the Syrian government and its allies will let the U.S. have south-east Syria or let it occupy the country including the Syrian army garrison in Deir Ezzor which is currently surrounded by Islamic State forces. The Syrian army and its allies will liberate Deir Ezzor and the whole Euphrates valley. The U.S. military has now conceded that. There will be some huffing and puffing from the neoconservative corners but I doubt very much that this that this decision will be overturned or that this is a ruse. There is simply no strategic value for the U.S. in occupying south-east Syria and no will to defend it against determined resistance of capable opposing forces. My congratulations to Syria and its allies. This battle is, for now, won. Posted by b on June 25, 2017 at 12:59 UTC | Permalink Comments
It was two years ago this week that FBI agents arrested a Morganton teenager on suspicion of having links to the terrorist group ISIS.

On Tuesday, Justin Nojan Sullivan, 21, is expected to be sentenced at 9 a.m. in courtroom No. 1 at the federal courthouse in Asheville. The courthouse is located at 100 Otis St. He faces a sentence of life in prison.

Sullivan pleaded guilty in November to one count of attempting to commit an act of terrorism transcending national boundaries.

But the attorney who represents him in his murder case wont be able to intervene in the federal case, according to a judges order filed this week.

In addition to pleading guilty to the terrorism charge, Sullivan is accused of killing a neighbor, John Bailey Clark, who was 74 years old when he died, on Dec. 18, 2014, and burying him in a shallow grave behind Clarks home. Prosecutors have said they will seek the death penalty against Sullivan if hes found guilty. He is charged with first-degree murder.

In May, Attorney Victoria Jayne filed motions for a limited appearance and to intervene in the federal case. Jayne, along with attorney Matthew Cabe, represents Sullivan in his murder case. Jaynes motion for limited appearance is so she can argue for the motion to intervene in Sullivans federal case. She said in her motion that the federal government intends to present evidence during Sullivans sentencing hearing as to the pending murder charge. She planned to request the federal court not to allow any evidence, testimony or documents related to Sullivans murder case to be entered during the federal case sentencing, according to court documents.

Federal officials filed a response in opposition to Jaynes request at the end of May, saying Jayne should be prevented from presenting arguments and facts that contradict the factual basis negotiated by Sullivans defense attorney in his federal case, Fredilyn Sison, and adopted by Sullivan under oath.

On Wednesday, U.S. District Judge Martin Reidinger signed an order denying Jaynes motion for limited appearance and motion to intervene.

In his order, Reidinger said there is no federal provision for third-party intervention in a criminal proceeding. The only exception has been when federal courts have allowed limited intervention by the public and the media to be able to access material that was part of the record of the case, Reidinger said.

Here, Attorney Jayne is not moving to intervene to gain access to materials, but seeks to represent the Defendant and make arguments on his behalf, Reidinger said. To the extent that the motion is made on behalf of the Defendant, such motion is entirely improper, as Attorney Jayne is not counsel of record for the Defendant in this case, and there is no indication that Defendant has sought for any addition counsel to appear on his behalf in this matter.

Reidinger said there is no indication there is a conflict between Sullivan and his federal attorney or that he wants Jayne to represent him in the federal case.

Most importantly, there is nothing in the record that indicates Attorney Sison has not, or will not, continue to represent Defendants best interests zealously, competently, and professionally, Reidinger said.

Federal documents say Sullivan intended to carry out a mass casualty attack on behalf of the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS).

Court documents say Sullivan conspired with ISIS member Junaid Hussain to commit terrorist acts transcending national boundaries. It says Sullivan had a text conversation with Hussain that was recovered from Sullivans phone.

Sullivan deleted the conversation as FBI agents entered his house, federal documents say.

The federal response to Jaynes motion said, Also contrary to Attorney Jaynes Motion, the agreed recommendation for a life sentence in this case is not based solely on the Defendants attempted mass casualty attack on behalf of ISIS, but includes other facts showing the Defendants history and characteristics such as his murder of Mr. Clark and solicitation of the (undercover federal agent) to kill his parents.

The federal response said the conclusion is that Sullivan was writing from his own experience when he said the undercover agent could get away with murder.

While Attorney Jayne would separate the Defendants crimes neatly into categories of federal and state offenses; the Defendant did not do so. Instead, the Defendant practiced murder on Mr. Clark  an elderly recluse with diminished capacity  while embracing the violent terrorist philosophy of ISIS. The Defendant then used his experience killing Mr. Clark to cajole a person he was recruiting to commit a murder of his own, the federal response says.

Sharon McBrayer is a staff writer and can be reached at smcbrayer@morganton.com or at 828-432-8946.
Madame Tussauds New York welcomed a new Selena Quintanilla figure at the legendary Times Square attraction. Selena's sister, Suzette Quintanilla, was present to share her excitement and introduce the "Queen of Tejano" to some of Selena's most dedicated and adoring fans. Selena's spirit has never been more alive as today also marks the official CD and DVD release of "The Last Concert."

"It's an honor to represent the Quintanilla family today and to see my sister's figure met with such a warm and emotional reception," said Suzette Quintanilla. "I want to thank Madame Tussauds' amazingly talented craftsmen for creating such an incredible work of art."

As well as unveiling Selena's figure, Madame Tussauds New York announced the creation of the all-new 'Sabor Latino' experience opening July 20. The attraction will transform its Music Zone to feature the most celebrated icons in Latin music history: Selena Quintanilla's figure will be joined by those of Jennifer Lopez, Ricky Martin, Selena Gomez and the first ever figure of "King of Bachata", Romeo Santos, whose latest single "Imitadora" was released today and highly anticipated album "Golden" will follow on July 21.

"Sabor Latino is a celebration of Latin music and those who have reached iconic status for achievement in this category, from Selena to artists of today," Anna Domingo General Manager of Madame Tussauds New York said "It will be the first-ever dedicated Latin themed experience in Madame Tussauds' history and we can't wait to turn up the heat and share it with music-lovers this summer."

Starting today, Quintanilla's figure will be on permanent display in the Times Square attraction. The "Queen of Kumbia" catapulted to global adoration in the 1980s and 90s and is the only Latin female artist to have five albums simultaneously on Billboard 200. Selena continues to win awards 22 years later, winning Female Artist of The Year at this year's Billboard Latin Music Awards.

Sabor Latino will open exclusively at Madame Tussauds New York on July 20, 2017. Click to buy your ticket to Madame Tussauds New York
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WALLINGFORD  The Town Council plans to vote Tuesday on an agreement that would move a development company one step closer to building a solar facility at the town landfill.



The council will consider an option lease agreement with Lendlease, a multi-national company based in Australia. The agreement would grant the company a due diligence period to analyze the 60-acre landfill along Pent Road, which closed in the 1990s, to determine whether it wants to move forward with a permanent lease.



The due diligence period would last three years, after which Lendlease has the right to execute a 22-year lease for the property.



The town stands to gain revenue from a tax agreement that has yet to be negotiated between the town and Lendlease.



Tax Assessor Shelby Jackson said he is currently collecting information about the project in order to make an evaluation.



The town of Sprague recently negotiated a tax agreement for a similarly sized 20-megawatt solar facility that yields the town $200,000 annually.



Im thrilled with the town being able to get some revenue off the dump, said Republican Councilor Joe Marrone.



I think its a great use of the land, Republican Councilor John LeTourneau said. Im absolutely for the project. I think its a win-win.



Under the terms of the agreement, Lendlease would pay monthly rent, ranging between $6,000 and $7,000, during the three-year option period. The company can terminate the agreement at any time during the three-year period.



If the company entered the long-term agreement, it would pay $1,500 per acre of land used each year, with a minimum annual payment of $20,000. The per-acre rent would escalate 2.5 percent each year. The company has yet to decide how many acres of land it will use or how many panels will be installed.



The 22-year lease includes renewal options that could stretch the lease as long as 35 years.



Republican Councilor Craig Fishbein said while he likes some financial aspects of the agreement, he cant pass judgment until the tax agreement is finalized.



Its sort of myopic to look at the financial picture without having all of the information, Fishbein said.



The solar facility was one of several small-scale clean energy projects selected by the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, which solicited bids for projects from outside companies. In December, DEEP chose about 10 projects in Connecticut, including the proposed solar facility in Wallingford.



The solar facility is expected to produce between 15 and 20 megawatts of energy. The energy produced by the solar panels would go into the regional power grid.



The Town Council is required to hold a public hearing prior to voting on the agreement because it involves the leasing of publicly-owned land.



mzabierek@record-journal.com 203-317-2279 Twitter: @MatthewZabierek






After a flurry of paperwork submitted for new developments in the county over the past year, commissioners have pulled the reins on the aggressive yearn to build in Liberty County in order to create a level playing field.

Commissioners intend on doing just that with the completion of a year-long investment in updating the dated "Rules and Regulations for Subdivision and Developments in Liberty County" supplemental book. The book hasn't been updated in more than a decade, since 2004, and Knight said it was time to bring it current by implementing the new rules and reviewing statutes brought forth by the state.

With a brief respite, commissioners agreed it was time to finish the book.

"We finally got to the point in time when plats being turned in for review had either been accepted by the engineering department and the county commissioners so to the point we didn't have any awaiting the approval process," said Liberty County Judge Jay Knight.

The book is near completion, but instead of continuing to accept new plates, the commissioner's decided to take a break and finish the book.

"We should have it ready for review and acceptance by the court in 40 days. That will give us some 10-20 days to look it over, make any final changes, and then seek approval of commissioners court for the final copy," Knight said. "That will give us time to begin with a clean slate, with fresh rules, and everyone will be on an equal playing field."

The county has put into place new review processes and will continue to contract LJA Engineering in Beaumont to review the plans.

"It's not just Liberty County overseeing this, we have bona fide professionals looking at everything," Knight said. "It makes it better for everybody that it's reviewed in a timely manner and also the rules are adhered to. And the process is adhered to as well."

That process includes the preliminary plat, drainage and traffic studies, environmental where it's required particularly for federal projects, and more.

"The final plat will sort of become the 'as-built' plan with the construction plans," the judge said.

Once the book has been finalized and approved by commissioners, the moratorium will be called and the county will begin receiving development paperwork again, but under the newer, stricter rules that will be in place.

"Once we accept that plat, we have 60 days to review it and approve it or deny it. If we deny it, we better have a reason to justify it through the Rules and Regulations for Subdivisions and Developments in Liberty County," he said. "We better have a reason or they can get a Writ of Mandamus and go to District Court and sue us and force us to accept it."

Currently, former Dayton city manager David Douglas is the interim engineering manager as well as the grant administrator.

"I can't think of a better person who has done all of this to help us," Knight said. "While he was at Dayton for 11 years, he's seen it all."

Knight said the county wanted to be proactive and not reactive to the flow of growth coming to the county.

"I fully expect that once we open the gates and begin accepting plats again, they will be coming in pretty quick. At least we will have a great set of rules to guide us and the customers and an established method of payment for the reviews."

The moratorium caught a few by surprise, but were understanding.

"We're not trying to submarine a bunch of developers and say we don't want them here, we just want them to play on the same playing field with us. I don't feel like that has always been the case in the past," the county judge said.

The move could also help the county avoid any potential liability and the professional review and scrutiny assures the county will receive the best possible product to be delivered by a developer.

"It gives us an opportunity to negotiate with them through our Development Review Committee (DRC)," the judge said.

Through the DRC process, the commissioners and stakeholders where the development will be built can find out what kind of development is coming, how many homes, what kind of amenities will be included, how the drainage will be addressed and much more.

"Things I feel haven't been adhered to as much in the past," Knight said, but the tightening of the belt is about to have some backbone added to it.

The moratorium was passed on Tuesday, June 20, and will last the full 60 days and lifted in mid-August. Knight said they could extend it if necessary, but he didn't expect that to happen. The book will be available online once it has been approved.

"We're just trying to be fair to the developers and to the people of the county so that they receive the best possible product from these developments," the judge said.
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Describing the flood of 2017 as staggering in its ferocity, Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette stood with other elected officials Sunday morning at the Midland Law Enforcement Center.

"This hits home. It has impacted families and homes, businesses and farmers," said Schuette, who was a U.S. Congressman during the flooding of 1986. "Midland is a really tough, resilient community. We will regroup, recover and rebuild."

This year's flood crested at 32.15 feet at 7:13 p.m. Saturday, the National Weather Service stated. The NWS reported that the Tittabawassee River in Midland stands at 30.83 feet at 10:30 a.m. Sunday. In Midland County, 116 roads have been affected due to the rain.

During the 1986 flood, similar levels occurred in and around Midland County and resulted in more than $58 million in damage. Of that amount, $41.9 million was from homeowners and local business owners lacking flood insurance. The city of Midland recorded the 1986 water level of the Tittabawassee River at 33.89 feet; flood stage is set at 24 feet

"In 1986 we worked very closely with Gov. Jim Blanchard and the president," Schuette said.

U.S. Rep. John Moolenaar wanted to assure residents that area drinking water is safe.

"But, we want to encourage people to stay away from the surface water," he said. "Don't play in the water, there could be contamination in there. We want to make sure that everybody is safe throughout this process."

Midland County Sheriff Scott Stephenson echoed Moolenaar's comments.

"Please stay out of the standing water, whether you are on foot or in a kayak or boat or inner tube. You don't know what is underneath. You might step into a pothole and might use up some of our resources if we have to come and get you out of boats. Respect the road closure signs as well."

Midland Mayor Maureen Donker warned people about scavenging for items left at the curb.

"Some people have already had items out on the curb. We ask that you not go out and pick up those items," she said. "We don't know what is in the water. It is very important that you not go scavenging."

State Rep. Gary Glenn echoed Donker's comments.

"In my pastor's front yard they had stuff that had been taken out of raw sewage," he said. "There is an anti-scavenging ordinance. In this type of situation it is actually against the law to do that in the city Midland."

Going forward, those that need assistance should check the City of Midland and Midland County websites.

"I think it is imperative that we get a list of the homes that are damaged," said Midland County Board Chair Mark Bone. "If you are a homeowner, on the city's and county's websites will be a form. We are going to try and get funding to help to repair."

Plans are to have the forms available today.

"It's important that you watch both the City of Midland's and Midland County's websites for information. That is how we are going to communicate out," Donker said.

On Sunday, the leaders asked Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder to request an emergency declaration for Midland, Isabella and other effected counties from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

That request follows Midland and Isabella counties declaring emergencies. On Friday, a state disaster was declared, allowing state dollars to assist in cleanup efforts. However, there are still concerns that the cost and scope of the damage may require additional federal assistance.

Moolenaar's office has been in contact with the regional office with FEMA working toward an emergency declaration according to the Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance, which has to come from the governor.

The website for the city of Midland is www.cityofmidlandmi.gov and for Midland County is www.co.midland.mi.us/
I was born dying, the Norwegian artist Edvard Munch (1863-1944) is said to have announced near the end of his reasonably long life.

A rare Munch exhibition opening this week of 44 mournful paintings will convince you of one thing above all: He hardly needed to tell us that. But you will also leave astounded that dollops and smears of paint might contain, suspended among their component oils and pigments, the tears and passions of a romantic who built his existence around sickness, loss, repression and despair.

The exhibition Edvard Munch: Between the Clock and the Bed opens Saturday, June 24, at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art and runs through Oct. 9. It surveys a career of some 60 years, revolving around a late (1940-43) self-portrait, the title of which lends its name to the show.

Self-Portrait: Between the Clock and the Bed is an interesting picture in the context of the art of its time, with its indeterminate space and light, and its stark contrasts  of abstract flatness and illusionistic depth; of complementary colors; of clothed and naked, male and female figures. Norway was under German occupation at this time (a fact barely mentioned in exhibition materials), which lends an odd poignancy to the artists old-soldier stance of feeble attention.

But I suspect it would not be the central work in the exhibition were it not for the strong relationship to a famous series of paintings and prints by Jasper Johns that echoed the hatch-mark design Munch used to represent a bedspread. The exhibition catalog, in particular, makes a point of Munchs place among key artists of the 20th century, downplaying his reputation as a moody Symbolist romantic.

That the artist had a foot in each of two centuries is certain, but it is difficult to see him as a disinterested formalist. After all, this is the man who envisioned The Scream, surely the worlds most famous icon of existential angst and agony.

Neither of the two fragile versions of that painting were allowed to leave their home museums in Norway, but anguish abounds here all the same. Two variants of The Sick Child (1896 and 1907), along with the identically themed At the Deathbed (1895), Death Struggle (1915), Death in the Sick Room (1893) and The Smell of Death (1895) all deal directly, oppressively, with the artists youthful experience of the loss of his sister.

Inheritance (1897-99) depicts a red-faced woman, handkerchief to her mouth. A green-tinged baby, chest spotted with red, doesnt so much rest upon as float above her lap on a womb-like cloud. An army of black, insect-like forms patterns the womans skirt. Munch nicknamed the work the syphilitic child, a wall text tells us.

In Ashes (1925), a tale of sexual repression and frustration, a man cringes at the bottom of an image of a long-haired woman in a forest clearing. Her arms are high behind her head. Her modest white dress is open to the waist, revealing a sanguine slip. She could almost be a gutted lamb.

Even a work with the joyous title The Dance of Life (1925) is peopled by somnambulists and stumbling cadavers.

This is not to say that Munch is not a master of color and form. That very virtuosity gives his art a kind of lurid authenticity. It convinces us that the sentiments are honest and real, the despondency earned. It is the reason these pictures dont work in reproduction: The image, all by itself, is cheap. Thats why The Scream is such an easy target of satire and commercialism, with Scream wide ties, Scream inflatable dolls, Scream bandages, Scream hemorrhoid cushions.

I have seen neither of the two original paintings. However, an earlier, closely related picture in the show, the harrowing Sick Mood at Sunset: Despair (1892)  shown here for the first time in the U.S.  gives a likely sense of the better-known canvases.

A lone figure looks into not a void, but a blue-black hardness  a region not exactly empty, but unnamed. The area where sky should be is an inferno of color, but it, too, is a substance, something beyond flame, as if laid down by brushes loaded with magma. Try getting that out of a glossy halftone on the printed page.

The point is that Munchs significance lies neither in his oversensitive soul nor his painterly inventiveness, but in his unique ability to combine the two. He returned again and again to the same themes, and often to the same image. One could argue that makes him a formal experimenter  testing and revising art for arts sake  or that his romantic heart could not bear to leave behind loves and moments that might die without continual regeneration. He did not have to choose.

It is perhaps telling, though, that in the late 19th century he arranged and rearranged key paintings into a series he called The Frieze of Life. He lived his final years in a house full of his own works. And, though his pictures once had a lively market, in the end he left to the city of Oslo the vast majority of his output as an intact collection.

Of the 44 works in the exhibition, 17 are identified as self-portraits, and several others surely represent the artist. Tracing Munchs variations on self-depiction is a study in changing techniques and styles, as well as his own personal and psychological shifts. The earliest work in the exhibition, a self-portrait from 1886, is nearly a mosaic of tiny broken plates of burnished paint.

There are ghostly pictures like a Self-Portrait with the Spanish Flu (1919), ominously psychosexual ones like his hovering presence in The Artist and His Model (1919-20), and a cartoonish throwaway that could be a magazine liquor ad, Self-Portrait With Bottles (circa 1938).

None of them compares to Self-Portrait in Hell (1903), however, for equipoise of painterly form and emotional content. From out of a blazing scarlet fire, trailing billows of smoke, a figure emerges, its color marking the spectrum of increasing heat  from head of red, to torso of yellow, to white-hot pelvis where our eye is stopped by the pictures bottom edge. The self is not afflicted by the heat: The self is its source.

Charles Desmarais is The San Francisco Chronicles art critic. Email: cdesmarais@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @Artguy1

Edvard Munch: Between the Clock and the Bed: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Fridays-Tuesdays; 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Thursdays. Saturday, June 24, through Oct. 9. $19-$25; ages 18 and younger free. San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, 151 Third St., S.F. (415) 357-4000. www.sfmoma.org
Julia Files and Anita Mayer, physicians at the Mayo Clinic, started seeing a pattern: When their male colleagues were introduced at conferences, they were usually called "Doctor." But the men introduced them and other female doctors by their first names.

The pair quickly realized they weren't alone. Sharonne Hayes, another Mayo doctor, had noticed the same thing. While a male colleague would be introduced as "Dr. Joe Smith," for example, the women were often simply called "Julia," "Anita" and "Sharonne."

So the three decided to study speaker introductions at "grand rounds" - events where doctors, researchers, residents and medical students present medical problems and treatments for discussion. Their research showed that unequal introductions were real - that women were less likely than men to be introduced by professional title when men did the introducing.

"It gets down to perception of expertise, perception of competence," said Files, an associate professor of medicine at Mayo and the lead author of the study. "We know that in other settings, choices of words really impact women's progress in careers."

The study, published in the Journal of Women's Health, looked at videos of 321 speaker introductions at 124 internal medicine grand rounds from 2012 through 2014 at Mayo Clinic campuses in Arizona and Minnesota. The results showed that male introducers used professional titles for female doctors only 49 percent of the time on first reference, but introduced male doctors by their titles 72 percent of the time.

Female introducers used titles in introductions of both male and female doctors more often than male introducers (96 percent of the time vs. 66 percent of the time).

Hayes, a professor of medicine and cardiovascular diseases, said the form of address wouldn't matter if it were the same for both genders.

"It's the inequity and the context," Hayes said. "I don't mind being called 'Sharonne' - it's my name! - but if all the men are being called 'Doctor Jones' and all the women by only their first names, that's offensive."

"While I have to assume it's inadvertent, the effect is to put me in my place as 'less than,' " she said.

The unequal introductions can affect a woman's performance, noted Hayes, who directs the Office of Diversity and Inclusion and the Women's Heart Clinic at Mayo's headquarters in Rochester, Minn.

"The other thing is, grand rounds is kind of a high-stakes event that is the premier educational venue at academic medical centers," Hayes said. "As the speaker, you've spent hours preparing for it, may be a little nervous in front of the podium, ready as an expert, and then somebody says, "Here's 'Sharonne.' You're immediately put off a bit and may not be at your best performance."

Kim Williams, a professor and the chief of the Division of Cardiology at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, said male introducers might be using first names for women because they felt more familiarity with them. But he added, "That's not acceptable."

"I doubt that it's purposeful but no doubt that it's dysfunctional and insulting to the people on the other end," said Williams, who was not involved in the research.

While Williams said first-name introductions didn't happen at Rush, female doctors at other institutions said they were all too common.

"My question would be 'Are there any women doctors who have never been introduced by their first names?' " said Esther Choo, an associate professor of emergency medicine at Oregon Health & Science University in Portland. "There are a lot of built-in presumptions about your level of commitment and capability."

Choo, who lectures on gender bias in medicine, said she thought the first-name introductions could reflect unconscious bias but might also be because of familiarity or the introducer's seniority, which the study brings up.

Kim Templeton, a professor of orthopedic surgery at the University of Kansas in Kansas City, said she cringed every time she heard female doctors introduced by their first names and had experienced it plenty of times herself.

"Women don't tend to be thought of as leaders. They're thought of as worker bees and the people who work well together," said Templeton, immediate past president of the American Medical Women's Association. "Talking to us is no different than talking to their wives or daughters at home."

"They just assume, somehow, that they don't warrant the same respect as the men do," she said.

A blog post on the study that appeared on KevinMD.com and GenderAvenger.com drew a flood of positive responses from doctors, clergy members and others, applauding the authors for their study. But several commenters said the women were overreacting, and one posted a message that said, "Boo hoo you weren't called "Dr."! BOO HOO!"

Mayo Clinic administrators have decided to create new speaker guidelines for introductions at grand rounds, stipulating that the title "doctor" should be used on first reference, though a first name or nickname might be used thereafter, if appropriate.

Anupam Jena, an associate professor at Harvard Medical School, said male introducers could be using first names because they felt that "the work done by female colleagues is somehow different than the work done by male colleagues."

"Subconsciously they are not equating the stature of female speakers to be the same as male speakers," he said.

Jena said the introductions might have only a small direct effect on female physicians, but "the general attitude within medicine that drives these differences is probably what's most important." (Jena has studied how sex differences affect faculty rank in medical schools and the effect of sex and race on physician incomes. In both areas, the differences were disadvantageous to female doctors.)

"Once they fix this notion within the department, I would expect there could be spillovers to all sorts of other interactions that would happen in a hospital," Jena said.

For Rachel Allison, an assistant professor of sociology at Mississippi State University, the grand-rounds study showed how even simple words can have a profound effect.

"As sociologists, we know language is very powerful; it both reflects larger social meanings and patterns and can directly contribute to them, in many cases perpetuating social inequality," said Allison, who studies gender equality.

"The words we use can shape how people feel about themselves and others, how they interact and how they make decisions about the distribution of rights and resources," she said.

Allison said changes should eventually go beyond fixing the introductions.

"The question for me is not what women can do to navigate the landscape, although that is an important one, but what we can all do to change it," she said.
Of the more than 200 doors 50-75 Montgomery and Harris county firefighters knocked on Saturday in the mourning Tamina community who lost three children in a tragic house fire, one included a nearby relative whom officials discovered had no working smoke detectors.

If a fire would have erupted overnight in Gwen Allen's home, "they would have never known it," Needham firefighter Cody McDougald said explaining by the time most people awake to a fire it is too late.

In the bedroom, on the other side of Allen's living room wall covered in her daughter's childhood drawings, the Needham firefighters installed a free smoke detector as part of a new long-term safety initiative in the predominately black and socioeconomically challenged community settled in the 1860s.

Following a prayer and balloon release at the Tamina Community Park, Montgomery County Fire Marshal Jimmy Williams said "firefighters are still hurting" with the community from the loss of 13-year-old Terrance "TJ" Mitchell, 6-year-old Kaila Mitchell and 5-year-old Kyle Mitchell who died in the blaze that ignited before sunrise May 12. In their memory, the officials felt the need to take a proactive approach to make a difference and to prevent the tragedy from happening again.

The destroyed two-story wooden home in the 19000 block of Johnson Road where the children lived did not have smoke detectors. It was owned by the children's grandfather Pastor Bobby Johnson Jr. who was injured among seven family members when he broke out a second floor window. He was able to get most of the family out, including the siblings surviving brother, Adrian Mitchell, 10. But they were unable to get through the flames to save the children, who were trapped in their bedroom on the other side of the second floor.

Ten of Needham FD firefighters, the first unit who responded to the scene, started on Johnson Road where the destruction remains and the children's memory lives on.

While some of the homes declined the firefighters' services for various reasons, including timing, Allen welcomed the firefighters inside to check the detectors already hardwired into her manufactured home.

Allen has lived in the home for eight years with her three of four children between the ages of 14-25. She admitted she never checks the smoke detectors, except for a few times in the past to stop the sound activated by cooking.

While she waited, she recalled memories of her young relatives who would visit, help with Christmas decorations, and enjoy cake and popsicles she bought them at the grocery store.

"This use to be the nosiest street in America," said Allen who lives only three houses down the road. "I go into Kroger's now and who am I buying popsicles for? I don't want anyone else to go through that feeling.  We all lost something in that fire even if we didn't live there."

McDougald approached Allen after installing four smoke detectors in the hallways and bedrooms and informed her all of the smoke detectors in her home were out of service. The safety initiative is comforting to Allen's son Xavier, 14.

"I think it's a good protection for those who don't have it," he said. "It's more secure and safe. It's something we won't have to worry about in the future."

The firefighters walk continued in the rain with boxes of the smoke detectors in hand. The smoke detectors were donated by smoke alarm manufacturers Kidde Inc. and First Alert along with the Insurance Council of Texas, and all equipped with lithium batteries designed to last up to 10 years in hand.

Down the road and around the corner, longtime resident Mary Pierson, 74, shared she also removed her smoke detector while cooking, which is most often the case, according to Needham FD Lt. Norman Langwell. He urges the community to call the fire department to check the location of smoke detectors instead of removing the batteries or devices.

The majority of the homes in the Tamina community are wood-framed, many are also manufactured homes, which are prone to burn quickly, according to the fire officials who said the smoke detectors can give people a chance to survive.

"It's really needed," said Pierson who has lived in her wood-framed home for 40 years. "I appreciate what they are doing."

For more information, contact the Needham Fire Department at (936) 321-0999 or the Montgomery County Fire Marshal's Office at (936) 538-8288. The Needham Fire Department is accepting cash donations as well to offset the costs involved.
Rep. Adam Schiff and President Donald Trump don't agree on much about Russia's meddling in the 2016 U.S. elections, but they agree on this: former President Barack Obama should have done more to stop Moscow from intervening.

Obama made a "very serious mistake" in not doing more about Russia's intervention in the presidential election campaign, Schiff of California, the top ranking Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, said on Sunday.

"The administration needed to call out Russia earlier, and needed to act to deter and punish Russia earlier," Schiff said on CNN's "State of the Union" broadcast. "I think the Obama administration should have done more when it became clear that not only was Russia intervening, but it was being directed at the highest levels of the Kremlin."

Obama did announce in December a series of sanctions against Russia for its attempts to influence the November election, including expelling 35 suspected intelligence operatives from the U.S.

Schiff said the sanctions should have come sooner and been stronger. Obama also should have let the voters know about Russia's actions while the campaign was still under way, he said. "What I urged at the time was he should have spoken out to the American people and said, 'This is what Russia is doing,'" Schiff said.

Trump also questioned why Obama administration officials took no action on Russia before the election. "Since the Obama administration was told way before the 2016 Election that the Russians were meddling, why no action? Focus on them, not T!" he said in a Twitter posting to his 32.8 million followers.

Appearing Sunday on Fox News's "Fox and Friends," Trump said that if Obama had the information about Russian meddling, "why didn't he do something about it? He should have done something about it. But you don't read that. It's quite sad."

During the campaign, Trump cast doubts on reports of Russian intervention, at one point suggesting the hacking could be the work of China, or of "someone sitting on their bed that weighs 400 pounds."

Kellyanne Conway, an adviser to Trump, also said on ABC's "This Week" program on Sunday that the Obama had a duty to act on Russian hacking and that while Trump believes Russia was involved, "others are hacking" as well.

"I have no idea why the Obama administration, except that they thought Hillary would win and it didn't matter, couldn't take action," Conway said, referring to Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton.

Schiff said he had to contest Trump's comments, given that the president had "openly egged the Russians to hack Hillary Clinton's emails" and Obama didn't want to "play into the narrative" by Trump that the election was going to be rigged.

"Donald Trump is in no position to complain here," the California Democrat said.

Instead of complaining about Obama, Trump should back the bill passed by the Senate to impose greater sanctions on Russia and limit the president's ability to unilaterally lift them, Chuck Schumer of New York, the Senate Democratic leader, said on ABC. House leaders have said the Constitution requires that the measure start in their chamber.

"If Donald Trump wants to do something about Russia and Russia meddling, better than just saying Obama didn't do enough, support our sanction bill," Schumer said.

---

--With assistance from Jennifer Jacobs
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An off-duty Cleveland ISD police officer tackled a passenger who tried to open an emergency exit during a flight to Houston on Sunday, forcing the plane to make an emergency landing in Corpus Christi.

Passengers on Southwest Airlines Flight 4519 said a woman was shouting outbursts at Los Angeles International Airport before departure, yelling that she needed her medication and was being mistreated by the government. They also said she was walking backward, and questioned why she was allowed on the flight.

The suspect was ultimately subdued by Pamela Minchew, an off-duty officer from Cleveland ISD in Liberty County, according to Cleveland ISD Police Chief Rex Evans, who said he spoke with Minchew on Sunday evening.

"She had observed the irrational passenger attempting to open the exit door in mid-flight. Fearing for her safety and the safety of everyone on the plane, she took action and was able to restrain the passenger," Evans said. "I can't tell you how proud I am of her. She did a stellar job. The authorities are very pleased with how she handled the incident."

Southwest Airlines confirmed in a statement that Flight 4519 was diverted to Corpus Christi International Airport after flight attendants notified the captain of a "potential threat" in the cabin.

"Following an uneventful landing, local authorities met the aircraft at a gate and removed the disruptive passenger," the airline said.

The flight was delayed more than five hours in Corpus Christi, landing about 11:30 a.m. before resuming the route to Houston about 5 p.m. and arriving at Hobby Airport one hour later.

Terrance Franklin, a passenger on the flight, said the suspect passenger, a young woman, spent the initial hours of the flight standing in the aisle occasionally yelling until some airplane staff met her to mediate. Then he heard a ruckus, looked back down the plane and saw another passenger subduing the woman.

"Everybody was just in shock," he said from the Corpus Christi airport, where passengers had been allowed to leave the plane.

Franklin posted videos of the woman shouting and of her removal on Snapchat.

Adriana Bain, another passenger, said she saw a "scuffle" in the back of the plane.

"Then all I saw was the look of fright in the flight attendant's face, and I knew something was going on," she said.

Passengers who witnessed the incident were held aside for questioning, she said, while others ate pizza in the airport provided by the airplane pilot.

Kristy Gillentine, a former journalist and passenger on the flight, said her fellow passengers gave Minchew a warm welcome when she walked back on board the plane.

"The rest of the passengers cheered when the off-duty officer came back on board, hailing her a hero," Gillentine said. "If she hadn't acted so quickly, things could have gone very differently."

Because the incident happened in the air, it falls under the jurisdiction of the FBI.
WASHINGTON - The White House blamed the Obama administration Sunday for failing to tackle possible Russian collusion in the 2016 presidential election, sticking with a new strategy to fault President Donald Trump's predecessor for an issue currently facing the president himself as part of a widening FBI probe.

Appearing on ABC's "This Week" on Sunday morning, Kellyanne Conway, counselor to the president, struck a combative tone, saying: "It's the Obama administration that was responsible for doing absolutely nothing from August to January with the knowledge that Russia was hacking into our election. They did absolutely nothing. They're responsible for this."

Then, referring to a Washington Post story last week that chronicled in detail the intense debate within the Obama White House on how to handle the mounting threat posed by Russia to the United States's democratic process, she said: "I have a hacking question for the Obama administration: Why did you, quote, choke, in the name of one of their senior administration officials? Why did you do nothing? Why didn't you inform candidate Trump?"

Conway was referring to a quotation in the article by a former senior Obama administration official involved in the Russia discussions who said the Obama White House's handling of the Russia hacking was "the hardest thing" for him to defend from his time in government, and added, "I feel like we sort of choked."

Conway's comments echoed a tweet sent Friday by Trump, who called on the media after the Post report to shift their focus from him to the previous White House. "Since the Obama Administration was told way before the 2016 Election that the Russians were meddling, why no action?" he wrote.

Conway echoed that criticism.

"I know you thought Hillary would win, but how could you not reveal important information about Russia hacking?" she said. "When the president found out about it in January, as president, he said it was a disgrace. He believes Russia was behind it, but he thinks other people hacked, too."

She concluded: "I think the previous administration has a lot of questions to answer given this Russian obsession by everyone."

Sen. Charles E. Schumer, D-N.Y., the Democratic minority leader, rejected Conway's remarks in an interview immediately after hers on the show, noting that the Obama administration is "no longer in charge" and calling on the White House to support a bipartisan Senate bill that imposes additional sanctions on Russia and Iran. The White House is currently lobbying against the bill.

"Now, Donald Trump seems to be opposing that," Schumer said. " The American people are scratching their heads. Knowing his relationship with Putin, they're saying why the heck is he opposing strengthening sanctions?"

Although the bill is currently stalled in Congress, Schumer said he hopes House Speaker Paul D. Ryan, R-Wis., will help push it through, and he added that if the president vetoes it, he believes Democrats and Republicans will override the veto.

"So the bottom line is if Donald Trump wants to do something about Russia and Russian meddling, better than just saying Obama didn't do enough, support our sanction bill," Schumer said.

Conway - who reiterated the president's previous statement that while he believes Russia was involved in 2016 meddling, "others are hacking, too" - also said that the president's commission on electoral integrity, which Vice President Mike Pence is chairing, is part of the administration's effort to respond to the Russia threat and that the White House is taking other steps, as well.

"He signed very early on a cybersecurity executive order and has an entire task force, they met just this week, and it's headed up by his homeland security adviser, taking into account what foreign governments may be doing," she said. "That goes for Russia or anybody else who wants to interfere in our democracy."

Pence's electoral integrity commission, Conway added, has 10 members and plans to issue a report addressing "everything from voter fraud here domestically to possible hacking by foreign governments."

"He takes very seriously integrity at the ballot box in all of its forms," she said.
A flash flood warning has been issued for the Houston area until 6:45 a.m. after storms hit the area Sunday morning.

The National Weather Service issued the warning for Central Harris County as gauges at some locations showed 2 inches of rain per hour.
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Six more people have come forward describing similar experiences of alleged sexual assault at the hands of a West Texas doctor who was indicted earlier this month on a felony sexual assault charge, according to court and police officials.

Texas Medical Board records show Dr. Mohsin Syeds medical license was suspended on June 15 after being arrested in Midland on June 1.

The website states the accusation of sexual assault stemmed from a December 2016 incident where Syed allegedly sexually assaulted a patient during an office visit.

RELATED: Witnesses: Burning man jumped from bridge near Morgan's Wonderland

Earlier this week, Syed had a hearing with the Midland County District Attorneys Office asking for his passport to be reinstated after being withheld by the court following his arrest, said district attorney Laura Nodolf.

She said Syed, who is originally from Pakistan, wanted to go visit his mother in Canada for her 75th birthday. But the court denied his request after more victims came forward with accusations.

CBS7 reported that an indictment issued against Syed stated he used his finger to sexually assault a woman during an office visit.

RELATED: Third teen arrested in shooting death of New Braunfels 17-year-old

Midland police and city of Midland spokeswoman Sara Bustilloz said in an interview with mySA.com that Syed was one of several developers who were trying to establish a piano bar in the Midland area. Following his arrest, the city pulled further actions for the bar from their agenda.

Since more victims have allegedly come forward with accusations of behavior similar to the initial case, Bustilloz said anyone with information regarding alleged misconduct by Syed should reach out to the Midland Police Department at 432-685-7108 and ask for Det. Alonzo.

Text "NEWS" to 77453 for breaking news alerts from mySA.com

twhite@mysa.com

Twitter: @tylerlwhite
Rural areas have been in transition for years. Throughout most of the 20th century, small towns located away from growing metropolitan areas have generally lost population. In large measure, this has been due to the systematic mechanization of farming. Fewer people working on farms means fewer people living in or near the small towns that used to thrive.

Recently, however, rural America has glimpsed the prospect for a turnaround. Based on our work in rural areas, we find that many people who grew up in a small town would like to return. However, the options may be limited. The future of rural America lies in the hands of young men and women who live in Americas small towns and want to be involved in creating the future.

Rural economies face significant challenges. Funding for infrastructure often remains problematic. Key infrastructure such as water, wastewater treatment and health care must be developed if rural areas hope to attract residents, visitors and new businesses. Closing the digital divide in rural areas is critical to revitalizing and stabilizing their economies.

Says the Federal Communication Commission: Like electricity a century ago, broadband is a foundation for economic growth, job creation, global competitiveness and a better way of life. It is enabling entire new industries and unlocking vast new possibilities for existing ones. It is changing how we educate children, deliver health care, manage energy, ensure public safety, engage government, and access, organize and disseminate knowledge.

High Ground of Texas has shown how a group of more than 60 rural counties can take a regional approach to creating jobs and increasing their regions tax base. Its approach has helped it market its region and boost business retention, expansion and recruitment efforts in manufacturing, energy, food processing, aerospace and aviation, distribution, agriculture and technology.

Texas is poised to be at a disadvantage due to relatively low educational attainment of its children. Importing talent to the state is not a long-term solution. To reverse low educational attainment, youth programs such as the FFA Agriculture Magnet Program, 4-H, Ogallala Commons and Pioneer Youth Leadership are tackling these issues in rural schools and seeing measurable results.

Beyond education, some of the best opportunities for growth will likely be in agriculture, oil and gas, manufacturing and tourism (cultural/historical, recreational and ecotourism). Texas leads the nation in cattle, cotton, hay, sheep, goats and mohair production, and its economic impact on the food and fiber sector totals more than $100 billion annually. Combining agriculture and manufacturing may be particularly promising for rural businesses.

Every June, a conference in Waco takes on the challenges faced by rural Texans. The conference, known as the Texas Rural Challenge, is the perfect platform for rural residents and leaders to sit at the table and exchange ideas about the future of their communities.

The solution to making rural Texas more competitive and sustainable will involve engaging youth, utilizing a regional approach to identify and develop emerging industries, and applying innovative and strategic public and private sector partnerships to develop a skilled rural labor force.

For too long, rural Texas has been either an afterthought or ignored altogether as Texas has transitioned from a rural state to an urban state. Yet agriculture preserves the sustenance and posterity of a nation. Its time to put a stake in the ground. Rural and urban stakeholders and policy makers need to band together to develop innovative, integrative approaches to address current challenges and convert them into opportunities.

Dr. Thomas Tunstall is senior research director for the Institute for Economic Development at the University of Texas at San Antonio. Gil Gonzalez is director for the SBDC Rural Business Program at the Institute for Economic Development at the University of Texas at San Antonio.
The first skirmish in the legal battle against the most anti-law enforcement and anti-immigrant law in the country begins today.

My colleagues and I at the ACLU will argue before the federal district court in San Antonio that Texas patently unconstitutional Senate Bill 4 prevents our clients  the city of El Cenizo and its mayor, Raul Reyes, and Maverick County and its elected officials  from protecting their communities effectively, and infringes on the rights and liberties of our clients at Texas LULAC.

We are seeking to block SB 4 from taking effect Sept. 1 as scheduled.

The First Amendment is unyielding in its protection of the expression of opinions, yet SB 4 ignores that protection and punishes any local official who refuses to endorse it.

The due process clause of the Fifth and 14th amendments requires that a law be explicit in what it allows and what it prohibits. But SB 4 is so vaguely written and so broad in scope that law enforcement agencies are left to guess, and failing to guess correctly can lead to removal from office, jail time and fines of up to $25,500 per day.

The Fourth Amendment prohibits detaining anyone without probable cause or a warrant signed by a judge. But the ICE detainer requests  which SB 4 requires local governments to honor  fail to meet those standards and would lead to unconstitutional detentions.

But SB 4s constitutional failings are still not as insidious as the devastating effect this misguided law will have on Texas communities. Both the senator who authored the bill and Gov. Greg Abbott who signed it expect us to believe that SB 4 is necessary because Texas law enforcement leaders cannot be trusted to uphold the law. But their disingenuous justification ignores the accounts of community members, the pleas from law enforcement chiefs, and all available evidence, all of which demonstrate that SB 4 will make Texas less safe, not more.

The sheriffs and police chiefs of Texas are not pro-crime, but they are in favor of effectively protecting the communities where they live and serve. Indeed, so many of them oppose SB 4 precisely because it will compromise their ability to defend their residents constitutional rights and will erode the trust theyve built with their communities. With SB 4 enforced as written, patients will fear traveling to clinics. Children will fear traveling to school. Victims of crime will fear coming forward. Witnesses will hold their tongues.

SB 4 will also subject countless Texans  whether citizens or not  to racial and ethnic profiling because of the clothes theyre wearing, the language theyre speaking, or simply because they look like theyre not from around here. In fact, its already happening; recently state Rep. Matt Rinaldi felt emboldened enough to alert ICE to a group of peaceful protesters at the Capitol, based on nothing other than his perception that they were illegal.

Racial discrimination against Latinos will manifest in more than subtle forms, resulting in roundups, arrests, unlawful detentions and mistreatment.

And finally, SB 4 will compel every peace officer in the state to serve the will of the federal government. And this from a governor who has sued the federal government 48 times for overreach.

For these reasons and more, my ACLU team is headed to court. This is not the first time weve defended immigrants rights, and for that matter, not the first time weve defended immigrants rights in San Antonio. In fact, the ACLU of Texas cut its teeth there defending the constitutional rights of Mexican-American and immigrant pecan shellers back in 1938.

Our latest legal battle is every bit as important as our first, but SB 4 is not just another anti-immigrant law poorly masquerading as a commitment to public safety. As a person of color and the son of Mexican immigrants, Im keen to the bitter sting of discrimination and recognize SB 4 as a betrayal not only of our indispensable immigrant communities in Texas but of our commitment to equality as a nation.

Edgar Saldivar is the senior staff attorney at ACLU of Texas.
Motor-mouth Norton legislator Themba Mliswa has said Zimbabweans who disapprove the leadership of President Emmerson Mnangagwa could be going against Gods will as the 77-year-old was put there by God.

Mliswa praised Mnangagwa and his wife Auxillia, who are congregants of the Methodist Church in Zimbabwe, for embracing other churches after they attended the 49th edition of the ZAOGA FIF Ministries International Pastors conference in Glen View 7, Sunday 26 January.

(President Mnangagwa and) the First Lady are from the Methodist Church in (Zimbabwe). Im happy that they are able to embrace other churches showing he is the leader of the nation. We might not like him as President but the Bible says they are put there by God and so we cant go against Gods will, said Mliswa in comments posted on his Twitter handle.

https://twitter.com/TembaMliswa/status/1221463576117940224?s=20

Although he won the Norton seat as an independent candidate in 2018, Mliswa has publicly sided with Mnangagwa at various platforms.

In his address, Mnangagwa said Zimbabweans are a peace-loving lot and denounced violence.

 ZW

Breaking News via Email
Nickel Chikwanda from village 15B Chamanhure who was caught pants down with his brothers 12-year-old daughter has been sentenced to 16 years in prison.

Chikwanda rap_ed the girl on several occasions after he initially enticed her by promising her some zap nax.

Chikwada appeared before Magistrate Patience Madondo.

The court which was also attended by The Mirror was told that the complainants mother used to entrust her daughter with the accused to the extent that she would send her to assist Chikwanda with household chores including washing plates.

It is on one of these missions that the accused promised to buy the complainant some zap nax and had se_x with her. He then had se_x with the complainant on several other occasions before he was caught.

On the fateful day, March 12 this year, the accused was tasked to escort the complainant to her grandmothers house because it was dark. The accused diverted the route and took the complainant to his house and had se_xual intercourse with her. He then asked the complainant to spend the night with him.

At around 7pm a call was made to the grandmother to confirm if the complainant had arrived safely. The grandmother responded negatively and some relatives went and checked at the accuseds house.

One of the relatives knocked on Chikwandas bedroom and the accused took time to respond and the relatives peeped through the window only to see the two nak_ed.

The matter was reported to Police after the girl narrated everything that was happening.

Liberty Hove prosecuted.

Three years were suspended on condition that he does not commit a similar offence for the next five years.

 Mirror

Breaking News via Email
Bats, Beetles, Butterflies And Other Pollinators That Arent Bees (and How to Attract Them) Modern Farmer

ECB confirms two struggling Italian banks will close FT

Kentuckys Hedge Funder Governor Keeps State Money In Secretive Hedge Funds HuffPo. What could go wrong?

Governor candidate Biss is a traitor, say private-equity investors Crains Business Review

Block Amazon Houston Chronicle

It Takes an Army to Feed the Worlds Amazon Addiction Bloomberg

Amazons Move Signals End of Line for Many Cashiers NYT

Uber and Tesla are showing ominous signs that the era of auto disruption may be about to come to an abrupt end Business Insider

From Music to Maps, How Apples iPhone Changed Business WSJ

Warren Buffett cannot soothe nerves over Canadas housing market FT

The Secret Lives of Playlists Watt

Brexit

Five London towers evacuated over fire safety concerns France24

Why Grenfell Tower Burned: Regulators Put Cost Before Safety NYT

Arconic knowingly supplied flammable panels for use in tower: emails Reuters

Another world is possible, Corbyn tells Glastonbury  video Guardian

Syraqistan

China?

Philippines leads as the most emotional country in Asia Asian Correspondent

India

Democrats in Disarray

Jane Sanders Lawyers Up Politico

Youll Never Believe This, but Republicans are Starting a Bernie Sanders Witch Hunt Paste. No problem. Im sure Democrats will come to Sanders defense.

Anthony Kennedy retirement watch at a fever pitch CNN

New Cold War

Facebook and Twitter are being used to manipulate public opinion  report Guardian. This is precious:

The researchers found that in the US this took the form of what Samuel Woolley, the projects director of research, calls manufacturing consensus  creating the illusion of popularity so that a political candidate can have viability where they might not have had it before

Manufacturing consensus. That reminds me of something

Trump Transition

Layoffs announced at Boeing plant Trump visited The Hill.

Health Care

Please Kill Me Now

Facebook founder Zuckerberg tours a few of Iowas small towns Des Moines Register

A Presumption of Guilt NYRB

Class Warfare

Great video essay on John Carpenters They Live Boing Boing. Worth watching; it turns out that the premise of the movie is technically the same as Gibsons Virtual Light, but Gibson denatures the political content. A Declaration of Urban Independence Richard Florida, Politico. Please. It wasnt the flyover states that crashed the economy. Or sent out the foreclosure notices. Heres Thomas Frank on intellectual entrepreneur Floridas last scam: the creative class. I wish Frank would do a similar takedown of Floridas current one.

No One Has the Data to Prevent the Next Flint WIRED (Re Silc).

In Defense of Net Neutrality Tim Berners-Lee, WSJ

LePage signs food sovereignty law, the first of its kind in the nation Bangor Daily News

Antidote du jour (j84ustin):

Justin writes:

This is a photo of Leo I took while he was taking a nap. I had to let him go last Friday at the age of 16. We had been together since he was 3 and I was 19. Its hard to believe that my companion of the last 13 years is gone, but he was a wonderful friend that is remembered by

many.

See yesterdays Links and Antidote du Jour here.
(Natural News) The city of Philadelphia has reached an agreement with Conrail to begin a clean-up drive on a notorious half-mile stretch of train tracks, commonly known as El Campamento or The Tracks, that is littered with about half a million used syringes and piles of trash that has made the area a heroin hellscape. The are is situated in Philadelphias Fairhill-West Kensington neighborhood.

The railroad stretch was frequented by drug addicts who were known to converge in the area following their transactions with the surrounding open-air drug market. Residents in the area have notably diminished quality of life, largely due in part to the ongoing heroin trade.

Id be remiss if I didnt say that, for them, this announcement is long overdue. They deserved faster action from all of us standing up here today. Over the years, thousands of addicts and drug dealers have used this property as an open-air drug market, and the community has been subjected to the public health problems, crime, and negative impact to quality of life, Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney said in NBCPhiladelphia.com.

Pennsylvania Rep. Robert Brady was touted to be the main driver for the agreement between the city and the railroad company that owns the notorious property. I am pleased today that an agreement was reached that will end what really has been a drug hell that has lasted too long in a city neighborhood, Brady told USNews.com. We had to decide who was going to clean what, all that hazmat kind of stuff. It had to be more than just clean up and walk away. But we got it done, and its a long-term thing, Brady said in a separate statement in Philly.com.

Part of the train tracks located on land owned by Conrail serves as an encampment to about 75 heroin-addicted people who have put up plywood shacks that resemble a hospital where a certain doctor assists otherwise squeamish drug addicts in injecting heroin and fentanyl into their systems. The area, which has been recently labeled Hell on Earth by renowned health expert Dr. Mehmet Oz, gained national attention for its significantly high rates of opioid-related deaths. According to the Philadelphia health department, 907 people suffered fatal drug overdose in the city in 2016 alone. More than 80 percent of drug overdose cases were associated with opioid overuse.

Details of the Philadelphia-Conrail agreement

The new deal entailed more than seven months of negotiations before coming up with an agreement between Philadelphia and Conrail. Under the agreement, Philadelphia will provide housing and drug addiction services to people living in the area. The city is also slated to carry out quality-of-life improvements in the surrounding areas.

On the other hand, Conrail has agreed to rid the area of vegetation in order to create clear sight lines from street level. Conrail has also agreed to clear the area of trash, used needles, and dumped debris. In addition, fencing will be erected to discourage trespassing. Furthermore, the deal will employ more police officers in the area. The city and the railroad company are slated to commence with the clean-up next month.

Philadelphias Licenses and Inspections department has already doled out $600,000 to seal dozens of vacant buildings in the area. On the other hand, the citys Streets Department spent another $230,000 to upgrade street lighting. The city is expected to haul between 30 to 40 tons of illegally-dumped trash from the area on a monthly basis.

In addition to the clean-up drive, the site is expected to be converted into a parking lot that will serve a new 50-unit senior housing complex. HACE is slated to develop the housing complex, called Casa Indiana, located at the Second and Indiana Streets.

Sources include:

Philly.com

USNews.com

NBCPhiladelphia.com
Perhaps you cut your plans short on Saturday night, in order to return home and spend time measuring some wall space for a rare map.

Or maybe you spent a good chunk of the weekend at the lighting store, searching for the perfect bulbs to illuminate the treasure you hope to soon score.

Or you could simply be a Disneyland fan looking to enjoy the thrill of a big, rarity-packed auction, even if you don't, in the end, bid on anything.

Whatever route you take to the Walt Disney's Disneyland auction, whether you're at the Van Eaton Galleries in Sherman Oaks in person on June 25, or whether you're following along online, is as sweet as a churro.

It's certainly a gavel-swinger that's attracting a lot of attention, here in Southern California and beyond. And, yes, Disney auctions do garner the spotlight, it is true, but the 1953 hand-drawn map of Disneyland Park, which was created over a weekend by Walt Disney and artist Herb Ryman, is understandably making headlines.

The map was, after all, created to help attract financing for the attraction-filled destination, back when it was pretty much just a dream of Mr. Disney's, and nothing concrete. No doubt the important artifact will draw eager bidders, and top dollar, too: The standing bid, just a few hours ahead of the auction's opening, is $500,000.

If the early Disneyland map is slightly out of your budget, note that the auction brims with other quirky and nostalgic treasures, like "original props, wardrobe, ride vehicles, and souvenirs."

You might soon own a Disneyland construction hard hat from the 1960s or Minnie Mouse character shoes and bloomers.

Yes, the shoes are chunky and bright yellow and marvelously Minnie. Yes, we know you want them, possibly to display, maybe to wear.

And are you blue over the fact that you can't find any of your old E tickets? There are complete ticket books on the block, too, from decades ago.

Happy lookie-loo-ing, Disney dreamers. May you watch it all go down live from Sherman Oaks with, fingers crossed, a churro, a pickle, or a Dole Whip in hand.
Taking a break from a customary oval track, NASCAR drivers on Sunday will navigate the 12-turn road course at Sonoma Raceway.

The green starting flag for the Toyota/Save Mart 350 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race will drop at 12 p.m. Racers will then zoom around the course 110 times in hopes of crossing the finish line first after 218.9 miles.

Points leader Kyle Larson, who won last week at Michigan, is on the pole for Sunday's race. Kyle Busch, a two-time winner at Sonoma, will start fourth. Martin Truex Jr., the 2013 victor, is in the third position just after Jamie McMurray.

Larson won't have to worry about fending fend off last year's Toyota/Save Mart winner Tony Stewart. The three-time NASCAR Cup Series champion has retired from the NASCAR racing scene.
San Francisco Pride 2017 kicked off in a flurry of rainbows.

Millions of people are expected to trek to the City by the Bay through Sunday to celebrate and show support for the LGBTQ community.

The Pride colors were sprinkled liberally across social media  from brightly lit San Francisco City Hall, Coit Tower and Herbst Theater to a Pride flag that billowed boldly over the South San Francisco City Hall.

"It's great," first time Pride participant Jamie Burns of Davis said. "It's really awesome. There's so much love and so many people."

San Francisco Celebrates Pride

Up first was the Trans March on Friday, which started from Mission Dolores Park. The event sparked controversy during theo week when people were briefly instructed not to talk to or thank police officers along the route. The online post has since been removed.

Early Saturday, nearly 200 volunteers made their way to the north hill of Twin Peaks, while it was still blanketed by Karl the Fog. They helped set up the iconic Pink Triangle, which every year honors gay people who were persecuted and slain in Nazi Germany during World War II.

The brightly-colored symbol can be spotted from downtown San Francisco and the Castro district through Sunday.

The San Francisco Dyke March was up next at 5 p.m., also at Mission Dolores Park. A rally began around 11 a.m.

As part of San Francisco Pride, participants on Saturday gathered for the Dyke March.

All the excitement builds up to the LGBT Pride Parade, one of the largest in the world, at 10:30 a.m. Sunday. The route runs along Market Street, starting at Beale Street and ending at Eighth Street.

Longtime Pride participant Holly Wallace of Kensingston is excited to see a city buzzing with energy and love for the LGBTQ community.

"I came out 50 years ago and to see all these young people living their lives and so many thousands of us, it's amazing," she said. "It's really special."

In addition to celebrating identity and diversity, Demie Chicos of Oakland has also turned her attention to focusing on the current political climate.

"Weve gotta be out more than ever now, because were in difficult, challenging times," Chicos said.

While millions of people pack San Francisco for Pride weekend, officials are keeping a close eye on security. Thom Jensen reports.

Security was tight during San Francisco Pride in 2016 since it followed the shooting deaths of 49 people at Pulse, a gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida.

Luis Roldan, a survivor of the nightclub shooting, and Christine Leinonan, the mother of a Pulse victim, flew from Florida to San Francisco to celebrate with the LGBTQ community and show they aren't being defeated by hate crimes.

"It's not to stop my son's friends from living their lives," Leinonan said.

This year's Pride festivities follow terror attacks in the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Somalia, Iraq, Thailand, Syria and even in Flint, Michigan.

So law enforcement officials are taking no chances with people's safety. That said, "there is no specific nor credible threat to any of the events this weekend," Craig Fair, an FBI counter-terrorism expert, assured Bay Area revelers.

Attendees should expect to be screened by walk-through metal detectors or handheld "wands," according to police.

No bags larger than 18 by 18 inches will be allowed, and all bags are subject to search. There will be no storage lockers for oversized bags.

No outside alcohol will be allowed inside and possession of open containers or consumption of alcoholic beverages is prohibited on city streets. Inside the event area, alcohol will be available for purchase with valid identification.

The San Francisco Police Department will increase the number of officers stationed at the event both in uniform and plainclothes. People are also asked to trust their intuition and report any suspicious behavior.

[NATL]Rainbows Shine as Cities Across the US Celebrate Pride

Shootings and other violent incidents have occurred during a number of past Pride celebrations, including a fatal shooting at the 2010 "Pink Saturday" event in the Castro District. That event was canceled last year due to security concerns and will not be returning this year. Celebrations this year turned out to be a bit less organized as a result and there was a noticeable police presence on city streets.

"Regardless of all the violence and stuff, they want to make sure that everybody knows that the streets can still be safe," San Francisco resident Danny Osuna said.



Police this week advised those planning to attend festivities, to avoid accepting drinks from strangers or drinking and driving, to keep valuables with them rather than leaving them in the car and or elsewhere, and to stay with a group of friends when on the street or leaving bars and clubs.

Pride-goers are also strongly urged to take public transit to and from events wherever possible. Both Muni and Caltrain will provide additional service on Sunday for the parade. A slew of roads will closed during the weekend.

For more information on security screening, check out the San Francisco Pride website.

NBC Bay Area's Bob Redell, Thom Jensen and Sergio Quintana contributed to this report.
A weekend jam-packed with community events celebrating the LGBTQ community drew more than a million people and culminated Sunday with the wildly popular LGBT Pride Parade in San Francisco.

The 47th annual event, which is one of the largest in the world, kicked off at 10:30 a.m. The parade traveled along Market Street beginning at Beale Street and ending at Eighth Street. After the parade, the celebration continued with a rally chock-full of inspirational speakers and performers at Civic Center Plaza from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

San Francisco Celebrates Pride

While promoting identity and diversity was on the forefront of many parade participants' minds, there was also an added spotlight on legal protections for the gay community and staunch resistance to the policies flowing from the Trump administration.

Chanting while marching along Market Street, folks flashed signs reading "Drive Out Trump/Pence Fascist Regime!" and yelled "45 has got to go," which refers to President Donald Trump, the 45th commander in chief of the United States.

Political dignitaries were among those who appeared and spoke at the rally.

"This is love, and this is joy, and this is happiness," Rep. Jackie Speier said. "This is what America should be about, not hatred, which is spewing out of the White House right now."

Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom added: "We're not about division. We're about inclusion, and we're about celebrating our differences."

And finally, Mayor Ed Lee chimed in: "Everybody is very mindful; they're ready to fight for their rights and be anti-discriminatory and be the beacon for the rest of the country. This is San Francisco. Everybody is proud to be here."

Some other partygoers celebrating gay pride held signs Sunday that read "No Ban, No Wall, Welcome Sisters and Brothers'' while they danced to electronic music at a stage near San Francisco's City Hall.

Frank Reyes and his husband Paul Brady said they decided to march for the first time in many years because they feel need to stand up for their rights.

Brady says things are changing quickly and "we need to be as visible as possible.''

With millions of people traveling to the city by the bay this weekend for Pride festivities, officials beefed up security to protect those celebrating. Law enforcement officials are reminding Pride participants to trust their intuition and report any suspicious behavior.

The number of uniform and plainclothes officers was high Sunday, and participants at the rally were screened at security checkpoints via metal detectors or wands. Large bags, alcohol, illegal substances, weapons, coolers and fireworks are just some of the many prohibited items.

The security efforts came on the heels of several recent terror-related attacks across Europe and the deadly 2016 shooting at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Florida.

[NATL]Rainbows Shine as Cities Across the US Celebrate Pride

Prior to Sunday's parade and rally, San Francisco Pride featured a Trans March Friday, the creation of the iconic Pink Triangle Saturday and the San Francisco Dyke March, which also occurred Saturday. There were also a host of parties across the city into the late-night hours, but the "Pink Saturday" event was called off for the second-straight year because of security concerns.

Pride attendees are strongly encouraged to utilize public transportation when it comes to heading to and leaving the parade. A number of roads will be blocked off during the weekend.

BART added more and longer trains to its service to accommodate the large crowds, according to the transportation agency. BART riders were asked to purchase round-trip tickets or use pre-loaded tickets to ease congestion inside stations.

For more information regarding the parade, visit the parade website.

The Associated Press contributed this report.
Hundreds of people on Saturday packed the Samoan Assembly of God in San Francisco to pay their final respects to slain UPS worker Mike Lefiti.

Lefiti, who is known to almost everyone as "Big Mike," and two other UPS workers were killed on June 14 at a UPS facility in San Francisco when a fellow colleague opened fire before turning the gun on himself.

"This death took me by surprise because when I heard about it, the first thing I said was I hope thats not where Mike worked," a loved one of Lefiti said during Saturday's service. "Went through the day not hearing nothing."

One of the victims of the UPS shooting Wednesday in San Francisco was a 46-year-old man named Mike Lefiti, NBC Bay Area learned Wednesday. Scott Budman reports.

When news broke that Lefiti was one of the victims, family and community members recounted fond memories of the 46-year-old father of five and Hercules resident.

Lefiti was described by some as having the ability to put a smile on anyone's face at any given time, and despite his large and intimidating physique, he was "just a huge teddy bear," a person on his delivery route said. Lefiti's death prompted those he delivered packages to in the Diamond Heights neighborhood to construct a makeshift memorial in his honor.

His death also challenged others to cherish time with those closest to them.

"Check in with your loved ones," a funeral attendee said. "You never know what's going to happen. So whether it be a text message, a phone call, FaceTime, you got so many avenues to say 'I love you' to somebody. Do it, because you may not get that chance again."

Lefiti was laid to rest at Cypress Lawn Memorial Park in Colma.
A New Fairfield man was killed in a crash on Interstate 84 in Bethel overnight.

Connecticut State Police said 27-year-old Kurtis Liska was driving on I-84 west near exit 8 early Sunday when the car drifted into the right shoulder and struck a trailer that was parked on the side of the highway.

Liska was rushed to Danbury Hospital but died of his injuries.

The occupants of the other vehicle were not injured.

The crash remains under investigation. Anyone with information can call Troop A at 203-267-2200.
George Coke Jr.'s goodbye took longer than most. On Saturday the Navy veteran was laid to rest in his hometown of Arlington Texas, more than 75 years after he was killed in the attack on Pearl Harbor.

"I never held a funeral service for somebody that died before I was born," Reverent David Mosser of the First United Methodist Church in Arlington told the congregation that gathered for Coke's funeral. "I would say we're here to do important work, which is to remember."

Coke was born in Arlington. He was remembered as a natural athlete with a natural smile, good humor, and mischievous.

"He had his problems like the rest of us," Arlington High School classmate Doland Maner said. "He spent his time in the principal's office, just like the rest of us."

Coke graduated high school early so he could join the Navy in 1941. He was 18-years old, stationed on the U.S.S. Oklahoma in Pearl Harbor when the Japanese attacked. Coke was killed.

"I know that he would have fought the damage," said Rear Admiral Doug Beale at Coke's funeral. "He would have done his duty and gone down swinging."

Coke's remains were unidentified until this year. A DNA sample from a great nephew helped identify the sailor and bring him home, decades after he left.

"Seaman Coke, we are grateful for your service, we are grateful for your sacrifice, we are glad that you have returned to Arlington to be home," Beale said.

Coke was buried with full military honors at Parkdale Cemetery in Arlington, next to his parents. His gravestone has been there for decades waiting for him.

The flag from his coffin was given to a great nephew whose DNA helped identify the sailor and bring him home.
A runaway Texas teenager and her fugitive boyfriend could be heading to Fort Myers together, according to authorities.

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement is asking the public to be on the lookout for 15-year-old Stormie Clemmer of Alpine, Texas and her boyfriend 20-year-old Andrew Akers. FDLE says the pair could be traveling to the Fort Myers area.

Clemmer ran away from her Texas home on Thursday with Akers.

Authorities believe the pair maybe traveling in a black 2000 Ford Ranger extended cab pickup truck with a temporary Ohio license plate, fender flares and five-spoke chrome ribs.

Clemmer is about 5 feet, 7 inches tall with brown hair and green eyes. An arrest warrant has been issued for Akers.

If you have information about their whereabouts, please call 911.
President Donald Trump appeared to acknowledge Russian meddling in the presidential election on Twitter Friday, attacking former President Barack Obama.

"Just out," Trump tweeted, "The Obama Administration knew far in advance of November 8th about election meddling by Russia. Did nothing about it. WHY?"

Trump may have been referencing a Washington Post report that the CIA had confirmed Russian President Vladimir Putins direct influence on his government's alleged interference in the 2016 election.

Trump on Saturday tried to shift the attention on the Obama administration for Russian interference. "Focus on them, not T!" the president tweeted.


Residents and survivors of a West Philadelphia bombing that killed 11 people, including five children, in 1985 gathered near Cobbs Creek Parkway and Osage Avenue Saturday afternoon to commemorate the solemn occasion.

The bombing by Pennsylvania State Police against members of the MOVE activist group destroyed 61 homes at the time, and continues to define a marginalized section of the city.

Those who gathered for the unveiling of a temporary marker called for greater social justice and a demand that the city acknowledge what happened 32 years ago.

MOVE, short for The Movement, started in the late 1960s as a backlash to modernity. Members changed their last names to Africa - as a symbol of returning to their origins - and swore off modern conveniences. They also followed a strict 800-page manifesto and homeschooled their children.

By the 1970s, MOVE and Philadelphia police developed a contentious, and sometimes violent, relationship. MOVE members claimed they were regularly harassed, and police considered them a public nuisance, BillyPenn reported. By then the group had graduated to building their own explosives and were under investigation by the FBI.

MOVE was kicked out of its initial commune, which was located in Poweltown Village, and relocated to the 6200 block of Osage Avenue in 1980. Five years later on May 13, police barricaded the home and demanded the groups immediate removal. Shots were fired, tear gas thrown. Later in the day, a helicopter dropped a bomb on the house and killed 11 MOVE members.

One of the survivors, Ramona Africa, spoke at Saturdays dedication ceremony. She was joined by students from the Jubilee School, which won a petition to create the marker.

"We are very clear on the fact that what happened ... had nothing to do with Osage residents," she said.
Santa Claus came early for some local military families. The San Diego Armed Services YMCA hosted its annual Christmas You Missed event. It recreates Christmas for military families who were separated by deployment during the holiday season.

The YMCA creates a winter wonderland, with face painting, live music, and even a special appearance from Santa.

Its so much fun! I love doing it! exclaimed 11-year-old Julia Aweh.

Julias father is in the Navy, so she is trying to enjoy the time her family has together.

This year, hes going to miss my birthday. Hes gonna miss my sisters birthday, hes going to miss my brother's birthday. We just hope to call him and check with him to see if hes okay, said Julia.

Besides missing holidays, service members commonly miss other special occasions.

U.S. Marine Corps Drill Instructor Kenny Soria, was deployed in Afghanistan, when his son, Kenny, Jr. was born.

His favorite character right now is Pikachu. He loves Pokemon, said Soria, as his son got his face painted.

San Diego has the nations largest concentration of military personnel. There are more than 100,000 active duty service members in the county.
Health officials at Harvard University say there are two confirmed cases of mumps at the school.

According to Dr. Paul Barreira, Director of Harvard University Health Services, the two cases were confirmed on Thursday.

Those infected have not been identified but Harvard officials said one person has a connection to the BioLabs complex.

"Colleagues who have been in that facility recently are urged to take special note of this alert, though it is of importance to our whole community," said Leslie Kirwan, FAS Dean for Administration and Finance, in an email.

The letter sent by Barreira stated that individuals who have previously had mumps are considered immune to the virus. Those who have been vaccinated for mumps, however, can still contract the infection.

"If you are experiencing any symptoms of mumps  facial swelling, jaw pain, earache, or testicular swelling  or if you think you may have been exposed, we advise you to refrain from public activities, avoid travel and public transportation, and contact Harvard University Health Services or your primary care provider to be evaluated," said Barreira.

The state Department of Public Health and the Boston Public Health Commission are investigating the origin of the infections.
Artifacts connected to some of the nation's most notorious gangsters have sold for more than $100,000 at an auction house.

The Boston-based RR Auction says a diamond pocket watch that belonged to Al Capone fetched the most - $84,375 - at the auction Saturday in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

One person in the small ballroom during the auction process was Buddy Barrow - nephew of Clyde Barrow, of Bonnie and Clyde bank robber fame.

"My dad was LC Barrow, Clyde's little brother," he said.

Barrow was joined by Ray Lin Lender - the niece of Bonnie Parker - and the granddaughter of the Dallas County sheriff who lead the charge to arrest the famed outlaw couple.

The three families, brought together for the first time since Parker and Barrow's notorious crime spree, were thrilled by the items and their success at auction.

"[This is] so different from our typical lives," said Lender. "So it has been very fun."

In addition to the sale of his watch, a handwritten musical composition by Capone went for $18,750.

The musical piece, "Humoresque," shows Capone's softer side. Written when Capone was in Alcatraz in the 1930s, it contains the lines: "You thrill and fill this heart of mine, with gladness like a soothing symphony, over the air, you gently float, and in my soul, you strike a note."

An autographed "So Long'' letter from Bonnie and Clyde sold for $16,250. Parker's three-headed snake ring fetched $25,000.

A letter written by John Gotti didn't sell.
A group of Massachusetts friends made a disturbing discovery over the weekend while cleaning a local playground.

Sam Balto said the group went to the Gertrude Howes Playground on Moreland Street in Roxbury on Friday and Saturday and discovered about four dozen hypodermic needles laying in various areas.

"Broken glass. Litter. Clothing," said Nadine Riggs of the stray items they found at the park. "I think our biggest challenge was finding needles. Finding needles with caps on and caps off."

Some people made a statement out of the discovery, spelling out "Marty" in needles - calling for Boston Mayor Marty Walsh to take action.

After calling Boston Police, the city's Mobile Sharps Team was notified and began the process of cleaning up the area.

Balto, who is a teacher, said, "I mean, my students play here so I'm here to make it safe for them to run around and play."

Neighborhood parents said that, in the past, they've just told their children to avoid the rocky area of the park, because that's where most of the drug use happens.

Laura Oggeri, a spokesperson for Walsh's office, said in a statement that, as part of the FY18 budget, the city has proposed making a bigger investment in the Mobile Sharps Team.

"The $3.15 billion budget proposal represents an increase of $148.5 million, or 5 percent, over the FY17 budget, and follows 27 City Council hearings that identified opportunities for further targeted investments, while still balancing sustainability and fiscal responsibility," Oggeri said in a statement.

The budget would include doubling the capacity of the Mobile Sharps Team to pick up more improperly discarded hypodermic needles.

Last year, more than 20,000 needles were collected by the team throughout Boston.
Police responded to a house in Milford, Massachusetts on Saturday, according to authorities.

Neighbors said a man who lived in the Columbus Avenue home died within the last few days. He was described as a loner who kept to himself. They also said that a loud "boom" came from the house sometime over the past week.

"What do you make of that?" asked neighbor Sue Esteves. "It's scary because you don't know if it's gunshots. We have children - lots of children live in the neighborhood and I have a daughter myself. It's scary."

While a Worcester County DA spokesperson said they were potentially looking for "something dangerous," it's unclear if anything was found.

The police presence was cleared from the area by 11 p.m. Saturday and the road is open for travel.
Police arrested eight protesters in Sandisfield, Massachusetts after they refused to leave a restricted area at the site of a pipeline project on Saturday.

Dave Procopio, director of media relations for the Massachusetts State Police, said that the arrests were made without incident.

The eight demonstrators were part of a larger group who were at the Kinder Morgan pipeline extension site whom police approached for trespassing.

The pipeline project aims to add four miles of natural gas pipeline to connect two lines that already exist.

The arrested demonstrators were brought to Berkshire House of Correction.
The U.S. Marshals Service says a woman who escaping from a police cruiser during a prisoner transport in New Hampshire has been captured.

Police say 35-year-old Tamara Ipock was being transported to a different jail when she escaped from her handcuffs at an intersection in Laconia. She was wearing her orange prison jumpsuit when she ran away Thursday, according to authorities.

Ipock was taken into custody at about 11:30 a.m. Friday in Concord. Details on her capture weren't immediately known.



Ipock has pending charges for possession of narcotics. Perkins says her last known address was in Laconia, but she has not lived in the area for several years.

Authorities had said she is nonviolent and not an active threat to the public.
At the IEEE Symposium on Security and Privacy 2017, researchers from the College of Management Academic Studies in Israel presented an interesting paper on bad password reset processes, The Password Reset MitM Attack (pdf). It explains how a weak attacker could take over accounts by exploiting vulnerabilities in password reset procedures.

They dubbed the attack: password reset man-in-the-middle (PRMitM). The researchers said Google is extremely vulnerable to PRMitM, but Facebook, Yahoo, LinkedIn, Yandex and other sites and email services are also vulnerable as well as mobile apps like Whatsapp, Snapchat and Telegram.

To pull off a password reset man-in-the-middle, an attacker only needs to setup a website that requires users to register for the site in order to access whatever bait the site is using; it might be free services, free software, or some other freebie that can only be downloaded by logging in. The registration process may ask for differing bits of basic information, but as soon as a victim enters his email address, the automated attack can begin.

The attacker goes to the specified email provider or site and starts the forgot my password process. If a CAPTHCA challenge is presented, the attacker forwards it to the victim and forwards the answer back to the site where the attacker is trying to break into an account.

The remaining security questions presented to the registering victim are the security questions which the attacker is being asked to answer during the password reset procedure. The attacker forwards the asked security questions to the victim and then forwards the victims answers back to the site where he initiated a password reset.

Some sites use answers to security questions for a password reset, so in one experiment, the researchers asked participants to register on a website and to give their mothers maiden name as a security question. Nearly 77 percent went ahead and handed over the real answer to a low-importance website. Since it is a bit like handing over the keys to your digital kingdom, it is better to give the correct answer to security questions such as mothers maiden name only to highly important sites (think banking). As long as you can remember what you answered, it is better security to not answer truthfullyand not to use that same exact answer on other sites.

PRMitM can defeat 2FA

PRMitM can defeat two-factor authentication. In this scenario, an attacker doesnt need to trick a wireless provider into porting a phone number to a different mobile device under his control. If the victims account which the attacker is trying to take over requires authentication (2FA) via mobile device, the attackers site will ask for the victims phone number during registration. The attacker will then claim to have sent a code which the victim needs to enter, but it is really the code the attacker is being asked to provide during the password reset procedure.

You would think a victim would notice the security code sent to her phone is the verification code for a different service, but not sites identify themselves when sending SMS. The code might just come from a phone number without indicating which service sent it. Other times, users might not be paying enough attention to the sender; if they are waiting on a code, they might enter it as soon as it is received instead of actually reading the full message.

The researchers found that Google, for example, sends a code saying it is a Google verification code, but does not say it is for a password reset. Netflix sends a verification code without identifying it came from Netflix, just showing the number from where it sent. eBay sends a PIN without indicating it is from eBay. Microsoft, Facebook and Twitter indicate in the SMS that it is an account password reset code.

PRMitM vulnerabilities in Whatsapp, Snapchat and Telegram

The researchers found similar password reset vulnerabilities in messaging apps when it comes to SMS messages sent during a password reset. Whatsapp, Snapchat and Telegram also offer a phone call method for a password reset. However, the researchers noted, In the phone calls of Whatsapp, Snapchat and Telegram, there is neither indication to the source of the call nor explanation about the meaning of the received code nor warning about not giving away the code.

The researchers present numerous countermeasures and guidelines which would help protect against PRMitM attacks. The suggested rules and recommendations can be used by vulnerable sites to improve password reset procedures.

As for the vulnerable vendors identified in the paper, the researchers said they reported their findings to each.
Robert Sandilands pupils bring the house down with an evening of musical entertainment

PUPILS at Newburys Robert Sandilands Primary School showed they really do have the X Factor by putting on a sell-out concert in front of classmates, parents and members of the local community.

The popstars-in-the-making sang a medley of songs in front of a packed audience at Trinity School in Newbury as part of a special musical project.

The concert was the grand finale of a four-day workshop with education charity Pop UK, during which pupils learned a range of specially-written songs before recording a CD  and finally putting on the concert.

Clare Lancaster, of Pop UK, said: It was absolutely amazing. There was such a buzz that builds throughout the week and you could see the children coming out of their shells.

They did really well performing in the concert

The whole audience were singing and dancing.

The charity works with schools across the country, and Robert Sandilands was the first school in West Berkshire to take part in the workshops.

Each song is written to teach the pupils life lessons and support their emotional wellbeing, with teachers and staff members also encouraged to join in.

Ms Lancaster added: The whole ethos is using music to teach everyday values like courage and being strong. Kids these days with the pressure of social media and image  its difficult.

We teach them songs which are a lot of fun, but each song has a message.

More than 200 people packed into Trinity School hall to watch the pupils perform seven songs at the end of May with the musical medley hailed as a complete success.

Headteacher at Robert Sandilands, Richard Blofeld, thanked Trinity School for allowing the concert to be held in their hall, adding: It was fantastic to get everyone involved with minimal cost to the school.

The kids absolutely loved it.

Ive been in education for 56 years and I think it was the best school event Ive been involved in.

For more information on Pop UK visit http://www.popuk.org/
Council triggers legal process to prevent 100 new homes

HUNGERFORD Town Council has officially started the process of launching a legal challenge to West Berkshire Councils housing allocation Development Plan Document (DPD).

A judicial review is the nuclear option in the battle to prevent 100 new homes being built on land south of Priory Road.

But it is the only remaining weapon in the arsenal for opponents of the proposed development.

An alternative strategy  having the issue called in by the Secretary of State  has been torpedoed.

John Oakes, a senior planning officer with the National Planning Casework Unit, which handles such matters for the Government, said he was content that the issue should be dealt with by the local planning authority.

On Monday night, June 19, an extraordinary meeting of the full town council met to debate the potential costs of a judicial review.

Councillor Richard Hudson gave a verbal update on the process, but warned: If we press the button it could be very expensive, especially if we lose and have to pay the other sides costs.

The town council could potentially face a bill of up to 35,000, the meeting heard.

A judicial review would challenge the legality of the DPD on the grounds that exceptional circumstances for building in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) had not been made out as required.

In addition, the meeting heard, the application had started with a five-hectare plot which had subsequently grown to more than seven hectares, apparently without proper scrutiny.

Mr Hudson warned: If West Berkshire (council) feel they can get away with this, it creates a precedent for other locations in the AONB.

District councillor James Podger (Con, Hungerford), who initially objected to the application because he felt there were better options available, sent a statement to the meeting in which he said: The DPD document is well reasoned and the case for development to the south of Hungerford, including the traffic impact assessment, when read in full, is convincing.

The town councils preferred sites within the town boundary are fatally flawed and would not negate any traffic issues in the High Street.

Wherever additional housing is sited in Hungerford, there would be an increase in traffic.

He said he believed any legal challenge would be unsuccessful and costly and pleaded with the town council not to waste ratepayers money on one.

Mr Podger said of the schemes opponents: Yes, they shout loudly and rightly make their views known  they have every right to protect their homes and local area. Nonetheless they are in the minority.

The majority of Hungerfordians are supportive of additional housing and accept the decision as to location, which has been through an open consultation period and borne out by the independent inspectors decision.

Ironically, Mr Podgers letter may have had the opposite effect to the one he intended.

Councillor Doris Colloff said: Based on that wonderful report from Mr Podger alone I would like to propose that, in fact, we go ahead (with a judicial review).

Councillor Carolanne Farrell said: Thats only James opinion and hes not a planning expert.

Her council colleague, David Small, disputed Mr Podgers assertion that the town was largely in favour of the development, adding, public opinion is decisively against this development, as far as I can see.

And if we get permission to go ahead it could put pressure on the other side to settle.

Several members of the public who attended the meeting offered to donate to a fighting fund for the legal challenge.

One resident said: There has been complete contempt from the district council towards local views.

The choice before you now is either to fight  with a good chance of winning, in my view, or to capitulate.

Mrs Colloff formally proposed that the town council began the process of applying for a judicial review before the deadline the following day (Tuesday).

The motion was carried unanimously, to applause from the public.
By Express News Service

HYDERABAD: Some industries might be losers and some might be gainers post GST, but companies focusing on creating software and accounting products for taxation requirements are eyeing new business opportunities.

According to accounting and taxation experts, GST is set to change the accounting and taxation procedures completely and therefore existing systems will be replaced by new systems and procedures. Besides, new skills and IT infrastructure are needed for accounting and tax filing in GST regime, which will drive businesses and professionals towards new software products.

GST will bring fully automated return filing. Any trader has to manually fill one return GSTR-1. The other returns GSTR-2 (purchase details), GSTR-3 (monthly summary) and GSTR-9 (annual return) will be populated automatically.

This is where the role of software comes in. There are about 57.7 million registered SMEs in India, along with 15 million retailers and thousands of online and offline ventures. It is estimated that these businesses will spend about `35,000 crore for transition in the next two years. The fintech industry will play a major role in this transition and according to a Infosys study this presents a Rs 6,000 crore opportunity for such firms, said Archit Gupta, founder and CEO of ClearTax.

To cater to the demand emanating from businesses post GST, enterprises like Infosys, SAP, ClearTax, Tally Solutions, EY and others have been launching several new software packages and even fintech startups are working on various products to have a share of the pie.

Before GST we had Excise, VAT, Service tax and others, which will be eliminated post July 1. All transactions will leave a digital footprint and businesses have to exercise caution in compliance. Therefore businesses looking for new accounting and taxation software will create new opportunities, summed up Pratik Jain, Chairman, special task force on GST, ASSOCHAM.

HYDERABAD: Some industries might be losers and some might be gainers post GST, but companies focusing on creating software and accounting products for taxation requirements are eyeing new business opportunities. According to accounting and taxation experts, GST is set to change the accounting and taxation procedures completely and therefore existing systems will be replaced by new systems and procedures. Besides, new skills and IT infrastructure are needed for accounting and tax filing in GST regime, which will drive businesses and professionals towards new software products. GST will bring fully automated return filing. Any trader has to manually fill one return GSTR-1. The other returns GSTR-2 (purchase details), GSTR-3 (monthly summary) and GSTR-9 (annual return) will be populated automatically. This is where the role of software comes in. There are about 57.7 million registered SMEs in India, along with 15 million retailers and thousands of online and offline ventures. It is estimated that these businesses will spend about `35,000 crore for transition in the next two years. The fintech industry will play a major role in this transition and according to a Infosys study this presents a Rs 6,000 crore opportunity for such firms, said Archit Gupta, founder and CEO of ClearTax. To cater to the demand emanating from businesses post GST, enterprises like Infosys, SAP, ClearTax, Tally Solutions, EY and others have been launching several new software packages and even fintech startups are working on various products to have a share of the pie. Before GST we had Excise, VAT, Service tax and others, which will be eliminated post July 1. All transactions will leave a digital footprint and businesses have to exercise caution in compliance. Therefore businesses looking for new accounting and taxation software will create new opportunities, summed up Pratik Jain, Chairman, special task force on GST, ASSOCHAM.
By Reuters

NEW DELHI: Indian online retailer Snapdeal has filed a police complaint against a local logistics company, in which it owns a stake, of defrauding it of 3.57 billion rupees ($55.37 million), a police report showed.

The company, which is backed by Japan's Softbank, accused Quickdel of misappropriation, cheating and misleading it, in the police first information report filed in New Delhi on Friday.

Reuters has a copy of the police report.

Vineet Rai, the administrative officer at the Gurgaon headquarters of Quickdel, said the company could not immediately comment.

A spokeswoman for Snapdeal was not reachable by phone.

Snapdeal said it had bought a 49.99 percent stake in Quickdel in 2014 and early 2015, after the logistics company said it would help the two to grow the business. Snapdeal said in the police complaint that it realised later the logistics firm had misrepresented facts.

Snapdeal has been at the center of takeover speculation, with its largest backer Softbank seen as keen to sell the company to its larger rival, Tiger Global-backed Flipkart.

In May, television channel ET Now reported that the founders of Snapdeal and one of its early investors, Nexus, have reached an agreement with SoftBank Group that would allow the Japanese firm to move ahead with its plan to sell Snapdeal to Flipkart.

Sources told Reuters last month that SoftBank was working to engineer a sale of Snapdeal to Flipkart, as it seeks to play consolidator and take a more active role at a trio of leading start-ups in India.

NEW DELHI: Indian online retailer Snapdeal has filed a police complaint against a local logistics company, in which it owns a stake, of defrauding it of 3.57 billion rupees ($55.37 million), a police report showed. The company, which is backed by Japan's Softbank, accused Quickdel of misappropriation, cheating and misleading it, in the police first information report filed in New Delhi on Friday. Reuters has a copy of the police report. Vineet Rai, the administrative officer at the Gurgaon headquarters of Quickdel, said the company could not immediately comment. A spokeswoman for Snapdeal was not reachable by phone. Snapdeal said it had bought a 49.99 percent stake in Quickdel in 2014 and early 2015, after the logistics company said it would help the two to grow the business. Snapdeal said in the police complaint that it realised later the logistics firm had misrepresented facts. Snapdeal has been at the center of takeover speculation, with its largest backer Softbank seen as keen to sell the company to its larger rival, Tiger Global-backed Flipkart. In May, television channel ET Now reported that the founders of Snapdeal and one of its early investors, Nexus, have reached an agreement with SoftBank Group that would allow the Japanese firm to move ahead with its plan to sell Snapdeal to Flipkart. Sources told Reuters last month that SoftBank was working to engineer a sale of Snapdeal to Flipkart, as it seeks to play consolidator and take a more active role at a trio of leading start-ups in India.
By Express News Service

BENGALURU: This Spiderman had everything planned before hand. He would survey the area, scale walls and jump from one building to another after committing thefts so that stray dogs and night beat policemen would not be alerted to the sounds of a stranger. But his fingerprints led the police to him.

Naveen Kumar Gowda (29), a native of Hassan, was arrested on Saturday for killing a retired employee in a serial theft bid that was reported in Yelahanka New Town in the wee hours on Thursday. Kumar was involved in 21 burglary cases in Bengaluru and neighbouring cities.

CCTV grabs shows Kumar in

Yelahanka

He told his interrogators he would come to Bengaluru around 11pm, finish his job by 4am and head back to Hassan. On Wednesday, he had struck at Yelahanka as he desperately needed `12,000 to clear his bar bills and also pay the school fees of his children.

Naveen Kumar, a native of Doddagenigere village in Hassan, was released from Mysore jail on November 2016 after serving a three-year jail term. He had passed SSLC and PUC with distinction before he took to crime.

On Thursday, the thief struck at three houses in Yelahanka New Town and attacked two children before he barged into the house of 67-year-old Ananth Ramaiah and bludgeoned him with a stone. Twelve-year-old Mohammed Anas was hit and his 15-year-old sister Safia Taj was dragged before the boy raised an alarm.

A senior police officer said during interrogation, Naveen said he had to pay his bar bill and school fees for his two children. As Ramaiah resisted, he attacked the senior citizen with a stone.

Fingerprints gave him away

The officer said, We analysed data of habitual offenders and fingerprint experts gave us a hint about the suspect. We also gathered information about those who had been released from jail recently and came to know that Kumar used to visit his sister in-laws house in Yelahanka. We nabbed Naveen from Hassan with the help of his elder brother Jagadish, who works as a mason. After killing Ramaiah, he boarded a bus to Hassan.

Police recovered CCTV footage from the school which he visited twice to enquire about the fees. The footage shows Naveen carrying school bags of his children.

Married to two women

Naveen fell in love with a woman and married out of caste, but his parents were opposed to it. A few years ago, he moved out his family from his parental home and stayed in Jigani for a few months. Later, they moved back to his hometown where Naveen has another wife.

BENGALURU: This Spiderman had everything planned before hand. He would survey the area, scale walls and jump from one building to another after committing thefts so that stray dogs and night beat policemen would not be alerted to the sounds of a stranger. But his fingerprints led the police to him. Naveen Kumar Gowda (29), a native of Hassan, was arrested on Saturday for killing a retired employee in a serial theft bid that was reported in Yelahanka New Town in the wee hours on Thursday. Kumar was involved in 21 burglary cases in Bengaluru and neighbouring cities. CCTV grabs shows Kumar in YelahankaHe told his interrogators he would come to Bengaluru around 11pm, finish his job by 4am and head back to Hassan. On Wednesday, he had struck at Yelahanka as he desperately needed `12,000 to clear his bar bills and also pay the school fees of his children. Naveen Kumar, a native of Doddagenigere village in Hassan, was released from Mysore jail on November 2016 after serving a three-year jail term. He had passed SSLC and PUC with distinction before he took to crime. On Thursday, the thief struck at three houses in Yelahanka New Town and attacked two children before he barged into the house of 67-year-old Ananth Ramaiah and bludgeoned him with a stone. Twelve-year-old Mohammed Anas was hit and his 15-year-old sister Safia Taj was dragged before the boy raised an alarm. A senior police officer said during interrogation, Naveen said he had to pay his bar bill and school fees for his two children. As Ramaiah resisted, he attacked the senior citizen with a stone. Fingerprints gave him away The officer said, We analysed data of habitual offenders and fingerprint experts gave us a hint about the suspect. We also gathered information about those who had been released from jail recently and came to know that Kumar used to visit his sister in-laws house in Yelahanka. We nabbed Naveen from Hassan with the help of his elder brother Jagadish, who works as a mason. After killing Ramaiah, he boarded a bus to Hassan. Police recovered CCTV footage from the school which he visited twice to enquire about the fees. The footage shows Naveen carrying school bags of his children. Married to two women Naveen fell in love with a woman and married out of caste, but his parents were opposed to it. A few years ago, he moved out his family from his parental home and stayed in Jigani for a few months. Later, they moved back to his hometown where Naveen has another wife.
M Sathish By

Express News Service

CHENNAI: An emerald idol that dates back to nearly 400 years ago was stolen from the Suyambeeswarar temple in Thiruporur nearly 50 km from Chennai.

On Saturday morning, Ganesan, a worker at the temple, found the door to the temple broken and the priceless emerald idol stolen. He immediately informed the Thiruporur police.

T Anand (34) lodged a complaint with the police, saying that the idol was made of emerald and based on the complaint, the Thiruporur police filed an FIR. Anand, a resident of Illalur village where the ancient temple is located, who works in the drinking water business, told Express, This temple is nearly 400 years old. The emerald idol is a priceless antique. The temple has been maintained by each generation in our village. This temple is under the HR&CE control, but none of the department personnel had visited this temple for very long.

He said that kumbabhishekam was performed 12 years ago and at that time the idol was put away in the corner and was not since used. After this, the temple priest told the villagers that it was made of emerald.

From then on we maintained the temple and guarded it, he said. On June 5, we found some suspicious movements in the temple. Later, we came to know these people enquired about the idol and the priest was on duty then and told them all special features about emerald.

Next night the locals heard some noise from the temple and tried to catch hold of the thieves who, however, fled from the scene. However, the locals managed to get their two-wheeler and handed it over to police. After this we checked the temple and found that they had poured some kind of liquid there. They had taken the top portion of the statue and pasted some kind of semi-liquid on the door.

When the incident was reported, our Joint Commissioner and other officials visited the temple on Saturday morning, said Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Commissioner M Veera Shanmuga Moni. This temple is under the control of the HR&CE. We checked the base of the idol and our officer confirmed that it was not emerald but green marble. The temple is more than 400 years old and there are presently six emeralds in Tamil Nadu.

The HR&CE Commissioner, however, refused to answer whether the details were given to the idol wing though it appears that no details had been given. We have registered a case as one of theft of emerald under section 457 & 380, IPC (lurking, house-trespass or house-breaking by night in order to commit offence punishable with imprisonment and the other charge being theft in dwelling house). Based on the information, investigations are going on, the police said.

Emeralds in temples

There are 36,000 temples in Tamil Nadu, sources in the idol wing told Express. Six emeralds have been stolen in the last one year and we have recovered two. Two years ago, we wrote thousands of letters about how many temples had emeralds in Tamil Nadu to the HR&CE. But we have received no response from them, added the sources.

Idol wings suggestions

The idol wing IG Ponmanikkavel has written a letter to the HR&CE department, elaborating on the security of the temple. He insisted that a door of 30 cm width be made and covered to safeguard the idol whereas the outer cover should be a 10-cm-wide iron rod. He added that all ancient temples should be covered by CCTV.

CHENNAI: An emerald idol that dates back to nearly 400 years ago was stolen from the Suyambeeswarar temple in Thiruporur nearly 50 km from Chennai. On Saturday morning, Ganesan, a worker at the temple, found the door to the temple broken and the priceless emerald idol stolen. He immediately informed the Thiruporur police. T Anand (34) lodged a complaint with the police, saying that the idol was made of emerald and based on the complaint, the Thiruporur police filed an FIR. Anand, a resident of Illalur village where the ancient temple is located, who works in the drinking water business, told Express, This temple is nearly 400 years old. The emerald idol is a priceless antique. The temple has been maintained by each generation in our village. This temple is under the HR&CE control, but none of the department personnel had visited this temple for very long. He said that kumbabhishekam was performed 12 years ago and at that time the idol was put away in the corner and was not since used. After this, the temple priest told the villagers that it was made of emerald. From then on we maintained the temple and guarded it, he said. On June 5, we found some suspicious movements in the temple. Later, we came to know these people enquired about the idol and the priest was on duty then and told them all special features about emerald. Next night the locals heard some noise from the temple and tried to catch hold of the thieves who, however, fled from the scene. However, the locals managed to get their two-wheeler and handed it over to police. After this we checked the temple and found that they had poured some kind of liquid there. They had taken the top portion of the statue and pasted some kind of semi-liquid on the door. When the incident was reported, our Joint Commissioner and other officials visited the temple on Saturday morning, said Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Commissioner M Veera Shanmuga Moni. This temple is under the control of the HR&CE. We checked the base of the idol and our officer confirmed that it was not emerald but green marble. The temple is more than 400 years old and there are presently six emeralds in Tamil Nadu. The HR&CE Commissioner, however, refused to answer whether the details were given to the idol wing though it appears that no details had been given. We have registered a case as one of theft of emerald under section 457 & 380, IPC (lurking, house-trespass or house-breaking by night in order to commit offence punishable with imprisonment and the other charge being theft in dwelling house). Based on the information, investigations are going on, the police said. Emeralds in temples There are 36,000 temples in Tamil Nadu, sources in the idol wing told Express. Six emeralds have been stolen in the last one year and we have recovered two. Two years ago, we wrote thousands of letters about how many temples had emeralds in Tamil Nadu to the HR&CE. But we have received no response from them, added the sources. Idol wings suggestions The idol wing IG Ponmanikkavel has written a letter to the HR&CE department, elaborating on the security of the temple. He insisted that a door of 30 cm width be made and covered to safeguard the idol whereas the outer cover should be a 10-cm-wide iron rod. He added that all ancient temples should be covered by CCTV.
By Express News Service

CHENNAI: The doubling project of the Chennai-Kanyakumari railway line can be taken up, expedited and completed if there is cooperation from the State government, Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu said.

He was responding to a request placed by State Finance Minister D Jayakumar, at a railway function here on Saturday.

Railway officials say barring a small stretch, work on doubling the Chennai-Madurai stretch is almost complete. However, the proposal to extend that facility beyond Madurai to Kanniyakumari has been there for the last one decade, but no real progress has been achieved in that regard. The railways can form a joint venture with the State government. The project could be completed by the two parties entering into partnership, Prabhu said.

With regard to other requests, he said that land measuring around a distance of 0.5 km required for the MRTS connectivity work from Velachery to St Thomas Mount would be acquired and work completed in 18 months. The request for a railway line from Chennai to Mahabalipuram along the east coast would be considered, he said.

He received a memorandum from Jayakumar with a list of demands. He launched fourth line between Ennore and Tiruvottiyur, a new food plaza at Tambaram and wi-fi at Arakonnam station.

CHENNAI: The doubling project of the Chennai-Kanyakumari railway line can be taken up, expedited and completed if there is cooperation from the State government, Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu said. He was responding to a request placed by State Finance Minister D Jayakumar, at a railway function here on Saturday. Railway officials say barring a small stretch, work on doubling the Chennai-Madurai stretch is almost complete. However, the proposal to extend that facility beyond Madurai to Kanniyakumari has been there for the last one decade, but no real progress has been achieved in that regard. The railways can form a joint venture with the State government. The project could be completed by the two parties entering into partnership, Prabhu said. With regard to other requests, he said that land measuring around a distance of 0.5 km required for the MRTS connectivity work from Velachery to St Thomas Mount would be acquired and work completed in 18 months. The request for a railway line from Chennai to Mahabalipuram along the east coast would be considered, he said. He received a memorandum from Jayakumar with a list of demands. He launched fourth line between Ennore and Tiruvottiyur, a new food plaza at Tambaram and wi-fi at Arakonnam station.
SV Krishna Chaitanya By

Express News Service

CHENNAI: India ranks second in the world with 65.1 million persons with diabetes, of which 9.75 million (15%) suffer from diabetic foot ulcers and run a high risk of lower limb amputation. Currently, there is no device in the country that would avert this. However, scientists of the Central Leather Research Institute (CLRI) along with MV Hospital for Diabetes, Royapuram, claim to have developed special affordable footwear that will heal foot ulcers faster, reduce chances of amputation.

Diabetic foot ulcers are predominantly caused by repetitive stress over an area that is subject to high vertical or shear stress in patients with peripheral neuropathy. This new footwear called Ankle-Foot Orthosis (AFO) is an off-loading device that redistributes the plantar pressure. Plantar pressure offloading in the affected foot at the ulcer site is a very important aspect of wound healing.

Scientists claim patients using AFO can get rid of 'highly-problematic' foot ulcers within three months and can lead a normal life. The footwear's patented insole is designed in such a way that it provides extra depth and accommodates the wound without coming in direct contact. The entire item will tentatively cost around `3,000.

G Saraswathy, project in-charge and scientist at Shoe Design and Development Centre at CLRI, told Express that six product prototypes are developed in standardised sizes for both male and female use. "We will be testing the footwear on select patients of MV Hospital for Diabetes and also the general hospital. The ethical committee of MV Hospital has given its approval."

Scientists said, before arriving at the design, gait analysis was conducted on persons with diabetes, diabetic neuropathy and diabetic foot ulcers. "CLRI has the first-of-its-kind full-fledged gait analysis laboratory in the country. Gait abnormality is reported in patients with diabetes. The neurodegenerative process is accelerated in diabetes resulting in declining motor control, postural stability/foot posture and abnormal weight bearing in the foot.

The system gauges the level of efficacy of the developed AFO in bringing normalcy to the gait of the affected person. The AFO has been designed based on gait alterations in persons with diabetes in comparison to those that are non-diabetic," Saraswathy explained.

Foot pressure, shock and shear can be reduced with appropriately fitted AFO and customised insoles. Saraswathy said the material that is used in the AFO makes the treatment cost-effective and, therefore, affordable to patients in India.

Physiotherapist Satish Babu and senior research scholar Priyadarshini, who are part of the product development, said the main advantage of this product is it is removable. Currently, a unremovable POP total cast is used on patients with diabetic foot ulcers. "Patients have to take complete rest. However, this device is removable. Within three months, the ulcer will heal," they said.

MV Hospital's head & chief diabetologist, Dr Vijay Viswanathan, who is also the co-principle investigator, said the product will bring great relief when it's fully developed and tested. "We don't have special footwear such as this in India. There are imported products which are highly expensive and not easily available. Our idea is to develop an affordable product for Indian patients. At MV Hospital, I can get some imported insoles from Germany, Italy and United States, which cost nothing less than `2,000 each."

No other Indian product

In India, an irremovable POP total contact cast is used for offloading diabetic foot ulcer (DFU). No removable device is available commercially.

Similar products available in the market

Ottobock India is selling a walker boot which can immobilise the foot and ankle for healing Achilles tendon ruptures, forefoot or midfoot fractures, ankle fractures, distal fibula fractures, soft tissue injuries, post-operative use, trauma and rehabilitation. This is also used for healing DFU by few diabetologists in India. The product costs around Rs 20,000. Diabetic Pneumatic Walker, (USA: unit price $190) and Rebound Diabetic Walker, (Canada: unit price 25) are available online.

Key facts

The risk of death at 5 years for a patient with DFU is 2.5 times as high as the risk for a patient with diabetes who does not have a foot ulcer (more than half of diabetic ulcers become infected). Approximately 20% of moderate or severe diabetic foot infections lead to some level of amputation The direct costs of treating diabetic foot complications exceed the treatment costs for many common cancers On the basis of prevalent data from International Diabetes Federation in 2015, it is estimated that foot ulcers develop in 9.1 million to 26.1 million people with diabetes worldwide annually

CHENNAI: India ranks second in the world with 65.1 million persons with diabetes, of which 9.75 million (15%) suffer from diabetic foot ulcers and run a high risk of lower limb amputation. Currently, there is no device in the country that would avert this. However, scientists of the Central Leather Research Institute (CLRI) along with MV Hospital for Diabetes, Royapuram, claim to have developed special affordable footwear that will heal foot ulcers faster, reduce chances of amputation. Diabetic foot ulcers are predominantly caused by repetitive stress over an area that is subject to high vertical or shear stress in patients with peripheral neuropathy. This new footwear called Ankle-Foot Orthosis (AFO) is an off-loading device that redistributes the plantar pressure. Plantar pressure offloading in the affected foot at the ulcer site is a very important aspect of wound healing. Scientists claim patients using AFO can get rid of 'highly-problematic' foot ulcers within three months and can lead a normal life. The footwear's patented insole is designed in such a way that it provides extra depth and accommodates the wound without coming in direct contact. The entire item will tentatively cost around `3,000. G Saraswathy, project in-charge and scientist at Shoe Design and Development Centre at CLRI, told Express that six product prototypes are developed in standardised sizes for both male and female use. "We will be testing the footwear on select patients of MV Hospital for Diabetes and also the general hospital. The ethical committee of MV Hospital has given its approval." Scientists said, before arriving at the design, gait analysis was conducted on persons with diabetes, diabetic neuropathy and diabetic foot ulcers. "CLRI has the first-of-its-kind full-fledged gait analysis laboratory in the country. Gait abnormality is reported in patients with diabetes. The neurodegenerative process is accelerated in diabetes resulting in declining motor control, postural stability/foot posture and abnormal weight bearing in the foot. The system gauges the level of efficacy of the developed AFO in bringing normalcy to the gait of the affected person. The AFO has been designed based on gait alterations in persons with diabetes in comparison to those that are non-diabetic," Saraswathy explained. Foot pressure, shock and shear can be reduced with appropriately fitted AFO and customised insoles. Saraswathy said the material that is used in the AFO makes the treatment cost-effective and, therefore, affordable to patients in India. Physiotherapist Satish Babu and senior research scholar Priyadarshini, who are part of the product development, said the main advantage of this product is it is removable. Currently, a unremovable POP total cast is used on patients with diabetic foot ulcers. "Patients have to take complete rest. However, this device is removable. Within three months, the ulcer will heal," they said. MV Hospital's head & chief diabetologist, Dr Vijay Viswanathan, who is also the co-principle investigator, said the product will bring great relief when it's fully developed and tested. "We don't have special footwear such as this in India. There are imported products which are highly expensive and not easily available. Our idea is to develop an affordable product for Indian patients. At MV Hospital, I can get some imported insoles from Germany, Italy and United States, which cost nothing less than `2,000 each." No other Indian product In India, an irremovable POP total contact cast is used for offloading diabetic foot ulcer (DFU). No removable device is available commercially. Similar products available in the market Ottobock India is selling a walker boot which can immobilise the foot and ankle for healing Achilles tendon ruptures, forefoot or midfoot fractures, ankle fractures, distal fibula fractures, soft tissue injuries, post-operative use, trauma and rehabilitation. This is also used for healing DFU by few diabetologists in India. The product costs around Rs 20,000. Diabetic Pneumatic Walker, (USA: unit price $190) and Rebound Diabetic Walker, (Canada: unit price 25) are available online. Key facts The risk of death at 5 years for a patient with DFU is 2.5 times as high as the risk for a patient with diabetes who does not have a foot ulcer (more than half of diabetic ulcers become infected). Approximately 20% of moderate or severe diabetic foot infections lead to some level of amputation The direct costs of treating diabetic foot complications exceed the treatment costs for many common cancers On the basis of prevalent data from International Diabetes Federation in 2015, it is estimated that foot ulcers develop in 9.1 million to 26.1 million people with diabetes worldwide annually
By Express News Service

CHENNAI: BJP leader Subramanian Swamy has branded superstar Rajinikanth, who has been considering a plunge into politics, as illiterate and a cheat.

The attack on the actor has been carried prominently on the Rajya Sabha MPs Twitter page for the past two days. It started with a tweet on Friday, when he posted, Rajinikant will be another Shree 420 like the Delhiwala.

Shree (Mr in Hindi) 420, also a classic Hindi movie, refers to the Indian Penal Code section which carries punishment for the offence of cheating.

On Saturday, Swamy again took a swipe by tweeting, Illiteracy of RK 420 is that even his famous cinema monologue is scripted by someone else behind the cameras.

This sudden tirade against the actor by Swamy assumes significance, as his own party is said to have made overtures to lure Rajinikanth to its fold.

In the past, Rajini met several BJP leaders including L K Advani and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Even recently, party president Amit Shah was reported to have said that Rajini was welcome to join the BJP.

In the last few weeks, Rajini met delegations of farmers as well as far-right Hindu nationalistic groups, fuelling speculation that he might at last decide to take the political plunge.

He himself admitted on Thursday that there had been discussions and that an announcement would be made, once it was finalised.

Meanwhile, several fans have taken to social media platforms to defend the actor against Swamys charges.

CHENNAI: BJP leader Subramanian Swamy has branded superstar Rajinikanth, who has been considering a plunge into politics, as illiterate and a cheat. The attack on the actor has been carried prominently on the Rajya Sabha MPs Twitter page for the past two days. It started with a tweet on Friday, when he posted, Rajinikant will be another Shree 420 like the Delhiwala. Shree (Mr in Hindi) 420, also a classic Hindi movie, refers to the Indian Penal Code section which carries punishment for the offence of cheating. On Saturday, Swamy again took a swipe by tweeting, Illiteracy of RK 420 is that even his famous cinema monologue is scripted by someone else behind the cameras. This sudden tirade against the actor by Swamy assumes significance, as his own party is said to have made overtures to lure Rajinikanth to its fold. In the past, Rajini met several BJP leaders including L K Advani and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Even recently, party president Amit Shah was reported to have said that Rajini was welcome to join the BJP. In the last few weeks, Rajini met delegations of farmers as well as far-right Hindu nationalistic groups, fuelling speculation that he might at last decide to take the political plunge. He himself admitted on Thursday that there had been discussions and that an announcement would be made, once it was finalised. Meanwhile, several fans have taken to social media platforms to defend the actor against Swamys charges.
Rinku Gupta By

Express News Service

Kollywoods hero Aadhi Pinisetty is enjoying his foray into the Telugu industry. The actor who debuted in Tamil with Mirugam and gained fame as a suave cop in Eeram and a rustic hero in Aravaan has come a long way since then.

After his recent entry into Tollywood with a negative role in the Allu Arjun-starrer Sarrainodu, Aadhi has three more Telugu projects.

Aadhi Pinisetty

Tollywood seems to have welcomed him with open arms. The actor has been signed for a Pawan Kalyan film directed by Trivikram Srinivas, in which hell play a business tycoon from Spain. Its a very stylish character and Ill be going to Spain for my portions of the shoot in July, he says.

After Sarrainodu, Aadhi got several offers to play negative roles in Tollywood, but he is choosy about accepting them. My role in Sarrainodu was very well received and I started getting similar offers. But I dont want to be typecast. I decided to do negative roles only if the scope to perform is bigger than what I have done in Sarrainodu. Trivikrams film will give me that larger canvas to perform, so I accepted that role, which has shades of grey, says Aadhi.

He is also exploring other roles. The actor has just returned from a 45-day shoot in the US for his film Ninnu Kori, co-starring Nani and Nivetha Pethuraj. I play a San Francisco-based businessman. The film revolves around the happenings in the life of three people. I get to delve into a very different character, he says.

Aadhi is also part of a period film called Rangasthalam 1985, directed by Sukumar. He plays Telugu hearththrob Ramcharans brother. Two schedules are over and Im shooting in Rajamundhry next, in the pristine locales of Papikondallu. It takes four hours for the unit to reach the shooting spot each day. The camerawork is by Ratnavelu. The film is about the bonding of two brothers.

Aadhi is happy straddling the worlds of Kollywood and Tollywood. I want to try different kinds of cinema and expand my market as an actor. I want a changeover from playing boy-next-door roles to larger-than-life commercial heroes, and Tollywood has given me that platform, he says.

His Maragadha Naanayam in Tamil has released in Telugu (Maragathamani), and hes now getting offers from the Malayalam industry too. I want to do roles that stick in the audiences mind after they leave the theatre. Im listening to Malayalam scripts too, and waiting for the right one, he says.

Kollywoods hero Aadhi Pinisetty is enjoying his foray into the Telugu industry. The actor who debuted in Tamil with Mirugam and gained fame as a suave cop in Eeram and a rustic hero in Aravaan has come a long way since then. After his recent entry into Tollywood with a negative role in the Allu Arjun-starrer Sarrainodu, Aadhi has three more Telugu projects. Aadhi PinisettyTollywood seems to have welcomed him with open arms. The actor has been signed for a Pawan Kalyan film directed by Trivikram Srinivas, in which hell play a business tycoon from Spain. Its a very stylish character and Ill be going to Spain for my portions of the shoot in July, he says. After Sarrainodu, Aadhi got several offers to play negative roles in Tollywood, but he is choosy about accepting them. My role in Sarrainodu was very well received and I started getting similar offers. But I dont want to be typecast. I decided to do negative roles only if the scope to perform is bigger than what I have done in Sarrainodu. Trivikrams film will give me that larger canvas to perform, so I accepted that role, which has shades of grey, says Aadhi. He is also exploring other roles. The actor has just returned from a 45-day shoot in the US for his film Ninnu Kori, co-starring Nani and Nivetha Pethuraj. I play a San Francisco-based businessman. The film revolves around the happenings in the life of three people. I get to delve into a very different character, he says. Aadhi is also part of a period film called Rangasthalam 1985, directed by Sukumar. He plays Telugu hearththrob Ramcharans brother. Two schedules are over and Im shooting in Rajamundhry next, in the pristine locales of Papikondallu. It takes four hours for the unit to reach the shooting spot each day. The camerawork is by Ratnavelu. The film is about the bonding of two brothers. Aadhi is happy straddling the worlds of Kollywood and Tollywood. I want to try different kinds of cinema and expand my market as an actor. I want a changeover from playing boy-next-door roles to larger-than-life commercial heroes, and Tollywood has given me that platform, he says. His Maragadha Naanayam in Tamil has released in Telugu (Maragathamani), and hes now getting offers from the Malayalam industry too. I want to do roles that stick in the audiences mind after they leave the theatre. Im listening to Malayalam scripts too, and waiting for the right one, he says.
By Express News Service

NEW DELHI: Despite objections from Pakistan on 330 MW Kishanganga hydro-electric project on the Jhelum river in Jammu and Kashmir, the Centre has decided to fill up the reservoir this year, which could not happen last year due to law and order problem in the valley.

There has been push from the Prime ministers Office (PMO) and water ministry which had last year submitted a blue print for exploiting Indias right over water under the Indus water treaty and of Brahmaputra river in northeastern region especially bordering China.

The decision was taken after the Uri attack in September last year when 18 soldiers were killed by militants in an army camp. The construction of the Kishanganga by the National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC) was completed in 2016 and there were plans to fill the reservoir but that could not happen.

The government has decided to fill the reservoir this year. This is in furtherance to Centres decision to exploit Indias right over water under the Indus Water Treaty, said senior government sources.

The PMO had already directed the power ministry and J&K government for to expedite the work on two transmission lines of the project.

India and Pakistan officials had met in Islamabad in March to discuss issues related to Indus Water Treaty as part of the Permanent Indus Commission (PIC) meeting. Pakistan had concerns over some of Indias proposed hydroelectric projects in Jammu and Kashmir. The meeting was to be followed by another in Washington but that did not happen.

The project has witnessed long arbitration and the Court of Arbitration constituted under the provisions of the Indus Waters Treaty 1960 had issued an order on September 23, 2011 for interim measures regarding construction of Kishanganga Hydro Power Project in Jammu and Kashmir. As per the orders, it is open to India to continue with all works relating to the project, which include the sub-surface foundation of the dam.

Located close to north of Bandipore in Jammu and Kashmir, it is a run-of-the-river hydroelectric scheme which will divert water from the Kishanganga river to generate power.

NEW DELHI: Despite objections from Pakistan on 330 MW Kishanganga hydro-electric project on the Jhelum river in Jammu and Kashmir, the Centre has decided to fill up the reservoir this year, which could not happen last year due to law and order problem in the valley. There has been push from the Prime ministers Office (PMO) and water ministry which had last year submitted a blue print for exploiting Indias right over water under the Indus water treaty and of Brahmaputra river in northeastern region especially bordering China. The decision was taken after the Uri attack in September last year when 18 soldiers were killed by militants in an army camp. The construction of the Kishanganga by the National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC) was completed in 2016 and there were plans to fill the reservoir but that could not happen. The government has decided to fill the reservoir this year. This is in furtherance to Centres decision to exploit Indias right over water under the Indus Water Treaty, said senior government sources. The PMO had already directed the power ministry and J&K government for to expedite the work on two transmission lines of the project. India and Pakistan officials had met in Islamabad in March to discuss issues related to Indus Water Treaty as part of the Permanent Indus Commission (PIC) meeting. Pakistan had concerns over some of Indias proposed hydroelectric projects in Jammu and Kashmir. The meeting was to be followed by another in Washington but that did not happen. The project has witnessed long arbitration and the Court of Arbitration constituted under the provisions of the Indus Waters Treaty 1960 had issued an order on September 23, 2011 for interim measures regarding construction of Kishanganga Hydro Power Project in Jammu and Kashmir. As per the orders, it is open to India to continue with all works relating to the project, which include the sub-surface foundation of the dam. Located close to north of Bandipore in Jammu and Kashmir, it is a run-of-the-river hydroelectric scheme which will divert water from the Kishanganga river to generate power.
By PTI

NEW DELHI: Aadhaar is not a valid identification document for Indians travelling to Nepal and Bhutan, the Union home ministry has said.

Indians can travel to Nepal and Bhutan--both countries for which they don't need visas--if they possess a valid national passport or election ID card issued by the Election Commission.

Moreover, to ease travel, persons over 65 and below 15 years can show documents with photographs to confirm their age and identity. These include PAN card, driving licence, Central Government Health Service (CGHS) card and ration card but not Aadhaar.

"Aadhaar (UID) card is not an acceptable travel document for travel to Nepal/Bhutan," a communique issued by the ministry said.

The advisory assumes significance as Aadhaar is mandatory for a host of things, including government subsidies on LPG and other social welfare schemes.

The Aadhaar card, which has a 12-digit unique identification number and personal details like name and address, acts as a proof of identification and residence.

Indians entering Bhutan by road are required to obtain an 'Entry Permit' on the basis of a valid travel document from the immigration office of Royal Government of Bhutan at Phuentsholing, located on the Indo-Bhutan border opposite Jaigaon, West Bengal.

The border with Nepal is an open one with people who enter the country needing to show any valid identity card.

Nepal shares borders with five Indian states--Sikkim, West Bengal, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand. Around six lakh Indians are living or domiciled in Nepal.

Bhutan, which shares borders with Sikkim, Assam, Arunachal Pradesh and West Bengal, has about 60,000 Indian nationals, employed mostly in the hydroelectric power and construction industry. In addition, between 8,000 and 10,000 daily workers enter and exit Bhutan everyday in border towns.

In another development, Indians flying abroad will not be required to fill departure cards from next month.

However, those going out of the country via rail, seaport and land immigration checkposts will have to fill the embarkation card.

"It has been decided to discontinue the practice of filling up of the departure card by Indians at all international airports with effect from July 1, 2017," an order issued by the home ministry said.

The move is aimed at ensuring hassle-free movement of Indians going abroad.

At present, those going abroad need to fill in details such as name, date of birth, passport number, address in India, flight number and date of boarding in the departure card.

The decision will help reducing the time required to complete immigration related formalities by passengers and also enable airports and authorities concerned to cater to a larger number of people.

The need for Indians to fill such cards on their arrival in India has already been done away with.

NEW DELHI: Aadhaar is not a valid identification document for Indians travelling to Nepal and Bhutan, the Union home ministry has said. Indians can travel to Nepal and Bhutan--both countries for which they don't need visas--if they possess a valid national passport or election ID card issued by the Election Commission. Moreover, to ease travel, persons over 65 and below 15 years can show documents with photographs to confirm their age and identity. These include PAN card, driving licence, Central Government Health Service (CGHS) card and ration card but not Aadhaar. "Aadhaar (UID) card is not an acceptable travel document for travel to Nepal/Bhutan," a communique issued by the ministry said. The advisory assumes significance as Aadhaar is mandatory for a host of things, including government subsidies on LPG and other social welfare schemes. The Aadhaar card, which has a 12-digit unique identification number and personal details like name and address, acts as a proof of identification and residence. Indians entering Bhutan by road are required to obtain an 'Entry Permit' on the basis of a valid travel document from the immigration office of Royal Government of Bhutan at Phuentsholing, located on the Indo-Bhutan border opposite Jaigaon, West Bengal. The border with Nepal is an open one with people who enter the country needing to show any valid identity card. Nepal shares borders with five Indian states--Sikkim, West Bengal, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand. Around six lakh Indians are living or domiciled in Nepal. Bhutan, which shares borders with Sikkim, Assam, Arunachal Pradesh and West Bengal, has about 60,000 Indian nationals, employed mostly in the hydroelectric power and construction industry. In addition, between 8,000 and 10,000 daily workers enter and exit Bhutan everyday in border towns. In another development, Indians flying abroad will not be required to fill departure cards from next month. However, those going out of the country via rail, seaport and land immigration checkposts will have to fill the embarkation card. "It has been decided to discontinue the practice of filling up of the departure card by Indians at all international airports with effect from July 1, 2017," an order issued by the home ministry said. The move is aimed at ensuring hassle-free movement of Indians going abroad. At present, those going abroad need to fill in details such as name, date of birth, passport number, address in India, flight number and date of boarding in the departure card. The decision will help reducing the time required to complete immigration related formalities by passengers and also enable airports and authorities concerned to cater to a larger number of people. The need for Indians to fill such cards on their arrival in India has already been done away with.
By PTI

JAIPUR: Notorious criminal Anandpal singh, carrying a reward of Rs 5 lakh on his head, was tonight killed in an exchange of fire with police in Rajasthan's Churu district.

Two policemen were also injured in the encounter.

Anandpal, who had managed to escape from custody of police while being taken back to high security prison in Ajmer from a court in Nagaur in September 2015, had taken a shelter in a house.

"He was alone in the house in Churu district and opened fire at police from rooftop when the police surrounded the house and challenged him."

"In the exchange of fire, he was killed," DGP Manoj Bhatt told PTI.

"On a pin pointed information, teams of the special operation group (SOG), the emergency response team and local police surrounded the house near Sardarshahar and asked him to surrender but he opened fire at the police," ADG ATS and SOG Umesh Mishra said.

Before the encounter, the state police made a major breakthrough earlier in the day by catching Anandpal's brother Rupendra Pal singh and his aide Devendra alias Gattu from Sirsa in Haryana.

Each of them carried a reward of Rs one lakh on their head.

They shared the details of Anandpal's whereabouts following which the house was surrounded in Churu.

A dreaded criminal, Anandpal, was involved in over two dozen cases in Didwana, Jaipur, Sikar, Sujangarh, Churu, Sanganer among others and was also main accused in high profile murder cases like Jivan Ram Godara murder case of Didwana (Nagaur) and Gopal Fogawat murder case of Sikar district.

Close to 100 aides of Anandpal were arrested from different places after his escape in 2015 but the gangster remained the major challenge for the state police.

JAIPUR: Notorious criminal Anandpal singh, carrying a reward of Rs 5 lakh on his head, was tonight killed in an exchange of fire with police in Rajasthan's Churu district. Two policemen were also injured in the encounter. Anandpal, who had managed to escape from custody of police while being taken back to high security prison in Ajmer from a court in Nagaur in September 2015, had taken a shelter in a house. "He was alone in the house in Churu district and opened fire at police from rooftop when the police surrounded the house and challenged him." "In the exchange of fire, he was killed," DGP Manoj Bhatt told PTI. "On a pin pointed information, teams of the special operation group (SOG), the emergency response team and local police surrounded the house near Sardarshahar and asked him to surrender but he opened fire at the police," ADG ATS and SOG Umesh Mishra said. Before the encounter, the state police made a major breakthrough earlier in the day by catching Anandpal's brother Rupendra Pal singh and his aide Devendra alias Gattu from Sirsa in Haryana. Each of them carried a reward of Rs one lakh on their head. They shared the details of Anandpal's whereabouts following which the house was surrounded in Churu. A dreaded criminal, Anandpal, was involved in over two dozen cases in Didwana, Jaipur, Sikar, Sujangarh, Churu, Sanganer among others and was also main accused in high profile murder cases like Jivan Ram Godara murder case of Didwana (Nagaur) and Gopal Fogawat murder case of Sikar district. Close to 100 aides of Anandpal were arrested from different places after his escape in 2015 but the gangster remained the major challenge for the state police.
By PTI

DARJEELING: In a change of stand, the GJM today decided to allow a 12-hour bandh relaxation only for the Muslims to celebrate Eid-ul-Fitr in the Darjeeling hills tomorrow.

"The Muslim community in the hills will be given a 12hour relaxation on June 26, from 6 am to 6 pm, to celebrate Eid," a senior Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) leader said.

Muslims can also use vehicles with stickers mentioning the purpose to go to the plains and meet their relatives, he added.

"Except this, everything remains the same. The indefinite shutdown will continue," he said.

Earlier on Friday, GJM supremo Bimal Gurung had said that there would be no relaxation for Muslims to celebrate Eid, the biggest festival of the community.

On the same day, the GJM had provided a 12-hour bandh relaxation to the boarding schools of the hills to evacuate the stranded students.

Meanwhile, the GJM's head office in Singhmari, which was closed after the June 15 police raid, was opened today.

Senior GJM leaders and supporters took out a rally from Chowkbazar to the GJM head office and opened it while shouting "We Want Gorkhaland".

GJM supporters also took part in other processions as the indefinite strike demanding a separate state of 'Gorkhaland', carved out of West Bengal, entered its 11th day today.

In a video message last night, Gurung had urged the people to hit the streets, but also cautioned them that the leaders from the other parties might "try to betray" the Gorkhaland agitation.

"We are ready for talks only on the issue of Gorkhaland, not on any alternative formula.... Remember that one day, everyone has to die. Either my body will go home or I will return with Gorkhaland," he had said in the message.

Barring medicine outlets, all other shops remained closed in the hills. Internet services remained suspended for the eighth day and the security forces continued to patrol the streets.

Meanwhile, in Siliguri, an outfit named 'Amra Bangali' (We are Bengalees) took out a rally to protest against the "separatist movement" of the GJM.

"The Darjeeling hills are very much a part of Bengal. Who are they (GJM) to demand a separate state?" asked an activist of the outfit.

Traders at the popular Hong Kong Market in Siliguri complained of huge losses as the tourist inflow had stopped.

"This is the peak season. Tourists, either on their way to Darjeeling or during their return journey, visit our shops. But this time, due to the shutdown in the hills, we are facing huge losses," said the owner of a garment shop.

DARJEELING: In a change of stand, the GJM today decided to allow a 12-hour bandh relaxation only for the Muslims to celebrate Eid-ul-Fitr in the Darjeeling hills tomorrow. "The Muslim community in the hills will be given a 12hour relaxation on June 26, from 6 am to 6 pm, to celebrate Eid," a senior Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) leader said. Muslims can also use vehicles with stickers mentioning the purpose to go to the plains and meet their relatives, he added. "Except this, everything remains the same. The indefinite shutdown will continue," he said. Earlier on Friday, GJM supremo Bimal Gurung had said that there would be no relaxation for Muslims to celebrate Eid, the biggest festival of the community. On the same day, the GJM had provided a 12-hour bandh relaxation to the boarding schools of the hills to evacuate the stranded students. Meanwhile, the GJM's head office in Singhmari, which was closed after the June 15 police raid, was opened today. Senior GJM leaders and supporters took out a rally from Chowkbazar to the GJM head office and opened it while shouting "We Want Gorkhaland". GJM supporters also took part in other processions as the indefinite strike demanding a separate state of 'Gorkhaland', carved out of West Bengal, entered its 11th day today. In a video message last night, Gurung had urged the people to hit the streets, but also cautioned them that the leaders from the other parties might "try to betray" the Gorkhaland agitation. "We are ready for talks only on the issue of Gorkhaland, not on any alternative formula.... Remember that one day, everyone has to die. Either my body will go home or I will return with Gorkhaland," he had said in the message. Barring medicine outlets, all other shops remained closed in the hills. Internet services remained suspended for the eighth day and the security forces continued to patrol the streets. Meanwhile, in Siliguri, an outfit named 'Amra Bangali' (We are Bengalees) took out a rally to protest against the "separatist movement" of the GJM. "The Darjeeling hills are very much a part of Bengal. Who are they (GJM) to demand a separate state?" asked an activist of the outfit. Traders at the popular Hong Kong Market in Siliguri complained of huge losses as the tourist inflow had stopped. "This is the peak season. Tourists, either on their way to Darjeeling or during their return journey, visit our shops. But this time, due to the shutdown in the hills, we are facing huge losses," said the owner of a garment shop.
By IANS

JAMMU: Indian and Pakistani troops traded heavy fire on Sunday along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir's Rajouri district, a defence official said.

"Pakistan army began indiscriminate firing and shelling on our positions on the LoC in Naushera sector from 6.30 a.m.," Defence Ministry spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Manish Mehta told IANS.

"They first initiated small arms and automatic gunfire, but later used mortars."

"The firing is ongoing and our forces are effectively retaliating," Mehta added.

JAMMU: Indian and Pakistani troops traded heavy fire on Sunday along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir's Rajouri district, a defence official said. "Pakistan army began indiscriminate firing and shelling on our positions on the LoC in Naushera sector from 6.30 a.m.," Defence Ministry spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Manish Mehta told IANS. "They first initiated small arms and automatic gunfire, but later used mortars." "The firing is ongoing and our forces are effectively retaliating," Mehta added.
By PTI

NEW DELHI: Making an emotional appeal to MPs and MLAs, Opposition presidential candidate Meira Kumar today urged them to cast their votes with their "inner conscience".

She also said the President's post cannot be used for narrow political interests.

Taking a leaf from former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi's appeal made during the 1974 presidential poll in favour of V V Giri, Kumar said, "This is that moment when one should heed the inner voice of conscience and set the course of the nation."

She said, the Constitution recognises the office of the President as the "final touchstone" for the passage of laws.

"It, therefore, cannot function to serve narrow political interests."

She has issued the appeal to the members of the electoral college even before filing her nomination papers which she is likely to do on June 28, the last date for filing nominations.

Kumar said, she was fortunate to have been associated, in various ways, with two monumental struggles of India -- the struggle to free India from the colonial rule and the fight against the tyranny of caste system -- that, she said, still plagues the Indian culture and polity.

"The nature of these two struggles has deeply influenced my sentiments, my thoughts and my actions," she said.

Kumar said during her public life, she has been inspired by the example set by the founding fathers of India, regardless of their political affiliations.

"Despite the differences, I have found that when it comes to preserving the values of inclusiveness and the need for social justice, we all share the same goals," she said.

Kumar said the President takes an oath to "protect and defend the Constitution - the backbone of Indian democracy".

"It is this Constitution that I and countless others have invoked to reinforce our democratic values. It has guided and elevated us in times of crisis and confusion," she said.

NEW DELHI: Making an emotional appeal to MPs and MLAs, Opposition presidential candidate Meira Kumar today urged them to cast their votes with their "inner conscience". She also said the President's post cannot be used for narrow political interests. Taking a leaf from former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi's appeal made during the 1974 presidential poll in favour of V V Giri, Kumar said, "This is that moment when one should heed the inner voice of conscience and set the course of the nation." She said, the Constitution recognises the office of the President as the "final touchstone" for the passage of laws. "It, therefore, cannot function to serve narrow political interests." She has issued the appeal to the members of the electoral college even before filing her nomination papers which she is likely to do on June 28, the last date for filing nominations. Kumar said, she was fortunate to have been associated, in various ways, with two monumental struggles of India -- the struggle to free India from the colonial rule and the fight against the tyranny of caste system -- that, she said, still plagues the Indian culture and polity. "The nature of these two struggles has deeply influenced my sentiments, my thoughts and my actions," she said. Kumar said during her public life, she has been inspired by the example set by the founding fathers of India, regardless of their political affiliations. "Despite the differences, I have found that when it comes to preserving the values of inclusiveness and the need for social justice, we all share the same goals," she said. Kumar said the President takes an oath to "protect and defend the Constitution - the backbone of Indian democracy". "It is this Constitution that I and countless others have invoked to reinforce our democratic values. It has guided and elevated us in times of crisis and confusion," she said.
By PTI

LUCKNOW: NDA's presidential nominee Ram Nath Kovind today sought the "blessings" of the lawmakers of the BJP and its allies in Uttar Pradesh as he embarked on a nationwide tour from his home state to garner the backing of various political parties.

"I have come here to seek your blessings," the former Bihar governor told a meeting of NDA MPs and MLAs from the state.

"According to traditions, we first go home to seek the blessings of the elders. Uttar Pradesh is my place of birth.

When we go home, we offer salutations to our mother. For me, Uttar Pradesh is my mother," he added.

The meeting was held at the official residence of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, who earlier received Kovind (71) at the airport here.

Accompanied by Union minister Nitin Gadkari and BJP national general secretary Bhupender Yadav, Kovind was taken to the chief minister's official residence on Kalidas Marg straight from the airport.

There, he interacted with a host of senior BJP leaders, including Union ministers Uma Bharti and Gadkari, Deputy Chief Ministers Keshav Prasad Maurya and Dinesh Sharma. He also met with state Assembly Speaker Hriday Narayan Dixit.

In his brief speech, Kovind said he had come to seek their blessings for the July 17 presidential election.

Earlier, addressing the MPs and MLAs, Adityanath said, "This is the first time that we will have the honour of having a person from Uttar Pradesh as our president. This honour has been bestowed upon us by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP chief Amit Shah.

"It will be good if all the political parties rise above the narrow party lines and vote for him (Kovind). It will convey a good message."

He said Kovind, who led a simple life, had continuously been working for the uplift of the poor, Dalits and marginalised sections of the society.

Gadkari explained to the MPs and MLAs how to cast their ballots in the presidential poll.

Though Uttar Pradesh has given the country nine prime ministers, including incumbent Narendra Modi, who is a Lok Sabha member from Varanasi, it will be the first time that the politically crucial state will have the pride of sending someone to the Rashtrapati Bhavan if Kovind is elected.

The closest the state came to having its representative in the President's House was in 1969, when Mohammad Hidayatullah became the first acting president of the country and remained in that position from July 20 to August 24 of that year.

Sakshi Maharaj, the BJP MP from Unnao, adjoining Kovind's native place Kanpur, was also present at the meeting.

Describing Kovind as a "diamond", Union minister Anupriya Patel of the Apna Dal (S) said, "I was very happy the moment the name of Ram Nath Kovind was announced as he hails from Kanpur, which is also my birth place."

She said her party would extend full support to him.

"Kovindji knew my family and my father (late Sonelal Patel). He is a true diamond," she said.

On the Congress fielding former Lok Sabha speaker Meira Kumar, also a Dalit, against Kovind, Anupriya earlier told reporters, "What I don't understand is, when the Congress was in a position to ensure the victory of its candidate, it never fielded a Dalit woman. This shows the anti-Dalit mindset of that party."

Bhupender Yadav, Kovind's authorised representative for the presidential poll, said the NDA nominee had come to Lucknow to seek the support of the members of the electoral college.

He added that Kovind would now visit the other states.

Sources in the BJP said a Union minister, a senior party leader and two MPs would accompany Kovind on his nationwide tour to reach out to all the members of the electoral college.

Though he would be meeting only with the MPs and MLAs who have pledged their loyalty with him, the NDA's presidential pick would appeal to all the members of the electoral college to support his candidature, they added.

With over 62 per cent of the votes firmly behind him, Kovind's election as the next president is almost certain.

Besides the BJP and its NDA allies, the TRS, YSRCP, AIADMK, BJD and the JD(U) have also announced their support to him.

The presidential election is scheduled for July 17 and the counting of votes will take place on July 20.

Kovind filed his nomination in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi on June 23, while opposition candidate Kumar is yet to file hers.

If elected, Kovind will be the second Dalit president after K R Narayanan.

LUCKNOW: NDA's presidential nominee Ram Nath Kovind today sought the "blessings" of the lawmakers of the BJP and its allies in Uttar Pradesh as he embarked on a nationwide tour from his home state to garner the backing of various political parties. "I have come here to seek your blessings," the former Bihar governor told a meeting of NDA MPs and MLAs from the state. "According to traditions, we first go home to seek the blessings of the elders. Uttar Pradesh is my place of birth. When we go home, we offer salutations to our mother. For me, Uttar Pradesh is my mother," he added. The meeting was held at the official residence of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, who earlier received Kovind (71) at the airport here. Accompanied by Union minister Nitin Gadkari and BJP national general secretary Bhupender Yadav, Kovind was taken to the chief minister's official residence on Kalidas Marg straight from the airport. There, he interacted with a host of senior BJP leaders, including Union ministers Uma Bharti and Gadkari, Deputy Chief Ministers Keshav Prasad Maurya and Dinesh Sharma. He also met with state Assembly Speaker Hriday Narayan Dixit. In his brief speech, Kovind said he had come to seek their blessings for the July 17 presidential election. Earlier, addressing the MPs and MLAs, Adityanath said, "This is the first time that we will have the honour of having a person from Uttar Pradesh as our president. This honour has been bestowed upon us by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP chief Amit Shah. "It will be good if all the political parties rise above the narrow party lines and vote for him (Kovind). It will convey a good message." He said Kovind, who led a simple life, had continuously been working for the uplift of the poor, Dalits and marginalised sections of the society. Gadkari explained to the MPs and MLAs how to cast their ballots in the presidential poll. Though Uttar Pradesh has given the country nine prime ministers, including incumbent Narendra Modi, who is a Lok Sabha member from Varanasi, it will be the first time that the politically crucial state will have the pride of sending someone to the Rashtrapati Bhavan if Kovind is elected. The closest the state came to having its representative in the President's House was in 1969, when Mohammad Hidayatullah became the first acting president of the country and remained in that position from July 20 to August 24 of that year. Sakshi Maharaj, the BJP MP from Unnao, adjoining Kovind's native place Kanpur, was also present at the meeting. Describing Kovind as a "diamond", Union minister Anupriya Patel of the Apna Dal (S) said, "I was very happy the moment the name of Ram Nath Kovind was announced as he hails from Kanpur, which is also my birth place." She said her party would extend full support to him. "Kovindji knew my family and my father (late Sonelal Patel). He is a true diamond," she said. On the Congress fielding former Lok Sabha speaker Meira Kumar, also a Dalit, against Kovind, Anupriya earlier told reporters, "What I don't understand is, when the Congress was in a position to ensure the victory of its candidate, it never fielded a Dalit woman. This shows the anti-Dalit mindset of that party." Bhupender Yadav, Kovind's authorised representative for the presidential poll, said the NDA nominee had come to Lucknow to seek the support of the members of the electoral college. He added that Kovind would now visit the other states. Sources in the BJP said a Union minister, a senior party leader and two MPs would accompany Kovind on his nationwide tour to reach out to all the members of the electoral college. Though he would be meeting only with the MPs and MLAs who have pledged their loyalty with him, the NDA's presidential pick would appeal to all the members of the electoral college to support his candidature, they added. With over 62 per cent of the votes firmly behind him, Kovind's election as the next president is almost certain. Besides the BJP and its NDA allies, the TRS, YSRCP, AIADMK, BJD and the JD(U) have also announced their support to him. The presidential election is scheduled for July 17 and the counting of votes will take place on July 20. Kovind filed his nomination in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi on June 23, while opposition candidate Kumar is yet to file hers. If elected, Kovind will be the second Dalit president after K R Narayanan.
By PTI

JAMMU: A youth who had gone for arms training as a militant to Pakistan-occupied Kashmir in 1999, was arrested soon after his arrival from Pakistan via Nepal.

Nisar Shah of Targain village of Budhal tehsil of Rajouri district was arrested soon after his arrival back via Nepal route illegally from PoK, where he had gone for arms training, a police officer told PTI.

Shah has been arrested in Rajouri and will be produced in court after vacation, officer said.

Nisar illegally crossed LoC in the year 1999 and joined militant training camp at PoK, he said.

After some time he left militancy and the arms training camp and remained in Kotli town in PoK, he said.

He then went to Dubai for three years from 2010 to 2013 and after expiry of visa came back to PoK.

"Now he prepared a tourist visa for Nepal from where he entered into the country and reached his village illegally," officer said.

A case under FIR 10/2011 has already been registered against him as he was declared an absconder, he said.

JAMMU: A youth who had gone for arms training as a militant to Pakistan-occupied Kashmir in 1999, was arrested soon after his arrival from Pakistan via Nepal. Nisar Shah of Targain village of Budhal tehsil of Rajouri district was arrested soon after his arrival back via Nepal route illegally from PoK, where he had gone for arms training, a police officer told PTI. Shah has been arrested in Rajouri and will be produced in court after vacation, officer said. Nisar illegally crossed LoC in the year 1999 and joined militant training camp at PoK, he said. After some time he left militancy and the arms training camp and remained in Kotli town in PoK, he said. He then went to Dubai for three years from 2010 to 2013 and after expiry of visa came back to PoK. "Now he prepared a tourist visa for Nepal from where he entered into the country and reached his village illegally," officer said. A case under FIR 10/2011 has already been registered against him as he was declared an absconder, he said.
Ravi Shankar By

What is not surprising about Narendra Modi is his predilection for springing surprises. The choice of NDAs Presidential candidate Ram Nath Kovind is the latest example of such a Mandrake act.

The Oppositions representative is 71-year-old Meira Kumar, daughter of veteran Dalit Congressman Jagjivan Ram, who had in 1977 defected to the Janata Partyin which, the BJP was a significant constituent.

Ram Nath

Kovind

The sign of a successful leader like Modi is his ability to force opponents to follow his agenda. The Opposition got what it wanted, but not who it wanted. The Congress had hoped for a consensus to prove it still mattered but was cornered into sponsoring a Dalit, thereby converting the presidential contest into a caste war. Ironically, Meira was chosen mainly for being a Dalit trusted by Sonia Gandhi.

The mudslinging that followed vitiated the atmosphere. A social media war ensuedvis-a-vis Meiras IFS credentials, there was little mention of Kovind representing India in UN and addressing the UN General Assembly in 2002. Instead, he was mauled for his support to Bangaru Laxmanas expected from a senior BJP Dalit leader. Meiras transgressions came out as worse: land grab and misuse of official position.

Its obvious presidential elections have hardly ever been fought on ideology since Indira Gandhi tightened her grip on politics in the 70s. Before that scholarship, stature and political acumen defined the Indian presidency. Dr Rajendra Prasad did not become the Rashtrapati because he was a kayasth. Nor did Dr Radhakrishnan by virtue of his Brahmin parentage.

Today is the 42nd anniversary of the Emergency; on June 25, 1975, the first travesty of presidential dignity was committed by Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed, who signed its proclamation, supposedly from the bathroom. Gandhi-loyalist Giani Zail Singh had offered to sweep the floor for Indira. Pratibha Patils main qualification was she was a Gandhi family lackey. Downgrading the accomplished Meira as just a Dalit counter card is a disservice to the office of the President.

Historically, the Congress has cultivated Dalits as a powerful vote bank. Indias first Dalit president was a former Congress minister, KR Narayanan. As mere symbology, the purpose failed: 13 Dalits are murdered, three Dalit homes are burnt and 21 Dalit women are raped every week. The second Dalit president will be Kovind.

As one of BJPs prominent Dalit faces, in 2003 he had sought stringent laws against brutalities against Dalits, especially women and children. He even admitted such atrocities were a reason for Dalits leaving Hinduisma bold stance for a BJP leader. It is clear that to empower the children of a lesser god, rulers need merciless will to punish feudal barbarity, caste-dominated police mindsets and end discrimination in education.

Economics is the key to neutralising caste. Boosting industry in the interior and ensuring safety of investment should be enforced in BJPs social engineering agenda. Reservation for Dalits in rural job creation will guarantee their social dignity. Ram Nath Kovind does not need his Dalit-ness to win. President Kovind, however, can lead the war of hearts and minds against an evil that has bloodied past centuries and could stain the times to come. Over to you, Mr. President.

What is not surprising about Narendra Modi is his predilection for springing surprises. The choice of NDAs Presidential candidate Ram Nath Kovind is the latest example of such a Mandrake act. The Oppositions representative is 71-year-old Meira Kumar, daughter of veteran Dalit Congressman Jagjivan Ram, who had in 1977 defected to the Janata Partyin which, the BJP was a significant constituent. Ram Nath KovindThe sign of a successful leader like Modi is his ability to force opponents to follow his agenda. The Opposition got what it wanted, but not who it wanted. The Congress had hoped for a consensus to prove it still mattered but was cornered into sponsoring a Dalit, thereby converting the presidential contest into a caste war. Ironically, Meira was chosen mainly for being a Dalit trusted by Sonia Gandhi. The mudslinging that followed vitiated the atmosphere. A social media war ensuedvis-a-vis Meiras IFS credentials, there was little mention of Kovind representing India in UN and addressing the UN General Assembly in 2002. Instead, he was mauled for his support to Bangaru Laxmanas expected from a senior BJP Dalit leader. Meiras transgressions came out as worse: land grab and misuse of official position. Its obvious presidential elections have hardly ever been fought on ideology since Indira Gandhi tightened her grip on politics in the 70s. Before that scholarship, stature and political acumen defined the Indian presidency. Dr Rajendra Prasad did not become the Rashtrapati because he was a kayasth. Nor did Dr Radhakrishnan by virtue of his Brahmin parentage. Today is the 42nd anniversary of the Emergency; on June 25, 1975, the first travesty of presidential dignity was committed by Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed, who signed its proclamation, supposedly from the bathroom. Gandhi-loyalist Giani Zail Singh had offered to sweep the floor for Indira. Pratibha Patils main qualification was she was a Gandhi family lackey. Downgrading the accomplished Meira as just a Dalit counter card is a disservice to the office of the President. Historically, the Congress has cultivated Dalits as a powerful vote bank. Indias first Dalit president was a former Congress minister, KR Narayanan. As mere symbology, the purpose failed: 13 Dalits are murdered, three Dalit homes are burnt and 21 Dalit women are raped every week. The second Dalit president will be Kovind. As one of BJPs prominent Dalit faces, in 2003 he had sought stringent laws against brutalities against Dalits, especially women and children. He even admitted such atrocities were a reason for Dalits leaving Hinduisma bold stance for a BJP leader. It is clear that to empower the children of a lesser god, rulers need merciless will to punish feudal barbarity, caste-dominated police mindsets and end discrimination in education. Economics is the key to neutralising caste. Boosting industry in the interior and ensuring safety of investment should be enforced in BJPs social engineering agenda. Reservation for Dalits in rural job creation will guarantee their social dignity. Ram Nath Kovind does not need his Dalit-ness to win. President Kovind, however, can lead the war of hearts and minds against an evil that has bloodied past centuries and could stain the times to come. Over to you, Mr. President.
T J S George By

In political and strategic terms, the BJP leadership staged the equivalent of a coup detat when it nominated Ram Nath Kovind for President. The choice killed three birds with one stone. Bird No 1: The Opposition parties unity against the Ruling dispensation. Not only did Bihars Nitish Kumar break rank to support the BJP; the usual dissonance between father Mulayam and son Akhilesh Yadav pushed the Samajwadis into yet another imbroglio.

Bird No 2: The Oppositions chance to field independently a candidate of superior status. Meira Kumar has the right credentials, but her choice essentially means the Opposition imitating the BJPs tactic of playing the Dalit card. Bird No 3: Presumed Dalit antipathy to the Hindutva camp which is seen as a Pune-Nagpur savarna setup. The party in power is in a position to ensure that the election of the President next month will be a mere formality.

The strategists of the BJP scored grace marks as well by picking a man who seems to carry himself well. We need to remember that there were proposals to nominate the RSS chief himself for the highest constitutional position. That would have sent out the message that hardline Hindutva ideology was taking over the country in unabashed style. Avoiding such an unwise projection of the countrys image, the decision-makers zeroed in on a man whose chief asset is his low profile.

Kovind is a card-carrying BJP man. But as Governor of Bihar he attracted no adverse publicity as, for example, the BJP governors of Uttar Pradesh and Karnataka did. Actually, he remained unknown all these years. We now hear that he has been a lawyer of some quality and has a scholarly bend of mind, unusual by BJP-RSS standards. In a country where small-minded careerists like Zail Singh and inconsequential bystanders like Pratibha Patil brought disrepute to the presidency, Kovind has the potential to uphold its dignity.

The political calculations behind Kovinds nomination are a different matter, however. It is obvious that his scholarship and non-controversial profile were not the factors that led to his elevation. His caste was. Caste has been a decisive factor in the electoral strategising of all parties across the country. It was especially so in UP where Mayawati built an empire in the name of Dalits despite her service to the community being minimal and self-centred. Kovind, a Kanpur native, will be embraced by UP Dalits, BJP calculates. But Mayawati, significantly, has switched to Meira Kumar.

While the BJP has done a smart job for itself, the larger question remains: On account of electoral compulsions, is India condemned to be nothing more than a sum of its communal parts? Politics and even law and order in many parts of India in recent years have been dominated by caste-based campaigns, often violent, by Thakurs and Dalits, Jats and Gujjars, Patidars and Rajputs and Vanniyars. Is this how our political parties want Indias future to be, or do they have a responsibility to lead the country away from narrow casteism?

This is the first time a presidential nominee has been picked on the basis of his caste identity. K R Narayanan was not fielded because he was a Dalit. It was his background as diplomat, administrator and minister and, above all, his stature as a public figure that made him a candidate for the highest post in the country. And he lived up to the trust the country placed in him.

APJ Abdul Kalam was not nominated because he was a Muslim. Nor was Zakir Husain long before him. In fact those gentlemen were outstanding examples of Indias secular identity. Not once did they conduct themselves or take decisions as Muslims. They were Indian citizens and were recognised as such.

It is true that in those times, too, political parties made their electoral calculations on the basis of religion and caste. Even Marxist EMS Namboodiripad went to the extent of creating a new Muslim-majority district in Kerala to please its constituents.

But the emphasis on religion and caste is now at a higher pitch, the UP state election signalling a climax of that process. Since the BJPs current strategy is anchored on caste considerations, the role of communal elements in public life will increase.

That Ram Nath Kovind is a worthy candidate is unrelated to the cynical calculations behind his nomination. Principles matter. In the life of a nation, todays are the building blocks of tomorrows. Compromises adopted for momentary victories may well lead to defeats in the long term.

In political and strategic terms, the BJP leadership staged the equivalent of a coup detat when it nominated Ram Nath Kovind for President. The choice killed three birds with one stone. Bird No 1: The Opposition parties unity against the Ruling dispensation. Not only did Bihars Nitish Kumar break rank to support the BJP; the usual dissonance between father Mulayam and son Akhilesh Yadav pushed the Samajwadis into yet another imbroglio. Bird No 2: The Oppositions chance to field independently a candidate of superior status. Meira Kumar has the right credentials, but her choice essentially means the Opposition imitating the BJPs tactic of playing the Dalit card. Bird No 3: Presumed Dalit antipathy to the Hindutva camp which is seen as a Pune-Nagpur savarna setup. The party in power is in a position to ensure that the election of the President next month will be a mere formality. The strategists of the BJP scored grace marks as well by picking a man who seems to carry himself well. We need to remember that there were proposals to nominate the RSS chief himself for the highest constitutional position. That would have sent out the message that hardline Hindutva ideology was taking over the country in unabashed style. Avoiding such an unwise projection of the countrys image, the decision-makers zeroed in on a man whose chief asset is his low profile. Kovind is a card-carrying BJP man. But as Governor of Bihar he attracted no adverse publicity as, for example, the BJP governors of Uttar Pradesh and Karnataka did. Actually, he remained unknown all these years. We now hear that he has been a lawyer of some quality and has a scholarly bend of mind, unusual by BJP-RSS standards. In a country where small-minded careerists like Zail Singh and inconsequential bystanders like Pratibha Patil brought disrepute to the presidency, Kovind has the potential to uphold its dignity. The political calculations behind Kovinds nomination are a different matter, however. It is obvious that his scholarship and non-controversial profile were not the factors that led to his elevation. His caste was. Caste has been a decisive factor in the electoral strategising of all parties across the country. It was especially so in UP where Mayawati built an empire in the name of Dalits despite her service to the community being minimal and self-centred. Kovind, a Kanpur native, will be embraced by UP Dalits, BJP calculates. But Mayawati, significantly, has switched to Meira Kumar. While the BJP has done a smart job for itself, the larger question remains: On account of electoral compulsions, is India condemned to be nothing more than a sum of its communal parts? Politics and even law and order in many parts of India in recent years have been dominated by caste-based campaigns, often violent, by Thakurs and Dalits, Jats and Gujjars, Patidars and Rajputs and Vanniyars. Is this how our political parties want Indias future to be, or do they have a responsibility to lead the country away from narrow casteism? This is the first time a presidential nominee has been picked on the basis of his caste identity. K R Narayanan was not fielded because he was a Dalit. It was his background as diplomat, administrator and minister and, above all, his stature as a public figure that made him a candidate for the highest post in the country. And he lived up to the trust the country placed in him. APJ Abdul Kalam was not nominated because he was a Muslim. Nor was Zakir Husain long before him. In fact those gentlemen were outstanding examples of Indias secular identity. Not once did they conduct themselves or take decisions as Muslims. They were Indian citizens and were recognised as such. It is true that in those times, too, political parties made their electoral calculations on the basis of religion and caste. Even Marxist EMS Namboodiripad went to the extent of creating a new Muslim-majority district in Kerala to please its constituents. But the emphasis on religion and caste is now at a higher pitch, the UP state election signalling a climax of that process. Since the BJPs current strategy is anchored on caste considerations, the role of communal elements in public life will increase. That Ram Nath Kovind is a worthy candidate is unrelated to the cynical calculations behind his nomination. Principles matter. In the life of a nation, todays are the building blocks of tomorrows. Compromises adopted for momentary victories may well lead to defeats in the long term.
By Express News Service

ALAPPUZHA: The body of the priest who went missing at Edinburgh, Scotland, was found on a beach away from his residence. Relatives said they were informed about the body by the Malayalees in the area. Fr Martin Xavier, 33, Kannadi Vazhachirayil house, Pulinkunnu, Kuttanad, was found missing from his residence at Scotland after Tuesday.



The priests relatives suspect mystery in the priests death. The body was found on a beach and it is far away from the residence, they said. The door of the room was found open and his passport was in the room. I have written to Union Minister Sushma Swaraj and Scotland Consul General Anju Ranjan demanding an investigation into the death, Kodikunnil Suresh MP said.

Opposition Leader Ramesh Chennithala has also written to Sushma seeking an inquiry into the death.

He called us over phone till Tuesday. There were no more phone calls from him after that, a relative said. He was pursuing PhD and serving as the vicar of St John the Baptist Church in Corstorphine.



The parishioners, who did not see the vicar in the church for the morning Mass, went to his residence and found he was missing. Subsequently, the CMI church authorities alerted the CMI Ashram at Pulinkunnu and they informed us.



Martin went to Scotland on July 15, 2016. He was ordained priest on December 30, 2013 and served as the vicar of Sacred Heart Church in Chethipuzha, Changanassery.

ALAPPUZHA: The body of the priest who went missing at Edinburgh, Scotland, was found on a beach away from his residence. Relatives said they were informed about the body by the Malayalees in the area. Fr Martin Xavier, 33, Kannadi Vazhachirayil house, Pulinkunnu, Kuttanad, was found missing from his residence at Scotland after Tuesday. The priests relatives suspect mystery in the priests death. The body was found on a beach and it is far away from the residence, they said. The door of the room was found open and his passport was in the room. I have written to Union Minister Sushma Swaraj and Scotland Consul General Anju Ranjan demanding an investigation into the death, Kodikunnil Suresh MP said. Opposition Leader Ramesh Chennithala has also written to Sushma seeking an inquiry into the death. He called us over phone till Tuesday. There were no more phone calls from him after that, a relative said. He was pursuing PhD and serving as the vicar of St John the Baptist Church in Corstorphine. The parishioners, who did not see the vicar in the church for the morning Mass, went to his residence and found he was missing. Subsequently, the CMI church authorities alerted the CMI Ashram at Pulinkunnu and they informed us. Martin went to Scotland on July 15, 2016. He was ordained priest on December 30, 2013 and served as the vicar of Sacred Heart Church in Chethipuzha, Changanassery.
Ram M Sundaram By

Express News Service

CHENNAI: Reversing the principle of reservation for the backward communities, over half of the medical seats under the all India quota will now be reserved for candidates from upper castes  the open category students. Counselling for reserved (49.5 per cent) and unreserved (50.5 per cent) category students will happen separately this year, Union Health Secretary C K Mishra told Express.

That is, even the high-performing candidates from the BC, SC and ST communities will be accommodated only in the 49.5 per cent reserved for them  leaving fewer seats for the truly backward. It began with a note in the CBSE NEET Information Bulletin 2017: Candidates from creamy layer and those who do not come under Central list of OBC are advised to mention their category as Unreserved (UR).

Until last year, score cards of general or OC candidates had only details about the all India rank. But this year, score cards of OC candidates carried their unreserved ranks alongside their all India ranks.

For instance, in one of the score cards, a student from Tamil Nadu, an unreserved candidate, had his rank jump from the 80,000s in all India rank to the 40,000s in the new category - Unreserved.

This would have an effect on the 9,775 seats that form the 15 per cent allocated under the all India quota in the 470 medical colleges across India.

Earlier, the admission for reserved seats took place only after the open quota seats got filled.

A Scheduled Caste candidate topping the overall ranking in general merit category would have resulted in a seat opening up for another reserved category student.

While the earlier reservation policy ensured a minimum number of seats for students from backward communities, this policy shift appears to effectively put a cap on the number of seats for which reserved category students can compete.

Reserved category students from Tamil Nadu might also lose their opportunity to get admitted to the medical colleges under the 15 percent all India quota and they might also face increased competition for the state quota seats here, pointed out G R Ravindranath, general secretary of the Doctors Association for Social Equality (DASE).

When asked about this, a senior-ranking Tamil Nadu health department official told Express that they were uncertain about this matter. He added that it would be taken up with the Directorate of Health Services on Sunday itself.

CHENNAI: Reversing the principle of reservation for the backward communities, over half of the medical seats under the all India quota will now be reserved for candidates from upper castes  the open category students. Counselling for reserved (49.5 per cent) and unreserved (50.5 per cent) category students will happen separately this year, Union Health Secretary C K Mishra told Express. That is, even the high-performing candidates from the BC, SC and ST communities will be accommodated only in the 49.5 per cent reserved for them  leaving fewer seats for the truly backward. It began with a note in the CBSE NEET Information Bulletin 2017: Candidates from creamy layer and those who do not come under Central list of OBC are advised to mention their category as Unreserved (UR). Until last year, score cards of general or OC candidates had only details about the all India rank. But this year, score cards of OC candidates carried their unreserved ranks alongside their all India ranks. For instance, in one of the score cards, a student from Tamil Nadu, an unreserved candidate, had his rank jump from the 80,000s in all India rank to the 40,000s in the new category - Unreserved. This would have an effect on the 9,775 seats that form the 15 per cent allocated under the all India quota in the 470 medical colleges across India. Earlier, the admission for reserved seats took place only after the open quota seats got filled. A Scheduled Caste candidate topping the overall ranking in general merit category would have resulted in a seat opening up for another reserved category student. While the earlier reservation policy ensured a minimum number of seats for students from backward communities, this policy shift appears to effectively put a cap on the number of seats for which reserved category students can compete. Reserved category students from Tamil Nadu might also lose their opportunity to get admitted to the medical colleges under the 15 percent all India quota and they might also face increased competition for the state quota seats here, pointed out G R Ravindranath, general secretary of the Doctors Association for Social Equality (DASE). When asked about this, a senior-ranking Tamil Nadu health department official told Express that they were uncertain about this matter. He added that it would be taken up with the Directorate of Health Services on Sunday itself.
By Express News Service

HYDERABAD: Relatives of an accident victim, who scurried around various blood banks in Hyderabad were in for a rude shock when they got to know that the blood they brought from a private blood bank was diluted with saline.

The incident came to light after Rachakonda Special Operations Team (SOT) busted a racket after raiding Venus Blood Bank here following a complaint lodged by the relatives of the accident victim. The samples of the blood would be sent to Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) for analysis, police said.



According to police, one Narasimha Reddy met with an accident three days ago and was admitted to a private hospital in Byramulguda. The doctors suggested that the patient needs blood and asked his family to procure blood. Narasimha Reddys relatives after visiting nearby blood banks, were suggested to go to Venus Hospital Blood Bank .



They purchased two units of blood for`3,000 a unit from Venus Blood Bank. When doctors checked the blood before transfusion, they found it was mixed with normal saline, Rachakonda police said.

Shocked over this, the family approached the police and lodged a complaint. The SOT police seized five packets of white blood cells, seven bottles of saline, records and registers.

Detective inspector Pravinder Rao said they apprehended three persons of the blood bank namely Chakravarthi, Sravan and one more person.



Cases were registered under IPC Section 420 (Cheating), 308 (Attempt to commit culpable homicide), 269 ( Negligent act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life) against them and investigation is underway. Drug Inspectors from Telangana Drug Control Association (DCA) are also investigating the case.



Blood banks are supposed to be regulated by DCA officials. Officials in the health department questioned if regular checks are being taken up at the blood banks because this is the second such case reported in the city.



Last May, a similar case was reported at Government Maternity Hospital, Sultan Bazaar. A lab technician was involved in splitting one unit (350 ml) of blood into two packets and filling the remaining part with saline.

HYDERABAD: Relatives of an accident victim, who scurried around various blood banks in Hyderabad were in for a rude shock when they got to know that the blood they brought from a private blood bank was diluted with saline. The incident came to light after Rachakonda Special Operations Team (SOT) busted a racket after raiding Venus Blood Bank here following a complaint lodged by the relatives of the accident victim. The samples of the blood would be sent to Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) for analysis, police said. According to police, one Narasimha Reddy met with an accident three days ago and was admitted to a private hospital in Byramulguda. The doctors suggested that the patient needs blood and asked his family to procure blood. Narasimha Reddys relatives after visiting nearby blood banks, were suggested to go to Venus Hospital Blood Bank . They purchased two units of blood for`3,000 a unit from Venus Blood Bank. When doctors checked the blood before transfusion, they found it was mixed with normal saline, Rachakonda police said. Shocked over this, the family approached the police and lodged a complaint. The SOT police seized five packets of white blood cells, seven bottles of saline, records and registers. Detective inspector Pravinder Rao said they apprehended three persons of the blood bank namely Chakravarthi, Sravan and one more person. Cases were registered under IPC Section 420 (Cheating), 308 (Attempt to commit culpable homicide), 269 ( Negligent act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life) against them and investigation is underway. Drug Inspectors from Telangana Drug Control Association (DCA) are also investigating the case. Blood banks are supposed to be regulated by DCA officials. Officials in the health department questioned if regular checks are being taken up at the blood banks because this is the second such case reported in the city. Last May, a similar case was reported at Government Maternity Hospital, Sultan Bazaar. A lab technician was involved in splitting one unit (350 ml) of blood into two packets and filling the remaining part with saline.
By Express News Service

HYDERABAD: Days after the High Court instructed the State government to look after the surrogate mothers in Sai Kiran Infertility Clinic, a team of doctors from Gandhi General Hospital visited the clinic and conducted tests on the surrogate mothers. The team of doctors checked the blood pressure, cardiac health and other conditions of the 48 surrogate mothers.



The doctors wanted to ascertain if the surrogate mothers suffered from any critical health condition. The team included a general physician, gynecologist, assistant professors. Health department were tight lipped about the report. It is a confidential internal report, said an official.

Soon after surrogate mothers were found at a Hospital in Banjara Hills, the general public and government officials have expressed apprehension that couples who commissioned surrogacy might not return to claim their baby.

However, it is learnt that commissioning couples have made it clear that they dont want the surrogate mothers to be shifted from the hospital to a government hospital and that they will take their babies.



A commissioning parent has reportedly filed a petition. Petition was filed by Dr Sunil Dutt requesting him to be made one of the respondents in PIL of Hyderabad High Courts divisional bench. Intention is not to shift surrogate mothers from Sai Kiran Hospital, K Devanath, the advocate of the hospital.



The bench which was dealing with a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) was taken up suo moto based on news reports. He said that one more petition was filed by surrogate mother, on Saturday and more petitions would be filed.

Heat is building up against Infertility Clinics in Hyderabad, Rangareddy and surrounding districts and it has affected their business

WCW officials guard Infertility clinic

TS Women and Child Welfare (WCW) department are guarding 87 mothers who are staying in apartments courtesy Dr Padmaja Surrogacy Centre in Bhongir town of Yadadri district.

HYDERABAD: Days after the High Court instructed the State government to look after the surrogate mothers in Sai Kiran Infertility Clinic, a team of doctors from Gandhi General Hospital visited the clinic and conducted tests on the surrogate mothers. The team of doctors checked the blood pressure, cardiac health and other conditions of the 48 surrogate mothers. The doctors wanted to ascertain if the surrogate mothers suffered from any critical health condition. The team included a general physician, gynecologist, assistant professors. Health department were tight lipped about the report. It is a confidential internal report, said an official. Soon after surrogate mothers were found at a Hospital in Banjara Hills, the general public and government officials have expressed apprehension that couples who commissioned surrogacy might not return to claim their baby. However, it is learnt that commissioning couples have made it clear that they dont want the surrogate mothers to be shifted from the hospital to a government hospital and that they will take their babies. A commissioning parent has reportedly filed a petition. Petition was filed by Dr Sunil Dutt requesting him to be made one of the respondents in PIL of Hyderabad High Courts divisional bench. Intention is not to shift surrogate mothers from Sai Kiran Hospital, K Devanath, the advocate of the hospital. The bench which was dealing with a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) was taken up suo moto based on news reports. He said that one more petition was filed by surrogate mother, on Saturday and more petitions would be filed. Heat is building up against Infertility Clinics in Hyderabad, Rangareddy and surrounding districts and it has affected their business WCW officials guard Infertility clinic TS Women and Child Welfare (WCW) department are guarding 87 mothers who are staying in apartments courtesy Dr Padmaja Surrogacy Centre in Bhongir town of Yadadri district.
Express News Service By

Jammu & Kashmir Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Mohammad Ayoub Pandith, 57, was lynched by a mob outside Jamia Masjid in downtown Srinagar on Thursday night. Though the Valley is in shock after the incident, state Director General of Police Shesh Paul Vaid speaks to Fayaz Wani on punishing the guilty, high morale of the police force and other issues.

How do you see lynching of a police officer by a mob in Srinagar?

Weve reached a stage where very little difference is left between humanity and barbarism. Deputy SP Pandith was deployed for access control in the mosque to prevent anti-social elements from disturbing people and peace so that night-long prayers could be held without any disturbance. People need to distinguish between good and bad.

Was it pre-planned?

Investigation is on. Those arrested are being questioned. We can comment on it only after getting the report.

Was the DSP there to provide security to separatist leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq?

Mirwaiz does come to the mosque, but thousands of people had thronged the Jamia Masjid to attend Shab-e-Qadr (holiest night in the month of Ramadan)prayers. The police officer was there to ensure security of people, but unfortunately some anti-social elements killed him.

Is the lynching and militant attacks on police in the Valley an attempt to demoralise J&K Police?

Yes, such attempts are being made. But J&K Police never gets affected by this. Our morale is high.

What measures are being taken to ensure safety of policemen?

Required security measures will be taken to ensure safety of policemen and officers, and their families. These measures cant be disclosed to the media.

Jammu & Kashmir Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Mohammad Ayoub Pandith, 57, was lynched by a mob outside Jamia Masjid in downtown Srinagar on Thursday night. Though the Valley is in shock after the incident, state Director General of Police Shesh Paul Vaid speaks to Fayaz Wani on punishing the guilty, high morale of the police force and other issues. How do you see lynching of a police officer by a mob in Srinagar? Weve reached a stage where very little difference is left between humanity and barbarism. Deputy SP Pandith was deployed for access control in the mosque to prevent anti-social elements from disturbing people and peace so that night-long prayers could be held without any disturbance. People need to distinguish between good and bad. Was it pre-planned? Investigation is on. Those arrested are being questioned. We can comment on it only after getting the report. Was the DSP there to provide security to separatist leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq? Mirwaiz does come to the mosque, but thousands of people had thronged the Jamia Masjid to attend Shab-e-Qadr (holiest night in the month of Ramadan)prayers. The police officer was there to ensure security of people, but unfortunately some anti-social elements killed him. Is the lynching and militant attacks on police in the Valley an attempt to demoralise J&K Police? Yes, such attempts are being made. But J&K Police never gets affected by this. Our morale is high. What measures are being taken to ensure safety of policemen? Required security measures will be taken to ensure safety of policemen and officers, and their families. These measures cant be disclosed to the media.
Manish Anand By

GUWAHATI: The BJP is abuzz with the likelihood of its Mission South dictating the nominee for Vice-President. That the NDAs candidate for President, Ram Nath Kovind, represents Uttar Pradesh is making party leaders believe that the top brass may look south of the Vindhyas for the next Vice-President.

PM Narendra Modi has said he cant spare any of his Cabinet ministers because former Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar is now Goa CM and MoS for Environment, Forest and Climate Change passed away recently.

Southern states have no representation in top four positions of President, Vice-President, Prime Minister and Lok Sabha Speaker. Such a situation is against the thrust of the party to build a base in the southern states to ensure the prospects of 2019 Lok Sabha elections remain intact, sources close to BJP chief Amit Shah said.

Maharashtra Governor C Vidyasagar Rao, who holds the additional charge for Tamil Nadu, is one amongst three who may succeed outgoing Vice-President Hamid Ansari. Rao is a Jansangh and BJP stalwart, who was the BJP state president of united Andhra Pradesh, besides being jailed during the Emergency. He was Union MoS for Home Affairs and Commerce and Industry in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee Cabinet. Hes an able administrator and comes high on parameters which appeal to the Prime Minister, the sources added.

BJP leaders maintain that the PM has a penchant for surprises in his choices, and he may look for a non-political female leader from the south.

Karnataka is poll-bound, and the PM may choose someone from the state, such as writer and philanthropist Sudha Murthy, wife of Infosys founder N Narayan Murthy. Since the PM talks of New India and the youth, Sudha may emerge as a choice to help endear the party amongst the youth in technology sector and women, sources said.

Shah is focussed on Kerala, where he is seeking to wage an ideological battle against the ruling Left. BJP veteran O Rajagopal could be the possible choice for Vice-President.

GUWAHATI: The BJP is abuzz with the likelihood of its Mission South dictating the nominee for Vice-President. That the NDAs candidate for President, Ram Nath Kovind, represents Uttar Pradesh is making party leaders believe that the top brass may look south of the Vindhyas for the next Vice-President. PM Narendra Modi has said he cant spare any of his Cabinet ministers because former Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar is now Goa CM and MoS for Environment, Forest and Climate Change passed away recently. Southern states have no representation in top four positions of President, Vice-President, Prime Minister and Lok Sabha Speaker. Such a situation is against the thrust of the party to build a base in the southern states to ensure the prospects of 2019 Lok Sabha elections remain intact, sources close to BJP chief Amit Shah said. Maharashtra Governor C Vidyasagar Rao, who holds the additional charge for Tamil Nadu, is one amongst three who may succeed outgoing Vice-President Hamid Ansari. Rao is a Jansangh and BJP stalwart, who was the BJP state president of united Andhra Pradesh, besides being jailed during the Emergency. He was Union MoS for Home Affairs and Commerce and Industry in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee Cabinet. Hes an able administrator and comes high on parameters which appeal to the Prime Minister, the sources added. BJP leaders maintain that the PM has a penchant for surprises in his choices, and he may look for a non-political female leader from the south. Karnataka is poll-bound, and the PM may choose someone from the state, such as writer and philanthropist Sudha Murthy, wife of Infosys founder N Narayan Murthy. Since the PM talks of New India and the youth, Sudha may emerge as a choice to help endear the party amongst the youth in technology sector and women, sources said. Shah is focussed on Kerala, where he is seeking to wage an ideological battle against the ruling Left. BJP veteran O Rajagopal could be the possible choice for Vice-President.
Anand St Das By

PATNA: JD(U) national president and Bihar CM Nitish Kumars move to support NDAs Presidential candidate Ram Nath Kovind is much more than another one-upmanship. It is a gambit aimed at the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, when JD(U) plans to manoeuvre Nitishs projection as the prime ministerial candidate of an alliance of non-BJP parties, according to JD(U) leaders.

JD(U)s decision to announce its support to Kovind a day before a meeting of Opposition parties led by the Congress was deliberate. Even after the 18-party Opposition bloc named Meira Kumar as its Presidential candidate, Nitish refused to back her. The message these moves sent was that Nitish, the initiator of efforts for nationwide Opposition unity, was weakening such efforts. But JD(U) leaders said these moves are the best shot at this time for the party and its helmsman.

It is an open secret in JD(U) that Nitish has been preparing in earnest to become prime minister in 2019. JD(U) leaders are aware of the obstacles before him posed by the Congress and RJD. His volte-face in the Presidential polls was his way of giving the Congress and RJDJD(U)s allies in Bihara no-nonsense message that he is no longer willing to toe the two parties line.

If the Congress and RJD are keen on Opposition unity, they must form a solid alliance now for the 2019 Lok Sabha polls and project Nitish as the PM candidate, said a JD(U) leader. He said Nitish resents the fact that the Congress still looks for an opportunity to project Rahul Gandhi as the PM candidate. We (JD-U) are no longer willing to buy that futile theory, said the leader.

Nitish is the most capable secular leader to take on Narendra Modi in 2019. The sooner the Congress and RJD accept this truth, the better for all secular parties, said a Rajya Sabha member from JD(U).

By taking an independent line on critical national issues such as demonetisation, surgical strikes and Presidential polls, Nitish has tried to achieve multiple goals. Keeping a meddlesome RJD in check for smoother governance in Bihar and keeping a door open for BJP if RJD parts ways are part of this strategy. But compelling Congress and RJD to project him as the PM candidate for 2019 is the most important of Nitishs goals.

Making the RIght Moves

Nitishs move to support NDAs Presidential candidate Ram Nath Kovind is a gambit aimed at the 2019 Lok Sabha polls

It was Nitishs way of telling Congress and RJD that hell no longer toe their line

JD(U) plans to manoeuvre Nitish as the PM candidate in 2019

By taking an independent line on critical national issues, Nitish has tried to achieve multiple goals

PATNA: JD(U) national president and Bihar CM Nitish Kumars move to support NDAs Presidential candidate Ram Nath Kovind is much more than another one-upmanship. It is a gambit aimed at the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, when JD(U) plans to manoeuvre Nitishs projection as the prime ministerial candidate of an alliance of non-BJP parties, according to JD(U) leaders. JD(U)s decision to announce its support to Kovind a day before a meeting of Opposition parties led by the Congress was deliberate. Even after the 18-party Opposition bloc named Meira Kumar as its Presidential candidate, Nitish refused to back her. The message these moves sent was that Nitish, the initiator of efforts for nationwide Opposition unity, was weakening such efforts. But JD(U) leaders said these moves are the best shot at this time for the party and its helmsman. It is an open secret in JD(U) that Nitish has been preparing in earnest to become prime minister in 2019. JD(U) leaders are aware of the obstacles before him posed by the Congress and RJD. His volte-face in the Presidential polls was his way of giving the Congress and RJDJD(U)s allies in Bihara no-nonsense message that he is no longer willing to toe the two parties line. If the Congress and RJD are keen on Opposition unity, they must form a solid alliance now for the 2019 Lok Sabha polls and project Nitish as the PM candidate, said a JD(U) leader. He said Nitish resents the fact that the Congress still looks for an opportunity to project Rahul Gandhi as the PM candidate. We (JD-U) are no longer willing to buy that futile theory, said the leader. Nitish is the most capable secular leader to take on Narendra Modi in 2019. The sooner the Congress and RJD accept this truth, the better for all secular parties, said a Rajya Sabha member from JD(U). By taking an independent line on critical national issues such as demonetisation, surgical strikes and Presidential polls, Nitish has tried to achieve multiple goals. Keeping a meddlesome RJD in check for smoother governance in Bihar and keeping a door open for BJP if RJD parts ways are part of this strategy. But compelling Congress and RJD to project him as the PM candidate for 2019 is the most important of Nitishs goals. Making the RIght Moves Nitishs move to support NDAs Presidential candidate Ram Nath Kovind is a gambit aimed at the 2019 Lok Sabha polls It was Nitishs way of telling Congress and RJD that hell no longer toe their line JD(U) plans to manoeuvre Nitish as the PM candidate in 2019 By taking an independent line on critical national issues, Nitish has tried to achieve multiple goals
Abhijit Mulye By

MUMBAI: As the NDAs Presidential nominee Ram Nath Kovind filed his papers in Delhi on Friday, NCP president Sharad Pawar was discussing the state governments farm loan waiver with Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis. A day earlier, when Opposition parties were to meet to decide their nominee, Pawar was busy with a delegation of farmers and wanted the meeting to be postponed.

Pawar loyalists highlight these two meetings to boast the relevance he has in the state and national politics, while others point to these incidents as an indication that he is of little political relevance.

Pawar today is a shadowy reflection of his former selffrom a first-time MLA in 1967, two-time Maharashtra CM, the frontrunner for Prime Minister after Rajiv Gandhis assassiantion in 1991, to finally breaking away from the Congress to form the NCP in 1999. His ability to cut across party lines and make friends out of foes made him one of Indias best politicians. And if he werent a neta, he would be a farmer, the shrewd politician has oft said.

For the Congress and the BJP, Pawar was relevant until now as he had good influence over regional parties such as BJD in Odisha, DMK in Tamil Nadu, JD(U) in Bihar and Shiv Sena in Maharashtra. But this Presidential poll have proved that he is losing hold over these parties, said a Maharashtra Congress leader.

The BJP government in the state seems to be successful in pacifying the farmers. They would now announce the final scheme for loan waiver and take the political credit for it, leaving the Opposition and Shiv Sena with no issues to corner the government.

Shiv Sena appears to have decided to fall in line with the BJP after repeatedly demeaning it for two years. They are unlikely to give any trouble to the BJP soon unless they decide to fight the Parliamentary polls separately. If that happens, it will render the NCP worthless in state politics, a Maharashtra Congress leader said. The NCP allying with the Congress and smaller Opposition parties on the farmers loan waiver issues indicates their declining clout. If they decide to come with us (the Congress), theyll lose the last bit of relevance they have.

A senior Shiv Sena leader too indicated the changed party line viz-a-viz BJP after the meeting between BJP president Amit Shah and Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray. Weve been asked to go soft on the BJP, the leader said.

The NCP and ultimately Pawar will be the biggest losers if the politics in the state unfolds in the way these leaders have said.

MUMBAI: As the NDAs Presidential nominee Ram Nath Kovind filed his papers in Delhi on Friday, NCP president Sharad Pawar was discussing the state governments farm loan waiver with Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis. A day earlier, when Opposition parties were to meet to decide their nominee, Pawar was busy with a delegation of farmers and wanted the meeting to be postponed. Pawar loyalists highlight these two meetings to boast the relevance he has in the state and national politics, while others point to these incidents as an indication that he is of little political relevance. Pawar today is a shadowy reflection of his former selffrom a first-time MLA in 1967, two-time Maharashtra CM, the frontrunner for Prime Minister after Rajiv Gandhis assassiantion in 1991, to finally breaking away from the Congress to form the NCP in 1999. His ability to cut across party lines and make friends out of foes made him one of Indias best politicians. And if he werent a neta, he would be a farmer, the shrewd politician has oft said. For the Congress and the BJP, Pawar was relevant until now as he had good influence over regional parties such as BJD in Odisha, DMK in Tamil Nadu, JD(U) in Bihar and Shiv Sena in Maharashtra. But this Presidential poll have proved that he is losing hold over these parties, said a Maharashtra Congress leader. The BJP government in the state seems to be successful in pacifying the farmers. They would now announce the final scheme for loan waiver and take the political credit for it, leaving the Opposition and Shiv Sena with no issues to corner the government. Shiv Sena appears to have decided to fall in line with the BJP after repeatedly demeaning it for two years. They are unlikely to give any trouble to the BJP soon unless they decide to fight the Parliamentary polls separately. If that happens, it will render the NCP worthless in state politics, a Maharashtra Congress leader said. The NCP allying with the Congress and smaller Opposition parties on the farmers loan waiver issues indicates their declining clout. If they decide to come with us (the Congress), theyll lose the last bit of relevance they have. A senior Shiv Sena leader too indicated the changed party line viz-a-viz BJP after the meeting between BJP president Amit Shah and Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray. Weve been asked to go soft on the BJP, the leader said. The NCP and ultimately Pawar will be the biggest losers if the politics in the state unfolds in the way these leaders have said.
Aishik Chanda By

DARJEELING: Peace seems light years away in the hills of Darjeeling with its Gorkha populace reviving the century-old demand for a separate state and turning the situation volatile with infinite strikes and protests.

To intensify their stir, 43 Gorkha Territorial Administration (GTA) executive members, including chief executive Bimal Gurung, resigned en masse on Friday, and vowed not to allow GTA elections scheduled for July. Gurung, spearhead of the agitation and Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) chief, also dared the police to arrest him, reiterating that indefinite strike would continue. The development comes just a week ahead of the end of term of the semi-constitutional body.

Police pressed non-bailable charges against Gurung, his wife Asha and 24 GJM leaders for their alleged involvement in the death of three Morcha activists and burning of a police vehicle during a clash between GJM cadres and security personnel last week. Booking GJM leaders for murder of their own activists shows that law is separate for Gorkhas in West Bengal, said GJM assistant general secretary Binay Tamang.

The situation turned more complex with Sikkim Chief Minister Pawan Kumar Chamling writing to Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh in support of a Gorkhaland. A day later, the West Bengal government protested the move by writing to Singh.

Although no major incident of violence was reported in the past week, the complete shutdown since June 15 was relaxed on Friday for 12 hours to allow boarding school students to leave for Siliguri in school buses. Around 2,000 students from 53 boarding schools in Darjeeling and Kalimpong districts left for home as monsoon vacation began Friday.

Supplies of food and other necessities have nosedived in the hills as villagers find it difficult to travel downtown. Although early morning markets are held, meat and vegetable sellers wind up within an hour. With only a few medical shops open, town-dwellers have to pay hefty prices for millets or meats from the rural areas of the hills.

Prices of LPG cylinders have sky-rocketed to `1,200-1,500 each. We can eat millets, herbs, roots and vegetables, but we need gas to cook. Our stocks of rice and pulses are depleting at an alarming rate, said a housewife Rachna Moktan.

While internet services are shut, access to cable network remains erroneous. The oddities, however, dont deter the residents from their demand for Gorkhaland. We have passed through 40 days of complete strike. We can sail through this strike as well, said an elderly, Tshering Yolmo, with a smile.

DARJEELING: Peace seems light years away in the hills of Darjeeling with its Gorkha populace reviving the century-old demand for a separate state and turning the situation volatile with infinite strikes and protests. To intensify their stir, 43 Gorkha Territorial Administration (GTA) executive members, including chief executive Bimal Gurung, resigned en masse on Friday, and vowed not to allow GTA elections scheduled for July. Gurung, spearhead of the agitation and Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) chief, also dared the police to arrest him, reiterating that indefinite strike would continue. The development comes just a week ahead of the end of term of the semi-constitutional body. Police pressed non-bailable charges against Gurung, his wife Asha and 24 GJM leaders for their alleged involvement in the death of three Morcha activists and burning of a police vehicle during a clash between GJM cadres and security personnel last week. Booking GJM leaders for murder of their own activists shows that law is separate for Gorkhas in West Bengal, said GJM assistant general secretary Binay Tamang. The situation turned more complex with Sikkim Chief Minister Pawan Kumar Chamling writing to Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh in support of a Gorkhaland. A day later, the West Bengal government protested the move by writing to Singh. Although no major incident of violence was reported in the past week, the complete shutdown since June 15 was relaxed on Friday for 12 hours to allow boarding school students to leave for Siliguri in school buses. Around 2,000 students from 53 boarding schools in Darjeeling and Kalimpong districts left for home as monsoon vacation began Friday. Supplies of food and other necessities have nosedived in the hills as villagers find it difficult to travel downtown. Although early morning markets are held, meat and vegetable sellers wind up within an hour. With only a few medical shops open, town-dwellers have to pay hefty prices for millets or meats from the rural areas of the hills. Prices of LPG cylinders have sky-rocketed to `1,200-1,500 each. We can eat millets, herbs, roots and vegetables, but we need gas to cook. Our stocks of rice and pulses are depleting at an alarming rate, said a housewife Rachna Moktan. While internet services are shut, access to cable network remains erroneous. The oddities, however, dont deter the residents from their demand for Gorkhaland. We have passed through 40 days of complete strike. We can sail through this strike as well, said an elderly, Tshering Yolmo, with a smile.
By Online Desk

Vague language in a foetal homicide Bill in the US allowed pregnant women to commit murder with impunity.

Senate Bill 66 in the state New Hampshire classifies killing of foetuses at certain stages of development as murder or manslaughter. It does provide protection to women seeking abortions from criminal charges, but here is where the lawmakers who sponsored the bill slipped up.

One section says that "any act committed by the pregnant woman or a physician wouldnt apply in cases of second-degree murder, manslaughter, negligent homicide, according to the Concord Monitor, a daily newspaper in New Hampshire.

This means that the bill "allows for physician-assisted suicide and allows a pregnant woman to commit homicide without consequences," the newspaper quoted Representative JR Hoell as saying. He clarified that this was never the intent of the lawmakers behind the bill, which was passed in the state Senate and the House before anyone noticed the error. The state governor had not yet signed off on this bill, however.

Even if the Bill had been signed into law, it is unlikely to have allowed pregnant women to kill people. A basic legal principle is that laws should not be read in a way that will have "an absurd result," the newspaper said, citing lawyers in the US.

Fortunately, the state House amended the bill on June 22 and corrected its legal language.

Vague language in a foetal homicide Bill in the US allowed pregnant women to commit murder with impunity. Senate Bill 66 in the state New Hampshire classifies killing of foetuses at certain stages of development as murder or manslaughter. It does provide protection to women seeking abortions from criminal charges, but here is where the lawmakers who sponsored the bill slipped up. One section says that "any act committed by the pregnant woman or a physician wouldnt apply in cases of second-degree murder, manslaughter, negligent homicide, according to the Concord Monitor, a daily newspaper in New Hampshire. This means that the bill "allows for physician-assisted suicide and allows a pregnant woman to commit homicide without consequences," the newspaper quoted Representative JR Hoell as saying. He clarified that this was never the intent of the lawmakers behind the bill, which was passed in the state Senate and the House before anyone noticed the error. The state governor had not yet signed off on this bill, however. Even if the Bill had been signed into law, it is unlikely to have allowed pregnant women to kill people. A basic legal principle is that laws should not be read in a way that will have "an absurd result," the newspaper said, citing lawyers in the US. Fortunately, the state House amended the bill on June 22 and corrected its legal language.
By AFP

TEHRAN: Iranian President Hassan Rouhani on Sunday said his country wants to bolster ties with Qatar and rejected a Saudi-led blockade of the Gulf Arab emirate.

"Iran's policy is to develop more and more its relations with Doha," Rouhani said in a phone conversation with the emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, according to the presidency website.

"Tehran stands alongside the people and government of Qatar and we believe that... pressure, threats and sanctions are not a good solution to solve problems" between countries of the region, Rouhani added.

Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain are among several countries which announced on June 5 the suspension of all ties to Qatar, accusing it of support for extremist groups, a claim Doha denies.

They have also closed their airspace to Qatari carriers and blocked the emirate's only land border -- vital for its food imports.

Shiite dominated Iran, an arch-rival of Sunni-ruled Saudi Arabia, has stepped in by shipping to Qatar tonnes of fruit and vegetables.

"Helping Qatar economically and developing ties, particularly in the private sectors of both countries, could be a common goal," Rouhani said on Sunday.

Saudi Arabia and its allies, including Egypt, have issued 13 demands which they want Qatar to meet in return for an end to the nearly three-week-old diplomatic and trade "blockade".

Doha has denounced the demands -- including the closure of Al-Jazeera news channel and downgrading ties with Tehran -- as unreasonable.

TEHRAN: Iranian President Hassan Rouhani on Sunday said his country wants to bolster ties with Qatar and rejected a Saudi-led blockade of the Gulf Arab emirate. "Iran's policy is to develop more and more its relations with Doha," Rouhani said in a phone conversation with the emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, according to the presidency website. "Tehran stands alongside the people and government of Qatar and we believe that... pressure, threats and sanctions are not a good solution to solve problems" between countries of the region, Rouhani added. Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain are among several countries which announced on June 5 the suspension of all ties to Qatar, accusing it of support for extremist groups, a claim Doha denies. They have also closed their airspace to Qatari carriers and blocked the emirate's only land border -- vital for its food imports. Shiite dominated Iran, an arch-rival of Sunni-ruled Saudi Arabia, has stepped in by shipping to Qatar tonnes of fruit and vegetables. "Helping Qatar economically and developing ties, particularly in the private sectors of both countries, could be a common goal," Rouhani said on Sunday. Saudi Arabia and its allies, including Egypt, have issued 13 demands which they want Qatar to meet in return for an end to the nearly three-week-old diplomatic and trade "blockade". Doha has denounced the demands -- including the closure of Al-Jazeera news channel and downgrading ties with Tehran -- as unreasonable.
By PTI

JERUSALEM: An Israeli aircraft carried out a strike on Syria after 10 projectiles fired from the war-torn country hit the occupied Golan Heights today, an army spokesman said.

The Israeli Air Force also targeted two tanks of the "Syrian regime" in the northern part of the Golan, the spokesman said, adding the projectiles did not cause any casualties.

"Because of the unacceptable violation of Israeli sovereignty", Israel has protested to the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) which monitors a 1974 ceasefire between the two countries, he added.

Israel has conducted multiple air strikes in Syria since that country's civil war erupted in 2011, most of which it has said targeted arms convoys or warehouses of its Lebanese arch-foe Hezbollah, which is a key supporter of the Syrian regime.

In April, Israel shot down what it identified only as "a target" over the Golan, hours after Syria accused it of hitting a military position near Damascus airport.

Israel did not confirm or deny the reported Damascus attack.

Israel seized 1,200 square kilometres (460 square miles) of the Golan from Syria in the Six-Day War of 1967 and later annexed it in a move never recognised by the international community.

Around 510 square kilometres of the Golan are under Syrian control.

The Israeli side of the Golan Heights has been hit sporadically by what is thought to be stray fire from fighting between forces loyal to Syria's government and rebels.

Syria and Israel are still technically at war.

JERUSALEM: An Israeli aircraft carried out a strike on Syria after 10 projectiles fired from the war-torn country hit the occupied Golan Heights today, an army spokesman said. The Israeli Air Force also targeted two tanks of the "Syrian regime" in the northern part of the Golan, the spokesman said, adding the projectiles did not cause any casualties. "Because of the unacceptable violation of Israeli sovereignty", Israel has protested to the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) which monitors a 1974 ceasefire between the two countries, he added. Israel has conducted multiple air strikes in Syria since that country's civil war erupted in 2011, most of which it has said targeted arms convoys or warehouses of its Lebanese arch-foe Hezbollah, which is a key supporter of the Syrian regime. In April, Israel shot down what it identified only as "a target" over the Golan, hours after Syria accused it of hitting a military position near Damascus airport. Israel did not confirm or deny the reported Damascus attack. Israel seized 1,200 square kilometres (460 square miles) of the Golan from Syria in the Six-Day War of 1967 and later annexed it in a move never recognised by the international community. Around 510 square kilometres of the Golan are under Syrian control. The Israeli side of the Golan Heights has been hit sporadically by what is thought to be stray fire from fighting between forces loyal to Syria's government and rebels. Syria and Israel are still technically at war.
By AFP

SACRAMENTO: Authorities in California are investigating two possible hate crimes against Islamic centers in Sacramento and Davis.

The Sacramento County Sheriff's Department says it is investigating an incident at Masjid Annur Islamic Center in Sacramento. Officials say a deputy was waved down by a citizen Saturday afternoon and was led to a burned Quran filled with bacon, hanging by a handcuff from a fence.

The Sacramento Bee reports (http://bit.ly/2sDGhM2) that in a separate incident someone driving by in a car threw pages torn out of a Quran into the Islamic Center of Davis Friday night, during evening prayer.

In January, a woman broke windows at the mosque and left bacon strips on the entrance handles.

The woman, 30-year-old Lauren Kirk-Coehlo, recently received five years' probation after pleading guilty to a felony hate crime.

SACRAMENTO: Authorities in California are investigating two possible hate crimes against Islamic centers in Sacramento and Davis. The Sacramento County Sheriff's Department says it is investigating an incident at Masjid Annur Islamic Center in Sacramento. Officials say a deputy was waved down by a citizen Saturday afternoon and was led to a burned Quran filled with bacon, hanging by a handcuff from a fence. The Sacramento Bee reports (http://bit.ly/2sDGhM2) that in a separate incident someone driving by in a car threw pages torn out of a Quran into the Islamic Center of Davis Friday night, during evening prayer. In January, a woman broke windows at the mosque and left bacon strips on the entrance handles. The woman, 30-year-old Lauren Kirk-Coehlo, recently received five years' probation after pleading guilty to a felony hate crime.
By AFP

Social Democrat chief Martin Schulz lashed out Sunday at Chancellor Angela Merkel, accusing her of "arrogance" as he sought to reverse his party's plunging popularity three months before general elections.

Schulz's decision to take his party's reins initially had jolted the Social Democratic Party (SPD) to life, but the trend has reversed.

With weeks to go before Germany heads to the polls on September 24, the SPD is trailing Merkel's centre-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU) by 15 percentage points, according to a survey published Sunday by Bild am Sonntag.

Schulz was in a combative mood at Sunday's special congress gathering party rank-and-file to approve their campaign programme, with harsh words for Merkel whom he accused of "systematically refusing debate on the future of the country".

Merkel's tactic, he said, is to hold off on airing her views rather than engage, thereby making the people lose interest in politics.

While the Social Democratic Party (SPD) takes position on issues, "the other side is silent," said Schulz.

"That's what one calls in circles in Berlin asymmetric demobilisation. I call it an attack against democracy," charged Schulz, whose party is a junior partner of Merkel's grand right-left coalition.

"The biggest danger is the arrogance of power," he warned.

- Gay marriage, social justice -

Schulz underlined his party's push for "social justice", with higher taxes for big earners and free schooling for all.

He also laid down gay marriage as a condition for any future coalition involving the SPD.

"I will sign no coalition deal in which marriage for all is not inscribed," said the 61-year-old former European Parliament chief, who was rewarded with 10 minutes of applause for his 90-minute speech.

The SPD's call for gay marriage comes just a week after the Greens set a similar condition, putting pressure on Merkel's CDU, which has so far refused to allow same gender couples to wed.

The SPD will be hoping its campaign programme will help it regain ground, but Schulz himself has warned of a "rocky road" ahead after his party suffered heavy losses in three straight state elections viewed as dress rehearsals ahead of the September vote.

For analysts, the sudden drop in support for Schulz's SPD boils down to the government's success in curbing a refugee influx that saw 890,000 migrants arrive in 2015, deeply unsettling many German voters.

Schulz initially "was presented as an alternative to Madame Merkel," said Gero Neugebauer, a political science analyst at Berlin's Free University.

"He was relatively new and had criticisms against the chancellor's immigration policy which had divided public opinion," added Neugebauer.

But migrant arrivals have tapered off, and Merkel's CDU and CSU "have won increasing trust that they have the best strategy to deal with the refugee situation," Renate Koecher from opinion research group Allensbach Institute wrote in the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung.

Schulz's call for a more equal society may find resonance with the working poor, but Koecher noted that with Germany's solid economic outlook and record low unemployment, "it is likely to have limited impact".

- 'Not too late' -

But former chancellor Gerhard Schroeder sought to boost morale, telling the congress on Sunday that "there is still time to turn the tide."

Many voters wait until the last minute before making up their minds, he said, adding "that is our chance".

Warning the party against wavering, he said that "there can be no self-doubt along the way."

Party members are so far still keeping the faith, perhaps for want of an alternative.

"The SPD should not be underestimated. Angela Merkel is trying to lull the voters to sleep and keep them away from the election... but she won't succeed this time," Leon Hahn, who heads the party's youth wing in the southwestern state of Baden-Wuerttemberg, told AFP.

Social Democrat chief Martin Schulz lashed out Sunday at Chancellor Angela Merkel, accusing her of "arrogance" as he sought to reverse his party's plunging popularity three months before general elections. Schulz's decision to take his party's reins initially had jolted the Social Democratic Party (SPD) to life, but the trend has reversed. With weeks to go before Germany heads to the polls on September 24, the SPD is trailing Merkel's centre-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU) by 15 percentage points, according to a survey published Sunday by Bild am Sonntag. Schulz was in a combative mood at Sunday's special congress gathering party rank-and-file to approve their campaign programme, with harsh words for Merkel whom he accused of "systematically refusing debate on the future of the country". Merkel's tactic, he said, is to hold off on airing her views rather than engage, thereby making the people lose interest in politics. While the Social Democratic Party (SPD) takes position on issues, "the other side is silent," said Schulz. "That's what one calls in circles in Berlin asymmetric demobilisation. I call it an attack against democracy," charged Schulz, whose party is a junior partner of Merkel's grand right-left coalition. "The biggest danger is the arrogance of power," he warned. - Gay marriage, social justice - Schulz underlined his party's push for "social justice", with higher taxes for big earners and free schooling for all. He also laid down gay marriage as a condition for any future coalition involving the SPD. "I will sign no coalition deal in which marriage for all is not inscribed," said the 61-year-old former European Parliament chief, who was rewarded with 10 minutes of applause for his 90-minute speech. The SPD's call for gay marriage comes just a week after the Greens set a similar condition, putting pressure on Merkel's CDU, which has so far refused to allow same gender couples to wed. The SPD will be hoping its campaign programme will help it regain ground, but Schulz himself has warned of a "rocky road" ahead after his party suffered heavy losses in three straight state elections viewed as dress rehearsals ahead of the September vote. For analysts, the sudden drop in support for Schulz's SPD boils down to the government's success in curbing a refugee influx that saw 890,000 migrants arrive in 2015, deeply unsettling many German voters. Schulz initially "was presented as an alternative to Madame Merkel," said Gero Neugebauer, a political science analyst at Berlin's Free University. "He was relatively new and had criticisms against the chancellor's immigration policy which had divided public opinion," added Neugebauer. But migrant arrivals have tapered off, and Merkel's CDU and CSU "have won increasing trust that they have the best strategy to deal with the refugee situation," Renate Koecher from opinion research group Allensbach Institute wrote in the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung. Schulz's call for a more equal society may find resonance with the working poor, but Koecher noted that with Germany's solid economic outlook and record low unemployment, "it is likely to have limited impact". - 'Not too late' - But former chancellor Gerhard Schroeder sought to boost morale, telling the congress on Sunday that "there is still time to turn the tide." Many voters wait until the last minute before making up their minds, he said, adding "that is our chance". Warning the party against wavering, he said that "there can be no self-doubt along the way." Party members are so far still keeping the faith, perhaps for want of an alternative. "The SPD should not be underestimated. Angela Merkel is trying to lull the voters to sleep and keep them away from the election... but she won't succeed this time," Leon Hahn, who heads the party's youth wing in the southwestern state of Baden-Wuerttemberg, told AFP.
By AFP

PESHAWAR: A bomb resembling a toy killed at least six children Sunday in Pakistan's northwestern tribal area bordering Afghanistan, officials said.

The bomb exploded while the children were playing with it in Speenmark village in the South Waziristan tribal district.

"Six children aged between six to 12 years, all boys, were killed by a toy bomb and two others wounded critically," a local government official told AFP on condition of anonymity.

Another local security official confirmed the incident and casualties.

The origin of the bomb was unclear.

Dozens of children, mostly in northwest Pakistan, have lost their lives in the past when playing with "toys" that turned out to be explosive devices.

"Toy" bombs were airdropped in neighbouring Afghanistan by Soviet forces during the 1980s as weapons against those who opposed their invasion.

South Waziristan is also one of the seven semi-autonomous tribal areas, where the army has for more than a decade been battling militants linked to the Taliban and Al-Qaeda.

The army launched an operation in June 2014 in neighbouring North Waziristan to wipe out militant bases in the tribal areas and end an insurgency that has cost thousands of civilian lives since 2004.

As a result security has improved. Attacks still take place but fewer than previously.

PESHAWAR: A bomb resembling a toy killed at least six children Sunday in Pakistan's northwestern tribal area bordering Afghanistan, officials said. The bomb exploded while the children were playing with it in Speenmark village in the South Waziristan tribal district. "Six children aged between six to 12 years, all boys, were killed by a toy bomb and two others wounded critically," a local government official told AFP on condition of anonymity. Another local security official confirmed the incident and casualties. The origin of the bomb was unclear. Dozens of children, mostly in northwest Pakistan, have lost their lives in the past when playing with "toys" that turned out to be explosive devices. "Toy" bombs were airdropped in neighbouring Afghanistan by Soviet forces during the 1980s as weapons against those who opposed their invasion. South Waziristan is also one of the seven semi-autonomous tribal areas, where the army has for more than a decade been battling militants linked to the Taliban and Al-Qaeda. The army launched an operation in June 2014 in neighbouring North Waziristan to wipe out militant bases in the tribal areas and end an insurgency that has cost thousands of civilian lives since 2004. As a result security has improved. Attacks still take place but fewer than previously.
By Associated Press

XALAPA: Gunmen burst into a restaurant and killed a state commander for federal police and two other officers on another bloody day in the Mexican state of Veracruz.

The policemen were among at least 11 people slain in the state on Saturday, including four children, according to local officials.

Veracruz Gov. Miguel Angel Yunes issued a video calling the killers "beasts" and "cowards" and repeated his vow to crack down on organized crime in the troubled Gulf coast state.

"We are going to do everything, whatever it may be," he said. "Veracruz will not be hostage to these animals."

The killing of federal police commissioner Camilo Castagne in the city of Cardel came two days after he had appeared with Yunes at an anti-crime event that was prompted by the discovery of dismembered bodies in bags left outside the office of a security official.

The state has suffered waves of killings, kidnappings and extortion by organised crime gangs. Federal statistics indicate 625 people were killed in Veracruz during the first five months of 2017, a 93 percent jump over the same period last year. And at least 300 bodies have been unearthed from mass graves used by gangs to bury their victims.

Yunes took office late last year following turmoil over the resignation of former Gov. Javier Duarte, who vanished while facing corruption allegations. He was tracked down and arrested in Guatemala in April and faces extradition proceedings. Mexican prosecutors accuse him of using front men and shell companies to amass properties acquired with money stolen from the state.

XALAPA: Gunmen burst into a restaurant and killed a state commander for federal police and two other officers on another bloody day in the Mexican state of Veracruz. The policemen were among at least 11 people slain in the state on Saturday, including four children, according to local officials. Veracruz Gov. Miguel Angel Yunes issued a video calling the killers "beasts" and "cowards" and repeated his vow to crack down on organized crime in the troubled Gulf coast state. "We are going to do everything, whatever it may be," he said. "Veracruz will not be hostage to these animals." The killing of federal police commissioner Camilo Castagne in the city of Cardel came two days after he had appeared with Yunes at an anti-crime event that was prompted by the discovery of dismembered bodies in bags left outside the office of a security official. The state has suffered waves of killings, kidnappings and extortion by organised crime gangs. Federal statistics indicate 625 people were killed in Veracruz during the first five months of 2017, a 93 percent jump over the same period last year. And at least 300 bodies have been unearthed from mass graves used by gangs to bury their victims. Yunes took office late last year following turmoil over the resignation of former Gov. Javier Duarte, who vanished while facing corruption allegations. He was tracked down and arrested in Guatemala in April and faces extradition proceedings. Mexican prosecutors accuse him of using front men and shell companies to amass properties acquired with money stolen from the state.
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A study presented at the Congress of the European Academy of Neurology in Amsterdam confirmed that cannabinoids are just as suitable as a prophylaxis for migraine attacks as other pharmaceutical treatments. Interestingly though, when it comes to treating acute cluster headaches they are only effective in patients that suffered from migraine in childhood.

Germany's recent decision to liberalize the use of cannabis for medical purposes has rekindled policy debate across Europe. While politics and health authorities continue to weigh up the pros and cons of this treatment method, researchers are constantly furthering scientific understanding of the use of cannabinoids.

Progress was reflected in the results of a current Italian study presented at the 3rd Congress of the European Academy of Neurology (EAN). A research team led by Dr. Maria Nicolodi investigated the suitability of cannabinoids as a prophylaxis for migraine and in the acute treatment of migraines and cluster headaches. To start with the researchers had to identify the dosage required to effectively treat headaches. A group of 48 chronic migraine volunteers were given a starting oral dose of 10mg of a combination of two compounds. One contained 19 percent tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), and while the other had virtually no THC it had a 9 percent cannabidiol (CBD) content. The outcome was that doses of less than 100mg produced no effects. It was not until an oral dose of 200mg was administered that acute pain dropped by 55 per cent.

In phase 2 of the study, 79 chronic migraine patients were given a daily dose of either 25mg of amitriptyline - a tricyclic antidepressant commonly used to treat migraine - or 200mg of the THC-CBD combination for a period of three months. 48 cluster headache patients also received either 200mg THC-CBD or a daily dose of 480mg of the calcium channel blocker verapamil. For acute pain, an additional 200mg TCH-CBD was administered for both types of headaches.

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The results after three months of treatment and follow-up after a further four weeks produced various insights. While the TCH-CBD combination yielded slightly better results than amitriptyline (40.1 percent) with a 40.4 percent reduction in attacks, the severity and number of cluster headache attacks only fell slightly. When analyzing use in the treatment of acute pain, the researchers came across an interesting phenomenon: cannabinoids reduced pain intensity among migraine patients by 43.5 percent. The same results were seen in cluster headache patients, but only in those that had experienced migraine in childhood. In patients without previous history, THC-CBD had no effect whatsoever as an acute treatment. "We were able to demonstrate that cannabinoids are an alternative to established treatments in migraine prevention. That said, they are only suited for use in the acute treatment of cluster headaches in patients with a history of migraine from childhood on," Dr Nicolodi summarized.

Drowsiness and difficulty concentrating aside, the side effects observed during the study were highly positive. The incidence of stomach ache, colitis and musculoskeletal pain - in female subjects - decreased.
CarePayment and DCS Global have established a strategic partnership that combines the strength of DCS Global's revenue cycle solutions with CarePayment's innovative patient financing program. Together, the companies offer hospitals the ability to enhance their patients' experience and satisfaction, improve operational efficiencies, and maximize collections.

CarePayment works with providers across the healthcare industry to offer patients a 0.00% APR payment program that allows them to pay their bills over time, significantly reducing the financial burden that so often comes with medical care. CarePayment's unique, co-branded program enables patients to have the payment options they need when they need them.

DCS Global provides software and solutions to help hospitals improve their revenue cycle processes. Its comprehensive iPAS (Integrated Patient Access Solutions) platform is designed to financially clear patients early in the revenue cycle by increasing the quality of registrations, maximizing point of service payments, and employing cloud-based technology to facilitate electronic collaboration between the patient, provider, hospital, and payer.

"DCS Global and CarePayment share a vision to provide innovative solutions to the most pressing problems for providers," said Manoj Chhabra, CEO of DCS Global. "We both are committed to helping healthcare providers better serve their patients, improve their operations, and strengthen their financial performance. Together, our solutions can help hospitals of any size seamlessly move a patient through the hospital revenue cycle while ensuring maximum payment to the provider. Our hospital partners expect us to bring them the most complete set of solutions to their revenue cycle challenges, and this partnership with CarePayment will provide just that."

"The missions of CarePayment and DCS Global are perfectly aligned," said Ed Caldwell, Chief Revenue Officer of CarePayment. "We have the ability to help both patients and providers across the country better cope with the challenges associated with rising healthcare costs. For patients, we can take away some of the burden and stress of paying healthcare bills. For providers, we can help ensure that they are improving their net collections and able to invest their resources where it matters most - in providing quality care."
Virtually no other disease has seen such massive strides in treatment in recent years as stroke. Recent studies have confirmed that it is still possible to mechanically remove large vessel occlusions in the brain many hours after a stroke occurs. At the European Academy of Neurology Congress in Amsterdam, experts expressed optimism that the proportion of patients with lives free of serious disability after a major stroke could be increased by 270 per cent.

"The past few years have brought about greater advances in the treatment of stroke than the two previous decades," said Prof Urs Fischer, Secretary General of the European Stroke Organization (ESO) and stroke expert at the University of Bern's Department of Neurology, summarizing the latest developments. Advances in stroke therapy were one of the key focuses at the 3rd Congress of the European Academy of Neurology in Amsterdam. "The introduction of endovascular therapy means that we can now treat patients with large vessel occlusions, and the latest research findings show that we will be in a position to save far more stroke patients in future and spare them from serious lifetime disability."

Stroke is the second most common cause of death worldwide

Stroke is already being talked about as the epidemic of the twenty first century. Around one fifth of all women and one sixth of men worldwide have a stroke at some point in their life. More than one in ten deaths are attributable to stroke, making this cerebrovascular condition the second-largest cause of death in the world. Stroke is also the second most frequent cause of lifetime and serious disability.

Large vessel occlusions also removable

A major milestone came 15 years ago when intravenous thrombolysis was first introduced. Under this procedure, stroke-causing blood clots in vessels of the brain are dissolved using medicine. The drawback of this method is that in around 10 to 20 per cent of cases the occlusions are so large that the treatment does not work sufficiently. A mechanical alternative has been available for a number of years now: endovascular thrombectomy involves removing a clot from a blood vessel in the brain using a catheter inserted via the groin. Prof Fischer: "The clinical effects of these acute stroke treatments are often striking. Patients who are admitted to hospital with serious neurological deficits show signs of improvement immediately after recanalisation. A number of them are even well enough to be discharged after just a few days." The effectiveness of this method is now well documented: "Eight studies unanimously show that endovascular treatment of patients with acute occlusions of large vessels in the brain is superior to treatment with medication only," Prof Fischer said.

New data: thrombectomy also helps more than six hours after stroke

Although the number of treatments of this kind is increasing all the time, this pioneering approach currently only benefits a few per cent of patients. One reason is that experts previously believed that mechanical clot removal was only possible within six hours of a stroke. The recently unveiled results of the DAWN study disproved this assumption: 48.6 per cent of patients survived without serious disability when they received a thrombectomy and thrombolysis as a combined treatment for a stroke event that had taken place more than six hours earlier. In the control group with medical management alone, just 13.1 per cent had no complications. "This means a relative reduction in disability of 73 per cent," Prof Fischer summarised. "These new insights may enable us to increase the number of patients able to lead an independent, disability-free life by up to 270 per cent."

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Major variances in care provision in Europe

"We can only harness the full potential of this option if we adapt structures and processes for stroke care to reflect the latest findings," explained EAN President-elect Prof Franz Fazekas from Austria's University Hospital Graz. This is why EAN teamed up with five other medical societies last year to publish guidelines on the use of thrombectomy, which define all of the organisational and personnel requirements from selecting suitable instruments to post-operative care. "A pan-European study conducted by ESO, ESMINT and SAFE together with the EAN showed that provision of care is still unsatisfactory in some parts of Europe when it comes to thrombolysis and thrombectomy," said Prof Fazekas. "Several European countries are not sufficiently equipped for this latest treatment breakthrough."

In many cases, patients are denied access to the latest neurological innovations because hospitals do not have stroke units or sufficiently trained staff. "But where a person lives should not dictate whether they receive optimal treatment following such a common and serious event as a stroke," Prof Fazekas added. "EAN will do everything it can to eliminate these differences as quickly as possible. To achieve this we will work very closely with all of the organizations involved in stroke research and stroke care, just as we did when drawing up the survey and the thrombectomy guidelines."

Need for improvement also in countries where treatment is good

Even countries with highly developed stroke infrastructure still have room for improvement. This question is discussed in a new report by the European Brain Council, "The Value of Treatment for Brain Disorders". This publication focuses on unmet needs and treatment gaps in neurology.

In many cases, too much time passes between the stroke event and the start of treatment. "Reducing the symptom-to-needle time is a central aspect of improving patient prognoses," noted Prof Fazekas. "Sadly, many patients wait far too long before calling the emergency services, despite all the campaigns designed to increase awareness. It is particularly regrettable since the time that elapses before treatment starts can determine whether the patient is left disabled or goes on to live an independent life."

As the expert confirms, there is still room for improvement within the individual treatment centers. According to the guidelines in place in the majority of European countries, no more than an hour should pass between the arrival of the patient and the start of treatment. Prof Fazekas: "Even 15 years after the effectiveness of intravenous thrombolysis was proven, the door-to-needle time for many patients still exceeds 60 minutes."
The American College of Rheumatology (ACR) today applauded the leadership of Rep. David McKinley (R-WV) and Rep. G.K. Butterfield (D-NC) in reintroducing H.R. 2999, the Patients' Access to Treatment Act (PATA). The bipartisan legislation would limit cost-sharing requirements for medications placed on specialty insurance tiers and make innovative and necessary therapies more accessible to Americans living with rheumatic diseases by reducing excessive out-of-pocket expenses.

"The ACR applauds the reintroduction of the Patients' Access to Treatment Act and the bipartisan effort by Rep. David McKinley and Rep. G.K. Butterfield to make biologic therapies more accessible and affordable for Americans living with rheumatic diseases," said Dr. Angus Worthing, MD, practicing rheumatologist and chair of the ACR's Government Affairs Committee. "It is a travesty that even with health insurance, Americans are finding it increasingly difficult to afford the therapies prescribed by their doctors to help them manage their disease, avoid permanent disability, and lead active, full lives. No one living with a chronic disease should have to choose between their physical and financial health. We implore Congressional leaders to enact PATA this session and in doing so, take an important step toward ensuring all Americans can access necessary and life-changing drugs."

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Nearly 20 percent of employer health insurance programs and 85 percent of Medicare plans now place the most expensive and innovative drugs on so-called "specialty tiers" that require patients to pay a percentage of the actual cost of the drugs, rather than a fixed co-pay amount each month. According to a

With the average annual price of biologic therapies ranging from $15,600 to $36,000, patients who are prescribed biologics on specialty tiers must pay hundreds or thousands of dollars in copayments each month or go without treatment due to prohibitive costs. PATA would make specialty drugs more affordable by limiting cost-sharing requirements, thereby improving patient access to life-saving drugs, reducing disability and stemming the rising healthcare costs associated with rheumatic diseases.

More than 11 million Americans suffer from inflammatory rheumatic diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, juvenile idiopathic arthritis, gout, and lupus. Biologic drugs have been used to successfully treat many patients living with these painful and debilitating diseases.
Discovered more than two decades ago, the hormone leptin has been widely hailed as the key regulator of leanness. Yet, the pivotal experiments that probe the function of this protein and unravel the precise mechanism of its action as a guardian against obesity are largely missing.

These are the conclusions in a commentary published June 22 in Cell Metabolism by Harvard Medical School metabolism experts Jeffrey Flier and Eleftheria Maratos-Flier.

Flier, the HMS George Higginson Professor of Physiology and Medicine, and Maratos-Flier, HMS professor of medicine at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, have made significant contributions to the understanding of the metabolism of obesity and starvation in general, and of leptin in particular.

The commentary highlights what the authors say is a startling lack of experimental evidence detailing the biologic roles of leptin in metabolism, and calls for a renewed effort to characterize the action of the hormone.

"It's been assumed--but never shown--that leptin helps keep lean people lean, staving off weight gain," Flier said. Science demands nothing less than a rigorous study and demonstration of this hormone's mechanism of action, he added.

"Without doing the experiments, we can't determine whether the emperor of energy balance is wearing any clothes."

Twenty-two years ago, researchers discovered the identity of a mouse obesity gene and found that it encodes a previously unknown hormone made by fat cells, which they named leptin, a term derived from the Greek word for leptos for "slim." In a rare genetic deficiency, people born with two defective copies of the gene are extremely obese, and their obesity can be reversed by restoring their leptin levels with daily injections.

In mice and in people without the mutation, studies have shown that leptin plays an important role in regulating metabolism--just not the one it's most famous for--obesity prevention. Studies from the Flier lab first showed that falling leptin levels signal the body that it may be in danger of starvation. The role for leptin as a starvation signal is now well established.

Early on, researchers speculated that this protein might also play a key role in helping healthy lean people remain thin, perhaps by serving as a signal that orchestrates resistance to obesity. Paradoxically, obese mice and people who don't have the defective obesity gene almost always have high levels of leptin. Flier first hypothesized that this may be due to some kind of leptin resistance, analogous to the insulin resistance seen in type 2 diabetes, a condition in which the body produces more than normal amounts of the sugar-regulating hormone insulin, but cannot use it to normally metabolize sugar.

While some leptin is clearly necessary to prevent obesity, the authors write, the physiologic role of leptin in most individuals may be limited to signaling the response to hunger or starvation, and then reversing that signal as energy stores are restored, as they first hypothesized more than 20 years ago, they say. If that is true, according to the authors, the biology of leptin has little to do with leanness or obesity, apart from a few rare cases of primary deficiency with severe obesity.

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Nevertheless, Flier and Maratos-Flier say, an anti-obesity role for leptin persists as a dogma in the field of metabolism and obesity and remains the most common description of what leptin does in textbooks and literature reviews. Yet, Flier and Maratos-Flier caution, this role for leptin has never been demonstrated experimentally in humans.

"Before we write the next chapter on leptin physiology and obesity," Flier said, "we should commit to seeing that these important questions are finally answered."

Obesity is becoming a catastrophic health problem, both nationally and globally--one that fuels a range of chronic diseases, including diabetes, high blood pressure, liver disease, kidney damage, arthritis and cardiovascular disease, among others. More than $140 billion is spent each year in the United States to treat obesity-related diseases, according to the CDC. Worldwide obesity rates have doubled since 1980, and most people now live in countries where more deaths are caused by overweight and obesity than by malnourishment, according to the World Health Organization.

"What we find most surprising is the extent to which scientists in the field of metabolism and energy balance seem minimally concerned that key experiments to define the actions of leptin have yet to be reported," Maratos-Flier said. "The widely accepted 'anti-obesity limb' of leptin physiology has never been clearly demonstrated to be present in human biology."

The authors note that it's possible, even likely, that as-yet undiscovered molecules, not leptin, mediate the regulation of body weight and its dysregulation in obesity.

Treatment with leptin was approved in the United States in 2014 for use in congenital leptin deficiency as well as in an unusual syndrome of lipodystrophy, but the protein has not been readily available for clinical experiments. There has also been limited interest in funding the types of experiments necessary to rigorously test the still-hypothetical benefits of leptin for preventing or reversing obesity, apart from obesity due to rare genetic mutations in the leptin gene, the authors write.

As one example, the authors propose a clinical study measuring how lean people respond to increased leptin levels. If leptin is an anti-obesity hormone, it might suppress hunger or increase energy expenditure in trial participants compared to those who get a placebo.

"We continue to believe that healthy and lean individuals exist who resist obesity at least in part through their leptin levels, and that some individuals develop obesity because they have insufficiently elevated leptin levels or cellular resistance to leptin," Flier said. "But in science, belief and knowledge are two different things, and as much as we may lean toward this belief, we ought to develop evidence for this hypothesis or abandon it in favor of new potential mechanisms for the regulation of body weight."
New Delhi: Do not expect any compensation for theft or burglary of valuables in safe deposit boxes of public sector banks as the locker hiring agreement absolves them of all liability.



This bitter truth was disclosed in an RTI response by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and 19 PSU banks.



Stung by the revelation, the lawyer who had sought information under the transparency law has now moved the Competition Commission of India (CCI) alleging "cartelisation" and "anti-competitive practices" by the banks in respect of the locker service.



He has informed the CCI that the RTI response from the RBI has said it has not issued any specific direction in this regard or prescribed any parameters to assess the loss suffered by a customer.



Even under the RTI response, all public sectors banks have washed their hands of any responsibility.



According to the information availed by the lawyer, the unanimous reason given by the 19 banks, including Bank of India, Oriental Bank of Commerce, Punjab National Bank, UCO and Canara, among others, is that "the relationship they have with customers with regard to lockers is that of lessee (landlord) and lessor (tenant)".



The banks have contended that in such a relationship, the lessor is responsible for his or her valuables kept in the locker which is owned by the bank.



Some banks, in their locker hiring agreements, have made it clear that any item stored in the locker is at the customer's own risk and he or she may, in their own interest, insure the valuables.



The common feature of all locker hiring agreements states, "As per safe deposit memorandum of hiring locker, the bank will not be responsible for any loss or damage of the contents kept in the safe deposit vault as a result of any act of war or civil disorder or theft or burglary and the contents will be kept by the hirer at his or her sole risk and responsibility.



"While the bank will exercise all such normal precautions, it does not accept any liability or responsibility for any loss or damage whatsoever sustained to items deposited with it. Accordingly, hirers are advised in their own interest to insure any item of value deposited in a safe deposit locker in the bank," they have said.



Aggrieved by the responses, the lawyer -- Kush Kalra -- raised questions before the CCI -- why not just keep the valuables at home after insuring them, instead of paying rent to the bank for a locker when it is not going to take any responsibility for the contents.



He alleged that all these banks, also including State Bank of India, Indian Overseas Bank, Syndicate Bank, Allahabad Bank and others, have formed a "cartel" to indulge in such "anti-competitive" practices.



He further alleged that the bank by forming an association or cartel are "trying to limit the improvement of services which is directly affecting the competition in the market and interests of the consumer".



The lawyer has sought a probe under the Competition Act into the allegation of cartelisation by the banks in respect of the locker service.
When Saroj, 20, and Rukhsaar, 18, returned home to their village, Marora, from computer classes in the nearby town Nuh, they were greeted by the most unusual sight of Donald Trump, the President of the United States of America, beaming at them from a massive board erected at entry of the village.On June 23, Sulabh International, a nonprofit group known for building toilets all over India, dedicated the three villages of the Marora gram panchayat, in Mewat, Haryana, to Trump; calling them Trump Sulabh Village.Sulabh has chosen Marora to construct toilets for 180 families and decided to give it Trumps name to mark Prime Minister Narendra Modis first official visit to the US after Trump became President in January this year.We had no idea this programme was going on, said Saroj, as she and Rukhsaar looked on, part amused, part excited at the swarm of reporters that had descended on Marora. We left at seven in the morning and these new boards were covered by a black cloth. We didnt know what they said.They came back to three boards at the villages very entry  a signpost, a poster bigger than a mans frame, and large square arch gateway signage  announcing the Trump Sulabh Village. In case anyone didnt get the message, a few more posters had been propped up around Marora, along with garlands decorating the freshly begun toilet constructions.On the day of the last jumma of Ramzan, when all of Marora had taken off from work  Mewat being populated largely by Meo Muslims  it was hijacked into shouting slogans for Trump. When Pathak Ji comes on stage, you all have to stand up and shout Trump Zindabad, one organiser instructed the crowd, while they waited for Dr. Bindeshwar Pathak, the founder of Sulabh, to inaugurate the toilet construction. When the time came, no one really said zindabad despite the prompts, as no one really knew who Trump is.Woh America ka koi hai (He is someone from America), was the most common answer, along with sheepish grins, while many villagers asked the reporters if the white man on the poster was also coming to visit. Some, who had been told beforehand by the Sulabh organisers, went around correcting others  America ka rashtrapati (President of America). Since Sulbah selected Marora on June 18, according to the sarpanch, most people only found out about the toilets and the fanfare a day or two ago.We are not changing the official name of the village, said Madan Jha, the press advisor for Sulabh, We are just putting Trumps name along with it. Both he and Pathak spoke about another village in Haryana that had been given Boeings name, as the aerospace company had given money for Sulabh toilets. Here, however, Pathak dodged all questions of money coming from either Trump or the US Republican Party. When we met in America, they really liked our work, he said. But we cant go asking them for money before we do anything in Marora.Among the distributed pamphlets was one of the Bill de Blasio, the mayor of New York City, dedicating a day to Pathak for his work.Despite the strange choice of erecting a paean to Trump in the most backward region of Haryana, Sulabh knows toilets are much needed commodity in Marora and its neighbouring villages. Many women expressed a desire to have them constructed in their homes. We have to go one or two kilometres a way right now, into the jungle, said Kashmiri, who sat watching the programme along with her daughters. This is a village of Kumhars and Faqirs, we are poor and we cant construct toilets on our own.Mian Ismail who was monitoring a group of children, recounted the villages history, most of the original inhabitants went to Pakistan during the Partition. People kept coming from different areas and settling here over the years. We are all labourers, we earn about Rs 200 a day. We have no land for agriculture, he said.All the land here is owned by two families, he added, and they have toilets in their homes.Toilets here may not require much behavioural change, as the school girls know how much they need them. Most of them left the closest senior secondary school in the neighbouring village of Malab because the toilets didnt work, and shifted to schools in the town of Nuh, some four kilometers away. It takes Rs 300 a month by auto to go to Nuh, said Jamsheeda, who studies in the IX standard, and many families dont want to send their daughters so far.Haryana is infamous for girls dropping out of senior schools because they are too far from villages, and girls routinely get harassed in commute.In fact, Saroj and Rukhsaar are the only two girls from Trump Village pursuing their bachelors in a local college, having somehow persuaded their father to allow them to study. We told abba that we would never do anything to disgrace him, that we will be good, said Rukhsaar, so that he would send us.Sabrun, who still goes to Malab, tells the story of a girl who dropped out from her school because, one day she ran out of class and wet her salwar, because she could no longer go without using the toilet. Some girls laugh, some look grim, but they all talk about how painful it can get to not urinate on time, and how often they fall sick. When it rains, snakes take over the entire area, added Warsheeda, then we go with a stick.Showkat Ali, the sarpanch, said the previous sarpanch took money from all families, two years ago, for toilets that were never made. Earlier this year, he added, the village got a proper water supply, and soon they would have toilets to go with it.While big ticket bilateral agreements worth billions of dollars will be on table when PM Modi and President Trump meet, this village is ready to change its name for something as basic as toilets.
In April this year, for the first time in the Valley, thousands of students across schools and colleges erupted in anger. For the first time, one saw images of young school girls flinging stones at security forces in Kashmir. (PTI Photo)
In 33rd edition of Mann ki Baat radio address, PM Narendra Modi recalls the Emergency era and former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayees poem on it.

Heres a recap:

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New Delhi: Oppositions presidential nominee Meira Kumar made an emotional appeal to lawmakers on Sunday, urging them to cast aside their narrow political interests and vote with their inner conscience.



The former Lok Sabha Speaker said the Presidents post is considered the final touchstone for the passage of laws by the Constitution and its sanctity must be maintained. It, therefore, cannot function to serve narrow political interests.



Taking a leaf from former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi's appeal made during the 1974 presidential poll in favour of VV Giri, Kumar said, "This is that moment when one should heed the inner voice of conscience and set the course of the nation."



Her appeal to the members of the Electoral College came even before she files the nomination papers. She is likely to do so on June 28, the last date for filing nominations.



She said, she was fortunate to have been associated, in various ways, with two monumental struggles of India  the struggle to free India from British rule and the fight against caste system - that, she said, still plagues the Indian culture and polity.



The nature of these two struggles has deeply influenced my sentiments, my thoughts and my actions, she said.



Kumar said she has been inspired by the example set by the founding fathers of India, regardless of their political affiliations.



Despite the differences, I have found that when it comes to preserving the values of inclusiveness and the need for social justice, we all share the same goals, she said.



Kumar said the President takes an oath to "protect and defend the Constitution - the backbone of Indian democracy".



"It is this Constitution that I and countless others have invoked to reinforce our democratic values. It has guided and elevated us in times of crisis and confusion," she said.
Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir Inspector General Munir Khan has lost at least 18 policemen to militancy over the past six months.



When reminded of the number, Khan sighs deeply before saying "well", and pauses again. Khan, sitting cross-legged on a brown leather sofa, hair parted to the side, speaks in a low monotone.



"We have lost some policemen in the last six months," he says, adding that it is a setback to the police force, which we will certainly overcome.



The Kashmir police were bereaved of a deputy superintendent, Mohammed Ayub Pandith, on Friday when a mob attacked him outside Jamia mosque in Srinagar.



Khan describes how Kashmir police have been facing such a pattern for years now. "We have been facing this for ages now," he says, calling Pandith "a family member who was brutally murdered.



According to Khan, Pandith's residence is a stone's throw from the spot where he was lynched by the mob. The body was unidentifiable after being disfigured so badly, he says, delineating how nobody could confirm that a DSP had been murdered.



It only occurred to the police that Pandith had been killed when "he didn't reach his house next morning. "Some arrests have been made, many will follow," says Khan.



To Khan's dismay, the Kashmiri society has taken a "brutal" turn now. "This was never heard of in Kashmiri society. In Kashmiri culture, this is the first time that such a thing has happened. Kashmiris don't believe in brutality," Khan says.



The 1994 batch IPS officer expresses grief over the deaths of people, particularly because he says "this way or that way, the Kashmiris are dying". "They are getting killed by someone who is also a Kashmiri, but is being handled by somebody else."



The Jammu and Kashmir police have come under attack repeatedly ever since the current crisis broke out more than a year ago with the killing of Hizbul leader Burhan Wani. Six policemen, including Station House Officer Feroz Ahmed Dar, were killed by terrorists in Anantnag district last week.



"In the last 20 days, we have neutralised 30-40 militants. The Kashmir police is a potent force, and do you think our neighbours will sit quietly," says Khan, without delving into the term "neighbour".



Another baffling thing that has emerged in Kashmir, off late, is a high turnout at funeral prayers of militants. Not just that, the civilians have come out and disrupted the ongoing operations, despite police's repeated warnings against doing any such thing.



Khan says that it's the militants who are using them as "human shields". "When an operation is on, the militants get locals to involve and disrupt the operations. They even start firing from within the crowd."



Jammu and Kashmir police officers, even the common people, often get tagged as collaborators for cooperating with the Army, and social media has been put to use to further the narrative.



Exhorting the local and national media to "support and encourage" the Kashmir police, Khan says, "Social media has been used to spread propaganda by Pakistan, separatists, and militants to negate good things, and media shouldn't discourage Kashmir police."



Khan, when asked about any possible solution to the problem, denies an answer, saying he wouldn't comment on politics. "I owe something to this society. Everything starts from the household. I think the people should come forward and look for a solution.
New Delhi: Left to take the ultimate call, the Narendra Modi government is in a fix over settling the final draft of the Memorandum of Procedure (MoP), which has to guide all future appointments of Supreme Court and high court judges.



In March, the Supreme Court collegium, headed by Chief Justice of India J S Khehar, sent its final version of the MoP to the government but the Prime Ministers Office (PMO) is still to make up its mind and communicate the way forward to the Law Ministry.



The dilemma was triggered by the latest draft, which underlined that the collegium would not make any further changes in it. A note, sent along with the draft MoP to the Union Law Ministry, conveyed it unequivocally that no room for further negotiation was left as far as contentious clauses were concerned and that it was now for the government to take a call.



In the process of finalization of the MoP, this was the third draft forwarded by the collegium to the government since December 2015 when a Constitution Bench held that a new MoP should be framed by the government in consultation with the CJI to usher in more transparency and objectivity in judicial appointments.



But the final draft sent by the collegium in March dismissed three significant stipulations by the government, through which the executive was hopeful of getting a say in judicial appointments.



Sources have told CNN-News18 that the collegium discarded the view that the government could have the final word on appointment of a judge when such an appointment could put in peril the national security. Even though the collegium accepted to retain the national security clause in the MoP, it reserved the right to reiterate a name for appointment despite the governments objection after which the appointment must go through.



Two other clauses relating to committees for evaluating the candidates for judgeship and for examining the complaints against sitting judges also proved to be contentious, and the collegiums ultimate draft rejected the governments proposition to have such committees.



With three of its major proposals turned down by the highest judiciary, the government is yet to decide its future course of action. After the Supreme Court shot down the National Judicial Appointments Commission (NJAC) in October 2015, the message to the Law Ministry from the Prime Ministers Office (PMO) was clear that the government should not appear to be on a collision course with the judiciary.



Therefore, sources said, the PMO wanted a non-confrontational approach in devising the MoP. It was with this mandate from the PMO that External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj  considered to be a soft and more indulgent leader of the ruling dispensation  was requested to head the inter-ministerial group to finalise the MoP.



The impasse, however, continued despite several rounds of deliberation between the inter-ministerial group and the CJI. The final draft by the collegium is currently under consideration of the PMO. P K Mishra, Additional Principal Secretary to Prime Minister Modi, has been entrusted with the responsibility to come up with an acceptable formula for the government and the judiciary. The resolution is going to be a tricky affair that will also reflect upon the will of the judiciary and the executive to have a fairly codified and objective procedure for appointing judges in constitutional courts.
A who's who of business. Here's the list of CEOs attending the CEOs Roundtable today pic.twitter.com/TclnZjNRz1  Gopal Baglay (@MEAIndia) June 25, 2017

PM @narendramodi : The implementation of the landmark initiative of GST could be a subject of studies in US business schools. pic.twitter.com/iHiX1GtOxX  Gopal Baglay (@MEAIndia) June 25, 2017

: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said India has now emerged as a business-friendly destination, more so with the upcoming implementation of landmark GST beginning next month, while asking CEOs of top US companies to invest in the country.Modi also said India attracted largest foreign direct investment (FDI) as a result of the NDA government policies in the last three years, during his interaction with a group of CEOs of top 20 American firms.In a round table interaction with the group, including Tim Cook of Apple, Satya Nadella from Microsoft, Sunder Pichai from Google, John Chambers from Cisco and Jeff Bezos of Amazon, Modi listed out steps taken by his government in the last three years and next moves."The whole world is looking at India. 7,000 reforms alone by GOI for ease of (doing) business and minimum government, maximum governance, Gopal Bagley, spokesman of the Ministry of External Affairs said in a tweet from inside the meeting, quoting the prime minister.India's growth presents a win-win partnership for the country and the US, and American companies have a great opportunity to contribute to that, Modi told the CEOs, according to Bagley."The implementation of the landmark initiative of GST could be a subject of studies in US business schools," Modi said.During the hour-long interaction, at the Willard Hotel, where he is staying, Modi gave a patient hearing to the wish-list of the CEOs.Among other CEOs present at the meeting were Shantanu Narayen from Adobe, Ajay Banga from Mastercard, David Farr from Emerson, Doug McMillon and Punit Renjen from Deloitte Global. Mukesh Aghi, president of the US India Business Council, was also present at the meeting. Posting a group picture of the prime minister with the CEOs, Bagley said, "strengthening the Indo-US economic partnership".In a recent policy document, USIBC said the US-India commercial and strategic relationship supports global security, promotes economic growth and creates jobs for both countries and the global economy."Today, as we witness a paradigm shift in the erstwhile global order, an opportunity has emerged for both countries to set new standards in bilateral ties that will be bound by their shared values," USIBC said.Noting that US-India trade has tripled over the last decade, reaching a historic high of nearly USD 110 billion in 2015, USIBC said there is an opportunity for both the countries to also sync their regulatory and standards system to increase trade and investment.In a separate statement, Jagdip Ahluwalia, executive director of Indo American Chamber of Commerce of Greater Houston, said the United States and India share a very symbiotic relationship, and Modis first face to face visit with Donald Trump is important to strengthen the relationship between the two."On behalf of Houston, the energy capital of the world and home of the world's largest Medical Center the IACCGH and the strong Indian American community hope to welcome Prime Minister Modi to Houston in the not too distant future, Ahluwalia said.
Look forward to welcoming India's PM Modi to @WhiteHouse on Monday. Important strategic issues to discuss with a true friend!  President Trump (@POTUS) June 24, 2017

Thank you @POTUS for the warm personal welcome. Greatly look forward to my meeting and discussions with you @realDonaldTrump. https://t.co/lOfxlLI7v0  Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) June 25, 2017

Looking forward to meeting w/ PM @narendramodi & continuing our partnership to bring technology to everyone in India  Sundar Pichai (@sundarpichai) June 25, 2017

Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in the United States on Sunday for the second leg of his three-nation tour for his first bilateral meeting with US President Donald Trump, as the two leaders are set to hold discussions on a set of "strategically important" issues.Hours before Modi landed, President Trump tweeted that he looked forward to meeting his true friend Modi and would discuss "important strategic issues" with him.US Senator Kamala Harris tweeted that she welcomes "Indian PM @NarendraModi to the United States and reaffirm the unbreakable bonds between our two nations."Modi arrived in the American capital after a day-long working visit to Portugal, the first ever bilateral visit by an Indian PM to the European nation.On Sunday, the PM will interact with about 20 leading American CEOs followed by an Indian-American community event in the DC suburb of Virginia. The programme is likely to be attended by about 600 members of the community, PTI reported.American CEOs expected to meet Modi include Apple's Tim Cook, Walmart's Doug McMillon, Caterpillar's Jim Umpleby, Google's Sundar Pichai and Microsoft's Satya Nadella.Trump will host Modi at the White House on Monday afternoon and the two leaders would spend about five hours together in various settings beginning with their bilateral discussion, delegation level talks, a reception and a working dinner, the first of its kind hosted by this administration.The two leaders will not address a press conference but will issue individual press statements.The Trump administration said it is rolling out the "red carpet" for Modi, emphasising that it is wrong to say that the US is ignoring or not focusing on India. "President Trump realises that India is a force for good and that will come through in the visit on Monday," a senior official said.A host of strategic issues are expected to be discussed during the bilateral talks between the two leaders of the world's largest democracies, including defence cooperation, boosting economic ties, discussions on the civil nuclear deal, cooperation on combating terrorism, security cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region and India's concerns over the H-1B work visa.Earlier, a senior administration official said the visit is an opportunity to strengthen the US-India strategic partnership, which Trump very much views as a critical partnership in promoting stability and security in the Asia Pacific region and globally."We anticipate that their discussions will be broad- ranging, hitting on a variety of regional and global issues that would seek to advance our common priorities, including fighting terrorism, promoting economic growth and prosperity," the official said, briefing reporters at the White House.(With PTI inputs)
Srinagar: Two militants holed up in a school on the outskirts of Srinagar were killed on Sunday afternoon after a 14-hour encounter with security forces. Two army men were also injured in the shootout.



The militants had killed a CRPF jawan and injured a constable late on Saturday, following which a gun battle broke out. The militants were holed up inside Delhi Public School in Srinagar's Pantha Chowk.



The security forces had launched an offensive to flush out the militants who took refuge inside the school after attacking CRPF personnel in a high-security zone, located less than a kilometre from headquarters of Army's Chinar Corps, PTI reported.



The school premises which has seven buildings, comprising 36 rooms, was cordoned off and the staff and others were evacuated last night itself. An offensive to flush out the militants was launched on Sunday morning, a police official said. The exchange of fire between security forces and militants began at around 3.40 am, he said.



The gun battle is over and two militants have been killed, the official said after the 14-hour armed engagement.



He said the search and sanitization operation was, however, underway at the encounter site. Two Army personnel were injured in the gun battle this morning, the official said. He said the injured have been taken to a hospital.



Earlier, Jammu and Kashmir's Director General of Police S P Vaid had said that there were reports of the presence of two militants inside the building but the exact number would be known after the search of the complex was over.



On the operation getting prolonged, he told reporters, "There are 36 rooms, the building is huge. So, it has to be searched floor by floor, room by room."



He said the security forces wanted to ensure that the (school) building was safe.



"The enemy has a nefarious design that the school buildings are destroyed and children have nothing to study and ultimately abandon their studies, which we will ensure that no such thing happens," the state police chief said.



He was speaking to the media on the sidelines of wreath laying ceremony of CRPF officer killed in Saturdays attack.



The authorities had imposed restrictions under section 144 CrPc from Ram Munshibagh to Sempora stretch of the national highway as a precautionary measure to avoid protests near the encounter site.



The mobile internet services have been affected across the valley as the network speeds have been reduced.
: A woman police officer in western Uttar Pradeshs Bulandshahr stood up to bullying by a group of BJP workers as they created a ruckus after one of them was issued a challan and arrested for riding a motorcycle without the requisite documents.In the video footage of the incident that has since gone viral, Circle Officer (CO) Shreshtha Thakur confronted and admonished the mob of BJP workers, who raised slogans against the police.They also misbehaved and argued with her. Thakur shut them up, accusing them of goondaism and of bringing a bad name to their party. In the clip, she can be heard telling them she will add additional sections for creating public disorder.You please go and get written orders from the Chief Minister that the police have no right to check vehicles... that we cant do our job, she told the leader of the mob.Hum raat mein parivar ko chhor ke duty karte hain, maze lene ke liye nahi (we leave our families at home to do our job by the night, and not to have fun), she told them sternly.She also said, You (BJP workers) are bringing a bad name to your party... people will soon start saying that you are BJPs goondas.The incident took place on Friday afternoon when BJPs district-level worker Pramod Lodhi was issued a challan for not carrying proper documentation of his vehicle.He was stopped at a check post, but he started misbehaving with the police officers following which he was arrested, the police said.The BJP workers also created a ruckus outside the court when Lodhi was produced before a magistrate, and also outside Thakurs office.They alleged that he was arrested because he refused to pay a bribe to a police officer. A man, who is seen arguing with her, tells her that Lodhi was asked to pay Rs 2,000, a claim that she refuted and said that the police issued challans to thousands of offenders and nobody had an issue except for him.BJP MP from Bulandshahr, Bhola Singh, instead of checking his own party workers, pointed fingers at the police officer and said her actions showed she had the mindset of a Samajwadi Party worker and she went beyond her rights.The challan was right, but the misbehaviour with workers was wrong. There should be an investigation. A complaint has been made to the IG and I will also take up the issue with the CM, he said.SP spokesperson Ghanshyam Tiwari said every girl in UP is proud of the action taken by Thakur, and said everybody should show the Samajwadi Party mindset, if it means doing their job with honesty. He said that BJP promised to make UP Uttam Pradesh, but is turning it into an Upadra Pradesh (Unruly state).This is not the first time that women police officers have had a face-off with member of the ruling BJP in Uttar Pradesh. A few weeks ago, a woman police officer, Charu Nigam, was seen wiping her tears after she was shouted at and threatened by a senior BJP leader and Gorakhpur lawmaker Radha Mohan Das Agarwal.The IPS officer was trying to control women protesters who had blocked a road while demanding a ban on liquor shops, when a minor clash erupted.A well-known doctor, Agarwal, started shouting at Nigam, saying, Main aapse baat nahin kar raha hoon... mujhe tum kuch na batao. Chup raho tum! Bardasht ke bahar mat jao (I am not speaking to you. Don't tell me anything. You keep quiet. Don't cross your limits).He justified his outburst later saying Nigam used brute force against pregnant and old women protesting against illicit liquor sale.
Patna: A 26-year-old woman was beheaded by Maoist insurgents in Bihar 's Nawada district on Saturday, claimed a note which was found near her dead body.



"She was a police informer and worked against the spirit of people's revolution. The local police station in-charge will meet the same fate, read the note.



Victim Jaya Devi was a native of Baragad village which is situated near Kauakol jungle bordering the Maoist-affected state of Jharkhand.



Her husband works as a labourer outside the village. She was living with her minor son who raised the alarm when he could not find her mother on Saturday morning.



Kauakol Police Station in-charge charge, Manoj Kumar, said that after receiving information a police team was sent to trace Jaya Devi. Soon, villagers found her beheaded body near the forest area.



The police officer denied she was an informer and said she never came to the police station.



This barbaric killing has sent shock waves across the village.


Lynching of an officer in Kashmir n four innocent Muslims in Haryana. Brothers n sisters We all need to think calmly where are we going .  Javed Akhtar (@Javedakhtarjadu) June 24, 2017

That officer's name was Ayub but what matters is that he was a police officer who was lynched by a Muslim mob in Kashmir  Javed Akhtar (@Javedakhtarjadu) June 24, 2017

Mohammad Ayub is lynched just

Outside mosque ,on Friday n in the holy month of Ramadan !  Paresh Rawal (@SirPareshRawal) June 23, 2017

We the liberals r all here Mr Rawal.The question is be it Dadri, Rajasthan Kashmir etc where are d law enforcers? Why dont u condemn them https://t.co/qVB1HPhkI0  Farah Khan (@FarahKhanAli) June 24, 2017

Its a #shame .. what we are turning into. 1 Dead In Mob Lynching On Train, Shows Extent Of Violence https://t.co/AKr7snqvMF via @ndtv  Onir (@IamOnir) June 23, 2017

Veteran film celebrities Javed Akhtar and Paresh Rawal have condemned the lynching of a police officer in Srinagar and another incident in Haryana, asking people to think "where are we going"."Lynching of an officer in Kashmir and four innocent Muslims in Haryana. Brothers and sisters, we all need to think calmly where are we going," Akhtar tweeted on Saturday.A mob had stripped and lynched 57-year-old Deputy Superintendent of Police Muhammad Ayub Pandit, in a grand mosque of Srinagar, triggering widespread outrage; while a teenager was killed and three of his friends injured in an attack by a group of persons in a train in Haryana.When a social media user questioned Akhtar: "Officer was just a officer... But that four people were Muslims... Where we are going Javed ji?", the celebrated writer responded: "That officer's name was Ayub but what matters is that he was a police officer who was lynched by a Muslim mob in Kashmir."BJP MP Paresh Rawal wrote: "Muhammad Ayub is lynched just outside mosque on Friday and in the holy month of Ramadan. For Muhammad Ayub, where are award wapsi jerks and liberal louts and the whole termite clan?"Jewellery designer Farah Khan Ali, who often comments on social issues, reacted: "We are living in times where mobs are taking the law into their own hands lynching innocents be it Dadri, Rajasthan or Kashmir, etc. Sad times."We the liberals are all here Mr Rawal. The question is, be it Dadri, Rajasthan Kashmir, etc, where are the law enforcers? Why don't you condemn them?"Meanwhile, filmmaker Onir said: "It's a shame... What we are turning into."
Kolkata: The West Bengal government has slammed Sikkim Chief Minister Pawan Chamling for backing the demand for a separate state of Gorkhaland.



Sources said Education Minister Partha Chatterjee on Friday wrote a letter to Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh asking him to prevent neighbouring states from meddling in Bengals affairs.



Chatterjee wrote the letter on behalf of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee who is in The Hague, Netherlands, to attend a United Nations programme.



We mentioned that the CM of Sikkim has violated the constitutional rights by backing the Gorkhaland issue. We see his comment as an attempt to vitiate the atmosphere. This is purely a state subject and his letter to Rajnath Singh was undesirable, a source said.



On June 20, Chamling, had written a letter to Rajnath backing the demand for Gorkhaland.



"The fulfillment of the constitutional demand of the people in the Darjeeling Hills which is deeply connected with national identity of the Indian Gorkhas will provide long awaited justice to their patriotism, which has been second to none," the letter stated.



Calling the protesters who were killed in firing as martyrs, the letter had said, "Unfortunately, on June 17, three young people have been martyred and several others injured in the firing. The past three decades of agitation for the statehood demand in the neighbouring hills has claimed over a 1000 lives and caused incalculable loss of property and constant threat to security of life."



Meanwhile, hours after Bengal governments letter to Rajnath Singh, the Sikkim government banned government and private busses from West Bengal till further order.



Since Saturday morning a large number of tourists had a harrowing time at Siliguris Sikkim National Transport Stand because no means of transport were available.
Srinagar: The all-party consultative group, constituted by the Jammu and Kashmir government to evolve consensus over the implementation of the GST in the state, met in Srinagar on Saturday, but the main opposition parties? the National Conference (NC) and the Congress boycotted the meet.



The NC and Congress said they refrained from the meeting as the government failed to circulate draft proposal.



The consultative group met in Srinagar this afternoon under the chairmanship of former deputy chief minister and Member of Parliament, Muzaffar Hussain Beigh, an official spokesman said.



The invitation for the meeting was extended to the members by the Finance Minister Haseeb Drabu.



He said the members of the group include Abdul Rahim Rather from the NC, M Y Tarigami from the CPI(M), Nizam-ud-Din Bhat from the PDP, Sunil Sethi from the BJP, Aijaz Ahmad Khan from the Congress, Hakeem Muhammad Yasin of the PDF, Ghulam Hassan Mir of the DNP and independent MLAs Pawan Gupta and Sheikh Abdul Rashid.



Except the representatives from the NC and the Congress, all other members of the consultative group were present at the meeting.



Minister for Law and Justice, Abdul Haq, Minister for Finance, Haseeb Drabu, Chief Secretary B B Vyas, Finance Secretary Navin Kumar Choudhary, Commissioner Commercial Taxes M I Khateeb and other senior officers of the Finance and Law Departments also attended the meeting, the spokesman said.



He said at the onset, on the request of the chair, the meeting observed two-minute silence as mark of respect for DSP Mohammad Ayub Pandith who was lynched outside Jamia Masjid here on Thursday night.



The meeting held threadbare discussions over the legal, legislative, financial and economic aspects of the GST regime with the chairman explaining in detail the nuances of the new tax regime.



There was a general consensus in the meeting that non implementation of GST regime would trigger economic and financial chaos in the state with the inter-state trade vis-a-vis Jammu and Kashmir taking a big hit, the spokesman said.



He said the meeting, at the same time, called for allaying the apprehensions and misconceptions that have been passed on to the people for political expediencies.



Speaking at the conclusion of the meeting, Beigh said there was unanimity in the forum on either of the three paths to be followed on GST which include taking further time to build wider political consensus, taking the matter to the legislature and allowing the state cabinet to take a call on the issue in light of the Jammu and Kashmirs special constitutional position.

This is the second attempt by the government to evolve consensus over GST implementation in the state.



Earlier, an all-party meeting chaired by Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti was convened on the issue on June 13.



Meanwhile, the Congress said the party refrained from the meeting because of the non-serious attitude of the government.



The party also blamed the PDP-BJP coalition of being in a state of confusion over the GST, as a result of which, the trade bodies in the entire state were in dilemma.



"The party decided to refrain from the meeting as the government failed to circulate draft proposal, as was agreed earlier, to enable the parties to debate and discuss the GST at length in order to evolve a consensus,? a party spokesman said.



He said despite the pressing demand from the opposition for the draft proposal, nothing was done, which has sent confusing signals among the entire political spectrum in the state.



The spokesman said the chief minister had agreed in the all-party meet that draft proposal would be circulated to every political party, but, despite that, nothing was done.



He said one fails to understand that on the one hand the PDP-BJP coalition is in a hurry to implement the GST, but on the other hand, the government is not even able to circulate a draft proposal, which is indicative of double standards and ill intentions on the part of the coalition.



The National Conference also stayed away from the meeting for the same reasons.



"The invitation for the meeting reached us at 12 pm today and then the government did not send a draft proposal to us which we could have discussed first," NC provincial president Kashmir, Nasir Aslam Wani, said.



Wani said the chief minister had agreed in the all-party meet that draft proposal would be circulated to every political party, but no such thing happened.



"We had to discuss the draft within our party first and then we could have send our representative to the meeting.

"There was no fun in sending a representative without any internal discussions, so we boycotted the meet,? he said.
Patna: Senior BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi on Sunday claimed that Bihar Chief Minister and JD(U) president Nitish Kumar has started "correcting his mistakes" by extending support to Ram Nath Kovind, the NDAs presidential nominee.



"Actually, Nitish Kumar has begun to correct his mistakes by extending his support to Kovind," Modi said countering RJD chief Lalu Prasads statement that Nitish Kumar has committed a "historic blunder" by extending his support to Kovind.



The RJD chief had on June 22 said that its ally the JD(U)s call to support NDA presidential candidate Ram Nath Kovind was "a wrong decision", adding he would appeal to Nitish Kumar not to commit "a historic blunder".



On June 23, the RJD chief and opposition parties had also appealed to Kumar to reconsider the JD(U)s support to Kovind but he stood his ground.



Stating that "emergency" was a black spot in the nations history, Sushil Modi, former deputy chief minister of Bihar said that the Congress cannot absolve of its "sin" of proclaiming emergency on June 25, 1975 by the then Indira Gandhi government to just remain in power.



The then Indira Gandhi government not only put Jay Prakash Narayan and other opposition leaders in jail but also inflicted torture on JP which led to his untimely demise, he claimed, adding that "Nitish Kumar, who is a JP disciple, did a "historic mistake" when he aligned with the Congress which proclaimed emergency in the country."



Veteran socialist leader Ram Manohar Lohia and other socialist leaders fought with the Congress all through their lives but his disciples have now joined hands with the same Congress party, he said and advised them (Lohias disciples) to consider their relations with the Congress.



Even Jagjivan Ram, the father of UPAs presidential candidate Meira Kumar, felt "suffocated" in the Congress and left the party after the Emergency, the senior BJP leader said and claimed that it was the Janata Party government, of which Jan Sangha was a part, which honoured Jagjivan Ram by making him the deputy prime minister.
: Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) president Sharad Pawar on Sunday said he expected the BJP-led NDA to field "someone like L K Advani or Murli Manohar Joshi" for the July 17 presidential election.Speaking to reporters in Pune, he also said Meira Kumar was the "best pick" by the Opposition.Asked if the NDA could have found a better candidate than former Bihar governor Ram Nath Kovind, Pawar said it was an "internal matter" of the ruling coalition."But, we were expecting someone like Lal Krishna Advani or Murli Manohar Joshi as their candidate," he added.The Maratha strongman also praised Kumar's credentials."Kumar has worked in various Indian missions as an IFS officer, she is a five-time Lok Sabha MP and has also served as a cabinet minister and the Lok Sabha speaker. Looking at her illustrious career in politics as well as on the international level, she is the best pick," he said.Pawar, whose name was doing the rounds as a possible opposition candidate till sometime ago, said he had made it clear that he was not interested to contest the election to the country's top constitutional post."My name was suggested by some people, but I had already clarified that I never wanted to get into this," he said. Talking about the situation prevailing in Jammu and Kashmir, the former defence minister said strict measures were needed to improve the internal security and curb the infiltrations from across the border."As per my knowledge, the locals are cooperating and we should try to understand them as the outside elements are destabilising the situation. The government should take strict measures to curb their entry from across the border," Pawar said.All parties, including the Congress, were ready to support the Centre in resolving the Kashmir issue, he said, adding, "The opposition does not want to do politics on it."However, the NCP chief said in view of the situation prevailing in the Valley, the country needed a "full-time defence minister" to keep the morale of the armed forces high.
Beirut: Syrian President Bashar al-Assad delivered prayers for Islam's Eid al-Fitr holiday in Hama on Sunday, the furthest he has travelled inside Syria in years, showing his growing confidence.



State television broadcast footage of Assad standing to pray in a large mosque in Hama behind its imam, with other clerics standing alongside and a large crowd of worshippers.



State news agency SANA quoted the preacher as saying that Assad's presence in the city for Eid showed that victory and the return of security were only "a few steps" away.



Syria's civil war has turned to Assad's favour since 2015, when Russia sent its jets to help his army and allied Shi'ite militias backed by Iran turn back rebels and win new ground.



Since the war began in 2011, it has killed hundreds of thousands, driven millions more from their homes, sparked a global refugee crisis and drawn in regional and world powers.



The conflict is far from over. Rebels hold swathes of the country, including around Idlib province near Hama, and launched a new attack in Quneitra in the southwest on Saturday.



Rebels also hold the Eastern Ghouta area near Damascus, parts of the desert in the southeast and a large pocket south of Hama around the city of Rastan.



As recently as March, rebels advanced from Idlib province to within a few kilometres of Hama, before the army and its allies pushed them back in weeks of fierce fighting.



However, the army drove insurgents from their biggest urban stronghold in Aleppo in December and have also forced several important rebel enclaves to surrender over the past year.



FOCUS ON ISLAMIC STATE



Assad has not made a declared visit to Hama, which is about 185 km (115 miles) from Damascus, since the war began. Last year he delivered Eid prayers in Homs, about 40km (25 miles) closer to Damascus.



Early in the crisis he visited Raqqa, a city that has since become the Syrian capital of Islamic State and now faces an assault by a U.S.-backed coalition to drive out the militants.



The fight against Islamic State, which has attacked Western cities, has become the focus of Western leaders, some of whom have softened demands that Assad must quit to end the crisis.



In March, U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said Assad's fate would be decided by Syrians, a change in rhetoric after years of insisting he step down to allow a political solution.



France's new President Emmanuel Macron said this month he did not see Assad's departure as a condition to end the fighting and the priority was stopping Syria becoming a failed state.



The U.S. and other Western states, along with Turkey and Gulf monarchies, have long supported some of the rebels, an array of groups that includes Islamist and nationalist factions. Assad describes them all as terrorists.



His military has said its focus is on the campaign in the desert, where it is advancing against Islamic State to relieve a besieged government enclave in the city of Deir al-Zor.
After meeting the US CEOs, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is in the US on the second leg of his three-nation tour, met the Indian community in the states.

Modi highlighted the unblemished record of his government and promised to make India as great as the United States to the Indian diaspora.

He will hold his first bilateral meeting with President Donald Trump at a working dinner at the White House on Monday.

Stay tuned for live updates:

Read all the Latest News , Breaking News , watch Top Videos and Live TV here.
"It is only fitting. Just as children and families of other faiths have come here to celebrate some of their holy days, so you too are all here to mark this important Islamic tradition," the then first lady, Hillary Clinton, had said.

Obama, on the other hand, sought to instil confidence in the same Muslim community. "And whether your family has been here for generations or youre a new arrival, youre an essential part of the fabric of our country," Obama said at the reception.

An Iftar celebration could have been deduced as an attempt to calm the waters between the administration and the Muslim community, in utter disregard to what propelled Trump to the much-coveted chair of the President.

Donald Trump looks determined to turn his back on a tradition believed to have been started by Thomas Jefferson, a founding father and the third President of the United States of America.In 1805, Sidi Soliman Mellimelli, a Tunisian envoy to the US, was to pay a visit to the White House. The visit fell in the holy month of Ramzan. Jefferson arranged for a sunset dinner, acknowledging Mellimelli's religious beliefs. The debate whether or not Jefferson held this dinner as "Iftar" - the meal with which Muslims break their fast after sunset - still rages.Iftar, this one in particular, grabbed the eyeballs once again in 2010 when the then US President Barack Obama alluded to the story. Obama claimed the tradition went back in time, adding that Jefferson had hosted "the first known Iftar at the White House, more than 200 years ago".However, Obama was not the one to have revived this tradition at the Oval Office. The credit goes to the Clintons who hosted 150 Muslims in the February of 1996. The occasion was Eid-ul-Fitr, the culmination of the holy month of Ramzan.The White House had long had the tradition of celebrating Easter and Christmas. Hillary called the Eid-ul-Fitr celebrations historic and overdue", aiming at accommodating the Muslim-American community.Fast forward to 2016, even as Hillary was battling Donald Trump for the Presidency, President Obama, in his last year, held a reception on Eid-ul-Fitr. There was a lot at stake. The would-be President Donald Trump, to frenetic cheers and applause, was rooting for a "total and complete shutdown on Muslims entering the US".Six months into his presidency, Trump, who trenchantly criticised Islam "for hating us" and "having tremendous hatred", has twice tried to bar Muslims from seven Mulsim-majority countries from entering the US.Breaking from the tradition that even much-disliked George W. Bush didn't, the Trump administration is not hosting the annual White House Iftar this year. The holy month of Ramzan is nearing the end, and there is no communication from Trump's office as yet.But given Trump's past, deluged with anti-Muslim, anti-immigrant statements, his disapproval of even a "symbolic gesture" serves his constituency. As much as the Clintons and Obamas were accused of "political symbolism" behind such celebrations, Trump's decision is also emblematic of his politics.The intention behind any symbolic political ploy is to establish an emotional connect with a politician's core constituency.Obama, perhaps, did it for he ran for office promising to improve relations with the Muslim world. Trump is doing it, for he promised to "make the United States great again". By keeping "hate-filled Islam" at bay.
: Hong Kong student activist Chau Ho-oi, born in the year the Asian financial hub returned to Chinese rule 20 years ago, recalls the sense of pride she once felt towards mainland China.Sitting with her parents when she was 11, Chau watched the 2008 Beijing Olympics on television in awe and felt "excitement in the heart" as China's athletes swept the board with 48 gold medals, more than any other nation."I thought China was great," Chau said. "If you asked me back then if I was Chinese, I'd say yes."Fast forward nine years, however, and the former British colony's first post-handover generation is increasingly turning its back on the mainland."Now ... I don't want to say I am Chinese," said Chau, who was arrested during mass pro-democracy protests in 2014. "It gives me a very negative feeling. Even if you ask me 100 times, I would say the same thing."According to a University of Hong Kong survey released on Tuesday that polled 120 youths, only 3.1 percent of those aged between 18 to 29 identify themselves as "broadly Chinese". The figure stood at 31 percent when the regular half-yearly survey started 20 years ago.In interviews with 10 Hong Kong youths born in 1997 including Chau, all of them, including an immigrant from mainland China, told Reuters they primarily identify themselves as "Hong Kongers" and their loyalty lies with the city.The territory became a British colony in stages in the 19th century and returned to Chinese rule under a "one country, two systems" formula which guarantees it wide-ranging autonomy, including an independent judiciary and freedom of speech, for at least 50 years.The 20-year-olds' attitudes were hardened, they said, by a series of shadowy manoeuvres suggesting a slow squeeze on those freedoms by Communist Party rulers in Beijing.In 2012, a skinny 15-year-old student named Joshua Wong led tens of thousands of Hong Kong residents to protest against a mandatory national education curriculum they claimed would "brainwash" students by promoting Chinese patriotism. The curriculum was eventually shelved.Two years later, the "Occupy" movement, with Wong at the helm, sought to pressure Beijing to allow full democracy in the election of its leader, demands that were ultimately ignored after 79 days of street protests.The abduction of several Hong Kong booksellers by mainland agents and China's efforts to disqualify two young lawmakers who support Hong Kong independence have also shaken confidence in the "one-country, two systems" arrangement.In this June 14, 2017 file photo, a villager hangs Chinese national flags and Hong Kong flags to a tree to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the territory's handover to Chinese rule, in Hong Kong. (Student Candy Lau fears Hong Kong will become more controlled."You see how mass surveillance is so pervasive in China. If Hong Kong gets worse, it may become that way, and it may not become safe anymore," she said. "It's an invisible fear."More and more youngsters are now pushing for the right to self-determination, and even independence, alarming Beijing.Last month, Beijing's No. 3 official, Zhang Dejiang, who also oversees Hong Kong issues, stressed the need to "strengthen national education and legal education to Hong Kong's youth, and develop correct concepts about the country from a young age" so that they could be moulded into those who "love the country".Hong Kong's incoming leader, Carrie Lam, speaking to China's Xinhua state news agency, said she would seek to cultivate the concept of "I am Chinese" at nursery level.More than 120,000 Hong Kong youths will join China-related exchange programmes, some sponsored by the Hong Kong government, as part of the handover's 20th anniversary celebrations, according to Xinhua.But this patriotic push could trigger a greater backlash."How could the government not understand the more it forces Hong Kong people to love China, the more opposition this would draw?" asked 20-year-old Jojo Wong, no relation to Joshua.Even more moderate students like Felix Wu, who says he's apathetic about politics, chooses to identify himself first as a Hong Konger, before his Han Chinese ethnicity."China is a pretty big market and Hong Kong has a need to integrate with this market," Wu said. "But politically they promised nothing would change for 50 years. I think they're going back on their word a bit."Ludovic Chan, a business student hoping to join the civil service, sees himself first as a Hong Konger, but doesn't think that identity is in conflict with being Chinese."The two different cultures can co-exist. They shouldn't always say Hong Kong and China should integrate. But the two sides should try to understand each other more."Some mainland Chinese students studying in Hong Kong also look on the bright side."Twenty years is just a start," said Yoshi Yue, a business student who has been in the city for three years. "Slowly they will develop a sense of belonging. It comes from culture, not politics."
, (): People in the Iraqi city of Mosul celebrated their first Muslim Eid holiday without Islamic State in years on Sunday after the terrorists were ejected from much of the city, and hoped the battle to recapture the remaining area would soon be over.Children gathered in squares on the eastern side of the city. Some played on old swings and others with toy guns and rifles, which were among the toys allowed by Islamic State militants after they took over the city in June 2014.The militants implemented an extreme version of Islam which associated toys with a face, like dolls, with idolatry. They encouraged youngsters to train on weapons and changed text books to reflect their military ideology. Children were asked to add up bombs or bullets in maths exercises.Eid prayers were allowed under Islamic State but festivities were not.But for many, Sunday's Eid celebrations were overshadowed by the destruction of their historic leaning minaret, blown up by the militants on Wednesday, and fears for thousands of civilians trapped in the Old City in western Mosul still under Islamic State control."It won't be real Eid before we return home," said a man in his sixties, displaced from the western side of the city, across the Tigris river, where fighting continues.Some expressed sadness over the destruction of the 850-year-old Grand al-Nuri mosque and its leaning 150-foot (45-metre) minaret."Eid is not the same," said a man who declined to give his name as fear is still present even though Iraqi forces dislodged the insurgents from the eastern part of the city months ago.Iraqi forces took the eastern side from Islamic State in January, after 100 days of fighting, and started attacking the western side in February. The militants are now besieged in Mosul's Old City."As our heroic forces are closer to declaring final victory over the Daesh (Islamic State) gangs, I offer my most sincere congratulations for Eid al-Fitr," Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said in a statement.A US-led international coalition is providing air and ground support in the 8-month-old offensive to drive the militants from their de facto capital in Iraq.About 350 Islamic State fighters, most of them non-Iraqis, are defending their remaining stronghold in Mosul's densely populated Old City, an Iraqi general said on Sunday. He expected the battle for the city to end in days."Most of the dead bodies are foreigners, most of the fighters are foreigners, we see some trying to escape across the Tigris," said Major-General Sami al-Arithi, a Counter Terrorism Service (CTS) commander.The US-trained urban warfare units are leading the fight in the narrow alleyways of the historic district which lies by the western bank of the Tigris.More than 50,000 civilians, about half the Old City's population, remain behind Islamic State lines, complicating the troops' advance, Arithi told state TV.The civilians are trapped in crumbling old houses in harrowing conditions, with little food, water or medicines, according to those who have escaped.Aid organizations say Islamic State has stopped many from leaving, using them as human shields. Hundreds of civilians fleeing the Old City have been killed in the past three weeks.Iraqi authorities were hoping to declare victory in the northern city by Eid, a three-day festival which started on Sunday for Mosul's Sunni Muslim population and many Iraqi Shi'ites, celebrating the end of the fasting month of Ramadan.Arithi said the CTS were about 25 meters (yards) from the Nuri mosque, from where Islamic State's leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi proclaimed his "caliphate" over parts of Iraq and Syria three years ago.The Iraqi government once hoped to take Mosul by the end of 2016, but the fighting has dragged on as the militants reinforced positions in civilian areas, launched suicide car bomb attacks, laid traps and kept up sniper and mortar fire.The fall of Mosul would mark the end of the Iraqi half of the "caliphate". Islamic State remains in control of large areas of both Iraq and Syria.Baghdadi has left the fighting in Mosul to local commanders and has been assumed to be hiding in the Iraqi-Syrian border area. There has been no confirmation of Russian reports over the past week that he has been killed.In Syria, the insurgents' "capital", Raqqa, is nearly encircled by a US-backed, Kurdish-led coalition.
Albemarle-based mechanic and Democrat Tracy Carver announced his campaign to challenge the 59th District House of Delegates incumbent with a campaign focused on expanding access to healthcare and education, support for farmers and opposition to the construction of natural gas pipelines in the state.

Carver, 50 will be challenging incumbent Matt Fariss, R-Rustburg to represent the sprawling district, which covers all of Appomattox, Buckingham, a large section of Campbell and parts of Nelson and Albemarle counties. Fariss has held the seat since 2012.

In an announcement to a group of about two dozen attendees at the Old Campbell County Courthouse in Rustburg on Saturday, Carver emphasized his desire to represent the everyday people of the 59th District.

I believe that we have too many career politicians that claim they represent us but they dont seem to be doing much outside of cashing our checks, Carver said in his announcement speech. I am entering this race to fight the career politicians who seek to find new ways to take from us and give to their rich donors.

Carver is listed as the Democratic Nominee for the seat on both the Virginia Public Access Project and the Democratic Party of Virginias websites. As of June 1st Carver has raised $200. He is joined in the race by Green Party candidate Marcus Sutphin.

He served in both the U.S. Navy as a translator of Korean and German as well as a Hospital Corpsman in the U.S. Marine Corps. After leaving the service he worked in a variety of fields including hospitality and commercial sales before becoming a self-employed mechanic in 2011.

The issue that most heavily influenced his decision to run for office is his opposition to the construction of the Atlantic Coast Pipeline. According to Carver, the state should instead focus on investing in clean energy and move away from fossil fuels.

Without clean air and clean water we are nothing, he said in an interview with The News & Advance. We need to invest in technologies that are clean. We need to take the billions of dollars that are being invested into these pipelines and use it create opportunities for this money to be invested in solar and wind instead.

As a self-described sophisticated country boy who grew up on a farm, Carver wants to implement policy to support farmers across the state to keep local food supplies strong and reduce pollution associated with having to bring food in from other regions.

Were taking farmland and making housing tracts, he said. Farmland loss is farmland loss forever. Once we start having to ship our food in from other states and other counties its creating more carbon emissions and a bigger carbon footprint. If we were to invest in farming and make it an income producing, a job producing entity then we would help reduce our carbon footprint.

Another issue Carver is pushing is universal access to healthcare for all Virginians. He supports Medicaid expansion in the commonwealth and the creation of a state sponsored healthcare system if Congress repeals the Affordable Care Act.

Your healthcare should not be determined by an algorithm of whether or not it would affect the bottom line of a corporation, he said. Doctors and nurses didnt go into healthcare because they thought they wanted to be rich and famous, they did it for an altruistic reason. Insurance companies went into it so they can make as much profit as possible and pay out as little as possible. We need the doctors and nurses making healthcare decisions, not insurance companies.

He also supports an expansion of free public education from just K-12 to all levels of higher education.

The Chairwoman of the Campbell County Democratic Committee Betty Zieger opened the event announcing Carvers candidacy remarking that liberals and those who are unhappy with the policies of incumbants need to go to the polls in the fall, but also must talk with their neighbors and friends about political issues to grow support.

I have become more and more determined that we have got to replace people that are doing us no good and elect people who will listen to all of their constituents, but not just the ones who voted for them, she said.

Although Fariss had to battle it out with Democrat Connie Brennan and Independent Linda Wall in 2011 to first win the seat, he has gone uncontested in the last two election cycles. Over half of the 59th has voted for a GOP candidate in every election since the boundaries were redrawn in the once-every-10 years redistricting process in 2011, according to the Virginia Public Access Project.

Carver also supports legalizing marijuana because he said it would bring in more tax revenue, relieve stress on Virginias prison system and allow farmers to grow hemp more widely.

Prohibition didnt work in the past and it isnt working now, he said. If we legalize marijuana and we see the tax benefit that Colorado has been reaping we will stop the untaxed profits going to the gangs and cartels and it will go into our general fund instead. Once we legalize it we will also reduce our prison population so the archaic rules say its wrong for growing marijuana.
Sluggos: Drive in for a sundae treat

Address: 177 Elon Rd., Madison Heights

Tucked just off Elon Road in Madison Heights, Sluggos Sundae Drive has its roots in family outings and operates with the desire to serve the families of Amherst County and beyond.

First opened in 2014, the shop serves only handmade ice cream and features special flavors each week, such as peach and coconut cream pie. The patriotic-themed ice cream shop is open year-round because owner Carl Merat said he and his wife eat ice cream all year and figured other people would too.

Each ice cream flavor is crafted carefully by Merat. He sometimes makes multiple batches of a new flavor, tweaking its makeup each time until he is satisfied.

Mike Norfield, a regular customer at Sluggos, said he loves both the ice cream and Merats dedication to the community.

I love how their local tips go to local charities, how they collect socks for [Lynchburg-area nonprofit] Warm Streets and how they treat everyone who comes in like family, Norfield said.  I first went to Sluggos for the ice cream, but I kept coming back for the friendship.

-Nicole Steenburgh

Ice Cream Dream: Dog-friendly dessert stop

Address: 1016 Jefferson St., B, Lynchburg

Will Simmons pulled on the door of Ice Cream Dream with all his might on a recentWednesday afternoon.

At 3 years old, Will retreated to sit with his family outside the downtown shop after the door refused to budge.

We were just at this little water park over here, and when we go there, we come here for ice cream, said his grandfather Robert Vogel, of Lynchburg. Vogel said he and the family have been visiting Ice Cream Dream once per week since summer started.

Inside, a dozen people lounged around the shop while a constant stream of people poured through the door.

Charlie Collier, 7, sat near the entrance with her 8-week-old Australian Shepherd named Patty.

Charlie alternated between eating her cup of tropical rainbow Philadelphia Water Ice and carrying Patty, named after York Peppermint Patties, to the counter to ask for another dog treat.

Her mother, Ann Hunt, of Evington, said this was their first visit to Ice Cream Dream. They really loved the atmosphere and how it was dog-friendly, she said.

Percivals Island, the neighborhoods friendly people and the nearby water park were another draw, she said.

Employee Ashley Gomez has worked at Ice Cream Dream for four months and said its been very busy since summer started. Gomez said the shop, which opened downtown in 2016, recently started offering rolled ice cream.

Alissa Smith

MayLynns Creamery: Tasty relief from the summer heat

Address: 4925 Boonsboro Rd., Lynchburg

It was edging up to 90 degrees on a Lynchburg afternoon, and Finleigh King knew just what would be fruity and refreshing scattered over a scoop of chocolate-vanilla swirl: gummy bears.

Perched in the gazebo next to MayLynns Creamery with her mom, Wendy King  whod opted for a vanilla cone dipped in chocolate and coffee  had a simple but compelling answer for why a jaunt for ice cream on a roasting-hot day was the ideal choice: Because it tastes good.

For close to five years, MayLynns, a mobile creamery in the Boonsboro Shopping Center, has treated shoppers and anyone just stopping by to a staggeringly long list of icy confections and toppings.

You could sprinkle, say, bacon bits over a fudge-flavored cone or order up a cheesecake stacker covered in caramel. Or go for something more conventional, like a root-beer vanilla-cream float.

As shop owners Becky and Josh Kirk are just about to mark half a decade in business, theyre happy with the location and look of the shop, which has a throwback theme and is easily accessed in the parking lot near picnic tables and a gazebo.

Enjoying a shade tree and small cone, Dianne Callands said shes not always in an ice-cream mood, but on a hot afternoon, MayLynns was perfect. She usually chooses fruit flavors like strawberry and peach.

Its also a great way to cool off after a shopping trip, Callands said. When Im out this way, Ill probably stop, she said.

Christopher Cole

Colleen Drive-In: Drive-in offers big flavors on the road

Address: 4105 Thomas Nelson Hwy, Arrington

Whether youre on your way to Charlottesville or trekking north for an out-of-state trip, you wont be able to miss the Nelson County establishment thats served sweet treats for more than 30 years.

Just a few yards off U.S. 29, a giant vanilla ice cream cone at least 20 feet tall entices drivers to stop by the Colleen Drive-In for its signature soft-serve or another dessert.

Its a nice gathering spot, said Ted Campbell, an Amherst resident who lives a little more than 10 miles south of the drive-in. While his wife waited one afternoon in the car, pulled up right next to the small, off-white, one-story building, Campbell ordered their favorites: chocolate and vanilla swirl cones.

Campbell and his wife make the short trip to Colleen about once per week, he said.

Rising Nelson County High School junior Julia Smith, also know Colleen Drive-In to be a place where memories have been made.

Ive been coming here since I was 2, she said. Its one of those places you go to if you want food you can rely on, Smith said, adding she has friends from all over the county who make the drive to Colleen for the dessert and other food.

According to Amy White, an employee at the drive-in, the ice cream stop is consistently busy in the evening and on weekends. On Sunday, she said, theres rarely a time when shes not serving cones, banana splits or milkshakes to customers, whether theyre the regulars that make up a good portion of the drive-ins patrons or those making the stop for the first time.

Emily Brown

Monkee Joes Java & Creamery: Ice cream with a view

Address: 15243 Forest Rd., Forest, VA

Although Monkee JoesJava & Creamery does not have inside seating, none of the visitors to this walk-up ice cream location want to be inside. Instead all attention is on the ice cream cones piled high with soft serve, sundaes, snow cones and the picturesque view of Bedford County farmland with the Peaks of Otter in the distance.

Owner Leslie Broman said the combination of family atmosphere and large portion sizes keeps people coming back.

You definitely get a lot of bang for your buck at Monkee Joes, she said. Sometimes people complain when they order a small, and they get our version of a small. The portion size for the price  I dont know where else youre going to find that.

Barry and Linda Armstrong, from Forest, said they come to Monkee Joes frequently in the summer because of the nice view at sunset, the shaded picnic tables and the proximity to their home.

Its just right down the road from us, so we come here a lot, Linda Armstrong said. They have a great variety too.

Margaret Carmel

Mister Goodies: Treats worth standing in line for

21556 Timberlake Rd., Lynchburg,

Local ice cream shop Mister Goodies is so popular, lines can be seen snaking across the parking lot where the shops trailer stands alongside Timberlake Road.

After 13 years in business, the creamery is opening up a second location on Boonsboro Road in the Boonsboro Village Courts Shopping Center come July.

Ice cream there will be homemade instead of soft serve, 16-year-old employee McKenna Stamm said.

Stamm, who is working her very first summer job at Mister Goodies, said she loves interacting with customers and experiencing the family-friendly atmosphere.

Its just so classic, she said. You cant go wrong here.

The creamerys most popular item: the brownie sundae, which Stamm said is homemade by the owners.

On a Sunday night  Mister Goodies busiest night during the summer with at least six employees in the small trailer  Reiss Fitts orders the famous brownie sundae. The sundae is made with a homemade brownie, fudge, vanilla ice cream and whipped cream.

Stamm, who said her favorite treat at the creamery is the dreamsicle ice cream with rainbow sprinkles, admits Mister Goodies is a seasonal excitement.

Lynchburg makes you think of summer when you think of Mister Goodies, she said.

Rachael Smith

Homestead Creamery Farm Market: Closest thing to health ice cream

7254 Booker T. Washington Hwy, Wirtz

Couple Mark Barillaro and Bonnie McManus once visited the Homestead Creamery Farm Market in Franklin County nearly every week, but it got to be too much, McManus said.

Now we make it every two weeks.

On a recent afternoon, cookies and cream and cherry vanilla were the couples ice cream flavors of choice. The reason for their routine visits is simple: Its the best ice cream weve ever had, McManus said.

Homestead Creamery began operations in 2001 and currently supplies dairy products from local farms to major retailers such as Kroger and Whole Foods Market in Virginia and other states.

Ice cream flavors that are popular this summer, Sigmon said, include butter pecan and black raspberry.

Don Arbogast visited the Farm Market for lunch on a recent afternoon but topped off his meal with Moose Tracks ice cream.

Its real rich because its the real stuff, Arbogast said about Homestead Creamery ice cream. I feel good about eating it because I dont think we have all the additives and chemicals and bad stuff in the ice cream here that you do in the typical stuff you get off the shelves in the grocery store.

If there is such a thing as healthy ice cream, this is probably it, he said.

Sherese Gore

Dairy Freeze: Milk shakes and sundaes, oh my

Address: 910 Main St., Altavista

When customers come to the walk-up windows at the Dairy Freeze in Altavista, theyre usually after some classic treats like milkshakes, burgers or sundaes served at the retro restaurant.

Owner Andy Mattox said his father opened up the Dairy Freeze in 1961 as an ice cream business, later adding things like hot dogs and fries to the menu. When he took the helm as owner in 1984, he added frozen yogurt to the menu since it was a trend that he said has resurfaced recently.

We went through the same thing back in the 80s, he said.  There was [a frozen yogurt stand] on every corner; then they kind of faded.

While she said the hot dogs and burgers at the Dairy Freeze are tasty, 18-year-old Malayna Creasy, of Gretna, said she usually opts for the upside-down banana split when she visits. With strawberries, chocolate syrup, bananas and even some pineapple, its a jumbo-sized favorite for her.

It has a lot of different layers of different things in it, she said.

Dairy Freezes ice cream window teases a variety of milkshake flavors and sundaes made with either ice cream or frozen yogurt. Blasters add a twist of candy blended into ice cream or frozen yogurt, and families can catch some shade under a restaurant umbrella while enjoying any one of the frozen treats.

Settled with her Oreo blaster on a hot day, 19-year-old Asia Alexander, of Hurt, said shell stop by the Dairy Freeze two or three times per week in the summer, since the ice cream options are pretty inexpensive.

Rachel Mahoney

Appetite Creamery: Ice cream sandwiches with a twist

Address: River Ridge Mall, 3405 Candlers Mountain Rd.

Appetite Creamerys signature item  two Fruity Pebbles cereal bars sandwiched around a scoop of vanilla ice cream  is almost like having cereal in a bowl, said co-owner Roger Echauri, because youre having that vanilla ice cream with it.

The Tutti Frutti, as its called, was the jumping-off point for the new food truck, which is affiliated with Echauris River Ridge mall kiosk, also called Appetite Creamery.

While the mall location serves up Hersheys ice cream, everything on the mobile truck  from the ice cream and edible cookie dough to cereal bars and cookies  is homemade.

We wanted to do a whole cereal concept, where we would do all the ice cream sandwiches as cereal [bars], Echauri says.

In addition to the Tutti Frutti, Appetite offers the Cappuccino Crunch, two Cocoa Krispies cereal bars with homemade cappuccino ice cream between them, as well as two ice cream sandwiches with regular cookies, and edible cookie dough.

The truck is constantly on the move  it will be part of Food Truck Thursdays through the end of the month  and Echauri posts its weekly schedule on Facebook and Instagram.

He says they chose to make their own ice cream, rather than using the Hersheys from the mall, to stand out in the crowd, especially as newcomers to the citys food truck scene.

We just wanted to be unique, he says.  We wanted to perfect our own recipe and have something thats ours and has our name on it, something that people remember us for.

Casey Gillis

I Scream, You Scream: Creative flavors both sweet and sour

Address: 13955 Wards Rd., Box H

Tucked off of Wards Road, on the outskirts of Lynchburg, I Scream, You Scream is located in a small trailer, but the family-owned Ice Cream shop serves up big flavors and creative concoctions.

Owned by Michelle and Phillip Spence, I Scream, You Scream opened in 2012 and operates six months out of the year, serving up sweet treats from April through the end of September. The shop offers soft serve, hand-scooped Hersheys Ice Cream, shaved ice and a variety of other items.

In addition to all those sweets, there is also a little sour in the mix, as the shop offers a dill pickle flavor of shaved ice, which Michelle Spence said was a favorite among regulars who seek it out.

"We have some people who only come to us because we offer that, she said.

Another favorite is the Candy Bar Explosion Sundae.

"It kind of has everything you can think about, Spence said.

Ice Scream, You Scream also offers weekly givebacks each Tuesday, with 10 percent of profits going to an organization or a person in need. Recipients are selected through an application process.

Josh Moody
There were prayers, dancing and remarks Saturday at the groundbreaking of the Indian Tribute monument, entitled Mantle, under shade trees on Capitol Square.

Representatives of more than half a dozen tribes from Virginia and elsewhere and scores of spectators attended. The monument will recognize the legacy and significance of Native Americans in Virginia.

The event was hosted by the Virginia Indian Commemorative Commission and the Virginia Capitol Foundation. According to the foundation, Mantle will be in the shape of a nautilus and feature natural landscaping. It will serve as a meditation space, a gathering spot and as an educational vehicle about Virginias native peoples.

It will be located near the clock tower on the Capitol grounds.

Billy Mills, of the Oglala Lakota (Sioux) tribe and the upset winner of a gold medal in the 10,000-meter run at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, was the featured speaker. He said there is a contemporary lesson offered by the centuries-old doctrine of discovery used by European Christians to seize and colonize new lands peopled by pagans.

Mills, himself a Christian, said the doctrine demonstrates how using free will, individuals have manipulated the teachings of Jesus for their own benefit. The devastation the doctrine of discovery has brought to the tribal nations throughout the Americas  and definitely throughout the United States  is still faced today.

This mantle will tell a story that will empower our young people, that will empower America and will give us opportunities, collectively to choreograph ... our future and build a country that we know we can become, said Mills, a former Marine Corps officer.

Half-Indian and half-white, he said, Were a great country. I love this country, but I also live for the day when I know half of me no longer feels something is broken inside and the other half of me understands what I call white privilege.

The ground and the footsteps laid as people visit this mantle will unite America, will give all of us an understanding the future is global unity through the dignity, character and beauty of global diversity, he said.

The Virginia Indian Commemorative Commission was established by the General Assembly and former Gov. Tim Kaine in 2009 to install a permanent monument on Capitol Square to recognize the Virginia Indian tribes legacy.

Del. Christopher K. Peace, R-Hanover, and the vice chair of the commission, asked those on hand Saturday: What do Americans or Virginians really know about her native peoples, peoples who have lived on this land for tens of thousands of years? Im sorry to say that most dont know much. I can say that because it was also true of me before I had the privilege and honor of representing three state-recognized tribes and one federally recognized tribe.

We certainly do not know as much as we should about this important part of all of our history, he said. Peace said he hoped the installation of the monument will help educate more Virginians.

The Virginia Capitol Foundation said a competition was held in 2013, and the Virginia Indian Commemorative Commission selected artist Alan Michelsons Mantle as the winning design.

As of earlier this month, nearly $400,000  including a $100,000 matching grant from the Mary Morton Parsons Foundation  had been raised toward the monuments total cost of $900,000, said the Virginia Capitol Foundation, which is coordinating the fundraising efforts.
Kamla: No justice in the House

The decision was made yesterday morning by the UNCs executive, one day after the party walked out of Parliament during a heated debate rife with allegations of racism from both sides of the floor. The partys decision was announced by UNC political leader Kamla Persad- Bissessar in a press briefing yesterday afternoon at Fun Splash in Debe, where the party hosted an all-day strategic planning meeting attended by the executive, its members of Parliament and local government representatives.

Today I received (a statement) from the national executive of our partycalling upon us in the Parliament, in the House, to file a motion of no-confidence in the Speaker based on not just last nights incident (Friday), but there have been several incidents throughout the course of the year in this session, said Persad-Bissessar. And therefore, we have taken the decision today that we will file a motion of no-confidence in the Speaker of the House of Representatives. Friday nights incident involved a cross-floor shouting match which ended when the UNC MPs walked out of the Parliament. At the time, Persad-Bissessars motion on flooding as a matter of urgent importance was being debated.

The chaos began after Princes Town MP Barry Padarath criticised Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley of practising only public relations in his response to the extensive flooding in south Trinidad in the aftermath of Tropical Storm Bret. He also accused Government of harbouring disdain for the people of south Trinidad because they believe all those are UNC people. Padaraths comments threw the Parliament into a frenzy. Padarath accused Arouca/Maloney MP Camille Robinson-Regis of calling him a racist and in turn responded by calling the Prime Minister a racist. To put an end to the chaos, Speaker Bridgid Annisette-George suspended the sitting to return at 7.10 pm.

However, when the sitting resumed, Annisette-George did not return to the debate about the state of south Trinidad, but gave the floor to Port-of-Spain North/ St Anns West MP Stuart Young to resume the debate on the Motor Vehicles and Road Traffic Amendment Act. This further angered the Opposition who called on the Speaker to give a ruling on their point of order. When the Speaker ignored their request, the Opposition left the chamber.

And it is at that point that we felt that there was no justice in the Parliament and we decided to leave the Parliament, said Persad-Bissessar.

Now this of its own is just one in a series of matters that we have great concern about in terms of properly representing our constituents in the parliament, for freedom of expression to take up issues in the Parliament. Persad-Bissessar said, according to the Constitution and the Westminster style of democracy throughout the Commonwealth, the role of the Speaker is to facilitate freedom of expression in the Parliament within the limits of the existing standing orders. It is the duty of the Speaker to let parliamentarians have their say in the Parliament. The Opposition Leader said the party was not in a position to give their list of evidence to support their motion because of the rules which govern how the Speaker could be spoken about outside of Parliament. The evidence will be saved for the debate on the motion, she said. Government Leader Robinson-Regis told Sunday Newsday yesterday via telephone that she was surprised by the announcement.

I do not know why they have no confidence in the Speaker. She said the Princes Town MP was extremely disrespectful to the Speaker and to the House of Representatives, adding that there is a standing order regarding disrespect towards the Speaker.

So I am very surprised that they should file a motion. She added the Opposition is in their right if they want to file that motion and if it comes to the Parliament we will proceed and see what happens.
Aranguez farmers count losses

Roberts said while the region was not among the hardest hit in the country, many of its residents still suffered huge losses in the wake of Bret.

In San Juan/Laventille we have gotten some licks but I have to thank God that it could have been worse, he said during a tour of the Aranguez/Warner Village electoral district, where farmers lost thousands of dollars worth of crops.

Almost one week after Brets passage, farm lands along William Trace, near the El Socorro South Pump, yesterday remained submerged in murky water due to an overflow from a large tributary of the Caroni River. The problem was exacerbated by heavy rainfall on Friday.

Rakesh Dulchan, who has been a farmer for all of his life, told Sunday Newsday his family has incurred thousands of dollars worth in cucumbers, bhaji and other produce because of the flooding and called on the authorities to devise a lasting solution to the problem.

Roberts led a team to the site, which included Local Government Minister Kazim Hosein, Works and Transport Minister Rohan Sinanan, project manager of the Programme for Upgrading Roads Efficiency Hayden Phillips and councillors.

Roberts said representatives from various state agencies were on the field doing assessments along corporation staff and cadets, whom he said, have volunteered their services.

We are working with the (National) Self-Help Commission who are also in the field doing their surveys to bring relief by the end of next week, he said.

Roberts said the roofs of some 36 houses in the region were blown off during Bret while a number of trees fell across the roadways We have taken care of all of that. So all the roads are passable now.

But by the end of (the) week, people should be getting some relief from the Government. Regarding flooding in William Street, Roberts said efforts were being made to address the plight of the farmers.

This is a work in progress for us and we are collaborating with the Ministry of Works to bring relief to people down here, he said.

Amrit Sooknanan, councillor for Aranguez/ Warner Village, said flooding in that part of his electoral district was a major issue.

Throughout the San Juan/Laventille region we have that large flow of water coming in from the Caroni River, he said.

And we have suffered two burst banks (in El Socorro South).

So with the rise of the tide the river is not getting to go out to the sea.

This is something that will continue to happen if we dont find the solution now.

The solution is to get the temporary pumps, fix back the banks and dredge the river to accommodate .

more of the water. Saying there were about 300 registered farmers in the area, Sooknanan is hoping that many of them will be compensated for their losses through the relief fund.

Some of them went down to the agricultural estate office in Curepe to put through their complaints and we are taking things one step at a time, he said. I told them to put through the complaints and we would try to strengthen it up afterwards and see how we could get a resolution.

The Minister of Agriculture and the Prime Minister said they will grant a certain amount of resources to recover certain things. I am not sure how far it will go but it is some form of assistance. Sinanan assured that temporary pumps will be brought into the area to assist with drainage.

The plan is that once the water level drops we are going to get as much water out as possible. Once we get some low tide and most of the water drain, we will get most of the water out, he said.

The challenge with flood waters is that you have to wait for the waters to subside.

There is nothing much you can do. We have equipment, we have everything but if we pump this water now, it will just get back in at the low-lying areas.

There is a lot of work to be done after the water goes down. Roberts praised his councillors, whom he said, support one-another unconditionally despite political affiliation.

When is election time we focus on our particular parties to ensure that we win and after the election we know that we have to come together because all of us have to serve the people of San Juan/ Laventille, he said.

I hope that all of the other corporations would follow. It eh have no UNC and no PNM at this stage. The focus is on the people of the region.
Act quickly on ODPM

Appropriate legislation was proposed and held back for years.... but we must now review this proposal and new legislation must be introduced immediately.

We are late as it is already, he said yesterday in an e-mail to media houses, one week after Tropical Storm Bret ravaged parts of the country.

Reflecting on his five-year stint as head of the ODPM, Ramroop said the organisation was largely misunderstood.

What happened at the ODPM when I was there was a continuous misunderstanding of our roles and responsibilities by Ministry of National Security technocrats and politicians and other key ministries and the fact is that the ODPM as an agency is the subject matter expert for disasters in this country, he said.

With the severe downturn in the economy, Ramroop said Government must spend wisely, adding there were lessons that must be learnt from countries that have been impacted by severe storms and disasters such as earthquakes.

Standard operating procedures have been written and should be executed and tested. Ramroop held the position of CEO for five years, beginning in 2011. However, his contract, which expired on April 1, was not renewed by Government.

Ramroop, who claimed that he left behind some 46 programmes, offered some suggestions during the rehabilitation efforts. He said people said properties must not be cleaned while there was still inclement weather in the wake of Brets passage.

The storm just does not pass in one day or night, he said.

There will be associated bands of bad weather around the storm that will bring more rain.

It is better to await the run off of all water in the area and cleaning all river and watercourses, bridges.

Once the affected homes have been deemed clear, and safe, then water hoses, trucks and shovels, barrows and sand is needed to dry up and clean the environment and homes. this time, affected residents will be in shelters. He said once the area is clean and clear, people could be returned to their homes with their belongings, pets and recovery kits, and supported throughout the recovery, and rehabilitation period in a systematic and caring manner.

The fact that persons return with their own belongings and appliances. is a very cost effective methodology that saves millions of dollars of hard earned money especially in these crunch times. Ramroop, in the e-mail, said he has begun a lecture series at UWIs Arthur Lok Jack and the University of Trinidad and Tobago and urged interested people to attend.

 I hope that all interested persons can attend these courses and maybe, just maybe we can add our piece in changing the culture of how our people see ourselves in the new age we live in as it relates to disasters. God may be a Trini, but Trinis are not gods, he said.

Ramroop extended kudos to all agencies working to get people back on their feet.

Service above self is indeed a worthy ideal for all of us, he said.

We have a smart country. Let us rally now and take th is opportunity to support the ODPM in their push for Government to draft and enact appropriate legislation that will make it easier for such important decisions as evacuations before the storm, rather than sheltering during and after the event. 
Racism talk, Opposition walk out

During the sitting, the Opposition raised a matter of urgent public importance on the issue of flooding and Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar and other Opposition members knocked Government on their response following Tropical Storm Bret.

Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley defended his presence in Tobago during Bret saying he has a house in Tobago and lives there and he makes no apology for that.

He said all ministers and agencies were on the job and he congratulated everyone who responded.

Princes Town MP Barry Padarath, speaking following Rowley, accused the Prime Minister of attempting to mamaguy and use public relations. He criticised him for visiting south Trinidad with his hand swinging.

I know they have a disdain for the people of South Trinidad because they believe all those are UNC people, he claimed.

During cross talk, the Opposition claimed Leader of Government Business Camille Robinson- Regis had called Padarath a racist. Speaker Bridgid Annisette- George then suspended the sitting. When the sitting resumed, Annisette-George said the matter of urgent public importance had ended and Port of Spain North/St Anns West MP Stuart Young would resume his contribution on the Motor Vehicles and Road Traffic (Amendment) Bill.

Persad-Bissessar stood and reminded Annisette-George that she had stood on a point of order and the Speaker responded, I am on my legs. And you know much better. But the Opposition Leader continued to protest and a Government member told her to sit down.

You cant tell me sit down. Sit down for yourself, she shot back.

Annisette-George then said: I understand that there is considerable human discomfort in the country and it must be affecting us all as their representatives. I would like us to continue with the business of the people in a manner that is in accordance with the standing orders which we have set for ourselves.

The debate on the matter of the definite matter of urgent public importance is now ended. We now revert to the bill which was in progress. As Young rose to resume speaking, Padarath and Oropuche East MP Roodal Moonilal also rose with the latter citing a standing order. The Government bench questioned on what? and the Opposition bench responded on your racist comment. Young ignored them and attempted to resume speaking but Padarath rose and said there has been no ruling on that point of order. Diego Martin North East MP Colm Imbert told him, sit down nah man. Padarath told the Government bench: You called me a racist. Government member: And she right. Padarath shot back: The most racist person in this country is you. What you talking about? The biggest racist is the Prime Minister. You want to tell me Im racist. Annisette-George shouted for order and then allowed Young to resume. The Opposition members began packing their things and began leaving the chamber. Annisette-George rose again and said, it is the right of every member who wishes to leave to leave. But please... Im leaving, Padarath shouted.

Annisette-George told Padarath: I would ask you to apologise for that and you can leave. She asked him again but he responded Madame Speaker when I get a ruling...I will apologise. Annisette-George then ordered the marshal to please escort him out. The Opposition bench then proceeded to leave en masse.

A Government member said indiscipline while Rowley commented, He coming back Wednesday. Imbert said: Allyuh hurry up and leave nah. Young then finally resumed his contribution and said: On behalf of Port of Spain North/St Anns West and the constituents that I represent I would like to now inform the right thinking citizens of Trinidad and Tobago that we distance ourself from the type of behaviour that weve just witnessed, and I personally as an individual think this is yet again another sad day and sad evening in the history of Trinidad and Tobago.

And the type of behaviour that the younger generations have just witnessed taking place from those on the other side is something that we distance ourselves in the strongest possible manner from. He added: Those on this side do not see the elements that were being suggested by those on the other side. We give our undertaking to the people of Trinidad and Tobago that every creed and race shall find an equal place under this PNM administration. Attorney General Faris Al-Rawi said he was standing again to wrap up a debate in Parliament with no Opposition opposite him and added, I must point out for the record that the business of the people of Trinidad and Tobago in the Parliament of Trinidad and Tobago which is responsible for the creation of laws in Trinidad and Tobago causes us to have to do our work. And I wish to distance myself most respectfully and the Government from the walk out by the Opposition. The House proceeded to pass the bill without the Opposition.
Widow, 10 children evicted

To make matters worse, a group of men among them one claiming to be a bailiff, removed all her household items from the property in Couva and transported them to the home of her mother, several miles away in Princes Town.

They bring everything on a truck and dumped it here. The rain was drizzling a while ago. Where am I to put these things? The rain is about to burst down and another truck will be here any minute. They mashed up my washing machine. I do not kno w if my stove and TV still working, Ramsaroop said.

Her children are between the ages of 21 and three. Three children attend schools in Couvatwo are in secondary school and one is at a primary school.

Speaking to Sunday Newsday at her mothers home at Glenroy Settlement in Princes Town, the widow explained that at about 8.30 am yesterday a group of men swooped down on her home at 7 Exchange Lot, Couva. The men did not show the family any documents or identification but told Ramsaroop that she and the family had to leave the property immediately.

The men were accompanied by two policemen.

Only in February 17, her common-law husband, heart-patient Krishna Rampersad, 65, died. Since then, the grandmother of two said one of his close male relatives has been trying to get her and the children of the two-storey concrete house.

Krishna left a will and the house is for me and the children.

They know these things and feel because we have no money they could do us this.

They paid security to stay on the property for seven nights.

Where we going to sleep? There is no space here, Ramsaroop said.

In a document dated June 2, under the title notice of revocation of licence, a male relative ordered her to remove her personal effects and belongings on or before June 23, claiming the licence to occupy the dwelling house had expired. There was neither a letterhead nor official stamp on the document.

I dont know what to do. I was living with this man for 23 years and now this happen. Their own flesh and blood they doing this to. This is wickedness, charged the mother.

The family intends to seek legal advice on the matter.
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Those tuning into the Late Show on Thursday and Friday were served a repeat, and for decent reason: Stephen Colbert is in Russia. The host traveled there "on assignment for a future broadcast of his show," per the Hollywood Reporter, which subsequently reported on his Friday night appearance on a popular Russian late-night show. Ivan Urgant hosts Evening Urgant, and Colbert took a few vodka shots alongside him in the part-Russian, part English interview (video here). Colbert first raised a glass to the "beautiful and friendly" Russian people: "I don't understand why no members of the Trump administration can remember meeting you."

Then came the big news: "I am here to announce that I am considering a run for president in 2020, and I thought it would be better to cut out the middle man and just tell the Russians myself." That wasn't the last of the jokes on the topic, per the Reporter. Colbert also offered up, "If anyone would like to work on my campaign, in an unofficial capacity, please just let me know." Urgant had a strong volley back: "Id like to make a toast to the beautiful country of the USA, which invented the Internet. Thanks to it, we can meddle with US elections." A fresh Late Show will run on Monday. (Read more Stephen Colbert stories.)
It was a simple highway accident: A tanker blows a tire, and overturns. But it overturned Sunday in Bahawalpur, Pakistan, carrying 6,600 gallons of oil, and surrounding villagers " carrying domestic pots rushed to the scene to collect oil and they also made phone calls to their relatives living in other villages to ... come to collect oil" police told state-run media, per NPR. According to a rescuer, "somebody tried to light a cigarette," which caught fire, exploded the tanker, and "engulfed all people standing around the vehicle," reports the AP. At least 153 are dead, a toll expected to rise as dozens more remain critically injured. "The fire moved so fast," said one survivor who lost two cousins.

Others describe an unbearable scene: "I could hear people screaming but I couldn't get to them," says one would-be rescuer, while a cop says that "I have never seen anything like it in my life. Victims trapped in the fireball. They were screaming for help." A local doctor says most victims suffered burns on 80% of their bodies, while another says that many of the dead were burned beyond recognition and will have to be identified via DNA testing. (Read more oil tanker stories.)
An American tourist vacationing in the Caribbean with his family was medically evacuated to Florida Friday after being shot outside his resort in what police are investigating as an attempted robbery. According to WTVM, Kevin Newman of Alabama was found on a street near his hotel on Providenciales island in the Turks and Caicos archipelago. Newman was treated at a nearby hospital before being transported via air ambulance to Fort Lauderdale, where he was in serious condition, reports ABC News. Wife Tiffany issued a statement saying her husband had his right kidney removed. Though he is still on a ventilator, she says he is doing better. "I am so thankful and relieved he is here!"

The Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force commissioner says increased police presence is out in full force around the area and across parts of the archipelago. The commissioner asked locals to come forward with any information regarding the crime, saying such offenses "are causing harm to the local community and those who visit the Islands. Friends and family of the Newmans have set up a GoFundMe page to help alleviate medical costs. Kevin Newman is expected to be air-lifted to a hospital closer to home once he's stable enough to travel. (Read more robbery stories.)
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New Delhi:

After witnessing debacle in several polls, the AAP appears to have dropped its strategy of directly attacking Prime Minister Narendra Modi and is now focusing its charge on the BJP as a whole.

A change in the tack was effected after the partys policy of constantly targeting the prime minister appeared to have had an adverse impact on its poll performances in Punjab, Goa and Delhi.

While the party won 20 of Punjabs 117 Assembly seats in recent state polls, it drew a blank in the Goa polls. In the Delhi civic body polls, it came second to the BJP.

A case in point is how the beleaguered party reacted to the CBIs recent visit to the premises of Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia and Health Minister Satyendar Jain for seeking clarifications in two different cases.

Vexed by the move, the AAP launched an attack on the agency. The CBI raids Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodias residence at the behest of the BJP-ruled Centre, the party said.

This was in sharp contrast to the tone the AAP resorted to in the past.

When the agency had raided the office of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in December 2015, the incensed AAP supremo had accused Modi of misusing the CBI and had called him a coward and a psychopath.

Amid the run-ins with the Centre, it appeared that Kejriwal was seeking to make the fight between him and Modi, who was unable to digest the 2015 Delhi Legislative Assembly defeat of the BJP.

Also Read: Arvind Kejriwal attends iftar with suspended AAP member Amanatullah, snubs Kumar Vishwas

Even when Dalits were flogged in Una in Gujarat or after Dalit scholar Rohith Vemula allegedly committed suicide in Hyderabad, Kejriwals attack revolved around Modi.

While flaying the Delhi Police for arresting its MLAs for political reasons, the AAP had termed the law enforcing agency as Modi jis police.

In a farmers convention organised by the party last week, Kejriwal launched an attack on the Centre over the agrarian crisis in the country, but refrained from naming Modi.

A change in partys strategy was first observed after the Punjab and Goa results were out.

A sample analysis of Kejriwal tweets, who has over 11 million followers, second only to Modi, post Punjab and Uttar Pradesh assembly poll results speaks volumes on this.

From March 4 to 10--the week leading up to the results on March 11--Kejriwal tweeted and retweeted 181 tweets.

Also Read: 'Traitor' posters featuring Kumar Vishwas: AAP lodges complaint with police, calls it a 'conspiracy'

Of these, 49 had reference to Modi, almost all bashing him, 22 were attacking the BJP and the RSS while 88 tweets were eulogising the work done by the Delhi government. The rest were general tweets.

From March 11-17, the week after the results, Kejriwal did not post even one tweet attacking Modi but his sporadic attack on the BJP continued.

The AAP completely changed its strategy for the MCD polls, focussing on BJPs misrule in the civic bodies rather than firing salvos at Modi.

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New Delhi:

The cart festival of Lord Jagannath, traditionally known as the Jagannath Rath Yatra, is more than 5,000 years old and marks the return of Lord Krishna to Vrindavan with his brother Balabhadra and sister Subhadra. The annual rath yatra has begun from the Enami Jaggannath temple of Odishas Balasore city on Sunday.

The festival is celebrated on the second day of Shukla Paksha of Ashadh, the third month, according to the traditional Oriya calendar. The journey started around 7.30 AM from the Emami Jagannath temple. As many as three new splendid chariots have been created for the yatra of the Gods - Lord Jagannath and his siblings -- from the 78-feet high magnificent shrine, constructed on sprawling three acres of land on the premises of Emami Paper Mills, a release said.

The caravan of Lord Jagannath will stop midway for a meal of sweet pancakes, believed to be Jagannaths favorite dish. The Lord will also be accompanied by the celestial wheel called Sudarshan Chakra during the journey. Apart from the three holy chariots, the procession will have 10-12 trucks accompanying them.

In his 'Mann Ki Baat' program, PM Modi too said that the Rath Yatra is being celebrated in various parts of the country with great fervour.

Car festival of Lord Jagannath, Rath Yatra being celebrated in several parts of country with great piety and fervour: PM Modi. #MannKiBaat pic.twitter.com/eDvXAQ7s3i  ANI (@ANI_news) June 25, 2017

ALSO READ: Jagannath Yatra 2017: Everything you need to know about Rath Yatra

The colourful chariots of 45-feet high idols of Lord Jagannath, Balaram and Subhadra are pulled by thousands of devotees from India and abroad, moved through the major city roads amid the joyous chants of Jai Jagannath and Hare Krishna. The carpenters, having rights for this job by heredity, follow century-old styles, written in the holy Hindu text, for building and decorating the chariots.

Lord Jagannath is God of poor; few know that in English, juggernaut means a magnificent chariot, that is unstoppable: PM Narendra Modi pic.twitter.com/Xx5RuvE8wO  ANI (@ANI_news) June 25, 2017

One of the significance of this Yatra is that people from all religions and faiths can see the deities and participate in the procession as they are not allowed to enter the temple on other days, the release said.

The lord of mercy himself will come out on the streets of Balasore to shower his benevolence on all, blessing the participants and their families with happiness and peace forever, said Sushil Goenka, trustee of the temple.

READ: ISCKON Visakhapatnam to hold Jagannath Ratha Yatra

Jena, a senior IAS officer, in-charge of the temple administration, had yesterday said that the administration had made the provision of sign boards to be put at different places in order to create awareness among devotees visiting the holy town. The state government is expecting a congregation of about 10 lakh devotees during the yatra.

With PTI inputs

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New Delhi:

The Congress on Saturday slammed Union minister M Venkaiah Naidu for his remarks on the importance of learning Hindi and asked him not to give sermons and befool the country with his partys parochial views.

Surprisingly and ironically, Venkaiah Naidu is giving us sermons on importance of Hindi in English which he is deprecating.

We would advise the BJP leader to sop befooling the country with his parochial views and understand that no one can undermine the importance of our national language Hindi, AICC chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said.

He said Indias strength lies in its diversity of cultures, languages and spirit, as also the capacity to encompass all of it.

Will BJP now prohibit use of Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam, Odiya, Marathi, Bengali, Urdu, Gujarati and other languages. Will Venkaiah Naidu ji promise to never use Telugu here and after, he said.

Naidu had said it is important to learn the Rashtra Bhasha (national language) Hindi as most people in the country speak this language.

He also stressed on the promotion of Matrbhasha (mother tongue) and lamented that too much importance was attached to English in the country.

Also Read: Presidential Poll | Meira Kumar made scapegoat by Congress, says BJP

The minister was speaking at an event in Sabarmati Ashram in Ahmedabad where he presented 100 volumes of collected works of Mahatma Gandhi in English to the Ashram.

Hindi as Rashtra Bhasha (national language) is very important, we cannot do without it...Most people in our country speak Hindi, so learning Hindi is also important... but we should be fluent in our mother language like Gujarati, Marathi, Bhojpuri..., Naidu said.

We should bring them (these volumes) in all Indian languages. I do not call them regional languages because they are mother languages and national languages. Because English came subsequently. Hindi became Rashtra Bhasha subsequently, Naidu said.

Also Read: Cracks in opposition ahead of crucial meet, Meira Kumar meets Sonia

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Srinagar:

A gunbattle took place at DPS Srinagar on Sunday as an offensive was launched by security forces to flush out the militants who took refuge inside the school after attacking CRPF personnel in Pantha chowk area on Saturday evening. Three army personnel were injured in the ongoing encounter and two terrorists hiding in the building were killed.

"The exchange of firing between security forces and militants began at around 3.40 am and is going on intermittently, " a police official said.

The militants had entered into the premises of DPS Srinagar on Saturday evening after carrying out an attack on the CRPF personnel deployed on road opening duty near the school on Srinagar-Jammu national highway.

Updates from the encounter at DPS Srinagar, Pantha Chowk

# Two terrorists in the school building have been killed by the armed forces.

# Three army personnel have been injured in the encounter.

# J&K DGP SP Vaid said that the staff and people inside the building were evacuated on Saturday. He further said that the forces will eliminate the terrorists.

Staff& ppl inside building were evacuated y'day. We'll hv room intervention done& get these terrorists eliminated: J&K DGP SP Vaid #Srinagar pic.twitter.com/B0dmMfkqCe  ANI (@ANI_news) June 25, 2017

ALSO READ: Pantha Chowk terror attack: 1 CRPF SI killed, 3 personnel injured

J&K: Encounter between security forces and terrorists underway in Srinagar's Pantha Chowk (Visuals deferred by unspecified time) pic.twitter.com/LpXc36b6QB  ANI (@ANI_news) June 25, 2017

One CRPF officer was killed and a constable of the force injured in the attack that took place in high-security zone located less than a kilometer away from headquarters of Army's Chinar Corps.

J&K: Encounter b/w security forces&terrorists (holed up at Delhi Public School building)underway in Srinagar's Pantha Chowk(Deferred visual) pic.twitter.com/DL3bvpTx8n  ANI (@ANI_news) June 25, 2017

The security forces immediately cordoned-off the area and launched search operations in the large school campus. Sources said drone cameras and other hi-tech gadgets were used to trace the location of the militants but police officials refused to comment on operational details.

READ: Indian Army guns down two terrorists in Keran sector along LoC

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New Delhi:

Pakistan Army once again violated ceasefire along the Line of Control (LoC) in Naushera sector at 5:50 pm on Sunday. Indian Army retaliating strongly.



Earlier in the day, Pak troops violated ceasefire in Naushrea at 6:30 am. On Saturday as well, Pakistan had violated ceasefire in Poonch sector. Indiscriminate firing of small arms, automatics and mortars were seen from Pakistan.

This is a developing story.

ALSO READ | J&K: Pakistan violates ceasefire in Naushera sector; Indian Army retaliates strongly

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New Delhi:

Pakistani troops on Sunday morning violated another ceasefire in Naushrea sector along the Line of control in Jammu and Kashmir. The ceasefire violation took place at 6:30 am in the morning.

The Indian Army has retaliated to the unprovoked firing.

On Saturday, Pakistan had violated ceasefire in Poonch sector. Indiscriminate firing of small arms, automatics and mortars were seen from Pakistan.

The Pakistan Army initiated unprovoked and indiscriminate firing from small arms, automatic weapons and mortars from 1130 hours on Indian Army posts along the LoC in Poonch sector, a Defence spokesman had said.

#WATCH Ceasefire violation by Pakistan Army in J&K's Naushera sector along the Line of Control, from 6:30 am. Indian Army retaliating. pic.twitter.com/b5JOeYOnrr  ANI (@ANI_news) June 25, 2017

Also Read | J-K: Indian Army guns down two terrorists, foils infiltration bid in Kupwara's Keran sector

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New Delhi:

Prime Minister Narendra Modi to addressed the nation through monthly radio programme Mann Ki Baat at 11 AM on Sunday. This was the 33rd episode of the monthly radio programme.

"Mann Ki Baat" is aired on the All India Radio (AIR) and Doordarshan (DD). Immediately after the Hindi broadcast, Akashvani will broadcast the programme in regional languages.

Updates from PM Modi's "Mann Ki Baat":

# Parents should encourage their children for sports if their wards keep interest in the field

# I extending my congratulation to K Srikanth

# We are touching new feat in te field of sports

# Our scientists have done a great job by launching new satellites

# ISRO has attained new heights in field of space

# Government E-Marketplace - about transparency, empowerment and enterprise

#E-GeM is aiming to encourage entrepreneurship

# Will urge people to send their products

# will ask you to visit e-GeM, it is government e market place

# Khadi is cheaper cloth which can avail by everyone in the society

# Dr. Anil Sonara from Ahmedabad asks the Prime Minister on reading and giving books as gift

# In Ahmedabad, around 55,000 people perform Yoga together

# Several world records have been created on International Yoga Day

# Yoga is the best tool for wellness

# Now, people know that Yoga has become vital to stay fit

# I got the opportunity to perform Yoga in Lucknow

# On June 21, people performed yoga all over the globe

# it is our legacy and we must preserve to strengthen our democracy

# Those who love democracy. can never forget dark night of June 25, 1975, nation was turned into a jail. opposition voices were muzzled-ANI

# Former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee was also jailed during emergency

# People and students of journalism must apprise the strength of democracy by remembering the emergency episode

# It was the dark night of Indian democracy

# Emergency was the black chapter of the Indian history

# Cleanliness has become social campaign in the country

# We need to practice to keep our places clean and hygienic

# I congratulate people of Mubarakpur who made their village ODF

# We need to learn from these festivals

# I extend my greetings on Eid-ul-Fitr to people of India

# I congratulate people on Lord Jagannath Yatra

# Lord Jagannath is God of poor and a few people know that in English, juggernaut means a magnificent chariot, that is unstoppable

# India's diversity is the strength of the country

Last month, BJP president Amit Shah and other party leaders had joined the slum-dwellers of Ravidas Ashram as they together listened to Prime Minister NarendraModi's 'Mann ki Baat' radio programme.

Also Read: Hamid Ansari praises PM Modis 'Mann Ki Baat' radio programme

Delhi BJP chief Manoj Tiwari, party MP Meenakshi Lekhi, party vice-president and Delhi unit in-charge Shyam Jaju had accompanied Shah during his visit, seen as an attempt by the party to strike a chord with the inhabitants of slums and unauthorised colonies.

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
Miami Beach, FL, June 25, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) --

Albuquerque, NM Mayor Richard Berry; Birmingham, AL Mayor William Bell, Sr.; and West Sacramento, CA Mayor Christopher Cabaldon have won the 2017 U.S. Conference of Mayors/Strada Education Network 2017 National Education Pathways with a Purpose Grant Awards. The awards were announced during the U.S. Conference of Mayors (USCM) 85th Annual Meeting in Miami Beach, FL.

The awards are sponsored by USCM and Strada Education Network, a nonprofit organization that works to improve the college-to-career pathway by investing in strategic philanthropy, research and insights, and innovative solutions. During the past three years the partnership has awarded $385,000 to recognize mayor-supported initiatives that enhance student success in education leading to rewarding careers. The initiative has generated more than 200 submissions from mayors nationwide of best practice education-to-employment programs.

This years winning cities were selected by an independent panel of former mayors, educators, and workforce development professionals. The winning cities will share a total of $200,000 in grants awarded to recognize mayor-led programs that provide a more purposeful path for students to and through college and on to rewarding careers and successful lives.

For the nation's mayors, among their most critical priorities are supporting economic growth and preparing a skilled workforce poised to meet the challenges of an ever-changing global marketplace, said U.S. Conference of Mayors CEO and Executive Director Tom Cochran. With the growing complexity of the world and the increasing demands on the 21st century workforce, it is crucial that all students graduate from high school fully prepared for college AND careers. Our partnership with Strada Education Network, focused on college and career readiness, highlights the ongoing and excellent work to ensure that America's students are prepared to succeed in and complete college, and that our career pathways seamlessly lead to higher education and the global workforce.

These awards recognize the many innovative approaches that local communities are taking to enhance the educational attainment levels and career readiness of their citizens to promote economic growth and prosperity, said William D. Hansen, Strada Education Network President and CEO. By partnering with USCM to highlight best practice models that improve student outcomes and strengthen communities, we hope to encourage other cities and towns to adopt similar practices that build a more purposeful path through education to rewarding careers and fulfilling lives.

The United States is leading an innovation revolution, transforming the worlds products and how we make them, said current U.S. Conference of Mayors President and Oklahoma City Mayor Mick Cornett. We also have the worlds most productive workforce, with abundant energy and unparalleled capability. Yet as our nation strives to create new jobs and put people to work in new and burgeoning industries, the growing skills gap in the country -- a lack of trained workers -- leaves many employers scrambling for talent. This skills gap is a drag on the economy, and as a result, we continually look for new ways to make strategic investments in education and training to close that gap. The U.S. Conference of Mayors/Strada Education Network National Pathways with a Purpose Grants Awards Program helps us to do this by lifting up great examples of ways for mayors to design programs and/or schools to help every young person be successful and ready to pursue postsecondary education or a career in the 21st century. The awards provide a great showcase for successful mayoral leadership and engagement in this arena for their colleagues to emulate and replicate.

WINNING PROGRAM DESCRIPTIONS

Albuquerque, NM (Large City  Population Greater Than 500,000  Winner): Running Start for Careers

Albuquerque Mayor Richard Berry has long been an active advocate for college and career readiness initiatives. During his tenure as a member of the New Mexico House of Representatives, Mayor Berry launched the Running Start for Careers (Running Start) initiative in 2011, and the program has seen great success since its inception. Focused around close collaboration between high schools/colleges and employers, the program has reached over 1,240 students across 70 schools since 2011, and participation is growing each year. Further, under Mayor Berrys leadership, graduation rates have risen between 4-12% among Albuquerque schools participating in Running Start. The program also focuses specifically on aiding the disadvantaged, and works to actively close the gap between low-income youth and their more privileged peers by offering students access to high quality career technical training programs that also serve as dual credit for high school and college courses. Through the program, students choose among 12 industries as paths of study, and earn cooperating industry recognized certificates and vital career skills training that pushes young people toward lucrative and beneficial occupations in the future. While the program is on track to place 60 students in internships in 2018, with around 50 internship partners, the program hopes to eventually place as many as 250 students in internships from 15 industry pathways, with over 75 internship partners in the coming years.

The success of this program proves that mayoral leadership does matter! said former Hartford Mayor and grant program judge Pedro Segarra of Mayor Berrys passionate advocacy for this initiative.

Fellow panelist Steve Corona commented, Bravo to Mayor Berry! I salute his longtime commitment to young people and their futures. Ensuring a high-skilled workforce and meeting employer needs will position Albuquerque for future success.

Birmingham, AL (Medium City  Population 200,000-500,000  Winner): Innovate Birmingham

The Innovate Birmingham Workforce Development Council is a consortium of public and private leaders that was created in conjunction with Birminghams designation as a TechHire city by the White House in Fall 2015 and the rapid growth of IT job demand (24% over previous five years) in Birmingham in early 2016. Under Mayor Bells leadership, Innovate Birmingham provides local citizens, primarily disadvantaged youth, with the tools necessary to receive high quality job training and gain opportunities for employment in high-performing jobs, creating a talented young workforce and, in turn, making Birmingham an appealing location for new businesses. Through its partnership with the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), Innovate Birmingham established the Depot/U program, geared toward training participants for increased IT career readiness with a 100% career practical curriculum. The program is housed within Innovation Depot, one of the nations leading business incubation facilities. There, full-time staff, hired by Innovate Birmingham, prepare students for successful work in the fields of computer science and software engineering. The first Depot/U class of 19 students (out of 21 that began the program) graduated on April 28, 2017, and has seen an average salary increase of 41%. Because the Depot/U program lost 2 students due to transportation and childcare barriers, the program hopes to bolster the retention rate of Depot/U to 100% and prevent barriers to completion from inhibiting student success in the future. Through the creation of a pipeline for young citizens to find high-earning, in-demand jobs in the IT field, Innovate Birmingham sets the stage for the city to have a diverse and talented workforce, and provides opportunities for eager, hardworking young people who may not have the opportunity to attain a four-year degree, to obtain and sustain a gainful career path.

Innovate Birmingham is extremely important, said Dr. Loretta Moore, Professor of Computer Science at Jackson State University and judging panelist. The recent worldwide computer attack revealed the need for the work theyre doing in computer science and cyber security  its key so that supply can meet demand. They also have impressive partners from the university and community college to ensure that everyone is engaged.

Steve Partridge, Vice President of Workforce Development at Northern Virginia Community College, added, Innovate Birmingham creates pathways from education to in-demand IT careers for disconnected youth. This provides citizens with employment opportunities in high-performing jobs and creates a talented workforce, which will help them recruit new business to Birmingham.

West Sacramento, CA (Small City  Population Less Than 200,000  Winner): Kids Home Run

West Sacramento Mayor Christopher Cabaldon has been a champion of high-quality education for the children of his city since the beginning of his tenure as mayor in 2004 with the inception of the Universal Preschool Task Force, which led to the establishment of UP4WS, or Universal Preschool for West Sacramento, in 2005. Since then, UP4WS has seen great success, and was recognized by the Obama Administration as a national model at the White House Summit on Early Education in December 2014. In 2016, Kids Home Run was established as a cradle-to-career initiative that would see the youth of West Sacramento all the way through schooling and on to successful careers. Kids Home Run was created by incorporating elements of UP4WS with other education programs that Mayor Cabaldon spearheaded, such as FutureReady, a program centered around preparing high school students for postsecondary education. Since its creation, the programs that make up Kids Home Run have seen great results. UP4WS has increased the amount of preschool spaces in the city from 210 to 780, and quality rating scales consistently place UP4WS classrooms at between 6 and 7 on a 7-point scale. Additionally, the program as a whole has ensured that every West Sacramento student graduating from high school and directly enrolling full-time in a program of study at the Sacramento City College Campus will enroll tuition-free, and have access to points-based scholarships of up to $1,000. The integration of digital badging as a part of the program has also improved how employers select new employees and is a way for students to display their skills and abilities to potential employers. The Kids Run Home initiatives innovative programs and techniques have led to several students receiving quality job training in their specified field of choice, making connections to potential employers, and receiving grant-subsidized paid internships that lead to bright futures in the workforce.

This program is notable for its comprehensive nature that focuses on childrens success at multiple touch points said former Cincinnati Mayor Mark Mallory

Karen Sitnick, former Director of the Mayors Office of Employment Development in Baltimore City, MD, added, This program is a data-driven, overarching cradle-to-career initiative that provides a series of program supports to children. The mayor is to be commended for his comprehensive continuum of services from cradle-to-career.

About The United States Conference of Mayors -- The U.S. Conference of Mayors is the official nonpartisan organization of cities with populations of 30,000 or more. There are nearly 1,400 such cities in the country today, and each city is represented in the Conference by its chief elected official, the mayor. Like us on Facebook at facebook.com/usmayors , or follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/usmayors .

Attachments:

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Thiruvananthapuram:

A 33-year-old Keralite priest who was missing from last four days was found dead on a beach in Edinburgh in the United Kingdom, according to information received by Thiruvananthapuram- based Church sources said on Saturday.



External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj later in the day condoled the priests death and asked the Consulate General of India in Edinburgh to provide help.



I am sorry Father Martin Xavier has been found dead on the Dunbar beach. My heartfelt condolences. @IndiaInScotland will provide all help, she said in a tweet.

I am sorry Father Martin Xavier has been found dead on the Dunbar beach. My heartfelt condolences. @IndiaInScotland will provide all help.  Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) June 24, 2017

A message about the death of Martin Xavier Vazhachira, belonging to the CMI Congregation, was received by the Carmelites of Mary Immaculate provincial here from the Archbishop of St Andrews in Edinburgh on Saturday morning.

MISSING PERSON: Fr Martin Xavier of St John's, Corstorphine. Missing since Tuesday. Got any information? Please phone @policescotland on 101 pic.twitter.com/myNjs0xsMW  Archbishop Cushley (@leocushley) June 23, 2017

The message said the priest, hailing from Pulinkunnu in Alappuzha district, was found dead by Edinburgh police.



Details would be available only after Tuesday, a CMI official told PTI.



The priest served at St John the Baptist Church, Corstorphine in Edinburgh. Meanwhile, Opposition Leader in State Assembly Ramesh Chennithala asked External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj to take immediate steps to bring the priests body to India.



In a letter to Swaraj, Chennithala said the body was found under mysterious circumstances on a beach and sought a comprehensive probe into his death.

Read | Sushma Swaraj asks Indian envoy in Saudi to help nurse pushed into slavery in Gulf country

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
New Delhi:

Heavy rains on Sunday crippled several areas of the city as the locals confronted traffic snarls and waterlogging in the low-lying areas. Heavy downpour caused waterlogging in areas of Malad subway, Hindmata, Kings Circle, Malvani and Jogeshwari.

The Meteorological Department has also warned of high tide, with the maximum height of 5.02 metres, which was expected in the afternoon.

The commuters witnessed a tough time since morning as the rains crippled transports system too in several parts of the city. The train services also affected on several routes after the tracks got submerged. The railway authorities cancelled the trains on Ambarnath-Badlapur block.

#Visuals from Mumbai: High tide, with maximum height of 5.02 metres, expected at around 1.01 pm today. pic.twitter.com/qvMIkYmDVo  ANI (@ANI_news) June 25, 2017

The BMC officials and employees are pressed into rescue work to make the roads clear for traffic.

Mumbai: Continuous rainfall triggers waterlogging in several areas (visuals from King's Circle and Hindmata area) #Maharashtra pic.twitter.com/IMlUAo7qPn  ANI (@ANI_news) June 25, 2017

The much-awaited southwest monsoon had reached Mumbai in the second week of June which also covered parts of Maharashtra, including Pune and Nashik districts.

Also Read: Heavy pre-Monsoon showers lash Mumbai, many areas waterlogged

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
New Delhi:

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has reached the United States as part of his fresh campaign to reinforce India and US ties fostered by him during previous Obama administration. While, new President Donald Trump may have acted against Indias concerns by putting a cap on H1-B visas and pulling out of Paris Climate Change Agreement, his stance on terrorism suits PM Modis ambitions for peace and Indias geostrategic position in South Asia.



The Prime Minister has been trying to galvanise international support against the Pakistan-based terror groups by calling on the world at various platforms to condemn all terrorists, without any sort of differentiation between the good or bad terrorist. The US President, meanwhile, has acted with a heavy hand against alleged state-sponsored terrorism in the Middle East by encouraging blockades and sanctions against Qatar.



During the current trip, PM Modi is likely to try and swing President Trumps opinion against US long-standing ally Pakistan on the issue of terrorism, which may not be as far-fetched a dream as it once seemed.



With the long-stretched presence of US troops in Afghanistan becoming a thorn in Presidents throne, US is more inclined than ever to demote Pakistan from friends status.



In fact, in an unprecedented act, a bipartisan bill seeking to revoke Pakistans status as a major non-NATO ally (MNNA) to the US was introduced in the House of Representatives by two top lawmakers last week, claiming the country failed to effectively fight terrorism.



We must make a clean break with Pakistan, but at the very least, we should stop providing them the eligibility to obtain our own sophisticated weaponry in an expedited process granting them a privileged status reserved for our closest allies, Ted Poe, one of the Senator who proposed the bill, said in the House.



If the bill is approved, Pakistan would lose priority delivery of US defence materials, an expedited arms sale process and a US loan guarantee programme, which backs up loans issued by private banks to finance arms exports. All the facilities, India has been saying, Pakistan uses to strengthen terrorist camps against India on its eastern border.



However, the Trump administration is more cautious against a clean break with Pakistan. In a recent news conference, a White House official on the condition of anonymity revealed that US does not see ties with India and Pakistan as zero sum game.



I want to make the point here that US relationships with India and Pakistan really stand on their own merits and terms. We dont see a zero-sum relationship when it comes to the US relationship with Pakistan and the US relationship with India.



With Pakistan, we seek to have a productive partnership working together. But frankly, the priorities are different, and the nature of the relationships are different. So, I think that we would like to move forward with both countries, the official said.



US President Trump is unpredictable. If the working dinner, which will be his first with any foreign guest, goes well he may become more aligned to toe Indias line of strict global action against Pakistan-supported terrorism. After all, US cannot afford to antagonise its most crucial geostrategic partner against Chinese power any further.

(With Inputs from PTI)

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New Delhi:

The most wanted crook Anandpal Singh, who was on the run for last 30 months, was killed in an encounter with Rajasthan Police commandos late on Saturday.

Anandpal Singh, who had Rs 5 lakh bounty on his head, was hiding in his aid-- Shravan Singhs house in the Malasar village of Churu.

The Police encounter took place around 11:30 PM on Saturday. During the encounter, Anandpal and his two aides fired some 100 rounds of bullets on Policemen who were surrounding his house. Two Policemen inspector Suryaveer Singh and Sohan Singh were also injured, Suryaveer Singh had a fracture in his hand while Sohan Singh sustained bullet injuries.

Hours before the encounter, a Special Operations Group (SOG) team had arrested his two brothers Devendra alias Guttu and Vikki from Haryanas Sirsa.

During the interrogation, his brothers told police that Anandpal was hiding in Sharawan Singhs house in Malasar village of Churu district. After the information, a team led by additional SP Karan Sharma immediately rushed to the Malasar.

The police surrounded his house but after knowing the presence of cops around his house, Anandpal and his aides climbed to the roof and started firing from an AK-47 rifle.

Anandpal had fled from the police custody on September 3, 2015, while he was being taken to Ajmer high-security jail from a court hearing in Nagaurs Ladanu town.

PM Modi News | Mann Ki Baat: PM Modi says emergency was the black chapter of Indian democracy

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Jerusalem:

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday hailed his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi's upcoming visit to Israel, the first by an Indian premier, as a 'very significant step' in strengthening bilateral relations that are on a 'constant upswing'.

In a big fillip to already robust ties, Prime Minister Modi is scheduled to land in Israel on July 4 on a three-day visit. Netanyahu, while speaking at the start of the weekly Cabinet meeting, said, "Next week, the Indian Prime Minister, my friend, Narendra Modi will arrive in Israel.

This is a historic visit to Israel. In the 70 years of the country's existence, no Indian Prime Minister has ever visited and this is further expression of the state of Israel's military, economic and diplomatic strength."

"This is a very significant step in strengthening relations between the two countries," Netanyahu said.

India is a huge country with over 1.25 billion people and is one of the world's largest, growing economies. Ties between Israel and India are on a 'constant upswing', the Israelipremier said.

Modi's visit is aimed at commemorating 25 years of establishment of diplomatic ties between the two countries. Modi would be arriving in Israel on July 4 and is likely to meet Netanyahu the same day in the evening.

Also Read: PM Modi in US: '7,000 reforms done by govt for ease of doing business'

He would alsobe addressing the Indian community the following day in TelAviv. Netanyahu, in his remarks on Sunday, said the Cabinet will approve decisions that will deepen Indo-Israel ties, beginning with expanding exports and deepening cooperation inagriculture and water.

"We will establish a joint innovation, and research and development, fund. We will also increase tourism from India to Israel; this has very great potential. All of this is anadditional expression of Israel's enhanced international position in recent years as we strengthen the state ofIsrael," Netanyahu said.

The two leaders have already met twice on foreign soil onthe sidelines of UN-related events and are said to be constantly in touch with each other over the phone.

"I am happy that often we can talk easily on telephone, we can discuss everything. It has very rarely happened. In your case it has happened," Modi had told Netanyahu during their meeting on the sidelines of Paris Climate summit in November 2015.

The Israeli premier had then promptly responded saying, "in your case too". The defence ties between India and Israel have often drawn worldwide attention and acquired strategic dimensions.

It is believed that Modi's visit would further solidify security ties as Israeli defence industries have shown greater inclination towards participating in joint ventures to give aboost to NDA government's 'Make in India' campaign.

Also Read: Kohli becomes 2nd most followed Indian on FB, only second to Modi

Prime Minister Modi's visit has been preceded by severalother high-profile visits, including the trip of National Security Adviser Ajit Doval, several senior secretaries, Minister of State for Agriculture S S Ahluwalia-led 11 membermulti-party parliamentary delegation and Navy Chief Admiral Sunil Lanba's five-day visit earlier this month.

All these visits have laid the ground work for several MoUs that are likely to be signed during Modi's visit.

For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
New Delhi:

At least 148 people killed and over hundred were injured after an overturned tanker caught fire and exploded in Pakistans Bahawalpur on Sunday morning.

According to Radio Pakistan, people had gathered around the tanker to collect the oil that had leaked out of the container. The team of fire brigade reached the spot shortly after the blaze started and rescue operations were initiated.

The overturned tanker exploded after fuel leaking from its damaged container caught fire. At least 12 motorcycles and six cars were also burnt in the blaze. All the injured were shifted to two nearby hospitals for treatment.

Meanwhile, Chief of the Pakistan Army Staff (COAS) Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa ordered the army to assist in the rescue efforts. Army helicopters were sent to the spot to transport the injured to the hospitals.

"COAS expresses grief on losses in oil tanker incident. Directed provision of full assistance to civil administration n in rescue [and ]relief efforts," Director General of the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Major Gen Asif Ghafoor said in a tweet.

Army Aviation helicopters sent for evacuation of casualties to hospitals / burn centres. Hospitals placed on high alert. (2 of 2).  Maj Gen Asif Ghafoor (@OfficialDGISPR) June 25, 2017

COAS expresses grief on losses in oil tanker incident. Directed provision of full assistance to civil admn in rescue/relief effort (1 of 2).  Maj Gen Asif Ghafoor (@OfficialDGISPR) June 25, 2017

Chief Minister of Pakistan's Punjab province Shahbaz Sharif took notice of the incident and asked government officials to file a report.

Trending Now| PM Modi's US visit: President Trump says looking forward to welcoming 'true friend' to WH

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Kabul:

An Afghan official on Sunday said that the Taliban have attacked a security post in western Afghanistan, killing at least 10 police and wounding another three.



Jelani Farhad, spokesman for the governor of the western Herat province, said the Taliban attacked late Saturday, setting off a gunbattle in which five insurgents were killed.



No one immediately claimed the attack. The Taliban have steadily expanded their reach across Afghanistan since U.S. and international forces formally concluded their combat mission at the end of 2014, switching to a support and counterterrorism role.



In an address Sunday marking the start of Eid al-Fitr, a major Muslim holiday, President Ashraf Ghani reiterated his call for the Taliban to return to peace talks.

ALSO READ | Afghanistan bomb blast: 4 killed, 5 injured as suicide bomber targets Taliban splinter group run by Mullah Rasoul

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Miami Beach, FL, June 25, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) --

Tomorrow, the US Conference of Mayors annual four-day gathering will culminate with the election of Mayor Mitch Landrieu of New Orleans as USCMs president and delivery of a major keynote speech on the theme of leadership. Mayor Landrieus address, will lay out a bold new action plan that highlights the unique combination of results and vision that is coming from U.S. cities - in the absence of the same in Washington and make the case for federal officials and the public to look to learn from them. He will lay out a series of transformative goals that mayors are well-positioned to implement, and point to the real work occurring in our cities and towns that spurs economic innovation and job creation, and keeps the country safe and moving forward.

Mayor Landrieus address will draw a sharp contrast between mayors record of results and the stasis occurring in Washington. The speech will also address the policy goals laid out in Leadership for America: Mayors Agenda for the Future which will serve as the blue print for the organizations priorities over the next year. In addition to Landrieus remarks, former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg will offer his own remarks and introduce the New Orleans mayor.

The Mayors speech will stream live at Facebook.com/USMayors.

Please see press guidance and further events for tomorrow at the annual U.S. Conference of Mayors gathering listed below.

PRESS GUIDANCE:

All business sessions are OPEN to the press unless otherwise indicated (EVENING EVENTS ARE CLOSED TO PRESS).

All press MUST register to attend the meeting here .

. On-site registration at the Fontainebleau hotel will also be available during the meeting. ONLY reporters with proper, up-to-date

press credentials will be allowed access.

Note: all plenary sessions will be live streamed.

For planning purposes, a DRAFT AGENDA and list of PRE-REGISTERED MAYORS will be available at usmayors.org.

For a list of attending mayors, full schedule, and additional information, please visit:

https://www.usmayors.org/meetings/85th-annual-meeting/

MONDAY, JUNE 26

9:00am - 11:15am:

Plenary Business Session

The Mayors Civic Tech Pitch features civic tech and social entrepreneurs who are using technology to build a better world. Following each pitch is a 2-minute Q&A by a panel of judges. The audience is also encouraged to use the USCM app to cast their votes.

Location: Fontainebleau Sparkle Ballroom, Upper Lobby Level

12:45pm - 2:00pm:

Inaugural Luncheon Honoring 75th President of the United States Conference Mayor Mitch Landrieu

Remarks by Michael Bloomberg, 108th Mayor of New York City, UN Secretary Envoy for Cities & Climate Change, Founder of Bloomberg LP and Bloomberg Philanthropies followed by Keynote address from Mitch Landrieu, Mayor of New Orleans on his acceptance of the 75th Presidency of The United States Conference of Mayors

Location: Fontainebleau Sparkle Ballroom, Upper Lobby Level

2:00pm - 2:30pm:

** Mayors for 100% Clean Energy Press Conference** with Stephen Benjamin, Mayor of Columbia, SC and additional mayors

Location: Fontainebleau Ocean Promenade West

About The United States Conference of Mayors -- The U.S. Conference of Mayors is the official nonpartisan organization of cities with populations of 30,000 or more. There are nearly 1,400 such cities in the country today, and each city is represented in the Conference by its chief elected official, the mayor. Like us on Facebook at facebook.com/usmayors , or follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/usmayors .

Attachments:

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/f079f1e3-b9e1-4687-9b4d-6aaed94c37f0
/ Scott Mullin

DANBURY - Second-term U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal will speak at the Greater Danbury Chamber of Commerce annual meeting on June 30.

Blumenthal, the former 5-term state attorney general, will speak at the Leaders Luncheon, planned from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the Amber Room Colonnade in Danbury.
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NEWTOWN  Hundreds of families enjoyed a day of pony rides and horse demonstrations at the Second Company Governors Horse Guards annual open house. But some fear the company might be eliminated because of state budget cuts.

An estimated 250 community members toured the horse guards 50-acre property where vendors and other activities were set up to raise awareness about the company.

This is a community event to open up our doors to show people the facility, troopers, the horses, Commanding Officer James Marrinan said.

Money to pay for the horses food, veterinarian care and other needs comes from those who lease on the property. But to remain in operation, the company needs $135,000 to $145,000 to cover the cost of an agricultural worker, maintenance and other expenses, said retired commanding officer Gordon Johnson.

The governors budget cuts this funding, which makes the event more important than ever, he said.

It doesnt make sense for such a small amount of money, Johnson said. The state would lose a valuable treasure.

The guard is more than 200 years old and, up until the end of World War II, was an active military unit. In fact, the company traces its beginnings back to 1640, when colonists in New Haven formed a mounted patrol to protect themselves from Native Americans, according to a book about the units 200th anniversary.

Theres so many generations of people that have kept this alive, Johnson said. Try to find something like this in the United States. Youll have a hard time.

Mark Burns, a member of the company, said the term Connecticut state trooper comes from the horse guard. The company is the well-organized militia the U.S. Constitution refers to in the second amendment, he said.

Not only does the guard ride in parades, but members give tours to school groups and Girl Scouts.

The company was hit with budget cuts during Johnsons eight-year tenure as commanding officer. During that time, the number of horses in the company declined from 32 horses to 10. The guard found homes for the other 22 horses.

I do pray that if they eliminate the horse guard, the state does the proper job without any going to slaughter, Johnson said.

The company now has more members than horses, with about 30 active members and 10 to 15 retirees and associates.

That shows me the people here are committed, said Steven DeFriesse, who has been a member of the guard for 25 years.

DeFriesse and his wife joined the guard in the 1990s when the company moved from Bethany to Newtown. DeFriesses wife is a horse lover even though he knew little about horses at the time. He planned to enlist for two years, but fell in love with the horses. He will retire as an active member in March when he turns 64, as required.

For now, he participates in parades, helps out members on duty on the weekends and rides on the property in the evenings.

Its just so tranquil and peaceful, DeFriesse said.

The company also gives people who could not otherwise afford horsebacking riding, the chance to ride.

You can have a regular blue collar worker that can actually be a member here and have the opportunity to ride a horse, Johnson said. That opens up doors for people.

Southbury resident Katherine Boylan said she appreciated the chance for her 10-year-old daughter, Katherine Loor, to try horseback riding for free before paying for lessons. Boylan said she learned about the companys budget woes at the event.

They have a great program and hopefully theyre here to stay, she said.

The event was free, but donations were accepted. The Jesse Lewis Choose Love Foundation and the Danbury Animal Welfare Society were partners for the event.

Johnson said the Horse Guard company did not have a goal for how much they wanted to raise.

Its not all about money with us, he said. Its about the kids and sharing and education. Up in Hartford its all about money, but not for us.
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Former Minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode has stated that the voice message purportedly from President Muhammadu Buhari is fake and a scam.He said this in a chat with DAILY POST Sunday night in reaction to the recording aired on Sunday by some radio stations, including the BBC.The presidency had released the audio to debunk reports that Buhari is suffering from speech impairment.But the former presidential spokesman accused Buharis handlers of taking Nigerians for a ride.Like I wrote in my latest essay published on your website, Nigeria is not a free nation.The essay asked some fundamental questions and the the truth is that Hausa/Fulani control this country.Every body knows the recording is not the presidents voice. We are firmly in the grip of dictatorship.They are on top of the pyramid, the rest of us are slaves. God forbid that Nigeria continue like this, we must free ourselves.Fani-Kayode added that the strategy gone wrong voice message was the same handlers of late President YarAdua used when he was very ill in Saudi Arabia.This is just like the one YarAdua purportedly had with BBC. They were trying to make us believe it was him.It was an extensive interview which at the end of the day, turned out wasnt YarAduas voice.We are seeing the same pattern again. I dont know whether to laugh or cry and I dont know whether I am witnessing a comedy show.I speak from an informed position and I can tell you clearly and categorically that the person who spoke was not President Buhari.Those behind this scam are very insensitive and they have the IQ of a monkey.The person spoke in Hausa because it is what they consider as the official language of Nigeria. They couldnt even communicate in English.Can you imagine a President Obasanjo or President Jonathan wishing Nigerians happy Christmas or happy Eid?The whole thing is a fraud and a lie. There is no reason why the Nigerian people should not know the truth about the condition of the presidentThe cabal doesnt own him; hes our president. He has been away for 50 days now in a stretch and that by any standard is not acceptable.I urged the people to demand that the president be made to resign; that all powers be taken from him and transferred to the acting president.And those around Osinbajo should allow him act as president not as coordinator. We need direction and leadership now; not fake recordings in Hausa language.




Leader of Arewa Consultative Youth Forum, Shettima Yerima, has declared that he is defending the North against the insult and blackmail of the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, Nnmadi Kanu by asking Igbos to vacate the North.Yerima made the declaration while responding to claims by human rights lawyer, Femi Falana, SAN, saying he, Yerima, should not be taken seriously because he resides in Lagos.Yerima said the activist lawyer still lives in the past and was seeking cheap publicity.The Co-Convener of the Coalition of Northern Groups stressed that he has the backing of Northern elders.Speaking with the Punch, Yerima said, The Shettima Falana knows in Lagos is not the same person in the North. I challenge him to come to Kaduna and ask about who I am. And I challenge him to go to Ekiti to contest a local government seat. I am for and with the North. I am not a coward.I am protecting the interests of my people and I get support from my elders. Falana is living in the past. I spend more time in the North than in Lagos.And, when did it become a crime that a northerner cannot issue a statement in the North though he stays in Lagos? I am a Nigerian. Shouldnt Falana be castigating the man who said he hates Nigerians and doesnt want his people to remain a part of Nigeria? I am in touch with my people. I have followers; does Falana have supporters? How many times has he contested elections in Ekiti State and lost? Despite his level of intelligence he hasnt won an election in his state. Leading your people is not about propaganda and noise-making; it is about facing reality.As I speak to you now I am in Kaduna. Is there a law that says being a Nigerian I cannot do so? While hes busy pursuing personal interests, I am defending my people against the insults and blackmail of one Igbo called Nnamdi Kanu and his co-travellers.What has Falana done about the insults IPOB heaped on the Yoruba? He is seeking cheap publicity.I challenge him to come and see how I am living as a king in Kaduna  I am being celebrated. I am here to defend the integrity of my people. Does he consider Nnamdi Kanu a foreigner  someone who has lived for many years abroad? I have my roots in Zaria and I go home regularly. When last did Falana visit his home in Ekiti?
NAssembly Investigates Alleged Expatriate Quota Breach at ExxonMobil

The National Assembly has commenced an investigation into an alleged breach of expatriate quota by the management of ExxonMobil Nigeria.The action was reportedly prompted by the allegation levelled against the company by the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria over the sacking of some Nigerian workers and replaced with expatriates.The union had embarked on an industrial action in December last year and two times this year, citing alleged indiscriminate disengagement of Nigerian workers, especially labour union officials, their replacement with expatriates, and aiding capital flight as reasons.It was gathered that the National Assemblys joint committee on local content had demanded that the company should furnish it with evidence that it had not violated the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development Act 2010.The Secretary, Lagos State Chapter of PENGASSAN, Mr. George Olumoroti, had cited an instance when the company reportedly disengaged three Nigerian workers and replaced them with 28 expatriates, each of who was said to be entitled to $1,600 per day as salary and allowances.Protesting the action, the workers had withdrawn their services from all oil and gas installations belonging to Mobil Producing Nigeria Unlimited, the Nigerias ExxonMobil arm, causing it to lose about 660,000 barrels per day.The Vice Chairman, ExxonMobil branch of PENGASSAN, Mr. Gbenga Ekundayo, told our correspondent that the union had also received a directive from the National Assembly to provide detailed information about the issue.Speaking on the failure of the company to honour an agreement reached during a tripartite meeting with the senior staff union and the Ministry of Labour and Employment that none of the workers that participated in a protest in December would be sanctioned, he said the National Industrial Court of Nigeria and Industrial Arbitrary Panel had waded in.According to him, the IAP Panel will require a report from a reconciliatory committee that will be constituted by the Ministry of Labour and Employment to address the issue.
As Tropical Storm Cindy made landfall in Louisiana this week, citizens and market watchers braced for its impact.

One big concern was that the storm could flood rice-growing areas of Louisiana, which sent prices to a one-year high at 11.5 cents per pound on Monday as storm watchers warned of flood risks. Luckily, the damage to fields was largely contained, which knocked prices swiftly lower by Friday.

As the remnants of the storm continue inland through Arkansas and into the Corn Belt, the storm will bring heavy rain to Midwestern farmers, which should ultimately help the growing corn and soybean crops, which sent prices for both markets to the lowest level of the year.

As of midday Friday, corn for delivery in December was worth $3.78 per bushel, while November soybeans sold for $9.09.

Oil Prices Slump

Crude oil prices tumbled to a ten-month low as U.S. oil producers continue pumping more oil.

Despite falling prices, U.S. drillers have been adding oil wells for 22 weeks in a row, and are now producing 8% more crude oil than last year. However, many of the U.S. wells are likely running at a loss, so further price drops could force a cutback and eventually shoot prices back higher.

The U.S. and others nations like Libya and Nigeria are counteracting the recent production cuts by OPEC and Russia, neutralizing their effort to raise prices.

As of midday Friday, August crude oil traded for $43 per barrel.

Brazilian Steaks Banned

The USDA announced a ban of Brazilian beef on Thursday, a move that caused a flurry in the global meat markets.

Brazil is one of the worlds largest beef and poultry exporters, but its beef has been tainted by accusations that major companies bribed meat inspectors, which has resulted in increased scrutiny. Since March, the USDA has turned away over 10% of Brazilian beef imports due to quality concerns before putting an all-out ban in place this week.

For now, U.S. futures markets shrugged off the news, trading unchanged on Friday after the story broke. However, if other countries follow the U.S. in banning Brazilian meat, the global supply chain could be affected and drive prices higher.
A former governor of Kano State, Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso, has declared that millions of Igbos were against agitation for Biafra.

A former governor of Kano State, Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso, has declared that millions of Igbos were against agitation for Biafra.

Kwankwaso, an APC Senator representing Kano Central at the National Assembly, insisted that Nigerias unity is paramount.

His words: If you look at it, it is only the locals in the South-East that are giving him (Nnamdi Kanu) a lot of support on the surface, and those who are outside the country. Most of those who are in Nigeria, today, especially millions of Igbo, my friends who are here in the North, I can assure you, none of them will ever support anything called division.

When I was in Kano, I worked very hard to promote the unity of the country. Now, if you go to Kano, there is a particular layout  new Enugu, which is not far away from the airport  it is more beautiful than any part of Enugu State. They are living happily and most of them are doing good businesses.

As far as Im concerned, the unity and development of this country is key and, therefore, we will continue to stand by it for fairness and justice. I call on all my friends in all the states and local governments to join hands and ensure that there is peace in the country.

Peace can only come when things are handled the way they should. The issue of education is very critical across the country, the issue of food security, the issue of health, and the issue of protection of lives and property must be looked into. On the whole, Nigerians, I believe, are good people.

Of course, there are few people on the opposite side, they are very few in terms of percentage.Thats why we have the security agencies, thats why we have leaders across the country and that is why we have to use our resources to ensure that nobody raises his fingers to destroy the unity of this country.

Kwankwaso charged all stakeholders promote progress of the country and advised government to work harder to ensure provision of essential needs and infrastructure to better lives of the citizens.



Asked if he had lost his party structure in Kano state, the Senator, in the interview with Vanguard, answered in the negative.

No, we havent. The position of the party, the national secretariat in Abuja, is that all those who were elected at that time, I think in 2014 or so, are the right executives.

Nobody has removed anybody that I know. In fact, the party is in the process of replacing all those who have either died or left the party. So, our structure in Kano and across the country is solid.


The Police have revealed they are under pressure to release kidnap kingpin, Chukwudumeme Onwuamadike, alias Evans. Evans was arrested...

The Police have revealed they are under pressure to release kidnap kingpin, Chukwudumeme Onwuamadike, alias Evans.





Evans was arrested two weeks ago at his mansion at Magodo Estate, Lagos.

The notorious kidnapper has been on the police wanted list for over seven years.





Acting Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Galadanshi Dasuki, while addressing newsmen on Saturday at the Command Headquarters in Ikeja, said they will not release Evans, despite calls from different quarters to do so.





Evans has been a kidnapper for a long time and has been on the wanted list of the Police in Anambra, Abuja, Enugu, Edo and Lagos states.

He also has a criminal gang, some of whom have been arrested in Enugu and Lagos. But there are still more out there. Therefore, this needs a painstaking investigation

Besides, we need to understudy him as well as debrief him. By so doing, we intend to use his tactics to get others. He will eventually be charged to court after investigation is concluded, Dasuki said.
A sting operation by DSS in Kano Sunday led to the arrest of top Boko Haram commander, and 20 others suspects.

A sting operation by DSS in Kano Sunday led to the arrest of top Boko Haram commander, and 20 others suspects.The Director, Kano local office of DSS, Alhassan Muhammad told reporters in Kano that the 48 hours operation neutralized what would have been a bloody Eid Fitr in Kano recent history. Alhassan Muhammad disclosed that the combat operations was jointly carried out by the police, and his men led to the arrest of the unit commander of Boko Haram who was also in charge of Kano, Kaduna and Sokoto. He explained that the commander also arrested alongside 30 other suspects while planning coordinated attacks during Sallah festivity in Kano and other major Northern cities.Alhassan said  we have in our Custody about 30 suspected Boko Haram terrorists including a sector Commandant whom we arrested at Rijiyar Zaki and Dorayi areas of Kano in just two days.The Director said the success story was the outcome of a painstaking effort buoyed by intelligence gathering and sharing by the police and DSS which helped put more spots areas at red alert. He said our joint intelligence gathering and the synergy that existed between all the security apparatus in Kano give a moral buster to our giant efforts in tracking every suspicious movements and make it highly difficult for the terrorists to make any impact.Alhassan explained that the proactive move helped averted the dastardly planned to lay ambush on Kano and other cities in this period of Sallah Celebrations. The Director revealed that arms and ammunition, primed Improvised Explosive Devices, IEDs were recovered from the suspects hideouts in the state.It can be recalled that the State Security Service, SSS, on Friday, said it uncovered a plot by suspected terrorists to attack Kano, Kaduna, Sokoto and Maiduguri during the Eid-el-Fitr celebration.The secret service said two suspects  Yusuf Adamu and Abdulmuminu Haladu  were arrested in Sokoto in connection with the plot in the early hours of Friday.
An Ekiti State House of Assembly member Gboyega Aribisogan has accused Governor Ayo Fayose of instigating his suspension because he refu...

An Ekiti State House of Assembly member Gboyega Aribisogan has accused Governor Ayo Fayose of instigating his suspension because he refused to prostrate and beg for the offence he did not commit.He said some party leaders and appointees urged him to prostrate for the governor at a reconciliation parley brokered by eminent lawyer and founder of Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti (ABUAD), Aare Afe Babalola (SAN).Aribisogan, who was suspended by his fellow lawmakers in October last year said the governor wanted him to admit meeting with the Senator representing Ogun East, Buruji Kashamu, in Lagos sometime last year, an allegation he denied.Speaking during an interview programme on Adaba 88.9 FM monitored by our correspondent, Aribisogan faulted an investigation panel set up by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) faction loyal toFayose claiming that the panelists had been ordered to do a hatchet job against him.Aribisogan alleged that some party members in his ward were bribed with a sum of N200, 000 and compelled to write a frivolous petition to the panel to nail him at all cost.He revealed that the panel had already submitted its report to Fayose on Monday while he was asked to appear on Thursday.The embattled lawmaker disclosed that he reported the alleged illegality Fayose was using the Assembly to perpetrate to the Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu and Chairman, PDP Board of Trustees, Senator Walid Jibrin.Aribisogan said: I cannot confess the sin I did not commit; they (party leaders) asked me to prostrate and beg Fayose but I refused and in the process they brought out a camera with the intent of taking my photographs. Fayose flared when I refused to prostrate and beg and vowed that he would not allow me to return to the Assembly again.For somebody to say he would not allow an elected representative of the people to go back to the Assembly shows the type of character Fayose is. He got 14,000 votes from my constituency and he has done nothing for the people.If they want to shoot me dead, I am ready. I am not an appointee of Fayose, I was elected the same way hea was elected. I apologize to all Ekiti for joining hands to bring him back to power and that is why he is misbehaving now.The Inspector General of Police had given an order that nothing should happen to me; the House of Assembly belongs to Ekiti people and not to Ayo Fayose. Fayose has brought odium and shame to Ekiti State.He is owing the Assembly six months salaries, Ekiti lawmakers are crying underneath because many of them are heavily indebted. Fayose threatened that he would recall me, let him go ahead but I will never prostrate for Fayose.Responding, Commissioner for Information, Lanre Ogunsuyi, said Hon. Aribisogan, was suffering from political hallucination.Ogunsuyi said the Assembly suspended the lawmaker according to its rules and does not need Fayose to carry out is constitutional and statutory functions. The commissioner said Aribisogan was merely cooking up stories to cover up his infractions on the House rules.He advised Aribisogan to avail himself of the opportunity given by the party to present his case before a disciplinary panel set up to investigate the allegations of anti-party activities and disloyalty levelled against him.Ogunsuyi said: I will say it is a political hallucination for the honourable member to accuse the governor of masterminding his suspension from the Assembly.It is an internal affair of the House and the governor is not a member of the Assembly.He was duly suspended by the Assembly; the governor has no hand in it and all what he is saying are stories without corroboration.
I freed a thousand slaves. I could have freed a thousand more if only they knew they were slaves- Harriet Tubman How can anyone describ...

I freed a thousand slaves. I could have freed a thousand more if only they knew they were slaves- Harriet Tubman

How can anyone describe Nigeria as a free nation when Sheik Othman Dan Fodio, the hero of the core Muslim north, the father of the Fulani Caliphate and the first Mahdi of Nigeria once said,

Allah has bestowed on me and my people the historic duty to spread the holy faith of the Prophet throughout the Caliphate and convert these pagans. If they refuse to accept Allah and his Prophet we will wash the earth, the forests, the mountains, the rivers and the streams with their pagan blood. Ours is a holy and righteous calling. We are doing the work of Allah.





How can anyone describe Nigeria as a free nation when Sir Ahmadu Bello, the Saurdana of Sokoto, the Premier of the Northern Region and the second Mahdi of Nigeria once said,

The new nation called Nigeria should be an estate of our great grandfather Othman Dan Fodio. We must ruthlessly prevent a change of power. We use the minorities in the north as willing tools and the south as conquered territory and never allow them to rule over us and never allow them to have control over their future.

How can anyone describe Nigeria as being free when General Muhammadu Buhari, the indisputable King of the north, the avenging sword of the Caliphate, the almighty President of the Federal Republic, the unquestionable leader of the African Mujahadeen and the third and last Mahdi of Nigeria once said,

It is my intention to spread sharia to every part of Nigeria and that why should Christians bother when Muslims chop off the hands of Muslims in the name of sharia and that Muslims should only vote for Muslims and finally that an attack on Boko Haram is an attack on the north.





What portion do those of us that are southerners and Middle Belters have in this so-called free country and why have we been consistently denied the right to decide whether we wish to remain in it by having a referendum?

Were we born to be slaves whilst others were born to rule? God forbid it. My Christian faith teaches me that I am the head and not the tail.

It teaches me that it is a sore sight and a great evil under the sun to see the sons of slaves riding on horseback whilst the sons of the King walk around on bare feet.





It teaches me that we are the head and not the tail and that light is meant to overcome darkness and not that darkness overcomes the light.

The truth is that whichever way you look at it Nigeria is not free and Nigeria is not one nation.

We are in bondage and servitude to the sons and daughters of Futa Jalon and we are badly divided. That is the subject of this essay.

Permit me to share some bitter truths here.





I repeat, Nigeria is not a nation. As a matter of fact she was NEVER a nation. She is and has always been a monumental fraud and a manifestation of colonial Britains doublespeak and deceit.

In 1947 she was rightly described as a mere geographical expression by Chief Obafemi Awolowo but since then she has degenerated even further.

Today she is is no longer a mere geographical expression but instead a fully-fledged and dysfunctional vassal state and a colony of timid slaves that is owned lock, stock and barrel by the all-powerful, all-seeing and all-knowing Fulani hegemonists.

Yet in their pitiful delusion and blissful ignorance some still claim that we are a free modern nation-state where all are equal.

My questions for those that actually believe this nonsensical assertion and that espouse this erroneous notion are as follows:

How can anyone describe Nigeria as being free when Christian Religious Knowledge (CRK) is removed from the curriculum and Islamic Arabic Studies (IAS) is made compulsory?

How can anyone describe Nigeria as being free when Christians are banned BY LAW from buying land to build churches in most parts of the core north?

How can anyone describe Nigeria as being free when every single security and intelligence agency in the nation except for the Navy is headed by a northern Muslim?

How can anyone describe Nigeria as being free when there are NO Christian commanders (i.e. those that have operational control over troop deployments) in charge of STRATEGIC commands in the Nigerian Army today?

How can anyone describe Nigeria as being free when ALL the STRATEGIC commands in the Nigerian Army are in the hands of Muslims?

How can anyone describe Nigeria as being free when ALL the units under the Education Ministry are headed by northern Muslims and the Minister of Education himself is a Muslim.

How can anyone describe Nigeria as being free when the words Christ, Church, Christianity or Christian are not mentioned ONCE in the constitution and when the word sharia is mentioned 73 times, Grand Khadi 54 times, Islam 29 times and Muslims 10 times.

How can anyone describe Nigeria as being free when, since Buhari came to power, any mention of Jesus or God is censored out of Nigerian films by the Nigerian Censors Board whilst the word Allah is mentioned freely.





How can anyone describe Nigeria as being free when there is an obvious and relentless attempt to islamise the country.

How can anyone describe Nigeria as being free when there was an attempt by President Buhari to quietly pass a law that will give large tracts of land to Fulani herdsmen in every state of the Federation so that they can infiltrate, settle down in, breed with and eventually overwhelm and take over all the communities in which they were given that land.

How can anyone describe Nigeria as being free when the Federal Government refuses to arrest the elderly Professor Ango Abdullahi and the rebellious, recalcitrant, blood-baying and bloodthirsty Arewa youths and lock them ALL up for their implicit threat to commit genocide against the Igbo if they dont leave the north by 1st October?

How can anyone describe Nigeria as being free when the Arewa Youths can send an open letter to the Acting President describing the entire Igbo race as ingrates who have not learnt their lessons from the past and who ought to be thrown out of the north and out of Nigeria?

How can anyone describe Nigeria as being free when the the Northern Youth Leaders Forum (NYLF) can tell the Federal Government that Nigeria will boil, that there will be a crisis that will spiral beyond control if the Arewa youths are arrested and that the Presidency will not be allowed to go to the south under any circumstances in 2019?

How can anyone describe Nigeria as being free when well-armed Fulani militants and herdsmen commit genocide against whole communities and yet not one of them has been arrested?

How can anyone describe Nigeria as being free when cows (yes cows!) drive children out of their classrooms in Edo state and drive worshippers out of their churches in Benue state.

How can Nigeria be described as being free when Miyetti Allah appear to be above the law?

How can anyone describe Nigeria as being free when we are about to enter a season of carnage, chaos and anomie and when the Federal Government have shown no desire or inclination to deliver our people from those who believe that they own Nigeria and who wish to drink our blood and eat our flesh?

How can anyone describe Nigeria as being free when those in power today together with the entire Hausa-Fuani ruling class have consistently said no to restructuring?

How can anyone describe Nigeria as being free when the cabal that know that Buharis health will not allow him to come back to rule wish to use the slaughter of the Igbo as a reason and a scapegoat to cause CRISIS in the country and truncate our democracy rather than allow a Southern Christian President to continue in power?

How can anyone describe Nigeria as being free when the leaders of the ruling APC are considered as being above the law and continuously commit all manner of crimes and acts of corruption with impunity whilst dissenters, opposition figures and the perceived enemies of the government are subjected to horrendous persecution, media trials and the brazen violation of their human rights and civil liberties?

How can anyone describe Nigeria as being free when the welfare of cows and the interest of cattle-rearers are more important than that of hard-working and productive patriots and innocent young school children?

How can anyone describe Nigeria as being free when, since Buhari came to power, it is very difficult for a northern Christian to get admission into Ahmadu Bello University, the leading institution of higher learning in northern Nigeria?

How can anyone describe Nigeria as being free when there is a strange Arabic insignia and unintelligible Arabic words apparently depicting Othman Dan Fodios battle cry inscribed on the coat of arms of the Nigerian Army.

How can anyone describe Nigeria as being free when english is replaced with hausa in Nigerian army parades?

How can anyone describe Nigeria as being free when President Muhammadu Buhari openly expresses his disdain for the Igbo and encourages the hate-speech and threats that they are being subjected to today?

How can anyone describe Nigeria as being free when Acting President Yemi Osinbajo will allege that there is corruption in the Church but dare not allege that there is corruption in the mosques?

How can anyone describe Nigeria as being free when the Acting President condemns what he describes as hate speech yet he refuses to arrest and detain those who not only kill Christians, southerners and Middle Belters but who also incite their murderous foot soldiers against them every day?

I could go on and on.

What those that continuously threaten others with violence and carnage fail to appreciate is as follows: for every mujahideen there is a crusader. For every tyrant there is a deliverer. For every oppressor there is a freedom fighter. For every globalist there is a nationalist.

For every integrationist there is a separatist. For every lily-livered and chicken-hearted coward there is a courageous and valiant hero and for every Goliath there is a David.

Yet despite our collective and pitiful servitude there is a silver lining on this very dark cloud.

The demand for restructuring or, failing that, self-determination and full-blown independence is now very strong amongst the progressive forces and the long-oppressed ethnic nationalities in the land.

This, coupled with the demand by the leaders of the three southern zones that the Arewa youths must withdraw their threat to the Igbo, is commendable and historic.

They have also issued a timely warning that an attack on the Igbo would be deemed as an attack on the entire south. This gives us hope.

This indicates to us that the tree of liberty will soon be watered by the blood of the patriots and tyrants as it once was in the history of each and every one of the great western democracies.

This proves that we are finally ready to pay the terrible price for our collective freedom and to make the necessary sacrifices.

Simply put, the yoke and affliction of slavery and bondage shall soon be broken and Nigeria shall soon be free.

The first Nigerian civil war was about keeping Nigeria one. The second will be about winning our freedom.




Retired Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG), Udom Ekpoudom, has lamented the audacity of Fulani herdsmen and how they conduct themselv...

Retired Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG), Udom Ekpoudom, has lamented the audacity of Fulani herdsmen and how they conduct themselves in other peoples territory.





He said their activities across the country totally violate the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Maliciously damaging the properties of their fellow Nigerians is a criminal offense. They should be arrested and charged for malicious damage which is punishable under the law.

To worsen their case, they operate with prohibited fire arms. The police have the right to apprehend them and charge them for unlawful possession of fire arms but they are allowed to move about freely.

They commit malicious damage and assault, occasioning harm and even killing hundreds of law-abiding citizens, yet they are allowed to walk the streets of this country as if they are operating under a different constitution from the Nigerian constitution.

The herdsmen are rearing cows as their business in the north while those of us in the south have cassava, yams and other crops as our business.

For the herdsmen to direct their cows to feed on other peoples food crops amounts to mans inhumanity to man, the former security chief told Vanguard.

Recall that Ekpoudom warned Biafra agitators and Northern youths issuing threats and provocative speeches against Nigeria to slow down.





He noted that while it is easy to speak of violence, such persons will run away if they witness bloodletting on a large scale.
The Director General of Voice of Nigeria, VON, Osita Okechukwu, has defended the non-arrest of the Arewa youth who issued a quit notice to...

The Director General of Voice of Nigeria, VON, Osita Okechukwu, has defended the non-arrest of the Arewa youth who issued a quit notice to Igbos to leave the 19 states of Northern Nigeria.





Mr. Okechukwu described the non-arrest of Yerima Shetimma and other leaders of the Arewa youth coalition as strategic.

Arrest and detention wittingly and unwittingly make agitators celebrities, he noted.

Mr. Okechukwu was reacting to the speech of John Nwodo, the President General of Ohaneze Ndigbo during the inauguration of 100-member advisory committee on economic and political affairs, in Enugu at the weekend.

What remains worrisome is the incapacity of the police to make needful arrests in the situation pointing to double standards from our security forces, Mr. Nwodo reportedly said.

In a statement at Akpakwume Nze, Enugu State, on Sunday, Mr. Okechukwu disagreed with Mr. Nwodo that the security agencies were playing double standards by not making arrests over the quit notice.

He recalled that it was the arrest and long detention of an equally provocative and unknown Nnamdi Kanu of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) that made him a celebrity.

His detention gave rise to the disgusting and sordid situation in the country today. Methinks the non-arrest of Yerima Shetima and cohorts of the Arewa Youths for their arrant, unpatriotic, unconstitutional and provocative quit notice is strategic.

Strategic in the sense that more than any other factor was the arrest and long detention of harmless, but as well provocative Nnamdi Kanu of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) which led to this sordid scenario. Detention made Kanu with no fixed address became an instant celebrity.Had Kanu not been arrested his agitation could have fizzled out unnoticed. the VON DG said.

Asked whether he consulted the Inspector General of the Police before coming to this conclusion, Mr. Okechukwu quipped: I didnt consult the Inspector General of the Police or any security officer for that matter, but common sense. The security chiefs might have reasoned that it is better to allow the storm to boil over, instead of creating another celebrity. As time is the healer of all wounds.

Im surprised why Chief Nnia Nwodo, our President General, who loves us, the millions of Ndigbo who live in the north more than ourselves did not worry, why Nnamdi Kanu was not rearrested after serial violation of court order. Is it not double standard to allow somebody who flagrantly violates court order to move about freely? If by the same token, Kanu is not rearrested, I bet you that his sponsors will thin down, he said.

While agreeing that as the President General of Ohaneze, Mr. Nwodo should be concerned about the fate of Ndigbo worldwide, Mr. Okechukwu said, I have great and tremendous respect for Chief Nwodo and was part of his campaign against Professor Chinwike Ejike, who incidentally hails from my area.

He, however, advised that in times like this, prominent leaders like Mr. Nwodo should be more pragmatic and strategic.

We have passed this road before and we know that the fault lines can be strengthened, he said.

Mr. Okechukwu said the Ohaneze leader should not bother himself with unknown Arewa youth or fringe groups in the North, but rather listen more to the likes of the Emir of Katsina, Governor Nasir El-Rufai, Arewa Consultative Forum, Northern Governors Forum and the Acting President Professor Yemi Osinbajo, by extension the Federal Government of Nigeria.

Mr. Okechukwu argued further that, Did you hear him talking of being in solidarity with Afenifere? Is that strategic choice among two contending Yoruba groups? Afenifere without being immodest is no more the Afenifere of yesterday. Does it make strategic sense being in solidarity with Afenifere, instead of the major Yoruba group, led by Asiwaju Ahmed Bola Tinubu, who today are quietly and smartly harvesting the silent infrastructural revolution going on under President Muhammadu Buhari.

On the advisory economic and political affairs committee Ohaneze set up on Saturday, Mr. Okechukwu said it was a welcome development, and he would like to work with them.

He advised the committee to work with Igbo ministers and other officials especially Geofrey Onyeama of foreign ministry, Okechukwu Enelamah of trade and investment, Ben Akabueze of Budget Office and Abraham Nwankwo of Debt Management Office.

It bothers one that Chief Nwodo seems to be playing politics with our destiny. Yes ooOh! we are marginalised, but has Chief Nwodo led Ohaneze ever found time to summon some of us to ask what our scant offices can offer Ndigbo? I doubt if he neither met nor replied the profound congratulatory letter President Buhari wrote to him?

He noted that there are commonalities between the terms of reference of the committee and President Buharis projects in the south-east, which includes completion of the 2nd Niger Bridge, revamping of Enugu coal and establishment of University of ICT Campus in Enugu.

Asked if he was opposed to return to regional government and the report of the national conference of the Goodluck Jonathan administration, Mr. Okechukwu said it does not matter whether he opposes or supports the conference report, arguing that the conference did not recommend regions, but creation of more states.

If we join hands and demand one additional state based on equity and justice, Nigerians will listen to us, than outright secession, he said.


According to the charge, Sauce Kid obtained stolen bank card numbers and identifying information from their owners. He then encoded the account numbers onto blank plastic cards. After using an automated system to change account PINs, he was able to withdraw cash from bank ATMS and buy merchandise from stores between July 23 and 26 2016/All of the losses took place at Boise ATMs owned by Idaho Central Credit Union and at Albertsons stores in Meridian, court documents alleged.Police arrested Sauce Kid at the Boise Airport as he was about to board a flight. He was caught with a card encoding device and more than $6,000 in cash.Sauce Kid was initially charged with conspiracy to commit bank fraud, eight counts each of bank fraud, aggravated identity theft, and possession of 15 or more fraudulent bank cards.
The Senate and House of Representatives are squaring up to Works, Housing and Power Minister Babatunde Fashola over allegation that the l...

The Senate and House of Representatives are squaring up to Works, Housing and Power Minister Babatunde Fashola over allegation that the legislature messed up the ministrys 2017 budget.They labelled the ministers allegation as wrong information, half truth and blackmail.Fashola, last week, accused the lawmakers of slashing his ministrys appropriation for some critical projects, and at the same time introducing 100 new projects to the 200 uncompleted ones he inherited from the Jonathan administration.The first response came from the Senate whose spokesman, Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi, said Fashola did not give the public full details about the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.Abdullahi said the project commenced as a private finance initiative whereas the minister prefers an arrangement that allows the Ministry to continue to award contracts and fund the project through government budgetary allocation at a time when the nations revenue is dwindling.According to him, the Bureau of Public Procurement, and the Federal Executive Council in 2013, approved the reconstruction, rehabilitation and expansion of the Lagos-Ibadan expressway as a Public Private Partnership project using the Private Finance Initiative, with the Federal Government providing about 30 percent of the funding while the balance shall be provided by the private sector.The project was on course for completion by end of 2017 when the private finance initiative was being implemented, with over 30 percent completion rate attained as at early 2015.Abdullahi further noted that in a blatant disregard for existing agreements, constituted authorities and extant laws, Fashola on assumption of office got government through the Ministry to start voting money for the implementation of the project.Even as at last year the 2016 Appropriation Act voted N40 billion for the project on the insistence of the Ministry and only N26 billion was released. If we had known, the rest N14 billion could have been allocated to other critical roads across the country, he said.He added: In the spirit of consensus building and effective stakeholder engagement, the leadership of the Senate met with key relevant stakeholders, including the Ministries of Works and finance.It was agreed that we should give the Private Finance Initiative a chance to complement governments resources in the delivery of critical infrastructure assets across the country. Hence, in this years budget, we have engaged with the Government and private sector groups who have assured that they will resume funding of the project.So, we only provided the fund in the budget that would ensure work does not stop before the funds from the private sector start coming in .What we reduced from Lagos-Ibadan Expressway in the 2017 budget estimate was spread on Oyo-Ogbomoso road in the South-west, Enugu-Onitsha road in the South-East, and two other critical roads in the North-East and North-West; and this was done to achieve equity. The Minister should realise he is Minister for the entire country and not just that of Lagos State.It is our view that the Federal Government cannot fund the reconstruction and maintenance of all the 34,000 kilometres of roads under its care. We are looking for private funds for some of these roads, particularly those with high potentials of attracting private investors. These include the Enugu-Onitsha road, Kano-Abuja road and Abuja-Lokoja road. It has been our hope that the Lagos -Ibadan road would be a model for private sector funding of infrastructure in the country.The Senator said Fasholas statement was in bad taste and should desist from spreading half-truths.When he said the National Assembly imported projects into the 2017 budget, he did not mention that these include the 26 projects which the Federal Government approved in the 2016 budget, awarded contract for them in January 2016, but totally omitted them in the 2017 budget. One of them is the Abuja-Kaduna road. These ones would have become abandoned projects. We reduced funds across board to make provision for these omitted projects that are of critical importance to the socio-economic development of the country in line with equity and fair play.For its part, the House of Representatives said Fasholas remarks were meant to paint the National Assembly as an irresponsible institution, one not concerned with the welfare of the people, and set the Executive and Legislature on an unnecessary collision course on matters of power rather than issues that benefit the Nigerian people.House Spokesman, Abdulrazaq Namdas said  the decision to redistribute the projects proposed by the ministry was in order to ensure an even spread of projects across all regions, which the proposal of the executive had failed to do.Considering that the funds that were allocated for the second Niger Bridge in 2016 were returned untouched at the end of the year, the National Assembly decided to reduce N5 billion from the 2017 Budget for 2nd Niger Bridge to fund other projects from the South East, leaving N7 billion for the second Niger Bridge.The truth is that in the 2016 Budget, N12 billion was appropriated for the second Niger Bridge and not a kobo was spent by the Ministry. Not a kobo. The money was returned. The Ministry could not provide the Committees of the National Assembly with evidence of an agreement on the Public Private Partnership (PPP) or a contract for the 2nd Niger Bridge.The projects include  N2.5 billion extra for Enugu/Onitsha Road, N1 billion more for 9th Mile/Nsukka/Makurdi Road; additional N500m for Oturkpa- Makurdi to take care of evacuation of agricultural produce up to Maiduguri; N1 billion more for Ikot Ekpene-Aba-Owerri Road etc. These are strategic Roads in the South-East and North Central parts of Nigeria that had inadequate allocations.The National Assembly had to intervene to fund some other critical roads that were totally neglected in the Executive Budget proposal, including the Abuja- Kaduna  Zaria  Kano Road that had Zero allocation from the Presidents proposal and no contract, even in spite of due process certification.N5 billion was provided in the 2016 Budget. It was not utilised. In 2017 Budget, the National Assembly again provided N3 billion for this very critical road that connects many states and where incidents of kidnapping are rife because of bad roads, as we believe that all parts of Nigeria deserve attention or would the Minister also claim that this road has no design?
As Muslims all over the world celebrate Eid-el-Fitr, President Muhammadu Buhari has congratulated Nigerian Muslims and Christians on the ...

As Muslims all over the world celebrate Eid-el-Fitr, President Muhammadu Buhari has congratulated Nigerian Muslims and Christians on the occasion of the Eid-el-Fitr, urging all citizens to resolve to live in peace and avoid making reckless statements.President Buhari in a statement signed by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and publicity, Garba Shehu urged Nigerians to live together in peace and unity so as to make the country a great one.The message issued Saturday evening in Abuja read, I am immensely grateful to God for his mercy in guiding us successfully to conclude another Ramadan fast.My greetings to all Nigerian Muslims and our brother Christians on the occasion of Eid-el-Fitr. May the lessons of Ramadan namely; piety, self-denial, prayers and generosity to the poor and needy be with us for all time. I, again, appeal to all Nigerians to avoid reckless statements or actions against our fellow countrymen.We should all resolve to live in peace and unity in our great country, which is the envy of many less endowed nations.
Again this July 4th, local Chapter 344 of the Experimental Aircraft Association will be sponsoring the annual Festival of Flight at the Townsend Airport.

Families are invited to kick off their holiday by participating in this fly/drive-in event featuring a breakfast followed by free Young Eagles airplane rides for kids, according to a news release.

This is a great opportunity for anyone, not just pilots, who enjoys seeing airplanes and experiencing aviation up close.

Vintage as well as contemporary aircraft of many types from across the state will be available for viewing, including several homebuilt airplanes, -- they were actually built by the individuals who own and fly them.

Since its inception 25 years ago, the Experimental Aircraft Association Young Eagles program has provided free airplane rides for more than 2 million children between the ages of 8 and 17 by the program's volunteer pilots.

The full breakfast buffet will be served from 8 to 10 a.m. and the flights will be from 9 to 11 a.m. A parents or guardians permission, in person, is required for children to fly.

For further information contact Chapter 344 President Albert Hathy at EAAch344@gmail.com.

The Experimental Aircraft Association was founded in 1953 by Paul Poberezny and a group of individuals in Milwaukee, who were interested in building their own airplanes, the news release stated. The Experimental Aircraft Association has expanded its mission of fostering participation in aviation to include antiques, classics, warbirds, aerobatic aircraft, ultralights, helicopters, lighter-than-air and contemporary manufactured aircraft.

Founded in 1992, the Young Eagles Program is dedicated to giving children ages 8 to 17 their first free ride in an airplane. More than 2 million children have flown through the program through the Experimental Aircraft Associations network of volunteer pilots and ground workers.
The Igbo apex socio-cultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, yesterday branded as treason, the recent quit notice issued to the Igbo resi...

The Igbo apex socio-cultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, yesterday branded as treason, the recent quit notice issued to the Igbo resident in the north by a coalition of Arewa youths.More worrisome to Ohanaeze is the clear incapacitation of the police and unwillingness to arrest them, their renewed aggression following the issuance of another statement involving an association of wider youth organisations in the north and the support offered to them by splinter elements of the Northern Elders Forum.The President General of the group, Chief John Nnia Nwodo, likened the Arewa youths, utterances to the events preceding the mayhem against the Igbo in 1966.Are the rhetoric of today not similar to the rhetoric before the 1966 pogrom? If there should be a repeat performance what explanation can we make to our people? Nwodo said at the inauguration of a 100 member National Executive Committee to formulate economic and political policies for Ohanaeze.He said: Quite recently, we have witnessed very provoking and unpatriotic remarks from Arewa youths. Their remarks have grown from whispers to a national quit notice to the Igbo to leave Northern Nigeria.Whilst we applaud the immediate and unequivocal condemnation of their utterances by the Governor of Kaduna State, the Northern Governors Forum, the Middle Belt Forum and the rather mild and equivocal condemnation from the Arewa Consultative Forum, the defiance of the Arewa youths by threatening and daring the police to arrest them, the clear incapacitation of the police and unwillingness to arrest them, their renewed aggression following the issuance of another statement involving an association of wider youth organisations in the North and the support offered to them by splinter elements of the Northern Elders Forum point to a swell of reasonable support from a section of Northern Nigeria.What remains worrisome is the incapacity of the police to make needful arrests in this situation pointing to double standards from our security forces. A desire and public proclamation for the State of Biafra cannot be too different from a quit notice which amounts to a declaration for a new state of Nigeria without the Igbo.In the latter case, an obvious violation of our constitution points to treason, a declaration to take inventory and acquire property not belonging to one amounts to conversion and a declaration to commence mop up action if the quit notice is not complied with at a certain date is a declaration of war.If our security forces, firmly in command and control by mainly officers of Northern Nigeria, fail to carry out lawful and needful arrests of criminals amongst Arewa youths, or coup plotters in the army and their civilian collaborators, how can we expect them to heed to the orders of the Acting President to protect our people in the North? What should we advise our people in the North to do in the circumstance?Against this background our young men and women are spiralling out of control. The jury is still out in Igbo land regarding the choice between self-determination and restructuring as a solution to our current impasse.Whereas a lot of the elderly, the business class and the professionals want to preserve our continued existence as one indivisible, united and restructured Nigeria, a number of the young ones are resolute about self-determination.How do we resolve this duplicity that gives the impression that we all are on one of the sides depending on who is making the assessment?We have, as Ohanaeze, maintained absolute restraint in our public utterances. The Acting President by his interactions with all concerned groups shows that he is prepared to engage everyone in order to ensure that justice is done.His proclamation that government will guarantee the security of life of all Nigerians and their properties wherever they live is reassuring.What worries us, however, is whether the Arewa youths are acting out a plan that may spiral out of control. Why have disclosures that some soldiers are talking with politicians not led to any arrest?Why has none of the Arewa youths been arrested in spite of the orders of the Inspector General of Police and the Chief Security Officer of Kaduna State, Mallam Nasir el-Rufai?Nwodo hailed the solidarity of Afenifere and Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF) with the Southeast on the quit notice, stressing: We acknowledge and fully associate Ohanaeze with their stand that any quit notice to one Southerner is a quit notice to all Southerners.Inaugurating the Professor Charles Soludo-led committee, Nwodo said the task before it in the political sector was more urgent in view of the quit notice served on Igbo living in the North.His words: Your Committee is faced with a very delicate assignment in advising our National Executive Committee and Imeobi on our appropriate response to these developments.The Ohanaeze president urged the committee members to weigh the issues and allow them to engage their attention in the days, weeks and months ahead.He said the group has an understanding with the Southeast governors that the recommendations of the committee would be used where found useful to formulate integrative economic programmes for the five states in the geo-political zone.In the economic front, it is obvious that our people are in the main sustained by the private sector. In an era of declining oil revenue and low capital allocation by the various governments, the private sector remains our most reliable engine for growth, he said.Our people are highly versatile, economically enterprising, but fiercely individualistic and unaccustomed to joint corporate ventures that will improve management efficiency and catalyze growth.No meaningful economic growth can therefore be achieved here without our developing policies that will change our mind set and encourage the build up of capital for gigantic economic programmes.Responding, Soludo thanked Ohanaeze for giving them the opportunity to serve the Igbo nation.He said that the extra-ordinary number of the members of the committee and the calibre of persons in it bore eloquent testimony to the tasks they have been assigned to carry out.Soludo said that the committee would try its best to deliver on the mandate given to it while calling on other Igbo to send in memoranda.Present at the inauguration were Dr Okwesilieze Nwodo, Dr. Chukwuemeka Ezeife, Amb. Frank Ogbuewu, Chief Adolphus Wabara, Chief Ferdinand Agu, Prof Chigozie Ogbu, Prof Aloy Okoli, Dr. Emma Ajero, Prof Osita Ogbu, Chief Olisa Agbakoba, Chief Onyemauche Nnamani, and Prof Joy Ezeilo, among others.
Listen to Buharis audio message below.

Reno Omokri

Former aide to Ex-President Goodluck Jonathan, Pastor Reno Omokri, has queried why Nigerias President, Muhammadu Buhari, whom he described as a national leader, would, in his Eid-El-Fitr message, address Nigerians in a sectional language.Recall that presidency, earlier, released an audio message wherein President Buhari who has been in London on a follow-up medical check-up for about 50 days now, spoke in Hausa language, wishing Nigerians and especially the Muslim faithful a happy Eid-El-Fitr celebration.But Pastor Omokri maintained that, Ideally, the President should have spoken in English first, then if he feels like it, he may also speak in Hausa, because the way he has now spoken only in Hausa makes it seem as if he is only concerned with those who gave him 97% of the votes while those who have him 5% can take a hike!In a country whose official language is English, President Muhammadu Buhari broadcasts his Sallah message in Hausa! Would Trump (whose origin is German) address America in German?So what about all those Nigerians who cant speak Hausa? Ideally, the President should have spoken in English first, then if he feels like it, he may also speak in Hausa.The way he has now spoken only in Hausa makes it seem as if he is only concerned with those who gave him 97% of the votes while those who have him 5% can take a hike!How would the rest of the country have felt if President Olusegun Obasanjo had released a Christmas broadcast to Nigerians in Yoruba or if President Goodluck Jonathan had done so in Ogbia?How can a NATIONAL leader address Nigerians in a SECTIONAL language?Nigeria has never had a leader as divisive as Buhari! There is no difference between President Buhari and Nnamdi Kanu. President Buhari is the President of all Nigeria.He is not the President of only those who can speak Hausa! This is an outrage! President Yaradua also spoke to the BBC News by phone.He is Fulani, like President Buhari. Yet he spoke in English because he was President of all of us!
The last may not have been heard of acclaimed most brilliant kidnap kingpin Chukwudidumeme Onuamadike, aka Evans, following his starling ...

The last may not have been heard of acclaimed most brilliant kidnap kingpin Chukwudidumeme Onuamadike, aka Evans, following his starling revelation that some members of his strike team were serving security agents.One of them, a serving personnel of the Nigerian Army, identified as Lance Corporal Victor Chukwunonso , with Army No: 09/NA/64/6317, has been arrested. Unsuspecting Lance Corporal Chukwunonso , who is attached to the Nigeria Army Band Corps ,Abatti Barrack, in Surulere area of Lagos, was arrested at about 9pm on Friday, in Ojo area of the state, from where he was subsequently taken into police custody.During investigation Chukwunonso as reliably gathered, admitted to have only gone on three kidnap operations with Evans. He disclosed that he got a total of N6.5 million from the operations. He revealed to policemen that all the operations were carried out in Festac area of Lagos. He claimed to have been given N3milion from the first operation, N2 million form the second and N1.5million from the third.
HACKENSACK -- An inmate at the Bergen County Jail has been charged in the jailhouse attack that left the son of late reggae icon Peter Tosh in a coma since February, authorities said.

Kyrie Charon Baum, 40

Tosh's son, Jawara McIntosh, 37, has brain damage and remains unresponsive in a hospital in Boston where he's from, family attorney Jasmine Rand has said.

Another inmate at the jail, Kyrie Charon Baum, 40, of Fort Lee, faces charges of aggravated assault and has since been indicted, according to the Bergen County Sheriff's Office.

Baum was being held in the jail on robbery and gun charges when he attacked McIntosh, the sheriff's office said.

Baum was housed in one of the jail's general custody units when he allegedly attacked McIntosh in February, authorities said. The attack lasted less than 10 seconds, authorities said.

McIntosh was two months into serving a six-month sentence in the jail after pleading guilty to marijuana possession at the time of the attack. In 2013, he was arrested after police found more than 65 pounds of marijuana hidden in the trunk of a rented car he was driving.

Bergen County sheriff's officers immediately responded to the attack, authorities said. The count prosecutor's office Major Crimes Unit was notified due to the serious injuries, authorities said.

McIntosh was treated by medical personnel at the jail before he was transported to Hackensack University Medical Center.

Jawara McIntosh poses with family members.

Rand had said the family has filed a notice of intent to sue and wants the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate. Rand didn't immediately respond Sunday to a request for comment on the charges against Baum.

The sheriff's office didn't immediately respond last week to the family's intent to sue.

After Rand disclosed McIntosh's injuries last week, the sheriff's office announced on Friday it had charged Baum.

The investigation of the incident began immediately and charges were filed within 48 hours, Sheriff's Office Spokesman William Schievella said.

"Although the Bergen County Jail has an extremely low violence rate I extend my thoughts to the family of Mr. McIntosh during this difficult time," Bergen County Sheriff Michael Saudino said in a statement.

The investigation is ongoing, the Sheriff's Office said.

McIntosh's father, Tosh, was a world-renown Reggae artist and a founding member of The Wailers, along with Bob Marley and Bunny Wailer. One of Tosh's most popular songs, "Legalize It," is about legalizing marijuana. Tosh was killed by gunmen in his Kingston, Jamaica home in 1987.

Similar to his father, McIntosh is a Rastafarian. He is a father to four.

Sara Jerde may be reached at sjerde@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @SaraJerde.
WINSLOW TWP. -- Authorities have identified a woman shot to death in her home early Sunday morning.

Deanna Marie Scordo, 45, was found in the house with multiple gunshot wounds, according to the Camden County Prosecutor's Office.

Township police responded to a report of gunshots on the 700 block of Bairdmore Avenue shortly before 4 a.m. Officers tried to provide aid, but Scordo was pronounced dead at the scene.

No arrests have been made and the investigation is ongoing, the prosecutor's office reported.

Anyone with information about the killing is asked to contact prosecutor's office Detective Chris Sarson at 856-225-8640 or Winslow Police Detective Nick Arnold at 609-561-3300.

Information may also be emailed to ccpotips@ccprosecutor.org.

The shooting scene is a farm located along a quiet road near the Atlantic County line. The farmhouse was cordoned off with crime scene tape and two Winslow Township police officers remained by the front door as of 9 a.m.

Nearby neighbors said they didn't hear anything until police responded to the scene early Sunday.

"I was calling around trying to find out what the heck happened," said one neighbor, who declined to give his name. "I just moved in here a few weeks ago. I don't even know anybody yet."

He hasn't met his neighbors at the farm yet, but said the property was usually buzzing with activity in the early hours.

"Usually there's all kinds of activity in the morning, with the farming. Five, 6 o'clock in the morning, they're up and doing things."

Matt Gray may be reached at mgray@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @MattGraySJT. Find the South Jersey Times on Facebook.
NEWARK -- Eight people were arrested on narcotics-related charges on a street in Newark's South Ward after police responded to complaints about drug activity in the area, officials said Friday.

The charges were for having heroin and cocaine, and for loitering in an area with the intent to purchase drugs, city Public Safety Director Anthony Ambrose and Acting Essex County Prosecutor Robert Laurino said in a joint statement.

Newark police, working as part of the Prosecutor's Office Narcotics Task Force, focused Thursday on the 400 block of Irvine Turner Boulevard based on neighborhood complaints, according to officials.

"These law enforcement officers responded to residents' complaints and took the necessary action to rid their neighborhood of this criminal activity," Ambrose said.

Police identified the eight facing charges as Arnold Franklin, 62, Vincent Mendez, 59, of Newark, Bryant McMorris, 54, Jeorge Davila, 49, Victor Thomas, 57, Cynthia Jackson, 55, all of Elizabeth, Victor Lloyd, 50, of Irvington and Janice Bowers, 56, of Bound Brook.

Noah Cohen may be reached at ncohen@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @noahyc and on Facebook. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

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NEWARK -- In an effort to rehabilitate a Newark housing complex, a new children's library opened its doors to dozens of children eager to see the stacks of books lining the walls.

The library is in the community room of Georgia King Village, an affordable housing community in Newark's West Ward.

Prior to Thursday's unveiling of the library, bookworms and occasional readers alike walked a mile to the nearest library.

"No one's walking from here to there," Debbie Kenyon, vice chair and senior partner at L+M Development Partners, said. "This is for children to have a warm and secure place to come."

L+M Development Partners, which took over renovations for Georgia King Village last year, surveyed the community to understand their needs beyond just housing, Kenyon said. Surveys found families had no easy access to children's books, and L+M decided to step in.

The company, working with the Newark YMCA, PSE&G and Newark Public Library, renovated an unused room in the basement to a kid-friendly library.

Within six months, the once dusty, smelly basement room ridden with bugs and leaks became a safe space for children, residents said. The walls were painted blue and white, and neon chairs and posters with motivational quotes were added.

The 2,800 books in the library were donated by L+M and PSE&G employees, Kenyon said. The books range from classic novels like "Little Woman" to the latest Frozen pop-up storybook.

"It takes a village," Kenyon said. "This is the first step in community engagement."

Roughly 500 kids live in the complex, West Ward Councilman Joe McCallum said. He said the project was an important promise for him to keep for the community.

"It's positive, it's enhancing the quality of life," he said. "I'm happy for the residents and the kids. This was depressing last year, so this makes me emotional."

Georgia King Village tenant Naimah Bridges, 28, said she's excited for her kids to have a library so accessible to them.

"They wake up in the morning asking for the library," she said. "It's good for summertime. It gives the kid something extra to do."

McCallum said he was amazed by the end result, and looks forward to working with residents on future projects to continue to improve life in Newark.

The Newark YMCA provides the staff, including interns from Rutgers University, as well as programming that will take place three times a week. Programs include performing arts, STEM and fitness.

"The transformation of Georgia King Village is underway," Kenyon said.

Prudential Impact Investments and L+M Development Partners collaborated to fix the financial, operation and reputation challenges that have been plaguing Georgia King Village for decades, according to officials.

So far, $9 million has been invested into the first phase of work. However, the reading room project was L+M's philanthropy project.

The second phase of construction will begin early next year, developers said.

Sophie Nieto-Munoz may be reached at snieto-munoz@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @snietomunoz. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
NEWARK -- Family and friends in a packed auditorium watched as more than 180 Science Park High School seniors walked across a stage to receive their diplomas.

Dressed in blue and yellow robes, the Class of 2017 was congratulated by Valedictorian Oscar Cosme-Lopez and keynote speaker Hugh Weber, president of the New Jersey Devils.

Seniors presented Weber-- also the president of Prudential Center-- with a banner featuring the New Jersey Devils logo and signatures from members of the class. During his speech, he wished the graduates well on the next chapter of their lives.

Congrats to the 2017 graduates of Science Park HS thx for inviting me #dreamBIG #goDEVILS pic.twitter.com/BN0jLkqaup  Hugh Weber (@hughweber1) June 24, 2017

Student President Yariel Levin addressed his peers in a speech, telling them to work hard and "stay woke."

The school's chorus and band performed before Principal Kathleen Tierney awarded the diplomas. A total of 182 students graduated.

Once the ceremony ended, students threw their graduation caps and glitter into the air in celebration.

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Avalon Zoppo may be reached at azoppo@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter at @AvalonZoppo. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
LOGAN TWP. -- The Coast Guard is searching the Delaware River after someone jumped from the Commodore Barry Bridge early Sunday, officials said.

Police contacted the Coast Guard around 5 a.m. to report that someone leapt from center span of bridge, according to Coast Guard Petty Officer 2nd Class Barry Bena.

The Coast Guard launched a boat from Philadelphia to aid in the search and sent an aircraft from Atlantic City to join the effort.

The search is ongoing Sunday afternoon, Bena said.

The bridge connects Logan Township in Gloucester County with Chester, Pennsylvania.

Matt Gray may be reached at mgray@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @MattGraySJT. Find the South Jersey Times on Facebook.
For years, men with a proposition have been knocking on the door of the Intercessory Tabernacle of Lakewood.

"I keep telling them the church is not for sale," said Thomas E. Simpson, the pastor. "I ask them, 'Would you have sold Solomon's Temple in Jerusalem?' Well, I'm not selling my church -- for no price. I tell them, 'You're religious people. You should know there're more important things than money."

Simpson, 70, started his church in the Lakewood YWCA in 1980. Eight years later, he moved into this plain, angular house of worship on a flat piece of pinelands at the edge of one of the town's African-American neighborhoods.

"Back when I was growing up here, there was nothing but woods," said Shalonda Jones, a church member, as she looked at blocks and blocks of new multi-family homes, inhabited exclusively by Orthodox Jews, across the street from the church.

That's the kind of statement you're used to hearing from and old-timer, but Jones is only 31.

The woods are gone, and so are most of her old neighbors. Gone, too, are the majority of their homes. The neighborhoods along Arlington Road were made up of modest, one-story, rectangular homes situated squarely on lots with small front, back and side yards. They have been replaced by two- and three-story houses spaced so tightly together the neighborhood looks more like a condo complex. Up the street is a massive new brick synagogue and community center that dwarfs Simpson's modest church.

"I've got nothing to show my daughter about where I grew up," Jones said.

A few miles north, on the other side of the business district, Simpson's older brother, Hubba, has a similar view from his house, but to a lesser degree.

"All of Bergen Avenue was mostly black families, but there were a few whites and Hispanics, too," he said. "Now it's all new. We had a church in there, the Vision of Promise, but they tore that down. The town even sold them (the Orthodox community) the firehouse, and they tore that down, too."

In the 1990 U.S. Census, there were about 6,500 blacks in Lakewood, representing 14 percent of the population of about 45,000.

Today, Lakewood's population has risen to more than 100,000 while the black population has declined to 3,900, making up 3.9 percent of residents.

The story can be told through the black churches that have closed or moved.

In recent years, the Vision of Promises was torn down, as was the Emanuel Pentecostal Church on Warren Street.

"I went over and watched," said Thomas Simpson. "They brought in a big claw, crushed them down and trucked them off to some dump in Pennsylvania and threw them in the garbage, just like that."

The Bethel Wells Chapel AME in the downtown is for sale, and holding services in South Toms River. The Restoration Family Worship Center is now in Howell.

And now even the Macedonia Baptist Church, the oldest and largest black church in Lakewood, is being sold.

"An Orthodox school for girls with autism bought our property," said Edward D. Harper, the pastor. The church will move to Farmingdale.

The reason black churches are closing is simple. The congregants are gone.

"Most of the members no longer live here," Harper said. "We're moving closer to the members."

And this is where things get complicated. Some say the buyout of black neighborhoods has been purposeful and that much of the affordable housing built in the burgeoning township has gone to Orthodox families.

Lakewood Commons, a four-stage affordable housing project, has 192 units with another 66 coming. It was built on town-owned land with the help of federal grants. The developer was a non-profit start-up called NJ HAND, formed by members of the Lakewood Vaad, a contingent of Orthodox community leaders.

A drive through the project shows the overwhelming majority of people living there are Orthodox. One housing advocate, who asked not to be identified because they work with the Orthodox community, said there is one Hispanic family in the development and no blacks.

"This was supposed to be done by lottery," the source said. "Please."

Rabbi Shmuel Lefkowitz, director of NJ HAND, said many minority applicants either have problems with credit or can't obtain mortgages.

"We try to be fair and be helpful," he said, adding that he worked with Mike McNeil of STEPS (Solutions To End Poverty), a leading minority housing advocate in Lakewood. "We go out of our way to help these families."

McNeil agreed with Lefkowitz's assessment.

"Some of our people just weren't prepared," he said. "They didn't get their paperwork in order. Now we're working to educate them on how to get these applications done right."

Both Lefkowitz and McNeil said the changes in Lakewood were simply a matter of economics.

"This has nothing to do with Jews and blacks or race," Lefkowitz said. "It's economics. It's gentrification. People are more comfortable living around people like themselves. When the population changes, everything changes. Stores come in that cater to the population."

McNeil said he sold his house in Lakewood and moved for that very reason.

"I got good money and got to move into a better place," he said. "It was a win-win."

Marcia Griffin, president of the Lakewood Clergy and pastor of New Christian Life Center, agreed, saying the Orthodox offered better than market value for homes and the black population took advantage.

"They chose to sell and chose to move," she said. "Many of them got more than their houses were worth and did what was best for themselves. They've left for so many reasons - and then God has his reasons."

Griffin said this last week as residents lined up at her church for the monthly food distribution. The church is on East Fourth Street, which runs through the heart of what used to be a black neighborhood. Two Lakewood Housing Authority buildings for the elderly, disabled and poor are down the street.

But from the back ramp of the church, everything Griffin can see is new, and owned or rented by Orthodox residents.

"We would all like to see a diverse community," she said. "But people tend to gravitate to their own."

Right next door to her church, in two new houses, Orthodox children came out to play but where shooed inside by their mothers.

Two blocks away, Hubba Simpson, 77, acknowledges that the neighborhood has changed but he doesn't blame the Orthodox community.

"Nobody put a gun to anybody's head and told them, 'Get out!' " said Simpson, who has lived in Lakewood most of his life. "People sold because they were offered good money. Money talks. It just don't tell you where it came from."

In Hubba Simpson's neighborhood, the older single-family homes once owned by blacks are now rentals, and lived in by Hispanics.

"They (the Orthodox) keep the Hispanics around because the Hispanics work for them," Hubba Simpson said. "But after a while, they'll tear down those houses and build new ones for themselves."

"All this building, and they haven't built anything for the poor," said Willie Simpson, Hubba's wife. "Except for themselves."

Glenn Wilson, the pastor of Restoration Family Worship Center, sold his house to Orthodox developers several years ago "for three times what we bought it for." His mother's house was next door and it was sold, too.

"It was best for my family," he said. "Plus, I could see the way things were going."

But some choose to stay. Harold Johnson, 59, has lived in the neighborhood for 40 years.

"They offered me $250,000 for my house," he said. "But that's my family home, my mother's house. We're not going to sell."

Tammy Mitchell, the pastor of Bethel Wells, said she wanted to keep her small church in Lakewood but met resistance when she wanted to add a second story.

"They told us we were only zoned for one," she said. "I'm in the downtown. There're two story buildings all around. It doesn't make sense. How come everybody else in this town builds whatever they want and I can't add a second story to my church?"

The church building is for sale now, and she said she's had three offers from Orthodox developers, but each pulled out during the attorney review period of the sale.

"They're offering peanuts," she said. "I know what they're doing. They're trying to wear us down, and squeeze us out."

"When I was growing up in Georgia, white people would tell you to your face, 'We don't want you here, (expletive)," Thomas Simpson said. "It's the same here. The Jews tell you right to your face, 'We're out for our own.' ''

In the East Fourth neighborhood, construction is still booming. Back hoes level lots, frames are hammered, and moving vans pull up to newly completed homes. The new homes tower over the old piney bungalows from Lakewood's less affluent days. Some of the old homes are vacant and boarded up. A claw is coming for them, too.

In the neighborhood, two synagogues are being built, three blocks from one another, to accommodate the Orthodox who must walk to temple on the Sabbath.

Moses Waldnr and Pinchas Guttman, who both recently moved to Lakewood from Brooklyn, were installing windows at the buildings.

"It's cheaper to live here and there's more work," Waldnr said.

"It's a good time to start a construction business," echoed Guttman.

MORE: Recent Mark Di Ionno columns

Mark Di Ionno may be reached at mdiionno@starledger.com. Follow The Star-Ledger on Twitter @StarLedger and find us on Facebook.
The camp is located near the confluence of the North Fork of the Sun River and Cabin Creek, about 30 miles northwest of Augusta. Officials said Hellmuth has limited outdoor experience in Montana and was not dressed for the elements.
Thinking Americans were shocked and appalled to see Senate Republicans in Washington reshape the health care system in a back room, where a small club of white men made every decision in secret.

To me, it seemed perfectly natural.

Because that's what the boys in Trenton do every year during the final showdown over the budget. They're doing it again now. Call it frat-boy democracy.

It's a risky way to do business, since there is no expert testimony, no public hearing, and no thoughtful study of the impacts.

This year, the stakes are high: The viability of the state's largest health insurer, Horizon, and the prices we pay for health care in New Jersey, already the nation's highest.

That's scary. One of my sisters used to be "social secretary" of the woman's rugby club at her college. I once asked once what that means. "It means I tap the keg, and remove all the sharp objects from the room," she told me.

We could use someone like her in Trenton, someone to contain the risk at moments like these.

All this started a few months ago when Gov. Chris Christie, in a final burst of hubris, demanded that Horizon give him $300 million from its reserves. He said it would be used to fight addiction, a noble cause.

But it turned out to be fake. When his bill came out, that bit of public relations was removed. The money pillaged from Horizon could be used to plug holes in his budget. So much for the addicts.

Christie lost that round -- not just because his demand was bizarre, but because his political mojo is so depleted now that not a single legislator stepped up to support him. That's what happens when your polls dip below Richard Nixon's.

Unfortunately, that was not the end of it. Christie launched a public campaign vilifying the company as a gang of greedy capitalists who are "profiteering off the poor" to finance "outrageous and offensive" salaries for its top executives.

Who knew our governor was a socialist?

For the record, I don't know if Horizon makes too much money off the poor. I just know the governor hasn't made the case.

Christie appoints four members of the Horizon board. And in his two terms in office, he's never made a peep about this conspiracy against the poor he sees now. Horizon administers parts of the state's Medicaid program, but it won that job through competitive bidding. Where is the rip-off?

And really, are we supposed to believe Christie, Donald Trump's manservant, is offended that CEO Bob Marino earned $4.5 million last year? Does the governor practice this stuff in the mirror so he can keep a straight face?

On to the secret deals in the back room.

The key dynamic is this: Christie may be as popular as a skin rash, but the state Constitution gives him power to veto any individual spending item in the budget, and Republicans in the Legislature have enough votes to make that stick.

That's why Christie wins these budget fights. He threatens to kill spending items that Democrats cherish, and they back down. It's a game of chicken, basically.

This year, he has two big demands. One is to move the state lottery into the pension funds, a shell game that gives about $1 billion a year to the pensions, but takes about the same amount from the annual budget. Democrats are ready to give him that. It may be meaningless, but it's harmless, too.

But he also wants some blood from Horizon. He knows the $300 million grab is dead, but he wants to reshape the board, and to set up some mechanism where the state can grab Horizon money down the road.

Democrats are split, with less than a week left.

Assembly Speaker Vincent Prieto (D-Hudson) is ready to confront Christie, even if it risks derailing added money for school funding reform, expanded preschool, and so on. Phil Murphy, the Democratic candidate for governor, is also defending Horizon.

Senate President Steve Sweeney (D-Gloucester) is working on a face-saving compromise. He would reshape Horizon's board, allow a money grab only if it would not increase premiums, and even then, only with approval from the new legislature and governor. He told senators Thursday that he would personally sponsor a repeal if the next governor asks him to.

He called Christie a "rotten prick" after one these budget fights, and he says now that the governor's low poll numbers may make him even more dangerous. "What's he got to lose?" Sweeney asks.

Sen. Joe Vitale (D-Middlesex), the Legislature's most respected voice on health issues, is rushing to produce an alternative bill, but the terms aren't set yet.

If that seems crazy, with one week to go, that's because it is. And if Democrats in Trenton can't see the parallel to what Republicans are doing in Washington, then they just aren't paying attention.

More: Tom Moran columns

Tom Moran may be reached at tmoran@starledger.com or call (973) 836-4909. Follow him on Twitter @tomamoran. Find NJ.com Opinion on Facebook.
BILLINGS  There is no word for goodbye in the Crow language. Rather, in Apsalooke, its shia-nuk" (see you later).

Goodbye has a finality to it, so Crow people avoid using it. Yet, without opportunities to practice the Crow language and encouragement from elders, there is fear that some are saying goodbye to their language. People like Janice Little Light Hudetz and the women who helped found the Crow Language Club are working to keep their language alive. The women all live in Billings and are members of the Crow Tribe.

There is some giggling as the monthly meeting begins in the basement of Hudetzs home on the Billings West End. The group usually meets once a month at the downtown Perkins Restaurant, but tonight is special. The six women who are gathered are dressed in traditional outfits, some in elk tooth dresses, others in beaded velvet dresses. Its picture day, and family members take out cellphones to capture video of the women speaking in Crow.

Men arent allowed because group members wanted to continue the tradition of women meeting together.

"Men speak the language very well, but we feel like it's easier to be around women," Hudetz said.

Heres a fun twist to the club: If a member accidentally speaks in English, she has to put money in the jar at the center of the table. On this night, $15 is collected. Over three years, the women have raised $1,000, which they are putting toward a scholarship for a Crow-speaking student to attend college.

New words

They are also adding to the language, which is a Missouri Valley Siouan language and closely related to the language of the Hidatsa Tribe of the Dakotas.

At Perkins one night, Sandi Bird needed the mustard from across the table. There is no word for mustard in Crow, so she came up with "the yellow thing across the table."

They also made up a Crow word for drone, "thing that flies around looking for something."

The Crow language is descriptive, so the words are longer than many English words. They describe the object or person, rather than name it.

The Crow Tribe is fortunate in that about one-third of the 13,045 enrolled members still speak the language. Yet, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization has labeled the Crow language as endangered because most of those who speak Crow are age 50 or older.

Crow chairman A.J. Not Afraid said he applauds efforts by the Crow Language Club to preserve the language and encourage education.

"Both are of the utmost importance to our Apsalooke youth," he said.

Among Crow children attending school in Hardin, the number of children speaking Crow dropped from 82 percent in 1969 to 24 percent in 2002.

Crow educators are working to reverse that trend.

Of the 304 students in Crow Head Start and 50 children in Songbird Daycare in 2011, 35.9 percent of the students spoke no Crow. Through a three-year language immersion program, 90 percent of the preschool students became either fluent or were able to understand the Crow language by 2015.

Janine Pease, Martha Lynn DeCrane, Jennifer Flatlip and Pamela Backbone were instrumental in integrating the program into the preschools.

Forced to pick English names

Native Americans were forced to quit using their language when they were put into boarding schools starting in the 1870s. They were told to pick a new English name off a list on a board and were required to cut their hair.

Carlisle Indian School in Pennsylvania, which operated from 1879 to 1918, was one of the largest boarding schools, housing 10,000 Native American students, including some from the Crow Tribe.

Losing your language is part of losing your culture and many Crow are determined not to let that happen.

Our language is our identity, Bird said.

If her ancestors could survive being beaten for speaking Crow, Bird decided to work harder to not only speak it, but write it.

"They tried to beat them for using their language, but they said We dont want to lose it, Bird said.

And they didnt. They passed it down to their children and grandchildren.

Hudetz said Crow was her first language.

I didnt speak English very well until I married my husband, she said.

Now, her husband, Leo, is learning Crow, and Hudetz is learning to be patient with him and help with the pronunciation.

Bird is one of the few members of the Crow Language Club who can write in Crow. She studied language at Little Big Horn College. The Crow alphabet wasnt established until the early 1970s so it has to be taught, even to people like Hudetz who grew up speaking Crow in her home.

Most tribal members are given their Crow names by a clan uncle or aunt or an important, well-respected member of the tribe. But Bird found her name, Two Medicine Rocks, and asked permission to use it.

When I was in college, we went to the Crow archives and I found my great grandmothers name  Two Medicine Rocks.

Bird said the name fits her well because ever since she was a child, she has collected rocks. She asked permission from her mother, her aunt and her uncles to use the name. When they all agreed, she took the name.

Most of the members of the club are older than 30. Some bring their children to the group, but the children are shy about speaking in Crow in front of other people. Thats something Hudetz would like to work on, encouraging young people to speak Crow in conversation, not just reciting words.

Maintaining common usage of our language is a very important matter, especially since weve become aware that fewer and fewer people speak Crow, Hudetz said.

Mardell Plain Feather was told as a youngster not to speak Crow in front of other people outside her home. She followed that rule until she became an adult and heard people speaking in Spanish one day at the store.

I told my husband, They speak their language. Im proud of my language and Im proud of who I am. I will speak my language when we are out, Plain Feather said.
WASHINGTON  With thousands of south Louisiana homeowners receiving startling increases in the cost of their flood insurance, members of the Louisiana congressional delegation said Thursday they have run out of patience waiting for FEMA to explain what went into calculating the new rates.
Today

Plenty of sunshine. High 79F. Winds light and variable.

Tonight

Clear to partly cloudy. Low 64F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph.

Tomorrow

Showers in the morning, then partly cloudy in the afternoon. High 66F. Winds NNW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 50%.
DECATUR  Reading has long been a passion for Patricia Paulson.

Familiarly known as Trish, Paulson is the new principal of Parsons School. Her first official day is July 17, but she's already been to a school board meeting and met members of her staff.

The secretary (Debbie McInerney) gave me a tour, Paulson said. They're in the middle of some construction to put a track behind the building. I'm really excited about all the new things that are happening.

One of those new things directly involves that track. Parsons' former principal, Jonathan Downing, left at the end of the school year for a new position with the Illinois Education Association.

The track behind the school is in honor of Carol Scharfenberg, who retired this year. The entire staff and Downing kept the secret of the naming of the track until an assembly at which Scharf, as everyone called her, was surprised with an artist's rendering of the track. Scharfenberg founded the Parsons Mileage Club, organized to help kids stay active.

Paulson is a native of Bloomington who is living in Normal until she finds a new home in Decatur. Her ex-husband was in the military, and the family lived in Hawaii, Oklahoma, Germany and Arkansas.

Paulson began her teaching career working for the Army Child Development Services, and started classroom teaching in Arkansas at a Catholic school. She continued teaching at Holy Trinity School in Bloomington-Normal when they moved back to the area and also taught in the Tri-Valley School District. She served as principal at St. Mary's, Prairie Central, Westfiew and Meadowbrook schools.

She's been a special programs liaison over special education and preschool and has finished her superintendent's certificate at Illinois State University, where she also earned her bachelor's degree.

I wanted to get back to being a principal, Paulson said. In my last job, I went to (individualized education plan) meetings most of the time, and I missed the direct contact with kids. I can have more impact on kids and their education as a principal.

Her family includes a 28-year-old son, who works for Amazon in Arkansas; a daughter, 25, who is working on her doctorate at Georgia Tech; and a second daughter, 22, who is in graduate school at Illinois State University, studying to be a speech-language therapist.
Council Bluffs has a long, proud history.

Now the city also as an accolade worthy of its place in the region and the country: Council Bluffs is an All-America City.

The community received the designation last week at a conference organized by the National Civic League and the Campaign for Grade-Level Reading in Denver.

The Nonpareil was on hand for the announcement, as well the conference itself, which included plenty of praise for Council Bluffs and its fellow communities in Iowa.

This week, The Nonpareil brings its readers a special section commemorating the journey that Council Bluffs and a delegation of community officials took to bring home the award, what it means for the community and how the local Campaign for Grade-Level Reading, dubbed Raise Me to Read, will strive to make a continued difference in the lives of young readers in Pottawattamie County.

The All-America City Award recognizes the top communities in the country. This years winners were recognized for their work toward promoting grade-level literacy by the end of third grade.

According to the league, George H. Gallup dubbed the All-America City Award as the Nobel Prize for constructive citizenship. More than 500 communities have been recognized nationally since 1949. The league said the award reinvigorates a communitys sense of civic pride.

As The Nonpareil reported from Denver last week, the Campaign for Grade-Level Reading focuses on school attendance, readiness and summer learning  three areas where Council Bluffs has invested resources, whether its staff time for school officials, charitable dollars through the Iowa West Foundation, collaborations with area businesses and nonprofits, or launching the Raise Me to Read initiative in coordination with Iowa West and the United Way of the Midlands.

Winning an All-America City Award represented the culmination of efforts for outgoing Council Bluffs Community School District Superintendent Martha Bruckner, who was also recognized individually at a luncheon by the Campaign for Grade-Level Reading at the conference.

Bruckner advocated for the campaign in the early days in Council Bluffs, using it to help bring together a network of partners, many of whom were represented in Denver at the All-America City Conference. Bruckner will now step down from her role leading the Council Bluffs schools.

In the years since, with the campaign and other efforts in the community, progress has been made, and Bruckner said the new push for Raise Me to Read aims to take the next step. The campaign itself pushed its members to pivot from moving the needle to closing the gap in the upcoming years.

As Council Bluffs continues to look forward, its past  and the accomplishments of the previous decade, as represented by the All-AMerica City designation  will provide its bedrock for its future success and achievements.
Editors Note: This story contains material from The Nonpareils published coverage of the All-America City Conference as well as additional, new reporting.

DENVER  Representatives of Iowas delegation at the All-America City Conference were praised for their efforts, while they also received a challenge from Campaign for Grade-Level Reading officials to expand their successes to improve early literacy across the country.

The campaign has recognized seven Iowa communities as 2016 Pacesetters, presenting them an award for implementing community solutions to increase early literacy.

Five Iowa communities were named All-America City Award finalists, and three  Council Bluffs, Des Moines and Dubuque, spanning the state from west to east  took home the 2017 designation.

While this year was Council Bluffs first All-America City win, the community has won a Pacesetter Award for each of the past five years.

There is no other state in our network where we have more Pacesetters, where we have more All-America City finalists and where we have such incredible work going on, Ron Fairchild, the director of the campaigns Grade-Level Reading Support Center, told the Iowa delegation at a breakfast gathering on June 15.

The campaign later tweeted at The Nonpareil that Iowa has been such an inspiration to us, and Becky Miles-Polka, the campaigns lead consultant for Iowa, said that there is a little buzz going on about Iowa.

The state has been the subject of some of the side conversations taking place at the conference.

After the awards were announced, Miles-Polka said she was excited for how well Iowa had done.

I am just so proud of Council Bluffs, Miles-Polka said, noting that the campaigns schools in Iowa cover well over half the low-income students in Iowa from birth to age 8. Well done, Council Bluffs.

At a June 14 open reception, banners for Iowas Pacesetter communities were clustered in a corner of the Westin Hotels grand foyer, drawing representatives of those cities to sit together before coming together as a state to share updates and news Thursday morning.

The cities represented at the breakfast included Council Bluffs, Sioux City, Ames, Des Moines, Cedar Rapids, Waterloo-Cedar Falls, Dyersville, Dubuque, the Quad Cities and a small group from Omaha, including representatives of Douglas and Sarpy counties GOALS Center.

Ottumwa will become the next campaign city in Iowa, Miles-Polka said. The campaign currently covers 58 school districts, including half of the states disadvantaged learners, providing plenty of opportunity for the campaigns efforts to make a difference in the state.

We have the ability to really move the needle in Iowa, Miles-Polka said. We know there are improvements in reading proficiency.

Iowa has at least 31 state and local funders for the campaign, and Miles-Polka said that even with the recent political climate in the state, significant public dollars have been invested in early literacy in Iowa, even as lawmakers withdrew their financial support for intensive summer reading programs or retention for struggling third-graders who arent reading at grade level.

Kari McCann Boutell, president of the Iowa Council of Foundations, said Iowa received a grant to support the Campaign for Grade-Level Reading nearly three years ago, and its set to run out in July.

She said the council hopes to continue to support the campaigns efforts and is exploring ways to obtain additional funding.

The state-level campaign has brought in Attendance Works, which also plans to visit the Omaha metro area this fall, as well as other national experts to help build capacity in Iowa. McCann Boutell said a statewide network would focus on sharing data, communications and support as well as working on state-level policies and lobbying.

Such a network would continue to help Iowas campaign cities, and the state more broadly, address their goals for early literacy. But Campaign for Grade-Level Reading officials issued a challenge at an all-conference session before smaller workshop sessions were conducted.

Ralph Smith, managing director for the campaign, described what he called an inconvenient truth for early literacy advocates: A large and growing number of kids are falling beyond the reach of schools.

Those children, Smith said, are those who arrive in kindergarten already far behind their peers, who miss many days of school and who fall prey to the summer slide by failing to continue learning while school isnt in session. Schools arent able to reach those students alone because theyre not able to work with families 24/7, they dont operate year-round and struggle to work across generations.

These are the students, these are the children, for whom this campaign was organized, Smith said. This is our target population, because what we have known is that these children and these families need systems of care, services and family supports.

Doug Linkhart, president of the National Civic League, said the Campaign for Grade-Level Reading has shown that its possible to bring together an entire community to show measurable outcomes.

We truly believe that when a community truly uses inclusive civic engagement to bring everyone to the table, we can accomplish anything, he said.

Fairchild said that making the progress the campaign has seen so far seemed daunting when the effort got off the ground in 2012. He said the campaign would again use the All-America City Awards in 2021 to recognize those communities successful in pivoting toward the next goal: not simply moving the needle but closing the gap for early literacy.

We should be keenly aware of the challenges that we face as we move forward with this campaign, Fairchild said.

One state that has yet formally to rise to the campaigns challenge is Nebraska, which does not have any communities engaged in the Campaign for Grade-Level Reading.

Beyond the participation of the GOALS Center in the conference, though, there is reason to suspect other schools in the Omaha metro area might get behind the effort.

The Nebraska Legislature debated a bill last session, which was not advanced, that would have instituted a mandate for students to read at grade-level by the end of third grade or face possible retention, a proposal similar to Iowas law that was repealed in the past session by the Iowa Legislature due to a lack of available funding.

Outgoing Council Bluffs Superintendent Martha Bruckner said she would like to see the Campaign for Grade-Level Reading spread across the Missouri River into Omaha-area schools. Currently, Nebraska has no schools involved in the campaign.

The Omaha metro area should have been on this process all along, Bruckner said, adding that she believes it would make sense for other metro districts to join the campaign. It would be a very logical thing because I think it brings the community and the school districts together.

Bruckner starts a new role in July with the Metropolitan Omaha Educational Consortium, where she will work with the 12 metro-area school districts, two community colleges and the University of Nebraska at Omaha on common goals and plans.

Meanwhile, the United Way of the Midlands has engaged in an area-wide push to promote reading and school attendance.
KANSAS CITY, Mo.  A Kansas federal jury awarded nearly $218 million on Friday to farmers who sued Swiss agribusiness giant Syngenta over its introduction of a genetically engineered corn seed variety.

Syngenta vowed to appeal the verdict favoring four Kansas farmers representing roughly 7,300 growers from that state in what served as the first test case of tens of thousands of U.S. lawsuits assailing Syngentas decision to introduce its Viptera seed strain to the U.S. market before China approved it for imports.

The Kansas trial and a Minnesota one next month involving about 60,000 cases are to serve as bellwether trials, providing guidance for how the complex web of litigation in state and federal courts could be resolved.

Attorneys can see how juries react and determine whether to settle other cases or take them to trial. The legal team thats in charge of the Minnesota case are seeking Iowa farmers for a lawsuit, too, according to iowacornlawsuit.com.

This is only the beginning, the Kansas farmers attorneys said in a statement, calling Fridays verdict great news for Kansas and U.S. corn growers. We look forward to pursuing justice for thousands more corn farmers in the months ahead.

Syngenta began selling Viptera in the U.S. for the 2011 growing season, but China didnt approve it until December 2014. The lawsuits allege Syngentas move to market the seed variety before Chinas clearing of it for imports wrecked an increasingly important export market for U.S. corn, causing years of depressed corn prices. Court filings show Syngenta aggressively marketed the seeds, even when it knew Chinese approval was going to be a problem.

Most of the farmers suing didnt grow Viptera, but China also rejected millions of metric tons of their grain because elevators and shippers typically mix grain from large numbers of suppliers, making it difficult to source corn that was free of the trait. So they say all farmers were hurt by the resulting price drop.

Experts speaking for the farmers who sued said they estimate the economic damage at about $5 billion, though Syngenta has denied its actions caused any losses for farmers.

Fridays jury award, if upheld on appeal, would be dispersed to the more than 7,000 Kansas farmers in the class, minus unspecified attorneys fees. But it remains unclear how much each victim ultimately will get, given that the payouts likely will be proportionate to such variables as the number of bushels each sold during a relative time period, said Don Downing, an attorney for the plaintiffs.

Syngenta said it was disappointed with Fridays outcome because it will only serve to deny American farmers access to future technologies even when they are fully approved in the U.S.

The case is without merit, and we will move forward with an appeal and continue to defend the rights of American farmers to access safe and effective U.S.-approved technologies, the company said in a statement.

Calling Viptera in full compliance with U.S. regulatory and legal requirements, Syngenta added that American farmers shouldnt have to rely on a foreign government to decide what products they can use on their farms.

Syngenta said it invested more than $100 million and 15 years in developing Viptera, which has a trait called MIR162 that protects against pests such as earworms, cutworms, armyworms and corn borers.

Court papers show that Syngenta initially assured stakeholders that China would approve MIR162 in time for the 2011 crop, but the date kept slipping. Some exporters sent shipments containing the trait to China anyway. After two years of accepting them, China began rejecting them in late 2013.

The Kansas trial came as ChemChina  a state-owned conglomerate also known as China National Chemical Corp.  is closing in on its $43 billion acquisition of Syngenta. Chinese companies are engaged in a multibillion-dollar global buying spree to acquire technology and brands, a move to improve their competitive edge as explosive growth in their home economy slows.
DECATUR  Susan Hunk's cheerful spirit and bright smile in the face of a recent diagnosis of breast cancer inspires her friends.

A whole lot of them, wearing Susan's Squad T-shirts, accompanied her to Come Together, Let's Walk in Fairview Park on Saturday.

I'd be bawling in the corner, said Melissa Morse, Hunk's friend who organized the Squad. And look at her.

Hunk said she's had three chemo treatments so far and is about halfway through treatment. Attending Come Together, which raises funds to support breast, cervical and ovarian cancer programs locally, made her feel supported and inspired, she said.

I feel great, she said, flashing that smile that Morse admires so much.

About 1,200 people signed up to walk or run in the annual event, which has been under way for seven years after replacing the former event, Komen Race for the Cure, that lasted for 20 years.

Come Together, Let's Walk is focused on survivors, who wore bright yellow shirts on Saturday, while white T-shirts were worn by other attendees, and who are always invited to participate the survivor tribute. Survivors choose whether to take part and whether to identify themselves as such when they register. Songs of hope and victory, including You Raise Me Up, were performed by Shelith Hansbro and her daughters, Kendyll and Kennedy.

One of the hallmarks of the tribute is that doctors also attend, often hugging their patients and cheering for them.

All the organizers are also survivors, and assistant Chairwoman Becky Gates said honoring survivors is what keeps them motivated.

It's all about the survivors, she said. I guarantee, there isn't going to be a dry eye in the house.

There were tears, accompanied by smiles, as women hugged each other, patted backs and shoulders and high-fived each other. Some were still wearing head coverings on bald heads made that way by chemotherapy. Many of the attendees had paper signs attached to their race shirts with the names of friends and family they wanted to honor, some posthumously, and some who are survivors.

Carmen Scott and her friend LaToya Johnson both live in Springfield, but drove to Decatur very early on Saturday.Scott brought her 7-month-old daughter, Suri, who rode in style in her stroller and offered a dimpled grin to anyone who spoke to her.

I've been in remission for six months, since January, Scott said.

All the money raised stays in the community, Gates said, and grants from last year, for example, benefited ovarian, breast and cervical cancer programs at Decatur Memorial Hospital, HSHS St. Mary's Hospital and Gallery 510. The organization had some money left over that went unclaimed, and Gates said applications can be made by contacting ctletswalk@att.net or the Community Foundation, (217) 876-4752. Information on women's health is available at cometogetherletswalk.com.

Miranda Lofland, an 11-year survivor, attended with friends and her two daughters, Jennifer, 8 and 11-year-old Nicole, who was there for the second year.

I just think it's nice to celebrate the survivors and to remember the ones who didn't survive, said Nicole.
A group of diverse but like-minded individuals, the members of ARC have come together in their common desire to fight hatred, bigotry, intolerance and violence because of the harm these antisocial behaviors cause to our society. In that effort, we will not use or sanction the use of illegal actions (such as violence or intimidation) in pursuit of our desired aims and if we learn of anyone who does use these unethical methods we will report those individuals to the authorities. Instead, we will use the guarantees found in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms that ensure freedom of legal speech and expression.
At his big rallies last fall President Trump kept telling his supporters that, "We're just going to win and win so much you're going to get tired of winning."

No one ever gets tired of winning, especially a rookie politician who everyone in the establishment predicted would be a loser.

But after what happened last week in special congressional elections in Georgia and South Carolina, I'm beginning to think the Democrats are never going to get tired of losing.

So far in 2017, despite the pipe dreams of the Democrat Party leadership and the hopeful predictions of the Trump-hating media, Republicans are 4-0 in special House elections.

The Republican sweep may have given President Trump and the weak-kneed GOP in Congress the courage they need to pass some of the administration's agenda on health care reform, tax reform and the infrastructure.

The Democrats desperately wanted a Republican defeat in a House race so they could use it to show that Trump's popularity was evaporating and they were on the comeback trail for the 2018 midterm elections.

The party of Pelosi poured $30 million into the race between Republican Karen Handel and Democrat Jon Ossoff for the right to represent the Newt Gingrich conservatives of suburban Atlanta's 6th Congressional District.

Up until the second the polls closed, Democrats and their cheerleaders in the media were calling the Handel-Ossoff race an important referendum on the Trump presidency.

But they quickly did a 180 when the Georgia race, and a less publicized House contest in South Carolina that the Republican won by 3 percent, turned into an easy 4-point win for Handel.

The anti-Trump pundits on TV and the Democrats instantly pivoted and started spewing a string of excuses:

The district was so conservative no Democrat ever really could have had a chance.

Ossoff, a D.C. insider and documentary maker, was a really weak first-time candidate.

On Election Day it rained a lot more in the Democratic parts of the district.

It wasn't just in the 6th District where the Democrats lost. They also lost in Manhattan, Hollywood and Marin County, Calif., where all the donor money they blew on Ossoff came from.

At some point you'd think those donors would wake up, smell the rot and demand a change at the top of their sad party.

But no.

Nancy Pelosi is still their party's prom queen.

They chose Tom Perez to head the Democratic National Committee, a guy who thinks he can cuss his way to victory.

And in Atlanta they got behind a candidate who doesn't live in the district and wasn't even able to vote for himself.

It was laughable to watch the Party of Losers come up with reasons for why they never had a chance in Georgia, or say that the margin of victory was an encouraging sign of future Republican weakness.

Six months into a Trump presidency they still think they can somehow undo, Democrats still don't realize that their problem is their old and tired message and their old and tired messengers.

By now Pelosi should have been pulled down from her perch as the Democrat's minority speaker of the House and replaced with someone who understands the political implications of Trump's win and how to deal with it.

But Pelosi's not going anywhere.

As long as the Democrats want to keep her at the top, I say to them, "Go for it."

As long as they want to keep Perez running the DNC, I say, "Go for it."

And as long as they remain so angry at Trump they can't think straight, I say, "Stay angry, my friends."
As if witnessing a natural phenomenon wasnt enough, people in the path of the total solar eclipse will also have a chance to help record history on Aug. 21.

When eclipse specialists from the University of California, Berkeley Space Sciences Laboratory visit North Platte next week, they will be promoting an Eclipse Megamovie Project.

The goal of the project is to produce a high definition, time-expanded video of the eclipse that will allow scientists to analyze the suns corona for years to come.

The video will be created using thousands of images taken by citizens at various points along the eclipse path. Those images will provide continuous datasets far exceeding what any one person could capture from a single location.

It will add a new dimension to the study of the suns faint outer atmosphere, the corona, by showing how the corona changes over time.

Scientists have been able to observe rapid variations of the corona using radio wave studies. However, the Megamovie Project will allow them to study such processes directly using visible light  thus enriching their knowledge of the suns dynamic atmosphere.

The experiment will be repeated when another total eclipse crosses the U.S. in 2024. That will show how the sun has changed after seven years.

People can learn how to participate in the project during a town hall meeting at 7 p.m. Tuesday in the McDonald-Belton Theater on the North Platte Community College South Campus.

In addition to talking about the Eclipse Megamovie Project, the specialists will discuss the science of eclipses and what to watch for during an eclipse, said Lisa Burke, executive director of the North Platte/Lincoln County Visitors Bureau. Those who attend the presentation will gain a better understanding of eclipses and learn how to get the most out of their eclipse experience.

The presentation is free and open to the public. It is being hosted by the Visitors Bureau and NPCCs STEM Club.

According to 2017nebraskaeclipse.com, the last time North Platte experienced a total solar eclipse was 310 AD. Another one is not expected to happen in the area until 2744.
Few people want to think about end-of-life care, but for many its something that will have to be dealt with eventually. A free program at Great Plains Health aims to help people plan for it.

Planning for the end of life is a gift given to loved ones, said Lisa Bocott of Great Plains Home Health and Hospice. It takes the guesswork out of difficult decisions and allows medical professionals and loved ones to make decisions for your care that are consistent with your wishes.

The program, Being Mortal, is designed for anyone, whether they are facing terminal illness or are healthy. The program is made possible by a grant from the John and Wauna Harman Foundation in partnership with the Hospice Foundation of America.

Being Mortal will take place from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Thursday at the Great Plains Health education conference center. There is no cost to attend and no registration is required.

Participants will watch a film that follows several physicians as they discuss end-of-life choices with their patients. It will cover the barriers to those conversations, Bocott said. After the film, a panel of professionals including a physician, social worker and palliative care nurse will answer questions from participants.

Bocott said advance directives, including a living will and power of attorney for health care, will be available for participants to complete if they choose.

Anyone from the community is welcome to attend, Bocott said. The information is relevant to the general public as well as health care professionals.

For more information about the Being Mortal event, contact Renee Callaghan at 308-696-7918.
A plain piece of wood turns into a work of art in the hands of the craftsman.

On Saturday, the North Platte Wood Carvers hosted the 15th annual Artistry in Wood Show & Sale at the Quality Inn & Suites in North Platte.

Carvers displayed their work and competed for prizes in various categories.

Ive been a wood carver for about seven years, said Traci Bates of Sutherland. I started when I took a class in Kearney with PJ Driscoll working on a Santa Claus.

She said her favorite style is relief carving.

Relief carving entails cutting away layers of wood to give it the 3D effect, Bates said.

Basswood is a favorite of wood carvers because it is soft and light, she said.

Bill Trembly, of North Platte, has been carving for about four years, although his interest began as a young boy.

When I was in the seventh grade, the shop teacher would make blanks for me, Trembly said. I like the cottonwood bark houses, theyre a lot of fun.

Fifteen years ago, Roy Pressler and Ron Meyer started the Artistry in Wood Show.

We have carvers from all over the state, from Colorado, Kansas and South Dakota, all the way around us, Pressler said.
Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook founder, posted that he was touring Bailey Yard on Saturday in North Platte.

Zuckerberg wrote in a Facebook post: Nebraska has one of the largest train yards in the world at more than 8 miles long. Its important national infrastructure for transporting everything from grain, lumber, fuel, cars, chemicals and goods. One guy I met told me he doesnt think city people in Omaha understand rural areas like North Platte or even know they exist. But with 40 percent of goods shipped across the country by rail, we all depend on the work people here do.

The Telegraphs attempts to reach Union Pacific were unsuccessful on Saturday afternoon.

Earlier in the day, Zuckerberg was in Omaha to meet with David Kerr, president of the Heartland Pride nonprofit group, which organized the Heartland Pride Festival at Stinson Park.

According to a story by the Omaha World-Herald, no one besides Kerr knew about the visit. Kerr said hed arranged for people representing a wide spectrum of individuals within the LGBTQ community to be at the festival to meet Zuckerberg.

The Zuckerberg team said this was part of the tour hes been making in cities around the country, according to the World-Herald article.

Can't see the video? Click here.
Steve Jobs unveiled the first iPhone in January 2007, before an adoring congregation, in his signature Sermon on the Mount style. On June 29, it became available to the public.

Ten years later, the phone has spread like Christianity.

The device represents the pinnacle product of all capitalism, as Brian Merchant argues in his new book, The One Device: The Secret History of the iPhone. Merchant calls the adoption of the iPhone a rapid, civilization-scale transformation.

Happy birthday, iPhone. Time for a return to its origins.

In the stage show that introduces the phone, Jobs has no doubt hes making history. The Apple logo is rendered, tall as a man, in what looks like onyx ganache. Jobs stands on the dais, haloed in the logos glow. He explains the novelty of touch-screen scrolling. He flashes the album art from Green Days American Idiot. He plays a good-luck voicemail from Al Gore. He speaks of magic, of revolution.

And, then, at length, he talks smack about the horrible Blackberry buttons, which he intends to make obsolete with the glabrous minimalism of the iPhone.

Yes, glabrous: having a surface without hairs or projections. Merchant doesnt use the word in his book, which chronicles his search for what he calls the soul of the iPhone. But glabrous may be the perfect way to describe the pinnacle fetish of capitalism.

I heard it first from Marina Warner, the British mythographer, in a lecture she gave that likened the iPhone to Venus de Milo and depilated porn actors. Those idealized female forms, she said, look and feel alien, the way the iPhone does, and all three suggest that terrestrial humans  in our stubborn hairiness  chronically fall short.

The iPhone is also oleophobic: It fears oil. Hairless and oil-free, the iPhone holds human biology in contempt. We have designed something wonderful for your hand, said Jobs on that first day. But the iPhone is to human hands like cold chrome is to warm, yielding fruit.

Sigh. We fell in love with hardware that was our opposite.

I watched the Jobs keynote introducing the iPhone, and  like many others  I was charmed by the devices sleekness and aspirational price tag. But I put off buying one. For all the Green Day it could play, it also seemed aloof.

Meanwhile, my beloved Blackberry worked better than ever. The keyboard worked so well that by 2007 I could write long emails on it in mixed cases and full paragraphs. I didnt use SMS or its goofy shorthand in those days. Designed for lawyers seeking roving billable hours, the Blackberry made it possible to actually work and write while on the go.

But suddenly, when the iPhone appeared, every phone but Apples started to look like a fidget spinner for the dandruff club. I couldnt shake the idea that there was something unsightly and uncool about a raised nondynamic keyboard, so when my T-Mobile plan elapsed, I switched to iPhone-friendly AT&T, and took home my first iPhone.

For months I thought of it as the Greta Garbo of my personal effects. It wouldnt mix with my warm leather wallet or battered Filofax. It seemed to leap from my hands as if it would be alone or get cracked trying. No more writing long emails on the vanishing keypad; with my new clumsiness I became less literate, and found text abbreviations and emoji easier. I started taking thousands of rolls of pointless photographs for which I evidently needed yottabytes of space in the iCloud. I blamed myself when its battery drained too fast.

Over these 10 years, two moments in Jobs iPhone baptism have stuck with me.

The first is when he compares the iPhone to all other smartphones, saying, Its way smarter and super easy to use. The primary Apple promise: We are smarter so you can be dumber. Thats been true for me. I used to regularly open my Blackberry and even had some sense of how it worked; now I have to trust Geniuses for my iPhones simplest repairs.

The other line I think of is a Jobs throwaway. Hes deep into rhapsodizing about the phones features, and mentions the sensor that keeps your phone from hanging up if you brush against it. You dont get spurious input from your face! he fairly shouts. The word spurious  bogus  stood out. That stuff your face says, those inputs, are not true inputs, in Jobs world. Whats true are only the inputs the phone has been programmed to recognize. For the iPhone, everything else  human skin, faces, emotions, warmth, long paragraphs of real prose  cannot be said to exist. Its all spurious.

And thats how in a single decade nearly a billion of us came to own the iPhone, and the iPhone came to own us.
INDIANAPOLIS  Indiana's legislative district boundaries appear to intentionally favor the Republican Party, according to a new analysis by the Associated Press.

The news cooperative used a measurement tool known as the "efficiency gap" to determine that Hoosier Republicans control five Indiana House seats and one U.S. House seat more than would be expected from the 2016 vote share won by GOP candidates.

That could prove significant if the U.S. Supreme Court next year upholds a lower court decision that struck down the Wisconsin Assembly's district maps as an unconstitutional partisan gerrymander.

One possible outcome may see Hoosier lawmakers forced to redraw Indiana's legislative boundaries prior to the 2018 or 2020 elections, before tackling the state's 2021 redistricting following the once-a-decade national population count.

Efficiency gap

The Wisconsin case and AP analysis both rely on the efficiency gap, a measurement developed by Nick Stephanopoulos, a University of Chicago law professor, and Eric McGhee, a researcher at the nonpartisan Public Policy Institute of California.

It tallies "wasted votes"  defined as all the votes cast for a losing candidate and any votes for the winner beyond what were needed to win.

For example, if a Republican candidate defeats a Democratic candidate by a 60-to-40 percent margin, the Republican wasted 10 percent of her votes since she only needed 50 percent to win, while the Democrat's 40 percent vote share was entirely wasted because she didn't win.

A party that wastes fewer votes is considered more efficient at translating votes into victories.

Stephanopoulos and McGhee evaluated party efficiency against an expectation that for each percentage point gain over 50 percent in its statewide vote share, a party normally increases its seat share by 2 percentage points.

So if Republicans receive 55 percent of the vote statewide, the GOP should expect to win 60 percent of the legislative seats.

Greater gains may indicate a structural partisan advantage, such as gerrymandering.

Gerrymandering is the process of drawing districts to pack a large number of voters for an opposing party into a few districts or to spread them among multiple districts to dilute the strength of their votes.

Gerrymandering has been used for centuries by political parties to maintain their power.

The term was coined in 1812 after Massachusetts Gov. Elbridge Gerry approved a salamander-shaped voting district to boost his party's chances of winning the seat.

The U.S. Supreme Court never has invalidated a legislative map due to partisan gerrymandering, though it repeatedly has struck down districts that intentionally deprive Americans of a meaningful vote based on other characteristics, primarily race.

Indiana gerrymandering

Republicans unquestionably dominate Indiana government.

The GOP controls seven of the nine U.S. House seats, the governor's office, the six other elected executive branch positions, 70 out of 100 Indiana House seats and 41 of 50 state senators.

Such overwhelming margins suggest gerrymandering may be afoot, since Republican vote totals in statewide races are significantly less than the share of seats held by Republican lawmakers.

For example, Gov. Eric Holcomb last year was elected with 51 percent of the vote; U.S. Sen. Todd Young, R-Ind., won 52 percent; and President Donald Trump was supported by 57 percent of Hoosiers.

But the General Assembly that convened in January was 70 percent Republican in the House and 82 percent Republican in the Senate. The Indiana Congressional delegation was 78 percent Republican.

"That happened on purpose," said state Sen. Karen Tallian, D-Ogden Dunes, who is part of an organization  Citizens for Fair Elections  working to eliminate partisan gerrymandering in Indiana.

The AP analysis of last year's Indiana House and U.S. House races appears to confirm Tallian's suspicion. The Indiana Senate was excluded because only half the chamber was up for election.

For the Indiana House, Republicans claimed 57.6 percent of the votes cast across 100 districts while Democrats received 42.4 percent.

Using the efficiency gap measure, where each point over 50 percent equals 2 percent more seats, the 7.6 percent GOP margin should produce 65 Republican seats, instead of the 70 that the party controls.

Similarly, Republicans received 58.6 percent of the vote in the state's nine U.S. House districts with Democrats winning 41.4 percent.

That translates to a 6-3 partisan split instead of the 7-2 advantage that Republicans enjoy.

Hoosier mapmaking

Indiana's legislative district maps were drawn in 2011 by a Republican-controlled General Assembly and approved by Republican Gov. Mitch Daniels.

The GOP only had won control of the Indiana House a few months earlier, flipping a Democratic-led 52-48 chamber to a 60-40 Republican House in what was a dismal election year for Democrats nationwide.

Republicans have controlled the Indiana Senate continuously since 1978.

In 2012, the first election under the new maps, House Republicans grew their majority to 69 lawmakers, then 71 in 2014, before state Rep. Mara Candelaria Reardon, D-Munster, was able to reclaim her former seat in 2016 and reduce the GOP membership to 70.

Likewise, the 33 Senate Republicans in 2010 increased to 37 through 2014, then 40 for two years, and now 41.

Tallian said one way Republicans did it was by drawing boundaries that either concentrate as many Democrats as possible in one district, or put Democratic voters in districts with just enough Republicans that a Democrat candidate has no chance of ever winning.

She points to numerous Senate districts in the Indianapolis area that have populations centered in largely Republican suburbs but slice into mostly Democratic Marion County in an effort to dilute the value of city votes.

Tallian said if Indianapolis Senate districts were kept within city limits then Democrats likely would control up to six additional seats in the chamber.

The opposite process was used in Illinois where Democrats drew the maps.

Most Illinois Congressional districts have populations concentrated in generally Democratic areas of Chicago, then snake out to grab a minority of GOP suburban votes.

Tallian said it's difficult to gerrymander in Northwest Indiana because the Region is bordered by Illinois and Lake Michigan.

Though she noted that in 2011, GOP mapmakers used population losses in north Lake County to shift south two then-Democratic Indiana House districts.

As a result, both districts now are represented by Republicans.

Redistricting reform

For the past two summers, a study committee composed of Hoosier lawmakers and good-government advocates consulted with national experts about whether Indiana should alter its partisan redistricting process.

The panel ultimately concluded that "the interests of the voters and citizens of Indiana would be best served if a bipartisan commission draws the Congressional and state legislative maps and submits the maps to the General Assembly for enactment beginning with the redistricting that follows the 2020 decennial census."

However, a proposal to establish that bipartisan commission went nowhere during the 2017 legislative session due in part to strong opposition by state Sen. Brandt Hershman, R-Buck Creek, floor leader for the Senate Republican supermajority.

Hershman said he does not believe Indiana is gerrymandered, he's not persuaded by the efficiency gap analysis and contends that redistricting reformers have other policy objectives they're trying to implement.

"While district lines may have some marginal impact on an election outcome, I would say that there are a lot of other factors in play that have a greater role," Hershman said.

Those other factors include candidate quality and fundraising ability  two things he said Indiana Democrats have struggled with in recent years.

As a result, Republicans have won elections that might have gone the other way if their opponents had more experience running campaigns or serving in public office.

"It's far too simplistic to view Hoosiers as a monolithic voting block ... The exact same voters that elected (Republican) Todd Young (to the U.S. Senate) also elected (Democrat) Joe Donnelly," Hershman said.

He suggested that having a commission draw legislative boundaries is a nice idea in theory, but no state with a commission has completely eliminated partisanship from redistricting.

Moreover, he observed, there isn't even a way to measure that.

"One of the challenges of doing mapping is that you have a variety of legal precedents to consider when you are drawing lines," Hershman said. "So it's not just Republicans versus Democrats; you have to take into account communities of interest, you have to take into account racial make-up.

"So to try and suggest some ill-intent because you can manipulate one variable to suit your policy objective is false."

An Indiana lawsuit?

Tallian is not giving up on her efforts to, as she said, put voters in charge of picking their representatives instead of the other way around through gerrymandering.

"We have a group, we have a legal team, we have a website, we are raising money to pay for the experts," Tallian said. "If we can't win the battle in the Legislature, we are going to take the battle to the courts."

She believes partisan gerrymandering is as insidious as racial gerrymandering, because both deprive voters of a meaningful say in their government.

"When you gerrymander districts it makes it a lot more difficult to vote out the party in power," Tallian said.

Citizens for Fair Elections is expected to decide this week whether to immediately pursue an Indiana lawsuit along the lines of the Wisconsin case, or to wait for a decision by the U.S. Supreme Court.

Redistricting-reform legislation also is likely to be filed once again with the Indiana General Assembly when lawmakers convene in January for a 10-week session.
CROWN POINT  It's been about a decade in the works, but it looks like the Old Lake County Jail could finally be getting some new neighbors.

Randy Sekerez, of Sekerez Development Corp., has received a certificate of appropriateness from the Historic Preservation Committee to demolish two structures next to the jail.

The buildings are at the northeast corner of East and Walnut streets at the former site of Gard's Cleaning. Sekerez has had ownership of the property for about 10 years and in 2008 proposed condos at the site, which at the time included a gas station to the west. That was rejected and Sekerez came back to the city with plans for townhomes. Those were approved.

"And then the economy fell apart and the project never took off," he said.

Sekerez doesn't have a specific project in mind at this time, but he said there have been about 200 inquires for the site.

One of the holdups has been the Indiana Department of Environmental Management. About eight years ago, Sekerez applied for a permit from IDEM to address the environmental issues caused on the site from a dry cleaners business. A chemical used there seeped into the soil and needs to be removed before the site can be reused.

Sekerez said a firm from Indianapolis was hired to do extensive testing. It was determined the contamination is relatively confined underneath the building. A study was done to see if the building could be saved with the contaminants cleaned up on site, but that proved not feasible. Sekerez said the building needs to be razed, and the contaminated soils extracted and hauled to a special waste facility.

After IDEM tests the site to make sure it is clean, Sekerez can move forward with a new project there.

"The process has been very frustrating," he said.

Sekerez said his project falls into IDEM's volunteer remediation program in which more urgent IDEM projects are addressed first. He said he spoke to IDEM earlier in June and was told approval was coming.

"I'm anticipating something happening quickly from IDEM and I want to have all my ducks in a row so when I get that permit we can move," he said.

Sekerez said he expects to move on the site within within 30 days of IDEM's approval.

While demolishing the building on the corner is a priority, Sekerez said the structure next to the jail doesn't necessarily have to come down.

"Although it's not very attractive, it's functional and structurally sound," he said.

Sekerez said he wanted approval to raze both buildings in case someone interested in the site wanted it to be cleared of both structures. If the building next to the jail remained, it would be renovated and made appropriate for the downtown, Sekerez said.

Brad Miller, director of Indiana Landmarks Northwest Indiana office, said both buildings are non-contributing structures to the city's historic district, which means they do not have to comply with specific codes for renovation in such a district.

Sekerez, who has to provide the city with documentation of his IDEM permitting process, will have to return to the Historic Preservation Committee once he has a new plan in place.

"There is not going to be this long waiting period because it does me no good to have a vacant lot that doesn't generate revenue," he said. "I'm anxious to do something different there."
EAST CHICAGO  The EPA answered questions Saturday about its USS Lead Superfund cleanup, gave residents a raincheck on some information and encouraged those with questions about demolition of the West Calumet Housing Complex demolition to attend a meeting Monday.

Many residents at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's first monthly community meeting of the summer said they're concerned about whether their health will be protected during demolition of the public housing complex.

Albert Kelly, a representative for EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt, said Pruitt sent him to the meeting to hear residents' concerns and has asked him to ensure the project moves along as quickly as possible.

Thomas Alcamo, an EPA project manager, said his agency isn't directly involved in the demolition of West Calumet but will be "monitoring the monitor."

Amereco Inc., an engineering firm hired by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, recently concluded in an environmental site assessment that demolition of the public housing complex is warranted "to protect human health." The company likely will oversee demolition work at the site, officials said.

The low-income public housing complex, built in the early 1970s on the footprint of a former lead smelter, comprises zone 1 of the Superfund site and is the most highly contaminated part of three residential cleanup zones. Cleanup in the nearby Calumet and East Calumet neighborhoods is ongoing.

EPA is concerned about contaminants migrating from West Calumet during demolition activities and will have someone on-site full-time, Alcamo said.

The East Chicago Housing Authority and HUD allowed EPA to review plans so far for demolition and took EPA's concerns into account, he said. Initial plans call for the placement of 10 air monitors, and the technology is what EPA would use, Alcamo said. The contractor also will monitor for asbestos.

An alarm will alert workers to high lead and arsenic levels in the air. If the alarm sounds, workers will stop and take further measures to control dust, he said.

EPA is continuing its work on an amended feasibility study for zone 1 and will present several cleanup alternatives in the future, Alcamo said. Public comment will be accepted.

After a remedy is selected for zone 1, EPA will go to the potentially responsible parties and ask them to pay for the cleanup, Alcamo said. Negotiations are ongoing, he said.

HUD has indicated demolition could begin this fall and take up to eight months, Alcamo said.

HUD has scheduled a hearing on demolition plans for 5 p.m. Monday at the old Carrie Gosch Elementary School, 455 E. 148th St. EPA officials encouraged residents with concerns about demolition plans to seek additional answers at that meeting.

EPA community meetings at the school are set for July 15, Aug. 19, Sept. 16 and Nov. 18.

Officials said they would address concerns about the city's drinking water and a groundwater study in the Superfund site at future meetings. Kelly said a representative from Pruitt's office likely would attend future meetings.
CROWN POINT  Lake County Criminal Court Judge Salvador Vasquez has sentenced Bryant F. Wardell to a six-year prison sentence for causing the July 2015 death of a Gary man while operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated.

Wardell, 47, of Gary, pleaded guilty in April to that felony level 4 charge and the felony level 6 charge of operating a vehicle while intoxicated causing serious injury.

In accepting Wardells plea agreement, Vasquez ordered the defendant to be placed in the Indiana Department of Corrections therapeutic community program, a recommendation made by Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Michael Toth.

They would segregate you from the general (prison) population. You would receive significant treatment for alcoholism. You could be modified out at the end of the program, the judge told Wardell.

At the request of defense attorney Scott King, the judge ordered Wardell to surrender himself to Vasquezs courtroom on Tuesday so the defendant could obtain all his medications, including those to treat his epilepsy and diabetes.

Vasquez also sentenced Wardell to two years probation in the felony level 6 case, the sentences to be served consecutively, and suspended his drivers license for five years.

On July 14, 2015, Wardell drove to a social gathering in the 3800 block of Massachusetts Street in Gary after becoming intoxicated, court records indicate. While there, Wardell said he was going out for more liquor. People tried to take his car keys away from him so he wouldnt drive, but he got behind the wheel.

According to court records, Wardell drove the car in reverse down the street, speeding in circles, striking three other vehicles, hitting a 22-year-old man and pinning 48-year-old Ronald L. Mayes of Gary, who was pronounced dead at Methodist Hospitals Northlake Campus in Gary.

King said, Evidence from eyewitnesses (indicate) when he exited the car, he was having a huge seizure. Some number of people beat him within an inch of his life.  It was a savage beating. He suffered a brain injury and was on life support as a result of that beating.

Mayes wife, Irene, and their daughter, Nikeita Patterson, gave an impassioned victim impact statement during the sentencing hearing. Toth also read two statements from family members. All asked Vasquez to sentence Wardell to the maximum penalty of up to 12 years in prison.

She said her husband wasnt attending the July event as a guest.

He called me and said he was going to stop there to let some guys he worked with at the Northwest Indiana Food Bank know about some changes, she said. That was the last time we spoke."
VALPARAISO  As race director Mike Bottom introduced the Northwest Indiana Soap Box Derby Saturday, he told those in attendance, Weve crammed a lot in a small space.

For several hours Saturday along Lincolnway, children of various ages, sizes and skills took to the street for a chance to compete in the national finals next month in Akron, Ohio.

Weve worked a lot over the last nine months to see a smile on a kids face, said Bottom, whose children have competed or assisted in the All-American Soap Box Derby program that dates back to 1934. The Northwest Indiana chapter started six years later.

Its all for the kids  thats why we do it, Bottom noted.

For Blake Mote, 8, of Kouts, his first race left him feeling excited and nervous. Im excited to be driving a car, but nervous about not winning, Mote said.

Depending on age and body size, the derby is divided into four categories: stock (7-13 years), super stock (9-18), master (10-20) and super kids (7-18), for special-needs youth.

Some kids are in it to win it, but these kids are just doing it for fun and theyre excited just to be here," said Martha Luke, an adult in charge of super kids contestants.

This years race featured two super kids contestants  Garret Kuiper, of Valparaiso, and Noah Biegel, of Hanna. Cindy Biegel, Noahs mother, said she enjoys seeing the excitement on the faces of the kids as theyre going down the ramp or those competing for the first time.

The derby experience, Cindy Biegel added, has definitely helped with Noahs social skills and listening to other people.

Valparaiso American Legion Post 94 hosted the derby, which drew family members and other spectators to the daylong, double-elimination event.

Olivia Biggs, 15, of Jasper, was among several family members competing. Entered in super stock, she has finished first and second in past years.

Is there a secret to winning?

Not really, Biggs said. Just do your best.

Older sister Zoe Biggs, 17, was hoping for success in masters after earlier wins in stock and super stock. Beyond winning, she noted, I enjoy just being able to race with my family and coming together as a community. Its cool, seeing so many people here.

Alyssa Randall, 13, of Valparaiso, also competed in masters. Besides enjoyment, making race-day friends and just going down the hill, Randall takes this approach for success: Stay focused and have fun.
We periodically test and retest the limits of free speech.

Recently, free speech has been winning, even when it hurts, as surely it sometimes does.

Just a few days ago, the U.S. Supreme Court said a Seattle rock band called "The Slants" had a right to register its name over the objections of the Patent and Trademark Office.

The government's contention was that the name also is a derogatory term for Asian Americans, and as such violated a federal act prohibiting trademarks that "disparage...or bring...into contempt or disrepute." But Justice Samuel Alito's opinion in Matal v. Tam said denying the trademark "offends a bedrock First Amendment principle: Speech may not be banned on the grounds that it expresses ideas that offend."

Alito also rejected the idea that the government's role should include efforts to stamp out ideas that offend large groups of people.

In a concurring opinion, Justice Anthony Kennedy said protecting offensive speech also protects all speakers who hold views not shared by the majority of citizens.

Granted, we've decided as a nation that some speech is outside the First Amendment's purview; true threats and fighting words, blackmail, child pornography and attempts to immediately incite violence among them. But we must continue to narrowly define in law what is not protected, even if it means standing in defense of the rights of those who would provoke, challenge or even disgust most of us.

We need to know the depth and manner in which all kinds of ideas exist, if only at times to understand how to effectively oppose or refute some of them.

None of us have to passively accept that which we do not like or abhor. We may bring our complaint in the court of public opinion rather than in its legal counterpart. Effective? You bet.

Just ask comedian Kathy Griffin, who quickly found out she crossed a line into unacceptable  though still legally protected  speech, when she posed with the faux severed head of President Donald Trump. Faced with a deluge of online criticism and cancellation of public appearances and a network TV deal, she apologized profusely.

And turning to late-night host Stephen Colbert: The FCC properly refused to act against Colbert for a crude on-air reference to oral sex in a joke about Trump and Russia's Vladimir Putin. But after wide public outcry over both the words and the tenor of the joke, Colbert responded, "While I would do it again, I would change a few words that were cruder than they needed to be."

We do at times find instances in which speech begets conduct that is not protected. In Massachusetts, a teenager will appeal a June 15 verdict in a "suicide by text" case. She was convicted of involuntary manslaughter as a result of her text messages to a suicidal boyfriend that the court found showed "wanton and reckless disregard for the life of the victim."

This current list of contentious free speech issues also includes proposals in some state legislatures to limit public protests, debates over campus speech codes and speakers and even wider arguments over how to deal with free speech on the Internet that is considered "fake news."

No one solution fits, or fixes, all. We must have the courage to defend against those who would take a shortcut through the First Amendment in the name of preserving good taste, protecting public sensibilities or even in defense of "truth."
When the new technology is installed, devices on Madison Metro buses and stop lights will be able to communicate with each other to improve on time performance and increase safety.
Crossing the line separating Indiana and Illinois sometimes means dealing with different laws and customs. Readers are asked to share ideas for this weekly feature. This week: Vehicle ownership.

It's hard to get around Indiana without a motor vehicle, which may be why nearly every adult Hoosier owns one, or more.

Indiana has 914 vehicles for every 1,000 Hoosiers, according to data compiled by the U.S. Department of Transportation.

There are 1.6 available vehicles per household in Hammond, 1.3 in Gary, 1.4 in South Bend and 1.6 in Indianapolis.

In contrast, Illinois has just 825 vehicles for every 1,000 residents.

The difference largely is due to Chicagoans relying on trains and buses to navigate the nation's third most populous city.

Likewise, Washington, D.C., New York, New Jersey and Maryland have the fewest vehicles per capita in the United States thanks to large, crowded cities within their jurisdictions.

Spacious Montana has the most with 1,594 vehicles for every 1,000 residents.
Festival season is upon us, and as we prepare to visit many events throughout the Region, how safe are we?

We live in a new world where terrorists use vehicles to run people over and knives to stab them. What security measures are being taken at the Pierogi Fest, lakefront festivals, weekend farmers' markets and the Lake County Fair to ensure our safety? Are our local authorities using proper security barriers to block a vehicle from driving down a street or on a sidewalk during these events? Are our local authorities working with our local hospitals to ensure extra medical personnel are on standby for these event dates, just in case?
Police in Brooklyn are looking for two men in connection with a deadly double shooting.

Investigators are trying to identify the pair seen walking in this surveillance video.

They were spotted a few blocks from the shooting shortly after it happened around 4:45 a.m. Friday.

Another surveillance camera caught an SUV reversing from the scene minutes before shots were fired.

Police say Devin Hannibal and Christina Stubbs just left a nearby nightclub and were in sitting a parked car on Cleveland Street near Linden Boulevard in East New York.

That's when more than a dozen rounds were fired into the vehicle.

Both victims were pronounced dead at the scene.

Police believe Hannibal was the intended target but it is not yet clear what led to the shooting.

Anyone with information on the case should contact the Crime Stoppers hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS, or text CRIMES and then enter TIP577, or visit www.nypdcrimestoppers.com.
January 15, 1949 June 19, 2017 Cynthia Curlin Wacker passed away peacefully at home on Monday, June 19, 2017. She is survived by her husband of 41 years, Charles "Chuck" Wacker and sister, Nancy Curlin. She is proceeded in death by her mother, Lorraine Curlin; father, George Curlin; and brother, George Curlin Jr. Cynthia graduated in 1971 from The University of Florida with a degree in Journalism. She was a lifelong lover of animals and had a great affection for the Tuskegee Airman. When she could, she volunteered at the Tuskegee Airman Museum. Her love of animals shows in the affection she had for the families of Maine Coon Cats Abe and Jones. Her favorite place to relax was Crescent Beach in Florida. She was a member of First United Methodist Church in Opelika and the Opelika Rotary Club. Services will be held at Jeffcoat-Trant Funeral Home in Opelika. The Reverend Randy Woodham will preside over services at 2:00 p.m. on Tuesday, June 27, 2017. Visitation will be held preceding the service starting at 1:00 p.m. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in her name to the Lee County Humane Society. Jeffcoat-Trant Funeral Home directing. www.jeffcoattrant.com
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Traveling is one of lifes greatest pleasures, but deciding where to go can be challenging. Leading cities of the world like London and Paris certainly are worth discovering, but smaller cities should beckon, too.

Here are some European favorites from my recent travels.

1. After Santorini and Mykonos, try Corfu

If youre looking for a seaside paradise in the Greek Isles, you may want to skip the crowded beaches of Mykonos and dirty streets of Santorini.

Weve all dreamed of getting that romantic photo of blue-and-white domes from that hilltop in Oia, but it might not be worth all the trouble for that single shot.

Full of off-roading excursions, diving adventures and breathtaking shoreline, Corfu is one of Greeces most overlooked islands. Stop in Athens to get a taste of the countrys cultural side, then make your way to this rugged island just off Greeces northwest coast. Rent an ATV and explore the area or relax with a book on one of the west coasts magnificent beaches. Reserve a bit of time to explore Corfus historic city center by the same name on the east side of the island.

2. After Berlin, try Hamburg

For those of you who want to visit Berlin solely for the history, go right ahead. Between the Berlin Wall, historical museums and unique neighborhoods, theres plenty to see. Just be aware that this busy city is extremely large and doesnt have the same European charm as many of its German counterparts.

If youre looking for a city in northern Germany with natural beauty and plenty of culture, Hamburg fits the bill. Though it has an industrial side, Hamburgs parks, waterways and quaint street corners give it the charming European feel that Berlin lacks. Explore the street-side cafes and coffee shops or take a boat tour through the citys canals. For a peaceful meal by the water, grab lunch or dinner at Cafe Sommerterrassen.

3. If not Zurich, then Basel

Where Switzerland meets France and Germany lies Basel  a midsize city with a youthful feel and lots of character. From Gothic churches to a thriving arts scene and bustling night life, Basel has it all. Explore the street cafes and indulge in the extensive chocolate selections. If youre there during the warmer months, rent a waterproof bag for your belongings and float down the river  a popular pastime for locals and visitors alike.

4. First Dubrovnik, then Korcula

Its hard to recommend skipping one of the most beautiful cities in Europe, but if youre going to visit Dubrovnik, you really must master your timing. During the summer months, the streets are so overrun with tourists that youll have more than a little trouble getting around (let alone breathing). Visiting Dubrovnik in the winter is a bit like visiting a ghost town.

I recommend going in April or September, spending a day in Dubrovnik and heading to Korcula for the night. Though there are many beautiful Croatian islands (Hvar, Brac, Miljet and more), Korcula is one on which you should linger. Between the rich history, scenic views, local vineyards and laid-back island lifestyle, theres a lot to admire about this Croatian gem. Korcula offers everything from snorkeling to dune buggy wine tours. Walk along the coastline at sunset for beautiful views of the town center.

5. Instead of Bruges, try Ghent

Everyone wants to experience the fairytale, canal-laden town theyve seen in photos and movies. Reality is, in Bruges most of your photos will capture three or four tourist boats, and youll be shoving people left and right to cross the Bonifacius Bridge. If canals, medieval architecture and scenic streets are your cup of tea, Ghent is only a short train ride away. Comparable to Bruges, Ghents city center has been nominated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Ghent maintains a youthful feel, thanks to being a college town, and is much less tourist-ridden than its famous sister city. Explore the canals by boat, snack on Belgian fries and admire the Gothic fortresses in the city center. For extra excitement, visit during July to experience Gentse Feesten, a citywide festival also known as The Festivities of Ghent.

6. Beyond Geneva, theres Montreux

Though Geneva has bits of charm, it doesnt compare to the rest of French Switzerland. For a taste of southern Swiss charm, skip Geneva and spend your time in Montreux. The citys fairytale-like quality makes it an easy place to visit and a hard place to leave. Pedal a rented paddle boat on Lake Geneva and visit the Castle of Chillon, a medieval waterfront fortress that once served as a prison to Lord Byron and other famous figures. Reserve a day to cross the lake and visit Lausanne and the worlds best hot chocolate spot: Chocolaterie Le Barbare.

7. Instead of Oslo, go to Bergen

Bergen isnt exactly free of tourists. But if youre going to spend time in Norway, this city really does have it all: restaurants, hiking trails, Scandinavian heritage and spectacular views. While Oslo feels like a modern European city, Bergen feels like a Nordic utopia full of local charm. Though its growing in both size and popularity, Bergen manages to maintain the quaint appeal that makes it such a desirable location. Examine the daily catch at the famous fish market, and indulge in everything from fresh caviar to whale sausage.

If you have time, visit BarBarista, a quirky, local cafe serving the best waffles in town. The kitschy-cool interior may grab your attention, but the honey-coated brie and walnut waffles are what will keep you hanging around.

8. Instead of Helsinki, visit Riga

Nothing against Helsinki, but for people who are looking to explore this part of Northern Europe, its best to look across the Baltic Sea. Tallinn, Estonia, often takes the cake as the best place to visit in the region, but if youre planning to explore the Baltics, there is no better place to set up camp than Riga. Not only is Latvias cultural hub full of history and European charm, its virtually free of large crowds and rowdy tourists. Romantic street corners, quaint shops and beautiful parks make the city not only a great place to visit, but an awesome place to live. You wont regret a day trip to Jurmala, an Art Nouveau resort town with sandy beaches only a short drive outside the city.

9. Beyond the Amalfi Coast, theres Puglia

It may be your dream to visit Cinque Terra, but with the sheer number of tourists that go to the Amalfi Coast every year and the rich experiences the rest of Italy offers, it may be worth reconsidering. Puglia is a region in southeast Italy thats overflowing with local culture and unforgettable food. If youre looking for the real Italy, then the small, uncongested towns of the Puglia region may be your best bet. Visit Gallipoli and Lecce  the Venice of the South  followed by a trip to Bari to explore the traditional stone hut trullo cottages. Matera is another must-see for those who appreciate Italian history and architecture. Try to snag a night at the citys famous cave hotel  Le Grotte della Civita.

10. Nice, then Avignon

Although the pull of Nices Mediterranean beaches (which are rock, by the way) and vibrant streets may sway you, there are more inspiring alternatives in the south of France. Rolling hills, medieval architecture and quality French wine. Sounds pretty idyllic, right? Nestled along the shores of the Rhone River is Avignon, a provincial town in southeastern France. With history dating to the 6th century B.C., the city itself is somewhat of an antiquity. Neolithic architecture, Roman monuments and a magnificent cathedral in the city center make you feel as though youve traveled back in time. Make a point to visit the Palais des Papes and Pont Saint-Benezet  both UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
The states largest insurance company has increased its stake in the holding company behind a two-year-old primary care clinic that aims to keep patients healthier, including heading off trips to costly emergency rooms and hospital beds.

The corporate structure is complicated. The upshot: Blue Cross Blue Shield of Nebraska now owns all of Think Nebraska, the holding company. Think Nebraska, in turn, owns part of Think Aksarben LLP, the entity that operates the clinic at 7100 West Center Road. Sixteen of the doctors who practice at the clinic own 49 percent of Think Aksarben LLP.

Previously Blue Cross officials had described the insurance company as a minority investor. Blue Cross officials said recently that they increased their investment because they believe in the Think model.

Since October 2013 Blue Cross has invested nearly $37 million in Think. Officials stressed that the insurance company is not involved in the day-to-day operations of the clinic, which opened in July 2015.

Think was designed as a new system of health care in which doctors, pharmacists and other health care providers work together to keep patients out of costly emergency rooms and hospital beds. Its a model that, in various forms, increasingly has been catching on nationwide as groups have sought to slow  even reverse  the growth in health care spending. By coordinating care and making sure patients get the right care at the right time, advocates say, clinicians not only can help patients lead healthier lives but also reduce spending on medical care.

Fergus Hoban, the clinics founding chief executive officer, said Think has seen a material decrease in the cost of care, primarily due to reduced hospitalizations.

Blue Cross announced in mid-May that Hoban was no longer employed with Think Nebraska. Rick Pane, according to the insurance company, was and continues to be CEO of the holding company.

Pane also serves as the clinics chief operating officer.

Hoban said his role in Think Nebraska had come to a natural end. His job, he said, is to take an idea that has been proved in one site and bring it to the rest of the United States. The owner and CEO of Think USA, a company built as an expansion vehicle, hes now focusing on Florida, the New York-New Jersey area and California, talking with physicians and identifying those with the greatest number of sick patients who would benefit from the model.

Based on what hes learned in Omaha, he said, he plans to work first with physicians in their existing practices for about a year while they integrate pharmacists and care coordinators before starting to construct buildings. This is an idea whose time has come, he said.

Blue Cross officials said the insurance company is not involved in Think USA.

At the same time, Hoban and several others in the industry said making the shift from the traditional fee-for-service model, in which doctors are paid for each service they provide, isnt easy and requires investments of both time and money.

Its a startup, Dr. Joann Schaefer, executive vice president of Blue Cross, said of Think. It needs an infusion of cash. Its not unusual for a startup to need that. We see great value in what theyre doing. Thats why were trying to help. This is a temporary situation.

The insurance company, she said, has supported efforts to bolster primary care across the state. That includes backing patient-centered medical homes, practices that follow a team-based approach to health care delivery and emphasize a partnership between providers and patients. Some, including Think, also operate as ACOs, or accountable care organizations, which agree to provide coordinated, high-quality care for Medicare patients. If such practices come in under budget and meet various quality targets, they share savings with the federal government.

Nationally, some insurance companies in recent years have opened their own clinics in order to make sure patients have access to primary care, particularly patients with chronic illnesses.

Schaefer said Blue Cross and other insurance companies for years have provided care coordination, employing nurses and others to contact such patients as well as those who have recently been diagnosed with cancer or who have been injured in a car accident to make sure, for example, that theyve been able to get their prescriptions and that they understand hospital discharge orders.

Building that kind of infrastructure in doctors offices, she said, is challenging in several respects.

Allison Brennan, vice president of policy for the National Association of ACOs, said ACOs have to make significant investments to get started, including launching care coordination initiatives and electronic health record systems, not to mention investing in the data analytics and management needed to put the model to work. A recent survey of member ACOs put the average cost of participating in the Medicare shared savings program at about $1.5 million, although respondents noted that that figure didnt cover all of their costs.

Securing startup funds can be hard, Brennan said, especially for smaller or rural ACOs. So its not surprising that many have backing from larger health systems or insurers. In the past, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services provided startup funds and recouped them through shared savings payments.

Lee Handke, chief executive officer of the Nebraska Health Network, said ACOs, which still are in their early days, also have faced cultural challenges. Those include making sure everyone is engaged in the process and understands how to change things theyve been doing for years. Medicare data, he said, indicates that the longer an organization has been in the program, the better it does on quality and savings.

A study in the May issue of the journal Health Affairs came to a similar conclusion. The study associated overall participation in one early ACO with a reduction in Medicare spending of $14 a month for each beneficiary, a 2 percent decrease. Participation in care management was associated with a $101 per month reduction for each participant, a 6 percent decrease.

Handke said he expects upcoming changes in the program, including adding penalties, to accelerate success.

Think, for its part, went through a rough start, including management changes, layoffs and lower-than-anticipated use of its in-house pharmacy.

Dr. Joe Miller, chief medical officer of the Think clinic, agreed that setting up a comprehensive program in a startup like Think is challenging. But its going well, he said.

About 1,400 patients now are involved in Thinks care coordination. Ideally, he said, hed like to enroll up to 7,000 patients. To participate, patients have to have been diagnosed with two or more conditions and take five or more medications. Studies indicate that care coordination provided by doctors offices is more effective than out-of-house coordination, because patients feel that coordinator is part of their physicians team.

Medicare now pays about $88 a month for an hours care coordination for its patients, he said. Blue Cross also pays such costs for ACOs. But if such services can prevent one emergency room visit, he said, thats one bill no one has to pay.

The average emergency room visit cost about $1,233, based on the top 10 diagnoses, according to a 2013 study of more than 8,000 patients funded by the National Institutes of Health, with costs varying significantly by diagnosis.

If we prevent that by giving them excellent care and keeping them well and improving their health instead of waiting until they get sick, we can change how were doing health care, said Miller, who relocated from Lexington, Nebraska, to join Think. Miller, who practiced in the south-central Nebraska town for 32 years, called Think a patient-centered medical home on steroids. The clinic includes an in-house pharmacy, podiatry and dental care as well as services and classes.

Schaefer said all the ACOs and patient-centered medical homes Blue Cross works with are doing a good job. But Think is at the top of the list. They are knocking it out of the park, she said.

A report provided by Blue Cross comparing Thinks scores on the Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set from February 2016 to Jan. 31 indicated that the clinic outperformed three peer ACOs and a national benchmark on four measures of health care quality relevant to all clinics. The measures involved making sure patients taking medications for high blood pressure had annual appointments, that those with diabetes received a blood glucose test and that antibiotics were prescribed appropriately for bronchitis. The complete data set includes a number of additional measures.

Another set of data, based on patient surveys, is embargoed until later this summer. Medicare financial data for 2016, the clinics first year as an ACO, also is due by early fall.
Taylor Anderson knows shes lucky.

The bullet that pierced her thigh early Sunday didnt strike any significant blood vessels or bone. The 25-year-old kindergarten teacher from a school in the Elkhorn area had been out with a friend when they found themselves caught in gunfire downtown. Anderson was kept overnight for observation at the Nebraska Medical Center and released Sunday afternoon.

Im lucky; my injuries could have been so much worse, she said.

Shes not afraid, she said, to return downtown. But, shell pay closer attention to her sixth sense.

She and her friend had gone to the festivities at the College World Series and were headed to the Old Market to celebrate another friends birthday. It was about 1:30 a.m. Sunday.

They were walking along Douglas Street, near 13th Street and across from the Holland Performing Arts Center, when they came upon two men in tightly pulled, hooded sweatshirts. That side of the street was fairly deserted, and the men seemed to be lurking, she said.

We kind of got a bad feeling about them, so we started walking away, she said.

As they turned around, they encountered another man, who yelled to the two hooded men: Whats up, (expletive).

With that, one of the hooded men pulled out a gun and fired six shots.

Trapped between the three men, Anderson didnt immediately realize shed been shot.

I felt like a little bit of pain, she said. We just ran and dove for cover to get out of there before we realized what happened.

A police investigation is underway. Police found spent casings from a .40-caliber handgun on the sidewalk that runs along the Gene Leahy Mall.

Anderson said the man who had yelled at the other two literally ran out of his shoes when he took off.

He didnt shoot back; his shoes were still laying in the middle of the street where he ran off.

A nearby off-duty sheriffs deputy came to her aid and called for help.

Police had not announced an arrest Sunday.

Anyone with information about the shooting should call Omaha Crime Stoppers at 402-444-7867, police said. Tips can also be sent to omahacrimestoppers.org. Tips leading to an arrest in a shooting are eligible for a $10,000 reward.

Andersons takeaway from all of this?

Be more aware of your surroundings, and if you get a bad feeling, get out of there as fast as you can, she said.
LINCOLN  A survey last week of state troopers indicated widespread dissatisfaction with the management and direction of the states flagship law enforcement agency, an agency now facing a high-level review of policies and leadership.

Just 19 percent of respondents said they believed that the leaders of the Nebraska State Patrol worked in the best interests of front-line state troopers. Many respondents complained of poor morale, micromanagement and an overemphasis on increasing numbers of traffic tickets versus chasing bad guys.

We are becoming seat belt cops, not real officers of the law, stated one of the respondents, who were not identified in the survey distributed by the State Troopers Association of Nebraska.

They are not concerned for us as people. They see stat machines, another said.

Gov. Pete Ricketts spokesman, Taylor Gage, said the governor was aware of the survey and that it will be considered, along with other input. We take seriously concerns from our team members, and will consider any comments as a part of our agency review, Gage said in a prepared statement.

A spokesman for the State Patrol, Cody Thomas, said comments from members of the troopers union are highly valued.

The union survey was sent via the Internet on Tuesday to the approximately 380 members of the State Troopers Association of Nebraska, which includes a few retired troopers. As of late Friday, 224 troopers had responded, with more replies arriving Saturday and more expected. The patrol has 437 sworn officers.

On Friday, Ricketts announced that his human resources chief, Jason Jackson, will conduct a weeks-long review of the State Patrols policies, procedures and leadership.

Ricketts cited three concerns, including the patrols handling of an internal investigation into a fatal crash Oct. 3 near Gordon that ended a high-speed chase initiated by a state trooper over a stop sign violation.

Initially, the trooper said three times that he had performed a tactical vehicle intervention, or TVI, to bump the fleeing car into a spin and end the chase. But hours later the story, as related by his superior officer, changed, with the blame shifting to the fleeing driver.

The now-retired head of the patrols internal investigations office challenged the changed narrative, and he and others within the patrol said the new story didnt match the facts.

In the end, as detailed in an Omaha World-Herald story a week ago, a grand jury blamed the crash on the fleeing driver, Antoine LaDeaux. But the handling of the investigation prompted the internal investigations chief to say that hed lost faith in the patrols ability to investigate its own personnel. And State Sen. Ernie Chambers of Omaha called on the governor to fire the superintendent of the State Patrol, Col. Brad Rice.

Ricketts, at a press conference Friday, said he had confidence in Rice or he would have replaced him. But the governor said he sees an opportunity to improve the agency through the review by Jackson.

On Saturday, Thomas echoed that sentiment, saying the patrol looks forward to the governors review and sees it as an opportunity to improve.

State troopers, in their culture survey, gave a harsh, pointed review.

Twenty-six questions were asked, but troopers were allowed to anonymously provide additional comments.

Gary Young, the State Troopers Association of Nebraska attorney, said the organization had planned to share the survey results with the patrol administration and Governors Office, but The World-Herald obtained a copy on Friday before that could occur.

He said the survey illustrated the widespread disenchantment that union officials had been hearing anecdotally from troopers.

Theres a large level of distrust between front-line troopers and the upper management of the patrol, Young said.

Much of that dissatisfaction appeared aimed at the leadership at headquarters in Lincoln.

About 56 percent of respondents said they had confidence in their local troop leadership (the state is divided into six troop areas, with captains leading those units), but that figure dropped to 36 percent when asked about administration at headquarters.

When asked Do you believe the administration has your best interest as an employee of this agency? only 18.75 percent responded yes.

Some troopers said they feared retaliation from top brass and felt pressure to write cheap tickets to avoid criticism for not writing enough citations.

Other concerns expressed in the survey:

 Fewer than half of the troopers surveyed, 47 percent, said they would recommend employment at the State Patrol to others.

 Just 28 percent of troopers said they were satisfied, in terms of protecting officer safety, with a statewide radio system rolled out by the patrol in 2012. The system experienced several initial failures. In the past year the system has generated 53 trouble reports from troopers, indicating that some problems persist.

 Several troopers added a comment about a lack of manpower, saying the agency was more concerned with budget cuts than adequate staffing.

The authorized strength for the patrol is 482, which is 43 fewer officers than 13 years ago. A union official told a legislative committee a year ago that the agency needed nearly 90 more officers, or 570 total.
WASHINGTON  Early last August, an envelope with extraordinary handling restrictions arrived at the White House. Sent by courier from the CIA, it carried "eyes only" instructions that its contents be shown to just four people: President Barack Obama and three senior aides.

Inside was an intelligence bombshell, a report drawn from sourcing deep inside the Russian government that detailed Russian President Vladimir Putin's direct involvement in a cyber campaign to disrupt and discredit the U.S. presidential race.

But it went further. The intelligence captured Putin's specific instructions on the operation's audacious objectives  defeat or at least damage the Democratic nominee, Hillary Clinton, and help elect her opponent, Donald Trump.

At that point, the outlines of the Russian assault on the U.S. election were increasingly apparent. Hackers with ties to Russian intelligence services had been rummaging through Democratic Party computer networks, as well as some Republican systems, for more than a year. In July, the FBI had opened an investigation of contacts between Russian officials and Trump associates. And on July 22, nearly 20,000 emails stolen from the Democratic National Committee were dumped online by WikiLeaks.

But at the highest levels of government, among those responsible for managing the crisis, the first moment of true foreboding about Russia's intentions arrived with that CIA intelligence.

The material was so sensitive that CIA Director John Brennan kept it out of the President's Daily Brief, concerned that even that restricted report's distribution was too broad. The CIA package came with instructions that it be returned immediately after it was read. To guard against leaks, subsequent meetings in the Situation Room followed the same protocols as planning sessions for the Osama bin Laden raid.

It took time for other parts of the intelligence community to endorse the CIA's view. Only in the administration's final weeks in office did it tell the public, in a declassified report, what officials had learned from Brennan in August  that Putin was working to elect Trump.

Over that five-month interval, the Obama administration secretly debated dozens of options for deterring or punishing Russia, including cyberattacks on Russian infrastructure, the release of CIA-gathered material that might embarrass Putin and sanctions that officials said could "crater" the Russian economy.

But in the end, in late December, Obama approved a modest package combining measures that had been drawn up to punish Russia for other issues  expulsions of 35 diplomats and the closure of two Russian compounds  with economic sanctions so narrowly targeted that even those who helped design them describe their impact as largely symbolic.

Obama also approved a previously undisclosed covert measure that authorized planting cyber weapons in Russia's infrastructure, the digital equivalent of bombs that could be detonated if the United States found itself in an escalating exchange with Moscow. The project, which Obama approved in a covert-action finding, was still in its planning stages when Obama left office. It would be up to President Trump to decide whether to use the capability.

In political terms, Russia's interference was the crime of the century, an unprecedented and largely successful destabilizing attack on American democracy. It was a case that took almost no time to solve, traced to the Kremlin through cyber-forensics and intelligence on Putin's involvement. And yet, because of the divergent ways Obama and Trump have handled the matter, Moscow appears unlikely to face proportionate consequences.

Those closest to Obama defend the administration's response to Russia's meddling. They note that by August it was too late to prevent the transfer to WikiLeaks and other groups of the troves of emails that would spill out in the ensuing months. They believe that a series of warnings  including one that Obama delivered to Putin in September  prompted Moscow to abandon any plans of further aggression, such as sabotage of U.S. voting systems.

Denis McDonough, who served as Obama's chief of staff, said that the administration regarded Russia's interference as an attack on the "heart of our system."

"We set out from a first-order principle that required us to defend the integrity of the vote," McDonough said in an interview. "Importantly, we did that. It's also important to establish what happened and what they attempted to do so as to ensure that we take the steps necessary to stop it from happening again."

But other administration officials look back on the Russia period with remorse.

"It is the hardest thing about my entire time in government to defend," said a former senior Obama administration official involved in White House deliberations on Russia. "I feel like we sort of choked."

The post-election period has been dominated by the overlapping investigations into whether Trump associates colluded with Russia before the election and whether the president sought to obstruct the FBI probe afterward. That spectacle has obscured the magnitude of Moscow's attempt to hijack a precious and now vulnerable-seeming American democratic process.

Beset by allegations of hidden ties between his campaign and Russia, Trump has shown no inclination to revisit the matter and has denied any collusion or obstruction on his part. As a result, the expulsions and modest sanctions announced by Obama on Dec. 29 continue to stand as the United States' most forceful response.

"The punishment did not fit the crime," said Michael McFaul, who served as U.S. ambassador to Russia for the Obama administration from 2012 to 2014. "Russia violated our sovereignty, meddling in one of our most sacred acts as a democracy  electing our president. The Kremlin should have paid a much higher price for that attack. And U.S. policymakers now  both in the White House and Congress  should consider new actions to deter future Russian interventions."

The Senate this month passed a bill that would impose additional election- and Ukraine-related sanctions on Moscow and limit Trump's ability to lift them. The measure requires House approval, however, and Trump's signature.

This account of the Obama administration's response to Russia's interference is based on interviews with more than three dozen current and former U.S. officials in senior positions in government, including at the White House, the State, Defense and Homeland Security departments, and U.S. intelligence services. Most agreed to speak only on the condition of anonymity, citing the sensitivity of the issue.

The White House, the CIA, the FBI, the National Security Agency and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence declined to comment.

***

The CIA breakthrough came at a stage of the presidential campaign when Trump had secured the GOP nomination but was still regarded as a distant long shot. Clinton held comfortable leads in major polls, and Obama expected that he would be transferring power to someone who had served in his Cabinet.

The intelligence on Putin was extraordinary on multiple levels, including as a feat of espionage.

For spy agencies, gaining insights into the intentions of foreign leaders is among the highest priorities. But Putin is a remarkably elusive target. A former KGB officer, he takes extreme precautions to guard against surveillance, rarely communicating by phone or computer, always running sensitive state business from deep within the confines of the Kremlin.

The Washington Post is withholding some details of the intelligence at the request of the U.S. government.

In early August, Brennan alerted senior White House officials to the Putin intelligence, making a call to deputy national security adviser Avril Haines and pulling national security adviser Susan E. Rice aside after a meeting before briefing Obama along with Rice, Haines and McDonough in the Oval Office.

Officials described the president's reaction as grave. Obama "was deeply concerned and wanted as much information as fast as possible," a former official said. "He wanted the entire intelligence community all over this."

Concerns about Russian interference had gathered throughout the summer.

Russia experts had begun to see a troubling pattern of propaganda in which fictitious news stories, assumed to be generated by Moscow, proliferated across social-media platforms.

Officials at the State Department and FBI became alarmed by an unusual spike in requests from Russia for temporary visas for officials with technical skills seeking permission to enter the United States for short-term assignments at Russian facilities. At the FBI's behest, the State Department delayed approving the visas until after the election.

Meanwhile, the FBI was tracking a flurry of hacking activity against U.S. political parties, think tanks and other targets. Russia had gained entry to DNC systems in the summer of 2015 and spring of 2016, but the breaches did not become public until they were disclosed in a June 2016 report by The Post.

Even after the late-July WikiLeaks dump, which came on the eve of the Democratic convention and led to the resignation of Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Fla., as the DNC's chairwoman, U.S. intelligence officials continued to express uncertainty about who was behind the hacks or why they were carried out.

At a public security conference in Aspen, Colorado, in late July, Director of National Intelligence James Clapper noted that Russia had a long history of meddling in American elections but that U.S. spy agencies were not ready to "make the call on attribution" for what was happening in 2016.

"We don't know enough ... to ascribe motivation," Clapper said. "Was this just to stir up trouble or was this ultimately to try to influence an election?"

The August intelligence on Putin obtained by the CIA seemed to fill some of those critical gaps.

Brennan convened a secret task force at CIA headquarters composed of several dozen analysts and officers from the CIA, the NSA and the FBI.

The unit functioned as a sealed compartment, its work hidden from the rest of the intelligence community. Those brought in signed new non-disclosure agreements to be granted access to intelligence from all three participating agencies.

They worked exclusively for two groups of "customers," officials said. The first was Obama and fewer than 14 senior officials in government. The second was a team of operations specialists at the CIA, NSA and FBI who took direction from the task force on where to aim their subsequent efforts to collect more intelligence on Russia.

***

The secrecy extended into the White House.

Rice, Haines and White House homeland-security adviser Lisa Monaco convened meetings in the Situation Room to weigh the mounting evidence of Russian interference and generate options for how to respond. At first, only four senior security officials were allowed to attend: Brennan, Clapper, Attorney General Loretta Lynch and FBI Director James Comey. Aides ordinarily allowed entry as "plus-ones" were barred.

Gradually, the circle widened to include Vice President Joe Biden and others. Agendas sent to Cabinet secretaries  including John Kerry at the State Department and Ashton Carter at the Pentagon  arrived in envelopes that subordinates were not supposed to open. Sometimes the agendas were withheld until participants had taken their seats in the Situation Room.

Throughout his presidency, Obama's approach to national security challenges was deliberate and cautious. He came into office seeking to end wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. He was loath to act without support from allies overseas and firm political footing at home. He was drawn only reluctantly into foreign crises, such as the civil war in Syria, that presented no clear exit for the United States.

Obama's approach often seemed reducible to a single imperative: Don't make things worse. As brazen as the Russian attacks on the election seemed, Obama and his top advisers feared that things could get far worse.

They were concerned that any pre-election response could provoke an escalation from Putin. Moscow's meddling to that point was seen as deeply concerning but unlikely to materially affect the outcome of the election. Far more worrisome to the Obama team was the prospect of a cyber-assault on voting systems before and on Election Day.

They also worried that any action they took would be perceived as political interference in an already volatile campaign. By August, Trump was predicting that the election would be rigged. Obama officials feared providing fuel to such claims, playing into Russia's efforts to discredit the outcome and potentially contaminating the expected Clinton triumph.

Before departing for an August vacation to Martha's Vineyard, Obama instructed aides to pursue ways to deter Moscow and proceed along three main paths: Get a high-confidence assessment from U.S. intelligence agencies on Russia's role and intent; shore up any vulnerabilities in state-run election systems; and seek bipartisan support from congressional leaders for a statement condemning Moscow and urging states to accept federal help.

The administration encountered obstacles at every turn.

Despite the intelligence the CIA had produced, other agencies were slower to endorse a conclusion that Putin was personally directing the operation and wanted to help Trump. "It was definitely compelling, but it was not definitive," said one senior administration official. "We needed more."

Some of the most critical technical intelligence on Russia came from another country, officials said. Because of the source of the material, the NSA was reluctant to view it with high confidence.

Brennan moved swiftly to schedule private briefings with congressional leaders. But getting appointments with certain Republicans proved difficult, officials said, and it was not until after Labor Day that Brennan had reached all members of the "Gang of Eight"  the majority and minority leaders of both houses and the chairmen and ranking Democrats on the Senate and House intelligence committees.

Jeh Johnson, the homeland security secretary, was responsible for finding out whether the government could quickly shore up the security of the nation's archaic patchwork of voting systems. He floated the idea of designating state mechanisms "critical infrastructure," a label that would have entitled states to receive priority in federal cybersecurity assistance, putting them on a par with U.S. defense contractors and financial networks.

On Aug. 15, Johnson arranged a conference call with dozens of state officials, hoping to enlist their support. He ran into a wall of resistance.

The reaction "ranged from neutral to negative," Johnson said in congressional testimony Wednesday.

Brian Kemp, the Republican secretary of state of Georgia, used the call to denounce Johnson's proposal as an assault on state rights. "I think it was a politically calculated move by the previous administration," Kemp said in a recent interview, adding that he remains unconvinced that Russia waged a campaign to disrupt the 2016 race. "I don't necessarily believe that," he said.

Stung by the reaction, the White House turned to Congress for help, hoping that a bipartisan appeal to states would be more effective.

In early September, Johnson, Comey and Monaco arrived on Capitol Hill in a caravan of black SUVs for a meeting with 12 key members of Congress, including the leadership of both parties.

The meeting devolved into a partisan squabble.

"The Dems were, 'Hey, we have to tell the public,'" recalled one participant. But Republicans resisted, arguing that to warn the public that the election was under attack would further Russia's aim of sapping confidence in the system.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., went further, officials said, voicing skepticism that the underlying intelligence truly supported the White House's claims. Through a spokeswoman, McConnell declined to comment, citing the secrecy of that meeting.

Key Democrats were stunned by the GOP response and exasperated that the White House seemed willing to let Republican opposition block any pre-election move.

On Sept. 22, two California Democrats  Sen. Dianne Feinstein and Rep. Adam Schiff  did what they couldn't get the White House to do. They issued a statement making clear that they had learned from intelligence briefings that Russia was directing a campaign to undermine the election, but they stopped short of saying to what end.

A week later, McConnell and other congressional leaders issued a cautious statement that encouraged state election officials to ensure their networks were "secure from attack." The release made no mention of Russia and emphasized that the lawmakers "would oppose any effort by the federal government" to encroach on the states' authorities.

When U.S. spy agencies reached unanimous agreement in late September that the interference was a Russian operation directed by Putin, Obama directed spy chiefs to prepare a public statement summarizing the intelligence in broad strokes.

With Obama still determined to avoid any appearance of politics, the statement would not carry his signature.

On Oct. 7, the administration offered its first public comment on Russia's "active measures," in a three-paragraph statement issued by Johnson and Clapper. Comey had initially agreed to attach his name, as well, officials said, but changed his mind at the last minute, saying that it was too close to the election for the bureau to be involved.

"The U.S. intelligence community is confident that the Russian government directed the recent compromises of emails from U.S. persons and institutions, including from U.S. political organizations," the statement said. "We believe, based on the scope and sensitivity of these efforts, that only Russia's senior-most officials could have authorized these activities."

Early drafts accused Putin by name, but the reference was removed out of concern that it might endanger intelligence sources and methods.

The statement was issued around 3:30 p.m., timed for maximum media coverage. Instead, it was quickly drowned out. At 4 p.m., The Post published a story about crude comments Trump had made about women that were captured on an "Access Hollywood" tape. Half an hour later, WikiLeaks published its first batch of emails stolen from Clinton campaign chairman John Podesta.

To some, Obama's determination to avoid politicizing the Russia issue had the opposite effect: It meant that he allowed politics to shape his administration's response to what some believed should have been treated purely as a national security threat.

Schiff said that the administration's justifications for inaction often left him with a sense of "cognitive dissonance."

"The administration doesn't need congressional support to issue a statement of attribution or impose sanctions," Schiff said in a recent interview. He said many groups inadvertently abetted Russia's campaign, including Republicans who refused to confront Moscow and media organizations that eagerly mined the troves of hacked emails.

"Where Democrats need to take responsibility," Schiff said, "is that we failed to persuade the country why they should care that a foreign power is meddling in our affairs."

The Situation Room is actually a complex of secure spaces in the basement level of the West Wing. A video feed from the main room courses through some National Security Council offices, allowing senior aides sitting at their desks to see  but not hear  when meetings are underway.

As the Russia-related sessions with Cabinet members began in August, the video feed was shut off. The last time that had happened on a sustained basis, officials said, was in the spring of 2011 during the run-up to the U.S. Special Operations raid on bin Laden's compound in Pakistan.

The blacked-out screens were seen as an ominous sign among lower-level White House officials who were largely kept in the dark about the Russia deliberations even as they were tasked with generating options for retaliation against Moscow.

Much of that work was led by the Cyber Response Group, an NSC unit with representatives from the CIA, NSA, State Department and Pentagon.

The early options they discussed were ambitious. They looked at sectorwide economic sanctions and cyberattacks that would take Russian networks temporarily offline. One official informally suggested  though never formally proposed  moving a U.S. naval carrier group into the Baltic Sea as a symbol of resolve.

What those lower-level officials did not know was that the principals and their deputies had by late September all but ruled out any pre-election retaliation against Moscow. They feared that any action would be seen as political and that Putin, motivated by a seething resentment of Clinton, was prepared to go beyond fake news and email dumps.

The FBI had detected suspected Russian attempts to penetrate election systems in 21 states, and at least one senior White House official assumed that Moscow would try all 50, officials said. Some officials believed the attempts were meant to be detected to unnerve the Americans. The patchwork nature of the United States' 3,000 or so voting jurisdictions would make it hard for Russia to swing the outcome, but Moscow could still sow chaos.

"We turned to other scenarios" the Russians might attempt, said Michael Daniel, who was cybersecurity coordinator at the White House, "such as disrupting the voter rolls, deleting every 10th voter (from registries) or flipping two digits in everybody's address."

The White House also worried that they had not yet seen the worst of Russia's campaign. WikiLeaks and DCLeaks, a website set up in June 2016 by hackers believed to be Russian operatives, already had troves of emails. But U.S. officials feared that Russia had more explosive material or was willing to fabricate it.

"Our primary interest in August, September and October was to prevent them from doing the max they could do," said a senior administration official. "We made the judgment that we had ample time after the election, regardless of outcome, for punitive measures."

The assumption that Clinton would win contributed to the lack of urgency.

Instead, the administration issued a series of warnings.

Brennan delivered the first on Aug. 4 in a blunt phone call with Alexander Bortnikov, the director of the FSB, Russia's powerful security service.

A month later, Obama confronted Putin directly during a meeting of world leaders in Hangzhou, China. Accompanied only by interpreters, Obama told Putin that "we knew what he was doing and (he) better stop or else," according to a senior aide who subsequently spoke with Obama. Putin responded by demanding proof and accusing the United States of interfering in Russia's internal affairs.

In a subsequent news conference, Obama alluded to the exchange and issued a veiled threat. "We're moving into a new era here where a number of countries have significant capacities," he said. "Frankly, we've got more capacity than anybody both offensively and defensively."

There were at least two other warnings.

On Oct. 7, the day that the Clapper-Johnson statement was released, Rice summoned Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak to the White House and handed him a message to relay to Putin.

Then, on Oct. 31, the administration delivered a final pre-election message via a secure channel to Moscow originally created to avert a nuclear exchange. The message noted that the United States had detected malicious activity, originating from servers in Russia, targeting U.S. election systems and warned that meddling would be regarded as unacceptable interference. Russia confirmed the next day that it had received the message but replied only after the election through the same channel, denying the accusation.

As Election Day approached, proponents of taking action against Russia made final, futile appeals to Obama's top aides: McDonough, Rice and Haines. Because their offices were part of a suite of spaces in the West Wing, securing their support on any national security issue came to be known as "moving the suite."

One of the last to try before the election was Kerry. Often perceived as reluctant to confront Russia, in part to preserve his attempts to negotiate a Syria peace deal, Kerry was at critical moments one of the leading hawks.

In October, Kerry's top aides had produced an "action memo" that included a package of retaliatory measures including economic sanctions. Knowing the White House was not willing to act before the election, the plan called for the measures to be announced almost immediately after votes had been securely cast and counted.

Kerry signed the memo and urged the White House to convene a principals meeting to discuss the plan, officials said. "The response was basically, 'Not now,' " one official said.

Election Day arrived without penalty for Moscow.

***

Despite the dire warnings, there were no meltdowns in the United States' voting infrastructure on Nov. 8, no evidence of hacking-related fraud, crashing of electronic ballots or manipulation of vote counts.

The outcome itself, however, was a shock.

Suddenly, Obama faced a successor who had praised WikiLeaks and prodded Moscow to steal even more Clinton emails, while dismissing the idea that Russia was any more responsible for the election assault than "somebody sitting on their bed that weighs 400 pounds."

"The White House was mortified and shocked," said a former administration official. "From national security people there was a sense of immediate introspection, of, 'Wow, did we mishandle this.' "

At first, there was no outward sign of new resolve.

After his failed pre-election bid, Kerry returned with a fallback proposal, calling for the creation of a bipartisan commission to investigate Russian interference and make recommendations on how to protect future elections.

The panel would be modeled on the commission that investigated the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, producing a definitive report and making recommendations that led to the overhaul of U.S. intelligence agencies.

"The idea was that if you think doing something aggressive is too inflammatory, then we shouldn't have a problem getting to the truth about what happened," said an administration official familiar with the Kerry plan. Trump was expected to oppose such a plan, but setting it in motion before he was sworn in would make it "harder and uglier politically" for him to block.

Supporters' confidence was buoyed when McDonough signaled that he planned to "tabledrop" the proposal at the next NSC meeting, one that would be chaired by Obama. Kerry was overseas and participated by videoconference.

To some, the "tabledrop" term has a tactical connotation beyond the obvious. It is sometimes used as a means of securing approval of an idea by introducing it before opponents have a chance to form counterarguments.

"We thought this was a good sign," a former State Department official said.

But as soon as McDonough introduced the proposal for a commission, he began criticizing it, arguing that it would be perceived as partisan and almost certainly blocked by Congress.

Obama then echoed McDonough's critique, effectively killing any chance that a Russia commission would be formed.

McDonough declined to comment on the principals' committee meeting on the commission or any other sensitive matters but acknowledged that he opposed the idea, in part because he believed it would be premature to do so before U.S. intelligence agencies and Congress had conducted their investigations.

***

Several officials described the post-election atmosphere at the White House as somber. "It was like a funeral parlor," according to one official who said that work on Russia and other subjects slowed as officials began to anticipate the damage to Obama's policies and legacy.

Others disputed that characterization, saying that the NSC carried on with no interruption or diminution of focus. "Nobody got paralyzed by grief," a high-ranking official said. "We all did our jobs."

Rice declined to comment on White House deliberations or other sensitive matters but said that the administration always planned to respond to Russia, regardless of the outcome of the election. "We felt it was on our watch and that we had to do something about it. It was our responsibility," Rice said.

Whatever the case, work on Russia did not resume in earnest until after Thanksgiving, in part because Obama made his last foreign trip.

Rice again ordered NSC staffers to finalize a "menu" of punitive measures to use against Moscow. The list that took shape was a distillation of ideas that had been circulating for months across three main categories: cyber, economic and diplomatic.

Again, the discussion ran into roadblocks.

Spy agencies wanted to maintain their penetrations of Russian networks, not expose them in a cyber-fusillade.

Treasury Department officials devised plans that would hit entire sectors of Russia's economy. One preliminary suggestion called for targeting technology companies including Kaspersky Lab, the Moscow-based cybersecurity firm. But skeptics worried that the harm could spill into Europe and pointed out that U.S. companies used Kaspersky systems and software.

Several senior administration officials called for imposing sanctions on Putin personally or releasing financial records or other information that would embarrass him. Some objected that the latter proposal would send the wrong message  the United States would be engaging in the same behavior it was condemning. In any case, it was not clear how long it would take U.S. spy agencies to assemble such a Putin dossier.

"By December, those of us working on this for a long time were demoralized," said an administration official involved in the developing punitive options.

Then the tenor began to shift.

On Dec. 9, Obama ordered a comprehensive review by U.S. intelligence agencies of Russian interference in U.S. elections going back to 2008, with a plan to make some of the findings public.

A week later, in one of Obama's final news briefings, he expressed irritation that such a consequential election "came to be dominated by a bunch of these leaks." He scolded news organizations for an "obsession" with titillating material about the Democrats that had dominated coverage.

Then he unloaded on Moscow. "The Russians can't change us or significantly weaken us," he said. "They are a smaller country. They are a weaker country. Their economy doesn't produce anything that anybody wants to buy, except oil and gas and arms."

It was a rare outburst for Obama, one that came amid a wave of internal second-guessing, finger-pointing from members of the defeated Clinton campaign, and the post-election posturing of Putin and Trump.

There was another factor at work, however.

Obama's decision to order a comprehensive report on Moscow's interference from U.S. spy agencies had prompted analysts to go back through their agencies' files, scouring for previously overlooked clues.

The effort led to a flurry of new, disturbing reports  many of them presented in the President's Daily Brief  about Russia's subversion of the 2016 race. The emerging picture enabled policymakers to begin seeing the Russian campaign in broader terms, as a comprehensive plot sweeping in its scope.

Ben Rhodes, former deputy national security adviser, said that the DNC email penetrations were initially thought to be in the same vein as previous Russian hacking efforts against targets including the State Department and White House.

"In many ways ... we dealt with this as a cyberthreat and focused on protecting our cyber infrastructure," Rhodes said in an interview. "Meanwhile, the Russians were playing this much bigger game, which included elements like released hacked materials, political propaganda and propagating fake news, which they'd pursued in other countries."

"We weren't able to put all of those pieces together in real time," Rhodes said, "and in many ways that complete picture is still being filled in." Rhodes declined to discuss any sensitive information.

Obama's darkened mood, the intelligence findings and the approaching transfer of power gave new urgency to NSC deliberations. In mid-December, as Cabinet members took turns citing drawbacks to various proposals for retaliating against Russia, Rice grew impatient and began cutting them off.

"We're not talking anymore. We're acting," she said, according to one participant.

Rice moved swiftly through a list of proposals that had survived months of debate, a menu that allowed principals to vote for what one participant described as "heavy, medium and light" options.

Among those in the Situation Room were Clapper, Brennan, Kerry and Deputy FBI Director Andrew McCabe. Rice challenged them go to the "max of their comfort zones," a second participant said.

Economic sanctions, originally aimed only at Russia's military intelligence service, were expanded to include the FSB, a domestic successor to the KGB. Four Russian intelligence officials and three companies with links to those services were also named as targets.

The FBI had long lobbied to close two Russian compounds in the United States  one in Maryland and another in New York  on the grounds that both were used for espionage and placed an enormous surveillance burden on the bureau.

The FBI was also responsible for generating the list of Russian operatives working under diplomatic cover to expel, drawn from a roster the bureau maintains of suspected Russian intelligence agents in the United States.

Cabinet officials were prompted to vote on whether to close one Russian compound or two, whether to kick out around 10 suspected Russian agents, 20 or 35.

Kerry laid out his department's concerns. The U.S. ambassador to Russia, John Tefft, had sent a cable warning that Moscow would inevitably expel the same number of Americans from Moscow and that departures of that magnitude would impair the embassy's ability to function.

The objections were dismissed, and Rice submitted a plan to Obama calling for the seizure of both Russian facilities and the expulsion of 35 suspected spies. Obama signed off on the package and announced the punitive measures on Dec. 29, while on vacation in Hawaii.

By then, the still-forming Trump administration was becoming entangled by questions about contacts with Moscow. On or around that same day that Obama imposed sanctions, Trump's designated national security adviser, retired Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn, told the Russian ambassador by phone that the sanctions would soon be revisited. Flynn's false statements about that conversation later cost him his job.

The report that Obama had commissioned was released a week later, on Jan. 6. It was based largely on the work done by the task force Brennan had established and made public what the CIA had concluded in August, that "Putin and the Russian government aspired to help President-elect Trump's election chances when possible by discrediting Secretary Clinton."

It also carried a note of warning: "We assess Moscow will apply lessons learned from its Putin-ordered campaign aimed at the U.S. election to future influence efforts worldwide."

The punitive measures got several days of media attention before the spotlight returned to Trump, his still-forming administration and, later, the initial rumblings of the Russia crisis that has become a consuming issue for the Trump White House.

But the package of measures approved by Obama, and the process by which they were selected and implemented, were more complex than initially understood.

The expulsions and compound seizures were originally devised as ways to retaliate against Moscow not for election interference but for an escalating campaign of harassment of American diplomats and intelligence operatives. U.S. officials often endured hostile treatment, but the episodes had become increasingly menacing and violent.

In one previously undisclosed incident on July 6, a Russian military helicopter dropped from the sky to make multiple passes just feet over the hood of a vehicle being driven by the U.S. defense attache, who was accompanied by colleagues, on a stretch of road between Murmansk and Pechenga in northern Russia. The attempt at intimidation was captured on photos the Americans took through the windshield.

An even more harrowing encounter took place the prior month, when a CIA operative returning by taxi to the U.S. Embassy in Moscow was tackled and thrown to the ground by a uniformed FSB guard. In a video aired on Russian television, the U.S. operative can be seen struggling to drag himself across the embassy threshold and onto U.S. sovereign territory. He sustained a broken shoulder in the attack.

Though conceived as retaliation for those incidents, the expulsions were adapted and included in the election-related package. The roster of expelled spies included several operatives who were suspected of playing a role in Russia's election interference from within the United States, officials said. They declined to elaborate.

More broadly, the list of 35 names focused heavily on Russians known to have technical skills. Their names and bios were laid out on a dossier delivered to senior White House officials and Cabinet secretaries, although the list was modified at the last minute to reduce the number of expulsions from Russia's U.N. mission in New York and add more names from its facilities in Washington and San Francisco.

***

The compounds were even higher on the FBI's wish list.

At one point in the White House deliberations, intelligence analysts used aerial images of the facilities to show how they had been modified to enhance their espionage capabilities. Slides displayed in the Situation Room showed new chimneys and other features, all presumed to allow for the installation of more-sophisticated eavesdropping equipment aimed at U.S. naval facilities and the NSA headquarters at Fort Meade in Maryland.

Rice pointed to the FBI's McCabe and said: "You guys have been begging to do this for years. Now is your chance."

The administration gave Russia 24 hours to evacuate the sites, and FBI agents watched as fleets of trucks loaded with cargo passed through the compounds' gates.

When FBI agents entered the sites, they found them stripped of antennas, electronics, computers, file cabinets and other gear, officials said, their hasty removal leaving visible markings on floors, tables and walls.

Economic sanctions are widely seen as the United States' most potent lever, short of military force. Russia's economy is dwarfed by that of the United States, and nearly every major Russian institution and oligarch depends to some degree on access to U.S. and Western financial institutions, networks and credit.

Sanctions that the United States and Europe imposed on Russia in 2014 for its actions in Ukraine were damaging. Coinciding with a sharp drop in oil prices, those measures contributed to a 4 percent contraction in the Russian economy and sent its reserves plunging.

The election-related sanctions, by contrast, have had no such impact.

Officials involved in designing them said that the main targets  Russia's foreign and military intelligence services, the GRU and FSB, and senior officials at those agencies  have few known holdings abroad or vulnerable assets to freeze.

"I don't think any of us thought of sanctions as being a primary way of expressing our disapproval" for the election interference, said a senior administration official involved in the decision. "Going after their intelligence services was not about economic impact. It was symbolic."

More than any other measure, that decision has become a source of regret to senior administration officials directly involved in the Russia debate. The outcome has left the impression that Obama saw Russia's military meddling in Ukraine as more deserving of severe punishment than its subversion of a U.S. presidential race.

"What is the greater threat to our system of government?" said a former high-ranking administration official, noting that Obama and his advisers knew from projections formulated by the Treasury Department that the impact of the election-related economic sanctions would be "minimal."

The most difficult measure to evaluate is one that Obama alluded to in only the most oblique fashion when announcing the U.S. response.

"We will continue to take a variety of actions at a time and place of our choosing, some of which will not be publicized," he said in a statement released by the White House.

He was referring, in part, to a cyber operation that was designed to be detected by Moscow but not cause significant damage, officials said. The operation, which entailed implanting computer code in sensitive computer systems that Russia was bound to find, served only as a reminder to Moscow of the United States' cyber reach.

But Obama also signed the secret finding, officials said, authorizing a new covert program involving the NSA, CIA and U.S. Cyber Command.

Obama declined to comment for this article, but a spokesman issued a statement: "This situation was taken extremely seriously, as is evident by President Obama raising this issue directly with President Putin; 17 intelligence agencies issuing an extraordinary public statement; our homeland security officials working relentlessly to bolster the cyber defenses of voting infrastructure around the country; the President directing a comprehensive intelligence review, and ultimately issuing a robust response including shutting down two Russian compounds, sanctioning nine Russian entities and individuals, and ejecting 35 Russian diplomats from the country."

The cyber operation is still in its early stages and involves deploying "implants" in Russian networks deemed "important to the adversary and that would cause them pain and discomfort if they were disrupted," a former U.S. official said.

The implants were developed by the NSA and designed so that they could be triggered remotely as part of retaliatory cyber-strike in the face of Russian aggression, whether an attack on a power grid or interference in a future presidential race.

Officials familiar with the measures said that there was concern among some in the administration that the damage caused by the implants could be difficult to contain.

As a result, the administration requested a legal review, which concluded that the devices could be controlled well enough that their deployment would be considered "proportional" in varying scenarios of Russian provocation, a requirement under international law.

The operation was described as long-term, taking months to position the implants and requiring maintenance thereafter. Under the rules of covert action, Obama's signature was all that was necessary to set the operation in motion.

U.S. intelligence agencies do not need further approval from Trump, and officials said that he would have to issue a countermanding order to stop it. The officials said that they have seen no indication that Trump has done so.
Different people have different ideas about tipping, said Marcia Sivesind.

Sivesinds (entirely logical) idea is that better service deserves better tipping, and after SOS intervened with a Miami-based cruise line, she is getting to put that idea into practice.

Sivesind, of Cambridge, took a 28-day transatlantic cruise with Norwegian Cruise Line from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, to Venice, Italy, from April 16 to May 14, 2016, after which she was presented with a $378, non-negotiable bill for gratuities for the crew.

The amount represented $13.50 a day, although she had already tipped some of the more attentive crew mates in cash over the course of the cruise.

This seemed high to me, considering the overall mediocre service, she said. However, I did want to give something personally to the cabin stewards, who had been very good.

Sivesind said an NCL desk clerk said she could pay the full $378 and then request a service charge adjustment within 30 days to recoup some of the amount she had paid. Sivesind estimated shed tipped crew members about $128 in cash over the course of the cruise, so on May 25, 2016, thats how much she formally requested for a refund.

NCL responded with two messages saying her refund would be processed within 15 days, Sivesind said. When it wasnt, she said she sent four other messages to NCL and, in March and May of this year, twice wrote directly to NCLs CEO. She said she received no response.

On June 8, Sivesind wrote to SOS for help, saying she had all of the correspondence to back up her side of the story. On June 12, SOS got in touch with NCLs public relations department. Two days later, an NCL official said it had no record of a refund request from Sivesind last year but did get an inquiry from her earlier this year.

Given Ms. Sivesinds referenced attempts to contact guest relations within the 30-day window, an exception has been approved for this case, said Vanessa Picariello, senior director of public relations. The refund is currently being processed and will post to her account soon.

Soon was within 10 business days, according to a June 19 email from NCL. SOS will follow up with Sivesind to confirm that soon has indeed arrived.
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

Madison City Council members who support hiring their own chief of staff would have us believe that the position is about better handling a heavy council workload. Mayor Paul Soglin would have us believe its about the council changing the very nature of the citys legislative body without proper input from citizens.

Id be willing to believe either if it werent so abundantly clear that its mostly about a council and a mayor who dont like each other in a city where residents rely on them less than they seem to believe.

In defending his veto of the chief-of-staff position on Tuesday, Soglin hurled perhaps the most cutting insult that can be hurled at a liberal these days at perhaps the councils most liberal member, President Marsha Rummel: He accused her of being Trump-like.

Rummels June 16 statement on why she was seeking to override the veto is an effort to bring the kind of discussion about facts from Spicer, Kellyanne Conway and Donald Trump into this body, he said. It is disgraceful.

Not to be out-insulted, Ald. Mark Clear, a supporter of the chief-of-staff position, tweeted a photo showing Soglin was absent from his usual place on the dais in council chambers.

Full time council? he snarked, referring to Soglins accusations of a council power grab. How about we start with a full time mayor? #AWOLSoglin.

And this was just one meeting.

I dont doubt that the current council can find work for another paper-shuffling city administrator with a five-year contract and a salary in the high five or six figures, but lets have a little perspective here.

Madison has the biggest council, at 20, of any of Wisconsins 10 biggest cities. Its more than twice the size of councils in many U.S. cities with similar populations, such as Buffalo, New York, and Lubbock, Texas. With the addition of the chief of staff position, it will have access to four staffers. The mayor has 11 on his staff, but then the mayor answers to the entire city, council members to just their districts.

Overall, Madisons legislative branch will soon have the strength of 24 bodies, compared with the executive branchs 12.

Its also not as if the part-time council hasnt gotten help of late. Their legislative analyst position was added in 2012, and they got a more than 60 percent pay increase in 2015 to bring salaries close to what a full-time minimum wage worker makes. The council budget has increased since 2010 by between 47 percent and 153 percent, depending on what you choose to count, while the citys overall budget has increased by about 25 percent.

In her statement, Rummel tried to present the chief-of-staff position as key to Madisons ongoing  and politically pandering  effort to reduce poverty and close quality-of-life disparities between whites and people of color.

The positions official description, though, is overwhelmingly about management, administration and support to the politicians, not the kind of on-the-ground work done by existing staffers, like the representatives from the mayors office and the planning division I met last weekend during a Mellowhood Foundation youth program on the citys Southwest Side.

When I need help with engineering, I call (city engineer) Rob Phillips, said Ald. Paul Skidmore, who voted to uphold Soglins veto. I dont need somebody to run interference and interpret it for me. Thats our role. We sign their checks. Ive never had a difficult time contacting any staff member at any level.

The bitterness of the council and the mayors bickering suggests a city where the problems are serious enough to get bitter about, or where the bickering might lead to some good. They arent, and it wont.

Madison is not perfect, but its not Detroit, either. And city government is not pivotal in making Madison the low-unemployment, high-amenity, almost-perfect place it is. Far more important are a creative and ambitious private sector, and the stability that comes with being the seat of state government and home to the states flagship university.

I thought something like marriage counseling might be of use to the mayor and council, given that both pretty much agree on about 90 percent of the big issues  from the ability of government to solve problems to the importance of alternative energy and more.

There are not grounds for divorce here, in other words, just maybe a need for better communication and a little nonjudgmental empathy. Besides, Madisonians and their government officials  to their credit  are known for the value they place on talking things out.

But they werent having it.

Only one of the council members provided a comment on seeking professional help; Skidmore said he didnt think it would matter. The mayor said: We have sharp political disagreements that demand the attention of the public, not a therapist.

Too bad. A few sessions would probably be cheaper and more effective than spending $100,000 a year on another city administrator.

Editor's note: This story has been changed to reflect a correction. The story previously said no council members wanted to comment on the matter of seeking professional help, and the new version noted one council member, Paul Skidmore, did provide a comment.
LINCOLN  Four Nebraska Army National Guard soldiers assigned to a contracting team working overseas were welcomed home to Nebraska on Saturday.

The soldiers had been deployed to Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates for nine months. As members of the 1969th Contingency Contracting Team they are among the soldiers responsible for overseeing American contract activities in the U.S. Central Command area of operations, which includes the Middle East, the guard said.

Those returning home were Sgt. 1st Class Jeremy Rupprecht, Sgt. 1st Class Chris Rodysill, Staff Sgt. Jarod Epp and Capt. Dustin Young.

Every unit that comes home is welcomed back, said public affairs officer Lt. Col. Kevin Hynes. This groups event was held at the Nebraska National Guard Joint Force Headquarters in Lincoln.

Its an opportunity for us as an organization to just thank these soldiers and their families, to thank them for their sacrifices, Hynes said.
HRA hike confirmed:

The government will finalise 7th pay commission allowances, including HRA later this month. National Joint Council of Action (NJCA) convenor Shiv Gopal Mishra says that the 7th Pay Commission may be finalised by the end of this month. There is a good possibility of central government officials getting higher HRA than that recommended by the pay panel.

GST or pay commission:

Finance Ministry sources said that they are very busy with the GST roll out. Earlier there were rumours that the GST roll out would be postponed to August 1. However Finance Ministry Arun Jaitley dismissed the rumours and said that it would happen on July 1. The employee union leaders said that the Cabinet will take up the matter relating to higher allowances and HRA on June 28.

Agenda not fixed:

The agenda for the Cabinet meeting has not yet been fixed. On the June 28 meeting, the Cabinet is likely to give preference to GST, India's biggest tax reform. Sources said that time would be made for the higher allowances and HRA as per the 7th Pay Commission. However if further discussion is needed, then the issue would be taken up in the next cabinet meeting.

Grievance reports:

The Finance Ministry is likely to seek a report from each of the ministries on the grievances of the central government employees. In the report the respective ministries would put-forth the problems being faced by the central government employees. These would be taken into account before a final announcement is made.

Will it be a phased roll out:

It is not clear whether the higher allowances and HRA as per the 7th Pay Commission will be rolled out in one shot or in a phased manner. The centre would take into account the burden on the exchequer. Sources said that the government does not want to delay the matter and hence is doing its best for a one time roll out. Moreover there is a concern following the IB report which states that the unrest is growing among the central government employees. The centre would not want to take chances. With the GST roll out round the corner, the centre cannot afford a mass strike by the Central Government employees.

OneIndia News
Be here, raise an ISIS module, Hyderabad operative was told

India

oi-Vicky

By Vicky

Stay back here and carry out activities in the name of the Islamic State, the Hyderabad based ISIS suspect was told by his handler. On Friday, the police arrested Konakalla Subramanyam alias Omer on the charge that he was in touch with a Mumbai based handler Abu Qahafa al-Hindi.

Investigations have revealed that he was in touch with the handler for several months now. He had sought details from al-Hindi on how to travel to Syria and join the ISIS. However he was told that he should stay on in India and instead raise a module.

Investigations have further revealed that he was told to post on the social media. He was added to two defunct groups of the ISIS. During the interrogation, he told the police that he was instructed to revive these pages on the social media. He said that he would post likes on the page and also invite others to join the site.

It is however not clear whether Omer had any accomplices in Hyderabad. An investigating officer informed OneIndia that he was only in touch with the handler in Mumbai. It does not appear as though he had any accomplices in Hyderabad. He was in the process of raising an online module, the officer also said.

Omer had embraced Islam in 2014. Konakalla Subramanyam alias Omer was on Friday arrested by the Hyderabad police from Tolichowki. The preliminary investigation showed that he was in touch with a person named Abu Qahafa al-Hindi.

The police are detailing his journey into the ISIS. A native of Challapalli in Krishna district Omer stopped living with his parents after he converted to Islam. With the help of his friends he moved to Tolichowki.

In Hyderabad, he set up a juice shop and earned his living. Booked now for criminal conspiracy and sedition, Omer is alleged to have come in touch with some elements in Hyderabad following which he is alleged to have been drawn towards the ideology of the ISIS.

His conversations came under the radar of the Intelligence Bureau. He would chat with Abu Qahafa, an ISIS handler believed to be in Mumbai. He is alleged to have shown a lot of interest in the ideology of the group headed by Abu Bakar al-Baghdadi.

While detailing his journey into the ISIS, an officer attached to the investigation said that after embracing Islam, he visited Gujarat where he trained in religious rituals. He is also said to have visited Srinagar. However the police suspect that he may have come in contact with Qahafa during a visit to Mumbai in 2016.

The police say that he was planning on carrying out subversive activities.

He was in touch with ISIS sympathisers through Facebook, WhatsApp, Telegram and was in contact with a man named Abu Qahafa Al-Hindi, a Mumbai-based ISIS sympathiser. Our investigation revealed that Omer wanted to carry out subversive activities in the country, the preliminary probe has revealed.

OneIndia News

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Story first published: Sunday, June 25, 2017, 7:06 [IST]
Darjeeling: Indefinite strike called by GJM relaxed during Eid for Muslims

India

oi-Madhuri

Amid the ongoing indefinite shutdown in the West Bengal hills, the Gorkha Janamukti Morcha (GJM) leadership on Sunday said there will be "partial relaxation for 12 hours" on Monday for the Muslim community to observe Eid. However, the GJM maintained that the relaxation in plying of vehicles would be only for the Muslim community, nor for the general public.

The police and security forces patrolled the streets of the hills and police pickets were placed at the entry and exit routes of Darjeeling.

Except pharmacies, all other shops, hotels and restaurants remained closed. An all-party meeting convened by the GJM on Tuesday had passed a resolution that the shutdown would continue until security forces were withdrawn.

The GJM, spearheading the agitation for a separate Gorkhaland, also decided to withdraw from the tripartite accord on the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA).

Internet services remained suspended and local cable channels remained blocked in certain parts of the hills.

On Friday, 43 GJM leaders including party chief BImal Gurung resorted to mass resignation from the GTA - the developmental board in the North Bengal hills -- and vowed to burn the GTA regulation act documents in public on June 27 as a symbolic protest against the board.

Earlier on Saturday, People wearing the traditional Gorkha attire marched through the streets of Darjeeling on Saturday in support of Gorkhaland as the indefinite shutdown in the hills entered its 10th day.

OneIndia News
Next list on July 1:

The university will release its second list on July 1 2017. Like the registration process, the process of selecting courses and colleges will be online, and applicants will only have to visit colleges for verification of documents. Admission fee can also be paid online.

What you need to carry:

The applicants will need to carry their Class X and Class XII marksheets and certificates, character certificate, caste certificate (if any), and two self-attested passport size photographs. Those who have passed their senior secondary examination from outside Delhi will also need to produce transfer certificate from their school/college, as well as migration certificate from the board/university.

Admission:

Check the centralised admission website (http://ug.du.ac.in/ app/) and respective college websites to see if you meet the cut-off for your choice of course.

If you meet the cut-off, log in to your registered account on the UG admission portal and select the college/course, where you wish to take admission.

Once done with selecting the course and the college, you will need to take a print out of the admission form and other documents, and head to the college for verification of documents and calculation of the cut-off percentage.

If the cut-off is met and the documents are in place, the college will keep the original documents to avoid multiple admissions. After this, they will approve the admission on the UG admission portal. Documents will be returned if you withdraw/cancel the admission.

Once you are done with the above, log on to the UG admission portal to pay the admission fee through the available online payment options. You will be able to pay the fee till 12 noon on the next day of the given admission list deadline.

Science

Science

Humanities

Humanities
When is Eid ul Fitr 2022? When Shawwal moon will be sighted in India?

Alvida Jumma Mubarak 2022: Wishes, images, quotes to share on the last Jumma of Ramadan

Eid-ul-Fitr to be celebrated on Monday

India

pti-PTI

New Delhi, Jun 25: Eid-ul-Fitr will be celebrated across the country on Monday, Shahi Imam of Delhi's Jama Masjid, Syed Ahmed Bukhari said on Sunday.

The festival marks the culmination of fasting and holy month of Ramzan.

"Eid-ul-Fitr will be celebrated tomorrow as the Eid moon was sighted in Bihar, West Bengal, Assam and Uttar Pradesh today," Bukhari said.

Ramzan, the ninth month of the Islamic lunar calendar, is observed as a fasting period by Muslims who abstain from food and water from sunrise to sunset.

President Pranab Mukherjee extended his greetings to the nation on the holy occasion of Eid-ul-Fitr.

"May this joyous occasion, bring happiness, peace and prosperity & be opportunity to rededicate ourselves to serve humanity," he said in his message.

Arunachal Pradesh Governor P B Acharya and Chief Minister Pema Khandu today greeted the people of the state on the auspicious occasion of Eid Ul Fitr. The governor conveyed his warm greetings to the people of the state, particularly to all Muslim brothers and sisters and expressed hope that the sacred occasion will usher-in good will and harmony and further strengthen the values of composite society.

PTI
Terrorists holed up in Srinagar's DPS school neutralised

India

oi-Vicky

Two militants were killed and three soldiers injured on Sunday in fighting that erupted the previous day with an attack on a CRPF patrol that left a trooper dead, authorities said. Security forces launched an offensive attack to smoke out militants who were hiding inside a school.

The gunbattle at the school followed after militants attacked CRPF (Central Reserved Police Force) personnel Saturday evening, who were deployed in their road opening duty in close proximity to the school in Pantha chowk on the Srinagar-Jammu highway.

"The exchange of firing between security forces and militants began at around 3.40 am and is going on intermittently, " the police said. One sub inspector was martyred in the attack while two jawans were injured. The site of the attack happens to be a high-security zone located less than a kilometre away from the headquarters of Indian Army's Chinar Corps. The area was immediately cordoned off by the security forces and search operations were launched in the school premises.

Mobile internet services were suspended in the Valley to prevent the spread of rumours. The speed of landline broadband connections has also been brought down.

OneIndia News
A police dog located a 21-year-old man armed with a handgun who had been hiding from officers in tall grass early Saturday morning, the Madison Police Department said.

Officers were searching for Jason L. Hall, of Fitchburg, after he allegedly pointed a gun at a female acquaintance of his on the 1800 block of Northport Drive, police spokesman Joel DeSpain said. A van Hall had fled in was spotted near Sherman Park, 1226 Delaware Blvd., and officers attempted to pull over the vehicle, DeSpain said.

But as the van slowed, Hall jumped out and took off, prompting police dog Freez to be brought in for tracking, DeSpain said.

A loaded handgun was found a few feet away from where Hall had been hiding, DeSpain said.

He was arrested on tentative charges of disorderly conduct while armed, carrying a concealed weapon, resisting/obstructing, possession of THC and bail jumping, DeSpain said.
FM Nirmala Sitharaman hints at possibility of Centre considering restoration of state status to J&K

J-K: Pak violates ceasefire again in Naushera, Army retaliates

India

oi-Madhuri

Pakistan on Sunday resorted to ceasefire violation along the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir's Naushera sector from 6:30 am, prompting the Indian Army to retaliate, according to news agency ANI. The Pakistani troops resorted to indiscriminate firing of small arms, automatic weapons, and mortar shelling.

The ceasefire violation comes days after an attack by a Pakistani special forces team that sneaked 600 metres across the LoC into the Poonch sector and killed two Indian jawans and lost one Border Action Team (BAT) member in retaliatory action.

Earlier on Saturday, Pakistani forces used automatic weapons and shelling mortars and violated ceasefire along the LoC in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch district.

OneIndia News
2 non-local labourers shot at by terrorist in J&K's Anantnag

FM Nirmala Sitharaman hints at possibility of Centre considering restoration of state status to J&K

In J&K, 14,000 dropouts find their way back to schools

One Jaish-e-Mohammad terrorist gunned down in Jammu and Kashmir

J&K: Seven killed in cable car accident after tree crashes on Gondola tower

India

oi-Vikas

By Vikas

Seven people were killed when a cable car came crashing down after a tree fell on the Gondola tower in Jammu and Kashmir's Gulmarg on Sunday.

The tree fell between two Gondola towers and snapped the cable which supports the cable car.

Jammu & Kashmir: Five tourists died when a Gondola tower collapsed due to strong winds pic.twitter.com/EdQqcswlUa  ANI (@ANI_news) June 25, 2017

According to reports, a tourist guide and a family from Delhi are amomg those killed in the crash.

A gondola lift is a means of cable transport and type of aerial lift which is supported and propelled by cables from above. It consists of a loop of steel cable that is strung between two stations, sometimes over intermediate supporting towers.

Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah has expressed condolences over the unfortunate incident.

What terrible news! If confirmed this will be the first such incident with the Gulmarg cable car. My heart felt condolences to the families. https://t.co/wga3ENjZlG  Omar Abdullah (@abdullah_omar) June 25, 2017

OneIndia News
Love Jihad: How Kerala's gift to India was lapped up by the ISIS

India

oi-Vicky

By Vicky

The menace of Love Jihad is back. In Kerala where the problem is immense has prompted several organisations to set up helplines to save women falling prey to love jihad. Not just Hindus, but even Christians have been complaining of girls falling prey to love jihad.

In Kerala, the CPI(M) has termed this concept as a Sangh propaganda in a bid to expand their vote bank. The issue of Love Jihad is however not new to Kerala. It has been rampant since 2012. In that year itself there were an estimated 2,268 cases reported.

On May 24th, the Kerala High Court annulled a wedding between Shefin Jahan, a Muslim man, and Hadiya, a formerly Hindu woman who converted to Islam. The court said that Hadiya (previously called Akhila) could not be married without the "active involvement" of her parents. It also ordered the police to conduct a probe into suspected conversions of Hindu women by groups linked to the Islamic State.

Rewind 2012:

It was in the year 2012 that for the first time cases of love jihad came to the forefront. An Intelligence Bureau official during one of my visits to Kerala back in 2011 had warned that such a concept was getting rampant. None in the Indian media took the warning seriously and felt that it was some sort of a propaganda.

A year later a lady and her husband were questioned by the police. It was learnt that she was forcibly converted to Islam and married off. It is this case which became the basis of a full-fledged investigation. It was learnt that there were at least 2,268 cases of love jihad across the country with a majority of them being reported from Kerala itself.

WikiLeaks had published a report by United States diplomats that stated, 'Both Hindu and Christian groups have expressed fear and outrage at the plot, while Muslim groups have felt the need to defend their co-religionists against the conspiracy theorists'.

The report said, 'The Commission for Social Harmony and Vigilance of the Kerala Catholic Bishops Council had reported that there had been 2,868 female victims of love jihad in Kerala between 2006 and 2009. The panel had made several recommendations to parents through its newsletter, including a recommendation to monitor children's cell-phones and computers, so that they can be better prepared to fight the phenomenon and resist charming young Muslim men involved in the scheme'.

The Kerala high court had also taken note of the matter and asked the police to investigate the cases of two college-going girls, who were allegedly forced to convert to Islam after marrying Muslim men. Some police officials, political leaders and prominent members of both Hindu and Christian communities continue to suspect that 'forced conversions', backed by foreign funds, was rampant in the state.

According to the police in Kerala, in most cases of 'love jihad', the victims are merely used as pawns in criminal activities. Many of the victims have no idea what they are getting into and often get into lured by the young men. But the police also point out that only some -- not all -- of the nearly 2,000 recorded cases of conversion are a result of 'love jihad'.

OneIndia News

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Story first published: Sunday, June 25, 2017, 8:30 [IST]
Gap between rich and poor has widened, needs to be bridged: Gadkari

Microscopic minority in Goa proving an obstacle to development: Gadkari

India

pti-PTI

Panaji, June 25: Union minister Nitin Gadkari has said that "there is a microscopic minority in Goa which is anti-development and proving to be an obstacle for various projects."

Gadkari, Union Minister for Road Transport, Highways and Shipping was addressing the annual general meeting of Goa Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Panaji last evening.

"The union government has enough money to carry out development work. However, there is a microscopic minority, which is anti-development and is proving to be an obstacle in the development of the state," the minister said.

He was referring to projects like port which were planned in Goa but had to be shifted out of the state due to resistance from certain quarters.

"We are serious about development of Goa. We have budget of crores of rupees for roads and ports infrastructure. We are interested in expanding the ports but people are not interested, so I decided to go to Karnataka and Maharashtra," he said.

He went on to add "If Goa want, we will develop them. If you are not okay, we will not hesitate to go to other states."

Gadkari said that "his ministry has sanctioned Rs 600 crore for four-laning of road from the National Highway 17 to the Mopa airport, which is taking shape in north Goa."

"I asked my official whether it is possible to use a river like Zuari or any other river to develop waterways up to the (Mopa) airport and he informed me that we are working on it and it is possible," the minister said.

On opposition to nationalisation of rivers project, Gadkari said "We have sanctioned Rs 40 crore to carry out dredging in Zuari and Mandovi rivers, but some people are having apprehensions that we are going to take the rivers to Delhi."

PTI

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Story first published: Sunday, June 25, 2017, 14:53 [IST]
Next President of India: Kovind begins nationwide tour from UP

India

pti-PTI

Lucknow, Jun 25: Kicking-starting his nationwide tour from his home state to seek support from various parties, NDA presidential nominee Ram Nath Kovind on Sunday met with MPs and state legislators of BJP and its allies from Uttar Pradesh.

Accompanied by Union minister Nitin Gadkari and BJP National General Secretary Bhupender Yadav, Kovind drove straight to Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's official residence from the airport. Adityanath and other senior BJP leaders and ministers earlier received 71-year-old Kovind at the airport in Lucknow.

At the CM's residence on the Kalidas Marg, he interacted with a host of senior party leaders including Union ministers Uma Bharti and Gadkari, Deputy Chief Ministers Keshav Prasad Maurya and Dinesh Sharma. He also met with UP Assembly Speaker Hriday Narayan Dixit.

Addressing the MPs and state legislators, Adityanath said, "It is for the first time that we will have the honour of having a person from Uttar Pradesh as our president. This honour has been bestowed upon by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP chief Amit Shah."

"It will be good, if all the political parties rise above the narrow party lines and vote for him. It will send a good message," the chief minister said.

He said that Kovind has led a simple life and that he has been working continuously for uplift of the poor, the dalits and the marginalised section of the society. At the meeting, Gadkari also explained as to how to cast the ballot. Though Uttar Pradesh has given the nation a number of prime ministers, it will be for the first time that the politically-crucial state will have the pride of sending someone to Rashtrapati Bhavan if Kovind is elected.

The closest the state came to having its representative in the President's House was in 1969, when Mohammad Hidaytullah became the first Acting President of India from July 20, 1969 to August 24, 1969.

[Electoral College: Here is how the next President of India will be elected]

Sakshi Maharaj, the BJP MP from Unnao adjoining Kanpur from where Kovind hails, was also present. Bhupender Yadav, Kovind's authorised representative for the presidential poll, said he has come to Lucknow to seek support from the members the electoral college. He will now visit other states, Yadav said.

BJP sources said a Union minister, a senior organisation leader from the party and two MPs will accompany Kovind during his nationwide tour to reach out to all members of the electoral college. Though his meeting will be with the supporting MPs and MLAs, Kovind will make an appeal to all the members of the electoral college in every state to support him.

Opposition parties have fielded former Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar, a Dalit leader, against Kovind. With over 62 per cent of votes firmly behind him, Kovind's election as the next president is almost certain. Besides, the BJP and its NDA allies, parties like the TRS, YSRCP, AIADMK, BJD and the JD(U) have announced their support to him.

The presidential election is scheduled for July 17 and the counting of votes will take place on July 20. While Kovind filed his nomination papers in presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and NDA chief ministers in New Delhi on June 23, Kumar is yet to file hers. Kovind, if elected, will be the second from the dalit community to occupy the highest constitutional office, the first being KR Narayanan.

PTI
Nine transgender employees quit working for Kochi Metro

India

oi-Deepika

By Deepika

Kochi, June 26: Kochi Metro's move to hire 23 transgenders, extending a helping hand to the marginalised section that often faces violence and discrimination has been praised by all. But within a week of operation, nine of them have quit their jobs as they were unable to find cheap accomodation in the city.

The employees had brought the issue to Kochi's mayor and the district collector but they have turned a blind eye towards the issue. Unable to cope up with the accomodation and wage system, nine of them have quit the job since its operation.

Sensing the issue, the authorities of Kochi Metro Rail Ltd on Saturday discussed the issue with the district collector and the Social Welfare Department so as to arrange affordable lodging facilities for them.

With a society that is yet to fully assimilate them into the mainstream, the occasional harassment while travelling, the problem of finding a shelter turned out to be an unexpected issue.

While those employed in the Ticketing section draw a gross salary of Rs 10, 500, the House Keeping staff gets only Rs 9,000 while their job hours extend to eight hours a day. "Though there are many vacant houses for rent, the owners refuse to hire it out to us. We're forced to stay in lodges coughing up over Rs 600 per day, reports Deccan Chronicle.

However, officials at Kochi Metro have refused to comment.

OneIndia News

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Story first published: Sunday, June 25, 2017, 9:57 [IST]
Operation Prahar: Three jawans martyred, over dozen Naxals killed

India

oi-Vikas

By Vikas

In a massive anti-naxal operation launched by the Chhattisgarh Police and CRPF in Sukma district, three jawans have been martyred while over a dozen Naxals were killed.

In joint operation named 'Operation Prahar', said to be one of the biggest operations in recent times, is aimed at flushing out the Maoists hiding in forests of Tondamarka.

"Three DRG jawans were martyred, 5 were injured. Over a dozen Naxals are dead and around 8-10 are injured," DG Naxal operations DM Awasthi told ANI.

Awasthi had on Saturday said that Naxals suffered heavy damage in the assault by the security forces as they never expected forces to launch an attack in Tondamarka.

On Saturday, it was reported that five STF jawans had sustained bullet injuries, with three reportedly seriously injured.

IAF was also pressed into the service to evacuate the injured soldiers from the encounter area. Reports say that Naxals also fired upon IAF's Mi-17 helicopters.

In April this year, 26 CPRF personnel were killed in an ambush carried out by the Communist Party of India (Maoist) during the Naxalite-Maoist insurgency, which ended up being the largest since a similar 2010 attack in a neighbouring district.

OneIndia News

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Story first published: Sunday, June 25, 2017, 16:40 [IST]
Sikkim bears the brunt of Darjeeling agitation

India

oi-Oneindia

By Oneindia Staff Writer

Land locked Sikkim has started feeling the ripple effect of the Gorkhaland agitation. With the National Highway 10, the link road connecting the Sikkim capital Gangtok to the plains of North Bengal,closed, owing to the ongoing indefinite bandh, essential commodities are in short supply. The tourism trade of Sikkim has also been badly affected.

Incidentally Darjeeling Hills are in the grip of an agitation with an indefinite bandh clamped by the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) since June 15.

Further compounding woes, drivers of taxis plying from Siliguri to Gangtok have launched an agitation against vehicles from Sikkim alleging that Bengal vehicles are not being allowed to ply on NH 10 owing to attacks by picketers whereas Sikkim vehicles are plying with escorts.

"We are not being provided any security by the West Bengal police. If we want to ply to Sikkim we are being stopped and attacked. Sikkim vehicles are plying to Siliguri on the other hand" complained Ratan Das, a driver.

The taxi drivers of Siliguri have already started feeling the pinch of the Hill unrest. Many parts of Siliguri witnessed demonstrations against the Sikkim vehicles. In Siliguri the Sikkim vehicles were stopped from plying by agitated protestors.

"With the Sikkim drivers afraid of plying to Siliguri, there is a shortage of essential commodities including vegetables and fuel in Sikkim. Fuel tankers are also not plying. However the Government of Sikkim has assured us that if the situation demands, Sikkim Nationalised Transport vehicles will be pressed into service to bring in the essential commodities into Sikkim" stated Kailash Agarwal, General Secretary, Sikkim Chamber of Commerce.

Out of the 120km of the NH10, 54 km lies in Sikkim (from Rongpu to Gangtok,) the remaining stretch lies in West Bengal which is in the grip of the ongoing Gorkhaland agitation. At present 2 convoys (8am and 11am) along with escorts are running from Rongpu to Siliguri and 2 convoys (2pm and 5pm) are plying from Siliguri to Rongpu with escorts.

"Tourism has been badly affected because of the ongoing unrest. This year we had record tourism. All the hotels were booked to capacity till July. However with the present unrest there has been large number of cancellations. Most of the hotels are empty. Sikkim and Darjeeling are part of a tourism circuit" stated Baraf Namgyal Bhutia, Vice President, Travel Agents Association of Sikkim.

In 2008 the Supreme Court had directed the Union, Sikkim and West Bengal Governments and others to ensure that the NH31A (now named the NH10) is kept open and outside the purview of all bandhs. According to 2009 figures for a day of closure of the NH10, Sikkim stands to lose Rs. 7 Crores in the way of trade and commerce (including tourism.)

Pawan Chamling, the Chief Minister of Sikkim had recently written to Union Home Minister Pawan Chamling in support of the creation of the separate state of Gorkhaland. In 2011 the Sikkim Assembly had passed a resolution in support of the creation of Gorkhaland.

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Story first published: Sunday, June 25, 2017, 8:43 [IST]
Hyderabad: Tollywood actor Ravi Teja's brother dies in road accident

India

oi-Madhuri

Tollywood actor Ravi Teja's brother B Bharath Raj died after his car hit a parked lorry in outer ring road, Hyderabad last night.

The incident happened at around 10.10 pm when Bharat was driving alone in his red Skoda sedan from Shamshabad to Gachibowli. Due to high speed collision, the front portion of the car was completely damaged and his entire body was smashed.

Bharat, who also acted in a few Telugu movies was earlier arrested by Hyderabad police for possession Cocaine.

At Chennamma hotel near Kotwalguda in Shamshabad, Bharat's car rammed into a parked truck from behind. Bharat's body was beyond recognition. Police couldn't identify the victim until Sunday morning since the face was smashed completely. However, the body has been shifted to Osmania hospital for the postmortem.

OneIndia News
That is how far this drone delivered medicines in Bengal

Engineer develops drones that can plant one billion trees to combat deforestation

International

ians-IANS

By Ians English

Canberra, June 26: An Australian engineer has revealed a plan to combat deforestation by developing drones capable of planting one billion trees every year.

Susan Graham revealed on Sunday that she had developed a drone capable of scanning the land for ideal places to grow trees then launch seeds into the soil, reports Xinhua news agency.

According to UN data, more than 15 billion trees are lost to the world every year as civilisation continues to expand.

Graham said the drone can plant trees in previously inaccessible places, such as the side of steep hills.

"Although we plant about 9 billion trees every year, that leaves a net loss of 6 billion trees," Graham told the media.

"The rate of replanting is just too slow."

BioCarbon Engineering, the team she is working with, consists of researchers from around the world who have developed the drone that plants at "10 times the rate of hand planning and at 20 per cent of the cost".

Lauren Fletcher, BioCarbon CEO and former NAS engineer, said the current design of the drone could carry 150 germinated seeds at a time.

"We're firing at one a second, which means a pair of operators will be able to plant nearly 100,000 trees per day, 60 teams like this will get us to a billion trees a year," Fletcher said.

The drone has been tested at abandoned mine sites in New South Wales that are in need of re-vegetation.

A second drone has been developed for this purpose with the ability to spread seeds over a wider area.

IANS

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Story first published: Sunday, June 25, 2017, 12:28 [IST]
U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson, now in the center of a national debate about a U.S. Senate bill to remake the American health care system, on Sunday urged fellow Senate Republicans to slow the blistering pace at which some want to reach a vote on the measure.

Johnsons remarks came in a nationally televised interview on NBCs Meet the Press.

Senate Republican leaders want a vote in the coming week on a plan to roll back much of President Barack Obamas health care law. The Senate GOP unveiled its proposal Thursday.

Much like its counterpart that passed the U.S. House last month, the bill would cut funding for Medicaid, slash taxes on the wealthy, loosen coverage requirements for insurers and remake federal tax credits for people to buy insurance on the individual marketplace.

Johnson was one of four senators who said Thursday, hours after the plan became public, that they were not ready to vote for this bill.

On Sunday, Johnson described himself as not a yes yet.

We dont have enough information. I dont have the feedback from constituencies who will not have had enough time to review the Senate bill, Johnson said. We should not be voting on this next week.

But Johnson did not say whether, if forced to vote on the bill, he would vote no.

The GOP senators who joined Johnson in the Thursday statement were Ted Cruz of Texas, Mike Lee of Utah and Rand Paul of Kentucky. On Friday, a fifth GOP senator, Dean Heller of Nevada, said he does not support the bill. Republicans likely can lose only two senators on a vote to pass the bill because they hold a 52-48 Senate majority and all Democrats will vote no.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has signaled he wants to pass the bill before the July 4 holiday weekend.

Asked if hell work to stop a health care vote in the next week, Johnson demurred. Johnson tweeted Saturday that his remarks about the health care bill are not a bluff.

Until Im certain this is in the best interest for folks in Wisconsin, Im not voting yes, Johnson tweeted.

Johnson also pushed back Sunday on describing the Medicaid funding reductions as cuts, noting they are reductions from projected spending levels in future years.

I dont see anything other than a reduction in the growth of spending, Johnson said.

Johnsons Democratic counterpart representing Wisconsin, Sen. Tammy Baldwin, said Sunday on WISNs Upfront with Mike Gousha that many Wisconsinites with health issues are telling her theyre panicked by the proposed GOP health care changes.

Baldwin, D-Madison, acknowledged Democrats have little power to halt the changes. But she added: We have to fight and we must win. Its peoples health and lives that are at stake.
Modi to meet Tim Cook, Satya Nadella, Sundar Pichai today

International

oi-Madhuri

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is in the US on the second leg of his three-nation tour, will meet with about 20 leading American CEOs. American CEOs expected to meet Modi include Apple's Tim Cook, Walmart's Doug McMillon, Caterpillar's Jim Umpleby, Google's Sundar Pichai and Microsoft's Satya Nadella.

The programme is likely to be attended by about 600 members of the community. He will hold his first bilateral meeting with President Donald Trump at a working dinner at the White House on Monday.

Meanwhile, India-born Sundar Pichai, who has been named the CEO of Google, has said he hopes to meet Modi soon and also said that his partnership hopes to bring technology to everyone in India.

Trump will host Modi at the White House on Monday afternoon and the two leaders would spend about five hours together in various settings beginning with their bilateral discussion, delegation level talks, a reception and a working dinner, the first of its kind hosted by this administration.

OneIndia News
Netanyahu describes Modi's Israel visit as 'very significant'

International

pti-PTI

Jerusalem, Jun 25: Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday hailed his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi's upcoming visit to Israel, the first by an Indian premier, as a "very significant step" in strengthening bilateral relations that are on a "constant upswing".

In a big fillip to already robust ties, Prime Minister Modi is scheduled to land in Israel on July 4 on a three-day visit. Netanyahu, while speaking at the start of the weekly Cabinet meeting, said, "Next week, the Indian Prime Minister, my friend, Narendra Modi will arrive in Israel, This is a historic visit to Israel. In the 70 years of the country's existence, no Indian Prime Minister has ever visited and this is further expression of the state of Israel's military, economic and diplomatic strength."

"This is a very significant step in strengthening relations between the two countries," Netanyahu said.

India is a huge country with over 1.25 billion people and is one of the world's largest, growing economies. Ties between Israel and India are on a "constant upswing", the Israeli premier said.

Modi's visit is aimed at commemorating 25 years of establishment of diplomatic ties between the two countries. Modi would be arriving in Israel on July 4 and is likely to meet Netanyahu the same day in the evening. He would also be addressing the Indian community the following day in Tel Aviv.

Netanyahu, in his remarks today, said the Cabinet will approve decisions that will deepen Indo-Israel ties, beginning with expanding exports and deepening cooperation in agriculture and water.

"We will establish a joint innovation, and research and development, fund. We will also increase tourism from India to Israel; this has very great potential. All of this is an additional expression of Israel's enhanced international position in recent years as we strengthen the state of Israel," Netanyahu said.

The two leaders have already met twice on foreign soil on the sidelines of UN-related events and are said to be constantly in touch with each other over the phone.

"I am happy that often we can talk easily on telephone, we can discuss everything. It has very rarely happened. In your case it has happened," Modi had told Netanyahu during their meeting on the sidelines of Paris Climate summit in November 2015.

The Israeli premier had then promptly responded saying, "in your case too". The defence ties between India and Israel have often drawn worldwide attention and acquired strategic dimensions. It is believed that Modi's visit would further solidify security ties as Israeli defence industries have shown greater inclination towards participating in joint ventures to give a boost to NDA government's 'Make in India' campaign.

Prime Minister Modi's visit has been preceded by several other high-profile visits, including the trip of National Security Adviser Ajit Doval, several senior secretaries, Minister of State for Agriculture S S Ahluwalia-led 11 member multi-party parliamentary delegation and Navy Chief Admiral Sunil Lanba's five-day visit earlier this month. All these visits have laid the ground work for several MoUs that are likely to be signed during Modi's visit.

PTI
Fact Check: PM Modi did not take pleasure in peoples suffering post demonetisation

When PM Modi stopped by on Bengaluru street to greet crowd | VIDEO

Trump's 'true friend' Modi arrives in Washington amidst chants of 'Bharat Mata ki jai'

International

oi-Vicky

By Vicky

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has arrived at the Joint Base Andrews, Washington DC on the second leg of his three nation visit. Ahead of his visit, several Indians had gathered at the Base and chanted, 'Modi Modi' and 'Bharat Mata ki jai.'

Earlier US President Donald Trump had welcomed Modi to the White House. He had said that he looked forward to discussing strategic issues with a true friend.

During the visit, Modi will meet with Trump on Monday. This would be the first meeting of the two leaders.

Trump and Modi will spend several hours together in multiple set-ups including a one-on-one, a delegation level meeting, a reception and a working dinner.

The working dinner that Donald Trump will host for PM Modi is the first time that a working dinner of this sort is hosted under the Trump administration.

This will be the first dinner for a foreign dignitary at the White House under this administration. So, we think that's very significant," a senior administration official told reporters at the White House.

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Story first published: Sunday, June 25, 2017, 6:56 [IST]
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The Smoking Gun 11 Nov 2022

Pair up mug shots with each suspect's alleged crime



Examine the booking photos of five arrested individuals and align..
by  Graham Pierrepoint



Exactly what killed the dinosaurs remains a rather odd mystery  in fact, we still know so little about the colossal lizards that once roamed the earth that we are finding out new tidbits of information on an almost daily basis. Bone discoveries and more besides are building a bigger picture as to what life was like millions of years ago  but we are still no closer to finding concrete evidence, or confirmation, as to what may have killed off the dinosaurs for good. Astronomers based at Harvard and Berkeley, however, have a new theory that could well back up the idea of an asteroid being to blame  but that a sinister celestial body, too, was behind the set-up.

According to various sources, Steven Stahler and Sarah Sadavoy  involved at UC Berkeley and the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory respectively  have produced a theory that suggests the Sun may well have had an evil twin or companion  one which could well have been responsible for dispatching a rogue asteroid to Earth thanks to its gravitational strength. Sadavoy claims that nearly all stars form with a companion according to research, and it is claimed by Stahler that Nemesis  as it has been named  very likely existed a long time ago.

Despite Nemesis being referred to in the press as the Suns evil twin, it is thought that the equal star may have resided some 46.5 billion miles away from the star that powers our solar system  meaning that despite its huge distance away, it still could have been able to send an asteroid as a projectile deflecting into the Earth and, effectively, killing off the dinosaurs.

Will we ever know, truly, what killed the dinosaurs? The asteroid angle is always a safe bet, it seems  but the only way we are ever going to know for certain is by continuing to dig into the past and to look closely at the universe around us. Whether or not Nemesis existed  and whether or not it was directly responsible for wiping out the dinosaurs  it will likely be a debate that continues to roll on for some time, meaning that archaeologists and stargazers alike can continue to unite to search for pieces of the puzzle. Whether you subscribe to the asteroid theory or something more outlandish, it remains to be said that the mere existence of dinosaurs is fascinating enough  but will we ever find out the truth?
Eurasia Review 05 May 2021

By Smruti S. Pattanaik*



The Tehrik Labaik Pakistan (TLP), in a very short time, has emerged as one of the strongest..
Pakistan will allow the resumption of oil imports as it eases some coronavirus lockdown restrictions and as farmers start wheat..

Reuters India 26 Apr 2020
euronews (in English) 26 Jun 2022

Tens of thousands take to the streets for pride parades in Bolivia, Chile, Guatemala, Peru, Philippines and Ukraine.
Manchester United interim manager Ralf Rangnick says it is impossible for him to force any injured players to play for the club.

Talisman Cristiano Ronaldo and a number of key players missed Sundays 4-1 defeat to Manchester City a result of Injury

Ronaldo missed the game due to flexor injury, while Edison Cavani is also injured.

Read Also: NFF, CAF Celebrate Rita Chikwelu At 34

However, speaking on Sky Sports, Roy Keane questioned the injury to Ronaldo: We talk about Ronaldo being a machine and very rarely getting injured it doesnt add up to me.

Rangnick quashed those claims following the defeat though: I have to believe my medical department. My doctor came to see me on Friday morning before training and told me Cristiano Ronaldo cannot train because of some problems with his hip flexor and the same was true on Saturday and thats why he couldnt be part of the squad.

Its just a fact, if players tell the doctor and the medical department that they are injured and cannot play. I have to accept it as a manager.

I cannot force a player to play if he thinks hes not available because he has an injury.

Fastest Paying Betting Site in Nigeria: Grab your 140% First Time Deposit Bonus Now  www.Sportybet.Com Copyright  2021 Completesports.com All rights reserved. The information contained in Completesports.com may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without the prior written authority of Completesports.com.
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Chief Sunday Adeyemo, a.k.a Igboho, has been released from a prison in Benin Republic to his medical practitioners.

Chief Yomi Alliyu (SAN), Counsel for the Yoruba Nation activist, made this known on Monday in a statement in Ibadan.

Alliyu said Igbohos release was under the agreement that he should not leave the medical centre or Cotonou for any reason.

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I am to inform you that Chief Sunday Adeyemo, a.k.a Igboho, has been released from prison to his medical practitioners under the agreement that he should not leave the medical centre or Cotonou for any reason.

Praises should be given to two prominent Yoruba personalities to wit: Prof. Wole Soyinka and Prof. Akintoye for this turn around in our clients matter, he said.

The incarceration of Igboho in the Republic of Benin had been extended by six months after spending the initial six months in prison.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that Igboho and his wife, Ropo, were arrested on Monday, July 19, 2021, by the International Criminal Police Organisation at the Cadjehoun Airport in Cotonou, the Republic of Benin on their way to Germany.

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By Doug Moore and Erica Stock

Everyone deserves clean air and water, and a chance for a healthy and vibrant life. Through our organizations, we work to protect our environment and we try to do the right thing. Right now, we need to speak up.

What has happened to immigrants since the election of President Trump is nothing short of appalling: xenophobia given center stage and real harm to people in our communities. In five months, President Trump has directly attacked people and the planet with his inhumane and ineffective executive actions. His actions and boasts, whether on Twitter or TV, have emboldened the small, but very real, segment of Oregon that propagates hate and feeds off bigotry.

A potential ballot measure, Initiative Petition 22, is one example of the frightening national anti-immigrant agenda gaining ground in Oregon. The proponents just submitted 1,000 signatures to begin the ballot title drafting process. If passed by Oregon voters, it would abolish a law dating back 30 years, which has been called a model for protecting local resources from being used to supplant federal immigration enforcement. For 30 years, this law has ensured our local police are able to focus on public safety, instead of being held hostage to the whims of federal immigration policy.

At the epicenter of attacks like IP 22 is Oregonians for Immigration Reform (OFIR), which uses false appeals to environmental concerns to propagate their particular form of hate. OFIR tries to appear mainstream, hiding behind a tree logo and a tagline referencing environmental sustainability. Don't be fooled.

The Southern Poverty Law Center designated OFIR a "nativist extremist group" because they promote a bigoted, anti-immigrant agenda. At their last membership meeting, OFIR hosted a hate group, a designation their president called a "badge of honor." They're an extremist anti-immigrant group, with a dangerous agenda that doesn't belong in Oregon.

Environmentalism, at its heart, is about both people and places. As our climate crisis worsens, more and more people will be torn from their communities and lose their homes and livelihoods. Our humanity demands of us to not only combat the effects of climate change on a policy and political level, but also to recognize and stand in solidarity with people most affected. How can we not welcome those forced from their homes or who move in search of a better life?

The environmental community has a responsibility to speak out. It's why our organizations are proud members of the One Oregon Coalition, where we stand with our partners in defending Oregon against anti-immigrant and anti-Muslim policies and ballot measures, like IP 22. We work to ensure all Oregonians, regardless of country of birth, are treated with dignity and respect.

The stakes are too high for us to fail now. We need environmental solutions rooted in hope, not fear. We need solutions that will bring each and every one of us into a better, greener future. Immigrants make Oregon stronger and are essential to finding workable solutions that make that future a reality.

Doug Moore is executive director of the Oregon League of Conservation Voters. Erica Stock is director of the Oregon Chapter of the Sierra Club.
SALEM  Authorities in western Oregon say crews are searching for an 11-year-old boy who disappeared in the Willamette River in Salem.

Lt. Dave Okada of the Salem Police Department tells KGW-TV that the boy disappeared in the river on Friday and hasn't been seen since.

Crews searched the river Friday night before suspending the search due to darkness. Crews planned to resume the search Saturday.

 The Associated Press
Mitch McConnell

Senate Majority leader Mitch McConnell smiles as he leaves the chamber after announcing the release of the Republicans' healthcare bill.

(AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

Senate Republicans and the White House are facing down an increasingly daunting challenge to secure the votes necessary to pass legislation before the July 4 congressional recess that would make dramatic changes to President Barack Obama's signature health care law.

At least five Republicans have already come out against their party's bill - which can only afford to lose two votes - and over the weekend more began expressing serious reservations and skepticism about the proposal, saying they would like more time to debate and tweak the plan.

A key moment will arrive early this week when the Congressional Budget Office releases an analysis of the bill estimating how many people could lose coverage under the Republican plan, what impact it might have on insurance premiums and how much money it could save the government.

The stalled Republican effort to pass a sweeping rewrite of the Affordable Care Act was further threatened Sunday when Republican senators from opposite sides of the party's ideological spectrum voiced their disapproval, imperiling hopes for a Senate vote this week and President Donald Trump's desire to fulfill a core campaign pledge.

The mounting dissatisfaction leaves the White House and Senate Republican leaders in a difficult position. In the coming days, moves to narrow the scope of the overhaul could appeal to moderates but anger conservatives, who believe the legislation does not go far enough to repeal and replace Obamacare.

Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, on Sunday expressed deep concerns about how the bill would cut expanded Medicaid funding for states, a key pillar of the Affordable Care Act that several centrists in the Senate are wary of rolling back, saying on ABC's "This Week" that she worries about "what it means to our most vulnerable citizens."

Collins also said she is concerned about the bill's impact on the cost of insurance premiums and deductibles, especially for older Americans.

"I'm going to look at the whole bill before making a decision," she said, later adding, "it's hard for me to see the bill passing this week."

Underscoring the challenge facing Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., speaking on the same Sunday show, also voiced concerns with the bill - but for entirely different reasons.

Paul - who, along with fellow Republican Sens. Ted Cruz of Texas, Ron Johnson of Wisconsin and Mike Lee of Utah have already said they cannot support the current bill - rejected the Republican plan for not being more fiscally austere, but said that in the face of an impasse, he could support legislation that simply repeals Obama's health care law.

"I've been telling leadership for months now I'll vote for a repeal," Paul said on ABC's "This Week." "And it doesn't have to be a 100 percent repeal. So, for example, I'm for 100 percent repeal, that's what I want. But if you me 90 percent repeal, I'd probably vote for it. I might vote for 80 percent repeal."

But simply repealing Obamacare or large parts of the law without making any other changes to the nation's health care system is not a realistic political possibility at the moment.

McConnell and his team remain convinced they must call a vote soon to avoid having health-care discussions dominate the summer, when they aim to move on to tax reform legislation. In their circle, further talks are also seen as an opening for others to bolt.

"It's not going to get any easier," Senate Majority Whip John Cornyn, R-Texas, told reporters on the sidelines of a three-day seminar organized by billionaire industrialist Charles Koch in Colorado Springs, Colorado. "And yes, I think August is the drop deadline, about Aug. 1st."

As senators took to the airwaves Sunday, there were developments behind the scenes as GOP leaders made calls and worked to cobble together votes. But no firm decisions on changes were made.

There was new talk among key GOP figures about winning over moderates by altering the bill's Medicaid changes, according to two people involved who would not speak publicly. By tweaking how federal funding is determined for Medicaid recipients and linking aspects to the medical component of the consumer price index, there is a belief that some moderates could be swayed, since they want assurances of funding should the cost of care rise, the people said.

Then would come the tightrope: If some senators can be convinced to support revisions to the Medicaid portion of the bill, several conservatives are warning that unless their amendments are included, they are unlikely to support the legislation. The hope is that there is a combination of those Medicaid changes and amendments from conservatives that could pave way to passage.

Progress in these conversations could postpone a vote for a couple weeks until after July 4 holiday, the people said, but Senate leadership and the White House want to move this week if they can.

The administration itself, meanwhile, is sending mixed signals. An allied leadership PAC is launching an intensive advertising campaign against Sen. Dean Heller, R.-Nev., currently a no vote, to pressure him to support the bill. And on CNN's "State of the Union," Kellyanne Conway, counselor to the president, said that Trump "is working the phones, he's having personal meetings, and he's engaging with leaders."

Still, the president's own support for the legislation has at times been lukewarm. Over the weekend, he acknowledged he once called the initial Republican bill, which originated in the House, "mean" in a private meeting, but also urged senators on Twitter to pass it.

Trump's aides have seemed to signal that the White House is more likely to support the final Senate proposal over the original House bill going forward, and speaking this weekend on "Fox & Friends," Trump said, "I want to see a bill with heart."

Conway added that "the president and the White House are also open to getting Democratic votes," and asked, "Why can't we get a single Democrat to come to the table, to come to the White House, to speak to the president or anyone else about trying to improve a system that has not worked for everyone?"

But Democratic support seems unlikely. Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer, D-N.Y., speaking on "This Week," said Democrats would only sit down with Republicans if they stop trying repeal Obamacare. And in an interview with The Washington Post, Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., spoke of trying to postpone a vote on the bill to mount a stronger fight against it.

"One of the strategies is to just keep offering amendments, to delay this thing and delay this thing at least until after the July 4 break," Sanders said. "That would give us the opportunity to rally the American people in opposition to it. I think we should use every tactic that we can to delay this thing."

On Sunday, there was also some confusion - or misdirection - about what exactly the Senate bill would do. Speaking on CBS' "Face the Nation," Sen. Patrick J. Toomey, R.-Pa., claimed that Republican plan "will codify and make permanent the Medicaid expansion," and added, "No one loses coverage." His comments echoed those by Kellyanne Conway, counselor to the president, who told "This Week," "These are not cuts to Medicaid."

In fact - despite Trump's campaign promise that he would not cut Medicaid - the Senate bill includes deep cuts to projected spending on the program, deeper even than the House bill over the long run, and is expected to leave millions without or unable to afford health insurance.

Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., who surprised some Republicans by co-signing a letter asking for more changes to the bill, said on NBC's "Meet the Press" that there was no hurry to vote before the end of June.

"There's no way we should be voting on this next week. No way," Johnson said. "I have a hard time believing Wisconsin constituents or even myself will have enough time to properly evaluate this, for me to vote for a motion to proceed."

At the same time, Johnson said he was not a pure "no" on the bill.

Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., who had criticized the process by which the new bill was crafted and had preferred his own compromise to extend most of the Affordable Care Act, struck a similar tone on CBS' "Face the Nation." After saying he was "undecided," he clarified that small changes could win his vote.

"There are things in this bill that adversely affect my state, that are peculiar to my state," said Cassidy. "If those can be addressed, I will. If they can't be addressed, I won't. So right now, I am undecided."

Progressive activists spent the weekend warning that Republicans like Johnson and Cassidy could vote for the bill with minor tweaks. In Columbus, Ohio, at the second of three rallies Sanders and MoveOn.org organized to pressure swing state Republican senators, MoveOn's Washington director Ben Wikler warned a crowd of at least 1,000 activists that the protests of Senate Republicans might amount to Kabuki theater.

"This is the week when Mitch McConnell and Republicans are going to introduce these tiny amendments, and Republicans are going to say - oh, the bill is fixed! Oh, I can vote for it now!," warned Wikler. "Are we going to let him get away with that?"

And looming over the discussions is another challenge: the Republican-controlled House, where any revised Senate bill would head and its ultimate fate would be decided. According to a White House official, Trump advisers are keeping in close touch with the conservative House Freedom Caucus - which helped tank the White House's initial health care push - as the Senate considers the bill, making sure that whatever ends up passing could pass muster with House conservatives.

(c) 2017, The Washington Post. Ashley Parker, David Weigel and Robert Costa wrote this story.
Around 5 p.m. on Friday, instead of meeting friends for happy hour, Shawna Harch found herself asking passersby in Northwest Portland how to break a car window.

She had been swinging her car jack against the Mercedes window, but it just bounced off. Frustrated, she wanted to cry.

Harch wasn't trying to steal the car. She was trying to save a dog locked in the car with the windows rolled up, she explained in an essay on Medium.

According to the National Weather Service, it was 89 degrees in Portland at the time, and no doubt hotter inside the car.

Harch, a Portland woman who has worked as a public relations specialist for an animal hospital, saw the small dog trapped inside and knew it needed help. Though the moonroof was open about an inch, the dog was clearly in distress, she wrote.

The car's parking receipt showed that the owners had just left, but the slip was good for two more hours.

"I knew this was a bad situation that was only going to get worse  quickly," Harch wrote.

So she called Multnomah County Animal Services, which directed her to call the police non-emergency line. The bureau told her someone would be dispatched, but it could take a while.

At that point, Harch, her sister and another passerby started asking around for the owners, but they couldn't be found.

"Time was passing, and the dog inside the car had stopped barking and was plastered against the very back of the crate," she wrote. "I knew she was trying to get as low to the ground as possible, and I could see her panting."

According to the Oregon Humane Society, temperatures inside a car can climb to 120 degrees in 20 minutes on an 85-degree day, even with the windows cracked.

Harch tried to set off the car alarm in the hopes that the owners would hear it and come outside, but no luck.

Then, a passerby mentioned an Oregon bill that had been signed into law the day before that shields people from criminal or civil charges for breaking into a hot car to save an unattended child or animal who appears to be in imminent danger.

That's when Harch grabbed her car jack. About half an hour had passed since she noticed the dog, she said.

When her attempts to smash the window failed, a passerby helped her, suggesting she aim for the corner instead of the middle. Finally, the glass splintered.

Harch smashed through it, unlocked the back door, grabbed the crate and pulled out the dog, she wrote.

Employees from a nearby cafe brought it some water. A few minutes later, police arrived. As they were taking down Harch's information, the owners appeared.

"They were two young men who looked to be about 17 or 18 years old," she wrote. "They appeared shocked and puzzled. The owner was perplexed, saying he thought that leaving the moonroof cracked was sufficient. I, along with the police officers, explained it was not. Surprisingly, the owner of the vehicle thanked me."

In an interview with The Oregonian/OregonLive, Harch said people don't realize how hot it can get inside a car, or how fast the temperature can rise.

"When you're standing outside the car looking in it, it's easy for people to walk away because they're not in there, feeling it," she said.

She encouraged people to watch videos like this one, in which a veterinarian locks himself in a hot car. Even with all four windows cracked, the temperature jumps from 94 degrees to 117 degrees in 30 minutes.

Regardless of the new Oregon law, Harch said she would do it again, especially because she worried the dog would die before police arrived.

"Even if the law hadn't gone into effect, I would have done it anyways, because I don't think I would have been able to sleep at night," she said. "I would just feel horrible."

On Medium, Harch urged others to break car windows to save pets in danger of heat stroke, even in states without laws like Oregon's.

"In circumstances like these, inaction is unacceptable," she wrote. "The craziest thing we can do is nothing."

-- Anna Marum

amarum@oregonian.com

503-294-5911

@annamarum
Portland police have identified a 63-year-old woman they believe is responsible for racially motivated telephone threats to a Portland school.

A woman reportedly called the Faubion School, which is housed in the former Harriet Tubman Middle School building, on Friday afternoon, police spokesman Sgt. Pete Simpson said. The caller made threats about a shooting at the school, he said.

The school is near the Lillis Albina Park, which is hosting the Good in the Hood multicultural festival this weekend.

KGW reported that the caller asked if the event was still happening, then threatened to "shoot all those (N-words)."

Investigators determined that the call came from a Northwest Portland residence and identified the suspect as a 63-year-old woman.

Simpson did not publicly identify the woman.

Officers and mental health professionals contacted the woman in Northeast Portland, Simpson said. She was taken to the Unity Center for mental health treatment.

The woman has not been charged with any crime, Simpson said. The Multnomah County district attorney's office will review the case.

Police do not believe the threats were credible.

The phone threat is the second the festival has gotten this month. Festival organizers also received a handwritten letter filled with death threats, profanity and racial slurs.

 Samantha Matsumoto

503-294-4001; @SMatsumoto55
NORMAL  A tiny musician took the stage Saturday in uptown Normal.

Six-year-old Louie Jones stood in front of a full-sized keyboard and wowed the crowd by playing several intermediate tunes.

As he bobbed to the tempo, Louie poked his tongue out in concentration. He wore a matching piano key bow tie and suspenders. Sometimes, he tapped his feet, activating his light-up shoes.

Louie was likely one of the youngest performers at the annual Make Music Normal event that showcased more than 60 musicians and attracted about 3,000 people.

Organizers said the goal of the event is to make music a normal part of life.

Ive been playing piano since I was 3 years old, said Louie. My favorite part about performing is playing songs people recognize.

Louie performs at local nursing homes and concerts to benefit Easterseals Central Illinois.

His parents, Karen and Paul Jones of Bloomington, said Louie showed talent as a toddler, but no piano teacher would take such a young student. Now, after lessons from an Illinois Wesleyan University professor, he can read scores of sheet music suited for much higher age levels.

He loves to perform. I hope to see him take his talent as far as he wants to go. Well be there with him wherever he goes, said Paul Jones.

That childlike passion for music is something everyone should hold close, said performer Nick Demeris of New York City.

He and bandmate Lynn OBrien of Minneapolis, both Illinois State University graduates, encouraged people on the street to use their bodies to make music at the event.

If you sing 10 minutes every day, you wont believe the effect it will have on your life, said Demeris. It opens up something in you that you put away in a pantry as an adult. It opens up that child in you that used to sing and dance every day.

Multiple stages were set up around Uptown Circle, Beaufort Street and Constitution Boulevard, but anyone with an instrument or set of vocal chords was encouraged to perform on the sidewalks.

Em Sterzinger, 16, and Aspen Goss, 14, both of Bloomington, sat in the grass and strummed at their ukuleles.

I like the togetherness of this. Each band is different, but we can all come together and create music, said Goss.

This feels familiar, even if I dont know anyone else here. This gives everyone the opportunity to be musical, added Sterzinger.

Dave and Brenda Joyce of Normal enjoyed an acoustic set at the roundabout stage.

It tends to bring the community together, said Dave Joyce. There are a lot of different people. All ages, different races, handicapped and non-handicapped, bicycle riders ... everyone is together and having a good time. Theres always something going on in Bloomington-Normal. We love living here.

Adam Fox, theater and civic arts manager for Normal, described the event as beautifully chaotic.

At a certain age, it seems like society says you cant pick up an instrument and play or sing. We want to break those barriers, said Fox. We dont always celebrate music like we should. Everyone should have to chance to participate in the arts.
When "The Bell Curve" by Charles A. Murray and Richard Herrnstein was published in 1994, I was a junior in college and didn't know anything about the book except that it had my white literature professors in an uproar. A few of them inveighed against the book's premise  the very notion of intelligence as something people possess in varying degrees  and then the whole controversy eventually died out.

It returned last March when Murray was chased away by angry students from Middlebury College in Vermont on the grounds that his speech, centering on his magnificent 2012 book "Coming Apart," about the fracturing of American society along education and income lines, was illegitimate because his earlier work on intelligence "proved" that Murray is a white supremacist.

My kneejerk reaction was to buy "The Bell Curve" and read it  an act I'm confident few of the book's vociferous detractors have done, as it is extremely long and dense.

"The Bell Curve" triggered such an uproar at Middlebury that not only was Murray shouted down, but a female professor who was to interview him onstage sustained a concussion from the violent actions of the students (over five-dozen of whom were disciplined by the college).

But even a waiting-at-the-doctor's-office reading of "The Bell Curve" bears it out as a fair accounting of dissenting opinions on the history, processes for measuring, and analysis of data about human intelligence and its correlation to human genes.

Political contexts are laid out for novices to the field of intelligence research, and there are extensive discussions about systemic injustices based on race and the challenges that the financially disadvantaged face. Concerns over whether the instruments used in assessing intelligence are tainted by cultural bias are investigated in compelling detail across a variety of well-known standardized tests like the SAT.

"The technical literature is again clear. In study after study of the leading tests, the hypothesis that the [black/white] difference is caused by questions with cultural content has been contradicted by the facts," reads one section. "Items that the average white test taker finds easy relative to other items, the average black test taker does too; the same is true for items that the average white and black find difficult."

It's a shame that the controversy regarding "The Bell Curve" centered on the book's delineation of the differences in measured intelligence between blacks and whites. But an assertion that the authors were peddling white supremacy is derailed by their detailing that  at the time of the book's publication, and still widely accepted  Asians (who are currently the highest-income, best-educated and fastest-growing racial group in the U.S, according to the Pew Research Center) had higher IQs than whites.

The authors also noted that all the literature at the time pointed to Jews testing higher in intelligence than any other ethnic group.

But questions of racism grabbed all the headlines.

Less well-known is that Murray and Herrnstein's predictions about selective self-sorting based on educational attainment and income  and how it has accelerated and magnified economic inequality  have been proved undeniably true.

And that the authors repeatedly note that intelligence is neither the determinant of a fulfilling life nor an accurate measure of whether someone will contribute to society: "Inequality of endowments, including intelligence, is a reality.  [We must understand that] the success of each human life is not measured externally but internally; that of all the rewards we can confer on each other, the most precious is a place as a valued fellow citizen."

There are opposing views and contrary interpretations of many of the data points and conclusions found in "The Bell Curve"  not to mention that there is now a wide body of research on how malleable and improvable the mind is.

The authors contend: "This thing we know as IQ is important but not a synonym for human excellence," yet we encourage an economy that increasingly devalues physical labor and repetitive work and financially rewards those with advanced college degrees.

Ultimately, debates about whether the authors invite pre-judgment of people's innate abilities based on race are undeniably necessary. As are dialogues about how much importance society should even place on intelligence.

But any informed discussion about this book's merits and deficiencies can't happen without understanding its contents. Disagree with "The Bell Curve"  hate it, even  or decide its authors were biased. But do so after actually reading it.
When the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C. was finished in 1983, the wall listed about 58,000 servicemen and women who had either died in action or went missing in action during the Vietnam War.

Because of a fire at a government storage facility in 1973, the U.S. military lost millions of personnel records, including many of those listed on the wall.

Although the military and other organizations made efforts to recover the lost data, 24,000 veterans listed on the wall had no photo in their military records in 2013.

Thanks to a coordinated effort among Illinois newspapers, including The Pantagraph, nearly 100 photos of Illinois veterans have been located and submitted to the Wall of Faces (http://www.vvmf.org/wall-of-faces/).

However, as of May 1, Illinois still has 489 service members who do not have a photo in the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Funds database. Most of the military personnel, 348, are from Cook County, with the remaining 141 from downstate.

Of that number, three are from The Pantagraph area, according to the Wall of Faces website: Thomas K. Long of McLean, who died April 16, 1969; Richard L. Dixon, of Reddick, who was killed Jan. 16, 1969; and Elyvin L. Brown, of Hopedale, who died Feb. 1, 1968.

Others are from throughout the region and beyond and, as we did in 2014, we are joining other Illinois newspapers in asking for your help.

Do you know any of the men or women? Did you go to high school or serve with one of them? Check your photo archives and yearbooks. Talk to neighbors and former classmates.

This ongoing project helps honor these veterans by putting a face to the name.

According to the Vietnam Veteran Memorial Fund, the wall was constructed to remind everyone that the names on the wall represent unique people with hopes, dreams and desires  people who were loved and who are missed every day by someone they left behind.

It's important for us to honor everyone who has served, is serving and who have sacrificed for their country. But we should also remember that they were people, just like us.

They enjoyed crazy adventures with high school friends. They had crushes, fell in love and got married. Some had children. They were people with special talents and goals. There are so many stories on The Wall  stories of people as diverse as our nation itself.

Some may think that "veteran" is reserved for people who served in war time, and those who served on hostile ground. We prefer to use the designation to honor all who have served overseas and stateside, in war time and in peace. Anyone who has chosen to wear the uniform and bear arms to serve, protect and defend the United States is worth celebrating, thanking  and remembering.

So, if you can, help honor these men and women who gave their lives in Southeast Asia. A first step to telling their stories is to locate their photos.

If you locate a missing photo of a veteran, submit it to The Pantagraph at newsroom@pantagraph.com and we will forward it to the project. The photo does not have to be of the service member in uniform. You also can submit a photo yourself at http://www.vvmf.org/how-to-submit.
100 years ago

June 25, 1917: Fire Chief Henry Mayer got a letter after a recent fire at the Hills Hotel. It came from a Chicago man who thanked the fire department for their efficient handling of the blaze. In appreciation, he also sent a $50 check for the firemens pension fund.

75 years ago

June 25, 1942: The Majestic Theater at East and Washington streets will be turned over to the Army for exclusive use to train army recruits by showing films. The Majestic will be the first theater in the country to be used in this way. The theater is owned by the Baliban & Katz chain.

50 years ago

June 25, 1967: Voters in the proposed Central State Community College District rejected the notion of a junior college for the Twin Cities. Of the 8,000 votes cast, less than 3,000 voted in favor. It failed everywhere except Bellflower, where it passed by a 32-22 vote.

25 years ago

June 25, 1992: Police are investigating the death of a transient woman identified as Mal Chaplin, 34. Her body was found east of Hudson. She had gotten help from police and Home Sweet Home Mission earlier, but had no evident ties to the area. Foul play is suspected.
There was a time before the White House, when Ivanka Trump was just a humble multi-brand tycoon with shoe, apparel, and jewelry bands. That past has caught up to her again. Following the revelation that her Chinese factories are massively abusive, the investigation that found many of her factory workers are living in poverty, and the forced rebranding of her labels due to drops in sales, Ivanka has been ordered to appear in court in a lawsuit alleging she stole her shoe designs from an Italian brand.

On Friday, U.S. District Judge Katherine Forrest rejected Ivanka's request to exempt her from testifying in person in the case, Aquazzura Italia SRL v. Ivanka Trump, which was filed last June. The case accuses the Ivanka Trump-branded "Hettie" sandal of being a copy of Aquazzura's "Wild Thing" sandal. The court cases alleges Ivanka is "seeking the same success Aquazzura experienced but without having to put in the hard creative work." Here the two shoes are, side-by-side:





Daily Beast

Ivanka has stated that she has no part to play in the designs her label makes, shifting the blame to licensee Marc Fisher, also named in the lawsuit. This follows her statement that she is "intimately" involved in the design decisions of her brand. So, what's the truth, Ivanka?

Header photo via Angela Pham/BFA.com
Today, twenty-one of Silicon Valley's top leaders met with India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi who is in the US on the second leg of his three-nation tour. PM Modi will hold his first bilateral meeting with President Donald Trump at a working dinner at the White House on Monday. In our cover graphic, you're able to see India's PM Modi centered between Apple's CEO Tim Cook and Cisco's executive chairman John Chambers.

Currently India doesn't have a formal alliance with the US, but defense ties have intensified in recent years with joint drills between the two militaries and defense sales. India, which has traditionally bought most of its defense equipment from Russia, is looking to upgrade its capabilities. Since 2008, India has signed more than $15 billion in US defense contracts, including for C-130J and C-17 transport aircraft, P-8I maritime patrol aircraft, Harpoon missiles and Apache and Chinook helicopters.

Days before the Modi-Trump meeting, the Trump administration authorized the sale of unarmed surveillance drones to India. India had initiated the request to buy 22 Guardian MQ-9B unmanned aircraft for maritime surveillance last year. The deal is estimated to be worth about $2 billion and is still subject to congressional approval. The green light marked a further deepening in defense ties.

Regional security is expected to be high on the agenda for the talks. The Trump administration has indicated it could take a tougher stance on Pakistan, which India has long accused of harboring militant groups.

Lastly, it was reported that Apple's CEO Tim Cook reached Hotel Willard Inter-Continental, Washington DC, very early this morning to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi. There was no word as to what the two discussed.

Update June 26, 2017: Today we're learning that Apple's CEO Tim Cook apprised Prime Minister Modi about Apple starting production of the iPhone SE in Bengaluru, where the company has also set up a first-of-its-kind app accelerator.

About Making Comments on our Site: Patently Apple reserves the right to post, dismiss or edit any comments. Those using abusive language or negative behavior will result in being blacklisted on Disqus.
Iran's Nuclear Chief Warns U.S. Against Tilting Power Balance In Middle East

06/25/17

Source: RFE/RL

Iran's atomic energy chief Ali Akbar Salehi, who helped forge the 2015 nuclear agreement, warned the United States on June 23 against upsetting the balance of power in the Middle East by siding with arch-rival Saudi Arabia.



Head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran Ali Akbar Salehi

(artwork by Hossein Saafi, Iranian daily Shargh)





Writing in The Guardian newspaper, Salehi said Tehran views a "lavish" deal U.S. President Donald Trump's administration recently announced to sell Saudi Arabia $110 billion in weapons as "provocative."



"This is especially the case if the national defense efforts of Iran...are simultaneously opposed and undermined," he said, alluding to steps the Trump administration has taken to increase U.S. sanctions on Iran for developing ballistic missiles even as it has ramped up arms sales to Riyadh and its allies.



"It would be unrealistic to expect Iran to remain indifferent to the destabilizing impact of such conduct," said Salehi, an MIT graduate who has also served as Iran's foreign minister and was a senior negotiator on the nuclear deal.



Salehi stressed that Washington's strong tilt toward Tehran's rivals in the Middle East not only risks setting off a regional arms race and "further tension and conflict" in the region, but it imperils the "hard-won" nuclear deal, which took two years to negotiate.



If the nuclear deal is to survive, he said the West must change course. "The moment of truth has arrived."



Trump and the Saudis frequently blame Iran for wars ranging from Yemen to Syria, as well as for restive minority Shi'ite populations within the borders of the kingdom and other Persian Gulf states ruled by Sunni Muslims.



The Saudis, like Trump, were strongly opposed to the nuclear deal. But while Trump has promised to "dismantle the disastrous deal," he has not so far taken any concrete steps to do so.



His administration has indicated it will adhere to the deal, which requires Iran to curb its nuclear activities in exchange for the lifting of international sanctions, as long as Tehran continues to do so.



But Salehi's article in the Guardian suggested that -- what Iran says is -- its so-far strict honoring of the deal may come into doubt in the future if the United States continues to disregard Iran's "genuine security concerns" and "stokes Iranophobia" in the region.



Salehi urged the United States and its Western partners to "save" the nuclear deal with "reciprocal gestures" showing a commitment to engagement with Iran.



Iranian voters recently showed their preference for engagement with the West by re-electing President Hassan Rohani with his pro-Western platform, but "engagement is simply not a one-way street and we cannot go it alone," Salehi said.



"Unfortunately, as things stand at the moment in the region, reaching a new state of equilibrium might simply be beyond reach for the foreseeable future," he said.



With reporting by AFP and The Guardian
Supporters Of Iran's President Rohani Launch Huge Twitter Storm Backing Him After Hardline Mob Forces Him to Flee Rall

06/25/17

Source: Center for Human Rights in Iran

Tens of thousands of President Hassan Rouhani's supporters took to social media to express their outrage after he was surrounded by an angry mob loyal to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and forced to flee a rally in Tehran on June 23. In a short time, their # I-Support-Rouhani ("#__") Twitter storm in Farsi exploded to the top of the network's highest trending topics worldwide.





Map shows extent of I-Support-Rouhani tweets in Iran by region.



An investigation by the Center for Human Rights in Iran (CHRI) shows that the Twitter storm, which began at 10pm Tehran time on June 23 and peaked two hours later, generated more than 150,000 tweets in a matters of hours, with 70 percent originating from inside Iran where the network is officially banned.

Figures show most tweets were sent from the following provinces, in this order: Hamadan, Alborz, Semnan, Qazvin, East Azerbaijan, Isfahan, Tehran, Hormozgan, Khorasan Razavi, Khuzestan, Gilan, West Azerbaijan, Mazandaran, Yazd and Zanjan.

Watch how Iranians turned #__ (I Support Rouhani) into the 1st worldwide trend today. Ironically twitter is blocked in Iran. pic.twitter.com/hUF99INBVa  IranHumanRights.org (@ICHRI) June 23, 2017

During the annual Quds Day rally in the capital, an angry mob shouted slogans against Rouhani, comparing him to Iran's first president, Abolhassan Banisadr, who was ousted in a power struggle in 1981 and fled to France.

The outpouring of support for Rouhani has taken place on social media where Iranians can express themselves relatively freely, in contrast to the highly censored state-controlled traditional media outlets that shy away from reporting that is critical of Iran's supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, who has recently made remarks widely seen as highly critical of the Rouhani administration's policies.

In addition to I-Support-Rouhani, other hashtags in Farsi, such as Rouhani-is-not-Alone and He-Was-the-Peoples-Choice, also generated large trends, often with emojis that symbolized love and victory.





"I Support Rohani" campaign

artwork by Hadi Heidari



Deputy Parliament Speaker and Rouhani ally Ali Motahhari, who also became a target of the pro-Khamenei mob on June 23, called on the Judiciary to apprehend those involved.

"The group that shouted slogans against the president during the Quds Day rally in a premeditated attack committed obvious crimes. The evidence is there and now we have to see how the Judiciary will react," he said in an Instagram post. "The Tehran Prosecutor is facing a great test either to pursue the criminals in a show of judicial impartiality or close its eyes and ignore justice in favor of political partisanship."



The mob attacking President Rohani

cartoon by Mehdi Azizi, Ghanoon daily

Read relates articles (in Persian) by Iranian dailies:

Ghanoon | Shahrvand | Shargh



The angry chanting mob that surrounded Rouhani at the rally on June 23 took place days after Khamenei made a reference to Banisadr's downfall and warned the Rouhani government not to fall in the same "dangerous" path.

"The country should not be polarized," Iran's leader said in a speech to government officials on June 12, 2017. "People should not be divided into supporters and opponents, as they were in 1980 by the president at that time. It's dangerous."

On June 7, Khamenei said his supporters should "fire at will" against a government that does not do its job effectively, a remark that many Rouhani supporters saw as implicitly inviting such actions against the centrist president.



cartoon by Abolfazl Rahimi, Ghanoon daily


Iranian airlines expand intl. flights to spur tourism growth

06/25/17

Source: Tehran Times

Iran's Mahan Air and Zagros Airlines have recently launched new direct flights to Spain and Russia respectively in a bid to accelerate the pace of tourism growth in the country.



A Mahan Air passenger jet taking off from Tehran's Mehrabad International Airport

(undated photo)

Tehran-Barcelona direct flights launched

Mahan Air started flying nonstop from Tehran to Barcelona early on Thursday.



"The nonstop flights from Tehran to Barcelona and vice versa will lessen travel time from 12-15 hours to only 6 hours," Hossein Hosseini, the airline's marketing manager, was quoted as saying by IRNA.



Mahan currently operates weekly flights on Sundays and Thursdays between the two cities using the Airbus A340.



Back in February, Iran tourism chief Zahra Ahmadipour and Spain's Ambassador Eduardo Lopez Busquets discussed deepening tourism cooperation by simplifying visa issuance regime and establishing direct flights.



Mahan, which started operations in 1992 as the first private carrier in Iran, has now grown to own the largest fleet among all Iranian carriers.

Isfahan connected to Moscow, St. Petersburg

Zagros Airlines has launched its weekly flights to the Russian cities of Moscow and St. Petersburg.



The privately-owned airline on Friday launched its maiden flight to Moscow from Isfahan's Shahid Beheshti International Airport.



The inbound and outbound fights are scheduled for every Friday as the airline changes its Russia destination on a weekly basis. "It flies to Moscow in one week and switches to St. Petersburg the next," IRNA reported.



The domestic carrier has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to buy 20 Airbus A320neo jets and eight A330neo aircraft, Reuters reported on Thursday.

More airliners on way to Iran

Iran has ordered more than 200 planes since international sanctions against the country were lifted last year in return for curbs on the country's nuclear program.



Flag carrier IranAir has ordered 100 planes from Airbus, 80 from Boeing and 20 ATR turboprops but implementing the deals has been hampered by uncertainty over financing, Reuters reported.



Boeing has also signed a deal for 30 737 MAX jets with Iran's Aseman Airlines, which is managed as a private company and owned by Iran's civil service pension foundation.



Refurbishing Iran's aviation industry is essential for tourism boom in the country that aims to lure 20 million foreign travelers annually by 2025.



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.
The Minister of Education, Dr Mathew Opoku Prempeh is to be hauled before parliament to answer question over the appointment of Abraham Attah as an ambassador for NPPs Free SHS policy.



The NDC Minority in Parliament is lacing its boots to table a motion in Parliament shortly over governments agreement with the young actor.

The Educational Minister unveiled the child actor at a brief ceremony Thursday, for having put Ghana on the international stage at shortest possible time despite his poor background.

The minister also explained that, the Hollywood stars popularity and as young as he is will inspire young Ghanaian children into the Free SHS programme.

But the minority MPs in parliament believe, contract between government of Ghana and the young chap is waste of public funds.

Ill file a question before the House for the Minister to be invited over the issue. This free SHS Ambassadorship is a waste of money and even if the state is to spend a penny on it, I dont think it is in the best interest of the nation, the deputy ranking member of the parliamentary select committee on education, Dr. Tawiah Augustine revealed.

The NDC MP described the move as a needless venture which will add no real value to the flagship programme of the government.

I dont see the real value of that initiative. Whats he going to contribute to help the policy? Is he the one going to provide funds for the programme or what? It will rather serve a purpose if government had searched for a local student from some deprived village who has excelled than somebody living in the US who is eating burgers and hot dogs, the MP fumed.

The young actor has already distinguished himself by winning the Marcello Mastroianni Award for Best Male Lead Young Actor in the hit movie Beast of No Nation.

He has also been recently recognized for his excellent academic performance at his new school, Cheshire Academy in the United States of America.

Source: yen.com









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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As Johnny Depps legal battle with his former managers continues, embarrassing new details have emerged in the form of court documents, claiming he knew all along that he was breaching Aussie bio-security laws by bringing his two dogs into the country.

Depps Teacup Yorkshire Terriers Pistol and Boo  the innocent victims in all of this  were the subject of a media frenzy in 2015, when it was discovered via a Facebook photo that they had been smuggled into Australia, bypassing quarantine.

Agriculture minister Barnaby Joyce gleefully latched onto his time in the spotlight and ordered the dogs to bugger off back to the US or be euthanised, and Depp ultimately had to star in a grovelling apology video to promote Australian bio-security.

Throughout the whole saga, Depp maintained that the issue of the dogs was a big misunderstanding, and that he was unaware of strict quarantine rules, but a court filing by The Management Group claims otherwise.

The filing in question, obtained by People, claims that Depp was fully aware that he was illegally bringing his dogs to Australia when he arrived in the country to shoot the fifth Pirates Of The Caribbean movie.

According to the filing, Depp falsely claimed to authorities and in public press interviews that the incident was a big misunderstanding because he supposedly believed his staff had obtained the necessary paperwork.

TMG go on to claim that, when the story about the smuggled pups broke in Australia, Depp pressured one of his long-term employees to take the fall' for the pooches.

Depps then-wife Amber Heard ultimately ended up taking the blame, and in April of 2016, appeared before a Gold Coast court where she plead guilty to falsifying quarantine documents, escaping with a good-behaviour bond and a $1000 fine.

In the wake of the incident, Depp mocked the agriculture minister on U.S. television, calling him Barnaby Jones and saying that he looked somehow inbred with a tomato.

The actor has not commented on these latest allegations.

Source: People.

Photo: Supplied.
Sen. Bernie Sanders on Saturday night took his Republican colleague from Pennsylvania to task in urging him to vote against the Senate Republicans' proposed health care bill.

"Senator Pat Toomey, we are here to say, 'This is a barbaric and immoral piece of legislation. Vote NO!'" Sanders tweeted minutes after the rally at the Pittsburgh Convention Center in Pittsburgh got under way.

The Independent senator was the headliner in a rally series being called the "Don't Steal Our Health Care" - which features a cadre of progressive groups - including MoveOn.org, , One PA, Keystone Progress and Planned Parenthood.

The former Democratic presidential hopeful, along with a succession of speakers, took the podium to blast the Senate health care bill, which has quickly come under attack since its unveiling on Thursday. The rally was the first stop in the tour.

Don't Take Our Health Care with Senator Bernie Sanders in Pitt... LIVE with Bernie Sanders from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on the first stop of our #ProtectOurCare tour. Posted by MoveOn on Saturday, June 24, 2017

Sanders called the Republican effort to rollback President Obama's signature health care law a "moral outrage that this country will never live down," The Hill reported.

"A great nation is judged...by how well it treats the most vulnerable people in this country," Sanders said.

"We will not allow 23 million Americans to be thrown off of the health insurance they currently have in order to give more than $500 billion in tax breaks to the top two percent, to the insurance companies, to the drug companies and to other multi-national companies," Sanders said to cheers. "Plain and simple, this so-called healthcare bill is a massive transfer of wealth from working families to the very very rich."

"This is a barbaric and immoral piece of legislation," Sanders added.

On Saturday, Sen. Bob Casey took his town hall series to Franklin & Marshall College in Lancaster to highlight what he says are grave faults with the Senate proposed bill.

Senator Pat Toomey, we are here to say, "This is a barbaric and immoral piece of legislation. Vote NO!" https://t.co/OM7IqMqGvj  Bernie Sanders (@BernieSanders) June 24, 2017

In an op-ed piece for Philly.com, Toomey on Friday defended the Senate repeal and replace bill, saying the proposed legislation fixes the faults in the so-called Obamacare law.

"Despite inaccurate reports to the contrary, the Senate draft bill keeps Obamacare's expansion of Medicaid, the program for low-income Americans," Toomey wrote.

He added: "Perhaps most important, for the first time in its history, the Medicaid program will be reformed so it is sustainable for future generations and for taxpayers... Our bill will begin, eight years from now, to transition from this uncontrolled, unsustainable spending growth to a slightly slower, hopefully manageable, rate of growth."

Sanders and the representatives from the progressive coalition characterized the Senate's health care proposed legislation as a "cruel and destructive transfer of wealth to the rich" at the expense of kids, low-income Americans, the elderly, those with disabilities, and the nearly 23 million Americans who are estimated to lose their coverage as a result of health care repeal efforts.

Detractors of the proposed bill say it will raise costs, reduce coverage and destroy Medicaid.

"This bill has nothing to do with health care. It has everything to do with an enormous transfer of wealth from working people to the richest Americans," Sanders said. "Our job now is to rally millions of Americans against this disastrous bill to make sure that it does not pass the Senate. Instead of throwing tens of millions of Americans off of health insurance, we must guarantee health care as a right to every American."

Massive crowd in Pittsburgh to stop #TrumpCare with @BernieSanders & @MoveOn. Planned in literally 4 days. Ppl are fired up. Cc @PatToomey pic.twitter.com/TsHrTa4ykR  Anna Galland (@annagalland) June 25, 2017

"No matter what backroom deals Senators make in the coming days, there is no way to fix this shocking and cruel bill," said Anna Galland, executive director of MoveOn.org. "This bill is a giant giveaway to the wealthiest Americans at the direct expense of the health of tens of millions of average Americans. Senators have a choice: stand up for your constituents and protect their health care, or go down in history as the people who ended Medicaid, slashed Planned Parenthood, and raised health care costs for your constituents."

Sanders's wife, Jane Sanders, is the focus of a federal investigation into allegations that she fraudulently obtained a $10-million bank loan during her time as president of the now-defunct Burlington College in Vermont.
By Karl Rominger

The Department of Corrections is intentionally releasing Hepatitis C carriers into Pennsylvania communities. There is no better way to describe the result of the Pennsylvania Department of Correction's misguided HEP-C protocols. Simply put, the DOC has developed protocols designed to delay and avoid HEP-C treatment in the prison population, simply to avoid the high cost of drugs like Havroni, which are 95 percent effective at curing HEP-C.

I learned of this when a young inmate, who for privacy reasons I will call "Billy" asked me to explain some medical forms he signed. Many inmates know of my legal background, and I am often queried on routine paperwork and the like. Since Billy was given no copy of what he signed, I asked him to explain the situation. He told me of his HEP--C diagnosis, and that he signed paperwork authorizing outside treatment in case of an "emergency." I asked him why they simply weren't treating his HEP-C diagnosis , and he said they did not offer medication, just monitoring.

This story led me to the law library.

Some quick research shows that in May of 2017 a Federal Court wrote about, and found deficient, the DOC HEP-C protocols. Essentially, the court found the DOC was wrongly withholding treatment of a prisoner, and ordered Havroni type treatment by injunction.

The court found the DOC has a complicated protocol which did not follow medical standards. Essentially, a prisoner is being required to have severe liver disease on top of the HEP-C diagnosis, and if sufficiently sick (very sick) he can have his medicine. Since most prisoners like Billy have no idea what their rights are, or how to assert them, the DOC can use this "bad medicine" to avoid the cost of curing HEP-C in most inmates.

This short sighted view means that most HEP-C positive inmates, who could easily be cured, are being released back into Pennsylvania communities, to share needles, have sex with, and otherwise spread HEP-C throughout Pennsylvania. The medical care of those inmates in the community costs Pennsylvania taxpayers, as does the healthcare costs of the thousands of new HEP--C cases they will cause.

Commonsense dictates that the Pennsylvania DOC be held responsible, and be mandated to cure HEP--C in each inmate who tests positive. It will protect Pennsylvania communities, and save medical costs overall. It is not likely that the DOC will do the right thing unless infected prisoners are educated on their legal right to grieve and file suit, or a policy sensible to all Pennsylvanians is adopted and carried out. Our governor and legislature should direct the DOC to stop spreading HEP--C.

A former attorney in the Jerry Sandusky child-sex case, Karl Rominger is serving 5 to 18 years for his conviction on charges that he stole more than $767,000 from 18 clients. He also faces a separate, 20-month sentence on federal tax evasion charges. He is serving his state sentence at SCI-Laurel Highlands in Somerset, Pa
By Charlie Gerow

In each of the special elections since Donald Trump became president, Democrats have touted their candidacies as a chance to show the world that Trump's November victory was an aberration and, even if it wasn't, that the bloom was already off the rose.

Republican strategist Charlie Gerow (PennLive file)

They harbored great hope that they could pull off an upset and leverage that victory to boost their national fundraising and create a defining story in the media about their coming success in the pivotal mid-term elections.

That was until each of the election days. Victory always eluded them and they were left with feeble excuses and claims of "moral victories." They were 0 for 4.

The race in Georgia's Sixth District would be different, they claimed. They had some reason for their optimism.

The June 20 runoff followed an election on April 18 when Democrat Jon Ossoff nearly won the seat outright, taking 48 percent of the vote.

His Republican opponent, Karen Handel, had managed less than 20 percent in a fractious multi-candidate field.

Democrats smelled blood in the water.

This was it, they figured--the chance to win in a solid red district which was once represented by former Speaker Newt Gingrich.

They pulled the goalie. They dumped in everything including the kitchen sink. They opened the spigot of national money and in flowed millions of dollars. It was the most expensive congressional race in history. The Democrats alone dropped more than $30 million into the race.

The overwhelming amount of that money came from outside the district. For every penny raised inside the Georgia district, $10 came from outside. There were more Hollywood addresses on contributions than there were local zip codes.

Another person with an unusual address was the Democrat candidate, Jon Ossoff. He didn't live in the district. A young man with a thin resume, the national Democrats had seized on him as their great hope in the Special Election sweepstakes of 2017.

They put all their eggs in his basket. They came up empty.

Now they're trying desperately to downplay the results. This was always an uphill battle, they now claim, in a strong Republican district.

There's an element of truth there. But just imagine if the Democrat had won. The race would have been trumpeted as the end of Trump's presidency and Republican control of Congress.

Right before the Georgia vote, I told our television audience that there were two key things to watch: 1) Voter turnout and 2) the margin of victory.

By Election Day, Ossoff had increased his primary vote total by about 32,000 votes. Meanwhile Handel upped hers by 96,000, three times more than her Democratic opponent.

Republicans managed to do in June in Georgia what they had done nationally in November. They got ordinarily low-turnout voters to the polls.

Meanwhile, a lead that had Ossoff and the Democrats crowing about a potential breakthrough win evaporated.

A six or seven point lead turned into a four point defeat for Ossoff. Karen Handel is the first woman elected to Congress from The Peachtree State.

Here are five takeaways from last week's special election:

The "resistance" stuff simply doesn't work. Nor does merely being "anti-Trump." Hillary tried that in November. Ossoff rehashed it in June, with the same result. Voters ultimately want to know what you're FOR and what you'll DO once in office. The results provide a new opportunity for the Republican/Trump legislative agenda. Republicans are not likely to wander off as the Democrats had once hoped and they can now pass the trifecta of tax cuts, replacing Obamacare and an infrastructure program to boost economic growth. There are two keys to success in these races: personalizing and localizing them. Even with all of the outside influence pouring in, Republicans were able to keep the race local and personal. Using the fact that Ossoff didn't live in the district and that Handel had a long record of community service helped stem the tide of outside impact. Republicans can breathe a little easier for now, but cannot become complacent. Next year looms very large and mid-term elections have historically not been kind to the party in power. The average loss of seats is near 40 and there are 23 Republicans currently sitting in seats where Hillary Clinton won last fall. In the meantime, big wins for the American people, providing tax relief, more choices in health care and safer and easier to travel roads are what will really matter. It looks like Nancy Pelosi is more politically toxic than Donald Trump. The Democrats attempt to demonize Trump thus driving votes to Ossoff clearly failed despite the millions put behind that message. Meanwhile, Republicans linked Nancy Pelosi to Jon Ossoff, driving otherwise hesitating Republicans and Independents to the polls to vote for Handel.

Last Tuesday, Republicans got the chance to gloat the Democrats had craved. Their celebrations must be brief. There's work to be done if they want to continue the revelry in 2018. It begins with passage of their legislative agenda.

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.
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Top letters to the editor

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.

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5. Who should be investigated?

I have given the investigation (a bunch of lawyers making a lot of money) into politicians and their people who work for them some thought.

I have looked at the facts, and as a pragmatist listed, in my mind, the reality of an investigation, should it occur.

An unindicted person who destroyed evidence requested by authorities evidently has been forgiven. This person broke every rule written and assumed on the handling of classified materials.

This person ignored protocol on devices and servers to serve the agenda this person had in mind.

Lets add the fact that this person, who should be investigated, used the political position occupied by this person for financial benefit to family and friends.

The person used a foundation to enrich personal gain.

This person used political power to convince an attorney general to show favoritism and meet with a spouse secretly for 39 minutes to sway attorney general partisanship.

That is textbook obstruction.

This person also convinced the attorney general to demand an investigation to become a simple matter.

This person established a disgusting double standard in politics for the haves and the have nots.

This person exposed the head of the FBI for a fool. He is a flip-flop clown who doesnt even know what his job description contains.

Leaks are not proper sir.

Indictment opinions are not proper sir.

And finally, a true reason to investigate and possible indictment for this person. A sweet deal with Russia to give them 20 percent of our uranium.

Who is this secret person?

You tell me.

DAVE DAMORE, Derry Township

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4. Why is a Trump cabinet member praising North Korea

Thank you for the opportunity and blessing you have given us to serve you.

Its an honor to be able to serve you.

I cant thank you enough for the leadership you have shown.

Hundreds and hundreds of people were just so thrilled.

Are these quotations from North Korean Communist hacks praising their dear leader?

These are remarks from President Donald Trumps cabinet member.

Arent we fortunate to have such people of integrity and independent thinking to advise and guide the president?

To me they sound like a new species of biological peculiarities.

Vertebrates without a backbone.

JERRY MARTIN, East Pennsboro Township

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3. Climate Change is real

There have been some interesting developments in the effort to address climate change. Several months ago, a group of respected Republican elder statesmen, calling themselves the Republican Climate Leadership Council, proposed a revenue-neutral carbon tax, with the proceeds returned to households as a dividend to offset increased energy costs.

The plan would encourage the adoption of clean renewable energy and promote innovation in both commercial and domestic energy efficiency. The plan would be pro-growth, stimulating increases in both GDP and jobs while cutting carbon emissions by up to 50 percent over the next twenty years.

Are Congress and our nation capable of bipartisan support for this measure? Now three major U.S. corporations have announced support for the plan: Exxon, GM, and Pepsi.

It's increasingly apparent that climate change is real, it's a threat, and it's related to the burning of fossil fuels. A revenue-neutral carbon tax would be the most effective step Congress could take to protect Americans -- especially our future generations.

MORTON RUBENSTEIN, Upper Allen Township

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Photo by James Robinson

2. Senator Regan needs to explain himself

Pennsylvania state Senator Mike Regan must answer questions for his bill aimed at jailing pipeline protesters. Regan began circulating a cosponsor memo for his Critical Infrastructure Protection Act on April 10, and formally introduced it later that month. The bill will charge pipeline protesters and other environmental activists with a class one trespassing felony for conducting acts of civil disobedience if they impede or inhibit the construction of a pipeline or operations at other natural gas facilities. These penalties include a maximum of two years in prison and a minimum $10,000 fine.

The senator's bill is almost identical to a bill that recently became law in Oklahoma. Documents obtained through the Right to Know process shows that Regan visited Range Resources Marcellus Shale headquarters the day he circulated the cosponsor memo for SB 652. Range Resources is one of the largest natural gas producers in the country, and he billed the Commonwealth $323.98 for the trip to Canonsburg, Pa. The senator does not sit on the Senate Environmental Resources and Energy Committee, but he does have Mariner East II Pipeline running through his Cumberland County district. Regan must explain the purpose of his visit with Range Resources officials and if his bill aiming to jail environmental activists was discussed at the meeting. He and his office have refused to answer these questions to this day.

SEAN KITCHEN, Harrisburg

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Photo by Mark Pynes | mpynes@pennlive.com

1. Where is Bob Casey?

Sen. Bob Casey has been strangely missing since the November election.

He has played little part in the public debates on healthcare, environmental protection, student loans, loosening of banking rules, etc. Where is his leadership on these key issues? We need an active, strong voice fighting for Pennsylvania residents. November 2018 is not far away.

HAL ROGERS, Upper Allen Township
FILE - In this June 13, 2017, file photo, Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz. speaks on Capitol Hill in Washington. McCain and Sen. Jack Reed, D- R.I., are asking Defense Secretary Jim Mattis to investigate reports that U.S. military interrogators worked with forces from the United Arab Emirates accused of torturing detainees in Yemen. McCain and Reed, called the reports "deeply disturbing." (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, file)
A man who wanted a trimmer midsection wound up with serious internal injuries. But how? Read more

It was late winter, and the patient traveled to the Jersey Shore to recuperate after outpatient cosmetic surgery  abdominal liposuction  at a metropolitan hospital. He was seriously ill the following day and was admitted to a local hospital. The diagnosis was septic shock with an intra-abdominal-wall infection and disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC), a life-threatening blood clotting condition.

Emergency surgery revealed that he had sustained more than half a dozen punctures in his abdominal wall and in segments of his underlying bowel and colon. Serious complications from the infection and the DIC required extensive medical treatment and more operations. He had a complicated recovery with considerable scarring and some permanent disabilities.

The cosmetic procedure used fat-dissolving, ultrasonic liposuction equipment and other surgical instruments. The ultrasonic liposuction unit and probes, available since 1997, had been used successfully at the hospital for at least a year before this. Other surgeons also used them on the day of this patient's surgery and on subsequent days without problems.

Most of the punctures of the patient's abdominal wall and intestines were 2 millimeters in diameter  about the width of the lead in a standard wood pencil  with a few measuring almost 4 millimeters. Yet the ultrasonic probe was 5 millimeters in diameter  considerably larger than the punctures  and had a rather blunt, concave end. The medical professionals initially considered that ultrasonic energy emitted by the probe had made the holes.

The issue facing our investigation was whether  and if so, how  an ultrasonic liposuction system and its probes caused those perforations, despite the size of the holes and the muscular tissue they appeared in. And if the ultrasonic probe did not cause the injuries, then what did?

Solution:

It was understandable that the energy-emitting devices, the ultrasonic liposuction system, and the probes were the focus of the hospital's attention. We considered three possible ways the probes might have caused punctures:

Thermal injury (burns from the heat of the liposuction probes). This was ruled out based on the pathology report, which did not show tissue changes from burns (desiccation, protein disruption, and coagulation necrosis from localized blood flow stoppage. Ultrasonic energy. Assuming that the abdominal wall was perforated by ultrasonic energy from the fat dissolving probe, could energy from the 5 mm diameter probe cause 2 mm perforations in the intestinal tissues on the other side of the abdominal wall? Hypothetically, yes. But there was no sign of a 5 millimeter abdominal wall injury or related necrosis one would expect from such punctures, so we concluded that there was no evidence that the intestinal punctures were caused by ultrasonic energy. Blunt trauma. It's very rare to see these kinds of perforations even in suction-assisted lipoplasty, which uses non-ultrasonic probes and requires more vigorous application by the surgeon. So one would expect they would also be rare in ultrasonic lipoplasty. In fact, we searched medical and FDA data bases for such perforations and found that none had ever been reported.

However, during the liposuction procedure, the surgeon had reported that the machine's "fault light" had activated several times. That alarm can occur for a variety of reasons, including applying excessive force to the probe. However, if the fault light activates, the system also audibly alarms and deactivates the ultrasonic  minimizing the possibility of ultrasonic energy having caused the injuries.

No one else in the operating room recalled seeing that light or hearing an alarm. Nonetheless, based on the surgeon's comments about it, and just in case there was a device problem, the ultrasonic suction probe was changed twice during the procedure before its completion.

We concluded that the pushing force required to penetrate the abdomen with a blunt ultrasonic probe would have been far too great for this to be the likely cause of the patient's injury.

Ultimately, we felt confident in eliminating the ultrasonic equipment as the culprit.

Next, we considered the long needles  called tumescence cannulas  used for injecting the fluid into the fat at the beginning of the procedure.

These needles are typically 2.8, 2.1 or 1.7 millimeters in diameter. We did not know the specific needle size used in this case. However, the injuries to both the abdominal wall and intestinal tissues were consistent in size with punctures caused by any of them.

Our patient safety recommendations focused on giving greater attention to the careful use of the needles during liposuction surgery. We also suggested the use of blunt-tipped needles to prevent future injuries.

Mark E. Bruley, CCE, is a biomedical engineer and vice president for accident and forensic investigation at ECRI Institute in Plymouth Meeting, a nonprofit research agency that studies medical devices, drugs, procedures and processes to determine which are best and safest.
When Margaret Elizabeth Streeter walked the halls at Dr. Ethel Allen Elementary, she was always met by smiling, waving students who wanted hugs.

"One day I said: 'Why are kids always running up to you, giving you hugs? You're my mom,' " said daughter Marilyn Streeter, an Ethel Allen student at the time. "She said,'I'm their mom too and some of these kids don't get this at home.'

"She loved people," her daughter added. "She was very sociable. She showed that, whenever she came into your company."

Mrs. Streeter, 92, of Strawberry Mansion, a retired school custodian and neighborhood block captain, whom her daughters described as loving, caring, and warm, died Sunday, June 18, at home.

A lifelong North Philadelphia resident, Mrs. Streeter was the youngest of three children born to John and Lula Snell. She attended Philadelphia public schools and graduated from Murrell Dobbins Vocational High School. Afterward, she worked at several places, including Nazareth Home for the Aged, the YMCA, Campbell Soup Co. in Camden, and also made uniforms for the U.S. Army.

Mrs. Streeter was later introduced to John Streeter, her brother's friend, said daughter Kathryn Lewis. The couple married three years later in 1947 and had six children. The family moved nearby to the 2600 block of 30th Street in Strawberry Mansion, where Mrs. Streeter raised her family and quickly won the hearts of neighbors. She became the block captain in the early 1960s.

For 30 years, Mrs. Streeter organized community members, planning trips and events for children in the neighborhood and working to beautify the block.

"Some kids probably would not have received any type of vacation without the trips that my mother organized," Streeter said.

"She believed that it was everyone's responsibility to make the community better for children," added Lewis. "She could get people to mobilize to address things that they thought were not good for the neighborhood."

Mrs. Streeter prioritized her family, her daughters said, but she had a true passion for children.

In 1963, Mrs. Streeter joined the environmental services department at Ethel Allen, where she developed relationships with the school's teachers and students until she retired in 1986. After retirement, she continued to interact with her community. She also sold Avon and became a member of the company's President's Club, a status level awarded to the company's best sellers.

In addition to her two daughters, Mrs. Streeter is survived by another daughter, Ellen Small; three grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren. She was predeceased by her husband of 53 years; a daughter, Jeanette Shell; and her sons, Wilbur and John.

A viewing will be held Monday, June 26, from 9 to 11 a.m. at Miller Memorial Baptist Church, 1518 N. 22nd St., followed by a funeral. Burial will take place at Mount Peace Cemetery.

Update: An earlier version of this story listed the incorrect age for Mrs. Streeter. She was 92. Also, Mrs. Streeter never served in the U.S. Army. She worked for a company that made uniforms for the Army.
In a move that will translate into big changes for Catholics in Camden, the Diocese of Camden on Friday announced that it is merging the city's six parishes into three, citing population changes, dwindling congregation sizes, and decreases in revenue as reasons behind the mergers.

The mergers, effective July 31, come after a nearly two-year review.

The worship sites or churches in the parishes will remain open initially, the diocese said. But whether or not they stay open will depend on later decisions made by the newly formed parishes' leadership and their councils.

The parish mergers are as follows:

 St. Josephine Bakhita Parish, which has two churches  one that is predominantly black, the other predominantly Hispanic  will merge into Sacred Heart Parish, which is predominantly white. Msgr. Michael Doyle, the beloved 82-year-old pastor of Sacred Heart, who has jaw cancer, will continue to serve as pastor of Sacred Heart and will administer the new parish together with the Rev. Gerard Marable of St. Josephine Bakhita, who will also serve as pastor and moderator.

 St. Joseph Parish, the symbolic heart of Polish Catholicism that has faced a shrinking congregation, will merge into the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception Parish, in downtown Camden, which has a predominantly Latino congregation. The Rev. John Fisher will continue as rector of the cathedral.

 St. Anthony of Padua Parish, a predominantly Hispanic parish in the Cramer Hill section of the city, which is run by Franciscan friars who have announced their decision to leave, will merge into St. Joseph Pro-Cathedral Parish, about a mile away in East Camden. The Rev. Jaime Hostios will continue as pastor of St. Joseph Pro-Cathedral Parish, which is also predominantly Latino.

The merger of St. Josephine Bakhita into Sacred Heart is yet another parish merger for black Catholics in Camden. In 2010, St. Josephine Bakhita was established after the merger of St. Bartholomew Parish, which was founded in 1940 for and by African Americans at a time when they were not welcomed in many Catholic churches, and St. Joan of Arc Parish, which has in more recent years attracted a growing Latino congregation.

The parish's two churches  St. Bartholomew's on Kaighn Avenue and St. Joan of Arc on Alabama Road, about two miles away  still exist under St. Josephine Bakhita. Now, with the coming merger, it will be "really three congregations coming together," the Rev. Ken Hallahan, an assistant priest at both Sacred Heart and St. Josephine Bakhita, said Saturday.

In its statement, the diocese said that Bishop Dennis J. Sullivan has decreed that an apostolate or ministry be created at Sacred Heart Parish to serve African American Catholics, who have been served by St. Josephine Bakhita Parish, and previously by St. Bartholomew Parish.

Likewise, the bishop decreed that an apostolate or ministry be created at the Parish of the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception to serve the Polish Catholic community that has been served by St. Joseph Parish.

Rocco Palmo, a Catholic journalist in Philadelphia who writes for the news website Whispers in the Loggia, said Saturday that the Diocese of Camden has been "extraordinarily delicate" in its handling of the mergers.

"They know the people in Camden City, between the violence, the poverty, the struggle of immigrant communities, they need the presence of the church more than anybody. The presence is going to remain, but it's going to be consolidated," he said. "It's simply the way of the world here."

Camden, which has declined in population, used to be a mostly white, blue-collar industrial city, but that hasn't been the case for 50 years, said Palmo, noting a significant influx in recent years of Latinos from Puerto Rico and Mexico.

"The population base simply isn't there for" the six parishes, he said.

The Camden Diocese, which comprises the six southernmost counties of New Jersey and ministers to 450,000 Catholics in the region, will have 62 parishes after the mergers.

About a decade ago, during a process that spanned a few years, there was a massive reorganization in the Camden Diocese in which 134 parishes became 64. During that period, Bishop Joseph Gallante, Sullivan's predecessor, went to every parish to hear what people wanted, said Palmo.

Hallahan said during that reorganization, the number of parishes in Camden dropped from nine to six.

"Parish consolidation and mergers are standard fare for every archdiocese in the Northeast and the upper Midwest," said Palmo, reflecting population declines in those areas, low church attendance, and building maintenance costs.

The Archdiocese of Philadelphia, which serves the city and its surrounding counties, had 264 parishes in 2011 and now has 216 parishes, in a consolidation process that is still ongoing, said Palmo.

The decisions behind the mergers in Camden came after an 18-person committee was formed in the fall of 2015 to determine what changes were needed. After reviewing the data and the concerns of the parishes, the representatives determined that the most effective option was to reduce the number of parishes through mergers, which would save on personnel, housing, and other assorted management costs, the diocese said.

Catholic schools in Camden are unaffected by the mergers, it said.

Hallahan was on the committee, as was Ben Hill, 63, of Pennsauken, a member of Sacred Heart for 40 years.

Hill, who is African American, said he doesn't think there will be any kind of cultural or racial conflicts with the merging of St. Josephine Bakhita into Sacred Heart. "Everybody has the same mission, to help the poor and  to provide for others," he said.

"Geographically, it works, and demographically, we think it's going to work out," he said of the merger.

Columnist Kevin Riordan contributed to this article.
The emergency alert popped up shortly after 1 p.m.

The youth "was last seen approximately forty five minutes ago in the wooded area east of the campus," the text read. "The subject likes to frequent the creek headed toward the Fairview Road area."

The teenager in question had escaped from Devereux's Brandywine campus, a behavioral treatment facility for youth. That was on June 1. A few months earlier, a Devereux runaway, who police said had been arrested twice for burglary, allegedly attacked and robbed an elderly woman and left her tied up in a locked closet of her own house; she was found after four days.

No community alert was issued when that youth went missing, and the one that went out June 1, in the wake of that incident, was the result of lobbying by Jason Piccola and his neighbors in Wallace Township, Chester County, where the Devereux facility is located. The alerts from local police are targeted to those who requested the text messages.

Under a bill introduced last week by state Sen. Andy Dinniman (D., Chester), such alerts would become standard procedure statewide when someone goes missing from a "nonsecure" juvenile facility. In addition, any such treatment center would have to work with law enforcement and municipal officials to develop written security plans in order to receive licenses from the state.

Devereux and similar facilities are not to be confused with youth detention centers for children who have committed crimes. The bill raises serious questions, said Wayne Bear, chief executive officer of the National Partnership of Juvenile Services. He said he would be concerned about the potential for compromising confidentiality, encouraging vigilante activity, and misidentification of other youths who happened to wander into a neighborhood.

The Dinniman bill, in part, might be the result of changing demographics. The population of Wallace Township grew 2.5 times from 1960 to 2010. In the Philadelphia region and elsewhere, development booms have placed houses in the vicinity of some treatment campuses that once were isolated, said officials at the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services. That can lead to issues.

Most times when children run away from such facilities, industry experts say, they just want to go back home. But the exceptions make an impression. In 2011, a 16-year-old who escaped from Devereux shot and critically wounded a West Philadelphia man. A jury awarded $11 million to the man in March. Earlier that month, police arrested the teen in the attack on the East Brandywine Township woman. West Brandywine Township police also started their community notifications in March.

The department has fielded nine calls this year of missing Devereux residents. The State Police have responded to seven calls this year, 11 last year, and 24 in 2015.

"You have a sense you're insulated. But really, you're not," said Piccola, who lives in a cul-de-sac three-quarters of a mile and a cluster of trees away from Devereux's Brandywine campus. He called the frequency of alerts "a little unsettling."

Piccola, his neighbors, and township officials petitioned State Sen. John Rafferty Jr. (R., Montgomery) and police officials to send out the alerts.

Before the messages, Piccola said, he relied on news reports or conversations with neighbors to find out about runaways.

Rattled residents are seeking answers from Devereux and public officials as to what can be done to stop children from leaving the grounds.

Leah S. Yaw, senior vice president of Devereux Advanced Behavioral Health, said security measures at the Brandywine campus include alarm systems on doors, motion detectors, and extra staff. She declined to comment on the bill until her office meets with Dinniman.

"We're grateful he continues to be a champion for behavioral health concerns, and that he understands the importance of providing the highest quality, most compassionate care to children who have been through terrible trauma, while also being a good and trusted partner to local communities," Yaw said in a statement.

At Devereux, 5 percent of children have had contact with the court system, mostly for minor offenses, such as shoplifting or a school fight, Yaw said. Devereux doesn't accept children convicted of felony offenses, she said.

Rafferty, who co-sponsored the Dinniman bill, said that he and his fellow senators will continue to talk to treatment facility, law enforcement, and Department of Human Services staff to seek solutions "for the safety and welfare of everyone concerned."

Bernadette Bianchi, executive director of the Pennsylvania Council of Children, Youth and Family Services, said she hoped the proposed legislation would apply exclusively to youth convicted of crimes.

She said the whole security issue "merits a discussion in a much broader context, including one that openly involves youth."

Bear, the juvenile justice advocate, agreed and urged lawmakers to exercise caution. He said that although he understood the gravity of the instances in question, "legislation along these lines needs to have some careful conversation and consideration."
Passions rise, tempers flare, and sooner or later someone says: Why don't they just come here legally, the way my grandparents did?

In any debate about illegal immigration, that argument, with its implied moral distinction between prior generations of purportedly law-abiding immigrants, and anyone here illegally now, invariably comes up.

But although many people think their ancestors came legally, says immigration historian Mae Ngai, most families can't know that with certainty. And the criteria for admission to the United States have changed so much since the late 19th and early 20th centuries that most comparisons of then to now are like apples to oranges.

"Before World War I, we had virtually open borders," said Ngai, a professor of Asian American studies at Columbia University and author of the 2004 book Impossible Subjects: Illegal Aliens and the Making of Modern America. "You didn't need a passport. You didn't need a visa. There was no such thing as a green card. If you showed up at Ellis Island, walked without a limp, had money in your pocket, and passed a very simple [IQ] test in your own language, you were admitted."

A rapidly expanding America needed labor. One million immigrants were let in annually. Just 1 percent were turned away, typically because they failed the medical or mental test.

As Italians, Greeks, Russians, Poles, Hungarians, and other newcomers began showing up, said Ngai, nativists leveled criticisms that "sounded much like the ones that you hear today: 'They don't speak English. They don't assimilate. They're darker. They're criminals. They have diseases.' "

In that context, Congress passed the National Origins Act of 1924, which for the first time put a limit on how many people could come into the country. It established visa requirements and a quota of 150,000 admissions a year. It continued the nation's blanket ban on Asians, and drastically limited certain other nationalities.

"When people say their ancestors came legally, if they came before 1924, everybody was legal," said Ngai. "It wasn't a choice they had to make. After 1924, if you couldn't get a visa because your country's quota was filled, many came without documents. They sneaked in."

Stanford University history professor Richard White said he was researching Remembering Ahanagran, his book about his family's immigrant past, when he discovered that his maternal grandfather, an Irishman, had entered the U.S. illegally from Canada in 1924 because he could not get a visa that year under the new quota laws. His grandfather failed in his first attempt, when he walked across a bridge into Detroit, got caught by U.S. customs officers, and was deported.

From Canada, the grandfather called his brother-in-law, a Chicago policeman, who came to Canada and met him there, White said. The pair then walked to Detroit, But this time the brother-in-law, who was dressed in his police uniform, flashed his badge at the customs officers, who waved the duo through.

Responding to the nation's large number of undocumented immigrants, the federal government implemented the 1929 Registry Act, which allowed them to register as permanent residents for $20 if they could prove they had lived in the country since 1921 and were of "good moral character." More than 115,000 registered from 1930 to 1940, at least 200,000 more after that.

"If you know what ship a person came on, and the port they entered, you could probably figure out if they entered legally," said University of Pennsylvania political science professor Michael Jones-Correa, a researcher and writer on immigration. "But what legally meant was very different at the turn of the last century, compared to what it means now."

With the Immigration and Naturalization Act of 1965, Congress abolished national-origin quotas and replaced them with less overtly discriminatory categories, including preferences for family reunification, and job-related visas. But under the rules, no country could get more than 7 percent of the total number of visas available in any given year, which in the current context works out to about 26,500 annually.

So now four countries  Mexico, India, China, and the Philippines  max out every year, said Ngai. And depending on the visa category that a person applies for, the wait can be 10, 20, even 30 years. But if you're coming from a low-immigration country such as New Zealand, she said, you might not wait at all.

When people who want to limit immigration to the U.S. say that immigrants should "go to the back of the line and wait their turn," said Domenic Vitiello, a Penn professor who teaches a course called the Immigrant City, they often fail to acknowledge there really is no single line to which everyone has equal access.

As for the notion that yesteryear's immigrants assimilated more easily than today's, that's "another common myth," said Ngai. All first-generation immigrants have trouble learning English, continue speaking their native language, and have strong ties to their ethnic communities, she said. Then as now, assimilation accelerates in the second and third generations.

"If someone says, 'My grandparents came legally, learned English, and assimilated quickly,' I can't challenge their personal story  I don't know it," said Ngai. "But I do know that was not the experience of the vast majority."


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By Julia Harte and Dustin Volz

WASHINGTON (Reuters)  The U.S. Department of Homeland Security on Friday announced changes to a $10 million government grant program, narrowing its focus around efforts to combat Islamist extremism.

In an update to awards announced in January by former President Barack Obamas administration, the department released a new list of grant recipients and amounts, shifting money to law enforcement offices and away from groups that combat U.S.-based extremism.

Reuters reported in February that President Donald Trumps administration wanted to revamp the program to focus solely on Islamist extremism.

A DHS spokeswoman said the department changed the grant criteria after the release of the initial list to consider whether applicants would partner with law enforcement, had experience implementing counter-extremism prevention programs, and would be able to continue after the awards were spent.

Top-scoring applications that were consistent with these priorities remained as awardees, while others did not, said DHS spokeswoman Lucy Martinez.

Three local law enforcement offices in California, Washington state and Minnesota were among the new awardees, receiving grants totaling $1.2 million.

A spokesman for the Alameda County Sheriffs Office in California said it would use the money to address extremism on all fronts, not just Islamist violence. Sergeant Ray Kelly cited violent clashes between right-wing and left-wing demonstrators that recently erupted in the city of Berkeley as an example of local extremism in the county.

Kelly said the office would use the grant money to train officers to better recognize and address signs of alienation that make young people vulnerable to extremism, with the help of behavioral health counselors who are already on staff.

The Muslim Public Affairs Council, a nonprofit group that works to improve public understanding and policies that affect American Muslims, said the Trump administration revoked its nearly $400,000 grant because the group did not meet the criteria of working with law enforcement to counter violent extremism.

The revised list also omitted several original awardees focused on U.S.-based extremism, such as Life After Hate, which tries to steer young people away from far-right extremism.

Christian Picciolini, a co-founder of Life After Hate, told Reuters his group was planning to use its $400,000 grant to scale up its counselor network of former extremists to meet the highly increased requests for our services since Election Day.

The current administrations lack of focus on domestic white extremist terrorism, let alone its denial to even acknowledge it exists, is highly troubling, Picciolini wrote in an email.

(Reporting by Julia Harte and Dustin Volz; Editing by Bill Rigby and Bill Trott)
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Republicans are pretty desperate to fool Americans into supporting Trumpcare long enough to get it passed before it becomes apparent that it is a Death Sentence, not a health care bill.

Secretary of Health and Human Services Tom Price, who was in the upper tier of wealth among those in Congress, said the CBO is wrong about the impact of Trumpcare cutting $800 billion plus from Medicaid.

Oh, but theyre good at projecting costs, in case you were wondering if costs were at all related to services. Apparently, in Trump world, you can save a ton of money by cutting almost a trillion from Medicaid, but services arent cut.

Watch the HHS Secretary lie at the 2017 Aspen Ideas Festival and Spotlight Health, which is presented by the Aspen Institute and its partner The Atlantic, via Dan Diamond of Politico:

Price just said CBO is wrong about coverage projections (but does a great job at projecting costs). pic.twitter.com/2LwPpLz3Oa  Dan Diamond (@ddiamond) June 25, 2017

Price said the CBO projections on coverage are wrong because: Anybodys ability to predict human behavior, without looking at the entire construct, is difficult.

Dan Diamond wasnt having it. If we cant trust anyone to predict the effect on coverage, why should we trust the people who crafted this bill in secret and will be voting on something about which they do not even understand the unintended consequences?

Raises the question  if Price says we cant trust *anyone* to predict effect on coverage, why should we trust GOPs predictions?  Dan Diamond (@ddiamond) June 25, 2017

Andy Slavitt, who ran Medicare, Medicaid and Obamacare under President Obama, put it succinctly:

As someone who oversaw Medicaid for 2 years, cutting $800 billion+ does not "strengthen" it. It damages it severely.  Andy Slavitt (@ASlavitt) June 24, 2017

You probably guessed that Tom Price has some biases hes not disclosing, and you would be right.

Price has investments in healthcare companies that raise both ethical and legal questions. Heres but one example from The Atlantic:

Price has also faced questions about his 2016 investment in the Australian biomedical firm Innate Immunotherapeutics Ltd. Price purchased between $50,000 and $100,000 of stock in the company, which has no approved drugs and has no notable presence in biomedical markets, but has been buoyed by stock purchases from prominent Republicans with ties to President-elect Donald Trump, including New York Representative Chris Collins, who is the largest shareholder in the company and is also on its board.

Very wealthy men who know little to nothing about real Americans and their access or lack thereof to healthcare, are pushing tax cuts for themselves as healthcare for you.

Glenn Kessler of The Washington Post gave the HHS Sec Four Pinocchios in May when Price was pushing a line about how they werent cutting spending in the House bill. Kessler wrote, When you are reducing spending by more than $800 billion over 10 years, you cant pretend you are boosting spending every single year.

Republicans used to be the party of conservatives. A true conservative would take the time to make a change this huge that will impact a huge sector of the economy and created so many jobs. A real conservative would make small, incremental changes as the people approved. They wouldnt use secrecy and dark, nontraditional and unethical attacks on process to achieve a radical, ideological win.

Republicans are trying to pass off their tax cut bill as a health care bill. This requires them to say such inane things as suggesting theres no way to predict their bills impact on coverage.

Yes, there is actually a way to predict this. The CBO did it on the House bill, and it wasnt pretty. Cutting $800 billion plus out of Medicaid is going to reduce coverage. This is the most basic math there is.

Medicaid is not just there to help the poor, as Kellyanne Conway tried to suggest today. It helps middle-class families with nursing home costs for the elderly, as but one example of what it does.

What kind of a country would deny elderly people of middle-class families a semi-decent place to be cared for? Apparently, a country that places tax cuts for the already wealthy ahead of even the most basic forms of human decency.

In order to back such an immoral bill, Republicans are forced to lie and conduct themselves in secrecy.
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Kellyanne Conway argued on ABCs This Week that the government needs to spend less money on treating opioid addiction, and instead addicts need to rely on will to get healthy.

Video:

Transcript via ABCs This Week:



CONWAY: And George, I would point out that President Obama, through ObamaCare and else wise, poured money into crises like this and where are we?

You can fill up every seat in Yankee Stadium and that accounts for the number of people who died of drug addiction in this country just last year. Thirty-three thousand of whom opioid-related. Its a gateway to heroin use, fentanyl, carfentanil. Its all of these problems.

And so pouring money into the problem is not only answer. We have to get serious about in-facility treatment and recovery. It

STEPHANOPOULOS: That takes money, Kellyanne.

CONWAY: It takes money and it also takes a four letter word called will. It takes the focus that it includes money, but it also includes understanding the difference between just interdiction and prevention, but, also recovery and treatment.

We have a lot more success stories now even though no state has been spared and no demographic group has been untouched.

George, money alone hasnt solved this problem. ObamaCare spent billions of dollars and where are we?

That really was an adviser to the President Of The United States suggesting that while a crisis of opioid addiction ravages the country, the US should spend less money on drug treatment and instead rely on will to solve the problem.

Conways comments part of a pattern with the Trump administration. The White House blames victims instead of solving problems. According to Trump, poor people arent smart enough to be in his administration. It has become a common belief among Republicans that people are poor because they refuse to work. In this same This Week interview, Conway suggested that if people want health insurance, they should just get a job. Addicts dont any help getting clean because they lack the will to kick their addiction.

The Trump White House believes in blaming people, not helping them.

Donald Trump talked a big game about combating the opioid epidemic during the presidential campaign, but what he really meant was addicts, and their families will be on their own.
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The following post, written by The Rev. Robert A. Franek, is a part of Politicus Policy Discussion, in which writers draw connections between real lives and public policy.

For the party that claims family values and wants to hang the Ten Commandments in courtrooms and have them on monumental display on public property, it would behoove them to read the twentieth chapter of Exodus and ponder for more than a few moments what these words that they say they want to live (and govern?) by mean. This is especially important and urgent as their policies become more immoral and unbiblical by the week.

Martin Luther, the 16th century reformer, breaks open the meaning of Ten Commandments by showing in his Small Catechism that these commands are not merely a litany of shall nots, but have an imperative flip side of shall dos.

In his explanation to the command, You shall not murder, Luther writes (my bold):

We are to fear and love God, so that we neither endanger nor harm the lives of our neighbors, but instead help and support them in all of lifes needs.

Notice the strong verbs that define the command not to murder. These imperatives encompass far more than not directly taking someone elses life. This command explicitly states that we are not to endanger or harm the lives of other people in any way.

It is not a big leap to say that taking away health care coverage from tens of millions of people and making the rest pay more for less care is endangering and harming the lives of nearly every person in this country, especially vulnerable people like those who are poor, the elderly, veterans, people with disabilities and preexisting conditions, and children, many of whom rely on Medicaid for their care.

But it is not enough to simply refrain from harm when there is good that can be done. Therefore, the command not to murder also includes the imperatives to help and support people in all of lifes needs.

Certainly, access to affordable health care is one of lifes needs today. This need is not only true for people who need life-saving medicine, surgeries, and long-term care, but also so people can receive preventative care and early treatment for diseases to prevent them if possible from getting worse. Accidents and injuries are also unpredictable and without proper health care insurance can place families in great financial distress or bankruptcy and worse prevent them from getting the necessary care for their injury.

In Christian teaching the neighbor is every single person of every time and place. The concept of neighbor also extends to creatures small and great and even finally to embrace all creation including everything from cosmic wonders to coral reefs. Thus, the command to not murder is as much about making sure people in our country have affordable health insurance as it is about addressing the perils of climate change and our suffering planet and its ecosystems. Polar bears and penguins, rivers and rainforests are our neighbors too and need both our refraining from endangerment and harm and our active efforts to help and support a habitable environment.

Jesus tells a whole parable (Luke 10:25-37) to answer a lawyers testing question, Who is my neighbor? The answer the lawyer is forced to reluctantly give is the surprise of the Samaritan who crosses boundaries of culture and religion to show mercy. The lawyer was looking for limits on the definition of neighbor, but Jesus turned the tables on the lawyers test showing that neighborliness is a doing of mercy towards a vulnerable person who has been beaten, robbed, and left for dead along a dangerous roadside. And not just any vulnerable person but one who represents the other in terms of culture, nationality, and religion.

Despite the moral imperative of these foundational biblical teachings, which many Congressional Republicans claim are of utmost importance, they continue to craft legislation that is unconscionable, immoral, and blatantly evil. Their latest attempt at heath care reform shows that there is nothing too cruel to prevent them from giving massive tax breaks to their billionaire benefactors. Sarah Jones and Jason Easley explained this cruelty clearly and effectively in their podcast last Thursday: 3 Reasons Why The Republican Healthcare Bill Is Pure Evil.

It does not matter to Donald Trump or most of the Republicans in Congress that people will die if this legislation ever becomes law. Their hearts are hardened and stone cold. Neither statistics describing the impact of this bill on people across the country nor personal stories of families facing life and death every single day will penetrate their stone-cold hearts.

Astonishingly, some Republicans in Congress think that this heartless, immoral, and evil bill is still too kind and generous. This shock is compounded exponentially because it is often these who are the first and loudest to champion what they believe are biblical values in defense of their position. It is what can only be descried as pretzel logic. They take a snippet of scripture and twist it out of context to suit their predetermined ideological argument.

The Republicans inability to govern and their failure to take the necessary time and have hearings and floor debates on this bill may very well save the American people and the economy from certain catastrophic destruction. Two hopeful signs as of this writing. 1. Enough Republican Senators are currently publicly opposed to this legislation to ensure that it cannot pass. 2. Due to Senate reconciliation rules if the Republicans add the individual mandate back to this bill it will require 60 votes to pass, which guarantees its demise.

It is a devastating shame that anyone who calls themselves a Christian can be supportive of the American Health Care Act (AHCA) or more aptly the deathcare bill. From the Ten Commandments to Jesus parables in the Gospels, the scriptures are relentlessly persistent that all people are deserving of protection from endangerment and harm and help and support in all of lifes needs especially all the vulnerable ones at the margins of society who are often unseen and overlooked.

Trumpcare not only violates the commandment not to murder, but the process of its development defies our open democratic process of having hearings, debates, and careful analysis of legislation where citizens and stakeholders can weigh in before a vote is taken.

Caring for the needs of our neighbors so that we neither endanger nor harm their lives, but instead help and support them in all of lifes needs is not only a biblical mandate, but one of the deepest moral values at the heart of our democracy.
Charleston, SC (29403)

Today

A mix of clouds and sun this morning then becoming windy with showers and a possible thunderstorm or two developing this afternoon. High 77F. Winds SSW at 20 to 30 mph. Chance of rain 70%. Higher wind gusts possible..

Tonight

Cloudy skies early, followed by partial clearing. Low 64F. Winds SW at 10 to 20 mph.
Sadly for those of us hoping California would go full commie as an object lesson for the rest of the nation, the state legislature has shelved the proposed $400 billion single-payer health care bill. Democrats are naturally blaming Trump, because the scheme would require a bunch of waivers from the Administration to go into effect, but the real reason is that its a total lunatic idea, and there a just enough Democrats who recognize this. You might as well build a high speed rail up the middle of the state. Oh, wait. . .

Anyway, expect single-payer to come back as a central issue for the governors race next year. Likely front-runner Gavin Newsom will campaign for it, but interestingly one of his chief rivals, former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, has been tacking to the right (for a Democrat) perhaps in an attempt to position himself better against Newsom and his Bay Area base. Villaraigosa has been making some acerbic comments about Tesla Democrats. Could be some great blue-on-blue action next year.

Meanwhile, Californias new attorney general, Xavier Beccara, has banned state-funded travel to eight states (Texas, Alabama, Kentucky, South Dakota, Kansas, Mississippi, North Carolina and Tennessee) because those states discriminate by having laws repecting religious conscience and bathrooms in accord with human nature. So now California state employees will not be going to those states, for which those eight states must be grateful, while the other 41 states not yet shunned by California are wondering how they can get on Becarras list.

Tennessee has issued a proclamation celebrating this gift from California as follows (click to enlarge):
On Thursday, Sen. Charles Grassley accused Sen. Chuck Schumer of lying about the FBI Russia probe. Grassley didnt use the term lying, but there is no other way to read his remarks.

Grassley, the head of the Senate Judiciary Committee, explained that then-FBI director Comey told him and Dianne Feinstein, the Committees ranking member, that President Trump was not under investigation by the Bureau. Grassley said that, in addition, Comey told this to the Gang of Eight, a group that includes Schumer.

Yet, says Grassley, even after Comey informed Schumer of this, the unscrupulous Minority Leader told the media the contrary  namely, that Trump was under investigation. He even urged that Trumps nominee to the Supreme Court, Neal Gorsuch, be held up because Trump was being investigated.

The whole time, says Grassley, Schumer knew it wasnt true. In other words, Schumer is a liar.

Grassley also took a shot at Comey for not telling the public that Trump wasnt under investigation. Grassley urged Comey to disclose this in the name of transparency and accountability. But the manipulative, egomaniac Director chose not to inform Americans that the president wasnt under investigation, even after Schumer publicly claimed Trump was.

Comeys stated reasons for his refusal make no sense. Its likely that Comey was attempting to undermine Trump, just as Schumer was. Both still are.

Grassley concluded his remarks by warning that Attorney General Sessions may be about to receive the same kind of treatment. I dont doubt it. Theres not much that Comey, his friends in the media, and Schumer wouldnt stoop to.

Via Chuck Ross at the Daily Caller.
Douglas Murray (@DouglasKMurray on Twitter) is associate editor of Britains Spectator and a senior fellow at the Gatestone Institute. He is a prolific columnist. Gatestone has compiled his columns for the institute here. Murrays new book is The Strange Death of Europe: Immigration, Identity, Islam. It is a book full of portents and warnings for us.

Murray launched his book with a lecture at the Heritage Foundation last week posted online here. The Federalist has just posted Ben Domenechs (excellent, highly recommended) podcast with Murray here. Listening to Domenechs interview, I thought Mark Steyn might be the perfect interviewer of Murray about his book and voila! There it is (video below). Mark has been writing on Murrays themes for a long time.

Murrays book must be one of the most important of the year. It is a bestseller in the United Kingdom. Just published last week in the United States, it is also doing well here. Murray advised his followers via Twitter last week that his publisher had sold out of the book in the first two days; a new printing is on the way. It is, however, in stock at Amazon.

Listening to the interviews, I thought of a couple of other books worthy of mention in this context (apart from Marks own): The Abolition of Britain by Peter Hitchens and Reflections on the Revolution in Europe by Christopher Caldwell.

UPDATE: A reader also reminds me of While Europe Slept: How Radical Islam is Destroying the West From Within by Bruce Bawer.
A civil society organization, Social Development Integrated Centre, Social Action, has described the Petroleum Industry Governance Bill, PIGB, as seriously flawed.

The organisation, in a press statement signed by its director, Isaac Osuoka, said the bill, which was passed recently by the Nigerian Senate, fails the environment and local communities in oil producing states.

The statement explained that the report of a forensic analysis of the PIGB embarked upon by the group revealed that the bill does not provide for health, safety and environment (HSE) concerns.

The report, titled The Petroleum Industry Governance Bill (PIGB), 2017: Implications for the Environment and Local Communities, also claimed that the PIGB has no provision for an end to gas flaring, noting that there is a lack of independence for regulators and a glaring neglect of host communities interest in the proposed new institutions.

It said: The provisions of the PIGB as passed by the Senate do not demonstrate an understanding of the need to guarantee energy access as a right of citizens.

Moreover, the powers and functions of the new institutions like the Petroleum Regulatory Commission created under the Bill do not reflect current global best practices.

Our analysis clearly shows that PIGB as passed by the Senate is seriously flawed. Our conclusion is that the version of the PIGB as passed by the Senate is an unconscionable attempt to legalize the appropriation of national oil and gas assets to some powerful private interests.

The group condemned the separation of the bill into bits by the Senate, saying it has created a sufficient setback to a holistic effort to revamp of the oil sector in Nigeria for the benefit of citizens.

The statement noted that it is strange that the Senate is swift to create new institutions in the industry without first creating the enabling environment on which these entities will thrive, adding that the bill does not have any part or section dealing with environmental protection.

In its current form, the statement said, the PIGB cedes virtually all powers on environmental regulation from the Ministry of Environment to the New Petroleum Regulatory Commission. Sadly, the Commission is saddled with functions that are conflicting with each other.

The original PIB, the statement explained further, had made it clear that the Ministry of Environment shall have overriding authority on environmental matters, but the neutrality and independence was necessary to appropriately enforce environmental regulations.

Worryingly, in the PIGB, all provisions giving the Federal Ministry of Environment powers on environmental issues were struck out, it said.

By so doing, the Senate is causing the country to lose out on the opportunity of a new legislation to correct the lapses in our regulation of environmental issues in the Petroleum Sector.

The logical consequence of this line of action is the exacerbation of environmental crisis and conflicts in Nigeria.

We call on the National Assembly to promptly return to the 2015 version of the PIB as regards to the environment as it has clear and effective environmental protection provisions and regulations for the petroleum industry, it said.

The group also alleged that in the creation of governance and other Institutions like the Petroleum Equalisation Fund and Ministry of Petroleum Incorporated, several ambiguities surround many of the institutions, raising questions as to their purpose and intents.

The statement, which noted that litigation remains a potent tool of making environmental polluters accountable for their actions, lamented restrictions placed on civil actions in the PIGB, saying the maximum of 12 months period for suits against the institutions and agencies created under the PIGB, was inadequate.

Claimants in oil and gas pollution are known to have difficulties with collating evidence, raising money to fund their case and other structural problems with litigation against oil companies, the group argued.

Therefore, the 12 months limitation of cause of action in this respect is not in the interest of the poor people who are most times the victims of the oil politics in Nigeria. It is suggested that the general laws of limitation be application to the oil industry, it said.

Meanwhile, the group noted that the bill has made some worthy landmarks as regards pruning the overbearing powers of the petroleum minister, to free entities in the sector from meddlesomeness and lack of institutional independence.

It, however, affirmed that the PIG Bill is not comprehensive enough and lacks clarity of intention, saying the restructuring of the oil and gas industry must not only be to serve the commercial interest of multinational oil companies and a few local businesses but the general interest of the country and her people.

It therefore called for a comprehensive package of the intended new legal regime for the Nigerian petroleum industry, which should be tabled before the National Assembly and other stakeholders for consideration simultaneously.

That will show transparency on the part of government and give opportunity for relevant stakeholders, civil society organisations, environmentalists and sustainable development advocates to do proper analysis of the legal regime to ascertain its relevance to issues of environmental protection, termination of gas flares, fiscal accountability and transparency, easy access to justice and host community development and equity, it said.

Anything less may not be good for the petroleum industry, stakeholders and the Nigerian populace.

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Over 120 people have been killed in Pakistan after an oil tanker caught fire and exploded.

The incident occurred on Sunday morning in Bahawalpur, Pakistans Punjab province.

Most of the victims were residents of nearby areas who were collecting fuel from the oil tanker, residents told Al Jazeera.

Rescue operations were underway as fire fighters battle to put out the fire.

Dozens of injured people were moved to Bahawalpur Victoria Hospital and other health facilities while people with severe burns were sent to more-equipped hospitals in other cities.

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In a bid to increase its internal funding, and sustain the national response to combat HIV/AIDS in the country, the National Agency for the Control of AIDS, NACA, has made moves to enhance its partnership with the private sector.

According to a statement released on Saturday, the agency seeks to partner with the Nigeria Business Coalition Against AIDS (NIBUCCA) and MTN Foundation in Nigeria.

NIBUCCA is a coalition of key players in the private sector that has set out its mandate to provide assistance and grants in activities connected to the rehabilitation, treatment, care and support for people living with HIV/AIDS.

During a meeting held on Wednesday at the Access Bank headquarters in Lagos, the Director General of NACA, Sani Aliyu stated the need for such partnership with the private sector.

He said that with the level of dependency on international funds and dwindling of such funds, there is a need to look inwards to sustain the HIV/AIDS response in the country.

Mr. Aliyu added that the Prevention of Mother-to-Child Transmission (PMTCT) of HIV/AIDS is a key aspect to ensure that the virus is eradicated by 2030 going by the UNAIDS target.

He said about N50,000 naira is required annually per patient receiving HIV/AIDS treatment while about 177,000 pregnant women are in need of HIV services in the country.

Mr. Aliyu, therefore, stated that it is essential to make HIV/AIDS services as simple as possible for patients to access and also sustain the treatment for life.

In his remarks, the Group Managing Director of Access Bank/Co-chairman of NIBUCAA, Herbert Onyewumbi said that the coalition represents the voice of the private sector in the campaign against HIV/AIDS.

He noted that the proposal by NACA in the fight against AIDS is a welcome development that would be improved and sustained.

At the meeting, the aids agency also sought collaboration with the private sector to set up an HIV/AIDS Trust Fund which will be solely managed by the private sector with technical support by the government through NACA as a coordinating agency.

In a similar meeting, the DG NACA also met with executives of MTN Foundation to discuss how the HIV/AIDS Call Centre currently supported by Etisalat and Airtel can be improved with the involvement of MTN.

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President Muhammadu Buhari has sent a message of greetings to Nigerian Muslims and Christians on the occasion of the Eid-el-Fitr, urging all citizens to resolve to live in peace and avoid making reckless statements, his office said.

According to presidential spokesperson, Garba Shehu, the message reads thus:

I am immensely grateful to God for his mercy in guiding us successfully to conclude another Ramadan fast. My greetings to all Nigerian Muslims and our brother Christians on the occasion of Eid-el-Fitr.

May the lessons of Ramadan namely; piety, self-denial, prayers and generosity to the poor and needy be with us for all time.

I, again, appeal to all Nigerians to avoid reckless statements or actions against our fellow countrymen. We should all resolve to live in peace and unity in our great country, which is the envy of many less endowed nations.

Happy Eid-el-Fitr

Mr. Buhari travelled to the United Kingdom on May 7 for treatment for an undisclosed ailment. He is spent nearly two months yet, with the presidency giving no schedule of his return.

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The Inspector-General of Police Intelligence Response Team, IRT, has arrested a soldier in Lagos for allegedly being part of the gang of the notorious kidnapper, Chukwudi Onuwamadike, alias Evans.

A police source, who spoke to the News Agency of Nigeria, on Saturday, said that the team led by an assistant commissioner of police, Abba Kyari, arrested the soldier after weeks of surveillance.

The source said that the soldier, a lance corporal, was arrested on Friday at about 9 p.m. in Ojo area of Lagos.

The source said that a confession made by Evans led to the arrest of the soldier who was a member of the army band at Abalti Barrack, Surulere.

It said that the kidnap kingpin had told police officers during interrogation that some notable people collaborated with him in his operations for seven years.

The source said the soldier in his confessional statement, said he had accompanied Evans in three different kidnap operations in Lagos, and got N2 million, N1.5 million and N3 million respectively as his shares.

There are serious efforts to apprehend other gang members and efforts will be made to arrest others, the source said.

The billionaire kidnapper was arrested on June 10 after being hunted by the police for seven years at his Magodo Estate mansion in Lagos.

He told the police during interrogation that some yet to be known notable people collaborated with him during his operations.

Moshood Jimoh, the Nigeria Police spokesperson, had promised while parading the kidnap suspect that every name mentioned by the gang members would be arrested, no matter how highly placed.

Meanwhile, the Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of Administration in Lagos, Dansuki Galadanchi, has denied media report that the command released one Emeka, who gave out his boss Evans and his gang members.

Mr. Galadanchi said that after Emekas boss, Donatus Duru, escaped from the kidnappers detention camp in Igando, the suspect was arrested and charged to Ebute-Meta Magistrate Court 2 and was remanded in prison afterwards.

It came as a surprise to the police, when a television station reported that the suspect escaped from the police custody.

Emeka was never in our custody, we charged him to court immediately we arrested him, how come they now said we allowed him to escape from our custody, that is not true, he said.

(NAN)

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The Acting General Officer Commanding (GOC) 3 Division, Nigerian Army, Jos, Benjamin Ahanotu, has called on politicians in Taraba to be neutral, fair and just over the current crisis on the Mambilla Plateau.

Mr. Ahanotu made the call when he addressed the Chairman of Sardauna Local Government, John Yep, in Gembu, Taraba State, on Saturday.

The violence on the Mambilla Plateau between Fulani and Mambilla tribes caused at least 18 deaths with many of them believed to be Fulani.

The violence has been condemned by the Acting President Yemi Osinbajo who has deployed more security officials there.

Fulani residents of the area had accused Mr. Yep of being one of the sponsors of the violence against them in a statement sent to PREMIUM TIMES.

On Saturday, Mr. Ahanotu said from the briefs he got from the Brigade Commander of 23 Brigade, Yola, Bello Mohammed, prominent politicians from the area played roles that escalated the situation.

Mr. Ahanotu, a brigadier general, said the carnage being perpetrated in the area would not have escalated if the politicians had acted justly in dealing with the situation.

He warned that soldiers deployed to the area should not be dragged into politics as they were only there to restore peace.

Earlier, Mr. Mohammed said officials of the local government were frustrating the efforts of the army to reach the hinterland where most of the havoc was being perpetrated.

He also said that in spite of the on-going crisis, no prominent politician had come over to the area to help in calming the situation.

No member of the national or state assembly has come home despite the fact that they would have assisted in controlling their people, Mr. Mohammed said.

While the army accuses the Taraba politicians of not doing enough to curb the violence, the state governor, Darius Ishaku, has denied sponsoring the killings of Fulanis.

In a statement by his spokesperson, Emmanuel Bello, Mr. Ishaku said the claims that he gave the order for the extermination of Fulani ethic group is untrue and those spreading the falsehood are uninformed/

Mr. Ishaku also condemned the ongoing fracas between Fulani herdsmen and farmers in Mambilla Plateau, Sardauna Local Government.

According to him, bloodshed must be condemned wherever it happens, and not only when one group decided that they had been affected.

The spokesperson, in a statement sent to PREMIUM TIMES on Saturday, demanded that critics accusing Mr. Ishaku of instigating genocide, should produce a memo, tape or video recording of how the directive was issued, adding that they were out for mischief.

He described the accusers as people displaying their inability to properly use the term, genocide.

The accusers of Governor Ishaku are saying that he, at some point, actually gave orders by way of a broadcast or in some secret location that a certain ethnic group should be wiped out of Taraba, the spokesperson said.

They must have a tape recording of such instructions or directives. They probably have a memo by the governor where he clearly gave the plans for eliminations, stating timelines.

They also probably know the armed militia he had planned with to carry out the dastardly act. Now, if they dont have all of these, as Im sure there is nothing like that, then, it is amazing how they could sit before journalists and tell a civilised world that a genocide has been planned against them.

If they want to see genocides, ample examples are there but certainly not in our dear Taraba state. We dont profile people in this very lovely state or plan the eliminations of same. Life is sacrosanct here.

The governor wondered why the term genocide had not been used in other places where the country witnessed horrendous cases of crimes against humanity, his spokesperson said.

In Taraba state, all human lives are precious to us. That is why Governor Ishaku keeps pushing for peace. Thats even his mantra: he says, give me peace and I would give you development; he is too refined, too peace loving to engage in any kind of bloodletting or encourage such. The governor is a very civilised man of the world who has interacted with various segments, Mr. Bello said.

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AUSTRALIAS MINISTER for Veterans Affairs and Minister for Defence Personnel, Alan Griffin, delivered an historic statement in Parliament yesterday honouring the men lost in the Montevideo Maru tragedy, Australias worst maritime disaster.

On behalf of the Australian Government I would like to express our sincere sorrow for the tragedy of the sinking of the Montevideo Maru, where 1,053 Australians lost their lives, Mr Griffin said.

I especially acknowledge the suffering of their families and friends. They endured many long and painful years waiting for news of their loved ones and they deserve our sympathy.

Im pleased to announce the Australian Government has pledged $100,000 to assist the Rabaul and Montevideo Maru Society to build a national memorial in the grounds of the Australian War Memorial.

 Australia will always remember the service and sacrifice of those who perished on the Montevideo Maru, Mr Griffin said.

On 22 June 1942, 1,053 Australian prisoners of war and civilians, who had been captured and held by the Japanese at Rabaul, boarded the Montevideo Maru.

Unaware that the vessel was carrying allied prisoners, on 1 July 1942 the submarine USS Sturgeon fired torpedoes, sinking the ship and killing all those imprisoned on board and most of the crew.

It was more than three years after the sinking that the families of those lost on the Montevideo Maru learnt of the tragedy, confirming their greatest fears, Mr Griffin said.

The Red Cross made inquiries throughout the war, but it was not until October 1945 that a nominal roll of those on board was uncovered. This was mysteriously lost soon after the war, and is currently the object of an intensive records' search by the Australian Army.
Nigerias Acting President, Yemi Osinbajo, has said that the Muhammadu Buhari administration would do everything to ensure unity among citizens of the country.

He says only unity among the people would guarantee development and enhance the welfare of citizens.

Mr. Osinbajo made the remark at his official residence, also known as Aguda House, on Sunday when he received the Muslim community in Abuja and environs that paid him Sallah homage, to mark the 2017 Eid-el-Fitr Sallah celebrations.

Your ethnicity doesnt matter and that is why for us, unity is so important that we must work together to make sure that our country is able to take care of the millions of people we govern.

God expects us to take care of the poor and those suffering, to ensure that we use government resources only in such a way that will be for the good of the majority of our people, he said.

The acting president re-echoed President Buharis sallah message to citizens in calling for unity among Nigerians.

He identified the gains of unity to include, love towards one another, integrity, enjoying the endowments of the nation, gaining respect globally and diversity among others.

Our unity is not negotiable. We should make sure that we remain united in order to enjoy the resources God has blessed Nigeria with. So many nations envy what we have as a nation, he said.

The Acting President used the opportunity to pray for President Buharis quick recovery and return to Nigeria, adding that the president still has a lot to do for Nigeria.

We are praying everyday and we know that the Lord God Almighty who we serve will bring our president back in good health and that he will serve this nation with the same determination and the same spirit of oneness, the same spirit that he has always served this nation with from when he was a young man.

He will serve this nation and complete the period of his service in good health, in good shape and our country will be the better for it, he said.

Speaking earlier, the leader of the delegation and Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Mohammed Bello, said paying sallah homage is customary as a mark of respect for the president.

He thanked security agencies, religious and traditional rulers in the FCT for playing a great role in sustaining the peace being enjoyed in Nigerias capital city.

He said the kind of harmonious relationship they have exhibited needs to be replicated in the 36 states of Nigeria.

There were goodwill messages from the Acting Imam of Abuja National Mosque, Mohammad Adamu, and the Chairman of the Christian Association off Nigeria, FCT Chapter, Samson Jonah.

The two clerics also prayed for the quick recovery of President Buhari.

The clerics commended the Acting President for guiding the country so well in the absence of his principal.

Present at the event was the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Walter Onnoghen, some legislators and members of the Federal Executive Council.

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A former Nigerian president, Olusegun Obasanjo, on Saturday commiserated with the people of Botswana on the passing of Quett Masire, former President of the Republic of Botswana.

Mr. Masire died recently at the age of 91.

Mr. Obasanjo, who said the late Botswana leader would be greatly missed for his leadership, described Mr. Masire as a man of principle and commitment, saying he embodied the virtues of labour and integrity.

In a condolence letter signed by the former president, Mr. Obasanjo noted that the late Mr. Masire was gentle, seemingly shy, accommodating but firm and decisive.

He wrote: President Masire lived a fulfilled life, having served his country energetically well in various capacities before he finally became the second President of Botswana for the Botswana Democratic Party from 1980 to 1998.

I got closer to President Masire and interacted so well with him when I was military Head of State of Nigeria and he was Minister of Finance of Botswana. When he left government in 1998, we met fairly regularly on the international circuit of conferences, workshops and meetings.

Indeed, President Masire will be remembered for his loyalty to all causes and institutions to which his heart belonged and, above all, loyalty to his country and his family, Mr. Obasanjo said.

Mr. Obasanjo said he joined the government and the people of Botswana as well as millions of others around the world in mourning a man, who, according to him, did much to shape the political tapestry of not only Botswana, but also that of Africa and the world at large.

Under President Masire, Mr. Obasanjo wrote, Botswana was globally acknowledged as not only a frontline State that fought apartheid to its logical conclusion but one of the few African countries that have served as a beacon for democracy and hope of African Renaissance.

The contribution of Botswana to the search for international peace, especially in Africa, is noteworthy, as President Masire undertook a mediatory mission in the Great Lakes region with a view to resolving the crisis in the Democratic Republic Congo at that time.

Mr. Obasanjo prayed for the repose of the soul of Mr. Masire, adding that, God Almighty should give the family, (the) Government and people of Botswana the fortitude to bear the irreparable loss.

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The Joint Admission and Matriculation Board, JAMB, has conducted a selection examination for medical doctors who applied to work during the Jerusalem pilgrimage of the National Christian Pilgrimage Commission, NCPC, on Saturday

The test was conducted at the JAMB computer based centre in Abuja.

The JAMB director of special duties, Olujide Adisa, said the examination was held in the six zones including Abuja.

He said 250 doctors would be selected from the 4,370 that applied.

He explained that the examination is based on merit and the partnership would extend to the Islamic pilgrims board.

Our core duty is testing and we do more than doing examination into higher Institution, we do consultancy services too. 

According to him, the questions were drawn by the medical council and moderated by JAMB in order to ensure fairness.

We ensure that the questions follow the international standard. Mr Adisa added.

Similarly, an NCPC board member and Deputy Director, Federal Ministry of Health, David Atuwo, said the selection system was an improvement based on merit, rather than bias.

He noted that doctors paid a bit more than the nurses for the examination.

Mr Atuwo explained that doctors paid N15,000 which is not for profit making but to take care of logistics.

It was well calculated. JAMB graciously lowered the fees for the commission. It will be a continuous exercise and everyone has seen how fair this method is. It is merit-based, he said

He stated that the beauty of the CBT selection is that immediately you finish the exams, you have your score.

You cant deny your score because the system is there for verification, he said.

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The Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II has called on Nigerians to live in peace with one another to foster peace and national unity.

Mr. Sanusi made the call while addressing people of the state shortly after he led the Eid prayers at the Kofar Mata Central Eid Ground in Kano on Sunday.

He said that there was the need for Nigerians to ensure peaceful co-existence in the country so as to ensure economic growth and development.

According to him, no society or country can achieve any meaningful development or greatness in an atmosphere of chaos and mistrust.

Mr. Sanusi used the occasion to call on `well-to-do Muslims in the society to continue to support the less-privileged to alleviate their sufferings.

I want to use this occasion to call on wealthy individuals to continue to support the poor so as to alleviate their sufferings in the society, he said.

The monarch also urged Muslims to have the fear of God in all their activities, adding that we all have to give account of our deeds one day to our creator.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the prayer was attended by Governor Abdullahi Ganduje and his deputy, Hafiz Abubakar, among other dignitaries.

In the same vein, the Emir of Daura, in Katsina, Farouk Umar, has called on Nigerians to continue to pray for the unity of Nigeria and the wellbeing of President Muhammadu Buhari.

Daura is the hometown of President Muhammadu Buhari.

Mr. Umar made the call in Daura in his message to mark commencement of the Eid El Fitr celebration.

He said his palace was aware of the progress recorded as regards the health of the president and urged Nigerians to ignore rumours about his ill health.

Mr. Umar said his council and the entire emirate had decided to stage a two-day horse riding to celebrate the Sallah.

He said the emirates decision was due to information that the president was doing well.

Safiyanu Yusuf, the Chief Imam of Daura, in his sermon advised Muslim faithful to imbibe the lessons of Ramadan.

He called on those who prayed and fasted for the 29 days to internalise and practicalise the social and moral objectives of the holy month of Ramadan.

Meanwhile, some clerics in Abuja, Lagos and Kaduna have also joined other voices on the need for Nigerians to embrace tolerance and unity to build a strong and united nation.

The Chief Imam of Lugbe Jumat Mosque, Abubakar Yelwa, urged Muslims to live in peace and harmony with their Christian counterparts wherever they found themselves.

Mr. Yelwa spoke to NAN after the two rakat Eid prayer at the Lugbe Eid praying ground in Abuja.

In his sermon, the Imam of Barnawa Mosque, Bello Maiiyali. also urged Nigerians to live in peace with one another and shun rumour mongering.

Mr. Maiiyali said the call became necessary in view of the importance of peace to a nation.

NAN reports that in Kaduna and environs, Muslims in spite of the heavy down pour, besieged the prayer ground for prayers.

In Lagos, Abdil-Raman Sadallah, the Chief Imam, Epe Central Mosque, urged Nigerians to embrace peace to build a strong and united nation.

He congratulated Muslims on the successful completion of the Ramadan fast, adding that only tolerance and patriotism would help the country sail through the present situation in the country.

Mr. Sadallah urged Muslims to always follow the path of dialogue in resolving differences rather than advocating for violence.

He said that the economic situation of the country was a major contributor to the growing agitations and tension.

Mr. Sadallah also called on Nigerians to continue to pray for the quick recovery of President Muhammadu Buhari.

NAN reports that Wale Mogaji, Chairman, Lagos State House of Assembly Commission and Jide Ikuforiji, the Balogun of Epeland, attended the prayers.

(NAN)

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Enoch Adeboye, the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, has advised men to be humble in their marriage.

Mr. Adeboye said, despite his status, he still finds himself ironing his wifes clothes whenever hes allowed.

I still iron/press my wifes clothes when Im allowed to, the preacher said in a Facebook post Friday. If you are a true leader, you must be always ready to serve, even when no one can see you.

Mr. Adeboyes advice could mean a lot in Nigeria, which is still ingrained in a patriarchal culture, despite women constituting a majority of her estimated 180 million people.

The pastors marital and pre-marital counselling has featured in his messages for decades.

But some of his teachings can be too radical or conservative to swallow, in an era of social media in which many are easily offended.

At the churchs annual congress last August, Mr. Adeboye drew social media backlash when he suggested that only women who can cook qualified for marriage.

Dont marry a girl who is lazy! Dont marry a girl who cannot cook, she needs to know how to do chores and cook because you cannot afford to be eating out all the time.

Dont marry a girl who is worldly! If you do, you have carried what youll worship for the rest of your life! Mr. Adeboye said.

Despite the criticism, the pastor stated a few days later that he meant what he said.

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Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State on Sunday urged all Nigerians to continue to live in peace with one another irrespective of their religious or ethnic affiliations.

Mr. Obaseki made the call on Sunday when he received some Muslims in the state who paid him a Sallah visit at the Government House in Benin.

The governor particularly advised adherents of the Islamic faith to practice the lessons of Ramadan for peace to continue to reign in the country.

Mr. Obaseki, who was represented by his deputy, Philip Shaibu, said for a country to remain united, Nigerians, regardless of their religious leanings should protect the interest of their neighbours.

According to him, this is enshrined in the Holy Quran and the Bible which promote love for one another.

He called on Muslims in the country to adopt the Edo style of religious tolerance, where all citizens, irrespective of their religious beliefs, celebrate every festival as one people.

He also urged them to pray for those beating the drums of disunity to have a change of mind.

He said the calls for the break-up of the country could only lead to war which would not be in Nigerias interest.

Earlier, the Chief Imam of Edo, Abdulfatah Enabulele, had called on Nigerians to be their brothers keeper by embracing things that would further unite citizens.

He also challenged political leaders to address the various agitations nationwide.

The Chief Imam prayed for the quick recovery of President Muhammadu Buhari, and for the Acting President, Yemi Osinbajo, to have more wisdom to move the country forward.

In Oyo, Governor Abiola Ajimobi called for sustained prayer for Nigerias unity even as Muslims join their counterparts across the world to celebrate Eid-el-Fitr.

Speaking at the Eid prayer ground in Ibadan to mark the end of Ramadan, Mr. Ajimobi, urged the people of the state to live peacefully with one another and ensure the country remained united.

Mr. Ajimobi, who was represented by Ishmael Alli, the Secretary to the State Government, said: The symbol is specifically obedience and total supplications to Allah. Specifically, we must thank Him for all we are enjoying in the country.

We must all live in harmony in this country. We must remain a united Nigeria, likewise pray that Allah grant us abundance.

He further urged all Nigerians to contribute immensely to the development of the country and prayed for the speedy recovery of President Muhammadu Buhari.

In his sermon, AbdulGaniyu Abubakri, the Chief Imam of Ibadanland, called on Muslims to learn from the lessons of Ramadan.

We had in the last 29 days been closer to Almighty Allah in total obedience and supplications.

As we have ended the Ramadan fasting, our people must continue with the good deeds.

They should reflect on the lessons of the period and uphold its teachings, he said.

Hazeem Gbolarumi, a former deputy governor in the state, urged Muslims to adhere strictly to the teachings of Ramadan.

He urged Muslims to remain steadfast in prayer and to submit totally to the will of Allah.

Also, Muhammad Magaji, the Aguma of Gwagwalada, Abuja, called on Nigerians to embrace peace and to show support to the federal government.

Mr. Magaji made the call at the end of the Edi-el-Fitr prayer on Sunday in Gwagwalada.

According to him, there is need to live in unity and harmony in order to move the nation and the economy forward.

I want to emphasise the need for peaceful co-existence because it is the tool for achieving unity and progress as no nation can make progress without unity.

I want us all to embrace and support the agenda of this government so that we can all benefit from it, he said.

He urged adherents of the Islamic faith to practice the teachings of Ramadan, which he said underscored the virtues of tolerance, patience, kindness and peaceful co-existence with non-Muslims.

He also called on parents to educate their children in both Western and religious education, saying Charity begins at home.

Earlier in his sermon, Muhammad Zaria, the Acting Chief Imam Gwagwalada Central Mosque, had called for unity among Nigerians as it would encourage growth and development of the country.

On his part, the Deputy Imam, Abuja National Mosque, Muhammad-Kabir Adam, urged unity among Nigerians irrespective of their religious, ethnic and cultural differences.

Mr. Adam was speaking during the Eid-el-Kabir sermon at the National Eid Ground on Sunday in Abuja.

We should know that it was not a coincidence that Allah created people with different backgrounds  religion, ethnicity, culture or any other differences that exist among the humanity.

But it is for them to live together in unity and benefit from each other and not to disintegrate.

Every citizen must respect the law of the land and shun all evil and wrong-doing, he said

He called on Federal Government and all stakeholders to provide an environment conducive for the youth to engage in productive ventures to stop them from being used as destructive tools.

Some Muslims, who spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria, urged Nigerians to pray for the recovery of President Buhari and the accelerated recovery of the countrys economy.

Jibiri Musa applauded the federal government for its efforts at restoring peace in the country, particularly in the north-east.

Mr. Musa said even in the face of daunting challenges, Nigerians were still standing together to ensure that peace was restored in the country.

He, therefore, called on all Nigerians to live in harmony with one another irrespective of their differences to see that our great country is not divided.

Another resident of Abuja, Latifat Salisu, stated that Eid-el-Fitr festival is significant because it represents a celebration of the true love and grace of Allah to mankind through sacrifice, devotion and faith.

She, therefore, called on all Nigerians to remain steadfast and committed to the cause of uniting and developing the country through show of love to others.

This period is for sacrifice and obedience to divine guidance and a time to share our resources with our neighbours both Muslims and non-Muslims and also to remember the less privileged.

(NAN)

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The Imam of the Harkatul Falahil Islam Jumaat Mosque Kaduna, Mohammed Mai-Iyali, has described eight Sunnah of the prophet every Muslim should do on the day of Eid.

1  One of the most important thing to do before going to Eid is to make sure he offer the Zakat al-Fitr which is due that day. The Prophet (SAW) instructed that it should be paid before the Eid prayer. It is permissible to pay it one or two days before that, because of the hadeeth of Ibn Umar (RA) which was narrated by al-Bukhaari: They used to give it one or two days before (Eid) al-Fitr.

If it is paid after the Eid prayer, it does not count as Sadaqat al-Fitr, because of the hadeeth of Ibn Abbaas: Whoever pays it before the prayer, it is Zakaat al-Fitr, and whoever pays it after the prayer, it is ordinary charity.

2  Taking the Ghusul  It is Sunnah of the prophet that one takes the Ritual bath before setting out for the Eid.

3  You should eat an odd number of dates before leaving for the Eid prayer. It Is narrated that the Prophet (SAW) did not set out on the day of Eid until he had eaten an odd number of dates. If you do not have dates it is permissible to eat what you have no matter how small before going to the Eid.

4  You should wear your best clothes, preferably new ones  Women should not wear something that will exposed their bodies when they go out to the Eid prayer, for the prophet (SAW) has said Let them go out looking decent in regular clothes that are not elegant. It is haram for them to go out wearing perfume and makeup. But for men they should wear their best and children.

5  Many scholars agree that Voluntary (Nafilat) are not offered on the Eid ground. It is better that one just sit and keep reciting Takbir before the arrival of Imam. Allah Knows best)

6  Praise Allah  Supplicate on your way to Eid (Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar, Laillaha illalahu Allahu, Akbar, Walillahil Hamd) and it should continue the whole day.

7  It is the teaching of the prophet that he who is going to Eid go by one route and return by another as the prophet (SAW) teaches.

8  Visitation to friends, families, neighbours.

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FAMINE, DISEASE OUTBREAK LOOMS IN NIGERIA

The UN Childrens Fund (UNICEF) warned that malnutrition, thirst and diseases threaten the lives of millions of children in North-east Nigeria, Somalia, South Sudan and Yemen.

In north-east Nigeria, with Boko Haram violence which continues to contribute to large-scale displacement around 5.2 million people remain severely food insecure, with 450,000 children expected to suffer from severe acute malnutrition this year, the agency said.

BREAST FEEDING REDUCES RISK OF HEART ATTACK

Breastfeeding is not only healthy for babies, it may also reduce a mothers risk of having a heart attack or stroke later in life, says researcher in Journal of the American Heart Association.

The conclusion of a new study of 300,000 Chinese women indicated that women who breastfed their babies had about a 10 per cent lower risk of developing heart disease or stroke compared to those who did not.

Previous studies have also suggested that mothers get short-term health benefits such as weight loss and lower cholesterol, blood pressure and glucose levels after pregnancy, from breastfeeding.

KATSINA TO IMMUNIZE CHILDREN AGAINST POLIO

The Katsina State Government intends to immunise no fewer than two million children during the next round of Immunisation Plus Days (IPDs).

Abba Musa, the Assistant Health Educator, Katsina State Primary Healthcare Development Agency, said the exercise is meant for children below five years and would be conducted between July 8 and July 11 across the state.

The team of vaccinators would be going from house-to-house to administer the Oral Polio Vaccines (OPV) to the targeted children in all the 34 local government areas.

DOCTORS, NURSES GET TRAINING ON PAIN MANAGEMENT

The University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, is training some doctors, nurses and other staffers on pain management to equip them to assess the condition and provide high-quality first line treatment.

Adefemi Afolabi, Staff Champion Coordinator of the Pain-Free Hospital Initiative (PFHI), said the program is being conducted in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Health and the American Cancer Society.

The course is to train physicians, nurses, pharmacists and other healthcare providers on how to assess pain levels and dispense medication.

BAUCHI RELEASES N13 MILLION FOR RURAL HEALTH FACILITIES

The Bauchi State Government has released N13 million to Dass Local Government Area to improve health facilities under the National States Health Investment Project (NSHIP).

The funding was provided under the World Bank assisted Additional Financing of NSHIP.

About N13 million was disbursed to 15 Primary Healthcare Centres and one General Hospital in Dass LGA by the state Government.

ENERGY DRINKS DANGEROUS TO HEALTH

Energy drinks are detrimental to health, Salomi Mathew, a lecturer at the Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida University, Lapai, Niger State, said.

Mr. Mathew, of the Department of Human Kinetics and Health Education, cautioned youth against indulging in the act.

He said taking energy drinks to stimulate the body instead of resting, relaxing or sleeping is detrimental to ones general well-being as this takes its toll on the brain and heart which can cause systolic and diastolic blood pressure thus making the heart collapse.

LASSA FEVER: ONE DEAD, 65 UNDER SURVEILLANCE

The Anambra State government has confirmed the death of a nursing student killed by Lassa Fever. The government also said 65 others were being monitored.

Emmanuel Okafor, the Director of Public Health, State Ministry of Health, said the victim was bleeding from the gums, nostril and vagina and was confirmed a Lassa Fever victim at General Hospital, Irua, in Edo State where she was referred for treatment before she died on June 17.

5.6 million children at risk of waterborne diseases

As the rainy season begins, United Nations Childrens Fund, UNICEF, has warned that more than 5.6 million children are at increased risk of contracting waterborne diseases, such as cholera and diarrhoea infections, in conflict-affected areas of countries around Lake Chad.

The humanitarian agency said that the threat of disease outbreaks in Cameroon, Chad, Niger and Nigeria coincides with growing regional insecurity and increased population movements particularly in Nigerias northeast.

Unsafe water, inadequate sanitation and poor hygiene conditions can lead to cholera outbreaks and to Hepatitis E, a deadly disease for pregnant women and their babies, while standing water pools can attract malaria-carrying mosquitoes. Staving off disease is our top priority, it said.

GROUP CALLS FOR LAW AGAINST FGM

Preston Development Foundation, a non-governmental organisation in Nigeria, has called for the federal government to take stringent measures against female genital mutilation in the country.

A survey conducted by the United Nations Population Funds, UNFPA, in 2015 showed that the practice was high in the South-West with Osun State still ranked highest in the prevalence with over 76.3 per cent.

U.S. SUPPORTS FAMILIES AFFECTED BY HIV/AIDS

The U.S. Diplomatic Mission to Nigeria has awarded a N2.9 million micro grant to support children orphaned by HIV/AIDS in some parts of Lagos State.

The Mission gave the grant to 50 women caregivers to support the economic wellbeing of families, especially vulnerable children orphaned by HIV/AIDS, in five local communities in Apapa Local Government Area of Lagos.

The U.S. also signed a $469 million (about N147.5 billion) Country Operation Plan to support HIV prevention, care and treatment programmes in Nigeria.

The COP was signed by the U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator, Ambassador-at-Large, Deborah Birx, and the Director-General of Nigerias National Agency for the Control of AIDS, Sani Aliyu.

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Firefighters will remain at the site of a massive inferno that razed the Abuja branch of House On The Rock Church on Sunday, although the incident has been largely contained, officials told PREMIUM TIMES.

Opetunsin Julius, Acting Comptroller of Federal Fire Service in Abuja, said firefighters put in serious efforts to bring the situation under control.

Our officials arrived at the scene around 2:40 p.m. shortly after receiving an emergency call, Mr. Julius told PREMIUM TIMES by telephone on Sunday night. They were able to fully contain the fire a few hours later.

But he said two firefighting trucks will remain at the scene for another day or more to monitor the situation.

We have stationed two trucks there because another fire could break out from another part of the building, he said.

The official said the fire caused a major destruction to the building, and church workers have been advised to stay away from the premises in the interim.

He said the Federal Fire Service will investigate the incident if asked to do so by the church.

Fire service and emergency management officials earlier told PREMIUM TIMES the fire was yet to be fully contained as at 7:04 p.m.

A firefighter requested his name should not be printed because he was not authorised to give updates about the incident.

NEMA officials say theyre coordinating emergency activities at the scene with the firefighters.

It remained unclear exactly when the fire broke out, but those who worshipped at the parish today said on social media that there was no such incident before most of them departed between 12:00 and 1:00 p.m.

Details, such as the possible cause of the inferno and the estimated time it broke out, are yet to be ascertained.

No church official was immediately available for comments. An email enquiry sent to the address listed on the churchs website returned undelivered Sunday evening.

See Pictures Below:

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A socio-cultural group in Akwa Ibom State, Mboho Mkparawa Ibibio, has protested against the reported inclusion of the state in an imaginary Biafran map.

The group accused the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, and the Movement for Actualization of Sovereign State of Biafra, MASSOB, of including Akwa Ibom and other states within the south-south region of Nigeria on the Biafran map without consulting them.

It said it considered the inclusion an act of disrespect and provocation.

We wish to remind the concerned Igbos that this senseless arrogance and callous disrespect for the Ibibio person, an endemic and pathological trait of their extraction has been at the core of the differences of our two nationalities, the group said in a statement signed by its President, Monday Etokakpan, and Secretary General, James Edet.

And so as it was in the first republic, so it is now and so shall it be in times to come. Ibibio has nothing in common with Igbo. To wit, we differ in ancestry, culture, beliefs, character traits, language, food, names, dressing and all.

The group said if Nigeria were to break up today, Akwa Ibom would be at home and in league with our kin and kindred in the proposed Atlantic Republic consisting of present States of Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Cross River, Delta, Edo, and Rivers.

Our Capital City shall be Port Harcourt, our Currency and Language shall both be Lanti.

The group said that Akwa Ibom, for now, prefers to stay within the Nigeria federation.

If the Igbos will be honestly desirous, sincerely determined and eventually successful in breaking away from Nigeria, we the Ibibio people in Akwa Ibom and Cross River States will be totally indifferent and will only be here to bid them fare-well.

As a distinct and independent-minded people of over seven million in population we will continue to weigh our options in the Nigerian chase board and make the right moves the way we want it, in the direction we want, at the time we want and will partner with whomever we want to, if we must partner with anyone, to serve our best interest, the group said.

The group said it was unfortunate though not surprising for the northern youth to order the Igbos to leave the north before October 1. It blamed the situation on the countrys refusal to start a process of restructuring the federation.

The call by the northern group has been condemned by state and federal officials.

We call on Northern Nigeria opinion leaders, elders, religious and political leaders and indeed the Federal Government to do the needful in reining in this mindless radicalism from their youth, the group said.

Mboho Mkparawa Ibibio would like to remind the northern Nigerians that no one, youth or elders, in the country has the monopoly of violence and that the lives and legitimately acquired property of the Ibibio person means the world to us.

Therefore, no harm must befall them wherever they have chosen to live in Nigeria and indeed anywhere on the surface of the earth. Mboho Mkparawa Ibibio believes and will ensure that the Ibibio people exact pound for pound, flesh for flesh and life for life if necessary, the group said.

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When Kaitlyn Schoeffel was asked why South Jersey seems to always dominate the Miss New Jersey pageant, she laughed and responded that it must be something in the water.

But the reason goes much deeper than that, according to local pageant experts.

Schoeffel, of Egg Harbor Township, was crowned the 10th Miss New Jersey from South Jersey in the past 15 years last week. In this years pageant, 19 of the 28 contestants came from the states southern region. Pageants in North Jersey have been steadily dropping off, leaving South and Central Jersey to pick up the slack and produce candidates for the annual competition.

The northern pageant system used to dominate years ago, said Rosanna Consalvo-Sarto, executive director of the Miss Columbus Day pageant. About 10 years ago it flipped to Central and South Jersey. I dont know the reason behind that, honestly.

Consalvo-Sarto, along with her sister Giulietta Consalvo, run the Bonnie Blue Foundation in memory of their mother, Francesa Bonnie Consalvo. The foundation currently runs the Miss Columbus Day and Miss Atlantic County pageants.

Bonnie Consalvo, who died in 2004, ran the Miss Columbus Day pageant for 37 years and worked with Suzette Charles, the last Miss New Jersey to become Miss America, during her run to the crown in 1984.

Charles won the Miss Columbus Day title before becoming Miss New Jersey.

Both Consalvo and Sarto said that they have seen a dramatic change in the Miss New Jersey Competition over the years.

Sally Johnston, executive director of Miss New Jersey, said pageants in North Jersey fell off when Miss America opened up the rules on who could compete in a particular pageant.

A contestant used to have to live, work or go to school in a particular county to compete in the local pageants. Now, the pageants are more wide open. Because most directors of local pageants live in South Jersey, the pageants in North Jersey started to disappear.

But Johnston said the organization is actively working to bring pageants back to central and northern counties.

My goal is to make this a state pageant, she said. Were looking for more county pageants, and we would really like to see some colleges host pageants as well.

New Jersey used to have a Miss Rutgers University in the Miss New Jersey pageant, she said.

As pageants in the northern part of the state began to drop off, contestants started coming down and competing in south and central pageants.

But the reduction in pageants up north has coincided with Miss hax New Jersey being less competitive in the Miss America pageant. Miss New Jersey has not placed in the top 15 at Miss America since Jennifer Farrell in 2003.

Sarto said part of that is because New Jersey isnt a sash state, or a state that makes pageants a high priority with sponsorships and generations of training.

Sash states are the ones that produce, she said. Theres about 10 of them; You have people there who are pageant addicts its 24-hours-a-day pageantry.

Sarto said that Oklahoma, Georgia, Florida, Texas, and California, among others, are considered sash states. New Jersey started to lose some sponsorships in the 1990s, she said.

When you look at the gifts Miss New Jersey gets now compared to 10-15 years ago, its completely different, she said.
ATLANTIC CITY  Two city men have been charged in a June 14 shooting and fast-food restaurant robbery on Atlantic Avenue.

Jeshua Sammons, 20, was charged with two counts of aggravated assault, possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, unlawful possession of a weapon and robbery, police said.

Bilal Freeman, 22, was charged with robbery, police said.

Police found Raheem Miller, 24, of Atlantic City, had a nonlife-threatening wound after witnesses reported they saw one male being shot in the 1500 block of Atlantic Avenue and taken by private vehicle to AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center, City Campus, authorities said.

The shooter fled before officers arrived, police said.

Detectives found Sammons had assaulted and robbed a male inside a Taco Bell/Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurant before the shooting, police said.

Anyone with information about the case is asked to call investigators at the police Violent Crimes Unit, 609-347-5788. Information may be texted to tip411 (847411). Begin the text with ACPD. All texts are anonymous.

 Nicholas Huba
EGG HARBOR TOWNSHIP  Jeff Boyer described Fred Nickles, his father-in-law, as the type of person who was always there for you.

About 20 years ago, my dad died, Boyer recalled Saturday in a eulogy. I was fresh out of college. I wasnt a man yet. Fred was always there for me, whenever I needed to call him. He would always pick up the phone. He was always there for his family, especially his girls.

Mourners gathered Saturday at the Farmington Volunteer Fire Company to pay their final respects to the firefighter, school superintendent, state politician and family man.

Nickles, 69, died June 17, of cancer. His body was buried at Palestine Cemetery after a firefighters procession.

At 1:11 a.m., a call went over the county radio system announcing Nickles had answered his last call, a tradition for a firefighter who dies.

Nickles joined the Scullville fire crew when he was 16 and became its chief and deputy chief of the townships five fire companies.

Ive known this man for the last 25 years, said the Rev. Hayden Kent, of the Scullville Bible Church. I love this man.

Nickles was superintendent of Egg Harbor Township schools from 1985 to 1997 and interim superintendent 2016-17. He started in the district in 1970 as a history and gym teacher at the Slaybaugh Middle School.

Back then, the township was a K-8 district with about 2,800 students in numerous small, aging elementary schools. In 1972, Nickles, then 24, was asked to become an assistant principal at Slaybaugh. He become principal at Slaybaugh and later at the high school, until becoming acting and then full-time superintendent in 1985.

Nickles was superintendent in the Atlantic City school district from 1999 to 2012.

The Rev. Thomas E. Sweeny, Atlantic County fire chaplain, said Nickles had the type of personality people gravitated toward.

Even if you wanted to butt heads with him, like I did once in a while, you walked away best friends and laughed and joked, Sweeny said. It was never personal.
ROCKVILLE, Maryland, June 24, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

In continuation to our letter dated May 22, 2017, the 36th AGM of the Company was held today and the business mentioned in the Notice dated April 13, 2017 was transacted. The brief proceedings and voting results along with the Scrutinizer's Report are made avalibale on the Company's website, at https://www.infosys.com/investors/news-events/annual-general-meeting/2017/Documents/AGM-2017-voting-results.pdf

The webcast of the 36th Annual General Meeting ('AGM') will be made available on the company's website, www.infosys.com

This is a disclosure announcement from PR Newswire.

SOURCE Infosys Limited
NEW YORK, June 25, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- AJC is deeply disappointed by today's decision of the Israeli government to withdraw from the plan to establish an egalitarian prayer space at the Western Wall (Kotel).

AJC had hailed the compromise to allow egalitarian prayer at the sacred site in Jerusalem when it was first approved by the Israeli Cabinet in January 2016.

"The Kotel belongs to all Jews worldwide, not to a self-appointed segment," said AJC CEO David Harris. "This decision is a setback for Jewish unity and the essential ties that bind Israel and American Jews, the two largest centers of Jewish life in the world."

In a September 2015 letter to AJC, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu stated his commitment "to strengthening the unity of the Jewish people," and pledged "to unequivocally reject any attempt to divide us or to delegitimize any Jewish community  Reform, Conservative or Orthodox."

The Conservative and Reform movements, joined by AJC and other Jewish groups, have long pressed for equal rights at the Kotel for non-Orthodox worship and religious ceremonies. The landmark compromise, adopted by the Israeli Cabinet on January 31, 2016, recognized that the religious status quo at the Western Wall would continue under Orthodox authority. For egalitarian and mixed-gender Conservative and Reform prayers, however, a new space would be created at the southern wall, commonly known as Robinson's Arch. But while all streams of Judaism agreed at the time, the ultra-Orthodox representatives reneged and have steadfastly blocked its implementation.

AJC has been focusing on issues of Jewish religious pluralism in Israel for decades. At AJC's initiative, the effort was elevated in 2014 with the establishment of the multi-organizational Jewish Religious Equality Coalition (J-REC) to press for recognized alternatives to the Chief Rabbinate on procedures relating to marriage and conversion to Judaism.

SOURCE American Jewish Committee

Related Links

http://www.ajc.org


GREENFIELD, Mass., June 25, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Following a lack of progress by management on core RN issues during bargaining Friday, Baystate Franklin Medical Center nurses who want to care for their patients are preparing to be removed from the hospital or stopped from going into BFMC at 7 p.m. on Sunday, June 25. The Baystate lock out will come ahead of a 24-hour unfair labor practice strike scheduled by the nurses for 6 a.m. Monday.

"This one-day strike is about protecting our patients and allowing nurses to live healthy, quality lives," said Donna Stern, co-chair of the nurses bargaining unit for the 200 nurses at BFMC. "We have worked hard for months to reach an agreement with local management that properly values and respects nurses, patients and our community. Unfortunately, it is clear that decision-makers in Springfield are unwilling to bargain in good faith on issues like nurse workload and health insurance."

RN Public Schedule for Sunday - Tuesday

7 p.m. Sunday, June 25: Nurses will be removed from the hospital or stopped from going in to care for their patients by Baystate because of its announced lock out. PRESS AVAILABILITY

6 a.m. Monday, June 26: One-day strike begins. Nurses and supporters will gather outside the main entrance of the hospital. Picketing will continue through the duration of the 24-hour strike.

12 p.m. and 5 p.m. Monday, June 26: Rallies outside the hospital with nurses, staff, community supporters and local leaders.

6 a.m. Tuesday, June 27: One-day RN strike ends. Nurses will gather outside the hospital and those scheduled to work plan to enter BFMC to care for their patients.

Hundreds of Nurse Shifts Left Vacant on BFMC Schedule Shows Why RNs Prepared to Strike

Even as nurses prepared to strike in protest of Baystate's failure to address RN workload and staffing problems, the hospital continued its practice of scrambling to provide adequate nursing care by leaving hundreds of RN shifts vacant on its schedule.

Over 42 days in just one hospital unit, Baystate managers left 229 nurse shifts unfilled. These vacant shifts were on a medical-surgical schedule issued by the hospital on June 16 that covers six weeks. This is an ongoing problem at BFMC. On another six-week schedule from the same unit, covering February 26 to April 8, the hospital left 179 nurse shifts unfilled.

"This problem speaks to the core of why nurses are prepared to strike for one day," said Jillian Cycz, RN and junior co-chair of the BFMC RN Bargaining Committee who works on the medical-surgical unit. "The hospital is scrambling to try and fill many open shifts, or is leaving them unfilled, to the detriment of patient care. Baystate forces unsafe patient assignments and unsafe working conditions on nurses and management just won't bargain over our core issues. We cannot provide the high quality care our patients deserve when we have too many patients at one time, are fatigued and undernourished because we must work through our breaks, and are required to stay beyond our scheduled shifts in violation of state law."

As a result of these unfilled shifts, nurses are working endless additional shifts usually without rest. In fact, 3,940 times in the past 12 months nurses had to work for longer than 12 hours because there was no one to relieve them. The longest shift was 17.5 hours. It is illegal in Massachusetts for an RN to ever work more than 16 hours  even during a state of emergency. A May 15 letter from the MNA committee members to the hospital's president details the abusiveness of the never ending shifts.

"We are working while exhausted" the MNA BFMC Committee wrote in a May 15 letter to BFMC President Cindy Russo. "Among our most important issues in negotiations for which a long-term solution is urgently needed is understaffing that forces RNs and others to work overtime and extra shifts without restBecause there is not enough staff, and we are forced to pick up additional shift after shift after shift and can't go home at the end of our shifts. This is antithetical to the safe patient care studies management was (accurately) citing to us two years ago."

Core Outstanding RN Issues

Baystate management refuses to bargain over RN workload and staffing, including our call for an increase in RN staffing at the hospital to ensure safe patient assignments and an end to unwanted overtime, increased weekend work and unscheduled shifts.

When nurses have too many patients to care for at one time, they cannot be there when patients need them. When nurses are forced to work extra hours or extra entire shifts, simply because the hospital refuses to hire enough staff to cover all shifts, nurses are exhausted and more prone to make errors. Nurses can't tell their families when they'll be home, or when they'll have a day off.

On top of that, Baystate is demanding to cut holidays, sick days and vacation time.

Nurses are seeking to negotiate decent and affordable health insurance benefits, after Baystate eliminated two health insurance plans in the past year and a half, leaving substandard plans in place. Baystate also refuses to bargain over this issue.

On March 15 BFMC RNS voted, by a margin of 93%, to authorize their elected bargaining committee to call a strike if and when they see fit to do so. To date, the parties have held more than 20 bargaining sessions, many of which with a federal mediator. BFMC nurses have filed 13 unfair labor practice charges against Baystate for, among other reasons, failing to bargain in good faith over mandatory subjects of bargaining such as nurse workload and health insurance.

Contact Joe Markman at 781-571-8175 or [email protected] for copies of the NLRB charges nurses have filed against Baystate, unsafe scheduling documentation, reports sent to the DPH showing instances of mandatory overtime (which is unlawful under Mass law) or dozens of text messages from BFMC management requesting nurses come to work when they were scheduled to be off because of staffing shortages.

MassNurses.org  Facebook.com/MassNurses  Twitter.com/MassNurses

Founded in 1903, the Massachusetts Nurses Association is the largest union of registered nurses in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Its 23,000 members advance the nursing profession by fostering high standards of nursing practice, promoting the economic and general welfare of nurses in the workplace, projecting a positive and realistic view of nursing, and by lobbying the Legislature and regulatory agencies on health care issues affecting nurses and the public.

SOURCE Massachusetts Nurses Association

Related Links

http://www.massnurses.org


HOUSTON and SEOUL, South Korea, June 25, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Cheniere Energy Inc. (NYSE MKT: LNG) and Korea Gas Corporation (KOGAS) today hailed the commencement of their 20-year Sales and Purchase Agreement (SPA) to supply U.S.-sourced LNG to KOGAS from the Sabine Pass Liquefaction facility in Louisiana. The SPA, which was originally signed in January of 2012, officially commenced on June 1, 2017, with the first cargo loading the following day.

Under the terms of the SPA, Cheniere shall sell and make available for delivery to KOGAS approximately 3.5 million tonnes of LNG per year, which represents more than 10 percent of South Korea's total annual demand.

Cheniere officials, led by CEO and President Jack Fusco, hosted KOGAS officials, led by CEO Seung-Hoon Lee, today at Cheniere's Sabine Pass Liquefaction facility.

"KOGAS is an ideal commercial partner as one of the largest buyers of LNG in the world and serves South Korea, an important economic and national ally of the United States," said Jack Fusco, President and CEO of Cheniere. "This is just the beginning of a long and productive relationship that will be beneficial to both companies and both countries, and we hope to continue to grow this relationship between KOGAS and Cheniere."

KOGAS president & CEO Mr. Seung-Hoon Lee said, "This long-term LNG SPA with Cheniere Energy will contribute significantly to improving the trade balance between the United States and Korea. Plus, the destination-free US LNG will greatly increase the flexibility and efficiency in the global LNG market."

KOGAS was incorporated by the Korean government in 1983 to engage in the development, production and distribution of liquefied natural gas. KOGAS has since grown to become one of the largest buyers of LNG and is the Republic of Korea's dominant gas provider. KOGAS operates four LNG terminals with the current storage capacity of 4.84 million tons in 69 storage tanks and a nationwide pipeline network that spans over 4,672 km. KOGAS imports LNG from around the world and supplies it to power generation plants, gas-utility companies and city gas companies throughout the country. It produces and supplies natural gas, purifies and sells gas-related by-products, builds and operates production facilities and distribution networks, and explores for, imports and exports natural gas for domestic and overseas markets.

In February 2016, Cheniere became the first company to ship LNG from the contiguous United States in over 50 years, and is currently the only exporter of U.S. LNG. Cheniere's unique business model provides a full-service LNG offering to customers worldwide, which includes acquiring, transporting, and processing pipeline gas, and providing LNG to customers either at the flange of the LNG terminal, or on a delivered basis to markets around the world.

Forward-Looking Statements:

This press release contains certain statements that may include "forward-looking statements" within the meanings of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. All statements, other than statements of historical or present facts or conditions, included herein are "forward-looking statements." Included among "forward-looking statements" are, among other things, statements regarding Cheniere's business strategy, plans and objectives, including the use of proceeds from the offering. Although Cheniere believes that the expectations reflected in these forward-looking statements are reasonable, they do involve assumptions, risks and uncertainties, and these expectations may prove to be incorrect. Cheniere's actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements as a result of a variety of factors, including those discussed in Cheniere's periodic reports that are filed with and available from the Securities and Exchange Commission. You should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this press release. Other than as required under the securities laws, Cheniere does not assume a duty to update these forward-looking statements.

SOURCE Cheniere Energy, Inc.
SYDNEY, June 25, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Eagle Investment Systems LLC, a BNY Mellon company, today announced that QIC Ltd is live using Eagle's enterprise data management and performance and attribution solutions, hosted on Eagle ACCESSSM, a secure private cloud.

QIC, the investment fund for the Queensland government with over A$81 billion in AUM (as at 31 March 2017), selected Eagle as part of an operational transformation project to improve the transparency, quality, and ownership of its investment data. QIC, which had outsourced its data management and performance measurement functions to a global custodian, sought to supplement the outsourced services and reduce internal IT costs associated with maintaining its own proprietary technology infrastructure. QIC turned to Eagle to provide a data management and performance measurement solution to enable advanced performance reporting, returns and exposure analysis.

"We are quickly realising the benefits of using Eagle," said Mark McDonald, Executive Director at QIC. "In addition to improving the integrity of our data and instilling more flexibility in our performance reporting function, we have achieved greater efficiency and the ability to support the growth of our alternative assets business. We are also now able to automate a number of complex calculations that were previously handled manually using spreadsheets."

QIC's performance function supports all asset classes, including fixed income, equities, global strategies, real estate, private equity, infrastructure investments and derivatives. The new performance solution also includes a number of customised configurations to meet complex requirements and methodologies for reporting on international investments, as well as supporting multi-sector contribution and multi-level performance reporting.

"We are delighted that QIC has implemented Eagle Data Management and Performance," said John Legrand, Managing Director for Eagle in EMEA and APAC. "We are working with a growing number of asset owners in Australia that are looking to improve efficiency and assume greater control over their assets, as they grow and diversify their product ranges. We look forward to further developing our relationship with QIC as they continue to refine and optimise their operational model to achieve greater efficiencies."

Notes to editors

QIC Limited

QIC is a global diversified alternative investment firm offering infrastructure, real estate, private equity, liquid strategies and multi-asset investments. It is one of the largest institutional investment managers in Australia, with A$81.1 billion (US$61.9/49.4 billion) in funds under management (as at 31 March 2017), offering infrastructure, real estate, private capital, liquid strategies and multi-asset investment services. QIC has over 700 employees and serves more than 110 clients including governments, pension plans, sovereign wealth funds and insurers, spanning Australia, Europe, Asia, Middle East and the US. Headquartered in Brisbane, Australia, QIC also has offices in New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, London, Sydney, and Melbourne. For more information, please visit: www.qic.com.

Eagle Investment Systems

Eagle is committed to helping financial institutions worldwide grow assets efficiently with its award-winning portfolio management suite of data management, investment accounting and performance measurement solutions that are delivered over its secure private cloud, Eagle ACCESSSM. Eagle deploys trusted solutions and services that create operational efficiencies and help reduce complexity and risk. Eagle Investment Systems LLC is a subsidiary of BNY Mellon. Additional information is available at www.eagleinvsys.com or follow us on Twitter @Eagleinvsys.

BNY Mellon

BNY Mellon is a global investments company dedicated to helping its clients manage and service their financial assets throughout the investment lifecycle. Whether providing financial services for institutions, corporations or individual investors, BNY Mellon delivers informed investment management and investment services in 35 countries and more than 100 markets. As of March 31, 2017, BNY Mellon had $30.6 trillion in assets under custody and/or administration, and $1.7 trillion in assets under management. BNY Mellon can act as a single point of contact for clients looking to create, trade, hold, manage, service, distribute or restructure investments. BNY Mellon is the corporate brand of The Bank of New York Mellon Corporation (NYSE: BK). Additional information is available on www.bnymellon.com. Follow us on Twitter @BNYMellon or visit our newsroom at www.bnymellon.com/newsroom for the latest company news.

Contact:

Jeremy Skaling

Eagle Investment Systems LLC

+1 781.943.2318

[email protected]

SOURCE Eagle Investment Systems LLC

Related Links

http://www.eagleinvsys.com


NEW YORK, June 25, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- New York Blood Center (NYBC) has declared a blood emergency and is asking the public to please find time to donate blood at an NYBC donor center or convenient blood drive to help replenish the community's blood supply. Recent national tragedies are reminders that it is imperative for NYBC to always have an adequately stocked blood supply to respond when communities are faced with patient traumas or other events that require lifesaving blood products.

To donate blood or for information on how to organize a blood drive:

Call Toll Free: 1-800-933-2566

Visit: www.nybloodcenter.org/blood

(Please see attached list to find the nearest blood drive in your area)

In order to maintain a safe blood supply, a seven-day inventory of all types must be continually replenished. Companies, organizations, and community groups are also encouraged to step up and host a blood drive in July or August to help rebuild the blood supply. Hosting a blood drive is easy, and NYBC staff will help you every step of the way.

O negative blood donors are considered "universal," and their blood type is needed most readily in trauma situations and emergency departments across the country. Due to its high demand, O negative blood is in short supply, and NYBC encourages individuals with this blood type to consider stepping forward and donating today. Our local blood supply has reached a critically low level, with under a two-day supply of O negative, B negative, and A negative blood.

As we head into the summer months, we are reminded of how essential it is that our communities maintain steady participation in blood donation. The best preparation for an unpredictable tragedy is having blood on hospital shelves in advance. This is key to potentially saving lives.

"By spreading the word or even hosting your own blood drive, inviting friends, family, and community organizations, you may save lives in your community," said Andrea Cefarelli, Executive Director of NYBC. "We are in dire need of O negative blood with a reserve that is currently below a two day supply, and that is just too low."

Historically, during the summer months, blood centers have had to focus on building up the community's blood supply, as it tends to diminish due to seasonal factors. While summer months are marked by a long vacation period, with schools in recess and leisure time, the need for blood never takes a vacation. NYBC urges individuals to seek out nearby blood donation centers and to engage in the selfless act of donating, helping to prevent a summer blood shortage and potentially saving the life of someone in need.

More About Blood Donations

The entire donation process takes less than an hour and a single donation can be used to save multiple lives. Donors with O-negative blood type, or "universal donors," are especially encouraged to donate, as their blood can be used in emergencies. Nearly 2,000 donations are needed each day in New York and New Jersey alone. About one in seven hospital admissions requires a blood transfusion, and with a limited shelf life, supplies must be continually replenished.

If you cannot donate but still wish to participate in bringing crucial blood products to patients in need, please ask someone to donate for you, or consider volunteering at a local blood drive.

Any company, community organization, place of worship, or individual may host a blood drive . Blood donors receive free mini-medical exams on-site, including information about their temperature, blood pressure, and hematocrit level. Eligible donors include those people at least age 16 (parental consent is required for 16-year-olds), who weigh a minimum of 110 pounds, are in good health, and meet all Food & Drug Administration and NY or NJ State Department of Health donor criteria. People age 76 or older may donate if they have a doctor's note on file with New York Blood Center or if they bring one on the day of the blood drive.

About New York Blood Center

Founded in 1964, New York Blood Center (NYBC) is a nonprofit organization that is one of the largest independent, community-based blood centers in the world. NYBC, along with its partner organizations Community Blood Center of Kansas City, Missouri (CBC), and Innovative Blood Resources (IBR), based in St. Paul, Minnesota, collect approximately 3,500 units of blood products each day, serving local communities of more than 40 million people in New York, New Jersey, parts of Connecticut and Pennsylvania, the Kansas City metropolitan area, Minnesota, and Nebraska. NYBC and its partners also provide a wide array of transfusion-related medical services, including Comprehensive Cell Solutions, the National Center for Blood Group Genomics, the National Cord Blood Program, and the Lindsley F. Kimball Research Institute, which  among other milestones  developed the Hepatitis B vaccine and a patented solvent detergent plasma process innovating blood-purification technology worldwide.

Website: nybc.org

Facebook: www.facebook.com/newyorkbloodcenter

Twitter: @NYBloodCenter

Instagram: @newyorkbloodcenter

Media Contact: Andrea Cefarelli

914-760-3173

[email protected]

Long Island Karen Muscolino

516-903-5104

[email protected]

New Jersey Marie Forrestal

732-616-0798

[email protected]

Hudson Valley Blood Services Open Blood Drive List

Events from 6/26/17 to 7/31/17













Event

Date Site Site Address City Zip Acct.

Rep Start

Time End Time Bronx

6/27/17 American Turner Club 748 Clarence Avenue Bronx 10465 TR 4:00 PM 8:30 PM 6/29/17 NYC Health + Hospitals/North Central Bronx 3424 Kossuth Avenue Bronx 10467 TR 10:30 AM 4:30 PM 6/29/17 NYPD 45th Precinct 2877 Barkley Ave Bronx 10465 TR 10:30 AM 4:30 PM 7/1/17 Bangladesh-American Women Association, Inc 1222 White Plains Road Bronx 10472 TR 10:00 AM 4:00 PM 7/5/17 NYPD 44th Precinct 2 East 169th Street Bronx 10451- BS 9:00 AM 3:00 PM 7/6/17 Monroe College-King Hall 2501 Jerome Avenue Bronx 10468 TR 10:00 AM 4:00 PM 7/6/17 Bronx Pizzeria 3579 East Tremont Ave Bronx 10465 TR 1:00 PM 7:00 PM 7/7/17 Parkchester Community/Outside the Post Office 1449 West Ave Bronx 10462 TR 11:00 AM 5:00 PM 7/7/17 Parkchester Community/Outside the Post Office 1449 West Ave Bronx 10462 TR 11:00 AM 5:00 PM 7/11/17 Trinity United Methodist Church 113 Bay Street Bronx 10464 TR 3:30 PM 8:00 PM 7/12/17 NYPD 42nd Precinct 830 Washington Ave. Bronx 10451 BS 12:00 PM 6:00 PM 7/16/17 St. Nicholas of Tolentine 2345 University Avenue Bronx 10468 TR 9:00 AM 1:30 PM 7/18/17 Baldor Specialty Foods, Inc. 155 Food Center Drive Bronx 10474 TR 11:00 AM 5:00 PM 7/20/17 Riverbay Adminstrative Offices 2049 Bartow Ave. Bronx 10475 TR 3:00 PM 7:30 PM 7/20/17 James J. Peters Veterans Affairs Medical Center 130 West Kingsbridge Rd. Bronx 10468 TR 8:00 AM 6:30 PM 7/21/17 Bronx District Attorney 198 E. 161st Street Bronx 10451 BS 10:00 AM 4:00 PM 7/23/17 St. Raymond's Church 1759 Castle Hill Avenue Bronx 10462 TR 8:30 AM 2:30 PM 7/24/17 NYC Health + Hospitals/Lincoln 234 East 149th St. Bronx 10451 BS 7:00 AM 5:30 PM 7/25/17 NYPD 43rd Precinct 900 Fteley Ave. Bronx 10472 TR 10:00 AM 4:00 PM 7/26/17 Herbert Lehman College Music Building 250 Bedford Park Blvd. W. Bronx 10468 TR 12:00 PM 6:00 PM 7/26/17 College Mt. St. Vincent 6301 Riverdale Avenue Bronx 10471 BS 11:30 AM 5:30 PM 7/27/17 Herbert Lehman College Music Building 250 Bedford Park Blvd. W. Bronx 10468 TR 12:00 PM 6:00 PM 7/30/17 Our Lady of Refuge Church 290 East 196th Street Bronx 10458 BS 8:30 AM 2:30 PM Dutchess

6/26/17 IXL Health and Fitness 3752 Route 9G Rhinebeck 12572 LS 3:00 PM 7:30 PM 6/26/17 East Fishkill Donor Center Hudson Valley Research Park Bldg.320 Hopewell Junction 12533 TM 1:00 PM 8:00 PM 6/27/17 East Fishkill Donor Center Hudson Valley Research Park Bldg.320 Hopewell Junction 12533 TM 1:00 PM 8:00 PM 6/29/17 Castle Point V.A. Medical Center 41 Castle Point Road Wappingers Falls 12590 LS 9:30 AM 2:00 PM 6/30/17 East Fishkill Donor Center Hudson Valley Research Park Bldg.320 Hopewell Junction 12533 TM 9:00 AM 4:00 PM 6/30/17 Arlington Fire Engine Co. #1 11 Burnett Boulevard Poughkeepsie 12603 LS 3:00 PM 7:30 PM 7/3/17 East Fishkill Donor Center Hudson Valley Research Park Bldg.320 Hopewell Junction 12533 TM 1:00 PM 8:00 PM

Hudson Valley Blood Services Open Blood Drive List

Events from 6/26/17 to 7/31/17

Event

Date Site Site Address City Zip Acct.

Rep Start

Time End

Time 7/5/17 St. John/St. Joachim Church 31 Willow Street Beacon 12508 LS 2:00 PM 8:00 PM 7/7/17 East Fishkill Donor Center Hudson Valley Research Park Bldg.320 Hopewell Junction 12533 TM 9:00 AM 4:00 PM 7/10/17 East Fishkill Donor Center Hudson Valley Research Park Bldg.320 Hopewell Junction 12533 TM 1:00 PM 8:00 PM 7/11/17 East Fishkill Donor Center Hudson Valley Research Park Bldg.320 Hopewell Junction 12533 TM 1:00 PM 8:00 PM 7/13/17 H.O. Penn Machinery 122 Noxon Road Poughkeepsie 12603 LS 10:30 AM 3:00 PM 7/14/17 Pawling Fire Station #1 25 South Street Pawling 12564 LS 12:30 PM 6:30 PM 7/14/17 East Fishkill Donor Center Hudson Valley Research Park Bldg.320 Hopewell Junction 12533 TM 9:00 AM 4:00 PM 7/16/17 Poughkeepsie Seventh Day Adventist Church 248 Main Street Poughkeepsie 12601 LS 10:00 AM 4:00 PM 7/17/17 East Fishkill Donor Center Hudson Valley Research Park Bldg.320 Hopewell Junction 12533 TM 1:00 PM 8:00 PM 7/18/17 East Fishkill Donor Center Hudson Valley Research Park Bldg.320 Hopewell Junction 12533 TM 1:00 PM 8:00 PM 7/19/17 CIA-Marriott Conference Center 1946 Campus Drive Hyde Park 12538 LS 9:30 AM 6:00 PM 7/20/17 Fishkill Correctional-QWL Bldg. Matteawan Road Beacon 12508 LS 8:00 AM 2:00 PM 7/21/17 East Fishkill Donor Center Hudson Valley Research Park Bldg.320 Hopewell Junction 12533 TM 9:00 AM 4:00 PM 7/21/17 Poughkeepsie Galleria 2001 South Road (Mall) Poughkeepsie 12601 LS 3:30 PM 8:00 PM 7/24/17 Gold's Gym 982 Main St Fishkill 12524 LS 2:30 PM 8:30 PM 7/24/17 East Fishkill Donor Center Hudson Valley Research Park Bldg.320 Hopewell Junction 12533 TM 1:00 PM 8:00 PM 7/24/17 NYS Police Troop K 2541 Rt. 44 Salt Point 12578 LS 7:00 AM 1:00 PM 7/25/17 East Fishkill Donor Center Hudson Valley Research Park Bldg.320 Hopewell Junction 12533 TM 1:00 PM 8:00 PM 7/26/17 Dutchess CC Washington Center for Arts and Sci 53 Pendell Road Poughkeepsie 12601 LS 11:00 AM 5:00 PM 7/26/17 Citizen's Bank 167 Old Route 9 Rhinebeck 12572 LS 11:00 AM 3:30 PM 7/27/17 Dutchess CC Washington Center for Arts and Sci 53 Pendell Road Poughkeepsie 12601 LS 11:00 AM 5:00 PM 7/28/17 East Fishkill Donor Center Hudson Valley Research Park Bldg.320 Hopewell Junction 12533 TM 9:00 AM 4:00 PM 7/29/17 St. Christopher's Parish Hall 30 Benner Road Red Hook 12571 LS 8:00 AM 2:00 PM 7/31/17 East Fishkill Donor Center Hudson Valley Research Park Bldg.320 Hopewell Junction 12533 TM 1:00 PM 8:00 PM Orange

6/26/17 Adams Fairacre Farms 1240 Route 300 Newburgh 12550 EM 2:30 PM 7:00 PM 6/27/17 Gold's Gym of Monroe Woodbury 60 Route 17M Harriman 10926- JN 4:00 PM 8:30 PM 6/28/17 Monell Engine Company 89 East Main St. (Rt. 94) Washingtonville 10992 EM 2:00 PM 8:00 PM 6/28/17 Gold's Gym -Newburgh 13 Racquet Road Newburgh 12550 EM 3:30 PM 8:00 PM 6/29/17 Port Jervis Free Library 138 Pike Street Port Jervis 12771 EM 1:00 PM 7:00 PM 6/29/17 Warwick Valley Community Center 11 Hamilton Ave Warwick 10990 JN 2:00 PM 8:00 PM 6/30/17 Town of Wallkill Town Hall 99 Tower Drive Middletown 10940 JN 10:00 AM 4:00 PM

Hudson Valley Blood Services Open Blood Drive List Events from 6/26/17 to 7/31/17

Event

Date Site Site Address City Zip Acct.

Rep Start

Time End

Time 7/1/17 First Presbyterian Church 33 Park Place Goshen 10924 EM 9:00 AM 3:00 PM 7/2/17 First Presbyterian Church 33 Park Place Goshen 10924 EM 10:00 AM 4:00 PM 7/3/17 Galleria at Crystal Run 1 Galleria Drive Middletown 10940 JN 1:00 PM 7:00 PM 7/5/17 Middletown Thrall Library 11-19 Depot Street Middletown 10940 JN 12:00 PM 6:00 PM 7/8/17 Scotchtown Presby. Church 367 Blumel Rd. Middletown 10941 JN 9:00 AM 3:00 PM 7/12/17 Orange County Emergency Services 22 Wells Farm Road Goshen 10924 EM 9:00 AM 3:00 PM 7/13/17 SUNY OCCC Newburgh Kaplan Center 1 Washington Center Newburgh 12550 JN 9:00 AM 3:00 PM 7/14/17 Finklestein & Partners 1279 Route 300 Newburgh 12550 EM 9:30 AM 3:30 PM 7/14/17 St. Mary's Church 89 Union St. Montgomery 12549 EM 2:00 PM 8:00 PM 7/16/17 St. Stephen's School 75 Sanfordville Road Warwick 10990 EM 8:00 AM 2:00 PM 7/19/17 George Robinson Center 379 Mt. Hope Road Middletown 10940 JN 10:00 AM 4:00 PM 7/20/17 Crystal Run Healthcare Monroe 855 NY-17M Monroe 10950 JN 9:00 AM 3:00 PM 7/22/17 Solid Rock Church of God 20 Holloran Road New Windsor 12553 JN 9:00 AM 3:00 PM 7/28/17 Midas  Middletown 419 Route 211 East Middletown 10940 JN 9:00 AM 3:00 PM 7/28/17 Rutger's Engine Co. Route 22 Johnson 10933 EM 3:30 PM 8:00 PM 7/31/17 New York State Police Troop F 55 Crystal Run Road Middletown 10941 JN 8:00 AM 2:00 PM Putnam

6/27/17 Mahopac Public Library 668 Route 6 Mahopac 10541 JN 2:30 PM 7:00 PM 6/30/17 VFW Hall 32 Gleneida Avenue Carmel 10512 JN 2:00 PM 8:00 PM 7/10/17 Carmel Fire Department 94 Gleneida Ave. Carmel 10512 HA 2:00 PM 8:00 PM 7/10/17 St. John the Evangelist 221 East Lake Blvd. Mahopac 10541 JN 2:00 PM 8:00 PM 7/18/17 Putnam Valley Fire House 12 Canopus Hollow Road Putnam Valley 10579 JN 2:30 PM 8:30 PM 7/19/17 New York Sports Club Putnam Plaza Carmel 10512 JN 3:30 PM 8:00 PM 7/25/17 Putnam Lake Fire Department 72 Fairfield Drive Patterson 12563 LS 2:00 PM 8:00 PM Rockland

6/27/17 Rockland Donor Center 25 Smith Street Nanuet 10954 TM 12:00 PM 7:00 PM 6/30/17 Rockland Donor Center 25 Smith Street Nanuet 10954 TM 12:00 PM 7:00 PM 7/1/17 Rockland Donor Center 25 Smith Street Nanuet 10954

7:45 AM 2:45 PM 7/3/17 Rockland Urgent Care 89 South Route 9W West Haverstraw 10993 RF 1:00 PM 7:00 PM 7/7/17 Rockland Donor Center 25 Smith Street Nanuet 10954 TM 12:00 PM 7:00 PM

Hudson Valley Blood Services

Open Blood Drive List

Events from 6/26/17 to 7/31/17

Event

Date Site Site Address City Zip Acct.

Rep Start

Time End

Time 7/8/17 Rockland Donor Center 25 Smith Street Nanuet 10954

7:45 AM 2:45 PM 7/11/17 Rockland Donor Center 25 Smith Street Nanuet 10954 TM 12:00 PM 7:00 PM 7/12/17 Hilton Pearl River 500 Veterans Memorial Drive Pearl River 10965 RF 12:00 PM 6:00 PM 7/14/17 Rockland Donor Center 25 Smith Street Nanuet 10954 TM 12:00 PM 7:00 PM 7/15/17 Rockland Donor Center 25 Smith Street Nanuet 10954

7:45 AM 2:45 PM 7/18/17 Chestnut Grove - CCSD District Offices 62 Old Middletown Road New City 10956 RF 11:30 AM 5:30 PM 7/18/17 Rockland Donor Center 25 Smith Street Nanuet 10954 TM 12:00 PM 7:00 PM 7/19/17 Haverstraw Elks Lodge 877 Elks Drive Haverstraw 10927 RF 3:30 PM 8:00 PM 7/21/17 Rockland Donor Center 25 Smith Street Nanuet 10954 TM 12:00 PM 7:00 PM 7/22/17 Rockland Donor Center 25 Smith Street Nanuet 10954

7:45 AM 2:45 PM 7/25/17 Rockland Donor Center 25 Smith Street Nanuet 10954 TM 12:00 PM 7:00 PM 7/28/17 Rockland Donor Center 25 Smith Street Nanuet 10954 TM 12:00 PM 7:00 PM 7/29/17 Rockland Donor Center 25 Smith Street Nanuet 10954

7:45 AM 2:45 PM 7/30/17 St. Francis of Assisi 128 Parrott Road West Nyack 10994 RF 8:45 AM 1:15 PM 7/31/17 Rockland Donor Center 25 Smith Street Nanuet 10954

7:45 AM 2:45 PM 7/31/17 Rockland Psychiatric Center Bldg. 57 South St. Orangeburg 10962 RF 10:00 AM 4:00 PM 7/31/17 Clarkstown Town Hall 10 Maple Avenue New City 10956 RF 2:00 PM 8:00 PM Ulster 6/26/17 Kingston Donor Center 51 Albany Avenue Kingston 12401 TM 10:30 AM 5:30 PM 6/27/17 Glasco Fire Company 138 Liberty Street Glasco 12432 EM 3:00 PM 7:30 PM 6/28/17 Kingston Donor Center 51 Albany Avenue Kingston 12401 TM 1:00 PM 8:00 PM 7/3/17 Kingston Donor Center 51 Albany Avenue Kingston 12401 TM 10:30 AM 8:00 PM 7/5/17 Kingston Donor Center 51 Albany Avenue Kingston 12401 TM 1:00 PM 8:00 PM 7/9/17 St. Augustine's School & Parish Center 35 Phillips Avenue Highland 12528 EM 8:30 AM 1:00 PM 7/10/17 Kingston Donor Center 51 Albany Avenue Kingston 12401 TM 10:30 AM 5:30 PM 7/12/17 St. John the Evangelist 915 Rt. 212 Saugerties 12477 EM 3:00 PM 7:30 PM 7/12/17 Kingston Donor Center 51 Albany Avenue Kingston 12401 TM 1:00 PM 8:00 PM 7/17/17 Kingston Donor Center 51 Albany Avenue Kingston 12401 TM 10:30 AM 5:30 PM 7/17/17 Community of Wallkill Bloodstock 14 Central Avenue Wallkill 12589 EM 3:00 PM 7:30 PM 7/19/17 Kingston Donor Center 51 Albany Avenue Kingston 12401 TM 1:00 PM 8:00 PM 7/24/17 St. Joseph's Church 34 South Chestnut St. New Paltz 12561 EM 3:00 PM 7:30 PM 7/24/17 Kingston Donor Center 51 Albany Avenue Kingston 12401 TM 10:30 AM 5:30 PM

Hudson Valley Blood Services

Open Blood Drive List

Events from 6/26/17 to 7/31/17

Event

Date Site Site Address City Zip Acct.

Rep Start

Time End

Time 7/26/17 Kingston Donor Center 51 Albany Avenue Kingston 12401 TM 1:00 PM 8:00 PM 7/31/17 Kingston Donor Center 51 Albany Avenue Kingston 12401 TM 10:30 AM 5:30 PM

Westchester 6/26/17 Elmsford Donor Center 525 Executive Boulevard Elmsford 10523

7:45 AM 2:45 PM 6/27/17 Elmsford Donor Center 525 Executive Boulevard Elmsford 10523 TM 1:00 PM 8:00 PM 6/28/17 New York Sports Clubs 80 Route 6 Baldwin Place 10505 LH 3:00 PM 7:30 PM 6/29/17 Elmsford Donor Center 525 Executive Boulevard Elmsford 10523 TM 1:00 PM 8:00 PM 6/29/17 Eastchester Volunteer Ambulance Corp. 257 Main Street Eastchester 10709 TR 4:00 PM 8:30 PM 6/29/17 Yonkers City Court Officers 131 Warburton Ave Yonkers 10701 TR 9:30 AM 3:30 PM 6/30/17 Elmsford Donor Center 525 Executive Boulevard Elmsford 10523 TM 8:30 AM 3:30 PM 7/1/17 Elmsford Donor Center 525 Executive Boulevard Elmsford 10523 TM 7:45 AM 2:45 PM 7/2/17 Elmsford Donor Center 525 Executive Boulevard Elmsford 10523 TM 8:30 AM 3:30 PM 7/2/17 St. Anthony's Church 1405 Nepperhan Avenue Yonkers 10703 TR 8:30 AM 2:00 PM 7/3/17 Elmsford Donor Center 525 Executive Boulevard Elmsford 10523

7:45 AM 8:00 PM 7/6/17 Peekskill Elks Lodge #744 1038 Brown St. Peekskill 10566 JN 2:00 PM 8:00 PM 7/6/17 NewYork Presbyterian/Hudson Valley Hospital 1980 Crompond Road Cortlandt Manor 10567- JN 9:00 AM 9:00 PM 7/6/17 St. Joseph's Church 95 Plum Brook Road Somers 10589 JN 2:00 PM 8:00 PM 7/6/17 Elmsford Donor Center 525 Executive Boulevard Elmsford 10523 TM 1:00 PM 8:00 PM 7/6/17 Jefferson Valley Mall 650 Lee Boulevard Yorktown Heights 10598- JN 1:00 PM 7:00 PM 7/7/17 St. Bartholomew's Church 15 Palmer Road Yonkers 10701 TR 1:30 PM 7:30 PM 7/7/17 Elmsford Donor Center 525 Executive Boulevard Elmsford 10523 TM 8:30 AM 3:30 PM 7/8/17 Elmsford Donor Center 525 Executive Boulevard Elmsford 10523 TM 7:45 AM 2:45 PM 7/9/17 St. Theresa Parish 1394 Pleasantville Road Briarcliff Manor 10510 LH 8:00 AM 2:00 PM 7/9/17 St. Ann's Church 25 Eastern Avenue Ossining 10562 LH 8:00 AM 2:00 PM 7/9/17 Elmsford Donor Center 525 Executive Boulevard Elmsford 10523 TM 8:30 AM 3:30 PM 7/10/17 Elmsford Donor Center 525 Executive Boulevard Elmsford 10523

7:45 AM 2:45 PM 7/10/17 The Westchester Bank 2001 Central Park Avenue Yonkers 10710 TR 9:00 AM 3:00 PM 7/11/17 Elmsford Donor Center 525 Executive Boulevard Elmsford 10523 TM 1:00 PM 8:00 PM 7/11/17 Reckson a Division of SL Realty 360 Hamilton Avenue White Plains 10601 LH 8:30 AM 2:30 PM 7/12/17 Lewisboro Volunteer Ambulance Corps 777 Route 35 Cross River 10518 LH 2:00 PM 8:00 PM 7/13/17 Fujifilm 200 Summit Lake Dr. Valhalla 10595 LH 9:00 AM 1:30 PM 7/13/17 Elmsford Donor Center 525 Executive Boulevard Elmsford 10523 TM 1:00 PM 8:00 PM

Hudson Valley Blood Services

Open Blood Drive List Events from 6/26/17 to 7/31/17

Event

Date Site Site Address City Zip Acct.

Rep Start

Time End

Time 7/14/17 Elmsford Donor Center 525 Executive Boulevard Elmsford 10523 TM 8:30 AM 3:30 PM 7/15/17 Yorktown Ambulance Corp 2600 Loretta Street Yorktown 10598 JN 9:30 AM 3:30 PM 7/15/17 Elmsford Donor Center 525 Executive Boulevard Elmsford 10523 TM 7:45 AM 2:45 PM 7/16/17 Elmsford Donor Center 525 Executive Boulevard Elmsford 10523 TM 8:30 AM 3:30 PM 7/17/17 Elmsford Donor Center 525 Executive Boulevard Elmsford 10523

7:45 AM 2:45 PM 7/18/17 Elmsford Donor Center 525 Executive Boulevard Elmsford 10523 TM 1:00 PM 8:00 PM 7/19/17 Cushman Wakefield One North Lexington Avenue White Plains 10601 LH 9:30 AM 3:30 PM 7/19/17 Transamerica Retirement Solutions 440 Mamaroneck Avenue Harrison 10528 LH 8:00 AM 2:00 PM 7/20/17 Elmsford Donor Center 525 Executive Boulevard Elmsford 10523 TM 1:00 PM 8:00 PM 7/21/17 Elmsford Donor Center 525 Executive Boulevard Elmsford 10523 TM 8:30 AM 3:30 PM 7/22/17 Elmsford Donor Center 525 Executive Boulevard Elmsford 10523 TM 7:45 AM 2:45 PM 7/23/17 St. Columbanus Parish 122 Oregon Road Cortlandt Manor 10567 JN 8:30 AM 2:30 PM 7/23/17 Elmsford Donor Center 525 Executive Boulevard Elmsford 10523 TM 8:30 AM 3:30 PM 7/23/17 Pelham Jewish Center 451 Esplanade Pelham Manor 10803 TR 9:00 AM 1:30 PM 7/24/17 Elmsford Donor Center 525 Executive Boulevard Elmsford 10523

7:45 AM 2:45 PM 7/25/17 Elmsford Donor Center 525 Executive Boulevard Elmsford 10523 TM 1:00 PM 8:00 PM 7/27/17 Croton Free Library 171 Cleveland Drive Croton On Hudson 10520 LH 2:30 PM 7:00 PM 7/27/17 Holy Name of Jesus Church 2 Broadway Valhalla 10595 LH 2:30 PM 8:00 PM 7/27/17 Elmsford Donor Center 525 Executive Boulevard Elmsford 10523 TM 1:00 PM 8:00 PM 7/28/17 Elmsford Donor Center 525 Executive Boulevard Elmsford 10523 TM 8:30 AM 3:30 PM 7/29/17 Elmsford Donor Center 525 Executive Boulevard Elmsford 10523 TM 7:45 AM 2:45 PM 7/30/17 Elmsford Donor Center 525 Executive Boulevard Elmsford 10523 TM 8:30 AM 3:30 PM 7/31/17 Elmsford Donor Center 525 Executive Boulevard Elmsford 10523

7:45 AM 2:45 PM

Long Island Blood Services Open Blood Drive List Events from 6/26/17 to 7/31/17

Event

Date Site Site Address City Zip Acct.

Rep Start Time End

Time Nassau 6/26/17 Lake Success Donor Center 2500 Marcus Avenue Lake Success 11042

7:45 AM 9:15 PM 6/26/17 Rockville Centre Donor Center 290 Sunrise Highway Rockville Centre 11570

1:30 PM 8:00 PM 6/27/17 Westfield Sunrise Mall 1 Sunrise Highway Massapequa 11758 AG 2:00 PM 8:00 PM 6/27/17 Lake Success Donor Center 2500 Marcus Avenue Lake Success 11042

1:30 PM 8:00 PM 6/27/17 Massapequa Donor Center 1050 Sunrise Highway Massapequa 11758

7:45 AM 2:15 PM 6/27/17 Rockville Centre Donor Center 290 Sunrise Highway Rockville Centre 11570

1:00 PM 7:30 PM 6/27/17 King Kullen 1340 Wantagh Avenue Wantagh 11793 MH 1:00 PM 7:00 PM 6/28/17 Rockville Centre Donor Center 290 Sunrise Highway Rockville Centre 11570

2:45 PM 9:15 PM 6/28/17 Massapequa Donor Center 1050 Sunrise Highway Massapequa 11758

2:00 PM 8:30 PM 6/29/17 East Rockaway Recreation Center 17 John Street East Rockaway 11518 CC 3:00 PM 9:00 PM 6/29/17 Hillside Public Library 155 Lakeville Road New Hyde Park 11040 MM 1:30 PM 7:30 PM 6/29/17 Mineola Memorial Library 195 Marcellus Rd. Mineola 11501 MM 1:30 PM 7:30 PM 6/29/17 Freeport Memorial Library 144 West Merrick Rd. Freeport 11520 CC 1:30 PM 7:30 PM 6/29/17 Long Island Jewish Medical Center-Bldg. 400 400 Lakeville Rd New Hyde Park 11042 MM 11:15 AM 5:15 PM 6/29/17 Lake Success Donor Center 2500 Marcus Avenue Lake Success 11042

1:30 PM 8:00 PM 6/29/17 Rockville Centre Donor Center 290 Sunrise Highway Rockville Centre 11570

7:45 AM 2:15 PM 6/30/17 Nassau Masonic District 28 Lincoln Avenue Rockville Centre 11570 CC 2:45 PM 8:45 PM 6/30/17 Floral Park Village Hall 1 Floral Blvd. Floral Park 11002 MM 10:00 AM 8:30 PM 6/30/17 Rockville Centre Donor Center 290 Sunrise Highway Rockville Centre 11570

7:45 AM 9:00 PM 6/30/17 Lake Success Donor Center 2500 Marcus Avenue Lake Success 11042

7:15 AM 8:00 PM 6/30/17 Massapequa Donor Center 1050 Sunrise Highway Massapequa 11758

1:30 PM 8:00 PM 7/1/17 Broadway Mall 358b Broadway Mall Hicksville 11801 SS 11:00 AM 5:00 PM 7/1/17 Plainview Old Bethpage Library 999 Old Country Rd. Plainview 11803 SS 10:00 AM 4:00 PM 7/1/17 Lake Success Donor Center 2500 Marcus Avenue Lake Success 11042

7:45 AM 2:15 PM 7/1/17 Rockville Centre Donor Center 290 Sunrise Highway Rockville Centre 11570

7:45 AM 2:15 PM 7/1/17 Massapequa Donor Center 1050 Sunrise Highway Massapequa 11758

7:45 AM 2:15 PM 7/2/17 Rockville Centre Donor Center 290 Sunrise Highway Rockville Centre 11570

7:45 AM 2:15 PM 7/2/17 Lake Success Donor Center 2500 Marcus Avenue Lake Success 11042

7:45 AM 2:15 PM 7/2/17 Massapequa Donor Center 1050 Sunrise Highway Massapequa 11758

7:45 AM 2:15 PM 7/2/17 Westfield Sunrise Mall 1 Sunrise Highway Massapequa 11758 AG 12:00 PM 6:00 PM 7/2/17 Carvel 477 Bellmore Avenue East Meadow 11554 MH 11:30 AM 5:30 PM 7/3/17 Massapequa Donor Center 1050 Sunrise Highway Massapequa 11758

7:45 AM 8:45 PM

Long Island Blood Services Open Blood Drive List Events from 6/26/17 to 7/31/17

Event Date Site Site Address City Zip Acct. Rep Start

Time End

Time 7/3/17 Lake Success Donor Center 2500 Marcus Avenue Lake Success 11042

7:45 AM 9:15 PM 7/3/17 Rockville Centre Donor Center 290 Sunrise Highway Rockville Centre 11570

7:45 AM 8:00 PM 7/3/17 Island Park Library 176 Long Beach Rd. Island Park 11558 CC 1:00 PM 7:00 PM 7/5/17 Manetto Hill Jewish Center 244 Manetto Hill Road Plainview 11803 SS 3:00 PM 9:00 PM 7/5/17 Rockville Centre Donor Center 290 Sunrise Highway Rockville Centre 11570

2:45 PM 9:15 PM 7/5/17 Massapequa Donor Center 1050 Sunrise Highway Massapequa 11758

2:00 PM 8:30 PM 7/5/17 Lake Success Donor Center 2500 Marcus Avenue Lake Success 11042

7:45 AM 8:45 PM 7/5/17 Massapequa Park Village Hall 151 Front Street Massapequa Park 11762 AG 2:00 PM 8:00 PM 7/6/17 Lake Success Donor Center 2500 Marcus Avenue Lake Success 11042

1:30 PM 8:00 PM 7/6/17 Rockville Centre Donor Center 290 Sunrise Highway Rockville Centre 11570

7:45 AM 2:15 PM 7/7/17 Lake Success Donor Center 2500 Marcus Avenue Lake Success 11042

7:15 AM 8:00 PM 7/7/17 Massapequa Donor Center 1050 Sunrise Highway Massapequa 11758

1:30 PM 8:00 PM 7/8/17 Lake Success Donor Center 2500 Marcus Avenue Lake Success 11042

7:45 AM 2:15 PM 7/8/17 Rockville Centre Donor Center 290 Sunrise Highway Rockville Centre 11570

7:45 AM 2:15 PM 7/8/17 Massapequa Donor Center 1050 Sunrise Highway Massapequa 11758

7:45 AM 2:15 PM 7/9/17 St. Edward the Confessor 205 Jackson Ave. Syosset 11791 SS 8:15 AM 12:45 PM 7/9/17 Rockville Centre Donor Center 290 Sunrise Highway Rockville Centre 11570

7:45 AM 2:15 PM 7/9/17 Massapequa Donor Center 1050 Sunrise Highway Massapequa 11758

7:45 AM 2:15 PM 7/10/17 LIU Post - Hillwood Commons 720 Northern Blvd. Brookville 11548 MM 11:30 AM 5:30 PM 7/10/17 Memorare K of C 2183 Jackson Avenue Seaford 11783 MH 2:45 PM 8:45 PM 7/10/17 Long Island Jewish Valley Stream & Orzac Reha 900 Franklin Ave. Valley Stream 11580 MH 7:00 AM 7:00 PM 7/10/17 Lake Success Donor Center 2500 Marcus Avenue Lake Success 11042

7:45 AM 9:15 PM 7/10/17 Rockville Centre Donor Center 290 Sunrise Highway Rockville Centre 11570

1:30 PM 8:00 PM 7/11/17 NYU Winthrop Hospital 700 Hicksville Road Bethpage 11714 CC 8:00 AM 2:00 PM 7/11/17 Temple Beth El 1373 Bellmore Road North Bellmore 11710 MH 4:00 PM 8:30 PM 7/11/17 Oceanside Jewish Center 2860 Brower Avenue Oceanside 11572 CC 3:45 PM 8:15 PM 7/11/17 Lake Success Donor Center 2500 Marcus Avenue Lake Success 11042

1:30 PM 8:00 PM 7/11/17 Massapequa Donor Center 1050 Sunrise Highway Massapequa 11758

7:45 AM 2:15 PM 7/11/17 Rockville Centre Donor Center 290 Sunrise Highway Rockville Centre 11570

1:00 PM 7:30 PM 7/11/17 E. Farmingdale Fire Department 930 Conklin Street E. Farmingdale 11735 AG 2:00 PM 8:00 PM 7/12/17 Cardiovascular Medical Associates, P.C. 975 Stewart Avenue Garden City 11530 CC 8:00 AM 2:00 PM 7/12/17 Cerebral Palsy of Nassau 380 Washington Ave. Roosevelt 11575 MH 9:00 AM 3:00 PM 7/12/17 Polish National Hall of Glen Cove 10 Hendrick Avenue Glen Cove 11542 SS 2:00 PM 8:00 PM

Long Island Blood Services Open Blood Drive List Events from 6/26/17 to 7/31/17

Event Date Site Site Address City Zip Acct. Rep Start

Time End

Time 7/12/17 Rockville Centre Donor Center 290 Sunrise Highway Rockville Centre 11570

2:45 PM 9:15 PM 7/12/17 Massapequa Donor Center 1050 Sunrise Highway Massapequa 11758

2:00 PM 8:30 PM 7/13/17 NYU Winthrop Hospital 259 First St. Mineola 11501 CC 8:00 AM 5:00 PM 7/13/17 Plainview Hospital 888 Old Country Rd. Plainview 11803 DF 7:00 AM 7:00 PM 7/13/17 The Landmark on Main Street 232 Main St. Port Washington 11050 MM 3:00 PM 7:30 PM 7/13/17 Freeport Recreation Center 130 East Merrick Road Freeport 11520 CC 2:15 PM 8:15 PM 7/13/17 Lake Success Donor Center 2500 Marcus Avenue Lake Success 11042

1:30 PM 8:00 PM 7/13/17 Rockville Centre Donor Center 290 Sunrise Highway Rockville Centre 11570

7:45 AM 2:15 PM 7/13/17 Great Neck Library 159 Bayview Ave. Great Neck 11023 MM 1:30 PM 7:30 PM 7/13/17 Merrick Library 2279 Merrick Avenue Merrick 11566 MH 2:00 PM 8:00 PM 7/14/17 Lake Success Donor Center 2500 Marcus Avenue Lake Success 11042

7:15 AM 8:00 PM 7/14/17 Massapequa Donor Center 1050 Sunrise Highway Massapequa 11758

1:30 PM 8:00 PM 7/14/17 Rockville Centre F.D Fire House Rockville Centre 11570 CC 2:00 PM 8:00 PM 7/14/17 Menges Residence 27 Hilton Avenue Garden City 11530 MH 1:00 PM 7:00 PM 7/15/17 Broadway Mall 358b Broadway Mall Hicksville 11801 SS 11:00 AM 5:00 PM 7/15/17 Lake Success Donor Center 2500 Marcus Avenue Lake Success 11042

7:45 AM 2:15 PM 7/15/17 Rockville Centre Donor Center 290 Sunrise Highway Rockville Centre 11570

7:45 AM 2:15 PM 7/15/17 Massapequa Donor Center 1050 Sunrise Highway Massapequa 11758

7:45 AM 2:15 PM 7/16/17 Rockville Centre Donor Center 290 Sunrise Highway Rockville Centre 11570

7:45 AM 2:15 PM 7/16/17 Lake Success Donor Center 2500 Marcus Avenue Lake Success 11042

7:45 AM 2:15 PM 7/16/17 Massapequa Donor Center 1050 Sunrise Highway Massapequa 11758

7:45 AM 2:15 PM 7/17/17 Garden City Center 100 Quentin Roosevelt Blvd Garden City 11530 MH 9:00 AM 3:00 PM 7/17/17 Sea Cliff Fire Department 67 Roslyn Ave Sea Cliff 11579 SS 3:00 PM 9:00 PM 7/17/17 American Legion Post 1066 66 Veterans Blvd. Massapequa 11758 AG 1:30 PM 7:30 PM 7/17/17 Lake Success Donor Center 2500 Marcus Avenue Lake Success 11042

7:45 AM 9:15 PM 7/17/17 Rockville Centre Donor Center 290 Sunrise Highway Rockville Centre 11570

1:30 PM 8:00 PM 7/18/17 North Shore University Hospital 300 Community Drive Manhasset 11030 MM 7:00 AM 7:00 PM 7/18/17 Bellmore Memorial Library 2288 Bedford Avenue Bellmore 11710 MH 2:00 PM 8:00 PM 7/18/17 1979 Marcus Bus 1979 Marcus Avenue Lake Success 11020 MM 9:00 AM 3:00 PM 7/18/17 Lake Success Donor Center 2500 Marcus Avenue Lake Success 11042

1:30 PM 8:00 PM 7/18/17 Massapequa Donor Center 1050 Sunrise Highway Massapequa 11758

7:45 AM 2:15 PM 7/18/17 Rockville Centre Donor Center 290 Sunrise Highway Rockville Centre 11570

1:00 PM 7:30 PM 7/19/17 Jones Beach Administration Building Jones Beach Wantagh 11793 MH 8:45 AM 2:45 PM

Long Island Blood Services Open Blood Drive List Events from 6/26/17 to 7/31/17

Event

Date Site Site Address City Zip Acct. Rep Start

Time End

Time 7/19/17 Glen Cove Hospital 101 St. Andrews Lane Glen Cove 11542 SS 7:00 AM 7:00 PM 7/19/17 Church of Saint Martin of Tours 38 Seaman Avenue Bethpage 11714 AG 2:30 PM 8:30 PM 7/19/17 Parker Jewish Institute 271-11 76th Ave. New Hyde Park 11040 MM 11:15 AM 5:15 PM 7/19/17 Rockville Centre Donor Center 290 Sunrise Highway Rockville Centre 11570

2:45 PM 9:15 PM 7/19/17 Massapequa Donor Center 1050 Sunrise Highway Massapequa 11758

2:00 PM 8:30 PM 7/19/17 Jericho Fire Department Station 1 411 North Broadway Jericho 11753 AG 2:00 PM 8:00 PM 7/20/17 Northwell Health Center for Advanced Medicine 450 Lakeville Road Lake Success 11042 MM 9:30 AM 3:30 PM 7/20/17 Lake Success Donor Center 2500 Marcus Avenue Lake Success 11042

1:30 PM 8:00 PM 7/20/17 Rockville Centre Donor Center 290 Sunrise Highway Rockville Centre 11570

7:45 AM 2:15 PM 7/20/17 Bishop Molloy Rec. Center 15 Parkside Drive Point Lookout 11569 CC 2:15 PM 8:15 PM 7/21/17 RXR 6800 Jericho Tpke. Syosset 6800 Jericho Tpke. Syosset 11791 SS 10:00 AM 4:00 PM 7/21/17 Lake Success Donor Center 2500 Marcus Avenue Lake Success 11042

7:15 AM 8:00 PM 7/21/17 Massapequa Donor Center 1050 Sunrise Highway Massapequa 11758

1:30 PM 8:00 PM 7/22/17 King Kullen 1340 Wantagh Avenue Wantagh 11793 MH 11:00 AM 3:30 PM 7/22/17 Lake Success Donor Center 2500 Marcus Avenue Lake Success 11042

7:45 AM 2:15 PM 7/22/17 Rockville Centre Donor Center 290 Sunrise Highway Rockville Centre 11570

7:45 AM 2:15 PM 7/22/17 Massapequa Donor Center 1050 Sunrise Highway Massapequa 11758

7:45 AM 2:15 PM 7/23/17 Church of Saint Bernard 3100 Hempstead Tpke. Levittown 11756 AG 8:30 AM 2:30 PM 7/23/17 Parish Center 29 Quealy Place Rockville Centre 11570 CC 8:30 AM 2:30 PM 7/23/17 Rockville Centre Donor Center 290 Sunrise Highway Rockville Centre 11570

7:45 AM 2:15 PM 7/23/17 Massapequa Donor Center 1050 Sunrise Highway Massapequa 11758

7:45 AM 2:15 PM 7/23/17 Church of the Holy Name of Jesus 690 Woodbury Road Woodbury 11797 SS 9:30 AM 2:00 PM 7/24/17 Lake Success Donor Center 2500 Marcus Avenue Lake Success 11042

7:45 AM 9:15 PM 7/24/17 Rockville Centre Donor Center 290 Sunrise Highway Rockville Centre 11570

1:30 PM 8:00 PM 7/24/17 Carle Place Fire Dept. 460 Broadway Carle Place 11514 MH 2:00 PM 8:00 PM 7/25/17 Living Faith Christian Church 25 Hempstead Tpke Farmingdale 11735 AG 3:00 PM 9:00 PM 7/25/17 Malverne Fire Dept. 30 Broadway Malverne 11565 CC 4:00 PM 8:30 PM 7/25/17 Lake Success Donor Center 2500 Marcus Avenue Lake Success 11042

1:30 PM 8:00 PM 7/25/17 Massapequa Donor Center 1050 Sunrise Highway Massapequa 11758

7:45 AM 2:15 PM 7/25/17 Rockville Centre Donor Center 290 Sunrise Highway Rockville Centre 11570

1:00 PM 7:30 PM 7/26/17 Lockheed Martin 55 Charles Lindbergh Blvd Uniondale 11553 MH 8:30 AM 2:30 PM 7/26/17 City Of Long Beach Ice Arena 150 West Bay Drive Long Beach 11561 CC 2:00 PM 8:00 PM 7/26/17 Long Beach Public Library 111 W. Park Avenue Long Beach 11561 CC 2:30 PM 8:30 PM

Long Island Blood Services Open Blood Drive List Events from 6/26/17 to 7/31/17

Event Date Site Site Address City Zip Acct.

Rep Start Time End

Time 7/26/17 Williston Park Fire Department 454 Willis Ave. Williston Park 11596 MM 2:30 PM 8:30 PM 7/26/17 Rockville Centre Donor Center 290 Sunrise Highway Rockville Centre 11570

2:45 PM 9:15 PM 7/26/17 Massapequa Donor Center 1050 Sunrise Highway Massapequa 11758

2:00 PM 8:30 PM 7/26/17 2200 Northern Blvd 2200 Northern Blvd East Hills 11548 MM 10:00 AM 4:00 PM 7/27/17 South Nassau Communities Hospital 1 Healthy Way Oceanside 11572 CC 6:45 AM 9:15 PM 7/27/17 Lake Success Donor Center 2500 Marcus Avenue Lake Success 11042

1:30 PM 8:00 PM 7/27/17 Rockville Centre Donor Center 290 Sunrise Highway Rockville Centre 11570

7:45 AM 2:15 PM 7/27/17 Levittown Fire Department 120 Gardiners Avenue Levittown 11756 AG 2:30 PM 8:30 PM 7/28/17 Wantagh Library 3285 Park Ave. Wantagh 11793 MH 10:00 AM 4:00 PM 7/28/17 East Meadow Public Library 1886 Front St. East Meadow 11554 MH 1:30 PM 7:30 PM 7/28/17 Lake Success Donor Center 2500 Marcus Avenue Lake Success 11042

7:15 AM 8:00 PM 7/28/17 Massapequa Donor Center 1050 Sunrise Highway Massapequa 11758

1:30 PM 8:00 PM 7/29/17 Broadway Mall 358b Broadway Mall Hicksville 11801 SS 11:00 AM 5:00 PM 7/29/17 Lake Success Donor Center 2500 Marcus Avenue Lake Success 11042

7:45 AM 2:15 PM 7/29/17 Rockville Centre Donor Center 290 Sunrise Highway Rockville Centre 11570

7:45 AM 2:15 PM 7/29/17 Massapequa Donor Center 1050 Sunrise Highway Massapequa 11758

7:45 AM 2:15 PM 7/29/17 St. Peter & St. Paul Church 45-50 Merrick Road Massapequa 11758 AG 9:00 AM 3:00 PM 7/30/17 St. Ignatius Loyola School 30 East Cherry St. Hicksville 11801 AG 8:00 AM 2:00 PM 7/30/17 Cure of Ars 2323 Merrick Avenue Merrick 11566 MH 8:00 AM 12:30 PM 7/30/17 Tzu Chi Foundation 60 East Williston Avenue East Williston 11596 MM 9:00 AM 1:30 PM 7/30/17 Young Israel of Plainview 132 Southern Parkway Plainview 11803 SS 8:00 AM 12:30 PM 7/30/17 Rockville Centre Donor Center 290 Sunrise Highway Rockville Centre 11570

7:45 AM 2:15 PM 7/30/17 Lake Success Donor Center 2500 Marcus Avenue Lake Success 11042

7:45 AM 2:15 PM 7/30/17 Massapequa Donor Center 1050 Sunrise Highway Massapequa 11758

7:45 AM 2:15 PM 7/31/17 Hicksville Public Library 169 Jerusalem Avenue Hicksville 11801 AG 1:30 PM 7:30 PM 7/31/17 Gold Coast Public Library 50 Railroad Avenue Glen Head 11545 SS 1:30 PM 7:30 PM 7/31/17 Lake Success Donor Center 2500 Marcus Avenue Lake Success 11042

7:45 AM 9:15 PM 7/31/17 Rockville Centre Donor Center 290 Sunrise Highway Rockville Centre 11570

1:30 PM 8:00 PM 7/31/17 GEICO Direct 875 Merrick Ave. Westbury 11590 MH 8:45 AM 2:45 PM 7/31/17 Port Washington Fire Department 12 Haven Avenue Port Washington 11050 MM 4:30 PM 9:00 PM 7/31/17 West Hempstead Public Library 500 Hempstead Avenue West Hempstead 11552 MH 1:30 PM 7:30 PM















Queens















Long Island Blood Services Open Blood Drive List Events from 6/26/17 to 7/31/17















Event

Date Site Site Address City Zip Acct.

Rep Start

Time End

Time















6/27/17 NYPD 101st Precinct 16-12 Mott Avenue Far Rockaway 11691 DP 1:30 PM 7:30 PM 6/27/17 NYPD 102nd Precinct 87-34 118th St. Richmond Hill 11418 DP 11:45 AM 5:45 PM 6/28/17 NYPD Organized Crime Control Bureau Office 109-15 14th Avenue College Point 11356 Madeline Lo 8:00 AM 2:00 PM 6/28/17 NYPD 109th Precinct 37-05 Union Street Flushing 11354 DP 11:45 AM 5:45 PM 6/28/17 K of C 2429 263-15 Union Tpke. Glen Oaks 11004 MM 3:00 PM 9:00 PM 6/29/17 Jetro Cash & Carry 15-24 132nd St. College Pt. 11356 Madeline Lo 9:00 AM 3:00 PM 6/29/17 NYPD Queens 108th Precinct 5-47 50th Avenue Long Island City 11101 DP 12:00 PM 6:00 PM 6/29/17 NYPD 115th Precinct 92-15 Northern Blvd. Jackson Heights 11372 DP 12:00 PM 6:00 PM 6/29/17 NYPD 106th Precinct 103-53 101st Street Ozone Park 11417 DP 12:00 PM 6:00 PM 6/30/17 NYPD 100th Precinct 92-24 Rockaway Beach Blvd. Rockaway Beach 11693 DP 12:00 PM 6:00 PM 6/30/17 QBI Training Institute 33-00 Northern Blvd. Long Island City 11101 Madeline Lo 10:00 AM 4:00 PM 6/30/17 NYPD 105th Precinct 92-08 222nd Street Queens Village 11428 DP 11:45 AM 5:45 PM 7/2/17 St. Fidelis 123-06 14th Ave. College Point 11356 Madeline Lo 7:45 AM 1:45 PM 7/2/17 West Hamilton Beach Fire Department 102-33 Davenport Court Hamilton Beach 11414 CC 9:00 AM 3:00 PM 7/5/17 Administration Building 222-05 56th Avenue Bayside 11364 Madeline Lo 10:00 AM 4:00 PM 7/6/17 Citi Field Citi Field Flushing 11368 DF 10:00 AM 5:00 PM 7/7/17 NYPD Transit District 23 222 Beach 116th Street Rockaway Park 11694 CC 12:45 PM 6:45 PM 7/9/17 Our Lady Of Blessed Sacrament Church 34-24 202nd Street Bayside 11361 MM 8:00 AM 2:00 PM 7/9/17 Sikh Cultural Society of New York 95-20 118th St. Richmond Hill 11419 DP 11:30 AM 5:30 PM 7/15/17 Queens Center Mall 90-15 Queens Blvd. Elmhurst 11373 Madeline Lo 1:30 PM 7:30 PM 7/16/17 St. Nicholas of Tolentine Church 150-75 Goethals Avenue Jamaica 11432 DP 8:00 AM 2:00 PM 7/16/17 St. Teresa's Church 50-20 45th Street Woodside 11377 Madeline Lo 9:00 AM 3:00 PM 7/16/17 Greater Allen AME Cathedral of New York 110-31 Merrick Blvd Jamaica 11433 DP 8:00 AM 2:00 PM 7/16/17 St. Leo Church 104-05 49th Avenue Corona 11368 Madeline Lo 9:00 AM 3:00 PM 7/16/17 Our Lady Of Perpetual Help 111-10 115th Street South Ozone Park 11420 DP 8:30 AM 2:30 PM 7/18/17 Y.I. OF Kew Gardens Hills 150-05 70 Rd. Kew Garden Hills 11367 DP 4:00 PM 10:00 PM 7/20/17 Beacon Rehabilitation & Nursing Center 140 Beach 113th Street Rockaway Park 11694 CC 1:00 PM 7:00 PM 7/22/17 Emanuel United Church of Christ 93-12 91st Avenue Woodhaven 11421 DP 9:00 AM 3:00 PM 7/23/17 Our Lady of Lourdes School 92-96 220th Street Queens Village 11428 DP 8:15 AM 2:15 PM 7/23/17 Our Lady of the Snows 258-15 80th Ave. Floral Park 11004 MM 9:00 AM 3:00 PM 7/25/17 Sunnyside Community Blood Drive 46th St. between Queens Blvd. & Greenpoi Sunnyside 11104 Madeline Lo 2:00 PM 8:00 PM 7/28/17 Passerelle Building/The Parks Academy Flushing Meadow Park Flushing 11368 Madeline Lo 8:00 AM 2:00 PM 7/28/17 Queens Center Mall 90-15 Queens Blvd. Elmhurst 11373 Madeline Lo 1:00 PM 7:00 PM















































































Long Island Blood Services Open Blood Drive List Events from 6/26/17 to 7/31/17















Event

Date Site Site Address City Zip Acct.

Rep Start

Time End

Time 7/30/17 Diversity Plaza 37-66 74th Stree Jackson Heights 11372 DP 10:00 AM 4:00 PM 7/30/17 St. Kevin's Roman Catholic Church 45-21 194th Street Flushing 11358-35 Madeline Lo 8:45 AM 2:45 PM



Suffolk

6/26/17 Shoreham Fire Company 47 Route 25A Shoreham 11786 IA 3:15 PM 9:15 PM 6/26/17 Village of Lake Grove 980 Hawkins Ave. Lake Grove 11755 LL 2:00 PM 8:00 PM 6/26/17 Church of Our Lady of Lourdes 455 Hunter Ave. W. Islip 11795 DF 3:15 PM 9:15 PM 6/26/17 Cold Spring Harbor Fire Department 2 Main St. Cold Spring Harbor 11724 SS 2:45 PM 8:45 PM 6/26/17 Port Jefferson Station Donor Center 1010 Route 112 Port Jefferson Station 11776

2:30 PM 9:00 PM 6/26/17 Melville Donor Center 905 Walt Whitman Rd (Rte 110) Melville 11747

7:45 AM 8:00 PM 6/27/17 Bohemia Donor Center 3125 Vets Memorial Highway Ronkonkoma 11779

2:45 PM 9:15 PM 6/27/17 Melville Donor Center 905 Walt Whitman Rd (Rte 110) Melville 11747

7:45 AM 2:15 PM 6/27/17 Tanger Outlets at the Arches 152 The Arches Circle Deer Park 11729 DF 2:00 PM 8:00 PM 6/27/17 Miller Place Fire Department 12 Miller Place Road Miller Place 11764 LL 3:00 PM 9:00 PM 6/27/17 Tanger Outlet Center-Food Court 200 Tanger Mall Drive Tanger 2 Riverhead 11901 LL 2:00 PM 8:00 PM 6/27/17 Smith Haven Mall 313 Smith Haven Mall Lake Grove 11755 LL 2:00 PM 8:00 PM 6/27/17 Westhampton Fire Department Westhampton Fire Dept Westhampton Beach 11978 IA 2:00 PM 8:00 PM 6/28/17 Coram Fire Department 303 Middle Country Rd Coram 11727 LL 2:00 PM 8:00 PM 6/28/17 Hampton Bays Public Library 52 Ponquogue Ave. Hampton Bays 11946 IA 1:00 PM 7:00 PM 6/28/17 Smithtown Library-Nesconset Branch 148 Smithtown Blvd. Nesconset 11767 EK 1:00 PM 7:00 PM 6/28/17 Bohemia Donor Center 3125 Vets Memorial Highway Ronkonkoma 11779

1:45 PM 8:15 PM 6/28/17 Melville Donor Center 905 Walt Whitman Rd (Rte 110) Melville 11747

7:45 AM 8:15 PM 6/28/17 Port Jefferson Station Donor Center 1010 Route 112 Port Jefferson Station 11776

7:45 AM 8:45 PM 6/29/17 Suffolk County Fire Academy Suffolk County Office of Emergency Mgmt Yaphank 11980-01 EK 9:30 AM 3:30 PM 6/29/17 Mather Memorial Hospital 75 North Country Road Port Jefferson 11777 LL 6:30 AM 6:30 PM 6/29/17 Port Jefferson Station Donor Center 1010 Route 112 Port Jefferson Station 11776

2:30 PM 9:00 PM 6/29/17 Bohemia Donor Center 3125 Vets Memorial Highway Ronkonkoma 11779

8:00 AM 2:30 PM 6/30/17 Bohemia Donor Center 3125 Vets Memorial Highway Ronkonkoma 11779

7:15 AM 8:15 PM 6/30/17 Melville Donor Center 905 Walt Whitman Rd (Rte 110) Melville 11747

7:15 AM 8:00 PM 6/30/17 Port Jefferson Station Donor Center 1010 Route 112 Port Jefferson Station 11776

7:45 AM 9:00 PM 7/1/17 Bohemia Donor Center 3125 Vets Memorial Highway Ronkonkoma 11779

7:45 AM 2:15 PM 7/1/17 Melville Donor Center 905 Walt Whitman Rd (Rte 110) Melville 11747

7:45 AM 2:15 PM 7/1/17 Port Jefferson Station Donor Center 1010 Route 112 Port Jefferson Station 11776

7:45 AM 2:15 PM

Long Island Blood Services Open Blood Drive List Events from 6/26/17 to 7/31/17

Event

Date Site Site Address City Zip Acct.

Rep Start

Time End

Time 7/2/17 Melville Donor Center 905 Walt Whitman Rd (Rte 110) Melville 11747

7:45 AM 2:15 PM 7/3/17 West Islip Fire Dept. 309 Union Blvd. West Islip 11795 DF 2:45 PM 8:45 PM 7/3/17 Westfield South Shore 1701 Sunrise Highway Bay Shore 11706 DF 1:00 PM 7:00 PM 7/3/17 Port Jefferson Station Donor Center 1010 Route 112 Port Jefferson Station 11776

2:30 PM 9:00 PM 7/3/17 Bohemia Donor Center 3125 Vets Memorial Highway Ronkonkoma 11779

7:45 AM 8:45 PM 7/3/17 Melville Donor Center 905 Walt Whitman Rd (Rte 110) Melville 11747

7:45 AM 8:00 PM 7/4/17 Melville Donor Center 905 Walt Whitman Rd (Rte 110) Melville 11747

7:45 AM 2:15 PM 7/4/17 Bohemia Donor Center 3125 Vets Memorial Highway Ronkonkoma 11779

7:45 AM 2:15 PM 7/5/17 Church of Saint Peter the Apostle 70 Rockaway Street Islip Terrace 11752 DF 2:30 PM 8:30 PM 7/5/17 Huntington Public Library 338 Main St. Huntington 11743 SS 1:00 PM 7:00 PM 7/5/17 Bohemia Donor Center 3125 Vets Memorial Highway Ronkonkoma 11779

1:45 PM 8:15 PM 7/5/17 Melville Donor Center 905 Walt Whitman Rd (Rte 110) Melville 11747

7:45 AM 8:15 PM 7/5/17 Smith Haven Mall 313 Smith Haven Mall Lake Grove 11755 LL 2:00 PM 8:00 PM 7/5/17 Port Jefferson Station Donor Center 1010 Route 112 Port Jefferson Station 11776

7:45 AM 8:45 PM 7/6/17 East Northport F.D. 1 Ninth Avenue East Northport 11731 EK 2:30 PM 8:30 PM 7/6/17 Commack Ambulance Corps 200 Burr Rd. Commack 11725 EK 3:00 PM 9:00 PM 7/6/17 Port Jefferson Station Donor Center 1010 Route 112 Port Jefferson Station 11776

2:30 PM 9:00 PM 7/6/17 Bohemia Donor Center 3125 Vets Memorial Highway Ronkonkoma 11779

8:00 AM 2:30 PM 7/7/17 Sound Beach F. D. 152 Sound Beach Blvd Sound Beach 11789 LL 3:00 PM 9:00 PM 7/7/17 South Country Library 22 Station Rd. Bellport 11713 IA 1:00 PM 7:00 PM 7/7/17 Bohemia Donor Center 3125 Vets Memorial Highway Ronkonkoma 11779

7:15 AM 8:15 PM 7/7/17 Melville Donor Center 905 Walt Whitman Rd (Rte 110) Melville 11747

7:15 AM 8:00 PM 7/7/17 American Legion Smith-Wever Post 651 23 Foster Avenue Sayville 11782 IA 2:00 PM 8:00 PM 7/8/17 Bohemia Donor Center 3125 Vets Memorial Highway Ronkonkoma 11779

7:45 AM 2:15 PM 7/8/17 Melville Donor Center 905 Walt Whitman Rd (Rte 110) Melville 11747

7:45 AM 2:15 PM 7/8/17 Port Jefferson Station Donor Center 1010 Route 112 Port Jefferson Station 11776

7:45 AM 2:15 PM 7/8/17 In Honor of Susan Gallo 3 Notch Ct Dix Hills 11746 SS 12:00 PM 6:00 PM 7/9/17 Church of Saint Elizabeth 175 Wolf Hill Rd. Melville 11747 DF 8:15 AM 2:15 PM 7/9/17 Melville Donor Center 905 Walt Whitman Rd (Rte 110) Melville 11747

7:45 AM 2:15 PM 7/9/17 Bohemia Donor Center 3125 Vets Memorial Highway Ronkonkoma 11779

7:45 AM 2:15 PM 7/10/17 Stony Brook University Student Activities Center Stony Brook University Stony Brook 11790 EK 11:00 AM 5:00 PM 7/10/17 Copiague Fire Department 320 Great Neck Rd. Copiague 11726 AG 3:30 PM 9:30 PM 7/10/17 Flanders Fire Department 19 Firehouse Lane Flanders 11901 LL 2:00 PM 8:00 PM





































































Long Island Blood Services

Open Blood Drive List

Events from 6/26/17 to 7/31/17 Event Date Site Site Address City Zip Acct.

Rep Start

Time End

Time 7/10/17 Port Jefferson Station Donor Center 1010 Route 112 Port Jefferson Station 11776

2:30 PM 9:00 PM 7/10/17 Melville Donor Center 905 Walt Whitman Rd (Rte 110) Melville 11747

7:45 AM 8:00 PM 7/10/17 Brookhaven Fire Dept. 2486 Montauk Highway Brookhaven 11719 IA 2:00 PM 8:00 PM 7/11/17 Elwood Public Library 1929 Jericho Tpke. East Northport 11731 EK 1:30 PM 7:30 PM 7/11/17 Manorville Firehouse 14 Silas Carter Road Manorville 11949 IA 2:00 PM 8:00 PM 7/11/17 Town of Riverhead Senior Center 60 Shade Tree Lane Aquebogue 11931 LL 2:00 PM 8:00 PM 7/11/17 Bohemia Donor Center 3125 Vets Memorial Highway Ronkonkoma 11779

2:45 PM 9:15 PM 7/11/17 Melville Donor Center 905 Walt Whitman Rd (Rte 110) Melville 11747

7:45 AM 2:15 PM 7/11/17 Wading River Fire Department 1503 North Country Road Wading River 11792 LL 3:00 PM 9:00 PM 7/12/17 K OF C # 6893-E. Northport 9A Hewitt Square East Northport 11731 EK 2:30 PM 8:30 PM 7/12/17 Islip Fire Department 28 Monell Ave. Islip 11751 DF 2:00 PM 8:00 PM 7/12/17 North Shore Public Library 250 Route 25A Shoreham 11786 LL 12:30 PM 6:30 PM 7/12/17 Bohemia Donor Center 3125 Vets Memorial Highway Ronkonkoma 11779

1:45 PM 8:15 PM 7/12/17 Melville Donor Center 905 Walt Whitman Rd (Rte 110) Melville 11747

7:45 AM 8:15 PM 7/12/17 Port Jefferson Station Donor Center 1010 Route 112 Port Jefferson Station 11776

7:45 AM 8:45 PM 7/13/17 County of Suffolk-Med. Examiners Office Bldg. 487/North Complex Hauppauge 11788 EK 9:30 AM 3:30 PM 7/13/17 Greenlawn Fire Dept. 23 Boulevard Ave. Greenlawn 11740 SS 2:30 PM 8:30 PM 7/13/17 Port Jefferson Station Donor Center 1010 Route 112 Port Jefferson Station 11776

2:30 PM 9:00 PM 7/13/17 Bohemia Donor Center 3125 Vets Memorial Highway Ronkonkoma 11779

8:00 AM 2:30 PM 7/14/17 Farmingville Fire Department 780 Horseblock Rd. Farmingville 11738 LL 2:15 PM 8:15 PM 7/14/17 Bohemia Donor Center 3125 Vets Memorial Highway Ronkonkoma 11779

7:15 AM 8:15 PM 7/14/17 Melville Donor Center 905 Walt Whitman Rd (Rte 110) Melville 11747

7:15 AM 8:00 PM 7/15/17 Smith Haven Mall 313 Smith Haven Mall Lake Grove 11755 LL 12:00 PM 6:00 PM 7/15/17 Bohemia Donor Center 3125 Vets Memorial Highway Ronkonkoma 11779

7:45 AM 2:15 PM 7/15/17 Melville Donor Center 905 Walt Whitman Rd (Rte 110) Melville 11747

7:45 AM 2:15 PM 7/15/17 Port Jefferson Station Donor Center 1010 Route 112 Port Jefferson Station 11776

7:45 AM 2:15 PM 7/15/17 BAPS Shri Swaminarayanmandir 2 Deshon Dr Melville 11747 DF 10:00 AM 4:00 PM 7/16/17 Church of Saint Sylvester 68 Ohio Avenue Medford 11763 IA 8:00 AM 2:00 PM 7/16/17 Melville Donor Center 905 Walt Whitman Rd (Rte 110) Melville 11747

7:45 AM 2:15 PM 7/16/17 St. Elizabeth Ann Seton 800 Portion Rd. Lake Ronkonkoma 11779 IA 8:45 AM 2:45 PM 7/17/17 Fireman Memorial Pavilion Heiling Blvd. Lindenhurst 11757 AG 2:30 PM 8:30 PM 7/17/17 K of C #4757 96 Second Avenue Brentwood 11717 DF 1:45 PM 7:45 PM 7/17/17 K of C #4428 Our Lady of the Rosary 759 Long Island Avenue Deer Park 11729 DF 2:00 PM 8:00 PM





































































Long Island Blood Services

Open Blood Drive List

Events from 6/26/17 to 7/31/17 Event Date Site Site Address City Zip Acct.

Rep Start

Time End

Time 7/17/17 Tanger Outlet Center-Food Court 200 Tanger Mall Drive Tanger 2 Riverhead 11901 LL 2:00 PM 8:00 PM 7/17/17 Port Jefferson Station Donor Center 1010 Route 112 Port Jefferson Station 11776

2:30 PM 9:00 PM 7/17/17 Melville Donor Center 905 Walt Whitman Rd (Rte 110) Melville 11747

7:45 AM 8:00 PM 7/18/17 Cohalan Court Complex 400 Carleton Avenue Central Islip 11722 EK 7:45 AM 4:15 PM 7/18/17 Temple Beth El- Huntington 660 Park Ave. Huntington 11743 SS 4:00 PM 8:30 PM 7/18/17 WBAB/WBLI 555 Sunrise Hwy West Babylon 11704 DF 12:00 PM 4:30 PM 7/18/17 Bohemia Donor Center 3125 Vets Memorial Highway Ronkonkoma 11779

2:45 PM 9:15 PM 7/18/17 Melville Donor Center 905 Walt Whitman Rd (Rte 110) Melville 11747

7:45 AM 2:15 PM 7/19/17 Bohemia Donor Center 3125 Vets Memorial Highway Ronkonkoma 11779

1:45 PM 8:15 PM 7/19/17 Melville Donor Center 905 Walt Whitman Rd (Rte 110) Melville 11747

7:45 AM 8:15 PM 7/19/17 Port Jefferson Station Donor Center 1010 Route 112 Port Jefferson Station 11776

7:45 AM 8:45 PM 7/20/17 County Of Suffolk DSS Mary Gordon Building 3085 Vets Mem Hwy Ronkonkoma 11779 EK 9:00 AM 3:00 PM 7/20/17 St. Catherine of Siena Medical Center Route 25A Smithtown 11787 EK 7:00 AM 8:00 PM 7/20/17 L.I. State Veterans Home 100 Patriots Rd Stony Brook 11790 EK 11:00 AM 5:00 PM 7/20/17 Hauppauge Fire Department 855 Wheeler Rd Hauppauge 11788 EK 2:00 PM 8:00 PM 7/20/17 Grace Gospel Church 214 Falcon Ave Patchogue 11772 IA 2:00 PM 8:00 PM 7/20/17 Centerport Fire Department 9 Park Circle Centerport 11721 EK 1:00 PM 7:00 PM 7/20/17 Port Jefferson Station Donor Center 1010 Route 112 Port Jefferson Station 11776

2:30 PM 9:00 PM 7/20/17 Bohemia Donor Center 3125 Vets Memorial Highway Ronkonkoma 11779

8:00 AM 2:30 PM 7/20/17 Central Islip High School 85 Wheeler Road Central Islip 11722 DF 4:00 PM 8:30 PM 7/21/17 Bohemia Fire Department 950 Pearl St. Bohemia 11716 IA 3:00 PM 9:00 PM 7/21/17 Planet Fitness Rocky Point 295 Route 25A Rocky Point 11778 LL 2:00 PM 8:00 PM 7/21/17 Bohemia Donor Center 3125 Vets Memorial Highway Ronkonkoma 11779

7:15 AM 8:15 PM 7/21/17 Melville Donor Center 905 Walt Whitman Rd (Rte 110) Melville 11747

7:15 AM 8:00 PM 7/22/17 Great South Bay YMCA 200 West Main St. Bay Shore 11706 DF 9:00 AM 1:30 PM 7/22/17 Bohemia Donor Center 3125 Vets Memorial Highway Ronkonkoma 11779

7:45 AM 2:15 PM 7/22/17 Melville Donor Center 905 Walt Whitman Rd (Rte 110) Melville 11747

7:45 AM 2:15 PM 7/22/17 Port Jefferson Station Donor Center 1010 Route 112 Port Jefferson Station 11776

7:45 AM 2:15 PM 7/23/17 Melville Donor Center 905 Walt Whitman Rd (Rte 110) Melville 11747

7:45 AM 2:15 PM 7/23/17 Bohemia Donor Center 3125 Vets Memorial Highway Ronkonkoma 11779

7:45 AM 2:15 PM 7/24/17 Stony Brook University Student Activities Center Stony Brook University Stony Brook 11790 EK 11:00 AM 5:00 PM 7/24/17 West Babylon Fire Department 126 Arnold Ave. West Babylon 11704 DF 3:30 PM 9:30 PM 7/24/17 Church of Saint Margaret of Scotland 81 College Road Selden 11784 LL 3:00 PM 9:00 PM

Long Island Blood Services Open Blood Drive List Events from 6/26/17 to 7/31/17

















Event







Acct. Start End Date Site Site Address City Zip Rep Time Time 7/24/17 Port Jefferson Station Donor Center 1010 Route 112 Port Jefferson Station 11776

2:30 PM 9:00 PM 7/24/17 Melville Donor Center 905 Walt Whitman Rd (Rte 110) Melville 11747

7:45 AM 8:00 PM 7/24/17 Clayton Huey Elementary School 511 Main Street Center Moriches 11934 IA 1:00 PM 7:00 PM 7/24/17 Mt. Sinai Fire Dept. 746 Mt. Sinai Coram Rd Mount Sinai 11766 LL 2:00 PM 8:00 PM 7/25/17 Town of Babylon Town Hall 200 E. Sunrise Highway Lindenhurst 11757 DF 1:00 PM 7:00 PM 7/25/17 Church of the Holy Cross 95 Old Nichols Rd. Nesconset 11767 EK 2:30 PM 8:30 PM 7/25/17 Wet Pants Sailing Assn. Corner of Foster Ave. & Browns River Roa Sayville 11782 IA 4:00 PM 10:00 PM 7/25/17 Gurwin Jewish Nursing & Rehabilitation Center 68 Hauppauge Road Commack 11725 EK 9:30 AM 3:30 PM 7/25/17 Town of Shelter Island Department of EMS 12 Manwaring Road Shelter Island 11964 LL 2:00 PM 8:00 PM 7/25/17 Bohemia Donor Center 3125 Vets Memorial Highway Ronkonkoma 11779

2:45 PM 9:15 PM 7/25/17 Melville Donor Center 905 Walt Whitman Rd (Rte 110) Melville 11747

7:45 AM 2:15 PM 7/26/17 Dolan Family Health Center 284 Pulaski Road Greenlawn 11740 SS 10:00 AM 4:00 PM 7/26/17 Bohemia Donor Center 3125 Vets Memorial Highway Ronkonkoma 11779

1:45 PM 8:15 PM 7/26/17 Melville Donor Center 905 Walt Whitman Rd (Rte 110) Melville 11747

7:45 AM 8:15 PM 7/26/17 Port Jefferson Station Donor Center 1010 Route 112 Port Jefferson Station 11776

7:45 AM 8:45 PM 7/27/17 St. Charles Hospital 200 Belle Terre Rd. Pt. Jefferson 11777 LL 7:00 AM 6:00 PM 7/27/17 Catholic Health Services 245 Old Country Road Melville 11747 DF 9:30 AM 3:30 PM 7/27/17 Port Jefferson Station Donor Center 1010 Route 112 Port Jefferson Station 11776

2:30 PM 9:00 PM 7/27/17 Bohemia Donor Center 3125 Vets Memorial Highway Ronkonkoma 11779

8:00 AM 2:30 PM 7/27/17 Sunken Ponds Estate Clubhouse 1350 Pebble Beach Path Riverhead 11901 LL 10:00 AM 4:00 PM 7/28/17 Brentwood Legion Ambulance 29 Third Ave. Brentwood 11717 DF 2:00 PM 8:00 PM 7/28/17 Bohemia Donor Center 3125 Vets Memorial Highway Ronkonkoma 11779

7:15 AM 8:15 PM 7/28/17 Melville Donor Center 905 Walt Whitman Rd (Rte 110) Melville 11747

7:15 AM 8:00 PM 7/29/17 Commack Public Library 6243 Jericho Turnpike Commack 11725 EK 9:30 AM 3:30 PM 7/29/17 Bohemia Donor Center 3125 Vets Memorial Highway Ronkonkoma 11779

7:45 AM 2:15 PM 7/29/17 Melville Donor Center 905 Walt Whitman Rd (Rte 110) Melville 11747

7:45 AM 2:15 PM 7/29/17 Port Jefferson Station Donor Center 1010 Route 112 Port Jefferson Station 11776

7:45 AM 2:15 PM 7/30/17 Church of Saint Matthew/K of C 7479 35 North Service Road Dix Hills 11746 SS 8:00 AM 2:00 PM 7/30/17 Tropical Smoothie Cafe 267 Middle Country Road Selden 11784 LL 11:00 AM 5:00 PM 7/30/17 Melville Donor Center 905 Walt Whitman Rd (Rte 110) Melville 11747

7:45 AM 2:15 PM 7/31/17 Church of Saint Joseph 39 North Carll Avenue Babylon 11702-27 DF 3:00 PM 9:00 PM 7/31/17 Town of Huntington 30 Rofay Dr.-Highway Dept. Huntington 11743 SS 7:15 AM 11:45 AM 7/31/17 Port Jefferson Station Donor Center 1010 Route 112 Port Jefferson Station 11776

2:30 PM 9:00 PM









Long Island Blood Services Open Blood Drive List Events from 6/26/17 to 7/31/17

Event

Date Site Site Address City Zip Acct.

Rep Start

Time End

Time 7/31/17 Melville Donor Center 905 Walt Whitman Rd (Rte 110) Melville 11747

7:45 AM 8:00 PM 7/31/17 New York Life Insurance 520 Route 110 Melville 11747 DF 11:00 AM 5:00 PM 7/31/17 Hilton Long Island/Huntington 598 Broadhollow Road Melville 11747 IA 2:30 PM 8:30 PM 7/31/17 Trinity Lutheran Nassau Ave. & Union Blvd. Islip 11751 DF 4:00 PM 8:30 PM







New Jersey Blood Services Open Blood Drive List Events from 6/26/17 to 7/31/17

Event

Date Site Site Address City Zip Acct.

Rep Start

Time End

Time Bergen













6/27/17 Paramus Donor Center 791 Rt. 17 South Paramus 07652 MF 2:00 PM 9:00 PM 6/28/17 Paramus Donor Center 791 Rt. 17 South Paramus 07652 MF 2:00 PM 9:00 PM 6/29/17 Bergen Town Center 1 Bergen Town Center Paramus 07652 RT 10:00 AM 8:00 PM 7/1/17 Paramus Donor Center 791 Rt. 17 South Paramus 07652 MF 8:00 AM 3:00 PM 7/3/17 Paramus Donor Center 791 Rt. 17 South Paramus 07652 MF 1:00 PM 8:00 PM 7/5/17 Holy Name Medical Center 718 Teaneck Road Teaneck 07666 RT 2:00 PM 8:00 PM 7/7/17 Bergen Town Center 1 Bergen Town Center Paramus 07652 RT 10:00 AM 8:00 PM 7/8/17 Paramus Donor Center 791 Rt. 17 South Paramus 07652 MF 8:00 AM 3:00 PM 7/11/17 Paramus Donor Center 791 Rt. 17 South Paramus 07652 MF 2:00 PM 9:00 PM 7/13/17 Young Israel of Teaneck 868 Perry Lane Teaneck 07666 RT 3:00 PM 9:00 PM 7/15/17 Paramus Donor Center 791 Rt. 17 South Paramus 07652 MF 8:00 AM 3:00 PM 7/18/17 Paramus Donor Center 791 Rt. 17 South Paramus 07652 MF 2:00 PM 9:00 PM 7/18/17 Whole Foods Market - Edgewater 905 River Road Edgewater 07020- RT 1:00 PM 7:00 PM 7/19/17 Exit Golden Realty Group LLC 142 Ridge Road North Arlington 07031 RT 2:00 PM 8:00 PM 7/20/17 Knights of Columbus 79 Pascack Road Township of Washington 07676 RT 2:00 PM 8:00 PM 7/22/17 Paramus Donor Center 791 Rt. 17 South Paramus 07652 MF 8:00 AM 3:00 PM 7/25/17 Paramus Donor Center 791 Rt. 17 South Paramus 07652 MF 2:00 PM 9:00 PM 7/26/17 Whole Foods Market - Closter 45 Vervalen Street Closter 07624 RT 1:00 PM 7:00 PM 7/29/17 Paramus Donor Center 791 Rt. 17 South Paramus 07652 MF 8:00 AM 3:00 PM Essex 6/27/17 Hilton 41 JFK Pkwy Short Hills 07078 RT 10:00 AM 4:00 PM 7/6/17 Walgreens 597 Washington Ave. Belleville 07109 RT 2:00 PM 8:00 PM 7/17/17 Whole Foods 235 Prospect Ave West Orange 07052 RT 1:00 PM 7:00 PM 7/23/17 Mantena Global Care 294 Ferry Street Newark 07105 RT 9:30 AM 3:30 PM 7/24/17 Whole Foods Market 701 Bloomfield Ave Montclair 07042 RT 1:00 PM 7:00 PM 7/25/17 University Hospital/Rutgers BHS UMDNJ - Medical Science Bldg. Newark 07102 LR 9:30 AM 3:30 PM Hudson 6/28/17 John Wiley & Sons Building 111 River Street Hoboken 07030 RT 8:00 AM 2:00 PM 7/2/17 Saint Aedan's Church 800 Bergen Ave Jersey City 07306 RT 9:30 AM 2:00 PM







New Jersey Blood Services Open Blood Drive List Events from 6/26/17 to 7/31/17

Event

Date Site Site Address City Zip Acct.

Rep Start

Time End

Time 7/6/17 Newport Tower 525 Washington Blvd Jersey City 07310 RT 8:30 AM 2:30 PM 7/9/17 Shree Swaninarayan Temple 200 Penhorn Ave Secaucus 07094 RT 1:00 PM 7:00 PM 7/10/17 Liberty Harbor 30 Regent Street Jersey City 07302 RT 3:30 PM 8:00 PM 7/14/17 St. Henry's Catholic Church 77 West 28th St Bayonne 07002 RT 1:00 PM 7:00 PM 7/26/17 Grove St. Path Plaza 100 Christopher Columbus Drive Jersey City 07302 RT 2:30 PM 8:30 PM 7/29/17 Hudson Mall 701 NJ 440 Jersey City 07304 RT 12:00 PM 6:00 PM































Hunterdon











6/26/17 Flemington Elks Lodge 1928 165 Rt. 31 Flemington 08822 BP 2:30 PM 8:30 PM 7/3/17 Dunkin Donuts 186 Center St. Clinton 08809 BP 1:00 PM 7:00 PM 7/10/17 Flemington Elks Lodge 1928 165 Rt. 31 Flemington 08822 BP 2:30 PM 8:30 PM 7/17/17 Northfield Bank 353 Pittstown Road Pittstown 08867 BP 2:00 PM 7:30 PM 7/20/17 Hunterdon Developmental Center 40 Pittstown Rd. Clinton 08809 BP 10:00 AM 4:00 PM 7/22/17 Clinton Fire Department 1 New Street Clinton 08809 BP 8:30 AM 2:30 PM 7/24/17 Flemington Elks Lodge 1928 165 Rt. 31 Flemington 08822 BP 2:30 PM 8:30 PM 7/26/17 Annandale Reformed Church 2 West St Annandale 08801 BP 2:30 PM 8:30 PM 7/27/17 North Hunterdon High School 1445 Route 31 South Annandale 08801 BP 3:00 PM 9:00 PM 7/31/17 Voorhees High School 256 County Road Glen Gardner 08826 BP 2:00 PM 8:00 PM 7/31/17 Flemington Elks Lodge 1928 165 Rt. 31 Flemington 08822 BP 2:30 PM 8:30 PM













Middlesex









6/26/17 New Brunswick Donor Center 167 New Street New Brunswick 08901 MF 12:00 PM 7:00 PM 6/26/17 Municipal Center 710 Hermann Road North Brunswick 08902 LR 1:00 PM 7:00 PM 6/27/17 New Brunswick Donor Center 167 New Street New Brunswick 08901 MF 2:00 PM 9:00 PM 6/28/17 Woodbridge Center 250 Woodbridge Center Drive Woodbridge 07095 GT 10:30 AM 8:30 PM 6/29/17 New Brunswick Donor Center 167 New Street New Brunswick 08901 MF 1:00 PM 8:00 PM 6/30/17 New Brunswick Donor Center 167 New Street New Brunswick 08901 MF 7:45 AM 2:45 PM 6/30/17 Brunswick Square Mall 755 Route 18 South East Brunswick 08816 LR 11:00 AM 7:00 PM 7/2/17 New Brunswick Donor Center 167 New Street New Brunswick 08901 MF 8:00 AM 3:00 PM 7/3/17 New Brunswick Donor Center 167 New Street New Brunswick 08901 MF 12:00 PM 7:00 PM 7/5/17 Menlo Park Mall 100 Menlo Park Drive Edison 08837 BP 11:00 AM 8:00 PM 7/7/17 New Brunswick Donor Center 167 New Street New Brunswick 08901 MF 7:45 AM 2:45 PM









New Jersey Blood Services Open Blood Drive List Events from 6/26/17 to 7/31/17

Event

Date Site Site Address City Zip Acct.

Rep Start

Time End

Time 7/8/17 Knights of Columbus Mid. Council 857 130 Main St. Woodbridge 07095 GT 8:00 AM 2:00 PM 7/8/17 New Durham Chapel 225 New Durham Rd Piscataway 08854 AC 8:00 AM 2:00 PM 7/9/17 Nativity Lutheran Church 552 Ryders Lane East Brunswick 08816 LR 9:00 AM 1:30 PM 7/9/17 New Brunswick Donor Center 167 New Street New Brunswick 08901 MF 8:00 AM 3:00 PM 7/10/17 New Brunswick Donor Center 167 New Street New Brunswick 08901 MF 12:00 PM 7:00 PM 7/11/17 New Brunswick Donor Center 167 New Street New Brunswick 08901 MF 2:00 PM 9:00 PM 7/11/17 Skylark Diner 17 Wooding Ave Edison 08817 BP 3:00 PM 9:00 PM 7/12/17 Spotswood VFW Post 4589 33 Daniel Road Spotswood 08884 LR 2:00 PM 8:00 PM 7/13/17 United Methodist Church 47 North Main St. Milltown 08850 LR 1:00 PM 7:00 PM 7/14/17 New Brunswick Donor Center 167 New Street New Brunswick 08901 MF 7:45 AM 2:45 PM 7/16/17 Our Lady of Mount Virgin RC Church 600 Harris Avenue Middlesex 08846 AC 8:00 AM 1:00 PM 7/16/17 New Brunswick Donor Center 167 New Street New Brunswick 08901 MF 8:00 AM 3:00 PM 7/17/17 New Brunswick Donor Center 167 New Street New Brunswick 08901 MF 12:00 PM 7:00 PM 7/18/17 J&J Healthcare Systems 425 Hoes Lane Piscataway 08854 LR 7:45 AM 1:45 PM 7/18/17 New Brunswick Donor Center 167 New Street New Brunswick 08901 MF 2:00 PM 9:00 PM 7/19/17 J&J Corporate One J&J Plaza New Brunswick 08903 BP 8:00 AM 3:00 PM 7/20/17 Public Works and Utilities Bldg. 540 Ridge Road Monmouth Junction 08852 LR 1:30 PM 7:30 PM 7/20/17 J&J Johnson Hall 501 George Street New Brunswick 08901 BP 8:00 AM 2:00 PM 7/21/17 New Brunswick Donor Center 167 New Street New Brunswick 08901 MF 7:45 AM 2:45 PM 7/21/17 Jamesburg Elks 74 West Railroad Ave. Jamesburg 08831 LR 2:30 PM 8:30 PM 7/22/17 Metuchen Branch YMCA 65 High Street Metuchen 08840 LR 9:00 AM 3:00 PM 7/23/17 New Brunswick Donor Center 167 New Street New Brunswick 08901 MF 8:00 AM 3:00 PM 7/24/17 New Brunswick Donor Center 167 New Street New Brunswick 08901 MF 12:00 PM 7:00 PM 7/24/17 East Brunswick Library 2 Jean Walling Drive East Brunswick 08816 LR 2:30 PM 7:00 PM 7/25/17 New Brunswick Donor Center 167 New Street New Brunswick 08901 MF 2:00 PM 9:00 PM 7/26/17 Morgan Stanley 120 Albany St. New Brunswick 08901 LR 8:30 AM 2:30 PM 7/28/17 Brunswick Square Mall 755 Route 18 South East Brunswick 08816 LR 11:00 AM 7:00 PM 7/28/17 New Brunswick Donor Center 167 New Street New Brunswick 08901 MF 7:45 AM 2:45 PM 7/29/17 Monroe Recreation Center 120 Monmouth Road Monroe Township 08831 LR 9:30 AM 3:00 PM 7/30/17 New Brunswick Donor Center 167 New Street New Brunswick 08901 MF 8:00 AM 3:00 PM 7/31/17 New Brunswick Donor Center 167 New Street New Brunswick 08901 MF 12:00 PM 7:00 PM 7/31/17 Human Resources Building 55 Reid St. South River 08882 LR 3:00 PM 7:30 PM

New Jersey Blood Services Open Blood Drive List Events from 6/26/17 to 7/31/17

Event

Date Site Site Address City Zip Acct.

Rep Start

Time End

Time Monmouth 7/5/17 Dunkin Donuts 14 Wilson Ave. Englishtown 07726 LR 1:00 PM 7:00 PM 7/7/17 Monmouth Mall 180 State Route 35 Eatontown 07724 LR 2:00 PM 8:00 PM 7/13/17 Most Holy Redeemer 133 Amboy Road Matawan 07747 LR 2:00 PM 8:00 PM 7/14/17 Freehold Raceway Mall 3710 Rt. 9 Freehold 07728 LR 11:00 AM 8:00 PM 7/18/17 JCC of Monmouth County 100 Grant Ave. Deal 07723 LR 3:30 PM 9:30 PM 7/21/17 St. Robert Bellarmine Church 61 Georgia Road Freehold 07728 LR 2:30 PM 8:30 PM 7/27/17 Howell Elks 84 Ramtown-Greenville Rd. Howell 07731 LR 3:30 PM 8:00 PM 7/30/17 Deal Community 54 Roosevelt Ave. Deal 07723 LR 11:00 AM 8:00 PM 7/30/17 Deal Community 54 Roosevelt Ave. Deal 07723 LR 12:30 PM 6:30 PM 7/31/17 Whole Foods Market - Middletown 471 State Route 35 North Red Bank 07701 LR 1:00 PM 7:00 PM Morris













6/26/17 Knights of Columbus 3665 140 Ledgewood Ave. Netcong 07857 AC 3:00 PM 9:00 PM 6/29/17 Dunkin Donuts-Budd Lake 100 US Highway 46 West Budd Lake 07828 AC 1:00 PM 7:00 PM 6/30/17 Rockaway Townsquare Mall 301 Mt. Hope Avenue Rockaway 07866 AC 10:00 AM 8:00 PM 7/1/17 Presbyterian Church of Morris Plains 400 Speedwell Ave Morris Plains 07950 BP 8:00 AM 2:00 PM 7/2/17 Rita's Italian Ice of Flanders 286 US 206 Flanders 07836 AC 12:30 PM 5:00 PM 7/5/17 Lincoln Equities 100 Enterprise Drive Rockaway 07866 AC 8:30 AM 2:30 PM 7/7/17 Morris Minute Men Emergency Medical Services 97 Mill Rd Morris Plains 07950 BP 2:30 PM 8:30 PM 7/10/17 Whole Foods Market - Morristown 110 Washington St Morristown 07960 BP 1:00 PM 7:00 PM 7/11/17 Weichert Realtors 937 Route 23 South Pompton Plains 07444 AC 12:00 PM 6:00 PM 7/12/17 Parsippany Town Hall 1001 Parsippany Blvd. Parsippany 07054 AC 8:00 AM 3:30 PM 7/16/17 White Meadow Lake Clubhouse 100 White Meadow Rd. Rockaway 07866 AC 2:00 PM 8:00 PM 7/16/17 Roxbury Community Center 72 Eyland Ave Succasunna 07876 AC 9:00 AM 3:00 PM 7/19/17 St. Francis Health Resort 122 Diamond Spring Road Denville 07834 BP 1:00 PM 7:00 PM 7/19/17 Long Hill 1st Aid Squad 949 Valley Road Gillette 07933 AC 2:00 PM 8:00 PM 7/21/17 Madison Area YMCA 111 Kings Road Madison 07940 AC 2:00 PM 8:00 PM 7/24/17 Knights of Columbus 3665 140 Ledgewood Ave. Netcong 07857 AC 3:00 PM 9:00 PM Ocean













7/17/17 Hoffman Ice Cream 800 Richmond Ave. Point Pleasant Beach 08742 LR 2:30 PM 8:30 PM







New Jersey Blood Services Open Blood Drive List Events from 6/26/17 to 7/31/17

Event

Date Site Site Address City Zip Acct. Rep Start

Time End

Time 7/21/17 Ocean County Mall 1201 Hooper Ave Toms River 08753 LR 10:00 AM 8:00 PM Passaic













6/27/17 Clifton Memorial Library 292 Piaget Ave Clifton 07011 RT 1:00 PM 7:00 PM 7/7/17 Little Falls Civic Center 19 Warren St Little Falls 07424 RT 1:30 PM 7:30 PM 7/10/17 Walgreens - Clifton 550 Allwood Road Clifton 07012 RT 2:00 PM 8:00 PM Somerset













6/26/17 Somerville Elks 375 Union Ave Bridgewater 08807 AC 1:00 PM 7:00 PM 6/30/17 Franklin Twp. Municipal Building 475 De Mott Lane Somerset 08873 RT 9:00 AM 3:00 PM 7/3/17 Bridgewater Commons Mall 400 Commons Way Bridgewater 08807 AC 2:00 PM 8:00 PM 7/12/17 J&J Ethicon G Building 555 Route 22 West Somerville 08876 BP 8:00 AM 2:00 PM 7/13/17 Somerset Hills YMCA-River Walk 665 Martinsville Road Basking Ridge 07920 AC 2:00 PM 8:00 PM 7/15/17 J&J Ethicon Research Towers 555 Route 22 West Somerville 08876 BP 8:45 AM 2:45 PM 7/23/17 St. Joseph's RC Church 34 Yorktown Road Hillsborough 08844 AC 7:45 AM 12:15 PM 7/24/17 Somerville Elks 375 Union Ave Bridgewater 08807 AC 1:00 PM 7:00 PM 7/30/17 St. Bernard's Church 500 Rt. 22 East Bridgewater 08807 AC 8:30 AM 1:00 PM 7/31/17 Conduent 500 Atrium Drive Somerset 08873 RT 9:00 AM 3:00 PM Sussex













7/9/17 St. Francis de Sales RC Church 614 County Road 517 Vernon 07462 AC 8:00 AM 2:00 PM 7/11/17 Lake Mohawk Country Club 21 The Boardwalk Sparta 07871 AC 1:00 PM 7:00 PM 7/15/17 Saint Kateri Parish 427 Stanhope Road Sparta 07871 AC 7:45 AM 1:45 PM 7/15/17 Community House 2 Kennedy Road Tranquility 07879 AC 9:00 AM 3:00 PM Union













6/26/17 Scotch Plains Donor Center 2279 South Ave Scotch Plains 07076 MF 2:00 PM 9:00 PM 6/28/17 Scotch Plains Donor Center 2279 South Ave Scotch Plains 07076 MF 2:00 PM 9:00 PM 6/28/17 Temple Beth-El 338 Walnut Ave Cranford 07016 GT 3:30 PM 9:30 PM 6/28/17 Temple Beth Ahm Yisrael 60 Temple Drive Springfield 07081 GT 2:00 PM 8:00 PM 6/30/17 Scotch Plains Donor Center 2279 South Ave Scotch Plains 07076 MF 11:00 AM 6:00 PM





































































New Jersey Blood Services

Open Blood Drive List

Events from 6/26/17 to 7/31/17 Event

Date Site Site Address City Zip Acct. Rep Start

Time End

Time 7/1/17 Scotch Plains Donor Center 2279 South Ave Scotch Plains 07076 MF 8:00 AM 3:00 PM 7/2/17 Scotch Plains Donor Center 2279 South Ave Scotch Plains 07076 MF 8:00 AM 3:00 PM 7/3/17 Scotch Plains Donor Center 2279 South Ave Scotch Plains 07076 MF 7:45 AM 9:00 PM 7/3/17 Linden Public Library 31 East Henry St Linden 07036 GT 12:30 PM 6:30 PM 7/5/17 Scotch Plains Donor Center 2279 South Ave Scotch Plains 07076 MF 2:00 PM 9:00 PM 7/6/17 Clark Volunteer Emergency Squad 875 Raritan Road Clark 07066 GT 1:30 PM 7:30 PM 7/7/17 Scotch Plains Donor Center 2279 South Ave Scotch Plains 07076 MF 11:00 AM 6:00 PM 7/7/17 The Mills at Jersey Gardens 651 Kapkowski Road Elizabeth 07201 GT 2:00 PM 8:00 PM 7/8/17 Scotch Plains Donor Center 2279 South Ave Scotch Plains 07076 MF 8:00 AM 3:00 PM 7/9/17 Scotch Plains Donor Center 2279 South Ave Scotch Plains 07076 MF 8:00 AM 3:00 PM 7/10/17 Scotch Plains Donor Center 2279 South Ave Scotch Plains 07076 MF 2:00 PM 9:00 PM 7/12/17 Scotch Plains Donor Center 2279 South Ave Scotch Plains 07076 MF 2:00 PM 9:00 PM 7/14/17 Scotch Plains Donor Center 2279 South Ave Scotch Plains 07076 MF 11:00 AM 6:00 PM 7/16/17 Scotch Plains Donor Center 2279 South Ave Scotch Plains 07076 MF 8:00 AM 3:00 PM 7/17/17 Scotch Plains Donor Center 2279 South Ave Scotch Plains 07076 MF 2:00 PM 9:00 PM 7/19/17 Scotch Plains Donor Center 2279 South Ave Scotch Plains 07076 MF 2:00 PM 9:00 PM 7/21/17 Scotch Plains Donor Center 2279 South Ave Scotch Plains 07076 MF 11:00 AM 6:00 PM 7/22/17 Cranford VFW 479 South Ave Cranford 07016 GT 10:00 AM 2:30 PM 7/22/17 Scotch Plains Donor Center 2279 South Ave Scotch Plains 07076 MF 8:00 AM 3:00 PM 7/23/17 Scotch Plains Donor Center 2279 South Ave Scotch Plains 07076 MF 8:00 AM 3:00 PM 7/23/17 St. Michaels Church 1616 Kelly Street Union 07083 GT 9:00 AM 3:00 PM 7/24/17 Scotch Plains Donor Center 2279 South Ave Scotch Plains 07076 MF 2:00 PM 9:00 PM 7/25/17 Connell Building 200 Connell Dr. Berkeley Heights 07922 GT 9:30 AM 2:00 PM 7/26/17 Scotch Plains Donor Center 2279 South Ave Scotch Plains 07076 MF 2:00 PM 9:00 PM 7/27/17 New Providence Memorial Library 377 Elkwood Ave. New Providence 07974 GT 12:00 PM 6:00 PM 7/27/17 Clark Volunteer Emergency Squad 875 Raritan Road Clark 07066 GT 1:30 PM 7:30 PM 7/28/17 Scotch Plains Donor Center 2279 South Ave Scotch Plains 07076 MF 11:00 AM 6:00 PM 7/29/17 Scotch Plains Donor Center 2279 South Ave Scotch Plains 07076 MF 8:00 AM 3:00 PM 7/30/17 Scotch Plains Donor Center 2279 South Ave Scotch Plains 07076 MF 8:00 AM 3:00 PM 7/30/17 St. Genevieve RC Church 200 Monmouth Rd. Elizabeth 07202 GT 8:00 AM 2:00 PM 7/31/17 Scotch Plains Donor Center 2279 South Ave Scotch Plains 07076 MF 2:00 PM 9:00 PM Warren



















































































New Jersey Blood Services

Open Blood Drive List

Events from 6/26/17 to 7/31/17 Event

Date Site Site Address City Zip Acct. Rep Start

Time End

Time 6/26/17 Shoprite (Mansfield) Mansfield Plaza Hackettstown 07840 AC 1:00 PM 7:00 PM 7/5/17 Dunkin Donuts - Hope 484 Hope Blairstown Road Hope 07844 AC 1:00 PM 7:00 PM









New York Blood Services Open Blood Drive List Events from 6/26/17 to 7/31/17

Event

Date Site Site Address City Zip Acct. Rep Start

Time End

Time Kings













6/26/17 Regal Cinema's 106 Court Street Brooklyn 11201 JJ 1:30 PM 7:30 PM 6/26/17 Brooklyn Donor Center 120 Lawrence Street Brooklyn 11201 HA 12:30 PM 7:30 PM 6/27/17 NYPD PSA # 3 25 Central Avenue Brooklyn 11206 JJ 1:30 PM 7:30 PM 6/27/17 Brooklyn Donor Center 120 Lawrence Street Brooklyn 11201 HA 8:30 AM 3:30 PM 6/27/17 NYC Health + Hospitals/Coney Island 2601 Ocean Parkway Brooklyn 11235- LP 1:00 PM 7:00 PM 6/28/17 NYPD 63rd Precinct - BUS 1844 Brooklyn Avenue Brooklyn 11210 JM 12:00 PM 6:00 PM 6/28/17 Brooklyn Donor Center 120 Lawrence Street Brooklyn 11201

12:30 PM 7:30 PM 6/29/17 PSA 2 560 Sutter Ave Brooklyn 11207 LP 12:00 PM 6:00 PM 6/29/17 Brooklyn Donor Center 120 Lawrence Street Brooklyn 11201 HA 8:30 AM 3:30 PM 6/30/17 Brooklyn Donor Center 120 Lawrence Street Brooklyn 11201 HA 12:30 PM 7:30 PM 6/30/17 BROOKLYN BREWERY 79 NORTH 11TH STREET BROOKLYN 11211 JJ 10:00 AM 2:30 PM 6/30/17 Grand Street Campus Grand Street Campus Brooklyn 11211 LP 9:00 AM 3:00 PM 7/1/17 Brooklyn Donor Center 120 Lawrence Street Brooklyn 11201 HA 9:30 AM 4:30 PM 7/2/17 Brooklyn Donor Center 120 Lawrence Street Brooklyn 11201 HA 9:30 AM 4:30 PM 7/3/17 Brooklyn Donor Center 120 Lawrence Street Brooklyn 11201 HA 8:30 AM 7:30 PM 7/5/17 Brooklyn Donor Center 120 Lawrence Street Brooklyn 11201

8:30 AM 7:30 PM 7/6/17 NYPD PSA# 1 2860 West 23rd Street Brooklyn 11224 JM 1:00 PM 7:00 PM 7/6/17 NYPD 76 Precinct 191 Union Street Brooklyn 11231 JJ 12:30 PM 6:30 PM 7/6/17 NYPD 66th Precinct 5822 16th Avenue Brooklyn 11204 JM 8:00 AM 2:00 PM 7/6/17 Brooklyn Donor Center 120 Lawrence Street Brooklyn 11201 HA 8:30 AM 3:30 PM 7/7/17 Brooklyn Donor Center 120 Lawrence Street Brooklyn 11201 HA 12:30 PM 7:30 PM 7/8/17 Brooklyn Donor Center 120 Lawrence Street Brooklyn 11201 HA 9:30 AM 4:30 PM 7/9/17 Emmanuel Baptist Church 36 St. James Place Brooklyn 11238 JJ 9:30 AM 3:30 PM 7/9/17 Beulah Church God 7th Day 1405 Utica Ave Brooklyn 11203 LP 12:00 PM 6:00 PM 7/9/17 K of C St. Finbar Parish Council 15728 138 Bay 20th St. Brooklyn 11214 JM 9:00 AM 1:30 PM 7/10/17 Old First Reformed Church 126 7th Avenue Brooklyn 11215 JJ 10:00 AM 4:00 PM 7/10/17 Brooklyn Donor Center 120 Lawrence Street Brooklyn 11201 HA 12:30 PM 7:30 PM 7/11/17 Kingsborough Community College-Bus 2001 Oriental Blvd. Brooklyn 11235 LP 11:00 AM 5:00 PM 7/11/17 St. Francis College 180 Remsen Street Brooklyn 11201 LP 10:00 AM 4:00 PM 7/11/17 New York City College of Technology 300 Jay Street Brooklyn 11201 JJ 10:00 AM 6:30 PM 7/11/17 Brooklyn Donor Center 120 Lawrence Street Brooklyn 11201 HA 8:30 AM 3:30 PM 7/12/17 Kingsborough Community College-Bus 2001 Oriental Blvd. Brooklyn 11235 LP 11:00 AM 5:00 PM

New York Blood Services Open Blood Drive List Events from 6/26/17 to 7/31/17

Event







Acct. Start End Date Site Site Address City Zip Rep Time Time 7/12/17 New York City College of Technology 300 Jay Street Brooklyn 11201 JJ 10:00 AM 6:30 PM 7/12/17 FBP-NY Harbor Health Care/VA 800 Poly Place Brooklyn 11209 JJ 8:00 AM 4:00 PM 7/13/17 Kingsborough Community College-Bus 2001 Oriental Blvd. Brooklyn 11235 LP 11:00 AM 5:00 PM 7/13/17 FBP-US Federal Court 225 Cadman Plaza East Brooklyn 11201 JJ 9:00 AM 3:00 PM 7/13/17 SUNY-Brooklyn 445 Lenox Rd Brooklyn 11203 LP 9:00 AM 6:00 PM 7/13/17 LIU Brooklyn One University Plaza Brooklyn 11201 JJ 12:00 PM 6:00 PM 7/13/17 Brooklyn Donor Center 120 Lawrence Street Brooklyn 11201 HA 8:30 AM 3:30 PM 7/14/17 Brooklyn Donor Center 120 Lawrence Street Brooklyn 11201 HA 12:30 PM 7:30 PM 7/15/17 Brooklyn Donor Center 120 Lawrence Street Brooklyn 11201 HA 9:30 AM 4:30 PM 7/16/17 Brooklyn Donor Center 120 Lawrence Street Brooklyn 11201 HA 9:30 AM 4:30 PM 7/17/17 The St. George Residence 55 Clark Street Brooklyn 11201 JJ 3:00 PM 9:00 PM 7/17/17 Brooklyn Donor Center 120 Lawrence Street Brooklyn 11201 HA 12:30 PM 7:30 PM 7/18/17 Brooklyn Donor Center 120 Lawrence Street Brooklyn 11201 HA 8:30 AM 3:30 PM 7/18/17 Carpenters Union Local 926 345 78th Street Brooklyn 11209 JJ 4:00 PM 8:00 PM 7/20/17 NYPD - K-9 Unit 140 58th Street Brooklyn 11220 JJ 10:00 AM 4:00 PM 7/20/17 Brooklyn Donor Center 120 Lawrence Street Brooklyn 11201 HA 8:30 AM 3:30 PM 7/21/17 Makki Mosque 1083 Coney Island Ave Brooklyn 11230 JM 1:30 PM 6:00 PM 7/21/17 Brooklyn Donor Center 120 Lawrence Street Brooklyn 11201 HA 12:30 PM 7:30 PM 7/22/17 Brooklyn Donor Center 120 Lawrence Street Brooklyn 11201 HA 9:30 AM 4:30 PM 7/23/17 Our Lady of Perpetual Help 526 59th Street Brooklyn 11220 JJ 9:30 AM 3:30 PM 7/24/17 Brooklyn Donor Center 120 Lawrence Street Brooklyn 11201 HA 12:30 PM 7:30 PM 7/24/17 Red Hook Community Justice Center 88-94 Visitation Place Brooklyn 11231 LP 12:00 PM 6:00 PM 7/25/17 71st Precinct - BUS 421 Empire Boulevard Brooklyn 11225 JM 2:30 PM 8:30 PM 7/25/17 Brooklyn Hospital 121 Dekalb Avenue Brooklyn 11201 JJ 10:00 AM 4:00 PM 7/25/17 Brooklyn Donor Center 120 Lawrence Street Brooklyn 11201 HA 8:30 AM 3:30 PM 7/26/17 Regal Cinema's 106 Court Street Brooklyn 11201 JJ 1:30 PM 7:30 PM 7/26/17 Greenhouse Cafe 7717 Third Avenue Brooklyn 11209 JJ 1:30 PM 7:30 PM 7/26/17 Greenhouse Cafe 7717 Third Avenue Brooklyn 11209 JJ 1:30 PM 7:30 PM 7/27/17 NYPD 68 Precinct 333 65th Street Brooklyn 11220 JJ 1:00 PM 7:00 PM 7/27/17 Brooklyn Donor Center 120 Lawrence Street Brooklyn 11201 HA 8:30 AM 3:30 PM 7/28/17 Brooklyn Donor Center 120 Lawrence Street Brooklyn 11201 HA 12:30 PM 7:30 PM 7/29/17 Brooklyn Donor Center 120 Lawrence Street Brooklyn 11201 HA 9:30 AM 4:30 PM 7/30/17 St. Anselm's Church 357 83rd Street Brooklyn 11209 JJ 11:00 AM 5:00 PM









New York Blood Services Open Blood Drive List Events from 6/26/17 to 7/31/17

Event







Acct. Start End Date Site Site Address City Zip Rep Time Time 7/30/17 Brooklyn Donor Center 120 Lawrence Street Brooklyn 11201 HA 9:30 AM 4:30 PM 7/31/17 Brooklyn Donor Center 120 Lawrence Street Brooklyn 11201 HA 12:30 PM 7:30 PM New York 6/26/17 Double Tree by Hilton Hotel Metropolitan NYC 569 Lexington Avenue New York 10022- EP 12:00 PM 6:00 PM 6/26/17 Upper East Side Donor Center 310 East 67th Street New York 10065

8:30 AM 3:30 PM 6/26/17 Grand Central Donor Center 200 Park Avenue Manhattan 10017 HA 7:45 AM 9:00 PM 6/27/17 Upper East Side Donor Center 310 East 67th Street New York 10065

12:00 PM 7:00 PM 6/27/17 Grand Central Donor Center 200 Park Avenue Manhattan 10017 HA 12:30 PM 7:30 PM 6/27/17 Port Authority Donor Center 8th Avenue at 41st Street New York 10018

12:30 PM 7:30 PM 6/27/17 Fordham University Law School 150 West 62nd Street New York 10023 CE 11:00 AM 5:00 PM 6/28/17 NYPD Police Service Area #5 221 East 123rd Street New York 10029 EP 12:00 PM 6:00 PM 6/28/17 Upper East Side Donor Center 310 East 67th Street New York 10065

8:00 AM 3:00 PM 6/28/17 Grand Central Donor Center 200 Park Avenue Manhattan 10017

12:30 PM 7:30 PM 6/28/17 Port Authority Donor Center 8th Avenue at 41st Street New York 10018 HA 12:30 PM 7:30 PM 6/28/17 Baruch College 55 Lexington Avenue New York 10010 JJ 11:00 AM 5:00 PM 6/28/17 Hunter College 695 Park Avenue New York 10021 EP 10:00 AM 4:00 PM 6/29/17 American Museum Natural History Central Park West at 79th Street New York 10024 EP 9:00 AM 5:00 PM 6/29/17 Port Authority Donor Center 8th Avenue at 41st Street New York 10018

12:30 PM 7:30 PM 6/29/17 Grand Central Donor Center 200 Park Avenue Manhattan 10017 CE 10:00 AM 4:00 PM 6/30/17 Upper East Side Donor Center 310 East 67th Street New York 10065 HA 8:00 AM 3:00 PM 6/30/17 Grand Central Donor Center 200 Park Avenue Manhattan 10017 HA 7:45 AM 2:45 PM 6/30/17 Port Authority Donor Center 8th Avenue at 41st Street New York 10018 HA 12:30 PM 7:30 PM 7/1/17 Upper East Side Donor Center 310 East 67th Street New York 10065 HA 7:45 AM 2:45 PM 7/2/17 Our Lady of Lourdes 468 West 143rd Street New York 10031 BS 9:30 AM 3:30 PM 7/2/17 Upper East Side Donor Center 310 East 67th Street New York 10065 HA 9:30 AM 4:30 PM 7/2/17 Grand Central Donor Center 200 Park Avenue Manhattan 10017 HA 8:00 AM 3:00 PM 7/3/17 NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell 525 East 68th Street New York 10021 EP 11:30 AM 5:30 PM 7/3/17 Upper East Side Donor Center 310 East 67th Street New York 10065

8:30 AM 7:30 PM 7/3/17 Grand Central Donor Center 200 Park Avenue Manhattan 10017 HA 7:45 AM 9:00 PM 7/5/17 NYP/Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital 3959 Broadway New York 10031 EP 10:00 AM 6:00 PM 7/5/17 Upper East Side Donor Center 310 East 67th Street New York 10065

8:00 AM 3:00 PM 7/5/17 Grand Central Donor Center 200 Park Avenue Manhattan 10017

12:30 PM 7:30 PM

New York Blood Services

Open Blood Drive List Events from 6/26/17 to 7/31/17

Event

Date Site Site Address City Zip Acct.

Rep Start

Time End

Time 7/5/17 Port Authority Donor Center 8th Avenue at 41st Street New York 10018 HA 12:30 PM 7:30 PM 7/6/17 NYPD Police Service Area #6 2770 8th Avenue New York 10039 BS 12:00 PM 6:00 PM 7/7/17 Madison Square Park Bus Madison Square Park Manhattan 10010 JJ 11:30 AM 5:30 PM 7/7/17 Upper East Side Donor Center 310 East 67th Street New York 10065 HA 8:00 AM 3:00 PM 7/7/17 Grand Central Donor Center 200 Park Avenue Manhattan 10017 HA 7:45 AM 2:45 PM 7/7/17 Port Authority Donor Center 8th Avenue at 41st Street New York 10018 HA 12:30 PM 7:30 PM 7/8/17 Upper East Side Donor Center 310 East 67th Street New York 10065 HA 7:45 AM 2:45 PM 7/9/17 Upper East Side Donor Center 310 East 67th Street New York 10065 HA 9:30 AM 4:30 PM 7/9/17 Grand Central Donor Center 200 Park Avenue Manhattan 10017 HA 8:00 AM 3:00 PM 7/10/17 NewYork-Presbyterian/Lower Manhattan Hospital 83 Gold Street New York 10038 EP 10:00 AM 4:00 PM 7/10/17 Upper East Side Donor Center 310 East 67th Street New York 10065

8:30 AM 3:30 PM 7/10/17 Grand Central Donor Center 200 Park Avenue Manhattan 10017 HA 7:45 AM 9:00 PM 7/11/17 Manhattan North-32nd street 250 West 135th Street New York 10030 BS 1:00 PM 5:30 PM 7/11/17 NYPD Manhattan North 28th Precinct 2271-89 8th Avenue New York 10027- EP 7:45 AM 1:45 PM 7/11/17 Upper East Side Donor Center 310 East 67th Street New York 10065

12:00 PM 7:00 PM 7/11/17 Grand Central Donor Center 200 Park Avenue Manhattan 10017 HA 12:30 PM 7:30 PM 7/11/17 Port Authority Donor Center 8th Avenue at 41st Street New York 10018

12:30 PM 7:30 PM 7/11/17 NYPD-Manhattan North-26th Precinct 520 West 126th Street New York 10027 EP 8:30 AM 1:00 PM 7/12/17 Upper East Side Donor Center 310 East 67th Street New York 10065

8:00 AM 3:00 PM 7/12/17 Grand Central Donor Center 200 Park Avenue Manhattan 10017

12:30 PM 7:30 PM 7/12/17 Port Authority Donor Center 8th Avenue at 41st Street New York 10018 HA 12:30 PM 7:30 PM 7/13/17 New York Life Insurance Co. - 27th Street 27 East 27th Street New York 10010 JJ 8:30 AM 2:30 PM 7/14/17 Upper East Side Donor Center 310 East 67th Street New York 10065 HA 8:00 AM 3:00 PM 7/14/17 Grand Central Donor Center 200 Park Avenue Manhattan 10017 HA 7:45 AM 2:45 PM 7/14/17 Port Authority Donor Center 8th Avenue at 41st Street New York 10018 HA 12:30 PM 7:30 PM 7/15/17 Upper East Side Donor Center 310 East 67th Street New York 10065 HA 7:45 AM 2:45 PM 7/16/17 Upper East Side Donor Center 310 East 67th Street New York 10065 HA 9:30 AM 4:30 PM 7/16/17 Grand Central Donor Center 200 Park Avenue Manhattan 10017 HA 8:00 AM 3:00 PM 7/17/17 Tishman Speyer- Rockefeller Center 45 Rockefeller Plaza New York 10019 CE 10:00 AM 4:00 PM 7/17/17 Upper East Side Donor Center 310 East 67th Street New York 10065

8:30 AM 3:30 PM 7/17/17 Grand Central Donor Center 200 Park Avenue Manhattan 10017 HA 7:45 AM 9:00 PM 7/17/17 Columbia University Low Library Rotunda 535 West 116th Street New York 10027 EP 11:00 AM 5:00 PM 7/18/17 Tishman Speyer- Rockefeller Center 45 Rockefeller Plaza New York 10019 CE 10:00 AM 4:00 PM



























































New York Blood Services

Open Blood Drive List

Events from 6/26/17 to 7/31/17 Event

Date Site Site Address City Zip Acct.

Rep Start

Time End

Time 7/18/17 Upper East Side Donor Center 310 East 67th Street New York 10065

12:00 PM 7:00 PM 7/18/17 Grand Central Donor Center 200 Park Avenue Manhattan 10017 HA 12:30 PM 7:30 PM 7/18/17 Port Authority Donor Center 8th Avenue at 41st Street New York 10018

12:30 PM 7:30 PM 7/19/17 Tishman Speyer- Rockefeller Center 45 Rockefeller Plaza New York 10019 CE 10:00 AM 4:00 PM 7/19/17 Upper East Side Donor Center 310 East 67th Street New York 10065

8:00 AM 3:00 PM 7/19/17 Grand Central Donor Center 200 Park Avenue Manhattan 10017

12:30 PM 7:30 PM 7/19/17 Port Authority Donor Center 8th Avenue at 41st Street New York 10018 HA 12:30 PM 7:30 PM 7/19/17 FBP-NY Harbor Health Care System 423 East 23rd Street New York 10010 JJ 10:00 AM 4:00 PM 7/20/17 Tishman Speyer- Rockefeller Center 45 Rockefeller Plaza New York 10019 CE 10:00 AM 4:00 PM 7/21/17 Tishman Speyer- Rockefeller Center 45 Rockefeller Plaza New York 10019 CE 10:00 AM 4:00 PM 7/21/17 Upper East Side Donor Center 310 East 67th Street New York 10065 HA 8:00 AM 3:00 PM 7/21/17 Grand Central Donor Center 200 Park Avenue Manhattan 10017 HA 7:45 AM 2:45 PM 7/21/17 Port Authority Donor Center 8th Avenue at 41st Street New York 10018 HA 12:30 PM 7:30 PM 7/22/17 Upper East Side Donor Center 310 East 67th Street New York 10065 HA 7:45 AM 2:45 PM 7/23/17 Upper East Side Donor Center 310 East 67th Street New York 10065 HA 9:30 AM 4:30 PM 7/23/17 Grand Central Donor Center 200 Park Avenue Manhattan 10017 HA 8:00 AM 3:00 PM 7/24/17 Upper East Side Donor Center 310 East 67th Street New York 10065

8:30 AM 3:30 PM 7/24/17 Grand Central Donor Center 200 Park Avenue Manhattan 10017 HA 7:45 AM 9:00 PM 7/25/17 NYPD-Transit District 3 West 145th Street & St. Nicholas Ave New York 10030 BS 7:00 AM 7:00 PM 7/25/17 Upper East Side Donor Center 310 East 67th Street New York 10065

12:00 PM 7:00 PM 7/25/17 Grand Central Donor Center 200 Park Avenue Manhattan 10017 HA 12:30 PM 7:30 PM 7/25/17 Port Authority Donor Center 8th Avenue at 41st Street New York 10018

12:30 PM 7:30 PM 7/26/17 Upper East Side Donor Center 310 East 67th Street New York 10065

8:00 AM 3:00 PM 7/26/17 Grand Central Donor Center 200 Park Avenue Manhattan 10017

12:30 PM 7:30 PM 7/26/17 Port Authority Donor Center 8th Avenue at 41st Street New York 10018 HA 12:30 PM 7:30 PM 7/27/17 Technical Career Institute 320 West 31st Street New York 10001 JC 12:30 PM 6:30 PM 7/27/17 Manhattan North- 34th Precinct 4295 Broadway New York 10033 BS 10:00 AM 4:00 PM 7/28/17 Upper East Side Donor Center 310 East 67th Street New York 10065 HA 8:00 AM 3:00 PM 7/28/17 Grand Central Donor Center 200 Park Avenue Manhattan 10017 HA 7:45 AM 2:45 PM 7/28/17 Port Authority Donor Center 8th Avenue at 41st Street New York 10018 HA 12:30 PM 7:30 PM 7/29/17 Upper East Side Donor Center 310 East 67th Street New York 10065 HA 7:45 AM 2:45 PM 7/30/17 Upper East Side Donor Center 310 East 67th Street New York 10065 HA 9:30 AM 4:30 PM 7/30/17 Grand Central Donor Center 200 Park Avenue Manhattan 10017 HA 8:00 AM 3:00 PM









New York Blood Services Open Blood Drive List Events from 6/26/17 to 7/31/17

Event

Date Site Site Address City Zip Acct.

Rep Start

Time End

Time 7/31/17 Upper East Side Donor Center 310 East 67th Street New York 10065

8:30 AM 3:30 PM 7/31/17 Grand Central Donor Center 200 Park Avenue Manhattan 10017 HA 7:45 AM 9:00 PM Richmond











6/26/17 Staten Island Pergament Mall Donor Center 2791 Richmond Avenue Staten Island 10314 HA 12:30 PM 7:30 PM 6/28/17 Staten Island Pergament Mall Donor Center 2791 Richmond Avenue Staten Island 10314 HA 9:30 AM 4:30 PM 6/28/17 South Beach Psychiatric Center 777 Seaview Avenue Staten Island 10305 JM 10:15 AM 4:15 PM 6/29/17 Staten Island Pergament Mall Donor Center 2791 Richmond Avenue Staten Island 10314

12:30 PM 7:30 PM 6/29/17 Greater New York Council - Boy Scouts of Ameri Pouch Camp Staten Island 10314 JM 1:30 PM 7:30 PM 6/30/17 Staten Island Pergament Mall Donor Center 2791 Richmond Avenue Staten Island 10314

8:30 AM 7:30 PM 7/1/17 Staten Island Pergament Mall Donor Center 2791 Richmond Avenue Staten Island 10314 HA 8:30 AM 3:30 PM 7/3/17 Staten Island Pergament Mall Donor Center 2791 Richmond Avenue Staten Island 10314 HA 8:30 AM 7:30 PM 7/5/17 Staten Island Pergament Mall Donor Center 2791 Richmond Avenue Staten Island 10314 HA 9:30 AM 4:30 PM 7/6/17 SeaView Hospital Rehab. Center&Home 460 Brielle Avenue Staten Island 10314 JM 11:00 AM 5:00 PM 7/6/17 Staten Island Pergament Mall Donor Center 2791 Richmond Avenue Staten Island 10314

12:30 PM 7:30 PM 7/8/17 Staten Island Pergament Mall Donor Center 2791 Richmond Avenue Staten Island 10314 HA 8:30 AM 3:30 PM 7/9/17 Staten Island Pergament Mall Donor Center 2791 Richmond Avenue Staten Island 10314 HA 8:30 AM 3:30 PM 7/10/17 JCC Staten Island 1466 Manor Rd Staten Island 10314 JM 12:00 PM 6:00 PM 7/10/17 Staten Island Pergament Mall Donor Center 2791 Richmond Avenue Staten Island 10314 HA 12:30 PM 7:30 PM 7/11/17 NYPD 123 Precinct 116 Main Street Staten Island 10307 JM 12:00 PM 6:00 PM 7/12/17 NYPD 122 Precinct 2320 Hylan Blvd. Staten Island 10306 JM 12:00 PM 6:00 PM 7/12/17 Staten Island Pergament Mall Donor Center 2791 Richmond Avenue Staten Island 10314 HA 9:30 AM 4:30 PM 7/13/17 New York Police Department - SI 120 78 Richmond Terrace Staten Island 10301 JM 12:00 PM 6:00 PM 7/13/17 Staten Island Pergament Mall Donor Center 2791 Richmond Avenue Staten Island 10314

12:30 PM 7:30 PM 7/15/17 Staten Island Pergament Mall Donor Center 2791 Richmond Avenue Staten Island 10314 HA 8:30 AM 3:30 PM 7/17/17 Staten Island Pergament Mall Donor Center 2791 Richmond Avenue Staten Island 10314 HA 12:30 PM 7:30 PM 7/19/17 Staten Island Pergament Mall Donor Center 2791 Richmond Avenue Staten Island 10314 HA 9:30 AM 4:30 PM 7/20/17 St. Clare's RC Church 151 Lindenwood Road Staten Island 10308 JM 3:30 PM 9:30 PM 7/20/17 Staten Island Pergament Mall Donor Center 2791 Richmond Avenue Staten Island 10314

12:30 PM 7:30 PM 7/21/17 NY Police Department - SI 121 970 Richmond Ave Staten Island 10314 JM 12:00 PM 6:00 PM 7/22/17 Staten Island Pergament Mall Donor Center 2791 Richmond Avenue Staten Island 10314 HA 8:30 AM 3:30 PM 7/23/17 Staten Island Pergament Mall Donor Center 2791 Richmond Avenue Staten Island 10314 HA 8:30 AM 3:30 PM 7/24/17 Staten Island Pergament Mall Donor Center 2791 Richmond Avenue Staten Island 10314 HA 12:30 PM 7:30 PM









New York Blood Services Open Blood Drive List Events from 6/26/17 to 7/31/17

Event







Acct. Start End Date Site Site Address City Zip Rep Time Time 7/26/17 Staten Island Pergament Mall Donor Center 2791 Richmond Avenue Staten Island 10314 HA 9:30 AM 4:30 PM 7/27/17 Staten Island Pergament Mall Donor Center 2791 Richmond Avenue Staten Island 10314

12:30 PM 7:30 PM 7/29/17 Staten Island Pergament Mall Donor Center 2791 Richmond Avenue Staten Island 10314 HA 8:30 AM 3:30 PM 7/31/17 Staten Island Pergament Mall Donor Center 2791 Richmond Avenue Staten Island 10314 HA 12:30 PM 7:30 PM





































































Hudson Valley Blood Services

Open Blood Drive List

Events from 6/26/17 to 7/31/17













Event

Date Site Site Address City Zip Acct.

Rep Start

Time End

Time Bronx 6/27/17 American Turner Club 748 Clarence Avenue Bronx 10465 TR 4:00 PM 8:30 PM 6/29/17 NYC Health + Hospitals/North Central Bronx 3424 Kossuth Avenue Bronx 10467 TR 10:30 AM 4:30 PM 6/29/17 NYPD 45th Precinct 2877 Barkley Ave Bronx 10465 TR 10:30 AM 4:30 PM 7/1/17 Bangladesh-American Women Association, Inc 1222 White Plains Road Bronx 10472 TR 10:00 AM 4:00 PM 7/5/17 NYPD 44th Precinct 2 East 169th Street Bronx 10451- BS 9:00 AM 3:00 PM 7/6/17 Monroe College-King Hall 2501 Jerome Avenue Bronx 10468 TR 10:00 AM 4:00 PM 7/6/17 Bronx Pizzeria 3579 East Tremont Ave Bronx 10465 TR 1:00 PM 7:00 PM 7/7/17 Parkchester Community/Outside the Post Office 1449 West Ave Bronx 10462 TR 11:00 AM 5:00 PM 7/7/17 Parkchester Community/Outside the Post Office 1449 West Ave Bronx 10462 TR 11:00 AM 5:00 PM 7/11/17 Trinity United Methodist Church 113 Bay Street Bronx 10464 TR 3:30 PM 8:00 PM 7/12/17 NYPD 42nd Precinct 830 Washington Ave. Bronx 10451 BS 12:00 PM 6:00 PM 7/16/17 St. Nicholas of Tolentine 2345 University Avenue Bronx 10468 TR 9:00 AM 1:30 PM 7/18/17 Baldor Specialty Foods, Inc. 155 Food Center Drive Bronx 10474 TR 11:00 AM 5:00 PM 7/20/17 Riverbay Adminstrative Offices 2049 Bartow Ave. Bronx 10475 TR 3:00 PM 7:30 PM 7/20/17 James J. Peters Veterans Affairs Medical Center 130 West Kingsbridge Rd. Bronx 10468 TR 8:00 AM 6:30 PM 7/21/17 Bronx District Attorney 198 E. 161st Street Bronx 10451 BS 10:00 AM 4:00 PM 7/23/17 St. Raymond's Church 1759 Castle Hill Avenue Bronx 10462 TR 8:30 AM 2:30 PM 7/24/17 NYC Health + Hospitals/Lincoln 234 East 149th St. Bronx 10451 BS 7:00 AM 5:30 PM 7/25/17 NYPD 43rd Precinct 900 Fteley Ave. Bronx 10472 TR 10:00 AM 4:00 PM 7/26/17 Herbert Lehman College Music Building 250 Bedford Park Blvd. W. Bronx 10468 TR 12:00 PM 6:00 PM 7/26/17 College Mt. St. Vincent 6301 Riverdale Avenue Bronx 10471 BS 11:30 AM 5:30 PM 7/27/17 Herbert Lehman College Music Building 250 Bedford Park Blvd. W. Bronx 10468 TR 12:00 PM 6:00 PM 7/30/17 Our Lady of Refuge Church 290 East 196th Street Bronx 10458 BS 8:30 AM 2:30 PM Dutchess 6/26/17 IXL Health and Fitness 3752 Route 9G Rhinebeck 12572 LS 3:00 PM 7:30 PM 6/26/17 East Fishkill Donor Center Hudson Valley Research Park Bldg.320 Hopewell Junction 12533 TM 1:00 PM 8:00 PM 6/27/17 East Fishkill Donor Center Hudson Valley Research Park Bldg.320 Hopewell Junction 12533 TM 1:00 PM 8:00 PM 6/29/17 Castle Point V.A. Medical Center 41 Castle Point Road Wappingers Falls 12590 LS 9:30 AM 2:00 PM 6/30/17 East Fishkill Donor Center Hudson Valley Research Park Bldg.320 Hopewell Junction 12533 TM 9:00 AM 4:00 PM 6/30/17 Arlington Fire Engine Co. #1 11 Burnett Boulevard Poughkeepsie 12603 LS 3:00 PM 7:30 PM 7/3/17 East Fishkill Donor Center Hudson Valley Research Park Bldg.320 Hopewell Junction 12533 TM 1:00 PM 8:00 PM

Hudson Valley Blood Services

Open Blood Drive List

Events from 6/26/17 to 7/31/17

Event

Date Site Site Address City Zip Acct.

Rep Start

Time End

Time 7/5/17 St. John/St. Joachim Church 31 Willow Street Beacon 12508 LS 2:00 PM 8:00 PM 7/7/17 East Fishkill Donor Center Hudson Valley Research Park Bldg.320 Hopewell Junction 12533 TM 9:00 AM 4:00 PM 7/10/17 East Fishkill Donor Center Hudson Valley Research Park Bldg.320 Hopewell Junction 12533 TM 1:00 PM 8:00 PM 7/11/17 East Fishkill Donor Center Hudson Valley Research Park Bldg.320 Hopewell Junction 12533 TM 1:00 PM 8:00 PM 7/13/17 H.O. Penn Machinery 122 Noxon Road Poughkeepsie 12603 LS 10:30 AM 3:00 PM 7/14/17 Pawling Fire Station #1 25 South Street Pawling 12564 LS 12:30 PM 6:30 PM 7/14/17 East Fishkill Donor Center Hudson Valley Research Park Bldg.320 Hopewell Junction 12533 TM 9:00 AM 4:00 PM 7/16/17 Poughkeepsie Seventh Day Adventist Church 248 Main Street Poughkeepsie 12601 LS 10:00 AM 4:00 PM 7/17/17 East Fishkill Donor Center Hudson Valley Research Park Bldg.320 Hopewell Junction 12533 TM 1:00 PM 8:00 PM 7/18/17 East Fishkill Donor Center Hudson Valley Research Park Bldg.320 Hopewell Junction 12533 TM 1:00 PM 8:00 PM 7/19/17 CIA-Marriott Conference Center 1946 Campus Drive Hyde Park 12538 LS 9:30 AM 6:00 PM 7/20/17 Fishkill Correctional-QWL Bldg. Matteawan Road Beacon 12508 LS 8:00 AM 2:00 PM 7/21/17 East Fishkill Donor Center Hudson Valley Research Park Bldg.320 Hopewell Junction 12533 TM 9:00 AM 4:00 PM 7/21/17 Poughkeepsie Galleria 2001 South Road (Mall) Poughkeepsie 12601 LS 3:30 PM 8:00 PM 7/24/17 Gold's Gym 982 Main St Fishkill 12524 LS 2:30 PM 8:30 PM 7/24/17 East Fishkill Donor Center Hudson Valley Research Park Bldg.320 Hopewell Junction 12533 TM 1:00 PM 8:00 PM 7/24/17 NYS Police Troop K 2541 Rt. 44 Salt Point 12578 LS 7:00 AM 1:00 PM 7/25/17 East Fishkill Donor Center Hudson Valley Research Park Bldg.320 Hopewell Junction 12533 TM 1:00 PM 8:00 PM 7/26/17 Dutchess CC Washington Center for Arts and Sci 53 Pendell Road Poughkeepsie 12601 LS 11:00 AM 5:00 PM 7/26/17 Citizen's Bank 167 Old Route 9 Rhinebeck 12572 LS 11:00 AM 3:30 PM 7/27/17 Dutchess CC Washington Center for Arts and Sci 53 Pendell Road Poughkeepsie 12601 LS 11:00 AM 5:00 PM 7/28/17 East Fishkill Donor Center Hudson Valley Research Park Bldg.320 Hopewell Junction 12533 TM 9:00 AM 4:00 PM 7/29/17 St. Christopher's Parish Hall 30 Benner Road Red Hook 12571 LS 8:00 AM 2:00 PM 7/31/17 East Fishkill Donor Center Hudson Valley Research Park Bldg.320 Hopewell Junction 12533 TM 1:00 PM 8:00 PM Orange 6/26/17 Adams Fairacre Farms 1240 Route 300 Newburgh 12550 EM 2:30 PM 7:00 PM 6/27/17 Gold's Gym of Monroe Woodbury 60 Route 17M Harriman 10926- JN 4:00 PM 8:30 PM 6/28/17 Monell Engine Company 89 East Main St. (Rt. 94) Washingtonville 10992 EM 2:00 PM 8:00 PM 6/28/17 Gold's Gym -Newburgh 13 Racquet Road Newburgh 12550 EM 3:30 PM 8:00 PM 6/29/17 Port Jervis Free Library 138 Pike Street Port Jervis 12771 EM 1:00 PM 7:00 PM 6/29/17 Warwick Valley Community Center 11 Hamilton Ave Warwick 10990 JN 2:00 PM 8:00 PM 6/30/17 Town of Wallkill Town Hall 99 Tower Drive Middletown 10940 JN 10:00 AM 4:00 PM









Hudson Valley Blood Services Open Blood Drive List Events from 6/26/17 to 7/31/17

Event







Acct. Start End Date Site Site Address City Zip Rep Time Time 7/1/17 First Presbyterian Church 33 Park Place Goshen 10924 EM 9:00 AM 3:00 PM 7/2/17 First Presbyterian Church 33 Park Place Goshen 10924 EM 10:00 AM 4:00 PM 7/3/17 Galleria at Crystal Run 1 Galleria Drive Middletown 10940 JN 1:00 PM 7:00 PM 7/5/17 Middletown Thrall Library 11-19 Depot Street Middletown 10940 JN 12:00 PM 6:00 PM 7/8/17 Scotchtown Presby. Church 367 Blumel Rd. Middletown 10941 JN 9:00 AM 3:00 PM 7/12/17 Orange County Emergency Services 22 Wells Farm Road Goshen 10924 EM 9:00 AM 3:00 PM 7/13/17 SUNY OCCC Newburgh Kaplan Center 1 Washington Center Newburgh 12550 JN 9:00 AM 3:00 PM 7/14/17 Finklestein & Partners 1279 Route 300 Newburgh 12550 EM 9:30 AM 3:30 PM 7/14/17 St. Mary's Church 89 Union St. Montgomery 12549 EM 2:00 PM 8:00 PM 7/16/17 St. Stephen's School 75 Sanfordville Road Warwick 10990 EM 8:00 AM 2:00 PM 7/19/17 George Robinson Center 379 Mt. Hope Road Middletown 10940 JN 10:00 AM 4:00 PM 7/20/17 Crystal Run Healthcare Monroe 855 NY-17M Monroe 10950 JN 9:00 AM 3:00 PM 7/22/17 Solid Rock Church of God 20 Holloran Road New Windsor 12553 JN 9:00 AM 3:00 PM 7/28/17 Midas  Middletown 419 Route 211 East Middletown 10940 JN 9:00 AM 3:00 PM 7/28/17 Rutger's Engine Co. Route 22 Johnson 10933 EM 3:30 PM 8:00 PM 7/31/17 New York State Police Troop F 55 Crystal Run Road Middletown 10941 JN 8:00 AM 2:00 PM Putnam 6/27/17 Mahopac Public Library 668 Route 6 Mahopac 10541 JN 2:30 PM 7:00 PM 6/30/17 VFW Hall 32 Gleneida Avenue Carmel 10512 JN 2:00 PM 8:00 PM 7/10/17 Carmel Fire Department 94 Gleneida Ave. Carmel 10512 HA 2:00 PM 8:00 PM 7/10/17 St. John the Evangelist 221 East Lake Blvd. Mahopac 10541 JN 2:00 PM 8:00 PM 7/18/17 Putnam Valley Fire House 12 Canopus Hollow Road Putnam Valley 105
Los Angeles, June 25 : Veteran actress Diane Keaton was excited to portray an older woman, who is a mess but finds love with a homeless man in the film "Hampstead".

The 71-year-old has been cast as widow named Emily, who finds love with a homeless man who has lived on London's Hampstead Heath for many years, in the upcoming drama film. The actress says she was instantly "excited" when she heard her role in the film, reports femalefirst.co.uk.

"This character of an older woman, who's a mess, that excited me. She doesn't own up to her mistakes but she's friendly and charming. Then there's this amazing moment when she looks through her binoculars and sees this man, and her life changes forever," Keaton told TimeOut magazine.

"Hampstead" also features Brendan Gleeson, James Norton and Hugh Skinner.
Kabul, June 25 : China and Afghanistan have pledged to enhance cooperation in the fight against terrorism.

Visiting Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Saturday expressed hope that both countries will continue to support each other on issues of core interest and deepen cooperation in anti-terror fight, reports Xinhua news agency.

He also said China welcomes Afghanistan to actively participate in the Belt and Road Initiative.

Wang reaffirmed China's steadfast support for the Afghan-led reconciliation process.

He reiterated that China supports the revival of the Quadrilateral Coordination Group of Afghanistan, China, Pakistan and the US and supports the activation of the work of the liaison group between the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation and Afghanistan, which will help create favourable atmosphere for the peace process.

Yi's counterpart Salahuddin Rabbani pledged that Afghanistan will actively take part in the Belt and Road Initiative, strengthen cooperation with China in fight against terrorism and take firm actions to crack down on the "East Turkistan Islamic Movement" terrorist group.

He appreciated China's constructive role in helping push forward his country's peace and reconciliation process and vowed continuous efforts in this regard in whatever circumstances.

He also expressed gratitude for the active role China has played in the efforts of Afghanistan and Pakistan in improving ties.
New Delhi, June 25 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday congratulated the people of Mubarakpur, a small village in Uttar Pradesh, for becoming free of open defecation and said it was the best example 'Swatchh Bharat' movement.

Appreciating the villagers for declining the government aid and constructing the toilets in the village on their own, Modi said that such cases were best examples of clean India (Swatchh Bharat).

"I am surprised and at the same time happy to see the way people of Mubarakpur, a small muslim village in Uttar Pradesh, have made their village ODF (Open Defecation Free). Though they got the government aid of Rs 17 lakh to construct toilets, they returned it," said Modi in the 33rd edition of his radio programme "Mann Ki Baat".

With the total number of states now totally devoid of the population defecating in the open rising to five, over two lakh villages and 147 districts have been declared ODF across the country.
Lahore, June 25 : At least 140 people have been burnt alive and dozens of others injured after an overturned oil tanker caught fire and exploded near Bahawalpur city in Pakistan's Punjab province, the media reported.

The tanker overturned on Sunday morning and a large number of people rushed to collect the flowing petrol from the tanker when the highly inflammable liquid caught fire and the tanker exploded, rescue services personel said.

Sources told Geo News that most of the victims were residents of areas flanking a highway in Ahmed Pur Sharqia, off which the oil tanker skidded off.

The injured were moved to Bahawalpur Victoria Hospital and other nearby health facilities.

The deaths from the explosion were expected to rise as many of the injured were reported to be in critical condition.

The fire brigade arrived at the site of the incident shortly after the blaze started and rescue operations were underway, reports Dawn news.

Two fire engines battled the fire and eventually managed to control it.

Although the inferno has been controlled, the road has not been cleared yet. Besides, rescue work was underway as some of the bodies stuck in the wreckage were being taken out.

Six cars and 12 motorcycles parked in the vicinity were also severely damaged.

Rizwan Naseer, Director of Punjab provincial rescue services, said many of the bodies were badly burnt and beyond recognition.

Army chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa ordered the army to assist the civil administration in the rescue efforts. Army helicopters were used in the rescue operations to transport the injured to the hospitals.

"COAS expresses grief on losses in oil tanker incident. Directed provision of full assistance to civil administration in rescue [and] relief efforts," Director General of the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Major Gen Asif Ghafoor said.

"Army helicopters sent for evacuation of casualties to hospitals [and] burn centres. Hospitals placed on high alert," he added.

The Prime Minister's House said the Punjab provincial government had been directed to provide full medical assistance.

"Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has expressed deep grief over the heavy loss of life in the unfortunate accident of oil tanker fire at Ahmad Pur Sharqia, Bahawalpur," the statement said.
New York, June 25 : Veteran actor Anupam Kher was honoured with a citation from the Nassau county here.

Anupam took to Twitter to share a string of photographs holding the citation, which was given to him for working "dilligently on behalf of causes and ideas, which uphold the principles of human decency."

"Through the years, you have demonstrated a selfless commitment to the community that warrants attention and gratitude," the citation read.

"Honoured with the Key and Citation from the Nassau County, New York state. Thank you Judge Christopher Quinn, Bobbyji, Kamal and Chummu Dandona," he captioned the image.

The 64-year-old later shared a photograph of himself along with Hollywood star Robert De Niro and his wife Grace.

"Thank you Grace Robert De Niro and my all time favourite Robert De Niro for ur love. Grace! I am glad you could come to International Yoga Day at UN," he captioned the image.

In Bollywood, Anupam will soon be seen in "Toilet: Ek Prem Katha" with actors Akshay Kumar and Bhumi Pednekar.

The actor is also prepping for his next "The Accidental Prime Minister", where he will be seen playing the role of former Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

Written and co-produced by Hansal Mehta, the film is based on the 2014 memoir of the same name by Sanjaya Baru.
London, June 25 : Children who grew up in a single-parent family are more likely to have lower levels of well-being and life satisfaction in adulthood, according to new research.

The study showed that children brought up by a single parent earn 30 per cent less and are more likely to be unemployed.

Further, they are also nine per cent less likely to be in a romantic relationship and have fewer friends.

"These findings suggest that both parents still provide important resources even when children have already grown up and left their parent's home. During young adulthood these resources may include financial support as well as access to social networks, which is important to find a good job," said Sakari Lemola from the University of Warwick in London.

"Children who had grown up with a single parent for their entire childhood are less likely to know their second parent well and to receive such support during adult life," Lemola added.

For the study, the team analysed 641 individuals from over 24,000 adults aged 18-66, who spent their entire childhood with a single parent and 1,539 who spent part of their childhood with a single parent.

The group was asked how satisfied they are with life in general, using an 11-point scale -- ranging from zero (completely dissatisfied) to ten (completely satisfied).

After accounting for childhood socio-economic circumstances, the differences in life-satisfaction were relatively small.

Those who grew up with a single parent for their entire childhood were approximately 0.2 points lower on the scale ranging from 0 to 10 than those who were brought up by both parents - and 0.1 points lower than those who experienced parental separation during childhood, the researchers said.
New Delhi, June 25 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday praised two villages in Uttar Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh for taking initiatives to make themselves free of open defecation and setting an example for others under the 'Swachh Bharat' movement.

In the 33rd edition of his monthly radio programme 'Mann ki Baat', Modi mentioned how villagers in a small district of Bijnour in Uttar Pradesh on their own returned Rs 17.5 lakh to the government sanctioned to construct toilets.

"I am surprised and at the same time happy to see the way people of Mubarakpur, a small muslim village in Uttar Pradesh, have made their village ODF (Open Defecation Free). Though they got the government aid of Rs 17 lakh to construct toilets, they returned it," said Modi.

Modi also appreciated the villagers of Vizianagaram district in Andhra Pradesh where they had set a record by setting up 10,000 toilets in 100 hours in 71 villages.

"Recently I came across a wonderful incident. This happened in the Vizianagaram district where its administration undertook a huge task with people's participation. From 6 a.m. on March 10, till 10 a.m. of March 14, the administration and the people together constructed 10,000 toilets in hundred hours successfully, making 71 villages ODF," said Modi.

Praising the people, Modi said that these were very inspiring examples.

Five Indian states have been declared ODF, the latest ones being Uttrakhand and Haryana. In total, over two lakh villages and 147 districts have been declared ODF across the country.
Srinagar, June 25 : Two militants were killed and three soldiers injured on Sunday in fighting that erupted the previous day with an attack on a CRPF patrol that left a trooper dead, authorities said.

After hours of fighting to liquidate the two militants holed up in the Delhi Public School (DPS) complex here, the security forces said both were dead and all firing had halted.

The security personnel which went from room to room in the school found two bodies in one room, an officer said.

"The bodies of the two militants have been spotted inside one room from where firing had started. There has been no firing from the militants during the last one hour," the officer added.

The school was thoroughly searched and the operation later called off.

Three soldiers, including two officers, were injured earlier on Sunday as the security forces launched the final assault against the rebels inside the school complex in Pantha Chowk area.

"All injured army personnel are stable and out of danger," a police source said. They were shifted to a military hospital at Badami Bagh cantonment.

Director General of Police S.P. Vaid had earlier said that two militants were holed up in the school, whose students are mostly from the Kashmiri elite families.

The militants had on Saturday attacked a Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) vehicle on the Srinagar-Jammu highway, killing a Sub-Inspector and injuring two troopers.

The militants then took refuge in the school, which by then had closed for the day. Security forces immediately surrounded the complex to prevent the gunmen from escaping.

The Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) militant outfit claimed responsibility for the attack.

Srinagar District Magistrate Farooq Ahmad Lone on Saturday imposed restrictions on the stretch of Srinagar-Jammu highway between Ram Munshi Bagh and Sempora. The curbs were lifted after the battle ended.

Also, in a freak accident, a policeman's rifle went off at the site of the militant attack on Saturday. A CRPF trooper and a policeman were injured in the incident.
Washington, June 25 : The landmark Goods and Services Tax (GST) that will come into effect in India from July 1 could be a subject of study in US business schools, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Sunday "The implementation of the landmark initiative of GST could be a subject of studies in US business schools," Modi said while addressing American CEOs at a meeting here, according to a tweet by Indian External Affairs Ministry spokesman Gopal Baglay.

"The whole world is looking at India. Seven thousand reforms alone have been done by the government for ease of business," Modi said, as per another tweet by Baglay.

Foreign investors too have been eagerly looking forward to the rollout of the single pan-India GST, which will replace the existing myriad central and state levies on both goods and services.

"Growth of India presents win-win partnership for India and US both. American companies have a great opportunity to contribute," a separate tweet quoted Modi as telling the CEOs.

The Indian Prime Minister, who is on a two-day visit to the US capital, held a roundtable here with 21 top executives of American companies. Among those who attended were Google CEO Sundar Pichai, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, Apple CEO Tim Cook and Mastercard President Ajay Banga.
Washington, June 26 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi said no country has questioned India's surgical strike against terrorist launchpads in Pakistan and "India has succeeded in telling the world about the need to uproot the menace of terrorism".

He also said "terrorists have themselves explained to the world the meaning of terrorism".

"The entire world could have raised many questions and pointed fingers at us for the surgical strike. But, not a single country questioned India's surgical strike against the terrorist launchpads in Pakistan (last year). Those who suffered (Pakistan) because of this, is a different thing," Modi said while addressing the members of Indian diaspora here on Sunday.

"The entire world is suffering because of the menace of terrorism, which is against mankind," the Prime Minister said.

"When India spoke about terrorism about 20-25 years back, for many countries, it was beyond their understanding. For them it was a law and order problem, because they were not the sufferers. Today, it is not required to explain what's terrorism. Terrorists have themselves explained it to them," said Modi.

"But when India conducts surgical strike, the world understands India is a patient country but if required, it knows how to demonstrate its ability," said Modi.

"We are bound by international laws. We believe in the idea of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam (the world is one family). This is our character," he added.

Modi also said: "We do not want to disrupt the global order. Following the international norms and law, in order to ensure that the sovereignty, security and peace is maintained, we are capable of taking very stern action."
Islamabad, June 26 : China, Pakistan and Afghanistan are committed to maintaining regional peace and stability, enhancing regional connectivity and economic cooperation and promoting shared security and development, a joint statement said.

The joint press release by the three countries came after Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi's shuttle diplomacy in Afghanistan and Pakistan that concluded on Sunday, Xinhua news agency reported.

It said both Pakistan and Afghanistan "are willing to improve relations with each other, strengthen political mutual trust, enhance cooperation in various fields including counter-terrorism, and jointly meet security challenges".

According to the statement, Afghanistan and Pakistan have agreed to establish a crisis management mechanism, which will include prevention through timely and effective intelligence and information sharing and other mutually agreed measures.

"This would enable the two sides to maintain timely and effective communications in case of emergencies, including terrorist attacks," it said.

The three countries also agreed to establish the China-Afghanistan-Pakistan Foreign Ministers' dialogue mechanism to cooperate on issues of mutual interest, beginning with economic cooperation, said the paper.

It added that "the three parties believe that the Quadrilateral Coordination Group should be revived to create an enabling environment for peace talks and for Taliban to join the peace talks."

The statement said the three parties "support the Kabul process and hold the view that the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation-Afghanistan Contact Group should be revived as early as possible to play a constructive role in moving forward the Afghan reconciliation process."

Ahead of his departure from Islamabad, the Chinese Foreign Minister told a press briefing that his shuttle diplomacy was aimed at mediating between Afghanistan and Pakistan, and help the reconciliation process in Afghanistan.

Wang stressed that China never interferes in other's internal affairs, never imposes its will on others, nor does it get involved in geopolitical competitions but China is willing to lend a hand when friends are in need, adding that he had candid and in-depth talks with Afghan and Pakistani leaders and they reached broad consensus.

Wang said that China is willing to play a constructive role within its capacity to help Afghanistan and Pakistan in improving their relations.
Donsuemor

Donsuemor, the first, original American madeleine baker, is now a member of the 100-year-old French-based company, St Michel. In this partnership, Donsuemor will continue to operate under its name to create, produce and sell French-inspired treats.

A household name in France and Europe, St Michel has been crafting artisan products since 1905, making the company a leading French traditional baker. St Michels rich history and passion for baking are a perfect match with Donsuemor, as both companies have true French roots with shared beliefs and values.

We are very excited about the direction Donsuemor is moving in, and after celebrating 40 years as a company, I cant think of a better way to celebrate, said Laure Chatard, Director of Sales at Donsuemor. St Michel is a company that is dedicated to creating authentic, delicious, quality products that I grew up on as a child in France and we value their partnership. We are revealing this exciting news along with our combined tradeshow efforts here at the New York Summer Fancy Food Show - theres no better place to make the announcement. This is a major milestone in the history of Donsuemor, the team and I are thrilled.

Donsuemor, now 40 years young, was born with an American twist on an original French recipe of the classic French madeleine. Even today, the traditional, classic treats that put them on the map continue to delight and excite customers. St Michel was born on a summer morning in 1905 by a French family, led by pastry chef Joseph Grellier. Over 100 years later, they have become an icon of French baking, expanding to offer their classic French cookies outside of Europe.

St Michel products are imported from France and include classic French treats such as Galettes, Palmiers, and Madeleines in U.S. grocery aisles. Donsuemor products are available in local, regional and national retailers in the bakery section, prepared food, cookie bars or next to the register for grab and go options.

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About Donsuemor:

Available nationwide in stores such as Peets Coffee, Costco, Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, and Whole Foods, the Donsuemor brand of madeleines has drawn rave reviews from The New York Times and Fine Cooking. All products are baked in small batches in its BRC certified bakery and are certified Kosher, free of preservatives and artificial colors. Based in Alameda, Calif., Donsuemors line of French-inspired baked goods are an ideal treat for discriminating consumers.

About St Michel:

A French company that was started in 1905, St Michel now offers the U.S. several of their traditional products including Madeleines, Galettes, and Palmiers. St Michel products are made in France, made 100 percent with chicken eggs raised in open air, and wrapped in environmentally friendly packaging materials.
Our firm loves supporting the Fishers community by participating in local events.

Massillamany & Jeter, LLP will be participating in the 29th annual Fishers Freedom Festival on June 25, 2017. The Fishers Freedom Festival offers multiple activities, events and food for all ages. Held at the Roy Holland Park (1 Park Drive) just off Holland Drive & Ellipse Parkway in Fishers, this free event offers fine arts & crafts, food & business vendors, live music, 5K event, childrens tent, parades, street dance, fireworks and much more. Over 50,000 attendees from all over the U.S. each year participate in the festival.

The parade will showcase both high school marching bands and color guards, as well as many of your favorite organizations, church groups and Shrine units. Founding partner at Massillamany & Jeter LLP Mario Massillamany states, our firm loves supporting the Fishers community by participating in local events. Be sure to look for Massillamany & Jeters Fourth of July themed float at the 29th annual Fishers Freedom Festival and grab some goodies!

The parade is scheduled to begin at 4:00 p.m., and the line up will start at Lantern Road and Technology Lane. From there, participants will head North to Lantern Road and 116th Street. From 116th Street, the parade will head west to Holland Drive and travel North to Ellipse Parkway, then to Lantern Road, and back to Technology Lane where the parade will end and disband.

Massillamany & Jeter LLP is a full-service law firm based in Hamilton County but serving the entire State of Indiana. The firm focuses its practice in the areas of personal injury, criminal defense, corporate law, civil litigation, family law, estate planning, appeals and government services. The Firm has offices in Fishers, Carmel, Noblesville, Plainfield, Greenwood, and Lawrence.

For more information, please visit http://www.mjattorneys.com or visit us on social media:

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/mjattorneys

Twitter: @massjeter
Crown Maple, upstate New Yorks premier maple brand, will showcase its line of maple syrups at the 2017 Summer Fancy Food Show, June 25-27, at New York Citys Javits Center. The brand will offer samples of Crown Maple's latest products at booth #6062, including the recently-launched infused syrup collection and a Maple Cayenne Hot Sauce created with Horseshoe Brand, alongside signature brand products like the Bourbon Barrel Aged maple syrup and holiday gifting-ready syrup trios.

Crown Maples mission is to create delicious, artisan, certified organic maple products that are enjoyed far beyond the breakfast table. Celebrating maple as a healthier, more flavorful all-natural sweetener, Crown Maple focuses on producing high quality, flavorful offerings that are perfect for use in cocktails, sauces, marinades, and baked goods, in addition to elevating traditional pancakes and waffles.

The following Crown Maple products will be highlighted at the Summer Fancy Food Show:

Madagascar Vanilla Infused Syrup: (250ml, $16.95)

The tantalizing floral aromas of Madagascar Vanilla Infused complements the graham cracker and brown butter notes of our Dark Color syrup to present a delicate and creamy body with buttery sweet notes that builds intrigue. Add a splash in coffee, tea, oatmeal, and baked goods to give everyday food a surprisingly sweet hint of vanilla.

Cinnamon Infused Syrup: (250ml, $16.95)

The sweet and spicy floral notes of cinnamon accentuate the brown butter and toasted pecan notes of our Dark Color syrup to create warm and intriguing flavors. Cinnamon Infused maple syrup is presented in a medium-body that elevates your favorite foods, such as yogurt, coffee, cheese and ice cream.

Applewood Smoked Syrup: (250ml, $16.95)

The flavors of toffee, brown butter, and toasted pecan notes come to life in Applewood Smoked as the Dark Color syrup is slowly smoked at low temperatures with 100% natural Applewood creating a medium-body that presents enticing aromas of sweet smoke and warm spice. This captivating infused syrup is suggested for grilling, marinades, sauces, glazes, and mixology.

Bourbon Barrel Aged Syrup: (250ml, $16.95)

Distinctive aromas and flavors of bourbon, smoky oak, graham cracker, brown butter & creamy vanilla are showcased in Bourbon Barrel Aged maple syrup which presents exceptional layers of luxurious flavors.

Petite Trio: ($15.95)

Sample three varieties of Crown Maple in one package and discover the unique taste profiles of our distinctive syrups for yourself. The aromas and flavors of gingerbread, roasted chestnut, toffee, and a hint of clove and nutmeg, are showcased in Amber Color and Rich Taste pure maple syrup, which presents a medium-body feel with a depth of luxurious flavors. With flavors and aromas of graham cracker, toffee, brown butter, and toasted pecans with a hint of warm spice, Dark Color and Robust Taste pure maple syrup has concentrated depth of flavor presented in a creamy, medium-body with robust flavors. Deeply caramelized flavors and aromas of molasses, creme brulee, espresso, and cocoa beans with hints of clove, allspice, and anise, make Very Dark Color and Strong Taste pure maple syrup the most full-bodied syrup in the line.

Maple Cayenne Hot Sauce: ($7.95)

Crown Maple partnered with Horseshoe Brand to create this small-batch hot sauce. The tantalizing sweet flavor of maple syrup is blended with hot red cayenne pepper and rich, smoky chipotle to create an entrancing hot sauce. A crowning touch for all your foods - chicken and waffles, pork, seafood, vegetables, or even a simple cracker.

Get a taste of Crown Maples products at the Summer Fancy Food Show at booth #6062 and learn more about the brand at http://www.crownmaple.com. New Yorkers can also easily escape to the beautiful Crown Maple Estate, less than a two-hour drive from the city, to enjoy the unique and inspiring experience of the propertys incredible landscape, educational tours, fun community events, and delicious maple dishes at the Crown Maple Cafe.

About Crown Maple

Crown Maple is Quite Possibly the Purest Maple Syrup on Earth and sets a new standard of excellence for maple. Founded by Robb & Lydia Turner in 2010, Crown Maple has been carefully crafted from the ground up to become the preeminent maple syrup brand. By pairing the best nature has to offer with artisan craftsmanship and breakthrough proprietary production technology, Crown Maple creates an extraordinary maple experience. Crown Maple products are estate-produced, certified-organic and provide a superior and distinctive taste and performance that elevates Crown Maple beyond a sweetener and into a defining ingredient.

The Crown Maple Estate is based in New Yorks Hudson Valley at Madava Farms, the Turner familys farm, and has quickly become New Yorks largest maple syrup producer. With availability from coast-to-coast, Crown Maple is the syrup of choice served at top restaurants, resorts, and culinary institutions and is available for purchase at national grocery stores, natural retailers, specialty stores, and foodservice distributors. Crown Maple products can also be purchased online at http://www.crownmaple.com.
Michael Hamilton, Research Fellow Congressional Republicans are exhibiting willful ignorance of the lessons Obamacare should have taught them. Subsidizing health insurers is not a sound basis for a health care system, in theory or in fact.

Republicans in the United States Senate on Thursday released their version of bill to repeal and replace Obamacare, called the Better Care Reconciliation Act. It differs significantly from the American Health Care Act, which the House passed in May, so the two bills will need to be reconciled in committee, or the House will have to take up the Senate version as-is, if it passes.

The following statements from health care policy experts at The Heartland Institute  a free-market think tank  may be used for attribution. For more comments, refer to the contact information below. To book a Heartland guest on your program, please contact Media Specialist Billy Aouste at media(at)heartland(dot)org and 312/377-4000 or (cell) 847/445-7554.

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States laboring under the yoke of Obamacare mandates will gain a new master, but little else under the Senates Better Care Reconciliation Act. This proposed revision of the Affordable Care Act keeps Obamacares regulatory structure in place and dilutes incentives for states to stop expanding Medicaid.

Congressional Republicans are exhibiting willful ignorance of the lessons Obamacare should have taught them. Subsidizing health insurers is not a sound basis for a health care system, in theory or in fact.

Michael Hamilton

Research Fellow, Health Care Policy

The Heartland Institute

Managing Editor, Health Care News

mhamilton(at)heartland(dot)org 312/377-4000

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This bill zeroes out the penalties for not buying an unaffordable, undesirable product (the individual and employer mandates), but continues the mandates that make health plans unaffordable: guaranteed issue, community rating, and restrictions on true insurance. Republicans dont seem to understand that one does not lower costs or make them affordable by forcing somebody else  in this case, taxpayers or low-risk enrollees  to pay them.

The bill redistributes wealth, continuing the funding of the swamp. The right answer is to repeal Obamacare and replace it with a free market. For problems that result, seek targeted solutions. If this bill passes, individuals and states need to make maximal use of escape hatches.

Jane M. Orient, M.D. Executive Director

Association of American Physicians and Surgeons

janeorientmd(at)gmail(dot)com 520/323-3110

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Reforming Obamacare forces on us the stark reality that in lawmaking, perfection gives way to imperfection; but at least, it moves in the right direction. The GOP reforms leave Washington, DC with far too much control over individual health care, but they take significant steps toward greater state-level control  and that is good.

Creating a free market for health care remains elusive. It is incumbent on us who believe in individual liberty and responsibility to keep working to advance marketplace reforms  such as direct-pay independent practice, reference-based payments for care, health savings accounts (HSAs), and other such devices.

Dave Racer

Policy Advisor, Health Care

The Heartland Institute

media(at)heartland(dot)org 312/377-4000

________________________________________

The Senates Better Care Act has some good features, including repealing most of Obamacares taxes, repealing the individual and employer mandates, and capping the growth of Medicaid. Unfortunately it does not go far enough. Congress needs to repeal Obamacares onerous insurance regulations and allow people to buy affordable health coverage. States need increased flexibility to regulate health insurance and allowing insurers to design health plans consumers prefer.

Devon Herrick

Senior Fellow, National Center for Policy Analysis

Policy Advisor, The Heartland Institute

devon.herrick(at)ncpa(dot)org 972/308-6470

________________________________________

My biggest disappointment is that we may be squandering a truly once-in-a-generation opportunity to restructure the incentives of our health care system. Instead of focusing the incentives back on the patient, this bill focuses on insurance subsidizes rather than subsidizing the provision of actual care. By doing so, we perpetuate the false argument that the end goal is simply possessing insurance policies instead of making care affordable and attainable  which insurance, counter-intuitively, actually makes more difficult to achieve.

Chad Savage, M.D.

Founder, YourChoice Direct Care

Policy Advisor, Health Care Policy

The Heartland Institute

chad.savage(at)yourchoicedirectcare(dot)com 810/224-5300

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Obamacares Medicaid expansion was an expansion of a system that encourages states to waste money at the expense of the federal taxpayer  and a lot spent on no patient care at all. If better health care outcomes is truly the desired result of policy makers, then Medicaid should be severely shrunk, not expanded.

Multiple studies have shown that Medicaid recipients have worse health care outcomes than those who are uninsured. The quicker the Medicaid expansion is eliminated, the less taxpayer money is wasted, and the better health care for the poor.

Gerard Gianoli, M.D.

The Ear and Balance Institute

Policy Advisor, The Heartland Institute

ggianoli(at)gmail(dot)com

985/809-1111

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Both the House and Senate versions of the repeal/replace of Obamacare miss the point because they address the wrong issue. Both of these measures, including the recently introduced Senate bill, only address the question of how to pay for health care. This is not the fundamental question. The fundamental question is how to make health care itself cost less. If all we do is think about how to pay for health care, any proposed solution will only make the health care beast bigger and more expensive.

Until the role of third parties is reduced, and consumer-driver downward pressure is brought to bear on health care costs, the problem will not be solved.

Mike Koriwchak, M.D.

Vice President

Docs4PatientCare Foundation

Policy Advisor, The Heartland Institute

mjk.d4pcf(at)gmail(dot)com 312/377-4000

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The Senate health care reform bill works within the confines of reconciliation and is similar to the House bill on fundamentals. It is not a comprehensive repeal and replacement of Obamacare. It does, however, essentially eliminate the individual mandate, repeals the Obamacare taxes, provides the first meaningful reform to the Medicaid entitlement, and gives states more control over their health care systems. The Senate bill provides billions of dollars to cover the most vulnerable Americans. Like the House bill, it is a good starting point for health care reform.

Roger Stark

Health Care Policy Analyst, Washington Policy Center

Policy Advisor, The Heartland Institute

rstark(at)washingtonpolicy(dot)org 25/881-0611

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The Senates health care bill is an important step in the right direction. The plan strengthens Medicaid and reduces Obamacare taxes, but stops short of repealing the root cause of skyrocketing costs: voluminous mandates. So, its up to states like Pennsylvania to seek waivers to repeal harmful rules and drive down the cost of care.

Elizabeth B. Stelle Director of Policy Analysis, Commonwealth Foundation

Policy Advisor, The Heartland Institute

ebs(at)commonwealthfoundation(dot)org 717/798-9784

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This legislation is a small step in the right direction. Repealing the individual mandate by making the fine $0 is a rational first step. Allowing states greater autonomy via a variety of block grants, waivers, and work requirements invites 50 experiments that might be used to generate new ideas that could be shared nationwide. Allowing the state to determine the medical loss ratio sounds like a powerful tool, but Ive always thought that this attempt to fix margins simply turns health insurance companies into glorified utilities by penalizing any attempts they make at increasing efficiency. We should encourage insurance companies to sell real insurance (for truly unexpected events) rather than selling inefficient, ineffective, and overpriced prepaid medical care policies.

Obamacare has taught us that attempting to pay for care via a variety of mechanisms does not really increase access. If we want to increase access, the more effective way to do this is to lower the cost of care. Costs fall when physicians and hospitals jump off the third party payment hamster wheel and focus on providing care to the patient in a low overhead environment. When patients start asking physicians, How much does it cost?, and physicians are willing to answer this question in a rational way, then access will actually increase.

Phil Eskew, M.D.

General Counsel and VP of Clinical Development

Proactive MD

Policy Advisor, The Heartland Institute

philsq(at)gmail(dot)com

864/501-0751

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The bill is a disappointment. Its little more than repeal in name only. And its ideas for replacement are almost indistinguishable from the Obamacare status quo. Within hours of the bills release, four Republican senators  Rand Paul, Ted Cruz, Mike Lee, and Ron Johnson  said that they could not support it in its current form. Several others from across the partys ideological spectrum have reacted tepidly but stopped short of rejecting the bill outright. It will not pass if any more than two Republicans defect.

McConnell and company can only blame themselves for this predicament. Republicans have promised to repeal and replace Obamacare for seven years. This bill doesnt do that. Any bill that does not fully repeal Obamacare and replace it with market-oriented, patient-centered reforms deserves to be rejected.

Sally Pipes

President and CEO, Pacific Research Institute

Policy Advisor, The Heartland Institute

spipes(at)pacificresearch(dot)org 415/955-6100

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The Heartland Institute is a 33-year-old national nonprofit organization headquartered in Arlington Heights, Illinois. Its mission is to discover, develop, and promote free-market solutions to social and economic problems. For more information, visit our Web site or call 312/377-4000.
An increase in wetter weather in the Northern California area naturally means a lot more green and growing foliage and plants, and along with that; a humdinger of an allergy season. This year the pollen intensity might go on a bit longer thanks to the current uptick in heat were experiencing...

An increase in wetter weather in the Northern California area naturally means a lot more green and growing foliage and plants, and along with that; a humdinger of an allergy season. A relief from drought conditions is most welcome, but for pollen sensitive allergy sufferers, it also means an increase in misery-causing grass and weed pollen.

Our patients have been reporting the typical allergy season symptoms, such as itchy eyes and sneezing, explains Linda Biggers NCMAs SRHN Allergy Clinic Manager & Clinician. This is not surprising since according to the experts we are already well into grass pollen season. Grass pollen is the most allergy causing pollen; and its one of the most prolific pollen producers in our area. Grass pollen levels typically become most prevalent though the month of June. This year the pollen intensity might go on a bit longer thanks to the current uptick in heat were experiencing, she added.

Although allergies might be a challenge to deal with, it is a normal physiological reaction to airborne allergens. Typical reactions include a runny nose and swollen sinus passages as the body tries to block the allergen from getting into the system. The immune system reacts defensively to the pollen and responds to attack by producing large amounts of antibody. This allergic reaction can cause symptoms including; itchy and watery eyes and throat, runny nose, hives and overall fatigue.

Understanding Pollen Season

Anyone who suffers from seasonal pollen allergies probably knows that its spread by the wind. Any warm afternoon breeze can be loaded with pollen from trees, grasses, flowering plants and a plethora of weeds. Although springtime may be the launch of allergy season, many plants pollinate year-round. And according to online pollen reporting sites, pollen counts vary from day to day and hour to hour depending on heat and precipitation.

According to researchers, nasal allergies affect about 50 million people in the U.S. and its a problem that is on the increase. As many as 30 percent of adults and 40 percent of children report allergy symptoms. Allergic disease including asthma, is the now the fifth leading chronic disease in the U.S. in people of all ages. It has been estimated that between 24-40 million of allergy patients suffer specifically from an airborne allergy resulting in hay fever or Seasonal Allergic Rhinitis Rhinitis.

Allergy Independence with Immunotherapy

Over-the-counter remedies and staying indoors might not work for everyone and thats when doctors might recommend immunotherapy. This type of allergy therapy follows a thorough allergy test to screen for which allergens are causing the problem, patients are then set up on a schedule of injections that are geared toward not only relieving allergy symptoms but eliminating them altogether.

We are able to test for more than 40 different inhalant allergens that are common to the area, such as trees, grass, weeds, molds, dust mites, animals, and others. From the results of these tests we are then able to advise patients on the best options for treating their individual allergy symptoms, said Biggers.

In order to get a persons immune system to stop over-reacting to allergens, we may offer immunotherapy which uses a gradual desensitization process that involves injecting extracts of identified allergens. Normally these injections are given once a week over the course of several months, she explained. We then graduate treatments to bi-monthly and eventually to just once a month. The goal is to make you feel better while cutting back or eliminating your allergy medications.

About SRHN Allergy Center

The Allergy Center at Santa Rosa Head and Neck (SRHN) provides patients with a clear solution to the treatment of allergies using a collaborative team of board-certified otolaryngologists and allergy specialists. SRHN physicians are members of the American Academy of Otolaryngic Allergy. For more information on the Allergy Center at Santa Rosa Head & Neck visit the NCMA website or call (707) 523-7025 to schedule an appointment.
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Google's artificial intelligence lab DeepMind is currently allowing the Royal Free to use its patient monitoring smartphone app Streams for free, the Royal Free Trust told Business Insider following a freedom of information (FOI) battle that went on for six months.

However, the Royal Free must pay DeepMind a "service fee" if DeepMind ends up providing more than 15,000 in "support" per month, which is likely to come in the form of computing power and DeepMind staff costs. That threshold is yet to be breached, as the Royal Free said it has not paid DeepMind any fees.

The Streams app sends an alert to a clinician's smartphone if a patient's condition deteriorates. It also allows clinicians to view a patient's medical records and see where patients are being looked after.

A DeepMind spokesperson said: "Streams is an entirely new clinical app, and we don't believe it's right to charge the NHS anything other than modest service fees until it shows sustained impact and value." DeepMind and the Royal Free have not established what the service fees would be if the Royal Free were to cross the 15,000 threshold.

There is an argument that DeepMind is initially offering the app to NHS trusts for free as a "data play" to get access to valuable NHS patient data. If the app doesn't cost anything to use, then NHS trusts are going to be more inclined to deploy it.

Dr Julia Powles, a legal academic who has co-authored published research on DeepMind's work with the NHS, told Business Insider that it is incumbent on DeepMind to disprove this argument.

"One side of this is the consistently obfuscated point about why DeepMind has needed every single Royal Free patient's data, and how this has informed the app it is now starting to distribute around the country," said Powles. "But the other is about value for data  ensuring that we're not allowing a private company patroned by Google to build networks of knowledge about health and disease in a way that will end up with long-term costs."

DeepMind has previously said that it needed access to the medical records so that Streams can provide clinicians with the information needed to help them treat patients.

But medical records contain some of our most private information, including things like whether a person has had an abortion or what a person's HIV status is, as well as our full names and addresses

DeepMind would likely dispute that it is providing services to the NHS in return for data. At no point has the patient data been combined with Google products, services, or ads.

"Once the sustained benefits of Streams are proven then we'll aim to charge future partners fees in line with current IT supplier market rates, ideally tying some of these fees to the practical impact we can have on patients, clinicians and the hospitals we serve," a DeepMind spokesperson said.

DeepMinds first deal with the Royal Free was criticised for a lack of transparency

DeepMind has signed two deals with the Royal Free. The first was signed in September 2015 and the second was signed in November 2016.

The financial details that the Royal Free has disclosed relate to the second deal. The first deal didn't specify anything concerning financials.

DeepMind and the Royal Free have always insisted that their partnership is legally sound on the basis that Streams is providing "direct care" to patients  something that automatically assumes "implied consent" on the patient's behalf.

However, a letter leaked to Sky News and published last month shows that the National Data Guardian (NDG), Dame Fiona Caldicott, wrote to the Royal Free in February 2017 to let them know that the legal basis for the data-sharing deal used to test Streams was inappropriate.

Legally speaking, patients are implied to have consented to their medical records being shared if it was shared for the purpose of "direct care."

But Caldicott, the UK's health data regulator, wrote in her letter: "When I wrote to you in December, I said that I did not believe that when the patient data was shared with Google DeepMind, implied consent for direct care was an appropriate legal basis."

She added: "Given that Streams was going through testing and therefore could not be relied upon for patient care, any role the application may have played in supporting the provision of direct care would have been limited and secondary to the purpose of the data transfer," she wrote. "My considered opinion therefore remains that it would not have been within this reasonable expectation of patients that their records would have been shared for this purpose."

The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO), the UK data regulator, is carrying out its own investigation into whether the data transfer from the Royal Free to DeepMind was legal under the Data Protection Act. A verdict is expected to be made public in the coming weeks.

Two other NHS Trusts  Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust and Taunton and Somerset NHS Foundation Trust  have also signed deals with DeepMind to use the Streams app. Taunton and Somerset Trust is on the same tariff as the Royal Fee, according to a spokesperson from the trust. Imperial did not immediately respond to Business Insider's request for comment.

It took 6 months and a complaint to the UK data regulator to get the Royal Free to open up

The Royal Free blocked an FOI request by Business Insider on December 21, saying the financial details of the DeepMind partnership were "commercially sensitive".

In the FOI response, Alison Macdonald, board secretary at the Royal Free, said that the trust could only disclose the figure "when it is satisfied that the public interest in withholding the information outweighs the public interest in disclosing it."

At the time, Macdonald said that the trust's "starting point" for revealing the financials was "in favour of disclosure" adding that it would help the trust to become more accountable and transparent. But she said disclosing such information may enable DeepMind's competitors to "obtain commercially sensitive information thus causing prejudice to their commercial interests."

On December 24, Business Insider requested the Royal Free carry out an internal review into why the financial information was not disclosed.

On January 24, Emma Kearney, director of corporate affairs and communications at the Royal Free, said: "In balancing the arguments for and against disclosure, I am satisfied that the public interest lies in maintaining the exemption. I am therefore satisfied that the information is exept from disclosure under section 43(2) of the FOIA."

Business Insider then complained to the ICO in February. Responding to Business Insider's request on May 15, ICO senior case officer Susan Duffy said she had been allocated the case to investigate.

On June 8, Duffy followed up saying: "I have now had a response from the Trust. They have reconsidered your request and have now decided that the information you have requested should be disclosed."

DeepMind has also refused to disclose the financials in the past but it said it "supports" the Royal Free's decision to release the information this week.

"It's our goal to be one of the most open and transparent companies working with the NHS today," said a DeepMind spokesperson. Despite refusing to disclose the financial details of its NHS partnerships on multiple past occasions, DeepMind said it supported the Royal Free's "decision" to release the information this week.

DeepMind is working with a number of other NHS hospitals on different projects that don't involve Streams. They include an eyecare project with Moorfields and a cancer detection project with University College London Hospital.
The mission is to afford a platform for Ghanaian companies to strengthen collaboration between the two countries for win-win business exchanges and trade investment.

The Ghanaian companies would make presentations on renewable energy, agriculture, finance among others, to expose the countrys potential to the Russian business community.

The companies include; Ghana Free Zones Board, Ghana Export Promotion Authority, Microfinance and Small Loans Centre, National Petroleum Authority, Northern Electricity Distribution Company, Ghana Cylinder Manufacturing Company, Global Dream Hotel, Abuya Cleaning Services, Bonyaso Farms, Nerjet Company limited, Westbourne Company Limited, Strategic Communications Limited, Strategic Energies Limited, and Nick Petroleum.

Togbe Afede XIV, Board Chairman of the World Trade Centre, (WTC) Accra, said the Centre, owned by Strategic Initiatives Limited, acquired the license to operate from the World Trade Centres Association (WTCA) in New York, to operate in Accra, Ghana.

Togbe Afede XIV said WTC Accra was a member of the prestigious WTCA, whose membership included more than 300 world trade centres operating in 100 countries, a global network that provided business people with services, and facilities for easy and faster international trade.

He said through the WTCA, WTC Accra became a local link to all other world trade centres with a unique concept of reciprocity, making membership in WTC Accra an entry into the international business community.

Togbe Afede XIV said the centre was aimed at bringing together businesses and government agencies involved in international trade to provide essential trade services and stimulate the economy of the country through conference facilities, trade fairs and exhibitions, trade missions, trade information services, and market research services.

He said the mission was the Centres 10th trade mission and had yielded positive impact through networks and business exchanges with international companies.

He urged the companies to make a strong presentation to attract investors for the country.

Mr Andrey Stolyarov, Deputy Head of Mission to Ghana, Embassy of the Russian Federation, commended the Centre for the initiatives, and hoped both countries would make a strong presentation to woo investors for mutual benefit.

Mr. Bright Awuye, Head of Research and Trade Education, WTC, said the mission to Russia was crucial because both countries signed a protocol in 2016 on national interest issues, urging Ghanaian companies to give a detailed outline about the company and what they could do better than other companies.

The participants were very optimistic of a fruitful engagement with the Russian community for win-win business opportunities.
Addressing a press conference to counter claims by the Minority that the government was being insensitive to the plight of cocoa farmers, Mr Quaitoo also ruled out any increase in cocoa prices for farmers.

He said: "The budget is simply not large enough to buy fertilizer to meet every farmers needs. It is not possible, else we will lose all our revenue from the sales.

We dont see how the prices can be increase in the coming year when we are borrowing money to sustain the current price.he added.

The minority last Wednesday slammed the government for refusing to increase the producer price of cocoa, saying the cocoa stabilization levy should be used for that purpose.

But Mr William pushed back hard on that saying "stabilisation is stabilisation."

"It is to stabilize the price at that current state. It is not meant to increase it. Who can tell what will happen tomorrow? The price is still dipping.
The youth vandalised party properties in protest of Abu Mohammed's nomination as DCE.

Saka Sayuti, the first nominee of the president, has been rejected three times by the Walewale District Assembly after he failed to convince assembly members to approve him.

The Public Relations Officer of the Northern Regional Police Command, ASP Mohammed Tanko, said the ringleaders are on the run but said investigations are underway to establish the perpetrators.

"So the police did not meet the trouble makers on the ground. It is currently very difficult to identify exactly those who were involved in this particular disturbance, but investigations are underway to establish the perpetrators so that they will be arrested and prosecuted, ASP Tanko said.

Meanwhile, the NPP's northern regional chairman, Daniel Bugri Naabu, has appealed for calm, describing the development as embarrassing.

He also urged the aggrieved youth to use the party structures to address party issues.

He said:I want to tell the party executives, the party members, the youth of the New Patriotic Party in the West Mumprusi district, Walewale, to calm down.

"Their concerns will be addressed properly and therefore they should not do that to embarrass the party, the government, and the president."

READ MORE: Minister calls for arrest of youth preventing Savelugu MCE from workingI know well that their grievances are their rights. I also share the same sentiment with them, but the way they are going about it is not right.
Speaking on Kumasi-based Abusua FM, he said: Ghana is not stable at all. Dont believe anyone who comes to tell you that Ghana is at peace.

"Last year God revealed to me that this year some big men in our society will die just like how we lost about six of them last year. In November and December 2016 God repeated the revelation."

His comments come after Prophet Bishop Reindolph Oduro Gyebi, General Overseer of Gods Crown Chapel in Kumasi said a looming disaster will befall this country.

An update of a prophetic word. You remember God through me revealed that there will be strong winds and thunder, today I bring the update. People should watch out. This is a prophetic update. I made this revealation 2 or 3 weeks ago. I saw thunder and strong winds accompanied by floods destroying properties and many drowning in the floods. Lives were lost, Prophet Gyebi said.

Bishop Obinim said the cause of the deaths was not revealed to him but said he and his junior pastors have been praying over the revelation.

READ MORE: Obinim in verbal exchange with accuser in flogging case

He also asked Ghanaians to pray hard to avert any looming disaster.
READ MORE: Expert urges government not to bow to US pressure

However, under U.S. law, when a diplomat or official applies for a new visa for personal travel, that applicant must appear in person for an interview.

This is not a new policy.

In such limited and special circumstances as having a former president come in, we have procedures established to ensure the appropriate courtesies are extended.

When a diplomat or official applies for a visa for personal travel, it is neither necessary nor appropriate for the applicant to be accompanied to the interview by protocol assistants.

READ MORE: Ablakwa condemns US embassy over new visa policy
READ MORE: Expert urges government not to bow to US pressure

The embassy further issued a statement clarifying its position on the raging matter.

A press attache at the US embassy,Sara Veldhuizen Stealy, further clarified to Pulse.com.gh that "everyone must appear for an interview for personal travel."

She continued: "It's not a new policy. We work with former presidents to extend appropriate courtesies to them when they come in."

She further noted her intervention is not t prevent Ghanaians from debating the policy but said:"I want to be sure they have accurate information about what they're debating."
The report found that even after Obama and his senior aides were provided with an intelligence report detailing how Russian hackers had breached the Democratic National Committee's servers in an attempt to damage Clinton's candidacy, they failed to act. That failure, the report said, was born out of an assumption that Clinton would win the November election regardless.
The reports reveal that the Tinsel star has since moved into a new apartment located in the Anthony Village area of Lagos state, away from her veteran actor husband and their kids.

ALSO READ: 10 Nigerian celebrity long term couples

Playgroundtv reports that the pair decided to end their relationship after careful consideration and have agreed to remain friends.

The actors got married shortly after Patrick's first wife passed on and have been together for over two decades.

ALSO READ: Actress opens up on getting pregnant at 17

They share six children but lost one to a sickle cell in 1999.
Sinzu had pleaded guilty to the offense.

He was said to have stolen bank card numbers and identified information of their owners.

He had encoded the bank numbers into blank cards, changed the account PINs, and withdrawn cash from ATMs with which he had bought goods from stores in the Idaho area, reports said.

Sinzu, whose music career has taken a nosedive over the past years, was arrested as he was about to board a flight.

It was gathered the police found a card encoding device and more than $6000 on him.

According to Idaho Statesman, the rapper was charged with conspiracy to commit bank fraud, eight counts each of bank fraud and aggravated identity theft, and possession of several fraudulent bank cards.
Akin, 37, a resident of No. 16, Adeola St., off Akinjagunla, Akure, Ondo State, is facing a three-count charge bordering on obtaining money under false pretences and stealing.

The Prosecutor, Insp. Peter Nwangwu, told the court that the accused, who entered a not guilty plea, committed the offences sometime in January at No. 20, Gospel crusade St., Haruna bus stop, College road, Ifako-Ijaiye.

Nwangwu said Akin collected N2.6 million from Nwachukwu, with a promise to procure an American visa, tickets and hotel reservations for herself, her husband and son, but failed to do so.

He alleged that the complainant paid the said amount into the accuseds Diamond bank account and Lasale Travels and Tours Diamond bank account belonging to him

When confronted, the accused said he had spent the money and started giving excuses.

By the time Akin returned Nwachukwus international passport, it was discovered that the passport has been damaged by him by perforating some pages and he refused to return the husbands passport.

It was later discovered that all the documents, hotel reservations and tickets he gave the complainant were fake.

All efforts made by the accused to refund the complainants money were unsuccessful as he started threatening her life through phone calls and text messages, until he was recently apprehended by the police, Nwangwu said.

The offences contravened Sections 285, 166 and 312 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015 (Revised).

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Section 312 prescribes a 15-year jail term for obtaining money under false pretences.

The Chief Magistrate, Mrs Y.O. Aje-Afunwa, granted the accused bail in the sum of 700,000 with two sureties in like sum.
Punch reports that Victor Army No: 09/NA/64/6317, was attached to the Nigeria Army Band Corps, Abatti Barracks, Surulere, Lagos.

ALSO READ:Kidnap kingpin narrates events leading to his arrest

Now, ThisDay throws more light on the arrest, revealing that Nonso, as Victor was fondly called, was a member of Evans' gang.

Victor, who is a native of Onitsha, Anambra state was arrested by the IRT at about 7p.m. on Saturday, June 24, at the Ojo Area of Lagos.

According to the reports, Corporal Victor has confessed to having followed Evans to kidnap in Lagos State three times where he got N2million, N1.5million and N3 Million respectively.
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Team USA skipper Jimmy Spithill, shooting for a third straight Cup crown, threw in a slight swerve as the catamarans headed side-by-side for the startline, allowing Kiwi helmsman Peter Burling to blast across the line one second ahead.

Leading at the first mark, New Zealand were never really threatened.

Burling made the most of a wind shift on the third leg to stretch New Zealand's lead to 32 seconds at the third mark.

They led by as many as 40 at the fourth mark, and even though the USA whittled that down to 12 Oracle weren't in position to challenge on the final sprint to the finish line.

New Zealand snatched back the momentum after the USA notched their first win of the series on Saturday.
Beijing is investing around $50 billion in its South Asian neighbour as part of a plan unveiled in 2015 to link its far-western Xinjiang region to Gwadar port in Balochistan with a series of infrastructure, power and transport upgrades.

But fears over safety arose last month when two Chinese workers were abducted in Quetta, the capital of the southwestern Balochistan province, which is at the heart of the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project but racked by separatist and Islamist insurgencies.

Authorities were going to all possible efforts to arrest those responsible for kidnapping, Hussain said.

China has stated it will cooperate with Pakistani authorities to investigate whether the two Chinese citizens -- who were allegedly killed by the Islamic State group in the country -- had been illegally preaching.

So far there has been no official confirmation of the Chinese pair's fate.

Pakistan has been battling Islamist and nationalist insurgencies in mineral-rich Balochistan since 2004, with hundreds of soldiers and militants killed in the fighting.
Assaults backed by air and artillery bombardment stopped at the start of Islamic prayers at 6am but gunfire erupted as soon as the truce ended around 2pm, AFP reporters in Marawi said.

Military chief General Eduardo Ano ordered his forces to observe a "humanitarian pause" during the Eid al-Fitr holiday in Marawi, the most important Muslim city in the mainly Catholic Philippines.

"We declare a lull in our current operations in the city on that day as a manifestation of our high respect to the Islamic faith," Ano said in a statement.

The Eid al-Fitr festival ends the fasting month of Ramadan.

Hundreds of militants, flying the flag of the Islamic State group and backed by foreign fighters, seized swathes of Marawi in the southern region of Mindanao last month, sparking bloody street battles and raising regional concern.

Troops have launched a relentless air and ground offensive but have failed to dislodge gunmen from entrenched positions in pockets of the city.

Much of the lakeside city is now in ruins while most of its 200,000 residents have fled to evacuation centres or to the homes of relatives and friends in other towns.

At Iligan just north of Marawi, evacuees dressed in colourful flowing robes marked the end of Ramadan by holding prayers on the grounds of city hall.

Armed commandos from the police Special Action force stood guard as the prayers were held.

Presidential spokesman Ernesto Abella said Sunday a Philippine Navy ship was sent to Cotabato south of Marawi to bring supplies for soldiers involved in the fighting and serve as a floating hospital for the wounded.

Civilians trapped

Military spokesman Brigadier General Restituto Padilla said around 500 civilians remained trapped in areas where the fighting is concentrated.

After the ceasefire ends "we will continue to try to enter the areas occupied by them and liberate Marawi", Padilla said on radio station DZBB.

Nearly 300 militants and 67 troops have been killed in the fighting, according to official figures.

"This (Eid) is memorable because we are celebrating it away from our homes," said Marawi's mayor Majul Usman Gandamrahe.

"We are hoping that this problem will soon be over... I urge everybody to continue praying so that the turmoil in our city of Marawi will end," he said on ANC television.

In May Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte declared martial law across all of Mindanao to quell what he described as a rebellion aimed at establishing an Islamic State caliphate in the area.

Foreign fighters, including those from Chechnya, Indonesia and Malaysia, are among those killed in the Marawi conflict.

A senior military commander said on Saturday that Isnilon Hapilon, a leader of the Marawi attack and one of America's most wanted terrorists, may have slipped out of the city.

Regional military spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Jo-ar Herrera said Sunday the military was still checking the report.

"He (Hapilon) is not being heard or monitored commanding troops on the ground," Herrera said in Marawi.
Several police officers fought back against the militants, killing one and critically injuring another.

"We suspect the attackers have links with IS and Bahrun Naim, because we found a IS flag, books and CDs linked to IS in the house of one attacker," national police spokesman Setyo Wasisto told AFP.

Bahrun Naim, an Indonesian who is fighting with IS in Syria, has been accused of directing a series of mostly botched terror plots in his homeland in recent years.

Hundreds of radicals from Indonesia have flocked abroad to fight with IS, and the country has seen a surge in plots and attacks linked to the jihadists over the past year.

The attack happened just hours before Eid prayers were held, including at the North Sumatra police headquarters, as part of the Eid al-Fitr celebrations that mark the end of the holy fasting month of Ramadan.

Police are also investigating whether Sunday's incident was linked to the recent capture of three militants accused of plotting to attack police, Wasisto added.

In May suicide bombers killed three police officers at a bus station in Jakarta in the deadliest attack in Indonesia since January 2016, when a suicide blast and gun assault claimed by IS left four assailants and four civilians dead in the capital.

Indonesia has long struggled with Islamic militancy and has suffered a series of fatal attacks in the past 15 years, including the 2002 Bali bombings that killed 202 people.
"To give up their life, their nearest and dearest and leave the country for many years, and to dedicate one's life to the Fatherland, not everyone is capable of doing that," the former KGB officer said on state television.

"These are people not like the rest," who have qualities, convictions and character out of the ordinary, Putin added on the Russia-1 channel.

"These are unique people. I wish them happiness and prosperity," he added.

The Russian strongman said that his own service in the country's main security agency during the Soviet era had involved "especially, undercover intelligence".

Putin was stationed in Dresden, in what was then East Germany, for the Soviet espionage service from 1985-1990, according to his official biography.
Xi will be in the city from Thursday to Sunday to attend a ceremony marking the anniversary of the handover, which took place on July 1, 1997.

The Chinese leader will also take part in the inauguration of the fifth administration of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, the semi-autonomous city's government.

Xinhua did not provide more details about the trip.

Carrie Lam, a former career civil servant, was chosen in late March as the city's new chief executive and will be sworn in on July 1.

Xi's visit comes at a time when Beijing stands accused of squeezing the city's freedoms and frustrations have led to the emergence of a new independence movement calling for Hong Kong to break from the mainland.

Protesters say they are preparing to gather during the handover celebrations and Xi's visit will be shrouded in a huge security operation.

The Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post newspaper gave a detailed itinerary of the trip last week.

Xi, who will be accompanied by his wife Peng Liyuan, will tour the garrison of China's People's Liberation Army in central Hong Kong and an infrastructure project, the Post said.

Hong Kong was handed back to China by colonial power Britain in 1997 under a "one country, two systems" deal designed to protect its freedoms and way of life for 50 years.
For two weeks, throughout the testimony and jury deliberations, I attended the sexual-assault trial of Bill Cosby in Norristown, Pa. I have been counseling survivors of trauma, abuse and sexual assault for 20 years. I am also a childhood abuse survivor.

I had connected with several of Cosbys accusers in the past two years and, leading up to the trial, I had conversations with some of the women. I had occasionally exchanged words of support with Andrea Constand, whose accusation that Cosby had drugged and sexually assaulted her at his home in 2004 led to the trial, and Montgomery County District Attorney Kevin Steele.

For years colleagues and friends have told me that trying to win a legal battle after being sexually assaulted is almost impossible. At one point I worked with a patient who reported being choked and raped, and she had physical evidence of the attack. But the case did not even make it to trial. In fact, the accused countersued her for defamation and she was told by the local district attorney, Why would anyone believe you? You stayed in a relationship with this man after he allegedly assaulted you on many occasions.

With that background I found it very difficult to maintain decorum as I listened to the pretrial deposition and the way Cosby responded to some of the questions. He admitted giving Constand drugs and having sexual contact with her. He even suggested that Constand had an orgasm when talking to her mother. What most people do not understand is the guilt and sense of responsibility survivors feel when their bodies respond positively to assault. So many victims will think things like, Maybe I asked for it, or My body acted like I wanted it. We do not have control over the way our body responds in any kind of traumatic situation.

By the end of week two my heart was breaking for Constand and all of the women who have come forward. But I also found myself feeling empowered and hopeful. Every day different media outlets were talking to some of the women, as well as to me and other assault advocates. The attention on this case put sexual assault in the spotlight. On my Facebook page, many women were writing about how these stories gave them the strength to speak out about their abuse or assault.

The moment that had the most impact for me was when I had the opportunity for the first time to give Constand a hug. She was walking down a secure hallway through the courthouse. I remember thinking that she appeared strong, tough and persistent. The impact of this kind of trauma leaves many without a voice. For years after I was abused I felt as though I could not say no to anyone. I was afraid of people getting angry at me. I didnt know how to protect myself from people who did not have my best interest at heart.

When the news broke over the weekend of a mistrial in the Cosby case, I felt my heart sink. But then there was a shift. As I was giving an interview to a local media outlet, I found myself feeling hopeful as we spoke about Steeles announcement that he will see this through until the end. Once I heard that Constand was OK with moving forward I thought, In many ways you have already won.

Living through any kind of trauma can ruin lives. But throughout this legal process, Constand has been fighting for her right to be heard and to have a fair trial and a verdict. And Steele continues to tell the world that we need to hold people accountable for these types of crimes.

Being a high-profile person does not give anyone the right to hurt someone else and then be let off the hook. I plan to attend the next trial and I will continue to support my patients or anyone on the journey toward recovering after surviving.
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It didnt sound like a very interesting job but it was a free ticket there and back and I was curious to see how things had changed.

It was in the mid-1990s and I had been recruited as a camp manager by a petroleum exploration company operation near Fogamaiiu village on the Hegigio River in the Southern Highlands.

A RECENT comment in PNG Attitude by Ed Brumby reminded me of the first time I went back to Papua New Guinea after an absence of over 20 years.

My arrival in Port Moresby wasnt especially unusual. The old terminal building was still in use and The Gateway Hotel was sitting in the same spot. The town had expanded somewhat but apart from the deterioration of many buildings and rubbish everywhere it was largely recognisable.

It was only when I tried to get on a flight to Mount Hagen that things got interesting.

The Indonesians had been particularly enthusiastic in torching their rain forests that year and there was a smoky pall over most of the highlands.

My flight duly arrived above the airstrip at Kagamuga and we circled through the haze looking for an opening before the pilot gave up and flew on to Madang where we refuelled and returned to Port Moresby.

Our second attempt got off to a good start. We boarded the Dash 8 only an hour or so late and everyone strapped themselves into their seats ready for take-off.

It was then that an irate highlander discovered that the aircraft had been overbooked and he didnt have a seat. He had been trying to get home for several days and remonstrated with the cabin crew before several burly security guards came on board and frog marched him back to the terminal.

With that out of the way the plane took off. The attendants had just finished handing out biscuits and little tubs of orange juice when the pilot announced there was an electrical fault and said we were heading back to Jacksons.

Two days followed when I was dropped off at the airport in the morning on the off chance there would be a flight to Hagen. The company representative happily informed me that nearly everyone eventually got on a flight to where they were going in PNG. All that was required was patience.

Sitting in the old terminal for two long days waiting for a ghost flight was no picnic but I was befriended by a missionary and his family in the same situation. They had an endless supply of anecdotes and tasty snacks. And when the need arose we nipped up to The Gateway to use its toilets.

On the third day, those who had survived the two days were bundled out to a Dash 8 and we took off for another try.

Unfortunately Kagamuga was still sitting under a pall of smoke. Then our hopes were raised. There was an aeroplane sitting on the tarmac whose pilot reckoned he could talk our guy down over the radio.

It was a tricky manoeuvre but we were all past caring (including the rambunctious highlander who had been marched off the plane a few days ago and now had a seat).

Im not sure what I was thinking as we dropped through the murk. There was no way of knowing whether there was an airfield below us or not. I hoped the pilot had a better idea.

As it turned out we were roughly in the right spot. The Dash 8 was shaking like a rock-filled bucket when we lobbed into relatively clear air  a lot closer to the ground than anticipated with the wheels just down and approximately at the midpoint of the runway.

We landed with one hell of a thump and bounced a couple of times before skewing to a halt.

When we reached the parking bay everyone heaved a sigh of relief and gave the grinning Buka pilot a standing ovation.

It used to be that the road between Kagamuga and Hagen town ran through open fields of kaukau and bananas but now it was lined with houses, shops and markets. Every 200 metres there was a dartboard surrounded by eager punters eyeing off the prize of a carton of SP.

Mt Hagen was unrecognisable and I couldnt work out where I was; only the market seemed to be in the same place.

There were high fences and razor wire everywhere. It was a town under siege. A visit to the Hagen Country Club for dinner was like getting in and out of a high security gaol.

And the night we had Chinese takeaway we had to negotiate a 20 foot galvanised iron gate and place our order through a steel grill in the restaurant wall.

We drove to Mendi to get to where I was eventually going to work. We had two security guys in the back with pump action shotguns and machetes and we drove at maximum speed all the way without stopping.

At Mendi I jumped on a waiting chopper and was whisked through the Indonesians smoke to Fogamaiiu.

It was only then that the smoke thinned out a bit. The camp was open and unfenced and a few locals with bush knives were hanging about. There was a rumour that a gang of raskols was on its way from Waro to do our guys over on payday and our workers were going to stop them.

That afternoon the chopper pilot flew the short distance from the camp to the river to give his machine a wash; apparently this was advisable given all the crap in the air.

In the afternoon sun I sat in the river up to my armpits in clear water. A couple of noisy kokomos cruised overhead and there were some village kids laughing and splashing nearby.

I was back in PNG and Ive been going back regularly ever since. The raskols never arrived.
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India was a very important strategic partner of the US, she said.

Biocon chief Kiran Mazumdar has expressed hope that Prime Minister Narendra Modi would address issues pertaining to IT and other industries in a positive manner during his current US visit.

"I have no doubt that our prime minister is seized of all issues and I am sure he will raise them with President (Donald) Trump and by all accounts I think they will get along very well," she told reporters in Bengaluru.

India was a very important strategic partner of the US, she said Saturday night on the sidelines of the Annual General Meeting of Infosys, of which she is a director.

On the $1 million settlement reached by Infosys with the state of New York over alleged violation of H1-B visa rules, she said it was a very old pending case that has been closed.

"The main issue had been settled a long time ago. This is just a one state pending closure, and it has happened. It is nothing to really dwell upon," Mazumdar said.

She was replying to question on the message that would be sent by the development which came just days ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi meeting US President Donald Trump.

Mazumdar expressed hope that large number of issues would be addressed by the Prime Minister during his US visit in a positive way.

Replying to a question on Goods and Services Tax, Mazumdar said the industries were hoping for a smooth rollout of the new tax regime.

"Well, there are always concerns whenever there is such a game-changing transformational reform. We are keeping our fingers crossed and hoping that the roll out would be smooth," she said.

Photograph: Amit Dave/Reuters
India's growth presents a win-win partnership for the country and the US, and American companies have a great opportunity to contribute to that, Modi told the CEOs.



Image: Prime Minister Narendra Modi is flanked by Jeff Bezos of Amazon, John Chambers of Cisco (L), Tim Cook of Apple and Sunder Pichai of Google (R). Photograph: Kind courtesy, PIB

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said India has now emerged as a business-friendly destination, more so with the upcoming implementation of the landmark GST beginning next month, while asking CEOs of top US companies to invest in the country.

Modi also said India attracted largest foreign direct investment (FDI) as a result of the National Democratic Alliance governments policies in the last three years, during his interaction with a group of CEOs of top 20 American firms.

In a round table interaction with the group, including Tim Cook of Apple, Satya Nadella from Microsoft, Sunder Pichai from Google, John Chambers from Cisco and Jeff Bezos of Amazon, Modi listed out steps taken by his government in the last three years and next moves.

"The whole world is looking at India. 7,000 reforms alone by GOI for ease of (doing) business and minimum government, maximum governance, Gopal Bagley, spokesman of the Ministry of External Affairs said in a tweet from inside the meeting, quoting the prime minister.

India's growth presents a win-win partnership for the country and the US, and American companies have a great opportunity to contribute to that, Modi told the CEOs, according to Bagley.

"The implementation of the landmark initiative of GST could be a subject of studies in US business schools," Modi said.

During the hour-long interaction, at the Willard Hotel, where he is staying, Modi gave a patient hearing to the wish-list of the CEOs.



Image: Prime Minister Narendra Modi with the CEOs of 21 corporations in Washington, DC, on Sunday.

Front row (from left): Jim Taiclet, Chairman, President and CEO, American Tower; Alex Gorsky, Chairman and CEO, Johnson and Johnson; Marilly Hewson, Chairman, President and CEO, Lockheed Martin; Jeff Bezos, Founder and CEO, Amazon; John Chambers, Executive Chairman, Cisco; Tim Cook, CEO, Apple; Sundar Pichai, CEO, Google; Doug McMillon, President and CEO, Walmart; Jim Umpleby, CEO, Caterpillar; and Punit Renjen, Global CEO, Deoitte.



Back row (from left): Mukesh Aghi, President, USIBC; David Rubenstein, Co-founder and Co-CEO, Carlyle group; Charles Kaye, Co-CEO, Warburg Pincus; David Farr, Chairman and CEO, Emerson; Arne Sorenson, President and CEO, Marriott International; Jamie Dimon, CEO, JP Morgan Chase; Mark Weinberger, CEO, Ernst & Young; Irene Rosenfield, Chairman and CEO, Modelez International; Ajay Banga, President and CEO, Mastercard; Shantanu Narayen, President and CEO, Adobe; and Daniel Yergin, Vice Chairman, IHS Markit.

Mukesh Aghi, president of the US India Business Council, was also present at the meeting.

Posting a group picture of the prime minister with the CEOs, Bagley said, "strengthening the Indo-US economic partnership".

In a recent policy document, USIBC said the US-India commercial and strategic relationship supports global security, promotes economic growth and creates jobs for both countries and the global economy.

"Today, as we witness a paradigm shift in the erstwhile global order, an opportunity has emerged for both countries to set new standards in bilateral ties that will be bound by their shared values," USIBC said.

Noting that US-India trade has tripled over the last decade, reaching a historic high of nearly $110 billion in 2015, USIBC said there is an opportunity for both the countries to also sync their regulatory and standards system to increase trade and investment.

In a separate statement, Jagdip Ahluwalia, executive director of Indo American Chamber of Commerce of Greater Houston, said the United States and India share a very symbiotic relationship, and Modis first face to face visit with Donald Trump is important to strengthen the relationship between the two.

"On behalf of Houston, the energy capital of the world and home of the world's largest Medical Center the IACCGH and the strong Indian American community hope to welcome Prime Minister Modi to Houston in the not too distant future, Ahluwalia said.

Photographs: Kind courtesy, PIB
Aziz Haniffa, who has covered every Indian prime minister's visit to the US since Rajiv Gandhi in 1985, gives us a peek into what's happening in Washington, DC on the eve of Modi's meeting with Trump.

IMAGE: Prime Minister Narendra Modi with then US president Barack Obama in New Delhi. Photograph: Jim Bourg/Reuters

Journalist Aziz Haniffa began covering State visits by Indian prime ministers in the United States when India was perceived as a surrogate of the erstwhile Soviet Union in Washington, DC and was regularly pilloried in the US Congress.

And he had a ringside view when the first seeds of change were sowed.

"It began with Rajiv Gandhi in 1985 when he came for a State visit at the invitation of Ronald Reagan," Haniffa says.

"This was still the Cold War, but the vibes were amazing. They both got along really well; in fact, at the time there were even talks that it was like a 'father-son relationship', etc."

"A lot of people talk about the US-India science and technology collaborations and technology transfers starting in the Clinton years," Haniffa adds, "but it was really during the Gandhi-Reagan meeting that all this was mooted."

Since then, Haniffa -- executive editor, India Abroad, the oldest Indian-American newspaper and widely considered the dean of the Indian-American media -- has covered every Indian prime minister's visit to the US and witnessed the incredible maturing of the US-India relationship.

This time, he believes, the focus will be on reinforcing the continuity of the relationship without any of the excitement that we have come to expect from such summits.

Haniffa spoke to Rediff.com's Monali Sarkar on the eve of Modi's arrival in the US for his first meeting with President Donald Trump.

US-India ties have seen disastrous summits like the Richard Nixon-Indira Gandhi and Jimmy Carter-Morarji Desai ones and lacklustre ones like the Bill Clinton-I K Gujral one.

But since President Clinton's India visit in 2000, we have gotten used to a certain hype, a certain excitement.>

The Trump-Modi summit, however, is marked by a lack of excitement and expectations. What kind of impact does having low expectations of such a summit have?

I think with all the domestic troubles that Trump was having, his troubles with allies like NATO, and the fact that he attacked India on the climate change issue, the bar was set pretty low.

It seemed like they wanted to go through the motions, because waiting for Trump and Modi to meet at the G20 Summit (already scheduled for July) would not exactly qualify as a bilateral summit. And you want to have some continuity.

But amazingly, over the last few days there has been a change.

A senior White House official who briefed us (on June 23) noted that it is not like Trump doesn't know India. He was there at the Shalabh Kumar campaign rally; he has been to Bombay. And they have been briefing him about the strategic depth of the relationship.

On the defence side, the Guardian drone deal is expected to happen and the co-production of F-16s with the Tatas has already been finalised.

Now, they are talking about the fact that America First and Make in India are not mutually exclusive, but can be mutually beneficial.

Also, there is the fact that US National Security Adviser H R McMaster has been to India and met with Modi, and that Defence Secretary James Mattis has spoken of India in glowing terms about the work they are doing in Afghanistan, and India's importance in maritime security in the Asia Pacific region.

So, from the low just after Trump's climate change attack on India, I think there is a little bit more optimism, more excitement.

But this is still going to be a very business-like visit. It is not a State visit, and there won't be any pomp.

I don't think there are any expectations of moments like when Obama and Modi went to Martin Luther King's memorial etc.

They will have the usual Oval Office photo op, but it is also unlikely that there will be the usual press conference after the meeting.

A senior White House official kept saying don't read anything into it; it's just a preference that both leaders had. (To support this) the official also pointed out that Modi was the first leader for whom President Trump was hosting a working luncheon

It has been said that there is a lack of people with India experience in the administration...

What has really happened is there is still no Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia. Nisha Desai Biswal has not been replaced.

You have got Lisa Curtis, who is a top-notch South Asia specialist, in the National Security Council as senior director for South and Central Asia. So, whatever foreign policy formulations are being done are being done out of NSC, out of the White House. Not out of the State Department.

You have still get the core bureaucracy in the South Asia Bureau, but in terms of high appointments and no point person for South Asia, there is a void.

IMAGE: Getting a read on Donald Trump is tricky and India will have to tread cautiously.

Kenneth Juster's name has just been floated for the office of US ambassador to India.

If confirmed, how effective do you believe Juster will be as a successor to someone like Rich Verma?

That kind of euphoria (about Verma's term as ambassador) probably won't be repeated for a long time to come.

He was the first Indian American and there was a lot of emotion built into it. You won't have that again.

But Ken Juster has a huge track record.

People like Ashley Tellis(whose name was said to be among those considered for the post) have said he is a great choice.

Juster knows trade and commerce. He knows transfer of technology issues.

He was in fact the guy who started this whole US-India High Technology Cooperation Group, etc.

He is a great choice. He can consolidate the partnership.

Many of those in India who believed Trump's campaign stand on China, Pakistan, and Islamic nations made him a better-suited US President for India's needs are beginning to reconsider now.

Where do you think India stands with the Trump administration?

People like (Foreign Secretary) S Jaishankar, (India's NSA) Ajit Doval and (Finance Minister) Arun Jaitley came here and met some of the main players at Treasury, the Commerce Department, the NSA, etc.

I think both sides have found each other reassuring that this relationship has been a strong partnership and that we have got to solidify it.

You don't want any ebbing of the highs in terms of the commercial and strategic partnership.

And the companies are still very gung-ho about investing in India despite their qualms about IPR and reforms not moving as fast as they want.

A key issue for India is the Trump administration's stand on H-1B visas and the treatment of Indian Americans.

Do you think Modi will try to bell this particular cat?

They want to keep away from a lot of the controversial issues.

Things like the H-1B visa might be spoken about in a peripheral way, but only with the CEOs.

The White House is playing this issue down, and a lot of the lobbies (which represent Indian IT companies) also don't think anything is going to happen.

If anything is going to happen on immigration, the priority is going to be the undocumented immigrants, etc.

If you had to list the topics that stood a chance of getting tangible results at this summit -- or during the Trump years -- what would they be?

I think they are going to stress on the positives in terms of continuity -- the defence relationship, and counter-terrorism.

Probably India will be lauded for its role in Afghanistan, and there will be talk about working together on development in Afghanistan.

There has been a lot of forward movement in terms of intelligence sharing, data sharing, counter-terrorism cooperation, and the crown jewels -- the defence cooperation with the sales that are going to take place, the co-production that is going to take place.

A couple of questions were being asked (at the White House briefing on June 23) about the drone sales. Like won't Pakistan have concerns?

And they said the zero-sum game disappeared a long time ago; we have different relationships with India and Pakistan.

I can't reiterate this defence relationship enough.

It has shown exponential growth, and this is not an administration that will have any qualms in terms of selling stuff to India.

Trump is very much for the military industrial complex.

In terms of trade and commerce, whatever has been happening will continue to happen given the fact that many CEOs are meeting with Modi.

Modi knows what Trump is looking for, that his whole focus is jobs.

I think what Modi is going to talk about is making America First and Make in India work together so that there will be jobs on both sides.

I think that's going to be the thrust of the meeting.

When it comes to foreign policy I think there will still be confusion in terms of India reading the Trump administration.

Reading Trump is also tricky.

However, even though with Trump there is always the fear that he might wing it and say something (inappropriate), the fact that there are people like McMaster, Mattis, and now Curtis brings optimism.

And most importantly, the strong bipartisan support in Congress. That is an anchor that will hold the relationship in good stead.

There are, of course, a few issues like IPR reforms that the US wants India to move faster on, but on the whole there is reason to believe there will be less tension in any facet of US-India relations than there is with some of the European allies.

(In the end) there will be a joint statement where they will reinforce things like counter-terrorism, security cooperation, and trying to work together in areas of tension.

But in terms of any big deals, big signings, I don't think there is anything on the cards, or any expectations of it happening.

I think the buzzword is going to be continuity.

IMAGE: Indian Americans cheer as the motorcade carrying Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrives at the Indian Embassy in Washington in September 2014. Photograph: Jonathan Ernst/Reuters

What does the Indian-American community expect from Modi?

I think they still feel pretty optimistic in terms of Modi himself.

Modi definitely knows the power of the Diaspora.

I heard they were trying to get him to come to Houston or Dallas, but right from the beginning they (the two administrations) had planned a short visit.

In your opinion, which has been the most impactful summit between a US President and an Indian PM so far?

Starting with Clinton's transformational visit in 2000, all the meetings between US Presidents and Indian prime ministers have been pretty impactful.

All administrations after that have been running the ball strongly.

George W Bush's meeting with Dr Manmohan Singh went off pretty well; after all, the nuclear deal happened during that time.

Obama had a superb relationship with Dr Singh also.

And the rapport between Obama and Modi was pretty genuine.

A lot of the Diaspora coming together, Congress coming together, huge Congressional delegations traveling to India added to the momentum and increased the understanding of India.

Do you think Modi and Trump will hit it off?

Perhaps the kind of camaraderie, the kind of momentum that was seen in the Obama-Modi meetings might not be evident.

I don't think there are any expectations of the kind of enthusiasm of whatever happened during Modi's meetings with Obama.

But I think they are probably going to hit it off.

Modi being the shrewd and tactical guy that he is, I think they will get along pretty well.

Modi-Trump Summit: What the Pundits Say
National Democratic Alliance presidential nominee Ram Nath Kovind on Sunday met with members of Parliament and state legislators of the Bharatiya Janata Party and its allies from Uttar Pradesh, kick-starting his nationwide tour from his home state to seek support from various political parties.

Accompanied by Union minister Nitin Gadkari and BJP national general secretary Bhupender Yadav, Kovind drove straight to Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's official residence from the airport.

Adityanath and other senior BJP leaders and ministers earlier received 71-year-old Kovind at the airport in Lucknow.

At the CM's residence on the Kalidas Marg, he interacted with a host of senior party leaders including Union ministers Uma Bharti and Gadkari, Deputy Chief Ministers Keshav Prasad Maurya and Dinesh Sharma.

He also met with UP Assembly Speaker Hriday Narayan Dixit.

Addressing the MPs and state legislators, Adityanath said, "It is for the first time that we will have the honour of having a person from Uttar Pradesh as our president. This honour has been bestowed upon by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP chief Amit Shah."

"It will be good, if all the political parties rise above the narrow party lines and vote for him. It will send a good message," the chief minister said.

He said that Kovind has led a simple life and that he has been working continuously for uplift of the poor, the Dalits and the marginalised section of the society.

At the meeting, Gadkari also explained as to how to cast the ballot.

Though Uttar Pradesh has given the nation a number of prime ministers, it will be for the first time that the politically-crucial state will have the pride of sending someone to Rashtrapati Bhavan if Kovind is elected.

The closest the state came to having its representative in the President's House was in 1969, when Mohammad Hidaytullah became the first Acting President of India from July 20, 1969 to August 24, 1969.

Sakshi Maharaj, the BJP MP from Unnao adjoining Kanpur from where Kovind hails, was also present.

Bhupender Yadav, Kovind's authorised representative for the presidential poll, said he has come to Lucknow to seek support from the members the electoral college.

He will now visit other states, Yadav said. BJP sources said a Union minister, a senior organisation leader from the party and two MPs will accompany Kovind during his nationwide tour to reach out to all members of the electoral college.

Though his meeting will be with the supporting MPs and MLAs, Kovind will make an appeal to all the members of the electoral college in every state to support him.

Opposition parties have fielded former Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar, a Dalit leader, against Kovind.

With over 62 per cent of votes firmly behind him, Kovind's election as the next president is almost certain.

The presidential election is scheduled for July 17 and the counting of votes will take place on July 20.

While Kovind filed his nomination papers in presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and NDA chief ministers in New Delhi on June 23, Kumar is yet to file hers.

Kovind, if elected, will be the second from the Dalit community to occupy the highest constitutional office, the first being K R Narayanan.

IMAGE: NDA presidential candidate Ram Nath Kovind being greeted by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath at his official residence in Lucknow on Sunday. Photograph: Nand Kumar/PTI Photo
Trump will host Modi at the White House on Monday afternoon and the two leaders would spend about five hours together in various settings beginning with their bilateral discussion, delegation level talks, a reception and a working dinner, the first of its kind hosted by this administration.

IMAGE: Prime Minister Narendra Modi is welcomed by Indias Ambassador to the US Navtej Sarna at the Joint Base Andrews on Sunday. To Sarnas left is MaryKay Loss Carlson, charge d'affaires at the US embassy in New Delhi. Photograph: Courtesy, MEA on Twitter.

United States President Donald Trump said on Sunday that 'strategic issues' would be on the table when he holds talks with his 'true friend' Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Washington, DC, on Monday, as the two leaders look to strike a personal rapport in their maiden meeting.

'Look forward to welcoming India's PM Modi to @WhiteHouse on Monday. Important strategic issues to discuss with a true friend!,' Trump posted on his official (@POTUS) Twitter handle.

Modi, in his reply to Trump, thanked him for the 'warm personal welcome' and said he was 'greatly' looking forward to the meeting and discussions on Monday at the White House.

Modi, who arrived in Washington, DC on Sunday morning, will hold summit talks with Trump tomorrow afternoon in the White House and the two leaders would spend several hours together in various settings including one-on-one and delegation-level meetings, a reception and a working dinner.

The working dinner that Trump is hosting for Modi is the first of its kind under the current US administration.

"The White House is very interested in making this a special visit. We're really seeking to roll out the red carpet. In fact, the two (leaders) will have dinner, a working dinner at the White House," a senior administration official told reporters at the White House.

"This will be the first dinner for a foreign dignitary at the White House under this administration. So, we think that's very significant," the official said.

Modi was welcomed with loud cheers and applause by the Indian community members who were waiting outside the Willard InterContinental Hotel here to catch a glimpse of the Indian leader.

During his visit, Modi will also meet top American CEOs of global giants, including Apple, Microsoft and Google, with issues ranging from visas, investment and job creation expected to occupy centerstage during the discussions.

On the eve of Modi's US visit, the Trump administration had dismissed reports that it has been ignoring India, saying President Trump realises that the country has been a 'force for good' in the world and ties with it were important.

"I think that it would be wrong to say that this administration has been ignoring or not focused on India," a senior administration official had said.

"I think that the US really appreciates India, and I think that President Trump realises that India has been a force for good in the world and that it's a relationship that's important. And I think that will come through in the visit on Monday," the official said.

The senior administration official made the remarks while responding to questions on whether the US-India relationship has drifted under the new government, in part, because of President Trump and the administration's support to China.

"I think it's a bit unfair. I mean, we're only six months into the administration. But there have been two very good phone calls between President Trump and Prime Minister Modi that you can point to as showing both countries' interest in the relationship," the White House official argued.

"Yes, this will be the first opportunity for them to sit down and have a conversation, but I think that this is still fairly early on in the administration," the official said.

Meanwhile, White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer had said President Trump and Prime Minister Modi would have a very robust discussion when they meet at the White House.

"During the meeting, the President and the Prime Minister will discuss ongoing cooperation, including counter-terrorism, defence partnership in the Indo-Pacific region, global cooperation, burden-sharing, trade, law enforcement, and energy," Spicer had said.

On whether the contentious H-1B visa issue would come up for discussion during the meeting, a senior administration official said it was unlikely to be raised from the US side but if raised by the Indian side, the Americans were ready for it.

Ahead of the visit, Indian Ambassador to the US Navtej Sarna said the first face-to-face meeting between Prime Minister Modi and President Trump will give them an opportunity to look at the entire gamut of Indo-US engagement and to exchange views on issues of global interest.
At least 149 people were on Sunday charred to death and over 100 others injured after an oil tanker overturned and burst into flames as crowds rushed to collect petrol that spilled out to a highway in the Bahawalpur district of Pakistan's Punjab Province.

The oil tanker coming from Karachi to Lahore overturned early on Sunday morning on the national highway at the Ahmedpur Sharqia area of the district, some 400 km from Lahore, after its tyre burst.

The fire was apparently caused by someone who lit a cigarette after people from nearby localities gathered on the highway to collect spilt petrol, officials said.

The blaze from the oil spill engulfed scores of residents, killing 149 people and injuring over 117 others. District Coordination Officer Bahwalpur Rana Salim Afzal termed it a 'huge tragedy' in the history of Pakistan.

"At least 123 people were killed before getting any medical help while the rescue officials shifted more than 100 injured to the district headquarters hospital and Victoria Hospital in Bahawalpur where the condition of most of them is critical," Afzal said, adding some 50,000 litre petrol spilled from the oil tanker.

He said women and children are among the victims. Afzal said women and children were among the victims.

The death toll later rose to 149 and rescue official Jam Sajjad said most of the dead bodies were completely charred and they will be identified only by DNA tests.

Muhammad Hanif, 40, who suffered burns, told reporters at Victoria Hospital that he was present at his house when his cousin called him informing that the village people were rushing to the highway to collect 'free oil'.

"My cousin told me to pick bottles and come out of the house. When I came out of the house I saw many people rushing towards the highway and some going there by motorcycles. Me and my cousin Rashid reached the highway and joined the people busy in collecting the petrol spilling from the tanker. Suddenly the tanker burst and the people gathered near it were burnt alive. Rashid and I were a little away from the tanker therefore we are alive," Hanif said.

He said it was 'greed' of the villagers which took them to the 'valley of death'.

The Punjab government said three helicopters are shifting the critically burnt people to Multans combined military hospital and Nishter Hospital for providing better health facilities.

Regional Police Officer Bahawalpur Raja Rifat said the motorway police personnel had reached the spot when the oil tanker overturned.

"The people from nearby village Mauza Ramzan had also gathered there. The police personnel asked them to leave the place but they started collecting petrol. Suddenly the tanker exploded and within seconds the fire erupted giving no chance to the people present there to leave the place, Rifat said.

Dozens of motorcycles and cars were also burnt at the site.

"Most people reached the site on motorcycles to collect spilling petrol," he said.

Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif directed the authorities to ensure best medical treatment to the injured.

He also sent his chopper for shifting the injured to Multan hospitals.

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif President Mamnoon Hussain, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chairman Imran Khan and Pakistan People's Party chairman Bilawal Bhutto condoled the tragedy.

Army chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa ordered the Army to assist the civil administration in the rescue effort. Army helicopters have been deployed in the rescue operations.

The tragedy came a day ahead of Eid ul-Fitr celebrations in the country, marking the end of the holy fasting month of Ramazan.

IMAGE: A soldier stands guard amid burnt out cars and motorcycles at the scene of an oil tanker explosion in Bahawalpur, Pakistan on Sunday. Photograph: Stringer/Reuters


Pakistani army on Sunday again violated ceasefire by firing from automatic weapons and shelling mortars along the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir's Rajouri district.

The Pakistan forces initiated unprovoked and indiscriminate firing from small arms, automatic weapons and mortars from 0630 hours today on Indian Army posts along the LoC in Naushera sector, a Defence spokesman said.

The Indian troops returned the fire strongly and effectively, he said.

This was the second ceasefire violation by Pakistan in the past 24 hours.

The violation comes just days after an attack by a Pakistani special forces team that sneaked across the LoC into Poonch under heavy fire-cover and killed two jawans while losing one of their men.

On Saturday also the Pakistan army had initiated unprovoked and indiscriminate firing from small arms, automatic weapons and mortars from 1130 hours to 1410 hours on Indian Army posts along the LoC in Poonch sector.

Earlier on Thursday, in the third such attack this year, a team of Pakistani special forces sneaked 600 metres across the LoC into the Poonch sector and killed two Indian jawans and lost one Border Action Team member in retaliatory action.

The BAT comprises special forces personnel of the Pakistan army and terrorists.

It had carried out the attack at around 2 pm on an Army patrol party in the Gulpur belt of Poonch on 22 June under heavy cover fire by Pakistani troops.

In the firefight, two Indian soldiers - 34-year-old Naik Jadhav Sandip of Aurangabad and 24-year-old Sepoy Mane Savan Balku of Kolhapur -- were martyred.

The Pakistani Border Action Team (BAT) members were armed with 'headband cameras' to record the attack on the Indian Army patrol.
Security forces on Sunday gunned down two terrorists holed up inside a school on the outskirts of Srinagar, ending an encounter of over 14 hours in which two Army men were also injured.

The terrorists had entered the Delhi Public School located close to the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway on Saturday evening after attacking a Central Reserve Police Force party in the nearby Pantha Chowk, killing one officer and injuring a constable.

The road opening party of the CRPF was attacked in high security zone located less than a kilometre away from the headquarter of the Srinagar-based Army Corps.

Immediately thereafter, the security forces cordoned off the school premises which has seven buildings, comprising 36 rooms, and the staff and others were evacuated on Saturday night itself.

An offensive to flush out the terrorists was launched on Sunday morning, a police official said.

"The exchange of fire between security forces and militants began at around 3.40 am," he said.

"The gunbattle is over and two militants have been killed," the official said this evening after over 14-hour armed engagement.

He said the search and sanitisation operation was, however, underway at the encounter site.

Two Army personnel were injured in the gunbattle on Sunday morning, the official said. He said the injured have been taken to a hospital.

Earlier, Jammu and Kashmir's Director General of Police S P Vaid had said that there were reports of the presence of two terrorists inside the building but the exact number would be known after the search of the complex was over.

On the operation getting prolonged, he told reporters, "There are 36 rooms, the building is huge. So, it has to be searched floor by floor, room by room."

He said the security forces wanted to ensure that the (school) building was safe.

"The enemy has a nefarious design that the school buildings are destroyed and children have nothing to study and ultimately abandon their studies, which we will ensure that no such thing happens," the state police chief said.

He was speaking to the media on the sidelines of wreath laying ceremony of CRPF officer killed in yesterday's attack.

The authorities had imposed restrictions under section 144 Code of Criminal Procedure from Ram Munshibagh to Sempora stretch of the national highway as a precautionary measure to avoid protests near the encounter site.

The mobile internet services have been affected across the valley as the network speeds have been reduced.

J-K policemen asked to avoid Eid prayers in public places



The Jammu and Kashmir Police has asked its personnel to avoid Eid prayers in public places in the wake of mob lynching of a deputy superintendent of police outside the Jamia Masjid in Srinagar.

Police personnel have been advised to offer prayers in mosques in district police lines or protected mosques.

The advisory has been marked to all police stations, all wings of Jammu and Kashmir Police, the Army's Chinar Corps, Indo-Tibetan Border Police, Sashastra Seema Bal, CRPF, Border Security Force and Central Industrial Security Force.

'You are advised to instruct the field and subordinate formations that they shall not offer Eid prayers in isolated or general mosques or eidgahs,' an advisory issued from Police Control Room on behalf of Inspector General of Police, Kashmir, to all police stations across the Valley read.

It said all police personnel shall offer Eid prayers in mosques in district police lines Srinagar or PCR Kashmir.

'In other districts also, the Eid prayers shall be offered in DPL mosques or protected mosques where the safety of your personnel is ensured,' the advisory read.

Asked about the advisory, Vaid said, "It is good to take precautions.

"They (police personnel) are my men, I will advise them. They are my children, so we will advise them to take precautions, he said.

The advisory comes in the wake of mob lynching of Dy SP Mohammad Ayub Pandith outside the historic Jamia Masjid in Nowhatta area of Srinagar on Thursday during Shab-e-Qadar prayers.

IMAGES: Security personnel during an encounter with terrorists holed up inside a school on the outskirts of Srinagar. Photographs: Umar Ganie/Rediff.com
Body cameras for the Mooresville Police Department have arrived. Find out when they will be used.
French-Vietnamese professor Pham Minh Hoang has been deported to Paris, according to his wife and supporters of the former political prisoner.

Agence France-Press quoted Hoang's wife Kieu Oanh as saying the blogger and former math lecturer was put on a plane to Paris late Saturday, after the Vietnamese government took the rare step of stripping him of his citizenship last month.

My husband left Vietnam at 11:30 last night, on a direct flight to Paris, Le Thi told AFP Sunday.

The agency quoted Oanh as saying Hoang was granted access to a lawyer before departing, but that she was not allowed to see him.

I feel totally defeated when my husband left, I couldnt say any farewell words, I also feel very angry, she said.

U.S.-based banned opposition party Viet Tan said Hoang was expected to arrive in Paris early Sunday and condemned the presidential decree that stripped his citizenship and violated Article 15 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

"The vaguely worded decision was a thinly veiled move to silence Pham Minh Hoang for his peaceful advocacy," Viet Tan said in a statement.

Hoang is the first known case of Vietnamese authorities officially revoking an individuals citizenship based on their political views.

"By stripping political dissident Pham Minh Hoang's citizenship and forcing him on to a plane to France, Hanoi has committed a blatantly illegal, rights violating act that deserves forceful, worldwide condemnation, Human Rights Watch said in response to the deportation.

For Vietnam, this unprecedented and shocking action crosses many human rights red lines on freedom of expression, right to nationality, and exercise of basic civil and political freedoms, HRW said.

Hoang lived in France as an international student from 1973 until the late 1990s, when he returned to Ho Chi Minh City to teach at the Saigon University of Science and Technology.

He spent 17 months in prison for undermining national security and ruining the nations image through writings critical of Vietnams government, before being released in January 2012 and serving three years of probation.

Hoang told AFP he had continued to publish "peaceful" articles on social media that were critical of the government since his release from prison.

Vietnam routinely jails bloggers, lawyers and activists authorities accuse of anti-government activity.
BEDFORD  The sound of artillery fire echoed across the land near the Peaks of Otter Lodge on Saturday morning.

Dozens of re-enactors and hundreds of people gathered at the free event sponsored by the National Park Service, Peaks of Otter Lodge, Friends of the Blue Ridge Parkway and the Bedford Museum & Genealogical Library to remember Hunters Raid in honor of the battles 153rd anniversary.

Hunters Raid, led by Union Gen. David Hunter, was a part of Gen. Ulysses S. Grants 1864 attack on the Shenandoah Valley and Lynchburg as part of an effort to gain another foothold in Virginia through the destruction of Confederate supply lines.

Re-enactors wearing hoop skirts and soldiers garb decorated the field. A couple of women played graces, a game where a small hoop is tossed around and caught with small sticks, while others milled about and fanned themselves.

Blue Ridge Parkway rangers explained the cannons and ammunition to a gathered crowd, pausing every so often to plug their ears and warn the crowd of impending cannon fire.

Union soldiers were missing from the event, which Ranger Jon Swain said may have been due to a declining interest in historical reenactment.

Whenever youre talking about this time period, I think a lot of people dont realize how this isnt ancient history, he said. The Civil War, were still seeing, if not direct repercussions, sort of its reverberations, just like those cannons reverberate off the mountains.
You just knew it would happen.

After losing four straight snap congressional elections  in each, attempting to harness bipartisan rage over an unpopular president  anxious national Democrats instantly looked on the Virginia gubernatorial contest as their last, best chance at relevance in the first, worst months of the Donald Trump era.

The outside world ought to butt out.

National Democrats are mistaking apples for oranges in drawing a parallel between special elections in isolated patches of four reliably red states with a statewide race in a purple state thats becoming blue, the shade of which  given the surprisingly robust turnout in the Democratic primary earlier this month  may be somewhere between cornflower and cobalt.

The fundamentals, as the political professions would say, always favored Republicans in those congressional districts in Kansas, Montana, South Carolina and Georgia, where a historic level of spending so elevated expectations for a Democratic victory that the party was helpless to explain the embarrassment of defeat.

The districts were drawn to elect Republicans. By margins vast and slender, the districts were carried by Trump over Hillary Clinton. For both reasons, the president could install the freshly re-elected incumbents in his Cabinet, confident they would be succeeded by Republicans. And they were.

The fundamentals in an election for Virginia governor continue to favor Democrats because the contest is at-large, decided by a border-to-border vote  of millions, not thousands  in which roughly a dozen populous cities and counties, most in the eastern half of the state and many left-leaning, will decide the outcome.

Losing for governor, then, despite those baked-in advantages, would be an abject humiliation for Democrats  one not explained away as a consequence of the baked-in advantages Republicans had in the congressional elections through gerrymandering and Trumps strength within those manipulated districts.

Put another way: The Democrats strength in the Virginia campaign is macro. The Republicans strength in the U.S. House campaigns was micro.

In a suburban-dominated, increasingly diverse state such as Virginia, national Democrats  donors, strategists, commentators and officeholders  also may be overlooking an important distinction between the congressional races they lost and the gubernatorial election they hope to win: The former were fully federal in their focus; the latter, partially so.

Indeed, Virginia Democrats  voting in record numbers that Ralph Northams advisers feared might portend his defeat for the nomination to Tom Perriello  sided by a lopsided margin with the low-key Northam. They believed he more closely reflects the state as a whole and what its divided government demands in day-to-day leadership.

Northam, originally from the countryside but now ensconced in a city, emphasized his decade in state politics  a sharp contrast with Perriellos years in Washington. Northam briefly belittled Trump, who lost Virginia to Clinton by 5 percentage points, as a narcissistic maniac to assure activists he has a capacity for the jugular.

However, its a putdown that could screw up Northams promised overtures to rural voters who overwhelmingly supported Trump. Democrats, dependent on metropolitan areas, talk about reaching out to rural Virginia. But so far, its just talk.

Perriello, because he declared for the nomination only five months before the primary, pinned his candidacy almost entirely to the notion that the growing Democratic vote, supplemented by a steady stream of newcomers to this Upper South state, could be mobilized by his eloquent, full-throated appeal to animus for Trump.

Many of the handicappers  and a few activists  mistook for momentum Perriellos constant presence on social media and his ability to stir audiences of wistful Barack Obama and Bernie Sanders voters. Both rattled Northam, demanding he sharpen his message and spend, spend, spend  emptying his treasury of $8 million.

That means that more than advice, Northam needs money from those nervous national Democrats.

Northam, validated by endorsements from almost every elective Democrat in Virginia, was considered a better fit for the nomination because of his Richmond-centric resume and the conditions under which the governorship is decided: an off-year election with a lower turnout that has a steroid-like effect on the Republican vote.

It is a narrowing bloc  white, conservative, aging, heavily male, and largely rural  that is, nonetheless, reliable and whose strength is enhanced by the usual, sharp drop in a Democratic vote that tends to peak in presidential years and stirs a bit in congressional years.

To win in November, Northam and his Republican opponent, Ed Gillespie  assuming each secures his respective base, perhaps an uncertainty for Gillespie because of Corey Stewarts Trump-like renunciations  must still secure a hefty slice of the right-leaning independent vote.

The Quinnipiac Poll this past week showed Gillespie ahead with self-identified independents, but trailing Northam head-to-head by 8 percentage points, apparently burdened by Trump-inflicted damage to the Republican brand and the accompanying erosion in grassroots morale.

No one should be surprised, then, if Gillespie and his running mates, Jill Vogel, for lieutenant governor, and John Adams, for attorney general, go their own way, scrounging for the votes of ticket-splitters.

Might that be the Republican candidates last, best chance at relevance in the first, worst months of the Donald Trump era?
America lost seven of its finest young men last week when the USS Fitzgerald was rammed by a cargo ship nearly four times her size. Sleeping crew members on the destroyer awoke to berthing spaces instantly turned into a cold, watery hell.

Only a couple dozen of the ships nearly 300 sailors were awake, standing the midnight watch when the 29,000-ton Philippines-registered ACX Crystal plowed into the warship. The collision pierced a large section of the ships main structure, flooding two berthing spaces, the captains quarters, the radio room and a machinery room.

As seawater poured into the ship, disoriented crew members rushed to save themselves, shipmates, and the vessel itself. Some sailors, thinking the ship was under attack, ran to man their guns. For all of the crew, years of training automatically kicked in.

Just as every Marine is an infantryman when circumstances require, every sailor in the Navy is a damage controlman. Throughout a sailors naval career, he is drilled on how to plug a hole, operate a pump, and prevent a drowning.

For 16 hours, the Fitzgeralds crew struggled to keep the badly listing ship afloat.

Contact with the outside world was lost due to flooding in the radio room. The ships officers instead used satellite phones. U.S. and Japanese planes searched for the seven missing crew members, as several severely injured personnel, including the commanding officer, were medically evacuated by Japanese Coast Guard helicopters.

Using backup navigation systems, the Fitzgerald finally limped into her homeport in Yokosuka, Japan, that evening.

That she was able to remain afloat is a testament to her crew. The following morning, the Navy announced that the remains of the seven missing sailors were found in the flooded berthing compartments.

***

Multiple investigations have begun. At this point, there are far more questions than answers. How does a massive container ship hit a warship when both are bristling with state-of-the-art navigation instruments?

We have learned that the incident happened earlier than was first reported. The Japanese Coast Guard says after striking the destroyer, the cargo ship apparently waited more than an hour to report the collision. When it was called in, the Crystals crew claimed that it had just occurred. Why? And why did the Crystal continue on her way for nearly 30 minutes before turning around?

Figuring out what happened will take weeks. The investigations have begun. Instrument data will be assessed and crews are being questioned thoroughly.

At this point, it does no good to speculate about who is at fault. We will learn soon enough how the disaster happened and who failed to follow procedures and maritime rules. One thing is certain: Regardless of where the fault lies, the career of commanding officer Bryce Benson is over.

Meanwhile, there are many things we have learned about this tragedy. We know the names of the sailors who perished and weve come to know a little about all of them. The youngest, Gunners Mate Dakota Kyle Rigsby, was a 19-year-old from Fluvanna. He joined the Navy in February 2016. Family, friends and co-workers say he was the type of guy who would give you the shirt off his back.

The oldest sailor, 37-year-old Fire Controlman First Class Gary Leo Rehm Jr., was just three months shy of retirement. He referred to the junior sailors on the ship as his kids. When in port, he and his wife would often invite young crew members over for a home-cooked meal. And we have learned that he is a hero.

Shipmates say Rehm saved 20 lives by returning to the rapidly flooding berthing area time and again to bring out disoriented and injured sailors. On his last attempt, he was unable to make it out before damage control teams were forced to shut the water-tight hatches.

We also know that as soon as the Fitzgerald made it to port, volunteers from the Navy base in Yokosuka rushed to help. As always in times of crisis, the American Red Cross and the U.S.O. were on scene to provide comfort and aid. Crews from other ships showed up to help with damage control efforts and stand watches for the Fitzs exhausted crew members.

The sailors who slept in the affected berthing areas lost uniforms, wallets, phones, computers  everything but the clothes on their backs. Donations of clothes, money, even cellphones and tablets quickly materialized. Base volunteers gathered with willing hands and sewing machines to sew patches and insignia on donated uniform items. It has been one heck of an all-hands effort by the Yokosuka community.

***

This old Navy chief is so proud of the Fitzgeralds crew. These phenomenal young men and women hail from every corner of the nation. Some of them come from families with generations of naval service. Others are first-generation immigrants. But regardless of race, color, creed, or political leanings, they are one team.

Although theyve been knocked down, these sailors  like their fellow soldiers, airmen, Coast Guardsmen, and Marines  continue to stand ready to sacrifice all for love of their fellow man and love of country.

Its both tragic and comforting that these magnificent young Americans are ready to die for a nation that seems so awash in hatred and infighting, for a federal government that is paralyzed with bipartisan brawling and a citizenry that yells and screams over differing opinions. Despite the dark warnings of impending civil war by politicians and pundits, our military members obviously still believe this is a country worth dying for.

What a lesson the Fitzgerald disaster can teach us. The best way we can honor the fallen  the entire crew  is to practice a little damage control of our own. Lets learn to work together, put aside our differences, patch up our faults, and right our ship of state before she founders.
After months of anticipation, the biggest ship to ever call on the East Coast arrived at The Port of Virginia in early May. The COSCO Development saw about 1,500 container moves on its first trip and that number should increase to 4,000 on subsequent visits as the service continues.

Gov. Terry McAuliffe joined port and other local officials at the Virginia International Gateway in Portsmouth to welcome the Development.

You know what that is? Thats money. This is what I love to see here in the Commonwealth of Virginia, said Governor McAuliffe.

Bigger ships are one example of how international trade  an economic driver for Virginia and the country  is booming.

Another key to our success is our freight rail network, which seamlessly moves containers between ocean vessels and locations across North America.

Trade, including both exports and imports, supports one in four Virginia jobs, more than 1.1 million in total. In 2016, Virginias exports alone were valued at $16.4 billion.

Nationally, international trade supports some 41 million American jobs, nearly one in five.

While trade has been a hot topic in political discussions at the national level, the overall benefits of trade to Virginia consumers, manufacturers and workers have been huge, and businesses recognize it.

***

As head of the largest business advocacy organization in Virginia, I am in the process of polling business leaders around the commonwealth on their priorities to be included in our long-term economic growth plan, Blueprint Virginia 2025.

One of the largest areas of consensus is that Virginia should focus more on promoting exports that support jobs in every community in the commonwealth.

Virginias easy access to the rest of the country via railroad tracks further improves the commonwealths position for global trade.

When ships arrive, The Port of Virginia moves 37 percent of incoming cargo via rail, more than any other East Coast port. With on-dock rail service at The Port of Virginia, trains connect U.S. exports and imports to inland ports and businesses across the region and country.

Rail and trade are closely linked, and more incoming and outgoing cargo moving by rail means fewer trucks on our clogged roads.

The results of a recent study found that 42 percent of rail carloads and intermodal units, 35 percent of rail revenue, and 50,000 rail jobs depend on international trade.

***

Our ports and our freight railroads are the essential links that connect American manufacturers and businesses to markets worldwide.

Trains from the Midwest and Southeast carry mineral fuel, grain, seed, fruit, wood, and much more to the Port of Virginia, where we help deliver them to customers in over 200 countries.

Access to the global marketplace strengthens U.S. business and industry, supports millions of jobs nationwide and ultimately lowers prices for consumers.

Virginia would be wise to strengthen and protect its rail network and the future jobs that will depend on it.
A Place for All Conservatives to Speak Their Mind.
Attempts by Dominion Energy to sway regulators in the Atlantic Coast Pipeline permitting process prompted a top official under Gov. Terry McAuliffe to notify the utility that state agencies would not heed those efforts.

An April 19 letter from Molly Ward, Virginias secretary of natural resources, advised Dominion that state agencies involved in permitting for the proposed 600-mile line will not base their decisions on requests or suggestions from an applicant.

Wards letter is addressed to Ann Loomis, senior director for federal affairs and environmental policy for Dominion.

Ward wrote that agencies would continue to meet with Loomis and her team to discuss specific permitting issues, but the integrity of the agencies independent decision-making and review process is non-negotiable.

A major partner in the controversial Atlantic Coast Pipeline, Dominion Energy is known for its political clout in Virginia, where it is consistently said to be the states top corporate political donor.

Ward cites three dates of communications with Dominion  March 21, April 10 and April 12  in her letter to Loomis.

Ward observed that the pipeline is a project of enormous scope and complexity and deserves close, objective scrutiny. She wrote that it is important for the permitting process to be collaborative but the process must ... remain impartial.

Accordingly, there can be no predetermined outcomes, Ward wrote.

Two of the dates cited in Wards letter followed a news release issued April 6 by the Department of Environmental Quality about its plans to conduct individual 401 water quality certification evaluations for both the Atlantic Coast Pipeline and the separate but similar Mountain Valley Pipeline.

Some seven weeks later, DEQ said miscommunication between its technical and public affairs staff led to confusion about the departments plans for those evaluations. The agency clarified that it would rely on the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to review crossings of streams and wetlands by the pipelines and their access roads and that DEQ would focus on other potential water quality impacts associated with the two 42-inch diameter, buried natural gas pipelines.

Environmental watchdogs reacted with dismay to this change in plans and referred to it as backpedaling. Many argued that the Army Corps process would not provide a stringent enough analysis. And some wondered whether Dominion had influenced the DEQs change in approach, something the agency denied.

On Thursday, Carlos Hopkins, counsel to McAuliffe, said Ward was out of the office and in a mountainous area with limited cellphone service. He fielded questions about her letter to Dominion.

He said the three communications cited in Wards letter included phone conversations and at least one meeting in person between Ward and Loomis.

He said the communications did not specifically reference the 401 water quality certification process. He said it was his understanding that Loomis essentially communicated what Dominions interests were in the permitting process and related agency actions.

The Roanoke Times obtained a copy of Wards letter among hundreds of pages of documents received as a result of open-records requests filed with both the McAuliffe administration and DEQ.

The governors office withheld about 20 records described as working papers and otherwise protected by executive privilege. DEQ withheld nine email chains it said were exempted either by attorney-client privilege or as governors working papers. Working papers refer to records prepared by or for a public official in the governors office for his or her personal or deliberative use.

Hopkins said one of the records withheld as exempt from FOIA was a document Loomis provided to Ward during the three communications cited in the latters letter.

In an email, Aaron Ruby, a spokesman for Dominion Energy and the Atlantic Coast Pipeline, emphasized that, as Wards letter suggests, collaboration between agencies and permit applicants is an important part of the process.

Like all permit applicants, we stay in close communication with the permitting agencies and provide our input when appropriate, Ruby said.

He said Dominion respects the independence of all agencies and the integrity of their decision-making processes.

We hope our constructive engagement was not misunderstood or misinterpreted, Ruby said.

As an interstate pipeline, the Atlantic Coast project needs approval from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission before construction can begin. It also will need other permits, including state water quality and state air quality permits, with the latter tied to a compressor station Dominion plans to build in Buckingham County.

Ruby said Dominion will remain committed to meeting the Commonwealths stringent standards for environmental protection.

As secretary of natural resources, Ward oversees six state agencies: DEQ; the departments of Conservation and Recreation, Game and Inland Fisheries and Historic Resources; the Marine Resources Commission; and the Virginia Museum of Natural History.

All but the museum are involved in reviewing the pipelines.

Hopkins said the normal process of state permitting decisions includes efforts by both project proponents and opponents to influence the approach of state agencies. He said Wards letter to Loomis was not unusual and that similar letters have been written in the past to people, businesses or organizations attempting to influence state agency permitting decisions.

Wards office later emailed copies of two other letters shed written to people who had weighed in about the pipeline projects. But they did not include comments from Ward suggesting the recipients were trying to sway permitting decisions or advising them that their input would not affect the integrity of the review process.

Rick Webb and David Sligh  two of the most active watchdogs following and commenting about DEQs handling of the pipelines  said theyve not received such correspondence.

Ive never received such an admonition, said Webb, an environmental scientist who is coordinator of the Dominion Pipeline Monitoring Coalition. Maybe thats because were not asking for anything beyond what is required by Virginias statutes and regulations.

Sligh, conservation director of Wild Virginia and an investigator for the Dominion Pipeline Monitoring Coalition, responded similarly.

We certainly have never received such a letter from the state or from any other regulatory entity, said Sligh, an environmental attorney who once worked as a senior engineer at DEQ.

Of course, weve never expected any influence other than what the power of our legal and regulatory arguments and our factual information provide  and we dont work behind the scenes but make our contacts out in the open, he said.

Sligh said that Dominions attempt to, as characterized by Ward, suggest direction to our agencies with regards to the permitting process provides evidence of what he described as extraordinary arrogance.

He said it also suggests that the companys past dealings with administration officials have led Dominion to conclude it could influence permitting decisions by state agencies.

And Sligh said the pipeline companies enjoy pretty much unlimited access to DEQ, the secretarys office and the governors office. That access is less available to the public, he said.

Im certain the companies have never faced the delays and difficulties citizens have encountered in getting public documents, he said.

While we have to go through the FOIA process, pay significant fees and be delayed or ignored  situations that have already compelled [the Dominion Pipeline Monitoring Coalition] to prepare court challenges to DEQ twice  I think we can be certain that the companies face no such barriers to getting whatever they want and with minimal if any delays.

Meanwhile, DEQ spokesman Bill Hayden said Dominion did not contact the agency after news coverage in early April reported  incorrectly, as it turned out, due to inaccurate information from the agency  that DEQ planned to scrutinize stream and wetlands crossings.

But Hayden said that before the April 6 press release by DEQ, Dominion expressed its preference for using just the Corps Nationwide 12 permit. Critics of the Nationwide 12 permit contend it would not adequately evaluate cumulative and long-term effects on streams and wetlands of crossings by the pipelines and their access roads. They describe it as a blanket permit that fails to provide vigorous scrutiny of such crossings and assumes any impacts are temporary.

Hayden noted that DEQ did not accept that and opted to thoroughly evaluate other potential impacts to water quality from the pipelines construction and operation through the 401 water quality certification process. DEQ said it will require, for example, detailed plans from both pipelines for erosion and sediment controls and strategies to protect water quality from building the pipelines in steep terrain and through landscapes rife with sinkholes and caves.

Both the Mountain Valley and Atlantic Coast pipelines would begin in West Virginia. The 303-mile, $3.5 billion Mountain Valley project would then pass through six counties in Virginia: Giles, Montgomery, Craig, Roanoke, Franklin and Pittsylvania. The $5.1 billion Atlantic Coast project would pass through 11 counties in Virginia, including Bath, Highland and Nelson, on its way to North Carolina.
In the Democratic primary for governor earlier this month, Tom Perriello won every locality in the proposed path of the Mountain Valley Pipeline and a number of those situated along the proposed route of the Atlantic Coast Pipeline.

Those votes werent enough. Perriello, who actively opposed both pipelines, lost to his Democratic rival Lt. Gov. Ralph Northam by nearly 12 points.

Now, as Northam  who has not come out either in favor or against the natural gas pipelines  attempts to pick up Perriellos supporters, some pipeline foes are resisting even though longtime environmental groups like the Sierra Club and the League of Conservation Voters are backing Northam.

From protesters at his primary night party, to voters who refuse to vote for Northam unless he comes out against the pipelines, the Democratic nominee for governor faces continued pressure.

Although he has not come out for or against the pipelines, Northam has called for the projects to be environmentally responsible and completed with science and transparency in mind.

On the other side, Republicans are attacking Northams pipelines stance, too. The Republican Governors Association, which wrote a $5 million check for Republican Ed Gillespies gubernatorial campaign, launched a trolling website that depicts a cartoon version of Northam jumping across the computer screen to avoid detailing his pipeline policy.

Gillespie, the Republican nominee for governor who supports the pipelines, has none of the pressure Northam faces because environmental activists traditionally vote Democratic.

Members of Free Nelson, a group of pipeline fighters located in Nelson County, have refused to vote for Northam unless he comes out against the Atlantic Coast Pipeline, which would pass through the county. Many in the group supported Perriello in the primary, said Sharon Ponton, a member.

Northam owns stock in Dominion Energy Inc., the company behind the 600-mile Atlantic Coast Pipeline that would run through Central Virginia en route from West Virginia to North Carolina.

Northam also has accepted about $106,000 in campaign donations from Dominion during his 10-year political career.

Free Nelson is more of a Facebook following than an actual organization with meetings, and Ponton was unable to quantify how many people will withhold their votes unless Northam opposes the pipeline.

On June 16, the group posted a meme saying, Dear Ralph Northam, In order to gain our votes in November we will need you to strongly oppose the Atlantic Coast Pipeline and all new fossil fuel infrastructure. Sincerely, thousands of Virginians.

The post had 299 likes and 183 shares on Facebook, but some people railed on the strategy in the comments section and told their fellow Democrats to support the nominee.

If Mr. Northam wants the votes of the people who are fighting pipelines then he needs to earn those votes, Ponton said. Its his choice.

Members of Free Nelson have received some pushback from those who haved called them single issue voters. Ponton counters that claim by saying pipelines are a multifaceted problem.

Pipelines concern property rights, economic justice, pollution and other environmental issues, she said, comparing the protest to people who dont vote for a candidate because of their stance on guns, abortion or any other issue.

Luca Connolly, a recent graduate of the University of Virginia and a member of the Virginia Student Environmental Coalition, said shes not prepared to deny Northam a vote just because of his pipelines stance.

Connolly and about a dozen other members of VSEC from six Virginia universities temporarily hijacked the stage at Northams primary night watch party to protest the candidates pipeline stance.

Before the election results were in, the group briefly chanted and waved No Pipeline signs from the stage before they were booted from the event. The protests didnt hamper a lineup of top Virginia Democrats who emerged later onstage to praise Northams solid primary victory.

VSEC believes the pipeline is the top environmental issue in Virginia right now, and its members want Northam to oppose the pipelines and do everything possible to stop them from crossing the commonwealth, Connolly said.

Even though we are a left organization and Northam is a Democrat, we dont view that allegiance as enough to lay off of anything, Connolly said. We hold him more accountable to serving the people.

Northam argues that because the pipelines are federally regulated, Virginias governor has no power to stop the projects.

New York state, under Gov. Andrew Cuomo, has set a precedent that may demonstrate otherwise by denying water quality certifications, effectively halting two pipeline projects.

While VSEC will push Northam to solidify his pipelines position with a yes or no answer, Connolly said hes not prepared to refuse to vote Democratic in the governors race should Northam refuse.

Connolly said she would never consider voting for Gillespie, and worries that withholding votes of support for Northam could lead to a Republican victory.

Its something that I dont see as worth the risk, Connolly said.

While Northam may not have the support of some pipeline foes, he has the endorsements of heavy-hitter environmental groups like the Sierra Club and the Virginia League of Conservation Voters.

Both groups also supported Gov. Terry McAuliffes 2013 gubernatorial bid and ranked among his top 20 highest donors. The League of Conservation Voters donated $1.7 million and the Virginia chapter of the Sierra Club donated nearly $500,000 to McAuliffe, who has voiced support for the pipelines.

Both environmental groups have expressed opposition to the pipelines, but took a more holistic approach in endorsing Northam.

Northam filled out a questionnaire for the league outlining his position on various environmental issues, pipelines included. Gillespie declined to complete the questionnaire.

Part of the reason Northam, who grew up on the Eastern Shore, entered politics was so he could work to protect the Chesapeake Bay, said League of Conservation Voters spokesman Lee Francis. Northam has carried that environmental stewardship through his political career, Francis added.

Northam opposes offshore drilling, supports renewable energy, and has praised and pledged to continue McAuliffes environmental initiatives to counter climate change.

Both environmental groups support a detailed, stream-by-stream permitting process for both pipelines to ensure the projects dont interfere with water quality.

In February, Northam requested Virginias Department of Environmental Quality forgo a blanket permitting process in favor of the site-specific procedure.

You can get behind a candidate who wants to build them [the pipelines] tomorrow or you can get behind the candidate who wants to see them done in the best way, Francis said.

In addition to supporting the pipelines, Gillespie has pledged to revive the coal industry and decried the Paris Climate Agreement designed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Francis acknowledged convincing pipeline protesters to support Northam will not be an easy task. He hopes the leagues endorsement will send a signal that Northam is the right candidate to protect Virginias environment.

If you take it big picture, I think this is an easy choice for anyone who considers themselves an environmentalist at the end of the day, he said.
Organizers of the Christiansburg High School Class of 1967s 50th Class Reunion in August have added a special activity to mark the occasion.

Classmates are asked to meet at the steps in front of the old high school on College Street at 5 p.m. for a class picture with a professional photographer. The class picture will be available for purchase.

The reunion takes place Saturday, Aug. 19. After the photo, attendees will gather at The Farmhouse Restaurant on Ridinger St. at 6 p.m. to check in and enjoy some social time. Dinner will be served at 7 p.m.

An evening of remembrance, sharing and fellowship is planned. A display of CHS Class of 1967memorabilia will be available.

A special slideshow will be shown, and photos from high school days may be submitted electronically to csowers@vt.edu to be included in the show.

Registrations are still being accepted, with a deadline of July 1 to sign up.

The registration fee for the reunion is $30 per person and may be submitted to smartreba6@gmail.com.

Organizers are still hoping to reach classmates whom they have not yet heard from.

Contact Carolyn K. Sowers for more information at 382-4510, or csowers@vt.edu.

 Submitted by Carolyn Sowers
The train! The train! Some of us are so excited about the arrival of passenger rail to the region that a Fantasy Island-esque start seems appropriate. Count me Tattoo-level-thrilled as passenger rail service to Roanoke approaches reality. Even word of practice runs have many counting the days until October when service is slated to open.

But I want to focus on the link to our westerly valley. Last Friday, I tested routing recommended by NRV Rail 2020, a collaboration of senior officials representing 14 different entities and supported by offices of our federal and state representatives. The alliance has been working since early 2014 to extend passenger service beyond Roanoke. At a gathering in March of this year, I learned that the best data to demonstrate demand will come from passengers buying tickets at www.amtrak.com, including seats on the Smart Way Connector, a bus operated by Roanoke-based Valley Metro that delivers riders to the Lynchburg train station.

About two weeks ago, I bought my ticket selecting Blacksburg as my starting point and Charlottesville as my destination. And so, our journey begins.

4 a.m., Friday, June 16  I want to build at least 30 minutes into our drive to Squires Student Center on the Virginia Tech campus where Ill pick up the bus. I need my husband, Rick, to come along since I dont plan to return the same way. A round-trip would introduce the complication of where I might leave my car for a very long day, since arrival time back to Blacksburg would be 11:40 p.m.

A key step to rail expansion is demonstrating demand. The New River Valley Passenger Rail Study draft was completed in December 2015. You can find it at: http://www.nrvpassengerrail.org/#. In addition to looking at Amtraks Service and Ridership fact sheets along with the Station Program and Planning Guide, the New River Valley Regional Commission, working with others from NRV Rail 2020, conducted a Passenger Rail Survey capturing 6,189 responses and an in-person survey of travelers at the Lynchburg station.

Amtrak statistics indicate an average of 50-60 passengers use the service on most weekdays. This number doubles on Fridays and weekends. Interviews at Lynchburg found that more than 60 percent of travelers were from central and southern Virginia and 18 percent live in the Washington, D.C., area or other points north.

Data can be very helpful; as is accurate information, which was a bit lacking for the first stage of my trip. Other cars are rare on Route 460 at the aforementioned 4 a.m. hour, but fog shrouds every curve in the road. The murkiness seems even more confounding since Im not entirely sure where the bus will be. I didnt realize this until late Thursday evening since the departure location on the Amtrak-generated itinerary was vague: Virginia Tech Bus Stop. I found a better reference on the Valley Metro site: Squires Student Center. But where at Squires? A few Google searches finally pinpointed an Alumni Mall address.

Rick isnt helping matters. As we drive, he asks: Are you sure you know where youre going?

4:20 a.m.  The turn from Main Street to Alumni Mall reveals the welcome lights of a Valley Metro bus. I relax with my first connection in sight.

4:32 a.m.  We pull away right on time. Its still dark and the overhead light at my seat doesnt work, which means I cant take notes. I use my phone to record conversations with a few of the early birds on board.

Kristin Lillemo is headed home to Ham Lake, Minnesota. (Named after a lake there and, yes, its shaped like a ham.) Shes a first-timer on the Smart Way as well, and when investigating ways to return to her family after an extended stay in the NRV, liked the idea of a comfortable service that will deliver her to the airport in D.C.

We joke about her days connections, and she shares: My husband was saying theres a movie called Planes, Trains and Automobiles, and isnt that what youre going to be doing?

Mike and Julie Vanidestine of Christiansburg will likewise complete the multimodal circuit as they are heading to Paris to celebrate their 25th anniversary. Its her maiden trip abroad, and his in a nonmilitary capacity, and their first together in many years.

Their itinerary will take them via bus to Lynchburg, on a train to the Pennsylvania Station thats in Newark, New Jersey, where theyll pick up a New Jersey Transit train for a stop at Newark Liberty International Airport. From there, its off to France.

They have used the Smart Way Connector many times. As Mike says: It just makes sense. Let someone else do the driving.

I ask if they will continue to ride the connector once the train arrives in Roanoke. They are not sure, but parking costs could influence this decision. Current plans indicate riders will leave cars in pay lots in the Norfolk Avenue area. This is the most often cited objection in various online exchanges that Ive found.

5:45 a.m.  As we chat the bus stops at the Christiansburg Park & Ride (a helpful but not obvious fact when planning my trip, offering parking and eliminating 15 minutes from our morning drive), then the Hanging Rock Park & Ride near Salem, then downtown Roanoke. At the Berglund Center, we take on our largest assortment of riders. I notice some paying cash when they enter and ask how that works.

Its $4 per person, says Cathy Guilfoyle. She and husband Frank are en route to Portland, Oregon, where they will pick up a cruise ship to Alaska. The Guilfoyles travel the Smart Way Connector with some regularity for trips north. This is the fullest she has seen the bus.

7:12 a.m.  We pull into the Lynchburg train station. Excellent signage helps navigate this portion of the trip. Passengers with light bags can opt for a long staircase down to the tracks. Those with luggage, like the Vanidestines, pack into an elevator, which is very popular at the moment. Sardines come to mind as the doors close.

The Smart Way Connector service began in July 2011, according to Carl Palmer, general manager at Valley Metro. Palmer and Kevin Price, assistant general manager of operations, explained that ridership data goes back to 2014.

From an average of 1,700 and 1,800 trips per month, Palmer estimates that about 7 to 10 percent of users are NRV residents. The average includes large increases around holidays or anytime students leave campus, like semester start and finish. Theyve seen a steady increase over the years. Of the trips, about 35 to 40 percent are booking through Amtrak. The others are paying through Valley Metro or with cash as I saw that morning.

In a word, the connection has been successful, Palmer summarizes. It was very instrumental in Amtraks decision to provide service from Roanoke to Lynchburg.

Chris Smith, director of policy, communications and legislative affairs at Virginias Department of Rail and Public Transportation, confirms that the passenger rail service from Lynchburg to D.C. is the best performing line in the commonwealth. The link further west is certainly not in the bag, but having two universities in our area helps. Smith says: College markets are very strong. And its not just students; its faculty, parents and alumni.

7:38 a.m.  Our train glides out of the station. Were headed to Charlottesville, just over an hour away. I was hoping to do some work, but the Wi-Fi is down and I am not able to do much beyond preparation for an afternoon meeting. But given my 3 a.m. wake-up call and the gentle rock of the train, I succumb to sleep, drifting off about 40 minutes in. My downtime is brief, though. Its soon time to prepare for departure, where Ill catch a rental car for the remainder of my trip. Ive been wanting to meet several people in Richmond for a few weeks now, and the train connection helps me avoid time on I-81.

For the record, the train does serve Richmond, but making additional connections would extend my travel time beyond what I want to deal with for this trip. Passenger rail offers a wonderful option on many levels (see that bit about drifting off to sleep), but the logistics can take some getting used to.

8:50 a.m., Charlottesville  I disembark and weave through lots of people preparing to board. Mine was a short ride today. But we have a long track ahead of us. If rail travel comes to the New River Valley, it will be the result of many players actively engaged in the process.

The next step is a yearlong feasibility study scheduled to begin July 2018. Even when the train comes to Roanoke, the NRV will remain connected via bus as confirmed by Smith who also notes two strong years of ridership data will weigh heavily in the consideration for expansion.

Since much depends on funding, I wonder about the shifting federal budget and ask Dan Brugh, executive director of the NRV Metropolitan Planning Organization, for his thoughts on the subject.

He wrote: The NRV-MPO will remain an avid supporter of the extension and do whatever we need to so that the extension can become a reality. But he refused to speculate, instead stressing the two main reasons for expansion into the region: One is the high demand for that service and the number of trips into the northeast that start/end here. The extension would also help with traffic reduction on I-81 and I-66 into D.C., since funding to expand those facilities is limited. The other is the economic benefit which was covered in the study.

This tells me that reaching out to state and federal elected officials could help, as will riding the train. Taking the Smart Way bus will save you parking fees and I-81-induced frustration, and continue to provide data directly to the Amtrak system. Granted, pre-dawn departures may not appeal to everyone. But remember, napping is easier on a train than the bus. We can sleep more soundly after bringing service to the New River Valley.
RIBBE, Paul H. April 2, 1935 - June 24, 2017 Dr. Paul H. Ribbe was born April 2, 1935, in Bristol, Conn. to the Rev. Walter and Grace Ribbe. He went to be with the Lord on Saturday, June 24, 2017. He was preceded in death by his wife of almost 59 years, Elna Ribbe, on May 1, 2017. He is survived by his brother, Dr. Robert Ribbe and his wife, June of Grand Rapids, Mich.; his brother, John Ribbe and his wife, Sylvia of Hudson, Fla.; his son, Dr. David Ribbe and his wife, Janelle of Blacksburg, Va.; his daughter, Julianne MacKinney and her husband, John of University Park, Md.; and his daughter, Cheryl Porter and her husband, Jacob of Richmond, Va. He had nine grandchildren, Aislynn Locklear, Nathanael Ribbe, Karelyn Heft, Gwendolyn Woodard, Jonathan Ribbe, Seth MacKinney, Elena Porter, Christopher Ribbe, and Anderson Porter, all of whom he loved. He had six great-grandsons and was excited about the first great-granddaughter arriving in November. Paul obtained his B.S. from Wheaton College (IL) and his M.S. from the University of Wisconsin, both in geology. He was the first American Fulbright Scholar accepted to Cambridge University in Britain, where he completed a Ph.D. in crystallography from Magdelene College in 1963. In 1966, Paul and Elna moved to Blacksburg, where he became a professor in the Department of Geology at Virginia Tech. Dr. Ribbe was credited with discovering and describing the molecular basis for iridescence in nature such as in opals and butterfly wings. He received many honors and awards throughout his career. Paul served as president of Mineralogical Society of America from 1986 to 1987, was awarded the Distinguished Public Service Medal by MSA in 1993, and received the Schlumberger Award from the Mineralogical Society of Great Britain and Ireland. He was editor for 57 volumes of Reviews in Mineralogy and Geochemistry, a book series covering a multitude of topics in mineralogy, petrology, and geochemistry. He was referred to as "godfather of the feldspar mafia" and had a mineral named in his honor - a pink feldspar called Ribbeite, first discovered in Namibia. But his most important work had more eternal significance, as he and Elna were one of five couples founding Blacksburg Christian Fellowship in 1969. His enduring influence extends to the hundreds of students he taught and the people he counseled and mentored in their walk with Christ. A memorial service will be held on Saturday, July 15, 2 p.m. at Blacksburg Christian Fellowship, 2300 N. Main St., Blacksburg. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to BCF (designate to General, Missions, or Fellowship Fund), P.O. Box 813, Blacksburg, VA 24063. Arrangements by McCoy Funeral Home, Blacksburg.
Botswana Diamonds entered into an option and earn-in agreement with Vutomi Mining and Razorbill Properties, a private diamond exploration and development firm in South Africa last February.

It agreed to pay Vutomi a total of 942,000 in cash, of which 581,000 would be used to fund exploration activities.

In addition, the company would issue 100 million ordinary shares of 0.25p each to Vutomi shareholders, after which the company would own 72 percent of Vutomi.

The flagship project, Frischgewaagt, was in the Limpopo Province 300km north of Johannesburg and was immediately adjacent to the Marsfontein Mine which was previously operated by De Beers.

It recently recovered 223 microdiamonds from 160kg of kimberlite drill core from the project.

Botswana Diamonds said the kimberlite drill core results were modelled to an estimated grade range of 20 to 270 carats per hundred tonnes at a bottom cut off of 0.6 mm, with the largest stone being a white transparent crystal diamond falling in the -1.18+0.85 mm sieve.

Company chairperson John Teeling told Rough & Polisheds Mathew Nyaungwa on the sidelines of the Botswana Resource Sector Conference in Gaborone that it was possible that they might consider some production by the end of next year, if not early 2019 as they were looking at the possibility of using other peoples plants rather than their own, a move that would significantly lower capital expenditure.

Teeling emphasised that production was only feasible if they follow a low-cost regime, adding that the project wont be huge, but the diamonds produced would be of good quality.

He also commented on Botswana Diamonds three-and-half-year relationship with their joint venture partner, Alrosa as well as the implications of the liquidation of their partner in the Maibwe project, BCL.

Botswana Diamonds raised 525,000 last March for its exploration and drilling programmes. Can you confirm if you are fully funded for your exploration and drilling projects this year?

No, we are not, the 525, 000 was to take us through the first half of the year and we are currently placing another 700, 000 because our budget has increased a little bit and we suspect or anticipate that will be completed by the end of June. We intended at the end of 2016 to raise 1 million, which would have funded us for the year but the fundraising was badly handled in the UK. In situations like this  the share tends to fallso they can then buy shares at a cheaper price and thats what happened. We were at 1.90p in December when we started the funding and then we fell very rapidly to about 1.10p, which was very horrible. So, we raised enough to keep us going for six months and we believe that some of the work we have done has shown the potential we think it has, so we will raise the other money now. I think this placing will be quite pleasing

So how did you spend the funds that you raised last March?

What we have done with the money that we raised in March is we are pursuing three projects, firstly we drilled about 40 holes, these are reverse circulation holes in the Vutomi Project in South Africa. Secondly, we funded the joint venture with Alrosa and that was probably about $300 000 or 220 000. They have completed the first half of the years work. Again, they tell me, as they would, that some areas are good and thirdly we have drilled three reverse circulation holes in the CKGR (Central Kalahari Game Reserve), and results will be out shortly so thats where the money has gone for the first half year.

So, apart from these three projects that you have channeled the funds to as you said, do you have any other projects that you are looking at the moment?

We have a few but I am very reluctant to take any more projects at the moment simply because we appear to have very good near-term potential in two of the three.

Which are?

Vutomi in South Africa, its a dyke so its not huge, running from the Marsfontein mine, which was very successful small mine for De Beers and our managing director James Campbell opened, ran and closed that when he was an employee of De Beers. We will be looking for something similar the payback [for the $25 million invested in Marsfontein by De Beers) was four days, can you believe it? That was unusual, but the work that is being done, I was there [recently], they were doing closer geophysics (to further delineate the kimberlite). We are looking for where the blows (dykes) might expand and if that is the case those ones can be mined very quickly and maybe next year. We are also looking at the possibility of using other peoples plants rather our own, so we would be having a touring arrangement if that is the case, then capex could be quite small. You are the first one I am telling that, its possible that by the end of next year, maybe into 2019, we could be in a position that you might consider some production. If we follow that particular low cost [pattern]  it would make sense to do that, as you are looking at a few millions, not a huge project. It would be small, but the diamonds are of good quality that we have seen from previous work and the grade will be great. So, it could be a cash earner. The second one is the Maibwe Joint Venture in Botswana and it will depend significantly on the drilling results that are due now and the next stage of drilling another 40 holes which will happen between now and September or October and then we could have an estimate, it wouldnt be a bankable estimate, but we will have a resource estimate, we would look from 800 000 carats, which is quite small, and we could work with that.

Can you shed some more light on the current state of your work in CKGR?

I [recently] spent some time with our JV partners Alrosa here (Gaborone), who have become very enamored of Botswana over the last three-and-half years. Their initial interest was Orapa only  so we got some new licences there in March. Now they have moved into the CKGR and they like it substantially. They have an annual budget and big multinationals have trouble changing their annual budgets so you can be assured that the last half year of the year is what was agreed this time last year, so they would do that, as they find it hard to change. But they see opportunities for more licences in the Jwaneng area. My people would agree on that one  so we would imagine that in 2018 there could be an increase in exploration budget, but this is for early stage exploration. We would also like to drill some of the work they are doing at the moment. We have two particular licences (PL234 and PL235) and both of them have targets and anomalies. They need to be refined and there is a good chance we will drill them in the last half of 2017, but given the budget the way they work, it might be the first half of 2018. So, there are targets on that and thats where we are with Alrosa.

Talking of Alrosa I remember the first time you told me about your JV with Alrosa, you spoke highly of Alrosa. Do you still have the same view of them having worked together for three-and-half years?

After three-and-half years I would like to report that a progress. I still admire what they do and they are very, very technical and very structured as well as organised in what they do. For reasons, I am not clear about, they came here saying they were going to find kimberlites and they will be diamondiferous. So far, they havent, I wish I could say something different. They have discovered anomalies, we drilled three holes last year on particularly prospective target and four holes on another target. So, in two of our licences we drilled 7 holes and neither of them found even kimberlites and that was a concern. The technology they bring is unusual because of the speed at which they do. They bring teams to the sites with mobile labs so you do your soil sampling in 36 hours rather than in 2 months so you know where to go. One of the difficulties with that is that you go through licences very quickly, if they dont find anything they move on. Is that a good thing? No! Also on this electromagnetic studies that they do, they tend to run it through a computer programme they bring with them, so they can actually see the structures they believe to be there instantly, innovative We would certainly hope that the programme will progress [given the millions of dollars of our money we have spent]. We are very happy with them as our partners and they are very good. They do precisely what they say they would do, not nearly but exactly.

With your JV with Alrosa, do you envisage the shareholding changing if you find something economic?

I think, if I can I will expand your question. I think Alrosa is looking at expanding internationally, now that they are the biggest diamond company. They told us that their own production could start to decline in about five years-time in Siberia. They have a massive discovery in Angola called Luaxe, massive, 650 million carats, 10 million carats a year. They like Africa and you cannot be in African exploration and not be in Botswana. They are very good and legalistic. I think they will possibly look to expand their own interests in Botswana either by acquiring other businesses, other projects. It will be interesting to see what happens there because we have a legal agreement at the moment that things will be shown to each other what we have and we wouldnt interfere. I will be not surprised at all if I see Alrosa becoming more in Botswana diamonds. They have a very young president, a very young man, who apparently is very pro-African.

So by and large, you are optimistic of finding economic deposits in Botswana?

Definitely yes, I have no doubt about that. I havent changed my mind on that. There are more diamonds in Botswana, that is a certainty. Will they be large? Possibly. Will they be adept? Possibly might be more adept than they have been and thats why we want these electromagnetic studies If both of us are around in years to come, we would say look and that was discovered. What is being done in lots of places, nothing unusual, is people are going back over old ground looking at things that were not there and thats a possibility. New fresh discoveries, there havent been any apart from Karowe in 2004 that is because diamond exploration is tough.

I know you like to go for diamond exploration and once you find something economic you sell. At some point you told me that you might consider holding on to a mine for production purposes.

Imagine if I had managed to hold on to Karowe you would be having this interview on Manticao on my yatch, not here, and it would be a big yatch. So, the idea is, yes, you would like to do that, but the difficulty can be here that  when you find something that looks good, usually you are struggling for money. Explorers go through the valley of debt. Once you get a discovery there is a big rise in the share price and then you get to spend up to eight or nine years approving it before it gets built and in that time you are very vulnerable. We are usually a public-listed company and it is prone to be taken by someone who comes and makes a good offer, which is precisely what happened with African Diamonds. We are a bit stronger at the moment with Botswana Diamonds because 50 percent of the shares are owned by small group of us. Thats a weakness as much as it is a strength, as it means we have to contribute the money amongst ourselves, but, yes, you would like to do it and the objective though is to find a commercial diamond deposit and, secondly, can we keep control of it? It would be hard to keep it, very hard.

You have an interest in the Gope district held in joint venture with Brightstone, a private South African company, through a stake in a Botswana company called Siseko. Can you provide an update on the work undertaken on the Gope ground?

Its a step forward and somewhat different in Botswana. These were licences that were obtained by a group of locals called Future Minerals. They got a South African company Siseko to [try and find diamonds] and we in turn spent $1 million on preliminary work and BCL came in and joint ventured us. The eventual shareholding was BCL 51 percent by spending BWP10 million and the local company Future had 20 percent and Siseko of which we have a 51 percent, had 29 percent, so our net interest is 15 percent. BCL struggled from the time they got in. They drilled and got very good results and these results were not made public. They then struggled with their positions  nothing to do with diamonds. So, they are now being liquidated, they are unable to perform and I dont know what will happen to the actual JV called Maibwe. It should be dissolved, so the shares will probably come back to Siseko and Future. With permission from the various parties we, at our own cost, drilled three wells simply to verify and the results [of the work done by BCL]. It wasnt done badly, it was done differently, but it wasnt something that we could rely on (hence the verification). Data is being analysed as we speak and they will be due shortly. All I could tell you is they might be diamonds and they might be not. We have always known that they were kimberlites there, but they were supposed to be barren. We are really at a very early stage and hopefully we can reach an accommodation with the liquidator. That will be as much as Siseko and Future as it would be Botswana Diamonds because we are a minority in this particular situation. I am not party to what is going on with the liquidator with BCL and I am sure very people are, so its being held up. Its an exciting project, its an area that might have diamonds where previously there were no diamonds.

You once had a flirtation in Zim, if I may put it like that. Will you consider going back there in future?

I went into Zimbabwe in 1986 with a company called African Gold, because it is one of the highly prospective countries. Secondly, we also assumed that there would be a change of regime. Its a shocking thing to say that we thought the president couldnt live that long. I exited in 2011, 25 years later and the man looks as healthy as he ever looked, if not healthier. So yes, its a highly prospective country, it had its problems, major problems, we had three or four small gold operations. I think it is still prospective for gold and platinum. I would love to get a proper opportunity to look at Marange diamonds  but it will take some time before that happens and certainly if you could be sure of getting any kind of serious tittle, yes, I would go back to Zimbabwe.

What will you be looking in Marange?

We went into Marange before as Botswana Diamonds in 2009 and we applied for a block, but things unraveled very rapidly and its more normal now. Its a consolidated alluvial, a hard rock alluvial, which is almost contradictory in terms, so when you go through the first meter or two meters of very high grade of stones then you get to a very hard rock and it needs to be evaluated again, but I think there are still some opportunities there in diamonds. We followed them down to the Save River where they were washed down from Zimbabwe into Mozambique. It was more financial scarcity that we stopped than anything else. Definitely, there are all kinds of opportunities in Zimbabwe not just in diamonds. The geology doesnt change, the politics will change and I hope I will be in a position and well enough to go back there.

Mathew Nyaungwa, Editor in Chief of the African Bureau, Rough&Polished
The tanker had been carrying 25,000 liters (5,500 gallons) of oil and had been traveling from Karachi to Lahore. Most of the affected people were residents of the locality nearby. Ahmedpur Sharqia Health Center and Bahawal Victoria Hospital have not burn units to treat the injured. Most of those taken to the hospitals got 70% burn injuries. A burn unit is present in Sheikh Zayed Medical College and Hospital, 150 kilometers from Ahmedpur Sharqia, but only 10 patients with burn injuries can be treated.



After blaze in Pakistan

Punjab chief ministers helicopters have been dispatched to the area to urge transporting the injured. Later in the morning, Pakistan Army troops reached the incident site with others helicopters. The death toll could rise further. Dozens of vehicles, including 75 motorbikes and four cars, were also engulfed in the blaze. Identities of the deceased cannot be ascertained without obtaining their DNA sample, as their bodies were badly burnt in the incident. Traffic was suspended on the National Highway route following the incident. Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif was vacationing outside the country. He was expected to be in London on June 25 for a medical checkup.
Japan will on Monday release May figures for producer prices, highlighting a light day for Asia-Pacific economic activity. Producer prices are expected to hold steady at 0.7 percent on year.

Japan also will see final April readings for its leading and coincident indexes; their previous readings were 104.5 and 117.7, respectively.

Hong Kong will provide May numbers for imports, exports and trade balance. In April, imports were worth 339.52 billion HKD and exports were at 305.39 billion HKD for a trade deficit of 34.13 billion HKD.

Thailand will release May figures for imports, exports and trade balance. In April, imports were worth $15.09 billion and exports were at $16.54 billion for a trade surplus of $1.45 billion.

Finally, the in Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia are closed for Eid-ul-Fitr.

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The Minister of Revenue, Tialavea Tionisio Hunt, has disputed the claim by Virgin Australia that the government owes $9.2 million tala in jet fuel excise rebates.

We only owe them $1.8million tala, not $9million, he told the Sunday Samoan.

And we have formally informed them through a correspondence indicating the amount of $1.8million.

Tialavea made the admission in response to questions from the Sunday Samoan.

Earlier this month, Virgin Australia asked that the government pay US$4.02million (T$9.2m) in outstanding jet fuel excise rebates. The demand was made in a letter to Prime Minister Tuilaepa obtained by the Sunday Samoan. Dated 29 May 2017, the letter is written by John Borghetti, the Chief Executive Officer of Virgin Australia.

I would like to bring to your attention that Virgin Australia intends to continue to pursue the US$4m in jet fuel excise rebates, which is currently owed by the Samoan Government to the VSAM JV, Mr. Borghetti writes.

I understand that the Special Negotiating Team is aware of this issue. Virgin Australia has been actively pursuing the repayment of these monies since April 2015, as noted in the attached letter to the Ministry of Revenue.

However according to the Minister of Revenue, the jet fuel excise rebates should be claimed within 12 month each year but that was not the case with Virgin Australia.

That is our policy on the fuel excise rebates. They did not claim the rebates from the previous years. And that is not our problem.

Tialavea told the Sunday Samoan that the government should only be paying for the rebates for the year 2015.

The Minister referred to comments from Prime Minister Tuilaepa comparing the status of the joint venture a marriage divorce.

Tuilaepa said that nothing is ever perfect.

He said that in every investment the government weighs the pros and cons to ensure maximum benefits for the country and our residents."

The decision to enter and withdraw from a joint venture with Virgin Australia is one of them.

Simply put, its like divorce proceedings between a couple."

Before the divorce papers are signed the couple meets to negotiate how their assets and finances are equally and fairly divided between the spouses."

That is the same process that our officials and Virgin Australia are engaging in.

Along those lines, the Prime Minister recalled that at one point in the ten-year marriage, Virgin Australia requested financial injection from the government of Samoa to assist with the joint venture.

And due to the confidentially of the on-going negotiations with Virgin Australia, I am not at liberty to divulge details of how much money was involved but rest assured government granted Virgin Australias request for funds at the time without hesitation.
Member of Parliament, Olo Fiti Vaai, has criticised the delivery of health services in Samoa describing it as extremely poor.

He said despite the millions of dollars being injected into the National Health Services, members of the public continue to face many challenges at the hospital.

He said the services are not up to par with expected standards and the government should urgently review the sector.

Olo was speaking in Parliament during the discussion of the 2017-2018 Budget.

He said the services provided by the hospital was very poor.

I want to address three issues, he said. Education, the health sector and government developments. Due to the fact that there are significant amount of money allocated to these sectors."

These sectors, the government will not get revenue from it. The most important thing is for the services they provide reflect the huge amount of money allocated for them.

Getting back to health, Olo said its important the matter is raised for the information of the Minister of Health, Tuitama Dr Leao Tuitama.

He recalled his experience during a recent trip to the hospital as a result of a leg injury.

I requested for a wheelchair and I was told that there is one wheelchair for acute seven and acute eight, he said.

Mr. Minister, the wheelchair was broken and it had no handles.

Olo said this was hugely disappointing.

As I said earlier, the funds allocated to this ministry is significant, yet the services are poor. What does that say?"

Even the medical care provided is not up to standard, yet its a fairly new hospital. Its not getting any better.

The Member of Parliament appealed to the Ministry of Health about the need to address these problems.

According to the proposed budget for 2017/2018 a total amount of $88.5million has been allocated to the Health Sector, which represents approximately 17.3% of the total expenditure programs of Government and is allocated as follows:

 $69.3million has been allocated to the National Health Services which include the following:

 $6million for the Overseas Medical Treatment Scheme; 10

 $4million allocated for the procurement of pharmaceutical drugs;

 $3.9million for the procurement of pathology lab re-agents and consumables;

 $1.6million for catering services for the hospital;

 $1.5million for procurement of medical consumables required

for the hospital.

 $12.2million for the Ministry of Health which includes $3.3million for the orientation program of new nursing and doctor graduates.
There are certain companies whose containers do not go through routine Customs inspections upon arrival in Samoa.

These companies are on the Ministry of Revenues Green Lane list.

It means their shipments are prepaid and the companies get their containers right away.

This was confirmed by the Minister of Revenue, Tialavea Tionisio Hunt, in response to questions from the Samoa Observer.

The Minister was asked for a comment about concerns expressed that some containers are not checked at the wharf.

According to the Minister, the practice is the result of their mutual working relationship with the private sector. He explained the practice had been in place long before he was appointed to the post.

This is based on the trust we have for these companies. These companies prepays their tax duties and they are honest with the invoices submitted, to customs so their shipments are released immediately, said Tialavea.

But at the same time, the customs conduct spot checks. However if a company is not being honest, then they will be taken off the list and their shipments will be checked all the time.

Asked how many companies are on the Green Lane List, the Minister was not sure.

I do not know. They [customs] just told me about this system and I said continue on with it.

However there are times, the operation of [Green Lane] list is temporarily halted, if the spot checks uncover anything that is not declared on the invoice, then the next shipment the customs officers will conduct a thorough inspection.

Asked if the government would reconsider such a list given concerns expressed about its legitimacy, he said: The relationship with the private sector is important to me and as much as we want every company to undergo inspections but the companies want their shipment to be released as soon as possible.

Once its sold, the taxes come back to us. But that does not mean that they are not paying their taxes.

No, they are paying their taxes.

The Minister also revealed that the government is ordering cargo x-ray scanner for containers.

Once those arrive, all the containers will go through inspection by Customs, he said.

In the meantime, if we check each and every container that comes into the Port, this will delay the release of company goods.

The Minister applauded his predecessors for initiating this system which benefits everyone.
Think a minute...This is the true story of a man named Sam who joined the American army in 1812. He was such a great military leader that he became a major general. Eventually he became successful in politics also and was elected governor of Tennessee.

When he was running for a second term, Sam married a girl named Eliza Allen.

But the marriage only lasted 11 days! It is not clear whether Sams drunkenness drove them apart or whether the divorce drove him to drink.

Sam later resigned as governor of Tennessee and went to live with the Cherokee Indians. He became an alcoholic and stayed for years under the influence of alcohol, or firewater as the Indians called it. Sam went downhill fast as drinking burned up years of his life.

One day Sam was back in Americas capital of Washington D.C. on a mission for the Cherokee Indians. He was walking down the main street when he saw a Congressman who in the past had publicly accused Sam of stealing and fraud.

Well, Sam decided this was his chance for payback, so he physically beat the man for slandering his name.

In the days following, this Congressman whom Sam had beaten got his own payback when Sam was publicly penalized and his entire political career destroyed. Or so everyone thought.

Then a surprising thing happened. Sam changed his ways! He realized that he needed to learn to control himself physically, emotionally and mentally.

In fact, he continued to so completely prove his self-control that America trusted him as the leader of a large part of the nation.

This man, Sam Houston, who had for years lived as a drunk, became the first president of the great territory of Texas, and later returned to Washington as a respected U.S. Senator.

To this day, Sam the changed man is remembered with one of Americas largest cities named after him: Houston, Texas.

Everything changed for Sam when he made the decision to change. And so can you today. Wont you ask Jesus to forgive you for your wrong, sinful living? If you ask Him to take full control of your heart and way of living, He will help you start changing to become the successful man or woman of character He created you to be.

Just think a minute
More than 150 people were killed Sunday in Pakistan when an oil tanker overturned, a crowd rushed in to collect fuel and the truck exploded, police said.

The tanker flipped over on a highway in the city of Bahawalpur in Punjab province at about 6 a.m. Seeing fuel spilling onto the road, villagers in the area, some riding motorcycles, rushed to the site with buckets and containers, said Raja Riffat, the Bahawalpur police chief.

About 10 minutes later, the tanker exploded in a huge fireball and enveloped the people collecting petrol, Riffat said.

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The health minister of Punjab province, Khawaja Imran Nazir, said at least 153 people had died. Several more injured people are in serious condition and the death toll could increase. Its a sad day for the country, he said.

It was not immediately clear what caused the fire to erupt. The accident occurred along a main artery of Pakistan that connects the southern port city of Karachi with rest of the country.

Baqar Hussain, a district emergency official, said 123 bodies and more than 120 injured were brought to hospitals, where more presumably died. Many of the bodies were so badly burned that they could only be identified through DNA testing, Hussain said.

The suffering was compounded by the lack of a burn unit in the district hospital. The nearest such facility is nearly 100 miles away in the city of Multan, in southern Punjab.

Officials with the Pakistan Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority said the tanker was en route from Karachi to the Punjabi capital, Lahore, carrying more than 10,500 gallons of fuel. It overturned after trying to make a sharp turn.

Transportation officials and highway police reached the site of the crash and tried to keep people away but their warnings were ignored, witnesses said.

One man who spoke to The Times by phone from Bahawalpur said he was traveling along the road by bus when traffic stopped for the accident.

I saw more than 250 people, including women and children, gathered around the tanker with their pots and buckets, said the man, who did not give his name. I saw the fire and shouted at people to run away but nobody listened to me.

The fire immediately engulfed scores of people, leaving bodies burned and charred beyond recognition, he said.

It literally took seconds, he said.

Mohsin ul Mulk, a correspondent for the Channel 24 TV network, described a grisly scene, with burned motorcycles and cars scattered across the highway along with kitchen utensils, pots, water coolers and buckets.

Rana Sanaullah, the provincial law minister, said the driver of the tanker had survived and was in police custody. Officials had launched an investigation into the matter, he said.

The Pakistani army sent soldiers and helicopters to evacuate bodies. Traffic was restored after six hours of rescue operations, officials said.

Special correspondent Sahi reported from Islamabad and Times staff writer Bengali from Mumbai, India.

shashank.bengali@latimes.com

Follow @SBengali on Twitter for more news from South Asia

ALSO

Will Qatar agree to Arab countries new list of demands? Unlikely

Canadian sniper kills an Islamic State fighter from more than 2 miles away, a record shot

Irans anti-Israel rallies, a tradition during Ramadan, this year include ballistic missiles

UPDATES:

9:00 a.m.: This story has been updated with confirmation of 153 dead.

8:05 a.m.: This article has been updated throughout with staff reporting.

2:35 a.m.: Updated with a death toll of 148.

1:45 a.m.: Updated with a death toll of 129 and a Bahawalpur dateline.

11:10 p.m.: Adds that a mosque loudspeaker told residents of the leaking oil.

10:25 p.m.: Updated to raise the death toll from 100 to 120.

This article was first published at 10:05 p.m.
How much loyalty do California employees owe their employer?

The question is prompted by former FBI Director James Comeys recent testimony that, at a one-on-one White House dinner in connection with a discussion about whether Comey wished to keep his job, President Donald J. Trump told Comey I need loyalty, I expect loyalty.

The president could not have been referring to Cold War loyalty oaths, which courts struck down as unconstitutional, by which public employees were required to swear they were not subversive persons. Lets also set aside whether the loyalty of an FBI director is owed to an individual, an institution or an ideal.

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The president, were he a California employer, nonetheless would have had a point if he said this phrase to Comey.

Under California law, an employee owes undivided loyalty to his employer. According to a leading ruling, this duty is breached when the employee takes action against the best interests of the employer. But how far does that go?

There are three aspects to an employees duty of loyalty. First, while employed, an employee may not compete against his employer. Second, an employee may not use his or her job to enrich the person from a vendor or other third party. Think kickbacks, for example. Third, an employee may not use the employers confidential information for the employees own benefit or for the benefit of anyone other than the employer. The last of these duties survives termination of employment. Employers have brought numerous lawsuits against former employees for violating one or more of these duties, particularly the duty not to exploit employer secrets for a new employer.

And yet there are legal limits to the employees duty of loyalty. An employer has no claim for disloyalty against an employee who, on the employees own time and using the employees own resources, seeks another job or even takes preparatory steps to compete against his current employer.

Under Californias whistleblower law, an employer may not prohibit an employee from reporting to internal or external officials employer activity the employee reasonably believes violates a law or regulation or punish an employee for doing so. The same law bars an employer, or anyone acting on its behalf, from punishing an employee for disobeying an order that would result in violation of a law or violation of or noncompliance with a regulation.

The states employment discrimination law prohibits punishment of an employee for opposing or refusing to engage in conduct the employee reasonably believes violates that law. For example, an employer may not fire an employee for refusing to fire a female salesperson the employees superior thinks is unattractive if the employee reasonably believes that following such an order would be unlawful sex discrimination.

Federal labor law even prohibits an employer from punishing an employee for badmouthing his or her employer publicly, such as on social media, if such the activity was part of a concerted effort with other employees to improve the employees wages, hours, or working conditions. Overbroad employer rules prohibiting employees from criticizing their employer, called non-disparagement rules, may violate this law by chilling such speech.

An employer may, however, punish an employee who insults the employers clientele, even if the employee also complains about his or her compensation. A National Labor Relations Board official concluded that the law provided no protection to a bartender fired for posting on Facebook his wish that the restaurants patrons choke on glass as they drove home drunk, even where the same post complained about the bartenders personal disgust at how tips were distributed and about not having gotten a raise.

The prudent employee generally will avoid biting the hand that feeds him. The prudent employer generally will refrain from punishing an employee at the sound of the first bark.

Dan Eaton is a partner with the San Diego law firm of Seltzer Caplan McMahon Vitek where his practice focuses on defending and advising employers. He also is an instructor at the San Diego State University Fowler College of Business where he teaches classes in business ethics and employment law. He may be reached at eaton@scmv.com. His Twitter handle is @DanEatonlaw.
Lace up those hiking boots and discover some of San Diegos most beautiful natural areas by answering the call of the San Dieguito River Valley Conservancy.

The conservation organization has issued the Coast to Crest Trail Challenge to encourage hikers and bike riders to explore some of the San Dieguito River Parks most iconic spots along the Coast to Crest Trail that extends from Del Mar to the summit of the Volcan Mountains near Julian.

Beginning July 1, through June 30, 2018, those who accept the challenge must complete five designated hikes to receive recognition.

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Hikers or cyclists can follow the routes on their own, or join one of the guided group hikes offered throughout the year.

The group hikes on the five designated routes will be offered beginning July 8 at Volcan Mountain Wilderness Preserve; Sept. 23 at San Dieguito Lagoon and River Path in Del Mar; Nov. 11 at Del Dios Gorge; Jan. 20 at Bernardo Mountain Summit Trail, and Feb. 24 at Clevenger Canyon South Trail on state Route 78 east of the San Diego Zoo Safari Park. All guided hikes begin at 9 a.m. and there is no fee to participate.

There will be a designated selfie spot on each trail segment where challenge participants must take a photo as proof they have completed the route. Once all five routes have been completed, the selfie photos must be emailed to sdrvc@sdrvc.org.

Those who successfully complete the challenge will receive a certificate and decal, along with coupons for discounts at REI and Adventure 16, along with bragging rights for their accomplishment, according to SDRVC Executive Director Trish Boaz.

The first 50 people to complete the challenge will also receive a 30th anniversary SDRVC cooling towel. Boaz said participants are encouraged to share their selfies along with other photos of their adventures on Instagram and Facebook with the hashtag #C2CChallenge.

The Coast to Crest Trail still has gaps, but once completed will provide a connected route extending 70 miles. Currently outdoor enthusiasts can travel about 45 miles of the planned route, and those segments have become very popular with hikers, horsemen and mountain bikers, Boaz said.

Within the San Dieguito River Park there are trails ranging from short and flat to challenging and strenuous.

There are trailheads in in Del Mar, the Del Dios Gorge, Lake Hodges and the San Pasqual Valley. As the trail winds to the east, the trailheads and surroundings get more remote and rugged, but they are still a quick drive from North County.

Boaz said the biodiversity along the Coast to Crest Trail gives visitors a chance to experience the regions native wildlife and varied habitats.

Detailed Coast to Crest Trail maps are available at REI in San Diego and Encinitas, and Adventure 16 in Solana Beach.

For more information and to register for the challenge, visit sdrvc.org and tinyurl.com/ycoyc8oe.

Sierra update

As July approaches, Eastern Sierra trout hunters normally expect to see stories about the summer doldrums setting in because of warm days and very little runoff into lakes and streams.

Not this year.

The record snowpack is just beginning to thaw and that means there is water everywhere. Streams are running at flood level, some campgrounds have been closed due to flooding and portions of some creeks are considered extremely dangerous because of high water and significant undercutting of the banks.

The road into Mammoth Lakes Basin just opened this week, and there is still some ice on lakes at higher elevations.

The good news is that many lakes that were gasping for water after four years of drought are now rising rapidly. Lake Sabrina in the Bishop Creek Basin is now coming up about three feet every day.

Lakes have been well stocked with both Department of Fish and Wildlife hatchery rainbows and larger trophy trout from Oregon.

This means trout anglers are hauling in some beautiful fish. Aiden Engels from Vista fished Bridgeport Reservoir and hauled in a 5-pound, 11-ounce rainbow while trolling a Thomas Buoyant lure. Kevin Walters from Oceanside used Trout Nuggets at Silver Lake in the June Lake Loop to entice a 5-pound, 15-ounce rainbow, and Vista angler Bill Wilczynski landed a 6-pound brown trout at Rock Creek Lake using a minijig.

Email ernie@packtrain.com or visit erniesoutdoors.blogspot.com.
CITY COUNCILS

CARLSBAD

The Carlsbad City Council met Tuesday to discuss a report on the revised draft of the Carlsbad Trails Master Plan. The council also approved the citys participation in the Institute for Local Governments Beacon Program, which shares efforts by local governments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, save energy and adopt policies that promote sustainability.

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DEL MAR

The Del Mar City Council met Monday and approved a five-year agreement with the San Diego County Sheriff for police and traffic services. The council directed staff to bring back a budget with a $900,000 trim for 2017-18, and adopted related budget resolutions. The council heard input on short-term rentals and directed staff to move forward with an ordinance allowing short-term rentals in all residential zones for a minimum of seven days and a maximum of 28 days per year. Staff was directed to prepare an ordinance regulating the sale of dogs, cats and rabbits; and the council adjusted guidelines for use of the community room at the LAuberge hotel. The council has canceled its regularly scheduled July 3 meeting.

ESCONDIDO

The Escondido City Council met in closed session Wednesday to discuss labor negotiations. In regular session, the council gave final approval to its 2017-18 through 2021-22 capital improvement plan and its 2017-18 CIP budgets, plus its Regional Transportation Improvement Program for 2016-17 through 2020-21. The council also appointed Nan Grenier to the Public Art Commission.

OCEANSIDE

The Oceanside City Council met in closed session Wednesday to discuss labor negotiations. In open session, the council approved permits for a wine-tasting lounge at 322 W. Cleveland St.; held a third hearing on proposed districts for upcoming by-district elections and chose the Community Interest Map; and approved an ordinance defining and banning loitering. The council also approved final maps for the Pacific Ridge subdivision project of 72 single-family homes and 242 town houses at College Boulevard and Old Grove Road; and approved a contract for $1,034,224 to Schilling-Paradise Corporation of El Cajon to build the Jones Road Sewer Project. An ordinance to revise Accessory Dwelling Unit regulations in conformance with government code was introduced, and a resolution was approved to acquire easements to build a northbound to eastbound right-turn pocket at College Boulevard and Plaza Drive affecting land owned by Plaza 78 L.P. at 3500 College Blvd.

POWAY

The Poway City Council met in closed session Tuesday to discuss litigation. In open session, the council announced it had voted to direct staff to return to the July 18 meeting with a resolution of intention to establish district elections for council members. The council also approved its 2017-18 comprehensive financial plan and related amendments; approved assessments for various landscaping and lighting maintenance districts; and reviewed a plan for a mixed-use project on Poway Road with 40,000 square feet of commercial development and 53 residential units.

SCHOOL DISTRICTS

CARLSBAD

The Carlsbad Unified School District board met Wednesday in closed session to discuss litigation and labor negotiations. In open session, the board held a public workshop considering proposed district maps for the upcoming switch to by-district trustee elections. View the maps at https://goo.gl/gzgVCV. The council gave final approval to its Local Control and Accountability Plan for 2017-18, and its 2017-18 budget; and approved a tentative agreement with the Carlsbad Unified Teachers Association.

ENCINITAS

The Encinitas Union School District board met in closed session Tuesday to discuss litigation. In open session, the board approved its Local Control and Accountability Plan for 2017-18 and its 2017-18 budget. The board agreed to cancel its next regularly scheduled meeting on July 18 and scheduled a special meeting at 5:30 p.m. July 25.

ESCONDIDO

The Escondido Union School District board met in closed session Thursday to discuss student discipline, litigation and property negotiations. In open session, the board heard a presentation on the educational programs provided to EUSD students by the California Center for the Arts, Escondido. The board also approved its Local Control and Accountability Plan and its budget for 2017-18.

The Escondido Union High School District board met in closed session Tuesday to discuss student discipline and litigation. In open session, the board gave final approval to its Local Control and Accountability Plan for 2017-18 and its 2017-18 budget, and held a public hearing on its initial proposal to the Escondido Secondary Teachers Association for 2017-2018 negotiations. The board also heard a presentation on graduation. The districts Class of 2017 had more than 1,625 graduates, heading to more than 140 colleges and universities across the country. More than $3.152 million was awarded in scholarships, and 28 recent Valley High School graduates earned more than $180,000 in scholarships to be used for their post-secondary education.

FALLBROOK

The Fallbrook Union Elementary School District board met in closed session Monday to discuss personnel. In open session, the board approved its 2017-2018 Local Control and Accountability Plan and the 2017-18 budget, and several contracts for educational services.

OCEANSIDE

The Oceanside Unified School District board met in special closed session Wednesday to discuss litigation and personnel. The board approved Vicki Garvin as the senior director of academic excellence and innovation, and approved Christopher Greene as El Camino High School assistant principal.

SAN DIEGUITO

The San Dieguito Union High School District board met in closed session Thursday to discuss student discipline. In open session, the board gave final approval to the districts 2017-2020 Local Control and Accountability Plan, and to its 2017-18 district budget; and approved several changes to board policies regarding business services.

SAN MARCOS

The San Marcos Unified School District board was scheduled to meet Saturday at the Fairfield Hotel, 227 W. San Marcos Blvd., for a special governance workshop.

SAN PASQUAL

The San Pasqual Union School District board met in closed session Tuesday to discuss negotiations and personnel. In open session, the board approved the Local Control and Accountability Plan, and the 2017-18 budget, and approved the annual review of the superintendents contract. The board also gave final approval to a policy on pupil suicide prevention.

VALLECITOS/RAINBOW

The Vallecitos School District board met Tuesday and gave final approval to its 2017-18 Local Control and Accountability Plan and the 2017-18 proposed budget. The board then went into closed session to discuss litigation and personnel. Superintendent David Jones contract was renewed through June 30, 2020.

VISTA

The Vista Unified School District board met in special session Thursday for public hearings on its Local Control and Accountability Plan and its 2017-18 budget. The superintendent search firm was on hand to discuss a timeline for the search and attributes desired in the new superintendent.

laura.groch@sduniontribune.com
Lisa Dickey started her writing career more than 20 years ago in Russia, freelancing for publications such as USA Today. She then became a successful stateside ghost writer, working with Herbie Hancock, Patrick Swayze, Gavin Newsom and more than a dozen others. But Russia remained a fascination, and over the course of three cross-country trips there (1995, 2005 and 2015) she tracked the nations evolution through the lives of everyday citizens. In her book Bears in the Streets, we meet the caretakers of a lighthouse in Vladivostok, a farmer in Buryatia, a group of gay friends in Novosibirsk  and we get a fascinating look beyond all the headlines about Putin.

Lisa Dickey book signing: 7:30 p.m. Tuesday. Warwicks, 7812 Girard Ave., La Jolla. Free; reserved seating available. (858) 454-0347 or warwicks.com

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john.wilkens@sduniontribune.com; (619) 293-2236
For the second time in three years, local crime novelist Don Winslow has taken out a full-page ad in a national newspaper criticizing the governments war on drugs, an issue that has formed the backbone of several of his bestselling books.

The Julian residents newest salvo is in Sundays New York Times, framed as a Twitter post from Winslow to President Donald Trump, who uses the social media platform often to air his thoughts.

Winslow, 63, has spent almost 20 years researching and writing about drugs  Americas appetite for them, the Mexican cartels that torture and kill each other to control distribution, the police on both sides of the border who try to stem the tide or corruptly become part of the flow. His books The Power of the Dog and The Cartel are violent, searing and critically acclaimed epics about the cost and futility of the war.

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In addition to his novels, hes written about the subject numerous times in essays for major newspapers and magazines in the U.S., Mexico and Europe. He favors legalization, treatment and rehabilitation instead of mass incarceration.

Sundays full page ad echoes an essay Winslow published last week on Time.com. He criticized Trump and Attorney General Jeff Sessions for being either woefully or willfully ignorant of the facts surrounding drugs. Both have called for a renewed crackdown emphasizing law enforcement instead of public-health strategies.

After five decades of this war, drugs are cheaper, more plentiful and more potent than ever, Winslow wrote. If thats Trumps idea of success, Id hate to see his version of failure.

He added, Rather than make a real effort to address the drug problem at its roots  at a time when more Americans die from opiate overdose than from car accidents  Trump and Sessions hand us fantasies such as the border wall, which will do nothing to slow the flow of drugs, and facile, intellectually lazy lock em up soundbites that make for good politics but horrible policy.

In May, Trump said the cartels have literally taken over towns in the U.S. The drug epidemic is poisoning too many American lives, and we are going to stop it in many different ways, he added. One of them will be the wall.

In 2015, Winslow took out a full-page ad in the Washington Post urging Congress to change directions with the nations drug policy. The only way to win the war on drugs is to stop fighting, he wrote. A half-century of failed policy, $1 trillion and 45 million arrests have not reduced daily drug use at all.

Winslow is currently on a tour promoting his newest book, The Force, which came out Tuesday. Its about the leader of an elite New York Police Department unit caught up in corruption while fighting the influx of drugs and guns to the city.

The author will be at Warwicks in La Jolla on Monday and at Mysterious Galaxy in Clairemont on Friday.

RELATED: Don Winslow calls The Force the cop novel hes always wanted to write

john.wilkens@sduniontribune.com
The Marine Corps has greenlighted the return of F-35B Joint Strike Fighters to the skies over Arizona, following a brief grounding caused by computer glitches.

Maj. Gen. Mark Wise, commander of the San Diego-based 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, made the decision on Friday to allow Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 211 at the Yuma air station to resume flights.

Citing anomalies detected in the Autonomic Logistics Information System, he had grounded the the Wake Island Avengers the day before.

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The system, called ALIS, transmits details about a jets mechanical condition to the ground-based computer network, automatically scheduling maintenance for the aircraft and contacting vendors worldwide to stock needed parts.

In a statement earlier this week, the Marines said investigators from defense contractor Lockheed Martin and the Pentagons F-35 Joint Program Office believed the problem was rooted in the 2.0.2 software update for ALIS.

In a similar statement on Saturday, the Corps said the F-35Bs performance and safety were never compromised by the software snafu.

Reliability of equipment and safety of our personnel are among the Marine Corps top priorities as we continue transitioning our legacy aircraft to the F-35 in the coming years, the new statement said.

A joint news release issued by the F-35 Joint Program Office and Lockheed Martin said engineers would continue to monitor and improve ALIS performance to ensure pilots could continue to operate safely and effectively.

Problems continue to plague the F-35 program, which has become the most expensive defense project in U.S. history.

Although Luke Air Force Base in Arizona has now allowed pilots to resume F-35A flights following a suspension of operations because pilots suffered symptoms of hypoxia  acute oxygen deprivation  they still arent permitted to fly at certain high altitudes.

Bedeviled by mechanical glitches, cost overruns and lengthy production delays, the $379 billion F-35 project for the Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps infamously became known in the Pentagon as acquisition malpractice.

In the past year, however, top military officials have insisted that most of the problems bedeviling the program have been fixed and that the most advanced strike fighter on the planet will become a mainstay in Americas jet fleet for at least a generation.

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cprine@sduniontribune.com
DR MARK SCHUBERT

THE Redlands Performing Arts Centre in Cleveland near Brisbane is bringing together a Melanesian Showcase in mid-September.

The first ever event will be hosted by the Quandamooka people of the Redlands region and is designed to be an important cultural exchange between Melanesia and coastal indigenous Australia.

My wife, Elaine Seeto (originally from Kavieng) is one of the organisers of the showcase, which is intended to grow into a regular and even larger festival of music and the arts.
The nations top health-policy official told an audience in San Diego on Saturday that hes committed to wringing out wasteful spending  regardless of what happens with efforts by President Donald Trump and the GOP-led Congress to reshape Obamacare.

The speech by Dr. Tom Price, the U.S. secretary of Health and Human Services, came two days after a select group of Republicans in the Senate released a bill that would eliminate the Affordable Care Acts requirement for most people to buy health insurance or pay a fine, significantly roll back the expansion of Medicaid coverage for the poor (called Medi-Cal in California) and end the increased taxes on affluent Americans that have underwritten much of Obamacares spending.

Like its counterpart legislation in the House, the Senate package would maintain federal subsidies for Obamacare insurance premiums  including policies sold through the Covered California health exchange  for two more years. So Obamacare enrollees wouldnt see any notable financial shifts in the immediate future.

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That has hardly stopped the two bills from stoking impassioned speeches in Congress, protests in cities across the country and page after after of postings on Facebook, Twitter, Reddit and other online forums.

Divisive issues include whether patients with pre-existing medical conditions would have to pay more money for insurance compared with people who have a clean health history; whether maternity care, including abortions, and some other services would be covered; and how much the nations uninsured ranks would swell again once the subsidies are halted.

The House passed its measure in May. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Kentucky, said he wants a vote on the Senate version before Independence Day. Its unclear whether that will happen because several of his fellow Republicans have cited various reasons for why they cant support the legislation  and McConnell can afford to have only two GOP lawmakers vote no.

In Washington, D.C., and beyond, Democratic Party leaders, a broad range of churches, major medical organizations and insurance companies have overwhelmingly criticized both bills, which they predict would hurt tens of millions of seniors and low-income Americans. In contrast, key GOP figures, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and a range of conservative groups have said Obamacare must be altered because its financial costs far exceed its benefits.

Polls show that most Americans simply want decent health insurance coverage at affordable prices.

The Affordable Care Act hasnt aggressively targeted the root factors that have caused Americas health-care system to be the worlds most expensive. Currently, the House and Senate replacement bills also focus more on the mechanics of providing health insurance than on reducing the nations overall health-care spending.

During his short keynote address to the CAPG conference on Saturday at the Manchester Grand Hyatt hotel, Price didnt dwell on the legislative controversy. Instead, he placed an emphasis on cost controls.

Although many in the audience are opposed to the House and Senate replacement bills, they gave Price a standing ovation after his remarks. Price had repeatedly told the conference-goers that his department is in full receiving mode for their suggestions. He also repeatedly said doctors should be driving health-care policy, especially as it pertains to the ongoing quest to reduce costs without eroding quality.

Youre the ones that are the true source of ingenuity and innovation that have made our health-care system the envy of the world in so many, many ways, Price said.

Don Crane, chief executive of CAPG, formerly the California Association of Physician Groups, said the biggest potential for fundamental change lies in the way doctors are paid. Removing the incentive for doctors to conduct more medical procedures because they get paid for each one can go a long way toward eliminating the estimated 30 percent waste in the countrys health-care system, he said.

Our argument is that if you have the right model, scaled across the country, you would achieve so much savings that coverage would become a much easier matter, Crane said.

Some experts have pushed for Medicare and private insurers to pay a fixed dollar amount for all care related to a disease or other condition  say, a knee replacement or a brain tumor surgery  contending that it would force hospitals, rehabilitation facilities and outpatient doctors groups to collaborate more so they can better stress preventive care and thus save money.

Other experts have advocated for robust, centralized government control over the pricing of prescription drugs, hospital services, outpatient care and the rest of the medical spectrum.

U.S. health-care expenditures: total figures

(not adjusted for inflation)

1960: $27.2 billion

1970: $74.6 billion

1980: $255.3 billion

1990: $721.4 billion

2000: $1.37 trillion

2010: $2.6 trillion

2015: $3.21 trillion

*

U.S. health-care expenditures: per capita

(not adjusted for inflation)

1960: $146

1970: $355

1980: $1,108

1990: $2,843

2000: $4,857

2010: $8,404

2015: $9,990

*

U.S. health-care expenditures: percentage of GDP

1960: 5 percent

1970: 6.9 percent

1980: 8.9 percent

1990: 12.1 percent

2000: 13.3 percent

2010: 17.4 percent

2015: 17.8 percent

Source: U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services

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paul.sisson@sduniontribune.com

(619) 293-1850

Twitter: @paulsisson
The confession of a Wisconsin inmate featured in the Netflix series Making a Murderer was improperly obtained and he should be retried or released from prison, a three-judge federal appeals panel ruled.

Brendan Dassey was sentenced to life in prison in 2007 in photographer Teresa Halbachs death on Halloween two years earlier. Dassey told detectives he helped his uncle, Steven Avery, rape and kill Halbach in the Avery familys Manitowoc County salvage yard. Avery was sentenced to life in a separate trial.

A federal magistrate judge ruled in August that investigators coerced Dassey, who was 16 years old at the time and suffered from cognitive problems, into confessing and overturned his conviction. The state Justice Department appealed the ruling to the U.S. 7th Circuit Court of Appeals, a move that kept Dassey, now 27, behind bars pending the outcome.

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A three-judge panel from the Chicago-based 7th Circuit on Thursday upheld the magistrates decision to overturn his conviction. Wisconsin can appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court, ask for a review by the full 7th Circuit or retry Dassey within 90 days.

Johnny Koremenos, a spokesman for Wisconsin Atty. Gen. Brad Schimel, said the office expects to seek review by the full 7th Circuit or the U.S. Supreme Court, and hopes that todays erroneous decision will be reversed.

We continue to send our condolences to the Halbach family as they have to suffer through another attempt by Mr. Dassey to relitigate his guilty verdict and sentence, Koremenos said.

Brendan Dassey listens to testimony at the Manitowoc County Courthouse in Wisconsin in January 2010. (Sue Pischke / Associated Press)

Dasseys lawyers from the Center on Wrongful Convictions of Youth at Northwestern University said theyre elated and will take immediate steps to secure his release.

Attorney Laura Nirider said they want to send Dassey home to his mother as soon as possible. She said they did the math and determined that he had been in prison for 4,132 days as of Thursday.

The centers director, Steven Drizin, said the ruling provides a model for the kind of thorough analysis that courts should always undertake in assessing whether a confession was voluntary, and highlights the importance for teenagers to have parents or trusted adults in the interrogation room.

While these tactics might not have overwhelmed a seasoned criminal or a 30-year-old with a law degree, they clearly overwhelmed a 16-year-old, socially avoidant, intellectually limited [youth] who had never been interrogated by the police before, he said.

The appellate panel split, with Judges Ilana Rovner and Ann Williams affirming and David Hamilton in dissent. The majority opinion by Rovner said no reasonable court could have any confidence that Dasseys confession was voluntary. It cited the leading, the fact-feeding, the false promises, the manipulation of Dasseys desire to please as among many factors that cast it in doubt.

Hamilton, in dissent, wrote: The majoritys decision breaks new ground and poses troubling questions for police and prosecutors. It calls into question standard interrogation techniques that courts have routinely found permissible, even in cases involving juveniles.

Avery and Dassey contend that they were framed by police angry with Avery for suing Manitowoc County over his wrongful conviction for sexual assault. Avery spent 18 years in prison in that case before DNA tests showed he didnt commit the crime. Hes pursuing his own appeal in state court.

Their cases gained national attention in 2015 after Netflix aired Making a Murderer, a multi-part documentary looking at Halbachs death, the ensuing investigation and trials. The series sparked widespread conjecture about the pairs innocence and has garnered them a massive following on social media pushing for their release.

Authorities who worked on the cases insisted that the documentary is biased. Ken Kratz, the prosecutor, wrote in his book Avery that Dassey was a shuffling, mumbling young man with bad skin and broken-bowl haircut who could have saved Halbachs life but instead involved himself in her rape and murder, and that Avery is by any measure of the evidence, stone guilty.

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Choice of Stephan as DA must be scrutinized

Regarding Summer Stephan unanimous pick to be San Diego Countys interim district attorney (June 20): Did our county Board of Supervisors truly act with the best interests of San Diego citizens in mind when they appointed Summer Stephan to an 18-month position replacing resigning District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis?

I think not, and that this decision totally smacks of an inside fix that is certainly unfair to all but Stephan. We the people deserve a thorough explanation of their reasoning and/or payoff behind their decision and then we should vote the bum incumbents out.

Are they serving the electorate or serving themselves?

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Mike Clark

Chula Vista

I am pleased to see that the San Diego Country Board of Supervisors has chosen a veteran prosecutor as an interim district attorney, and also that they refused to force her to pledge not to run as a candidate for the full term in 2018.

I have no opinion about Stephan, personally.

I have been watching this story only because of the suggestion that whoever was chosen would not be allowed to run as a candidate later. Such a requirement would unnecessarily pervert the boards selection process, and the people who pushed it, know it.

Valerie E. Looper

San Diego

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So Bonnie Dumanis one vote discounts millions of votes by the electorate who should choose the next district attorney. This isnt the first time this has happened in this county. Sheriff Bill Kolender did it, recommending Bill Gore. This is the same kind of scam that does not allow the voters to make a choice. This has nothing to do with the Crow event, it is just a matter of democracy.

William Gammon

Point Loma

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The latest period of hot weather will peak on Monday, then gradually be replaced by soothing seasonal temperatures until Friday, when the heat will tick up again going into the Fourth of July celebration, the National Weather Service says.

Mondays daytime highs will reach the upper 90s to low 100s in places like Escondido, Ramona and Poway, forecasters says. Temperatures will be more moderate across the mid-section of the county, and near-normal at the coast, where a patch marine layer and onshore winds are keep things cool.

Then entire county will experience a gradual cooling, starting on Tuesday. The temperatures will rise to slightly above seasonal levels through the Fourth of July. San Diego International Airport is expected a high of 75 on July 4th.

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The temperature will return to the mid-to-upper 90s across San Diego Countys inland valleys and foothills on Sunday as a high pressure system briefly rebuilds across Southern California, the National Weather Service says.

Forecasters say temperatures will stay in the more moderate range at the coast, where the marine layer has been more stubborn. But county animal control officials say the public should remain on the watch for rattlesnakes in all wildlands areas  from the coast to the mountains. The heat has been rousting the snakes from their homes.

The snake in the video above was filmed on Saturday afternoon on a public path 100 yards from a condominium complex at the southeast edge of Del Mar.

Temperatures will also be above average on Monday. But the weather will return to seasonal levels for the rest of the week, before the heat returns next weekend.

Sample of Saturdays high temperatures: Borrego Springs, 119; Valley Center, 92; Ramona Airport, 90; Alpine, 89; Escondido, 87; Poway, 84; Rancho San Diego, 84; Santee, 83; San Marcos, 81; Fallbrook, 81; La Mesa, 80; Lemon Grove, 79; Montgomery Field, 78; Miramar, 77; Vista, 76; Solana Beach, 75; San Diego International Airport, 75; National City, 75; Brown Field, 75; Encinitas, 73; Oceanside Airport, 73; Imperial Beach, 71; Oceanside Harbor, 67.

Twitter: @grobbins

gary.robbins@sduniontribune.com
[JAKARTA] Nordic pension funds are indirectly supporting Indonesias environmentally destructive palm oil industry, a new report claims, putting into question the reputation of Norway and Sweden as global leaders in the fight against deforestation.

According to the report, the Norwegian Government Pension Fund Global (GPFG), the bank Nordea and the Swedish public pension fund AP-fonderna own shares in six South-East Asian banks that have financed palm oil operations and which adopt a scorched earth approach to palm oil production.

The report, published 30 May by the Rainforest Foundation Norway and the Fair Finance Guide, shows Norwegian investments in four of Indonesias largest banks  Bank Mandiri, Bank Rakyat Indonesia, Bank Negara Indonesia and Bank Central Asia, all of them supporting palm oil production and have extended US$12.5 billion in outstanding loans.

GPFGs US$1.3 billion investments to the four Indonesian banks contradict Norways provision of US$1 billion for forest conservation to help Indonesia achieve CO  emissions cut by 26 per cent by 2020 through the Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation or REDD.

The Scandinavians are not alone in financing environmentally unsustainable oil palm cultivation in Indonesia.

A study by Greenpeace-Indonesia, released in January, disclosed that the London-based HSBC had invested US$16.3 billion in problematic oil palm companies like Bumi Utama, Karya Bakti Agro, Goodhope, Henrison Inti Persada, Bio Inti Agrindo and Indofood.

However, local experts turned the tables and blamed the foreign NGOs for false reports which they say are aimed at discrediting the oil palm industry and extracting money by posing as consultants to firms they criticise.

Oil palm companies are vulnerable to complaints (they can be expelled from RSPO and their bank credit cancelled) because the RSPO is unable to assess complaints made by NGOs. Iwan Setiawan, Aksenta

Iwan Setiawan, conservation consultant at the Jakarta-based environment management firm Aksenta, says NGOs can discredit oil palm companies by merely posting unsubstantiated charges on the website of the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO), the multi-stakeholder initiative that certifies sustainable palm oil cultivation, and they use this power to extort money.

Oil palm companies are vulnerable to complaints (they can be expelled from RSPO and their bank credit cancelled) because the RSPO is unable to assess complaints made by NGOs, Iwan explains. Then some NGOs act like consultants (through their advocacy). They do research and make recommendations, for which they are paid.

An executive of a palm oil company, who ask for anonymity, tells SciDev.Net: The projects they have proposed are often remarkably high-budget. Worse, many of them have not worked. Aborted conservation projects have left more forest areas abandoned and they have become more vulnerable to poaching, trespassing and illegal logging.

Indonesia and Malaysia are the worlds top palm oil producers accounting for a combined 85per cent of the worlds supply. Banks are vital to the industrys expansion as it needs to borrow funds to establish oil palm estates.

A European resolution (4 April 2017) on palm oil and deforestation concluded on the possibility of controlling palm oil imports in an effort to control deforestation in South-East Asia. November 2015 report by the independent Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA), London, charged the RSPO with woefully substandard assessments and said there was evidence of collusion with plantation companies to disguise violations of the RSPO standard.Case studies in the EIA report showed RSPO auditors complicit in greenwashing, ambiguous legal compliance and conflicts of interest due to links between certification bodies and plantation companies.This piece was produced by SciDev.Nets Asia & Pacific desk.
By Press Trust of India: New Delhi, Jun 24 (PTI) The police have arrested two men, who allegedly used to buy stolen mobile phones and sell them after changing the IMEI numbers.

As many as 65 stolen mobile phones, instruments used to change their IMEIs, break phone locks and bypass Google accounts were seized from the accused, said Romil Baaniya, Deputy Commissioner of Police (south-east).

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On June 23, the police received information that two members of a gang dealing in stolen mobile phones would come near the Air Force Station, near Monkey Park on Mehrauli- Badarpur road, on a bike.

Subsequently, the two men -- Mehtab Malik and Praveen Kumar -- were nabbed and four cell phones each were seized from their possession, said the DCP.

During interrogation, Malik told the police that he used to buy stolen mobiles and change their IMEIs with the help of high-end devices before selling them, he added.

Once the International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) number of a phone is changed, it becomes impossible for the investigating agencies to track it further.

Malik also told the police that he used latest gadgets to break the pattern locks of the stolen phones, bypass the Google accounts and change the IMEIs.

Subsequently, the police seized 61 more stolen mobile phones and gadgets from the accuseds house in Badarpur.

Malik, who has two wives, told the police that to sustain the two marriages, he had got involved in illegal activities. PTI SLB RC

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Two security personnel were killed and five others injured, three of them critically, in two separate encounters with Naxalites in Sukma district, the news agency PTI quoted police as saying. The death toll rose to three after another jawan succumbed to his injuries, the news agency ANI later tweeted.

By India Today Web Desk: Two security personnel were killed and five others injured, three of them critically, in two separate encounters with Naxalites in Sukma district, the news agency PTI quoted police as saying. The death toll rose to three after another jawan succumbed to his injuries, the news agency ANI later tweeted.

One Naxal was also gunned down during the operation, police said.

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"While two district reserve guard (DRG) jawans were killed, five special task force (STF) personnel injured in two gunbattles between a joint team of security forces and ultras under Chintagufa police station limits in the district," Special DGP (anti-Maoist operations) D M Awasthi told PTI.

A composite squad of the STF, the DRG, the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and its elite unit-CoBRA (Commando Battalion for Resolute Action) was out on the operation based on inputs about the location of Maoist hideouts in the interiors of Chintagufa, around 500-km away from here, since Friday.

WHAT HAPPENED

When the security forces were on Saturday around 10.30 am advancing through the forests of Dondamarka, a Maoist den, armed Naxalites opened indiscriminate firing on them, leading to a gun-battle between both the sides, he said.

"Five STF personnel sustained bullet injuries, three of them critically, in the face-off following which reinforcement was sent to evacuate them," the Special DGP said.

The injured were airlifted to Raipur and admitted at a private hospital here.

While cordoning off the region, the team of security forces was on their way back to the base when it again came under heavy firing from the ultras near Durma village at around 3.30 pm in which two DRG jawans were killed, he said.

Additional forces were rushed to the spot and bodies of the two jawans were being retrieved from the forest, he said.

"Over a dozen Maoists were killed during the operation, but their colleagues managed to drag their bodies deep into the jungle. However, body of one Maoist was recovered," the SDGP claimed, adding further details are awaited.

On April 24, 25 CRPF personnel were killed in a naxal ambush in Burkapal area under Chintagufa police station of limits of Sukma.

ALSO READ | Intelligence agencies identify Maoist, Islamic radical support behind people's protests in Kerala

ALSO READ | Odisha: SOG jawan killed, 10 injured in Maoist ambush in Kandhamal

--- ENDS ---

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The early morning drizzle gave way to rainbows in all forms over Dolores Park on Saturday, as revelers in multicolored tutus, capes and feather boas crowded the park for San Franciscos annual Dyke March.

Thousands danced, lounged, waved flags and posed for pictures during the afternoon gathering, both celebrating and rallying against a political climate many described as a direct attack on their queerness.

Dykes on Bikes, the group of lesbian motorcycle riders that started the Dyke March, lined up on 18th Street just before 5 p.m., gunning their bikes as the crowd cheered them on. Signs along the barricades asked that dyke allies march on the side while leaving the middle portion for the dykes themselves, keeping in line with the main theme of this years march of take up your space.

The theme, organizers said, was about reclaiming identity, community and the right to a safe space to be who you are for all people across the gender and sexuality spectrum.

We have forces in this culture that are trying to erase us, erase who we are, said Angel Adeyoha, 44. We are trying to take that back.

In the middle of the park, Adeyoha and her wife, Koja, carved out a swath of land, marking it with yellow crime scene tape that read Dykes Only. Adeyoha explained that they had created a space for only those who identified as dykes, as a way for them to return to the roots of the Dyke March  to not just reclaim their identity as dykes but also to celebrate it.

While the term dyke was once used as a pejorative term to describe lesbians, it has since become a rallying cry and political call for those in the queer community.

Dyke is a self-selected term, said Vanessa Rochelle Lewis, who emceed the rally, Its not attached to anatomy. Its not attached to who you love. No one is excluded if you identify as a dyke.

Lewis led the crowd in chanting, Take up our space! Take up our space!

We all deserve to be here, she later told the crowd. Why do you deserve to be here?

Because I have a fat, nonbinary body, and I can run around in my underwear here, one person shouted to loud cheers and applause.

What about you? Lewis asked a young woman in rose-pattern leggings and a flower crown.

Im here for all the bi dykes, she said. Were here, were bi, and were still dykes.

Rosabelle Oribello, 32, knows just how important it is to have a specifically queer, dyke space. She said its something people born straight and happy with the body they were born into have trouble understanding.

As a queer person of color, there are spaces Im not invited into, she said. I work in tech. I work with mostly white dudes. As accepting as they are, they say things and do things that Im just not privy to.

Having your own space, it helps foster that community spirit, that kinship, she said. It helps with that sense of identity. Thats important because it helps you own it.

And own it they will  a Supreme Court ruling last week that deemed it unconstitutional to prohibit registration of a trademark based on disparaging language was central in this years celebration because the decision meant that Dykes on Bikes could finally trademark their name, which previously had been deemed disparagement.

While much of the focus Saturday was on pushing back and reclaiming identity, the usual jubilation that surrounds the citys Pride celebrations was not be dampened. Partners of all sexual orientations and gender identities zigzagged through the crowds, hand in hand. A march volunteer proposed to her girlfriend on stage.

Just before the Dykes on Bikes took off in a flurry of rainbow flags and bubbles, Jayne DeBattista, 28, stood with her arms wrapped around her girlfriend of seven years, Jess Bier, 36.

Were marching because were getting married in two weeks, DeBattista said, smiling widely. We are so happy we have the right to do that.

For younger generations, being able to witness the simple happiness of being true to ones identity and sexual orientation was significant. Saturdays march was the first Pride experience for one 13-year-old.

The 13-year-old identifies as pansexual and nonbinary and goes by the pronouns of them and they. But Saturday, they were just a human being in a rainbow cape, dancing with friends to a performance of Queens Bohemian Rhapsody.

Everybody here is just totally themselves, they said. It makes me happy.
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Politicians love any opportunity to shake hands and trumpet a message, and for the mostly left-leaning bunch around the Bay Area the Pride Parade was a perfect occasion for that.

It wasnt all fun and laughs, though. Given Republican control of Congress and the White House, and concern about the party blunting LGBTQ advances, the local pols  like the many activists in the parade  radiated a tone of defiance and determination.

The importance of being here today is self evident with the backdrop of whats going on in Washington, with the anxiety and fear thats being induced by this president and his policies, said Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom, who walked and rode in a BMW convertible.

Recalling the fierce battle that attended his pioneering move in 2004 to authorize same-sex marriage, Newsom said he and his political allies have to not just fight against complacency or any erosion of advances, but to push forward on LGBTQ rights.

The parade is about celebrating our differences, he said. Thats a value that can't be taken for granted.

Mayor Ed Lee, who rolled along in an antique Lincoln convertible, said San Francisco has to help lead the way in the nation for resisting bigotry and any rollback of rights.

We cannot let hate win, he said.

Rep. Jackie Speier, D-San Mateo, took a similar tone as she rode the route in a Cadillac convertible: We are still persisting, resisting and enlisting Americans to realize that gay pride is something we should be celebrating, she said.

San Francisco Supervisor Jeff Sheehy said it was important for those marching in the parade to send a strong message to Washington, even though the receptiveness there may be sketchy.

I dont think Trump will pay attention to this parade, but its important that we come together to express our resistance, he said. We need to show our reactions to how so many people and things are under assault now - health care is under assault, Muslims are under assault, trans kids are under assault.

We are like the frog in the slowly boiling pot of water. We have to take action.

Kevin Fagan is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: kfagan@sfchronicle.com. Twitter: @KevinChron
Bhutan shares borders with Sikkim, Assam, Arunachal Pradesh and West Bengal. Around 8,000 to 10,000 daily workers enter and exit Bhutan everyday in border towns.

The 12-digit Aadhaar number is now mandatory to avail of a host of benefits.

By Press Trust of India: Aadhaar is not a valid identification document for Indians travelling to Nepal and Bhutan, the Union Home Ministry has said.

Indians can travel to Nepal and Bhutan--countries for which they don't need visas--if they possess a valid national passport or election ID card issued by the Election Commission.

Moreover, to ease travel, persons over 65 and below 15 years of age can show documents with photographs to confirm their age and identity. These include PAN card, driving license, Central Government Health Service (CGHS) card and ration card but not Aadhaar.

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"Aadhaar (UID) card is not an acceptable travel document for travel to Nepal/Bhutan," a communique issued by the ministry said.

MANY INDIANS IN NEPAL, BHUTAN

The advisory assumes significance as Aadhaar is mandatory for a host of things, including government subsidies on LPG and other social welfare schemes.

The Aadhaar card, which has a 12-digit unique identification number and personal details like name and address, acts as a proof of identification and residence.

Indians entering Bhutan by road are required to obtain an Entry Permit on the basis of a valid travel document from the immigration office of Royal Government of Bhutan at Phuentsholing, located on the India-Bhutan border opposite Jaigaon, West Bengal.

The border with Nepal is an open one with people who enter the country needing to show any valid identity card.

Nepal shares borders with five Indian states--Sikkim, West Bengal, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand. Around six lakh Indians are living or domiciled in Nepal.

Bhutan, which shares borders with Sikkim, Assam, Arunachal Pradesh and West Bengal, has about 60,000 Indian nationals, employed mostly in the hydroelectric power and construction industry. In addition, between 8,000 and 10,000 daily workers enter and exit Bhutan everyday in border towns.

DEPARTURE CARDS DONE AWAY WITH

In another development, Indians flying abroad will not be required to fill departure cards from next month.

However, those going out of the country via rail, seaport and land immigration checkposts will have to fill the embarkation card.

"It has been decided to discontinue the practice of filling up of the departure card by Indians at all international airports with effect from July 1, 2017," an order issued by the Home Ministry said.

The move is aimed at ensuring hassle-free movement of Indians going abroad.

At present, those going abroad need to fill in details such as name, date of birth, passport number, address in India, flight number and date of boarding in the departure card.

The decision will help reducing the time required to complete immigration-related formalities by passengers and also enable airports and authorities concerned to cater to a larger number of people.

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The need for Indians to fill such cards on their arrival in India has already been done away with.

ALSO READ:

Aadhaar data of 130 millions, bank account details leaked from govt websites: Report

Aadhaar holders must link with PAN card for Income Tax returns: Supreme Court

Can Aadhaar make you a tax defaulter?

ALSO WATCH: My Take - Aadhaar card should not be linked to income tax returns

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Theres a phrase that gets thrown around every Pride  The first Gay Pride was a riot. Its stitched onto jackets and scrawled on boards as a not-so-subtle reminder that for all the rainbow flags and late-night parties, Pride began some 50 years ago as a protest.

Lately, its also served to highlight a tension thats become increasingly visible in recent years: Is Pride a protest, or is it a party? And can it exist as both?

With the current political atmosphere, and an increasing dread that recent gains in LGBT rights could be rolled back at any moment, cities across the United States are having to answer these questions. Pride parades in Phoenix, Washington, D.C., and Columbus, Ohio, have found themselves the target of protests from queer activists who say they arent doing enough to make space and fight for the most marginalized among them and the policies that directly affect them. In Portland, Ore., and Minneapolis, Pride organizers tried to minimize the visibility of law enforcement at the parades  and faced backlash for it.

And in Los Angeles, the parade was converted, wholesale, into a resistance march that pushed back against the Trump administrations policies as well as laws coming out of legislatures in states such as North Carolina and South Dakota.

David McNew/Getty Images

The San Francisco Pride board of directors appears to be trying to split the difference, after heavy lobbying by Alex U. Inn, one of the parades grand marshals, for the event to be more political. The parade will continue as it always has on Sunday, corporate sponsors and all, but with a Resistance Contingent at the front that will give visibility to issues such as the value of black lives, immigrant rights and reproductive rights. Beyond that, San Francisco Pride will largely leave the politics up to the participants.

We understand (Prides) political context, says Michelle Meow, the boards president. But I think what Pride means to each individual in our community will range. Its diverse and its become complex.

Other groups, however, are being more direct in tackling the moment head-on.

The Dyke March and the Trans March have always been primarily political, more protest than parade. But organizers for both events say that this year, especially in light of President Trumps election, theres a renewed sense of purpose.

We are going back to our roots, says Melisa Marquez-Rodriguez, the volunteer coordinator for the Trans March. We are a protest march  we started out as a protest march.

Elizabeth Lanyon, who co-chairs the Dyke March, struck a similar tone. This isnt a parade. This is us showing up and taking up space because weve been pushed out, because we have been overlooked for so long.

Both marches are unapologetically political on their websites, talking about issues including transphobia, access to health care, deportation, police brutality and mass incarceration. This runs in stark contrast to what youd find on the official SF Pride website. There are other differences, of course. Neither march features contingents or floats, neither takes corporate sponsors.

Though Sundays parade will pull the largest audience of the weekend, both the Trans March and the Dyke March draw considerable crowds. The Trans March, which has taken place annually for 14 years, is one of the biggest gatherings of its sort in the nation, sometimes attracting as many as 10,000 people. The Dyke March, now in its 25th year, estimates that 25,000 to 30,000 attend each year.

Both Marquez-Rodriguez and Lanyon say such marches help carve a space during a weekend of celebration that doesnt always make room for everybody in the community. Marquez-Rodriguez says its common to hear from transgender people that they feel superficially welcome at the main events. Yes, youre welcome. Were not going to oppress you, she says. But at the same time  a lot of people feel the need to have a smaller activity where we can all get together.

The Trans March is a protest march, but its also a gathering space. Thats something we want to provide. Trans space is extremely rare.

Finding spaces specifically for queer women is also difficult, Lanyon says. There are dance parties and meet-ups, but with the closure of the Lexington Club (the citys only lesbian bar) two years ago, theres no dedicated physical space. I think that says a lot about still needing visibility.  And thats why the Dyke March is so, so very important.

Both say theyd like to see more of an effort made in the main event to center those on the fringes (and to advocate for policies that would help them). But, says Marquez-Rodriguez, the discussions that need to happen in order to have a more inclusive event arent happening with the frequency we want them to be happening.

Its not impossible, though. And Los Angeles might be a model for the future. Less than six months ago, Brian Pendleton had nothing to do with the organization that runs Los Angeles Pride. When he realized that the L.A. Pride Parade was set to happen on the same day as an equality march in D.C., he shot off a post on Facebook about how Los Angeles should ditch the parade in favor of a protest. Normally, he gets about 50 likes on a post. This time he got more than 30,000.

It wasnt long before Christopher Street West, the organization that plans Los Angeles Pride, had called him up to find out whether he was planning to march in their parade. Instead, after some discussions, he and a group of 60 were handed responsibility for the June 11 parade programming. What they crafted was ResistMarch, something in the vein of the Trans and Dyke marches, that eschewed sponsorships and floats and contingents. The march wasnt explicitly anti-Trump, so much as it was a march against policies at both the state and federal levels that run counter to the sort of values that Pride originally stood for.

The mission was particularly important this year, which was lending our iconic rainbow flag to anybody who feels under threat, Pendleton says. Not just the LGBTQ community  but immigrants of any status, Dreamers, people of color, people of faith, women who care about reproductive rights. It was our desire to build a much broader coalition.

There was pushback from some in the community, but, Pendleton says, most came around to the idea, and saw the joy in the march, floats or no floats.

Theres somewhat of a nervousness to give up a parade in exchange for a march, he says. But there is so much power in that. The only difference is that people, instead of spectating, are participating.

Ryan Kost is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: rkost@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @RyanKost
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The usual palette of bright rainbow colors decorated San Francisco parade-goers on Sunday, but a few fashion trends stood out as favorites.

The long-loved tube socks with colored stripes was one, with Levi Strauss & Co. reporting Friday that the company had sold out of its special edition rainbow socks both online and at retail outlets in the city.

Many wore the socks with matching rainbow pants and tees, while others didnt wear them with too much else.

Alissa Long, 19, of San Jose had to sport a black jacket to fend off the chill of the morning fog, but she also donned short jean shorts and a pair or rainbow socks  thigh-high  that she had found at Amazon for $8.

Im bisexual, she said. I wore these to show my pride and represent equality.

Tutus, another classic at San Francisco Pride, were also abundant. Vendor stands were turning a brisk trade on them at $20 a pop.

Perhaps the newest fashion addition, with the verdict still out on whether the fad will stick, were rainbow faux-fur raccoon tails. Many had attached the furry appendage to their posterior.

And with politics inevitably becoming a motif in the parade, much of the dress was similarly inspired.

Izamor Bautista, 20, a nursing assistant from Madera (Madera County), wore a rainbow Mexican flag as a cape, saying she was proud to be Mexican at a time when much has been made of immigration from south of the border.

She said she was motivated to attend the parade for the first time to honor her late friend, Gisselle Perez, a lesbian, who died of cancer in April.

Tony Bravo is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: tbravo@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @TonyBravoSF
Ben Margot/Associated Press

Not much action Sunday morning at the Not-OK Corral, where the Giants will try to win for the second time in two weeks and avoid a series sweep. Matt Moore, coming off his best start in a while, faces winless Mets pitcher Rafael Montero. Yoenis Cespedes is not playing, and there was much cheering.

Your things to know:
Hundreds of thousands of revelers descended on Market Street like a rainbow-colored river Sunday to join the explosion of wildly painted floats and chest-thumping music as the 47th annual Pride Parade took over downtown San Francisco.

People from all over the world jammed sidewalks  five deep in spots  for the happy chaos of costumes, camaraderie and celebration as they watched more than 200 floats, musical acts and groups of marchers pour down the 1.3-mile parade route between the Embarcadero and Civic Center.

And while the citys biggest annual parade has become a moment to celebrate progress made on gay rights in California and across the nation, behind the waving rainbow flags was a more sober message that theres still a lot to fight for.

Many of the participants highlighted concern about losing ground under President Trumps administration not only on LGBT issues, but also on health care, poverty and racism, harking back to the roots of San Franciscos Pride Parade as a political demonstration.

This is not just fun, its a commemoration of the day gay people fought back, said Joseph Amster, who is often seen giving tours around the city dressed as the famed San Francisco crackpot Emperor Norton. If we all forget that, we will be oppressed again.

Amster, who donned a rainbow sash and beard dyed with matching colors, wore his full Norton regalia, complete with epaulets and military-style medals, as he joined thousands of others flamboyantly dressed  as well as those opting to forgo most or all of their clothing.

First-time parade-goer Phoebe Hosley, a 15-year-old high school student from Pinole, said fear of the future is what brought her there Sunday.

With everything going on in politics and the country, I felt like it was important to be here to support my community, Phoebe said. Im scared what Trump will do to LGBT people.

Leading the pack, as they always do, Dykes on Bikes gunned their hogs up Market Street at the parades 10:30 a.m. start. They, too, didnt shy away from the politics.

We are fighting this ridiculous administration, and they will not break our spirit, activism and pride, said 49-year-old Kary McElroy, who rode her Harley Davidson Ultra Classic that she named Maggie.

In a box on her motorcycles seat was her small dog  also named Maggie.

Im embarrassed to be an American, but its wonderful to be a San Franciscan and a Californian, she said.

Also near the front of the line was the Resistance Contingent, whose lead spot underscored the parades emphasis on protest as much as partying.

The groups marchers held their fists high as they carried signs reading No Wall!, Love Trumps Hate and Black Lives Matter, showing solidarity with other groups.

Farther down the parade route were nearly 300 parents and kids with Our Family Coalition, a group of families with LGBT members. The day is especially important for LGBT children, said organization spokeswoman Polly Pagenhart, because its a welcome break from the discrimination they grow up with.

Walking up Market Street and being cheered by tens of thousands of people can really blow billows of love into their chests that can sustain them for the other 364 days of the year, Pagenhart said.

Not far away was Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom, among many in politics who seized the moment to make a statement.

The importance of being here today is self-evident with the backdrop of whats going on in Washington with the anxiety and fear thats being induced by this president and his policies, said Newsom, who rode in a BMW convertible.

Recalling the fierce battle that attended his pioneering move in 2004 to authorize same-sex marriage, Newsom said he and his political allies have to not just fight against complacency about any erosion of advances, but to push forward on LGBT rights.

The parade is about celebrating our differences, he said. Thats a value that cant be taken for granted.

San Francisco Supervisor Jeff Sheehy said it is vital for those marching in the parade to send a strong message to Washington, even if people believe those in the White House arent listening.

I dont think Trump will pay attention to this parade, but its important that we come together to express our resistance, he said. We need to show our reactions to how so many people and things are under assault now  health care is under assault, Muslims are under assault, trans kids are under assault.

We are like the frog in the slowly boiling pot of water. We have to take action.

San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee, who rolled along in an antique Lincoln convertible, agreed the city has to help lead the way in the nation for any rollback of rights.

We cannot let hate win, he said.

Pride participants started lining the streets just off the Embarcadero at first light Sunday, making sure their floats were ready for the nearing moment of glory.

Scott Ihrig, the head of the float for technology giant Intel, worked with a team to set up a rainbow of balloons on a company-sponsored float.

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.

He marveled how 50 years ago, a major company like Intel wouldnt have sponsored a float, let alone hired openly gay people.

Intel was just one of many corporations participating. Nearly every major Bay Area tech company seemed to be there, lending support and pitching products. Ubers float touted its slogan, Ride with Pride, while Google showed off its self-driving car, Waymo, which appeared to be driven by a human.

Pride Community Grand Marshal Alex U. Inn, a longtime local social justice advocate, was critical of the parades commercialization. She said the event should have focused even more on politics, like in Los Angeles, where the parade morphed into an all-out demonstration.

This could have been a different march, she said.

Academy Award-winning Milk screenwriter and gay rights activist Dustin Lance Black, who was attending a party at City Hall, praised those who used the parade to make their cause heard, but he encouraged them to do more.

Yes, its critical to show up today to Pride, but this cant be the only time you come out this year, he said. Its important we show up for all our brother and sister movements.

Sundays parade concluded a week of Pride festivities around the city. Some 200 people on Saturday morning unfurled a large pink triangle on Twin Peaks, and thousands joined the annual Dyke March at Dolores Park in the afternoon. The day before, the annual Trans March also drew thousands to Dolores Park.

As always, Sundays huge parade capped off the festivities in overwhelming fashion. But it left its impact in quiet ways as well.

In the final moments before the floats started out in the morning, away from the shirtless, the pants-less, the painted and the corporate logos, two little girls sat finishing their Pride sign off Market Street. Natalie Arroyo, 8, and Morgan McDermott, 9, grew up in San Francisco. And though they were well versed in gay rights, this was their first Pride Parade and first time to celebrate.

Its second nature to them, said Morgans mom, Rayna McDermott. When we were growing up we had to have more conversations about (being gay). But for them, growing up in the city, they have so much exposure to it.

When asked why Pride is important to her, Morgan suddenly became timid from all the attention and noise around her.

Come on Morgan, dont be shy  what did we talk about in the car? her mother said.

After a few more seconds of silence, the 9-year-olds smile grew, and the words gently came out: Love is love.

Kevin Fagan, Trisha Thadani, Tony Bravo and Evan Sernoffsky are San Francisco Chronicle staff writers. Email: kfagan@sfchronicle.com, tthandani@sfchronicle.com, tbravo@sfchronicle.com, esernoffsky@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @KevinChron, @TrishaThadnai, @tonybravosf, @EvanSernoffsky
Everyone knows the wheels have come off Uber. Reports abound of a toxic corporate culture, a string of scandals, a mass executive exodus and the messy ousting of CEO Travis Kalanick.

But its as big a deal that the companys push into robot cars seems to be veering off the road. Co-founder Kalanick himself views self-driving technology as life or death for Uber, and investors say it is vital to justify the ride-hailing companys $69 billion valuation.

Is Uber worth that much? Its a question of fares  and volume. Meeting its growth projections will require ever-cheaper rides and major market penetration. And the free-speaking Kalanick has a unique way of expressing that.

The reason Uber could be expensive is because youre not just paying for the car  youre paying for the other dude in the car, Kalanick said in 2014 at a tech industry conference.

At that point, the company had yet to launch its autonomous-vehicle project. Even then, though, the math was clear: As driverless cars drop in cost, it seems inevitable that theyll offer cheaper rides than human drivers. And at some point, they could get so inexpensive that they supplant personal car ownership. At that point, Uber and its ilk would be ready to grab a huge share of the global transportation market.

To that end, Uber has poured money into its self-driving efforts, spending $680 million for startup Otto (now the focus of a trade-secret lawsuit with Waymo), paying top dollar to raid the robotics department at Carnegie Mellon University, buying and refurbishing a research center in Pittsburgh, and running tests with passengers in Pittsburgh, San Francisco (briefly) and Phoenix.

But now its staffing  both at headquarters and in its Advanced Technology Group  is in disarray. With Kalanick gone, there is no dude in the car. And for now, someone still has to drive.

Waymos allegations that Uber used purloined technology loom large. The judge in the Waymo vs. Uber case took the unusual step of referring the matter to federal prosecutors, opening up the possibility of criminal charges. Uber has denied any wrongdoing, and the case is scheduled for an Oct. 10 trial.

Self-driving is of critical import to Uber, said venture capitalist Jim Scheinman, founder of Maven Ventures, which invested in self-driving car startup Cruise. Theyve spent a fortune on it to date, especially acquiring Otto and the Carnegie Mellon team. But its a mess over there, between the Waymo-Uber lawsuit and key leaders and engineers from the Uber self-driving teams leaving or being fired. (Cruise was purchased last year by General Motors, which also has a stake in Uber rival Lyft.)

With Uber poised for major change from the top, what might befall its self-driving research?

I think this puts the board and the new management in the position of saying, Do we want to keep doing this (working on autonomous cars), or do we want to look at our strategy? said Mike Ramsey, research director at Gartner.

The company may decide to double down on robot-car work  or not. Its not hard to imagine that Uber might spin it out, he said. It may have value, but Uber could determine that it does not have to absolutely own it itself.

While agreeing with Kalanick that self-driving cars will revolutionize transportation, he and others question why Uber needs its own expensive, home-grown technology when dozens of companies  including all the big carmakers  are hard at work on this.

Im not entirely sure what Ubers competitive advantage is in the supercompetitive market for developing self-driving cars, said Mike Walsh, founding partner of Structure Capital, who invested in Uber in 2010 when it was valued at $4 million.

I can totally understand why Uber would want to extensively test self-driving vehicles in its operations, Ramsey said. But I have a hard time understanding why Uber needs to create its own self-driving car. The only answer seems to be that it doesnt want to be beholden to a Google that will eat away at its margins. (Waymo is the company that grew out of Googles self-driving car project, now a separate division within parent company Alphabet.)

Lyft, Ubers main rival, is equally gung-ho about the robot-taxi future, but its strategy is to offer its ride-hailing service as a platform where other companies can provide autonomous vehicles. It has teamed up with big players including General Motors, Waymo and nuTonomy.

Uber does have autonomous-car partnerships, too: a $300 million deal with Volvo to retrofit XC90 sport utility vehicles with Ubers self-driving technology and an agreement with Mercedes-Benz parent Daimler in which the German companys self-driving cars will pick up passengers through Ubers app.

Auto manufacturers like Daimler are crucial to our strategy because Uber has no experience making cars  and in fact, making cars is really hard, Kalanick said in a January blog post. This became very clear to me after I visited an auto manufacturing plant and saw how much effort goes into designing, testing and building cars.

But a source close to the company said some of its attempts to pursue car partnerships fall flat because it doesnt have as much leverage as it thinks.

Uber comes to the table thinking they are way more important to this ecosystem than they really are, said the source, who asked not to be identified because he wasnt authorized to speak publicly. The barriers to connecting riders with cars are very, very low compared to the barriers to manufacturing vehicles.

In the meantime, what Uber has been manufacturing is drama. The car is still driverless. The destination: unknown.

Carolyn Said is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: csaid@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @csaid
I do not fear much correction when I say that my columns of the past few years have not been characterized by an overabundance of cheerfulness and optimism.

For instance, about a year ago, I endorsed a Twitter personality for president. No, not that one. I backed SMOD, the Sweet Meteor of Death, whose sole presidential campaign promise was to deliver an extinction-level event upon impact with Earth. But SMOD, like so many politicians, disappointed me, which is why my refrain of the past few years has been, Cheer up, for the worst is yet to come.

I bring this up for two reasons. First, to acknowledge for the reader my misanthropic biases, and second, to beg some indulgence, as Im unaccustomed to describing the light at the end of the tunnel as anything other than a locomotives headlamp.

So here it goes: Maybe things are getting better.

The standard brief against the president, from the left and much of the desiccated center, is that Donald Trump is a threat to the constitutional order. I do not dismiss this view out of hand, and if President Trump were much more popular, Id worry about it more. But to date, things arent working that way.

The press, by its own self-aggrandizing account, is enjoying some new golden age. Newspaper subscriptions are up. Web traffic is through the roof. The Washington Posts new motto  Democracy Dies in Darkness  may be a bit grandiose, but a few right-wing platforms notwithstanding, the Fourth Estate has become the opposite of a band of intimidated courtiers and lickspittles.

No thanks to the White Houses efforts, this really is the most transparent administration in history. Leaks  some outrageous and illegal, others amounting to shabby gossip  make it almost impossible for the White House to keep anything secret. And when it does, the presidents Twitter account serves almost as a live feed into what he is thinking.

Obviously, liberals despise the presidents agenda, but most of what he has accomplished, almost entirely through executive orders, has been entirely defensible  and from a conservative perspective, laudable  on policy terms.

If you dont like him rescinding so many of President Barack Obamas executive orders, perhaps you should have pushed harder for Obama to get things done the proper way  through the legislative process.

If, say, the Paris climate change accord had been treated as a treaty, Trump couldnt have pulled out with a stroke of a pen. Of course, if it had been sent to the Senate as a treaty, then it would have failed, which should tell you something about the underlying merits of the agreement.

Then theres Congress. For decades, under Republican and Democratic presidents and Republican and Democratic majorities, Congress has been a feckless doormat for the president, ceding ever more authority to the executive branch. This is not how its supposed to work. Congress is the first branch of government precisely because the founders saw in the presidency the threat of despotism, or what Edmund Randolph called the foetus of monarchy. Thats why Congress has all the real power under the Constitution: the sole authority to declare war, levy taxes, ratify treaties and craft legislation.

Most of the Republicans in Congress have little experience in crafting serious legislation, never mind asserting their first branch prerogatives. Thanks in part to the presidents incompetence and in part to his laudatory desire to delegate the tough decisions to Congress, House Speaker Paul Ryan and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell have had to step up, filling a breach that began under Woodrow Wilson and became a chasm at the end of the Obama years.

No one can dispute that its been an ugly and at times embarrassing process, one that seems frightening to Beltway denizens whove grown accustomed to presidents driving outside their constitutional lanes. Nor can it be argued that the rank-and-file Republicans racing to hastily slap together health care legislation and tax reform are doing so primarily out of a patriotic fidelity to the founders vision. Rather, they know that if they dont deliver, they will be thrown out of office like drunks who cant pay their bar tabs. But thats OK. The founders understood that political ambition was the lifeblood of institutional heath.

Im not saying all is well in Washington or for the GOP  and certainly not for conservatism  but as of right now, the system isnt breaking down, its finally starting to work as intended.

 2017 Tribune Content Agency LLC

Jonah Goldberg is a fellow at the American Enterprise Institute and a senior editor of National Review. Email: goldbergcolumn@gmail.com. Twitter: @JonahNRO. To comment, submit your letter to the editor at http://bit.ly/SFChronicleletters.
California leaders talk the talk about being a model on climate change initiatives, but arent always walking the walk by taking local action to reduce climate-changing greenhouse gas emissions. Case in point: Last Wednesdays whiff by the Bay Area Air Quality Management District Board of Directors on passing a rule to limit greenhouse-gas emission increases at each of the five Bay Area oil refineries, which would represent a significant step.

After years of negotiations with community and labor groups and months of drafting a proposed regulation, district staff rolled out a new proposal at the 11th hour.

Why? Because the first proposal for air district Regulation 12, Rule 6, staff said, would not survive legal challenge from the oil industry.

The new one, the environmental and community groups fumed, would increase, not cap, greenhouse gases.

The air district executive officer, Jack Broadbent, had praised the first proposal, saying the the districts board of directors had set the stage for a first-in-the-nation rule to cap greenhouse gas emissions from our regions five refineries. And, As the nation steps back from the Paris climate agreement, proclaimed Broadbent, the Bay Area and California must, more than ever, continue to step up and fill the leadership vacuum.

Instead of stepping up, however, the directors voted, 13-6, to delay the vote. The air districts staff is working on a proposal for the September meeting to limit toxic air pollutants, not greenhouse gases, from oil refineries. It is unclear when the board might take up climate-change rules again.

So much for Bay Area leadership on climate change.

The legal concerns turn on this: The district cant take away what it has already permitted, and those permits are not based on greenhouse-gas emissions. The district already has granted short-term permits to refineries to expand or upgrade but none of those projects are started or operating. The district staff projected that the refineries might exceed the greenhouse-emissions caps if or when they upgrade or expand.

All five refineries have operated for the past five years well below the proposed caps, but as traditional oil sources dry up, oil companies will seek to upgrade their refineries to refine the heavy Canadian tar sands oil, which requires more energy to refine and produces more greenhouse gases.

Thats why the oil industry objects to the districts facility-specific rules and wants broad, industrywide rules set by the state. It sees the states cap-and-trade program, which allows refineries that cant cut emissions to buy permits or allowances from those who have and have capacity to spare, as the best approach.

Greenhouse gases are a global pollutant, not a local one, said Bob Brown, the Western States Petroleum Associations Bay Area director.

The problem in passing Regulation 12, Rule 6 lies in the air districts murky regulatory role. The state created the 35 air districts in the 1970s to address air pollution that affects public health, not climate change. The Bay Area air district does recognize the health impacts of climate change, but Wednesdays vote was the first attempt to reflect climate-change concerns in its rules.

The California Air Resources Board, which sets guidelines for the districts, is working on how to incorporate the climate-change goals set by the Legislature into the air boards work.

In April, the boards executive officer specifically noted the Bay Area districts draft cap rule would help ensure refineries do not add to the states overall emissions of greenhouse gases and that it would appreciate the opportunity to work with the district to develop complementary rules that can achieve the results that we and the communities want and expect.

Air district efforts should complement a state cap-and-trade program  both are needed to get us to the goal of reducing greenhouse gases locally and globally. Communities want and expect their elected officials, both state and local, to protect health  theirs and the Earths. The board needs to get back to the job of doing so.
Legislation to protect California workers from discrimination based on their reproductive choices faces a key test in the state Senate on Wednesday.

AB569, by Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez Fletcher, D-San Diego, would assure that workers could not be disciplined or fired if they became pregnant, had an abortion or attempted in-vitro fertilization.

This is not an abstract debate. A single woman teaching at a Christian college in San Diego was fired when she became pregnant in 2012. San Franciscans will recall a 2015 attempt by the archdiocese to impose a morality clause that called on faculty members to follow the churchs teachings on matters ranging from contraception to same-sex marriage.

Under AB569, such codes of conduct could not intrude on an employees ability to make her or his own reproductive health care decisions, including the use of a particular drug, device or medical service.

The proposal, which cleared the Assembly on a 54-17 vote, has encountered resistance from some religious groups that regard it as a violation of the First Amendment. However, it is important to note that the church opposition is not universal. The California Council of Churches, which represents certain Protestant and Orthodox denominations, supports AB569. Its view is that restrictions on an individuals ability to make his or her own moral judgment is a greater threat to religious freedom.

Next stop for the legislation is the Senates Labor and Industrial Relations Committee.

While the battle between religious liberty and LGBT and reproductive rights has been more pervasive in other states, California lawmakers should seize the opportunity to protect its citizenry from discrimination. They should send AB569 to Gov. Jerry Brown for his signature.
Losses in Punjab and Goa seem to have failed to deter the poet-turned-politician, who was given the desert state mantle recently.

By Dev Ankur Wadhawan: Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Rajasthan chief Kumar Vishwas held several meetings with party cadres in Jaipur today to strategize for 2018 state Assembly election.

Losses in Punjab and Goa seem to have failed to deter the poet-turned-politician, who was given the desert state mantle recently.

He thundered that AAP will be the first alternative for the people of Rajasthan.

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"We will be the first alternative in Rajasthan. We are preparing along those lines. Our cadre has been told to be ready, be prepared. It's ok if people underestimate us in Rajasthan. We will prefer that. People did that to us in Delhi as well."

Kumar added that both Congress and BJP in Rajasthan are marred with internal conflict and bickering.

Also read: AAP's proposal for 80 per cent Delhi quota: Should admissions be on merit?

Also read: AAP crisis: Amanatullah to submit proof against 'BJP agent' Kumar Vishwas

Also read: AAP ranks miffed with Kumar Vishwas over his 'don't stay in 5-star' comment

Also read: Kapil Mishra assaulted inside Delhi Assembly by AAP MLAs; on Kejriwal's order, alleges ex-minister

--- ENDS ---
Summiting Strawberry Hill in Golden Gate Park to get to an early We Players rehearsal for Midsummer of Love, you can feel the temperature drop, as if youve just passed an invisible line into a new climate. Here, moisture tends to collect on the ground, even though its totally dry just a few feet lower in your hike up the hill.

Actor Britt Lauer is prepared. Midsummer isnt her first project with the outdoor, site-specific theater company. Shes brought six layers. But throughout the first hour of rehearsal, shes not even wearing her socks yet. This weather, which might make a novice seek jacket and hat, is neutral, she says.

By the standards of past We Players shows, Midsummer of Love goes easy on the actors body. An adaptation of A Midsummer Nights Dream that coincides with the 50th anniversary of the Summer of Love, the show doesnt require actors to lie perfectly still for minutes on end in the freezing rain, as in one especially grueling performance of 2012s The Odyssey on Alma, which took place aboard a 19th century schooner as it sailed the San Francisco Bay. Nor does it require them to camp for several months in makeshift bunk beds on Angel Island, as in The Odyssey on Angel Island, which staged other portions of the epic, also in 2012.

Yet even this less onerous show has its challenges, says actor and assistant director Nathaniel Justiniano, for whom Midsummer is his sixth We Players project. The play will be performed at both Strawberry Hill in Golden Gate Park and at Kennedy Grove Regional Recreation Area in El Sobrante throughout July. The latter, he thinks, will be the most strenuous ask of a We Players audience since Ive known We Players, even more so than The Odyssey on Angel Island, which was five hours long with no real meal breaks. At Kennedy Grove, the climb to get to where the shows going to be taking place is 25 minutes, with a 65-degree, 75-degree incline at some points. Its tough even for us spry, young actors, he says.

Founding artistic director Ava Roy, who performs in and directs Midsummer, believes that asking more of audiences means they get more in return.

I think art should cost us something, she says at Fort Mason Chapel, where part of We Players Beowulf was staged this spring.

Her audiences pay with their feet, she says. Their reward for all the walking is that they feel like Odysseus felt, that they re-enter the world with a sense of Wow, Ive really been through something. For some audiences, of course, that can be too much. Then you shut down, and you stop listening, Roy says. But theres a sweet spot where if its just cold enough and you have to lean in to hear, maybe youre listening more acutely.

Staging classic plays in local, state and national parks might seem like an unlikely niche. But for Roy, the thing that Ive ended up doing thats apparently so unusual in some ways is such an obvious and natural extension of me.

Now 36, Roy grew up in rural western Massachusetts, on 5 acres of property. But if she had zero neighbors and spent a lot of time by herself in the woods, the region was also a cultural mecca, with the renowned Shakespeare and Company down the street and Tanglewood and Clark Art Institute nearby. Because of Shakespeare and Companys involvement with schools, she estimates that shed seen 30 Shakespeare plays by the time she graduated high school; she and peers even formed a theater company dedicated to Shakespeare, called Infamous Genius Theater Company.

Roy founded We Players in 2000 while still a student at Stanford, partly because Stanfords arts offerings werent enough for her. I kind of made We Players in reaction to the lack of what I had experienced in high school, she says. If at first she felt the school was a country club, soon she started to ask herself, Wait a minute, what if this is my playground? What if I turn this kind of immaculate backdrop into ... our stage and throw banners off the clock tower and tie bodies to the sculptures?

We Players started working with the National Park Service in 2008, with a production of Macbeth at Fort Point (a script the company revisited in the same site, in 2013 and 2014). Some of the park officials who saw the show then approached her about future projects.

Golden Gate National Recreation Area chief of interpretation and education Michele Gee, whos worked with Roy on the later Macbeth productions and on Ondine at Sutro in 2015, says that over the past five years, and especially with last years centennial, the park system as a whole has been mounting a bigger effort to incorporate more art, and different kinds of art  in other words, not just landscape painting.

Not just listen and hear but feel, I think thats what art does, she says over the phone. It helps people feel a place. It helps visitors connect to a particular parks themes, be it political imprisonment on Alcatraz (where We Players performed Hamlet), military activity at Fort Point or the legacy of the Summer of Love at Golden Gate Park. It can also bring more and different audiences; Hamlet on Alcatraz, for instance, gave locals a reason to visit a site usually dominated by tourists.

Roy believes that part of the reason We Players partnership with parks has been so long and so fruitful is that each time she proposes a project, she endeavors to serve not just her shows needs, but also the parks. I tend to pick places that totally overpower me, because Im humbled by them, she says. Like, Yes Fort Point, how can I serve you? Dear Alcatraz, what would you like from me?

Lily Janiak is The San Francisco Chronicles theater critic. Email: ljaniak@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @LilyJaniak

Midsummer of Love: Written by William Shakespeare. Adapted and directed by Ava Roy. Through July 9 and July 27-30. $30-$80. Strawberry Hill, Golden Gate Park, S.F. July 15-23. Kennedy Grove Regional Recreation Area, El Sobrante. www.weplayers.org
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You've probably seen traces of Jeremy Fish around the city. There's the ship in North Beach, the turkey sandwich on Van Ness and, of course, the "silly pink bunny" on Haight Street.

Fish has left an indelible mark on San Francisco after two decades of creating art around  and inspired by  the city. When San Francisco City Hall's centennial rolled around in 2015, the artist picked up his pens and set up shop inside the landmark, with support from the San Francisco Arts Commission.

In his 100 days as City Hall's first artist-in-residence, Fish created a series of 100 drawings that celebrate and contemplate his hometown. The playful black-and-white works were compiled into a book, "O Glorious City: A Love Letter to San Francisco," published earlier this month by Chronicle Books.

From within an ephemera-filled closet

Fish transformed a City Hall storage closet  it was littered with blueprints, maps and models, he recalled  into a studio and base for exploring the nooks and crannies of the building.

Having moved to San Francisco in the 90s with a skateboard beneath his feet, Fish says he knew the facade of the building  peppered, to a skater's liking, with ledges and rails  well. The inside proved to be more of a mystery.

While he didn't uncover any skeletons in the closet in his "room full of ephemera," he did rub elbows with plenty of brides and grooms.

"It's a wedding factory," he said of the building, which can host up to six weddings an hour.

On his daily architectural excavations, Fish says he'd take the time to "stare at every niblet inside." Such painstaking research inspired within him a sincere appreciation for City Hall, a Beaux Arts masterpiece built atop the literal and metaphorical rubble of the 1906 earthquake.

"We were trying to prove that we were a resilient city that could survive tragedy," Fish said of the building's romantic history.

An artist's unabashed appreciation of the city

Reflected in Fish's drawings is a shiny optimism and reverence of a city constantly transforming and rebuilding itself  both ideologically and architecturally (see: Salesforce Tower). Fish knows it's tough to be an artist in an expensive town, but he doesn't resent the city for that.

"I'm just proud that San Francisco has become a place that reinvented the world," said Fish of the tech innovations born in his hometown.

"It's very easy to criticize San Francisco because it's not conducive to sitting around making art anymore," he continued, "but there's a reason it's pricey. If I ever have to leave, I'll try to go with a smile on my face for all the city gave me."

When asked what he dislikes about living in San Francisco, Fish said he "wished people dressed better," reserving extra vitriol for the "billionaires in sweatpants."

"Something must be done," he said of the city's so-called fashion crisis.

Fish will have a good view of the sartorial choices of his fellow citizens later this year when he embarks upon another unusual residency  in Coit Tower.

"That City Hall thing was really special," he said. "I can't really go back to having traditional shows."

See some of the artwork of "O Glorious City" in the above gallery.

Read Michelle Robertsons latest stories and send her news tips at mrobertson@sfchronicle.com.
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A fire broke out in a building in San Franciscos Castro District on Saturday, according to fire officials.

Firefighters arrived at 495 Castro St. just before 4 p.m. to fight flames that appeared to ignite on the deck of a commercial and residential building.
PHOENIX  The political career of Joe Arpaio ended last year when the six-term sheriff of metro Phoenix known for cracking down on illegal immigration and housing inmates in tents outside in the desert heat was trounced in an election that focused on his own legal troubles.

Now, the 85-year-old who called himself Americas toughest sheriff will face his day of reckoning in court for defying a judges order to stop traffic patrols that targeted immigrants.

Arpaios trial starts Monday on a criminal contempt-of-court charge for prolonging the patrols for nearly a year and a half. The judge later found that Arpaios officers had racially profiled Latinos.

The former sheriff could face up to six months in jail, though lawyers who have followed his case doubt he would get locked up if convicted.

His critics hope the case will bring a long-awaited comeuppance for the former lawman who led crackdowns that divided immigrant families and escaped accountability when he regularly flouted the rules.

Attorney Mike Manning, who isnt involved in the case but has sued Arpaio several times over deaths in the jails, said the famously defiant Arpaio deserves his fate because he saluted the court with his middle finger when he violated the court order.

Jack Wilenchik, an Arpaio attorney, said the former sheriff is charged with a crime for cooperating with federal immigration authorities, which the Trump administration now is encouraging more police agencies to do.

This is really just a fight about immigration law and what it means, Wilenchik said. And Arpaio is trying to do what a good cop does, which is to enforce the law.

Arpaio declined to comment.

He rode to national prominence by launching highly publicized immigration crackdowns, landing him in court when Latino immigrants sued. He was ousted from office last year in the same election that sent Donald Trump to the White House after using some of the same immigration rhetoric that made Arpaio a national name a decade earlier.

The key issue in the trial will be whether Arpaio intentionally violated a judges 2011 order to stop the patrols. Arpaio acknowledges that he kept up the immigration enforcement but says it was not on purpose. For a conviction, prosecutors must prove he intended to disobey the judge.

The judge found Arpaio ignored the order because he believed his immigration enforcement efforts would help his 2012 re-election campaign.

Jacques Billeaud is an Associated Press writer.
WASHINGTON  Sen. Dean Heller, R-Nev., is the man everyone wants. This has not been a good thing for him.

Brian Sandoval, the governor of Hellers home state, is a Republican, but he is counting on Heller to provide what could be a crucial vote to maintain President Barack Obamas health care law, which has been a boon for the working poor in Nevada. Sen. Mitch McConnell, the majority leader who this week will be rounding up votes to fulfill his partys biggest promise of the past decade  repealing the Affordable Care Act  is trying to prevent Heller from undermining that goal.

Democrats also want Heller, but in the form of an unemployed senator. As the only Republican who is up for re-election next year in a state that Hillary Clinton won, he may be their only shot at picking up a seat. Democrats and health care interest groups have been unloading on Heller all spring with no end in sight.

Far-right Republicans in his state  who strongly support President Trump  also have their eyes on Heller to see if he will abandon the president.

On Saturday, Trump posted on Twitter, venting about Heller and other Republicans who are not supporting the Senate bill.

I cannot imagine that these very fine Republican Senators would allow the American people to suffer a broken ObamaCare any longer! Trump tweeted.

On Friday, Sandoval acknowledged the obvious. Hes in the eye of the storm here, Sandoval said at a news conference in Nevada as Heller stood next to him, looking vaguely miserable as Sandoval announced his opposition to the Senate bill. The legislation could affect 210,000 Nevada residents insured through the health care laws expansion of Medicaid.

Heller said that he, too, was against the bill as it is drafted, leaving himself just enough wiggle room to continue his practice of being the senator in the middle, the man who wants to see the Medicaid program phased out, except when he decides he doesnt. (Heller has taken both positions publicly.)

Heller said at the news conference that this bill thats currently in front of the United States Senate is not the answer  its simply not the answer. He said, Its going to be very difficult to get me to a yes.

As early as Thursday, the Senate will take a momentous vote to repeal the health law, and for Republicans from states that expanded their Medicaid program, the options are anything but palatable.

If the effort fails, the party risks being tarred as feckless: in control of the House, the Senate and the White House, but unable to come through with a promise Republicans have been making from the day Obama signed the Affordable Care Act into law in 2010.

If the effort succeeds, expansion-state Republicans face the prospects of political hellfire: blame for every potential glitch in the health care system, from premium increases to canceled health plans and benefit losses.

Heller, 57, represents the sort of state, both rural and working class, that has much to lose from the repeal of the Affordable Care Act. Nevada was once a national leader in the number of uninsured, but now the program has insured tens of thousands of its residents.

Jennifer Steinhauer is a New York Times writer.
WASHINGTON  Making a final push, President Trump said he doesnt think congressional Republicans are that far off on a health overhaul to replace the dead carcass of Obamacare and signaled that last-minute changes were coming to win enough support for passage. GOP critics expressed doubt over a successful vote this week.

We have a very good plan, Trump said in an interview on Fox & Friends broadcast Sunday. Referring to Republican senators opposed to the bill, he said: They want to get some points, I think theyll get some points.

Trumps optimism comes amid the opposition of five GOP senators so far to the Senate plan that would scuttle much of former President Barack Obamas health law. Unless those holdouts can be swayed, their numbers are more than enough to torpedo the measure developed in private by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., and deliver a bitter defeat for the president.

McConnell has said hes willing to make changes to win support, and in the week ahead, plenty of backroom bargaining is expected. He is seeking to push a final package through the Senate before the July 4 recess.

At least two GOP senators said Sunday that goal may prove too ambitious.

I would like to delay, Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., one of the five senators opposing the bill, said on NBCs Meet the Press. These bills arent ... addressing the root cause, he said, referring to rising health care costs.

Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, said on ABCs This Week that seven to eight other senators including herself were troubled by provisions that she believes could cut Medicaid even more than the House version.

Collins, who also opposes proposed cuts to Planned Parenthood, said she would await an analysis Monday from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office before taking a final position on the bill. But she said it will be extremely difficult for the White House to be able to find a narrow path to attract both conservatives and moderates.

Its hard for me to see the bill passing this week, Collins said.

The Senate bill resembles legislation the House approved last month. A Congressional Budget Office analysis of the House measure predicts an additional 23 million people over the next decade would have no health care coverage, and recent polling shows only around 1 in 4 Americans views the House bill favorably.

With unanimous opposition from Democrats, McConnell can afford to lose just two of the 52 GOP senators and still prevail on the bill.

Hope Yen is an Associated Press writer.
Bakula Bua Ka Bhoot is a quirky comedy-drama about a control-freak aunt who haunts her family even after her death.

Bakula Bua Ka Bhoot is the new TV show that will be aired in weekends on &TV.

By Shweta Keshri: Bakula Bua Ka Bhoot, &TV's latest comedy show was premiered on Saturday. The show is about the ghost of Bakula (played by Sarit Joshi), the tough matriarch of Raja family.

Veteran actress Sarita Joshi is superb as Bakula Bua, the control freak who rules Raja Sadan.

Each character in the show is well-defined and it will surely bring back memories of producer JD Majethia's previous shows like Khichdi and Baa Bahu Aur Baby.

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Bakula's family is crazy like the family in Khichdi and have kids who are wiser than the adults. In Baa Bahu Aur Baby, Sarita Joshi played Godavari Thakkar, the tough matriarch quite similar to Bakula. And the Gujarati flavour is common to all. But here the concept is a little different.

The gods have a discussion over Bakula Bua. Picture courtesy: ozee.com

Raja family is fed up with Bakula and her controlling personality, so much so that they wish for her death so that they can lead a peaceful life without her interference. In an interesting turn of events, Bakula will die but her soul will be stuck between heaven and earth.

Bakula, who is a terror for her family members, has not even spared the gods in the heaven. She is a devotee of Lord Krishna and believes herself to be married to him. But even Krishna is scared of Bakula's wrath and strictly instructs Yamaraja to keep her away from him after her death. She not just treats him with tasty sweets but also scolds him if he doesn't listen to her.

The heaven has been shown as a fun place with Narad conversing in English, while the Yamaraja uses the typical tapori language.

The show manages to tickle the funny bone and the first episode lived up to its expectations. The kids on the show are amazing and their wisecracks will leave you in splits.

With a great ensemble cast that includes Sarita Joshi, Apara Mehta, Deepak Pareekh and Amit Verma, Bakula Bua Ka Bhoot promises to be a show one can look forward to.

Bakula Bua Ka Bhoot airs every weekend at 8 pm on &TV.

Also read: Chandrakanta TV review: This heady cocktail of Harry Potter, Snowhite and Naagin is sure to make you high

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iStock/Thinkstock(NEW YORK) -- The celebratory tone of gay pride marches from San Francisco to Istanbul on Sunday were undergirded by an atmosphere of political expression and protest.

Chelsea Manning, the transgender U.S. army soldier who was imprisoned for leaking classified military information about the Iraq war before being released through a pardon by outgoing president Barack Obama, celebrated her first New York City Pride March on Sunday in front of a float sponsored by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU).

As the same New York parade started, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo announced that artist Anthony Goicolea was chosen to design the first official monument to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people commissioned by the state of New York. Goicolea's design will take the form of "nine boulders, some bisected with glass that acts as a prism and can emit a subtle rainbow," according to a report in The New York Times.



In addition to appearances by performers like LeAnn Rimes, progressive organizations like The Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), a group that has seen a surge in membership since Trump's election, gave the event a more urgent tone. Marchers and revelers held signs that criticized capitalism, and highlighted the radical undertone of the 1969 Stonewall riots that helped to launch the modern day LBGTQ movement.

"Vulnerable communities are under attack right now, and theyre suffering systemic oppression, including transphobia, homophobia, and racism," Natalie James, who served as one of the organizers for DSA's contingent at the New York City Pride march, told ABC News by phone from the event. "We feel that socialism, as a political approach, is uniquely situated to addressing those issues."

Remember:

No pride for some of us,

Without liberation

For all of us!



#SFPride #Intersectionality pic.twitter.com/LeP8ztfm8I  Mia Tu Mutch Satya (@miatumutch) June 25, 2017

In downtown Minneapolis on Sunday, activists briefly disrupted a pride march by bringing attention to lingering anger over the death of Philando Castile, and the acquittal of Jeronimo Yanez, the officer who shot him, according to a report in the Star Tribune.



Protesters held signs that read "No KKKops, make pride revolutionary again!" and "No pride for some of us without liberation for all of us," the paper reports.



In the progressive hub of San Francisco, some marchers used pride to criticize the influence of corporations on the event, with one woman holding a sign that said, "COPS and CORPORATIONS OUT OF OUR PARADE."



Other signs at the march also focused on health care and President Trump's immigration policies.



A transgender female activist at the San Francisco rally held a sign that read: "NO PRIDE FOR SOME WITHOUT LIBERATION FOR ALL OF US."



Meanwhile, Turkish police attempted to stop activists for lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans and intersex rights from gathering in large numbers for an LGBTQ pride event in Istanbul on Sunday, dispatching officers after a ban on the event was imposed.

Copyright  2017, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.
One of the major festivals of hindu community, the Rath Yatra of Lord Jagannath Dev began today.

By Sahidul Hasan Khokon: Hindu Community in Bangladesh today began with one of its major festivals amid the Ratha Yatra of Lord Jagannath Dev. In observance of the festival, different religious bodies and temple committees organised various programmes.

Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS) in a statement said that the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) had chalked out a nine-day programme in Dhaka. Ratha Yatra festival will be held at Dhamrai in Manikganj district.

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The programmes will commence with the rendering of Harinam Sangkirtan, holding of Agnihotra Yagna for world peace and people's welfare, recitation of verses from holy Srimat Bhagavad Geeta, distribution of mahaprosad, discussion, cultural function, staging of religious drama and screening of religious films.

The programmes of the ISKCON at Swamibag in Dhaka started with an Agnihotra Yagna.To mark the festival, a discussion was organised in its premises at midday.

Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister Rashed Khan Menon joined the discussion as the chief guest. Awami League Joint Secretary Mahbub Ul Alam Hanif and Food Minister Qumrul Islam among others were present.

Later in the afternoon, three chariots of Lord Jagannath, his brother Balabhadra and sister Subhadra began their journey from the ISKCON temple after Indian High Commissioner Harsh Vardhan Shringla inaugurated the festival by lighting up "Mongol Pradeep" (lamp of welfare).

The Rath Yatra procession will be held at Khulna, Barisal, Gopalganj, Comilla, Chittagong, Sylhet, Mymensingh and Rangpur as well.

Ratha Yatra of Jagannath Jeo Mandir began from Tanti bazar in old city and travelled different cities. The festival will end with Ulto Ratha Yatra on July 5.

ALSO READ:

PM Modi's 33rd Mann ki Baat: PM greets nation on Rath Yatra, Eid

Over 3 lakh devotees throng Puri to celebrate snan yatra

ALSO WATCH:

138th Jagannath Rath Yatra begins in Ahmedabad

--- ENDS ---
This bitter truth was disclosed in an RTI response by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and 19 PSU banks.

By Press Trust of India: Do not expect any compensation for theft or burglary of valuables in safe deposit boxes of public sector banks as the locker hiring agreement absolves them of all liability.

This bitter truth was disclosed in an RTI response by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and 19 PSU banks.

Stung by the revelation, the lawyer who had sought information under the transparency law has now moved the Competition Commission of India (CCI) alleging "cartelisation" and "anti-competitive practices" by the banks in respect of the locker service.

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He has informed the CCI that the RTI response from the RBI has said it has not issued any specific direction in this regard or prescribed any parameters to assess the loss suffered by a customer.

Even under the RTI response, all public sectors banks have washed their hands of any responsibility.

According to the information availed by the lawyer, the unanimous reason given by the 19 banks, including Bank of India, Oriental Bank of Commerce, Punjab National Bank, UCO and Canara, among others, is that "the relationship they have with customers with regard to lockers is that of lessee (landlord) and lessor (tenant)".

The banks have contended that in such a relationship, the lessor is responsible for his or her valuables kept in the locker which is owned by the bank.

Some banks, in their locker hiring agreements, have made it clear that any item stored in the locker is at the customers own risk and he or she may, in their own interest, insure the valuables.

The common feature of all locker hiring agreements states, "As per safe deposit memorandum of hiring locker, the bank will not be responsible for any loss or damage of the contents kept in the safe deposit vault as a result of any act of war or civil disorder or theft or burglary and the contents will be kept by the hirer at his or her sole risk and responsibility.

"While the bank will exercise all such normal precautions, it does not accept any liability or responsibility for any loss or damage whatsoever sustained to items deposited with it. Accordingly, hirers are advised in their own interest to insure any item of value deposited in a safe deposit locker in the bank," they have said.

Aggrieved by the responses, the lawyer -- Kush Kalra -- raised questions before the CCI -- why not just keep the valuables at home after insuring them, instead of paying rent to the bank for a locker when it is not going to take any responsibility for the contents.

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He alleged that all these banks, also including State Bank of India, Indian Overseas Bank, Syndicate Bank, Allahabad Bank and others, have formed a "cartel" to indulge in such "anti-competitive" practices.

He further alleged that the bank by forming an association or cartel are "trying to limit the improvement of services which is directly affecting the competition in the market and interests of the consumer".

The lawyer has sought a probe under the Competition Act into the allegation of cartelisation by the banks in respect of the locker service.

Also read:

Govt allows banks to exchange old notes at RBI till July 20

Why Reserve Bank of India is shy on rate cuts despite decline in GDP growth

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A special edition of the Bharatiya Janata Party's mouthpiece Kamal Sandesh declares Amit Shah the "Activist President," and is woven around the mega pan-India tour that he embarked upon just after the Bhubaneshwar national executive meet.

By Siddhartha Rai: Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) mouthpiece Kamal Sandesh has come out with a special edition of the magazine. The latest edition is perhaps the first in its history of existence on the party's reigning president.

Earlier, the mouthpiece carried the character sketch only when a new president took charge. This time president Amit Shah has once more found himself on the cover page of the magazine. And, this is a first.

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The edition declares Shah the "Activist President" and is woven around the mega pan-India tour that the party president embarked upon just after the Bhubaneshwar national executive meeting of the party.

Shiv Shakti Nath Bakshi, the executive editor of the magazine, credits Shah in the editorial piece for having taken "political activism to a new height".

"While delivering his presidential address in the last executive meeting held in Bhubaneshwar, Amit Shah had cautioned 'karyakartas' against any form of complacency due to continuous electoral victories and called for incessant hard work for the expansion and consolidation of the BJP in India," Bakshi writes in Shah's praise.

'SANDHI KAAL'

Meanwhile, the BJP is in, what functionaries call, the 'sandhi kaal' or the period of relative rest that would continue till September 25 when Shah ends his all India 'Vistarak' (expansion) and 'vistrut' tours, several political dices are expected to be rolled after that.

Also, since by then the political machinations for the presidential and vice-presidential appointments would have been over, the party would be able to give undivided attention to charting its political course for the 2019 general elections. Party sources told Mail Today that a cabinet reshuffle was on the cards, and also a change in the organisation.

"A cabinet reshuffle and certain changes in the organisation can be expected as the party needs to gear up for the 2019 polls and this would require filling all gaps," said a senior leader.

ALSO READ | How Ram Nath Kovind was Amit Shah's best kept secret until the last moment

ALSO READ | Ram Nath Kovind is BJP nominee for President: 5 other times Amit Shah-led party surprised us

ALSO WATCH | Presidential election: Bihar Governor Ram Nath Kovind is NDA candidate

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China has said that it is closely watching the developments around Prime Minister Narendra Modi's first meeting with President Donald Trump scheduled for tomorrow. China has betrayed signs of nervousness over deepening India-US ties.

By Prabhash K Dutta: Three days ahead of the maiden meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump, China showed the first sign of nervousness - after change of regime in America - about the dynamics of India-US relationship.

Responding to a question about India-US cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region in the view of Modi-Trump meet, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang warned India and the US not to disturb "peace and stability in the South China Sea."

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Geng Shuang said, "With concerted efforts of China and ASEAN countries the situation there is cooling down. We hope other countries especially non-regional countries can respect the efforts by the regional countries to maintain peace and stability in the South China Sea and can play a constructive role in this Regard."

This is, though, not the first time that China has expressed reservations about deepening India-US ties but since Donald Trump took over as the US President, the American policy towards Beijing has not been structured. It has veered from belligerent in the beginning to moderate off late.

Trump has minced no words in saying that his administration considers India as a 'key ally' to maintain balance in the region.

INDIA-US STRATEGIC TIES

Two of the biggest neighbours of India have adversarial relation with it. India sees deepening ties with the US as counter-balancing force to its rather uneasy relations with Pakistan and China.

In the run up to Modi's visit to the US, Donald Trump administration approved of a pact to sell 22 Guardian drones - unmanned surveillance planes.

Manufactured by General Atomics of the US, Guardian drones are said to be a game changer for Indian Navy, which had made the request for this intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) platform last year.

Incidentally, India is the first country outside North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) which will buy Guardian drones. This deal gains significance for China, which has increased its activities in the north Indian Ocean near India's maritime border with Pakistan.

Donald Trump administration also recently stated that it is in favour of deepening nuclear energy ties with India.

The US, too, has strategic interests in both Pakistan and Pacific region off Chinese coast. The biggest source of tension between China and the US has been the South China Sea.

SOUTH CHINA SEA

South China Sea is a resource rich area of the Pacific Ocean having few islands of strategic significance. In recent years, China has started asserting its sovereignty claims over all of South China Sea.

Other countries in the region including Vietnam, Malaysia, the Philippines, Brunei and Taiwan have counter claims over the South China Sea. India has some business tie-ups including oil exploration with some of these countries. China has objected to all kinds of Indian activities in the South China Sea region.

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Apart from South China Sea, China is engaged in hotly contested territorial disputes in the East China Sea as well. China has turned some of the islands and reefs of the area into a garrison having built strong military bases there to control the entire region.

Both the South China Sea and the East China Sea are resource rich - in natural gas, various kinds of minerals, oil and other natural reserves. Both play vital role in global trade involving the countries of the region.

THE BIG PACIFIC GAME

The United States maintains that the entire region - beyond the sovereign rights areas of the coastal countries - should be free for navigation for all nations.

Recently but first time since Trump became President, the US sent a navy warship near an artificial island in the South China Sea. This was the first "freedom of navigation" operation under President Trump. China treated this as a challenge to its sovereignty in the region.

China warned that the "irresponsible" move of the US might lead to "extremely dangerous consequences."

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With such backdrop, the statement of the Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson betrays Beijing's nervousness about the possible outcome of the Modi-Trump meeting.

Recent cancellation of military meetings between China and Vietnam is also being seen in the context of Modi-Trump meet and anticipation of its impact on Beijing's strategic game-plan for South China Sea.

ALSO READ |

China 'closely watching' Modi-Trump meet, sends warning on South China Sea

Narendra Modi arrives in US ahead of meeting with Trump, top CEOs

When Narendra Modi meets Donald Trump: An India First vs America First affair

ALSO WATCH | What happens when Donald Trump gets a WhatsApp message from PM Modi

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Authorities in Colombia say a rescue operation is underway after a recreational boat with about 150 people on board sank near Medellin.

By AP: A tourist boat packed with about 170 passengers for the holiday weekend capsized Sunday on a reservoir near the Colombian city of Medellin, leaving nine people dead and 28 missing, officials said.

Rescuers including firefighters from nearby cities and air force pilots were searching for survivors at the Guatape reservoir where the four-story El Almirante ferry sank. A flotilla of recreational boats and jet skis rushed to the scene, pulling people from the boat as it went down and avoiding an even deadlier tragedy.

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Dramatic videos circulating on social media show the turquoise and yellow trimmed party boat rocking back and forth as people crawled down from a fourth-floor roof as it began sinking into the water.

"Those on the first and second floors sank immediately," a female survivor who wasn't identified by name told Teleantioquia. "The boat was sinking and all we could do was scream and call for help."

Margarita Moncada, the head of the disaster response agency in Antioquia state, said that according to a preliminary report 99 people were rescued and another 40 managed to find a way to shore on their own and were in good condition. Speaking to reporters from the reservoir, she said nine people had been killed and around 28 are still missing.

It's unclear what caused the boat to sink but survivors said that it appeared to be overloaded and nobody on board was wearing a life vest.

Daniel Giraldo, owner of an Italian restaurant in Guatape, said he went to the bay after hearing the sound of ambulances. When he got to the shore people told him the ship had gone under.

"It sank in a matter of four minutes," he said.

Next he went to the hospital where he said he saw a baby girl in a wet dress who had been saved but whose mother he was told is missing.

Authorities were at a loss to say exactly how many people were on the boat and asked passengers or their loved ones to report to a rescue center hastily set up along the shore. They also made a call for scuba divers to assist with the search.

The reservoir surrounding the soaring rocky outcrop of El Penol is a popular weekend destination a little more than an hour from Medellin. It was especially busy Sunday as Colombians celebrated a long holiday weekend.

Also Read

Mumbai: 55 students trapped at Devkund waterfalls rescued

--- ENDS ---
The farmers's family members said he had borrowed loans from a cooperative society and local money lenders, and was facing financial crisis.

By Press Trust of India: A "debt-burdened" farmer allegedly committed suicide by consuming poison in Dug town of Chief Minister Vasundhra Raje's home district Jhalawar, day after a 66-year-old farmer took the extreme step in the same district.

Sheikh Hanif (60) consumed poison at his home last evening, SHO Dug police station Lav Kumar said.

He was rushed to a local hospital from where doctors referred him to district government hospital in Jhalawar where he died during treatment, he said.

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FINANCIAL CRISIS

Hanif's family members said he had borrowed loans from a cooperative society and local money lenders and was facing financial crisis in repaying the said amount as the crops had consistently been damaged in natural calamities for the last three years.

The frustration for not being able to repay the amount drove him to commit suicide, they said.

However, Kumar denied the debt as reason behind the extreme step by Hanif.

He had been suffering from diabetes and a kidney problem for over a year and was under depression. His family members have also not mentioned any debt against the deceased in the report to the police, he said.

A case under section 174 of CrPC has been registered in this connection and further investigation is underway, the SHO said, adding the body was handed over to the family members after post mortem.

SHEIKH HANIF WASN'T THE ONLY ONE

At least four farmers have died or committed suicide allegedly due to debt and financial crises in Hadouti region this month.

A 32-year-old farmer, a garlic cultivator, identified as Satyanarayan Meena, resident of Roun village in Baran district, collapsed on June 3 after learning about the garlic purchase price of Rs 5 per kg in vegetable mandi near Aero dram circle. He was rushed to a government hospital where doctors declared him as brought dead.

Later, the post mortem report confirmed the death of the farmer due to a cardiac arrest. The deceased had reached the mandi with 46 quintals of garlic yield, but when he heard the prices were as low as Rs 5 per kg, he fainted.

On June 21, the dead body of a farmer, identified as Sanjeev Meena (30), resident of Sakrawada village in Baran district, was found hanging from a mango tree in nearby jungles.

The family members of the deceased claimed the farmer had ended his life due to heavy debt but the district officials ruled out any such possibility.

Meena owned about 12-15 bigas of agriculture land in the village and has had a good yield, officials had said, adding the farmer was not likely to be running under debt.

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The investigation revealed the deceased farmer was reportedly under depression for past sometime after his mother and 22-year-old younger brother had died in last few years, a police official at Nahargarh police station had said.

Similarly, the 66-year-old "debt-ridden" farmer, identified as Bardhi Lal Rathore, had on June 23 committed suicide by hanging himself from a tree in his agriculture field in Suneil town of Jhalawar district. However, the district officials here too denied the farmer having committed suicide due to debt.

ALSO READ:

Madhya Pradesh: 4 farmers commit suicides in 24 hours

Farmers suicide: Top revenue official collects evidence

ALSO WATCH:

Farmers across country continue to commit suicides due to unpaid loans

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On July 2, 1505, a young law student in central Germany was walking from Mansfeld, where hed visited his family, to Erfurt, the university town where he studied. He was almost there when a thunderstorm hit. A flash of lightning struck the ground near him. Thunder exploded in his eardrums. As the 22-year-old lay in a field, raindrops pelting his body, he cried out. Help me, St. Anne, he said, referring to the saint with a reputation for saving people in mortal danger. I will become a monk!

The mans name was Martin Luther. Two weeks later, he walked into an Augustine monastery in Erfurt to fulfill his promise and went on to teach theology in Wittenberg. Following a stint in Rome, he grew frustrated with the corruption he saw in the Catholic Church of the time. On Oct. 31, 1517, Luther nailed a compendium of criticisms and changes that he wanted to see within the church  known as his 95 Theses  to the doors of the Castle Church in Wittenberg.

This seemingly simple act  after all, church doors served as town bulletin boards in the late Middle Ages  would change history.

With the approach of the 500th anniversary of this historic hammering, I wanted to pay homage to Luthers achievements. Working on my masters degree in Central European history, I spent countless late nights in cafes and libraries reading about the Protestant Reformation. He has some questionable opinions, particularly about Jews, but he also changed the world. Now, I wanted to gain deeper insight into this revolutionary man.

I planned a trip to four towns in Germany  Erfurt, Wittenberg, Eisenach and Eisleben  to visit the churches where Luther preached, the rooms where he studied, and the pubs where he ate and drank (apparently with as much eyebrow-raising fury as his preaching had).

Erfurt

A 7-foot-high, gravestone-like rock with Luthers plea to St. Anne engraved on it commemorates the spot, about 7 miles outside of Erfurt, where he asked St. Anne for help. After visiting the monument, I met with Carsten Fromm, the curator of the St. Augustine Monastery. Today, its a Protestant center that attracts legions of Lutheran devotees who stroll the grounds, taking in the medieval church with its 700-year-old stained glass windows and lingering in the intimate, dark-wood-clad Renaissance courtyard.

The moment in the thunderstorm was an important point for humanity, Fromm said. It wasnt just the beginning of the Reformation. Were so concerned about freedom in the modern world. Well, this was the origin of freedom: freedom of speech and freedom of thought.

Luthers actions resulted in a break from the Catholic Church, which until that moment was the only church in the land  an institution so powerful that people believed it could determine the fate of ones soul. In critiquing church practices, Luther traveled where no human had gone without meeting a flaming stake.

Luther didnt want to cause a schism in the church; he only wanted to weed out the corruption. Yet, the second the hammer hit the nail on that church door in Wittenberg, the reformer tapped into a zeitgeist  a desire for change that had been simmering throughout much of Europe.

Wittenberg

Whether youre a Lutheran pilgrim or simply a history geek like me, Wittenbergs appeal is as the epicenter of all things Reformation. Luther lived here most of his life. His house, a former monastery, is now a museum; the church where he frequently preached is called the Mother Church of the Reformation; and the site of the famed doors, as well as his grave, is at Castle Church. The buildings are all a pleasant stroll from each other.

I got my first look at the doors on my morning jog. As I trotted through a square, I glanced at a Gothic church on my left and stopped. There, 10 feet from me, was Castle Church, its bronze doors inscribed with Luthers 95 Theses. These doors, I learned, stand in place of the original wooden doors, which burned in the 18th century.

Jochen Keute

That afternoon, I wandered through Old Town, where bakeries lurked around every block and wafts of buttery goods drifted through the streets like edible spirits. Souvenir shops hawked Luther-related paraphernalia, and a food cart offered sausages named after Luther.

A voracious eater and imbiber of beer, Luther is said to have turned up occasionally at a bar called Schwarzer Bar (black bear) and had long, beer-fueled, theological discussions past closing time. Tour guides tell a tale about how he reportedly once skipped out on his tab. One afternoon, I sat in the 1720s-era Goldener Adler restaurant, sipping a pint of Pilsner and thinking about the late-night chats Luther might have had in this town, when 14 American tourists interrupted my reverie. Sitting around a large table, their schweinehaxenbraten (pork knuckle) and pints of beer in front of them, they joined hands and began singing, The Lord Is Good to Me.

Eisenach

After Pope Leo X excommunicated Luther in 1521, Saxon elector Frederich III directed some of his soldiers to kidnap the revolutionary for his own protection and take him to Wartburg Castle, a medieval fortress towering above Eisenach. Luther holed up here for 10 months, part of the time assuming the alias of Junker Jorg (Knight George). During this time, he spent 11 weeks translating the New Testament of the Bible from Greek into German. (He later translated the Old Testament as well.)

Arriving in Eisenach, I forewent the city bus that snakes up to the castle and opted to trek the Luther Adventure Trail, a steep climb that I figured would offset all the sausages and beer Id been consuming. By the time I huffed my way to the castle, I realized the only adventure was for ones respiratory system. I caught my breath and took in the well-preserved structure, with its turrets sporting rippling pointy flags, watchtowers and a chess-piece-like keep seeming straight out of a childrens fairy tale. It was easy to imagine Luther traversing the premises, hands clasped behind his back, deep in thought. I was in time for an English-language tour of the castle, and a guide, Hendrikje Doebert, led our group of Americans and Britons through various rooms. We patiently listened to her throughout the hour-long tour, but we all had come here to see one thing: Luthers room.

German National Tourist Board

We stood solemnly at the rooms doorway, gazing at the main attraction: a sturdy wooden desk.

Most ordinary people in the 16th century didnt know Latin or Greek, Doebert said. So, by translating the Bible into German, Luther opened up peoples worlds. He gave them freedom. There was that word again. She continued: Today, I see people coming here from all over the world, tracing their Protestant roots, all because of what Luther did in this room right here.

Luther eventually left Wartburg Castle, returning to Wittenberg to help direct the Reformation. In 1525, he married Katharina von Bora, a former nun, and the couple had five children. In 1546, at age 63, Luther traveled to Eisleben, the town where he was born, to conduct some business. It was to be his final journey.

Eisleben

For my final stop, I took the train to this town of some 24,000 people. I followed the signs to the city center, descending into a wooded valley. Tall pine trees gave way to Baroque- and Renaissance-era burgher houses, and before I knew it, I was standing in Eislebens main square. A larger-than-life bronze statue of Martin Luther on a pedestal stared down at me.

Later that afternoon, I met Klaus, a local resident who owns a bed-and-breakfast here and is a friend of a friend. He took me on a walking tour of his hometown, starting at Luthers birth house (a museum since 1693), then moving on to the Church of Sts. Peter and Paul, where Luther was baptized. Today, a Jacuzzi-size pool for baptisms stands in front of the altar. We zigzagged through the towns narrow cobbled streets until we arrived at the Gothic Church of St. Andreas to see the pulpit where Luther gave his final four sermons.

Outside, Klaus pointed to the gorgeous late-Gothic doorway of a building across the square. Ornate lines bedecked its characteristic apex, a hallmark of an era on the threshold of the Renaissance.

Two days before Luther died, Klaus said, hes said to have founded a school for girls in that building. We may take this idea for granted in the contemporary world, but it was almost unheard of in that time. Luther said he translated the Bible into German, and, therefore, people  boys and girls  should be able to read it, Klaus said.

German National Tourist Board

A few minutes later, having entered the house of Luthers death (also a museum), we stood before the black shroud that had draped Luthers coffin. Klaus said that on Luthers way from Wittenberg to Eisleben for the last time, he had a heart attack.

Oh, so thats what killed him? I asked.

Klaus, who was a dead ringer for Bob Newhart but with a German accent, deadpanned: No, he had heart attacks all the time.

The heart attack that historians believe did kill Luther occurred two weeks after his arrival in Eisleben, sending him to that meat and beer hall in the sky where there is no closing time.

Luther was finally free, Klaus said.

I said goodbye to Klaus and, as Luther might have done, walked to a nearby pub to have a beer and ponder, what else? Freedom. Im not a Lutheran  I dont even subscribe to an organized religion  but spending a week in Luthers footsteps made me realize how much of a giant he was. And how, at first, his momentous task probably seemed Sisyphean. He never did see the full effects of what he started, but, alive or dead, he got to the top of the mountain.

David Farley is a freelance writer based in Berlin. Email: travel@sfchronicle.com.
ISTANBUL  Turkish police stopped LGBT activists from gathering in large numbers for a pride event in Istanbul on Sunday, but smaller groups made impromptu media statements, defying a ban imposed by the governor.

Organizers of the 2017 Istanbul Pride had pledged to march in central Taksim Square, using a Turkish hashtag for we march, despite the ban on Gay Pride observances ordered by the Istanbul governors office for the third year in a row.

Police established checkpoints in the area, preventing groups from entering Istiklal Avenue and turning back individuals who were deemed to be associated with the planned march. Small groups assembled on side streets were chased away by officers.

At least a hundred protesters gathered in a nearby neighborhood, beating drums and chanting, Dont be quiet, shout out, gays exist! They carried a banner that read, Get used to, we are here.

Police used tear gas to disperse the crowds and activists said plastic bullets were also used. Riot-control vehicles and buses were dispatched to the area. Turkeys official Anadolu news agency said an estimated 20 people were detained.

In banning the event Saturday, the governors office cited safety and public order. It also said a valid parade application had not been filed for Sundays event, a claim rejected by organizers.

The governors ban referred to serious reactions by different segments of society as several nationalist and religious groups called for the marchs cancellation.

Pride organizers said in a statement Sunday that the threats themselves should be dealt with rather than limiting demonstrations. Our security will be provided by recognizing us in the constitution, by securing justice, by equality and freedom, the statement said.

LGBT activists have lobbied for years to have sexual orientation and gender identity covered by Turkish laws protecting civil rights and prohibiting hate speech, but the clauses have not been included in updated legislation. Homosexuality has been legal in Turkey since the republics founding more than nine decades ago.

The Turkish government says there is no discrimination against LGBT individuals and that current laws already protect each citizen. It also insists that perpetrators of hate crimes are prosecuted.

Turkish authorities allowed Pride marches to take place for more than a decade since the first one was held in 2003. Up to 100,000 people attended Istanbul Pride in 2014.

Zeynep Bilginsoy is an Associated Press writer.
BAHAWALPUR, Pakistan  Alerted by an announcement over a mosques loudspeaker that an overturned tanker truck had sprung a leak, scores of villagers raced to the scene with fuel containers Sunday to gather the oil. The wreck then exploded, engulfing people in flames as they screamed in terror.

At least 153 men, women and children were killed, with dozens more in critical condition, hospital and rescue officials said.

I have never seen anything like it in my life. Victims trapped in the fireball. They were screaming for help, said Abdul Malik, a police officer who was among the first to arrive on the scene in Pakistans Punjab province.

When the flames subsided, he said, we saw bodies everywhere. So many were just skeletons. The people who were alive were in really bad shape.

About 30 motorcycles that villagers had used to rush to the site of the highway accident lay charred nearby along with cars, witnesses said. Local news channels showed black smoke billowing skyward and army helicopters taking away the injured.

As victims cried out for help, residents wandered through the area, looking for loved ones.

Many of the dead were burned beyond recognition, said Dr. Mohammad Baqar, a rescue official in the area. They will be identified through DNA.

The fuel truck was traveling from the southern port city of Karachi to Lahore, the Punjab provincial capital, when the driver lost control and crashed on a highway outside Bahawalpur.

A loudspeaker atop a mosque alerted villagers to the leaking fuel, and many rushed to the scene with fuel containers, said Rana Mohammad Salim, deputy commissioner of Bahawalpur.

Highway police moved quickly to redirect traffic but couldnt stop the scores of villagers, spokesman Imran Shah told a local TV channel.

When the fire erupted, the same mosque loudspeaker called on the remaining villagers to help put it out.

Mohammed Salim said he ran toward the smoke with buckets of water and sand, but the heat was too intense for him to reach the victims.

I could hear people screaming, but I couldnt get to them, he said.

Dr. Javed Iqbal at Bahawalpurs Victoria Hospital said most of the patients suffered burns to upward of 80 percent of their bodies. Many were evacuated by plane or helicopter to hospitals in the Punjab cities of Lahore and Multan.

Iram Asim is an Associated Press writer.
BIDI BIDI, Uganda  The cemetery for South Sudanese refugees lies between two streams that flood when the rains come, leaving debris scattered across the otherwise unmarked graves.

That bothers James Malish, whose mother and sister recently died days apart. They were laid to rest here, along with about two dozen others on the edge of the worlds largest refugee settlement  and achingly far from home.

Where we come from, we do not bury our dead people in the bush, Malish said. We bury our people in the compound, just in the front of the house.

But the nearly one million refugees sheltering here in northern Uganda have to learn new ways of life, and death.

Malish, a father of six, witnessed killings in South Sudans civil war before fleeing last year. His brother was shot dead in the capital, Juba, allegedly by government soldiers, which sent shock waves through family members already living in Uganda.

His sister collapsed and died in Bidi Bidi in late April. A month later, his 78-year-old mother died after an accident that weakened her health.

Now the two lie next to each other in the isolated patch of land designated by Ugandan officials for graves. Malish has decided he can at least buy cement to make markers that wont wash away.

The Bidi Bidi settlement has filled with people telling stories of violence and despair. Many hope to start afresh here. But some reach safety only to fall victim to meningitis, malaria and other tropical diseases.

When they die, their families face a dilemma: bury them without the traditional customs, or carry them home and face war again.

And now Bidi Bidi is running out of accessible land. Ugandas government has received global praise for the way it welcomes refugees, even giving them plots for cultivation. But officials say they are overwhelmed as South Sudans refugees pour in.

Over 950,000 refugees now shelter in northern Uganda, most of them in Bidi Bidi, with more than 1,000 arriving daily.

A total of 100 refugees died in two of Bidi Bidis five zonal areas between December and May, according to the aid group International Rescue Committee. It was not possible to get a death toll for the entire refugee settlement since August, when it opened.

Musa Ecweru, a Ugandan government minister in charge of refugees, said the government is working with local leaders to designate appropriate areas as cemeteries.

Rodney Muhumuza is an Associated Press writer.
The New Zealand dollar edged up in New York trading on Friday as data emerged that showed traders have been increasing their bets on a strong kiwi, a situation that may actually leave the currency more vulnerable to a correction.

The kiwi was trading at 72.80 US cents as at 8am in Wellington from 72.84 cents in New York on Friday and from 72.67 cents in Asia last week. The trade-weighted index was at 78.49, little changed from last week.

US Commodity Futures Trading Commission data shows that after traders had been betting against the kiwi, taking 'short' positions, they now held the highest net speculative 'long' NZ dollar positions in more than four years. ANZ Bank New Zealand said long positions increased the week before last by US$3.8 billion.

"While New Zealands economic credentials demand respect, that build-up in itself leaves us wary of a correction lower," said Cameron Bagrie, chief economist at ANZ Bank New Zealand, in a note. He said the kiwi will meet resistance should it rise as high as 73.20 US cents.

The week ahead brings merchandise trade tomorrow and both May building consents and business confidence on Friday, which will provide an update on how the domestic economy may be faring.

Globally, investors are awaiting a US Federal Reserve chair Janet Yellen speech in London on Tuesday, where the topic is global economic issues and where they will be listening for any hint of a third US rate hike this year.

The kiwi traded at 57.15 British pence from 57.26 pence on Friday in New York and traded at 80.94 yen from 81 yen. It fell to 4.9755 yuan from 4.9769 yuan and traded at 64.99 euro cents from 65.09 cents. The kiwi dollar rose to 96.18 Australian cents from 96.10 cents in New York on Friday.

(BusinessDesk)

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By Arpan Rai: In a bid to get more students this year, the Delhi University which released its first cut-off on Friday, saw anxious faces, confused aspirants and disgruntled parents in return on the first day of its admission process.

Not only did the admission committee officials make the admission portal accessible to aspirants an hour late, several eligible candidates were denied admission. The admission portal confirmed that the confusion started among aspirants when they could not access their application form during the first one hour of admission deadline. This led applicants to be in the dark over the list of shortlisted names of any of the 63 DU colleges.

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"I was sent back by college officials without any reason and they have refused to give me college form. I have been asked to come back on Tuesday now but, I cannot afford to come as I have an early morning flight to Bengaluru," said Vivek Nume, who was left stranded at Ramjas College on the first day by admission committee officials.

Nume, who has secured 95 per cent wanted to block his seat in Ramjas. Admission committee officials confirmed that there was a delay in making the online portal accessible during the initial hours but the university will ensure no student goes unattended.

'CAN'T ADMIT STUDENTS WITHOUT ORIGINAL DOCUMENTS'

Adding to the chaos, students from Tamil Nadu state board - who are yet to receive their original marksheet specifying their original marks scored in Class 12 - received a shock on arriving at Shri Ram College of Commerce. Over 70 parents, without original documents, were asked to come back after their child obtained an original marksheet, waiting for which means missing out their seats in DU's top brass colleges.

"It goes against the guidelines of Delhi University to admit a student on the basis of his or her provisional marksheet. We cannot admit any student who fails to present original documents," said Reena Chadha, professor at SRCC.

Reena also added that the college has asked DU officials to issue parents an undertaking specifying that students from Tamil Nadu Board of Secondary Education will have to present their original marksheet within 10 days of their application to SRCC.

ALSO READ | Delhi University 1st Cut-Off List: You don't need a perfect score for DU this year

ALSO READ | Low rent, fancy PGs for Delhi University students

ALSO WATCH | AAP's proposal for 80% Delhi quota in DU colleges: Should admissions be on merit?

--- ENDS ---
Sky Network Television and Vodafone New Zealand have terminated their merger agreement which aimed to create the country's largest telecommunications and media group, and have withdrawn an appeal against the Commerce Commission's rejection of the plan.

The pay-TV operator and telecommunications group announced the decision in a joint statement to the New Zealand stock exchange this morning, without detailing their reasons.

The competition regulator had rejected the $3.44 billion media merger, saying the combined group would substantially lessen competition. Sky and Vodafone filed an appeal against the commission's ruling in the High Court in March, to give them time to consider the regulator's reasoning against the decision, and last month amended their appeal to detail their arguments.

"Sky and Vodafone New Zealand will continue to work together to strengthen our commercial relationship for the benefit of the customers and the shareholders of our respective organisations," the companies said in a three-sentence statement to the NZX today.

The merger would have seen Sky TV buying Vodafone NZ for $3.44 billion, funded by a payment of $1.25 billion in cash and the issue of new Sky TV shares at a price of $5.40 per share. Vodafone would have become a 51 percent majority shareholder in Sky TV, in what amounted to a reverse takeover. The pay-TV operator planned to borrow $1.8 billion from Vodafone to fund the purchase, repay existing debt and use for working capital.

Sky shares last traded at $3.39 and have shed 23 percent over the past year.

(BusinessDesk)

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Congressmen from both the Republican and Democratic parties called on US President Donald Trump to press PM Narendra Modi to remove barriers to US trade and investment.

By Reuters: Leading US congressmen have called on President Donald Trump to press Prime Minister Narendra Modi to remove barriers to US trade and investment when they meet for the first time on Monday.

The lawmakers, from the Republican and Democratic parties, said in a letter to Trump that high-level engagement with India had failed to eliminate major trade and investment barriers and had not deterred India from imposing new ones.

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"Many sectors of the Indian economy remain highly and unjustifiably protected, and India continues to be a difficult place for American companies to do business," they wrote, noting that a 2017 World Bank report ranked India 130th out of 190 countries for ease of doing business.

The lawmakers - Republican House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Kevin Brady and Ranking Member Richard Neal, and Republican Senate Finance Committee Chairman Orrin Hatch and Ranking Member Ron Wyden - said the bilateral economic relationship "severely underperforms" as a result of India's failure to enact market-based reforms.

They said the barriers covered multiple sectors and included high tariffs, inadequate protection of intellectual property rights, and inconsistent and non-transparent licensing and regulatory practices.

Among US goods affected were solar and information technology products, telecommunications equipment and biotechnology products, they said.

The lawmakers also pointed to limitations on foreign participation in professional services, restrictive foreign equity caps for financial, retail, and other major services sectors and barriers to digital trade and Internet services.

"The list is long and growing," they said.

PM NARENDRA MODI TO MEET U.S. CEOS BEFORE TRUMP

PM Modi is due to meet with about 20 leading US CEOs in Washington on Sunday before his first meeting with Trump on Monday at the White House, when he will seek to revitalize ties that have appeared to drift, in spite of the priority they were afforded under former President Barack Obama.

While progress is expected in defense trade and cooperation , Trump, who campaigned on an "America First" platform has been irritated by the growing US trade deficit with India and has called for reform of the H1B visa system that has benefited Indian tech firms.

Other signs of friction have included Trump accusing New Delhi of negotiating unscrupulously at the Paris climate talks to walk away with billions in aid.

Indian officials reject suggestions that Modi's "Make in India" platform is protectionist and complain about the US regulatory process for generic pharmaceuticals and rules on fruit exports to the United States.

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They stress the future importance of the huge Indian market to US firms and major growth in areas such as aviation which will offer significant opportunities for US manufacturers.

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--- ENDS ---
Once referred to as "The Riviera of New York City," the restored boardwalk is now a popular destination for the entire family.

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Carol Ann Benanti | benanti@siadvance.com

South Beach was a go-to spot for vacationers

To beat the summer heat, folks in the early 1900s went to South Beach (aka "The Riviera of NYC") with its dock and water slide. From the late 1880s to the 1920s, South Beach and Midland Beach were the hottest  pardon the pun  places to be in the summertime.

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Carol Ann Benanti | benanti@siadvance.com

Bathers flocked to Walch's Bathing Pavilion

Circa 1920: Enjoying the social scene at South Beach are Hans Schild, right, and Gertrude Schild, mother and father of Marie Hartmann, who were among those who enjoyed all that South Beach had to offer. (Courtesy/Marie Hartmann)

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The new boardwalk attracts thousands each day

Residents enjoy taking strolls along the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Boardwalk that extends 1.7 miles in South Beach. (Staten Island Advance/Annalise Knudson)

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Anthony DePrimo

A magnificent view of the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge

A panoramic vista of the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge is seen from South Beach. (Staten Island Advance /Anthony DePrimo)

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Basilio Inn Restaurant

Amid a quaint setting grows fig trees, a vegetable garden where freshly picked veggies are incorporated into age-old recipes, and a bocce court. The dining spot is owned by Maurizio Asperti and his wife, Teresa. The inn was named for Basilio Giovannini, founder. A former carriage house, Basilio Inn was originally home to Italian immigrants. Seen here is an organic cucumber and tomato salad from their garden with a red onion citronette dressing. Basilio Inn is located at 6 Galesville Ct. Contact Basilio Inn at 718-447-9292 or visit basilioinn.com/

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Jon Reyes

Kayaking in South Beach

Hundreds of Staten Island families and friends enjoy a day of kayaking at South Beach. Though at this writing kayaking is not available at South Beach, Kayaking Staten Island is still available to the public at another location on Page Ave.

Provided is the use of sit-on-top kayaks, life-jackets and paddles, paddling tips and launch/land assistance. Experienced kayakers are in the water for further assistance. Interested? Email kayakstatenisland@gmail.com. (Staten Island Advance/Jon Reyes)

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MICHAEL MCWEENEY

The Gazebo at South Beach

The South Beach Shade Gazebo often used for weddings by The Vanderbilt.

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Italianissimo Ristorante in South Beach

Italianissimo Ristorante in South Beach has been a mainstay in the community of South Beach for several decades. Italianissimo is located at 107 McClean Ave. Contact Italianissimo Ristorante at 718-442-4442 or visit italianissimony.com/ (Staten Island Advance/Pamela Silvestri)

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Boardwalk Days

Boardwalk Days at South Beach include fireworks and a Boardwalk concert series. Though sadly, Boardwalk Days t won't be offered by The Vanderbilt this year, the featured Give-Back Wednesday non-profit of the day will receive a donation from the South Fin Grill: five percent of that day's food service. For additional information and specific days and events contact Boardwalk Days at South Beach sandrafaz731@aol.com 347-466-1767.

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Carol Ann Benanti | benanti@siadvance.com

Yoga at the beach

A total of 56 "yogis" showed at the South Fin Grill for a donation-based yoga practice with music provided by deejay Joe Nose. The event, sponsored by 5 Boro Power Yoga, was to raise funds for a friend, Joann Olivia Clark, who is battling colorectal cancer, and they did just that, with $833. Raffle prizes were donated by local businesses and by the World of Women. This year Assemblywoman Nicole Malliotakis and 5 Boro Power Yoga are sponsoring yoga events a little further down on Midland Beach. Note this year's dates: Saturday, July 15 from 9 to 11 a.m.; Thursday, July 20, 7 to 9 p.m.; Wednesday, Aug. 16, 7 to 9 p.m.; Wednesday, Aug. 30, 7 to 9 p.m.; Saturday, Sept. 9, 9 to 11 a.m. The location? The Promenade Turte Circle between Jefferson Avenue and Capodanno Boulevard. Phone Assemblyman Malliotakis' office at 718-987-0197.

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Anthony DePrimo

Staten Islanders swim in the waters of South Beach

Plenty of beachgoers at South Beach went for a dip in the water. According to the South Beach Swim Guide, the waters of South Beach meet water quality standards and is safe for swimming. (Staten Island Advance/Anthony DePrimo)

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The Dolphin Fountain

Visitors to the boardwalk and beach area are greeted by the distinctive Dolphin Fountain, a popular spot to take selfies. Consisting of six life-size bronze-sculpted dolphins fastened to footings by posts, and wave-shaped rails containing fiber-optic cables and water jets, the piece was designed by architect Dana Helpler and sculpted by Steven Dickey. Since its dedication in 1998, the fountain has become the gateway to the beach area and a symbol of the boardwalk revival begun by Borough President James Molinaro. (Staten Island Advance/Irving Silverstein)

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Bike riding on the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Boardwalk

As part of Tony Buttacavole's daily routine, he cycles to South Beach for a bocce game, then rides back to the fishing pier where he and his wife, Rachele, meet. The two then enjoy each other's company as they ride up and down the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Boardwalk. Those interested in bike riding should contact Wheel Fun Rentals who operates two new bike rental stations from South Beach.

The program, run through the city Parks Department, allows for bicycle rentals seven days a week from 9 a.m. to sunset at South Beach Boardwalk locations at Sand Lane and at Jefferson Avenue. Email: info@wheelfunrentals.com.

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The Tiki Bar at the South Fin Grill

The South Fin Grill offers patrons an outdoor happy hour filled with fun and sun, as well as refreshments at their popular Tiki Bar. (Staten Island Advance photo)

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The bocce courts

Joe Sollitto shoots at the South Beach Bocce Courts during the annual Beatrice Victor Senior Olympics bocce competition. For information about playing bocce contact the NYC Parks, Staten Island Recreation: Richard.Costello@Parks.nyc.gov or phone 718-816-6172. (Staten Island Advance/Anthony DePrimo)

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PS 46 in South Beach

Children use the playground entrance to file into PS 46 on Ried Avenue in South Beach. The school boasts a computer room with wireless laptop computers, in addition to classroom computers, and internet access that increase its instructional technology. In addition, PS 46 has been designated as a Teacher's College Partnership School and has received the Parents as Arts Partners Grant. (Staten Island Advance/Diane Lore)

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Jan Somma-Hammel

The Vanderbilt

The Vanderbilt catering facility was built in 2005 and is home to outdoor and indoor events, including weddings. The Vanderbilt is located at 300 Father Capodanno Blvd. Contact The Vanderbilt at

718) 447-0800

or visit

.

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Carol Ann Benanti | benanti@siadvance.com

The Vanderbilt was the setting of Joseph's Gannascoli's wedding

From left, James Gandolfini, Vince Curatola, Tony Sirico and Dominic Chianese of "The Sopranos" share a laugh at Joseph Gannascoli's wedding at the Vanderbilt. (Staten Island Advance/Carol Ann Benanti)

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Bill Lyons

The Crystal Room in South Beach

A banner welcomes classmates to the Class of '84 New Dorp High School reunion at the Crystal Room. Set within a three-acre country club setting, the Crystal Room boasts a charming gazebo and romantic Chinese bridge. The Crystal Room is located at 67 Olympia Blvd. Contact The Crystal Room at 718-447-8926 or visit

www.thecrystalroom.com/

(Staten Island Advance/Bill Lyons)

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Anthony DePrimo

The old Holy Rosary Church

The original white stucco Holy Rosary R.C. Church in South Beach was built in 1927 by Italian immigrants on property that once served as a back lot for the silent film industry. (Staten Island Advance/Anthony DePrimo)

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The new Holy Rosary Church

Holy Rosary is the neighborhood's only Roman Catholic church located on the corner of Jerome and McClean avenues. It was dedicated in 1991 by the late Cardinal John J. O'Connor. Its daily and Sunday mass schedule includes masses in Italian, Polish and Spanish. Neighborhood residents can set their clocks by the melodic church bells that toll at 9 a.m., noon and 6 p.m. weekdays, and to herald Sunday masses, weddings and parish occasions. (Staten Island Advance/Irving Silverstein)

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Holy Rosary School

The school was established in 1955 as the parish school of Holy Rosary R.C. Church. Students participate in sports programs -- basketball, track, cheerleading, baseball as well as the swimming program -- with other Catholic schools. (Staten Island Advance/Irving Silverstein)

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South Beach was the 2014 winner of the Staten Island Reader's Choice Awards

Swimmers head for shore after taking a plunge into the water at South Beach to help raise funds for the athletes of Special Olympics New York in the 10th annual Staten Island Polar Plunge in December. And it still remains a favorite among borough residents. Read our Reader's Choice story at http://www.silive.com/readerschoice/2015/06/best_park_beach_more_2015_read.html (Staten Island Advance/ Bill Lyons)
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Paul Massey Jr. has spent the last few decades building up a multi-million-dollar real estate business, but said he's running for mayor of a city he's new to because of Mayor Bill de Blasio's "lack of focus" on important issues.

On a recent visit to Staten Island, Massey, 57, discussed a few ties to the borough. He grew up in Massachusetts and attended Colgate University in upstate New York before moving to Westchester and then Manhattan in 2015.

He says he knows all the boroughs from working in them, brokering real estate deals for Massey Knakal Realty services, the firm he co-founded in 1988 and sold to Cushman & Wakefield in 2014.

FAMILIAL TIES TO THE ISLAND

But Staten Island is the only one where he has some familial ties. Standing in front of his wife's grandfather's house in Stapleton, he recalled spending Christmas and other holidays there with his wife, Gretchen, and her family.

"Grandfather was a cool old guy, he was German ... had a carpet store in Brownsville, Brooklyn," he said. A "pack rat," Massey said, the grandfather "left his kitchen window open and squirrels would come off the trees and hang out with him. Every time we'd visit, the squirrels would be running around the kitchen."

His wife's grandfather, who died in 1996, "would take me up into the attic and it was the only place in the house where you'd get a shot of the Verrazano Bridge. He always made it a point to bring me up there and show me that."

His wife's parents both grew up on Staten Island and attended Staten Island Academy, becoming childhood sweethearts and getting married at Christ Church in New Brighton -- the same place where Gretchen and her brother were christened as babies.

FALLING IN LOVE WITH NYC

His ties to Staten Island existing solely through marriage, Massey goes further back with the other island, Manhattan.

After college, he planned to work for a prestigious real estate firm in Boston, but they weren't hiring, he said. So he planned to bide his time in New York City.

"My plan was come down here, get experience so I could go back and get the job I really wanted back in Boston," he said. "And I was in love with this place in like a month and was never leaving."

He recalled bartending and waiting tables to supplement the small salary he made at that first firm the summer after college.

"My dad was practically broke by the time I got through school, so I had no money, I came with $150," Massey said. "We had three other kids in the family; he was trying to get them through school."

When Massey and his wife were expecting their second child, they moved from their Upper East Side apartment where they lived for a few years to Larchmont in Westchester County in 1992, before moving back to the city two years ago, now living on the border of Greenwich Village and Chelsea. His two eldest children live in Manhattan and his youngest attends St. Lawrence University upstate.

Like the mayor, he's from Massachusetts, but unlike the Democratic incumbent, Massey says he's not a Red Sox fan.

"It's a complicated story, but I'm a Yankees and a Mets fan," he said, before admitting his family's reluctance to accept it.

HITTING DE BLASIO

While he and Assemblywoman Nicole Malliotakis are vying for the Republican line in a September primary, his focus has been de Blasio.

"It's always going to come down to a referendum on his poor management," he said. "And my character and ability to manage."

When it was pointed out that he and other mayoral candidates similarly point to what they see as flaws in de Blasio's policies, Massey said it's because "his deficiencies are so obvious. Everyone feels them all day long. The traffic's jammed ... Riker's Island's out of control because he hired the wrong commissioner. ACS, kids are getting hurt and killed because he has a bad manager. We have a homeless crisis that he couldn't recognize for three years."

He blamed this on de Blasio's "lack of focus."

A spokesman for de Blasio's re-election campaign said, "Mayor de Blasio expanded Pre-K for every 4-year-old and will do the same for every 3-year-old. Crime is at record lows, jobs are at a record high, New York City is building affordable housing at a record pace, and rents were frozen for more than 2 million tenants. That is the mayor's record, and it is one that New Yorkers are rallying around."

Massey supports affordable housing to allow people to stay in the neighborhoods they love. But when asked about people opposing new residential projects, he said, "If people don't want large-scale development in their neighborhood, they shouldn't have it."

He criticized the mayor for a lack of leadership in the transit issues the city is facing, rolling out his own transportation plan for a rail connecting Staten Island and New Jersey, albeit lacking details like how much it would cost and where the money would come from to pay for it.

The Republican candidate announced other proposals for the rest of the city, like investing in the Staten Island Expressway, Brooklyn-Queens Expressway and other major thoroughfares, as well as a system-wide MTA maintenance campaign.

He gave few details when he unveiled his transit plan.

"We're going to solve some major problems immediately with surprisingly little capital," he told the Advance. "But over time, we're going to invest major capital in the city."

Like his Republican colleague Malliotakis, he points to his opponent in City Hall.

"I blame the mayor because the mayor hates the governor and the mayor doesn't get along with a lot of people. So if you're representing people, you've got to be a consensus builder. That's the kind of leader I am."

He expects he, a Republican, would work better with Cuomo, a Democrat, than de Blasio does now.

He quoted the old adage "there's no Republican or Democratic way to pick up the garbage."

"Same thing goes for big ideas," he said. "It's amazing what you can get done if you're not worrying about who's getting credit for it."
Note: Below is a letter to the editor from former Rep. Michael Grimm in response to an error in an Advance report. It is followed by our response, by Editor Brian J. Laline, disputing some of Grimm's assertions and correcting some of his statements.

***

By MICHAEL GRIMM

Made you Click!!

Yes, the headline is as factually correct as the headline "Feds Seize Grimm's S.I. home" that was posted on SILive June 9. How could this completely false story happen? Well, there is absolutely no incentive for reporters to actually do their job. In fact, there is more incentive for them to print fake news. Two main problems with the press and why many feel journalism is dead: First, some periodicals, like the Advance, are building compensation models whereby the more "clicks" a reporter gets on his/her on-line story, the more he/she gets compensated; thus, the more salacious the headline, the more $ garnered; second is the inherent personal and political bias of the paper itself and its reporters.

Case in point: the Feds never seized my home, nor did they actually seize anything at all. But why let the facts get in the way of a good story that serves two purposes: more clicks, and taking more shots to continue destroying Republicans in general, and my personal reputation in an effort to prevent another improbable but successful run for office.

Yes, trashing Republicans is the goal of the liberal media, and we see it every day as they consistently bash President Trump with fake news and malevolent scandals that don't exist. The NY go-to papers are the Times and the Daily News, so it is no surprise that the Advance picked up this fake news story about me from the latter, and no surprise, either, that no one on either staff bothered to actually read the Government's motion, which was the subject of the article. Even more important, no one bothered to contact me for the other side of the story, which is Journalism 101.

Had anyone done the latter, I would have related that I am up to date on all of my payments and would have shown the receipts to prove it.

However, I don't think anyone wanted to corroborate the story--that is the whole point. Do we think the NY Times really tried to corroborate the "anonymous sources" alleging that Trump staffers had many contacts with Russian agents, with the corresponding implication of collusion? Of course not, because they are attempting to destroy our President at all costs...something I know a little bit about! (And just in case you didn't hear, James Comey testified that the NYT story was false...just as false as the Feds seizing my house.)

It is no mistake that the media and far-left liberals utilize the same playbook again and again--it was the Times that broke the story on me that with anonymous sources stating I was illegally taking cash and funneling money for my campaign in direct contravention of FEC rules. That story, like the many allegations against President Trump, was ultimately found to be false, but that never makes the headlines. Once the biased media smell blood in the water they double- and triple-down to destroy the target, which was me locally and now is the President nationally. I believe with all my heart that if I was a Democrat, I never would have been investigated in the first place.

Fact: The allegations lodged against me of corruption/campaign finance wrongdoing were brought to the FBI, and the initial inquiry was closed for being unsubstantiated. It was later re-opened and remained so for more than 2.5 years while the Feds went on a fishing expedition, which revealed that I had delivery boys off the books at a restaurant I sold in early 2009--when I was a private citizen. I know the case was re-opened because of political pressure and remained open for political purposes. Why else would the Feds spend millions of dollars on a $148,000 tax matter that was, until me, always handled with a civil fine by the Department of Labor?

Yes, the press doesn't write about the fact that Michael Grimm was the first restaurant owner ever in the history of NYC to be criminally charged for a tax violation stemming from a handful of employees off the books. Why do you think that happened? Maybe it is the same reason that the US Attorney's office in Brooklyn is continuing to be so aggressive now with their Writ for Continuing Garnishment. The Government claims it filed for the writ because it thought I didn't pay my May restitution in full; however, the payment wasn't even due till May 20th--why didn't they wait the requisite 30 days to see if I was actually delinquent? They spent all that effort by lawyers and a judge, and thousands of the public's dollars, to have a writ that they didn't even need because I am paid in full to date. Yet I haven't seen any articles about the completely unusual efforts and aggression by the US Attorney's Office in this case.

Here's another fact that most don't know: I was ordered to pay $1,000 per month in restitution, an amount much higher than any other person would normally pay based on my income. Why? I'd say they are still out to get me.

Rumors have been swirling that I am not actually down and out, that I am not crawled up in a ball, that I am not broken or defeated. Many have seen me out and about with my usual upbeat attitude, smiling and looking like I always have, with a very positive and strong demeanor. They know that I will likely run again for elected office, that I will make a comeback. I disagree with that characterization because it isn't a comeback, I am back! The rumors are actually true.

So let the papers continue to try to destroy me, let the haters hate, let the miserable foes spew their vitriolic sputum, and let my opponents continue to cast aspersions on my character. I'm still the Marine who protected them all when I volunteered for combat; I'm still the FBI Agent who helped keep this city and many others safe when I went deep undercover; I'm still the Congressman who fought day and night to deliver real results for my constituents; and, yes, I'm still the small business owner that paid 3 delivery boys and a kitchen worker off the books.

Let me finish with a very heartfelt thank-you to all of my friends and supporters who reached out to wish me well and even offer me a place to stay because they were duped into believing my family and I were cast out into the street by the Feds. Another sincere thank-you to all those who offered to loan me some cash. They know the truth now, which everyone would have known if reporters and their editors had made any attempt whatsoever to corroborate their fake news story: I'm up to date on all my payments and was current prior to the motion being filed.

*****

OUR RESPONSE

Below is the response to Grimm's letter, as written by Advance Editor Brian J. Laline:

Michael Grimm is a decorated Marine. An undercover FBI agent. A United States congressman -- and now, I learn, a guy with super-human gifts that have him flying over Tottenville?

So who am I to argue?

Mike Grimm is right. We screwed up. We published a story online based on a New York Daily News story of the same day that reported the federal government seized Grimm's house.

The bottom line: The Daily News beat us to the story. We don't like that to happen with Staten Island stories, but it is impossible for us to be as complete or aggressive in getting news that originates off Staten Island. Truth be told, the three major New York dailies have better citywide contacts than the Advance.

Still, our mission is to own Staten Island news.

Frankly, when I read the SILive story in the early-morning of June 9, I was startled. "The guy is right," I thought to myself. "The government is persecuting him."

I believed the Daily News story. Although New York tabloids are known to do some crazy things, they are still basically credible publications despite what political detractors charge.

It is important for us to get the story out there, ironically, for the exact opposite reason Mr. Grimm maintains we did: Fairness.

If we did not report the story, the Grimm-Haters -- and there are Grimm-Haters -- would accuse us of burying or ignoring the story because we are Grimm supporters. That's the way it goes on Staten Island.

But we dropped the ball. At the very least, our reporter should have called Grimm, or his mentor Guy Molinari, to confirm the story. We would have been told it was inaccurate. Instead, we wrote a story based on the Daily News account, credited the News, and posted it.

The biggest mistake we made was believing the Daily News reporter.

That's about as far as I will go today in agreeing with Mr. Grimm, however. Because from there, he goes on the Republican Rant so common these days, accusing the "liberal media" of intentionally concocting phony stories -- fake news, they call it -- to discredit them and their party.

I won't take this space to defend other publications. Frankly, I do believe there is an agenda in some American newsrooms.

There is absolutely no such thing at the Advance.

Within the hour, we discovered the Grimm story was inaccurate. We immediately corrected it and changed the headline on SILive.

Mr. Grimm doesn't bother mentioning that in his attack.

We made certain our print team knew the story was updated before the Advance went to press to make certain the wrong version was not used.

Mr. Grimm goes beyond that, impugning the character of everyone at the Staten Island Advance.

"There is absolutely no incentive for reporters to actually do their job," he charges. "In fact, there is more incentive for them to print fake news," he thinks.

"...Some periodicals, like the Advance, are building compensation models whereby the more "clicks" a reporter gets on his/her online story, the more he/she gets compensated; second is the inherent personal and political bias of the paper itself and its reporters."

Let's set the record straight.

The Advance has established goals for its employees -- as I assume just about every successful company in America does. A newsroom-wide goal is to deliver as much Staten Island news to our readership as possible. Today, with the advent of online journalism, we can monitor how many read what, and when. So yes, reporters are encouraged to write their stories in an informative, engaging manner.

But to get "clicks?" No. To impart news. There's a difference.

To say they slant a news story to get "clicks" is just plain wrong.

To then accuse the newspaper and its reporters of "political bias" is just as wrong.

The Advance does get to have an opinion. On its opinion pages. We are continually attacked, especially by right-leaning readers, of not representing the beliefs of Staten Islanders.

The Advance endorsed Hillary Clinton for president -- on its Opinion page. Why this created such angst with so many Republican-leaning readers is totally beyond me.

First, reporters who cover politics -- or anything -- had nothing to do with the decision. Second, we covered Donald Trump's visit to Staten Island with the same enthusiasm we did when Mrs. Clinton visited the same day.

The Advance endorsed Mr. Grimm for reelection -- this while he was maintaining his innocence while under a 20-count federal indictment. Why? He knew the issues, worked hard, and was a far superior candidate.

Plus, in America you are innocent until found guilty. Or plead guilty.

Mr. Grimm fails to mention that, as well.

Politicians, all politicians, expect their hometown newspaper to cover them less aggressively than other publications. I cannot tell you how many times I was told by a politician, "I expect it from the Daily News. But from my hometown paper?"

Where is the fairness in that statement?

The irony of all this is that politicians are more concerned with "clicks" than any journalist who covers them. Except they're called votes.

Politicians will say just about anything, it seems, to get those clicks. Including, it seems, Mr. Grimm.

He pledged to the voters during his last campaign that he would be vindicated in the tax case when he knew the truth.

Seems it didn't turn out that way.
By Press Trust of India: Kaithal (Haryana), Jun 24 (PTI) Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar today hailed the introduction of Goods and Services Tax (GST) as a good initiative to reform the Indian economy, which would lead to shrinking of red-tapism, and facilitate consumers and traders by reducing costs.

Khattar, who was interacting with mediapersons after inaugurating and laying the foundation stones of several development projects in Kaithal, said that several goods had been made tax-free and taxes on some other goods had been reduced under GST.

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A GST of 28 per cent would be levied on items such as TVs, air conditioners, refrigerators, washing machines and furniture, which are presently taxed at 33 per cent. Such reduction in costs would boost competitiveness among traders, which would further benefit consumers, he added.

Reiterating that the Haryana government was sensitive towards the interests of the farmers, he said that compensation to the tune of Rs 2,400 crore had so far been disbursed to the farmers.

This included compensation of Rs 268.74 crore announced but not disbursed by the previous government.

He said that 50 per cent of the announcements made by him during the last 32 months regarding development works to be undertaken throughout the state had been implemented while the remaining would soon be completed. PTI SUN GS JM

--- ENDS ---
The Haryana government has granted the permission to cut over 4,000 trees/shrubs in Aravalli without confirming if the area is a deemed forest.

By Pooja Shali: In the ecological sensitive zone of Aravalli, facing destruction by sustained deforestation and government apathy, a recent order from the forest department has come as an additional surprise. An approval to cut trees for a real estate project has exasperated environmentalists and concerned citizens.

India Today has accessed a copy of communication between the forest officials, the private entity and supplementary response to the Haryana government.

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By letter dated June 23, 2017, issued on Friday evening and the start of a 3-day weekend in response to an application for felling of trees in village Sarai Khwaja in Faridabad, the district forest department has sent a carefully worded approval informing the real estate firm that "permission to fell/transplant the trees/shrubs/bushes is accorded in terms of stated conditions as prescribed by the government."

Interestingly, the letter signed by DCF Faridabad, adds, "It is emphasized that conditions laid down by the government must be complied with strictly and, for any omissions or commissions to the contrary, the responsibility will solely rest on you.

Sources say the permission has been given for the 52-acre-plot and to cut over 4000 trees/shrubs without confirming or cancellation if the area is a deemed forest. The plot had received a license in 2013 transgressing the natural conservation zone, which restricts construction to 0.5 per cent only.The area around the mentioned plot already is witnessing constructions of residence on one side and has a large stretch of forest on the other.

REACTION OF ENVIRONMENTALISTS

Shockingly, successive governments in Haryana have failed to protect the Aravallis - bordering Delhi, Haryana and Rajasthan, which has witnessed constant estate constructions and degradation.

Environmentalists have not taken kindly to this order. Early morning on Sunday, concerned citizens including children were seen protesting near the site demanding a rethink on the same.

Environment analyst Chetan Agarwal told India Today, "The area falls under the category of Gair Mumkin Pahaar (land unfit for cultivation) and is a deemed forest and also a Aravalli natural conservation zone. At a time when the National Green Tribunal (NGT) hearing is on, the haste by the secretary forests of Haryana is unfathomable."

However, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (PCCF) wrote a letter to the Additional Chief Secretary, forests, Harayana Government, a day later on June-24, asking the government for a re-think reiterating, "The decisions of your letter has been complied with by the DFO Faridabad. You may like to take a legal opinion on the operation of your decision till a decision is taken by the Honourable NGT on stay application." It may be seen as an inference from the above mentioned letter that the forest department was not keen on fastening the procedure.

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The question thus arises, is the Haryana Government pushing forest department officials to comply with orders, at the risk of more damage to the ecological sensitive zone.

ALSO READ:

Shivraj Chouhan's aim to plant 60 million saplings in a day may get him Guinness record, but little praise

Delhi government sets target of planting 1 million saplings to increase green cover

ALSO WATCH:

5 killed in forest fire in Uttarakhand

--- ENDS ---
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The 18 prisons mentioned in the AP investigation are run by the UAE and by Yemeni forces, according to accounts from former detainees, families of prisoners, civil rights lawyers and Yemeni military officials. At the Riyan airport in the southern Yemeni city of Mukalla, former inmates described shipping containers smeared with feces and crammed with blindfolded detainees. They said they were beaten, roasted alive on a spit and sexually assaulted, among other abuses. One witness, who is a member of a Yemeni security force, said U.S. forces were at times only yards away.
On Saturday, the Israeli military said fighting between Syrian troops and rebels had spilled over again, with projectiles landing on the Israeli side of the frontier. It said no injuries or damage was caused but with Israelis flocking to the Golan Heights in the summer for hikes and fruit picking, the military took the precautionary step of asking civilians to avoid gathering near the border. Later, it announced that it had targeted the source of the fire and hit two tanks belonging to the Syrian military.
The ACT's greyhound trainers and breeders won't rehome dogs using government or contractor services funded to find them new owners when a ban on racing begins, the Canberra Greyhound Racing Club says.

A package of measures aiming to help greyhounds into new homes after the shutdown would be obsolete because ACT-based dogs will continue racing in NSW, it said on Sunday.

Canberra Greyhound Racing Club chairman Alan Tutt, three-year-old greyhound fan Kree Gibbs, with retired greyhound Porsha, and Martina Taliano, co-ordinator of Canberra Region Greyhound Connections Group with retired greyhound Sadie. Credit:Sitthixay Ditthavong

Spokesman Kel Watt said trainers and breeders would not engage with animal welfare groups contracted to rehome greyhounds after campaigning to ban racing in Canberra.

"These people are directly or indirectly responsible for the stripping away of over 50 jobs," he said.
A $733,000 set of speed cameras installed on Athllon Drive less than four years ago are too outdated to be recycled to a new location, a new study has determined.

The point-to-point cameras on Athllon Drive in Canberra's south were pulled out more than two months ago to make way for a park and ride facility, director of road safety and transport regulation at the Justice and Community Safety Directorate, Geoff Davidson, said.

The point-to-point cameras on Athllon Drive. Credit:Jeffrey Chan

JACS commissioned a review of three major Canberra roads - Tuggeranong Parkway, Parkes Way and Majura Parkway - to see where the cameras should be re-installed. Documents released under freedom of information laws showed the study cost about $30,000.

The report's authors, ARRB Group, recommended installing point-to-point speed cameras on an eight-kilometre stretch of the Majura Parkway, between the Federal Highway and Pialligo Avenue, as there was less traffic churn, uniformly high speed limits and more heavy vehicles using the road.
It received unanimous support in the state Legislature, but it appears legislation to establish a $90 million flood recovery program for communities along Lake Ontario and others that have been affected by severe weather will be vetoed by Gov. Andrew Cuomo.

Cuomo and representatives from his administration addressed the bill Thursday during a media availability in Albany. He said they were working on a three-way agreement with the Legislature. His budget director, Robert Mujica, said there's no funding behind it and referred to other "technical issues" with the measure.

Rich Azzopardi, Cuomo's spokesman, raised another concern the administration has with the bill.

"The problem with Morelle's bill is that there is no income threshold and we'd be reimbursing multimillionaires for damages," he said. "The median household income in New York is $56,000  why should we be flipping the bill for multimillionaires?"

The flood recovery package was negotiated between Assembly Majority Leader Joe Morelle, a Rochester-area Democrat, and state Sen. Pam Helming, a Republican from Canandaigua. Both lawmakers represent communities affected by Lake Ontario flooding.

Helming had introduced legislation to establish a $55 million flood relief program. Morelle's initial proposal would provide $105 million for the recovery effort.

Earlier this week, Helming and Morelle announced a two-way agreement on a $90 million flood recovery package. The program would provide grants to homeowners, municipalities and small businesses affected by high water levels.

The state Assembly and Senate approved the program Monday. The bill received unanimous support in both houses.

In interviews with other media outlets, Morelle has questioned why the governor would veto the bill and disputed the issues raised by Cuomo's administration.

Helming told The Citizen Friday that she hopes Cuomo won't veto the measure.

"I spoke with the governor earlier this week and my impression is that the governor is very committed to helping the people who are impacted by the flooding," she said, adding that if he does veto the bill, he should offer a "reasonable and responsible alternative."

She also disputed the claim made by Mujica that there's no appropriation behind the bill. She said the legislation authorizes the Empire State Development Corporation, in coordination with the state Department of Environmental Conservation and the Environmental Facilities Corporation, to administer the grant program.

The money would come from the Empire State Development Corporation.

"It's my understanding that there's sufficient funds there, more than enough funds there," she said.

Helming acknowledged Cuomo has already signed legislation that would make emergency infrastructure funding available to municipalities. And he's unveiled separate grant programs for businesses and homeowners to repair damage caused by flooding.

He visited Greece in Monroe County and Sodus Point in Wayne County to announce that each municipality would receive $500,000 to cover the costs of the flood response. But Helming questioned whether other local governments would receive awards.

"Other communities who have also been hard hit and maybe even donated time and supplies to Sodus or to Greece, they're wondering if they're eligible for reimbursements," she said.

When asked if it could slow down the recovery if the $90 million program is vetoed by the governor, Helming reiterated her desire to finalize the legislation.

"I would hope that we can come to an agreement in a very timely fashion," she said.
By Press Trust of India: Mahrajganj (UP), Jun 25 (PTI) Indias border with Nepal will be sealed tomorrow, 48 hours before the municipal polls in the neighbouring country, to prevent anti-social elements from crossing the international boundary and vitiating the election atmosphere.

This was decided at a high-level meeting of a coordination committee, said V K Singh, District Magistrate, Maharajganj, here today.

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The meeting was attended by officers of the local administration, police, border guarding force Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), Army, customs, immigration and other departments of both the countries.

SSB, which works under the command of the Union home ministry, guards the 1,751 km long Indo-Nepal border.

Uttar Pradesh shares a 599.3 km long open border with Nepal touching seven districts - Pilibhit, Lakhimpur Kheri, Bahraich, Sravasti, Balrampur, Sidhharthnagar and Maharajganj.

Municipal elections will be held in Nepal on June 28.

Some Madhes-centric parties have opposed the elections seeking that the Constitution is amended to accommodate their demands for more representation in parliament and redrawing of provincial boundaries.

The Nepal government has tabled a new Constitution amendment bill in Parliament to address the demands of the agitating Madhesis.

Madhesis, mostly of Indian-origin, launched a prolonged agitation between September 2015 and February last year against the implementation of the new Constitution which, they felt, marginalised the Terai community. PTI CORR SMI ADS

--- ENDS ---
Vandals have caused at least $10,000 in damage at ACTION bus shelters across Ngunnawal and Gungahlin, shattering glass panels and advertising frames at up to 23 stops.

Police found eight ACTION bus shelters shattered on Tuesday, June 20. Damage to 15 other shelters was reported to police on Thursday, June 15.

ACT Policing are seeking witnesses following several incidents of property damage to ACTION bus shelters across Gungahlin and Ngunnawal earlier this month.

ACT Policing's acting Station Sergeant Steve Rolling said people should check CCTV footage they may have and report any suspicious activity to police.

"It's disappointing to see such senseless damage, the cost of which is estimated to be at least $10,000," Mr Rolling said.
Controversial lawyer Sevag Chalabian, who has been accused of involvement in a blackmail which resulted in $24 million going into his trust account, has quietly quit the legal profession.

Mr Chalabian, 47, was named in recent court documents in connection with what is alleged to be the nation's largest tax fraud.

Sevag Chalabian has quietly quit the legal profession. Credit:Daniel Munoz

According to an Australian Federal Police affidavit tendered in a recent Proceeds of Crime application, it was suggested that Mr Chalabian has committed a serious offence, namely dealing with money "suspected of being the proceeds of crime".

The tendered AFP affidavit also suggests that Mr Chalabian was not only involved in a blackmail but he is also alleged to have put $24,244,470 proceeds from the blackmail through the trust account of his law firm Lands Legal.
Whatever went wrong in the air off Western Australia on Sunday, it started quickly and violently, and it did not stop for far too long.

First, AirAsia X passengers told news outlets, there came a loud bang about 90 minutes into the flight to Kuala Lumpur. It woke some people up. Sophie Nicolas said it was an explosion on left wing, while Dave Parry remembered a strange smell wafting through the cabin.

Then the shaking. Endless shaking, up and down the jet. "Like you were sitting on top of a washing machine," a passenger told the ABC.

It lasted another 90 minutes, passengers reported - minutes full of tears, prayers and gallows humour as the rattling jet limped back towards the land.
Accountancy is meant to be the profession of sober financial clarity. The gate keepers who provide the lingua franca of commerce.

Not the sort of profession for flashy types, accountants are meant to be the score keepers, not the goal scorers.

It makes the lack of accountability, and financial clarity, from the top accounting body in Australia  CPA Australia  all the more incongruous.

The good news is that the sacking on Friday of its colourful chief executive, the self-described "Naked CEO" Alex Malley, shows that its 160,000 members are finally getting some sort of accountability from their board.
On the facts, Roy killed himself. He was not with Carter. She did not help him prepare for his death. What she did do was text him, not once, but often. Was Carter a good person on the night of Roy's death? Clearly not. Carter's text urging Roy to go through with his death - "I f---ing told him to get back in [the truck]" - is not how a good girlfriend, a caring friend, would behave. But does this make her a criminal?

Just as suicide is lawful in Australia, being a bad person is not necessarily unlawful. Diaconis is correct. It is important not to conflate the law with morality, yet that is exactly what Judge Moniz has done. The challenge of keeping subjectivity out of the Carter case was something the court was acutely aware of from the get go.

In allowing the case to go to trial, the Massachusetts Judicial Court tried hard to create a narrow framework for argument. The case was not, it said "about a person ameliorating the anguish of someone confronting terminal illness and questioning the value of life".

Nor was it "about offering support, comfort, and even assistance to a mature adult who, confronted with such circumstances, has decided to end his or her life". By process of elimination, the court tried to delineate "good" suicide assistance from the reckless, misdirected and dangerous advice offered by Carter.

However, from a legal point of view, like it or not, Carter's guilty verdict has created a climate where any response to talk by a person considering ending their life is now problematic.
The Great Barrier Reef is worth $56 billion.

That's the "total asset value" according to a new Deloitte Access Economics report that calculates the World Heritage site's full economic, social and iconic brand value for the first time.

While many Australians would consider the reef priceless, Deloitte believes you can put a number on it.

It arrived at the $56 billion figure after an extensive six-month analysis that drew on research from dozens of economic and scientific sources, as well as a survey of 1500 people from 10 countries.
The Turnbull government is facing mounting pressure to grant a Chilean extradition request for a Sydney woman accused of involvement in kidnapping, torture and murder as an agent of former military dictator Augusto Pinochet's feared secret police.

Adriana Rivas, a long-time Australian resident recently working as a nanny, has been charged with seven counts of "aggravated kidnapping" from her time with Direccion de Inteligenca Nacional (DINA) and is the subject of a campaign by members of the Chilean community in Australia.

Adriana Rivas pictured in an interview with SBS in 2014. Credit:SBS

Rivas was previously apprehended on a visit to Chile but escaped while on bail. She is now considered a fugitive by Chilean authorities and the country's Supreme Court publicly sought her extradition in January 2014 so she could stand trial, most notably for a charge concerning her alleged involvement in the disappearance and murder of a Communist Party leader in 1976.

Upon receiving the request, the Australian government asked for further information. Fairfax Media understands that detail, painstakingly translated and evaluated against Australia's extradition standards, was provided in January this year. Since then, a community campaign backed by various federal MPs has ramped up, calling for the government to grant the request urgently.
Cory Bernardi is poised to announce a Victorian MP is joining his Australian Conservatives party just days after applying to register the party in Victoria ahead of next year's state election.

Fairfax Media understands the South Australian senator will on Monday reveal the Victorian upper house MP Dr Rachel Carling-Jenkins will defect to the Australian Conservatives. And further defections in Victoria and possibly NSW are anticipated, according to party insiders.

Fairfax Media can reveal Senator Bernardi's party has broken the 10,000 mark for memberships nationally. By contrast, the Victorian division of the Liberal Party is understood to have about 13,000 members and the NSW division about 10,500. Support has fallen since the 2015 leadership change from Tony Abbott to Malcolm Turnbull, but senior sources have scotched internal party claims made by disaffected members that the number in NSW has slipped below 10,000.

Dr Carling-Jenkins represents the Democratic Labour Party (DLP) and her defection will spell the end of the troubled party's representation across the country. It also follows the federal Coalition's successful passage last week of a schools funding formula, which short-changes Catholic schools by up to $3 billion. The DLP's last federal representative John Madigan also defected to set up his own John Madigan's Manufacturing and Farming Party. It flopped when he was booted out of the Senate in the double dissolution election last year and he has since joined the Australian Country Party.
The war launched by so-called Islamic State in south-east Asia in recent weeks will be a big problem for Australia for decades, according to a top US military and intelligence figure.

A force of about 500 Daesh fighters took control of the city of Marawi in the Philippines five weeks ago and the Philippines army has failed to retake it, despite fierce daily fighting.

"This is a big concern for you," retired US general and former CIA chief David Petraeus told Fairfax Media.

"This is not a problem that can be resolved in years but in decades, and one where Australia could take the lead," he said. "A point that political leaders have to communicate is that this is a generational struggle.
Australia should consider quotas for women on ASX boards if the numbers don't improve, shadow treasurer Chris Bowen says.

In a speech on Monday, Mr Bowen will say that it would be better if equality was achieved without quotas, but quotas worked.

Shadow treasurer Chris Bowen's comments signal a shift in Labor thinking. Credit:Andrew Meares

"It would be better if the private sector got its act together of its own volition. But plenty of people and organisations ... have made good and strong efforts with not enough progress," he will tell the Women in Economics Network in Sydney.
In a big fillip to already robust ties, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to land in Israel on July 4 on a three-day visit.

By Press Trust of India: Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday hailed Prime Minister Narendra Modi's upcoming visit to Israel, the first by an Indian premier, as a "very significant step" in strengthening bilateral relations that are on a "constant upswing".

In a big fillip to already robust ties, Prime Minister Modi is scheduled to land in Israel on July 4 on a three-day visit.

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Netanyahu, while speaking at the start of the weekly Cabinet meeting, said, "Next week, the Indian Prime Minister, my friend, Narendra Modi will arrive in Israel. This is a historic visit to Israel. In the 70 years of the country's existence, no Indian Prime Minister has ever visited and this is further expression of the state of Israel's military, economic and diplomatic strength."

"This is a very significant step in strengthening relations between the two countries," Netanyahu said.

India is a huge country with over 1.25 billion people and is one of the world's largest, growing economies. Ties between Israel and India are on a "constant upswing", the Israeli premier said.

COMMEMORATING 25 YEARS OF DIPLOMATIC TIES

PM Modi's visit is aimed at commemorating 25 years of establishment of diplomatic ties between the two countries.

Modi would be arriving in Israel on July 4 and is likely to meet Netanyahu the same day in the evening. He would also be addressing the Indian community the following day in Tel Aviv.

Netanyahu, in his remarks on Sunday, said the Cabinet will approve decisions that will deepen Indo-Israel ties, beginning with expanding exports and deepening cooperation in agriculture and water.

"We will establish a joint innovation, and research and development, fund. We will also increase tourism from India to Israel; this has very great potential. All of this is an additional expression of Israel's enhanced international position in recent years as we strengthen the state of Israel," Netanyahu said.

EARLIER MEETINGS

The two leaders have already met twice on foreign soil on the sidelines of UN-related events and are said to be constantly in touch with each other over the phone.

"I am happy that often we can talk easily on telephone, we can discuss everything. It has very rarely happened. In your case it has happened," Modi had told Netanyahu during their meeting on the sidelines of Paris Climate summit in November 2015. The Israeli premier had then promptly responded saying, "in your case too".

The defence ties between India and Israel have often drawn worldwide attention and acquired strategic dimensions.

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It is believed that Modi's visit would further solidify security ties as Israeli defence industries have shown greater inclination towards participating in joint ventures to give a boost to NDA government's 'Make in India' campaign.

Prime Minister Modi's visit has been preceded by several other high-profile visits, including the trip of National Security Adviser Ajit Doval, several senior secretaries, Minister of State for Agriculture SS Ahluwalia-led 11 member multi-party parliamentary delegation and Navy Chief Admiral Sunil Lanba's five-day visit earlier this month.

All these visits have laid the ground work for several MoUs that are likely to be signed during Modi's visit.

Also read: Netanyahu to Narendra Modi: People of Israel waiting for your historic visit

Also read: During Israel trip, PM Narendra Modi set to do a Madison Square redux in July: Report

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"I'd be in meetings in New York and throw my heels off and sit cross-legged on a chair," Mary-Louise Parkinson recalls.

Parkinson, who worked in IT for two decades as the education manager of Apple and then general manager of sales and marketing for Commodore computers, always practiced yoga on the side.

Stretching themselves: Corporate women who have become yoga teachers take a class at Wylie's Baths in Coogee. Credit:Janie Barrett

"It was my bit of sanity really," she says.

Although Parkinson cut back to part-time work in 2000 after her son was born, the demands of corporate did not diminish.
Australia is lagging significantly behind other OECD countries when it comes to the number of three-year-olds enrolled in high-quality preschool programs, which could be affecting students' academic performance up to at least year 10.

Only about 15 per cent of Australian three-year-olds are enrolled in high quality preschool programs, generally delivered by a degree-qualified teacher, far lower than the OECD average of 70 per cent, a new Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) report has found.

Another 55 per cent of Australian three-year-olds attend less rigorous early childhood education programs, often delivered by educators with lower levels of qualification, according to the report which is based on 2014 figures.

About 85 per cent of Australian four-year-olds attend some type of early childhood education for one year, according to 2014 OECD figures, and the NSW Department of Education says this has now grown to 95 per cent of four-year-olds in the state.
The mayor of Hunters Hill is pushing for his council to take the NSW government to court over its failure to clean up a toxic site that risks leaching chemicals into Sydney Harbour.

Remnants of uranium and carbolic acid factories have left 7-9 Nelson Parade polluted with lead, arsenic and petrol chemicals and low-level radioactive material for more than a century.

The government has announced no firm plan on how to deal with the contamination at the Hunters Hill property. Credit:Anthony Johnson

But the government has announced no firm plan on how to deal with the contamination, 50 years after it was first identified and eight years after a parliamentary inquiry recommended it be cleared up as a priority.

Mayor Richard Quinn said he would move in a Monday council meeting to launch court action against the site's government owner, Property NSW, seeking enforcement of a 2014 clean-up order by the Environment Protection Authority.
A University of Newcastle business student is facing life in prison, accused of being part of an international drug syndicate involving a Rio Tinto executive, a dealer known as "Dr Octopus 88" and 16 kilograms of cocaine.

Personal trainer Craig Phelps, 30, of Wamberal, used a fake driver's licence to collect a package purported to be a "sausage stuffer" but which actually contained the 16kg of cocaine, at an address in Adamstown Heights on September 12 last year, according to a police statement of facts.

The Australian Federal Police sting was launched in May 2016 after Australian Customs officers found cocaine inside two packages from the United States  one purporting to contain glass and the other, a car positioning dolly, police allege.

Following investigations, Rio Tinto executive Bennet Schwartz was arrested on September 2, 2016.

At the time, according to the police facts, he was in possession of a Blackberry mobile phone which had a Phantom Secure Messaging app installed.
Police have denied reports that a man shot and dumped outside the Tweed Heads Hospital on Saturday was a member of an outlaw motorcycle gang.

The victim, a 31-year-old father named Ace John Anthony Hall, was shot in the torso before being driven four kilometres to the hospital by a woman believed to be his girlfriend about 4.30pm.

Ace Hall died after he was shot in the torso at Tweed Heads. Credit:Facebook

The man was immediately treated by doctors, but died soon after.

Tweed Heads Local Area Commander Detective Inspector Wayne Starling said while the man was known to police, they did not believe the incident was a bikie-related attack.
The teenager charged over the death of Queensland toddler Mason Jet Lee is making another bid for bail, having squandered a previous chance of freedom.

Ryan Robert Barry Hodson was charged in July last year with the manslaughter of 22-month-old Mason, who died from severe injuries in Caboolture on June 11, 2016.

Mason Lee died from severe injuries in Caboolture on June 11, 2016.

Hodson was granted bail in the Brisbane Supreme Court in August after the Department of Public Prosecutions could not justify why he should be kept in custody until a prospective trial.

But the 18-year-old's bail was revoked in Caboolture Magistrates Court in March this year after he repeatedly contacted a witness in the case and committed other breaches.
A prominent Queensland anti-corruption campaigner has been hospitalised after an attack on Sunday afternoon.

Jim Dodrill, 52, suffered multiple injuries after agreeing to meet a stranger who had asked for his help.

Jim Dodrill after the attack on Sunday.

Mr Dodrill said he had gone to meet the man, who had earlier approached him as he was leaving Riverview Catholic church on Sunday morning.

The man led him to a secluded dirt road, where he was assaulted by several men. His 72-year-old father Mitch was also injured during the attack.
A shooting incident at Tweed Heads has reignited debate about gang activity on the Gold Coast, even as Queensland police say the incident was not gang-related.

There were reports that Ace Hall, who was dumped at Tweed Heads Hospital on Saturday with a gunshot wound to the stomach, was a bikie.

Ace Hall died after he was shot in the torso at Tweed Heads. Credit:Facebook

But New South Wales Police later said the man, who died, was not a member of an outlaw motorcycle gang, and his shooting was not linked to a bike brawl on State of Origin night.

Shadow Attorney-General Ian Walker said the Palaszczuk government's changes to the previous LNP government's bikie laws had increased crime on the coast.
Western technology companies, including Cisco, IBM and SAP, are acceding to demands by Moscow for access to closely guarded product security secrets, at a time when Russia has been accused of a growing number of cyber attacks on the West, a Reuters investigation has found.

Russian authorities are asking Western tech companies to allow them to review source code for security products such as firewalls, anti-virus applications and software containing encryption before permitting the products to be imported and sold in the country. The requests, which have increased since 2014, are ostensibly done to ensure foreign spy agencies have not hidden any "backdoors" that would allow them to burrow into Russian systems.

But those inspections also provide the Russians an opportunity to find vulnerabilities in the products' source code  instructions that control the basic operations of computer equipment  current and former US officials and security experts said.

While a number of US firms say they are playing ball to preserve their entree to Russia's huge tech market, at least one US firm, Symantec, told Reuters it has stopped cooperating with the source code reviews over security concerns. That halt has not been previously reported.
Google's finally giving up its long-standing habit of riffling through your inbox to see what you're interested in, perhaps paving the way for enhanced security.

If a service is free, you're the product. Never was that pearl of wisdom more true than when talking about Google's suite of free tools like Gmail and Google Drive.

They're fantastic services, offering free features that were once out of reach for many people  when Gmail first launched with a whopping 1GB free inbox people assumed it was an April Fools joke  and in return all Google asks is that you trade a little privacy. Or a lot, depending on how you look at it.

Google is an advertising company and it's well known that it serves up targeted ads alongside your inbox by looking for keywords in your email. This only applies to free personal Gmail accounts, not business G Suite accounts.
Pakistan Army initiated indiscriminate firing of small arms, automatics and mortars around 6.30 am in Naushera.

Pakistan Army initiated another unprovoked firing along the Line of Control (LoC) in Naushera sector.

By Ashwini Kumar: Pakistan Army initiated another unprovoked firing along the Line of Control (LoC) in Naushera sector today.

They initiated indiscriminate firing of small arms, automatics and mortars around 6.30 am in Naushera.

Defence spokesman, Lt Col Manish Mehra said that the Indian Army is retaliating with the same force.

#WATCH Ceasefire violation by Pakistan Army in J&K's Naushera sector along the Line of Control, from 6:30 am. Indian Army retaliating. pic.twitter.com/b5JOeYOnrr&; ANI (@ANI_news) June 25, 2017

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Pakistani troops on Saturday violated ceasefire along the LoC in Kerni area of Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch district.

Defence sources said that Pakistan wants to push armed terrorists to the Indian side to kick up violence in Jammu and Kashmir.

Pakistani Army had recently conducted Border Action Team (BAT) operation along the LoC n Khari Karmara area of Poonch were two Indian soldiers were killed.

Intelligence sources said Pakistan had also used Special Services Group commando in the BAT operation.

ALSO READ | Pakistan violates ceasefire in Krishna Ghati sector of Jammu, India hits back

Pakistan trying to push fresh batch of terrorists across LoC, Indian Army ready to swat BAT

ALSO WATCH | After its ceasefire violations, Pakistan Army claims civilians killed in firing by India

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She directed readers to her new fiance's Facebook page, where Mr Cooke detailed the moment he proposed to her for the third and final time while on holiday in Carnarvon last week.

Ms Hall posted the news to social media, and her fans liked and shared the post over 26,000 times.

Popular Perth blogger Constance Hall has announced her engagement with her partner Denim Cooke, saying she said yes to her new beau's proposal "three f---ing times".

"To let u [sic] in on something deeply personal, I have proposed marriage to Con twice in two months," he wrote.

"Every time she has said "YES". Obviously we are both hopeless romantics so recently I got down on one knee at the beach in Carnarvon and asked for the third and final time .

"We where [sic] standing on the soft white sand entwined in each other's arms with the waves crashing on the beach behind us. The sunset had mixed tangerine with frusia [sic] and against the turquoise water it struck me that this moment was too good to ignore.

"My mind raced with thoughts as they appeared in my mind like tendrils from the sky. I felt nervous and my heart raced to the speed of my brain, I didn't want to blurt out something ridiculous without an intro so I prepared Con for what was about to happen.

"I came up with: 'Constance Hall, as you know our love has existed before the beginning of time, please will you marry me so our souls can be entwined till the end of time.
Police are calling for witnesses to an incident in Perth's northern suburbs which a man was shot in the leg early on Sunday morning.

The 28-year-old is in a critical but stable condition at Royal Perth Hospital.

A man armed with a knife has threatened a female postal worker in Kingston at lunch time on Monday. Credit:Marina Neil/Fairfax Media

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Police said officers were called to the man's residence on Reeves Court in Westminster around 2am and found him with a gunshot wound to his leg.
Baoshan: Crown Resorts staff including executive Jason O'Connor are expected to plead guilty when their court case is heard on Monday in Baoshan District Court, outside Shanghai.

The trial of the 19 Crown staff and former staff is expected to be heard in one day, with a verdict issued this week.

Family members of the Crown employees arrived at the court in a fleet of silver vans, wearing smog masks and dark glasses as a shield from media cameras. They were shepherded from the vans and through a media throng in small groups by Crown security consultants.

Jenny Jiang, who had arranged visas for Crown clients and was one of only three defendants on bail, arrived with her husband Jeff Sikima.
Barcelona: A forest fire in southern Spain has forced the evacuation of 1000 people and is threatening a national park famous for its biodiversity, authorities say.

The flames have advanced eastward and have entered Donana National Park, one of Spain's most important nature reserves and a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1994.

The park, which has more than 50,000 hectares of wetlands and woods, is an important stop for migratory birds from Africa and Europe and is home to the highly endangered Iberian lynx and the Iberian imperial eagle.

"The fire has entered in the limits of the reserve, and that is where we are focusing our efforts," Jose Gregorio Fiscal Lopez, of the regional Andalusian authority in charge of the environment, told Spanish national television.
Mosul: The people of Mosul celebrated their first Eid without Islamic State in three years on Sunday after the militants were ejected from much of the Iraqi city.

Children gathered in squares on the eastern side of the city. Some played on old swings and others with toy guns and rifles, which were among the toys allowed by Islamic State militants after they took over the city in June 2014.

The militants implemented an extreme version of Islam which associated toys with a face, like dolls, with idolatry. They encouraged youngsters to train on weapons and changed text books to reflect their military ideology. Children were asked to add up bombs or bullets in maths exercises.

Eid prayers were allowed under Islamic State but festivities marking the Muslim holiday were not.
LA should revisit lawsuit settlement that allowed Skid Row conditions everywhere: Susan Shelley

Why is homelessness increasing in Los Angeles?

According to a count taken in January, homelessness is up 23 percent across L.A. County over 2016, a total of more than 55,000 people.

News stories round up the usual suspects: high rents, low-paying jobs, drugs, alcohol, mental illness, domestic violence, and the release of prison or jail inmates without rehabilitation programs.

But one reason for the exponential increase in homeless encampments is rarely mentioned: In 2007, the City of Los Angeles made an agreement with the American Civil Liberties Union to allow people to sleep on the streets throughout the city.

It was a settlement of the Jones v. Los Angeles lawsuit, after the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals said the enforcement of L.A.'s law against sleeping on the streets was unconstitutional.

Municipal Code section 41.18(d) read, "No person shall sit, lie or sleep in or upon any street, sidewalk or other public way," unless they were attending a parade.

The Ninth Circuit declared section 41.18(d) "one of the most restrictive municipal laws regulating public spaces in the United States." The court noted that other cities, Las Vegas, for example, required some other conduct in combination with sitting, lying or sleeping-like blocking a public way-before it was a crime. But in Los Angeles, just the act of sitting, lying or sleeping on the street or sidewalk was illegal.

"Thousands of people violate the Los Angeles ordinance every day and night, and many are arrested, losing what few possessions they may have," the court said. The six plaintiffs in the Jones case were among them.

The Ninth Circuit ruled that "the Eighth Amendment prohibits the City from punishing involuntary sitting, lying, or sleeping on public sidewalks that is an unavoidable consequence of being human and homeless without shelter in the City of Los Angeles."

The city could have appealed that ruling to the U.S. Supreme Court, arguing that it has a compelling reason to prohibit people from sitting, lying or sleeping on sidewalks. It also could have changed the law to make it more narrowly tailored.

But it didn't.

Instead, it settled with the ACLU, agreeing not to enforce section 41.18(d) anywhere in the city between the hours of 9:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. until another 1,250 units of housing for the chronically homeless were constructed, including at least 625 in the downtown Skid Row area.

Ramona Ripston, executive director of the ACLU of Southern California, was gleeful. "This is litigation that began as a way of asking the city to provide more shelter beds for homeless people," she said. "What we end up with is 1,250 new units of low-cost housing with services AND the ability to sleep throughout the city when there are not enough shelter beds."

Jan Perry, then a member of the City Council, said the settlement was a victory for downtown residents because street-sleeping allowances should not be made only for the 50-block area known as Skid Row.

By agreeing to the settlement, the ACLU gave up the ability to use the Ninth Circuit ruling as a precedent for future lawsuits, but they can still sue.

So Los Angeles is still abiding by the Jones settlement even though in 2015, the city's Housing and Community Investment Department reported that the requirements of the settlement had been met: 1,170 CH (chronically homeless) units had been built, including 656 in the downtown Skid Row area, with another 206 under construction, for a total of 1,376.

Now the city has gone even further. In November, voters approved Measure HHH, a parcel tax to fund $1.2 billion of housing, at least some of which will be reserved for the chronically homeless. And in March, L.A. County voters approved an increase in the sales tax to fund supportive services.

Homelessness is on the rise in Los Angeles despite all efforts, or maybe in part because of them. In the January survey, 12 percent of homeless people said they had been residents of L.A. County for less than a year.

Although there's always a current political scapegoat for homelessness, it's not new. "For decades, Skid Row has been home for 'the down and out, the drifters, the unemployed, and the chronic alcoholic[s]' of Los Angeles," the Ninth Circuit wrote, quoting a city task force report from 1988.

Under the Jones settlement, L.A. officials consented to allow Skid Row conditions everywhere in the city. They didn't have to agree to that, and they don't have to hold to that agreement now.

___________________

Susan Shelley is a columnist and member of the Editorial Board for the Southern California News Group. Reach her at [email protected], or follow her on Twitter: @Susan_Shelley.
'Black Panther: Wakanda Forever': What to know before you see it
Police said Nisar Shah of Budhal, Rajouri had illegally crossed the Line of Control (LoC) in 1999.

By Ashwini Kumar: Police on Saturday arrested one terrorist from Rajouri, who had crossed to Pakistan 18 years ago to get arms training.

Police said Nisar Shah of Budhal, Rajouri had illegally crossed the Line of Control (LoC) in 1999 and joined a militant training camp in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK).

Intelligence sources said that during training, he had got ill and was admitted in Kotli hospital of PoK. After some time he left the training camp and worked as a servant at a garment store. He later worked at a medical shop in Kotli.

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In Kotli, he got connected to people, who helped him prepare his fake documents (migration card, identity cards, passport and visa for Dubai.

Police said Shah stayed in Dubai for three years (2010 to 2013) and after his visa expired, he returned to PoK. Then, he prepared a tourist visa of Nepal from where he entered into India and reached his village.

A case has already been registered against him. He was arrested yesterday and will be produced before a court after vacation.

Also read: Kashmir: 7 killed, at least 100 stranded after tree hits Gulmarg Gondola cabin

Also read: Security cover given to separatists must be withdrawn: Jammu and Kashmir Deputy CM Nirmal Singh

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Bir Lehlou, 24 June 2017 (SPS)  President of the Republic, Secretary-General of the Polisario Front, Brahim Ghali, has sent a congratulatory message to President of the Republic of Mozambique H.E. Mr Filipe Nyusi, on the 42nd anniversary of the independence of this sisterly country.

On behalf of the Sahrawi Government and people, I would like to extend to your Excellency and the brotherly people of the Republic of Mozambique our most sincere congratulations as you celebrate your 42nd anniversary of the independence of your sisterly country, said the President of the Republic in his message.

We highly value the solidarity of your sisterly country and its principled position of support for the right of the Sahrawi people to independence and freedom.

I avail myself of this opportunity to renew to your Excellency our strong resolve to diversify and further consolidate the special relations binding our sisterly nations and to boost them to the highest possible level in the interests of our brotherly peoples and the peoples of our continent, added the President of the Republic. (SPS)

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The intelligence note exclusively accessed by India Today also says that around 100 cops are the target of terrorists in the Valley.

By Anindya Banerjee: The siege at Delhi Public School, Srinagar was barely over with two militants of Lashkar being gunned down that a fresh intel input has come to the fore in Kashmir. If the reports are to be believed, it predicts that terrorists are planning to attack Amarnath Yatra this year.

The Intel report that India Today has exclusively accessed is more specific this time which states as much as 150 pilgrims can be targeted with the intent to kill. It also states that around 100 cops are also likely to be 'eliminated'.

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The intel report states that the idea is to create a communal tension through out the country by attacks on the pilgrimage that holds significance for Hindus. The intel input has been received from the office of the SSP Anantnag. The Jammu and Kashmir Police has put all its forces on high alert after this report. The Army has also been kept in the loop.

This comes at a time when 2 Lashkar terrorists, Abu Talha and Abu Huraira were gunned down today.

In the last one week alone, there have been multiple attacks insecurity forces in Pulwama, Kulgaum, Tral, Awantipora and different parts of south Kashmir.

It's also coming on the eve of Eid after which experts believe that fresh terror surge is going to be witnessed in the Valley.

The Army has already gone on record to say it is fully equipped to conduct the yatra peacefully this year. But memories of August 2000 is still fresh in the minds of the people of this country when a deadly attack on the pilgrimage took as many as 30 lives, mostly being Hindus. The security forces and the Mehbooba government will have an uphill task this summer to ensure the intel report is paid heed to in letter and spirit and lives are not lost.

Also read: Kashmir: 7 killed, at least 100 stranded after tree hits Gulmarg Gondola cabin

Also read: Kashmir: 2 terrorists killed in DPS Srinagar encounter after 14-hour gun battle

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Bir Lahlu, June 24, 2017 (SPS) - President of the Republic, Secretary-General of the Polisario Front, Brahim Ghali, sent a congratulatory message to the President of the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria , Abdelaziz Bouteflika, on the occasion of Eid Al-Fitr Eid Al-Fitr.

"I would like on the occasion of Eid Al-Fitr to extend, on behalf of the Government and people of the Saharawi Republic and on my own behalf, my warmest congratulations and best wishes to your Excellency and through you to the brotherly Algerian people, wishing you great health and Algeria people greater progress and prosperity," said the President of the Republic in his message.

The President of the Republic wished that this Eid al-Fitr will bring blessings, peace, unity and prosperity to the great Muslim Community. (SPS)

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New York, 25 June 2017 (SPS) - The UN Special Committee on Decolonization, known as the Committee of 24, reaffirmed its mandate for the decolonization of the territory of Western Sahara, disavowing formally Morocco which wanted to question it.

In its report sanctioning the work of its substantive session which ended on Friday evening in New York, the Committee of 24 unanimously reaffirmed its commitment to the right of the Saharawi people to self-determination.

The Committee issued a scathing response to the Ambassador of Morocco to the United Nations, Omar Hilal, who tried, in vain, to call into question this mandate, by claiming falsely that the settlement of the conflict in Western Sahara was the exclusive prerogative of the Security Council alone.

The Special Committee reiterated in its conclusions that it was mandated by the United Nations to review and complete the process of decolonization of Western Sahara.

The Committee of 24, therefore, unanimously decided to support all resolutions of the General Assembly and the Security Council concerning the settlement of the Saharawi question, instead of supporting only the resolutions of the Security Council adopted since 2007 as Morocco wanted.

In sum, the Special Committee rejected all demands made by Morocco, including its resort to prevent the adoption of a provision that the report of the meeting be approved by the General Assembly of the United Nations. The Committee unanimously adopted this provision in its final report.

It also confirmed the status of the Polisario Front as the sole and legitimate representative of the territory of Western Sahara by granting it the right to participate in its works as such.

At the end of its work, the Committee of 24 adopted, without vote, a draft resolution on economic activities detrimental to the peoples of the Non-Self-Governing Territories.

The General Assembly would, if it adopted the text, invite Governments and the United Nations system to take all possible measures to ensure that the permanent sovereignty of the peoples of the Non-Self-Governing Territories over their natural resources is fully respected and safeguarded in accordance with the relevant resolutions of the Organization relating to decolonization.

The draft resolution also provides for legislative and administrative measures against the companies involved in the plundering of these resources. (SPS)

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STAMFORD  Whether teaching the Torah or other sacred writings, Rabbi David Walk works to make the important lessons of the Old Testament relatable to the way life is lived today, he said Sunday.

Walk, who is retiring after 16 years as the educator at Congregation Agudath Sholom, cited the example of fourth century rabbis like Rabbi Huna and Rabbi bar Nachmani who told jokes in their lectures to help keep their students interested.

Rabbi Huna started every lecture with a joke, the 67-year-old said. When he was questioned about it by a colleague he said it was a way to open peoples hearts. The Bible is taking a historical format and I try to make it relevant to our lives on a daily basis.

More than two dozen members of Congregation Agudath Sholom and others attended Walks last hour-long Sunday class, Bible from the Beginning, where Walk dissected the story of the Five Daughters of Zelophehad, who were part of the Israeli Exodus from Egypt.

During his tenure, Walk has led myriad Scriptural education classes on evenings and weekends at the temple in addition to teaching religious studies full-time at the K-8 Jewish Bi-Cultural Day School in North Stamford, a school serving Fairfield and Westchester county students.

Following his retirement, Walk and his wife Rivka, 63, will move in August to Israel, where he hopes to continue to teach and write both on-line and in print about the Bible. Walk has six children, with three of them and 21 grandchildren living in Israel.

The coming years will be about the trifecta of family, teaching and writing, Walk said.

Its the right time for us and it feels good to be doing something at the right time, Rivka Walk said.

A Malden, Mass. native, David Walk originally came to the synagogue in 2001 at the invitation of members of the Stamford congregation who studied at Yeshivat HaMivtar in Israel, where he taught for 18 years.

Walk, who earned his rabbinical degree from Yeshiva University in 1975, taught for eight years at Manhattan Hebrew High School in New York City and the Hebrew Academy of Atlantic County in Atlantic City, N.J.

In 1983, he moved his young family to Efrat, Israel for ideological reasons, connected to his faith.

There was a sense that Jewish history was being made in Israel and not in the diaspora, Walk said. I felt there was a fulfillment that Jews who live in Israel had.

Walks original agreement with the synagogue was to stay for four years, but his connection with students at the school and the synagogue convinced him to stay.

Teaching is what really kept me engaged here, Walk said. I got very close with my students and people in the congregation.

After the class, Phyllis Shapiro, a regular student in Walks Sunday morning class presented him and Rivka Walk with a Kiddush cup, a silver Challah knife, and an ornate holder for smelling spices; all made of silver and intended to be used as his tableware for future Friday night Shabbat meals.

There is no way we can thank you enough for what youve given us, Shapiro said.

Sharon Baer, a Stamford resident and member of the temple for 66 years, said the loss of Walks skillful teaching is irreplaceable. Baer, who is also a teacher at the Bi-Cultural Day School, said Walk has a knack for weaving pop and other cultural metaphors from music and television where appropriate to help illustrate sometimes complex theological ideas.

(His classes) have brought us closer to God and to our religious practices and it has been very spiritually uplifting to be in his classes, the 72-year-old Baer said. There is going to be a tremendous void in the community.

Rabbi Daniel Cohen, senior rabbi at Congregation Agudath Sholom who came to the class on Sunday, said Walks departure is the loss of a partner.

His ability to connect with people through Torah, love of life and Judaism was something that was contagious and it was something we will miss, Cohen said. He is a master teacher He teaches not just from the head but the heart.

Walk reminded his students that after a short break, he will resume writing his long standing blog on scripture and religious matters, Walking Through the Parsha, at rabbidavidwalk.blogspot.com.

When I teach I would really like to feel I am having a positive impact on my students lives; thats legacy number one, Walk said after the class. Legacy number two would be Id like to leave behind for my grandchildren and great grandchildren a record that Ive been here and I thought about things. Hopefully things they will be interested in.

This story was updated the reflect the correct spelling of the Five Daughters of Zelophehad.
Recently, I watched An American Ascent, a documentary chronicling the first African American expedition to tackle Denali, North America's highest peak. I found the film compelling. Why? Because I love things that people say "you can't do" and because mountains absolutely fascinate me. They represent challenges, aspirations and the spiritual draw of nature.

Related: Climbing a Mountain, Whether Real or Figurative, Requires Calculated Risks

That's why, following the screening, I was delighted to be introduced as a "real mountaineer." My heart leaped -- no, it soared -- because I'd never expected to hear that description of me. But the descrption was accurate: I'd personally experienced the same as those Denali adventurers when I climbed Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania -- Africa's highest peak -- with GAdventures. Yep, the girl who shouldn't have, did!!!

I was from an Indian family, after all, and mountaineering wasn't the kind of thing a girl like me was supposed to do (that's another story). An American Ascent was similarly about breaking the rules and the bravery of seriously stepping out of one's comfort zone.

Now doesn't that sound like the life of entrepreneur? As professional mountaineer Adrian Ballinger has said, "Running a business is a lot like climbing a mountain." So, what lessons can we apply from mountaineering to climbing our own "Mount Entrepreneur"? I can think of eight.

1. Ignite your mission.

True entrepreneurs are about more than the pure desire to succeed. It's not just about "reaching the top of the mountain" for them. Their life has a mission: Design the next best technical product! Find a solution to a problem the world faces! As Peter Diamandis of XPRIZE has said, "If the risk is fully aligned with your purpose and mission, then it's worth considering."

Climbing a mountain has always been on my bucket list. Each time I thought of the milestone birthday coming up, I knew I just wanted to be on a mountain. Being there, that day, or in the process of climbing it was what mattered.

I had desperately wanted to do the things that weren't prescribed for kids from my background; that became my mission and driver. In business, it's the same, I'd never fitted in as a kid; I was awkward and different; I wanted to follow my own path. Today, I have a company that "unleashes the crazy" in people.

Image credit: GAdventures

Its mission: to help the world better understand different thinkers. That same kind of innate desire to be bigger, better stronger is what drove me up the mountain, just as it does in my business life.

That's the entrepreneurial spark: As motivational speaker Simon Sinek has said, "Start with why." Be crystal-clear on your why and be able to describe it in a one-to-two sentence elevator pitch that emotionally ignites you.

Related: How a Near-Death Mountain Climb Launched One of the Adventure World's Best-Known Brands

2. Accept the challenge.
M urder detectives are investigating after a mans body was found in a park in south-east London.

Lewisham Park was cordoned off as detectives scoured the scene, with the death described as unexplained.

Scotland Yard said the Homicide and Major Crime Command was assisting detectives from Lewisham CID with the investigation.

Police and paramedics were called to reports of an unresponsive man at Lewisham Park shortly before 6pm on Saturday.

A police cordon at the scene in Lewisham Park (@MichaelSnasdell ) / @MichaelSnasdell

He was pronounced dead at the scene.

A Met Police spokesman said: Enquiries are ongoing to locate his next-of-kin. Formal identification is yet to take place.

The death is currently being treated as unexplained.

A post-mortem examination was scheduled to take place on Sunday.

No arrests have been made.

Anyone with information is asked to contact officers at Lewisham on 101 or via Twitter @MetCC or alternatively Crimestoppers can be contacted anonymously on 0800 555 111.
G rime artist Stormzy demanded the Government is held accountable for the Grenfell Tower disaster as he paid tribute to the victims during his set at Glastonbury.

The London star called for the authorities involved to tell the truth over the tragedy that left 79 people dead as he performed on the Other Stage on Saturday night.

Stormzy, real name Michael Omari, paused to remember those caught up in the fire that destroyed the west London tower block on June 14, during his set on The Other Stage.

Unzipping his tracksuit to reveal a T-shirt emblazoned with a heart-shaped logo reading "Grenfell", he told the crowd: "We are urging the authorities to tell the truth, first and foremost, to do something, first and foremost, and we are urging the Government to be held accountable."

Stormzy Honours Grenfell Victims at Glastonbury

The performer, along with a host of stars including Robbie Williams and Liam Payne, recorded a charity version of Simon & Garfunkel's Bridge Over Troubled Water to raise funds for those affected by the disaster.

Stormzy's verse, which opens the chart-topper organised by Simon Cowell, includes the lyrics: "I refuse to neglect you/That's for every last soul up in Grenfell/Even though I've never met you."

Jeremy Corbyn speaks on the Pyramid Stage at Glastonbury: 'We are doing things differently' / PA

Performing before him on Saturday, Liam Gallagher also dedicated Oasis hit Don't Look Back In Anger to the London victims, while Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn mentioned the incident during his Pyramid Stage speech.

Stormzy led the crowd in a chant of Oh, Jeremy Corbyn to the tune of White Stripes Seven Nation Army, which has become a Glastonbury anthem this year.

He later tweeted: Jeremy Corbyn is a real life legend, me and my brothers have never believed in a politician in our life times. His sons are legends too.

The grime star delighted his fans with an adrenalin-charged set, performing tracks from his number one debut album Gang Signs And Prayer.

Stormzy delighted fans with tracks from his number one debut album Gang Signs and Prayers / PA

Glastonbury 2017 - In pictures 1 /80 Glastonbury 2017 - In pictures Ed Sheeran performing on the Pyramid stage at Glastonbury Festival, at Worthy Farm Ben Birchall/PA Festival goers watch Ed Sheeran performing on the Pyramid Stage at Glastonbury Festival Ben Birchall/PA Nile Rodgers and Chic performing on the Pyramid Stage at Glastonbury Festival PA Thom Yorke of Radiohead PA Barry Gibb performs at the Glastonbury Festival EPA Festival goers watch Ed Sheeran performing on the Pyramid Stage at Glastonbury Festival Ben Birchall/PA Katy Perry performing on the Pyramid Stage at the Glastonbury Festival PA Katy Perry performing on the Pyramid Stage at the Glastonbury Festival PA Simon Neil of Biffy Clyro performing on the Pyramid Stage at Glastonbury Festival PA ohnny Depp poses on a Cadillac before presenting his film The Libertine, at Cinemageddon at Worthy Farm Reuters Emily Sande performing on the Other Stage at Glastonbury Festival PA Musician Jarvis Cocker plays a DJ set from a wooden tree structure Getty Images Rory Graham, known as Rag'n'Bone Man AFP/Getty Images Haim performing on the Other Stage at Glastonbury Festiva PA Dave Grohl of Foo Fighters Getty Images Fireworks mark the end of the Foo Fighters performance at the Glastonbury Festival Getty Images Kiefer Sutherland performs on the Avalon Stage at Glastonbury Festival PA Justice for Grenfell: Stormzy performing on the Other Stage Rex Features Hero's welcome: Jeremy Corbyn onstage with Michael Eavis Reuters An aerial view of tents during the Glastonbury Festival at Worthy Farm in Pilton PA An aerial view of the Glastonbury Festival site at Worthy Farm Ben Birchall/PA People gather to watch the sun set as temperatures reach record levels at the Glastonbury Festival at Worthy Farm in Pilton Getty Images A reveler relaxes in a hammock at the Glastonbury Festival of Music and Performing Arts on Worthy Farm AFP/Getty Images Festival goers enjoying an ice cream during the Glastonbury Festival at Worthy Farm in Pilton, Somerset PA Revelers are sprayed with water as they cool down at Worthy Farm in Somerset for the Glastonbury Festival REUTERS Camping field stewards use a paddling pool as people arrive at the Glastonbury Festival amid heightened security at Worthy Farm in Pilton Getty Images A bonfire featuring a large wooden phoenix burns at the Glastonbury Festival of Music and Performing Arts on Worthy Farm AFP/Getty Images People attend a screening of film maker Julian Temple's Glastonbury documentary being shown at the new night time area, Cinemaggedon at the Glastonbury Festival at Worthy Farm in Pilton Getty Images People queue for water as temperatures reach record levels at the Glastonbury Festival at Worthy Farm in Pilton Getty Images People walk around the festival site as temperatures reach record levels at the Glastonbury Festival at Worthy Farm in Pilton Getty Images Festival-goers pose for a selfie at the Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts 2017 at Worthy Farm EPA Festival-goers gather to watch the sun set at the Glastonbury Festival of Music and Performing Arts on Worthy Farm AFP/Getty Images Festival goers dressed as Spiderman pose for photographs at the Glastonbury music festival at Worthy Farm Grant Pollard/Invision/AP Festival-goes gather in the Stone Circle to watch the sun set at the Glastonbury Festival of Music and Performing Arts on Worthy Farm AFP/Getty Images Fireworks illuminate the night sky at the end of the first day at the Glastonbury Festival at Worthy Farm in Pilton Getty Images Revelers are sprayed with water as they cool down at Worthy Farm in Somerset for the Glastonbury Festival Reuters Revelers attend the Glastonbury Festival of Music and Performing Arts on Worthy Farm near the village of Pilton in Somerse AFP/Getty Images Festival-goers gather to watch the sun set at the Glastonbury Festival of Music and Performing Arts on Worthy Farm AFP/Getty Images People arriving for the Glastonbury Festival at Worthy Farm in Pilton, Somerset PA People gather to watch the sun set ahead of the gates opening to the public amid heightened security this year at the Glastonbury Festival site at Worthy Farm in Pilton Getty Images Festival goers arrive for the Glastonbury Festival at Worthy Farm in Pilton, Somerset PA Police watch over festival goers arriving for the Glastonbury Festival at Worthy Farm in Pilton, Somerset PA Sniffer dogs at the entrance gate during the Glastonbury Festival at Worthy Farm in Pilton, Somerset PA People arriving for the Glastonbury Festival at Worthy Farm in Pilton, Somerset PA People arriving for the Glastonbury Festival at Worthy Farm in Pilton, Somerset PA People arriving for the Glastonbury Festival at Worthy Farm in Pilton, Somerset PA Police watch over people arriving for the Glastonbury Festival at Worthy Farm in Pilton, Somerset PA People arriving for the Glastonbury Festival at Worthy Farm in Pilton, Somerset PA People gather to watch the sun set ahead of the gates opening to the public amid heightened security this year at the Glastonbury Festival site at Worthy Farm in Pilton Getty Images People arriving for the Glastonbury Festival at Worthy Farm in Pilton, Somerset PA Festival goers arrive for the Glastonbury Festival at Worthy Farm in Pilton, Somerset PA Festival goers arrive for the Glastonbury Festival at Worthy Farm in Pilton, Somerset PA Security staff inspect the bags of people arriving for the Glastonbury Festival at Worthy Farm in Pilton PA Festival goers queue as the gates open at the Glastonbury Festival amid heightened security at the the Glastonbury Festival at Worthy Farm in Pilton Getty Images People arriving for the Glastonbury Festival at Worthy Farm in Pilton, Somerset PA Festival fans queue as the gates open at the Glastonbury Festival amid heightened security Getty Images People arriving for the Glastonbury Festival at Worthy Farm in Pilton, Somerset PA People arriving for the Glastonbury Festival at Worthy Farm in Pilton, Somerset PA People arriving for the Glastonbury Festival at Worthy Farm in Pilton, Somerset PA A police sniffer dog checks over festival goers bags as the gates open at the Glastonbury Festival amid heightened security Getty Images

His set also included a heartfelt tribute to his mother and he later handed his jacket to a young boy in the front row of the crowd.

At least 79 people died in the fire, but police fear they may never know the true picture / Jeremy Selwyn

Stormzy spoke out about the Grenfell Tower tragedy as up to 4,000 people were preparing to spend their second night away from home after they were evacuated from their flats in Camden over safety fears linked to the disaster.

Camden Council evacuated four tower blocks on the Chalcots estate late on Friday night and said it could be up to four weeks before residents could return.

Safety concerns: Residents evacuate Chalcots Estate tower blocks in Camden / EPA

The Government also announced on Saturday that the number of blocks found to have failed safety tests had risen again as an urgent nationwide inspection is carried out on the cladding used on the outsides of buildings.

It said that 34 blocks of flats in 17 local authority areas have not paid the cladding rests - rising from 27 buildings cited earlier in the day.
T he hero imam who guarded the Finsbury Park mosque terror suspect until police came to detain him has been described by friends as a London lad who loves biryanis.

Mohammed Mahmoud, 30, was praised for his actions after he stopped a group of up to 100 people from attacking Darren Osborne, who is accused of carrying out the attack outside the mosque last Monday.

But friends said the father-of-three, who previously studied at the European Institute for Human Sciences in London, is a London lad, film buff and foodie who is keen to play down his role as a hero.

Iqbal Malik, a friend of Mr Mahmoud since 2003, told the Sunday Times: He loves hanging out at home with friends and he's a real foodie,

Prince Charles speaks to imam Mohammed Mahmoud / AP

"He's an extremely good cook. And he loves learning new recipes and tips. He often asks mates, 'Can you get your mum to teach me how she makes biryani?'

Mr Malik, who attended La Swap sixth-form college in Highgate, north London with Mr Mahmoud, told the newspaper that his friend was also a film buff and liked the Batman v Superman film.

Vigil after Finsbury Park mosque attack 1 /14 Vigil after Finsbury Park mosque attack People in the crowd hold bunches of brightly coloured roses JEREMY SELWYN A line of people who have come to pay their respects observe a moment of silence Londoners make their way to a vigil outside Finsbury Park mosque Men, women and children observe a moment of silence Met Police Commissioner Cressida Dick joins the crowd A woman wipes away a tear at a vigil for those affected by the Finsbury Park mosque attack Signs bearing messages of solidarity were held aloft at the vigil JEREMY SELWYN Met Police Commissioner Cressida Dick joins faith leaders for the vigil JEREMY SELWYN People in the crowd hold bunches of brightly coloured roses JEREMY SELWYN People in the crowd hold bunches of brightly coloured roses JEREMY SELWYN Hundreds of people gathered for the vigil outside Finsbury Park mosque JEREMY SELWYN

During a sermon the imam gave during Friday prayers at the Muslim Welfare House, he praised his community for controlling their anger after the attack and urged the worshippers to pray for the victims of recent terror atrocities in London and Manchester.

He told the Sunday Times he had not intervened by himself to protect the alleged attacker and that it was a "community effort" and "collective effort of retraint".

Last Monday, Toufik Kacimi, chief executive of the Muslim Welfare House, said Mr Mahmouds bravery and courage helped calm the immediate situation after the incident.

On Wednesday, Mr Mahmoud met Prince Charles when he visited the scene of the attack.

The Prince of Wales said that he was "deeply impressed" by the imam who shielded the suspect until police arrived and "his remarkable actions on that occasion".

"Thank goodness we have wonderful leaders," he added.



Osborne, 47, of no fixed address, remanded in custody on charges of murder and attempted murder after appearing at Westminister Magistrates' Court on Friday afternoon.
S tratford bus station was evacuated on Sunday evening as riot police descended on a protest demanding justice for a young father who died after being detained by police.

Edir Frederico Da Costa, known as Edson, died in hospital six days after he was detained in Newham on June 15.

Protesters marched on Forest Gate police station on Sunday chanting justice for Edson after the 25-year-olds family allege he was brutally beaten when officers stopped him in a car.

As the protest continued throughout the afternoon, crowds gathered around Stratford station  shouting police killed Edson.

Pictures and footage from the scene showed lines of riot police stationed around the area as the a large crowd of angry protesters gathered.

Newham MPS tweeted that the bus station and surrounding roads had been closed as police attempted to contain the demonstration.

Transport for London said that from just before 6pm there had been "a number of bus diversions at police request" due to the demonstration at Stratford.

One protester rode his motorbike up to the police line and deliberately revved his engine in front of the officers.

Police: Officers with helmets were sent to the scene / @London999

Another motorcyclist turned his bike towards the officers and span his wheels so that smoke blew towards them.

A Met Police spokeswoman told the Standard: "As of 8pm there was still a large number of protesters present. An appropriate policing plan was in place.

"There have been no arrests and a senior officer has attended the location and has engaged with organisers."

The police watchdog launched an investigation after Mr Da Costa died in hospital.

A post-mortem was conducted on Thursday, and the pathologist concluded there were no injuries to suggest severe force was used.

The IPCC said the examination indicated there were no spinal injuries caused by police.

March: Demonstrators held signs reading 'Black Lives Matter'

A spokesman for the police watchdog, the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC), said it was believed officers used force and CS spray.

He added: "Mr Da Costa became unwell, first aid was administered, an ambulance was called and he was taken to hospital. Tragically on Wednesday June 21, Mr Da Costa died."

Newham: Edson died in hospital after being detained by officers / GoFundMe

According to the family's lawyer, Sarah Kellas, Mr Da Costa's relatives are "very concerned about the circumstances in which he died".

Newham Borough Commander Chief Superintendent Ian Larnder said: "All police officers are fully aware that they will be asked to account for their actions, officers are not exempt from the law and we would not wish to be.

"I know that Edir's family, friends and the wider community want answers, but it is important that the investigation is allowed to take place to establish the full facts of what happened before any conclusions are made.
F estival-goers at Glastonbury took time out of Sundays music schedule to stand for a minute's silence in memory of those killed in recent atrocities in the UK.

Joy Division and New Order co-founder Peter Hook led the silence from the Pyramid Stage.

The crowd cheered as Mr Hook took to the stage before falling quiet  with some solemnly waving WE [heart] MCR flags.

I have been very kindly asked by the Eavis family to lead this minutes silence, Mr Hook said.

Tribute: crowds stood in silence at the Pyramid Stage

And can we please use it as a chance to send our hopes and our prayers for love, life and freedom  the things that we are here to celebrate.

We send out sympathies to everyone affected by the events in London and Manchester and everyone affected in Grenfell Tower.

God bless you all. Thank you.

Mr Hooks previously revealed that his daughter was at the Manchester Ariana Grande concert where a suicide bomber killed 22 people.

He told BBC presenters Ore Oduba and Sara Cox that she was trampled in the crowds but was not seriously injured.


Shibani Dandekar will soon be seen in Khatron Ke Khiladi 8.

Shibani Dandekar is currently in Spain for Khatron Ke Khiladi 8. Picture courtesy: Instagram/shibanidandekar

By India Today Web Desk: Khatron Ke Khiladi is yet to be aired and it's already creating a buzz in the social media. Recently contestant Shibani Dandekar upped the temperature by sharing her bikini picture on her social media account.

Shibani shared her bikini picture on Instagram and captioned it, "Working so damn hard #KKK8 thanks for this picture @najibhabib #paininspain."

Working so damn hard ##KKK8 thanks for this picture @najibhabib ??#paininspain A post shared by Shibani Dandekar (@shibanidandekar) on Jun 22, 2017 at 12:05am PDT

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Currently, Shibani is in Spain for Khatron Ke Khiladi 8.

A few days back, she had shared another picture, where she is chilling on the beach in a black beachwear and looked gorgeous.

my home ??? ?????my ?? #beachlife #KKK8 #thatbrowngirl #khatronkekhiladi8 shot by @najibhabib A post shared by Shibani Dandekar (@shibanidandekar) on Jun 13, 2017 at 7:41am PDT

Shibani has earlier participated in Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa 5 and Zee TV's I Can Do That, which was hosted by Farhan Akhtar. Shibani was last seen in Sonakshi Sinha starrer Noor.

The hustle is real! we work hard we promise @monicadogra #DMoney #thatbrowngirl ???????? A post shared by Shibani Dandekar (@shibanidandekar) on Jun 4, 2017 at 1:09am PDT

We can't wait to see Shibani perform daredevil stunts on Khatron Ke Khiladi 8.

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T o mark the 50th anniversary of the decriminalisation of homosexuality in Britain, Channel 4 will be airing a new season of programmes, including new show Britains Great Gay Buildings.

The documentary will be just one of many topics covered by the new series 50 Shades of Gay, which will also report on gay politics, social life, culture and family life post 1967.

Whats it about?

Stephen Fry presents the show and is joined by seven recognisable faces from the gay community, who visit the buildings that have been instrumental in defining Britains gay history.

If walls could talkthey would undoubtedly reveal the life-changing events that occurred in the locations and the unforgettable people who lived and worked in them.

Stephen Fry presents Britain's Great Gay Buildings on Channel 4 / Channel 4

Who are the famous faces and famous places?

The Reverend Richard Coles is a Church of England priest in Finedon, Northamptonshire. Coles found being a gay teen in the Seventies so tough he turned to drugs and an overdose landed him in a psychiatric hospital.

The priest has since overcome his drug issues and now lives with his civil partner, who is also a priest. The documentary sees Coles visit the famous gay nightclub Heaven in London.

Mary Portas, known as the Queen of Shops, married her partner Melanie Rickey in 2014. The pair have a child together, who was conceived by Rickey and Portass brother. Portas travels to Shibden Hall in Yorkshire to unearth some secrets from a Yorkshire heiresss diaries.

Craig Revel Horwood, perhaps best known as a judge on Strictly Come Dancing, thought he was bisexual during his younger years.

He was married to Jane Hallwood for two years, but after their marriage broke up, he fell in love with a man and hasnt looked back since.

Around the World in TV Shows 1 /6 Around the World in TV Shows p22 edition 15.03.17 p22 edition 15.03.17 Walter Presents p22 edition 15.03.17 p22 edition 15.03.17 p22 edition 15.03.17

He delves into the drag scene at the Royal Vauxhall Tavern  something he has plenty of experience of as he frequently moonlights as a drag queen.

Simon Callow wedded Sebastian Fox in 2016. The Four Weddings and a Funeral actor charts the tragic journey and treatment of Oscar Wilde at the Old Bailey.

Rikki Beadle-Blair was raised by a mother who was also gay. When he was 17, he performed a capella at the Gays The Word bookshop in Bloomsbury.

He also was involved with the gay pub and club scene and the Gay Liberation Front. He takes a trip to the Theatre Royal Haymarket to discover how the British public supported Sir John Gielgud after he was arresting for cottaging.

This gay slang term refers to sexual activity performed in public toilets.

Liz Carr, who is disabled and gay, has never let peoples prejudices get in the way of her making it as an actor, comedian and journalist. She finds herself at Bletchley Park, where Alan Turing completed some of his most miraculous work.

Lord Waheed Alli announced his homosexuality in the House of Lords as the youngest member of Britains Upper House in 1999. It is only fitting that he tackles the recent battle for gay rights in the Houses of Parliament.

Whens it on?

Catch the show on Saturday June 24 at 8pm on Channel 4.
By Press Trust of India: (Eds: Incorporating Kovinds remarks, Apna Dal comments)

Lucknow, Jun 25 (PTI) NDAs presidential nominee Ram Nath Kovind today sought the "blessings" of the lawmakers of the BJP and its allies in Uttar Pradesh as he embarked on a nationwide tour from his home state to garner the backing of various political parties.

"I have come here to seek your blessings," the former Bihar governor told a meeting of NDA MPs and MLAs from the state.

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The meeting was held at the official residence of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, who earlier received Kovind (71) at the airport here.

Accompanied by Union minister Nitin Gadkari and BJP national general secretary Bhupender Yadav, Kovind was taken to the chief ministers official residence on Kalidas Marg straight from the airport.

There, he interacted with a host of senior BJP leaders, including Union ministers Uma Bharti and Gadkari, Deputy Chief Ministers Keshav Prasad Maurya and Dinesh Sharma. He also met with state Assembly Speaker Hriday Narayan Dixit.

In his brief speech, Kovind said he had come to seek their blessings for the July 17 presidential election.

Earlier, addressing the MPs and MLAs, Adityanath said, "This is the first time that we will have the honour of having a person from Uttar Pradesh as our president. This honour has been bestowed upon us by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP chief Amit Shah.

"It will be good if all the political parties rise above the narrow party lines and vote for him (Kovind). It will convey a good message."

He said Kovind, who led a simple life, had continuously been working for the uplift of the poor, Dalits and marginalised sections of the society.

Gadkari explained to the MPs and MLAs how to cast their ballots in the presidential poll.

Though Uttar Pradesh has given the country nine prime ministers, including incumbent Narendra Modi, who is a Lok Sabha member from Varanasi, it will be the first time that the politically crucial state will have the pride of sending someone to the Rashtrapati Bhavan if Kovind is elected.

The closest the state came to having its representative in the Presidents House was in 1969, when Mohammad Hidaytullah became the first acting president of the country and remained in that position from July 20 to August 24 of that year.

Sakshi Maharaj, the BJP MP from Unnao, adjoining Kovinds native place Kanpur, was also present at the meeting.

Describing Kovind as a "diamond", Union minister Anupriya Patel of the Apna Dal (S) said, "I was very happy the moment the name of Ram Nath Kovind was announced as he hails from Kanpur, which is also my birth place."

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She said her party would extend full support to him.

"Kovindji knew my family and my father (late Sonelal Patel). He is a true diamond," she said.

On the Congress fielding former Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar, also a Dalit, against Kovind, Anupriya earlier told reporters, "What I dont understand is, when the Congress was in a position to ensure the victory of its candidate, it never fielded a Dalit woman. This shows the anti-Dalit mindset of that party."

Bhupender Yadav, Kovinds authorised representative for the presidential poll, said he had come to Lucknow to seek the support of the members of the electoral college.

He added that Kovind would now visit the other states.

Sources in the BJP said a Union minister, a senior party leader and two MPs would accompany Kovind on his nationwide tour to reach out to all the members of the electoral college.

Though he would be meeting only with the MPs and MLAs who have pledged their loyalty with him, the NDAs presidential pick would appeal to all the members of the electoral college to support his candidature, they added.

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With over 62 per cent of the votes firmly behind him, Kovinds election as the next president is almost certain. Besides the BJP and its NDA allies, the TRS, YSRCP, AIADMK, BJD and the JD(U) have also announced their support to him.

The presidential election is scheduled for July 17 and the counting of votes will take place on July 20.

Kovind filed his nomination in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi on June 23, while opposition candidate Kumar is yet to file hers.

If elected, Kovind will be the second Dalit president after K R Narayanan. PTI NAV SMI RC

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By Press Trust of India: (Eds: With fresh details, events beyond Odisha)

Photo: PTI6_25_2017_000089B, PTI6_25_2017_000168B

PTI6_25_2017_000019A

Puri(Odisha), Jun 25 (PTI) With overnight rains stopping, an estimated nine lakh devotees witnessed the world famous Rath Yatra of Lord Jagannath here today with religious fervour, enthusiasm and a spirit of camaraderie amid tight security.

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Devotees from across the country and abroad descended on this seaside town to witness the nine-day journey of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra to the Gundicha Temple and back to their abode.

People from all walks of life made a beeline to have a glimpse of the presiding deities of the 12th century shrine of Lord Jagannath as the trinity mingled with the sea of humanity during the annual festival of chariots. There were rains overnight, but the weather cleared in the morning.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, BJP president Amit Shah, Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and other dignitaries greeted the people on Lord Jagannaths annual car festival.

Enthusiasm and excitement ran high among devotees as the deities remained indoors since Snana Purnima on June 9.

Naba Jaubana Darshan of the deities was performed yesterday as they remained confined to "Anasara Pindi" (recovery chamber) after the grand bath on Snana Purnima.

The rath-yatra was also celebrated at Ahmedabad in Gujarat amid tight security as lakhs of devotees flocked the 15-km journey route to catch a glimpse of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and their sister Devi Subhadra.

Rains failed to dampen the spirit of the devotees pulling the rope of decked-up chariots of Lord Jagannath in the annual Rath Yatra hosted by the ISKCON in Kolkata.

In the absence of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who is on a tour to The Hague on UN invitation, state panchayat and PHE minister Subrata Mukherjee, Kolkata mayor Sovan Chatterjee and Trinamool Congress MP Subrato Bakshi flagged off the procession.

Gujarat Chief minister Vijay Rupani and Deputy Chief minister Nitin Patel performed Pahind Vidhi- a symbolic ritual of cleaning the way for the chariots.

The chariots of Lord Jagannath, his brother Balbhadra and sister Subhadra, then started the journey from the 400-year- old Jagannath Temple in Jamalpur area this morning.

Before the rath yatra commenced, BJP president Amit Shah performed mangla aarti of the deities in the temple during the early hours.

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Rath yatra was also celebrated at other places in Odisha like Balasore, Paralakhemundi and Bolangir.

With lakhs of people thronging the holy town of Puri, the police made elaborate security arrangements by deploying around 4,000 personnel, besides extending air and coastal surveillance.

A multi-layer security net was built to ensure smooth conduct of the festival while CCTVs were installed at various locations, Odisha Director General of Police K B Singh said.

Besides the newly raised Odisha Swift Action Force (OSAF), personnel of Anti Terrorist Squad (ATS), Rapid Action Force (RAF) and sharp shooters were deployed at vital points while the Coast Guard kept a vigil along the coast.

Devotees poured into the seaside town to watch the grand ceremony and pull the three majestic and colourful chariots on the bada danda, the grand avenue.

Before the presiding deities - Lord Jagannath, his elder brother Lord Balabhadra and their sister Devi Subhadra - set out from the sanctum sanctorum of the temple, a number of special rituals like Mangla Arati and Mailam were performed.

Descending from the Ratna Sinhasana, the bejewelled throne, the three deities were taken out of the temple down the 22 steps known as "Baisi Pahacha" through the Lions gate in an elaborate ritual called "Pahandi" as devotees and sevayats jostled to have a glimpse and touch them.

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In a rhythmic style, the deities moved forward step by step to the accompaniment of beating of ghantas and kahalis and blowing of conch shells. The trinity proceeded majestically in rhythmic movement in their journey to the world outside during Pahandi.

At first, Sudarshana, the celestial wheel of Vishnu, was taken out and placed in the chariot of Devi Subhadra followed by Lord Balabhadra and finally Lord Jagannath.

The 45-feet high Nandighosh, the chariot of Lord Jagannath stood with 16 huge wooden wheels, while the 44-feet high Taladhawaja with 14 wheels was for Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadras Darpadalan was 43-feet high with 12 wheels.

The Shankaracharya of Puri Govardhana peeth Swami Nischalananda Saraswati had a darshan of the deities on the chariots along with his disciples.

Thereafter, the Gajapati King of Puri Divyasingh Dev proceeded to the chariots to perform the Chhera Panhara ritual by sweeping the platform with golden broom.

As the chariots rolled down the grand avenue, the proceedings were watched by millions including a host of VVIPs and dignitaries, while buildings on both sides of the road were occupied by thousands of people vying for a proper view. PTI SKN SCH RG PJT PD IKA SC IKA

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Dwight and Barbara Munroe of Yoder, Wyoming, will celebrate their 60th wedding anniversary on Friday, June 30, 2017. They were married at the First Methodist Church in Scottsbluff, Nebraska.

Their children are Kevin (Carolyn) Munroe, of Fredericksburg, Texas, and Brenda Shaver, of Denver, Colorado. They have four grandchildren and one great-granddaughter and various nieces and nephews.

Their family would like to honor them with a card shower. Cards may be sent to 3538 Road 54, Yoder, Wyoming, 82244.
Deb Fischer, elected to the U.S Senate from Nebraska in 2012, has announced she will seek a second term in next years election.

She was introduced at Legacy of the Plains Museum by former Gov. Dave Heineman.

Deb has been a fiscal conservative and a fighter for Nebraska agriculture, he said. Owning a ranch in Valentine, she understands how important that is to our state.

Six years ago, Fischer said that if elected, she would stand for Nebraskas shared values and would build relationships to get things done.

Its no secret that getting anything done in Washington is tough, she said. Yes, our country is divided and theres dysfunction, but theres no excuse to shy away from the hard work of legislating.

While she said there have been frustrations, shes also proud of the progress the state has made together. One of her primary areas of focus is a strong military.

Ive asked our military leaders for a coherent strategy to address cyber threats, she said. I also voted for stronger sanctions against North Korea and against the bad deal with Iran.

She said its a sacred trust to keep our promises to our veterans. She supported legislation to allow the Omaha Veterans Administration to move forward in an innovative private/public partnership to provide needed care for veterans.

Another area thats close to Fischer is the state roads, as her father headed up the Department of Roads under Gov. Kay Orr.

Here in western Nebraska, we know that infrastructure is a duty that needs to be fulfilled across this country, she said. I brought our best transportation ideas from Nebraska with me to Washington. Thats how its supposed to work. States are the laboratories where good ideas come from.

From that viewpoint, shes working on proposals that cut red tape, allowing for faster construction timelines. Shes also offered some new ideas on how to finance road construction without raising taxes, just as the state did with the Build Nebraska Act.

Fischer said she wants to get more Washington leaders out to Nebraska for a better understanding of the residents way of life. So far, shes hosted Secretary of Transportation Elaine Chao and Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue, plus two commissioners from the Federal Communications Commission.

These visits have made a difference, she said. It gives us a chance to showcase who we are and what we do. Thats particularly important for ag producers. We dont need bureaucrats in Washington telling us how to take care of our land and water. We understand our livelihood depends on good stewardship.

She said that her list of accomplishments were actually done by the people of Nebraska.

This progress has been made possible by partnering with our citizens. You took time from your busy schedules to voice your concerns. So your priorities are my priorities. You keep me grounded and accountable. Its been an honor to serve you and I ask for a chance to keep on fighting for you.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has led his party, the BJP, to giant electoral wins in several Assembly elections in the past three years. The BJP is now all set to have a President of its choice as well.

The BJP has won one election after the other riding on the Modi wave.

By Kritika Banerjee: Prime Minister Narendra Modi today greeted people on Jagannath Rath Yatra as well as Ramzan at his monthly Mann ki Baat address to the nation.

The Prime Minister described Lord Jagannath as "God of poor", and then said, "Few know that in English, juggernaut means a magnificent chariot that is unstoppable".

Juggernaut indeed is the word that probably best describes Narendra Modi and the BJP's giant victories in recent Assembly elections and its near-certain win in the upcoming Presidential election.

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A PRESIDENT OF MODI's CHOICE

Modi and BJP chief Amit Shah's masterstroke of choosing a Dalit candidate, Ram Nath Kovind, as their presidential nominee stunned the Opposition.

Ram Nath Kovind's selection as the NDA candidate left the Opposition divided and helped the BJP win support of several regional parties who are traditionally fence-sitters.

The Biju Janata Dal (BJD) under Naveen Patnaik declared support to Ram Nath Kovind, while Nitish Kumar got the Janata Dal (United) to break ranks with the Opposition and instead back the NDA presidential candidate.

A stung and shocked Opposition led by Sonia Gandhi of the Congress declared former Lok Sabha speaker Meira Kumar as its presidential nominee.

However, the fight between Ram Nath Kovind and Meira Kumar is likely to be a one-sided affair, with the numbers heavily in favour of Kovind. As a result, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP will have a President of their choice after APJ Abdul Kalam.

A DIVIDED OPPOSITION MAKES IT EASY

The recent Assembly election results have proved that the BJP under Narendra Modi and chief strategist Amit Shah has consolidated its position as the dominant force in politics.

In Uttar Pradesh, a rift in the Samajwadi Party between Mulayam Singh Yadav and son Akhilesh led the party to a humiliating defeat and handed BJP an unprecedented majority in the House.

In Goa and Manipur, the Congress, despite having the numbers, could not form the government due to alleged lack of coordination between the state and central leadership.

In both instances, a swift BJP did not waste time in reaching out to regional parties and Independents and formed governments.

Ahead of the Assembly election in Gujarat, the rift in the Congress is all too visible with party veteran Shankarsinh Vaghela saying that he would not follow the party's "suicidal path".

The infighting within the Congress state units is likely to help the BJP in forthcoming Assembly elections.

A PRIME MINISTER WHO WANTS TO CONNECT

Before Narendra Modi, few prime ministers have taken the initiative to reach out to people and get them involved in government drives such as that on cleanliness.

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While many may argue that not much has changed on the ground after Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, yet Narendra Modi's idea of getting the public to be a part of an initiative was novel.

In many of his Mann ki Baat programmes, Modi has congratulated individuals and villages who have built toilets in their locality or have mobilised others to participate in the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan.

During demonetisation, Narendra Modi informed people about online transactions and urged youngsters to help their elders learn how to use digital modes of transaction.

While the Opposition tried to corner Modi and his government over demonetisation, the Prime Minister chose to not answer them but talk to people instead.

This ensured that despite the confusion and criticism surrounding demonetisation, people chose to vote for the BJP in the Assembly elections in five states in March this year.

ALSO READ:

Ram Nath Kovind files nomination for presidential election, PM Narendra Modi leads NDA's show of strength

PM Narendra Modi in Parliament: They don't want demonetisation debate because I gain from it

Not Nitish Kumar, it is Mamata Banerjee who can give a tough fight to Narendra Modi in 2019

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ALSO WATCH: PM Modi addresses nation through 'Mann Ki Baat'

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By Press Trust of India: (Eds: Lead to BOM 2, adds details)

Ahmedabad, Jun 25 (PTI) The 140th Rath Yatra of Lord Jagannath here concluded peacefully as the three chariots returned to the Jagannath temple late evening after covering around 15 kilometre-long route, which passed through the communally sensitive walled city area amid tight security.

City dwellers thronged the route in large numbers to welcome the chariots of Lord Jagannath, his brother Lord Balbhadra, and sister Subhadra, as it started its journey from the 400-year-old temple in Jamalpur area early this morning before coming back to the temple at around 8:30 pm.

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BJP president Amit Shah and his family members performed mangla aarti of deities early this morning before the Yatra commenced.

This was followed by Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani and Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel performing Pahind Vidhi - a symbolic ritual of cleaning the way for the chariots, at around 7 am.

The procession, led by 18 elephants and having 101 trucks carrying tableaux showcasing Indian culture and different deities of Hindu religion, attracted thousands of devotees who turned up to welcome it at different points along the route.

The procession comprised 18 elephants, 101 trucks, seven cars, members of 30 akhadas and 18 bhajan mandalis.

It is taken out every year on Ashadhi Bij, the second day of Ashad month, as per the Hindu calender.

The procession moved through some communally sensitive areas like Jamalpur, Kalupur, Shahpur and Dariyapur.

At Dariyapur, a Muslim-dominated area, community leaders, led by Congress corporator Hasan Lala, released pigeons as a message of peace and offered traditional welcome to the procession by felicitating the chief priest of the Lord Jagannath temple, Dilipdasji Maharaj.

Lala and other Muslim leaders also gifted a memento of a cow and calf to the Mahant as a mark of harmony and friendship between the two communities.

"We gifted this memento of a cow and a calf as a symbol of brotherhood and communal harmony. Even Dilipdasji was very happy with this gift, as he said it was very unique. There was a time when Hindus were afraid of coming to this area. But, with the efforts of both the communities, those days have gone forever," Lala told reporters.

At Nagina Pol in Saraspur, also a locality with predominantly Muslim population, women from the community offered prayers as the procession reached there.

They said their prayers were meant to show solidarity to their Hindu brethren.

Members of Muslim community also participated in the procession, with a tableau showing a man wearing cow mask being fed by a Muslim wearing a skull cap.

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Other eyecatching tableaux were based on the themes of cow protection, save girl child, and about soldiers who laid down their lives in the line of duty.

At a point along the route, BJP MP Paresh Rawal, city mayor Gautam Shah and health minister Shankar Chaudhary also offered prayers to the deities and felicitated the chief priest.

The procession was guarded by over 20,000 police and paramilitary personnel as well as NSG commandos were deployed along the route.

For the first time, a company of National Security Guard (NSG) had been deployed to guard the procession.

State minister of state for Home Pradeepsinh Jadeja too participated in the procession along with top police officials.

He said the Gujarat government was committed to ensure an environment of communal harmony for peaceful celebration of festivals.

Lord Jagannath Rath Yatra processions were also taken out in other cities and towns in Gujarat including Bhavnagar and Vadodara. PTI KA/PJT COR PD NRB KUN

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More than 100 years have poured by since the first cocktail party was held here in May 1917, in a home that now is the official residence of the St. Louis archbishop.

A Spotlight story in the May 28 edition of the Post-Dispatch that featured the home at Lindell Boulevard and North Taylor Avenue prompted fond family memories from carpenter Marty Ratermann.

Ratermann said his great-grandfather, Henry Ratermann, headed two construction companies after he came to the U.S. from Germany in the 1840s.

Not only did one of those firms build the archbishops home, but the elder Ratermann also had a hand in numerous other well-known, still-standing buildings in the St. Louis area.

According to the family lore, the Ratermanns were to the building business what the Buschs were to the brewing business in the late 1800s and early 1900s, he said, adding that the family history was an oft-discussed subject on the porch and around the table.

Files from the Post-Dispatch and old Star and Times indicate that the Bothe-Ratermann Co. (partnered with George Bothe) and then Ratermann Building and Contracting Co. were indeed the firms that literally turned architects plans into bricks and mortar on the following works:

 Kenrick Seminary (now the Rigali Center) in Shrewsbury

 Falstaff No. 5 (originally Columbia Brewing), 20th and Howard streets, north St. Louis

 St. Liborius (1840 Hogan Street), St. Bernard (4109 Gratiot Avenue) and St. Henry (California Avenue and Rutgers Street) churches in St. Louis

 St. Vincent Home for Children in north St. Louis County.

There were other works, only briefly mentioned in newspaper articles, including two breweries, several church buildings and the original St. Marys Hospital building on Clayton Road that was demolished several years ago.

One article also mentions several St. Louis Worlds Fair buildings.

Marty Ratermann said Bothe-Ratermann built the Tyrolean Alps buildings that were featured at the fair. Those buildings went up quickly, and came down quickly, he said.

But hands down, the most storied project Henry Ratermann was involved with was the construction of a mansion at No. 1 Portland Place  known as the Faust House.

Built between 1910 and 1912, when the average blue-collar worker earned $485 a year, the 17-room limestone residence reportedly cost more than $100,000 to build.

Money was not an issue, however, since the tab was being picked up by Adolphus Busch.

Busch built the home as a wedding present for his daughter, Anna Louise (Tolie) Busch, and her husband, Edward A. Faust, son of famed restaurateur Tony Faust.

Beer baron Busch was a daily diner at the elder Fausts swank eatery at Broadway and Elm Street; and Edward Faust eventually became a brewery vice president.

The construction company listed Ratermanns business address as his home, at 1943 St. Louis Avenue.

Henry Ratermann was 92 when he died in February 1938 and had been retired for more than 10 years. One obituary notes that he was a director of Northwestern Bank and the St. Louis Car Co.

Marty Ratermann said the companys heyday had passed by that time, thanks to the Great Depression.

But the company still was working in 1940, when an article on Nov. 10 of that year noted that it was the contracting company for the building of Holy Family School on Wyoming avenue near Tower Grove Park.

Marty Ratermann, a 1971 Rosary High graduate, now lives in Rocheport in central Missouri. He has been a carpenter most of his life and switched his focus to furniture and cabinet-making some years ago.

Its kind of neat to know (ancestors) had a hand in some of these buildings, he said. But as far as I can tell, Im the only one left who followed in the building trade.

Information for this story was provided by Beth OMalley of the Post-Dispatch.

EDITOR'S NOTE: An earlier version of this story included an photo of a building incorrectly identified as St. Henry's Church.
Several incidents have occurred in recent times suggesting that mob lynching is alarmingly rising in India. However, there is no specific law in the country that deals with mob lynching.

Protests were staged at various places after Dadri lynching in 2015: Picture for representation. (Photo: PTI file)

By Prabhash K Dutta: Speaking in the backdrop of two incidents of mob lynching - DSP Mohammad Ayub Pandith was killed in Srinagar and 15-year-old Junaid was murdered in a Delhi-Mathura train, Union Home Secretary Rajiv Mehrishi has said, "I don't think it (hate crime) is new in India. It is feudal in nature. Today, they shake the conscience. You cannot say lynching or hate crimes are something new. I think they are over hyped and over reported."

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Did the top bureaucrat trivialise mob lynching, is a debatable question. But, let us check out a few pages of recent history to see some of the incidents of mob lynching which could find way to national headlines.

LYNCHING TIMELINE

Almost 11 years ago, on September 29 in 2006, four people were lynched over a land dispute at Kherlanji in Bhandara district of Maharashtra. Police and later CBI defined it as revenge crime fashioned along caste divide.

In March 2015, a mob of about 7,000-10,000 people broke into the Central Jail at Dimapur in Nagaland and dragged out a man accused of rape. The mob paraded him naked and beat him to death.

In September the same year, Mohammad Akhlaq was lynched by mob at Dadri in Uttar Pradesh over suspicion of eating and storing beef.

In April this year, Pehlu Khan - a 55-year-old dairy farmer - was waylaid by a mob at Alwar in Rajasthan while he was transporting cows for his dairy farm, and thrashed. Pehlu Khan died two days later succumbing to his injuries.

In May this year, an e-rickshaw driver Ravinder Singh was lynched by 15-20 youths in Delhi. Ravinder Singh had earlier in the day stopped one of the accused from urinating in public. Later, Union Minister Venkaiah Naidu said that the victim was promoting Swachh Bharat mission.

Nine people were killed in three separate incidents in Jharkhand on the suspicion of child lifting in May this year.

Earlier this month, an activist, Zafar Khan, was allegedly killed by some municipal officials at Pratapgarh district of Rajasthan after he objected to clicking photographs of women relieving themselves in open. The civic body workers were said to be out to promote Swachh Bharat campaign.

Now, on Thursday DSP Ayub Pandith was lynched outside a mosque in Srinagar while teenager Junaid was beaten and stabbed in Delhi-Mathura train. Ayub Pandith was clicking photograph while Junaid was returning home in Ballabhgarh of Haryana along with his three brothers after doing shopping for Eid.

Mehrishi could be right in saying, "You cannot say lynching or hate crimes are something new" and perhaps in suggesting, "Today, they shake the conscience."

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MEANING AND ORIGIN OF LYNCHING

Dictionary meaning of Lynch says, "(of a group of people) kill (someone) for an alleged offence without a legal trial."

The origin of the word "lynching" is traced to mid 18th century America. "Lynching" is said to be related with both or either of two people named Charles Lynch and William Lynch, who lived in Virginia in the United States. Both were active in 1780s.

Lynching or lynch law is usually associated to them. It meant taking the law into one's own hands to punish someone - read black. It was vigilante justice meted out to black people.

Lynching became more common in the US during 19th century on both sides of the American Civil War. Before civil war, the black slaves, who attempted to escape from their masters, were lynched in several instances. Some of the whites were also lynched for openly opposing slavery of blacks

After civil war when slavery was abolished and the blacks were given equal rights of citizenship and suffrage, the whites got angry in many states of the US over what they perceived as a big loss. Hate groups like the Ku Klux Klan and the Knights of the White Camelia cropped up and were allegedly involved in many instances of lynching.

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It is estimated that between 1880 and 1930, about 2,400 black men, women, and children were lynched in the United States. Similar data is not available about lynching in India.

IS THERE ANY LAW TO DEAL WITH LYNCHING?

Lynching does not find mention in the Indian Penal Code. No particular law has been passed to deal with lynching. It sounds strange for a county which is said to have possibly legislated the maximum number of laws and where lynching is believed to be predating recorded history.

Absence of a codified law to deal with mob violence or lynching makes it difficult to deliver justice in the cases of riots. However, Section 223(a) of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 says that persons or a mob involved in the same offence in the same act can be tried together. But, this has not proved to have given enough legal teeth to justice delivery system.

In the spate of lynching, some activists have set up the National Campaign Against Mob-lynching for drafting a suitable law. The founders include JNU student-activists Shehla Rashid and Kanhaiya Kumar, Dalit activist Jignesh Mevani and columnist Tehseen Poonawala.

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The drafting committee members include senior lawyer Sanjay Hegde, journalist-activist Anil Chamariya, Delhi University professor Apoorvanand, JNU professor Nivedita Menon, lawyer Rebecca John and actor Swara Bhaskar.

The drafting committee of the National Campaign Against Mob-lynching is said to have plans to send its draft law to Parliament and people in the government. Rajiv Mehrishi may well be on their list.

ALSO READ |

Srinagar: DSP Ayyub Pandith beaten to death by mob outside Jamia Masjid

Man lynched, 3 thrashed over rumours of beef eating on Delhi-Ballabhgarh train route

BJP worker shot dead in Agra, locals lynch attacker, assault

ALSO WATCH | Delhi: Man lynched, 3 injured in train over rumours of beef consumption

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Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif lamenting over Joint Investigation Team, probing Sharif family wealth abroad, said that JIT investigation only grilling our personal business and nothing more as it looks like a joke.

Talking to media in London PM Nawaz Sharif said he asked JIT had any misappropriation done in state exchequer but they have no answer.

Is it an accountability, no it is a joke, PM said.

Sharif commented that the JIT has no case against him. They dont have an allegation against me. Our businesses are spread over 80 years. What the JIT is doing is not accountability but a joke. We are being distracted by its operations and our time wasted.

We have stand our economy strong with efforts day and nights, however waging investigation in Panama leaks the time of Pakistan being wasted, he said adding that even opponents did not have any evidence against government.

Without any evidence why investigations conducted against us, it is out of understanding, PM said. Whole nation is going to direction peace and development but JIT is moving such a opposite way, he said.

Nawaz Sharif commented that the JIT has no case against him. They dont have an allegation against me. Our businesses are spread over 80 years. What the JIT is doing is not accountability but a joke. We are being distracted by its operations and our time wasted.

Suggesting that the JIT has been formed as a political project, Sharif mentioned the teams goal is to discredit him through a legal stamp in order to engineer the political landscape in favour of his opponents. Our political rivals suffered a bitter defeat in the 2013 elections and they are fearful now of another beating in 2018, he said, adding that attempts are afoot to help elements who have no chance to be successful in fair elections.

The head of the state condemned the JIT in most belligerent tone, noting that such conspiracies will not be allowed to succeed. Sharif revealed that he asked the JIT members some questions earlier, to which they failed to provide appropriate, justifiable response.Underscoring the fact that the JITs history is in front of everyone and open for everyone to see if it started from Whatsapp appointments, Sharif said, The kind of people who have appeared as witnesses before the JIT for questioning are our worst political enemies. So you can understand now what the JIT is looking for.

The JIT is a trial of my ancestors, myself, and my kids. It is a tamasha (circus), we are witnessing a tamasha, the leader claimed, adding that it is not himself or his family that he is worried about.

We opened new powerhouses, gave life to the energy sector, helped the stock market move towards a boom recently, and focused on setting up new infrastructure in the country, including roads and motorways, explained Sharif, stressing that his utmost concern is the countrys economic development, especially what has been done in the past four years.

Taking on the JIT, Sharif challenged it to find a single case of corruption or kickbacks against his government in the ongoing four-year period, his tenure as the Chief Minister of Punjab or the two-time Prime Minister-ship earlier.

Sharif raised objections over the oppositions statements about raising the umpires finger. He alleged his political rivals developed an enmity following the defeat in last elections.

The Prime Minister asked Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leadership to explain who was the umpire that Imran Khan referred to throughout the protests four years ago when the latter kept predicting that the umpire will soon start raising fingers.

The premier vowed to eliminate power outages and reaffirmed the doubts over his familys objections regarding the construction of JIT. He also pointed out that the financial stock market has suffered a great deal due to the political unrest.

Nawaz Sharif asked his detractors to let Pakistan move forward. Enemies of Pakistan are against its development; its a conspiracy. They are the same people who are involved in dirty politics.
The Indian Meteorological Department has predicted heavy rains in the next 48 hours in Mumbai and adjoining areas.

By Saurabh Vaktania: Heavy rains lashed several parts of Mumbai and its adjoining areas - Thane and Vasai-Virar belt today.

The Indian Meteorological Department has predicted heavy rains in the next 48 hours in Mumbai and adjoining areas.

It has been raining in Mumbai for the past few hours. A high tide, with maximum height of 5.02 metres, was also expected at around 1.01 pm today.

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Due to heavy rainfall, waterlogging was reported in many areas of Thane, Vasai-Virar and also at Kalwa and Mumbra stations.

Also, a jumbo megablock on Central and Western Railway created problems for the commuters.

Also Read:

Southwest Monsoon hits Kerala, Northeast

Open drains, filthy plots and bad roads: How Delhi will welcome monsoon this year

--- ENDS ---
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif is expected to return to Pakistan from London today (Sunday) following oil tanker tragedy in the town of Ahmedpur Sharqia in Punjab province. He was earlier scheduled to return on June 30.

Speaking to media after offering Eid prayer in London, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has expressed grief and sorrow over the loss of precious lives and termed it a national tragedy.

The premier said he has issued orders to Punjab Chief Minister to take speedy measures in providing all possible assistance to the injured in the incident.

The tragic incident came less than a day before Pakistan was due to begin Eid al-Fitr celebrations marking the end of the holy fasting month of Ramadan, with many roads crowded as people travel home for the holidays.
By Press Trust of India: Lisbon, Jun 24 (PTI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi today visited the Champalimaud Foundation in Lisbon and interacted with a group of Indians working at the medical centre.

The foundation, designed by noted Indian architect Charles Correa, is dedicated to research and clinical applications in biomedical science.

There are currently three Indians undertaking advanced research at the foundation.

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The foundation undertakes research in the fields of neuroscience and oncology at the modernistic Champalimaud Centre for the Unknown.

The aim of the foundation is to develop programmes of advanced biomedical research and provide clinical care. It was created according to the will of the late entrepreneur Antonio de Sommer Champalimaud, in 2004. PTI KJ ABH KJ

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The court room battles resulting in the latest iteration of the Americas Cup has had the unexpected effect of changing the culture and style of the yacht racing that is playing out in Bermuda this weekend.

The crews are smaller, the boats are smaller and there is only one boat per team.

The AC50 catamarans only have room for engines and elite sailors.

The racing is short course, high speed format that matches Olympic sailing rather than typical professional monohull sailing. Olympic sailors get more time on the water and face tougher tests, making them simply the best at the sport, says Canadian sailing writer Ben Remocker.

So far its been the teams with the most immediate Olympic experience that are the ones with the most success, says Ben.

In the Louis Vuitton Cup the French with no Olympic sailors were quickly dispatched. BAR has Ainslie who is one cycle off and some muscle up front. Japan has Draper who was last Olympic sailing in 2007. But the top two Louis Vuitton teams of Artemis, and New Zealand are full of recent Olympic sailors.

Artemis has Outteridge and Jensen as current Olympians with Percy only one cycle away. New Zealand typically sails with four of six members of the 2016 Olympic squad. Oracle have only Slingsby - one cycle away from the Olympics at the back of the boat.

The more Olympic phenomenon may be directly linked to two fantastic duos in Burling/Tuke and Outteridge/Jensen or it may be a reflection of the type of racing being done.

A comparison between pro and Olympic sailing can be taken from Oracle and Emirates Team NZ.

On board Oracle its pro best practices. Slingsby the tactician, gives a running commentary of what the situation is, options, and what hed like to do. Spithill takes in the info and commands the boat.

Team New Zealand is run like an Olympic doublehanded boat. The team (including Ashby) have a plan going into the race and jobs to do. As the race unfolds they see the same things, collaborate on modes when necessary and feel of the boat occasionally, but mostly feel the same things and react as appropriate to keep it fast at all times.

The helm calls the tacks and gybes when the situations unfold without much need for debate. Theres no need to keep up verbal systems to keep a huge crew appraised of what the after guard is thinking. The maneouvres are standard, their jobs critical but heavily practiced and refined.

In a fast boat, Percys cursing, Ainslies willpower, and Slingslbys tactics mean little compared to a three man unit, Tuke, Ashby, and Burling in sync with boatspeed.

The foil control in particular is a system that in the hands of Tuke must make a huge difference to Burling. The on board shots of Tuke being 100 per cent focused on foil trim, tells you how highly critical it must be. Tuke dials in on a white marker he keeps about 4 inches out of the water on the leeward side. He seems to have analogue control of his main trimming control, keeping the boat very steady on ride height and cant. Leaving a critical piece of trim to a crew member will be second nature for Burling, with the crew on a 49er running the main sheet.

Burling will have total confidence in both Tuke and Ashby to run the foils and mainsail to exacting preciseness and their pre-racing plan, and he can largely ignore these items except for occasional check ins to ensure theyre all in the same mode as each other.

Jimmy Spithill has notches on his steering wheel much like tip tronic gears in a car. How precise that is compared to Team NZs analogue is unknown.

But even if the movement is precise enough there is no way Spithill can dedicate the same focus to the job as Blair Tuke can.

Any crew really on their game will notice when the skipper starts looking around, and being just a small bit off is likely to be a frequent occurrence on Oracle given how much responsibility Spithill is handling, says Ben.

When the pressure is on Jimmy, and he needs to make decisions, or check out the competition, or simply focus on his driving, the board control may fall out of perfect.

Hes looking to see if theres a controls change.

Team NZs head of design Dan Bernasconi believes the biggest gains Spithill and his crew can make at this point will be out on the water.

"They look to have changed the way they set up their foils, and the way theyre trimming their wing. Theres obviously a limit to the changes they can physically make to the boat in five days, but there are a lot of changes you can make to the way you sail the boat."
Its game on at the 35th Americas Cup in Bermuda, with Emirates Team New Zealand out to a 4-1 lead over Oracle Team USA in the first to seven match - but with the Americans getting their first point on the board.

Once again, the boat that won the start won the race, and in todays first match up that was Emirates Team New Zealand.

Peter Burling looked to be in control heading for the line, with his advantage compounded by Jimmy Spithill misjudging Oracles run to be penalised for starting early.

But on the first upwind leg the work done by the Americans during the five-day gap between races started to become apparent, with some new-found pace seeing Oracle take the lead for the first time in the Americas Cup match.

It proved to be short-lived though. In a tight fight the boats engaged in a port-starboard dial down with both skippers calling for a penalty, the umpires judging the Kiwis to be in the right and slapping another penalty on the American boat.

After that Emirates Team New Zealand moved away and kept on extending at every mark, the Kiwi cause helped by problems on Oracle which saw the boat crashing off its foils en route to a two-minute four-second defeat.

Burling was quick to praise the shore crew for the work theyd done during the five day break.

Theyve made this great little boat quicker.

Despite the loss, Spithill was also pleased with the way his boat was going as they lined up for the the second race.

"I believe we can win this race and get one under our belt.

And so it proved with Oracle winning the start for the first time in the match. With the average speeds of the boats almost identical it was a case of who would make the least mistakes, both skippers later admitting to errors as the lead chopped and changed.

Having turned a 12 second deficit into a six second lead at Mark 5 the Kiwis were looking in a strong position to make it two from two. But a misjudgment on the final beat let the Americans back in and they raced away for an 11 second win.

Emirates Team New Zealand foil trimmer Blair Tuke is philosophical.

"If you make mistakes you get punished for them. Thats the way we want sailing to be. Its what we are here for.

Both teams say theyve a lot more in the tank and both were planning extensive reviews of their performances.

We will learn from that, says Tuke. "And we look forward coming back tomorrow and making less mistakes and giving a polished performance.
On Friday night, local exporters from across the Bay of Plenty came together to celebrate those raising the bar to export success at the 2017 Bay of Plenty ExportNZ Awards, sponsored by Zespri International.

All five winners were announced at a Rio Carnival themed awards event at ASB Baypark Stadium Lounge in Mount Maunganui.

The venue was transformed to fit the theme, with Ben Hurley MCing the event and working with the Brazilian Divas to entertain the crowd.

Exporters from across the region were present at the event, with Dominion Salt taking out the Sharp Tudhope Lawyers Exporter of the Year award and George & Willy winning the YOU Travel Emerging Exporter of the Year award.

YOU Travel Emerging Exporter of the Year Award - George & Willy with Kay Rogers of YOU Travel.

Andy Cameron, a well-known and respected local businessman and managing director at Oasis Engineering, with a passion for valves and giving back to the community, was the very surprised and humbled recipient of the New Zealand Trade & Enterprise Service to Export award. He was recognised for his outstanding contributions within the Bay of Plenty business and export community.

In a highly contested category with phenomenal finalists, Felipe Aguilera, a technical sales engineer at Oasis Engineering, was recognised as an integral cog in the Oasis wheel in the Beca Export Achievement category. Steens Honey were identified as the winner of the Page Macrae Engineering Innovation in Export Award shaking up the export world through their innovative business practices.

Beca Export Achievement Award winner Felipe Aguilera with Gavin Frost of Beca.

The high calibre of companies and individuals who were named finalists in this years awards meant there was serious competition across each and every category. As with any awards, there could only be one winner in each category.

YOU Travel Emerging Exporter of the Year Award

George & Willy

Page Macrae Engineering Innovation in Export Award

Steens Honey

Beca Export Achievement Award

Felipe Aguilera  Oasis Engineering

New Zealand Trade & Enterprise Service to Export Award

Andy Cameron

Sharp Tudhope Lawyers Exporter of the Year Award

Dominion Salt
Green Party MP Catherine Delahunty swapped her Beehive-friendly formal shoes for a pair of red-bands when she hiked up Mount Karangahake this afternoon.

She has declared her support for the local community currently opposing mining in the heart of conservation land in the Karangahake Gorge, on the Coromandel Peninsula.

Catherine says she made the special visit because she wanted locals to know there was strong support behind them, stretching all the way to parliament.

These people are on the frontline for the rest of Aotearoa New Zealand right now.

I want them to know weve got their backs  mining on conservation land should not be happening anywhere, and this community is standing up for the rest of the country when they say no to the desecration of their mountain.

She and locals walked up to the prospecting site where a gate, usually open to the public, had been locked and security put in place after mine prospecting began two weeks ago.

Catherine says she is upset to see conservation land shut to the public.

There shouldnt be gates, barbed wire and security on conservation land protecting toxic industry.

In 2010, 25,000 New Zealanders marched to demand conservation land be protected from mining. The government is betraying their values in allowing this to happen on DoC land.
By Press Trust of India: (Eds: With additional inputs)

New Delhi, Jun 24 (PTI) The Monsoon Session of Parliament will commence from July 17, the day voting for the presidential election is slated to take place.

The Cabinet Committee on Parliamentary Affairs (CCPA) has recommended holding the session from July 17 to August 11, according to sources in the committee.

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The CCPA meeting, chaired by Home Minister Rajnath Singh, was held last evening after the NDAs presidential nominee, Ram Nath Kovind, filed his nomination papers.

Sources said the session, which usually commences in the last week of July, is set to be advanced this year due to the presidential polls. They added that it would begin on July 17 to ensure that all the 776 members were present in Delhi to cast their votes in the election.

However, the MPs can cast their votes in their respective states as well.

The House may not function on the first day of the session on account of the demise of two sitting MPs -- Lok Sabha member Vinod Khanna and Rajya Sabha member Pallavi Reddy. PTI JTR/NAB RC

--- ENDS ---
An organisation that provides life-changing experiences for young people with disabilities is about to arrive in the Bay of Plenty.

Recreate NZ currently helps more than 400 families in Auckland, Waikato and Christchurch by providing fun outdoor adventures, social opportunities, recreational activities, and life and work skills for people aged 10-35 who have mild to moderate intellectual disabilities.

Now, with the support of BayTrust, Recreate NZ will offer its innovative programmes in the Bay. Two community information sessions will be held in Tauranga on Wednesday, June 28 to explain what opportunities are available.

Recreate is dedicated to not only offering young people a quality and valuable out-of-home experience but also offering parents and caregivers the gift of time, explains Recreates national programmes coordinator Nicola Keyworth.

Recreate invests more than 3200 respite days and nights back into the families who really need this gift of time to recuperate and focus on strengthening their family unit.

The charitable trust was started by a group of parents 15 years ago and receives no government funding to operate in the Bay of Plenty. BayTrust has granted $17,500 towards operating costs, allowing Recreate to set up a base in this region.

Ten different programmes will be available, ranging from half-day excursions to six-day camps. They fall under four broad headings of adventure, social, recreation and education opportunities.

Were very excited to bring Recreate to the Bay of Plenty, Nicola says. These programmes allow young people to push themselves out of their comfort zones and tackle new challenges which contribute to their overall development. It addition to that, its a great way to improve social interaction and get them out and about during the week or school holidays.

Tauranga Riding for the Disabled and StarJam (which offers regular workshops in drumming, singing, dancing and guitar), will join Recreate at the upcoming information sessions to explain to local families and disability sector professionals what opportunities now exist.

The two sessions on Wednesday, June 28 are 10-11.30am at Tauranga Elim Church, 14 Christopher St (Recreate NZ and StarJam presentations only) and 5-6.30pm at Dry Dock Cafe, 6 Wharf St, Tauranga (Recreate NZ, StarJam and Tauranga Riding for the Disabled presentations).

Refreshments will be provided and attendees will have the chance to meet the programme coordinators, find out about upcoming events, and have any questions answered. RSVP to nicola@recreate.org.nz
Its match point for Emirates Team New Zealand at the 35th Americas Cup in Bermuda after a stunning performance against Oracle Team USA.

Peter Burling and his crew took out both races to go 6-1 up in the first to seven Match, but it was the way in which they won that is the talking point.

After, what was by their standards, an error-strewn race six yesterday, the Kiwis approached race seven today with lessons clearly well learned overnight.

In similar light conditions of 8-10 knots Burling controlled the start to go streaking round Mark 1 three seconds to the good. And by the end of the first upwind leg Emirates Team New Zealand led by 32.

On the final downwind stretch the Kiwi boat was giving its fans a few nervous moments as Oracle found pressure and clawed 20 back.

They neednt have worried. This was an astute tactical race by the Emirates Team New Zealand afterguard who were prepared to make sacrifices to keep it tight and controlled.

We said last night that we had a few things to work on and we addressed a few of them today, says Burling.

We tried to consolidate. We felt like we had minimal risk the whole race. Pretty happy with that.

One commentator called it a statement race for Emirates Team New Zealand which used up the perfect adjective to describe the start of race 8.

In his most aggressive move of the Match so far Burling took the fight directly to Oracle skipper Jimmy Spithill.

He lined him up, hooked him and then left him dead in the water both hulls in, before lighting up Aotearoa to fly round mark one 14 clear.

It was the start of a nightmare race for Spithill who took Oracle over the boundary line for an unforced error that copped a penalty and in another poor mark rounding he sat the boat down again.

The Kiwis, meanwhile, were up and running on their way to another start-to-finish victory with a 30 margin and a 100 per cent fly time on the foils right round the track.

Even Spithill felt obliged to praise Emirates Team New Zealand performance.

Hats off to those guys today. They deserved to win the two races.

Oracles plan is to continue learning lessons, come back stronger and take it one race at a time knowing they have beaten the Kiwis once in the Match so far.

For the Kiwis, skipper Glenn Ashby also had a familiar refrain.

Weve been in this situation before. Theres still a long way to go.

Were just going to look at tomorrow as another day. Weve seen this movie before. Anything can happen and we are just going to keep focussing on what we can focus on, you knowsailing the boat well, keep pushing hard and just take tomorrow as it comes.
The students had gone to Devkund waterfalls near Bhira village some 50 kilometres from Mumbai.

By Saurabh Vaktania: Fifty-five students, who were trapped in two streams of Kundalika river of Maharashtra, were rescued today.

The students had gone to Devkund waterfalls near Bhira village some 50 kilometres from Mumbai.

Rescue work was carried out by a team lead by Mangaon Police and Kundalika rafters.

The students mostly between 17 and 20 years old were connected through a WhatsApp group that goes for hiking and riding at different places.

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The students were from different colleges in Mumbai.

The group were on a trip to Devkund waterfalls and had left Mumbai on Sunday morning. The students were stranded after heavy rains lashed the region.

Mangaon police got information about the situation in the afternoon.

Since the students were trapped at a remote place deep in the forest, the cops had to walk nearly seven kilometres.

The rescue operations took place for nearly three hours.

"It was extremely difficult operation. Rain stopped in the afternoon which helped us a bit. We were just 7 people and rescued them all," said API Jagtap.

Also read:

Heavy rains lash Mumbai, waterlogging reported in some areas

--- ENDS ---
Emory & Henry Colleges School of Health Sciences hosted an open house on Wednesday at the Marion campus to introduce a new Falls Prevention Center and Obesity Research Center, two new facilities devoted to addressing the needs of the community.

Visitors were invited to tour the state-of-the-art School of Health Sciences, which was launched in 2014 after renovations to the former Smyth County Community Hospital complex were completed.

The satellite graduate school campus includes classrooms, laboratories, food services and student support resources.

Still in its infancy stage, the School of Health Sciences has begun a physical therapy, occupational therapy, and physicians assistant programs with as many as 35 students in each cohort.

Mary Ann Miller of Chilhowie came to the open house with her daughter. Miller, who fell and broke her hip last summer, said the Falls Prevention Center may be the answer to gaining her strength and confidence.

Im excited about the center. I struggle with balance and strengthening my muscles, said Miller, who uses a walker to steady her gait.

This facility blows my mind, said John A. Patterson of Marion. Ive had problems from a lot of falls. This center sounds like it was made for me. Ive already signed up for services here.

I want to keep going as long as I can, said Patterson, who enjoys volunteering to play the piano at Francis Marion Manor Health & Rehabilitation in Marion.

When we started the School of Health Sciences, we knew we wanted to offer centers that provided outreach to the community, said Dr. Julia Castleberry, assistant professor in the Doctor of Physical Therapy program at the Marion school. Castleberry has accumulated more than 20 years of clinical experience in a variety of adult and older adult rehabilitation settings.

The Falls Prevention Center is not a medical or therapeutic clinic. It is operated under the School of Health Sciences and all programs and activities are under the direction of Castleberry.

The Falls Prevention Center is very hands-on, said Castleberry. We wouldnt be here without you. The community drove this effort, and I am so glad to be a part of it.

Castleberry said the countrys aging population is credited for more people falling.

Every day, 10,000 more Americans are turning 65 and older. If you look at our population, were going to be more heavily weighted toward older individuals.

The Falls Prevention Center will focus on research and understanding why certain injuries or incidents occur, and furthermore what can be done on a larger scale to prevent them in the future, said Castleberry.

The center, which contains many tools unique to the area, features a Pressure Mapping System that makes use of a computerized pressure-sensitive mat to evaluate footwear and pressure points. A Safe Gait System is a supported harness system for clients who have had repeated falls and have lost confidence walking. The weight-support system works by placing patients in a suspended body harness, allowing the patient to walk again.

A Zeno Walkway System allows them to pressure map a clients walking to look at gait deviations.

Part of Castleberrys job is to offer community programs and educational sessions at no cost. The center offers individual and group programs, fall risk screenings, and the opportunity to participate in research.

My main concern with falls prevention is when people stop moving, said Castleberry in a community meeting during the open house. This can happen at any age, not just for the golden oldies. My focus is prevention across a lifespan.

Castleberry said she is available to speak at community organizations and health fairs to get the word out about falls prevention and the risk factors, including nutrition, footwear and home environment.

I want to hear the needs of the community. Its important that I hear your voice.

Her second focus will offer programs within the Falls Prevention Center, whether its care for individuals, family members, or groups.

In addition, she is eager to start research through annual screening. I will look at the clients mobility, medications, movements, and vision every year to see if there are changes.

Dr. Ted Angelopoulos, director of the School of Health Sciences, said the Obesity Research Center will focus on using community partners to establish an advisory board as the first step in combating obesity in children and adults in Southwest Virginia.

We will have community interventions to find lifestyles that are suitable for our rural setting, he said.

Roughly speaking, one-third of the population is either overweight or obese. The thing that is alarming is that childhood obesity is an epidemic and is threatening health-care systems here and around the world. A person who is obese as a child quadruples the risk of becoming a diabetic as an adult.

Angelopoulos said his research will address solutions to decreasing the alarming obesity statistics that prevail in Southwest Virginia.
Stephen Colbert says he may run for president in 2020, and he's asking Russia to help.

"I am here to announce that I am considering a run for president in 2020," the "Late Show" host said Friday night on Russian late-night show "Evening Urgant."

"And I thought it would be better to cut out the middleman and just tell the Russians myself," Colbert continued, assisted by an interpreter. "If anyone would like to work on my campaign in an unofficial capacity, please just let me know."

The former Comedy Central star appeared to be joking, obviously referencing allegations that President Donald Trump's campaign colluded with Russia in the 2016 election. On Thursday, he revealed he was visiting President Vladimir Putin's country and tweeted hat he was looking for possible "tapes" of Trump's White House meetings with former FBI director James Comey.

.@realDonaldTrump Don't worry, Mr. President. I'm in Russia. If the "tapes" exist, I'll bring you back a copy! pic.twitter.com/v5flvAMtFY  Stephen Colbert (@StephenAtHome) June 22, 2017

Colbert has frequently criticized Trump on "The Late Show," prompting the president to call him a "no-talent guy" in May.

"There's nothing funny about what he says. And what he says is filthy," Trump told Time magazine. "And you have kids watching. And it only builds up my base. It only helps me, people like him."

"The president of the United States has personally come after me and my show," Colbert responded afterwards. "Don't you know I've been trying for a year to get you to say my name?! ... But now you did it! I won."

According to the Washington Post, Colbert previously attempted to run for president in 2007 -- as a gag -- when he was hosting "The Colbert Report" on Comedy Central. He attempted to get his name on the primary ballot in his home state of North Carolina, but was rejected by the Democratic Party.

Colbert also tried to get on the presidential primary ballot in South Carolina in 2012 by forming a "super PAC," controlled by then-"Daily Show" host Jon Stewart. Some took it seriously, as a Public Policy Polling survey found he had 5 percent of the vote in the state, ahead of then-presidential candidate Jon Huntsman.

Other celebrities who have said they may make a White House bid in 2020, in varying degrees of seriousness, include Kanye West, Chris Rock, "Hellboy" actor Ron Perlman, and Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson (with Tom Hanks as his running mate).
VERONA, N.Y. -- An armed central New York man was taken into custody after a brief standoff Sunday morning in Verona.

State Police said the man was threatening to shoot state officers who had shown up responding to a call for help.

Troopers were called to the 4300 block of Cornell Street in Verona at 5:39 a.m. Sunday for a physical domestic complaint.

They found Andrew S. Howard, 33, of Rome, there when they arrived, officials said. Howard refused to speak with them about what happened and told law enforcement he had a gun, they said.

Howard threatened the officers, saying he would shoot them, state police reported.

He was the only one in the home at the time -- the rest were able to get out before troopers arrived, officials said.

After about 20 minutes, Howard decided to put the gun down and was arrested without further incident, according to state police.

Howard was charged with first-degree reckless endangerment, a felony; third-degree criminal possession of a weapon, a felony; third-degree assault, a misdemeanor; and fourth-degree criminal possession of a weapon, a misdemeanor.

As of Sunday afternoon, Howard was still being held in Oneida County jail, according to VineLink records.
CLAY, N.Y. -- A Salina woman was charged with animal cruelty after 11 cats were removed from a house and two more were found dead there, the Onondaga County Sheriff's Office said.

About 9:45 a.m. Saturday deputies responded to a house at 7711 Fitzpatrick Drive in the town of Clay to help volunteers from the CNY Cat Coalition.

Sgt. Jon Seeber, a sheriff's office spokesman, said the group had received complaints about numerous malnourished cats living at the house. Volunteers and deputies removed 11 malnourished cats and two dead cats, Seeber said.

One of the dead cats was found floating in the flooded basement of the house, Seeber said. The other cat was found "in a mummified state" in a trash can in the garage, he said.

The inside of the house was in "deplorable condition," Seeber said.

Floors throughout the house were covered in 1 to 2 feet of garbage and debris, Seeber said, and there were several inches of cat feces on the floors also. Volunteers could not enter the house without respirators due to the intense smell of urine in the house, he said.

Seeber said the homeowner, Jane Richards, was not living at the house, but went there occasionally to feed the animals.

Richards, 54, of 6715 Buckley Road, was charged with 13 counts of failure to give proper sustenance and 13 counts of animal cruelty by improper confinement. She was issued appearance tickets for Clay Town Court.
SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- A Syracuse man is facing charges after police said he stabbed someone several times Saturday night.

Syracuse Police officers were called to 514 Highland Street just before midnight Saturday for a stabbing.

A 28-year-old man had been stabbed several times in his arms and back, police said. He was take to Upstate University Hospital by American Medical Response ambulance for treatment and is expected to survive, officials said.

Tar Pay, 22, of Catherine Street, was arrested a short time later after police received detailed suspect description from witnesses, according to the department. He was charged with second-degree assault and fourth-degree criminal possession of a weapon.

Police said Pay got into an argument with the man and stabbed him multiple times before fleeing the area.

The man told officers he had seen Pay before but didn't know him by name, said Sgt. Richard Helterline, a police spokesman. Investigators are still working to determine what started the fight.

Pay -- listed as Tar Pay Pay in inmate records -- is being held in Onondaga County jail awaiting arraignment.

Members of the Syracuse Police Department ask anyone with further information on the case to call (315) 442-5222 or use the "SPD Tips" app.
Cabernet Sauvignon isn't just grown in California. Leah and David Valvo of Wineforecaster took a road trip to 21 Brix Winery on the Lake Erie Wine Trail to taste their 2015 award winning Cabernet Sauvignon. 21 Brix Winery is a gem in the rough growing vinifera in a region well known for native concord grapes.

21 Brix Winery

Lake Erie Wine Country website

Wine Tasting: A cellar that's more than 1,000 bottles of wine in a wall

See more Wineforecaster reviews on NYUP.com and wineforecaster.com.

Contact us

Have wine questions for Wineforecaster.com? Want to suggest a Finger Lakes wine for review? Drop us a note at features@syracuse.com. Follow news on Upstate New York beer and wine on Twitter.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell made the big reveal last week of the Senate's Obamacare "repeal and replace" legislation. Thirteen senators drafted the bill in secret. In the end, it looked a lot like the version passed by the House of Representatives.

Editorial cartoonists made light of the legislative process with visual references to monsters, meatball surgery and the movie "Aliens."

Also in the news last week: Republicans prevailed in special Congressional elections, disappointing Democrats who tried to make them into a referendum on President Donald Trump.

The Supreme Court agreed to take up a Wisconsin case on political gerrymandering -- the practice of drawing legislative districts to seek an electoral advantage. In a landmark trademark case, it ruled that the First Amendment protects the use of disparaging language in trademarks.

Other topics include North Korea's brutal captivity of American Otto Warmbier; Russia's influence on U.S. electoral politics; and Trump's reversal of President Barack Obama's opening to Cuba.

Cartoons were drawn by Chan Lowe, Dan Wasserman, Dana Summers, Jack Ohman, Drew Sheneman, Scott Stantis, Walt Handelsman and David Horsey of Tribune Content Agency; Mike Lester, Darrin Bell, Nick Anderson and Jeff Danziger of the Washington Post Writers Group; and Tom Toles of Andrews McMeel Syndication.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi who is on a three-day visit to United States is addressing the Indian diaspora in Virginia today. WATCH LIVE

By India Today Web Desk: Prime Minister Narendra Modi who is on a three-day visit to United States is addressing the Indian diaspora in Virginia today.

Earlier today, Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a round table with about 20 executives from companies based in the United States.

Modi met prominent entrepreneurs like Apple's Tim Cook, Google's Sundar Pichai, Satya Nadella from Microsoft and Ajay Banga from Mastercard. WATCH LIVE

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HERE ARE THE LIVE UPDATES:

Prime Minister Narendra Modi ends his address to Indian diaspora in Virginia

An Indian went to Malaysia. She met someone and went to Pakistan. But her life was hellish there. She was trapped. Then, she made up her mind and went to the Indian High Commission in Pakistan. Eventually, she was safely brought back to India and received by Sushma ji. Today, whatever letters I get from abroad, they praise the changes in Embassies and High Commissions.

It is now well known in India- anyone in trouble tweets to Sushma Ji, she promptly replies and the Government takes prompt action: PM

Our foreign ministry and in particular our foreign minister, Sushma Swaraj has shown the way in helping people: PM

I invite you all. If you think your capabilities can do some good for the country, then you won't get a better opportunity than this, says PM Modi

It is for everyone to see how MEA has, in addition to their routine work, emerged as a strong humanitarian force for Indians globally: PM

Keep the bridge with India. Your younger generations must continue your strong bond with India: PM to the Indian diaspora in USA

If you want to give back to India, this is the best time to do so: PM @narendramodi to the Indian community in USA- PMO India (@PMOIndia) June 25, 2017

Innovation, technology & talent are crucial in this day and age: PM

Today, the world is facing the threat of terrorism. Countries used to believe it was a local law and order problem. But when India conducts surgical strikes, then the world realises that India, if needed, can defend itself. We follow global principles because that's our nature. We believe in Vasudhaiva Kutumbhakam. We can strong measures to defend our sovereignty and peace within the purview of global norms and laws. The world could've accused us during surgical strikes. They would've criticised us: PM Modi

India has succeeded in telling the world about the need to uproot the menace of terrorism: PM

With proper policies and governance, aspirations of people of India can become achievements. We are already seeing the results of this: PM

Through technology driven governance we are creating an 'Adhunik Bharat': PM

Transparent policies create an environment of trust among the people: PM Modi to Indian diaspora in Virginia #ModiInUS pic.twitter.com/HqPfYPAgn6- ANI (@ANI_news) June 25, 2017

When I think of a developed India, I think of a healthy India, particularly the good health of the women and children of our nation: PM

The reasons governments have been defeated in India are things like corruption and cheating. People of India do not like corruption. There is not a single stain on my government.Increased usage of technology brings transparency in systems: PM Modi

The biggest transformation India has witnessed today, which I experience everyday, is that every Indian wants to do something - doing something - for the development of the country: PM Modi

You found a favourable environment in the USA which enabled you to grow. And as you grew, so did the USA: PM Narendra Modi.

You may have left India... But, you celebrate whenever something good happens in India. And you weep when something bad happens, says the Prime Minister.

About the Indian diaspora, I can say that they rejoice when there is good news from India & want India to scale newer heights: PM

Have travelled across USA before I became chief minister or prime minister and after taking over as PM, the warmth the Indian community gave is memorable: PM Modi

When I meet you all I experience the kind of joy one feels while meeting his family. You fill me with new energy: PM to Indian diaspora in Virginia

I see immense energy in Indian community in USA, says PM

PM addresses the gathering at Virginia.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi to address Indian diaspora, shortly, at a community event in Virginia, US

Prime Minister Narendra Modi to address Indian diaspora, shortly, at a community event #ModiInUS pic.twitter.com/PdBA1mQY45- ANI (@ANI_news) June 25, 2017 Prime Minister Narendra Modi to address Indian diaspora, shortly, at a community event in Virginia, USA

Confident partnership will strengthen our alliance while advancing national security & economic prosperity of US and India: Lockheed Martin CEO

Opportunity to highlight partnership with Tata Advanced System to offer F16 to meet India's multi-role fighter jet mission: Lockeed Martin CEO

Very productive,appreciate opportunity to discuss how to strengthen ties between our countries: Marillyn Hewson,CEO Lockheed Martin on meeting PM

GST will remove barriers & will eventually help in bringing down prices of essential commodities: Krish Iyer, CEO Walmart India on GST

I believe GST is a game changing reform, its not just a tax reform its a new way of doing business: Krish Iyer, CEO Walmart India

It was a very good discussion, we reiterated our commitment to India: Krish Iyer, CEO Walmart India after CEO's meeting with PM

Looking forward to roll out,I know it was difficult; excited to see it happen,shows you can achieve reform by pushing for it: Pichai

I think everyone is excited to invest more in India and I am excited as to what we all can do together: Google CEO Sundar Pichai

PM was looking for insights into how India can attract more foreign investment,many good ideas discussed: Google CEO Sundar Pichai

It was very good, it was a discussion across many industries: Google CEO, Sundar Pichai after meeting PM Modi at CEOs round table

We have a common theme in all of them, we have the capability of providing India with solution. We have the knowhow: Prof Rajendra Singh

There are 3 areas where dramatic changes will happen in India-Manufacturing,solar energy,electric vehicles: Prof Rajendra Singh,Clemson Univ

Hope both (Modi-Trump) will come up with solution; benefit of both to work together-Nandini Tandon,Silicon Valley entrepreneur

Hope Modi ji will be able to share with Trump our beautiful vision of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam and oneness: Sadhvi Bhagwati

Historic moment for India and America, two great nations, two great democracies: Swami Chidanand Saraswati in Washington DC on PM's US visit

Modi ji's visit here is like a festival. India's future is vibrant under him: Rahul Roy, Chief Tech officer of ARC Doc Solutions

The implementation of the landmark initiative of GST could be a subject of studies in US business schools: PM Narendra Modi

Growth of India presents win-win partner'p for India and US both, US companies. I have a great opportunity to contribute to that: PM Modi

The whole world is looking at India. 7,000 reforms alone by GOI for ease of biz n minimum govt, max governance: PM at US CEOs round-table.

ALSO READ:

ALSO WATCH | PM Modi meets top American CEOs, says whole world is looking at India

--- ENDS ---
Yemen faces another danger that threatens thousands of lives: cholera. The World Health Organization (WHO) has revealed that the cholera outbreak in this Arab country in Western Asia has already killed over 1,300 people.

Cholera

Cholera is an acute diarrheal infection. It is contracted by ingestion of food or water contaminated by Vibrio cholerae. The symptoms show between 5 and 12 days after ingesting contaminated food and water.

Some people infected by the bacterium do not develop symptoms. Some exhibit mild or moderate symptoms, but there are those who develop acute watery diarrhea and severe dehydration. The illness affects both children and adults and can kill within hours if left untreated.

More Than 200,000 Affected By Yemen's Cholera Outbreak

The illness, believed to have sickened more than 200,000, has already killed 1,310. The number of suspected cases has doubled since early June and the U.N. Children's Fund (UNICEF) warned that cholera cases and deaths in the war-torn country could reach 300,000 by the end of August as cases continue to climb at an average pace of 5,000 per day.

The illness has spread in nearly every governorate of the country in just two months. Of the fatalities, one quarter are children. The number of deaths associated with the epidemic is expected to rise.

"We are now facing the worst cholera outbreak in the world," the UNICEF said in a statement released on June 24. "UNICEF and WHO are taking all measures to scale up prevention and treatment interventions. We call on authorities in Yemen to strengthen their internal efforts to stop the outbreak from spreading further."

Factors Behind The Outbreak

The agency blamed the outbreak on the nation's two years of conflict citing collapsing water, sanitation and health systems have curtailed 14.5 million people's regular access to clean water and sanitation, which elevated the disease's ability to spread.

UNICEF also said that the increasing rate of malnutrition weakened the health of the children and made them vulnerable to the disease.

The agency likewise noted the situation of the local health workers who play a critical role to ending the outbreak. About 30,000 of them have not been paid their salaries for almost 10 months. Those who collect garbage and others crucial to maintaining the vital systems have not also been paid for months.

Efforts Of Aid Agencies To Reduce The Spread Of Disease

UNICEF said that containing the outbreak in Yemen is difficult but despite the challenges, aid agencies make progress in lowering the number of cholera cases and cholera-associated deaths in some parts of Yemen.

UNICEF representative in Yemen, Meritxell Relano said that a team of people go house by house to check the water sources that families use.

"They chlorinate the water tanks if they have a water tank ... and then they are informed about the ways to avoid cholera by providing good hygiene to the family - hand washing with soap, how to handle the food and how to handle a family that is sick with cholera or with diarrhea," he said.

 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Hollywood actress Gwyneth Paltrow's lifestyle website, Goop, has made another lapse in judgment by publishing unfounded scientific claims once again. This time, it used the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) history of sound scientific and technological knowledge to sell another product with debatable health benefits: the Body Vibes smart stickers.

According to the original description from Goop, the bio-frequency healing stickers use the same conductive carbon material that NASA uses to track astronaut's vitals in its spacesuits. The problem is that NASA, through its representative, denied using any type of conductive carbon material in its spacesuits.

Well, that's embarrassing.

Goop 'Apologizes' For Its Blunder

Aside from the NASA representative's statement, the space agency's former human research division chief scientist, Mark Shelhamer, also expressed his suspicion about the bio-frequency stickers.

"Not only is the whole premise like snake oil, the logic doesn't even hold up," Shelhamer said.

Goop has already removed the section mentioning NASA in its smart stickers' product page and expressed an apology to both the space agency and the consumers for its oversight. According to Goop, it has already contacted the smart stickers' manufacturer to address the claim.

"As we have always explained ... companies we profile do not necessarily represent the views of goop ... we've gone back to the company to inquire about the claim and removed the claim from our site until we get additional verification," Goop said in a statement.

It sounds like an apology.

"We constantly strive to improve our site [... and] our processes for evaluating the products and companies featured," it added.

Tapping other experts to evaluate alternative products and provide recommendations could also help with the process.

The 'True' Story

According to the statement from the smart stickers' manufacturer, Body Vibes, the company was also a victim of misinformation.

"We apologize to NASA, Goop, our customers and our fans for this communication error. We never intended to mislead anyone. We have learned that our engineer was misinformed by a distributor about the material in question," the company said in a statement.

It also claimed accountability for not doing proper research with regard to the distributor's claims, which led to its blunder. However, the company still assures consumers that the product is still effective despite not having an actual spacesuit material in the bio-frequency health stickers.

The company also removed the claim from its own website.

Shady Frequencies

AlphaBioCentrix, the biotech company behind bio-frequency merchandise, was not at all helpful in legitimizing the health benefits of such products.

"Without going into a long explanation ... I found a way to tap into the human body's bio-frequency ... Most of the research that has been collected is confidential and is held as company private information," AlphaBioCentrix founder Richard Eaton said.

Basically, there is no way science can back up the claims if the "researchers" don't even want to show any data. It could be real, but it could also be just another hype or future regret.

 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
The Parker County Sheriff's Office has arrested Cynthia Marie Randolph after further investigation into her children's "accidental" death revealed that it was actually a deadly lesson she subjected the toddlers.

Randolph's confession came after a nearly month-long investigation where she gave inconsistent accounts of the events leading to the death of her two children, 2-year-old Juliet and 16-month old Cavanaugh, who were found inside a hot car on the afternoon of May 26.

Randolph was charged with two counts of first-degree felony for injury to a child causing serious bodily injury and is being kept at Parker County Jail with a $200,000 bond.

Inconsistent Accounts

According to the PCSO investigators, Randolph was quick to say that her children could not have been locked inside her 2010 Honda Crosstour for more than an hour before she came to the rescue and called medics to the scene on that hot May afternoon.

After all, Randolph said she was only folding laundry while her kids were playing in their sun porch for about half an hour before they went missing. Randolph said she searched the premises for about another half an hour before she found them unconscious inside her locked car, which was parked out on their driveway. She quickly broke the window and called for medical attention but it was already too late because both children were pronounced dead at the scene.

That was the first account.

As the investigation into the tragedy went along, investigators noted that Randolph was giving them different accounts of what happened that day and the inconsistencies were enough to suspect that something was amiss.

Randolph finally confessed what really happened that afternoon during her final interview on June 23, leading to her arrest.

A Deadly Lesson

During her final interview, Randolph admitted that she was really the one who locked her children inside the car on that 96-degree Fahrenheit afternoon, but it was only to teach her kids a lesson. She also confessed that she broke her car windows to support her first story.

According to Randolph's final account, she found her children playing inside her car around noon and she immediately told her daughter to " Stop your s-t" and get out of the car.

The child refused to obey her order so she decided to shut the door and lock it to teach Juliet a lesson, convinced that her 2-year old could just open the doors and get out with her brother when she grew tired of playing inside.

As for Randolph, she decided to go back inside the house, smoke marijuana, and take a two or three-hour nap. When she woke up hours later, she discovered that both her children were still inside the car and were already unconscious.

She called paramedics and broke her car window to make it look like an accident.

Reminder From Experts

Experts say that children overheat four times quicker than adults and could die once their body temperature reaches 107 degrees. Inside a fully enclosed space, such as a locked car, 96 degrees can quickly rise to deadly levels in minutes.

Current data on heatstroke record 700 child deaths inside hot vehicles for the past 20 years. This type of death is fully preventable and adults should take necessary measure to ensure that their kids don't become a part of the statistic.

 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Google is now entertaining requests of users who want to remove their private medical records online from search results.

Of course, this is one surefire way to address online safety and privacy, especially at a time when hackers tend to target the networks of numerous medical facilities or related peripherals across the globe.

How To Remove Your Private Medical Records

Before getting into the nitty-gritty details, it should be mentioned that Google recently updated its policy in removing online content from Google, which now includes "confidential, personal medical records of private people."

Basically, what you want to do here is send proof to Google that your personal data is turning up in the search results and get in touch with the company to take it down.

Step 1: Double-check whether or not your private medical records are indeed online. To do this, simply search for your name on Google Search.

Note: Arguably, the best time to check is when news about hackers breaching medical facilities' networks make the headlines.

Step 2: Copy and save the URL of a website where you found your details.

Step 3: Head to Google's support page for taking down online content and make the request official.

Step 4: At the bottom of the page, click on "Remove information you see in Google Search" and answer the rest of queries accordingly. At the end of it all, provide the URL containing your personal records.

Note: If that support page doesn't exactly fit the bill, you can head on over to Google's legal support page for removing content, which offers more options to report.

Why You Should Ask Google To Remove Your Private Medical Records

As a rule of thumb, the less info you have on the internet, the less likely you are to become a victim of cybercrimes.

Back in August 2015, personal details of 3.9 million people got leaked online, leaving the victims vulnerable to hackers.

In other words, they were at risk of having their identities and banking and credit card info stolen, and they could've even had their medical information sold or used by other individuals and get denied medical attention due to debts.

The Bottom Line

To sum things up, Google is expanding the types of content it'll remove from the search results, with the latest addition to the policy for private medical records.

It should be pointed out that users can have all sorts of sensitive info taken down as long as it's under the company's guidelines.

"You can ask Google to remove your sensitive personal information, like your bank account number, or an image of your handwritten signature, or a nude or sexually explicit image or video of you that's been shared without your consent, from Google search results," Google says.

With all said and done, staying safe and keeping your personal info private on the internet should be a top priority, as you can never know what hackers or unscrupulous users will do when they have your details.

Have you faced some online trouble before? If so, feel free to drop by our comments section below and let us know.

 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi today arrived in Washington's Joint Base Andrews ahead of his first meeting with US President Donald Trump.

By India Today Web Desk: Prime Minister Narendra Modi today arrived in Washington's Joint Base Andrews ahead of his widely-anticipated meeting with US President Donald Trump on Monday, kicking off the second leg of his three-nation tour of Portugal, the US, and the Netherlands.

PM Modi was received by Indian ambassador Navtej Sarna and Charge d'Affaires at US Embassy in Delhi MaryKay Loss Carlson.

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The Indian Embassy in the United States sent out a welcome tweet for PM Modi, posting a picture of the Air India One landing at Joint Base Andrews.

"Touchdown! Wait is over, Celebrations begin! PM @narendramodi on US soil", the Indian embassy in the United States tweeted along with a picture of the Air India One landing at Joint Base Andrews.

Touchdown! Wait is over, Celebrations begin! PM @narendramodi on US soil???????? pic.twitter.com/vdpjY0ADtb- India in USA (@IndianEmbassyUS) June 25, 2017

Modi will meet with top CEOs later today. He'll also deliver his monthly radio address - Mann Ki Baat - live from the US capital.

On Monday, Donald Trump and Modi will sit down for a working dinner - Trump's first with a foreign leader at the White House - after a day of talks.

White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer said the two leaders "will discuss ongoing cooperation, including counterterrorism, defence partnership in the Indo-Pacific region, global cooperation, burden-sharing, trade, law enforcement and energy."

Ahead of PM Modi's arrival, Indians gathered at the air base to welcome him, and were filmed chanting "Modi, Modi" and "Bharat Mata ki Jai."

#WATCH Indians gather at Joint Base Andrews, Washington DC to welcome PM Narendra Modi chant "Modi-Modi" and "Bharat Mata ki jai" pic.twitter.com/wuKz0gv0fI

The PM met with some of those who'd come to see him.

PM Narendra Modi meeting people from Indian community at the Joint Base Andrews, Washington DC pic.twitter.com/GjrgBGFmqL- ANI (@ANI_news) June 25, 2017

Modi left New Delhi on Saturday on a three-nation tour that took him first to Portugal. He reached Portugal on Saturday ahead of his visit to the US and will visit the Netherlands on June 27 on the way back home.

Indian Foreign Secretary S. Jaishankar flew into Washington ahead of Modi's visit to meet senior officials in the Trump administration and to lay the groundwork for the Modi-Trump meeting.

On Friday, Jaishankar met US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and both sides focused on areas of convergence.

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Indian envoy to the US Navtej Sarna has termed Modi's visit a "great opportunity for the two leaders to know each other". He said Modi will meet the top 20 CEOs of the US during the visit.

ALSO READ | US President Donald Trump calls PM Narendra Modi a true friend, says he looks forward to his visit

ALSO READ | When Narendra Modi meets Donald Trump: An India First vs America First affair

ALSO READ | Narendra Modi leaves for 3-nation tour, will be first world leader to meet Donald Trump for White House dinner

ALSO READ | This is what PM Modi has to say about his first meeting with President Trump

ALSO WATCH | PM Modi to visit United States on June 26, will discuss Indo-US ties with Trump

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in USA from Portugal on Sunday, on the second leg of his three-nation tour, that will also take him to the Netherlands.

By India Today Web Desk: Narendra Modi today arrived in Washington's Joint Base Andrews where the Indian community came in large numbers to welcome the prime minister. "Modi, Modi" reverberates in dusky D.C. Skies," the Indian Embassy in the US tweeted.

Modi arrived in Washington from Portugal today, on the second leg of his three-nation tour, that will also take him to the Netherlands. Modi will meet with top CEOs later today.

Credits: PMO India

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PM Modi was received by Indian ambassador Navtej Sarna and Charge d'Affaires at US Embassy in Delhi MaryKay Loss Carlson.

Talks between Narendra Modi and Donald Trump in what would be their first face-to-face meeting would focus on ongoing cooperation, including counter-terrorism and defence partnership in the Indo-Pacific region, besides trade and law enforcement, White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer has said.

Spicer said that talks between the two leaders on Monday would be "robust".

"... The President and the Prime Minister will discuss ongoing cooperation, including counterterrorism, defence partnership in the Indo-Pacific region, global cooperation, burden-sharing, trade, law enforcement, and energy. I think it's going to be a very robust discussion," he said at his regular briefing on Friday.

Modi left New Delhi on Saturday on a three-nation tour that took him first to Portugal. He reached Portugal on Saturday ahead of his visit to the US and will visit the Netherlands on June 27 on the way back home. Earlier in Portugal, Prime Minister Narendra Modi met people from five Gujarati families who prepared the lunch that was hosted by Prime Minister Antonia Costa.

Earlier in Portugal, PM @narendramodi met people from 5 Gujarati families who prepared the lunch that was hosted by Mr. @antoniocostapm. pic.twitter.com/JUAkLUgx5C- PMO India (@PMOIndia) June 25, 2017

Indian Foreign Secretary S. Jaishankar flew into Washington ahead of Modi's visit to meet senior officials in the Trump administration and to lay the groundwork for the Modi-Trump meeting.

On Friday, Jaishankar met US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and both sides focused on areas of convergence.

Indian envoy to the US Navtej Sarna has termed Modi's visit a "great opportunity for the two leaders to know each other". He said Modi will meet the top 20 CEOs of the US during the visit.

PM MODI NO STRANGER TO JOINT BASE ANDREWS

PM Narendra Modi is no stranger to Washington D.C. As the head of the Indian Government, this is his fourth visit to the American capital.

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"We are here to welcome the Prime Minister. We will be delighted to meet him," said an expat, just before the arrival of Prime Minister Modi. "We expect a lot from Prime Minister Modi. We think he is a great leader. So I came to see and meet him," said another.

The Andrews Air Force base is located a few miles south east of Washington D.C. and is the home of the 89th Airlift (AMC) and parking spot for the US Presidential Aircraft, Air Force One. Indian Prime Ministers like other heads of state and government are received at this airport.

Americans have bitter sweet memories of the Andrews Air Force base.

It was at this airport on November 22, 1963 that the body of one of the most loved of American Presidents, John F. Kennedy, arrived after he was shot dead in Dallas, Texas. Thousands of people had gathered to witness the lowering down of the coffin of their beloved president, accompanied by a grieving Jacqueline Kennedy.

It was at this airport in 1981 that US hostages arrived from Tehran, Iran, marking the end of President Carter's tenure and the dawn of the Reagan era.

Indian Prime Ministers and Presidents have arrived here since the 1960's though the commercial National Airport in the heart of the city is more conveniently located.

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A frequent flier Prime Minister Modi flew in after a full day of events in Portugal.

Having made 62 trips to 46 countries in the past three years of his tenure, the Prime Minister never betrays signs of reducing the pace of his travels or appointments during his visits.

He was here in D.C. in September 2014 a few months after taking oath as India's 14th Prime Minister. That visit was all about getting to know President Obama. Both were considered outsiders in their respective country capitals, but President Obama had made himself comfortable in Washington D.C. in his second term by the time Modi arrived.

The 2014 visit however will be remembered for the historic Madison Square Garden event in New York where thousands thronged to see and hear the Modi phenomenon. The American capital was overshadowed.

The one thing that stood out though was President Obama and Prime Minister Modi at the Martin Luther King memorial which the Washington Post reported as "a touch of diplomatic poetry".

In 2015, Prime Minister Modi skipped D.C., but went to New York and San Fransico. The 'jadu ki jhappi' with Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg and rocking the Silicon Valley with an all out push for Digital India made a powerful impact on the West Coast.

But Prime Minister Modi is not doing a repeat of that destination in 2017, what with the H-1B visa paranoia that has gripped the expat Indian community.

In 2016, Prime Minister Modi visited Washington D.C. twice, taking everyone by surprise.

America was in the thick of a contentious election campaign, President Obama was completing his final term in office and there was little hope for any major changes to the relationship or shift in approaches.

But Prime Minister Modi visited the American capital in March 2016 for the Nuclear Security Summit and then again for two days in June for a state visit.

By now President Obama and Prime Minister Modi had struck a personal rapport built over several meetings at various international summits around the globe.

June 2016 was an au revouir or 'phir milenge kabhi' by the Indian Prime Minister to Barack Obama.

The two are not scheduled to meet in the two days that Prime Minister Modi will be in D.C.

Prime Minister Modi will be staying at the Waldorf Astoria, the preferred hotel of all Indian Prime Ministers. It is located just two blocks from the White House and a few blocks from the Capitol Hill, making it convenient for dignitaries to hop in and out for meetings without disrupting traffic during 'movements'.

The ornate hotel traces its history to 1816, but was rebuilt and refurbished several times. Martin Luther King is said to have written his famous 'I have a dream' speech here.

The Willard is famous for its bar, the Round Robin, which is frequented by lobbyists and literary giants including heads of state and government. Strike Prime Minister Modi out of that list. Or for that matter former prime ministers Dr. Manmohan Singh and Atal Behari Vajpayee, both of who have stayed at this hotel.

The Indian Embassy sets up a media room in the hotel when the Prime Minister visits this city. Press briefings are held here by the Ambassador, Foreign Secretary and on one occasion was held by Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh.

(Inputs from ANI and IANS)

advertisement Also Read:

PM Narendra Modi arrives in Washington ahead of meeting with Trump, top CEOs

PM Modi thanks Portugal for backing India's UN Security Council membership bid

Also Watch:

PM Modi to visit United States on June 26, will discuss Indo-US ties with Trump

PM MODI NO STRANGER TO JOINT BASE ANDREWS PM Narendra Modi is no stranger to Washington D.C. As the head of the Indian Government, this is his fourth visit to the American capital.

--- ENDS ---
By Press Trust of India: New Delhi, Jun 25 (PTI) In the high-profile NSE co- location case, markets regulator Sebi wants its forensic audit to quantify unlawful gains made by some brokers, allegedly in connivance with the exchange officials, which may put in limbo a settlement plea proposed by the bourse.

There is a strong view within Sebi that settlement should not be considered at the moment as the case relates to a top market infrastructure institution and its outcome may have a significant impact on investor sentiments about regulatory framework in India, a top official said.

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When contacted, a spokesperson for NSE (National Stock Exchange) declined to comment on the status of the settlement plea, saying the bourse would not want to say anything on a matter between the exchange and the regulator.

Sources maintained however that any settlement is unlikely at this juncture as the case is under the scanner of various regulators.

They said Sebi has already decided to get an independent forensic audit done to quantify the alleged unlawful gains made by some brokers as probes conducted by NSE itself and through an exchange-appointed auditor have failed to answer some very important points.

The regulator will also engage with various shareholders of the exchange as well as with the government and other major stakeholders in the capital market given the enormity of the case, sources added.

The Securities and Exchange Board of India is looking to complete its probe at the earliest in the matter, which was first brought to its notice in 2015 by a whistleblower but the investigation gained pace only in the recent months.

The case relates to some brokers allegedly getting preferential access through co-location facility at the NSE, early login and dark fiber, which can allow a trader a split- second faster access to data feed of an exchange.

Even a split-second faster access is considered to result in huge gains for a trader.

Pending investigations, Sebi has directed that all revenues emanating from co-location facility including the transaction charges on the trades executed through co-location facility be placed in a separate bank account.

Accordingly, NSE has transferred Rs 375.51 crore to a separate account for September 2016 to March 2017 period. The regulator also wants to ascertain what component of this amount could have had an impact on the alleged preferential access to some brokers, sources said.

The probe is already casting its shadow on the long- pending Rs 10,000 crore initial public offer of the exchange, while it has already seen a flurry of top-to-medium level executive exits.

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NSEs Vice Chairman and former CEO Ravi Narain also had to quit. He was among the last from the key senior-level team that was instrumental in setting up the exchange which began operations in 1994. The others from the startup team included Chitra Ramkrishna, who quit as CEO in December last year.

While the exchanges first chief R H Patil is no more, among the other members of the startup team Ashishkumar Chauhan is now CEO of rival BSE, while K Kumar is heading Indian Clearing Corporation Ltd (a subsidiary of BSE Ltd).

Another member of the five-member team was Raghavan Putran, who later went on to work with some group entities of the NSE. However, it could not be ascertained whether he is still with the group.

Sebi has recently issued 14 show-cause notices in the co-location case including to the NSE, Narain and Ramkrishna.

In its notice, Sebi has observed that the exchange did not co-operate with it or the forensic auditor appointed by NSE on the regulators direction. Also, it failed to provide the requisite information sought by Sebi, the regulator said.

"NSE has failed to ensure trading in transparent, fair and open manner and has therefore failed to fulfill the main object with which it was incorporated," the notice said.

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Earlier, the NSE had appointed forensic auditors on the direction of Sebi to look into the issues related to the co- location issue.

Some staff members allegedly told the forensic auditors appointed by the NSE that they acted on "advice from seniors" regarding preferential access for some to the co-location facility.

The exchange has now approached the regulator to settle the matter under the consent mechanism, which allows settling pending proceedings with Sebi after payment of certain fee and other expenses without admission or denial of any wrongdoing in certain cases.

Earlier this month, NSE Chairman Ashok Chawla had said the exchange is in the process of "settling fully and finally" with Sebi some legacy issues.

Sebi chief Ajay Tyagi said last week that the markets regulator will engage a forensic auditor for its ongoing probe into the NSE co-location case to ascertain whether brokers made unfair gains in connivance with the exchange officials. PTI SP BJ SA SBT

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The citizens also called for the drafting of a new constitution and the resignation of Attorney General Patricia Benavides. | Read More
By Press Trust of India: (Eds: Updating with additional quotes in para 4)

New Delhi, Jun 25 (PTI) In the high-profile NSE co- location case, markets regulator Sebi wants its forensic audit to quantify unlawful gains made by some brokers, allegedly in connivance with the exchange officials, which may put in limbo a settlement plea proposed by the bourse.

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There is a strong view within Sebi that settlement should not be considered at the moment as the case relates to a top market infrastructure institution and its outcome may have a significant impact on investor sentiments about regulatory framework in India, a top official said.

When contacted, a spokesperson for NSE (National Stock Exchange) declined to comment on the status of the settlement plea, saying the bourse would not want to say anything on a matter between the exchange and the regulator.

Sources aware about NSEs thinking said the work is on for the consent settlement, and the exchange on its part is also working out the quantifiable gains made by brokers, if any. They also said Sebi has welcomed consent mechanism in many cases before, and that is a positive sign.

Regulatory sources maintained, however, that any settlement is unlikely at this juncture as the case is under the scanner of various regulators.

They said Sebi has already decided to get an independent forensic audit done to quantify the alleged unlawful gains made by some brokers as probes conducted by NSE itself and through an exchange-appointed auditor have failed to answer some very important points.

The regulator will also engage with various shareholders of the exchange as well as with the government and other major stakeholders in the capital market given the enormity of the case, sources added.

The Securities and Exchange Board of India is looking to complete its probe at the earliest in the matter, which was first brought to its notice in 2015 by a whistleblower but the investigation gained pace only in the recent months.

The case relates to some brokers allegedly getting preferential access through co-location facility at the NSE, early login and dark fiber, which can allow a trader a split- second faster access to data feed of an exchange.

Even a split-second faster access is considered to result in huge gains for a trader.

Pending investigations, Sebi has directed that all revenues emanating from co-location facility including the transaction charges on the trades executed through co-location facility be placed in a separate bank account.

advertisement

Accordingly, NSE has transferred Rs 375.51 crore to a separate account for September 2016 to March 2017 period. The regulator also wants to ascertain what component of this amount could have had an impact on the alleged preferential access to some brokers, sources said.

The probe is already casting its shadow on the long- pending Rs 10,000 crore initial public offer of the exchange, while it has already seen a flurry of top-to-medium level executive exits.

NSEs Vice Chairman and former CEO Ravi Narain also had to quit. He was among the last from the key senior-level team that was instrumental in setting up the exchange which began operations in 1994. The others from the startup team included Chitra Ramkrishna, who quit as CEO in December last year.

While the exchanges first chief R H Patil is no more, among the other members of the startup team Ashishkumar Chauhan is now CEO of rival BSE, while K Kumar is heading Indian Clearing Corporation Ltd (a subsidiary of BSE Ltd).

Another member of the five-member team was Raghavan Putran, who later went on to work with some group entities of the NSE. However, it could not be ascertained whether he is still with the group.

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Sebi has recently issued 14 show-cause notices in the co-location case including to the NSE, Narain and Ramkrishna.

In its notice, Sebi has observed that the exchange did not co-operate with it or the forensic auditor appointed by NSE on the regulators direction. Also, it failed to provide the requisite information sought by Sebi, the regulator said.

"NSE has failed to ensure trading in transparent, fair and open manner and has therefore failed to fulfill the main object with which it was incorporated," the notice said.

Earlier, the NSE had appointed forensic auditors on the direction of Sebi to look into the issues related to the co- location issue.

Some staff members allegedly told the forensic auditors appointed by the NSE that they acted on "advice from seniors" regarding preferential access for some to the co-location facility.

The exchange has now approached the regulator to settle the matter under the consent mechanism, which allows settling pending proceedings with Sebi after payment of certain fee and other expenses without admission or denial of any wrongdoing in certain cases.

advertisement

Earlier this month, NSE Chairman Ashok Chawla had said the exchange is in the process of "settling fully and finally" with Sebi some legacy issues.

Sebi chief Ajay Tyagi said last week that the markets regulator will engage a forensic auditor for its ongoing probe into the NSE co-location case to ascertain whether brokers made unfair gains in connivance with the exchange officials. PTI SP BJ SA SBT BAL

--- ENDS ---
Last month we wrote about the Burritt Opera House fire in 1935. Fast-forward 12 years, and another devastating fire took place practically next door at the Presbyterian church. This conflagration occurred in mid-February of 1947, during the winter's worst blizzard.

Firemen were summoned in a general alarm at 1:05 p.m. by twin brothers Paul and Charles Gifford, of Bell Street. Both were Navy veterans and members of the congregation who heard an explosion and saw smoke pouring from the basement as they were walking by. Firemen shortly surrounded the church with five hose lines and two booster lines, but found it difficult to battle the blaze because of the heavy smoke rolling outward from windows and doors. They were also hampered by a stiff, cold west wind that churned falling snow and froze the spray from their hoses into solid ice.

At times, the smoke was rolling from the front of the church in the direction of Liberty Street in such denseness that visibility on Seneca Street was zero. Firemen bumped into each other as they tried to work within the smoke screen. The most stubborn part of the blaze was in a rear addition to the auditorium housing the pipe organ, which had been installed in 1908 as a gift of the late Andrew Carnegie. Flames flared upwards into the mechanism and chambers of the organ, which was a total loss of at least $35,000. At about 4 p.m. it was deemed safe to enter the building to survey the loss. Many of the commemorative stained glass windows were damaged or destroyed, and the altar was severely damaged. Pews and hymnals were ruined by fire or water.

The church boasted the first electric chandelier in the village, which was virtually destroyed in the fire. The Presbyterians saved the pieces of that chandelier and, a few years ago, they gave the remnants of the fixture to our museum. We were able to obtain a grant and had it restored, and it now graces our meeting room. The First Baptist Church immediately offered the use of its fellowship building for the use of the Presbyterians to worship in. In due time, the building was repaired and restored. However, the pipe organ was replaced with an electric organ. The work and efforts of the firemen were praised by the pastor, congregation and townsfolk in general.
By Press Trust of India: Bajwa

By Sajjad Hussain

Islamabad, Jun 5 (PTI) Pakistan has done its "best and maximum" in the fight against terrorism and it is now time for other "stakeholders" especially Afghanistan to do more, the Army chief has asserted days after devastating twin blasts in a market in Parachinar area of Kurram tribal district.

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Army chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa, who chaired a high- level meeting in Rawalpindi last night to review the security situation, said Pakistan has sacrificed a lot in the fight against terrorism since 9/11 but "unfortunately our sacrifices against terrorism are not well acknowledged".

"Pakistan has done its best and maximum in the fight against terrorism. It is time now for other stakeholders, especially Afghanistan, to do more,? he said.

Pakistan army in an overnight statement blamed "the RAWs network in Afghanistan" for the recent terror attacks in the country.

"The COAS was briefed in detail about the recent incidents and their manifest linkages with terrorist sanctuaries in Afghanistan operating under the patronage of NDS (Afghanistan?s National Directorate of Security) and the RAW (Research and Analysis Wing),? the army said.

He said that Pakistan will not allow its land "to be used against any other country".

Meanwhile, the death toll in the devastating twin blasts that tore through a market crowded with people shopping for Eid in minority Shia dominated Parachinar area of Pakistans Kurram tribal district rose to 67.

The blasts on the last Friday of the holy month of Ramazan targeted people shopping in the area and those heading out of the city ahead of Eid. PTI SH PMS AKJ PMS

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East Baton Rouge Parishs experience with school secession movements might seem exceptional, but it turns out the parish has plenty of company. A national report catalogs 71 such efforts across the country, 47 of them successful, since the year 2000.

Baker, Central and Zachary school districts are three of the successes, all breaking away from the parish school system in 2003 and 2007. The fourth and best-known effort, the St. George incorporation drive, a precursor to creating a breakaway school district was unsuccessful, but supporters have vowed to try again.

Most states set a much lower legal bar than Louisiana in forming new school districts, according to the report released Wednesday titled Fractured: The Breakdown of Americas School Districts.

Jersey City, New Jersy-based EdBuild, which produced the 40-page study, is critical of the secession trend, calling it a a new, twenty-first-century approach to segregation.

In particular, EdBuild questions the financial cost of creating these new, typically small and less-efficient school districts, the drain on the finances of the districts left behind and the resulting exacerbation of socioeconomic and racial disparities. The nonprofit calls on the federal government and, failing that, the states, to police school secession efforts to make them harder to create and to limit any negative effects.

This is not just a story of neighbors divided in a self-interested society; rather, it could be better characterized as a story of a broken system of laws that fracture and of policies that have failed to protect the most vulnerable, the report concludes.

EdBuild notes the unsuccessful St. George incorporation effort, as well as successful secessions in Memphis, Tennessee, and Yuma, Colorado. In the Memphis case, six communities broke away in 2014 from the Shelby County school system to create new districts.

The nonprofit EdBuild, which formed in 2014, has previously issued reports on inequities in public school funding. While researching one of those reports, Rebecca Sibilia, chief executive officer of EdBuild, became interested in a controversial secession effort in Birmingham, Alabama, and decided the subject was worth a closer look.

As far as we are aware, this is the first compilation of state policies on secession, Sibilia said

As part of that research, EdBuild began an analysis at what happened in East Baton Rouge Parish.

What surprised us was the persistence of these efforts, Sibilia said.

The secessions in East Baton Rouge all took years of effort: Baker, eight years; Central, six years; and Zachary, four. The St. George movement is five years old, growing out of a more modest southeast Baton Rouge school separation effort launched in 2012.

Overhaul defeat latest in string of setbacks Major bills to revamp the East Baton Rouge Parish school system have died six times in the L

What makes this persistence more remarkable, Sibilia said, is that Louisiana has one of toughest paths in the country to creating independent school districts.

While Louisiana has no state law or policy on school secessions, the state requires amending the state constitution before it will fund new school districts. The only other states with that requirement are Florida and Georgia.

In Louisiana, amending the constitution means approval of two-thirds of the Legislature then successfully winning a public vote both statewide and in the parish where the school district seeks to form.

Organizers of the St. George effort were following the lead of Central, which first sought to incorporate as a municipality to give it more clout in winning the legislative vote.

In most states, school district secessions are a lot easier. Thirty states, EdBuild found, have statutes laying out how these secessions occur. Of those, only Ohio requires the blessing of the state Legislature.

In all others, secessions can happen through some combination of administrative approval and at the will of the local community through citizen action, according to the report.

A few of those states have established safeguards to protect against the potential negative effects of such breakaways, EdBuild found. Nine states call for consideration of the fiscal impact of new districts. Six states look at whether the new districts will be financially efficient. Six more require consideration of how the splits will affect racial and socioeconomic diversity. Only California, Nebraska and Wyoming call for consideration of all three.

Roy Heidelberg, an assistant professor of public administration at LSU, said Louisiana should consider establishing a state policy on school secessions and review the safeguards other states have instituted.

Given that youve seen more and more of these, it seems the Legislature should be considering how to handle this so that we dont impoverish other districts, Heidelberg said.

Business leaders launch campaign against St. George proposal Baton Rouge business leaders are gearing up for a campaign to educate the public about what 

Heidelberg helped write a series of reports starting in 2012, along with LSU economics professor Jim Richardson, looking at the financial impact of the proposed city of St. George and related school independence proposals. Heidelberg said laying out a process for paying off the debt of the departed district also would be helpful.

When approached for comment about the EdBuild report, Norman Browning, a leader in the Committee for the Incorporation of St. George, said he had no comment.

Belinda Davis, president of the group One Community, One School District, which formed to fight St. George, said shed like state law to require divvying up of legacy costs, the cost associated with retirees from the school district left behind.

(Legacy costs) create financial liability in the original district that is very hard to deal with, Davis said.

Rising retiree legacy costs a growing concern In the accounting world, they are known as legacy costs  costsassociated with retirees w

Pat Smith echoed Davis. Smith fought against school breakaway efforts first as a member of the East Baton Rouge Parish School Board and more recently as a state representative. She recalls getting nowhere trying to get breakaway advocates to pay for legacy costs.

They were just like, Thats not our problem,  Smith recalled.

Smith said shes distressed by the decline of interest in the importance of diversity in public education.

People right now are in this mode of individualism more than inclusion, she said. I hate to see it that way. Because when you look at how a school district thrives, its through inclusion, not through separation.

Creating a new school district is not only way communities can gain more local control.

For instance, in 2012, Heidelberg and Richardson suggested a process by which East Baton Rouge Parish could allow greater autonomy to different communities short of full separation. Specifically, the parish would have a "unitary" financial system in which the entire community pays into a pool and money is distributed through a formula to more autonomous school entities. New Orleans employs a variation on this method to fund its array of independent charter schools.

Sibelia said EdBuild did not take a stand on various alternative governance proposals in developing its latest report.

There are a lot of ways to get more local control without pulling your money out of a tax base that is intended to serve all students, Sibelia said.
Gov. John Bel Edwards is facing the first of several key decisions centered on a single question: Should he try to gain more leverage over the Legislature by selectively punishing several of the lawmakers who thwarted his initiatives on the budget and taxes this year?

The governor will have the opportunity to strike at those he labels obstructionists when he decides this week whether to veto any projects in House Bill 2, which lists all of the infrastructure projects  roads, bridges, sidewalks, sewer systems and the like  scheduled to receive state construction dollars for the new budget year that begins on July 1.

Edwards will have further opportunities to take action against lawmakers in July, and also later in the year, when he decides which projects to forward to the State Bond Commission to approve the actual funding. He can withhold money for specific projects in HB2, which gives him enormous power since the projects allow Republicans and Democrats alike to win a reputation back home as doers in Baton Rouge. Doers generally win re-election.

With those political dynamics, governors and their senior advisers have traditionally used the threat of killing a hometown project to encourage uncooperative legislators to fall into line on key votes. In his first year, Edwards, a Democrat, used that weapon sparingly  to the dismay of some of his Democratic allies in the state House. The states budget problems, which left him with less money to spend on local construction projects, limited the governors ability to punish recalcitrant lawmakers.

In May, midway through this years 60-day regular session, House Democrats were complaining that the governor was crowding out their requests for new projects by continuing to fund projects that had been begun under Gov. Bobby Jindal, a Republican, in mostly Republican-held districts. Late in the session, however, the governor agreed to steer more projects to Democratic districts.

Now, many of Edwards allies believe that the governor should use his leverage to send a message to Republicans in the state House that they need to support his efforts to raise more revenue. The governor wants more money for the states colleges and universities, the prison system and K-12 schools. He also wants to expand health care for the poor and disabled and provide pay raises to state workers, especially those who receive low salaries.

The budget that the Legislature passed in the special session earlier this month provided extra funding in those areas, but it took 14 Republicans in the House breaking ranks with the Republican majority leadership for the bill to pass. It was a hard-won victory for Edwards, coming after conservatives repeatedly blocked his efforts to raise much more money.

State Rep. Sam Jones, D-Franklin, is midway through his third and final term in the House. Before that, he was a top aide to Gov. Kathleen Blanco and previously served as the mayor of Franklin in St. Mary Parish. Jones, who is close to Edwards and sponsored an unpopular tax bill for him this year, has an unsentimental view of what Republicans ought to expect.

If you want less government and thats how you voted, then thats probably what youre going to get, Jones said. At some point, youve got to square up with the idea that theres no private entity and theres no excess dollars to apply to dredging of the ports and fixing the highways. That is a governmental, public responsibility. If your answer is hell no all the time, it should be no surprise that you dont get anything for your district.

To be sure, any aggressive moves by Edwards will likely prompt outcries by Republicans that hes engaging in partisan payback.

You ought to spend your money where you have the biggest need rather than politically, said state Sen. Sharon Hewitt, R-Slidell. I-12 comes to a dead stop in St. Tammany every day because theres not enough capacity. Its the fastest growing parish in the state. Theres tremendous growth in the Madisonville area. Those are infrastructure needs that ought to be addressed. With growth comes traffic. Weve outgrown our infrastructure.

Hewitt voted against the final version of the state budget because, she said, she favored spending less than the available money in case of yet another midyear budget shortfall. So why should the governor send money to her district when she favors less spending?

Why shouldnt the people working hard to get cuts be rewarded for their efforts? she said.

Inside the State Capitol, state construction spending is known as capital outlay. When asked what Edwards might do, Matthew Block, Edwards executive counsel, said: The governor has made a commitment to right-size the capital outlay process. Our priorities are roads, ports and deferred maintenance (for state buildings). Thats the message the governor will try to send.

Timmy Teepell served as Jindals first chief of staff and earned a reputation for playing political hardball. Now mostly working for Republican candidates around the country while based in Baton Rouge, Teepell warned that governors have to be careful in how they respond to those who arent their natural allies.

The role of governor is to bring people together, Teepell said. If youre not careful in politics, your enemies will accumulate and then you find its hard to get anything done. He (Edwards) has a lot of power as governor. He needs to be judicious in how he uses it. He needs to focus on persuading, not punishing.

In fact, in the immediate aftermath of the special session, Edwards has said he wants to generate a consensus with state legislators on how to address, at an upcoming special session, a looming $1.2 billion budget deficit known as the fiscal cliff. Finding a solution to that problem  which stems mostly from the scheduled expiration of a temporary sales tax  escaped lawmakers during the regular session. So Edwards will have to balance any moves he makes against Republican projects with the need to gain their support to eliminate the deficit, which will hit on July 1, 2018.

Another factor for Edwards to consider as he weighs his moves on the infrastructure projects: a single lash of the governors whip can be effective.

In a celebrated instance, Blanco and then-Speaker Joe Salter sent a warning shot across the bow of other legislators by removing then-state Rep. Troy Hebert in 2004 as chairman of the Insurance Committee after Hebert voted against them on a major tax bill.

Afterward, Jones recalled one lawmaker asking him, worriedly, whether he might lose his seat on the prized Appropriations Committee. The lawmaker had voted against Blanco on the tax bill. Id sleep lightly, Jones said he advised him.

It cured everyone, Jones concluded about the decision to remove Hebert.

Blanco, who faced the same decision as Edwards on HB2 during her four years as governor, said she favored helping those who helped her.

You dont reward your children when they have defied you, said Blanco, who is a mother of six. You reward them when they have behaved appropriately. Of course, legislators arent children, but the principles are the same.

Regarding Edwards decision on HB2, she added, If I did it, it would be very selective. Its not good policy to veto everything or to do it with great abandon and make it known publicly that youre punishing someone.

Buddy Roemer, who was governor from 1988 through 1992, agreed with Blanco.

He should concentrate on a project that saves him enough but sends a message of opposition and doesnt do damage to the state, Roemer said. It should have size, importance to the Legislature and can be delayed for a while.

The governor gets the most attention for the items that he vetoes in HB2, which Block said the governor will sign by June 30. Governors kill projects more quietly by withholding them in the list of projects for the Bond Commission to fund. Reporters rarely cover what the governor omits.

(Republicans also hold a majority in the state Senate, but under President John Alario, R-Westwego, the leadership is allied with the governor. HB2 is chock-full of projects for Alario's district.)

With attention focused on what Edwards might veto, the governor has mostly addressed the concerns of Democrats who feared that his adherence to continuing Jindal-era construction projects would leave little money for theirs.

The key meeting to resolve this issue occurred early on the morning of the final day of the legislative session, in the Capitols first-floor office of state Rep. Walt Leger III, D-New Orleans, and the speaker pro tem. Besides Leger, two other Democratic lawmakers attended: Rep. Gene Reynolds, of Minden, who chairs the partys House caucus, and Rep. Joe Bouie, of New Orleans, who chairs the Legislative Black Caucus. Representing the Edwards administration were Block; Jay Dardenne, who oversees state spending for the governor; and Mark Moses, who oversees the construction spending.

The six men reviewed a wish list of House Democrats.

After they were done, said Leger and Reynolds, the administration officials had agreed to add several projects to HB2 and move others already in the bill to a higher priority position to get funding.

We definitely got some additional projects, Leger said. That meeting will help us be more productive next year.

Before the meeting, Reynolds said, I had to listen to the pushback from my members  I didnt get this, I didnt get that. The governor is not listening. Afterwards, I could tell them, He is listening. (Bouie didnt return a phone call from The Advocate.)

State Rep. Robby Carter, D-Greensburg, who represents the district formerly held by Edwards, had wanted funding to move the police department in Amite, the governors hometown. It got $200,000.

State Rep. Dustin Miller, D-Lawtell, had wanted money to create the infrastructure for a new subdivision in Opelousas known as Opelousas Heights. It got $500,000.

Jones got $300,000 to renovate an old elementary school in Franklin.

You can go home, and other than one or two marquee bills, people have little idea how you voted, Jones said. But if you bring home a new road, a new overpass, a new boat landing, its tangible. People say, Look at Representative So-and-So, he does a good job.
As many as 151 people died after a massive oil tanker fire in Punjab, Pakistan. Pakistani media outlets reported that the tragedy occurred after an oil tanker overturned on a highway and locals gathered around the truck to collect spilled fuel.

An oil tanker in Bahawalpur caught fire after overturning on a highway (Photo tweeted by @SirRvindrJadeja)

By India Today Web Desk: As many as 151 people were killed and over 140 injured in an oil tanker fire and explosion in Punjab, Pakistan today morning.

The tragedy took place in Ahmedpur Sharqia in Punjab's Bahawalpur after the oil tanker overturned on a highway and locals gathered to collect fuel spilling from the tanker. The fuel then caught fire, apparently after someone lit a cigarette, causing a massive explosion that charred dozens of people to death.

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The death toll from the Bahawalpur oil tanker fire has been rising through the morning with the Associated Press reporting the latest number of 151. Rescue operations at that accident site ended shortly after noon.

Pakistani media reported that the injured were moved to the nearby Victoria Hospital and District Headquarters Hospital in critical condition. Several of those injured had suffered 70 per cent burn injuries.

The death toll is expected to rise, with Dunya News reporting that the Victoria Hospital lacks a burn unit, which is proving to be a hindrance in treating those injured.

Hospital workers carry in the first victims of a fuel tanker explosion in Bahawalpur at Nishtar hospital in Multan, Pakistan (Reuters)

According to Geo TV, dozens of cars and motorcycles parked in the vicinity were charred in the incident.

Dawn reported that two fire engines were involved in the rescue operations in Bahawalpur and according to Reuters, firefighters fought the flames for over two hours before extinguishing it.

The Bahawalpur incident is believed to have taken place after the oil tanker overturned while navigating a sharp turn on a highway.

The actual cause of the fire could have been a lit cigarette, a Pakistani official, speaking to news agency Reuters, said. "According to the initial reports, somebody tried to light a cigarette, and when the spilt fuel caught fire, leading to the tanker's explosion (sic)," Jam Sajjad Hussain, spokesman for the rescue workers service said.

'PEOPLE GATHERED TO COLLECT FUEL'

The high death toll could be put down to a crowd gathering around the tanker after it overturned. Multiple Pakistani outlets, including official broadcaster Pakistan Radio, reported that people from nearby localities in Bahawalpur rushed to the tanker in order to collect the spilled fuel.

A government official confirmed the reports. "People of the area and passersby had started gathering fuel when the tanker exploded, burning everybody on and around the spot," provincial government spokesman Malik Muhammad Ahmed Khan told Reuters.

Official broadcaster Radio Pakistan reported that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and President Mamnoon Hussain had expressed deep grief and sorrow over the tragic incident in Bahawalpur.

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"Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif has expressed deep grief over the heavy loss of life in the unfortunate accident of oil tanker fire at Ahmad Pur Sharqia, Bahawalpur," a statement form the PM's office read.

Major General Asif Ghafoor, the official spokesperson of Pakistani military, said that the Pakistan Army chief Qamar Javed Bajwa had expressed his grief in the lives lost in the oil tanker fire.

The Pakistani military has been directed to provide of full assistance to the civil administration in rescue and relief efforts, Ghafoor added. "Army Aviation helicopters sent for evacuation of casualties to hospitals/burn centres. Hospitals placed on high alert," Ghafoor added.

(With inputs from Hamza Amir in Islamabad and agencies)

ALSO READ | Pakistan: 62 killed, 100 injured in multiple attacks on eve of Eid

ALSO WATCH | At least 120 burn to death in oil tanker fire in Pakistan's Bahawalpur

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Among the unfortunate legacies of the administration of Gov. Bobby Jindal was the continual raiding of the state's highway funds to pay for the operating costs of State Police.

To his credit, Gov. John Bel Edwards has backed efforts in the Legislature to end the practice. The reality is that Jindal's budgets did not add up, and dedicated transportation funds had to be raided to fill one of the holes.

Today, the mistrust over whether "dedicated funds" are truly dedicated provided a ready excuse for lawmakers to reject a proposed gas tax that would have helped fix the state's roads and bridges.

Despite support from major business organizations, state Rep. Steve Carter, R-Baton Rouge, pulled his gasoline tax increase from the House calendar. Again and again, the issue of former raids on the trust fund was brought up.

True enough, but the complaints were a political smokescreen for lawmakers unwilling to pay the bills  just as many of them failed to do when they backed Jindal's smoke-and-mirrors budgets.

Legislators left the State Capitol with the same backlog of road and bridge repairs that should have been addressed with real money  an increase in the gasoline tax for the first time in 28 years.

Honest budgeting isn't enough when you are billions behind in repair of the existing road network  not just in the big-ticket capital projects needed for relief of traffic in Baton Rouge, New Orleans and other major centers.

The Louisiana chapter of the American Society of Civil Engineers reported before the session that the state's crumbling infrastructure needed attention. But ASCE reported the same thing in 2012, and lawmakers refused to address tax changes needed.

Kam Movassaghi, of ASCE, a former head of the state Department of Transportation and Development, said more funding is needed: "We are piecemealing it. There is no (funding) plan to address the state's infrastructure needs."

Good faith arguments can be made about what projects should be built, but a flat refusal to fund the basics of transportation is a dreadful statement by the Legislature.

The 2017 Legislature was a fiscal session, when tax increases are allowed to be considered. The next two years of the Legislature will be a general session in 2018, where taxes cannot be considered outside of a special session, and an election year session where legislators will be reluctant to take tough decisions in the spring of 2019, just before voters go to the polls.

Unless some political miracle intervenes, it will be 30 years of Louisiana rocking along with the same level of gasoline tax. The roads, bridges and other structures that earned a D-plus in the ASCE study are only going to get worse with time.

We hope voters will tell their legislators that today's traffic mess requires solutions, with real money. No more excuses.
Its just a few weeks until the field for the 2017 New Orleans mayors race will be set, and many of those watching the race develop still seem to be holding their breath.

Political observers, pundits, donors and the general public are looking at a field with three major candidates and a handful of less well-known names, waiting for it to expand.

Its an unusual situation for a city where mayors races  particularly those without an incumbent  typically draw a crowd and especially so in a year when a dozen high-profile names have been bandied about and no one appears to have opened up a commanding lead.

Theres no clear reason why an open seat in the citys top job isnt grabbing more interest from big-name candidates, though a lack of money or commitment from potential supporters looking for a wider field may play a role. And while late entries who go on to victory have become a New Orleans tradition recently, there are few indications of who such a candidate might be this year.

As it stands, only three well-known figures have begun campaigning to replace Mayor Mitch Landrieu, who cannot run again because of term limits. They are former Civil District Court Judge Michael Bagneris, City Councilwoman LaToya Cantrell and former Municipal Court Judge Desiree Charbonnet. There also are lesser-known candidates such as businessman Frank Scurlock and registered nurse Ed Bruski.

Thats a sharp departure from recent cycles that have seen candidates pile on for a chance to run for mayor without facing an incumbent.

Landrieu bested a field of 11 in 2010, and that was after his late entry caused a few other players to drop out. Before him, former Mayor Ray Nagin faced off against 14 candidates when he first ran in 2002, including Police Superintendent Richard Pennington, City Council members and judges.

(A change in the election schedule has advanced the date of the voting this time to late 2017 rather than early 2018.)

The relative lack of interest has many scratching their heads.

Its too early too tell, but it also demonstrates its a difficult job and its expensive to run, said former Mayor Marc Morial, whose first mayoral win in 1994 came over a field of nine other candidates. But Im surprised more people wouldnt take a shot and try to run because its a wide open race.

What started as a potentially crowded field at the beginning of the year has been whittled down, as various candidates who have toyed with the idea or been seen as likely contenders have chosen to take a pass. With the qualifying period, which runs from July 12 to 14, rapidly approaching, it remains to be seen whether anyone else decides to run.

I assume there are other candidates out there waiting and seeing how this develops, said Ed Chervenak, head of the University of New Orleans Survey Research Center. The last couple of cycles latecomers did fairly well. You shake up the race, you get in and all of a sudden you get all this attention and hopefully you carry that momentum into the election.

Late entrant possible

In recent years, New Orleans has rewarded late entrants. The last three times the seat was open, a candidate who jumped in shortly before qualifying blew past already-established major candidates.

Three potential candidates in particular stand out as possible late entries: state Rep. Walt Leger III, state Sen. Karen Carter Peterson and businessman and reality-TV host Sidney Torres IV.

All three of them could be serious candidates. All three of them would have money, pollster and political analyst Ron Faucheux said. If one of these candidates feels like theres an opportunity and a niche, theyll jump in.

Leger has long been seen as a likely candidate, and he began laying the groundwork earlier this year by putting together a campaign apparatus. That effort later was spun down, but Leger is seen as still weighing his options in the race.

Peterson would also likely be able to pull together a campaign quickly. While it had been speculated that her positions as chair of the state Democratic Party and vice chair of civic engagement and voter participation for the Democratic National Committee might keep her out of the race, her name is consistently mentioned when the election comes up.

Leger and Peterson did not respond to requests for comment in recent days.

Torres, who rose to fame running the garbage collection company that cleaned the French Quarter for a few years after Hurricane Katrina, said hes still mulling a run. And a new poll suggests he could be a strong contender.

A survey by pollster Verne Kennedy, which was conducted for an unnamed businessman, found Torres would be statistically tied with Cantrell for first if he were the only additional entrant to the current field.

About 23 percent of the 600 people surveyed for the poll, which has a margin of error of 4 percentage points, said they would vote for Cantrell, 21 percent for Torres, 16 percent for Charbonnet, 6 percent for Bagneris and 2 percent for Scurlock, with 32 percent of the respondents undecided.

Torres said my head and my heart say he should get into the race, but he added that my gut is not sure and reiterated that he would likely not decide until an hour before qualifying closes.

Its a personal decision. The polls show that I have a great chance of winning, Torres said. Obviously, if Im going to do it, I want to win it. But Im not doing it to win it. Im doing it to fix the city because the city is broken, and you need someone who can fix it.

Tight-fisted donors

Whether or not any new candidates get in, it remains unclear why the field hasnt grown.

In part, the answer may come down to money, or lack of it, at least for certain candidates.

Theres a general consensus that the big donors who can usually be relied on to help fund serious campaigns have been more tight-fisted this year than normal. Some of that may be fatigue after three solid years of expensive races for governor, both of the states U.S. Senate seats and the presidency.

I find a lot of people who are contributors seem to be holding back. They dont seem to think that anyones a sure thing, Faucheux said. That, combined with a renewed sense of the importance of the mayors office, may be making potential backers look more critically and skeptically at the candidates in the race, he said.

In some ways, that creates a chicken-and-egg problem. Candidates dont want to get into the race if they wont get the financial backing they need, but donors are hesitant to give without knowing who else would be in the race.

But the money problem does not appear to be universal.

Charbonnets campaign announced Friday that it has raised $650,000 since she jumped into the race last month and aims to add another $100,000 to that haul by early July, the next deadline for filing campaign finance reports.

Theres no indication any of the other campaigns have come close to those totals. When the last finance reports were filed in the spring, Cantrell, who was sitting on the largest war chest, had just $254,000.

But the really big money may not have started to flow.

Many members of the business community, who usually can be counted on to provide significant funds and rally behind their preferred candidates, are being told not to take out their wallets yet. Instead, groups like the Business Council of New Orleans and the River Region are urging their members to wait until the release of a new document by Forward New Orleans, a coalition of civic groups and business leaders, that weighs in on city policy.

The coalition normally asks candidates to commit to implementing a long list of goals it sets forth.

Were encouraging business community members to hold back to see how this develops and who is committed to the set of issues we put forward, said businessman Gregory Rusovich, who leads the group.

From our perspective, we are really laser-focused on the issues. We believe if the candidate is elected and theyre a competent candidate and they follow the mandates put forward by the community, theyll have success, Rusovich said.

That would push back a lot of the major contributions until after the race is set during qualifying.

Changed environment

The dearth of candidates may also be a reflection of a political environment that has become less factional. Efforts have been underway to unify various African-American political groups in the city behind a single candidate, a process that appears to be benefiting Charbonnet and, at the same time, providing fewer bases of support for other contenders.

Some political players and business owners with city contracts, usually another reliable source of donations and support, are looking to back the winner, which again serves to shrink the field, former City Councilman Oliver Thomas said.

With a small field and no overwhelming front-runner, Thomas said there could be a chance for someone with a strong platform to get in and catch fire with a grass-roots base.

On the other side of the coin, Landrieus dominance of city politics over the past seven years has kept others from raising their profiles, as other voices have been pushed behind his, Thomas said.

You dont have enough voices out there to match the mayor in terms of tone, in terms of vision, Thomas said.

Landrieu himself does not appear to have been actively grooming a favored successor or to be backing a particular candidate at this point, though Legers campaign team was largely made up of consultants connected to the mayor and his family.

Whatever the size of the field, Morial said the stakes in the election are so high that candidates need to be pressed on their vision for the city for the next 10 to 15 years and their plans for rebuilding the Police Department and dealing with inequality and poverty.

You have to want to do the job, Morial said. Its not a ceremonial job. It requires a tremendous amount of time, effort and sacrifice. If you cant overcome that gut check, you shouldnt do it.
The family of the elderly involved have enough stress without having to deal with DHS and worry about financial matters. Jan Marshall, Brighton There is another side to the coin While not in denial that in all professions and industries there are shonky operators including the whole retirement-aged care area, there is another side to the issues. My wife and I have lived in a well-managed outer eastern village  we call it a Lifestyle Resort - for 8 years. It is a very happy, caring, supportive community with a diverse range of cultural, social, and recreational amenities. The consistent comment is "would you ever want to live anywhere else", and I know that other villages we regularly associate with would express the same positive responses.

The financials stated in The Age article (42/6) are significantly at variance with the multitude of well-managed villages, (particularly those built say pre-2000), and the advice would be as you would do if borrowing money or buying a car, inspect, shop around, talk to existing residents, and get good advice. Geoff Pope, address withheld Our experience has been good I am bemused and quite angry with The Age's so-called expose of "Aveo's Villages of the damned" (24/6). My wife and I are three-year residents of an Aveo village and have had no experiences to justify such headlines. We certainly checked our contract with our legal advisers before we bought in and knew precisely what we were getting into.

Your articles concentrated almost exclusively on negative aspects of Aveo living with nothing to balance that impression. We know there are some Aveo contracts that are more expensive than others  we simply choose not to use those. Surely that is the answer. Brian Morley, Donvale FORUM Must be alternative As a volunteer English teacher for migrants I have helped refugees pass the citizenship test. Their joy in becoming Australian citizens is mine.

I have also seen the devastation of illiterate women who, despite all their efforts, fail to comprehend the written questions in the current test. Many girls in the world do not receive an education. The discrimination in their country of origin is compounded by Australia when we demand they measure up to a literately complex test. There must be an alternative test for these inspiring women who are nurturing the next generation. Janet Wilson, Montrose Communication gap Having worked as an English language adviser with international and migrant students at Victorian tertiary institutions for more than 30 years I am well aware of the complexities of learning English as an additional language. I believe language is power and that anyone living in Australia needs an "adequate" grasp of it. However, how this can be measured is problematic. The IELTS places people on a continuum of ability in reading, writing, speaking and listening. Equal level of skill in all of these areas is, in reality, not needed for all people in all aspects of their lives. The most important thing is communication. It is possible to communicate very well while still making mistakes with grammar, pronunciation, word choice and (very commonly) use of idiom (a particularly important part of the Australian vernacular ).

Nancy Moncrief, Hawthorn East Racist echoes Having taught English as a second language to adult migrants and refugees for many years in the days when we used to welcome newcomers to our shores, I now hang my head in shame. The echoes of the era of the dictation test and the White Australia Policy are deafening. Am I the only one who feels we are going backwards?

Janine Joseph, Armadale Different tongues Decades ago many migrants coming to this country for a better life did not speak English. They worked hard, paid taxes, built their homes, contributed to the community and became proud Australian citizens. Today even if they could pass a level 6 English test many of them would still not speak the same language as Peter Dutton. Gary Roulston, Endeavour Hills Blockade or aid?

Bollards and concrete blocks to prevent vehicle attacks in gathering and transit spaces in Melbourne and Sydney serve to allay fears about terrorism and public safety. However, deterrent obstacles could increase the risk of collision for cyclists and smart-phone immersed (and therefore distracted) pedestrians who need to take extra care negotiating their way around the equivalent of an anti-violence motor vehicle sieve. Alarmed crowds trying to escape violent acts originating within the perimeter of these protected spaces would have their escape routes impeded. Such barriers could unintentionally help well-trained terrorists surround and trap those they wish to harm. Before further roll-out of these unsightly barriers, let's pause to assess whether the benefit of deterrence outweighs their risk to public safety. Joseph Ting, Carina Islam v terror

Ramadan is a time when Muslims are busy praying, feeding the poor and seeking blessings of God yet terrorists planned their attacks around the world during the holy month and even Mecca was targeted. Can a bigger gap exist between terroristic ideologies and the teachings of Islam? Foad Munir, Berwick The Dutton enigma Why is Peter Dutton so highly thought of by the Liberal Party, by the Prime Minister. In the last election he only kept his seat by 3000 votes or 1.6 per cent.; if his own electorate don't like him, trust him, believe in him, why does the PM? Please PM find some one else! Jenny Jacob, Cape Paterson

National shame It has been astounding to see some of the ill -informed comments in relation to the topic of whether students with disabilities should be in mainstream classrooms. There have been numerous state and federal inquiries, reviews and reports on this subject (putting aside for a moment domestic and international research). All the findings come to the conclusion, and particularly so in Victoria, that the quality of education for students with disabilities, and the resourcing of schools in order that they can improve that quality, is woeful. No doubt it suits governments to continue not to address these core issues, and instead watch the community argue about whether students with disabilities deserve an inclusive education. Imagine what could happen if the money spent in the courts in relation to these arguments was given to schools. This is our national shame. Julie Phillips, disability advocate, Fairfield

Terrifying times While I do not subscribe to Pauline Hanson's short-sighted remarks re children with autism being segregated from classrooms, as a retired primary teacher who has benefited from aides being employed in classrooms for children with varying disabilities and acknowledge the work they do in assisting the integration of these children into mainstream education, I wish to point out that being in a classroom unaided can be and was for me, absolutely terrifying. One event occurred when the aide left me with an intellectually disabled stronger and taller child than me to go to morning tea. He barricaded me alone in the classroom, and not being able to notify the office, I was stranded in a farflung classroom while the child behaved out of control. Teaching is an occupation that can be extremely dangerous at times. And incidents can occur without notice. At the very least classrooms should have alarm systems. Kaye Kibblewhite, Frankston South

Debate needed In her characteristic blundering manner, Pauline Hanson has sparked a necessary discussion. No doubt, as studies indicate, children with special needs, and mainstream schools, can mutually benefit from a policy of inclusion. But that is under ideal circumstances, with appropriately trained teachers and aides, and the necessary equipment and facilities. It is perfectly legitimate for parents of the other pupils to ask whether, in less than ideal conditions, their children's education can suffer from the disruption and demands on a teacher's attention which the presence of one or more special needs students in a class can involve. Now retired, I help out as a volunteer for a couple of days each week at a local special needs school. Not only is it fully and appropriately fitted out , and not only are the staff dedicated and professionally qualified, but it exudes a tangible atmosphere of safety, camaraderie, acceptance, identity, community and belonging.

My wife and I have a friend with cerebral palsy who went through a state school with the assistance of a full-time aide. Her academic needs were met, but she remembers it as a very lonely experience. Name and address supplied Out of step What is the point of an apology that not just you but everyone else knows isn't sincere? Do those Victorian judges think the federal politicians who criticised them apologised because they had changed their minds? No, they just showed they have the same power to coerce and inclination to exercise it that the Catholic Church did in the Middle Ages when it forced heretics and critics to recant. All they showed is they that they are out of step with contemporary ideas of free speech, and Australian ideas about robust political debate. Gordon Drennan, Burton

Lost in the male To Wendy Squires' quite definitive article (24/6) I offer one clear declaration (from this male parent perspective): if it had been down to us males to bear and deliver the human children, this species would have faded away, long ago. Ken Taylor, Brunswick West Boiled Greens If the Greens want to be taken seriously as a political force they need to look at their internal structure. When nine of the senators wanted to support Gonski 2 and one didn't it is disingenuous and a farce that they voted against it.

Megan Peniston-Bird, Hawthorn Bank cows The banks have long seen the public (their customers) as cash cows to be milked for as much as possible. Having drawn attention to themselves by their voracious appetites, is it any wonder that treasurers have decided to claim some of the cream. Denis Croke, Glen Iris

AND ANOTHER THING Retirement living Regulation of the retirement living industry is a priority for the government, immediately, before elderly residents go to their graves with heavy losses. Joan Lin, Templestowe Hanson

I think many of the oh-so-superior critics of Pauline Hanson suffer from the same problem they accuse her of: ignorance. Jerry Koliha, South Melbourne Hanson upset she was taken out of context. Not nearly as bad as being taken out of the classroom. Geoff Cheung, Elwood First it was the Asians, then it was the Muslims, and now it is the autistics. Who will she vilify next?

Phil Lipshut Elsternwick Contempt So if me and me mates slag off on courts and judges and get in trouble, all we gotta do is send a mouthpiece to say "sorry" and we're sweet. Too easy! Neil Hauxwell, Moe If I say "sorry", can I be excused my speeding fine?

Roger Turner, Tuerong The seeming sincerity of a sorry politician is only surpassed by the sorriness of three politicians. Jenny Bone, Surrey Hills Other matters With the Greens voting against a bill they support, the mind boggles at how they might behave hypothetically in government.

James Ogilvie, Kew All Trump said was that HE didn't "make" or "have" Comey tapes, not that they don't exist. Tony Lenten, Glen Waverley The way Turnbull is enacting Labor's policies, is he now its leader? Francis Bainbridge, Fitzroy North
One of the Turnbull government's most senior ministers has been caught on tape predicting same-sex marriage could be legalised "sooner than everyone thinks".

In comments that could antagonise the conservative forces inside the Coalition, senior Liberal moderate and Defence Industry Minister Christopher Pyne suggested plans were afoot to change the government's policy of a plebiscite.

Mr Pyne's remarks were made at a gathering of moderates on Friday night before the party's federal council meeting in Sydney at the weekend, according to a leaked tape obtained by News Corp columnist Andrew Bolt.
Two militants were killed and three Army personnel injured today in fighting that erupted on Saturday with an attack on a CRPF patrol team.

By India Today Web Desk: After two militants were killed today in an encounter with security forces in Delhi Public School (DPS) Srinagar, fresh gunshots have been heard from inside the premises again.

Militants had attacked a Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) patrol on Saturday that left a trooper dead, authorities said.

Three army personnel including a captain level officer have also been injured in the encounter.

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"The bodies of the two militants have been spotted inside one room from where firing had started. There has been no firing from the militants during the last one hour," the officer added.

The school was thoroughly searched and the operation was initially called off in the morning.

"The exchange of fire between security forces and militants began around 3.40 am, " a police official said.

Three soldiers, including two officers, were injured earlier on Sunday as the security forces launched the final assault against the rebels inside the school complex in Pantha Chowk area.

"All injured army personnel are stable and out of danger," a police source said. They were shifted to a military hospital at Badami Bagh cantonment.

Director General of Police SP Vaid had earlier said that two militants were holed up in the school, whose students are mostly from the Kashmiri elite families.

The militants entered into the premises of DPS Srinagar on Saturday evening after carrying out an attack on the CRPF personnel deployed on road opening duty near the school on Srinagar-Jammu national highway.

SP Vaid, Director General of Police (DGP) told reporters two militants are holed up inside the DPS complex.

A Sub-Inspector of the CRPF was killed and two troopers injured in the attack after which the militants entered the DPS complex. Security forces immediately surrounded the school complex to prevent the militants from escaping.

The Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) militant outfit owned responsibility for the attack.

Sources said drone cameras and other hi-tech gadgets were used to trace the location of the militants but police officials refused to comment on operational details.

District Magistrate of Srinagar, Farooq Ahmad Lone on Saturday imposed restrictions on the stretch of Srinagar-Jammu national highway between Ram Munshibagh and Sempora.

Mobile internet services (3G/4G) were also suspended in the Kashmir Valley to prevent the spread of rumours.

-With inputs from agencies

ALSO READ | Srinagar: 1 CRPF soldier martyred in Lashkar terror attack, combing ops on

ALSO READ | Congress student wing chief justifies stone-pelting in Jammu and Kashmir

ALSO WATCH | Demand for sedition charges against Kashmiri students cheering Pakistan's victory

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Greens senator Lee Rhiannon has angrily rejected claims she derailed her party's school funding negotiations with the government after her own colleagues wrote a letter accusing her of betrayal.

In a significant escalation in the internecine warfare that has rocked the crossbench party this year, leader Richard Di Natale and eight of his MPs have signed a letter of complaint against Senator Rhiannon over her actions during delicate discussions with the government this month.

The letter has been sent to the party's powerful national council as part of a bid to rein in the rogue senator and her hard left NSW faction as divisions once again spill over into the public eye.

Senator Rhiannon on Sunday said she had not broken faith with the party nor betrayed anyone's trust.
Five people have died, two were fighting for life in hospital and three others suffered serious injuries after a tragic weekend on Queensland roads.

In the latest incident, a teenager was hit by a car while lying in a Bundaberg South street in the early hours of Sunday morning.

In less than 12 hours, four separate crashes claimed 10 victims across the state. Credit:Luis Ascui

The 19-year-old man was struck about 12.15am in Maryborough Street and was taken to Bundaberg Base Hospital with serious injuries.

At a similar time, a car crashed at Mount Nebo, leaving two men fighting for their lives in the Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital.
Attempts to identify the causes of loneliness have traversed matters such as living alone, poor social skills, and lack of parental bonding during childhood. Credit:Greg Newington "Some may be socially isolated but content with minimal social contact or actually prefer to be alone; others may have frequent social contact but still feel lonely," wrote a team of researchers led by psychologist Julianne Holt-Lunstad from Brigham Young University in Utah, US, in a landmark 2015 study. The research, a meta-analysis of 70 existing papers, was the first to conclusively identify loneliness as a significant cause of death. People who self-identified as lonely, the scientists found, had a 26 per cent greater chance of dying in any given period than people who did not. People who self-identified as lonely have a 26 per cent greater chance of dying. Credit:iStock The chances were complicated  and increased  if the loneliness was combined with the loosely associated conditions of social isolation and living alone.

One of the principle difficulties Holt-Lunstad and her colleagues encountered was that many studies for which loneliness was a focus purported to assume it was a product of something else: solitary life, or mental health issues such as depression. It's mistaken to think young people can't be lonely because they are surrounded by school-mates and use social media. Because of these problems, they excluded more than 1300 studies from their analysis. It's a position with which Houghton has considerable sympathy. "One of the big problems in the past is the instruments that have been used to measure loneliness," he said. One researcher characterised loneliness among old people as 'a silver tsunami'. Credit:Anne de Haas

"A lot of people have assumed that loneliness is the same for everybody, regardless of age or gender or where you live. They've assumed it's uni-dimensional and only needs one way to measure it. "But we know that loneliness is multi-dimensional: we experience it in different severities, different extents and different ways." You can have 30 friends and still be lonely because they're not quality friends. And therein lies the challenge. Attempts to identify the causes of loneliness have traversed matters such as living alone, poor social skills, and even lack of parental bonding during childhood. Tackling the issue in 2000, US researcher Professor Richard Booth concluded that "in the final analysis, people appear to feel their loneliness, even though they may not fully understand it".

As a clinical assessment, the position is closer to Elvis Presley's than Houghton's or Holt-Lunstad's. All researchers in the field, however, tend to agree on one measurement point: loneliness is characterised by a lack of meaningful friendships. "Loneliness is a subjective experience," said social work professor Dr Mark Hughes, from Southern Cross University in Queensland. "It's the feeling that you don't have sufficient social connections. It's an internal, emotional response to your life situation. I think measures will always be based on self-reporting of the experience of loneliness." With that in mind, how prevalent is it? In a recent interview with Fortune magazine, leading US loneliness researcher John Cacioppo from the University of Chicago's Centre for Cognitive and Social Neuroscience, quoted figures as high as 45 per cent for retirees, and 26 per cent in the general population.

In Australia, in 2016, Lifeline conducted a survey and reported that 60 per cent of respondents said they "often" felt lonely. The organisation also revealed that 55 per cent of callers to its crisis line (13 11 14) lived alone, "often without strong support networks". There may well be factors in the design of the survey that produced such a high percentage of self-reports, so declaring Australia to be the loneliest country in the world would be unwise. Completely dismissing the finding, however, would be equally foolish. There is broad consensus among researchers that loneliness is an increasing problem around the world. (And one major study found it to be worse in family-orientated rather than individualistic societies.) And while the term "loneliness epidemic" seems to be much more popular with headline writers than scientists, the scale of the problem does from time to time generate a certain degree of academic metaphor. Cacioppo recently described loneliness among old people as "a silver tsunami". Yet if loneliness resulted only, or even primarily, in individuals feeling miserable while staring at the television, perhaps a Trumpesque self-interested civil society could simply ignore it.

But it doesn't. Loneliness induces a surprisingly wide range of physical problems  from chronic heart disease to genetic malfunction  that make sufferers proportionately heavy users of health system resources. Take note, therefore, Trumpites: reducing loneliness levels will save billions of dollars. A 2016 study led by US psychologist Dr Turhan Canli of New York's Stony Brook University found that chronic loneliness permanently changes the way hundreds of genes work. Conducting post mortem research on 26 people, all with "known loneliness measures", Canli's team found abnormal function in 1599 genes. These genes, they reported, were "previously associated with behavioral processes, neurological disease, psychological disorders, cancer, organismal injury and skeletal and muscular disorders". Loneliness has long been linked (variously, as cause and effect) with depression, but a 2016 project by Cacioppo also showed that it significantly altered other brain functions. Using magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) his team found "robust associations" between loneliness and parts of the brain responsible for alertness and impulse control. Another 2016 study, led by Nicole Valtorta of the University of York in Britain and published in the British Medical Journal, looked at previous papers and found lonely people to be 26 per cent more likely to have heart disease and 32 per cent more likely to have a stroke.

The study concluded: "Our work suggests that addressing loneliness and social isolation may have an important role in the prevention of two of the leading causes of morbidity in high-income countries." It might also help in other fields  one as prosaic as getting places. A study published this year by Dr Aparna Shankar and colleagues from the University of London found that loneliness, quite literally, slows people down. Shankar's team found that over a six-year period, lonely people walked ever more slowly, and experienced increasing difficulties with day to day tasks. Personality, too, can be affected, to the point of being less, well, likeable. A study this year led by Dr Julie Aitken Shermer of the University of Western Ontario in Canada found that lonely people are likely to develop a sense of humour that is "aggressive and self-defeating". And this month, Cacioppo's team reported that some lonely people develop a level of self-centredness that, while protective in the short term, makes them harder to get to know and thus risks exacerbating their social isolation.

"That does kind of make sense," said Mark Hughes. "Loneliness is associated with living alone, not being in a relationship, experiencing mental health issues, and having fewer social connections." Another factor that can have a significant effect on a person's vulnerability is the make-up of the society in which he or she moves, and the levels of acceptance thus experienced. Hughes' research centres on the health and wellbeing of LGBTi people in New South Wales. In a 2015 study, he reported that loneliness within that community was associated with "higher psychological distress and lower mental health". And while, perhaps, that sort of linkage may be expected in lonely people from any background, he found the risk of it developing was higher than usual in his target group.

"There are risk factors associated with LGBTi people's lives," he said. "But those risk factors may relate to stigma and exclusion  and a range of risks for health factors have been identified as resulting from social exclusion. "Also, there are life patterns among LGBTi people that might make them more predisposed to loneliness. For instance, older gay men are more likely to live alone than older heterosexual men." There are life patterns among adolescents and children, too, it turns out, that also induce loneliness. Stephen Houghton finds one of his toughest arguments is breaking down the dominant adult belief that young people can't be lonely because they are typically surrounded by school-mates, and use social media a lot. He quotes one of the many children he's interviewed, who told him that "school was the loneliest place in the world". His current research has shifted focus from teenagers to younger children, and, among other findings, he and his colleagues are discovering that children with learning difficulties  as a result of ADHD, for instance  report much higher levels of loneliness than others.

"Definitely loneliness is a major public health concern," he said. Research showed, he added, that a child able to ameliorate loneliness by developing just a single robust friendship potentially saves the heath system large amounts of money across his or her lifetime because loneliness-derived physical and mental conditions are less likely to arise. In 2011 in Britain, recognising the financial and social burden of inaction, a coalition of advocacy groups and local councils combined to launch the Campaign to End Loneliness. No such strategy exists in Australia, but most researchers in the field, you get the feeling, would wholeheartedly support one. As well as providing direct help to people in the community whose marginalisation is both hidden and ignored, such a campaign would also provide a valuable data stream to help scientists better understand the fine weave of 21st century social isolation.

"You've got both the lifespan patterns of loneliness and the life-course experience of loneliness," explained Hughes. "These can be quite different. For some people, it might be going in and out of periods of loneliness, for short amounts of time, whereas for others it might be more continuous and long term, and underpinned by deeper exclusion from communities." Despite researching at different ends of the country, and at different ends of the age spectrum, Hughes and Houghton both found that the primary treatment for loneliness was meaningful social connection. "You can have one great friend and not be lonely," said Houghton. "But you can have 30 friends and still be lonely because they're not quality friends. That's a thing that comes out with our research into adolescents: it's about having friends you can trust, that make you feel part of a group. It's about quality."
A former coal mine will be transformed into a massive lake near one of Victoria's most popular Surf Coast destinations, under a plan to overhaul the site.

The Alcoa Anglesea mine and power plant closed in 2015 but community groups are now pushing innovative proposals for the land, including a floating solar farm.

Plans for an Anglesea mine to be turned into a lake.

Alcoa's plan to fill the former open-cut coalmine with water is estimated to take up to five years but the company said it will not determine the final use for the site.

And concerns still remain about the long-term management of asbestos on a small part of the area managed by Alcoa.
London: Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce has paid tribute to victims of the London Bridge terror attack, including two young Australian women.

The bridge and nearby Borough Market were the scene of an attack this month in which three men stabbed multiple people after ploughing a van into pedestrians.

Mr Joyce, who is in London for talks on agriculture, laid a wreath beside hundreds of others on a footpath leading to the bridge.

He told reporters it was a harrowing time for the families of Queenslander Sara Zelenak, 21, and South Australian Kirsty Boden, 28, who were among eight people killed in the attack. Two other Australians were injured.
Barcelona: A battle over the ownership of the Mosque-Cathedral of Cordoba has erupted in bitter accusations of Qatari meddling and Church greed as a special commission last week began to investigate who owns the World Heritage site.

A unique architectural symbol of the meeting of East and West, the UNESCO landmark has for years been at the centre of a fierce ownership battle, pitting the Catholic Church against an alliance of Muslim groups, secularists and regional officials who insist it should belong to the people.

The interior of the Mosque-Cathedral of Cordoba. Credit:Getty Images

But while the Church and its allies point to the hand of Qatar in what it paints as the "Muslim dream to recover their temple", campaigners claim priests are whipping up Islamophobia to distract from a vast land grab they describe as "the biggest real estate scandal in history".

At a meeting this month at Washington DC's Hudson Institute, a right-wing think tank, diplomatic sources close to the Church claimed that Qatar was financing the campaign with a view to opening the site up to Muslim worship.
Washington: Arnold Schwarzenegger has never hesitated to call in backup.

In Terminator 2, the Arnold got an assist from the plucky, potty-mouthed kid who played John Connor as he tried to stave off the end of the world.

French President Emmanuel Macron, left, with Arnold Schwarzenegger at the Elysee Palace in Paris. Credit:AP

In 1987, to take on the Predator, Schwarzenegger joined forces with Carl Weathers - and Weathers' biceps, during the most testosterone-laden movie handshake ever recorded.

But now Schwarzenegger's nemesis is a billionaire who commands America's military and has round-the-clock access to nuclear weapons.
Nobody doubts the retail sector faces immense cyclical and structural threats. But the best opportunities usually emerge when sentiment is unstoppably bearish and most stocks in a sector are sinking as investors fear the worst.

That is not to downplay the risks in retail stocks or the likelihood that many fallen retailers are value traps rather than good value. High exposure to consumer discretionary stocks is a recipe for wealth destruction in a slowing, uncertain economy.

My recent visits to a department store reinforced the carnage. A $99 shirt I liked was reduced to $49, but I was too busy to try it on, so came back a week later, only to find a 30 per cent discount on all sale items. I bought the shirt for a third of its original price.

Im not a big shopper, but the breadth of price discounting was alarming. Its hard to recall a mid-year trading season when so many items were on sale and discounts were so large. That says a lot about the struggle to sell clothing, even as winter ramps up.

The next day, I visited a popular strip-shopping area in Melbourne. By my count, at least one in 10 stores had a closing-down sale sign in the window, or was vacant. Trading was unusually quiet: lots of people in cafes and bars, but far fewer buying clothes.

Later that week, I read that fast-food chain SumoSalad was taking on several Westfield shopping centres over lease payments. As fashion sales stagnate, shopping centres are adding more dining precincts and increasing competition for food outlets. If any further proof was needed, food is clearly the new fashion in retailing.

Thats just the anecdotal stuff. The latest Westpac/Melbourne Institute index showed consumer sentiment slumped in June, a result that the banks economists described as surprisingly weak. Record-low wages growth is weighing on consumer optimism.

Then theres the threat of Amazon ramping up operations in Australia and making life hell for retailers that still have decent margins. Its hard to open a newspaper these days without another story on Amazons coming assault on Australian retailing. Some of it is hype, but Amazon will almost certainly disrupt consumer shopping habits in this market.

These factors explain why I favour Australian retailers that earn a growing proportion of revenue offshore  a position I have outlined in The Bull. Stocks such as Premier Investments, with its Smiggle empire, and Lovisa Holdings, a fast-fashion accessories chain, fit the bill. Kitchen-appliance-maker Breville Group is another.

Finding retailers that are less susceptible to online competition is just as important. A stock I favoured, Baby Bunting Group, has been hammered this year amid fears it could be roadkill for Amazon as price-conscious consumers buy baby goods online for less.

Brand and in-store shopping experience has never been as important. Kathmandu Holdings, another favoured retailer of mine, is holding up relatively better than its small retail rivals. Why? It has a loyal base of consumers who want the Kathmandu brand rather than generic substitutes bought online. Some big mid-year sales during a bout of colder weather have also helped Kathmandu, best known for its winter wear.

Bunnings, part of Wesfarmers, is another retailer well-placed to survive the Amazon onslaught. Amazon could be a formidable competitor in some hardware products, but many home renovators value buying products in-store and getting advice. Bunnings customer advice and service might well prove to be its key source of competitive advantage.

Beacon Lighting Group is another interesting retailer at current prices. Beacon sells lights, ceiling fans and light globes across a network of more than 90 stores in Australia. Most stores are company owned and the brand is popular with trade customers and homeowners.

Beacon listed on ASX in April 2014 through a $64-million Initial Public Offering (IPO). The companys 66-cent issued shares soared to $1.05 on debut and hit $2.19 in May 2015. For a time, Beacon was among the markets best-performed small-cap stocks.

Then the mood darkened. The shares tumbled to $1.26 in May 2016 after lower-than-expected earnings growth. After hitting $1.80 in May 2017, Beacon has slumped to $1.33.

Chart 1: Beacon Lighting Group Source: The Bull

Some analysts believed Beacon would benefit from the demise of Woolworths Masters chain, which had slashed lighting prices to lure customers. Beacon struggled last year to compete with Masters 40 per cent price cuts in some lighting items.

But Beacons recovery was short-lived after a disappointing interim profit report in February and signs of margin contraction. Heavy share-price falls since May are most likely because of general concerns about slower retail earnings growth, Amazon-related fears and signs of a slowing housing-construction cycle and its effect on housing-products suppliers.

Make no mistake: Beacon has many challenges. But the business has a high (though declining) Return on Equity, low debt, and a solid market position. It is better placed than many small retailers to survive a competition onslaught in its market because it sources many products directly and has invested heavily in its brand.

Beacon is clearly well run. A return on equity of 32 per cent in FY16 is more akin to a fast-growing tech company than a long-established retailer. Beacon consistently ticks a lot of boxes for company quality and performance.

At $1.33, Beacon is on a trailing Price Earnings (PE) ratio of 18 times and yielding about 3.5 per cent. The average price target from a handful of analysts who cover the company is $1.50, suggesting some margin of safety at the current price.

From a charting perspective, Beacons ability to hold above $1.25  an area where there has been previous price support  is encouraging.

>> BACK TO THE NEWSLETTER: Click here to read other articles from this weeks newsletter

 Tony Featherstone is a former managing editor of BRW and Shares magazines. The information in this article should not be considered personal advice. The article has been prepared without considering your objectives, financial situation or needs. Before acting on the information in this article you should consider its appropriateness, regarding your objectives, financial situation and needs. Do further research of your own or seek personal financial advice from a licensed adviser before making any financial or investment decisions based on this article. All prices and analysis at June 20, 2017.
By Press Trust of India: (Updating with fresh inputs) PTI6_25_2017_000206B PTI6_25_2017_000205B

By Lalit K Jha and Yoshita Singh

Washington, Jun 25 (PTI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi today said India has now emerged as a business-friendly destination, more so with the upcoming implementation of landmark GST beginning next month, while asking CEOs of top US companies to invest in the country.

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Modi, during his meeting with the CEOs of top 20 American firms, also said that India attracted largest foreign direct investment (FDI) as a result of the NDA governments policies in the last three years.

"Interacted with top CEOs. We held extensive discussions on opportunities in India," Modi tweeted after the meeting that lasted for about 90 minutes.

In the round table interaction with the group that included Tim Cook of Apple, Sunder Pichai from Google, John Chambers from Cisco and Jeff Bezos of Amazon, Modi listed out steps taken by his government in the last three years and next moves.

"The whole world is looking at India. 7,000 reforms alone by GOI for ease of (doing) business and minimum government, maximum governance," Gopal Bagley, spokesman of the Ministry of External Affairs quoting the prime minister as saying.

Indias growth presents a win-win partnership for the country and the US, and American companies have a great opportunity to contribute to that, Modi told the CEOs, according to Bagley.

"The implementation of the landmark initiative of GST (Goods and Services Tax) could be a subject of studies in US business schools," Modi said.

During the interaction at the Willard Hotel, where he is staying, Modi gave a patient hearing to the wish-list of the CEOs.

The Prime Minister pointed out opportunities for tourism through developing hotels in "PPP (public private partnership) model" at 500 railway stations, Baglay said.

"In concluding remarks, PM stresses imp of coopn 4 start up, innovation &tapping huge intellectual, edu & vocational training potential in India," Baglay tweeted.

The CEOs lauded the Prime Ministers initiatives of demonetisation and digitisation of economy and the GST, the spokesman said.

The CEOs also expressed support for Make in India, Digital India, Start Up India and other flagship initiatives of the government.

"CEOs applaud reform measures and steps taken by the government to improve ease of doing business," Baglay tweeted.

"CEOs outline priorities in India and suggestions for mutually beneficial partnerships in line with inclusive growth," he said, adding that they reaffirmed their commitment to growing with India and attested to its attractiveness as an FDI destination.

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Pichai told reporters after the meeting that they were excited about investing in India.

Praising the steps being taken by the Indian government in the last three years, he said the US companies are looking forward to the roll out of the GST.

"Good," said Cook as he emerged out of the meeting.

The US-India Business Council (USIBC) president Mukesh Aghi said the CEOs praised the reforms being undertaken by the Prime Minister and underscore his efforts to make India a business-friendly destination.

Responding to a question, Aghi said H-1B issue was not discussed at the meeting.

Among other CEOs present at the meeting were Shantanu Narayen from Adobe, Ajay Banga from Mastercard, David Farr from Emerson, Doug McMillon and Punit Renjen from Deloitte Global. Mukesh Aghi, president of the US India Business Council, was also present at the meeting.

Posting a group picture of the prime minister with the CEOs, Bagley said, "strengthening the Indo-US economic partnership".

In a recent policy document, USIBC said the US-India commercial and strategic relationship supports global security, promotes economic growth and creates jobs for both countries and the global economy.

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"Today, as we witness a paradigm shift in the erstwhile global order, an opportunity has emerged for both countries to set new standards in bilateral ties that will be bound by their shared values," USIBC said.

Noting that US-India trade has tripled over the last decade, reaching a historic high of nearly USD 110 billion in 2015, USIBC said there is an opportunity for both the countries to also sync their regulatory and standards system to increase trade and investment.

In a separate statement, Jagdip Ahluwalia, executive director of Indo American Chamber of Commerce of Greater Houston, said the United States and India share a very symbiotic relationship, and Modi?s first face to face visit with Donald Trump is important to strengthen the relationship between the two.

"On behalf of Houston, the energy capital of the world and home of the worlds largest Medical Center the IACCGH and the strong Indian American community hope to welcome Prime Minister Modi to Houston in the not too distant future,? Ahluwalia said. PTI LKJ YAS PRJ RKL PRJ BAL NSA

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Gold has spent most of June grinding lower on balance, damaging sentiment and vexing traders. Usual selling leading into the Feds latest rate hike contributed, but the summer doldrums are also in play. Gold has typically suffered a seasonal lull this time of year, on waning investment demand as vacations divert attention from markets. But these summer doldrums offer the best seasonal buying opportunities of the year.

This doldrums term is very apt for golds summer predicament. It describes a zone in the worlds oceans surrounding the equator. There hot air is constantly rising, creating long-lived low-pressure areas. They are often calm, with little or no prevailing winds. History is full of accounts of sailing ships getting trapped in this zone for days or even weeks, unable to make any headway. The doldrums were murder on ships morale.

Crews had no idea when the winds would pick up again, while they continued burning through their precious stores of food and drink. Without moving air, the stifling heat and humidity were suffocating on these ships long before air conditioning. Misery and boredom were extreme, leading to fights breaking out and occasional mutinies. Being trapped in the doldrums was viewed with dread, it was a very trying experience.

Gold investors can somewhat relate. Like clockwork nearly every summer, gold starts drifting listlessly sideways. It often cant make significant progress no matter what the trends looked like heading into June, July, and August. As the days and weeks slowly pass, sentiment deteriorates markedly. Patience is gradually exhausted, supplanted with deep frustration. Plenty of traders capitulate, abandoning ship.

Thus after decades of trading gold, silver, and their miners stocks, Ive come to call this time of year the summer doldrums. June and July in particular are usually desolate sentiment wastelands for precious metals, totally devoid of recurring seasonal demand surges. Unlike the rest of the year, these summer months simply lack any major income-cycle or cultural drivers of outsized gold investment demand.

The vast majority of the worlds investors and speculators live in the northern hemisphere, so markets take a back seat to the great joys of summer. Traders take advantage of the long sunny days and kids being out of school to go on extended vacations, hang out with friends, and enjoy life. And when they arent paying much attention to the markets, naturally they arent allocating much new capital to gold.

Given golds dull summer action historically, its never wise to expect too much from it this time of year. Summer rallies can happen, but they are rare. So expectations really need to be tempered, especially in June and July. That early-1990s Gin Blossoms song Hey Jealousy comes to mind, declaring If you dont expect too much from me, you might not be let down. The markets are ultimately an expectations game.

Quantifying golds summer seasonal tendencies during bull markets requires all relevant years price action to be recast in perfectly-comparable percentage terms. Thats accomplished by individually indexing each calendar years gold price to its last close before market summers, which is Mays final trading day. Thats set at 100 and then all gold-price action that year is calculated off that common indexed baseline.

So gold trading at an indexed level of 105 simply means it has rallied 5% from Mays final close, while 95 shows its down 5%. This methodology renders all bull-market-year gold summers in like terms. Thats critical since golds price range has been so vast, from $257 in April 2001 to $1894 in August 2011. That span encompassed golds last secular bull, which enjoyed a colossal 638.2% gain over those 10.4 years!

So 2001 to 2011 were certainly bull years. 2012 was technically one too, despite gold suffering a major correction following that powerful bull run. At worst that year, gold fell 18.8% from its 2011 peak. That was not quite enough to enter formal bear territory at a 20% drop. But 2013 to 2015 were definitely brutal bear years, which need to be excluded since gold behaves very differently in bull and bear markets.

In early 2013 the Feds wildly-unprecedented open-ended QE3 campaign ramped to full speed, radically distorting the markets. Stock markets levitated on the Feds implied backstopping, slaughtering demand for alternative investments led by gold. In Q213 alone, gold plummeted by 22.8% which proved its worst quarter in an astounding 93 years! Golds bear continued until the Feds initial rate hike of this cycle in 2015.

The day after that first rate hike in 9.5 years in mid-December 2015, gold plunged to a major 6.1-year secular low. Then it started rallying sharply out of that irrational rate-hike scare, formally crossing the +20% new-bull threshold in early March 2016. Ever since, gold has remained in this young bull. At worst last December after gold was crushed on the post-election Trumphoria stock-market surge, it had merely corrected 17.3%.

So the bull-market years for gold in modern history ran from 2001 to 2012, skipped the intervening bear-market years of 2013 to 2015, and resumed in 2016 to 2017. Thus these are the years most relevant to understanding golds typical summer-doldrums performance, which is necessary for managing your own expectations this time of year. This spilled-spaghetti mess of a chart is actually simple and easy to understand.

The yellow lines show golds individual-year summer price action indexed from each Mays final close for all years from 2001 to 2012 and 2016. That collectively establishes golds summer trading range. All those bull-market years individual indexes are then averaged together in the red line, revealing golds central summer tendency. Finally the indexed current-year gold action for 2017 is superimposed in blue.

While there are outlier years, gold generally drifts listlessly in the summer doldrums much like a sailing ship trapped near the equator. The center-mass-drift trend is crystal-clear in this chart. The vast majority of the time in June, July, and August, gold simply meanders between +/-5% from Mays final close. This year that equates to a probable summer range between $1205 and $1332. Gold has stayed well within trend.

Gold surged as high as $1293 in early June on a couple key events. On Junes first Friday, the headline May read on US monthly jobs came in at just +138k actual versus +185k expected. On top of that major miss, the internals were even worse with another -66k in past-month revisions! So gold powered 0.9% higher that day on gold-futures speculators hope such weak data would dampen the Feds hiking enthusiasm.

Just a couple trading days later, gold surged another 1.0% on a serious geopolitical rift opening between Qatar and its Arab neighbors. That early-summer strength was actually atypical, on the high side of all the modern bull-market years. And indeed it soon faded on mounting Fed-rate-hike fears leading into last weeks fourth rate hike of this cycle. Pre-rate-hike gold-futures selling is typical, as I just explained last week.

By this Tuesday gold had dropped 3.9% in just a couple weeks, really demoralizing traders and feeding bearish sentiment. But despite this volatility, gold hasnt veered materially from its average of past bull-market years June price action. As long as gold remains well within its usual +/-5% summer-drift trading range, theres nothing to get excited about either way. Gold is trapped adrift in the summer doldrums like a tall ship.

Understanding golds typical behavior this time of year is very important for traders. Sentiment isnt only determined by outcome, but by the interplay between outcome and expectations. If gold rallies 5% but you expected 10% gains, you will be disappointed and grow discouraged and bearish. But if gold rallies that same 5% and you expected no gains, youll be excited and get optimistic and bullish. Expectations are key.

History has proven its wise not to expect too much from gold in these lazy market summers, particularly June and July. Occasionally gold still manages to stage a big summer rally, which is a bonus. Last year was a great example. In June 2016 gold first soared on an utterly-huge US-monthly-jobs miss, and later on that surprise UK-Brexit-vote outcome. Those anomalies early in a new bull made for an exceptional gold summer.

In this chart I labeled some of the outlying years where gold burst out of its usual summer-drift trend, both to the upside and downside. But these exciting summers are unusual, and cant be expected very often. Most of the time gold grinds sideways on balance not far from its May close. Traders not armed with this critical knowledge often wax bearish during golds summer doldrums and exit in frustration, a grave mistake.

Golds summer-doldrums lull marks the best time of the year seasonally to deploy capital, to buy low at a time when few others are willing. Gold enjoys powerful seasonal rallies that start in August and run until the following May! These are fueled by outsized investment demand driven by a series of major income-cycle and cultural factors from around the world. Summer is when investors should be most bullish, not bearish.

The red average indexed line above encompassing 2001 to 2012 and 2016 reveals that gold stealthily carves a major seasonal low in mid-June. After that gold soon starts gradually grinding higher through July and August, before surging in September as golds usual autumn rally accelerates. Although this coming climb within golds summer-drift trend is subtle, it illustrates why June is the best time to deploy capital.

Golds momentum actually builds throughout the summers within the context of that +/-5% trading range off Mays final close. Gold averaged a nearly-dead-flat 0.1% loss in Junes between 2001 to 2012 and 2016. In July that reversed to a 0.8% average gain. And then in August as Asian buying starts coming back online, gold powered an average of 2.1% higher which is considerable. June is the worst of the doldrums.

These gold summer doldrums driven by investors pulling back from the markets to enjoy their vacation season dont exist in a vacuum. Golds fortunes drive the entire precious-metals complex, including both silver and the stocks of the gold and silver miners. These are effectively leveraged plays on gold, so the summer doldrums in them mirror and exaggerate golds own. Check out this same chart type applied to silver.

Since silver is much more volatile than gold, naturally its summer-doldrums-drift trading range is wider. The great majority of the time, silver meanders between +/-10% from its final May close. Like gold, silver remains firmly in trend this year with nothing atypical going on. Interestingly silvers major seasonal low arrives a couple weeks after golds in late June. And not surprisingly it is considerably deeper than golds.

Again using these red average lines, silver tends to drop 4.3% from the end of May to late June. Thats much greater than the 1.0% average gold loss from Mays final trading day to its own seasonal low in mid-June. So silver sentiment this time of year is often worse than golds, which is plenty bearish. Being in the newsletter business, Ive heard from countless discouraged investors over the decades during the summers.

While I cant quantify it, anecdotally it feels like silver investors are disproportionately represented in this bearish summer-doldrums feedback. Silver usually amplifies whatever is happening in gold, both good and bad. But again the brunt of this is borne in June, where silver averaged 3.2% losses during these bull-market years. Month-to-date this June, silver is down 5.1% which is roughly in line with past precedent.

Weathering June without waxing too bearish is the key to surviving the silver summer doldrums. Those June losses reversed sharply in July, which enjoyed a big 4.3% average rally! And those gains largely held in August, with a mere 0.6% average loss. Since gold is silvers primary driver, this white metal is stuck in the same drifting boat as gold in the market summers. Fully expecting this prevents being disheartened.

The gold miners stocks are also hostage to golds summer doldrums. This last chart applies this same analysis to the flagship HUI gold-stock index, which is closely mirrored by that leading GDX VanEck Vectors Gold Miners ETF. The major gold stocks tend to leverage golds gains and losses by 2x to 3x, so its not surprising that the HUIs summer-doldrums-drift trading range is also twice as wide as golds own.

The gold stocks trading action this summer has closely mirrored and amplified golds, surging in early June before slumping hard in the past couple weeks. Yet the HUI still remains near the middle of its usual summer-doldrums-drift trading range of +/-10% from Mays final close. As you can see, the gold stocks indeed trade within this range the vast majority of the time during modern bull-market summer years.

The red average of these individually-indexed gold-stock summers behaves very similarly to golds. The HUI tends to bottom in mid-June on the very day gold does seasonally. The average loss by that point is 2.3% since the end of May. By this week the HUI was down 4.0% month-to-date, also roughly in line with that summer-doldrums precedent. This typical June weakness tends to damage prevailing gold-stock sentiment.

But just like in gold, this early summer-doldrums hit for the gold stocks marks their best seasonal buying opportunity of the year! These gold miners tend to rally strongly on balance between August and the following May. So its important to weather the June weakness without getting bearish enough to flee. And thats a whole heck of a lot easier if you fully expect the summer doldrums and prepare psychologically.

On average in modern bull-market Junes, the HUI has actually climbed 1.2%. A similar performance this year would put it at 194.8 by month-end, up 3.7% from this weeks levels. Gold stocks then tend to drift in July, with modest 0.7% losses on average. But in August as gold starts powering higher again on big Asian buying, the gold stocks accelerate to considerable 3.9% average gains. Late summer gets much better.

Like everything in life, withstanding the precious-metals summer doldrums is much less challenging if you know theyre coming. While outlying years happen, they are fairly rare. So the only safe bet to make is expecting gold, silver, and the stocks of their miners to languish in June and July. Then when these drifts again come to pass, you wont be surprised and wont get too bearish. That will protect you from selling low.

Gold, and therefore silver and their miners stocks, are actually looking very bullish this year. Golds new bull market ignited by that first Fed rate hike of this cycle in December 2015 remains very much alive and well. Gold rallied strongly out of the first three Fed rate hikes of this cycle, and as I outlined last week its very likely to rally out of the recent fourth. Unfortunately the doldrums have delayed this post-hike surge.

But its still coming after this usual seasonal lull passes. Investors worldwide are radically underinvested in gold after the extreme Trumphoria stock-market surge since the election. Gold is a unique asset that tends to move counter to stock markets, making it the ultimate portfolio diversifier. Thus gold investment demand wanes when stock markets are near record highs, then surges when they inevitably roll over again.

With todays massive Fed-goosed stock bull the second-longest and nearly-third-largest ever seen in US history, a day of reckoning is nearing. Sooner or later this extreme bull will yield to a major correction-grade selloff or more likely the long-overdue subsequent bear. As stock markets inevitably weaken, gold will catch a major bid as investment capital floods back in to attempt to diversify todays stock-heavy portfolios.

Smart investors, including billionaire hedge-fund managers, have been accumulating gold positions in anticipation of this coming huge demand surge. As the summer doldrums pass in the coming weeks and gold starts grinding higher again, gold investment buying will pick up whether or not stock markets have started to weaken. The usual Asian harvest buying will start in late July regardless of whats going on here.

Gold and especially its miners stocks remain deeply undervalued today, with powerful mean reversions higher ready to continue after their summer-doldrums pauses. The coming big seasonal gold rallies after this typically-weak spell can be played with major ETFs like GDX. But the individual stocks of elite gold miners with superior fundamentals will really outperform their sector, offering amazing upside potential.

The bottom line is gold, and therefore silver and their miners stocks, usually drift listlessly during market summers. As investors shift their focus from markets to vacations, capital flows wane. June and July in particular are simply devoid of the big recurring gold demand surges seen during much of the rest of the year, leaving them weak. Investors need to expect lackluster sideways action on balance this time of year.

So theres no reason to be bearish on the precious-metals complex today despite the recent weakness. Gold, silver, and their miners stocks remain well within their usual summer-doldrums-drift trends this year. This June weakness is actually the best time of the year seasonally to buy low and get long, ahead of the major autumn, winter, and spring gold and gold-stock rallies. Dont fear the summer doldrums, embrace them!

>> BACK TO THE NEWSLETTER: Click here to read other articles from this weeks newsletter


Coming soon - The Cultural Voyager Dedicated to anyone who pursues culture as a major part of their vacation experience.
Mangrove secures deal for Kokoro Gin

Mangrove has agreed an exclusive UK distribution deal for Forest Spirits' Kokoro Gin, a Japanese-inspired London Dry gin.

The deal will see the gin being marketed to on-trade, off-trade, wholesalers, independents, supermarkets and other retailers through Mangroves network.

Kokoro was launched in September 2016, with its first batch selling out in two months. Its core ingredient, sansho berries, are hand-picked and imported to the UK from the Afan Woodland, a sustainable forest in the Nagano region of Japan. Used extensively in Japanese cuisine, sansho berries have a distinctive pepper flavour with a citrus aftertaste. Combined with eight other botanicals, the sansho berries give Kokoro Gin its unique flavour.

James Nicol, managing director at Forest Spirits, which produces Kokoro Gin, says: Our deal with Mangrove will allow us to take Kokoro Gin to a larger market. We know that Mangrove only works with the highest quality products, so this is a perfect partnership. It is a significant step for us in growing the brand.

Nick Gillett, managing director of Mangrove, says: Kokoro Gin expands our gin selection, offering a point of difference for our customers. The addition of sansho berries produces a gin with oriental nuances, adding unique flavours compared to the traditional style of gin.

Forest Spirits was formed by James Nicol and Barry Darnell. The brothers-in-law, who are financial consultant and design agency head by day, were inspired by a family connection to the Afan woodland in Japan, where sansho berries grow. Nicols uncle, CW Nicol, is a lifelong environmentalist and author. He bought the Afan woodland in the 1980s and donated it to the Woodland Trust. It is now home to over 50 endangered species.

25 June 2017 - Sam Coyne The Drinks Report, news editor
Researchers from the Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station Smart Grid Center will participate in a joint initiative between the U.S. Department of Energy and India's Ministry of Science and Technology to develop more reliable and affordable access to energy in the Asian country.

To help support the U.S.-India Collaborative for Smart Distribution System with Storage initiative, the Department of Energy will award a $7.5 million grant for the five-year project, bringing its total funding to $30 million, along with the financial contributions from its Indian partners. The announcement came this week, just ahead of Monday's state visit by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Mladen Kezunovic, director of the Smart Grid Center and Regents professor in the department of electrical and computer engineering, said it is significant for the university to participate in the project for a number of reasons.

Kezunovic said the project is particularly timely thanks to its focus on such topics as renewable energy sources and energy storage -- the latter of which, he said, could be a "game changer."

"With [energy] storage, it becomes much easier to control a system," Kezunovic said. "It will change everything once it penetrates to a larger scale [of use]."

Kezunovic said he, along with electrical and computer engineering department head Miroslav Begovic and regents professor Chanan Singh, will contribute to the project in three ways: Conducting reliability studies related to the deployment of methods, running studies using test beds located on the A&M campus and developing educational short courses to train industry members.

DOE officials said the ultimate goal of the project is an energy distribution grid that is smarter, more resilient and more reliable.

In a statement, U.S. Energy Secretary and class of '72 Texas A&M graduate Rick Perry said the consortium of academic, public and private participants "demonstrates the U.S. and Indian commitments to ensuring access to affordable and reliable energy in both countries."

Perry added that "continued grid innovation will promote economic growth and energy security in the United States and India."

While India will receive the benefit of U.S. expertise through the partnership, DOE officials said American participants are expected to be able to learn from the country's existing efforts to modernize its power grid.

In addition to Texas A&M, more than a dozen other U.S. participants will contribute to the project, including the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the University of Hawaii, the Snohomish County, Washington, Public Utility District, Philadelphia Industrial Development Corporation, the National Rural Electrical Cooperative Association and more.

The U.S. team is led by Washington State University.

Although Texas A&M's part in the joint effort is relatively small -- Kezunovic said it will receive around 10 percent of the total funding allocated -- the connections it makes could also lead to future collaborations on separate projects.

"The collaborative aspect [of the project] is also very important because of the possible extension of these relationships in the future," Kezunovic said. "When you work together with so many companies, labs and universities, that develops a relationship that typically results in some other projects in the future."

DOE officials said the project is part of a larger effort to jointly promote clean energy research between the two nations, dating back to the 2009 establishment of the Partnership to Advance Clean Energy.

The TEES Smart Grid Center was created by the Texas A&M University System Board of Regents in 2012 to be a hub for research focused on helping to shape the vision of a smart grid, conducting research on the technologies and systems needed to achieve an integrated grid, and training students and industry professionals in both new and existing concepts and technologies.

To learn more about the center, visit smartgridcenter.tamu.edu.
Former superintendent Tommy Wallis is asking a district judge to find the Bryan school district and five of its leaders in contempt of court, arguing they should face jail time and fines following media reports that detail ethical complaints filed against him leading up to his forced resignation last fall.

Wallis and his attorneys state in court documents that hes been harmed by the release of the 10 -page report outlining 14 potential ethical violations he committed while in Bryan. Stories published earlier this month by both The Eagle and KBTX-TV cite unnamed sources as giving access to the document.

District officials declined to comment about Wallis claims, saying its against district policy to discuss pending litigation.

According to a motion filed in Travis County on June 16, Wallis wants the district, a trustee and four top administrators to be held in contempt of court for intentionally and maliciously defying a temporary injunction thats in place to keep records about Wallis from being made public until a hearing on the matter. The Eagle and KBTX filed open records requests last fall, and in December the Texas Attorney Generals Office agreed that most of the documents should be released under the Texas Public Information Act.

However, Wallis went to court in Travis County, filing against the state and the school district while saying release of such documents would cause him irreparable harm. A judge in January set the case for an October hearing on the issue and said the documents would remain closed until then. Meanwhile, Wallis  accused of misusing taxpayer funds for his personal benefit, trying to get the district to hire a certain vendor with whom he wanted to do business, requiring employees to spend district time and resources to help him get another job and aggressively bullying staff members  was hired as the top administrator in Kirbyville, a significantly smaller district in East Texas.

Wallis and his lawyers obtained subpoenas that will require the following to show up Wednesday in the 345th District Court in Austin: Board President Trey Moore; Deputy Superintendent Timothy Rocka; Amy Drozd, assistant superintendent of business services; Barbara Ybarra, associate superintendent of teaching and learning; and Brandon Webb, executive director of communications and public affairs. The four administrators, along with all school board members and Wallis, were listed in a separation agreement as being barred from discussing  even with their spouses  the circumstances surrounding Wallis departure. It was signed only by Wallis and then-board president Doug Wunneburger.

It wasnt immediately clear how many others in the district had access to the complaints.

As part of that agreement, the majority of board members voted to pay him $83,000, which was his salary for the remainder of 2016, and gave him a supportive reference letter.

Since the documents Wallis sought to keep secret were given to the media, he now wants the district to pay him $37,000 and for anyone who violated the injunction to go to county jail. The motion also asks that each person found to have violated the order to be required to post bond payable to Wallis to ensure they appear in court, as well as pay a fine and give up to $20,000 for more legal fees.

A woman who answered the phone Friday at the office of Wallis attorney said they were not accepting calls from reporters and had no comment.

Subpoenas also were issued last week to Eagle editor Kelly Brown and KBTX anchor Rusty Surette, both of whom recently reported on the complaints filed against Wallis, which triggered him to take court action against the Bryan officials. Court documents show that they will attempt to compel the journalists to identify their confidential sources.

On Friday, Joel White, a First Amendment attorney based in Austin who is representing The Eagle, filed a motion to quash Browns subpoena, saying that reporters are protected from revealing their sources under a law known as the Texas Free Flow of Information Act, as well as the First Amendment.

District officials confirmed for local media that the 14 ethics complaints were lodged against Wallis and cited those as the reason trustees asked Wallis to resign nine months ago.

The two sources who spoke with The Eagle, both of whom requested their names not be used, said the recent suicide of Kirbyville High School Principal Dennis Reeves  who killed himself within an hour of Wallis forcing his resignation  is what prompted them to give the documents to The Eagle.

Wallis contempt of court motion does not specify how hes been harmed by the release of the ethics complaint, but characterizes the leak to the media as willful and malicious actions.

Its also unclear to what extent the Kirbyville school board was aware of the reasons surrounding Wallis departure from his previous employer.

One trustee has acknowledged to The Eagle that no one from Kirbyville discussed Wallis with Bryan trustees or administrators. However, the board president there on Monday told a packed room of residents, who have admonished the districts handling of the principal's suicide and the decision to hire Wallis, that before they hired Wallis, he was open and honest with this board about his previous employment at Bryan ISD, and about the lessons that he was learned as a result.

All of the complaints, if shown to be true, would have gone against board policies.
By Press Trust of India: By Lalit K Jha and Yoshita Singh

Washington, Jun 26 (PTI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi today said India has now emerged as a business-friendly destination, more so with the upcoming implementation of landmark GST beginning next month, while asking CEOs of top US companies to invest in the country.

Modi, during his meeting with the CEOs of top 20 American firms, also said that India attracted the largest amount of foreign direct investment (FDI) as a result of the NDA governments policies in the last three years.

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In the round table interaction with the group that included Tim Cook of Apple, Sunder Pichai from Google, John Chambers from Cisco and Jeff Bezos of Amazon, he spoke about the reforms undertaken by his government, saying they numbered over 7,000, and were aimed at "ease of (doing) business and minimum government, maximum governance."

"Interacted with top CEOs. We held extensive discussions on opportunities in India," Modi tweeted after the meeting that lasted for about 90 minutes.

He said the world is now focused on Indias economy, especially in areas like manufacturing, trade, commerce, and people-to-people contact, due to a young population and a rising middle-class.

"The whole world is looking at India. 7,000 reforms alone by GOI for ease of (doing) business and minimum government, maximum governance," Gopal Bagley, spokesman of the Ministry of External Affairs quoting the prime minister as saying.

Indias growth presents a win-win partnership for the country and the US, and American companies have a great opportunity to contribute to that, Modi told the CEOs.

"If America becomes stronger, India will be a natural beneficiary," he said.

On the Goods and Services Tax (GST), Modi said its implementation is a complex task that may well turn out to be "a subject of studies in US business schools."

"This shows India can take big decisions and implement them swiftly," he said.

During the interaction at the Willard Hotel, where he is staying, Modi gave a patient hearing to the wish-list of the top bosses.

The Prime Minister pointed out opportunities for tourism through developing hotels in "PPP (public private partnership) model" at 500 railway stations, Baglay said.

Modi said his government has focused on improving the quality of life of the people, and added that working towards this end requires a global partnership.

Therefore, he added, India is working on principles like Minimum Government, Maximum Governance, efficiency, transparency, growth and benefit for all.

"In concluding remarks, PM stresses imp of coopn 4 start up, innovation &tapping huge intellectual, edu & vocational training potential in India," Baglay tweeted.

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The CEOs lauded the Prime Ministers initiatives of demonetisation and digitisation of economy and the GST, the spokesman said.

The CEOs also expressed support for Make in India, Digital India, Start Up India and other flagship initiatives of the government.

According to Indian officials present at the meeting, several CEOs showed willingness to be partners in skill development and education initiatives in India. They also mentioned social initiatives being undertaken by their companies in India in women empowerment, digital technology, education and food processing.

Infrastructure, defence manufacturing and energy security also came up for discussion during the meeting.

"CEOs applaud reform measures and steps taken by the government to improve ease of doing business," Baglay tweeted.

"CEOs outline priorities in India and suggestions for mutually beneficial partnerships in line with inclusive growth," he said, adding that they reaffirmed their commitment to growing with India and attested to its attractiveness as an FDI destination.

Pichai told reporters after the meeting that they were excited about investing in India.

Praising the steps being taken by the Indian government in the last three years, he said the US companies are looking forward to the roll out of the GST.

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"Good," said Cook as he emerged out of the meeting.

The US-India Business Council (USIBC) president Mukesh Aghi said the CEOs praised the reforms being undertaken by the Prime Minister and underscore his efforts to make India a business-friendly destination.

Responding to a question, Aghi said the H-1B visa issue was not discussed at the meeting.

Among other CEOs present at the meeting were Shantanu Narayen from Adobe, Ajay Banga from Mastercard, David Farr from Emerson, Doug McMillon from Walmart, and Punit Renjen from Deloitte Global, Jim Umpleby from Caterpillar, Alex Gorsky from Johnson and Johnson, Jamie Dimon from J P Morgan Chase, and Marillyn Hewson from Lockheed Martin. USIBC president Aghi was also present.

Posting a picture of the prime minister with the CEOs on Twitter, Bagley said, "strengthening the Indo-US economic partnership".

In a recent policy document, USIBC said the US-India commercial and strategic relationship supports global security, promotes economic growth and creates jobs for both countries and the global economy.

"Today, as we witness a paradigm shift in the erstwhile global order, an opportunity has emerged for both countries to set new standards in bilateral ties that will be bound by their shared values," USIBC said.

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Noting that US-India trade has tripled over the last decade, reaching a historic high of nearly USD 110 billion in 2015, USIBC said there is an opportunity for both the countries to also sync their regulatory and standards system to increase trade and investment.

In a separate statement, Jagdip Ahluwalia, executive director of Indo American Chamber of Commerce of Greater Houston, said the United States and India share a very symbiotic relationship, and Modi?s first face to face visit with Donald Trump is important to strengthen the relationship between the two.

"On behalf of Houston, the energy capital of the world and home of the worlds largest Medical Center the IACCGH and the strong Indian American community hope to welcome Prime Minister Modi to Houston in the not too distant future,? Ahluwalia said. PTI LKJ YAS PRJ RKL PRJ BAL NSA BSA

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Donald Trump is a polarizing figure, to be sure. People seem to love him or loathe him. There doesn't appear to be any middle ground.

It was the same with Barrack Obama -- and before him, George W. Bush, Bill Clinton and so on. Presidents always have engendered strong emotions, pro and con.

In recent years, though, those opinions seem to be more heated, more intense and, yes, sometimes more outrageous.

Take, for instance, actor Johnny Depp, perhaps seeking some renewed interest in his career. Speaking at Britain's Glastonbury Festival, Depp said, "When was the last time an actor assassinated a president?" Of course he was referring to the murder of President Abraham Lincoln but actor John Wilkes Booth.

The 54-year-old Depp went on to say, "I want to qualify, I am not an actor. I lie for a living. However, it has been awhile and maybe it is time."

The social media world went crazy and, on Friday, Depp said he was sorry.

"I apologize for the bad joke I attempted last night in poor taste about President Trump. It did not come out as intended, and I intended no malice. I was only trying to amuse, not to harm anyone."

Talking about assassinating a president was meant to "amuse?'

We certainly don't find it funny. Also not funny was comedian Kathy Griffin's photo holding up a fake, blood-drenched head of President Trump.

Surely Depp and Griffin actually weren't advocating the murder of President Trump. And they most likely aren't the only people making similar statements, although perhaps not all were meant to be taken humorously.

And that's the concern in today's super-charged atmosphere. There will be people who will take what Depp said and Griffin pictured as a clarion call to action. By the very nature of the position, presidents always are surrounded by dangers, but thanks to the incredibly brave men and women of the Secret Service and other law enforcement agencies our presidents stay safe. But as has been said, all it takes is one committed person with a gun to find a way through all that security, with potentially deadly results.

While there always be people determined to take that risk, the rise of 24/7 news and "fake news" and the often-angry social media is a constant drumbeat to the minds and egos of those who contemplate harming a president. None of that existed when John Wilkes Booth and Leon Czolgosz and Charles J. Guiteau and John Hinckley set out to kill a president.

For a look into their world, attend today's final performance of Stephen Sondheim's Assassins -- coupled with his musical Passion -- at The Theatre Company, behind JoAnn Fabrics in the Tejas Center. Passion is lovely, but Assassins is a glimpse into the strange lives of presidential killers and would-be killers. The performance is at 2 p.m. and it is hard to take at times, but given today's atmosphere, it is important.

For most of us, even if we dislike the president -- any president -- intensely, assassination doesn't even enter our thoughts. But there are some, perhaps many, who take any encouragement to act on their desires, whether it be from a Johnny Depp or a vitriolic poster on Facebook or Twitter.

It's time all of us -- those on the left, those on the right and those in the middle -- to tone down what we say. Of course one of our most cherished rights is to oppose and criticize the president, the Congress and others in power. It is a hallmark of our democracy and it can be healthy for this nation. But let's not suggest harm to President Trump or to members of his family,

If others call for such harm, please correct them and say that is not acceptable.

Those of us old enough to remember the murder of President John F. Kennedy know how his death affected this country, how dangerous a time it was. We should wish no harm on the president, not only for his welfare but also for the well-being of the nation.

We all would do better to step back and consider our words before saying or writing them.
Veterans Day deals and activities this Friday

Area veterans can be treated to a variety of deals, discounts and ceremonies this Veterans Day.
By Geeta Mohan: Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is on a three-day tour to the US, is holding a round table with about 20 executives from companies based in the United States. The prime minister is later expected to greet members of the Indian diaspora in Virginia.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is meeting with CEOs at the Hotel Willard Intercontinental. Prominent entrepreneurs like Apple's Tim Cook, Google's Sundar Pichai, Satya Nadella from Microsoft and Ajay Banga from Mastercard are among the CEOs meeting Modi.

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While addressing the roundtable meeting with US Business leaders, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that landmark initiative of GST could be a subject of studies in US business schools. He added that growth of India presents win-win partnership for India and US as companies in US have a great opportunity to contribute to that. PM Modi also added that world is looking at India at present.

"7,000 reforms alone by GOI for ease of business and minimum government and maximum governance," said PM Modi.

"PM was looking for insights into how India can attract more foreign investment, many good ideas discussed. It was a very good discussion across many industries," said Google CEO, Sundar Pichai who attended the round-table with PM.

Pichai added that everyone is excited to invest in India.

PM Modi is expected to have talks with President Trump on a host of strategic issues. Official sources said that the leaders are likely to discuss 2008 civil nuclear deal, however, agreement on nuclear reactor projects are unlikely.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi meets US business leaders.

Earlier, leading US congressmen had called on President Donald Trump to press Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to remove barriers to US trade and investment when they meet for the first time on Monday.

TRADE AND INVESTMENT BARRIERS

The lawmakers, from the Republican and Democratic parties, said in a letter to Trump that high-level engagement with India had failed to eliminate major trade and investment barriers and had not deterred India from imposing new ones.

"Many sectors of the Indian economy remain highly and unjustifiably protected, and India continues to be a difficult place for American companies to do business," they wrote, noting that a 2017 World Bank report ranked India 130th out of 190 countries for ease of doing business.

The lawmakers - Republican House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Kevin Brady and Ranking Member Richard Neal, and Republican Senate Finance Committee Chairman Orrin Hatch and Ranking Member Ron Wyden - said the bilateral economic relationship "severely underperforms" as a result of India's failure to enact market-based reforms.

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BARRIERS OVER MULTIPLE SECTORS

They said the barriers covered multiple sectors and included high tariffs, inadequate protection of intellectual property rights, and inconsistent and non-transparent licensing and regulatory practices.

Among US goods affected were solar and information technology products, telecommunications equipment and biotechnology products, they said.The lawmakers also pointed to limitations on foreign participation in professional services, restrictive foreign equity caps for financial, retail, and other major services sectors and barriers to digital trade and Internet services.

While progress is expected in defense trade and cooperation , Trump, who campaigned on an "America First" platform has been irritated by the growing U.S. trade deficit with India and has called for reform of the H1B visa system that has benefited Indian tech firms.

TRUMP'S JIBE AT PARIS CLIMATE DEAL

Other signs of friction have included Trump accusing New Delhi of negotiating unscrupulously at the Paris climate talks to walk away with billions in aid.Indian officials reject suggestions that Modi's "Make in India" platform is protectionist and complain about the US regulatory process for generic pharmaceuticals and rules on fruit exports to the United States.

They stress the future importance of the huge Indian market to US firms and major growth in areas such as aviation which will offer significant opportunities for US manufacturers.

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China 'closely watching' Modi-Trump meet, sends warning on South China Sea

Narendra Modi arrives in US ahead of meeting with Trump, top CEOs

When Narendra Modi meets Donald Trump: An India First vs America First affair

ALSO WATCH | PM Modi meets top American CEOs, says whole world is looking at India

--- ENDS ---
A host of strategic issues are expected to be discussed during the parleys between the leaders of the worlds two largest democracies.

By Press Trust of India: The Indo-US civil nuclear deal is expected to figure during talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Donald Trump tomorrow, but a pact between the NPCIL and Westinghouse to build six power reactors in Andhra Pradesh is unlikely to be signed.

A host of strategic issues are expected to be discussed during the parleys between the leaders of the worlds two largest democracies, including the progress on the 2008 civil nuclear deal, according to official sources here.

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They said a financial turmoil in Westinghouse and absence of a functional reference atomic plant were the main impediments behind the Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limiteds (NPCIL) unwillingness to sign the agreement with the American nuclear giant.

According to a joint statement by Modi and the then US president Barack Obama in 2015, both the sides had resolved to work towards "finalising the contractual agreement by June 2017".

However, a lot of water has flown under the bridge since then.

Westinghouse, which was acquired by Japanese conglomerate Toshiba in 2007, filed for bankruptcy in March.

Apprehending uncertainty, the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) and the NPCIL are unwilling to go ahead with any agreement with the beleaguered company till it comes out of the financial turmoil.

"It is unlikely that we will sign an agreement with Westinghouse when the prime minister visits the US. However, we are making good use of time to hold discussions on techno- commercial aspects," a senior government official said.

An email sent by PTI to Westinghouse seeking a response from it on the issue was not replied to.

MODI SLATED TO MEET TRUMP

During his visit to the US on June 25-26, Modi is slated to meet Trump.

The Indo-US nuclear cooperation agreement was signed in 2008, under which Westinghouse and GE Hitachi were to build six power reactors each in Andhra Pradesh and Gujarat.

Initially, Westinghouse was allocated the Mithi Virdi site in Gujarat, but was later given the Kovvada site in Srikakulam district of Andhra Pradesh.

The company was to build six AP-1000 atomic reactors with a capacity of 1,208 MW each at Kovvada.

PLANS TO MAKE NUCLEAR PLANS

With a total capacity of 7,248 MW, the government had a plan to make it one of the largest nuclear parks in south Asia.

The official said any foreign company need to demonstrate a functional nuclear plant using the same technology. This is a pre-requisite to obtain permission from the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB), the nuclear watchdog in the country.

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Westinghouses AP-1000 technology plants are at various stages of construction in different countries and are yet to start commercial operations.

ALSO READ:

China 'closely watching' Modi-Trump meet, sends warning on South China Sea

Narendra Modi arrives in US ahead of meeting with Trump, top CEOs

When Narendra Modi meets Donald Trump: An India First vs America First affair

ALSO WATCH | What happens when Donald Trump gets a WhatsApp message from PM Modi

--- ENDS ---
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NORWALK  Brainerd Maples was a man of conviction.

Kicked off a train near Mount Vernon, N.Y. in 1870 after losing his ticket, the Westport schoolteacher decried the injustice of being abandoned in the middle of nowhere.

He composed bitter rants in letter form and mailed them to any publication with a local address. But when no one would publish his prose  apparently for fear of repercussions from those with deeper pockets  he took matters into his own hands.

From that day until his death he was an ... enemy of the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad. He wrote letters to the Norwalk Gazette, the Bridgeport Farmer, the Bridgeport Standard and other leading weekly papers of the day, but in most instances the attacks were so bitter that they were not printed, wrote Richard Fitch, a Norwalk historian in 1946. That aroused all that fighting spirit which was one of his strongest characteristics and he used to talk the matter over ... until early in the spring when he announced that he had found a method of getting his grievances into print. That was to start a paper of his own.

On May 5, 1871, Maples exited the train that had sparked his fury at the Saugatuck Station with a bundle of newspapers in hand, the odor of printers ink still fresh. With him he carried Volume 1, Issue 1 of The Norwalk Hour.

Its unlikely Brainerd would recognize today the little newspaper he started in Westport nearly 150 years ago. A far cry from the modest room in the back of Betts News Stand where he laid out that first edition of the paper by hand, The Norwalk Hours new offices at 301 Merritt 7 opened last week, welcoming nearly 200 employees of the papers parent company, Hearst Connecticut Media Group, to a modern Class A office space.

More Information 146 years and counting May 6, 1871 - The first edition of The Norwalk Hour, a weekly newspaper, is published from Westport. July 19, 1873 - the newspaper moves to Norwalk. It would move several times in the coming years, with offices on Wall Street, Water Street and Isaac Street. March 21, 1874 - The paper absorbs the Westport Advertiser, and becomes The Norwalk Hour and Westport Advertiser. Aug. 5, 1895 - A daily publication, The Evening Hour, begins. Feb. 25, 1901 - The Hour Publishing Company is formed. July 1901 - The Norwalk Hour becomes the company's daily paper, The Evening Hour is no longer published. March 24, 1919 - The company purchases the Booth Block on Knight Street, adjoining the Hour's original block. The corner of Wall and Knight streets will become known as Hour Square. May 1976 - The Hour moves to 346 Main Ave., Norwalk. Jan. 6, 2011 - The Hour moves to the Shore Pointe Office Building at 1 Selleck St., Norwalk. April 13, 2016 - Hearst Connecticut Media Group acquires The Hour and its digital assets. June 12, 2017 - Hearst Connecticut Media Group begins moving to 301 Merritt 7 in Norwalk. June 25, 2017 - The Hour is reflagged The Norwalk Hour. Dear Readers, Today this newspaper has a new name. Make that an old one, actually: The Norwalk Hour. Simply put, we decided to put the city back where it belongs - in big letters, at the top of the front page, today and every day. While Wilton, Westport and Weston are always in our sights, Norwalk is the heart of our local news organization. We hope you share our delight in celebrating the rich past and vibrant future of our dynamic community. See More Collapse

How a little yellow commutation ticket, measuring some 2 x 4 inches, got lost, fell on fertile ground, and grew into a big and busy newspaper, transforming its owner from a perfectly good city school teacher into an equally good country editor, is one of those tall oaks-from-little-acorns themes, chock full of that human interest stuff, which transforms reporters into editors who are roaring lions of their own little towns, Fitch wrote of The Norwalk Hours birth story.

It is that unrelenting spirit that has sustained the newspaper for 146 years, editors say.

This newspaper was started by a citizen who wanted to enlist the public in his fight for better train service, said Barbara T. Roessner, executive editor for the Hearst Connecticut Media Group, which purchased The Norwalk Hour in April 2016. It may seem quaint but that spirit still lives in our newsrooms, that drive to serve the public interest, to improve the life of the community.

Previously located in Bridgeport, Hearst Connecticut Medias business operations have moved to Norwalk, though the company will maintain satellite newsrooms in each of the Fairfield County markets where it owns a daily newspaper including Greenwich (Greenwich Time), Stamford (Stamford Advocate), Bridgeport (Connecticut Post) and Danbury (The News-Times). The move stemmed largely from the geographic convenience of Norwalk for the companys operations, according to Hearst CMG publisher Paul Barbetta.

Geographically its pretty centralized to the county we serve, Barbetta said. Its also because Merritt 7 is a Class A space and we wanted to make sure it represented what were really about, which is the future.

Designed by Norwalk-based Antinozzi Associates, the new, first-floor office at 301 Merritt 7 is a contemporary take on an old-school newsroom, with an open-office design and all the amenities of a modern media company.

Roessner said the move to Norwalk also reflects the organizations dedication to serving the community, much the way Maples originally envisioned.

Fairfield County is such a diverse place, from Danbury and Bridgeport down to Stamford and Greenwich. Moving the hub of our operations to Norwalk puts us at the epicenter of it all, in a community whose own diversity is a microcosm of the region, Roessner said. But its important to emphasize that each of our markets remains unique. Each of our five Fairfield County dailies still has its own local news operation in a locally-based newsroom. We are absolutely committed to enterprising local journalism.

Earlier this month, Hearst further expanded its coverage of Connecticut when it acquired three daily and eight weekly newspapers and their accompanying websites from Digital First Media, including the New Haven Register and Connecticut Magazine.

Despite Hearsts expansion, The Norwalk Hour is returning to its roots in the city from which it was born. Leadership at the paper made the decision this week to return to the papers original name  putting the city back in the flag, front and center, at the top of every edition.

Thane Grauel, managing editor of The Norwalk Hour, who as a teenager delivered his local paper by bicycle, said the new  or rather, old  name suits the mentality of the paper today, which isnt that far off from the ideology Maples started with in 1871.

This new space is great for our mission today, covering the community and delivering the news on multiple platforms, traditional and evolving, Grauel said. Digital and social media are huge, but dont underestimate the importance of print to some people. No one cuts out the internet and puts it on their fridge. Putting the name back in the flag only cements our commitment to serving the local community.

kkrasselt@hearstmediact.com; 203-842-2563; @kaitlynkrasselt
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NORWALK  Young Norwalkers got a crash course in adulthood this month as part of the 2017 Mayors Youth Summer Employment Program.

Nikia Renie, an incoming senior at Norwalk High School, was among 110 local youth to graduate Friday from a four-day training program. This summer, theyll be working at businesses and organizations across Norwalk.

We didnt only learn work skills or how to be job-ready but we learned how to be individuals, said Renie, joined by fellow employment program graduates and their families in the Community Room of City Hall on Friday afternoon. We had leaders but everybody was recognized.

The Mayors Summer Youth Employment Program trains young people ages 14 to 18 for jobs in the real world and matches them with employment opportunities where they can explore a profession, learn a skill, navigate in a business environment, contribute to the community and earn money. The program runs six weeks in July and August. Youth people work 25 hours a week and earn minimum wage, which is now $10.10 an hour.

STRIVE CT, part of Career Resources, Inc., of Bridgeport, led the training workshops in the Community Room at which the young people formed work groups and developed 60-second commercials and business mission statements.

They did an amazing job and the names that they came up with and the missions statements that they came up with to represent their groups were so powerful, said Dawn-Marie Williams, STRIVE CT Core services Training Coordinator. And they defended those groups as if they were in business for year.

Members of the work group Food For Thought shared a love of cooking and eating. Other work groups included The Determiners, The Wolves, The Goal Getters, Team Unstoppables, The Money Getters and The Top Notch Crew.

Renie, as team leader for The Top Notch Crew, used her skills to build a website and Instagram page. Shell work at City Hall this summer developing a website for Youth Summer Employment Program.

Shamar T. Askew, another incoming senior at Norwalk High School and team leader for The Wolves, will do office work at Norwalk Community College.

Darlene Young, summer employment program coordinator, described the four-day training as serious business.

You were here to learn and they actually did learn, Young said. I talked to some of them as we were going through the hall and I said, How was it? (They said) Its tough. Its taking me out of my comfort zone.

Mayor Harry W. Rilling credited Young and Maritza Alvarado, administrative assistant in his office, as well as STRIVE, for organizing the annual employment program, which he said helps young people learn and grow and develop to your fullest potential.

Weve had young people work for a company or work for an organization, then theyve come back, Rilling said. Employers asked for them the next year and the next year, and then theyve given them a full-time job, and a very rewarding career started just out of the Summer Youth Employment Program.

The annual jobs program relies on monetary donations  roughly $1,500 to create a single job  and positions offered by local employers. This year, employers have offered 194 jobs. So far, the program has money to fill 175 jobs. Thats room for the 110 new graduates and 65 re-hires, according to Young.

To contribute, contact Darlene Young, Mayor's Summer Youth Employment Program coordinator, at 203-854-7702, or at dyoung@norwalkct.org.

rkoch@hearstmediact.com
It was eight years ago when conversations began in earnest about the need and the potential for developing a focused career education program  preparing students for the workforce and not just for college.

Educational and business leaders, along with students and their parents, acknowledged the need for trades education and recognized the career potential for students in these areas, either with further education at a two-year college or with professional certifications.

Fast forward to September 2013. Grand Island Public Schools opened our $8 million Career Pathways Institute  a building devoted entirely to giving students hands-on experience in fields such as information technology, drafting, construction, auto mechanics and manufacturing/welding. School leaders focused on the significance of connecting young adults to real-world experience in areas that interest them and could be a segue into employment. Data shows that linking career training to students interests improve graduation rates  when students realize why it is important to know math or English from an employers perspective, they are inspired to learn.

Businesses invested in Career Pathways Institute in 2013 and continue to do so today. Employers willingly provide resources (personnel, material, funding) to provide students with opportunities they might not otherwise experience  with an eye toward developing a pipeline of potential employees.

The Chamber of Commerce, on behalf of the business community, is committed to ensuring Career Pathways Institute remains state-of-the-art (students learning to use equipment used in the business world; solving problems they will face at their job) and yet, flexible. As workforce needs change, it is important that educational institutions, including Career Pathways Institute, adapt to current and emerging workforce expectations.

This is one reason we are excited about the proposed Grand Island Prep Academies. These academies (human services; health sciences; arts and communication; business/marketing, management and IT; and skilled and technical sciences) will focus on helping students understand the applications of academic subjects to the career and college field and deliver work-based learning experiences.

When students can explore potential careers, learn what is needed to be successful in these areas, and have the support of educators and the community at large, the likeliness for a smooth transition from high school to career or college increases. This model has great potential for students to be successful, college credits to be acquired at the high school level, and businesses to have a well-prepared pipeline of employees.

Grand Island is known for our innovation and energy. This is one more example of how Grand Island Public Schools and the business community in Grand Island area is leading the way.

Cindy Johnson is president of the Grand Island Area Chamber of Commerce.
Whenever there is a shooting, liberals have an answer that is not an answer, namely the charade of more gun control. Fine, try it, and maybe some voodoo along the way, but it doesnt work very well, there are better alternatives, and whats truly absurd in this debate is the demeaning expression gun nuts.

What about gun control nuts?

What about people who seem to think murders will go down if fewer guns are sold even though a major crime drop starting in the 1990s was accompanied by a huge increase in the number of guns?

What about people apparently not knowing that we have 300 million guns in this country and getting hold of one will continue to be easy short of mass confiscation that will not and should not happen? Criminals, by the way, mostly get their guns from such means as the black market or a family gift, not through store purchases.

What about people who dont get it that President Barack Obamas calls for gun control made him the biggest gun salesman in American history? Gun sales set records in the Obama years largely because of the fear he might make their purchase virtually impossible. Not a single law he wanted would have shrunk gun sales by a fraction as much as his rhetoric increased them.

What about the fact that a British ban on handguns saw killings increase for the next five years until more cops were finally put on the beat?

What about the fact that back in the days when it had a complete gun ban, Russia had four times as many murders as we had? In that case, does culture have more to do with gun violence than anything, just as culture probably accounts for us having more killings than the Europeans?

The late, great social scientist James Q. Wilson thought so.

What about the fact that so-called assault rifles are not assault weapons and that the real ones are already banned? The military says an assault weapon is one that can be automatic  press the trigger and the gun keeps shooting until you let up. The rifles often called assault weapons because they look like them are semiautomatic  you have to keep pulling the trigger.

By the way, handguns are the first weapon of choice in crimes and mass shootings, and while there are mass shooters who favor the automatic lookalikes, they would still kill without them.

In fact, FBI numbers show knives are used to kill five times more people than all rifles put together and that fists and feet do the deed more than knives.

Finally, what about a 2013 study of studies by the Centers for Disease Control? It failed to find evidence that gun control laws worked but did find evidence for something else: People rescue themselves from crimes on a regular basis with guns, and guns work better than any other safety technique.

I do not object to more work on ways to keep guns out of the hands of criminals and the insane if Second Amendment limits are observed. Despite arguments to the contrary, the founders did believe gun possession was an individual right, militia or no militia.

It is also the case that the National Rifle Association does not have lobbying heft because it gets big dough from gun manufacturers but because it represents millions of gun owners who happen to vote.

The recent shooting of a congressman should cause consternation, but the best weapon against misuse of guns is cops with guns plus wise strategies and tactics like the kind that have been used in New York City. It led other big cities in a major way in reducing killings and incarceration through deterrence.

To wish for more gun control over that approach is to wish for more blood in the streets.
Three years ago, President Obamas normalization of relationships with communist Cuba was hailed in some quarters as a positive step toward freeing 11 million Cubans from decades of oppression in a police state.

Older, expatriated Cubans were outraged by this development.

In December 2014, British Guardian observed, The easing of U.S. restrictions on Cuba will provide a telling case study in one of the longest running debates in foreign policy: whether sanctions or engagement represent the best way to change authoritarian regimes.

Despite the increase in tourism and trade between the two countries, the regime under Raul Castros dictatorship made 8,616 politically motivated arrests in 2015 and 7,418 more in just the first half of 2016, according to the Cuban Commission for Human Rights. Additionally, Christian Solidarity Worldwide reported that violations of religious freedoms surged from just 220 in 2014 to 2,300 in 2015.

Human Rights Watch has stated that the government represses nearly all forms of political dissent and that Cubans are systematically denied basic rights to free expression, association, assembly, privacy, movement, and due process of law which goes so far as to regularly exercise extrajudicial executions.

Suppression of information extends to the internet. Internet in Cuba has some of the lowest penetration rates in the Western hemisphere. All content is subject to review by the Department of Revolutionary Orientation.

An abundant fishery exists in Cubas coastal waters and yet Cubans cannot legally own boats. With 86-year-Raul Castros presidency approaching an end, the military-controlled government will carry on. Half of the nations households subsist on an annual income of less than $500 (U.S. dollars), essentially conscripting the Cuban people to a life of dependency and poverty. Prior to Fidel Castros revolution, Cuba was one of the most prosperous nations in the Southern Hemisphere.

The notion that increased trade and foreign investment will lift the living standard of the Cuban people is false. The vast military conglomerate controls every aspect of the economy and any financial boost to come from the outside will accrue to the regime.

President Trumps hard line will reverse the failure of Obamas attempt to normalize relations with one of the worlds last communist dictatorships.

Trumps strategy is designed to stem cash flowing directly to the Cuban government, setting the stage for the nations nascent private sector to thrive. Some of the normalized changes will remain. Existing diplomatic channels and embassies in Washington and Havana will be preserved. Cuban Americans can still send money back to relatives in their homeland. Commodity contracts and other business investments put in place before the rollback will not be affected.

The Castro regimes longtime ally and financial supporter, Venezuela, has now collapsed after decades of socialism, suppression and exploitation. There will be no fast track for democracy or hope for prosperity for the Venezuelan people.

Cubas authoritarian regime will also one day fall. When it does, the island nations golden days could return in less than a generation. Trumps course is the right approach.
Kabuki theater can be used to describe Sen. Deb Fischers commentary regarding ethanol in Wednesdays Independent.

Why not just say farmers need a higher price for their corn, rather than the posturing concern for the environment? We had $7 corn during the Obama years, but a cry from the GOP was drill, baby, drill, that resulted in a oil glut.

Supply side, trickle-down economics now makes ethanol not feasible.

Studies have shown ethanol from corn costs about $1.74 per gallon to produce, compared with about 95 cents to produce a gallon of gasoline.

If it werent for government subsidies to artificially lower the price, the growers and processors couldnt afford to burn ethanol to make ethanol, and U.S. drivers couldnt afford it either.

Some engines cannot use ethanol, plus many engine warranties are void if a higher blend of ethanol is used.

Does Fischer worry about the runoff of pesticides and herbicides used that contaminate our water, or the Keystone pipeline leaking? North Dakota has oil leaks on average of 1 every 11 hours. The most reasonable way to maintain clean air would have been not to lift mileage goal standards on autos in the future. ( But that was an Obama regulation.)
By Press Trust of India: Khunti (Jharkhand), June 24 (PTI) Three persons were arrested today after over 17 kg of opium was seized from their possession in Khunti district.

According to police, acting on a tip-off that some people would try to smuggle opium, a police team intercepted a bus which was on its way to Ranchi near Tajna river on the Ranchi-Chaibasa road.

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As the police team was searching the police, five persons tried to flee from the rear door of the bus but three of them were apprehended by the policemen while two managed to escape.

During the search of the three persons, the police seized 17 kg of opium in wet form, some cash and three mobile phones from their possession.

The seized opium was estimated to be worth around Rs 18 lakh, the police said. PTI COR BS RG

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Pa. Dems could flip the House of Reps. Here's what that might mean
By Press Trust of India: Mumbai, Jun 25 (PTI) Maharashtra Health Minister Deepak Sawant has said that a public-private partnership (PPP) model in the healthcare sector will help in delivery of efficient services.

The minister assured full support of the state government to private players in the healthcare industry to run government hospitals and medical centres more efficiently.

Sawant was speaking at the Healthcare Federation of India (NATHEALTH) organised second round table meeting in the city yesterday.

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The meeting deliberated on a host of issues related to healthcare in India.

"Like the Centre, Maharashtra government has also outsourced diagnostic, screening and other services. Policy framework of PPP is in place. For example, in dealing with swine flu we collaborated with Lal Path Labs and such projects can be scaled up," Sawant said.

The minister informed the meeting that the state health department is opening 31 CT scan centres in several districts of the state, but only CT machines would not serve the purpose, and there is a need of a supplementary support system which can only be achieved through a PPP model.

"The state government assures full support to private players and all assistance will be provided to them. We want to run all our hospitals and centres efficiently and that can be done on a PPP basis," he said.

Talking about potential of PPP model in the health sector, NATHEALTH president, Dr Arvind Lal said, "for higher spending in the healthcare sector, PPP projects need to be scaled up and implemented across the country and the government needs to encourage successful projects."

"On the diagnostics side, we have submitted a detailed PPP structure to NITI Aayog and hopefully a roadmap will be ready soon.

"NITI Aayog will come out with guidelines which would act as advisory to the states. With this, we move a step further towards implementation of PPP projects," he added. PTI MM RMT

--- ENDS ---
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Linkedin Ina Parlina (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Sun, June 25, 2017 07:00 1965 4065a5a8898c7cc661d4adf97a6a0f59 1 National #IdulFitri,Idul-Fitri-2017,remission,#Inmates,inmates,#remission Free

The government has granted early release for 382 Muslim convicts across Indonesia after the Law and Human Rights Ministry verified them as being entitled to receive special remissions granted every Idul Fitri.

The Idul Fitri special remission is a gift for many Muslim inmates serving their sentences in prisons and penitentiaries across the country, the ministrys corrections director general I Wayan Dusak said in a statement on Friday.

The remission, Dusak added, should be an incentive for prisoners to show good conduct and behavior during their time in the prison.

Yet, he did not reveal the details of the 382 inmates.

The 382 Muslim inmates are among a total of 66,481 inmates imprisoned for various crimes across the country who had their sentences reduced under the Idul Fitri special remission, ranging for 15 days to one month. But, unlike the case of the 382 inmates, the remission does not immediately grant them early release.

According to the ministrys data, correctional facilities in Indonesia currently hold a total of 136,641 Muslim prisoners, which are among some 277,000 (kuk/ipa)
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Linkedin News Desk (Agence France-Presse) Ahmedpur East, Pakistan  Sun, June 25, 2017 17:01 1965 4065a5a8898c7cc661d4adf97a6b420c 2 World #Pakistan,Pakistan,oil-tanker-fires,#oil-tanker-fires Free

At least 123 people were killed and scores injured in a fire that erupted after an oil tanker overturned in central Pakistan early Sunday and crowds rushed to collect fuel, an official said.



The tragedy came less than a day before Pakistan was due to begin Idul Fitri celebrations marking the end of the holy fasting month of Ramadhan, with many roads crowded as people travel home for the holidays.



The tanker carrying 40,000 liters of fuel overturned on a main highway while travelling from Karachi to Lahore, near the town of Ahmedpur East in Punjab province.



Details were unclear but some witnesses suggested the tanker had suffered a burst tyre, said regional police chief Raja Riffat.



"When it turned over the residents of the nearby village of Ramzanpur Joya rushed to the site with buckets and other containers, and a large number of people on motorcycles also came and started collecting the spilling fuel," Riffat told AFP.



"After about 10 minutes the tanker exploded in a huge fireball and enveloped the people collecting petrol. It was not clear how the fire started."



Residents could be seen walking past blackened and twisted bodies piled by the side of the road. Earlier, television footage showed shooting flames and a thick plume of smoke as firefighters battled to extinguish the blaze.



The charred wreckage of dozens of motorcycles and cars could be seen scattered on the highway, along with kitchen utensils, pots, water coolers, jerry cans and buckets which victims had brought to collect the petrol.



Both Riffat and senior local government official Rana Mohammed Saleem Afzal, speaking to state television, said at least 123 people had been killed. Afzal said more than 100 were wounded.



"Many bodies could not be identified as they have been charred very badly," Riffat said.



Punjab provincial law minister Rana Sanaullah told private ARY television that DNA tests were being used to identify the dead.



He said the driver of the tanker had survived the crash and been taken into custody.



Pakistan Motorway Police spokesman Imran Shah told AFP they received a call about the accident at around 6:30 a.m.



Motorway police raced to the scene and tried to keep people away from the tanker, he said, adding that they were ignored as residents continued filling their containers with fuel.



The military said it was sending army helicopters to evacuate the wounded and hospitals were put on high alert. The nearest burns center is believed to be more than 150 kilometers away.



A doctor in Ahmedpur East, who requested anonymity as he was not authorized to speak to media, said more than 100 people had been brought to the local hospital with more than 80 percent burns before they were rushed to larger hospitals in Multan and Bahawalpur.



Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif expressed his grief and directed the government of Punjab province, run by his brother Shabhaz Sharif, to provide "full medical assistance".



Pakistan has an appalling record of fatal traffic accidents due to poor roads, badly maintained vehicles and reckless driving.



At least 62 people including women and children were killed in southern Pakistan in 2015 when their bus collided with an oil tanker, starting a fierce blaze that left victims burnt beyond recognition.



The country has also long struggled to contain a chronic energy crisis, with regular blackouts crippling industry and exacerbating anger against the government.



A series of deadly militant attacks across the country Friday unnerved many Pakistanis, with officials increasing the death toll Sunday to a total of 69  51 dead in blasts in northwestern Parachinar, 14 killed in an attack targeting police in Quetta, and four police murdered in a drive-by shooting in Karachi.



Social media users Sunday posted messages of grief and solidarity with the victims of the oil tanker crash as well as Friday's attacks, as many prayed for a safe Idul Fitri.
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Sun, June 25, 2017 11:58 1965 4065a5a8898c7cc661d4adf97a6a729d 1 National terror-attack,#TerrorAttack,North-Sumatra,#NorthSumatra Free

Two men attacked police on guard at a security checkpoint at the North Sumatra Police headquarters early Sunday morning, just before Idul Fitri, leaving one officer dead.

The perpetrators stabbed and killed Adj. First Insp. Martua Singalinging while he was taking a rest inside the checkpoint.

The two perpetrators climbed the fence and then attacked a police officer at 3 a.m. The officer was taking a rest inside Checkpoint 3 located at the exit of the North Sumatra Police headquarters, National Police spokesman Insp. Gen. Setyo Wasisto told The Jakarta Post on Sunday.

In total, there were four officers on guard when the attack happened. Two of the officers were doing a patrol, one stayed outside the checkpoint and another one stayed inside for a rest, Setyo added.

One of the officers, Brig. E. Ginting immediately alerted other checkpoints where some Mobile Brigade (Brimob) unit members were stationed.

However, despite a warning shot fired by a Brimob member, the perpetrators did not stop attacking the officers and then burning a checkpoint while shouting Takbir! (Praise to Allah!)

The Brimob officers later shot them, killing one while putting the other in hospital in critical condition.

The police are still investigating whether the two were linked to three terrorism suspects who were arrested for planning to attack a police station in Medan earlier this month.

We presumed that they are the followers of Bahrun Naim, who suggests carrying out attacks using anything people have -- bombs, firearms, or knives, Setyo said. (ecn/ipa)
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Linkedin Anton Hermansyah (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Sun, June 25, 2017 18:55 1965 4065a5a8898c7cc661d4adf97a6b645e 1 National Idul-Fitri-2017 Free

A delegation from the National Movement to Safeguard the Indonesian Ulema Council's Fatwa (GNPF-MUI) met with President Joko Jokowi Widodo at the Merdeka Palace in Jakarta on Sunday with the hope of easing tension and smoothing communication with the administration.

President Jokowi was accompanied by Coordinating Political, Security, and Legal Affairs Minister Wiranto, Religious Affairs Minister Lukman Hakim Saifuddin, and State Secretary Pratikno in the meeting with the delegation, which comprised seven people and was led by Bachtiar Nasir.

"Bachtiar Nasir and the GNPF-MUI aspire to secure communication access to the President," Pratikno said.

Commenting on the visit, Bachtiar Nasir confirmed that the visit intended to use the moment of Idul Fitri to break the ice with the Jokowi.

"The president has been very open and welcoming to our aspirations. We expect smoother communication in the future. This is a great moment and had a totally different tone to the situation we experienced during the mass rallies," he said.

Bactiar, who is currently under police investigation in relation to an alleged misappropriation of donation funds, added that technical details of how the GNPF-MUI would like to interact with the government had not been discussed in the meeting.

The GNPF-MUI orchestrated a string of mass rallies to protest then DKI Jakarta governor Basuki "Ahok" Tjahaja Purnama during his blasphemy trial. The groups activities slowed down after some its key figures, such as Bachtiar and Rizieq Shihab, became the target of police investigations. (dic)
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Linkedin Moses Ompusunggu (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Sun, June 25, 2017 19:39 1965 4065a5a8898c7cc661d4adf97a6c12e6 1 National Idul-Fitri-2017,open-house,jusuf-kalla,vice-president,StapleFood Free

Hundreds of people from across Greater Jakarta flocked on Sunday to the official residence of Vice President Jusuf Kalla in Menteng, Jakarta, to attend an open house event as part of the Idul Fitri festivities.

Several of the attendees said they were very eager to meet Kalla, a seasoned business magnate and Golkar politician, even after having been trapped in a continuously jostling queue of men since 5 p.m.

"Be careful with the children!" said one in the queue. "Allahu Akbar! Please don't jostle!" said a woman, carrying her infant daughter.

At 5:30 p.m., First Lieutenant CPM (Military Police Corps) Samosir, who was deployed to secure Kalla's residence, told The Jakarta Post that there were at least 250 citizens queued outside the house waiting to meet the vice president.

Thirty-nine-year-old housewife Hartini, who hails from Plumpang in North Jakarta, said she wanted to "hold the hands of Kalla" and to convey her Idul Fitri greeting to him.

"I hope those who are in power pay more attention to people in the lower economic class," Hartini said, adding that two things the government had to focus more on were health and education.

Muhammad Dadi, 32, rode his motorcycle from his residence in Cileungsi, West Javaa 1.5-hour drive from Mentengafter hearing the news at around 12 p.m. that Kalla would host an Idul Fitri open house at 5 p.m.

"Sembako [staple food] distribution in Cileungsi is not as widespread as it is in Jakarta," said Farah Fawzia, Dadis wife who joined him in the trip to Kallas house. (tas)
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Sun, June 25, 2017 11:17 1965 4065a5a8898c7cc661d4adf97a6a62ba 1 National Saudi-Arabia,bomb-blast,Mecca Free

The government of Indonesia condemned an attempt to attack the Kaaba, Islam's holiest site in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, in the early hours of Saturday, Jakarta time.

Although the attacker failed to reach the holy site, a suicide bomber blew himself up around the Grand Mosque where people had gathered to pray on the last day of Ramadhan.

The incident left 11 people injured. No Indonesians were known to have been injured as of Saturday, according to the Foreign Ministry.

"Indonesians that are currently in Saudi Arabia can contact the KBRI [the Indonesian Embassy] in Riyadh at +966568881945 or the KJRI [Indonesian Consulate General] in Jeddah at +966581781945 for assistance," Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Arrmanatha Nasir said in a statement. (msa)
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Linkedin Callistasia Anggun Wijaya (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Sun, June 25, 2017 14:41 1965 4065a5a8898c7cc661d4adf97a6ad0ef 1 City Idul-Fitri-2017,jakarta,Jakarta-administration,Djarot-Saiful-Hidayat,City-Hall,population,employment Free

The Jakarta administration wishes to see a smaller inflow of unskilled newcomers from other regions after the Idul Fitri holidays end, Governor Djarot Saiful Hidayat has said, citing overpopulation as one of the reasons.

People are welcome here, but [they should] have skills so that they will not be unemployed. Those without skills will end up working in the informal sector, he said after holding an Idul Fitri celebration at City Hall on Sunday.

Year after year, homegoing travelers traditionally return to Jakarta after the annual exodus with relatives or friends who want to try their luck in the capitol.

Jakarta is currently inhabited by 10.2 million people, whereas it is ideally inhabited by 7.5 million only. Djarot said an average of 100,000 newcomers have come to Jakarta every year.

"In the afternoon, there are 14.5 million people in the city, Djarot said, taking into account commuter workers from other areas as well.

During his term, former governor Ali Sadikin required the newcomers to provide a certain amount of money as a guarantee they could find a job in the city, Djarot said.

He, however, was quick to add that he would not copy that policy.

The city administration, through the Population and Civil Registration Agency (Dukcapil), is set to monitor the newcomers by establishing communications with neighborhood and community units.

Meanwhile, data from the Central Statistics Agency (BPS) reveals that Jakarta had an unemployment rate of 5.4 percent in February, the 12th-highest among all provinces. (tas)
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Linkedin Haeril Halim (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Sun, June 25, 2017 11:11 1965 4065a5a8898c7cc661d4adf97a6a5948 1 National #IdulFitri,#idul-fitri-prayer,Idul-Fitri-2017,#Jokowi,Jokowi Free

President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo recited Idul Fitri prayers for the first time at the Istiqlal Grand Mosque in Jakarta on Sunday. Previously, since becoming president two years ago, he has always celebrated Idul Fitri festivities outside of the capital.

The President and First Lady Iriana arrived at the mosque about 15 minutes before the imam started the prayers at 7 a.m.

Vice President Jusuf Kalla and wife Mufidah joined the presidential entourage at the mosque, which was fully packed with hundreds of thousands of people from across Jakarta.

Jokowi had introduced his own tradition of celebrating Idul Fitri outside the capital over the past two years, visiting Aceh during the 2015 festivities and Padang in West Sumatra in the following year. However, this year he took a different course and resumed the tradition of his predecessors.

After the prayer, President Jokowi and Iriana headed to the State Palace to attend a limited open house hosted by Kalla that started at 8.45 a.m. and was reserved for the President, his family and Cabinet members only.

Meanwhile, Jokowi was to host his own open house at the State Palace between 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. open to all members of the public.

Open houses are common in the country during Idul Fitri, with many public officials and public figures throwing such gatherings for their relatives, colleagues and friends. (ipa)
Priyanka Chopra is spending her weekend on the beaches of Malibu.

By India Today Web Desk: Priyanka Chopra is on a travelling spree in between her busy schedule. Our desi girl is currently busy shooting for her upcoming Hollywood film A Kid Like Jake in the United States. The film also stars Jim Parsons, Claire Danes and Octavia Spencer.

However, PeeCee is making the best use of the weekend in between the shooting. She is chilling in Malibu with her Quantico co-star Yasmine Al Massri and filmmaker Mubina Rattonsey.

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The Baywatch actor has been sharing some exotic photos from her Malibu trip on Instagram.

In one of the pictures, Priyanka is all smiles with Yasmine and Mubina inside a car. They look summer-ready to hit the beach.

Malibu life! #friendsforlife? @mubinarattonsey @jazmasri #liam #carfie??? A post shared by Priyanka Chopra (@priyankachopra) on Jun 24, 2017 at 3:13pm PDT

In another photo, Priyanka looks stunning in black as she hangs out with Mubina.

Summertime twinning with @mubinarattonsey #weekendvibes ?? A post shared by Priyanka Chopra (@priyankachopra) on Jun 24, 2017 at 6:39pm PDT

On the work front, the actor is currently geared up for the third season of the American thriller series Quantico.

ALSO READ | Priyanka Chopra getting trolled for her dress: Why India doesn't deserve the global icon

ALSO READ | Priyanka Chopra was asked a dirty question about her Baywatch guys and she handled it like a boss

ALSO WATCH | Wanted to be seen as a modern actor, says Priyanka Chopra

--- ENDS ---
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Sun, June 25, 2017 18:22 1965 4065a5a8898c7cc661d4adf97a6b5796 1 Business Krakatau-Steel,steel-production,financial-performance,SOEs Free

State-owned steel maker PT Krakatau Steel aims to reach break-even point this year, following State-Owned Enterprises (SOE) Minister Rini Soemarno's instruction for all SOE's to avoid ending the year in the red.

Krakatau Steel president director Mas Wigrantoro Roes Setiyadi said on Sunday that the company was working very hard on processing backlog orders, which now stand at around 100,000 tons, to reach the break-even point.

The steelmaker also aims to cut down operating costs by 15 percent to improve its overall finances.

"There are a lot of budget components that can be saved," Wigrantoro said, adding that the government's move to slash gas prices to US$6 per million metric British thermal units had helped to further reduce operating costs.

"But that is [the price] from [state oil and gas firm] Pertamina. We are also lobbying [state gas distributor] Perusahaan Gas Negara to slash the gas price."

Krakatau has posted net losses every year since 2012. It ended last year with a $171.69 million loss, a reduction from the $320.03 million loss reported a year before.

The companys revenue also stayed flat at $1.3 billion throughout 2016. If the revenue stays [the same] while the costs come down, we can make a profit," he said.

The company also hopes to boost production capacity to 10 million tons per year from the current 4 million tons. (mrc/tas)
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Linkedin Margareth Aritonang (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Sun, June 25, 2017 22:06 1964 4065a5a8898c7cc661d4adf97a6bc2f9 1 National Idul-Fitri-2017 Free

Political issues were the key topic of discussion during an open house meeting held at the official residence of Peoples Consultative Assembly (MPR) chairman Zulkifli Hasan on the first day of Idul Fitri on Sunday, which was attended by not only his relatives but also dozens of politicians.

Among the attendees was House of Representatives Speaker Setya Novanto, with whom Zulkifli shared insights about potential candidates Golkar could endorse to contest gubernatorial elections in East Java and Central Java next year.

If Golkar were to nominate Bu Khofifah, it would be best for Golkar to team up with PAN [the National Mandate Party] to do so, Zulkifli told Setya during a light moment at lunch, to which Setya responded with a smile. Setyas name has been all over the media recently after the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) announced that he was suspected of having played a role in an allegedly graft-plagued e-ID card procurement that the body is investigating.

Social Affairs Minister Khofiah Indar Parawansa was also mentioned as a potential candidate for the 2018 East Java gubernatorial election.

Earlier in the day, Zulkifli made a light joke when welcoming Golkar politician Aziz Syamsuddin, who is also chairman of the Houses Budget Committee (Banggar).

Hello Aziz, he said while offering a handshake.

We feel safe when hes here, Zulkifli added half-jokingly, referring to Azizs influential role in determining and assessing budget proposals from the government as well as other House bodies. (dic)
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Sun, June 25, 2017 15:49 1965 4065a5a8898c7cc661d4adf97a6afa08 1 National #IdulFitri,Idul-Fitri-2017 Free

While patriotism and nationalistic values were the main topics of the Idul Fitri sermon at Jakartas Istiqlal mosque, Southeast Asias largest Islamic house of worship, some regional heads across the archipelago used the moment of Idul Fitri to convey a series of rather unusual messages, ranging from their political ambitions to the bane of polygamy.

Muslims at Kudus Grand Mosque in Central Java had just finished their Idul Fitri prayer when local regent Musthofa seized the chance to convey his ambition to run for Central Java governor in the election next year.



"I seek your blessing here because I want to run for Central Java governor in the 2018 election," said Musthofa after delivering an Idul Fitri sermon on pluralism at the mosque, as quoted by tribunnews.com.



Musthofa is currently serving his second consecutive term in office, which is due to end next year.



Meanwhile, Bandung Mayor Ridwan Kamil, a social media aficionado, told Idul Fitri masses gathering at the Gelora Bandung Lautan Api stadium in the city that it was better for married men in Bandung to not commit polygamy.



Ridwan, a 2018 West Java gubernatorial election hopeful, said married men should not practice polygamy in order to give thousands of unmarried men in the city a chance to find their future wives.



"I call on married men here to not commit polygamy. Please have pity for those men who have yet to find a partner in life," said Ridwan, who frequently makes humorous postings on his Instagram account, during his speech prior to the prayer. (mos/ipa)
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Sun, June 25, 2017 14:01 1965 4065a5a8898c7cc661d4adf97a6ac00f 4 National #IdulFitri,Idul-Fitri-2017,Semarang-archbishop,Vatican Free

Peace and tolerance filled the air of Semarang, the capital city of Central Java, when the city's highest Catholic authorities visited Muslims who were attending an Idul Fitri prayer at Central Java Grand Mosque on Sunday.

At the mosque, Semarang Archbishop Robertus Rubiyatmoko said he was visiting his Muslim brethren in order to foster "fraternity among the faithful people of Indonesia", which he called a "fortune that also serves as humanity's hope."

Robertus conveyed an Idul Fitri greeting from the Vatican to the masses at the mosque.

Accompanied by the Semarang Archdiocese's interfaith commission chairman, Aloysius Budi Purnomo, Robertus met with some leaders attending the prayer, such as Central Java deputy governor Heru Sudjatmoko and Central Java Grand Mosque manager Noor Achmad.

Robertus, who was inaugurated as Semarang archbishop in May, said he hoped that interfaith life in the archipelago, especially in Central Java, would be much better in the future so that peace and joy "can be established."

"We are all brothers, creations of God. So, we will always try, no matter what happens, [to ensure camaraderie among us]," Robertus said as quoted by state news agency Antara.

Achmad, who delivered the Idul Fitri sermon, said he welcomed Robertus' visit, saying it showed that "Muslims and Catholics are united under the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia that is based on Pancasila," referring to the country's highest tenet. (mos/dmr)
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Linkedin Viriya P. Singgih (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Sun, June 25, 2017 13:42 1965 4065a5a8898c7cc661d4adf97a6abc43 1 Business Idul-Fitri-2017,open-house,finance-minister,Sri-Mulyani-Indrawati Free

Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati is hosting an open house to celebrate the first day of Idul Fitri at her official residence on Sunday, but in a slip of the tongue she called it the New Year.

The event is being held at the Widya Chandra ministerial housing complex in South Jakarta.

Sri Mulyani arrived at 11:26 a.m. after attending the Ied prayer and greeting tax officials at the Taxation Directorate General headquarters just a few kilometers away.

"Hi, Happy New Year! Ah... I mean Idul Fitri. I'm sorry for any wrongdoings," Sri Mulyani said while greeting reporters at her residence.

She was wearing a white blouse and a red batik jarit (long cloth) and combined them with a scarf in matching red.

Sri Mulyani welcomed guests, mostly officials from the Finance Ministry, several state-owned enterprises and representatives of various embassies.

Among the guests are the ministry's secretary-general Hadiyanto and fiscal policy head Suahasil Nazara, state-owned energy giant Pertamina's president director Elia Massa Manik and state electricity firm PLN's president director Sofyan Basir.

Sri Mulyani is serving her guests traditional Indonesian dishes, including mie jawa (Javanese noodles), chicken satay and lontong cap gomeh (rice cake with various richly flavored side dishes).

"I guess this [open house] is the easiest and most efficient way to greet all stakeholders. We limit its duration, so that all guests can still have time with their families. So can I," Sri Mulyani said. (tas)
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Linkedin Viriya P. Singgih (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Sun, June 25, 2017 15:54 1965 4065a5a8898c7cc661d4adf97a6b09dd 1 Business Idul-Fitri-2017,open-house,finance-minister,Sri-Mulyani-Indrawati,Tonny-Sumarsono Free

Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati had to cater to hundreds of guests during an open house at her official residence during this years Idul Fitri.

The former World Bank managing director held an open house gathering on Sunday morningthe first day of Idul Fitriat the Widya Chandra ministerial housing complex in South Jakarta.

Sri Mulyani arrived at11:26 a.m. after attending the Eid prayer and greeting tax officials at the Taxation Directorate General headquarters.

For most of the open house event she stood in the living room and greeted almost 200 guests one by one, accompanied by her husband, economist Tonny Sumartono.

On the sidelines of the gathering, Sri Mulyani set aside some time to take pictures with some guests and take some wefies with journalists and answer questions.

"In terms of money circulation, I guess most of the people will spend a large amount of cash, particularly within the next week. We certainly hope that in the future, society will gradually become more cashless," Sri Mulyani said during a five-minute interview at midday.

She then continued mingling with the guests and only stopped for a while for personal business at around 12:15 p.m.

"Can we do this later? She [Sri Mulyani] hasn't even gone to the restroom since she arrived," Tonny told reporters who wanted to interview her again.

At around 1:30 p.m., the minister departed to Tangerang to pay a visit to Tonny's family, without even eating any lunch that she had served to her guests. (tas)
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Linkedin Esther C. Natalia (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Sun, June 25, 2017 19:36 1965 4065a5a8898c7cc661d4adf97a6b83ab 1 National Idul-Fitri-2017 Free

National Police chief Gen. Tito Karnavian has said the two perpetrators of the North Sumatra Police checkpoint post attacks on Sunday were connected with the terrorist group Jamaah Ansharut Daulah (JAD), also suspected to be behind the recent Kampung Melayu bus terminal attacks.

The two attackers, identified only as SP and AR, snuck into a checkpoint post and stabbed to death a resting police officer and wounded another officer. The commotion and his cries for help attracted the attention of several mobile brigade (Brimob) personnel, who then chased the terrorists, shooting AR dead and wounding SP.

Tito said the police had predicted that there would be attacks of some kind in North Sumatra thanks to information obtained from the interrogation of three suspects arrested recently. The police have long been marked as the groups ultimate enemy as they are deemed to be standing in the way of the group realizing their goal, he added.

We had predicted that these terrorists were going to plan an attack due to information from their colleagues who were arrested earlier, he said in Jakarta on Sunday.

The police confiscated writing materials, banners, video recordings and printing plates with the ISIS logo on them during post-attack raids conducted at the attackers houses and a printing house located on Sisimangaraja St. in Medan, North Sumatra. (ecn/dic)
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Linkedin News Desk (Agence France-Presse) Washington  Sun, June 25, 2017 10:19 1965 4065a5a8898c7cc661d4adf97a6a4ce8 2 World #IdulFitri,Idul-Fitri-2017,trump Free

US President Donald Trump on Saturday, local time, sent warm greetings" to Muslims celebrating the end of Ramadhan, after his administration broke with the tradition of hosting a White House event to recognize the holy month.

"On behalf of the American people, Melania and I send our warm greetings to Muslims as they celebrate Eid al-Fitr [Idul Fitri]," Trump said in a statement. "During this holiday, we are reminded of the importance of mercy, compassion, and goodwill."

"With Muslims around the world, the United States renews our commitment to honor these values."

Since the Bill Clinton administration, the White House has each year hosted either an event to mark the Idul FItri feast  which ends the fasting month of Ramadan  or a meal breaking the dawn-til-dusk fast, known as an iftar.

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson reportedly rejected a request by his department's office of religion and global affairs to hold an event for the holiday.

Trump has come under fire for his history of anti-Muslim rhetoric on the campaign trail, that included calls for surveillance of US mosques and an outright ban on Muslims entering the country in the name of national security.
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Linkedin News Desk (Agence France-Presse) Marawi  Sun, June 25, 2017 10:09 1965 4065a5a8898c7cc661d4adf97a6a48cc 2 SE Asia #marawi,Marawi,#IdulFitri,Idul-Fitri-2017 Free

The Philippine armed forces declared an eight-hour ceasefire Sunday in its ongoing offensive against Islamist militants occupying parts of the war-torn city of Marawi to allow residents to celebrate the end of Ramadhan.

Military chief General Eduardo Ano said his forces would implement a "humanitarian pause" during the Idul Fitri holiday in Marawi, which is considered the most important Muslim city in the mainly Catholic Philippines.

"We declare a lull in our current operations in the city on that day as a manifestation of our high respect to the Islamic faith," Ano said in a statement.

The Idul Fitri feast ends the fasting month of Ramadhan when observant Muslims do not drink or eat between dawn and nightfall.

The general described the move as "a testimony to the Armed Forces of the Philippines' solid commitment to provide our brother Muslims, especially in the city of Marawi, an opportunity to observe this festive event."

Hundreds of militants flying the Islamic State group flag and backed by foreign fighters seized swathes of Marawi in the southern region of Mindanao last month, sparking an ongoing bloody, street-to-street battle.

In May Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte declared martial law across all of Mindanao to quell what he said was a rebellion aimed at establishing an IS province in the area.

Government troops have launched a relentless air and ground offensive in a bid to crush the militants but have failed to dislodge gunmen from entrenched positions in pockets of the city.

Much of the lakeside city is now in ruins while most of its 200,000 residents have fled to evacuation centers or to the homes of relatives and friends.
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Sun, June 25, 2017 14:08 1965 4065a5a8898c7cc661d4adf97a6aca22 1 News Tourism-Ministry-Pesona-Indonesia,tourism-ministry-wonderful-Indonesia,India,Batik-Air,international-flights,#airlines,Airlines,flight,#flights Free

Beginning in July this year, Batik Air, a subsidiary of Lion Air, will have two new daily flights that fly to three cities in India: Chennai, Delhi and Mumbai. For these flights, passengers will be transported on an Airbus A320 fleet departing from Ngurah Rai International Airport in Bali to India.

[The route opening] is already in the finalization stage. It will [start operating] around July. Weve already received [flight] slots in India, Malaysia and Australia, said Batik Air president director Achmad Luthfie.

Read also: All aboard India's new luxury affordable train

The economies in both countries keep growing. Moreover, these two countries have the biggest populations in the world. In India, there are about 200 million people who are in the upper-middle class group who have traveled overseas. This is where the market potential lies, he added.

Currently, Batik Air has 37 planes, but by the end of this year, the airline plans to have 41. The total number of flights that Batik Air has on a daily basis has reached 209 with the airlines on-time performance at 95 percent.

Batik Air's decision to open a new flight route is in line with the Tourism Ministry's focus on its National Coordination Meeting: Air Connectivity. To achieve the target of 15 million international tourists, the meeting concluded that air connectivity must be increased.

Tourism Minister Arief Yahya said, "Without air connectivity, the digital aspects of tourism and the implementation of homestays will not be successful. It's a way to get international tourists to come to our country."

Read also: Worlds best country for travel announced

Yahya also mentioned that the ministry facilitating new routes and making traffic rights avail, which also come with incentive programs, are supported by all airlines. The program is believed to motivate airlines to open new routes, add seats, or flight frequency in the effort to increase the number of tourists to Indonesia.

"We believe that if everything relating to connectivity can happen, then the Tourism Ministry's international tourist target of 15 million in 2017 and 20 million in 2019 will be achieved. The aviation industry is the biggest gate [into our country], 75 percent, compared to other gates," he added. (asw)
At 28 years old, Nicholas Cortese has been incarcerated for more than a third of his life.

Arrested in 2007, Cortese was later convicted of two violent felonies in Niagara County  second-degree attempted robbery for stealing a man's wallet at gunpoint and first-degree attempted assault for stabbing a cab driver in the stomach  and in 2009, he was sentenced to 15 years in prison.

For years, Cortese kept relatively quiet in the custody of the Department of Corrections and Community Supervision. But in April 2016, while serving his sentence at Auburn Correctional Facility, he was charged with his third felony: first-degree promoting prison contraband.

Cayuga County District Attorney Jon Budelmann said Cortese confessed his guilt in recorded phone calls with his family, in which he admitted to stabbing another inmate at the prison. In March 2017, Cortese pleaded guilty in court.

At it his sentencing in May, Cortese shared more of his story, including why he did it. Cortese told Judge Thomas Leone he possessed a 3-inch drywall screw to protect himself from other inmates.

"I had just got cut 10 months earlier in Attica (Correctional Facility)," Cortese said, claiming that two inmates involved in Attica fight were also transferred to Auburn prison. "I was scared."

Contraband volume

Since Jan. 5, 2017, 17 former Auburn inmates have appeared in criminal court  15 of those inmates were charged with possessing weapons at the prison while the remaining two were accused of assault and harassment.

In a press release in March, Budelmann said Cortese's case was just one example of a "real and serious problem" at the prison.

"There were 85 inmate-on-inmate assaults with a weapon reported in 2016 alone," the district attorney said. "(Auburn Correctional Facility) is a dangerous place where inmate-on-inmate attacks with weapons are a very real danger."

One of 17 maximum-security facilities throughout New York State (16 of which are male), Auburn Correctional Facility houses an average of 1,543 male inmates on a daily basis. It is one of nine state prisons (all male) that have over 1,500 inmates; six of those are maximum-security facilities.

According to DOCCS' statistics  which The Citizen received via a Freedom of Information Law request  from 2012 to 2015, Auburn Correctional Facility recovered 1,178 illegal contraband from inmates and visitors at the prison. Of that contraband, there were 708 weapons, 359 drugs and 111 miscellaneous items such as cash or cell phones.

In terms of contraband per inmate, no facility had more than Auburn during that time. It also had the third-highest total contraband reported of all 54 maximum- and medium-security facilities; Auburn ranked fourth for weapons and second for drugs.

Meanwhile, roughly 20 miles down the road in Moravia, Cayuga Correctional Facility reported a total of 154 contraband in that same four-year stretch. The medium-security facility houses an average of 952 inmates on a daily basis.

New York State prison contraband: By the numbers Auburn Correctional Facility had the highest rate of prison contraband per inmate among maxi

When asked if DOCCS believed there was a contraband issue at Auburn, spokesperson Thomas Mailey said Auburn's statistics are "comparable" to other prisons, as there are multiple factors that can influence the likelihood of contraband at a facility  factors like security, setup and size.

For instance, some maximum-security facilities like Clinton and Elmira are "reception centers," meaning a large portion of inmates are housed there temporarily while being evaluated and classified. Then there are "areas of preference"  like Sing Sing, the only maximum-security prison in the New York City region  which allow inmates with good behavior to be closer to home.

"Some of these factors can significantly reduce the risk of contraband," Mailey said in a phone interview with The Citizen. "There is also a big difference between inmates at maximum-security facilities and medium-security facilities ... a difference in violence and crimes."

The district attorney agreed.

"Every inmate (at Auburn) has been convicted of a serious felony, such as murder, rape, assault, child abuse, domestic violence, robbery and drug sales," Budelmann added. "Some of these inmates are extremely dangerous and many are repeat offenders."

Policy and a probe

A repeat offender convicted of two violent felonies, Cortese is just one example of the kind of dangerous criminals incarcerated at Auburn Correctional Facility, Budelmann said. However, some Auburn inmates have recently had their contraband cases dismissed in light of a state investigation at the prison.

Of the 17 inmates in Cayuga County Court this year, six of them have had their convictions vacated.

According to DOCCS, the department's Office of Special Investigations began investigating Auburn prison in December 2016 after Corrections Officer Matthew Cornell admitted to planting a weapon on an inmate.

At the time, the district attorney said Cornell had confessed to planting the weapon in 2015 in order to break up a prison gang by transferring the inmate to another facility. As a result, Cornell was immediately suspended without pay and several local cases were dismissed.

"We no longer had confidence in a conviction," Budelmann said during a court proceeding in January, noting that the cases relied heavily on Cornell's testimony. "We agreed to dismiss or vacate six cases in the interest of justice."

But, despite the dismissals, Budelmann said there was no evidence of wrongdoing by the officer in any case. In fact, he said, many of the defendants  like Naythan Aubain and Thomas Ozzborn  had previously pleaded guilty to possessing the contraband in court, and confessed to the crimes in recorded prison calls.

"Inmates like Aubain and Ozzborn have lied about being set up with a weapon," Budelmann said in an email to The Citizen. "Both pleaded guilty ... with the assistance of counsel (and) both later filed lawsuits claiming they were set up. ... Both also made admissions in recorded phone calls supporting that they were guilty of possessing the weapons."

Since DOCCS announced the investigation last year, Mailey said Cornell and a second unnamed officer have been suspended without pay. The investigation is ongoing.

Meanwhile, the department has implemented changes at several facilities, including a new policy that requires prison staff to bring food and personal items to work in state-issued clear plastic bags. That policy took effect last month.

"DOCCS takes the danger of contraband seriously and has made significant improvements and changes in its continuous efforts to prevent contraband from entering all of New York State's correctional facilities," Mailey said.

Trends and technology

Over the years, the number of contraband found at correctional facilities has risen steadily throughout the state.

From 2012 to 2015  the most recent year for which data was available from DOCCS  Auburn saw a 49-percent increase in contraband. Only three maximum-security facilities reported a decrease in contraband at that time.

"Contraband is at an all-time high throughout the state," said Joe Miano, the vice president of New York State Correctional Officers and Police Benevolent Association's Western Region.

As to why there is more contraband now  and why there is more contraband at some facilities versus others  both DOCCS and NYSCOPBA said new technology and staffing levels have simply made it harder for inmates to hide contraband.

"We're finding more," Mailey said. "Investments in technology, the expansion of DOCCS' K9 units and the ongoing partnership between DOCCS' Office of Special Investigations and the New York State Police have resulted in safer and more secure facilities."

"Some facilities do more frisking than others based on an incident that may have occurred," Miano added in an email. "Auburn has had several large incidents that would cause for a facility-wide shut down and searches."

According to DOCCS, Auburn Correctional Facility has been locked down twice in the past year. In May 2016, the facility was frisked after three inmates were caught fighting with a weapon in the prison's south yard. Similarly, the premises was searched again last month after police found two ceramic blades during a fight among 10 inmates.

Increased enforcement aside, the data are troubling to local defense attorney Rome Canzano.

"These statistics are absolutely alarming and tend to corroborate the sentiment expressed by a number of my inmate clients  that in Auburn Correctional Facility, weapons and drugs are everywhere," he said. "It is dangerous for inmates, guards and other staff ... and demonstrates a security problem that must be addressed."

Budelmann said the ceramic blades are the latest weapons being recovered at the prison, as inmates often create contraband in an attempt to trick new technology like Cellsense, a portable detector that can conduct full-body scans in seconds.

"With each new step in technology, the inmates respond," he said. "The latest iteration of this trend is the ceramic blade weapons, which are not captured on metal detectors, wands or Cellsense devices."

In addition to advancements in technology, Mailey said DOCCS has increased staff, nearly doubling its K-9 units and adding 268 new security jobs in the last two years. That has helped the department maintain an inmate to correction officer ratio of approximately three to one, he said, among the lowest ratios in the nation.

As for the future, Mailey said DOCCS is currently changing its package room policy so inmates are limited to receiving items from pre-approved secure vendors. The department also has plans to install additional fixed cameras at a number of facilities and is testing out body cameras at Clinton and Bedford correctional facilities.

"(DOCCS) continues to review its policies and procedures and make significant improvements to enhance the safety and security in New York's correctional facilities," Mailey said. "Millions of dollars have been invested in additional security staffing, technology and training and the department will continue to work closely with its hardworking staff to address any safety concerns they may have."
By Press Trust of India: Jaipur, Jun 25 (PTI) Rajasthan Director General of Police (DGP) Manoj Bhatt today said his force was open for probe into the death of notorious criminal Anandpal Singh in an encounter with the police in Churu district.

Addressing a press conference here, he said Anandpal, carrying a reward of Rs 5 lakh on his head, was holed up in a house along with three to four other persons when a large contingent of police surrounded the building at Malasar last night.

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"He (accused) was asked to surrender but instead he opened fire on police from the rooftop. In the subsequent exchange of fire, Anandpal sustained 5-6 bullet injuries, whereas others on the ground floor of the house were unhurt," Bhatt said.

Two policemen were also injured in the encounter.

The DGP was responding to a question on why the gangster was not pressurised to surrender.

Anandpal had managed to escape from police custody while being taken back to the high security prison in Ajmer from a court in Nagaur in September 2015. He had taken shelter in the house for more than a week.

Bhatt said people may raise doubts over the operation, but the police was open for any kind of investigation.

He said Commando Sohan Singh and Commando Dharampal Singh will be given out-of-turn promotion and will be recommended for gallantry award.

Rest of the team will be awarded on the basis of their performance, the DGP said.

He said commando Sohan Singh who sustained bullet injuries on his back in the operation is critical, whereas the other two policemen- Dharampal Singh and Suryaveer Singh- are stable.

Police have also seized two AK-47 rifles, live rounds, fake vehicle registration number plates and three mobile phones from the house.

Bhatt added that the body has been sent to Ratangarh for post mortem. PTI AG SRY

--- ENDS ---
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Sun, June 25, 2017 10:03 1965 4065a5a8898c7cc661d4adf97a6a3b6a 1 News Tourism-Ministry-Pesona-Indonesia,tourism-ministry-wonderful-Indonesia,North-Sulawesi,tourism,#tourism Free

Ever since North Bolaang Mongondow (Bolmut) regency in North Sulawesi declared its independence from Bolaang Mongondow Regency in 2007, the region has been trying to keep up with surrounding regions regarding its tourism sector.

Currently in its 10th year, the regency administration is planning to adopt the 3As of Tourism (attractions, access and accommodations), a program that was initiated by Tourism Minister Arief Yahya.

Accommodations are among the administrations main concerns, There are mostly lodgings here. We plan to invite investors to build hotels, said Bolmut deputy regent Suriansyah Korompot.

Read also: Talaud Islands, a cross-border destination featuring beautiful attractions

Apart from hotels, cottage development is also in the plan, according to Korompot.

Meanwhile, Bolmut tourism department head Sofianto Ponongoa said that Bolmut has about five attractions for cultural tourism. Among them are Komalig R. S. Pontoh site and a royal cemetery.

As for natural wonders, the regency has at least 18 places such as Bokil Island, Batu Pinagut Beach, Kaliandra Peak and Tanjung Dulang Beach. (asw)
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Linkedin Stefanus Ajie (The Jakarta Post) Grobogan, Central Java  Sun, June 25, 2017 07:07 1965 4065a5a8898c7cc661d4adf97a6a1ced 1 Destinations Grobogan,Bledug-Kuwu,destination,#destination,Central-Java,#travel,travel,#traveling,traveling Free

Those visiting Bledug Kuwu in Grobogan regency, Central Java, can expect to marvel at a vast grey land that is so dry there are cracks everywhere.

This unique destination is located alongside Jl. Raya Wirosari, a provincial road that connects the city of Purwodadi in Central Java with Blora and Cepu.

Just wait for a moment and the grey soil will rumble, followed by an explosion of mineral mud from inside the Earth. The methane gas underground propels the mud up to 2 meters high. These explosions occur every two to three minutes and became more active in the morning and evening.

Two tourists pay a visit to the unique destination.(JP/Stefanus Ajie)

Bledug Kuwu is known as a volcanic mud, a geological activity in the form of a mud crater that keeps on spouting material and gas from the Earth's belly. Similar locations can be found across Grobogan, such as in Cungkrik village and Kesongo Forest.

Bledug Kuwu's unique phenomenon has attracted domestic visitors from inside and outside the regency, such as from Semarang, Surakarta and Purwodadi, although as a tourist attraction it still lacks the necessary facilities. However, the locals have been able to gain benefit from it by opening warung (small food stalls), selling souvenirs, or becoming tourist guides, such as Khudori, who has been helping visitors explore the area since the 1970s.

Read also: Welcome to Sumatra, Indonesia's next-best surfing destination

Salt farmer Samiyem is processing water from Bledug Kuwu to let salt deposits form.(JP/Stefanus Ajie)

Salt farmers can also be found in Bledug Kuwu, having been around for dozens of years. They are said to have gained the knowledge of finding salt in Bledug Kuwu's muddy water from their parents and grandparents.

Every day, these farmers have to struggle with muddy ground and the sun's heat, gathering water found within the swamps surrounding the location. They store the water inside kendil (pots) and evaporate it above bamboo sticks, forming salt deposits. Once an hour, the farmers wet the bamboo using a brush made of hay and continue to do so until the sun sets. If the weather is friendly, this process will take two to three days, resulting in about 20 kilograms of salt for each farmer.

Bledug Kuwu's salt is said to be of good quality.(JP/Stefanus Ajie)

One farmer, Satiyem, says that salt from Kuwu is of good quality. "Salt from other regions is usually priced at between Rp 3,000 (less than 50 cents) and Rp 5,000 per kilogram, while the salt from Kuwu can cost Rp 10,000," she said, adding that the salt was popular among merchants from Semarang, Cepu, Sragen and Purwodadi.

Besides being a source of salt, Bledug Kuwu's mud is also said to have healing powers, especially for skin diseases and skin beauty treatment. (kes)
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Sun, June 25, 2017 16:00 1965 4065a5a8898c7cc661d4adf97a6b0f66 1 News Tourism-Ministry-Pesona-Indonesia,tourism-ministry-wonderful-Indonesia,Lombok,West-Nusa-Tenggara,Sumbawa,destination,#destination,travel,#travel,traveling,#traveling Free

On the eastern part of Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara (NTB), lies Sumbawa Island, which consists of four regencies and two cities. Sumbawa itself is still relatively unknown to tourists, but this place has so many beautiful sites scattered around the island. Here are 10 of Sumbawa's must-visit tourist attractions:

Moyo Island

Moyo Island is occupied by the Amanwana luxury resort. The island itself has its own natural wonders and offers plenty of outdoor activities.

Mata Jitu Waterfall

The most famous waterfall located on Moyo Island is the Mata Jitu Waterfall. It is located in the middle of a forest and belongs to the Oiramu hamlet region. To preserve the waterfall, it's prohibited to swim in the pool. However, theres a special spring for visitors who want to swim.

Ai Manis Beach

Still on Moyo Island, Ai Manis Beach is known for its underwater plants that remain untouched by tourists. Those who prefer less crowded beaches than the ones on Bali or Lombok can come to Ai Manis Beach and go snorkeling, diving and even camping.

Gili Keramat and Gili Bedil

Those who love island-hopping need to visit these two small islands called Gili Keramat and Gili Bedil. They are located within the area of Labuhan Padi village and are known for the picturesque views of their underwater park.

Read also: The birth of a new living organism: Indonesia's first Earthship

Agal Waterfall

Agal Waterfall is located in Alas district, 23 kilometers from Poto Tano Port in West Sumbawa. The exact location of this waterfall is on the back of the mountain of the same name. It takes two hours of hiking to reach this place and since the waterfall is not yet fully developed as a tourist attraction you will get that raw nature feeling upon arrival.

Aik Renung Site

The Aik Renung Site is the first archaeological site in Sumbawa regency where seven sarcophaguses were found. On the lining of each stone tombstone, there were carvings of masks, monitor lizards and female figures. These carvings are similar to the ones found on other sarcophaguses in Besuki, Sulawesi, Sumba and Bali.

Bungin Island

Bungin Island is located in Alas district, about 70 kilometers from Sumbawa Besar city, and has earned the title as the worlds most dense island since more than 14,000 people are found on every square kilometer. If its seen from the air, this island is nothing but buildings with no space left for trees to grow. Whats more unique, the majority of the inhabitants are Bugis and Mandar tribespeople from Sulawesi.

Dalam Loka Old Castle

When we talk about rumah panggung (wooden-stilt houses), Dalam Loka Old Castle is definitely the biggest one in the world. Located in the center of Sumbawa Besar, this building represents the long history of the development of Sumbawa. Built within the period ofrom1883 to 1931 under Sultan Muhammad Syah III, the castle served as the royal palace. A professional will introduce you to the inner parts of the castle on a guided tour.

Read also: Exploring village above the clouds of Mantar, West Sumbawa

Kencana Beach

Physically speaking, Kencana Beach, located 11 kilometers from Sumbawa Besar city center, has the shape of a curved bay with two different sceneries on either end. At the left end, there are trees with a white sandy beach, while at the other end is a view of picturesque corals.

Saleh Bay

Most of the small tropical islands in Sumbawa regency are located in Saleh Bay, which makes it an ideal destination for island-hopping. Apart from being a tourist destination, Saleh Bay also contributes to the export sector through fishing. (asw)
By Press Trust of India: Puri, Jun 25 (PTI) The world famous Rath Yatra of Lord Jagannath was held in the pilgrim town of Odisha today with religious fervour and enthusiasm amid tight security.

Undeterred by rains, lakhs of devotees from across the country and abroad descended on the seaside town to witness the nine-day journey of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra to the Gundicha Temple and back to their abode.

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Devotees from all walks of life made a beeline to the seaside town to have a glimpse of the presiding deities of the 12th century shrine of Lord Jagannath as the trinity mingled with the sea of humanity during the annual festival of chariots.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Odisha Chief minister Naveen Patnaik, BJP president Amit Shah, Union Petroleum minister Dharmendra Pradhan and other dignitaries greeted the people on Lord Jagannaths annual car festival.

Enthusiasm and excitement ran high among devotees as the deities remained indoors since Snana Purnima on June 9. Naba Jaubana Darshan of the deities was performed yesterday as they remained confined to "Anasara Pindi" (recovery chamber) after the grand bath on Snana Purnima.

Sri Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) has put a ban on climbing the chariots and touching deities. "Climbing the chariots and touching the deities during the Rath Yatra is not permissible as per the order of the Orissa High Court," said SJTA Chief Administrator P K Jena.

With millions thronging the holy town, police made elaborate security arrangements by deploying 127 platoons of force (one platoon has around 30 personnel) besides putting air and coast surveillance in place.

A multi-layer security net was built to ensure smooth conduct of the festival while CCTVs were installed at various locations, according to Director General of Police (DGP), K B Singh.

Security was tightened outside the temple, around the three chariots and the Grand road, sea beach, railway station and the bus stand, he said, adding that patrolling was strengthened.

"We are well prepared to face any situation. Steps have also been taken to avoid any stampede-like situation," said a police official.

Besides three companies of the newly raised Odisha Swift Action Force (OSAF), personnel of Anti Terrorist Squad (ATS), Rapid Action Force (RAF) and sharp shooters were deployed at vital points while the Coast Guard kept a vigil on the sea.

Devotees poured into the seaside town to watch the grand ceremony and pull the three majestic and colourful chariots on the bada danda, the grand avenue.

Before the presiding deities - Lord Jagannath, his elder brother Lord Balabhadra and their sister Devi Subhadra - set out from the sanctum sanctorum of the temple, a number of special rituals like Mangla Arati and Mailam were held.

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Descending from the Ratna Sinhasana, the bejewelled throne, the three deities were taken out of the temple down the 22 steps known as "Baisi Pahacha" through the Lions gate in an elaborate royal ritual called "Pahandi" as devotees and sevayats jostled to have a glimpse and touch them.

In a rhythmic style, the deities moved forward step by step to the accompaniment of beating of ghantas and kahalis and blowing of konch shells.

The trinity proceeded majestically in rhythmic movement in their journey to the world outside during Pahandi.

At first Sudarshana, the celestial wheel of Krishna Vishnu, was taken out and placed in the chariot of Devi Subhadra followed by Lord Balabhadra and finally Lord Jagannath.

Ready to carry the deities for their annual nine-day sojourn to the Gundicha temple, about two km away, the three majestic wooden chariots waited outside draped in layers of red, black, green and yellow cloth.

The 45-feet high Nandighosh, the chariot of Lord Jagannath stood with 16 huge wooden wheels, while the 44-feet high Taladhawaja with 14 wheels is for Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadras Darpadalan was 43-feet high with 12 wheels.

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The Shankaracharya of Puri Govardhana peeth Swami Nischalananda Saraswati had a darshan of the deities on the chariots along with his disciples.

Thereafter, the Gajapati King of Puri Divyasingh Dev proceeded to the chariots to perform the Chhera Panhara ritual by sweeping the platform with golden broom.

The proceedings were watched by millions including a host of VVIPs and dignitaries, while buildings on both sides of the grand avenue were occupied by thousands of people vying for a proper view.

The administration made arrangements for convenience of pilgrims. Parking lots have been built for vehicles. Arrangements were also made for facilities like health service, drinking water and sanitation.

The visitors were provided with guidance and assistance by police and other personnel deployed on the occasion.

Earlier, visitors were also given information about traffic management through social media and Puri police administration website, a police officer said.

East Coast Railway (ECoR) is running special trains to clear the extra rush of passengers for the car festival.

A large number of cameras were installed across the city with an integrated surveillance control room near the Jagannath Temple as a special step. PTI SKN PR IKA

--- ENDS ---

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A behind the scenes video has been released detailing Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets' creation, with exclusive comments from director Luc Besson.

Besson details with fond memory his first experience of the graphic novel in the three and a half minute clip, remarking that Valerian was the film he always dreamed of making: 'I've waited my entire life to make this film, and the journey has been amazing.' You can take a glimpse of this journey below in a special behind the scenes montage of Besson's mindset in the run up to the film's release.

It looks like we have James Cameron to thank once more for a movie set to be bigger than space itself. With huge alien landscapes and intricate character design lightyears ahead of previous cinematic techniques, it wasn't until Avatar was brought to life that Besson held out hope for creating the space blockbuster - and if the trailers are anything to go by, it's set to be out of this world.

Besson states himself, 'there are no limits any more', which seems to run through each breath-taking clip that emerges from the film. Looking almost like a video game in its vastness and attention to detail, Valerian looks to channel Mass Effect vibes in its space suits and sheer strangeness of the alien races on display. But in this story, it isn't Shepard, but Valerian (Dane DeHaan) that is firmly in control - or so he would have us believe. Laureline (Cara Delevingne) seems to give him a run for his money as the hero, with plenty of sass on offer throughout both the exclusive video and the trailers released so far. Besson even claims the character as 'his first love', which seems unsurprising from the bad-ass attitude Laureline wholly embodies.

The chemistry between the trio on and off set is wonderful, and you can see the child-like excitement in Besson's eyes as the film he always wanted to make is finally coming to fruition. Rihanna even makes a brief but impressive appearance as a glitzy transforming performer, changing like magic between outfits on stage.

It is this sort of effect that gets one wondering exactly how much time went into altering the shots to reach their completely beguiling alien quality: and the answer is a lot. For reference, Besson states: 'In The Fifth Element, there is 188 special effect shots, but in Valerian - there is 2734' - a mind blowing increase in the 20 year gap between the two films.

The film looks incredible in every way, with amazing effects, a stellar cast, and a level of design rarely seen in such detail. Another few painful months come before the release, so in the meantime, whilst we wait and watch this video over and over, Luc Besson says it best:

'Have fun... and see you in space.'

Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets is distributed by Lionsgate and will be in cinemas 2nd August 2017.
Google Glass has made a surprise comeback after the augmented reality headsets companion app was given its first update in almost three years.

The smart glasses, which revolve around a small screen that sits in the corner of a wearers field of vision, enables them to read messages, take photos and make video calls.

(Nick Ansell/PA)

But the 1,000 device was withdrawn from sale by Google in 2015 after failing to capture consumer attention.

Now the MyGlass companion app that helped pair a users smartphone with the headset has been given its first update since late 2014, adding Bluetooth connectivity support.

Google Glasss support site says the update enables the latest version of the headset to be paired with Bluetooth input devices, including keyboards.

(Nick Ansell/PA)

The headset was sold online as part of what Google called an open beta known as the Explorer Program that the tech giant said was part of testing for the device as a concept.

When the Explorer Program and Glass website were closed in 2015, Google said Glass had graduated from the companys X lab  where concept products are made and tested  but would continue to be tested internally and built for the future.

However, despite several rumours of a new version of the headset since, no announcements have been forthcoming and its official channel on social site Google+ has not been updated since January 2016.

(Nick Ansell/PA)

Since the demise of Glass, virtual reality headsets have become increasingly popular among consumers.

Three high-profile systems  HTC Vive, Oculus Rift and PlayStation VR  have all launched in the UK, as have a range of lower-priced options that work by placing a smartphone into headgear to act as the screen.

This includes Googles own Daydream View headset, which pairs with the companys flagship Pixel smartphone.
The first 24 hours in a new country are always nerve racking; on the year abroad, they can be positively terrifying!

After all, a bad experience during the first few days you spend in your host country can profoundly shape the rest of your stay, and unlike a holiday, it is not as simple as popping back on a plane to go home  as you may be staying there for up to a year.

Much like your first day of school, your first day of the year abroad is one of the most important psychologically. However, it's also when your personal safety is most at risk. So, with that in mind, here is a quick, general guide to help you navigate your first day.

Arrival

Arrival in a place is considered to be one of the red alert moments when you are travelling; you may feel tired and disorientated after a gruelling journey, and you haven't had a chance to get an 'eye' for what's safe and what isn't in a foreign environment. Everything will look strange and it's vital you remain on the alert as unwitting new arrivals are a prime target for scammers and other ne'er do wells.

The FCO's travel advice pages may help you plan this part of your trip. The best way to avoid incidents as you pick up your luggage, go through customs and get to your accommodation is to be prepared beforehand for any language barriers, cultural etiquette issues or red tape which may impede your progress.may help you plan this part of your trip.

Be aware that some types of scam or attack on tourists may be common to a particular place: perhaps there have been a spate of kidnappings from a certain airport terminal, or perhaps tourists have been robbed by people disguised as officials: these situations sound extreme but they can occur, so make sure you're prepared for them.

FCO's country-by-country travel advice pages to brief yourself on: Before you travel, find out if any ongoing incidents might effect your arrival. Sign up to live email updates from the

Recent security threats or terrorist attacks

The political situation  strikes, national days, demonstrations

Any recent natural disasters

Any high-risk areas or 'no-go' areas of the city  and likewise, the 'safe' areas

Avoid getting money out of ATM as soon as you arrive. If possible travel with some money in the local currency or in dollars, which are more widely accepted and can be changed later.

government's anti-bribery policy here. Be respectful but firm at all times with any officials you encounter; if you look confident - but not arrogant - corrupt officials may be less likely to target you for a bribe or hassle you. Never try to bribe officials, even if they are making you feel uncomfortable. Read the

If you are being met by someone to be taken to your accommodation, it is crucial that you confirm their identity before leaving with them. Only leave once you feel it is safe to do so, and if you are getting a taxi, do not be tempted to use an unlicensed taxi. If someone approaches you offering you a ride, do not go with them. It may seem obvious, but when you are exhausted after a long journey and desperate to get to your accommodation, it can be easy to make these sorts of mistakes which can be extremely serious in the long run.

Also make contact with someone at home to let them know you've arrived safely. Similarly, it's a good idea to let anyone you might know in the host country that you've arrived too. The more people who know where you are and who you're with, the better.

It's also useful to travel with a paper copy of the contact details of the British embassy or consulate, and anyone else you might need to get in touch with in case an incident takes place before you have access to those details online.

Technology

After you've arrived in your accommodation, most people's next step is to get themselves hooked up to the internet. Whatsapp is hands down the best app out there for the long-term traveller, however you'll need a local SIM card if you want to use it when you're out and about, away from a WIFI connection  and let's face it, it's during those first few trips out into the city when you're still trying to get your bearings that you will want the 'lifeline' to home most, not to mention a local number to make emergency calls on.

It's a good idea to travel with an unlocked phone if you don't want to have to buy yourself a new one along with a SIM. Rates and networks vary with countries, but a basic pay-as-you-go package will be enough to tide you over for the first few weeks.

Once you're connected, don't be tempted to get your phone out in public too often! Be aware of the image to are projecting to potential ne'er-do-wells and opportunists.

Culture Shock

Practical matters apart, the psychological impact of culture shock can be the hardest thing to deal with during your first through days in a new country. Feelings of disorientation and anxiety are common as you adjust to your new surroundings: this can leave you feeling very vulnerable but it's very important at this stage not to lock yourself away in your room and let your fears get the better of you.

Even though you have arrived with the intention of living long-term in the country, you are, at this point, still a tourist so you may as well behave like one. Go out and explore, sample the local food, see the sights. And if you don't feel brave enough to go out on your own, you could always find a 'walking tour'  not only are these often lead by locals and very good value, you might also meet other travellers who you can spend time with.

Whilst it's also a good idea to get your rest when you need it, resisting the temptation to stay safely in your room and engaging positively and actively with your new environment at this stage is a really crucial step. It will help build your confidence and hopefully kindle interest in your new home.

In summary

So bon voyage and buen viaje! And remember - there are many resources out there which can help you make your first 24 hours of the year abroad run smoothly; most incidents can be avoided by a bit of preparation. So check out the travel advice pages before you travel to make sure that your year abroad gets off to as successful a start as possible.
Envision this scenario: You wake up, dazed, dazzled and disturbed to find a metallic heart infused onto your chest. You discover that you are sharing a building with fellow converted patients who are unable to speak. They can only scream out to be killed via a portable communications device which renders their voices harshly robotic.This is the fate that befalls Bill, after she is taken from her friends into the depths of a ship perched precariously on the rim of a black hole. Time runs differently here - for the Doctor and company, minutes pass, while years pass for Bill. She is stuck with only the oddball hospital porter Razor for company, spending her time mopping floors for a Nurse Ratched-esque figure who is sadistic and mean to those under her care. Meanwhile, she watches the Doctor on a screen, waiting for him to come and help her, and sees visions of him promising that he will do so. She waits and waits and waits - but it is all for nought, as she is betrayed by Razor and converted into the first fully fledged Mondasian Cyberman - a race of monster that return after more than fifty years to the show, the original and best version of the Doctors cyborg foes. The Doctor has failed her twice now - first, she was flung into a test for a supposedly reformed Missy during which she was shot and now her humanity has been cruelly taken from her, both physically and mentally. She waited on the Doctor, and the Doctor dithered too long.Meanwhile, Missys turn as Doctor Who ends badly. We have seen her imprisoned and reformed throughout this season, and this is her chance to show how much she has changed. Unfortunately, she seems to have fallen back into her old ways by the episodes end, corrupted by herself in the form of her previous incarnation (John Simm), who returns in fine form, disguised as the friendly Razor for most of the episode (the Master has always liked a disguise).This reviewer for one, did not guess the true identity of Razor until later in the episode, and though it had previously been announced, Simms return still proved surprising, and exciting. He looks more like the classic Masters this time around, and it will be exhilarating to see him at the forefront of the action next week. Gomez and Simm are fine actors and fine Masters - to see them together is a sheer delight. The direction and music of this episode are also incredibly impressive. There are genuine scares and the body horror is suggested - not shown - which makes it all the more chilling. The Mondasian Cybermen, both in their early and final forms, are wonderfully scary creations, closer to humans than all other versions of this monster. It is good to see that they have barely been updated since their first appearance in the 60s - they are given a new lease of life in this episode, whilst also staying wistfully faithful to their original appearance. The episode is fast paced and energetic, whilst still making time for the quiet, emotional moments. The device of time passing differently at the top and the bottom of the ship is executed particularly well, making us truly believe in the effects of it. The episode title relates to a poem by Andrew Marvell on the shortness of life and times passing - themes which are tragically relayed within the story. There is a feel of Classic Who to this weeks outing, as well as the familiar manic energy of the show's modern history. The cliff-hanger is almost too delicious - Two Masters! The Mondasian Cybermen! Bill AS a Mondasian Cyberman! Add to this the tease at the beginning of the Doctors regeneration, and the exciting trailer for next week, and the anticipation is almost too much to bear. The stage has been set brilliantly. Here's hoping that next week's finale is just as impressive.
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By Pramod Madhav: Six Indian fishermen were arrested and a trawler was seized by Sri Lanka Navy for allegedly fishing in their territorial waters. The trawler ''Fast Attack Craft'' was seized 15 nautical miles off Thalaimannar Lighthouse yesterday evening.

Sri Lankan patrol craft attached to the North Central Naval Command, while engaging in routine patrol, apprehended the Indian fishermen and the trawler in Sri Lankan territorial waters.

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The apprehended Indian fishermen, their fishing trawler and other fishing gear were taken to the naval base SLNS Thammanna and are to be handed over to the Thalaimannar Assistant Fisheries Director for further legal action. Earlier in the day, eight Indian fishermen engaged in illegal fishing in the territorial waters of Sri Lanka were arrested too.

Totally 14 Indian Fisherman were arrested and and 3 trawlers were apprehended by Sri Lankan navy at yesterday alone.

ALSO READ:

Lanka Navy arrests 17 Indian fishermen

8 Indian fishermen arrested by SL Navy, TN govt fumes

ALSO WATCH: Sri Lankan Navy arrests six Indian fishermen

--- ENDS ---
The security forces today killed the two militants hiding in DPS Srinagar campus after a 14-hour long gun battle.

By India Today Web Desk: The security forces in the Valley today killed the two terrorists hiding in a school on the outskirts of Srinagar after a 14-hour gun-battle. The encounter ensued soon after a CRPF convoy was ambushed on Saturday in Pantha Chowk by Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) militants.

A CRPF sub-inspector martyred and a jawan was injured in the dastardly attack on the convoy close to the Srinagar-Jammu Highway on Saturday.

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Two Army personnel also suffered injuries today in the gun-fight with militants holed up inside Delhi Public School (DPS) Srinagar.

Immediately after the ambush on the convoy, the security forces cordoned off the school premises which has seven buildings, comprising 36 rooms, and the staff and others were evacuated on Saturday night itself.

An offensive to flush out the Lashkar militants was launched today morning, a police official said.

"The exchange of fire between security forces and militants began at around 3.40 am," he said.

"The gun-battle is over and two militants have been killed," the official said after over 14-hour armed engagement.

SANITISATION OPERATION UNDERWAY

He said the search and sanitisation operation was, however, underway at the encounter site.

Earlier, Jammu and Kashmir's Director General of Police S P Vaid had said that there were reports of the presence of two militants inside the building but the exact number would be known after the search of the complex was over.

On the operation getting prolonged, he told reporters, "There are 36 rooms, the building is huge. So, it has to be searched floor by floor, room by room."

He said the security forces wanted to ensure that the (school) building was safe.

'NEFARIOUS DESIGNS TO DESTROY SCHOOLS'

"The enemy has a nefarious design that the school buildings are destroyed and children have nothing to study and ultimately abandon their studies, which we will ensure that no such thing happens," the state police chief said.

He was speaking to the media on the sidelines of wreath laying ceremony of CRPF officer killed in Saturday's attack.

The authorities had imposed restrictions under section 144 CrPc from Ram Munshibagh to Sempora stretch of the national highway as a precautionary measure to avoid protests near the encounter site.

The mobile internet services have been affected across the Valley as the network speeds have been reduced.

With inputs from PTI

Also read: Story of lynching: Kashmir to Haryana, how hate crime thrives in absence of law

Also read: Srinagar: DSP Ayyub Pandith beaten to death by mob outside Jamia Masjid

Also read: Kashmir: 7 killed, at least 100 stranded after tree hits Gulmarg Gondola cabin

--- ENDS ---

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Watertown landowners will be involved in new Corps flood-control study

After 30 years, a new flood control feasibility study will include the input of landowners and supply a multitude of options other than a dry dam.
The Taliban has steadily expanded its reach across Afghanistan since US and international forces formally concluded their combat mission at the end of 2014.

By AP: The Taliban has attacked a security post in western Afghanistan, killing at least 10 policemen and wounding another three, officials have said.

Jelani Farhad, spokesman for the governor of the western Herat province, said the Taliban attacked late Saturday, setting off a gun battle in which five insurgents were killed.

No one immediately claimed responsibility of the attack.

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The Taliban has steadily expanded its reach across Afghanistan since US and international forces formally concluded their combat mission at the end of 2014, switching to a support and counter-terrorism role.

In an address Sunday marking the start of Eid-Ul-Fitr, a major Muslim holiday, President Ashraf Ghani reiterated his call for the Taliban to return to peace talks.

ALSO READ:

Pakistan's ISI behind Kabul blast which killed 90: Afghanistan govt to India Today

Kabul bomb blast: Afghanistan blames Haqqani network and Pakistan's ISI for attack

ALSO WATCH: 10 killed as Taliban terrorists attack checkpost near India-Afghanistan friendship dam

--- ENDS ---
The girl was playing with her elder sister when she accidentally fell in the nearly 450-feet-deep open borewell.

By Press Trust of India: Rescue workers today pulled out dead the 14-month-old girl, who had accidentally slipped into an open borewell in Telangana's Ranga Reddy district on Thursday.

After about 58 hours of rescue operation involving different agencies, the child, daughter of a farm labourer, was found dead today, police said.

The girl, fondly called as Chinnari, was playing with her elder sister when she accidentally fell in the nearly 450-feet-deep open borewell in a field at Ekkareddyguda village of Chevella mandal, about 60 kms from Hyderabad, on Thursday around 7.15 pm.

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"She is declared dead...we called off the rescue operation at 6 am after the remains were retrieved," Cyberabad Police Commissioner Sandeep Shandilya said.

The authorities had yesterday said chances of the toddler's survival were bleak.

RESCUE EFFORTS

The efforts to rescue the child had started from 8 pm on Thursday using different methods. However, today her remains were found stuck at around 245 feet, police said.

"After the postmortem was conducted, the child's remains were handed over to her family members and taken to her native Gorepally village," Chevella police station's sub-inspector N Sridhar Reddy said.

After the girl fell into the borewell, a parallel trench was dug along the hole with the help of earth excavating machines even as the rocky area and rains had hampered the rescue work.

High-tech sensitive cameras were deployed to locate the girl and oxygen was continuously pumped in the borewell.

POLICE, NDRF, ONGC INVOLVED

Apart from police, the fire department, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) personnel and a team of ONGC officials were also involved in the rescue operation.

A team of doctors and ambulance was also deployed at the spot.

The Cyberabad police yesterday registered a case against the land owner, Malla Reddy, under IPC section 336 (act endangering life or personal safety of others).

In October 2014, a four-year-old girl died after falling into a nearly 300-feet-deep borewell in Ranga Reddy's Manchal village.

Also Read:

Karnataka: 6-year-old girl who fell into borewell found dead, body recovered

Karnataka: 6-year-old girl falls into 400-feet borewell, rescue operation underway

Also Watch:

Karnataka: 6-year-old girl trapped for over 30 hours in dry borewell

--- ENDS ---
By Press Trust of India: Raipur, June 25 (PTI) Three naxals, including a minor, were nabbed in Chhattisgarhs Kanker district last evening, police said today.

A firearm and some explosives were recovered from Kanna Kawasi (42), Lalu Kawachi (55) and a 17-year-old youth who were picked up from the forests of Mad Pakhanjore village under Bande police station limits by a joint team of the Border Security Force (BSF) and the District Force during a search operation, Deputy Inspector General of Police (Kanker range) Ratan Lal Dangi told PTI.

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He said while Kawasi was a commander-rank cadre wanted in at least eight cases including murder and attempt to murder, Kawachi and the youth are the janmilitia members of Maoists.

He said a muzzle loading gun, a five-kg cooker bomb, a pipe bomb, a radio set, and an electric wire were seized from the possession of the trio. PTI TKP NSK

--- ENDS ---
By Press Trust of India: New Delhi/Srinagar, Jun 25 (PTI) "Feeling peaceful" with Manisha Andraskar, was the last message that friends of Jayant Andraskar saw on his facebook page before tragedy struck.

The Delhi couple and their two young daughters - Anagha and Janhvi - were among seven who met a tragic death in Kashmirs Gulmarg when a cable car came crashing down after a ropeway snapped.

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The Andraskars, residents of Shalimar Bagh in north west Delhi, had gone to Kashmir for holidaying.

One of their daughters was a class I student while the other was in playschool, according to one of their relatives, Sourabh. The couple had gone to Kashmir on June 22, he said.

"The last time we talked, they spoke about Kashmir," said Sourabh told PTI.

The family hailed from Nagpur but had come to Delhi as Jayant was working in a Delhi government department, he said.

Apart from the Andraskars, three persons from Kashmir - Mukhtar Ahmad, a resident of Chonti Patri Babareshi, and Jahangir Ahmad and Farooq Ahmad Chopan, both residents of Tangmarg -- were also killed in the accident.

A tree, uprooted by strong winds, fell on the ropeway of Gulmarg Gondola and severed the lines due to which the cable car came crashing to the ground, an official said.

Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah questioned why the cable car service had not been shut down as a precautionary measure because of high winds.

"What terrible news," he tweeted.

"It begs the question as to why the cable car operations werent suspended in high winds. Thats a laid down SOP [standard operating procedure]," he posted on Twitter. PTI SSB/MIJ ADS SC ADS

--- ENDS ---
The last days of the Newfie Pride

There were many nights he didnt sleep. The numbers and scenarios turned over and over in his mind, making rest impossible. Id get up two, three oclock in the morning, night after night, come out to the kitchen table and work the numbers every ...
Mehrishi also said that an entire paradigm shift in policing is needed to drastically improve the situation in the country.

By Dev Ankur Wadhawan: Post the lynching of Deputy SP Mohammed Ayub Pandith in Kashmir, certain sections of public and some politicians have raised concerns about the situation in the Valley turning from bad to worse. However, Union Home Secretary believes lynching incidents are over-hyped and do not deserve the kind of attention they have received.

While speaking in Jaipur, Rajiv Mehrishi, the Union Home Secretary, stated, "I don't think it (hate crime) is new in India. It is feudal in nature. Today, they shake the conscience. You cannot say lynching or hate crimes are something new. I think they are over hyped and over reported."

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Deputy SP Pandith was lynched to death near Jamia Masjid in Nowhatta area in Srinagar. Pandith reportedly had, fearing for his life, opened fire at an enraged mob. He was beaten to death after some people believed he was an informer after he was seen clicking pictures at the mosque.

The incident, that of a police officer being lynched by civilians, is being considered unprecedented in Kashmir. While condemning the incident as regretful, the Union Home Secretary claimed it won't change the entire complexity of the Kashmir situation.

He also said that an entire paradigm shift in policing is needed to drastically improve the situation in the country.

ALSO READ:

Nowhatta lynching: Police officer Mohammed Ayub Pandith's family alleges security lapse J&K: North Srinagar SP transferred after Ayub Pandith's lynching outside Jamia Masjid

ALSO WATCH: DSP Ayub Pandith was a state officer, not one of our own: Separatist leader Hilal War on lynching

--- ENDS ---
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Duty Station: Uganda

About US:

DanChurchAid (DCA) is a faith-based Danish INGO working closely with

church-based as well as secular NGOs in Uganda and in the Great Lakes region.

Their programmes cover two main areas: Active Citizenship with a strong focus

on good governance and democratization, and Food Security including

Humanitarian and Transitional Responses to conflict and natural disaster.

DanChurchAid has supported emergency relief and development programmes in Uganda

since 1979. DanChurchAid works through partners and with a gender-inclusive

rights-based approach, which is mainstreamed throughout all DanChurchAid

programme types as well as within the organization.

About EU Aid Volunteers:

EU Aid Volunteers brings together volunteers and organisations from

different countries, providing practical

support to humanitarian aid projects and contributing to strengthening the

local capacity and resilience of disaster-affected communities. The EU Aid

Volunteers programme offers:

Opportunities for European citizens to

become EU Aid Volunteers in humanitarian projects worldwide, showing

solidarity with those who most need it,

Professional support by trained and

well-prepared volunteers to communities affected by disaster,

Capacity building for local staff and

volunteers of organisations in countries hit by disasters,

Technical assistance for organisations

based in Europe to strengthen their capacity to participate in the EU Aid

Volunteers initiative.

Key Duties and Responsibilities:

The Junior Volunteer will build the capacities of the Diocese

staff in the areas of DRR and Emergency response

Actively contribute to the strengthening

of the Diocese in planning and implementation of DRR activities

Work closely with the Diocesan planning

officer in the coordination of DRR programmes in the Diocese

Meet regularly with Diocesan staff to

advise on DRR strategies that may contribute to mitigating disasters in

Uganda

Document and disseminate disaster related

information to the relevant stakeholders

The volunteer shall present regular DRR

reports to the PDR Coordinator

Identify funding opportunities for DRR

programmes

Provide support the development of DRR

grant applications and submit them to the relevant development partners



Experience: Qualifications, Skills andExperience:

The applicant for the DanChurchAid (DCA)

Volunteer job opportunity should have a background in humanitarian aid and

disaster management, development studies, and / or a related relevant

educational background.

Previous experience with working abroad

within the humanitarian, development or social setting, preferably in the

local in-country context.

Extensive knowledge of Disaster Risk

Reduction approaches and broader resilience building especially at

community level is an asset.

Knowledge of diverse methods of building

organisational capacity in circumstances where resources are limited.

Knowledge of Project cycle management

Previous experience and skills in guiding,

training and facilitation in multi-cultural group settings.

Good analytical skills and ability to

formulate and propose actions in a convincing way based on the gaps

identified.

Ability in working with development and

humanitarian partners to support communities efforts towards achieving

self-reliance, generating and building on their resources sustainably.

Capable of coping with stressful

situations and capable of overcoming difficulties.

Adapts calmly and reacts constructively to

changing situations and constraints. Is able to identify and prevent risks

during a project.

The candidate is able to adapt to living

conditions where resources are very limited and the level of comfort is

low.

Excellent communication and writing skills

in English are needed.

How to Apply:



fill in the following documents i.e.

You should upload the documents at the link below. All suitably qualified and interested candidates should download andfill in the following documents i.e. Application Form CV Form and EUAV Self Assessment Questionnaire You should upload the documents at the link below.

th July,

2017 Deadline: 13July,2017
Patnaik's close aides say that to understand him, one has to understand his empathy

By Pratul Sharma/Photos Sanjay Ahlawat
Seven people, including four tourists from Delhi, were killed, after the cable of one cars of Gondola ropeway at snapped at Gulmarg on Sunday.

The cable snapped after a tree fell on it due to high-velocity winds.

Deputy Inspector General of Police, north Kashmir range, Nitish Kumar, said high-velocity winds uprooted a tree that fell on the cables causing some derailment. Seven people have died so far and there are some injuries as well. Rescue efforts have been launched, he said.

The deceased include a family from Shalimar Bagh in New Delhi. They have been identified as Jayant Andraskar, his wife, Manshea Andraskar, and two daughters, Anagha and Janhvi.

After the incident, the ropeway stopped in the tracks with scores of tourists stuck in the cars at different altitudes. It took the authorities around three hours to restart the ropeway and rescue the stranded tourists.

After the tragedy, many cables were left strands at different altitudes for rescue operations that took three hours.

Eyewitnesses recounted three hours of horror they encountered while being stuck in the cars at a very high altitude amidst strong winds.

We were at the first phase of Gondola when the announcement was made that we should board the cars in five minutes because of the bad weather," said Harsh Manchanda of Delhi. "We were five people in the cable car when it started shaking at 3.30 pm."

One of the world's highest ropeways, the Gulmarg Gondola ascends from 2650 meters to 3980 meters. Built by French firm Pomagalski, the five-kilometer ropeway is divided into two sections.

The first connects Gulmarg to Kongdoori and the second from Kangdoori to the Afarwat peak at 13400 feet. The first phase of the project was commissioned in 1998. The cable car is a major attraction for tourists to visit Gulmarg all over the country and abroad.

Director of tourism called the incident very unfortunate. "This is the first accident in the rope-way since its commissioning in 1998," he said.

Under fire for lack of adequate safety measures, Jammu and Kashmir government has ordered an inquiry into the accident.





Government has initiated a time-bound inquiry into the Gulmarg Gondola accident to ascertain the facts and take necessary action, tweeted Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) led by J&K chief minister Mehbooba Mufti.


The 24-hour long encounter at Delhi Public School (DPS) in Srinagar ended on Sunday evening after security forces killed two militants who had moved into the building after attacking a CRPF vehicle.

Two terrorists have been killed in the operation in Pantha Chowk, The operation is in progress, said defence spokesperson colonel Rajesh Kalia.

The encounter started on Saturday evening after Lashkar-e-Tioba militants ambushed the CRPF's ROP-road opening party vehicle when they were withdrawing after day long duty at Pantha Chowk. CRPF sub-inspector Sahab Shukla was killed in the attack while two others, including Nisar Ahmad of 29 battalions, were injured.

The security forces chased the militants who scurried into the nearby DPS complex. The area was immediately cordoned off and an operation was launched.

The sprawling DPS complex with over 400 rooms proved to be a hectic task for the security forces. The forces carried out the operation cautiously to avoid serious damage to the premier educational institution.

The first contact with the militants was established at 3 am after forces started a room to room operation, in which two army soldiers including a captain suffered minor injuries.

The first success was achieved in the afternoon when a militant was killed in the exchange of fire. A few hours later, the second militant was also killed. Two weapons have been recovered. Combing and sanitising operation is currently on to clear the building of any leftover explosives.
Afghanistan President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani, on Sunday, again urged the Taliban militants to give up fighting and join the peace and reconciliation process.

If you are Afghans, you should join the peace process to help stabilise the country, Ghani said after performing Eid prayers at the presidential palace.

The president also warned the Taliban fighters that you (Taliban) don't have more time and your supporters are alone and you will also be alone, reports Xinhua news agency.

Earlier, on Friday, Taliban leader Mullah Haibatullah Akhundzada rejected any talks with the government, saying the Taliban would continue to fight against foreign troops stationed in the country.
The Modi government has completed three years, and you have been giving impressive numbers to showcase its performance. What palpable changes have this government brought about?

The biggest change in the countrys politics in the past three years has been the peoples expectation from it. The people have shunned casteism, nepotism and appeasement to choose politics of performance. This is the biggest changenow you cannot get votes based on casteism or appeasement.

The confidence of the nation and its people has surged. Indias prestige in foreign countries has increased.

The country has got a direction. We have given a decisive government. We have been a transparent government against corruption. This is a sensitive government, which responds to the people.

You mentioned Indias growing prestige abroad, but relations with immediate neighboursPakistan and Chinacontinue to be troubled.

Let me clarify, I did not speak about enhanced prestige in reference to foreign policy. When we execute surgical strikes, the world views us differentlythat we are capable of taking care of our security; we are a country that can take decisions. Instead of just two or three satellites, when we send 104 satellites to space, it establishes us on the world stage. When the economic growth rate increases from 4.4 per cent to more than 7 per cent, becoming the fastest growing economy, the world sees us differently.

What about our neighbours? Do you see any signs of improving relations, particularly with Pakistan?

The day this government took oath, it invited all neighbours. We extended a hand of friendship, and continued to do so on different occasions. But, this government has a clear policy that there will be no friendship at the cost of the countrys security and respect. Friendship has to be built from both sides. We want good relations with all.

Rock solid: Shah says there will be no talks with separatist groups until stone-pelting on the streets of Kashmir stops | AFP

Kashmir is on the edge. Though the BJP agreed for dialogue with all stakeholders in its agenda of alliance with the PDP, it appears the government is in no mood for dialogue.

There is no question of appearance. The mood of the government is clear: until stone-pelting [on the streets of Kashmir] stops, we will not even think about talking to anyone.

Do you think what is happening in Kashmir is similar to the Palestinian intifada?

No. If you look at the issue since 1989, there have been several instances when there have been phases lasting six to eight months that some forces have come out. But when security forces increase their grip, there has been retaliation. It is not something new. In 70 years of independence, you cannot look at six months of Kashmir in isolation. You have to see the entire history to understand.

What is the governments policy on Naxalism?

In three years, we have hardened action against Naxalites. There have been two-three incidents, we are not denying that, but we have dealt with them with a strong arm. When there is a war, bullets are not fired from just one side; bullets are fired from both sides. Security forces have the upper hand. Naxalism is being curbed, and Naxal-affected districts will be drastically reduced.

How much time would it take?

It is not like a building a highway!

It is a war. The way in which Naxalism is reducing, I think it will be contained soon.

New vision: The Armys surgical strikes on terrorist hideouts indicated that India would not tolerate Pakistani audacity anymore | AP

During the past three years, the RSS has gained more prominence. Mechanisms have been set up to enhance the exchange of views between the Sangh and the government. The opposition alleges that the Sanghs ideology dominates government functioning.

We listen to everyone. We would even listen to you if you have a good suggestion. Good suggestions should be listened to. Criticism will be there; the opposition will never praise us.

After the surgical strikes and the JNU controversy, the BJP and the Union government have pushed for aggressive nationalism. Several political parties and civil society groups say they get branded as antinationals for having a different view.

Nationalism is our character. We are in politics because of nationalism. We have never branded anyone [with a different view] as antinational. But, if anyone would say the country be divided into hazar tukde (thousand pieces), he is an antinational. Then we do not have any confusion on that front. Anyone can criticise Modiji or my party, but how can someone talk about dividing the country?

Political violence is a cause for concern in West Bengal and Kerala. Cant issues be resolved through dialogue?

Tell me first, which parties are in power in these states? Are we in power? Is it our responsibility to maintain peace? Whose duty is it to maintain law and order? It is that of the state governments of both the states.

Let us take the case of Kerala. When the [Congress-led] UDF government was in power, there was no violence. As soon as the Left front government was sworn in, violence started, and that, too, in the chief ministers district. Do you think violence can take place without his nod? Tell me what is the relationship between their oath-taking and violence? It started the same day. The Left parties are responsible for the violence.

On the hunt: Jawans engaged in an anti-Naxal combing operation in Bastar, Chhattisgarh. Shah is confident that Naxalism will be rooted out soon | Prajapati

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath is attracting a lot of attention with his style of administration, yet questions are being raised over law and order, and groups such as Hindu Yuva Vahani and anti-romeo squads. Are you satisfied with his performance?

Could you cite a single instance of Yuva Vahini [instigating violence]? Even the anti-romeo squad is not an issue of law and order; it is there to solve the problem of law and order.

I am 100 per cent satisfied with Yogis performance. He is doing well. There may have been one or two small incidents, but they have been tackled well. He is going according to the agenda of governance.

People, especially in south India and the northeast, are strongly protesting the ban on sale of cattle for slaughter. They allege the government is interfering in the peoples eating habits.

The notification has come out. Explain to me how the eating habits of people are affected. This [ban] was based on a Supreme Court judgment, after which the government set up a committee that framed the rules. There is no ban on anyones eating. I dont understand how anyones eating habits have been disturbed (chuckles).

You often say Modi is the most popular Indian leader post independence. Doesnt this sideline the Gandhi-Nehru legacy?

I have said leaders after independence. Modi was born after independence. So there is no clash with Gandhiji.

You are completing three years as party president. What are your next goals?

Our aim is to establish a glorious India. We are in power in 14 states, we have a government at the Centre and we share power with allies in four states. Our aim is to form a country which everyone can take pride in.

You have been touring India for over 100 days. What is that you wish to achieve? Amit Shah never rests?

I am the party president, and my responsibility is to expand the party organisation and its ideology. This year is the centenary of Deendayal Upadhyaya, so we decided to use this year for expansion of the party base. My aim is to strengthen the party and make its acceptability even wider.

Your election management tactics have often baffled opposition parties. What is your success mantra?

Every election has a different strategy. The people are accepting the way our Central and state governments have been functioning, and their development agenda.

How did you hone your strategic skills? Any role models?

Experience is such a subject that has no syllabus. One gains by going from village to village, the way I am doing now (laughs).

How come opposition parties with more experience are unable to achieve as much success? Where are they going wrong?

Whatever they are doing may be wrong, and we are doing far better.

Skyrocketing pride: The world took note as India recently launched 104 satellites at one go | AP

The BJP is focusing on about 120 Lok Sabha seats where it lost last time. What is the strategy for these seats?

Our strategy is simple: to strengthen the organisation, understand the problems of these areas, hold agitations, bring people closer to us and make them aware of the 106 schemes run by the Union

government.

Himachal Pradesh and Gujarat are set for elections. How would you rate your chances? Many communities in Gujarat such as Patidars, dalits and OBCs are unhappy with the BJP. What if they align with the Congress?

Elections were held in 2002; take out newspapers published six months before that. Similarly, check reports ahead of 2007 and 2012 electionsevery time we appeared to be losing. But after the counting of votes, we emerged victorious.

Which are the areas the Union government or the party needs to focus more on?

Do you think I am so naive (chuckles) to reveal my weak points? Thats the job of the opposition. I talk about good things.

I will tell you the good work done by our government. We have given 27.6 crore people bank accounts; gas cylinders to two crore women; built toilets in 4.5 crore households; distributed loans to 7.5 crore people through the Mudra scheme; rolled out GST, which was in limbo since Vajpayee days; gave constitutional status to OBCs; launched 104 satellites in one go; conducted surgical strikes, displaying strong political will; introduced reforms in agriculture to increase growth rate to 4 per cent.

Modi and you were outsiders to Delhi politics. How has the scene changed?

In the past three years, it is not Delhis politics, but the countrys politics that has changed because of the prime minister. I do not think there is any Delhi politics. Now I stay here, I am a Delhi leader. There is nothing like state politics.

How has the BJP changed in the past three years?

We have expanded from two crore to eleven crore members. We are constructing offices and libraries in all districts. We have trained 9.5 crore cadre. An e-library is being set up, and documentation is being done. The partys history is being written properly. Deendayal Upadhyayas thoughts are being propagated. Our biggest expansion has been at the booth levelit is huge.

What can people expect in the next two years?

We will win majority in Keralawe will get the maximum number of seats in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.
Kochi Metro was opened to the public on the dawn of June 19. By the time dusk fell, more than 62,000 tickets had been sold, generating Rs 20,42,720. It was not the money that counted, though. It was the footfalls. Going by the number of tickets sold on the first day and the long queues outside several stations, a number equivalent to roughly 20 per cent of the citys population had turned up to buy the tickets. A Bollywood blockbuster could not have opened better.

For most riders, it really was akin to a trip to the movies. They were not commuting; they were just there to check out whether Kochis most hyped infrastructure project was worth the buzz. The consensus seemed to be that it was.

The honeymoon will not last long, though. The 13-kilometre stretch that has been opened to the public only serves a fraction of the projects potential beneficiaries. It runs southwards from Aluva, 27km north of Kochi, to Palarivattom, which is just outside the area that can be called the heart of the city. The viaduct that runs further south, through the city, has not been completed. At its southernmost point, construction has not even begun. For now, Kochi Metro is quite like the Bandra-Worli Sea Linkwithout, well, the link.

The thrill of joyriders would soon start to wear thin, and nobody knows it better than Kochi Metro Rail Ltds managing director Elias George. He knows that KMRL needs to do more than just operationalise the viaduct to attract more people to the transit system. Kochi is coming up like Bangalore [in terms of traffic], he says. Its complete deadlock. You cant go from one place to another without getting stuck. The roads are completely choked. So, what we are trying to do.

 is truly interesting.

To understand the plan, you have to know Kochi. It is not like the other seven metropolises where metro rail projects have come up or are under construction. At least a dozen islands are scattered along mainland Kochis long coastline, which is torn asunder by waterbodies of various sizesfrom backwaters and rivers to creeks and canals.

Apart from geography, there is the matter of population. Kochis city-area population is just under 6,00,000, while its metropolitan area (which includes the surrounding urban regions) has two million people. Among Indian cities, that is one of the most skewed city-metropolitan population ratio. (Bengaluru, for instance, has a city-area population of 8.42 million and a metropolitan area population of 8.52 million.) Imagine the rush when a million peopleon bikes and cars, buses and boatsscramble in and out of their workplaces in a city where vehicles outnumber households.

It is clear that Kochi Metro alone cannot solve the problem. So, what we are trying to do is to make Kochi the first city in India where the public transport system is integrated, so that people leave their cars at home and find public transport a pleasant experience, says Elias George. We are going to unify the timetablethe metro reaches Aluva at 10.30, the bus starts at 10.35, and the boat, and so on. We are going to unify the ticketing, too. The management is also going to be made common.

The plan is to bring at least half a dozen stakeholdersfrom private bus owners to state-owned corporations that run road and inland waterway transport networksunder a single, powerful organisation called Unified Metropolitan Transportation Authority, which will be responsible for planning and operating Kochis entire public transport system. It is a Herculean task, but KMRL is up to it.

For this purpose, we have made a draft UMTA bill, he says. The bill, if passed, would enable UMTA to bring in sweeping reforms that would make public transport seamless. KMRL has already launched a prepaid smart card, called Kochi-1, which can be used to pay for a metro ride. As UMTA takes wing, commuters can use it on buses and ferries. A smartphone app of the same name will help plan journeys, too. What we are hoping is that, in a couple of months, all this will be integrated, says George.

Perhaps, the biggest hurdle has already been crossed. Private bus owners, who are often accused of chasing profits recklessly, but still play a significant role in Kochis public transport system, have floated four societies to begin and operate feeder services in accordance with KMRL guidelines. There will be no malsarayottam [reckless driving], because they [private bus owners] will share the profit and loss. They are the ones that are the keenest to join the project, says George.

Going green: Elias George at the launch of KMRLs bike-sharing initiative, which allows commuters to use bicycles free of cost to cover distances within city limits.

It does help that KMRL enjoys immense goodwill. But that was not the case five years ago, when construction began and nearly everyone was up in arms, from landowners who said the compensation was inadequate to commercial establishments that feared a dip in business. All that changed because of KMRLs nimble, surefooted moves. A lot of our ideaslike the motifs you see [at stations] and the bike-sharing initiativecame from the youngsters in our team, says George. We are like a startup, and that has been a great plus for us.

That, and the association E. Sreedharan has had with the project. As adviser to Delhi Metro Rail Corporation, Sreedharan played a key role in ensuring that the implementation was smooth. Its been a pleasure working with him, says George. One, he is Indias most outstanding project manager. Two, his reputation is like a big aal maram [banyan tree] [For a project like this] a lot of permissions are required from different agencies. Because of his great reputation, nobody dared stand in the way of the Kochi Metro project.

George comes across as modest about his own feats. Those in the know say that the water metro project, which will provide connectivity for those living outside the mainland and along the backwaters, is his brainchild. The project is expected to improve transport in areas that are perceived to be less developed than the mainland. Since my childhood days, I have been seeing the potential of the Kochi backwaters. Water transport is the cheapest and the most eco-friendly mode of transport. The water metro will help poor communities living along the backwaters.

It helps that George, 60, knows Kochi like the back of his hand, and loves it for what it is. You know why I stay down in Kochi when my family is in Delhi? he says. (His wife, Aruna Sundararajan, is IT and telecom secretary in New Delhi.) I choose to stay alone in Kochi because, the way I see it, Kochi is one of the most unique cities in the world. If you could get two things righttransport and waste disposalit would become so much better.
In a viral video a Uttar Pradesh police officer is seen standing up to and confronting BJP workers who resorted to bullying after she fined them for not carrying appropriate driving documents.

By India Today Web Desk: A woman cop from Uttar Pradesh's Bulandshahr has won accolades on social media after she stood up to bullying by a group of BJP workers in Sayana.

BJP workers resorted to bullying and sloganeering after senior woman officer Shrestha Thakur fined and arrested one them for not carrying appropriate driving documents.

Shrestha Thakur stood up to Pramod Lodhi, who is the husband of the district panchayat member of BJP.

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A video of the incident that took place on Friday afternoon later went viral. In the video Thakur is seen confronting the irate BJP workers who also raised slogans against police.

While the men were seen surrounding the woman officer and arguing with her. Thakur is seen telling them that additional sections of IPC will be added against them for the ruckus.

In a jibe at the agitating workers, Thakur asked them to get a letter signed from the chief minister stating that the police should not check vehicles.

Thakur also said that she was not afraid of the mob and that she will carry on with her duties unaffected.

When told that the police was targeting BJP workers, Thakur said that the law was equal for all.

Also read:

Gurgaon: SUV goons try to kill cop

Sleep with me if you want your husband freed: Rajasthan cop's shocker to woman

--- ENDS ---
You can't always get what you want, but if you try sometimes, well you just might find, you get what you need. Mick Jagger

No more homework, no more books, no more teacher's dirty looks is the mantra that's being raised up this week as the school year has come to a close and summer vacation begins anew. For most students it's a stepping-up period as they advance to the next grade but for a select few this is their year  2017 will forever be branded upon them as the year they graduated.

And I'm not making light of this either, even to this day when asked where I went to school I will instinctively say Weedsport ... class of '91. It's such an important step that for several years after graduation my tassel hung from the rear view mirror of my car. This is also a time when advice to the newly graduated is handed out like candy at Halloween, and seeing as though I'm in the business of dispensing out my opinion, I guess I'll dose out a bit of life experience for those wearing caps and gowns.

So, to the class of '17, my advice to you is to keep your plans for the future flexible. I know that it might seem as though the past 12 years took forever to complete but I can guarantee you that the next 30 will zip by you like a runaway train. Opportunities that you would have never even thought of before will suddenly present themselves and you'll need to be able to make adjustments on the fly.

Don't get me wrong, it's good to have goals and it's even better to achieve them, but try not to be so rigid that you end up missing out on some of the unexpected thrills life has to offer. For example three months after I walked across the stage with my diploma I found myself riding a Greyhound bus heading south to Florida. It was from that experience that I realized I wanted to go to college so, another few months later, I was back on the bus again only this time toward Auburn. I started working for large corporations and after several promotions, demotions and job changes realized I enjoyed writing. I took a chance on an open position with a newspaper and have been having the time of my life writing to you fine folks ever since.

Now if you were to ask my former self if he'd ever become a writer he probably would have laughed in your face not knowing that in two decades time he would become a columnist and author of several books. And all this happened because I bent toward the possibilities. So for you, my hope is that the future treats you well and when that unexpected moment comes, you choose the road less taken because it may just lead you down a path you never knew you always wanted to be on.
By Dev Ankur Wadhawan: Senior BJP leader Ghanshyam Tiwari today took out a protest march in Jaipur against Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje. Tiwari had plans to sit in protest outside Vasundhara's official residence, 13, Civil Lines, but was not allowed to. Tiwari has claimed that the CM wants to usurp the government bungalow. The State government had, earlier this year, brought in a Bill in the State Assembly as per which a former Chief Minister in Rajasthan shall be entitled to a government bungalow that a cabinet rank minister is eligible for.

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Tiwari was accompanied by hundreds of followers from the Deendayal Vahini, an organization founded by him. The protestors, led by Tiwari were shouting, 'Mukhyamantri sharam karo, 13 number khaali karo'. Tiwari was taken into detention by the police under Section 129 of the CrPC and released later. While speaking to India Today, he mentioned, "I wanted to sit outside 13, Civil Lines. The police had put barricades at three location. I wanted to go and be there to carry out Satyagraha. I did not have anything on me. I told the police that they can check. Yet, I was detained."

Tiwari, in an earlier interview to India Today, had maintained that the BJP will not get good results in the next elections if Vasundhara stays at the helm and is not removed. Tiwari, had in the past, been the Deputy Leader of Opposition and also minister in the BJP Government.

The BJP leadership had taken note of Ghanshyam Tiwari's rebellion and issued show cause notice to him. However, the fact that Tiwari is no greenhorn and happens to be a seasoned leader, who won the Assembly elections five times, the last time by the highest margin in Rajasthan Assembly election, seems to have only compounded the worries of the party.

ALSO READ:

BJP Central Disciplinary Committee issues notice to senior Rajasthan BJP leader

ALSO WATCH: Rajasthan: Gau rakshaks beat 50-year-old man to death for smuggling cows

--- ENDS ---
YWN regrets to inform you of the Petira of Rabbi Meir Zlotowitz ZL, the founder of Artscroll. He was Niftar on Friday night after an illness.

Rabbi Zlotowitz was a student of the Posek Hador, Hagaon HaRav Moshe Feinstein ZATZAL at Mesivta Tifereth Jerusalem.

After graduation, he became director of a high-end graphics studio in New York. The firm, named ArtScroll Studios, produced brochures, invitations, awards and kesubahs. Rabbi Nosson Scherman, then principal of Yeshiva Karlin Stolin Boro Park, was recommended to Rabbi Zlotowitz as someone who could write copy, and they collaborated on a few projects.

In late 1975, a close friend of Rabbi Zlotowitz, Rabbi Meir Fogel, was suddenly NIftar, prompting him to want to do something to honor his memory. As Purim was a few months away, he decided to write an English translation and commentary on Megilas Esther, and asked Rabbi Scherman to write the introduction. The Sefer was completed in honor of the shloshim and sold out its first edition of 20,000 copies within two months. With the encouragement of the Gedolei Hador, Rav Mosehe Feinstein, Rav Yaakov Kamenetsky, and others, the two continued producing commentaries, beginning with a translation and commentary on the rest of the Five Megillos and went on to publish translations and commentaries on Tanach, Talmud Bavli and Yerushalmi, and hundreds of other Seforim.

The name ArtScroll was chosen for the publishing company to emphasize the visual appeal of the books.

In its first 25 years, ArtScroll produced more than 700 books, including novels, history books, childrens books and secular textbooks, and is now one of the largest publishers of Jewish books in the United States.

There is almost no Jewish home in the world that doesnt have Artscroll Seforim.

Levaya details will be published when they become available to us.

Boruch Dayan HaEmmes
Police are considering filing manslaughter charges related to the fire at a west London apartment tower that killed at least 79 people.

In its most detailed briefing on the criminal investigation, the Metropolitan Police on Friday confirmed residents suspicions that the June 14 inferno at Grenfell Tower was touched off by a refrigerator fire. The department also said exterior cladding attached to the 24-story public housing project during a recent renovation failed safety tests conducted by investigators, and that police have seized documents from a number of organizations.

We are looking at every criminal offense from manslaughter onwards, Detective Superintendent Fiona McCormack told reporters. We are looking at all health and safety and fire safety offenses, and we are reviewing every company at the moment involved in the building and refurbishment of Grenfell Tower.

The government has ordered an immediate examination of the refrigerator model that started the blaze. McCormack said the Hotpoint model FF175BP refrigerator-freezer had not been subject to any product recalls before the fire.

Hotpoint said Friday that words cannot express our sorrow at this terrible tragedy and added it was working with authorities to examine the appliance.

The overnight fire rapidly engulfed Grenfell Tower, with flames shooting up the outside of the building, raising concerns that the cladding material attached to the concrete block didnt comply with fire-safety rules.

Police are looking at all parts of the cladding system and its installation, McCormack said.

Preliminary tests show the insulation samples collected from Grenfell Tower combusted soon after the test started, she said. The initial tests on equivalent aluminum composite tiles failed the safety tests.

The investigation comes as authorities acknowledge the risks posed by exterior cladding to thousands of people around the country who live in blocks like Grenfell Tower.

The government has called on all building owners, public and private, to submit samples of cladding material used on their buildings for testing. Samples from 11 buildings in London, Manchester and Plymouth have already been found to be combustible.

Fears about cladding are not limited to apartment buildings  at least one hotel chain is calling in experts to make certain it meets safety regulations. Premier Inn said Friday it had concerns about the material used on some of its buildings, though it is different from the type used at Grenfell Tower.

McCormack also repeated calls for anyone with information about the fire and all those in the tower at the time to come forward as police continue to comb through the devastated building to try to find and identify all the victims.

Police said earlier this week that 79 people were either dead or missing and presumed to be dead, though that number may change.

To make sure everyone comes forward, London Mayor Sadiq Khan pledged to seek an amnesty for people who may have been living in the public housing block illegally. Prime Minister Theresa May also said the government wont penalize any fire survivors who were in the country illegally.

We want to identify all those who died as result of the fire at Grenfell Tower, and that is where I need the publics help, McCormack said. I do not want there to be any hidden victims of this tragedy.

(AP)
The Israel Air Force on Shabbos took to the skies to retaliate against repeated errant rocket fire into northern Israel from Syria.

Syrian military posts were targeted and according to Syrian reports, two persons were killed in Quneitra.

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu stated on motzei Shabbos stating, In todays IDF action we reiterated our policy: We are not prepared to accept any spillover or trickle of fire from any front whatsoever. We will respond strongly to any firing at our territory.

The Syrian report states the IAF attack hit a residential building. Israel however insists this was not the case, stating the attack was against a military position.

Earlier on Shabbos, several shells landed in the Golan Heights. Bchasdei Hashem the cross-border fire did not lead to deaths of injuries. Due to ongoing fighting in Quneitra, the IDF has requested farmers to distance themselves from this and other areas.

(YWN  Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
Twenty-three Breslov Chassidim were taken into custody after visiting Kever Yosef in PA (Palestinian Authority) occupied Shechem without prior authorization and coordination with the IDF as required. They visited the holy site to be mispallel and did not arrange in advance as expected to do, placing themselves and IDF soldiers in harms way and at significant risk.

IDF officials handed them over to police for violating the law preventing Israelis from entering an Area A, under exclusive PA control, without authorization.

It is pointed out that while this is the policy today, in accordance with the Oslo Agreements, Israelis are supposed to have full and safe access to the holy sites but Israel prefers to turn a blind eye and enforce the requirement to arrange for an IDF escort before visiting Kever Yosef as has become customary.

Kever Yosef was under IDF control following Oslo but after a major attack that claimed the life of border policeman Madhat Yousef, Israel withdrew under orders of then Prime Minister Ehud Barak in 2000, who handed over the holy site to PA control.

The 19-year-old Druse border policeman bled to death slowly of his gunshot wounds as a paralyzed PM Barak IDF Chief Shaul Mofaz feared to send in reinforcements to extricate them in time to save him. As a result, he died of the bullet wound as the holy site was surrounded by blood-thirsty PA residents and police. Eventually, they were permitted to exit after Barak announced he was giving the complex over to PA control.

(YWN  Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
This coming Thursday, 5 Tammuz, another Israel Air Force pilots training program will graduate. It is reported that 14% of the graduates are talmidim who attended hesder yeshivot.

Class 174 is about to graduate and the cadets will receive their wings in the presence of President Reuven Rivlin, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-General Gadi Eizenkott, and Air Force Commander Major-General Eshel.

46% of graduates come from cities and 30% from a yishuv kehilati and 22% from a moshav. Geographically speaking, 46% of the graduates come from northern Israel, 46% from the center and 8% from the south.

22% of the new pilots are the oldest child, 54% the middle child and 21% the youngest in the family. Only 3% are an only child and 11% are not the first in the family to receive pilots wings.

71% of the graduates were a member of a youth organization; 48% did a year of national service before the IDF or attended a mechina program and 14% learned in a hesder yeshiva.

In recent years, graduates of the extended program also receive a bachelors degree. 30% of the cadets opted to study politics and government; 24% economics & management, and 24% studied information systems management.

92% of those who completed the course were native Israelis and the remaining 8% immigrated from Italy, Spain and the US In addition, only 15% of the course participants will be on the parade ground for graduation.

(YWN  Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
In a joint Shin Bet -Israel Police operation, on 6 June 2017, Muhammad Ahmed Azzam, born in 1993, an Israeli citizen, a resident of Kfar Manda, was arrested in the wake of information to the effect that he supports and identifies with Islamic State, that he is in contact with ISIS militants and supporters, and that he was making preparations to join the organization and the fighting.

In his investigation, it was learned that Azzam supports the ISIS hashkafa, followed ISIS propaganda online and recently made tangible preparations to leave for the combat zone in order to join the ranks of ISIS fighters. It was also learned that Azzam was in online contact with several ISIS fighters who were assisting him in his aforesaid preparations.

An indictment was filed against Azzam on Sunday, 1 Tammuz, by the State Attorney Haifa District in Haifa District Court.

The Shin Bet reports it continues to monitor suspects and take the necessary enforcement measures in order to thwart the dissemination of the ISIS ideology in Israel and prevent Israelis from joining its ranks as fighters. It reports ISIS is currently withdrawing, and is in trouble, in most areas of fighting. The reality on the ground is in complete contrast to the seemingly positive picture that the organization is trying to broadcast, mainly online, to potential recruits. It should be noted that the lives of ISIS members in the areas of fighting are under constant threat as they cope with very severe living conditions.

(YWN  Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
Iran said Sunday the two-stage missiles it fired at Islamic State targets in Syria broke apart over the Iraqi desert as planned, mocking reports that some of the projectiles fell short.

State TVs website quoted the airspace division chief of Irans Revolutionary Guard Gen. Amir Ali Hajizadeh as saying we had coordinated the fall of the engines in the desert in Iraq in advance.

The missiles we used were two-stage, it means that the engine separates from the warhead, said Hajizadeh.

Hajizadeh said U.S. drones hovered over the targets after shortly the Iranian missiles hit them. He said the U.S. may have been informed beforehand about the attack, as they had informed the Russian military, which may have relayed the information to the Americans.

The Guard said it fired six such missiles on Sunday at IS targets in the city of Deir el-Zour, more than 600 kilometers (370 miles) away.

He mocked media reports citing Israeli sources who said some of the missiles fell short of their targets, suggesting that the Israelis were unable to identify two-stage missiles, which are designed to split apart mid-flight.

Pity those who call themselves experts and do not understand that these were the first-stage engines (that fell), while the warheads hit targets.

Iranian reports said the guard launched six Zolfasghar and Qiam missiles. The latter have detachable warheads.

Iran says it is continuously developing its missile program; a key reason U.S. President Donald Trumps administration has put Iran on notice.

Iran said the strikes were in retaliation for the attack by five militants linked to the Islamic State group that stormed Irans parliament and a shrine to revolutionary leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini this month, killing at least 18 people and wounding more than 50.

Iran has long supported Syrian President Bashar Assad in his fight against IS and other extremists groups.

(AP)
Rabbi Yaakov Altman is one of the gabbaim who has had the unique honor of spending his days alongside Rav Chaim Kanievsky in his home. Each day, hundreds of Jews file in and out, in search of answers to questions ranging from the practical to the most abstract depths of Torah learning.

Those familiar with the Kanievsky home may know that Rav Chaim documents his answer to complex questions, so that his knowledge can be archived. Rabbi Altman & other editors took on the daunting task of compiling all shaalos & teshuvos from these archives related to the Jewish year.

At last, the masterpiece was completed: Moadei HaGrach Chelek Beis. The sefer is the second chapter in a collection of shaalos & teshuvos from Sar HaTorah Rav Chaim Kanievsky on all of the holy holidays of the Jewish year.

However Rabbi Altman has been met with a challenge: The sefer cannot be published until $25,000 has been raised. In order to print the seer in both Hebrew & English, the editors requires $10K for each language, in addition to other fees.

After all of the calculated brilliance of Rav Chaim Kanievskys insights, after all of the work meticulously compiling & organizing, the sefer cannot be distributed due to a lack of funds. It is, simply put, tragic.

Rabbi Altman has taken on an unusual & ambitious task: Crowdfunding this holy sefer into reality.

The campaign is ow nearing the halfway mark as Jews around the world are inspired to become partners in publishing with Rabbi Altman & Rav Chaim Kanievsky.

Donors will have their names added to a contributors list to be received & blessed by Rav Kanievsky himself. Those who give $180 or more will receive an exclusive opy of the sefer.

This is truly a historic event. Donations are being accepted here for the next day only.
MBABANE  Today, the Times of Swaziland SUNDAY reveals the modus operandi and names of at least 11 police officers who partook in the illegal deletion of fingerprint records for convicts who wanted to be cleared so they could be employed or needed the clearances for other purposes.



However, these officers have not had charges preferred against them; instead, they have been made State witnesses and are expected to give evidence against four of their colleagues.

The four officers who have been charged are; Senzo Matsenjwa, Lucky Obama Matsenjwa, Apollo Mabila and Elizabeth Matsebula.

Documents seen by this publication reveal that one Linda Mzambiya Mkhonta, a police officer based at the police headquarters in Mbabane, allegedly assisted a robbery convict identified as Banele Govi Masina of Ezulwini to have his fingerprints record removed from the system.



Masina is said to have got a job in an unnamed place and his employer requested that he produces a police clearance and he called Mzambiya for assistance with the clearance.

Mzambiya reportedly ordered Masina to take a set of his fingerprints and leave them at the police headquarters guardhouse, something that the latter did.

Upon return to the guardhouse, he received a police clearance showing that he had a robbery conviction and he reported this to Mzambiya who told him to leave the clearance at the guardhouse and returned the following day.

The next day, Masina came back and was furnished with a police clearance showing no previous conviction record, meaning he had been cleared.



Another police officer, Constable Bongani Lucky Seyama who is based at the Mbabane police station, was allegedly approached by one Maxwell Mbongeni Mndzebele of Matsapha who was convicted of assault.

Mndzebele is said to have approached Seyama after he had got a job as a security guard under Buffalo Soldiers where a police clearance certificate was required.

It is reported that Seyama promised to assist Mndzebele by talking to someone at the finger printers (sic) department.



Mndzebele allegedly gave E200 to Seyama and the two remained in constant contact for purposes of discussing the issue of the fingerprints record until the former got employed by the Ministry of Home Affairs.

Seyama is expected to testify in court on how he related Mndzebeles predicament to Matsenjwa and gave him the convicts set of fingerprints.

One other police officer is Constable Abner Shabangu, who was allegedly approached by his brother, Mandla Makhosini Simelane of Ndlalambi, who wanted a police clearance certificate after he had been promised a job at Unitrans Swaziland.
MBABANE  A report that has never been made public details how the Mbabane Municipal Council was the worst culprit among the countrys 11 other local urban authorities in illegally selling residents houses so as to recover outstanding rates.



A 2010 commission of enquiry into the sale of certain properties by local urban authorities focused on 33 properties sold mainly in Mbabane, Manzini and Matsapha.

Of all the local authorities that were engaged, Mbabane is reported to have showed a very negative attitude towards the whole exercise.

Lawyers who were also interviewed were said to have also cooperated with the exception of Nkosinathi Manzini of MJ Manzini and Associates who did not want to give access to the records that we requested and we had to exchange strong words with him before we could access some of the records.



Twenty of the properties sold were in Mbabane and it was found that there were irregularities in how they were sold.

Investigations by the commission unearthed that the 20 houses were sold without any attempt to attach movables, such as furniture and sell them to settle the outstanding rates.

The commission observed: The requirement that movables should first be attached before there could be any recourse to immovable property is fundamental in law and a court will set aside a sale of immovable property in execution, which is conducted before there is a serious attempt to execute movables.



In its view, the commission said one way of showing serious intention to execute against movables would have been to draw up an inventory (list) of the movable assets.

In fact, the Magistrates Court Rules require that an inventory be drawn. A statement thereafter that the assets were not enough to raise the money required to clear the rates would be supported by such inventory, said the commission.



It is only after it has been established that the owner of the property has neither money nor sufficient movables that can be sold to settle the outstanding rates that a court order for the sale of the immovable property could be applied for.

Out of the 20 properties sold in Mbabane, the commission could only find 10 returns on warrants of execution against movables, while there were no returns at all in the other 10.

This suggests that there was never an attempt to execute against movables in respect of these properties, reported the commission.
The main suspect Qing Ming He being pulled by police officers from his girlfriend Dao Thanta Hue, whom he had held by hand. (File pic)

Mbabane  After almost two months of silence, Qing Ming He  the prime suspect in the alleged kidnapping of Matsapha businessman Almor oliveira  has opened up on what could have happened to the missing property tycoon, where he could be and who could be behind his disappearance.



In an almost one-and-a half hour (11am to 12:30pm) questioning by a group of about 10 detectives at the Sidwashini prison on Thursday, Ming He, in the presence of his lawyers Advocate Mduduzi Mabila and Linda Dlamini, gave the police the names of three Chinese nationals he believed were behind Oliveiras kidnapping.



Thursdays questioning was agreed to on Tuesday at the police headquarters during a meeting between Advocate Mabila, Ming Hes brother, a Chinese interpreter, Senior Assistant Commissioner Sam Mthembu, leading detective Superintendent Clement Sihlongonyane, Director of Public Prosecutions Nkosinathi Maseko and Senior Crown Counsel Macebo Nxumalo.



The Times SUNDAY understands that Ming He, who is also a Chinese national, was with the three suspects at Happy Valley Hotel and Resort the night before Oliveira was kidnapped.

A well-informed source who was part of the team present when Ming He was questioned on Thursday revealed to this publication that the three suspects gambled and drank alcohol on the night prior to the kidnapping.

Ming has asked the police to go to Happy Valley and look for video footage of April 15. He said he can point out the suspects from the video footage.



He knows one of them who has been in and out of Swaziland since December (last year). He said he left the trio at the hotel after he got drunk and left his car behind, related the source.

According to the source, the million dollar question is why dont the police get the video from Happy Valley so they could be able to circulate it on Interpol and on television both in Swaziland and in South Africa?

It has been established that during the questioning, the police got to know and now believe that Ming He was not the one behind the kidnapping but had all the information on what really happened to the missing Oliveira.

It is said that Ming He told the police he believed the motive behind the kidnapping was that the suspects wanted money and that Oliveira was probably alive and being held in neighbouring Mozambique.



On May 5, 2017, National Commissioner of Police Isaac Magagula revealed that a E5 million ransom had been demanded for Oliveiras release by his captors.

At the time, Magagula also said they believed Oliveira was still alive and they were investigating his whereabouts through the use of all available platforms.
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By Benjamin M. Haber

If President Donald Trump knows he did nothing wrong, he would welcome an investigation by Robert S. Mueller lll, a person of unquestionable ability and integrity who hired a staff of an equal sterling reputation.

Surely, they would find Trump free of any improper conduct.

Instead of supporting such investigation, Trump is engaging in his typical rambunctious and dictatorial style, where if he yells loud and often enough, people will believe him. He has labeled the investigation as the single greatest witch hunt in American history, led by some very bad people.

I am sure Trumps immature and absurd outbursts suggest to many people he may well have something to worry about. I believe Mr. Mueller will ignore Trumps tantrums and do his job in a most professional and fair manner, and if Trump and his associates did nothing wrong, great.

This is a nation of laws that apply to all, including a president. It is important Mr. Mueller be permitted to conclude his task in an unimpeded fashion.

Benjamin M. Haber

Flushing
Explore Albany's 'streetcar suburb'

The Pine Hills Neighborhood Association recently launched a GPS-enabled smartphone walking tour to encourage residents and visitors to get out and explore Albany's historic "streetcar suburb."

To mark the tour's launch, its creator, Albany writer Akum Norder, will lead a Pine Hills history walk from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Wednesday at the northeast corner of Manning Boulevard and Western Avenue.

The walk is free, but attendance is limited and registration is required by Monday at https://phnawalk.eventbrite.com. In case of rain, the event will be held on Thursday.

Norder is the author of "The History of Here: A House, the Pine Hills Neighborhood and the City of Albany," to be released by SUNY Press Excelsior Editions in February.

The free, self-guided smartphone app is available through PocketSights, a free download from Apple's App Store or Google Play.

Focusing on 20 sites, the tour uses offbeat stories and historic photos to tell about the neighborhood's development, highlighting landmarks like Steamer No.10 Theatre, Madison Theater and The College of Saint Rose, as well as lesser-known places including St. Vincent Orphan Asylum, the Aurania Club and the Brady Maternity Hospital.

A printed booklet of the tour is scheduled for release later this summer.

For information about the app, go to https://pocketsights.com.

'Outsider' art show slated Friday in Troy

A one-night pop-up art and music show being billed as the first "outsider art" show in Troy will be held from 5 to 9 p.m. Friday, at the soon-to-open Harrison's Corner Market, located at 96 Congress St., during Troy Night Out.

The space will be filled with the "Broot, an Outsider-art Pop-up Show," featuring work by artists Kennedy Eldon, Diane Golden, Jimmy Pace III and Diana Quinn.

The Snarky Sisterz (Quinn and Lisa Ann Wright) will also perform their songs, and artist Jessie Hyatt will create a work on the sidewalk using plywood and spray paint.

For information, email vocesnovistas@gmail.com.

The Clark to kick off free concert series

Tuesday night concerts, starting at 6:30 p.m., return this July to the Clark Art Institute in Williamstown, Mass.

Concerts will be held on the lawn adjacent to the Clark Center, and in the auditorium if it rains. Families are encouraged to bring blankets, chairs and picnics. Refreshments will be available for purchase. The summer lineup:

July 4: Across the Pond

July 11: Samantha Farrell

July 18: Sydney Worthley

July 25: Capital Brass.

For information, call 413-458-4303 or go to http://clarkart.edu.

Exhibit focusing on gender equality

Shaker Museum/Mount Lebanon recently celebrated the opening of the historic Shaker village and its exhibition, "Break Every Yoke: Shakers, gender equality and women's suffrage."

The exhibit explores Shaker founder Ann Lee's original assertion that God was dual, both male and female, and the impact of that belief on the roles women played in the spiritual and secular activities of Shaker society.

Drawing on more than 75 artifacts from the museum's collection, the entire first floor of the 1829 Brethren's Workshop has been transformed into exhibition space.

The Shaker site is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday to Monday.

For information, go to https://shakerml.org.

 Jennifer Patterson
Jiang Hongjing

Hundreds of rescue workers tapped, poked and dug through the earth and rubble left by a landslide that smothered a village in southwestern China on Saturday, looking for signs of survivors among the 100 or more people who were missing. But as night fell, hopes of pulling many alive from the rocks and earth dimmed.

The village, Xinmo, in Mao County, Sichuan province, lies in a region of brittle, unstable mountains vulnerable to landslides and tremors. But the landslide struck around 5:40 a.m. after a night of rain with no warning, and many residents of the 62 or so homes in the village were apparently sleeping or awakened too late by the roar of a falling hillside.
Election results: Check out results from various races across the state
For the last half century, membership numbers in Mainline U.S. Protestant churches have gone mostly in one direction - down. Protestants once constituted a large majority of the American population.
'Felony Lane Gang' behind recent vehicle break-ins? Thieves recently broke into cars at Leawood City Park. Investigators say they're targeting vehicles with valuables left inside.

More deets on Internets sleuthing of a local suburban crime spree targeting ritzy housewives. Take a look:
KANSAS CITY, Mo. - A vehicle crashed into a house in the 9400 block of North Kentucky early Sunday morning, and a man was found dead outside. Police say about 4:00 a.m. officers were called to the house in regards to an accident.
A Missouri legislator who snapped a chicken's neck, then pulled out its heart on a video posted to Facebook, is facing calls for his resignation. In the controversial video, Representative Mike Moon (R-Ash Grove) never comes close to explaining the connection between the chicken slaughter and his opposition to abortion.
Dubai has launched the Humanitarian Accelerators, a first of its kind initiative in the Arab World which aim to gather skilled professionals in the cause of aiding the humanitarian sector.



Launched by UAE Vice President and Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the accelerators will be dedicated to improving the financial efficiency of humanitarian organisations and leapfrogging conventional technology approaches in order to enhance the work of the humanitarian sector.



At the launch of the Humanitarian Accelerators at Jumeirah Emirates Towers, Sheikh Mohammed said, We are striving to accelerate the process of giving, consolidate efficiency and leapfrog conventional technology approaches in humanitarian work. We wish to increase the efficiency of humanitarian organisations so that, in the name of the UAE, we can help more people around the world.



The goal of the Humanitarian Accelerators is to harness the potential of advanced technology in order to improve the lives of others. We are facing many humanitarian challenges, and must think innovatively in order to accelerate philanthropic work and achieve high results  this cannot wait, he added.



The Humanitarian Accelerators were launched under the belief that collaborating with the most innovative professionals and utilising the latest technologies is essential to finding solutions for some of the most difficult humanitarian challenges. The Humanitarian Accelerators are launched in collaboration with Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiative (MBRGI) and Dubai Future Accelerators. They seek to adapt modern technology such as Artificial Intelligence to serve humanity, improve the financial efficiency of all MBRGI humanitarian institutions and achieve tangible results in serving humanity.



Four challenges



The Humanitarian Accelerators will address four key challenges facing the region. The first challenge is providing access to quality education to all children, including refugees by providing e-learning tools and developing innovative mechanisms, such as accessible websites, that enable young students to access interactive educational platforms regardless of where they are located.



There are overwhelming obstacles facing young students, especially those living as refugees, in gaining a formal education. There are no schools or curricula that accommodate refugees, there is a shortage of educational tools and qualified teachers, and there are obstacles to obtaining an education in the face of poverty. These issues must be addressed, and radical solutions must be found, to empower future generations in the face of this crisis.



The second challenge is providing access to clean water in underprivileged countries. Today, MBRGI has utilized conventional solutions to provide clean drinking water to over 10 million people  harnessing technology to expand this reach is the next step. Access to clean drinking water is a global challenge, with approximately 780 million people without access to a clean source or water. Furthermore, over 800 million children under the age of five and mostly in developing countries die every year from diarrhoea caused by unclean water. The Humanitarian Accelerators will look for solutions to create cost-effective technology that can purify water efficiently, quickly and in large quantities that can be delivered to the most affected communities.



The third challenge facing the region is the number of refugees living in poverty  up from 50 per cent in 2015 to 70 per cent in 2017 as per UNHCR reports. The Humanitarian Accelerators will focus on finding electronic solutions and developing a platform for e-business in order to give refugees around the world a platform to leverage their skills, capabilities and services and market their products online, providing them with tangible economic opportunities.



The fourth challenge to be addressed is the below-average reading material and content in Arabic online. The Humanitarian Accelerators will seek to devise electronic solutions in order to increase the amount, and quality, of Arabic content online.



This will be the humanitarian element of Dubai Future Accelerators, an intensive programme designed to identify emergent technologies and create effective partnerships and strategies for embracing the future.



The programme seeks to provide a dynamic and integrated environment for participants and humanitarian institutions to explore opportunities for innovative solutions, technology and services, in various areas, that are capable of changing the world. This may facilitate partnerships and the signing of memorandums of understanding in order to fund pilot projects after the programme ends.



As of today, 65 international companies have participated in the Dubai Future Accelerators programme, and a memorandum of understanding has been signed with 47 others.  TradeArabia News Service
UAE Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Dr Anwar bin Mohammed Gargash has said that diplomacy is the priority for the solution of the crisis with Qatar despite the Gulf nation's leaking of the demands made by the four Arab countries, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Egypt.



The leaking of the demands has undermined the Kuwaiti mediation and has taken the crisis back to 'Square One', Dr Gargash was reported as saying by the Emirati news Agency Wam.



On the impact of the leakage by Qatar of the demands made by the four countries, Dr Gargash said: "Diplomacy is a priority to resolve the crisis with Qatar, but it should change its behaviour and position regarding the support of extremism and terrorism." The UAE minister thanked Kuwait for its mediation efforts."



"The alternative, if Qatar does not handle seriously the demands presented to it by the Kuwaiti mediator, will not be an escalation, but separation," stated Dr Gargash while speaking at a press conference held at the Dubai office of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation in Dubai, held to discuss the latest developments regarding the crisis with Qatar.



"We are not talking about regime change in Qatar, but behavioural change. There are a number of rules to deal with the crisis with Qatar. These rules are the diplomatic solution that requires Qatar to change its approach regarding support of extremism and terrorism," stated the minister.



"There is another rule concerning the failure to achieve the list of demands, in this case the option would be separation," he added.



The disagreement between Egypt and the three GCC countries and Qatar is not a matter of sovereignty but of its support for extremism and terrorism, remarked Dr Gargash.



"We hope that Qatar will realise the consequences of its policy against neighbouring countries and that wisdom will prevail in Doha," he said.



"What is happening is an attempt to stop Qatar from supporting extremism and terrorism." "If the Qatari government hears wisdom and the voice of reason and begins to implement agreements between the two sides, we want safeguards and a monitoring system for these agreements," remarked the UAE minister.



"We have noticed the European and American interest in this, especially as these countries are also affected by extremism and terrorism," stated Dr Gargash.



The Europeans are aware about Qatar's substantial funding of extremist groups, he added.



He pointed out that Qatar had not respected existing agreements, therefore there is a need for safeguards and monitoring system.



"For several years there had been an agreement with Qatar, which includes a number of items. Qatar has implemented only one - the closure of Al-Jazeera Live Egypt. Al-Jazeera is a platform for promoting the agendas of extremist groups in the region," he added.
Russias truck manufacturer Kamaz plans to invest 50 million euro ($57 million) in the construction of an assembly plant in Senegal at its first stage, the companys chief executive officer was quoted in a media report.



"Currently Senegals government is at the final round of talks with the Russian Agency for Export Credit and Investment Insurance (EXIAR) on state guarantee for deals planned by Kamaz, which exceed 50 mln euro at the first stage. After that we are getting to, in fact, weve already started Senegal-based Kamaz assembly plant engineering," Sergei Kogogin was quoted as saying by Russian news agency Tass.



According to Kogogin, the cooperation complies with top-level agreements. The Russian Export Center, or REC, plays an important role in the cooperation as it provides insurance of all transactions, CEO said, adding that the government of Senegal has to extend a guarantee under a commercial loan of Russian banks for financing the deal under EXIARs guarantee.



The countrys government has provided a building in an industrial park to Kamaz, he added.



Earlier Kogogin said the company had made a contract on supplies of 400 cars with Senegal.



Kamaz is the largest automobile corporation in Russia. The company produces trucks, trailers, buses, tractors, engines, power units, and different tools. The group of the process chain includes 11 large automobile plants.



Kamaz is 16th among the leading global producers of heavy tracks and 8th in terms of diesel engines output volume. The largest shareholding belongs to the state through state-owned Rostec (49.9 per cent).



Kamaz, Trucks, Senegal plant


Vivek Katju

As Modi reaches Washington he would be conscious that 16 years into Americas longest war and five months into his administration, Donald Trump is the third President who finds himself searching and struggling, like his predecessors, for an effective Afghanistan policy. Reports emanating from Washington about present US thinking suggest that Trump is unlikely to succeed where Bush and Obama failedin finding a way to stabilise Afghanistan.

Central to ensuring peace in Afghanistan is to make Pakistan give up its unreasonable and unrealistic strategic ambitions in Afghanistan and its Afghan proxies. Unless this core issue is successfully addressed Afghanistan cannot become stable, and without that no US President will be able to end the Afghan war and bring the boys home. There is no indication that Trump is willing to bring enough pressure to bear on Pakistan to desist from stoking terrorism in Afghanistan.

Gen John Nicholson, commander of the US forces in Afghanistan, had told his countrys Senate in February this year that there was a military stalemate between the Taliban and the Afghan security forces. He had also asked for an increase in US troop levels. Over the past few months, a perception has grown that the Taliban and other terrorist groups such as the ISIS have gained ground. A series of massive terrorist strikes against military as well as civilian targets has contributed to a loss of popular confidence in the Afghan National Unity Government (NUG) led by President Ashraf Ghani and Chief Executive Abdullah.

In March, terrorists attacked the main military hospital in Kabul. Around 100 persons were killed. In April, terrorists penetrated the Afghan armys 209 Corps Camp Shaheen near the north-west city of Mazar-e-Sharif and killed around 140 soldiers. On May 31, a sewerage vehicle packed with explosives was detonated during the morning rush hour on a major Kabul road adjacent to the diplomatic area; 150 persons died in the attack. Four days later terrorists attacked a cemetery during a funeral attended by Tajik, especially Panjsheri, leaders, including Abdullah. As many as 20 persons were killed; fortunately the leaders escaped largely unhurt. And as I write these lines terrorists have struck a bank in the south-west province of Helmand. At least 20 persons have died so far in the attack.

These incidents and their negative impact on the NUG have led to Trump accepting his generals recommendation to increase troop strength in Afghanistan. However, he has left it to Defence Secretary Mattis to take the decision on the precise number of soldiers to be sent to Afghanistan as well as the timing of the increase in numbers. The present indications are that 3,000 to 5,000 additional soldiers will be sent and they may be attached to the Afghan army units for enhancing their counter-insurgency capabilities. It is unlikely though that this approach will decisively turn the tide against the Taliban. For that the Taliban sanctuaries in Pakistan will have to be eliminated and Pakistan is simply unwilling to do so.

There is impatience in influential sections in Washington with Pakistan. The latest Department of Defence report, released earlier this month, notes, Afghan oriented militant groups, including the Taliban and the Haqqani Network, retain freedom of action inside Pakistani territory and benefit from support from elements of the Pakistani government. However, such exasperation with Pakistan is not new. The question is if the Trump administration will go beyond what the two previous administrations did to change Pakistani behaviour. Reduced assistance and degrading Pakistans status as a major non-Nato US ally are not likely to modify the countrys Afghan policy. Nothing short of actually putting US boots on the ground to act against Taliban sanctuaries will change Pakistan, and this Trump, like Bush and Obama before him, will certainly not do.

In the absence of directly and effectively demanding and thereafter ensuring that Pakistan changes course, the signs are that the Trump administration is adopting a regional approach. The influential New York Times reported, The White House is calling its strategy a South Asia policy to distinguish it from the Obama Administrations so called Af-Pak policy. Officials said it would include diplomacy with Pakistan, India and even Iran....

The Americans believe that Pakistans Afghan policy is guided by its desire to avoid Indian encirclement and hence its concerns on India have to be assuaged. India had to categorically tell the US that it would reject any effort to extend Af-Pak to In-Af-Pak. In actual fact, the Obama administration like the Bush administration did not want India to supply lethal stores to the Afghan forces, and the UPA government largely accepted this position. Since the Modi government came to power, it did not feel constrained by the US approaches on this issue. Besides, the Obama administration, upset with continuing Pakistani support to the Taliban, changed course and asked India to support the Afghan forces with weapons in addition to training. Indias supply of attack helicopters was timely and appreciated by the Afghans.

The Trump administration wants Indias role in providing infrastructure development support to Afghanistan to continue. The question is if it will seek to diminish Indias role in the Afghan security sector to placate Pakistani sensitivities. Certainly there is no indication at present that the NUG would like India to do so. All in all, it would be prudent for senior Indian officials to convey to their American counterparts during the Modi visit that Indias relations with Afghanistan are direct and not contingent on any third country. Also that Pakistans fears of Indias role in Afghanistan as being directed against its interests are off the mark. This intervention would be timely for the Trump administration is expected to finalise its Afghanistan approaches in July.

It is significant that the Trump administration wants a political resolution between the Taliban and the NUG. This approach is in keeping with the Obama policy and once again acknowledges that the Taliban cannot be eliminated militarily, which is in turn an acceptance that Pakistan will not close the Taliban sanctuaries. With continuing Pakistani support, the Taliban continue to create instability and have no incentive to enter into negotiations with the NUG. The main Taliban strand under Mullah Haibatullah is wedded to obscurantist ideologies and does not appear to be interested in power sharing under the constitution. Besides, with Russia and Iran now not only in touch with the Taliban but also believed to be extending support, it has no incentive to change course. Notwithstanding its denials, Pakistan has the capacity to pressure them, but the price it wants of the NUG is to have a veto over Afghanistans India policy. This the NUG cannot give.

There is thus no end in sight for Afghanistans troubles.The writer is former Secretary, Ministry of External Affairs.
MK Bhadrakumar

THE recent events in regional politics form a stunning backdrop to PM Modis US visit. The post-Cold War world is falling apart and it brings to mind the adage that while it might be possible to put together the pieces that came away, things can never be the same again. Fault lines have appeared on templates of the US global strategy, raising scepticism about the resilience of Indias defining partnership with that country.

These templates relate to the US tense ties with Russia, its retrenchment in the Asia-Pacific and its policy drift in West Asia and Afghanistan. All three impact Indias core interests. The downhill trajectory of US-Russia ties is self-evident: Russia acquiring the enemy image in Pentagons 2018 defence budget; US Senate bill imposing more sanctions against Russia; NATO continuing with provocative deployments on Russias borders (and Moscow announcing intention to create 20 military bases on the western front by yearend); shooting down of Syrian warplane by the US (Moscow retaliating by suspending the Russian-American de-confliction mechanism in Syria); Moscow cancelling foreign ministry-level talks scheduled for June 23 and so on.

The Russian defence ministry disclosed on Friday that its jets scrambled 14 times in the past week to intercept spy planes from NATO countries (bulk of them being the US RC-135 jets and RQ-4B Global Hawk drones), which approached Russian borders 10 times. On Thursday, a Russian Tu-154 VIP aircraft carrying defence minister Sergei Shoigu was intercepted in the Baltic as it was approaching Kaliningrad by an F-16 Viper warplane, which was forced to retreat after an Su-27 Flanker jet zoomed in and displayed its weapons. In Syria, the US military is challenging the governments operations to regain control of the border with Iraq, and last week transferred from Jordan to Syria a missile system with a 300-km range.

There is intense media speculation that the US and Russia could be sliding toward military confrontation. Yet, it was only recently that Modi described Russia as Indias natural ally. To be sure, we need to brush up our ancient Indian rope trick to make sure that our defining partnership with the US doesnt undermine our time-tested friendship with Russia.

Equally, the scope of the defining partnership is dramatically shrinking in the Asia-Pacific, where Washington has jettisoned its pivot strategy. Ironically, on the eve of Modis US visit, Washington hosted the first session of the 2+2 format (foreign and defence ministers) with China on June 21 under the new rubric of Diplomatic and Security Dialogue. The joint press briefing by Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Defence Secretary James Mattis on Wednesday signalled that the US intends to go full steam ahead on China, guided by a 40-year road map. The highlights were: a) continued US reliance on China to handle North Korea problem; b) mutual desire to put behind the acrimonious discords (Mattis prefers to use the word disconnects) over South China Sea; c) closer coordination in the fight against terrorism; d) US request to China for help in Iraq to ensure the countrys long-term stability and growth; and e) significantly, commencement of talks involving civilian and military teams in new areas of strategic concern like space, cyberspace, nuclear forces, and non-proliferation issues, where, as Tillerson put it, We (US) need to enhance stability and develop strong international standardsand we need China to play a major role.

Without doubt, the US does not envisage India as a counterweight to China. Which means that a host of Indian assumptions that have provided underpinning for our China policies and vis-a-vis Asia-Pacific region, are coming unstuck. India is caught between a rock and a hard embrace. The changing strategic orientations between the US and China will see greater inclination on Chinas part to apply pressure on India to achieve its interests. The stark choice is between Finlandisation in the face of Chinese regional primacy or creating an enhanced base for even-handedly handling with China the key aspects of regional affairs. The power dynamics in Asia compels India to rework its Act East and Indian Ocean policies.

When it comes to West Asia and Afghanistan, Washington lacks a coherent regional strategy. At times, the IS and the US seem like frenemies on the ground. The two-week standoff between Saudi Arabia and Qatar has badly exposed the US as an ineffectual hegemon fluttering its wings in the void in vain. On Tuesday, the US State Department came out with an extraordinary statement censuring the Saudi stance against Qatar and alluding to Saudi involvement in terrorism (whether its through terror financing or other means). Saudi Arabia hit back with a charter of 13 harsh demands against Qatar. The US credibility has hit rock bottom.

In Afghanistan, the US has pretty much exhausted its strategic options. Surge was tried and given up and the experimentation with Richard Nixons Vietnamisation strategy  using American advisers and air power to develop and support local military capability  led nowhere. Defence Secretary Mattis openly admits that the Taliban is winning the war. The Pentagons proposed mini-surge can neither break the Taliban insurgency nor create conditions for a matching civilian surge to root out corruption, ensure good governance or launch an Afghan reconstruction. Meanwhile, heavy-handed US military presence incites Islamist terrorism.

The India-US defining partnership has become a contradiction in Indias Eurasian integration processes, irrelevant to the Asia-Pacific regional scenario, and a liability in Indias extended neighbourhood of West Asia. What is its contribution to the world order? It is about time we think of a reset that will make the partnership useful for Indias modernisation and transformation, which was how Narasimha Rao had envisioned it. But then, it must go hand in hand with a vision to reform India as well, which was the case in the early and mid-nineties.

This is where the intellectual bankruptcy of the present government lies. Indias development agenda ought to have been at the very core of the relationship with the US. Arms deals cannot be its leitmotif. Beijing is showing how with creative thinking it is possible to leverage the ties with the US, no matter the transition in Washington. India is far better placed than to do that, given the bipartisan support for our country in the American opinion. The Modi government must co-relate the defining partnership with the critical needs of Indias transformation as a middle income economy.

The writer is a former ambassador
Washington, June 25

Indian-Americans have made enormous contribution to the US in the fields of art and culture and their role in the government is "profound", a top lawmaker here has said ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's interaction with the influential Indian

"There is much to celebrate in our country's relationship with India, the world's largest democracy, and in the enormous contributions that Indian-Americans make in our country," said Congressman David Schweikert.

"The role of Indian-Americans in government is profound," Schweikert said.

According to the Census Bureau, there are about four million Indian-Americans in the US.

And according to the Congressional Research Service, the US-India relations are critical to both the countries as the annual bilateral trade is expected to reach USD 500 billion by 2024, a five-fold increase since 2013.

Speaking in the House of Representatives on Thursday, the Arizona lawmaker praised the community saying in 2010 Pew Research Centre, a non-partisan think tank, reported that more than 87 per cent of adult Indian-Americans were foreign-born and they were highly educated and successful.

He narrated several examples of the success achieved by community members.

In recent months, former governor of South Carolina, Nikki Haley, was appointed the ambassador to the UN; Ajit Pai was made chairman of the Federal Communications Commission; Seema Verma was named administrator of the Centre for Medicaid and Medicare Services; four Indian Americans took their seats in the House of Representatives and one in the Senate; and many more serve in state legislatures, local governments, the judicial branch and beyond, he said.

"Indian-Americans have deeply enriched our nation's arts and culture, and the Indian media in the US is surging to meet demand. Cable, satellite and radio offer a growing array of Hindu and Indian content," the Congressman said.

"Politically and militarily, our two countries are united in a commitment to fight terrorism and promote world peace.

Last year, the US and India signed a historic defence agreement that paves the way for greater strategic and regional cooperation," Schweikert said.

Prime Minister Modi is to interact with Indian-Americans in Washington DC suburb of Virginia later tonight. The event is expected to be attended by 600 members from the community.

US President Donald Trump will host Modi at the White House tomorrow and the two leaders would spend about five hours together in various settings beginning with their bilateral discussion, delegation level talks, and a working dinner, the first of its kind hosted by this administration.  PTI
As the just-concluded Assembly session has indicated, the Punjab Government is still not clear how to deal with politicians doing business, enjoying state patronage and immunity from action for law/rule violations. Hopes were raised when at its very first meeting in March the Punjab Cabinet promised to pass a conflict-of-interest law. It was expected to lay down guidelines for the conduct of business by those holding an elected office. There was, however, a letdown subsequently. First, the proposed law was diluted when MLAs were excluded from its purview. Then no follow-up has happened. There was not a word about it in the recent Assembly session.

Instead, the Punjab government showed indecent hurry in undoing the Supreme Court verdict that had barred liquor vends, hotels and restaurants situated along national and state highways from serving liquor. Since the court verdict had countrywide implications as it had resulted in serious business dislocation and loss of livelihoods, the right course for any of the aggrieved parties was to file a review petition in the Supreme Court. Some states and UTs have redesignated highways to minimise the damage, but Punjab has become the first state in the country to amend an excise law, thereby enabling the affected hotels to regain their liquor business. Whether this has been done for the protection of jobs and revenue or for the benefit of politicians running liquor business is open to debate. But the choice of revenue over accident deaths and disregard for judicial processes reflect poorly on the style of government.

Local Bodies Minister Navjot Sidhu raised in the Assembly the issue of irregularities by a company which had monopolised the cable business in Punjab during Akali-BJP rule. Hopefully, the promised action would happen and the loss caused to the exchequer, estimated at Rs 500 crore, would be recovered. It may not be easy for the Congress government to break away completely from the shady past practices. It has been found wanting in the Rana Gurjit Singh case. A judicial commission cannot unravel the complicated money trail followed through shell companies. The government cannot be seen as protecting its own while proceeding against those in the opposite camp.
Tribune News Service

Rewari, June 25

Former Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda said here today farmers were compelled to commit suicide as they were unable even to recover the cost of their crops due to wrong policies of the BJP government which had failed to fulfil its poll promises .

Hooda was addressing a gathering during a Kisan Panchayat at the New Grain Market here. He accused the BJP government of dividing farmers on caste and religion basis. He said his government had taken several steps to empower farmers financially but the BJP government haswithdrawn many of these. Former minister and prominent Ahir leader, Capt Ajay Yadav, was conspicuous by his absence in the panchayat while 13 Congress MLAs owing allegiance to Hooda were present.

The Congress government had not only given subsidy on fertilizer and diesel but also reduced the rate of interest on crop loans and power tariff for tfarmers. The BJP government has now withdrawn subsidy and hiked power rates, leading to rise in farming cost, he said.

He wondered why the state government had not waived farmers loans like Maharashtra, Madhya Padesh and Punjab.

Advocating the execution of the Swaminathan Commissions recommendations to improve the condition of farmers, Hooda said he would be the first to hail the BJP government if it did so.

He took on Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar for not ensuring the construction of the SYL canal despite the Supreme Courts order in favour of Haryana.

Earlier, former Vidhan Sabha speaker Raghuvir Kadian read out a 15-point charter of the partys demands, including implementation of the Swaminathan commissions recommendations.

Kadian introduced a resolution seeking that Hooda should be made the state Congress president. Former INLD MLA from Bawal Rameshwar Dayal joined the Congress on the occasion.
Ravinder Saini

Tribune News Service

Rewari, June 25

Former Chief Minister Bhupinder Hooda on Sunday blamed the rising farmer suicides in the country on what he called the BJP governments anti-farmer policies.

Addressing a gathering at Kisan Panchayat  an event held to mark the Congress partys protest against the governments response to the agrarian crisis that is plaguing the nation  he said that should the BJP government implement Swaminathan Commission's recommendations, he would be the first to hail the government.

Listing the previous UPA government's pro-farmer decisions, Hooda said it waived farmer loans of Rs 72,000.

He also accused the BJP of dividing the nation along caste and religious lines and said that the country must stand united to fight them.

He also criticised Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar for not ensuring that the SYL canal is co0ntructed despite orders from the Supreme Court.

He also wondered why the state government did not waive farmers loans like Maharashtra, Madhya Padesh and Punjab.

Former Vidhan Sabha speaker Raghuvir Kadian accused the BJP of dividing society on caste and religious lines.

He also read out a 15-point charter that listed the partys demands, among which is implementation of Swaminathan Commission's recommendations that the BJP had promised at the time of elections.

Kadian introduced a resolution that demands hat Hooda should be made the state president of Haryana Pradesh Congress committee.

Former Minister Rao Narender credited to Hooda with development of Ahirwal in education, health and agriculture sectors.

Former INLD MLA from Bawal Rameshwar Dayal joined the Congress at the event

The development comes despite current chief Ashok Tanwars claims that there was no infighting in the party.

Tanwar recently held his own farmers protest in Karnal.
Tribune News Service

Hisar, June 25

The Haryana Baopar Mandal has threatened to launch a statewide bandh in protest against the implementation of the Goods and Services Tax (GST). Mandal president Bajrang Dass Garg said a state-level meeting of traders held in Bhiwani today decided to serve an ultimatum on the state government on the issue. If the government fails to pay heed to our demands, traders will launch an agitation soon. the government should reduce GST rates and simplify procedure, he added.

He said the GST has several anti-trader provisions, which should be removed before it was introduced in the state. The government plans to introduce the GST to remove multiple slabs of taxes, but traders still have to pay the market fee, he added.

The GST rates are too high. Some commodities such as clothes, sugar, sarees, dhoop and agarbatti, which were earlier exempted from tax but have been included now. The process of filing returns under the GST is cumbersome and it should be simplified, alleged Garg.

Sushil Mittal, president of the Haryana Cotton Industries Association; Hanuman Kedia, president of the Haryana Guar Gum Association; Jai Prakash Gupta, president of the Haryana Halwai Union; Ashok Bhambri, president of the Haryana Hotels and Dhaba Association; and Satish Chhikara, president of the Haryana Timber Merchants Association attended the convention.
Tribune News Service

Shimla, June 25

Dr RG Sood, Head of Department of Radiology, Indira Gandhi Medical College and Hospital (IGMC), has been admitted to the ICU for swine flu.

Even as disease surveillance officials today claimed that he did not acquired H1N1 infections in the hospital, resident doctors and health officials have expressed concern over the spread of the virus in summer.

The Union Health Ministry has made no effort to isolate the H1NI strain that has spread in the country in summer, considering that many patients reportedly have died due to the swine flu in many states, revealed health officials here.

There was only one lab in the country, National Institute of Virology, Pune, where the new H1N1 strain could be isolated, they said. We do not know why swine flu is spreading in summer months as it is flu that flourish in cold temperature, they added.

Dr Sood was rushed to the ICU after his condition deteriorated yesterday and was tested positive for the swine flu. Dr Sood has shown sign of the improvement today, said Dr Ramesh Chand, senior medical superintendent, IGMC.

Though the Radiology Department did not deal with the swine flu cases directly, the case of Dr Sood had sounded alert in the IGMC, underscoring the need for doctors and nurses to wear masks and protective gears while screening the suspected patients. As many as four patients - one each from Sirmaur and Shimla and two from Kangra - have died due to swine flu this year.

Out of 205 patients, 26 patients have tested positive - 13 in IGMC, rest in Kangra and Mandi - for the swine flu till June 23 this year, for which the report is available with the Health Department.

We have already issued guidelines for the doctors screening the patients suffering from cold and viral fever and flu in all hospitals, said Dr Rakesh Bhardwaj, state programme officer. It is unlikely that Dr Sood acquired infection from the hospital, yet we are examining other factors as well, he said.
Tribune News Service

Srinagar, June 25

Seven people, including four of a family from Delhi, were killed on Sunday when a Gondola car crashed after being hit by a tree uprooted by strong winds in Gulmarg, police said.

An uprooted pine tree hit a Gondola car cabin and it crashed hundreds of metres down to the ground.

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Seven people, including four from a Delhi family have been killed in the accident, a police officer said.

The family hailed from Delhis Shalimar Bagh. They have been identified as Jayant Andraskar, Manshea Andraskar and their daughters  Anagha and Janhvi.

Read: Tragedy hits Delhi family holidaying in Kashmir

Three people from Kashmir -- Mukhtar Ahmad, a resident of Chonti Patri Babareshi, and Jahangir Ahmad and Farooq Ahmad Chopan, both residents of Tangmarg -- were also killed in the accident.

Two others, Tariq Ahmad and Ajaz Ahmad, both residents of Pachhar, were injured and were taken to a hospital in Srinagar.

All the five locals were said to be working as tourist guides in Gulmarg in north Kashmir's Baramulla district.

Police have launched a rescue operation in the forest area, Baramulla SSP Imtiyaz Hussain Mir said.

Police rescue stranded people

Police rescued about 150 people who were stranded due to the snapping of a cable car ropeway.

With the help of locals and all-terrain vehicle operators, police rescued about 150 stranded people, an official said.

He said the people were stranded in other cable cars after the ropeway was snapped by a falling tree which was uprooted by strong winds at the resort.

Meanwhile, the Jammu and Kashmir government has ordered a high-level inquiry into the cable car incident.

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti announced this as she expressed grief and shock over the deaths.

Mufti, who was herself monitoring the rescue operations, also announced ex-gratia relief of Rs 5 lakh in favour of the next of kin of the deceased, an official spokesman said.

He said the chief minister also directed a high-level inquiry to find the causes or lapses, if any, that led to the accident.

Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah questioned why the cable car service had not been shut down as a precautionary measure because of high winds.

Heart breaking images coming out of #Gulmarg . What a tragic way for a family holiday to end. Can't sympathise enough with the families.  Omar Abdullah (@abdullah_omar) June 25, 2017

"What terrible news," he tweeted.

"...it begs the question as to why the cable car operations weren't suspended in high winds. That's a laid down SOP [standard operating procedure]," he posted on Twitter.

The two-stage Gulmarg cable car lift ferries people to a height of 13,780 ft above the sea level.

It is the world's second highest operating cable car project with a cabin capacity of ferrying 600 people in one hour.  With agency inputs
Vikas Sharma

Tribune News Service

Jammu, June 25

Taking note of poor implementation of the Centrally sponsored Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan in J&K, the Department of School Education and Literacy, Ministry of Human Resource Development (HRD), has suggested the state Education Department to explore mechanisms to collaborate with other departments for better results.

The suggestion was given in a meeting of the departments planning approval board which was held to review the progress of the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan in J&K.

Sources said the HRD Ministry laid more emphasis on convergence with the Department of Panchayati Raj than other departments for maintenance of school infrastructure, school sanitation and provisioning of drinking water facilities in schools.

The sources said to bring the schools under a unified command, the HRD Ministry suggested that a committee should be formed by the J&K Government under the chairpersonship of Secretary, Education.

Expressing concern over the 1,733 single-teacher primary schools in the state, the HRD Ministry asked the state to rationalise the deployment of teachers in primary and upper primary schools. At the upper primary level, the state government was directed to lay special emphasis on maintaining the parent-teacher ratio.

The state should ensure that children with less than grade-level learning competencies are identified and provided learning support. Efforts should be made so that all children reach the desired grade-appropriate competency level, a statement by the HRD Ministry said.

On the issue of establishment of 30 Kasturba Gandhi BalikaVidyalayas, the work on which is still to begin and construction of another 53 vidyalayas which is under progress, the ministry instructed the state to complete the work by the end of March 2018. Instructions were also issued for filling the vacant posts of 33 wardens, 44 accountants, 27 watchmen, 19 peons, 15 head cooks and 69 assistant cooks.

Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan
Majid Jahangir

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, June 24

A Sub-Inspector of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), Sahab Shukla from Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh, was killed and two jawans injured in a militant ambush on the outskirts of Srinagar along the highway to Jammu on Saturday evening.

The attack took place at Pantha Chowk, when a CRPF vehicle of a road opening party (ROP), responsible for securing the highway, was patrolling a critical stretch.

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The militants fired at the ROP vehicle from one side of the road, injuring a Sub-Inspector and two CRPF men, IG Ravideep Singh Sahi said. The SI succumbed to his injures. The other two injured have been admitted to the 92 Base Army Hospital in Srinagar.

Militant group Lashkar-e-Toiba claimed responsibility.

A combing operation is underway close to DPS School at Pantha Chowk as militants involved in the ambush are suspected to be hiding in one of the blocks of the school. The staff of the school have been safely evacuated.
Srinagar, June 25

The Jammu and Kashmir Police have asked its personnel to avoid Eid prayers at public places in the wake of mob lynching of a deputy superintendent of police outside the Jama Masjid here.

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Police personnel have been advised to offer prayers in mosques in district police lines or protected mosques.

The advisory has been marked to all police stations, all wings of Jammu and Kashmir Police, the Army's Chinar Corps, ITBP, SSB, CRPF, BSF and CISF.

Read: DSPs lynching: The rage within

"You are advised to instruct the field and subordinate formations that they shall not offer Eid prayers in isolated or general mosques or eidgahs," an advisory issued from Police Control Room (PCR) on behalf of Inspector General of Police, Kashmir, to all police stations across the Valley read.

It said all police personnel should offer Eid prayers in mosques in district police lines (DPL) Srinagar or PCR Kashmir.

"In other districts also, the Eid prayers shall be offered in DPL mosques or protected mosques where the safety of your personnel is ensured," the advisory read.

Asked about the advisory, Director General of Police SP Vaid said: "It is good to take precautions.

"They (police personnel) are my men, I will advise them. They are my children, so we will advise them to take precautions, he said.

The advisory comes in the wake of mob lynching of Dy SP Mohammad Ayub Pandith outside the historic Jamia Masjid in Nowhatta area of the city on Thursday during Shab-e-Qadar prayers.  PTI
In connection with the establishment of the Harriet Tubman National Historical Park in Cayuga County this year, we are publishing monthly history columns on influential African-Americans written by Auburn resident Pauline Copes Johnson, Tubman's great-great-grandniece:

There's a lot to be said about Peter Salem, who possibly no one has heard of. Peter was one of 5,000 African-Americans who fought in the Battle of Bunker Hill on June 17, 1775. He was a slave who had been freed by his master so he could fight in the Revolution Army. Salem served in the Revolution Army until about 1780, and possibly until 1782. He was a former slave who came from Framingham, Massachusetts. He won fame and glory in the Battle of Bunker Hill, and here is how it happened.

Major John Pitcairn, a British officer, charged an American position. He shouted above the noise of the dying battle, "The day is ours." Salem fired and the major fell, mortally wounded. This helped to change the Battle of Bunker Hill from a defeat to a moral victory.

The bravery of these slaves who were Americans placed them among the heroes of the day, but also won for them respect of their comrades, and also for some their freedom. At that time, these Americans were thought to be unintelligent, unable to follow orders and mindless. They found this to be untrue in later years.

According to one story, Salem's fellow soldiers took up a collection for him as a reward for his actions at Bunker Hill, and he later met with General George Washington. The Sons of the American Revolution created a memorial to Peter Salem in Framingham, Massachusetts, where he was born. Peter Salem had given a good account of himself to prove that he was a proud African American who sought freedom the best way he could: fighting for these United States of America.

When British troops stormed up Breeds Hill in the battle, mistakenly called Bunker Hill, black patriots were in the ranks with white patriots. Peter was a member of the First Massachusetts Regiment, one of the better disciplined units. Peter remained in the Continental Army for seven years and took part in the Battle of Saratoga in 1777.

When the battle ended with America victorious in 1783, he left the army. He later married and settled in Leicester, Massachusetts. He earned his living as a basket weaver. Eventually, he returned to his native city where he died on Aug. 16, 1816. The Daughters of the American Revolution purchased the land on which his home once stood in Leicester and erected an inscription, which read, "Here lived Peter Salem, a Negro soldier of the Revolution."

John Trumbull's famous painting of the Battle of Bunker Hill shows, in the lower right hand corner, Lt. Grosvenor with Peter Salem just after the wounding of Major Pitcairn. In many reproductions of the painting, the right side of this picture is cut off. The reproducers claim they don't know why this has happened. The reason is also not known by the African Americans either.
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Srinagar, June 25

Security forces on Saturday gunned down two militants holed up inside a school on the outskirts of Srinagar, ending an encounter of over 14 hours in which two Army men were also injured.

The militants had entered the Delhi Public School located close to the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway last evening after attacking a CRPF party in the nearby Pantha Chowk, killing one officer and injuring a constable.

The road opening party of the CRPF was attacked in high security zone located less than a kilometre away from the headquarters of the Srinagar-based Army Corps.

Immediately thereafter, the security forces cordoned off the school premises which has seven buildings, comprising 36 rooms, and the staff and others were evacuated last night itself.

An offensive to flush out the militants was launched this morning, a police official said.

"The exchange of fire between security forces and militants began at around 3.40 am," he said.

"The gunbattle is over and two militants have been killed," the official said this evening after over 14-hour armed engagement.

He said the search and sanitization operation was, however, underway at the encounter site.

Two Army personnel were injured in the gunbattle this morning, the official said. He said the injured have been taken to a hospital.

Earlier, Jammu and Kashmir's Director General of Police S P Vaid had said there were reports of the presence of two militants inside the building but the exact number would be known after the search of the complex was over.

On the operation getting prolonged, he told reporters, "There are 36 rooms, the building is huge. So, it has to be searched floor by floor, room by room."

He said the security forces wanted to ensure that the (school) building was safe.

"The enemy has a nefarious design that the school buildings are destroyed and children have nothing to study and ultimately abandon their studies, which we will ensure that no such thing happens," the state police chief said.

He was speaking to the media on the sidelines of wreath laying ceremony of CRPF officer killed in yesterday's attack.

The authorities had imposed restrictions under Section 144 CrPc from Ram Munshibagh to Sempora stretch of the national highway as a precautionary measure to avoid protests near the encounter site.

The mobile internet services have been affected across the valley as the network speeds have been reduced.  PTI
Arteev Sharma

Tribune News Service

Jammu, June 25

Violence in the Kashmir valley has cast its shadow on the tourist flow in the Jammu region which largely depends on a high footfall of tourists and pilgrims.

If the stakeholders are to be believed, there is nearly 70 per cent fall in tourist volume of the region due to the ongoing turmoil in the Valley. With just a few days left for the commencement of the annual Amarnath yatra, a high level of uncertainty stares hoteliers, businessmen and other tourism-dependent traders due to hostile Kashmir situation.

Inderjeet Khajuria, chairman of Jammu Paryatan Vikas Mandal, said Jammu was suffering because of negative impression outside the state. There is a wrong perception outside that the entire state was affected by militancy and violence. The government must give wide publicity to the fact that Jammu is peaceful, safe and secure for tourism, he said.

Our business has been badly affected due to the condition in Kashmir. Our occupancy rates in hotels and lodges are not satisfactory. We have not made any advance bookings so far. Earlier, there used to be a high occupancy almost 10 days ahead of the yatra which is not the case now, he added.

Vaibhav Sharma, co-founder of Travellers Dost and the Himalayas 360, which is a destination management group in Jammu, claimed the tourist volume had reduced by 70 per cent. The hotels and transporters have slashed their rates due to low volume of tourists, while there has been adverse impact on overall revenue of the region. The tourists have either cut short their visits or cancelled their trips. Even small vendors and dhaba owners along the national highway have been affected this time, he said.

Annil Suri, a noted industrialist, said, We are virtually in a catch-22 situation. The Kashmir situation has had a negative impact on the economy of the state. The prevailing situation has further complicated the issues confronting Jammu and Kashmir. Whenever the Amarnath yatra begins, there is a trouble in Kashmir. Now, there is Jammu versus Kashmir over implementation of the goods and services tax (GST)in the state. How can we survive without the GST? Nobody is bothered to deliberate upon the serious consequences of non-extension of the GST to Jammu and Kashmir. The priorities are different here.

He added, There is also a wrong notion outside Jammu and Kashmir. Tourists do not know how far Jammu is from Kashmir. For them, Kashmir means the entire Jammu and Kashmir. I must say the government has completely failed to control the situation. It is not visible on ground. Tourism will flourish only when peace prevails.

Mahesh Koul, a scholar of tourism management, said, the present conflict has adversely impacted tourism business in the state. There is no marketing strategy to segmentise the tourism approach in three regions  Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh.

Hari Om, convener of the Jammu for India, said the government followed a policy of excluding Jammu from tourism point of view. Jammu has been suffering because of Kashmir. Successive governments had never allowed Jammu to come on the tourism map. It will continue until the government declares separate statehood for Jammu, he added.

Footfall 70 pc down
Tribune News Service

Jammu, June 25

Indian and Pakistani troops traded heavy fire on Sunday along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmirs Rajouri district, a defence official said.

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Pakistan resorted to heavy firing at Kalsian and Kaladi villages along the LoC.

The Pakistani Army began indiscriminate firing and shelling on our positions on the LoC in Naushera sector from 6.30 a.m., Defence Ministry spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Manish Mehta said.

They first initiated small arms and automatic gunfire, but later used mortars. The firing is ongoing and our forces are effectively retaliating, Mehta added.

Earlier on Saturday, the Pakistan violated the ceasefire along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmirs Poonch sector.

Pakistan had then also resorted to unprovoked indiscriminate firing from small arms automatics and shelled mortars. With agencies inputs
Ishfaq Tantry

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, June 25

With a rise in violence and lynching of a police officer outside Jamia Masjid here, the Eid congregational prayers on Monday are emerging as a major challenge for the J&K Government.

While there are fears of violence on Eid, the police said they were ready for the challenge and had decided to keep deployments ready for law and order situations at vulnerable spots in Srinagar city and other places.

The police have also issued an advisory to its men not to offer prayers at public places, in the wake of the lynching incident, which has led to outrage across Kashmir.

The authorities suspect that trouble may break out in the old city and some sensitive towns of the Valley after the Eid prayers. The major gathering will be at Eidgah in the old city where moderate Hurriyat chief Mirwaiz Umar Farooq is scheduled to lead a congregation. The Hazratbal shrine, which houses the relic of Prophet Mohammad, is also another major Eid venue in the city.

There are reports that anti-national elements may try to indulge in stone-throwing after the prayers, but we are on an alert, said a police officer in Srinagar. There is a thinking among the authorities of not allowing the congregational prayers to avoid trouble, he added.

We are alive to the situation. There will be tight security arrangements around the venues of the Eid prayers to deal with any eventuality, said District Magistrate, Srinagar, Farooq Ahmad Lone.

Stating that the police would be deployed for crowd control at vulnerable spots, Inspector General of Police, Kashmir Range, Muneer Ahmad Khan said deployments were basically meant to facilitate the Eid prayers. But we will also place components ready for managing the law and order situation, he said, adding that in the past there were stone-throwing incidents during the Eid prayers.

Sources said separatist leaders would be put under house arrest. JKLF chairman Mohammad Yasin Malik has already been arrested.

Trouble feared in old Srinagar
New Delhi, June 25

The Indian Army is now actively considering recruiting civilian staff in peace stations to do away with the colonial-era sahayak system, in the wake of rising cases of jawans coming out openly against it.

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A top Army official, however, said the sahayak or buddy system  whereby a solider is attached to officers  will continue be deployed in key bases and field areas as they have defined military duties.

We are looking at getting civilian staff to replace sahayaks in peace stations, the official said.

In the recent months, a number of videos had surfaced where some Army jawans were seen voicing their anger over the sahayak system with some even alleging that they are treated as servants by the officers whom they are attached to.

The official said the option of deploying civilian staff at peace stations instead of sahayaks will help the Army in economising on its man power as well.

Currently, we are examining various aspect of the option, he said, insisting sahayaks cannot be replaced in field units.

In March, the government had strongly defended the sahayak system in the Army, saying it provides an essential support to officers in fully attending to their duties in times of peace and war.

At the same time, the government had said sahayaks or orderlies are combatants and exhaustive instructions have been issued to not make them perform menial tasks which are not in conformity with the dignity of a soldier.

An annual conference of top Army commanders in April had held extensive deliberations on the Armys internal health, including on sahayaks, and decided to reorient the human resource policy of the force.

Sahayaks are soldiers and their duties include protecting the officers, maintaining their weapons and equipment and helping them in carrying out their responsibilities.

In March, the body of a jawan, Roy Mathew, was found hanging at Deolali cantonment in Maharashtra after a sting video, which showed him complaining about being made to do household chores of superior officers, went viral.

Days later, a sepoy also posted a video online criticising the sahayak system and accused the senior officers of treating them as slaves. PTI
Lucknow/New Delhi, June 25

Eid-ul-Fitr will be celebrated across India on Monday, announced Muslim cleric Khalid Rasheed Firangi Mahal here today.

Eid-ul-Fitr, or Eid, is an important religious festival celebrated by Muslims worldwide that marks the end of Ramzan, the Islamic holy month of fasting.

The Moon has been seen in many parts of Uttar Pradesh and India, and hence it is declared that the Eid-ul-Fitr will be celebrated on June 26 in all over India, the cleric announced.

He also said the Eid namaz (prayer) will be held in Lucknow at 10 am at Eidgah grounds.

The Eid namaz will be offered for the sake of peace and communal harmony in the country and Kashmir, Firangi Mahal said.

President Mukherjee greets country on Eid

President Pranab Mukherjee has greeted the country on the eve of Eid as he expressed hope that the festival will strengthen the people's "unflinching" faith in unity and common destiny.

"On the auspicious occasion of Eid-ul-Fitr, I extend greetings and good wishes to all my fellow citizens, particularly my Muslim brothers and sisters, in India and abroad.

"May this joyous occasion, which marks the culmination of the period of fasting and prayer during the holy month of Ramzan, bring happiness, peace and prosperity and be an opportunity to rededicate ourselves to serve humanity," the president said.

"May this day strengthen in each one of us, an unflinching faith in our unity and common destiny that has characterised our composite culture over the ages," Mukherjee said.  Agencies
Yash Goyal

Jaipur, June 25

A wanted gangster who escaped from judicial custody 21 months ago was killed by Rajasthan Police in a shootout that lasted three hours in Churu districts Malasar village late on Saturday night.

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Two policemen were wounded in the incident and an inspector fractured a limb, Special Operation Groups Inspector General of Police MN Dinesh said.

All three were taken to SMS hospital in Jaipur. There is believed to be no danger to their lives.

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Anandpal Singh had a bounty of Rs 5 lakh and has been suspected of being involved in more than two-dozen criminal cases, among them banditry and murder. He was hiding at the house of a villager in Malaser.

Fifty commandoes were involved in the gun battle. Singh was hit by six bullets and died at the encounter site.

Police found an AK 47 rifle and live cartridges. The rifle is believed to be the same one he snatched from his police escorts when he escaped from the judicial custody near Ajmer with two accomplices, Subhash Mud and Shrivallabh in Parbatsar, on September 3, 2015.

Two of his aides  his brother Vikki and Devendra alias Guttu  were arrested from Haryana's Sirsa town on Saturday.

Gattu revealed that Singh was hiding in Malasar village.
Lucknow, June 25

Kick-starting his nationwide tour from his home state to seek support from various political parties, NDA presidential nominee Ram Nath Kovind on Sunday met with MPs and state legislators of the BJP and its allies from Uttar Pradesh.

Accompanied by Union Minister Nitin Gadkari and BJP National General Secretary Bhupendra Yadav, Kovind drove straight from the airport to Chief Minister Yogi Adityanaths official residence for his interaction with the legislators.

Adityanath and other senior BJP leaders and ministers received 71-year-old Kovind at the airport.

At the CMs residence on the Kalidas Marg, he interacted with a host of senior party leaders including Union Ministers Uma Bharti and Gadkari, Deputy Chief Ministers Keshav Prasad Maurya and Dinesh Sharma.

He also met with UP Assembly Speaker Hriday Narayan Dixit.

Sakshi Maharaj, the BJP MP from Unnao adjoining Kanpur from where Kovind hails, was also present.

Bhupender Yadav, Kovinds authorised representative for the presidential poll, said he has come to Lucknow to seek support from the members of the electoral college.

He will now visit other states, Yadav said.

BJP sources said a Union minister, a senior organisation leader from the party and two MPs will accompany Kovind during his nationwide tour to reach out to all members of the electoral college.

Though his meeting will be with the supporting MPs and MLAs, Kovind will make an appeal to all the members of the electoral college in every state to support him.

Opposition parties have fielded former Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar, a Dalit leader, against Kovind.

With over 62 per cent of votes firmly behind him, Kovinds election as the next president is almost certain.

Besides, the BJP and its NDA allies, parties like the TRS, YSRCP, AIADMK, BJD and the JD(U) have announced their support to him.

The presidential election is scheduled for July 17 and the counting of votes will take place on July 20.

While Kovind filed his nomination papers in presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and NDA chief ministers in New Delhi on June 23, Kumar is yet to file hers.

Kovind, if elected, will be the second Dalit to occupy the highest constitutional office, the first being KR Narayanan.  PTI
Lucknow, June 25

NDA presidential nominee Ram Nath Kovind today met MPs and state legislators of BJP and its allies from Uttar Pradesh, kick-starting his nationwide tour from his home state to seek support from various political parties.

Accompanied by Union minister Nitin Gadkari and BJP national general secretary Bhupender Yadav, Kovind drove straight to Chief Minister Yogi Adityanaths official residence from the airport. Adityanath and other senior BJP leaders and ministers earlier received 71-year-old Kovind at the airport here.

At the CMs residence on the Kalidas Marg, he interacted with a host of senior party leaders, including Union ministers Uma Bharti and Gadkari, Deputy Chief Ministers Keshav Prasad Maurya and Dinesh Sharma. He also met UP Assembly Speaker Hriday Narayan Dixit.

Addressing the MPs and state legislators, Adityanath said, It is for the first time that we will have the honour of having a person from Uttar Pradesh as our president. This honour has been bestowed upon by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP chief Amit Shah.

At the meeting, Gadkari also explained as to how to cast the ballot.

Though Uttar Pradesh has given the nation a number of prime ministers, it will be for the first time that the politically-crucial state will have the pride of sending someone to Rashtrapati Bhavan if Kovind is elected.

The closest the state came to having its representative in the Presidents House was in 1969, when Mohammad Hidaytullah became the first Acting President of India from July 20, 1969 to August 24, 1969.

With over 62 per cent of votes firmly behind him, Kovinds election as the next president is almost certain. Kovind, if elected, will be the second from the Dalit community to occupy the highest constitutional office, the first being KR Narayanan.  PTI
Washington, June 25

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today arrived here on the second leg of his three-nation tour for his first bilateral meeting with US President Donald Trump, as the two leaders are set to hold discussions on a set of strategically important issues.

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Modi arrived in the American capital early today after a day-long working visit to Portugal, the first ever bilateral visit by an Indian PM to the European nation.

Meanwhile, Modi was warmly greeted by a group of people from the Indian community who were waiting for him outside a high-security hotel  the Willard InterContinental Hotel  to catch a glimpse of the Indian leader.

Modis three-day visit to the US will begin today. The PM will interact with about 20 leading American CEOs followed by an Indian-American community event in the DC suburb of Virginia. The programme is likely to be attended by about 600 members of the community.

Read: Trump to host working dinner for PM Modi

American CEOs expected to meet Modi today include Apples Tim Cook, Walmarts Doug McMillon, Caterpillars Jim Umpleby, Googles Sundar Pichai and Microsofts Satya Nadella.

Trump will host Modi at the White House on Monday afternoon and the two leaders would spend about five hours together in various settings beginning with their bilateral discussion, delegation level talks, a reception and a working dinner, the first of its kind hosted by this administration.

The two leaders will not address a press conference but will issue individual press statements.

Just hours before Modi landed in Washington, Trump tweeted from his official Twitter handle- POTUS, an acronym for President of the US, that he is looking forward to welcome the Indian leader to the White House, during which he will discuss important strategic issues with a true friend.

US Senator Kamala Harris tweeted that she welcomes Indian PM @NarendraModi to the United States and reaffirm the unbreakable bonds between our two nations. The Trump administration said it is rolling out the red carpet for Modi, emphasising that it is wrong to say that the US is ignoring or not focusing on India.

President Trump realises that India is a force for good and that will come through in the visit on Monday, a senior official said.

A host of strategic issues are expected to be discussed during the bilateral talks between the two leaders of the worlds largest democracies, including defence cooperation, boosting economic ties, discussions on the civil nuclear deal, cooperation on combating terrorism, security cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region and Indias concerns over the H-1B work visa.

Earlier, a senior administration official said the visit is an opportunity to strengthen the US-India strategic partnership, which Trump very much views as a critical partnership in promoting stability and security in the Asia Pacific region and globally.

We anticipate that their discussions will be broad- ranging, hitting on a variety of regional and global issues that would seek to advance our common priorities, including fighting terrorism, promoting economic growth and prosperity, the official said, briefing reporters at the White House. PTI
Raipur, June 25

A police jawan injured in an encounter with Naxals in Chhattisgarhs Sukma district succumbed to injuries today, taking the death toll of security personnel killed in the operation to three. Two district reserve guard (DRG) jawans were earlier killed and as many others sustained injuries in the gun battle in Sukmas Chintagufa area.

Four encounters between Naxalites and police have been reported in the state since yesterday, in which three security men have been killed and seven injured, including a sub-inspector. Two Naxals were also gunned down in these face-offs.

While two encounters took place in Sukma yesterday, as many others occurred in Bijapur, including one this morning.

Deputy Inspector General of Police (Dantewada range) Sundarraj P claimed that nearly 12 Maoists were killed during the operation.  PTI
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, June 25

A 45-year-old debt-ridden farmer, a resident of Kanchapuri area in Khatima of Udham Singh Nagar district, committed suicide last night after he failed to repay the bank loan amount.

The victim, Ram Avtar, left his house for the fields in the evening and allegedly hung himself from a tree. Sources in the family revealed that the farmer had taken loans from State Bank of Indian and Bank of Baroda and was now under huge debt.

The aggrieved farmer owned 2.5 acres of agricultural land. Ram Avtar was under tension as he was unable to repay bank loans due to heavy agricultural losses. The victim leaves behind seven daughters and a son.

Khatima farmers death comes a fortnight after June 17 when Berinag farmer Surendra Singh committed suicide as he was debt-ridden.
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, June 25

Trivendra Singh Rawat today said his government was taking every possible measure to check migration from hill areas of the state.

The Chief Minister was addressing a gathering at the Parade Ground in Dehradun after releasing Saun Din Sarkar Key, Sau Din Vikas Key, a state government book that highlights its achievements during the past 100 days. The book release marked the completion of 100 days in office of the Trivendra Singh Rawat-led government.

Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat said his government had in the past 100 days taken up the challenge of migration from hill areas of the state with all seriousness. He said his government had especially set up a commission that would look into measures that needed to be taken to curb migration from the hills. He said the government was committed to giving corruption-free governance. He said his government had made the recruitment process in government departments transparent.

Earlier in the day, Trivendra Rawat visited the Garhi Cantt-based Tapkeshwar Mahadev temple and offered prayers. He took part in the cleanliness campaign. On the occasion, he urged the people to ensure cleanliness in their surroundings.

He later participated in the Jagannath Rath yatra in Dehradun. Addressing a gathering at the start of the Rath yatra, Rawat said water conservation was the need of the hour. He said it was a matter of concern that seasonal rivers like Bindal and Rispana in Dehradun had turned into drains. He said water sources were shrinking at a fast phase and it was all important to ensure that the dried-up natural water sources were revived.

He expressed happiness that Dehradun had been selected among the Smart City list.

The Chief Minister along with his Cabinet colleagues also heard Prime Ministers Mann Ki Baat programme. He thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for congratulating Uttarakhand for becoming a defecation-free state. Trivendra Rawat asserted that taking inspiration from the Prime Ministers cleanliness campaign, the state was taking all steps to ensure cleanliness in the state.
Lahore, June 25

At least 151 persons were charred to death and more than 140 others were injured after an oil tanker overturned and burst into flames as crowds rushed to collect petrol that spilled out on a highway in the Bahawalpur district of Pakistans Punjab Province on Sunday.

The oil tanker coming from Karachi to Lahore overturned early this morning on the national highway in the Ahmedpur Sharqia area of the district, some 400 km from Lahore, after its tyre burst.

The fire was apparently caused by someone who lit a cigarette after people from nearby localities gathered on the highway to collect spilt petrol, officials said.

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The blaze from the oil spill engulfed scores of residents, killing 151 persons and injuring more than 140 others.

District Coordination Officer (DCO) Bahwalpur Rana Salim Afzal termed it a huge tragedy in the history of Pakistan.

The condition of most of the injured is critical, Afzal said, adding that some 50,000 litre petrol spilled from the oil tanker.

He said women and children are among the victims.

"Some 151 people including women and children lost their lives in this tragedy. The condition of more than 50 injured is critical and they are being shifted to Lahore and Faisalabad cities to save their lives," Rescue official Jam Sajjad told PTI, adding that the death toll could rise further.

He said most of the bodies are completely charred and they will be identified only by the DNA test.

Muhammad Hanif, 40, who suffered burns, told reporters at Victoria Hospital that he was present at his house when his cousin called him informing that the village people were rushing to the highway to collect free oil.

My cousin told me to pick bottles and come out of the house. When I came out of the house, I saw many people rushing towards the highway and some going there by motorcycles. Me and my cousin Rashid reached the highway and joined the people busy in collecting the petrol spilling from the tanker.

Suddenly, the tanker burst and the people gathered near it were burnt alive. Rashid and I were a little away from the tanker, therefore, we are alive, Hanif said.

He said it was greed of the villagers which took them to the valley of death.

The Punjab government said three helicopters are shifting the critically burnt people to Multans combined military hospital and Nishter Hospital for providing better health facilities.

Regional Police Officer Bahawalpur Raja Rifat said the motorway police personnel had reached the spot when the oil tanker overturned.

The people from nearby village Mauza Ramzan had also gathered there. The police personnel asked them to leave the place but they started collecting petrol. Suddenly, the tanker exploded and within seconds the fire erupted, giving no chance to the people present there to leave the place, Rifat said.

Dozens of motorcycles and cars were also burnt at the site.

Most people reached the site on motorcycles to collect spilling petrol, he said.

Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif directed the authorities to ensure best medical treatment to the injured.

He also sent his chopper for shifting the injured to Multan hospitals.

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, President Mamnoon Hussain, PTI chairman Imran Khan and PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto condoled the tragedy.

Army Chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa ordered the Army to assist the civil administration in the rescue effort.

Army helicopters have been deployed in the rescue operations.

The tragedy came a day ahead of Eid ul-Fitr celebrations in the country, marking the end of the holy fasting month of Ramazan. PTI
Lahore, June 25

An oil tanker overturned and burst into flames as crowds rushed to collect fuel that spilled over on a highway in Pakistan's Punjab Province, killing over 150 people and injuring more than 140 others, in one of the deadliest accidents in the country.

The oil tanker coming from Karachi and headed to Lahore overturned early this morning on the national highway at the Ahmedpur Sharqia area of the Bahawalpur district, some 400 km from Lahore, after a tyre burst and the driver lost control.

The fire was apparently caused by someone who lit a cigarette after people from nearby localities gathered on the highway to collect petrol, officials said.

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, who was in London to celebrate Eid along with his family members, cut short his visit and left for Pakistan. This is a tragedy of its kind in the countrys history that left everyone in grief in Pakistan. My thoughts are with the victims families, Sharif said before leaving for Pakistan.

Rescue officials said the blaze from the oil spill engulfed scores of residents, killing 151 people and injuring more than 140 others.

The condition of more than 50 injured is critical and they are being shifted to Lahore and Faisalabad cities, Rescue official Jam Sajjad said, adding most of the bodies were completely charred and would be identified by DNA tests.

At least 123 persons were burnt alive and died on the spot while the injured were shifted to the district headquarters hospital and Victoria Hospital in Bahawalpur where the condition of most of them is critical, Bahwalpur District Coordination Officer Rana Salim Afzal said. Video images of the people gathered to collect petrol emerged showing young and old people filling their bikes with the spilled oil and collecting it in bottles and cans.

The leaking fuel was even flowing along the highway in the fields. People were seen sitting near the fields collecting fuel in cans and bottles.

Suddenly the tanker exploded and within seconds the fire erupted giving no chance to the people present there to leave the place, Bahawalpur Regional Police Officer Raja Rifat said.  PTI
Seoul, June 25

South Korea marked the anniversary of the start of the 1950-53 Korean War on Sunday with a call for the North to halt development of its missiles and nuclear programmes.

The North continues provocative military actions such as launching a ballistic missile, South Korean Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon told war veterans and government officials at a ceremony in the capital, Seoul.

The 67th anniversary of war comes amid fears the North will conduct a sixth nuclear test and more ballistic missile launches in defiance of U.N. Security Council resolutions.

Lee said the North should stop developing missile and nuclear programmes and come out on to the path of denuclearisation on the Korean peninsula.

The Korean War started on June 25, 1950, when Communist North Korean troops launched a surprise attack across the 38th parallel into South Korea.

U.S.-led United Nations forces battled Chinese and Soviet-backed North Korea in the war which ended with a truce on July 27, 1953. The two Koreas remain in a technical state of war. Reuters
Washington, June 25

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today said India has now emerged as a business-friendly destination, more so with the upcoming implementation of landmark GST beginning next month, while asking CEOs of top US companies to invest in the country.

Modi also said India attracted largest foreign direct investment (FDI) as a result of the NDA government policies in the past three years, during his interaction with a group of CEOs of top 20 American firms.

In a round-table interaction with the group, including Tim Cook of Apple, Satya Nadella from Microsoft, Sunder Pichai from Google, John Chambers from Cisco and Jeff Bezos of Amazon, Modi listed out steps taken by his government in the last three years and next moves.

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The whole world is looking at India. 7,000 reforms alone by GOI for ease of (doing) business and minimum government, maximum governance, Gopal Bagley, spokesman of the Ministry of External Affairs, said in a tweet from inside the meeting, quoting the Prime Minister.

Indias growth presents a win-win partnership for the country and the US, and American companies have a great opportunity to contribute to that, Modi told the CEOs, according to Bagley.

The implementation of the landmark initiative of GST could be a subject of studies in US business schools, Modi said.

During the hour-long interaction, at the Willard Hotel, where he is staying, Modi gave a patient hearing to the wish-list of the CEOs.

Among other CEOs present at the meeting were Shantanu Narayen from Adobe, Ajay Banga from Mastercard, David Farr from Emerson, Doug McMillon and Punit Renjen from Deloitte Global. Mukesh Aghi, president of the US India Business Council, was also present at the meeting.

Posting a group picture of the PM with the CEOs, Bagley said, strengthening the Indo-US economic partnership.

In a recent policy document, USIBC said the US-India commercial and strategic relationship supports global security, promotes economic growth and creates jobs for both countries and the global economy.  PTI
Panther CEO named OIPA chairman

Berry Mullennix, CEO of Tulsa-based Panther Energy III, is now chairman of the Oklahoma Independent Petroleum Associations board directors.

Mullennix replaces outgoing chairman Jeff McDougall of JMA Energy Company and will serve a two-year term.

I am very proud and honored to be following in the footsteps of Oklahomas energy leaders in the countrys finest oil and gas association, Mullennix said. There is no organization that has done more for the future of our state and its defining industry than the OIPA. I am honored to serve as chairman and I look forward to continuing the legacy of success set by those who preceded me.

Mullennix began his career in the oil and natural gas industry as a roughneck for Four Corners Drilling while attending New Mexico State University. In 1995, he helped form Mannix Oil Company, an early pioneer in horizontal coalbed methane development. In 2003, Mullennix started Cannon Energy, the predecessor of Panther Energy Company.

Other officers include Randy Sullivan of Avalon Exploration, who will serve as vice chair for the east.

Founded in 1955, the OIPA is the states largest oil and natural gas advocacy group, representing more than 2,300 members in the crude oil and natural gas exploration/production industry or affiliated businesses.

Brief Media does vaccines in Malawi

Participants with Brief Media, a Tulsa-based veterinary media company, completed another successful vaccine drive to fight rabies in Malawi.

It was the second year the company, a publisher of veterinary journals and resources, has taken part in Mega Vaccine Drive with Mission Rabies, a United Kingdom-based nonprofit organization. Ten volunteers and two company members traveled to Malawi to participate in the vaccine drives.

Over four weeks volunteers vaccinated 34,078 dogs and educated 137,635 children in 53 schools about rabies, and others hosted clinics for pet owners to bring in their dogs or did door-to-door visits to provide vaccinations.

It is heartwarming to see veterinary professionals come together and participate in such an important cause, said Jessie Foley with Brief Media, who also serves as volunteer coordinator. The time and effort each individual contributes makes the drive possible.

OSU-Tulsa board elects officers

for 2017-18

The Oklahoma State University-Tulsa board of trustees elected Sean Kouplen, chairman and chief executive officer of Regent Bank, as board chairman for 2017-18 during its June board meeting.

Brett Lessley, president of Griffin Management Inc., was elected vice chairman, and Pete Patel, founder, chief executive officer and president of Promise Hotels, will be board secretary.

Kouplen is a graduate of Okalhoma State University and earned an MBA from OSU-Tulsa.

Headlines

Walmart kiosk arrives in Glenpool

Wal-Marts latest effort to become a click-and-mortar retailer is an orange, octagon-shaped column that stands 16 feet high and about 8 feet wide and functions as an oversized vending machine. Customers who order products online can pick it up at the vending machine.

Harvey Young Airport to get $10 million facelift

The 76-year-old Harvey Young Airport, 1500 S. 135th East Ave., is being purchased by DMA Inc.s Jack Randal, who plans to raze it and rename it Douglas Memorial Airfield after the old Douglas aircraft plant in Tulsa that made World War II planes.

Alfa Laval to expand in BA

Alfa Laval, which makes heat exchangers, will build a competence center to manufacture its spiral and air-cooled heat exchanger ranges. More details will be revealed during a groundbreaking ceremony later this summer.

Data Point





9

Number of months worth of back rent Utica Square is seeking from Brownies Gourmet Hamburgers in a lawsuit filed earlier this month in Tulsa District Court. Utica Square is seeking more than $32,000.

10

Percent of American Airways being pursued by Qatar Airways. Such a purchase would trigger an antitrust review by the U.S. government and carry political and trade-policy implications.

27 cents

Additional fee UPS will add on residential deliveries from Nov. 19-Dec. 2 and Dec. 17-23. That will rise to between 81 and 97 cents for overnight, second- or third-day deliveries Dec. 17-23.

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My brother told me, If you want to have more free time, come do this. Here you can go wherever and nobody can have you on their time clock.

 Urbano Moreno, 63, who is starting a granite counter company, Ameritops, on advice from his brother after working five years in a machine shop.Goodwill to open donation center

Goodwill Industries of Tulsa will open at south Tulsa donation center at 8929 S. Memorial Drive at 9 a.m. July 1.

The center will be open 9 a.m.-6:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday and noon-6 p.m. Sundays.

Donations in good or used condition are tax deductible, and donors can get a receipt at the donation site.

To donate, visit goodwilltulsa.org.
The man who was fatally shot by three Tulsa Police officers Saturday night during an investigation into a stolen vehicle has been identified.

Officers identified the man as 47-year-old Jimmie Bevenue, police spokeswoman Jeanne MacKenzie said in a news release. Multiple court records and the Oklahoma Department of Corrections refer to him as Jimmy Bevenue.

Police came into contact with Bevenue about 8 p.m. Saturday at a home near 4th Place and Garnett Road where officers saw a possible stolen vehicle in the driveway.

Three people were standing near the vehicle when officers pulled up. As they approached, Bevenue ran from the back door of the home with a handgun, MacKenzie said.

He ran through the conjoining backyard to a neighbors home, where he kicked open the back door. Three officers then fired several rounds at him. Bevenue was pronounced dead at the scene.

Prior to the shooting, officers had ordered Bevenue to drop his weapon, MacKenzie said.

Police later confirmed the vehicle was stolen, and that the gun Bevenue was carrying was in the vehicle when it was taken.

Tulsa Police reported Saturday night that the man had fled from inside a stolen car during a traffic stop and ran into a neighborhood.

On Sunday, they released a statement correcting the preliminary reports.

As with any initial incident more information comes to light shedding a more accurate picture as to what occurred, MacKenzie said.

Bevenue had several run-ins with law enforcement since 1988. He was convicted of multiple offenses, including possessing a credit card that belonged to someone else, second-degree burglary, escaping confinement and carrying a weapon, drugs and/or alcohol into jail, according to Oklahoma Department of Corrections records.

He was last released from DOC custody in 2012.

In August 2016, Bevenue was arrested on allegations he burglarized a home, fled from officers and assaulted an officer.

When officers attempted to arrest Bevenue, he allegedly continued to pull, jerk away and even elbowed an officer in the face, according to an arrest and booking report.

He was charged with first-degree burglary, assault and battery upon a police officer and resisting arrest in connection with that incident. He pleaded not guilty to the charges May 30 and was scheduled for a jury trial on Oct. 2, according to online court records.

Bevenues fatal shooting is the Tulsa Police Department fifth of 2017. Its the third fatal police shooting theyve been involved in this month.

The names of the officers involved in Saturdays shooting have not been released. They have been placed on routine administrative leave, MacKenzie said.
Mary Caroline Cole was all about eliminating barriers.

As a woman in a male-dominated profession, she faced her share of obstacles, like the architecture professor who banned her from his classroom because of her gender. She would have to sit in the hall, he told her.

So Cole spoke to the Oklahoma A&M College president and received permission to sit in the classroom. The professor groused that she could come in and sit, but she was forbidden to say a word. Cole smiled and kept her mouth shut.

Cole had become interested in architecture when her father, C.C. Cole, was chairman of the building committee for Boston Avenue Methodist Church and asked art teacher Adah Robinson to sketch a design.

Her mother, Audrey Cole, supported her career choice but complained that she couldnt see why Tot (as she was known to friends and family) couldnt be both an architect and a Junior League member.

After a year at A&M, Cole transferred to Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, working as a waitress and earning scholarships to pay her way. Once again, she was the only woman in her classes.

It was a lot of fun and I enjoyed it all, but it would have been awful if I couldnt have taken a lot of teasing, Cole recalled in a 1945 Tulsa World interview. One time the boys took the seats out of my car and hung them from the rafters in the classroom.

Ladder of success

After graduating from Cornell in 1941, the young architect worked in Kansas City for a few years before returning to Tulsa. In 1945, she became the first woman granted an architecture license in Oklahoma.

At first she had trouble getting work.

You have to prove that youre as good as the guy  much more so, she said in a 1969 interview. But now, they pay me as much for the job as they would a man.

She learned quickly not to climb a ladder while wearing a skirt. When she started up the ladder at a job site, all of the sawing and hammering stopped. She went home and changed into slacks. When she returned, work continued at its usual pace.

She found her calling in designing for the handicapped.

The second house I ever designed was for a family who had a son with brittle bones, she said in 1984. He was in a wheelchair. It was very special to me. Now I try to make all my buildings accessible.

Cole became known as an advocate for universal or barrier-free design. She served on the Governors Committee on the Employment of the Handicapped and was a delegate to the White House Conference on Handicapped Individuals in 1976.

It was here first

Trees were another passion for Cole. On one job site, a cherry tree had to go. She dug it up and transplanted it to her own yard. She likewise rescued an apple tree. Other times, she reworked plans to spare trees.

To her, trees around a home were like jewelry on a dress.

Her own home at 15 E. 21st St. featured a large elm tree growing through the roof of her living room.

I didnt have the heart to cut it down. It was here first, she said.

She fashioned what she called turtleneck sweaters of clear plastic around the holes in the roof and used door springs to hold them in place. Later, after the tree had to be cut down, she had the stump carved into a statue of her beloved bulldog, Beauregard.

Her projects included homes, offices, churches and industrial plants. She also designed three Tulsa fire stations, incorporating her innovative ideas.

She designed Station No. 18 at 4802 S. Peoria Ave. with a drive-through feature, enabling trucks to enter without having to turn around in the street and back in. This became a standard design citywide.

The first northside fire station, which opened at Mohawk Boulevard and Peoria Avenue in 1956 and employed the citys first black firefighters, was one of Coles designs.

She also designed Station No. 21 at 4606 E. 31st St. with masonry interior walls and floors so that the inside can be washed out with a firehose, she said.

When designing a family home, she would first learn as much as possible about them, their preferences, hobbies and habits.

By knowing all this, you can make the house fit them. Sometimes, you can do things for them that they dont know they want themselves, she said.

Cole died at age 78 in 1991.
Until a little more than two years ago, Jordan Green had only shot a couple of guns.

Now, this forensic scientist specializing in firearms with the Tulsa Police Department crime lab is getting international attention for research on the effects of gun barrel manufacturing.

Green recently won first for a presentation of her findings at the Association of Firearms and Toolmark Examiners conference, which featured the fields top scientists from around the world. This came after a win at the National Firearms Examiners Academy sponsored by the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

I wanted to add to the talk of firearms being scientific, Green said.

Its not just science benefiting. The original work gives a boost to the Tulsa lab in court when attorneys inquire about credentials of its scientists.

It helps bolster us as a lab and as scientists. Its also good for the field, Green said.

The study examined if the broach  a manufacturing tool with cutting elements that makes the rifling in the barrel  leaves similar marks in the firearms it produces consecutively in the factories.

Each gun leaves a unique mark when fired, like a fingerprint. Researchers have inquired whether the broach-making process could lead to guns having related markings.

Green found the broach did not leave similar patterns in sequentially manufactured barrels, meaning each gun is different.

All characteristics are individual in nature, she said.

The research was part of an ATF fellowship training. Green was chosen as one of 10 forensic scientists nationally to participate in the one-year program. She spent half the year doing research and the other half living in Maryland studying firearms at ATF headquarters.

The academy is intense. Its all day, every day and into the night, Green said. Its an academic look into the real world of guns, which can be brutal.

This training dissects all firearms and related science such as gunshot residue and bullet markings. It also goes over gun history and statistical probabilities.

To satisfy the project aspect of the training, Green chose to tackle the question of the broach effect. Ruger provided five, 9mm barrels for testing and a tour to answer questions. Tulsa crime lab forensic firearms specialist Joy Patterson assisted gathering information from the company.

We need to have solid research to back up our claims, as any researcher or scientist would want, Green said. In any project I do, I hope to better understanding in the field.

Green applied for the fellowship to get specialized firearms training after she was hired on at the crime lab in 2015.

She received her undergraduate degree in zoology from the University of Oklahoma and a masters degree in forensic science from Marshall University in West Virginia, ranked as one of the top universities for forensic graduate programs.

She knew little about guns, but that is not a hindrance in forensic firearms specialty.

I was a huge nerd, she said.

That meant she knew a lot about microscopes and scientific theories and methods. Her interest in forensics came while working on an OU honors undergraduate degree.

Green mentored under a professor in epidemiology, who led her into a project studying insects on pig carcasses. The time of death can be determined by the state of the bugs.

It was at that time when I became interested in forensic science, she said.

More specifically, Green has an interest in identification forensics: using science to identify objects from evidence such as documents, fingerprints and weapons. She jumped at the chance when a firearms position opened up at the Tulsa lab.

I like time spent on a microscope comparing bullet and cartridge casings, Green said. I love lab work and looking at small things up close. The amount of detail under magnification is extraordinary.

Currently, Green is trimming down the 40-page project manuscript to about five pages for publication.

This project and projects like it are important to what we do, she said. We are encouraged in the lab to do this with along with our case work. Our case work is why we are here, but research has a place in the field, and we all want progress in the field.
WASHINGTON  Here is how Oklahomas members of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives voted on key issues last week.

HOUSE

Managing power lines on federal lands: The House has passed the Electricity Reliability and Forest Protection Act (H.R. 1873), sponsored by Rep. Doug LaMalfa, R-Calif. The bill would require the Interior and Agriculture Departments to ensure that all existing and future rights-of-way for electrical transmission and distribution lines on federal lands managed by the departments are wide enough to allow for inspection of the lines and pruning or felling of trees that threaten to fall on lines. LaMalfa said enlarged rights-of-way would address the threat of forest fires caused by dying and dead trees falling on power lines in federal forests. An opponent, Rep. Raul Grijalva, D-Ariz., said a tiny number of fires were sparked by such downed power lines, and utilities who feel they need greater access to rights-of-way should seek resolution in the courts, rather than passage of a new law. The vote, on June 21, was 300 yeas to 118 nays.

Yeas: Rep. Jim Bridenstine (1st), Rep. Tom Cole (4th), Rep. Frank D. Lucas (3rd), Rep. Markwayne Mullin (2nd), Rep. Steve Russell (5th)

Permitting water storage projects: The House has passed the Water Supply Permitting Coordination Act (H.R. 1654), sponsored by Rep. Tom McClintock, R-Calif. The bill would direct the Interior Department to coordinate permitting processes by state governments and the federal government for reservoirs and other surface water projects on federal lands, with the Bureau of Reclamation to be the lead agency. McClintock said that clarifying how the permitting process works will result in fewer delays for building reservoirs, more efficient use of taxpayer dollars, and, ultimately, more abundant water supplies. A bill opponent, Rep. Jared Hoffman, D-Calif., said it presumed a false choice between environmental standards and infrastructure, eroding environmental protections while having little impact on the timely construction of water storage projects. The vote, on June 22, was 233 yeas to 180 nays.

Yeas: Bridenstine, Cole, Lucas, Mullin, Russell

SENATE

FEMA director: The Senate has confirmed the nomination of Brock Long to serve as administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Long is a former FEMA official and former director of Alabamas Emergency Management Agency. He had worked for the past 6 years as an emergency management consultant at Hagerty Consulting. The vote, on June 20, was 95 yeas to 4 nays.

Yeas: Sen. Jim Inhofe, Sen. James Lankford

Financing terrorism: The Senate has confirmed the nomination of Marshall Billingslea to serve as the Treasury Departments Assistant Secretary for Terrorist Financing. A supporter, Sen. Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, cited Billingsleas 22 years of experience in the Defense Department, NATO, and Senate Foreign Relations Committee, working on terrorism issues. The vote, on June 22, was 65 yeas to 35 nays.

Yeas: Inhofe, Lankford
My cousin, the Baptist minister in Alabama, emailed me to say he was planning a sermon for Sunday on anger. He asked for my thoughts. Well, as long as I have to think, I might as well turn it into a column. So, thanks, cuz.

He wondered why everyone seems so angry lately? Im not so sure this is a recent phenomenon. Anger, of course, is a part of human nature. Anger helped form the United States. Anger almost broke it apart. Anger helped send us into a war that delivered the world from tyranny.

But those were epic anger. Now it seems we are quicker to anger. Maybe not. Maybe it simply seems that way because anger is so easy to find. If the guy at the doughnut shop shorted you a quarter in change on the way to work or if a woman cut you off in traffic, you have an easy outlet to vent your anger. When you get to work or home, you can fire up the computer and let everyone on Facebook or Twitter know just how teed off you really are. And, while youre at it, you can let everyone know just what you think about your least favorite politician. Its just too easy. And often anonymous.

Add to the social media the 24-hour TV news cycle, where anger and arguments with four panelists all screaming at one another at the same time make for higher ratings. That makes a pretty good recipe for frothing-at-the-mouth anger. And, by a wide margin, polls say there are more angry Americans than those who are not.

Now, lets get something straight. Its not always bad to be angry. In fact, sometimes its beneficial. You get to vent. And thats much better than returning to the doughnut shop to chew out the mistake-prone teenage pastry seller or running into a ditch or taking a shot at the woman who cut you off. Burning, constant anger, however, is neither healthy nor safe. Remember the quote that pops up almost every time a serial killer is arrested: He was such a quiet young man. He never said much to anyone. Kept to himself a lot. Maybe a little venting would have helped.

Anger reportedly drove a man to open fire on Republican members of Congress and others at a ballfield recently in Washington. Anger likely is what caused a man to drive his car into a crowd of Muslims outside a mosque in London. That, thankfully, is not the kind of anger we deal with every day.

We just finished a pretty nasty presidential campaign. I wont say the meanest in recent history, but as far as rancor and divisiveness it ranks right up there. Much of it was fueled by social media, and continues to be, a lot of it right from the White House. But Americans were angry before the last election. It was an anger that Democrats failed to understand and an anger that Republicans turned to their advantage.

There were good reasons for some anger. The middle class has been shrinking, wages have been stagnant, manufacturing jobs are disappearing. People have felt as if the U.S. has become the worlds sheriff and was throwing money down sinkholes. And theyre still angry. Angry with the media, with liberals, even angry with poor people or those of a different race or religion. And progressives are angry with the president, with Republicans and with the angry folks on the other side who are angry. If you dont believe me, dial up some of your old high school friends on Facebook or Twitter and see what they have to say. Then decide if you really want to go to that big reunion this fall.

The difference between being angry and finding someone to listen and just being angry because you want to be is huge. There is nothing wrong with having a difference of opinion. In a perfect world, we would be able to sit down with those with whom we disagree and talk it out over a cup of coffee and a doughnut. But not these days. Its easier to provoke an argument on Facebook, without having to look your adversary in the eye, and make outlandish charges and call each other names.

I know there are a lot of really good people out there. Not everyone is angry all the time. Many people remain civil. But the loudmouths are the ones we hear. The ones we remember. We all are never going to get along. That, too, is human nature. But I hope at some point we can allow people to be angry, but not, as my mom would say, hateful. This might be a pretty simplistic explanation of anger today. Im sure a psychologist can come up with a much more intellectual theory. So, Ill simply leave you with this wisdom I found on the internet, where it was attributed to a old Cherokee speaking to his grandson:

My son, theres a battle between two wolves inside us all.

One is Evil. Its anger, jealousy, greed, resentment, inferiority, lies and ego.

The other is Good. Its joy, peace, love, hope, humility, kindness and truth.

The boy thought about it, and asked:

Grandfather, which wolf wins?

The old man quietly replied:

The one you feed.

If anyone happens to be in Huntsville, Alabama, on Sunday, drop by the All Nations Church. My cousin would be happy to see you.
For 25 years Foreign Correspondent has showcased international stories.

Now, in a special one-hour collaboration with The New York Times, ABC flips the camera to get an outsiders take on race relations in Australia.

Through American Eyes is produced by Suzanne Smith at the special time of 8:30pm.

Race is John Eligons beat. He roams America reporting for The New York Times on the tensions, eruptions and occasional triumphs in race relations.

What might he make of relations here between Indigenous Australians and the rest of the country?

ABC TVs Foreign Correspondent and The New York Times decided to find out by sending Eligon on a journey across Australia.

As Eligon quickly learns, less than a lifetime ago indigenous Australians werent even counted in the Census. For many, wages came in rations of flour, sugar and tea. Days and destinies were subject to the whim of bureaucrats and missionaries.

So, having attained full equality under the law, having scored pivotal victories like native title rights, are Indigenous people truly in control of their lives? What more do they need to do for themselves? Is racism these days rare or routine?

John Eligon looks for some answers. In Western Australias Kimberley region he gets a taste of Indigenous life in a remote town.

Theres just a lotta troublemakers here Theres a lotta racism here  Aboriginal girl, 19

There he meets teenagers determined to make something of themselves. But they must rise above frequently unstable home lives and a suicide epidemic that is robbing them of family and friends.

In the same town Eligon follows a good-hearted cop who is trying to stop kids as young as six turning to crime. An elder takes Eligon on a trip to ancestral lands  and dishes out a scorching critique on the monster created by wasted mining royalties.

Next stop is idyllic Torres Strait, birthplace of legal trailblazer Eddie Mabo. Indigenous people here have more power than any others thanks to Mabo and a unique fishing treaty with Papua New Guinea.

Were gonna bloody rock your boat and were gonna sink your ship!  Islander fisherman recounting his ultimatum to white commercial fishermen accused of trespassing

In the Torres Strait John Eligon explores what the pay-off has been for the Islanders and how much autonomy they really have. On a white sand beach Eddie Mabos daughter Gail shows how her dad won his famous case  and channels what she thinks he would say about race relations were he alive today.

We have to fight harder to go upstream because the current coming the other way is trying to push us backwards  Gail Mabo

From the tropics Eligon heads to the suburbs  where most Indigenous Australians live. In Brisbanes gritty Inala, he meets a family that appears to defy the racial stereotypes.

University lecturer Chelsea, retired cop Matt and their five kids live in a nice house with a pool. Some 15 years ago Matt made a fateful decision to join the police force. He wanted to change what he saw as its racist culture. That noble effort nearly destroyed him when he fell out with white colleagues over a controversial Aboriginal death in custody.

As Matt and Chelsea learned over time, the signposts of upward mobility can be illusory.

Class does not remedy race  Chelsea

But like many of the Indigenous people Eligon encounters on his journey, the couple is determined to bridge the racial divide. As Chelsea sees it:

I think were a pretty resilient mob

8.30 pm Tuesday June 27 on ABC.
There are a range of media articles on the TEN administration today, ahead of creditors gathering today at the Sofitel Hotel in Sydney.

Heres a snapshot of what they are saying:

According to the Australian Financial Review, ex-ACCC boss Graeme Samuel says Lachlan Murdoch and Bruce Gordons move to potentially take control of the network after withdrawing their backing for a new loan to keep the broadcaster afloat is just clever business.

A cynical view may be they have manipulated the process, he said. I dont use that in any pejorative sense. By withdrawing the guarantees and knowing the board has got no choice but to put it in voluntary administration, then saying, Well now here we are, were here, were now ready to save the company weve just put in voluntary administration, thats just clever business, providing Parliament-government lets them get away with it.

But Professor Tim Dwyer of the University of Technologys department of media and communications tells Fairfax the ACMA should examine whether Murdoch and Gordon exerted control over the Board.

The situation at Network TEN is one where the Australian Communications and Media Authority should be looking closely at whether or not Mr Gordon and Mr Murdoch are already in breach of the cross media laws, he said.

Derek Wilding from the Faculty of Law at the University of Technology Sydney, said control arises if a person is able to veto the actions of a Board.

If media reports are correct, the conduct of some of the guarantors seems to exceed a mere decision not to renew the loan facility, he said.

Meanwhile, the Australian Shareholders Association which represents 17,000 small shareholders has been denied access to TENs creditors meeting today, and will instead receive a personal briefing.

Lachlan Murdoch and Bruce Gordon are not expected to attend.

UPDATED: The Australian has apologised for it article referring to Chairman David Gordon:

An article in The Australian on Monday (Ten chairman sold down stake, page 23) incorrectly stated that Network Ten chairman David Gordon sold 88 per cent of his shareholding in the company before it went into voluntary administration. The Australian acknowledges that Mr Gordon did not sell any shares in the company and in fact his shareholding increased in the period before the company was placed into administration. The reduction in the number of shares held was due to a 10:1 share consolidation applying to all shareholders, which took effect on January 25 last year. The Australian acknowledges that its statement was inaccurate and untrue and apologises to Mr Gordon. The article also stated that Mr Gordon and the Network Ten board failed to conduct scenario modelling on cashflow analysis and were caught unprepared when the three main shareholders decided not to back a financial restructuring of the broadcaster. The Australian also acknowledges that both of these statements were inaccurate and untrue and apologises to Mr Gordon and the board.
Asalamu alaikum.

On the occasion of Eid al-Fitr, I have the pleasure to convey my warmest greetings to all those for whom the month of fasting has come to an end, and who are coming together to celebrate.

While many take part in several days of celebration, others will have only brief reprieve from the heavy toll of conflict and hardship.

The world is yet again witnessing forced displacement on an unprecedented scale, with our latest figures pointing to 65.6 million people.

Children, who make up more than half of the worlds refugee population, continue to pay the highest price.

I honour the courage and steadfastness of the millions of forcibly displaced persons, many of which are born into conflict and whose existence is marred by the ugly consequences of war, violence and persecution.

This is a reality that millions of people face.

Their stories need to be told and their voices heard.

And so do the stories of those exhibiting, through their actions, the truest forms of solidarity, empathy, and compassion.

Throughout the holy month of Ramadan we witnessed countless such demonstrations.

Displaced families hosting iftars for their local hosts. Religious centres opening their doors to shelter the displaced. Citizens coming together to welcome newly-arrived asylum seekers.

May this Eid serve as a reminder that no contribution is too small and that the collective sum of our actions can help us ascend the steepest of climbs and overcome adversity.

When we stand with refugees and the forcibly uprooted, and those committed to supporting them, we send a powerful message of hope, dignity, respect and inclusion for all.

We stand with refugees and the displaced today, and everyday.

Eid Mubarak.


Alize at the Top of Palms Casino Resort is inviting guests to meet the restaurants brand new executive chef, Joshua Bianchi. The Michelin Star award-winning restaurant will host an exclusive dinner on Friday, June 30.

The Meet the Chef dinner will be a multi-course experience to showcase his new dishes and takes on classic Alize fare. The evening will begin with a reception at 6:30 p.m. followed by the five-course menu at 7 p.m.

Chef Bianchis menu reflects his diverse background blended with the traditional French cuisine that Alize guests are accustomed to. Each dish will be paired with complimentary wine selected by Beverage Director Patrick Trundle to highlight each dish.

Prior to joining Alize, Chef Bianchi was the opening chef for Drais Beachclub Las Vegas and Drais Vancouver. Within the past 10 years, he has worked for myriad talented chefs around the country including Florida Chef Norman Van Aken; Las Vegas Chef Julian Serrano of Picasso at Bellagio; New York Chef Tom Colicchio of Gramercy Tavern and Chef Daniel Boulud of Daniel Boulud Brasserie at Wynn Resort Las Vegas.

The multi-course menu on June 30 will include: Amuse Bouche

Copper River Salmon Crudo with beet jus and charred cucumber, as well as Beef Carpaccio with pepper relish and Osetra caviar

Featured wine: Pierre Sparr, Cremant Rose First Course

Duo of Hamachi and Ahi Tuna Tartar with snow crab and cucumber roulade, avocado, Amarillo aioli and double soy reduction

Featured wine: Pierre Sparr, Mambourg, Grand Cru Gewurztraminer 2014 Second Course

Sauteed Soft Shell Crab with Brandade

Featured wine: Hyde de Villaine, Chardonnay, Carneros 2013 Third Course

Seared Hudson Valley Foie Gras with brioche French toast with poached figs and toasted almonds

Featured wine: Royal Tokaji, Late Harvest 2015 Fourth Course

Crackling Pork Belly with roasted carrots, swiss chard, medjool dates and farro

Featured wine: Clau de Nell, Anne-Claude Leflaive, Cabernet Franc 2012 Fifth Course

Braised Beef Short Ribs with sweet corn puree and summer vegetable succotash

Featured wine: Chateau Simard, St. Emilion 2005 Dessert

Strawberry-Rhubarb Meringue with lemon-verbena gelato

Featured wine: Baumard, Quarts de Chaume 2012

The price is $170 per person (tax, beverage and gratuity not included). For more information or to make reservations, go to www.AlizeLV.com or call (702) 951-7000.
The Michelin Bib Gourmand awards for 2021 is out, with 69 restaurants making the cut for the coveted accolade.

Established in 1997, the Michelin Bib Gourmand award recognises restaurants that offer stellar food at an affordable price (capped at a maximum of S$45). The 12 new entries this year showcase the Singapore food scenes rich diversity of options, with some of the most beloved local hawker stalls and restaurants added to the list.

Whether youre hankering for new tastes or revisiting our sunny island and hoping to experience familiar flavours, you should check out our comprehensive guide to this years winners.

Muslim travellers looking for delicious Halal eats, thrilling itineraries or places of worship should check out the Muslim Visitors GuideDownload your copy here.

CENTRAL SINGAPORE

A stones throw from Singapores main shopping belt, Orchard Road, lies a whole range of delicious offerings:

Chinatown

A Noodle Story Editors note: Amoy Street Food Centre will be closed for renovation work from 11 October 2021 to January 2022. Check out A Noodle Storys online delivery site here. Founded by Gwern Khoo and Ben Thama pair of friends from culinary schoolA Noodle Story combines modern European techniques with Asian flavours to create a uniquely Singaporean-flavoured ramen. Leveraging on their training at Shatec and stints in the kitchens of Waku Ghin, Iggys and Saint Pierre, the duo founded their business in 2013, and first won Michelin Bib Gourmand plaudits in 2016. This hawker stalls signature dish is composed of springy egg noodles, roast pork, dumplings and potato-wrapped prawns, and topped off with a hard-boiled egg. Amoy Street Food Centre. 7 Maxwell Road #0139, Singapore 069111. +65 9027 6289.

MonFri 11.15am1.30pm, 5.157pm; Sat 11am1.15pm.

Famous Sungei Road Trishaw Laksa

The wisdom of the masses can be a great way to hone ones craft. This is evidenced by Daniel Sooowner of Famous Sungei Road Trishaw Laksawho literally crowdsourced the recipe of his famous dish by listening intently to customer feedback and suggestions. Besides laksa (spicy, coconut-based noodle soup), visitors should also try the stores signature mee siam (rice vermicelli in a sweet and sour gravy), which incorporates fruit juice for enhanced flavour.

Hong Lim Market & Food Centre. 531A Upper Cross Street #0266, Singapore 051531. +65 9750 8326.

Mon-Wed, Fri & Sat 10.15am-3pm.

Hong Kee Beef Noodle

Editors note: Amoy Street Food Centre will be closed for renovation work from 11 October 2021 to January 2022.

Originally located at Kock Street, this hawker has been in operation for over five decades. With beef stock thats cooked over 24 hours for maximum flavour, this hawker serves up comforting bowls of beef noodles from its stall in Amoy Street Food Centre. Be sure to get all the trimmingsincluding tripe and beef meatballsfor a full-on meat medley in your mouth.

Amoy Street Food Centre. 7 Maxwell Road #0142, Singapore 069111. +65 6323 1679.

MonFri 11am7.30pm; Sat & Sun 9am2.30pm.

Hoo Kee Bak Chang (Amoy Street Food Centre)

Editors note: Amoy Street Food Centre will be closed for renovation work from 11 October 2021 to January 2022. Check out Hoo Kee Bak Changs online delivery site here.

For over five decades, Hoo Kee has been serving up only one food item: bak chang (rice dumplings). Third-generation owner Ryk Chew juggled the business with his day job in a telecommunications company, before diving into F&B full-time in 2010. The establishments pyramid-shaped Hokkien dumplings are made from moist glutinous rice, filled with marinated pork and roasted chestnuts, and wrapped in fragrant bamboo leaves.

Amoy Street Food Centre. 7 Maxwell Road #0118, Singapore 069111. +65 6221 1155.

TueFri 11am3pm.

J2 Famous Crispy Curry Puff Editors note: Amoy Street Food Centre will be closed for renovation work from 11 October 2021 to January 2022. Singapores answer to the Spanish empanada, this savoury pastry is traditionally filled with curry chicken and potatoes. The husband-and-wife team whipping up these iconic treats stayed the course despite the closure of their original bakery, and opened J2 Famous Crispy Curry Puff in 2007. The stall offers a variety of flavours, including black pepper chicken and sardine. Amoy Street Food Centre. 7 Maxwell Road #0121, Singapore 069111. +65 9475 8425.

MonSat 8am4pm.

Kok Sen Restaurant Characterised by its old-school decor of white tiles and large wooden communal tables, this no-frills eatery in the Keong Saik enclave is famous for its wok-fried hor fun (flat rice flour noodles). Kok Sen Restaurants other top dishes are written on strips of paper in Mandarin and pasted on the wall, but if youre not conversant in Chinese, ask for suggestions or order the claypot yong tau foo (Hakka Chinese cuisine consisting primarily of tofu filled with ground meat mixture or fish paste). Kok Sen Restaurant. 3032 Keong Saik Road, Singapore 089137. +65 6223 2005.

Daily noon2.15pm, 510pm.

Lian He Ben Ji Claypot Rice Lian He Ben Ji Claypot Rice first opened its doors in 1979, and its current owner, Madam Lim, is the daughter-in-law of the stalls original founder. Having worked in hawker stalls since the age of 12, Madam Lim is no stranger to the nuances of creating this traditional staple: The claypot rice served here is cooked on charcoal stoves from scratch, with juicy meat thats marinated to perfection. Chinatown Complex. 335 Smith Street #02197/198/199, Singapore 050335. +65 6227 2470.

Daily 4.3010pm.

Hawker Chan Soya Sauce Chicken Rice & Noodle (78 Smith Street) Hawker Chan serves up popular Chinese hawker staples like soya sauce chicken rice and pork rib hor fun (flat rice flour noodles) to crowds of hungry customers. Fun fact: Chef-owner Chan Hon Mengs ultimate ambition is to bring the restaurant global and become the No.2 chicken eatery chain in the world, after KFC. Liao Fan Hawker Chan. 78 Smith Street, Singapore 058972. +65 6221 1668.

Daily 10.30am8pm.

Man Man Japanese Unagi Restaurant (Tanjong Pagar)

A concept by Chef Teppei Yamashita, Man Man Japanese Unagi Restaurant is famous for its succulent grilled eels, prepared in true Japanese fashion over charcoal pits. The rice and eels used at this restaurant are flown in fresh from Aichi prefecture, in the Chubu region of Japan.

Man Man Japanese Unagi Restaurant. 1 Keong Saik Road #0101, Singapore 089109. +65 6222 0678.

MonSat 11.30am3pm, 610.30pm.

Outram Park Fried Kway Teow Mee Originally founded in the 1950s at Metropole Cinema in Tanjong Pagar, Outram Park Fried Kway Teow has been a neighbourhood favourite for decades, and has since passed on from father to son. A word to the wise: The stall closes on Sundays, and you may want to get your noodle fix in the morning, to avoid the long queues during lunch. Hong Lim Market & Food Centre. 531A Upper Cross Street #0217, Singapore 051531.

MonSat 6am3pm

Tai Wah Pork Noodle

Established way back in 1939 along High Street, this grand old dame of a hawker stall is helmed by a third-generation founder, whos been making pork noodles at the stall since leaving national service. This stalls rendition of the dish includes lard which infuses the noodles with more flavour.

Hong Lim Market & Food Centre. 531A Upper Cross Street #0216, Singapore 051531. +65 8523 8881.

Tue-Sun 7.30am3pm.

Coconut Club

This popular restaurant at Ann Siang Road makes its return to the Michelin Bib Gourmand list in 2021, with its trademark nasi lemak (fragrant rice dish cooked in coconut milk and pandan leaf). Chow down on their fried chicken wings, indulge in squid with fiery sambal, and round off your feast with an assortment of kueh (bite-sized snacks or desserts).

Coconut Club. 28 Ann Siang Road, Singapore 069708. +65 6635 2999.

Mon 11am-3pm; Tue-Sun 11am-3pm, 6-9.30pm.

Tian Tian Hainanese Chicken Rice (Maxwell Food Centre) Much-raved about (and for good reason), Tian Tian Hainanese Chicken Rices winning secret is its traditional recipe, which is constantly being improved by stall owner Foo Kui Lian. While the tender steamed chicken featured in the dish is certainly delectable, this establishments chicken rice is most famous for its fragrant rice and complex, spicy chilli sauce. Maxwell Food Centre. 1 Kadayanallur Street #0110/11, Singapore 069184. +65 9691 4852.

TueSun 10am8pm.

Central Business District

Anglo Indian Cafe & Bar (Shenton Way)

Discover the diverse flavours of Indian cuisine at Anglo Indian, which serves up dishes that hearken back to the countrys colonial era. This establishments most popular dishes include juicy meats like Tandoori Chicken, mouth-watering curries like Rogan Josh, as well as iconic flatbreads like naan and kulcha.

Anglo Indian Cafe & Bar. 1 Shenton Way #0108, Singapore 068803. +65 6636 9411.

Daily 11am10pm.

Chens Mapo Tofu (Shenton Way)

A must-visit for adventurous foodies, Chens Mapo Tofu serves up dishes inspired by both Japanese and Szechuan cuisine. The latter is known for dishes that possess a characteristic, numbing spiciness. Order their Set Meal 2, which comes with a portion of mapo tofu (bean curd with spicy sauce and meat), a portion of dan dan mian (noodles in a spicy sauce of szechuan peppers), and a drink to quell the heat!

OUE Downtown Gallery. 6A Shenton Way #0229, Singapore 068809. +65 6221 3206.

Daily 11am8.30pm.

Orchard

INDOCAFE - the white house

Housed within an elegant white building along Scotts Road, INDOCAFE - the white house serves up feasts for both the eyes and the palate. Soak in the restaurants old-school colonial ambience, while delighting in Peranakan* dishes like kueh pie tee (pastry filled with vegetables and prawns) and ayam buah keluak (braised chicken served with a sauce made from black nut).

INDOCAFE - the white house. 35 Scotts Road, Singapore 228227. +65 6733 2656.

TueSun noon2.30pm, 610pm.

*The term is an Indonesian/Malay word that means local born, which generally refers to people of Chinese and Malay/Indonesian heritage.

Clarke Quay/Dhoby Ghaut

Da Shi Jia Big Prawn Mee

Owned by second-generation hawker Seth Sim, Da Shi Jia Prawn Mee made waves with local food critics when it first opened in 2018. Customise your piping hot bowl of soup by picking your choice of noodle, size of prawn and various toppingsincluding fish cake, pork ribs and sliced pork.

Da Shi Jia Big Prawn Mee. 89 Killiney Road, Singapore 239534. +65 8908 6949.

Daily 11am-9pm.

Song Fa Bak Kut Teh (New Bridge Road) Once eaten by coolies, bak kut teh (peppery pork soup) was brought to Singapore from Fujian by Chinese migrant labourers in the 19th century and has since evolved into a much-beloved comfort food. Second-generation owners Diana Yeo and Hart Pong may have modernised the stall (you can order your meal on an iPad), but Song Fa Bak Kut Tehs rendition of this peppery, garlicky delight stays true to the familys original recipe. Song Fa Bak Kut Teh. 11 New Bridge Road #0101, Singapore 059383. +65 6533 6128.

Daily 9.30am9.30pm.

True Blue Cuisine

Peranakan dishes are notorious for the time and effort needed to cook them properly, but True Blue Cuisine more than delivers when it comes to the rigours of preparation. The restaurants opulent, traditional interior matches the rich flavours of its offerings, which include itek sio (braised duck in sweet sauce) and ngoh hiang (meat rolls).

True Blue Cuisine. 47/49 Armenian Street, Singapore 179937. +65 6440 0449.

Daily 11.30am2.30pm, 5.309.30pm.

Yhingthai Palace

With an emphasis on top-quality ingredients, Yhingthai Palace offers a menu of Thai and Thai-Chinese comfort food, including Thai papaya salad, Thai green curry and pineapple rice with prawns and pork floss. Dont let the grand exterior of the restaurant intimidate youMost of the dishes served here are pretty affordable.

Yhingthai Palace. 36 Purvis Street #0104, Singapore 188613. +65 6337 1161.

Daily 11.30am2pm, 610pm.

Kampong Gelam

Hjh Maimunah (Jalan Pisang) [Halal] A great option for large groups or foodies who crave diverse flavours, Hjh Maimunahs menu showcases the rich variety of Malay and Indonesian cuisine. The establishment boasts over 40 dishes meant to be paired with rice, including local favourites like beef rendang (braised meat cooked in coconut meat and spices), tahu telur (fried beancurd in sweet sauce) and siput sedut (sea snails in coconut gravy). Hjh Maimunah Restaurant. 11 & 15 Jalan Pisang, Singapore 199078. +65 6297 4294.

MonSat 7am8pm.

Newton

Alliance Seafood

Run by a duo of brothers whove been honing their craft for over three decades, Alliance Seafood offers up much-beloved Singaporean seafood staples: Black pepper crab and chilli crab. The crustaceans used in these dishes are of the plump Sri Lankan variety, and hungry diners can order a set menu that includes one whole crab, cereal prawns, fried rice and deep-fried mantou (Chinese buns).

Newton Food Centre. 500 Clemenceau Avenue North #0127, Singapore 229495. +65 9643 7234.

MonFri 311pm; Sat & Sun 111pm.

Fresh Taste Big Prawn Noodle An establishment thats won multiple accolades from both food critics and local media outlets, Fresh Taste Big Prawn Noodle certainly delivers on what its name suggests, offering up succulent prawns in a delicious savoury broth, with springy pork skin and yellow noodles on the side. Zion Riverside Food Centre. 70 Zion Road #0104, Singapore 247792.

Tue-Sun 11.30am-10pm.

Heng (Newton Food Centre)

Unlike its sweet Western counterpart, carrot cake in Singapore is not a cake. Instead, its a fried, savoury dish made with white radish, eggs and sambal (chilli paste). This Newton Food Centre stall serves up an exemplary rendition of the crowd favourite, with a perfectly crispy exterior and a moist, soft interior.

Newton Food Centre. 500 Clemenceau Avenue North #0128, Singapore 229495. +65 9766 1616.

Mon, Wed & Thu, Sat & Sun 5pm-1am; Fri 6pm-1am.

Kwang Kee Teochew Fish Porridge

With a history that dates back over six decades, Kwang Kee Teochew Fish Porridge is famous for its fish-based hawker dishes. Besides the porridge, foodies looking for a carb fix can select from a range of noodles to accompany their choice of soup.

Newton Food Centre. 500 Clemenceau Avenue North #01-20, Singapore 229495. +65 9769 9893.

Tue-Sun 11am-8pm.

Tanjong Pagar

Bar-Roque Grill Pun aside, Bar-Roque Grill stands out for its pitch perfect French fare, modelled after the dishes on offer at a rustic Parisian bistro. Dishes at this restaurant include the French spring chicken with crispy potatoes, as well as the black angus ribeye with baby romaine salad. Bar-Roque Grill. 165 Tanjong Pagar Road #0100, Singapore 088539. +65 6444 9672.

Tue-Sat 11.30-2.30pm; 6-9pm.

The Blue Ginger Get acquainted with the complex flavours of Peranakan cuisine at The Blue Ginger Restaurant, a 22-year-old eatery that specialises in nonya (Peranakan) fare. Popular classics here include bakwan kepiting (meatballs made of crab and minced pork) and assam gulai (fish in a spicy, sour stew). The Blue Ginger. 97 Tanjong Pagar Road, Singapore 088518. +65 6222 3928.

Daily noon3pm, 6.3010.30pm.

Whole Earth A vegetarian paradise thats likely to convert diehard carnivores, Whole Earth has been specialising in Peranakan-Thai fusion cuisine since 2003. Step into the restaurant and youll instantly notice the smell of homemade sambal (chilli paste) used in their sambal kangkong (water spinach). The eatery is also known for its Penang rendang (braised meat cooked in coconut milk and spices), made with shiitake mushrooms instead of meat. Whole Earth. 76 Peck Seah Street, Singapore 079331. +65 6221 6583.

Daily 11.30am3pm, 5.3010pm.

Toa Payoh

Balestier Road Hoover Rojak

With its blend of ingredients and various cultural interpretations, one could say that rojak (a sweet and savoury salad of vegetables, fruits and dough fritters) is symbolic of Singapores multi-ethnic food culture. Get a taste of this iconic dish at Balestier Road Hoover Rojak. Now manned by second-generation hawker Stanley Lim, the store has managed to retain its position on the Bib Gourmand List for the past two years.

Whampoa Makan Place. Blk 90 Whampoa Drive #0106, Singapore 320090. +65 6253 0137.

WedSun 10.30am4pm.

Beach Road Fish Head Bee Hoon (Whampoa Makan Place)

Beach Road Fish Head Bee Hoon specialises in variations of fish soup, a classic comfort food and hawker staple. We suggest sampling their signature dish, which consists of fried rice vermicelli noodles and tender slices of fish in a light, milky broth. Youll want to make this a breakfast pit stop to avoid the snaking queue.

Whampoa Makan Place. 91 Whampoa Drive #0146, Singapore 320090.

MonTue, ThuFri & Sun 9am2pm.

Chey Sua Carrot Cake A stall thats been serving hungry customers for over five decades, Chey Sua Carrot Cake is currently manned by second-generation hawkers Grace and Shirley. The two sisters have been whipping up this simple dish for over twenty years. Toa Payoh West Food Centre. Blk 127 Lorong 1 Toa Payoh #0230, Singapore 310127.

TueSun 6.30am1pm.

Chef Kangs Noodle House

Helmed by Michelin-starred Chef Ang Song Kang, this hawker stall serves up one of our islands most popular disheswanton mee (egg noodles with dumplings). Chef Kang doesnt attempt to reinvent the wheel with his take on this classic, but the juicy cuts of char siew, springy noodles and flavourful wantons that comprise this dish certainly make it worth trying!

Jackson Square. 11 Toa Payoh Lorong 3 Block B, Singapore 319579.

TueFri 8am4pm; Sat & Sun 8am2pm.

NORTH

Yishun

Hainan Zi

For a fried feast, make a beeline for Hainan Zi. This neighbourhood haunt is famous for local treats like char kway teow (fried noodle dish), fried oyster omelette and chai tow kway (a savoury dish made with white radish, eggs and chilli paste), with the former earning plaudits from Michelins inspectors.

Chong Pang Market and Food Centre. 105 Yishun Ring Road #01-129, Singapore 760105.

Daily 8.30am-9pm.

NORTH EAST

Take a trip into Singapores suburbs to discover a world of tantalising, spicy dishes and authentic Indian cuisine.

Little India/Farrer Park

Bismillah Biryani (50 Dunlop Street) [Halal] Located in the vibrant South Asian enclave of Little India, this North Indian restaurant is most famous for what it boldly claims to be the best biryani (an Indian spiced rice dish with meat or vegetables) in Singapore. Numerous plaudits aside (the restaurant was praised by Lonely Planet as having the best biryani this side of the Bay of Bengal), the proof is in the eating, so go ahead and dig into an aromatic mountain of spiced rice and tender meat. Bismillah Biryani. 48 & 50 Dunlop Street, Singapore 209379. +65 6935 1326.

Daily 11.30am9pm. Kotuwa Sri Lankan seafood takes centre stage at Kotuwa, helmed by Chef Rishi Naleendra of Michelin-starred Cheek Bistro. Some of the most popular dishes here include crab cutlets, yellow curry with sea bass and fried calamari tossed in curry leaves and chilli butter. Wanderlust Hotel. 2 Dickson Road First Floor, Singapore 209494. +65 6970 7838.

Wed-Fri 6-10pm; Sat & Sun 11am-3pm, 6-10pm.

Lagnaa Experience a dining experience sans shoes at Lagnaa, a barefoot dining restaurant that specialises in food from across the Indian subcontinent. Visitors hankering to have their spice fix should order their fish curry and mutton masala (or mutton curry; masala means spices). Lagnaa. 6 Upper Dickson Road, Singapore 207466. +65 6296 1215.

Tue-Sun 11.30am10.30pm.

Muthus Curry (Little India) First established in 1969 by Mr Ayyakkannu, Muthus Curry is as much a family legacy as it is a local favourite. The restaurant is famous for a South Indian version of fish head curry that was concocted by its founder, and which remains safeguarded by his sons till today. Muthu's Curry. 138 Race Course Road #0101, Singapore 218591. +65 6392 1722.

Daily 10.30am10.30pm.

EAST

Explore the bustling streets of Geylang and take a stroll along the scenic beaches along East Coast before digging into the diverse food offerings in the vicinity.

Geylang

Eminent Frog Porridge & Seafood Located in the heart of Geylang, this stall opens until 4am and is the perfect place for late-night diners. True to its name, Eminent Frog Porridge & Seafood is most famous for its frog leg porridge, but also serves up other unique dishes, such as homemade chilli frog (cooked with chilli crab-style sauce). Eminent Frog Porridge & Seafood. 323 Geylang Road Lorong 19, Singapore 389359. +65 9842 2941.

Daily 5pm4am.

Jun Yuan House of Fish



For a taste of tradition, have a meal at Jun Yuan House of Fish. Run by second-generation hawkers, this stall cooks up a wide variety of Teochew-style herbal soups. Opt for the sliced fish soup if youre looking for a light meal, or go all-in with their herbal seafood soupthe latter comes with a generous helping of meatballs, prawns and fish.

Old Airport Road Food Centre. 51 Old Airport Road #01-69, Singapore 390051. +65 8161 8825.

Mon-Wed, Fri-Sun 10.30am-9.30pm.

Lao Fu Zi Fried Kway Teow

It may be charmingly named after a nostalgic comic strip from Hong Kong, but the flavours on display at this hawker stall are no laughing matter. Its signature char kway teow (stir-fried rice cake strips) is served up with a medley of cockles, Chinese sausage and crunchy bean sprouts.

Old Airport Road Food Centre. 51 Old Airport Road #0112, Singapore 390051.

Daily 11.45am10pm.

To-Ricos Guo Shi (Old Airport Road Food Centre)

One of the most popular stalls at the bustling Old Airport Road Food Centre, To-Ricos Guo Shi has been serving up kway chap (pig innards and meat, served in soya sauce with flat rice noodles), for over three decades. Long lunch time queues are the norm, but the dishs rich, savoury flavour and silky texture certainly makes it worth the wait.

Old Airport Road Food Centre. 51 Old Airport Road #01135/136, Singapore 390051. +65 9388 1098.

WedFri 11am3pm; Sat & Sun 11am3pm.

Sik Bao Sin (Desmonds Creation)

Founded by second-generation hawker Desmond Chia, Sik Bao Sin serves up traditional Cantonese dishes inspired by the legacy of his father, Mr Chia Kok Hoong. The specialities here are undoubtedly the wok-fried dishes, most notably the stir-fried beef with kai lan (Chinese leafy vegetable).

Sik Bao Sin (Desmond's Creation). 592 Geylang Road (between Lorong 34 & 36), Singapore 389531. +65 6744 3757.

Tue-Sun 11.45am2.30pm, 5.459.30pm.

Sin Huat Eating House

A seafood restaurant in the vibrant neighbourhood of Geylang, Sin Huat Eating House is famous for its crab bee hoon (rice vermicelli noodles). Chef-owner Danny is known for his straight-talking, colourful personality, flavourful dishes and rigorous work ethic when it comes to the culinary craft.

Sin Huat Eating House. 659/661 Geylang Road (junction of Lorong 35), Singapore 389589.

Daily 6.30pm1am.

East Coast/Marine Parade

Zaffron Kitchen (East Coast)[Halal] Known for serving up unpretentious South Asian staples, Zaffron Kitchen is a great place for a taste of North and South Indian cuisine. The butter chicken is a crowd favourite, and youll definitely want to pair it with the restaurants many flatbreads and delicious, tandoor-cooked meats. Zaffron Kitchen. 135/137 East Coast Road, Singapore 428820. +65 6440 6786.

MonThu 11.30am3pm, 510pm; Fri 11.30am3pm, 510.30pm; Sat & Sun 11.30am10.30pm.

Bedok/Tanah Merah

Bedok Chwee Kueh (Bedok Interchange Hawker Centre)

If youre hankering for a bite-sized taste of Singapores rich hawker tradition, the chwee kueh (steamed rice cakes) from this hawker stall are bound to sate your cravings. Commonly eaten for breakfast, this humble dishs simple ingredientssteamed rice cakes with pickled radish and a side of chilli saucebelies its rich flavour and melt-in-your-mouth texture.

Bedok Interchange Hawker Centre. 208A New Upper Changi Road #0119, Singapore 460208.

Daily 7am8pm.

Hock Hai (Hong Lim) Curry Chicken Noodle (Bedok Interchange Hawker Centre) [

A popular haunt of East-side locals craving comfort food on rainy days, this stall serves up piping hot bowls of chicken curry and noodles that are sure to satisfy. If youre averse to spicy food, fret notthe curry used in this noodle dish is relatively mild and spicier sambal (chilli paste) is served separately.

Bedok Interchange Hawker Centre. 208 New Upper Changi Road #0158, Singapore 460207. +65 6342 3681.

Daily 9am11pm.

WEST

Discover the lush green spaces and nature reserves of western Singapore, before embarking on a culinary adventure in the citys heartlands.

Holland Village/Buona Vista

Chuan Kee Boneless Braised Duck

Made from a closely guarded secret recipe for over a decade, Chuan Kee Boneless Braised Duck offers no-frills, traditional versions of assorted duck dishes. The poultry is tender with a layer of fatty skin and is accompanied by a side of peppery herbal soup.

Ghim Moh Market & Food Centre. 20 Ghim Moh Road #0104, Singapore 270020.

MonSat 10am8pm.

Guan Kee Fried Kway Teow (Ghim Moh Market and Food Centre)

Manned by husband-wife duo Tan Hock Guan and Chang Kha Noi, this stall has a history that dates back to 1969. The couple have built up a loyal following over the decades, and their version of fried kway teow has been lauded by local critics for its fragrant aroma and harmonious balance of flavours.

Ghim Moh Market and Food Centre. 20 Ghim Moh Road #0119, Singapore 270020.

Tue & Wed 7.30am2pm; Sat 7.30am2pm

New Lucky Claypot Rice

Helmed by Chong Yee Hong, who first opened his shop in 1979, New Lucky Claypot Rice at Holland Drive Market makes for a great meal outing with a group of friends. The stalls signature is a hearty, charcoal fried rice claypot consisting of chicken, salted fish and Chinese sausage, that can feed up to four diners. The claypots are lovingly cooked over charcoal for 45 minutes, and good things come to those who wait!

Holland Drive Market & Food Centre. Blk 44 Holland Drive #0219, Singapore 270044. +65 6778 7808.

Mon & Tue 11am-12.30pm, 5-8pm; Thu-Sun 11am-1pm, 5-8pm.

Sin Kee Famous Cantonese Chicken Rice (Holland Drive)

A family establishment passed down from father to son, Sin Kee Chicken Rice is famous for its aromatic rendition of the dish. Sticking to his roots, the second-generation hawker manning this stall uses traditional Cantonese cooking methods he learnt from his father, soaking the poached chicken in water to ensure that the meat is both tender and flavourful.

Sin Kee Famous Cantonese Chicken Rice. 40 Holland Drive, Singapore 270040. +65 8428 7865.

TueSun 11am7pm.

Jurong East

Fei Fei Roasted Noodle

A popular haunt of foodies in Western Singapore, Fei Fei Roasted Noodles signature dish comprises springy noodles doused in a savoury sauce, and topped with tender slices of char siew (Cantonese-style barbequed pork) and shrimp wanton.

Yuhua Village Market and Food Centre. 254 Jurong East Street 24 #01-28, Singapore 600254.

Mon-Sat 9am-12.30pm.

Heng Heng Cooked Food

Oodles of noodles await hungry foodies at Heng Heng Cooked Food. This three-decade-old establishment serves up piping hot bowls of laksaserved with fish slices, deep-fried tofu and cocklesas well as prawn mee thats the perfect blend of savoury and spicy.

Yuhua Village Market and Food Centre. 254 Jurong East Street 24 #01-12, Singapore 600254.

Daily 8.30am-7.30pm.

Joo Siah Bak Koot Teh



With its flavourful broth and succulent pork ribs, this hawker stalls bak kut teh has been a mainstay of the local hawker food scene for over three decades. Second-generation owner Ryan Chuas take on this classic comfort food is a flavourful, garlicky delight.

Kai Xiang Food Centre. 349 Jurong East Avenue 1 #01-1215, Singapore 600349. +65 9111 8129.

Tue-Sat 8am-7.15pm; Sun 8am-3.30pm.

Lai Heng Handmade Teochew Kueh

An ideal option for a quick breakfast or a mid-afternoon indulgence, this stall is famous for its Teochew-style dumplings, packed with a variety of fillings. Visitors can order either a traditional steamed version, or a pan-fried variant, filled with their choice of chives, glutinous rice or bamboo shoots and turnips.

Yuhua Place Market & Hawker Centre. 347 Jurong East Avenue 1 #01-218, Singapore 600347. +65 9455 6341.

Tue-Sun 6.30am-2.30pm.

Zai Shun Curry Fish Head

The owner of Zai Shun Curry Fish Head, Ong Cheng Kee, has spent almost four decades selling their signature curry fish head, but the other dishes on offer at this stallwhich include fish steamed in a Teochew style and watercress with oyster sauceare definitely worth a try as well.

Zai Shun Curry Fish Head. 253 Jurong East Street 24 #01205, Singapore 600253. +65 6560 8594.

MonTue, ThuSun 7am3pm.

Jurong West

Jian Bo Tiong Bahru Shui Kueh (Jurong West 505 Market & Food Centre)

If youre looking for a quick snack instead of a hearty meal, drop by Jurong West 505 Market and Food Centre and order a plate of shui kueh (steamed rice cake) from this stall. The pillowy-soft texture of the rice cake and flavourful preserved radishes used in this dish are bound to satisfy.

Jurong West 505 Market & Food Centre. 505 Jurong West Street 52 #01-27, Singapore 640505.

Daily 5.30am-9pm.

Soh Kee Cooked Food

The ideal meal for a rainy afternoon, Soh Kee Cooked Foods porridge is bound to warm your belly. The stall serves up its porridge with steamed chicken, but you can also opt for fish or cuttlefish if youre in the mood for seafood.

Jurong West 505 Market & Food Centre. 505 Jurong West Street 52 #01-44, Singapore 640505.

Wed-Fri 9.30am-7.30pm; Sat 8am-7pm; Sun 8am-1pm.

SOUTH

Discover traditional tastes and old-school hawkers in the vicinity of Tiong Bahru, a hip enclave that happens to be one of Singapores oldest housing estates.

Bukit Merah

Ah Er Soup (ABC Brickworks Food Centre)

The Chinese take a holistic view towards health, perceiving food and medicine as two sides of the same coin. Chen Hua Qiang and Qu Fa Daithe couple behind Ah Er Souphave been ladling out slow-boiled Cantonese herbal soups for over two decades. Be sure to order a piping hot bowl of their signature Buddha Jumps Over The Wall soup, and pair it with a bowl of fragrant pumpkin rice.

ABC Brickworks Food Centre. 6 Jalan Bukit Merah #01141, Singapore 150006.

MonFri 11am2pm, 58pm; Sun 5-8pm.

Chai Chuan Tou Yang Rou Tang (Bukit Merah View Food Centre) Chai Chuan Tou Yang Rou Tang has been serving up rich, Teochew-style mutton soup from Bukit Merah View Hawker Centre for over three decades. The fact that this stall only opens for lunch is testament to how quickly its signature dish sells out. Pro-tip: The owners are more than happy to top up your soup, so dont be shy to ask for a refill! Bukit Merah View Food Centre. Blk 115 Bukit Merah View #0151, Singapore 151115.

TueSat 11am1.30pm.

Depot Road Zhen Shan Mei Claypot Laksa Founded back in 1995, this stall is manned by second-generation hawker Zhang Ji Lin. The laksa that this stall is famous for is served up in a claypota method which requires greater effort in preparation, but keeps the dish piping hot and retains all its flavours. Alexandra Village Food Centre. Blk 120 Bukit Merah Lane 1 #0175, Singapore 151120. +65 9088 9203.

MonFri 9am3.30pm; Sat 9am-2pm.

Hong Kong Yummy Soup (Alexandra Village Food Centre)

If youre looking for a healthier dining option, Hong Kong Yummy Soup is definitely the place to bethey serve up six different, MSG-free varieties of soup. If thats not enough to fill your stomach, there are two other side dishes to choose fromsteamed chicken wings in lotus leaves, and steamed pork ribs with black bean.

Alexandra Village Food Centre. Blk 120 Bukit Merah Lane 1 #0151, Singapore 151120.

MonFri noon8.30pm.

Na Na Homemade Curry (Bukit Merah)

To experience comfort food like our mothers used to make, pay a visit to Na Na Homemade Curry. Singaporeans love for this fiery meal crosses cultural boundaries, and youll be able to taste exactly why when you dig into this stalls signature curry fish head.

Bukit Merah View Food Centre. Blk 115 Bukit Merah View #0147, Singapore 151115. +65 9106 4316.

MonSat 11am7pm.

Shi Hui Yuan (Mei Ling Market & Food Centre)

Serving up Ipoh-style hor fun (flat rice flour noodles) since the 1950s, this second-generation hawkers signature dish is cooked with slices of succulent chicken, tender duck meat and juicy mushrooms, atop a mound of silky smooth noodles.

Mei Ling Market & Food Centre. 159 Mei Chin Road #0233, Singapore 140159.

ThuSun 8am2pm.

Tiong Bahru Yi Sheng Fried Hokkien Prawn Mee

Founded in the 1950s by Toh Seng Wang, this stall originally hawked its dishes from a pushcart along the streets of Tiong Bahru. Since moving to ABC Brickworks Food Centre, Mr Toh has passed the recipe on to his son, who has an immense passion for the craft.

ABC Brickworks Food Centre. 6 Jalan Bukit Merah #0113, Singapore 150006.

Mon & Tue, ThuSun 310.30pm.

Fu Ming Cooked Food (Redhill Food Centre)

A staple dish that has its roots in Chinese-Teochew cuisine, chai tow kway (fried cubes of radish) comes in two variationsa white version thats fried with a beaten egg, and a black version that gets its colour from a sweet soy sauce. This hawker stall serves up both varieties of this crispy, fragrant dish, and youll want to sample both to see which you prefer.

Redhill Food Centre. Blk 85 Redhill Lane #0149, Singapore 150085. +65 9641 0565.

MonSat 5pm1am; Sun 61am.

Tiong Bahru

Hong Heng Fried Sotong Prawn Mee

With signature Hokkien mee (fried prawn noodles) cooked to order in small batches and fried up in a wok to retain its traditional, slightly charred flavour, its no wonder that Hong Heng Fried Sotong Prawn Mee has been around as long as Tiong Bahru Market itself. Be sure to visit this stall early in the day, as their dishes tend to sell out before their listed closing time of 7.30pm.

Tiong Bahru Market. 30 Seng Poh Road #0201, Singapore 168898.

TueSun 11am3pm, 4.307.30pm.

Ka-Soh Restaurant (Outram Park)

Also known as Swee Kee Fish Noodle Stall, this establishment serves up traditional Cantonese fare. Before setting down roots in Chin Chew Street, original founder Tang Kwong Swee worked from a pushcart at the now-defunct Great World Amusement Park. The restaurant specialises in a range of Cantonese comfort food, from claypot tofu and fried prawn paste chicken to piping hot bowls of fish soup.

Alumni Medical Centre. 2 College Road, Singapore 169850. +65 6473 6686.

Daily 11.30am2pm, 5.309pm.

Tiong Bahru Hainanese Boneless Chicken

Chicken rice purists will tell you that steamed chicken is the only option when it comes to Singapores unofficial national dish, but you should be able to pick whatever tantalises your taste buds. Tiong Bahru Hainanese Boneless Chicken Rice allows you to mix and match roast and steamed chicken, so that you can enjoy the best of both worlds. Be sure to sample their homemade chilli sauce for an added punch.

Tiong Bahru Market. 30 Seng Poh Road #0282, Singapore 168898. +65 9750 9846.

TueSun 10am8pm.

Koh Brother Pigs Organ Soup (Tiong Bahru Market)

Second-generation hawker Thomas Koh left his career in graphic design to help his parents man Koh Brothers Pigs Organ Soup, which has been around since the 1950s. This stalls signature disha peppery soup of pig innards and pickled vegetables served with rice remains a crowd favourite for its robust, meaty taste.

Tiong Bahru Market. 80 Seng Poh Road #0229, Singapore 168898. +65 8113 7218.

TueSat 8.30am-3.30pm, 6-8.30pm; Sun 8.30am3.30pm.
In 2008, the small village of Union Grove officially became a college town when Shepherds College opened its doors.

As the brainchild of Shepherds Ministries, our college was created to be a specialized, post-secondary option for students with intellectual and development disabilities. Shepherds College was the first of its kind in the country, offering on-campus residential housing, faith-based programming, functional academics, job skills training and, at the time, two majors  horticulture and culinary arts.

As the program grew over the years, Shepherds College attained accreditation through the COE, the Council on Occupational Education, and added a third major, technology, keeping the school at the head of its field.

One key feature that contributed to the success of Shepherds College was its placement in the safe and welcoming community of Union Grove, located in the heart of Racine County. The people and businesses in the community embraced our students and their families, instilling a sense of belonging that can be difficult to find for people with intellectual disabilities in more traditional post-secondary environments.

Community support is instrumental to the continued success of Shepherds College. The horticulture program is partially funded by the greenhouse sales open to the public every spring and fall, as well as the planters created by the students and offered to local businesses.

All three majors  horticulture, culinary arts and technology  count on Racine County businesses for field experience opportunities for our students in restaurants, farms, stores, offices and other industries. These experiences offer hands-on learning that enhances the abilities of our students and gives them the confidence theyll need to succeed in their quest for independence.

We encourage those in our community to visit Shepherds College during the school week, whether as volunteers, potential donors or guests.

Our school needs local volunteers experienced in special education, horticulture, culinary arts, technology or special hobbies that can be offered as extracurricular activities. Shepherds College is also very active in Special Olympics and is always looking for responsible, encouraging people to work with the Shepherds College Soaring Eagles teams.

As a nonprofit, we rely on donations from generous people and businesses who have a passion for bringing quality, faith-based education to people with intellectual disabilities. If you would like to support Shepherds College in this way, please send a check to: Shepherds College, 1805 15th Ave., Union Grove, WI 53182.

Several important projects currently needing funding are the renovation of our third-year student housing, new flooring for the gymnasium used for Special Olympics and other events, recreational tables for the Commons area, and new vans.

To learn more about Shepherds College, please visit our website at www.shepherdscollege.edu or arrange a tour of the campus, Monday through Friday, by contacting Brian Canright at 262-878-6365 or bcanright@shepherdscollege.edu.

Thank you to the Racine County community for your loyal support of the work we do to bring dignity, purpose and independence to young adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
Sometimes, we really just need a silly life imitating craft moment to give us an excuse to reminisce about fond memories from our favorite sitcoms. This is not one of those times. Kidding! Adam Scott, who charmed the hell out of everyone as Park and Recreations resident Ice Clown and calzone enthusiast Ben Wyatt, went to Italy this week to engage in some culinary activities  and lets just say his attempt at making a simple pizza birthed an outstanding in-joke that only Park and Recs inner circle of millions could truly appreciate. As fate would have it, my pizza-making class in Italy goes awry, so the chef saves me by turning it into a calzone, he tweeted. Translation: Highway to the Calzone Zone! (Or the Low-Cal Calzone Zone. We dont know your Neapolitan diet preferences.)

Pizza is old news, everyone. Its your grandfathers calzone. Say hello to a portable, delicious meal that is its own container. Its a whole new spin on Italian fast-casual dining.

We guess we can say it was the pizza that betrayed him this time.
Bankers as a group arent best known for their sense of humor.

But who else could unleash an April Fools joke that, a full month later, results in the formation of a governing board of respected professionals and still manages to get laughs?

The Waco Bank District started with a press release April 1 announcing a group of bankers less than serious response to the nebulous designation of several downtown-area districts. Fittingly, the Bank District centers around another of Wacos stranger features, a triangle of major roads formed by Valley Mills Drive, Bosque Boulevard and Lake Air Drive, where the member banks are clustered.

It definitely started as a joke, said Bryan Fonville, marketing director at Central National Bank. But Ive said all along that it doesnt mean its a bad idea. Honestly, since we launched it weve had interest from other businesses that have expressed that this maybe should become a thing, and saying, How do we become a part of the bank district? 

Uncle Dans Barbecue, for one, has joined in with the districts social media accounts, and a recent Bank District tweet promotes the restaurant. The district has posted about business and real estate news in its area and, on a different note, even gave some traffic news earlier this month.

With a picture of a worker directing traffic, a tweet reads, Traffic signal repairs currently ongoing at Valley Mills & Wooded Acres. Expect traffic delays of approximately 20 seconds.

Toaster video

The district also is following up on an early promise that its social media followers would be randomly entered into drawings for free toasters, a nod to banks of old that gave toasters to new account holders, said Fonville, the districts spokesman.

The Waco Bank District is now the premier banking district in all of Texas, and not just because its probably the only one, Fonville said in a video promoting the first toaster giveaway. He then goes into a dramatic rundown of the toasters features, complete with punchy background music.

In a show of support for part of the Waco Cultural District, a more formal peer to the bankers effort, the Bank District social media accounts have also promoted a few Waco Civic Theatre performances, which Central National Bank sponsors.

Fiona Bond, who successfully spearheaded Creative Wacos recent bid to establish a state-recognized cultural district, is skeptical that bank officials followed correct protocol, the districts original April 1 press release states.

You cant just look around and say, Yeah, there are a lot of banks around here. Lets put together a map and call ourselves a district. It doesnt quite work like that, Bond said in the press release. If it did, wed already have multiple church districts in this city.

Fonville said the groups leaders admire Wacos growth and business potential and that the district has fostered a visual identity for the area.

Dan Ingham, vice president of marketing and communications at The First National Bank of Central Texas, serves as the districts president.

I would think were joining in on the fun, Ingham said of the proliferation of Waco districts. Any of us that are involved in this community are excited about whats happening in the Silo District downtown. You cant help but be thrilled with that.

Governing board

Ingham leads the five-member governing board that includes representatives from The First National Bank of Central Texas, Community Bank & Trust and Central National Bank.

So far, the district doesnt include any credit unions.

But, district representatives suggested this was because there are simply no nearby credit unions and that it had nothing to do with the fact that credit unions dont pay any federal income tax,  the April 1 press release states.

Still, Fonville said, the district has a plan to move ahead. The upcoming expansion of the nearby Extraco Events Center should benefit the area, and the district will soon accept new members, even though the benefits of membership are unknown.

Some tangible goals include a district Snapchat filter, district T-shirts and hosting or sponsoring an event, he said.

If it somehow ends up meaningfully supporting the local businesses and residents in this area, Id think that would be a win, Fonville said. And, if we make people laugh along the way at the fake district that turned into a real district but still sort of acts like a fake district, then I think that just adds to the already unique spirit of Waco.
By now, many eloquent tributes have been composed regarding late Waco City Councilman Wilbert Austin, the modest civil-rights icon who in 1974 served as one of nine plaintiffs in a lawsuit successfully pressing for single-member Waco City Council districts, allowing minorities access to local leadership roles. The 1976 court ruling served as a wake-up call for other governmental entities to do likewise.

Yet, ironically, it then took Rev. Austin six tries before he finally won election in 2006 to the District 1 City Council seat that in some respects he helped create. He remained on the council 11 years, his service marked by everything from confronting neighborhood drug dealers to mowing the lawns of impoverished widows in East Waco, till serious illness compelled him to honorably retire from the post. He died last week at age 76.

On those not-so-infrequent occasions when residents compete to fill out unexpired council terms, the rest of us witness a parade of intriguing footnote folks in our history  remarkable individuals, each seeking like Rev. Austin the opportunity to reshape our community for the better. In touting their attributes and even their charms, they present narratives brimming with insights into where our city has been  and where it might well be headed.

Take, for instance, the City Councils interviews with a dozen individuals seeking to fill out the remaining year on Rev. Austins term. The interviews remind us of two things: First, District 1 is a lot more extensive than East Waco and a lot more diverse than Wacos African-American community, though we seldom hear of folks who live in, say, the Timbercrest area or far South Waco.

Second, intriguing ideas and unique perspectives bubble to the top when it comes to moving this complex, oft-stereotyped council district into the 21st century. And even if all the candidates obviously cant make it onto the council, at least some of their thoughts and hopes and ideas deserve to figure in the final mix.

Consider lifelong resident Tara LaShonda Briscoe, a 39-year-old African-American part-time police dispatcher, substitute teacher and pastor for a small congregation in Italy, Texas. Her engaging testimony before the council offered insights into how her district is often overlooked: We dont have a lot of sidewalks in District 1 or even stop signs. I remember when we first moved over there, we were told there hadnt been enough accidents to have stop signs.

When council members laughed, she added: I couldnt make that up if I tried.

Consider Henry Wright, 47, a mild-mannered attorney and Baylor University teacher of world cultures whose great-great-grandfather once owned a historic home on Columbus Avenue recently swept up in a dustup over short-term rentals. Given hes white, Wright acknowledged hesitation about even applying for the post because of the councils strongly Anglo makeup: I think whats important is looking at the leadership up in front of me and seeing a diversity there.

Nevertheless, he added, I want to confront the issue that good leadership can come from many different places because it comes from the position of wanting to help, and that begins with listening.

So it went, candidates of all colors, ages, backgrounds and perspectives making their pitch, including 72-year-old retiree Cecil McDowell, a Vietnam veteran and a testament to resilience in the African-American community who impressed with the long list of jobs hes held in East Waco  trucking, running a cafe, pastoring (for 19 years), overseeing a car wash, selling beepers, you name it. Or consider 25-year-old Luis Guevara, who came to the United States from Mexico as a mere infant and today is a fresh graduate of Tarleton State University (through McLennan Community Colleges remarkable University Center program). He works as operations manager for locally owned Poppa Rollos Pizza.

Guevara radiates confidence in his work and what, as a proud U.S. citizen, he can do for Waco and beyond in public service. So far, he quipped, Ive had the opportunity to serve really great pizza to really great people.

And when retired McLennan Community College government teacher Roy Walthall, former city manager of Mart and Meridian, got to make his case, council members found themselves amid a veritable explosion of footnotes. Nothing if not bristling with ideas, Walthall  who turned 66 this month  has been in and out of the spotlight for years, never lingering for long but nonetheless pivotal in ways many of us have overlooked.

We in the local press know Walthall best for his intriguing campaign to reorganize (rather than revise) the 1876 Texas Constitution which, with its countless, often provincial amendments, is impossible to comprehend as a meaningful founding document. Its present state is a shame, Walthall says, considering it was drafted in Waco by Texas Gov. Richard Coke in 1875. (Coke is buried in Wacos Oakwood Cemetery.)

Walthalls effort gained support from such lawmakers as Republican state Rep. Charles Doc Anderson and U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, who in 2012 said the effort made our outdated state constitution actually for the first time readable. But despite gaining traction in the Legislature in 2013 and 2015, the effort to reassemble the constitution has yet to gain full approval. Meanwhile, our state constitution promises to become all the more cluttered.

Walthall, whose demeanor suggests an eccentric uncle or college professor, tried to win election to the District 1 council post in 2006, running against Rev. Austin, pastor of Peaceful Rest Baptist Church; community activist George Coffey; and barbecue-joint owner Mae Bilton, better known as Mama B. The only white in the race, Walthall lost to Austin  ironically, a backer of Walthalls 1987 council campaign.

Yet theres plenty in Walthalls resume despite failing to win a council post. For instance, he told council members his proudest moment came after he was appointed by Oscar DuConge, Wacos first black mayor, to serve as vice chairman of the Waco U.S. Bicentennial Commission, working alongside historian and former mayor Roger Conger and fierce Waco beautification advocate Frances Sturgis  a dynamic duo in their heyday.

I dont know whether you know this story, Walthall told council members, but basically Roger had gotten some funds to refurbish this rundown, dilapidated bridge [over the Brazos River] that was all rusty. Many people were talking about tearing it down, just like they had torn down the Interurban Bridge right next to it. But he got some funds to refurbish it. And Frances goes, Oh, no, no, no  thats such a waste. We need a park for people to enjoy themselves.

So Roy Walthall came to the rescue, as there were other co-chairmen, and said, Wait, wait, we can do both. So [longtime city planner] Bill Falco, who was also on the commission, and I drew some sketches of a park and [Frances] went around and did some fund-raising and got the media and Baylor and everyone else interested and thats why we have the Suspension Bridge and Indian Spring Park. Thats my neatest achievement.

By that, Walthall meant forging a compromise that, in collaboration with others, saved the historic, now-iconic 1870 bridge and created an exceedingly popular riverside park on its western bank.

When Walthall got up to speak, he said his main reason for pursuing the council seat was to ensure Waco wound up as a high-speed rail hub, a passion that years ago saw him serve as then-Mayor Charles Reeds liaison to the Texas High Speed Rail Commission. He pushed for a wishbone route where Waco would not only be one of six key stops but also serve as maintenance and operations center for the entire system.

But in his concluding remarks, another idea was clearly on Walthalls mind  pressing for a larger council to even better represent an increasingly diverse and growing city. He said the idea was debated during Mayor Reeds tenure in the early 1990s. But while night meetings were introduced during that period to allow the public to attend and a plan was put forward to televise council proceedings, expansion of the number of council posts beyond the current five (plus the mayor) never occurred.

He mentioned Timbercrest, where he lives: We are in District 1, but were not East Waco. We are an added appendage put in because you needed the numbers to get a district. And its not just us [in this predicament]. Its also [Texas State Technical College], the area over on Highway 6, the industrial park, the area around Harris Creek, it goes around Speegleville and the west side of the lake and the areas of Chalk Bluff and Bosqueville  basically, these are all little appendages. But these are the growing areas of Waco and they all have problems  unique problems.

Walthall said many residents in these areas have given up on proper representation, as if to cry out: Were not part of that core area of the five districts and were just appendages and were thought of as appendages. The case was one he made in his 2006 campaign when he pressed for up to eight single-member council seats to make the body more responsive to local needs  something a city charter review commission balked at a year earlier amid arguments such a move might dilute areas with significant minority populations. Yet others at the time thought it too complicated to pull off.

As Walthall quipped in a mix of humor and frustration: Basically, its like God came down from Mount Sinai and said: You must have five members and that is it!

Following interviews, the council tapped 84-year-old Noah Jackson Jr. to fill out Rev. Austins unexpired term, partially because he was the pastors choice. Jackson, who took over the day after cancer claimed Austins life, indicated he will serve out his friends term, then likely leave it to others to vie for the post in the spring 2018 election.

Most would agree that Jackson, a Department of Veterans Affairs employee of 43 years, is an excellent choice. He has served on the downtown Tax Increment Financing Reinvestment board, the parks and recreation advisory commission, the building standards commission, the Doris Miller YMCA board and the 2010 Census Citizen Advisory Committee.

Yet he and Roy Walthall set worthy examples of how one can influence policy and better his or her community without necessarily serving on the council. As Fourth of July 2017 approaches in a nation fiercely divided by race, region and political party, their models of public service demonstrate not only knowledge of history as its lived and pondered but finding common ground, thinking beyond the mundane and predictable and, finally, showing the way for generations to come.

And given the earnestness of all those individuals who this month sought to succeed Rev. Austin and continue his own example of public service, theres still reason for hope and optimism  even in times of strife, division and misunderstanding.
The internal GOP debate on how to replace Obamacare is essentially one of priorities. What is more important, saving money or saving lives? Senate and House Republicans may be surprised to learn that for their idol, Ronald Reagan, this was never a question at all. Throughout his life, Reagan always cared more about saving lives than saving money.

Conservatives might find this shocking and argue that Reagan would never have approved of federal subsidies such as those contained in Obamacare. But, to paraphrase Reagan himself, its not so much that our conservative friends are ignorant, its that so much of what they know just isnt so. In fact, throughout his career, Reagan expressed strong support for government-subsidized medical care for people who couldnt otherwise afford it.

In researching my book on Reagans political philosophy, I came across his speeches and letters from the days before he became famous in 1964 for endorsing Barry Goldwater in a nationally televised address. There was then no Medicare or Medicaid, but there were plenty of proposals to create a federally run or funded program to provide health insurance to all Americans. Reagan opposed those ideas, to no ones surprise, but the surprise is why he did and what he wanted to do instead.

Reagan did not oppose national health-care plans out of a belief they violated the Constitution, were improper roles for government to play or cost too much. Rather, he opposed them because they werent necessary to solve the legitimate humanitarian concerns that evoked Americans compassion.

Reagans principle was simple: As he told the Conservative League of Minneapolis in 1961, as one conservative let me say any person in the United States who requires medical attention and cannot provide it for himself should have it provided for him. To that end, he enthusiastically supported a recently enacted bill called the Kerr-Mills Act. That bill provided federal funds to states to set up programs to pay for medical care for poor senior citizens. This targeted intervention allowed government to meet the true need without creating what he called a compulsory, one-size-fits-all model that forc[es] all citizens, regardless of need, into a single program.

Cost was not a concern for him. He wrote a longtime friend, Loraine Wagner, in July 1961 to elaborate on his view. Very simply, he wrote, Im in favor of helping those who need help. After describing Kerr-Mills, he wrote, Now Im in favor of this bill  and if the money isnt enough I think we should put up more. Saving lives was always more important than saving money to Reagan.

And he did not retreat from this stance when he became governor or president. Despite inheriting a terrible budget crisis upon taking office, Reagan as governor refused to push to repeal Californias recently enacted participation in Medicaid. He called it help for people who otherwise could not afford their medical bills and raised taxes by a then-record amount rather than slash the program. He reiterated his support for the principle of government-financed health insurance for those who needed it in letter after letter, including one he wrote in mid-1979.

Applying these principles to the current debate, its clear that Reagan would ensure that no one with genuine need would lose his or her ability to get needed medical care regardless of cost. The newly released Senate bill does a much better job of fulfilling his ideals than does the House bill. It slows the phaseout of federal support for the Medicaid expansion and retains Obamacares income-based subsidies for people on the federal exchange, while the House bills age-based subsidies would probably have led to many people dropping coverage. Senators who came out against the Senate plan Friday on grounds it doesnt fully repeal Obamacare may think of themselves as conservative, but on this issue they arent acting as Reagan conservatives.

Reagan would not have ignored cost concerns. As he told the nation in 1981, we can be compassionate about human needs without being complacent about budget extravagance. Its just that meeting human needs always came first for the Gipper.

Republicans have long suffered from the self-inflicted wound of misunderstanding Ronald Reagan. By adopting the liberal caricature of him as an anti-government zealot, they have hindered their ability to govern. The GOP should use the coming debate over an Obamacare replacement to finally rid themselves of this false idol and follow the real Reagan into the promised land.
Friday, Greg Miller, Ellen Nakashima and Adam Entous of the Washington Post offered a blockbuster behind-the-scenes story about how the Obama administration handled the Russian effort to manipulate the 2016 presidential election, one that is both shocking and maddening. Reading it, one cant avoid the conclusion that if it had happened during a Republican administration, things would have gone very differently.

What comes through again and again is that the Obama administration was terrified of looking partisan or doing anything that might seem like it was putting a thumb on the scale of the election, and the result was paralysis. This is a manifestation of what some years ago I began calling the Audacity Gap.

Democrats are forever worried about whether they might be criticized, whether Republicans will be mean to them, whether they might look as though theyre being partisan and whether they might be subjected to a round of stern editorials. Republicans, on the other hand, just dont care. What theyre worried about is winning, and they dont let the kinds of criticism that frightens Democrats impede them. It makes Republicans the party of Yes we can, while Democrats are the party of Maybe we shouldnt.

So as the full scope of the Russian assault on the American election became clear, two things happened again and again. First, whenever the Obama administration would approach Republicans to try to issue some kind of bipartisan condemnation or coordinate efforts to minimize the effects of the attack, the GOP response was essentially, To hell with you, Democrats, after which the administration would slink back and do little or nothing. And second, even when they were deliberating on their own, the administration kept pulling back from any responses it might take, all out of fear that someone might call them partisan.

Lets remember the scope of Russian interference came into focus last summer. In June, it first became public that the Russians had infiltrated the systems of the Democratic National Committee. In July, during the Democratic convention, Wikileaks released internal DNC emails and those of John Podesta, who was chairing Hillary Clintons campaign, in an attempt to embarrass them and sow division within the Democratic Party (which turned out to be highly successful). In August, intelligence agencies determined there was a coordinated attack underway, likely directed by Vladimir Putin himself.

Apart from creation and dissemination of a flood of phony anti-Clinton propaganda, administration officials were concerned that Russian hackers might try to directly affect voting systems, which we later learned they did in fact do. But when Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson attempted to do something about it, he got a partisan reaction:

* * *

On Aug. 15, Johnson arranged a conference call with dozens of state officials, hoping to enlist their support for shoring up the security of their systems. He ran into a wall of resistance.

The reaction ranged from neutral to negative, Johnson said in congressional testimony Wednesday.

Brian Kemp, the Republican secretary of state of Georgia, used the call to denounce Johnsons proposal as an assault on state rights. I think it was a politically calculated move by the previous administration, Kemp said in a recent interview, adding that he remains unconvinced that Russia waged a campaign to disrupt the 2016 race. I dont necessarily believe that, he said.

* * *

Same thing happened from Republicans in Congress: The administration sought a bipartisan response. Republicans shut it down.

* * *

In early September, Johnson, FBI Director] James Comey and White House homeland security adviser Lisa Monaco arrived on Capitol Hill in a caravan of black SUVs for a meeting with 12 key members of Congress, including the leadership of both parties.

The meeting devolved into a partisan squabble.

The Dems were, Hey, we have to tell the public, recalled one participant. But Republicans resisted, arguing that to warn the public that the election was under attack would further Russias aim of sapping confidence in the system.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) went further, officials said, voicing skepticism that the underlying intelligence truly supported the White Houses claims. Through a spokeswoman, McConnell declined to comment, citing the secrecy of that meeting.

Key Democrats were stunned by the GOP response and exasperated that the White House seemed willing to let Republican opposition block any pre-election move.

* * *

And as Miller, Nakashima and Entous reported in a previous article, the always-shrewd McConnell knew exactly what button he had to push to get the administration to back off:

* * *

According to several officials, McConnell raised doubts about the underlying intelligence and made clear to the administration that he would consider any effort by the White House to challenge the Russians publicly an act of partisan politics.

* * *

In other words, the Republicans acted like partisans and successfully rolled over Democrats who didnt want to seem like partisans. Within weeks, the administration decided not to take any action against Moscow before the election. They feared that any action would be seen as political and that Putin, motivated by a seething resentment of Clinton, was prepared to go beyond fake news and email dumps.

Now lets fast-forward to after the election: Perhaps the most head-spinning part of this report concerns a proposal to form a bipartisan commission to investigate Russian interference in the election:

* * *

But as soon as [White House chief of staff Denis] McDonough introduced the proposal for a commission, he began criticizing it, arguing that it would be perceived as partisan and almost certainly blocked by Congress.

Obama then echoed McDonoughs critique, effectively killing any chance that a Russia commission would be formed.

* * *

The election was already over and they were still worried that something as obviously necessary as a bipartisan commission would be perceived as partisan. Savor that one for a moment.

There are some excuses you can come up with for the Obama administrations hesitance to act decisively against this threat, both in terms of publicizing it and in retaliating against Russia. It was concerned about setting off an escalating conflict with Russia and its actions were colored by its assumption that Clinton would win, which was of course the assumption held by nearly everyone, Republican or Democrat. But imagine what would have happened if there were a Republican administration in office and Russia mounted a full-scale assault on our election with the obvious intent of hamstringing the future Republican president (at a minimum) or getting the Democrat elected. Could anyone who knows anything about todays GOP actually believe it would have been so tentative?

Not on your life. Every Republican in Washington from the president on down would have been on TV every day saying that the Democratic nominee was a Russian stooge. They would have undertaken a comprehensive package of retaliatory measures immediately, not waiting till after the election was over. They would have talked about nothing else for months.

Thats not because they would have seen it as a profound threat to American sovereignty. We know that, because they dont care about that threat right now, as real as it is. Heck, the Republican nominee for president not only didnt condemn the Russian assault, he celebrated it. Donald Trump gleefully brought up Wikileaks 164 times on the campaign trail and publicly implored Russia to hack into his opponents email to see if any damaging information might be found there. Republicans have steadfastly resisted any investigation into what happened in the 2016 election.

No, they would have seen it as a threat to their own partisan interests and responded with the same ferocity that they bring to all partisan conflicts. They wouldnt have worried about being criticized or being called partisan; they would have fought.

And in that case, it would have been the right thing to do. Instead, Vladimir Putin got just about everything he wanted: a destabilized, delegitimized, demoralized American system and the election of a president whose advisers are tied up in an intricate web of connections to Russia and who is himself bizarrely solicitous of Putins needs and wants.

Theres no way to know whether the election might have turned out differently if the Obama administration had reacted more aggressively to the Russian assault. What we do know is that, once again, Democrats were paralyzed by their worries about how things might look. Its not something Republicans ever concern themselves with  and all you have to do is look at whos in charge in Washington to see the results.
With mere months left before the firing shot goes off for the 2018 mid-term campaigns, national publications are awash in articles and columns asking what political analyst Dan Balz asks in the Washington Post this weekend: Beyond opposing Trump, do Democrats have a message? Given the stinging defeat of Democrat Jon Ossoff in Georgias highly publicized special election for its sixth congressional seat in the face of a historically unpopular Republican president, the question is fair. Democrats may well squirm in settling on useful answers.

Partisan gerrymandering may have made most districts in Georgia (and Texas) easy pickings for Republicans, but Democrats have bigger problems. Theyve allowed themselves to be caricatured as wild-eyed, irresponsible, untrustworthy, even in an age when President Trump regularly violates his own pledges, flip-flops on policy and sets loose unfounded rumors ranging from Barack Obamas being born in Kenya to millions of people voting fraudulently for Hillary Clinton. Trump eclipsed Clinton, lie for lie, many moons ago.

Yet for all the chaos, demagogy and incompetence displayed by Republicans on Capitol Hill, Democrats have a serious image problem. Many of our friends in the Democratic Party roundly condemned the provocative April 10 column by Trib reader Peggy Hill lambasting the party with lusty abandon. Yet that column offers gold for shrewd Democratic strategists in the James Carville mold. It reflects how many people weve interviewed in Central Texas in recent years view the party: out of touch, swept up in fringe issues, quick to play the race card and contemptuous of public norms such as God and country. Such accusations may be unfair and wide of the mark. Yet as many a campaign manager has noted, perception is reality.

After Democrats failure to claim the White House or the Senate in 2016, we watched to see if they demonstrated any significant desire to change tactics. They remained with House Democratic Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, who fairly or not remains a poster child for rich, coastal elitism  an image employed by Republicans to clobber Ossoff in Georgia. And when Democrats gave in to their base and vowed a filibuster against Supreme Court nominee Neil Gorsuch, they handed Senate Republicans the excuse they needed to finish the work Democrats stupidly began four years ago when they abolished the right to filibuster lower federal appeals court judgeships and Cabinet picks. Not exactly strategic.

Politics is best when voters have viable options. That isnt happening. Democrats must start showing savvy and discipline in ways they havent. If theyre earnest about reaching voters, they must stress in resourceful and down-to-earth ways how everyday folks will see insurance premiums skyrocket if they have diabetes or high blood pressure  or how their grandmothers in nursing homes might be in peril if Medicaid is phased out. When they talk of the environment, they must talk of clean air and water and avoid talk of Celsius degrees. They must relate to the common mans sense of whats important. Till then, many elections will remain dull affairs with all the action in the primary election  the Republican primary.
The idea of countries requiring local language proficiency from applicants for citizenship is not a new thing. Australia has experimented lavishly with language requirements before, and indeed already has a basic language test.

And the idea that such a requirement might be tweaked or tightened from time to time is, similarly, not without international precedent.

That this move would be contemplated, however, by the Australian Parliament  a collection of lovable linguistic scoundrels whose collective rap sheet of offences against the English language is longer than Yoda's  is deeply, existentially hilarious.

The policy  proposed by Immigration Minister Peter Dutton with all the mellifluity of a man who has spent nine years in the Queensland Police  is currently under consideration by the parliament.
This weekend Shona Lorigan will be on a coastal headland, joining thousands of others around the country scanning the horizon for whales.

Sunday marks the annual national humpback migration census day run by Ms Lorigan's marine mammal rescue group, ORCCA and conducted by hundreds of eager volunteers. Every indication points to another record year.

As of 4pm on Saturday, June 24, 2209 humpback whales had been sighted passing Cape Solander near the entrance to Botany Bay since May 24, almost 50 per cent more than a year ago, according to the National Parks and Wildlife Service.

"All of us love to be around them, they are truly majestic creatures," Ms Lorigan said. "We're so fortunate to be able to experience them literally off every headland."
Liberal politicians from non-English speaking migrant backgrounds have defended toughened language requirements for aspiring Australian citizens, arguing that the ability to communicate properly with others is critical to successful migration and a multicultural society.

The parents of Concetta Fierravanti-Wells, Jason Falinski and Julia Banks arrived in Australia with little or no English. But the federal MPs say their forebears either could have passed the Turnbull government's proposed test or that, even if they couldn't, times have changed.

Under the sweeping citizenship package, applicants would have to score a six on the IELTS, the primary international language test, amounting to a "competent" level of English. Labor has rejected the measure out of fears it demands "university level" fluency that many Australians could never reach.

Senator Fierravanti-Wells, the Minister for International Development and the Pacific, said in her first speech to Parliament in 2005 that her father arrived in Sydney in the early 1950s not speaking any English. She learnt the language when she attended kindergarten in Wollongong.
A black bird stuffed by Ben (the taxidermy self-taught via YouTube) is perched on a branch over the doorway, an embalmed turtle souvenired from the set of A Place to Call Home is pinned to the wall, and a glass dome filled with stuffed birds crowns the mantelpiece. A child's oversized stuffed owl sits on one couch, while wet puppy Mabel jumps up on me on the other. Lego Friends pieces are scattered across the coffee table and books on art and architecture are piled on the floor. It's a relaxed setting which contrasts with the discipline and intensity with which Marta approaches her acting. Named by her mother after Mata Hari, the Dutch exotic dancer who was executed for being a German spy in World War I, Marta has an illustrious lineage. Her paternal grandfather Dick Dusseldorp, a Dutch migrant, was the founder of developer Lend Lease, while her maternal grandfather Sandy Robertson was a noted paediatrician in post-war Sydney. She grew up amid wealth and privilege, but it did not make her family immune to tragedy. When Marta was eight, her nine month-old brother died of leukaemia. She refused to believe it for a long time, and his death would later haunt her when she had babies of her own. "I was a basket case until they got past nine months," she has said. I feel like I need to keep talking and saying there are stories to tell for 40-plus women

After twin brothers, nicknamed Search and Destroy, came along she begged to be sent to boarding school to escape the hurly-burly at home. She gave up the ballet she had been learning since she was four and at 14 went off to prestigious Geelong Grammar, where she discovered acting. But Marta is reluctant to rehash her life story yet again. "At first I was happy to talk about me and where I came from because people were interested. Then slowly I realised, 'But that's not the story.' The story is women now," she says intently. "There aren't a lot of female leads of my age  I feel like I need to keep talking and saying there are stories to tell for 40-plus women who have children and great husbands." Armani jacket, $6300. Tome blouse, $780. Emporio Armani skirt, $1100. Credit:Hugh Stewart Marta met Ben in 2003 when she joined The Actor's Company at the Sydney Theatre Company, where he was resident director. Since then, they've regularly collaborated, including as actor/director in theatre productions and playing opposite each other as longlost husband and wife on A Place to Call Home. "We love working together, it's part of our marriage, so we want to continue to do that," she says.

After 15 years as a renowned theatre actor, Marta switched to television post-babies for a more family-friendly work schedule. Whereas many women find their careers stall or go backwards after having children, Marta was rewarded with starring roles in long-running series. "You become a better actor when you have something else in your life," she reflects. "It doesn't have to be children, just another passion, because acting can be all-consuming, you can totally become so obsessed  "It's lovely to have to switch off  whether that's your children coming to the front door or a pet, something that snaps you out of your imaginative landscape and brings you back to the here and now." Yet her transition back into the workplace wasn't completely smooth. She was forced to withdraw from a play because the male director didn't approve of her breastfeeding three-month-old Grace every four hours. Asked about that now, she says very firmly, "I don't want to talk about that," and refuses to be drawn any further. Marta says she was always a very assured young girl, having grown up surrounded by strong male role models who respected women and made her feel empowered. "I used to always be a bit sassy. I didn't need to be pretty to get people's attention."

Her father unequivocally supported her pursuit of acting, dusting her off when she missed out on a part. "It was this constant positive reinforcement, which in a male role model is incredibly important when you're a young woman." But Marta has become more sensitive to the male bias in her field as her daughters grow up. Geena Davis's work to overturn sexist culture in Hollywood has especially opened her eyes to the challenges facing female actors. While she believes diversity is improving, Marta has made it her mission to improve the way women are represented on screen. She endeavours to ensure that anything she works on meets the Bechdel test. Coined by American cartoonist Alison Bechdel in 1985, the Bechdel test requires that in any show there needs to be a scene between two women not talking about a man. "So I go through scripts, I do, I mark them up and say, 'This fails the Bechdel test  is this the show you want to make?' " Marta explains. "I never do it aggressively, but I think it's important if you're going to contribute to a project that you contribute in a way that reflects where we're heading." Similarly, when weighing up which of many offered theatre projects to take on next year, a key consideration for Marta is what each says about being a woman in the world today.

Her mission clearly energises her. The light and sparkle return to her green eyes as she talks about women, words tumble out and wide smiles appear more frequently, accentuating her high cheekbones and defined jawline. As much as Marta is a champion of women, the sisterhood hasn't always been as supportive of her. When asked what her best piece of advice would be, after a lengthy consideration she says darkly: "Beware women who hate women." Has she experienced that? She gives an exasperated sigh and looks away. "Maybe." Now in its third season, Janet King has developed a fiercely loyal following and is watched by 600,000 people a week. Not only do LGBTQI viewers rejoice in the normalisation of Janet's same-sex relationship, grandmothers tell her they love the fast-paced, smart drama, and young law students thank her for making them realise it is possible to be a leader. Marta has become an associate producer of Janet King  not in a quest for power or any extra money, but to get into the writers' room where her character's stories are shaped. "I'm concentrating now on becoming involved on a producer level creatively so I can start to build good product  Australian stories that continue to focus on strong women." Marta's input led to one of this season's key storylines  the reappearance of Janet's estranged father in her life. Having always felt her own father put her first when she was growing up, Marta was curious about the influence of her character's father. "My father and grandfathers were such a strong influence in my life [so] I think that's why I said, 'Where's Janet's dad?'"

Having inherited her father's and grandfathers' industriousness, Marta lives and breathes Janet when she's filming, putting in long hours learning lines and on set. However it's clear her relentless work schedule (she's now in the midst of filming season five of A Place to Call Home) takes its toll. Daniel Avakian Rachel coat, $799. Tome shirt, $985. Emporio Armani bow belt, $560. Credit:Hugh Stewart While she made it out recently to a Sarah Blasko concert and is currently engrossed in reading the Hanya Yanagihara novel A Little Life, she doesn't have the time for meditation, nor seeing any film she can't take her daughters to. She plays card games with them to switch off from work, and skipped the Logies this year because it was the only chance she had to spend time with her family. "You have to start to understand availability. You have to start to create your own cave, otherwise you have nothing to offer, and the work is the most important thing." Marta is now looking forward to a family adventure later this year, when the whole clan decamps to Brisbane, where she and Ben will perform as husband and wife in a stage adaptation of Ingmar Bergman's Scenes from a Marriage. They've teed up an Airbnb in an inner-city neighbourhood and the girls will attend the local state school.
Oh the righteous celebrity!

The bonhomie wrapped around Rebel Wilson when she emerged victorious in her legal battle with those naughty women's magazines has been truly something to behold.

Part-time poet and full-time Hollywood star Russell Crowe hit Twitter to tell his 37-year-old pal: "So brave, so much integrity  now 'f--k off' back to Hollywood and be your brilliant self. Proud of you."

It was the sort of endorsement that would melt any celebrity's heart. Crowe is a man well-versed in the black arts of gossip magazines, having had every detail of his life, from his romance to his marital woes and hotel lobby temper tantrums, documented for the past couple of decades.
125 YEARS AGO

From 1892: A.T. Cornish announced that he has ordered a new bottling outfit, will erect a new building to house his new works and will soon again be able to fill orders in his line.

A fresh line of ice cream and taffy candles are received at John Abeels every week. The attention of the ladies is also called to the fashion magazines and plates available at his News Stand.

The output of bullion from Jerome is said to have been $2 million in 1891!

Flagstaff is fully prepared to accommodate and feed all who come to visit our town on the 4th of July.

Jasper ONeil is making preparations to engage in the confectionary business and is putting up a building on the lot adjoining the Norris Building.

E. W. Baker, the celebrated photographer of San Francisco, has arrived in town. He will have his tent up and be ready for business on Saturday of this week.

The Atlantic & Pacific Railroad has issued a circular announcement of the sale of round-trip tickets for the price of a one-way fare good between July 2 and July 6 inclusive.

During the past winter William F. Hall and A. J. Watrons have been at work developing a mine at a point about 50 miles north of Williams. Their ledge is well defined and is traceable for about 2 miles. One layer is copper that contains enough silver to pay all the cost of freight and smelting! The first carload will be shipped next week. It is probable that it will be a steady producer and pay the owners a handsome sum during the year.

Great preparations are being made for the 4th of July celebration and there is every indication that it will be a grand success.

The Arizona Lumber & Timber Co. has a couple of young Arizona eagles in a cage by their office. They were captured near Canyon Diablo by a young Mexican and brought in to the company.

With the heat wave that fell upon us this week stock men are anxiously awaiting the arrival of the rainy season.

100 YEARS AGO

From 1917: The Sheriff and his assistants were busy on Wednesday deconstructing about 2,500 bottles of booze taken in various raids during the past month. All were broken against a rock in back of the Court House. The consensus among those watching was that it was a very poor law that did not provide for the sale of such valuable goods and that the proceeds be given to the Red Cross.

Engineer F. R. Goodman, State Engineering Officer, states that if the weather holds this summer they will be able to complete the stretch of road between Maine and Williams and it may be possible to do some work between Flagstaff and Winslow.

More booze has been taken by the Sheriff. Burt Huffman, a local express man, received a check for a trunk held at the depot on Wednesday night and asked that it be put in storage. Sheriff Dickson then took Huffman and the booze to County Jail.

The Williams Electric Light & Gas Company burned to the ground on Thursday with an estimated loss of $8,000. The cause is unknown and the owner D. M. Fargon Co. of Chicago says it will be a couple of weeks before the system can be connected to the Saginaw & Manistee Co. plant and lights restored in town.

Notice: Jack in service. J. E Williams Ranch. Fort Valley. $15 guaranteed.

Robert Brown was found guilty of bootlegging in Superior Court on Wednesday and sentenced to 2 months in the County Jail and a fine of $250.

75 YEARS AGO

From 1942: The Box Factory at Saginaw & Manistee opened on Monday night and will be operating on night shifts until another Turbo can be obtained to supply additional power. About 50 men will be employed and double shifts will be worked during the winter months.

Fred Paine, Chairman of the Rubber Salvage Drive, reports that 54,187 pounds came in this week with more arriving by the hour. R. W. Riggin, Fire guard and Garland Prairie Rancher, probably brought the record with 300 pounds, which included some that was over 20 years old.

While A. A. Ward is absent Mrs. E. G. Williams is instructing the Sheet Metal Class, she having received a perfect score in the exam.

L. T. Weed assumed the duties of City Traffic Officer, replacing Ed Pollard, who was called by the Santa Fe Railroad to return to his duties in Winslow.

Typhoid Fever still exists in many of the counties in Arizona and yearly it takes its grisly toll of human lives. All persons should be immunized.

Beer caps are rationed. Buy by the quart and save 2 caps, Buy by the half-gallon and save 5 caps. Buy at Franks Place and save money.

For Sale: One 700x17 double duty tire. Good tread. Priced to sell. Ph. 152.

Wants work: Sheepherder. Go any place. Age 16 Write or call W. M. Hiest. Care of Saginaw Logging Camp.

For Rent. Furnished Cabins. Running water, Toilets & Showers. Anchor Guest Ranch 3  miles North of Flagstaff. Fort Valley Road.

The Rationing Board is about to allot sugar for canning purposes.

50 YEARS AGO

From 1967: Never defrost again. We have a new FRIDGIAIRE for every budget. Only $2.99 a week. With a FREE set of Corning ware at LEMONS.

Conducted Deluxe, with Guide Drivers, Grand Tours of the Grand Canyon. Leaving Flagstaff at 7:30, 9, 3:45 Round trip $6.80 NAVA-HOPI Tours Inc.

A fire at the Commerce Hotel was caused by smoking in bed and burning mattress. It took the Fire Dept. about an hour to control the flames which caused only minor -- mostly smoke -- damage. Chief Jim Samson.

Red Tabs are beginning to appear on Flagstaff garbage and trash containers that are not up to County and City Health Standard with the new ordinance now in effect. Containers must be watertight metal with a handle, of 5- to 35-gallon capacity and not to exceed 100 pounds when full.

For dry refuse, cooled ashes and other trash the waste may be placed in covered containers with handles. All containers must be placed by the roadside before 8 a.m. and picked up the same day.

Stormy weather in the Upper Colorado River area is improving the estimates of runoff for this season. Bureau of Reclamation expects the level at Lake Powell to reach an elevation of 3,532 feet.

Locally the runoff from The Peaks accumulated 1,294,826 gallons this week and consumption came to 3,648,657 gallons.

25 YEARS AGO

From 1992: Mike McCracken was walking in the woods behind his home near Little American when he discovered a Western Giant Puffball. It measured in at 23x20 inches and weighed in at 8.5 pounds. NAU Mycology professor Jack State says it is definitely a record for Arizona.

According to Outside magazine Flagstaff is one of the most desirable cities in the US. A place where You dont have to give up a good living to live a good life and is nationally admired for its personality.

Since last Saturday cowboys and cowgirls have been kicking it up at Fort Tuthill in the 11th Annual Country Rodeo. The festivities begin with a Pancake Breakfast at Citibank, 211 Leroux St. The Rodeo Parade follows at 10 a.m. starting at Thorpe Park, then east along Birch Avenue to San Francisco Street. Two shows Saturday at Fort Tuthill ending with a dance.

Theres no summer break at the Food Center. Its busier than ever now serving 200 meals a day. Unfortunately as the temperatures rise the number of volunteers has gone down.

Public Works Director William Menard proposes to raise tonnage dump rates to commercial users from $6 a ton to about $14 a ton, which will allow the city to replace equipment routinely and to improve the general operations of the landfill. Private commercial interests say this would drive them out of business and increase the costs of housing construction.

Applications for full-time student undergraduate admission in NAU will not be accepted after July 1. This decision was made based on the current student population, the number of applications received for the fall semester and the limited housing available on campus. David Markee, Vice President for Student Services. Last fall began the school year with 14,639 students statewide and enrollment is expected to increase by 2.5 percent in the 1992-93 year.

On Monday, The Affordable Housing Coalition presented a plan to the city council to provide affordable housing on a 541-acre parcel in Doney Park. The homes would be priced at around $60,000, a lot of money but far less than can be found in the city of Flagstaff.
China has mounted a major rescue effort with 118 people still missing after a landslide caused by torrential rain destroyed a mountain village in the south-western province of Sichuan on Saturday, state media reported.

Just 15 bodies had been recovered by late Saturday.

Search efforts continued into the night after a deadly landslide in China. Credit:AP

The landslide hit the village of Xinmo in Maoxian county some time after 5am, burying 62 houses, according to the Sichuan provincial government, state media said.

Three survivors - a couple and their month-old baby - were rescued and taken to the hospital.
A couple Facebook friends recently linked to a Sam Bowman article about the benefits of neoliberalism that is worth consideration.

He points out that:

"Extreme poverty has fallen from 44% of worlds population in 1981 to 9.6% today. Global child mortality, illiteracy and pollution are less than half what they were in 1990.

"Over half of Chinas growth since 1980 has come from openness to trade and privatization of state-run industries. Under communism, Chinese GDP per capita was $300/year. Today, its $10,000/year and rising. India, Vietnam and Bangladesh, too, are growing thanks in part to neoliberal-style reforms.

"In Britain, inequality is now at its lowest point since 1985. Wages for the bottom 20% have risen by 13% in real terms since the crisis. Household incomes have more than doubled in real terms since the late 1970s. Consumer technologies like smartphones and the sharing economy are advancing by leaps and bounds."

Read more here...

Sam Bowman is Executive Director of the Adam Smith Institute
By West Kentucky Star Staff Jun. 25, 2017 | 06:59 AM | MAYFIELD, KY

Four people were arrested on drug charges Saturday in Mayfield.

Deputies with the Graves County Sheriff's Office and officers with the Mayfield Police Department responded to 830 South 9th Street to locate two wanted subjects who were alleged to be at the home. During a search of the home, police reportedly found methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia.

Forty-four-year-old Jay Ivy, 40-year-old Beverly Kaler, 43-year-old Joseph Fazzari Jr. and 26-year-old Matthew Kilbourne, all of Mayfield, were arrested and taken to the Graves County Jail.

Ivy was charged with possession of methamphetamine, possession of drug paraphernalia, possession of marijuana and tampering with physical evidence.

Kaler was charged with possession of methamphetamine, possession of drug paraphernalia, prescription controlled substance not in the proper container, illegal possession of a legend drug and possession of controlled substance.

Fazzari Jr. and Kilbourne were each charged with possession of methamphetamine and possession of drug paraphernalia.
New Ross mourns tragic death of Anthony Rochford (47): We will remember him for all the great times
Western Australia's Tourism Minister has called for harsher punishment for those who harm Rottnest Island's beloved quokkas.Paul Papalia has called for a lifetime ban from the Island for those found guilty of harming a quokka, if they declined to do extensive volunteer work with the animals.'A person who is charged and found guilty of harming a quokka should never be allowed to step foot on Rottnest Island again,' Mr Papalia told Perth Now.'In the past few years, these incidents have gained notoriety because the cowardly act has been filmed and shared on social media.'A fine doesn't seem to be enough of a deterrent. We want them banned from the island for life.'The Minister said though he wanted to see harsher punishments brought in for offenders, there should be a chance for them to atone for their mistakes.He offered up an alternative in the way of significant voluntary work with rangers on Rottnest Island in the hopes of helping offenders develop an appreciation for the cute creatures.But if the voluntary work was refused, Mr Papalia said the offender should be banned. Quokkas are a vulnerable species and are exclusive to Western Australia and its surrounding islands.
Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 25/06/2017 (1965 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A man is in critical condition after being stabbed outside an Exchange District nightclub early Sunday.

Winnipeg police spokesman Const. Jay Murray said a man in his 20s was stabbed in the upper body after a large fight was reported in the 200 block of Bannatyne Avenue around 3 a.m.

This was not a random assault, he said, noting police are looking into the possibility of gang involvement.

This was a fight between a number of people he was stabbed more than once.

Police are guarding three crime scenes in the area around King Street and Bannatyne where the victim was found.

Murray said police are asking for anyone with information to call police at 204-986-6219 or Crimestoppers at 204-786-TIPS (8477).
Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 25/06/2017 (1965 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

CNN is putting an Osborne Village development on a much bigger radar screen than one would expect.

Ashleigh Banfield, a Winnipeg-born CNN analyst and former NBC war correspondent, is a descendant of a former owner of the Dennistoun House at 166 Roslyn Rd.

After 109 years, Dennistoun House is expected to be demolished by the end of the month to make way for a seven-storey, 77-unit condo tower.

WAYNE GLOWACKI / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS The Dennistoun House at 166 Roslyn Rd. had its historic designation removed by the city in 2009.

Once designated a municipal historic site, the house was removed from the list in 2009. Banfield, a descendant of Robert Maxwell Dennistoun, a Winnipeg lawyer and judge in the early 20th century, believe the house and the family who lived there have left their mark.

I think my great-grandfather would be proud the Dennistoun name and character has lived on, said

Other descendants of Dennistoun, who drafted the provinces first Workmens Compensation Act, include Marnie McBean, a three-time Olympic gold medalist in rowing, Breaking Bad executive producer Michelle Maclaren, and Hollywood talent agency executive Doug Maclaren.

In February, Banfield returned to Winnipeg, where her mother and brother live, to shoot a short documentary on her familys history. She sifted through the Manitoba Archives to find her great-grandfathers diaries, files and photos of the house from more than a century ago.

In the photos, Banfield saw women standing in the front yard wearing bonnets and corsets. Her great-grandparents moved out of the J.D. Atchison-designed house in 1923, long before Banfields mother was born.

It was astounding to just see the grandeur, she said.

But when she went to the house, she said it was a shadow of its former self.

Its fallen in such ill repair, Banfield said. Its been weathered and aged without any kind of care or attention, which old homes like that require, and it shows.

Dennistoun Condos will be built on Roslyn Road, behind the Safeway store.

Many community members opposed the development and fought for the Dennistoun Houses preservation. In 2010, appeals made by Osborne Village residents reached the Manitoba Court of Queens Bench but failed. Sunstone Resort Communities was given the go-ahead by city council in October 2015.

I cant thank those people enough who made the effort. Its sad that it will be in vain, but I think it speaks to the strong character of Winnipeg values that they honour and appreciate their history even when its not their own personal history, Banfield said.

Suzanne Banfield Lount, Banfields mother, learned the development was set to begin when she read about it in the Free Press.

There goes grandfathers house. (Its) finally going on the chopping block, she thought.

The news spurred memories of her family and a bygone era.

Im sad to see it go, she said. I think its sad for Winnipeg to lose historical houses. However, it is what it is.

In 1910, her mother was born in the house. After her grandfather and uncles Jim and Jack Dennistoun went overseas to fight in the First World War, only two returned home to Roslyn Rd. Jack was shot down over France and his plane burst into flames.

Robert Dennistoun spoke at the dedication of the Smiling Soldier war memorial, which is on the grounds of the legislature, still shaken by his experience in the war and the loss of his son, whose name is engraved on the monument along with more than 1,600 other Manitobans who died in the war.

CP THE ASSOCIATED PRESS FILES Ashleigh Banfield's great-grandfather owned Dennistoun House.

My grandfather was quite a remarkable man, Banfield Lount said.

A former realtor, Banfield Lount understands the reality of houses being demolished so other buildings can go up, but that doesnt make saying goodbye to her grandfathers house much easier.

I drive by it often, and I look at it. I think of my grandfather, a man of few words, she said. And Im sorry that lovely house wont be around anymore.

ben.waldman@freepress.mb.ca
Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 25/06/2017 (1965 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Two collisions in Manitoba in which there were serious injuries caused the closure of two highways Sunday.

The Yellowhead Highway from Gladstone to the Trans-Canada Highway was closed after a van collided with a semi-trailer.

RCMP also said Highway 7 north of Teulon, in the Interlake, is closed from Road 105 to Road 106 after a vehicle collided with a hydro pole.

By late in the afternoon, RCMP had reopened Hwy. 16.
On a chilly Saturday morning, local community members were ready to express their artistic style for the HBC Fence Art Project at the Hiawatha Marine Shelter.

Some were painting a pleasant summer scene with purple flowers and others were outlining orange circles of different shapes.

Project coordinator Julia Crozier said the HBC Fence Art Project is happening for the third time this year. The project will consist of 26 murals that will be installed along the length of the HBC fence and incorporated into the city of Winonas new levee design.

Crozier said the idea came from the annual Family Art Day in Winona, where she is charge of the mural section of the event. She wanted to gather Winona folks for a fun artistic experience, without feeling pressured to paint perfect panels.

People could pick out a color they liked and start right away on any of the five panels. They were encouraged to choose their own theme and generate their own ideas.

All of them end up looking abstract by the end of the day, Crozier said. Its interesting to see how things turn out.

While participants paint the murals, Crozier is in charge of outlining black lines over the backgrounds that portray the history of communication until modern times.

She said there will be sculptures and pillars to the project, too, that allow alternating the panels.

The project required another art event this year because the panels were taken down due to the levee project, she said. Once the levee is completed, they will be reinstalled along the river side of the fence.

Emma Federman, 7, was giving her own touch to a panel and enhancing the painting with different colors. She attended the mural painting with her dad for the first time this year.

Some participants were grabbing a few paint brushes and others were contemplating how to make the panel look as appealing as they could. Crozier said the paints and colors were donated through a grant from the Southeast Minnesota Arts Council and HBC.

On Saturday, July 1, Winonans will have a chance to paint four more panels that will be combined with last years panels.

This is a fun event, Crozier said. Hopefully more people will join next weekend.
When people try to find Minnesotas secret sauce to our high quality of life and seemingly common sense (comparatively speaking) approach to government, theres sometimes mention of the Itasca Group. This is a group of top Minnesota business leaders who get together every Friday morning to discuss ways to collaborate and advocate for a stronger Minnesota. Itasca Group exemplifies how Minnesotans come together to find win-win, common-sense solutions, and then back those solutions with capital.

In early June, I got together with a lesser-known version of the Itasca Group: the Minnesota Initiative Foundations. Every other year, the six presidents of the Minnesota Initiative Foundations, along with their foundation board members and select guests, gather at Grandview Lodge in Nisswa. While the MIF presidents communicate often around shared initiatives, this retreat is a special gathering that allows our board members to join us harnessing the power of the unique-to-Minnesota MIF model.

This year, nearly 90 participants attended the MIF Retreat. The topic at hand was The Rural Impact. Collectively, the six MIFs serve the 80 non-metro counties of Greater Minnesota. As became clear in the last election, there is a sense around the country that the rural voice has not been heard, or valued. Part of the discussion was how to better make the case that rural Minnesota institutions and businesses bolster our state as a whole.

Tony Sertich of Northland Foundation discussed how two of Minnesotas largest private foundations  Bush Foundation and The McKnight Foundation  both grew out of the success of Iron Range mining giant 3M. Nancy Vyskocil of Northwest Minnesota Foundation underscored that Blandin Foundation, one of Greater Minnesotas best philanthropic partners, has its roots in the forestry and paper industry. She cited that more than 24,000 people are currently employed in the forestry and paper industry and that Blandin has distributed more than $380 million in Greater Minnesota.

Initiative Foundations new president Matt Varilek spoke about Greater Minnesotas natural assets, from state parks to bike trails to lakes. He stressed that rural Minnesotas strong tourism generates $14.4 billion in annual economic activity for the state. Diana Anderson, president at Southwest Initiative Foundation, let us know that agriculture is still a vital part of our states economy: ag adds $75 billion to the states economy annually and is our second largest employer.

My colleague Anna Wasescha at West Central Initiative spoke about Greater Minnesotas higher education institutions. Anna, a former college president, stated that combined, Greater Minnesota enrolls nearly 375,000 students and that 80 percent of Minnesota State graduates stay in Minnesota.

When my turn came, I took the opportunity to discuss the impact of Mayo Clinic, which has 68 clinic locations and 34,000 employees in Minnesota. Clearly, Mayo is a growing economic driver in our state (and a growing presence in Wisconsin).

There is no doubt that Greater Minnesota is rich in assets. Beyond the wealth generated by the sectors listed above, the Minnesota Initiative Foundations (seeded by The McKnight Foundation) have collectively invested more than $455 million since 1986 to support economic and community development initiatives.

One of the highlights of the retreat was keynote speaker Christopher Ingraham, a Washington Post reporter now residing in Red Lake County. He moved to Red Lake Falls with his growing family after once having pinpointed it as the ugliest place in America. He cited a statistic that 54 percent of people would like to live in a rural area or small town. In Minnesota, 73 percent of residents live in an urban area. His presentation raised the question: How do we get more people to take the plunge?

When people think Minnesota, the Twins and Vikings may be the first thing that comes to mind. However, images of northern woods and glistening lakes are not far behind, followed by names like General Mills, Polaris, Arctic Cat, Mayo, Hormel, Schells Beer, Red Wing Shoes and Faribault Woolen Mills  all brands that are known nationally and around the world.

The Minnesota Initiative Foundations invest with the understanding that the people who call Greater Minnesota home do so with pride. We understand we have a good thing going, and our doors are open to those who want to follow in Ingrahams footsteps. I invite you to join us in the conversation.
A cadre of hard-working students, parents, administrators and community members volunteered to clean out the basement at Columbus Middle School June 5, so the old desks, chairs and assorted supplies that had been stored there could be donated to orphanages in Nicaragua and Honduras.

Organizers thought it would be a two-day project, but the morning crew, of about 25 people, made quick work of the job, leaving only a couple of hours of cleanup for the afternoon volunteers to finish up.

Items were packed into shipping cargo containers, along with lots of other clothes, school supplies and sundries donated by the community to benefit the children in the orphanages.

Cori Denk, the school districts community service director, organized the basement cleanup day, and coordinated with Bob Groh and Kevin and Tracy Roche, who will take care of shipping and distribution of the items.

It was a really successful effort, said Denk. It was like our whole community came together to help another community, which was wonderful.




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Saturday, June 24, 2017

ATLANTA (AP) - Georgia authorities have given $10,000 apiece to two Tennessee households for help catching two inmates accused of killing their guards while escaping from a prison bus.

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation said in an email Friday that the agency decided to equally split the $20,000 portion of the reward it had offered. GBI spokeswoman Nelly Miles said the recipients' names are being withheld at their request.

A total of $130,000 was offered for information leading to the arrest of Ricky Dubose and Donnie Rowe. It wasn't immediately clear if or when other parts of the reward would be distributed.

The two Georgia prisoners face charges including murder in the killings of Sgt. Christopher Monica and Sgt. Curtis Billue on June 13. They were arrested two days later in Tennessee.

(Copyright Associated Press, 2017)
LAS VEGAS (24 June 2017)  Israel's Ben Baruch Maya has claimed victory on Satuday in the 2017 World Series of Poker's Event #43, $1,500 No-Limit Hold'em Shootout.

Maya triumphed after three days of action at the Rio Convention Center in Las Vegas, defeating 1,024 other entrants.

For Maya, a 34-year-old family man, from Rehovot, Israel, the triumph was an exceptional first-ever WSOP cash. Maya's run to a bracelet -- also his first -- was worth $257,764.

Maya, who works in real estate, sealed the victory by closing out Belgium's Thomas Boivin during heads-up play. Boivin's runner-up performance here was, likewise, the largest payday of his WSOP career. Boivin's second-place payday of $159,273 bumped his own lifetime WSOP earnings, spanning 10 career cashes, to $262,418.

Bay Area-player Tim West placed third in this event for $115,297. West, a two-time WSOP Circuit ring-winner, jumped over the million-dollar mark in career WSOP earnings with this cash.

Maya and Boivin played 52 hands heads up before the collision that decided the tourney. Boivin limped from the button, Maya raised, and Boivin re-reraised all in with . Maya, though, called quickly with his , and the suspense was over quickly when the flop gave Maya a set. A turn and river wrapped up the event's action.

Maya's win was unexpected by almost everyone, including him. "Actually," he started, "I don't play tournaments at all. I played one tournament this year. Tournaments are so exhausting for me. I play tournaments so many hours -- I get so tired." Maya expressed some relief that he got through his Day 1 shootout in five hours, though he wasn't sure he'd make it all the way through, despite that early, short day.

Then there was the hand against Robert Kuhn, early in the day, when Maya called Kunh's all-in on the turn for most of his own stack. Kuhn had a set of fours, while Maya had fives and fours, but the river was Maya's two-out five to bust Kuhn and send Maya to the top of the counts.

"I had a feeling from the first day... I had a picture of me taking the bracelet, but I didn't believe in myself. I don't know why; I'm not such a good player, that I can tell you. After I won the second day, I knew it, that's it," he said, then believing he was going to win the event.

The ouster of Brazil's Matas Dilpsas in 10th place set the offical nine-player final table early in Saturday's finale, with Maya and Foutty gaining chips early on. Next to fall was PokerGo streaming commentator Jonathan Little, who doubled his short stack once but was unable to climb higher. Little moved his last chips in with and was called by Tim West, who trailed with . West spiked his ace on the flop and stayed ahead as the and completed the board.

A short-stacked Paul Michaelis exited in eighth place soon after, when his couldn't overtake West's in a battle of the blinds. Michaelis, the only former bracelet winner in this final, caught a glimmer of hope on the turn as the board ran out , but his needed eight never materialized.

Joe Cook and Steve Foutty fell next, in a three-way all-in hand also including Boivin. Boivin's held up against Foutty's and Cook's . The pot pushed Boivin into the lead, narrowly ahead of Maya, as the field was trimmed to five.

One of the more accomplished players at this final table, Alex Rocha, took fifth. Rocha moved all in for his last 900,000 chips with , and he was called by Maya, who showed . Maya rivered the ace for the knockout as the board ran out . This was Rocha's 50th overall cash in WSOP-affiliated tournaments (20 WSOP, 3 WSOP-Europe, and 27 in WSOP Circuit events.

Thailand's Phachara Wongwichit climbed to fourth place, but no higher. Wongwichit busted after he re-raised Boivin on the turn of the final's 50th hand, with the board showing . Wongwichit had checked the flop with A-5, having two pair; that modest deuce, though, gave Boivin a set, and he quickly called. The river wasn't one of Wongwichit's four outs, and he headed to the rail.

That left, Maya, Boivin and West, and after the fast early pace, another 78 hands passed before West was bounced in third. West shoved all in for his last 1,235 with , and Maya thought long before calling with . The runout again favored Maya, giving him tens up and leaving only Boivin in his path.

Other Notables:

Matas Dilpsas (10th), Robert Kuhn (11th) and Ross Ward (12th) survived this event's first two shootout rounds, but were eliminated early on Day 3 to just miss the official final table. Among the 108 other players who won their first shootout round to make the money in Event #43 were Chris Moorman, Martin Staszko, Jonathan Tamayo, Andrew Brokos, Kevin MacPhee, Kyle Cartwright, Carlos Mortensen, Taylor Paur, John Phan, Russell Thomas, and Chris Bell.

Event #45's 1,025 entrants combined to build a prize pool of $1,383,750. 120 players won at least their Day 1 shootout, thus locking in a cash in this event.

Click here for Full Results.

Click here for live updates from Event #43.

Final Table Payouts (earned POY points in parentheses):

1st: Ben Baruch Maya, $257,764 (188.0)

2nd: Thomas Boivin, $159,273 (160.1)

3rd: Tim West, $115,297 (143.8)




SMYRNA, Ga. (AP) - Three teenagers are recovering after being shot at a Cobb County shopping center.

Smyrna Police tell The Atlanta Journal-Constitution that the victims were shot multiple times about 11:30 p.m. Friday.

Police spokesman Louis Defense says one of the victims is in serious condition, while the other two victims' injuries were not thought to be life threatening.

None of the victims' identities have been released.

Police say they're working to find a motive for the shooting.
LOWNDES COUNTY, GA. (WTXL) - A St. Petersburg man has died following a series of crashes on I-75 in Lowndes County.

Georgia State Patrol has confirmed 43-year-old Ivan Moreira has died from his injuries.

The crash happened Thursday evening near mile marker two. According to authorities, troopers had closed the left southbound lane after a semi hit a guardrail.

As traffic was slowing, another tractor trailer, driven by Moreira, rear-ended a different rig. Moreira's truck then jackknifed and rear-ended another truck. A different semi then swerved to try to miss the accident, running off the road into the ditch.

Moreira was severely burned and airlifted to a Gainesville hospital where he later died. No other drivers were hurt and there will be no charges filed.
A woman has died after a collision at State Route 24 and Birchfield Road following a high-speed pursuit the morning of June 25, 2017. (WILL MC
One of America's most wanted terrorists may have escaped a five-week battle with Islamist militants in a southern Philippine city, which began with a raid to capture him, the military said Saturday.

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Isnilon Hapilon, a veteran Filipino militant said to be the leader of the Islamic State (ISIS) group in Southeast Asia, has not been seen in the battle zone in Marawi City, said Lieutenant General Carlito Galvez, head of the military's Western Mindanao Command.

An attempt by government troops to arrest Hapilon in Marawi on May 23 triggered a rampage by Islamist militants flying black ISIS flags and backed by some foreign fighters who seized parts of the mainly Muslim city.

Hapilon with other jihadist leaders in the Philippines (Photo: AFP)

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte declared martial law in Marawi and the entire southern region of Mindanao, unleashing an offensive to crush what he said was an attempt by the jihadist group to establish a province in the area.

"He (Hapilon) has not been seen in the area. We have some reports that he was already able to slip somewhere but as of now we are still confirming the reports," Galvez said in an interview with DZBB radio station.

Jihadist leaders meet in the Philippines ()

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Asked if Hapilon was on the run, he said: "Yes, yes because reportedly he suffered a lot of casualties. Majority of his group, more than half, were casualties."

'Fight to the end'

Hapilon was indicted in Washington for his involvement in the 2001 kidnapping of three Americans in the Philippines, and has a $5-million bounty on his head from the US government, which has his name on its "most wanted" terror list.

He leads a faction of the Philippine militant group Abu Sayyaf that has pledged allegiance to ISIS.

The battle to free Marawi City from ISIS jihadists (Photo: Reuters)

Security analysts say he has been recognized by ISIS as its "amir," or leader, in Southeast Asia, a region where the group wants to establish a caliphate.

The military says Hapilon's group had joined forces with another armed militancy, the Maute Group, to launch the Marawi siege, now in its second month.

Local list of terrorists (Photo: Reuters)

On Saturday, security forces continued intense air raids and artillery fire on pockets of Marawi still occupied by the militants, while troops fought house-to-house gunbattles.

"We have gained substantial ground," said Galvez, the military commander.

But military spokesman Brigadier General Restituto Padilla said he expects the fighting to continue for a while.

"These people are suicidal. Our assessment is that they will really fight to the end," Padilla said, also on DZBB.

The battle to free Marawi City from ISIS jihadists (Photo: Reuters)

He said the militants are seeking shelter in bunkers and tunnels built by Marawi residents to protect themselves against possible clan wars and unrest related to a Muslim insurgency in Mindanao.

Nearly 300 militants and 67 government troops have been killed in the fighting, according to official figures.

Galvez said there are "strong indications" that two or three of the Maute brothersamong the key players in the siegehad been killed, including Omarkhayam Maute, believed to be the group's top leader.

Foreign fighters

Presidential spokesman Ernesto Abella said in Manila the military is "validating an intelligence report" that Malaysian Mahmud bin Ahmad, who helped lead and finance the Marawi siege, was killed.

When asked about Mahmud's reported death, Malaysia's Inspector General of Police Khalid Abu Bakar told AFP in a text message in Kuala Lumpur: "Not true. He is still alive."

Abella said authorities were also verifying another intelligence report that 89 foreign fighters are in Mindanao, entering the region through the Philippines' porous maritime borders with Malaysia and Indonesia.

The battle to free Marawi City from ISIS jihadists (Photo: AP)

Galvez said troops on Friday recovered two decomposing corpses that bore features of people from the Middle East.

Eight other militants, including those from Chechnya, Indonesia and Malaysia, had been killed earlier in the fighting, officials have said.

Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines on June 19 launched joint patrols on their maritime borders to block the movement of the militants.

Australia said Friday it will send two high-tech spy planes to help Filipino troops fight the militants, joining the US which has also provided similar help.
An IDF soldier aged 19 was wounded on Saturday afternoon and left in serious condition after a bullet was accidentally fired in an apartment in Tel Aviv.

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According to an initial investigation, the bullet fired came from a gun belonging to his friend, also a 19-year-old soldier.

Soldiers arrive at the scene (Photo: Hagai Dekel)

Police and military police officers arriving at the apartment began investigating the circumstances surrounding incident.

Police arrive at the apartment (Photo: Shaul Golan)

It is the second time a similar incident has occurred within two months. In April, Amit Popowitz, 23, was killed in his apartment in Kedumim in the West Bank from accidental gunfire while his friend was cleaning his gun.

The bullet hit Popowitz directly, leaving him in critical condition. Shortly after, he succumbed to his wounds.
The IDF arrested 23 Israelis on Sunday morning after they tried to make their way into Josephs Tomb in the city of Nablus despite a decree forbidding entry into area A of the West Bank.
US President Donald Trump is reportedly considering holding a summit in an effort to resolve the crisis between Arab powers and Qatar, Fox News reported on Friday.

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Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Egypt and several other Muslim nations have recently decided to cut diplomatic ties with Qatar, accusing it of funding and supporting terror organizations and cooperating with Iran to destabilize the region.

According to the report, one of the options the White House is examining is holding a summit similar to the 1978 Camp David Summit, which led to the signing of a peace accord between Israel and Egypt.

Trump with Muslim leaders in Saudi (Photo: GettyImages)

"It's a Camp David moment. We've seen nothing like this in 40 years, and now the president wants to follow through," a senior White House official told Fox News.

According to the official, President Trump seeks a change in behavior, not just from Qatar.

"The president now wants to bring all the key players to Washington. They need to disavow groups like the Muslim Brotherhood for the stability of the Middle East at large. It's not just about Qatari elements funding the Brotherhood but disavowing support for extremism in general," the official told Fox News.

Trump visited Saudi Arabia last month, where he met with regional leaders and made a speech calling on Muslim nations to "drive out the terrorists from your places of worship."

"America is prepared to stand with you in pursuit of shared interests and common security. But nations of the Middle East cannot wait for American power to crush this enemy for them," Trump told leaders of 55 Muslim majority countries representing more than a billion people.

"The nations of the Middle East will have to decide what kind of future they want for themselves, for their countries and frankly for their families and for their children," he said.

"It's a choice between two futures and its a choice America cannot make for you. A better future is only possible if your nations drive out the terrorists and drive out the extremists.

"Drive them out! Drive them out of your places of worship. Drive them out of your communities. Drive them out of your holy land and drive them out of this earth," he said.
The Syrian army in the Quneitra area was in a state of panic Saturday. A number of Syrian rebel organizations, based in villages near the Israeli-Syrian border, launched an offensive on the City of Baath, a town controlled by the Syrian army. The villages and towns around it are part of Syrian President Bashar Assads domainthe area held by the Syrian regime.

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The eastern Quneitra area is particularly important to the region as it controls the strategic road between Damascus, the Jordanian border and the city of Daraa. Control of this road provides easy access to the Syrian capital.

IAF hits a Syrian tank following Saturdays errant fire (Photo: IDFs Spokespersons Unit)

If the rebels manage to reach this road and the area controlling it, they will be able to sabotage the Assad regimes main effort. The regime is currently working with Hezbollah and Iranian forces to reoccupy the city of Daraa, which is the key for controlling southeastern Syria and the Jordanian border. We should remember in this context that the Syrian rebels receive a large part of their supplies from Jordan, and Daraa is where the revolt against the Assad regime began about six years ago.

UN observers in the Quneitra area (Photo: EPA)

Saturdays offensive on the City of Baath and the area controlled by the Syrian army east of Quneitra was launched by Salafi Islamist organizations, led by an al-Qaeda-affiliated organization called Tahrir al-Sham (The Organization for the Liberation of the Levant), which is basically the al-Nusra front in a new name. The offensive was carried out in cooperation with other Islamist rebel organizations, and it threatens to reduce the area controlled by the Syrian army near the strategic route to Damascus.

Footage of IAF strike on Syrian targets (Video: IDF Spokesperson's Unit) (Credit: IDF Spokesperson)

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Its important to be aware of these details to understand why the Syrian army tossed aside all its rules of caution and fired at the rebel forces it was attacked by, without considering the fact the fire could spill over into Israel. The Syrian army usually avoids firing into Israeli territory, knowing how rapidly and aggressively Israel will response as part of its policy not to allow any fire or violation of sovereignty on its territory.

This Israeli policy stems from the understanding that failure to respond aggressively to any spillover into Israeli territory, even an unintentional spillover, will be interpreted as a violation of Israeli sovereignty, and could turn from a drizzle into a flood, not to mention wearing out the Israeli deterrence in the Golan Heights. Israel, therefore, has made it a point to respond to any incident of this kind to indicate that it considers it a red line that must not be crossed. The Syrians know this, which is why the Syrian army tries to refrain from firing into Israeli territory so as not to be subject to a tough Israeli retaliation using airstrikes or artillery bombardments, which it cant really stop.

sraeli travelers in the Golan Heights, Saturday (Photo: EPA)

As Israel knew IDF activity could prompt a Syrian counterattack, farmers and vacationers were evacuated as a precaution before the retaliation was carried out. There is still a possibility the Syrians will respond, and the IDF is preparing for any scenario. It's important to note, however, that the Syrian army is well aware of the fact its aerial and ground abilities are completely inferior to the IDFs abilities in the Golan Heights, and is therefore honoring the red line set by Israel.

The area hit by mortar shells from Syria (Photo: Avihu Shapira)

Saturdays errant fire was unusual from two aspects: First, it included an unusual amount of 10 mortar shells and tank projectiles that landed in an open area in Israel, as opposed to the usual spillover of one or two mortar shells. Saturdays incident also included direct tank fire, and the shooters were perfectly aware of the fact the shells would hit Israeli territory.

Syrian rebel fighters prepare to fire mortar shells towards forces loyal to Assad, Saturday (Photo: Reuters)

Second, there were thousands of Israeli travelers in the Golan Heights when the Syrian mortars were fired, and they could have gotten hurt. The Syrians, who are watching our area at all times, were awareor at least should have been awareof that fact, which is why the Israeli response was unusually severe.

Photo: Reuters

The Syrian opposition says the Israeli attack was carried out by a helicopter and destroyed two tanks and a heavy machine gun post in the Quneitra area. An official source in the Syrian army said several people had been killed in the Israeli strike.

It remains unclear whether the incident has come to an end, for two reasons: First of all, the rebels are still attacking the Syrian army and have broken through the Syrian lines in several places. Second, the Syrians usually dont react immediately, but rather wait and weigh their options before making any decisions, and possibly consult the Russians and the Iranians too. The next 24 hours, therefore, will be critical.
Knesset members and ministers have become increasingly vocal in recent days in showing their support for the convicted former prime minister Ehud Olmert in his bid to be granted early release from prison. In July, Olmert will have served almost two thirds of his sentence.

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Olmert, whose original sentence of 6 years was reduced to 18 months in December 2015, only to be increased by a further 8 months in September 2016 for corruption-related charges, was expecting to receive a ruling last Thursday on whether his request for an early release would be granted. However, the decision was delayed.

Ehud Olmert (Photo: Shahar Tal)

Education Minister Naftali Bennett (Bayit Yehudi) was among the leading officials advocating Olmerts early release. The time has come to release Olmert, he said. Despite the differences of opinions between us, there is no question about the decisive contribution of Prime Minister Olmert to Israels security through a number of courageous decisions. The time has come for mercy.

Yesh Atid Leader Yair Lapid also joined the rallying cry for clemency towards the man responsible for launching Israel's Operation Cast Lead in 2008. I think it is time for him to return home, Lapid said.

Last Tuesday, Olmert was taken to Tel Hashomer Hospital after he was reported to have been suffering from chest pains.

Olmert pictured in hospital

Over the past few days, a picture began to circulate on social media networks showing Olmert in a frail state in hospital. The picture, which started on a WhatsApp group, was uploaded on Facebook by Transportation Minister Katz (Likud) as he called for Olmerts releasea move that evoked significant criticism from fellow politicians.

Reacting to the upload, Zionist Union MK Omer Bar-Lev wrote: The publishing of a picture of Olmert in hospital, in such a vulnerable and exposed state, is despicable. This government has totally lost its way. Today I am ashamed; Simply ashamed.
A US official has categorically denied rumors suggesting that President Donald Trump is contemplating giving up on launching fresh peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians. Reports that President Trump is considering pulling out of peace talks are nonsense," the official said.

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The reports came on the heels of separate meetings last week between Jared Kushner, the special adviser and son-in-law of Trump, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, on how the two warring sides could advance peace.

Photo: AP

A senior Palestinian official told Al-Hayat newspaper that Kushner was tasked with writing a report on his meetings which would determine whether or not Trump would proceed in his pursuit of what he has often described as the ultimate deal.

Meeting between Kushner and Abbas (Photo: Getty Images)

Kushner with Netanyahu (Photo: Amos Ben Gershom/GPO)

According to the same Palestinian official, Kushner asked Abbas to present his vision for a political solution during the meeting, adding that he had asked Netanyahu to do the same.

Sources in the Palestinian Authority expressed disappointment with the meeting between Abbas and the American delegation, describing the meeting in Ramallah as unsuccessful and claiming that Kushner and his entourage simply presented a list of Israeli demands.
German MPs have issued an ultimatum that could torpedo a $652 million deal between Germany and the Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) to lease Heron-2 drones to the German Air Force.

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Members of the Social Democratic Party (SPD), which is part of Chancellor Angela Merkel's coalition government, told Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen on Friday that they would not approve the deal with Israel in its current version.

The Heron-2, which will be leased to the Germans in cooperation with Airbus, is one of the largest drones in the world. The aircraft has a 26-meter wingspan and can stay in the air for more than 24 hours. Additionally, it has a carrying capacity of several tons.

The Heron drone (Photo: IDF Spokesman's Office)

Currently, Germany is operating more than ten Heron-1 drones around the world, including in Afghanistan, used for reconnaissance purposes only.

The Social Democratic MPs, however, are demanding that the Heron-2 drones, which can be equipped with rockets unlike the previous model, do not come with the inclusion of any specialized weapons systems.

The MPs are worried the drones would be used for targeted killings. Inside sources have described the crisis as a "matter of principle" that risks toppling the coalition.

A visit to the Israel and the IAI production line two weeks ago led to the SPD's change in position.

"When I saw the drones we've agreed to lease, which can be armed, I realized the only thing missing to arm them is rockets," MP Karl-Heinz Brunner told Yedioth Ahronoth.

The ultimatum set by the SPD endangers a 1-billion-euro ($1.11 billion) funding package for the German military. The last opportunity to approve the deal before the Bundestag's summer hiatus is at the budget committee meeting on Wednesday. If the deal is not approved this week, it would have to wait for the next government after the September elections.

According to Der Spiegel, the SPD parliamentarians have taken issue with a secret section of the deal worth 100 million euro, in which Germany commits to purchasing 60 missiles that can be fitted onto the drone for training purposes. As part of the deal, German drone operators would receive training at the Tel Nof Airbase in Israel.
Parents of children hospitalized at the Pediatric Hemato-Oncology Department of the Hadassah Medical Center in Jerusalem launched a hunger strike on Sunday morning in light of the ongoing crisis at the hospital.

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The department treats children in need of a bone marrow transplant. Following the shortage in ward beds, the hospital's director, Professor Zeev Rotstein, decided to transfer and treat some of the children who need a transplant in the adult ward.

Six of the senior doctors at the department tended their resignation in March , saying the decision is fundamentally wrong and does not allow them to provide patients with the best care. Despite talks between the sides, the doctors and the hospital's administration have so far failed to reach an agreement to resolve the crisis.

'Rotstein and Litzman are killing our children for money!' (Photo: Yisrael Hadari)

Rotstein has already begun negotiations to recruit new doctors, meanwhile using the aid of medical teams from Sheba Hospital in Tel Hashomer to help abate their shortage in medical personnel.

According to the parents, the team expected to arrive at the hospital is not sufficiently skilled and has no practical experience in caring for children.

"We're going on a hunger strike to show our gratitude to the wonderful doctors who are treating our children with unending devotion," one of the parents said.

Only three parents have so far announced their intention to strike, but they say others are expected to join them. They will hold their strike at a protest tent they've set up at Sacher Park in Jerusalem.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday morning the crisis has gone on for far too long. "Attempts have been made, also by me, via the Health Minister who has worked tirelessly on the matter, and by others, including the president, to resolve the crisis. These attempts have not succeeded. A motion has been filed with the High Court of Justice, which will convene on Wednesday and we are all awaiting the discussion."

"I request that the sides make a final effort, which will not be simple, to restore the status quo ante  so that these tired and sick children will not continue to suffer," he added.

In a petition file two weeks ago, the parents asked the High Court to order the opening of a new hemato-oncology department at the Shaare Zedek Medical Center, as well as to order the dismissal of Prof. Rotstein from Hadassah and bar his plan to treat children at the adults' ward.

Protest tent set up by the parents in Jerusalem (Photo: Gil Yohanan)

The state gave its response to the petition to the High Court on Sunday, saying the only solution to the crisis is the return of the resigning doctors to Hadassah.

The state has asked the doctors and the parents along with other involved parties to agree to mediation. "The Health Ministry has no intention to prevent the possibility of the doctors being accepted to work at other hospitals. It appears all that is left to overcome the crisis of trust, in a way that allows finding the golden path to a solution, is among others the return of the resigning doctors to their work at the department in Hadassah, or another suitable employment solution the sides would agree on. To that end there is mediation," the state said in its response.

Furthermore, the Health Ministry "believes the circumstances do not lead to the conclusion there is justification to dismiss Prof. Rotstein. Professional and managerial disagreements have always existed in medicine and will always exist."

Shlomo Ben-Dor, whose six-year-old son Nehuniya received treatment in the department, explained the motivation behind the hunger strike: "We're launching a hunger strike because we have completely lost all trust in the health systemthe health minister, the Health Ministry's director-general and of course the director of Hadassah, Prof. Rotstein," he said.

"We feel all of these people are not speaking the truth, they are playing politics at our expense and are not really trying to resolve the problem," Ben-Dor went on to say.

"The doctors, whom we hold in such high regard, made this brave step after they were left with no other choice but to resign. They are unable to return to Hadassah because they feel Prof. Rotstein is abusing them. There is no logical reason not to open a department at the Shaare Zedek Medical Center, which embraces the doctors and is willing to treat them humanely and professionally, unlike the treatment they received from the Hadassah director, with the backing of the health minister."

Ben-Dor expressed concern that "in the current situation, Jerusalem will remain without an appropriate place for children with cancer. Furthermore, six doctors, who are top experts in the field, and three other interns, will no longer treat children with cancer. This is an unbearable loss for children with cancer in Israel, as the number of experts in this field in the country amounts to only 40 doctors."

Moshe Benita, whose son Noam passed away from cancer at age 11, also joins the hunger strike. "You might ask me, why should you? After all, you no longer have a child to save," Benita wrote on Facebook. "Everything I've done since my Noam passed away, I've been doing as a mission he has left me. But I'm not alone. Reuma Maron, the late Tamir's mother, is also joining (the hunger strike)."

He went on to add he was striking "because we realize that parents sitting next to their children's beds are not emotionally available to join this fight. We're striking so the sick children of Jerusalem would have an appropriate solution in Israel's capital."
A stone was thrown last Saturday at a military ambulance arriving to treat a woman in the West Bank settlement of Yitzhar. The community leaders condemned the act and even conducted their own small investigation, which resulted in the expulsion of the young man suspected of throwing the stone.

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The Yitzhar leaders further decided to force Hilltop Youth members staying in the community as guests to sign a document in which they pledge to act in accordance with the communitys spirit.

This incident stresses the trend that Judea and Samaria settlers have been pointing to: The main targets of price tag perpetrators in recent weeks have been the security forcesthe Shin Bet, the IDF and the policerather than the Palestinians.

Leaving hints or teasing the Shin Bet in price tag activities. Graffiti reads Regards from the banished (Photo: Hassan Shaalan)

Price tag activities are usually acts of revenge for terror attacks or attempts to thwart outpost evacuations. At the moment, however, the evacuation of communities is not on the agenda and things were relatively calm until the murder of Border Police Staff-Sergeant Major Hadas Malka in a terror attack at Jerusalems Nablus Gate. For this reason, sources in Judea and Samaria say, the young activists are investing their energy in a head-to-head battle with national crime detectives of the Judea and Samaria District Police and coordinators of the Shin Bets Jewish Division.

The price tag activists have a known habit of leaving hints or teasing Shin Bet officers. This has been particularly evident in the recent incidents, with writings such as Regards from the banished, Binyamin Richters revenge (Jewish settler Binyamin Richter was recently released from prison, where he served his sentence for torching Palestinians' vehicles) and King Pikar ( Elkana Pikar of Yitzhar used to accommodate Hilltop Youth members in his home and was removed from Yitzhar for two months). One of the raids of the Baladim outposts in the Binyamin region revealed graffiti specifically referring to police detectives by name.

The new generation of expelled Hilltop Youth members and price tag activists is different from the old generation: They are 14 to 18-year-old boys, and most of them are unfamiliar with the Revolt Group, which was headed by extreme right-wing activist Meir Etinger. The Shin Bet takes anyone who is directly or indirectly related to this group very seriously, due to the dangerous ideology behind its actions: To spark a war with the Muslim world in a bid to topple the current regime and bring redemption closer. The current round of escalation, however, has changed its tune. In many cases, ideology has become nothing but an excuse.

The story of Elia Nativ is slightly different. Last week, the Shin Bet issued a two-month administrative detention order against him, after he was released from custody by two different courts. He is suspected of committing a series of price tag activities against Israelis, Palestinians and the security forcesfrom puncturing tires to torching vehicles, and is now being held at the Ayalon Prison in solitary confinement. Nativ and Etinger knew each other in the past, which is why the Shin Bet believes he is affiliated with the Revolt Group.

When I visited the home that the expelled teens are staying in, in the Jerusalem neighborhood of Kiryat Moshe, I met boys who have had a hard time getting along in the existing systems and are trying to find their way in a different environment. They all have arrests, detentions or expulsions in their resumes after being evacuated from the hills, and they are angry and frustrated. All we want to do is to sit on the hill, one of them told me. Just imagine how we feel each time a detective destroys our tent or confiscates our stuff. We have no peace and quiet.

After a series of unsolved price tag incidents, the Shin Bet and police are trying to restore the deterrence the managed to create after the murder of the Dawabsheh family in the village of Duma. We have learnt our lesson, says a security source involved in the area of nationalistic crime. Every time the teens go back to the Baladim outposts, to Geulat Zion or Ramat Migron, I will go there too, even if it happens on a daily basis. Until they stop coming there.
The IDF has changed its orders allowing families of fallen soldiers to determine whether to have a religious or civil funeral, the NGO Hiddush said Sunday.

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For decades, the military order dictated that soldiers would be laid to rest in an Orthodox religious ceremony, led by a military rabbi and in accordance with Jewish law.

Hiddush, which fights for religious freedom and equality, has been waging a long legal battle against the IDF on this issue. It petitioned the High Court of Justice against the order and even held talks on the matter with the Defense Ministry's previous legal adviser, Ahaz Ben-Ari.

The military plot on Mount Herzl (Photo: Gil Yohanan)

The struggle has finally borne fruit this week when the Military Advocate General informed the organization the new General Staff orders on the topic have gone into effect, allowing soldiers and their families to choose what funeral service to hold.

"The order has gone into effect and has been signed," Capt. Zviya Moskowitz, the legal adviser of the IDF's Casualty and Wounded Soldiers Department, informed Hiddush.

"The default set in the order is that a military funeral must be held at a military cemetery. However, this could be deviated from, allowing a military funeral to be held at a non military cemetery, if that was the wish of the deceased or, if the deceased's wish hadn't been made known, of the closest next of kin.

"Alternatively, it was determined a civil funeral can be held without any military characteristics at a civil cemetery. In addition, new provisions have been added to the order allowing for deviation from the religious characteristics in a military funeral or in a headstone unveiling ceremony of a soldier whose place of burial is unknown."

While the new order allows for civil funerals for fallen soldiers, it would not include several military characteristics, such as the ceremonial carrying of the coffin, a wreath-laying ceremony, an honor guard and a firing squad, and an official eulogy made by the IDF. However, the unit's commander will be able to speak in memory of the fallen soldier.

The Defense Ministry will, however, provide the family with full logistical assistance in preparing for the funeral, such as organizing shuttles to the cemetery, publishing death notices, and helping digging the grave. In the event the funeral is held close to the beginning of Shabbat or immediately upon its conclusion, this assistance will not be provided.
The government voted Sunday afternoon to freeze progress on plans to construct an egalitarian section at the Western Wall to cater for the holy sites more liberal visitors following pressure exerted by Haredi parties opposed to the move.

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With the latest development in what Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman (Yisrael Beytenu) has argued would wrench Jews apart both inside and outside Israel along religious lines, any further request to advance the change will require another governmental decision. Meanwhile, the status quo in the management of the Kotel will remain unchanged.

Photo: AP

In another victory for the Haredi and religious parties, a Conversion Bill, which will enable the Israeli Orthodox rabbinate to retain exclusive control over all conversion matters, was approved in the Knesset plenum.

Following a stormy debate on the matter of the Kotel, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu eventually accepted the position of the ultra-Orthodox parties who demanded that the changes that would transform the Kotel be obstructed or all together cancelled.

To that end, they agreed to freezing the plans in order to circumvent a situation in which there is no governmental decision on the issue, effectively clearing the way for the High Court of Justice (HCJ) to intervene.

Israeli Energy Minister Yuval Steinitz (Likud) and Lieberman were the only two who demurred in the decision, voting against putting the brakes on the plan. By contrast, leaders of the ultra-Orthodox parties praised the decision, stating that it reflects the will of the majority of the country to preserve the sanctity of the site.

Photo: AP

Minister Lieberman warned that cancelling the plans would only harm the unity of the coalition and the state and would also jeopardize relations between Israeli Jews and International Jewry. Turning to the Conversion Bill, Lieberman was equally critical of its consequences. What the management of the conversions does is alienate people from Judaism, he argued.

Israels Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi lauded the prime ministers decision to temporarily nullify the plan. The decision of the government that will divide the Western Wallwhich is the heart of the Jewish peoplewas fundamentally wrong and it is a good thing that it was stopped. Rabbi Lau said.

The Western Wall is not about to be divided, and the people of Israel have come throughout the years from around the world to the Kotel and it will continue that way as the one heart according to the Halacha (Jewish law) and tradition, he added before thanking the government for its decision.

Leader of the Shas party and Interior Minister Aryeh Deri also welcomed the move. I am please that the government accepted our demands to cancel the plan that harms its status as a holy site, Deri said.

Photo: AP

At the other opposite side of the spectrum, the more pluralist Reform leader Rabbi Gilad Kariv scolded the government, accusing it of bowing to Haredi demands. The government decision is a shameful and miserable act of submission to the pressures of the ultra-Orthodox parties and it is harmful to the fundamental interests of the State of Israel and the Jewish people, Kariv vented.

The prime minister and his partners lent a hand to an anti-Zionist move, he continued before echoing the sentiments of Lieberman. It harms Israel's ties with the Diaspora and weakens the connection of millions of Jews to Jerusalem.

Kariv also pledged to continue the struggle for equality and freedom of religion at the Kotel and every other place in Jerusalem.

Before the dust has even had time to begin settling on the matter, Kariv announced that he had already approached the HCJ. I hope that it will choose to protect the values of the State of Israel as a Jewish and democratic state.
Next week, Britney Spears will board an El Al flight from Hong Kong on her way to her first-ever show in Israel. In preparation for the historic occasion, some El Al employees decided to record their version of her 2003 hit music video, "Toxic."

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In the original music video, Spears appeared as a flight attendant. In the years since then, many an homage have been made to the clip, including one by Air Asia X flight attendant Assraf Nasir, who impressed the world with his dancing in a clip released three months ago.

Assraf Nasir's version

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Barak Krips, the El Al employee who plays the flight attendant at the beginning of the video, told Ynet: "It was very exciting and a lot of fun. I was particularly excited to hear that El Al would fly Britney (to Israel). I personally am a Britney fan, and I've already managed to be at two of her shows."

Krips

He added that they had managed to put the clip together within just a few hours.
The Ministry of Health and Ministry of Environmental Protection published a joint statement Sunday afternoon, announcing the end of a study examining the link between pollution and morbidity in the Haifa Bay area.

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"The Minister of Health and Minister of Environmental Protection accepted the recommendation of the scientific committee accompanying the epidemiological study monitoring the Haifa Bay, which is to not continue the study," read the statement regarding the study, which " assessed exposure to air pollution and neonatal developmental measures."

Smog and pollution in the Haifa Bay area (Photo: Yehuda Porati)

The statement continued to say, "In August 2016, the ministers accepted the recommendation of the scientific committee to discontinue the implementation of three models in the study on the risk of developing cancer, childhood asthma and asthma of those intended for defense services. This due to the fact that according to the committee's conclusions, the research methodology and results did in no way point to a clear connection between air pollution in the Haifa Bay region and morbidity rates in the area.

"After receiving the researchers' data on the models of air quality monitoring, neonatal development and biological monitoring, the only model recommended by the committee is biological monitoring."

The Ministry of Environmental Protection is therefore asking that researchers apply for studies to look into the issue.

In February 2016, it was reported that infants in polluted parts of the Haifa Bay were born with 20-30% smaller heads than infants born in adjacent, less polluted areas. Additionally, the rate of morbidity in lung cancer and lymphoma is five times higher in the Haifa Bay area than the national average. These findings were raised in a comprehensive study by the University of Haifa. Professor Micha Barchana of the University of Haifa's School of Public Health said, "It was only expected that such a finding would be uncovered; in every corner you check, you find that morbidity is higher in the Haifa area."

The Haifa Municipality issued a statement on the matter, saying, that it "demands that the government find a way and methodology to investigate once and for all the connection between the pollution and its consequences, and until then all plans that have environmental impact must be stopped."
The IDF on Sunday said it attacked a series of targets belonging to the Syrian military after several projectiles from neighboring Syria landed in the Israeli-controlled Golan Heights for a second day.

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The military said it targeted two Syrian artillery positions and an ammunitions truck. There were no immediate reports of casualties. But as an added precaution, the military instructed Israeli civilians from gathering in open areas in the border area.





IDF soldier in Golan Heights (Photo: AFP)

It was the second straight day that Israel responded to what it has described as errant fire from Syria. Israel has tried to stay out of the six-year civil war in Syria and refrained from taking sides, but has responded to spillover fire on numerous occasions.

Israel also is believed to have carried out airstrikes on suspected weapons shipments to its archenemy Hezbollah, whose fighters are in Syria backing government forces.

"Our policy is clear: We will not tolerate any spillover or trickle whatsoeverneither mortars nor rockets, from any front," Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told his cabinet on Sunday. "We will respond strongly to any attack on our territory or our citizens."

Syrian-Israeli border (Photo: Shlomo Peretz)

He also said Israel views "with utmost gravity" Iranian attempts to gain a foothold in Syria or to provide advanced weapons to Hezbollah, its Lebanese proxy.

In Saturday's fighting, Israeli aircraft struck various positions, destroying two tanks, in response to more than 10 projectiles that landed in its territory, the military said.

Syrian state media said a number of people were killed.

Israel captured the Golan Heights from Syria in the 1967 Six-Day War.
Jerusalem police spokesperson issued a statement on Sunday, saying that stones and glass bottles were thrown at a police and Border Police forces operating in the neighborhood of Isawiya.

Security forces arrested a suspect who he allegedly threw stones and bottles at them. The suspect escaped but was arrested after a short chase.

Two policemen were lightly injured and evacuated to receive medical treatment.
Israel has turned down a request by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) to visit Hebron ahead of an upcoming vote by the organization to register the town's Old City as a Palestinian World Heritage Site.

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"As a matter of principle, Israel will not provide legitimization to any Palestinian political move under the guise of culture and heritage," said Israel's ambassador to UNESCO, Carmel Shama-Hacohen.

Hebron's Cave of the Patriarchs (Photo: Gil Yohanan)

The Palestinian Authority submitted a request to list Hebron's Old City, including the Tomb of the Patriarchs, as a World Heritage Site in 2012a process that can take yearsbut is now trying to fast-track the application by claiming that the site is endangered.

Shama-Hacohen described the Palestinian request as "tainted by politicization, lies and libel against the State of Israel and against the Jewish people's connection to the site.  The Palestinians have opened another front in the religious and cultural war they are trying to impose on us."

UNESCO's World Heritage Committee meets July 212 in Krakow, Poland, for its annual assembly. Hebron's Old City is listed on the agenda as Hebron/Al-Khalil Old Town, Palestine.

The 21 member nations of the World Heritage Committee will vote on the Palestinian request in a secret ballot. Israel needs seven votes against in order to block the motion.
The Syrian army warned Israel on Sunday of the "dangerous repercussions" of its "aggressive activities" after the IDF retaliated against spillover fire in the Golan Heights for the second day in a row.

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"After the Syrian army forces managed to thwart the wide-scale attack of terrorist al-Nusra  the Israeli enemy continued today to attack one of our military stations, in a desperate attempt to support terrorist organizations and boost their low morale," read a statement from the army of Syrian President Bashar Assad.

Syrian rebel fire (Photo: Reuters)

"The Syrian army general command warns against the dangers of these aggressive activities and lays the responsibility for the dangerous repercussions of these actions on the Israeli enemy, whatever its excuses may be. The general command stresses it is determined to defeat the terrorist organizations, the Israeli enemy's proxies in the region."



IDF hits Syrian traget (Photo: IDF Spokesperson's Unit) (Credit: IDF Spokesperson)

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Meanwhile, photos were released in Syria of the alleged victims from the Israeli retaliation attacks, likely the one on Saturday.

Three Syrian army soldiers reported to have been killed by Israeli fire

Syrian Defense Minister Fahd Jassem al-Freij was sent on the orders of Syrian President Assad to visit soldiers celebrating the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Fitr in south Lebanon on Sunday, where he spoke about the civil war raging in the country for almost six years.

Al-Freij visits Syrian army soldiers

"Our brave, armed forces, in cooperation with our allies and friends, are more determined than ever to continue our war against the terrorist organizations and smash the illusions of those supporting them," said al-Freij. "Our fight will continue until we have returned stability and security to every grain of our homeland's soil."
New Delhi: Karbi Anglong, one of the most volatile regions in Assam, has witnessed the most peaceful elections to an autonomous body in more than six decades, Chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal said on Sunday.

The recently concluded election to the Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council (KAAC), comprising the two districts of Karbi Anglong and West Karbi Anglong, has been termed as the most peaceful polls held since 1952, when the council was created under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution.

The election was held without any untoward incident during the whole process and it was the most peaceful election to an autonomous body in more than six decades, Sonowal said in a statement here.

The chief minister said even the Assam State Election Commission has on record acknowledged this fact.

This has been a great achievement for the state police who worked tirelessly in close co-ordination with the district administration and other sister agencies and relentless support of public, he said.

The Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council (KAAC), which was known as Mikir Hills District Council, came into existence on June 23, 1952.

The Council which is empowered to legislate on various inherent and entrusted subjects is the most important administrative entity for all except few subjects like law and order, relief and rehabilitation etc.

Hence, the elections to the Autonomous Council always assumed paramount significance characterised by enormous campaigning activity and extreme volatility.

Ever since its formation, the KAAC went to polls 11 times and the election process for the 12th council just concluded.

These elections have always been a challenge for the civil and police administration as the area is sparsely populated with population density just over 93 per sq.Km, hilly and rolling terrain draped from Singhason hills.

With forests occupying 47 per cent of the geographical area, it has been one of the active fields for terrorist activities.

Since the region shares border with Nagaland and Meghalaya, the terrorist organisations having understanding with various extremist groups operating in these neighbouring states, make the general law and order of the region more vulnerable and made the KAAC elections a challenging task.

A conglomerate of 24 organisations which was later joined by two more organisations became active just few months before the scheduled period of elections with demands like complete change of electoral process and de-enfranchisement of certain sections of people.

The sensitive issue was hired by these organisations to stall the election process.

Extreme methods of protests were adopted by these groups to popularise their demand and to get public rallied behind them with motive of scuttling the election process.

The chief minister said the police administration tackled the protests meticulously by careful planning, domination and visibility of security forces, posing continuous psychological deterrence to these organisations with utmost perseverance, resulting in gradual dissipation of the issue and brought a conducive atmosphere for conduct of elections.
New Delhi: UK's Cairn Energy, which became the first company to face coercive recovery in retrospective tax action, had created a maze of subsidiaries in a span of just six months to transfer Indian assets, an event that led to a demand of Rs 10,247 crore as dues.

According to documents accessed by PTI, Scotland-based Cairn Energy till 2006 held Indian assets, including the prolific Rajasthan oil fields, through nine Indian subsidiaries.

What followed was creation of layers of subsidiary firms and transfer of Indian assets. The tax department said the company made capital gains out of the restructuring, hence the tax demand.

When contacted, Cairn Energy spokesperson justified the structure, saying the company chose India listing over the option of getting the Indian company listed on UK bourses.

The structure it built had been presented to Sebi, the erstwhile Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) and the Reserve Bank of India in 2006 in a "transparent" manner.

On June 26, 2006, Cairn first created Cairn UK Holding Ltd (CUHL) and transfered the Indian assets to it. In return, it got 221.44 million shares of CUHL on June 30, 2006. It also got another 29.78 million shares for sale of 29.78 million pound debt on September 1, 2006.

On August 3, 2006, Cairn India Holding Ltd (CIHL) was incorporated in Jersey, Channel Islands -- a tax haven -- as a wholly-owned subsidiary of CUHL.

The Indian assets were transfered to CIHL which issued 221.44 million shares to CUHL, UK, on August 7, 2006. CUHL also sold debt of 29.78 million pound to CIHL, for which the Jersey firm issued another 29.78 million shares.

So, CUHL in all acquired 251.22 million shares of CIHL at one UK pound sterling apiece.

Thereafter, CUHL, UK, on October 12, 2006, sold 41.49 million shares of CIHL to newly-incorporated Cairn India Ltd, which transfered to the British firm Rs 5,037 crore for the same.

Three more such share transfers happened between November and December 2006. In all, the four transactions put together, 251.22 million shares of CIHL were sold to Cairn India for Rs 26,681 crore.

The income tax department, documents showed, calculated the cost of acquisition as 251.22 million pound (Rs 2,178 crore) considering the price at which the debt was transfered.

So, the capital gains CUHL made were calculated at Rs 24,503 crore (Rs 26,681 crore gained minus acquisition price of Rs 2,178 crore), the documents showed.

The tax department felt that a short-term capital gain tax should apply as CUHL had acquired 251.22 million shares of CIHL at the cost of 251.22 million pound in August-September 2006. The same was then sold to Cairn India within few months.

Cairn India was thereafter listed on stock exchanges through an initial public offering (IPO) that raised Rs 5,261 crore.

The short-term capital gain of Rs 24,503 crore at the hand of CUHL was confirmed by income tax tribunal ITAT in March, following which a demand note was sent seeking Rs 10,247 crore.

With the British firm not paying, the tax authorities first appropriated the Rs 1,500 crore of past tax refund that was lying and then took over USD 104 million of dividend income due to it from Cairn India.

"The interactions with multiple agencies of the Indian government underscores the extent to which Cairn transparently disclosed all elements of the contemplated transaction in India. Cairn is of the view that the company conducted the transaction in complete candour and openness with the Indian government," Cairn Energy spokesperson said.

Cairn, he said, "can demonstrate that the 2006 transaction structure and the formation of holding companies was a function of the mandatory Indian securities and other regulations and they had definite economic purpose".

"Cairn's case is that none of the 2006 transactions was taxable in India according to the law in force at the time, which was also evident from the Indian government's past practice, and that the detailed steps of those transactions were fully disclosed," he said.
Next week, when Flagstaffs minimum wage jumps to $10.50 per hour, employers in the city, and the rest of the state will also be required to comply with the requirement built into Proposition 206 that requires employers to provide sick leave for their employees.

Proposition 206, a citizens initiative also called the Fair Wages and Healthy Families Act, brought forth by the group Arizonans for Fair Wages and Healthy Families, requires employers to allow employees to accrue one hour of paid sick leave per 30 hours worked, up to 24 hours annually for employers with fewer than 15 employees, and up to 40 hours for employers with 15 or more employees. Employers can choose to allow a higher limit, but must meet the minimum requirements to comply with the law.

Full time, part time, temporary and other workers are required to be able to accrue sick leave under the law, which can be used for medical care, physical or mental illness or health conditions, a public health emergency, and absence due to domestic violence, sexual violence, abuse or stalking, according to the law.

Employees hired after July 1 can be required to work 90 days before beginning to accrue sick time.

Federal and state employers are exempt from both the minimum wage increase schedule and the sick time accrual requirements included in Prop. 206. Tribal employees on tribal land are also not subject to Proposition 206.

However, employers that are based out of state but employ people in Arizona must follow all provisions of Prop. 206 for employees that perform work in Arizona.

The law, as written, allows employers two options about how to address unused accrued sick time. The Industrial Commission of Arizona, the regulatory body for both minimum wage and sick leave requirements, has proposed a third option, which is required to be approved by Gov. Doug Ducey before it can take effect, said Jonathan Hauer, assistant chief counsel for the Industrial Commission said.

The first option would allow employees to carry over any unused earned sick time from year to year. However, an employer is only required to grant 40 hours, or 24 hours for a smaller employer, per year, meaning the employee could accrue time without being able to use it all, Hauer said.

The second option, if employers decide not to allow a carry forward, would require employers to pay for unused earned sick time at the end of the companys fiscal year, and provide the maximum amount of hours required for the business size immediately available at the beginning of the next fiscal year for the company, Hauer said.

The third option, which was drafted this week by the commission and still needs to go through the formal approval process for rules, would allow employers to front load sick hours at the beginning of the year and remove the accrual requirement. This would mean an employer could immediately grant 40 hours, or 24 for a smaller company, of sick time at the beginning of the year. If an employer chose to front load the hours, the employer would not have to carry forward hours from year to year, and would not have to pay employees for unused time, Hauer said.

However, the front loading option is not yet legal, and could take between six months to a year before it can go through the rulemaking process and be approved by Ducey, Hauer said. An employer that does not follow one of the first two options, either carry forward or paying out the unused earned time, is in violation of the statute until the front loading option is made official, Hauer said.

The front loading concept is still just that, Hauer said. What the Industrial Commission can do is signal to employers our intent and offer our guidance. We need to make it very clear that these are proposed rules, which are not in effect yet.

However, companies that choose to use a front loading method might not be subject to enforcement. Hauer said.

We would not, as a commission, go after an employer that is following our guidance and is acting in good faith, Hauer said.

In order to create rules, the Industrial Commission does not have to meet the same requirements as the state legislature to amend a citizens initiative, which require a supermajority of the Legislature and amendments must further the intent of the initiative, as required under Arizonas Voter Protection Act.

Rules and statutory amendments are different concepts, Hauer said. Rules are to clarify and fill gaps in the statute, not to change it.

While the city of Flagstaff has created an Office of Labor Standards, as was required in Proposition 414, the Industrial Commission is the regulating body for sick leave enforcement. The citys office handles minimum wage and wage theft enforcement.
New Delhi: A man was acquitted of rape charges with a Delhi court saying it was dangerous to convict him only on the basis of the testimony of the woman who waited for months to lodge an FIR.

"I am of the view that the prosecution case is not free from suspicion. The testimony of the prosecutrix cannot to be said to be of sterling quality. The things appear to have not happened in the manner they have been projected," Additional Sessions Judge Sanjiv Jain said.

The court noted that there was an "inordinate delay" in lodging the FIR on her part and she did not allege rape in her complaint but mentioned it only during recording of statement before a magisterial court.

It said that if there are some circumstances which cast doubts in the mind of the court of the veracity of the victim's evidence, it is not safe to rely on the her sole testimony.

"In cases where sole testimony of the prosecutrix is available, it is very dangerous to convict the accused, especially when the woman could venture to wait for seven months for filing FIR for rape," it said.

It further said, "Even in the complaint, she did not allege rape. As per the MLC, the first incident of sexual assault took place in May 2013 and the last contact was in November 2014."

Noting that she was quite educated, the court said it was strange that she remained quiet when her character was being assassinated and lodged the FIR only in September 2015.

"She was quite educated, a graduate and an LIC agent. It is strange that she remained quiet when her character was assassinated or she had to leave her matrimonial house. No lady would like to keep quiet when her character is assassinated by calling her prostitute," it said.

According to the prosecution, the woman had lodged the complaint with her husband on September 28, 2015 alleging that she was raped by the accused, her neighbour, at his house for the first time in 2013 after which he made her obscene video and blackmailed her to keep physical relations.

It was alleged that in November 2014, the accused had asked her to visit his house on the pretext of signing some insurance papers but raped her after intoxicating her.

The court, however, junked the woman's claims noting that she had failed to produce evidence including the medical report and video recordings as claimed by her and could not explain the delay in lodging of FIR.

Denying the allegations, the accused had contended that he was falsely implicated as he had asked the woman and her husband to return the money he had lent them.
Dortmund: Social Democrat chief Martin Schulz lashed out today at Chancellor Angela Merkel, accusing her of "arrogance" as he sought to reverse his party's plunging popularity.

At a special congress to decide his party's campaign programme for September 24 elections, Schulz accused Merkel and her conservative CDU party of "systematically refusing debate on the future of the country".

Merkel's tactic, he said, is to hold off on airing her views rather than engage, thereby making the people lose interest in politics.

While the Social Democratic Party (SPD) takes position on issues, "the other side is silent," said Schulz.

"That's what one calls in circles in Berlin asymmetric demobilisation. I call it an attack against democracy," charged Schulz, whose party is a junior partner of Merkel's grand right-left coalition.

"The biggest danger is the arrogance of power," he added.

In his speech, Schulz emphasised his party's push for "social justice", with higher taxes for big earners and free schooling for all.

But he also laid down gay marriage as a condition for any future coalition involving the SPD.

"I will sign no coalition deal in which marriage for all is not inscribed," he said.

The SPD's call for gay marriage comes just a week after the Greens set a similar condition, while Merkel's CDU has so far refused to allow same gender couples to wed.
Istanbul: President Tayyip Erdogan on Sunday dismissed calls for Turkey to close a military base in Qatar and said a wider list of demands issued by four Arab states was an unlawful intervention against the Gulf emirate`s sovereignty.

In his strongest statement of support for Qatar in the nearly three-week-old crisis centred on the Gulf state, Erdogan said the call to withdraw Turkish forces was disrespectful and that Doha - which described the demands as unreasonable - was taking the right approach.

Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Bahrain imposed a boycott on June 5 on Qatar and issued 13 demands including closing Al Jazeera television, curbing relations with Iran, shutting the Turkish base and paying reparations.

Doha said it was reviewing the list, but said it was not reasonable or actionable.

"We approve and appreciate the attitude of Qatar against the list of 13 demands," Erdogan, speaking outside a mosque in Istanbul, said. "...This approach of 13 demands is against international law because you cannot attack or intervene in the sovereignty of a country."

The demands are apparently aimed at dismantling Qatar`s interventionist foreign policy which has incensed conservative Arab peers over its alleged support for Islamists they regard as threats to their dynastic rule.

Both Qatar and Turkey, whose ruling AK Party has its roots in Islamist politics, backed a Muslim Brotherhood government in Egypt before it was overthrown in 2013. The Arab states have demanded Qatar cut any links to the Brotherhood and other groups they deem to be terrorist, ideological or sectarian.

Bahrain`s state news agency on Sunday confirmed the demands set out by un-named Gulf officials on Friday, including that Qatar close the Turkish base, end military cooperation with Ankara inside Qatar and stop supporting militant groups.

"The demands aim to achieve regional countries` stability, stand firmly against foreign interference and stop support for terrorist organisations," it said.

"NO PULLOUT"

Turkey, the most powerful regional country to stand by Qatar, has sent 100 cargo planes with supplies since its neighbours cut air and sea links. It has also rushed through legislation to send more troops to its base in Doha.

Two contingents of Turkish troops with columns of armoured vehicles have arrived since the crisis erupted on June 5, and Defence Minister Fikri Isik said on Friday that further reinforcements would be beneficial.

"The strengthening of the Turkish base would be a positive step in terms of the Gulf`s security," he said. "Re-evaluating the base agreement with Qatar is not on our agenda."

Hurriyet newspaper said last week a joint exercise by Turkish and Qatari forces was expected following the Islamic Eid al-Fitr holiday which started on Sunday, and the number of Turkish soldiers sent to the Gulf state could eventually reach 1,000. An air force contingent was also envisaged, it said.

Erdogan said Turkey had also offered to establish a military base in Saudi Arabia, but never received a clear answer.

"If Saudi Arabia wants us to have base there, a step towards this also can be taken," he told reporters. "I made this offer to the king himself and they said they will consider this."

"They did not come back to us since that day and even though they still didn`t come back to us on this, asking Turkey to pull back its troops (from Qatar) is disrespectful against Turkey".

Speaking outside the Istanbul mosque after prayers marking the Muslim Eid al-Fitr holiday, Erdogan said he would continue his planned programme despite feeling briefly unwell.

"I had a little condition about my blood pressure, related to my diabetes," he said.
New Delhi: The Army is now actively considering recruiting civilian staff in peace stations to do away with the colonial-era Sakayak system, in the wake of rising cases of jawans coming out openly against it.

A top Army official, however, said the Sahayaks or buddy system whereby a solider is attached to officers -- will continue be deployed in key bases and field areas as they have defined military duties.

"We are looking at getting civilian staff to replace Sahayaks in peace stations," the official said.

In the recent months, a number of videos had surfaced where some army jawans were seen voicing their anger over the Sahayak system with some even alleging that they are treated as servants by the officers whom they are attached to.

The official said the option of deploying civilian staff at peace stations instead of Sahayaks will help the Army in economising on its man power as well.

"Currently, we are examining various aspect of the option," he said, insisting Sahayaks cannot be replaced in field units.

In March, the government had strongly defended the Sahayak system in the Army, saying it provides an "essential support" to officers in "fully" attending to their duties in times of peace and war.

At the same time, the government had said Sahayaks or orderlies are combatants and exhaustive instructions have been issued to not make them perform menial tasks which are not in conformity with the dignity of a soldier.

An annual conference of top army commanders in April had held extensive deliberations on the Army's "internal health" including on Sahayaks, and decided to reorient the human resource policy of the force.

Sahayaks are soldiers and their duties include protecting the officers, maintaining their weapons and equipment and helping them in carrying out their responsibilities.

In March, the body of a jawan, Roy Mathew, was found hanging at Deolali cantonment in Maharashtra after a sting video, which showed him complaining about being made to do household chores of superior officers, went viral.

Days later, a sepoy also posted a video online criticising the Sahayak system and accused the senior officers of treating them as "slaves".
Washington: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday thanked Donald Trump for the 'warm personal welcome' and said that he was looking forward to meeting the US President.

He posted on Twitter: "Thank you @POTUS for the warm personal welcome. Greatly look forward to my meeting and discussions with you @realDonaldTrump."

Thank you @POTUS for the warm personal welcome. Greatly look forward to my meeting and discussions with you @realDonaldTrump. https://t.co/lOfxlLI7v0  Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) June 25, 2017

The Ministry of External Affairs also tweeted:

Old partnerships, new friendships - PM @narendramodi arrives at Joint Base Andrews, Washington DC for 1st meeting with President Trump pic.twitter.com/pjOj5pNsU1  Gopal Baglay (@MEAIndia) June 25, 2017

Earlier, Trump had called PM Modi a 'true friend'.

"Look forward to welcoming India's PM Modi to @WhiteHouse on Monday. Important strategic issues to discuss with a true friend," Trump had posted from his official Twitter handle.

Look forward to welcoming India's PM Modi to @WhiteHouse on Monday. Important strategic issues to discuss with a true friend!  President Trump (@POTUS) June 24, 2017

The two leaders will hold talks on Monday afternoon in the White House and would spend several hours together in various settings including one-on-one and delegation level meetings, a reception and a working dinner.

The working dinner that Trump is hosting for PM Modi is the first of its kind under the administration.

"The White House is very interested in making this a special visit. We're really seeking to roll out the red carpet. In fact, the two (leaders) will have dinner, a working dinner at the White House. This will be the first dinner for a foreign dignitary at the White House under this administration. So, we think that's very significant," a senior administration official told reporters at the White House, as per PTI.

PM Modi arrived in US today after a day-long working visit to Portugal for his first bilateral meeting with Trump.

A host of strategic issues are expected to be discussed during the bilateral talks between the two leaders of the world's largest democracies, including defence cooperation, boosting economic ties, discussions on the civil nuclear deal, cooperation on combating terrorism, security cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region and India's concerns over the H-1B work visa.

He will interact with about 20 leading American CEOs followed by an Indian-American community event in the DC suburb of Virginia. The programme is likely to be attended by about 600 members of the community.

American CEOs expected to meet PM Modi today include Apple's Tim Cook, Walmart's Doug McMillon, Caterpillar's Jim Umpleby, Google's Sundar Pichai and Microsoft's Satya Nadella.

Indian Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar flew into Washington ahead of Modi's visit to meet senior officials in the Trump administration and to lay the groundwork for the Modi-Trump meeting.



On Friday, Jaishankar met US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and both sides focused on areas of convergence, as per IANS.

PM Modi will visit the Netherlands on June 27 on the way back home.

(With Agency inputs)
Jerusalem: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday hailed his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi's upcoming visit to Israel, the first by an Indian premier, as a "very significant step" in strengthening bilateral relations that are on a "constant upswing".

In a big fillip to already robust ties, Prime Minister Modi is scheduled to land in Israel on July 4 on a three-day visit.

Netanyahu, while speaking at the start of the weekly Cabinet meeting, said, "Next week, the Indian Prime Minister, my friend, Narendra Modi will arrive in Israel, This is a historic visit to Israel. In the 70 years of the country's existence, no Indian Prime Minister has ever visited and this is further expression of the state of Israel's military, economic and diplomatic strength."

"This is a very significant step in strengthening relations between the two countries," Netanyahu said.

India is a huge country with over 1.25 billion people and is one of the world's largest, growing economies. Ties between Israel and India are on a "constant upswing", the Israeli premier said.

Modi's visit is aimed at commemorating 25 years of establishment of diplomatic ties between the two countries.

Modi would be arriving in Israel on July 4 and is likely to meet Netanyahu the same day in the evening. He would also be addressing the Indian community the following day in Tel Aviv.

Netanyahu, in his remarks today, said the Cabinet will approve decisions that will deepen Indo-Israel ties, beginning with expanding exports and deepening cooperation in agriculture and water.

"We will establish a joint innovation, and research and development, fund. We will also increase tourism from India to Israel; this has very great potential. All of this is an additional expression of Israel's enhanced international position in recent years as we strengthen the state of Israel," Netanyahu said.

The two leaders have already met twice on foreign soil on the sidelines of UN-related events and are said to be constantly in touch with each other over the phone.

"I am happy that often we can talk easily on telephone, we can discuss everything. It has very rarely happened. In your case it has happened," Modi had told Netanyahu during their meeting on the sidelines of Paris Climate summit in November 2015. The Israeli premier had then promptly responded saying, "in your case too".

The defence ties between India and Israel have often drawn worldwide attention and acquired strategic dimensions. It is believed that Modi's visit would further solidify security ties as Israeli defence industries have shown greater inclination towards participating in joint ventures to give a boost to NDA government's 'Make in India' campaign.

Prime Minister Modi's visit has been preceded by several other high-profile visits, including the trip of National Security Adviser Ajit Doval, several senior secretaries, Minister of State for Agriculture S S Ahluwalia-led 11 member multi-party parliamentary delegation and Navy Chief Admiral Sunil Lanba's five-day visit earlier this month.

All these visits have laid the ground work for several MoUs that are likely to be signed during Modi's visit.
New Delhi: US President Donald Trump has announced that he has important issues to discuss with his `true friend` Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Ahead of PM Modi reaching Washington DC for a state visit, the US President tweeted, "Look forward to welcoming India`s PM Modi to @WhiteHouse on Monday. Important strategic issues to discuss with a true friend!"

Meanwhile United States Senator Kamala Harris also welcomed PM Modi in a tweet.

"I welcome Indian PM @NarendraModi to the United States and reaffirm the unbreakable bonds between our two nations," she tweeted.

PM Modi who would be reaching Washington DC in a few hours, would be the first world leader to have a working dinner with Trump at the White House on Monday.

Speaking ahead of the visit, India`s Ambassador to the US, Navtej Sarna, said that Prime Minister Modi and President Trump would discuss crucial issues such as counter-terrorism, security and cyber security.

The upcoming meeting, which is deemed to be one that can significantly strengthen bilateral relations between the two democracies, will also include an interactive session with the Indian-American community as well as 20-odd top CEOs in Washington.Meanwhile, White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer said that he is expecting a very robust discussion to take place between the two leaders.
Washington: India and the US have converged on many global issues in recent years, but there are still some areas which will have a direct bearing on the trajectory of the India-US relationship under the Trump administration.

In this context, Prime Minister Narendra Modi's meeting with President Donald Trump here will be crucial for the immediate future of India-US ties under their leadership.



The uncertainty over Trumps policies in the initial months of his presidency had sparked a debate in the international community and India was equally keen to know about how its ties with the new administration would progress.

Here are the top five issues that will determine the trajectory of the India-US relationship in the immediate future:

1/ Make in India

This is Modi governments signature initiative to boost manufacturing in the country, but will the Trump administration lend its support.

There were many positive feelers in the recent past from top companies expressing their desire to manufacture in India.

Companies such as Lockheed Martin, Boeing and BAE systems had expressed their desire to participate in co-production and co-development of military equipment in India.

But the big question is will Trumps America First rhetoric, if implemented in letter and spirit, could pose a roadblock to India's Make in India initiative.

And will PM Modi, through his charateristic personal appeal, be able to get past the roadblock?

2/ H-1B visa

Indian IT companies such as Infosys, Wipro and TCS, which have been operating in the American market successfully for years, will be adversely affected if the Trump administration abruptly change its H1B visa policy.

These companies have invested huge amount of money and have also created thousands of jobs in the US but the proposed H-1B visa restrictions could pose a serious irritant in the India-US relations.

The new proposed measures to raise the minimum wage of workers holding H1B visa is aimed at discouraging companies from hiring foreign workers.

This is to be seen how the Indian government tackles this contentious issue.

3/ Trade and Investment

Again, the protectionist trade policies promised by the Trump adminsitration could be a major hurdle in the relations as it will obstruct the expansion of trade and investment ties between India and the US.

However, the picture is not so gloomy after all! The Trump administration wants to raise the Indo-US trade to $300 billion in the next four years. Though his predecessor Barack Obama had spoke about raising it to $500 billion.

The Modi government wil have to overcome the protectionist US policies in order to make its Make in India initiative successful.

4/ Curbing Pakistan sponsored terror

How the Trump administration handles this prickly issue will certainly have a bearing on the bilateral ties. Whether the Trump administration manages to put pressure on Pakistan to rein in the jihadists forces will greatly impact the India-US relations, particularly in the defence and security sectors.

Both Modi and Trump have made combating terror a top priority. And it is yet to be seen whether the Trump administration takes concrete steps to help India in dealing with terror emanating from across the border. Understanding and cooperation in this area will boost strategic trust to a very high level.

5/ China factor

Trumps China policy will certainly impact all the countries in the region, including India. How the Trump administrastion perceives or handles issues such as India's border dispute with Beijing will go a long way in building trust between the two sides.

If Trump gives priority to his principal campaign agenda, to make 'America great again', US-China tension is bound to go up over a host of issues covering economic, security and political. China is the main rival for the US as it aspires to be the top of the hierarchy. Hence India would need to carefully navigate in the turbulent waters of Sino-US relations.
Washington: Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who arrived here on Sunday on the second leg of his three-nation tour, attended a round-table of CEOs of top global companies as well as addressed the Indian diaspora near here in Virginia.

Here is the highlights of his visit on day two in pictures:

PM Narendra Modi arrives at Joint Base Andrews, Washington DC.

PM Narendra Modi greets Indian nationals at the Airport.

PM Narendra Modi with 21 leading CEOs.

PM Narendra Modi at US CEOs Roundtable.

PM Narendra Modi interacting with US CEO's.

PM Narendra Modi at Community reception.

PM Narendra Modi begins speech at Community reception.

PM Narendra Modi interacting with Indian Diaspora.
New Delhi: Making an emotional appeal to MPs and MLAs, Opposition presidential candidate Meira Kumar today urged them to cast their votes with their "inner conscience".



She also said the President's post cannot be used for narrow political interests.



Taking a leaf from former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi's appeal made during the 1974 presidential poll in favour of V V Giri, Kumar said, "This is that moment when one should heed the inner voice of conscience and set the course of the nation."



She said, the Constitution recognises the office of the President as the "final touchstone" for the passage of laws. "It, therefore, cannot function to serve narrow political interests."



She has issued the appeal to the members of the electoral college even before filing her nomination papers which she is likely to do on June 28, the last date for filing nominations.



Kumar said, she was fortunate to have been associated, in various ways, with two monumental struggles of India, the struggle to free India from the colonial rule and the fight against the tyranny of caste system -- that, she said, still plagues the Indian culture and polity.



"The nature of these two struggles has deeply influenced my sentiments, my thoughts and my actions," she said.



Kumar said during her public life, she has been inspired by the example set by the founding fathers of India, regardless of their political affiliations.



"Despite the differences, I have found that when it comes to preserving the values of inclusiveness and the need for social justice, we all share the same goals," she said.



Kumar said the President takes an oath to "protect and defend the Constitution - the backbone of Indian democracy".



"It is this Constitution that I and countless others have invoked to reinforce our democratic values. It has guided and elevated us in times of crisis and confusion," she said.
120 killed in Pakistan oil tanker fire

At least 123 people were killed when an oil tanker burst into flames in the Pakistani city of Bahawalpur, BBC reported quoting local officials.
Washington: Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is on a two-day official visit to the US, on Sunday addressed the Indian diaspora near here in Virginia.

Here are the top quotes of PM Modi at the event:

1/ When India talked of terrorism 20 years back, many in the world said its a law and order problem and didn't understand it. Now terrorists have explained terrorism to them so we don't have to.

2/ When India did surgical strikes the world experienced our power and realized that India practices restrain but can show power when needed.

3/ When growing aspirations of people are given right leadership, they turn into achievements.

4/ Through technology driven governance we are creating an 'Adhunik Bharat'.

5/ Govts in India have been ousted due to corruption; in the last three years no one has been able to put any such charge on us.

6/ Transparent policies of our government have create an environment of trust among the people.

7/ I can see that every Indian wants to contribute towards India's development. India is progressing at a record pace today.

8/ The Indian diaspora rejoices when there is good news from India, it wants India to scale newer heights.

9/ I promise that I will fulfill all your dreams of making India as good as US.

10/ When I meet you all I experience the kind of joy one feels while meeting his/her family. You fill me with new energy.
Washington: Prime Minister Naredra Modi will have a perfect opportunity to persuade US President Donald Trump on the need for a sound strategy to deal with terror emanating from Pakistan when they will meet here for talks.

Trump had been mindful of the problems emanating from Pakistan, but if he does take a hard stand on the issue this time, New Delhi would be perhaps in a better position to gauge Washingtons priorities for South Asia. Hence, Modi's meeting with Trump on June 26 will be important for India.

Here are the top developments:

1/ Trump had promised a tough line on Islamabad in the recent past, and he may well agree this time on a strategy to deal with cross-border terror.

2/ Trump-Modi meeting will be of especial significance as they would be discussing regional security and terrorism, among other issues.

3/ Continued stability in South and Central Asia will be of stratgic interest to both Washington and New Delhi.

4/ Though both sides espouse the need for zero-tolerance against terror, no talks on the issue will be meaningful without considering Pakistan's role in supporting terror groups.

5/ India has been repeatedly highlighting its concerns in various international platforms and forums about terrorism emanating from Pakistan.

6/ India has been regularly providing strong evidence at international foras that Pakistan routinely uses terror proxy groups to carry out attacks in India.

7/ In the past, Trump had described Pakistan as one of the most dangerous regions in the world and affirming that only India could counter that threat.

8/ Since the US has designated some 20 percent of organisations in the Af-Pak region as terrorist organisations, US-Pakistan ties cannot be trouble-free.

9/ The region's strategic scenario provides a fertile ground for India-US ties to flourish.
Washington: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday chaired a high-level round-table conference of CEOs of top global companies here and urged them to invest in India to help the build the country as 'as good as' America.

PM Modi said India has now emerged as a business-friendly destination, more so with the upcoming implementation of landmark GST beginning next month.

Modi, during his meeting with the CEOs of top 20 American firms, also said that India attracted largest foreign direct investment (FDI) as a result of the NDA government's policies in the last three years.

"Interacted with top CEOs. We held extensive discussions on opportunities in India," Modi tweeted after the meeting that lasted for about 90 minutes.

In the round table interaction with the group that included Tim Cook of Apple, Sunder Pichai from Google, John Chambers from Cisco and Jeff Bezos of Amazon, Modi listed out steps taken by his government in the last three years and next moves.

"The whole world is looking at India. The government has effected 7,000 reforms alone for ease of doing business. The objective is minimum government and maximum governance," the prime minister said.

He further said, India's growth presents a win-win partnership for the country and the US, and American companies have a great opportunity to contribute to that.

"The implementation of the landmark initiative of GST (Goods and Services Tax) could be a subject of studies in US business schools," Modi said.

During the interaction at the Willard Hotel, where he is staying, Modi gave a patient hearing to the wish-list of the CEOs.

The Prime Minister pointed out opportunities for tourism through developing hotels in public private partnership model at 500 railway stations.

PM also stressed the importance of cooperation four start up, innovation & tapping huge intellectual, education and vocational training potential in India.

The prime minister later addressed the Indian diaspora in Virginia near here and promised a developed India in their lifetime.

Modi said their success is due to the supportive environment in the US, and his government is working to provide the same environment back home.

"Your hearts always asks when would our country become like this (the US)... I assure you that this will happen in your lifetime," Modi said here.

Saying that Indians in America have not just helped India progress but also the US, Modi said that success and action of the Indian diaspora is still echoing in the world.

"You are the same people but your success story has a simple reason, it's because you got supportive environment here," he said.

The Prime Minister added that "1.25 crore equally talented Indians are there back in India, they are now getting supportive environment and soon we will develop India soon".

"The biggest change in India today is that every Indian want to do and is already doing something with resolution to change and develop the nation," he said.

"Today, 1.25 crore people from Kashmir to Kanyakumari have resolved to do something for their country. With such a resolve, the country is developing in a pace never seen before."

Calling corruption as the root cause due to which "the previous governments were changed in India", Modi said his government has emerged corruption-free in the last three years.

"Governments were changed because of corruption. The common people hated this... There has been not a single blot on our government for the past three years. And governance is being modified so that honesty becomes an in-build process.

"Technology is helping with that," Modi said.

The Prime Minister also said the warmth, the Indian community gave is memorable. "All my family members are settled in America... The happiness we get after meeting the family is what I am feeling right now," Modi said.

(With Agency inputs)
Jammu: A youth who had gone for arms training as a militant to Pakistan-occupied Kashmir in 1999, was arrested soon after his arrival from Pakistan via Nepal.



Nisar Shah of Targain village of Budhal tehsil of Rajouri district was arrested soon after his arrival back via Nepal route illegally from PoK, where he had gone for arms training, a police officer told PTI.



Shah has been arrested in Rajouri and will be produced in court after vacation, officer said.



Nisar illegally crossed LoC in the year 1999 and joined militant training camp at PoK, he said.



After some time he left militancy and the arms training camp and remained in Kotli town in PoK, he said.



He then went to Dubai for three years from 2010 to 2013 and after expiry of visa came back to PoK.



"Now he prepared a tourist visa for Nepal from where he entered into the country and reached his village illegally," officer said.



A case under FIR 10/2011 has already been registered against him as he was declared an absconder, he said.
Srinagar: Security forces today gunned down two militants holed up inside a school on the outskirts of Srinagar, ending an encounter of over 14 hours in which two Army men were also injured.



The militants had entered the Delhi Public School located close to the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway last evening after attacking a CRPF party in the nearby Pantha Chowk, killing one officer and injuring a constable.



The road opening party of the CRPF was attacked in high security zone located less than a kilometre away from the headquarter of the Srinagar-based Army Corps.



Immediately thereafter, the security forces cordoned off the school premises which has seven buildings, comprising 36 rooms, and the staff and others were evacuated last night itself.



An offensive to flush out the militants was launched this morning, a police official said.



"The exchange of fire between security forces and militants began at around 3.40 am," he said.



"The gunbattle is over and two militants have been killed," the official said this evening after over 14-hour armed engagement.



He said the search and sanitization operation was, however, underway at the encounter site.



Two Army personnel were injured in the gunbattle this morning, the official said. He said the injured have been taken to a hospital.



Earlier, Jammu and Kashmir's Director General of Police S P Vaid had said that there were reports of the presence of two militants inside the building but the exact number would be known after the search of the complex was over.



On the operation getting prolonged, he told reporters, "There are 36 rooms, the building is huge. So, it has to be searched floor by floor, room by room."



He said the security forces wanted to ensure that the (school) building was safe.



"The enemy has a nefarious design that the school buildings are destroyed and children have nothing to study and ultimately abandon their studies, which we will ensure that no such thing happens," the state police chief said.



He was speaking to the media on the sidelines of wreath laying ceremony of CRPF officer killed in yesterday's attack.



The authorities had imposed restrictions under section 144 CrPc from Ram Munshibagh to Sempora stretch of the national highway as a precautionary measure to avoid protests near the encounter site.



The mobile internet services have been affected across the valley as the network speeds have been reduced.
New Delhi: BJP ally and farmers leader Raju Shetti has attacked the government for not doing enough for the community and said he will start a nationwide programme from July 7 in Mandsaur, which recently witnessed violent protests by farmers.

The Lok Sabha member who was at the forefront of the recent farmers agitation in Maharashtra said leaders of over 100 farmers bodies will join him in the exercise which will end on October 2 in Champaran.

October 2 is Mahatma Gandhi's birth anniversary and Champaran in Bihar was the site of his pro-farmers agitation against the then British rule.

The Swabhimani Paksha leader said the Union government had not done enough for farmers.

He said a loan-waiver for farmers and implementation of the Swaminathan report are his main demands.

He had earlier met JD(U) leader Sharad Yadav, who has been working to organise a bigger front against the BJP over issues of farmers.

Shetti, however, appeared to have tampered his stand after earlier threatening to reconsider his ties with the BJP.

He joined the BJP leaders in the nomination-filing exercise of the NDA's presidential nominee Ram Nath Kovind.

Asked if continued to be part of the NDA, he said, "As of now I am."

To a question about support of opposition parties to his programme, he said everybody is welcome to extend their support to his pro-farmers programme.

He had earlier accused the BJP-ruled Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh governments of mishandling the farmers' issue.
Pune: Stating the farm loan waiver announced by the Maharashtra government yesterday is "inadequate", NCP chief Sharad Pawar on Sanday said his party will push for expansion of the ambit of the measure to ensure inclusion of those farmers who are left out.

Pawar, however, said the NCP's stand on the issue will be of "cooperation and coordination" with the government.

The Devendra Fadnavis government unveiled a mega Rs 34,020 crore farm loan waiver scheme that will see debt of up to Rs 1.5 lakh per farmer being written off.

Addressing a press conference here, Pawar said the NCP is of the view that the loan write-off is the "first and crucial step" in the right direction to provide the relief to farmers.

"The (loan waiver) decision of the government does not fulfil all the demands of farmers, and some organisations have protested against this loan waiver. However, I am of the opinion this is the first step in the right direction as the government has taken up the financial responsibility (for the write-off).

"The measure taken by the government is not sufficient. However, we think that farmers will get relief and we are not ready to come to the conclusion that this decision is not wise," the former Union agriculture minister said.

The loan waiver scheme, being touted as the "biggest ever" such measure by any state in the country, is expected to make 40 lakh farmers "debt-free" and will provide relief to 49 lakh others.

Pawar said though the NCP was not entirely satisfied with the loan waiver, the party's stand will be of co-operation and co-ordination with the government.

In the coming days, the NCP will push for the farm loan waiver for the remaining farmers, he said.

"I met chief minister Devendra Fadanvis on this issue on Friday and discussed various aspects of the farm loan waiver scheme. During the meeting, we pushed for several demands and the government has shown a positive approach.

"We had pushed for a demand that farmers having a loan outstanding of over Rs 1.5 lakh should get their loans waived up to Rs 1.5 lakh and the government has agreed," he said.

The NCP chief said he had also asked the government to allow farmers to pay their unpaid debt in instalments.

"There is a strong reaction coming in from those who are regular in paying their farm loans and we have asked the government to increase the subsidy to Rs 50,000 to such farmers as the present subsidy of Rs 25,000 will not suffice," said Pawar.

In a bid to ensure that those farmers who regularly pay their loan instalments are incentivised, the chief minister yesterday said such farmers will get a relief of 25 per cent on the paid amount, capped at Rs 25,000.

Pawar said the next task of the government is to find out the reasons behind farmers getting debt-ridden and to work on a solution to avoid recurrence of such situation (farm loan waiver).

He asked the government to implement the Swaminathan Commission report, which was one of the prominent demands of the protesting cultivators, in its "true letter and spirit".

"It was the BJP's electoral promise that they would implement Swaminathan Commission report if they come to power in various states, and now they should implement it (the report)," the veteran politician said.

He said the chances of farmers getting debt-ridden will be minimised if the Swaminathan Commission report is implemented.

Pawar further demanded the Commission of Agriculture Cost and Prices, which has not been set up since the new Central government assumed office in 2014, should be formed.

"People with relevant experience and experts in the area should be appointed to the Commission so that there will be better coordination with the Central government over the issue," he added.

Pawar said the Reserve Bank is not accepting the demonetised notes from cooperative banks despite the Central government's announcement to this effect recently.

"We insist that government should issue a notification and provide a respite to the banks, which are facing hardships," he said.
New Delhi: Do not expect any compensation for theft or burglary of valuables in safe deposit boxes of public sector banks as the locker hiring agreement absolves them of all liability.

This bitter truth was disclosed in an RTI response by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and 19 PSU banks.

Stung by the revelation, the lawyer who had sought information under the transparency law has now moved the Competition Commission of India (CCI) alleging "cartelisation" and "anti-competitive practices" by the banks in respect of the locker service.

He has informed the CCI that the RTI response from the RBI has said it has not issued any specific direction in this regard or prescribed any parameters to assess the loss suffered by a customer.

Even under the RTI response, all public sectors banks have washed their hands of any responsibility.

According to the information availed by the lawyer, the unanimous reason given by the 19 banks, including Bank of India, Oriental Bank of Commerce, Punjab National Bank, UCO and Canara, among others, is that "the relationship they have with customers with regard to lockers is that of lessee (landlord) and lessor (tenant)".

The banks have contended that in such a relationship, the lessor is responsible for his or her valuables kept in the locker which is owned by the bank.

Some banks, in their locker hiring agreements, have made it clear that any item stored in the locker is at the customer's own risk and he or she may, in their own interest, insure the valuables.

The common feature of all locker hiring agreements states, "As per safe deposit memorandum of hiring locker, the bank will not be responsible for any loss or damage of the contents kept in the safe deposit vault as a result of any act of war or civil disorder or theft or burglary and the contents will be kept by the hirer at his or her sole risk and responsibility.

"While the bank will exercise all such normal precautions, it does not accept any liability or responsibility for any loss or damage whatsoever sustained to items deposited with it. Accordingly, hirers are advised in their own interest to insure any item of value deposited in a safe deposit locker in the bank," they have said.

Aggrieved by the responses, the lawyer Kush Kalra raised questions before the CCI -why not just keep the valuables at home after insuring them, instead of paying rent to the bank for a locker when it is not going to take any responsibility for the contents.

He alleged that all these banks, also including State Bank of India, Indian Overseas Bank, Syndicate Bank, Allahabad Bank and others, have formed a "cartel" to indulge in such "anti-competitive" practices.

He further alleged that the bank by forming an association or cartel are "trying to limit the improvement of services which is directly affecting the competition in the market and interests of the consumer".

The lawyer has sought a probe under the Competition Act into the allegation of cartelisation by the banks in respect of the locker service.
New Delhi: Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal on Sunday discussed with Home Minister Rajnath Singh the ongoing works for strengthening security along the Indo- Bangladesh border, besides a host of other issues.

During the 20-minute meeting, Sonowal briefed the home minister on the construction of a fence along the land border and special protection measures being undertaken along the riverine areas.

Singh had in December last year said the security of the Indo-Bangladesh border was a priority for the BJP government and that it would be completely sealed by June 2018.

India and Bangladesh share a 4,096-km-long border, of which 262 km falls in Assam.

The chief minister also briefed the home minister on the prevailing security situation in Assam and the steps taken to contain the insurgency problem, official sources said.

Sonowal's media advisor Hrishikesh Goswami was also present at the meeting.
He is known as the 'badshah' of Bollywood and with wide open arms (yes his signature style). Shah Rukh Khan has made a name for himself, and proudly after completing more than two decades in the Hindi film industry, he has become brand Shah Rukh Khan. We love him so much, but do we relaly know him that well. So, today we tell you top 5 unknown facts about Shah Rukh Khan. Here, check out the lesser known facts about your favourite star:

Rs 50 as first salary

It's hard to believe this one. But according to TOI.com report, Shah Rukh's first salary was a meagre Rs 50. Imagine, world's one of the most richest actors started off with just Rs 50. He got that salary of Rs 50 by standing as an usher in Pankaj Udhas's concert held in the capital, reportedly

Filmfare favourite!

Shah Rukh Khan is perhaps the most favourite star in popular category to have won the maximum number of awards. SRK holds as many as 14 Filmfare awards until now. Also, in the year 2008 'Newsweek' named him as one of their fifty most powerful people in the world. He has also been honoured with the Padma Shri, and the Government of France awarded him both the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres and the Legion d'honneur. Recently, he was called at the University of Edinburgh and given another doctorate besides delivering a lecture for their students.

Anti-hero before hero

Shah Rukh started off doing what mainstream actors didn't even dared think of during the 90s. He played an anti-hero rather than playing the 'hero'. His role in 'Darr' (1993) and 'Baazigar' (1993) made him an overnight star. People loved him as an anti-hero and that made SRK stand apart from the rest.

Black for SRK

The actor has confessed his love for the colour black. SRK prefers to wear black whenever at public outing. In his pet style, SRK was quoted once as saying that if I wear black no one can guess if I am repeating an outfit or not. Well, we certainly love his dressing style!

SRK the husband

We all love to see Shah Rukh and Gauri together, whenever they make any public appearance. Not many are aware of the fact that SRK dated Gari for six long years, before tying the knot and shifting to Mumbai. His wife is a Hindu and he has three kidsAryan, Suhana and AbRam. The actor proudly respects both the religions.
17 metric tons of solid waste extracted from Bagmati

Around 35 metric tons of solid waste was collected and managed several various rivers and the Ring Road areas of Kathmandu Valley on Saturday.
Hyderabad: Actor Bharat, brother of popular Telugu star Ravi Teja, died here in a road accident on Saturday night, police said.

Bharat, 46, is a character artist and has starred in Telugu films such as "Dhee" and "Ready" among others.

"Last night, around 11 p.m., the accident occurred on Outer Ring road near Shamshabad. Bharat was driving a Red Skoda, which rammed into the back of a parked truck. Due to the high speed collision, he died on the spot," a police source told IANS.

A case has been registered against the truck driver as he didn't take proper precautions in parking the vehicle after it broke down. Police haven't ruled out drunken driving as the cause of the accident.

The body has been shifted to Osmania General Hospital mortuary.
New Delhi: Aadhaar is not a valid identification document for Indians traveling to Nepal and Bhutan, the Union home ministry has said.

Indians can travel to Nepal and Bhutan- both countries for which they don't need visas--if they possess a valid national passport or election ID card issued by the Election Commission.

Moreover, to ease travel, persons over 65 and below 15 years can show documents with photographs to confirm their age and identity. These include PAN card, driving licence, Central Government Health Service (CGHS) card and ration card but not Aadhaar.

"Aadhaar (UID) card is not an acceptable travel document for travel to Nepal/Bhutan," a communique issued by the ministry said.

The advisory assumes significance as Aadhaar is mandatory for a host of things, including government subsidies on LPG and other social welfare schemes.

The Aadhaar card, which has a 12-digit unique identification number and personal details like name and address, acts as a proof of identification and residence.

Indians entering Bhutan by road are required to obtain an 'Entry Permit' on the basis of a valid travel document from the immigration office of Royal Government of Bhutan at Phuentsholing, located on the Indo-Bhutan border opposite Jaigaon, West Bengal.

The border with Nepal is an open one with people who enter the country needing to show any valid identity card.

Nepal shares borders with five Indian states--Sikkim, West Bengal, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand. Around six lakh Indians are living or domiciled in Nepal.

Bhutan, which shares borders with Sikkim, Assam, Arunachal Pradesh and West Bengal, has about 60,000 Indian nationals, employed mostly in the hydroelectric power and construction industry. In addition, between 8,000 and 10,000 daily workers enter and exit Bhutan everyday in border towns.

In another development, Indians flying abroad will not be required to fill departure cards from next month.

However, those going out of the country via rail, seaport and land immigration checkposts will have to fill the embarkation card.

"It has been decided to discontinue the practice of filling up of the departure card by Indians at all international airports with effect from July 1, 2017," an order issued by the home ministry said.

The move is aimed at ensuring hassle-free movement of Indians going abroad.

At present, those going abroad need to fill in details such as name, date of birth, passport number, address in India, flight number and date of boarding in the departure card.

The decision will help reducing the time required to complete immigration related formalities by passengers and also enable airports and authorities concerned to cater to a larger number of people.

The need for Indians to fill such cards on their arrival in India has already been done away with.
New Delhi: US space agency NASA is considered a pioneer in space programmes and its Indian counterpart, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), has also firmly planted its feet as a name to be reckoned with after its groundbreaking achievements.

So, for space aficionados and even some important figures in the field of space who had been plugging the two space agencies together to come up with a collaboration, it came as a happy surprise when NISAR  the NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar satellite  was announced.

Now, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi slated to visit US President Donald Trump on June 26, the scientist fraternity is abuzz with anticipation over their dialogue which will also include NISAR.

For those who are unaware, NISAR is a joint venture by NASA and ISRO and is being touted as the world's most expensive earth-imaging satellite till date.

Climate change seems to be a red rag for the current American administration.

If there is one thing that divides India and America big-time today, it is climate change. With Trump's views on the phenomenon and his recent remarks on India with regard to the Paris climate deal, it is highly likely that climate change would be a point that would figure in the Trump-Modi discussions.

Trump said, "India makes its participation contingent on receiving billions and billions and billions of dollars in foreign aid from developed countries", while Modi said failing to act on climate change would be "a morally criminal act".

Recently, the US walked out of the Paris Climate Change Treaty while India continues to honour its commitments.

Trump calls climate change a hoax created by China by adhering to his views that "the concept of global warming was created by and for the Chinese in order to make US manufacturing non-competitive".

On the other hand, Modi has penned a pictorial book  "Convenient Action: Continuity for Change"  that compiles his actions and beliefs on climate change.

Can a middle ground be found or can the jointly-made satellite escape President Trump's anti-climate change gaze?

The world oldest democracy, the US, and the world's largest democracy, India, seem to be on two poles on the issue of climate change.

This is what is worrying scientists at Pasadena, a suburb of Los Angeles where at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory work has begun in full earnest to realise NISAR.

Scientists at the Space Applications Centre in Ahmedabad are also anxious as they go about fabricating unique components for the massive satellite.

Together Indian and American scientists are making what is possibly the world's most expensive earth imaging satellite that will cost the countries over USD 1.5 billion.

Paul A Rosen, the satellite's project scientist at Pasadena, recently stated, "NISAR is the first big collaboration between NASA and ISRO, certainly on RADAR but just in general as well. This is two frequency RADAR, it is an L-band 24 centimetre RADAR and S-band 13 cm. S-band is being built by ISRO and L-band by NASA. It is a major collaboration both in terms of the technical building of the satellite as well as working together across the Pacific between India and US.

"We are going to be making snapshots of earth every week using these two radars that gives us a time lapse image of the motion of the tectonic plates, of the ice sheets, of the changes in vegetation over land in agriculture and forests."

Rosen said the scientists are looking at time variability of the earth over the life of the mission to understand how disasters evolve, how earthquakes occur, how volcanoes occur, how the ice sheets are changing and affecting sea level rise, and how forest fires and changes in the forest cover affect the atmosphere.

"It is very relevant to what society cares about which is changes in our climate, changes in our environment and how it affects society," he said.

If all goes on well, the NISAR satellite will be launched in 2021 from India using the Geo-synchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV).

According to NASA, "the dedicated US and Indian mission is optimised for studying hazards and global environmental change...The mission will make global integrated measurements of the causes and consequences of land surface changes.

"NISAR will provide a means of resolving highly spatial and temporally complex processes ranging from ecosystem disturbances, to ice sheet collapse and natural hazards including earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanoes, and landslides."

One of the avowed objectives of the NISAR mission as suggested by NASA is that for over a hundred years, scientists have considered diminishing glaciers and sea ice to be an early indicator of global warming.

"Satellite observations collected over the past three decades now show that the summer sea ice cover is decreasing drastically and may vanish entirely within the next decades. At the same time, ice sheets and glaciers are already melting fast enough to be the largest contributors to sea level rise, with a potential to raise sea level by several tens of centimetres or more in the coming century.

"The loss of sea ice cover will have a profound effect on life, climate, and commercial activities in the Arctic, while the loss of land ice will impact an important source of water for millions of people. Collectively, these effects mean that despite its remote location, changes in ice have global economic and health implications as climate changes."

It is this objective that the scientists are hoping will escape under the RADAR scan of President Trump whose understanding of climate change is quite at variance from this objective.

(With PTI inputs)
New Delhi: Holy festival of Rath Yatra has already begun and is on full swing in the eastern state of India. Every year, millions of tourists throng to Puri to get the blessings of Lord Jagannath and his siblings.

The festival lasts for about 15 days and is celebrated in the Ashad Shukla Dwitya months of June-July. While many mysterious facts about Rath Yatra and Lord Jagannath still surprises people  here are some interesting details about the chariots used in the festival.

- All the three chariots are different from one another.

- Lord Jagannath's chariot Nandighosa is adorned with red and yellow robe.

- Lord Balabhadra's rath has red and blue colours.

- Devi Subhadra's rath is dressed up in red and black colour robe.

- Lord Jagannath's chariot is the tallest with 45'-6'' feet, while Shree Balabhadra's 45 feet and that of Devi Subhadra is 44'-6'' feet.

- Lord Jagannath's rath has 4 white horses, Shree Balabhadra's has 4 black horses and Devi Subhadra's has 4 red horses.
Rameswaram: Five more Tamil Nadu fishermen were today taken into custody by the Sri Lankan Navy on charges of entering the territorial waters of the island nation.

The fishermen from Thangachimadam, who had put out to sea, were apprehended for straying into Lankan territory, Tamil Nadu Fishermen's Association General secretary N J Bose said.

The arrested persons were taken to the Kangesanthurai port, he said.

The Sri Lankan Navy had yesterday arrested 25 fishermen in two separate incidents on charges crossing the International Maritime Boundary Line and fishing in their territorial waters, drawing angry reaction from Chief Minister K Palaniswami.

He had termed the arrest of the eight fishermen from Nagapattinam as an "abduction" and had taken up the matter with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

More than 50 fishermen have been arrested by the Sri Lankan Navy this month.

Members of the fishermen community here alleged that the Lankan Navy personnel had been resorting to harsh measures in recent days, including beating them up and causing damage to their nets and boats.
Hyderabad: Rescue workers on Sunday pulled out dead the 14-month girl, who had accidentally slipped into an open borewell in Telangana's Ranga Reddy district on Thursday.

After about 58 hours of rescue operation involving different agencies, the child, daughter of a farm labourer, was found dead today, police said.

The girl, fondly called as Chinnari, was playing with her elder sister when she accidentally fell in the nearly 450-feet-deep open borewell in a field at Ekkareddyguda village of Chevella mandal, about 60 kms from here, on Thursday around 7.15 pm.

"She is declared dead...We called off the rescue operation at 6 am after the remains were retrieved," Cyberabad Police Commissioner Sandeep Shandilya told PTI.

The authorities had yesterday said chances of the toddler's survival were bleak.

The efforts to rescue the child had started from 8 pm on Thursday using different methods. However, today her remains were found stuck at around 245 feet, police said.

"After the postmortem was conducted, the child's remains were handed over to her family members and taken to her native Gorepally village," Chevella police station's sub-inspector N Sridhar Reddy said.

After the girl fell into the borewell, a parallel trench was dug along the hole with the help of earth excavating machines even as the rocky area and rains had hampered the rescue work.

High-tech sensitive cameras were deployed to locate the girl and oxygen was continuously pumped in the borewell.

Apart from police, the fire department, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) personnel and a team of ONGC officials were also involved in the rescue operation.

A team of doctors and ambulance was also deployed at the spot.

The Cyberabad police yesterday registered a case against the land owner, Malla Reddy, under IPC section 336 (act endangering life or personal safety of others).

In October 2014, a four-year-old girl died after falling into a nearly 300-feet-deep borewell in Ranga Reddy's Manchal village.
New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday congratulated the people of Mubarakpur, a small village in Uttar Pradesh, for becoming free of open defecation and said it was the best example 'Swatchh Bharat' movement.



Appreciating the villagers for declining the government aid and constructing the toilets in the village on their own, Modi said that such cases were best examples of clean India (Swatchh Bharat).



"I am surprised and at the same time happy to see the way people of Mubarakpur, a small muslim village in Uttar Pradesh, have made their village ODF (Open Defecation Free). Though they got the government aid of Rs 17 lakh to construct toilets, they returned it," said Modi in the 33rd edition of his radio programme "Mann Ki Baat".



With the total number of states now totally devoid of the population defecating in the open rising to five, over two lakh villages and 147 districts have been declared ODF across the country.
Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath today announced Rs 25 lakh as compensation to the family members of sub-inspector Sahib Shukla who died in a terror attack on CRPF personnel in Jammu and Kashmir.



Chief Minister spoke to the family members of the deceased sub-inspector and consoled them. He told them that the UP government stands with them, an official spokesperson said.



Adityanath said that Rs 20 lakh will be given to Shukla's wife, while Rs 5 lakh to his parents.



On June 24, Shukla, resident of Gorakhpur, was killed while another jawan injured when militants attacked their vehicle at Pantha chowk, on the outskirts of the Srinagar city.



Constable-driver Nissar Ahmed was injured, officials had said.



The CRPF personnel, part of road-opening deployment, were sitting inside their vehicle at Pantha chowk bypass along the Srinagar-Jammu national highway when militants attacked them.
Badaun: A woman allegedly ended her life by consuming poison in Ujhani area here though her father claimed she was killed over dowry, the police said.

Ilaichi Devi (24) was yesterday rushed to a hospital after she consumed poison. She died there during treatment, the police said.

The woman's father, Om Prakash, filed a complaint with the police alleging his dauthter was killed over dowry by her husband, Rajesh, and four others.

However, her in-laws claimed that she committed sucide.

The police have registered and FIR and are probing the matter.
Dehradun: To mark 100 days of the BJP government in Uttarakhand, Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat on Sunday announced a metro rail project to connect the state capital to the holy city of Haridwar.

"In view of increasing in traffic in Dehradun, the government has decided to introduce metro rail services till Haridwar. A director has also been appointed for the project," he said at an event here.

Rawat, to mark his 100 days in office, launched a booklet, '100 Din Sarkar Ke, 100 Din Vikas Ke', prepared by the state's public relation department.

To reduce travel time between Dehradun and Delhi, the Muzaffarnagar-Deoband-Roorkee railway line project will be completed soon, he assured.

"Once the project is completed, trains going to Delhi will not have to go through Saharanpur. This will cut travel time by at least two hours," Rawat said.

In a bid to promote tourism , he also directed officials to develop one site as a tourist spot in 13 districts of the state.

The chief minister announced that the Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari, had already sanctioned Ring Road projects for Dehradun, Haridwar and Haldwani.

"The projects will help meet the rising vehicular traffic in the state. Moreover, eyeing the long jams during the tourist season in Mussoorie, a new road connecting Dehradun to Hathipaon will also be constructed," Rawat said.

He said in a recent meeting in Delhi, the Union Textile Ministry had agreed to establish a centre of the prestigious National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) in Dehradun.

On promoting agriculture in border areas of the state, Rawat announced to give farmers loans up to Rs 1 lakh, but said it would be difficult for a small state like Uttarakhand to waive farm debts.

To reduce water problems, he said the state will work towards rejuvenating the Rispana and Bindal rivers.
Binod Ghimire covers parliamentary affairs and human rights for The Kathmandu Post. Since joining the Post in 2010, he has reported primarily on social issues, focusing on education and transitional justice.
Haridwar: A newly married bride Monika refused to come to her husband`s house after marriage as they do not have toilet and also asserted that she won`t come to in-laws house until the toilet was built.

Bride`s sister-in-law claimed that the family tried to build a toilet in the house but could not manage to do this.On April 17, a woman named Neha refused to tie the knot with a man in Kanpur after he failed to get a toilet built at his residence.

After her decision, she said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi`s `Clean India Mission` inspired her.

Prime Minister Modi launched Swachh Bharat Abhiyan on October 2, 2014 at Rajghat, New Delhi.

The drive is inspired by Mahatma Gandhi, who championed the cleanliness.It is India`s largest ever cleanliness drive with 3 million government employees, and especially school and college students from all parts of India, participating in the campaign.

The efforts are showing results now as awareness over health and sanitation is on increase even in rural areas.
Kolkata: Condemning the attack on Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP George Baker in West Bengal's Bardhaman's, the saffron party on Sunday said the state has been converted into a land of hoodlums under the Trinamool Congress (TMC) Government.

"West Bengal, under the TMC Government, has been converted into a land of hoodlums. The TMC goons are not only attacking the party workers, but they also don't even spare senior leaders of the Parliament. We really condemn that the senior leader of the BJP was mercilessly beaten up," BJP leader C.K. Bose told ANI.

He further demanded West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's resignation as State Home Minister.

"Do you think the Home Minister of West Bengal deserves to remain in her position? She should immediately put in her resignation. Such behaviour from the TMC goons, supported by the TMC Government, is not going to be tolerated by the peace-loving citizens of Bengal any longer," Bose added.

BJP MP Baker was allegedly thrashed and his car vandalised in West Bengal's Bardhaman's Kalna area on Saturday.

As per reports, Baker was in the area to attend a function.

The BJP has alleged that the goons backed by the TMC were behind the attack.
Beirut: A car bomb killed 10 people in Syria's rebel-held Idlib province on Saturday, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based war monitor, reported on Sunday.

The attack occurred in a market in the town of al-Dana, located in the north of the province near the border with Turkey, according to the Observatory.

Three people under 18 were among the dead and the blast also injured at least 30 other people, it said. Another bombing in the town after midnight on Friday killed two people, it added.

Rebel groups in Idlib province have been sporadically fighting each other since early this year. Rebels have also accused the Islamic State militant group of carrying out attacks in the area.

Idlib province is a major stronghold of rebels in Syria and is situated along the border with Turkey, one of the main backers of their rebellion against President Bashar al-Assad.

Large numbers of fighters, along with their relatives and many other civilians, have moved into the area under amnesty after surrendering to the army in other parts of Syria.

The United Nations and aid agencies have voiced concern about the humanitarian situation in Idlib, where large numbers of people live in poor conditions and face aerial bombardment.

Syria's civil war has lasted over six years, killed hundreds of thousands of people, driven millions more from their homes in a global refugee crisis and dragged in regional and world powers.
Islamabad: China has asked Pakistan and Afghanistan to improve their bilateral ties and "meet each other halfway", underlining that tensions between the two countries were not conducive to regional stability.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi during talks with Pakistan Prime Minister's Advisor on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz yesterday discussed a range of bilateral issues as well as the situation in Afghanistan.

Wang, who arrived here yesterday on a two-day trip after visiting Kabul, discussed the situation in the war-torn country and the relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan that have been on a steep downslide.

Wang was quoted by China's Xinhua news agency as saying that tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan are not conducive to their stability and development as well as regional cooperation, calling on both countries to meet each other halfway so as to improve bilateral ties.

China was proposing a trilateral mechanism for cooperation for peace and reconciliation in Afghanistan and coordination of counter-terrorism actions between Pakistan and Afghanistan, the Dawn reported.

Wang's visit is a follow-up to the discussions the Chinese leadership had with Pakistani and Afghan leaders on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit earlier this month on counter-terrorism cooperation and revival of the Afghan peace process.

China has lately got increasingly involved in Afghanistan. Besides its bilateral engagement with both Islamabad and Kabul, it is part of a number of international processes on Afghanistan.

Beijing's interest in Afghanistan is out of its security concerns related to presence of Uighur militants in Badakhshan province.

Moreover, China's regional engagement is driven by its economic investment in Afghanistan and the USD 50 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor.

For Beijing, peace and stability in Afghanistan is critical for both its own security and investments in Pakistan.

Pakistan-Afghanistan rift have deepened further after the Afghan government put blame of the recent attack in Kabul's diplomatic area on Islamabad.


Mao County: Rescue workers in southwestern China pulled bodies out of piles of rock and mud on Sunday as they searched for 93 people missing after a landslide buried a mountain village, with some residents giving up hope of finding survivors.

A huge landslide crashed down on the village of Xinmo, in mountainous Sichuan province, as dawn broke on Saturday.

Authorities at the scene said on Sunday that 10 bodies had been confirmed recovered, contradicting a report by the Xinhua state news agency on Saturday saying that 15 people had been confirmed killed.

On Sunday industrial excavators removed rubble at the site of the landslide while workers in hard hats searched for signs of life as relatives of the lost cried or looked on stone-faced nearby.

"This is useless," villager Han Jianying, searching for missing family members, told Reuters. "Everyone`s going to be in pieces anyway."

Heavy rain triggered the landslide, authorities said.

More light showers are likely but are not expected to affect the search, state broadcaster China Central Television reported.

A couple and their two-month-old baby were the only survivors reported to have been found alive. Authorities reduced the number of missing after 15 people were confirmed as safe, the Xinmo village propaganda department said on its microblog.

It was not clear if the 15 had been rescued or had simply been away at the time of the disaster.

The rescue involved more than 3,000 people despite the danger of more landslides, Xinhua reported.

Geological experts said the chances of anyone surviving under the rubble were slim, Xinhua reported.

"We weren`t able to pull anyone out alive," said Wu Youheng, who lives in a neighbouring village and rushed to help on Saturday.

"We pulled out two people but they were already dead. I think it`s too late, they`re unlikely to find anyone else alive."

The area is prone to landslides but the scale of Saturday`s slide was unprecedented, Wu added.

Wu`s wife, Zhang Xiaohong, said they often sleep in other villages for fear of landslides but could not afford to move to a safer part of Mao county.

County residents are primarily poor farmers of the Qiang ethnic minority and the area is the target of a poverty alleviation project, government officials said.

Much of those efforts focuses on attracting tourists to nearby scenic spots and an ancient village. Xinhua reported that all 142 tourists in the area had been evacuated from the area.

The names of the missing were posted on government websites.

Wang Yong, a member of China`s State Council, or cabinet, dispatched to the disaster site, urged an all-out search-and-rescue effort and measures to prevent further disasters by monitoring geological activity, Xinhua reported.

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, in offering his condolences, said in a statement that the United Nations is prepared to offer any support.

Sichuan province is prone to earthquakes, including an 8.0 magnitude tremor in central Sichuan`s Wenchuan county in 2008 that killed nearly 70,000 people.
Jerusalem: Israeli forces fired on Syrian regime positions after projectiles from the war-torn country hit the occupied Golan Heights today, the army said, in the second such exchange in two days.



The military "targeted two artillery positions and an ammunitions truck belonging to the Syrian regime," a statement read, noting the army had also ordered Israelis to keep away from open areas near Quneitra, where internal fighting was heavy.



Hours earlier, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed the Syrian spillover and Israeli retaliation that took place yesterday and reportedly resulted in the death of two Syrian soldiers.



"We will not tolerate any spillover or trickle whatsoever neither mortars nor rockets, from any front. We will respond strongly to any attack on our territory or our citizens," Netanyahu said at the start of a cabinet meeting.



Israel has conducted multiple air strikes in Syria since that country's civil war erupted in 2011, most of which it has said targeted arms convoys or warehouses of its Lebanese arch- foe Hezbollah, which is a key supporter of the Syrian regime.



"We also view with utmost gravity Iran's attempts to establish itself militarily in Syria as well as its attempts to arm Hezbollah via Syria and Lebanon with advanced weaponry," Netanyahu said today.



Israel seized 1,200 square kilometres of the Golan from Syria in the Six-Day War of 1967 and later annexed it in a move never recognised by the international community.



Around 510 square kilometres of the Golan are under Syrian control.



The Israeli side of the Golan Heights has been hit sporadically by what is thought to be stray fire from fighting between forces loyal to Syria's government and rebels.



Syria and Israel are still technically at war.
Jerusalem: Israel has announced Prime Minister Narendra Modi`s visit to the country next week, which is the first ever by any Indian Prime Minister.



"Next week, the Indian Prime Minister, my friend, Narendra Modi will arrive in Israel, This is an historic visit to Israel. In the 70 years of the country`s existence no Indian Prime Minister has ever visited and this is further expression of the State of Israel`s military, economic and diplomatic strength," Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced at a weekly cabinet meeting on Sunday.



Asserting that this is a very significant step in strengthening relations between the two countries, the Prime Minister said that India is a huge country with over 1.25 billion people and is one of the world`s largest, growing economies, adding that ties between Israel and India are on a constant upswing, he said.



Netanhayu added that cabinet will also approve decisions regarding ties with India that will pass include increasing exports, deepening cooperation in the fields of water and agriculture, establishing a joint fund for research and innovation, and increasing Indian tourism to Israel.



Since the upgradation of relations in 1992, defence and agriculture have been the main pillars of bilateral engagement.



In recent years, ties have expanded to areas such as Science &Technology, education and homeland security.



Earlier in November last year, Israeli President Reuven Rivlin came to India on a week-long state visit - the first by an Israeli President in nearly 20 years.



Indian President Pranab Mukherjee visited Israel in October 2015, symbolizing the growing partnership between the two nations.
Islamabad: Pakistan has deployed a 15,000-strong military force to protect Chinese nationals working on energy and infrastructure projects in the country, the president said on Sunday, after the abduction of a Chinese couple raised safety concerns.



President Mamnoon Hussain told visiting Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Islamabad that the protection of Chinese citizens working in Pakistan was the "top priority" of the government, according to a statement issued by the presidency.



Beijing is investing around $50 billion in its South Asian neighbour as part of a plan unveiled in 2015 to link its far-western Xinjiang region to Gwadar port in Balochistan with a series of infrastructure, power and transport upgrades.



But fears over safety arose last month when two Chinese workers were abducted in Quetta, the capital of the southwestern Balochistan province, which is at the heart of the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project but racked by separatist and Islamist insurgencies.



Authorities were going to all possible efforts to arrest those responsible for kidnapping, Hussain said.



China has stated it will cooperate with Pakistani authorities to investigate whether the two Chinese citizens, who were allegedly killed by the Islamic State group in the country had been illegally preaching.



So far there has been no official confirmation of the Chinese pair`s fate.



Pakistan has been battling Islamist and nationalist insurgencies in mineral-rich Balochistan since 2004, with hundreds of soldiers and militants killed in the fighting.



The IS group has been making inroads in the country through alliances with local militant outfits, although its presence is generally downplayed by the government.
London: Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has described the ongoing case in the Panama Papers Leaks case as a joke, rather than as an effort on accountability.Nawaz Sharif has described the ongoing case in the Panama Papers Leaks case as a joke, rather than as an effort on accountability.

Confirming that he would face the ongoing Joint Investigation Team (JIT) proceedings with fortitude and bravery, Sharif said he would not let the conspirators seeking to ruin his character and reputation succeed.

Sharif, who is in London for a medical check up, was quoted by the Dawn, as saying that "To be honest, what is going on in the form of the joint investigation team's probe into the Panama Papers case is beyond my comprehension. When they found no corruption in any of the PML-N government's projects during its four-year rule, they are trying to find something (fishy) in our (private) business. I ask the JIT what it is trying to detect."

"I had asked the JIT members during my appearance before it about what they were looking for. Our worst enemies [an apparent reference to the PPP's Rehman Malik] are appearing before it.

"The JIT's history is before everyone. It starts with a WhatApp call [by the Supreme Court registrar]... and even before that."

The prime minister said the nation was headed in one direction and the JIT in another.

He will return home on June 29.
Istanbul: President Tayyip Erdogan on Sunday dismissed calls for Turkey to close a military base in Qatar and said a wider list of demands issued by four Arab states was an unlawful intervention against the Gulf emirate`s sovereignty.

In his strongest statement of support for Qatar in the nearly three-week-old crisis centred on the Gulf state, Erdogan said the call to withdraw Turkish forces was disrespectful and that Doha - which described the demands as unreasonable - was taking the right approach.

Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Bahrain imposed a boycott on June 5 on Qatar and issued 13 demands including closing Al Jazeera television, curbing relations with Iran, shutting the Turkish base and paying reparations.

Doha said it was reviewing the list, but said it was not reasonable or actionable.

"We approve and appreciate the attitude of Qatar against the list of 13 demands," Erdogan, speaking outside a mosque in Istanbul, said. "...This approach of 13 demands is against international law because you cannot attack or intervene in the sovereignty of a country."

The demands are apparently aimed at dismantling Qatar`s interventionist foreign policy which has incensed conservative Arab peers over its alleged support for Islamists they regard as threats to their dynastic rule.

Both Qatar and Turkey, whose ruling AK Party has its roots in Islamist politics, backed a Muslim Brotherhood government in Egypt before it was overthrown in 2013. The Arab states have demanded Qatar cut any links to the Brotherhood and other groups they deem to be terrorist, ideological or sectarian.

Bahrain`s state news agency on Sunday confirmed the demands set out by un-named Gulf officials on Friday, including that Qatar close the Turkish base, end military cooperation with Ankara inside Qatar and stop supporting militant groups.

"The demands aim to achieve regional countries` stability, stand firmly against foreign interference and stop support for terrorist organisations," it said.

Turkey, the most powerful regional country to stand by Qatar, has sent 100 cargo planes with supplies since its neighbours cut air and sea links. It has also rushed through legislation to send more troops to its base in Doha.

Two contingents of Turkish troops with columns of armoured vehicles have arrived since the crisis erupted on June 5, and Defence Minister Fikri Isik said on Friday that further reinforcements would be beneficial.

"The strengthening of the Turkish base would be a positive step in terms of the Gulf`s security," he said. "Re-evaluating the base agreement with Qatar is not on our agenda."

Hurriyet newspaper said last week a joint exercise by Turkish and Qatari forces was expected following the Islamic Eid al-Fitr holiday which started on Sunday, and the number of Turkish soldiers sent to the Gulf state could eventually reach 1,000. An air force contingent was also envisaged, it said.

Erdogan said Turkey had also offered to establish a military base in Saudi Arabia, but never received a clear answer.

"If Saudi Arabia wants us to have base there, a step towards this also can be taken," he told reporters. "I made this offer to the king himself and they said they will consider this."

"They did not come back to us since that day and even though they still didn`t come back to us on this, asking Turkey to pull back its troops (from Qatar) is disrespectful against Turkey".

Speaking outside the Istanbul mosque after prayers marking the Muslim Eid al-Fitr holiday, Erdogan said he would continue his planned programme despite feeling briefly unwell.

"I had a little condition about my blood pressure, related to my diabetes," he said.
Army team defuses bomb planted at NC candidates house in Kapilvastu

A bomb disposal team of the Nepal Army (NA) defused a bomb planted in front of the residence of Nepali Congress (NC) mayoral candidate Mangal Prasad Tharu at Banganga Municipality of Kapilvastu district.
Ankara: Turkey`s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Sunday denounced the list of demands put forward by four Arab states in efforts to defuse the diplomatic crisis with Qatar, rejecting their request to close its military base in Qatar.



"We consider these demands are against international law," Erdogan was quoted as saying in Istanbul by the state-run Anadolu Agency.



Among the 13-demand charter put forth lately by Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Bahrain, Qatar is asked to reduce its ties with Iran, stop funding those blacklisted as terrorists, and immediately terminate the construction of a Turkish military base and stop any military cooperation with Turkey on its land.



"Should we get permission when we make a defence cooperation agreement with any country?" Erdogan demanded. "No offence, but Turkey is not such an ordinary country."



Turkey sent 23 more troops and five armoured vehicles to its military base in Qatar last week as a sign of support for the country.



On June 5, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the UAE and Bahrain cut off diplomatic ties and imposed a blockade on Qatar, accusing it of supporting terrorism and undermining regional security. A number of other Muslim countries followed suit in the following days.
YEREVAN, JUNE 24, ARMENPRESS. None of the servicemens life who suffered from crash by a military vehicle GAZ -66 is in danger, head of Vardenis central military hospital Yervand Hovhannisyan informed Armenpress. 12 servicemen have been taken to our hospital, since rescuers showed first aid to 2 injured who refused to be hospitalized. The health condition of 1 is assessed as severe, condition of 6 is of medium gravity, while all are in stable situation. At the moment no ones life is in danger. The servicemen in severe condition, who has suffered sternal fracture together with lung injury is being transported to the capital, while the others will receive further medical treatment after relevant examinations, Yervand Hovhannisyan said, adding that one of the injured is an officer.

On June 24, at 08:31, on the 25th km of Vardenis-Shorzha road GAZ-66 light utility military truck lost control of the vehicle and abandoned the carriageway falling into a gorge. 14 passengers with various bodily injuries were taken to the military hospital of Vardenis.
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.
By Raju Gopalakrishnan and Manuel Mogato MANILA/MARAWI CITY, Philippines (Reuters) - Before they formed one of the most dreaded militant groups in the Philippines and pledged loyalty to Islamic State, the Mautes were a wealthy, political family in the southern region of Mindanao, largely influenced by the matriarch, Farhana. Soft-spoken and reserved, 60-year-old Farhana Maute owns property in Mindanao and in Manila, and runs a construction business, say people who know the family and security analysts who have scrutinized its background. Almost unknown two years ago, the Mautes are now the biggest and most deadly among Islamic State groups in the southern Philippines and are at the forefront of a month-long battle with the military for control of Marawi, a Mindanao town. Regional governments fear that the brutal urban warfare, in which 360 people have been killed, reflects Islamic State's intention to establish a caliphate in Southeast Asia. Farhana Maute was related to politicians in her hometown of Butig, near Marawi, and was considered somewhat of a kingmaker because of her wealth and influence. And like many clans in the lawless area, the Mautes maintained a private militia that included Farhana's seven sons, the analysts said. When the Mautes got involved in a dispute with Butig Mayor Dimnatang Pansar over the award of civil contracts, it erupted into a brutal clan feud, a clash so common to Mindanao it has its own name, rido. Other militant groups in the southern Philippines joined the Mautes, and they formed a joint front in Marawi against government troops. "TERRORIST IMAGERY" Joseph Franco, a research fellow at Singapore's S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies who has worked with several Philippine military chiefs, said that early last year, the Mautes projected themselves as followers of Islamic State, or IS, to "spook and coerce the Pansars". "That tactical use of terrorist imagery took on a life of its own," he said. "And now we have this Maute Group, who call themselves IS-Ranao." Ranao is an old name for the Lanao region of Mindanao, where Marawi and Butig are located. Although known to be a deeply religious Muslim, there was no evidence that Farhana Maute was radicalized, Franco said. "She is only a businesswoman," a former military officer who lives in Marawi told Reuters, speaking on condition of anonymity. "But, her clan was involved in a bitter political dispute with the mayor of Butig. And that probably got her into trouble." Two of the sons, Omarkhayam and Abdullah, had been educated in the Middle East, but it is uncertain when they morphed from being scions of a wealthy family to becoming hardened Islamists. [nL3N1J61PU] Still, Farhana Maute was related to the former military head of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), a rebel group that the government signed a peace deal with in 2014. She was deeply influenced by him, said Rommel Banlaoi, a security expert who advises the Philippines police. "Many Muslims in Mindanao, strictly speaking, they already have what I call embedded radical ideas," he said, adding that the Mautes provided a training camp for associates of the MILF near Butig. "They were criminals who morphed into militancy," Banlaoi said of the Mautes. Other analysts said at least some of Farhana's wealth would have been diverted to the Maute Group's alleged illicit activities. It was not possible to seek comment from the Maute family. Both Farhana and her husband Cayamore, an engineer, were arrested earlier this month in separate parts of Mindanao and it was not immediately clear who their lawyers were. The sons are believed to be fighting in Marawi. Islamic State's news agency, Amaq, has said its fighters control large parts of Marawi City, but has not commented specifically on the Maute. 'ROYAL FAMILY' Mohamad Ampuan, a Marawi native who has settled in Manila, said he knew Farhana Maute and several of her sons, and believed they were primarily religious-minded. He said he had not seen any of them since 2010, when he moved north. Ampuan was speaking in a bazaar selling mobile phones and accessories in the crowded Novaliches suburb of Manila, where Philippine military intelligence reports have said Farhana or some of her sons owned stalls. All the stall-owners in the Salam Bazaar are from Marawi, but Ampuan said the family did not own any property there. He said Farhana was fluent in Arabic and English and he considered the Mautes a "royal family". "The Mautes are fighting for Allah," he said. "They want a society faithful to Allah." Marawi residents and analysts said Farhana has considerable influence on her sons, perhaps more than her husband, Cayamore. He has two other wives. "She is the central figure, but not in terms of planning and preparing attacks," said Rohan Gunaratna, a regional counter-terrorism expert. "The mother and father are patrons of the group, but father less, mother more." A neighbor, Marawi city councillor Khana-Anuar Marabur Jr., said the Mautes were "good people back then", before they started the current round of violence in Marawi. He said Farhana was a good mother, and was generous and approachable. "The father is strong," Marabur said. "He is like the tiger. But someone owns the tiger." (Reporting by Raju Gopalakrishnan and Manuel Mogato; Editing by Bill Tarrant)
The U.S. Mission to Nepal, in partnership with the Government of Nepal, recently conducted a handover ceremony in Kathmandu for a Regional Crisis Management Center and commenced the bilateral special operations training exercise Balance Nail 17-3 at the Chhauni Barracks in Kathmandu.

The U.S - funded Regional Crisis Management Center, a $1.8 million facility constructed in the heart of the Kathmandu Valley, was developed through the cooperation of the U.S. Embassys Office of Defense Cooperation, the U.S. Agency for International Development, and the World Food Program. This Government of Nepal and U.S. Embassy project directly supports Nepals ability to coordinate emergency response, facilitate communication with the National Emergency Operations Center, and provide assistance to the affected populations during both manmade and natural disasters.

The Regional Crisis Management Center and warehouse are part of a larger network of infrastructure being constructed throughout the country to provide safe locations for relief efforts and food distribution. The project was completed with assistance from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Headquarters and Himalayan Builders.

Bilateral training between the U.S. Army Special Forces and the Nepal Mahabir Rangers has roots spanning over a decade. During the Balance Nail exercises, the Rangers and U.S. Special Operations forces train together to prepare for, mitigate, and respond to humanitarian assistance and disaster response emergencies in rural, mountainous areas. This training will also build the Nepal Armys ability to work side by side with government institutions, civilians, NGOs, and INGOs in the event of crises, whether at home in Nepal or when carrying out UN Peacekeeping Operations abroad.

The Regional Crisis Management Center will play an important part in maximizing the effectiveness of Nepals disaster response capabilities, while exercises like Balance Nail 17-3 will strengthen the ability of security forces to respond. The U.S. Mission remains committed to supporting the Government of Nepals efforts in disaster preparedness and crisis response.
joe biden

Hedge-fund billionaire Bill Ackman made the mistake of heckling Joe Biden as Biden discussed his late son at a recent dinner.

And the way Biden responded shows his personality is still fiery as ever.

The former vice president was speaking at a private dinner during last month's SALT conference in Las Vegas. At one point, former presidential candidate Jeb Bush, also in attendance, asked Biden why he didn't run in the 2016 election, according to a Fox Business account published Friday.

Biden reportedly responded by talking about his late son Beau Biden, who died in 2015 from brain cancer, and the room fell silent, according to the account. Biden then stopped himself.

"Im sorry  I've said enough," he said.

That's when Ackman intervened with an apparent attempt at a joke:

"Why? Thats never stopped you before," he said.

Biden didn't take kindly to Ackman's jab. From Fox Business:

The formal, and understated dinner conversation suddenly turned tense, according to three people who were present and confirmed both the substance and the wording of Bidens responses. Biden, these people say, turned to someone seated near him, and asked, "who is this a--hole?," a reference to Ackman. Then he turned directly to Ackman and stated: "look, I don't know who you are, wisea--, but never disrespect the memory of my dead son! these people say. Ackman attempted what was described as an apology, to which Biden said, "just shut the hell up."

A spokesman for Ackman downplayed the interaction, but didn't refute Biden's language.

Biden's near-candidacy was a popular topic at the SALT conference. In one speaking appearance that week, Biden publicly said of Hillary Clinton: "I never thought she was a great candidate. I thought I was a great candidate."

But it took until Friday for news of the Ackman incident to surface.

Story continues

"Biden was in rare form," a source told Fox Business. "I cant believe it has never leaked out."

The former vice president has not ruled out a 2020 White House bid.

EDITOR'S NOTE: New York Magazine has since published a statement from the SALT organizers denying Fox Business' account of the event. Citing four people who were in attendance, New York Magazine reported that Biden made no mention of his son in the exchange with Ackman, and that Biden had been talking about President Donald Trump before his verbal tie-up with the Wall Street investor.

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Brazil Defends Beef After U.S. Bans It Over Abscesses and Inspection Failure

Brazil scrambled to shore up its beef industrys reputation on Friday after the United States blocked shipments of fresh cuts, saying it found abscesses in the meat and signs of systemic failure of inspections in the worlds largest beef exporter.

Officials in Canada and the European Union also said they had rejected some shipments ofBrazilian beef in recent months. Brazils government and meat industry said most problems stemmed from vaccinations and were being addressed.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture described repeated import violations involving raw beeffrom seven Brazilian facilities, indicating a system-wide problem, according to a letter seen by Reuters on Friday explaining the reason for Thursdays ban.

While fresh beef shipments to the United States represent only 1 percent Brazils beef exports, the ban there and scrutiny elsewhere threatens to tarnish the countrys powerhouse protein industry, which has suffered a series of recent scandals.

If you look at the financial aspect, its important for the country but the bigger damage is to our image, said Antonio Camardelli, head of Brazilian meat exporters association Abiec. He said USDA approval for Brazils fresh beef, which was only granted last year, was expected to open the door to bigger fresh beef importers such as Japan and South Korea.

We worked a long time to open the U.S. market because its a passport to other markets, Camardelli said.

Brazil Deputy Agriculture Minister Eumar Novacki said the problems laid out by the USDA posed no risk to public health. Novacki told reporters at a news conference that some cattle had adverse reactions to certain vaccines.

Among the violations the USDA detected were abscesses, unidentified foreign material and ingesta, which can include any food, drink or medicine that cattle consume.

Brazilian beef exports to the United States from companies including Marfrig Global Foods SA and Minerva SA also have been missing shipping marks and had labeling problems on containers, according to USDA data.

Story continues

Novacki recognized there were flaws in Brazils inspection system but suggested there could be commercial motivations for the U.S. ban. He said U.S. and European authorities had stepped up inspections of Brazilian beef in recent months.

Since March, the USDA has rejected 11 percent of Brazilian fresh beef products, compared to the rejection rate of 1 percent for shipments from the rest of the world. The shipments, totaling about 1.9 million pounds, raised concerns about public health, animal health and sanitation, the USDA said.

Camardelli said about 120 containers with some 3,000 tonnes of Brazilian meat currently are at sea headed to the United States.

European and Canadian officials also described issues found in inspections of importedBrazilian beef.

The EU said it had rejected some shipments of Brazilian beef due to the presence of Shiga toxin-producing E. coli. Some Brazilian poultry shipments were refused because of salmonella.

Canada has rejected six shipments of Brazilian beef out of 191 meat shipments since April 10, according to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency.

The Canadian agency said it recently blocked imports from one JBS SA plant in Brazil that did not meet food safety requirements, but is accepting meat from plants that meet its standards.

Novacki said Brazil was working with European officials to allay concerns and declined to comment on issues in Canada.

The problems, detailed by representatives in response to questions by Reuters, illustrate thatBrazil meat industry is still under a cloud of scrutiny.

Three months ago, Brazilian meatpackers were hit with a scandal involving alleged bribery of health officials, which briefly shut Brazils protein exports out of major global markets from China to Europe.

Shares of JBS and Marfrig fell about 1 percent in Sao Paulo.

Marfrig said beef exports from Brazil to the U.S. market have contributed less than 1 percent of its revenue this year.

JBS declined to comment on the matter.

Minerva, whose shares were up slightly, said it would ship fresh beef to the U.S. market from Uruguay rather than Brazil, adding that the change would not affect its export volumes.
surgeon surgery doctor

Doctors and patient groups slammed the Better Care Reconciliation Act released by Republican Senators on Thursday, taking issue in particular with Medicaid cuts in the bill.



The groups, including the American Academy of Pediatrics and American Hospital Association, are critical of Republican efforts to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act, better known as Obamacare.



The Senate's plan, like one passed by the

House of Representatives rolls back many of the provisions of Obamacare, including taking deep cuts from the Medicaid program.

Here's what the groups thought of the bill

The American Academy of Pediatrics, which represents 66,000 pediatricians, opposed the BCRA, especially because it was left out of the conversation around its drafting.

"The bill that the Senate unveiled today was crafted without the benefit of groups like pediatricians weighing in with what children need," Dr. Fernando Stein, president of the AAP, said in a statement. "The result is that the bill would tear down the progress we've made by achieving health insurance coverage for 95% of America's children."

The AAP was critical of the changes to Medicaid.

"The bill includes misleading 'protections' for children by proposing to exempt them from certain Medicaid cuts," Stein said. "A 'carve-out' for children with 'medically complex' health issues does little to protect their coverage when the base program providing the coverage is stripped of its funding."

The American Lung Association also opposed the bill, citing the Medicaid cuts.

"The proposed cuts to Medicaid under this bill will be devastating for children, seniors and people living with disabilities for whom healthcare is critical. Cuts to Medicaid will lead to more asthma attacks," ALA President Harold Wimmer said in a statement Thursday.

Leading up to the bill's release, the ALA didn't get a chance to share their thoughts on the BCRA.

"You're never going to get everything right," Erika Sward, the assistant vice president of national advocacy at the ALA told Business Insider. But when you completely exclude patient organizations from the conversations, "you're more likely to get it wrong," she said.

Story continues

The March of Dimes criticized the cuts to coverage for children and pregnant women.

"This bill penalizes pregnant women, children and families at every turn," the organization's president Stacey Stewart said in a statement.

The American Hospital Association, which represents thousands of hospitals and health systems, was unhappy with the cuts to the Medicaid program.

"Medicaid cuts of this magnitude are unsustainable and will increase costs to individuals with private insurance. We urge the Senate to go back to the drawing board and develop legislation that continues to provide coverage to all Americans who currently have it," AHA President Richard Pollack said in a statement on Thursday.

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The future of the Senate Republican leadership's healthcare bill, released on Thursday, is already in doubt as at least five Republican senators have come out in opposition of the legislation in its current form.

Even if Majority Leader Mitch McConnell successfully wrangles his members and gets the bill through, though, he would run into another wall: House conservatives.

Despite substantial differences between the House's American Healthcare Act and the Senate's Better Care Reconciliation Act, The Hill's Scott Wong reported Thursday that a member of the House GOP conference close to the leadership said the Republican brass wanted to take up and pass whatever came out of the Senate.

That would suggest a breeze for Republicans' healthcare legislation to President Donald Trump's desk.

But some of the changes made in the Senate version of the bill are unlikely to fly with conservative members of the House, especially the House Freedom Caucus. The Freedom Caucus forced House Speaker Paul Ryan to pull the first version of the AHCA from the floor just minutes before a scheduled vote. They eventually won a number of concessions to the final version of the bill that passed.

Rep. Mark Meadows, head of the Freedom Caucus, poured cold water all over the idea of a quick passage on Friday. The North Carolina representative told reporters the Senate bill "does not have enough conservative support" to get by the House without changes.

Separately, a source close to the Freedom Caucus told Business Insider that while the group does not yet have an official position, since the members won't meet until Monday, it does have a preference.

"The Freedom Caucus strongly supports going to conference with the Senate on healthcare legislation," the source said.

That could mean weeks to come of negotiations to craft a bill that would not only satisfy the hardline conservatives in the Freedom Caucus, but also moderate Senate Republicans who are already wavering on a Senate bill that is less conservative than the AHCA.

Story continues

For Republican leaders, that won't be an easy task.

Said Greg Valliere, the chief strategist at Horizon Investments: "Odds of enactment are still below below 50%, but the horse trading has just begun as this drama intensifies."

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Butwal folk press parties to keep Province 5 intact

Locals of Butwal have demanded the candidates of the upcoming second phase of the local level elections against separating the hill districts in Lumbini zone from Province 5.
Grahamphoto23 | Getty Images. Toxins from household fungi can easily become airborne and cause health problems, a new study has found.

Toxins from household fungi can easily become airborne and cause health problems, a new study has found.

A group of researchers found that three types of fungus that can grow on ordinary household wallpaper can spread into the air. They said the effects of the airborne transmission on human health are understudied.

Fungal toxins, also called mycotoxins, should be taken seriously as a source of indoor air pollution, and so-called sick building syndrome, the researchers said.

"We demonstrated that mycotoxins could be transferred from a moldy material to air, under conditions that may be encountered in buildings," said study co-author Jean-Denis Bailly, a professor of food hygiene at the National Veterinary School of Toulouse in France, in a release. "Thus, mycotoxins can be inhaled and should be investigated as parameters of indoor air quality, especially in homes with visible fungal contamination."

They published the results Friday in the American Society for Microbiology's journal Applied and Environmental Microbiology.

The researchers said far less research exists on the dangers of airborne fungal toxins than on fungal toxins in foods.

Thus, they focused on three fungi commonly found in contaminated food: Penicillium brevicompactum, Aspergillus versicolor and Stachybotrys chartarum.

The team created a flowing stream of air over a piece of wallpaper contaminated with the three fungi and analyzed samples of the air.

They found that some toxins were present on tiny particles of dust, that people or animals could easily inhale. They also found the different species sent different amounts of fungal toxins into the air, which might allow future researchers to prioritize efforts.

Very little research has been done on the effect of such toxins once they have been inhaled, the researchers said in the release.

Scientists have highlighted the dangers of indoor air pollution before. While much attention is focused on airborne pollutants from car emissions, factories and power plants, others such as household mold, chemical fumes and smoke can pose dangers within the home.

Story continues

Bailly said energy efficiency efforts may even be exacerbating the problem, as houses are increasingly insulated to save on heating and cooling. These kinds of environments may worsen the development of fungus in moist areas, such as in bathrooms, or appliances that use water, like coffee makers.

"The presence of mycotoxins in indoors should be taken into consideration as an important parameter of air quality," Bailly said.

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Goop, actress Gwyneth Paltrow's lifestyle website, removed a claim about a brand it was promoting after NASA debunked it.

Gizmodo first reported on the Goop-NASA situation.

A blog post on Goop raved about Body Vibes, wearable stickers that "optimize brain and body function" by emitting a "bio-frequency that resonates with the body's natural energy field," according to Body Vibes' website.

Goop's post said Body Vibes are "made with the same conductive carbon material NASA uses to line space suits so they can monitor an astronaut's vitals during wear." Gizmodo contacted NASA, and a spokesman debunked the claim, saying it does "not have any conductive carbon material lining the spacesuits."

Gizmodo reached out to Goop seeking a response to NASA's statement. Goop told Gizmodo it would remove the claim from the blog post, which it did. The rest of the glowing post remains intact.

"As we have always explained, advice and recommendations included on goop are not formal endorsements and the opinions expressed by the experts and companies we profile do not necessarily represent the views of goop," the company responded to CNBC in a statement. "Our content is meant to highlight unique products and offerings, find open-minded alternatives, and encourage conversation. We constantly strive to improve our site for our readers, and are continuing to improve our processes for evaluating the products and companies featured."

"Based on the statement from NASA, we've gone back to the company to inquire about the claim and removed the claim from our site until we get additional verification," the company said.

Body Vibes issued a statement apologizing for the claim:

We apologize to NASA, Goop, our customers and our fans for this communication error. We never intended to mislead anyone. We have learned that our engineer was misinformed by a distributor about the material in question, which was purchased for its unique specifications. We regret not doing our due diligence before including the distributor's information in the story of our product. However, the origins of the material do not anyway impact the efficacy of our product. Body Vibes remains committed to offering a holistic lifestyle tool and we stand by the quality and effectiveness of our product.

Story continues

Read Gizmodo's full story here.





More From CNBC


PPG Industries PPG said that it has opened a 45 million ($49 million) paint and coatings manufacturing plant in the Lipetsk region of Russia. The site will make 25 million liters (6.6 million gallons) of coatings at full capacity.



The plant houses administrative offices and technical laboratories in addition to having facilities for producing and distributing coatings for automotive, industrial, packaging, and protective and marine applications. The facility will employ around 200 people.



The companys investment in the new plant underscores its sustained focus to improve services to its existing customers in Russia and Eastern Europe as well as expand its foothold in the Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) region. The facility will allow PPG Industries to address rising demand for its paint and coatings products in that region.



PPG Industries has outperformed the Zacks categorized Chemicals-Diversified industry over the last six months. The companys shares have gained around 16.2% over this period, compared with roughly 7.7% gain recorded by the industry.





PPG Industries is taking steps for growing organically as well as cutting costs. The company also remains committed to deploy cash on acquisitions and share repurchases. The company plans to deploy at least $2.5 billion to $3.5 billion of cash on acquisitions and share repurchases in 2017 and 2018 combined.



PPG Industries should also gain from its broad restructuring actions, particularly focused on the weaker end-markets. The restructuring actions are expected to deliver $120-$130 million in annual savings, with $40-$50 million of savings expected to be realized in 2017.



However, the company is exposed to currency headwind, which may continue to affect its top line. Moreover, PPG Industries faces macroeconomic challenges and some of its end-markets including marine still remain sluggish. The company sees moderate growth rates in emerging economies in 2017. It is also exposed to volatility in raw materials and energy costs.



PPG Industries currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).

PPG Industries, Inc. Price and Consensus

PPG Industries, Inc. Price and Consensus | PPG Industries, Inc. Quote

Stocks to Consider



Better-ranked stocks in the chemical space include Huntsman Corporation HUN, BASF SE BASFY and The Chemours Company CC, all sporting a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.



Huntsman has an expected long-term earnings growth of 7%.



BASF has an expected long-term earnings growth of 8.9%.



Chemours has an expected long-term earnings growth of 15.5%.



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Source: Sears Holdings. Sears plans to open additional stores dedicated to mattresses and appliances  "two of its strongest" categories.

Sears (SHLD) is trying something new.

The department store chain announced on Thursday it opened its first Sears-branded appliance and mattress store in Pharr, Texas.



Word of the new store comes the same day reports surfaced that Sears is planning to close an additional 20 Sears and Kmart locations across the U.S. That's on top of the more than 200 stores it's already slated to close this year.

This first-of-its-kind store for Sears showcases appliance brand Kenmore, and mattresses from Tempur-Pedic, Beautyrest, Sealy and Serta, among other well-known labels, the retailer said.

Plans are also underway to open additional freestanding Sears stores dedicated to these two categories  what Sears is calling "two of its strongest." Dating back to the department store chain's early days, appliances have always been a part of Sears' so-called bread and butter.

The Texas store's manager, Albert Silva, told CNBC his store is about 20,000 square feet with 22 employees so far, and he plans to hire more. At Thursday's ribbon cutting, Silva said he saw a supportive showing from the local community, with many people excited about the brand's return to Pharr.

Back in 2015, Sears closed a full-line store a few miles down the road. Many shoppers had grown to rely on Sears for household items, so the chain's return  now in a slightly different format  is promising, Silva added.

Pharr is also situated about three miles from Mexico, so international "border business" should really help Sears' new store thrive, the manager said.

Notably, even though this store is branded as only selling mattresses and appliances, Sears said, shoppers can order any item from the company's website and pick it up at the new Texas store without paying any shipping fees.

"Our members tell us they want an integrated and seamless shopping experience," the company said in a statement. "They want to shop on their own terms  which means sometimes shopping online, sometimes visiting a store and sometimes a combination of both."

Story continues

Last year, Sears introduced a similar new store concept in Fort Collins, Colorado, selling only appliances. This latest launch in Texas is a bid to replicate the success Sears has seen in Colorado, the retailer said, adding the Colorado store has "surpassed projections since its opening."

Silva said he's only been working at Sears for three months but is excited about the growth potential of the new store concept. "We are trailblazers of what the future is."

It's a rare spot of optimism for the troubled retailer, which warned earlier this year that there were doubts about its ability to continue as a going concern.

In order to fend off a possible bankruptcy, Sears has been closing hundreds of underperforming locations, conserving cash as its sales shrink.

While this smaller-format store may be a less expensive way to continue to keep the Sears brand in front of consumers, it will be difficult to expand this strategy widely given the retailer's heavy debt load.

"In some ways [this store] makes sense," GlobalData Retail's Managing Director Neil Saunders told CNBC. "Sears is best known for appliances and mattresses, and that's where its strengths still lie. A stand-alone store in the right location is more likely to attract customers. ... The format looks good and incorporates technologies and services that customers will value."

The biggest issue, though, is that this is a "drop in the ocean" compared to the wider problems at Sears, Saunders said.

The landscape remains competitive, and more and more home-improvement companies want a share of the appliance category, he added. "Sears has its work cut out to compete."

WATCH: Here are the 20 additional stores Sears plans to close





More From CNBC


Kim Jong Un

Even though he's the supreme leader of his country, Kim Jong Un has reportedly been living like a hunted man out of fear that the US and South Korea are collaborating on a special forces team to take him out in case of a contingency.

South Korean intelligence services told lawmakers recently that the moves of US and South Korean forces make Kim "extremely nervous," according to the Korea Herald. Apparently, Kim has been riding in his subordinates' cars and making fewer public appearances.

In March, South Korean media reported that the US Navy's SEAL Team 6, the same group that pulled off the 2011 raid that killed Osama Bin Laden in Abbottabad, Pakistan had arrived in South Korea for a joint-training exercise.

The Pentagon maintains that the US does not train for decapitation strikes of any kind, but with the threat from North Korea growing hotter every day, and civilian casualties like Otto Warmbier, it may be that its preparing a quick strike option in case of an untenable provocation from the Kim regime.

The US would not confirm the presence of Navy SEALs in South Korea, but it did announce the arrival of the USS Michigan, a submarine that sometimes carries special operations forces.

Kim is so engrossed with collecting information about the decapitation operation through his intelligence agency," Rep. Lee Cheol-woo told the Korea Herald.

Kim recently took the bold step of assassinating his half brother, Kim Jong Nam, in Malaysia, possibly to head off an outside attempt to install a new Kim governement in North Korea.

USS Michigan submarine us navy SEALs

Story continues

"Imagine you're the president. North Korea is a human-rights abuser and an exporter of dangerous technology," Ken Geers, a cybersecurity expert for Comodo with experience in the National Security Agency, previously told Business Insider. "Responsible governments really need to think about ways to handle North Korea, and one of the options is regime change."

But the fact remains that a raid on Kim's palace within North Korea would be much, much more difficult than the raid that killed Osama Bin Laden. US forces would have to navigate air defenses in one of the most heavily protected spaces on earth as well as risking a nuclear response even if their mission is successful.

Nevertheless, the Korea Herald reports that the US and South Korea will have completed a team that can take out Kim and paralyze the country's command and control systems by the end of this year.

NOW WATCH: Watch how the US would shoot down an incoming ICBM in its tracks





More From Business Insider


The Islamic State (IS) group is rapidly expanding in parts of Afghanistan, advancing militarily into areas where it once had a weak presence and strengthening its forces in core regions, according to Afghan and U.S. officials.

Depending on the location, the proliferation of IS has drawn varied resistance from the Afghan military, U.S. air support and ground troops, local militias, Taliban forces and other militant groups.

Attacking IS has become such a priority in the country, that disparate forces sometimes join together in the ad-hoc fight, with Afghan and U.S. forces finding themselves inadvertently supporting the enemy Taliban in battling IS.

Confusion

All too often, officials say, mistakes are made due to confusion on the ground.

Afghan army planes on Wednesday night accidentally air dropped vital supplies of food and water to IS militants in the Darzab district of northern Jouzjan province instead of to their own besieged troops, provincial police chief, Rahmatullah Turkistani told VOA. The supplies were meant to help Afghan forces that are countering twin attacks by IS and Taliban militants but were used instead by IS.

It's not getting better in Afghanistan in terms of IS, U.S. Chief Pentagon Spokeswoman Dana White told VOA this week. We have a problem, and we have to defeat them and we have to be focused on that problem.

Reinforcements for the IS cause reportedly are streaming into isolated areas of the country from far and wide. There are reports of fighters from varied nationalities joining the ranks, including militants from Pakistan, India, Iran, Iraq, Syria, Russia and Central Asian neighbors.

Still, the Islamic State-Khorasan (ISK), as IS is known in Afghanistan, remains a fragmented group composed of differing regional forces with different agendas in different parts of the country.

IS-K is still conducting low-level recruiting and distribution of propaganda in various provinces across Afghanistan, but it does not have the ability or authority to conduct multiple operations across the country, a recent Pentagon report said. But where it operates, IS is inflicting chaos and casualties and causing confusing scenarios for disparate opponents.

In the Tora Bora area, where IS has made a strong stand in recent days, local villagers and militias joined with Taliban to rout IS. IS regained ground after a few days, leading to U.S. military air attacks on IS positions in conjunction with Afghan intelligence instructions and army operations.

IS fighters reportedly have fled from mountain caves of Tora Bora, where al-Qaida's leader Osama bin Laden hid from U.S. attack in 2001.

Displaced Families

IS fighters were also reportedly advancing in neighboring Khogyani district, displacing hundreds of families, according to district officials. It is one of several areas in Nangarhar province, near the Pakistani border, where IS has been active for over two years.

Fierce clashes in the Chaparhar district of Nangarhar last month left 21 Taliban fighters and seven IS militants dead, according to a provincial spokesman. At least three civilians who were caught in the crossfire were killed and five others wounded.

IS has overpowered Taliban in some parts of Nangarhar because the Taliban dispatched its elite commando force called Sara Qeta (Red Brigade) to other parts of the country, including some northern provinces to contain the growing influence of IS there, Wahid Muzhda, a Taliban expert in Kabul, told VOA.

Recruiting Youth

IS has also expanded in neighboring Kunar province, where, according to provincial police chief, it has a presence in at least eight districts and runs a training base, where foreign members of IS, train new recruits.

Hundreds of miles from Nangarhar, IS is attempting to establish a persistent presence in several northern provinces where it has found a fertile ground for attracting militants and recruiting unemployed youths, mostly between the age of 13 and 20.

IS has been able to draw its members from the Pakistani Taliban fighters, former Afghan Taliban, and other militants who believe that associating with or pledging allegiance to IS will further their interests, according to the Pentagon report.

Hundreds of militants have joined IS ranks in northern Jouzjan and Sar-e-Pul province where local militant commanders lead IS-affiliate groups in several districts.

Darzab District



Qari Hekmat, an ethnic Uzbek and former Taliban militant who joined IS a year ago, claims to have up to 500 members, including around 50 Uzbek nationals who are affiliated with the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU)  previously associated with al-Qaida and Taliban in Afghanistan.

IS and Taliban are reportedly fighting over the control of Darzab district in Jouzjan which they stormed this week from two different directions and besieged scores of government forces. The Taliban has reportedly captured the center of the district while IS militants control the city outskirts.

Afghanistan faces a continuing threat from as many as 20 insurgent and terrorist networks present or operating in the Afghanistan-Pakistan region, including IS, the Pentagon said.

In areas where the government has limited influence and control, IS attempts to emerge and expand there, Ateequllah Amarkhail, an analysts and former Army general in Kabul told VOA.

Strategy

IS has also claimed responsibility for several recent attacks in urban areas, however, with a hit-and-hide strategy that is proving effective. And it is engaging too in more skirmishes with U.S. forces that initially were sent to the country to help Afghan forces halt the spread of Taliban.

Three American service members based in eastern Afghanistan were killed in April during operations targeting IS militants, according to the Pentagon.

"ISIS-K remains a threat to Afghan and regional security, a threat to U.S. and coalition forces, and it retains the ability to conduct high-profile attacks in urban centers, the Pentagon said.

-- Written by Noor Zahid for Voice Of America
A tanker truck carrying oil overturned on a highway in Pakistan before bursting into flames, killing at least 152 people who were trying to collect fuel from the leaking vehicle.



Rescue officials said the driver of the truck lost control of the vehicle before it crashed early on June 25 about 100 kilometers southwest of the city of Multan, the countrys fifth-largest city with just over 3.1 million people.



Police tried to cordon off the area after the accident but scores of villagers pushed through to try and gather fuel spilling from the truck when it exploded, Rana Mohammad Saleem Afzal, a senior local government official, told reporters.



"After the spill, people began calling their relatives to come and gather the oil, and some showed up from nearby villages as well. There must have been 500 people gathered when the fire began," Khalil Ahmed, a 57-year-old former government employee who lives in the village, told Reuters.



Video from the accident scene showed plumes of black smoke billowing from the wreckage and images of scores of charred bodies.



Dozens suffered serious injuries and the death toll could rise, said Dr. Mohammad Baqar, a senior rescue official in the area.



I have never seen anything like it in my life. Victims trapped in the fireball. They were screaming for help, said Abdul Malik, a local police officer who was also among the first to arrive at the scene.



When the fire subsided, we saw bodies everywhere, so many were just skeletons. The people who were alive were in really bad shape, he added.



Eyewitnesses said the charred frames of more than two dozen motorcycles used to carry people to the accident site to collect fuel were strewn about the scene, while several other vehicles were also destroyed.



Pakistans military said it had sent helicopters to help evacuate the wounded to local hospitals.



Geo TV cited witnesses at the scene as saying some of the people in the area had been smoking, which could have sparked the fire.

With reporting by Geo TV, AP, Reuters, and AFP
ANAHEIM, Calif., May 30, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Gala Global, Inc. (OTC:GLAG), a publicly-traded development firm specializing in equity investments, debt financing and mergers and acquisitions in the biotech industry, has completed the acquisition of a majority equity position in Controlled Environment Genomics Inc., an Akron, Ohio based start-up biotechnology company focused on the development and commercialization of computer controlled digital plant cloning incubators for use in the agricultural and biopharmaceutical industries.



Gala Global targets investments in companies commercializing biotechnologies, including indoor agriculture, molecular biology, genetics, and biopharmaceuticals.

We are concentrating Gala Globals focus on the biotech industry, said Gala Global CEO Timothy Madden. This allows us to expand our portfolio of companies now successfully commercializing technologies and services that create efficiencies and improvements, while simultaneously reducing production costs and improving economic growth in the industry.

Said Madden: Gala Globals greatest potential exists in acquiring high-growth-rate companies that have intellectual property rights to commercially proven disruptive technologies, which are rapidly changing and expanding the biotech industry.

Gala Global is now working with technology partner GenoBreeding Inc., on developing breeding tools such as molecular markers to enable productive plant breeding decisions and processes that achieve top-tier plant performance in a sustainable manner.

Another Gala Global technology partner is Controlled Environment Genomics, Inc. (CEG), an Akron, Ohio genomics company recently acquired by Gala Global. CEG specializes in digital plant gene sequencing, editing, and cloning technologies.

CEGs state-of-the-art genomics technology enables GenoBreeding to digitally sequence the genomes of the most desirable plant varieties based on flavor and nutrition, so the desirable traits can be used to improve the most desirable commercial varieties with traits like increased yield, and quality, thus enhancing consumer demand for the product and increasing profitability.

GenoBreeding is also developing a proprietary digital genetic database that will be used as an online cloud based library of digitally sequenced genomes and phenotypic (chemical composition) information on all existing and new plant varieties.

CEG Inc. proprietary digital plant cloning technology will enable GenoBreedings geneticists to select the best plant varieties to hybridize, improving and increasing crop quality and yields, by combining the very best genetics, maximizing the variation of positive inherited characteristics in each variety.

About Gala Global Inc.

Gala Global, Inc., Anaheim, Calif., is a publicly-traded startup development company specializing in equity investments, debt financing and mergers and acquisitions (M&A) in the biotech industry. Gala Globals professional services group provides operational services and technologies that drive efficiencies in the market. Gala Global has industry-leading expertise helping companies make the most of their potential in an emerging market. Gala Global website: www.galaglobalinc.com.

About Clipius Technologies Inc.

Clipius Technologies Inc., a Carbondale, Ill.-based manufacturer of genomic technologies, will direct development in the digital plant cloning incubators project. Clipius is headed by Dr. Ajay Mahajan, president. Mahajan, currently a tenured professor in the mechanical engineering and biomedical engineering departments at The University of Akron in Ohio, now chairs the finance committee for the Akron BioInnovation Fund II (ABFII) for the City of Akron. He was the associate vice president for innovation for the University and the associate dean for research in the College of Engineering until 2015.

About GenoBreeding Inc.

GenoBreeding Inc. a subsidiary of Greengro Technologies, Inc., (OTC:GRNH) Anaheim, Calif., formed in early 2017 to direct a Greengro initiative intended to bring to the cannabis market cutting-edge plant varieties through the application of modern plant breeding technologies conducive to increased consumer demand and improved production profitability.

Disclaimer: The Company relies upon the Safe Harbor Laws of 1933, 1934 and 1995 for all public news releases. Statements, which are not historical facts, are forward-looking statements. The company, through its management, makes forward-looking public statements concerning its expected future operations, performance and other developments. Such forward-looking statements are necessarily estimates reflecting the companys best judgment based upon current information and involve a number of risks and uncertainties, and there can be no assurance that other factors will not affect the accuracy of such forward-looking statements. It is impossible to identify all such factors. Factors which could cause actual results to differ materially from those estimated by the company include, but are not limited to, government regulation; managing and maintaining growth; the effect of adverse publicity; litigation; competition; and other factors which may be identified from time to time in the companys public announcements.

Development Team:

Dr. Ajay Mahajan, President Clipius Technologies Inc., is currently a tenured professor in the mechanical engineering and biomedical engineering departments at The University of Akron in Ohio. He is currently the chair of the finance committee for the Akron BioInnovation Fund II (ABFII) for the City of Akron. He was the associate vice president for innovation for the University and the associate dean for research in the College of Engineering until 2015.

Before coming to Akron he worked at Southern Illinois University Carbondale. He is currently a board member for the Bell Chapter of the Hawkins Foundation that advances orthopedic medicine and outcomes for patients through research and education. In the past he has worked with NASA, US DoD, US Federal Highway, as well as companies such as Timken, Caterpillar and Medtronic. He has also worked with two Formula One teams (Renault F1 and Toyota F1).

He is the co-founder and president of Clipius Technologies, a high-tech genomics device company, and serves on the boards of many organizations/ companies. He has developed numerous biomedical devices and has also run numerous cadaver labs for Medtronic while testing that companys new devices for FDA approval and marketing claims. In NE Ohio, he has been a champion for increasing/improving the technology and innovation ecosystem.

Two years ago, he served on President Barack Obamas Advanced Manufacturing Partnership (AMP2.0) initiative at the White House.

Wil Hemker is an R&D scientist and entrepreneur experienced in new product development, identifying advanced technology, IP assessment, and leading partnership teams to commercialize innovative products. His successes include: commercializing IP protected products using advanced technology for the environmental, food production, new product materials for over-the-counter (OTC) dermatological and anti-microbial marketplaces.

Wil is a senior entrepreneur fellow at the University of Akron Research Foundation (UARF) commercializing new materials and technologies into environmental, food production and biomedical markets. Wil holds a BS in chemistry from Bowling Green State University and a MS in Food Science from The Ohio State University. He is very active in the food movement including ways to increase nutrition in schools, hospitals and institutions.

Timothy Madden, a serial entrepreneur, inventor and business executive, has positioned his companies as leaders in the U.S. indoor agriculture industry. His extensive knowledge of plant science, greenhouses, integrated renewable energy systems and fully automated controlled environment agriculture (CEA) technologies provides his companies with significant competitive advantages in their respective markets.

Tims education and experience include a degree in computer electronics from Fortis College, ten years as founder and President of Biodynamics Inc., and three years as founder and manager of On Point Hydroponics LLC, currently serving as CEO of Gala Global Inc.

As part of his early education, Tim studied the work of Dr. Rudolf Steiner, a scientist, philosopher and inventor of commercial-scale organic agriculture. Steiner published his work in 1924 to combat the rapid worldwide decline in crop nutritional value and fertility occurring in the 20th century as a result of monoculture practices and the overuse of pesticides. The science of indoor agriculture is founded on the need for crop production as a closed loop agricultural system, self-contained and self-sustaining, creating and maintaining life, free of external contaminants and the production of pollution. Tim has helped make Dr. Steiners vision a reality in his own work through entrepreneurship and the invention and development of proprietary controlled environment technologies operated by artificial intelligence (AI) technologies and powered by integrated renewable energy systems.
look for easy water routes across the continent, continue to the Pacific, and return.

to follow

to look

continue

return

to follow

to look

to continue

returning

to follow

look

to continue

to return

follow

look

continue

returning

The Lewis and Clark expedition was to follow the Mississippi to its source,A. look for easy water routes across the continent, continue to the Pacific, and return.B. to look for easy water routes across the continent, continue to the Pacific, and then return.C. to look for easy water routes across the continent, to continue to the Pacific, then returning.D. look for easy water routes across the continent, to continue to the Pacific, and to return.E. look for easy water routes across the continent, continue to the Pacific, then returning.You can see the path to the correct answer in the following way.Look at the beginning of the sentence.The Lewis and Clark expedition was toOK, "was to" what?follow ..., look ..., continue ..., and return.A works perfectly.Let's consider B.The Lewis and Clark expedition wasthe Mississippi to its source,B.for easy water routes across the continent,to the Pacific, and thenWe have "to follow" and "to look". So, we need a "to" before each of the other items in the list, but "continue" and "return" do not have "to" before them. So, this list is not parallel.Let's consider C.The Lewis and Clark expedition wasthe Mississippi to its source,C.for easy water routes across the continent,to the Pacific, thenIn this version we have a list that has no conjunction. "then" before "returning" does not serve as a conjunction in the way that "and" would in that spot. Also, all of the items in the list except for "returning" are in infinitive form. So, the list is not parallel.Let's consider D.The Lewis and Clark expedition wasthe Mississippi to its source,D.for easy water routes across the continent,to the Pacific, andD is a trap. Because "look" is at the beginning of the underlined portion, It's easy to miss the fact that "to follow", "to continue", and "to return" all include "to", while "look" is alone and is not preceded by "to". Since the elements of the list are all in the same form except for "look", the list is not parallel.Let's consider E.The Lewis and Clark expedition was tothe Mississippi to its source,E.for easy water routes across the continent,to the Pacific, thenThis version almost works. We have "The Lewis and Clark expedition was tofollow ..., look ..., continue ...,"So far, the sentence works. However, it fails at the end. Rather than a conjunction and another word that works with "was to" we have "then returning". So, we don't have a conjunction to hold the list together, and "returning" does not work with "was to" the way the other three elements of the list do.The correct answer is A._________________
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
Double trouble

The number of drug abusers in Nepal has been swelling even though sound and subtle narcotic drug policies and strategies have been in place for more than a decade.
A Taiwanese electronics company says that it may spend more than $10 billion to develop factories in the United States.

Terry Gou, chairman of Foxconn, made the announcement to reporters Thursday. In January, the company said it would build a display panel factory, estimated to cost as much as $7 billion. Gou did not provide details Thursday about where building might take place.

Manufacturing Giant

Foxconn is the biggest contract manufacturer for smartphones. It makes products for Apple, Sony, Blackberry and other companies.

Gou told shareholders that Foxconn will create U.S. manufacturing and software development operations in artificial intelligence and automation.

He said that Foxconn has been in contact with the Trump administration. He added that he expects to finish negotiations by the end of July or early August.

The first investment agreements could involve at least three U.S. states. Three others could be added later, Gou said.

"We will provide at least tens of thousands of job opportunities," Gou said Thursday.

He said Foxconn hopes to work with American states such as Ohio, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Illinois, Wisconsin, Indiana and Texas.

Implications of Foxconn's expansion to the U.S.

In January, Gou said that Pennsylvania was the top candidate for the panel factory. It would be linked with the Sharp electronics company.

Foxconn bought the Japanese company in March 2016 for $3.5 billion.

Expansion into the United States would decrease Foxconn's dependence on China. The company has about 1 million employees and most of its operations in that country.

I'm John Russell.

Joe McDonald and Johnson Lai wrote this story for AP. John Russell adapted it for Learning English. Caty Weaver was the editor.

We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section.

________________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

display panel  n. a part of an electronic device (such as a computer monitor) that shows information

contract - n. legal agreement between companies, people, etc..

smartphone  n. a mobile telephone that can be used to send and receive e-mail, connect to the Internet, take photographs, etc.

artificial intelligence  n. an area of computer science that deals with giving machines the ability to seem like they have human intelligence

automation  n. running or operating (something, such as a factory or system) by using machines, computers, etc., instead of people to do the work

opportunity - n. a situation in which something can be done


Editor's Note: This story is part of a continuing series about international student life at colleges and universities across the United States. Please join us over the next several weeks as we bring you stories about international students and the American higher education system as a whole.

The American state of Maine was a completely foreign place to Chi Bui when she first arrived in the fall of 2012.

The 21-year-old is from Hanoi, Vietnam and she had not researched much about Maine before she got there.

Bui came to the United States to complete her high school education as part of an international student exchange program. The program she chose was through Oxford Hills Comprehensive High School, a public high school in South Paris, Maine.

On her first flight to the northeastern U.S., Bui looked out her window and saw the states rocky, coast along the cold, dark Atlantic Ocean. She says she could not tell if Maine was an island or part of the mainland.

Bui was shocked to learn about the weather in her new home. In Hanoi, the average temperature in winter is between about 13 and 20 degrees Celsius. In South Paris, Maine the average winter temperature is between about -11 and 2 degrees Celsius.

The area also gets between about 152 and 229 centimeters of snow each winter.

Yet Bui says, after a while, she was able to adapt to the new environment.

"Going outside and actually having fun in the snow make(s) me feel like, Oh its not that bad. And also, you just have to accept it. Around the world, every place is different. You just need (to) get used to it."

Bui adds that she also soon favored the education system in the U.S. to that in Vietnam. There, she says, students often study six days a week. But at almost every level of education in the U.S., most students take classes only from Monday through Friday. Bui says she liked the less intense system that gave her more time for social activities.

So, when Bui finished her high school education in 2013, she decided to stay in the U.S. for college. She applied to schools across the country. She chose the University of Southern Maine because it offered her the most financial aid.

The University of Southern Maine is a public university established in 1878. The school has buildings and classes in three cities: Portland, Gorham and Lewiston. A total of about 7,700 students attend the university.

Bui began her undergraduate studies in environmental science in 2013. Ever since, she has also been heavily involved in the University of Southern Maine. She has worked as a guide for new students, helping them find resources and feel welcome. She has also worked as a teaching assistant, helping students improve in academic subjects in which she is strong.

Bui notes she has become so involved because she wants to build strong connections to her school and her friends. There were fewer than 100 international students studying at the university in 2016. And Bui says she is the only one from Vietnam.

So, although she still misses things like the food and culture of Vietnam, she says she works hard to feel just as much at home in the U.S.

Solomon Nkhalamba has also worked hard to make a life for himself while living and studying in the U.S.

The 31-year-old is from a small village outside of Lilongwe, Malawi. He first considered coming to America after meeting a U.S. Peace Corps volunteer in his village almost ten years ago.

Nkhalambas friend from the Peace Corps persuaded him to seek an education in the U.S. and helped him apply to his first school. That friend was from Maine. So, in 2007, Nkhalamba began an associates degree program in business at Southern Maine Community College in South Portland. He earned that degree in 2009. Then, he continued his education at the University of Maine in Orono where he earned a bachelors degree in economics.

Last year, Nkhalamba began a graduate study program in statistics at the University of Southern Maine. Like Chi Bui, he says he fell in love with the teaching methods and learning styles in the U.S. Yet, he says what he likes most is the close, personal relationships he has built with people.

He often meets with professors outside of class. Nkhalamba says teaching comes naturally for him, so he has also worked as a teaching assistant. He believes experiences like these are very important for any international student.

"Theres a lot of things in the very beginning you dont know. So, you really have to develop some close-knit relationships with people; classmates, staff and faculty. And that helps to give you an ease to pursue your career."

In 2015, Nkhalambas wife and two daughters moved from Malawi to live with him in Portland. He admits it can be difficult to manage his time between work, studies and family responsibilities. But, he says, having his family here has made him feel more like part of the Portland community. Together, they have joined a religious group and have made many friends.

The ties to the University of Southern Maine are very strong for both Solomon Nkhalamba and Chi Bui. They both agree they will carry all that they have learned there for as long as they live. And as they reach the end of their university studies, both want to take the knowledge they gained back to their home countries.

Nkhalamba says he will use his understanding of business and information systems to grow development projects in Malawi. And Bui plans to fight pollution across Vietnam.

I'm Anna Matteo.

And Im Pete Musto.

Pete Musto reported this story for VOA Learning English. Caty Weaver was the editor. Lucija Millonig produced the video. We want to hear from you. What are some ways you can build connections in a new place? How do you make yourself at home in a foreign country? Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page.

______________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

adapt  v. to change your behavior so that it is easier to live in a particular place or situation

class(es)  n. a series of meetings in which students are taught a particular subject or activity

applied  v. to ask formally for something, such as a job, admission to a school, or a loan, usually in writing

financial aid  n. money that is given or lent to students in order to help pay for their education

undergraduate  adj. describing a student or an entire program at a college or university who has not yet earned a degree

academic  adj. of or relating to schools and education

associates degree  n. a degree that is given to a student who has completed two years of study at a junior college, college, or university in the U.S.

graduate  adj. of or relating to a course of studies taken at a college or university after earning a bachelor's degree or other first degree

close-knit  adj. used to describe a group of people who care about each other and who are very friendly with each other

faculty  n. the group of teachers in a school or college

pursue  v. to try to get or do something over a period of time
The continuing conflict in Iraq has brought destruction to many areas of the country. It also has had an extreme cost for families and children, as well.

The United Nations Childrens Fund, or UNICEF, says fighting has displaced more than 1.5 million children in the last three years.

Their stories are hard to hear.

Zamin Makhool is 28 years old. Last December, she lost two of her children in an airstrike in her neighborhood. An explosive struck her home, leaving it a pile of wreckage. It left a hole three meters deep.

Her four-year-old son and nine-month-old daughter died. Her son died while playing with his spinning top toy, she says. Her baby daughter was crushed in the collapsed house.

The attack took place at a time when Islamic State militants controlled the neighborhood.

Since 2014, UNICEF says more than 1,000 children have been killed in Iraq. The organization says Islamic State militants claimed territory -- including Mosul and other cities -- during that period.

Peter Hawkins is a UNICEF representative in Iraq. He said in a statement that, Across Iraq, children continue to witness sheer horror and unimaginable violence.

Families risk lives when fleeing militant controlled areas

The fighting continues in Mosuls Old City, the last place in Mosul where Islamic State still holds power.

Several families recently arrived at a field hospital near the Old City neighborhood to seek treatment.

One mother brought her baby, Saja, who is one year old. She told the doctors that the child had not been fed enough for months. The doctors tried to inject nutrients into her bloodstream with a needle.

Even the families of militants are trying to flee the Old City now, said the childs mother. Its too dangerous.

One day before she came to the hospital, she said, militants had heard that her family was planning to run away. They shot her husband in their house. She then took her children and fled the neighborhood.

UNICEF and fleeing civilians say militants are killing parents and children. They also are preventing families from fleeing and punishing ones that do.

Mortars, airstrikes and so-called improvised explosive devices are harming children and adults. But starvation and disease are greater threats to children.

Poor conditions exist at camps for displaced

Conditions for those displaced by conflict are extremely difficult. Families have gathered in refugee camps in the desert areas surrounding Mosul. Temperatures during the day can reach 40 degrees Celsius in the summer.

Living conditions in the camps in Iraqi-controlled Mosul are poor, with bad food and dirty water. There is also a lack of health care.

Major Mohammad Hassan Abdullah is a medical doctor with the Iraqi Army. He works at a field clinic near the front lines.

We have 500 to 600 people coming every day, mostly babies and elderly people, he said. The problem could nearly be solved with clean water.

Zamin Makhool has one daughter still living. The family lives in a refugee camp. She says they get their food from non-governmental organizations. But food does not come every day.

Makhools husband, Ibrahim, says violence against children will continue as long as Islamic State militants hold territory in Iraq.

Ibrahim says he was trying to sell his car when the familys two young children were killed in the airstrike. The target of the attack was likely nearby Islamic State bases, or a house next door where militants were living.

It wasnt a mistake that airstrikes hit our neighborhood, Ibrahim Makhool said as he showed a picture of his destroyed home. There were three IS (Islamic State) bases in the area.

They live between families to try to stay safe, he said. Then when we are hit, they move on.

Im Mario Ritter.

Heather Murdoch reported this story for VOA News. Mario Ritter adapted it for VOA Learning English. Ashley Thompson was the editor.

What do you think can be done for families in Iraq? Write to us in the Comments section, and visit our Facebook page.

________________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

sheer adj. complete, total

front line --n. an area where soldiers are fighting

elderly adj. old, aged
YEREVAN. - The concept of nation army should be based on the idea of building a nation state.

Former defense minister of Armenia Seyran Ohanyan told the aforementioned on Sunday, speaking at the 11th Congress of the Heritage Party.

Referring to the parliamentary election held in the country in April, Ohanyan said: In these difficult conditions and complex situation, any such state-level event held under the attention of the international community should have solved several issues and ensured development preconditions for the people. But did justice dominate at the National Assembly election? Have we cleared away the climate of disillusion existing in Armenia now? Have we created conditions for improving the socioeconomic condition of our people? There is one answer to these questions: phenomenon of imposition on and humiliation of people took place. This can be said to have had certain moral effect and humiliated all of us.

In his words, since they are no longer in the parliament, they have to influence the processes taking place in Armenia.

Ohanyan also touched on the nation army concept, noting: If we are currently speaking about the implementation of the defense of our country through the idea of nation army, then the latter should be based on the idea of building a nation state. If a man, soldier and weapon are the main factors in the army situation, a man remains the same man in the state activity, the economy being the weapon [in this case]. Give that weapon to the Armenian man so that he can contribute to the progress of the country. This is the creation of liberalized economy devoid of monopolies, creation of a climate of confidence and just society. Give that weapon to the citizens.

He also urged the political and civilian forces to unite: Only this way can we make our voice heard being part of the civil society outside the NA, and thus forcing it to carry out correct activity. The authorities should be held accountable.

The Heritage Congress was attended by former defense minister of Armenia Seyran Ohanyan, leader of Consolidation Party Vartan Oskanian, as well as freedom fighters and Heritage Party members.
Lemkin Institute condemns Azerbaijan president's genocidal rhetoric

Dollar goes up, euro rises sharply in Armenia

EU calls on Armenia, Azerbaijan to moderate their rhetoric

Erdogan says Turkey has been waiting at door of EU for 52 years and will give answer when time comes

U.S. fears that European support for Ukrainian strategy will begin to weaken

Armenia, Iran emphasize need to quickly implement agreements reached (PHOTOS)

Armenia soldier wounded by Azerbaijan shooting undergoes surgery

Gas over morality: Hungary guards Azerbaijan's interests

U.S. quietly seeks concessions from Saudi Arabia after Mohammed bin Salman humiliated Biden

Russian Armed Forces complete redeployment of grouping from right bank of Dnieper

IRGC: Adversaries are frightened and on alert

Armenia appoints ambassador to Sri Lanka

Kremlin doesn't consider leaving Kherson 'humiliating'

Israeli president thinks the world is concerned about Netanyahu's far-right coalition partner

Ukraine will seek help from its foreign partners in financing Starlink satellite internet systems

Erdogan: Situation in South Caucasus remains fragile

Azerbaijan blackmailing Armenia through Lachin corridor

Turkish-occupied northern part of Cyprus becomes observer in Organization of Turkic States

Armenia PM: In his latest speech Aliyev flagrantly violated agreement on refraining from threat or use of force

World Bank official: Armenia is one of best countries in terms of credit portfolio performance

Azerbaijan president makes repeated accusations, threats against Armenia

Iran citizens injured in Armenia road accident

US embassy in Armenia closed today

Karabakh MOD: Defense Army did not fire at Azerbaijan positions located in occupied territories

Israel and U.S. counter threat of hypersonic missiles together

U.S. and EU plan to publish new roadmap on artificial intelligence

Armenia ombudsperson meets with Belgium colleagues

Newspaper: Armenia parliament opposition seats to no longer be empty

Newspaper: Armenia parliament committee of inquiry into 2020 war circumstances is inactive

US intends to protect Azerbaijan from threats of Iran

Aliyev, Erdogan discuss results of tripartite meeting in Russias Sochi

Azerbaijan army fires at Armenia positions, uses mortars as well

Amazon becomes world's first public company to lose $1 trillion in market value

EU's odd couple: Ursula von der Leyen and Charles Michel can't stand each other

US, China set first benchmarks ahead of presidents' meeting

Iranian MFA summons Azerbaijani ambassador to carpet in connection with anti-Iranian propaganda

Washington to resist any attempt by new Israeli government to annex West Bank

Biden thinks Elon Musk's relations with other countries are worthy of being looked at

Armenian Deputy Foreign Minister tells Polish senator about consequences of Azerbaijani aggression

Armenian deputy in Vilnius talks about goals of Azerbaijan's aggressive policy

Taliban bans women from gyms

U.S. to send Ukraine another $400 million in military aid

Ursula von der Leyen announces EUR 250 million support package for Moldova

Biden and Jinping meet on sidelines of G20 summit in Bali to be held on November 14

Riches of world get poorer suddenly

State Duma deputy: Interparliamentary format Yerevan-Baku-Moscow will be included soon to solve issues

IMF sees growing risk of economic fragmentation

Armen Gevorgyan to visit Strasbourg, Brussels and Paris

State Duma deputy: Upper Lars border crossing capacity has increased fivefold

UK government freezes over 18 billion pounds worth of Russian assets

State Duma deputy on Zatulin's ban on entering Armenia: These issues must be resolved

Borrell calls for retooling EU infrastructure for rapid transport of military equipment to East

European Parliament clears way for Croatia's admission to Schengen Area

European Council President Michel calls on EU member states to jointly purchase gas to reduce fuel prices

Alen Simonyan congratulates scientists on their professional holiday

Armenian President meets with leaders of several countries in Egypt

Greece accuses Turkey of profiting from the suffering of other countries under sanctions

USAID official says she personally saw how democracy, economic development are progressing in Armenia (VIDEO)

Spain court sentences civilian to prison for spreading fakes

Armenian Embassy in Russia issues statement on Azerbaijan's actions

Indian company to supply 155mm self-propelled artillery guns worth $155mln to Armenia

Japanese minister caught in scandal for talking about death penalty

France changes its ambassador to Azerbaijan

UN General Assembly draft resolution requires Russia to pay reparations to Ukraine

Belarusian State Border Committee: Poland creates tense situation on border

Joint meeting of Armenian National Assembly and Russian State Duma Committee takes place

Iranian President says attempt to destabilize country fails

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

Bali is short of armored limousines for G20 summit participants

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

Armenia to ratify cooperation agreement with China

Japan and the US begin major joint exercise

Armenia soldier sustains gunshot wound from Azerbaijan shooting

Armenia legislature speaker receives deputy chair of Russia State Duma Committee for CIS Affairs, Eurasian Integration

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

All 10 fallen soldiers transferred on October 27 by Azerbaijan to Armenia are identified, buried

Pashinyan: Armenia is going to present new proposal to Azerbaijan

$25M allocated to Armenia MOD

Biden says he will discuss Ukraine conflict at G20 summit

Pashinyan: Armenia has no obligation to construct new roads

Pashinyan: Aliyev not only threatens but is already preparing genocide of Karabakh Armenians

Armenias Pashinyan: Azerbaijan president is attempting to create invented grounds for closing Lachin Corridor

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

Armenia to get 100mn loan to fund budget deficit
YEREVAN. - I am a citizen not a savior; we should all be ready to defend our rights, leader of Heritage Party Raffi Hovannissian told journalists at the 11th Congress of Heritage Party held on Sunday.

Referring to the congress declaration, which also mentions  velvet revolution, he said: I interpret it as a constitutional revolution: that is a revolution which has not yet taken place in Armenia but which should implement the Constitution, since that issue is not solved by electoral or non-electoral processes. That is why I consider that that term implies active public participation.

Asked whether this might take place in April 2018, when Serzh Sargsyan is to decide whether to stay in power or not, Hovannisian said: I think, yes, it may first and foremost take place in April 2018. I said that I cant understand that man, since he has changed a lot. He used to be a freedom fighter, who stood by our guys and also had an occasion to be proud of, but I dont know what changed in that man, making him engage in electoral fraud now. Unfortunately, if he doesnt return to his past and real service, if this continues, I have no doubt that based on rigged referendum and elections, he will wish to extend his power.

Hovannisian considered possible the option of taking people to the streets in different stages. The Armenian citizen should understand that we lost again but should overcome that misfortune. And in order to overcome it, one should not leave the country but stay and struggle. [] But our great wish should be backed by civil struggle, he added.

The party leader also noted that April 2017 will be the subsequent stage of conquering power. Therefore, it is an opportunity of raising new civil wave,he concluded.
Govt to select consultants for smart city master plans

The government will select consultants to prepare master plans for development of smart cities in Lumbini, Nijgadh and Palungtar area of Gorkha within mid-July.
Load-shedding in Farwest will end shortly: NEAs Ghising

Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) Managing Director Kulman Ghising has assured that ongoing load-shedding in the Farwest would end within a few days.
Tattooed and wearing a black t-shirt emblazoned with a wolf paw, Patrick Beaudry admits being in the second year of a political movement "that is perhaps more radical" than others. La Meute, a far-right group in Quebec of which he is a founder, does not promote extremist or racist views, he insists, while confessing a liking for the French National Front of Marine Le Pen. His motivation, however, is unequivocal. "Our fight is with radical Islam," Beaudry told AFP. La Meute is not a lone actor in Quebec. Other groups seeking independence or opposing immigration include Soldiers of Oden and the Federation of Native Quebecers (FQS). They are all close or affiliated to the far-right. Engaged by issues such as secularism or the veiling of Muslim women, they are no longer shy to speak out to try and influence political debate. "What I hear from the National Front charms me," says Beaudry, who also agrees with the position of the FQS, which welcomed Le Pen's recent visit to Quebec, which proved fertile ground. About 20 percent of expatriates in the province voted for Le Pen in French presidential elections in April -- twice the rate of support of French citizens residing throughout Canada. Membership of groups such as La Meute -- some of which are interlaced and affiliated with international organizations -- range from a few dozen to thousands. Most are held together by the charisma of their leader. "A group can disappear overnight because of an internal schism or a decision by its members to self-dissolve or go underground," said Aurelie Campana, a far-right specialist in Canada. But the movements are undoubtedly coming out of the woodwork. - Refugee tensions - "Until very recently, these extreme right-wing groups refused to be part of political debates and public discourse," said the professor at Laval University in Quebec City. "Many associate the extreme right with racism and, to say racist is to be stigmatized. These groups want to seen as legitimate," Campana added. Tensions, however, have run high. Last fall, 50 far right sympathizers protested outside the Quebec legislature waving placards that read: "Death to Terrorists, Islam out." And in March, nearly 200 demonstrated against a motion in Canada's parliament condemning Islamaphobia. The motion was adopted after a shooting rampage at a mosque in Quebec City killed six worshippers. The far right quickly distanced itself from the action of the young attacker seemingly inspired by their rhetoric who is now in custody awaiting prosecution. A refugee group also noted that shooter Alexandre Bissonnette espoused in online posts positions taken by US President Donald Trump, Le Pen and a Quebec group that rejects multiculturalism. But, like their brethren in Europe, the far-right groups in Canada have taken a firm stand against immigration, seizing on problems arising from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's welcoming of 40,000 Syrian refugees. "Extreme right-wing groups in Quebec have a number of objectives," said Maxime Fiset, a former FQS member. They are "anti-immigrant, ultra-nationalist or neo-fascist," and see secularism as a means to combat radical Islam, he said. La Meute and its contemporaries hope to make a breakthrough in next year's elections in the French-speaking province where liberals now rule. Horizon Quebec Actuel, another party affiliated with France's National Front, contested a by-election in late May in Montreal. Its campaign posters featured the split image of a young woman wearing a blue bonnet on one side and a black veil (niqab) on the other. "We ask immigrants to adopt the customs of the people of Quebec, it has nothing to do with racism," said its leader Alexandre Cormier-Denis.
The Philippine military declared an eight-hour ceasefire Sunday in its offensive against Islamist militants occupying parts of the war-torn city of Marawi, to allow residents to celebrate the end of Ramadan. Assaults backed by air and artillery bombardment stopped at the start of Islamic prayers at 6am but gunfire erupted as soon as the truce ended around 2pm, AFP reporters in Marawi said. Military chief General Eduardo Ano ordered his forces to observe a "humanitarian pause" during the Eid al-Fitr holiday in Marawi, the most important Muslim city in the mainly Catholic Philippines. "We declare a lull in our current operations in the city on that day as a manifestation of our high respect to the Islamic faith," Ano said in a statement. The Eid al-Fitr festival ends the fasting month of Ramadan. Hundreds of militants, flying the flag of the Islamic State group and backed by foreign fighters, seized swathes of Marawi in the southern region of Mindanao last month, sparking bloody street battles and raising regional concern. Troops have launched a relentless air and ground offensive but have failed to dislodge gunmen from entrenched positions in pockets of the city. Much of the lakeside city is now in ruins while most of its 200,000 residents have fled to evacuation centres or to the homes of relatives and friends in other towns. At Iligan just north of Marawi, evacuees dressed in colourful flowing robes marked the end of Ramadan by holding prayers on the grounds of city hall. Armed commandos from the police Special Action force stood guard as the prayers were held. Presidential spokesman Ernesto Abella said Sunday a Philippine Navy ship was sent to Cotabato south of Marawi to bring supplies for soldiers involved in the fighting and serve as a floating hospital for the wounded. - Civilians trapped - Military spokesman Brigadier General Restituto Padilla said around 500 civilians remained trapped in areas where the fighting is concentrated. After the ceasefire ends "we will continue to try to enter the areas occupied by them and liberate Marawi", Padilla said on radio station DZBB. Nearly 300 militants and 67 troops have been killed in the fighting, according to official figures. "This (Eid) is memorable because we are celebrating it away from our homes," said Marawi's mayor Majul Usman Gandamrahe. "We are hoping that this problem will soon be over... I urge everybody to continue praying so that the turmoil in our city of Marawi will end," he said on ANC television. In May Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte declared martial law across all of Mindanao to quell what he described as a rebellion aimed at establishing an Islamic State caliphate in the area. Foreign fighters, including those from Chechnya, Indonesia and Malaysia, are among those killed in the Marawi conflict. A senior military commander said on Saturday that Isnilon Hapilon, a leader of the Marawi attack and one of America's most wanted terrorists, may have slipped out of the city. Regional military spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Jo-ar Herrera said Sunday the military was still checking the report. "He (Hapilon) is not being heard or monitored commanding troops on the ground," Herrera said in Marawi. Australia has sent two high-tech surveillance planes to help Filipino troops in Marawi, joining the United States in providing military assistance.
(From left) Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs Yaacob Ibrahim, Muis president Alami Musa and Muis chief executive Abdul Razak Maricar attending Eidul Fitri prayers at the Al Mukminin mosque in Jurong East on Sunday (25 June). (PHOTO: Safhras Khan / Yahoo Newsroom)

All Singaporeans play an important part in ensuring that Islamophobia do not take root in the country.

This responsibility should be shouldered by everyone and not only the Muslim leaders, said Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs Yaacob Ibrahim.

Speaking to reporters after the Eidul Fitri prayers at the Al Mukminin Mosque on Sunday (25 June), the minister, who is also Minister for Communications and Information, reiterated that Singapores success was not brought about by miracles but through sheer hard work.

I wont say it (Islamophobia) is not a problem but we have to remain vigilant that it might take root in Singapore.

You never know what is being discussed in corridors or dinner tables and I always believe that when you come across something that is wrong, somebody must speak up and say it is not right, he said.

Be wary of external influences, says Mufti

In his annual Eidul Fitri sermon, Singapores Mufti Fatris Bakaram pressed the need for Singaporeans to not to be easily impressed by external influences and practices of Islam.

The Mufti said that true understanding, comprehension and knowledge are among the ingredients that give glory to religion and society.

Hence, we need to be always wary and discerning of calls and claims from unsure sources.

This is especially true in todays landscape of advanced technology and the widespread use of social media, he said before 3,500 congregants gathered at the Jurong East mosque.

Presidential Election process fair and transparent

When asked by Yahoo Singapore about the upcoming Presidential Election, which is reserved for Malay candidates, Yacoob said that the electoral process is fair and transparent.

So far, Second Chance Properties chief executive Mohd Salleh Marican has been the only person to have openly indicated his interest in running for president.

Its up to individuals to decide and take whatever is the outcome. People have to decide, and whether its a walkover or contest, (they) have to decide, whatever is the outcome and embrace it, said Yacoob.

Story continues

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Presidential Election 2017 will be reserved for Malay candidates: Lee Hsien Loong

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By Venus Wu and Tyrone Siu HONG KONG (Reuters) - Hong Kong student activist Chau Ho-oi, born in the year the Asian financial hub returned to Chinese rule 20 years ago, recalls the sense of pride she once felt towards mainland China. Sitting with her parents when she was 11, Chau watched the 2008 Beijing Olympics on television in awe and felt "excitement in the heart" as China's athletes swept the board with 48 gold medals, more than any other nation. "I thought China was great," Chau said. "If you asked me back then if I was Chinese, I'd say yes." Fast forward nine years, however, and the former British colony's first post-handover generation is increasingly turning its back on the mainland. "Now ... I don't want to say I am Chinese," said Chau, who was arrested during mass pro-democracy protests in 2014. "It gives me a very negative feeling. Even if you ask me 100 times, I would say the same thing." According to a University of Hong Kong survey released on Tuesday that polled 120 youths, only 3.1 percent of those aged between 18 to 29 identify themselves as "broadly Chinese". The figure stood at 31 percent when the regular half-yearly survey started 20 years ago. In interviews with 10 Hong Kong youths born in 1997 including Chau, all of them, including an immigrant from mainland China, told Reuters they primarily identify themselves as "Hong Kongers" and their loyalty lies with the city. The territory became a British colony in stages in the 19th century and returned to Chinese rule under a "one country, two systems" formula which guarantees it wide-ranging autonomy, including an independent judiciary and freedom of speech, for at least 50 years. The 20-year-olds' attitudes were hardened, they said, by a series of shadowy manoeuvres suggesting a slow squeeze on those freedoms by Communist Party rulers in Beijing. In 2012, a skinny 15-year-old student named Joshua Wong led tens of thousands of Hong Kong residents to protest against a mandatory national education curriculum they claimed would "brainwash" students by promoting Chinese patriotism. The curriculum was eventually shelved. Two years later, the "Occupy" movement, with Wong at the helm, sought to pressure Beijing to allow full democracy in the election of its leader, demands that were ultimately ignored after 79 days of street protests. The abduction of several Hong Kong booksellers by mainland agents and China's efforts to disqualify two young lawmakers who support Hong Kong independence have also shaken confidence in the "one-country, two systems" arrangement. Student Candy Lau fears Hong Kong will become more controlled. "You see how mass surveillance is so pervasive in China. If Hong Kong gets worse, it may become that way, and it may not become safe anymore," she said. "It's an invisible fear." "LOVE THE COUNTRY" More and more youngsters are now pushing for the right to self-determination, and even independence, alarming Beijing. Last month, Beijing's No. 3 official, Zhang Dejiang, who also oversees Hong Kong issues, stressed the need to "strengthen national education and legal education to Hong Kong's youth, and develop correct concepts about the country from a young age" so that they could be moulded into those who "love the country". Hong Kong's incoming leader, Carrie Lam, speaking to China's Xinhua state news agency, said she would seek to cultivate the concept of "I am Chinese" at nursery level. More than 120,000 Hong Kong youths will join China-related exchange programmes, some sponsored by the Hong Kong government, as part of the handover's 20th anniversary celebrations, according to Xinhua. But this patriotic push could trigger a greater backlash. "How could the government not understand the more it forces Hong Kong people to love China, the more opposition this would draw?" asked 20-year-old Jojo Wong, no relation to Joshua. Even more moderate students like Felix Wu, who says he's apathetic about politics, chooses to identify himself first as a Hong Konger, before his Han Chinese ethnicity. "China is a pretty big market and Hong Kong has a need to integrate with this market," Wu said. "But politically they promised nothing would change for 50 years. I think they're going back on their word a bit." Ludovic Chan, a business student hoping to join the civil service, sees himself first as a Hong Konger, but doesn't think that identity is in conflict with being Chinese. "The two different cultures can co-exist. They shouldn't always say Hong Kong and China should integrate. But the two sides should try to understand each other more." Some mainland Chinese students studying in Hong Kong also look on the bright side. "Twenty years is just a start," said Yoshi Yue, a business student who has been in the city for three years. "Slowly they will develop a sense of belonging. It comes from culture, not politics." (Editing by James Pomfret and Nick Macfie)
A Vietnamese blogger with French citizenship has been deported to Paris, the wife of the former political prisoner said Sunday, in a rare move by authorities in the one-party state. Former math lecturer Pham Minh Hoang was put on a plane to Paris late Saturday, after the Vietnamese government stripped him of his citizenship last month. "My husband left Vietnam at 11:30 last night, on a direct flight to Paris," Le Thi Kieu Oanh told AFP Sunday. Oanh said Hoang was granted access to a lawyer before boarding the plane, but that she was not given a chance to see him. "I feel totally defeated... when my husband left, I couldn't say any farewell words, I also feel very angry," she said. The French Embassy in Hanoi also confirmed Hoang departed on Saturday evening. While authoritarian Vietnam routinely jails critics of its regime, 62-year-old Hoang is the first Vietnam-based dissident to have his citizenship revoked in recent history. Hoang found out his Vietnamese citizenship had been revoked after he was sent a letter dated May 17 and signed by the president. He was convicted in 2011 of "attempted subversion" for publishing a series of articles that prosecutors said were aimed at overthrowing the government. He was released from jail after 17 months and ordered to serve three years house arrest. He continued to post articles critical of the government on social media since he was released from jail. Hoang moved to France in 1973 and lived there for 27 years before returning to Vietnam to work as a mathematics lecturer at the Polytechnic University of Ho Chi Minh City. He told AFP this month he had to stay in Vietnam to care for his disabled brother and elderly mother in law.
This morning we take our Sunday Service out west, landing in the familiar surroundings of Bristol to shine a bit of attention on the always on point skateboarding of Mr Will Ainley.

Despite earning himself a substantial amount of pages in both Sidewalk and Document over the years (including covers, full interviews and a hefty amount of tour coverage), across the second half of the 00s Will always managed to fly just under the radar when it came to coverage. He was still constantly killing it in and around Bristol and would regularly turn up in the odd local video production, though his last full part proper was in the Tidy Mike produced Fifty Fifty Skateshop video Jus Foolin, which is what were diverting your attention to today.

Despite this, in 2010 Lev Tanju saw fit to add Will to the Palace Skateboards family, with Will joining the combined Palace and Polar squad for their 2012 UK tour. Will can still be seen killing it on his plank today, and has recently turned up on Fifty Fiftys various camping missions. Anyway, hit the play button below and enjoy some 14 year old Ainley visual gold
2017 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming Digest #25

Posted on 25 June 2017 by John Hartz

Story of the Week... Resolution of the Week... Toon of the Week... Quote of the Week... Graphic of the Week... SkS Spotlights... Video of the Week... Coming Soon on SkS... Poster of the Week... Climate Feedback Postings... SkS Week in Review... 97 Hours of Consensus...

Story of the Week...

The World Is Burning

A view of rusted, abandoned ships in Muynak, Uzebkistan, a former port city whose population has declined precipitously with the rapid recession of the Aral Sea. Credit: UN Photo/Eskinder Debebe

Record high temperatures are gripping much of the globe and more hot weather are to come. This implies more drought, more food insecurity, more famine and more massive human displacements.

In fact, extremely high May and June temperatures have broken records in parts of Europe, the Middle East, North Africa and the United States, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) reported*, adding that the heat-waves have arrived unusually early.

At the same time, average global surface temperatures over land and sea are the second highest on record for the first five months of 2017, according to analyses by the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), NASA-Goddard Institute for Space Studies and the European Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasting Copernicus Climate Change Service.

The World Is Burning by IPS News Desk, Inter Press Service (IPS), June 23, 2017

*Records fall amid heatwaves, World Meterological Organization (WMO), June 21, 2017

Resolution of the Week...

International Science Group Decries Trump Climate Pact Exit

The International Union of Geodesy and Geophysics also criticizes the U.S. withdrawal from the Green Climate Fund as perhaps more damaging than the nations exit from the Paris climate agreement.

The Arc de Triomphe in Paris glowed a celebratory green on 4 November 2016, the day the climate accord negotiated in that city took effect. Last week, the International Union of Geodesy and Geophysics issued a statement challenging U.S. President Donald Trumps 1 June decision to withdraw the United States from the accord. Credit: Chesnot/Getty Images

The fallout continues from U.S. President Donald Trumps decision earlier this month to withdraw the country from the Paris climate change accord.

The International Union of Geodesy and Geophysics (IUGG) issued a statement last week stating that the organization is dismayed that the United States seeks to renegotiate or withdraw from the accord.

The world expects that scientific excellence and scientific knowledge will be incorporated into decision-making and that internationally binding decisions, once made, will be honored by governments and their successors, the 12 June IUGG statement reads. IUGG, established in 1919, is the oldest nongovernmental international scientific organization dealing with Earth and its environment.

By withdrawing from its leadership role in the Paris accord, the United States has lost the opportunity to help reduce emissions, the statement continues. IUGG therefore encourages the United States to continue to meet the aspirations of the Paris Agreement through the efforts of the states, cities, industries and citizens.

The IUGG statement also notes that the decision by President Trump to terminate U.S. funding to the Green Climate Fund to assist developing nations with climate changerelated investments is as damaging, or more damaging than a potential US withdrawal from the Paris accord.

International Science Group Decries Trump Climate Pact Exit by Randy Showstack, Eos.org, June 21, 2017

Toon of the Week...

Quote of the Week...

These are the fastest retreating glaciers on the face of the Earth, says Eric Rignot, a glaciologist at the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California. Rignot has studied the region for more than two decades, using radar from aircraft and satellites, and he believes the collapse of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet is only a matter of time. The question is whether it will take 500 years or fewer than a hundredand whether humanity will have time to prepare.

We have to get these numbers right, Rignot says. But we have to be careful not to waste too much time doing that.

Antarctica Is Melting, and Giant Ice Cracks Are Just the Start by Douglas Fox, National Geographic, July 2017 Print Edition

Graphic of the Week...

The visualisation technique of small multiples is often used to communicate a simple message. The above example shows maps of temperature change from 1850-2016  the overall warming trend is obvious even though the details are fuzzy.

Technical details: The HadCRUT4.5 dataset is used with anomalies from a 1961-1990 baseline period. An annual average for a particular grid cell and year is only shown if 6 or more months have data, otherwise it is coloured grey. The colour scale runs from around -2.5C to +2.5C. [Updated June 2017]

Other examples: NASA have made a similar visualisation for melting Arctic sea ice.

Mapping global temperature change by Ed Hawkins, Climate Lab Book, Aug 24, 2016

SkS Spotlights...

Climate Lab Book

What: This blog is an experiment in open source climate science. It is written by climate scientists, but open to anyone to see and comment. Guest posts are encouraged! If you want to contribute a post, please contact the editor.

Aim: To promote collaboration through open scientific discussion, and to improve our understanding of our evolving climate. Success would be a single, collaborative paper as a result of discussions on this blog.

How: If the posts are interesting to you, please comment. Or contribute a post of your own. Views from climate scientists (and beyond) are welcome and encouraged

It is not: Please keep the discussion scientific and on topic  this is not meant to be a typical blog discussion of the consensus view on climate science.

Ed Hawkins (editor)  24th January 2012 

Video of the Week...

What Climate Science Can (and Cant) Predict

People tend to bandy around the term "scientific consensus" a lot, particularly when talking about climate change. When 97% of the scientific community agrees that climate change is a real thing, you have to wonder about the remaining 3%. Are they being true skeptics, or are they holding out for ulterior motives? Philip Kitcher has a theory that blows the "skeptics" idea out of the water; the scientific consensus that human beings have been making the world hotter has been agreed upon for close to 100 years, and climate scientists who disagree are disagreeing with the fundamentals of science itself. Kitcher goes on to predict what havoc future generations might have to face if we don't look hard in the mirror about climate change. We shouldn't wait until lizards start living at the north and soul poles to change our human behaviorswe should be the change today.



What Climate Science Can (and Cant) Predict by Philip Kitcher, Big Think/You Tube, June 19, 2017

Coming Soon on SkS...

New study confirms ocean warming (John Abraham)

(John Abraham) Trump fact check: tackling climate change saves money (Dana)

(Dana) Climate scientists just debunked deniers' favorite argument (Dana)

(Dana) We are heading for the warmest climate in half a billion years (Gavin Foster)

(Gavin Foster) SkS Analogy 09 - Greenhouse effect is a stack of blankets (Evan)

(Evan) 2017 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #26 (John Hartz)

(John Hartz) 2017 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Waming Digest #26 (John Hartz)

Poster of the Week...

Climate Feedback Postings...

Energy Secretary Rick Perry incorrectly claims CO2 is not primary cause of climate change, Claim Review, Climate Feedback, June 20, 2017

SkS Week in Review...

97 Hours of Consensus...

Ove Hoegh-Guldberg's bio page

Quote derived with author's permission from:

"Despite the mounting evidence, there are still some who would deny the veracity of human-caused climate change and its potential to disrupt and harm our communities ... The latest [IPCC] report makes no bones about stating the consensus that human-driven climate change is occurring and it is important. Hundreds of changes have already been observed that are consistent with climate change, temperature rises (documented below), and associated issues such as ocean acidification."

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PHOENIX -- The U.S. Supreme Court could decide as early as Monday whether the mother of a Mexican national can sue the Border Patrol agent who shot her son through the border fence.

Strictly speaking, the claim by Araceli Rodriguez is not before the nation's high court. In fact, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals has yet to rule on her claim.

But the appellate judges said they won't do that until the Supreme Court decides a similar case out of Texas where a Border Patrol agent in 2010 shot and killed a Mexican teen playing in a culvert that separates El Paso from Juarez.

The 5th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled last year the parents cannot pursue their claim against Jesus Mesa Jr. because the boy, Sergio Hernandez, was a Mexican citizen "who was on Mexican soil at the time he was shot.'' It is that case in which the high court heard arguments in February and is expected to rule before the court's term ends at the end of this month.

More to the point, appellate Judge Milan Smith Jr. said the 9th Circuit court hearing Rodriguez' lawsuit will be bound by whatever the Supreme Court rules.

The Arizona case involves 16-year-old Jose Antonio Elena Rodriguez.

There is no question but that Border Patrol Agent Lonnie Swartz fired the shots in 2012 that resulted in his death just across the border in Nogales, Son.

An autopsy showed 10 shots entering the youth's body from from the back.

Swartz, who also faces separate criminal charges, contends the boy was throwing rocks across the border, a contention his family denies.

What is at issue is whether there is a legal remedy for the boy's mother in U.S. courts for what amounts to a wrongful death lawsuit. In essence, the family is charging that Swartz violated Elena Rodriguez' Fourth Amendment rights against illegal search and seizure, a protection that in this context includes wrongful death.

During legal arguments last year, Sean Chapman, Swartz's attorney, pointed out that the boy died in Mexico. And Chapman said he had no "significant ties'' to the United States, paid no taxes nor assumed no "societal obligations.''

He did acknowledged that the boy's grandmother, a U.S. resident, did go to Mexico -- the frequency of which is under dispute -- to take care of the boy from time to time.

But Chapman said that's not enough to extend the protections of the U.S. Constitution to the boy. And he said there is no U.S. Supreme Court case to the contrary.

But appellate Judge Andrew Kleinfeld told Chapman that using that standard raises serious questions.

"Could any policeman of any type imagine that he has the right to kill people arbitrarily, whether they're in America or over the border?'' he asked. "I just can't imagine the Supreme Court saying, 'Well, since we didn't have a case directly on point yet, a policeman wouldn't have know he can't take arbitrary potshots at Mexicans.' ''

The youth's mother is being represented by Lee Gelernt of the American Civil Liberties Union.

He acknowledged that the boy was not in the United States when shot in 2012 nor had he just fled over the fence. In fact, there was no evidence the boy had ever even been in this country or that he wanted to live in this country.

But Gelernt told the judges all that is legally irrelevant.

"We don't think that you need to want to live in the U.S. to not be shot across the border,'' he said.

Potentially more significant, Gelernt warned the three-judge panel it would set a bad precedent to allow Swartz -- and anyone else who fires shots across the border -- to escape civil liability.

He pointed out the boy was walking along Calle Internacional, a major street in Nogales, Son., which runs parallel and adjacent to the border fence.

"This is a community that has to walk along this street all the time,'' Gelernt said. He said their right against being shot by a federal employee with a government weapon should not be dependent on having some contact with the United States, like asking for health care benefits.

"They're just saying that they don't want to be shot when they walk to the store or go to the doctor along the border which it's inescapable that they have to do,'' Gelernt told the judges. "They cannot be asked to have to assume the risk of being shot every time they walk along the main thoroughfare.''

While the U.S. Department of Justice is pursuing criminal charges against Swartz, the federal agency has sided with him on the question of civil liability. Assistant Attorney General Henry Whitaker told the court the location of the shooting, coupled with the boy's lack of contact with this country, means federal courts have no jurisdiction.

Kleinfeld said, though, that ignores a critical fact.

"Every bit of the policeman's conduct took place within the United States,'' the judge said.

But Whitaker said that does not matter.

"I don't think the fact the shooting occurred on U.S. land means that all the conduct occurred within the United States,'' he responded.

In an earlier hearing, U.S. District Court Judge Raner Collins ruled that the boy was entitled to protections under the Fourth Amendment. Collins also concluded Swartz is not entitled to claim qualified immunity for his actions, particularly as the agent could not have known at the time of the shooting that the victim was not a citizen.

But Kleinfeld said during last year's appellate court hearing there may also be a claim under the Fifth Amendment which protects individuals against being deprived of life or liberty "without due process of law.'' And Kleinfeld noted that amendment refers to "any person'' -- with no mention of U.S. citizenship.

Gelernt has an alternate theory of why Swartz can be sued in federal court. He said the United States has practical control of the area immediately inside Mexico, not only because its cameras and helicopters look into the area but specifically because the gunfire of federal agents can reach that far.

Kleinfeld wasn't buying that theory, saying that by that logic U.S. courts would have jurisdiction of "anything within artillery range.'' And he said that would give U.S. judges the power over most Canadians as the vast majority live along the border.
Nepse plunges 30.1 points

Nepal Stock Exchange (Nepse) plunged 30.1 points to close at 1,559.49 points last week, as banks were reluctant to issue more loans, with the end of the fiscal year approaching.
The Travelers Companies, Inc., through its subsidiaries, provides a range of commercial and personal property, and casualty insurance products and services to businesses, government units, associations, and individuals in the United states and internationally. The company operates through three segments: Business Insurance, Bond & Specialty Insurance, and Personal Insurance. The Business Insurance segment offers workers' compensation, commercial automobile and property, general liability, commercial multi-peril, employers' liability, public and product liability, professional indemnity, marine, aviation, onshore and offshore energy, construction, terrorism, personal accident, and kidnap and ransom insurance products. This segment operates through select accounts, which serve small businesses; commercial accounts that serve mid-sized businesses; national accounts, which serve large companies; and national property and other that serve large and mid-sized customers, commercial trucking industry, and agricultural businesses, as well as markets and distributes its products through brokers, wholesale agents, and program managers. The Bond & Specialty Insurance segment provides surety, fidelity, management and professional liability, and other property and casualty coverages and related risk management services through independent agencies and brokers. The Personal Insurance segment offers property and casualty insurance covering personal risks, primarily automobile and homeowners insurance to individuals through independent agencies and brokers. The Travelers Companies, Inc. was founded in 1853 and is based in New York, New York.
Kingsway Financial Services Inc., through its subsidiaries, engages in the extended warranty business services, asset management, and real estate businesses. The company operates through three segments: Extended Warranty, Leased Real Estate, and Kingsway Search Xcelerator. The Extended Warranty segment markets, sells, and administers vehicle service agreements and related products for new and used automobiles, motorcycles, and ATVs. This segment also sells new home warranty products, as well as offers uninsured warrant administration services to homebuilders and homeowners; markets and distributes warranty products to manufacturers, distributors, and installers of heating, ventilation and air conditioning, standby generator, commercial LED lighting, and commercial refrigeration equipment; and provides equipment breakdown and maintenance support services to companies. The Leased Real Estate segment owns a parcel of real property consisting of approximately 192 acres located in the State of Texas. The Kingsway Search Xcelerator offers outsourced finance and human resources consulting services, including operational accounting, such as bookkeeping, accounting, financial reporting, and analysis and strategic finance services; technical accounting comprising initial public offerings, SEC reporting, and international consolidation services; human resources, workforce management, and compliance support services; and advisory services. The company offers its products and services through credit unions, dealers, homebuilders, and consumers. Kingsway Financial Services Inc. was incorporated in 1989 and is based in Itasca, Illinois.
Thanks to volunteering, young people make friends, improve their communication and organisational skills, and become more self-reliant and flexible.

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The number of young people interested in volunteering has been increasing. They often lack the opportunity to realise their potential, but they also want to change their way of life or cope with some personal tragedy. They also prefer helping abroad, the volunteering organisations Inex Slovakia and the National Volunteering Centre (CARDO) agree.

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Thanks to volunteering, young people make friends and improve their communication and organisational skills. They also become more self-reliant and flexible, the TASR newswire reported.

They improve their knowledge of foreign languages abroad and are confronted with a new culture, said Zuzana Vinklerova of CARDO, as quoted by TASR. This might then be appreciated by their potential employers.

Apart from young people, working people and seniors also want to help, but they usually focus on the community they live in.

Slovak volunteers often take part in activities in the environmental and social field (help to children and the disabled), but they also carry out reconstruction projects. They attend one-day, weekend, weeks-long and long-term activities.

About 600 people participated in our projects in 2015, Miroslava Zvacova from Inex Slovakia told TASR.

Many people also come from abroad to Slovakia, for example, to teach English, Vinklerova added.

Slovaks participating in CARDO projects often lend a hand in European countries, like the states of former Yugoslavia. Via Inex Slovakia, they travel mostly to Germany, Italy, Spain and Portugal. There is also an interest in Iceland, Zvacova said.

The more experienced volunteers help also outside of Europe, for example in Thailand, Japan, Mongolia, Nepal, Mexico and Sri Lanka.
Issues of concern to people who live in the west: property rights, water rights, endangered species, livestock grazing, energy production, wilderness and western agriculture. Plus a few items on western history, western literature and the sport of rodeo... Frank DuBois served as the NM Secretary of Agriculture from 1988 to 2003. DuBois is a former legislative assistant to a U.S. Senator, a Deputy Assistant Secretary of Interior, and is the founder of the DuBois Rodeo Scholarship.
Not against polls: RJP-N

Leaders of the Rastriya Janata Party-Nepal (RJP-N) presidium have said they are not against the elections. However, they said they would actively take part to obstruct the elections that betray Madhesi people.
By Benet Koleka and Ivana Sekularac TIRANA (Reuters) - Albania's Socialist Party looked set to win Sunday's parliamentary vote, an exit poll showed, which would give the ruling party a mandate to push judicial reforms vital for membership of the European Union. Both the Socialists of Prime Minister Edi Rama and the rival Democratic Party led by Lulzim Basha are seeking a majority as neither party won the 70 seats needed for a majority in the 2013 or 2009 election. The exit poll by Italy's IPR Marketing, with a margin of error of two percent, showed the Socialists are set to win between 45 and 49 percent of the vote, which could secure them more than half of the seats in parliament. "The Socialist Party might have won more than 71 seats (in the 140-seat parliament), but this is still an opinion not a certainty," IPR Marketing's Antonio Noto said. Both main parties want to ditch the Socialist Integration Movement (SIM) of president-elect Ilir Meta, which gained the role of king-maker by propping up their respective governments for the last eight years. The state election commission extended voting by an hour to 1800 GMT due to a low turnout as temperatures reached as high as 39 degrees Celsius, making it the hottest day so far this year. But at 8 p.m. when polls closed turnout was around 44.90 percent, the lowest this century. "The ideas of neither candidates for prime minister convinced those Albanians who make the difference so they did not turn out to vote," said Ylli Manjani, a former justice minister sacked by Rama a few months ago. The vote is being closely watched by Albania's European neighbours, keen for it to leave behind a history of election irregularities and violence. The Interior Ministry said in a statement hundreds of cases of vote buying and intimidation of voters had been reported, but gave no further details. Thousands of Muslims, who make up 60 percent of the population, recited prayers in the newly-built pedestrian square in central Tirana early on Sunday to mark the end of the holy month of Ramadan. "I expect a radical change, a better future for the Albanians so they dont emigrate throughout the world," Tirana resident Petrit Sulo said after casting his ballot. Voting across much of the Balkan country was peaceful. However, the Socialists and the SIM party, coalition partners for the last four years, accused each other of cases of voter intimidation, vote buying and violence among their backers. 'FACADES AND PALM TREES' The two frontrunners have said they will jointly ask the EU to advance towards accession. They have not said whether they might rule together in coalition. Since taking office, the Socialists have improved tax collection and boosted the performance of the electricity sector. Economic growth accelerated to 3.45 percent last year, compared with 0.97 percent in 2013. But they failed to fulfil promises to create 300,000 new jobs and secure free health care for everyone aged over 40. The country's international reputation was tarnished by data showing Albania had become Europe's biggest open-air cannabis producer. Basha, a foreign-educated former transport and interior minister, accuses Rama of glossing over Albania's problems with "facades and palm trees" and says he has neglected the economy. Implementing a sweeping judicial reform aimed at rooting out widespread graft will be a priority for the next government as it seeks progress towards joining the European Union. Rama said last month Albania could get a green light for formal EU talks to start at the end of this year. (Reporting by Benet Koleka and Ivana Sekularac. Editing by Jane Merriman, Gareth Jones and Susan Thomas)
RABAT (Reuters) - Morocco has recalled its ambassador in the Hague after accusing Dutch authorities of failing to take action against a Moroccan it says is funding civil unrest and who is residing in the Netherlands, the Moroccan foreign ministry said on Sunday. Morocco's foreign minister named the man as Said Chaaou, a 50-year-old former parliamentarian from Morocco's northern Rif region, who has been the subject of two arrest warrants accusing him of criminal association and international drug trafficking, issued by a Moroccan court in 2010 and 2015. The Moroccan statement did not accuse Chaaou directly of organising recent protests in the north of the country but suggested he was involved in supporting unrest in Rif region, long a hotbed of anti-government sentiment. A movement called Hirak al Chaabi in Arabic has led months of protests, accusing officials of corruption. "Specific information has been provided to the Dutch authorities for several months regarding the involvement of this trafficker in financing and providing logistical support to certain sectors in northern Morocco," the ministry said in a statement. "It was made clear to the Dutch authorities that it is imperative that concrete and urgent measures be taken." The statement did not name the man, but Morocco's Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita told Reuters it referred to Chaaou. Chaaou did not answer calls to his telephone in the Netherlands and his lawyer could not be contacted immediately. One of the more than 300 lawyers defending Hirak activists who have been detained and imprisoned said that Chaaou had no ties with Hirak. "The Hirak movement has to do with demands of the people who live in the Rif," said Abdessadak Elbouchattaoui, dismissing as "rumours" reports that Chaaou provided funding and logistical support to Hirak. In a joint statement on their websites, the Netherlands Foreign Ministry and the Ministry of Security and Justice dismissed Morocco's decision to recall its ambassador as "incomprehensible and unnecessary". A day before Morocco recalled its ambassador in the Netherlands, Chaaou streamed a nearly two-hour live video on his Facebook page in which he criticised government officials for their treatment of his native Rif region. The video was viewed more than 120,000 times. Since October, demonstrators have repeatedly taken to the streets in Rif around the northern city of Al-Hoceima to vent their frustration over the economic, social and political problems of a North African kingdom that presents itself as a beacon of stability in a turbulent region. "The people of Rif went to the streets with just and legitimate demands," said Chaaou in the video, in which he also asserted his support for "self-determination" for the region. One senior Moroccan official said Moroccan authorities had in the past arrested and sentenced a Moroccan national on the request of the Netherlands for a crime committed there. "We treat the demands of other countries seriously, and we expect the same from other countries," the official said. "Chaaou is free and feels protected. That's why hes trying to become a political leader." Rif once declared itself independent briefly in 1920s to resist colonial rule. Some government supporters have accused the Hirak protesters of being separatists, an idea rejected by those involved in the Al-Hoceima protests. Chaaou is involved with a group calling for independence for the Rif region. Since the northern protests broke out, authorities have responded by arresting as many as 100 leaders and members of Hirak al Chaabi since the end of May. (Reporting by Samia Errazzouki; Writing by Patrick Markey; Editing by David Goodman)
SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Muslims in Asia celebrated the Eid-al-Fitr religious holiday on Sunday with prayers for peace as they marked the end of Islam's holy month of Ramadan. As at the start of Ramadan, during which believers abstain from eating and drinking during daylight hours, Eid-al-Fitr depends on the sighting of the moon and its celebration varies in different countries. The day begins with early morning prayers and then family visits and feasts. In Jakarta, the capital of Indonesia, residents said they hoped the spirit of Eid would overcome fears about rising militancy in the country with the largest number of Muslims. A police officer was killed on Sunday in an attack by suspected Islamist militants in the city of Medan. Islamic State sympathizers have carried out a series of mostly low-level attacks in Indonesia over the past few years. "I think we need to go back to the basis of Islam which is to give peace to all mankind," Samsul Arifin told Reuters Television. In the Philippines, fighting between government forces and Islamist rebels in the southern town of Marawi eased on Sunday as the military sought to enforce a temporary truce to mark the Eid holiday. Small skirmishes took place early in the day in parts of Marawi, where fighters loyal to Islamic State were clinging on for a fifth week. Muslims attended prayers at a Marawi mosque in an emotional gathering. The fighting has displaced some 246,000 people, and killed more than 350 people, most of them rebels, and about 69 members of the security forces. "This is the most painful, the most sorrowful occasion, Eid al-Fitr, that we have experienced for the last hundreds of years," said Zia Alonto Adiong, a spokesman for the provincial crisis committee. In Malaysia, the civil war in Yemen was on the minds of two refugees who prayed at the main mosque in the capital Kuala Lumpur. Sisters Sumayah and Nabila Ali said they sought refuge in Malaysia after fleeing Yemen where more than 10,000 people have died in two years of conflict. "When we say poor people, children who are not safe, are always in danger, we hope that one day it will be safe again and people will be happy again. Inshallah," said 28-year-old Sumayah. (Reporting by Reuters Television, writing by Darren Schuettler, editing by Simon Cameron-Moore)
By Aziz El Yaakoubi DUBAI (Reuters) - A senior United Arab Emirates official said on Saturday that if Qatar did not accept an ultimatum issued by fellow Arab states which imposed a boycott this month on the tiny Gulf Arab nation, there would be a "parting of ways". The 13-point list of demands from Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Bahrain and the UAE include closing the Al Jazeera satellite television network, curbing relations with Iran, shutting a Turkish base in Doha and paying reparations. The demands are apparently aimed at dismantling Qatar's two-decade-old interventionist foreign policy, which has reflected the clout generated by its vast natural gas and oil wealth but incensed conservative Arab peers over its alleged support for Islamists they regard as mortal threats to their dynastic rule. Doha said it is reviewing the list of demands and that a formal response will be made by the foreign ministry and delivered to Kuwait, but added that the demands are not reasonable or actionable. "The alternative is not escalation, the alternative is parting of ways, because it is very difficult for us to maintain a collective grouping," UAE Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Anwar Gargash told reporters. He said diplomacy with Qatar remained a priority, but added that mediation efforts to resolve the dispute had been undermined by the public disclosure of the demands. "The mediators' ability to shuttle between the parties and try and reach a common ground has been compromised by this leak," he said. "Their success is very dependent on their ability to move but not in the public space." Gargash said that if Qatar fails to comply within the 10-day timeline set out in the ultimatum, it will be isolated. But he did not make clear what more could be done since the four Arab nations have already cut diplomatic relations with Doha and severed most commercial ties. The most powerful Middle Eastern country to stand with Qatar in the dispute has been Turkey, which has rushed through legislation to send more troops to its base in Doha as a sign of support. Two contingents of Turkish troops with columns of armoured vehicles have arrived in Doha since the worst crisis among Gulf Arab states for years erupted on June 5. Gargash said the Turkish deployment was a "meaningless escalation" and he hoped Ankara would act in a "reasonable way". "We hope that Turkey prioritises the interest of the Turkish state and not partisan ideology," Gargash said. Turkey, whose President Tayyip Erdogan has his roots in an Islamist political party, and Qatar have been the main backers of the Muslim Brotherhood movement that challenges Arab rulers. Kuwait is helping mediate the dispute as is the United States, for which it has posed a challenging test since Qatar hosts a base housing the headquarters of U.S. air power in the Middle East as well as 11,000 troops. The Sunni Muslim Arab group that imposed the sanctions on Qatar accuse it of funding terrorism, fomenting regional unrest and drawing too close to their Shi'ite Muslim enemy Iran. Qatar rejects those accusations and says it is being punished for straying from its neighbours' backing for authoritarian rulers. The uncompromising positions adopted by both sides leave little prospect for a quick end to the crisis. The sanctions have disrupted Qatar's main import routes by land from Saudi Arabia and by sea from big container ships docked in the United Arab Emirates. But Qatar so far has avoided economic collapse by quickly finding alternative channels and says its huge financial reserves will meet any challenges. (Writing by Stephen Kalin and Aziz El Yaakoubi; Editing by Mark Heinrich)
Political symbolism

We are inundated with symbols these days because the second phase of the local elections has transformed political sloganeering into symbolic acts. The election times play with the symbols, either by generating new ones or by giving continuity to some established ones.
There is an urgent call for more aid to help Uganda cope with an influx of refugees fleeing conflict in South Sudan. It comes at a UN-backed summit where donor countries have made pledges of million of dollars, but still nowhere near the billions needed. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said: I have seen Ugandas borders open, I have seen the doors of Ugandan people open, I have seen the hearts of the Ugandan people open. But not all doors are open in the world. Not all refugees are accepted, some are rejected, and sometimes in countries much richer than Uganda. So its also necessary to look into this example and to say clearly that the international community must come together and re-establish the integrity of the refugee protection regime everywhere in the world. Most of the 1.3 million refugees who have poured into Uganda are from South Sudan, which is in the grips of a civil war. The conflict has killed tens of thousands of people and displaced millions. Uganda says it is reaching breaking point in taking in refugees.
At the end of every episode of The A-Team, Hannibal Smith, played by George Peppard, would light his cigar and say, I love it when a plan comes together.

I dont know if gallery owner April Price and artists Jon Carver, Marietta Patricia Leis, Edwina Hawley Milner and Mayumi Nishida lit one up after finishing the installation of Illuminexus, a collaborative exhibition, but they certainly earned a good smoke.

The show grew out of a conversation between Leis and Price regarding the possibilities of cross-pollination between Santa Fe and Albuquerque artists. The result is a powerful show with a variety of divergent sensibilities coming together with a surprising coherence of creative intent.

Though wildly different in some respects the four artists complement each others work.

The largest and most complex piece is Plenum a multilayered mobile and true collaboration between longtime New Mexico arts writer and artist Carver and his wife, Nishida. The piece is made up of transparent and translucent circular discs tied together with and hanging from clear nylon fishing line.

Each painstakingly constructed and designed acetate disc  ranging from 6 to 16 inches in diameter  is a unique part of the whole narrative consisting of a range of silk screened and hand-painted images, including cats, birds, furniture, mandalas and small vignette-like scenes from a stage play. The piece has great street cred, with its first 2013 iteration having been shown at Gallery Zone, an artist-run art space in Japan.

Like Dan Aykroyd in Ghostbusters who inappropriately thought of the Marshmallow Man at the very wrong moment, my first thought on viewing Plenum from a distance was Lawrence Welks champagne bubble intro.

It might not have been a bad thought if Welk and his gaggle of songbirds, musicians and accordion players could knock out a credible rendition of Igor Stravinskys Firebird Suite but they probably could not. So I apologize to Plenum and its makers.

In The Big Question, Carver has buried words that ask the viewer to consider the nature of life. The high-energy composition is reminiscent of some Hindu stone temples that are so elaborately embellished with carvings that they seem to be melting in the sunlight and come close to turning into pure sound.

Nishida offers an inverted silk-and-wood pyramid and several light-catching panels that move and vibrate as the viewer passes by. My favorite among those is Nocturne in Glass a deep-blue composition brimming with geometric ghost forms.

Leis, the only Albuquerque artist in the gang, is a perennial minimalist with a penchant for romantic ambiance. While on an artist winter residency in Iceland, she had a love affair with the all-pervasive darkness of winter.

During that winter, Leis produced beautifully dark but not foreboding images titled the Ascension Series that exude greenish-blue light from within.

Her paintings light comes from deep within the composition as if filtered through the densely poetic atmosphere of an Icelandic winters eve.

Without having to lift her brush to canvas, Milner has had an enormous positive impact on the arts of New Mexico through her involvement with the Women in the Arts Museum in Washington, D.C., and her contributing efforts on behalf of the New Mexico chapter of Women in the Arts.

Shes a heck of a painter and collage artist on top of it all. Gustave Klimpt and his unbridled celebration of Art Nouveau aesthetic tenets are an unapologetic inspiration for Milner, who freely applies gold leaf to large abstract compositions that heat up the gallery with bold hot colors and mural scale diptych and triptych formats.

With titles like Pathway to Paradise, Dancing Round-a-bout and Passing Crossroads, Milner is an artist on the move. Her paintings are bold and well-executed.

For a variety of reasons and changes in her life, Milners newest series is titled The Klimpt Collages from which she selected eight little honeys for this exhibit. My favorite is a young lady in profile surrounded by flower blossoms. Though a collage the piece retains a true painterly look and feeling.

This is a do not miss experience.

IF YOU GO

WHAT: Illuminexus with multimedia work by Jon Carver, Marietta Patricia Leis, Edwina Hawley Milner and Mayumi Nishida

WHEN: Noon-5 p.m. Wednesdays-Saturdays through Aug. 31; call 573-0895

WHERE: April Price Projects Gallery, 201 Third NW

HOW MUCH: Free
For a small group of business owners in the evolving Central Avenue neighborhood between Downtown and Old Town, adversity provided a springboard to a new identity and mission.

When work began last fall on the Albuquerque Rapid Transit (ART) project along a nine-mile stretch of Central between Louisiana and Coors, project supporters said it would be a catalyst to bring more vibrancy to the neighborhoods and businesses.

The work is expected to be complete by the end of this year, but in the meantime, the noise, debris and forest of orange cones associated with construction activity has deterred drivers from venturing onto Central and business revenues have slumped.

Discouraged by what they were experiencing, a few business owners started brainstorming to see what they could do to overcome the challenge. What emerged was a new image for their district, West Downtown, complete with spiffy logos and eye-catching street signs to lure traffic-stalled motorists. Beyond that, there was a new-found sense of cohesiveness.

Its something Ive never experienced. Were all independent businesses trying to create something, said Len Romano, owner of the graphic design firm Ripe Inc.

So far, 22 of the businesses in West Downtown, which stretches from 10th Street to San Pasquale, are participating and the number is growing, Romano said. There are restaurants, Vinaigrette, Garcias Kitchen, Amore Neapolitan Pizzeria, 5 Star Burgers, Durans Central Pharmacy, and a variety of other businesses, including Manzano Day School, Stay True Barbershop and Rembe Urban Design.

I think the name is helpful, said Durans Pharmacy owner Mona Ghattas. Im often asked where are you located. Were not really in Old Town or Downtown. Now we have the branding of West Downtown.

Romanos firm designed a new look to the Durans street side sign with a mid-20th century retro look that evokes Centrals Route 66 heritage. On Wednesdays, business staffers sport T-shirts with a West Downtown logo and restaurants offer West Down Wednesday menu specials and drinks.

Along with the sense of unity, came the desire to help a cause. The West Downtown group chose to support New Day Youth and Family Services, a nonprofit that provides shelter, counseling and life skills training to homeless and at risk New Mexico youth ages 11 to 22 years old.

We have this real stake in the deep health of the community so it made sense to team with an organization that helps the youth  our future employees, colleagues and customers, said Erin Wade, owner of Vinaigrette restaurant.

Businesses in the group are donating 25 percent of sales on Wednesday, June 28, to New Day. They have also committed to raise $25,000 to be the title sponsor of a New Day event on Saturday, July 29, called The Day of Giving.

New Day Executive Director Steve Johnson said the money will help them hire staff and build programs for the young people who come to New Day from juvenile detention centers, the foster system or off the streets. A recently started program gives culinary skills training for young people who will operate a food cart to give them work and business experience.

We need places for young people to get experience; pathways for young people to jobs or to get back in school, Johnson said.

Dan Garcia, vice president of operations for Garcias, understands how tough it can be for kids with that kind of background to get a start and he is willing to give them a chance.

They can turn their lives around. If we can get them when theyre young, maybe they wont have problems in the future, Garcia said.

Johnson said Durans, Garcias and Vinaigrette have expressed interest in working with New Day to give job opportunities.

Romano believes the new spirit of unity and purpose in the West Downtown area would never have happened without the ART challenge.

Moaning about it wasnt going to help, Romano said, Now, were making lemon cocktails out of lemons, not just lemonade.
State Police are currently searching for a missing man who possibly drowned in a diversion dam along the Pecos River on Friday, a New Mexico State Police Department spokeswoman said.

Colton Alexander Sawyer, 19, from Tularosa, NM, and two other men were jumping into the river west of Fort Sumner when Sawyer did not resurface, according to Lt. Elizabeth Armijo.

Armijo said that early Saturday morning members of NMSP Search and Recovery Dive Team arrived to search the water. Officers are also searching along the river for Sawyer.
Maria Elena Salinas has built a career on storytelling and finding the truth.

Her latest endeavor with Investigation Discovery  The Real Story with Maria Elena Salinas  brought the acclaimed journalist to the Duke City to revisit one of the grimmest cases in the states history.

Its one that remains unsolved.

In 2009, a woman walking her dog stumbled across a human bone  the first of many in what would become one of the largest crime scenes in American history.

Police worked around the clock frantically to identify the human remains and catch a serial killer.

It took investigators a year to identify the 11 women who were unearthed.

Public outcry demanded police action.

Nearly a decade later, the case is getting colder as both the police and the families struggle to find the truth.

The episode revisits the tragic events in the West Mesa murders. It will air at 8 p.m. Monday on Investigation Discovery.

This is probably the only one that hasnt been resolved out of the 10 stories, Salinas said of her series. Several things drew me to this. There have been so many people who have worked hours, days, years, and they cant come up with anyone. The second part is that there is a certain group of women that seem to be disposable. These were minorities and women on the fringes.

While Salinas worked on the series, she teamed up with Albuquerque Journal staffers Joline Gutierrez-Krueger, Maggie Shepard, Nicole Perez and Robert Browman.

(The Journal) were one of the few media outlets that took interest in it, she said. The staff told the stories of the women. As we learned their identities, we could see who they were.

Over the course of her career, Salinas has covered plenty of tragedy.

But the West Mesa murders haunted her, not only as a journalist, but as the mother of two young women.

It concerned me how parents arent in touch with their children, she said. Thats one thing I learned from it. Sometimes, parents dont pay attention. If we paid attention more, many of these types of crimes could be prevented.

Another aspect of the case also stumped Salinas.

In her reporting, she got information from sources about a corrupt officer, who may have been involved.

No one could get to the story of the alleged police officer, she said. They wrote it off. It seems like it was someone who was pretending to be a police officer. There were a lot of hints of who it could possibly be.

Salinas conducted many of the interviews in Miami because of her hosting job with Univision. She said her producers spent a few months in Albuquerque.

With these true crime types of shows, fortunately, there are a lot of stories to cover, she said. Unfortunately, to tell these stories, crimes have to happen. Thats the worst part. I hope to continue doing these stories, because they are stories that need to be told.

On TV

The Real Story with Maria Elena Salinas will air at 8 p.m. Monday on Investigation Discovery. The episode takes a look at the West Mesa murders in Albuquerque.
CHICAGO  My brother-in-law, a volunteer constable in a small Arkansas town, once said that the answer to the tensions and violence between motorists of color and the police was for law enforcement to treat those they are sworn to protect with respect and politeness.

The interactions between police and those who feel mistreated by them are often described as ranging from rude to angry to dehumanizing.

Here in Chicago, a city where a 2016 task force report found that people of color had been disproportionately targeted for stops and most had negative experiences with police, most nonwhite people have a horror story.

Mine was mild and long ago. I was a teen passenger in the car when my mother was pulled over  it was never made clear why. The police officer was horribly harsh with my tiny little mom, snapping at her to answer questions. Nothing happened after he perused her license and insurance papers. We went on our way, but it was frightening and humiliating.

A recent analysis of police body-camera footage by researchers at Stanford University found that officers consistently use less respectful language with black community members than with white community members.

To be clear: There was no swearing, said Dan Jurafsky, a study co-author and Stanford professor of linguistics and of computer science, in a university press release. These were well-behaved officers. But the many small differences in how they spoke with community members added up to pervasive racial disparities.

The small differences added up to white residents being 57 percent more likely than black residents to hear a police officer say the most respectful phrases, such as apologies and expressions of gratitude like thank you. Black community members, on the other hand, were 61 percent more likely than white residents to hear an officer say the least respectful phrases, such as using informal titles like dude and bro, and commands like hands on the wheel.

This data underscores what motorists of color have known for ages: There is a disparate penalty for driving while black, Hispanic or otherwise nonwhite.

Even more interesting is that, according to Jennifer Eberhardt, co-author of the study and professor of psychology at Stanford, their analysis found that the race of the officer did not make a difference in how respectfully they treated white or black motorists. We get the same pattern of results regardless of officer race, she told me via email.

This puts into question our assumption that a diverse law enforcement corps would alleviate some of the racial tensions between police and people of color.

In fact, officer Jeronimo Yanez, the policeman who was recently acquitted in the fatal shooting of Philando Castile, a black motorist in Minnesota, was Mexican-American.

To underscore the brown-on-black violence in this case, Marisa Franco, director of Mijente, a Latino political website, said that racism killed Castile. The fear that Officer Yanez had of Philando Castile  is one that is taught to us and one that is prevalent in our communities. We cannot denounce him without also actively confronting (Latino) anti-blackness. It must be undone.

To her point, in 2008 the Pew Research Center found that Hispanics were more likely than blacks to say that the two groups do not get along and that their intergroup relations are strained.

And in the case of Castile, politeness helped neither him nor Yanez find their way toward a nonlethal end to their short confrontation.

In the dashboard-camera video footage of their encounter, Yanez is very calm and polite as he greets Castile after pulling him over. Castile is equally respectful in both his words and his tone, asking Yanez, How are you?

Everything is light and unstrained as Yanez tells Castile he pulled him over due to burned-out brake lights. Even at the pivotal moment Castile very straightforwardly tells Yanez, Sir, I do have to tell you, I have a firearm on me. Yanez calmly says, Dont reach for it, then. Dont pull it out.

Things degrade very quickly from there.

We count on social science to answer life-and-death questions for us, and a pressing one is whether or how law enforcement culture overrides factors such as an officers race, ethnicity or car-side manner.

Until we understand this dynamic, more polite, diverse officers wont end what feels like an epidemic of police-on-minority violence.

E-mail: estherjcepeda@washpost.com. Copyright, Washington Post Writers Group.
The Rio Grande runs southbound with the Ciudad Juarez neighborhood of Anapra on the left and El Paso, Texas, on the right. (Roberto E. Rosales/Journal In 2009, Mexican conglomerate Grupo Carso built a 14-mile pipeline from just south of New Mexico to Ciudad Juarez, to tap a binational aquifer known as the Mesilla Bolson. (Roberto E. Rosales/Journal) Anapra residents fill jugs of water from a kiosk where the Ciudad Juarez government provides free drinking water. The kiosk opens for short periods every morning and afternoon in an area where residents can't drink or cook with the tap water. (Roberto E. Rosales/Albuquerque Journal) Thanks to more robust snowmelt and runoff from northern New Mexico mountains, the Elephant Butte reservoir in May was 14 feet above the same level a year ago. (Roberto E. Rosales/Journal) Hydrogeologist John Hawley has been studying the Mesilla Bolson and binational water issues for six decades. He is pictured in his home office with a map he produced of the border aquifer. (Roberto E. Rosales/Journal) Teenagers in Anapra walk home after filling jugs of water from a kiosk where the Ciudad Juarez government provides free drinking water. The kiosk opens for short periods every morning and afternoon in an area where residents can't drink or cook with the tap water. (Roberto E. Rosales/Albuquerque Journal) Mexican conglomerate Grupo Carso built a 14-mile water pipeline under contract with the Ciudad Juarez water utility. The pipeline delivers water from a binational aquifer known as the Mesilla Bolson on the U.S. side and Conejos Medanos on the Mexican side. (Roberto E. Rosales/Journal) A family living in Anapra lugs home jugs from a kiosk where the Ciudad Juarez government provides free drinking water for a limited time each day. The tap water in Anapra isn't potable. (Roberto E. Rosales/Albuquerque Journal) Prev 1 of 9 Next

Copyright  2017 Albuquerque Journal

SANTA TERESA  Deep underground, beneath the 18-foot steel wall that divides parts of the U.S. and Mexico border, the aquifer upon which both sides depend pays the barrier no mind.

The water is there for the taking, first come, first served.

The century-old international agreement that governs every drop of Rio Grande surface water doesnt apply to the water that courses underground.

The binational aquifer  called the Mesilla Bolson on the U.S. side and Conejos Medanos on the Mexican side  is the freshwater source upon which southern New Mexico has anchored its hopes for its own economic future.

But a growing regional population and heavy groundwater pumping on both sides are leading to faster depletion than is sustainable long term, with no binational accords to govern use.

Scientists say the best quality water wont last more than a decade.

The aquifer has quite a life to it, said John Hawley, a Ph.D. hydrogeologist who has studied the Mesilla Bolson on both sides of the border for six decades. But its something that I predicted based on behavior of wells throughout the area: that this wasnt a permanent reservoir of freshwater.

There are multiple takers on both sides of the border  cities, industry, farms. New Mexico has long been the largest user of the aquifer.

But what brought the lack of a groundwater agreement into full relief was a massive pipeline that went in just south of the border less than a decade ago. Overnight, it turned on demand roughly equal to what the second-largest city in New Mexico consumes on an annual basis.

Stephen Mumme, a political science professor at Colorado State University and expert on U.S.-Mexico water policy, said: Its a race to the bottom. There is no doubt about it.

Charts of U.S. Geological Survey monitoring wells in southern Dona Ana County, near the border, show the depths needed to reach water: The trend lines plunge. The water table has dropped 30 to 50 feet over the past 10 years, according to Stacy Timmons, a hydrogeologist and aquifer mapping program manager at New Mexico Institute of Technology.

That is basically indicating that there is a great deal of pumping going on that is removing groundwater, she said. With an extended drought that started in the early 2000s, we are seeing water levels that are precipitously dropping unlike anything we have ever seen since record keeping began.

Demands on aquifer grow

Mexican billionaire Carlos Slims Grupo Carso built the pipeline under contract with the Ciudad Juarez water authority. In 2010, the pipe began siphoning water from the aquifer to sate the citys urban sprawl.

On the U.S. side, the demands on the aquifer are growing, too.

New Mexicos industrial hub of Santa Teresa is counting on the Mesilla Bolson to supply the manufacturing and logistics businesses and subdivisions of single-family homes sprouting at the border. A little farther north, the population of Las Cruces, the states second-largest city, has climbed 37 percent since 2000 to more than 101,000 people, according to the U.S. Census. Meanwhile, driven by historically high pecan prices, Mesilla Valley farmers have been drawing down groundwater at unheard-of levels to feed water-hungry orchards.

Water managers say critical, if informal, cooperation on groundwater between the U.S. and Mexico has stagnated over the past decade. Talks are unlikely to resume with binational relations strained by the border wall debate and while Texas and New Mexico fight over groundwater in a case headed for the Supreme Court.

When they turned that well field on (in Conejos Medanos), you could really feel the effect, an immediate response in the groundwater in the U.S. side in the Mesilla Bolson, said Phil King, a civil engineer and water researcher at New Mexico State University. We dont have a groundwater treaty, so there is nothing to stop them.

Few experts think water in the Mesilla Bolson is going to run out. As John Fleck, director of the water resources program at the University of New Mexico, explains in his book Water Is for Fighting Over, desert dwellers have proved themselves remarkably adaptable to water worries.

When people have less water, he writes, they use less water.

Rather than sheer scarcity, hydrogeologists say its more likely that water quality will deteriorate, salting up little by little  something that is already happening on the shallower, Mexican side of the aquifer.

Hawley predicts the same effect could be seen on the U.S. side in as few as 10 years  sooner than planners and developers may be ready for.

We should be working on that aquifer together, Hawley said, to develop it jointly as a binational partnership.

Hard to replenish

Below the riverbed, from points north of Las Cruces south across the Mexican border, the Mesilla Bolson holds an ancient deposit of water: an estimated 65 million acre feet of fresh and moderately brackish water, much of it dating to the Ice Age.

That amount of water is roughly 30 times the capacity of Elephant Butte Reservoir, the largest surface reservoir in the state. Underground, the water is held between grains of sand, silt and clay  like a wet sandbox. The Bolsons freshwater supply represents perhaps only a tenth of the total resource, according to Hawley.

For many thousands of years the Mesilla Bolson has been replenished by rain, snowmelt and the river. But the intense pumping of the past 10 years, and a potential long-term shift toward a more arid climate, is threatening that historic recharge.

In the last 15 years, there have been these large declines without recovery, said Alex Rinehart, a hydrogeologist at the New Mexico Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources. The pumping has exceeded the rate of recharge from the river. The deeper the aquifer gets, the harder it is to recharge the aquifer.

There is a silver lining this year: Heavy snowpack in the mountains of northern New Mexico were feeding the Rio Grande at levels not seen since 2008, raising hopes for freshwater recharge.

But NMSUs King warns that the snowmelt isnt behaving the way it used to; for one, its evaporating faster under hotter temperatures.

We just havent seen the same kind of watershed dynamics that we saw historically, King said. This crazy weather were having here, you are seeing the snowmelt coming off earlier and faster.

Water rights limbo

In August 1973, the International Boundary and Water Commission met in Mexico City to settle a dispute over salinity in river water that the U.S. delivered to Mexico. The agreement, known as Minute 242, identified the need for a treaty on shared groundwater basins.

The U.S. and Mexico are in agreement that we need a groundwater agreement of some sort but thats where it ends, said Gilbert Anaya, chief of the environmental management division at the U.S. side of the IBWC. It doesnt say how were going to do it.

Minute 242 is the second-most important agreement on water we have with Mexico, said Mumme, the CSU water policy expert, the first being the 1944 U.S.-Mexico treaty that governs deliveries of river water between the countries. A 1906 treaty was the original binational treaty on the Rio Grande.

For decades there have been on-and-off efforts to share information on binational aquifers, if not hammer out an accord on their use.

The latest such effort: Congress authorized the U.S.-Mexico Transboundary Aquifer Assessment Act in 2006 to encourage cooperation. Mexico agreed in 2009 to work on the project, which would gather data on binational aquifers.

The effort informally united local water managers and academics from southern New Mexico, West Texas and Ciudad Juarez to exchange data on water use. The team also discussed regional plans for urban growth, big agriculture, conservation and water-sharing ideas, but the effort was never fully funded and petered out.

Standing in the way of greater binational cooperation today are internal disagreements within the U.S., most notably New Mexicos border with Texas. In Texas v. New Mexico  headed for review by the U.S. Supreme Court  the juggernaut to the east claims groundwater pumping in southern New Mexico is depleting the Rio Grande of water that belongs to Texas.

There are institutional barriers, too.

In Mexico, the federal government governs groundwater. In the U.S., every state has its own rules. New Mexico uses a complex system of water rights that have to be proven and consistently used. In Texas, landowners can claim rights to the water beneath their land.

There ought to be more discussion between the U.S. and Mexico, and I think the problem is really the United States, Mumme said. It has always been the United States, because of our system of jealously guarded water rights. People dont want to have their water utilization managed.

Its been complicated, said Manuel Herrera, technical director of the Ciudad Juarez water utility. The three entities  Mexico, New Mexico and Texas  havent come to an agreement to do a project. Its a problem were going to have to deal with at some point.

Samantha Barncastle, legal counsel for the Elephant Butte Irrigation District, which manages surface water owed to southern New Mexico farmers and downstream users, put it this way: Its very easy to take the 30,000-foot view and say, Well, we should be managing this across borders. But when you look at how within borders we cant even manage it among ourselves, let alone bring in another nation, its sometimes easier to not kick the sleeping dog.

Local goodwill

Water use in the border region is not a zero-sum equation. The economic future of each side depends on the other.

Its a common source, said Estevan Lopez, former commissioner of the federal Bureau of Reclamation and former director of New Mexicos Interstate Stream Commission. If each side is going willy-nilly and turning a blind eye to the other, obviously thats going to have impacts on that common source. Its just not a good way of doing planning.

The Trump administrations saber-rattling over a border wall isnt helping matters, say researchers and water managers.

It is going to take a lot of local-level reaching-out, expressions of goodwill, trying to counteract trends in U.S.-Mexico relations, Mumme said. Does it throw a monkey wrench into local diplomacy along the border? Absolutely. How long that effect will last is hard to say.

Oscar Ibanez, a water researcher at the Autonomous University of Ciudad Juarez, said that, locally, the political will is there.

On the border, all the decisions taken by (Washington and Mexico City) affect us, Ibanez said. Border residents have to survive in the context of decisions made by the two countries  thats not an option. But every time we cooperate, everything goes better.

This report was produced in partnership with the McGraw Center for Business Journalism at the City University of New York Graduate School of Journalism.

NEXT SUNDAY: A big pump for Juarez
LAS CRUCES  The short-term risk to New Mexicos groundwater isnt Mexico or drought, experts say. Its Texas.

Earlier this year, the special master in Texas v. New Mexico finalized a recommendation to the U.S. Supreme Court that Texas be allowed to pursue its claim that groundwater pumping in southern New Mexico is depleting the Rio Grande of water that belongs to Texas.

The court accepted the recommendation to deny New Mexicos motion to dismiss the case.

The attorney general would like to settle this case, said Tania Maestas, chief deputy attorney general of New Mexico under Hector Balderas. He has relayed that to all of the parties included. We have had discussions with Texas and Colorado and the Bureau of Reclamation  all of the parties in this case.

If the justices side with Texas, the case will move forward and New Mexico could ultimately face paying its bigger, richer neighbor billions in damages or water, said Elephant Butte Irrigation District general counsel Samantha Barncastle. And the groundwater on which southern New Mexico municipalities and farmers depend could be in legal jeopardy.

You dont want to litigate these cases, she said. These are no-win situations for the upstream state. History has shown that the upstream states dont win.

For example, a 2008 operating agreement mandated by the Bureau of Reclamation required EBID to pay for increased groundwater pumping by delivering more surface water to Texas, resulting in a loss of 170,000 acre feet per year to New Mexico, according to a legislative handout by former Attorney General Gary King.

This summer, each side will submit briefs to the court arguing its position on the special masters report. The justices will decide in the fall whether to consider the documentation and rule, or schedule the case for oral argument. Initially, the Supreme Court will not decide whether Texas is owed more water  only whether Texas can move forward in the court with its claims.

Texas v. New Mexico is another obstacle to binational cooperation on shared aquifers.

I think this is not just an issue between the U.S. and Mexico, but also between state boundaries, said Stacy Timmons, a hydrogeologist and aquifer mapping program manager at New Mexico Institute of Technology. With groundwater, there is no way to create a border fence in the ground. You can be on one side or the other and affecting the other.
Copyright  2017 Albuquerque Journal

WASHINGTON  Each of the past four years, the president of the United States asked Congress to launch a major reduction and consolidation of the nations military bases, and each year the House and Senate refused his request.

But this year, as Defense Secretary James Mattis and the leaders of the Army and Air Force step up their calls for long-term changes at U.S. bases, the ambitious process could finally be set in motion.

President Donald Trump requested the base review  formally referred to as Base Realignment and Closure, or BRAC  in his 2018 budget proposal, released in March. And Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, has signaled his possible support, a change from previous years.

If approved by Congress, BRAC would begin with an in-depth, in-house assessment of U.S. military bases by the Pentagon. Then, by 2021, the military brass would forward its recommendations for realignments and closures to an independent commission for final review and decisions. New Mexico is home to three Air Force bases  Kirtland in Albuquerque, Holloman near Alamogordo and Cannon near Clovis  and one Army base (White Sands Missile Range).

I would say the odds of BRAC passing (Congress) this year are probably greater than we have seen in past years based on the current dynamic, Mike Jones, a retired Army general and former chief of staff of the U.S. Central Command, said in a Journal interview last week. Jones is now the lead BRAC expert at The Spectrum Group, an influential Washington-area lobbying and consulting firm.

The military  especially the Army and Air Force  is saddled with unneeded base capacity that costs billions in maintenance. The Army has said it has 21 percent more base infrastructure than it needs, even if it adds 25,000 troops.

The problem is even bigger for the Air Force, which reports having 25 percent excess capacity. The Center for Strategic and International Studies estimates that the upkeep costs the Pentagon $2 billion annually  money that Mattis says could be used to upgrade deteriorating military hardware.

The huge costs come at a time when the military is seeking additional resources to combat evolving threats, from cyberwarfare to rising Chinese and Russian military ambitions to terrorist groups like Islamic State.

The BRAC proposal is not included in the Senates defense authorization bill scheduled for hearings in the Armed Services Committee this week, but that could change as lawmakers offer amendments.

Congress must approve legislation to start the BRAC process, including issuing guidelines and criteria for an independent BRAC commission to use in making decisions about which military bases to shrink, expand or close.

Members of Congress, with concerns about their local economies  and re-election  in mind, have historically resisted presidential calls for BRAC rounds, as they did during former President Barack Obamas final four years in office.

But the calls are growing louder, especially from the top ranks of the military. U.S. Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson, a Republican who represented Albuquerque for 10 years in Congress, told her former colleagues this month that she backs a new BRAC round.

The Air Force supports the Department of Defense request for authorization to conduct a Base Realignment and Closure round in 2021, Wilson said at a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on June 6. Completing the more detailed analysis once a BRAC is authorized will have value, and may highlight opportunities for some savings. Enduring savings from BRAC recommendations will leave more DOD resources available for future force structure or readiness requirements. BRAC also allows us, if the analysis supports it, to reposition forces or station new forces in locations that optimize their military value.

Wilson could not be reached for comment last week on New Mexicos Air Force bases specifically.

New Mexico bases

Civic boosters and members of the states congressional delegation say they are working hard to protect New Mexicos military assets and jobs.

In Journal interviews last week, supporters of New Mexicos military mission cited the states abundant airspace, cutting-edge work in the realms of lasers and nuclear weapons, special operations training and generally military-friendly community, as boding well for the states continued value in the eyes of the Pentagon.

Its really important to be engaged with our bases and always looking to make sure we have forward-leaning missions, said Sen. Martin Heinrich, a New Mexico Democrat who sits on the Senate Armed Services Committee. There are always things that are trending away in the military and things that are going to become more important over time. You want to make sure your bases are poised to do the things that are more important.

To that end, Heinrich said New Mexicos bases have become more relevant to the militarys 21st century mission than they were in 2005, when the last BRAC round was completed. During that round 12 years ago, Cannon Air Force Base, near Clovis, came under intense scrutiny, eyed for significant force reductions or even closure. Thanks in part to some aggressive lobbying by then-Gov. Bill Richardson and the states congressional delegation, the BRAC commission decided to leave the base alone. It has since become a hub for Special Forces training, widely viewed as a critical need in modern warfare.

Kirtland Air Force Base was on the chopping block in 1995, but an intense campaign persuaded defense officials to retain it. Kirtland has since added new missions.

Last year, Kirtland received a new combat search and rescue helicopter fleet to replace older aging aircraft, and the base is also at the cutting edge of so-called directed energy, or laser, weaponry expected to be critical in future battles.

The states congressional delegation is also optimistic about the Air Forces consideration of permanently moving two additional F-16 squadrons from Hill Air Force Base in Utah to Holloman Air Force Base, near Alamagordo. The planes have been temporarily relocated to New Mexico, and a recently completed environmental impact assessment revealed that the base would be a good permanent fit, according to Heinrichs office.

And just this month, the Army announced that it would accelerate plans for a $34 million project at White Sands Missile Range, moving the timetable up from 2023 to 2019. The project includes construction of an Information Systems Facility to replace an existing communications center that was built in 1962 and caught fire two years ago.

If there is a new BRAC round, I think the combination of bases we have, the forward-leaning missions and the geography and the airspace we have, actually gives us an opportunity to do better as a result  and potentially bring new missions to the state, said Heinrich, who has voted four times for defense legislation blocking a BRAC round in previous years.

A spokeswoman for Rep. Steve Pearce, the delegations only Republican, said: The congressman is not in support of a BRAC, especially as it is currently designed. A hyper-politicized process, BRAC is more about the strength and size of congressional delegations than the needs of the military.

In a statement provided to the Journal, Pearce, who is considering running for New Mexico governor in 2018, said, New Mexico plays a vital role in the national security of our nation.

Our delegation must never take this for granted, and work tirelessly to protect and improve our military installations and missions, he said.

BRAC history in NM

Sherman McCorkle, an Albuquerque businessman and founder of the Kirtland Partnership Committee, is a veteran of two BRAC rounds that targeted New Mexico bases: the 2005 round that focused on Cannon Air Force Base and an earlier round, in 1995, that targeted Kirtland. McCorkle and other civic backers were able to save Kirtlands mission, but not without a fight.

McCorkle and former Gov. Richardson both told the Journal last week that if history is any guide, at least one New Mexico base could fall in a BRAC commissions cross hairs in 2021, if a round is approved.

It all depends on what the rules look like, McCorkle said. The criterion does vary, but basically it is military value and how that is defined. I honestly believe we would be challenged, and I base that on the fact that in 1992 we were told, Kirtland is the model Air Force installation; you guys dont worry about anything.

Then, three years later in 1995, Kirtland was on the list. Everybody was surprised by that.

James A. Tegnelia, a national security consultant based in Albuquerque who also serves as chairman of Gov. Susana Martinezs Military Base Planning Commission, said the current perception in New Mexico and in Washington is that the states bases are as healthy today as they have ever been. Martinez could not be reached for comment.

Tegnelia, who is also chairman of the Kirtland Partnership Committee, stressed that he wasnt speaking in his official capacity as either commissions chairman, but as an informed citizen, and said he could not predict that New Mexicos bases wont be affected by a BRAC round. But he also said there is room for optimism among those who support the states military missions.

New Mexico is a state that really is friendly to the military, Tegnelia said. Its a very patriotic state  and its a good, welcoming place. The military needs flying space, maneuvering space, and they need test space. The bases in New Mexico have access to the kinds of space the military needs.

Kirtland Air Force Base

Host unit: 377th Air Base Wing.

Mission: To support nuclear operations, organize, train and equip expeditionary forces, and provide installation operation and support to more than 100 mission partners and the base community.

Area: 51,558 acres.

Personnel: 4,500 military; 16,500 civilian/contractor.

Cannon Air Force Base

Host unit: 27th Special Operations Wing.

Mission: To provide insertion, extraction and resupply of special operations forces; air refueling of special operations rotary-wing and tilt-rotor aircraft; and precision fire support.

Area: 4,500 acres.

Personnel: 3,600 military; 1,300 civilian/contractor.

Holloman Air Force Base

Host unit: 49th Wing.

Mission: To provide combat-ready F-22 Raptors and train MQ-1 Predator and MQ-9 Reaper unmanned aerial vehicle pilots and sensor operators. However, the base is in the process of transferring its F-22s to other bases and replacing them with two F-16 Fighting Falcon squadrons. The wing also delivers Air Transportable Clinics and Basic Expeditionary Airfield Resources, and hosts the German Air Force Flying Training Center.

Area: 59,743 acres.

Personnel: 4,200 military; 1,600 civilian/contractor.

White Sands Missile Range

Host unit: U.S. Army Developmental Test Command.

Mission: To provide Army, Navy, Air Force, DoD and other customers with high-quality services for experimentation, test, research, assessment, development and training in support of the nation at war.

Area: 2.2 million acres.

Personnel: 850 military; 3,200 civilian/contractor.
Copyright  2017 Albuquerque Journal

Barry Ore remembers meeting his family at the Frontier Restaurant after being released from four years in prison. He compared the experience to culture shock  visiting a different country with strange languages, food and people.

It was the element of humanity there that had been lacking the whole time in prison. Families gathered. Couples. People studying, the 28-year-old said. I remember seeing a dog on the sidewalk and I was like, Wow, look at that dog, look at that dogs energy. 

Ore is peer support worker with Best Chance, a nonprofit organization in Albuquerque run by ex-cons for ex-cons to help stem recidivism.

New Mexico has the second-highest rate of recidivism in the region with nearly 45 percent of inmates returning to prison, according to a 2015 report from the Legislative Finance Committee.

The leading causes of inmates serving time in prison rather than on parole are a lack of community resources for parolees, the report states.

Best Chance is one of those resources, whether its getting identifying documents, resume building, finding a job and, most importantly, peer support from those who know what its like.

I know how it feels to get out, Ore said. I know how stressful and traumatic it is.

Welcome home!

When you walk into the Best Chance office, the first thing you see is a banner that says Welcome Home! There are board games, a library and storage room full of backpacks, razors, socks, underwear and other supplies. Everything is available to whomever needs it.

In 2016, Best Chance served maybe a dozen or so people informally, Ore said, while in 2017 the organization has already served more than 60 people, all referred through different sources: parole and probation officers, halfway houses and re-entry coordinators, among others.

Unlike prison, Ore said there is no release date for Best Chance clients.

We try to keep people around for good, he said. Because as they grow and develop, they might bring something back to the community.

Jarvis Jones, one of Ores earliest clients, said Best Chance does much more than just outreach.

They may have office hours, but if you need them, somebody is there, he said, recalling the time Ore delivered medicine when Jones was sick and on crutches.

Jones, who served a year in Los Lunas for his fifth DWI and is now attending classes at National American University, said the peer support at Best Chance has been the most valuable asset in dealing with the pressures of re-entry into society.

The weight of wanting to move forward  you have to get a job, you have to have a place to live  it can be too much, he said.

Ore said Best Chance not only helps its clients, but also benefits him as an ex-prisoner.

One of the major forces in my recovery and my success is knowing that my experience can help other people, he said.

Peer education

Daniel Rowan, program director and co-founder, worked out the idea for Best Chance while serving four years in prison and working as a peer educator behind bars.

I saw how powerful peer education could be, he said. I thought to myself, We should do this for people coming out of prison. 

After Rowans release, the organization was incorporated and began taking clients in 2016 with co-founder Stanley Weinstein. It is currently funded by anonymous donors.

Our whole model is welcoming people home right away and letting them know that they can have a home here, Rowan said.

For Best Chance, he said its only the beginning as Rowan hopes to integrate an industry into the organization, such as Best Chance having its own landscaping company.

So guys could have jobs, coming out, he said.

Rowan would like to see a Best Chance for women and to have the organization spread statewide.

A Best Chance in every community, he said. So many other men and women who have experienced successful transitions have an opportunity to share it with those that desperately need it.

Rowan and Ore believe that, as it gains momentum, more corrections institutions will want to make sure that funding comes to organizations like Best Chance.

I think that is the direction it is moving in, Rowan said. So our numbers in the prisons go down.

Bob Hayworth, a new client, said it is emotional for him to see Ore and Rowan out in society succeeding.

Ive never known people like that, he said. That have made a mistake, paid for their mistake, and then used that learning experience to help other people like me.

Hayworth, 52, who served 33 months for drug trafficking, said he has been through the revolving door of the prison system eight times and never given proper preparation to start a new life.

He was pretty confident he was going to fail the last seven times, he said. But, this time, something is different. He has never had as many opportunities offered to him.

People out here seem to want to help us now; they dont just want to write us off, he said. That makes me feel that this time I can be successful  Ive never felt like that before.
School principal shot at in Janakpur

Principal of Bilat Shah Sarwodaya Secondary School at Sinurjoda, Janakpur, Narendra Kumar Sharma was shot while he was on his way to school on Sunday morning.
Copyright  2017 Albuquerque Journal

While state regulators were uncovering millions of dollars of apparent embezzlement at Desert State Life Management in recent months, Desert State CEO Paul Donisthorpes wife was allegedly hocking her Rolex watch, clearing out trailers of furnishings from an Angel Fire vacation home for quick consignment sale and severing property ties with her reportedly brain-damaged husband.

So says an affidavit, and other court records, filed last week by a board member of the nonprofit trust company who is asking a state District Court judge in Albuquerque to block any further liquidation of assets that may have been purchased through the wrongful diversion of $4 million belonging to dozens of Desert State Life Management clients, most of whom are either elderly or mentally or physically disabled.

The state Financial Institutions Divisions May 31 petition to place Desert State into receivership is set for an initial court hearing on July 5 in Albuquerque. The FBI, meanwhile, on June 21 filed an amended civil forfeiture petition to include another of Donisthorpes properties, a 120-acre cattle ranch in Henderson County, Texas.

Federal authorities contend that about $100,000 in Desert State client funds were used in that Athens Ranch purchase in 2011. The FBI also alleges that client funds helped pay for Desert States Albuquerque office building and a luxury lodge in Angel Fire, which was put up for sale below appraised value in recent months.

The divorce of Donisthorpe and Liane Kerr, was meanwhile, completed last week in District Court in Sandoval County. Their settlement agreement made scant mention of Desert State, which Donisthorpe headed since 2006.

The new affidavit from Desert State board member and Albuquerque attorney L. Helen Bennett, supporting her separate request for a temporary restraining order against the Donisthorpes, offers a behind-the-scenes look at how Kerr, a criminal defense attorney, allegedly responded after state examiners launched an overdue examination of Desert States books.

Bennett, who is represented by attorney A. Blair Dunn, alleges that Kerr knew or should have known Donisthorpe didnt earn sufficient money through legitimate enterprises to sustain their lifestyle of travel and luxury and allow them to purchase, furnish, decorate and maintain multiple real estate properties, horses, expensive jewelry, art, vehicles and horse trailers.

Kerr benefited from or was complicit in the use of stolen, embezzled, or converted funds, Bennett alleged, and continued to use such funds and control the funds and assets so she could dispose of and liquidate them for cash, even though the assets were purchased with stolen funds.

Efforts by the Journal to reach Donisthorpe and Kerr have been unsuccessful, and, as of Friday, they hadnt formally responded to any of the legal actions involving Desert State. A court filing by the state lists Kerrs attorney as Paul Kennedy of Albuquerque. Kennedy didnt return a phone or email message seeking comment, but Kerr told a state financial institutions attorney earlier this year that she had nothing to do with Desert State or its operations, court records show.

Bennett, along with Donisthorpe and Desert State, is being sued by Ayudando Guardians Inc., which represents seven clients with trust accounts at Desert State. Kerr is not a defendant.

In her response to the Ayudando lawsuit, Bennett denied any knowledge of the alleged fraud. She has been credited by state regulators with helping in their investigation.

Bennett, who has described herself as an unpaid volunteer board member, contended in her affidavit that her review of the companys insurance policies and other information shows there is not sufficient insurance coverage for DSLM to pay for all of the losses.

Unless the court intervenes to prevent it, properties and valuable chattels will be sold for cash to bona fide purchasers and the cash will not be accounted for in any future reckoning for (Desert State) clients, Bennetts request says.

State regulators say that as many as 70 Desert State clients may have lost some or all of their funds, which were typically set aside by their families for their future care or came from court settlements stemming from their injuries.

Friendship sours

Bennett, who said she once considered the Donisthorpes among her closest friends in New Mexico, recounted in her June 16 affidavit how everything changed on Feb. 21 when Kerr sent her an email calling off a social engagement at the Donisthorpes house because of a family emergency. State financial examiners had informed the company that they needed certain records by Feb. 21 and that the on-site exam would begin Feb. 28.

The family emergency turned out to be an attempted suicide by Donisthorpe, who was found unconscious after ingesting a large amount of prescription medication, Bennetts affidavit says she was told by Kerr.

Donisthorpe, 61, was revived but suffered serious brain damage that greatly impaired his memory, Bennett quoted Kerr as saying.

In her affidavit, Bennett recounted subsequent telephone calls with Kerr that focused on the financial woes Kerr initially attributed to her husbands failure to file tax returns timely.

Kerr told Bennett that she had sold her Rolex watch at a pawnshop and was liquidating assets to pay debts and liens on property she owned with Donisthorpe.

As the state financial inquiry deepened, Bennett had a March 26 telephone conversation with Kerr, who told me she was sick to her stomach about the revelations that Paul had apparently stolen money from the (Desert State) account. She was extremely angry at Paul and indicated she felt lied to and deceived by Paul, the affidavit stated.

Bennett said Kerr went on to say that she was worried she would lose her house and commercial building in Downtown Albuquerque and stated she was having Paul quit-claim, to her, his interest in any and all properties they owned together. Court records show that Kerr two days earlier had filed for divorce from her husband of 32 years.

She stated that it would have been better if Paul had been successful in his suicide attempt, Bennett alleged in the affidavit. She stated: what happened to the Desert States people was horrible but she insisted that she was an innocent spouse who had to protect her own interests in her properties and financial assets and she was not going to let Pauls actions ruin her financial future.

Based on my conversation with Liane, I concluded that her focus was on protecting her financial and ownership interests, while mine was on recovering the assets it appeared had been stolen by her husband from Desert State clients and possibly used to purchase real or personal property that they used in their marriage.

Donisthorpes physical condition isnt clear from court filings, but their final divorce settlement bears his signature dated a month earlier, on May 17.

Corrales mayor

The affidavit also provided new details about the role of businessman and Corrales Mayor Scott Kominiak in the controversy. Bennett said Kerr had asked Kominiak to meet with state auditors involving Desert State. State documents now describe him as acting CEO of the company. He hasnt returned Journal requests for comment.

According to Bennetts affidavit, Kominiak informed Bennett on March 22 that he had just met with Liane and Paul and told them that it appeared that between $500,000 and $700,000 had been improperly transferred from client trust accounts held by (Desert State) to accounts controlled by Paul. The siphoning of client accounts allegedly began in 2013, according to the court filing.

At least one of those Donisthorpe accounts involved the cattle company in Texas, the affidavit says, and Kominiak indicated there was liquidity in the form of cattle in Texas that were scheduled to be auctioned off between April and August 2017.

Kominiak seemed confident that the amounts missing from client trust accounts could be replenished fully by the proceeds of the cattle sales, and he told Bennett he was working with the state financial examiners to arrange for repayment, her affidavit said.

During our conversation, Mr. Kominiak stated that he could hold things up by requiring subpoenas and formal requests from the auditors. I indicated that was unacceptable and that the authorities needed to be notified immediately of the full circumstances surrounding DSLM and the theft of client funds, Bennetts affidavit says.

Meanwhile, another affidavit from a woman named Lisa P. Ford was attached to Bennetts request for a restraining order. Ford stated that she learned from Bennett that Kerr was going to liquidate assets and transfer assets jointly owned by the couple to Kerrs name alone.

Ford said she found an Internet listing for the couples Angel Fire cabin, and saw from photos on the site that the rooms were decorated with different animal themes, such a wolf room, a bear room and a duck room.

After looking at the photographs, Ford said, I immediately realized that I had recently seen many of the items (furniture, artwork, collectible items such as mallard ducks etc.) which were depicted in the photographs for the cabin listing for sale at a consignment store I frequent. Bennett herself went to the store in Albuquerque and purchased a distinctive picture she identified as having come from the Angel Fire cabin.

The consignment store manager told Ford a woman brought two large trailers worth of the stuff and was in a hurry to unload (sell) it all as quickly as possible.

The real estate agent for the cabin, which by then had a lowered listing price of $725,000, told Ford the wife had recently sold all the contents of the cabin and said her husband was sick.

On June 12, the real estate agent left a phone message on Fords cellphone saying she could probably get the cabin for even less than its current listing price and added that she should move quickly before the cabin was seized by the marshals.
Raised in the West, namely historic Sheridan, Wyo., where she remembers fawning over movie star and resident Robert Taylor, and later working for the U.S. Forest Service, FBI, Department of Justice and Sandia National Labs, 83-year-old Betty Turk has a lot more living planned.

And that includes her new passion: writing.

Of course, future books will have to be written faster than her debut novel, Murder in Madrid, which she began in the mid-1970s.

Murder in Madrid, with the subtitle The Reality of Illusion, began with her visit to the iconic town on NM 14 40-some years ago, when it really was nothing more than an abandoned mining town. Today, its a charming tourist stop on the Turquoise Trail.

I fell in love with it, Turk, a resident of Rio Rancho since 1990, recalled. My father had been a miner.

She did some traipsing around the hills near Madrid, where she found an old boot, and had the idea of photographing that boot on the step of an abandoned house in Madrid; that photo is on the cover of her book.

As you learn more about her adventure as an author, you hear how some of her life experiences, which included the 1948 death of her father in a mine elevator, are woven into this tale.

Another true-life incident, she said, was about the first attorney I worked for. His wife was sort of a wacko; she decided she wanted to kill her husband  she put crushed glass in his meals. The doctor told him and he barely lived through it.

Heres Murder in Madrid, described on the back cover:

For 72 years, Louise Devereaux has carried the grim story of an unfortunate woman who was erroneously hanged for a murder she didnt commit. Who was the real murderer? Will Allen Kinglsey be able to find witnesses to verify Louises story? Will he be able to piece together enough evidence to bring justice for the long overdue crime? Why do the people of Madrid treat him with such disdain? Why do they look at his wife with such compassion?

Answers to these questions, of course, are contained in the books 387 pages. As of this writing, shed sold 21 books, and in April, had sold a dozen. She knows its slow go for authors in this day and age.

I had visions of being (David) Baldacci, she said, smiling. Baldacci is a best-selling American novelist.

As for that Murder in Madrid, therell be a sequel, Turk says, Return to Madrid.

Dana and I have been kicking that round, she said. Allen and Beth go back to New Mexico or Wyoming, with a bunch of questions they would have back in Madrid.

In fact, Turk and her son, 64-year-old Dana Turk, have a combined six books in the works.

Not all are works of fiction: One of Bettys books deals with the life of her grandmother, who came to the U.S. from Serbia in 1900.

Her husband returned to Serbia in 1914 and was killed in World War I, she said, as a member of the Serbian volunteer army.

The works of these young Turks are on amazon.com.
SAN FRANCISCO  Tens of thousands of people waving rainbow flags lined streets for gay pride parades Sunday in coast-to-coast events that took both celebratory and political tones, the latter a reaction to what some see as new threats to gay rights in the Trump era.

In San Francisco, revelers wearing rainbow tutus and boas held signs that read No Ban, No Wall, Welcome Sisters and Brothers while they danced to electronic music at a rally outside City Hall.

Frank Reyes said he and his husband decided to march for the first time in many years because they felt a need to stand up for their rights. The couple joined the resistance contingent, which led the parade and included representatives from several activist organizations.

We have to be as visible as possible, said Reyes, wearing a silver body suit and gray and purple headpiece decorated with rhinestones.

Things are changing quickly and we have to take a stand and be noticed, Reyes husband, Paul Brady, added. We want to let everybody know that we love each other, that we pay taxes and that were Americans, too.

Activists have been galled by the Trump administrations rollback of federal guidance advising school districts to let transgender students use the bathrooms and locker rooms of their choice. The Republican president also broke from Democratic predecessor Barack Obamas practice of issuing a proclamation in honor of Pride Month.

At the jam-packed New York City parade, a few attendees wore Make America Gay Again hats, while one group walking silently in the parade wore Black Lives Matter shirts as they held up signs with a fist and with a rainbow background, a symbol for gay pride. Still others protested potential cuts to heath care benefits, declaring that Healthcare is an LGBT issue.

I think this year is even more politically charged, even though it was always a venue where people used it to express their political perspectives, said Joannah Jones, 59, from New York with her wife Carol Phillips.

She said the parade being televised for the first time gives people a wider audience. Not only to educate people in general on the diversity of LGBTQ community but also to see how strongly we feel about whats going on in office.

In Chicago, 23-year-old Sarah Hecker was attending her first pride parade, another event that attracted wall-to-wall crowds. I felt like this would be a way to not necessarily rebel, but just my way to show solidarity for marginalized people in trying times, said Hecker, a marketing consultant who lives in suburban Chicago.

Elected officials also made a stand, among them New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who said his state would continue to lead on equality. Cuomo, a Democrat, on Sunday formally appointed Paul G. Feinman to the New York Court of Appeals, the states highest court. Feinman is the first openly gay judge to hold the position.

But the pride celebrations also faced some resistance from within the LGBT community itself. Some activists feel the events center on gay white men and are unconcerned with issues including economic inequality and policing.

The divide disrupted some other pride events this month. The No Justice No Pride group blocked the Washington parades route, and four protesters were arrested at the parade in Columbus, Ohio.

In Minneapolis, organizers of Sundays Twin Cities Pride Parade initially asked the police department to limit its participation, with the chairwoman saying the sight of uniformed officers could foster angst and tension and the feeling of unrest after a suburban officers acquittal this month in the deadly shooting of Philando Castile, a black man, during a traffic stop.

The citys openly gay police chief called the decision divisive and hurtful to LGBT officers. On Friday, organizers apologized and said the officers were welcome to march.

But anti-police protesters disrupted the parade with chants of: No justice, no peace, no pride in police and carried signs reading Justice for Philando and Black Lives Matter.

Meanwhile, pride march organizers have taken steps to address the criticisms about diversity.

Protesters for Black Lives Matter also delayed the start of the Seattle parade, parade-goers said.

The pride celebration is a platform for that dialogue to happen, San Francisco Pride board president Michelle Meow said this week. The large resistance contingent leading San Franciscos parade includes groups that represent women, immigrants, African-Americans and others along with LGBT people.

New York parade-goers Zhane Smith-Garris, 20, Olivia Rengifo, 19 and Sierra Dias, 20, all black women from New Jersey, said they did not feel there was inequality in the movement.

Pride is for gay people in general, Dias said.

There were scattered counter protests and a few disruptions, including a small group in New York urging parade-goers to repent for their sins. But most attending were unified in celebration and in standing up against a presidential administration they find unsupportive.

This year, especially, its a bit of a different atmosphere, said Grace Cook, a 17-year-old from suburban Chicago who noted the more political tone in this years parade, including at least one anti-Trump float.

___

Associated Press writers Rebecca Gibian and Colleen Long in New York and Martha Irvine, an AP national writer in Chicago, contributed to this report.
AT&T started rolling out the June Android Security Update to all Samsung Galaxy Note 4 units on its network, as revealed by the wireless carriers official support pages for the device. The second largest mobile service provider in the country began distributing the software package earlier this week, with the company distributing it as an over-the-air (OTA) update thats being rolled out in stages and will likely take a week or so to be available throughout the United States. The Dallas, Texas-based telecom giant revealed that the new software is shipping with the firmware version N910AUCS2EQF1 and is packed with all of the latest fixes for various vulnerabilities of the Android operating system, with the update itself being expected to make the device more secure overall.

Galaxy Note 4 units on AT&Ts network started receiving the new software update only several days after the South Korean original equipment manufacturer (OEM) began pushing out the same package to unlocked variants of the device in the United States. AT&T is the first mobile service provider in the country to optimize the latest set of security patches for the Galaxy Note 4 and all other wireless carriers in the country are thought to follow suit in the coming days. Apart from a number of vulnerability fixes, the software isnt expected to change the overall user experience of the Galaxy Note 4, with the device itself still running Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow following the installation of the latest package. Having been released in 2014, the Galaxy Note 4 isnt part of Samsungs main Android update cycle anymore and shouldnt ever be officially updated to Android 7.0 Nougat or later versions of the ubiquitous operating system.

AT&Ts subscribers who are yet to receive the new security update on their Galaxy Note 4 units can try searching for the patch manually by launching the system Settings app, navigating to the About phone section, and tapping the Download software updates option on the following screen. Samsung is expected to revise its Galaxy Note lineup in the coming months, with most industry watchers predicting that the company is soon set to launch the Galaxy Note 8. More details on the tech giants product efforts are hence said to follow shortly.
MD/MS Courses: Students on merit list denied seats

Students on the merit list of the Tribhuvan University Institute of Medicine have been denied admission to two medical colleges for post-graduate courses citing that they have already filled their quotas.
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King & Wood Mallesons ( KWM ) is acting for Dexus, Sydneys largest office landlord, on its $500m institutional placement.The placement, fully underwritten by Goldman Sachs Australia and Macquarie Capital, will be used to partly fund up to about $739m of property acquisitions, the global law firm said. Dexus plans to undertake a non-underwritten security purchase plan for eligible Securityholders in Australia and New Zealand when the institutional placement closes.KWM fielded a team led by mergers and acquisitions partners Susan Hilliard and David Friedlander, who were supported by senior associates Daniel Natale and Amanda Isouard. Solicitors Anna Chen, Robert Garritano, and Dylan Moloney also assisted.Dexus is a long-standing client of KWM, with the global firm advising the property company on equity capital raisings in 2008, 2009, and 2015. It also advised Dexus on international and domestic debt capital raisings and acquisition of the Commonwealth Property Office Fund, with its capital partner, in 2014.Dexus recently agreed to buy a 25% stake in the MLC Centre at 19 Martin Place in Sydney for $361.3m. Dexus Wholesale Property Fund also agreed to buy 25% for the same price. Dexus also bought the complex at 100 Harris St. in Pyrmont for $327.5m.The Dexus group recently sold its A-grade tower at 105 Phillip Street in Parramatta to two Charter Hall Group funds. The deal, which was valued at $229m, also involved KWM, which advised Charter Hall.
We'll remind you that the 1LE package makes the new Camaro ZL1 a full 13 seconds quicker around the infamous German track. So it's not unreasonable to expect all the differences between the Camaro and the 'Vette to allow the 2018 ZR1 to deliver a sub-7m lap time.As for the firepower of the C7-generation ZR1, the most likely version is that we'll see a new LT5 motor under the hood of the supercar, with the bulge shown by the prototype concealing a supercharger, as also hinted by its soundtrack.The machine is expected to pack anywhere between 700 and 750 ponies, which would make for a respectable difference compared to the 650 hp Z06.And we should also see GM engineers leaving the cooling issues of the latter behind. This would mean that, once behind the wheel of the 2018 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1, you can put the hammer down for as long as you want, without having to worry about performance loss.Oh, and let's keep in mind that Chevy's marketing team is preparing to make a big announcement on the matter. Why else would the the 2018 ZR1 prototype run around the Nordschleife with a camera taped to its nose Given how many times we've seen the pumped-up Corvette doing its thing on the Nurburgring, it shouldn't take that long until things go official.Until we get our hands on more info on the uber-Corvette, we've brought along a piece of Ring footage delivering a comparison that also involves the Camaro ZL1 1LE. And yes, you can use this clip for aural battle purposes.
ABS

Keep in mind that we're not talking about your average E36 beater that offers one a cheap Ring ticket. Instead, we're looking at an M235i Racing engaged in a VLN motorsport event, so the intense moment you're about to check out involves hefty velocity values.Track gossip talks about these Ring Squirrels having a record of their own - in this configuration, it's the width of the Nordschleife that matters. As such, we're looking at a distance of between 26-30 feet (make that 8 to 9 meters), depending on the section of the circuit chosen for the adventure.Once the animal found itself racing across the track, both it and the driver of the Bimmer did their best to not disturb the other and it seems that the human was a bit better at this.The racecar was already heading towards the apex (we're talking about the Brunnchen corner here, which is one of fiercest on the Ring) when the guy behind the wheel noticed the squirrel and we can clearly see the full deceleration abilities of the M235i Racing being put to work - you can zoom in on the dance of the car, which will tell you a thing or two about the motorsportcalibration.In fact, rumor has it that the Green Hell closes its gates at night because that's when Ring Squirrels get the heart to race across the length of the circuit. Who knows? Maybe, if you happen to be inside a slow car, or if your reflexes are not sharp enough for the Nordschleife, you might end up getting passed by one of these creatures one day.
Members of Special Counsel Bob Mueller's team leading the Russia investigation have donated almost exclusively to Democratic candidates, according to the FEC.

Why it matters: Former House Speaker Newt Gingrish tweeted it's "Time to rethink" if the Mueller-led investigation will be fair, given their donation history. But Deputy AG Rod Rosenstein, who appointed Mueller, said he sees no problem with the donations.

The donations:

James Quarles: Donated almost $33,000 to Democrats, including Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. He has also donated about $2,750 to Republicans  the only lawyer on Mueller's team to have done so. Jeannie Rhee: Donated more than $16,000 since 2008 to Democrats, including the maximum donation possible to Clinton in both 2015 and 2016. Rhee has also donated to Obama. Andrew Weissmann: Donated more than $4,000 to Obama in 2008 and $2,000 to the DNC in 2006. Elizabeth Prelogar: Donated $250 each to Clinton in 2016 and Obama in 2012.

There are no FEC filings for Aaron Zebley. It was not immediately clear whether Lisa Page had donated. The Michael Dreeben listed in the FEC database is not the same Dreeben Mueller hired, per CNN. Bob Mueller has not made donations.

Read more about the members of Mueller's team.
Mike Pompeo was the first guest on Hugh Hewitt's new MSNBC show. As CIA director, Pompeo was brought on the show to answer vital questions about intelligence and how the White House plans on handling their continued issue with leakers revealing info.

"We, and I would say all of President Trump's government, is incredibly focused on both stopping leaks of any kind from any agency, and when they happen pursuing them with incredible vigor," Pompeo said, adding, "and I think we'll have some successes both on the deterrence side, that is stopping them from happening, as well as on punishing those who we catch who have done it."

Pompeo argued there's an almost obsession with leakers:

"In some ways, I do think it's accelerated. I think there is a phenomenon, the worship of Edward Snowden, and those who steal American secrets for the purpose of self-aggrandizement or money or for whatever their motivation may be, does seem to be on the increase."

And he detailed who's trying to access classified info:

"It's tough. You now have not only nation states trying to steal our stuff, but non-state, hostile intelligence services, well-funded  folks like WikiLeaks, out there trying to steal American secrets for the sole purpose of undermining the United States and democracy."

Pompeo described how Trump and Obama differ in the way they communicated with the intelligence community:

"President Obama consumed his intelligence in a different way. President Trump is incredibly demanding of the intelligence community, asks us incredibly difficult questions, and then counts on myself and other leaders in the IC to deliver those answers for him."

And he responded to criticism that some say Trump is "uninterested in facts":

"I cannot imagine a statement that is any more false than the one that would attribute President Trump not being interested in intelligence and facts when it comes to national security. He is an avid consumer of the products we provide, thinks about them, and comes back and asks great questions. And then, perhaps most importantly, relies upon that information."
Sergey Kislyak has served as Russia's ambassador to the U.S. for nearly a decade, but it is only in recent months that he became a household name.

The two big issues: discussing sanctions with Michael Flynn in conversations that ultimately got Flynn fired as National Security Advisor, and having undisclosed contacts with Jeff Sessions and Jared Kushner during the campaign and transition.

discussing sanctions with Michael Flynn in conversations that ultimately got Flynn fired as National Security Advisor, and having undisclosed contacts with Jeff Sessions and Jared Kushner during the campaign and transition. Now, Kislyak is being replaced as ambassador , and recalled to Moscow rather than being moved to the United Nations in New York as previously anticipated, "three individuals familiar with the decision" told BuzzFeed News.

, and recalled to Moscow rather than being moved to the United Nations in New York as previously anticipated, "three individuals familiar with the decision" told BuzzFeed News. The reason, per a U.S.-based diplomat: "He could use some time away."
26 June 2017 00:01 (UTC+04:00)

By Rashid Shirinov

June 26 marks the 99th anniversary of the establishment of one of the most powerful armies of the East, Azerbaijans Armed Forces.

The history of the modern Azerbaijani army dates back to the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic created in the early 20th century. The Armed Forces of the Azerbaijan Republic were created on June 26, 1918 to protect the country from the military aggression of Armenia and Russia.

Today, the Azerbaijans Armed Forces consist of Air Force and Air Defense Forces, the Navy, and the Land Forces. Currently, the Azerbaijani army is considered the strongest and most modern army in the South Caucasus region. Global Firepower, a think tank providing a unique analytical display of data concerning world military power, ranks Azerbaijan 59th by military strength among 128 countries.

The skills and combat readiness of the Azerbaijani army are growing year by year, as the countrys Armed Forces regularly conduct military drills to improve its capabilities. Azerbaijan pays special attention to the professional training of its military personnel.

Alongside the exercises inside the country, Azerbaijani Armed Forces participate in various military exercises conducted at the international level, including those with the Turkish, Russian and Georgian armed forces.

Over the past few years, Azerbaijan has also succeeded to modernize and strengthen the Caspian fleet inherited from the Soviet time. Today, the Azerbaijani Navy is considered the second, after Russia, strongest fleet in the Caspian Sea for its capabilities.

The army building process is of particular importance for Azerbaijan, as twenty percent of the countrys territory  Nagorno-Karabakh and seven adjacent regions  is under Armenian occupation and the country is in a state of war with neighboring Armenia. The Azerbaijani army is able to liberate the occupied lands at any time, and Armenia-triggered April fights last year were a clear evidence of that. During the four days of fighting, the Azerbaijani army liberated several strategic heights and settlements on the frontline, thus making the aggressor Armenian side retreat.

Azerbaijans military expenditure has developed rapidly in recent years, and in a short time, the military budget has increased by more than 20 times. Azerbaijan provides the national army with sufficient military budget every year. Defense spending of Azerbaijan determined in the state budget for 2017 made up 2.64 billion manats ($1.55 billion), which exceeds the spending for 2016.

It is noteworthy that Azerbaijans military budget exceeds the overall state budget of occupant Armenia by more than $1 billion.

The Azerbaijani army possesses modern weapons and technical equipment for maintaining a high level of combat capability. These weapons are both purchased from other countries, such as Turkey, Israel, Russia, the U.S., and also are of domestic production. Currently, twenty-eight military factories are operating within Azerbaijans Defense Industry Ministry. The ministry has increased the volume of defense industry products in 2016 by 1.6 times compared to 2015, while the product assortment rose by 1.8 times.

Currently, the military factories of Azerbaijan produce sniper rifles, sniper machine guns, mine protected armored vehicles, unmanned aerial vehicles, anti-tank mines, small arms, special reconnaissance patrol vehicles, and many other weapons.

Today, the Azerbaijani armys contribution to international security and stability continues to grow. The Azerbaijani Armed Forces have collaborated with NATO under the Partnership for Peace Program since 1994 and have military cooperation with a number of foreign states.

Azerbaijan supports certain peacekeeping operations under the NATO and the UN. Since September 1994, the peacekeeping divisions of the Azerbaijan Armed Forces have served in international peacekeeping efforts forces in Kosovo, Afghanistan and Iraq.

Since 1998, Azerbaijan annually celebrates the Day of the Armed Forces on June 26, in accordance with a relevant decree issued by the former President of Azerbaijan Heydar Aliyev. Thanks to the state attention to the military, the Azerbaijani army is currently one of the most skillful armies in the world and the most powerful army in the region.

---

Rashid Shirinov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @RashidShirinov

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
24 June 2017 15:12 (UTC+04:00)

President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has received former member of the National Assembly of the French Republic, President of the Association of Friends of Azerbaijan in France Jean-Francois Mancel, Azertac reported.

The head of state described Jean-Francois Mancel`s visit to the country as a good opportunity for discussing Azerbaijani-French ties again. President Ilham Aliyev thanked Jean-Francois Mancel for delivering Azerbaijan`s realities to the French society and political circles and for his great role in the development of Azerbaijani-French ties. The head of state stressed the importance of regular visits of French parliamentary delegations. President Ilham Aliyev hailed the particular role of his official visit to France this year in the development of bilateral relations. The head of state noted that the visit was arranged at the highest level and was very successful, adding that very fruitful discussion of the future development of Azerbaijani-French relations was held during the visit. President Ilham Aliyev expressed his confidence that bilateral relations will continue to successfully develop.

Former member of the National Assembly of the French Republic, President of the Association of Friends of Azerbaijan in France Jean-Francois Mancel said he was honored to visit Azerbaijan and meet with President Ilham Aliyev again. Jean-Francois Mancel said representatives of the French Senate will spare no efforts to contribute to the development of relations between the two countries. He highlighted projects and action plans to be implemented in this regard.

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25 June 2017 12:20 (UTC+04:00)

By Trend

Irans President Hassan Rouhani has expressed dissatisfaction with the status of privatization in the country, calling for "real" privatization, IRNA news agency reported June 23.

In a meeting with economic figures, Rouhani pointed out to the former president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's administration, saying that at the time, government's assets were given to bodies that were not really private.



He said that in the Ahmadinejad administration, real privatization counted for just 13 percent of transfer of government assets.



He expressed regret that the private sector in Iran is "really weak" and has not been able to find markets in regional countries such as Russia over the past couple of years, despite good grounds.

The privatization of government-owned assets in Iran has increased by 2.5 times during the Rouhanis first round (May 2013 to May 2017) administration.

Since the Privatization Organization was formed in 2001, worth 1.14 quadrillion rials ($35.2 billion, each USD 32,262 rials) assets have been privatized, 40 percent of which fell in the time of the Rouhani administration, the organizations head Jafar Sobhani said, IRNA news agency reported February 3.

Prior to the Rouhani administration, only 18 percent of the privatized assets would go to private owners, while 39 percent of them went to semi-governmental entities, he said.

"This is while during the first three years of the current administration, 45 of the privatized assets went to private entities, resulting in a 2.5 times increase."

---

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Williams-Sonoma, Inc. operates as an omni-channel specialty retailer of various products for home. It offers cooking, dining, and entertaining products, such as cookware, tools, electrics, cutlery, tabletop and bar, outdoor, furniture, and a library of cookbooks under the Williams Sonoma Home brand, as well as home furnishings and decorative accessories under the Williams Sonoma lifestyle brand; and furniture, bedding, lighting, rugs, table essentials, and decorative accessories under the Pottery Barn brand. The company also provides home decor products under the West Elm brand; kids accessories under the Pottery Barn Kids brand; and an organic bedding to multi-purpose furniture under the Pottery Barn Teen brand. In addition, it offers made-to-order lighting, hardware, furniture, and home decors inspired by history under the Rejuvenation brand; and women's and men's accessories, travel, entertaining and bar, home decor, and seasonal items under the Mark and Graham brand, as well as operates a 3-D imaging and augmented reality platform for the home furnishings and decor industry. The company markets its products through e-commerce websites, direct-mail catalogs, and retail stores. It operates 544 stores comprising 502 stores in 41states, Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico; 20 stores in Canada; 19 stores in Australia; 3 stores in the United Kingdom; and 139 franchised stores, as well as e-commerce websites in various countries in the Middle East, the Philippines, Mexico, South Korea, and India. Williams-Sonoma, Inc. was founded in 1956 and is headquartered in San Francisco, California.
1. Yes. Taxpayers are funding its operation; they should have a voice in the naming process.

2. Yes. The city should operate with a spirit of inclusivity. Residents will be responsive.

3. No. Public input can be problematic; rejection of suggestions can be divisive for residents.

4. No. Residents elect council members to make decisions on their behalf. No input is needed.

5. Unsure. Its hard to say whether public input would be more of a benefit or a hindrance.

Vote

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Rockwell Automation, Inc. provides industrial automation and digital transformation solutions in the United States and internationally. The company operates in three segments, Intelligent Devices, Software & Control, and Lifecycle Services. Its solutions include hardware and software products, and services. The Intelligent Devices segment offers drives, motion, safety, sensing, industrial components, and configured-to-order products. The Software & Control segment provides control and visualization software and hardware, information software, digital twin and simulation software, and network and security infrastructure solutions. The Lifecycle Services segment provides consulting, professional services and solutions, and connected and maintenance services. The company sells its solutions primarily through independent distributors in relation with its direct sales force. It serves discrete end markets, including automotive, semiconductor, warehousing and logistics, and other discrete markets, as well as general industries comprising printing and publishing, marine, glass, fiber and textiles, airports, and aerospace; hybrid end markets, such as food and beverage, life sciences, household and personal care, and tire, as well as eco industrial, including water/wastewater, waste management, mass transit, and renewable energy; and process end markets comprising oil and gas, mining, metals, chemicals, pulp and paper, and others. Rockwell Automation, Inc. was founded in 1903 and is headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
The following companies are subsidiares of Fidelity National Information Services: 11601 Roosevelt Boulevard Realty LLC, AFSF II AIV Investors D-LP, AGES Participacoes Ltda., AKC Insurance Company LLC., Advanced Portfolio Technologies Ltd., Alphakinetic Ltd., Armed Forces Financial Network LLC, AssetExchange, Automated Securities Clearance LLC, Best Payment Solutions Inc., Bibit Spain S.L.., C&E Holdings Luxembourg S.a.r.l., CPRS Holdings Inc., Capco, Certegy Canada Company, Certegy France Limited, Certegy SAS, Chex Systems Inc., Clear2Pay, Clear2Pay APAC Pte. Ltd., Clear2Pay APAC Pty Ltd., Clear2Pay BV, Clear2Pay Belgium BV, Clear2Pay France SAS, Clear2Pay Germany GmbH, Clear2Pay Limited, Clear2Pay Nanjing Co. Limited, Clear2Pay Nederland BV, Clear2Pay Poland Sp. z o.o., Clear2Pay Scotland Holdings Limited, Clear2Pay Scotland Limited, Clear2Pay Shenzhen Company Limited, Clear2Pay Spain S.l., ClearTwoPay Chile SpA, Complete Payment Recovery Services Inc., Compliance Coach, Credit Management Solutions, Decalog UK Limited, Direct Debi Pty Ltd., Envoy Services Ltd. Asia SDn BHD, Envoy Services South Africa Pty Limited, F.I.S. Systems Middle East Limited, FIS Ambit Holdings Pty Ltd, FIS Apex International Limited, FIS Apex UK Limited, FIS Asia Pacific Inc., FIS AsiaPacRim Holdings Ltd., FIS Australasia Pty Ltd., FIS Banking Solutions UK Limited, FIS Bilgisayar Hizmetleri Ticaret Limited Sirketi, FIS Brokerage & Securities Services LLC, FIS Capital Markets UK Limited, FIS Capital Markets US LLC, FIS Card Services Thailand Co. Ltd., FIS Consulting Services Ireland Limited, FIS Consulting Services UK Limited, FIS Denmark ApS, FIS Derivatives Utility Services LLC, FIS Derivatives Utility Services Singapore Pte. Ltd., FIS Derivatives Utility Services UK Limited, FIS Energy Solutions Limited, FIS Financial Solutions Canada Inc., FIS Financial Systems France SAS, FIS Foundation Inc., FIS GCS LLC, FIS Global Business Solutions India Private Ltd., FIS Global Execution Services Ireland Limited, FIS Global Execution Services Limited, FIS Global Holdings S.a.r.l, FIS Global Solutions Philippines Inc., FIS Global Trading Deutschland GmbH, FIS Global Trading Hong Kong Limited, FIS Global Trading Iberica S.L. Unipersonal, FIS Global Trading Nederland B.V., FIS Global Trading Portugal Unipessoal Lda, FIS Global Trading Singapore Pte. Ltd., FIS Global Trading Suisse SA, FIS Global Trading UK Limited, FIS Healthcare Trustee Limited, FIS Holdings Limited, FIS Holdings Mauritius, FIS International Subsidiaries Holdings LLC, FIS Investment Systems UK Limited, FIS Investment Ventures LLC, FIS Investor Services Germany GmbH, FIS Investor Services India Private Limited, FIS Investor Services LLC, FIS Investor Services Poland Sp . Z o.o., FIS Japan KK, FIS Kingstar Cayman Islands Limited, FIS Korea Ltd., FIS Management Services LLC, FIS Management Services Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., FIS Merchant Solutions Mexico S.A. de C.V., FIS Norway AS, FIS Pakistan Private Limited, FIS Payment Solutions & Services India Private Limited, FIS Payments Ireland Limited, FIS Payments LLC, FIS Payments UK Limited, FIS Pensions Limited, FIS Romania SRL, FIS SG International Holdings LLC, FIS SG Italia S.r.l., FIS SG Systems Philippines Inc., FIS Sherwood Systems Limited, FIS Solutions India Private Limited, FIS Solutions LLC, FIS Solutions Software India Private Limited, FIS Switzerland SA, FIS Systeme GmbH, FIS Systems Hong Kong Limited, FIS Systems International LLC, FIS Systems Kenya Limited, FIS Systems Limited, FIS Systems Luxembourg S.A., FIS Systems Malaysia Sdn. Bhd., FIS Systems NZ Limited, FIS Systems Pty Ltd, FIS Systems Singapore Pte. Ltd., FIS Systems South Africa Pty Limited, FIS Systems de Colombia S.A.S., FIS Technology Beijing Co. Limited, FIS Technology Services Poland Sp. z o.o., FIS Technology Services Singapore Pte. Ltd., FIS Technology Services Tunisia SARL, FIS Treasury Centre Limited, FIS Treasury Systems Europe Limited, FIS Treasury Systems UK Limited, FIS Tunisia I SARL, FIS Tunisia II SARL, FIS UK Holdings Limited, FIS Vietnam LLC, FIS Worldpay Jersey Limited, FIS Worldpay Malaysia Sdn Bhd, FIS Worldpay South Africa Pty Ltd, FIS Worldpay Thailand Co. Ltd., FIS-SG Holding Corp., FNIS Istanbul Danismanlik Limited Sirketi, FV General Partner LLC, Fidelity Holding Ltda., Fidelity Information Services Front Arena AB, Fidelity Information Services GmbH, Fidelity Information Services Hong Kong Limited, Fidelity Information Services Iberia S.L.U., Fidelity Information Services India Private Limited, Fidelity Information Services International Holdings Inc., Fidelity Information Services Israel Ltd., Fidelity Information Services LLC, Fidelity Information Services Limited, Fidelity Information Services Operations GmbH, Fidelity Information Services SARL, Fidelity Information Services Slovakia s.r.o., Fidelity Information Services South Africa Pty Ltd., Fidelity Information Services Thailand Limited, Fidelity Information Services de Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Fidelity International Resource Management Inc., Fidelity National Global Card Services Inc., Fidelity National Information Services Inc., Fidelity National Information Services Netherlands B.V., Fidelity National Participacoes e Servicos de Informatica Ltda., Fidelity National Servicos de Tratamento de Documentos e Informatica Ltda., Fidelity National Servicos e Contact Center Ltda., Fidelity Participacoes e Servicos Ltda., Financial Insurance Marketing Group Inc., GL Settle Limited, GL Trade CMS Thailand Limited, GL Trade Software DOO, GL Trade Solutions CMS Thailand Limited, GL Trade South Africa Proprietary Limited, Glesia S.r.l., GoCart LLC, Information Services Luxembourg S.a.r.l., IntegraPay LLC, IntegraPay Holdings Pty Ltd, IntegraPay Ltd, IntegraPay Pty Ltd, Integrity Treasury Solutions Europe Limited, Integrity Treasury Solutions Inc., Integrity Treasury Solutions Limited, Integrity Treasury Solutions Pty Limited, Link2Gov Corp., LinksPay Inc., LinksPay Ltd, LinksPay Pty Ltd, Memento, Metavante Technologies Inc, Metavante Technologies Limited, Minorca Corporation NV, Monis Software Limited, NYCE Payments Network LLC, Oshap Software Industries Ltd., PSG-A III Blocker 5 L.L.C., PT FIS Systems Indonesia, PT Fidelity Information Services Indonesia, Panther Holdco 2 Inc., Panther Holdco Inc., Payment Brasil Holdings Ltda., Payment Chile S.A., Payment Trust Limited., Payments Technology Services Limited, Paymetric Inc., Payrix, Payrix AUS Blocker LLC, Payrix Australia Holdings Pty Ltd, Payrix Canada Corp., Payrix Holdings LLC, Payrix Intermediate LLC, Payrix LLC, Payrix Solutions LLC, Pazien Inc., People's United Merchant Services LLC, Platform Securities Holdings Limited, Platform Securities International Limited, Platform Securities International Nominees Limited, Platform Securities LLP, Platform Securities Nominees Limited, Platform Securities Services Limited, Proservvi Banco de Servicos, RealNet Payments LLC, Reech Capital Limited, Reliance Financial Corporation, Reliance Financial Corporation., Reliance Integrated Solutions LLC, Reliance Trust Company, Rocket Partners Holdings LLC, Secondco Limited, Ship Holdco Limited., Ship Luxco 2 S.a.r.l., Ship Luxco 3 S.a.r.l., Ship Midco Limited, Solutions Plus Consulting Services Limited, SunGard, SunGard Data Systems Beijing Co. Ltd., SunGard Global Services Tunisia III, SunGard Global Trading Australia Pty. Ltd., SunGard India Sales Private Limited, TP Technologies N.V., Tayvin 346 Limited, Trax BV, Valuelink Information Services Limited, Valutec Card Solutions LLC, Virtus Fund Services, Virtus Group LP, Virtus LP Holdings LLC, Virtus Partners Fund Services Ireland Limited, Virtus Partners Fund Services Luxembourg S.a.r.l., Virtus Partners Holdings, Virtus Partners Ireland Ltd., Virtus Partners Ltd., Virtus Trade Settlement LLC, WebTone Technologies, Worldpay, Worldpay AP Ltd., Worldpay Argentina SRL, Worldpay B.V., Worldpay Canada Corporation, Worldpay Cayman Holdings Limited, Worldpay Company LLC, Worldpay Do Brasil Instituicao de Pagamento Ltda, Worldpay Finance Limited, Worldpay Gaming Solutions LLC, Worldpay Governance Limited, Worldpay Group Limited., Worldpay HK Limited, Worldpay Holdings Barbados SRL, Worldpay Holdings Brasil Participacoes Ltda, Worldpay ISO Inc., Worldpay India Private Limited, Worldpay Integrated Payments Canada LLC, Worldpay Integrated Payments LLC., Worldpay Integrated Payments Solutions Inc., Worldpay International Group Limited, Worldpay International Holdings Limited, Worldpay International Limited, Worldpay International Payments Limited, Worldpay International Solutions Limited, Worldpay K.K., Worldpay LLC, Worldpay Latin America Limited., Worldpay Limited., Worldpay Marketing Consulting Shanghai Co. Limited, Worldpay NZ Limited, Worldpay Payments Barbados SRL, Worldpay Pte Ltd., Worldpay Pty Ltd., Worldpay S.a.r.l., Worldpay Services Company, Worldpay Services SRL, Worldpay Solutions SRL, Worldpay Technology Bucharest S.R.L., Worldpay Treasury Solutions SRL, Worldpay UK Limited, Worldpay US Inc., Worldpay eCommerce LLC, Worldpay eCommerce Limited., Xpede, YES-Secure.com Limited., YESpay International Limited., Zenmonics Inc., Zenmonics Software Private Limited, eFunds Corporation, eFunds Holdings Limited, eFunds International Limited, i DLX International B.V., and mFoundry Inc..

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Landslide buries mountain village in southwest China, fears for 141 people

Fears grew for 141 people missing in China after a landslide buried their mountain village in southwestern Sichuan province on Saturday, with reports that only three survivors had been pulled out of the mud and rock hours after the calamity struck.

The landslide swept over 46 homes as dawn broke at around 6 a.m. in Xinmo village in Maoxian county, a remote mountainous area of north Sichuan close to the region of Tibet, according to the official Xinhua state news agency.

President Xi Jinping urged on the rescue effort, but state broadcaster CCTV reported that by midday the only people rescued were a couple and their two-month-old baby.

Xinhua said the estimated number of missing was provided by local authorities.

The landslide blocked a two-kilometre (1.24 miles) stretch of a nearby river and 1.6 kilometres of road, according to Xinhua.

State television reports showed villagers and rescuers scrambling over mounds of mud and rocks that had slid down the mountainside. Xinhua said there were 400 people involved in the rescue effort and 6 ambulances were at the scene, and more were on their way.

The television images showed water thick with mud flowing over the site, submerging a car pushed from the road, while police and residents pulled on ropes to try to dislodge large boulders.

Police have closed roads in the county to all traffic except emergency services, the news agency said.

There is an extensive network of dams in the region, including two hydropower plants in Diexi town near the buried village.

A researcher from the Chengdu Chinese Academy of Social Science, a state-backed think tank, told China Radio International that heavy rainfall probably caused the slide. The researcher, whose name wasn't given, also warned of the risk that a dam could collapse, endangering communities further downstream.

The area is prone to earthquakes, including one in 1933 that resulted in parts of Diexi town becoming submerged by a nearby lake, and an 8.0 magnitude tremor in central Sichuan's Wenchuan county in 2008 that killed nearly 70,000 people.
Reports say 100 Christians may be hostages in Philippines battle between army and Islamist rebels

Fighting between government forces and Islamist rebels holed up in the heart of a southern Philippine town eased on Sunday as the military sought to enforce a temporary truce to mark the Eid al-Fitr Islamic holiday.

Small skirmishes took place early in the day in parts of Marawi City, where fighters loyal to Islamic State were clinging on for a fifth week, as rebel snipers fired on positions held by troops who declared a unilateral, eight-hour halt on offensives until early in the afternoon.

Muslims attended prayers at a Marawi mosque in an emotional gathering marred by the violence that has displaced some 246,000 people, and killed more than 350 people, most of them rebels, and about 69 members of the security forces.

Twenty-six civilians have been killed but officials believe scores of bodies of residents may still be in the heart of a conflict zone battered for weeks by air strikes and artillery bombardments.

"This is supposed to a day of happiness," said Imam Aleem Ansari Abdul Malik, who led Sunday's prayers.

"Families should be together but they were torn apart by violence, some lost their loved ones and thousands are in evacuation centres."

He reminded Muslims to shun the advances of radical groups.

"This is just a small fire, do not allow the flames the go bigger by joining extremists," he said.

The seizure of the town by the Maute group and its affiliates has caused the biggest internal security crisis in decades for the Philippines, and a realisation that the long-feared arrival of Islamic State could be a reality.

Images of black-clad fighters and Islamic State flags flying in Marawi has caused alarm in the mainly Roman Catholic nation, and the protracted occupation and presence of foreign fighters suggests the militants may have bigger designs on the southern Philippines than previously imagined.

On Saturday, gunfire rang out across the lakeside town as aircraft dropped a succession of bombs, setting buildings ablaze and sending bursts of debris and smoke into the sky behind mosque minarets and charred buildings.

A military official said on Saturday more than 100 Christians could be hostages, including a priest, according to information provided by eight residents who escaped their captors during a Friday air strike.

Conditions for those trapped in Marawi have been dire, with witnesses reporting bodies on streets, food and water in short supply and a constant threat of being killed by either the militants, or bombs dropped by government aircraft.

The threat of Islamic State gaining a foothold in the Philippines has been raised by their losses in Syria and Iraq, and intelligence reports that the militants are seeking new bases from which to project their agenda.

Though the military is confident it can retake Marawi soon, the level of the militants' preparations, combat capability and resilience has created some trepidation about whether their assault could be the beginning of a wider campaign.

Lieutenant Colonel Emmanuel Garcia, head of civil-military operations in Western Mindanao island, said on Saturday there were "strong indications" that three of seven brothers of the Maute family had been killed, as had a top Malaysian operative, Mahmud Ahmad, who is believed to be central to the group's fundraising.

However, Garcia told reporters concrete evidence was still lacking. He said Abdullah Maute and Isnilon Hapilon, the Islamic State anointed "emir" of Southeast Asia, were no longer calling the shots in Marawi.

"Based on intelligence information on the ground, they have evacuated their top leadership from the city's commercial centre due to intense bombings and artillery shelling," he said.
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.
Best Buy Co., Inc. retails technology products in the United States and Canada. The company operates in two segments, Domestic and International. Its stores provide computing products, such as desktops, notebooks, and peripherals; mobile phones comprising related mobile network carrier commissions; networking products; tablets covering e-readers; smartwatches; and consumer electronics consisting of digital imaging, health and fitness, home theater, portable audio comprising headphones and portable speakers, and smart home products. The company's stores also offer appliances, such as dishwashers, laundry, ovens, refrigerators, blenders, coffee makers, and vacuums; entertainment products consisting of drones, peripherals, movies, music, and toys, as well as gaming hardware and software, and virtual reality and other software products; and other products, such as baby, food and beverage, luggage, outdoor living, and sporting goods. In addition, it provides consultation, delivery, design, health-related, installation, memberships, repair, set-up, technical support, and warranty-related services. The company offers its products through stores and websites under the Best Buy, Best Buy Ads, Best Buy Business, Best Buy Health, CST, Current Health, Geek Squad, Lively, Magnolia, Best Buy Mobile, Pacific Kitchen, Home, and Yardbird, as well as domain names bestbuy.com, currenthealth.com, lively.com, yardbird.com, and bestbuy.ca. As of January 30, 2022, it had 1,144 stores. The company was formerly known as Sound of Music, Inc. The company was incorporated in 1966 and is headquartered in Richfield, Minnesota.
Hemera/Thinkstock(ORLANDO, Fla.) -- The Koch brothers' political network plans to pick up the pace of spending in the run-up to 2018, despite major policy disagreements with the Trump administration that includes skepticism of the health care bill now being debated in the Senate.



The Koch network of organizations - funded by some 100,000 donors, with billionaires Charles and David Koch front and center - had previously announced plans to spend between $300 million and $400 million in the 2017-18 cycle.



"We think it's going to be on the high end of that range," Tim Phillips, president of the Kochs political wing Americans for Prosperity, told reporters Saturday as the Koch network's twice-a-year conference started.



Charles Koch told donors that the network he and his brother control is growing and getting stronger. In his opening remarks to the gathering, at a posh resort in Colorado Springs, he made no mention of President Trump, who has had a tense relationship with the Kochs.



"We are more optimistic now about what we can accomplish than we've ever been," Charles Koch said. "I see us taking it to the next level."



In Colorado this weekend, hundreds of wealthy conservative donors have joined four governors, six senators, and five House members - all of them Republicans - to discuss policy and strategy under the thematic batter of "the courage to lead."



As for leadership in Washington, leaders of the Koch-backed political groups are expressing optimism about progress in some areas, particularly judicial appointments and the rollback of regulations.



But they are airing sharp differences with the Trump administration in other areas, including criminal justice reform, trade agreements, and drug enforcement.



Mark Holden, Koch Industries' general counsel, told reporters that Attorney General Jeff Sessions is embracing a failed "big-government approach" that is "based on fear" when it comes to following tougher sentencing guidelines. Holden has led efforts to reach out to Republicans and Democrats - including the Obama administration - on sentencing reform, only to see Sessions move in the other direction.



"Hopefully we can change people's minds," Holden said.



The Koch-backed groups have stopped short of endorsing the Senate health care draft revealed this past week. They came out against the initial House proposal, but relented after changes were made to reflect conservatives' concerns.



"We're still hopeful on the health care front," Phillips said, adding that the bill "needs to get better" from a conservative perspective to earn his group's support.



He called it "flatly wrong" for Republicans to support continuing Medicaid expansions - something moderate lawmakers are pushing for in the Senate.



"Their position is not the compassionate way to go, because this program is failing," he said.



The Koch brothers have had a tense relationship with Trump, dating back to a primary campaign where the president attacked his GOP rivals for their ties to the billionaires. Charles Koch told ABC News Jonathan Karl last April that "it's possible" Hillary Clinton would make a better president than Trump for small-government priorities; the Kochs wound up attacking Clinton in local races while staying away from outright support for Trump.



As part of an effort to patch up relations, Vice President Mike Pence met privately Friday night with Charles Koch. Pence was in Colorado for unrelated political events and did not attend the donor gathering.

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Monsanto, the maker of the glyphosate-based herbicide Roundup, filed a motion June 16 in U.S. District Court, Northern District of California to reconsider the chemicals addition to Californias Proposition 65 list of agents known to cause cancer.

The agrochemical giant made this move based on a June 14 Reuters investigation of Dr. Aaron Blair, a lead researcher on the World Health Organizations International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) committee, that classified glyphosate as a 2A probable human carcinogen in March 2015.

On June 22, Monsantos petition for review and application for stay were denied by the court.

Earlier this year, California became the first state to consider requiring Monsanto to label glyphosate as a chemical known to the state to cause cancer in accordance with the Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act of 1986, better known as Prop 65. The designation was compelled by the IARCs glyphosate classification.

Glyphosate is at the center of hundreds of cancer lawsuits in which plaintiffs across the U.S. claim that they or their loved ones developed non-Hodgkins lymphoma due to exposure to Monsantos Roundup, pointing in part to the IARC cancer classification.

But the St. Louis-based agrochemical maker has vehemently defended the safety of its star product and has previously attempted to block the herbicide from Californias cancer list.

The Reuters piece accused Dr. Blair, a top epidemiologist from the U.S. National Cancer Institute, for failing to share important scientific data from the Agricultural Health Study (AHS) he conducted with other scientists to assess the herbicide glyphosate for the IARC. IARC scientists, including Dr. Blair, reviewed a wide body of published, peer-reviewed scientific research on glyphosate and determined in March of 2015 that glyphosate should be classified as a probable human carcinogen. The Reuters article assumed that IARC scientists were unaware of the additional AHS data and that if the IARC had known of this missing data, its conclusion could have been different. However, Dr. Blair, who worked on the AHS study and the IARC analysis testified [starting on page 70] that he supported IARCs carcinogenicity finding notwithstanding the AHS results, repeatedly asserting that the AHS study was unfinished and unpublished, and IARC required that findings only rely upon studies that were complete, therefore the incomplete AHS data could not have been relied upon by IARC scientists.

Monsanto and its industry allies accused Blair of deliberately concealing data. Blair called the accusations absolutely incorrect. Reuters reported that IARC is sticking with its findings. As stated above, the organization only considers published, peer-reviewed research.

Some scientists have since voiced concerns with the AHS cited in the story. Michael Hansen, senior scientist at Consumers Union, said the Reuters report omits the fact that the data from the other epidemiology studies (all case control studies), and the meta-analyses, clearly show a statistically significant increase in non-Hodgkins lymphoma with glyphosate exposure.

Other concerns of the study include the failure to use an appropriate latency period for cancers, the control group having an elevated risk of non-Hodgkins lymphoma and exposure misclassification.

Some consumer advocates have also suggested flaws within the Reuters story itself. Carey Gillam, a veteran journalist who spent 17 years at Reuters before joining the nonprofit consumer group U.S. Right to Know in 2016, claimed Monsanto clearly planted that false and misleading story with Reuters and now is exploiting the carefully spun story to try to gain political advantage.

A careful reading of the documents that the story is based on indicates that Reuters cherry-picked points that furthered Monsantos agenda while ignoring points that ran counter to Monsantos position, Gillam continued. It certainly is also noteworthy that while Reuters described the documents as court documents, implying their reporter got them through the court system rather than from Monsanto and friends, they were not in fact filed in court and so had to be hand-fed to Reuters. Its unfortunate that Reuters has allowed itself to be used to promote Monsantos propaganda, but hopefully regulators can see through the ruse.

Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. called Monsantos motion a classic smoke and mirrors flimflam. The environmental attorney is co-leading lawsuits on behalf of dozens of California residents and hundreds of people with non-Hodgkin lymphoma throughout the U.S. who allege Roundup causes cancer.

Its basis is the companys deceptive spin on a study so badly flawed that it could not pass peer review and was never published, Kennedy added. Like all of its other products and campaigns, Monsantos motion is equal parts poison, deception and chutzpah.
Numerous initiatives to finance conservation projects have been launched in recent years. This roundtable, organised by Environmental Finance with the help of Conservation International, explores how such projects could be scaled up and how more private capital can be attracted to such initiatives.

Participants Graham Cooper  Editorial consultant, Environmental Finance

Paul Herbertson  Director, Fauna & Flora International

Rupesh Madlani  CEO, Global Sustainable Capital Management

Lisa Wong  Head of impact, Affirmative Investment Management

Herbert Lust  Vice-president, Conservation International Europe

Daniel Rossetto  Managing director, Climate Mundial

Joe Walsh  Staff writer, Environmental Finance

Lisa Walker  CEO, Ecosphere+

Agustin Silvani  Vice-president, Conservation International

Abyd Karmali  Managing director, climate finance, Bank of America Merrill Lynch

Tulio Andrade  Diplomat, Embassy of Brazil

Richard Burrett  Partner, Earth Capital Partners

Lisa Genasci  CEO, ADM Capital Foundation

Edit Kiss  Director of business development & operations, Althelia

Phil Cottle  Head of agriculture, Pardus Underwriting Read part two here.

Agustin Silvani: Green finance seems to have taken off. Look at the green bonds space  it is growing exponentially. But less than 1% goes to conservation. We want to make sure that conservation is not left behind because if we do not take care of the ecosystems, all of these other efforts are going to be for nought.

There have been some success stories over the last few years but we are still far from scale. The funding gap is billions of dollars. At CI, we are sure that private philanthropy and public funding, although critically important, will not be enough. That is why we are interested in figuring out how we can crowd-in private capital and scale-up investment.

At CI, we have experience of using different sources of finance since the 1990s, beginning with debt-for-nature swaps. We have had in-house loan funds and then public-private partnership funds like the Eco-Business fund. Recently, with the IFC, we launched a $152 million forestry bond.

There is a lot of appetite for these sorts of deals. But there is not enough of a track record to say: "This approach works, go and scale it." One of the things we want to learn is: How far are we from institutional investor requirements?

Graham Cooper: Following up on the REDD+ bond that you did with the IFC and BHP Billiton, do you expect to replicate that?

Agustin Silvani: Yes, hopefully. But a key thing in that deal was that BHP decided: "We want to do this because we think it is in the interest of the company and shareholders."

But how many BHPs are there? That is what we are testing. It has not yet reached a point where it is mainstream and just another bond.

Lisa Wong: It was certainly a very innovative structure and I think there is potential. There are already green bonds that can finance conservation projects among broader aims. Supranationals and states have been issuing them, and even some corporates.

They have embedded capacity to invest in biodiversity-type projects, but I think there is still quite a lot of education needed to guide investors around the subject. In the IFC case it was very helpful that it is for a very specific project, because we know there are a lot of risks around forestry projects, including impact on indigenous and local communities.

Abyd Karmali: BAML was one of the placement agents on this bond and we spent a lot of time talking to different investors  corporates as well as institutional investors  to test the appetite. Some of you may know that I was involved in a previous attempt to launch a forestry bond in 2009. What has changed since then?

Investors are still not comfortable taking forestry project risk per se. You still need to have maybe not triple-A, but certainly a strong investment rating. Secondly, BHP Billiton's role was crucial. Back in 2009, we were trying to offer investors a coupon that was linked to potential REDD+ credits. But investors do not feel comfortable with a market that has no track record. Unfortunately, REDD+ is still languishing. So BHP was a key part of the de-risking.

Another innovation was that each year investors could elect to take cash or carbon credits. That meant that some investors could say: "I will take cash this year, but maybe if I feel more comfortable later, I will switch to the credit income."

Lisa Walker: I think it was critical having somebody from the fossil fuel sector, in this case BHP, that believed investment in emissions reductions from avoided deforestation was in their shareholders' best interests. We have to really prove the investment case. If you are an emitting sector with high transition costs and you look at the carbon budget, then it makes a lot of sense to invest in forest carbon as cost effective emissions reductions can be achieved immediately and deliver lower 'net' emissions .

A lot of the focus for low-carbon economic transition is on the energy sector. We are not focusing so much on what is happening with carbon sinks  terrestrial and ocean  and the crucial role they play in the shift to a low-carbon economy; they are a key counterfactual in assumptions around a global or sectoral carbon budget. There is a lot that can be done. The land use sector can go from being a net source of emissions to a net sink with the right focus and actions.

A carbon price in a forest goes a long way. It is not well understood yet, but I believe it is becoming better understood within the oil and gas sector.

Richard Burrett: I think that reveals a big problem. Institutional investors do not have the time, knowledge or appetite to take the risks involved in this. You need to work with organisations that do. Most people who buy bonds make relatively quick decisions, largely based on rating and price.

What BHP is effectively doing is saying: 'We have a responsibility for that carbon budget and we are prepared to put our balance sheet behind it.' The price signals are not there otherwise to enable investors to make that sort of decision.

There is not a natural revenue stream of any material size coming from carbon. Valuing a forest for carbon alone is like valuing a chip for the amount of silicon in it. We are missing all the other benefits, the water, biodiversity etc. We have to find a way of putting a value on those.

Rupesh Madlani: Institutional investors are actually very good at coming to terms with new sectors and making investments. But the thing that drives them to do that is returns. If there is a way things can be structured to get higher returns, the market will work really well.

Tulio Andrade: The experience that we have had is that offsetting approaches for forest conservation, or REDD+ credits have many environmental integrity concerns.

One of the main mechanisms Brazil has in place for promoting conservation and preventing deforestation is the Amazon Fund, based on positive incentives. It provides results-based payments and has a structure that can mitigate risks, engage local communities and governments and allow the private sector to jump in.

Lisa Genasci: The situation is similar in Indonesia, in terms of the scale of emission reductions that need to happen to meet the country's commitment under the Paris Agreement.

Similarly, with biodiversity and water credits, and other natural capital credits. Our approach has been to take a pretty straightforward project finance approach to drive in private sector investment at scale, then securitise on top of that. You could certainly capture carbon value in the future, but it is not the driving force of what we are trying to do.

Agustin Silvani: Brazil has been extremely successful in reducing deforestation over the last decade or so. What was the role of private finance in that?

Tulio Andrade: So far, the results came mainly from Government-led enforcement and control activities. But now, in order to implement Brazil's Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC), there is no way the Government can do it alone. It will require every landowner to engage in conservation activities, in particular in the context of Brazil's new Forest Code. Following the Paris Agreement, the private sector has been called on to engage in an unprecedented manner.

Lisa Wong: I am not sure if you are aware of the recent French sovereign green bond. The framework allows France to support forestry projects. It is a great example of a sovereign using its capacity to access private investment to help implement national strategies. Sovereigns and sub-sovereigns are an exciting area of the market to look at for conservation investment.

Richard Burrett: We are talking about ways of getting finance to have a positive impact, in terms of financing conservation, but we must not forget about stopping financing businesses that have a negative impact on conservation. Unless we do that as well, it will probably undermine what we are trying to do positively.

An example is the work of the Consumer Goods Forum with banks and the Banking Environment Initiative. They tried to get banks only to finance businesses and projects that use various certification standards around forestry. This work is critical.

Daniel Rossetto: To achieve that, you really need to make the positive financial signal for conservation to be greater than the opportunity cost of the destructive activity. For example, some conservation activities  such as agriculture, reforestation, and agricultural waste to energy  are certifiable mitigation activities and could be rewarded under the carbon market. This would allow those activities to become more financially attractive than logging.

Lisa Genasci: I think if you look at supply chains, that is already starting to happen. There is consumer pressure on a lot of companies to do better and to not deforest as part of their supply chain.

Abyd Karmali: The key is getting clarity on the returns. We all know ecosystem management is very complex. The uncertainties are huge and uncertainty is kryptonite for investors. We need to crystallise much more clearly where the returns are coming from. One of the stakeholders that could play a key role is the insurance industry.

One thing we are looking at is  can you develop bond structures where you can quantify the improvements in resilience? It is a different approach to conservation. It is basically looking at enhancing resilience through watershed management, through reducing flooding risk, for example. Then you could potentially see municipal bonds that focus on local resilience.

Agustin Silvani: Green infrastructure, essentially? Do you think that requires education as well? For all this work, as soon as it is tagged 'sustainable' or 'green', people assume it is riskier and that the returns are lower.

Lisa Genasci: I don't think people have that view as much any more. I think there has been a remarkable shift and there is a lot more trust and understanding.

Daniel Rossetto: Could resilience, or the adaptive capacity, actually be the commodity that is delivered as part of these investments? With climate mitigation, it is a lot more straightforward to quantify what is being delivered. With adaptation, if you speak to ten different people, you will probably get ten different opinions about what is being delivered.

When you deliver conservation through creating positive financial incentives for alternative activities, you are effectively enhancing adaptive capacity at the same time.

Adaptive capacity is something we need to be able to measure, verify and certify. We also need to create mechanisms, preferably through the UNFCCC system, that allow the private sector to have their activities financed with certainty that not only can the benefits be delivered, but importantly  that the benefits claimed ex ante can actually be enforced.

Richard Burrett: The issue is who pays? Who values something not happening? That is the resilience argument. The insurance sector clearly places a value on things not happening, but who pays for resilience of land, of coastlines, of forests?

Tulio Andrade: We think that sometimes forest conservation is too much linked with action on climate change. There are ways to support forest conservation without linking to a carbon result. One aspect of the Brazilian plan to prevent the deforestation of the Amazon is the promotion of sustainable livelihoods.

When people talk about conservation of a forest, they sometimes have an image of the forest being isolated in a fence and nobody will touch it. That is not what forest conservation is about. It involves a range of projects that can gain scale and can provide returns for institutional investors.

For example, the Amazon Fund has approved projects that promote sustainable livelihoods, such as those based on rubber, tourism, and nuts, which have been very successful. The challenge now is to give scale to isolated initiatives.

Lisa Genasci: That is exactly what we are looking at. How to link rural livelihoods. How to scale these different projects, and how to tie in the conservation benefits.

Paul Herbertson: That is one of the biggest challenges we face as a conservation organisation. There are lots of small, quite profitable, sustainable enterprises within forests doing amazing work in terms of conservation. But they have no access to normal financing. How can they start moving forward and with what mechanisms?

That is why we have been so interested in Lisa and her work in Indonesia. ADM is trying to address exactly that question of how you get large-scale finance into smaller-scale projects and help them to get the capacity to start taking on serious private finance.

Edit Kiss: As an impact investment fund manager, we focus on conservation and sustainable land use. We channel institutional capital to projects on the ground.

Typically, the projects vary in size, scope and geography. Our mission is to incubate them and ensure the business model is viable and can be scaled up. And we agree that sustainable livelihoods are key. I do not think anybody today seriously thinks of conservation as simply building a fence around a forest.

We have developed some sustainable livelihoods programmes based on high-value commodities. We trialled coffee and cocoa alongside forestry and also have a very successful sustainable cattle project in the Amazon. There are models that can work.

In Brazil, the carbon credit system is still quite uncertain. So we have made an investment in a production-protection system that is collateralised through the agricultural commodity (sustainably raised, forest-friendly cattle in our case) without any certainty about the carbon; which, however, was an important enabler of the investment decision.

If carbon finance was more readily available, there would be more security and we could scale projects much faster. We trialled this new method on 400 hectares. It works. It is still quite risky. But we believed in it and went to 10,000 hectares. After two years, it is very successful. Now we are looking at 100,000 hectares and plan to launch a new vehicle for it.

Lisa Walker: I think those of us that have been in the climate change sector a long time, use the term 'carbon finance' as a proxy to deliver a range of environmental and social benefits. Of course, we do not just value a forest for the carbon it stores, but carbon accounting is the most advanced system we have. It is very challenging to value, financially, all of the other benefits.

We have a system that works with carbon finance. It is not perfect. But at least there is something there that we know, from experience, you can use in a positive way. Without that kind of mechanism, it is very difficult to scale-up globally and go beyond the small projects.

Daniel Rossetto: We are working on a project in southern Mali where, other than logging, there are few other profitable business activities that one can undertake today. However, there is a lot of residual bio-waste that could be used as an energy source and would reduce methane emissions.

If there were an attractive price for carbon mitigation in the order of 1520, like there was in 2008, carbon-reducing activities  like those certified under the UNFCCC's Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) - could provide a positive economic signal for these activities that would lead the local community away from logging. Why would you log if you had a more attractive economic alternative?

Tulio Andrade: Just to be clear, Brazil is not against carbon credits in general. The CDM, before prices collapsed, was so successful in Brazil that if considered as part of the country's export portfolio, project activities under the CDM would be ranked as the 16th most relevant export item. The problem of REDD+ offsetting schemes is with respect to permanence and environmental integrity.

Daniel Rossetto: I agree. The permanence and environmental integrity of REDD+ credits cannot be guaranteed, so therefore they cannot be incorporated into an emissions trading framework without bringing into question the certainty of the environmental target or cap.

Lisa Walker: We are using carbon finance in land-use projects to deliver conservation, sustainable livelihoods, and economic activity. It is not just about climate change.

Edit Kiss: If Althelia is successful with cocoa farmers, transforming their livelihoods, then they are not likely to go back to cutting the forest.

The goal is to avoid that, after a ten-year intervention, there may be no real transformation. The people just go and cut all the forest back. That is why we need to focus on the effectiveness of the programme and how it makes things change on the ground. We are not financing projects that have no transformational element.

Tulio Andrade: My point is that offsetting schemes for REDD+ are not the best solution. The legal framework that we have in place now gives the private sector transparency. We have a true business model that will allow for returns to come in. REDD+ credits are not a business case.

Agustin Silvani: But carbon can be a means to an end. The end is transforming production systems into something more sustainable. But there is a cost associated with that. If Parliament is not paying that cost, then who is?

Tulio Andrade: The main driver of deforestation in Brazil now is not for meat or soy production, but land grabbing. The agricultural sector in Brazil has been extremely successful in increasing productivity without any additional land, because of new technologies. That is a business case. That ultimately provides environmental benefits and it makes sense financially.

Read part two here.
WASHINGTON, D.C., June 25, 2017 -- Paris' Cathedral of Notre Dame has a ghost orchestra that is always performing, thanks to a sophisticated, multidisciplinary acoustics research project that will be presented during Acoustics '17 Boston, the third joint meeting of the Acoustical Society of America and the European Acoustics Association being held June 25-29, in Boston, Massachusetts.

In the project, computer models use recordings from a live concert held at the cathedral and detailed room acoustic simulations to produce a novel type of audience experience: a virtual recreation of the live performance using spatial audio and virtual reality.

Researchers reproduced the recordings using computerized acoustical data and enhanced it with computer-generated virtual navigation -- 3-D visualizations made with immersive architectural rendering that float the viewer through the complex acoustics of the acclaimed medieval gothic cathedral.

Combined, the multimodal sound and image footage of the ghost orchestra produce a spectral tour to the sounds of the 19th century opera "La Vierge" -- The Virgin -- performed live during the 2012-2013 concert season to celebrate the Cathedral's 850th anniversary.

Multimodal virtual reality integration is central to the project's significance, said Brian F.G. Katz, lead investigator and CNRS Research Director at the Institute Jean Le Rond d'Alembert, Pierre and Marie Curie University, in Paris.

"3D-audio is the hot topic today in virtual reality (VR) that is currently a very active subject in both academic and industrial research," Katz said. "With the commercialization of affordable VR systems -- the cheapest allowing for VR on smartphones -- spatial audio is rapidly immerging from the laboratory."

The next stage in spatial audio is personalized audio rendering that involves being able to adjust the rendering to match one's individual head and ear details.

"The importance of multimodal interactions, how visual and auditory cues balance in spatial perception, is key to VR and the sense of immersion, of being 'in' the VR world," Katz explained.

He envisions many applications emerging from the investigation.

"For me, spatial audio is a domain on the boundary of physical acoustics, psycho-acoustics, perception and cognition, and digital signal processing."

His work focuses on using each of the fields to learn more about the others -- from virtual audio scenes exploring how visually impaired people understand and remember architectural spaces, to improving understanding of spatial audition, to refining virtual reality rendering capabilities.

Created in the context of the French funded research projects FUI-BiLi, (Binaural Listening and ANR-ECHO), the acoustical foundation of the project is a 45 channel close-mic recording of the live concert made by the Conservatoire de Paris combined with a detailed geometrical room acoustics computational model that was created and calibrated based on in situ measurements of reverberation and clarity parameters.

Next, the team will apply the methodology to other complex multimodal environments such as theatre simulations.

"Aside from the acoustics in this project, I think we definitely learned a lot about computer graphics and VR content production, which has opened up a lot more dialogue with those communities that we intend to pursue," Katz said.

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For more information about the project: https://groupeaa.limsi.fr/projets:ghostorch

Session 1aAAb1, "Experience with a virtual reality auralization of Notre-Dame Cathedral" by Brian F. Katz, is at 10:40-11:00 a.m. EDT, Sunday, June 25, 2017 in Room 208 of the John B. Hynes Veterans Memorial Convention Center.

MORE MEETING INFORMATION

Acoustics '17 Boston, the third joint meeting of the Acoustical Society of America and the European Acoustics Association.

The meeting is being held June 25-29, 2017 at the John B. Hynes Veterans Memorial Convention Center in Boston, Massachusetts.

USEFUL LINKS

Main meeting website: http://acousticalsociety.org/content/acoustics-17-boston

Technical program: http://acousticalsociety.org/content/program-acoustics-17-boston

Meeting/Hotel site: http://acousticalsociety.org/content/acoustics-17-boston#reservation

Press Room: http://acoustics.org

WORLD WIDE PRESS ROOM

In the coming weeks, ASA's World Wide Press Room will be updated with additional tips on dozens of newsworthy stories and with lay-language papers, which are 300-800 word summaries of presentations written by scientists for a general audience and accompanied by photos, audio, and video. You can visit the site during the meeting at: http://acoustics.org/world-wide-press-room/.

PRESS REGISTRATION

We will grant free registration to credentialed journalists and professional freelance journalists. If you are a reporter and would like to attend, contact Julia Majors (jmajors@aip.org) at AIP Media, 301-209-3090. For urgent requests, please contact media@aip.org who can also help with setting up interviews and obtaining images, sound clips, or background information.

LIVE MEDIA WEBCAST

A press briefing featuring will be webcast live from the conference on Monday, June 26, 2017 in the afternoon and Tuesday, June 27, 2017 in the morning in room 111 of the John B. Hynes Veterans Memorial Convention Center in Boston, Massachusetts.

Register at https://www1.webcastcanada.ca/webcast/registration/asa617.php to watch the live webcast. The schedule will be posted here as soon as it is available.

ABOUT THE ACOUSTICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA

The Acoustical Society of America (ASA) is the premier international scientific society in acoustics devoted to the science and technology of sound. Its 7,000 members worldwide represent a broad spectrum of the study of acoustics. ASA publications include The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America (the world's leading journal on acoustics), Acoustics Today magazine, books, and standards on acoustics. The society also holds two major scientific meetings each year. For more information about ASA, visit our website at http://www.acousticalsociety.org.

ABOUT THE EUROPEAN ACOUSTICS ASSOCIATION

The European Acoustics Association (EAA) is a non-profit entity established in 1992 that includes in its membership societies predominantly in European countries interested in to promote development and progress of acoustics in its different aspects, its technologies and applications. EAA gathers 33 societies of acoustics and serves public citizens and more than 9000 individual members all over Europe with yearly events as well as scientific conferences and publications such as Acta Acustica united with Acustica and Acoustics in Practice. The European Acoustics Association (EAA) is an Affiliate Member of the International Commission for Acoustics (ICA) and of Initiative of Science in Europe ISE. Visit our website at https://euracoustics.org/.
WASHINGTON, D.C., June 25, 2017 -- Your brain is armored. It lives in a box made of bones with a security system of vessels. These vessels protect the brain and central nervous system from harmful chemicals circulating in the blood. Yet this protection system -- known as the blood-brain barrier -- also prevents delivery of drugs that could help treat patients with brain cancers and brain diseases such as Alzheimer's disease. The heavily guarded brain has long frustrated physicians tending patients in need of brain treatments without surgery.

With recent advances in technology, the blood-brain barrier can now be opened safely, noninvasively and in a targeted manner using ultrasound. One of the newest approaches aiming to advance this research will be presented during Acoustics '17 Boston, the third joint meeting of the Acoustical Society of America and the European Acoustics Association being held June 25-29, in Boston, Massachusetts.

Investigators at the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom, collaborating with colleagues at the University of Twente in the Netherlands, have produced a promising in vitro experimental platform to investigate relationships between the way the blood-brain barrier opens, how long it takes to recover, and the sounds emitted during blood-brain barrier opening. Think of it as a blood-brain barrier on-a-chip using cultured cells rather than animal or human models.

"The key advantage of our system is that it uses three modalities -- involving light, sound, and electrical fields -- to simultaneously monitor acoustic emissions, blood-brain barrier disruption and recovery, and the biological response of blood-brain barrier cells in real-time," said Miles M. Aron at the University of Oxford.

Researchers have tried to open the blood-brain barrier using ultrasound since the 1950s. The breakthrough for safely opening the blood-brain barrier was to use tiny bubbles that interact with the ultrasound field known as "cavitation agents." Several cavitation agents are already approved for enhancing contrast in ultrasound imaging by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Cavitation agents work by oscillating rapidly or "singing" when exposed to ultrasound.

"The treatment can be monitored externally by 'listening' to the re-radiated sound from the cavitation agents interacting with the ultrasound field. These acoustic emissions provide information regarding the energy of cavitation within the blood vessels and are already being used to adjust ultrasound parameters in real-time to reduce the likelihood of damaging healthy cells during treatment," Aron said.

The team monitors acoustic emissions and the integrity of the blood-brain barrier in real-time throughout the treatment, an improvement compared to other approaches that generally involve blood-brain barrier assessment only after the treatment is completed, Aron said.

In addition, the team uses fluorescent probes to monitor either changes in the cells during treatment, or mechanical and chemical effects from the cavitation agents as they are exposed to ultrasound in real-time.

"By analyzing multiple sources of data during ultrasound exposure and throughout BBB recovery, we aim to better understand this promising new treatment," Aron said. "With the Oxford Centre for Drug Delivery Devices, OxCD3, we are currently working on a non-invasive method to detect and treat brain metastases before they become deadly. Our in vitro system will play a critical role in the development of this and other next-generation approaches to ultrasound-mediated blood brain barrier opening."

###

Session 1aBAb3, "Ultrasound-mediated blood-barrier disruption" by Miles M. Aron, is at 11:20-11:40 a.m. EDT, Sunday, June 25, 2017 in Room 312 of the John B. Hynes Veterans Memorial Convention Center.

MORE MEETING INFORMATION

Acoustics '17 Boston, the third joint meeting of the Acoustical Society of America and the European Acoustics Association. The meeting is being held June 25-29, 2017 at the John B. Hynes Veterans Memorial Convention Center in Boston, Massachusetts.

MORE MEETING INFORMATION

Acoustics '17 Boston, the third joint meeting of the Acoustical Society of America and the European Acoustics Association.

The meeting is being held June 25-29, 2017 at the John B. Hynes Veterans Memorial Convention Center in Boston, Massachusetts.

USEFUL LINKS

Main meeting website: http://acousticalsociety.org/content/acoustics-17-boston

Technical program: http://acousticalsociety.org/content/program-acoustics-17-boston

Meeting/Hotel site: http://acousticalsociety.org/content/acoustics-17-boston#reservation

Press Room: http://acoustics.org

WORLD WIDE PRESS ROOM

In the coming weeks, ASA's World Wide Press Room will be updated with additional tips on dozens of newsworthy stories and with lay-language papers, which are 300-800 word summaries of presentations written by scientists for a general audience and accompanied by photos, audio, and video. You can visit the site during the meeting at: http://acoustics.org/world-wide-press-room/.

PRESS REGISTRATION

We will grant free registration to credentialed journalists and professional freelance journalists. If you are a reporter and would like to attend, contact Julia Majors (jmajors@aip.org) at AIP Media, 301-209-3090 who can also help with setting up interviews and obtaining images, sound clips, or background information. For urgent requests, contact media@aip.org.

LIVE MEDIA WEBCAST

A press briefing featuring will be webcast live from the conference on Monday, June 26, 2017 in the afternoon and Tuesday, June 27, 2017 in the morning in room 111 of the John B. Hynes Veterans Memorial Convention Center in Boston, Massachusetts.

Register at https://www1.webcastcanada.ca/webcast/registration/asa617.php to watch the live webcast. The schedule will be posted here as soon as it is available.

ABOUT THE ACOUSTICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA

The Acoustical Society of America (ASA) is the premier international scientific society in acoustics devoted to the science and technology of sound. Its 7,000 members worldwide represent a broad spectrum of the study of acoustics. ASA publications include The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America (the world's leading journal on acoustics), Acoustics Today magazine, books, and standards on acoustics. The society also holds two major scientific meetings each year. For more information about ASA, visit our website at http://www.acousticalsociety.org.

ABOUT THE EUROPEAN ACOUSTICS ASSOCIATION

The European Acoustics Association (EAA) is a non-profit entity established in 1992 that includes in its membership societies predominantly in European countries interested in to promote development and progress of acoustics in its different aspects, its technologies and applications. EAA gathers 33 societies of acoustics and serves public citizens and more than 9000 individual members all over Europe with yearly events as well as scientific conferences and publications such as Acta Acustica united with Acustica and Acoustics in Practice. The European Acoustics Association (EAA) is an Affiliate Member of the International Commission for Acoustics (ICA) and of Initiative of Science in Europe ISE: https://euracoustics.org/.
Using the body's own 'seismic noise,' passive elastography allows more effective imaging deep inside body to assist in tumor diagnosis

WASHINGTON, D.C., June 25, 2017 -- Elastography, sometimes referred as seismology of the human body, is an emerging technology used to enhance medical ultrasound imaging. It does this by measuring the elasticity of biological tissue to diagnose cancer or liver and thyroid disease more accurately and at the earliest stages.

In passive elastography, the elasticity of tissue is measured using the body's own propagation of shear waves, which enables more effective imaging deeper inside the body in an even more noninvasive way than traditional elastography.

"Passive elastography is foreseen as a viable technique for cancer detection in organs deep in the body, such as the prostate or liver, for well-protected organs such as the brain, and for fragile organs such as the eye," said Stefan Catheline, research director of the INSERM LabTAU Unit 1032 at the University of Lyon, France.

Catheline will discuss this and other elastography advances during Acoustics '17 Boston, the third joint meeting of the Acoustical Society of America and the European Acoustics Association being held June 25-29, in Boston, Massachusetts.

Shear waves, which penetrate through an object, are generated when pressure on an object causes it to deform, such as during an earthquake or explosion. In medical science, shear waves are produced by vibrational devices to measure the stiffness of tissue.

A cancerous tumor and other tissue dysfunction exhibit much higher stiffness than in healthy tissue or even in benign tumors. This difference in stiffness cannot be felt or seen in conventional ways or through other imaging methods.

Typically, a medical technician places a probe with a vibrating mechanism on the area for testing and presses down to produce the shear waves, which then interact with the tissue in question. The waves are tracked at ultrafast imaging rates. The shear waves can be difficult to produce in hard-to-reach organs, such as the liver that is located deep in the body behind the ribcage.

Catheline and his research colleagues have developed a new approach to remedy this problem: Analyze the noise of natural shear waves that are produced biologically. Just as in earthquakes, shear waves constantly move through organs and other soft tissue of a person during the everyday functionalities of these bodily systems, such as the beating of a heart or the liver performing everyday metabolic processes.

"The idea, as in seismology, is to take advantage of shear waves naturally present in the human body due to muscles activities to construct a shear elasticity map of soft tissues," Catheline said. "It is thus a passive elastography approach since no shear wave sources are used."

Passive elastography is compatible with slow imaging devices, such as standard echographs and MRI scanners, as well as with optical coherent tomography.

###

Session 1pUWb5, "Passive elastography: A shear wave tomography of the human body" by Stefan Catheline, is at 2:40-3:00 p.m. EDT Sunday, June 25, 2017 in Room 309 of the John B. Hynes Veterans Memorial Convention Center.

MORE MEETING INFORMATION

Acoustics '17 Boston, the third joint meeting of the Acoustical Society of America and the European Acoustics Association.

The meeting is being held June 25-29, 2017 at the John B. Hynes Veterans Memorial Convention Center in Boston, Massachusetts.

USEFUL LINKS

Main meeting website: http://acousticalsociety.org/content/acoustics-17-boston

Technical program: http://acousticalsociety.org/content/program-acoustics-17-boston

Meeting/Hotel site: http://acousticalsociety.org/content/acoustics-17-boston#reservation

Press Room: http://acoustics.org

WORLD WIDE PRESS ROOM

In the coming weeks, ASA's World Wide Press Room will be updated with additional tips on dozens of newsworthy stories and with lay-language papers, which are 300-800 word summaries of presentations written by scientists for a general audience and accompanied by photos, audio, and video. You can visit the site during the meeting at: http://acoustics.org/world-wide-press-room/.

PRESS REGISTRATION

We will grant free registration to credentialed journalists and professional freelance journalists. If you are a reporter and would like to attend, contact Julia Majors (jmajors@aip.org) at AIP Media, 301-209-3090. For urgent requests, please contact media@aip.org who can also help with setting up interviews and obtaining images, sound clips, or background information.

LIVE MEDIA WEBCAST

A press briefing featuring will be webcast live from the conference on Monday, June 26, 2017 in the afternoon and Tuesday, June 27, 2017 in the morning in room 111 of the John B. Hynes Veterans Memorial Convention Center in Boston, Massachusetts.

Register at https://www1.webcastcanada.ca/webcast/registration/asa617.php to watch the live webcast. The schedule will be posted here as soon as it is available.

ABOUT THE ACOUSTICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA

The Acoustical Society of America (ASA) is the premier international scientific society in acoustics devoted to the science and technology of sound. Its 7,000 members worldwide represent a broad spectrum of the study of acoustics. ASA publications include The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America (the world's leading journal on acoustics), Acoustics Today magazine, books, and standards on acoustics. The society also holds two major scientific meetings each year. For more information about ASA, visit our website at http://www.acousticalsociety.org.

ABOUT THE EUROPEAN ACOUSTICS ASSOCIATION

The European Acoustics Association (EAA) is a non-profit entity established in 1992 that includes in its membership societies predominantly in European countries interested in to promote development and progress of acoustics in its different aspects, its technologies and applications. EAA gathers 33 societies of acoustics and serves public citizens and more than 9000 individual members all over Europe with yearly events as well as scientific conferences and publications such as Acta Acustica united with Acustica and Acoustics in Practice. The European Acoustics Association (EAA) is an Affiliate Member of the International Commission for Acoustics (ICA) and of Initiative of Science in Europe ISE. Visit our website at https://euracoustics.org/.
The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) has suspended all imports of fresh beef from Brazil because of recurring concerns about the safety of the products, whilst the EU has been criticised for not doing enough.

Brazil, the worlds biggest exporter of red meat, is at the centre of international attention due to a widespread beef scandal that could seriously damage the countrys reputable sector.

The Ulster Farmers Union (UFU) said the decision by USDA echoes its concerns that sanctions by the European Union have not matched the scale of shortcomings highlighted by allegations of bribery to allow the export of sub-standard meat.

UFU president Barclay Bell said: It is wrong that the European Commission is pressing ahead with attempts to secure a free trade deal with the Mercosur countries of South America, when there is such a big question mark over the fitness of one of the key players to export food.

We agree with other farm lobby organisations that these talks should be delayed until that is resolved. We know Commission veterinary officials have visited Brazil, and the Commission is suggesting the problems found can be resolved.

We would like to see their report in full, so that we can decide whether this is an effective approach. If the Commission will not make that report public, I would urge MEPs to press for its release, said Mr Bell.

Full scale ban

The UFU president said that nothing that had emerged from the Commission or in Brazil had altered his view that a full scale ban on imports of Brazilian beef to Europe should be implemented immediately.

If the US believes that is appropriate, the Commission must explain why it is adopting a more forgiving stance towards the widespread flouting of global trading rules by Brazil, he added.

UK farming unions have been quick to criticise Brazil in its handling of the issue.

The UFU has previously called for Brazilian imports to be blocked.

The UFU says that revelations about corruption and fraud in the Brazilian meat industry are 'damning'.

The controlling shareholder of the world's largest meat-packing company, JBS, has agreed to pay a record 10.3bn real (2.4bn) fine for its role in Brazil's corruption scandals.
There are a lot of good reasons for Harley-Davidson (HOG 5.57%) to open up an assembly plant in Thailand, and few, mostly jingoistic, ones against it, but the irony is that the quintessential American motorcycle maker is going abroad because it is being punished by the same sort of trade rules it once championed.

Where once it lobbied for -- and obtained -- draconian tariffs on foreign rivals to limit their ability to compete in the marketplace, Harley-Davidson is being hurt by similarly restrictive trade laws in Asia. By opening up a new plant there, the big bike maker will be able to skirt the rules and compete more effectively.

Trade for me but not for thee

In 1983, President Ronald Reagan imposed for the first time ever strict trade rules that benefited a single company. Harley-Davidson had become the last man standing in the U.S. motorcycle market, but even as the sole American manufacturer left, it was struggling financially.

Like today, the motorcycle market was in the midst of a downturn that affected all players, Harley as well as its vaunted Japanese competition. But Harley chose protectionism to beat its rivals and won from Reagan tariffs that soared as high as 49.4% in the first year with scheduled declines each year thereafter until their removal after five years. (Harley completed its turnaround early and had the tariffs scrapped ahead of schedule.)

In Thailand, Harley-Davidson faces tariffs of 60% on its imported motorcycles (cars face rates of 80%) that put its bikes at a competitive disadvantage on retail pricing. By opening a facility there that assembles bikes from U.S.-made parts, it will be able to get around those restrictive tariffs just like it does in India, which imposes a 100% tariff on motorcycle imports. (Harley also has an assembly plant in Brazil it opened in 1999 to take advantage of the country's free trade zone.)

That's why making this move into Thailand makes a lot of sense, both practically and financially. By being located there, Harley-Davidson will have access not only to the Thai market but also the markets of the 10 countries that comprise the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). Moreover, it puts Harley in the position of having its bikes closer to China, a huge, albeit weakening, market.

According to industry analysts at MarkLines, the Asian motorcycle market remains largely robust, though there have been pockets of weakness, with China being one of those contracting. Sales fell 12% in 2016 to under 8 million units, continuing their decline from the year before. Conversely, India is strong, with sales growing nearly 10% last year and expected to gain almost 8% this year. Indonesia is expected to rebound in 2017 and Thailand is predicted to grow almost 3%. A Harley assembly plant in the region will be better able to target these markets.

Trading freedom for security

However, the United Steelworkers union has complained that the bike maker is shipping American jobs overseas, but as Harley notes, because the facility will be using American-made parts, it will actually keep U.S. jobs intact. Similarly, others pointed to the paradox of Harley opening a plant in a foreign market when it was lauded by President Donald Trump for keeping jobs in America.

Along those same lines, the president's decision to pull out of the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade agreement was also criticized, because it would purportedly help companies avoid high tariffs like those imposed by Thailand. But such arguments ignore the fact that Thailand itself isn't a signatory to the pact, so there might have been no benefit regardless, though it would have avoided tariffs in other countries.

Bilateral agreements are probably better as a matter of policy, which is what groups in Thailand are advocating, and by locating its plant in Thailand, Harley-Davidson will bypass the tariffs in other countries anyway.

The Asia-Pacific market is Harley's third largest, and it sold almost 32,900 bikes there last year, or 12% of the total. Harley noted that it had its best-ever retail sales there in 2016, but in the first quarter it was the worst-performing region, with sales tumbling more than 9%. And when you exclude Japan, the results were even worse.

If it wants to be able to compete and grow once more, Harley is almost required to build its bikes overseas. The greater irony, though, is that Harley-Davidson is being forced to construct this plant, and possibly earn the enmity of its unions, because of the same types of laws it once had imposed on its own competition.
Many Americans live paycheck to paycheck, struggling just to meet their immediate financial needs. But if you can break that cycle and start looking at ways to financially prepare for the future, you'll learn that there are many resources available to you to help make it easier. Below, we'll look at five of the best ways you can save for key future financial needs and start moving your financial picture in the right direction.

1. Open an IRA

The simplest way to start saving for the future is through an IRA. With two basic types of IRAs, traditional and Roth, you can get either immediate up-front tax savings or tax-free withdrawals when you need your money in retirement. Along the way, the IRS won't touch your retirement money, letting it grow on a tax-deferred basis and make your future nest egg even larger.

The government encourages low- and middle-income taxpayers to use IRAs by offering a tax credit. Known as the Saver's Credit, this tax break will pay you back as much as $1,000 for single filers or $2,000 for couples who meet its requirements. Even if you don't qualify for the Saver's Credit, however, IRAs are still great ways to think forward.

2. Participate in your 401(k) plan at work

Another method to encourage retirement savings is the employer-sponsored retirement plan. With most employers, the plan is called a 401(k), and it gives you an ability to save money toward retirement on a tax-deferred basis similar to what IRAs provide. However, the limits on contributions are much higher, and making contributions directly through paycheck deductions is more convenient for many savers.

Most importantly, many employers offer matching contributions to employees who put money in their 401(k)s. Employer matches are essentially free money, boosting your total nest egg and giving you an even bigger incentive to put your money to work toward your retirement needs.

3. Think about your health with a health savings account

Health savings accounts are designed to set money aside for your future health needs. HSAs offer the best of all worlds from a tax perspective, letting you contribute money on a pre-tax basis and deduct your contributions, while letting you withdraw money later on a tax-free basis as long as you use the money for healthcare expenses.

HSAs are currently available only in conjunction with a high-deductible health plan, which puts the onus on you to cover a fairly hefty up-front deductible. However, the Trump administration has discussed broadening the use of HSAs, and so it's possible that they'll become more widely available in the future. Having money squirreled away in an HSA offers valuable tax benefits as well as the financial security that its assets provide.

4. 529 plan accounts

If you have kids, then one of the biggest gifts you can give them is savings toward their eventual college expenses. 529 plans allow you to make contributions into a tax-deferred account and distributions for eligible expenses are tax-free.

In addition, many states offer additional incentives for making 529 plan contributions. A handful of states, including Pennsylvania and Arizona, give state tax deductions for contributions to any 529 plan, either within or outside their respective state. Many others limit deductions to contribution to that particular state's plan. Regardless, it's worth looking closely at your plan options to see whether a 529 makes sense for you.

5. Using a regular brokerage account for long-term stocks

Finally, there's benefit to having money available for whatever purpose you want. Withdrawals from the specialized accounts above can bring penalties and other drawbacks, but a regular brokerage account gives you the flexibility you need to spend when you need your money.

The longer you can invest, however, the bigger the benefit of investing in a taxable account. When you invest in stocks that rise in value, you don't owe any capital gains tax on the appreciation in the shares until you actually sell a stock. That can give you the same benefits of tax deferral as a retirement account while still letting you access your money freely when necessary.

Investing for the future is never easy, but the rewards are worth the effort. By taking advantage of these five smart ways to invest, you'll be better able to give yourself and your loved ones the financial security you deserve.
This months Whats in Your Shed? heads to one of the most northerly contractors on mainland Britain.

The catchy weather and dark winters at the tip of Scotland bring their own problems, but Andrew and Joe Mackay are fully geared up for the challenge with a machinery fleet that includes John Deere tractors, Claas combines and foragers, and one or two classics lurking at the back of the barn.

How brand-loyal are you?

Theres no doubt about our favourites  Deere does the tractors and Claas for balers, rakes and the forager.

It hasnt always been that way, though. Back in 2003 we had a fleet of Cases, but their reliability was shocking and we just couldnt keep them running. An MX170 was the worst offender (more on that later) and ended up being the nail in the coffin as far as us keeping Case tractors was concerned.

Well never say never to changing again  Fendt and Claas both build a good tractor, but its really hard to fault the Deere.

Farm facts: West Greenland Agricultural Contractors, Castletown, Caithness Size: 365ha owned, 60ha rented

Livestock: 120 sucklers, plus 300 bought-in stores, 700 ewes

Crops: 330ha grass, 80ha barley for feed, 12ha trees

Contracting: 1,215ha silage, 200ha ploughing, 400ha drilling, 320ha grass seeding, 485ha combining

Staff: Andrew snr, Andrew jnr, Joe, plus four others at peak time

We have always chosen Claas for foragers and combines  theyve had the market pretty much sown up for years. However, we tried out a JD8400 chopper last year and were quite impressed  it seems JD is finally able to offer some sort of challenge to the Jaguar.

See also: Whats in Your Shed? visits an Aberdeenshire farmer

Favourite dealer?

HRN is the place for the Deere stuff. The company is pretty new up here and recently built a half-a-million pound premises that is second to none.

W&A Geddes at Wick is our Claas dealer and it has also been really good to us over the years. As a rule, we only buy genuine parts for machines because its a two-way relationship and looking after our dealer is just as important as them looking after us.

We also use a few smaller firms, including Charles Angus Ag Engineering in Thurso, which does odd bits of fabrication that we dont have time for, along with servicing the trucks and supplying tyres.

Favourite piece of kit?

Andrew: The Lexion 570+ is an animal. Once were into a decent dry spell, it will easily eat 35t/hour in spring barley.

Joe: Mine is the new 6155R tractor. Its only six months old, but it suits us perfectly  its not too big, has phenomenal wheel grip and everything is where you want it to be in the cab.

Least favourite machine?

It has to be the Gator, which constantly needs money spending on it. Theyre 16,000 new and after three years you would probably get 6,000 for it, plus we are spending 1,200 each year just keeping it running.

Brakes and wheel bearings are the biggest problems. We have a lot of sandy land and when youre bombing through wet patches all the time, the dirt breaks through seals and joints and acts like a paste, slowly wearing everything away.

Well probably get an old Defender or Suzuki Jimny next time.

Latest purchase?

An old Toyota forklift for shifting bags around in the grainstore. Itll lift 2.5t and only cost 600. Admittedly, the engine is a bit chuggy and will need looking at, but its so much easier than constantly clambering into the teleporter.

Oldest machine still at work?

We have an old International B414 that still keeps busy planting turnips, among other things. We had it from new in 1965 and have restored it twice. It must have gone around the clock several time, but its as good as new now and we will never get rid of it.

In the shed Tractors: John Deere 7260R, 6155R, 6630, 2 x 6330, 6320

Forager: Claas Jaguar 950

Combines: Claas Lexion 420 and 570+

Loaders: JCB 416 and 531-70 Loadall

Sprayer: John Deere 732i trailed, shared with a neighbour

Cultivation equipment: Vaderstad Spirit 4m, KV five-furrow and Lemken press, Opico grass seeder

Other: Kuhn Axis 40.1W fert spreader, Samson SP15 muckspreader, 2,500gal Redrock tanker, 4 x Agrimac 14t trailer, Bailey 14t trailer

Grass: Claas Liner 2900 rake, John Deere 388 triple mower, JD 730 centre pivot mower

How long do you keep your machines?

Tractors hang around until about 7,000 hours  roughly seven years  but it really depends on what sort of shape they are in and how hard each machine has worked.

The combines tend to put in a much longer stint  one of them is 20 years old and the other is nine. They only work for three weeks of the year, so we are pretty relaxed about their age.

We used to change the forager every five years, but latterly we have decided to get a bigger machine and make it last longer. High capacity is key when youre dealing with the tight weather windows this far north.

Whats next on your wishlist?

Theres nothing imminent, though we might look at replacing the little Lexion with a five-year-old 560 next year. We tried buying one a few months ago, but it went for too much money.

Most embarrassing machinery mistake?

Andrew: I hit a telegraph pole with the Jag 682 forager spout. It was a good 25 years ago when I was just starting out, but I havent made the same mistake since.

It didnt do too much damage anyway, and we were up and running again within the hour. A few of the lads have hit branches with the combine spout, which is no mean feat when we hardly have any trees on the farm.

Joe: I put the 950 Jag in a ditch. The road was too narrow and just gave way, so I slid down the bank. We managed to pull it out with a loading shovel and luckily the only damage was to my pride.

Most expensive repair bill?

A stone bent the combine header auger and cost us 7,000. We had a similarly large bill after a flat, lunchbox-sized stone burst the feed rollers on the forager. Stones tend to cause us a few problems  weve also written off a mower after hitting a rock that bent the mower bed like a banana.

Best invention?

Our father adapted an old Sanderson loader bucket to have a hydraulic trap door on the floor for filling feed bags. It took a couple of days to make and has made life so much easier.

What couldnt you live without in the workshop?

The mig welder, plus a Milwaukee four-and-a-half-inch cordless grinder. Both get us out of jail time and again.

Do you buy second-hand?

Half of the tractors (mainly the smaller ones) come with 2,000 hours on the clock. The telehandler and shovel were also second-hand  we prefer to let someone else take the whack on depreciation. That said, we try to buy through main dealers to reduce some of the risk.

Favourite job?

Andrew: Drilling, combining when the weather is good and cutting grass.

Joe: Ploughing  its a stress-free job.

Least favourite?

Andrew: Clipping cows bellies.

Joe: Dressing seed.

Whats your everyday transport?

Andrew: I have a five-year-old Volkswagen Amarok on 70,000 miles, which is nice to drive, but terrible at towing compared with the Land Rover.

Joe: A 2012 Defender 110 double-cab. Its on 88,000 miles and I love it, but when I first went to buy it in Elgin I was tempted to get the train home, I hated it that much.

Best tractor youve ever had?

Without doubt its the Deere 6910. We bought it for 24,000 on 4,000 hours, ran it for another 4,500 hours and in all that time it cost us just 700 in repair bills. In hindsight we should never have sold it.

Worst tractor youve ever had?

The Case MX170. We had it for 18 months and it spent well over 100 days in bits. The diff seals went twice, the steering stopped working, clutchpacks were replaced and it couldnt stop leaking oil.

Biggest machinery bargain?

A nine-month-old Bailey trailer. We found it on eBay for 12,000 from a chap in Shropshire, but it was probably near 20,000 new. We like to look after the trailers because theyre always worth money.

The Deere triple mowers are also worth a mention  they cut 16,000ha of grass and needed just two bearings and a rotor, even though they were cutting the heaviest grass in the world.

Any machinery classics in the shed?

We have a few gems  the International 414, 275 with loader and 10-20 as well as a John Deere 710 and Model D.

Were always on the lookout for others and will probably try to find a Deere 300 next  we like something different to the usual Massey Fergusons.

Weve also just bought two Land Rover Series 2As to restore. Theyre in pretty bad order, but you can get all the parts on eBay much easier than for old tractors.
The population of Hindus in Pakistan has declined drastically from about 23 per cent in 1947 to only 6 per cent now due to forced conversions, oppression and suppression in the Islamic nation the Nation reported. The minority Hindu girls are being abducted, forcibly converted and married to Muslims and thus the minority community, which was once a major society in Pakistan has been reduced to the margins.

The majority of the Hindu population is settled in Sindh and the province has witnessed a rise in crimes targeting the religious minority. Hindu girls are specifically targeted to convert them to Islam, The newspaper reported. There have been many instances when Hindus belonging to lower castes are being forcibly converted while upper-caste Hindus complain of their traders being kidnapped for ransom.

Pakistan was born with the promise that everyone was free to practice their religion and would be guaranteed basic rights but Hindus have been denied even the freedom to live with respect. According to a report by Movement for Solidarity and Peace, 1000 non-Muslim girls are converted to Islam every year in Pakistan and in Sindh, the ratio is 20 or more girls per month.

A number of Muslim MNAs, he said, have mocked Hindus for worshiping cows. In their mindless hate-spewing, they ignore the fact that four million Hindus live in Pakistan and their derogatory words hurt the religious sentiments of the local Hindu community. Perhaps, they too need to be sensitised and educated that all Hindus are not Indians and all Indians are not Hindus. India has over 200 million Muslims and other minority groups as well,  the Dawn had reported earlier.

In the 1998 Census the Hindu population was found to be 2,443,614. Hindus are found in all provinces of Pakistan but are mostly concentrated in Sindh. They speak a variety of languages such as Sindhi, Seraiki, Aer, Dhatki, Gera, Goaria, Gurgula, Jandavra, Kabutra, Koli, Loarki, Marwari, Sansi, Vaghri and Gujarati, according to wikipedia, The atrocities by the Pakistani government and the stern conditions of the Sharia Law has resulted into the migration of 5000 Hindu families from Pakistan to India per year.

Even the Pakistani police refuse to take any action, and after a couple of days the girl is brought back with legal documents of conversion. This ensures the legal cover to avoid being punished by law. The issue was raised by the Patron-in-Chief of the Pakistan Hindu Council (PHC), Dr Ramesh Kumar who argued that religious pressure groups promote hate mongering in the region and create enough pressure to stop anyone from taking any action.

Source : Financial Express
The Viswa Hindu Parishad (VHP) has decided to organise a demonstration outside the Bangladesh Deputy High Commission of Bangladesh in Kolkata on July 1 to protest attacks on minority communities in the neighbouring country. The state unit of VHP will also submit a memorandum to state Governor Keshari Nath Tripathi at Raj Bhavan in this regard.

Our workers will assemble in front of Nandan and from there we will take out a procession towards the Deputy High Commission of Bangladesh. We have asked people from Hindu and Buddhist temples to participate in our programme as it is their counterparts in Bangladesh who have been subjected to violence perpetuated by the majority community, said VHP spokesperson Sourish Mukherjee while speaking to The Indian Express.

Religious leaders and members of the Bharat Sevashram Sangha have also been invited to attend the July 1 programme in the city.

Around 100 Hindus were killed in Bangladesh in 2016 while more than 350 were injured in the violence, claimed Mukherjee, adding that over 200 idols of Hindu goddesses were damaged while many were stolen.

Even in the first six months of 2017, the situation did not improve as more reports of people belonging to Hindu and Buddhist communities were subjected to atrocities in Bangladesh, he further alleged.

We want the Bangladesh government to take action against the culprits who are responsible for such attacks. In a bid to register our protest, we will demonstrate outside the Deputy High Commission of Bangladesh in Kolkata, said Mukherjee. He added that city police would be informed about their proposed programme.

Source : Indian Express
Srinagar, June 25 (IBNS): A massive gun battle is underway at the Delhi Public School (DPS) in Srinagar as security forces are trying to evacuate the premise where terrorists, after attacking the CRPF personnel in Pantha chowk area last evening, took shelter, reports said.

According to reports, the encounter started at 3:40 AM.

The terrorists took shelter at the building on Saturday evening after carrying out an attack on the 29th Battalion of the CRPF near the school on Srinagar-Jammu national highway around 5.50 pm.

When they entered the school premise, all staff and students had already left the campus.

In the Saturday's attack, a sub-inspector was killed while two jawans received injuries.

The security forces soon cordoned off the area and launched search operation.
Washington/New Delhi, June 25 (IBNS): Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address the 33rd edition of Mann Ki Baat, his monthly radio address, on Sunday live from US.

The programme in scheduled to start at 11 am and will be broadcast live on All India Radio and Doordarshan.

Modi is currently in the US to meet President Donald Trump.

He had earlier asked for suggestions for discussion on Mann Ki Baat from citizens on his Narendra Modi app and My Gov Open Forum.
New Delhi, June 25 (IBNS): The Pakistan Army on Sunday violated the ceasefire with unprovoked firing along the Line of Control (LoC) in Naushera sector on Sunday.

According to reports, Pakistan resorted to indiscriminate firing with the use of small arms, automatics and mortars.

The attack started around 6.30 am in Naushera.

The Indian Army also retaliated to the attack.

Pakistani troops on Saturday violated ceasefire along the LoC in Kerni area of Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch district.


New Delhi, June 25 (IBNS): Vice President of India M. Hamid Ansari has greeted the people of the country on the joyous occasion of Id-ul-Fitr.

In a message, he said that Id-ul-Fitr marks the culmination of the holy month of Ramzan and signifies the traditional expression of brotherhood and understanding between people.

The festival reaffirms the spirit of compassion, charity and generosity in our lives, he added.

"May the noble ideals associated with Id-ul-Fitr enrich our lives with peace, harmony and the spirit of humanity, Ansari said.
Washington, June 25 (IBNS): In one of his major engagements in the ongoing US-visit, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday met Americaas leading CEOs.

The list of CEOs included top names like Apple chief Tim Cook.

Modi said the entire world is currently looking at India.

"The whole world is looking at India," Modi said.

He said: "Growth of India presents win-win partnership for India and US both. US companies have a great opportunity to contribute to that."

Highlighting the GST move of his government, Modi said: "The implementation of the landmark initiative of GST could be a subject of studies in US business schools."

Speaking on the meeting, MEA spokesperson Gopal Baglay tweeted: " Strengthening the #IndoUS economic partnership. PM @narendramodi with 21 leading CEOs before the start of the CEOs roundtable."

Modi on Sunday reached Washington DC where he received a "warm personal welcome" from US President Donald Trump.

In a tweet, PM Modi wrote: "Thank you @POTUS for the warm personal welcome. Greatly look forward to my meeting and discussions with you @realDonaldTrump."

Welcoming the Indian PM, Trump also called his a 'true friend'.

Trump tweeted: "Look forward to welcoming India's PM Modi to @WhiteHouse on Monday. Important strategic issues to discuss with a true friend!"

On Monday afternoon, President Trump is scheduled to host PM Modi at the White House where the two leaders will beginning the bilateral discussion.

It will be followed by delegation-level talks, a reception and a working dinner.

The meetings are expected to raise issues such as are defence cooperation, boosting economic ties, terrorism combating operations and security cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region.

Images: Gopal Baglay Twitter page
New York, June 25(Just Earth News): Wrapping up a three-day visit to Haiti, a Security Council delegation on Saturday stressed that it has accomplished the objectives of the mission, including a first-hand look into how best the United Nations could contribute to the country's lasting stability and development.

I am glad to report that the objectives of the visit were met, Sacha Sergio Llorentty Soliz, Bolivia's Permanent Representative to the UN, who led the Council delegation, told a press conference in Port-au-Prince, Haiti.

With this visit, we have reaffirmed the Security Council's commitment towards the government and the people of Haiti and towards its institutional strengthening in order to contribute to its stability and development, he added.

Bolivia holds the Council's presidency for the month of June.

In resolution 2350 of 13 April, the 15-member Council extended the mandate of the UN Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH) for a final six months, deciding to replace it with a smaller follow-up peacekeeping mission that would help the Government of Haiti strengthen rule-of-law institutions, further develop and support the Haitian National Police and engage in human rights monitoring, reporting and analysis.

Haiti has fortunately entered a new period of stability, providing an important window of opportunity for the government and other state institutions to be able to bring forward a programme of reform so needed to allow Haiti to join the path of sustainable development, Llorentty said.

The delegation also sought to review how to implement MINUSTAH's transition to the UN Mission for Justice Support in Haiti (MINUJUSTH), and identify the necessary requirements for the successful implementation of the follow-up mission's mandate.

During the visit, the Council delegation met with President Jovenel Moise, member of his Cabinet, parliamentarians, national police, judicial officials, and civil society and private-sector representatives.

The encounters with these interlocutors allow us to come to better understanding of the challenges the government and people in Haiti face in this new political context, Llorentty said.

We felt particularly encouraged by the government and legislature's clear commitment to resolutely address the country's challenges in the field of rule of law and governance, and place an emphasis on strengthen judiciary oversight and accountability. We are equally encouraged by the authorities' commitment to further strengthen Haitian national police, he added.

He said the Council believes the new mission to be part of the strategy to ensure Haiti's progressive transition to development.

The implementation of the new mission is a demonstration of the UN's long-term commitment to Haiti, he said, stressing that a stronger level of national ownership and leadership from the Government is also expected.

On cholera, the Security Council delegation reaffirmed its support for the new efforts undertaken by the UN.

We are reminded that peace and security are intrinsically intertwined with the basic needs of the population. If the basic needs, such as health, education, water and sanitation services are not met, the road to lasting stability and development will be difficult if not impossible to achieve, Llorentty said.

Last December, then-Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon put forward a New Approach to Cholera in Haiti to demonstrate the Organization's commitment to the elimination of the disease. He also apologized to the Haitian people on behalf of the United Nations stating that the Organization simply had not done enough with regard to the 2010 cholera outbreak and its subsequent spread in Haiti.

Earlier this week, Ban's successor Antonio Guterres appointed Josette Sheeran of the United States as the Secretary-General's Special Envoy for Haiti. She will guide full implementation of the Organization's new approach.

The new approach on cholera involves two tracks: the first to intensify efforts to reduce and ultimately end the transmission of the disease, improve access to care and treatment, and address the longer-term issues of water, sanitation and health systems. Track 2 involves developing a package of material assistance and support for those Haitians most directly affected by cholera.

Photo: UN/MINUSTAH/Nektarios Markogiannis

Source: www.justearthnews.com
Bahawalpur, Pakistan, June 25 (IBNS): At least 123 people were charred to death as an oil tanker caught fire at Bahawalpur's Ahmedpur Sharqia in Pakistan on Sunday morning, media reports said.

According to Geo TV, "Dozens of vehicles, including 75 motorbikes and four cars, were engulfed in the blaze that erupted in Pul Paka near the National Highway, an area located in the middle of the city."

The reports said that most of the affected people were residents of the nearby locality. Some passers-by were also injured.

The bodies are yet to identified since most of them are unrecognisable due to burn injuries. A DNA test has to be done to ascertain their identities, media reports said.

Around 40 people were reported injured and taken to Bahawal Victoria Hospital and District Headquarters Hospital Sharqia in critical condition, Rescue 1122 Director General Dr. Rizwan Naseer told Geo TV.

Most of the injured brought to the hospital sustained more than 70 percent burnt injuries.

Authorities fear that the death toll is likely to rise.

While the exact cause of the inflammation is yet to found, eyewitnesses told media that some people in the vicinity were smoking cigarettes, which could have ignited the inferno.

The fire is brought under control but the road has not been cleared.

Relief and rescue work is still underway.

Pakistan's Inter Services Public Relations Director General Major General Asif Ghafoor has expressed grief over the loss of lives in the incident.

He has directed forces to provide assistance in rescue effort.

Ghafoor tweeted: "COAS expresses grief on losses in oil tanker incident. Directed provision of full assistance to civil admn in rescue/relief effort."

"Army Aviation helicopters sent for evacuation of casualties to hospitals / burn centres. Hospitals placed on high alert," he wrote.
Killeen, TX (76540)

Today

Thunderstorms this morning, overcast during the afternoon with occasional rain. Morning high of 67F with temps falling sharply to near 45. Winds N at 15 to 25 mph. Chance of rain 90%. Higher wind gusts possible..

Tonight

A few clouds. Low near 35F. Winds N at 15 to 25 mph.
Kabul, June 25 (IBNS): Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani on Sunday told insurgent groups to renounce violence.

He asked them to join the reconciliation process.

They [rebels] killed innocent people daily, it is a clear message to them you dont have more time either join peace talks or face Afghan security forces response, Ghani was quoted as saying by Pajhwok Afghan News as telling to groups mainly the Taliban.

The President wished the nation on the occasion of Eid.

Speaking on the attack during the holy month of Ramzan, she said: I congratulate Eid-ul-Fitr to all countrymen and women and pray for the speedy recovery of those injured and Jannat for those killed and hope for the nation-wide peace and stability in the country.

Image: Wikimedia Commons
Slavery in California ~ and "Hidden Figures" of California African American Heritage by Cristalen

Showcasing authentic California African American Heritage remains an untapped community economic development asset. The interpreted living history of the "California Gold Rush and US Civil War Era" 1840-1875 shares our profound and unique golden legacy as part of our California African American. Heritage.

Various forms of involuntary servitude existed in California before Anglo-Europeans arrived. Some Native American tribes practiced slavery. When the Spaniards arrived in the eighteenth century they held slaves and introduced an economic system that included involuntary servitude. Early Anglo-European settlers in California adopted Mexican social and economic practices that treated Indians as chattels. Mexico passed legislation in 1823 that banned slavery. (A primary motivation was to discourage Anglo-European settlement in Texas.)



The law did nothing to change the status of the peon in Mexico and the prohibition against slave holding was not vigorously enforced. Very little changed in California. It should be noted that even the status of the Indian neophyte in the California Mission System might be viewed by some as a form of involuntary servitude.



In the late 1840s the issue of slavery was hotly debated in the United States. The twenty-six states then composing the Union were equally divided - thirteen states permitted slave holding and thirteen did not. Following the defeat of Mexico in 1847, vast new areas were added to the United States and a furious debate erupted as to whether or not the new territories were to permit slaveholding or not.



In California the gold rush was at its height and many of the new arrivals were southerners favoring slave holding. Not a few brought their slaves with them. In October 1849, in the absence of action by the United States Congress, California held a constitutional convention to determine how it would be governed. One of the questions that needed to be resolved was how the state would deal with the slavery issue.



Public opinion in California was split on the subject but a majority was opposed to slavery being introduced into the state. Northern abolitionists argued against the practice on moral grounds and Anglo-European miners did not want competition from slave-holders in the gold fields. Southerners wanted the right to bring their slaves with them into the gold fields and to establish agricultural enterprises similar to those in the South.



The chairman of the committee that drafted the constitution was William Gwin, a slave-holder from Tennessee. Gwin was more interested in gaining control of the Democratic Party than he was in winning any specific political battle in the convention. He made no effort to write slavery into the new constitution. (For which he was later criticized by Southern leaders in Congress.) In 1849 California presented itself to Congress and the world as a "free state" and sent a balanced representation to the U.S. Senate. The Southern slave-holder, Willaim Gwin, and the Northern abolitionist, John Fremont, were the first two senators elected to represent the state.



Although they rejected slavery, the members of the convention reflected the racism that permeated California at the time. Their constitution specifically denied non-white persons many fundamental rights granted to white citizens thus ensuring the continued dominance of the Anglo-European in California.



They even considered a provision that would have banned all black persons from entering California - free or slave. (They did not go that far because they feared that it would delay California's entry into the Union.) Less than two months after the constitution was drafted, in December 1849, at the urging of the state's newly elected governor, Peter H. Burnett, the state assembly actually passed a bill that would prohibit the immigration of free blacks into California. When the bill got to the state senate, Senator David C. Broderick managed to kill it through parliamentary maneuver.



Even after the constitution was ratified, slavery continued to exist in California. There were serious loopholes in the new law and the government's ability to enforce it throughout the state was weak.



Most slave owners did little to inform their slaves of the new law and continued to treat them as their personal property. Slaves continued to be bought and sold and hired out to work for wages that were paid to the slave-holder. As time passed, however, slave masters found it increasingly difficult to maintain control of their slaves. Many slaves simply stopped being slaves. Some managed to get completely away from their masters. Others were caught and punished. A series of important court trials began to shape the legal status of all blacks in the state.



One of the first of these cases occurred in Sacramento in 1849. A white man sued a black man who he said was a slave. The white man contended that the black man owed him a sum of money. If he did not pay it the white man would sue his owner. American law at the national level condoned slavery. Mexican law did not. California was not yet a state and the judge ruled that Mexican law applied to the case, consequently the black man was not a slave and had to pay the money. The case set the important precedent that legally slavery did not exist in California.



In March 1851, the Frank case opened in San Francisco. Frank had been brought into California by his slave master in 1850 to work in the mines. In 1851 he ran away and was recaptured by his owner in San Francisco. The judge ruled that the federal Fugitive Slave Law of 1850 did not apply in this case because Frank took his freedom in California and did not cross state lines in the process. Furthermore the slave-owner could not prove that Frank was his slave even though Frank had admitted that he had been his slave. Here the judge cited an 1850 California law that made the testimony of non-whites inadmissible in California courts.



In January 1852, California Assemblyman Henry A. Crabb, a Southerner, introduced a Fugitive Slave Law that would make it illegal for slaves to run away from their owners in California. It passed into law in April 1852 and was challenged in the Perkins case later that year. In the Perkins case the state supreme court found that, under the California Fugitive Slave Law, Robert Perkins must be returned to his master. This precedent prevailed until April 1855 when the law failed to be renewed by the state legislature. As soon as it lapsed, a judge in San Jose ruled in the Mitchell case that because the California Fugitive Slave Law no longer was in effect Mitchell, who had escaped bondage inside the state, was not to be returned to his owner.



The last and most famous of these cases took place in Sacramento and San Francisco in 1858. On January 7, 1858, Archy Lee appeared before Judge Robert Robinson in Sacramento. Lee, a black, had been brought into California by Charles Stovall in the fall of 1857 and hired out for wages. Stovall took a position teaching school for several months after which he decided to send Lee back to Mississippi.



Lee ran away rather than return. Stovall found him and had him arrested. On January 26 Judge Robinson declared Lee a free man, but he was immediately arrested again on a warrant issued by State Supreme Court Justice David Terry. Terry was a prominent Southerner known to be sympathetic to slave holders. On February 11, 1858, Judge Terry found for Stovall saying that he was young and did not know the laws of California. This produced a howl of protest and ridicule from the black community and it's supporters.



Lee was bound over to Stovall who prepared to take him back to Mississippi by ship. While Lee was being transferred to the ship he was once again arrested - this time by his friends who wanted to see justice done. The venue was the district court in San Francisco, Judge T.W. Freelon presiding. Judge Freelon overturned the Terry decision and declared Lee to be a free man. Once again, however, Lee was arrested before he could leave the court room. This time it was a federal marshal. Stovall brought the case to the attention of the United States Commissioner, William Penn Johnson, claiming that the national Fugitive Slave Law of 1850 applied. On April 14, 1858, Johnson ruled for Lee saying that, because he did not cross state lines to seek his freedom, the 1850 law did not apply. This time Lee did indeed go free.



The backlash against the legal decisions that were viewed by some as unduly favoring blacks came in that same year. In March 1858, Assemblyman J.B. Warfield introduced a new anti-immigration bill in the state legislature. (A similar bill had been narrowly defeated in 1857.) Another bill that would ban Chinese immigration was already being considered. The Sierra placers were running out and many Anglo-European miners were unemployed. Blacks and other minorities were viewed as undercutting their economic well-being. Warfield's bill would ban the entry of blacks into California and require all blacks then in the state to register with the government and carry their registration papers with them at all times.



It passed easily in the assembly, but was stopped in the senate by parliamentary maneuvering. Many within the black community were fearful that it would pass in the next session and emigrated to Canada where the Fraser River gold rush was in progress. Events after 1858 were dominated by the run up to the war between the states. The legislature and the courts turned to other more pressing issues than the status of the black slave in California.



During the 1850s and into the 1860s various political stratagems were considered by a few die hard politicians with the aim of somehow introducing slavery into California. One of the more persistent was the hope that California could be divided into two states. Slavery would be prohibited in the north and permitted in the south. During the Civil War some hoped to establish a separate republic that would stand aloof from the war. In that group were a few who argued that the new republic should permit slavery.



None of these ideas got off of the ground and slavery was successfully eliminated from the state. Unfortunately racial prejudice has continued long after and successfully denied minorities full access to the rights and privileges that the Anglo-European enjoys in California. Enormous progress has been made, but it is slow going, and there is obviously more that needs to be done.


The investment bank unseats two-time champion Morgan Stanley in our sixth-annual ranking of the regions best equity sales squads.

As investors return to the Asian equity markets after a long dry spell, a new champion was crowned in Institutional Investors sixth annual All-Asia Sales Team ranking of the regions best sales teams.

Credit Suisses Asia ex-Japan equity sales group ranked best overall in the 2017 survey of money managers and buy-side analysts, jumping up three spots from last years fourth-place finish and beating out competitors including Morgan Stanley, which slid to third after back-to-back first-place finishes.

Voters singled out Credit Suisse as having the best understanding of client needs, being the most proactive about facilitating access to its research analysts, and overall fostering high-quality relationships with investors. Albert Park, Credit Suisses head of distribution for Asia-Pacific, says the firm has prioritized maintaining a presence across the different Asian markets, even as a challenging environment for sales has put pressure on investment banks to cut costs.

For the last several years, investors had largely spurned emerging-markets equities, including the stock markets in Asian countries such as China, India, and South Korea. Recently, however, investors have shown renewed interest in these markets  a trend Park calls overdue.

Its good to see investors and fund flow coming back into emerging markets, he adds.

In addition to money flowing back into Asia in general, certain sectors have also gotten a boost over the past year, notes Chris Hunt, head of Asia-Pacific equity distribution at UBS. Specifically, he points to a shift by investors toward more cyclical sectors, as well as technology-related stocks.

Still, Hunt says, the brokerage industry is shrinking  though he adds that the firm has continued to invest selectively in its sales efforts, for example the recent buildout of UBSs China onshore advisory offering, as well as a number of changes to ensure a more seamless and client-centric coverage model.

The investments paid off in this years All-Asia Sales roster: UBS claimed the No. 2 spot, edging ahead of last years third-place finish. The sales team earned praise for its overall quality of service and responsiveness, as well as its effective communication of Asia-Pacific research.

The top five was rounded out by Citi and CLSA, which each climbed two spots, to fourth and fifth place, respectively. Angus Richardson, Citis head of Pan-Asia cash sales, attributes his firms rise in the rankings to the sales teams ability to deliver high value for our clients in a timely manner.

Like Hunt and Park, however, Richardson says the industry has become more competitive, particularly as clients advisory budgets continue to come under pressure. As a result, he suggests, the regions brokers will be forced to consolidate as top global brokers take on a larger share of the market.

Its been quite challenging, Park agrees. All investment banks have been trying to be as efficient as possible in Asia-Pacific and globally.

For Credit Suisse, Park adds, becoming more efficient has meant embracing new technologies and electronic execution platforms. Its also expanded its client coverage to appeal to a broader audience than traditional long-only clients, including high-frequency traders and exchange-traded funds, as well as quantitative funds.

To be a top sales franchise today, you need to be able to do well across the mix of clients, providing them with strong content and execution capabilities, he says.
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by Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) |  

The Iraqi army has created pathways for civilians trapped in Mosul to escape and at least 100 have managed to flee to safety.

The chief of operations for the Elite Iraqi Counter-Terrorism forces, Man al-Sa`di, said that his units are engaged in vicious battles despite the difficult terrain. At the same time, 8 persons were killed by a suicide bombing in a popular market in east-central Mosul.

Daesh fighters, holed up in the Old City, are mostly foreign volunteers

A couple of days ago, Al Jazeera reported that Iraqi prime minister Haydar al-Abadi has announced that Mosul will be liberated from Daesh (ISIS, ISIL) during the coming days. At the same time, the head of the national federal police, Raid Jawdat, said that his forces had surrounded Daesh in the two districts of Ras al-Jada and Bab al-Bayd Old Mosul.

During this current campaign, the Iraqi Army also said that it is making more progress in encounters with Daesh, despite intense fighting, than it had anticipated, with their advance happening rapidly amid house to house fighting.

Mosul was the last major urban asset of Daesh in Iraq.

Over the border in Syria, Daesh is also losing neighborhoods to the Kurdish YPG supported by the US Air Force.

In Old Mosul in Iraq, some 150,00 civilians are still trapped between Daesh and the advancing Iraqi Army.

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Related video:

AFP: Iraq: residents who fled Mosuls Old City are now traumatised
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By Billie Jeanne Brownlee | (The Conversation) |  

For Syrian refugees in Lebanon marking the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, it has been a struggle to find enough food to break their fast each evening after sunset. This is not what Ramadan and Eid al-Fitr, the festival at its end, should be about. It is a chance to give Muslims a spiritual boost, by reading the Holy Quran, avoiding malicious behaviour and contributing to charity work and donations for the less fortunate.

Yet, Syrian refugees have little respite from their daily hardships. While Beiruts shops display every type of delicacy and restaurants offer tempting menus for iftar, the meal that breaks the daily fast for Muslims during Ramadan, Syrian refugees in Lebanon struggle to afford them.

I have spent time in Beirut carrying out research for my post-doctoral research on the politics of the refugee crisis management in Lebanon. Ive seen despair on the faces of Syrian refugees, mixed with fatigue and a sense of helplessness. The heat of the summer season wearies them even more, particularly during the Ramadan fast. In one of Beiruts main thoroughfares, Hamra Street, I saw a boy younger than ten years old, sitting on the edge of a sidewalk with a box of shoe creams and brushes. He had no customers, and was crying. Im tired, Im tired, I cant bear it any longer, he muttered to himself.

Many of these refugees have been displaced since the start of the conflict in Syria more than six years ago. Some have been displaced multiple times and gone through immense trauma, living with uncertainty and facing exploitation. In 2014, the UN Commissioner for Refugees described the Syrian refugee crisis as the biggest humanitarian emergency of our era. Recent figures from UNHCR show that more than 11m people have been displaced  half of Syrias population; 6.3m internally and 5m who have found refuge in neighbouring countries such as Turkey, Jordan, Lebanon and, to a lesser extent, Iraq and Egypt.

Pressure mounting

The effects of the Syrian conflict and the resulting refugee crisis have had far-reaching consequences for Lebanon and its people. A small country of 4.5m people, already hosting 450,000 Palestinian refugees and more than 6,000 Iraqi refugees, it is now struggling to cope with approximately 1.5m Syrian refugees. This makes it the country with the highest percentage of refugees worldwide. One in four people in Lebanon is a refugee.

In Lebanon, the Syrian refugee crisis is not just a crisis for those fleeing the conflict but also for the hosting communities who have experienced an upsurge in poverty and unemployment in recent years. Lebanon has faced disruptions to social services amid political crises, leading to a growing lack of confidence in central authorities and an increase in the sectarian divides that tormented the country in the dark days of the civil war between the 1970s and 1990s.

In more recent months, Lebanon has experienced a wave of anti-refugee sentiment. Syrian businesses are being shut down and some refugees have been evicted from certain areas, including 10,000 living near a military airport. Refugees in other areas face the threat of eviction. Bogus scare stories about refugees have also received media attention in Lebanon, such as one claiming there were 300,000 pregnant refugees in the country in 2017  a figure which has been debunked.

Petition against refugees

The latest expression of this anti-refugee sentiment was an online petition aimed at the US state department and the UN calling for Syrian refugees to leave Lebanon and return to safe zones in Syria. The petition  signed by more than 20,000 people by late June  reflects a growing intolerance among parts of the Lebanese public who view the refugee crisis as an economic, security and demographic threat to the stability of their country.

The petition seems to forget that refugees are not escaping poverty but war. As part of my research an aid worker, employed at an international humanitarian organisation in Lebanon and with a lot of experience in refugee crises, told me:

I have never met a refugee population like the Syrians. They are so patient. Despite all that they have gone through and what they keep facing, they are incredibly patient. But patience does not last forever and when it will terminate it will have dreadful consequences for Lebanon.

In April, the Lebanese prime minister, Saad al-Hariri, said that the country had become a big refugee camp and was at breaking point. If Lebanon wants to avoid reaching a situation like that which led to its decades-long civil war, urgent action must be taken by the international community and Lebanese politicians to support both Syrian refugees and alleviate the pressure building on the communities that host them.

Billie Jeanne Brownlee, PhD Candidate in Middle East Politics, University of Exeter

This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article.

-

Related video added by Juan Cole:

Al Jazeera English: Syrian refugees forced into child labour in Lebanon
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By David Korten | ( Yes! Magazine ) |  

Forget the GDP, its time for our leaders to pay attention to metrics that matter.

Four days after President Trump announced the United States would withdraw from the Paris climate agreement, the Global Footprint Network (GFN) reported that Earth Overshoot Day 2017 will fall on August 2. Most Americans likely have no idea what that means.

The basic point is quite simple: From January 1 to August 2, the worlds 7.5 billion people will have used as much of Earths biological resourcesor biocapacityas the planet can regenerate in a year. During the remaining five months of 2017, our human consumption will be drawing down Earths reserves of fresh water, fertile soils, forests, and fisheries, and depleting its ability to regenerate these resources as well as sequester excess carbon released into the atmosphere.

Stated slightly differently, humans are depleting living Earths capacity to support life.

The GFN methodology can also generate an ecological footprint for individual cities, states, and nations, based on the burden each generates relative to its local biocapacity. It can also compare a personal footprint generated by a distinctive lifestyle to both national and global averages.

The U.S. has a relatively abundant per capita biocapacity compared to most other nations. We are also one of the worlds highest per capita consumers. Consequently, the net outcome is a total national biocapacity deficit second only to that of Chinaa country with a population roughly four times ours.

Knowing that, collectively, the world is consuming far more than the planet can sustain, how do we bring ourselves into balance with Earths capacities? GFN outlines four critical global priorities:

Humanitys carbon energy use accounts for 60 percent of the global ecological footprint. By GFNs estimate, Reducing the carbon component of the global Ecological Footprint by 50 percent would get us from consuming the resources of 1.7 Earths down to 1.2 Earths, or move the date of Overshoot Day forward by 89 days, or about three months. That would place Overshoot Day on October 30.

We cannot ignore population growth if we are truly committed to people having secure lives in a world of finite resources, noted Susan Burns, GFN co-founder. She urges empowering women and assuring that every child is wanted. By GFNs analysis, reducing the current global average family size by half a child would push back Overshoot Day by 31 days.

By GFNs calculation, sourcing food locally, avoiding highly processed foods, reducing meat consumption, and cutting food waste by half could move Overshoot Day forward by 11 days.

GFN estimates that increasing the energy efficiency of the urban built environment through measures such as efficient mass transit could advance Overshoot Day by 2 days.

If we achieved all four of these priorities, we would bring Overshoot Day to December 13 and almost be in balance with Earths capacity to sustain us.

There is considerable truth to the adage that we can manage only what we measure. Measure the wrong thing, and the consequences can be catastrophic.

Unfortunately, our governments currently invest heavily in reporting financial indicators, such as gross domestic product, that tell us little either about actual human well-being or our long-term viability on Earth. In measuring the right things, GFN shatters the illusions of such measures and analyses. Still, we need a clearer and more complete, and coherent reporting and analysis of the global footprint measurements than the GFN offers.

The responsibility for such statistical gathering and reporting should fall, not to a small non-profit, but rather to the United Nations and the statistical services of the worlds national governments. Producing detailed global footprint measurements, reporting, and analysis should be among the top priorities of such official agencies. That will be a far greater contribution to national and global well-being than the grossly misleading economic indicators to which they now devote the bulk of their resources.

David Korten wrote this article for YES! Magazine as part of his series of biweekly columns on A Living Earth Economy. David is co-founder and board chair of YES! Magazine, president of the Living Economies Forum, a member of the Club of Rome, and the author of influential books, including When Corporations Rule the World and Change the Story, Change the Future: A Living Economy for a Living Earth. His work builds on lessons from the 21 years he and his wife Fran lived and worked in Africa, Asia, and Latin America on a quest to end global poverty. Follow him on Twitter @dkorten and Facebook. As do all YES! columnists, he writes here in his personal voice.

Reprinted by permission from Yes! Magazine )



Related video added by Juan Cole:

UN Environment: Why natural resource use matters?
Molson Coors Brewing Company manufactures and sells beer and other beverage products in the United States, Canada, Europe, and internationally. It sells various products under the Coors Light, Miller Lite, Coors Banquet, the Blue Moon Brewing Company brands, the Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Company brands, Keystone, Icehouse, Mickey's, Miller 64, Miller Genuine Draft, Miller High Life, Milwaukee's Best, Hamm's, Olde English 800, Steel Reserve, Crispin, Smith & Forge, Redd's, the Henry's Hard Soda, and Steel Reserve Alloy Series brands. The company also offers various brands, including Molson Canadian, Belgian Moon, Carling, Carling Black Label, Creemore Springs, the Granville Island, Mad Jack, the Miller, Molson Canadian 67, Molson Canadian Cider, Molson Dry, Molson Export, Old Style Pilsner, and the Rickard's family of brands. In addition, it provides its products under the Staropramen, Apatinsko, Astika, Bergenbier, Borsodi, Branik, Jelen, Kamenitza, Niksicko, Noroc, Ostravar, Ozujsko, Sharp's Doom Bar, Worthington's, Cobra, and other brand names. Further, the company imports and sells Hop Valley, Revolver, Saint Archer, Terrapin, Grolsch, Peroni Nastro Azzurro, Pilsner Urquell, Desperados, Dos Equis, Moretti, Sol, Tecate, Carling Strong, Coors, Coors 1873, Coors Extra, Coors Gold, Iceberg 9000, King Cobra, Thunderbolt, and Zima brand products. Additionally, it brews or distributes various brands, such as Amstel Light, Heineken, Murphy's, Newcastle Brown Ale, Strongbow cider, Beck's, Belle-Vue Kriek brands, Hoegaarden, Leffe, Lowenbrau, Lowenweisse, Spaten and Stella Artois, Corona Extra, Rekorderlig, Singha, Blue Moon, Corona, Miller High Life, Molson Canadian, and other Modelo brands, as well as George Killian's Irish Red, the Redd's, and Foster's brands. The company was formerly known as Adolph Coors Company and changed its name to Molson Coors Brewing Company in February 2005. The Company was founded in 1786 and is headquartered in Denver, Colorado.
Coeur Mining, Inc. explores for precious metals in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. The company primarily explores for gold, silver, zinc, and lead properties. It holds 100% interests in the Palmarejo gold and silver mine covering an area of approximately 67,296 net acres located in the State of Chihuahua in Northern Mexico; the Rochester silver and gold mine that covers an area of approximately 43,441net acres situated in northwestern Nevada; the Kensington gold mine comprising 3,972 net acres located to the north of Juneau, Alaska; the Wharf gold mine covering an area of approximately 3,243 net acres situated in the northern Black Hills of western South Dakota; and the Silvertip silver-zinc-lead mine comprising 97,298 net acres located in northern British Columbia, Canada. In addition, the company owns interests in the Crown and Sterling projects located in southern Nevada; and the La Preciosa project located in Mexico. Further, it markets and sells its concentrates to third-party customers, smelters, under off-take agreements. The company was formerly known as Coeur d'Alene Mines Corporation and changed its name to Coeur Mining, Inc. in May 2013.Coeur Mining, Inc. was incorporated in 1928 and is headquartered in Chicago, Illinois.
The following companies are subsidiares of SAP: Abakus, Abakus Europe Limited, Abakus Ukraine Limited Liability Company, Adatfeldolgozasban Informatikai Kft., Altiscale, Ambin Properties Proprietary Limited, AppGyver, Ariba, Ariba Czech s.r.o., Ariba Inc. Palo Alto, Ariba India Private Limited, Ariba International, Ariba International Holdings, Ariba International Singapore Pte Ltd, Ariba Slovak Republic s.r.o., Ariba Software Technology Services (Shanghai) Co., Ariba Technologies India Private Limited, Ariba Technologies Netherlands B.V., Beijing Zhang Zhong Hu Dong Information Technology, Business Objects, Business Objects Holding B.V., Business Objects Option LLC, Business Objects Software Limited, CNQR Operations Mexico S. de. R.L. de. C.V., Callidus Software, CallidusCloud, Christie Partners Holding C.V., Clear Standards, ClearTrip Inc., ClearTrip Inc. (Mauritius), Cleartrip MEA FZ LLC, Cleartrip Private Limited, Coghead, ConTgo Consulting Limited, ConTgo Pty. Ltd., Concur (Austria) GmbH, Concur (Canada), Concur (France) SAS, Concur (Germany) GmbH, Concur (Japan) Ltd., Concur (New Zealand) Limited, Concur (Philippines) Inc., Concur (Switzerland) GmbH, Concur Czech (s.r.o.), Concur Holdings (France) SAS, Concur Holdings (Netherlands) B.V., Concur Technologies (Australia) Pty. Limited, Concur Technologies (Hong Kong) Limited, Concur Technologies (India) Private Limited, Concur Technologies (Singapore) Pte Ltd, Concur Technologies (UK) Limited, Concur Technologies Inc. Bellevue, Contextor, Coresystems, Crystal Decisions (Ireland) Limited, Crystal Decisions Holdings Limited, Crystal Decisions UK Limited, Emarsys, EssCubed Procurement Pty. Ltd., Extended Systems, Factory Logic, Fedem Technology AS, Fieldglass Europe Limited, Financial Fusion, FreeMarkets Ltda., Frictionless Commerce, Gigya, Gigya Australia Pty Ltd, Gigya Ltd., Gigya UK Ltd, GlobalExpense Limited, Highdeal, Hipmunk, Hybris (US) Corp., Hybris GmbH, Inxight Federal Systems Group, KXEN, Khimetrics, LLC "SAP Labs", LLC "SAP Ukraine", LLC SAP CIS, MaXware, Merlin Systems Oy, Multiposting Sp.z o.o., Nihon Ariba K.K., OpTier, OutlookSoft, OutlookSoft Deutschland GmbH, PLAT.ONE, PT SAP Indonesia, PT Sybase 365 Indonesia, Pilot Software Inc., Plat.One Inc., Plat.One Lab Srl, Plateau Systems LLC, Quadrem Africa Pty. Ltd., Quadrem Brazil Ltda., Quadrem Chile Ltda., Quadrem Colombia SAS, Quadrem International Ltd., Quadrem Netherlands B.V., Quadrem Overseas Cooperatief U.A., Quadrem Peru S.A.C., Qualtrics, Recast.AI, Right Hemisphere, Roambi, Ruan Lian Technologies (Beijing) Co., SAF, SAP (Beijing) Software System Co., SAP (Schweiz) AG, SAP (Schweiz) AG Biel, SAP (UK) Limited, SAP (UK) Limited Feltham, SAP AZ LLC, SAP America, SAP America Inc. Newtown Square, SAP Andina y del Caribe, SAP Argentina S.A., SAP Asia (Vietnam) Co., SAP Asia Pte Ltd, SAP Australia Pty Ltd, SAP Australia Pty Ltd. Sydney, SAP Belgium NV/SA, SAP Beteiligungs GmbH, SAP Brasil Ltda, SAP Brasil Ltda Sao Paulo, SAP Bulgaria EOOD, SAP Business Compliance Services GmbH, SAP Business Services Center Nederland B.V., SAP CR, SAP Canada, SAP Chile Limitada, SAP China Co., SAP China Co. Ltd. Shanghai, SAP China Holding Co., SAP Colombia S.A.S., SAP Commercial Services Ltd., SAP Concur, SAP Costa Rica, SAP Customer Experience, SAP Cyprus Limited, SAP Danmark A/S, SAP Deutschland SE & Co. KG, SAP Deutschland SE & Co. KG Walldorf, SAP Dritte Beteiligungs- und Vermogensverwaltungs GmbH, SAP EMEA Inside Sales S.L., SAP East Africa Limited, SAP Egypt LLC, SAP Erste Beteiligungs- und Vermogensverwaltungs GmbH, SAP Espana - Sistemas Informatica, SAP Estonia OU, SAP Fieldglass, SAP Financial, SAP Finland Oy, SAP Foreign Holdings GmbH, SAP France, SAP France Holding, SAP France Levallois Perret, SAP Global Marketing, SAP Hellas S.A., SAP Holdings (UK) Limited, SAP Hong Kong Co., SAP Hosting Beteiligungs GmbH, SAP Hungary Rendszerek, SAP India (Holding) Pte Ltd, SAP India Private Limited, SAP India Private Limited Bangalore, SAP Industries, SAP Industries Inc. Newtown Square, SAP International, SAP International Panama, SAP Investments, SAP Ireland Limited, SAP Ireland US - Financial Services Designated Activity Company, SAP Israel Ltd., SAP Italia Sistemi Applicazioni Prodotti in Data Processing S.p.A., SAP Italia Sistemi Applicazioni Prodotti in Data Processing S.p.A. Vimercate, SAP Japan Co., SAP Japan Co. Ltd. Tokyo, SAP Kazakhstan LLP, SAP Korea Ltd., SAP Labs, SAP Labs Bulgaria EOOD, SAP Labs Finland Oy, SAP Labs France SAS, SAP Labs India Private Limited, SAP Labs Israel Ltd., SAP Labs Korea, SAP Latvia SIA, SAP MENA FZ L.L.C., SAP Malaysia Sdn. Bhd., SAP Malta Investments Ltd., SAP Mxico S.A. de C.V., SAP National Security Services PA, SAP Nederland B.V., SAP Nederland B.V. s-Hertogenbosch, SAP Service and Support Centre (Ireland) Limited, SAP SuccessFactors, SAP d.o.o., SeeWhy, Signavio, SuccessFactors, SuccessFactors Inc. South San Francisco, SwoopTalent, Sybase, Syclo, TopTier Software, Triversity, Vimercate, Virsa Systems, Visiprise, Wicom Communications, and conTgo limited.

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Muslims who claim there is nothing wrong in Islam has to explain to the world why terrorists kill in the name of Allah? Why do Sunni and Shiite continue to fight in Islam? And why slavery is still going on in Muslim-majority countries today? Again they should explain to the world that killing an infidel is a false doctrine, and the war in most Middle East countries has nothing to do with Islam.

In most terrorist attacks we see today, we heard the killers shouted "Allahu Akbar!" before exploding themselves and the people around. We saw this in Syria, Turkey, Nigeria, Somalia, Iraq, Brussel, Paris, London, US and other places. In the Isis videos where people were killed, the killers shouted "Allahu Akbar!" When Al-Qaeda, Hamas, Hezbollah, Muslim Brotherhood, Taliban, Boko Haram, etc. releases videos calling for the death of people, they shout "Allahu Akbar" and claim to be Muslims. If the doctrines of Islam does not incite these people to kill, why do they cite the Quran and praise Allah for killing people? No religious groups call their supreme being "Allah," so these killers are automatically Muslims. And what they are doing is a crime against humanity.

So what does "Allahu Akbar" got to do with terrorism? Today in the western world, when you hear "Allahu Akbar" in the Metro Station, Bus Stop, or any social gathering you might run for your life or die through an explosion. Why are some people desperately seekings for ways to kill and praise Allah? If there exists an ideology which incites some Muslims to kill innocent souls and then praises Allah, then such an ideology MUST be defeated because it causes crime against humanity. Whether such doctrines are in the Quran, Hadith or any book, such an ideology can not come from a divine being who you believe created ALL. How can such divine being incite you to kill others? For what purpose? Such narratives are not sacred rather it was written by bloodthirsty ancestors who are seeking the death of innocent souls because they want their ideology to conquer the rest of the world.

How can Sunnis and Shiite profess the belief in Allah but hold ancient grudges against each other? Why is this happening under the tenet of Allah? Does Allah condone such differences? Or this is a set-up by bloodthirsty ancestors who want to keep their ideology unique to conquer the rest of the Muslim world and the world as a whole? Today, a typical Sunni state like Saudi Arabia is working very hard to defeat Iran which is a Shiite country in the Middle East, and the vice versa. This kind of division exists almost in all the Abrahamic religions, but most of the followers do not realize that such groups lead to friction, grudges, killings, war, and others. This kind of division can not be coming from the creator of the universe because the creator MUST embrace all.

Someone told me slavery does not exist in Islam. This is untrue because of most Muslim-majority countries today practice slavery. For example, there is slavery market in Libya now. Slavery is ongoing in Mauritania, Western Sahara, Saudi Arabia, etc. and there are quotations in the Quran that justify the use of unbelievers as slaves. Again there are laws in Islam on how to treat slaves. (Quran 33:50, Quran 23:5-6, Quran 4:24, Quran 8:69, Quran 24:32, Quran 2:178). As an African from Sub-Sahara, my experience teaches me to fight slavery today with all my might and strength because such practices make my race less human to others. We are a victim of slavery in the history of the world than any other race. Hence, if Islam condones enslaving unbelievers, and knowing that most of the people in the world are not Muslims, we can not allow this to happen. Slavery of all kinds must end.

I have seen and heard from some Muslim clergies specifically in Saudi Arabia condoning the death of infidels. Terrorist groups like Al Qaeda, Isis, etc. has been releasing videos calling the death of infidels. Recently, one clergy claimed Muslim in Saudi Arabia should not mourn the death of people who died in Manchester stadium and Iran Parliament. How soulless can individuals who profess to be godly be? The wars in the Muslims nations is an alarming. A religion of peace should not have such conflicts manifesting to the world. Saudi Arabia is invading Yemen. Now Saudi Arabia and others Muslim majority countries have cut ties with Qatar. Now tell me there is nothing wrong in Islam?

All these pressing issues come to the point that Islam needs reform. Those who think Islam does not need a change either do not see the problems the rest of the world see with your religion or you support the death of innocent souls through your faith. Like any other Abrahamic religions, so many have died under the doctrines of men who claim it is divine so failing to abide by it means death. In most cases, people who comment on such pressing issues are met with threats, curses, and others. But such threats can not stop the world from speaking against what is unjust. There will always be someone to talk against the unjust in the world. I will be coming out with many posts highlighting where Islam MUST reform.
Enterprise Group Limited has initiated steps to introduce a new strategic partner, Black Star Holdings Limited (BSHL) into its fold.

BSHL is to replace Sanlam Emerging Markets Proprietary Limited of South Africa (Sanlam) in the Enterprise Group by acquiring the latters stake in the three subsidiary companies of the group namely Enterprise Life, Enterprise Insurance and Enterprise Trustees for $130 million.

Enterprise Group will retain its majority stake in each of these subsidiaries.

BSHL is a wholly owned subsidiary of LeapFrog Strategic African Investments LSAI, a separate account managed by LeapFrog Investments and in which Prudential Financial, Inc is a primary investor.

LeapFrog Investments is a private investment firm with about $1billion in assets under management and a portfolio of companies across Africa and Asia focused on financial services and health.

BSHL has also committed funds to support Enterprise Group's growth agenda over the coming years.

Board Chairman of Enterprise Group, Trevor Trefgarne described the transaction as an exciting one for Enterprise Group. With our new partner, LeapFrog Investments, we expect to be able to grasp growth opportunities both in Ghana and across the wider West Africa Region.

Enterprise appreciates the long and productive association with Sanlam in Ghana over the past 12 years" he noted.

The Ghana Stock Exchange has been duly informed of the impending transaction which is subject to regulatory approvals and notifications in Ghana and South Africa.

CEO of Sanlam, Junior Ngulube also highlighted the good partnership and a mutually beneficial 12-year working relationship his company enjoyed with Enterprise Group in Ghana.

According to him Considering our strategic partnerships with both Enterprise Group and Saham Finances, it was mutually agreed that Sanlam should exit from Enterprise Group. However, we will look to re-establish and grow our presence in Ghana, starting with Saham Ghana as our partner going forward."

The CEO of Enterprise Group, Keli Gadzekpo also welcomed the introduction of Leapfrog Investments into the Enterprise Family as timely for his outfits growth.

They bring an incredible network of global insurance contacts and experience, and also the capacity to provide growth capital towards the realization of our very ambitious strategic objectives. We are pleased they have chosen to partner with us" he said.

Doug Lacey, who co-led the transaction with Norm Kelly on behalf of LSAI described Enterprise Groups pioneering position and dominance in financial services with over 28 percent share of the insurance market in Ghana as a testament to the quality of service it provides.

Norm Kelly of LeapFrog Investments was also upbeat about the economic impact of the new synergy. "Leapfrog Investments is extremely pleased to enter into this strategic relationship with Enterprise Group which has built a robust platform for growth in West Africa."

"With our capital and expertise in the business, we are confident that the partnership will provide millions more people access to essential financial services." he noted.

Story by Ghana | Myjoyonline.com | Joy Business
The family of former President Jerry John Rawlings has congratulated the Muslim community for successfully ending their month-long fasting.

The Rawlings in a statement Sunday lauded Muslims for standing in the gap of prayer for the country.

The prayer, sacrifice and purification that you endure throughout the month of Ramadan has a cleansing effect on whole communities and offers a renewed lease as we confront lifes many challenges, the family of former Ghanaian leader said.

Mr Rawlings and wife, Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings thanked the Chief Imam, Sheik Nuhu Sharabutu and leaders of the various Muslim groups for their commitment to the Muslim community and cause of the country.

Chief Imam, Sheik Nuhu Sharabutu

The former first family urged the Muslim community to continue to intercede on behalf of the country.

We pray that as you break the fast you continue to seek Allahs guidance and blessings not only for our families, friends and communities but for the good of Ghana so we can forge ahead as a people in peace and tranquillity, the Rawlings said.

Muslims across the world will celebrate Eid or Eid al-Fitr marks the end of Ramadan, which is a month of fasting that started on May 27 and finished on Saturday June 24.

Eid kickstarts the month of Shawwal, which begins with a feast to end the period of fasting.

The celebration is a public holiday in many Muslim countries, but is not one in the UK, despite a campaign for it to be recognised back in 2014.

Story by Ghana | Myjoyonline.com |
After castigating the then NDC government for failing to bring a diplomatic deal to parliament, the NPP, now in power, has argued the agreement to bring in two former terror suspects didn't need parliamentary approval.

Supreme Court orders after the deal landed on the bench shows, the NPP government has done a u-turn.

It has employed the same argument constructed by the NDC after some private citizens sued the Mahama government for entertaining the former suspects in Ghana.

The NPP, then in opposition, had castigated the NDC government for failing to bring the diplomatic deal to parliament as required by Article 75 of the 1992 constitution.

Photo: Muhammed Al-Dhuby and Muhammed Bin-Atef were held in Guantanamo Bay for over 14 years on suspicion of being part of the September 11 terrorist attack.

Former NPP MP Prof. Mike Ocquaye tore through President Mahama's defence that the decision reached with the US government was "neither a treaty or an agreement for which it should have gone to parliament for approval".

The NPP leading figure rebutted that "the president is woefully wrong. An agreement is an agreement whether verbale, telephonic, sealed or whatever.

"Without an agreement those persons could have been here...there was an offer and there was an acceptance if the Attorney-General advised the president on the contrary he should apologise to Ghanaians and resign." Prof. Ocquaye then argued.

In the heat of the argument, the NDC government was sued at the Supreme Court with a demand that the agreement be declared unconstitutional which it now has.

Before the case could be completed, there was a change in government with a critical NPP opposition now the government in charge. One of the lead critics Prof. Mike Ocquaye has been elected Speaker of Parliament.

Photo: Marietta Brew Appiah-Oppong

At a court hearing, the NPP government continued the line of defence it had previously attacked consistently.

On 24th May 2017, the NPP government filed documents supporting the NDC position that not every agreement requires parliamentary ratification.

The A-G argued joint military exercises between two countries do not come before the government despite an agreement covering the sessions.

The Attorney-General also argued it was "State practice" to conduct some diplomatic deals through "executive agreements" and cited examples in South Africa and the USA.

The Supreme Court described this argument as scanty and questioned "why we should interpret the terms of our Constitution in line with the provisions of another State's constitution."

"....and why we must follow another State's practices, the Defendant failed to give us any cogent reasons or make any compelling showing."

Referring to the diplomatic notes containing the agreement, the Supreme Court touched on aspects of the deal which demonstrated Ghana's responsibilities under the agreement to keep the two terror suspects in the country.

"Ghana binds herself to receive and resettle' the said two persons, and assure that, for at least two years, or longer if warranted by circumstances, these persons are kept under such conditions (i.e. monitored and surveilled) as would accord with the security assurances in this agreement to be implemented'. "

"Furthermore, it also appears that, under the agreement, Ghana is obliged to integrate the two persons into Ghanaian society. This is a unique obligation, since it compels the virtual migration of the two persons into Ghana".

The Supreme Court said after examining the diplomatic notes, there is "no doubt that arrangement....cannot be made without parliamentary approval".

Veteran journalist Kweku Baako said he found the u-turn strange and "very difficult" to understand.

"I am surprised that in sharp contrast this Attorney-General representing the ruling party which in opposition had insisted that what had been done had no legal constitutional basis because it required parliamentary approval"

But law lecturer with the Central University Yaw Oppong does not find the A-G's position strange. He argued, the Attorney-General's office is an institution and not a personal property of a politician.

"The fact that one government has left power and there is a new one does not mean that as a lawyer you are just going to conduct your cases based on political convenience"

He applauded the Attorney-General for not allowing whatever partisan view she may hold to influence the work of continuing the state's defence began by former deputy A-G Dominic Ayine.

She was not even in court to push the defence but allowed a Chief State Attorney to continue the work. "... it shows that the A-G is conducting her functions as a professional", Yaw Oppong argued.

He hailed the continuity of the defence as a "success" in deepening constitutionalism.

Story by Ghana|myjoyonline.com|Edwin Appiah|[email protected]
25.06.2017 LISTEN

Mubark Nii Nortey Anaye Yeboah Chairman of the GaDangme Fomorbii Akpee-Ayawaso Akutsei on behalf of the GaDangme Fomorbii Akpee and on his own behalf wishes all Muslims of our organization as well as Muslims within the Ayawaso Municipalities and the entire country a HAPPY 2017 SALAH CELEBRATION.

The GaDangme Fomorbii Akpee- Ayawaso Akutsei as an organization that seeks to preserve the cultural heritage of the GaDangme people did observe with admiration how our Muslims brothers and sisters as well as the entire Muslim body as a community in the country, faithfully made supplication to God for themselves, our municipalities and the entire country through a month fasting and prayers.

As the fast comes to an end which ushers in the Salah celebration, it is our fervent prayer that God hears all the prayers lifted up to Him and answers with blessings of good health, prosperity and success in the year ahead of us.

We will like to use this opportunity to advise our Muslim youth to eschew all forms of social vices such as mob justice, drug use, cyber crimes, armed robbery and land guarding which is taking root among all sections of the Ghanaian youth of our country. We therefore admonition our Muslim youth to be a shining example for other youth to emulate.

We hope and pray that the virtues of sympathy, sharing and love for all men that this festival seeks to imbibe, will continue to find expression among Muslims long after this celebration. We entreat all Muslims residing within the Greater Accra Region to join hands with the GaDangme Fomorbii Akpee and also put shoulders to wheel in our quest of seeking the advancement of our municipalities and region for us all. We hope that our generation and the generations to come will continue to maintain the friendship and peace existing among us. Once again we wish all Muslims a very Happy Salah Celebration, God richly bless us all.

We look forward to a hearing from you if you want further clarification on any issue with respect to this press release, Thank You,

Numo Tettey Amanor;

Secretary General GaDangme Fomorbii Akpee

(Convener)
Language plays a very important part in communication. It is therefore incumbent on a person who communicates to bear in mind that for their targeted audience to understand their message, their (communicator) choice of language was very crucial.

In the last few days, I have watched a short video of Ghanas Minister of Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta, responding to a question posed to him at the just-ended African Consultative Group Meeting held in Washington DC, in April, this year, as part of the IMF/World Bank Spring meetings.

From the video, I saw how both the Africans and others on the panel were nodding in agreement to what he was saying. The applauds and nodding from the IMF Managing Director, Christine Lagarde, and others on the platform and from the audience which followed Mr Ofori-Attas comments were indicative of how well he spoke or dealt with the question posed to him.

But, I have also read some comments and read articles about how people, especially some Ghanaians, understood what Ofori-Atta said. There are very scathing commentary running on social media and in some Ghanaian newspapers about the Finance Ministers short intervention at that conference. Ive been concerned about some interpretations given to his comments by these newspapers and some individuals, and I keep asking myself: in what language did Ken Ofori-Atta speak at the conference, that made some Ghanaians have so much difficulty in understanding, hence their twisted interpretation and commentary?

As Ghanaians, our leaders can succeed or fail depending on the kind of support we offer them including moral support. Its therefore sad that even when a Ghanaian has adequately represented us at international fora and made excellent contributions, we, as usual, bring in our poisonous and dirty politics which makes us to put on our jaundiced lenses or deliberately attempt to interpret what one says in languages other than what one spoke. Maybe, its part of our usual equalisation game.

At the said meeting, the moderator asked Ofori-Atta: Your country has a three-year facility with the IMF and of course Ghana was dependent on oil, on cocoa, and on gold, but it has had some troubles there. What are your expectations from the compact process in getting your economy back on track?

In answering this question, the Finance Minister began with an anecdote: ... I was born out of wedlock, and therefore my mother was supposed to abort and she ran away and I survived. So, I didnt know my father until I was about 10, 11 and he came back with a PhD and decided that you should move from the village to live with him, which changed the course of my history.

So, the strength of a woman not to abort was critical. And then the sense of responsibility after not knowing him to decide that you should move from the village and come and stay with him in Legon and begin to even learn how to spell your name as Ken was important. What I have therefore is, from there to Achimota School, one of the best schools in Ghana, then to Columbia, to Yale, to Wall Street, back to Ghana, set up an investment bank and insurance firm, and then joined the political train and Im Finance Minister. So, my question then, for all of us, is, where do we feel responsible for the unique situation of each country?

He also made reference to the kind of economy his government inherited with 8.9 deficit, negative primary balance, and 72 per cent debt to GDP ratio, and the efforts his government in only five months has made towards stabilising the economy.

He called for Africas partners to treat Africa differently from the way they have treated the continent, and create in the seven countries represented at the conference a satellite of radiation that will permeate the continent

He then touched on what many Africans have been hammering on for decades  fair trade. He cited cocoa and pointed out that selling the raw beans fetches only $5 billion for Ghana and Cote dIvoire who jointly supply about 60 per cent of world supply, but processing or adding value fetches $140 billion. This point, to me, raises the critical issue of the West creating a level playing ground where Africans would no more be restricted in what they sell on the international market, and also the willingness of the West to buy Africas value-added goods, like processed cocoa, instead of raw materials.

He then asked the deeper question: Why are we playing in the $5b quadrant and not the $140b? Its this challenge that I really want to put to our friends. That there is a lot more we can do and we ask that this Compact (the G20 Africa Partnership) becomes a game changer that Africa needs and the world needs.

He forcefully stated that Ghana is a potential pillow of stability of the region (Africa) and therefore there have to be different treatments, adding that we have the capacity, and we have the people.

In an article by a Josephine Nettey, published on theherald.com on June 21, 2017, the author who fused her discussion of what happened at the Compact meeting with Ofori-Attas appearance in Parliament to answer questions on the recent US$2.25 bond, wrote that the Minister did the unthinkable by trying to court affection and failed to answer the question.

Another article on therepublicnewsonline.com sourced to a Fiifi Samuels, says upon being granted audience at that IMF programme, the Finance Minister rather saw it fit to speak to an entirely different topic that was irrelevant and immaterial to the issues about the IMFs programme with Ghana . . . and rather than speak the numbers language, the Finance Minister launched into an abortion and illicit sex story about himself that left Ghana looking like a clown-state for having such a man for Finance Minister, and that the awkward scenario left Ghana looking like a total joke for a state, for having a Finance Minister who sees it fit to tell abortion stories on the world economic stage.

A former president of the African Development Bank (2005-2015) who was also a former Finance Minister of Rwanda, Dr Donald Kaberuka, when speaking at an international conference on refugees, gave his own experience as a refugee, from which situation he later schooled to became a PhD holder, and held important national and international positions.

Listen to him: Like many young boys, I wasnt sure what I wanted to be, or even whether there were any options possible for young refugee boys . . . Our family, like that of many Rwandans of my generation, lived for many years in refugee camps. Life was hazardous, and refugees dont have many choices. Eventually, though, I got into school and university to study economics and ended up in the world of finance .

He says he has been privileged in many ways, firstly, to be called upon to serve my country in a pivotal position of Finance Minister, alongside many other Rwandans who were involved in the important task of national reconstruction, and later on to serve the continent as a whole as head of its premier development bank.

Many good communicators usually begin their speeches with appropriate anecdotes to press home the impact of their speech. This is exactly what Dr Kaberuka and Mr Ofori-Atta did at their separate international arenas.

One cannot talk about economic growth in Africa without talking about the need for equal level playing ground for people and for nations. How many times havent we heard about some women aborting their pregnancies? Even though nobody would preach to women to get pregnant and abort, we would only be hypocrites if we deny that abortions happen in Ghana almost every day. Wont Ofori-Attas story about his mothers strength which made her not to abort encourage other young women who come to face the same dilemma?

Again, his fathers realisation of his responsibilities as a father, was the life changer, and this must encourage fathers who have abandoned their children for one reason or another to have a second think and take up their responsibilities for their children.

We have heard many times about the so-called American Dream, which simply means America provides the space for all to progress. Yes, if that was the case, then Ken Ofori-Attas journey from the village to Achimota School, to Columbia University, to Yale and Wall Street and back to Ghana to establish vibrant and successful financial institutions, is an encouragement to our children and younger generations that they can equally make it in life if given the opportunities like he was given.

I definitely think Ken Ofori-Atta spoke a very clear, audible and encouraging language, by telling the West to remove barriers to African states on the world market and also treat Africa differently from the master-servant treatment we have been subjected to over the centuries.

Except anybody was listening to him in a different language, and therefore did not understand what he said at the conference, then I would say, what the Finance Minister said never disgraced Ghana, but rather addressed a crucial issue facing Ghana and Africa.

- [email protected]
Accra, June 25, GNA- China has pledged some $15 billion dollars to fund Ghana's government's massive economic transformation agenda, with the likelihood that a further four billion dollars would be committed for various development projects across the country.

The commitment by the Chinese is based on a financing module presented by the government of Ghana, seeking for partnerships to fund its development agenda, leveraging on the utilization of a minute fraction of its untapped and proven mineral resources, instead of outright borrowing which strangulates the economy.

Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia, at the head of a high level government delegation to China, returned home on Sunday after a four-day official visit to that country with an armful of new economic agreements that are expected to kick-start the New Patriotic Party government's ambitious plan to improve Ghana's economic performance and fortunes.

'We have had some good listening as far as our visit to China is concernedand our efforts have begun to bear fruits. China and its private sector have committed to support the economic transformation agenda of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo,' he said when briefing the media on the outcome of the visit to China on his arrival in Accra.

'So far, the commitment that we got in China before leaving amounted to a total of $15 billion and there is a possibility that within the next month, when some discussions are concluded, another 4 billion dollars would be added to that.'

Vice President Bawumia said the visit, an invitation by the Chinese government, was used to market Ghana and the vision of the President to move the country away from aid to trade and partnerships that would lend support to his ambition to industrialise and improve the infrastructure of the country.

He said the delegation made a case for the enhancement of the development of partnership with China based on trade investment and not aid; a partnership for shared prosperity for the benefit of both countries, which the Chinese government and that country's private sector found plausible.

The Vice President said that given Ghana's precarious economic situation, there was need for a paradigm shift in capital funding of developmental projects, thus government is finding new ways to finance the country's development goal, and deviate from 'borrowing ourselves out of space' and seek partnerships and financing modules that would not strangulate the economy.

'Going to China, we were well aware of Ghana's economic situation. We needed what really amounts to a big bang approach and a marshal plan for Ghana and the kind of needs we have in the areas of water, energy, railways, sanitation, road etc, are so massive that we needed a sort of marshal plan to be able to lay the foundation for the strategy of agricultural transformation as well as industrialisation'

Thus, the delegation presented a credible economic programme of transformation, explaining the 'One District, One Factory, One Village, One Dam, the planting for food and jobs, and a gamut of policies across various sectors, as well as a portfolio of priority projects; which the Chinese found credible and one that they felt they could support as partners

The delegation also presented a financing module based on the fact that Ghana would leverage on a minute fraction of its untapped and proven mineral resources to fund its marshal plan of development and all capital intensive projects.

Ghana has a proven reserve of about 2.8 billion metric tonnes of iron ore; 160 million metric tonnes of bauxite; 430 million metric tonnes of manganese and 430 metric tonnes of limestone, excluding gold and oil.

Vice President explained that Ghana's bauxite reserves alone would get the country about $460 billion at current market prices and 'Our case is that if we need just 20 billion dollars to do a major massive marshal plan and we have 460 billion dollars sitting in the ground what we really need is to develop a financing module that utilizes a small fraction of those reserves to finance infrastructure'.

He said the delegation was also successful at renegotiating the reactivation of the remainder of the entire three billion dollar master facility that was given to Ghana under the previous administration.

One billion dollars was disbursed for the Atuabo gas plant but the remaining two billion was frozen for certain reasons and 'we were able to successfully address some of the concerns and they agreed to unfreeze that amount,' Dr Bawumia said.

The China Exim bank also made a committment to release One billion dollars to support Ghana's infrastructure.

'We have come home and we are going to prioritize those infrastructures that would be financed by the MOU; there are many priorities and we would see which projects would go under the MOU

'It's a massive show of confidence by the Chinese and it has come about because of the confidence in the President and his government and also the module that we have designed for financing the projects,' he said.

Additionally, the Chinese government by way of grant also agreed to provide 14 million dollars to government as grant and an additional Seven million dollars for the Ghana army.

China also agreed to fund the construction of 90 bridges across the country following a proposal presented by the delegation. That country would also make good on a previous commitment to supply the Ghana navy with four patrol boats for coastal security.

They have also agreed to construct an interchange at 'Point 7' in Tamale, the capital of the Northern region.

Vice President Bawumia was confident that Ghana's ties with China could only be strengthened.

Her was accompanied on the visit by some Ministers of State including; Senior Minister, Mr Yaw Osafo Maafo; Trade Minister Alan Kwadwo Kyerematen; Mr Joseph Ghartey, Minister for Railways and Kwaku Ofori Asiamah, Minister of Transport.

The rest were Mr Joseph Kofi Adda, Minister of Sanitation and Water Resources; Charles Adu Boahen, Deputy Minister for Finance; Mohammed Amin Adam, Deputy Minister of Energy; Mohammed Habib Tijani, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs; Mrs Gifty Ohene Konadu, Coordinator of the 'One District One Factory' initiative and Reginald Yoofi Grant, the Chief Executive of the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre.

GNA

By Ken Sackey, GNA
- The Billionaire-Kidnapper, Chukwudi Onuamadike aka Evans, was once arrested in Lagos state

- A Senior police officer who arrested the kingpin and his gang in 2006, reveals that a rift borne out of greed led to Evans' arrest in Imo

- According to the officer, Evans and his gang fell out as they were sharing the loot from a robbery attack

A senior police officer whose name has been concealed to protect him from prosecution, has said that Evans was arrested in Imo state, but regained freedom afterwards.

He told newsmen that Evans was arrested in 2006, after his gang of robbers attacked a commercial bank in Lagos.

According to the source which spoke to The Punch, the robbers went somewhere around the National Arts Theatre, Iganmu, to share the loot.

While sharing the loot, the robbers had a disagreement and shot one another. Seven members of the gang died instantly.

The then Divisional Police Officer of Iponri Police Station, Yahaya Bello, now a deputy commissioner of police, was in the know of the incident, the sources claimed.

According to the Senior officer, it was confirmed that one of the members of the gang arrested then was Chukwudi Onuamadike, popularly known as Evans.

"If you look at his chest, I cannot remember whether it is the right or left side, there is a scar.

It was as a result of the gunshot from his gang members that day.

He bled and there was no way he could run away before the police came.

The case was transferred to the Lagos State Anti-Robbery Squad.

We investigated and discovered that they were armed robbers. Evans led the team.

We also went to Mbidi Police Station, Imo state, to carry out an investigation on them.

We were able to arrest two other members of the gang. We then had five of them in police custody" the source informed.

READ ALSO: Ramadan miracle! See explosive expert, others arrested in their plot to attack public places on Sallah

A source informs that Evans was once arrested in Lagos state but was released by the Imo state police command

Reacting to prosecution of "Evans the robber", the source said a certain policewoman at the Band Section of the Police College, Lagos, made attempts to have the criminal released.

The lady known as Tina, a superintendent of police, insisted that "we should drop the case and that Onuamadike (Evans) was her brother. But when she was unable to achieve her aim, she travelled to Imo state."

Not long after, police in Lagos state, got a message from the Imo state police command saying that they had been searching for Evans and asked for the robber's case to be transferred.

The source reports that the Imo state command said they would continue from where the investigations had stopped in Lagos.

"Since that time, we did not hear anything. We heard he was later released there," said the source.

The senior police officer further stressed that Evans was not the only one released, other members were most likely set free.

"The request was that we should transfer the case to them. We sent him and two members of his gang to the command. There is a hotel in Okota area where they used to meet to share their loot.

The owner of the hotel was their friend. There was a time they robbed three banks in Alaba International Market in 2005. They also looted shops there.

One of the owners of the shop complained to the police and we carried out an investigation.

We discovered that some of the items stolen in the mans shop were digital cameras.

We traced the cameras to the hotel and into the office of the hotel owner.

It was then that big men started calling from everywhere that we should drop the charges against them.

The owner of the hotel was later killed by the robbers, following a disagreement.

His body was dumped by the roadside in one of the states in the East sometime ago".

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Advising the police on how to go about Evans' case, the source said a proper investigation must be carried out.

The senior officer noted that Evans links in South Africa, Ghana, and other African countries.

In a similar vein, a soldier in the Nigerian army, lance corporal Victor Chukwunonso, has allegedly been arrested by the police for being a gang member of the notorious kidnap kingpin, Chukwudimeme Onwuamadike, aka Evans.

Chukunonso, with Army No: 09/NA/64/6317 is attached to the Nigeria Army Band Corps, Abatti Barracks, Surulere, Lagos.

Reports have it that he was arrested on Saturday by operatives of the inspector-general of Police Intelligence Response Team.

Meanwhile Legit.ng had reported that the notorious kidnapper a.ka. Evans at the Lagos state police command Headquarters, Ikeja, where he is being detained made other shocking revelations.

Evans said he regretted not leaving the country with his family, saying he failed to follow his instincts.

Below is a Legit.ng TV production Nigerians react to the question: "Should Evans the kidnapper be jailed or employed by the Government instead?".

Source: Legit.ng
Following the recent police coordinated efforts against kidnappers in Nigeria, the Abia state government has demolished hideouts used by kidnappers in the state.

The demolition took place on Friday, June 23, at Umuerim Nsirimo, Umuahia South Local Government Area of the state.

Below are some photos from the demolition exercise.

READ ALSO: Kwankwaso says Nnamdi Kanu may contest 2019 election

Governor Ikpeazu has said Abia state will be made an uninhabitable place for criminals

The Abia state government has said it will continue to fish out all hideouts of criminals in the state

The police in Abia state says it will not relent in its efforts to rid the state of unscrupulous elements

Kidnapping in Nigeria: Abia government demolish major kidnappers den

Investigations are ongoing to get to the root of cases involving kidnapping within Abia state

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Kidnapping in Nigeria: Abia government demolish major kidnappers den

Kidnapping in Nigeria: Abia government demolish major kidnappers den

Kidnapping in Nigeria: Abia government demolish major kidnappers den

Kidnapping in Nigeria: Abia government demolish major kidnappers den

Kidnapping in Nigeria: Abia government demolish major kidnappers den

Kidnapping in Nigeria: Abia government demolish major kidnappers den

Kidnapping in Nigeria: Abia government demolish major kidnappers den

Kidnapping in Nigeria: Abia government demolish major kidnappers den

Kidnapping in Nigeria: Abia government demolish major kidnappers den

Kidnapping in Nigeria: Abia government demolish major kidnappers den

Kidnapping in Nigeria: Abia government demolish major kidnappers den

Kidnapping in Nigeria: Abia government demolish major kidnappers den

Below is a Legit.ngTv production in which Nigerians react to questions over what should be the fate of Evans the billionaire-kidnapper.

Source: Legit.ng
- Presidency releases voice message of President Buhari on BBC and other radio station

- This is reportedly in an effort to debunk rumour that the president is suffering from speech impairment

The Presidency has released President Muhammadu Buharis voice message to Nigerians to debunk reports that he is suffering from speech impairment.

Recently there have been reports in the social media claiming that the President was suffering from speech impairment and memory loss.

A lot of Nigerians have called on the President to speak to Nigerians to ascertain that he is truly in a good condition.

READ ALSO: Ramadan miracle! See explosive expert, others arrested in their plot to attack public places on Sallah

Buhari thanked them for their consistent prayers for his well-being.

The President also urged all citizens, irrespective of their socio-political affiliations, to always avoid hate speech and divisive tendencies capable of causing disaffection among them.

According to NAN, he also prayed for good harvest as farmers embarked on agricultural activities occasion by the commencement of rainfalls across the country.

Malam Garba Shehu, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity had on Saturday in a statement issued a similar message.

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A presidential source on Saturday had earlier confirmed that the President is getting better will return to Nigeria very soon.

Buhari left Abuja for London on May 7, to see his doctors for follow-up medical checks.

Listen to Buhari's audio message below:

Meanwhile, Legit.ng had earlier reported that the minister of sports, Solomon Dalung, disclosed that President Muhammadu Buhari will soon return to the country from London.

Dalung made the disclosure on Thursday, June 23 in a Facebook post.

The minister however, did not specify the exact date when the president is expected back in the country.

See what Nigerians have to say abut President Buhari's stay in London in the video below:

Source: Legit.ng
Acting President Yemi Osinbajo on Sunday, June 25, received Ghanas President, Nana Akufo-Addo at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

Legit.ng gathered that the visit was shortly after Osinbajo hosted some government officials and Muslim faithfuls at the Presidential Villa for the Eid-el-Fitr festival.

Osinbajo spent Sallah day with President Muhammadu Buhari's son, Yusuf Buhari, and other government officials.

READ ALSO: House on the Rock in Abuja goes up in flame

See photos below:

Acting President Yemi Osinbajo receives Ghanas President Nana Akufo-Addo in Abuja

Acting President Yemi Osinbajo receives Ghanas President Nana Akufo-Addo in Abuja

Acting President Yemi Osinbajo receives Ghanas President Nana Akufo-Addo in Abuja

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Acting President Yemi Osinbajo receives Ghanas President Nana Akufo-Addo in Abuja

Earlier, Legit.ng reported that Presidency on Sunday, June 25 released a voice message of President Muhammadu Buhari greeting Nigerians and Muslim faithfuls as they celebrate Sallah.

There had been speculations that the voice message was released to debunked rumour that the President is currently suffering from a speech impairment.

However, the message was in Hausa, the president's mother's tongue.

Watch this Legit.ng TV video of Nigerians sharing their opinion on President Buhari's imminent return:

Source: Legit.ng
- Reno Omokri, former aide to ex-President Goodluck Jonathan, attacks President Buhari

- The cleric questions why Buhari a national leader, would in his Eid-El-Fitr message address Nigerians in Hausa

- Omokri adds that it would have been better if the president didn't talk

The former aide to ex-president Goodluck Jonathan, Reno Omokri has questioned why President Muhammadu Buhari, would address Nigerians in his Eid-El-Fitr message, in Hausa.

In series of tweets on Sunday, June 25, he stated: "President Buhari is the President of all Nigeria. He is not the President of only those who can speak/understand Hausa! This is an outrage!!"

Lashing out at the president, Omokri stated that it would have been better for Buhari to have kept quiet than for him to have spoken and erased any doubt that he is a sectional leader.

READ ALSO: Osinbajo hosts Buhari's son, top government officials for Eid-el-Fitr celebration (Photos)

Read the tweets below:

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Earlier, Legit.ng reported that former minister of aviation Femi Fani-Kayode alleged that it was not President Muhammadu Buhari speaking in today's sallah audio message.

Fani-Kayode, a chieftain of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in a tweet on Sunday, June 25, said: "It was NOT Buhari that spoke in todays sallah day audio recording. And for whoever it was to address the nation in hausa is insulting."

Watch this Legit.ng TV video of Nigerians sharing their opinion on President Buhari's imminent return.

Source: Legit.ng
Another week and another F35 grounding. This time it was a bad software upgrade to the ALIS ground support system has grounded the Marine Corps F-35B squadron based in Yuma, Arizona, the F-35 Joint Program Office announced.

The Air Forces F-35As did not have the faulty upgrade, but the F35s have problems with the pilots air supply at high altitude. This problem temporarily grounded the F-35As at Luke Air Force Base, before they returned to flight under a restriction to low altitudes only. Air supply  drawn from the engine intakes the On-Board Oxygen Generation System (OBOGS)  has proven a problem for multiple types of aircraft, notably the Navy and Marine F-18 Hornet fighter and the Navy T-45 trainer.

Flight operations in Marine Fighter Attack Squadron (VMFA) 211 resumed after a temporary one-day suspension to fix a problem related to a software update with the aircrafts Autonomic Logistics Information System, the Marine Corps announced.


Russian will start operational evaluation of the most advanced Armata tank starting in 2019 and they will have laser guided missiles with 3 times the range of the newest American tank.

The T-14 Armata is equipped with an unmanned turret and all the crew is located at the front of the hull. The new unmanned remote turret of Aramata T-14 would be equipped with a new generation of 125mm 2A82-1M smoothbore gun with an automatic loader and 32 rounds ready to use.

The main gun can fire also new laser-guided missile with a range from 7 to 12 km. The T-14 Armata carries a total of 45 rounds. According to some Russian sources, the T-14 Armata could be armed in the future with a new 152mm cannon.

Russias Armata tank will outmatch the Abrams and all current western tanks with better active armor and triple range anti-tank missiles.

Some western analysts take comfort in the fact that Russias economy is terrible and they are currently only making about 120 Armata tanks per year. However, if Russia could dedicate about $12 billion, they probably could afford 2200 Aramata tanks. Russia could probably upgrade its thousands of older T-90 tanks with new laser guided missile and the active armor systems for about $1.5 to 3 billion.

Russia is in talks with India to upgrade nearly 1000 T-90 tanks. Russia could develop more extensive upgrades for their own older tanks.

The Armata tank is equipped with the Afganit active protection system, which uses a combination of sensors and kinetic energy projectiles to knock down incoming rocket propelled grenades, antitank missiles, and subcaliber projectiles. The tank also features an anti-detection aerosol disperser, a new explosive reactive armor nicknamed Malachite, slat armor covering the engine spaces and even an electronic countermine system to prevent antitank mines from detonating.

Those sensors and weapons systems and the laser guided missiles could be placed onto older tanks.

Some Armata innovations would not be transferrable to older tanks. Armata armor is a composite incorporating a new steel alloy known as 44C-SV-W, developed by the JSC Institute of Steelalso known as the NII Stali Institute for Protectionin Moscow. The new steel, made via electroslag melting, is apparently lighter than traditional steel, shaving hundreds of kilograms off the vehicle weight.

The USA M1 Abrams M256 120-millimeter smoothbore gun has a maximum effective range between 3 km (1.86 miles) and 4 km (2.48 miles). In military parlance, the Armata could very well out-stick the M1 by a factor of three, comfortably destroying American tanks before the latter can get within engagement range.

In real-world war situations, though, there are rarely situations where two objects at ground level are visible to one another at seven and a half miles. Hedges, trees, buildings, elevation changes, and other terrain features all conspire to block visibility at ground level. Outside of the plains of Kansas, the Russian steppes, and the Sinai desert, there are seldom places where two objects are visible at even three or four miles.

Even if an Armata does manage to lock onto an Abrams at extreme ranges, the American tank isnt helpless. The Abrams armor, reinforced with a layer of depleted uranium and now reactive armor, is widely considered the best in the world. Reactive armor is particularly useful against the shaped charge warhead on the Sprinter. Also, the Army is planning to install active protection systems (APS) on the Abrams. An APS upgrade would consist of outward-facing radar antennas scanning for incoming threats in all directions. One detected, APS launches interceptors to and detect and kill incoming rockets and missiles.

The Armata is a new and innovative tank. USA analysts note that many of the Armatas advanced survivability features are drawn from the Israeli Merkava series. The Russian seem to have advanced the state-of-the-art in terms of reactive armor and active protection. If the Russian Afghanit active protection system works as advertised, the Armata could prove to be a serious problem for the West if it were ever produced in numbers. However, most Western analystsgovernment and private sectorare dubious about Russian claims that their APS can defeat kinetic energy rounds.

However, even if the Armata was as dangerous as the British report claims, Russia is not likely to be able to afford the expensive new machine in the huge quantities. Using the British reports own numbers120 Armata tanks produced per year
Big Success: Prague Gaming Summit Rises to the Top

Published June 25, 2017 by Lee R

The diversity of networking atmospheres provided by the event appears the key driver of growth.

The inaugural Prague Gaming Summit was expected to provide intrigue, but the final resounding success of the first-time event actually managed to surpass all expectations.

Positive Feedback

After some two weeks of event review, Promoter EEG described the feedback received from the event focusing on Eastern European Briefing as particularly pleasing, with attendees expressing particular enthusiasm for the high level of organization over the 2 days of the conference.

Sponsors Lend a Hand

The organizers sought to thank sponsors for helping the conference grow in the region, citing specific shout-outs to sponsors NetEnt (Main Stage Sponsor); Betting Gods (Gold Sponsor); SBTech (Silver Sponsor); Nsoft (Silver Sponsor) and BetConstruct(Lanyards and Badge Sponsor).

Attendees Love Delegates

All attendees were no doubt galvanized by the 80-plus delegates attending the event, who provided no shortage of informative content and networking opportunities across the entirety of the diverse event programming.

Urbanec Celebrates

Endorphina VP Jan Urbanec effused that the quality of the event and attendees exceeded my expectations, with the information from the panels...relevant and well presented.

Informal Gains

Urbanec further praised informal networking atmosphere which he found to support effective connections between all delegates.

Venue Triumphs

The venue was a major star as well. Andels by Vienna House Prague and the venue provided the ideal grounds for relaxing in the hours leading up to the event.

Significant Highlight

After a seamless registration process lubricated by a refreshing morning coffee, opening panel Focus on the Czech Republic gave all attendees major insights into the new regulatory framework which came into force in 2017. The event was deftly guided by 20-year moderator Dr. Joerg Hofmann and the four speakers he introduced, including DR. Robert Skalina (WH Partners), Jan Rehola (PS Legal), Vojtech Chloupek (Bird & Bird) and Jan Urbanec (Endorphina).

Breath of Fresh Networking

Another interesting event was the next days second Networking Break, whose informal atmosphere provided a real breath of fresh air, including a complimentary lunch enabling delegates to talk and exchange cards while enjoying a selectively chosen meal.

Winning Combination

With a strong showing from local officials as well as industry experts, the functional benefits of Prague Gaming Summit combined with a full service atmosphere to give attendees of all backgrounds and sectors the chance to network in the atmosphere they were looking for.

Drivers of Success

The combination of quality in the venue and diversity in the programming environments looks to have catapulted Prague Gaming Summit to the next level of iGaming prestige.


Dreamland

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Now that the term ""deep state" has entered into public usage, it is a convenient way to refer to actions and policies of the government that are taken, as the Wikipedia article says, "without regard for democratically elected leadership." Even President Trump has used the term. "Shadow government," or "cryptocracy, secret government, or invisible government," as another Wikipedia article says, carries with it more "conspiratorial" connotations -- though all of these terms include by definition the notion of conspiracy (in short, bad things planned by more than one person; see here for the legal definition).

As commentators such as Noam Chomsky have long pointed out, and as Jada Thacker has recently elaborated on, the United States has never been a "democratic" country, but a plutocracy or oligarchy from the beginning. This is nothing new from the "structural" or Marxist point of view, though those who see the failings of government as rooted in the capitalistic (and inevitably imperialistic) economic system de-emphasize the notion of "conspiracy" -- and even specifically deny it, as Chomsky does in the case of 9/11 (many links) and the assassination of JFK (also many links, but summarized here; see also my Looking for the Enemy).

As I pointed out years ago, the notion of "deep state" as somehow parallel, embedded within, or otherwise coexistent with a "public state" is an instance of doublethink, as it requires us to accept two contradictory and mutually exclusive ideas as simultaneously true. (See here and here.) In reality there can be and is only one state, one government, and that is the one that wields the power, that makes things happen, or not happen. If things happen (or not) "without regard for democratically elected leadership," it is not the "deep state" or some "shadow government" usurping power from the "public state," but simply the state being what it is and acting accordingly. It cannot be something that it is not, or something other than what its actions prove it to be. As Sartre said, "existence is prior to essence," or as we say today, "It is what it is."

What it is, as Chomsky and Thacker and many others have copiously described, is clearly not a democracy. At some point, if we are to progress, that illusion will have to abandoned. There is no "deep state" distinct from the "public state" except in this one respect: the latter is a figment of our collective historical imagination, aided and abetted 24/7 by the MSM, the educational system, and by our friends and relatives throughout the world. It is literally "the American Dream" -- the dream state.

It is tough enough to make people receptive to the kinds of fundamental change that may someday make the dream state more of a real state. Towards this end, it does not matter whether one is a "structuralist" or a "conspiracist"; whether things happen because capitalist imperialism makes it inevitable or because hidden actors make them happen, they do not happen in accordance with our dreams of democracy and "liberty and justice for all."


Peace

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John's book, The Peace Dividend opens with a great remembering of the unprecedented U.S. endless war and unlimited war spending of the 21st century. From mission leap to mission creep, the U.S. Empire has caused a tremendous waste of human lives, plundering of the treasury and the rape of Mother Earth. The squander has defrauded U.S. citizen of the human progress and well-being that other highly-developed countries enjoy in the 21st century. America isn't great when it is number 19th out of 20 in the United Nations Index of Human Development.

John is thoroughly serious about the government owing every citizen a refund for the defective, fraudulent, and dangerous war product that we have been purchasing. John has been working outside the box to starve the beastly military-industrial war machine before it kills more innocent lives.

The world desperately needs an end to U.S. wars, and we want our money back, and a written guarantee that in the future representatives will represent us, and not the profiteers, privateers, and mercenaries.



Reagan Cut Taxes for the rich with a chainsaw

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The Peace Dividend is karma-esque Reaganism in reverse. Ronald Reagan starved to death Franklin Delano Roosevelt's New Deal social programs with tax-cuts for the wealthy, exorbitant military spending and Star Wars. Reagan turned the U.S. from a creditor nation into a debtor nation .

So why is John's Peace Dividend met with skepticism? It is normal to expect a peace dividend after a major U.S. war. The department of war's budget in both inflation adjusted dollars and as a percentage of Gross Domestic Product has declined after every major war in our history, including World War Two, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War, until the 21st century's endless war.

Historically U.S. wars were paid for by excise taxes, income taxes, estate taxes, and borrowing mostly from citizens. Now the rich have gone on a tax strike. Wars are financed out of so-called discretionary federal spending financed by middleclass income taxes and debt borrowed from foreigners. The rich no longer pay their fair share, the estate tax is being eliminated entirely, and the U.S. is borrowing 5 Trillion dollars from foreigners.

"What is good for General Motors is good for America", said former C.E.O. Charles E. Wilson in 1953 at his Senate confirmation hearings for Secretary of Defense. Five-star General Dwight D. Eisenhower (Ike) had just been inaugurated as president. Ike and Wilson cut defense spending dramatically from the World War Two and Korean War levels. General Motors thrived because people had the money to buy new cars. Our collective history is to oppose having a standing army, to disarm after wars and end wartime austerity. The people got a peace dividend in prosperity after past wars. It was expected that the next generation would have it better than their parents' generation.

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Saudi Prince Khalid Bin Farhan al-Saud, who lives in Germany, has revealed what he claims are the US conditions for helping Mohamed Bin Salman to become King of Saudi Arabia before his father's death, the US-based thenewkhalij.org reported on Friday (June 23).

www.thenewkhalij.org domain was registered in May 2016 by Privacy Service FBO of Burlington, Massachusetts USA.

thenewkhalij.org quoted a Twitter message from Prince Khalid claiming that he had received the information from an informed source within Saudi Arabia's ruling family.

The conditions include "absolute obedience to the US and Israel and carrying out whatever they ask him to do," said Prince Khalid.

Other conditions for helping Bin Salman to take the throne before the death of his father are: "Working to settle all Gaza residents in north Sinai as an alternative homeland and Saudi Arabia along with the UAE will afford the needed funds; getting rid of Hamas and whoever supports it; and getting Sanafir Island from Egypt."

Bin Farhan argued that the last condition would make the Gulf of Aqaba international waters instead of Egyptian territorial waters, which would facilitate Israeli shipping to and from the port of Eilat. It would also help Israel to carry out a project planned to operate in parallel to the Suez Canal. A retainer of around $500 million is also involved, he claimed.

The prince said that this issue split the ruling family even before the death of King Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz in 2015, as a wave of royal decrees ousted several officials from within the royal family and others.

Saudi prince Khaled Farhan Al-Saud announced his defection from the ruling royal family in Saudi Arabia in July 2013 and pledged his support to Islah Movement led by London-based Dr Saad Al-Fagih. "I proudly declare my defection from the Saudi ruling family, for their policies, decisions and conduct are never governed by national or people's interests but by personal whims."

Dr Saad Al-Fagih is a Saudi national who heads the Movement for Islamic Reform in Arabia. He lives in London, and was a professor of surgery at King Saud University in Riyadh until 1994.

House of Saudi Cards: The Inside Story

According to Brazilian journalist Pep Escobar, just when geopolitical practitioners were betting on regime change in Qatar -- orchestrated by a desperate House of Saud -- regime change ended up happening in Riyadh, orchestrated by Warrior Prince, Destroyer of Yemen and Blockader of Qatar, Mohammad bin Salman (MBS).

Writing under the title - House of Saudi Cards: The Inside Story - Escobar quoted a top Middle East source close to the House of Saud and a de facto dissident of the Beltway consensus, as saying: "The CIA is very displeased with the firing of [former Crown Prince] Mohammad bin Nayef. Mohammad bin Salman is regarded as sponsoring terrorism. In April 2014 the entire royal families of the UAE and Saudi Arabia were to be ousted by the US over terrorism. A compromise was worked out that Nayef would take over running the Kingdom to stop it."

Before the Riyadh coup, an insistent narrative had been pervading selected Middle East geopolitical circles according to which US intel, "indirectly", stopped another coup against the young Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim al-Thani, orchestrated by Mohammad bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, with help from Blackwater/Academi's Eric Prince's army of mercenaries in the UAE. Zayed, crucially, happens to be MBS's mentor.

Escobar went on to say that our source clarifies, "the events are connected. Prince is CIA, but he probably stopped any coup attempt on Qatar. The CIA blocked the coup in Qatar and the Saudis reacted by dumping the CIA-selected Mohammed bin Nayef, who was to be the next King. The Saudis are scared. The monarchy is in trouble as the CIA can move the army in Saudi Arabia against the king. This was a defensive move by MBS."

The source adds, "MBS is failing everywhere. Yemen, Syria, Qatar, Iraq, etc. are all failures of MBS. China is also displeased with MBS as he has been stirring up trouble in Xinjiang. Russia cannot be happy that MBS was and is behind the lower oil price. Who are his allies? He has only one and that is his father, who is hardly competent." King Salman is virtually incapacitated by dementia.

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From Smirking Chimp

What a scary week in the Mideast. The epicenter of the world's energy resources and the land-bridge between Asia and Africa is spinning out of control as the danger of a shooting war between the US and Russia grows daily.

A US F-18 warplane shot down a Syrian Air Force SU-22 ground attack aircraft over eastern Syria. This was a grave, reckless provocation clearly authorized by Washington. Russia, Syria's ally, threatened to begin targeting its supposedly deadly S-300 missiles against US warplanes over Syria.

Another US warplane shot down an Iranian drone over southeastern Syria as US forces and US mercenary Arab troops closed in on a worthless piece of ground on the Syrian-Iraq border. Russia is rushing 10 more warships into the Mediterranean, though most are obsolescent or small.

The US Navy is challenging -- or provoking -- the Iranians in the Gulf. US technicians and crews are keeping Saudi warplanes bombing Yemen, where half the population faces starvation. Just across the Red Sea, US warplanes and special forces are attacking the Somalia nationalist resistance movement, Shebab. At least 4,000 more US troops are headed for Afghanistan's stalemated war.

US Marines are attacking ISIS positions near Mosul, al-Tanf and Raqaa and adding long-ranged HIMARS artillery rockets. American forces are using white phosphorus, a hideous chemical weapon, against Isis defenders. Iran may send more "volunteer" troops into Syria and Iraq as US warplanes probe Iran's airspace. Turkey is reportedly moving against US-backed Kurds in Syria. Some Mideast experts believe the US may be set on partitioning Syria.

A US fighter just buzzed a Russian aircraft over the Baltic carrying Russian defense minister Sergei Shogu until chased away by Russian fighters. Moscow is under growing pressure to retaliate against the US though President Vladimir Putin insists he wants no military confrontation with Washington.

Adding to these tensions, a palace coup in Saudi Arabia just sidelined the kingdom's iron-handed number two, former Crown Prince and Interior Minister Mohammed bin Nayef and replaced him by 31-year old Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the favorite son of King Salman. The King is said to be seriously ill. But the 15,000-member Saudi family is not pleased by the defenestration of heir apparent Nayef.

Prince -- now crown prince -- Mohammed was the author of Saudi Arabia's stalemated war in Yemen, which is burning through the kingdom's cash reserves at a time when oil prices are plunging and has killed large numbers of civilians. He is behind the recent Saudi-Egyptian-Israeli tacit alliance.

It was Prince Mohammed who came up with the plan to run US shale producers out of business by launching an oil price war. It has backfired badly. The Saudis even had to borrow $9 billion to keep the kingdom running.

Arab critics assert that the young prince is rash and inexperienced. The Trump administration likes Prince Mohammed a lot. He is about the same age as Trump's favorite, son-in-law, Jared Kushner, who is in Israel this week supposedly crafting a final peace settlement between Jews and Arabs after a century of conflict. What a cruel joke this is.

Kushner has been meeting with Israel's wily PM Netanyahu, who has no intention of ever allowing a Palestinian state, and with over-the-hill Palestinian "leader," Mahmoud Abbas, who is 82. Abbas is widely reviled as a US/Israel puppet who was made PLO leader after the untimely death of Yasser Arafat. The shady Mohammed Dahlan, rumored to be CIA's Palestinian "asset," waits in the wings to replace the doddering Abbas.

The authentic Palestinian government, Hamas, is locked up in Gaza and totally isolated by a joint Israeli-Saudi-Egyptian campaign. Back in Washington, most of Trump's senior advisers are ardent supporters of Israel. So with whom will young Kushner, himself an orthodox Jew, negotiate? As in decades past, Washington's supporters of Israel's moderates will negotiate with Israel's right. Is it any wonder there is no Mideast peace?

Meanwhile, the new Saudi Crown Prince proclaims he will modernize the kingdom, diversify away from its oil and gas economy, and make himself leader of the Arab world. Those who do not readily agree, like little Qatar, will be squashed like bugs.

It's a tall order. But we wish Crown Prince Mohammed well because Saudi Arabia, the world's most ultra-conservative nation, very badly needs shaking up, modernization and less theocracy. The skimpy army is denied ammo and transport for fear of a coup, and the kingdom employs large numbers of foreign mercenaries.

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From Counterpunch



Donald Trump

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Donald Trump is struggling to edge away from an issue that has dogged him since his victory in the presidential election last year -- Russian interference. On June 8, former Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director James Comey went before the Senate to make several incendiary claims. Comey said that Trump had lied to impugn the reputation of the FBI (and Comey) and that he -- Comey -- had documented each meeting with Trump to make sure that the President's lies did not go unchallenged. Comey said that he had given details of these meetings to a friend so that the press could be alerted. Finally, Comey said that he was fired on May 9 not because of his incompetency, as Trump argued, but because he refused to shut down the probe on Russian interference in the U.S. election.

What Comey did not say, and what the new Special Prosecutor Robert Mueller (formerly of the FBI) will not investigate, is that Trump's world of international business is steeped in corruption. It is normal for Trump to hold meetings with people of dubious reputation and to raise finances and political capital from all quarters. International arms deals and real estate deals are well known for the bribes and intimidation involved in them -- this is what is normal in the world of business. Trump's entanglements from this world of international business are now on display, but it is not this world that will be indicted. It is a much smaller problem, namely whether the Russian government meddled in the U.S. election. Far graver issues -- the stranglehold of corruption over international business -- remain outside any investigation.

Russian Interference

In the clearest statement from Comey yet, he said: "The Russians interfered in our election during the 2016 cycle. They did it with purpose. They did it with sophistication. They did it with overwhelming technical efforts." A day after Comey gave his testimony to the Senate Intelligence Committee, Trump told the press in his laconic style: "No collusion, no obstruction, he's a leaker, but we want to get back to running our great country." Trump's lack of concern for the possibility of Russian interference in the U.S. election struck many observers -- why did he not utter even the most meaningless phrases about his concern for the integrity of the electoral process and his support for the work of the special counsel who is looking into these matters? Trump preferred to defend himself unequivocally. Attacks directed at Comey and the defense of his person were all that was on offer.

The question of Russian interference in the U.S. election will refuse to dissipate. It is what drives the Democratic Party, which has seized on this issue as the Achilles heel of the Trump presidency. Other issues are, of course, to be considered as points of debate, but the Democrats see this issue as posing a particular vulnerability for Trump. It has certainly divided the country and provided the focus for the Democrats to deny Trump any legitimacy. Trump's evident frustration with the inquiry led him to ask Comey to drop the investigation and then to fire Comey. This provided the Democratic Party with more ammunition against Trump, whose intemperate manner does him no favors. With each outrageous tweet or statement, Trump gives the Democrats more evidence of his illegitimacy.

Behind closed doors, the contours of the investigation are being drawn up. Leaks suggest that Special Counsel Mueller will not probe too closely into Trump's own family, notably his son-in-law Jared Kushner, who has extensive ties to the Russian oligarchy. Rather, the investigation will be content to remain at the edges of the Trump team, with the main focus being on advisers such as General Michael Flynn who have already been set aside. Last December, Kushner, now Trump's adviser, met with the head of Vnesheconombank, Sergei Gorkov. This bank has been on the list of institutions under U.S. sanctions since 2014. If Kushner discussed any business activity with the bank, he is liable to spend 20 years in a U.S. prison. It has been suggested that Kushner only met with Gorkov to open a channel of communication with Russian President Vladimir Putin. In March, Gorkov released a routine statement that Kushner had met him in his capacity as CEO of Kushner Associates and not as a Trump official. FBI officials had been eager to pursue the Kushner link to Russia. But there was pressure on them not to open that scab. Whether the new investigation by Special Counsel Mueller will be able to go after Kushner is crucial.

Whiff of corruption

Outside the parameters of the Russia probe sit other uncomfortable business deals that carry the whiff of corruption. The Donald Trump Foundation and the Eric Trump Foundation, both charitable entities, have been accused of criminal tax evasion. The work of these foundations has also leaked into the Russian interference investigations. Trump's lawyer, Michael Cohen, who is on the board of the Eric Trump Foundation, was involved in trying to broker a peace deal for Ukraine. Cohen entered Trump's world as a man who could bring in finance from Russia and Ukraine for the Trump organization.

A few days after Trump's inauguration as President, Cohen met the Ukrainian parliamentarian Andriy Artemenko in New York City. Artemenko gave Cohen some documents to deliver to Flynn, who was Trump's National Security Adviser at that time. Artemenko, a close friend of the Cohen family, told the Ukrainian press that he had been working with the Cohens since 2016 on a peace deal. It is the murkiness that inflames the scandal. Cohen has business interests in Ukraine's ethanol industry and would gain from a less tense environment in the region. Artemenko made his money in arms deals and is using political influence to better his own portfolio.

Normal Corruption

The Artemenko-Cohen story is just one more seam in a rich mine of corruption. If the Special Prosecutor decides to put on his miner's helmet and enter the bowels of these linkages, he will need a sensitive canary to check for noxious gases. What he might find is not merely that the Russians tried to influence the U.S. elections through cyberwar and through money paid to valuable players in the Trump team. That is the tip of the iceberg. It is what the Democrats would like the Special Counsel to concentrate on. It would merely indict Trump for his collusion in election tampering. But far more is at stake here, which Special Counsel Mueller does not have the authority to investigate.

Trump is the first international businessman to be the head of government in the U.S. All previous Presidents since the Second World War have been either public servants (even military officers) or professional politicians. None came to the White House directly from the world of business, let alone international business. The world of international business is stricken with political corruption, with finance raised often from disreputable corners and with large bribes paid to politicians on a routine basis. The World Bank Institute recently said that over $1 trillion was paid in bribes each year, 10 times the amount provided for development aid. "Corruption is the cancer of globalization," said Angel Gurria, the head of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), in 2007. Little has changed.

Criticism of the FCPA

Long before his entry into the White House, Trump spoke often against the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA), which, in its own modest way, tries to crack down on the business of international corruption. Trump has called this a "horrible law" and has vowed to weaken it. As President, Trump set aside a rule that prevented U.S. energy companies from paying bribes. The FCPA was passed in 1977 to prevent U.S. corporations from using their financial muscle to gain political influence overseas. Defense behemoth Lockheed paid bribes to politicians from West Germany to Japan, with $3 million paid to Japanese Prime Minister Kakuei Tanaka through the offices of the underworld's Yoshio Kodama on behalf of Lockheed. Exxon paid millions of dollars to the Christian Democratic Party to secure benefits for its partner Esso Italiana. The FCPA did not stop this behavior, but it did make it more inconvenient for U.S.-based international corporations to operate in the normal manner, namely through bribes and political intimidation.

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Reprinted from www.opendemocracy.net by Nafeez Mosaddeq Ahmed

Theresa May's response to the upsurge of violence that has hit Britain since the beginning of 2017 will fail for one fundamental reason: she refuses to hold her own government to account for its systematic incubation of extremism.

"As I said here two weeks ago, there has been far too much tolerance of extremism in our country over many years -- and that means extremism of any kind, including Islamophobia," said the Prime Minister, hours after a 47-aged man, Darren Osborne, ploughed a van into Muslim worshippers outside the Finsbury Park mosque.

This was the fourth terrorist attack in the UK over the last three months. The first was the attack outside parliament; the second was the Manchester suicide bombing at the Ariana Grande concert; the third came in the form of van and knife attacks in London Bridge.

May's welcome recognition that Islamophobia is a form of extremism was muddied by her proposed solutions.

May's welcome recognition that Islamophobia is a form of extremism was muddied by her proposed solutions: a package of draconian powers including new anti-terror powers for police and security services; the creation of a new statutory body, a Commission for Countering Extremism (CCE); and more stringent internet controls.

Conservative Party sources familiar with the proposals have said that the new anti-terror offences would allow police to target extremists who endorse "radical views but stop short of advocating violence".

In other words, the Tories want the power to police our thoughts so they can criminalise 'extremist' ideas which don't endorse violence.

But the absurd consequences of such amorphous definitions of 'non-violent extremism' have already occurred under Prevent, the government's domestic counter-extremism programme. Even normal students have been labelled by police as being 'at risk' of "domestic extremism" just for "attending protests, sympathising with occupations and making demands on issues such as a living wage for university staff and an ethical investment policy."

The CEE, whose planned role would be to identify extremists, counter their messages and promote pluralistic values, would be hopelessly hobbled under such an amorphous conception of extremism.

The Tories want the power to police our thoughts so they can criminalise 'extremist' ideas.

And extending such thinking into internet regulation threatens forms of censorship that could empower an already unaccountable security establishment -- the result would be expanded mass surveillance that would routinely red-flag people sceptical of government, but be useless in identifying real terrorists.

Yet the unsuspecting British public is largely unaware of the fact that Theresa May's proposals will do nothing -- literally nothing -- to address the fundamental drivers behind the incubation of violent extremism in Britain.

Tory Party sources claim that the proposed new anti-terror powers would have made it easier to prosecute the likes of Anjem Choudary and his followers.

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From Counterpunch



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Donald Trump's presidency has descended into farce. The undignified manner in which both he and his adversaries in Washington have conducted themselves since his election sits in sharp contrast to the dignity of those countries and governments demonized as enemies of everything the Rome of our time holds dear -- namely untrammelled power, greed, and domination.

The latest country to be targeted by Trump is Cuba, thus continuing with his agenda of dismantling his predecessor Barack Obama's legacy -- whether his healthcare plan at home or rapprochement with Iran and Cuba abroad. Along with the p5+1 Iran nuclear deal, Obama's decision to normalize diplomatic relations with Havana is the only foreign policy achievement of which he can be proud, something that cannot be said of his drone war, his role in the destruction of Libya, or his administration's concerted attempt to destabilize Syria.

Though Cuba may be a tiny country of just 11.3 million people compared to its superpower neighbor located 90 miles to the north, in terms of its contribution to humanity, its status as a beacon of justice, solidarity, and dignity even in the face of US aggression, it is a veritable giant. Whereas the US sends missiles and Marines to poor countries in order to kill their people, Cuba sends medicines and doctors to heal them. It marks the difference between a culture of death and a culture of life, between cultural values of oppression and domination and cultural values of solidarity and internationalism.

Let us be frank, for there is no other way to put it, US President Donald Trump is a clown. He is a billionaire businessman, a real estate huckster with the wisdom of your average-sized plank of wood -- a man whose ability to get elected as the country's president is an indictment of a society in which anti-human values of fame, celebrity, and unfettered wealth reign. And as for those who seek to defend Trump on the basis that Hillary Clinton is worse, this is like defending typhus in relation to cholera, or indeed vice versa. In other words, they are two sides of the same proverbial coin.

The way the President has sought to endear himself to a clutch of reactionary Cuban exiles in Miami, allowing them to dictate his regressive stance on Cuba, speaks volumes about his notion of "leadership." It confirms there is no low he will not stoop to in order to appease the assorted ultra right wing ideologues and fanatics who make up his base. Threats leveled against Iran and North Korea, illegal missile strikes against Syria, and now confrontation with Cuba, this is the sum total of a foreign policy driven by the same mindset as the head of your average mafia crime family.

During his speech declaiming against Obama's policy vis-a-vis Cuba, Trump said, "They [the Obama administration] made a deal with a government that spread violence and instability in the region and nothing they got, think about it, nothing they got, they fought for everything and we just didn't fight hard enough, but now, those days are over."

Reading those words is like being transported through the looking glass into a parallel world in which up is down and down is up. The only government that has "spread violence and instability in the region" is the US government, going all the way back to the infamous Monroe Doctrine of 1823, when the country's then president, James Monroe, laid claim to Latin and South America as Washington's backyard in relation to the European colonial powers. The region, ever since, has been scarred by an unbroken thread of proxy wars, the subversion of democratic governments, collusion in human rights abuses, including torture, and the wilful violation of international law whenever and wherever it has suited Washington's geostrategic and economic interests.

Cuba's crime in the eyes of Washington is not anything bad it has done or is doing, but the good, representing as it does a social and economic model that puts people before profits. It is a model responsible, since the Cuban revolution, for huge advances and achievements in healthcare, literacy, education, and bio-medicine. The fact those achievements have been made in the face of a decades-long US economic and trade embargo, designed to bring Cuba to its knees, makes them all the more remarkable.

And while Cuba may not conform to the liberal democratic yardstick held up by Washington as the sine qua non of a country and society deemed worthy of respect, the pride with which the Cuban people regard their island's history of defiance against the empire to the north reduces Trump's verbal broadsides to the ranting of yet another US president drowning in ignorance, if not arrogance.

The late Fidel Castro put it best:

"With what moral authority can [the US] speak of human rights...the rulers of a nation in which the millionaire and beggar coexist; where the Indian is exterminated; the black man is discriminated against; the woman is prostituted; and the great masses of Chicanos, Puerto Ricans, and Latin Americans are scorned, exploited, and humiliated...Where the CIA organizes plans of global subversion and espionage, and the Pentagon creates neutron bombs capable of preserving material assets and wiping out human beings."

Amen.
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From Empire Burlesque

I reckon Mike Bloomberg took a good long gander at that GOP "Massive Tax Cut for the Super-Rich Disguised as Healthcare" bill and liked what he saw. (Salon: Michael Bloomberg says Democrats should "get behind" President Trump) Pivoting on a dime -- or rather, on a gargantuan pile of extra loot for himself -- he dropped his opposition to the "dangerous demagogue" Trump and called on Democrats to stop opposing him too.

One should recall, as the story notes, that Bloomberg owns "several media outlets." So it's a safe bet that this "get with the program and get behind the president" line will soon be trickling down throughout his various media ventures.

I've said from day one -- even before Trump began stocking his cabinet with Goldman-Sachs alumni -- that the Establishment would line up behind him because he was going to give them everything they'd ever wanted, turning the country into one big neo-feudal cash cow for oligarchs and corporations. Wall Street loves him. The war profiteers and Pentagon berserkers love him, because he's drowning them in money and letting them do what they want (the same goes for the so-called "Deep State" security agencies, who are now more funding and more free from control than ever).

The Congressional extremists love him because he will sign whatever nation-destroying, citizen-killing bullshit they pass. Even the mainstream media love him, deep down, because his antics have given them their highest ratings and profit margins in years. The idea that he is some kind of "anti-Establishment" figure is just ludicrous, as is the idea that the "Establishment" is going to bring him down.

He cannot be removed from office unless the Congressional extremists decide to impeach him, and they are not going to do that. It's just not going to happen. They don't want to do it, and anyway, their corporate overlords and paymasters wouldn't stand for it.

Yes, Mike Pence would faithfully serve the same agenda, but the gigantic disruption of impeaching a president would throw the whole political world into turmoil -- and uncertainty. It would be like Brexit on steroids, upending the political landscape and setting deep currents moving whose direction no one could predict. Following the earthquake of Brexit, the new shock to the system that Theresa May wrought with an unnecessary election has revived a genuine leftist alternative in Britain and sent the power structure into a dithering panic. The avowed and unrepentant socialist Jeremy Corbyn is now, astonishingly, beating May in new polls on who would be the best prime minister for the country. Bloomberg and his fellow billionaires and oligarchs certainly don't want to see anything like that happening in the US.

So it's time to line up behind the Donald and "make sure his presidency succeeds" -- succeeds in its mission to destroy the last few restraints on corporate, oligarchic and authoritarian state power. The Deathcare Bill is a big first step in that direction -- and "moderate" Mike Bloomberg is now on board. Look for other "moderates" and "centrists" to follow.
From Paul Craig Roberts Website



Trump, Twitter Bird, Tweet

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On June 21 the editorial board of the Washington Post, long a propaganda instrument believed to be in cahoots with the CIA and the deep state, called for more sanctions and more pressure on Russia.

One second's thought is sufficient to realize how bad this advice is. The orchestrated demonization of Russia and its president began in the late summer of 2013 when the British Parliament and Russian diplomacy blocked the neoconned Obama regime's planned invasion of Syria. An example had to be made of Russia before other countries began standing up to Washington. While the Russians were focused on the Sochi Olympic Games, Washington staged a coup in Ukraine, replacing the elected democratic government with a gang of Banderite neo-nazi thugs whose forebears fought for Hitler in World War II. Washington claimed it had brought democracy to Ukraine by putting neo-nazi thugs in control of the government.

Washington's thugs immediately began violent attacks on the Russian population in Ukraine. Soviet war memorials were destroyed. The Russian language was declared banned from official use. Instantly, separatist movements began in the Russian parts of Ukraine that had been administratively attached to Ukraine by Soviet leaders. Crimea, a Russian province since the 1700s, voted overwhelmingly to separate from Ukraine and requested to be reunited with Russia. The same occurred in the Luhansk and Donetsk regions.

These independent actions were misrepresented by Washington and the presstitutes who prostitute for Washington as a "Russian invasion." Despite all facts to the contrary, this misrepresentation continues today. In US foreign policy, facts are not part of the analysis.

The most important fact that is overlooked by the Washington Post and the Russophobic members of the US government is that it is an act of insanity to call for more punishment and more pressure on a country with a powerful military and strategic nuclear capability whose military high command and government have already concluded that Washington is preparing a surprise nuclear attack.

Are the Washington Post editors trying to bring on nuclear Armageddon? If there was any intelligence present in the Washington Post, the newspaper would be urging that President Trump immediately call President Putin with reassurances and arrange the necessary meetings to defuse the situation. Instead the utterly stupid editors urge actions that can only raise the level of tension. It should be obvious even to the Washington Post morons that Russia is not going to sit there, shaking in its boots, and wait for Washington's attack. Putin has issued many warnings about the West's rising threat to Russian security. He has said that Russia "will never again fight a war on its own territory." He has said that the lesson he has learned is that "if a fight is unavoidable, strike first." He has also said that the fact that no one hears his warnings makes the situation even more dangerous.

What explains the deafness of the West? The answer is arrogance and hubris.

As the presstitute media is incapable of reason, I will do their job for them. I call for an immediate face-to-face meeting between Trump and Putin at Reykjavik. Cold War II, begun by Clinton, George W. Bush, and Obama, must be ended now.

So, where is President Trump? Why is the President of the United States unable to rise to the challenge? Why isn't he the man Ronald Reagan was? Is it, as David Stockman says, that Trump is incapable of anything except tweeting?

Why hasn't President Trump long ago ordered all intercepts of Russian chatter gathered, declassified, and made public? Why hasn't Trump launched a criminal prosecution against John Brennan, Susan Rice, Comey, and the rest of the hit squad that is trying to destroy him?

Why has Trump disarmed himself with an administration chosen by Russiaphobes and Israel?

As David Stockman writes, Trump "is up against a Deep State/Dem/Neocon/mainstream media prosecution" and "has no chance of survival short of an aggressive offensive" against those working to destroy him. But there is no Trump offensive, "because the man is clueless about what he is doing in the White House and is being advised by a cacophonous coterie of amateurs and nincompoops. So he has no action plan except to impulsively reach for his Twitter account."

Our president twitters while he and Earth itself are pushed toward destruction.
An explosive report by the Washington Post is claiming that Russian president Vladimir Putin directly interfered in the 2016 United States election.

Journalists Greg Miller, Ellen Nakashima and Adam Entous write that a memo from the CIA to Barack Obama in August last year is reported to have said that Putin specifically ordered the cyberattacks on Hillary Clintons presidential campaign in order to help elect her opponent, Donald Trump.

The result was the ongoing email leaks from Clintons campaign, which were seen by many as the cause of her crushing loss.

The Obama administration treated the potential Russian hacking with as much secrecy as they did the Osama bin Laden raids, and responded to the memo by kicking a bunch of Russian diplomats out of the country.

Meanwhile, Trump has marked his first six months in office with repeated claims that there was no interference from Russia in the election, using the Democrats concerns to mock them:

Russia talk is FAKE NEWS put out by the Dems, and played up by the media, in order to mask the big election defeat and the illegal leaks!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 26, 2017

The Democrats had to come up with a story as to why they lost the election, and so badly (306), so they made up a story  RUSSIA. Fake news!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 16, 2017

Russia must be laughing up their sleeves watching as the U.S. tears itself apart over a Democrat EXCUSE for losing the election.  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 11, 2017

This morning, however, he confirmed Russias meddling with this tweet:

Just out: The Obama Administration knew far in advance of November 8th about election meddling by Russia. Did nothing about it. WHY?  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 24, 2017

While the Washington Post has not accused Trump or his campaign or administration from working with Putin and the Russians to destabilise the democratic process, we will be watching this story as it unfolds very, very carefully.

Source: 9NEWS / Washington Post.

Image: Sean Gallup / Getty.
Logan Peat visualizing his run just before he drops in.

Nicholi Rogatkin easing into an afternoon of heavy spins.

Matt Jones spun some of the steeziest 360s of the week no doubt about it.

The Brit brought all the right moves once again but could not stick his double backflip and put a big score on the board.

Mehdi Gani seems to be riding on another level this year, but was unable to stomp the run he'd dreamed of.

Casual warm up exercises on the opening drop with Rogatkin.

Lemoine had combos for days which would earn him an incredible third place.

Scholze ready to send.

Reed Boggs started his run with a fastplant 360 off the SRAM drop.

Fronty no-hander for the Canadian who simply can't avoid going massive.

Anthony Messere with flip bar out of the whale tale.

Jakub Vencl soaring like some kinda giant Czech eagle.

Nico Scholze showcased crazy backflip combos like this heelclicker flip on the first set.

Scholze's back was looking like a slab of well-seasoned, grilled beef following his crash in Les Gets, but you better believe he sent his runs here in Austria anyway.

Scholze's signature back flip tsunami madness... because he can.

Ryan Nyquist with a truckdriver down the boner log.

Logan Peat laid down an impressive second run this afternoon to break into the 80s.

Torquato Testa got third in Rotorua but was not able to lay it down once again here in Innsbruck.

Camera goals.

Thomas Genon concerned on the wind after getting wiped out just a couple of weeks back..

Tommy G ridin' free. 82 points and 6th for the ex-Joyride winner.

Luckily there weren't any serious crashes during the competition, but quite a few riders were blowing their tires.

Spinning his bars not once, not twice but three times seems to be just Emil's thing.

Emil Johansson tailwhips upside down on the second hip jump.

Johansson's double down whips are pretty special.

Szymon Godziek put together a crazy run starting things off with a truckdriver.

My, oh my, does Godziek have some moves... After setting the bar high with an 86 on run 1 he wanted more, but came unstuck at the final hurdle, settling for 4th place.

Emil Johansson did a 360 triple bar to downside tail-whip, but unfortunately slipped a pedal.

The speed and style number one waits for the all clear to drop.

Tomas Lemoine spins of the big drop in front of the epic mountain scenery.

Lemoine wrapped an amazing week in Austria nailing third place with all kinds of combos.

Bronze for Lemoine and the stoke was high.

Rogatkin about to drop bombs... serious ones.

We wonder if Nicholi Rogatkin got electrified by the power cables above the starting drop as his run was an absolutely shocker.

One of the most ferocious runs the world has seen on a slopestyle course, no bones about it.

Nicholi Rogatkin's famous and formidable Twister.

Who needs doubles when you can have triples? Three times a charm on the tail whip for Rogatkin...

Rogatkin busting his double tail whip off the whale tail, before the ultimate icing on the cake; a cashroll tailwhip.

Sheer disbelief. What a final...

To everyone's amazement, not least Brett Rheeder's, the stakes had just been upped and there would be no victory lap today.

Rheeder's valiant attempt to take down Rogatkin bumped him more than one point, but it was still not enough to take gold.

Rheeder 720 bar-spinning like a hurricane.

The double bar 360 off the step down.

With a triple crown on the line, Rheeder gave it absolutely everything he had in the tank, finishing on a flip double whip.

Crazy, crazier, craziest. Nicholi Rogatkin is one of a kind.

A head-to-head battle that could not have been more thrilling.

Rogatkin took his second win of the season setting him up to claim the triple crown and the massive prize purse.

Rogatkin, Rheeder and Lemoine hit the showers after a hard day in the sun.

Shippin' up to Boston. Job done for the East Coast prodigy.

The format often goes the same way at a slopestyle final; the favorite stomps an insane first run that nobody can touch, the competition fizzles hard on second runs and all we see is a victory lap with a token trick on the last jump for the crowds. Well nope, not this time. This time we were treated to a quite the showdown, a real face-off... a battle royale if you will. It was Nicholi Rogatkin versus Brett Rheeder and the gloves were off.Having laid down a 94.33 in run 1, it seemed Rheeder had the green light to push on to Whistler ready to fight for the triple crown and the $25,000 bounty, but Rogatkin turned out to have other ideas, like taking it for himself, and threw down one of the most downright aggressive and mind-blowingly technical runs in the history of mountain biking, to end with a cashroll tail whip.Great, combo-rich rides from Tomas Lemoine, sheer trick madness from Szymon Godziek and dialled, technical brilliance from Emil Johansson were among the other highlights that made the freshman year at Crankworx Innsbruck truly one to remember. With every rider dropping in pulling out all the stops to impress on a well-shaped course in front of the magnificent Austrian Alps, we had one unmissable summer's day on our hands.
Chris Brammer Wins WSOP Event #45: $5,000 No-Limit Hold'em Turbo

June 24, 2017 Valerie Cross

Chris Brammer beat out a field of 505 players to win Event #45: $5,000 No-Limit Holdem (30 minute levels) for a payday of $527,555 and his first WSOP gold bracelet. The top 76 finishers got a share of the $2,438,250 total prize pool and the top five received six-figure payouts.

Brammer had a lull in WSOP success as his other two WSOP final tables came in 2012. The British poker pro finished fifth in the $10,000 No-Limit Holdem 6-Handed event in 2012 for $200,502 and fifth again at the WSOP Europe Main Event for $270,908 that same year.

Regarding his fifth-place finish in the 2012 $10,000 No-Limit Holdem 6-Handed event, he commented: "That one hurt for a long time. I made a final table at World Series of Europe that same year, but there hasn't been any since, and I've been coming here every year. It's been a while."

Five years later, Brammer got another chance and closed it out. He came into Day 2 seventh in chips with 464,000 out of the 49 returning players and was the short stack going into the final table where the average stack was only 23 big blinds. The final table lasted just more than six levels, or around three hours of play. Brammer commented about the short-stacked nature of play at the final table.

"It was a turbo tournament, so the blind levels went up fairly quickly. That creates a lot of action, and it's important to win those all-ins. And I think I won pretty much all of them. I was dealt a lot of good cards. There were situations where I could shove into them and put pressure on them."

Event #45 Final Table Results

Place Player Country Prize 1 Chris Brammer United Kingdom $527,555 2 Jett Schencker United States $326,051 3 Yevgeniy Timoshenko United States $223,574 4 Rui Ye United States $156,022 5 Tobias Ziegler Germany $110,845 6 Oliver Weis Germany $80,196 7 Michael Brinkenhoff United States $59,107 8 Alex Foxen United States $44,395 9 Diego Sanchez Mexico $33,993

In the fifth hand of the official final table, Brammer doubled through Jett Schencker with ace-jack against ace-king blind versus blind when he hit a jack on the flop and held. During six-handed play, Brammer got his run going when he doubled through Oliver Weis, again blind versus blind, with pocket jacks against pocket tens. With five left, Brammer took a hit to his stack when he doubled up Jett Schencker raise-calling with queen-jack against Schenckers king-queen, which held up. A little while later, Brammer re-gained the chip lead from Schencker when Brammer shoved with queen-ten offsuit on the button and was called by Schencker with ace-eight offsuit. Brammer flopped a queen and went runner-runner full house to double up.

He took another hit to his stack when he called Yevgeniy Timoshenkos shove with pocket sevens and Timoshenko hit a jack on the river with queen-jack to double up. After that, Brammer mostly took down blinds and antes with no showdown until he again clashed with Timoshenko. He had Timoshenko in bad shape with pocket queens versus queen-ten suited and his queens held up to eliminate Timoshenko in third place.

Brammer carried a 2:1 chip lead into the heads-up match with Schencker and got it over with in a hurry. In the very first hand of heads up, Schencker raised on the button with ace-jack offsuit and Brammer shoved with queen-ten of hearts. Schencker called and Brammer spiked a ten on the flop and held up to eliminate Schencker in second place and win the tournament.

During the final table, Brammers rail provided much celebration as Brammer won many all-ins and took down what seemed like pot after pot. When he spiked the ten in the final hand, his rail filled the Brasilia room with cheers.

"I've been on both sides. I remember being in the Pavilion room up on the stage for that six-max final table, and my rail was spilling over onto the floor. I was here last week for Chris Moorman's, and it's just amazing to be a part of it. You can't feel sad at any point because there's just so much support behind you."

That support paid off as Brammer joined WSOP history and won gold.
An advocacy group has asked a U.S. judge to widen an order that temporarily blocked the deportation of Iraqis living in Michigan to cover Iraqis nationwide.

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) on June 24 filed an amended complaint seeking to prevent immigration officials from deporting Iraqis from anywhere in the United States while a federal judge considers the case involving the Iraqis in Michigan.

On June 22, U.S. District Judge Mark Goldsmith ordered a stay in the Michigan Iraqis' deportation for at least 14 days while he decides whether his court has jurisdiction in the case.

The ACLU asked Goldsmith to rule by June 26 on its request that the order cover the 1,444 Iraqis facing deportation across the country.

The ACLU said those being deported could face persecution in Iraq because many were Chaldean Catholics or Iraqi Kurds, groups it said were targets of ill treatment in Iraq.

The Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency has indicated it could begin deporting the Iraqis as soon as June 27.

The Michigan Iraqis facing deportation were arrested in sweeps earlier this month, and the government said all have criminal convictions. Some had come to the United States as children and committed the crimes decades ago.

The deportation orders stem from an agreement with the Iraqi government to accept deportees in return for the country being removed from President Donald Trump's temporary travel ban.

Based on reporting by AP and Reuters


Afghan officials said 10 security forces were killed by Taliban militants in an attack on a checkpoint at the Salma Dam in the western part of the country.

Four other police were wounded and four militants were also killed in the attack in Herat Province, according to Farhad Jailani, a spokesman for Herat's governor.

The hydroelectric dam project, which underwent an extensive $300 million refurbishment that was completed in 2016, has been a target of Taliban attacks in the past and is heavily guarded.

The dam is more than 100 meters high and 540 meters wide and is designed to generate 42 megawatts of power and help irrigate 75,000 hectares of land for Herat Province.
A statue honoring former U.S. Secretary of State William Henry Seward, who signed a treaty with Russia that brought Alaska to the United States, will be installed in the city of Juneau on July 3.

Mary Becker, co-chair of the Seward Statue Committee, on June 24 said the statue will commemorate the 150th anniversary of the 1867 Treaty of Cession that made Alaska a U.S. territory.

The $250,000 statue will be put in place at the Dimond Courthouse Plaza in front of the Alaska State Capitol.

"You can kind of see how important he is to us who now call ourselves Alaskans," said Wayne Jensen, co-chair of the committee.

"It probably wouldn't have even been called Alaska. Hopefully, it wouldn't have still been Russian America, but it might have been something else."

The United States purchased Alaska from Russia for $7.2 million. It was admitted as a U.S. state in 1959.

Based on reporting by AP and The Juneau Empire
Exit polls indicate Albania's ruling Socialists have likely secured a parliamentary majority in elections seen as key to the countrys future relationship with the European Union.

Citing exit polls, broadcaster Ora News on June 25 projected that Prime Minister Edi Rama's Socialists will win 45-49 percent of the vote, good enough for 71-75 seats in the 140-seat chamber.

The center-right Democrats of Lulzim Basha, an ardent admirer of U.S. President Donald Trump, are forecast to have won 30 percent of the vote.

An exit poll by Italy's IPR Marketing provided similar results.

Official results are expected on June 26.

If the projections hold, it will allow the 52-year-old, pro-Europe Rama to set the political agenda without the need for a coalition. His party was favored going into the vote, but experts were unsure if it would attain a majority.

A clear victory would allow Rama to rule without his current junior coalition partner, the Socialist Movement for Integration (LSI), which received about 19 percent of the vote.

Rama has become increasingly at odds with the LSI and its former leader, former Prime Minister Ilir Meta, who is now president-elect after being voted to the mostly ceremonial position by parliament.

Although the elections apparently went off smoothly, voter turnout was 44.9 percent, a record low for a general election in Albania.

In 2013, turnout was 52.7 percent, with some 1,750,000 people voting. Preliminary calculations indicate 1,514,851 out of a possible 3,452,260 voters turned out for the current election.

Because of the low turnout -- which some people blamed on the record-high temperatures and celebration of Eid al-Fitr, the end of Ramadan -- the election commission extended voting by an hour past the scheduled closing time.

The Socialists and Democrats were the leading parties looking to gain an outright majority in the parliament of the NATO-member, Muslim-majority country of 2.9 million people.

The Democrats had threatened to boycott the elections, demanding that Rama resign ahead of the vote to ensure a fair process.

The United States and the EU brokered a deal in May that overhauled election rules and allowed the opposition greater oversight over the process.

Rama is seeking his second term as prime minister. He described the vote, held in front of international observers, as a pivotal moment for the country and its hopes to join the EU.

Rama, who has voiced concerns about Russian influence in the country, has said he would like to complete EU ascension talks by the end of this year.

His rival, Basha, has also said he favors EU membership, calling it the "divine mission of the Democratic Party."

The country gained EU-candidate status in 2014, but movement has been slowed by a perceived lack of reforms, including those involved with the election process, and long-standing corruption.

While in power, the Socialists have improved tax collection and ruled under an improvement in economic growth -- 3.45 percent last year from less than 1 percent four years ago.

However, they were unable to fulfill promises to create 300,000 new jobs and provide free health care for everyone over 40 years of age.

The country has come under scrutiny for its massive levels of marijuana production, and it is a major transit route into Europe for cocaine and heroin.

Basha, 43, a former transport and interior minister, accuses Rama of ignoring Albania's problems and glossing them over with "facades and palm trees."

Both Rama and Basha previously served as mayors of the capital, Tirana.

With reporting by dpa, AP, Reuters, and Balkan Insight
Muslims around the world are celebrating Eid al-Fitr, the festival that follows the fasting during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan. In Kosovo's capital, Pristina, worshippers attended festive prayers on June 25 at Sultan Mehmet Fatih Mosque, built under Ottoman rule in the 15th century. A holiday sermon was delivered by Naim Ternava, the grand mufti of Kosovo. (RFE/RL's Balkan Service)
It is arguably the most macabre example of medical malpractice in Central Asia's post-Soviet history.

A decade ago, around 150 children in the southern Kazakh city of Shymkent were infected with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, when they were given tainted blood, in many cases as part of a kickback scheme. At least 10 of the children died soon after their infection.

Now, 10 years later, activists and officials in the Southern Kazakhstan Province warn that some of those same children are needlessly being exposed to danger, as a handful of parents are refusing vital medical treatment aimed at preventing the immunodeficiency virus from developing into AIDS.

Kazakh laws allow health officials to impose compulsory medical treatment in some cases, and authorities say they are considering just that if the parents dont change their minds.

All but one of the families approached by RFE/RLs Kazakh Service declined to talk about their decisions. On condition of anonymity, one father said he and his wife were no longer giving their son the HIV medication because it was difficult to administer and had worrying side effects.

He cant independently drink or eat, the father, from the town of Turkestan, said. We tried to give him the HIV drugs, but he cant swallow the tablets. They get stuck in his throat and he also gets a rash on his body.

Some of the parents have cited unspecified religious reasons, while others say their childs condition is stable, said Zhannetta Zhazykbaeva, the Shymkent head of Protection Of Children From AIDS, a foundation that lobbies for the rights of HIV-positive children.

The group said at least nine families in the province are currently declining potentially life-saving medical treatment for their infected children.

One family is from the Saryagash district and has two HIV-infected children, one of whose condition is said to be deteriorating.

"They dont even come to provide samples [for check-ups to monitor their children's condition]," said Murat Agabaev, deputy head of the Shymkent Mother and Child Health Center. "Local doctors accompanied by police went to their homes to get samples."

Zhazykbaevas NGO has sent a letter to the Saryagash governors office urging officials to intervene -- through police and prosecutors -- and convince them to let their 14-year-old child receive medical treatment.

Zhazykbaeva said she believes it is a matter of life or death.



We spoke with the mother and explained to her the seriousness of the risks. However, she didnt change her mind, Zhazykbaeva said.

Zhazykbaeva wouldn't disclose the family's identity, citing medical confidentiality laws aimed at protecting patients and families privacy.

Fearing social stigma and exclusion, families of individuals who are HIV-positive are frequently reluctant to reveal their loved ones' status.



The father who spoke to RFE/RL said that he and his wife had stopped their 13-year-old child from taking the HIV-related medicines. His son was severely ill with limited mobility, he said, adding that the boy had suffered a lot and that he didnt want to add to his childs pain.

In other cases, it remains unclear when or exactly why the parents stopped the treatments.



Some doctors suggest their parental rights should be taken away for potentially putting their childrens lives at risk.

Government officials in the region said they are trying to resolve the situation according to the law.

We wont just sit and do nothing just because parents dont allow treatment, said Kudret Kystaubaev, the deputy governor of Saryagash. We have instructed law enforcement agencies to study the situation. We might resort to compulsory treatment if that becomes necessary.

Authorities and activists also said a lot of work has been done to raise awareness among the parents.

The South Kazakhstan region found itself engulfed in the HIV epidemic in 2006 when it emerged that dozens of patients in the state-run childrens hospital were infected with the virus through transfusions with tainted blood.



Twenty-one medical workers and health officials went on trial on negligence and corruption charges. Several doctors received prison sentences.

The victims families were given one-off financial compensation of up to $10,000, while the children were assigned monthly cash allowances until they reach the age of 18.

The youngest patient was 2 months old, while many others were toddlers.

Those who survived face a lifetime of constant medical treatment. Many parents have spoken out about social stigma and discrimination.

Officials said only a handful of the Kazakh children infected in the decade-old case are aware of their HIV-positive status, as others are still deemed by specialists to be too young to be told about their medical condition.
The topic of this weeks Majlis podcast is the Tajik civil war: How it started, what fueled it, how it ended after five years in an unusual peace deal signed in Moscow on June 27, 1997, and how that deal fell apart over the course of the last 20 years.

Muhammad Tahir, RFE/RL's media relations manager, moderated the discussion.

From the Russian and Eastern European Institute at Indiana University, visiting scholar Dr. Navruz Nekbakhtshoev, who is from Tajikistan, joined the show. Longtime Majlis friend and recognized authority on Tajikistan Dr. Edward Lemon, who is currently doing postdoctoral work at Columbia Universitys Harriman Institute, participated. Some of the first articles I ever wrote were about Tajikistan during the days of the civil war, so I had a few things to say also.

Listen to the podcast above or subscribe to the Majlis on iTunes.
The United States has strongly condemned the June 23 terrorist attacks in Pakistans cities of Parachinar and Quetta that left at least 85 dead.



The Sunni extremist group Lashkar-e Jhangvi claimed responsibility for the blasts at a crowded market in the northwestern town of Parachinar, a predominantly Shi'ite town in the Kurram Tribal Agency.



In the southwestern city of Quetta, 13 people, including seven policemen, were killed and 20 injured in a suicide car bombing. Two different militant groups -- a breakaway Taliban faction and the Islamic State -- claimed the Quetta attack.



The White House said in a statement issued on June 25 that these attacks, which it said deliberately targeted civilians, are a strong reminder of the threat posed throughout the region by the scourge of terrorism.



We stand with the people of Pakistan in their fight against it, the statement added.
Kyiv has hailed Russia's announced withdrawal from the southern Ukrainian city of Kherson as another key battlefield success in Ukraine's operation to liberate territory occupied by Moscow after its unprovoked invasion.

"Ukraine is gaining another important victory right now and proves that whatever Russia says or does, Ukraine will win," Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said on November 11 in a tweet that included a video purporting to show Kherson residents removing a billboard that proclaimed "Russia is here forever."

Earlier on November 11, Russia said it had completed the withdrawal of its troops from the strategic southern city two days after Moscow announced the surprise pullout.

A regional lawmaker said on the same day that Ukrainian armed forces were in the final stage of reclaiming the west bank of the Dnieper River from Russian troops.

Serhiy Khlan, a deputy for Kherson Regional Council, said a Ukrainian flag had been raised in Kherson, as multiple videos circulating on social media purportedly showed Ukrainian soldiers planting their yellow-and-blue flag on administrative buildings in the city and local residents celebrating.

The Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement earlier in the day that it had finished the pullout from Kherson city at 5 a.m. on November 11 and not a single unit of military equipment was left behind.

However, Khlan said some Russian soldiers had been unable to leave the city and had changed into civilian clothing and urged local residents to stay at home while Ukrainian troops cleared the city.

"The number of these people is not known," he told a news briefing, without citing evidence for the claim.

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.

Khlan also said, without citing evidence, that many Russian troops had drowned attempting to flee across the river.

The head of the joint coordination press center of the Defense Forces of Southern Ukraine, Natalya Humenyuk, said Russian troops "have been changing into civilian clothes for two weeks."

"This should focus our forces as it means saboteur operations cannot be ruled out," Humenyuk told a separate briefing.

"Because of this, we are not rushing to announce our successes in other directions and in other towns."

Russia did not immediately comment on Khlan's or Humenyuk's remarks.

Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov said on November 10 that it would take Russia at least a week to withdraw, telling Reuters in an interview that Russia had 40,000 troops in the Kherson region and that it still had forces in the city.

Kherson controls both the only land route to Ukraine's Russian-occupied Crimean Peninsula and the mouth of the Dnieper, which bisects Ukraine.

Recapturing the city could provide Ukraine with a launching pad for supplies and troops to try to win back other lost territory in the south.

Meanwhile, Ukraine's public broadcaster quoted local residents as saying on November 11 that the Antonivskiy bBdge, the only nearby road crossing from Kherson city to the Russian-controlled eastern bank of the Dnieper, has collapsed.

The Suspilne broadcaster published a photograph showing whole sections of the bridge missing. The next road crossing across the Dnieper is more than 70 km from Kherson city.

It was not immediately clear what had caused the bridge's collapse.

Recapturing the city could provide Ukraine a launching pad for supplies and troops to try to win back other lost territory in the south.

The Ukrainian General Staff said retreating Russian forces have been looting homes and destroying critical infrastructure, while forcibly evicting residents from the settlements still under their control.

"The Russian invaders continue to loot the settlements from which they are retreating. The enemy is also attempting to damage power lines and other elements of the transport and critical infrastructure of the Kherson region as much as possible," the military said, adding that Russian mines continue to wound civilians.

Elsewhere, six civilians were killed in a Russian rocket attack on Mykolayiv overnight, the mayor of the southern Ukrainian city said on November 11, as Ukrainian troops continued their advance in the direction of Kherson.

The mayor of Mykolayiv, Oleksandr Sienkovych, said on November 11 that the people were killed when Russian rockets hit a residential area of the city, destroying a five-story building.

"As of 10 a.m., six people were killed by the impact of the attack on the residential building," Sienkovych said.

Fierce fighting continues in Bakhmut and Soledar in the eastern Donetsk region as well as in the adjacent Luhansk region, the military said, adding that heavy Russian shelling pounded about 20 settlements in the Kharkiv, Luhansk, Donetsk, Dnipropetrovsk, Zaporizhzhya, and Mykolaiyv regions.

In his nightly address late on November 10, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said: "Today we have good news from the south. The number of Ukrainian flags returning to their rightful place within the framework of the ongoing defense operation is already dozens. He added that 41 settlements have been liberated.

With reporting by AP, Reuters, and dpa
Toomaj Salehi's lyrical support for protesters in Iran has landed him behind bars before, but this time the popular rapper's fortune-telling has fans and family members fearing for his life.

Just days before his September 30 arrest, the 32-year-old Salehi released his latest music video, in which he makes foreboding predictions about the future of Iran's clerical regime if it continues its violent crackdown against ongoing anti-government demonstrations.

"I am the predictor, the fortune teller," he raps in the video for Omen, which shows him reading the patterns left in his coffee cup and warning that brute force will not prevail.

"I saw a cage in the coffee grounds -- a lion was hunting a jackal," he explains, alluding to a fairy tale about wisdom defeating physical strength. "We will rise from the bottom and target the top of the pyramid."

Salehi goes on to warn that the regime's protectors -- including the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), the Basij paramilitary forces, the Intelligence Ministry, and the state media -- will all get their day in court.

Salehi followed up on the new video by posting on social media images of him standing alongside protesters and chanting against security forces in his native city in Isfahan Province. The rapper, an ethnic Lur who was arrested last year after releasing other songs critical of the government, offered to turn himself in if protesters detained in his hometown of Shahinshahr were released.

In subsequent posts, he called the provincial authorities "cowardly vermin" and "scum who suppress and arrest [innocent] people."

Shortly afterward, Salehi went missing and has not been heard from since.

State media reported on September 30 that Salehi had been arrested, and a news agency close to the IRGC published a photo of the blindfolded rapper inside a car.

A short video later released by a press club associated with Iran's state broadcaster purports to show the rapper admitting he made a mistake.

But the reports' claims he had been caught while "illegally exiting the western borders of the country" have been fiercely disputed, and the video confession has been labeled a fake by some and a coerced confession by others.

Family members as well as Salehi's official Twitter account have said the rapper was, in fact, arrested in the southwestern Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari Province, hundreds of kilometers from Iran's western border.

In a statement, Salehi's uncle Eghbal Eghbali said his nephew was in the province's city of Borujen on the morning of September 30 when he wrote saying "suspicious things" were happening outside his home. Soon after, Salehi stopped communicating. Eghbali said he learned from Salehi's neighbors and friends that security personnel had arrived to take the rapper away.

Later on September 30, a prosecutor in nearby Isfahan Province was quoted by the Meezan news agency, which is close to Iran's judiciary, as saying Salehi was arrested "in one of the provinces of the country." The prosecutor alleged the rapper had played a key role in "creating disturbances and inviting and encouraging the recent disturbances in Isfahan Province and in Shahinshahr."

The official IRNA news agency, meanwhile, quoted a judiciary official from Isfahan Province as saying Salehi stood accused of "propagandistic activity against the government, cooperation with hostile governments, and the formation of illegal groups with the intention of creating insecurity in the country."

Thousands of Iranians, many of them from the younger generation, have taken to the streets in recent weeks to protest the September 16 death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, who died shortly after being arrested for allegedly violating Iran's hijab law requiring that women cover their hair.

As the protests have continued, the authorities have intensified their crackdown, resulting in the deaths of at least 305 people, including 41 children, according to the latest figures released by the Oslo-based Iran Human Rights (IHR) on November 6.

Salehi is among the hundreds of prominent young voices, including activists, artists, and athletes, who have been arrested for speaking out against the states bloody crackdown on the protests. Overall, activists estimate thousands of people have been arrested by the authorities since the rallies erupted.

Faced with a potential existential threat to Iran's clerical rule, 227 of 290 Iranian lawmakers this week called for even greater force by urging the judiciary to "deal decisively" with those behind the protests.

In recent years, Salehi has gained notoriety for his open opposition to the country's leadership, using his music and social media presence to take on issues that resonate with Iranian youths.

In the song Normal, he highlights the effects of poverty, saying "Our children sleep hungry at night" and asking Iran's leaders how their conscience can let them sleep.

The song Rathole, released in 2021, accuses members of the media and art community both inside and outside Iran of being an "ally of the tyrant," a reference to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

In another song, he blasts Tehran's close relationships with Moscow and Beijing, asking: "Haven't you robbed us enough? Now, you want to give away half [of our resources] to China and the rest to Russia."

Salehi was detained in September 2021 after security agents raided his home in Isfahan, with Human Rights Watch decrying the detention of the artist for "exercising his right to freedom of expression."

Salehi was charged with "spreading propaganda against the state," but after more than a week was released on bail. In January, he was sentenced to six months in prison but was released on a suspended sentence in February.

While out, he continued his work and released Omen amid the states increasingly violent crackdown on anti-government protesters.

"Someone's crime was dancing with her hair in the wind," he raps. "Someone's crime was that she was brave and criticized."

Listing a litany of violent acts carried out by the authorities against protesters, Salehi asks, "How many young people did you kill building a tower for yourself?" and predicts that next year, the 44th year of the clerical regime's rule, will be its "year of failure."

Salehi's arrest has led to widespread condemnation inside and outside Iran, and his advocates have spread the #FreeToomaj hashtag on Twitter to shed light on his situation.

His family has said they do not know Salehi's whereabouts or health, leaving them wondering if he is even alive.

But the authorities have shed some light on the fate of another Iranian rapper arrested shortly before Salehi. The judiciary announced on November 7 that Saman Yasin, a rapper from Kermanshah Province -- a northwestern region with a significant Kurdish population and that has been a focus of the government crackdown -- has been accused of waging "warfare" against Iran and acting against the country's security.

Based on reporting by RFE/RL's Radio Farda, with contributions by RFE/RL senior correspondent Michael Scollon
A SpaceX Dragon spacecraft (lower right) photobombs a "selfie" image from the company's Falcon 9 rocket second stage during a June 3, 2017, launch of NASA cargo to the International Space Station.

It's official: SpaceX's rockets and spaceships have caught the selfie bug in the final frontier.

When SpaceX launched a Dragon cargo ship to the International Space Station this month, the spacecraft popped up in a "selfie" taken by the upper stage of the Falcon 9 rocket that launched the ship into orbit.

"Dragon photobombs stage 2 before heading to @Space_Station earlier this month," SpaceX representatives wrote in a Twitter post late Monday (June 19). In the photo, the Dragon spacecraft appears as a distant interloper in an otherwise picturesque scene of the Earth and Falcon 9 second stage engine on June 3.

In this photo, SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket second stage (upper right) returns the photobomb favor to its Dragon spacecraft. One of the Dragon's solar arrays is seen deployed in this image taken by an onboard camera on June 3, 2017. (Image credit: SpaceX via Twitter

But the photo fun doesn't stop there. The Falcon 9 booster also made its own photobomb in a photo taken from the Dragon spacecraft. [Launch Photos: SpaceX's 1st Reused Dragon Spacecraft]

"Stage 2 returns the favor," SpaceX tweeted with the image, which shows the Falcon 9 second stage backlit by a dazzling blue Earth as seen by a camera on Dragon. One of the space capsule's solar arrays is also visible.

The first stage of SpaceX's Falcon 9 rockets can return to Earth and land, but the second stages currently cannot  at least, not yet. Earlier this year, on March 30, SpaceX CEO Elon Musk hinted that the company was studying ways to make Falcon 9 completely reusable.

SpaceX is pursuing reusable rocket technology to lower the costs of spaceflight. The company has already reused one Falcon 9 rocket booster this year, and has said it hopes to reuse another on Friday (June 23) when SpaceX will launch a Bulgarian communications satellite into orbit from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

In fact, even the Dragon used in the June 3 launch was reused. It first flew to the International Space Station in 2014. After launch, the spacecraft rendezvoused with the station to deliver about 6,000 lbs. (2,700 kilograms) of fresh NASA supplies for the orbiting lab's crew.

Email Tariq Malik at tmalik@space.com or follow him @tariqjmalik and Google+. Follow us @Spacedotcom, Facebook and Google+. Original article on Space.com.
A 13-year-old boy who celebrated an alleged terror attack on Muslim worshippers in Finsbury Park has been referred to the governments anti-extremism programme.

The teenager, who was reported to the Prevent scheme by his school, described the north London van attack, which left one man dead and several other people injured, as wonderful news, according to The Sunday Times.

The youth is thought to have previously displayed racist signs, which were being dealt with by his school, the newspaper reported.

He is also believed to have an older relative with links to the English Defence League, which staged a rally in London on Saturday.

Finsbury Park attack June 19 1 /33 Finsbury Park attack June 19 Treating the wounded: Paramedics and police at the scene of the crash in Finsbury Park James Gourley/Rex The suspect is pinned to the ground by brave members of the public Forensic investigators examine the van Jeremy Selwyn James Gourley/Rex Features Injured: Paramedics take one of the wounded away James Gourley/Rex Features Rescuers: Emergency services staff treat victims after a vehicle hit pedestrians in Finsbury Park Thomas van Hulle/PA Crash: The scene in Seven Sisters Road PA Response: An armed police officer mans a cordon on the Seven Sisters Road at Finsbury Park Yui Mok/PA Shock: Local people observe prayers at Finsbury Park Yui Mok/PA Emergency service workers at Finsbury Park in north London Yui Mok/PA Fears: Police officers talk with local people at Finsbury Park Yui Mok/PA Paramedics: Ambulances in Finsbury Park Jennifer Heape/PA Police on one of the cordons in north London Yui Mok/PA Patrol: Armed officers near Seven Sisters Road Yui Mok/PA Cordon: Police in Finsbury Park Yui Mok/PA People scuffle near a police cordon near Finsbury Park EPA PA Muslims pray on the street NIGEL HOWARD  Armed Police at the scene in Seven Sisters Road Nigel Howard Finsbury Park attack: The scene at Seven Sisters Road where a van believed to be involved mounted the pavement Jeremy Selwyn Forensic investigators at Finsbury Park PA The suspect is put in the back of a police van after being restrained at the scene Police at the scene neat Seven Sisters Road Chloe Chaplain Aerial view of forensics at the scene of Seven Sisters Road Jeremy Selwyn Flowers are left near the scene at Seven Sisters Road Chloe Chaplain

The attack on worshippers outside the mosque in Seven Sisters Road in the early hours of Monday morning led to an increase in referrals to the Prevent scheme of neo-Nazi sympathisers heard praising the actions of the alleged attacker.

The attack followed three Isis-inspired terror atrocities in London and Manchester that left 35 people died.

William Baldet, a senior Prevent co-ordinator, told the Sunday Times: It's not unusual to see a spike in referrals immediately after a significant incident or terrorist attack.

"For some people it's a case of joining the dots in the light of an individual's past behaviour."
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As of 2017 two-thirds of the world population is using cell phones. Thats five billion people with cell phones and many of them with more than one. The gr0wth in cell phone use has been phenomenal. There were one billion users in 2003, two billion in in 2007, three billion by 2010 and four billion by 2013.

The rapid spread of cell phones had the most impact in poor countries with few phones of any kind and little or no Internet use. The cell phone became simultaneously the first phone and personal computer most people got their hands on because by 2008 most cell phones were both. In the poorest countries many people used texting (it's cheaper) most of the time but their cell phones give them an unprecedented ability to send, and receive information, to or from anywhere in the world. This has brought on many changes.

The cell phone was more than a social revolution. These cheap and compact devices phones revolutionized life and culture in poor countries. Before cell phones came along few people in poor nations had phones because landline (traditional cooper wire) networks were expensive to build and operate. It was even worse because these telephone networks were usually government monopolies and the government officials were corrupt and inept. Cell phone networks were cheaper to set up and in poor countries the governments generally let foreign operators come in, after paying the usual bribes and learned that, so far at least, it was best to leave them alone. Cell phones proved to be far more popular than local rulers expected and became too popular to mess with.

Even Somalia, after ten years of anarchy in the 1990s, found local businessmen willing to set up cell phone networks. Again, the popularity and usefulness of these devices were something that even local warlords became dependent on. The warlords still demanded protection money from the cell phone system operators, but not so much that the operators would go out of business.

At first Islamic radical groups tried to ban the use of cell phones that provided Internet access. The Islamic terrorists believed that because you can use these devices to access porn they are forbidden to Moslems. According to most Islamic terror groups porn meant any picture (especially videos) of a woman showing skin. Not all, just a lot of more than the Islamic terrorist lifestyle police allowed on the street. Previous attempts to ban cell phones in general failed because these devices were and are too popular even with young Islamic terrorist recruits. In some areas the Islamic terrorists persisted, if only because many people used their cell phones to let the security forces know what the Islamic terrorists were up so.

Cell phones and email make it possible for terrorist groups to stay in touch and make plans, thus many terrorists wanted to keep their phones. In poor countries Islamic terrorists also tried to ban the use of money transfers via cell phones, saying this results in unIslamic banking practices. The use of cell phone accounts to store and transfer money has been a boon to undeveloped areas that lacked banks. The locals and the people in charge of Islamic terror group wanted to keep the phones for banking services also. Worse for the Islamic terrorists was that the widespread prevalence of cell phones also insured that photos of Islamic terrorist atrocities got taken and quickly distributed worldwide.

The Islamic terrorists had good reason to fear cell phones, something many of them also used these devices constantly and it soon became know that the Americans could use that to track you. In Afghanistan the Islamic terrorists tried to shut down cell phone service at night because they believed that the Americans were able to track them via cell phones only if the towers were active. In some parts of Afghanistan the Islamic terrorists damaged or destroyed cell phone towers if necessary to force cell phone companies to shut down service at night.

Actually, NATO had several ways to track the Islamic terrorists at night and forcing towers to be shut down at night made the Islamic terrorists even more unpopular with the locals and hardly interrupted the American tracking efforts.

The Islamic terrorists themselves make heavy use of cell phones, especially since service was installed in many rural areas. The cell phone companies made deals with the local tribal leaders whose people demanded cell phone service. Not so much to call in the police, but to stay in touch with friends, family and the few government services that are available. The phones also were good for business, because useful information was easier to get and it was now easier to buy and sell products. This cell phone popularity forced the Islamic terrorists to compromise, and not try and shut down rural cell phone service entirely. But even trying to shut it down at night becomes one more thing that makes the Islamic terrorists unpopular.

It was the same story in Iraq, where five years after Saddam was ousted in 2003 there were three million cell phones in Iraq and many rural areas were getting access to phone service for the first time ever. The phones are very popular, especially among the young. Islamic terrorists fought cell phone use in Iraq as well. Sometimes they would try to ban musical ringtones for cell phones, and insisting that clerics, reading verses from the Koran, be used instead. The Islamic radicals were particularly upset at how cell phones allowed young men and women to operate more freely than in the past. More of them, for example, were skipping the usual arranged marriage and just taking off with lovers.

By 2008 most of Africa (including Somalia) had cell phone service. At that point only about 18 percent of Somalis had one (compared to 40 percent in their southern neighbor, Kenya). But because the fees were low (local service could be had for $10 a month, while overseas calls cost about thirty cents a minute) the number of users climbed rapidly in the poorest of nations. This was driven in part by the arrival, after 2006 inexpensive smart phones became the thing to have. This was mainly because cheap (under $300) Chinese models showed up and sold well even in places like Somalia.

Cell phones radically changed the way warfare, and peacekeeping, was conducted. This was first noticed in Iraq, where cell phone use went from nearly zero in 2003, to nearly a third of the adult population by 2008. A similar revolution was underway in Afghanistan. While cell phones gave the bad guys better communications, it also made them vulnerable to eavesdropping. It gets worse. In both countries, cell phones enabled people to express their dislike for terrorist violence by quickly and discretely reporting the location and activity of local terrorists. The bad guys have found no countermeasure for this. Trying to collect all the cell phones in the vicinity, or blowing up cell phone towers, merely make them more hated, and drives more people to risk their lives fighting the terrorists.

But it's not just terrorists who have taken a hit from the spread of cell phone use. It's much harder to run a police state now. With all those cell phones out there, the state can no longer control information flow by simply seizing a few radio and TV stations. The cell phone use leads to Internet use, and, as the Chinese government was one of the first police states to learn that means no one has the kind of control dictators were accustomed to for the last century. Some police states have tried to solve the problem by simply not allowing the public to have cell phones or Internet. That, however, has a side effect of crippling the economy (even more than the damage a police state inflicts). Even tyrants like their luxuries, and you need some kind of economic activity to get the goodies.

The impact has been most acute in poor countries that went from no widespread availability of any phones to inexpensive cell phone and Internet service in only a few years. But while industrialized nations see 80 percent of the population with cell phones there is still room to grow in less affluent areas. In sub-Saharan Africa only 44 percent of the population has access to cell phones and India, which was late to allow widespread and inexpensive service, is only at 54 percent penetration. Despite that future growth is fastest in those two areas and even long-time holdouts like North Korea and Cuba have had to allow the cell phones in to survive.
Foxconn, one of Apple's major suppliers, is planning to invest at least $10 billion in the United States, including a $7 billion display manufacturing plant. It hasn't been decided where the company wants to build the facility, but according to Bloomberg, Foxconn chairman Terry Gou said they have narrowed it down to seven states.

It appears Ohio, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Illinois, Wisconsin, Indiana, and Texas are all candidates for the display factory, which could mean an estimated 30-50 thousand jobs for the state. The plant is only budgeted at $7 billion so that means $3 billion or more could be invested in other areas as well.

"Our investment in the US will focus on these states because they are the heart of the country's manufacturing sector."

Gou did not indicate whether the company was leaning toward one particular state or another. Although, the Wisconsin State Journal reported last week that Milwaukee is being considered as the location for the facility. President Trump addressed Milwaukee on June 13. In his remarks, he mentioned that his administration had been in negotiations with an undisclosed company and that Governor Scott Walker might be in for "a very happy surprise soon."

"We have a lot of companies moving into the United States. We're negotiating with a lot of companies. Just backstage we were negotiating with a major, major incredible manufacturer of phones and computers and televisions, and I think they're going to give the governor a very happy surprise."

Talks of the US manufacturing plant come in the midst of faltering buyout negotiations between Foxconn and Toshiba. The Apple supplier has been bidding to take over Toshiba, offering as much as $27 billion just to get the Japanese firm to take notice. However, Toshiba seems to be favoring a Japanese consortium for the deal.

"The Toshiba deal isn't over," Gou vowed. "It is similar to Sharp's story. I believe we still have a big chance." Foxconn is expected to come to a decision on where to build the display plant by July.
Following months of turmoil at the company, five major Uber investors pressured Travis Kalanick into stepping down as CEO earlier this week. He reportedly acquiesced after "hours of discussion," but it seems many staff don't want to see Kalanick go and have circulated a petition calling for his return as chief exec.

More than 1000 current Uber employees have signed the letter, which was sent out by managers. It asks for Kalanick to return "in an operational role."

According to screenshots obtained by BuzzFeed, "Uber is TK and TK is Uber," referring to Kalanick's nickname.

"TK, no matter his flaws (everyone has them) was one of the best leaders I have seen," the letter states. It also asks employees to contact current and former Uber board members - Arianna Huffington, Garrett Camp, and Bill Gurley - to let them know how they feel about Kalanick leaving.

The petition goes on to say that the Uber board must "hear from Uber employees that it's made the wrong decision in pressuring Travis to leave."

While there has also been an outpouring of employee support for Kalanick on Facebook, not everyone feels that the former CEO should return to his role. One worker told Buzzfeed the petition was "ridiculous," and that "TK knew there were cultural problems and ignored it."

In a statement, Uber said: "As you'd expect, the emotions around Travis' decision are intense. We understand that, and we want all of you to know that he did not make this decision lightly. Stepping back now was his way of putting Uber first, as he always has."
Facebook's mission statement has traditionally been to make "the world more open and connected," but that's no longer the case. In an interview with CNN, CEO Mark Zuckerberg said his company has a new goal: "To give people the power to build community and bring the world closer together."

"I used to think that if we just gave people a voice and helped people connect, that would make the world a better place by itself," said Zuckerberg at yesterday's Facebook communities summit in Chicago. "Now I believe we have a responsibility to do even more."

Facebook is no longer a place reserved for catching up with friends and sharing baby pictures/anecdotes/photos of food. With almost 2 billion users, it now has a huge influence on society as a whole. And through the ongoing problems of fake news, extremist material, and violence (on Facebook Live), the company is facing more criticism than ever before.

"Our mission of connecting people, that was not supposed to be controversial," Zuckerberg said in an interview with Bloomberg. "So now the question is, why is that a controversial thing, and how do you rebuild that?"

Zuckerberg and the Facebook team believe one of the ways to encourage community building is through the platform's Groups feature. More than 1 billion people globally use Groups, and more than 100 million are part of what the company calls "meaningful groups." Facebook wants to help 1 billion people join meaningful communities like these.

"An important part of delivering on our new mission is supporting group admins, who are real community leaders on Facebook," writes Kang-Xing Jin, Facebook's vice president of engineering, in a blog post.

The updated Groups Utility lets admins see real-time metrics around growth, engagement, and membership, as well as introducing ways to sort membership requests and schedule posts. Importantly, admins can now remove toxic users and all their posts/comments from a group in one action.

Facebook highlights examples of what it considers a meaningful group, such as the Affected by Addiction Support Group.

"When enough of us feel a sense of support in our own lives, we can start to care about broader issues, too," said Zuckerberg.
WikiLeaks has published more documents revealing the hacking tools used by the CIA. This latest dossier dump includes details on how the agency was able to infiltrate air-gapped computers - machines that hold information so sensitive they are physically isolated and incapable of connecting to other computers or unsecured networks.

The 150 pages of material published by WikiLeaks includes a user guide for the Brutal Kangaroo program that targets closed networks or computers using infected USB sticks. One of its components is Shattered Assurance, a server tool that utilizes the Drifting Deadline malware to infect any USB drives that are plugged into the machine in question. When the affected drive is then plugged into an air-gapped computer, Shadow malware is deployed onto the system.

"When a user is using the primary host and inserts a USB stick into it, the thumb drive itself is infected with a separate malware. If this thumb drive is used to copy data between the closed network and the LAN/WAN, the user will sooner or later plug the USB disk into a computer on the closed network."

"By browsing the USB drive with Windows Explorer on such a protected computer, it also gets infected with exfiltration/survey malware. If multiple computers on the closed network are under CIA control, they form a covert network to coordinate tasks and data exchange," writes Wikileaks.

The drives were sometimes able to infect machines without the user having to open any files by utilizing Windows OS exploits.

"Older versions of the tool suite used a mechanism called EZCheese that was a zero-day exploit until March 2015; newer versions seem to use a similar, but yet unknown link file vulnerability (Lachesis/RiverJack) related to the library-ms functionality of the operating system," according to Wikileaks.

In a statement, a Microsoft wrote: "Our investigation confirmed that customers on supported versions of Windows are not impacted. For the best defense against modern security threats, we recommend Windows 10, which is updated automatically by default."

WikiLeaks notes the similarities between Brutal Kangaroo and Stuxnet, the industrial malware that infected the air-gapped computers used by Iranian scientists working on the country's nuclear program.
A small independent ISP in Texas has filed a lawsuit against Comcast claiming that the telecom giant intentionally severed its lines after refusing a buyout offer.

Anthony Luna, the owner of Telecom Cable, is suing Comcast and its contracted agents, Aspen Utility and A&A Cable Contractors, for $1 million. According to Courthouse News, the cable provider and its agents disrupted service to Luna's 229 customers during infrastructure construction and subsequently put him out of business. The lawsuit is also seeking mental anguish and exemplary damages, which could tack on another $750,000 in damages.

Luna claims that when Comcast began expanding into Weston Lakes in 2013, it initiated talks to buy Telecom Cable. After nearly a year of negotiations, a fair offer could not be met, so Comcast "walked away" from the table and pressed forward with its expansion. Having established a solid customer base, Luna did not object to the competition.

In 2015, when he learned that the brand name ISP wanted to lay lines in his customer's utility easements, he took special care to have his cables marked with orange paint and flags. This practice is an accepted industry standard for indicating that live utility lines are below the markings. He also sent them a map of his infrastructure.

"Whether it was intentional, negligent or grossly negligent, they put Telecom out of business and turned Luna's life upside-down."

Despite the clear markings, one of the contractors, A&A, severed a Telecom mainline. When Luna began hearing of outages to his customers, he went to the job site to ascertain what happened. The foreman he spoke to acknowledged that they had seen the markings, but had "assumed that the fresh orange paint marked an abandoned cable plant."

Luna had the line repaired and tried to contact Comcast. Over the next six weeks, Luna attempted to get in touch with someone in charge of the installation, but never reached anyone who knew what was going on with the job. During this time the contractors severed three more marked lines completely destroying Telecom's infrastructure.

"One would like to believe that the destruction was accidental," states the lawsuit. "But the comprehensiveness of it - coupled with Comcast's prior interest in Telecom - renders such a conclusion doubtful."

Luna attempted to repair the extensive damages, but the repairs took too long. By August 1, 2015, Luna had lost his entire customer base. Comcast now serves Weston Lakes, including all of Luna's former clients.

Comcast VP Ray Purser said in a statement to Ars Technica, "We disagree with Telecom's claim and will vigorously defend ourselves." The company had no further comment and has not filed an official response to Luna's lawsuit.
Samsung recently announced that its first Exynos-branded Internet of Things (IoT) processor has entered mass production. The Exynos i T200 is a low-power chip built on a 28-nanometer (nm) High-K Metal Gate (HKMG) manufacturing process that packs both a Cortex-R4 processor and a Cortex-M0+ processor.

In terms of connectivity, the chip supports 802.11 b/g/n single-band (2.4GHz) Wi-Fi as well as IoTivity, an IoT protocol standard from the Open Connectivity Foundation that enables seamless interoperability between various IoT devices.

Samsung's new IoT chip further features a designated security management hardware block called the Security Sub-System (SSS). Secure data storage and device authentication management is handled by the Physical Unclonable Function (PUF) IP without the need to fuse a key onto silicon. Sammy says this approach provides a much higher level of security versus a conventional one-time programmable solution.

Ben Hur, Vice President of System LSI marketing at Samsung Electronics, said the Exynos i T200 is optimized to deliver both the performance and security demanded in the IoT market. With various Exynos solution offerings, he added, Samsung will deliver further differentiated value to not only mobile devices but also non-mobile spaces including automotive and IoT.

Internet of Things devices are ripe for growth. Experts anticipate as many as 200 billion IoT devices to be in use by 2020 which equates to roughly 26 smart objects for every human on the planet.
Remembering the Newton MessagePad, 20 years later Twenty years ago, Apple released its first experiment in tablet computing, the Apple Newton MessagePad. While it proved to be a financial disappointment for the company, Apple's first touchscreen device paved the way for future innovations in mobile technology, including the wildly successful iPhone and iPad. The tablet also served as the cornerstone of a new market of personal digital assistants (PDAs), a term Apple coined to describe a handheld computer that functioned as a mobile complement to, rather than a replacement of, the desktop PC. MacWorld

Minitel: The online world France built before the web It was the late 1970s. Former French presidents Charles de Gaulle and George Pompidou had recently died. The Arab oil embargo caused energy prices to quadruple for a time. Marseille remained gripped by drug lords. And France had to face the fact that its telephone network was one of the worst in the industrialized world. Fewer than 7 million telephone lines served 47 million French citizens, and the country's elite felt that the domination of U.S. firms in telephone equipment, computers, databases, and information networks threatened their national sovereignty. Or at least it damaged their cultural pride. IEEE Spectrum

Disputed report claims 32TB of Windows 10 builds, including source code, have leaked online Earlier today tech and security site The Register posted an article claiming "32TB of Windows 10 internal builds, core source code leak online." The article stated that a massive archive of Windows 10 builds had been uploaded to the website BetaArchive.com, including source code. If that were true, as The Register points out, it could lead to a nasty wave of Windows 10 exploits, as hackers who gain access to the source code can pore over it for vulnerabilities. PC Gamer

RadioShack auction #1 Through July 3rd starting at 7pm CDT...Iconic RadioShack memorabilia auction...From humble beginnings in Boston in 1921, over the past 95 years RadioShack established itself as a globally recognized leader and the go to retailer for consumer electronics. RadioShack has always been known as the place for answers to the American public's technology and electronics questions. "You've got questions, we've got answers." U Bid Estates

Linus Torvalds explains how Linux still surprises and motivates him Linus Torvalds took to the stage in China for the first time Monday at LinuxCon + ContainerCon + CloudOpen China in Beijing. In front of a crowd of nearly 2,000, Torvalds spoke with VMware Head of Open Source Dirk Hohndel in one of their famous "fireside chats" about what motivates and surprises him and how aspiring open source developers can get started. Here are some highlights of their talk. Linux.com

Is now the time to get rid of cable TV? With one daughter headed to college and another just a few years away, Ron Baslow, a single dad, was looking for ways to economize. One easy target: his $125 monthly bill for cable TV, internet, and phone service. Like many of those who responded to the latest Consumer Reports Annual Questionnaire on telecom services, Baslow didn't think his bundle provided great value. Consumer Reports

Professional communication: The good, the bad, and the ugly Workers send more than 108 billion emails every day. While this might seem like a lot of productive communication on the surface, the average employee spends nearly a quarter of their time sifting through their inbox and dealing with more than 100 emails they send and receive. Fundera

Obscure Steam games and digging for hidden gems Every now and then someone makes the argument that all really good games eventually do well, otherwise "if there are really good games that don't sell, how come I never come across one?" That argument is always refuted by the statement that of course you don't come across games that are obscure, by definition. Which is itself then easy to refute by saying yeah, but surely you'd still come across one occasionally if you went looking. Nition

The tragedy of FireWire: Collaborative tech torpedoed by corporations The rise and fall of FireWire---IEEE 1394, an interface standard boasting high-speed communications and isochronous real-time data transfer---is one of the most tragic tales in the history of computer technology. The standard was forged in the fires of collaboration. A joint effort from several competitors including Apple, IBM, and Sony, FireWire was a triumph of design for the greater good. Ars Technica
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.
Chevron Corporation, through a network of subsidiaries, engages in integrated energy and chemicals operations worldwide. The company is the 7th largest integrated oil company worldwide, the 2nd largest in the US, and has been in operation since 1879. Chevron was part of the original Standard Oil Company and is one of the 34 successor companies that were formed when it was broken up. Today, the company brings in roughly $160 billion in annual revenues and is the last remaining oil and gas component of the Dow Jones Industrial Average.

Originally called Standard Oil Of California the company grew quickly via mergers and acquisitions. It was hailed as one of the Seven Sisters to dominate the US and global production throughout the mid-20th century and became even bigger in 1985 when it merged with Gulf Oil. The merger with Gulf Oil resulted in the rebranding from Standard Oil Of California to Chevron (a brand used by the company outside its California jurisdiction) and then ChevronTexaco Corporation in 2005 when that merger took place. The company rebranded again in 2005 to what we know today as Chevron Corporation.

Chevron Corporation is now based in San Ramone, California, and has operations in 180 countries. The company employs more than 42,500 people who operate 5 refineries and 8,000+ Texaco, Chevron, and Standard Oil service stations in the US alone. The company's Exploration and Drilling operations produced a record 3.1 million barrels per day and its US refineries process more than 1 million barrels per day. At the end of 2021, the company has more than 11.3 billion barrels of proven oil and liquid-equivalent reserves and boasted a 112% reserve replacement rate.

The company operates in two segments, Upstream and Downstream. The Upstream segment explores new reserves, develops known reserves, produces petroleum and gas products as needed, transports, processes, pipes, stores, and markets petroleum worldwide. The Downstream segment refines and markets the full line of petroleum-based products including but not limited to fuels such as gas, diesel, and aviation fuel, as well as lubricants, petrochemicals, and plastics. The company transports products via pipeline, rail, marine vessels, and truck.

Chevron recognizes the need to lower the worlds carbon output and is working toward that end. The companys strategy is two-pronged and includes reducing its own carbon output while investing in green and lower-carbon technologies. The companys goal is to invest $10 billion or more into lower carbon energy sources and technologies by 2028.

Chevron is a Dividend Aristocrat. The company has been paying a dividend since 1989 and it has raised it every year since its inception.






Fresh Del Monte Produce Inc., through its subsidiaries, produces, markets, and distributes fresh and fresh-cut fruits and vegetables in North America, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia, and internationally. It operates through three segments: Fresh and Value-Added Products, Banana, and Other Products and Services. It offers pineapples, fresh-cut fruit, fresh-cut vegetables, melons, and vegetables; non-tropical fruits, such as grapes, apples, citrus, blueberries, strawberries, pears, peaches, plums, nectarines, cherries, and kiwis; other fruit and vegetables, and avocados; and prepared fruit and vegetables, juices, other beverages, and meals and snacks. The company also engages in the sale of poultry and meat products; and third-party freight services business. In addition, it manufactures and sells plastic and box products, such as bins, trays, bags, and boxes. The company offers its products under the Del Monte brand, as well as under other brands, such as UTC, Rosy, Fruit Express, Just Juice, Fruitini, Mann's Logo, Arcadian Harvest, Nourish Bowls, Broccolini, Caulilini, Better Burger Leaf, RomaLeaf, and other regional brands. It markets and distributes its products to retail stores, club stores, convenience stores, wholesalers, distributors, and foodservice operators. Fresh Del Monte Produce Inc. was founded in 1886 and is based in George Town, Cayman Islands.
The following companies are subsidiares of TD SYNNEX: 2117974 Ontario Inc., AVT Technology Solutions Holdings LLC, AVT Technology Solutions LLC, Advanced Technology Trading Company Ltd., Afina Peru S.A.C., Afina S.R.L., Afina Sistemas Informaticos Limitada, Afina Sistemas Informaticos S.L., Afina Sistemas Sociedade Ltda., Afina Venezuela C.A., Afinasis S.A. de C.V., Ascendant Technology Holdings UK Limited, Ascendant Technology Limited, Asset Ohio Fourth Street LLC, Azlan European Finance Limited, Azlan GmbH, Azlan Group Limited, Azlan Limited, Azlan Logistics Limited, Azlan Scandinavia AB, Brazil HoldCo Limited, ComputerLand Corporation, Concentrix, Concentrix Corporation, Corporate Mobile Recycling Espana S.L., Corporate Mobile Recycling Ltd., CyberLogistics Corporation, DLT Solutions LLC, Dritte TENVA Property GmbH Nettetal, EKM Global Limited, EMJ America Inc., Exit Certified ULC, ExitCertified Corp., Finance Technology AS, GLS Software S. de R.L, Horizon Technical Services (UK) Limited, Horizon Technical Services AB, Hyve Design Solutions (Taiwan) Corporation, Hyve Design Solutions Corporation, Hyve IT Solutions Israel Ltd, Hyve IT Solutions South Africa (PTY) LTD, Hyve SNX Solutions Ireland Limited, Hyve Solutions (Taiwan) Corporation, Hyve Solutions Canada Limited, Hyve Solutions China Limited, Hyve Solutions Corporation, Hyve Solutions Europe Limited, Hyve Solutions HK Limited, Hyve Solutions Holding Company Limited, Hyve Solutions India Private Limited, Hyve Solutions Japan K.K., Hyve Solutions Korea Limited, Hyve Solutions Malaysia SDN. BHD, Hyve Solutions New Zealand Limited, Hyve Solutions Singapore Pte. Ltd., Hyve Solutions UK Limited, Hyve Solutions US Global Holding Corporation, IBM World Wide Customer Care, IQBlade Limited, Innovix Distribution Holdings (BVI) Limited, Instituto de Educacion Avanzada S. de R.L. de C.V., Jack Of All Games Inc., LATAM HoldCo Limited, Lasting Holdings Corporation, LatAm Holding B.V., License Online Inc., Magirus France Sarl, Managed Training Services Limited, Maneboard Limited, Minacs, PDSI B.V., PT Tech Data Advanced Solutions Indonesia, Pegasus Telecom LLC., SIT Funding Corporation, SYNNEX Canada Limited, SYNNEX Finance Hybrid II LLC, SYNNEX Holdco Inc., SYNNEX Information Technologies (Beijing) Ltd., SYNNEX Information Technologies (Chengdu) Ltd., SYNNEX Information Technologies (China) Ltd., SYNNEX Information Technologies (Guizhou) Ltd., SYNNEX Japan Corporation, SYNNEX Japan Holdings K.K., SYNNEX Logistics Corporation, SYNNEX Servicios S.A. de C.V., SYNNEX de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Sennex Enterprises Limited, Servicios Afinasis S.A. de C.V., Spekter Technology LDA , Spire Sub LLC, TD AS Poland sp. z o.o., TD Advanced Solutions (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd., TD Advanced Technology Solutions Chile Limitada, TD Facilities Ltd., TD Fulfillment Services LLC, TD Funding UK Limited, TD SYNNEX Canada Holdings Corp., TD SYNNEX Finance Limited, TD SYNNEX Global Holdings, TD Solucoes Avancadas de Tecnologia Brasil Ltda., TD Tech Data AB, TD Tech Data Portugal Lda, TD Treasury UK Limited, TD UK Holding Limited, TD United Kingdom Acquisition Limited, TDAS Tech Data Ecuador CIA. LTDA., TS DivestCo B.V., TS Europe B.V., TS Holding Asia B.V., TS Holding and Financial Services B.V., TS Indonesian Holding B.V., Tec D (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd., Tec D Advanced Solutions (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd., Tec D Distribution (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd., Tech Data, Tech Data (ANZ) Pty. Ltd., Tech Data (China) Limited, Tech Data (Hong Kong) Limited, Tech Data (Netherlands) B.V., Tech Data (Schweiz) GmbH, Tech Data (Singapore) Pte. Ltd., Tech Data AS ApS, Tech Data AS Colombia SAS, Tech Data AS Czech s.r.o., Tech Data AS Kft, Tech Data AS Pte. Ltd., Tech Data AS UK Limited, Tech Data AS d.o.o. Beograd, Tech Data Advanced Solutions (ANZ) Limited, Tech Data Advanced Solutions (India) Private Limited, Tech Data Advanced Solutions (Singapore) Pte. Ltd., Tech Data Advanced Solutions (Thailand) Limited, Tech Data Advanced Solutions (Vietnam) Company Limited, Tech Data Advanced Solutions S.r.l., Tech Data Argentina S.A., Tech Data B.V., Tech Data Bilgisayar Sistemleri Anonim Sirketi, Tech Data Brasil Ltda, Tech Data Canada Corporation, Tech Data Capital Canada ULC, Tech Data Capital LLC, Tech Data Capital Limited, Tech Data Computer & Equipment Company Limited, Tech Data Computer Service (Hong Kong) Limited, Tech Data Computer Service (Macau) Limited, Tech Data Corporation, Tech Data Croatia d.o.o., Tech Data Cyprus Holding Ltd, Tech Data Denmark ApS, Tech Data Distribution (Hong Kong) Limited, Tech Data Distribution (Singapore) Pte. Ltd., Tech Data Distribution Croatia d.o.o., Tech Data Distribution Limited, Tech Data Distribution s.r.o., Tech Data Education Inc., Tech Data Espana S.L.U., Tech Data Europe GmbH, Tech Data Europe Services and Operations S.L., Tech Data European Management GmbH, Tech Data Finance Partner LLC, Tech Data Finance SPV Inc., Tech Data Finance SRL, Tech Data Finland OY, Tech Data Florida Services Inc., Tech Data France Holding Sarl, Tech Data France S.A.S., Tech Data Funding Ltd, Tech Data Germany GmbH & Co. KG, Tech Data Global Finance L.P., Tech Data Global Holding Inc., Tech Data GmbH & Co. OHG, Tech Data Government Solutions LLC, Tech Data Holding Limited, Tech Data Holdings SRL, Tech Data Hungary Kft, Tech Data IT Solutions & Systems Management Limited, Tech Data Interactive Technology Limited, Tech Data International Sarl, Tech Data Italia s.r.l., Tech Data Latin America Inc., Tech Data Limited, Tech Data Lux Finance Sarl, Tech Data Management GmbH, Tech Data Marne SNC, Tech Data Mexico S. de R. L. de C.V., Tech Data Nederland B.V., Tech Data Norge AS, Tech Data Operations Center S.A., Tech Data Peru S.R.L., Tech Data Polska Sp.z.o.o., Tech Data Product Management Inc., Tech Data Resources LLC, Tech Data Resources LP, Tech Data Service GmbH, Tech Data Services UK Limited, Tech Data Slovakia s.r.o., Tech Data Strategy GmbH, Tech Data Tennessee Inc., Tech Data Treasury Asia Limited, Tech Data Treasury SRL, Tech Data Turkey Holding Anonim Sirketi, Tech Data UK Finance Limited, Tech Data UK Finance Partner Limited, Tech Data UK Resources Limited, Tech Data USA LLC, Tech Data Uruguay S.A., Tech Data Worldwide SRL, Tech Data d.o.o., Tech Data de Puerto Rico Inc., Tenva Holdings LLC, Tenva TS Canada ULC, Tenva TS Holdings Limited, Tenva TS Thailand LLC, Tiger Merger Holdings LLC, Tiger Midco LLC, VisionMAX, WG-UK Holding Company Limited, WG-US HoldCo Inc., Westcon Brasil Ltda., Westcon CALA Inc., Westcon Canada Systems (WCSI) Inc., Westcon Corporation Ecuador WCE Cia. Ltda., Westcon GDS LLC, Westcon Group Colombia Limitada, Westcon Group Costa Rica S.A, Westcon Group Inc., Westcon Group North America Inc, Westcon Group Panama S.A., Westcon Group Paraguay S.R.L., Westcon Group Uruguay S.R.L., Westcon Mexico S.A. de C.V., Westcon-Comstor Americas, and Tech Data Osterreich GmbH.

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Olivia Munn. Photo: 2016 Axelle/Bauer-Griffin

From Snoop Dogg to Linda Rodin, everyone can agree that sleep is an important component of wellness. In Sleeping With, interesting bedfellows talk about how they sleep, where they sleep, what they do when they cant sleep, and what its like to sleep with them.

The Cut caught up with actress Olivia Munn, whose wellness regimen includes beef jerky and Japanese potatoes, at a pop-up event launching Proactivs new line, ProactivMD. Here, the face of the brand talks science books, crystal candles, and late-night Thai food.

On my bedside table are: A couple books. Ava Gardner:The Secret Conversations, The Power of the Subconscious Mind, and this one that an actor on The Predator, Thomas Jane, just gave me thats basically a physics book. On The Predator, we were always talking about science and theology and mythology  all that stuff.

I get ready for bed by: I wash my face and exfoliate, or I use the Proactiv cleaning brush. Then I put moisturizer on, and I set my alarm. Before bed, I just read  its pretty boring. I read a book  an actual book, because I tried reading it on my phone or on a Kindle, but it just kept me awake, and I was having a hard time going to sleep. I used to fall asleep with the TV on all the time. I watched Dateline and 20/20 and 48 Hours for years and years, but over the last year, I stopped.

I also like to wind down with these candles from Aloha Elixir. Theyre really great candles. Theyre made with actual crystals and stones inside them, so when you burn them down, you see them.

I like my bed to have: Those pillows that are made for sleeping on your side. They have the hump in them that goes down. Im a side sleeper, and it can hurt my neck. This pillow is the best because it helps you align your neck. Instead of being on a regular pillow that squishes it up, your head goes over it, and then it keeps your neck long. I get them at Bed Bath & Beyond.

In bed, I wear: Usually just a T-shirt.

My favorite late-night snack is: Leftover Thai food. I always have Thai food in my refrigerator  usually yellow curry with white rice.

My recurring dream: Ive had this dream since I was a little girl that Im running away from people and theyre chasing me and then all the sudden I realize that, like Super Mario Brothers, if I start running and jumping and jumping and jumping, I can fly. If I start to lose my energy, Ive got to do that thing in Mario where you have to dip your head up and make your whole body go up and up and up, so thats what I do. I basically fly just like Super Mario in my dreams.

If you buy something through our links, New York may earn an affiliate commission.
One way that banks add to their record profits is by the seemingly annual ritual of hiking service fees and increasing the minimum monthly balance required to waive account fees.

Indeed, since December 2016, weve seen BMO increase minimum monthly balances by $500 to $1,000 on chequing account plans; Scotiabank raise monthly fees by $1 on most plans and increase minimum monthly balances by $500 on certain plans; and TD increase the monthly fee on its Unlimited Chequing Account plan by $1. Coming up on Sept. 1, CIBC will eliminate the monthly fee waiver on its Everyday Chequing Account and instead charge $3.90 per month, regardless of the account balance.

Bank fees might seem unavoidable, but there are steps you can take to skip them altogether. Here are five ways to get around the fees:

1. Maintain a high balance in your unlimited chequing account

Opt for a full-service chequing account if youre the type of person who uses a debit card for most purchases, makes a lot of automatic bill payments, and requires a full-service bank for in-branch transactions.

Unlimited transactions at most banks will cost about $15 per month and require a high minimum balance to waive the fees. Youll have to decide if keeping $5,000 in a chequing account is worth it for you to get unlimited banking.

2. Maintain a minimum balance in a basic chequing account

Canadas big banks were asked by the federal government to offer low-cost accounts to consumers for $4 per month. These accounts offer bare minimum services and 10 to 12 transactions per month, and some will waive the monthly account fee provided you maintain a minimum balance.

Look for terms like basic or minimum accounts, as these options are not well advertised by the banks and in some cases are buried well below other more profitable banking options online.

A minimum or basic account is a decent option for those who use cash or a credit card for the majority of their transactions but still require the use of a full-service branch from time to time.

3. Combine a no-fee online bank and a basic chequing account at big bank

Open a no-fee chequing account at an online bank such as PC Financial, Tangerine, or a local credit union, and pair it with a basic or minimum chequing account at a big bank. Just remember to maintain the minimum balance to waive any monthly fees.

Use the free account for transactions such as bill payments, debit purchases, email money transfers (free with Tangerine) and cheque payments (free with PC Financial). Access the full-service branch to get a bank draft, cash a cheque without a long hold, and have a wider network of ATMs from which to choose.

4. Use a no-fee online bank or credit union

Technology has changed the way we bank. Outside of those customers with more complicated banking needs, many of us can get the same level of service from an online bank or credit union as we can at a full-service bank.

The biggest difference between online and brick and mortar banking? No fees.

Credit Unions have also become more competitive and some offer low- or no-fee accounts to attract your business.

5. Just ask for a discount

Its an annual ritual for some Canadians to call up their telecom provider and negotiate a better deal on their cable, internet, or phone charges. Why not do the same for our banking?

Most deals and promotions exist to attract new customers. What about an incentive for their existing customers? Since your bank is not likely to hand over a better deal to everyone, its up to you to ask (or demand!) one.

Keep in mind that the only way this negotiating tactic will work is if youre actually willing to follow through and close your account if you dont get the deal you want.

Reach Robb Engen at robbengen@gmail.com

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William Shatner doesnt get all the fuss about Canadas 150th birthday on July 1.

I was there at Confederation, jokes Shatner, not quite Canadas age at 86. I said to John A., he continues, you know, you should incorporate this country.

Though hes lived and worked most of his life in the United States, Shatner is very proud of his Montreal roots.

Canada may be 150 but Montreal is 375 years old, he points out. Canadas like this very young country that is still wet behind the ears. Montreal, by comparison, is a grey beard.

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William Shatner guest stars in Season 2 of Private Eyes

William Shatner plays Mark Twain in Murdoch Mysteries

Shatner never seems to slow down, flying north recently to guest star on season 2 of Jason Priestleys detective series Private Eyes, airing Mondays on Global.

In an episode airing July 3, Shatner plays rival private investigator Norm Glinski, described as having an affinity for sugary energy drinks, menthol cigarettes and colourful lingo.

I had a great time playing him and great fun playing with Jason Priestley and company, says Shatner.

Shatner admits that at my age, you dont get asked to play the leading man anymore. No matter, he says. Your career becomes that of a character actor. So an interesting character is what I look for.

Its what brought him to Toronto two years ago to play Mark Twain on an episode of Murdoch Mysteries. A few years before that, he flew north to appear on Rookie Blue.

The great catalyst for his later career was playing lawyer Denny Crane on David E. Kelleys The Practice and Boston Legal. The role won him two Emmys and a Golden Globe award as well as a new generation of fans.

Shatner is currently shooting Senior Moment, a film about a driver his own age whose licence has been suspended. He can also be seen this fall alongside comedian Russell Peters in the CTV/CraveTV series The Indian Detective.

Despite all his other accomplishments, including breeding and riding horses, writing books and recording CDs, Shatner can never entirely escape the role that put him in a whole other galaxy: Capt. James T. Kirk of the USS Enterprise. While he was in Toronto working on Private Eyes, the new series Star Trek: Discovery (premiering Sept. 24 on CTV and Space) was shooting on a nearby soundstage. Did he happen to beam aboard and visit the set?

No, was Shatners immediate answer. My association with Star Trek is all in the presss mind, not mine.

Priestley was delighted Shatner made time for his series. He calls the actor a consummate professional. He is incredibly prepared all the time and comes with tons of ideas and lots of creative solutions. He is really a lot of fun and a nice guy to boot.

Private Eyes boasts a number of guest stars this season. IndyCar driver James Hinchcliffe and fashionista Jeanne Beker joined Priestley and co-star Cindy Sampson, and former Canadian heavyweight champion George Chuvalo is scheduled to appear when the series resumes in the fall.

Priestley has done his own share of guest star roles over his career, including a recurring role on Haven and one-offs on Hot in Cleveland, CSI and even a voice-over on Family Guy. Hes also directed episodes of shows such as Haven and Dark Matter.

A good guest star is somebody who just wants to come and play with everybody else, says Priestley, 47. Thats really what youre there for. You want to come and enjoy yourself and do good work and make the project better. Thats really what its all about.

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In a main floor gallery at the Power Plant, scores of wooden eyes rest dully transfixed on a single point. Their bodies, dozens and dozens of them, sit in pews, row on row, or tidily against the wall. Their groupings suggest families  a similar line of nose, or cast of eye  and the spectacle theyve come to observe has an air of ritual: A requirement of belonging, the many wilfully becoming one.

A natural consequence  its driving force, and its terror  is the exclusion of some, and this tight society of wooden manikins from across the ages is as united in its sameness as it is riveted by difference. The object of its gaze is a single figure, posed on a pedestal. Directly in front, a wooden commander, presiding over the affair, is the only one looking away, to a small, broken doll splayed on a table.

Theres a sense of fate being decided, a life hanging in the balance. It brims with dread, an implied threat: Who is this person, propped up for others to scrutinize, judge, dissect? It is a question that echoes across the ages, through every human grouping, from tight family unit all the way up to nationhood itself: What makes one belong, and another not?

We all want to get along, and be part of the group, says Ydessa Hendeles, the author of the piece, and everything else here. But what happens when you isolate someone, when you stereotype, stigmatize?

Dressed entirely in black, her dark hair falling in front of her shoulder in a loose braid, she has a spectral presence, equal parts grave and impish, good-humoured and dead serious. Her attention to detail is that of a tireless perfectionist  Still tweaking, she says, apologetically, as she cocks a wooden ankle, or straightens a neck  but even she has limits. She pops a pliable dome at the top of her water bottle, supercharging the liquid with an infusion of organic Acai juice, a mainline multivitamin boost. I have a case of it, she says with a smile.

Hendeles is here for this weekends opening of The Milliners Daughter, a sprawling, expansive display of her work as an artist, of which this piece, From her wooden sleep . . ., is just one part. It is a vast affair, comprising all four galleries, hundreds of objects, and endless hours of contemplation and labour.

The show is a landmark  a declaration, both for the gallery and for Hendeles herself. The Power Plant quietly bills the show as its offering for the Canadian sesquicentennial, and with its sharp undertones of difference and belonging  its victories, its complications, its outright failures  it is timely indeed. In a darkening world of deepening division, Canada, with its bright multiculturalism and open doors, has emerged on the global stage as a progressive beacon, as praise for Team Trudeau reaches an almost embarrassing fever pitch.

But for Hendeles, its both an opportunity to offer a subtle qualifier for the optimism and to publicly reinvent, at 68, in a city that feels it knows her. For more than 30 years, Hendeles, a prominent art collector, dealer and curator, tirelessly promoted artists here, both at her gallery and eventually at her foundation, where from 1987 to 2012 she curated utterly unique, absorbing exhibitions from her remarkable collection of contemporary art (Torontonians who saw artists like Louise Bourgeois, Jeff Koons, Bruce Nauman, Christian Boltanski or Shirin Neshat in their hometown would have likely first seen them there, under Hendeles unique purview).

It was the ideal pursuit for an active, if introverted mind. (At the foundation I could just open the door and disappear, she sighs. Now, there are speeches.) But it also embodied an evolution too strong to deny.

Hendeless increasingly complex installations were changing. She was using less work by artists and more found objects, vernacular objects, bent to storytelling through her own particular frame.

A departure point, Partners, from 2001, presented an array of thousands of snapshots of teddy bears gathered from tireless Ebay searching. It culminated in a final room occupied by only one piece: Maurizio Cattelans Him, a disturbingly toylike sculpture of Adolf Hitler, on his knees. It recently appeared as the centrepiece of The Keeper at the New Museum in New York, one of several recent prominent museum showings of her work (From her wooden sleep . . . was originally a project of Londons Institute of Contemporary Art).

In 2012, her mother died, and she felt suddenly unmoored. She shut the foundation down, divested large portions of her collection, and moved to New York. I didnt know what to do, so I just started running away, she says. I needed to make new memories. One, a powerful gesture, remains: One wooden figure, the drape of her dress carved in a sumptuous flow, holds a single candle, alight.

The Milliners Daughter is her homecoming, in a new role, and about time. But she divides authorship from autobiography sharply here. My practice is based on my own life, inspired by it, she says quietly. But then its research-based. Im trying to figure out what is the culture, and what is my relationship to it.

Personal histories compel, and the weave of Hendeless runs deep, a unifying thread to a broad and dismal tale of otherness. Shes always been wary of giving too much of herself away. I never play the victim card, she says. I dont want to focus on my back story, because it prevents people from having their own experience. At the same time, her story is as universal as it is specific, in this parable of the quest for belonging, and needs, if briefly, to be told.

As the only child of Holocaust survivors, Hendeles has lived with difference and displacement as a spectral presence all her life. The Milliners Daughter is not an oblique title: It refers to her mothers hat shop in Zawierce, Poland, consumed in the Nazi invasion of 1939 and the ensuing chaos of the Second World War.

Under the Nazis, Zawierce became Warthenau, and her parents were taken to Auschwitz, the notorious concentration camp, the Nazis largest, where a million Jews were killed. Her mothers skills as a gifted seamstress would help keep her alive. She made beautiful things for the guards, Hendeles said.

At the end of the war, they settled in the small town of Marburg, in Germany, where she was born in 1948. A new life seemed plausible. Her father had rescued a small trove of jewels from the ruined family home in Poland, enough to start again.

The allies had given her parents German documentation in Kassel, and Marburg, a small, leafy university town in the American zone one train stop outside it, had been left largely unscathed, its bakeries and castle still intact. Her father started a hosiery company, building it into a success. But difference became an uncomfortable feature in the familys everyday. They were like pigeons in a group of starlings  Who are these people, where did they get their money?  Hendeles said.

When she was an infant, her parents uprooted again, to Frankfurt. by the time she was two, in 1951, they had decided the only chance to fit in was start fresh, an ocean away. They wanted to shed their old lives completely: Years on, Hendeless father would refuse war reparation money from Germany. Arriving in Toronto, they started from nothing yet again.

It was, on the surface, the consummate immigrant tale: Her father built a significant real-estate concern, and the family became wealthy. But despite his success, he remained haunted (He had lost everything twice, so he was quite scared all the time, she said). Her mother set about building what she imagined a normal life to be. She wanted me to be a secretary, and to become a mother, because they had lost so many, Hendeles said.

The Milliners Daughter is a dark epic tale, underpinned by Hendeles own as it spreads profligate, virus-like, from past to present, and a dark future horizon. It is a rabbit hole, flashes of detail, too many to absorb completely, spiralling past as you tumble down. It engulfs, subsumes, a reality not separate from our own so much as a version distilled to an uncomfortable concentration.

Everything means something here, though they speak often in whispers, echoing in ricochets that defy a single source. Distorted mirrors, or the curve of vitrine glass, compound a simple gaze, distorting and fracturing in insistent, destabilizing tremors.

In Crypt, an intricate figure lies prone under a tight pyramid of glass, the reflection of its fine features pinwheeling in a kaleidoscope of reflections. Nearby, another figure sits hunched against the wall, its face smoothly erased, its hands wooden paws  the erasures of the modern, burying the complexities of the past, at its knowing peril.

Keys recur, time and again, suggesting secrets held, passageways forbidden. Communion  belonging  is hungered after, but thwarted. In Blue Beard, a new work for this show, a pair of plaster mannequins, male and female, stand back to back. Difference, it suggests can be irreconcilable, and the female figure, holding the males head in her hand, would agree.

Identity is precarious and mutable, change constant and cruel. One piece here, Canadian Child, an outsize bicycle bell embossed with a rooster, sits next to a photograph of 2-year-old Ydessa riding her tricycle near the familys new north Toronto home in 1951, holding a Union Jack. (The Queen was visitng; her father posed her for the picture  her feet dont touch the pedals  with the flag upright, an outward gesture to fit in.)

One powerful passage, in a gallery lined with Gustav Dores outsize illustrations for The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, is dominated by a sleek, Deco-era car that transforms, violently, into a flying machine before your eyes. Its dominating, aggressive, a symbol of progress, by any means necessary  brutal or otherwise.

Upstairs lies both the destination and departure point: Marburg! The Early Bird!, Hendeles first official work as an artist. It was made not only about, but for a show in the town of her birth, in Marburgs main museum. (She recounts the story of phoning her mother, excitedly, from the town, to tell her about the show. She said, Why are you calling me with these bad memories?  Hendeles recalled).

Afterwards, the trip back down to From her wooden sleep . . . is shaded more darkly: The figure on the pedestal becomes the subject of an experiment, the showy ribs of the surrounding masses a sign of starvation, the rows of tiny wooden dolls atop a nearby railway cart a blunt suggestion of mass graves.

Hendeles doesnt shy from a specific reading  Its a question of whos going to be next for Dr. Mengele, she says, invoking the Nazis monstrous master of atrocities at Auschwitz as she touches a hand to the commander figures shoulder, and this is Mengele to me  but thats her point of view.

The dark beauty, and the power, of The Milliners Daughter is that the artists own tale is but one to be gleaned here. It proposes a vast landscape, easily travelled, from Germany to Armenia to American slavery, Rwanda, Sudan, Syria and yes, even Canada, where our own disgraceful exclusions are only now coming to bear.

The Milliners Daughter is a dark fable, unlocking the door to the destructive power of diviseness and singling out, a history strewn with loss, and a present and future buckling under the same weight. In this bright moment of national pride, with darkness all around, it reminds us: It can happen again. It already has. Its happening now.

The Milliners Daughter opens this weekend and continues to Sept. 4, 2017. For more information see thepowerplant.org

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Their kids have witnessed vulgar verbal attacks, seen teachers chased down the hall, even assaulted, and say too-frequent lockdowns at their elementary school have made students anxious.

A group of Oshawa parents says the situation has grown so out of hand at Beau Valley Public School that their children sometimes dont want to go to class. And they are calling on the Durham public board and province for changes to help curb such disturbing incidents across all boards  and better support students with special needs who need more support workers with them in class.

There are many parents that feel the same as I do, said Erin MacCormack, a mother of two daughters. I have talked to many parents from different cities, and their stories are all shocking and sad. Kids are struggling in todays classrooms. They see kids hitting other kids, kids hitting teaching staff, (protective gear) on staff, classrooms destroyed.

They are fearful when these things are happening.

Its an issue the elementary teachers union is lobbying the government to address  arguing its members are twice as likely as secondary school teachers to take time off because of workplace violence, noting that rate in general is higher for education workers than for other professions.

Some relief is on the way. Education Minister Mitzie Hunter said in an interview the province has added $219 million to a local priorities fund for boards across the province to hire 875 teachers and 1,600 education workers to help address the problem.

In the Durham public board, that means 27 new educational assistants and 13 full-time elementary and five secondary special education teachers, said superintendent John Legere.

He also said the board regularly reviews staffing levels, and we intend to provide some additional support to Beau Valley, in terms of special education staff.

The Elementary Teachers Federation of Ontario is urging the government to fund more staff this fall  from educational assistants to social workers to counsellors to psychologists  as well as implement better training and reporting procedures.

President Sam Hammond acknowledged the government has made some progress on these issues, (but) there is much more work to be done . . . Were talking about the need for more services to address childrens mental health, as well as the need to ensure that funding for special needs is also allocated to front-line support services to help ensure the success and well being of every student.

Hunter said the province is also working with the unions and the Ministry of Labour to ensure health and safety rules are being followed, incidents properly reported and training improved. Enforcement teams will visit every board starting this fall, she added.

Everyone who is under the roof of a school needs to feel safe and included in their work environment, and students also need to be safe, Hunter said, adding that changes will be made so that all staff have the information they need about the students in their classroom, which doesnt happen consistently across the province.

Its important if there are certain sensitivities or certain triggers that that information is shared so that our students can be supported.

In Durham Region, local ETFO president David Mastin heard so many concerns that last fall, the union conducted a survey to find out what exactly was going on.

The worst case this year was a member whose head was smashed against a desk, and she was off for several months, he said. When she returned to work, it was to the same situation, with no extra help.

The survey of his 2,500 members  of which 791 responded  found that more than three-quarters feel unsafe sometimes or always, and almost one-quarter had filed violent incident claim forms. Some 60 per cent said they were the victims of violence but had not officially reported it.

It is a major part of this conversation  the education perspective, the teacher perspective. We talked about kids witnessing this day in and day out, said Mastin. Its a gender issue, too  I have significant concerns about students who are going home after witnessing violence against women.

One special education teacher in the Toronto board said hes happy with ministry initiatives on youth mental health, but whats needed is early intervention. Integrating students with behavioural issues into mainstream classes is the goal, he said, but they must be properly supported or their learning, and that of their classmates, suffers.

As it has at Beau Valley, said Oshawa mom Tanya MacLeod, who describes her two daughters as anxious or sometimes fearful to go to school.

The school is in distress, she wrote to officials last fall in her unsuccessful pitch for extra staff. I do feel the teachers are doing all they can but do not have the appropriate support to deal with these situations . . . Also, how can learning exist when childrens routines are constantly disrupted and learning is sidelined?

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A new bike-sharing startup has launched in Toronto, which could create competition for the citys Bike Share program.

The startup, called Dropbike, kicked off a pilot project at the University of Torontos St. George campus on June 15.

Sixty-eight bright orange bikes appeared on campus, with plans to add more as demand increases.

Dropbike is an app-based initiative that allows users to find a bike on their phone, receive a code to unlock it and rent it for $1 per hour. The bike can be returned to any haven  bike posts and bike racks marked in the app.

For now though, people who rent the bikes have to return them to the campus grounds. The pilot is being tested solely at the University of Toronto, in collaboration with the University of Toronto Students Union (UTSU), though the company plans to expand to other parts of the city at an undisclosed later date.

Qiming Weng, the founder and CEO of Dropbike, said he was inspired by similar bike-sharing initiatives he saw while travelling in Asia.

In China, I noticed these colourful bicycles that everyone was riding, you could use your smartphone to unlock them and take them almost anywhere, he said. The idea to bring the system to Canada was born soon after that.

Jasmine Denike, Dropbikes campus manager at the University of Toronto, said the response to the pilot has been overwhelmingly positive.

We had a bunch of bikes located outside of St. George (subway station), and all of them are gone now because people have been using them, Denike said. The demand is clearly there.

According to Denike, one of the biggest benefits of Dropbikes presence at the University of Toronto is that it makes crossing the massive campus much quicker than walking.

Alyy Patel, a fourth-year sociology and sexual diversity studies double major at the university, took one of the bikes for a spin on Monday and said she had a great time.

I havent biked since I was 7 years old and I didnt think I could, she said.

Patel said she found Bike Share Toronto bikes, which are owned by Toronto Parking Authority, inaccessible because of the need to find a bike rack and physically insert a credit card into the system at a dock. She said she prefers Dropbikes app-based approach.

The idea that I could do it on my phone, and unlock it, and then park it there without having to be confined to a specific bike rack was really good because it wasnt intimidating, she said.

Bill Magee, a sociology professor at the university, tried out Dropbike for the first time on Wednesday, but said he was frustrated that the pilot is only running on campus so far because its inconvenient.

Still, he thinks the idea has some benefits over Bike Share Toronto.

Theres no Bike Share next to my office, you have to walk here (to the dock), and sometimes theyre all gone, so I was going to use them both, he said.

He thinks that having the system on campus will help students and professors because it will allow them to cross the campus faster.

If I have to pay 50 cents to get from one side of campus to another, Id do that, said Magee.

The National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO), a New York-based non-profit, released a statement in April condemning rogue startup bike-sharing initiatives, saying they are difficult to manage, prone to failure and result in damaged and unmaintained bikes.

NACTO spokesperson Kate Fillin-Yeh said bike-share startups are a growing phenomenon, and for them to succeed and benefit the city they must co-operate with government initiatives.

Fillin-Yeh said bike-sharing startups function best when theyre co-ordinated with other biking investments the city is making.

Jacquelyn Hayward Gulati, Torontos director of transportation infrastructure management, said the way people get around the city is evolving, and the city will continue to expand Bike Share Toronto.

She said they are aware that initiatives like Dropbike are becoming more common and they will review them.

Systems such as Dropbike are becoming more prominent in many cities throughout the world. It is important for the city to review these initiatives through various lenses including commercial licensing, permits and other requirements to make sure that we ensure the safety for all road users, Gulati said in a statement Wednesday.

Mayor John Tory announced Friday that Bike Share Toronto users, and anyone who downloads the services app, can use one of the black bikes for up to 30 minutes at no charge on Wednesdays in July.

Weng said his Dropbike team is open to collaborating with the city when the time for comes for expansion.

Maybe in five-10 years we dont have to call people cyclists, biking will just be an ordinary part of commuting, Weng said. In Copenhagen something like 40 per cent of trips are done by bike, and I dont see why that cant happen here.

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The myth: The beaver etched on our five-cent coin cant possibly compete with more majestic symbols, such as Britains lion or the U.S. bald eagle. But the rodent doesnt just represent an idea of strength and fierceness  it played a role in the founding of Canada.

Beaver pelts hang from racks in the cavernous warehouse of North American Fur Auctions in northwest Toronto, one of only a few places in the world where wild fur is still sold to the highest bidder.

Nearby are neat rows of lynx and bobcat skins from the southern U.S., as well as farmed mink, all divided into sample lots so bidders can examine the quality of the fur. A slightly sour smell wafts off the dried unprocessed skins.

A grader pulls a bundle of red-tinged beaver pelts onto a table for inspection, explaining how the fur has been burned by urine, which can happen after a winter of beavers crammed one on top of the other in their lodge.

Above, the patter of the auctioneer plays over the warehouse speakers, piped in from the adjacent bidding room  Selling Lot 172. Lets start this one off at $20. Do I have $20?

The auction house can trace its roots to 200 years before Canada was founded, when beaver pelts were in such demand they set a standard of trade for other goods  four pelts for a pint of brandy, two for a pair of boots and 10 for a three-foot gun.

Sales of beaver at NAFA  which was founded by the Hudsons Bay Co. but is now owned by fur farmers and trappers  have been eclipsed by other fur such as wild bobcat, lynx and even coyote. And by millions of farmed minks.

But theres no diminishing the animals place in Canadian history  even if Late Night host Stephen Colbert recently mocked it by cutting away to a photo of a beaver in a suit during a reference to our minister of natural resources.

The beaver may be a buck-toothed rodent but it fuelled the fur trade, and therefore the economy here, for hundreds of years.

Still, not everyone is happy with the beavers prominence as the only animal that is an official emblem for Canada.

In 2011, Conservative Nicole Eaton told fellow Senators the dentally defective rat, which wreaks havoc on her dock each summer, should be replaced with a polar bear, with its strength, courage, resourcefulness and dignity.

Her remarks incited support from some Ottawa-area farmers whose trees had been felled and lands flooded, but the majority of the response was negative, she told Macleans at the time, and she dropped it.

But the debate proved the industrious mammals ability to repopulate after the fur trade nearly wiped it off the map.

Beavers have made a comeback, and there are now anywhere from six to 12 million of them in Canada, more than the estimated six million at the start of the fur trade. Many of them are living close to humans, and their ability to build a dam in days, and flood a forest, corn field or cottage creates frustration. There are now so many that an industry has grown up around removing nuisance beavers, which account for a fifth of the beaver pelts auctioned off at NAFA.

Others defend the animal as natures architect, a reference to its ability to manufacture an environment that is essential to its survival.

They are one of the fantastic species when you look at the way they modify the habitat, says Pierre Canac-Marquis, a trapper and biologist, retired from Natural Resources Quebec. It really takes some knowledge, some intelligence, because its a very complicated process, he says of building a dam out of sticks and mud.

The water it holds back keeps the beaver safe from predators and provides easy access to the trees on shore. Beavers pile up branches in front of their lodges so they have food when the water freezes in the winter months.

They spend six months like this, in the full darkness, says Canac-Marquis. Otherwise the species would never survive.

Their downfall began in the 1600s, when Europeans were colonizing North America. Beaver hats were so valued by Europeans that the Eurasian species  Castor fiber  had already been hunted to near extinction in the Old World.

The animal was highly prized because its luxurious under-fur could be removed from the skin and processed into a felt that was waterproof and could be formed into a variety of shapes, from top hat to the later bicorne synonymous with Napoleon.

The North American species, Castor canadensis, was a close enough match. Its estimated at least 100,000 pelts a year were sent to Europe.

Old skins worn by Indigenous trappers during the hunting season were particularly prized by the Europeans because the long guard hairs of the beaver had already fallen out to reveal the duvet, the beavers soft inner fur.That meant it was easier to felt.

For hundreds of years, trade was strong because Indigenous people valued the metal goods and tobacco they could get from the Europeans in exchange for a creature they could trap in abundance, says Ryan Hall, an assistant professor of history and Canadian studies at U of T.

And making it even better, the furs that the Europeans most wanted were old furs that had been worn for a while, says Hall.

But the exchange also introduced sinister elements to Indigenous populations such as disease, war and later, the treaty system, he says.

I think its important to remember that the fur trade was sort of the opening phase of colonialism, says Hall. And even at the time, if traders bought into it voluntarily and enthusiastically when it began, in retrospect this is the opening phase of an incredibly destructive process.

The lust for the animal ended in the 19th century, when silk hats became fashionable, but by then, the beaver population was nearly hunted to extinction in some regions.

In the 30s, provincial governments halted trapping for a number of years. Beavers were reintroduced by air to areas of the wild where they were low in number.

Populations increased and by 1980, about 522,000 beaver pelts were harvested. The popularity of wild fur ended when the stock market crashed in 1989 and a recession set in two years later, says Alan Herscovici, a former executive director of the Fur Council of Canada, which represents the industry.

Today, beaver accounts for a minute proportion of Canadas fur trade, fetching about $3.25 million at auction in 2014, less than 1 per cent of all sales. Like most fur, its shipped overseas for manufacturing to countries such as Korea, China and Russia.

But reminders of the fur trade remain.

The beaver, which was given national emblem status in 1975, is on our five-cent coin  as it was on our first stamp  as well as in the Hudsons Bay logo and other emblems such as Montreals coat of arms.

Its estimated that half the trappers in Canada  about 2,500  are Indigenous. Many of them live on reserves where companies such as HBC built trading posts.

Riley Sakakeesic, 45, remembers rushing home as a youth from school to hear his grandfathers stories, one about trading a pile of beaver pelts for a gun where he lives in Big Cat First Nation, which once had a trading post run by Hudsons Bay. The Ojibwa reserve is about 180 kilometres northwest of Sioux Lookout, Ont.

The part-time trapper, the lone employee of the local airport, still catches beaver. Its mostly for the meat, as there is little money in it.

In 1945, a pelt fetched $50, which would be about $800 today. Now, they go for $15 at market, although trappers can sell the anal glands for another $10. The glands contain castoreum, which can be used in perfume and vanilla flavouring.

The North West Co., which had fierce fights with HBC for trading dominance in the west, still operates department stores called Northern Stores, in parts of Canada.

Sakakeesic says trappers will sell marten pelts for as little as $15 there when they cant wait for the next auction in North Bay  the only other wild fur auction in North America  where the pelts can fetch more than $100.

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Whatever went wrong in the air off Australias west coast on Sunday, it started quickly and violently, and it did not stop for far too long.

First, AirAsia X passengers told Perth Now and other outlets, there came a loud bang about 90 minutes into the flight to Kuala Lumpur. It woke some people up. Sophie Nicolas said it was an explosion on left wing, while Dave Parry remembered a strange smell wafting through the cabin.

Then the shaking. Endless shaking, up and down the jet. Like you were sitting on top of a washing machine, a passenger told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

It lasted another 90 minutes, passengers reported  minutes full of tears, prayers and gallows humour as the rattling jet limped back toward Australia.

Brenton Atkinson told the broadcasting station he looked out at the window and could see the engine rattling on the wing.

Inside, seat backs shook like jello blocks. A deafening thud-thud-thud-thud soundtracks every cellphone video from the aisles. Some passenger gritted their teeth. Others just folded their hands and endured.

A blade had sheared off an engine, the captain told passengers at one point, according to Perth Now.

But AirAsia, which did not respond to the Washington Post, told Nine News Australia it had no reason to to think the plane had engine troubles  blaming the incident vaguely on a technical issue.

A spokesperson for Perth airport said much the same to the Post: There was a plane that discovered a technical issue and returned.

In any event, an early report from the loudspeaker could not have done much to reassure passengers. Please listen to everything, a man said. Our survival depends on your co-operating. Hopefully everything will turn out for the best.

Those first minutes were among the worst, some passengers reported.

I was crying a lot, Sophie Nicolas told Australias ABC. A lot of people were crying, trying to call their moms and stuff. But we couldnt really do anything. Just wait and trust the captain.

The captain asked everyone to pray, Nicolas told Perth Now. Ill be saying a prayer, too, she recalled him saying.

Less than three years ago, another AirAsia flight crashed into the Java Sea and killed everyone on board, the result of a faulty rudder control system. But if any of the passengers on Sundays flight remembered that, they did not recall it in their interviews.

At the captains request, Perth Now reported, some passed the time keeping an eye on the left engine in case something else went wrong.

After a while, a sense of quasi-normalcy returned to the jittery flight.

In one video, a man casually walks down shaking aisles. In another, two Australian men grin for motion-blurred selfies.

Not great, not amazing, says one, his voice muffled by the thumping. Were having 50 million beers when we get back.

As the plane rounded back on Australia, police stood by for a possible water landing, according to Nine News.

For two full minutes of descent, CNN reported, passengers held the brace position  heads forward, unable to see if the plane was going to make it.

When it did, a passenger told CNN, passengers erupted in applause and later shook the pilots hand.

I still arrive!!! someone posted on Instagram. Thank you God!!!

The shaking was over then. No one was reported injured. Now to wait for explanations.

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The legal clinic that launched a constitutional challenge last week to the Safe Streets Act, a heartless piece of legislation adopted in 1999 by the Mike Harris government, should be spared the trouble.

Queens Park should repeal the law, which criminalizes the poor for being poor, compounding inequality, clogging up the already overburdened court system and draining public coffers in the process. This law is truly an ass.

Passed amid a moral panic about the rise of so-called squeegee kids, the act bans aggressive panhandling undertaken in a manner that is likely to cause a reasonable person to fear for their safety and security. It should come as no surprise that this vaguely worded prohibition has been enforced more and more frequently even as instances of panhandling have steadily declined. After all, we know that there is often a yawning chasm between what causes ostensibly reasonable people to fear and what poses an actual threat.

Study after study has shown that prejudices against poor people are ubiquitous and often subtle. In reality, many otherwise rational people are irrationally biased against members of certain socio-economic groups. Clearly the law should not cater to these biases.

Besides, if the fear is of assault, theres already a law for that.

The act is not only ill-conceived; its also cruel in its consequences. Between 2000 and 2010, nearly 70,000 tickets were issued in Toronto, each for at least $500, placing a significant financial burden on those who can least afford it. Those who are convicted of a second offence can face jail time, a fate that not only drastically increases the likelihood that they will commit an actual crime, but also threatens whatever professional, educational or housing prospects they did have. The punishment for being poor? More poverty

To implement this misguided policy, the Toronto Police Service spent about $1 million between 2000 and 2010. Over that same period, the city collected about $8,000 in fines. Of course, people charged with this particular offence cant afford to pay. Meanwhile, as far as we know, the cost to the court system and to social services entailed by the ban has never been calculated.

If the government is concerned about the threat to public safety posed by homelessness and poverty, the Safe Streets Act is precisely the wrong approach. The money wasted enforcing this unfair and ineffective law would be much better spent on, say, affordable housing or mental health services or other chronically underfunded social programs that seek to address the root causes of homelessness.

Supposedly, the law applies equally to all, yet this one clearly does not. The largely middle-class people who aggressively solicit on the streets on behalf of charities are not charged with panhandling. Why not? The difference seems to be that we are much more afraid of people living in poverty or those most likely to be poor, visible minorities, Indigenous people, people struggling with mental illness.

This is the crux of the constitutional challenge launched last week by the Fair Change Community Services legal clinic. The group will argue that the Safe Streets Act contravenes the Charter guarantee that everyone has equal benefit under the law.

But the Wynne government should not leave it to the courts to decide. Those living in poverty deserve help, not punishment. Of all people, the self-proclaimed social-justice premier should understand that.

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Re: Nurses face racism every day, Letter, June 23

Nurses face racism every day, Letter, June 23

Linda Haslam-Stroud, president of the Ontario Nurses Association, is right. Nurses do face racism every day  but not only from the public.

Over the years, Black nurses have had to endure racism from the public, management and coworkers. The latter is most insidious and has a devastating effect on the career and personal lives of black nurses.

I would hope that Ms. Haslam-Stroud is as vigilant in denouncing racism in the workplace and holding her members accountable as she seems to be in this instance.

June Veecock, Markham

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Re: Canadian sniper hits mark for farthest kill, June 23

Canadian sniper hits mark for farthest kill, June 23

Why would the Canadian Special Operations Command broadcast this to the world media? This kind of news needs to remain in-house for operational security reasons. Joint Task Force 2 works best in the dark. They do not want or need the media to shine a light so the whole world can see what and how they do things.

All this does is put troops that are serving overseas and at home in danger. Have we learned nothing from the Toronto 18, the vehicle attack in Quebec, the shooting in Ottawa, the attack on the recruiting centre, the guy who blew himself up in a taxi?

We in Canada have been very lucky so far, compared to what has happened in Europe. Its not a matter of if, but when. I hope the Minister of Defence puts a stop to any further briefings of this nature.

Allan Mantel, Victoria Harbour, Ont.

Yes, I know, war is hell and you must kill the enemy whichever way is practical and efficient. And yes, the Canadian Joint Task Force 2 has excellent soldiers and their snipers are the best.

But, this isnt the Olympics. And we are not Islamic extremists. We dont get gold medals for killing the enemy.

I find it somewhat distasteful and even sad to see Canadian and American newspapers lauding the marksmanship of the soldier who just did his duty and killed an enemy. It would be quite appropriate for the army to recognize his achievement in some way; but splashed across newspapers nationwide  is this what we have become?

Sigmund Roseth, Mississauga

While we high-five the Canadian snipers feat of killing from 3.5 kilometres away, it is pertinent to ask what due diligence he took to choose the target? Was he a terrorist or a poor civilian escaping the fight? Could the shooter identify the uniform and insignia of the target from that distance? Was D for Daesh tattooed on his forehead? Only the sniper can answer these questions. On the other hand, everyone there is a terrorist, so why worry.

Shah Nawaz Husain, Brampton

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Qatar Airways CEO Akbar Al Baker is a shrewd, provocative man who is battling American Airlines Group Inc. (AAL) - Get Free Report with one hand while the other hand owns significant stakes in its closest partners.

And so at a time when his airline has become his country's lifeline as it fights a blockade by neighbors, Al Baker launched a bid to acquire 10% of American, the world's biggest airline.

The bid comes at a time when Qatar is also engaged in a less severe conflict with American over rapid U.S. expansion by the subsidized Gulf carriers.

Yet on another level, Al Baker is already allied with American.

Qatar has a 20% stake in IAG SA, the owner of British Airways and Iberia, who are partners with American not only in the Oneworld Alliance but also in a trans-Atlantic joint venture that allows the carriers to jointly discuss pricing and schedules. Qatar also owns 10% of South America's LATAM Airlines Group, also a Oneworld member.

The conflict over subsidies has been public since early 2015, when American, Delta Air Lines Inc. (DAL) - Get Free Report and United Continental Holdings Inc. (UAL) - Get Free Report released results of a study showing that the governments of Qatar and the United Arab Emirates subsidize the Emirates, Etihad and Qatar in violation of the Open Skies agreements.

The Gulf carriers have interpreted those agreements in a way that has enabled them to open multiple U.S. routes not only from their hubs but also, in the case of Emirates, from Athens and Milan.

When Qatar started service on the Doha-Atlanta route in June 2016, the outspoken Al Baker declared the route "would rub salt in the wounds" of Delta, which four months earlier had ended its Atlanta-Dubai service, due to an inability to compete profitably with subsidized carriers flying to region from multiple U.S. cities.

So far, despite the U.S. carrier's efforts, the U.S. government has not blocked the expansion, apparently due at least partially to the role of the UAE and Qatar as strategic allies in the Middle East.

In a Securities and Exchange Commission filing on Thursday, American said the Qatar bid doesn't alter its "conviction on the need to enforce the Open Skies agreements with the United Arab Emirates and the nation of Qatar and ensure fair competition with Gulf carriers, including Qatar Airways.

"American Airlines continues to believe that the president and his administration will stand up to foreign governments to end massive carrier subsidies that threaten the U.S. aviation industry and that threaten American jobs," the carrier said.

This month, Al Baker's ire has been directed at three neighbors who refuse to allow Qatar Airways to use its airspace. The neighbors include the UAE, home of Emirates and Etihad.

Al Baker told The Associated Press that the blockade "will leave a lasting wound."

"People will not forget," he told the AP this week at the Paris Air Show. "People will have long, long memories."

Despite the blockade, the airline has operated smoothly, even though many flights have had to take longer routes over Iranian airspace. Al Baker has, in fact, called the situation "business as usual" and said in interviews last week that Qatar Airways continues to plan global expansion.

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This article is commentary by an independent contributor. At the time of publication, the author held no positions in the stocks mentioned.
Apple (AAPL) - Get Free Report is in the process of constructing a new flagship retail location in Chicago, complete with glass walls and a thin, carbon fiber roof, Chicago news site DNAinforeported.

But that's not all. Construction crews on Thursday placed a large, white Apple logo on the store's curved metallic roof, which causes the building to bare a striking resemblance to a MacBook.

The new 20,00 square-foot store, located near Chicago's Michigan Avenue Bridge alongside the Chicago River, is being designed by London-based Foster+Partners.

While there is no official word yet on when the new store will be opening, Apple-focused news website MacRumor reports construction is nearing completion.

Shares of Apple closed lower by 0.16% to $145.63 on Thursday.



What's Hot On TheStreet

Tesla still doesn't deserve its valuation: Tesla (TSLA) - Get Free Report fanboys have just gained their daily pound of flesh. The electric car company has reportedly reached a deal with officials in China to open a production facility in the world's biggest clean-energy car market. The deal would likely allow it to form a joint-venture with a China-based partner and avoid the 25% tariff applied to imported vehicles. The move would also substantially cut shipping and production costs when compared to Tesla's facility in Nevada, TheStreet's Martin Baccardax reports.

Tesla is now valued at an insane $61 billion...and counting.

What was this Kroger exec drinking: Maybe this Kroger (KR) - Get Free Report fella has been up too late studying the aftershocks of Amazon's (AMZN) - Get Free Report big deal for Whole Foods (WFM) . "I'm glad their stores are finally open," Kroger CFO Michael Schlotman said about German rival Lidl at Oppenheimer's Consumer Conference Wednesday. Schlotman said he is excited, in fact he feels "great about it," to finally start seeing if the preparations Kroger put in place to compete with Lidl will stand the heat. TheStreet's Lindsay Rittenhousewas all over this bizarre exchange.

Having your profit margins crushed by a ruthless German grocer shouldn't be exciting, Kroger.

Don't forget about Intel: Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) - Get Free Reportmay beat Intel Corp. (INTC) - Get Free Report to selling the fastest computer chip this year, but the technology giant is working on other projects that are pushing the limits.

From artificial intelligence to drones, Intel is working to connect everything to the internet to collect data that can be used to improve safety, efficiency and lifestyles. Whether it is helping athletes perform better or making cars autonomous, Intel's technology is working to transform multiple industries. Here's 11 cool projects Intel is working on that investors seem to have forgotten about.

Apple is a holding in Jim Cramer's Action Alerts PLUS Charitable Trust Portfolio. Want to be alerted before Cramer buys or sells AAPL? Learn more now.

Visit here for the latest business headlines.
American Homes 4 Rent is a real estate investment trust (REIT) focused on the US rental industry. The company is a leader in the single-family home rental industry and "American Homes 4 Rent" is fast becoming a nationally recognized brand. The company is known for high-quality rental homes, providing good value and tenant satisfaction while generating profits for investors. The primary investment objective is to provide attractive risk-adjusted returns through dividends and capital appreciation.

The company plans to achieve its objective through the disciplined acquisition of new properties, by expanding its own construction and neighborhood building efforts, growing its geographically diverse portfolio, efficient property management, building a strong brand, and maintaining a sound capital structure.

The company was founded in 2011 by David Singelyn and his partner. Mr. Singelyn has served as a Trustee and CEO since 2012. The company began by acquiring homes in underserved areas and remodeling them to modern standards. The firm has since expanded its operations to construction and now builds planned communities tailored to different lifestyles as well. The company went public in 2013 and is listed on the New York Stock Exchange.

American Homes 4 Rent is an internally managed Maryland real estate investment trust focused on acquiring, developing, renovating, leasing, and operating attractive, single-family homes as rental properties. The company operates through a network of offices and the website AH4R.com. The company owns more than 55,000 properties across 22 states featuring move-in-ready and pet-friendly homes for individuals and families of all sizes.

All previously used properties have been renovated to a high Certified Property standard that brings them to a like-new condition. Interested parties can view listings by area on the website and even use the site to fill out applications and sign leases. Properties are located in communities that fit a variety of lifestyle needs including fences, marble countertops, and even attached 2 and 3-car garages. The communities are located in hand-picked neighborhoods with features including access to commerce, schools, and amenities like lawn care, pools, trails, and fitness centers.

Tenants are afforded many benefits by renting through American Homes 4 Rent. The first and most obvious is the freedom and flexibility of a mortgage-free lifestyle. On top of that, tenants can pay rent or schedule maintenance on their homes through the website, and dedicated service representatives are available 24/7.
Imperial Brands PLC, together with its subsidiaries, manufactures, imports, markets, and sells tobacco and tobacco-related products in Europe, Americas, Africa, Asia, and Australasia. It offers a range of cigarettes, fine cut and smokeless tobacco, papers, and cigars; and next generation product (NGP) portfolio, such as e-vapour products, oral nicotine, and heated tobacco products. The company sells its products under various brands, including Davidoff, Gauloises, JPS, West, L&B, Winston, Parker & Simpson, blu, Pluze, Zone-X, Kool, Horizon, Backwoods, Skruf, Golden Virginia, Rizla, and Dutch Masters. It also engages in the distribution of tobacco and NGP products for tobacco and NGP product manufacturers; and various non-tobacco and NGP products and services. In addition, the company is involved in the management of a golf course; distribution of pharmaceuticals, POS software, and published materials and other products; printing and publishing activities; and provision of long haul transportation, industrial parcel and express delivery, advertising, and support management services. Further, it owns the trademarks; and retails its products. The company was formerly known as Imperial Tobacco Group PLC and changed its name to Imperial Brands PLC in February 2016. Imperial Brands PLC was founded in 1901 and is based in Bristol, the United Kingdom.
Avangrid, Inc., an energy services holding company, engages in the regulated energy transmission and distribution, and renewable energy generation businesses in the United States. The company operates through Networks and Renewables segments. It is involved in the generation, transmission, and distribution of electricity; and distribution, transportation, and sale of natural gas. The company also operates renewable energy generation facilities primarily using onshore wind power, as well as solar, biomass, and thermal power. It delivers natural gas and electricity to residential, commercial, and institutional customers through its regulated utilities in New York, Maine, Connecticut, and Massachusetts; and sells its output to investor-owned utilities, public utilities, and other credit-worthy entities. In addition, the company generates and provides power and other services to federal and state agencies, as well as institutional retail and joint action agencies; and delivers thermal output to wholesale customers in the Western United States. It owns eight electric and natural gas utilities, serving 3.3 million customers in New York and New England, as well as owns and operates 8.8 gigawatts of electricity capacity primarily through wind power in 22 states. The company was incorporated in 1997 and is headquartered in Orange, Connecticut. Avangrid, Inc. is a subsidiary of Iberdrola, S.A.
Cardinal Health, Inc. operates as an integrated healthcare services and products company in the United States, Canada, Europe, Asia, and internationally. It provides customized solutions for hospitals, healthcare systems, pharmacies, ambulatory surgery centers, clinical laboratories, physician offices, and patients in the home. The company operates in two segments, Pharmaceutical and Medical. The Pharmaceutical segment distributes branded and generic pharmaceutical, specialty pharmaceutical, and over-the-counter healthcare and consumer products. The segment also provides services to pharmaceutical manufacturers and healthcare providers for specialty pharmaceutical products; operates nuclear pharmacies and radiopharmaceutical manufacturing facilities; repackages generic pharmaceuticals and over-the-counter healthcare products; and offers medication therapy management and patient outcomes services to hospitals, other healthcare providers, and payers, as well as provides pharmacy management services to hospitals. The Medical segment manufactures, sources, and distributes Cardinal Health branded medical, surgical, and laboratory products and devices that include exam and surgical gloves; needles, syringe, and sharps disposals; compressions; incontinences; nutritional delivery products; wound care products; single-use surgical drapes, gowns, and apparels; fluid suction and collection systems; urology products; operating room supply products; and electrode product lines. The segment also distributes a range of national brand products, including medical, surgical, and laboratory products; provides supply chain services and solutions to hospitals, ambulatory surgery centers, clinical laboratories, and other healthcare providers; and assembles and sells sterile, and non-sterile procedure kits. The company was incorporated in 1979 and is headquartered in Dublin, Ohio.
Minutes before Eid was officially announced, Danat Al Emarat Hospital for Women and Children based in Abu Dhabi, UAE, welcomed four new borns including a pair of twins into this world.

The twin (girl and boy) are the first children for the family and weighed 2 kg each.

"This came as a big surprise for us, and the memorable occasion of Eid has made it a twin delight for us," said the twins' father Humaid Saeed A Badi.

"We named our first newborn, the girl  Mazna, and boy - Saif. We are very thankful for this blessing. From here, we would like to congratulate UAE leaders, government and the people of UAE on this very special day," he added.

The twins were delivered by Dr Zahraa Mehsen, consultant for Obstetrics & Gynecology and Fetal Medicine at Danat Al Emarat Hospital.

Dr Zahraa said: "The twins were due in two weeks but decided to join the family on this special occasion for all and double the joy of their parents and ours. Both baby and mother are in good health."

Baby Mohammed Al Mansouri was born at 11:40, and weighed 3 kg and is the second child for the family. His father said, the baby is in good health and we have named him Mohammed. We are extremely happy to have him join us on after Eid was declared.

Vino Nallaya, CEO of Danat Al Emarat Hospital for Women and Children said, "We are happy to welcome the four newborns at Danat Al Emarat Hospital for Women and Children right after Eid was declared. All 4 babies and mothers are doing well and are in good health."

"During Ramadan, a total of 365 were born at our hospital, including 161 boys and 164 girls. Out of the 365 newborns, 174 were UAE nationals," he stated.

Including our 4 newborns, 3660 babies have been born at our hospital since we opened in October 2015. All these precious bundles of joy were managed by our 70 medical team members of obstetricians, pediatricians and neonatologists. We expect to welcome another three babies by end of today," she added.-TradeArabia News Service
While there are plenty of plants that we enjoy as superfoods, use as building materials, or plant to attract beneficial pollinators, there are some plants we would do well to stay away from.

Take the innocuous-sounding and innocent-looking gympie-gympie (Dendrocnide moroides), of the nettle family Urticaceae. This green, leafy bush has heart-shaped foliage and is found commonly in rainforested areas in northeastern Australia, the Moluccas, and Indonesia. But beware; it is covered with hollow, hair-like, stinging needles that contain a powerful neurotoxin that causes excruciating pain. The extreme itching is so painful that it has been known to kill dogs and horses, and to even drive humans mad with agony.

Effects of the Neurotoxin

The gympie-gympie's active compound, moroidin, is so persistent that it has been known to torture its victims for over a year if its stinging hairs are not removed from the skin. Even dry specimens, preserved for many decades, can still retain their powerful sting. Here's how virologist Dr. Mike Leahy explains gympie-gympie's deadly effects:

The first thing youll feel is a really intense burning sensation and this grows over the next half hour, becoming more and more painful. Shortly after this, your joints may ache, and you might get swelling under your armpits, which can be almost as painful as the original sting. In severe cases, this can lead to shock, and even death.

Stories abound of gympie-gympie's notorious side effects. Stung horses have been known to die within hours. One man was purported to have shot himself to end his pain after inadvertently using the leaves as toilet paper. Even inhaling floating hairs can cause sneezing, rashes, and nosebleeds.

Entomologist and ecologist Marina Hurley, who studies various Australian stinging trees, has likened gympie-gympie's effect to "being burnt with hot acid and electrocuted at the same time." Yet remarkably, there are some marsupial species, insects, and birds that consume the plant's leaves and fruits with no problem. Hurley shows us the plant in this excerpt from the French documentary "Plant Secrets":

Remedy

So what is the remedy for gympie-gympie's sting? The most effective treatment is pretty simple. Do not rub or scratch the areayou do not want to break off the offending hairs and make them harder to remove. Visible hairs can be removed with tweezers, and adhesive tape or hair-removal wax strips can be used to remove the more delicate hairs.

The gympie-gympie plant is a clear example that even the most innocent-looking things can pack a powerful punch and that we should never underestimate the power of nature.
Many people have been left without pipe-borne water in northern and eastern parts of Trinidad and some areas in Tobago.

The Water and Sewerage Authority indicates this is a result of an impact to twelve of its plants due to adverse weather, which has caused flooding in some areas.
Ethnomusicologist and Host Dr. Heather Maxwell takes you to the Sahara Desert in Morocco where she talks to Malian desert rock band, Terakaft. Listen to them play live and unplugged. You'll also hear from Kenyan artist Tetu Shani and other new and old African songs you'll love.
India's Prime Minister Visits Washington for his first meeting with Donald Trump. A slow search for survivors from a landslide in China. The fight against Islamic State in the Philippines. Fighting for peace in Korea. A unique Islamic store, smart exoskeletons.
The Australian government is sending two military surveillance aircraft to help the Philippines in its fight against Islamist militants in southern Mindanao province. Philippine forces have been fighting insurgents linked to the Islamic State group, who seized the city of Marawi last month.

Defense officials in Canberra say the spread of radical Islamism in southeast Asia poses a direct threat to Australian interests. The government is sending two AP-3C Orion reconnaissance aircraft to help Philippine forces locate militants in the city of Marawi, which they seized in late May.

About 400 people, mostly Islamist insurgents, have died since the siege began. One thousand civilians are thought to be trapped in the city, where it is feared that some are being held as human shields as Filipino forces advance. Tens of thousands of other residents have been displaced.

A Philippine military spokesman said the Australian spy planes would help tackle extremism across Mindanao, an island of 22 million people in the southern Philippines, where separatists and kidnap gangs have been active for decades.

Analysts believe that jihadis from other countries, including Indonesia and Malaysia, have joined the fighting in Marawi.

Sidney Jones, director of the Institute for Policy Analysis of Conflict, is worried that some of these foreign fighters could return home to spread unrest there.

It is clear that what is happening in Marawi affects Indonesia and Malaysia. There are clearly fighters from Indonesia and Malaysia who are working with this coalition in Marawi, and there is always the chance that fighters now with new combat experience and with new legitimacy can come back to their own countries and conduct violence there," said Jones.

Security experts say the battle in Marawi has exposed intelligence and operational failures by the Philippines military. They also criticize what they see as limited cooperation with neighboring Malaysia and Indonesia to stop extremism from spreading across the region.

Foreign ministers from the three southeast Asian countries have agreed on new measures to share information and to start joint navy patrols to restrict the movement of fighters across maritime borders.
Britain's Parliament was investigating a "sustained and determined" cyberattack on its email user accounts Saturday.

Parliamentary officials said the attack seemed designed to identify weak email passwords.

As a precaution, remote email access for MPs was disabled, said a statement released by the House of Commons.

"Earlier this morning we discovered unusual activity and evidence of an attempted cyberattack on our computer network," an email sent by parliamentary officials to those affected said. "Closer investigation by our team confirmed that hackers were carrying out a sustained and determined attack on all parliamentary user accounts in an attempt to identify weak passwords."

It was not immediately clear how many people were affected or what the extent of the damage was. The National Cyber Security Center and the National Crime Agency were investigating.

Liam Fox, Britain's international trade secretary, told ITV News the attack was "a warning to everyone. We need more security and better passwords. You wouldn't leave your door open at night.''

Passwords for sale?

The incident followed reports in the past few days in British media that hackers were selling MPs' passwords online.

"We've seen reports in the last few days of even Cabinet ministers' passwords being for sale online," Fox said. "We know that our public services are attacked, so it's not at all surprising that there should be an attempt to hack into parliamentary emails."

Just over a month ago, a massive global cyberattack disrupted Britain's health care services and targeted vital computer systems in as many as 100 other countries.

It appeared to be the biggest cyberextortion attack in history and exploited a vulnerability in Microsoft Windows that was identified in leaked documents by the U.S. National Security Agency earlier this year.

The hackers attempted to trick victims into opening malicious attachments to spam emails by saying they contained invoices, job offers, security warnings and other seemingly legitimate files.

The extortionists then demanded payments of $300 to $600 to restore access once computers were crippled by the scam. Cybersecurity firms said criminal organizations were probably behind the attack.
Final results released Sunday from Cambodia's local elections this month confirmed the dominance of Prime Minister Hun Sen's ruling party, but a strong showing by the opposition saw its prospects boosted for next year's general election.

The results issued by the National Election Committee show the ruling Cambodian People's Party capturing 1,156 of the country's 1,646 communes, and the opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party winning 489 in the June 4 polls, with the much smaller Khmer National Unity Party picking up a sole commune.

The percentage of the popular vote captured by the CPP declined to just under 51 percent from about 62 percent in 2012 local elections, while the CNRP's share rose to almost 44 percent from 30 percent.

The opposition was also encouraged because it attained its strong showing despite intimidation and legal pressures from the government.

The Cambodian People's Party, reacting to Sunday's announcement, issued a statement saying that the polls were conducted in a free and fair manner and that the results reflected the correct leadership of the ruling party.
Chad's president, Idriss Deby, an important Western ally in the fight against Islamist militants, warned in an interview that cash-strapped Chad could be forced to withdraw some of its troops from the fight if it does not get financial help.

Chad has one of the most capable armies in the region and Deby has played a key role in efforts backed by the West to combat neighboring Nigeria's Islamic State-affiliated Boko Haram fighters as well as al-Qaida.

Chad has in recent years sent troops to fight militants in Nigeria, Niger, Cameroon and Mali.

"Chad is a small country with no financial means which has known huge problems in its recent history. It is the duty of those who have more means to help it," Deby told RFI-TV5-Le Monde in a joint interview released on Sunday.

"Apart from intelligence from time to time, training, since our intervention in Mali, Cameroon, Nigeria, Niger, we have not been helped financially. Chad spent out of it own resources over 300 billion CFA francs [$512 million] in the fight against terrorism without any external help," he said A former French colony, Chad also hosts the headquarters of France's 3,000-troop strong regional anti-militant operation, known as Barkhane.

Asked if he was disappointed by his Western allies, he said: "I am absolutely certain that Chadians are disappointed and think Chad did too much, that it must withdraw from these theaters to protect itself... We reached our limits... If nothing is done, Chad will unfortunately be forced to withdraw."

Asked about a timetable for a possible withdrawal, he said: "I think end-2017, early 2018, if this situation was to continue, Chad would no longer be able to keep as many soldiers outside its territory. Some of our soldiers should gradually return to the country," he said.
China has formally initiated a mediation bid to ease Afghanistan's tensions with Pakistan and to encourage the two uneasy neighbors to jointly work for countering terrorism and promoting regional peace.

Beijing's diplomatic offensive comes as relations between Islamabad and Kabul have deteriorated in the past two years over mutual allegations of sponsoring terrorist attacks on each other's soil.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi traveled to Kabul on Saturday, where he met with President Ashraf Ghani and other senior Afghan officials to discuss ways to improve ties with Pakistan.

An official statement later quoted Yi as telling his Afghan interlocutors that "if required, China will be ready to observe and explain steps" both Pakistan and Afghanistan are taking against terrorism and extremism.

Diplomatic relations

Earlier this year, diplomatic intervention by Britain helped ease tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan. The mediation led to an understanding that the two countries develop a way to address mutual concerns and promote peace efforts.

Ghani later proposed involving a third country to help verify efforts taken by the two countries to reach those goals, which apparently prompted China to undertake the current mediation effort as it enjoys good relations with both Pakistan and Afghanistan.

A statement from Ghani's office quoted the president as saying, "Wang believes Pakistan has an influence on Taliban and will ask Pakistan to strictly control them, especially the Haqqani group."

The statement also said the Chinese foreign minister had said he would urge Pakistan to commit to fighting terrorism.

The Chinese foreign minister later arrived in Islamabad to further his mediation mission in talks with Pakistani foreign policy adviser Sartaj Aziz. It was not immediately known whether Yi brought with him any proposals from the Afghan side.

More meetings Sunday

"Both sides held wide-ranging discussions and overview on matters related to bilateral relations, regional security and the situation in Afghanistan," Pakistani Foreign Ministry spokesman Nafees Zakaria said.

The visiting Chinese foreign minister is also scheduled to meet with Pakistani army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa on Sunday before holding a joint news conference with Aziz to share details of their talks.

Yi will then travel back to Kabul to brief Afghan leaders on his meetings in Islamabad, officials said.

China considers stability in Afghanistan vital to its national security and economic interests. It is worried that continued Afghan insecurity could threaten security of its western Xinjiang province, which shares a border with the war-torn nation.

Major investment

Beijing is investing billions of dollars in Pakistan, China's staunch ally, to establish a trade route to gain access to international markets through the Pakistani port of Gwadar on the Arabian Sea.

Afghan leaders allege sanctuaries and safe havens on Pakistani soil have enabled the Taliban to intensify insurgent attacks and prolong the Afghan war.

Islamabad denies the charges and in turn says sanctuaries in border areas of Afghanistan are where terrorist attacks are plotted against Pakistan, including Friday's deadly suicide bombings in two cities that killed more than 80 people and injured more than 200 others.

On Saturday, Bajwa alleged that militant sanctuaries in Afghanistan were operating "under the patronage" of the country's intelligence agency and its Indian counterparts.

The army chief made the remarks while chairing an emergency meeting of his top commanders, according to an official statement released Saturday night. Bajwa dismissed criticism that Pakistan is not doing enough to counter terrorism.

"Unfortunately, our sacrifices against terrorism are not well-acknowledged and we are often subjected to the demand of 'Do more.' ... It is time now for the other stakeholders, particularly Afghanistan, to do more," he said.

Bajwa's remarks came days after the U.S. Department of Defense in its latest report alleged that the Taliban and militants linked to the Haqqani terrorist network continue to use sanctuaries on Pakistani soil for staging attacks in Afghanistan.
China has brokered a deal between Pakistan and Afghanistan for the establishment of a bilateral crisis management mechanism to avoid any breakdown in mutual communications and contacts in the event of terrorist attacks on both sides of their long shared border.

The three countries have also agreed to set up a trilateral foreign minister-level dialogue forum that would allow Beijing to observe progress toward normalizing Kabuls deeply mistrust-marred security ties with Islamabad and promoting economic cooperation

The developments were announced Sunday at the conclusion of a two-day mediation trip to Afghanistan and Pakistan by Chinas Foreign Minister Wang Yi.

Beijings diplomatic efforts came as relations between the two uneasy neighbors have deteriorated in the past two years over mutual allegations of sponsoring terrorist attacks on each others soil.

The crisis management mechanism would enable the two sides to maintain timely and effective communications in the event of any emergencies, including terrorist attacks, allowing the two sides to resolve them through dialogue and consultation, said a joint statement Wang released at a news conference with Pakistani foreign policy adviser, Sartaj Aziz.

The Chinese foreign minister told reporters he conducted the shuttle diplomacy to do what China can to help improve relations between the two countries and to help facilitate the reconciliation process in Afghanistan.

Wang described the establishment of crisis management mechanism as an important step toward improving the relationship.

"While going forward, the key is for Pakistan and Afghanistan to have detailed consultations on how this mechanism would function and to reach early agreements on the operability of this mechanism. Pakistan and Afghanistan have in doing so sent a positive signal to the international community and China welcomes that, Wang said.

The three parties had in-depth exchange of views, he explained, and they also agreed to establish the China-Afghanistan-Pakistan Foreign Ministers dialogue mechanism to cooperate on issues of mutual interest, beginning with economic cooperation.

The Chinese foreign minister, on behalf of the three countries, also called call on the Taliban to join the Afghan reconciliation process.

There was no immediate reaction from the Islamist insurgent group, which has repeatedly turned down peace talks with the Afghan government as long as the U.S.-led foreign forces are present in Afghanistan.

If there is no progress in the reconciliation process in Afghanistan it will mean greater difficulty in the reconstruction process. So, it is important to advance the reconciliation processIt is also something that all the parties, including China and Pakistan, would like to see further progress, noted Wang.

The Chinese foreign minister undertook the mediation effort at a time when the Untied States is reportedly planning to intensify its Afghan military campaign by sending fresh troops to the country.

President Donald Trumps administration is also expected to increase pressure on Islamabad to prevent Taliban insurgents and their ally, the dreaded Haqqani network, from using Pakistani soil for deadly attacks in Afghanistan.

Pakistani leaders strongly dismiss U.S. and Afghan criticism of their counterterrorism efforts, saying the country has made monumental sacrifices in the war against terrorism.

Chinas Foreign Minister Wang on Sunday reiterated Beijings traditional support for Pakistans stance.

The international community should fully acknowledge and appreciate the efforts made by Pakistan in this regard. Any notion that Pakistan is not firm in counterterrorism is not fair and is not consistent with the fact, Wang asserted.

China considers stability in Afghanistan vital to its national security and economic interests. It is worried that continued Afghan insecurity could threaten security of its western Xinjiang province, which shares border with the war-hit nation.

Beijing is investing billions of dollars in Pakistan, China's staunch ally, to establish a trade route to gain access to international markets through the Pakistani port of Gwadar on the Arabian Sea.

Afghan leaders allege sanctuaries and safe havens on Pakistani soil have enabled the Taliban to intensify insurgent attacks and prolong the Afghan war.

Islamabad denies the charges and in turn blames sanctuaries in border areas of Afghanistan for plotting terrorist attacks against Pakistan, including Fridays deadly suicide bombings in two cities that killed more than 80 people and injured more than 200 others.

The U.S. Department of Defense in its latest report last week alleged that Taliban and Haqqani terrorists continue to use sanctuaries on Pakistani soil for staging attacks in Afghanistan.
CIA Director Mike Pompeo says he thinks disclosure of America's secret intelligence is on the rise, fueled partly by the worship of leakers like Edward Snowden.

In some ways, I do think it's accelerated, Pompeo told MSNBC in an interview that aired Saturday. I think there is a phenomenon, the worship of Edward Snowden, and those who steal American secrets for the purpose of self-aggrandizement or money or for whatever their motivation may be, does seem to be on the increase.

Pompeo said the United States needs to redouble its efforts to stem leaks of classified information.

It's tough. You now have not only nation states trying to steal our stuff, but non-state, hostile intelligence services, well-funded -- folks like WikiLeaks, out there trying to steal American secrets for the sole purpose of undermining the United States and democracy, Pompeo said.

Besides Snowden, who leaked documents revealing extensive U.S. government surveillance, WikiLeaks recently released nearly 8,000 documents that it says reveal secrets about the CIA's cyberespionage tools for breaking into computers. WikiLeaks previously published 250,000 State Department cables and embarrassed the U.S. military with hundreds of thousands of logs from Iraq and Afghanistan.

There are several other recent cases, including Chelsea Manning, the Army private formerly known as Bradley Manning. She was convicted in a 2013 court-martial of leaking more than 700,000 secret military and State Department documents to WikiLeaks while working as an intelligence analyst in Iraq. Manning said she leaked the documents to raise awareness about the war's impact on innocent civilians.

Last year, former NSA contractor Harold Thomas Martin III, 51, of Glen Burnie, Maryland, was accused of removing highly classified information, storing it in an unlocked shed and in his car and home. Court documents say investigators seized, conservatively, 50 terabytes of information, or enough to fill roughly 200 laptop computers.

Pompeo said the Trump administration is focused on stopping leaks of any kind from any agency and pursuing perpetrators. I think we'll have some successes both on the deterrence side - that is stopping them from happening - as well as on punishing those who we catch who have done it, Pompeo said.

On other issues, Pompeo said:

- North Korea poses a very real danger to U.S. national security. I hardly ever escape a day at the White House without the president asking me about North Korea and how it is that the United States is responding to that threat. It's very much at the top of his mind. He said the North Koreans are ever-closer to having the capacity to hold America at risk with a nuclear weapon.

-Pompeo said U.S. national security also is threatened by Iran, which he described as the world's largest state sponsor of terror.

Today, we find it with enormous influence, influence that far outstrips where it was six or seven years ago, said Pompeo, a former Republican congressman from Kansas. Whether it's the influence they have over the government in Baghdad, whether it's the increasing strength of Hezbollah and Lebanon, their work alongside the Houthis in Iran, the Iraqi Shias that are fighting along now the border in Syria -- certainly the Shia forces that are engaged in Syria. Iran is everywhere throughout the Middle East.
To see where Justice Neil Gorsuch might fit on the Supreme Court, watch the company he keeps.

Gorsuch has already paired up four times with Justice Clarence Thomas - the court's most conservative member - in separate opinions that dissent from or take issue with the court's majority rulings.

While the sample size is small, the results show Gorsuch's commitment to follow the strict text of the law and a willingness to join Thomas in pushing the envelope further than the court's other conservatives.

Gorsuch was picked by President Donald Trump to be a reliable conservative in the mold of the late Antonin Scalia. But the question after his confirmation hearings was how far to the right he would be.

The early trend of Gorsuch and Thomas acting together has pleased those who hoped Gorsuch would continue Scalia's legacy and be another intellectual beacon for conservatives.

Ilya Shapiro, a senior fellow at the libertarian Cato Institute, tweeted Friday: So far, his voting alignment closest to Thomas -excellent!

The latest instance came Friday when Gorsuch issued his first written dissent in a minor case about a federal employee challenging his dismissal from the U.S. Census Bureau. The dispute was over where Anthony Perry could appeal a case that alleges violations of both federal civil service rules and laws prohibiting discrimination.

The court sided with Perry, ruling 7-2 that he could file his lawsuit in a federal district court instead of first waiting for a federal appeals court to consider part of his case. In dissent, Gorsuch faulted the majority for failing to apply the law as written.

Anthony Perry asks us to tweak a congressional statute - just a little - so that it might (he says) work a bit more efficiently, Gorsuch said, joined by Thomas. No doubt his invitation is well meaning. But it's one we should decline all the same.

Later, he added: If a statute needs repair, there's a constitutionally prescribed way to do it, Gorsuch said. It's called legislation.

A day earlier, Gorsuch wrote a separate opinion when the Supreme Court unanimously limited the government's ability to strip U.S. citizenship from immigrants who lie during the naturalization process. Joined by Thomas, Gorsuch said the majority ruling was correct, but he argued that following the plain text and structure of the statute was enough. He said the court went too far in announcing two new tests that would apply to future cases.

In a separate case decided Thursday, the court by a 7-2 vote refused to overturn the murder conviction of a Boston man whose lawyer failed to object when the trial judge closed the courtroom during jury selection. The court said that the error did not appear to affect the outcome of the case, even though it violated the U.S. Constitution's Sixth Amendment right to a public trial.

Gorsuch agreed with the outcome of the case, but he signed on to a concurring opinion from Thomas that encouraged the court to reconsider whether the right to a public trial even extends to jury selection.

And last month, Gorsuch and Thomas disagreed when the court turned away an appeal from Louisiana Republicans seeking to ease limits on so-called soft money by political parties in federal elections.

A three-judge court in Washington, D.C., had earlier upheld the restrictions. Gorsuch and Thomas were the only justices who wanted the high court to set the case for argument and consider striking down the limits.

Thomas, appointed to the court in 1991, takes pride in his many dissents - often alone - insisting that the justices follow the original meaning of the Constitution even when that means overturning established case law. His absolutist stance has earned praise from conservative supporters. But critics point out that he rarely writes major opinions for the court because his views rarely align with the majority.

Like Gorsuch, Thomas did not wait long in writing his first dissent soon after joining the high court. It came in a 1992 case where a prisoner said his abusive treatment violated the Eighth Amendment's ban on cruel and unusual punishment.

The court ruled 7-2 that the prisoner could sue prison officials after he was punched and kicked by guards. But in dissent, Thomas said the Constitution's framers simply did not conceive of the Eighth Amendment as protecting inmates from harsh treatment. He was joined by Scalia.
Colombian police have arrested eight suspected members of an anti-government militia for the deadly June 17 blast at a luxury shopping mall in Bogota.

A bomb planted behind a second floor toilet killed three and wounded at least eight. The dead include a young French woman who was volunteering at a school for the poor.

Police say all eight suspects arrested Saturday are members of the People's Revolutionary Movement (MRP)-- a newly formed group that is allegedly responsible for a number of other attacks.

The eight are expected to be charged with several crimes, including murder and terrorism.

The MRP denies any involvement in the mall blast.

"We profoundly condemn that criminal act against innocent people and we reject being linked to an act of barbarism oblivious to our ideas and actions," the group said it a statement last week.

Colombia is striving to return to security after the government and the FARC rebel group signed a peace deal last year. The pact officially ends a 50-year FARC uprising that killed more than 200,000 people.

The government also is holding talks with the National Liberation Army, the second largest rebel group.
The bearers of two potentially clashing slogans, Made in India and America First, will finally meet Monday at the White House.

Its going to be a robust discussion, White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer said of what will be the first face-to-face talks between India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi and U.S. President Donald Trump.

Were really seeking to roll out the red carpet, a senior U.S. official said of the visit, which will feature the first dinner Trump will host at the White House for a foreign dignitary.

Itll be a long interaction and lots of time for the two leaders to get to know each other, the senior official told White House reporters Friday.

These are two very populist leaders, with aspirations for transformation, notes Satu Limaye. He is director of the Washington office of the East-West Center, an American nonprofit group dedicated to promoting public diplomacy in the Asia-Pacific region.

Both are 'professional dealmakers'

Their origins are not only separated by a distance of 12,000 kilometers: Modi helped his father sell tea from a Gujarat street stall, while Trumps tutelage was in property development.

Their personal backgrounds dont matter at this point, Limaye tells VOA. They are professional dealmakers.

While Trump likes to set the tone with a very firm handshake, the barrel-chested Indian leader breaks the ice with bear hugs.

What they have both embraced is enthusiasm for Twitter, and they are among the most followed political figures on social media. Both will surely want to tout the success of this visit in 140 characters or less.

The news from Modi's and Trump's tweets is likely to come from their announcement of transactions, rather than geopolitical agreements.

The U.S. wants to treat India as a major defense partner in concrete terms [on a par] with our closest allies and partners, says the senior White House official.



Billion-dollar drone deal expected

A California drone-maker, General Atomics, confirms a deal is imminent for the sale of 22 Guardian (MQ-9) unarmed drones to Indias navy for maritime patrolling. The deal, estimated to be worth up to $3 billion, originally raised concerns at the State Department about putting such sophisticated surveillance capabilities in the Indian Ocean, where tensions could arise between India and its rival Pakistan.

We dont believe they represent a threat to Pakistan, counters the U.S. official. Its not a zero-sum game.

Also highlighted will be a tentative deal between Lockheed Martin and Tata Advanced Systems to produce F-16 fighter jets in India.

A senior White House official notes these defense deals support thousands of American jobs, but that may not be enough to appease some U.S. commercial sectors. With a $24 billion trade surplus in Indias favor, American manufacturers want action by Washington on a range of issues, including tariffs and localization, intellectual property and eliminating price controls on medical devices.

I think this is an opportunity for the prime minister and President Trump to sit down and figure out ways that both sides can grow their economies through the right set of trade policies, the vice president of international economic affairs at the National Association of Manufacturers, Linda Dempsey, told VOA.

India's values, ideas are close to US

On the other hand, a former high-ranking U.S. diplomat who served as ambassador to India in the early 1990s under President George H.W. Bush, Thomas Pickering, says he is concerned the two leaders will focus on short-term economic gains, at the expense of nurturing a longer-term strategic relationship.

Pickering tells VOA the Trump administration should see that India espouses values and ideas that are much closer to ours than the other dominant country in Asia - China.

A focus on commerce rather than geopolitics may come as a relief to traditionally nonaligned India.

India doesnt want a relationship with the U.S. built on an anti-China policy, says Limaye.

The two governments are working on a joint statement about fighting terrorism, and a senior White House official says: We can expect to see some new initiatives on counterterrorism cooperation."



India expects more attention from US

There is angst in New Delhi that Trump has not paid adequate attention to India, especially in contrast to his repeated praise for China and its leader, Xi Jinping.

For Trump, Foreign policy, on the whole, is not a priority, with the exception of the hot-ticket issues generating the headlines: Russia, Syria, ISIS, and the like, says Michael Kugelman, deputy director and senior associate for South Asia at the Wilson Center. In that regard, India has indeed been left in the lurch.

There have been two very good (Trump-Modi) phone calls, a senior White House official rebuts. It would be wrong to say this administration has been ignoring or not focusing on India.

Trump has generally been positive about India in public messaging. He previously visited Mumbai as a businessman, and he has Trump-branded properties in the country.

Hes not new to India, says the senior White House official, who also emphasizes that the president appreciates the contribution Indians have made to the U.S. economy, in particular through their embrace of innovation and entrepreneurship in Silicon Valley.

Both Trump and Modi enjoy support from a significant portion of the 3.5 million-member community of Indian-Americans.

This is the ballast in the relationship, says Limaye. But I dont think its a determiner.

Trump has named several members of the community to important positions. Nikki Haley is U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, Ajit Pai is chairman of the Federal Communications Commission and Seema Verma runs Medicare and Medicaid programs under the Department of Health and Human Services.
The top Democrat on the U.S. House Intelligence Committee on Sunday criticized the administration of former President Barack Obama for not taking earlier and tougher action against Russia for its alleged hacks aimed at swaying the Nov. 8 election for Donald Trump.

"The Obama administration should have done a lot more when it became clear that not only was Russia intervening, but it was being directed at the highest levels of the Kremlin," said Representative Adam Schiff on CNN's "State of the Union" program.



The Obama administration imposed sanctions in December on two Russian intelligence agencies over their alleged involvement in hacking political groups during the election, but those sanctions were too little, too late, Schiff said.

Schiff and his Senate counterpart, Dianne Feinstein, issued an unusual public statement in September condemning Russia for the alleged hacks. "We had to vet that with the intelligence community, but we took that step because we weren't succeeding in getting the administration to do it itself," Schiff said.
Lowell, a Massachusetts mill town known as the birthplace of the American Industrial Revolution, has recovered from a steep economic decline during the mid-20th century and is now a thriving and diverse melting pot, where members of ethnic and racial minorities are almost a majority of the population.

Despite this demographic shift, all six school committee members and nine city councilors are white, which doesnt sit well with the many residents who are not.

In May, 13 plaintiffs representing Asian-American and Hispanic voters filed a federal lawsuit alleging that Lowells at-large electoral system discriminated against them and people from their communities running for city offices.

The court's decision is not expected for at least a year, but the Lowell City Council is holding a special meeting June 27 with one item on the agenda: How should the city respond to the lawsuit? Should Lowell try to fight the suit in court, or place a referendum on the November election ballot asking voters whether they want to change or retain the at-large voting process?

The lawsuit asks the federal court to rule that Lowell's current voting system violates the U.S. Voting Rights Act, and to order the city to change to a system where votes by members of minority groups are not "improperly diluted, said Oren Sellstrom, litigation director of the Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights and Economic Justice.

This lack of representation has profound impact on the community whose voices are not being heard, Sellstrom told VOA Khmer. The suit alleges that impact extends to employment opportunities for members of the underrepresented groups.

Citywide voting only since 1957

Lowell now has the second-largest Cambodian-American community in the United States. The city implemented citywide or at-large district voting  also known as a winner-take-all electoral system  in 1957, shifting away from a system where voters chose candidates from separate lists in each ward.

Nationwide, at-large voting systems have faced criticism because candidates from varying social, racial and economic groups must compete against each other.

The Lowell lawsuit is similar to an earlier case that overturned winner-take-all voting in another Massachusetts city, Springfield. Supporters say both efforts belong to the long tradition of Americans fighting for equality in voting rights.

The Voting Rights Act signed into law by President Lyndon Johnson in August 1965 is considered one of the most significant pieces of civil-rights legislation ever enacted in the United States.

The law prohibiting racial discrimination in voting has been reviewed and argued over frequently during the past half-century, and Congress has amended it five times. Complaints filed to the U.S. Department of Justice over the years have centered on disputes between majority and minority communities in the nation  struggles that often play out as a contest between those who have privileges, power and wealth, and those who do not.

The Lowell lawsuit singles out a section of the Voting Rights Act that specifically prohibits state and local governments from using voting systems that result in discrimination against racial or ethnic minorities.

At-large voting hampers minorities

Rady Mom, the first Cambodian-American to win a statehouse race anywhere in the U.S., speaking to VOA Khmer after he was re-elected to the Massachusetts House of Representatives last year, said at-large electoral systems often favor the candidates most able to raise funds and discourage candidates without deep pockets, or who are members of minority communities, from entering the fray.

First, we [minority candidates] tend to not have enough funds to run a citywide campaign, and then its difficult for us to gain enough support. So really, two things we face are campaign funding shortage and [a lack of] supporters, Mom said.

Todays Lowell reflects his observations. Its home to 110,558 people  50.72 percent of them white or Caucasian. The racial and ethnic minorities who make up 49 percent of city's ethnicities originate in Asia, Africa, Hispanic countries or elsewhere, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Of the nine current city councilors, six are from the predominantly white and well-to-do Belvidere neighborhood. In 2015, the average household income there was $68,618, compared with a citywide average of $47,727, according to a private firm that collects and analyzes data about communities throughout the country.

Lianna Kushi, 33, a Japanese-American who works for a nonprofit and has lived in Lowell for 10 years, is a plaintiff in the lawsuit. She says the at-large voting system needs to change.

I believe the current at-large electoral system, unfortunately, is not fair, and does not allow for everyone to be represented in the city council and school committee, Kushi told VOA. That is the reason why I participated in this lawsuit.

White councilor's opposing view

Lowell City Councilor James Leary, who is white, says the lack of minority representation is not the result of the voting system. He blames the candidates.

People who run need to really work hard to get elected, Leary said. The father of two children, he served as a school committee member for 10 years before voters elected him to the city council seat in 2016. He is also a vice president of a local insurance agency.

I think a lot of folks [who ran] do not want to put effort and time in getting actually elected, Leary said.

Lowell resident Vesna Noun, a Cambodian-American, put in the effort. He ran for a city council seat in 2010 and won. That was his first campaign, but when he ran for re-election, he lost in 2013 and 2015. He is running again this November.

Since 1999 only four candidates from Asian or Hispanic communities have been elected to the city council. Voters have never selected a minority for the Lowell School Committee.

I find it hard [to believe] that people have a problem voting for a Cambodian person, because its an at-large system, Leary said. Give me an example that is real, in terms of me not representing somebody. And I dont see that; I dont have anybody coming up to me that says, You dont represent me.'"

Lowell's mayor: No comment

The city government has been silent since the lawsuit was filed, although residents tracking the issue have called for a dialogue. Mayor Ed Kennedy said he had no comment on the issue. Leary, however, said: If people want to have change  then we should listen and have that dialogue."

Sidney Liang, a Cambodian-American, directs a branch of the state government's Mass in Motion program for civic engagement from the Lowell Community Health Center. He agrees with Leary and hopes the city will have an open discussion about the voting-rights lawsuit with its residents.

We have no one to represent us at the city of Lowell, Liang said, and he feels its time for those in power to listen to the complaints. He is a 30-year Lowell resident who takes pride in the city's striking diversity and believes that minorities should be better represented on the town's governing bodies.

This isnt about Asian and Latino, this is about all voices being heard in our political system, Lianna Kushi said. If we have nine city council seats, and [six] school committee seats, they should not represent one type of voice.

Reform effort failed in 2009

A referendum in 2009 proposed that the city adopt a form of proportional representation for local offices -- still electing candidates citywide, but choosing them on the basis of voters' numerical rankings, listing the candidates they preferred as their first choice, second choice, and so on. Winners would be chosen after the ballots were combined on a weighted basis.

Opponents said that system was too complicated, and voters rejected it, 6,786-5,136. Even if the question had been approved, turnout for the referendum was too low to implement any changes in the city charter.

Last year one city councilor tried to have Lowell adopt a mixed electoral system, but the attempt failed because no one would second the council member's motion.

The federal lawsuit in 2006 that forced Springfield, Massachusetts, to change its electoral system from at-large to a mix of ward-based and district-based systems is very similar to the action sought by Lowell residents.

For former City Councilor Noun, the outcome in Springfield, less than 150 kilometers from Lowell, is a reason for hope. I am very confident that we will win this case. I can bet on it.  Its just a matter of time.
Egypt's president on Saturday ratified a disputed 2016 agreement under which his country would transfer control of two strategic Red Sea islands to Saudi Arabia, following through on his assertion earlier this week that the matter was closed.

News of President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi's ratification of the maritime border demarcation agreement with Saudi Arabia came in a Cabinet statement, which appeared to be carefully timed to head off, or at least delay, any street protests over the surrender of the islands, which the Egyptian government insists have always been Saudi.

It was issued shortly before sunset, when most were at or heading home to eat iftar - the meal with which Muslims break their fasts during their holy month of Ramadan.

A lunar month, Ramadan ends on Saturday and the three-day Muslim Eid al-Fitr holiday begins Sunday, with many Egyptians planning to take the whole week off to recover from grueling days of 16-hour fasts in sweltering summer heat.

This matter has been closed and I am only bringing it up again because we have nothing to hide, el-Sissi said in televised comments earlier this week. You have entrusted me with this nation and for this I will be held accountable not just before you but also before God.

Parliament approved the agreement on June 14 amid chaotic scenes of shouting matches by lawmakers arguing over the deal, whose announcement during an April 2016 visit by Saudi King Salman sparked the largest street protests since el-Sissi took office in 2014. Parliament's approval of the deal sparked a series of small protests earlier this month, but they were swiftly broken up by security forces.

Authorities have meanwhile arrested at least 120 people who voiced opposition or took to the streets to protest the agreement. Most of them have since been freed.

The government maintains that the Saudis placed the two islands under Egypt's protection in the 1950's amid Arab-Israeli tension. Critics say the islands were transferred in exchange for billions of dollars of Saudi aid. The government denies the claim, insisting it would never cede Egyptian territory to anyone.

Parliament's approval of the agreement was secured in defiance of two court rulings in June 2016 and January this year that reaffirmed Egypt's ownership of the islands.

However, the Supreme Constitutional Court on Wednesday annulled those two rulings as well as another two in support of the agreement. It said its decision was made upon a government request and that former tribunals may have infringed upon the prerogatives of the government's legislative and executive branches.

The islands of Tiran and Sanafir are at the mouth of the Gulf of Aqaba. Significantly, Tiran controls a narrow shipping lane - the so-called Strait of Tiran - that leads north to the ports of Eilat and Aqaba, in Israel and Jordan respectively. Israel occupied the two islands in the 1967 Arab-Israeli war but returned them to Egypt under the two countries' 1979 peace treaty.
The jihadis' targets in Europe are depressingly repetitive: the Brussels metro, the Champs-Elysees in Paris twice, tourist-filled bridges in London twice and a U.K. rock concert. And that's just the past few months.

The steady stream of attacks on centers of daily life have drawn pledges from Europeans not to let terrorists change how they live, but in ways large and small they already have.

There is a heightened awareness and quicker reactions, especially in the hardest-hit countries of France, Britain and Belgium, that would have seemed unthinkable just a few years ago.

In Brussels on Tuesday, a 36-year-old Moroccan man shouting "Allahu akbar!" set off a bomb among subway commuters. The bomb didn't detonate in full and a soldier shot him dead.

It was another Muslim, Mohamed Charfih, who demanded that the subway's doors be closed before the attacker could enter.

"I heard people on the platform shouting for help," he told the news site DH. He looked out and knew what he saw. "I screamed to close the doors immediately. I asked to get out of there as fast as possible and that everyone get down on the floor."

That reaction, blocking the door and fleeing, has become part of official instructions on what to do in case of an attack in France. Signs have been posted in public areas and even schools showing people running, ducking beneath a window, or using heavy furniture as a barricade.

Tensions are high enough in central Paris that on Thursday the quick-response police unit reacted to a witness' phone call about a man wearing a sidearm by tackling him on the street, only to learn that he was a ranking member of the anti-terrorism squad, according to French media.

In Britain, decades of IRA attacks prompted the installation of country-wide TV surveillance cameras - one of the most expansive systems in the world. Paris is quickly ramping up its own camera system, to the point where authorities were able this week to track the minute-by-minute path of the man who tried to attack a Champs-Elysee gendarme patrol until the moment he rammed their vehicle. The man died of burns and smoke inhalation - the only casualty of his act - but left behind a substantial arsenal.

Both Britain and France have installed barriers around airports, train stations and other public buildings in recent years. Since the Westminster bridge attack in March, however, talks are underway to install even more barriers on bridges and around crowded places such as London's Borough Market, where three attackers this month went on a stabbing rampage after crashing their vehicle on a busy street not far from London Bridge.

Echoing France, London's security authorities have issued advice to pubs and restaurants since the attacks with the message of "Run, Tell and Hide." The advice includes establishing whether the threat is inside or outside and not waiting for police to decide whether the venue should be locked down or evacuated.

Few British commuters have changed their habits. After suicide bombers in 2005 struck trains and buses during a busy London morning rush-hour, scores of commuters started riding bicycles to work. That method of transport has its own problems in London - with the number of annual cyclist deaths a rising concern.

Three of the four recent attacks, however, have involved the use of a vehicle as a weapon - much like the deadly 2016 Nice attack in France that killed 87 people.

"I suppose I could try taking a boat to work, but before long I'm sure they would attack those too. So I'm just taking my chances," said Rohan Chansity, a 34-year-old finance worker in London.

Parents and teachers are talking to children more about being observant - a skill often lost on a gadget-obsessed generation.

A suicide bomber blew himself up last month at Manchester Arena, killing 22 people, mostly young concert-goers.

"We talk about being observant, looking for exits, making sure you're around a responsible crowd - but in the end, it's not like I'm going to keep her from going to concerts," said Moira Campbell, 45, who has a 15-year-old daughter.

Tourists, too, say they are aware of potential dangers but have refused to be cowed.

Dave Howland, who traveled from New Hampshire to London with his youngest son a few days before the Borough Market attack, said he was conscious of the threat when he went to Shakespeare's Globe theatre, a round wooden venue in the Borough Market area.

"I looked around and didn't see exit signs," said the 47-year-old English teacher who lives in Durham. "But then I looked around and saw this performance and that people were celebrating life. So I thought, we're going to enjoy the moment. London is an incredible city, and life is too short not to enjoy everything you can."

The latest would-be assailant on the Champs-Elysees had an arsenal of firearms in both his car and at home, and France's anti-terrorism prosecutor said disaster was averted only by sheer luck. It was the second attack in less than two months on the famous avenue.

Still, tourists and Parisians still flock to the Champs-Elysees, watched over by camouflaged soldiers carrying automatic rifles. And in Brussels, the day after the fizzled metro bombing, the headlines focused on how to cope with the recent heat wave.

The weather, it seems, is not going away - just like the jihadi threats.
Homelessness is increasing in Los Angeles, and the signs are visible. From tents under freeways and shopping carts at street corners, to people begging for money outside fast-food restaurants, the number of homeless people in Los Angeles county has risen by 23 percent, to nearly 58,000. It is a life Destiny Prescott knows all too well.

I was sleeping in a car; I was sleeping at the beach, pregnant. I was four months pregnant at the time, Prescott remembered. She grew up in an unstable home and ended up using drugs and alcohol, then lost her job and her home.

Substance abuse is one cause of homelessness. Others include domestic violence, mental and physical disabilities. However, an even larger cause is due to economic factors. Peter Lynn, executive director of the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority, said this occurs when a tight rental market develops in a city that already has a high poverty rate.

"As the economy picks up steam, theres more spending power [that] comes into the rental market, and a lot of it goes out again as rent increases," Lynn said. "Rents are moving up $100, $200 [a month]. No ones income is keeping pace with that."

US homelessness down 3% overall

Data from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development covering 2015-2016, indicates a three-percent drop in homelessness nationwide, but at the same time, the number of homeless people increased in 13 of the 50 states and the District of Columbia, home of the nation's capital.

California is one of those 13 states, and it has one of the highest homeless populations in the country.

In cities such as Los Angeles, the rich are getting richer and the middle class is slowly disappearing, said Tanya Tull, a homeless advocate who founded Partnering for Change, an organization that helps with stable housing for children and families.

Venice, a beach community in Los Angeles, is a place where people in homeless encampments live side-by-side with residents of multimillion-dollar homes.

Residents find homeless people ... defecating in their backyard, said William Hawkins, chairman of the Venice Homeless Committee and a resident.

Its not about criminalizing homelessness. Its simply criminalizing criminal behavior and when you have an encampment like this, that from midnight to four oclock becomes a night club and an area where people are doing drugs, its not fair to the residents, said Hawkins.

'Housing First' approach

To reduce the number of homeless people, one approach adopted by Los Angeles and other parts of the country is the Housing First model. These programs put homeless people into permanent housing without requirements such attending parenting classes or being free of addiction. Advocates say that by focusing on solving the housing problem without preconditions, people are better able to address the other problems in their lives.

The human mind needs to have a home, a safe space, and so whatever it takes we should be developing innovative approaches to creating those safe spaces that people control. It is a basic human right, said Tanya Tull, who has been advocating for the Housing First approach for the last three decades.

You put them in housing and then you wrap around cares. You have home visits and case management and health care and mental health care, said Tessa Madden Storms, senior director of development and communications for PATH, a family of agencies that work to end homelessness in California.

Destiny Prescott and her daughter found help at a housing program called PATH Gramercy.

It makes me feel like a good mom," explained Prescott. "Were in our own space. We get to lock our door. We have our key. It just feels nice. It makes me feel good.

While Los Angeles works on building new housing and turning existing buildings into permanent housing for the homeless, advocates and citizens such as those in the Venice Homeless Committee also are working on other approaches, such as reuniting the homeless with their families.
The deputy commander of the U.S.-led coalition working to defeat the Islamic State group said Monday "the final liberation of Mosul is drawing ever closer."

British Major General Rupert Jones said during a briefing that Iraqi forces are going block by block to clear the final militants from Mosul, a city Islamic State seized three years ago.

Jones also said the fall of the group's de facto capital in Raqqa, Syria "is just a matter of time," but cautioned that battle will not be quick or easy.

"Daesh are fighting for their lives, so their ability to plan and direct attacks is significantly degraded," Jones said, using an Arabic acronym for the militant group.

Iraqi troops backed by coalition airstrikes and ground support pushed deeper into Mosul's Old City on Sunday, with one Iraqi commander saying 65 to 70 percent of the city had been liberated.

Lieutenant Colonel Salam al-Obeidi estimated there were only "a few hundred" Islamic State fighters left in Mosul, and that there remained less than one square kilometer to retake from the militants.

Another commander, Staff Lieutenant-General Abdulwahab al-Saadim, predicted, "We will finish the operation within a few days. The end is going to be very soon, it will take days." Iraqi troops have led the fight to retake Mosul, held by the militants since 2014, but a U.S.-led international coalition has provided air and ground support.

Eight month battle

Much of the Old City has been devastated in eight months of fighting, including the landmark 850-year-old Grand al-Nuri mosque and its leaning 45-meter minaret that jihadists blew up four days ago.

With the Iraqi advance, some in Mosul celebrated the Muslim Eid al-Fitr holiday marking the end of the fasting month of Ramadan, with children playing in squares on the eastern side of the city that had been liberated months ago.

In a statement, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said, "As our heroic forces are closer to declaring final victory over the Daesh (Islamic State) gangs, I offer my most sincere congratulations for Eid al-Fitr."

Even with the possibility of an imminent Iraqi takeover of Mosul, one U.S. analyst voiced concerns that Baghdad is not prepared to assume governmental control of the city.

Michael O'Hanlon, director of foreign policy research at Brookings Institution, a Washington think tank, told Alhurra, the U.S.-owned Arabic-language satellite TV network, that he is worried "about the potential of another extremist Sunni group emerging. Defeating one extremist group doesnt stop the surge."

O'Hanlon said that after the liberation of Mosul, "governance must be preserved and all groups must have access to governance. Otherwise Mosul can become a place where extremists can re-emerge.

WATCH: The Brookings Institution's Michael O'Hanlon on the importance of good governance after Mosul falls

"From what I hear, there is no particular concept on how to govern Mosul thats competent and inclusive," O'Hanlon said. "It is not enough to have a couple of Sunnis in the government. People have to be governing, appointing jobs, building the police force. Were going to have to manage frustration and grievances and the way to do that is to have an inclusive government."
The Israeli military said Sunday that it had attacked a series of targets belonging to the Syrian regime after projectiles from the neighboring country landed in its territory for the second day in a row.

The military "targeted two artillery positions and an ammunitions truck belonging to the Syrian regime," after "errant fire" from Syria hit the Israeli-controlled Golan Heights for a second day, it said in a statement.

No casualties were reported, but the Israeli military warned civilians to avoid gathering in open areas near the border.

Hours earlier, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed Saturday's attacks in a meeting with his cabinet.

"We will not tolerate any spillover or trickle whatsoever - neither mortars nor rockets, from any front. We will respond strongly to any attack on our territory or our citizens," he said.

Israel hasn't played an active role in the war in Syria, but has responded in the past when the fighting spilled over across the Syrian border.

In April, Israel shot down what it called a target over the Golan Heights.

Israel annexed the Golan area following the Six-Day War in 1967, but the move was never recognized by the international community.
The fundamental nature of the relationship between Washington and New Delhi will be up for discussion at the White House Monday when Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrives for his first meeting with President Donald Trump. VOA White House correspondent Peter Heinlein reports the two leaders will be looking to put the bilateral trade relationship on a positive track.
Muslims in Asia celebrated the Eid-al-Fitr religious holiday on Sunday with prayers for peace as they marked the end of Islam's holy month of Ramadan.

As at the start of Ramadan, during which believers abstain from eating and drinking during daylight hours, Eid-al-Fitr depends on the sighting of the moon and its celebration varies in different countries.

The day begins with early morning prayers and then family visits and feasts.

In Jakarta, the capital of Indonesia, residents said they hoped the spirit of Eid would overcome fears about rising militancy in the country with the largest number of Muslims.

A police officer was killed on Sunday in an attack by suspected Islamist militants in the city of Medan.

Islamic State sympathizers have carried out a series of mostly low-level attacks in Indonesia over the past few years.

"I think we need to go back to the basis of Islam which is to give peace to all mankind," Samsul Arifin told Reuters Television.

In the Philippines, fighting between government forces and Islamist rebels in the southern town of Marawi eased on Sunday as the military sought to enforce a temporary truce to mark the Eid holiday.

Small skirmishes took place early in the day in parts of Marawi, where fighters loyal to Islamic State were clinging on for a fifth week.

Muslims attended prayers at a Marawi mosque in an emotional gathering. The fighting has displaced some 246,000 people, and killed more than 350 people, most of them rebels, and about 69 members of the security forces.

"This is the most painful, the most sorrowful occasion, Eid al-Fitr, that we have experienced for the last hundreds of years," said Zia Alonto Adiong, a spokesman for the provincial crisis committee.

In Malaysia, the civil war in Yemen was on the minds of two refugees who prayed at the main mosque in the capital Kuala Lumpur.

Sisters Sumayah and Nabila Ali said they sought refuge in Malaysia after fleeing Yemen where more than 10,000 people have died in two years of conflict.

"When we say poor people, children who are not safe, are always in danger, we hope that one day it will be safe again and people will be happy again. Inshallah," said 28-year-old Sumayah.
Gunmen burst into a restaurant and killed the federal police commander for Veracruz and a second officer in another bloody day for the Mexican state.

The police officers were among at least 10 people slain in Veracruz state on Saturday, including four children from one family, according to local officials.

Veracruz Gov. Miguel Angel Yunes released a video calling the killers "beasts" and "cowards" and repeated his vow to crack down on organized crime in the troubled Gulf coast state.

"We are going to do everything, whatever it may be," he said. "Veracruz will not be hostage to these animals."

The killing of federal police commissioner Camilo Castagne in the city of Cardel came two days after he had appeared with Yunes at an anti-crime event that was prompted by the discovery of dismembered bodies in bags left outside the office of a security official. Yunes said in the video that two police officers died with Castagne but later clarified that one officer had died and the other was injured.

Also in Veracruz, gunmen killed an entire family made up of four children and two adults in Coatzacoalcos and two women were killed in the city of Orizaba.

The state has suffered waves of killings, kidnappings and extortion by organized crime gangs. Federal statistics indicate 625 people were killed in Veracruz during the first five months of 2017, a 93 percent jump over the same period last year. And at least 300 bodies have been unearthed from mass graves used by gangs to bury their victims.

Yunes took office late last year following turmoil over the resignation of former Gov. Javier Duarte, who vanished while facing corruption allegations. He was tracked down and arrested in Guatemala in April and faces extradition proceedings. Mexican prosecutors accuse him of using front men and shell companies to amass properties acquired with money stolen from the state.
Saudi Arabia has donated $66.7 million to UNICEF and the World Health Organization to combat cholera in Yemen.

Stephen OBrien, the United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, said Saturday the number of suspected cholera cases in Yemen surpassed 200,000 this week.

UNICEF Director Anthony Lake and WHO chief Margaret Chan said in a statement Saturday, "we are now facing the worst cholera outbreak in the world, with an average of 5,000 new cases every day.

OBrien said the deterioration in the humanitarian situation in Yemen over the past two years with 6.8 million people now a step away from famine and 1,300 deaths associated with the current cholera epidemic was preventable.

The cholera epidemic comes amid more than two years of intensified conflict in Yemen headed up by a Saudi-led coalition that has killed nearly 5,000 civilians.

OBrien said, As critical as humanitarian aid is at this juncture, the only lasting solution to horrors like cholera and famine is to end the conflict.

Cholera is an extremely virulent disease that can cause severe acute watery diarrhea, taking between 12 hours and five days for a person to show symptoms after ingesting contaminated food or water. Cholera affects both children and adults and can kill within hours if untreated.
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Three years after Islamic State was ousted in Iraqs Salahuddin province, 12,000 Sunni residents of Sulaiman Bek are unable to return home because Shi'ite Popular Mobilization Forces militiamen turned the town into a military base. VOAs Dlshad Anwar reports.
On the anniversary of the beginning of the Korean war, the South's leader called on the North to stop its nuclear and ballistic missile development.

"The North continues provocative military actions such as launching a ballistic missile," South Korean Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon told veterans and government officials at a ceremony Sunday honoring the 67th anniversary of the start of the 1950-1953 Korean war.

Amid fears that the North will conduct a sixth nuclear test this year in defiance of U.N. Security Council resolutions, Lee called on Pyongyang to "come out on to the path of denuclearization on the Korean peninsula."

The Korean War ended in armistice in 1953; however, a peace treaty was never signed, leaving the two countries in a technical state of war.
Governments around the world are using surveillance software that taps into individual smartphones, taking screenshots, reading email and tracking users movements, according to security experts and civil liberties groups.

The rise of so-called spyware comes as electronic communications have become more encrypted, frustrating law enforcement and governments surveillance efforts.

Over the past several years, private companies have begun selling advanced software that first appears as a text message with a link. When a person clicks on the link, the phone becomes infected. A third party can then read emails, take data and listen to audio, as well as track users movements.

The companies that sell this spyware exclusively to government agencies insist that the software must be used only in a legal manner, to fight crime and terrorism. However, security researchers and civil liberties groups contend that some governments use the programs to track human rights activists, journalists and others.

A recent story in The New York Times focused on activists and journalists in Mexico who have received text messages and emails with links that, if clicked on, would infect their devices with spyware. In some cases, the messages appeared to come from legitimate sources, such as the U.S. Embassy.

The Mexican government says it does not target activists, journalists and others with spyware unless it has prior judicial authorization.

Lawful intercept

In recent years, theres been a rise in software sales in what is known as the lawful intercept market, said Mike Murray, vice president of security intelligence at Lookout, a mobile security company based in San Francisco, California.

Countries that cant make their own surveillance software can now buy sophisticated surveillance tools, Murray said.

Whats new is the enthusiasm [from] nation-states. ... Its a capability they always wished they had. Now they have it, he added.

Lookout, which makes security software and services, receives monthly information from more than 100 million phones in 150 countries. It has seen spyware in every kind of contentious place around the world, Murray said.

Nation-state use

The use of nation-state spyware used to be limited to a handful of governments, said Eva Galperin, director of cybersecurity at the Electronic Frontier Foundation, a nonprofit digital rights group. But now that the price of the spyware has come down, countries can spend a few hundred thousand dollars to get the same capability.

Galperin spent three weeks in Mexico last year training activists. One tip she gives: Users who are not certain that a link in email or a text message is safe should forward it to a separate account, such as Googles Gmail or Google Docs, to prevent infection.

We should be very concerned, Galperin said. Surveillance malware is incredibly powerful. You have full control of the machine. You can see everything the user can see, and do everything the user can do.
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad delivered prayers for Islam's Eid al-Fitr holiday in Hama on Sunday, the furthest he has travelled inside Syria in years, showing his growing confidence.

State television broadcast footage of Assad standing to pray in a large mosque in Hama behind its imam, with other clerics standing alongside and a large crowd of worshippers.

State news agency SANA quoted the preacher as saying that Assad's presence in the city for Eid showed that victory and the return of security were only "a few steps" away.

Syria's civil war has turned to Assad's favor since 2015, when Russia sent its jets to help his army and allied Shi'ite militias backed by Iran turn back rebels and win new ground.

Since the war began in 2011, it has killed hundreds of thousands, driven millions more from their homes, sparked a global refugee crisis and drawn in regional and world powers.

The conflict is far from over. Rebels hold swathes of the country, including around Idlib province near Hama, and launched a new attack in Quneitra in the southwest on Saturday.

Rebels also hold the Eastern Ghouta area near Damascus, parts of the desert in the southeast and a large pocket south of Hama around the city of Rastan.

As recently as March, rebels advanced from Idlib province to within a few kilometres of Hama, before the army and its allies pushed them back in weeks of fierce fighting.



However, the army drove insurgents from their biggest urban stronghold in Aleppo in December and have also forced several important rebel enclaves to surrender over the past year.

Focus on Islamic State

Assad has not made a declared visit to Hama, which is about 185 km (115 miles) from Damascus, since the war began. Last year he delivered Eid prayers in Homs, about 40km (25 miles) closer to Damascus.

Early in the crisis he visited Raqqa, a city that has since become the Syrian capital of Islamic State and now faces an assault by a U.S.-backed coalition to drive out the militants.

The fight against Islamic State, which has attacked Western cities, has become the focus of Western leaders, some of whom have softened demands that Assad must quit to end the crisis.

In March, U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said Assad's fate would be decided by Syrians, a change in rhetoric after years of insisting he step down to allow a political solution.

France's new President Emmanuel Macron said this month he did not see Assad's departure as a condition to end the fighting and the priority was stopping Syria becoming a failed state.

The U.S. and other Western states, along with Turkey and Gulf monarchies, have long supported some of the rebels, an array of groups that includes Islamist and nationalist factions. Assad describes them all as terrorists.

His military has said its focus is on the campaign in the desert, where it is advancing against Islamic State to relieve a besieged government enclave in the city of Deir al-Zor.
Turkish police stopped protesters and attempted to disperse those marching for LGBT rights in Istanbul Sunday, a day after the governor banned the march.

The French press agency, AFP, reported rubber bullets being fired to break up the crowds.

Organizers of the march had vowed to gather in Taksim square despite the event being banned by the Turkish government for the third year in a row.

"We are here again to show that we will fight in a determined fashion for our pride," the Pride Committee said in a statement Sunday.

On Saturday, the governor's office announced it would not give permission to the parade organizers out of concern for the safety of the marchers and tourists in the city.

It said a number of groups had serious reactions to the march, which was planned to coincide with the first day of the Islamic feast of Eid al-Fitr, and urged citizens against continuing with the parade in violation of the ban.

The march was cancelled last year after bombings by the Islamic State group and Kurdish militants raised security levels. Police used tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse people who marched in spite of the warnings.

Unlike some other Muslim countries, there is no law in Turkey forbidding homosexuality. The parade has been held since 2003, and drawn peaceful crowds of more than 100,000 people.
The Ukrainian military has said that two soldiers were killed and two wounded in the eastern part of the country despite a cease-fire that began Friday.

In a statement posted on Facebook on Saturday, the military accused anti-government rebels of firing artillery rounds in both the Luhansk and Donetsk regions. The statement did not provide details about the casualties.

The two sides and representatives of Moscow and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) agreed on the cease-fire on June 21. It is intended to last until August 31 to allow locals to harvest crops.

Representatives of the Russia-backed rebels on June 24 accused government forces of violating the cease-fire 10 times, adding that information about the purported violations had been sent to the OSCE monitors.

The conflict in eastern Ukraine has claimed more than 10,000 lives since it began in early 2014, shortly after Moscow annexed the Ukrainian region of Crimea.

Some information for this report came from AFP.
U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said Sunday that it "will be very difficult" for Qatar to meet some of the demands that Saudi Arabia and three of its allies are making on Doha, but urged that they negotiate an end to the Persian Gulf diplomatic standoff.

Tillerson, in a statement a day after Qatar rejected the demands as unreasonable and impinging on its sovereignty, said, "there are significant areas which provide a basis for ongoing dialogue leading to resolution." Tillerson did not say on what issues he thought Egypt, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates and the Saudis could reach agreement with Doha.

The four Arab governments, which severed diplomatic links with Qatar more than two weeks ago on grounds that it was fomenting terrorism in the region, delivered their demands to Qatar last week through mediator Kuwait. Among other items, the four countries demanded that Qatar shut down the Al-Jazeera television network, long a source of conflict between Qatar and its neighbors.

The four countries also demanded that Qatar end its ties to the Muslim Brotherhood, Islamic State, al-Qaida and Lebanon's Iran-backed Hezbollah movement. In addition, the four Arab governments want Qatar to downgrade links with Iran, turn over opposition figures it has been holding and shut a Turkish military base in the emirate.



Qatar said the demands confirmed "what Qatar has said from the beginning  the illegal blockade has nothing to do with combating terrorism, it is about limiting Qatar's sovereignty, and outsourcing our foreign policy."

Tillerson said that "a productive next step would be for each of the countries to sit together and continue this conversation. We believe our allies and partners are stronger when they are working together towards one goal, which we all agree is stopping terrorism and countering extremism."



The top U.S. diplomat said that "each country involved has something to contribute to that effort. A lowering of rhetoric would also help ease the tension. The United States will continue to stay in close contact with all parties and will continue to support the mediation efforts of the emir of Kuwait."

Middle East Institute scholar Zubair Iqbal says there is a possibility for Qatar to meet some of the demands. But he told VOA there is also a risk in making militant movements more volatile if they are forced underground.

"It's very important to realize that if you do not give flexibility and leeway to organizations like, for example, Brotherhood, then theyre going to react. And when they react theyre going to hurt Emiratis and in particular Saudi Arabia," Iqbal said.
A Vietnamese dissident who says he was arrested at his home in southern Ho Chi Minh City and forcibly exiled to France said Sunday he is determined to continue his activity as a pro-democracy blogger.

Pham Minh Hoang, a 61-year-old math lecturer, recounted his arrest and deportation in a phone interview with The Associated Press a few hours after his arrival in France. He said three police officers burst into his house on Friday and grabbed his arms when he refused to follow them while wearing only shorts, an undershirt and slippers.

"Once outside, I was horrified to see that there were not three, but a hundred policemen in uniform and in plain clothes around my house and in the neighboring streets," said Hoang, who was a dual French-Vietnamese national before he was stripped of his Vietnamese citizenship last month.

Forced on plane

After being detained in front of his wife, Hoang said he was driven to a detention center two hours away, where he spent 24 hours and was visited by the Consul General of France. He said Vietnamese authorities forced him on a plane to Paris on Saturday night.

Hoang's deportation came two weeks after he learned a presidential decree had revoked his Vietnamese citizenship. Human Rights Watch denounced Hoang's expulsion in a statement as a "blatantly illegal, rights violating act" that effectively forces the activist into "indefinite exile."

Vietnam's Foreign Ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment Sunday. The French foreign ministry confirmed Hoang has arrived in France and that its Consul General assisted him in Ho Chi Minh City. As a French citizen, he can settle in the country and enjoy a full freedom of speech, the ministry said.

The human rights activist and blogger was sentenced to three years in prison in 2011 for attempted subversion by posting articles on his blog criticizing the Communist government and for being a member of the California-based Vietnam Reform Party, or Viet Tan. The government considers Viet Tan a terrorist organization.

Hoang eventually served 17 months in prison and three years of house arrest.

International human rights groups and some Western governments have criticized Vietnam for jailing people for peacefully expressing their views, but Hanoi says only law breakers are put behind bars.

"The vaguely worded decision was a thinly veiled move to silence Pham Minh Hoang for his peaceful advocacy," Viet Tan said in a statement about the stripping of Vietnamese citizenship from Hoang.

Before being deported from his country, Hoang said he was questioned at length by two officials whom he thinks were members of the political police. When he refused to consent to his deportation, he said officials reminded him that his wife and daughter were still living in Vietnam. Two policemen slept in the room where he was held, he said.

France is not a country unknown to Hoang. He studied and lived here for 27 years between 1973 and 2000, working as a computer and civil engineer. It is where he started to write articles critical of his country's regime. He said he returned to Vietnam to teach and help the Vietnamese youth with the new technologies.

Today, he doesn't know who will take care of the disabled brother who lived with him in Ho Chi Minh City. He hopes he'll be able to stay in regular contact with his wife and his 13-year-old daughter.

"I will continue to help my daughter do her homework, using internet video or other secure means," he said.

Hoang assumes he will have to remain in France for a long time and said he is determined to continue his political activism  "my raison d'etre"  as an exile.

"I still have a little hope, one day, to come back to live and die in Vietnam," he said.
The Smithsonian Folklife Festival will include an acrobatic performance by the St. Louis Arches, part of an organization called Circus Harmony. (Jessica Hentoff)

When the Smithsonian Institution held its first Folklife Festival, on the Mall in 1967, it celebrated traditional American arts and crafts with banjo pickers and lion dancers, sand painters and basket weavers. The four-day celebration used just two tents and a stage.

Fifty years later, the Smithsonian Folklife Festival has expanded to include more than 700 performers and speakers scattered across the Mall  including jugglers, acrobats and clowns prancing under one very large big-top tent.

The circus is a good way to talk about how people from all parts of the world come to the United States and enrich our cultural life, says festival director Sabrina Lynn Motley. Shes put together a two-week circus smorgasbord that, starting Thursday, will introduce audiences to performers such as the Wallenda family of high-wire artists and the Georgia-based UniverSoul Circus, which features acrobats and daredevils from 24 countries.

Although previous Folklife Festivals have focused on the culture of places around the world (last years fest centered on the Basque region of France and Spain), Motley says she wanted to look behind the scenes of an art form that has entertained Americans from the 1790s through the heyday of the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus, which ended its long run in May. The festival also focuses on migration, the movement of people to the United States and within the country, and how that has affected American culture.

[Meet Ringling Bros. first African American ringmaster, Johnathan Lee Iverson]

Makenna Cook, 15, stars in a circus show called Wonderland, based on the Alice stories and movies. (Bill Raab)

Visitors can go to shows at the big top, hear clowns explain how they create their red-nosed characters, and even learn from the performers themselves  including kids such as 15-year-old Makenna Cook. Shes a member of Circus Juventas (pronounced joo-VENT-as), a youth circus program in St. Paul, Minnesota, and stars in Wonderland, a show based on the Alice stories and movies. Its sort of like a play or musical, but with flips and tricks. Lots of them.

When I explain the circus to my friends, she says, they usually think of animals: Do you pick up elephant poop? No, thats not anything close to what I do.

Makenna was a competitive dancer until she was 10, when she saw a Circus Juventas show and decided she needed to run away with the circus. She began taking classes and now knows how to juggle, unicycle, fly on the trapeze and walk on the high wire. To prepare for Wonderland, in which she plays a hyperenergetic Alice, she trained from 4 p.m. to 9:15 p.m. every weeknight.

It seems like it would be awful, she says, not getting to hang out with friends from school or pursue her other hobbies (writing fantasy stories and studying sign language). But this is where Im at home, this is where I feel safe  even when she occasionally fell off the high wire into a safety net.

Everyone falls, she says. Thats how you learn: You have to fall.

Correction: An earlier version of this story incorrectly reported the pronunciation of Circus Juventas. It is pronounced joo-VENT-as, not you-VENT-as.
Amy Siskind, who spent 20 years working on Wall Street, now publishes a popular weekly list keeping track of changing norms in America as a result of Donald Trump's presidency. (Paul Kingsley)

Shortly after Donald Trump was elected president, Amy Siskind took one of her occasional trips to Val-Kill, the Upstate New York home of Eleanor Roosevelt.

I needed a Zen moment, Siskind, who had campaigned for Hillary Clinton, told me. And that is a place that inspires me.

Soon afterward, Siskind began keeping what she calls the Weekly List, tracking all the ways in which she saw Americas taken-for-granted governmental norms changing in the Trump era.

The project started small, read by friends and with only a few items a week.

By Week 9, though, the list had gone viral.

It blew up  I had 2 million views that week, she said. People were responding like crazy, saying things like, Im praying for you. 

As time went on, the list grew much longer and more sophisticated. Here are three of her 85 items from mid-June:

Monday, in a bizarre display in front of cameras, Trumps cabinet members took turns praising him.

AP reported that a company that partners with both Trump and (son-in-law) Jared Kushner is a finalist for a $1.7bn contract to build the new FBI building.

Vice President Pence hired a big-name lawyer with Watergate experience to represent him in the Russian probe.

Now, in Week 32, every item has a source link, and rather than just a few items, there are dozens. (Her weekly audience usually hits hundreds of thousands, she said, on platforms including Medium, Facebook and Twitter.)

The idea, she said, came from her post-election reading about how authoritarian governments take hold  often with incremental changes that seem shocking at first but quickly become normalized. Each post begins with: Experts in authoritarianism advise to keep a list of things subtly changing around you, so youll remember.

Shes not the only one to have this idea; on Twitter, for example, designer Laura Olin created @_rememberbot, where frequent tweets begin with the words It is not normal and catalogue the oddities of TrumpWorld. (It is not normal for U.S. presidents to criticize federal judges.)

But Siskind may be the most dogged and systematic. One follower even made a searchable database of her lists.

Its scary to look back on the early weeks and see what weve already gotten used to, she said. Examples: a secretary of state who rarely speaks publicly, the failure to fill important positions in many agencies, a president who often eschews intelligence briefings in favor of Fox & Friends.

We forget all the things we should be outraged about, Siskind said.

Jay Rosen, a New York University journalism professor and author of the PressThink blog, called Siskinds efforts a service that is thoroughly journalistic and much needed.

The lists help people experience the history that is being made and keeps them alive and alert to the dangers of eroding norms, Rosen said.

In their user-friendly format, he said, they are one way of dealing with an overload of significant news, a surplus of eventfulness that allows things to hide in plain sight simply because there are too many of them to care about.

Its also, Rosen said, something that journalists cant  or dont  do, as they pay attention to the political dust-up of the day and dont always provide much context or seem to remember what happened last month or last year. (Since taking office, Trump has been at one of his properties every 3.5 days, Siskind wrote this month.)

From Siskinds point of view, an experiment has become a mission  one that sometimes competes for attention with bringing up her two kids and running a pro-women nonprofit organization that she founded.

It has required stamina that Ive never had before, Siskind said.

Her followers appreciate the effort, if not the disturbing content. Kate McCreedy wrote on Twitter: I read this every week. Absorb it. Get a stomachache. And Jake Orlowitz, on Medium, called Siskind brilliant for compiling a terrifying collection of horribles.

She posts the list on Saturday on Facebook and Twitter, and Sunday on Medium, after working on it for 15 or 20 hours a week.

Siskind, who lives just outside New York City, left Wall Street in 2006. Over a 20-year career, shed become an expert in distressed-debt trading and, at one point, co-headed the trading department at Morgan Stanley and became the first female managing director at another firm.

She co-founded the New Agenda to focus attention on issues affecting the success of women and girls, including pay discrimination, sexual harassment and sexual assault on college campuses. She is also an LGBT advocate.

How long does she plan to keep up the list-making? Until hes out of power, she said, which she believes  and fervently hopes  will happen before the end of the first presidential term.

I dont have a grand plan, she said. I just want to be able to trace our way back.

This column has been updated.

For more by Margaret Sullivan, visit wapo.st/sullivan.
Firefighters spray water on a fire at an apartment building in the 1300 block of Peabody Street in Northwest Washington. (Salwan Georges/The Washington Post)

A body was discovered Sunday morning in the Northwest Washington apartment building that was the scene of a three-alarm fire Saturday, and the investigation turned to the unit where the remains were found.

D.C. Fire Chief Gregory M. Dean said the body of an unidentified man was discovered early Sunday in the top-floor apartment believed to be where the blaze originated. The death investigation has been turned over to D.C. police, officials said.

D.C. police spokeswoman Aquita Brown confirmed police are conducting a death investigation but provided no further details.

Dean said search dogs found no signs that there were additional fatalities.

Meanwhile, fire investigators probed the cause of the fire, which displaced about 200 residents from the 55-unit brick complex in the 1300 block of Peabody Street. Residents jumped from windows of the Rolling Terrace apartment complex, some crawling on their hands and knees to avoid smoke, as the fire blazed through the four-floor building.

(Twitter/@dcfireems)

[Massive blaze at Northwest D.C. apartment building displaces more than 100]

Firefighters showed up that night  Saturday morning  [and] they had people coming out of the window, they had people in the hallway, they had people throughout the building, Dean said at a news briefing Sunday. Their first job was to do the rescue.

Now, he said, the focus turns to the cause and origin of the fire  but investigators face numerous obstacles: namely, the massive pile of rubble left by the blaze.

The roof fell down, theyve got gravel in there, theyve got a certain amount of tar and everything else, so all thats gonna have to be cut away, Dean said. I know were not going to finish this investigation today.

Officials said one resident and five firefighters were taken to the hospital with injuries that were not believed to be life-threatening. The firefighters had been treated and released Sunday, the department said.

The fire began about 3 a.m. Saturday, leaving dense smoke and some flames visible for at least six hours. At least a dozen people were rescued by ladder or evacuated through smoke-filled stairwells and hallways.

With zero visibility, Dean said Saturday, firefighters swept the building for remaining occupants at least twice but did not find anyone inside. It wasnt until Saturday night when officials were interviewing building occupants that they learned someone was still unaccounted for.

The Red Cross set up a shelter nearby to assist residents.

[Smoke billows from roof of D.C. hotel Saturday; guests evacuated]

Displaced residents trickling in and out of the shelter Sunday described the fear they felt while escaping their burning home. Many were still coming to terms with what happened.

With the fire alarm blaring and the hallway full of smoke, Angel Marquez threw a table and chair through his first-floor apartment window, shattering it to escape.

He had his 12-year-old son jump out and hang onto a power cable until a neighbor below could grab his feet and pull him to safety. Then Marquez jumped out behind his wife, while neighbors yelled Fuego! and screamed for help through the smoke.

What are we going to do? Marquez, 39, said Sunday in Spanish. Tears streamed down his face as he spoke about his wife and son. They are very sad, he said.

The Red Cross assisted 54 families, for a total of 180 people, in the aftermath of the fire, said Paul Carden, the groups regional disaster officer. Officials interviewed each resident, provided financial assistance and connected them with relevant agencies.

Julio Guity-Guevara, deputy director of the Mayors Office on Latino Affairs, said about 45 people at the shelter were children and 60 to 70 percent of the people were of Latino or African descent and did not speak English as their first language. Officials said the apartment building is considered unsafe and it is unknown when or whether residents will be able to return. There was extensive smoke, fire and heat damage to the upper floors, where the fire broke out, and water damage extended to the basement.

Many of the residents expressed concern about replacing important documents, such as passports and identification cards, which the Latino Affairs office is assisting with, Guity-Guevara said.

Arianna Royster, executive vice president of Borger Management, which oversees the apartment building, said her team has been working with city agencies and the Red Cross to ensure the displaced residents receive necessary services.

Its a tragic situation, and Im really sorry that our residents have been displaced, Royster said. Were doing everything we can to make them comfortable during this difficult time.

About 55 people slept on cots on the gymnasium floor at the shelter Saturday night, while others chose to stay with friends and family members in the area, said Larry Handerhan, chief of staff at the citys Department of Human Services. Forty-seven displaced families were being relocated to hotels Sunday afternoon, he said.

[For immigrant residents displaced by Silver Spring fire, finding new home may not be easy]

Thomas Gorfu, 23, said he couldnt sleep Saturday night. The smoky vision of the firefighters rescuing him and his mother, the smell of burning rubber and the sound of the fire alarm kept replaying in his head.

Sitting outside the shelter in new clothes provided by the Red Cross, Gorfu and his 44-year-old father wondered whats next for their family, originally from Ethiopia.

I lost everything, Gorfu said. It was scary, so the only thing we tried to do is save ourselves.

Irene Vanegas, 73, started to cry as she thought about her two parakeets, Mariposa and Muneco, whom she had to leave behind when firefighters rescued her from her apartment.

She said she awoke to darkness Saturday after her nose started itching and she felt something in her throat. She didnt have time to grab anything; she lost $800 in cash, her passport, Social Security card and other identification.

The fog was so intense that I felt like falling, she said in Spanish. If they didnt help us, I would be dead because I couldnt walk.

Her friends arrived outside the shelter, hugged her and offered any support they could.

Thank God I find her today, said a friend, Miriam Murillo, 47.

Outside the apartment building Sunday, Christopher Ochoa, 23, recounted how he was roused Saturday by his father, who smelled smoke and urged him and his younger siblings to evacuate. Ochoa quickly opened the front door and, seeing smoke seeping in, slammed it shut. He slipped on sandals and a rain jacket and ventured back out, where he noticed a neighbor who uses a walker  an elderly woman in her 90s  struggling to make her way out of the building. Ochoa, who works at an occupational health clinic, assisted her outside.

It was only when he got outside that he saw flames pouring from the upper levels. His family was doing fine Sunday, he said.
This 320-square-foot cabin may be the oldest building in Manassas. Restored by Grace United Methodist Church, it once housed slaves who worked on the Clover Hill Farm. (Jonathan Hunley/For The Washington Post)

Grace United Methodist in Manassas combined two historical matters in one event June 11.

One was the unveiling of a city historical marker for the church, which has ministered to Manassas-area residents for 150 years. That was a cause for celebration, the Rev. Rudy Tucker said.

The other, the public opening of a restored slave cabin on the church property, was more solemn. But while refurbishing the building meant researching one of the most gruesome times in American history, Grace United Methodist and local historic preservation volunteers considered it an important task.

With nooses showing up on public school grounds, college campuses, and even national museums, and Klan rallies occurring with alarming frequency, we are reminded as we stand before this 19th-century building which once housed slaves that racism remains an issue we are still dealing with in this country, Tucker said in remarks prepared for the June 11 ceremony, attended by a crowd of at least 150.

Grace United Methodist took over ownership of the slave cabin in 1987. The Johnson family, which owned and operated the last farm in Manassas, donated eight acres of land on Wellington Road to the congregation so it could build a new church building. But the family stipulated that a cemetery on the tract be preserved, along with the 1-story structure that housed slaves who worked on the property, known as Clover Hill Farm.

The building, made up of two small rooms and an attic, was constructed with sandstone gathered locally. Preservationists are unsure when it was built, but it would have been circa 1832, restoration project manager Bill Olson said. That means it may be the oldest building in Manassas.

Before preservation work began four or five years ago, the cabin was being used for storage by Boy Scout Troop 670, which meets at Grace United Methodist. But Olson, a member of the church, made a deal with the Scouts to build a larger facility for their gear.

Restoring the slave quarters cost about $40,000, which included a new cedar-shingle roof, new doors and the acquisition of period furnishings, as well as historic reproductions such as a banjo made from a gourd.

The banjo is an African instrument, and slaves would fabricate these things, said Dennis Van Derlaske, Olsons neighbor and a member of the Prince William County Historical Commission.

Van Derlaske and daughter Kristin worked on obtaining the furnishings that are displayed along with artifacts found on-site during an archaeological study done in 1989 and 1990. Those items include a griddle, buttons, marbles, a spoon and an inkwell.

The cabin, which measures only about 320 square feet, would have been intended for two families, and the slaves who lived there probably worked in the main house on the farm, which was about 400 or 500 feet away, Olson said.

He said the restoration work was meant as a way to honor those who were enslaved at Clover Hill.

We wanted to do [it] for the usual historical reason, preservation, but also to help remember the people who were here, he said.

EJ Scott, vice president of the county branch of the NAACP, said members of the group attended the cabins open house ceremony.

Ensuring that the building was restored speaks to the better nature of those involved, Scott said, and the finished product means that Prince William-area residents dont have to travel to the National Museum of African American History and Culture in the District to learn about the plight of slaves.

Children, especially, can visit the cabin and be inspired by how slaves were able to withstand the horrific conditions in which they lived, she said.

Scott also noted that while some may not be happy to revisit the subject of slavery, it is a part of the nations past. She repeated a phrase that she often uses: African American history is American history.
Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan (R) on Sunday asked the State Board of Education for a complete, thorough and exhaustive investigation into alleged tampering with grades and graduation rates at Prince Georges County Public Schools.

The allegations were levied this month by four members of the Prince Georges County school board, who said they have evidence to prove their claims but have not made that evidence public.

Kevin Maxwell, chief executive of the countys schools, denied the allegations and called them a personal attack on all school employees. He said the charges are a politically motivated attempt to undermine recent gains.

In a Sunday letter to the state board, Hogan, who is just back from a trade mission to Europe, said he was deeply troubled by the allegations and asked the board to begin an inquiry immediately. State lawmakers from Prince Georges wrote the state board Thursday with a similar request.

Hogan said whistleblowers in the case should receive the full protections under the law.

Prince Georges schools chief Kevin Maxwell speaks while County Executive Rushern L. Baker III (D), left, looks on. (Mark Gail for The Washington Post)

The allegations have increased tensions in Prince Georges between the schools chief, who was recruited in 2013 by County Executive Rushern L. Baker III (D) to overhaul the school system, and Maxwells critics on the county board.

Baker announced last week that he is seeking his partys nomination to run against Hogan in the 2018 gubernatorial race. One of his rivals for the nomination, former NAACP chief Ben Jealous, attended a rally outside a Prince Georges school board meeting Thursday night where participants called for Maxwell to be held accountable.

Maxwell has touted an uptick in Prince Georges graduation ratesas an indication that his policy changes are taking root. An investigation by the state earlier this year, triggered by an anonymous complaint, found no evidence of tampering. But critics say the investigation was not sufficiently broad or impartial.

The Prince Georges school board members have alleged that grades were changed and students were credited for courses they did not take, leading to fraudulent graduation rates.
One man had just ordered scrambled eggs when the two robbers came in,and one stood on a table with a pistol and the other held a shotgun.

The incident, in which one man was wounded, occurred Friday in a small restaurant in the 1500 block of Kenilworth Avenue in Northeast Washington, and it transformed the routines of daily life into moments of terror.

The restaurant has long been known as Marys Place, although it is not clear whether it retains that name. When the robbers entered about 2:30 p.m. one of them locked the door behind them, a witness told police.

One of the robbers had a handgun and wore a mask. It was not clear whether the robber with the shotgun was also masked.

According to a police report, the robbers issued orders of their own: Get down on the floor, the customer said they told him and others in the restaurant. Put your hands on your face. Get everything out of your pocket.

The customer who had ordered the eggs handed over $140 in cash and a bank card.

About $60 was taken from the pocket of a second customer

Someone else, apparently an employee, was pushed to the floor as one of the robbers took cash from the register, while warning: Dont look up.

A third customer also heard the demand issued by the robbers, and he complied, lying face down on the restaurant floor.

The modest, one story restaurant sits perhaps 20 yards from the river of traffic that almost constantly flows past on the Anacostia Freeway. It is highly doubtful that any of the motorists on the road had any idea what was going on just yards away.

While on the restaurant floor, the second customer told police, he said he felt one of the robbers patting him down. But at the same time, he heard a shotgun being racked, or prepared to be fired.

He was shot while he was on the floor, he told police. It was unclear why the man was shot.

He was struck on his right side, the police report said, and was said to be conscious and breathing when rescue workers arrived to take him to a hospital.

The robbers fled. Someone outside the restaurant saw the robber with the handgun take his mask off. The witness could not provide a detailed description.


William Morva listens as the possibility of the death penalty or life in prison is discussed by Judge Ray Grubbs and attorneys on the first day of jury selection in Montgomery County Circuit Court in Christiansburg, Va., in 2007. (Matt Gentry/Associated Press)

Someone was trying to kill him. William C. Morva was certain of it.

He couldnt breathe and he was withering away, he told his mother in a jailhouse call.

Somebody wants me to die and I dont know who it is, he said. They know my health is dwindling, okay?

He sounded paranoid. His voice grew more frantic with each call over several months on the recorded lines.

How much more time do you think my body has before it gives out? he asked just months before he escaped from custody, killing an unarmed guard and later a sheriffs deputy before his capture in woods near Virginia Techs campus.

Morva faces execution July 6 for the 2006 killings.

With the date looming, Morvas family, friends and lawyers are pressing for clemency from Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe (D) in what has become a broader national push to eliminate capital punishment for people with severe mental illnesses such as Morvas delusional disorder.

William Morva, center, points to someone in the gallery while talking to his attorney, Tom Blaylock, during jury selection in 2007. (Matt Gentry/Associated Press)

Supporters say the jury at Morvas trial was given inaccurate information about his mental health and are asking McAuliffe to commute his death sentence to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

The Supreme Court in recent years has ruled that juveniles, whose brains are not fully developed, and people with intellectual disabilities are not eligible for the death penalty. Lawmakers in eight states, including Virginia, Tennessee and Indiana, have introduced bills that would expand the prohibition to people with severe mental illnesses.

A vote on an Ohio measure pending in the state legislature is expected this fall. It is backed by a coalition of providers of mental-health services, social justice groups, religious leaders, former state Supreme Court justices and former Republican governor Bob Taft.

The bills address punishment, not guilt or innocence. If lawmakers in Columbus sign off on the measure, Ohio would become the first state to pass an exclusion for severe mental illness among the 31 that retain the death penalty.

Bipartisan legislative efforts underscore shifting views of capital punishment, and about whether it can be applied consistently and fairly.

Advocates for reform say the penalty was not intended for people who are incapable of distinguishing between delusions and reality, and that jurors often misunderstand mental illness.

The reformers efforts have met with resistance mostly from prosecutors and law enforcement officials who say jurors already can factor in mental illness at sentencing and that the exemptions are too broad.

Morva, 35, exhausted his legal appeals when the U.S. Supreme Court declined to take up his case in February.

It hurts me so much to know that there is nothing I can do to fix him, Elizabeth Morva, his mother, said in an affidavit in support of her son.

Morva was 24 when he fatally shot a decorated sheriffs deputy, Cpl. Eric Sutphin, and beloved hospital security guard Derrick McFarland. Each was married and the father of two children.

If someone had intervened sooner, I truly believe William would never have killed those two men, his mother wrote. But I cannot change the past. I can only say that I am so sorry and ask that my son please be spared.

[Former governors seek to end death penalty for criminals with severe mental illness]



Dawn Davison, an attorney for William Morva, stands on the grounds of the Virginia State Capitol in Richmond. (Julia Rendleman/For The Washington Post)

Attorney Dawn Davison of the Virginia Capital Representation Resource Center says the jury in Morvas 2008 trial did not consider his psychotic disorder because experts in that case did not have access to Morvas complete history. Morva was under the influence of his delusions when he escaped and killed Sutphin and McFarland, she said in submitting Morvas clemency application.

Relatives of the victims did not return phone calls seeking comment on Morvas petition.

Mary K. Pettitt, the Montgomery County (Va.) commonwealths attorney who helped prosecute Morva, has urged the governor to let the jurys verdict stand.

To assert some 10 years later that all three of the original experts were wrong is absurd, Pettitt wrote in a letter to McAuliffe. With enough time and motivation one can always find an expert to say what you want to hear but that doesnt mean it is true or accurate.

McAuliffe is reviewing the case and declined to be interviewed in advance of a decision. The governor is personally opposed to the death penalty, attributing his views to his Catholic faith. He has allowed two executions to go forward, while commuting the death sentence of Ivan Teleguz in April because the sentencing phase of his trial was flawed and unfair.

***

It has been years since Morva accepted in-person visits from his lawyers and his mother.

He insists they are part of the conspiracy to kill him.

Long before Morva committed the murders, there were signs that he was not well. In his senior year at Blacksburg High School, Morvas parents moved back to the Richmond area, where his father had worked in engineering. Morva stayed behind but dropped out of school weeks before graduation.

In Blacksburg, he walked barefoot in winter and sometimes slept in the Jefferson National Forest, buried in piles of leaves. He was known at the local coffee shop for diatribes about politics and religion, and confided in family and close friends about what he said were special powers he possessed to fix the worlds problems.

[Suspect was a legend in Va. Tech community]

Morvas early encounters with police came in 2002 when he was 20. Friends say their free-spirited, compassionate classmate who had been active in Amnesty International became consumed by unusual eating patterns  large amounts of raw meat, nuts and pine cones  and spent hours in the bathroom.

In August 2002, Virginia Tech police found Morva after 9 p.m. half-naked on the floor of a womens bathroom on campus. Officers turned him over to the Blackburg police and called Elizabeth Morva.

They said, Maam hes not normal. I said, Im beginning to realize that. And they said, Maam your son needs help. 

William Morva with his mother in Blacksburg when he was about 14, according to his attorney Dawn Davison. (Family photo)

Morvas mother, a classroom aide for special-education students, declined to be interviewed for this story. Her statements are drawn from transcripts of Morvas robbery trial and sworn written statements she submitted for her sons appeals.

At the time of his 2002 arrest, Morvas mother tried to get him help.

She asked police for a temporary detention order to force an evaluation.

But by then, Morva had calmed down and police said a detention order was not needed. Morva was instead charged with trespassing, released and banned from the university campus.

In the years that followed, Morva worked briefly at a hair salon, in construction and as a waiter. And at his fathers funeral in early 2004, he showed up barefoot and disheveled.

At dinner with his mother soon after the funeral, Morva lectured loudly about the plight of indigenous people. He was in training, he told her, to live in the wild and fight on behalf of Native Americans.

Elizabeth Morva gently suggested her son see a therapist.

His mind was not normal. His thoughts were not normal, they were disconnected, she said.

The next year, those undiagnosed, untreated problems landed Morva in jail, his supporters say.

***

Morva was charged in 2005 in a series of botched robberies and burglaries.

In an attempted robbery, Morva, masked and carrying a shotgun, crept up to a convenience store, only to find the doors locked, then ran off and hid in woods  where police found him.

Jailed for a year while awaiting trial, Morvas mental health deteriorated. His mother did not bail him out, thinking that he would finally get psychological treatment.

Morva told his mother that he was dying, that someone was torturing him and intentionally withholding medical care  and with that mind-set, was convinced he had to flee.

He believes anybody would have done exactly what he did, said Davison, the lawyer who has worked on Morvas appeals since 2009. The escape, she said, was all part of this effort to save his life. Hes incapable of seeing things any other way.

In August 2006, a deputy escorted Morva to the Montgomery Regional Hospital for minor injuries. In a bathroom, Morva knocked him unconscious and took his gun. Morva then shot McFarland, the unarmed hospital security guard, from two feet away as hospital colleagues watched in horror.

He killed Sutphin the next day as the deputy was on a wooded trail in the hunt for the fugitive. Morva shot Sutphin in the back of the head.

[Man arrested near Va. Tech in two killings]

The jury that decided Morvas fate in 2008 heard from two doctors who diagnosed him with schizotypal personality disorder similar to schizophrenia. They noted his rigid thinking, odd behavior, and that Morvas maternal grandmother had been treated for schizophrenia in the 1950s. But the doctors told jurors that Morva was not delusional, an assessment his lawyers dispute  and a determination that later was rebutted by another doctor in what now is the key contention before McAuliffe.



William Morva listens to court proceedings in Washington County Circuit Court in Abingdon, Va., in 2008. (Matt Gentry/Associated Press)

Montgomery County Commonwealths Attorney Brad Finch shows a handgun to the jury in Washington County Circuit Court in 2008. (Matt Gentry/Associated Press)

Prosecutors portrayed Morva at trial as extremely intelligent and extremely dangerous. The jury reviewed a letter Morva wrote to his mother one month after landing in jail, in which he promised to kick an unarmed guard in the throat and then I will stomp him until he is as dead as Ill be.

Morvas lawyers acknowledged his horrible crimes but said Morva was hurting the people that he thought would put him back in jail. The jury did not hear from Morvas mother, who said she wanted to testify to explain, not justify, his actions.

After three hours of deliberations, the jury imposed the death penalty.

Before the judge formally sentenced him to death, Morva, in his chance to address the court, called himself Nemo.

Im almost done. You may kill me, thats guaranteed. I cant fight. Theres nothing more I can do. But there are others like me, and I hope you know that. And soon theyre going to get together. Theyre going to sweep over your whole civilization and theyre going to wipe these smiles off of your faces forever.

In the lengthy appeals process, a federal judge agreed to appoint a forensic psychiatrist to evaluate Morva.

By then, Davison and her colleagues had collected dozens of sworn statements. The trial experts, Davison said, had lacked the complete picture, and that meant that the jury did, too.

High school classmates, roommates, relatives and co-workers swore to what they had observed up close and consistently in Morva during the years leading to the killings.

The new psychiatrist reviewed their statements and medical records and met with Morva in state prison in 2014.

She concluded that Morvas delusions began years before the murders and recommended antipsychotic medication.

Morvas appeals were restricted to narrow legal questions about his trial. The appeals courts could not take up the question of whether Morva was mentally ill when he killed McFarland and Sutphin.

Thats what the governor can do, Davison said. The governor is his last hope.
D.C. police officers said they had to use pepper spray to subdue a man who on Friday attacked a man with an ax outside the Benning Road Metro station in Southeast Washington.

Police said the suspect refused to comply after officers instructed him to lie on the ground., according to the report. When officers deployed pepper spray in an effort to subdue him, authorities said the man charged toward officers in an aggressive manner. He was then taken to the ground by police and placed under arrest.

Police said the incident began about 10:30 p.m., but officials were unable to provide details as to what transpired.

They said the victim, who lives in the District, was taken to a hospital by D.C. Fire and EMS. He was treated for a laceration injury to his upper body. His injuries were said to be non life-threatening injuries, said Doug Buchanan, a spokesman for the D.C. Fire and EMS.

There was no known motivation for the attack, according to a police report, and a police spokeswoman was unable to provide details about the altercation with police. According to the police report of the incident, 12 officers responded to the call.

The suspect, who police did not name, was taken into custody. Charges were pending.
Attention: If you are employed by a charity that does good works  or if you donate to a charity that does good works or if you have been helped by a charity that does good works  I need your help. Its time to start searching for the next three partners for The Washington Post Helping Hand.

Helping Hand is the program The Post launched three years ago to highlight some of the nonprofit groups that work with people in our community. Our idea was to select three local charities, share stories of the clients they serve, and invite readers to donate.

Im delighted to say that you did. Over the past three years, Post readers contributed more than $200,000 to our inaugural class of Helping Hand partners: Community of Hope, Homestretch and Sasha Bruce Youthwork.

Those three nonprofit organizations all work with homeless families and teens. They were selected after I sent out a call for applicants in this space. And thats what Im doing today.

Were looking for registered 501(c)(3) organizations in the Washington area that provide direct assistance to families and individuals in need. Helping Hands focus is on groups that work in the following areas: food security; temporary and transitional housing; abuse; trafficking or support of low-income families and individuals; reading, writing and STEM education for low-income individuals.

The details on how to apply are at www.posthelpinghand.com, but the basic drill is this:

Your charity starts the process by sending a letter of inquiry to us at helpinghand@washpost.com . It should include such information as the charitys history, the geographic area it serves and the programs it sponsors.

The deadline to submit that letter of inquiry is July 17. A committee composed of employees from throughout The Post will read the letters. Well narrow down the applicants and notify selected organizations that theyve made the first cut and should fill out a complete Helping Hand application. That long-form application is due Aug. 14.

Well make another selection, then visit the finalists to learn firsthand about the work they do. In September well choose the three Helping Hand beneficiaries.

Over an eight-week period beginning in November, The Post will publish several stories every week featuring individuals and families directly supported by these organizations. Once the stories begin appearing, readers will be able to donate directly to the organization of their choice.

The Post will partner with the three groups for three years and then start the process again.

I asked Kelly Sweeney McShane, president and chief executive of Community of Hope, for her take on being among Helping Hands first class of beneficiaries. It was a unique opportunity to share the powerful stories of the amazing people that we work with and highlight the needs of families who experience homelessness, Kelly said. We really appreciated the financial support from so many donors that helped us to support a wide variety of needs within our housing programs.

Debby Shore, founder and executive director of Sasha Bruce Youthwork, said, Being selected by a respected author and institution brought us support and exposure we would have never had otherwise. The impact on our fundraising and our staffs sense of pride was immediate and has been sustaining.

The financial contributions that generous Post readers made were important, of course, but theres another thing I value about Helping Hand: It takes us places we might not otherwise go and introduces us to people we might not otherwise meet. And it serves as a reminder that they want the same things for their families that we want for ours.

So, please apply. And when my Helping Hand columns start running in November, please give.

Rabbits at rest

Like Jimmy Stewart in Harvey, Michael Dolan is seeing rabbits everywhere.

Bunnies of many sizes, Michael wrote of the rabbits gamboling in his Palisades neighborhood in Northwest Washington. Tiny round & cute, rangy & Bugslike, medium bounders.

Michael mentioned that a friend who lives in the Lyon Park neighborhood in Arlington, Va., also has noticed a rabbit explosion. We seem to have more in Silver Spring, Md., too. Theres a trio in our back yard that look like furry matryoshka dolls: a big one, a medium one and a little one.

Is something going on? Michael wonders if predators are scarcer this year or if the conditions for rabbit reproduction have improved. Wrote Michael: I pondered calling a naturalist or two, but then I thought, Kellys your man for this one. Bezos pays him to do this. 

I imagine its a random occurrence, statistically insignificant. But Ill add it to my list. Until then, let me put the question to my readers: Have you noticed anything unusual about the rabbits this year?

Another reunion

Heres another upcoming high school reunion:

Cardozo High Class of 1967  Sept. 16. Call Valarie Green at 202-352-0224.

Twitter: @johnkelly

For previous columns, visit washingtonpost.com/johnkelly.
Activists cheer as a new mobile electronic billboard to help them unseat Rep. Barbara Comstock (R-Va.), passes by on the Leesburg Pike in Sterling, Va., on June 22. (Bill O'Leary/The Washington Post)

For several hours one morning last week, a truck sporting 6-foot-tall electronic signs admonishing Rep. Barbara Comstock (R) to Do your job Hold a Town Hall cruised around her Northern Virginia district while some drivers honked their approval.

Hey, there it is! shouted a protester waiting for the truck on the grassy strip between a busy road and a shopping centerthat is home to Comstocks district office in Sterling.

The mobile billboard is the latest stunt dreamed up by Sean Schofield, a 44-year-old computer programmer from Silver Spring, and Abbey Ruby, a 34-year-old lawyer from McLean, who have been needling Comstock for months with a snarky website, social media strikes and ambushes caught on video.

That Comstock faces opposition in a district where Hillary Clinton defeated Donald Trump by 10 points is no surprise.

But the aggressive tactics employed by the group, called Dump Comstock, and its single-minded focus on embarrassing the two-term congresswoman more than a year before the 2018 election are highly unusual in this district.

Activists gather in Sterling, Va., to see a new mobile electronic billboard that advertises the Dump Comstock effort to unseat Rep. Barbara Comstock (R-Va.) (Bill O'Leary/The Washington Post)

Through a spokesman, Comstock declined to answer questions about the group.

Its impossible to know whether Dump Comstock will make a difference by the midterm elections, but Democrats and Republicans say it has provoked activists on both sides and suggests that the midterm races could get nasty.

This is a lot more energy than weve seen for this race this far ahead of time probably in my lifetime, said Zach Pruckowski, 30, chairman of the 10th Congressional District Democratic Committee. Theyre certainly making a lot of noise.

The race is a top target for national Democrats even though Comstock won reelection to a second term by six points last year and defied predictions that sharing a ballot with Trump would damage her chances.

John Whitbeck, chairman of the Virginia Republican Party, engages with Dump Comstock online and reads Schofields mean tweets at GOP meetings  editing out the profanity.

To be honest with you, theyre fun to play with on Twitter but we dont take them all that seriously, he said, calling Dump Comstock a fringe, extremist group.

Schofield said he understood the importance of the district, formerly held by Republican congressman Frank Wolf, when he showed up in Bethesda in 2008 to volunteer for Barack Obama and was dispatched to Manassas. Eight years later, he returned to Comstocks district to knock on doors and register voters for Hillary Clinton.

He attended the Womens March with his wife and son and was inspired to start Dump Comstock. His idea was to create enthusiasm for flipping the congressional district long before the major parties, preoccupied with the Virginia governors race, were focused on midterms.

Applying his experience as the founder of an e-commerce software company, Schofield created a website and social media accounts based on the idea that voters should break up with Comstock. That led to the name (tag line Its not us. Its her) and eventually a red-and-blue broken-heart logo. Today there are buttons, bumper stickers and yard signs.

To gain followers early on, Schofield looked for critics of Comstock who had posted on her Facebook page. He sent them private messages, the online version of a cold call, and invited them to join the group.

About 1,400 people are members of the Facebook page and, using the organizing tool Action Network, he estimates about 20 percent live outside Comstocks district, in Maryland and the District, although Comstock supporters suspect that figure is higher.

Schofield, who tweets at @uberzealot, said living in Maryland doesnt undermine his mission because federal decisions affect everyone.

Its not another planet, he said. What Barbara Comstock does affects me just as much as what [Montgomery County Democratic Rep.] Jamie Raskin does, he said.

Dump Comstock is working with other groups seeking to unseat Comstock, including Planned Parenthood, the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) and Indivisible. They want to amplify Democrats discontent in the Trump era and channel it toward the only swing district in the region.

Ruby is treasurer of Dump Comstocks political action committee, Take Back the Tenth, which has not yet reached a filing deadline to report its donors. She said it collected about $8,000 to hire the truck, which is also booked for the July 4 parade in Leesburg.

Comstock shows up with 20 high school kids in T-shirts with balloons and big totem signs, Schofield said. And we figure we cant let that go unchecked.

Interactions with the group can escalate quickly.

A man who identified himself as a constituent approached Comstock at the Lovettsville Mayfest to question her, while another person recorded the encounter  video that was posted to YouTube by Dump Comstock.

During the tense exchange, the man asked Comstock to hold a town hall. She said she preferred to meet with constituents at her offices or in other smaller settings like her booth at Mayfest.

Were talking to people instead of, you know, being harassed, she said, and walked off.

Schofield considered it a milestone when Comstocks campaign Twitter account responded to his websites claim that she missed two recorded votes to join Trump in the Oval Office when he signed a bill she sponsored.

Its simple  always pleased to have my bills signed into law. Attended bill signings with Gov. McDonnell and Gov. McAuliffe too, the tweet said, referring to her time in the legislature with a photo.

Early Thursday at a McLean park where the billboard truck prepared to start its rounds, three of the 12 people who showed up were candidates or there on behalf of candidates challenging Comstock. Seven people have either filed paperwork to run or indicated that they intend to.

No one seemed to notice that the truck was parked directly next to a handicapped space in an access aisle painted with diagonal white lines, a blunder clear in photos online.

When questioned by the Loudoun County GOP, Dump Comstock responded: Space doesnt looked blocked to the rest of us.

Because you dont care about anyone except yourselves. A van would have trouble opening a door. Thats why the white lines are there, the Loudoun County GOP wrote.

To Schofield, its all gravy because anytime Republicans are responding to him, he said, theyre not defending Comstock.

They cant help themselves, he said. Theyre falling into our trap.
Anyone who goes into a tattoo parlor in North Carolina can be assured that it has a permit from the state health department and that inspectors have checked the premises for safe and sanitary conditions. But go for a body piercing in the state and theres no such protection. A state law, approved in the 1990s, regulates tattoos but doesnt apply to other forms of body art.

Most people think its all regulated, said state Rep. Kevin Corbin, a Republican. But we found out theres no law on the books.

North Carolina is not alone. State legislators and health officials across the country are trying to keep up with the growing popularity and evolving trends of body art.

Health officials worry that unregulated body art studios may not follow safe practices, which can lead to scarring, nerve damage and infections, including hepatitis C, the leading cause of liver cancer in the United States.

The body art industry is much more nimble than the government, said Doug Farquhar, who tracks the issue in his role as the director of environmental health for the National Conference of State Legislatures.

Nearly 4 in 10 people born after 1980 have a tattoo and 1 in 4 has a piercing someplace other than an earlobe, the Pew Research Center has reported. (The Pew Charitable Trusts funds both the center and Stateline.)

Nearly every state regulates body art, but laws vary widely. Most states do agree on one thing: age limits. At least 45 states (including Maryland, Virginia and the District) prohibit minors from getting tattoos, and 38 states prohibit body piercing and tattooing minors without parental permission, according to NCSL.

Oregon extensively rewrote its tattooing regulations in 2012, updated them last year and in January clarified that microblading, in which a practitioner uses fine needles and pigment to create eyebrow hairs, is tattooing and not an aesthetic, or cosmetic, practice.

Oregon requires practitioners to have hundreds of hours of training and pass written exams before being licensed for specific types of body art. Georgia is among states that do not regulate the industry, but most Georgia counties have adopted ordinances regulating body art.

Maryland does not license body artists, though it requires them to use sterile instruments, wash their hands, wear disposable gloves during procedures and cleanse customers skin. They also must maintain three years of customer records and make them available to health officers if requested. But some Maryland localities require licenses.

Virginia issues licenses for tattoo artists and requires an examination. The District has regulations, but according to at least one report, they are loosely enforced.

North Carolina is one of at least six states considering body art legislation this year. Corbin co-sponsored a bill updating the tattoo law to include other types of body art. It passed the state House in April and is under consideration in the Senate.

The sharp increase in hepatitis C cases in the past few years has intensified states concern about sterile and sanitized needles and equipment and about associated health and safety training.

New hepatitis C infections in the United States tripled between 2010 and 2015, to more than 2,400, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported last month. The CDC blames the increase on the rise of injection drug use associated with the opioid epidemic and says major studies have not shown hepatitis C to be spread through licensed tattooing facilities.

However, the CDC said, transmission of hepatitis C (and other infectious diseases) is possible when poor infection-control practices are used during tattooing or piercing.

An old concern

Health officials have worried about the health risks of tattooing for decades. New York City banned tattooing in 1961, citing concerns about hepatitis. Tattooing continued underground, however, and the ban was lifted in 1997.

In 2015, New York Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo (D) signed a law requiring tattoo artists to use single-use needles and supplies of ink. The body art community protested that the laws language was overly broad, and Cuomo rescinded the measure. The state health department is developing new rules.

The American Red Cross requires someone who has had a tattoo to wait a year before donating blood if the tattoo was applied in Georgia, Idaho, Maryland, Massachusetts, Nevada, New Hampshire, New York, Pennsylvania, Utah, Wyoming or the District  jurisdictions that do not regulate tattoo facilities. No waiting period is required if the tattoo was applied in a state that requires tattoo shops to use sterile needles and single-use ink.

Tattoo ink, which is not regulated or tested by the federal government, is a potential health risk, but no outbreaks of infection from contaminated ink have occurred since 2012, the Food and Drug Administration reports.

Craving regulation

State legislators, recognizing that they arent experts in body arts best practices, often call on practitioners to help write and enforce laws.

San Francisco body piercer Steve Joyner of the Association of Professional Piercers has helped about two dozen states write legislation over the past two decades.

The downfall of politicians is that they really dont understand our industry, he said, adding that many state legislators have never set foot in a tattoo or piercing studio.

One of the first instances of body art practitioners asking to be regulated was in Florida, where a piercing law was enacted in 1999 with input from the industry. Tattooists soon started lobbying for state regulations, too.

The tattoo industry wanted to pedigree their profession. Thats the word they used, said Gina Vallone-Hood, environmental administrator for the Florida Department of Healths Bureau of Environmental Health.

The Florida legislature passed a tattoo law in 2010, and the Department of Health started licensing tattoo artists in 2012. Now, 450 piercing shops and 6,000 tattooists are licensed in Florida.

Michael Crea, a piercer for 20 years who owns a shop in Sarasota, is president of the Florida Environmental Health Association. He also runs the certification class that is required of piercers.

You really dont want people working out of their house, he said. We do deal with blood and body fluids. We break the skin. You can be spreading hepatitis, MRSA [methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus] or AIDS, and you dont want that.

But Crea and other practitioners say that even when regulations are on the books, enforcement can be weak. Health inspectors often are responsible for checking out a wide range of potential hazards  from septic tanks to swimming pools  and cant be expert in everything.

Thats why the National Environmental Health Association will feature a live tattooing demonstration at its annual conference in July in Grand Rapids, Mich.

It will be a safe space for health inspectors to ask questions, said Christl Tate of the association. Our mutual goal is protecting the public health.

 Stateline

Read more

Questions raised about tattoo inks, cancer

A Japanese artist takes on a country that despises tattoos
ALABAMA

Syphilis museum funding opposed

The Trump administration opposes a bid to use unclaimed money from a legal settlement over the governments infamous Tuskegee syphilis study to fund a museum honoring victims of the research project.

The Justice Department argued in court documents recently that providing the money to the Tuskegee Human and Civil Rights Multicultural Center would violate an agreement reached in 1975 to settle a class-action lawsuit. For the study, hundreds of black men suffering from the sexually transmitted disease were allowed to go untreated for decades so doctors could analyze the progression of the illness.

The government said that it does not intend in any way to justify, condone, or defend the Tuskegee Syphilis Study, but allowing remaining money from a $9 million settlement to be used for the museum would violate the settlements original provision that any leftover money go back to the government.

Fred Gray, a civil rights attorney who represented men in the study and made the funding request in 2016, declined to comment on the governments position.

U.S. District Judge Myron Thompson held a telephone conference on the request on May 30, records show, but he has not ruled yet.

Revealed by the Associated Press in 1972, the study ended, and the men sued, resulting in the settlement negotiated by Gray on behalf of the victims, all of whom have died.

 Associated Press

OHIO

Commission alleges illegal practices at UPS

The Ohio Civil Rights Commission says it has found evidence to support 25 complaints that UPS engaged in illegal discriminatory practices at an Ohio distribution center.

The Blade reports a number of UPS employees filed complaints with the commission after two nooses were found hanging in the Maumee building last year. The Blade obtained a copy of the commission report in a public records request.

The report says the UPS hub has been permeated with racially charged comments and incidents since 2013 to include displays of Confederate flags, racially offensive text messages and overtly hostile comments.

The company has been ordered to create the position of equal employment officer.

UPS has asked the commission to have a neutral employee from the agency review evidence in the case.

 Associated Press

WASHINGTON

Woman pulled knife, was shot, officers say

Two Seattle police officers who shot and killed a 30-year-old pregnant woman each say they fired their weapons after the woman suddenly pulled a knife and came after them.

The Seattle Times reports that the Seattle Police Department on Friday released transcripts of interviews with the officers involved in the June 18 fatal shooting of Charleena Lyles.

The two officers say they had no choice but to use lethal force after Lyles tried to stab Officer Jason Anderson in the stomach and cornered Officer Steven McNew in the kitchen.

The officers responded to the apartment after Lyles reported a burglary.

Family members question why the officers didnt use nonlethal methods to subdue the petite woman and have suggested race played a role. Lyles was black; the officers are white.

 Associated Press

New Hampshire

Horses may have been

in barn for over a year

Police say four malnourished horses may have been locked inside a New Hampshire barn for more than a year. Police in Deering tried for several days to get the barns owner to let them see the horses before officers obtained a warrant.

 Associated Press
MIDDLE EAST

Muslim holy sites targeted, officials say

Irans Intelligence Ministry said Saturday that its forces detained members of a group linked to the Islamic State group. The Ministry says the group intended to carry out terrorist acts in holy cities across the country. The report did not elaborate on the number of people detained, or where the arrests took place.

The ministry says its forces confiscated three Kalashnikov rifles, night vision goggles, three suicide belts, three phones for remote detonation, a large amount of bullets and other technical tools for making bombs.

The arrests in Iran come a day after a suicide bomber blew himself up near the Grand Mosque in Mecca as police disrupted a plot to target the holiest site in Islam.

Saudi Arabias Interior Ministry on Saturday said police engaged in a shootout during a raid at a three-story house near the mosque when the bomber blew himself up, demolishing the building. The blast wounded six foreigners and five members of security forces, according to the Interior Ministrys statement. Five others were arrested, including a woman, it said.

In both incidents, no group was identified as being behind the planned attacks.

 Associated Press

IRAQ

U.N. warns of civilian slaughter in Mosul

Hundreds of civilians are being killed and injured in fighting in the Old City of Mosul, where the government is trying to dislodge the Islamic State from its last major stronghold in the country, a U.N. official said Saturday.

Fighting is very intense in the Old City and civilians are at extreme, almost unimaginable risk. There are reports that thousands, maybe even tens of thousands, of people are being held as human shields, said Lise Grande, the U.N. humanitarian coordinator for Iraq.

Hundreds of civilians, including children, are being shot, she said in a statement.

Grande estimated that 100,000 to 150,000 civilians are still trapped inside the Old City, a week after Iraqi forces, backed by U.S.-led air power, started their offensive.

Government forces have since reported slow advances against militants in the Old City in western Mosul, known for its high population density and narrow alleyways.

 Deutsche Presse-Agentur

BRITAIN

Parliament comes under cyberattack

Britains parliament was hit by a sustained and determined cyber attack on Saturday designed to identify weak email passwords, just over a month after a ransomware worm crippled parts of the countrys health service.

The House of Commons said it was working with the National Cyber Security Centre to defend parliaments network and was confident it had protected all accounts and systems.

A spokeswoman for the House of Commons said unauthorized attempts had been made to access parliamentary accounts and that systems were in place to protect member and staff details, including temporarily shutting down remote access.

 Reuters

In Britain, 27 towers found to have dangerous cladding: Britains fire-safety crisis expanded substantially Saturday as authorities revealed that 27 high-rise apartment blocks across the country have cladding that failed fire safety tests. The cladding samples came from apartment towers in cities including London, Manchester, Plymouth and Portsmouth. The inspections came after the June 14 inferno that engulfed Grenfell Tower in west London, killing at least 79 people.

U.N. says cholera cases now exceed 200,000 in Yemen: The U.N. health agency says there are now more than 200,000 suspected cases of cholera in an outbreak in war-torn Yemen, many of them children. UNICEF director Anthony Lake and World Health Organization chief Margaret Chan said in a statement, we are now facing the worst cholera outbreak in the world, with an average of 5,000 new cases every day. The agencies say that more than 1,300 people have died  one quarter of them children  and the death toll is expected to rise.

UAE minister says Saudi states ready to cut ties with Qatar: A top United Arab Emirates official said Saturday the Arab countries isolating Qatar do not seek to force out the countrys leadership over allegations it supports extremist ideology but are willing to cut ties altogether if it does not agree to demands for change. Emirati Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Anwar Gargash told reporters that the Gulf Cooperation Council does not want regime change in Qatar, but a behavioral change. He referred to Qatar as a Trojan horse within the once close-knit group.



 From news services
The never-ending circus that is Donald Trumps presidency has sucked attention from all kinds of issues that desperately need it, from health-care reform to the creeping expansion of U.S. engagement in Syria. Still, its shocking that so little heed is being paid to what the United Nations says is the worst humanitarian crisis since 1945: the danger that about 20 million people in four countries will suffer famine in the coming months, and that hundreds of thousands of children will starve to death.

Not heard of this? Thats the problem. According to U.N. and private relief officials, efforts to supply enough food to stem the simultaneous crises in South Sudan, Somalia, Yemen and Nigeria are falling tragically short so far, in part because of inadequate funding from governments and private donors. Of the $4.9 billion sought in February by the U.N.s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) for immediate needs in those countries, just 39 percent had been donated as of last week.

That resource gap could be attributed to donor fatigue, or to the sheer size of the need. But, in part, its a simple lack of awareness. We cant seem to get anyones attention to whats going on, says Carolyn Miles, the president and chief executive of Save the Children.

Ive never seen anything quite like this, says David Beasley, the former South Carolina governor who heads the U.N. World Food Program. The last eight to 10 months the world has been distracted. Its all Trump, Trump, Trump . . . and here we are in crisis mode.

The statistics that Miles and Beasley reel off certainly ought to command attention. For example: 1.4 million children are at risk of starvation in the four countries, of whom 600,000 could die in the next three to four months, according to Beasley. In Yemen, where hunger stalks 17 million people, only 3.3 million are being provided with full rations, compared with the 6.8 million the WFP wanted to feed this month. Meanwhile, a cholera epidemic has erupted, infecting more than 200,000 people so far. Miles says another child is infected every 35 seconds.

Theres been some progress: In the South Sudanese state of Unity, which surpassed the U.N. standard for a famine designation earlier this year, the alert was lifted last week following some large and timely food deliveries. In Somalia, too, relief operations have been more effective than during the last declared famine, in 2011. And yet the overall situation in both countries is still frightening. Fully 50 percent of South Sudans population, or 6 million people, are expected to be severely food insecure in the coming weeks, an increase of 500,000 over May.

In Somalia, the failure of spring rains may push the country into famine status by next month, Miles says. Yet the WFP says it might have to cut off 700,000 Somalis from aid in the next few weeks if more funding does not come through.

Notwithstanding the anti-foreign aid posture of the Trump administration, the United States is not the problem here. By early June Washington had pledged nearly $1.2 billion in relief to the four countries, including a supplement of $329 million announced on May 24. Theres more coming, thanks to a bipartisan coalition in Congress, spearheaded by Republican Sen. Lindsay O. Graham, that inserted $990 million for famine relief into this years budget.

Aid officials said getting the money from Washington is a slow process, thanks to the failure of the new administration to fill key posts at the U.S. Agency for International Development. And for the year beginning in October, Trumps budget proposes a drastic cut of $1 billion in food aid. But Graham and other key legislators have already made clear that it wont happen. For all the chaos, Beasley told me, Democrats and Republicans still come together for hungry children.

The WFP leader is more impatient with other nations  especially the Persian Gulf states that have done so much to create the crisis in Yemen. Saudi Arabia, which led the military intervention that has devastated an already poor country since 2015, is partially blockading the vital port of Hodeida, through which 70 percent of Yemens food is imported. So far this year the Saudis promised $227 million in famine relief to Yemen but delivered only about 30 percent of that. The United Arab Emirates isnt even on OCHAs list of donors. The Saudis, says Beasley, ought to fund 100 percent of humanitarian needs in Yemen. No question.

Famines used to attract broad interest in the West. Rock stars led relief campaigns, and television networks produced special documentaries. U.S. nongovernmental organizations are looking for ways to similarly galvanize the country this summer. Millions of lives may depend on whether they can find a way to command attention in the age of Trump.

Read more from Jackson Diehls archive, follow him on Twitter or subscribe to his updates on Facebook.
INDIAN PRIME Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to visit the White House on Monday. Issues that are sure to be on the agenda include counterterrorism, bilateral trade and immigration policy. All are important, but we have another question for Mr. Modi: How does he plan to implement his vision of a Digital India when local Indian authorities are increasingly clamping down on Internet and telecommunications access across the country?

According to the Software Freedom Law Center, state governments in India have taken to suspending broadband or mobile Internet services across districts for hours or even days at a stretch. The organization has recorded 81 separate incidents in which authorities have restricted Internet access since 2012. This number has risen markedly in the past year, with 22 shutdowns in 2017 and four in the first week of June alone.

In media statements, authorities have cited national security as the primary reason for restricting access to the Internet. They have pointed out that social media has been known to incite communal violence and create mass confusion. But instead of blocking specific pages or websites that pose a threat to public safety, local governments have often opted to take entire districts offline arbitrarily. In one case, officials suspended social-media apps to prevent cheating during a state exam for government accountant positions.

These shutdowns limit free expression and political organization in a country that, despite its generally flourishing democracy, has already been criticized for stifling dissent. They have also impeded government services, particularly in districts where newly digitalized agencies rely on the Internet to reach citizens. And in general, restricting social-media usage has failed to prevent panic and discord: On occasion, the lack of information has fueled even greater unrest.

Moreover, shutting down Internet access comes at great economic cost. India has a rapidly expanding digital sector, and blocking Internet access impedes e-commerce and digital services. A 2016 report from the Brookings Institution estimated that shutdowns may have cost India $968 million in lost economic activity, without even taking into consideration the loss in business confidence and impact on worker productivity. If Mr. Modi wants to show American investors that his country has the most open economy in the world, he would do well to address these concerns.

The Indian government has taken steps to bring the country into the 21st century: Its policies to reduce red tape, attract foreign businesses and expand digital services have enormous potential. It would be a shame if these reforms fail to reach that potential because of suspended WiFi.
Senate Republicans are facing down an increasingly daunting challenge to secure the votes necessary to pass legislation to dramatically change President Barack Obamas signature health-care law, and several senators said they would like more time to debate and tweak the plan as GOP leaders push for a vote this week.

At least five Republicans have already come out against their partys bill  which can only afford to lose two votes  and over the weekend, more began expressing serious reservations and skepticism about the proposal.

The mounting dissatisfaction leaves Senate Republican leaders and the White House in a difficult position. In the coming days, moves to narrow the scope of the overhaul could appeal to moderates but anger conservatives, who believe the legislation does not go far enough to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act, known as Obamacare.

A key moment will arrive early this week when the Congressional Budget Office releases an analysis of the bill that estimates how many people could lose coverage under the Republican plan, as well as what impact it might have on insurance premiums and how much money it could save the government.

The stalled Republican effort to pass a sweeping rewrite of the Affordable Care Act was further threatened Sunday when Republican senators from opposite sides of the partys ideological spectrum voiced their disapproval, imperiling hopes for a Senate vote this week and President Trumps chance to fulfill a core campaign pledge.

Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) on Sunday expressed deep concerns about how the bill would cut expanded Medicaid funding for states, a key pillar of the Affordable Care Act that several centrists in the Senate are wary of rolling back, saying on ABCs This Week that she worries about what it means to our most vulnerable citizens.

Collins also said she is concerned about the bills impact on the cost of insurance premiums and deductibles, especially for older Americans.

Im going to look at the whole bill before making a decision, she said, later adding, Its hard for me to see the bill passing this week.

Underscoring the challenge facing Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), speaking on the same Sunday show, also voiced concerns with the bill  but for entirely different reasons.

Paul  who, along with fellow Republican Sens. Ted Cruz of Texas, Ron Johnson of Wisconsin and Mike Lee of Utah, has already said he cannot support the current bill  rejected the Republican plan as not fiscally austere enough but said that in the face of an impasse, he could support legislation that simply repeals Obamas health-care law.

Ive been telling leadership for months now Ill vote for a repeal, Paul said. And it doesnt have to be a 100 percent repeal. So, for example, Im for 100 percent repeal, thats what I want. But if you give me 90 percent repeal, Id probably vote for it. I might vote for 80 percent repeal.

But simply repealing Obamacare or large parts of the law without making any other changes to the nations health-care system is not a realistic political possibility at the moment.

McConnell and his team remain convinced they must call a vote soon to avoid having health-care discussions dominate the summer, when they aim to move on to retooling tax legislation. In their circle, further talks are also seen as an opening for others to bolt.

Its not going to get any easier, Senate Majority Whip John Cornyn (R-Tex.) told reporters on the sidelines of a three-day seminar organized by billionaire industrialist Charles Koch in Colorado Springs. And, yes, I think August is the drop deadline, about August 1.

As senators took to the airwaves Sunday, there were developments behind the scenes as GOP leaders made calls and worked to cobble together votes. But no firm decisions on vote-winning revisions were made.

There was new talk among key GOP figures about wooing moderates by altering the bills Medicaid changes, according to two people involved who would not speak publicly. By tweaking how federal funding is determined for Medicaid recipients and linking aspects to the medical component of the consumer price index, there is a belief that some moderates could be swayed, because they want assurances that funding would keep up with any rises in the cost of care, the people said.

Then would come the tightrope: If some senators can be persuaded to support revisions to the Medicaid portion of the bill, several conservatives are warning that unless their amendments are also included, they are unlikely to support the legislation. The hope is that a combination of those Medicaid changes and amendments from conservatives could pave the way to passage.

Progress in these conversations could postpone a vote for a couple weeks until after the Fourth of July holiday, the people said, but Senate leadership and the White House want to move this week if they can.

The administration itself, meanwhile, is sending mixed signals. An allied leadership PAC is launching an intensive advertising campaign against centrist Sen. Dean Heller (R-Nev.), a no vote, to pressure him to support the bill. On This Week, Kellyanne Conway, counselor to the president, said Trump is working the phones, hes having personal meetings, and hes engaging with leaders.

Still, the presidents own support for the legislation has at times been lukewarm. Over the weekend, he acknowledged he once called the initial Republican bill, which originated in the House, mean in a private meeting, but also urged senators on Twitter to pass it.

Trumps aides have seemed to signal that the White House is more likely to support the final Senate proposal over the original House bill going forward, and speaking this weekend on Fox & Friends, Trump said, I want to see a bill with heart.

Conway added that the president and the White House are also open to getting Democratic votes, and asked, Why cant we get a single Democrat to come to the table, to come to the White House, to speak to the president or anyone else about trying to improve a system that has not worked for everyone?

But Democratic support seems unlikely. Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.), speaking on This Week, said Democrats would only sit down with Republicans if they stop trying to repeal Obamacare. In an interview with The Washington Post, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) spoke of trying to postpone a vote on the bill to mount a stronger fight against it.

One of the strategies is to just keep offering amendments, to delay this thing and delay this thing at least until after the July Fourth break, Sanders said. That would give us the opportunity to rally the American people in opposition to it. I think we should use every tactic that we can to delay this thing. In fact  despite Trumps campaign promise he would not cut Medicaid  the Senate bill includes deep cuts to projected spending on the program, deeper even than the House bill over the long run, and is expected to leave millions without or unable to afford health insurance.

On Sunday, there were attempts to tamp down criticism of the effect the Senate bill would have on Medicaid. Speaking on CBSs Face the Nation, Sen. Patrick J. Toomey (R-Pa.), claimed the Republican plan will codify and make permanent the Medicaid expansion, and added, No one loses coverage. His comments echoed those by Conway, who told This Week, These are not cuts to Medicaid.

The legislation does not outright abolish the expansion of the program, under which 11 million Americans in 31 states have gained coverage since 2014. Instead, the bill would gradually eliminate the generous federal funding that has propped up the expansion, leaving states without enough money to pay for all their current beneficiaries.

Johnson, the senator from Wisconsin who surprised some fellow Republicans by co-signing a letter asking for more changes to the bill, said on NBCs Meet the Press that there was no hurry to vote before the end of June.

Theres no way we should be voting on this next week. No way, Johnson said. I have a hard time believing Wisconsin constituents or even myself will have enough time to properly evaluate this, for me to vote for a motion to proceed.

At the same time, Johnson said he was not a pure no on the bill.

Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.), who criticized the secretive process by which the new bill was crafted and had preferred his own compromise to extend most of the Affordable Care Act, struck a similar tone on Face the Nation. After saying he was undecided, he clarified that small changes could win his vote.

There are things in this bill that adversely affect my state that are peculiar to my state, Cassidy said. If those can be addressed, I will. If they cant be addressed, I wont. So right now, I am undecided.

Progressive activists spent the weekend warning that Republicans such as Johnson and Cassidy could vote for the bill with minor tweaks. In Columbus, Ohio, at the second of three rallies Sanders and MoveOn.org organized to pressure swing-state Republican senators, MoveOns Washington director, Ben Wikler, warned a crowd of at least 1,000 activists that the protests of Senate Republicans might amount to nothing more than theatrical posturing.

This is the week when Mitch McConnell and Republicans are going to introduce these tiny amendments and Republicans are going to say, Oh, the bill is fixed! Oh, I can vote for it now!  Wikler warned. Are we going to let him get away with that?

And looming over the discussions is another challenge: the Republican-controlled House, where any revised Senate bill would head and its ultimate fate would be decided. According to a White House official, Trump advisers are keeping in close touch with the conservative House Freedom Caucus  which helped tank the White Houses initial health-care push  as the Senate considers the bill, making sure that whatever ends up passing could pass muster with House conservatives.

David Weigel reported from Columbus, Ohio. James Hohmann in Colorado Springs contributed to this report.
A government worker rakes muck and debris from the waters of Kol-e-Hashmat Khan, a marsh and bird sanctuary near Kabul that is being restored with help from a U.N. environmental program. (Pamela Constable/The Washington Post)

Just south of the Afghan capital, on a busy road lined with car repair shops, goat corrals and garbage pits, a narrow lane opens unexpectedly onto a small natural wonder  a picturesque, nearly hidden marsh that is known only to a few Afghans and inhabited only by migratory birds and several families of wild dogs.

The 470-acre site, known as Kol-e-Hashmat Khan, is one of the rare recognized wetland areas in central Afghanistan. Once it drew wealthy sightseers and royal hunting parties, but during four decades of war and turmoil it lay abandoned and neglected. The water filled with sludge, unauthorized settlements sprang up around the edges, and fewer birds stopped to rest or breed in the desiccated marsh.

Now, an ambitious effort to clean up and restore the site, launched several years ago by the Afghan government and local civic groups with support from the U.N. Environmental Program, is starting to bear fruit. Water from the nearby Logar River has been diverted with sandbags, and new reed growth has attracted an increasing number and variety of birds.

This month, the United Nations took a further step, declaring Kol-e-Hashmat Khan a protected conservation site and bird sanctuary, which could bring more funds and attention to efforts to save it. The site, also an important source of reservoir water for the capital region, dries up in certain months, and officials worry it could eventually disappear.

Some of the birds stopping here travel from India to Siberia, marveled Arif Azimi, an engineer and civic activist, looking out over the marsh one recent morning as a wildlife ranger with binoculars pointed to several pairs of waterfowl flitting among the reeds. Last year, officials said, 157 different species were identified at the site  a healthy increase from a tally of 93 species in 2010.

Amid efforts to clean and expand the rare wetlands site, residents and businesses on its perimeter continue to dump their trash in it. (Pamela Constable/The Washington Post)

But although environmentalists have made headway with efforts to preserve the site, they are also encountering indifference  and some resistance  from local residents and businesses. Several poor communities surrounding Kol-e-Hashmat Khan have been provided with garbage collection stations, but people keep dumping their trash into the marsh.

All morning, as Azimi and a group of visitors watched, two government workers wearing rubber boots and gloves waded through the knee-deep water, raking up debris and collecting it to be hauled off. But just a short distance away, where a row of mud-walled houses lines the marsh, children emerged periodically with buckets of household slops and tossed them into the water.

We have put up the collection sites, and the municipal government has signs telling people to use them, but it doesnt always happen, Azimi said with a frown. He said mechanics also dump used oil and metal scraps at the wetlands site. We do our best to make people aware, but we need more support, he said. It takes time to change peoples behavior.

Several international agencies and nonprofit groups have worked for years to study and protect some of Afghanistans natural sites. The best known is the Wakhan Corridor, a 200-mile stretch of alpine valleys and rivers in the remote far northeast bordering China. Home to rare animal species including snow leopards, it has remained largely free of human development and interference.

[In Afghanistan, a quest to save the snow leopard]

But with the country mired in poverty, illiteracy and unresolved conflict, such projects can seem like luxuries  and in the more populous areas, human survival comes first. Most Afghan homes are heated by coal and wood stoves, and the mass cutting of trees for fuel has deforested provinces along the southeastern border with Pakistan. There has also been little effort to stop the illegal cross-border traffic in lumber.

Although the idea of wetlands as places of beauty and social value is not widely understood, efforts to support bird migration and breeding appear even more esoteric. In the 1970s, the Afghan government declared Kol-e-Hashmat Khan a nationally protected area, but the designation lost all meaning in the ensuing decades of conflict. It is now managed by the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock, which built an education center and observation deck there several years ago.

The site attracts experts and occasional groups of birdwatchers, and during the early-morning visit by Azimi, U.N. officials and several journalists, the wildlife ranger on duty eagerly named two dozen species of ducks, egrets and other waterfowl he had seen there this season. He said the number of visiting birds had been growing every spring, when the great south-north migrations take place and millions of birds must fly over the nearby Himalayan peaks.

I was raised here, and I love this area and the river, said the ranger, 34, who gave his name as Fareed. Look over there  thats a sauza khar, you can tell by the white chest. Shes the mother bird, and she has two babies in a nest in the reeds.

Cleanup efforts have also begun to revive the fish population, he said, but he also pointed to mounds of discarded plastic bags clogging the waters edge, noting that they contaminate the water and make it harder for aquatic life to survive. That is all plastic fish food, he said dryly.

Environmental officials visiting the site said various approaches have been tried to improve public knowledge and participation in ecological activities, such as teaching housewives to make compost from kitchen waste, enlisting youth groups to collect trash and asking local mosque leaders to spread messages.

The results have been mixed, with some neighborhoods around the marsh rejecting garbage stations and others ignoring them. Illegal land-grabbing has created congestion and contamination, open wastewater drains run into the marsh, and trash accumulates faster than workers can rake it away.

Several residents at Kol-e-Hashmat Khan said that they appreciate efforts to beautify the area but that they have their own daily problems to worry about. Sayed Rahman, 40, a mechanic whose workshop and home are a few yards from the marsh, acknowledged that he often dumps his work refuse there.

We know this is a nice area of nature, and were happy the government is trying to keep it clean, said Rahman, who built his familys small house there a decade ago. I have no place nearby to put the waste from my garage, so I put it in a bag, but unfortunately, its final destination is here.

As he spoke, a small girl appeared in the doorway of the adjacent house, trudged wordlessly to the waters edge, tipped her bucket of trash into the water, and trudged back inside.

Read more:

Afghanistan opens first national park

Fanged deer pops up in Afghanistan, 60 years after its last appearance

Today's coverage from Post correspondents around the world

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As the United States grapples with the implications of Kremlin interference in American politics, European countries are deploying a variety of bold tactics and tools to expose Russian attempts to sway voters and weaken European unity.

Across the continent, counterintelligence officials, legislators, researchers and journalists have devoted years  in some cases, decades  to the development of ways to counter Russian disinformation, hacking and trolling. And they are putting them to use as never before.

Four dozen officials and researchers interviewed recently sounded uniformly more confident about the results of their efforts to counter Russian influence than officials grappling with it in the United States, which one European cyber-official described as like watching House of Cards. 

The response here has been very practical, observed a senior U.S. intelligence official stationed in Europe. Everybodys looking at it.

In the recent French elections, the Kremlin-friendly presidential candidate lost to newcomer Emmanuel Macron, who was subjected to Russian hacking and false allegations in Russian-

sponsored news outlets during the campaign. In Germany, all political parties have agreed not to employ automated bots in their social media campaigns because such hard-to-detect cybertools are frequently used by Russia to circulate bogus news accounts.

(Senate Armed Services Committee)

The best antidote to Russian influence, European experts say, is to make it visible.

We have to prepare the public, said Patrick Sensburg, a member of the German Parliament and an intelligence expert.

President Trumps embrace of the fake news label for traditional mainstream news outlets and his own record of unabashed distortions have, moreover, energized Western Europe against the threat of disinformation, said Claire Wardle, strategy and research director at Europes largest social media accountability network, First Draft News. Now youre seeing Western Europe wake up.

Methods vary. Sweden has launched a nationwide school program to teach students to identify Russian propaganda. The Defense Ministry has created new units to seek out and counter Russian attempts to undermine Swedish society.

In Lithuania, 100 citizen cyber-sleuths dubbed elves link up digitally to identify and beat back the people employed on social media to spread Russian disinformation. They call the daily skirmishes Elves vs. Trolls.

In Brussels, the European Unions East Stratcom Task Force has 14 staffers and hundreds of volunteer academics, researchers and journalists who have researched and published 2,000 examples of false or twisted stories in 18 languages in a weekly digest that began two years ago.

What we try to do centrally in Brussels is put all of those pieces of the jigsaw together, Giles Portman, head of the task force, said at a conference last year.

And beyond exposing Russian efforts, European countries are also moving to suppress them.

France and Britain have successfully pressured Facebook to disable tens of thousands of automated fake accounts used to sway voters close to election time, and it has doubled to 6,000 the number of monitors empowered to remove defamatory and hate-filled posts.

The German cabinet recently endorsed legislation  now before Parliament  to impose fines of up to $53 million on social-media companies that fail to remove posts deemed to be hate speech. Some especially notorious recent examples concerning migrants have been traced to Russian origins.

And sometimes the effort goes face-to-face. Here in Riga, Vladimir Dorofeev, a 42-year-old reporter for the Kremlins Sputnik news site, widely regarded as a conduit for propaganda as well as news, found out personally how Latvian authorities deal with the challenge.

In Dorofeevs first week on the job, the Latvian Security Police questioned him about Sputniks local staff size, its editor and its payment procedures.

Arent you ashamed of yourself? he said they asked him. Do you understand they can use you?

His answers went into the files, to become part of a standing counterintelligence investigation, the kind Latvia has undertaken to ferret out clandestine Russia meddling since it broke free of the Soviet Union in 1991.

Maybe this is new to the Western world, but not for us, said Normunds Mezviets, the security service chief here. For 20 years, weve been calling attention to this. There is no reason to panic.

Informational conflict

Russia has not hidden its liking for information warfare. The chief of the general staff, Valery Gerasimov, wrote in 2013 that informational conflict is a key part of war. Actual military strength is only the final tool of a much subtler war-fighting strategy, he said. This year, the Defense Ministry announced the creation of a new cyberwarrior unit.

No longer able to compete in conventional military terms  the U.S. defense budget is about eight times larger than Russias  Moscow has emphasized this less expensive but difficult-to-thwart tactic. Weaponizing information involves the dissemination of factual distortions and outright lies to achieve political ends. It builds on decades of experience wielding propaganda, going back to the Soviet era. In that sense, Europe has had more years of exposure than the United States.

There has always been Russian propaganda, false information, attempts to smear people  thats nothing new, said Carl Bildt, a former prime minister of Sweden who was in Tallinn, Estonia, recently for a cybersecurity conference.

What is undeniably new, though, is the digital sophistication that Moscow can now employ: hacking and releasing documents from the Democratic National Committee and the campaign of Frances Macron, for example, or infiltrating the network of the German Parliament. Russian officials have denied hacking France and Germany and have tended to shrug off the wider allegations, with President Vladimir Putin calling them nonsense.

Putins apparent goal, intelligence officials and Russian experts say, is to weaken Western unity, restore Russias influence in the world and, not least, shore up support at home.

Especially since Putins return to the presidency in 2012, the Kremlin has portrayed the West as Russias principal antagonist  supporting popular revolutions in Libya, Ukraine and Syria; backing pro-democracy civil society groups, including independent media; and, more recently, deploying NATO troops in four countries that border Russia.

Russians began experimenting with information warfare 10 years ago in Estonia, followed by attempts at disruption in Georgia, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Finland, Bosnia and Macedonia. But the full power of the disinformation arsenal became apparent only in 2014, following the street protests that overthrew the corrupt, Moscow-friendly government of Ukraine.

As Russian troops, in uniforms without insignia, seized Crimea, Russian media portrayed the fighters loyal to the new government in Kiev as Western-backed fascists and Nazis intent on massacring the Russian-speaking population in eastern Ukraine. That version of events didnt get much traction in the West, but it was effective in the regions of Donetsk and Luhansk, where Russian-backed separatists were quick to launch insurgencies. Washington, the Russian press said, was preparing for World War III against Russia.

The disinformation was effective at home in Russia, too.

U.S. and European intelligence agencies, research groups and journalists describe the Russian disinformation campaign in Europe as an online network of networks that together amplify particular, distorted, anti-Western themes and news items by using hidden ownership, trolls and automated bots.

U.S. intelligence agencies also say Russia covertly funds political parties, think tanks and social organizations in Europe, but they have offered little evidence for these allegations.

In Eastern Europe, hours of combative political talk shows on Russias domestic channels, featuring Russian nationalists tearing down Western straw men to the roar of approving audiences, carry past borders by way of the Internet and airwaves to reach Russian-speaking populations. In many of Russias immediate neighbors, there are no Russian-language alternatives to the channels and websites backed by Moscow.

In Scandinavia, Russian efforts are more devoted to the harassment of mainstream journalists and online trolling on social media and news websites.

In Western Europe, local-

language versions of the Russian outfits RT and Sputnik use Twitter and Facebook accounts to spread their spin to far-right and far-left news websites, from which it sometimes seeps into the mainstream media.

These are pretty well-

designed messages for local audiences, said Jakub Janda, the deputy director of the Prague-based European Values think tank. Theyre targeting local decision-makers and the public, and theyre trying to shift their opinions.

Pushing back

Monitoring these so-called news websites has become a core mission for some security services. In Sweden, the Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency, which usually prepares for chemical spills, bomb threats and natural disasters, is also monitoring websites for exaggerated news stories about refugees and crime, subjects the Swedish population is afraid of right now, said Mikael Tofvesson, who heads the agency.

Those are our vulnerabilities, he said.

Most of the malicious activities are aimed at eroding trust within our societies between different groups, political movements, the elites and the people, said Jonatan Vseviov, permanent secretary of Estonias Ministry of Defense.

Russias efforts in Estonia have not had much success to date, largely because many in society are aware of such propaganda, the government is vigilant and the nations ethnic Russians have little desire to join with the Kremlin because they live better in Estonia than they would across the border, analysts say.

The counterassault in Europe involves researchers in Britain, France, Germany, the Czech Republic, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Finland, Sweden, Ukraine and Latvia. In Slovakia, some 1,400 advertisers have agreed to boycott a list of false, conspiratorial websites compiled by one nonprofit research organization.

Political leaders also are appealing to the public and mainstream media to ignore predictable releases of embarrassing documents stolen by Russian hackers in an effort to tip elections in favor of pro-Russian candidates. In France, the media complied with a government ban on reporting documents stolen from Macrons campaign and published less than 48 hours before voting.

Consortiums such as StopFake.org, about Ukraine, and Correctiv.org in Germany have sped up fact-checking with new digital tools and with cross-

border journalistic partnerships.

Traditional news organizations have increased fact-checking, too, with projects such as Le Mondes Decodex in France and BBCs RealityCheck. And they have developed tools readers can use to identify what they call fake news outlets.

A good-spirited competition has broken out between government, researchers and investigative journalists to be the first to reveal the latest Russian attempt to pollute the legitimate news ecosystem, said Inga Springe, director of the Baltic center for investigative journalism, Re:Baltica.

In April, her website published an article under the headline Three Baltic Russian-language news sites known collectively as Baltnews are secretly linked to the Kremlins global propaganda network. Using a clue originally unearthed by the Estonian security service, Re:Baltica painstakingly traced the websites ownership from Latvia to the Netherlands and then to Rossiya Segodnya, a news agency owned and operated by the Russian government.

It was our biggest scoop, said Springe, who said she was surprised the Kremlin didnt try to hide the network behind more offshore companies.

It also proved our suspicions, she said, that the Kremlin controls considerably more media networks outside Russia than it chooses to admit.

Birnbaum reported from Tallinn, Estonia. Ellen Nakashima in Tallinn contributed to this report.

Correction: This article has been updated to remove a reference to RT and Sputnik using automated bots. While independent researchers believe the Russian government employs automated bots to circulate articles on those outlets sites, they have not been able to definitively prove this. RT and Sputnik deny using bots.

Read more:

Obamas secret struggle to punish Russia for Putins election assault

French President Macron blasts Russian state-owned media as propaganda

Russian ambassador to Swedish television: We have no plans whatsoever to invade Sweden

Researchers say theyve uncovered a disinformation campaign with apparent Russian link

Todays coverage from Post correspondents around the world

Like Washington Post World on Facebook and stay updated on foreign news
An Ultra-Orthodox Jew prays at the Western Wall in Jerusalems Old City earlier this month. (Atef Safadi/EPA)

Israels government on Sunday nixed an ambitious plan approved last year to allow mixed-gender religious services at the Western Wall, Judaisms holiest prayer site, angering many American Jews, who said they felt insulted and abandoned by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus ruling coalition.

An official from the prime ministers office said Monday that Netanyahu had decided to suspend the plan in an attempt to find a solution that would work for all sides  ultra-Orthodox and more liberal streams of Judaism.

This is not a symbolic step but a practical move, said the official, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the press.

Israels holy Jewish sites are managed by ultra-Orthodox Jews, and in keeping with their traditions, the area for prayer at the Western Wall is divided according to gender. Women are not permitted to read aloud from the Torah, wear prayer shawls or sing there.

Non-Orthodox streams of Judaism, including the Reform and Conservative denominations that are prevalent in the United States, allow men and women to pray side by side, and female rabbis regularly lead services.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he will seek a new solution to the fraught issue of a mixed-gender prayer space at the Western Wall. (Gali Tibbon/AFP/Getty Images)

Reform and Conservative Jewish leaders in the United States and Israel have long pressed for an area of the Western Wall where fathers can stand beside daughters and mothers beside sons for prayer and religious services.

A 2016 plan approved by the government to provide such an area was described as a fair and creative solution by Netanyahu.

Its a place that is supposed to unite the Jewish people, he said at the time.

[Israel to create a new egalitarian prayer plaza at Western Wall]

According to a study by the Pew Research Center published in March 2016, more than half of American Jews identify themselves as either Reform or Conservative, while only about 10 percent observe Orthodox practices. In Israel, only a small minority are affiliated with the non-Orthodox movements.

Sundays decision to cancel the new Western Wall arrangement has drawn denunciations from liberal Jews in Israel and the United States. It also appeared to threaten Netanyahus fragile coalition, with Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman  head of a faction that represents secular Jewish immigrants from the former Soviet Union  vowing to fight back.

It actually causes terrible harm to Jewish unity and to the alliance between the State of Israel and Diaspora Jewry, Israeli media quoted him as saying.

Writing in the Jerusalem Post, editor in chief Yaakov Katz commented: Sunday will go down in history as a shameful day for the State of Israel, another nail in the coffin of Israels failing relationship with Diaspora Jewry.

Netanyahus office made sure to issue a statement that Sundays cabinet decision was not to cancel the previous deal but merely to freeze it. This is a sham, Katz wrote. The deal had already been frozen for the last 18 months and wasnt moving forward. By taking the decision Sunday, Netanyahu is simply signaling to Diaspora Jewry that at the end of the day, his political survival is more important than Israeli-Diaspora relations.

The prime minister said in a statement that he would seek an alternative solution, appointing senior minister Tzachi Hanegbi to look into it.

The prime ministers decision came from the realization that over the last year and a half nothing has progressed with this plan, so another solution needs to be found, Hanegbi said.

We are not going to quietly accept this. It is so insulting, I know there will be a series of responses, said Rabbi Rick Jacobs, president of the Union of Reform Judaism, which represents 1.5 million Reform Jews in 900 synagogues in the United States and Canada.

The decision delegitimizes the overwhelming majority of Jews on the planet, Jacobs said.

Natan Sharansky, the chairman of the Jewish Agency for Israel who formulated the original plan, said he was deeply disappointed. Five years ago, the prime minister asked me to bring all the sides together to create a solution where there would be one wall for one people, he said.

[Israeli court allows non-Orthodox prayer by women at Western Wall]

Anat Hoffman, chair of Women of the Wall, a feminist group that has been pushing for a solution at the site, described Netanyahus decision as shameful.

Its a terrible day for women in Israel when the prime minister sacrifices their rights while kowtowing to a handful of religious extremists, who want to enforce their religious customs while intentionally violating the rights of the majority of the Jewish world, she said.

Even though the new prayer space had been approved by the government, the plan stalled because of ultra-Orthodox opposition. In September, Israels Reform and Conservative movements, together with Women of the Wall, filed a legal petition to force the government to divide the plaza.

The Israeli daily Haaretz on Sunday quoted Interior Minister Aryeh Deri, chairman of the ultra-Orthodox Shas party, as saying that the original plan was approved because the Haredi parties did not pay attention to its details, a reference to the ultra-Orthodox parties.

In Deris view, the Reform movements decision to file a petition shut the door to a compromise, Haaretz reported.

Read more:

Over protests, Israel plans to double prayer space at Western Wall

Trumps controversial visit to the Western Wall and why it was so important to Jews

Today's coverage from Post correspondents around the world

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Staff members of Al Jazeera International work at the news studio in Doha, Qatar. Kuwait has given Qatar a list of demands from Saudi Arabia and other Arab nations that includes shutting down Al Jazeera and cutting diplomatic ties to Iran. (Osama Faisal/AP)

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson on Sunday criticized some of the demands by Saudi Arabia and its allies on Qatar as very difficult to meet and urged the countries to tamp down the rhetoric and start negotiating.

The statement by Tillerson was his first response to a sweeping list of 13 demands leaked to the Associated Press on Friday. The ultimatum gave Qatar 10 days to shut down the Arabic news network Al Jazeera, halt all contact with groups such as the Muslim Brotherhood, reduce cooperation with Iran and oust Turkish troops from Qatar. In addition, it would be required to undergo monthly checks to ensure it is complying.

The demands were presented by Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates, which had earlier imposed a diplomatic and trade embargo on Qatar, through the emir of Kuwait, who is mediating the crisis. They do not specify what further action those countries might take if Qatar doesnt obey.

While some of the elements will be very difficult for Qatar to meet, there are significant areas which provide a basis for ongoing dialogue leading to resolution, said Tillerson in his statement, which urged the parties to sit down and have a conversation about what he called the requests.

We believe our allies and partners are stronger when they are working together towards one goal which we all agree is stopping terrorism and countering extremism, he said. Each country involved has something to contribute to that effort. A lowering of rhetoric would also help ease the tension.

In Istanbul, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan rejected the demand for the removal of Turkish troops, calling is disrespectful toward Turkey. His country, he said, in remarks reported by the Associated Press, did not need permission from others when making defense agreements.

The showdown between Qatar and the Arab nations allied against it began two weeks ago.

The anti-Qatar countries claimed Qatars royal family has been funding terrorism, but the list of demands suggests they are pressuring Qatar as a way of trying to isolate Iran and suppress media in the region that have been critical of governments throughout the Middle East.

The standoff has been awkward for the United States. Qatar hosts the largest concentration of U.S. military personnel, 11,000 people, in the Middle East.

Trump visited Saudi Arabia last month on his first overseas trip and announced a $110 billion deal to sell arms to the country.

Trump has expressed pleasure at the alliance of Arab states, all majority Sunni, against extremist groups and Iran, which is majority Shiite and Saudi Arabia's main regional rival.

Last week, before the anti-Qatar demands became public, State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert was unusually blunt in criticizing the group of nations isolating Qatar and effectively dared them to come up with a list of Qatari misdeeds.

Nauert said Washington was mystified that the gulf states have not released to the public nor to the Qataris the details about the claims that they are making.

The more time goes by, she added, the more doubt is raised about the actions taken by Saudi Arabia and the UAE.

At this point we are left with one simple question: Were the actions really about their concerns regarding Qatars alleged support for terrorism, or were they about the long-simmering grievances between and among the GCC countries?

The GCC, or Gulf Cooperation Council, includes Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain and Kuwait as well as Qatar. (Oman is also a member.)

Trump, however, has called the Saudi-led action against Qatar hard but necessary.

Nevertheless, Tillersons remarks suggest Washington is growing impatient with the bickering and considers it an obstacle to fighting terrorism and uniting in opposition to Iran.

Though Kuwait is officially mediating the dispute, Tillerson has been actively involved making phone calls to the leaders of each country in an effort to break the impasse.

Last week, he canceled a planned trip to Mexico to discuss Venezuela before the Organization of American States so he could call Middle Eastern leaders instead.

Read more

State Department warns Saudi Arabia and UAE over Qatar rift

Trump seems to undercut Tillersons remarks on Qatar

Bahrain and UAE criminalize sympathy for Qatar

Todays coverage from Post correspondents around the world

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Intelligence officials doubted the alleged Sarin gas attack at Khan Sheikhoun. WELT AM SONNTAG presents a chat protocol of a security advisor and an active American soldier on duty at a key base in the region.

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This conversation was provided to Seymour Hersh. It is betweeen a security adviser and an active US American soldier on duty on a key operational base about the events in Khan Sheikhoun. We have made abbreviations: American soldier (AS) and Security Advisor (SA). WELT AM SONNTAG is aware of the location of the deployment. For security reasons, certain details of military operations have been omitted.

April 6, 2017

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American Soldier: We got a fuckin problem

Security-Adviser: What happened? Is it the Trump ignoring the Intel and going to try to hit the Syrians? And that were pissing on the Russians?

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AS: This is bad...Things are spooling up.

SA: You may not have seen trumps press conference yesterday. He's bought into the media story without asking to see the Intel. We are likely to get our asses kicked by the Russians. Fucking dangerous. Where are the godamn adults? The failure of the chain of command to tell the President the truth, whether he wants to hear it or not, will go down in history as one of our worst moments.

AS: I don't know. None of this makes any sense. We KNOW that there was no chemical attack. The Syrians struck a weapons cache (a legitimate military target) and there was collateral damage. That's it. They did not conduct any sort of a chemical attack.

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AS: And now were shoving a shit load of TLAMs (tomahawks) up their ass.

SA: There has been a hidden agenda all along. This is about trying to ultimately go after Iran. What the people around Trump do not understand is that the Russians are not a paper tiger and that they have more robust military capability than we do.

AS: I don't know what the Russians are going to do. They might hang back and let the Syrians defend their own borders, or they might provide some sort of tepid support, or they might blow us the fuck out of the airspace and back into Iraq. I honestly don't know what to expect right now. I feel like anything is possible. The russian air defense system is capable of taking out our TLAMs. this is a big fucking deal...we are still all systems go...

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SA: You are so right. Russia is not going to take this lying down

SA: Who is pushing this? Is it coming from Votel (General Joseph L. Votel, Commander of United States Central Command, editors note) ?

AS: I don't know. It's from someone big though. . . . This is a big fucking deal.

AS: It has to be POTUS.

AS: They [the russians] are weighing their options. Indications are they are going to be passive supporters of syria and not engage their systems unless their own assets are threatened..in other words, the sky is fucking blue.'

April 7, 2017

SA: What are the Russians doing or saying Am I correct that we did little real damage to Russia or Syria?

AS: We didn't hit a damn thing, thankfully. They retrograded all their aircraft and personnel. We basically gave them a very expensive fireworks display.

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AS: They knew where ships were and watched the entire strike from launch to end game.

AS: The Russians are furious. Claiming we have the real Intel and know the truth about the weapons depot strike.

AS: They are correct.

AS: I guess it really didn't matter whether we elected Clinton or Trump. Fuck.

AS: No one is talking about the entire reason we're in Iraq and Syria in the first place. That mission is fucked now.

SA: Are any of your colleagues pissed or is everyone going along with it and saying this is OK

AS: It's a mad house. . . .Hell we even told the Russians an hour before impact

SA: But they clearly knew it was coming

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AS: Oh of course

AS: Now Fox is saying we chose to hit the Syrian airfield because it is where the chemical attacks were launched from. Wow. Can't make this shit up.

SA: They are. I mean, making it up

AS: It's so fuckin evil

SA: Amen!!!

April 8, 2017

AS: Russians are being extremely reasonable. Despite what the news is reporting they are still trying to deconflict and coordinate the air campaign.

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SA: I don't think the russia yet understands how crazy Trump is over this. And i don't think we appreciate how much damage the Russians can do to us.

AS: They're showing amazing restraint and been unbelievably calm. They seem mostly interested in de-escalating everything. They don't want to lose our support in the help with destroying Isis.

SA: But I get the get the feeling are simply trying this approach for as long as they feel it might work. If we keep pushing this current aggressive stance they're going to hit back.'

Lesen Sie auch Syria Trumps Red Line

Lesen Sie auch Air strike in Syria The Fog of War
The terror militia used poison gas grenades in the battle for Mosul on several occasions  and the islamists are possibly gathering sufficient nuclear material to create a dirty bomb. Experts are alarmed.

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The pulse is stable. A beeping sound registers every heartbeat. The bed in the quarantine area of the emergency hospital Erbil-West is enclosed with foil. American doctors from the World Health Organization (WHO) just finished the decontamination protocol on the female patient.

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She will survive, states Dr. Lawan Miwan, the medical director of the clinic, she is lucky. Yusra A. is one of 15 poison gas victims who receive treatment in Erbil, the capital city of Erbil Governorate and of Iraqi Kurdistan, in Northern Iraq. Blisters disfigure her body; her eyes are red and burning. The 55-year old has to vomit repeatedly.

She has endured this condition for three months. Like 700,000 other refugees from the heavily embattled ISIS-controlled city of Mosul and her fellow patients, she now lives in one of the refugee camps in the northern highlands of Iraq.

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Yusras fate never made international headlines. Maybe they dont want to frighten the international public, muses Dr. Miwan during his conversation with WELT AM SONNTAG, because it was without a doubt poison gas from Islamic State arsenal my patients came into contact with.

Yusra A. became victim to a poison gas attack by the Islamic State. She is treated in a hospital in Erbil Quelle: Frank Franke

The 15 chemical weapons victims who were hospitalized by doctors from the International Red Cross and by American chemical weapons experts from WHO during the first two weeks of March in the West Erbil Emergency Center, were all civilians hailing from the Eastside of the Northern Iraqi metropolis that had been freed weeks earlier.

Initially 12 patients - five children, three women and four men - were hospitalized in the intensive care unit of the Erbil Hospital between March 1st and March 4th. Erbil is located 90 kilometers east of Mosul in the relatively safe Kurdistan. In the second week three more chemical weapons victims arrived, as was recently confirmed by Sara Alzawqari, the Iraqi representative of the International Red Cross, to WELT AM SONNTAG. All patients were apparently first decontaminated before they were transferred to U.S. specialists for treatment.

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Dr. Miwan states that all patients immediately displayed symptoms typical of contact with chemical weapons. Furthermore they reported that they had sensed a strong garlic-like odor in the air - a clear indication of the so-called mustard gas, first deployed as a biological weapon by German soldiers in World War I.

Miwan continues: Meanwhile the WHO team confirmed to me that sulphur mustard had been used.

According to the victims the grenades containing the liquid biological warfare agent were launched on March 1st and 2nd and in a second wave of attacks a week later and emanated from an area on the Westside of Mosul that at the time was exclusively controlled by IS.

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Two involved separate entities, a security administration and another organisation, confirmed these findings independently of each other to the newspaper.

Preliminary tests demonstrate that the biological agent in question does not stem from decades old remnants of secret Syrian and Iraqi government arsenals.

It is clear that the secured samples were not industrially produced but apparently mixed together by IS chemists.

"Looking at the samples and analyses, it seems that it is a rather makeshift production of low quality, but still lethal and harmful, states an international expert who wishes to remain anonymous since his organization does not have a mandate to officially name Islamic State as the source of this chemical weapon attack.

Following the chemical weapons shelling the WHO activated an already existing emergency plan, stated the organisation. Furthermore the International Red Cross distributed specialized emergency kits for the treatment of sulphur mustard victims to hospitals near Mosul, confirmed ICRC spokeswoman Alzawqari, Mosul is already a catastrophe for civilians. Our clinic is located just one kilometer from the actual frontline. We experience almost uninterrupted grenade shelling and air raids. And now also chemical weapon.

As a matter of fact there are strong indicators that the jihadist militia al-Nusra also has been working for quite some time on obtaining sarin. On June 20, 2013 analysts from the American Defense Intelligence Agency sent a secret report to then-Deputy Director, David Shedd that started with the dramatic sentence: al-Nusra maintained a sarin production cell: its programme is the most advanced sarin plot since al-Qaidas pre-9/11 effort.

The 5-page briefing, the existence of which was eventually confirmed by the Obama White House, went on to state: arrests in Iraq and Turkey have slowed the cells operations. Nevertheless we asses the situation as such that they will continue their efforts to produce chemical weapons.

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The actual IS poison gas attack in Mosul is not a singular occurrence, as a study by IHS Conflict Monitor demonstrates. Since the first incident in July 2014, Conflict Monitor has recorded at least 71 allegations of the Islamic State using CW -(41 in Iraq) - and 30 in Syria, states Columb Track, chief analyst of the London-based think tank. Most of the attacks happened in and around Mosul. Until the beginning of the reconquest offensive, the city, still home to one million long suffering residents, 100,000 of them as involuntary human shields for the terrorists, was the center of the Islamic States chemical weapons production, states Strack.

Only New York Times wrote about the IHS investigation, which was largely ignored otherwise.

One of these attacks is also mentioned in a report, dated 2016, and produced by a collaborative investigative panel formed by the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons and the United Nations. It states: There was sufficient information to conclude that Islamic State militants were the only entity with the ability, capability, motive and the means to use sulfur mustard gas in Marea on 21 August, 2015.

IS had used 130mm caliber artillery grenades filled with toxic gas to shell the Syrian city, 80 kilometers from Aleppo. 50 civilians were injured during the attack.

The American aid organization Human Rights Watch (HRW) already reported IS poison gas attacks in the Mosul region in autumn of last year. They state that grenades were fired on September 20th and 21st and again on October 6th and 10th, aimed at the town of Qayyarah and the nearby air force base used by the American Air Force as well as French and Australian forces. Several residents and local militia members noted the characteristic smell of garlic and complained about typical sulphur mustard symptoms. Due to the ongoing fighting, the injured could not be taken to hospitals. Therefore toxicological confirmation of the use of the suspected chemical weapon could not be produced.

Quite possibly the IS chemical weapon stockpile will not pose the biggest risk in the coming final battle for Mosul. According to IHS Conflict Monitor, the terrorists, surrounded and ready for martyrdom, may be in the possession of enough radioactive material to build a homemade nuclear charge, a so-called dirty bomb. IS controlled Mosul for three years.

Medical and industrial sources of radioactive material are present within territory held by the Islamic State, for example, at the Hazim al-Hafid Hospital, a specialist oncology and nuclear medicine facility in Mosul, said Karl Dewey, CBR analyst at IHS Janes. In July 2014, the Islamic State also acquired approximately 40 kilograms of low-grade nuclear material from the University of Mosul. It is unknown whether IS built a dirty bomb but comments made by Islamic State supporters suggest that members have at least thought about the idea, Dewey said.

Is his emergency clinic equipped to deal with this possibility, the WELT AM SONNTAG reporter asks Dr. Miwan. The doctor hesitates, then sighs softly: We live in a completely crazy world - we have to be ready for everything. Just everything.

Translation: Marion Renk-Rosenthal

Lesen Sie auch Air strike in Syria The Fog of War

Lesen Sie auch Air strike in Syria We got a fuckin problem
Penumbra, Inc. designs, develops, manufactures, and markets medical devices in the United States and internationally. The company offers aspiration based thrombectomy systems and accessory devices, including revascularization device for mechanical thrombectomy, such as Penumbra System under the Penumbra RED, JET, ACE, 3D Revascularization Device, and Penumbra ENGINE brands, as well as components and accessories; neurovascular embolization coiling systems to treat patients with various sizes of aneurysms and other neurovascular lesions under the Penumbra Coil 400, POD400, PAC400, and Penumbra SMART Coil brand names; and neurovascular access systems designed to provide intracranial access for use in a range of neurovascular therapies under the Neuron, Neuron MAX, Select, BENCHMARK, BMX96, DDC, and PX SLIM brands. It also provides neurosurgical aspiration tools for the removal of tissue and fluids under the Artemis Neuro Evacuation Device brand; aspiration-based thrombectomy systems for vascular applications under the Indigo System brand; and detachable embolic coil systems for peripheral embolization under the Ruby Coil and Ruby LP brand names. In addition, the company offers microcatheter for the delivery of detachable coils and occlusion devices under the LANTERN brand; and detachable, microcatheter-deliverable occlusion devices designed primarily to occlude peripheral vessels under the POD (Penumbra Occlusion Device) brand, as well as immersive computer-based technologies and immersive therapeutics to promote health, motor function, and cognition under the Real Immersive System brand; and a complementary device for use with Ruby Coil and POD for vessel occlusion under the Packing Coil and Packing Coil LP brands. The company sells its products through direct sales organizations and distributors. Penumbra, Inc. was incorporated in 2004 and is headquartered in Alameda, California.
Sheri Betz and Ya Sayaovang hope to open Little Feet & Helpful Hands Childcare and Preschool in early to mid-September at 3900 Circle Drive in the Cedar Creek Business Park along County Hwy. OT in Holmen.

The center, which is under construction, will care for children ages 6 weeks through 5 years. We will be licensed for up to 90 children, Sayaovang said.

Both women had been teaching in the La Crosse School District, Betz for 12 years and Sayaovang for 14 years.

We both taught first grade for many years before resigning from our teaching positions this year to start the new business, Sayaovang said. Sheri has some experience working in the day care setting.

People can reserve a spot at the day care by calling 608-385-4284. For more information, visit www.littlefeethelpfulhands.com or visit the centers Facebook page.

Fat Sams Main Street Bistro at 412 Main St. in downtown La Crosse has closed permanently after five years, the restaurants operators said in a June 15 post on its Facebook page.

No one answered the bistros telephone when I called last week. The bistro was known for its gourmet sandwiches, salads and homemade soups.

Meanwhile, Friday was the last day for Burnstads European Restaurant & Pub in Tomah.

It was a lease issue, owner Kent Burnstad said of the decision to close the restaurant. He declined to elaborate.

The business had a lease agreement with Gordys Market, which bought the Burnstads building and grocery store in Tomah from the Burnstad family in 2015. The sale also included Burnstads stores in Black River Falls, Spencer and Richland Center.

Senior Market Solutions has moved to 3730 Mormon Coulee Road in La Crosse.

The move was effective March 1, said owner and licensed broker Rick Teska, who formed Senior Market Solutions in 2008 and has been a Medicare insurance broker for more than 30 years.

The business is a licensed independent health insurance agency certified to sell Medicare products. Its licensed to sell products in multiple states.

Our new services include providing dental and vision plans, Teska said. Also, We created a brand new website that allows customers to compare plans, schedule consultations and even apply directly, he said.

Teska said Senior Market Solutions has a full-service support staff along with licensed advisors.

Office hours are 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 8 a.m. to noon Friday. For more information, visit www.seniormarketsolutions.com or visit the agencys Facebook page.

About 68 employees will lose their jobs when the Kmart store at 2415 State Road in La Crosse closes in September, according to a layoff notice that Sears Holdings filed with the state.

When he confirmed earlier this month that the store would close, a Sears Holdings spokesman told the Tribune the number of employees was not publicly available.

According to the notice filed with the state, the layoffs are expected to occur Sept. 3 or during the 14-day period that begins on that date.

New owners have completed a major renovation of the Baymont Inn & Suites hotel at 3300 N. Kinney Coulee Road in Onalaska.

Jay and Dev Patel, who are brothers, and their RAM LAKHAN, LLC, corporation bought the hotel in March 2016, said Jeffrey Jensky, the hotels general manager.

We started renovations in April 2016 and the renovations were completed May 28 of this year, Jensky said. The rooms have new carpet, paint, light fixtures and all-new furniture and the public areas also were remodeled, he said.

In 2018, we plan to repaint the exterior of the hotel and redo the parking lot, Jensky said.
Key Energy Services, Inc. operates as an onshore rig-based well servicing contractor in the United States. It operates through Rig Services, Fishing and Rental Services, Coiled Tubing Services, and Fluid Management Services segments. The Rig Services segment is involved in the completion of newly drilled wells; workover and recompletion of existing oil and natural gas wells; well maintenance activities; and plugging and abandonment of wells at the end of their useful lives, as well as provision of specialty drilling services to oil and natural gas producers. The Fishing and Rental Services segment provides fishing services that involve recovering lost or stuck equipment in the wellbore utilizing fishing tools; and rents drill pipes, tubulars, handling tools, pressure-control equipment, pumps, power swivels, reversing units, and foam air units. The Coiled Tubing Services segment offers services for wellbore clean-outs, nitrogen jet lifts, through-tubing fishing, and formation stimulations; mills temporary isolation plugs that separate frac zones; and other pre- and post-hydraulic fracturing well preparation services. The Fluid Management Services segment offers transportation and well-site storage services for fluids utilized in drilling, completions, workover, and maintenance activities; and disposal services for fluids produced subsequent to well completion. It also operates a fleet of hot oilers used to clear soluble restrictions in a wellbore. The company was formerly known as Key Energy Group, Inc. and changed its name to Key Energy Services, Inc. in December 1998. Key Energy Services, Inc. was founded in 1977 and is based in Houston, Texas.
Gannett Co., Inc. operates as a media and marketing solutions company in the United States. It operates through two segments, Publishing and Digital Marketing Solutions. The company's principal products include 230 daily print media with total paid circulation of approximately 1.9 million and Sunday circulation of 2.2 million; 249 weekly print media with total circulation of approximately 1.4 million; and 292 locally-focused websites. Its principal products also comprise 123 daily and weekly news media brands and approximately 80 magazines, and related digital platforms; sports network, as well as Reviewed.com, an affiliate marketing service; and USA TODAY NETWORK, a community events platform. The company also offers digital marketing solutions, such as online presence solutions, online advertising products, conversion software, and cloud-based software solutions. In addition, it produces niche publications that address specific local market interests, such as recreation, sports, healthcare, and real estate. Further, the company offers local market news and information, as well as advertising and subscriptions, and commercial printing and distribution services; and prints commercial materials, including flyers, business cards, and invitations. The company was formerly known as New Media Investment Group Inc. and changed its name to Gannett Co., Inc. in November 2019. Gannett Co., Inc. was incorporated in 2013 and is headquartered in McLean, Virginia.
In July, the legislative committee of Dunn County approved a referendum question that is unprecedented in rural America. The question asked Congress and the U.S. president to nationalize health care.

Its chances of success looked good ahead of the Nov. 8 referendum. Results of this referendum could make waves in Wisconsin.
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.
Fortune Brands Home & Security, Inc. provides home and security products for residential home repair, remodeling, new construction, and security applications. It operates in three segments: Plumbing, Outdoors & Security, and Cabinets. The Plumbing segment manufactures, assembles, and sells faucets, accessories, kitchen sinks, and waste disposals under the Moen, ROHL, Riobel, Victoria+Albert, Perrin & Rowe, and Shaws brands in the United States, China, Canada, Mexico, Southeast Asia, Europe, and South America directly through its own sales force, as well as through independent manufacturers' representatives to wholesalers, home centers, mass merchandisers, and industrial distributors. The Outdoors & Security segment offers fiberglass and steel entry door systems under the Therma-Tru brand; storm, screen, and security doors under the Larson brand; composite decking and railing under the Fiberon brand; and urethane millwork under the Fypon brand. This segment also manufactures, sources, and distributes locks, safety and security devices, and electronic security products under the Master Lock and American Lock brands; and fire resistant safes, security containers, and commercial cabinets under the SentrySafe brand. It serves home centers, hardware and other retailers, millwork building products and wholesale distributors, specialty dealers, and remodeling and renovation markets, as well as locksmiths, industrial and institutional users, and original equipment manufacturers in the United States, Canada, Europe, Central America, Japan, and Australia. The Cabinets segment manufactures custom, semi-custom, and custom cabinetry, as well as vanities for the kitchen, bath, and other parts of the home directly to kitchen and bath dealers, home centers, wholesalers, and builders in North America under the AOK, Diamond Brands, Homecrest, Kitchen Craft, Omega, and EVE brands. The company was incorporated in 1988 and is headquartered in Deerfield, Illinois.
A 16-month-old child in New York has succumbed to injuries she sustained in a vicious beating  allegedly by her 19-year-old dad  on Fathers Day.

Read: Dad Who Had Wanted Abortion Allegedly Beats Baby Girl Within an Inch of Her Life: Cops

Nylah Lewis died at a hospital in Brooklyn Friday. She had been in critical condition since Sunday after being hospitalized with two skull fractures and bruising on her face and legs.

We at Maimonides Medical Center extend our heartfelt condolences to her family, who wish to have their privacy respected at this sad and difficult time, the hospital said in a statement to the New York Post.

Her father, Shaquan Taylor, is accused of attacking the baby, according to police.

The infants battle to survive began when a 911 caller reported that the girl's 17-year-old mother had been chased and assaulted by her daughter's dad. Taylor, allegedly snatched the baby from the mother's arms before cops say he continued his assault on the mother.

Police were called to Taylor's Brooklyn apartment, where they reported finding the baby face down on the floor and having trouble breathing, according to the NYPD.

Taylor was watching Nylah on Father's Day when he called her 17-year-old mother to tell her something was wrong with the baby and to come get her, CBS New York reported.

The altercation allegedly ensued when she arrived. Cops have charged Taylor with second-degree assault for allegedly hurting the child, and third degree assault for allegedly hurting her mother, among other charges.

Messages posted to Facebook by Taylor prior to his daughter's birth indicated that he never wanted to be a father to begin with.

Watch: 9-Month-Old Girl Dies After Being Sexually Assaulted by Mom's Boyfriend: Cop

"Feel mad disrespected, Taylor wrote in a February 2016 Facebook post. "Told that lil b**** to get abortion [and] she tells me she is but still keep it. Exactly why I hate that lil b****."

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Taylor has denied hurting the child and claims she was accidentally injured when she fell off the bed and off a toilet seat.

Taylor, who remains behind bars after being held on $250,000 bail, told the Daily News in an interview prior to the baby's passing, that he did not attack his daughter.

"Shes my first daughter, shes my blood," he said. "Why would I hit her? I didnt do nothing. I didnt do nothing at all."

Watch: Dad Claims Daughter Died Accidentally After Remains Found, Denies Forcing Mom Into Sex Work

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Former President Barack Obama called Trumpcare a 'massive transfer of wealth' in a Facebook post asking the Senate to carefully examine the proposed healthcare legislation: REUTERS/Fabrizio Bensch

Barack Obama has called the Republican replacement for his signature healthcare legislation, Obamacare, a "massive transfer of wealth" from the poor and middle-class to the wealthy.

The former President and namesake for the existing Affordable Care Act healthcare law took to Facebook to express his concern over the replacement bill set to be voted upon in the Senate that would benefit the wealthy with massive tax cuts as well as pharmaceutical and insurance companies.

Mr Obama wrote that "health care or any other issue, must be something more than simply undoing something that Democrats did".

Mr Obama said that though repealing and replacing Obamacare has become a core issue for Republicans, "we fought for it because we knew it would save lives, prevent financial misery, and ultimately set this country we love on a better, healthier course."

The bill passed the House in May and until 22 June the Senate draft was kept secret from all but a few select Republican Senators by Majority Leader Mitch McConnell.

After the unveiling, four of the majority party's Senators made their dissent public.

The current bill does not repeal Obamacare, Rand Paul, one of the four Senators, along with Ron Johnson of Wisconsin, Ted Cruz of Texas, and Mike Lee of Utah, who have said in a joint statement that they're not ready to vote for this bill.

With no Democrats planning to support the repeal and replacement, Mr McConnell and party can only afford to lose two members of their 52-48 majority in the Senate in order to pass the bill.

Several Democrats have admitted Obamacare needs fixing, but that abandoning it for the Republican replacement - known formally as the American Health Care Act - is not a viable option.

The president said the House bill was mean, said Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer. The Senate bill may be even meaner.

Even Mr Obama wrote: I was careful to say again and again that while the Affordable Care Act represented a significant step forward for America, it was not perfect, nor could it be the end of our efforts.

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He said that if Republicans come up with a plan that is "demonstrably better than the improvements we made to our health care system, that covers as many people at less cost, I would gladly and publicly support it."

Mr McConnell said Democrats chose not to help frame the bill.

I regret that our Democratic friends made clear early on that they did not want to work with us in a serious, bipartisan way to address the Obamacare status quo. But Republicans believe we have a responsibility to act, and we are, Mr McConnell said.

A number of Republicans such as Susan Collins and Maine said it was too soon to judge the bill until they had had a chance to read it. Veteran Senator John McCain said the draft bill was better than Obamacare in "100 ways," but like many Senators wanted to study the bill further and consult with his state's governor.

States with a large population receiving Medicare, health insurance for seniors, or Medicaid, government-subsidised insurance for low-income or disabled people, may be negatively affected by the bill in its current draft.

With a third of the Senate coming up for re-election in 2018, many will have to weigh the state-wide implications before voting for the bill.

Mr Obama also wrote that politics could not get in the way of the "compromise" needed between Republicans and Democrats in order to not "put the American people through [the] pain" of being excluded from benefits while pregnant or sick, expensive bills, or high deductibles "while giving billionaires and corporations a massive tax cut in return".

The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) has estimated that the House version of bill would leave 23 million people uninsured. It is expected to run the same calculations on number of insured and cost of premiums for the Senate draft bill early next week.

Mr McConnell is reportedly looking to schedule a vote on the bill sometime before the 4 July Congressional recess, which does not give much time to deliver what Mr Obama called "the kind of leadership that appeals to Americans across party lines."
BEIJING (Reuters) - China and the United States agreed that efforts to denuclearize the Korean Peninsula should be "complete, verifiable and irreversible", Chinese state media said on Saturday, reporting the results of high level talks in Washington this week.

"Both sides reaffirm that they will strive for the complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula," a consensus document released by the official Xinhua news agency said.

U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson had said on Thursday that the United States pressed China to ramp up economic and political pressure on North Korea, during his meeting with top Chinese diplomats and defense chiefs.

China's top diplomat Yang Jiechi and General Fang Fenghui met Tillerson and Defense Secretary Jim Mattis during the talks. Yang later met with U.S. President Donald Trump in the White House, where they also discussed North Korea, Xinhua reported.

The consensus document also highlighted the need to fully and strictly hold to U.N. Security Council resolutions and push for dialogue and negotiation, which has long been China's position on the issue.

Military-to-military exchanges should also be upgraded and mechanisms of notification established in order to cut the risks of "judgment errors" between the Chinese and U.S. militaries, the statement also said.

Chinese state media described the talks, the first of their kind with the Trump administration, as an upgrade in dialogue mechanisms between China and the United States, following on from President Xi Jiping's meeting with Trump in Florida in April.

Xi and Trump are next expected to meet again in Hamburg during the G20 Summit next month.

A day last week's talks, President Donald Trump said China's efforts to use its leverage with North Korea had failed, raising fresh doubts about his administrations strategy for countering the threat from North Korea.

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The death of American university student Otto Warmbier earlier this week, after his release from 17 months of imprisonment in Pyongyang, further complicated Trumps approach to North Korea.

China, North Koreas main trading partner, has been accused of not fully enforcing existing U.N. sanctions on its neighbor, and has resisted some tougher measures.

Washington has considered further "secondary sanctions" against Chinese banks and other firms doing business with North Korea, which China opposes.

(Reporting by Christian Shepherd; Editing by Simo cameron-Moore)
Bill Cosby's closest aides are defending his decision to go on what has been called a victory tour.

Read: Cosby Juror Surprised Case Ended in Mistrial, Thought Shamed Comic Would be Acquitted

Andrew Wyatt and Ebonee Benson were with Cosby during his sexual assault trial, which ended in a mistrial June 17. Now, they confirm their client is planning a series of town hall events beginning in late July.

They told Inside Edition that Cosby deserves the opportunity to speak again and to work again.

His speaking engagements got off on the wrong foot after initial reports indicated the disgraced comic would be educating men about sexual assault during his talks.

"These town hall meetings are not about sexual assault," Benson said. "This is not a sexual assault tour. This is about restoring his legacy, speaking on injustices in certain communities and also having an open dialect with the community, should they ask about his case and him being open about his experiences with sexual assault."

Wyatt added: "We have people who have been accused of all kinds of things and just accusations and they are out here working. Mr. Cosby should be able to go out here and speak his truth and go on with his life."

Meanwhile, another Cosby juror is coming forward to say the jury was hopelessly deadlocked right from the start.

The juror, an older gentleman who did not wish to be identified, told Pittsburgh station WTAE-TV that he believed Cosby and felt sympathetic to him.

He has already spent 11 years of his career ruined by her testimony back in '05, and to bring it all up again, it has to have an effect on him, he said.

The same juror slammed Andrea Constand, the victim accusing Cosby of sexual assault.

Read: Bill Cosby Celebrates Court Victory With Legal Team as Wife Camille Rips 'Arrogant' Judge

"Lets face it  she went up to his house with a bare midriff and incense and bath salts, he told the Philadelphia Inquirer. "What the heck?"

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I don't doubt what she said happened," he told WTAE-TV. "But she asked for an apology and he gave her two apologies and she refused any other aid that he offered."

He said a retrial would be a waste of money, saying Cosby already paid his price and the court has settled.

Watch: 'Cosby Show' Actress Keshia Knight Pulliam Treated to Lavish Baby Shower

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Genevive Dawes was shot and killed in January when police officer Christopher Hess fired into her moving vehicle

Mary Dawes (center), Genevives mother, becomes emotional during a news conference. She has filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against the city and police. Photograph: Jaime Dunaway/AP

A grand jury has indicted a Dallas police officer on a charge of aggravated assault for firing into a moving car and killing a 21-year-old woman.

Christopher Hess, a 10-year veteran of the department, has been placed on administrative leave pending an internal affairs investigation into the death of Genevive Dawes, Dallas police said in a statement on Friday.

The womans mother, Mary Dawes, has filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against the city, police department and two officers, alleging excessive force against the mother of two.

Shortly before 5am on 18 January, Hess, 39, and a fellow officer who was not indicted, Jason Kimpel, responded to a suspicious person call at an address about two miles east of downtown Dallas. They found Dawes and Virgilio Rosales, her partner, sleeping in a Dodge SUV she had purchased a month earlier, according to the lawsuit.

The vehicle had been reported stolen, though Dawes did not know this and thought she had purchased it legitimately, the court filing states. It adds that when the officers approached the SUV with flashlights, Dawes was startled and tried to reverse the car. A police vehicle drove into her path, causing a minor collision.

The lawsuit states: Dawes still unaware of what was going on or who was blocking her path, pulled her vehicle forward so she could have a clear path to back up. As Dawes backed up her vehicle at a very slow rate of speed, defendants Hess and Kimpel fired at least 13 shots through the passenger side window, striking Dawes four times in the neck, her right tricep, left arm, upper left chest and right forearm.

We are happy that there may be some justice in this case because the death of Genevive was definitely preventable Daryl Washington, attorney

Dawess right earlobe was also partially amputated. Dawes was transported to Baylor Hospital where she later died as a result of her injuries.

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Police said Rosales was arrested for unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon. The lawsuit contends that no weapon was visible to police at the time of the incident. Body camera footage has not been publicly released.

A few hours after the shooting, Thomas Castro, a Dallas police spokesman, told reporters Dawes and Rosales ignored loud verbal commands then started the stolen vehicle and reversed a short distance striking a marked police vehicle.

The suspect then drove forward striking a wooden lattice fence. When the fence did not give way the suspect reversed the vehicle a second time. At this point two uniformed officers discharged their firearms striking the suspect.

Daryl Washington, an attorney for the Dawes family, said the case was egregious. The car was moving at less than 5mph and not accelerating and the evidence shows the officers were not in immediate danger, he said.

We are happy that there may be some justice in this case because the death of Genevive was definitely preventable, he said, adding that although the charge against Officer Hess is not murder, it carries a prison sentence of between five and 99 years.

Recent, high-profile verdicts in police shootings across the country have shown that juries are highly reluctant to convict officers of murder or manslaughter. Washington said he was hopeful the count of aggravated assault by a public servant  a first-degree felony  would result in a conviction.

Thats the way I look at it, he said. In the past youve seen where those have been harder charges to get, so the fact that the time is going to be the same, it makes it a little easier perhaps to prove the elements.

A 2015 Guardian investigation found that about four people a month were killed when police fired into moving vehicles. A similar number were killed in 2016.

Federal advice, and the policy of many departments, is that officers should not shoot at moving vehicles because they are hard targets to hit accurately and a car crash may result. Dallas police are banned from doing so unless it is necessary to prevent imminent death or serious bodily injury to the officer or another person.

Another Dallas-area resident was killed in April by an officer who used a rifle to fire into a moving vehicle. Jordan Edwards was a 15-year-old unarmed passenger in a car leaving a party in the city of Balch Springs when he was shot dead by Roy Oliver.

Oliver was sacked by the Balch Springs department and charged with murder after police changed their story from initially saying the vehicle aggressively backed towards officers to stating that it was moving away.

A grand jury has not yet heard that case. But this week, Oliver was indicted on counts of aggravated assault for an apparent road rage incident that took place two weeks before the teenagers death, in which he is alleged to have pulled his gun on a woman who drove into his truck while he was off duty.
In spring 2011, the six Democratic members of Marylands congressional delegations tasked Eric Hawkins with two key jobs: Draw new district lines that get us re-elected easily for another five terms, while also taking direct aim at the states last two Republicans.

Behind closed doors, Democratic insiders and high-ranking aides referred to it as the 7-1 map. Hawkinsan analyst at a Beltway data firm called NCEC Servicesnot only made it happen, but imagined an 8-0 map that might have shut Republicans out of power altogether. That, however, would have required spreading Democratic voters a little too thin and made some incumbents slightly less safe; these congressmen were partisans, sure, but they were also reluctant to risk their own seats.

New court depositions and previously unseen emails uncover just how determined Maryland Democrats were to take a seat from the Republicans and knock 10-term veteran Roscoe Bartlettan idiosyncratic conservative who after losing his seat retired off the grid in the mountains of West Virginia, issuing dire warnings about the vulnerability of our power gridout of office. They also reveal the partisanship with which Democrats approached redistricting in Maryland: As former governor and 2016 Democratic presidential primary candidate Martin OMalley explains, he and other Democrats wanted to use their partys control of the governors office to secure a 7-1 majority.

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Yes, said OMalley, in a deposition. Part of my intent was to create a map that, all things being legal and equal, would, nonetheless, be more likely to elect more Democrats rather than less.

Nationally, Republicans not only dominated the decennial redistricting that followed the 2010 census, but reinvented the partisan gerrymander. The GOP executed a strategy called REDMAP, short for Redistricting Majority Project. They successfully targeted control of state legislative chambers in Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan, North Carolina, Wisconsin and many other states, earning total control of the new lines even in bluish swing states. The GOP emerged from 2010 with unilateral power to draw 193 U.S. House seats while the Democrats fully controlled merely 44. REDMAP cost just $30 million and went a long way to ensuring GOP control of the House and state legislatures nationwide. In 2012 when Democratic congressional candidates received 1.4 million more votes but Republicans maintained a 33-seat majority. It was the biggest bargainand perhaps the most audacious heistin modern politics.

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Nevertheless, the untold story of Marylands sixth congressional districtunfolding now in documents before a U.S. District Court in the Benisek v Lamone partisan gerrymandering caseillustrate just how fiercely Democrats, as well, have fought to rig the system in their direction when presented with the opportunity. Republicans controlled redistricting in many more states in 2010. But these court records show that Democrats were also eager to maximize a fundamentally broken redistricting process to their advantage, and to the detriment of democracy.

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Both Democrats and Republicans used the same weapons. Armed with sophisticated mapmaking software, census data, and detailed partisan voting algorithms, NCECs Hawkins got busy tilting Marylands seats toward the Democrats. There were one-on-one meetings with nearly every Democrat in the delegation. Aides to powerful congressmen communicated with the firm from personal email accounts. Little was kept on paper: No agendas, no minutes, not an even a contract could be found between the Democrats and NCEC.

Marylands constitution requires the governor to take the lead on redistricting, conduct public hearings throughout the state, and then introduce maps before the general assembly. The Governors Redistricting Advisory Committee did meet, and in tightly scripted public events, barely budged from talking points. Depositions and the documents revealed during discovery showed the truth: It was all a charade. NCEC and the incumbent Democrats were doing the real workand taking care of themselvesin rooms where no one else was watching.

Their goal, however, was clear: Flip Marylands sixth congressional district, a red seat for the previous two decades, into azure blue. The states delegation had always tilted Democratic, appropriately enough, since Maryland is a reliably blue state. But when OMalley and the delegation embarked on the 2011 redistricting, a 6-2 edge and 75 percent of the congressional seats was not enough. They were determined to score seven of eight.

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Hawkins, in his deposition, admits that he drew maps with the intention of see(ing) if there was a way to get another Democratic district in the state. It took somewhere before 10 and 20 different drafts, shared amongst leaders, before the final lines could be set.

OMalley, in his deposition, does not hide that the intent was to draw a map that would create a district where the people would be more likely to elect a Democrat than a Republican. The Democrats had two GOP seats to target for extinction, but ultimately selected the sixth, because tilting the first district toward the Democrats would have necessitated ugly lines that jumped the Chesapeake Bay.

Was a decision made? I suppose in the sense that we decided not to try to cross the Chesapeake Bay, that a decision was made to go for the sixth, he mused. I dont know that there was any meeting. Its a pretty big body of water  so we didnt go in that direction.

Just before Election Day in 2010, the sixth district included 208,024 registered Republicans and 159,715 Democrats. Break down the percentages and thats 46.7 percent Republican and 35.8 percent Democratic. The new sixth was turned inside-out: Just before Election Day in 2012, it contained 145,620 Republicans and 192,820 Democrats. Almost 70,000 Republicans were exited from the district.

Its rare for a 10-term incumbent to be knocked from office; even more rare for him to lose by upwards of 20 percent. But in 2012, Bartlett lost to Democrat John Delaney by some 75,000 votes.

The new sixth district, as drawn by Haskins, looks like a fire-breathing dragon. Its northern border is the one solid line, but as it turns southeast toward Washington, D.C., picking up liberal voters in suburban Montgomery County, its all juts and wild turns, taking the shape of a hideous beast directing hellfire upon the capital. Its a frightful district, but the perfect metaphor for the damage it inflicts on representative democracy.

OMalley and other Democrats defended the sixth district by arguing that it created representation for the growing I-270 corridor of commuters from Frederick into Washington. But that patchy argument disintegrated under oath. Hawkins, asked if he considered I-270 as a community of interest when drawing the lines, replied simply and honestly: No. The speaker of Marylands lower house and the chairwoman of the governors redistricting committee said the same.

According to court documents, Jason Gleason, a top staffer for Representative Sarbanes, wrote a colleague that the I-270 explanation was  painful to watch. He continued: Im not sure I buy the themes they are selling. Hopefully they have some better ones for the public face of it.

OMalley didnt have much better to offer in his deposition. He has become a reformer, of sorts, since leaving office, advocating for non-partisan redistricting commissions as well as ranked-choice voting. But in these court documents, he suggests that voters in Maryland understood redistricting to be a partisan exercise. As such, he argued, voters knew that electing a Democrat to serve a term that included the drawing of new legislative lines meant that they supported Democrats having a leg up in the process. He referred in his answers to voters he met on the campaign trail who encouraged him to lead a partisan redistricting effort.

Its not a particularly convincing argument. Most voters pay little attention to redistricting, which is why politicians have been able to manipulate it so effectively for so many years. Indeed, if OMalley believed that his election also brought a mandate for a shadow process designed to push Marylands congressional delegation from 75 percent blue to just under 88 percent, why hide the process in the shadows? And if OMalley and the Democrats genuinely felt that a census-year victory also delivers a mandate to tilt maps in the winners direction, they dont have much of a case against much more effective Republican gerrymanders in Pennsylvania, Michigan, Ohio, and North Carolina.

Now the Maryland gerrymander only added one seat to the Democratic column. Republicans managed to turn so many blue seats red that after 2012 they took a 12-4 edge in Ohio, a 9-5 advantage in Michigan, a 13-5 bulge in Pennsylvania and a 9-4 margin in North Carolina. Over the course of three very different elections on these maps, only one district would change color in these swing states: a North Carolina seat that turned to the Republicans. A recent study by the Brennan Center for Justice at New York Universitys School of Law suggested that some 70 percent of the GOPs advantage in the House is based on gerrymandering in Texas and six swing states alone. Democrats grabbed an extra seat in Maryland, but its one seat in a blue state, unlike the GOP gerrymanders, which scored up to a half-dozen extra seats in some states where Democrats got more votes.

There are no redistricting angels. The structure changesor nothing does.

So why does the story of Marylands sixth matter so much? Its a really simple reason: Neither party can be trusted to be honest brokers in drawing congressional districts. Both sides will maximize every advantage and claim it as a mandate, as their due. Right now, Democrats have mobilized under the leadership of former Attorney General Eric Holder to develop a BLUEMAP of their own. The answer, however, is not turning every zero-year election into a gerrymandering arms race to determine which side gets to turn district lines over to their well-paid GIS experts and data nerds.

In the end, Americans are the real losers. Congressional elections become less competitive. Voters, outside maybe three-dozen swing seats, dont really affect any outcomes. Congress becomes more polarized, more dysfunctional, and less effective. Members from safe seats have little incentive to compromise. American politics spirals deeper into toxicity with no bottom in sight. There are solutions, but they must be structural. One of the most comprehensive reforms will be introduced before Congress this month by Representative Don Beyer of Virginia. His Fair Representation Act combines ranked-choice voting with multi-member districts. Its one approach among many to tackling the three-headed democracy-slaying hydra of gerrymandering, geographic clustering, and modern map-making technology.

OMalley says that he understands all this now. He made redistricting reform part of his 2016 presidential campaign, and has joined the parade of politicians, who, once comfortably out of office, finally speak out about the rot within the system. The corruption of Marylands sixth congressional district might be a wake-up call others, as well. There are no redistricting angels. The structure changesor nothing does.

Read more from The Atlantic:

This article was originally published on The Atlantic.
Republican gubernatorial candidate Ed Gillespie at his nomination victory party in Richmond, Va., June 13, 2017. (Photo: Steve Helber/AP)

ALEXANDRIA, Va.  Ed Gillespie has a tricky road ahead of him as he campaigns for Virginia governor this year.

The Republican nominee wants to talk about state issues, not President Trump, not Russia and certainly not whats on Twitter.

But Democrats hope to make the race, one of the few significant elections this fall, a referendum on Trump. The latest sign is that former President Obama has already decided to campaign for the Democratic nominee, Lt. Gov. Ralph Northam. Obama isnt coming to campaign for Northam because he wants to discuss the state budget. Hes going to come and talk about the man in the Oval Office.

And Gillespie cant easily distance himself from the Republican president. He barely won the Republican primary, almost losing to another Republican candidate who imitated Trumps style and approach to issues. That candidate, Corey Stewart, received 155,466 votes, and Gillespie eked out a victory with a few thousand more.

Without a good number of those Stewart voters on his side, Gillespie wont have much of a chance on Nov. 7. The first poll of the general election showed Gillespie trailing Northam by eight points.

And Democratic turnout was enormous in the primary. A total of 540,000 Democrats voted in the primary, compared to just 360,000 Republicans. That suggests Gillespie is facing a potential tsunami of anti-Trump sentiment.

In an interview with Yahoo News at his office here just across the Potomac River from Washington, D.C., Gillespie, a longtime Republican operative and former chairman of the Republican National Committee, gave a preview of how hell try to navigate these challenges. He said that he voted for Trump for president and hopes he can pass policies that help Virginians, but also took some effort to note that its not my job to always be for the president or always be against the president.

Its to always be for Virginia, he said. Clearly I supported [Trump], but I look at everything through a focus of Virginia.

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Gillespie made several comments that signaled a clear break with the resentment-driven politics embodied by Trump. He noted that hell run an inclusive campaign that appeals to all races and religions.

I intend to be governor for all Virginians. I will take my campaign to all Virginians. I try to look at things through other peoples eyes and to listen and to be open to different perspectives, he said.

Republican gubernatorial candidate, Ed Gillespie, front left, waits to place a flower on an impromptu memorial for Nabra Hassanen, who was killed in a road rage incident, prior to the start of a vigil in honor of Nabar on Wednesday, June 21, 2017, in Reston, Va. (Photo: Steve Helber/AP)

Gillespie attended a funeral Wednesday for Nabra Hassanen, a 17-year-old Muslim girl who was beaten and killed Sunday by an undocumented immigrant from El Salvador, as she was on her way to Ramadan prayers at the All Dulles Area Muslim Society, one of the largest mosques in the area.

I have a lot of friends in the ADAMS community, Gillespie noted.

Gillespies starkest departure from the Trump brand of politics was his expression of agreement that Black Lives Matter and his acknowledgment that he did not respond positively to the slogan at first.

I remember the first time I heard Black Lives Matter, and my reaction Im sure was similar to that of many others, which was, Well, of course they do. All lives matter, Gillespie said. As I thought about it and talked to people, it occurred to me that I never felt the need to say white lives matter. The fact that a significant portion of our fellow citizens feel the need to tell us that tells me something.

Ed Gillespie, front left, at a memorial for 17-year-old Nabra Hassanen, June 21, 2017, in Reston, Va. (Photo: Steve Helber/AP)

I asked Gillespie what it told him.

It tells me that  he said, then paused. Well, Ill just leave it at that. I am responsive and open to and listening to the needs of my fellow Virginians, wherever they are, and I think people see that.

Gillespies hesitation indicates his awareness that most Republican voters probably dont share his appreciation of movements like Black Lives Matter. A recent survey of 40,000 Americans found a dramatic drop in the number of self-identified Republicans who believe African-Americans face discrimination, from 46 to 32 percent in just the last year.

Beyond that, Gillespie wants to talk about the economy. Hes a classic conservative in the sense that his main focus is on creating the conditions for economic growth. He believes thats the biggest thing the government can do to improve the lives of the greatest number of people.

The commonwealth has had sluggish economic growth for several years, often lagging behind the national rate, which has averaged around 2 percent. Five of the past six years, our economic growth rate has been below 1 percent, and the only year it wasnt, it was at 2 percent, which is still anemic, Gillespie said.

The states economy was deeply affected by the budget sequester cuts in 2013 that took money away from the robust federal contracting industry in northern Virginia and Hampton Roads.

Gillespie said his long-term goal is to make our economy less reliant on federal spending and federal programs. Thats been a goal of the current governor as well, Democrat Terry McAuliffe, who is limited to one term by the state constitution.

But while McAuliffe traveled the globe to attract business to locate in Virginia, Gillespie thinks a 10 percent cut in the state income tax rate, which hasnt changed in over four decades, is a key to a more dynamic economy because most small-business owners pay the individual rate rather than the corporate rate.

We have had a focus for 25 years  on what I call whale hunting in Virginia in terms of our economic development policy. Were constantly trying to get some Fortune 100 company to move its headquarters lock, stock and barrel into Virginia, and we throw taxpayer dollars to lure them here to do that, Gillespie said. I think that is an antiquated approach and that we need to put a greater focus on startups and scale-ups.

Its more natural, organic growth. It is a more long-term but sustainable approach to job creation here, and it will help us diversify our economy, he said.

Gillespie also wants to require that municipalities look for alternatives to three categories of local taxes, which he thinks are stifling small business growth.

He said this election will put Virginia on one of two trajectories: to be like many Northeastern states, with high taxes and lower rates of growth, or follow the course of Southern states, that he said have more people moving into them because of lower taxes and more jobs.

Virginia is either going to become the northernmost southeastern state or the southernmost northeastern state, he said.

Northams approach to the economy includes a desire to make the code simpler, more progressive and fairer, and he has spoken of the need to have a tax code thats competitive with other states.

If we dont, these businesses and manufacturers are going to choose to go elsewhere, Northam said. That could be interpreted to mean Northam wants to lower taxes for corporations, but he has so far not spelled out the details.

Northam also wants to raise the minimum wage, offer a tax credit to allow employers to offer more paid family leave and provide tax credits to offset grocery tax for lower-income Virginians.

The two candidates have already started to trade blows, with Northam charging that Gillespie is Trumps lobbyist. Its a double-pronged attack meant to tie him to Trump, forcing him to defend the president to hold on to the Republican base, but hurting him among moderates and independents.

And Democrats will look to ding Gillespie over some of his lobbying clients.

There are plenty of clients of his that the public will find unappealing. He made money off helping big corporations game the system, said Northam spokesman David Turner.

Gillespie began his political career as a congressional aide and quickly rose through the ranks of Republican operatives during the 2000 presidential campaign, and then formed a powerful lobbying company with Democrat Jack Quinn.

President George W. Bush with Ed Gillespie on the South Lawn of the White House in 2008. (Photo: Ron Edmonds/AP)

He was named chairman of the Republican National Committee and helped oversee the effort to reelect George W. Bush in 2004, then served as a senior White House adviser to Bush. He has since worked in both national politics and in Virginia. He was a senior adviser to Mitt Romneys 2012 presidential campaign, and nearly won the 2014 U.S. Senate election against incumbent Mark Warner, a Democrat.

Part of Gillespies counterattack against Northam so far has been to label the Democrat as having drifted too far left, more focused on social issues and on attacking the president than on basic bread and butter economic issues.

Im going to keep talking about the issues that matter to Virginia  jobs and roads and schools and the safety of our communities and neighborhoods, Gillespie said.

He concluded with a shot at the media, one topic that he does appear to agree with Trump.

I have to talk to the voters about what the voters are telling me they care about and just let the media talk about what they want to talk about, because the good news is, it doesnt matter that much anymore, he said. The voters will get their information, and theyll get it through other means.

_____

Read more from Yahoo News:
Eid al-Fitr, which marks the end of the holy fasting month of Ramadan, is here and Muslims around the world will celebrate this day with prayers, sharing gifts with family and friends and doing charity work. Not all the countries will celebrate Eid on Sunday though. Countries like Bangladesh, India and Pakistan will celebrate Eid on Monday.

On Saturday evening, the White House issued a statement to mark the end of Ramadan. Eid will be celebrated in the Middle East, Europe, and the U.S. on Sunday.

Read: Eid Al-Fitr 2017 Date, Moon Sighting

"Muslims in the United States joined those around the world during the holy month of Ramadan to focus on acts of faith and charity," the statement read. "Now, as they commemorate Eid with family and friends, they carry on the tradition of helping neighbors and breaking bread with people from all walks of life. During this holiday, we are reminded of the importance of mercy, compassion, and goodwill. With Muslims around the world, the United States renews our commitment to honor these values. Eid Mubarak."

The start of Eid celebrations varies each year among countries based on moon sightings. Eid al-Fitr traditionally begins with prayers known as Salat al-Fitr.

Typical sayings during the Eid holiday include "Eid Mubarak" which means "Blessed Eid" while another saying happens to be "Eid Said" which means "Happy Eid."

Here are some wishes and greetings to share on Eid al-Fitr, courtesy of the likes of Greetings.com, Metro and others.

1. "May the blessings of Allah fill your life with happiness and open all the doors of success now and always. Eid Mubarak!"

2. "May God give you happiness of heaven above. Happy Eid Mubarak To You All."

3. "May this special day bring peace, happiness and prosperity to everyone. Eid Mubarak!"

4. "May Allah's blessings be with you today, tomorrow and always. Eid Mubarak!"

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5. "Show forgiveness, speak for justice and avoid the ignorant." - [Quran, 7:199]

6. "Those who believed and led a righteous life are the best creatures." - [Quran, 98:7]

7. "Hold to forgiveness, command what is right; but turn away from the ignorant." - [Quran, 7:199]

Read: When Does Ramadan 2017 End?

8. "May the magic of this Eid bring lots of happiness in your life and may you celebrate it with all your close friends & may it fill your heart with wonders. Eid Mubarak"







9. "Let this Eid open your mind with new fresh thoughts."

10. "If they seek peace, then seek you peace. And trust in God for He is the One that heareth and knoweth all things." - [Quran 8:61]

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Brussels (AFP) - EU leaders warned Friday that Britain's plans to protect the rights of European citizens post-Brexit risked leaving them worse off, after Prime Minister Theresa May made what she insisted was a "fair" offer.

"My first impression is the UK offer is below our expectations and this risks worsening the situation of our citizens in the UK," EU President Donald Tusk told a news conference after the second day of a Brussels summit.

European Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker told reporters that May's offer to EU leaders over dinner late Thursday was a "first step but this step is not sufficient".

The fate of around three million European citizens living in Britain after Brexit is one of the most contentious issues in the negotiations on Britain's withdrawal from the 28-member bloc, which began on Monday.

One year after Britain voted to leave in the June 23 referendum, May promised that nobody would be forced to leave after Brexit, offering permanent rights over healthcare, education, welfare and pensions to Europeans who arrive before a cut-off date.

But she declined to say when that date would fall, offering only a window between March 29, 2017, when Britain triggered the Brexit process, and its expected departure two years later.

"It was a good start, but also not yet a breakthrough," said German Chancellor Angela Merkel, the EU's most powerful leader, adding that there was still a "long way to go".

Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel said the proposal was "particularly vague".

German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel, speaking in Paris, said the offer was "the minimum", adding "this is actually something that should be taken for granted".

"The mere fact that you won't be thrown out (of Britain) is not a convincing breakthrough, as far as I'm concerned," he said scathingly.

- 'Fair and serious offer' -

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But May defended the proposal, telling reporters at the end of the summit: "I remain of the view that this is a fair and serious offer.

"What we're saying is that those citizens from EU countries who have come to the United Kingdom, who have made their lives and their homes in the UK, will be able to stay and we will guarantee their rights in the United Kingdom."

She added: "There are some differences between that and the proposal the European Commission put out and the matter will now go into the negotiations."

Leaders said they looked forward to seeing the more technical details when Britain publishes a formal paper on the issue on Monday.

"We don't want to buy a pig in a poke," Michel said, using an old expression for wanting to inspect something closely before buying it.

May set up a clash with Brussels by refusing to allow the European Court of Justice to arbitrate any disputes over citizens' rights in Britain.

"From our point of view these will be enshrined in UK law, they will be enforced by the highly respected UK courts, and of course if this is an aspect of the withdrawal treaty it will be enshrined in international law as well," she said.

- No 'families split apart' -

May had previously refused to guarantee the rights of Europeans until the futures of one million British expatriates living in the rest of the EU were also secured, and she said in Brussels that her proposal depended on a reciprocal deal.

But it was also probably intended as an olive branch as she struggles to maintain her authority after losing her parliamentary majority in a snap election two weeks ago, leaving her Conservative party struggling to form a stable government and throwing her entire Brexit strategy into doubt.

May called the election to secure a mandate for pulling Britain out of the EU's single market in order to cut immigration -- a key issue in the Brexit vote -- but some of her ministers are now warning that jobs and the economy must be the priority.

Juncker was asked if he knew what form of Brexit the government in London was now seeking, to which he replied: "No."

May's proposal on citizens' rights drew a derisory response at home, with the EU migrant lobby group "the3million" declaring it "pathetic" and "backward".

London Mayor Sadiq Khan, a member of the opposition Labour party, said it "does not come close to fully guaranteeing the rights of EU nationals living in the UK".

"It is unacceptable for the prime minister to be treating EU citizens living here and contributing to our economy and society as bargaining chips," he said.
BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Union states decided on Friday to restrict visas for foreign countries that refuse to take back their nationals who have no right of asylum in Europe. The EU is cracking down on immigration following a spike in arrivals across the Mediterranean since 2014. Italy is now the main gateway to the bloc and most of those reaching European shores after boarding smugglers' boats in Africa are considered illegal labor migrants. Some countries, including Bangladesh and Nigeria, are often reluctant to readmit their citizens and the EU has recently doubled down on efforts to expedite such returns. During a two-day meeting in Brussels, the bloc's 28 leaders agreed to use "all possible levers, including... reassessing visa policy toward third countries". "We can use visas to convince them to take returns," said a senior EU diplomat, adding the move would, among other things, target the ruling elites of these countries as they can afford trips to Europe. German Chancellor Angela Merkel said the EU's trade agreements with African countries should also be part of the effort. EU states remain at loggerheads over how to handle refugees who make it into the bloc, yet they have decided to gloss over the issue after two years of divisive feuds. (Reporting by Gabriela Baczynska and Alastair Macdonald; Editing by Toby Davis)
Ciudad Juarez (Mexico) (AFP) - After more than a decade apart, the Pastrana family on Saturday finally got to embrace during a special event allowing nearly 200 families separated by the US-Mexico border to spend three minutes together.

The meeting took place in the middle of the murky Rio Grande -- which divides the Mexican city Ciudad Juarez and El Paso, Texas and is crossable this time of year -- under the watchful eye of Border Patrol agents.

"It has been a very long 11 years," said Claudia Pastrana, a 42-year-old from Ciudad Juarez, after hugging her sister and niece who now live in Texas.

"It is an unforgettable moment."

More than 2,500 people of the 195 families separated by immigration or deportations attended the event, dubbed "Hugs Not Walls," which is organized by the non-profit Border Network of Human Rights group.

It is the fourth round of the event, and the second since the presidential election of Donald Trump, who has on numerous occasions targeted Mexicans with anti-immigration rhetoric.

"It is a way of protesting and raising a voice against aggressive policies of the current (US) president," said Fernando Garcia, director of the Border Network.

Border patrol authorities stood on guard "so that no one is going to cross at the time of the hugs," said Ramiro Cordero, spokesman for the El Paso sector's border patrol.

After the brief but spirited meeting, Pastrana, who attended with her son and nephew, returned to the Mexican side.

From there she waved her arms in a long farewell to her sister, until she lost sight.
With the prospect of a headline-making finish, the Supreme Court will close its current term with two days of drama on Monday and Tuesday. The most significant issue before it is the fate of President Trumps controversial executive order putting limits on immigration of foreign nationals, including refugees.

But the end-of-term business may also produce a major decision on the right of churches and their affiliated organizations to gain equal access to government benefits that are intended to be neutral about religion, along with a highly significant ruling defining the governments power to detain in prison-like conditions immigrants who are facing deportation. That second issue may have some bearing on President Trumps aggressive policy in dealing with undocumented immigrants now living in the country.

And the court is facing some hard choices about whether it will rule, at its next term, on new disputes about the rights of same-sex couples  in a case from Arkansas about their rights as parents and a case from Colorado on their right to equal service by businesses  and on a high-profile Second Amendment case from California on citizens right to carry guns in public for self-defense. The court has been considering each of those cases for weeks without making up its mind to rule on them or bypass them.

Although there have been no reliable signs that any of the Justices will announce retirement at the public session on Monday, rumors have continued to make the rounds that Justice Anthony M. Kennedy, who will be 81 in July, could reveal plans then to end his career. He has said nothing publicly on the subject. The longest serving of the Justices, Kennedy joined the court more than 29 years ago.

The court is scheduled to issue its final round of written opinions in the public session Monday, and two final lists of orders on new cases, some on Monday, the others on Tuesday morning. The Justices will not be on the bench for the release of the Tuesday orders.

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There are six cases remaining that have been heard but not decided, but there is a chance a few of them could be held over to the next term for a new hearing because difficulties have arisen in resolving them or because some of them were heard by only an eight-member court (before Justice Neil M. Gorsuch arrived) and the court prefers review by a full bench.

The Trump Immigration Ban

There is no advance word on just when the court will announce what actions it will, or wont, take on the presidential order, issued in March, to suspend for 90 days entry into the U.S. of foreign nationals from six Muslim-majority Mideast nations, to suspend for 120 days arrivals of refugees from anywhere in the world, and to put a lower annual ceiling on refugees allowed to enter.

The constitutional fight over that order developed late in the courts current term, but it might come to a swift conclusion early in the week, or it could be carried over  at least in part -- to the Justices next term, which opens in October. Any delay in winding up that controversy now would, of course, leave it in legal limbo over the summer months.

At its most potent, this controversy could provide a sense of whether the Supreme Court will react differently to President Trump, or will give him the benefit of the doubt that the court long has accorded a co-equal branch of government.

Although his lawyers have argued strenuously that President Trump is entitled to the usual deference given a Chief Executive, lower courts energetically second-guessed his claims of emergency power to decide, almost completely without review by the courts, who may enter the U.S. as a matter of national security.

One federal appeals court, in a case from Maryland, has ruled that the Trump executive order on the 90-day suspension for Mideast nationals is very likely to be found unconstitutional as a form of discrimination based on the travelers Muslim faith. A different appeals court, in a case from Hawaii, has ruled against the President, finding it likely that both of the suspension orders and the cap on refugee arrivals exceeded his authority under federal immigration laws.

The uncertainty over when and how the court will act on the governments appeals of those decisions arises from the specifics of the tasks before the Justices. There are separate requests in the two cases for the court to allow the executive order to go into effect immediately while the government appeals go forward, there are separate requests for the court to grant full review of both of the two cases  but not until the courts next term, and the issues are different in each case  constitutional in the Maryland case, statutory in the Hawaii case.

Timing Critical In Ban Decision

The court has had little time to sort out those cases in recent days, because much of the Justices energies have been absorbed in trying to finish writing the remaining rulings in the cases that have been argued in regular sequence. The court does not often have to confront a major new dispute in the closing weeks of a term.

Timing can be a very significant factor. If the court does not regard the immigration cases as matters of high urgency, it has the option  although probably no one expects it  to simply do nothing at this time. In that event, lower court orders against enforcement would remain in effect, and the Trump Administration would be faced with deciding whether to try to start all over with a new executive order in an attempt to salvage the presidents policy initiative. The White House actually did just that after an earlier version of the Trump order was blocked by lower courts. That then led to the drafting of the revised order now up for review.

The court always takes very seriously what federal government lawyers ask of it, out of respect for the Executive Branch, so the realistic prospect is that the Justices are going to act this week.

The court does have a range of choices, beginning with timing: What does it do on Monday or, at the latest, on Tuesday? Does it act simultaneously, or in separate orders, on the two cases and does it act simultaneously, or separately, on the question of allowing enforcement of the executive order to begin and the question of whether the order is valid as written?

There will be a list of new orders coming out at 9:30 a.m. Monday, and, if the court is ready to do so then, the list could contain all of what the court is going to say, or maybe just part of that, with the remainder to come out later in the day or maybe not even until Tuesday at 9:30 a.m.

It would be tidier, and easier for the public to understand (and the press to communicate), if everything is tied up in an omnibus order. That is, in fact, a realistic option, but cant be counted upon in advance.

It has sometimes seemed, as the government appeals have developed, that the question of permitting or blocking the immediate enforcement of the presidential order might be the whole story. If the order is allowed to go into effect, it may make little difference if the court also were to grant review of the cases, because the two suspensions would expire before the court would rule on their validity (assuming that, in the meantime, the President doesnt extend them).

The scenario could change if the presidential order is kept on hold by the Justices. If review is denied, then the case is over: the lower court rulings would have settled the controversy against President Trump for differing reasons, and they would limit what the president could do in response. If review is granted, but put off until the next term of the court, that could hold promise for the government that the orders might survive the review, though belatedly.

There is at least one other possibility: the court refuses to allow enforcement, and goes ahead now to decide in a final way the legality of the order, without further written legal briefs or oral argument. That seems quite unlikely, partly because of the differing legal issues between the two cases and partly because there has been little time to actually write such a ruling, since it would be an affront to the government to rule against it without spelling out the reasoning in full.

Predicting how the court is going to react is also made complicated by the fact that the voting among the Justices would be different, as it applies to the two broad aspects of what is before the court. In order to allow enforcement to begin, there would have to be support for that from five of the nine Justices. In order to grant review of the legality of the orders, it would need the votes of just four. But then a ruling on the legality issue would require approval by five -- a majority of the nine members. There could be differing combinations of the voting patterns, but the bottom-line requirements would remain: five to permit enforcement, four to grant review, five to decide finally.

As the Justices went into this weekend, no doubt working with their law clerks to finish up, there were no public indications of which way they were leaning on the presidential order, since there has been no public hearing by the Justices on any of the issues at stake in the Maryland case or the Hawaii case.

Legendary journalist Lyle Denniston is Constitution Dailys Supreme Court correspondent. Denniston has written for us as a contributor since June 2011 and has covered the Supreme Court since 1958. His work also appears on lyldenlawnews.com.
It may look like a motel off the beaten path, but a property in a remote area of Utah was actually the home of notorious polygamist Warren Jeffs.

Read: Polygamous Leader Lyle Jeffs Nabbed After Nearly a Year on the Run

Inside Edition was granted a tour of the colossal compound where Jeffs and his 79 so-called "sister wives" lived. The building has long featureless corridors and a series of rooms.

The tour was conducted by Brielle Decker, who was wife No. 65.

The 31-year-old told Inside Edition that she was forced to marry Jeffs when she was only 18.

"Coming back here is actually healing," she admitted.

The rambling compound is located in Hilldale, Utah, the headquarters of the radical polygamist sect run by Jeffs until his arrest in 2006.

Today, the town is nothing like what it once was as very few residents are left. Those who remain keep mainly to themselves in buildings surrounded by high walls and locked gates.

Jeffs' compound, the largest in the community, is 28,000 square feet with 42 bedrooms, two massive kitchens and a gym.

Behind the walls of a storage room is a secret chamber where sensitive documents related to the church were kept in a safe.

"The whole day is scheduled," Decker said. "If you were late, you got punished." She added that everything was done in groups.

The wives were required to pray every hour, getting down on their hands and knees and holding hands. Talking was not permitted.

Jeffs lived in room No. 207. It was up to him to decide which of his 79 wives would spend the night with him. Right next door to Jeffs room was Deckers.

Decker said that Jeffs had "one favorite wife," which made the other "sister wives" extremely jealous.

On the chimney it says Pray and Obey. The wives would see the message every day, Decker said.

Read: See Inside the Rundown Utah Town That's Home to Warren Jeffs' Polygamist Church

She is now trying to buy the compound and hopes to turn it into a tourist attraction, as well as a sanctuary for other former members of his church.

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We call it the Freedom Chateau now, she said.

Warren Jeffs is currently serving life plus 20 years in prison for sexually assaulting two teenage girls.

Watch: Cops Investigating 'Wife Swap' Double Murder: 'I Knew Something Would Break'

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Steven Steve Lee Hall, 65, of La Crosse passed away Wednesday, June 21, 2017, at his home.

Steve was born Oct. 8, 1951, to Dave and Joyce (Schwertfeger) Hall in La Crosse.

He graduated from La Crosse Central High School in 1970. In 1971, Steve was drafted by the U.S. Army, serving in the Vietnam War. After the war he was stationed in the Pacific on Johnson Island, where he developed his love for scuba diving and spear fishing. He served in the U.S. Army for 14 years, receiving an honorable discharge in 1985. He was very proud to be a veteran serving his country.

Throughout high school Steve enjoyed speed skating and spent most of his winter nights and weekends at the Lagoon skating rink in Pettibone Park. As a member of the Speed Skating Club of La Crosse, he captured both the intermediates and mens titles and went on to win the prestigious Kaufman Mile race. Steve also enjoyed playing pool and was in many local leagues. Growing up on Pettibone Island, and living next to the back waters of the Mississippi River, he developed his love for fishing and hunting at a very young age. He purchased a flat bottom fishing boat at age 14 and spent all his free time fishing for Bass, Northerns and Walleye. In addition, he loved trapping muskrats and beavers. Steve had one of the largest worm beds in the area and sold the vast majority to local bait shops. He enjoyed both bow and gun hunting for small game and deer. He caught many trophy fish and deer throughout his life.

Steve was a cook/chef at numerous restaurants in the area. Cooking was his passion.

He was an avid fan of the Central Red Raiders, Wisconsin Badgers, Milwaukee Bucks, Green Bay Packers and New York Yankees.

Steve is preceded in death by his mother and father; grandparents, Bill and Geneva Hall and Theodore and Norma Schwertfeger.

Steve is survived by four children, Kenny Hall, Steven Bluske, Ernie Cook and Autumn Boothe; four grandchildren, Noah, Jackson, Lydia and Kelby. He is also survived by brother, Scott (Carol) Hall; and sister, Diane (Jay) Lyons; two nephews, Todd (Heidi) Hall and Heath Duxbury; one niece, Jennifer Hall.

Steve was a great friend to many and will be missed by his special longtime friend Sharon Fox.

Steve had a heart of gold and donated to many charities.

Steves family would like to offer a special thank you to Dr. Kyla Lee, Marsha Kendall, Rebecca Blank and other care givers at Gundersen Health System as well as Liza Collins and others from the Gundersen Hospice program. In addition wed like to thank the staff and care givers at Eitsert Family Home. Their compassionate care and devotion was truly a blessing.

In lieu of flowers or gifts, memorials may be sent to Freedom Honor Flight, PO Box 505, La Crosse, WI 54602-0505. Although Steve did not have the opportunity to go on an Honor Flight, he would like others to have the opportunity to experience such a wonderful trip.

Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. Tuesday, June 27, at English Lutheran Church, 1509 King St., La Crosse. Pastor Roger Grow will officiate. Burial, with military honors, will follow in the Oak Grove Cemetery. Visitation will be held from 10 a.m. until the time of service at the church.

The Schumacher  Kish Funeral & Cremation Services, La Crosse Chapel, is assisting the family. Online guestbook is available at www.schmacher-kish.com.
The fish was found miles past a barrier designed to keep it from entering the ecosystem and wreaking the sort of damage seen elsewhere in the US

Asian carp can weigh up to 100lbs and often outcompete other fish. Photograph: AP

An Asian carp has been found just miles from the Great Lakes, beyond an electrified barrier designed to keep the invasive species from entering the ecosystem and wreaking the sort of damage seen elsewhere in the US.



The fish, weighing 8lbs and measuring 28in, was found by a monitoring team in a waterway nine miles from Lake Michigan, Illinois state officials said on Friday. The carp was sent to Southern Illinois University for further analysis.

The barrier designed to stop Asian carp from heading up waterways into the Great Lakes works by emitting an electrical pulse into the water, which is meant to deter the fish and force them to turn back.

The Illinois department of natural resources and the Asian Carp Regional Coordinating Committee said it was important to note that the finding did not confirm there is a reproducing population of Asian carp beyond the barrier or within the Great Lakes.

However, US senator Debbie Stabenow, a Michigan Democrat, said the finding was a massive wake-up call and more needed to be done to find any additional carp in the area.

Asian carp is the collective term for a number of species  bighead carp, black carp, grass carp and silver carp  that were introduced to the US in the 1970s, initially in aquatic farms.

The fish found their way into the Mississippi and have established themselves in the river and its tributaries, spreading from southern states as far as Minnesota.

The carp can weigh up to 100lbs and often outcompete other fish, typically consuming up to 20% of their body weight a day in plankton. The animals have been blamed for pushing out native species and lowering water quality, which can kill off organisms such as freshwater mussels.

Silver carp are known to be easily startled and can jump out of the water, sometimes injuring anglers. This ability also means the carp can leap over certain dams. Any invasion of the Great Lakes could disturb the vast freshwater ecosystem and harm the regions fishing industry.

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A recent joint report by environmental regulators in the US and Canada found that the Great Lakes are already coming under pressure from invasive species as well as algal blooms from excessive nutrients, particularly in Lake Erie. The lakes are still a high quality source of drinking water, however, and there has been some progress in reducing pollutants, according to the study.

The advance of the Asian carp comes as the Trump administration attempts to justify eliminating a $300m Great Lakes cleanup program in its 2018 budget. The Environmental Protection Agency has said that states can handle the work instead but the cut has been criticized by both Republicans and Democrats in Congress, which will ultimately craft a budget for the agency.
DUBAI (Reuters) - Iranian security forces have arrested members of a group linked to Islamic State which had planned bombings and suicide attacks in religious centers, state television reported on Saturday. Intelligence Ministry agents "were able to arrest a group linked to Daesh (Islamic state) that intended to carry out terror operations in religious cities ..., and (seized) explosive and suicide attack equipment," the television said. It did not say how many militants were held. The arrests came days after Iranian Revolutionary Guards fired missiles from western Iran into eastern Syria, aiming at bases of the Islamic State which had claimed responsibility for twin attacks that killed 18 people in Tehran on June 7. The attacks by the Sunni Muslim militants at Iran's parliament and near the mausoleum of the Islamic Republic's founder exacerbated regional tensions. Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said afterwards the raids would increase hatred for Saudi Arabia, the region's main Sunni power, and America. Authorities seized three assault rifles, a machine-gun equipped with a silencer, three suicide belts, as well as explosives and bomb-making equipment, the state broadcaster IRIB said on its website on Saturday. (Reporting by Dubai newsroom; Editing by Angus MacSwan and Ros Russell)
By Marius Bosch MOSUL, Iraq (Reuters) - Iraqi forces opened exit routes for hundreds of civilians to flee the Old City of Mosul on Saturday as they battled to retake the quarter from Islamic State militants mounting a last stand in what was the de facto capital of their self-declared caliphate. U.S.-trained urban warfare units were channeling their onslaught along two perpendicular streets that converge in the heart of the Old City, aiming to isolate the jihadist insurgents in four pockets. The week-old battle in the Old City is turning into the deadliest of the eight-month U.S.-backed campaign to take back the northern city, which fell to the militants in June 2014. A Reuters correspondent saw a young girl with facial injuries walking dazed and shocked across the frontline out of heavily-populated district with a group of neighbors. All her family was killed when their house collapsed, they said. The United Nations voiced alarm on Saturday at the rising death toll among civilians in the fighting, saying as many as 12 were killed and hundreds injured on Friday. Fighting is very intense in the Old City and civilians are at extreme, almost unimaginable risk. There are reports that thousands, maybe even tens of thousands, of people are being held as human shields (by Islamic State)," Lise Grande, the U.N. humanitarian coordinator in Iraq, said in a statement. "Hundreds of civilians, including children, are being shot." Iraqi authorities are hoping to declare victory in the northern Iraqi city in the Muslim Eid holiday, which marks the end of the fasting month of Ramadan, during the next few days. Helicopter gunships were assisting the ground thrust, firing at insurgent emplacements in the Old City, a Reuters correspondent reported from a location near the frontlines. The government advance was carving out escape corridors for civilians marooned behind Islamic State lines. There was a steady trickle of fleeing families on Saturday, some with injured and malnourished children. "My baby only had bread and water for the past eight days," one mother said. At least 100 civilians reached the safety of a government-held area west of the Old City in one 20-minute period, tired, scared and hungry. Soldiers gave them food and water. More than 100,000 civilians, of whom half are believed to be children, remain trapped in the crumbling old houses of the Old City, with little food, water or medical treatment. The urban-warfare forces were leading the campaign to clear the Sunni Islamist militants from the maze of Old City alleyways, moving on foot house-to-house in locations too cramped for the use of armored combat vehicles. French journalist Veronique Robert has died in Paris after being wounded in an explosion in Mosul earlier this week, her employer France Televisions said on Saturday. The mine explosion killed Iraqi journalist Bakhtiyar Haddad and French journalist Stephane Villeneuve while another freelance reporter suffered minor injuries. Aid organizations and Iraqi authorities say Islamic State was trying to prevent civilians from leaving so as to use them as human shields. Hundreds of civilians fleeing the Old City have been killed in the past three weeks. A U.S.-led international coalition is providing ground and air support in the eight-month-old campaign to seize Mosul, the largest city the militants came to control in a shock offensive in Iraq and neighboring Syria three years ago. U.S.-supported Iraqi government offensives have wrested back several important urban centers in the country's west and north from Islamic State over the past 18 months. HISTORIC MOSQUE BLOWN UP BY MILITANTS Military analysts said Baghdad's campaign to recover Mosul gathered pace after Islamic State blew up the 850-year-old al-Nuri mosque with its famous leaning minaret on Wednesday. The mosque's destruction, while condemned by Iraqi and U.N. authorities as another cultural crime by the jihadists, gave troops more freedom to press their onslaught as they no longer had to worry about damaging the ancient site. It was from the mosque that Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi announced himself to the world for the first time as the "caliph", or ruler of all Muslims, on July 4, 2014. Mosul's population at the time was more than 2 million. Baghdadi fled into the desert expanse extending across Iraq and Syria in the early phase of the Mosul offensive, leaving the fighting there to local IS commanders, according to U.S. and Iraqi officials. Recent Russian reports that he was killed have not been confirmed by the coalition or Iraqi authorities. The Iraqi government once hoped to take Mosul by the end of 2016, but the campaign dragged on as IS reinforced positions in inner-city neighborhoods of the city's western half, carried out suicide car and motorbike bomb attacks, laid booby traps and kept up barrages of sniper and mortar fire. By this weekend, the area still under IS control was less than 2 square km (0.77 sq miles) in extent, skirting the western bank of the Tigris River that bisects Mosul. Islamic State retaliated for government advances on Friday evening with a triple bombing in a neighborhood in eastern Mosul, which Baghdad's forces recaptured in January. The attack was carried out by three people who detonated explosive belts, killing five, including three policemen, and wounding 19, according to a military statement on Saturday. The fall of Mosul would mark the end of the Iraqi half of Islamic State's "caliphate" as a quasi-state structure, but IS would still hold sizeable, mainly rural and small-town tracts of both Iraq and Syria. In eastern Syria, Islamic State's so-called capital, Raqqa, is now nearly encircled by a U.S.-backed Kurdish-led coalition. (Writing by Maher Chmaytelli; editing by Mark Heinrich)
ERBIL, Iraq (Reuters) - Iraq's armed forces blocked a major wave of attacks by Islamic State suicide bombers outside the Old City of Mosul on Sunday, a military statement said. The attacks targeted Hay al-Tanak, a poor neighborhood west of the Old City, the last stronghold of the militants in Mosul. It is the first wave of attacks reported outside the Old City since the battle to capture the historic district from Islamic State started a week ago. (Reporting by Maher Chmaytelli; Editing by Adrian Croft)
The 2017 World's Ugliest Dog winner is perhaps the floppiest yet.

Martha, a three-year-old 125-pound Neapolitan Mastiff from Sebastopol, California, took the top prize at the Petaluma competition on Friday. Martha will triumphantly return home with $1,500, a trophy, and a free trip to New York City for media appearances.

SEE ALSO: Dogs, ranked

And she seems absolutely thrilled.

Image: M. DAVEY/EPA/REX/Shutterstock

Martha reportedly won over the judges the way we'd all like to  by lying down and not doing anything, even when she was supposed to.

This year's second and third place winners were Moe, a Brussels griffon pug, and Chase, a Chinese crested-Harke mix. They are both beautiful.

Moe.

Image: AP/REX/Shutterstock

Chase.

Image: AP/REX/Shutterstock

A total of fourteen dogs competed in the event.
I was a god, the scion proclaimed to me over dinner, reminiscing about the glory before his downfall. Now Im a man. For decades, hed been groomed as a member of a powerful Korean dynasty, where he lorded over platoons of workers executing his orders with military-like efficiency. Then the endgame arrived. The patriarch of his court died, and he was ousted in a succession battle teeming with intrigue, espionage, and unholy alliances. The heir was effectively banished; he rode out his career in a minor branch of the family trade.

This may sound like the vicious monarchy of North Korea, but its actually a true-life parable about the economy in the South. South Koreas corporate emperors arent quite as ruthless as the commandants north of the border  North Koreas supreme leader can command his half-brother to be murdered and his uncle by marriage to be executed  but theyve dug out their own cultish strongholds in dynastic groups called chaebol (wealth clan), which have been, and still are, the engines of South Koreas economic miracle. Here they live out the royal drama of past centuries, commanding familiar names like Samsung and Hyundai.

Like many aristocratic cultures, chaebol are marked by an unmistakable streak of militarism. The businesses designing your smart phones, cars, and the parts inside them are separated into highly regimented units that adhere to an extraordinarily rigid corporate hierarchy. On a personal level, chaebol scions are also given to thuggish outbursts, like the Hanwha chairman who was convicted of hiring gangsters for a revenge attack and personally wielding a steel pipe, and the Korean Air heiress who assaulted her airlines flight attendant and halted takeoff because her first-class nuts were served in a bag and not on a plate. (The former was off with a presidential pardon; both walked free from their sentences early.) South Koreans have a word for this type of abuse: gapjil. Its the right to bully people lower on the hierarchy, to punish the weak with impunity, to treat yourself like royalty.

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Chaebol groups like Samsung played a remarkable role from the 1960s to 1980s in moving authoritarian South Korea out of poverty. But increasingly they are cultural relics in a developed democracy that has recently been swept with mass protests and the removal of its former president, Park Geun-hye  the daughter of a former dictator who helped build the chaebol system  in March over a wide-reaching political scandal. Of course, obsolescence isnt necessarily a prelude to disappearance. Chaebol are still central to the Korean economy (even if they impair its long-term growth), and they remain tolerated by the public (even if they help corrupt the countrys culture and politics). Its no accident that Korean leaders have repeatedly promised to pass new regulations that would cut the chaebol down to size, only to pass the buck to their successors.

Hopes have been higher among chaebol critics for newly elected liberal President Moon Jae-in. And there was reason to take him at his word when he promised to take a harder stand on the chaebol: His chief fair trade regulator, Kim Sang-jo, is a man of strong opinions whod tussled with Samsung executives at a shareholder meeting in the past. But Kims tempered promises after being appointed, however, have not lived up to his fiery record. He has restated, as past administrations have without results, the obvious need to enforce existing laws and expand the rights of sidelined shareholders, emphasizing that hell apply tougher standards to the biggest four conglomerates.

Like the banks of Wall Street, the chaebol have a long history of escaping trouble. But chaebol have little in common with the more entrepreneurial and shareholder-driven firms in the United States, where even the longest-surviving companies  whether in New York or Detroit or Silicon Valley  havent enjoyed privileges close to what exists in South Korea today. Imagine if the Carnegies and Edisons passed on their bedazzling family fortunes and were feared names whom, three generations out, the New York Times self-censored out of reverence; if the White House pardoned Fords and Waltons and Krocs as they ran Ford and Walmart and McDonalds from their prison cells; if Bill Gates and Steve Jobs built family dynasties in Silicon Valley rather than passing their companies to new blood in Microsoft and Apple; or if mainstream journalists covered their eyes when confronted with Donald Trumps myriad conflicts of interests between his presidency and his businesses. South Koreans call their country the Republic of Samsung; imagine how odd it would sound if America were called the United States of Apple.

Chaebol are unique in their remarkable ability to game the system of public ownership: they turn to shareholders for funding while managing, despite repeat shareholder challenges, to keep the actual power within the family. Samsung Electronics, for instance, is publicly traded, with Chairman Lee Kun-hee, incapacitated and bound to a hospital suite since having a heart attack in May 2014, owning 4 percent of shares. His wife, Hong Ra-hee, and their son and heir, Jay Y. Lee (known to South Koreans as Lee Jae-yong), each own less than 1 percent of shares. Yet the Lee family effectively controls this and other Samsung companies through a messy spaghetti bowl of cross-shareholdings, befuddling even the most astute of analysts. The so-called Samsung Group isnt even a legal entity. Its merely a term that the empire uses for its maze of 59 affiliates with a shared name, all effectively reporting to the Lees. The words of the father in particular and son less so, Samsung employees tell me, is like a page from the Bible, a tablet of wisdom coming down from high, unchallengeable and unassailable.

Whatever todays chaebol might have in common with Americas barons more than a century ago, South Korean policymakers look elsewhere for lessons: Finlands Nokia, Swedens Wallenberg family of industrialists and bankers, and Israels industrial conglomerates with wide-ranging ownership of real estate and telecommunications. But these pale before South Koreas chaebol, which are fundamentally an outgrowth of fascist Japan from before and during World War II. Much like South Koreas big four corporate empires today, imperial Japan had four central family houses (including surviving names like Mitsubishi and Mitsui) that reigned over industry, called the political shots, manufactured everything from the parts to the final products like for weapons and tanks, and fomented spasms of popular resentment. The Japanese called these empires the zaibatsu  which, like chaebol, means wealth clan and shares the same Chinese characters. At the height of World War II, they were the largest and most vertically integrated corporations in the world, existing nowhere else on this scale.

From 1910 to the end of the conflict, Japan ran the Korean Peninsula as a colony, reshaping the impoverished kingdom in its industrial image far more thoroughly than the French did to Indochina, the British to India, or the Americans and Spanish to the Philippines. The progenitors of some of todays biggest business groups in South Korea were educated in Japan, tapped into their Japanese networks, learned from Japanese corporate practices, and bought up their former colonizers inventories in fire sales by the postwar American military government. Samsung (Three Stars) founder Lee Byung-chul, for one, was probably eyeing Mitsubishi (Three Diamonds) when he started the company in 1938.

The Allied occupation, however, forced Japan to lessen its embrace of racial purity and abandon family industrial power, purging the zaibatsu of family executives and seizing inventories. Meanwhile, South Korea (along with North Korea) inherited, nearly uninterrupted, many of its ex-masters fascistic practices for the decades to come. Even as South Korea publicly disavowed any connection to Japan  most Japanese cultural products, including films and comic books, were banned until 1998  its culture and economy remained fundamentally warped by Japans imperialist model. In the mid-1950s, South Koreans began using chaebol to describe groups such as Samsung, which had amassed fortunes through manufacturing sugar and paper, the manipulation of U.S. aid money, and brute lobbying on economic policy.

In 1961, a general named Park Chung-hee, whod served under the Japanese army in the industrial base of Manchuria, launched a coup detat and proclaimed a new republic. Park disliked the garish wealth of the then-dead zaibatsu and instead put the chaebol families to work underneath his regime for the betterment of the nation. This consisted of breakneck export quotas and preferential loans for high-performing businesses, protectionism against foreign imports, clamping down on runaway financing by the banks, and generally making life hell for noncompliant chaebol bosses by exposing their dirt when it was convenient, convicting them, and letting them off. This set a model of unhealthy chastisement and compliance that continues today. His national champions were Hyundai and the steelmaker Posco, a former Warren Buffett investment. But it wasnt until after Parks assassination in 1979 that South Korea and its chaebol went truly global.

As the world was aping the Sony Walkman and Trinitron TV from Japan, and the early IBM and Apple personal computers from the United States, the chaebol had become advanced enough to win supplier contracts for the chips, displays and refined materials in these products. They hired Japanese engineers to moonlight on weekends and copy foreign technology while making above-the-table deals for other, more legitimate technology transfers. As their size and sophistication ballooned, the biggest chaebol became equals at the governments negotiating table.

But as they got too big to fail, the chaebol collected bad loans and expanded carelessly, ushering the near-collapse of the system during the 1997 Asian financial crisis. For the surviving groups, it was a secret blessing. Samsung, for one, cleared out wasteful ventures and a bloated bureaucracy to focus on digital TVs and handsets and cutting-edge displays, giving it the firepower to beat Japans Sony and eventually turning it into a nameplate brand with the Galaxy smartphone.

On the flip side, the chaebol never got the purges of family power that politicians and populists were calling for. The highly successful Hyundai Group is just one example of a conglomerate that, upon the death of its charismatic founder, Chung Ju-yung, in 2001, broke apart in a bizarre family soap opera that hurled many of its spun-off companies into terminal decline. The Japanese-South Korean retailer Lotte has since witnessed its own family self-implosion, a palace coup by a younger brother against his older one; Chairman Shin Dong-bin has since been indicted and awaits trial for allegedly giving $6.2 million in bribes to a foundation run by the presidents political ally. In February, one of the worlds largest shippers, South Koreas Hanjin, went bankrupt due to global industry struggles. Its heir also admitted that when her husband died, shed been working as a housewife and didnt know how to run a shipping company.

Rather than suppress these aristocratic squabbles, the government has instead allowed the biggest chaebol to expand to unseen levels since the financial crisis, standing by as income inequality rises and as princes ascend to their thrones on birthright. Because of their influence, huge numbers of chaebol family leaders can get away with being literal crooks. Since 1995, at least 17 chairmen at major groups including Samsung and Hyundai have been convicted of either bribery, embezzlement, or other white-collar crimes. Many have been pardoned without serving prison time. At least three of them  Samsung Chairman Lee Kun-hee, SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won, and Hanwha Chairman Kim Seung-youn  have been pardoned twice by separate presidents, who cited their economic contributions to the nation, returning to their company thrones and praised to the skies in the mainstream South Korean media.

In the grim chaebol tradition, the heir to the Samsung empire, Vice Chairman Jay Y. Lee, has been sitting in a jail cell since February, awaiting trial for bribery, embezzlement, and perjury. The Samsung prince stands accused of paying $38 million to benefit former President Park Geun-hyes ally in exchange for political favors, such as alleged support for a merger in 2015 that nixed protesting shareholders but pushed along Samsungs dynastic succession. Its a troubled project two decades in the making that has already led to the criminal convictions of other executives in a separate court case.

On June 8, the former Minister of Health and a top pension official were convicted of illegally swaying the National Pensions Service shareholding vote in favor of the merger, damaging the retirement bodys own stake in Samsungs construction company. The remaining defendants have denied wrongdoing. Regardless, the long-standing pattern of impunity for chaebol families doesnt bode well for the reforming instincts of Moon, the new president. Despite recent protests against collusive chaebol-government ties, South Koreans by and large continue to treat these dinosaurs with a bitter blend of patriotism and love-hate pragmatism  love for their prestige and job stability and hate for their outsized power. Surveys show that South Koreans see these business empires as a low priority for reform by Moon  despite a pattern of reckless deals that stroke family egos but suck from public coffers and evade market sensibilities. Five of the biggest groups account for half of the South Korean stock index. Samsung Electronics alone accounts for a fifth of the nations exports, and the Samsung Groups publicly traded firms have a market capitalization accounting for one-fourth of the value of all listed companies in South Korea. The chaebol are simply, as the cliche goes, too big to fail.

This line of thinking should not extend to their ruling families. On paper, Samsung has been run for three years by a man who remains incapacitated in his hospital room after waking up from what Samsung claimed was a brief coma. His heir  the one actually running the show since then  has languished in his jail cell for four months. At the typical publicly traded company, share prices would plummet, business operations would be chaotic, and shareholders might revolt on evidence of bad behavior, forcing the chief to step down as Uber witnessed on June 21. But at Samsung Group, the absence of the glorious Lees has had little bearing on the record profits and stock prices of its crown jewel Samsung Electronics. An end to family rule at other successful companieswhere stock prices have also continued rising, nearly unfazed upon the criminal convictions of their chairmenwould yield the same results. This is, after all, one the worlds most highly educated and technologically advanced countries. Its people are well beyond the need for tending by clannish aristocrats.

Moon has entered office with fortuitous timing, a window to seal the democratic project South Korea began 30 years ago. He has a chance to enforce rule of law against corporations, protect the welfare of public interest shareholders such as the National Pension Service against political raids, forcefully unwind shareholding yarn balls that allow dynasties to keep control with minimal holdings, and expand funding for small and medium-sized companies that are frequently squeezed by chaebol supplier contracts. All these measures will be painful at first but will save South Korea future hurt. Bright minds and hard workers will no longer be shut out of the opportunities that their counterparts in Silicon Valley have long enjoyed; shareholders will see higher valuations; and the country will have to worry less about the Samsung Risk  that a single company can determine the economic fate of a nation.

Photo credit: JUNG YEON-JE/AFP/Getty Images
Fifty-four years ago this month, former President John F. Kennedy delivered the Strategy of Peace, a powerful address that captured Americas indispensable leadership at the height of the Cold War. Kennedy knew that our country could not guard against the Soviet Union alone, for he believed that genuine peace must be the product of many nations, the sum of many acts.

Incredibly, the man who now leads the United States seems to find himself locked in an alarming and perilous embrace with the Russian government. These ties threaten to weaken a system of alliances that have held Russiaand countless other threats to the international communityat bay since the conclusion of the Second World War.

In his Senate testimony two weeks ago, former FBI Director James Comey affirmed a disturbing suspicion: that Donald Trump first undermined Comey, by leaning on him to drop his investigation of former National Security-Adviser Michael Flynn, and then removed him from his post. Since then, events have escalated at a dizzying pace: Trump accused Comey of lying under oath about their interactions earlier this year, even as he cheered Comeys public assertion that the president wasnt under FBI investigation. Soon, reports emerged that Special Counsel Robert Mueller is investigating obstruction-of-justice allegations against the presidentrevelations Trump was none too happy about. And all the while, rumors have continued to swirl that Trump may fire both Mueller and Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, whos overseeing the special counsel inquiry.

But Trumps reckless handling of these events should not distract from a startling reality: As the president faces accusations of colluding with the Russians during last years campaign, his policies in office have aligned almost perfectly with the Kremlins goals. If Moscow wanted its interference in Americas election to yield dividends, it could hardly have hoped for more.

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Just as importantly, while Trump has expressed concern over the cloud the Russia investigation generated, he has seemed indifferent overall to Russias direct attempts to interfere with the American democratic process. According to Comeys testimony, Trump never asked him about the meddling, or how to prevent similar interference in the future. Not once.

Trump himself has seemingly courted the favor of Russian President Vladimir Putin since the 2016 presidential campaign. Hes repeatedly praised Putins leadership, refused to condemn Russian efforts to disrupt the U.S. system of free elections, and openly encouraged Russian hacking of the Hillary Clinton campaign. Fridays explosive report from The Washington Post confirmed that Putin was deeply and directly involved in an operation to hurt Clintons candidacy and help elect Trump.

The American system of checks and balances is only as strong as the leaders who have the character and courage to enforce them.

Whats more, in every way he can, Trump has deferred to Russia on matters of foreign policy. After Russian forces deployed their hacking tools during the recent French presidential election, Trump invited Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov to the White House and failed to repudiate the attack against a vital American ally. Instead, during his meeting with Lavrov, Trump divulged highly sensitive classified information provided by Israel, another crucial U.S. partner. (That May 10 meeting also came a day after Trump removed Comey, who was leading the inquiries into collusion; Trump told the Russians that the directors dismissal had alleviated great pressure on him.) Even more recently, the Trump administration has reportedly taken steps to return two diplomatic compounds that former President Barack Obama stripped from Russia following its actions during last years election.

To make matters worse, Trump has done far more than just extend open arms toward the Russian government. He wavered on the United States commitment to defend its fellow members of NATO; his aides have reportedly tried to undermine the European Union; and he himself has alienated key partners by lashing out at individual leaders and pulling out of the Paris Agreement.

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When Americans step back and consider this stunning series of actions, they should be left with unsettling questions: What are Donald Trumps reasons for doing this? What exactly does he have to hide?

In the Strategy of Peace, Kennedy described his belief that peace must be dynamic, not static, changing to meet the challenge of each new generation.  We must all, in our daily lives, live up to the age-old faith that peace and freedom walk together.

Today, it is the responsibility of this generation of Americans to help preserve international peace, to honor the allies who have stood by their side for decades, and to maintain the United States place as the leader of the free world.

The American system of checks and balances is only as strong as the leaders who have the character and courage to enforce them. Unless they denounce and punish any attempt to interfere with the special counsels investigation, demand accountability from the administration, and put their duty to their country over their duty to any political party, those checks and balances wont protect Americas democracy.

Read more from The Atlantic:

This article was originally published on The Atlantic.
Martin Shkreli is set to stand trial in a New York federal court Monday for security fraud. The notorious former CEO of Turing Pharmaceuticals has been accused of running a Ponzi scheme and could face up to 20 years in prison if convicted.

In addition to security fraud, the 34-year-old is accused of wire fraud, conspiracy, and mismanaging money at his investment funds Elea Capital, MSMB Capital, MSMB Healthcare, as well as while CEO of Retrophin (RTRX), the pharmaceutical company he founded in 2011.

The prosecution alleges that he cheated investors out of more than $11 million between 2009 and 2014.

READ: Wu-Tang Clans Once Upon a Time in Shaolin Tracks Released By Martin Shkreli After Trumps Win

Martin Shkreli

Photo: Reuters

Part of the drama that surrounds the case is that Shkreli has taken on an internet persona that leads some to call him the "most hated" person on the internet. The persona includes him regularly live-streaming parts of his life and vilified on social media as a "pharma bro."

Shkreli's lawyer Ben Brafman took a hands-off approach to his client. Brafman, in an email to CNN Friday said that he "would prefer that Mr. Shkreli not live stream during trial," but that his client "did not intentionally violate the law [and] is confident he will be acquitted.

"While I can control his conduct in the courtroom, I cannot control his life nor do I have the right to interfere with his personal life," Brafman continued.

shkreli

Photo: Andrew Burton/Getty Images

Throughout the process, Shkreli has maintained his innocence.

"Im so innocent, the jury, judge and the prosecution are gonna give me an apology," he said in a recent live stream, according to a New York Times report that said several live streams available earlier this week had been taken down by the midweek.

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At the hearing Monday, Brafman said Shkreli didn't defraud the investors because they ultimately got their money back. Prosecutor Jacquelyn Kasulis argued that fraud can mean "depriving investors of a right to control their assets."

There is law here, there are rules, they apply to Mr. Shkreli, she said.

READ: What Did Martin Shkreli Do Now? Pharmacy Bro's Twitter Account Suspended For Targeted Harassment

One reason Shkreli maintains infamy is that he flaunts his extravagant wealth. He owns a Picasso painting and bought the only copy of the Wu-Tang Clan album "Once Upon A Time In Shaolin" for $2 million in 2015. He later leaked the album to celebrate Donald Trump's victory in the 2016 election.

He also is known for publically getting in trouble on the internet. In May, he harassed a journalist from Teen Vogue on Twitter until he was banned from the social media platform.

Shkreli's infamy rocket shot after increasing the price of Daraprim, a drug used by AIDS patients, by over 5,000 percent in 2015 while he was the CEO of Turing Pharmaceuticals, sparking widespread outrage. The increase raised the price of a single pill of Daraprim from $13.50 to $750. He resigned from Turing after being arrested in December 2015 for the alleged security fraud.

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Photo: Drew Angerer/Getty Images

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Seoul (AFP) - North Korea on Friday accused the United States of waging a "smear campaign" over the death of an American student who was detained for more than a year and sent back home in a coma.

US President Donald Trump has slammed the incarceration and eventual death of 22-year-old Otto Warmbier as "a total disgrace".

"The smear campaign against (North Korea) staged in the US compels us to make firm determination that humanitarianism and benevolence for the enemy are a taboo and we should further sharpen the blade of law", the foreign ministry spokesman said in state media.

The North had earlier Friday denied torturing or mistreating Warmbier, in the first official reaction to his death.

"Our relevant agencies treat all criminals... thoroughly in accordance with domestic laws and international standards and Warmbier was not an exception," a spokesman for the National Reconciliation Council said.

"Those who have absolutely no idea about how well we treated Warmbier under humanitarian conditions dare to utter 'mistreatment' and 'torture'," he said according to the official KCNA news agency.

Warmbier was buried Thursday in Ohio, less than a week after he was sent back home in a mysterious coma.

He had been incarcerated for more than a year in North Korea after allegedly stealing a political slogan while on a trip to the capital Pyongyang as a tourist.
North Korean state newspaper Rodong Sinmun published an article Friday showing hundreds of women in the country wearing colorful dresses and marching in central Pyongyang, promising revenge against the U.S. for being an imperial aggressor.

With their fists held high in what was described as the traditional Communist salute, the women called for class education to be intensified to spread the message of the U.S. being the principal enemy of North Korea, Newsweek reported, citing the Rodong Sinmun.

According to the newspapers article, officials and members of the womens union gathered at Pyongyangs Sincheon Museum on Thursday and called for anti-U.S. class consciousness to be embedded in womens minds.

Read: North Korean Media Labels US President Donald Trump A 'Lunatic'

The march principally vowed retribution against the U.S. for massacring over 35,000 North Koreans in 1950 during the American occupation of Sincheon County. South Korean forces allegedly carried out the Sincheon Massacre during the Korean War, with U.S. backing.

The anti-U.S. march by North Korean women came just ahead of June 25, which is recognized by North Korea as the day of struggle against U.S. imperialism.

The country, also known as the Hermit Kingdom, has a history of producing femme fatales trained to hurt countries it considers its enemy. A North Korean defector revealed the countrys seed bearing program in 2014 where attractive women were taken from universities and even high schools to be trained in the art of spying and sex.

Jang Jin Sung was a poet laureate in North Korea before defecting to South Korea in 2004. He said the isolated country had been grooming women as spies and killers for half a century to hurt enemies of the state.

A number of politicians, journalists and businessmen had been successful targets of women sent by Pyongyang to get sensitive information out of them. It even involved bearing their children and using the fact for blackmail, News.com.au reported.

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The program was the brainchild of North Koreas former leader Kim Jong Il because his previous plan of kidnapping businessmen from Japan, South Korea, Thailand, Romania and Lebanon and getting them to spy for him had failed. The businessmen had reportedly proved resistant to brainwashing.

That was when the Dear Leader who is the father of the current North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, had the idea of female spies targeting high-ranking visitors while posing as translators, tour guides, and even as some gifted to them as prostitutes.

The regime mainly targets foreigners who go to Pyongyang and, over time, build up a friendship with the woman who has been assigned to them as a translator or assistant ... but these women are in reality agents of the regime, Jang wrote in his book Dear Leader.

Read: Washington Could Agree With North Korean Demands In Order To Prevent War

North Korean women did not just spy on foreigners inside the country though. They have been known to carry out international missions, even deadly ones.

Kim Hyun Hui blew up a South Korean airliner in 1987 under orders from Pyongyang, killing 115 people onboard. Kim Jong Ils father, Kim Il Sung was the North Korean leader at the time and they both wanted to create enough chaos and confusion in South Korea to stop the 1988 Seoul Olympics from going ahead, the BBC reported.

Kim Hyun Hui was later caught and sentenced to death by a South Korean court in 1989 before being pardoned by the then-South Korean President Roh Tae-woo.

Read: British Security Experts Link North Korea To WannaCry Ransomware Cyber Attack

Kim was not the only North Korean high-profile female spy apprehended. In 2008, the South Korean government warned military personnel and businessmen of a honey trap after Won Jeong Hwa was arrested.

South Korean defense minister at the time, Lee Sang-hee said Won was trained and sent by Pyongyang to get confidential information from a 26-year old army captain.

Won was said to have fled the North herself, to China but then returned and became a spy in 1998. One of her first assignments was believed to be identifying and sending back other North Koreans who had fled the country to China and were trying to defect to South Korea.

She was sentenced to five years in prison and now lives in South Korea. After her release, she told TV talk shows she disobeyed orders from Pyongyang to kill two South Korean army intelligence officers, the Guardian reported.

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The smallest home on Fixer Upper is also the cutest. If youve ever dreamed of living in a home designed by Chip and Joanna Gaines, nows your chance. The Shotgun House that starred in Season 3 of Fixer Upper is on the marketand for a cool $950,000, it could be yours. If you dont remember the episode, the house was built in 1920 and was listed at only $28,000 before the Gaines got their hands on it. House-hunters Cameron and Jessie Bell wanted to remodel the home with the help of the HGTV stars, but a developer derailed their plans, snatching up the entire block. The Gaines helped negotiate a deal where the house would go to the Bells for free, with one big hitchit had to be moved to a new neighborhood. You can read more of the back story on Joannas Magnolia Market blog. Once a new lot was purchased and the home moved, Chip and Joanna started their magic, transforming the beleaguered structure into a cozy, modern home. They only had around 750-square-feet to work with so had to get creative. They installed wood flooring, floor to ceiling windows, and added that ever-popular open floor plan by knocking the wall that separated the living room and bedroom and designing a dazzling combination kitchen dining room. They also added a small loft helping expand the homes square footage to its current 1,000-square-feet. The one-bedroom, one-bathroom house is the perfect starter home for a couple. The charming skinny house is infused with the minimalist rustic chic charm that is the trademark of Chip and Joanna Gaines. Some of the highlights include a Dutch front door, a Big Ass Fan, 25' vaulted ceilings, tons of natural light, and a brick patio with a fire pit for hanging out under the Texas stars. The gorgeous bathroom has double sinks and countertops poured out of concrete and a glass enclosed shower. The bedroom is painted in a restive deep teal, with a massive mirror to make the space feel even bigger. The kitchen is the real heart of the home, though, with a massive kitchen island, granite countertops and a vintage looking turquoise Smeg refrigerator. The house is nestled in the heart of downtown Waco within walking distance of the Magnolia Market and the Silos and the citys thriving restaurant sceneand you never know when you might run into Chip and Joanna! The home is also close to McLane Stadium where Baylor plays, making it the perfect home for any die-hard Baylor Bears fan If you love the Shotgun House, but arent ready to make a commitmentor a move to Wacoits also available to book on Airbnb.
Barack Obama kicked off a 10-day family holiday in Indonesia that will take in Bali and Jakarta, the city where he spent part of his childhood, officials said on Saturday.

The casually dressed former president arrived in the resort island of Bali with his wife Michelle and their two daughters, a local military commander said.

"They arrived late last night and went straight to the hotel in Ubud," a local military commander, I Gede Widiyana, told AFP.

Obama woke up early and did some exercise in the lush green riverside resort, Widiyana said, but it was not known how the family would spend their time in the quiet and artsy Ubud area.

Next week, the family is slated to depart for Yogyakarta, where they are expected to visit ancient Borobudur temple. They will spend two days there before flying to Jakarta.

Obama spent four years until 1970 as a boy in the then sleepy capital of Indonesia after his divorced mother married an Indonesian.

Many Indonesians felt a strong bond with Obama because of his exposure to Indonesia and its culture, even making him a two-metre (six-foot) bronze statue that was placed in his former school.

The statue of "Little Barry" -- as Obama was known to his Indonesian school friends -- depicts the boy Obama dressed in shorts and a T-shirt with a butterfly perched on his hand.

Indonesia's foreign ministry said Obama's visit to holiday in Indonesia came after several invitations from President Joko Widodo.

While in the capital, Obama will meet Widodo on June 30 and give a speech at an Indonesian diaspora convention the next day.
The petition reportedly calls for the board to bring Mr Kalanick back in an operational role, although it does not demand that he is reinstated as CEO: Getty

More than 1,000 Uber employees have signed a petition calling for the board to reinstate Travis Kalanick in an operational role after he resigned as chief executive of the embattled ride sharing company earlier this week.

Mr Kalanick, who helped establish Uber around eight years ago and was instrumental in growing it into a transportation behemoth, announced last week that he would be taking a leave of absence for an unspecified period of time.

On Tuesday he resigned, buckling to pressure from major investors in response to a string of scandals that have plagued Uber in recent months.

Now though, a swelling group of employees has reportedly expressed their regret at Mr Kalanicks departure  something that experts say underscores the popularity of founder-led startups on the US West Coast.

Founder DNA is a precious asset and cannot be under-estimated, Mood Rowghani, a partner with Kleiner Perkins, which is an Uber investor, told the Financial Times. Founders may not always play the role of CEO but several great companies  most notably Apple and Twitter  that severed all ties to their founder eventually came to regret it.

The petition reportedly calls for the board to bring Mr Kalanick back in an operational role, but does not demand that he is reinstated as CEO.

According to Recode, a tech news site, an email aoubt the petition which appears to have been written by a member of staff reads: In just my first few months at Uber, Travis validated what Id felt for a lifetime: that it didnt matter where youd worked. How old you were. How many times youd failed. All that mattered was that you were capable of.

It goes on to say: Nobody is perfect, but I fundamentally believe he can evolve into the leader Uber needs today and that hes critical to its future success.

At the end of the email, the writer urges other employees to use a link to express their support for Mr Kalanick and show that they would endorse his reinstatement.

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The announcement of Mr Kalanicks resignation came after Eric Holder, the former US Attorney General, released a list of recommendations to improve Ubers culture, which included relieving the CEO of some of his leadership responsibilities, in response to a deep investigation into discrimination and sexual harassment at the company.

In recent months, the ride-sharing company has frequently been pointed to as an example of what has culturally gone wrong with Silicon Valleys booming startup scene.

Susan Fowler, a former engineer at Uber, posted a blog online in February that detailed sexual harassment during the year she spent at the firm, sparking global outrage.

Earlier this month Uber sacked 20 people, including some managers. Last week David Bonderman, the startups director, resigned after being accused of having made a sexist remark at a meeting to discuss how the group can transform its culture amid that probe into harassment and discrimination.

Uber is one of the most highly valued private companies in the world. It has reportedly raised more than $11bn (8.7bn) from investors since it was founded in 2009.
The Philippine military declared an eight-hour ceasefire Sunday in its offensive against Islamist militants occupying parts of the war-torn city of Marawi, to allow residents to celebrate the end of Ramadan.

Assaults backed by air and artillery bombardment stopped at the start of Islamic prayers at 6am but gunfire erupted as soon as the truce ended around 2pm, AFP reporters in Marawi said.

Military chief General Eduardo Ano ordered his forces to observe a "humanitarian pause" during the Eid al-Fitr holiday in Marawi, the most important Muslim city in the mainly Catholic Philippines.

"We declare a lull in our current operations in the city on that day as a manifestation of our high respect to the Islamic faith," Ano said in a statement.

The Eid al-Fitr festival ends the fasting month of Ramadan.

Hundreds of militants, flying the flag of the Islamic State group and backed by foreign fighters, seized swathes of Marawi in the southern region of Mindanao last month, sparking bloody street battles and raising regional concern.

Troops have launched a relentless air and ground offensive but have failed to dislodge gunmen from entrenched positions in pockets of the city.

Much of the lakeside city is now in ruins while most of its 200,000 residents have fled to evacuation centres or to the homes of relatives and friends in other towns.

At Iligan just north of Marawi, evacuees dressed in colourful flowing robes marked the end of Ramadan by holding prayers on the grounds of city hall.

Armed commandos from the police Special Action force stood guard as the prayers were held.

Presidential spokesman Ernesto Abella said Sunday a Philippine Navy ship was sent to Cotabato south of Marawi to bring supplies for soldiers involved in the fighting and serve as a floating hospital for the wounded.

- Civilians trapped -

Military spokesman Brigadier General Restituto Padilla said around 500 civilians remained trapped in areas where the fighting is concentrated.

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After the ceasefire ends "we will continue to try to enter the areas occupied by them and liberate Marawi", Padilla said on radio station DZBB.

Nearly 300 militants and 67 troops have been killed in the fighting, according to official figures.

"This (Eid) is memorable because we are celebrating it away from our homes," said Marawi's mayor Majul Usman Gandamrahe.

"We are hoping that this problem will soon be over... I urge everybody to continue praying so that the turmoil in our city of Marawi will end," he said on ANC television.

In May Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte declared martial law across all of Mindanao to quell what he described as a rebellion aimed at establishing an Islamic State caliphate in the area.

Foreign fighters, including those from Chechnya, Indonesia and Malaysia, are among those killed in the Marawi conflict.

A senior military commander said on Saturday that Isnilon Hapilon, a leader of the Marawi attack and one of America's most wanted terrorists, may have slipped out of the city.

Regional military spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Jo-ar Herrera said Sunday the military was still checking the report.

"He (Hapilon) is not being heard or monitored commanding troops on the ground," Herrera said in Marawi.

Australia has sent two high-tech surveillance planes to help Filipino troops in Marawi, joining the United States in providing military assistance.
President Donald Trump took to Twitter Sunday morning to accuse Hillary Clinton of collusion with the Democratic Party against her Democratic presidential primary opponent, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders.

Hillary Clinton colluded with the Democratic Party in order to beat Crazy Bernie Sanders. Is she allowed to so collude? Unfair to Bernie! Trump tweeted.

Hillary Clinton colluded with the Democratic Party in order to beat Crazy Bernie Sanders. Is she allowed to so collude? Unfair to Bernie!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 25, 2017

READ: Jon Ossoff Recalls Sanders vs. Clinton Debate: A Look At His Politics

Trump has talked about unfair treatment of Sanders before, often in tweets. Its not clear if there was a specific reason Trump tweeted this out on Sunday. The Senate Judiciary Committee announced Friday they were investigating former Attorney General Loretta Lynch about possible interference into the Clinton email investigation. Clintons email scandal from her time as secretary of state is also a regular talking point of the president. Trump is facing several investigations of his own into possible collusion between his presidential campaign and Russia, as well as obstruction of justice.

The alleged collusion Trump is referring to came from an email dump last summer.

Donald Trump

Photo: Carlos Barria/REUTERS

Hacked emails from the Democratic National Committee released by WikiLeaks during July of last year showed some staffers criticized Sanders campaign internally. The release of the emails helped lead to the resignation of DNC Chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz.

One email appeared to show a DNC plan to attack Sanders on his religion, the Washington Post reported last year.

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It might may [sic] no difference, but for [Kentucky] and [West Virginia] can we get someone to ask his belief. Does he believe in a God. He had skated on saying he has a Jewish heritage. I think I read he is an atheist. This could make several points difference with my peeps. My Southern Baptist peeps would draw a big difference between a Jew and an atheist, read an email written by DNC Chief Financial Officer Brad Marshall.

One of the leaks revealed Wasserman Schultz calling Sanders campaign manager Jeff Weaver a damn liar. There were also several emails mocking Sanders for calling for an additional debate in California and not understanding the Democratic Party. After it was clear that Clinton would become the partys nominee there were emails wishing that Sanders would end his campaign.

READ: Bernie Sanders May Have Won, Even Though Jon Ossoff Lost

Sanders who ran as a Democrat during the election last year has been an independent who caucuses with Democrats during his senatorial career. During the campaign, Sanders often criticized the party and complained about the fairness of the Democratic Partys nominating process. He continues to have harsh words for the party.

Sanders said at the Peoples Party summit June 10 that the current model and the current strategy of the Democratic Party is an absolute failure, the New York Times reported earlier this month. The Democratic Party must finally understand which side it is on.

Trumps tweet picks at a fissure in the Democratic party that was exacerbated during the presidential election. Sanders was a conduit for the more liberal and progressive voices of the party while Clinton represented the more moderate voices, a division that continues to hamper the party.

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BEURUT (Reuters) - Israel said on Saturday it had targeted Syrian military installations after shells landed in the occupied Golan Heights but a Syrian military source said the Israeli strikes killed some civilians. Rebels including hardline Islamist factions fought the Syrian army on Saturday in Quneitra province, bordering the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, Syrian state media and a war monitor reported. Israel's military said 10 projectiles from inside Syria had hit the Golan and it responded with air strikes on the position they were launched from and on two Syrian army tanks, one as it was preparing to fire. Aerial video footage released by the Israeli military purporting to show the strikes showed a machine gun and two tanks targeted and hit. The military described the shellfire into the Israeli-held territory as errant fire and called it an "unacceptable breach" of sovereignty. The Syrian military source said Israeli rocket fire had hit a residential building, causing a number of deaths and damage. The source did not mention Syrian fire into Israel and said the Israeli strike was in support of jihadist rebels. The war monitor, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, said rebel groups in Quneitra had launched an assault and were storming army positions near Baath City. Israel has targeted Syria several times during the conflict, sometimes after projectiles have landed in the Golan Heights, but also to hit weapons supplies of Lebanon's Hezbollah group, which is fighting alongside the Syrian government. Syria's civil war, between President Bashar al-Assad and rebels seeking to oust him, has lasted six years, killed hundreds of thousands and pushed millions to flee their homes. (Reporting By Angus McDowall in Beirut, Mustafa Hashem in Cairo and Maayan Lubell in Jerusalem, Editing by Angus MacSwan)
This article originally appeared on Kaiser Health News.

Senate Republicans praised the Affordable Care Act replacement bill they presented Thursday as preserving coverage for people with cancer, mental illness and other chronic illness.

But the legislation may do no such thing, according to health law experts who have read it closely.

Built into the bill are loopholes for states to bypass those protections and erode coverage for preexisting conditions. That could lead to perverse situations in which insurers are required to cover chronically ill people but not the diseases they suffer from.

Depending on what states and governors do, plans sold to individuals might exclude coverage for prescription drugs, mental health, addiction and other expensive benefits, lawyers said. Maternity coverage might also be dropped.

Somebody with cancer might be able to buy insurance but find it doesnt cover expensive chemotherapy. A plan might pay for opioids to control pain but not recovery if a patient became addicted. People planning families might find it hard to get childbirth coverage.

The protection your insurance provides could depend a lot on where you live, said Sabrina Corlette, a research professor at Georgetown Universitys Health Policy Institute. In some states, over time, [patients with chronic illness] might find it increasingly difficult to find insurance companies that will offer plans that cover their needs.

The Senate provisions arent expected to affect job-based health plans or Medicare for seniors. They would mainly affect the kind of insurance sold to individuals through the Affordable Care Acts online exchanges, which cover about 10 million people.

Obamacare overhauls in both the House and Senate would also limit spending on Medicaid for low-income people, which analysts say would cause coverage losses for millions.

The Senate legislation, expected to be voted on next week, follows a widely criticized House bill that would also overhaul the Affordable Care Act, in its case giving states the option of denying coverage or raising premiums for those with preexisting illness.

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On Thursday Republican Senators touted their bill as avoiding those features.

I feel comfortable that no one is going to be denied coverage because theyve been sick before, said Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) The bill doesnt change [protections for] preexisting illnesses, which is good, he said.

Not explicitly. But it still gives insurers a potential way to shrink coverage for the chronically ill, albeit less obviously, said health law scholars.

Theres nothing in the Senate bill that specifically would allow withdrawal of coverage for a person with a preexisting condition, said Timothy Jost, emeritus law professor at Washington and Lee University in Virginia and an expert on health reform. What it does do is allow states to get waivers allowing exceptions to rules requiring comprehensive coverage, he said.

The Affordable Care Act required carriers to offer essential health benefits covering a wide range of services including hospitalization, maternity, prescription drugs and mental health.

Both the Republican House bill and the Senate bill would let states change that rule. Under those measures, states could set their own standards that might not be as generous, allowing insurers to exclude benefits for those with preexisting illness.

The Senate bill guarantees people with preexisting conditions access to insurance at the same rate as healthy people, but there is not a guarantee that the benefits they need will be covered by insurance, said Larry Levitt, a senior vice president at the Kaiser Family Foundation. (Kaiser Health News is an editorially independent program of the foundation.)

Obamacare, too, allows states to make exceptions for essential health benefits  but with strict limits. Coverage must be at least as comprehensive as the federal standard, for one thing. The Senate bill contains no such safeguard.

As long as they can show that its budget neutral, states would have a lot of latitude to cut essential benefits, said Christopher Koller, president of the Milbank Memorial Fund and a former Rhode Island insurance commissioner.

Insurance plans for individuals might again start to look as they did in the days before Obamacare, when they typically excluded coverage for maternity, mental health and substance abuse, health policy experts said.

Thats especially true because the Senate bill would allow governors to lower coverage standards by executive certification  without approval from legislatures, Corlette said. The measure would also permit governors to raise or eliminate Obamacares caps on what patients pay annually out of pocket before insurance kicks in. That could make care for preexisting conditions unaffordable even if its covered by the plan.

For their part, insurers may heavily pressure states to make such changes, analysts said.

Unlike the Affordable Care Act and the House bill, the Senate bill contains no incentives or inducements for healthy people to maintain medical coverage. That could result in a disproportionately sick group of people buying individual insurance, driving up carriers costs and prompting them to seek ways to trim coverage and cut claims.

If the only people motivated to buy insurance are going to be the ones who really need it, insurers are really going to have a strong incentive to use their benefit design to deter enrollment for the sickest people, said Corlette.

Kaiser Health News, a nonprofit health newsroom whose stories appear in news outlets nationwide, is an editorially independent part of the Kaiser Family Foundation.

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No question, President Donald Trump is a master of political theater. Last Fridays rollout of the Cuba policy changes in Miami had it all: months of suspense; intrigue between versions proposed by Sen. Marco Rubio and Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart; a build-up of controlled leaks; and the signing ceremony that has become the moniker of this president. But beyond the spectacle, the administrations new posture is a simple return to Florida politics at the expense of change in Cuba and U.S. leadership abroad.

The only substantive change in U.S. policy toward Cuba in Trumps speech was to require that educational travel take place in organized groups. Otherwise, the big reveal was to emphasize enforcement and initiate a process intended to channel economic activities away from the Armed Forces Enterprise Group (known by its acronym GAESA) and related entities within Cubas military, intelligence, and security services. Speculation abounds on the implications for companies like Starwood Hotels and Resorts that have existing arrangements with GAESA, but there is no clarity or timeline on what the final product will entail, which is probably by design.

Think about it: a vague announcement dressed in universally supported themes, like defending human rights and preventing the Cuban regime from profiting. Its a ready-made campaign platform for Republicans in Florida without the inconvenience of having to defend a concrete policy. There should be no rush for the administration to finalize the regulations, since maintaining an open-ended review process and the simple threat of heavy enforcement will produce the intended chilling effect on business and purposeful travel. The president was not subtle about the plan when he publicly goaded Gov. Rick Scott to run for Senate. And it might actually work for Scott if he can maintain the support of the 54 percent of Cuban-American voters who backed Trump in 2016, according to Pew Research, and successfully court the 71 percent of non-Cuban Latinos who voted for Hillary Clinton.

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Unfortunately for the Cuban people, the paradox of U.S. policy is that pandering to the Cuban-American hardline in Florida also benefits the hardline in Cuba, which will quietly embrace Trump as the foil to slow the pace of change.

The Obama doctrine in Cuba could be summarized as a policy of subversion by engagement. Early in 2009, President Barack Obama began testing the assumptions of U.S. policy by lifting restrictions on the ability of Cuban Americans to visit and send remittances to family members back home. He allowed telecommunications companies to pursue licensing agreements with Cuba and expand access to communication. In December 2014, he opened the aperture further by loosening travel restrictions for all Americans, establishing direct flights, and increasing commerce  all with the understanding that promoting ties between the American and Cuban people was a necessary ingredient for change. The decision to reestablish embassies was based on the notion of diplomatic relations as the basis for any relationship, good or bad, that would facilitate a candid conversation on all matters from human rights to counterterrorism. At the same time, the Obama administration continued to support human rights and democracy programs in Cuba, which is something this presidents budget proposes to cut entirely.

Was Obamas policy perfect? No, but it helped catalyze the dramatic transformation currently underway and that not everyone in the Cuban government supports. The information blockade is all but gone  laptops and thumb drives are everywhere, and there are Cubans congregating around Wi-Fi spots all over Havana. Privately-owned restaurants (called paladares in Spanish) rival some of Miamis best, Airbnb has put $40 million into the pockets of Cuban entrepreneurs since April 2015, and the influx of tourists has helped taxi drivers, souvenir vendors, and other private citizens catering to the masses. The inflow of remittances from the United States is fueling the growth of a middle class that is demanding more from the government. Even art is becoming more critical. Back in 2008, cellphones were contraband, private enterprise was nonexistent, and the jails were packed with political dissidents.

No one is arguing that Cuba is a utopia. To the contrary, today many Cuban professionals work 70-hour weeks to close multi-million dollar deals on behalf of the government but still struggle to put food on their tables. Political prisoners languish without recourse or the benefit of due process, just for exercising their universal human rights. So much still needs to change, but there is now an important yet fragile conversation in motion about the countrys future, and the government has been overwhelmed and forced to accept a certain loss of control thanks to the sheer volume and pace of engagement. All of this is likely to be undermined by the Trump administrations new approach.

The United States will also run into diplomatic headwinds in the region. Shortly after Obamas announcement, I accompanied Vice President Joe Biden to the Jan. 1, 2015, inauguration of Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff. The change in atmosphere was palpable as he was swarmed by leaders from all over the world wanting to convey their appreciation for doing away with our vestige Cold War policy. Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro became isolated, the Caribbean countries began voting more with us at the Organization of American States and the United Nations, and our efforts to advance human rights suddenly gained more traction. Most importantly, the specter of the American boogeyman punishing the people of an island was gone, and the tired narrative of U.S. imperialism landed flat.

Expect last weeks return to the with-us-or-against-us Manichaeism of the past to weaken U.S. efforts to galvanize hemispheric collaboration, and to continue ceding the space to Russia, China, and other third-countries in a region so close to home. The new Cuba policy may also take Gov. Rick Scott to the U.S. Senate. Do not, however, expect this new approach to help or empower the people of Cuba.

Photo credit: Joe Raedle/Getty Images
President Trump after signing the Department of Veterans Affairs Accountability and Whistleblower Protection Act, June 23, 2017. (Photo: Evan Vucci/AP)

On TV Sunday, President Trump lamented the disaster stories of veterans forced to wait several months for health care services through the Department of Veterans Affairs.

People are waiting on line seven, eight, nine months to see a doctor  or worse, they have a disease or a problem or a form of cancer thats easily and quickly curable and they have to wait six, seven, eight months and by the time they get in, its terminal, Trump said in an interview on Fox & Friends Sunday.

But for Kelly Gregory, an Air Force veteran whose stage-4 breast cancer has spread to her spine, losing access to treatment through Medicaid would be the real disaster story.

Gregory is one of 1.75 million veterans in the U.S. who relies on Medicaid for health insurance. Last week, she and other veterans from around Tennessee called on their elected officials in the Senate to oppose the proposed Republican health care legislation, which includes significant cuts to Medicaid.

If [you] pass this, I will die, Gregory told the Tennessean.

On Friday, Trump, who campaigned on a pledge to overhaul the troubled Department of Veterans Affairs, signed the Accountability and Whistleblower Protection Act into law  promising to make it easier for whistleblowers to report misconduct within the agency and for problematic employees to be fired.

We must fulfill our duty to the nations veterans, Trump said Friday during a signing ceremony for the first of many pieces of legislation he aims to pass regarding the Department of Veterans Affairs.

But for many of the nations veterans who do not qualify for health insurance through the VA, Trumps act to restore faith in the agency was overshadowed by significant cuts to Medicaid included in the Senate health care bill unveiled last week.

Approximately one in 10 U.S. veterans rely on Medicaid for both physical and mental health care coverage. In addition to those receiving treatment for physical injuries and medical illnesses, proposed cuts also put veterans suffering from PTSD and other mental health issues at significant risk.

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In a culture that demands strength, it is often difficult to step forward and seek help for an injury, such as PTSD, that remains unseen, Emily Blair, manager of military and veterans policy at the National Alliance on Mental Illness, wrote in an op-ed for The Hill last week. For this reason, adding another large barrier to accessing mental health services would result in deadly consequences.

Retired Marine Corps Lt. Gen. John Castellaw was among the veterans from Tennessee who spoke out against the Senate bill last week. Castellaw told the Tennessean regarding the proposed legislation, This is a dishonor to those who have served.

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By Tuvan Gumrukcu ANKARA (Reuters) - Turkey is to stop teaching Darwin's theory of evolution in high schools, deeming it controversial and difficult to understand, a senior education official said, a move likely to alarm secular Turks. Critics say President Tayyip Erdogan and the Islamist-rooted AK Party are undermining modern Turkey's secular foundations by pushing a conservative agenda, including tighter regulation of alcohol and other restrictions, since coming to power in 2002. A chapter entitled "Beginning of Life and Evolution" will be deleted from the standard biology textbooks used in schools and the material will be available only to students who go on to university studies from age 18 or 19, Alparslan Durmus, head of the national education board said in an online address this week. "We are aware that if our students don't have the background to comprehend the premises and hypotheses, or if they don't have the knowledge and scientific framework, they will not be able to understand some controversial issues, so we have left out some of them," he said. Charles Darwin's theory of evolution is rejected by both Christian and Muslim creationists, who believe God created the world as described in the Bible and the Koran, making the universe and all living things in six days. The Bible presents that as the exact time needed for creation but the Koran says "days" actually means long periods of time. Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmus said earlier this year that Darwin theory, first published in the 19th century, was "old and rotten" and did not necessarily have to be taught. The changes are part of a new curriculum that will go into effect at the start of the 2017-2018 academic year, and was formulated in accordance with "Turkish values", Durmus said. A total of 51 courses programs from primary school to high school, including those at the "Imam Hatip" religious schools championed by Erdogan, have been changed. A lobby group that promotes secular education, the Egitim-Is ("Education Work") Union has voiced concern at the changes to the curriculum, saying it reduced emphasis on the achievements of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the founder of modern Turkey who banned Islam from public life. (Additional reporting by Daren Butler; Editing by David Dolan)
ISTANBUL (Reuters) - Turkey's defense minister warned on Friday that Ankara would retaliate against any threatening moves by the Kurdish YPG militia in Syria and welcomed a U.S. pledge to take back weapons from the group after the defeat of Islamic State. Washington sees the YPG as an essential ally in the campaign to defeat Islamic State in its Raqqa stronghold. Ankara considers it a terrorist group tied to militants who have fought an insurgency in southeast Turkey since the mid-1980s. Turkish Defense Minister Fikri Isik told broadcaster NTV a letter sent to him by U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis regarding the weapons given to the YPG was a "positive step" but "implementation is essential". Turkey has said supplies to the YPG have in the past ended up in PKK hands, describing any weapon given to them as a threat to its security. Isik warned of retaliation for any action by the Syrian militia. "Any move by the YPG toward Turkey will be answered immediately," the minister said. "Threats that might emerge after the Raqqa operation are already being evaluated. We will implement steps that will completely secure the border," he added. "It is Turkey's right to eliminate terror threats across its borders". The fight for Raqqa began two weeks ago, putting pressure on Islamic State, which also faces defeat in its Iraqi stronghold, Mosul. The British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said on Wednesday Turkey had sent reinforcements, including troops, vehicles and equipment into Syria, toward areas south of Azaz town, which is held by Turkish-backed Syrian rebels. The YPG controls areas south of Azaz. A rebel from a Turkish-backed group has also said Turkey sent in more forces but there has been no confirmation from officials in Ankara. Turkey opened an offensive in northern Syria in August last year, sending tanks and warplanes across the border to support Syrian rebels fighting both Islamic State and the YPG. It helped them carve out a big portion of northern Syria, helping ensure the YPG and its allies could not link the 400-km (250-mile) stretch of territory they hold in the north and northeast with the pocket they hold west of Azaz. (Reporting by Tuvan Gumrukcu and Can Sezer; Writing by Daren Butler; Editing by Dominic Evans, Larry King)
Abu Dhabi (AFP) - United Arab Emirates President Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed al-Nahyan made his first public appearance Sunday since suffering a stroke more than three years ago, to mark the Eid al-Fitr Muslim holiday.

The official WAM news agency published pictures showing Sheikh Khalifa meeting a number of prominent officials and rulers of the other six emirates that with Abu Dhabi form the UAE.

The guests came to his Abu Dhabi palace on the first day of the Eid, which marks the end of the fasting month of Ramadan, and Sheikh Khalifa appeared to be in good spirits, according to the pictures and a short video posted on WAM's Twitter account.

Sheikh Khalifa, 69, had not made a public appearance since the UAE announced that he underwent an operation following a stroke in January 2014.

The president is also the ruler of the oil-rich emirate of Abu Dhabi, the wealthiest of the seven emirates that form the UAE as it sits on the bulk of the nation's oil wealth.

After his illness, Sheikh Khalifa's half-brother Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed took over as de facto ruler, though Sheikh Khalifa continued to issue decrees and deal with protocol issues.

In addition to Abu Dhabi, the UAE comprises the emirates of Ajman, Dubai, Fujairah, Ras al-Khaimah, Sharjah and Umm al-Qaiwain.
DUBAI (Reuters) - The president of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed al-Nahyan, made a rare public appearance on Sunday since suffering a stroke in 2014, state news agency WAM said, receiving well-wishers for the Muslim Eid al-Fitr feast. The agency posted photos of Sheikh Khalifa, who is also the ruler of Abu Dhabi, greeting rulers of other emirates in the seven-member UAE federation at a traditional reception for the feast that marks the end of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan. In a video also posted on social media, Sheikh Khalifa was shown chatting with the ruler of the emirate of Sharjah, Sheikh Sultan bin Mohammed al-Qassimi. Sheikh Khalifa, a pro-Western modernizer and head of the ruling family of Abu Dhabi, the largest of the federation's seven emirates, has been president since the death of his father, Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan al-Nahyan, in 2004. For much of the past decade, Sheikh Khalifa's younger brother Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan, the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, has led negotiations on behalf of the UAE, a major oil producer, in sectors ranging from energy and defense to investment and politics. In September last year, WAM reported Sheikh Khalifa's return home after a private trip abroad, without giving further details on the visit. (Reporting by Sami Aboudi, editing by Gareth Jones)
The president recently dazzled Wisconsin and its leaders with the possibility of tens of thousands of jobs coming here soon.

That truly would be great.

Foxconn, a Taiwanese manufacturer of Apples iPhones and other digital parts and devices, plans to invest $7 billion in an American factory, with an announcement of a location as early as next month.

Wisconsin, Michigan and other states are reportedly in the running, with President Donald Trump saying last week he and Gov. Scott Walker were negotiating to bring a major, incredible manufacturer here.

I think theyre going to give the governor a very happy surprise very soon, Trump said during a visit to Waukesha County Technical College.

Given the presidents penchant for boastful wishful thinking, state leaders cant count on thousands of Foxconn jobs coming through. Yet Wisconsin seems well positioned to attract such a company, given its manufacturing base, generous tax breaks, growing technology sector and strong technical and higher education systems.

The Wisconsin Economic Development Corp. (WEDC) should be doing all it can to sell Wisconsin as the perfect place for Foxconns ambitious venture.

That said, Wisconsins business and political leaders shouldnt lose sight of how most jobs are created  by small business. Announcing the arrival of a huge employer makes for great headlines and easier re-election campaigns. Yet small businesses account for two-thirds of new jobs. And Wisconsin needs to do a better job of helping homegrown entrepreneurs find investors and global markets for their innovative ideas.

Wisconsin notoriously ranks last in the nation for business startup activity, according to the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation. Too often, state leaders shower attention and favors on large, traditional employers, while largely ignoring the needs of startup companies, which have the most potential for job growth.

Landing Foxconn would be a huge victory for Wisconsin workers. But WEDC also must respect taxpayers as it offers Foxconn financial incentives.

When Kraft Heinz announced it was closing its aging Oscar Mayer plant in Madison two years ago, it simultaneously negotiated the construction of a new facility in Iowa  but at a steep price. Iowas state and local governments offered more than $20 million in incentives, which was $43,700 per job preserved, not even created.

The Des Moines Register appropriately called the deal a load of baloney.

Wisconsin should primarily sell itself to Foxconn for what the state already provides: virtually no state income tax for manufacturers, a strong workforce, and a superb education system.

We hope Trumps prediction of a very happy surprise comes true.
HANOI (Reuters) - Vietnamese police detained a French dissident of Vietnamese descent for deportation on Friday after the Communist state revoked his Vietnamese citizenship last month, his wife said. Pham Minh Hoang, a 61-year-old activist and mathematics lecturer, had dual French and Vietnamese citizenship before Vietnam canceled his citizenship without giving a reason, a move that drew criticism from human rights groups. Despite sweeping reforms to the economy and growing openness to social change, the Communist Party retains tight media censorship and tolerates no criticism. Dozens of bloggers and activists are serving sentences for crimes against the state. Hoang's wife, Le Thi Kieu Oanh, said police came to their house in Ho Chi Minh city on Friday asking to carry out a regular check on their household registration but later forced Hoang to leave with them and said they would deport him the next day. "My husband refused to go but three to four police officers used violence to drag him out and locked me inside the house... They also parked a signal-jammer car right in front of our house," Oanh said. The French embassy in Vietnam said France regretted the Vietnamese authorities decision to revoke Hoang's Vietnamese nationality and to deport him. "Freedom of expression and of opinion, notably on the Internet, are both guaranteed by the international covenant on civil and political rights to which Vietnam is a party. France calls on Vietnamese authorities to ensure compliance with these commitments", the embassy said in a statement sent to Reuters. Ho Chi Minh police said they could not provide any information on the case. Hoang was sentenced to three years in jail for attempted subversion in 2011 but was released after 17 months and served three years under house arrest. He frequently posts blogs criticizing the Vietnamese government. Oanh said the couple were informed on June 1 by the French consul-general that Hoang's Vietnamese citizenship was being annulled with a month for him to leave the country, but they refused to comply. "It's Hoang's ideal to stay in Vietnam to raise a voice and contribute to building freedom and democracy," Oanh said. "After the signal-jammer car left I called the consul general and he just said he acknowledged the situation. What they would do after that, I don't know," she added. She said the French embassy and consulate in Vietnam were waiting for guidance from the French foreign ministry because Hoang's Vietnamese and French passports have expired. Vietnam's foreign ministry spokeswoman Le Thi Thu Hang last week defended the decision to revoke Hoang's citizenship, saying it was "conducted in accordance with the provisions of Vietnamese law." Hoang is a member of California-based Viet Tan, a group Vietnam considers a terrorist organization. "The French government should not take part in the Hanoi regime's brazen exile of a well-known human rights activist," Viet Tan said in a statement. (Editing by London desk)
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The White House said in a letter on Friday that a tweet by President Donald Trump on Thursday was the formal answer to a request by the House of Representatives Intelligence Committee for information about records of conversations with fired FBI Director James Comey. The letter to Republican Representative Mike Conaway, who is leading the panel's investigation into Russian interference to the 2016 election, and Representative Adam Schiff, the committee's top Democrat, said: "In response to the committee's inquiry, we refer you to President Trump's June 22, 2017, statement regarding this matter." The House panel said on June 9 it had written to Don McGahn, the White House counsel, asking about the existence of any recordings or memos covering Comey's conversations with Trump and asked that copies of the materials be provided to the panel by June 23. Trump wrote on Twitter on Thursday, a day before the deadline, that he did not know if there were recordings of his conversations with Comey, but he did not make or have any such recordings. Conaway told reporters Friday morning that Trump's tweet was not a sufficient response. Schiff said in a statement on Thursday that Trump's Twitter comment stopped short of denying the White House had tapes or recordings and said the White House must respond in writing. (This version of the story corrects Conaway's role to leader of investigation from chairman in second paragraph) (Reporting by Patricia Zengerle; Writing by Eric Walsh; Editing by Cynthia Osterman and Bill Trott)
Designer Lilly Pulitzer has collaborated with the Ocean House in Watch Hill, R.I. (Photo: Brooke Brady )

The fashion brand Lilly Pulitzer is known for its #Resort365 culture  aka when wearing your vacation attire year-round is the norm. So its only natural that the iconic resort-wear brand would want to delve into the vacation business.

Through a special collaboration, Lilly Pulitzer has teamed up with two Rhode Island Ocean House Management properties  the Forbes triple five star-rated Ocean House resort and its sister hotel, the Watch Hill Inn, a historic landmark.

Lilly Pulitzer has transformed one luxury suite at the Watch Hill Inn, adorning it with custom-printed pillows, bedding, and curtains. Unique, hand-painted Lilly Pulitzer artwork fills the suites walls alongside shell-accented mirrors. The suite also comes with access to four limited-edition Lilly Pulitzer x Martone bicycles around the town, where the company recently debuted its newest retail store.

The Lilly Pulitzer-decorated suite at the Watch Hill Inn in Rhode Island. (Photo: Lilly Pulitzer)

The living room space in the Lilly Pulitzer suite at the Watch Hill Inn. (Photo: Lilly Pulitzer)

A view from above the Ocean House in Rhode Island. (Photo: Brooke Brady )

The beach view available to Ocean House and Watch Hill Inn guests. (Photo: Brooke Brady )

Just across the way from Watch Hill Inn is the Ocean House, a Victorian-style, 149-year-old luxury beachfront property. It reopened in 2010 after a $140 million renovation.

The Atlantic Ocean  and private beach access  are just steps away from the property. At the beach, youll find lounge chairs and cabanas accented with Lilly Pulitzers signature printed pillows and towels.

The Lilly Pulitzer-decorated cabanas at Ocean House in Rhode Island. (Photo: Brooke Brady )

A close-up detail of the Lilly Pulitzer-decorated curtains and printed pillows at the Ocean House cabanas. (Photo: Brooke Brady )

Interestingly, Ocean House is nestled right next to Taylor Swifts own Watch Hill home. While you are soaking up the sun, you might get a glimpse of Swift and her newest flame at her annual Fourth of July bash, if youre lucky.

For those unfamiliar with Lilly Pulitzer, she was a New York socialite who eloped with Peter Pulitzer Jr. (grandson of Joseph Pulitzer, the newspaper publisher and founder of the Pulitzer Prize). After eloping, the two moved to Palm Beach, Fla., where she launched her namesake beachwear line. Jackie Kennedy was one of her early adopters, quickly catapulting Pulitzer to fashion success. This company was founded in the late 1950s, and it is still considered the go-to, tropical, resort-wear brand.

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Lilly Pulitzer embodies the spirit of Watch Hill and has been a fashion mainstay for locals since the brand gained popularity years ago, said Daniel A. Hostettler, president and group managing director of Ocean House Management in a press statement. Ocean House and Watch Hill Inn are proud to partner with such an iconic brand that shares our love of luxury and seaside elegance.

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It all started with a snow day.

High school sweethearts Van and Patty Haisley began their tractor pulling career together when they were snowed in. Initially they built a snow machine, but after the snow melted, the motor from the snow machine became part of a mini-rod. The two brought their latest mini-rod to Tomah last weekend for the 42nd annual Budweiser Dairyland Super National Truck and Tractor Pull at Recreation Park.

The snow day was in 1977 or 1978, Patty Haisley recalled. The couple began pulling in 1985 after Van left the Army, where he served for four years.

(Van) got out and put a diesel engine in a daily driver and started pulling at fairs in August of 1985, and it just evolved into this, she said.

The Haisleys now participate in the super stock class with a replica 1997 Dodge 2500 4x4, build engines, are the owners of Haisley Machine in Fairmount, Indiana, and support 50 pullers across the United States.

Its been a long journey from the snow machine to now, Van Haisley said.

You look at our facility from what we started out to what we have today, just through a bunch of good employees and a bunch of hard work, he said. I mean weve got quite the business going on.

Its difficult to balance work and pulling, Patty Haisley said.

The challenge is being self-employed, in that this is what you build, she said. For a living we build the engines or the trucks ... whatever anyone needs on a diesel-pulling truck. The challenge is balancing all that, getting your work done.

Its worth it if you love it, Patty Haisley said.

Were just lucky to have all that, she said. But to be able to balance that and pulling, it is tough and you have to love to do it and want to do it to be here for it.

The people involved in the sport are what Van Haisley loves about pulling and why he still does it.

In pulling you just dont worry about anything, he said. You walk out here in the pits  theres hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of equipment sitting out there.

Patty Haisley agrees.

Its not just the people that are our customers and the other pullers, its the fans, its the promoters, its the organizations like NTPA and the other sanctioning groups out there, she said. Its the people, and its pretty much everybody. Honestly, I cant tell you two pullers I dont like. Everybodys just great to deal with and be around.

The Haisleys have been traveling to the Tomah pull for over a decade. Patty Haisley said what she likes about the event, any event in Wisconsin, is the fans.

Nobody ever minds coming to a pull in Wisconsin, she said. The fans up here are wonderful. In Richland Center, after the event, we probably sat out with the fans until 2 or 3 in the morning, just talking. And the fans loved it, the pullers loved it, and then they took us out of that event, and everybody was really disappointed, because everybody loves coming to Wisconsin. Its the fans, I dont know how to explain that to you.

The fan support is one aspect of what Patty Haisley likes about competing in Tomah.

The track is good, the people that put on the pull are phenomenal, the NTPA guys, the town of Tomah is just an incredible host, she said.
The future of tractor pulling ... is under 15 years- old.

Rhonda Phillips, who has volunteered for years at the Full Pullers Kids Klub, sponsored by the Budweiser Dairyland Super National Truck and Tractor Pull, believes the future of pulling is the children who attend the Kids Klub. Its an way to engage and interest the children in the motorsport, she said.

Kids are what its all about, thats our future, she said. Im 60, (weve got) to recruit these young people to take over. Every year (Kids Klub) grows, it makes it something ... for the kids to look forward to every year.

The Kids Klub is held the Friday morning of the pull at 9 a.m. for children age 14 and under prior to the Friday afternoon show. Each child has the opportunity to get a free t-shirt, a temporary tattoo, pizza and the chance to meet pullers and get autographs.

Joelle Liddane, vice president of the Monroe County Agricultural Society Junior Farm Board, has attended the tractor pull since she was a baby; however, this is the first time she has been to the Kids Klub, this time as a volunteer.

She wishes she had attended when she was a kid.

I dont know what I was doing ... but I definitely wish I could have been, because this is a great opportunity to be able to come back every year and look forward to the next year for it, she said.

The Kids Klub provides a sense of community, Liddane said.

(The kids) get to come here with their family, their little siblings and just be able to hang out with people from this community and then surrounding communities, she said. There are people from all over ... and they just get to have that sense of feeling that they are able to be part of it.

Maretta Budde, Tomah Boys & Girls Club director, brought 47 club members to the Kids Klub. The event is fun and something different, she said. The club sends members every year.

It gives a chance for the kids to see what the tractor pull is all about  they get to meet drivers, she said. The kids always have a good time ... Its just a really fun experience for them  something totally different than their everyday day at the Boys & Girls Club or their everyday day in Tomah.

This was Curt Pages first time attending the Kids Klub with his children Austin, 3, and Oliver, 1.

Page brought them because it seemed like a good way to bond with his sons.

The weathers supposed to be (bad) the next few days, sounds like its supposed to rain, so I thought that this would be a good opportunity  Moms working, (so its) a Dad and boys day, he said. Its pretty awesome, they gave us shirts, theyre giving them lunch  thats pretty cool.

Its not Rob Voelkers first time attending the Kids Klub with his wife Tammi and children Tiana, 10, and Jada, 8. It was fun for the kids, Voelker said.

Weve been coming down quite a few years for the tractor pull ... and its something for the kids to do in the morning, and they get to meet the drivers, he said.
Daniel Seehafer asked cadets to raise their hands if they planned to pursue law enforcement careers.

Three-fourths of the hands went up, which is exactly what Seehafer wanted to see.

Theres a need for this, he said. We wanted to be able to plant seeds.

Seehafer, Department Commander for the Wisconsin American Legion, said promoting law enforcement was the goal of last weeks Wisconsin American Legion Law Enforcement Academy held at the Wisconsin State Patrol Academy at Fort McCoy. Thirty-seven teenagers between their junior and senior years of high school spent a week at the academy learning about law enforcement techniques and careers in the law enforcement field.

The academy was co-sponsored by the American Legion and Wisconsin Professional Police Association. Eighty students filled out applications that included an essay on why they wanted to attend.

The week coincided with verdicts in two high-profile trials in which police officers were acquitted in fatal shootings, and cadet Anthony Taylor said hes concerned about the image of police.

People have been bashing the cops constantly on the internet, said Taylor, a student at Beloit Memorial High School. Thats all I see, thats all my friends talk about  how nasty the cops are.

He acknowledged there are cases when police officers make bad judgments and must be held accountable but believes most officers conduct themselves in good faith.

People bash all the cops, and I think thats unnecessary  theyre here to help you out, and people just dont see that, he said.

Cadet Kelsey Meston of Rockland said she has wanted to be a police officer since she was four years old even though nobody in her family works in law enforcement. She wants to be a deputy sheriff.

That has been my life-long dream, said Meston, a student at Bangor High School. I have always been enthusiastic about becoming a police officer.

Students took 32 hours of classes that covered K9 units, bomb squads, crime scene investigation, drug/drunk driving enforcement and community policing. Law enforcement professionals from across the state served as instructors and mentors, and Wisconsin Attorney General Brad Schimel spoke to cadets Thursday night. He took students through a case he worked as an assistant district attorney in Waukesha County to show how crimes are investigated and the factors to determine how charges are filed.

Taylor said he didnt realize there were so many different law enforcement careers, ranging from patrol officers to crime lab technicians to crime data analysts. After hearing all the different branches of law enforcement, he still wants to serve on the front line.

I want to be a patrol officer, he said. Theyre the ones who stop the stuff from happening.

Meston enjoyed meeting people from different parts of the state.

I know I made some life-long friendships here, she said. Im from a village, so its intriguing to see people coming from bigger cities ... its wonderful to see them coming together. Were all here for the same reason.

Ozaukee County Sheriff Jim Johnson, who served as one of the instructors, said law enforcement needs young people. He said fewer young people are pursuing law enforcement careers and that the academy gives law enforcement an opportunity to present itself in a positive light.

He said the cadets, a roughly equal number of boys and girls, have responded.

These kids are smart; theyre eager to do stuff, Johnson said. The reaffirmed my faith in kids of the future.
It is time for Wisconsin to repeal the personal property tax. As a member of the Joint Finance Committee focused on tax reform ideas, I have proposed a full repeal of this tax to my colleagues as we work to finish the state budget.

The PPT is an outdated, unfair, cumbersome tax on small businesses that has an exorbitant, unreasonable cost for compliance. The PPT is assessed on tangible personal property such as equipment and furniture on an annual basis. It is assessed on anything that can be touched and moved for its entire life cycle. This means that there are 20-year-old desks in businesses that are still taxed every single year. The taxes are assessed and collected by local governments  cities, towns and villages.

Throughout the last 50 years, the legislature has slowly carved away at this tax, exempting various items such as inventories and industries such as manufacturing, agriculture and, most recently, computers. The PPT continues to be paid by businesses that do not benefit from the past legislative exemptions. Businesses pay a sales tax when they buy furniture and equipment. These businesses then face the prospect of paying PPT on the item every year as long as they own it.

As a result, the cost for small businesses to comply with this law can often be more than the actual tax. For example, a small business may pay $200-300 more to prepare and file the tax than the actual tax itself. This is an unnecessary burden on small businesses in our communities. Big businesses can absorb these costs and perform the necessary bookkeeping with existing resources, but many small businesses are forced to hire assistance to comply.

The estimated impact of repealing the PPT would be a $239 million savings per year for businesses in Wisconsin. However, this savings would leave the same-sized hole in revenues for local governments. Every time the legislature has carved out an exemption, we have back-filled the fiscal impact on local governments with other dollars. If we were to repeal the PPT, the legislature would look to do this again. There are ways that we can accomplish this within the budget this year.

As local governments join the discussion about repealing the PPT, they have expressed concerns about losing revenue. I have asked each municipality to consider how they were impacted when we exempted computers. The state back-filled their lost computer revenue for the past 12 years, and it has been a successful transition.

In addition, it is important to note that this is not a big business tax break. Repealing the PPT will benefit small businesses more than any other entity in Wisconsin. The cost of compliance and the disincentive this tax creates to invest in a small business are major obstacles for small businesses.

On May 24, the Senate Committee on Revenue, Financial Institutions and Rural Issues, that I chair, held a public hearing on Senate Bill (SB) 218, which repeals the PPT. We had dozens of people testify or submit written testimony in favor of this bill. No one testified opposed. We did not hear from any big businesses. We did hear from small business owners from every part of the state. The only entity that has opposed it publicly is the city of Milwaukee.

During the hearing, we listened to stories from business owners who have to submit multiple PPT statements for every municipality in which they have locations. We heard from businesses that want to invest in new equipment they need to expand, but hesitate to grow because of the PPT taxes they will be assessed from now into the future. Business associations reached out to share their challenges in recruiting businesses from neighboring states that dont have the PPT. None of our neighboring states have a PPT, which puts Wisconsin at a competitive disadvantage. Its time to relieve this burden.

The PPT was developed early in the history of our state before income and sales taxes. It was a way for the state to collect revenue from farmers, business owners and industries. At one time, we taxed every piece of property or inventory involved in every business. With each exemption and the growing sophistication of businesses in Wisconsin, the PPT repeal becomes more important.

I am optimistic that the legislature has the opportunity to repeal this tax in the current budget. Repeal will relieve a burden on businesses, but it will also encourage businesses to reinvest, grow and expand. Reinvestment, growth and expansion mean jobs, higher pay and economic development. This is just one more way our legislature can impact our statewide economy.

For more information and to connect with me, visit my website http://legis.wisconsin.gov/senate/17/marklein and subscribe to my weekly E-Update by sending an email to Sen.Marklein@legis.wisconsin.gov. Do not hesitate to call 800-978-8008 if you have input, ideas or need assistance with any state-related matters.
ISTANBUL  Turkish authorities announced Saturday they will not allow the Istanbul Pride march to take place on Sunday  the third year in a row the celebration has been banned. The move prompted criticism from rights groups and fears of possible violence, as Pride organizers said they would defy the ban.

For more than a decade, the Istanbul Pride has attracted tens of thousands of participants, making it one of largest gatherings celebrating gay, lesbian and transgender rights and diversity in the Muslim world.

Unlike other Muslim countries, homosexuality is not a crime in Turkey. However, lesbian, gay and transgender activists say they lack legal protections and face widespread social stigma in the nation that is heavily influenced by conservative and religious values.

The Istanbul governors office said the Pride march would be banned to keep public order and for the safety of participants and tourists. It said the area around central Taksim Square, where the march begins, was not designated for demonstrations.

The volunteer-organized Pride committee said the ban violates domestic and international law limiting the right to peaceful assembly. It asked the governors office to reconsider and fulfill its obligations by providing security precautions.

The city government also said very serious reactions by different segments of society were raised against the march.

This week, like last year, ultra-nationalist and conservative groups said they would not allow the Pride march to take place even if the authorities allowed it. LGBTI activists said the ban legitimizes threats and hate speech under the guise of protecting the publics sensitivities.

Amnesty International expressed deep worry following the ban and said Turkish authorities violated freedom of expression and assembly in a routine and arbitrary way.

Turkey should protect rather than ban Pride marches, Amnesty said, adding it would make sure to document developments on Sunday.

Up to 100,000 people took part in 2014s Pride march, making it one of the largest LGBTI Pride events in a predominantly Muslim nation. The following year, authorities banned the march in a surprise move citing public order and dispersed the crowds.

In 2016, the march was again banned amid a spate of deadly attacks blamed on the Islamic State group or on outlawed Kurdish militants. LGBTI activists still attempted to converge on Taksim Square, leading to skirmishes with police. A state of emergency declared after last summers failed coup has further limited public gatherings.

Organizers believe the celebrations in 2015 and 2016 were banned because they coincided with Islams holy month of Ramadan and say authorities are using security as an excuse to ban the parades instead of taking measures to deal with the threats against those participating.

Sundays planned march coincides with the Eid holiday, marking the end of a month of fasting for Ramadan.

(The bans are) a reflection of the increasingly conservative and majoritarian policies of the government, said Murat Koylu, of the Ankara-based Kaos GL, a group promoting LGBTI rights.
Police say four Indian tourists and a local resident died when a cable car came crashing down from a height of at least 30 meters after derailing from a pulley in the tourist resort of Gulmarg in the Indian portion of Kashmir. Senior police officer Imtiyaz Hussain says that four other people were injured in the accident yesterday. One of the injured was in critical condition. Hussain said the dead included a New Delhi couple and their two children

Vietnam exiles dissident

Vietnamese authorities have deported a dissident after stripping him of his Vietnamese citizenship, drawing criticism from international human rights groups. The California-based Vietnam Reform Party, or Viet Tan, said its member Pham Minh Hoang was forcibly taken from his home in southern Ho Chi Minh City on Friday evening and placed on a flight to Paris on Saturday.
Entrepreneur Richard Branson has set off on his second attempt to claim the transatlantic crossing record for Britain.

Mr Branson and his team left New York at dawn on their 72 ft powerboat Virgin Challenger II for the 4,828 km voyage.

If they reach Bishops Rock, off the Isles of Scilly, by 2100 BST on 29 June they will recapture the Blue Riband for the UK  held by liner SS United States since 1952 for a crossing in three days and 10 hours.

The millionaire businessmen tried to break the record last year, but his boat sank just 222 km from the British coast.

Mr Branson told the BBC he was confident they would succeed this year.

The boats ready, the crew are ready and the weather forecast is reasonable  hopefully well be there for Sunday lunch, he said.

A spokesman at the Virgin Challenger London headquarters said the team had almost reached Nova Scotia for the first of three refuelling stops at 2100 BST and was two hours ahead of schedule.

After taking on more fuel, the 1.5m boat will head across the ocean on the great circle route  the quickest course across the Atlantic.

BBC Tomorrows World presenter Peter Macann is on the Challenger and said conditions had been perfect for the first stage of the voyage.

The only point of excitement was when I was driving and a whale surfaced about 50 m from the boat  I just managed to swerve to avoid it, he said.

Courtesy BBC News

In context

The Blue Riband was established by shipping magnates in 1838 as an informal competition.

Richard Branson broke the record, but the Hales trustees refused to award him the trophy because his boat did not have a commercial maritime purpose and he had stopped to refuel.

The SS United States record was not broken until 1990, when the 74m (243ft) catamaran Hoverspeed Great Britain completed the crossing with an average speed of 36.65 knots.

In 1987 Mr Branson abandoned the sea and took to the air. His Virgin Atlantic Flyer hot air balloon was the first to cross the Atlantic that year, and in 1991, he broke the Pacific record by crossing from Japan to Arctic Canada.
Hong Kongs importance to the global economy will increase due to integration with China, Chief Executive-elect Carrie Lam said, dismissing concerns that Beijing was undermining the citys autonomy.

President Xi Jinpings Belt-and- Road Initiative  along with a plan to create a Silicon Valley-like innovation haven by linking Hong Kong and neighboring Macau with the southern manufacturing powerhouse of Guangdong  would benefit the financial hub, Lam said in an interview in Hong Kong on Friday.

Were now even more relevant, Lam, 60, told Bloomberg Television on the sidelines of the Wharton Global Forum. We will not only benefit from this deepening and opening up, well actually be able to contribute to these major initiatives.

Lams five-year term begins on July 1  the 20th anniversary of the former British colonys return to Chinese rule  in a ceremony that Xi is expected to attend. She faces growing concern that Beijing is eroding Hong Kongs reputation as a bastion of free speech and the rule of law rather than preserving the high degree of autonomy it promised for 50 years after regaining stewardship in 1997.

In the interview, Lam brushed off such worries, saying that calls for independence, which gained traction in last years legislative elections, were a sensitive flash point that contravened Chinas one country, two systems framework for Hong Kong.

People now seem to be making all sorts of allegations about the tightening grip of central authorities on Hong Kong, Lam said. I will always ask, just give us the evidence, what are the incidents that lead people to have those sort of allegations, and then we can discuss.

Incidents cited by pro-democracy activists include the 2015 abductions of Hong Kong booksellers who published works critical of the Communist Party. Last year, China also instructed judges how to interpret local law in a case that resulted in the ouster of two pro-independence activists elected to the legislature.

National Peoples Congress Chairman Zhang Dejiang, Chinas top official for Hong Kong affairs, said in a speech last month that Beijing was ready to invoke as-yet utilized powers to supervise the patriotism of public officers.

Besides political divides, Hong Kongs first female leader inherits a city with the biggest wealth disparity in Asia and the most unaffordable housing in the world. Apartments the size of parking spots cost USD500,000 and median wage earners would have to save for 80 years to buy a home.

The ultimate solution is provide more land and build more housing, said Lam, who called the issue her top priority. We need to take stock of what we already have in Hong Kong and try to optimize the use of all these things.

She takes office with an average approval rate of 49 percent, according to the University of Hong Kongs Public Opinion Programme, compared with outgoing Chief Executive Leung Chun-yings 20 percent. Support from Beijing helped Lam  Leungs former No. 2  overcome a more popular rival in March to win a vote among a committee 1,194 business and political elites, an electoral system at the center of pro-democracy rallies three years ago.

Lam has pledged to focus on economic growth rather than controversial proposals that have prompted waves of protests and frustrated the current administration. Hong Kongs economy is projected to expand 2.5 percent this year, according to the median estimate of 26 analyst estimates compiled by Bloomberg. That compares with 2 percent last year.

The citys gross domestic product has grown almost 50 percent to $309 billion since the handover, although its importance has diminished as China grows and opens to the world. Its share of the national economy has shrunk to 3 percent from 19 percent during the same period.

Lam wouldnt say whether she would attempt to enact national security laws required by Hong Kongs charter but feared by democracy advocates who see them as a tool to curb civil rights. Pro- Beijing officials have in recent months renewed calls for the legislation, which has been stalled since half a million protesters took to the streets in 2003.

Reiterating her campaign pledge, Lam said she would work very hard to create the necessary environment that will be conducive to a rational debate on the legislation.

The question now lies in what sort of legislation were going to enact that would strike the needed balance and assure of the freedoms and the rights that they will continue to enjoy, she said. Ting Shi, Betty Liu, Bloomberg
Mozambican state companies have failed to account for about a quarter of the proceeds of USD2 billion in loans being investigated, according to a report by Kroll LLC that creditors said was needed for debt restructuring talks to start.

At least $500 million of expenditure of a potentially sensitive nature remains unaudited and unexplained, Kroll said in the report, commissioned last year by Mozambiques attorney general. Credit Suisse Group AG and VTB Bank PJSC were paid almost $200 million in fees for arranging the loans, the New York-based investigator said.

The International Monetary Fund, which has said the probe was necessary for it to resume funding to the country, noted information gaps on how the money was used but otherwise welcomed the release of the audit. These documents constitute an important step toward greater transparency regarding the loans, it said in a statement Saturday.

The summary of the audit into three government loans could help pave the way for restructuring talks with owners of the debt and mend relations with the IMF. The fund halted payments to the worlds ninth-poorest nation in April last year, when the government revealed it guaranteed two previously hidden loans by state-owned companies totaling more than $1 billion. Attorney-General Beatriz Buchili received the thrice-delayed report from Kroll last month, and planned to review it before announcing the findings.

While the three companies, Ematum, ProIndicus and MAM, had been forecast to generate total operating revenues of $2.3 billion by December 2016, their sales are negligible, Kroll said. The firms rely on financial support from the government to make debt repayments, it reported.

An IMF team will visit the country for nine days from July 10 to discuss the results of the probe and reassess the macroeconomic situation, the fund said. It will also talk to government about Mozambiques budget for next year.

The report summary provides useful information on how the loans were contracted and on assets purchased by the companies, the IMF said. However, information gaps remain, in particular on the use of the loan proceeds.

Mozambiques Finance Ministry announced in October it cant afford to service its commercial dollar debt, and defaulted on its $727 million Eurobond at the start of the year. Its also missed payments on two state-guaranteed loans. Arrears for all three loans total about $490 million.

A group of bondholders have said theyll only start debt restructuring negotiations once the audit is published and theyve seen the outline of a new economic program between the government and the IMF. Matthew Hill, Borges Nhamire, Bloomberg
Mariah Carpenter had always wanted to go into business for herself. Her mother-in-law, Kris Carpenter, needed someone to fill a space in the strip mall she owns on Billings' West End.

And they both loved coffee. Thats how Black Dog Coffee, opening on June 30 at 1528 24th. St. W. was born.

Its a good addition to the Sanctuary Spa strip mall, which has struggled to remain full over the years just north of the Grand Avenue intersection. Black Dog is moving into the former home of Joy of Living, which Kris Carpenter, the owner, moved next door.

The other business in the mall is Atlas Chiropractic. The addition of Black Dog, which has an outdoor, dog-friendly patio, creates a walkable area that should benefit all the businesses, the owners say.

It is the mix. Weve learned people drive out, and they shop and do other things, Kris Carpenter said.

Mariah and her husband, Rob Carpenter, are the two principal owners of Black Dog. Kris Carpenter is a partner. The couple invested about $150,000 to start the business.

Black Dog is arriving in the middle of a sudden boom for coffee shops in Billings. Within the past three years, independents Mazevo, Coffee Tavern, Moav and Ebon Coffee Collective have all launched downtown. Billings-based franchise City Brew has added a new location on the far West End on Grand Avenue, and coffee giant Starbucks has built two new West End stores.

Mariah Carpenter said shes less worried about the new competition because of her location. Black Dog will draw people from the neighborhood and those stopping at other businesses in the strip mall, she said.

The shop will feature Stumptown Coffee from Portland, Oregon, and the staff went to the Pacific Northwest recently for training on the roasting. A doughnut machine is also on site for fresh goodies, she said.

Carpenter, 30, said she spent the past several years as a manager at Sanctuary and Joy of Living, a gift shop. She said shes learned a lot from her mother-in-law, and shes excited to build synergy in the area.

I love that all of our businesses are different. Its fun to change it up, Carpenter said.

The strip mall has seen a lot of change over the years in terms of the restaurants. Most recently, Kennedys, a wine and sandwich shop, lasted a little more than a year before closing last August. The owner, former Yellowstone County Commissioner Bill Kennedy, had accepted a new job as head of fundraising for Montana State University-Billings.

Before that, Six Degrees Gourmet opened in 2012 but only lasted a few years.

That space is now the last remaining vacancy in the strip mall. Kris Carpenter said she doesnt want another restaurant for the space, and she thinks Black Dog will help attract another good tenant.

The Carpenters had tossed around several names before deciding to honor an institution around the strip mall: Dante, Rob Carpenters 12-year-old black dog.
An overturned oil tanker burst into flames in Pakistan yesterday, killing 148 people who had rushed to the scene of the highway accident to gather leaking fuel, an official said.

The death toll could rise further as another 50 people are still in critical condition, said Dr. Mohammad Baqar, a senior rescue official in the area. There were dozens of other injuries of varying degree, he said.

Local news channels showed black smoke billowing skyward and horrific images of scores of burned bodies, as well as rescue officials speeding the injured to hospital and army helicopters ferrying the wounded.

Saznoor Ahmad, 30, whose two cousins were killed in the fire, said the crowd of people screamed as the flames engulfed them.

The fire moved so fast, he said. When the flames subsided the field was strewn with bodies, and nearby were the charred shells of motorcycles and cars that the villagers had used to race to the scene.

As the wounded cried out for help, residents wandered through the area looking for loved ones.

Zulkha Bibi was searching for her two sons.

Someone should tell me about my beloved sons, where are they? Are they alive or are they no longer in this world? Please tell me, she pleaded.

The disaster came on the eve of the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Fitr, which marks the end of the fasting month of Ramadan. While Saudi Arabia and most other Muslim countries celebrated the holiday yesterday, Pakistanis will celebrate today.

The tanker was driving from the southern port city of Karachi to Lahore, the Punjab provincial capital, when the driver lost control and crashed on the national highway outside Bahawalpur.

A loudspeaker atop a local mosque alerted villagers to the leaking fuel, and scores raced to the site with jerry cans, said Rana Mohammad Salim, deputy commissioner of Bahawalpur.

Highway police moved quickly to redirect traffic but couldnt stop the scores of villagers who raced to collect the fuel, spokesman Imran Shah told a local TV channel.

When the fire erupted, the same mosque loudspeaker called on the remaining villagers to help put it out.

Mohammed Salim ran toward the smoke carrying buckets of water and sand, but said the heat was too intense to reach those in need.

I could hear people screaming but I couldnt get to them, he said.

Abdul Malik, a local police officer who was also among the first to arrive, described a horrible scene.

I have never seen anything like it in my life. Victims trapped in the fireball. They were screaming for help, he said.

When the fire subsided, we saw bodies everywhere, so many were just skeletons. The people who were alive were in really bad shape, he said.

Eyewitnesses said about 30 motorcycles that had carried villagers to the accident site lay charred nearby. Eight other vehicles were destroyed, they said.

Some of the most badly burned were evacuated by army helicopters to Multan, about 100 kilometers away.

The dead included men, women and children. Many were burned beyond recognition, Baqar said, and will have to be identified using DNA testing. Iram Asim, Bahawalpur, AP
Powerful mini-crossbows that shoot toothpicks and needles are the new must-have toy for schoolkids across China  and a nightmare for concerned parents and school officials.

Several cities including Shenzhen and Qingdao have reportedly banned sales of the palm-sized contraptions, which sell for about USD1 and are powerful enough to puncture soda cans, apples and cardboard, depending on the projectile.

The fad appears to have sprung out of the southwest city of Chengdu but quickly spread to Chinas east coast and even across the border to Hong Kong. In Macau, police issued a warning last week that using the crossbows might constitute a criminal offense.

Although there have not yet been widespread reports of serious injuries, parents across China have raised concerns with schools, with many circulating petitions on social media in support of a nationwide ban.

People getting blinded will become commonplace, must ban! said one user on the messaging forum hupu.com while another asked: What was the inventor of this thing thinking?

Taobao and JD.com, Chinas two most popular e-commerce sites, have responded in recent days by blocking sales. Searches for crossbow or toothpick crossbow now return empty. AP
The U.S. suspended all fresh beef imports from Brazil after finding shipments that included meat containing blood clots and lymph nodes, reigniting concerns over supplies from the worlds second-largest producer three months after a food-safety scandal.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture said last week that the ban followed recurring safety concerns and will remain in place until satisfactory corrective actions are taken. It said the USDAs Food Safety and Inspection Service rejected 1.9 million pounds of fresh Brazilian beef imports since March, or 11 percent of the total, compared with 1 percent of shipments from other nations.

Consignments rejected for entry into the U.S. included meat containing the clots, lymph nodes as well as bones and, in one case, potentially harmful bacteria, according to a U.S. government official briefed by USDA officials who asked not to be identified as the information hasnt been published. No one at the agency was immediately available to comment on the details. Brazils Agriculture Minister, Blairo Maggi, and a national industry group said the meat was rejected after abscesses were found.

Although international trade is an important part of what we do at USDA, and Brazil has long been one of our partners, my first priority is to protect American consumers, U.S. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue said in a statement. Thats what weve done by halting the import of Brazilian fresh beef.

Brazilian beef and poultry was temporarily banned by nations including China in March after federal authorities said they were investigating allegations that domestic producers bribed government inspectors to approve the sale of meat, even when it was spoiled. The fallout dented the countrys meat shipments and hurt the earnings of JBS SA, the worlds largest meat producer, which has denied any wrongdoing.

The U.S. is a minor importer of Brazilian beef, buying only 2 percent of the countrys shipments this year through May, according to Brazilian exporter group Abiec. The U.S. is the worlds top beef producer.

Still, shares of Brazilian meat companies fell Friday. JBS dropped as much as 2.5 percent in Sao Paulo while Marfrig Global Foods SA, the countrys second-biggest meatpacker, slid 2.8 percent and Minerva SA 2.4 percent.

Abiec said U.S. authorities found abscesses that stem from the reaction to components of a foot-and-mouth disease vaccine. The industry had already notified the U.S. about the issue, Abiec President Antonio Jorge Camardelli said in a telephone interview.

Unfortunately, industry and producers are penalized for a problem that does not originate in production and industry, he said.

Brazils Agriculture Ministry will seek to reverse U.S. suspension, minister Maggi said on the agencys Facebook page. He said corrective measures are being taken and Brazil is still committed to increasing exports.

We have to understand were exporting meat to our largest competitor and there has been a big pressure by American producers since the time the U.S. Decided to allow imports of Brazilian fresh beef, he said separately in an audio message shared by an Agriculture Ministry press officer.

On June 21, Brazil suspended five meatpacking plants from exporting to the U.S, including facilities owned by from Marfrig, JBS and Minerva.

Marfrig Global Foods, Brazils second-biggest meat company, said in an emailed response to questions that its taking all the necessary measures to meet U.S. requirements in order to resume exports. JBS, the top producer, declined to comment while Minerva, which ranks third, didnt immediately comment on the matter.

Producers in the U.S. applauded USDAs decision. We urge them to avoid similar circumstances in the futures by following more rigorous importation standard, the National Farmers Union said by email. Alan Bjerga, Tatiana Freitas and Megan Durisin, Bloomberg
One shirt, one pair of pants. Those are the basics for outfitting an Afghan soldier. But in that simple uniform combination are the threads of two troubling stories  one about the waste of millions in American taxpayer dollars, the other about the perils of propping up a partner army in a seemingly endless war.

Together these tales help explain why some in Congress question the wisdom of investing even more resources in Afghanistan, nearly 16 years after the United States invaded the Taliban-ruled country in response to the al-Qaida attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. The Army general who runs the U.S. war effort in Afghanistan calls it a stalemate. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis says the U.S. is not winning, and he vows to correct this as soon as possible.

The Trump administration is searching for an improved approach to achieving the goal it inherited from the Obama administration: to get the Afghan government to a point where it can defend itself and prevent its territory from being a haven for extremists. Mattis has said he expects to have that revised strategy ready for Congress by next month. This coming week he will be consulting with NATO allies in Brussels on troop contributions and other Afghan issues.

The long war has generated repeated examples of wasted funds, which may be inevitable in a country such as Afghanistan, where the military has been built from scratch, is plagued with corruption and relies almost completely on U.S. money for even the most basic things, including salaries and uniforms. Among the costs rarely noted publicly: The Pentagon has spent USD1 billion over the past three years to help recruit and retain Afghan soldiers.

The money wasted on uniforms is small potatoes by comparison with other U.S. missteps in Afghanistan, but it is emblematic of broader problems.

The Pentagon has not disputed the gist of findings by its special inspector general for Afghanistan, John Sopko, that the U.S. spent as much as $28 million more than necessary over 10 years on uniforms for Afghan soldiers with a camouflage forest pattern that may be inappropriate for the largely desert battlefield. In a report released this past week, Sopkos office said the Pentagon paid to license a propriety camouflage pattern even though it owns patterns it could have used for free. The choice, it said, was based on the seemingly offhand fashion preference of a single Afghan official.

This is not an isolated event, Sopko said in a telephone interview. The U.S., he said, has been in a mad rush to spend money like a drunken sailor on a weekend furlough. It reflects a pattern, he said, of spending too much money, too quickly, with too little oversight and too little accountability.

Sopkos office is still investigating the camouflage uniform contract process, which it found questionable.

This was more than just a bad fashion move, he said. It cost the taxpayer millions of dollars more than might have been necessary.

Money is rarely part of the debate over what the United States should do differently or better in Afghanistan, and thus the accumulating costs are often overlooked.

Since 2002, the U.S. has spent $66 billion on Afghan security forces alone. In recent years this spending has grown, even though President Barack Obamas stated goal was to wean the Afghans from U.S. military help after he formally ended the American combat role there three years ago. U.S. spending on Afghan forces rose from $3.6 billion last year to $4.2 billion this year, and President Donald Trumps proposed 2018 budget asks for $4.9 billion.

Stephen Biddle, a professor of political science and international affairs at George Washington University, said the money wasted on camouflage uniforms is symptomatic of a broader problem of official corruption that has sapped the strength and spirit of too many Afghan soldiers.

The real problem in Afghanistan is not, Can we get a rational decision about which camouflage design it should be. The real problem in Afghanistan is that cronyism and corruption in the government and the security forces saps the combat motivation of the soldiers, Biddle said in an interview.

Thats why they theyre having such a problem holding onto a stalemate, he added. Thats why they cant retake ground, even though they have vastly more forces in the field than the Taliban does.

Even keeping Afghan troops in uniform  any uniform  is a problem. The army is chronically about 20,000 soldiers short of its authorized total of 195,000. The U.S. has about 8,400 troops there to train and advise the Afghans and to hunt extremist groups, down from a peak of 100,000 in 2010-2011.

Trump has delegated to Mattis the authority to decide how many troops the U.S. should have in Afghanistan, and Mattis is expected to send nearly 4,000 more this summer. That would be in line with a standing request by U.S. commanders, who say it would address a shortfall in troops to train and advise Afghans. A small percentage of the additional troops would be designated for a related U.S. mission of fighting al-Qaida and other extremist groups there. Robert Burns, Washington, AP
BURLEY  Scholarships in the amount of $500 are being offered by East Cassia Soil and Water Conservation District to 2017 high school graduates from Raft River and Declo high schools who plan to attend college in the fall and major in an agriculture related field. Scholarship deadline is June 30. Applications can be picked up in the USDA office at 1361 E. 16th St. in Burley or can be requested by email from ewcswcd@pmt.org or by calling 208-678-1225, ext. 100.
WENDELL  After 39 years as an Idaho educator, Greg Lowe has retirement on his mind.

The Wendell School District superintendent plans to stick around next school year. Beyond that, hes not sure how long.

Lowe, Wendells superintendent for 13 years, has already passed the Rule of 90 under the Public Employee Retirement System of Idaho: An employee qualifies for retirement benefits when age plus years of experience equals 90.

It has gone by so fast, he said. I never even used to think about this because it was never going to come.

Lowe isnt the only Idaho superintendent nearing retirement age.

Two-thirds of superintendents  72 of 105  are 50 or older, according to the Idaho Department of Education. With so many superintendents preparing for retirement, some Idaho education officials predict a shortage of administrators.

Across the Gem State, six to 10 school district superintendents are retiring this summer, said Karen Echeverria, executive director for the Idaho School Boards Association.

Here in south-central Idaho, Twin Falls Wiley Dobbs is the only superintendent retiring this year. But Cassia County School District superintendent Gaylen Smyer announced in April hell retire at the end of the 2017-18 school year.

Echeverria expects even more superintendent retirements within the next three years.

Were watching because we know there are others coming up, she said.

Theres a lot of talk in Idaho about a teacher shortage, but I think we need to start talking about administrators in all of that as well, Echeverria said. I think were going to begin to start seeing a shortage of superintendents.

Though candidates are graduating from superintendent preparation programs  such as Boise State Universitys  larger school districts such as Twin Falls generally arent going to hire them, Echeverria said; theyre looking for administrators with more experience.

Someone right out of a superintendent program often becomes an assistant superintendent, she said, or superintendent of a very small school district first.

The bigger question, Echeverria said, is whether enough superintendent candidates are coming out of university programs. I dont have a feel for whether thats enough.

Heather Williams, who coordinates the executive educational leadership program at BSU, said demand from students is strong, so the pipeline can fill vacancies as they arise.

Superintendents make up just a sliver of all educators in Idaho, said Williams, who was Gooding School District superintendent from 2008 to 2014.

Since BSUs executive educational leadership program began in fall 2014, 60 percent of its graduates have taken jobs as school administrators or superintendents, Williams said. Others, such as Hagermans Mark Kress, are already superintendents but are earning certification.

Other Magic Valley school officials whove been through the program include Buhl High School principal Ryan Bowman  who starts in July as the Twin Falls School Districts operations director  as well as Castleford superintendent Lyle Bayley and Jerome School District curriculum director Janet Avery.

Back in Wendell, Lowe is paying attention to whos completing superintendent programs in Idaho.

There are good people out there, he said. I dont know that theres a huge number.

Lowe has also thought about how to attract the next superintendent to the small town of Wendell, with fewer than 3,000 residents.

I feel like there are some really quality people who are willing to do this here, he said.

When Lowe interviewed for the Wendell job 13 years ago, the School Board expressed it was important for the superintendent to live in Wendell. Lowe agreed. He and his family  including two of his children  moved to Wendell, and his youngest children graduated from Wendell High School. He said it was important to him to be a member of the community, especially when a school levy or bond measure was up for election.

But even if a future Wendell superintendent candidate doesnt want to live in town, there definitely would be some that would be very qualified that may want to live within the (Magic Valley) area, Lowe said.

Lowes future retirement shouldnt come as a surprise to Wendells School Board.

I feel like for a superintendent to be effective, they should have a good communication with the school board, he said. Weve talked about (retirement) now that its getting closer.

Most school boards have a heads-up that their superintendent is nearing retirement, Echeverria said. For example, a superintendent may indicate its the last three-year contract he or she is signing.

For the most part, boards are aware their superintendent is going to retire or are semi-preparing for that, she said.

The best-case scenario is to start a search for a new superintendent in December or January prior to a summer retirement, Echeverria said.

Some districts want to hire within, she said. Some dont even want to do a (superintendent) search. They want to move someone up the ranks.

The ISBA recommends school districts  especially the size of Twin Falls  do their due diligence in a superintendent search.

I think the community deserves to know they have the right person, Echeverria said.

School districts have the option of reaching out to ISBA for help with the search. So far this year, the association has helped with about six.

In Cassia County, Smyer is already planning for the transition to a new superintendent, though hes not leaving until next summer. He wants to put together good documentation so we dont lose anything between the cracks in transition.

Smyer, born and raised in Declo, has deep ties to the community he serves. After two years of teaching in Utah, he spent 39 years as an educator in Cassia County, beginning as an agriculture teacher and FFA adviser.

Superintendent for 10 years, Smyer said announcing his retirement a year in advance allows the School Board to have access to a larger candidate pool.

Partially, that was done to let the district know my intentions so theyd have plenty of notice so theyd be able to begin the process in a timely manner, he said. He expects the position will be advertised in late July or early August  before a state administrators conference  but thats the School Boards decision.

Smyer said he plans to compile careful notes for the next superintendent. There are a lot of things that operate in the background that arent apparent to a lot of people.
JEROME  The University of Idaho plans to launch a new outreach project this fall in Jerome to support Latino students.

The university announced Friday it will work with 40 students next school year from eighth through 10th grades to increase their ability to enroll in postsecondary education, according to a statement.

The Latino Pre-College Outreach Project calls for having a university employee work out of Jerome middle and high schools.

Students and their families will receive mentoring and tutoring, family support and education about college, and access to summer hands-on learning programs.

Theres an bilingual information meeting for Latino parents with students entering eighth grade from 6:30-8 p.m. June 30 at St. Jerome Catholic Church, 216 Second Ave. in Jerome. Food will be provided.

For more information, call 208-885-7895 or email yobiz@uidaho.edu
TWIN FALLS  Reading can be a difficult skill to learn no matter what language you speak.

Twice each month former refugees and community members will read to children at Twin Falls Public Library. Refugee Reading Party will start at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday with Liyah Babayan and Diane Stevens reading three books.

The program is a partnership between Babayans store, Ooh La La Boutique, and the Twin Falls Public Library. The program targets refugee children and encourages them to learn English and understand the importance of reading. This event is free and open to the public.

The idea is that refugee children have a hard time reading a language when they are learning that language, said Kasi Allen, youth services librarian. Maybe seeing someone who came here in the same way will give them hope and succeed in reading.

Babayan said June and July are already booked with refugee and community volunteers. However, they are still seeking volunteers for August and September.

I remember not knowing how to read and having anxiety from it all the way through high school, Babayan said. It was later in adulthood that I taught myself to be a confident reader and speller.

Babayan and her family fled ethnic violence in Azerbaijan following the collapse of the Soviet Union when she was a child. Her family was resettled in Twin Falls through the College of Southern Idaho Refugee Center. She is the owner of Ooh La La.

Allen said the librarys foreign language section is continuing to grow. The library recently brought in books written in Arabic, which are very popular and often checked out. The foreign language section is in the childrens department.

If patrons have languages they want us to start looking into they can ask, she said. It is a goal of mine to grow that section. They are really hard to get a hold of but we are working on it. It just takes a lot of research. If an American publisher hasnt picked up a book its a lot harder to order it.

Allen also encouraged community members to attend Refugee Reading Party.

Its always great to be read to and experience diversity in the community, she said.

For more information, or to sign up as a volunteer, call Babayan at 541-292-7159.
TWIN FALLS  A Boise-based union says Lamb Weston has brought in a union-busting firm to illegally intimidate and coerce workers at its Twin Falls plant.

Lamb Weston employees will vote next month on whether they want to be represented by Teamsters Local Union 483, affiliated with the International Brotherhood of Teamsters. Employees say a firm has been harassing them  particularly immigrant workers  while they are on duty, and put out anti-union flyers.

Lamb Weston says the company respects its employees right to vote and hired a firm to educate them about the companys stance. But thats not the story told by employees such as Conley Dyer, a forklift operator who was pulled off the floor Monday and questioned about his support of the union.

They tried to intimidate me, he said. ... I think theyre trying to instill fear.

A coworker from Iran had been told the plant would close if the union vote passes, Dyer said.

Lamb Weston denied these and similar allegations in an emailed statement.

We do not think union representation would be advantageous to our employees, and have communicated this to them, spokeswoman Shelby Stoolman said. The legal regulations established by the Labor Relations Board allow us to communicate with employees about our stance on the petition within specific guidelines, which we closely follow. We do not threaten or intimidate our employees in any way.

This is not the first attempt Lamb Weston employees have made to unionize, Teamsters Local Union 483 Director of Representation Darel Hardenbrook said.

During a last attempt several years ago, he said, the company paid Craft Barresi Consultants $300,000 to talk to employees. Union representation never came to an employee vote.

Lamb Weston would not disclose the details of its current arrangement with the firm, which employees believe once again to be Craft Barresi Consultants.

Weve hired the consulting firm to assist our management team in answering questions for our employees so they can make a fully informed decision on election day, Stoolman said.

Since Idaho adopted right-to-work laws in the 1980s, union membership in the state has declined. This legislation prohibits companies from requiring union membership as a condition for employment.

Teamsters Local Union 483 has grown its membership by 40 percent over the past 18 months, Hardenbrook said. It represents employees in Idahos Treasure Valley, Magic Valley and Wood River Valley.

The union has received a stipulated election agreement for representation, and employees at Lamb Weston will vote July 13 and July 15. The vote needs 50 percent, plus one, to pass.

Dyer says the firm has gone beyond informing employees of the companys stance.

Its gotten to where its more personal, he said.

Jason Samargis, an employee of 18 years, said several of his coworkers have been approached at work and were reportedly told they could lose their health care benefits or future raises if the vote passes.

The conflict has been going on for months. Employees Drew Jones and Shawn Gifford said in written statements that in early February, they were pulled into supervisor Xavier Bells office and interviewed about their stance on unionization.

Theyre approaching you all over the place, Samargis said. Theyre separating and conquering. I think its at the level of intimidating and harassing.

Teamsters Local Union 483 Organizer Dale Varney said this violates Idaho law and the National Labor Relations Act.

Wanting representation

Lamb Weston isnt the same company Samargis joined 18 years ago.

He says he never receives advanced notice before hes told to stay another four hours at the end of his shift. His pay has been decreased and human resources changes their policies with an email or a text.

People who have been there for 20 years have been packing up and leaving, even for lower-paying jobs, he said.

Others are concerned about health and safety policies.

Ive watched so many people get fired because their kids are sick and they had to take off work, Dyer said, adding that Lamb Weston does not provide paid sick leave.

When an employee is hurt on the job, he or she is told to go to an on-site nurse and to use workers compensation as a last resort, Dyer said.

One employee said he was not provided with medical care until 2  days after he was severely burned on the job.

Hardenbrook said the union would advocate for fair wages and safety measures that are adhered to. While even non-union members would benefit from the representation, a membership would grant a higher level of legal representation and accidental death and dismemberment service.

Monthly membership costs twice an employees hourly rate if he or she makes $11 per hour or less  and 2 times the hourly rate if he or she makes more than that.

The Teamsters say they are working hard to combat misinformation that has been going around before the vote takes place.

A lot of people are still wanting change, Samargis said. But theyre scared.
Three years ago, Cheryl Hill and Sarah Kuhr started a new concept in downtown Laurel, aimed at creating a gathering place for crafts lovers.

The Front Porch has since outgrown its original home, and now the two Laurel women have launched a unique concept to bring their brand to the rest of Montana.

We just feel blessed its been well-received, Kuhr said.

This month, Front Porch has added classes in nine Montana cities: Baker, Plentywood, Havre, Helena, Red Lodge, Absarokee, Bozeman, Fairfield and Missoula. The business had already offered classes in Laurel, Billings and Columbus, making a total of 12 cities.

The classes in Columbus have been going on for about a year to see if people were receptive, Hill said.

Its gone so well. Thats where we tested the concept to see if it would be doable, she said.

The instructors came to Laurel this month for a weekend training retreat to learn the classes.

Kuhr and Hill launched The Front Porch in the spring of 2014 in downtown Laurel. Business grew quickly, and they moved to their current, larger home at 613 1/2 E. Main St. within two years.

The two former stay-at-home moms sell homemade signs and other goods at the Laurel store, but their bread-and-butter is the classes they teach. Women (and some men) sign up and learn how to make a home decor item, which they can keep and display.

Most recently, for example, students made a Fourth of July planter, emblazoned with the American flag, Kuhr said.

The two women said theyd heard from people around the state about a Front Porch studio in their hometowns, but they didnt feel ready for a major brick-and-mortar expansion.

Instead, Hill and Kuhr tested this model, which allows them to develop the Front Porch brand around the state with little overhead costs. They have an eye on possible franchises but are taking it slow.

We would love to see the Front Porches all over the U.S. But at this point, as business owners, we want to test the waters We want to build community where people could gather We saw that success and how much joy that brought in Laurel, Hill said.

Classes are between $40 and $50 per session, which typically last about two hours. The supplies are provided by Front Porch.

Instructors are paid $50 per class, with a $20 bonus for classes with more than 15 people. Theyre required to hold four classes per year, but they can do more if there is enough demand, Hill said.

Visit the website at www.frontporch.info for more information about class times in various cities, or opportunities to become an instructor.

Out and about

The former Bourne Again Shoppe at the corner of Grand Avenue and 17th Street West is getting new life.

Workers last week were tearing off the facade for a $20,000 exterior remodel at 1701 Grand Ave.

No tenant was listed on the permit application with the city. The contractor is Kisling Quality Builders.

Bourne Again, a consignment shop, closed about two years ago.

Also on the West End, the former Cetrone photography studio has a new owner.

The property at 3028 Central Ave., which was damaged in a fire last summer, was purchased by Dave Eggebrecht, according to broker George Warmer of Coldwell Banker Commercial.

Eggebrecht couldnt immediately be reached for comment about his plans for the property.

Firefighters determined the July 22 fire was human caused but were uncertain it was set intentionally. It resulted in significant damages to the building, including a collapsed roof.

The building was vacant at the time.

Lawn-care service expands

A Billings couple has brought a new lawn-care business to town.

Tyler and Beth Hollenbeck announced this month they have opened a new Weed Man franchise in Billings.

Weed Man is a 45-year-old lawn care provider that fertilizes and performs pest control for lawns.

Last year, the company recorded $91 million in sales nationwide, a 9 percent increase from 2015.

Call 406-672-0550 or visit www.weedmanusa.com for more information about the Billings franchise.

New owner at enviro firm

A Billings environmental consulting firm is under new ownership.

Jason Vollmer recently purchased Environmental Consulting Services from founder Kevin and Jacinta Walsh. Kevin Walsh will remain with the firm as a senior consultant to help with client transition and develop new business.

The Walshes launched the firm in 1993 and worked with industrial, commercial and private clients mostly in Montana.

Environmental Consulting can be reached at 406-254-1741 or online at www.enviroconsult.com .

Haikus from the valley

Locos in Laurel

Celebrated in sitcom

Filmed in the Caboose
Friday, Greg Miller, Ellen Nakashima and Adam Entous have a blockbuster behind-the-scenes story about how the Obama administration handled the Russian effort to manipulate the 2016 presidential election, one that is both shocking and maddening. Reading it, one cant avoid the conclusion that if it had happened during a Republican administration, things would have gone very differently.

What comes through again and again is that the Obama administration was terrified of looking partisan or doing anything that might seem like it was putting a thumb on the scale of the election, and the result was paralysis. This is a manifestation of what some years ago I began calling the Audacity Gap.

Democrats are forever worried about whether they might be criticized, whether Republicans will be mean to them, whether they might look as though theyre being partisan, and whether they might be subjected to a round of stern editorials. Republicans, on the other hand, just dont care. What theyre worried about is winning, and they dont let the kinds of criticism that frightens Democrats impede them. It makes Republicans the party of Yes we can, while Democrats are the party of Maybe we shouldnt.

So as the full scope of the Russian assault on the American election became clear, two things happened again and again. First, whenever the Obama administration would approach Republicans to try to issue some kind of bipartisan condemnation or coordinate efforts to minimize the effects of the attack, the GOP response was essentially, To hell with you, Democrats, after which the administration would slink back and do little or nothing. And second, even when they were deliberating on their own, the administration kept pulling back from responses it might take out of fear that someone might call them partisan.

Lets remember that the scope of Russian interference came into focus last summer. In June, it first became public that the Russians had infiltrated the systems of the Democratic National Committee. In July, during the Democratic convention, Wikileaks released internal DNC emails and those of John Podesta, who was chairing Hillary Clintons campaign, in an attempt to embarrass them and sow division within the Democratic Party (which turned out to be highly successful). In August, the intelligence services determined that there was a coordinated attack underway and that it was likely being directed by Vladimir Putin himself.

Apart from the creation and dissemination of a flood of phony anti-Clinton propaganda, administration officials were concerned that Russian hackers might try to directly affect voting systems, which we later learned they did in fact do. But when Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson attempted to do something about it, he got a partisan reaction:

On Aug. 15, Johnson arranged a conference call with dozens of state officials, hoping to enlist their support [for shoring up the security of their systems]. He ran into a wall of resistance.

The reaction ranged from neutral to negative, Johnson said in congressional testimony Wednesday.

Brian Kemp, the Republican secretary of state of Georgia, used the call to denounce Johnsons proposal as an assault on state rights. I think it was a politically calculated move by the previous administration, Kemp said in a recent interview, adding that he remains unconvinced that Russia waged a campaign to disrupt the 2016 race. I dont necessarily believe that, he said.

The same thing happened from Republicans in Congress: The administration sought a bipartisan response, and Republicans shut it down.

In early September, Johnson, [FBI Director] James Comey and [White House homeland security adviser Lisa] Monaco arrived on Capitol Hill in a caravan of black SUVs for a meeting with 12 key members of Congress, including the leadership of both parties.

The meeting devolved into a partisan squabble.

The Dems were, Hey, we have to tell the public,  recalled one participant. But Republicans resisted, arguing that to warn the public that the election was under attack would further Russias aim of sapping confidence in the system.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) went further, officials said, voicing skepticism that the underlying intelligence truly supported the White Houses claims. Through a spokeswoman, McConnell declined to comment, citing the secrecy of that meeting.

Key Democrats were stunned by the GOP response and exasperated that the White House seemed willing to let Republican opposition block any pre-election move.

And as Miller, Nakashima and Entous reported in a previous article, the always-shrewd McConnell knew exactly what button he had to push to get the administration to back off:

According to several officials, McConnell raised doubts about the underlying intelligence and made clear to the administration that he would consider any effort by the White House to challenge the Russians publicly an act of partisan politics.

In other words, Republicans acted like partisans, and successfully rolled over Democrats who didnt want to seem like partisans. Within weeks, the administration decided not to take any action against Moscow before the election. They feared that any action would be seen as political and that Putin, motivated by a seething resentment of Clinton, was prepared to go beyond fake news and email dumps.

Now lets fast-forward to after the election is over. Perhaps the most head-spinning part of this report concerns a proposal to form a bipartisan commission to investigate Russian interference in the election:

But as soon as [White House chief of staff Denis] McDonough introduced the proposal for a commission, he began criticizing it, arguing that it would be perceived as partisan and almost certainly blocked by Congress.

Obama then echoed McDonoughs critique, effectively killing any chance that a Russia commission would be formed.

The election was already over, and they were still worried that something as obviously necessary as a bipartisan commission would be perceived as partisan. Savor that one for a moment.

There are some excuses you can come up with for the Obama administrations hesitance to act decisively against this threat, both in terms of publicizing it and in retaliating against Russia. It was concerned about setting off an escalating conflict with Russia, and its actions were colored by its assumption that Clinton would win, which was of course the assumption held by nearly everyone, Republican or Democrat. But imagine what would have happened if there were a Republican administration in office, and Russia mounted a full-scale assault on our election with the obvious intent of hamstringing the future Republican president (at a minimum) or getting the Democrat elected. Could anyone who knows anything about todays GOP actually believe it would have been so tentative?

Not on your life. Every Republican in Washington from the president on down would have been on TV every day saying that the Democratic nominee was a Russian stooge. They would have undertaken a comprehensive package of retaliatory measures immediately, not waiting until after the election was over. They would have talked about nothing else for months.

Thats not because they would have seen it as a profound threat to American sovereignty. We know that, because they dont care about that threat right now, as real as it is. Heck, the Republican nominee for president not only didnt condemn the Russian assault, he celebrated it. Donald Trump gleefully brought up Wikileaks 164 times on the campaign trail and publicly implored Russia to hack into his opponents email to see if any damaging information might be found there. Republicans have steadfastly resisted any investigation into what happened in the 2016 election.

No, they would have seen it as a threat to their own partisan interests, and responded with the same ferocity that they bring to all partisan conflicts. They wouldnt have worried about being criticized or being called partisan; they would have fought.

And in that case, it would have been the right thing to do. Instead, Vladimir Putin got just about everything he wanted: a destabilized, delegitimized, demoralized American system, and the election of a president whose advisers are tied up in an intricate web of connections to Russia and who is himself bizarrely solicitous of Putins needs and wants.

Theres no way to know whether the election might have turned out differently if the Obama administration had reacted more aggressively to the Russian assault. What we do know is that once again, Democrats were paralyzed by their worries about how things might look. Its not something Republicans ever concern themselves withand all you have to do is look at whos in charge in Washington to see the results.
If you were a kid, had a kid, knew a kid who went to a Twin Falls public school, read a newspaper or learned anything about judo in the past 30 years, chances are youve heard about Wiley Dobbs.

The Twin Falls superintendent will retire Sept. 1 after more than three decades in education.

A 1976 graduate of Twin Falls High School, Dobbs began his career in the district in 1983. Hes been superintendent since 2003. In that time, he taught or oversaw the education of 132,800 students.

Needless to say, hes touched a lot of lives.

In our special Big Story report on Dobbs and the role of superintendents in todays school systems, we asked Twin Falls students to weigh in on Dobbs performance. We thought Fabiana Casella, a 7-year-old second-grader at Harrison Elementary School, summed it up nicely: Dr. Dobbs is kind, does good magic tricks, and he worries about snow days and is smart.

Thats pretty high praise from a youngster.

Older folks appreciate Dobbs, too. Just a few of his accolades include being named the states superintendent of the year, the states educator of the year, invites to Washington, D.C., for leadership and education summits and a lifetime achievement award from the Chamber of Commerce.

Just last week, he was in Washington to receive the Inspiration Award, given to a Congressional Award adviser on behalf of the joint leadership of Congress and of the Congressional Award Foundation. Dobbs has helped scores of youngsters earn Congressional Awards, given to high-achieving students by Congress.

But its the little things, the quiet acts that dont earn much newspaper coverage, that truly separate Dobbs from other leaders. He meets personally with kids moving into the district for the first time, guiding them on tours through their new schools. He helped students with a landscape project to honor a classmate who died. A cancer survivor, Dobbs also helped organize Relay for Life activities in the schools. The districts program to help migrant and refugee children integrate into American life is among the nations best.

Outside the district, Dobbs is a widely known judo champion who helped introduce countless students to the sport.

In Dobbs final evaluation from the Twin Falls School Board, the board wrote it had determined your unwavering dedication and continued leadership to the Twin Falls School District #411 is of the highest quality.

As an administrator, he shepherded through more than $189 million in ballot measures for new schools, initiatives and supplies. Thats almost unheard of in the Magic Valley, where neighboring districts often struggle to gain that kind of financial support from their taxpayers.

Dobbs was an educator when few people were using the internet, or even knew what it was. This was before school shootings and lockdowns and sheltering in place and debates over who gets to use what bathrooms.

Dobbs always seemed to be one step ahead. In 1999, writing in the Times-News, he said, The Industrial Revolution has given way to the Information Age. High levels of education are required for the vast majority of our students if they are to fit successfully into the Work Force 2000. I predict that within 10 years, it will be obvious which public schools have successfully engaged in systematic change and improvement and which have not. The gap in student achievement will be unpleasantly conspicuous.

Because of his leadership, the Twin Falls district is a leader in technology, and more students than ever are earning college credits, often while theyre still in high school. And Twin Falls schools are among the states most fair, nurturing and respectful to their students, celebrating diversity and the right of every child to earn an education.

With Dobbs recommendation, the Twin Falls district was one of the first and only in Idaho to adopt policies to protect LGBT students from discrimination.

For Dobbs, its the students whove always been front of mind. Even when this newspaper has clashed with the district over transparency or policy issues, Dobbs has been the ultimate gentleman, clearly advocating for what he thought were the best interests of students, teachers and the district. He has epitomized integrity, grace and humility.

Even though hes retiring, Dobbs isnt giving up on education. He plans to move to Boise to work full-time for the Idaho Digital Learning Academy. He was also hired by the Idaho Principal Mentoring Project to help school principals in the Boise area. And Dobbs is considering administration jobs outside the United States, perhaps with the Defense Department and embassy schools.

We cant help but believe Dobbs would make an outstanding state superintendent of Idaho schools, if he ever got the itch to run for office.

One thing is for sure: Hed have our support, and the support of thousands of students, parents, teachers and Magic Valley residents.

Congratulations, Dr. Dobbs, and good luck in your retirement, wherever it leads you.
Surprisingly, Idaho currently does not mandate sex education in its schools. The decision to offer sex education is left to school districts and sometimes to individual schools themselves. This creates a patchwork of different levels of education throughout Idaho, a state already sorely lagging behind the rest of the U.S. in educational standards. One of the ways we can boost our educational ranking and help to make more informed citizens is mandating comprehensive sex education throughout the state.

Comprehensive sex education is extremely important for youth. It educates them about a number of important topics, including safe sex, their bodies, reproductive health, reproductive rights, consent, sexually transmitted infections (STIs), sexuality, sexual responsibility, pregnancy, and other related topics. Comprehensive sex education has been shown to be effective in lowering the rate of teen pregnancies, which is important, considering America has the highest rate of teen pregnancies in the developed world. It has also been shown to be effective in lowering the rate of STIs and increasing contraceptive use.

Comprehensive sex education should also include LGBT health and topics as well. Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender youth deserve to have information regarding their sexuality and health just like heterosexual and cisgender students. LGBT youth need inclusive education to keep themselves safe and informed when dealing with different situations than their heterosexual peers. With some studies showing up to 10 percent of the population being LGBT, this is an important segment of students who should not be excluded from the conversation.

Unfortunately, what passes for sex education in schools can include abstinence-only education, a non-effective, values-based program that advocates no sex until marriage and does not cover the many topics listed above. Abstinence-only sex education has been shown to be ineffective in lowering the rate of teen pregnancies, lowering STIs, or increasing contraceptive use. Since its ineffective, theres no real reason to include it in school curriculum. Funding abstinence-only sex education is not only a waste of taxpayer dollars, it takes the place of comprehensive sex education that could actually teach Idaho youth real-world information and skills that could help them in the long run.

Right now, the patchwork of comprehensive sex education, abstinence-only programs, and nothing at all means some students are receiving sub-par education while others are gaining the information they need. State mandated comprehensive sex education will help lower teen pregnancies, reduce STIs, increase contraceptive use, shore up our fledgling educational system, regulate standards, and give each student the same access to information regardless of where they reside in the state.

Our lawmakers in Idaho have the responsibility to mandate education that will actually help Idaho students with real world knowledge and skills, not hoist responsibility for a hot potato topic onto school boards and school districts. In taking responsibility, they will be helping students all across the state learn vital information. And isnt a more informed citizenry better for us all?
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Rhonda Feuerstein, Peg McKinney and Aimee Bullivant, travel agents at Travel Cafe, recently completed certifications to further serve local travelers in the region.

Feuerstein completed the Switzerland adviser program through the Travel Agent Academy and has also earned her certification as a RIU Hotels Specialist. Her other achievements include certification as a Five Star Travel Partner with Celebrity Cruises and master agent status with the AMResorts Collection, which includes Zoetry, Secrets, Breathless, Dreams, Now and Sunscape.

McKinney achieved Commodore Status with the Princess Academy of Princess Cruises, in addition to earning her certification as a RIU Hotels specialist.

Bullivant is a Princess Cruises specialist, Globus Family of Brands specialist and expert in river cruising. Her current work focuses on destination weddings and honeymoons for Travel Cafe clients.

Travel Cafe is located at 402 North Broadway, Suite 302.
The European Commission is scaling up its response to an unprecedented cholera outbreak in Yemen with an additional 5 million, bringing total EU support for efforts to tackle the disease to 8.8 million, the Commission announced Friday.

The cholera outbreak in Yemen continues to spread dramatically during the last weeks and warrants urgent action. The European Union is stepping up support to allow humanitarian partners to rapidly increase their capacity to treat people and save lives in Yemen, Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Management, Christos Stylianides said, underlining that only a political solution will bring this catastrophe to an end.

The Commissioner also stressed the need to grant humanitarian organizations full access to do their life-saving job.

The disease has rapidly spread to 20 of Yemens 22 governorates and has killed over 1000 people in the last eight weeks. Suspected cases of cholera increase by the day in the thousands and nearly 170 000 people have been affected so far.

The EU aid will support the United Nations cholera response plan, which includes health treatment of cholera cases and preventive measures providing safe water and improved sanitation in high priority areas.

The Commissions overall humanitarian funding for Yemen in 2017 stands at 121.7 million, the Commission recalled.

Humanitarian organizations estimate that 18.8 million people (almost 70% of the total population) are in need of humanitarian assistance.
The Saudi Interior Ministry said Friday it thwarted at dawn a terrorist attack against Islams holiest site after forces busted a terror cells plotting attacks.

One suicide bomber blew himself up after security forces surrounded him in a building in Ajyad Al-Masafi neighborhood, located within the perimeter of the central area of the Grand Mosque.

Unfortunately he started shooting towards security personnel once he noticed their presence in the area, which led to an exchange of fire before he blew himself up, said General Mansour al-Turki, the ministrys spokesperson.

The blast, which destroyed partially the three-storey building, injured six expatriate pilgrims who had been taken to hospital. Some have been already discharged. The collapse of the building also injured slightly security men, the ministry said.

Security forces also arrested five people including a woman, all members of the cell whose location has been also determined as far as the neighborhood of Asilah, still in Mecca, Saudi reports say.

Security forces also raided another terrorist site in Jeddah, near the Red Sea. A terrorist was arrested by general intelligence after Special Emergency Forces had prepared to pursue him and approach him, Arab News reports.

The latest incident occurred few days after King Salman reshuffled the core the Saudi leadership, as he replaced the kingdoms powerful interior ministry; former Crown Prince Mohammed bin Nayef by Prince Abdulaziz bin Saud bin Nayef.

Mohamed bin Nayef also lost his title of Crown Prince to his 31-year old nephew Mohamed bin Salman; son of the Saudi monarch.

Near the end of Ramadan last year in the Saudi city of Medina four security officers died in an explosion close to Islams second-holiest site, the Prophets Mosque.

The Islamic State group (IS) was blamed for the attack.
Turkey through its defense minister Friday threw to the bin the long list of harsh demands submitted by Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt, asking Doha to end the current Turkish military deployment in Qatar, as a condition to lift sea, land and air blockades.

Kuwait Friday handed a 13-article list of demands to Doha on behalf of the Saudi-led bloc, which has severed ties with the tiny gas-rich monarchy since June 5.

Among the conditions put forth by the bloc, Doha should put an end to the current deployment of Turkish troops in Qatar and shut down the Turkish military base in the Emirate.

Defense Minister Fikri Isk in an interview with NTV private broadcaster rejected the demand pointing out that Ankara has no intention of reassessing the status of the Turkish military base in Qatar, Daily Sabah reports.

The base in Qatar is both a Turkish base and one that will preserve the security of Qatar and the region. It is an important military base, and no country should be disturbed by it, Isk said.

I still havent seen the official request, but if there is such a demand, it would be interference in bilateral ties.

The military base is the result of a 2014 agreement with Qatar.

The Turkish parliament, a few days after the bloc cut ties with Qatar, approved a law bill allowing deployment of Turkish troops to Qatar.

Five armored vehicles and 23 military personnel arrived in Doha Thursday, Middle East Monitor (MEMO) reported, adding that 88 Turkish troops have been already stationed and Ankara is expected to send around 1,000 soldiers for military exercise with Qatari counterparts.

The strengthening of the Turkish base would be a positive step in terms of the Gulfs security, Isk insisted.

Qatar has also turned down the blocs demands as an interference in its sovereignty and foreign policy.
Majority says constitutional monarchy isnt a bad idea

By Messenger Staff

Georgias Patriarch Ilia II has declared that Georgia had been run by monarchs for centuries, and it is worth the country considering becoming a constitutional monarchy.The idea was applauded by senior members of the Georgian Dream majority and rejected by the opposition, calling the model outdated and not relevant for modern Georgia.Georgia is a very old country, with a very old culture. Georgia is also a country with very deep monarchic roots. Thank God we had been run by monarchs. It is very frequent in the modern world when countries have monarchs who have no real powers. Of course, this wont happen today or tomorrow, but we should analyze the past, the present and the future, the Patriarch said, and added such a model could 'provide peace'.Parliament Speaker Irakli Kobakhidze and one of the leaders of the Georgian Dream majority Eka Beselia stated this was a very interesting idea, worth discussing.Meanwhile, the opposition was critical of the proposal.The monarchy cant and wont be restored, as there is no need for it in the country. There are a range of problems that must be settled rather than focusing on the issue, one of the leaders of the European Georgia opposition, Gigi Ugulava, said.Nika Rurua, a member of the United National Movement opposition, stated despite his respect to the author of the idea, the county mustnt restore the outdated system.Georgia had been run by the Bagtarioni dynasty for many centuries. Many members of the dynasty now live abroad.Those countries which have monarchs now perfectly use the system from a touristic perspective.It is unlikely that in Georgia, which failed to keep its monarchy, a restoration of the royal family will assure peace.However, it is possible that re-introducing the system could cause significant expenses, which would outweigh any positive outcomes.
A federal judge has ruled that the Montana Beef Council should first get permission from ranchers to spend marketing fees it collects on behalf of the government, according to an ongoing First Amendment lawsuit.

The ruling is part of a lawsuit brought last year by Ranchers-Cattlemen Action Legal Fund, United Stockgrowers of America, or R-CALF USA, to challenge a fee program administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

U.S. District Judge Brian Morris upheld an injunction that bars the Council from automatically collecting funds from the Beef Checkoff Program.

The longtime federal program requires producers to pay $1 per animal sold. Half of the money goes to a federal board, while the other half goes to the Council for marketing purposes.

R-CALF USA has opposed some of the Council's marketing, particularly that the ads don't distinguish domestic from foreign beef. Instead, the Council promotes beef consumption in general.

The group also sued to challenge the automatic payment to the Council, which is a private entity with some oversight from the USDA.

While the case isn't finished, R-CALF USA CEO Bill Bullard sees the injunction as a foundational decision in his favor.

Producers are being compelled to pay for advertising and marketing of competitors' products," he said. "And thats our objection. It does not benefit Montana cattle producers to promote a generic product when our product is not generic.

The Montana Beef Council is not a defendant in the case. Those named in the lawsuit are the USDA and Sonny Perdue, the agriculture secretary atop the department. The injunction, filed on Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Great Falls, directs the USDA to enforce the injunction upon the Council.

The constitutional issue is whether or not the mandatory checkoff fees go toward private or public speech by the Council.

Judge Morris wrote in his order that producers who disagree with the Council's advertising shouldn't be forced to subsidize it because the Council's ads are deemed private speech.

"The government's statutorily authorized control over the Montana Beef Council appears inadequate to transform the Montana Beef Council's advertising into government speech," Morris wrote.

Alternatively, marketing by a government agency, which is subject to "democratic accountability," is deemed government speech. The USDA has no control over the Council's board appointments.

Checkoff fees are the sole source of revenue for the Montana Beef Council, according to its executive director, Chaley Harney. The group took in about $929,111 in 2016 for its various promotional activities.

Were strictly a marketing organization," Harney said. "And bottom line, at the end of the day, our goal is to get people to eat more beef.

She said the organization represents multiple sectors of the beef industry through a 12-member board.

Harney declined to comment specifically on the ongoing case, though the Council isn't a defendant. She did say that the Council doesn't specifically distinguish domestic beef in its advertising because the USDA's Beef Board is prohibited from doing so.

The Council follows closely, or "mirrors," those federal rules, Harney said.

While the federal beef board does have some authority over the Montana Beef Council, Judge Morris described that control as "limited" with regard to specific marketing content.

The Council can still collect checkoff fees, however. But it must get "affirmative consent" from producers to get the money, according to the injunction.

Harney said Friday that the Council is still determining how to follow the new rule.
Mets Minors

Though the primary focus of the Mets offseason will be squarely on the big-ticket acquisitions, the moves made on...
Merger

BCE Structural (Beaudette Consulting Engineers), a Montana structural engineering design firm, is merging with DCI Engineers, a structural and civil engineering firm with offices throughout the West. Operating under the name DCI+BCE Engineers, the Montana offices will continue to function under the management of the four current BCE partners. DCI Engineers is a nationally accredited and recognized civil and structural engineering firm. Founded in 1988, DCI Engineers employs more than 300 engineering, technical and support staff members in offices in Seattle and Spokane; Portland, Oregon; Irvine, Los Angeles, San Diego and San Francisco, California; Austin, Texas; Anchorage, Alaska; and Denver, Colorado; with DCI+BCE Engineers staff in Missoula, Bozeman, Billings and Kalispell. Many of the firms engineers hold advanced degrees and have won numerous design awards. For more information about DCI Engineers call 206-332-1900 or visit dci-engineers.com.

New associates

Melvin Tiensvold, CPA has joined the Montana based accounting firm of Junkermier, Clark, Campanella, Stevens, P.C. (JCCS). Tiensvold started work in the Hamilton office of JCCS in November 2016. He graduated from the University of Montana with a B.A. in business. He has practiced in the public arena for over 40 years in Montana, Arizona and other western states. His primary focus at JCCS is tax, from individual returns through estate and gift, including LLCs, partnerships and various corporate entities, along with all tax issues, especially planning and long term goals not just compliance. He can be reached at 406-363-2820 or melvin.tiensvold@jccscpa.com.

Mynor Alejandro Veliz is the new chief financial officer at Headwaters Health Foundation. Veliz is a financial executive who brings to the table more than 10 years of progressive experience in financial stewardship, accounting leadership, and operations management within the health and medical services sector. Most recently, he served as CFO of Intermountain, a behavioral health care system serving over 2,000 kids, teens and families each year throughout Western Montana. Prior to Intermountain, his roles include serving as CFO for Planned Parenthood of the Greater Northwest, CFO of Benefits Administration Company, and also as a finance manager at Starbucks. Veliz holds an MBA from Eastern Washington University, a bachelor's degree in business finance from the University of San Carlos in Guatemala, and is a graduate of the Harvard Business School Leadership Development Program. He also serves as a member of the National Society of Hispanic MBAs where he provides mentoring and career guidance to a diverse mix of up-and-coming young professionals.

Eric Seidle joins the Montana Association of Realtors as its communications director. Seidle has more than six years of experience in the communications field. Most recently, he taught digital media at Box Elder High School having previously worked at the Times Leader newspaper in Scranton, Pennsylvania. Seidle is a graduate of LaSalle University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He will develop an active communications campaign while focusing on media utilization and working to build the REALTOR brand for the future.

Dr. David Croteau has returned to CPG FirstCare in Lolo, a walk-in clinic providing family medical care through all stages of life. As a board-certified family practice physician, Dr. Croteau is trained to care for the diverse health needs of children and adults working closely with Karin Johns, P.A. and the specialists at Community Medical Center. Croteau recently relocated back to Montana from Lakeland, Florida, where he was a family practice physician for five years and the previous seven years at the CPG Stevensville clinic. Dr. Croteau received his medical education and training at the University of Vermont College of Medicine in Burlington, Vermont. Call 406-327-3882.

Karin Johns P.A. has joined CPG FirstCare in Lolo, a walk-in clinic providing family medical care through all stages of life. Johns is trained in family medicine and works closely with David Croteau M.D. and the specialists at Community Medical Center. Johns received her degree from the University of Washington. Call 406-327-3882.

Tatiana Gant has joined the The Montana Arts Council (MAC) as its new executive director. For the past four years, Gant has served as the executive director for the Illinois Arts Council (IAC). Prior to directing the IAC, she worked for more than a decade developing and leading arts education programs for the agency. Gant is a trained visual artist and for several years, maintained a studio practice. Her artistry includes ceramics, drawing, metals, printmaking, painting, photography and sculpture. She also founded a community clay studio, and supported the management of a not-for-profit multi-arts community based organization. Gant earned a bachelor of arts in fine art from Adams State College in Alamosa, Colorado, and a bachelor in fine arts from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. She served on numerous arts leadership committees including the National Assembly of State Arts Agencies Nominating Committee and Arts Education Working Group, the Illinois Arts Learning Standards Leadership Committee, and the Chicago Art Learning Initiative Advisory Committee. She served as project director on the National Endowment for the Arts Education Leaders Institute, as well as a review panelist for the NEA, Louisiana Arts Council, and Iowa Arts Council.

Megan Robson has joined Berkshire Hathaway Montana Properties Missoula office.

Josh Plum and Aaron Pagniano have joined EXIT Realty Missoula. Plum has a background in property management and can be reached at 406-544-5014 for all real estate needs. Pagniano is a broker and has a background in management/vice president of a franchise and can be reached at 406-241-0024.

Recognition

Richard M. Baskett has been listed in Super Lawyers Magazine (2017 Mountain States edition) as a top rated attorney for estate planning and probate. He is also a CPA and a fellow of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel. Super Lawyers is a rating service of lawyers who have attained a high degree of peer recognition and professional achievement and inclusion in the list is based on nominations, independent research, and peer evaluations.

Suzie Chiem was Employee of the Month for June at First Interstate Bank.
Set in the early 1900s, The Widow Nash is a languid yet intriguing read. Although slow moving at times, Jamie Harrison has conjured a story that is packed with ambiance and quirk-filled characters abound.

Dulcy Remfrey is a young woman who has been called from New York City to Seattle to care for her syphilitic father, Walton, who has seemingly forgotten what happened to the proceeds of the sales of an African mine. Waltons business partner and Duclys ex-fiance, Victor, is a wealthy, violent and obsessive man who holds Dulcy and Walton in loose captivity on the premise that he is looking for the money, but also with the goal of again becoming close with Dulcy.

The plot of The Widow Nash is slow to build. Harrison spends significant time and pages on Dulcy and Waltons early travels and Waltons preoccupation with earthquakes and finding a cure for his syphilis. While it takes up a lot of time and can drag on, this history is important to the second half of the novel, building both the background for Dulcys dramatic escape and for building tension over where Walton has left the money Victor is so desperate to find. The story picks up when Dulcy decides to fake her own death, making it appear that she has jumped from a train somewhere in eastern Montana. As Dulcy attempts to settle into a new life under the assumed moniker of the Widow Maria Nash in Livingston, an entirely new and interesting cast of characters join the story.

Dulcy is the kind of female character who I love to love. She is strong and independent, taking her life into her own hands. Harrison has debunked the idea that women in the early 1900s had no control over their lives and only looked to men for direction and happiness. There is a love story but it is not standard, and Dulcy certainly isnt dependent upon a man to rescue her. All of the characters have the kind of quirks that feel natural to the reader. No one character is perfect, and Harrison shines at creating a cast of friends and associates that I would happily spend an evening drinking and chatting with. Theres also an abundant crowd of despicable characters, each fascinating in their eccentricities. The characters that I hated in this novel are exactly the kind of characters that I love to hate.

The second half of the novel sometimes felt like a madcap romp, particularly toward the end where a small disaster only seemed to be followed by a bigger one. It definitely kept me turning pages to see what happened next, but up against the slower pace in the beginning, the sudden drama caught me off guard. Some readers may be overwhelmed with all the mishaps, both mundane and spectacular, that occur within Dulcys little world.

Theres certainly a lot of drama within The Widow Nash: rape, murder, abuse, drowning, arson and a slew of other events. I questioned the pace at which these things happened, but Harrison is artful in her writing and most of the events influence the plot in important ways.

Pacing issues aside, The Widow Nash delivers an excellent story. Harrison has crafted an atmospheric historical novel with original characters for readers to enjoy. Her writing is sophisticated and quick witted, ideal for a pleasurable summer read.
"Looking through the trees across the neck that connects this mound or hillock with the main land, the pine-built walls of Pend dOreille city fairly glittered in the sunshine  such jewelry did the magic of the day extract from or impart to the plainest things that delightful morning.  Thomas Francis Meagher, under the pen name Col. Corneliius OKeefe, Harpers New Monthly Magazine, October 1867

Ah, the enigmatic general.

Thomas Meagher (say Marr) will be called nicer things, and maybe some harsher, upon the 150th anniversary of his mysterious death in the Missouri River on July 1, 1867.

Helena is headquarters for MeagherFest 17 on Saturday. Preliminary activities on Friday will include a bus trip to Fort Benton, where Meagher died five weeks before his 44th birthday. Friday night, back in Helena, biographer Paul Wylie of Bozeman restages his mock coroners inquest at the old Supreme Court chambers, leaving it to the audience jury/to decide if Meagher fell or was pushed off the G.A. Thompson that long ago night, never to be seen again.

Saturdays opening ceremonies at 11:30 a.m. are in the shadow of Meaghers sword-drawn mounted statue on the Capitol steps. From noon to 10 p.m. therell be panel discussions and dancing, bagpipes and hurling, kids activities and lots of Irish music.

Meagher, the daring Irish nationalist and American Civil War general, came to Montana in September 1865. He was appointed the first territorial secretary after the war and was serving his second stint as acting governor at the time of his death 21 months later.

Three months after that, Harpers Monthly published what was meant to be the first installment of Meaghers Rides Through Montana.

The article described a trip by steamboat from Lake Pend dOreille in Idaho to the Cabinet Rapids at the Montana border, then by horseback up the Clark Fork River past Thompson Falls to the mission at St. Ignatius and the Flathead Agency on the Jocko.

Meagher wrote the article in the name of his friend and fellow Irishman Cornelius Baron OKeefe, who farmed at the base of Evaro Hill west of Missoula.

The nom de plume which he adopted was not intended to disguise the authorship of the papers, noted the Harpers editor on the opening page, but merely to enable him to speak with a freedom which would hardly comport with the official dignity which would have seemed proper had he written directly in his own name.

So it was either Meagher or OKeefe who was delighted to find several farms under the handsomest cultivation at Frenchtown, by a Mr. Tipton of Kentucky, Mr. Spencer of Tennessee, Mr. Miller of Pennsylvania and some fifty gentlemen of French extraction, from whom the settlement is named, who have each from twenty to one hundred acres under the choicest and ripest cultivation.

The author left his readers at Missoula Mills, which, he said, turns out flour as well as lumber, owned by Messrs. Worden and Higgins, which cost $30,000, and the machinery of which came all the way from St. Louis.

He called it a very stately and patriotic Mill, the National Flag flying proudly and prosperously from it with sixteen bushels of wheat flying from it every hour into the finest and snowiest dust, miles of lumber sliding out of it every month, and one of the handsomest stores close by, under the same proprietorship, doing a brisk and hearty business all the year round 

***

The last of 15 sketches that accompanied Rides Through Montana is captioned the Missoula Flour and Saw Mills. Laborers and horses work with giant logs under two imposing wood-framed structures. It could be anywhere but for the familiar mountains behind them, dead-on replicas of Mount Sentinel and University Mountain in the Hellgate Canyon.

Montana wont be celebrating TofftFest any time soon, and certainly the name Peter Peterson Tofft doesnt pack the international allure that Meaghers does.

But the 40-year-old Danish artist (1825-1901) had an indispensable role in Meaghers Rides Through Montana, and probably not just for the 15 rare sketches he produced to accompany the article.

Meagher researchers agree the Irish general arrived in Montana from Utah, not via Lake Pend dOreille and western Montana as chronicled in the article. Indeed, theres little chance he ever made it farther west on the Clark Fork than the Missoula Valley.

Yet Tofft illustrated in admirable detail the Idaho lake and the historic steamboat Mary Moody, not to mention Cabinet Landing and Thompson Falls. Contrary to the Harpers editors note, its clear Tofft and Meagher didnt travel together to those places.

Meagher, or someone, described the Thompson Falls area:

To the left (of the falls), standing well apart in park-like grounds, tall trees come down to the rivers edge from the slope of huge and hazy mountains  the outer tier of the great range of the Coeur dAlene. Immediately below the Falls, on the same side with these park-like grounds, the river, rounding into the graceful woods, forms a warm and sparkling little cove ...

It didnt make much sense to Wylie, a Bozeman attorney and history writer who published The Irish General in 2007.

The way I figured it out, Tofft was an artist, he had come in from the west, maybe on the Mullan Trail, and he was all the time making sketches, Wylie said last week. He wound up in Virginia City, and he was actually a friend of Meaghers. I think they just got their heads together and somehow a deal was made: Heres the illustrations, and even though Meagher hadnt come that way, hell say he did.

A hard-luck miner, Tofft spent the winter of 1866-67 selling his paintings in Virginia City for $5 each. He gained a following and met and befriended Meagher.

As young researchers on the Flathead Indian Reservation in the 1970s, Robert Bigart and the late Clarence Woodcock documented Toffts story. The result was "Peter Tofft: Painting in the Wilderness," published in the Autumn 1975 edition of Montana: The Magazine of Western History.

Bigart and Woodcock reported that in December 1866, Meagher, Tofft and a Bannack mine owner named A.K. Eaton discussed devoting the following summer to an artistic tour of the territory for the Harpers series. It never happened, but Meagher made a deal to use some of Toffts illustrations from earlier travels.

Meaghers documented trip to Western Montana began in late summer 1866. He was between stints as acting territorial governor for Sidney Edgerton and Green Clay Smith, and his wife Elizabeth went along for the ride.

In The Irish General, Wylie said the Meaghers met Father Anthony Ravalli at Stevensville, though it was probably at Hellgate on the Mullan Road at Grant Creek. On Oct. 1, 1866, they sponsored the baptism into Catholicism of Mrs. John Simms at St. Michael Church. A century and a half later the same church is restored and on display at the Historical Museum at Fort Missoula.

Meagher's description of the St. Ignatius Mission was glowing and no doubt from first-hand experience. And his observation of the valleys predominant inhabitants reflect the prevailing and oppressive attitude of many non-Natives at the time.

The fathers at the Mission, Meagher opined, have done more to reconcile the Indians to our Government and progress than all the Agents, Superintendents, Traders, and Interpreters that ever drew pay from Pennsylvania Avenue.

To be sure, the truculent Meagher wasnt in Montana to make friends with the Native tribes. Even as he was putting the final touches on his magazine article, he was leading a volunteer militia to put down an Indian uprising that wasnt.

A literate, ebullient Irish patriot, Meagher swaggered about Montana in Edgertons absence, visiting Indian reservations and declaiming in the villages," the late historian John Fahey of Spokane wrote in a 1974 history of the Flathead tribe.

"The Flathead Agency, (Meagher) declared, was a preposterous establishment  very mischievously established and perverted. Two-thirds of this superb tract of country  ought, surely, to be thrown open to the whites by a modification of the treaty which makes it an exclusive estate for the Indians. 

***

Despite its incongruities and shortcomings, Rides Through Montana offered an essential slice of 1867 Montana pie.

The article ... reflected Meaghers love of the outdoors and confirms his 1865 statement about the beauty of the territory, historian Jon Axline wrote in 2006. The Harpers articles and the militia offered him a way out of the territorys ugly politics and allowed him to do what he wanted to do all along, enjoy a frontier adventure and perhaps reclaim his faded glory.

The Harper's editor noted that on June 17, 1867  two weeks to the day before his death  Meagher sent what he called positively the last notes for the First Ride Through Montana.

This letter, we think, contains the last words ever written by the author for transmission Eastward, the editor said. This, he also wrote, will be the first illustrated paper ever published upon Montana;' and more than once he requested that special mention should be made of the fact that the sketches ... should be credited to Mr. Peter Toffts.
Dennis Bowman watched the state of the water utilitys infrastructure decline as the legal battles with the city of Missoula increased in scope.

You didnt see much of it at first, Bowman said. It really changed beginning of 2016 when Liberty Utilities took over.

Liberty really cut back on a lot of stuff.

That included declining to fill open positions and letting equipment replacement schedules lapse.

It included canceling contracted services like lawn mowing and hedge trimming and maintenance of the utilitys backup generators.

As meters that measure individual households water usage died, Liberty decided not to replace them, instead estimating each houses water usage for up to a year.

Over 600 meters in the city are currently broken, Bowman said.

Last week, a Liberty official disputed Bowman's claims.

However, when one employee asked Mountain Water President John Kappes about the cuts, Bowman said Kappes was frank: It was to pay for legal fees.

The company began liberally applying administrative fees, which the Public Service Commission caps at 5 percent, but only checks during rate reviews.

Bowman said the company realized they wouldnt undergo another rate review and began increasing the administrative fees to 30 or 40 percent. During one job, an emergency leak on 39th Street, the fee was $7,000, equal to the cost of the entire project.

(If) they charge it as an admin fee, it doesnt show up as profit, Bowman explained.

Those are just a few of the reasons Bowman left Liberty in February to become superintendent of the city-owned utility, which became official Thursday. He was tired of the profit-first approach, which hurt customers and his coworkers, who were knowledgeable and dedicated.

They have not been given the resources to keep it maintained, Bowman said. Were going to get everything fixed.

***

Greg Sorensen of Liberty Utilities disagreed with Bowmans characterizations of the companys tenure in Missoula.

I would say that all of that is inaccurate and incorrect, Sorensen said. I would say that we absolutely did not slash any maintenance budgets. We did not slash any maintenance activities.

We continued to operate the system in a reasonable and prudent manner and in compliance with all laws, rules and regulations.

He said he will miss the people in Missoula, but wishes the city the best in running the utility.

Its very unfortunate, because we took great care in operating that system while we had it and we wish the town the best of luck on it and hope all goes well, Sorensen said.

***

Before the handover had even become official, Bowman already had put together a budget, which was based only on rate earnings, and a plan to turn the utility around on Day 1.

And he has $30 million over six years to start bringing the utility up to industry standard, an undertaking estimated to cost up to $100 million and stretch over a decade, according to Mayor John Engen.

Based on what Carlyle and Liberty were doing," Engen said, the timetable for improvements would have been "sometime on the order of never."

The work starts with replacing failing water mains, those broken meters and making sure theres sufficient water for fire crews.

Im going to have more once I get in and talk to employees, Bowman said.

Though the list of repairs and improvements may grow long, Bowmans aware it all cant get done immediately. For example, the summer construction season is a bad time to put projects out to bid.

Our goal will be to get this work done as quickly and effectively as possible, he said. Theres just a capacity issue.

Hes already excited to be able to collaborate much more efficiently with the street department.

When we show up in a neighborhood, were going to try and get everything done at once, he said.

Theres going to be a rate study. The City Council gave preliminary approval to contracting with FCS, a financial consulting group from Redmond, Washington.

The study will cover the water utility, waste water and stormwater, according to Public Works Director John Wilson.

He told the committee that increases for the new storm water utility and waste water are expected, but confirmed none for the water utility. The study will simply give the city a good idea of base rates and recommend several years of increases.

Engen said they already have a rate plan for the first five years of the water utility that calls for no increases until 2021, when rates will rise 2 percent.

The city of Missoula is in this business for only one reason and thats to serve customers, Engen said. Water is it.
DUPUYER  It took an electric fence to show John Hayne how often sheep give birth to twin lambs.

I didn't realize how many lambs we lost until we got the fence up this year, the Dupuyer rancher said. We had 100 more than last year. Often sheep have twins but you didnt know. You see the ewe with one and you think everything's fine.

Grizzly bears had been prowling the lambing yard where John and Leanne Hayne raised 700 sheep, picking off newborns before they got counted. Occasionally, theyd grab an adult. John recalled coming out to check the flock one night and seeing a lamb running around erratically. Shining his spotlight, he saw the grizzly with the ewe in its mouth. The sheep was still struggling, until the bear got caught in the light. Then it shook the sheep to death in its jaws and ran away. The whole incident lasted about 10 seconds.

They're such a powerful, fast animal, John said.

Leanne Hayne grew up near Dupuyer, and never saw a grizzly bear in her childhood. The couple began raising sheep 33 years ago, but didnt make much money. Eighteen years ago, they started selling yarn from the wool, which proved more profitable. But just when people started getting interested in knitting, the Haynes started having bear problems.

The coyotes are the worst, but the bears are the most dramatic," Leanne said. Sometimes they kill a lot at one time. We had to either stop or do something.

The Haynes became among the first adopters of aggressive electric fencing to protect their livelihood on the Rocky Mountain Front. The U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks Department, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Defenders of Wildlife and other groups all contributed grant dollars, which the Haynes matched with their labor. The first fence went up six years ago around a bedding area west of Highway 89. The latest went around the lambing grounds east of the highway.

Now the bears don't get in, John Hayne said. The coyotes don't get in. The fences are labor-intensive, but once they get shocked, they never go through again. I havent lost a lamb since.

Leanne said the family also fenced about four acres around their home, so they could feel safe in their yard. As competent as theyve become in keeping grizzly bears away, they still dont feel secure.

I don't like living with them, Leanne said. That hasn't changed in 33 years. Its changed the way we live. People just aren't comfortable with it anymore. They're a nuisance.

But this is a very natural place. There's all kinds of wildlife. There's skunks and weasels and raccoons and badgers that cause problems. Having a large predator is so much more spectacular. Thirty-three years later, I'm still afraid.

***

The Haynes told their tale to two dozen state and federal wildlife managers who serve on the Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee. Last week, the group held its summer session in Choteau, and spent Wednesday on a listening tour along the Rocky Mountain Front.

The 34-year-old committee oversees efforts to help the grizzly bear recover from its threatened status under the Endangered Species Act. It brings together representatives from the U.S. Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, National Park Service, Fish and Wildlife Service, four state wildlife agencies, two Canadian provinces, several non-governmental organizations and a rotating cast of researchers, advocates, academics and local governmental officials.

That energy gets focused on grizzly bears in five ecosystems: Tiny populations of bears in the Northern Cascades of Washington, Cabinet-Yaak-Selkirks of northern Idaho and Montana, the Selway-Bitterroot Range on the Montana-Idaho border; and two major concentrations in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem and Northern Continental Divide Ecosystem.

About 700 bears live in the Yellowstone ecosystem. The committee finished its work studying that population and recommended a recovery strategy in January. The U.S. Interior Department should publish a final rule delisting the Yellowstone area grizzlies and handing their management over to Montana, Idaho and Wyoming state wildlife agencies next week. Barring a legal challenge, which almost certainly will occur, the final rule would take effect 30 days after publication in the Federal Register.

Another 1,000 grizzlies live in the Northern Continental Divide Ecosystem that covers the Bob Marshall Wilderness Complex and Glacier National Park. They comprise a separate Distinct Population Segment under endangered species management, and have a separate delisting process.

Wednesdays tour sought out people in the 40-mile-wide strip of farms and ranches that border the abrupt eastern edge of the Rocky Mountains.

In the (northern Continental Divide area) theres private land right up against where the bears are, said Hillary Cooley, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service grizzly bear recovery coordinator who joined Wednesdays field trip. It was really great to be on the ground and see the area, talk to those people who are living with bears, and hear how they deal with conflict bears. Ive been hearing about it for a long time, but its a different thing to see it.

***

David Waldren wanted the committee members to see the Pondera Colony cornfield.

The Hutterite colony halfway between Dupuyer and Valier plants about 135 acres of corn. When its ripe, he said, the grizzlies move in.

Bear management has been very successful on the Rocky Mountain Front at shoving a bunch of grizzlies down our throats," Waldner told the yellow school bus-load of bear managers. In late August, September through October, there's going to be eight to 10 grizzlies living in this field, trampling more corn than they eat. If I was a grizzly, I sure wouldn't leave this smorgasbord day in and day out. In 2012, we found a hole excavated two times as big as that bus, lined with corn. The only thing we could figure was they planned on hibernating here.

Three years ago, a female denned in the service berry bushes on the edge of the field, Waldner continued. They trapped her once, and she came right back with twins. Where will they try to find a home? This is a natural place for a home. It would do no good to trap them again. Another would move right in.

The tour passed four Hutterite colonies on its route. Each of the religious communities operates a large, self-sustaining farm complex growing multiple crops and raising a variety of livestock. Each has its own relationship with grizzly bears and the agencies that manage them.

Montana FWP Region 4 Supervisor Gary Bertellotti said the Birch Creek Colony adjacent to Waldrens Pondera Colony has been open to preventive measures like electric fences, and had very few bear conflicts as a result. Pondera has insisted on the removal of problem bears, and declined offers to put up fencing. Several miles away, the Rockport Colony has tried a third variation, fencing some places like its refuse dumps and turkey yards, but not its dairy barns or residential area.

Rockport Colony has "done practically everything they can with electric fences, but theyre so close to the Front, bears are there from the time they come out of the den in spring to when they go back to their dens in fall, Bertellotti said. The grizzlies were so accustomed to raiding the colony, they tunneled under the first electric fences. That threat has faded, but the colony still requires constant vigilance to keep the fences operating, the livestock protected, and residents safe.

***

In Valier, they remember the Halloween Bear of 2012.

There had been a grain spill, and a bear was sighted, Bertellotti recalled. Then Halloween came along, and we had all these kids out at night carrying bags of candy. We had three police officers and the county sheriff patrolling all night with the trick-or-treaters. The bear moved west of here and eventually denned on the Front. But Valier seems to be the focal point.

The 500 people who live next to Lake Francis no longer feel safe to walk along the shoreline trail, according to Mayor Ray Bukoveckas. The elementary school has bear warning signs posted on its playground fence. Campground hosts hand out bear-safety brochures to travelers staying at the towns tent site.

We have to protect ourselves somehow, Bukoveckas said. Thats how the bear patrol got started.

Valiers volunteer bear patrol has seven members whove offered to do what they can to keep residents safe from grizzlies.

The FWP cant get here in an hour, so we observe the bear and try to get him out of town headed in the right direction, bear patrol member Terry VandenBos said. We cant shoot in town anyway, but we cant let them sleep under the water tower. Theres two daycares on either side.

At Wednesdays meeting, FWP biologists did recommend some more tactics, including training videos developed in Alaska for defending villages against marauding brown and polar bears. The videos show how to read a bears intention to fight or flee, and discuss use of trained dogs and similar methods to discourage bears.

But urban combat with bears doesnt make anyone happy. Many of the bears prowling near Valier are females with cubs. Set a trap in town and catch one of the cubs first, and you have a furious mother grizzly.

Im really concerned about people trying to push bears out of town, Bertellotti said. If something goes wrong, those guys will get themselves hung.

If this fails, it will fail miserably, Hartwell agreed. If it succeeds, hopefully other towns will pick up on it.

Bukoveckas said if the bears were delisted, and a limited bear hunt was allowed, the bears would start to learn to avoid humans.

Once the hunt starts, maybe they'll think man is something to stay away from," Bukoveckas said. I realize that's going to take four to five years.

***

Hunting grizzly bears is one option that could become available after grizzlies shift from federal to state management. Montana, Idaho and Wyoming all drafted hunting season rules leading up to the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem grizzly delisting. Northern Continental Divide Ecosystem bears would go through a similar but separate process thats still years from completion.

States also would need policies for dealing with problem bears that kill livestock, menace people or become habituated to human food sources. FWS grizzly recovery coordinator Cooley said while those fine details have yet to be worked out, they all must follow a basic principle: Each ecosystems population of grizzly bears cant fall below a sustainable threshold.

The grizzly committee meeting in Choteau lasted three days. On Thursday, fifth-generation rancher Kirk Moore informed the committee that one of his saddle horses had gored itself on a metal pipe in a panic to get away from a grizzly seen on the ranch Tuesday night.

I dont mind seeing grizzlies, Moore said. I love wildlife. But we are seeing a highly increased load of bears. Its time that we do something. No more DNA studies. You folks have the data. Please help us in the field with these problems.

Bertellotti recalled one incident that illustrated the complexity of grizzly attitudes. Every year, the big bears move farther east of the Rocky Mountain Front. Theyre now regularly reported around Fort Benton and beyond, including the land of one particular rancher who wasnt shy about letting the FWP supervisor know his opinions.

Staff warned Bertellotti that this man was on his way in, and he braced for outrage. Instead, the rancher pulled out photos of the bears near a big tree on his property. This was the same tree, he said, that members of Lewis and Clarks Voyage of Discovery climbed to escape a grizzly when they explored the area two centuries ago. He was thrilled the keystone predators were back on the plains where the captains journals first reported them.

Thats the tightrope we walk, trying to balance everybodys interests and not disrespect anyones point of view, Bertellotti said. And that tightrope gets smaller and smaller as the bears expand farther and farther out.
Lately, the bosses of Montana's universities have been direct.

One message: the University of Montana needs to reduce spending on personnel.

Another: UM and other schools need to be strategic about where money goes, and campuses need to set clear priorities.

Also: Don't count on a rosy financial picture for higher education in the future. At a recent meeting of the Montana Board of Regents, Commissioner Clayton Christian again stressed that priorities are important, dollars need to follow students, and campuses need to be practical with their budgets.

"It is incredibly important that we look at where revenue and enrollments are trending in the future," Christian said.

Indeed, UM is in the process of ranking its programs, presumably for beefing up or cutting. It's also offering $2 million in buyouts to reduce its spending on faculty.

So far, nearly 100 offers have gone out.

Yet earlier this month, UM also announced its top administrator who had been asked to step down in December, would stay on board to teach at the university with a $119,000 contract in a department that, at least in the most recent assessment in 2015, was not identified as one poised for growth.

Tenure is the reason.

Faculty members earn tenure. Administrators, though, negotiate it.

If an administrator is asked to step down from a management post but holds tenure in an academic unit, that person has the legal right to a faculty contract, regardless of the need in the department or financial realities on campus.

Administrators such as deans, presidents and provosts often come from the ranks of faculty and receive contracts that retain their tenure. At UM, 21 administrators also have full or probationary tenure.

Kevin McRae, deputy for communications in the Commissioner's Office, said contract faculty and administrators of the university system don't have the same legal rights as most other workers, and tenure offers similar security.

"It provides the same kind of employment protections that other workers have under Montana's wrongful discharge act," McRae said.

Tenure has become a political hot button in some other states, but it remains part of a long tradition in academe.

Fran Albrecht, chair of the Montana Board of Regents, said some other universities are looking at alternatives to tenure, but campuses still need to continue to attract high-quality faculty and protect academic freedom. At the same time, she said higher education officials need to continue to evaluate the model to make sure it's still in the best interest of the public and public institutions.

"It's definitely worthy of continuing to scrutinize to ensure it's meeting the needs of what was intended," Albrecht said.

***

Faculty members who earn tenure enter into a compact with the institution, said Lee Banville, spokesman for the University Faculty Association. The instructors demonstrate they can teach, conduct research, publish and serve the community; in turn, the campus pledges to support their work for the long term.

Tenure also has two sides, he said.

"If you don't get tenure, you're required to leave your institution," said Banville, associate professor in the School of Journalism.

But faculty members who earn it can work without the pressures of outside influences, he said. It allows academics to do research, report findings that go against the grain, and do so without worrying about their popularity  or the unpopularity of their conclusions.

"It creates some independence for the university and for the teachers from the political winds of the day," Banville said.

Constitutional scholar and former UM law professor Rob Natelson earned tenure in Missoula. On campus, he produced much research, and in the classroom, he challenged the positions his students took, regardless of their political stance.

But in Montana, he was politically active in conservative causes that most of his colleagues "fervently disagreed with." He favored government reform and generally opposed tax increases, and his activism off campus rocked the boat.

"I have no doubt in my mind  no doubt  that if I had not had tenure, that the law school administrators and faculty would have found some way to get rid of me," Natelson said.

Eventually, the institution highlighted his scholarship in its research magazine, but early on, UM didn't embrace his work, and colleagues never liked his political activity, he said. Tenure protected not only his job, but the independence of his research and its conclusions  whether outcomes were liberal or conservative.

"You don't want fear of retaliation skewing your research findings," Natelson said.

In 2010, Natelson retired from UM and moved to Colorado, and he's a senior fellow at the free market Independence Institute there. However, because he had tenure, he was able to stay in Missoula as long as he wanted, to raise his children and continue his commitment to his political causes.

To protect academic freedom, tenure is essential, said William Tierney, professor at the University of Southern California, in an email. Tierney is a higher education policy researcher whose publications include ones that address tenure.

"Without it, we are all at risk," said Tierney, Wilbur-Kieffer Professor of Higher Education and co-director of the Pullias Center for Higher Education at USC. "If we want to ensure that faculty can speak truth to power, then the mechanism to enable it, to foster it, to encourage it, is tenure."

***

But Tierney also said tenure for administrators comes through their contracts, either because they ask for it or the hiring board offers it. Boards don't have to offer administrators such as presidents tenure, he said, but they do have to honor the agreements once signed.

"I don't see why presidents get all these perks, but they do," Tierney said. "They don't have to give a president a big buyout or tenure, but it is the norm."

It's also less of a perk than the ones sometimes given in the private sector, said John DeBoer, former head of the Faculty Senate at UM. A campus administrator may retain the right to a teaching position, but CEOs can get larger golden parachutes without any responsibilities to the organization.

"You were terrible. Here's $20 million. Don't call," said DeBoer, associate professor in the School of Theatre and Dance.

In an analysis of enormous payouts earlier this year, CNN Money reported that former Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina collected $21.4 million in an exit package "when the once-mighty computer maker was foundering."

DeBoer said he knows some faculty on campus think it's a bad idea for administrators to cycle back into teaching jobs as "sometimes expensive faculty." But he wants strong faculty members to continue to seek leadership roles, and he doesn't want their tenure to be on the line if they fail.

"It's important that when faculty rise up to a point of administration, that their tenure go with them," DeBoer said. "I would hate to see really great faculty who could make a real impact as administrators opting out simply because of the tenure risk."

An excellent researcher and instructor in the classroom just might not make a great manager, but he said the person is still valuable to the institution.

"If they're still known to be a good teacher, frankly, let them teach," DeBoer said.

Sen. Dick Barrett said that sometimes, an administrator who came out of a campus department, such as a provost, will continue to teach a class in the same department. The Missoula Democrat sees the protection as different for administrators who return to be faculty in departments where they formerly taught  as opposed to administrators who earned tenure elsewhere.

"When somebody is hired de novo and you grant them tenure, that's imposed on the department externally," Barrett said.

However, the economist said without knowing how often administrators return to teach instead of retiring or taking another job, it's hard to economically assess the provision.

***

In this particular case, former UM President Royce Engstrom came to Missoula from the University of South Dakota, and he took a position as provost of UM with tenure through the Chemistry Department. His contract for president included tenure, and he will teach in the chemistry department in the fall.

Regents Chair Albrecht said chemistry isn't going to go away anytime soon, and the students will learn from a subject matter expert.

"We are honoring the strength and skill set, the scholarly skill set, of this individual and matching it with the right need," Albrecht said.

Albrecht also compared the academic system with private industry. She said faculty members undergo rigorous review and work a long time to obtain tenure, and assessment continues.

"I am grateful that the process of becoming tenured takes years," she said. "In the private sector, it takes six months of probation."

In theory, faculty members with tenure don't get to coast. However, Natelson said in reality, institutions don't always want to undertake the due process required to get rid of a protected instructor who is "asleep at the switch" because they're asking for a "nasty fight."

"Often, it happens that universities don't want to do what's necessary to get rid of dead wood," Natelson said.

***

For the Montana University System, the offer of tenure is a necessary recruitment tool for administrators who demonstrated they deserved tenure as faculty members at other reputable and credible institutions, said McRae, spokesman for the Commissioner's Office.

Montana already ranks low when it comes to executive compensation, he said. In a Chronicle of Higher Education survey from 2010 through 2015 of more than 250 public universities and systems, Montana offered its presidents $301,000, or 73 percent of the median salary.

The ranking puts 159 schools ahead of Montana flagships in presidential salaries, McRae said. But he estimated some 50 of those campuses aren't even doctoral institutions. Montana does offer deferred compensation, but so do other states, he said, so the state isn't competitive in pay.

"If we cannot also be competitive on the tenure question, and be willing to grant tenure to individuals who hold tenure at other institutions and have proven worthy of tenure, then we're 0 for 2 in terms of being able to realistically negotiate," McRae said.

Currently, recruitment is underway for a president at UM, but McRae said tenure is not a given in the contract; the contract depends on the person's qualifications.

Banville said the fact that administrators can receive tenure underscores the importance of hiring well for those positions.

"It's controversial because I think people look at it, and they see it's a job for life," Banville said. "And that's not completely accurate, but I think it's something that in particular, the leaders of the university have to recognize is a concern the public has.

"And so what we need to do is make sure that when we do bestow a real honor, which is what tenure is, it needs to be done seriously.

"It is when you teach. And it should be just as serious when you hire an administrator."
The Missoula Fire Department made quick work Saturday afternoon of three small fires in Greenough Park that officials say may have been purposefully started.

Battalion Chief Derek Mullins said the fires, each of which were close to the walking path in the park, were reported around 2:30 p.m. and brought under control within an hour. Patches of the steep embankment on the west side of the walking trail through Greenough were charred black, and foam from the firefighting efforts puddled along the border of the trail.

Fire crews remained on scene to ensure that any trees or grass that were still smoldering didn't reignite. Fire investigators will go to the park to determine the origin of the fires, but Mullins said the fact that the blazes started around the same time and that they were close to the walking path is suspicious.

"Well, there wasn't any lightning, obviously," he said of the sunny, clear day.

Missoula police officer Bob Campbell also said the circumstances indicated the fires may have been set on purpose by someone. He said in addition to the Fire Department's investigation, police will be speak with potential witnesses in the area.
There is no word for goodbye in the Crow language. Rather, in Apsalooke, its shia-nuk" (see you later).

Goodbye has a finality to it, so Crow people avoid using it. Yet, without opportunities to practice the Crow language and encouragement from elders, there is fear that some are saying goodbye to their language. People like Janice Little Light Hudetz and the women who helped found the Crow Language Club are working to keep their language alive. The women all live in Billings and are members of the Crow Tribe.

There is some giggling as the monthly meeting begins in the basement of Hudetzs home on Billings' West End. The group usually meets once a month at the downtown Perkins Restaurant, but tonight is special. The six women who are gathered are dressed in traditional outfits, some in elk tooth dresses, others in beaded velvet dresses. Its picture day, and family members take out cellphones to capture video of the women speaking in Crow.

Men arent allowed because group members wanted to continue the tradition of women meeting together.

"Men speak the language very well, but we feel like it's easier to be around women," Hudetz said.

Heres a fun twist to the club: If a member accidentally speaks in English, she has to put money in the jar at the center of the table. On this night, $15 is collected. Over three years, the women have raised $1,000, which they are putting toward a scholarship for a Crow-speaking student to attend college.

New words

They are also adding to the language, which is a Missouri Valley Siouan language and closely related to the language of the Hidatsa Tribe of the Dakotas.

At Perkins one night, Sandi Bird needed the mustard from across the table. There is no word for mustard in Crow, so she came up with "the yellow thing across the table."

They also made up a Crow word for drone, "thing that flies around looking for something."

The Crow language is descriptive, so the words are longer than many English words. They describe the object or person, rather than name it.

The Crow Tribe is fortunate in that about one-third of the 13,045 enrolled members still speak the language. Yet, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization has labeled the Crow language as endangered because most of those who speak Crow are age 50 or older.

Crow chairman A.J. Not Afraid said he applauds efforts by the Crow Language Club to preserve the language and encourage education.

"Both are of the utmost importance to our Apsalooke youth," he said.

Among Crow children attending school in Hardin, the number of children speaking Crow dropped from 82 percent in 1969 to 24 percent in 2002.

Crow educators are working to reverse that trend.

Of the 304 students in Crow Head Start and 50 children in Songbird Daycare in 2011, 35.9 percent of the students spoke no Crow. Through a three-year language immersion program, 90 percent of the preschool students became either fluent or were able to understand the Crow language by 2015.

Janine Pease, Martha Lynn DeCrane, Jennifer Flatlip and Pamela Backbone were instrumental in integrating the program into the preschools.

Forced to pick English names

Native Americans were forced to quit using their language when they were put into boarding schools starting in the 1870s. They were told to pick a new English name off a list on a board and were required to cut their hair.

Carlisle Indian School in Pennsylvania, which operated from 1879 to 1918, was one of the largest boarding schools, housing 10,000 Native American students, including some from the Crow Tribe.

Losing your language is part of losing your culture and many Crow are determined not to let that happen.

Our language is our identity, Bird said.

If her ancestors could survive being beaten for speaking Crow, Bird decided to work harder to not only speak it, but write it.

"They tried to beat them for using their language, but they said We dont want to lose it,  Bird said.

And they didnt. They passed it down to their children and grandchildren.

Hudetz said Crow was her first language.

I didnt speak English very well until I married my husband, she said.

Now, her husband, Leo, is learning Crow, and Hudetz is learning to be patient with him and help with the pronunciation.

Bird is one of the few members of the Crow Language Club who can write in Crow. She studied language at Little Big Horn College. The Crow alphabet wasnt established until the early 1970s so it has to be taught, even to people like Hudetz who grew up speaking Crow in her home.

Most tribal members are given their Crow names by a clan uncle or aunt or an important, well-respected member of the tribe. But Bird found her name, Two Medicine Rocks, and asked permission to use it.

When I was in college, we went to the Crow archives and I found my great grandmothers name  Two Medicine Rocks.

Bird said the name fits her well because ever since she was a child, she has collected rocks. She asked permission from her mother, her aunt and her uncles to use the name. When they all agreed, she took the name.

Most of the members of the club are older than 30. Some bring their children to the group, but the children are shy about speaking in Crow in front of other people. Thats something Hudetz would like to work on, encouraging young people to speak Crow in conversation, not just reciting words.

Maintaining common usage of our language is a very important matter, especially since weve become aware that fewer and fewer people speak Crow, Hudetz said.

Mardell Plain Feather was told as a youngster not to speak Crow in front of other people outside her home. She followed that rule until she became an adult and heard people speaking in Spanish one day at the store.

I told my husband, They speak their language. Im proud of my language and Im proud of who I am. I will speak my language when we are out, Plain Feather said.
When the Endangered Species Act was passed in 1973, its intention was to recover plants and animals threatened with extinction.

That takes place by learning what the species need to survive, what threats hurt those survival chances and what actions can boost survival opportunities. Once those questions get answered, we enact a plan to bring the species to that successful level and keep it there. Its like getting a sick patient healed and out of the hospital to live an active, independent life. It is not like moving the patient from surgery to a nursing home, forever dependent on outside care.

Three prominent examples illustrate this process: the bald eagle, the gray wolf and the grizzly bear.

The bald eagle was one of the first animals listed under the Endanger Species Act. It faced threats from pesticide use that weakened its eggs, and loss of nesting habitat. The federal government banned the use of DDT  the pesticide that was affecting dozens of bird species  and made rules prohibiting killing of eagles or disturbing their nests. In 2007, the bald eagle was removed from the endangered list. Missoulians regularly see them flying up and down the Clark Fork River.

The gray wolf essentially vanished from the Lower 48 states in the 1930s, considered a pest to ranchers and livestock. It was added to the ESA in 1974. After wild wolves started crossing the Canadian border into northwest Montana in the 1980s, federal wildlife authorities decided to reintroduce experimental populations to the Yellowstone National Park vicinity in 1995. After several years of legal challenges, hunting seasons and renewed protections, Sen. Jon Tester inserted a rider in 2011 on a Defense Department funding bill turning wolf management over to state wildlife officials in Montana and Idaho. Testers rider essentially bet that the federal wolf recovery plan was complete, and gambled that wolves could survive without endangered designations. That bet paid off: Wolves have become a feature of the Rocky Mountain landscape. While wolf management remains a contentious issue legally and socially, state control so far has balanced livestock protection, hunting seasons, and wolf population support.

Grizzly bears were listed as a threatened species in 1975, and have been under the supervision of the Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee since 1983. Unlike eagles, grizzlies pose a direct and scary (if statistically tiny) threat to human activity because they occasionally kill. Unlike wolves, grizzlies reproduce slowly. The deaths of a few crucial breeding females can quickly wreck decades of recovery.

In December, a draft rule to guide de-listing the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem was released laying out what standards state management plans should meet for the bears. On Thursday, Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke declared the draft process finished, although lots of grizzly advocates disagree that the recovery process is complete. They refute the grizzly bear committee's science, challenge the legitimacy of livestock owner complaints, and question the commitment of state wildlife agencies to restrain the pressure for trophy hunts and killing of problem bears. Lawsuits are inevitable.

But the fact is the IGBC has declared Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem grizzlies recovered. It says the patient is ready to leave the hospital, and doesnt have to spend the rest of its existence in a nursing home. This is a gamble. If the science overestimated the bears resilience, or the state plans allow too much killing, Yellowstone grizzly populations will tumble right back to endangered status. The patient returns to the hospital, assuming it has life enough left to save.

The Endangered Species Act created a process, with a beginning, middle and end, to help species recover, not keep them in limbo. That process gets shaped by scientific, social and political forces, and offers no illusion of perfection. But it is the tool we built in 1973, it has run its course and it's time for us to learn to co-exist with de-listed grizzlies.
The Backcountry Horsemen of Missoula hosted a summer rendezvous Saturday at the Blackfoot Clearwater Game Range to thank the community for supporting their work, and to teach visitors how to cook, camp and pack horses for backcountry trips.

About 40 people gathered with trailers carrying horses and camping gear, and sat in camp chairs while backcountry horsemen demonstrated proper crosscut sawing technique and maintenance, the best knots for horse packing, and trail etiquette.

The group, founded in 1973, formed when a group of men in Kalispell grew concerned about poor treatment of natural areas, and the deterioration of forests from logging, said Randy Velin, president of the Backcountry Horsemen of Missoula. The Backcountry Horsemen have chapters all around the state, whose members volunteer for the United States Forest Service to clear and maintain trails.

The Missoula chapter used to gather every summer for a "steak ride," where they cooked steak and rode in the backcountry, but this year they decided to expand the event to be more inclusive of newcomers and community members.

Our mission is to perpetuate the use of the wilderness with horses, and preserve the wilderness as it was back then for future people  for hikers, for riders, Velin said. And not just for recreation, but for understanding what the wilderness is all about, what it feels like to be out amongst nature, undisturbed by man.

Velin grew up with horses, and has taken backcountry horse trips all his life, he said. Hes concerned about preserving the wild places that hes explored over the years, and wants to help maintain them. Part of the Saturday event focused on Leave No Trace etiquette, which asks that people not leave marks, garbage or evidence of their visit in natural areas.

Velin said connecting with wilderness is what he loves about horse packing in the backcountry.

The quietness  youre out there on a horse, and basically you only hear the clip clop, Velin said. Other than that, you can hear the birds, you can hear the creeks, the wind through the trees, a lot of the wildflowers this time of year are just amazing. The fires, the rebirth, everything. Its just an understanding of nature and how it interacts with itself and with us. And what our impact is on nature.

After morning demonstrations about horse and mule packing, the horsemen held a free barbecue. The barbecue was both to thank the people in the area who have supported the Backcountry Horsemen throughout the years, and to reintroduce their mission and work to the community. Attendees ate hamburgers and hot dogs in a large barn, with barn swallow nests dotting the ceiling.

One couple brought their two Clydesdale horses, Brutus and Rosebud, and a wooden carriage to give people rides through the surrounding forest and meadows after lunch.

Another booth at the event had two taxidermy bears, and information about how to correctly use bear spray. One tent made homemade ice cream with a hand crank, which paired with the Dutch oven cobblers that Don Bohne made to demonstrate how to cook in the backcountry.

Bohne has been part of the Backcountry Horsemen of Missoula for 25 years, though he no longer rides. He tended to three Dutch ovens at once, cooking cherry and apple cobblers and fry bread. Bohne has 24 Dutch ovens, and said he loves to cook.

As long as they eat, Ill cook, he said, measuring the temperature of the oil in one of his Dutch ovens.

Anything that you can cook in an oven, you can cook in a Dutch oven, Bohne said. As part of the event, Bohne wanted people to see how versatile and useful Dutch ovens are for making quality food in the backcountry. He has a handful of cookbooks with Dutch oven recipes for biscuits, cakes, cookies, stews, casseroles and more that he compiled from reading about Dutch oven cooking.

The easiest thing to cook is cobblers, he said. But his cookbooks have recipes for things like cheese breakfast biscuits, chile relleno casserole and pot roast. The books also detail how many coals to place above and below the Dutch oven for each recipe, which is how it simulates a real oven.

I took several classes at the Ninemile Ranger Station, and then a lot of it is just what I call O.J.T., Bohne said. On the job training. Just kind of learning on my own.

For those who think you cant eat well in the backcountry, Bohne doesnt fully disagree.

Well, he said, it depends whos cookin.
With a pigging rope in his mouth and a chew tin in his pocket, Bud Clemons shot out of the starting box, roped his calf and tied it down in less than 23 seconds.

Not bad for an 80-year-old.

Clemons and J.W. Campbell, 84, faced off in the Young at Heart event last week, a four-calf, tie-down roping competition with a $1,000 prize and a commemorative belt buckle. The two cowboys were evenly matched, although Clemons narrowly bested Campbell in the end.

In sportsmanlike fashion, Clemons donated half of his prize money to the American Senior Pro Rodeo, and the other half to the Canadian Senior Pro Rodeo. He kept the belt buckle and bragging rights.

I took about a 30-year break after riding professionally, then fell back off the wagon and here I am, Clemons said.

The Senior Pro Rodeo visits Darby, Hamilton and Augusta every year. Contestants from around the United States and Canada gather to compete in all standard rodeo events, with the goal of earning enough points to qualify in the Senior Pro Rodeo Finals held in Las Vegas each October.

Drawing a line from the working ranches of the American West to competitions like tie-down roping takes little imagination. When calves were sick or injured, ranchers would ride out, rope the calf and immobilize it for veterinary treatment, according to the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association.

Tie-down roping depends on the teamwork between a horse and rider. After the rider ropes a calf and jumps down to tie it, the horse must stop and step backward to draw tension on the rope and hold the calf in place.

Kirby Sholette isnt from the Bitterroot and probably isnt a typical rodeo attendee, but saw it advertised and thought itd be fun. The coordination between horse and rider drew Sholette to the rodeo grounds last week.

Its cool because the horse is an athlete too, Sholette said. Its super exciting. I love the community of rodeo and seeing both the animal and the people working together.

In between spits of chewing tobacco, Joel Stephens, a former professional bareback rider, explained the amount of time that goes into each horse.

That horse has to know how to work on its own, Stephens said. I wouldnt train it for tie-downs until its 4 years old, then a year or two of practice and then youve gotta season them to the noise of an actual rodeo.

Stephens spoke admirably of all the riders present, remarking on how the senior rodeo keeps them in shape. But no one garnered as much respect as Campell.

Look at everybody. Theyre doing what they love to do and it keeps them fit, Stephens said. Wait until you see J.W. though. Hes a hand, a real roper.

Campbell is from Sundre, Alberta and, by his count, has competed in rodeos for 65 to 70 years. In his younger days he made appearances in the Canadian finals, and in 2015 Campbells horse, Junior, was inducted into the Canadian Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame.

But Tuesday night Campbell rode a horse new to rodeo events.

Today I had a horse thats never been in this situation and he ran by the first two calves, Campbell said. I had a chance there and missed it.

The relationship developed between a horse and its rider hinges on trust. Campbell recalled having difficulty training his horse until one day when it just approached him out in the field, as if to offer its friendship.

Its a real wonderful relationship the horse and the person have. They bond with you over time, Campbell said.

The big difference between rodeo when Campbell started and now are the calves in the competition.

These calves are slow handling. They're like tying a rag doll, Campbell said. Id prefer to have some longhorn calves in this match rather than these rag dolls that wont run; but thats just the way it is. They think they're doing us a favor but they're damn hard to rope.

Campbell earned the nickname Bearman early in his career when he arrived at a rodeo long-haired, scraggly-bearded and wearing buckskins from his hunts.

I first rode in kinda rough and ready, but since then I've always been pretty clean shaven, Campbell said.

Betty Campbell, J.W.s cousin, watched him from the stands. She said she thought of him as a hero when she was a child.

I remember him coming to visit me and my dad in the city, Betty Campbell said. He would park his horse right in our front yard.

Betty Campbell drove J.W. down from Alberta for the events in Montana this week and said shes glad he asks for a ride when he travels these days.

We had to fill out a medical report for the insurance to come down into the U.S. and I hardly had to write a thing. He aint on any drugs, hes so healthy, Betty Campbell said. But if I drive, we get down here much quicker. Hes more comfortable riding a horse fast than driving his truck.

In his long life, Campbell said hes had many experiences, and most were positive. Working with and keeping good horses around his ranch is just one of the reasons hes still out and about. Another reason is the rush of the competition.

I just think of the next run. Maybe I screwed up today; tomorrow Im up again. Thats the best advice Id give anybody, Campbell said. You gotta stay positive. There's the agony of defeat and the adrenaline of winning  you've got to accept both.
GREAT FALLS  If the Republican plan to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act passes, Shyla Patera may have to move out of her home.

The 48-year-old Great Falls resident was born with cerebral palsy and relies on Medicaid coverage for home health services.

I do need the Medicaid support to survive and if this bill passes, Ive got to have you help me convince private insurance that staying in my home is important, Patera told U.S. Sen. Jon Tester Saturday night at a town hall meeting here on healthcare.

Im worried about keeping a job that I love as an advocate for people with disabilities. Im already planning for retirement. If this bill passes, Im afraid Im not going to get that choice. We deserve a system that works.

Nearly a hundred Montanans concerned about the Better Care Reconciliation Act, the Republican legislation working its way through Congress, filled a room here on a warm summer night to ask Montana's senior senator what hes doing to protect them.

Senate Republicans released a draft of their version of the bill, which had been worked on behind closed doors without public input, on Tuesday. Democrats including Tester, who has long been an opponent of the legislation, offered immediate strong opposition. The bill is the Republican Party's long-promised effort to do away with former President Barack Obama's landmark health care legislation.

In Montana, much of the concern about the bill has focused on Medicaid coverage.

This Medicaid thing is going to hit rural states in a big way, Tester told the crowd. Rural states like Montana get pounded.

About 216,600 Montanans are insured under Medicaid. Nearly half of those are children, about 96,850. The program also covers about 19,000 adults with disabilities, like Patera.

Clay Preble, 12, is one of the children covered by Medicaid. He was adopted at 8 after living in an abusive home.

Hes had a number of medical problems and hell need coverage going forward, said Jennifer Preble, his mom. He is the face to this problem. His coverage needs to be protected and so does the coverage for kids like him.

An analysis by Manatt Health commissioned by the Montana Healthcare Foundation estimates that under a per capita cap in the House version of the bill, the state would have to cut Medicaid program spending by $888 million between 2020 and 2026.

John Goodnow, CEO of Benefis Health System in Great Falls, said theres no way Montana can make up the difference.

Whenever you hear the federal government say block grants, think cuts. Montana is having a real budgetary struggle right now. The chances of Montana being able to pick up what would be cut from the federal level is about zero, he said. You would have tons of people in Montana without coverage.

In 2016 under a provision of the Affordable Care Act, Montana chose to expand Medicaid coverage to those in the state who earn up to 138 percent of the federal poverty level. More than 79,000 Montanans are covered under expansion.

Under the Senate bill, Medicaid expansion would be eliminated by lowering the share of money the federal government pays for the program. The Senate bill slows the reduction of the federal match, but Montana is one of eight states where if the federal match drops below rates set in the Affordable Care Act, expansion would end immediately.

Goodnow said that change will kick about 79,000 Montanans off their insurance.

If this goes through, Montana cannot afford to keep Medicaid expansion.  This is a bad news deal. I am 100 percent against this bill, not for what it does to the hospital, well adapt, we always do, but for what it does to all the people it takes coverage from. Thats my concern.

Tester told those in attendance that he expects the Senate will vote on the bill this week. While he said he couldn't predict if it would pass, a group of about five Republicans, enough to kill the legislation, have said they dont support the bill.

Montanas other senator, Republican Steve Daines, has not said whether or not he will vote for the bill, saying he needs to hear from constituents. Daines is holding a teletownhall Wednesday night.

This (healthcare) is a sixth of the economy. It affects everyones life at some point or another and to not have an open discussion on this for months is not the right way to go, Tester said.
I was diagnosed with stage 3b breast cancer at just 25, and I rely on Medicaid for my care. So, Im concerned about proposals the Senates considering that would cut Medicaid funding.

Medicaid is a health insurance program for low-income children and adults, pregnant women, seniors in nursing homes and people with disabilities. Its run by Montana and jointly paid for by the state and federal government.

The American Health Care Act would cut Medicaid by more than $880 billion. Medicaid would no longer be a safety net program, with the federal government providing funding in response to state needs. States like Montana would have to come up with the money to cover additional costs, turn people away or make cuts to the people covered by the program.

I know that health coverage is my lifeline, as well as the lifeline for other low-income men, women, children and seniors who rely on Montanas Medicaid program for cancer screenings and treatments. If that safety net vanishes, well run out of options.

Medicaid funding from the federal government is critical to our states economy and its vital to the people who rely on Medicaid for coverage. As an American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network volunteer, I urge Sen. Steve Daines to reconsider any proposal that cuts this economic and health care lifeline to Montana.

Katherine Hosbein,

Missoula
Our newly elected Congressman has stated that supporting President Donald Trump's agenda is one of his foremost priorities. But what happens when the president changes positions? Will our new representative just march lockstep with his hero?

When the GOP passed its health care bill in May, Trump stated "This is a great plan. Your premiums are going to come down." Several weeks later he did a 180 on the disparaged legislation, declaring that the very same plan is "mean."

The question for Greg Gianforte is: Which of Trump's positions will you support? Will you just flip when he flops on an issue, or will you stick to his the initial position? Perhaps more importantly, will you continue to put your support of Trump over the interests Montana and its citizens, or have you begun to realize that what comes out of Trump's mouth may not always be in the best interest of our state?
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An elite school, but not a school of elitists. Specialized, but useful to a wide range of aspiring professionals. Still a school for future mining and petroleum executives  but a school for so many more as well. And, more than ever, a path to prosperity.

As Montana Tech plans for a future that begins now, it is leveraging a reputation many colleges and universities would envy, as a place where success is taught every day, and graduates leave with huge earning potential.

But in todays hyper-competitive higher-education environment, Chancellor Don Blackketter and his team know they have to do more.

Our job, says Joe McClafferty, vice chancellor and president of the Montana Tech Foundation, is to recruit, retain, educate, prepare and graduate. But none of the rest can occur if the first step is not completed.

McClafferty said the school must recruit students the way colleges have recruited athletes. We have to go out and close the deal, he said.

McClafferty says the customer base  those incoming freshmen  are far more sophisticated today. They know what they want in the college experience.

Infrastructure key to recruitment

A big part of recruitment is selling that experience of being a Tech student. As important as the universitys degree programs are, the campus environment is also key.

Thats why the school is close to breaking ground on a new Living Learning Center  expected to be a $24 million building that provides both 166 badly needed dorm rooms but also a Student Success Center where students can work and congregate. The building will include large meeting spaces, an academic center, a creative center, and more.

The building work is out for bid, and fundraising is nearly complete. Of the approximately $24 million price tag, $14 million is financed, $2 million is from university reserves, and $8 million will be from donors. At present, $7 million of that $8 million has been raised.

Other infrastructure improvements abound on the fast-evolving campus.

In April, Tech celebrated the completion of the Natural Resource Research Center, a $10 million, 31,000-square-foot building that will be home to engineering science, OSH and reservoir engineering labs as well as collaborative learning spaces and a nanotech clean room. It also includes a petroleum research lab, energy lab, strengths and materials testing lab, a wood and composites testing lab, dedicated equipment and machinery rooms, student support areas, office space, and unfinished space for future growth.

Another key improvement will be the expansion of the nursing programs simulation laboratory. The $1.5 million expansion will greatly increase the ability of nursing students to practice high-risk procedures  without risking the well-being of actual patients.

Its a 100 percent philanthropic need, McClafferty said, voicing confidence that Tech would be able to raise the money to complete the expansion.

'We have a great business model'

The nursing program is one of the many success stories on the academic side. Techs new four-year RN program is growing rapidly, and is filling a critical need. Projections of nursing shortages are ubiquitous.

Thats just one example of the areas where Tech graduates are in high demand.

We have a great business model, Chancellor Blackketter said last week. Do you think we are going to need more health care, more technology, more engineering, in the future? More people in biology, in chemistry, in ecology, in restoration, in data? We have the right programs to be useful for a long time.

Within the past year, the university has emancipated its mechanical and civil engineering programs. Under the old system, the university offered a general engineering degree with mechanical or civil emphasis, but now those programs, like mining, petroleum, electrical and environmental engineering, are full-fledged.

Also new in the past year is Montana Techs first Ph.D program, in materials sciences, providing the most advanced graduate students with the ability to complete their educations right on the Tech campus.

A real growth area will be the new undergraduate data sciences program  only recently authorized by the Board of Regents and still in the curriculum development stage.

Its a natural fit for a school that already offers graduate degrees in computer science, mathematics and statistics. Professors teaching in those allied programs are working together, Blackketter said, to provide a robust learning opportunity.

In just about every field, Blackketter said, Information is being collected at a staggering rate. Think about research into stream flows, air quality, climate change. In just about every discipline, the data can become overwhelming and without value unless it is treated correctly, and data science is going to enable people to have outstanding careers doing just that. A good data scientist can command in excess of $100,000 right out of college.

An emerging role for Tech

The evolution of Techs academic offerings is closely tied to a new way of looking at the school thats evident at the level of the Board of Regents and the Office of the Commissioner of Higher Education.

Over their past several meetings, the regents have examined the disparate missions and roles of Montana's institutions of higher education.

More and more, the regents and the commissioner are recognizing that Montana Tech is not a typical regional comprehensive four-year institution like, say, Montana Western or Montana State University Billings. Tech is in its own category  a special focus institution by dint of its emphasis on engineering and related science and health specialties.

With that recognition comes different benchmarks. Tech is now compared to a "peer group" of schools with similar specialties, including South Dakota School of Mines and Technology, the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology, Missouri University of Science and Technology, Michigan Technological University, and the Colorado School of Mines.

Using barometers such as average state appropriations per student, Tech's performance, and needs, can be better evaluated within such a peer group of schools with similar missions.

I believe that Montana Tech has been and is a special-focus institution and I think the move by the regents and the commissioners office to recognize that is a great opportunity for the campus, Blackketter says.

While the structure of the states university system is evolving, the recognition of Techs special nature has already brought change. While the schools within the system are still taking advantage of cost-saving shared services, Montana Tech's Blackketter now reports directly to Commissioner Clay Christian, rather than through the president of the University of Montana, as he has in the past. And similarly, Tech's biennial allocation of funds from the Legislature will be administered directly through the commissioners office rather than through UM.

Such change will allow the Regents and the system as a whole to continue to operate efficiently even while taking advantage of  and facilitating  Techs special focus, Blackketter believes.

Preparing students for success

Meanwhile, more and more students are discovering that Techs undergraduate programs do not only work well for budding engineers. McClafferty points out that the institutions expertise in delivering such cornerstones to higher education as mathematics and chemistry is proving its worth preparing undergraduates to advance toward a wide range of healthcare professions, including therapists, dentists and surgeons.

Its business major, too, is extremely competitive, McClafferty says. The business department has been plugging along very successfully, under the radar.

Our degree programs are so important to economic development, locally, statewide, nationwide, even globally, McClafferty says. Our civil engineers will be helping with infrastructure like bridges and hydro projects all over the world, for example.

Of course, mining is not going to get less important to the school first known as Montana School of Mines, perched on the Richest Hill on Earth. Look at your average car, McClafferty says. Used to be, a car would have about 20 pounds of copper. Now, with all the electronics, that number is closer to 55 pounds. We need to keep driving the expertise for new technologies that keep extraction affordable and deliver the minerals we need in modern society.

Where will the students come from?

While foreign economies will continue to advance, driving the need for the expertise and problem-solving Tech students are famous for, McClafferty sees the potential for growth both inside and outside the state.

We need to be proactive about recruiting out-of-state students, McClafferty says, but the university is not looking past the potential customers closer to home  very close to home.

In May, the school announced a scholarship program funded by the Dennis and Phyllis Washington Foundation to help first-generation college students from Butte.

Some 77 percent of Butte families do not have a college education, and 23 percent of Butte families live in poverty, so the potential for Tech to make a difference in Buttes economy is as great as it has ever been.

Joe McClafferty is not a first-generation college student, but his mother was, and her nursing degree made an enormous difference to his family, so Im very passionate about this, he said. Butte kids have grit. They can often achieve much more than they think they can.

Tech competes for its share

Across the state, some 9,500 students will graduate next year. Of those, about 60 percent are expected to go to college somewhere. For its share of that group, Tech will compete with 22 other higher education institutions in the state as well as the universe of out-of-state schools.

One challenge that Tech faces with its incoming recruits: A lack of math preparedness.

Were seeing it, and other STEM schools across the country are seeing it: Too many kids are not math-ready, McClafferty says. So we have to help them get there.

Tech just graduated one of its largest classes ever, conferring some 591 degrees and certificates to 537 students. The challenge is to bring in more students than youre losing through graduation, and such a big number is hard to reach, particularly as depressed commodity prices make some careers look a little less desirable.

While those prices have taken a toll on Tech enrollment in the short term, McClafferty says such a downturn, while expected, is not acceptable. And the widening academic options Tech is offering  even within its core specialties  should help minimize such cyclical fluctuations going forward.

The return on investment Tech degrees offer  even as the expenses of attending school in Butte are relatively low  will continue to be attractive over the long haul, university officials believe.

We know we can help them succeed, Blackketter says. Montana Tech can give its students unbelievable careers that will last a long time.
Fireworks displays, parades, and old-fashioned picnics are among the offerings planned in southwest Montana Monday and Tuesday, July 3 and 4, for Independence Day. The schedule follows:

Anaconda

A parade starts at 2 p.m. Tuesday, July 4. Line-up will begin at 1 p.m. behind the courthouse. Grand marshals are Bea and Howard Rosenleaf.

At dusk, residents can watch the fireworks display at Washoe Park.

Butte

The Big Bang community event will return to Chester Steele Park, Silver and Alabama (across from St. James Healthcare), Monday, July 3, thanks to several sponsors and the partnership of Mainstreet Uptown Butte and the Butte America Foundation.

The free event starts at 6 p.m. and runs through the fireworks that will erupt from the Big Butte at dusk, usually after 10 p.m.

The event features food vendors; children's activities that include sound, color, and light; live band music; and DJs spinning vinyl on the stage for the enjoyment of the pre-fireworks crowd.

On Tuesday, July 4, the annual parade starts at 10 a.m. from the Butte Civic Center and proceeds south on Harrison Avenue.

Details: geverett@montana.com or call 497-6464.

Deer Lodge

The annual Fourth of July fireworks display and pig roast will be held Tuesday, July 4, in the Old Prison Yard, Deer Lodge. Gates open at 6 p.m. for the free event. Details: 406-846 3111.

Dillon

Red, White & Brews will start at 3 p.m. Tuesday, July 4, on Dillons Montana Street. There will be live music, food vendors, and brews from both The Office and the Beaverhead Brewery.

Georgetown Lake

The annual Fourth of July parade at Georgetown Lake starts at noon just above Seven Gables at 150 Southern Cross Rd.

Ennis

The 82nd annual Ennis Fourth of July Parade, Ropin and Reelin', starts at 10 a.m. on Enniss Main Street. Parade entry forms are available by contacting the Ennis Area Chamber of Commerce, 406-682-4388.

In addition, the Ennis Lions Club Fourth of July barbecue starts at 11 a.m. at Peter T's Park, Ennis. The menu includes hamburgers, hot dogs, baked beans, chips, and watermelon.

Virginia City

The professional fireworks display begins at dusk from the Boot Hill area. All donations benefit the Virginia City Rural Fire Department Auxiliary.

Wisdom

The Fourth of July festivities in Wisdom begin with a sunrise flag-raising followed by a free pancake breakfast at the Crossing Bar and Grill. The parade begins at 10 a.m., and at noon, a free hamburger lunch is served at the Masonic Temple.
The Environmental Protection Agency under President Trump and Administrator Scott Pruitt has found a new way to protect human health and the environment.

The agency is fighting real pollution with alternative facts, phantom resources and fantasy mathematics.

First came Pruitts ridiculous commitment to clean up the Berkeley Pit, proclaimed by Sen. Steve Daines on the eve of Pruitts confirmation by the Senate.

Next, Administrator Pruitt wrote in a May memorandum that he wanted to prioritize Superfund cleanups, making sure they are restored to their rightful place at the center of the agencys core mission.

If Superfund is so central, it seems counterproductive that the agencys budget cuts more than $300 million from the program. Which represents almost exactly the same percentage of cut  more than 30 percent  that the rest of the agency is facing.

Pruitt, faced with questions about this, has since said its not a matter of money, but rather a matter of leadership and attitude and management.

In last months memo, Pruitt decreed that authority previously delegated to  the Regional Administrators to select remedies estimated at $50 million or more  shall be retained by the Administrator.

Those in Butte who watch Superfund matters closely were already trying not to be nervous about the fact that retirement packages are being offered to a startling number of workers, and the fact that no permanent Region 8 Administrator has been named by Pruitt. Then, he suddenly appeared to make that appointment moot for Butte with the decision to grab power over major Superfund remedies.

So we asked EPA just what it means that the Administrators office would be making decisions on remedies for this, the largest Superfund site complex in the nation.

Predictably, regional officials punted the information request  to headquarters in Washington.

The response, when it finally came back, was a jaw-dropper.

As Natural Resources reporter Susan Dunlap reports in todays edition of The Montana Standard, the EPA let us know that Butte doesnt have to worry about what the Administrator will do here.

The reason? There are no remedies yet to come for Butte that will exceed $50 million.

To appreciate the truly astonishing nature of this pronouncement, let us first consider just one operable unit  Butte Priority Soils.

The ultimate, overall remedy for this unit is still a matter of negotiation. EPA, ARCO, the state and Butte-Silver Bow have been locked in consent-decree talks for years. EPA Montana Superfund Manager Joe Vranka has said the agency has already overseen some $250 million in work within the operable unit. The remedy now operating  a subdrain and a waste-in-place philosophy  calls for the polluted water collected by the subdrain to be treated in perpetuity.

Were not sure how long perpetuity is but its probably long enough to ring up another $50 million in costs.

And that doesnt take into consideration the fact that a growing, vocal group of Butte residents believes waste in place is not the answer for BPSOU  that waste in the Silver Bow Creek watershed including Northside Tailings, the Diggings East and the Blacktail Berm (in addition to the Parrot Tailings still scheduled to be removed unilaterally by the state) needs to be removed, not capped. It does not take into account the research that has been done since the Record of Decision in the unit was signed  research that shows pollution in the streambed, pollution migrating in groundwater, and pollution near Butte Reduction Works and the slag wall canyon.

$50 million wouldnt touch that, and we all know it.

The fantasy mathematics extends to the Westside Soils operable unit (which includes much of the Flat). What it will take to clean up that operable unit has not even been calculated. Adding to the issue is that much of the pollution in Westside Soils is from abandoned mine sites that may not be tied to ARCO  therefore making it doubtful that a legally responsible party can be found and leaving EPA on the hook for the cleanup.

$50 million? Laughable.

Most concerning about this fantasy math is that it sends a clear message from EPA to Butte: Were almost done here, folks, were going to ignore the cleanup you really deserve, and we just cant wait to hit the road.

With some 1,300 Superfund sites around the country, taking a third of the programs resources away, offering buyouts to more than a thousand workers and lowballing the governments obligations going forward represents a facile dereliction of duty.

Somehow the gabble about leadership and attitude and management makes it all the more repugnant.
In a time when Western Native American tribes needed something to give them hope, they turned to the Ghost Dance.

Their lands had been overrun by white settlers. The buffalo had been slaughtered, and government agents often withheld food allotments.

Their way of life was disappearing, and they longed to return to an earlier time. And so they danced, in hopes of making that happen, speaker Larry Williams said Saturday at the Yellowstone County Museum.

They didnt have weapons, they didnt want to go to war, Williams said in the first of four talks he gave. They wanted to do the dance till the Earth got better.

Williams talks were done in conjunction with the grand opening of the Waiting for the Earth to Move, the 1890 Ghost Dance exhibit. Visitors took advantage of the days free admission at the museum near the Billings Logan International Airport.

Williams, a Billings native who now lives in St. Croix, in the U.S. Virgin Islands, has spent 20 years assembling an extensive collection of Ghost Dance artifacts. The collection is on display in the museum basement, with explanations of the Ghost Dance and the individual pieces.

Several examples of the Ghost Dance regalia sit in a case along one wall. In a quick tour before his first talk, Williams pointed to a shirt in the front that has special meaning.

The painted shirt, decorated with fringe, was owned by one of Sitting Bulls sons, Louis.

Sitting Bull had several sons and Louis was one of his favorites, Williams said. Not all of them were ghost dancers, but Louis was.

The shirt hasnt been seen in public for nearly 50 years, and Williams was pleased to buy it so it could be put on display.

He also pointed out a red-tinged drum made of buffalo hide from the mid-1800s.

The Ghost Dance began with a man named Smohalla in the Walla Walla, Washington, area about 1830 or 1840 and this drum is from that era and that tribe, Williams said. Its incredibly rare, Im so fortunate to have gotten that.

During his talk, Williams talked about Smohallas dream, that if we do the dances, if we live correctly and live in tune with the earth, the earth would have an upheaval and the good people will survive.

Eventually the message was taken up by Jack Wilson, half-Paiute, half-American also known as a prophet or a medicine man named Wovoka, in Nevada.

"He became a huge prophet for the Ghost Dance," Williams said. "He was a huge promoter. He said the buffalo would return as well."

When the Ghost Dance movement really took off it spread across the prairie like wildfire, Williams said. People traveled to hear Wovokas story and he gave them reddish clay they could put on their shirts and moccasins themselves.

They thought the garments, painted with stars and moons, butterflies, fireflies and birds, would protect them from bullets. Most of the shirts were made from muslin, though some were made of buckskin or leather.

The dance itself involved men, women and children dancing together for long periods in order to go into a trance and connect with their dead ancestors. If the dance was successful, it would lead to an eruption of the earth, eliminate the white men and create conditions where their life would go back to the way it was, Williams said.

It was a nonviolent movement, he said, but government agents misconstrued the frenzied dancing as Indians preparing for war. And newspapers fueled fear among people who saw the spreading religious movement as threatening to their well-being.

In 1890, the government sought to put an end to the movement. The Seventh Cavalry was dispatched to the Lakota tribe in South Dakota to stop what was perceived as an increasingly militaristic movement.

The final result was the massacre at Wounded Knee, in which more than 200 members of the Sioux Tribe died.

That was about the end of the Ghost Dance movement, Williams said.

Though it ended in tragedy, Williams is glad to have been able to gather remnants from that important era to share with others, including the decorated regalia.

I hope you enjoy the beauty of what these people did, Williams said.
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CHEYENNE, Wyo.  A recent development in the Wyoming Capitol Square Project will allow people to step into a room restored to reflect what it was like when Wyoming's constitution was written.

That constitutional convention was a landmark event for the nation, as it included an article that opened the floodgates for women's suffrage.

On the Capitol's second floor before restoration began, there was the Legislative Service Office's main office. Above it on the third floor was the House Judiciary Committee office, a medical aid station and three other offices.

But when the Capitol's first phase of construction was completed in 1888, it was the Territorial House Chamber. The two-story room included a public balcony, a stained glass lay light and a brilliant chandelier. After the second phase of construction was completed in 1890, it became the chamber of the first Wyoming Supreme Court.

"When we started, this room was two different rooms," said Wendy Madsen, Legislative Service Office special projects manager. "It wasn't open like this. You can see the floor line, and there are doorways that come out right above us. That was a floor that went all the way across the room, but it's been taken out to restore its original two-story grandeur, and also to re-expose the windows."

One of the primary drivers of the nearly $300 million Capitol Square Project is to create larger meeting rooms for public participation and to restore some the historical elements lost through years of clumsy renovation. When finished, the room will become the largest meeting room in the Capitol, seating around 75 members of the public. It will be available for meetings of important bodies, such as the State Building Commission, State Loan and Investment Board, meetings of statewide elected officials and more.

But among the most interesting components of the restoration is its significance in the history of the U.S. In 1889, the leaders of the Wyoming territory came together to find a pathway to statehood.

Former state lawmaker Mike Massie of Laramie earned his master's degree in history from the University of Wyoming in 1980. He has written about Wyoming's path to women's suffrage.

Wyoming was the first territory to grant women the right to vote in 1869. When the constitutional convention convened, Massie said there was a great deal of debate about whether to include an article in the constitution that would maintain that right should Wyoming become a state. At the time, no state in the union had granted women that right.

"Those territories around Wyoming that had submitted their constitutions did not put that provision in theirs," Massie said.

"Wyoming debated it a bit, and decided they could not abandon their women at that point, and they decided to put it into the draft." Massie said.

Republican Clarence D. Clark was Wyoming's non-voting representative in Congress at the time. Massie said Clark wrote to advise Wyomingites that including the suffrage article in the constitutional draft could put its application for statehood at risk. But those Wyomingites would not abandon their resolve, Massie said.

"After some discussion, the reply back was, 'Let them know we're not going to come into the Union without our women,'" he said. "Wyoming stuck to its guns."

Regardless of the controversy, Wyoming was granted statehood in 1890.

While the chamber was still under construction when she spoke about it early June, Madsen said the historical significance is not lost on her.

"Every time I think about this room, I think about how it's not only important to the state, but also nationally and internationally, because this is where women's suffrage was born," she said.

Today, Wyoming's state Capitol is a National Historic Landmark. While some capitols are designated so because of their architecture, Wyoming's is one of 11 distinguished because of its history.

Massie said the inclusion of Article 6 in the Wyoming Constitution opened the floodgates on women's right to vote in other Western states, later the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Wyoming, he said, really was the innovator that led the charge to greater freedoms for American women.

"Wyoming had crossed the goal line," he said. "It had gone beyond the controversy and allowed women the right to vote. Other states adopted it by passage of laws, but Wyoming adopted it by including it in its Constitution. It was precedent setting."
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If the pop-up restaurant concept seems spontaneous these days, Napa Valley wine veteran Chris Blanchard takes a different view. By way of his own pop-up events and side business, the master sommelier and fried chicken enthusiast is working hard to master the art of southern cooking, a bucket and biscuit at a time.

Earlier this year, Blanchard and his wife, Lauren, were searching for a commercial kitchen space in downtown Napa. The couple became sold on a facility tucked away at the back of the Tannery Row complex on South Coombs Street. Breezes blowing off of the Napa River and views across the water were an added bonus.

Several weeks later, Blanchards Fried Chicken was born, a combination of gourmet destination and gritty determinationwith cheese grits on the side.

I want to make food thats fun, thats soulful, thats a little bit different, the sommelier-turned-fry cook said recently while mixing gallons of cole slaw. It was a couple of days before Blanchards latest Friday take out night, which evolved from the popular fried chicken pop-ups he pulled off last year at local restaurants like Angele, Torc and Oenotri.

Im a white guy making soul food. I like stuff that has some soul to it, that isnt the same old thing, and thats what were doing here. Its a great time, and the food is awesome.

A couple of Fridays a month, Blanchard preps his ingredientsdozens of birds, of course, but also the slaw, mac and cheese, biscuits, and collard greens that complement his New Orleans-style fried chickenand his wife opens the kitchen doors to customers who have placed orders online. A few close friends help execute the menu to a rocking blues soundtrack of John Lee Hooker and Buddy Guy.

Buckets and sides leave with happy customers who, through social media and word-of-mouth, find their way to the Blanchards Fried Chicken website. Its like a wine club, but for fried chicken.

Its a different concept than the pop-ups in that I have this club called The Bucket List, Blanchard explained. People sign up to get notifications of when the next take out night is going to be.

So far, all of the menu items have been selling out in advance, but he confessed it isnt exactly a money-maker. Its a labor of love. I know customer service pretty well, so we try to make everybody happy. We have a good time, theres music playing, and like I said, were just doing it because its fun.

It pays the rent, he added, but above that, Im not making a bunch of money. It might be better to go talk about wine at a seminar somewhere.

Blanchard earned his master sommelier degree in 2008 and has worked for the last few years as national sales manager for Vine Hill Ranch in Oakville. Wine is his passion, but his obsession with southern cooking goes back much further, through the family legend of his grandmother, Opal, who died shortly before he was born.

She was the first school teacher for an all-black school in Wichita, Kansas, he said, describing the woman who would end up a respected educator in South Carolina during the tumultuous late 1950s. Just like a lot of peoples grandmothers in the South, she was a nice grandma who made food to make her family happy.

So this is grandma food, you know, which is fantastic. I feel like Im a grandma cooking for all these strangers I dont even know, welcoming them into my house, coming in to get some chicken and some greens.

Last Friday, the scene at their kitchen reflected what the Blanchards have worked hard to create. Lauren, whose own day job is general manager at Savage and Cook distillers on Mare Island, looked over her printed list of customer orders for that evening. Pick-up times scheduled between four and seven oclock afforded her some control over the fast pace. Her husband and friends moved quickly around the kitchen, from hot stove tops to pressure fryer to convection oven, while Canned Heat played in the background.

We have a general idea of what time people are coming, and as long as about 50 percent of the people show up at the time they say, then were in very good shape from the kitchens standpoint, Lauren explained. Then she laughed that the first evening was quite a rude awakening!

But weve got our system down now. Everybody is just really excited to get some great fried chicken.

As people lined up outside, the reporter was invited to sample a plump, spicy chicken thigh, collard greens, and fairly decadent mac and cheese. Blanchard, who greets almost every customer at the door as theyre picking up their food, nodded with appreciation at the Louisiana-style array of dishes.

The great thing about New Orleans is that the ladies who come bring you foodor the mentheyre full of love. You know, they give you a bucket of chicken, and you smile, and they say, Thats for you, baby. And then you take it, and you eat it, and youre so happy.

Around 5 p.m., Nash Cognetti, the executive chef at Tra Vigne Pizzeria in St. Helena, wandered in for a taste of the signature dish and called it undoubtedly the greatest fried chicken in the state of California.

Another chef, Napas now-retired Greg Cole, has been a customer since the BFC debut. Reached on the phone, he was a little more judicious. As a kitchen person and as a chef, I really enjoy watching front-of-the-house people struggle in the kitchen, he laughed, echoing Lauren. The first time was disaster, although the food was fantastic.

Chriss apron was very dirty, but there was a big box of corn flakes right there, which is always a good sign when youre taking home fried chicken.

Cole recalled enjoying a rose Champagne during Blanchards pop-up dinner at Angele last year, which he described as the perfect wine for fried chicken. Ever the sommelier, Blanchard mentioned that in the near future he hopes to acquire a type 85 wine license so he and Lauren can sell Champagne to go. At the very least, theyll have something in their glass to toast their endeavor.

You know, I love wine; wines great. But the cooking is really fun. I love that, too, and fried chickens something a little bit different that we can bring to Napa. Its something with soul that has its own personality.
JACKSON, Wyo.  Visitors from around the world have listened to a recording at the Jackson Hole and Greater Yellowstone Visitor Center of Nathan Watson explaining the partnership between the Boy Scouts of America and the National Elk Refuge.

The then-9-year-old talks articulately about how Scouts pick up elk antler sheds each year and then auction them off. It's like Scouts help manage the refuge, he said.

"To me community service means an average person in the community goes out to do something that helps the community as a whole," he said on the recording.

Watson, now 18, carried a set of antlers to the podium for the 50th annual Boy Scout Elk Antler Auction in May, his last year at ElkFest with the Scouts.

He waved the antlers around, hamming it up for the crowd as the bid rose from $14 per pound to $22.26 per pound. He was clueless as to how much the pair went for.

"I was too busy pleasing the crowd," he said with a smile.

Watson has participated in the annual event with Boy Scout Troop 268, and previously Cub Scout Pack 268, since he was 6 years old.

Local Scouts donate time and energy to collect sheds in April and auction them during ElkFest, an event that can raise upwards of $200,000 in a single day. Three-quarters of the proceeds go to the National Elk Refuge and the other 25 percent to the Boy Scouts of America.

Watson is comfortable on the podium holding up antlers for bidders, but his father and troop leader, David Watson, remembers how shy he was as a kid.

"He would have never done that even just a few years ago," he said.

His personality shines onstage as he shows a Cub Scout how to run the show.

"You can see the kids gain confidence in themselves," David Watson said. "It's been fun to watch (Nathan) grow up and mature through Scouting."

The spring rite starts in mid-April, when a few hundred Boy Scouts are, in a somewhat orderly fashion, let loose on the refuge to collect shed antlers.

"It's the greatest day in Scouting," Troop 268 Advancement Officer Beth Carlson said.

Her favorite part, she said, is seeing kids on their first hunt.

"The new younger kids come in with the biggest smile on their face holding their first antler," she said. "It's magical."

The annual shed hunt is a tradition for Nathan Watson, his 15-year-old brother, Trevor, and their dad. The trio capitalize on the singular opportunity of exploring the refuge on foot once a year. Such exploration of the refuge is prohibited to the public.

"With technology today it's so easy just to sit and do nothing, literally, and it's so nice to look forward to this every year and get the kids out here," David Watson said.

April 22 was Nathan Watson's last pick-up as a Scout. He found five, one more than his brother. By lunchtime Troop 268 had collected about 80 antlers in the northeast corner of the refuge.

"It's a pretty incredible experience," Nathan Watson said, "one that a lot of people never get to have."

He has made plenty of memories from his time on the refuge, like the year he and his brother found a shed in a river, encapsulated in mud. It's been great having the brothers be able to be in Scouts together, their dad said. Both have earned their Eagle Scout rank.

"Nathan has really helped and encouraged his younger brother to stick with it," David Watson said.

It's not always easy to stick with Boy Scouts, he said. They start as 6-year-olds, and to make it through to 18 is an accomplishment. There are plenty of other opportunities, like sports, and distractions for kids.

"For him to stick with it as long as he did and get to his Eagle has been great," he said.

It doesn't hurt that their troop leader father instilled a sense of service in his boys. If they weren't Scouts they would still volunteer in the community, their dad said.

"It's a great way to really become a citizen of a community," he said. "If you do it at a young age it's a natural thing to do when you're older."
It was a short blueberry season for Fresno-based Triple Delight Blueberries who had its final day at the Napa Farmers Market on Saturday.

Bunches of blueberries can usually be picked about five different times, but this season, the heat caused the berries to ripen sooner than usual, said Jace White of Triple Delight Blueberries.

It just ripened them all, he said. Thats one of the reasons were stopping a little sooner.

Fresno saw temperatures up to 109 degrees this past week, just one degree shy of its record high, according to The Weather Channel.

Other areas like Laytonville, where Judy Serres grows her blueberries, werent as affected by the heat.

Its 10 times hotter down there, the Sonoma County woman said of Fresno. Serres said that her crop of blueberries did just fine in the warmer weather, especially since she kept them well watered. Still, she said, the blueberry season is almost over.

Hopefully two more weeks  but its always touch-and-go, Serres said. You never know.

R. Schletewitz Family Farm, based just outside of Fresno, lost nearly half of their cherries and apricots this year thanks to the heat, said vendor and farm-worker Agustin Lopez. Other crops, though, including peaches, plums, tomatoes, nectarines and grapes have been thriving in the hot weather, he said.

They love it, especially the peaches and the grapes, Lopez said. The hotter it is, the sweeter they get.

This heatwave is really good for the summer stuff, echoed organic farmer Carine Hines of Sun Tracker Farm in Yolo County. Hines said that, due to a lot of rain and cold weather, she and her husband, who are in their second year farming, had a difficult time with their spring crop.

This year was really hard to be honest, Hines said. Last year, even though it was our first year, everything kind of panned out perfectly with the transition of one season to the next  but because of the rain this year it took a really long time for us to get out into the field.

Because of the delay, she said, their summer produce still isnt ready.

We shouldve had zucchini and tomatoes almost a month ago, but we are only getting them next week, Hines said. "Its the reality of farming, youre susceptible to the weather."

It isn't all about the produce  Hines said that one of the things that improved this year was her experience at the market.

"Last year," she said, "we had to get established and get our clients to know us, but this year picked up right away and I think it was because people knew us."

There were 27 farmers at the market on Saturday  more than Napa Farmers Market has seen in the last decade, said Market Manager Charlotte Billings. This season is only the market's second season at the South Napa Century Center, but the location couldn't be better, she said.

"The first year after we move, we expect business to be a little bit slower, but it went up last year," Billings said. Vendors seeing the biggest benefits are those selling food and ingredients, she said. Business is good enough to have multiple vendors selling some of the same type of products without it hurting them, she said.

"We're seeing a lot of local shoppers that are developing loyalty with vendors and farmers," Billings said. "It's all very exciting."
Napa Countys unemployment rate hit a 16-year-low in May, creating both opportunities for people looking for work and problems for employers seeking to hire.

Mays jobless rate dipped to 3.1 percent from 3.4 percent the month before, statistics show.

The last time the jobless rate was that low it was May 2001 when George W. Bush was president, Friends was still on TV and Facebook and Twitter had yet to be invented.

Unemployment ran high after the Sept. 11 attacks, the housing crisis and the Great Recession, peaking at 11.4 percent in both January 2010 and January 2011 before beginning its slow descent, statistics show.

Napas May rate is lower than both the state (4.2 percent) and federal (4.1 percent) unadjusted rates for the month. The rate is the seventh lowest among Californias 58 counties, records show.

Hitting that 16-year-low is wonderful, said Bruce Wilson, executive director of Workforce Alliance of the North Bay.

The low unemployment rate means those looking for work are in great demand, Wilson said. However, for an employer its going to be more difficult to find talent, he said.

Jennifer LaLiberte, an economic development consultant who worked for the city for 19 years, said shes noticing that core Napa County industries such as tourism, manufacturing, hospitality, restaurants, health care and construction are busy.

All of our top industries are thriving and have created lots of new jobs, she said.

The one downside (is that) it is difficult to find and retain employees in certain industries, said LaLiberte. You have to get creative and reach out further away. But its a good problem to have rather than the reverse.

Cheryl Velasquez, director human resources at Embassy Suites Napa Valley, said the 16-year-low rate is great for the economy. But for the actual employer, its a tough world out there. Its very frustrating.

You cannot find people to fill the jobs, she said. Weve tapped out our market.

Velasquez has been in the Napa area since 2013. When I first came here, it was not unlikely to have 20 or 30 people apply for a position. Now, I see four or five people apply for the same type of position.

For example, at her hotel, We have not been fully staffed for two years in housekeeping. Today, out of 130 total team members, she has five jobs open in housekeeping.

And if those rooms arent clean, we cant sell them, she said. Thats our nucleus.

What we end up doing is working the people we have overtime and stressing all of our resources, she said. Long term, Thats no way to run a business.

The need for more workers causes us to be exceptionally creative in recruiting, said Velasquez.

The hotel offers an incentive program to employees with multiple $50 payments and a final $100 payment for recruiting successful hires. We cant do it all. We need our team going out and finding people for us, she said.

She runs into several common obstacles in recruiting.

When recruiting outside of the Napa Valley, potential employees are either going to face a housing issue or a transportation issue.

Its expensive to live in Napa, she said. Theres a housing shortage and workers are resistant to longer commutes.

Some potential employees even have trouble showing up for interviews or failing to return phone calls, said Velasquez.

We have made job offers and have had people not come on the first day. Its frustrating, she said. But with so many employers looking for team members, they know they can go down the street and get another job.

The recruitment continues even after the job offer and start date have been set, noted Velasquez. Constant contact with the new hire between the time the offer is made and the start date is critical, she said.

How are we making them feel part of the family before they become part of the family? That can include handwritten notes and follow-up phone calls. Velasquez said she is careful to check in and walk employees through various steps before that first day of work.

Its a hand-holding process, she said.

Wilson recommends that employers work together within their own industry to generate applicants.

They need to promote their industry as a viable career pathway in Napa County, with good jobs and wages, Wilson said.

At the Workforce Alliance, We have been trying to convene employers in two industries  hospitality and healthcare, said Wilson. A hospitality industry partnership of local employers held their own successful career fair, he said.

You want to build a larger potential applicant pool for your industry, said Wilson.

As for labor costs, my expectation would be that wages would tend to increase because employers are having to get more creative and competitive and wages play a role in that, he said.

At the same time, a low unemployment rate also means its a good time for portions of the community that have typically seen higher levels of unemployment  like youth or people with disabilities  to begin a job search or brush up on their job skills, said Wilson.

WorkForce Napa offers workshops on resume writing and access to job training, he said. The center is now located at former Dey pharmaceutical offices at 2751 Napa Valley Corporate Drive, and open Monday to Friday.

According to the Employment Development Department, the Napa County labor force totaled 73,900 in May 2016 compared to 74,100 this May. An estimated 2,600 people were seeking jobs a year ago, compared to 2,300 this May.

Occupations in Napa County with the most job ads in May included supervisors of food preparation and serving workers, retail salespersons, first-line supervisors of office and administrative support, maids and housekeeping cleaners, supervisors of retail sales workers, supervisors of production and operating workers, customer service representatives, registered nurses and hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks.

Employers with the most job ads included the Napa Valley Unified School District, Auberge du Soleil, Wyndham Worldwide, Silverado Resort and Spa, Treasury Wine Estates, St. Helena Hospital, Villagio Inn & Spa, Las Alcobas, Meritage Resort and Spa and Constellation Brands Inc.
Two suspected shoplifters were caught in American Canyon on Friday after stealing more than $1,000 in products from Safeway and Walgreens, according to American Canyon Police.

The individuals  Monique Jessica Johnson, 28, of Emeryville and Shaka Lee Reader, 30, of Oakland  were contacted behind Safeway after leaving the store, police said. They were found with more than $1,000 in products from both stores as well as products from stores that have not yet been identified, police said. Some of the products found were multiple containers of Dove body wash, Olay skin products, and Womens Rogaine.

Police said that oftentimes when individuals steal multiples of these kinds of products, they try to resell them to either independently owned stores or at flea markets. Police did not say whether or not this was the case with Johnson and Reader.

Both may face charges for shoplifting and possession of a controlled substance, police said.
One of the guns related to the June 14 shooting at a UPS facility in San Francisco that claimed three lives was stolen out of Napa, according to information released by San Francisco Police on Friday.

Jimmy Lam was armed with two stolen weapons. One was an assault pistol illegal in California, stolen out of Utah, Police Commander Greg McEachern said.

Police said that the other weapon -- a semi-automatic pistol -- had been stolen out of Napa, but did not elaborate.

As of Friday, investigators did not have information on who stole the firearms.

Neither Napa Police nor the Napa County Sheriff's Office had any additional information about the stolen firearm when asked on Saturday.

Lams backpack was also found at the scene with one box of ammunition inside, police said.

Investigators have not yet determined the UPS driver Lam's motive, but "the shooting appeared purposeful and targeted," said McEachern.

Lam, 38, shot and killed three fellow drivers and wounded two others before killing himself in front of police. An 18-year veteran of UPS, Lam opened fire at a morning meeting of UPS drivers before the drivers went out on deliveries.

Lam began by shooting Benson Louie, 50, in the meeting before turning the gun on Wayne Chan, 56, McEachern said. He then walked outside and confronted Mike Lefiti, 46, and fatally shot him multiple times.

Lam then walked back inside the warehouse, where police found him after a two-minute search. Lam walked by several other employees he could have shot but didn't, McEachern said.

When police confronted Lam, he had the gun pointed to his head and police ordered him to drop the weapon. Instead, he shot himself, McEachern said.

Lam didn't say anything during the rampage, McEachern said.

The San Francisco Police Department Homicide Detail continues to investigate this incident. Anyone with information is asked to call the SFPD Tip Line at 415-575-4444 or Text a Tip to TIP411 and begin the text message with SFPD.

The Associated Press contributed to this article.
Arab consumers of news and commentary were upset last week to find out that Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt are demanding the closure of Al Jazeera and its affiliate stations. The Kuwaiti leadership delivered a 13-point list of demands made by the four countries that have imposed a blockade on Qatar on charges that it supports terrorism.

Condition No. 6 on the list calls for the closure of Al Jazeera Satellite Network and its affiliates, while No. 11 calls for the closure of other Qatari-funded websites, newspapers and media outlets.

Established in 1996 and staffed mostly by former BBC-trained professional reporters, Al Jazeera was a breath of fresh air in a region that only understood news as the product of governments rather than the public's right to know. Its motto -"the opinion and the counter opinion" - quickly won it huge audiences in an Arab world that was thirsty for any alternative to state-run television that had monopolized the airwaves for decades. The network worked hard initially on presenting balanced programming with high journalistic standards. Audiences responded positively, and the satellite channel quickly became and continues to be the No. 1 Arabic language news channel.

The Arab Spring caught the network off guard (although many say it was behind it), but it quickly became involved and certainly gave a voice and wall-to- wall coverage to the demonstrations for democratic change.

In the past few years, the network has slipped somewhat in its credibility and neutrality, reflecting some biases. As the Arab Spring started to fade and some of the Islamists who had gained power were ousted, Al Jazeera overreached at times, which has resulted in a loss of credibility. A local Egyptian affiliate, Al Jazeera Mubasher (which means "direct"), was supposed to work like C-SPAN in the United States, but it focused almost exclusively on continuous broadcasting and rebroadcasting of pro-Muslim-Brotherhood protests. This particular affiliate station, which was closed in 2014, was often viewed as a mouthpiece of the Muslim Brotherhood, rather than a proper professional outlet.

But despite some mistakes and the absence of total balance, the Doha-based network's news is still attractive to millions of viewers.

Watching the nightly one-hour news program "al Hasad" (the harvest) is a must for anyone interested in following what is happening in the world, especially issues dealing with the Middle East. Even the most one-sided reports always present an opposing opinion. Based on news value, the network's presenters regularly interview leaders and experts from all walks of life. They have interviewed heads of state, opposition leaders and leading experts and activists. There is no taboo on anyone, including Israelis, Kurds, Egyptians, U.S. Democrats and Republicans, and right- and left-wing activists from around the world.

The media is a conduit of news and commentary and should not become a part of any conflict between neighboring countries. Instead of trying to kill the messenger, the best way to respond to content that is unfavorable is to produce countering content, not to punish the media or the country that is supporting it.

Millions of viewers in the Arab world have consistently allowed Al Jazeera Arabic to boast that it is by far the No. 1-viewed news network in the region. Part of its size is due to the tremendous resources of highly trained professional journalists, relative editorial freedom to operate and large budgets. All this is translated into the ability to cover stories around the world from all perspectives.

The push by Arab states for the closure of Al Jazeera and its affiliates appears to reflect jealousy and internal fighting rather than a demand regarding the network's content. If the demand was to stop hate speech or incitement to violence, it might be better understood. But this is a blanket insistence on closing the network.

The need to stop demonizing journalism is not limited to the crisis in the Gulf. In recent months, Egypt, the Palestinian Authority, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and others have increased their blocking of news websites. Through draconian press laws and the arrests of journalists, the Arab world is slipping further and further in press freedom rankings.

The 2017 World Press Freedom Index issued by the Paris-based Reporters Without Borders ranks Saudi Arabia as 168 out of 180 countries. Bahrain is ranked 164, Egypt 161 and United Arab Emirates 119. Qatar is ranked 123.

The information revolution has brought home to everyone the near-impossibility of controlling information. Audiences in the Arab world and elsewhere are smart enough to be able to change channels and bypass Web blockades to get the information they desire and trust. To keep audiences informed, it's vitally important to keep the media out of the current Gulf conflict. Bad and biased media should be tackled through balanced and professional journalism, not by using a sledgehammer.
The secretly drafted Better Care Reconciliation Act of 2017 is more repeal than replacement of the Affordable Care Act.

The Senate bill has the same shortcomings as the bill the House passed in May. Both propose deep cuts in federal Medicaid funding that would force states to either raise state taxes or drastically reduce health care programs for poor, elderly, disabled and pregnant citizens. Montana would be especially hard hit by the proposed changes because it now receives a higher match rate than most states. Still Medicaid is already 10 percent of state spending. To backfill the federal funds that GOP lawmakers have proposed cutting, Montana would have to more than triple its spending on Medicaid.

Montana health care leaders responded quickly to the unveiling of the secretly drafted U.S. Senate bill. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has said he wants this 142-page bill passed before the Senate starts its July 4 vacation.

To protect the future of rural health care, we urge our elected leaders to preserve Medicaid and Medicaid expansion funding and support hospitals and caregivers in their mission to improve the health of their communities, said Dick Brown, president of the Montana Hospital Association.

Montana nursing homes face even bleaker prospects under the Senate and House health care bills. Montana nursing home operators pleaded with legislators earlier this year to avoid cuts in payments that already fall far short of covering the costs of 24/7 care for frail elders. The final state budget didnt make most of the threatened cuts, but froze Medicaid reimbursement rates for nursing homes.

The largest nursing home in Billings, St. Johns Lutheran Home, is paid $74.72 per day less than the cost to provide services to Medicaid enrollees, which will add up to $2.12 million by years end, according to chief executive David Trost. Medicaid is the sole payer for more than 60 percent of the resident of Montana nursing homes.

Under both Senate and House bills, Montanas present Medicaid coverage of 79,000 very low income adults under age 65 would probably end in summer 2019. Our state Medicaid expansion law (the HELP Act) will be up for renewal in the 2019 Legislature and it contains a trigger that ends the program if the federal government pays less than 90 percent of costs.

Sen. Jon Tester has made his opposition to the Senate bill clear: It will rip away Medicaid from thousands of Montanans, impose an age tax on folks in their 50s and 60s, make it harder to get coverage if you have a pre-existing condition.

We call on Sen. Steve Daines to oppose this Senate bill that was written in secret without public input. We challenge Daines to champion Montanas health care needs by insisting on reforms that actually cut the costs of health care for Americans rather than imposing arbitrary federal caps that will keep Montanans from getting care when they need it.

Montanans need health care that is affordable and accessible. The Senate bill would put care out of reach for many of us.
17:45

Six people, including three children, were injured when a car mounted a kerb and ploughed into a crowd of people participating in an event to celebrate Eid outside a sports centre in northeast England today.



Police said the incident in Newcastle was not believed to be terrorism-related but a full investigation was underway.



"As previously stated there is nothing to suggest that this is terror related. A 42-year-old woman is currently in police custody and police are not looking for any other suspects at this time," a Northumbria Police statement said.



One of the children is said to have been critically injured. Hundreds of people were at the event this morning to mark the end of Ramzan outside the Westgate Sports Centre.



A North East Ambulance Service spokesman said: "We received our first 999 call at 9.15 this morning to report a car that had mounted the kerb.



"We have taken six people to hospital; they have gone to the Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle; three children and three adults."



Emergency services included six ambulances, two paramedic rapid response vehicles and the air ambulance.



An eyewitness told the BBC: "From what I understand, [a woman who had been at prayer] was about to leave in her car and I believe she lost control.



"I ran up straight away because everyone was moving in on all the injured, trying to put water in their mouths.



"The parents of the kids were there, I had to sort of try and calm them down just to tell them the ambulance is there and they will take care of it; they know what they're doing.



"It caused a lot of panic; everyone was screaming when it happened, it wasn't the best of experiences."



Chi Onwurah, Labour MP for Newcastle Central, tweeted: 'So sad, I was at the prayers earlier & there were so much joy & unity. Thinking of those affected by what I am told was terrible accident.'



Britain is on high alert following recent terror attacks involving vehicles.



On June 19, a man drove a van into Muslim worshippers in London, killing one and injuring others. -- PTI


Source: Xinhua| 2017-06-09 05:19:12|Editor: yan

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CHICAGO, June 8 (Xinhua) -- A fire broke out at a biodiesel facility on Thursday in the U.S. state of Wisconsin, causing damage but no injuries.

Fire fighters responded to a report of fire on Thursday morning at a renewable energy plant building in DeForest, some 25 km north of Madison, the capital of Wisconsin.

Crews arriving at the site saw smoke and flames from one building. It took about an hour to get the fire under control, reported Wisc-TV.

Fortunately, all employees were safely evacuated and no one was injured. The cause of the fire was still under investigation, said officials, who estimated the damage at 1 million U.S. dollars.

In September 2014, a similar fire burned through the roof of a building on the same site, causing panic among local residents. The plant at that time reportedly stored methanol and hydrogen, both highly flammable.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan delivers a speech during a ceremony for veterans and relatives of victims in Ankara on October 27, 2016. (AFP PHOTO)

ANKARA, June 24 (Xinhua) -- Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Friday that Turkey will never allow the establishment of a state in northern Syria, state-run Anadolu Agency reported Saturday.

"Nowadays, there is some negative progress in Syria. If that would cause any threat to our borders, the world should know that we would react the same as we did in Operation Euphrates Shield," Erdogan said during a speech in the southeastern province of Sanliurfa late Friday.

Turkey launched Operation Euphrates Shield last August to wipe out the Islamic State (IS) militants and stop the advance of Syrian Kurds in northern Syria. The operation ended in late March.

"In case of even the slightest threat against our country, we will do what's necessary without consulting anyone," Erdogan said.

The president also warned the United States to cut its ties with the People's Protection Units (YPG).

"We told our strategic allies to build cooperation with us in the fight against IS but they choose to operate with terror groups," he said.

Turkey considers the YPG Syrian affiliates of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which is designated as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the U.S. and European Union.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-06-25 00:47:18|Editor: An

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Afghan Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah (R) shakes hands with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi during their meeting in Kabul, capital of Afghanistan, on June 24, 2017. (Xinhua/Dai He)

KABUL, June 24 (Xinhua) -- Afghan Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah and visiting Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi agreed here Saturday that the two countries will further strengthen cooperation in all fields.

Afghanistan-China relations have been continuously making positive progress in recent years, said Abdullah, adding that the Belt and Road Initiative brought about new opportunities for cooperation.

He said Afghanistan is willing to boost cooperation with China in fighting terrorism and make joint efforts to maintain regional peace and stability.

The Chinese foreign minister said the two countries have made pragmatic achievements through cooperation in various fields. China is willing to work together with Afghanistan in implementing the Belt and Road Initiative, strengthen cooperation in the fields of interconnectivity and intercommunication, improve people's welfare and boost socio-economic development.

Wang expressed gratitude for the Afghan side for support in the crack down on the "East Turkistan Islamic Movement" terrorist group, and said China supports Afghanistan in promoting the inclusive reconciliation process.

He said that as a common friend for both Afghanistan and Pakistan, China sincerely hopes that the two countries can enhance communications, strengthen mutual trust and send out positive signals to the international society.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-06-25 00:47:20|Editor: yan

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ISLAMABAD, June 24 (Xinhua) -- Death toll of the twin bomb blasts that hit a busy market in Pakistan's northwest city of Parachinar on Friday has risen to 67, officials said on Saturday.

According to a local administrator Shoukat Yousafzai, death toll of the twin blasts that ripped through a market on Friday in Parachinar city of tribal region Kurram Agency has risen to 67, after 22 wounded people succumbed to their injuries during treatment at different hospitals on Saturday.

Yousafzai said that at least 140 injured are still under treatment at hospitals, adding that the death toll might further rise as several of the injured are still in critical condition.

The incident took place when some unknown terrorists triggered a low intensity blast amid people busy with shopping at a downtown busy Turi market of the city for the coming Eid festival, a holiday which marks the end of the fast month Ramadan.

The first blast was used as a decoy to lure more people to the site for the second attack. Few minutes after the first explosion when hundreds of people gathered around the site to witness the rescue work, a much bigger blast occurred only meters away from the site of the first blast, leaving a massacre behind it.

According to the local media reports, the twin explosions were triggered with remote-controlled devices. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack yet.

Pakistan army used its helicopters to airlift the critically wounded people to the hospitals in Peshawar, the country's northwest provincial capital.

Following the incident, the Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR), a mouthpiece of Pakistan army, said security had been tightened across the country and special intelligence based operations and search operations had been launched in cooperation with intelligence and other law enforcing agencies.

Pakistani President Mamnoon Hussain and Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif condemned the terrorist attack in Parachinar and expressed deep grief and sorrow over the loss of precious lives.

"These cowardly attacks are a sign of growing frustration of terrorists and extremists. Such elements deserved no mercy and would meet their fate soon in view of the unflinching and united resolve of the entire nation against terrorism and extremism," said the PM.

In another incident on Friday morning, a suicide bomber rammed his vehicle laden with 75 kilograms of explosives into a check post outside a senior police officer's office in the country's southwest city of Quetta, killing 14 people and leaving over a dozen others injured.

At least seven policemen were among the deceased who died in the Quetta blast claimed by the terrorist organization Jamaat-ul-Ahrar, a splinter group of Pakistani Taliban.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-06-25 04:23:16|Editor: yan

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WASHINGTON, June 24 (Xinhua) -- U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin is to marry a Scottish actress in a ceremony here Saturday, with many prominent members of the U.S. administration scheduled to attend.

Mnuchin, 54, will be marrying Louise Linton, 36, at the historic Andrew W. Mellon Auditorium in center Washington.

U.S. President Donald Trump, First Lady Melania Trump, and U.S. Vice President Mike Pence are expected to show up at the celebration, along with about 300 other guests.

The marriage will be the third for Mnuchin and the second for Linton.

Mnuchin and Linton reportedly met each other in Los Angeles in 2013, where Mnuchin worked as an investor in the film industry and Linton as an actress.

Mnuchin was said to have proposed two years after their meeting and the two kept their wedding plans closely under wraps until U.S. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross let slip of the date earlier this week.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-06-25 07:34:04|Editor: Liangyu

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CHICAGO, June 24 (Xinhua) -- Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT) grains futures closed mixed over the trade week which ended on Friday, as uncertain weather forecasts have double effects on different crop futures.

CBOT corn futures fell 25 cents on improved Central U.S. weather, and the elimination of any high pressure ridging for early July.

Rather abruptly, abnormally cool temperatures have been established across the heart of the corn belt, which in the near term will ease concerns about dryness and provide a modest boost in crop ratings across Illinois, Indiana and Missouri.

Argentine corn fob basis has sunk to record lows and U.S. export demand will be slowing over the next 10-12 weeks.

However, unlike recent years, there's not a clear North American climate signal. Record warm ocean tempertures globally are causing fits for the model output, and analysts' best guess on the reminder of summer is wild swings in weather conditions. Heat and dryness is expected to reveal itself a few more times between now and September.

Technically, the market failed at recent highs, and so the long-established range will continue until weather in the second half of July is known.

Wheat futures ended mixed, but firm relative to neighboring corn and soy markets. CME futures fell a penny, Kansas city market fell 5 cents, while spring wheat futures rallied to new highs for the move at 6.60 U.S. dollars per bushel, basis spot.

Major world exporter production is in retreat and weather concern exists across northern U.S., Southern Canada, Eastern Europe, Ukraine and Australia. And most traders are concerned about the arrival of heat and dryness in the Black Sea next week.

Combined major exporter production may be down 4-5 million metric tons from the United States Department of Agriculture's (USDA) forecast, and thus down roughly 20 million metric tons from last year.

Soybeans were under pressure at the start of the week as the extended weather forecasts turned cooler and wetter. Reduced weather threats, and selling ahead of key USDA June reports kept the soybean market under pressure through the week.

Spot July soybeans tested 9 U.S. dollars per bushel in late week trade, while new crop November slipped to 9 month lows.

Key USDA reports will be released at the end of the week with National Agricultural Statistics Service's count of June 1 soybean stocks and updated estimates of new crop acreage.

Trade estimates have soybean stocks at a decade old high, while the average estimate calls for a slight increase in soybean acres from March.

The soybean market is back to deeply oversold levels, and professional investors are not willing to advise sales at current prices, but adverse weather is needed to spur any kind of recovery into late summer.
I am sad to see the Honorable Russell C. Fagg leave his service as a District Judge for Yellowstone County. He has been an asset to the Judicial Branch, as well as an asset to the community, especially in the area of the creation of the Self-Help Law Library. Id like to commend him for his service and wish him much success in his political aspirations. I strongly advise voters everywhere to consider him for whatever office he runs for, and to support him.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-06-25 08:04:18|Editor: An

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SAN FRANCISCO, June 24 (Xinhua) -- A photo exhibition in San Francisco, a city on the U.S. West Coast, kicked off Saturday morning a series of events to mark the 20th anniversary of Hong Kong's return to China.

The show displayed some five dozens of photos provided by China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs to feature historical moments, as well as social and economic life, of Hong Kong, since China resumed exercise of sovereignty over the territory on July 1, 1997.

The territory has been a special administration region, or SAR, under China's "one country, two systems" principle.

At a community center in Chinatown of San Francisco, where over 20 percent of residents are of Chinese descent, the highest percentage among major U.S. cities, more than 200 people, including Luo Linquan, Chinese Consul General to the city, and some Chinese language students, attended the opening of the event.

Co-organized by five local Chinese American community groups, plus some community leaders of various walks of life, the exhibition's opening was followed in the afternoon by volleyball competitions at a playground in the very center of Chinatown among 15 teams, and three top winners would be awarded at a ceremony in the evening.

To further celebrate the 20th anniversary of Hong Kong's return to China, a discussion forum is scheduled for Sunday, a dinner party for next Saturday and a performance gala next Sunday.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-06-25 09:09:32|Editor: An

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KATHMANDU, June 25 (Xinhua) -- Nepalis who live in Hong Hong as part of the Hong Kong society have been benefiting from Beijing's policy toward the special administrative region of China, former Nepali Consul General in Hong Kong Mahesh Dahal said.

Mahesh Dahal, now a government's secretary, said China has successfully implemented the principle of "one country, two systems" in the Hong Kong Special administrative Region (SAR) over the past 20 years, delivering benefits to the Hong Kong people immensely.

It is estimated that there are over 20,000 Nepalis living in Hong Kong. Those who choose to stay want to take root there, especially if their children were born there. They have Hong Kong identity cards, but their nationality is still Nepali.

Nepalis first entered Hong Kong as part of the British Army's Brigade of Gurkhas. When Hong Kong returned to China in 1997, the brigade was disbanded and Gurkhas and their children were allowed to stay there.

Since then, Nepalis there have turned to other jobs available, particularly in the fields of hotel, restaurant, security guard and construction, and found immense economic opportunities there.

Muna Gurung, who has got Hong Kong residence identity card, had no difficulty to find a job in Hong Kong when she got there three years ago after marriage with a man already living there.

"It is easier to get jobs in Hong Kong. Many Nepalis are working in hospitality and construction sectors," Gurung told Xinhua, adding that despite being a minority community in the region, the Nepalese are living a respectful life there.

Gurung, who is currently in Nepal, has all her family members residing in Hong Kong. They are employed in different sectors in Hong Kong.

Although many Nepalis are in elementary jobs there, there is also a growing number of Nepalis starting their own businesses in Hong Kong.

"Over the last 20 years, Nepalis are seen establishing companies related to labor supply for construction, hotels and restaurants, groceries and export-import businesses," said Purna Basnet, a Nepali journalist who stayed in Hong Kong almost a decade.

As doing business is easier in Hong Kong, Shiva Lamichhane, a Nepali bullion trader, has expanded his business there. His wife with Hong Kong identity card handles the business there. "I took the opportunity for business expansion there," Lamichhane told Xinhua.

Basnet observed that China has been applying "one country, two systems" successfully, which could be envious to many.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-06-25 10:30:23|Editor: Liangyu

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YANGON, June 25 (Xinhua) -- Myanmar and the World Bank Group have renewed an agreement of the Country Partnership Framework (CPF), extending it to two more years to help the country end extreme poverty and promote inclusive growth especially in rural areas, official media reported Sunday.

Over the next two years, up to 1.2 billion U.S. dollars financed by the International Development Association (IDA), a financing subsidiary of the World Bank Group, will be earmarked for Myanmar with technical assistance and advisory services, a statement of the World Bank Group was quoted as saying.

The CPF agreement, which began in 2015, has benefited some 5.4 million Myanmar people in terms of better schools, roads and other infrastructure. Stipends under the agreement have helped 150,000 more students to attend school.

Describing the extension of the CPF agreement as closely aligning with Myanmar's economic policy, U Kyaw Win, Minister of Planning and Finance, said it helps the country to consolidate progress and advance toward achieving key development priorities, such as rural development and fostering human capital through efforts to improve nutrition, infrastructural development and creation of jobs.

In April, the World Bank approved 200 million U.S. dollars' credit to Myanmar to assist the country maintaining a stable economy for growth and poverty reduction.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-06-25 12:11:01|Editor: An

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MAPUTO, June 24 (Xinhua) -- Mozambican officials have launched a probe after an audit raised questions over 500 million U.S. dollars of secret government loans, the country's prosecutor's office said Saturday.

The audit, by British risk management firm Kroll, revealed the 500-million-dollar gap from a total of 2 billion dollars in loans, said a statement from the office.

Findings of unapproved credits to tuna fishing company EMATUM, security firm Proindicus and Mozambique Asset Management (MAM) have led the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and donor countries to halt financial support to Mozambique which dealt a blow to the economic growth of the Southeast African nation.

In a summary of the audit, Kroll said Mozambican officials had given inconsistent answers about how 500 million dollars earmarked for the tuna fishing company had been spent.

"Gaps remain in understanding how exactly the 2 billion dollars were spent, despite considerable efforts to close those gaps," it said.

"Until the inconsistencies are resolved, and satisfactory documentation is provided, at least 500 million dollars of expenditure of a potentially sensitive nature remains unaudited and unexplained," it added.

The audit summary found that the companies that borrowed money are not operational and also identified their mismanagement in complying with contract obligations.

The IMF also praised the prosecutor's office for releasing the summary report, saying that it was a step forward towards transparency over the debts.

A mission from the IMF is expected to discuss the audit results with the Mozambican authorities in July.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-06-25 13:38:40|Editor: Liangyu

A Muslim mother carries her child as they wait for the start of the prayer in celebration of the Eid al-Fitr in Quezon City, the Philippines, June 25, 2017. Muslims around the world celebrated the Eid al-Fitr festival, which marks the end of the fasting month of Ramadan. (Xinhua/ROUELLE UMALI)
Source: Xinhua| 2017-06-25 12:21:01|Editor: An

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YANGON, June 25 (Xinhua) -- Myanmar military has released 67 more cases of under-aged child soldiers recruited and used in military services, signifying the first such release in 2017.

Under a joint action plan with the United Nations to end and prevent the recruitment and use of child soldiers, the number of such release has reached 877 as of June this year since the action plan was signed in 2012.

The move also underlined the importance of protecting children in context of armed conflicts and within the peace process, said a joint statement of the Special Representatives of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict and the Myanmar UN Country Task Force on Monitoring and Reporting on Grave Violation against Children released on Friday.

The freed children are set to benefit from social-economic reintegration programs, including access to education, vocational training and income generating activities, to restart their lives.

Hailing Myanmar's move, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) said the UN Country Task Force would continue to work in partnership with the government to completely end the involvement of under-aged children in armed conflicts.

Myanmar's Ministry of Education has also been making efforts to ensure that the released children can join school without delay.

In efforts to prevent child labor and employment of children in dangerous or illegal work, Myanmar authorities have warned of punishing those who abandon or traffic children under 12 or force them to be in line with criminal and juvenile laws.

Myanmar military has made a high-level review of its joint action plan, acknowledging progress made so far and defining essential remaining steps particularly to strengthen oversight at all the stages of the recruitment process in order to prevent under-aged recruitment.

Other agreed areas of emphasis include accountability for civilian or military perpetrators of under age recruitment, increased protection in the law, and further training for military personnel.

Under the coordination of the Ministry of Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement, various partners provide immediate support for the reintegration of these children with an emphasis on access to education and vocational training, and income generating activities.

UNICEF stressed continued efforts to systematically provide children with effective protection against any form of abuse.

Under a program of protecting under-aged children from taking military services, Myanmar signed an 18-month Action Plan with the United Nations' Country Task Force on Monitoring and Reporting in 2012 which was renewed every six months.

The United Nations has engaged in a dialogue on issues related to child soldiers, agreeing to the appointment of a high level focal point from the Ministry of Social Welfare to engage with the UN Country Team and especially UNICEF on all issues related to children and armed conflict as well as the setting up of a monitoring mechanism to find out the real situation in the country regarding child soldiers with a task force established.

Myanmar has made efforts to stop recruiting minors for military service, promising continuous supervision over the personnel concerned to ensure that they do not accept minors and will work according to the law, rules and regulations and directives.

The country formed the Committee for Prevention against Recruiting Minors into Army in January 2005.

Myanmar's National Committee on the Rights of Child has also pledged to make endeavors to ensure the rights of children in the nation which is cited as the rights to survival, to develop to the fullest, to protection from harmful influence, abuse and exploitation and to participate fully in family, cultural and social life.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-06-25 13:16:13|Editor: Liangyu

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TV grab taken on June 25, 2017 from Samma News shows locals gathering near the burnout vehicles at the accident site in east Pakistan's Baahawalpur, a district in Punjab. At least 120 people were killed and over 100 others injured in an oil tanker fire Sunday morning, said hospital sources. (Xinhua/Samma News)

ISLAMABAD, June 25 (Xinhua) -- At least 120 people were killed and over 100 others injured in an oil tanker fire that broke out in Pakistan's eastern Punjab province on Sunday morning, said hospital sources.

Dr. Aurangzeb, Medical Superintendent of Victoria Hospital in Bahawalpur, a district in Punjab where the incident happened, confirmed that 120 bodies and over 100 injured people have been received by different hospitals in the district.

The incident happened early Sunday morning when large crowds of people gathered at a capsized oil tanker site to collect the spilled out oil on a highway in Ahmad Pur Shaqia, a sub district under Bahawalpur.

The oil tanker turned turtle due to burst tires, local media quoted eyewitnesses as saying.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation, said local police.

Local media reports speculated that the fire could have been caused by the cigarette butts thrown on the ground by the people gathering at the site.

Three fire engines have been dispatched to the site following the report of the oil tanker fire, said local fire department officials, adding that the fire has been put off.

A total of 75 motorbikes and six vehicles were destroyed in the fire, said local police.
Afghan National Security Advisor Haneef Atmar (R) shakes hands with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi during their meeting in Kabul, capital of Afghanistan, on June 24, 2017. (Xinhua/Dai He)

KABUL, June 24 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Saturday said China hopes Afghanistan could achieve peace and national reconciliation as soon as possible.

Meeting Afghanistan's National Security Advisor Haneef Atmar here, Wang said China and Afghanistan are close friends and good neighbors. China supports Afghanistan in its efforts to seek a development path suitable to its national conditions, and sincerely hopes Afghanistan can reach national reconciliation as soon as possible in order to realize peace and reconstruction.

He hoped Afghanistan can strengthen unity and consensus, take full advantage of peace talk mechanisms like the Quadrilateral Coordination Group of Afghanistan, China, Pakistan and the United States and adopt active and flexible measures to promote the peace process.

Noting that Afghanistan and Pakistan are close neighbors, Wang said as a good friend of both, China hopes the two countries can improve their relations, rebuild mutual trust, co-exist peacefully and cooperate to mutual benefit. This is a must and of great significance not only to their own development, but also to regional anti-terror efforts and peace and stability in South Asia.

Wang said Afghanistan is an important partner in China's anti-terror cooperation. China hopes Afghanistan will continue to provide steadfast support for the crackdown on the "East Turkistan Islamic Movement" terrorist group.

Atmar said Afghanistan views China as its best friend and partner in all areas and hopes that bilateral practical cooperation shall be expanded. China, Afghanistan and Pakistan are faced with common challenges and threat and Afghanistan is willing to establish a dialogue mechanism to enhance the trilateral communication.

He reiterated that Afghanistan is committed to promoting national reconciliation process, willing to resume talks with the Taliban and welcomes the revival of international mechanisms so as to facilitate peace talks.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-06-25 13:51:21|Editor: Zhou Xin

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HOHHOT, June 25 (Xinhua) -- On a hot summer day in Qinglongshan township, Naiman Banner, in northern China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, villagers are coming to Zhao Maolin's lab to get virus-free sweet potato seedlings.

"We must hurry, or we will miss the best time to sow," Zhao said.

Zhao, 52, an associate researcher at the Institute of Genetics and Development Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, has been seeking ways to help local villagers get rid of poverty in Naiman Banner, Tongliao city.

Naiman, located in the hinterland of the Horqin Desert, is a national-level poverty-stricken area with 32,904 people living below the poverty line of 3,168 yuan (460 U.S. dollars).

"The virus-free seedlings helped increase the yield by 67 percent last year," Zhao said.

In July 2015, Zhao was stationed in Naiman as leader of an anti-poverty work group.

"I still remember the first few days when I arrived. I found that most sweet potatoes here were severely infected with a virus, and as a result, the yield was poor," he said. "But there was a great demand for the starch and noodles made from them."

Zhao soon established a research lab in the town, determined to develop high-yield virus-free seedlings and finally succeeded in April last year. He started with an experiment, planting 1,000 seedlings.

"We had a yield of 2,500 kg per mu (about 0.07 hectares) of land last year. In the past we only had 1,500 kg," said Zhang Yubao, a villager.

The seedlings are free for households registered as living below the poverty line.

With the help of the seedlings, the annual income of each household was estimated to increase by at least 6,000 yuan above the poverty line.

Qinglongshan township had 1,622 people living under the poverty line in 2016, but thanks to the virus-free seedlings, 282 of them are no longer in poverty.

"Villagers used to be quite conservative, but planting virus-free potatoes not only has helped them increase income, but also made them believe in the magic of science," Zhao said.

Teaching the villagers was difficult and attracting investors no easier. "We talked to more than ten companies and finally persuaded one of them to invest," he said.

With a deal signed last September, 2,000 hectares of sweet potatoes will be planted in the town this year, and a zone will be built to process potatoes into starch and noodles. Companies and supermarkets nearby will also purchase the potatoes.

"Science and technology can play a big role in poverty relief. We are trying to bring science and technology to the farmlands, adding vitality to local economic growth," said He Minghong, deputy director of the National Natural Science Foundation of China.

The foundation has provided a total of 35.2 million yuan (5.16 million U.S. dollars) and implemented a series of poverty relief projects in the county since 2003, such as bringing in improved cow breeds.

Zhao's two-year term will end in July, but he has applied to stay to serve another term.

"I want to further improve the seedling, push the potato processing zone into operation and witness that the villagers' dream of a better life comes true," he said.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-06-25 13:56:24|Editor: Song Lifang

Photo taken with a mobile phone shows burnout vehicles at the accident site in east Pakistan's Baahawalpur, a district in Punjab, on June 25, 2017. At least 120 people were killed and over 100 others injured in an oil tanker fire Sunday morning, said hospital sources. (Xinhua)

ISLAMABAD, June 25 (Xinhua) -- At least 123 people were killed and over 100 others injured in an oil tanker fire that broke out in Pakistan's eastern Punjab province on Sunday morning, said rescue officials and hospital sources.

Muhammad Baqir, an official in charge of the rescue work, said 123 people were killed in the fire while over 100 others suffered from burn injuries.

Dr. Aurangzeb, medical superintendent of Victoria Hospital in Bahawalpur, a district in Punjab where the incident happened, confirmed that 120 bodies and over 100 injured people have been received by different hospitals in the district.

The death toll could further rise as 31 injured people are in critical condition, he said,

The incident happened at about 6:30 a.m. local time on Sunday when large crowds of people gathered at a capsized oil tanker site to collect the spilled out oil on a national highway in Ahmad Pur Shaqia, a sub district under Bahawalpur, which lies about 400 km southwest of Lahore, capital of Punjab.

The oil tanker turned turtle due to burst tires, local media quoted eyewitnesses as saying.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation, said local police.

Local media reports speculated that the fire could have been caused by smokers on the site.

Three fire engines have been dispatched to the site following the report of the oil tanker fire, said local fire department officials, adding that the fire has been put off.

A total of 75 motorbikes and six vehicles were destroyed in the fire, said local police.

Many people from nearby villages came on motorbikes to collect the oil spilled out from the capsized oil tanker after the incident occurred, eyewitnesses told media.

Six vehicles including one traffic police vehicle were engulfed by the fire, said police.

Pakistan Army Chief Qamar Javed Bajwa and Chief Minister of Punjab Shahbaz Sharif both expressed sorrows over the incident.

The army chief has instructed the army to participate in the rescue work and military helicopters have been dispatched to the site, Inter-Services Public Relations, a media wing of the army, said in a statement.

Shahbaz has directed the concerned authorities to provide the best possible medical treatment to the fire victims.
North Dakota farmers have sold a lot of corn, but many agree theres still a fair amount of crop left after last years record production  and that surplus could wreak havoc on local prices.

Weve already moved a significant amount out of North Dakota for the crop year, said John Miller BNSF Railways group vice president of agricultural commodities. Weve been moving it steadily since last fall.

But a March 31 U.S. Department of Agriculture report recorded an estimated 215 million bushels of corn being stored on farms in the state.

North Dakota State University crop economist Frayne Olson expressed concern that many farmers are still sitting on the grain, hoping for a price rally. If that does happen, the local basis, which is a deduction or premium subtracted from or added to the futures price to determine a local cash price, could drop, leading to much lower prices paid to farmers in the state.

Something like this happened a few weeks ago when prices saw a slight bump.

The North Dakota Corn Council received reports of a number of elevators taking in a lot of corn, with long lines of trucks waiting their turn to dump. At the same time, over the past few weeks, the local basis has taken 70 cents to a $1 off compared to the market price in Chicago.

Dale Ihry, executive director of the Corn Council, said the USDA is set to release updated grain stock numbers on Friday, which will give everyone a better idea of where stockpiles might sit.

Ihry said, based on most of the reports passed on to him by producers, farmers used that first price rally to get rid of grain that had been stored outside or in other, less ideal settings due to last year's high yields.

"By all accounts, there's still a lot of corn out there," he said.

And grain elevators say another rush such as the one from a few weeks ago could happen again as farmers, especially in the less drought affected east, try to make room in the bin for this year's crop.

In the meantime, BNSF says it has plenty of cars and plenty of resources available to handle the demand.

"We are near record number of shuttles running across the system," Miller said, as Minnesota, North Dakota, parts of South Dakota and Nebraska had record corn yields.

A shuttle is a 110-car unit train carrying about 440,000 bushels.

Miller said the velocity and consistency are good now.

"Frankly, were really in good shape," said Miller, noting that is a change compared to about three years ago when North Dakota grain shipments were facing major delays.

Since then, the railroad has greatly expanded its capacity across the north with an increase in capital spending and investment, according to Miller.

Though the corn stocks are nearly two-thirds of those that caused issue in 2014  corn stocks on March 1, 2014, totaled 192.6 million bushels, soybean stocks totaled 28.3 million bushels and wheat stocks totaled 155.8 million bushels  Miller said the fruits of BNSFs $1.3 billion investment between 2013 and 2016 are coming to bear.

We already have the capacity on the ground to handle it, he said of this years stocks, which totaled 306 million bushels of corn on March 1.

Wheat stocks totaled 206 million bushels. Soybeans stored totaled 62.1 million bushels.

Previously, the velocity was slower, which caused cars not to be turned around as fast.

This year BNSFs capital plan in North Dakota is focused on maintenance, with an expected $80 million investment.

Miller said one way shippers can ensure timely delivery is by making orders ahead of time to make sure locomotives and crews are set aside. He said most shippers are notifying the railroad 10 to 20 days out. Many are also booking August, September and October orders, betting on an average crop.

BNSF is the largest hauler of agricultural products in country, hauling about 10 million cars annually with the industry making up a little more than 10 percent of its business.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-06-25 14:06:28|Editor: Song Lifang

Photo taken on June 20, 2017 shows a researcher working at Cuba's Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (CIGB) in Havana. Cuba's half a billion-dollar biotechnological industry, considered key to the country's future, is looking to expand with innovation and overseas market development. (Xinhua/Joaquin Hernandez)

by Raimundo Urrechaga

HAVANA, June 24 (Xinhua) -- Cuba's half a billion-dollar biotechnological industry, considered key to the country's future, is looking to expand with innovation and overseas market development.

"Today we export our established products to about 50 countries, and we have a portfolio of innovative and unique drugs that are in different stages of research or clinical trials," Merardo Pujol, business development director at Cuba's Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (CIGB), told Xinhua.

Cuban scientists are looking to the future for new ways to create unique and innovative drugs that not only benefit the island's population but also millions of people around the world.

The industry has also made breakthroughs in therapies despite U.S.-led trade embargo and blockade, but needs new markets to grow.

BIRTH OF CUBAN BIOTECH

More than three decades ago, Cuba set its sights on becoming a biotechnology powerhouse.

In the late 1970s, Cuba sent its best scientists to Europe and the United States to study at leading research centers in the emerging field of biotechnology.

An epidemic of dengue in the early 80s jump-started Cuba's fledgling biotech industry, which developed Interferon, a drug that hinders potent viruses.

"In the early stages of Cuba's biotechnology, the leading product was Interferon, and later scientists began to produce biological drugs using recombinant techniques related to genetic engineering," Pujol introduced.

The CIGB was founded in 1986 as the leading institution of Cuba's biotechnology industry. At the research center, the whole scientific cycle from initial research to the production and commercialization of signature drugs is carried out.

Today, "CIGB researches, develops intellectual property or patents, turns laboratory findings into pilot tests and produces drugs on a large scale for exports," said Pujol.

The CIGB developed a recombinant Hepatitis B vaccine in 1990 and practically eliminated the disease in Cuba. The center continues to produce effective vaccines, such as Heberpenta, which protects against diseases like influenza.

Along with its international scientific development, Cuba expanded its research and medical centers to produce drugs through different techniques.

The Center for Molecular Immunology (CIM), founded in 1994, initially developed monoclonal antibody technology for different medical uses.

"The CIM's first product was a monoclonal antibody called OKT3 that was produced for kidney transplants, to prevent patients from rejecting the new organ," Eduardo Ojito, deputy director of the CIM, told Xinhua.

After more than two decades of scientific research, the CIM has also produced high-impact drugs and vaccines against certain types of cancers.

The CIM sells its products to more than 30 countries, exporting five leading drugs and has registered some 100 medications internationally.

Currently, the biotechnology industry contributes more than 500 million U.S. dollars a year to the Cuban economy, with the CIGB alone earning more than 100 million dollars from exports last year.

INNOVATIVE THERAPIES

The CIM registered a drug in 2008 that years later brought hope to millions of people suffering from lung cancer.

The vaccine, called the CIMAvax-EGF, seeks to improve the quality of life of lung cancer patients, and is used by Cuba's healthcare system and in four other countries.

"It does not kill cells directly, but starves them by preventing epidermal growth factor (EGF) from attaching to its proper receptor on the cell," explained Ojito.

The vaccine agent is coupled with a "carrier protein" that further stimulates the immune response and triggers it into producing antibodies against the EGF protein.

"CIMAvax-EGF has already undergone extensive clinical trials in Cuba and around the world, and is an approved therapy for the treatment of lung cancer not just on the island, but also in Colombia, Peru, Paraguay, and Bosnia and Herzegovina," he said.

The vaccine is registered in all continents for possible commercial use worldwide. More than 4,000 lung cancer patients have been treated with the vaccine in global clinical trials, and results show prolonged tumor stabilization, significantly improved overall survival rates and quality of life.

"Today we can say based on statistics that 30 percent of patients receiving the CIMAvax-EGF vaccine positively benefit from the product with substantially improved quality of life," said Ojito.

Another Cuban product that has transformed the biotech industry is Heberprot-P, a medication created in 2006 for treating diabetic foot ulcers.

"With every injection, amino acids and protein synthesis divide cells and the foot ulcer begins to fill with healthy, vigorous tissue, and in about three months on average the wound is completely closed," Dr. Manuel Raices, a researcher at the CIGB told Xinhua.

Currently, Heberprot-P is registered in 23 nations in all continents and used in 10 countries.

"Our product has already been used on more than 60,000 patients in Cuba and around 250,000 patients worldwide, preventing more than 70 percent of amputations," said Pujol.

According to these researchers, the success of the Cuban biotechnology industry lies in its collaboration with the nation's universal healthcare system, which has success rates comparable to developed countries.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-06-25 15:21:52|Editor: Song Lifang

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MEXICO CITY, June 24 (Xinhua) -- Mexican officials agree that it is high time to bolster agricultural trade ties with China, as the country needs to diversify its trade, given the uncertainty of its relationship with its northern neighbor.

"Opening and strengthening the channels of trade with powers such as China is very important for us," and so is "not relying on a single trade relationship," Federal Deputy Cristina Gaytan Hernandez told Xinhua.

Hernandez, a member of the opposition Democratic Revolutionary Party, urged producers and business owners from Mexico and China to forge closer ties, especially in the agricultural sector, which offers "great" potential.

The only thing missing is to foster "friendship, trust and respect so that in the field of trade our countries can find great economic advantages for their communities and for the comprehensive development of both nations," said Hernandez.

Agricultural trade with China continues to center on soybean, but as China's economy expands, so does the purchasing power of its urban middle class with accompanying changes in lifestyle and consumption, according to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.

Hernandez's remarks were echoed by Adriana Herrera Moreno, director of international trade negotiations at the Ministry of Agriculture, who emphasized the importance to "talk about increasing trade and creating opportunities for China and for Mexico."

"Agriculture is one of the sectors that would win (from expanded trade ties), because China offers a growing market that demands products that Mexico can supply, such as meats, fruit and high value-added products that offer our producers opportunities to diversify their incomes," said Moreno.

Though Mexico has no trade agreement with China in the area of agricultural commodity, it is working to meet China's phytosanitary requirements with an eye to opening the Asian market to Mexican-made produce.

"We will continue to work hard to strengthen our sanitary protocols towards China, and that is important because it provides us with the guidelines to be able to export and create real market opportunities" for the national industry, said Moreno.

The ministry is also committed to investing in promoting any new export products in the Chinese market, as it has with tequila and avocados, she said.

Mexico's China-bound agricultural exports mainly consist of cotton, beer, tequila, pork, avocados, cranberries, raspberries and blue berries.

Mexico City's Secretary of Labor Amalia Garcia Medina admits that bilateral trade with China is currently minuscule, offering great potential.

"Trade exchange is still very small. The agricultural figures ... can still grow enormously. That is to say, the potential to expand it is great and that is why the opportunity exists," said Medina.

What's more, Mexico's government has shown its willingness "to strengthen trade ties with China," in mind of its current over-reliance on its northern neighbor, according to Medina.

"A substantial portion of Mexico's trade is with the United States. If it does not diversify, it will weaken our country because any political flux in the country with which we have the largest part of trade, has an impact on us," she said.

"The positive side of our current situation is the possibility of opening up trade exchange and building substantial ties with China," said Medina, a leading voice of the Mexican left.

According to official figures, 80 percent of Mexico's agricultural exports go to the United States and Canada.

However, geographic convenience is no longer enough to sustain the country's trade ties, said Sergio Palacios, head administrator at Mexico City's Central de Abastos, Latin America's largest wholesale market of produce and foodstuffs.

"China and its provinces represent important markets where Mexico must consolidate its presence," said Palacios, adding that Mexico can offer the Asian market "many high-quality products."

To expand bilateral ties, it is essential for Chinese trade delegations "to come to Mexico more often and for Mexican delegations to go to China and learn what the opportunities are. I think they are two nations that, despite distance, have much in common and share a great friendship," added Palacios.

Earlier this week, Mexico's Chamber of Deputies hosted a bilateral agricultural exchange and cooperation forum between Mexico City and the southwestern province of Sichuan to strengthen trade between the two regions, the very first of many such encounters.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-06-25 15:26:54|Editor: Song Lifang

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KABUL, June 25 (Xinhua) -- Afghan President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani once again called upon Taliban militants on Sunday to give up fighting and join the peace and national reconciliation process.

"If you are Afghans you should join the peace process to help stabilize peace and security in the country," President Ghani said in his message after performing Eid prayer in Presidential Palace.

The president also warned the Taliban fighters by saying that "you (Taliban) don't have more time and your supporters are alone and you will also be alone."

However, the president didn't name any country as Taliban supporter.

Meanwhile, Taliban leader Mullah Haibatullah Akhundzada in his message released on Friday rejected any talks with the government in the presence of foreign forces in Afghanistan, saying the Taliban would continue to fight against foreign troops stationed in the country.

Afghans who experienced series of deadly terrorists attacks in the months of Ramadan, the Muslim fasting month, offered Eid ul-Fitr prayer, the religious festival to mark the end of Ramadan on Sunday amid tight security.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-06-25 17:02:32|Editor: Lu Hui

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BEIJING, June 25 (Xinhua) -- Cultural exchanges between the Chinese mainland and Hong Kong have developed well since Hong Kong returned to the motherland in 1997, Ding Wei, vice minister of culture, said Sunday.

Cultural exchanges between the mainland and Hong Kong have become more close, rich and sound, forming an all-dimensional, wide-ranging and multi-channel communication pattern, Ding said ahead of the region's 20th anniversary of return.

"The exchanges have promoted Chinese culture in Hong Kong and enhanced Hong kong's recognition of the country, the nation and Chinese culture," Ding said.

Since Hong Kong returned to the motherland, each year saw an average of 750 exchange programs with 10,000 people attending in the past few years, which double the number in the early years of Hong Kong's return, Ding said.

In 2005, the mainland and Hong Kong signed an agreement on closer cultural ties, mapping out the fields and channels of cultural cooperation, Ding said.

Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China in 2012, the two sides have strengthened cooperation in major culture activities, antiquities, cultural services and cultural industries.

Ding said Hong Kong should use its advantages, build more communication platforms, encourage non-governmental exchanges, and play a positive role in promoting connections among the peoples in the Belt and Road countries.

The Ministry of Culture will support Hong Kong in multilateral international cultural activities and China's international cultural activities, especially cultural communication and cooperation with countries along the Belt and Road, Ding said.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-06-25 17:07:36|Editor: Lu Hui

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by Mahmoud Fouly

CAIRO, June 25 (Xinhua) -- The recent wave of terrorist attacks in Europe is correlated in one way or another with the chaotic situation in the Middle East and the defeats of the Islamic State in Syria and Iraq, Arab security experts told Xinhua in recent interviews.

Dozens of people have been killed since March in a spate of terror attacks that spread through the United Kingdom, France and Belgium, in which the terror suspects, most of whom being of Arab or Muslim origins, used vehicles, knives and explosives to mow down pedestrians, attack police and blow up innocent people.

The political and security disorder over the past few years in several Arab states and the IS decline in Raqqa and Mosul, its de facto capitals in Syria and Iraq, led European-born militants to return home for shelter.

"When they reach Europe, whether they are arrested, deported or frustrated, they become an easy target to be recruited by those who call for extremism and discrimination," said Mohamed Kashkoush, professor of national security at Cairo-based Nasser Supreme Military Academy.

The Iraqi media said the security forces killed on Saturday 115 IS members and 12 snipers in its last stronghold in Mosul.

According to the professor, the war on IS in Syria and Iraq does not wipe out terrorism but only kills a group of them and arrests another.

"The survivors do one of two things. They either go back home, engage in society and get rid of extremist thoughts or they maintain their extremist ideology against their own society," Kashkoush noted.

"The second category is more dangerous. They try to temporarily find a safe shelter to prepare for resuming terrorist activities in other places. Those temporarily inactive elements could be a nucleus for a future terror cell in their own," he added.

Eradicating the IS in Syria and Iraq does not mark its undoing, but starts its geographical shift to other places.

Turmoil-stricken Libya is a suitable environment for the terrorists, as the country is a center for illegal migration to Europe and coordination with the Western-born IS members back home.

"When things get worse in Libya, this will not only reflect on neighboring Egypt, Tunisia and Algeria but also on Europe indirectly," the Egyptian expert said.

It is obvious that there is a direct link between terror attacks in Europe and what is going on in the Middle East.

"This is not necessarily related to the regional political situation but it has to do with a broad combination of factors including political, economic and social ones. Pressures of globalization represent one of them," said Saud Shorufat, head of Amman-based Shorufat Center for Globalization and Terrorism Studies.

With the fast development of technology, social media networks and means of communication and human interaction, their expression of feelings of injustice, rage or discrimination and their direct response to happenings around the globe have become greater and faster.

"If we talk geographically, globalization quickened the pace of confrontation between the Arab, Muslim party and the Western one. This explains why Islamophobia rose greatly over the past years," the Jordanian expert told Xinhua.

Islamophobia started to rise with the collapse of the Soviet Union in late 1991 and grew wildly in 2001 after the September 11 attack on New York. However, it has not been as overwhelming as in recent years, especially in Britain, France and some Scandinavian states which used to be more tolerant toward Muslims.

On June 19, a man was killed and several others injured after a vehicle ran over pedestrians near Finsbury Park Mosque in London.

Earlier in March, two Americans were stabbed to death when defending a Muslim teenager racially abused in a Portland train.

"Although many experts believe in a direct relation between attacks in Europe and IS defeat in Mosul and Raqqa, I believe they are only partly interrelated because the IS already carried out big terrorist attacks in Europe even before their decline in Syria and Iraq," Shorufat explained.

Since early 2015, terrorist attacks in Europe have killed at least 300 and wounded more than 1,000 others.

The year 2015 started and ended with two major deadly attacks in Paris. One was in January on an office of satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo, in which 12 were killed, while the other occurred in November, which was a series of coordinated assaults, killing 130 and injuring hundreds of others.

In 2016, terror attacks in Brussels, Nice, Normandy and Berlin killed about 130 and wounded 500 others, while in 2017 similar attacks in London, Manchester, Stockholm and Paris left about 40 dead and about 100 injured.

"The lone-wolf terror trend is what has increased in Europe after the IS defeats in Syria and Iraq," said Shorufat, pointing out that the trend appeared a decade ago but has now become a sub-phenomenon of the broader one called terrorism.

The recent attacks in Paris, London and Stockholm were carried out by "lone wolves." The terror style is not only adopted by the IS but has also been used by al-Qaida that claimed responsibility for the latest terrorist attack on a tourist resort in Mali.

"Accordingly, the recent IS decline is not the only reason for the rising wave of terrorist attacks in Europe, as the IS is mainly concerned with hitting Western interests in general, whether in Europe or in the United States," said the Jordanian expert.
Belgian soldiers patrol inside Brussels central railway station after a suicide bomber was shot dead by troops in Brussels, Belgium, June 21, 2017. (Xinhua/Reuters Photo)

CAIRO, June 25 (Xinhua) -- The recent wave of terrorist attacks in Europe is correlated in one way or another with the chaotic situation in the Middle East and the defeats of the Islamic State in Syria and Iraq, Arab security experts told Xinhua in recent interviews.

Dozens of people have been killed since March in a spate of terror attacks that spread through the United Kingdom, France and Belgium, in which the terror suspects, most of whom being of Arab or Muslim origins, used vehicles, knives and explosives to mow down pedestrians, attack police and blow up innocent people.

The political and security disorder over the past few years in several Arab states and the IS decline in Raqqa and Mosul, its de facto capitals in Syria and Iraq, led European-born militants to return home for shelter.

"When they reach Europe, whether they are arrested, deported or frustrated, they become an easy target to be recruited by those who call for extremism and discrimination," said Mohamed Kashkoush, professor of national security at Cairo-based Nasser Supreme Military Academy.

The Iraqi media said the security forces killed on Saturday 115 IS members and 12 snipers in its last stronghold in Mosul.

According to the professor, the war on IS in Syria and Iraq does not wipe out terrorism but only kills a group of them and arrests another.

"The survivors do one of two things. They either go back home, engage in society and get rid of extremist thoughts or they maintain their extremist ideology against their own society," Kashkoush noted.

"The second category is more dangerous. They try to temporarily find a safe shelter to prepare for resuming terrorist activities in other places. Those temporarily inactive elements could be a nucleus for a future terror cell in their own," he added.

Eradicating the IS in Syria and Iraq does not mark its undoing, but starts its geographical shift to other places.

Turmoil-stricken Libya is a suitable environment for the terrorists, as the country is a center for illegal migration to Europe and coordination with the Western-born IS members back home.

"When things get worse in Libya, this will not only reflect on neighboring Egypt, Tunisia and Algeria but also on Europe indirectly," the Egyptian expert said.

It is obvious that there is a direct link between terror attacks in Europe and what is going on in the Middle East.

"This is not necessarily related to the regional political situation but it has to do with a broad combination of factors including political, economic and social ones. Pressures of globalization represent one of them," said Saud Shorufat, head of Amman-based Shorufat Center for Globalization and Terrorism Studies.

With the fast development of technology, social media networks and means of communication and human interaction, their expression of feelings of injustice, rage or discrimination and their direct response to happenings around the globe have become greater and faster.

"If we talk geographically, globalization quickened the pace of confrontation between the Arab, Muslim party and the Western one. This explains why Islamophobia rose greatly over the past years," the Jordanian expert told Xinhua.

Islamophobia started to rise with the collapse of the Soviet Union in late 1991 and grew wildly in 2001 after the September 11 attack on New York. However, it has not been as overwhelming as in recent years, especially in Britain, France and some Scandinavian states which used to be more tolerant toward Muslims.

On June 19, a man was killed and several others injured after a vehicle ran over pedestrians near Finsbury Park Mosque in London.

Earlier in March, two Americans were stabbed to death when defending a Muslim teenager racially abused in a Portland train.

"Although many experts believe in a direct relation between attacks in Europe and IS defeat in Mosul and Raqqa, I believe they are only partly interrelated because the IS already carried out big terrorist attacks in Europe even before their decline in Syria and Iraq," Shorufat explained.

Since early 2015, terrorist attacks in Europe have killed at least 300 and wounded more than 1,000 others.

The year 2015 started and ended with two major deadly attacks in Paris. One was in January on an office of satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo, in which 12 were killed, while the other occurred in November, which was a series of coordinated assaults, killing 130 and injuring hundreds of others.

In 2016, terror attacks in Brussels, Nice, Normandy and Berlin killed about 130 and wounded 500 others, while in 2017 similar attacks in London, Manchester, Stockholm and Paris left about 40 dead and about 100 injured.

"The lone-wolf terror trend is what has increased in Europe after the IS defeats in Syria and Iraq," said Shorufat, pointing out that the trend appeared a decade ago but has now become a sub-phenomenon of the broader one called terrorism.

The recent attacks in Paris, London and Stockholm were carried out by "lone wolves." The terror style is not only adopted by the IS but has also been used by al-Qaida that claimed responsibility for the latest terrorist attack on a tourist resort in Mali.

"Accordingly, the recent IS decline is not the only reason for the rising wave of terrorist attacks in Europe, as the IS is mainly concerned with hitting Western interests in general, whether in Europe or in the United States," said the Jordanian expert.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-06-25 17:22:41|Editor: Lu Hui

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by Gui Tao, Peter Barker

LONDON, June 25 (Xinhua) -- The private secretary of the former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher has said China has "behaved very responsibly" towards its commitments in the 1984 Sino-British Joint Declaration over the future of Hong Kong.

In a recent interview with Xinhua in London, Lord Charles Powell, the Private Secretary to Thatcher from 1983-1989, said the "one country, two systems" framework has been "remarkably good."

"It is a very elegant way to resolve a difficult question," said Powell, one of the architects of the Joint Declaration which decided the fate of the ex-British colony. "I continue to take a very positive view on Hong Kong."

In this key role, Powell had a ringside seat and a steering hand in the discussions around Hong Kong's future over three decades ago.

The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) came into being in 1997 when the Chinese territory ceded to Britain in the 19th century was handed back to China after 99 years.

Powell hailed the Joint Declaration, where the Chinese government declared its basic policies regarding Hong Kong and the "one country, two systems" political framework, as "classic and exemplary."

"Overall it's been a positive experience," Powell said, "I think Hong Kong has been fortunate, and China has been fortunate -- so I don't have any regrets about what was agreed in 1984."

"There are constant rumors of Chinese interference but one sees very little," he added.

NEVER MEANT TO BE INDEPENDENT

Powell told Xinhua that some young Hong Kong people were ignorant of the history of the SAR, and did not know the details of the Joint Declaration.

"The younger generation in Hong Kong don't seem to remember or perhaps they never understood fully, what was agreed in 1984. Hong Kong was never going to be independent, it couldn't be independent," said Powell.

Discussions between China's former leader Deng Xiaoping and Thatcher had early on dealt with the issue of Hong Kong belonging to China.

"It was always recognized that sovereignty would be with China, and therefore China would have, obviously, a say in the way that the territory was run," Powell said.

The British side had always believed that Hong Kong was part of China, and the Joint Declaration was seen by Powell as a successful way of recognizing that fact, while also allowing it to retain some of the characteristics of structure and economy that had developed while it was under colonial rule.

"It is a long-term solution. We knew from the beginning Hong Kong was part of China. That was an inescapable fact. The young people now say they want independence and so on, they are talking rubbish because that was never envisaged, never provided for," said Powell, adding that the Chinese central government has given Hong Kong more democracy than the UK gave to the region.

Powell said that it would not be possible or legal for Hong Kong to be independent and politicians who called for this should not be able to stand for election.

"You could not have someone standing for election on a platform of making Hong Kong independent because that is simply not possible, it's not legal under the Basic Law or the Joint Declaration," said Powell.

A DIPLOMATIC CLASSIC

The signing of the Joint Declaration had followed a period of informal and formal discussions from the late 1970s onwards, said Powell, which had involved an exchange of views between the British and the Chinese sides.

The Joint Declaration eliminated the fears of the business community at that time, he added.

"It made them (fears) unnecessary. It set a way forward; so I still regard it a really classic piece of negotiation by both countries for which they deserve great credit," Powell said.

"I can't think of many other examples of that quality and importance of two countries coming together really resolving a very difficult problem in a cooperative way, despite the enormous differences between their political and economic systems," he said,"It's a monument to how to do business between countries facing seemingly intractable problems."

STABILITY AND GROWTH

Powell said that the recent chief executive election in Hong Kong that had seen Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor become the Hong Kong leader were good for the SAR.

Lam, 59, won the election of the fifth-term chief executive of the SAR in March, vowing to lead Hong Kong forward in solidarity.

"I think it (the election) produced a result which will enable Hong Kong to remain stable and its economy to continue to grow," said Powell.

He said the election could have had a more fruitful outcome for Hong Kong and for China had it not been for the opposition of so-called "'democratic' politicians."

"Now we all know the reasons for that. It was partly the way in which the Democrats in Hong Kong blocked the modest changes which should have been possible, was it two years ago three years ago in the way in which the election would be conducted," said Powell.

"And I think that is regrettable. It would have been to both sides' advantage, to China's advantage and to Hong Kong's," he added.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-06-25 17:47:57|Editor: Song Lifang

Pakistani paramedics transfer an injured man following an oil tanker accident in central Pakistan's Multan, on June 25, 2017. At least 140 people were killed and over 120 others injured in an oil tanker fire that happened in the Pakistan's eastern Punjab province on Sunday morning, said a local parliamentarian. (Xinhua/Stringer)

ISLAMABAD, June 25 (Xinhua) -- At least 140 people were killed and over 120 others injured in an oil tanker fire that happened in the eastern Punjab province of Pakistan on Sunday morning, said a local politician.

Makhdoom Ali Hussain, a member of Pakistan's lower house National Assembly from the district of Bahawalpur where the tragedy occurred, confirmed the number of casualties to local media.

Pakistan's state-run TV channel PTV also confirmed the casualty figures.

A huge fire broke out after hundreds of local people, mostly villagers, gathered at a capsized oil tanker site on a highway to collect the petrol that spilled out from the ill-fated vehicle.

Local police said initial investigation suggested that the fire was triggered after someone on the spot lit a cigarette.

Both civilians and military personnel were involved in the rescue work.

Due to the lack of doctors and facilities for burn injuries in local hospitals, some of the seriously injured people have been shifted or airlifted to hospitals in the nearby city of Multan, a major city in Punjab province.

Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, who is currently on a private trip overseas, expressed shock and deep sorrows over the tragedy and instructed relevant departments to give the best possible medical treatment to the people injured in the fire.

Hospital sources said the death toll could further rise as many of the injured remain in critical condition.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-06-25 17:47:58|Editor: Lu Hui

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JERUSALEM, June 25 (Xinhua) -- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday accused Iran of establishing a military presence in Syria and arming the Lebanon-based Shiite militia of Hezbollah.

Netanyahu told his weekly cabinet meeting that Israel views with "great severity" the attempts by Iran "to establish military bases in Syria and to equip Hezbollah with advanced weapons through Syria and Lebanon."

Israel charges that Iran has been helping the armed group, which controls southern Lebanon, with establishing arms production facilities in Lebanon.

Hebrew-language reports on Sunday quoted an anonymous senior Israeli official as saying that in the past few weeks, Israel has sent messages to Tehran through several European allies.

Israel warned Iran that the Jewish state "will not tolerate" the establishment of Iranian weapons factories for Hezbollah in Lebanon, according to the Ha'aretz daily.

"The Lebanese government cannot address this issue, so the address for dealing with it is found with other forces that have influence over the issue," the official told the daily.

In March, Kuwait's Al Jarida newspaper reported that Iran built weapons factories for Hezbollah. According to the newspaper, the group has been operating the factories independently since January 2017.

Al Jarida cited an Iranian defense official as saying that the factories can produce several types of missile, including short-range missile and unmanned aerial vehicles.

The remark came after Israel's air force attacked posts of the Syrian army on Saturday. Syrian state-run news agency SANA reported that several people were killed in the strikes, including at least two civilians.

A spokesperson with the Israeli military said that the attack came in response to 10 projectiles from Syria that hit the Israeli-held Golan Heights. The projectiles were spillover from the fighting near Syria's disputed border with Israel, the army said. No injuries or damage were reported.

According to SANA, the battles in this region are between President Bashar Assad's army and the Nusra Front, a Salafist rebel group in Syria.

"Due to the unacceptable violation of Israeli sovereignty," Israel has protested to the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) which maintains the 1974 ceasefire between Israel and Syria, a military spokesperson said.

Errant fire from the Syria, which is fighting a six-year-long war, has occasionally been spilling over to Israel, usually causing no casualties or damage.

Israel often retaliated the mortars with airstrikes.

Israel had repeatedly declared it would not intervene in the internal fighting in Syria.

However, it is widely believed that Israel often carried out airstrikes on weapons convoys in Syria, and has been providing medical treatment to hundreds of wounded Syrians who reached the border.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attends the weekly cabinet meeting at his office in Jerusalem June 25, 2017. (Xinhua/Reuters Photo)

JERUSALEM, June 25 (Xinhua) -- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday accused Iran of establishing a military presence in Syria and arming the Lebanon-based Shiite militia of Hezbollah.

Netanyahu told his weekly cabinet meeting that Israel views with "great severity" the attempts by Iran "to establish military bases in Syria and to equip Hezbollah with advanced weapons through Syria and Lebanon."

Israel charges that Iran has been helping the armed group, which controls southern Lebanon, with establishing arms production facilities in Lebanon.

Hebrew-language reports on Sunday quoted an anonymous senior Israeli official as saying that in the past few weeks, Israel has sent messages to Tehran through several European allies.

Israel warned Iran that the Jewish state "will not tolerate" the establishment of Iranian weapons factories for Hezbollah in Lebanon, according to the Ha'aretz daily.

"The Lebanese government cannot address this issue, so the address for dealing with it is found with other forces that have influence over the issue," the official told the daily.

In March, Kuwait's Al Jarida newspaper reported that Iran built weapons factories for Hezbollah. According to the newspaper, the group has been operating the factories independently since January 2017.

Al Jarida cited an Iranian defense official as saying that the factories can produce several types of missile, including short-range missile and unmanned aerial vehicles.

The remark came after Israel's air force attacked posts of the Syrian army on Saturday. Syrian state-run news agency SANA reported that several people were killed in the strikes, including at least two civilians.

A spokesperson with the Israeli military said that the attack came in response to 10 projectiles from Syria that hit the Israeli-held Golan Heights. The projectiles were spillover from the fighting near Syria's disputed border with Israel, the army said. No injuries or damage were reported.

According to SANA, the battles in this region are between President Bashar Assad's army and the Nusra Front, a Salafist rebel group in Syria.

"Due to the unacceptable violation of Israeli sovereignty," Israel has protested to the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) which maintains the 1974 ceasefire between Israel and Syria, a military spokesperson said.

Errant fire from the Syria, which is fighting a six-year-long war, has occasionally been spilling over to Israel, usually causing no casualties or damage.

Israel often retaliated the mortars with airstrikes.

Israel had repeatedly declared it would not intervene in the internal fighting in Syria.

However, it is widely believed that Israel often carried out airstrikes on weapons convoys in Syria, and has been providing medical treatment to hundreds of wounded Syrians who reached the border.
Hersch promoted

Theresia Hersch, Mandan, was promoted to the rank of chief warrant officer 5 on May 15 in front of an audience of friends, family and fellow Guardsmen at the Raymond J. Bohn Armory in Bismarck.

Brig. Gen. Robert Fode, North Dakota National Guard Army Component commander, presided over the ceremony. Brig. Gen. Giselle Wilz, commander, NATO Headquarters Sarajevo, and senior military representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina, administered the oath of office via video teleconference.

A Bismarck native, Hersch began her career in the state Army National Guard in 1988, when she enlisted into the 818th Medical Battalion. She attended Warrant Officer Candidate School and after being appointed as a warrant officer was hired as the executive assistant to then-North Dakota Adjutant General Keith Bjerke in 1996. In 2000, Hersch was assigned as the personnel officer for the 141st Engineer Combat Battalion and later worked in the Guard human resource office as the employee benefits specialist.

In 2007, Hersch deployed for a yearlong mission to Iraq with the 164th Engineer Battalion (Security Forces). Upon her return, she was asked by former North Dakota Adjutant General David Sprynczynatyk to serve as his executive assistant and aide-de-camp. Hersch served in this capacity until 2015, when she deployed to Bosnia and Herzegovina as Wilz's aide-de-camp. Upon her return home, Hersch became the strategic engagement coordinator for the North Dakota National Guard, a position in which she continues.

An active volunteer in Bismarck-Mandan, Hersch is vice commander and Honor Guard member for AMVETSPost 9 and a lifetime member and Honor Guard member for the Disabled American Veterans. She helped co-organize Team Red, White and Blue chapters across the state with her husband, Robert Fode. Team RWB is a nonprofit organization that is dedicated to enriching the lives of American veterans, their families and communities though social and physical activities.

Nordin retires

Minot native Col. Lee Nordin was honored during a retirement ceremony June 3 in front of family, friends and fellow Guard members at Camp Grafton Training Center near Devils Lake.

Nordin has served in the North Dakota National Guard for 26 years.

His military career began in 1988 as an enlisted soldier before commissioning as an engineer officer in 1990. He also branch-qualified as an air defense artillery officer. Since then, he has held multiple leadership positions in units throughout the state, including command assignments for Company A, 164th Engineer Combat Battalion; Battery F, 1st Battalion, 188th Air Defense Artillery (1-188th ADA) Regiment; 142nd Engineer Combat Battalion; 231st Maneuver Task Force; 164th Regiment Regional Training Institute; and Camp Grafton Training Center. Nordin most recently served as the commander for Camp Grafton Training Center.

He has deloyed overseas to Kosovo and Kuwait.

A graduate of Minot State University, Nordin holds a bachelor's degree in criminal justice. He also holds master of management and master of business administration degrees from the University of Mary and attended U.S. Army War College at Carlisle Barracks, Pa.

Nordin lives in Grand Forks with his wife, Valerie. They have two children.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-06-25 19:18:25|Editor: Song Lifang

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TIRANA, June 25 (Xinhua) -- Muslims across Albania celebrate Sunday the Eid al-Fitr, which marks the end of the holy month of Ramadan, or the month of fasting, prayers and reading of Qur'an.

Thousands of believers joined early Sunday the celebrations and Eid prayers organized in the capital's main square where they exchanged greetings and shared joy, emotions of this great day, local media reported.

"The holiday of Eid al-Fitr is the relief of soul, it is the inner satisfaction that derives from the hope of fulfilling the worship and receiving the forgiveness of Allah," Skender Brucaj, head of Albania's Muslim Community, said during the ceremony.

Brucaj highlighted that Eid al-Fitr is the day to respect the elderly with gratitude and love, to stand by the people in need of attention, while he wished all believers for such an important day.

Eid al-Fitr is celebrated for three days, and on the morning of the first day, Muslims gather for prayer.

This is considered as one of the most important celebrations in the Muslim-dominated Albania.

According to 2011 census, 58.79 percent of Albania's population adheres to Islam, making it the largest religion in the country.

Most people use the three days of Eid to pay visits to each other.

On this occasion, Albania's President, Bujar Nishani and many others senior officials conveyed messages of congratulations of Eid Al-Fitr to Albanian and all Muslims worldwide.
Turkey's President Tayyip Erdogan talks to media after the Eid al-Fitr prayers in Istanbul, Turkey, June 25, 2017. (Xinhua/Reuters Photo)

ISTANBUL, June 25 (Xinhua) -- Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Sunday denounced the list of demands put forward by four Arab states in efforts to defuse the diplomatic crisis with Qatar, rejecting their request to close its military base in Qatar.

"We consider these demands are against international law," Erdogan was quoted as saying in Istanbul by the state-run Anadolu Agency.

Among the 13-point demands suggested lately by Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Bahrain, Qatar is asked to reduce its ties with Iran, stop funding those blacklisted as terrorists, and immediately terminate the construction of a Turkish military base and stop any military cooperation with Turkey on its land.

"Should we get permission when we make a defense cooperation agreement with any country?" Erdogan demanded. "No offense, but Turkey is not such an ordinary country."

Turkey sent another 23 troops and five armored vehicles to its military base in Qatar last week as a sign of support for the country.

On June 5, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the UAE and Bahrain cut off diplomatic ties and imposed a blockade on Qatar, accusing it of supporting terrorism and undermining regional security. A number of other Muslim countries followed suit in the following days.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-06-25 20:03:44|Editor: Song Lifang

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by Burak Akinci

ANKARA, June 25 (Xinhua) -- Turkey has seen rising return of tourists after the past chaotic year as surge of terror attacks and chaos of failed coup bid gradually calm down.

Despite the unpredictability of terrorist attacks which rocked the cities like capital Ankara and Istanbul and political instability, the number of international tourists to Turkey increased in April for the first time since late 2015.

Russia and Turkey reconciled in late 2016 and Russian travel agency has started to book clients for the next season that runs through summer in Turkey.

According to the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, the number of foreign visitors to Turkey rose 18.1 percent in April on year, signaling a hope that Turkey's tourism could return to glory days.

The tourism crisis in Turkey began in August 2015, but worsened after Turkey shot down the Russian jet near Syria. In response, Russia, which is Turkey's second largest tourism market, banned travel to Turkey in December 2015.

Russia's travel ban to Turkey resulted in a 92 percent decline in Russian tourists arrivals in 2016 with an overall drop of 35 percent to 2.49 million compared to a year earlier.

Some 1,400 hotels went up for sale in Antalya alone, prompting the Turkish government to introduce a financial package in 2016 to boost the tourism industry.

With the start of the Eid festival marking the end of the muslim holly month of Ramadan on Sunday in Turkey, industry officials express a certain hope.

"The room occupancy rate is now about 80 percent, most of our guests are from Russia and Turkey. It's a major change from last year when it was less than 50 percent," Ismet Yanki, a hotel staff from the Antalya region, told Xinhua.

"2016 is a lost year for us and the tourism sector in general. This year is better but still somewhat of a decline but 2018 will be the rebirth," said Yanki.

The Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism launched an aggressive campaign to attract foreigners to different destinations in the country.

The minister Nabi Avci said Turkey had to diversify tourism offerings, mentioning for example the cruise ship tourism for well-off visitors in resorts of the Mediterranean and the Aegean coasts.

One of the major goals of Turkey's campaign is to improve the country's perception and reputation on international, regional and national scale by conveying universal messages on Turkey's sincerity, generosity, warmness, friendliness, kindness, credibility and safety," said minister Avci.

Tourism accounts for more than 10 percent of Turkey's GDP. The industry is also a major source of foreign currencies.

While the Eid festival and the return of Russian tourists is a ray of hope in western Turkey, there is still room for concern in other tourist destinations of Turkey like Istanbul, Turkey's cultural pearl and capital of the historic Byzantine and Ottoman Empire.

It remains to be seen whether 2017 will prove to be a year of recovery for Turkey's critically important tourism sector, but it's off to an encouraging start, according to industry officials.
Workers go about their work at the Hawassa Industrial Park in Hawassa twon, 275 kilometres south of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, July 13, 2016. (Xinhua/Michael Tewelde)

ADDIS ABABA, June 25 (Xinhua) -- Ethiopia's flagship Chinese-built Hawassa Industrial Park has proved successful in just less than a year as it has attracted various world-class textile and apparel companies to the east African country.

One among the renowned companies that have shown interest in the Hawassa Industrial Park is PVH, a company known for marketing diversified portfolio of brands including Calvin Klein and Tommy Hilfiger. The company has already established its first manufacturing industry in the Hawassa industrial park.

The industrial zone has so far welcomed 18 companies that have already started operations inside the park. Six of them are presently exporting their products to the international market.

The east African country has targeted to generate 1 billion U.S. dollars annually once the park starts operations at its full potential.

Photo taken on July 13, 2016 shows the Hawassa Industrial Park in twon, 275 kilometres south of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. (Xinhua/Michael Tewelde)

Built by China Civil Engineering Corporation (CCECC), the Hawassa industrial park, located in Ethiopia's southern city of Hawassa, some 275km south of the capital Addis Ababa, was initially completed in a record time of nine months back in July 2016.

Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn, speaking at a ceremony marking the park's official operation commencement on Monday, said that his country's favorable business environment is drawing a growing number of foreign investors and huge Foreign Direct Investment (FDI).

The premier further asserted that the Hawassa industrial park can be seen as a "foundation in Ethiopia's ambition to be the manufacturing hub of the African continent."

The Ethiopian Investment Commission has also announced its plan to replicate the best lessons obtained from the Hawassa Industrial Park to other parks being built across the country.

The Ethiopian government highly believes that the development of industrial parks is the major path for the country to realize its vision of becoming manufacturing powerhouse in the African continent.

In this regard, the country has budgeted more than one billion U.S. dollars for the construction of industrial parks in the second five-year Growth and Transformation Plan (GTP-II) period, effective from 2015 to 2020.

The Ethiopian government expects the development of industrial parks throughout the country would increase the share of the manufacturing sector to the country's agriculture sector dominated GDP, in which the manufacturing sector stood at only 5 percent for many years.

After proved successful by attracting PVH to the flagship Hawassa industrial park as an anchor company, the Ethiopian Investment Commission has planned to replicate this plan further to Mekele and Kombolcha industrial parks that are expected to be operational by the end of this month.

Mekelle and Kombolcha Industrial Parks, located some 783km and 252km north of the capital Addis Ababa respectively, are also under construction by Chinese companies.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-06-25 20:28:53|Editor: Zhang Dongmiao

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MACAO, June 25 (Xinhua) -- More products originated from China's Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR) are to be exported to the Chinese mainland with zero-tariff from July 1, Macao Economic Services announced in a press release Sunday.

A total of 27 items with Macao origin will be exported to the Chinese mainland with zero-tariff, including food, beverages and gems, under the framework of the Mainland and Macao Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement (CEPA) implemented in 2004, the press release said.

Some of those products were made by Brazilian enterprises, who are expected to take advantage of tariff-free policy to invest in Macao and enter the mainland market.

Statistics show that the value of Macao's zero-tariff exports to the mainland reached 800 million patacas (99.67 million U.S. dollars) since 2004, with tax abatement amounting to 58.47 million patacas (7.29 million U.S. dollars).
Source: Xinhua| 2017-06-25 20:43:58|Editor: Song Lifang

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BUJUMBURA, June 25 (Xinhua) -- The Confucius Institute in Burundi on Saturday evening organized a Chinese language proficiency competition where Burundian secondary school students showcased their language talent.

The two best contestants in the competition held at the University of Burundi in Bujumbura will represent Burundi to compete with Chinese learners worldwide in China.

"The competition brought together eight candidates from secondary schools that were selected after a general competition. Among those eight candidates, we have selected two candidates who will represent Burundi in the world competition in the Chinese language that will take place next summer in China," Joseph Nzeyimana, director of the Confucius Institute in Burundi said.

He said the Chinese language is very important these days as it is spoken by at least one out of five persons in the world.

"At the beginning, we had a club of volunteers who learned the Chinese language here in Burundi through the Confucius Institute. Now we have six university faculties that formally teach the Chinese language," Nzeyimana said.

"The Chinese language has become an international language and learning it helps create friends all over the world," he said.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-06-25 21:29:10|Editor: Song Lifang

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JERUSALEM, June 25 (Xinhua) -- Errant projectiles fired from Syria hit Israel-annexed Golan Heights early on Sunday afternoon, in a second such incident over the past two days.

"A short while ago, several projectiles fired from Syria hit an open area in the Golan," a military spokesperson said in a statement. No injuries or damage were reported.

The spokesperson said that the fire was a "result of the internal fighting in Syria."

On Saturday, Israel's air force attacked posts of the Syrian army. Syrian state-run news agency SANA reported that several people were killed in the strikes, including two civilians.

A spokesperson with the Israeli military said that the attack came in response to 10 projectiles from Syria that hit the Israeli-held Golan Heights.

The projectiles were spillover from the fighting near Syria's disputed border with Israel, the army said. No injuries or damage were reported.

According to SANA, the battles in this region are between President Bashar Assad's army and the Nusra Front, a Salafist rebel group in Syria.

"Due to the unacceptable violation of Israeli sovereignty," Israel has protested to the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) which maintains the 1974 ceasefire between Israel and Syria, a military spokesperson said.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that Israel will not tolerate errant fire and vowed to "react powerfully to any shooting to our territory."

Errant fire from the Syria, which is fighting a six-year-long war, has occasionally been spilling over to Israel, usually causing no casualties or damage. Israel often retaliated the mortars with airstrikes.

Israel has repeatedly declared it would not intervene in the internal fighting in Syria.

However, it is widely believed that Israel often carried out airstrikes on weapons convoys in Syria, and has been providing medical treatment to hundreds of wounded Syrians who reached the border.
Nigeria's residents purchase shoes ahead of Eid Al-Fitr festival in Lagos, southwest Nigeria, July 15, 2015. (Xinhua/Dare)

LAGOS, June 25 (Xinhua) -- Nigerian authorities have beefed up security with the deployment of massive policemen across the country for the Sallah celebration.

Nigeria's Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, on Friday ordered top police officers to deploy policemen ahead of the Muslims Eid el Fitr celebration.

National police spokesperson Jimoh Moshood said the operation would cover recreation centers, public places and critical infrastructure and public utilities.

He said federal highway patrol teams, Safer Highway patrol, and anti-crime patrol teams had been deployed on major roads and highways nationwide.

Moshood said police officers were under strict instructions to be civil, polite and firm in carryout their duties.

He said Special Police deployments would be made to flash points.

In restive northeast Borno State, the police announced a restriction on movement of vehicles during the upcoming Eid celebration in Maiduguri and Jere Local Government Areas of the state.

Victor Isuku, a police spokesperson said the restriction will include the use of motor vehicles, tricycles, bicycles and animals except those on essential duties.

The restriction is necessary in view of recent security concerns, he added, noting that Muslim faithfuls are advised to pray at Eid prayer grounds close to their homes.

He advised residents to be security conscious and report strange happenings to security agents.

The restriction is the first since 2015, following successes recorded by the military against the Boko Haram insurgents.

Recently, the insurgents had intensified attacks especially suicide bombings in public places.

At least 17 persons were killed after five suspected female suicide bombers attacked Kofa Community near Dalori on Monday.

Also, on Tuesday, a convoy of vehicles was attacked along Maiduguri-Damboa road leading to the death of a policeman and a truck driver.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-06-25 22:29:32|Editor: Song Lifang

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By Eric J. Lyman

ROME, June 25 (Xinhua) -- A recent deal to allow a group headed by Luxembourg steel giant ArcelorMittal to take over troubled Italian steel maker Ilva is aiming to preserve jobs but it does too little to address environmental concerns, commentators said.

The winning AM Investco Consortium also includes participation from Italian steel processor Marcegaglia and Bank of Intesa Sanpaolo, and its 1.8 billion-euro (2.0-billion U.S. dollar) bid was picked over a rival bid from JSW Steel from India.

According to Stefano Ciafani, director general with the Italy's largest environmental group, Legambiente, the main difference between the two bids was that the AM Investco Consortium offered more guarantees for preserving jobs, while the JSW Steel was stronger on environmental issues.

"The Indian bid would have shifted to natural gas rather than coal for the bid that won," Ciafani said in an interview. "The winning bid does too little to address the environmental worries and it does what it does too slowly."

AM Investco Consortium did agree to spent at least 2.4 billion euros (2.7 billion U.S. dollars) to modernize the plant and improve its impact on the environment. But that might not be enough, given Ilva's long and difficult history.

Ilva is Europe's largest single steel smelter in terms of capacity, and it has been the subject of major environmental concerns for more than a decade, dating back to when it was responsible for more than 90 percent of the Italian production of the pollutant dioxin and nearly a tenth of the dioxin production for the European Union as a whole.

The plant has also had a negative impact on air and water quality in the region of Pulia, where the plant is based, while also producing excessive levels of greenhouse gas emissions.

The plant has been temporarily shuttered on multiple occasions and it has paid millions in fines tied to environmental and health abuses.

In city of Taranto, where the plant is based, prosecutors have alleged that nearly 12,000 deaths can be traced to toxic emissions from Ilva over a seven-year span.

"The plant has been Italy's single largest environmental problem for many years," Ciafani said.

Two years ago, the Italian government took a controlling stake in the company to help speed up the environmental cleanup while preserving jobs for most of the plant's 14,000-member workforce.

According to Franco Milanese, a business law professor at the University of Naples, saving jobs has probably always been the top priority in the government's strategies for Ilva.

"If there weren't thousands of jobs at stake, Ilva would have been closed many years ago," Milanese told Xinhua.

In its offer, the AM Investco Consortium guaranteed to preserve "at least 10,000 jobs" at Ilva through the entire modernization plan for the plant. Italy said it would help employ some laid off workers in initiatives to clean up the plant.

In a statement, Lakshmi Mittal, chairman and chief executive officer for ArcelorMittal, said the takeover plan would, "enable the company to improve its product mix, win back market share, and address the environmental issues."

The Ilva deal is part of a wider trend for consolidation in the European steel industry, including talks between India's Tata Steel and German conglomerate ThyssenKrupp to merge their European steel operations.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-06-25 22:59:39|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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ISTANBUL, June 25 (Xinhua) -- The Islamic State (IS) has recently suffered massive military failures in Iraq and Syria, but the chance for peace and stability in the war-torn Middle East will still be as slim as ever, senior Turkish experts told Xinhua in interviews on Sunday.

IS militants had blown up the Great al-Nouri Mosque in Mosul, the de facto capital of the terror group in Iraq.

"Demolition of the al-Nouri Mosque in Mosul by IS, where Abu Bakr Al Baghdadi gave his sermon after declaring himself the Khalif of the Muslims, symbolically ends the so-called Islamic State," said Bora Bayraktar, assistant professor of International Relations at Istanbul Kultur University.

In Syria, the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) unleashed a wide-scale offensive against the IS in Raqqa two weeks ago.

After capturing several neighborhoods in eastern and western Raqqa, the SDF and allied troops have recently seized the southern bank of Euphrates River, which enables them to lay siege to the city from four directions.

The SDF said on Friday that the IS militants have lost control in Raqqa, and "are moving around the city like cockroaches."

Successive significant defeats have pushed IS extremists to spread panic in Europe, where dozens of people have been killed since March in a spate of terror attacks hitting the United Kingdom, France and Belgium. Terror attacks have also rocked Egypt, Iran and Somalia recently.

"Obviously, the IS has been under great pressure as it is losing ground both in Syria and Iraq," Bayraktar said.

But Nuri Korkmaz, assistant professor from Bursa Technical University, said a deeper reason behind the recent surge in terror attacks around the world, especially in the countries supporting the U.S. in the anti-IS battles, could be to create more ethnic division.

"The recent terror attacks in Europe aim directly to destabilize the continent and segregate its Muslim immigrants," Korkmaz said. "Because after each attack made by IS, we can see Muslims in Europe face problems and perhaps they are seen as potential terrorists by some right wing circles."

When asked about the chances for peace and stability in the Middle East at a time when a final military victory against IS militants seems to be on the horizon, both experts said they are skeptical of a brighter future in the complicated region.

"There is no victory at the end of this war, as the IS members will continue to strike and hurt civilians. They will keep posing threats in every part of the world," Bayraktar said.

"A real victory would be defeating their ideology," he noted.

According to Korkmaz, foreign powers engaging in the proxy wars in the Middle East are the fundamental elements working against the real victory against terrorism.

"The IS is a terrorist organization. However, it is clear that U.S. is supporting People's Protection Units (YPG) which is another pro-Kurdish terrorist organization in the battle against IS," he said.

"This conflict is creating the main justification for their existence in the Middle East," the Turkish expert added.

Meanwhile, Ilter Turan, professor of international relations from Bilgi University, pointed to the deeply-rooted Middle East social structure as the likely cause of elusive peace and stability in the region.

The IS "is the product of a social structure of the area and the regimes are all having their agenda. That is why it could find a position in the power vacuum in the region," he said.

On the global fight against terrorism, more challenges will emerge for world governments to address as violence is going viral in the Middle East and beyond.

Bayraktar showed concerns about the mushrooming new technologies as they will "make it easier to access guns and intelligence" and allow the terrorist leaders to "give directions to all over the world."

For Korkmaz, human rights are something most often neglected when extreme anti-terror measures are adopted.

"It could be more justifiable to make regulations that are congruent with human rights principles in fighting with terrorism," he said.

Turan warned of any "unified" approach to terrorism as there is no common definition of it.

"There should be a broader census" on the anti-terror fight, he said, adding that terrorism is part of many other illegal activities such as drug smuggling and human trafficking.

"Since it is interlinked with other activities, the global battle has long way to go," Turan noted.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-06-25 23:04:43|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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SKOPJE, June 25 (Xinhua) - Macedonian farmers and all interested parties who are interested in benefiting from the Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance in Rural Development (IPARD) 20142020 can submit their applications till July 21, 2017.

Macedonia's Agency for Financial Support of Agriculture and Rural Development informed Sunday that the deadline for the submission of applications for allocation of funds from IMPARD program was extended due to high interest.

The remaining parts from the call for applications shall remain unmodified and its complete content may be found at the Agency's web address: www.ipardpa.gov.mk, the agency said in a press release.

Further on, Agency experts explained that the extension of the deadline for submission of the applications aimed at providing efficient allocation of funds from the IPARD Program.

Around 80 percent of Macedonia's territory consists of rural areas, so the potential users of the new IPARD program are rural municipalities and public enterprises that deal with farming, forests and pastures.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-06-25 23:09:43|Editor: An

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BEIJING, June 25 (Xinhua) -- Former Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Alinaghi Kharrazi denounced some Western countries over the weekend for winking at terrorist activities in the Middle East, warning that the connivance will backfire.

Speaking at a global forum on international security in Beijing, Kharrazi accused European countries and the United States of extending support "to those countries which had created mess in the Middle East."

They "even provided those (terrorist) groups with intelligence, weapons and training, and helped them to topple the legal governments in Iraq and Syria," Kharrazi told the sixth World Peace Forum, a two-day event organized by Tsinghua University.

Some countries take their economic interests over national security, added Kharrazi, who is now president of Iran's Strategic Council on Foreign Relations.

In his eyes, the United States stopped the prosecution and penalization process of Saudi Arabia, whose citizens were involved in the 9/11 attacks, as a result of the slush funds paid to the United States by Saudi Arabia.

The West, he warned, should not condone terrorism in the Middle East, because the youth born in Western countries and recruited into terrorist groups in the Middle East would eventually return to their home countries and might perpetrate terrorist acts there.

He noted that with the development of information and communication technologies and expansion of social networks, Western powers have tried to expand their cultural influence in other countries, including Muslim-majority nations and Muslim communities in Europe, which led to the latter's humiliation.

That disgruntlement has helped extremist groups to recruit youths in Western countries, he said, adding that economic pressure and unemployment have also contributed to the recruitment of Westerners by extremist groups.

He pointed out that the lack of collective endeavor impedes efforts in the fight against terrorism, and stressed that Iran is firm in its fight against terrorism and is ready to cooperate with other parties for that cause.

Noting that some adverse effects of globalization have contributed to instability, the former diplomat said globalization should promote all countries' participation in global governance and preclude big powers' acquisitiveness and imposition of their influence on others.

Only in that way can globalization culminate in the development and prosperity of all parties, he said.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-06-25 23:09:44|Editor: ying

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by Marwa Yahya

CAIRO, June 25 (Xinhua) -- Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi on Saturday ratified a controversial agreement that transfers two largely uninhabited Red Sea islands to Saudi Arabia.

"President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has ratified the maritime demarcation agreement between the Arab Republic of Egypt and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia," the cabinet said in a statement.

The deal to hand over Tiran and Sanafir islands was agreed during a visit to Egypt by Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud a year ago amid public criticism.

On June 14, Egypt's parliament voted to back the deal, saying it has the jurisdiction in the matter, which provoked small protests in several Egyptian cities.

However, a legal battle over the islands' status continues with one court annulling the treaty and another upholding it.

On Wednesday, the Supreme Constitutional Court annulled those two rulings until it will decide on July 30 which institution has the final say.

"Based on the president's ratification, the decree will be enforced after publication in the official gazette," said Salah Fawzy, a constitutional expert.

"The agreement is now a law and the two uninhabited islands will be under Saudi sovereignty," Fawzy told Xinhua.

Both countries' foreign ministries should exchange the documents of ratification, and then a copy of the agreement will be sent to the office of the UN General Secretary to preserve the international rights, he added.

Once the maritime demarcation was enforced, Egypt would legally use the economic water for oil and gas exploration without any disputes or problems with the oil-rich Gulf country, the expert highlighted.

Tiran and Sanafir islands lie about 4 km apart in the Red Sea. Tiran sits at the mouth of Gulf of Aqaba, on a strategic stretch of water called the Straits of Tiran, used by Israel to access the Red Sea.

Egyptian troops have been stationed on the islands since 1950 at the request of Saudi Arabia. Israel occupied the two islands in the 1967 Arab-Israeli war but returned them to Egypt under the two countries' 1979 peace treaty.

Now, only Egyptians military personnel and multinational peacekeepers inhabit the islands.

Opponents of the agreement insist that Tiran and Sanafir have long been Egyptian and criticize the Egyptian government for "selling" Egyptian territories in exchange for billions of dollars of Saudi aid.

"This matter has been closed (after parliamentary approval) and I am only bringing it up again because we have nothing to hide," President al-Sisi said in a speech to the nation on Thursday.

In another speech this month, the president said: "the rights must be given to its rightful owners."

"Nations aren't sold or bought with any price, no matter how high the price will be," the president added, "You have entrusted me with this nation and for this I will be held accountable not just before you but also before God."

The presidency said in a statement after the approval of the parliament on the deal that the transfer of the two islands was based on the constitution, laws and rights, rather than "caprices or emotions."

Meanwhile, some experts argue that the ratification of the pact does not ensure a certain nor immediate handover of the two islands to Saudi.

According to Shawqy al-Sayed, a veteran constitutional specialist, after the approval of the parliament, President Sisi was sure to take the next step and to ratify the pact.

However, from the constitutional point of view, "the deal hasn't been finally settled yet, because if the Constitutional Court would deem the deal as null on July 30, it means the president's ratification is also void," al-Sayed pointed out.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-06-26 00:55:18|Editor: ying

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By Matthew Rusling

WASHINGTON, June 25 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump's healthcare reform could pass the Senate, but it will be close, and the Republican lawmakers cannot afford to lose many votes if the party wants to pass this controversial bill, experts said.

The bill is a bid to repeal and replace the previous administration's highly controversial healthcare revamp, known as Obamacare.

Republicans have blasted Obamacare over the past eight years for various reasons, such as driving up the cost of healthcare and leaving consumers with fewer choices. Under Obamacare, those who do not purchase healthcare are levied a tax and many Americans have to pay high deductibles.

In contrast, Democrats argue that Obamacare has helped some 20 million Americans while citing other benefits they believe have occurred, such as better preventive care.

Now Trump's healthcare plan is also under fire, and critics say it has been written in very partisan, non-transparent way - just as Democrats were blasted for doing when they wrote Obamacare. Critics also say Trump's plan will cut benefits for lower income people. And with the mid-term elections coming up in 2018, Republicans in less affluent districts do not want to risk losing their seats by passing a healthcare plan that could harm their constituents.

On Friday, Trump made calls to others in his party in a bid to ramp up support for his overhaul of the healthcare system, and admitted that the law is on a "very narrow path" to passing.

Indeed, five GOP lawmakers have said they will not support the legislation, but the administration said Trump has contacted Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and has been on the phone with others in his party this week in a bid to drum up support.

The entire Democratic Party is expected to stand against the bill, which means the Republicans can only lose support of two lawmakers in the Senate.

"The Senate has a shot at passing the healthcare reform, but it will come down to a handful of moderate and very conservative members," Brookings Institution Senior Fellow Darrell West told Xinhua.

"There are half a dozen Republican Senators who are undecided and they will determine the fate of the bill. Probably all Democrats will oppose the bill so Republicans will need to muster 50 votes on their own," West said.

Democrats don't like the secretive process through which the bill has been drafted. Republicans are cutting taxes for the rich through the healthcare bill and removing healthcare coverage for millions of people, West said.

Dan Mahaffee, senior vice president and director of policy at the Center for the Study of Congress and the Presidency, told Xinhua that the Republican Party is going to have to very carefully thread the needle between the concerns of moderate Republican senators and those who are very conservative on both healthcare policy and spending.

"Even if they are able to thread this needle in the Senate, there is still the issue of whether the House can go along with what comes from the Senate to send it to President Trump's desk - none of these are a foregone conclusion," Mahaffee said.

As much as there is talk of civility and a return to things like regular order in Congress, there is too much of a concern among the Republican leadership and Trump Administration that Congress could enter recess without a major legislative accomplishment, he said.

Because of this, this has been an accelerated and secretive process, and the Democrats can cry foul about that, he said.

"That said, if the circumstances were reversed and Democrats controlled the House, Senate, and White House, I imagine they would be doing the same. It's now the nature of our politics," Mahaffee said.

Given that health care is about one-sixth of the U.S. economy, one would hope that there would be more deliberation on this topic, he noted.

The Republicans have the opportunity to perhaps focus on infrastructure or tax reform out of the gate, and address the replacement of Obamacare over 2018, or even have a replacement plan in place following action on the economy, the expert said.

However, they were hemmed in by their campaign promises to repeal Obamacare, and the public is increasingly concerned about what the replacement will look like. While the Republicans have swept these special elections, they still have to be concerned about what the public will think of this plan in 2018, Mahaffee said.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-06-26 01:30:30|Editor: ying

Pakistani soldiers examine the oil tanker accident site in eastern Pakistan's Bawahalpur, on June 25, 2017. At least 140 people were killed and over 120 others injured in an oil tanker fire that happened in the Pakistan's eastern Punjab province on Sunday morning, said a local parliamentarian.(Xinhua/Stringer)

ISLAMABAD, June 25 (Xinhua) -- At least 143 people were killed and 156 others injured in an oil tanker fire that broke out in Bahawalpur district of Pakistan's eastern Punjab Province on Sunday morning, officials said.

Javaid Iqbal, a medic at the Victoria Hospital Bahawalpur, said that the death toll has risen to 143 after three of the injured shifted to a burn center in another district of Multan succumbed to injuries during treatment.

Iqbal feared that the death toll might further rise as over 20 of the injured are still in critical condition at the burn centers at different hospitals.

According to some official sources, currently 108 injured are present in Victoria Hospital, 31 in Nishtar Hospital in Multan and 17 in a military hospital in Bahawalpur.

A total of 75 motorbikes and six vehicles including a traffic police vehicle were burnt out in the fire, said police. The site was littered with numerous bodies burned beyond recognition, said eyewitnesses.

According to police, the tragic incident took place at 6:23 a.m. local time when an oil tanker fully packed with around 50,000 liters of petrol skidded off the road after tire burst on a highway in Ahmad Pur Sharqia, a small town about 400 km southwest of Lahore, capital city of Punjab Province.

The fire broke out after many people from nearby villages came in motorbikes to collect the oil spilled out from the capsized oil tanker.

An eyewitness said that soon after the tanker skidded off the road, local people from nearby villages rushed to the site and later on also telephoned other people to collect the petrol.

Some local elders and a policeman had been asking the people not to collect the oil and run away because of the possible threat, but people did not listen to them, the eyewitness added.

Imran Shah, spokesman of Pakistan Motorway Police, said that initial investigation suggested that the fire broke out after someone on the spot lit a cigarette. Further probe into the incident is underway, he said.

"Soon after the incident, our teams responded. We turned the traffic to some other roads, and we tried to stop the crowd, but they were in hundreds and did not listen to us, so we were helpless," said Shah.

Three fire engines were dispatched to the site following the report of the oil tanker fire, said local fire department officials, adding that it took them hours to put off the fire completely.

Soon after the incident, dozens of ambulances rushed to the site and shifted the bodies and injured to the hospitals.

Four helicopters were used to airlift the critically injured people to the hospitals in other cities due to the lack of doctors and facilities for burn injuries in the local hospitals. Later on, a C-130 airplane of Pakistan air force was used to shift the highly critically injured to Islamabad.

Both Pakistani President Mamnoon Hussain and Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif expressed deep sorrow over the loss of so many precious lives in the incident on the eve of Eidul-Fitr, a Muslim festival observed at the end of holy fasting month of Ramadan.

The prime minister, who was in London on his private trip, also instructed all the concerned authorities to provide the best available medical treatment to the victims.

By observing seriousness of the incident, Sharif who was scheduled to return home on June 30 cut short his London trip and decided to return on Sunday night.

"Winding up his engagements in London, the PM has decided to immediately return back to country because terror attacks on Friday and oil tanker fire tragedy have grieved the nation immensely," said a statement from Prime Minister Office.

Shahbaz Sharif, chief minister of Punjab Province, has announced a compensation package of 2 million rupees (19,100 U.S. dollars) for each of the killed and 1 million rupees (9,550 U.S. dollars) for each of the injured.

A forensic team has also reached Victoria Hospital to conduct DNA test of the bodies for recognition.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-06-26 02:00:39|Editor: An

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Pakistani President Mamnoon Hussain (center R) meets with visiting Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi (center L) in Islamabad, Pakistan, on June 25, 2017. (Xinhua/Liu Tian)

ISLAMABAD, June 25 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Sunday hailed the efforts made by Pakistan and Afghanistan to improve their ties, reiterating that China will continue to work for the improvement of the relationship between the two countries.

During his meeting with Pakistani President Mamnoon Hussain, Wang said his ongoing visit to Afghanistan and Pakistan is mainly aimed to push for the continued improvement of the relations between the two countries.

He said the joint statement issued after friendly consultations between China, Afghanistan and Pakistan demonstrated the determination of Pakistan and Afghanistan to improve their ties and build mutual trust, sending a positive signal to the world.

Hussain expressed his thanks for the efforts made by the Chinese foreign minister to help improve his country's relationship with Afghanistan.

The improvement of the relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan is not only in the interests of the two countries, but also conducive to regional peace, stability and development, the Pakistani president said.

He said his country remains committed to developing peaceful and friendly relations with neighboring countries and resolving disputes peacefully through dialogue.

As a new member of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), Pakistan is looking forward to enhancing cooperation with all parties and jointly safeguarding peace and stability in the region, he added.

With regard to Pakistan-China relations, Hussain said the two countries are iron brothers and on issues concerning China's core interests, Pakistan will unswervingly support China's position.

He pointed out that Pakistan-China relationship is a model of country-to-country relations.

Wang, for his part, said China and Pakistan, being all-weather strategic cooperative partners, always respect, understand and support each other.

He said China stands ready to work with Pakistan to well implement the important consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries during their meetings in Beijing last month when Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif was in China to attend the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation.

Wang said China wishes to strengthen cooperation with Pakistan within the SCO framework and also stands ready to work with Pakistan for the smooth implementation of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) as Pakistan is China's important partner in the promotion of the Belt and Road Initiative.

Proposed by China in 2013, the Belt and Road Initiative refers to the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road, aiming at building a trade and infrastructure network connecting Asia with Europe and Africa along the ancient trade routes of Silk Road.

Wang also expressed appreciation for Pakistan's clampdown on the violent terrorist group - the "East Turkistan Islamic Movement."

When meeting with Pakistan Army Chief Qamar Javed Bajwa, Wang noted that one of the core contents of the joint statement is the establishment of the Pak-Afghan bilateral crisis managing mechanism, which involves timely sharing of information, rebuilding mutual political trust and strengthening crisis management.

This is a key step towards improving the Pak-Afghan ties, he said, adding that China appreciates the openness and tolerance demonstrated by both countries in this regard.

He hoped the two sides would reach agreement on details of the crisis managing mechanism as soon as possible, and fully implement the proposals in the statement.

Bajwa thanked China for its mediation efforts and expressed his support for the joint communique, saying it is in line with the interests of various parties, and is conducive to regional peace and stability.

On Sino-Pakistan ties, Wang said China appreciates Pakistan's contribution and sacrifice to the global fight against terrorism. He thanked the Pakistani side for its firm support in the battle against the violent terrorist group - the "East Turkistan Islamic Movement."

China will continue standing side by side with Pakistan on issues concerning the latter's core interests, said the Chinese foreign minister.

Bajwa, for his part, noted that Pakistan and China are all-weather strategic cooperative partners. He said the Pakistani military is committed to the global fight against terrorism, prohibiting any terrorist group from operating on Pakistani soil.

He said his country will continue combating the "East Turkistan Islamic Movement."
Source: Xinhua| 2017-06-26 03:10:54|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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TIRANA, June 25 (Xinhua) -- Albania voted Sunday for its new parliament which will elect a new government for the next four years.

The parliamentary election is seen as a key for the country to its European Union (EU) membership talks that it has been aspiring since 2014 when it was granted the candidate country status.

For this reason, the elections process here has been under the constant monitoring of the EU bodies which have stressed on their part that the standard of these elections is going to shape Albania's relationship with the EU.

The polling booths opened at 7:00 a.m. local time and were closed at 8:00 p.m. The initial deadline for polls closing was 7:00 p.m. but was postponed by Albania's central elections commission (CEC) due to the low turnout.

Nearly 3 million Albanians were eligible to cast their ballots at 5,362 polling stations across the country but only scant half of them exercised such right.

CEC informed that as of 8:00 p.m., 44 percent of eligible voters had cast their ballots, lower turnout than in 2013 general elections.

CEC attributed the low turnout to the heat and celebrations of Eid-al-Fitr.

During the day, the main political leaders, namely the head of ruling Socialist Party Edi Rama, the head of the co-ruling Socialist Movement for Integration Petrit Vasili and the head of oppositions largest party Democratic Party Lulzim Basha appealed to Albanian citizens to massively go to polls and have their say.

Also the head of election body appealed to citizens to report any incident as well as asked the administrators of voting process to act according to the laws and electoral code.

Meanwhile, some 6,000 police officers were on duty for election security, while more 300 international observers came to monitor the vote.

The voting process was considered as quiet and normal despite several incidents reported by local media and police.

The Interior Ministry reported hundreds of attempts to buy votes, a crime that may result in a jail term while media published different photos and video footage of clashes in the polls or vote photographing cases.

Thus despite such incidents, police sources informed that no injured person had to take specialized treatment at hospital while the cases were considered as isolated, thus did not disrupt the voting process.

The preliminary results from the vote are expected early Monday.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-06-26 03:20:59|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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ARUSHA, Tanzania, June 25 (Xinhua) -- Latifa Felix still recalls the terrible condition of Tanzania's Ruvu South Forest Reserve ten years ago when it was overrun by illegal loggers, charcoal makers and invading farmers.

Many invaders of the Tanzania's most important coastal forest were local villagers, and Felix, a villager-turned environmental activist, faced a tough task changing their minds.

"When we started the intervention ... it wasn't easy task to change people's mindsets, as Ruvu South Forest Reserve was everything to many of them," said Felix, now chairperson of the Soga village environment committee

"Forest conservation was depriving their main source of income, as some were engaging in illegal logging, timber and charcoal business," she said.

Fortunately, since 2005 when non-government organizations (NGOs) such as Tanzania Forest Conservation Group (TFCG), CARE-Tanzania, and Tanzania Natural Resource Forum (TNRF) started encouraging villagers to take part in saving the forest from disappearance, positive changes have ensued.

"We now have a number of people who are engaging in beekeeping, some are trying to venture into tree planting, conservation farming, and others in poultry, just to reduce pressure from the forest reserve," she said, adding that they also formed a patrol team to combat deforestation in the forest reserve located 45 km west of Dar es Salaam.

Now they are adding new projects in hopes of making a living that is financially and environmentally sustainable.

"Although many haven't yet started getting tangible benefits, in general term, the forest has been restored," Latifa said.

She was also proud of the role local women have played. "Women are the highly affected group when it comes to environmental degradation. Our roles are different from men: we're responsible for collecting firewood, water and forest products."

Latifa's remarks can be evidenced during the ten-kilometer journey to Soga village from Kongowe area located along the Dar es Salaam-Morogoro Highway, where there are no lorries and motorcycles loaded with charcoal as it was five years ago.

"No charcoal is transported from this village. Those people who were engaging in that business have abandoned it as it wasn't paying on their side," said Fadhili Hassan Lyamba, a village chairperson.

He confidently said that the forest has been replenished, charcoal is an illegal business "and those who are getting into the forest for whatever reasons are heavily fined".

In the eyes of Fadhili, the story in Soga village of more than 3,000 people, exemplifies how villagers can benefit out of the 50-year-old forest in a different manner.

The village leader said that there are people who are doing patrols and they are also benefiting from what they do. They are being paid after arresting the culprit in the forest.

"Our forest is now safe to the extent that some of the wild animals that were disappeared have started coming back," said Subira Juma Mdimi, a village-based environment activist.

Villagers have started seeing mammals like buffaloes and other small wild animals in the forest, which had disappeared for a long time.

"So, what we've worked on for some years have started paying us," Mdimi said. "The forest is fully covered now. We've started seeing changes in the climatic patterns. We're now getting rains compared to the past .... this has a big contribution to our livelihoods and all these are the benefit of forest conservation."

Credit has been give to the collective efforts between villagers, environmental NGOs and the government through Tanzania Forest Services (TFS).

According to Mdimi, NGOs like TFCG and TNRF through Mama Misitu campaign have trained villagers on the importance of conserving the forest. These efforts have changed people's mindsets and in turn save the forest from extinction.

Shamari Juma, a village-based environmentalist describes Mama Misitu (Mother Forests) Campaign as a success as it informed villagers on forest conservation and activities friendly to forests such as beekeeping, fish farming, conservation farming, and charcoal-saving stoves.

However, Juma said that lack of clear procedures of getting the 32 percent of penalties charged from illegal loggers and charcoal makers demoralize the conservation efforts.

He also suggested the need for TFS to set aside funds to pay a team of people patrolling the forest reserve for making the job sustainable.

Nassoro Mzava, District's TFS representative, admitted the importance of joint forest management as the best option to the sustainable forest management in the area and the country at large.

"As TFS, we're aware of the challenges facing villagers who are in the frontline to conserve forests, and we're looking on the best modality to encourage them on what they have been doing," he said, noting that forest conservation is not a one-man show but a collective one.

Mzava, on his part, suggested the need for village leaders to act as an important custodian in forest management. "There are leaders who have been colluding with illegal loggers and charcoal makers, something that needs to be dealt with."

Bettie Luwuge, an expert from Tanzania Forest Conservation Group (TFCG), cited lack of an affordable alternative source of cooking energy as a result of the ongoing deforestation in the country.

Bettie holds the view that Tanzania should come up with a policy on biomass energy policy to formalize charcoal as an important source of cooking energy, hence put in place better mechanism that will save country's forests.

The demand for charcoal in Tanzania is projected to increase over the next 20 years due to rapid urbanization and population growth.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-06-26 03:36:00|Editor: ying

Iraqi civilians, escorted by Iraqi soldiers, reach the Bab Sinjar neighborhood at the entrance of old city in western Mosul, Iraq, on June 25, 2017. Iraqi forces battling Islamic State (IS) militants on Sunday continued heavy clashes and pushed deeper toward the heart of the heavily populated old city in the western side of Mosul, the Iraqi military said. (Xinhua/Khalil Dawood)

MOSUL, Iraq, June 25 (Xinhua) -- Iraqi forces battling Islamic State (IS) militants on Sunday continued heavy clashes and pushed deeper toward the heart of the heavily populated old city in the western side of Mosul, the Iraqi military said.

"There is only about one percent of the city of Mosul left in the hands of Daesh (IS group) militants, and the Iraqi security forces are continuing their advance from several directions into of the old city center," Brigadier General Yahya Rasoul, spokesman of the Joint Operations Command (JOC) said in a statement.

The army's 9th Armored Division freed the southern part of al-Shifaa neighborhood, the last battleground with IS militants outside the old city center, Rasoul said.

Meanwhile, the interior ministry elite forces, known as Rapid Response, are still fighting in the northern part of al-Shifaa neighborhood, Rasoul said, adding that the Rapid Response commandos are surrounding the main hospital in al-Shifaa neighborhood where many IS militants holed up inside.

The army troops who are fighting in northwestern part of the old city pushed further in al-Farouq neighborhood after days of back and forth battles and recaptured part of the adjacent al-Mashahda neighborhood, Rasoul said.

The commandos of the Counter-Terrorism Service (CTS) forces made progress during the battles of the past few days in the western part of the old city center, he said.

The federal police in the southern part of the old city continued their slow advance in the areas of Ra's al-Jadda, Bab al-Jadid and Bab al-Beidh, and are approaching the IS redoubt in al-Khazraj area in the heart of the old city, Rasoul added.

During the past few weeks, the CTS forces, federal police and army soldiers made slow progress due to the stiff resistance of IS militants and a large number of roadside bombs and booby-trapped buildings, in addition to IS snipers who took positions in the buildings of heavily-populated neighborhoods.

According to UN reports, some 100,000 civilians are still trapped in the IS-held areas in the old city center and the adjacent al-Shifaa neighborhood. The extremist group is using the civilians as human shields.

Iraqi forces, backed by international coalition, launched their final push on June 18 to drive out IS militants from al-Shifaa neighborhood and most of the densely-populated old city center in the western side of Mosul, locally known as the right bank of Tigris River.

Mosul, 400 km north of Iraq's capital Baghdad, has been under IS control since June 2014, when government forces abandoned their weapons and fled, enabling IS militants to take control of parts of Iraq's northern and western regions.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-06-26 03:36:02|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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ISTANBUL, June 25 (Xinhua) -- Turkish police on Sunday used rubber bullets and water canon to break up marches by groups of LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) in central Istanbul.

Around 200 people gathered on several sidestreets near the city's bustling Istiklal Avenue and tried to march toward the Taksim Square nearby to stage their annual rally despite a ban.

The ban was imposed by the provincial governor for the third year in a row, citing threats from ultranationalists.

The riot police cordoned off the Taksim square by deploying armed vehicles, water cannons and dogs.

At least 22 people were detained as police fired rubber bullets on a group of 50 people to prevent them from marching toward the square.

Water cannon was used against another group in the Cihangir neighborhood, local media reports said.

This year's LGBT parade in Istanbul fell on the first day of Eid al-Fitr, a religious holiday celebrated by Muslims worldwide to mark the end of Ramadan, the Islamic holy month of fasting.
Today the Tribune concludes its latest installment of They Served With Honor, a series profiling North Dakota veterans.

Its fitting that we end with a look at the Mertz family of the Goodrich-Denhoff area. Nine brothers served in different branches of the military for a combined 28 years of service. Thats a lot of pride, and worry, for the parents. Sending a child off to the military, whether in war or peace, can be difficult. A lot of things can happen and not all of them good.

The recent accident involving a destroyer, the USS Fitzgerald, with a tanker off Japan demonstrates the dangers. Seven sailors died in the collision.

And we continue to get reminders of the toll from past wars.

On June 10, Field Musician First Class Warren G. Nelson was buried in Lakota. Nelson had been killed in combat on Nov. 20, 1943, during the Battle of Tawara on Betio Island. He had been buried in a mass grave that was recently discovered and his body identified. Nearly 74 years later he came home. While there are few still alive who knew him there was a large gathering for his services. Bikers came from across the nation and Canada to honor him.

On Saturday, Gunner's Mate 1st Class Arthur C. Neuenschwander was laid to rest in Fessenden. He died on Dec. 7, 1941, during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. Neuenschwander, 33 at the time, was on the USS Oklahoma. The battleship was hit by torpedoes and capsized, trapping hundreds of men, including Neuenschwander, inside. He was buried in a mass grave and in the last few years the military used DNA from family members to identify him. Now hes home.

Two men killed more than 70 years ago, but not forgotten. It would be easy not to search for unmarked graves on lonely Pacific islands. However, a group dedicated to finding lost graves found the one with Nelson. He came home. The military didnt quit trying to identify Pearl Harbor victims and Neuenschwander came home. Their service and sacrifice was appreciated even though it occurred a long time ago.

There are still many missing Americans in former war zones around the world. Some will never be found. Survivors of the Bataan Death March after the fall of the Philippines told of soldiers who fell or died along the road being flattened by Japanese armored vehicles. They became part of the road. Estimates are 5,000 to 18,000 Filipinos and 500 to 650 Americans died on the April 1942 march.

Thats a sacrifice that shouldnt and cant be forgotten.

They Served With Honor in a small way honors those who served. Its a chance for them to share their stories, something that some veterans have been reluctant to do. Not all experiences are ones that veterans want to relive. We appreciate their willingness to do so because it provides us with a perspective that could be lost otherwise. It helps us understand why they served and made sacrifices for their country.

We thank those we profiled, those whose stories we werent able to publish and those who choose to remain private. Their service will be remembered forever just as we still remember the ultimate sacrifice of Nelson and Neuenschwander.
Cooling tower of Doel's nuclear plant is pictured on Oct. 4, 2012 in Doel, north of Belgium. (Xinhua/Wu Wei)

BRUSSELS, June 25 (Xinhua) -- More than 50,000 people from Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands formed a human chain across the border triangle of the three countries on Sunday, to call on the Belgian authorities to close two nuclear reactors in Belgium.

Tihange 2 and Doel 3, were found have cracks in the walls of their pressure vessels, according to the Belgian news agency Belga.

The two large-scale nuclear power stations in Belgium, known as Tihange and Doel, have been in service since the mid-1970s.

Seven nuclear reactors are currently in service in Belgium, which produce 55 percent of the country's electricity supply, according to Electrabel, the company managing these reactors.

The Belgian government has vowed to phase out nuclear power completely by 2025.

The human chain on Sunday was jointly organized by Belgian, Dutch and German citizen initiatives, including Stop Tihange, End of the Nuclear and 113eweging.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-06-26 05:02:02|Editor: ying

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GABORONE, June 25 (Xinhua) -- The first "spaghetti road" constructed in Botswana will reduce traffic congestion in the city of Francistown, a Botswana senior official said Sunday.

Transport and Communications Minister Kitso Mokaila said the interchange bridge, constructed by China Railway Seventh Group (CRSG) Botswana (Pty) Ltd, is expected to be officially unveiled to the public late next month.

The interchange is located in the country's second largest city Francistown, and features many links leading into and out of Francistown's central business district (CBD).

Widely believed to be the diamond-rich nation's new landmark, the spaghetti junction is expected to bring much relief to motorists in the Botswana city, according to Mokaila.

In an interview with Xinhua after touring the project Sunday, Mokaila said the spaghetti road is a transformative infrastructure project that has the potential of wooing prospective investors to Francistown.

"The spaghetti will (definitely) be a boon to the economy of Francistown and the general livelihoods of Botswana (citizens of Botswana) living in the northeastern part of the country," Mokaila said.

The minister said the spaghetti road will help expand the capacity of major and secondary roads that bisects Francistown's CBD and to initiate rapid traffic transit systems.

With this project, Mokaila said the process of reforming the urban transport has just begun, as Botswana aspires to be counted among the top countries with good transport system.

Mokaila said the Chinese government and some institutions from the world's most populous nation are playing a significant role in Botswana's infrastructural growth.

Construction of the spaghetti road started in 2015, as part of a 30-km dual road project, at a cost of 100 million U.S. dollars.

CRSG Botswana is a subsidiary of the construction firm China Railway Group Limited (China Railway Engineering Corporation) and has operations in Africa and Saudi Arabia.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-06-26 05:27:05|Editor: ying

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by Samuel Okiror

KAMPALA, June 25 (Xinhua) -- Nine people were killed and 13 others critically injured in a Sunday road accident in the central Ugandan district of Mpigi.

Philip Mukasa, Katonga regional police spokesperson, told Xinhua that all six people traveling on a small Toyota Premio and three passengers abroad a commuter taxi died after a head-on collision along the Kampala-Masaka Highway.

"The Premio car was overloaded. It had eight occupants as opposed to the recommended five," said Mukasa.

"The impact of the head-on collision was very strong. The bodies flew out of the vehicles," he said.

The spokesperson attributed the cause of the deadly road accident to over speeding and reckless driving.

Assan Kasingye, Uganda's police spokesperson, told Xinhua that the afternoon accident paralyzed the traffic along the highway for almost an hour as the force cleared the wreckage from the road.

The critically injured persons were rushed to Buwamba health center and Masaka Regional Referral Hospital for emergency medical treatment.

"We believe the number of the dead will increase. There are very many people who are critically injured and fighting for their lives," said Mukasa.

Uganda registers at least 20,000 accidents with over 2,000 deaths each year, making it one of the countries with the highest road accident fatality rates in the world, according to police figures. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2017-06-26 05:57:14|Editor: Yamei

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BOGOTA, June 25 (Xinhua) -- A tour boat with some 150 passengers on board capsized Sunday afternoon in the Penol-Guatape Reservoir, in Colombia's northwest department of Antioquia, said local authorities.

Rescue workers and officials were on the scene to help survivors and investigate the cause. It was not known how many died of drowning yet.

"We have a full operation underway," Victoria Eugenia Ramirez, secretary of the government of Antioquia, told reporters.

"According to the company, 150 people were on board. The rescue operation includes the Interior Ministry, air force, army and police. The boat 'El Almirante' (The Admiral) did not crash into another, it just sank," Ramirez added.

"The Admiral" is a four-level tour vessel, according to Colombian news network Caracol.
GRAND FORKS  For Grand Forks single immigration law firm, business is growing and changing under President Donald Trump.

New executive orders made by the president led to a 38 percent increase in the number of people detained by Immigrations and Customs Enforcement in the first quarter of 2017, which local attorneys say has changed the status of immigration law in the region and across the country, and crowded the dockets of the nearest federal immigration court in the Twin Cities.

Last year, Swanson Law Office was working mostly to get H1-B high-skilled immigrant worker visas, J-1 student visas, and helping those who marry foreign nationals obtain citizenship for their spouses.

Recently, were seeing a lot more deportation defense, Billy Bailey, an attorney at Swanson Law Office, said. Its really ramped up.

At the Bloomington, Minn., Immigration Court, where most immigration cases originating from North Dakota, South Dakota and Minnesota are processed, the caseload has increased.

At the end of May, the court had 5,666 cases pending, according to Kathryn Mattingly, a press secretary in the executive office for immigration review within the U.S. Department of Justice.

In Fiscal Year 2016, the Bloomington Immigration Court handled 2,767 cases total, with 1,668 cases completed, Justice Department records show. The court has just three full-time judges, though rotating judges help with caseloads.

People detained in North Dakota and in northwest Minnesota are typically brought to the Grand Forks County Correctional Center, an ICE-friendly facility, for about a week before being brought to Sherburne County, north of Minneapolis, to await their hearings, immigration lawyer Sue Swanson said. Waiting up to three weeks in the Sherburne County jail before making an initial appearance has become a regular occurrence, she said.

Swanson said the rates of bond set by ICE and U.S. Border Patrol agents have also risen this year, preventing many clients from bailing out while awaiting their court appearance, where bonds are typically lowered.

I have a client with no criminal record who has a $23,000 bond, Swanson said.

Swanson and Bailey said the courts have become so backlogged that many of their clients have their next hearings scheduled for 2019.

Everyone is a priority

With the ramping up in enforcement comes a change in who is prioritized for deportation. Bailey said he has clients who are students who recently completed their studies and are being sought for deportation. They were likely found by ICE checking on the J-1 student visa database, he said.

They are checking the database for students and actively looking for students.

That is a departure from the last 25 years, experts say.

Before you had to get yourself in trouble first and theyd say, Weve got an immigration issue,  Bailey said. Everybody is a priority now.

He said he has clients who were students in western North Dakota whose J-1 status had expired and were picked up by Border Patrol agents for deportation.

Bailey and Swanson said Border Patrol is increasingly working with ICE in northern North Dakota to assist in detaining deportees.

Swanson said for those whose legal status has expired or is under review, it is common for them to meet with ICE to discuss their cases. But now those routine check-ins have turned into deportation detentions.

Theyre telling them they just need to talk, Swanson said.

But once the talking is over, many are being arrested and fast-tracked for deportation, a course that had been reserved for violent criminals and drug dealers in the past.

Theres really nobody being released anymore, she said.

Lt. Derik Zimmel with the Grand Forks Police Department said if officers are interacting with people who they have reason to believe are not in the country legally, they reach out to federal authorities.

Were just simply going to contact Border Patrol and they would take over the investigation, Zimmel said.

He said officers might determine someones status based on running names through law enforcement data systems, seeing if stories add up or other investigational circumstances. Border Patrol has access to federal resources and databases local agencies do not.

Zimmel said occasionally Border Patrol agents assist with language barriers between officers and Spanish speakers in the community.

A long process

Jose Garcia has two days permanently etched in his memory: Nov. 23, 2008, when he received his permanent resident status in the U.S., and March 23, 2012, when his wife received hers.

Now a cook and waiter at the Casa Mexico restaurant in East Grand Forks, the Jalisco, Mexico, native said it took about two years to get his green card.

Obtaining legal residential status in the U.S. is a long, complicated process, Swanson said.

Garcia said when his wife was still awaiting permission to enter the U.S., he would return to Mexico twice a year to see her and their two daughters. The wages he was able to earn in the U.S. helped, but the distance was hard.

Their third child, a son, was born in the U.S. after his wife got her residency.

Now, were all here, he said with a smile.

Garcia and Julia Mejia, an El Salvador native with permanent residency in the U.S., said fear of immigration enforcement is not as high among the Hispanic community in northwest Minnesota. Eating at Mejias El Gordito Market in Crookston, Garcia and Mejia said that most in the local community either have permanent residency status or are U.S.-born from border states.

About six months ago, Garcia said a man he works with at Casa Mexico was stopped by police and the Border Patrol came to translate. Now, that man is back in Mexico.

Asi es la vida, Garcia said. Thats life.
FESSENDEN -- A casualty of the opening hours of what would become World War II was returned to North Dakota after more than 75 years.

Gunners Mate 1st Class Arthur C. Neuenschwander, 33, died on Dec. 7, 1941, on board the USS Oklahoma during the attack on Pearl Harbor. Saturday, his remains were brought back to his family and the community of Fessenden where he had been raised.

It is with a deep sense of pride and respect we welcome Arthur home today, wrote Gov. Doug Burgum in a letter read by state Sen. David Oehlke, R-Devils Lake, as part of the memorial service held at the Fessenden High School gymnasium.

The memorial service included family memories presented by Laurie Neuenschwander OConnor, Arthurs niece, who said letters written by Arthur to his sister indicated he was concerned for his mother and family during the months before his death.

Arthurs father operated a funeral home among other businesses in Fessenden. He had become ill and was unable to continue those businesses. During this time, Arthur, who had enlisted shortly after graduating high school in 1927, was sending about 40 percent of his Navy wages back home to North Dakota to help the family.

If anything happened to Dad, he wrote in one of his letters, I would like to have Mother come out to the west coast with me.

Otto Neuenschwander died just two months after his son was killed at Pearl Harbor.

Laurie Neuenschwander OConnor said the memorial and the return of Arthurs remains to North Dakota would have been important for Arthurs mother, who never had an opportunity to bury her oldest son.

Lt. Edwin Handley, Navy chaplain, said Arthur was a member of Americas greatest generation that came out of the depths of the first world war and the Great Depression to fight World War II.

Handley said as a gunners mate, Arthur had been trained as a specialist in small arms weapons. He was likely on the ship that Sunday morning because he was on duty at the time.

I imagine Arthur Neuenschwander manned his battle station against the enemy, Handley said. He joined the heroes who gave their lives.

Handley presented the Neuenschwander family with a replica of the unconditional surrender signed by the Japanese that ended World War II in the Pacific.

It shows that Arthur Neuenschwanders service meant something, he said.

The USS Oklahoma was struck by several torpedoes during the attack by the Japanese, Handley said. The ship rolled in its berth and 429 sailors were killed. Two years later, the ship was righted and human remains recovered, although only 35 could be identified.

The remaining 388 unknown casualties were buried in mass graves at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Hawaii. Efforts began in 2015 to recover the remains and identify them using DNA analysis.

Neuenschwander was among 30 of the 388 unknown sailors who have been identified.

Capt. Duane Sand, one of the Navy officers presiding at the service, said bringing the remains home is important.

This is a special event based in large part on Navy tradition, he said, but it also fulfills a promise to all service men that we will return them home.
Squatters good for votes, but not grants

This was the position of chairman of the Siparia Regional Corporation Dr Glenn Ramadharsingh as he spoke to the media at Evergreen Recreation Grounds in Woodland before distributing 15 hampers in the flood-affected Penal/ Debe region yesterday.

When the election bell is rung, I see politicians going to all the squatters and asking them to vote so they have rights as citizens and they have the rights to be treated as citizens, said Ramadharsingh.

But we have seen the plight of those who do not have proper title for their land and they are in a very precarious and serious position, because while the Government is saying that in two to three weeks they will process these grants, in many places people are being turned away. They are being turned away, said Ramadharsingh, due to the policy that squatters will not be given access to the grants.

We want to appeal to the Government to revise the policy for emergency relief because these people have children and they have to get these homes repaired very quickly.

They cannot access the grant, they cannot access the homes and we are calling on the government to review that policy for emergency relief so that the persons applications can be processed. As it stands now they can get no help. The hampers, sponsored by Unicomer Group and the Maritime Financial Group, consisted of toiletries, rice, flour, and bottles of bleach and were distributed to 15 homes which were critically affected by the storm.
Flood come back like a tsunami

One of the affected areas was Kent Street located near the Guaracara River, which overflowed its banks and flooded their homes as well as a warehouse.

In the aftermath of Tropical Storm Bret, scores of homes were flooded between Monday night and Tuesday morning. Still in the process of cleaning their homes and counting their losses, overnight rains resulted in more flooding. While the water was rising, residents assisted each other in relocating all vehicles to the nearby Kumar Recreation Grounds. Residents again called on the authorities to assist them in whatever way possible.

On Tuesday, the ODPM people came and handed out mattresses.

But around 3 am (yesterday), it (the flood) came back like a tsunami. The mattress we got gone, everything we tried to salvage on Tuesday gone, said Sanjay Sanasie. Residents estimated that more than 100 people were affected by the torrential rains and gusty winds.

In some of the houses, the water level rose to about five feet. Owner of an automotive and variety store Oudho Persad was on the brink of tears saying he lost more than $250,000 worth of items from his two warehouses.

So heartbroken was the businessman over the incident that he is planning to close up shop. He has been operating the business for 10 years.

On Monday, it did not affect much but last night water was about six feet high. For now, total loss is $250,000 and we are half way in cleaning. There is no salvage in that. We have a staff of 20. It is automotive and household items we lost here. I will have to look for work and make it somehow, Persad said.

The father of one noted he had no insurance for his business and the flood had placed him in grave financial difficulties.

Mother of five Gloria Ramgobin, 56, pleaded with the authorities to assist her saying her husband Camechan, 61, is a slickly man.

We cannot take it anymore. When the water started to rise, I had to leave here and go by relatives to spend the night. Most of the things we could not save and the house I went by flooded too. I dont know if the fridge working, Ramgobin said.

Councillor Vashti Sookoo and members of the Princes Town Regional Corporation visited residents and pledged to assist.

If we can get a place to live, we will be very grateful. We cannot take on this stress anymore.

This is twice in one week. It is very discouraging.

My husband is waiting on his gratuity, the grandmother of six added.

According to the TT Meteorological Service, the country can today expect cloudy periods to light to moderate showers in varying localities and heavy showers or thundershowers in a few areas. Conditions will become settled after nightfall, it stated.

Gusty winds, street and/or flash flooding are likely in heavy showers or thundershowers.

Additionally, in areas where the ground is already waterlogged, the likelihood of flooding in heavy or prolonged rainfall is high, the Meteorological Service added.

Up to last evening, residents were still engaged in clean-up efforts.
Drivers unhurt in 3-car smash-up

Al Muhammad, a 40-year-old heavy equipment operator and driver from El Dorado, reported that around 10 am he was driving his Nissan RG8 tractor unit and was pulling a crown triple axel trailer. He said he was proceeding west on the Eastern Main Road and turned across Third Avenue when a white Nissan Tiida darted in front of him and an army Toyota Hilux.

Muhammad said he continued proceeding west and a driver in a silver Nissan Cifero attempted the same manoeuvre but was unsuccessful and hit the trailer of his vehicle. He reported he did not know that he had been hit at the time because the the tonnage of his vehicle prevented him from feeling the impact. He said the trailer hooked the car and when the driver of the Cifero applied brakes it dragged on to the army vehicle.

Muhammad said his vehicle received no damage as with the steel it was like an ant trying to bite an elephant. The Cifero however was reportedly totalled and the army vehicle received damage to the right hand side.

No one was injured in the accident.

Barataria police responded and investigations are continuing.
Duane DeKrey, who directs the Garrison Diversion Unit, is becoming increasingly frustrated by the fact that its only now that the full promise of the McClusky Canal project is being realized as agricultural producers are being allowed to tap into its potential.

The canal was built in the late 60s and early 70s with federal funds as a compromise to provide irrigation for up to 1 million acres to make up for the acreage flooded by construction of Garrison Dam, the structure that impounds the Missouri River and created both lakes.

The original grandiose scheme of the canal was whittled way back over two decades of political wrangling until finally 74 miles of the canal were constructed. Because of objections from Canada, the canal was later plugged at mile marker 58  the drainage divide  to prevent the mixing of waters into water that flows across the border.

While that still left miles of canal filled with the best water around and the potential to irrigate 51,700 suitable acres, there was little interest in using the water for irrigation because the federal Bureau of Reclamations policies only provided for very short-term water-use contracts.

DeKrey said it wasnt until 2011 that the bureau conceded water permit authority to the diversion unit, along with the State Water Commission, opening the door to 40-year water contracts.

Potential irrigators finally have the surety they need to go to the bank for financing and interest is picking up, DeKrey said.

Kip Kovar, Garrison Diversion Unit engineer, said hes taking phone calls weekly from producers who are interested in utilizing the canal water thats been so tantalizingly close all this time, especially this year.

We see a lot more calls. With it being dry, the interest has been high, Kovar said.

He expects the diversion unit could expect to add another 500 to 1,000 irrigation acres a year going forward. The 100 cubic feet per second of water flowing through the canal now will have to be increased ten-fold to supply irrigation to all the 51,700 suitable acres, the Red River Valley water project and other draws for wildlife projects.
UWI: Free English tuition to refugees

In a release, UWI reported that through the U, We and Refugees project in the TESOL programme of the Department of Modern Languages and Linguistics (DMLL), Faculty of Humanities and Education they have been saying you matter to the refugee community by offering free tuition to 80 refugees and their families. UWI noted the special students are currently receiving core instruction in English for 32 hours, and co-curricular instruction in drama, music and dance for 16 hours, at the St Augustine campus. The instruction began on June 10 and will end on June 29.

UWI also reported that in celebration of World Refugee Day on June 20, the DMLL had also enlisted experts to speak on Contexts, Displacement and the Refugee Situation in the Caribbean. Represented among the speakers were the United Nations High Commission for Refugees and UWI staff from the Hugh Wooding Law School, the Faculty of Food and Agriculture, the Institute of International Relations, the Faculty of Social Sciences and the Faculty of Humanities and Education. The discussion took place last Friday at the Centre for Language Learning (CLL) and followed by the public screening of the 2015 film Warehoused, a documentary on the plight of long-term refugees.

The week closes on Tuesday with a screening of Beneath the Blindfold in commemoration of International Day in Support of Victims of Torture. This event takes place from 6 pm to 7.30 pm at CLL.
Contracts weakens public service

There appears to be what can be termed a quiet establishment of a parallel public service with portions...being filled by the use of contract employment in the various ministries throughout the public service. This parallel system of appears to be dismantling and weakening the traditional public service and creates a dilemma for a number of citizens who now live their lives with a great deal of uncertainty about the sustainability of their income, their livelihood and their very existence. She was delivering welcome remarks yesterday at the Industrial Court Meet with the Court Symposium 5: Fixed Term Contracts in the Public Sector held at Regimental Headquarters, Aranguez.

She said that fixed term contracts do have their benefits as it can avoid bureaucracy and is prudent to get the services of an expert.

She reported, however, that in the last few years there have been fixed term contracts to perform the same duties as other public servants and duties that are regular and not time bound. Thomas-Felix added that fix term contracts offer more attractive remunerative packages even though they are doing the same tasks as other public servants which puts the latter at both an economic disadvantage and has a demoralising effect.

She said a large number of the fixed term contracts are for short periods, between three months to a year, and recipients do not enjoy job security and because they are not considered public servants do not receive the same benefits.

She added that the continuous use of these contracts is disruptive to work flows in any organisation.

Thomas-Felix said for citizens, particularly young people, on a three or six month contract they would not be able to secure mortgages, rental agreements or open bank accounts. She stressed that fixed term contracts should only be an option where services are needed urgently and it is not possible to find the skills on a permanent basis.

She advised that the country revisit the persistent and widespread use of fixed term contracts and examine the social and economic impacts.

During the question and answer session, someone asked whether fixed term contracts could facilitate corruption. International Labour Organisation representative Shingo Miyake responded that they do not necessarily lead to corruption.

He said some employers use these contracts due to a rapidly changing situation and some employees prefer the flexibility so they can have time to study. He added that there can be benefits for both employer and employee once fixed term contracts are properly managed.

Also during her remarks, Thomas- Felix said she has observed that a number of companies do not attend court and have no representation but there is an outcry when matters do not go in their favour.

She explained that the wording of the Industrial Relations Act is about a conciliatory process that is meant to improve labour relations and facilitate the smooth resolution of disputes. For a number of hearing employers are absent and do not take part in the process. She said when matters are determined ex parte (with the interest of only one side) then the employers cry foul. She also commented on an Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) matter which she in on and said the procedure adopted by the stakeholders is incorrect. She explained that an OSH matter is a criminal matter - people found guilty can go to prison or be fined - that required a criminal complaint. She said the approach cannot be that of a normal industrial relations matter. She reported that she had placed a draft complaint on the courts website.
Ramnarine queries 3-way Petrotrin split

Namely, How will the balance sheet be apportioned between those three companies? What are the implications for future re-financing of the US $850 million bond? What are the implications for the pension plan; how will it be separated? Ramnarine also wanted the person/ s who recommended the split to explain how Petrotrins current liabilities would be divided amongst the three new entities.

As at 2016, the companys current liabilities were $12.2 billion, with total liabilities of $28.2 billion. Noting that a current liability could be something which you have to pay quickly while a non-current liability (includes) de-commissioning costs, money set aside for persons who are retiring and so on, Ramnarine asked, How is that ($12.2 billion) going to be apportioned across three companies? Ramnarine shared his concerns on Thursday evening, while delivering the feature address at a technical talk on the Future of TTs Petroleum Industry: Challenges and Opportunities, held at the University of the West Indies, St Augustine. Rather than split it into three, Ramnarine advocated Petrotrin should maintain its integrated structure but with reduced operating costs and increased oil production.

According to Rex Tillerson, former chairman and CEO of Exxon- Mobil, now US Secretary of State, integrated oil companies allow for greater degrees of flexibility (because) they can adapt quickly to the changing needs of customers. It also allows for shared services across the organisation, such as information technology, human resources and legal services. Ramnarine argued that, without the integrated approach at Petrotrin, you would have the triplication of services; resulting in increased costs, inconsistent policy, confusion in strategic direction and so on.

That, of course, means increased head count. And finally, corporate planning and allocation of scarce resources, including funding and investment, is inefficient if you have three separate companies. Looking ahead, Ramnarine recommended five key things be done, if Petrotrin is to return to profit: 1) Keep the integrated structure intact; 2) Manage cost downward and cut waste and inefficiency; 3) Focus on increasing production; 4) Increase the joint venture, lease operator farm out (LOFO), incremental production service contract (IPSC) programme  this has been proven to work since 1989; 5) Focus private capital on drilling and Petrotrin capital focus on asset integrity and paying debt; and 6) Re-finance the US$850 million bond as soon as possible. Regarding the bond, Ramnarine warned that this may prove difficult to refinance with three separate companies because an integrated company has more clout when it sits before a bank. The technical talk at which Ramnarine spoke was hosted by the American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG) ,Young Professionals of TT Chapter and AAPG UWI STA Student Chapter, in collaboration with the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE) TT Young Professionals Chapter and SPE UTT Student Chapter.
Confusion is spreading after teaching materials on the Japanese language brought in by four lecturers sent from Japan to one of four Russian-controlled islands as part of visa-free exchange activities were seized by Russian customs authorities.

The lecturers arrived on the island, called Kunashiri in Japanese, on June 15, planning to stay there until late July to hold Japanese language classes for Russians.

They may return home earlier than scheduled as it is difficult to give lessons without the teaching materials, sources said.

Russia's Interfax news agency reported Friday that the teachers may leave Kunashiri on Monday.

The four islands, located off Hokkaido, were seized by the former Soviet Union from Japan at the end of World War II.
FARGO  For Linda Walker, the last four days have provided some of the toughest testimony that she and her family have heard related to the 2003 kidnapping and murder of her daughter, Dru Sjodin.

The evidentiary hearing in the death penalty appeal for Alfonso Rodriguez Jr., the man convicted and sentenced to death in 2006 in the case, has been filled with graphic descriptions from autopsy reports that have added to the familys anguish, Walker said Friday.

This hearing was far more difficult because of the details that were given out and how repetitious everything has been this last four days of how she was killed, Walker said.

During the trial, really, none of that was hammered or driven so hard and so deeply. So, its far more emotional and far more exhausting, Walker said.

The hearing started Tuesday, and over four days the defense presented a number of expert witnesses, including forensic pathologists and medical examiners, who testified in great detail about the condition of the body of Sjodin, a University of North Dakota student.

The attorneys from the Philadelphia-based Federal Community Defender Office have contended that testimony of stabbing and sexual assault may have influenced the jury in the death penalty phase of the trial.

Because the hearing before U.S. District Judge Ralph Erickson is still ongoing  testimony from one of Rodriguezs lawyers must still be obtained, which could happen in September  both Victor Abreu of the defenders office and Assistant U.S. Attorney Keith Reisenauer said they could not comment on the case.

Sjodins body was found in April 2004, with her hands tied behind her back, in a ravine near Crookston, Minn.

After being exposed to the elements for five months, Sjodins body had suffered the effects of decomposition and animal depredation, defense experts said in their testimony.

Several experts refuted assertions made at Rodriguezs trial by Ramsey County, Minn., medical examiner Michael McGee, who said Sjodin had been slashed twice on the throat with a knife, and then again on her right side. The experts said this was possible but couldnt be scientifically proven because of significant tissue loss and no signs of the type of blood loss that could have led to her death.

There was significant discussion of a cord or rope that had been found around Sjodins throat and the remains of a plastic bag that appeared to have been placed over her head, and what sort of role they might have played in her death. The experts generally agreed that her death was likely due to some form of asphyxiation. That assertion was further bolstered by a 2016 admission by Rodriguez that he had put pressure on Sjodins neck with his hand or arm.

Trial testimony that a rape had occurred was also debated, with defense experts saying that a test done by McGee was only an indicator for semen, not definitive. The experts testified that other tests indicated no semen, sperm or male DNA was found.

Reisenauer pointed out at several times over the four days that all of the lab results had been presented at the trial. In addition, he said McGee had said asphyxiation by the use of the ligature, suffocation due to the bag over Sjodins head, or exposure to the November cold and damp, could have also led to her death.

Reisenauer did not call any witnesses during this weeks portion of the hearing.

Allan Sjodin, Drus father, declined to talk after the hearing.

Walker said she and other family members keep going to all of the hearings, not just for Dru, but for all of Alfonsos past victims, and to other voiceless and nameless victims that are out there.  I truly feel that education is key, and we need to keep this to the national forefront of the violence against women, and children, and young adults.
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Morocco and its allies in the UN Special Committee on Decolonization succeeded in averting a plot by Algeria and Venezuela to confer the Polisario separatist entity the status of representative of the Sahara.

Thanks to the vigilance of Morocco and its African, Caribbean, Asian and Pacific allies within the UN Committee, Algeria and Venezuela failed in their scheme to impose the representativeness of the separatist Polisario entity at the Committee.

The adversaries of Moroccos territorial integrity and sovereignty over the Sahara suffered a setback as the paragraphs they aspired to impose had to be removed from the Committees resolution.

The chimera of the Polisario gaining the status of representative of the Sahara was deluded once again as Algeria and Venezuela failed to gather support for their scheme to undermine Moroccos sovereignty over the Sahara at UN fora.

The friends of Morocco also decried in a message the maneuvers of the Venezuelan Presidency of the Committee and its biased and hostile stands towards the Kingdom.

Earlier this month, The Fourth Committee elected Yasser Halfouni of Morocco as the Vice-Chair by 88 votes to 58 for the Algerian candidate Zaina Benhabouche.

Since Morocco retrieved its Sahara southern provinces, Algeria pulled the strings of the Polisario within the Fourth Committee in a vain attempt to undermine the Kingdoms territorial integrity and alter the regional character of the conflict over the Sahara to serve its hegemonic aims in the region.

Morocco has on multiple occasions protested against maintaining the Sahara issue on the decolonization agenda of the Fourth Committee on grounds that it violates the UN charter and the mandate of the Security Council.

Article 12 of the UN charter, which clearly stipulates that while the Security Council is exercising in respect of any dispute or situation the functions assigned to it in the present Charter, the General Assembly shall not make any recommendation with regard to that dispute or situation unless the Security Council so requests.

The Sahara issue has been part of the jurisdictions of the Security Council since 1988 as part of Article VI. Therefore maintaining the issue on the Fourth committees agenda creates confusion and inconsistency with the UN Charter.

Moreover, the terminology used in the Security Council resolution has never labelled the conflict as a decolonization issue and has never called the Sahara as an occupied territory. The Security Council uses accurate terms calling the Sahara issue a regional conflict.
A North Dakota legislative leader hopes to make a final decision sooner rather than later on whether to challenge Gov. Doug Burgums vetoes in court.

Legislative Management, a powerful interim committee, voted unanimously Wednesday, June 21, to proceed with litigation, and staffers are now preparing additional information and recommendations. Committee Chairman Sen. Ray Holmberg, R-Grand Forks, said lawmakers would vote again before any legal challenge is filed, but he wasnt sure when that would happen.

Wednesdays action set up a rare but not unprecedented legal battle between two branches of state government. Legislative leaders said theyre seeking clarity for future lawmakers and governors on the appropriate use of the governors veto and the separation of powers.

Burgum, who has defended the vetoes, said Friday there really isnt anything for us to do at this point in time, given that lawmakers intend to vote again.

We dont know if theyre going to do anything or not, he said in an interview. We signed bills, and we vetoed them and were focused on moving forward on all the pressing things that are in front of the state.

John Bjornson, legal division director for Legislative Council, said a decision has yet to be made on whether to hire outside counsel. He added that theyre aiming to minimize the legal costs.

Not often

Its unclear how often such a dispute has taken place, but Bjornson said the Legislature hasnt taken the governor to the state Supreme Court in the nearly 29 years hes been in the office.

Holmberg pointed to a 1976 case in which the lieutenant governor, who serves as president of the Senate, petitioned the court over rule changes that narrowed his authority to break a tie vote. The longtime legislator was unsure whether a similar situation has occurred since.

Its clearly not often, Holmberg said.

At issue today are several vetoes Burgum handed down days after the Legislature adjourned in late April. The House and Senate majority leaders, both Republicans, asked for Attorney General Wayne Stenehjems opinion on whether several of the partial vetoes on spending bills were proper.

The state Constitution allows the governor to veto items in an appropriation bill and let the other portions become law. But Stenehjem said Burgum overstepped his authority on some vetoes because he struck a condition or restriction on spending without removing the appropriation itself.

Lawmakers questioned the practical effect of the attorney generals opinion on Wednesday, a little more than a week before the spending bills take effect. Stenehjems analysis states that it governs the actions of public officials until the question is answered by the courts, but Bjornson told lawmakers its not a ruling of unconstitutionality.

Stenehjem cited a 1945 court opinion that said if state officers dont follow the attorney generals opinion, they will be derelict to their duty and act at their peril.

A spokeswoman for the North Dakota University System, whose budget bill was the subject of much of Stenehjems analysis, said the attorney generals opinion has the effect of law.

As a state agency, we will act in accordance with law, Billie Jo Lorius said in an email.

Setting precedent

Still, Holmberg said the looming legal challenge is less about the vetoes themselves but rather the precedent that could be set by the governor removing items from a bill and, in effect, legislating from the executive branch. Bjornson worried that such selective deletions could be used to change the intent of legislation.

Theres no one that can spend money besides us, House Majority Leader Al Carlson, R-Fargo, said Wednesday. Theres no one that can pass laws besides us.

Burgum said the vetoes were intended to protect executive branch authority and noted Stenehjem sided with him on a few occasions. He said theres a natural  push and pull between two branches of government to decide whats your authority and whats not.

The authority of the Legislature is clearly that theyre the appropriators, Burgum said. It seems to me the executive branch and all the agencies, our job is to make sure that (we) maintain the authority and the flexibility to be the most efficient we can with those taxpayer dollars.

Just across the Red River, another legal battle is playing out between a Democratic governor and a Republican Legislature in Minnesota over Governor Mark Daytons vetoes. The North Dakota dispute instead pits a Republican-controlled Legislature against a Republican governor, a wealthy businessman from Fargo who is just six months into his first term.

Burgum rankled some legislators during last years campaign  he happened to challenge Stenehjem for the GOP nomination  in part because he criticized spending growth during the recent oil boom. Due to lower tax revenues, state legislators cut general fund spending by almost a third this year.

But Holmberg and Carlson said the legal challenge is more than a political food fight.

I think Legislative Management was saying this is an issue of the prerogatives of the Legislature as an institution, Holmberg said.
Mertz is a reputable family name in the vicinity of Goodrich, and for good reason: Nine men  brothers  from a family of 13 wore their names on their tags as they headed off to war.

Before donning military uniforms and collecting memories of basic training, deployments and war, the Mertz brothers had a childhood to see through.

The older kids took care of the younger kids, said Curtis Mertz, the eighth son of Melita and William Mertz.

Mom had to bake bread every day, said Ronald Mertz, one of the oldest. He chuckled before adding, And I had to walk three-and-a-half miles to schoolone way.

The Mertz family farmed near Denhoff: The children  nine boys and four girls  all pitched in and helped with chores, lessening their parents workload.

In 1952, during the Korean War, first-born Allen Mertz enlisted in the U.S. Navy. During his four-year military career, he learned to drive truck and operate construction equipment, including an electric bridge crane. He was honorably discharged on June 12, 1956, and died April 20, 1996.

Whelan Mertz was drafted into the U.S. Army in 1956. He received numerous awards during his military career, including the Sharpshooter Marksmanship Badge, the M-1 Rifle Qualification Bar and the Good Conduct Medal. He was discharged in December 1958 at the rank of Private First Class E-3.

Whelan Mertz died Dec. 31, 1958, shortly after returning home.

Ronald Mertz was drafted into the U.S. Army in 1961 and completed his basic training in Fort Leonard Wood, Mo.

We had to crawl through mud and under barbed wire, he said of the training. Sometimes itd be raining when you went through the chow line to get your food. Youd end up with more rain than food, so you didnt eat.

Ronald Mertz was one of the first 1,000 troops to be deployed to Vietnam, Thailand and Laos at the start of the Vietnam War in 1962. He received special training in jungle and guerrilla warfare during this time.

I have to tell you the story of how I earned a three-day pass, said Ronald Mertz. I was on guard duty one night, walking around the warehouse in pitch-black. If approached, we were trained to call out, Halt, who goes there?"

Each day, a new secret code was given out. If the approaching individual didn't know the code, the guard was supposed to shoot.

That night, an alleged intruder came within 50 feet of Ronald Mertz.

Halt, who goes there? he called out.

The person didnt answer and kept coming towards me," Ronald Mertz said. "So I hit him hard with my gun. Turns out it was the general. He demanded I be in his office first thing in the morning.

A nervous Ronald Mertz reported to the general's office the very next day.

Mertz, relax, you did your job last night," said the general. "And, because of that, you earned yourself a three-day pass."

Ronald Mertz was recognized as "Soldier of the Month" 10 times and received numerous awards during his two-year military career: Infantry Badge and Infantry Braid Medals, Sharpshooter Marksmanship Badge in Bayonet, Machine Gun and Rocket Launcher, Marksman Badge in .45-Caliber Pistol, M-1 Rifle and Automatic Rifle, Oak Leaf Cluster Medal, Good Conduct Medal, Overseas Campaign Medal and 50th Anniversary Vietnam War Pin.

He was discharged on Aug. 10, 1963.

Fourth-born son Gary Mertz was drafted into the U.S. Army in 1963. He received special training in auto repair and truck mechanics in Fort Hood, Texas.

In January 1965, he was promoted to SP4 and received the Expert Rifle Marksmanship Badge. Later that year, he was honorably discharged and returned to Bismarck, where he served as a member of the U.S. Army Reserve for four years.

Arlin "Sam" Mertz, fifth son, was drafted into the U.S. Army in 1964.

Beginning in January 1965, he was headquartered in New Mexico at the White Sands Missile Range, where he served as an intelligence office clerk. Nine months later, he was transferred to headquarters in France, where he served until his honorable discharge in September 1966.

During his military career, Sam Mertz received his GED and worked as a school bus and heavy vehicle driver, as well as a post commander chauffeur. He received the Good Conduct Medal.

Sam Mertz died March 23, 2006.

Sixth-born son William "Bill" Mertz Jr. was drafted into the U.S. Army in 1965 and completed his basic training in Fort Leonard Wood, Mo.

During training, if your company didnt pass inspection, you had to take care of the mascot, the billy goat," Bill Mertz said. "That meant you were in trouble.

He was a 73C20 disbursing specialist and completed courses in CBR, military justice, code of conduct, ATP21-114, finance procedures and disbursing specials.

"For good luck, we just kept counting down the days," Bill Mertz said. "One day less till you get out.

Bill Mertz received the National Defense Service Medal, Marksman Badge and Good Conduct Medal before being honorably discharged on July 12, 1967.

David Mertz, seventh son, was drafted into the U.S. Army in 1968. He was a specially trained 62E20 construction maintenance operator. He served as a combat engineer in Vietnam before being stationed in Georgia with the 818th Engineer Battalion Combat.

David Mertz was honorably discharged May 15, 1970, as a Specialist 4.

Curtis Mertz, the fourth brother to serve in the Vietnam War, was drafted into the U.S. Marine Corps in 1969. He completed basic training in San Diego, where he was a member of the Honor Platoon.

I turned 21 in boot camp, so what do you think I did? said Curtis Mertz, smiling.

He received special training in 0311 infantry rifleman, HQ, BIT BN, 2DLTR, embarkation and amphibious operations and worked as a 0311 infantry rifleman, S-4 logistics and embarkation technician and chief administrative clerk/traffic safety officer.

Curtis Mertz received the Sharpshooter and M-16 Rifle Marksmanship Badges, Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Medal and Vietnam Service Medal with One Star. He was promoted to Corporal E-4 meritoriously.

Curtis Mertz was honorably discharged from the U.S. Marine Corps on Nov. 12, 1971, then transferred to the Reserve for four years.

Ninth-born son Clarence Mertz was drafted into the U.S. Army on Aug. 12, 1970. After completing his training, he was sent to Vietnam, where he served with the 23rd Infantry Division.

Funny thing was, they said there could never be two from the same family serving in Vietnam at the same time," Clarence Mertz said. "Curtis and I were; we were 50 miles apart. I left here on Christmas Day. When I got off the plane in Vietnam, I thought I was in hell ... it was so hot."

He said prayer helped him navigate the difficult times.

After 11 months in Vietnam, Clarence Mertz was sent to Fort Hood, Texas, where he completed his tour. He was discharged in February 1972.

The service taught me what life is really about," Clarence Mertz said.

The brothers each went on to pursue careers in the construction industry and lived in the Bismarck-Mandan area.

You dont get paid enough for what you go through, said Ronald Mertz. I made more money in the three months after I got home than I did my entire time in the service. They should pay more for what some have to go through.

Nine brothers, 28 combined years of military service.

"I think that's pretty neat," said their sister, Lois Mertz.
 . Photo: Alexander Shcherbak/Alexander Shcherbak/TASS

If any more American political figures want to imperil their careers by having an undisclosed meeting with Russian ambassador Sergey Kislyak, theyll soon need to travel to Russia to do so. Buzzfeed News reports that Russia is recalling the controversial diplomat and will bring him home rather than install him in a senior role at the countrys U.N. mission in New York. The 66-year-old Kislyak has served as Russias ambassador to the U.S. for ten years, but lately has been at the center of more than one subplot of the investigation into Russias interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election and what relationship existed between the Trump campaign and the Putin regime during that time.

Kislyak was on the other end of a phone call that eventually got former White House national security adviser Michael Flynn fired, and meetings between Kislyak and Attorney General Jeff Sessions (which Sessions neglected to disclose during his Senate confirmation hearings) have also come under scrutiny  as have undisclosed meetings with President Trumps son-in-law and senior adviser Jared Kushner. Even President Trumps fully publicized meeting with Kislyak and Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov in May led to trouble, as Trump is reported to have inadvertently disclosed classified information to the two men during a casual conversation at the White House, possibly compromising a key Israeli intelligence asset within ISIS in the process.

Buzzfeed adds that, according to the Russian media, the countrys deputy foreign minister, Anatoly Antonov, is expected to take over the ambassador job.
I don't know why I made this post tbh, every time I remember this I get sad.

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I'm sad, too. They were so cute! Going to see the NYCB is on my bucket list.

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A ballet postpn ONTD?! Love it!!



But  They were cute together.

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They were! I keep remembering random things like their wedding video, and him teasing her on IG for sewing shoes while eating dinner, THEIR DOGS, and their cute teenage dating years. I want to stab myself in the brain.



Hopefully they can work it out? idk.



Edited at 2017-06-25 04:06 am (UTC)

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I don't love F&B but I watch it because of Sacha Radetsky haha. He was on Center Stage and is married to my favorite ABT ballerina, Stella Abrera.

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My fav is Hee Seo

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um, ok

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wow. this is sad i guess.

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Okay I'm not here to go in about this although it's sad.



I need to know if anyone else follows/it's obsessed with Marcelo a Gomez and Nick Palmquist?

They are the most beautiful, stunning, in love couple I've seen in dance and I looooove them so much, they're my proof love exists lol



Also, one of the ROH artistic admins followed me back on IG so I liiiive for all her backstage photos



And, I got some Sergei Polunin dirt on those Ballet forums, but I'm over him, my new love is Vadim Muntagirov

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Did Marcelo ever date David Hallberg?

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I don't feel like I can recall but I wanna say yes?



Idk how long ago though, but I feel like you're right, it happened I'd have to go search for receipts tho

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I'm obsessed with them too lmao, they're adorable. And Marcelo's dog, and his eating instagram haha.

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what are the good ballet forums? all i've been pointed to is balletalert full of old crotchety people and russian forums

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what's the Polunin dirt?

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Childhood romances - even on/off ones like this - must be so much pressure? Because you grow and needs change and how do you even know if you'll grow together? Not to mention the pressure to stay together because it's a cute story/everyone loves this person already.

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rodrigo y gabriela met when they were young too but eventually parted ways. they still put on an amazing bangin' show though, my gawd

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i would apply that to any long-term relationship. it's something i'm currently working through..been together 8 years, look/sound great on paper, good college sweethearts story but part of me feels changed

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wow so sad cant believe a random relationship ended

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Are they gonna keep dancing together tho?



I know they say it's nbd but I always think it's weird when Nela Nunez and Thiago Soares dance together now



Esp because she's superior to him so now that they don't have the same chemistry it's like, he's just standing there

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Megan Fairchild and Andrew Veyette danced together once after separating, but it was an emergency solution thing. As for chemistry, I don't actually think Tiler and Robbie were that great in classical ballets together, although they were very cute in Who Cares?, otherwise they were better with other people.



I'm more interested to see if Tiler's chemistry with Andrew will change now, because I always thought they looked nice together and then the past year and a half they've both been blank slate-ing each other lol. So I guess it'll be less awkward now.

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The Megan/Andrew shit seems so juicy. He downgraded so far with Ashley Hod. Megan is fucking adorable.

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Oh, the Fairchilds are two for two now? Gotta be awkward!

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Aw, that's sad. They're so cute and talented. Reminds me of when I stanned ballet couples as a teen.

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Anybody else follow Joy Womack? I like her a lot, though I think she is probably low-key pretty messy.

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she seems high-key messy to me. can't believe how much shit she puts online. and she seems super entitled to me. though i do understand that she's in a pretty shitty life situation

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She does seem pretty entitled. Her dad is super rich and worked for an oil company or something.

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Is this on YouTube or IG?

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I follow her on Instagram. I know she's kinda messy but I can't help but admire her hustle lol.

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highkey messy! I ~recently got back into her youtube / saw one of her videos when she was in china and she just said in a really charged way, "I know they're jealous of me" and warning bells went off in my head. I don't know why she does all that publicly.

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Does anyone follow Sascha's camping IG?





Also, I have this strange dislike for Stella Abrera. I can't explain why but I just dislike her and dislike her dancing and I feel like ABT is full of average dancers when it used to have the truly absolute best of American dancers. Rip



Also, Ethan's new piece was panned by critics rip again

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ABT needs to stop relying on bringing in special guests for principal roles. It's truly abysmal that they keep giving these roles to guest artists and never give the actual ABT dancers the time to perform and hone them.

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Yep, no one at ABT now has the refined skill that Julie Kent or Ethan used to have. Marcelo gets a lot of dancing but I feel like he's the exception. I wonder who they're gonna pair him with now that Diana is leaving.

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I love her :( I love that she and Gillian are best friends and that Cooper and Charlie are irl best friends too lol. I just feel bad because McKenzie made her wait so long to get her to dance the roles she deserved. So many years wasted.



Isabella Boylston is the one I irrationally dislike. Misty too, but that isn't her fault, it's McKenzie's.

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I have irrational dislike for Miko Fogarty and a lot of other Instagram-famous ballerinas.

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tiler is a fucking virtuoso



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Watching people watch things is so uncomfortable

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ilh

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also i switched from ballet to bikram yoga bc my new city has no good studios and it's super depressing ;________;

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Also any dancers need to follow Claudia Dean on YouTube bc sis is spreading amazing gospel on how to improve.





And Kathryn Morgan has gone full on Youtuber now which I guess is sad cause she could've danced again, but she was like oh auditioning was making me anxious (no shit), YouTube makes me happy (I'm sure lol) so rip yet again

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i mean it seems like kathryn was never going to get back to a company-appropriate weight

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Perhaps tho idk to what degree it's also bc she just wasn't getting the same grueling training. I feel for her, really. I have PCOS which like her illness is also incurable and I have to settle for managing where I can, so I know her struggle all too well.



I just kinda wish she wasn't just trying to go full lifestyle YouTube cause I find that to be a lot less compelling than if she were mostly teaching but I'm still subscribed lol

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Venezuela is seeking more than 13 million barrels of fuel imports by the end of the year, which constitutes about a third of what the South American nation needs annually. The information is from tender documents seen by Bloomberg, and suggests deepening troubles for the countrys oil industry.

Refineries are operating at less than 50 percent of their installed capacitywhich is 3.1 million bpddue to insufficient supplies of crude oil and to insufficient maintenance, the latter according to BMI Research. The firm noted that refinery maintenance is being overlooked as the state oil company focuses its efforts on producing enough oil to repay debts accumulated over the last few years mainly to China and Russia amid the oil price crash.

In late May, Platts quoted Oil Minister Nelson Martinez as saying that it was business as usual for Venezuelan oil, despite technical reports suggesting that PDVSA had problems blending its diluted heavy crude from the Orinoco belt because of problems with its upgraders. Martinez then said that one of the four upgraders in the country would soon have higher capacity, at 100,000-120,000 bpd, from the current 80,000 bpd, but did not mention the state of the other three facilities.

Long-time mismanagement of Venezuelas oil resources and equipment is widely seen as one big reason for the current crisis, in addition to the 2014 price crash. The changed fortunes of the socialist state plunged Venezuela into a severe recession, with shortages of basic foodstuffs and consumer products, which naturally led to protests and calls for the government to resign.

Caracas has leaned heavily on Moscow and Beijing in order to avoid defaulting on its debts. Russia and China together have lent Venezuela over US$50 billion so far, on an oil-for-loan basis, and the falling production is making it hard for Venezuela to keep its end of the bargain.

Yet, as CNBCs Fred Imbert recently wrote, a default is not an option for Caracas: it would cost it access to foreign markets at a time when the country is increasingly dependent on imports of various goods and commodities, and could eventually topple the government, which is hanging by a thread. Related: Saudi Reshuffle Could Completely Shake Up Oil Markets

A default would endanger Venezuelas oil industry, Imbert noted, which is now more vital than ever for the countryit is basically its only source of export revenues. This source could potentially be shut down if Washington decides to go ahead with sanctions against PDVSA, an idea that has been discussed, according to sources close to the White House, as a way of removing Nicolas Maduro and his government from power.

Yet, sanctions could have the opposite effect and solidify the regime by boosting public support for it  the U.S. is traditionally seen as a meddler in Venezuelan politics.

Venezuela pumped 1.95 million bpd as of this April, according to the May S&P Global Platts OPEC survey. According to Caracas, production in April averaged 2.19 million bpd. Whatever the actual number, its below the average of 2.31 million bpd from April 2016. The decline is not huge, but it is significant in the context of the oil-for-loan deals and the capacity utilization rate of Venezuelan refineries. It is likely, as one analyst from local consultancy Ecoanalytica told Bloomberg, that Caracas will seek to import more fuels to satisfy its daily needs of 200,000 bpd.

By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
On June 14, during the first international Global Cybersecurity Summit, in Kyiv, the secretary of the Ukrainian National Security and Defense Council, Oleksandr Turchynov, stated that Ukraine has become a playground for the testing of the most up-to-date cyber techniques by the Russian Federation (Ukrinform.ru, June 14). Earlier, also commenting on Russian aggression against Ukraine, Maros Kir?ak, the director of the cybersecurity program at the Slovak Security Policy Institute, said, Russia plays a very important role in Central and Eastern Europe, which is reflected in the source of attacks leveled against the region (Sprotyv.info, June 7). It took Europe seven yearsfrom the 2007 cyberattacks against Estonia, to the war in Ukraine that began in early 2014to fully recognize the extent of this threat. However, since then, European countries have taken a wide array of responses to counter such dangers in the cyber domain.

Over the past year, the most powerful European Union member state, Germany, has created a foundation for the creation of cyber troops under the umbrella of the Bundeswehr. It is expected to be composed of 13,500 military and civilian personnel and tasked with both defensive and offensive functions (Slovoidilo.ua, January 15). This move was largely provoked by the skyrocketing number of cyberattacks leveled against the country. In April, Minister of Defense Ursula von der Leyen claimed that the Bundeswehr has to deal with at least 4,500 cyberattacks on a daily basis (Deutsche WelleRussian service, April 14). Aside from boosting financial expenditures for cybersecurity by 27.5 million euros ($30.6 million), Germany is planning to create new institutions (such as the Cyber Innovation Hub) and special structures (the so-called cyber reservea think tank tasked with collecting cybersecurity information for the Bundeswehr).

Finland has displayed particular decisiveness in how it plans to deal with the Russian cyber threat. In Helsinki, the authorities established the European Center of Excellence for Countering Hybrid Threats (ECE-CHT), an institution supported by the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) whose tasks will include providing warnings about potential cyberattacks against critical infrastructure, the government, as well as defense and national security structures (Inform-ua.info, April 11). Meanwhile, Finlands Cyber Security Strategy for 20172020 underscores cyber espionage, disinformation, and hacker attacks against companies, individuals and the state as main matters of concern (Turvallisuuskomitea.fi, May 9).

The Baltic States, too, have intensified their activities in developing cyber/information security capabilities. Estonia (deemed to be one of the leaders in the EU in terms of the development of its Information Society) has prioritized cooperation with the other Baltic States and countries of Northern Europe as a response to growing information and cyber threats. This is reflected in its Cyber Security Strategy 20142017, whose drafting was influenced by the events in Ukraine. Estonia is committed to the modernization of the largest European cyber-polygon, which is to be used for training NATO forces and coordinating Alliance activities in countering cyber threats (Securitylab.ru, January 24). Lithuania, on the other hand, has created a Center for Cyber Security, which is to coordinate the protection of critical IT infrastructure in the country. Whereas, Latvia adopted the Strategy on Cyber Security for 20142018, which puts special emphasis on defending against attacks by Russian trolls in the online informational space (Begemot.media, June 8). Also in response to developments in Ukraine, the Latvian Parliament (Seim) has criminalized hybrid and information warfare (Lsm.lv, March 3, 2016). Poland, meanwhile, is experiencing growing apprehension about the possibility of coming under cyberterrorism attacks by non-state actors. Leszek Tasiemski, who serves as the vice president of the Rapid Detection Center at the IT security company F-Secure, noted a necessity of urgent reforms in Polands cybersecurity sector (Polskie Radio, May 28). Related: Underperforming Energy Sector May Soon See M&A Wave

At this point three main aspects should be underscored. First, many European countries have acknowledged that information and cyber security are inseparable from the security of the state. Second, institution-building has entered a new phase. New structures are being placed under the umbrella of national armed forces and similar agenciesthis trend once again underscores a growing recognition of the vitality of information/cyber domains. Third, NATO is steadily becoming a common platform that unites and coordinates the efforts of European countries. In this regard, the Alliance may be increasingly likely today to invoke Article 5 if one or several member states are targeted by a cyberattack that threatens critical military or civilian infrastructure (Defensenews.com, May 31).

This being said, perhaps the most impressive advancements in information/cyber security over the past several years were achieved by Ukraine. Though practically defenseless in this domain during 20132014, today the country has been able to organize cyber troops of its own and introduced an extremely controversial ban on Russian social networks and IT products reportedly employed by Moscow for both intelligence-gathering and cyberwarfare purposes (see EDM, June 7, 15). An exclusive interview with one of the members of Ukraines cyber troops, which ran last fall in the Ukrainian site Antivirus.ua, reveals that the structure has grown to 3,000 individuals and has managed to achieve some serious results within a brief interim (Antivirus.ua, September 25, 2016). Possibly even more importantly, with NATOs support, Ukraine is currently working on creating a single national cyber security center that will coordinate the activities in this domain of all key ministries and agencies, ranging from the National Security and Defense Council to the Department of Cyber Police to Ukroboronprom, Ukraines defense-industry concern (Interfax, April 5). Related: The Biggest Obstacles For Chinas $900 Billion Silk Road

Finally, some key challenges should be mentioned:

1. Generally, Europe has not developed a clear understanding of Russias interpretation of the concept of information confrontation (informatsionnoye protivoborstvo). The emphasis is made on either cyber or information aspects, while for Moscow these are purposely blurred (see EDM, May 11).

2. Russian influence in Europe remains significant. Pro-Russian trolls routinely spread disinformation and harass investigative journalists/activists who attempt to disclose Moscows activities in Europe.

3. Many European experts continue to express hesitancy in directly blaming Russia for cyberattacks on their societies, citing supposed lack of proof.

4. As a non-NATO frontline state that is directly targeted by Russian information/cyber aggression, Ukraine has to deal with Moscow on its own, even though this is an arduous task.

If these limitations are not dealt with quickly and in a decisive manner, Europe risks facing even greater challenges. Worsening economic conditions in Russia are likely to push Moscow to undertake even more aggressive steps. In this regard, European hesitance and indecisiveness could be construed in the Kremlin as a sign of weakness, inviting further attacks in the coming months and years.

By The Jamestown Foundation

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
Assyrian Writer Honored in Iran

Albert Kouchoui. Iranian-Assyrian writer, translator and radio presenter Albert Kouchoui, 74, received the First Degree Art Certificate in performing arts from the evaluation council of the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance.

The certificate was granted to Kouchoui for his cultural contributions in critical appraisal of performing arts, and his works in theater, cinema, radio, TV, the press and media since 1960s, ILNA reported.

The Association of Prominent Iranian Artists affiliated to the ministry and based in Tehran recommended the certificate for Kouchoui, whose cultural activities have been vast and diverse, including, book reading, voice acting, documentary filmmaking and production of programs in radio and TV.

Currently, he is collaborating with Tehran Radio Network in programs such as 'Sobh-e-Tehran' (Morning in Tehran), 'Gozari dar Tehran' (A Passage through Tehran) and 'Tehran dar Shab' (Tehran by Night).

The association was established to support senior artists and appreciate their contributions to the world of art and culture.
The Voice daily newspaper chief editor U Kyaw Min Swe, who is being prosecuted under the Telecommunications Law section 66(d), has had a bail request rejected for a third time by Bahan Township Court.

The Voice newspapers legal advisor Khin Maung Myint said that they applied to transfer the case to the Western District Court due to the unfair decision of the Bahan Township Court.

We believe that Bahan Township Court would not be able to adjudicate fairly and correctly, thats why U Kyaw Min Swe signed to apply for a transfer to another court. But the court rejected this, said Legal Advisor Khin Maung Myint.

The plaintiff Lieutenant Colonel Lin Tun attended the court hearing today at Bahan Township Court.

The Voice daily newspapers chief editor Kyaw Min Swe and the parodist British Ko Ko Maung were sued by Lieutenant Colonel Lin Tun for publishing a satire called Kyi Htaung Su Thit Saron March 26 which he claimed to lower the reputation of the military. Both were prosecuted under the Telecommunications Law section 66(d).

Khin Maung Myint told the media that they will apply for bail again at the next appointment at the court on June 20 and they will again request the case be transferred to the Western District Court.

The parodist Ko Kyaw Zwa Naing  aka British Ko Ko Maung- was released with the remarks from the Ministry of Transport and Communications which stated that he wrote the satire only in the published paper but chief editor Kyaw Min Swe is still under prosecution.
It was a silent few Republicans who drafted the U.S. Senates alternative to the American Health Care Act passed by a slim margin in the House in May. And after its Thursday release, The Better Care Reconciliation Act (BCRA), a bill aimed at replacing Obamacare, got a cool reception from lawmakers (including five Republican Senators), health care providers and those deeply concerned about the fate of their familys health care.

The bill released this morning would plunge tens of millions of moms and families into crisis, end Medicaid as we know it, and devastate our economy. The cuts to Medicaid ... are more devastating than even in the House version of the bill, said Kristin Rowe-Finkbeiner, executive director and CEO of MomsRising, a national online and on-the-ground organization of more than 1 million mothers and their families. Its out of touch, out of line with our nations priorities, and damaging to our families and economy. Its unconscionable.

At issue for those in opposition include drastic cuts to Medicaid, rising premiums for pre-existing conditions, withdrawal of Planned Parenthood funding for one year and tax breaks for the wealthy.

On the MomsRising website, mothers from cities and towns in every state,  locally Fort Edward, Saratoga Springs and a Queensbury pediatrician  express worries about the impact of the bills deep cuts to Medicaid.

The Congressional Budget Office reported that millions would lose health care coverage with the ACHA and analysts predict the same for this latest Republican iteration.

Elizabethtown Community Hospital is strongly opposed to any provision that results in people losing healthcare coverage. The hospital is also against any funding cuts to Medicaid as these cuts would have such a negative impact on local hospitals, as well as for those in our local communities, said John Remillard, president of the University of Vermont Health Network-Elizabethtown Community Hospital, who also heads Moses Ludington Hospital in Ticonderoga. Cuts to Medicaid would be a devastating change.

Remillard continued.

We expect the proposed bill will undergo a number of changes before it becomes law, he said. As these changes occur, the American Health Association and the Healthcare Association of NYS are studying and analyzing it at every step, to ascertain changes, review its potential impact on this hospital and to determine how it will affect patients and their families.

But Jean Morrow, a research assistant in domestic policy studies, for the conservative think tank Heritage Foundation, said that the plan fell short of repealing Obamacare, but there are some good things.

This bill is a step in the right direction because it caps the growth of the Medicaid program, she said in a Friday afternoon interview. But it falls short and we wanted them to go further.

Morrow explained that Medicaid currently has structural problems and because it has been open-ended for years, there is fraud and abuse and gaming of the system by states.

"In its current state, people on Medicaid can't find a doctor," she said.

To add to Medicaid's structural flaws, Morrow said that Obamacare is broken. Insurers are pulling out left and right, she said referring to Anthem in some states. They are pulling out because they are losing money. 

Morrow said that the people enrolled in the ACA are older, sicker and higher risk and thats why premiums are doubling.

Even so, according to a Kaiser Family Foundation poll released on Thursday, half of the public believes that they will be better off if the ACA remains the law, compared to 36 percent who think they will be better off under the Republican plan.

The Kaiser Family Foundation provides non-partisan health policy analysis.

Like Morrow, Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-Willsboro, who voted yes for the AHCA said, Obamacare is broken.

It has caused massive premium spikes, rising deductibles and loss of choice in health care. Congresswoman Stefanik is encouraged that the Senate health care bill repeals costly Obamacare taxes while preserving protections for those with pre-existing conditions, said Tom Flanagin, Stefaniks spokesman by email on Friday.

Nonetheless, some analysts say that while the Senate bill appears to protect individuals with pre-existing conditions, there is a way for insurers to deny coverage through the bills state waiver program. To explain, insurers cannot outright deny coverage to someone with a preexisting condition, but if states remove mandatory coverage for certain conditions or coverage options, the exponential increase in costs or premiums makes coverage prohibitive.

Say your Uncle Bob has lung cancer and needs expensive prescription drugs to quell the pain and prolong his life. But Uncle Bob's state says that coverage of prescription drugs is optional and he will not be able to afford his life-saving medications that can run more than $2,000 each month.

To add to a growing list of those opposed to the BCRA, several health care organizations, faith leaders and advocacy groups have weighed-in on their opposition to the bill or aspects of it, including the American Academy of Pediatrics, the Association of American Medical Colleges, AARP, the American Medical Association and the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse.

The plan unveiled by Senate Republicans today continues to be un-American. Their mission is clear: the GOP wants to push people off of healthcare coverage in order to give more tax breaks to the very wealthy, said Sister Simone Campbell, executive director of NETWORK, a lobby for Catholic Social Justice. This bill is a crass political calculation carried out by 13 white, male Senators who are out of touch with the realities of millions of ordinary families in every state.
Carl Paladino is the type of person that decent people would not allow in their house. Hes not outspoken or brash or blunt. He is not funny. He is contemptible.

But just because hes contemptible doesnt mean the people of Buffalo are prohibited from electing him and re-electing him to the school board, as they have done.

And being contemptible does not disqualify him from serving on the school board, which is why its misguided for other members of the board to attempt to force Paladino off the board.

Their excuse is that Paladino revealed details about contract talks with teachers that were discussed in executive session.

But, as Paladinos lawyers have shown, the board president, Barbara Seals Nevergold, and other members of the board have routinely violated the states Open Meetings Law.

Paladino violated a school board rule, but he has argued, with justification, that he did it in the public interest.

Taxpayers deserve to know the details of deals being made that they will have to pay for. Often, executive sessions are used by school boards and other public boards to keep information secret that, if revealed, would anger the public.

Paladino performed a public service by standing up to the pressure of his peers on the school board.

He is still contemptible, and that is the real reason the other board members want him off.

In December, a Buffalo-area magazine, Artvoice, asked a selection of notable people in Buffalo a few questions, including What would you most like to happen in 2017? and What would you like to go away in 2017?

Here are Paladinos answers:

1. Obama catches mad cow disease after being caught having relations with a Herford. He dies before his trial and is buried in a cow pasture next to Valerie Jarret, who died weeks prior, after being convicted of sedition and treason, when a Jihady cell mate mistook her for being a nice person and decapitated her.

2. Michelle Obama. Id like her to return to being a male and let loose in the outback of Zimbabwe where she lives comfortably in a cave with Maxie, the gorilla.

As disgusting as that is (and he misspelled Hereford), its not as appalling as the emails Paladino distributed to an extensive list of friends, business associates and Republican Party officials when he was running to be governor of New York.

Those emails (look them up) include hard-core pornography videos, soft-core pornography videos, beyond-the-pale pornography videos (bestiality), vile racist claptrap and unfunny remarks perhaps meant as jokes.

Its confounding that people in Buffalo see in Paladino an acceptable advocate for their schoolchildren. But citizens in Buffalo, like all the citizens of the United States, have the right to choose their representatives, no matter their failings.

The rest of the Buffalo school board has no right to remove Paladino just because they judge him, correctly, as morally deficient.

The board is also wrong to go after Paladino for revealing information from executive sessions. Their own transgressions in violating the Open Meetings Law are worse. They broke state law; he did not.

As hesitant as we are to support anything Paladino does, we have to keep things straight, and so does the Buffalo school board.

Paladino is a vile human being, but he is a legally elected public representative. As long as that is true, the other board members will have to hold their noses and deal with him. While theyre at it, they should worry less about Paladino giving citizens information they deserve and more about obeying the states Open Meetings Law.
All people in New York deserve the security of being able to sustain basic living standards. Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, SNAP, among others, are programs that are essential and need to be protected and improved, not cut. Congress will soon be voting on the federal budget. Considering that many are being left behind in todays economy, we need to increase investments in public education, affordable housing, health care, public transportation, roads and bridges, clean air, clean water, clean energy and child care. These are areas for investments that will benefit communities and also create good jobs. However, these same areas have been targeted for reductions by President Trumps 2018 budget. Funds from some of those cuts are being transferred to the Pentagon. New York state relies on federal funding for 33 percent of its budget and these cuts would be devastating for us. A responsible budget requires an increase in revenues from fair sources. The tax reductions President Trump has called for would expedite unfair tax breaks for wealthy individuals and profitable corporations.
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After shooting Philando Castile dead during a traffic stop  a killing that was livestreamed on Facebook by Castile's girlfriend, Diamond Reynolds  the police obtained a secret warrant for Reynolds's Facebook account, including her private messages and deleted messages, accompanied by a gag order that banned Facebook from every discussing the warrant's existence.



Facebook successfully challenged the warrant and the gag clause.

The warrant was issued on the basis of a perjured affidavit from requesting officer that accused Reynold of being suspected of criminal activity.





To "win" at killing citizens, you must start the spin immediately. Yanez spun his own, speaking to a lawyer less than two hours after killing Castile. Local law enforcement did the same thing. Documents obtained by Tony Webster show Special Agent Bill O'Donnell issued a warrant to Facebook for "all information retained" by the company on Diamond Reynolds, Castile's girlfriend. This was to include all email sent or received by that account, as well as "chat logs," which presumably means the content of private messages. The warrant also demands any communications that may have been deleted by Reynolds, as well as metadata on photos or videos uploaded to Facebook. It came accompanied with an indefinite gag order.



Why would law enforcement want (much less need) information from the victim's girlfriend's Facebook account? It appears officers were looking to justify the killing after the fact. The following sworn statement was contained in the affidavit: Your affiant is aware through training and expertise that individuals frequently call and/or text messages to each other regarding criminal activity during and/or after and [sic] event has occurred.

BCA got search warrant for Diamond Reynolds' Facebook account (she streamed shooting) including messages, to look for "criminal activity" [Tony Webster/Twitter]





Cops Sent Warrant To Facebook To Dig Up Dirt On Woman Whose Boyfriend They Had Just Killed

[Tim Cushing/Techdirt]
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MUSCATINE  Residents stood and applauded as Mayor Diana Broderson entered Happy Joe's in Muscatine Saturday morning.

Holding the Coffee with the Mayor event was the first action Broderson has taken since returning to office last week. Around 50 people turned out, offering congratulations to Broderson on her reinstatement, and support and their votes, should she run for re-election.

"I'm really planning on [running again] this time," Broderson said. "That is really my hope. It's been my pleasure to serve the people and reach out and have conversations...The interactions have been heartwarming and I'd love to have the opportunity to continue."

As she began the event, she said "I want to clarify, this is not a committee or a task force."

In an interview last week, City Administrator Gregg Mandsager said from his understanding, Coffee with the Mayor would qualify as a committee and require council approval, per city code.

Broderson said the meetings are public and only intended to set a time for residents to share their concerns and thoughts with the mayor.

Muscatine city code does not state the mayor is prohibited from holding public meetings or forums without council approval. Nor does it have a definition or description of what requirements are needed to qualify a group as a committee or task force.

During the event, several residents said they respect Broderson for persevering through the City Council's process of removing her from office.

"Thank you for everything you've done," Muscatine resident Alexis Huscko said. "As a young woman, it's been great to see everything you've done. You've woken up Muscatine to local politics and a lot of people my age are starting to wonder what's going on."

Muscatine resident Max Kauffman said he and several other residents feel frustrated that their voices are not being heard by the city council.

"I believe it's become a...conclusion by the public that going to the city council meetings and listening, and even voting, is senseless," Kauffman said. "Because the council and the powers that are have their minds made up and what we the public have to say is moot...We really have no say in it."

Kauffman said "that is something that's going to have to be overcome if we're going to get the public involved again."

"I think we need to share our voices, do the best we can, and come out and vote in November," Broderson said. "And have conversations with the people you're thinking about voting for. If they're not willing to discuss with you what their ideas are, that's a red flag to me."

Residents also said they were concerned about the potential roundabout at 2nd Street and Mulberry Avenue, which will soon be under environmental review; construction downtown and limited access to businesses; clean-up efforts after the latest thunderstorm; and health issues resulting from the controlled burn at the Transfer Station a few weeks ago.

David Metz, with the Friends of Greenwood Cemetery Stairs group, updated the public on the project to replace the stairs at Greenwood Cemetery. He said the $82,000 project is nearing completion, as handrails have been installed and the final painting will be done Monday.

Commemorative bricks cost $35 and will support the project. For more information, contact Robert Bromwell at 563-299-0720.
Randy Moore remembers his grandmother telling him that the best thing he can expect out of life is for a white lady to give him a can of lard.

Back in those days, Moore said, lard was used to help sooth hands chapped by hard labor.

But Moore knew he had the talent to go far in life. Earning his bachelors degree at Indiana State University, and then earning his masters in business administration from Indiana Wesleyan University, Moore today is president of Iowa American Water.

Moving past the racism, Moore fought the battle not only for equality, but for equity.

Speaking before the start of the 11th annual Freedom Fund Banquet presented by the Rock Island County NAACP Branch 3268, at Jumer's Casino, Rock Island, Moore, the nights keynote speaker said his speech would focus on how to get from equality to equity.

Moores talk was in keeping with the theme of the evening, In This Together: Taking Action For Equity.

In 1961, he said, President John Kennedy signed the Executive Order 10925 authorizing affirmative action in that government contractors would hire equally and not based on race, creed, color or national origin.

So how were black people in 1961 compared to how they are today, Moore said. Among the gaps is between home ownership for blacks and whites. In 1961, that gap was about 41 percent. In 2017, the gap is the same.

The fight for equality has been successful even though there is still work to be done on that front, he said.

Were able to go places and do things today that we couldnt do back then, Moore said. But the equity piece is what we need to work on.

If you look at America today, there are 47 million black Americans, he said. The net buying power of that group is $1.1 trillion. If you took black America out of America and made it a separate country it would be the 10th or 12th largest economic power in the world.

The question is, how do we pull that together and do something with it, Moore said. Weve got knowledge and we have understanding, but there are things we dont know when it comes to how to get equity.

For instance, he said, 67 percent of black Americans who apply for a mortgage are turned down. We understand that there are a number of things in place that we have to focus on, such as a persons credit score. If we focus on those things then we can have equity.

Another example, Moore said, lies in the fact that about 19 percent of all small businesses in the country are owned by blacks. That may sound small, but its huge. If you consider there are 320 million Americans, 47 million of which are African American, thats huge.

But harnessing the economic power of black America and using it to obtain equity on top of equality is the key.

Going back to 1955, Moore pointed out that the 13-month long bus boycott in Montgomery, Alabama, worked because it hit the right people in their pocketbooks.

That kind of got lost over time, but when you start talking from the financial perspective you get the attention of the right people, he said. Then you can demand that the doors be really open, not half open.

But there are issues in the African American community that harken back to the days when Moore said he heard his grandmother talk to him about what he could expect out of life.

Its an idea called Post-Traumatic Slave Syndrome, a theory introduced by Joy DeGruy, and it is both societal and, in some instances, also familial.

During slavery, blacks were beaten down, Moore said, and then suddenly they had freedom. Despite that freedom, they were always told that they were lesser in society than others. And sometimes, those that want to move forward dont or cant because their family still thinks that way.

Getting past that idea of being a lesser person because of skin color is tough, but it must be done.

My mother was told shed never be anything more than a maid, but she got a job at a utility in Indianapolis and retired very well, he said.

Even to this day, Moore said, You walk into a room as a black American and youre automatically at the bottom because of the perceptions of everybody else.

When I go into a room, and Im the only black person there, Im asking myself, Am I going to be articulate? Are they going to understand what Im saying? I cant let it slip. When Im talking to my wife at home I can just let go. But when Im in venues where Im the only black man in the room I cant let it slip.

Additionally, the white executive who makes $100,000 and more a year, when that person leaves their job their not really concerned about anything but their families, on average, he said.

But when a black Americans leave their jobs, their concerned about all of these equality and equity things, Moore said. How do I get into the mainstream, he said. Ive got a college degree, Ive worked hard; how do I get the $100,000-a-year job.

The thing is we do it by working together as a group, he said.

Ive been fortunate to get to where I am now, Moore said. Ive worked very hard and put with some things. I tell people today, dont go in half-cocked. Get qualified and go in and demand it.

We need to take the intellect that we have and our financial strength and move forward, he added.

Maybe in my life time I dont see much change, Moore said. But the millennials coming up behind me will see the change if Im opening doors and making opportunities available for them, as I feel like I have. Those that come from behind can go further and drive deeper.
If it weren't already hard enough to understand whose side your financial advisor is on, it got more complicated on June 9. As of that date, all financial advisors who sell products are required to forego any sales agenda and give advice that would benefit their clients or customers (called "fiduciary advice").

Does this sound too good to be true? It is.

This rule only pertains to rollovers into an IRA from a qualified plan like a 401(k) and only to the investment recommendations for that IRA account. Any other account is still fair game for stuffing full of high-commission and high-fee products that mainly benefit salespeople and their companies.

Also, in case you think your IRA is now protected from high-cost products, there's one more catch. Salespeople are not required to look out for your best interests if they explain to you how and why they intend to give advice that instead primarily benefits themselves and their brokerage company.

While this new law will probably confuse consumers more than it helps, it may be a first step toward something larger.

Here is the sad truth. Most Americans believe they already receive objective fiduciary advice. The overwhelming odds are that they don't.

You face odds of ten to one that your advisor is a salesperson who is not required to put your financial interests first. Most Americans purchase their investments from the half a million brokers who earn commissions if they can convince you to buy an expensive alternative to the thriftier, better-performing investment options on the market. Thats more than ten times the number of advisors who adhere to a fiduciary standard.

Government research estimates that consumers lost $17 billion a year to conflicted advice in the recommendations related to retirement plans made by brokers and sales agents posing as advisors.

The bottom line is that at best only one out of every ten financial advisors puts your interests first. The actual number of real fiduciary advisors may actually be even lower than this discouraging figure. A mystery shopper study in the Boston area found that only 2.4 percent of the "advisors" it surveyed (most were almost certainly brokers) made what most would consider to be fiduciary recommendations. On the other side, 85 percent advocated switching out of a thrifty portfolio with excellent funds into something a bit more self-serving.

The brokerage industry  that is the larger Wall Street firms, independent broker-dealer organizations and life insurance organizations  repeatedly fought the fiduciary rule in court, arguing, in some cases, that their brokers and insurance agents shouldnt be held to this standard. The courts refused to block the rule.

It gets worse. Brokers are held to a sales standard, but it's a very low one that is appropriately known as "compliance." They are required to "know their customer" and to make investment recommendations that would be "suitable" to someone in that customer's circumstances. In addition, a new study found that 8 percent of all brokers have a record of serious misconduct and nearly half of those were kept on at their firms even after getting caught.

There is one simple way to determine whether youre working with somebody you can trust. Ask your advisor directly to provide a written and signed one-page statement that he or she will act in your best interests. If the broker hems and haws, hold onto your wallet or purse. Chances are any recommendations you receive will cost you money, a cost only disclosed somewhere deep in the fine print of whatever agreement you sign. If the advisor signs the statement, chances are you will receive fiduciary advice.
A new fully electric vehicle startup in Italy is challenging U.S. and Chinese rivals with Made in Italy" design. AEHRA is being launched by a former oil trader who hired a former Lamborghini designer to infuse the cars with Italian emotion and is placing emphasis on aerodynamics over performance. Its biggest hurdle to success is an already crowded market of EV startups and traditional carmakers. And AEHRA doesn't plan to launch its first vehicles until mid-2025. The ultra-premium cars plan to sell for $160,000 to $180,000, rolling out first in the United States and key European markets before expanding to China.
Forces as old as South Dakota itself are clashing at the base of Elk Mountain, where a third-generation rancher is locking horns with government wildlife officials over the bighorn sheep that have colonized the 5,662-foot hilltop and his home and ranch.

In 2001, the state Department of Game, Fish & Parks released 20 bighorn sheep on public land among the reddish sandstone outcrops of the Hell Canyon region, in the rural southwestern Black Hills. Wildfires during the next couple of years swept across 30 square miles of nearby Elk Mountain, wiping out many of its pine trees and making it attractive to bighorn sheep, which like high, steep and open terrain.

The sheep moved from the canyon to the mountain, and theyve been there ever since. Additional releases and breeding have increased their numbers to about 130.

For the state game department, its a conservation success story on a mountain that is mostly publicly owned by the U.S. Forest Service. But the re-introduction has been a nuisance for Dan Stearns, who lives on his privately owned ranch alongside the mountains eastern base.

He said the bighorn sheep eat his cattles grass and drink their water; they jump across and damage his fences; and they bed down in his hay field, where they flatten the grass and alfalfa.

The sheep have compounded similar problems Stearns already had with elk, pronghorns and deer. Although the GF&P has recently offered him nearly $30,000 in compensation and assistance, he has turned it all down.

The problem, as he sees it, is with the GF&Ps approach.

Theyre not managing the wildlife, Stearns said. They want to manage the landowners.

So, he not only wants the bighorn sheep taken away from Elk Mountain, but he also wants the GF&P to stop forcing landowners to accommodate wildlife and start managing wildlife to accommodate landowners.

If I take their money, then theyre going to be done with me and Ill be forced into accepting their way, he said. It wont change the way they do things.

Stearns, 63, is a man fitted to his landscape. On Thursday, during an interview at his ranch, he wore a cowboy hat, suspenders, a Western-style shirt, jeans and cowboy boots as he leaned against his pickup truck. Elk Mountain rose up immediately behind him to the west, and the patchy grazing land common to the southwest edge of the Black Hills stretched away toward the forested mountains in the east.

Its a tough place to make a living, and Stearns  who worked 31 years as a power lineman before retiring to run about 100 cows on the family ranch  is a tough talker. He has suggested to the GF&P that he might shoot bighorn sheep on his land, or round them up in a corral and demand a GF&P trailer to haul them away, or bring domestic sheep onto his land that could spread fatal pneumonia to the bighorns.

So far, he has done none of that, but the radical threats linger as possible outcomes to his stalled talks with the GF&P.

GF&P officials have offered $25,000 worth of assistance to Stearns (he says it amounts to $29,000), including payments for the alfalfa eaten by wildlife, so-called stack yards  fenced-in areas to store hay  and specialized fencing to resist damage from wildlife or keep wildlife out entirely. Theyve also offered to haze wildlife away from Stearns ranch with aircraft.

Additionally, GF&P officials ranging in rank from the secretary of the department down through regional supervisors have personally visited Stearns at his ranch to solicit his cooperation, all to no avail.

The GF&P officials view their relationship with Stearns, and with other landowners affected by bighorn sheep, as critical. Because bighorn sheep are scarce in South Dakota, the department grants only three bighorn hunting licenses, including one that is auctioned to the highest bidder. This year, the auctioned license is for the Elk Mountain herd, and the winning bid was $71,000. The last thing the GF&P wants is an angry landowner at the base of Elk Mountain taking radical action against the valuable herd.

The GF&P uses the proceeds of the license auction to fund research, re-introductions and other efforts to bolster and grow bighorn sheep numbers in the state. GF&P officials say bighorn sheep are native to South Dakota but were pushed out of the state by a wave of overhunting and disease that came with the settlement of western South Dakota in the early 1900s, shortly after statehood in 1889.

A grandfather of Stearns was among the settlers at Elk Mountain. There were no bighorn sheep there at the time, according to Stearns, who does not believe that the animals are native to the area.

Wildlife officials have been bringing bighorn sheep back to areas of the Black Hills and Badlands since the 1920s. In 2001, when the reintroduction effort came to Hell Canyon, about 12 miles southwest of the Stearns ranch, the GF&P did not consult with Stearns.

John Kanta, the GF&P Rapid City-based regional terrestrial resources supervisor, said nobody knew at the time that the bighorn sheep would eventually migrate to Elk Mountain. Since the migration happened, Kanta has been among the multiple GF&P officials who have offered assistance to Stearns.

Kanta said the GF&P acknowledges that Stearns is suffering damage to his ranch from wildlife, but Kanta disputes the extent to which bighorn sheep are causing it. Nevertheless, Kanta said the GF&P remains ready and willing to help alleviate those problems whenever Stearns is ready to accept the help.

As for removing the bighorn sheep herd from Elk Mountain, Kanta said, Thats not an option thats on the table for us.

Kanta and other GF&P officials have offered to help build a high fence to keep wildlife out of the Stearns ranch, but he said the fence would be a nuisance. Theyve offered to put aluminum cable on the top of his barbed-wire fences, to make them withstand crossings by jumping elk and bighorn sheep and other wildlife, but Stearns said the aluminum would attract lightning and start wildfires.

Other offers of help have met with similar rejections from Stearns and have left GF&P officials frustrated but undeterred. Their unwillingness to remove the bighorn sheep or exert stricter control of other wildlife has most recently led Stearns  who has historically allowed dozens of hunters onto his property annually  to threaten a shutdown of hunting opportunities on his land.

Such a threat would seem to be self-defeating, as it could lead to even greater wildlife numbers on his ranch, but Stearns is determined to strike back at the GF&P for what he views as the agencys unwillingness to more aggressively manage wildlife on behalf of landowners. And the GF&P officials remain just as determined to continue supporting wildlife hunting and viewing opportunities for the public, while trying to work with landowners to mitigate negative effects on their land.

Stearns thinks of the battle as one of attrition that he can win, owing to what he described as a stubbornness inherited from an Irish grandmother.

Theres no quit in that blood, Stearns said. Im not a radical, but theres no quit.
Contrary to the urging of all his handlers who have to clean up the messes he leaves behind, President Trump should stay up late at night and tweet his brains out. Let's face it, for us journalists, aka "fake news artists," his Twitter rants are the real thing.

They are a Donald Trump uninhibited by timid advisers who simply want to save him from himself. Instead, for us, they are the gifts that keep on giving. They are the definitive word on his thinking, or lack thereof. His press spokesman Sean Spicer has given them an official imprimatur, acknowledging that Trump's tweets "are considered official statements by the president of the United States."

These "official statements" are just part of a pattern of behavior unrestrained by anything beyond the moment. He is obsessed by the Russia probe  understandably so, since it threatens his presidency. When reluctantly assured by then-FBI Director Jim Comey that he was not personally under investigation, he pressured Comey to make that public. When Comey failed to do so, Trump fired him. He also reportedly asked for National Security Agency Director Mike Rogers and National Intelligence Director Dan Coats to intercede. So several news organizations are reporting the apparently non-fake story that now Trump is under investigation for obstruction of justice by Robert Mueller, the independent special counsel appointed by Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein.

Rosenstein is the Justice Department point person on the Russia investigation, after his boss, Attorney General Jeff Sessions, recused himself because of his involvement with Russians. Yes, this is one tangled web. I mentioned that it was obviously a true story because Trump seemed to confirm it in one of his Twitter dumps: "I am being investigated for firing the FBI Director by the man who told me to fire the FBI Director! Witch Hunt."

That apparently is a reference to Rosenstein, who wrote a memo critical of Comey that Trump first used to explain Comey's firing. That is before their leader himself pulled the rug out from under them when he told NBC's Lester Holt that it was because of "this Russia thing." Rosenstein decided to appoint Mueller, a former FBI director himself.

So Trump is now raging about Mueller and Rosenstein and just about anybody else who doesn't bend to his will. That's his pattern. His tantrums, largely on Twitter, over various courts ruling his Muslim travel ban unconstitutional are now included in the official record as the cases advance to the Supreme Court. No matter how many times his lawyers warn him that he's undermining their arguments, he keeps digging the undermine deeper with even more impetuous cyberdiatribes.

It's all part of the thoughtless bluster that served him well as self-promotion, and got him past one business failure after another in private life. It even propelled him during the campaign against a weak opponent into the planet's highest office.

Donald Trump has discovered that the presidency is not all-powerful. The ability to bully is not absolute. His harangues are met with horror by those who toil for him, at least until he turns on them.

In the meantime, we can count on the presidential tweets to keep flying. Thankfully.
With a pigging rope in his mouth and a chew tin in his pocket, Bud Clemons shot out of the starting box, roped his calf and tied it down in less than 23 seconds.

Not bad for an 80-year-old.

Clemons and J.W. Campbell, 84, faced off in the Young at Heart event last week, a four-calf, tie-down roping competition with a $1,000 prize and a commemorative belt buckle. The two cowboys were evenly matched, although Clemons narrowly bested Campbell in the end.

In sportsmanlike fashion, Clemons donated half of his prize money to the American Senior Pro Rodeo, and the other half to the Canadian Senior Pro Rodeo. He kept the belt buckle and bragging rights.

I took about a 30-year break after riding professionally, then fell back off the wagon and here I am, Clemons said.

The Senior Pro Rodeo visits Darby, Hamilton and Augusta, Montana, every year. Contestants from around the United States and Canada gather to compete in all standard rodeo events, with the goal of earning enough points to qualify in the Senior Pro Rodeo Finals held in Las Vegas each October.

Drawing a line from the working ranches of the American West to competitions like tie-down roping takes little imagination. When calves were sick or injured, ranchers would ride out, rope the calf and immobilize it for veterinary treatment, according to the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association.

Tie-down roping depends on the teamwork between a horse and rider. After the rider ropes a calf and jumps down to tie it, the horse must stop and step backward to draw tension on the rope and hold the calf in place.

Kirby Sholette isnt from the Bitterroot and probably isnt a typical rodeo attendee, but saw it advertised and thought itd be fun. The coordination between horse and rider drew Sholette to the rodeo grounds Tuesday night.

Its cool because the horse is an athlete too, Sholette said, Its super exciting. I love the community of rodeo and seeing both the animal and the people working together.

In between spits of chewing tobacco, Joel Stephens, a former professional bareback rider, explained the amount of time that goes into each horse.

That horse has to know how to work on its own, Stephens said. I wouldnt train it for tie downs until its four years old, then a year or two of practice and then youve gotta season them to the noise of an actual rodeo.

Stephens spoke admirably of all the riders present, remarking on how the senior rodeo keeps them in shape. But no one garnered as much respect as Campell.

Look at everybody. Theyre doing what they love to do and it keeps them fit, Stephens said. Wait until you see J.W. though. Hes a hand, a real roper.

Campbell is from Sundre, Alberta and, by his count, has competed in rodeos for 65 to 70 years. In his younger days he made appearances in the Canadian finals, and in 2015 Campbells horse, Junior Garrison, was inducted into the Canadian Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame.

But Tuesday night Campbell rode a horse new to rodeo events.

Today I had a horse thats never been in this situation and he ran by the first two calves, Campbell said. I had a chance there and missed it.

The relationship developed between a horse and its rider hinges on trust. Campbell recalled having difficulty training his horse until one day when it just approached him out in the field, as if to offer its friendship.

Its a real wonderful relationship the horse and the person have. They bond with you over time, Campbell said.

The big difference between rodeo when Campbell started and now are the calves in the competition.

These calves are slow handling. They're like tying a rag doll, Campbell said. Id prefer to have some longhorn calves in this match rather than these rag dolls that wont run; but thats just the way it is. They think they're doing us a favor but they're damn hard to rope.

Campbell earned the nickname Bearman early in his career when he arrived at a rodeo long-haired, scraggly-bearded and wearing buckskins from his hunts.

I first rode in kinda rough and ready, but since then I've always been pretty clean shaven, Campbell said.

Betty Campbell, J.W.s cousin, watched him from the stands. She said she remembered him as a hero coming to visit when she was a child.

I remember him coming to visit me and my dad in the city, Betty Campbell said. He would park his horse right in our front yard.

Betty Campbell drove J.W. down from Alberta for the events in Montana this week and said shes glad J.W. asks for a ride when he travels these days.

We had to fill out a medical report for the insurance to come down into the U.S. and I hardly had to write a thing. He aint on any drugs, hes so healthy, Betty Campbell said. But if I drive we get down here much quicker. Hes more comfortable riding a horse fast than driving his truck.

In his long life, Campbell said hes had many experiences, and most were positive. Working with and keeping good horses around his ranch is just one of the reasons hes still out and about. Another reason is the rush of the competition.

I just think of the next run. Maybe I screwed up today; tomorrow Im up again. Thats the best advice Id give anybody, Campbell said. You gotta stay positive. There's the agony of defeat and the adrenaline of winning - you've got to accept both.
Children in Montana dropped two notches in the recently published National Kids Count Databook, but they fared better than last year in most of the metrics evaluated in the national book.

But many programs responsible for those gains are on the chopping block.

Montana ranked 26th in 2016 in overall childhood well-being, down from 24th in 2015 but still landing comfortably in the middle of childhood outcomes in the United States. The National Kids Count Databook tracks indicators of childhood well-being and uses that information to highlight trends for evidence-based policy making.

The state performed better in 13 of the 16 metrics recorded by Kids Count, including modest gains in academic performance, and increased insurance coverage. Areas where Montana performed worse in the 2017 report were persistent high childhood poverty rates, young children not in school, and eighth graders not proficient in math.

Ravalli County Youth

While the Kids Count report shows high percentages of children in Ravalli County growing up in poverty, the social safety net does catches them in two important ways, by providing free or low-cost health insurance, and a monthly supplement for nutritious food.

Programs that address these specific aspects of poverty can make the difference for families having to choose between paying their utilities or buying food. And although the saying goes, all politics is local, the impact of federal decisions plays a large role in the lives of the citizens of Ravalli County and Montana at large.

Thale Dillon, the executive director of Montana Kids Count, said the decrease in the uninsured rate is likely due to the Childrens Health Insurance Program, which has been rebranded as the Healthy Montana Kids program within the state. Healthy Montana Kids is a free or low-cost health insurance plan that provides coverage for children until they turn 19.

In Ravalli County, 56 percent of children are covered by Healthy Montana Kids, according to the most recent numbers published by Kids Count. President Donald Trumps proposed budget cuts many federal programs that serve the needs of children and families in poverty, but actually increases federal spending on CHIP.

Proposed Federal Cuts' Impacts

While expanding spending on the nations children, Trump also has proposed a $627 billion, 10-year cut to Medicaid, according to his White House Budget, a move that will create fragmented family coverage.

Thursday's release of Senate Republican's draft health care bill largely makes good on that promise. The non-partisan Congressional Budget Office has yet to score the Senate bill, but numerous policy reports show Medicaid expansion scaling back by 2021 and ultimately being repealed altogether.

About 70,000 Montanans receive health insurance through Medicaid, and this is a major reason why Jim Morton, the director of the Human Resource Council, worries about the cuts.

If you pull out insurance for kids or for adults you get a family with fragmented coverage and thats not good, Morton said. The idea here is that a family has coverage and it seems to make a difference if everybody has it. So that way one provider can work with every family member.

Poverty Impacts to Children

Unemployment levels in Ravalli County remain higher than both state and national levels, which helps explain why more than a quarter of the children in Ravalli County - 27 percent - lived in poverty last year.

Growing up in poverty is one of the greatest threats to childhood development, according to the National Kids Count Databook. Among the most successful of the federal programs designed to reduce the burden of poverty is the Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program, or SNAP.

Lorianne Burhop is the chief policy officer at the Montana Foodbank Network, and she said this program is vital to childhood success.

Food insecurity for children can have really lifelong consequences, Burhop said. A lot of families will cut back on portion sizes when their budget gets tight, which means kids will be missing out on lots of nutrition.

Trumps proposed budget would cut $193.6 billion from SNAP funding over 10 years, with the first cuts going into effect in 2018. SNAP is the nations largest anti-hunger bill and 40 percent of SNAP participants are children, according to Burhop.

We are urging Montana legislators to reject any cuts to SNAP, Burhop said. This will absolutely affect Montanans.

According to the Montana Foodbank Network fact sheet, children with access to SNAP have better health outcomes as adults and are more likely to graduate from high school.

In addition to SNAP, which is a program distributed to people of all ages, children can be eligible for a free or reduced-price school lunch, or a similar program continuing throughout the summer. Both are subsets of federal Child Nutrition Programs, to be cut by $18 million dollars during the next 10 years, under the White House budget.

According to Morton, it is impossible to have a healthy workforce without addressing all of these individual issues.

Its not a simple issue that can be defined by a few bullets, Morton said. Whats important is the continuation of assistance over time.
Entertainment / Music

by Staff reporter

IF True Love, that irresistible jam that has lit up Zimbabwean weddings and parties since the 80s, is Ilanga's greatest accomplishment, then it is also without question Busi Ncube's finest hour as a performer.Ilanga, which means the sun in iSiNdebele, was never short of stars. The group was the Galacticos of the Zimbabwean music scene, boasting an array of talent that even money could not buy.Whether it was by chance, coincidence or the generosity of some kind-hearted music god, it shall never be known how such a fantastic group of musicians found a home in one group.What is fact is that at one point Ilanga had Busi Ncube, Chinx, Andy Brown and Don Gumbo singing on one mic, making scorchers in the same studio and performing on the same stages.While this rare romance between different but like-minded music prodigies produced many hits, it was on True Love, that their talents blended perfectly. Although Brown dominated on the acoustic guitar, Gumbo shone, as always, on the bass. In as much as the two are hailed as geniuses in their crafts, on True Love their respective instruments met their match in Busi Ncube's voice.The effect was magnetic. Over the track's duration, a still youthful Ncube brought to life a woman's yearning for genuine affection in a world in which many men hide their true, devious intentions behind smiles, gifts or compliments."Have you ever seen the way I look at you babieHave you ever seen the way I smile at you babieInternal love is all I need from you honey," she sang.After that song a legend was born. It is a jam that has defied age thus proving once and for all that the great footprint left behind by great music cannot be erased by time or the constant change in musical tastes.Everytime the song raises dust during a wedding ceremony it is a timely reminder that music, when it is expertly made, does not die.However, the people who made it and for the past few years, Ilanga has been counting the losses.Long after the group disbanded, it has lost gem after gem in its galaxy of stars. Last week, another one of its flames was extinguished as Chinx breathed his last after battling ill-health for the last few years.Ncube, Brown, Gumbo and Chinx all went on to forge exemplary solo careers. From that quartet of superstars, now only Ncube remains, living in Norway where she is still actively involved in music.Chinx's ultimately losing battle with ill-health is well documented, and for Ncube who followed his trails from afar, it is a struggle that the war veteran should have won."I feel so sad that adequate medication isn't available at this moment and people are dying from curable ailments. It's with deep sorrow that I'm saying this. To him I say may his soul rest in peace. He was my comrade in music. Zorora murugare (rest in peace) Chinx Chingaira," she said in an interview with Sunday Life last week.Living continents apart, distance had taken its toll on the former comrades in song. According to Ncube however, they had kept contact even during the twilight of the former Ilanga star's life, when his health was deteriorating and death's knock had grown louder."Our relationship remained good but the distance had made a huge difference. He told me he was sick but didn't think it would be the end. He called me Tete Busilo and I'll always remember him with fond memories," she said.With Chinx joining Brown, Gumbo and percussionist Adam Chisvo in the afterlife, Ncube is one of the few members left to recall the short lived but brilliant magic of Ilanga."The fondest memory that I still hold dear up to now, is the strong passion we shared in making music during the few short intensive years we worked together from 1986 to 1989. We made a big impact in people's lives," said Ncube.While the country is in mourning over the passing of Chinx and while most Zimbabweans still hold with stubborn fondness to memories of Andy Brown and Don Gumbo, Ncube has kept toiling in the studio. With the assistance of the National Arts Council in Norway and Global Oslo Music, she released an eight- track album, Usiko, earlier this year.Although she has made an impact in that country, she also feels like it is time to bring her voice to ears that crave her music back home."I don't feel I've promoted the new album enough, hence my coming for interviews and live gigs. I'll be playing with Lungile Ndlovu (drums,) and Hudson Simbarashe (guitar). I worked with these two on my album. I'm trying to bring in Sandra Ndebele and Nobuntu, with whom Simbarashe has initially talked to and we have a mutual agreement," she said.Music has been a journey for Ncube, who started singing in a choir at the age of 12 and later on formed Ebony Sheikh with her twin sister Pathie and older sister Doreen.After attaining fame in Zimbabwe, her voice has been heard in almost all the world's continents, proving to the world that the country at the foot of the African continent could produce songbirds of commanding voices. Decades after she started singing in a choir in Bulawayo, Ncube says her travels around the globe have showed her the power of her voice, a voice that has refused to be silenced since the age of 12."Playing all over the world has taught me patience and I've realised how much power I hold within me when I get up on stage, sharing with different artistes the resilience and strength. I can only give credit to my culture. My storytelling has not changed, it's now diverse, inclusive and richer," she said.Despite her globe-trotting ways, Ncube has not lost track of happenings back home, with one of her objectives when she comes back later in the year being to donate to the Tsholotsho flood victims."Yes, I do keep track with news back home every day. I heard the flood victims have been relocated to a new place but I'm still going to go ahead with the donations and do charity gigs to add onto what is lacking," she said.While the sun has set on so many members of her erstwhile group, Ncube is determined to shine on and thus keep Ilanga's flame blazing years after the original group went their separate ways.
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For the second time in as many years, the cost for a school lunch is slated to go up at Lomp
In this edition, I take an ambivalent look at Michael Bay's latest, a scuba scare flick that betrayed my ability to suspend disbelief, and the Niagara County wine-soaked flick The Colossal Failure of The Modern Relationship
Seguin, TX (78155)

Today

Scattered thunderstorms during the morning, then windy this afternoon with more widespread storms. Gusty winds and small hail are possible. High 76F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph, becoming N and increasing to 20 to 30 mph. Chance of rain 80%..

Tonight

Windy. Rain showers this evening with clearing late. Low near 40F. Winds N at 20 to 30 mph. Chance of rain 40%.
News / Local

by Denis Moyo Hunt

Just imagine if so many people were to register and vote in next year's election that it became impossible for ZANU PF to rig the result and they were swept from office to be replaced by a truly democratic government. It is not going to happen.How can an election be free and fair when one of the contending parties controls the electoral process? It is quite ominous that the cause of a problem can be regarded as part of the solution and it is naive to believe that ZANU PF will allow free and fair elections in 2018.It has already become clear that biometric voter registration cannot be securely implemented in the time remaining before next year's election - and another election using the existing voters roll is simply not on!The security of the BVR process is fatally compromised and the integrity of next year's elections is already in question because of the proposed role of Israeli company Nikuv International Project to manage, store and compile voter data ahead of the 2018 elections.It is laughable that Laxton Group's BVR system should be used only to collect voter data and not to securely store that data which, surely, is an integral part of the process. Having BVR kits without a supporting back end is like having a water pump without any clue where you are pumping the water to.BVR kits without integrated, secure data storage open the doors to yet another ZANU PF grand election-rigging scheme.Nzira-Indlela: a roadmap to free and fair electionsZUNDE unwaveringly supports free and fair elections as the only solid foundation for the democratic process and good governance and the rule of law in Zimbabwe. However, we will not get there by rushing to an election next year. There is another way that is within the provisions of the Constitution and therefore lawful.Section 58 of the Constitution guarantees right of citizens to freedom of assembly and association. Section 59 guarantees the right to demonstrate and present petitions provided that these rights are exercised peacefully. Section 149 gives every citizen and permanent resident of Zimbabwe the right to petition Parliament to consider any matter within its authority.The situation is too dire to leave to politicians to solve. The solution is in the hands of the people. The people must be mobilised to exercise their right under the Constitution in a series of peaceful mass demonstrations to call for the resignation of the government and to present a petition to Parliament, with so many signatures that it cannot be denied, calling for the formation of an interim transitional authority.ZANU PF is quick to cry treason when there is any suggestion of changing the government or criticising Robert Mugabe  witness the current charges that have been brought against Pastor Evan Mawarire  but we should not be deterred. How can it be treason for the citizens of a democratic country to call for the resignation of an oppressive, corrupt and incompetent regime? ZANU PF is now at its weakest and this is the time to free ourselves from the evil they have wrought on us and on our country.We must not wait for yet another stolen election to trigger mass popular demonstrations. ZUNDE calls on a united opposition to organise massive and sustained public protests to call on the government to resign. Let us campaign for it and prepare our youth for it  starting now  and let them know that #This Flag and #Tajamuka have our total support.ZUNDE proposes that the united opposition should call for an interim transitional authority, a caretaker government, to administer Zimbabwe until internationally supervised biometric voter registration is implemented followed by free and fair elections.ZUNDE has led the campaign for everyone to register and vote. However, it has become clear that, before that can happen, the people must demand the resignation of the government and a transitional authority must prepare the way for transparently fair elections.This is where Morgan Tsvangirai, Joice Mujuru and Tendai Biti will show their true colours. Will they reveal themselves as contestants locked in a bitter struggle for power or will they emerge as true leaders dedicated to uplifting the people and restoring the nation? Even though they might not want to, Tsvangirai, Mujuru and Biti will recognise the logic of this position and come around to this way of thinking. Otherwise they are in for another hiding at the hands of Mugabe and ZANU PF.There will be tough negotiations for the terms of reference of a transitional authority but the African Union, SADC and our neighbours, particularly South Africa and Botswana, will be forced to intervene and mediate. They cannot afford for Zimbabwe to fail.As well as consisting of members of parliament, the transitional authority should include academics, technocrats, businessmen and regional representatives. It would be a bold move to appoint an independent prominent African such as Kofi Annan or Ian Khama to chair this body.The electoral reforms to be put in place by an interim transitional authority will include as a minimum- establishment of a civilian statutory Independent Electoral Commission to implement universal biometric voter registration and to conduct elections;- provision for Zimbabweans in the diaspora to vote in elections;- free and fair elections with transparency guaranteed by international supervisors who should be jurists and not soldiers.Fundamental to the healing of Zimbabwe will be the work of a Truth and Reconciliation Commission that will address the wrongs of Gukurahundi, Murambatsvina, land redistribution, and the plunder of Zimbabwe's natural resources. However, setting up such a commission may properly be an initial task of a new government rather than the interim transitional authority.What is of real concern is that so many Zimbabweans have adapted to life under ZANU PF. Instead of being actively involved in the political process, they keep their heads down and let the politics go on around them. They stoically put up with the blight of ZANU PF and think that, if they wait long enough, things will get better. Our greatest challenge is to motivate the masses. If the people are not prepared to be involved, we are doomed to another five years of the ZANU PF kleptocracy. #This Flag and #Tajamuka have demonstrated that the people are ready to take action when they have courageous, innovative leaders. Morgan Tsvangirai is the leader of the largest opposition party and he is best positioned to mobilise the populace. It is time for him to show true leadership and mobilise his followers into organised and sustained public protests calling for the ZANU PF government to stand down so an interim transitional authority can be put in place. When he does this, he will guarantee that other opposition groups will join and support him. People are beginning to realise that Zimbabwe's crisis is not going to be solved by elections in 2018. This is now a liberation struggle.Nzira-Indlela in three stepsSo, Nzira-Indlela, the ZUNDE roadmap to free and fair elections consists of three basic steps:1. Mobilisation of the populace to petition the ZANU PF government to stand down.2. Putting in place an interim transitional authority as a caretaker government to administer Zimbabwe and ensure accurate and secure biometric voter registration.3. Internationally supervised free and fair elections.It has been said that insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. We cannot, we must not, participate in another election where the electoral process is controlled by ZANU PF. That would be madness indeed!Denis Moyo HuntZUNDEW: zunde.org E: info@zunde.org T: @zundezim
Of these, $150 million will be spent on traffic connectivity in the Central Highlands comprising a project to upgrade 142 kilometers of Highway 19. The upgraded road will be able to serve 6,200 motor vehicles a day.



The remaining of $150 million will be used for a project to modernize the forestry industry, increase the resistance for coastal areas and assist coastal forest management in Quang Tri, Thanh Hoa, Nghe An, Ha Tinh, Quang Binh, Thua Thien Hue, Quang Ninh provinces and Hai Phong city.

By HAM YEN  Translated by Hai Mien
Vietnamese participants included National Assembly (NA) Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh who chairs the National Steering Committee for the Vietnam-Cambodia Friendship Year 2017, Secretary of the Hanoi Party Committee Hoang Trung Hai, and President of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Central Committee Tran Thanh Man.



Among the Cambodian officials at the event were Honourary President of the Cambodian Peoples Party, President of the NA of Cambodia, and Chairman of the National Council of the Solidarity Front for Development of the Cambodian Motherland Samdech Heng Samrin; Deputy Prime Minister of Cambodia and Chairwoman of the Cambodia-Vietnam Friendship Association Men Sam An; and senior officials of the Cambodian parliament.

In her speech, Chairwoman Ngan underlined that Vietnam and Cambodia are neighbouring countries with long-standing relations. On the basis of the time-honoured relationship and the fight against colonialism, the establishment of their diplomatic ties created favourable conditions for the two peoples to continue standing side by side in the struggle for national liberation, and they together won a historic victory in the spring of 1975.

In response to the urgent call of the Kampuchean United Front for National Salvation, the army and people of Vietnam once again continued to be on the side of the patriotic forces and people of Cambodia to liberate the country and save the Cambodian people from the Pol Pot genocidal regime, prevent the return of the genocidal regime and bring recovery to Cambodia, she noted.

On this special occasion, we express our sincere gratitude to the two peoples for their efforts and sacrifice in that lofty fight, particularly of heroic martyrs, war invalids, formers experts, former volunteer soldiers of Vietnam who did not spare their blood and bones and sacrificed themselves to consolidate the traditional solidarity and friendship between the two nations and peoples of Vietnam and Cambodia, she said.

At the celebration, Samdech Heng Samrin described the organisation of the ceremony as a great historical event reflecting that the countries traditional solidarity, friendship and sound co-operation throughout history have brought about common benefits for the two nations, especially in gaining peace, stability and prosperity.

On behalf of the Cambodian people, he expressed his deep sense of gratitude to the Party, State and people of Vietnam for their precious support and assistance to the Cambodian people in recovering and re-constructing his country. He highlighted the great sacrifice of Vietnams volunteer soldiers who helped free the Cambodian people from the Pol Pot genocidal regime on January 7, 1979.

In their speeches, Chairwoman Ngan and President Samdech Heng Samrin noted with satisfaction that despite countless difficulties and challenges over the past five decades, the solidarity, traditional friendship and comprehensive co-operation between Vietnam and Cambodia have continually been reinforced and developed, which is a priceless, sacred and sustainable asset of the two nations.

They noted the growing bilateral co-operation between the two parliaments and in politics, security-defence, economy-trade-investment, tourism, training, culture, health care, telecommunications, and cultural exchanges. They added during the implementation of the foreign policy of multilateralisation and diversification of international relations, the two countries have also co-ordinated closely at international and regional forums, thus helping to promote their respective prestige and stature in the region and the world.

They voiced their belief that the countries time-tested amity and all-round co-operation will keep thriving for the sake of the two peoples.

At the ceremony, Colonel Le Cuong, who represented Vietnams former volunteer soldiers in Cambodia, shared his sentiment towards the land and people of Cambodia. He also congratulated Cambodia on its enormous achievements and affirmed that he will continue to help nurture the two countries friendship.

Meanwhile, Xiu Kim Hua  a Cambodian student at Hanoi Medical University, said the youth of Cambodia always keep in mind the assistance and support that the Vietnamese leaders and people have given to their country throughout history, especially the liberation of Cambodia from the Pol Pot genocidal regime in 1979.

On behalf of the two countries younger generations, Xiu Kim Hua and Tran Phuong Thao, a Vietnamese student at the Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam, affirmed younger generations responsibility towards the consolidation of the Vietnam -Cambodia traditional friendship.



The ceremony witnesses the attendance of Chairwoman of Vietnam National Assembly Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan (right) and Honourary President of the Cambodian Peoples Party, President of the NA of Cambodia, and Chairman of the National Council of the Solidarity Front for Development of the Cambodian Motherland Samdech Heng Samrin (second, right). (Photo: VNA/VNS) An art performance features a grand ceremony held at the Hanoi Opera House on Saturday to celebrate the 50th founding anniversary of Vietnam-Cambodia diplomatic relations (June 24, 1967). (Photo: VNA/VNS)







VNS
Jillian Behram of Burkittsville, Maryland, has acquired pets in just about every possible way. She found one of her cats as a stray and got the other from a "free to a good home" post on social media. Her dogs have come from a breeder, rescue groups and an animal shelter. Another one moved in with her fiance.

Of all the formal adoption processes she's been through, the most straightforward was when she adopted Lucy, a pit bull mix, from the Washington Animal Rescue League (now Humane Rescue Alliance) in Washington, D.C., last year. After walking through the kennel, Behram asked to meet all the female puppies from one litter. She had one in mind, and in particular didn't want the biggest one.

But the puppies had other ideas. "To my surprise, the one I assumed would be the good match turned out to be the worst match, and the biggest one turned out to pick me," she says. "She couldn't stop loving on me." The caretaker agreed. "It was so obvious that he said, 'that's your dog.'"

There wasn't much more to it. After a chat and some paperwork, "They took my application, and about 20 minutes later she was mine," she says. "I think I was there an hour a half total."

This story may surprise pet adopters who recall filling out long forms and waiting days for home visits and reference checks. But many shelters are moving toward more open adoption processes, which they have found to be better for both adopters and pets.

"We've stopped policing adopters. We try to match lifestyle with lifestyle and not be judgmental," says Joe Elmore, CEO of one such shelter, Charleston Animal Society in South Carolina.

Rather than check off a list of black-and-white requirements, they look for the right fit.

"If you're at home all day and can walk them every hour and play with them, then you can get those high-energy dogs," he says. If you're gone at work 10 hours a day, that doesn't mean you're rejected  the shelter helps you look for an older dog who'll be OK sleeping on the couch most of the day.

Charleston Animal Society, founded in 1874, is one of the oldest in the nation, and serves a diverse county of about 380,000 people in urban and rural areas. They are open admission, meaning they never turn an animal away. The change in policy has had an impact on the number of animals they save.

"We've seen a big decrease in euthanasia," Elmore says. "Back in 2007 or 2008, we were putting down upward of 7,000 animals a year, both cats and dogs." Now it's more like three or four hundred, including extreme medical cases they can't save.

The idea of simpler, quick adoptions may be unnerving to some. How can you be sure these are good homes?

Emily Weiss, vice president for research and development at the ASPCA, say there was no systematic research behind the standard questions on adoption applications.

"As an organization, we started tackling the question scientifically: What is the real impact on the bond, or the likelihood of the pet being well cared for, when somebody adopts outside of those parameters?" she says.

Weiss developed a program for shelters called Meet Your Match that moved away from strict rules. "The person fills out a simple survey about their lifestyle. For instance, for cats, one of the questions is, 'Is your home like a library, middle-of-the-road, or like a carnival?'" The answers are meant to open up a conversation about which pet might meet your expectations.

In shelters that implemented the program, adoptions increased and returns decreased, and follow-up studies showed no difference in quality of care. Weiss argues that this kind of process is harder to fake, so it's actually more of a barrier to people with bad intentions.

"It's much easier for them to do harm by simply figuring out how to fill out the application correctly, or get their friend to come in for them," she says. "It's much more difficult if we have an honest, open, eye-to-eye conversation that's focused on this individual animal and you as a person."

Fees are another factor intended to keep the bad guys away. But many shelters now do reduced-fee or free adoption events, and research has shown that their only effect is to put more animals in homes, more quickly. Again, there's no difference in the return rate or how the pets are cared for.

Weiss observes that people get cats, in particular, from all kinds of places for free. Eliminating fees makes the shelter better able to compete with those sources, and shelters' vaccinated, spayed and neutered animals won't contribute to pet overpopulation in the future.

Not all shelters have moved in this direction. Some still have long forms; some under-resourced shelters don't have the staff for elaborate screening processes.

And you're still likely to find more involved procedures at private rescue groups, for a variety of reasons, including a focus by some on animals with special needs.

"Because of the dogs that we take into our program, our adoption requirements are pretty significant," says Heather Gutshall of Handsome Dan's Rescue for Pit Bull Type Dogs, whose dogs come both from shelters and from large-scale dog fighting raids. "We are the last stop for many dogs with significant medical and behavioral issues."

Theirs is still a multi-step process involving phone calls, reference checks and home visits, which may take several weeks.

So simplifying the adoption process may not be appropriate for every organization. But if you haven't adopted in a while, you might find that things have changed at your local shelter, even though the goal hasn't.

"The important part is finding a good match," says Weiss. "Not only do we want people to make adoption their first option, we want them to be successful when they do so."
SIOUX CITY  Camp High Hopes welcomed five new people to its board of directors.

Lindsey Buchheit of Buchheit Law, PLC; Jeremy Craighead of Security National Bank; Jeanie Hohenstein of Kevin Hohenstein Construction and Hauling; Mark Porter of Seaboard Triumph Foods; and Todd Rand of Rand Farms all were elected to the board in May.

The new members will join forces with the boards tenured members to oversee the camps mission of providing safe, fun, and adaptive recreational experiences for children, teens and adults with disabilities.

Camp High Hopes also announced the re-election of all four of its 2016 officers. The leadership team includes President Jim Malek of Natural Food Holdings, Vice President Terry Murrell from Western Iowa Tech Community College, Treasurer Ken Beekley from the Siouxland Economic Development Corporation; and Secretary Jill Williams.
Greathouse, executive director for Mercy Medical Center, joins over 5,000 professionals around the world who hold the CFRE designation.

Individuals granted the CFRE credential have met a series of standards set by CFRE International, which include tenure in the profession, education, demonstrated fundraising achievement and a commitment to service to not-for-profit organizations.
LOS ANGELES, CA | A new horror film features a musical score partially composed by a Siouxland native.

Jordan Dykstra, who now lives in Middletown, Connecticut, was born and raised in Sioux City. His parents, Dan and Sharon Dykstra, still live here. The younger Dykstra is credited in the film "It Comes At Night," released earlier this month, as a musical collaborator and string arranger and assistant composer, among other credits.

Dykstra began the job in February, working as an assistant composer to Brian McOmber, the film's composer. McOmber knew Dykstra because he had worked with McOmber's band, Dirty Projectors, on an album.

So when McOmber needed some help on the soundtrack for "It Comes At Night," he contacted Dykstra.

"It was a really good fit, because we worked quite well together, we had some history with previous projects," Dykstra said

Dykstra worked on the film's musical score remotely, rather than on set. The filming was already complete when he was brought on board, and editing was underway.

The composers received segments of the film from editors, and the musical crew would work on a score to accompany the scenes. Often, they would later receive re-edited scenes that were different from what they had previously seen, necessitating further musical adjustments.

"We'd be constantly updating, making changes - Brian would go to New York to meet with the director, sometimes the director would come to us and we'd meet with him," Dykstra said.

Because the music is tailored to a horror film, he said, the score uses ordinary instruments -- guitars, pianos -- in a non-traditional way to create dynamic and unconventional sounds.

"That's a nice element to have in a horror film soundtrack," he said.

Dykstra said he made his mark on most of the film's musical numbers.

"I had a hand in just about every single cue, whether or not I was getting credited with composing," he said.

This was not Dykstra's first rodeo in film composing. He had previously worked on student films, and on director Gus Van Sant's 2011 film "Restless." In that film, he even got to appear on-screen, as a stand-in for Henry Hopper, the star of the film and the son of actor Dennis Hopper.

"I actually have this scene where I'm playing a Mellotron (type of keyboard)," Dykstra said. "On screen, playing this keyboard."
SIOUX CITY | The Sioux City Lewis & Clark Interpretive Center will host a Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail Geotourism Project launch from 1 to 4 p.m. Tuesday in the Betty Strong Encounter Center. Admission will be free; refreshments will be served.

Siouxland residents, cultural leaders, educators and representatives of government, business and industry are encouraged to participate in the public event.

The Geotourism Project is an effort by the U.S. National Park Service to inspire travelers to experience local geographical and environmental features as well as local culture, heritage and attractions along the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail. A website will be created to promote Geotourism Project communities.
ANTHON, Iowa | The Woodbury County Freedom Rock, in Anthon, contains pieces of a B-17 bomber that crashed three miles southwest of town on May 26, 1944, killing all 10 men aboard.

It was the most significant event at Anthon during World War II. It's now an important piece of the Freedom Rock created by artist Ray "Bubba" Sorensen II.

"To have pieces of the bomber included in the painting of the bomber makes it more special, connecting the rock to local history," said Sorensen, who began his Freedom Rock career 19 years ago by painting the first boulder north of his home at Greenfield, Iowa. Sorensen has since repainted that original Freedom Rock each May. Four years ago he branched out and took on the challenge of painting one Freedom Rock in each of Iowa's 99 counties. The Woodbury County Freedom Rock at Anthon is his 61st in Iowa.

Sorensen has also painted two Freedom Rocks in Missouri and one in Wisconsin as he embarks on a 50-state Freedom Rock Tour. He heads to Seattle, Washington, to paint a Freedom Rock there next summer.

Sorensen's work in Anthon is highlighted by pieces from the B-17 wreckage that were picked up at the crash site 25 years ago by Rick Bohle, a Kingsley, Iowa, resident who was doing terrace work southwest of town.

"I think my dad (the late Dean Bohle) was 4 years old when his grandpa showed him the crash site," Rick Bohle said. "And when I was in that area doing terrace work, my dad was with me and he showed me where the plane crashed."

It was in the spring of the year and the ground hadn't been worked by a local farmer. Rick Bohle picked up pieces of metal, studied each piece, and stored them away in a desk drawer.

Last Sunday, Bohle, the mayor of Kingsley, met Sorensen as he finished work on the Plymouth County Freedom Rock in Kingsley, which was dedicated on Saturday. Bohle told Sorensen about the pieces he had from the old B-17. Sorensen, who had yet to create the Woodbury County Freedom Rock, decided to paint the B-17 on the rock, his way of attaching a local event to the rock in Anthon.

Sorensen asked Bohle if he'd be able to use a grinder to crush the pieces into what amounted to a metal dust for inclusion in the paint. Bohle did that and had his wife, Karla Bohle, deliver the "dust" to Sorensen at Anthon on Wednesday.

"I'll put the date of the crash, May 26, 1944, here near the B-17," said Sorensen.

The depiction of the bomber is surrounded by 10 bald eagles to represent the 10 airmen killed when the bomber crashed on its last training run from the Sioux City Army Air Base. Crew members included: 1st Lt. Roger G. Jay, 23, instructor pilot, Los Angeles; Flight Officer John B. Smith, 21, pilot, Mooresville, North Carolina; Flight Officer Lyland R. Petersen, 26, pilot, Madison, Wisconsin; 2nd Lt. Hubert B. Godbee, 23, bombardier, Edgefield, South Carolina; Cpl. James A. Williams, 19, engineer/gunner, Providence, Kentucky; Pvt. Fred T. Littlewolf, 26, radio operator/gunner, Bagley, Minnesota; Cpl. James O. Hawkins, 21, gunner, Swartz Creek, Michigan; Pfc. Ray E. Snider, 22, gunner, Shreveport, Louisiana; Pvt. Joseph A. Calvello, 32, gunner, Brooklyn, New York; and Pfc. Norman Lindjord, 23, gunner, Seattle, Washington.

Jay, Godbee and Snider were married. The others were single, according to a Journal story written by Judy Hayworth, an Anthon native. Their remains were returned to their families, who were told little about the crash. Officials at the time could not determine a cause for the crash, which shattered an otherwise picture-perfect late-May morning in Woodbury County. The plane was said to be carrying 1,475 gallons of fuel, 20 practice bombs and hundreds of rounds of ammunition.

Tony Mireless, of Calumet City, Illinois, noted in a study that some 6,350 U.S. Army Air Corps airplane crashes took place in the U.S. during World War II, resulting in 15,531 fatalities.

The event, which was memorialized on June 24, 2006, will now have another memorial site, so to speak, in the Freedom Rock that stands near the Anthon Community Center on the east side of town.

Sorensen also included images of Sgt. Charles Floyd on this Freedom Rock, as well as two depictions of the most decorated veterans in U.S. history, Col. Bud Day, a Sioux City native.

Floyd was the only member of the Corps of Discovery to die on the Lewis & Clark Expedition, having succumbed to what many believe was peritonitis on Aug. 20, 1804.

Day, who died in July 2013, was shot down over North Vietnam 50 years ago this summer. He was taken prisoner, beaten and hung upside down by his captors before escaping and fleeing to South Vietnam. Before reaching a U.S. Marine Corps outpost, Day was shot twice by Communist patrols and taken prisoner again, this time for more than five years.

Day survived repeated torture and once stood to sing "The Star Spangled Banner" as his North Vietnamese captors, who had interrupted a forbidden worship service, shoved the muzzle of a gun in Day's face.

President Gerald Ford presented Day with the Medal of Honor in 1976.

"You can't have the Freedom Rock without Bud Day," Sorensen said.

Following his completion of the Woodbury County Freedom Rock at Anthon, Sorensen moves on to the Ida County Freedom Rock in Holstein, a project he aims to complete by July 4. After that, he said, he'll start work on the Cherokee County Freedom Rock, which stands outside the Cherokee County Courthouse in Cherokee.

Sorensen said there are only three counties he has yet to book on his 99-county Freedom Rock project in Iowa.
News / National

by Staff reporter

The burial of the late liberation stalwart and musician Dick "Cde Chinx" Chingaira in Harare yesterday was most notable for the absence of senior Zanu-PF and government officials.The 61-year-old Cde Chinx - who died in Harare last Friday after battling cancer - was interred at the Glen Forest Memorial Park.His family passed on the chance to bury him at Harare Provincial Heroes Acre - instead opting to have him interred at Glen Forest.A huge gathering, predominantly made up of war veterans, relatives, close friends, and ordinary people was present to witness his burial - amid anger that he was overlooked for national hero status by Zanu-PF which, instead, accorded him liberation war hero status, in a move which was roundly condemned by Zimbabweans across the political divide.Not one Cabinet minister or notable Zanu-PF bigwig - among the thousands of ruling party overlords which he had interacted with during the liberation struggle and in post-independent Zimbabwe - made themselves available to give him a fitting send-off.Only Harare State minister Miriam Chikukwa attended the burial together with Zanu-PF Harare provincial political commissar Shadreck Mashayamombe, who claimed bigwigs were tied up at a ruling party workshop and at another burial."Vanhu vabatikana (Many were tied up), there were many programmes today," Mashayamombe said."There was also a workshop at Zanu-PF headquarters and we also have another comrade, a former PC for the province Onismo Gore ari kuchemwa kuMbare (whose burial is in Mbare), so we can't say people did not come, everyone had a lot on their plates."Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans Association spokesperson Douglas Mahiya said: "We thought the ministers would be here, because their presence would give Chinx the respect that he deserved.""Chinx was singing for the nation, there was need for the nation to reciprocate."In church, you praise and worship and God comes down, so we expected them to come down so that people will appreciate the value of what Chinx sang about."There is not a single person that was not encouraged by his music. God help us. To us, he is a national hero," Mahiya said.War veterans' leader Chris Mutsvangwa said Zanu-PF had missed a chance to make history by interring the first musician at the national shrine."What we would like to say is heroes are everywhere . . . some get recognised, some don't. Chinx represented the arts part of the war . . . if we are ever going to have an artist at (the National) Heroes' Acre; probably the most deserving one was Chinx."Family spokesperson Deeds Chingaira could not be drawn into commenting on the snub, choosing to thank the ruling party for assisting Cde Chinx "during his time of need".Chikukwa narrated Cde Chinx's path from the time he joined the liberation struggle in 1975 up to his death.
Jim and Esther Jones will celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary with an open house for friends and family from 2-4 p.m. on Saturday at Morningside Assembly of God, 4310 Old Lakeport Road. No gifts, please.

Cards may be sent to: 3115 S. Cypress, Sioux City, Iowa 51106.

The couple were married on July 19, 1967.

Their children are: Chad and Alisa Jones, Monte and Cynthia Jones and Emily Jones. They have four grandchildren.
SIOUX CITY | Let the booms, flashes and crackles begin.

Starting 1 p.m. Sunday, Sioux City residents may legally discharge fireworks on private property within city limits for the first time in 84 years. Legal discharge for residents in unincorporated Woodbury County began Saturday.

A passage of a new law lifted Iowa's ban on fireworks, other than sparklers, snakes and novelties, that had been in place since devastating fires in the Northwest Iowa cities of Spencer and Remsen in the 1930s.

As the Independence Day holiday and window for peak fireworks usage nears, more vendors are popping up around Sioux City, following a sluggish start to the permitting process around the region.

As of Saturday, six vendors in Sioux City had completed the state permitting process and undergone local site inspections, according to Sioux City's Fire Prevention Office.

Another tent, King Kong Fireworks, had set up just outside city limits, east of Sioux City on Highway 20.

Several existing stores, including the Bomgaars stores on Hamilton Boulevard and Gordon Drive, have also received city permits for limited fireworks sales.

Some vendors say business started slow, but they expect it to pick up soon.

"Eighty percent of our business comes on the Third and the Fourth," said John Barber, owner of the 45-year-old North Sioux City-based Zort's Fireworks, which has added four Iowa locations this summer, including a Sioux City tent at 3110 Singing Hills Blvd. that opened last week.

Barber said he expects traffic to pick up next weekend and flow steadily through the July 4 holiday.

While his North Sioux City warehouse will have significantly more competition this summer, he said he predicts the wider market will bring even more people to South Dakota stores, not fewer.

"I think everyone will benefit from this," he said.

Across Northwest Iowa, dozens of vendors have either set up shop or plan to.

Neil Gustafson of Mr. G's Bangin' Hard Fireworks, a 2,000-square-foot building five miles outside Storm Lake that held its grand opening June 16, said the rate and variety of sales has surprised him thus far.

"We debated not opening so soon, but people aren't waiting until the Fourth. They're ready to have fun now," he said. "We've had people come and spend $10 up to $7,000."

In South Dakota, licensed retailers have been selling to out-of-state residents since May 1. South Dakotans can purchase fireworks beginning Tuesday, with the window extending through July 5.

Don Lantis, owner of Lantis Fireworks, which operates a stand in North Sioux City and others across South Dakota, says he doubts the influx of vendors in neighboring Iowa will hurt his 72-year-old business.

In fact, he said, his sales are running above normal. He believes the wide selection of products and long-term customers will keep things unchanged.

"I had a man come in from Des Moines who said, 'Weve been buying fireworks from you for 50-some years. ... We'll always buy them from Lantis,'" he said.

With the beginning of this newfound freedom for residents, local law enforcement and first responders are encouraging caution and safety. They're also making a few adjustments as they gear up for prime fireworks season.

Beginning this week, some Sioux City Police officers begin working overtime on designated fireworks patrols. This expanded force will respond to fireworks-related calls primarily during the hours when discharge is banned to alleviate stress on the regular officers on the streets.

Deputy Fire Marshal Ryan Collins said Sioux City Fire Rescue has already responded to one fireworks-related incident this month at a trailer court along Highway 75 North.

"It was minor in nature, but it could have been a lot worse," he said.

For the first time, Collins said, the department is tracking how many fire and injury calls stem from fireworks discharge.

"We want to get quantitative data," he said. "For injuries, previously, we'd just mark it down as an 'injured party.' Now we've got fields for fireworks."

Collins said he wants to remind people discharging fireworks to soak the used fireworks in a bucket of water before disposing to prevent garbage fires.

View Northwest Iowa fireworks vendors in a full screen map
Health care, U.S. style, is doomed, and heres why.

1. Our citizenry is encouraged to use medical facilities even if the need to do so is small or non-existent. 2. Prices for medical care reflect the supply/demand principles of economics in general. 3. Health insurance policies no longer exist, since insurance companies are no longer permitted to set rates based upon risk assessments of the insured. 4. Personal responsibility for ones health has been replaced by governmental edict which makes each of us a victim of circumstance to be cared for by others. 5. A price cannot be placed on a human life which means that unlimited expenditures should be provided to extend life for each individual, regardless of the quality of it. 6. None of us is getting out of this alive, but few of us actually prepare to meet that certitude in a rational manner.

Our elected officials, Democrat or Republican, all agree that the federal government should be in control of health care for all U.S. citizens. Ultimately, were going to have Canadian-style, socialized medicine. Its the only way to appease the segment of society which wants the continuing certainty that health care will never again be a personal responsibility. Moreover, weve run the gamut of addiction. At one time we cared for ourselves; then we obtained health insurance to pay for care; then we negotiated care supplied via our or our employer's wallet; then we inserted governmental assistance via Medicare and Medicaid.

Finally, weve reached the ultimate addictive level  health care only available through the government which will control access to, quality of and duration of any and all aspects of medical treatment.

Perhaps we should be as concerned with the health of our democratic republic as we are with our own well-being. Giving away freedom in favor of supporting an ever-increasing addiction to governmental control doesnt seem like a recipe for societal success. - Lon Zimmerman, Sergeant Bluff, Iowa
THE MINI: My parents always told me that one is judged by the company they keep. perhaps Governor Reynolds and Senator Grassley should think about that before they appear along side of Donald Trump. --James Weber, Westfield, Iowa
Picture perfect weather conditions greeted a large crowd on Saturday evening (June 24) at The Meadowlands for live racing on the track and the annual Winefest off the track.

The featured event of the night, a conditioned event carrying a purse of $18,000, lived up to expectations with the classy Bettors Edge (Victor Kirby) surviving a tough journey to score in 1:48.2, just one-fifth of a second off his career best.

Titus Seelster (Eric Abbatiello) blasted off the wings but faced immediate earlier pressure from Seeley Man (Christian Lind), the former Maine superstar who was 24-for-24 at the ages of two and three. Those two duelled through an opening split of :26.4, with Seeley Man eventually muscling his way to the lead. Shortly after clearing for the lead, it was millionaire In The Arsenal (Vinnie Ginsburg) who launched an attack, clearing to take over shortly after the half in :53.3.

Bettors Edge was left uncovered after In The Arsenal cleared to the lead, but the classy son of Bettors Delight eventually wore down that rival shortly after three-quarters in 1:21, and staved off a mild late bid from More Dragon (Marcus Miller) to pick up his 36th career win.

Jennifer Lappe conditions the winner and co-owns with Robert Santagata, both of Campbell Hall, New York. With the win, Bettors Edge is now less than $40,000 shy of $2 million in career earnings.

Total handle on the 11-race card was $2,229,351.

Live racing resumes next Friday featuring a retirement celebration in honour of Hall of Famer John Campbell.

(With files from Meadowlands Racetrack)
Just as June heralds the beginning of summer, the arrival of Maine Sire Stakes season marks a certain regeneration of hope and a renewal of vigor, as anxious breeders, owners, trainers and grooms bring their young equine charges to the raceway for the very first time as they did on Saturday (June 24) at Scarborough Downs.

Under ideal twilight conditions, the freshman filly pacers were the first of the Maine Sire Stakes combatants to arrive at Scarborough Downs this season. They were split into near-twin divisions and sent postward for purses of $10,007 and $10,182, respectively

Shes A Maverick responded handsomely at every asking in the first stakes division, as the daughter of Western Maverick-Fiber Art held off a determined cavalry charge en route to scoring her first career victory, timed in an in-hand 2:04, much to the delight of her owner, Carolyn Corso of Henderson, Nev.

Driver/trainer John Nason pushed many of his filly's buttons on Saturday with the freshman pacer responding like a veteran campaigner at every asking. When urged to leave from the gate, she quickly made the top. When Nason reined her back to get a parked foe out of his way, she graciously complied.

When asked to retake the lead at the half, she accomplished the task so quickly it hardly seemed real. The effort was, all in all, a very polished performance for a filly making only her second career start. Little Honey Badger (M. Graffam) threw in a strong rally bid to secure runner-up honours, while A Thousand Wishes (G. Mosher) held firm for the show.

With her premier victory lap now practiced and perfected, Shes A Maverick sets her sights on the summer horizons in Maine. With nine more $10,000 stakes elimination rounds and a rich $50,000 freshman final in wait in September, who can blame her?

Saturday's second stakes division saw Justcallmedee extend her unbeaten record out to a perfect two-for-two after seemingly pushing the starting gate out of her way while staking her claim for the early lead. She and driver Mark Athearn had everything their own way until Pembroke Passionly (H. Campbell) took flight to engage as they approached the three-quarter station, and from that point home the dashing divas matched strides to the wire with Justcallmedee extending out to a narrow three-quarters of a length advantage at the finish.

A daughter of Deuce Seelster-Justcallmerosie, Justcallmedee is owned by William Phipps of Yarmouth, Maine.

Pembroke Passionly held for the place while Where Does Time Go (E. Davis, Jr.) finished third.

Scarborough Downs is pleased to present twilight harness racing cards on Thursday through Saturday at 4:30 p.m. (EDT) with the Sunday matinee heading to post at 1:30 p.m.

For more information, visit scarboroughdowns.com or visit the tracks Facebook page.

(Scarborough Downs)
News / National

by Staff reporter

ZANU-PF will not convene a "special" Politburo meeting on Vice-President Emmerson Mnangagwa's alleged involvement in succession politics with no such intention being expressed at last week's extraordinary indaba of the ruling party's organ, it has emerged.Party National Secretary for Administration Dr Ignatius Chombo yesterday dismissed private media claims made last week - attributed to unnamed sources, one of whom is believed to be Higher and Tertiary Education Minister Professor Jonathan Moyo - purporting that the revolutionary party would hold an extraordinary Politburo meeting to put VP Mnangagwa in the dock.Further, the Speaker of the National Assembly Advocate Jacob Mudenda yesterday rapped the Zimbabwe Independent, a private newspaper, for its "brown envelope" reporting on the matter.Last week's Politburo meeting deliberated on a report compiled by an Adv Mudenda-led probe into allegations that Zanu-PF National Political Commissar Saviour Kasukuwere was, among other things, angling to topple President Mugabe.The Politburo resolved that President Mugabe and his two deputies, VPs Mnangagwa and Phelekezela Mphoko, would decide Kasukuwere's fate.After that meeting, the Zimbabwe Independent and other private newspapers known to lean towards Kasukuwere and Prof Moyo, claimed the Politburo would soon meet to lay counter-allegations against VP Mnangagwa to the effect that he was seeking to remove President Mugabe.Yesterday, Dr Chombo told The Sunday Mail that: "I am unaware of it ('special' Politburo meeting); when there is a Politburo meeting I always come to the Press to inform you. There is no such meeting."He also warned that party members who abused social media would be descvilined.And in Bulawayo, in his keynote address at an interface between the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs and civic society, Adv Mudenda said: "I have read the Independent paper, which has been so biased. The media should report objectively and not follow the brown envelope."They only highlighted what Prof Moyo had said and ignored the blow-by-blow account that I gave together with other Politburo members. That was very unprofessional because you need to give a fair and balanced account and not a biased and one-sided account as they did."Meanwhile, Dr Chombo said Zanu-PF would cear all pending disciplinary cases within two months in order to approach the 2018 elections with "no unnecessary baggage".He added, "Zanu-PF is busy at the moment making sure that the cells and the branches have been restructured. This is critical in that we will be able to get the exact number of party members that we have because every member of the party is registered in a given cell; so we will then know how many we are."That information is useful in that it gives us a picture of how many votes we are likely to get in 2018 from our known registered party members. So, the restructuring being done by the Commissariat is important in that regard."Dr Chombo said while the ongoing Presidential Youth Interface meetings were not part of the party's election campaign proper, they were being used to gauge organisational and mobilisation capacity; and feedback from the engagements would be used to draw up a people-oriented manifesto.President Mugabe has addressed two such interfaces in Mashonaland East and Manicaland provinces, with the next one slated for Masvingo on Friday."The President is meeting the youths. You can see people are coming in thousands upon thousands to meet the President, to see the President and to hear the President."We have, however, not yet started campaigning full throttle, but the President wants to meet his people to hear their view their concerns and aspirations; so that when we go to the (Annual National People's) Conference, when we come up with the manifesto, it is based on people's wishes and aspirations and not based on what the funders of the political party want, like the Mujurus or Tsvangirais and so on."Dr Chombo, who is also Home Affairs Minister, said the Registrar-General's Office would soon open mobile units for national identification registration to encourage eligible voters without ID cards to get the documentation.VP Mphoko will launch the programme in Matabeleland South and North provinces.Dr Chombo said, "The party is quite busy now encouraging members identified in cells to go out and register as voters. We are all aware that you cannot be allowed to vote unless you are registered as a voter."But at the same time you cannot be registered as a voter if you don't have a national identification card; those two go hand-in-hand."So, as the Ministry of Home Affairs we are working with Registrar-General's Office to launch a programme to have mobile registration units throughout the provinces. We are going to start with Matabeleland South and Matabeleland North. The launch in those two provinces will be launched by Vice-President Mphoko. We are just waiting for confirmation of the dates."Dr Chombo said Zanu-PF would soon start raising funds in preparation for National People's Conference in Matabeleland South province.He welcomed the new polling station-based voting system saying this woud leave opposition parties with no room to allege electoral fraud."You are aware now that starting this coming year the voting system will be polling station-based (rather than ward-based). This system in my view is extremely important in that it gives the voter an opportunity to vote at a polling station near where you reside. The polling station is a place nearest you as a voter."This does away with the problem of those who claim that they failed vote because the polling station is a long distance away. We are making sure that every citizen has access to a voting place nearest them. We are giving them an opportunity to chose who represents them."But more importantly, with this polling station-based system you won't have that many people voting per polling station. An overwhelming majority of the people voting at the polling station will know each other so the possibility of people cheating does not arise."This will shame the opposition which is always complaining that elections are rigged. The election system in Zimbabwe is as good as it gets."
KALAMA  A carved wooden eagle stands proudly atop the 140-foot tall totem pole, its painted wings outstretched into the clear blue sky. Believed to be the worlds tallest totem pole carved out of a single cedar tree, it towers over the Port of Kalama, serving as a landmark for the town.

But years of exposure have eroded the totems splendor. Its been four decades since the pole and three smaller ones nearby were placed at the port. Twenty years have passed since the last major restoration. Chunks of wood are missing. Vertical cracks run down the poles sides. Paint is peeling. Graffiti is scribbled on several sections of the poles. Birds swoop in and out of nests bored into the main pole.

Our goal is to see them continue to live here. I think the community here identifies with them. A lot of people think of Kalama as the place (with) the totem poles, said Liz Newman, port spokeswoman.

Its clear that some restoration needs to happen, Newman said, but because the port doesnt own the poles so its not certain how to go about refurbishing the treasured pieces of Kalamas history.

Replacing the main totem pole could cost up anywhere from $500,000 to $750,000, but restoring the existing pole could end up being more expensive, according an initial engineering estimate from the port.

The totem poles are owned by the descents of William Wineberg, who commissioned a local Native American artist, Chief Don Lelooska, to carve the poles in the 1960s. For several years, the poles sat in the grass in front of Winebergs Columbia Inn in downtown Kalama before they were hauled to the port and raised in 1974. The port agreed to lease the totem poles for $1 per year in a long-term lease thereafter.

The port wants to see the poles restored, but it isnt ready to invest in the project unless it can get more clarity about ownership of the poles, Newman said.

The port recently sent a letter to the Wineberg estate requesting it take one of three options: donate the poles (which an appraiser assessed at $600,000) to the port; sign a 50-year lease with the port for $1 a year; or keep the lease as it is and retain responsibility for the poles maintenance.

Its too early to say what the Wineberg estate will do, said Suzie Hatfield of St. Helens, Winebergs granddaughter. The totem poles are jointly owned by seven of Winebergs descendants who still have to decide together what to do next.

Last year, the port hired consultants with WRK Engineers to conduct an initial ground-level assessment of refurbishing needs of the main 140-tall totem.

Consultants suggested four options: Replacing it; bracing it by attaching it to a steel pole; bringing the pole down in sections, coring each and inserting steel components into each section; or bringing the pole down to drill and install steel dowels in the pole. Alternatively, if the poles arent as stressed as initially thought, workers could inject epoxy to strengthen the deteriorated wood. All of this work is estimated to cost $200,000 to $900,000.

There is no timeline for when the Wineberg family has to respond to the ports request, and both the port and the family are working together to find an option.

I dont know what were going to decide to do, but I would say that there is a better chance of them remaining where there are than anything. Its part of the community and something that represents a Kalama in a lot of ways, Hatfield said.
News / National

by Staff reporter

Late liberation stalwart and veteran musician, Dickson "Cde Chinx" Chingaira, became a victim of Zanu-PF's internecine succession struggles after the party denied him the coveted national hero status on account of having been sympathetic to expelled former vice president Joice Mujuru, the Daily News On Sunday reported.Cde Chinx who died in Harare on June 16 after succumbing to cancer, was buried at the Glen Forest cemetery on Friday after his family passed on the chance to inter him at the Harare Provincial Heroes Acre.Cabinet ministers snubbed his burial.His body had been kept at a Harare funeral parlour for six days as Cde Chinx's family had hoped Zanu-PF would declare him a national hero, but that was not to be.After days of intense debate and hesitancy over his status, a deeply-divided Zanu-PF decided to go against popular sentiment by declaring him a liberation war hero, resulting in the eruption of public anger.Highly-placed sources said Cde Chinx could not be declared a national hero because he rubbed the authorities the wrong way on so many occasions, hence the absence of President Robert Mugabe and his two deputies, Emmerson Mnangagwa and Phelekezela Mphoko, at his funeral held over eight days.In October 2014, Cde Chinx was among guests who attended a party hosted by the then vice president in Dotito, Mount Darwin, to celebrate her getting a PhD, before she was brutally expelled from Zanu-PF, two months later.He attended the party along with former Mujuru allies who included ex Zanu-PF spokesperson Rugare Gumbo, gospel musician Elias Musakwa, the late ruling party Harare provincial chairperson Amos Midzi, former national political commissar Webster Shamu, Chitungwiza South Member of Parliament Christopher Chigumba and Simon Khaya Moyo.The late Cde Chinx even sang a song at the gathering where he exalted Mujuru with lyrics:"Mai Mujuru vakanganisa here, haiwa havana kukanganisa (Did Mujuru err? No, she didn't' err", and joined the police band to play the song in full.Zanu-PF insiders said while Cde Chinx had survived the brutal purges that saw Mujuru and senior officials linked to her being expelled or suspended from Zanu-PF, the former vice president's contribution to the construction of his Malbereign home, also incensed top officials in the ruling party.Cde Chinx was built a house by fellow war veteran and Mugabe's photographer, Joseph Nyadzayo, in appreciation of his role in the liberation struggle and music industry.Nyadzayo built the home under the auspices of the Zimbabwe Music Awards (Zima), a not-for-profiting organisation that rewards outstanding musicians.At the handover ceremony, Nyadzayo told guests who included First Lady Grace Mugabe, that Mujuru had donated bricks that were used to construct the Sentosa house.Cde Chinx also became a pain in the authorities' backside in the run-up to the 2008 elections because he did not condemn Simba Makoni of Mavambo/Kusile/Dawn movement, who had broken ranks with Mugabe two months before the crucial harmonised polls in which the Zanu-PF leader trailed behind Morgan Tsvangirai of the MDC in the first round of the poll.The former Finance minister, who hails from the same Makoni District in Manicaland with Cde Chinx and shares the same "Nyati" totem with him, garnered eight percent of the 2008 presidential vote, trailing behind Mugabe and Tsvangirai. The poll had to be decided by a run-off, won by Mugabe, after Tsvangirai pulled out of the race, citing widespread violence against his officials and supporters.On Tuesday, as Zanu-PF dithered on Cde Chinx's hero status, bigwigs took conflicting positions, influenced by factional and tribal inclinations.Those opposed to his interment at the national shrine could not raise the real reasons behind their refusal, conveniently arguing that the party had set a precedence when it denied another former musician and Zipra cadre, Give Nare, the same status when he died after independence.Nare and his choir's recordings were destroyed by security agents in the early 1980s while their music was banned on ZBC for fear of inciting-PF Zapu supporters as the country went through one of its darkest periods.Contacted for comment on Friday, Khaya Moyo, said he could not comment on a decision already passed by the politburo."The message that I convey is that which comes out of the politburo and a position has already been taken that Cde Chinx is a provincial liberation war hero hence I will not be able to say anything else beyond that," Khaya Moyo told the Daily News On Sunday.Former liberation war commander, retired colonel Bastian Beta, who is now a senior official in Mujuru's party, however, said that Chinx was a victim of Mugabe's growing distaste for war veterans in general."It should be noted that of late Mugabe has developed a negative attitude towards us war veterans and he no longer takes us as worthy human beings because he thinks he alone is right but we don't care because we have moved on."While it could be vindictiveness on the part of Mugabe, it should be noted that what has befallen Cde Chinx befell others before him and all that is because of the way national hero status is conferred which is wrong."It should be a committee in which war veterans are part of (which should confer the status) because they know who did what but with the likes of (Ignatius) Chombo and (Saviour) Kasukuwere at the forefront of deciding who did what during a war they were not part of, war veterans should just forget about fairness," said Beta.Tsvangirai's MDC accused Mugabe of being vindictive."His intense personal hatred for Ndabaningi Sithole, Crispen Mandizvidza, Henry Hamadziripi and Simpson Mutambanengwe made sure that these gallant and illustrious nationalists were not declared national heroes when they died."Mugabe neither forgets nor forgives and Cde Chinx might have crossed the line by being perceived to be a Mujuru loyalist."Mujuru supplied bricks that built Chinx's house in Sentosa and Mugabe knows about this and he isn't particularly happy about it," said MDC spokesperson, Obert Gutu.Emotions have been running high since Cde Chinx was denied the national hero status, with matters coming to a head on Tuesday evening when angry relatives and war veterans confronted Cabinet minister Tshinga Dube when he visited the Chingaira home to deliver the politburo's decision.Cde Chinx's family members and war veterans had hoped that last Wednesday's politburo meeting would reverse its decision to the extent that a selected group of emissaries camped on the Zanu-PF headquarters' eighth floor in the vain hope Mugabe would give them audience.The decision to deny Cde Chinx national hero status did not sit well with the opposition MDC whose MPs called for a special parliamentary sitting last Friday to declare him a national hero.Kuwadzana East legislator Nelson Chamisa on Thursday raised a point of privilege calling upon the acting National Assembly Speaker Rueben Marumahoko to call for that special sitting."It has arisen that one of our war veterans was made a provincial hero but we must as Parliament intervene and say as far as we are concerned Chinx was a national hero not one for the provincial shrine."As Parliament we must stand to defend the Constitution against any considerations that are not in line with its provisions and I kindly move that Parliament must sit tomorrow (Friday) to consider that and I am waiting for your ruling," said Chamisa.After being declared a liberation war hero, Cde Chinx's family opted to bury him at the Glen Forest cemetery.Ordinarily Cde Chinx would have been buried at the Harare Provincial Heroes Acre at the Warren Hills cemetery, although families of liberation war heroes are allowed to exercise other options, but still burying their loved with military honours befitting such occasions.
PTI

Space scientists in India and America are on tenterhooks as Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald J Trump meet for the first bilateral in Washington tomorrow. At stake is the worlds most expensive earth-imaging satellite till date being jointly made by the NASA and the ISRO. Climate change seems to be a red rag for the current American administration. If there is one thing that divides India and America big-time today, it is climate change. In all likelihood climate change would be a point that would figure in the Trump-Modi discussions.

Trump calls climate change a hoax created by China by adhering to his views that "the concept of global warming was created by and for the Chinese in order to make US manufacturing non-competitive". On the other hand, Modi has penned a pictorial book - "Convenient Action: Continuity for Change" - that compiles his actions and beliefs on climate change. Recently, the US walked out of the Paris Climate Change Treaty while India continues to honour its commitments.

Trump said, "India makes its participation contingent on receiving billions and billions and billions of dollars in foreign aid from developed countries", while Modi said failing to act on climate change would be "a morally criminal act". Can a middle ground be found or can the jointly-made satellite escape President Trumps anti-climate change gaze? The world oldest democracy, the US, and the worlds largest democracy, India, seem to be on two poles on the issue of climate change.

This is what is worrying scientists at Pasadena, a suburb of Los Angeles where at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory work has begun in full earnest to realise the NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar satellite called NISAR. Scientists at the Space Applications Centre in Ahmedabad are also anxious as they go about fabricating unique components for the massive satellite. Together Indian and American scientists are making what is possibly the worlds most expensive earth imaging satellite that will cost the countries over USD 1.5 billion. Paul A Rosen, the satellites project scientist at Pasadena, recently stated, "NISAR is the first big collaboration between NASA and ISRO, certainly on RADAR but just in general as well.

This is two frequency RADAR, it is an L-band 24 centimetre RADAR and S-band 13 cm. S-band is being built by ISRO and L-band by NASA. It is a major collaboration both in terms of the technical building of the satellite as well as working together across the Pacific between India and US. "We are going to be making snapshots of earth every week using these two radars that gives us a time lapse image of the motion of the tectonic plates, of the ice sheets, of the changes in vegetation over land in agriculture and forests." Rosen said the scientists are looking at time variability of the earth over the life of the mission to understand how disasters evolve, how earthquakes occur, how volcanoes occur, how the ice sheets are changing and affecting sea level rise, and how forest fires and changes in the forest cover affect the atmosphere.

"It is very relevant to what society cares about which is changes in our climate, changes in our environment and how it affects society," he said. If all goes on well, the NISAR satellite will be launched in 2021 from India using the Geo-synchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV). According to NASA, "the dedicated US and Indian mission is optimised for studying hazards and global environmental change...the mission will make global integrated measurements of the causes and consequences of land surface changes. "NISAR will provide a means of resolving highly spatial and temporally complex processes ranging from ecosystem disturbances, to ice sheet collapse and natural hazards including earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanoes, and landslides."

One of the avowed objectives of the NISAR mission as suggested by NASA is that for over a hundred years, scientists have considered diminishing glaciers and sea ice to be an early indicator of global warming. "Satellite observations collected over the past three decades now show that the summer sea ice cover is decreasing drastically and may vanish entirely within the next decades. At the same time, ice sheets and glaciers are already melting fast enough to be the largest contributors to sea level rise, with a potential to raise sea level by several tens of centimetres or more in the coming century.

"The loss of sea ice cover will have a profound effect on life, climate, and commercial activities in the Arctic, while the loss of land ice will impact an important source of water for millions of people. Collectively, these effects mean that despite its remote location, changes in ice have global economic and health implications as climate changes." It is this objective that the scientists are hoping will escape under the RADAR scan of President Trump whose understanding of climate change is quite at variance from this objective.
News / National

by Staff reporter

Treasury has released the first batch of money for outstanding school fees as the government seeks to address the plight of war veterans and their childrenAddressing journalists in Bulawayo, the Minister of Welfare Services for War Veterans, War Collaborators, Ex-detainees and Restrictees, Retired Colonel Tshinga Dube said more funds towards the school fees payment are being processed while a process to vet war collaborators so that they access their benefits is also ongoing.By the beginning of this term, war veterans children were owing schools in excess of US$37 million and the release of the funds could bring relief to many of the children who were now being expelled from school for outstanding fees.On the impasse between a section of war veterans and Zanu PF, Retired Colonel Dube explained that the former liberation fighters are being misunderstood by certain members of the party."They are simply calling for a smooth transitional operation in the event that President Robert Mugabe leaves office," he said.The war veterans' minister said the sticky issue with the war veterans at the moment regards the land in urban areas that they were allocated by their patron but was eventually repossessed.Going forward, he said there is need for unity among the former liberation fighters and the ruling party in rallying behind the party's First Secretary and President, Mugabe who is the party's sole candidate for the 2018 general elections.
Assyrian Groups to Boycott EU Conference on Future of Nineveh Plains

Lars Adaktusson, EU parliamentarian from the Swedish Christian Democratic Party. Brussels (AINA) -- Three Assyrian political parties and the Chaldean Church in Iraq have announced their boycott of a conference to be held in the EU Parliament in Brussels. The conference, titled A Future for Christians for Iraq and organized by EU parliamentarian Lars Adaktusson from the Swedish Christian Democratic Party, has been touted by Adaktusson as a decisive event for the survival of Assyrians in the war torn country.

The Chaldean Catholic Church announced it will boycott the conference in a statement posted on its official website on Thursday. Boycotts were also announced by the Abnaa al Nahrain Assyrian political party, the Assyrian Patriotic Party and the Assyrian Democratic Movement (ADM), the largest Christian Political Party in Iraq.

In a four page letter sent to Mr Adaktusson, which AINA has examined, ADM explained the reasons for its decision not to attend the conference. ADM has also issued a public statement in its decision to boycott the conference. The objections of ADM expressed in the letter are shrouded in diplomatic language yet amount to a scathing critique of the way the conference has been prepared. According to ADM, the conference is set up in a way that makes it inherently pro-Kurdish and pro-Kurdish Regional Government. ADM is indirectly accusing the organizers of giving support for greater Kurdish control of the Nineveh Plains. Most of the critique centers around a policy document outlining the steps to be taken in regard to the future of the Nineveh Plains. The policy document is expected to be formally adopted at the conference, and ADM points out several serious flaws in it.

According to ADM the security arrangement proposed in the policy document will revert the security situation in the Nineveh Plains back to the disastrous reality that existed prior to ISIS, when the area was controlled by the Kurdish peshmerga, Iraqi army units and local forces loyal to the KDP political party headed by the president of the Kurdish led region, Massoud Barzani. ADM is also critical of the lack of time frame for when the inhabitants of the Nineveh Plain will decide on the future alignment of their region, stating that:

Any elections, and by extension any decisions, about what governmental structure the Nineveh Plains falls under are illegitimate until a period of time has passed whereby demographics are restored to some approximation of the average between 2005 and pre-ISIS 2014 levels. Without any sequencing and timeline for certain conditions to be met, the policy document enables the agenda of those seeking to control our political, social and economic future by compelling our people to make decisions when we are at our weakest and most vulnerable. We need the European Union to provide a shield against such pressures, not assist in enabling them.

Apart from criticism against the policy document, ADM also raises issues concerning the structure and preparation of the conference. The party accuses Lars Adaktusson and his staff of intentionally excluding certain political representatives and NGOs, stating in the letter "There are many NGOs which have been excluded whose participation is necessary to properly reflect the diversity of views and discourses in our people whereas the current invitation list preferences some voices over others."

ADM proposed to the conference that it discard the policy document in favor of a joint agreement reached between the majority of the Assyrian political parties in Iraq on March 6 of this year, and to adjust the list of invited representatives and NGOs to better reflect the diversity of views among the Assyrians. In his reply to The Assyrian Democratic Movement, Lars Adaktusson regrets the decision of the ADM to boycott the conference and admits that the non participation of a major actor will raise questions about the legitimacy of the conference. Adaktusson doesn't however show a willingness to address the issues raised by ADM.
News / Press Release

by ZAPU Youth Front

If people don't know who is a dissident, they must know that its Mugabe. A dissident is defined as a person who actively challenges an established doctrine, policy, organization or institution. A dissident is also a person who challenges and voice his/her opinion on a political situation and those people are usually hazardous to the public and thus what Mugabe did after splitting ZAPU.After being recruited by Joshua Nkomo to join NDP,later ZAPU he Mugabe became a dissident by forming a splinter group in 1963 the then (ZANU). ZANU was formed at Highfield in Enos Nkala's house some of the people who had a helping hand in formation of ZANU were "Henry Hamadziripi, Mukudzei Midzi, Herbert Chitepo,Edgar Tekere, Leopold Takawira, Enos Nkala" and among others.The co-dissidents were jointly and severally liable for the downfall of ZAPU. Mugabe as the former NDP information and publicity secretary and secretary general of ZAPU in 1960s qualifies to be called a dissident because he failed to abide to this ZAPU policies and to follow ZAPU constitution.Mugabe also persecuted ZAPU supporters, butchered them and buried them in shallow graves through assistance of his hired army (North Korean trained brigade).Mugabe once name called Joshua Nkomo as " Father of dissidents " forgetting that Nkomo was the right person to call him a dissident . This is what we describe in Ndebe as " Isigulane sihlakaniphela inyanga eyasisiza ekufeni" literally meaning that a patient wants to be clever than a medical practitioner who helped him/her when he/she was about to die.ZAPU Youth Front says "The human remains which were discovered by exZIPRA veterans association along Bhode river banks at Kezi (Ndiweni village)under Chief Nyangazonke homestead, reveals the evil works which were done by Mugabe,Mnangagwa,Sekeramayi,Shiri. By estoppel, they are Involved in gukurahundi saga because they were both in favour of the North Korean brigade, if they were not involved they were going to stop the killingsZAPU Youth Front applauds the exZIPRA Veterans Association for a splendid job they are doing and they encourage them to go forward and reveal a lot of hidden information and exhibit so that the gukurahundi pepertators are punishedZAPU Youth Front won't rest until gukurahundi issue is taken serious and resolved. All the people with evidence need to come forward and report the case to ZAPU.
DU QUOIN  The 34th annual General Tire Street Machine Nationals got off to a soggy start Friday.

Remnants of tropical storm Cindy dampened the Du Quoin State Fairgrounds for day one of Southern Illinois' most anticipated auto show.

"It was terrible, it rained all day," said Doug Olson, who brought his 1968 Camaro to the show from St. Louis for the third time.

"I bought it in Oklahoma in 1981, while I was in the Air Force," Olson added. "It took me about eight years to build and I stopped counting how much money I spent on it."

Thousands of automotive fans from across the country were greeted by blue skies and a cool breeze Saturday for the second day of the annual celebration of horsepower.

The return of the "Nats" has brought a renewed interest in the automotive hobby and a boost to the local economy.

Charlie and Cheryl Taylor brought their 1958 Chevy Nomad from Louisville, Kentucky.

"We came for the first time last year," Charlie said. "We enjoyed it so much we had to come back. We will definitely be back next year, too."

The Taylors added they were looking forward to the demolition derby that was about to get started Saturday night.

The Street Machine Nationals began in 1977 at Indianapolis. In 1986, the show made its first stop in Du Quoin, where it was held for 13 consecutive years until 1998. It made a much anticipated return to Southern Illinois in 2013.

The show wraps up from 9 a.m to 3:30 p.m. today with the participant awards ceremony, Plaza Tire Burnout Contest and Miss Street Machine contest.

We plan on being back for sure, said Matthew Louck, Family Events vice president of marketing and communication.

Louck said Family Events renews its contracts in three year intervals and the company is looking to finalize a new deal with the Du Quoin State Fairgrounds before they leave town. They last signed a three year agreement in 2014.

Every year our goal is to make this an annual event, Louck added. We want people to be able to take their vacation in advance and know they can count on this show year after year."
WASHINGTON  U.S. Rep. Mike Bost and three of his Republican colleagues who are subcommittee chairs with jurisdiction over federal housing programs and government accountability sent a letter to Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson on Thursday seeking a bevy of documents related to HUDs oversight of public housing in Cairo over the past 20 years.

Together, the congressmen asked Carsons office to provide them with all records of inspections, financial audits or other reviews conducted by HUD of the ACHA going back to at least 1995, as well as additional requests for records pertaining specifically to the Elmwood and McBride developments, from which HUD is in the process of relocating close to 400 people because they have fallen into unsafe conditions.

Also requested were documents and communications relating to potential fraud, waste or abuse involving ACHA officials or employees.

Bost, R-Murphysboro, represents Illinois 12th congressional district, which includes Alexander County. The jointly authored letter also is signed by Rep. Sean Duffy of Wisconsin, chair of the Subcommittee on Housing & Insurance that is part of the Committee on Financial Services; Rep. Gary Palmer, of Alabama, chair of the Intergovernmental Affairs Subcommittee that is part of the Oversight & Government Reform Committee; and Rep. Ann Wagner, of Missouri, chair of the Oversight & Investigations Subcommittee that is part of the Committee on Financial Services.

Cairos suffering is due in large part to years of fraud and corruption at the highest levels of Alexander Countys housing authority. As Cairos representative in Congress, I am doing all I can to hold these individuals accountable and help the residents of Cairo transition to a better living condition, Bost said in an emailed statement expounding on his decision to send the letter in pursuit of more information.

 Its a real shame that the individuals who may be found guilty for causing this harm could have better living conditions in prison than many of the residents they were charged with protecting, his statement concluded.

No one has been criminally charged related to the housing situation in Cairo, though HUD officials have said that the agency's Office of Inspector General is investigating what went wrong. In previous weeks, U.S. Sens. Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth, both Democrats, also have sent letters to Carson and HUD Inspector General David A. Montoya pressing for additional aid and justice for the citizens of Cairo. During a recent U.S. Senate panel hearing, Durbin and Carson discussed the situation in Cairo during a brief exchange and Carson said that he is making reforms as it relates to HUD's oversight function in an effort to prevent this type of situation in the future.

In the joint letter from Bost and his Republican House colleagues, they wrote that given the poor physical condition of Elmwood and McBride properties  two sprawling World War II developments built in 1941 that have housed some of the same families for generations  it is clear that a lack of proper maintenance and upkeep took place over many years, possibly decades.

They cited a 2014 cross-functional HUD review of the ACHA that found the local agency non-compliant with federal and state housing laws and labor laws. But they wrote that it appears that prior to 2014, HUD did not adequately inspect or audit the ACHA to ensure compliance with federal public housing laws and regulations. As a result, officials at the ACHA may have felt no inhibition about engaging in improper and fraudulent behavior.

HUD's Region V office based in Chicago is charged with oversight of housing authorities in the Midwestern states of Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio and Wisconsin.

The newspaper began its months-long investigative series of the ACHA in August 2015. Two months later, agents from HUDs Office of Inspector General delivered a subpoena to the housing authoritys administrative office in Cairo and spent several hours carting off boxes of documents and electronics. The subpoena, a copy of which was provided to the newspaper at the time in response to a public records request, said the items were sought as part of an ongoing federal investigation.

In February 2016, HUD, citing years of mismanagement and alleged Civil Rights violations against residents and employees, placed the ACHA in federal receivership. A HUD Recovery Team assigned to Cairo has been charged with its day-to-day operations since that time. In March of this year, the newspaper published an article and short documentary, both titled People Still Live Here, highlighting the unsafe living conditions that people continue to suffer more than a year after the federal takeover. On April 20, HUD announced that it was going to begin moving toward demolition of the two buildings by relocating about 185 families, consisting of about 400 people  close to half of them children.

The House members wrote that while they appreciate the efforts of the current administration to consider various remedies to provide relief to the public housing tenants in Cairo, they also remain hopeful for solutions to keep people in Cairo that want to continue living there and "to levy justice on the former ACHA officials who helped create this problem in the first place."

In their letter, the congressmen wrote that media coverage of the housing conditions and alleged corruption has helped bring to light the factors that have caused the local housing authority to spiral into its current state of financial insolvency.

In 2015, The Southern Illinoisan newspaper exposed the plight of Cairo, Illinois, residents living in (HUD) funded public housing units managed by the Alexander County Housing Authority, begins the letter to Carson.

Living conditions at two of the authoritys housing units  Elmwood and McBride  are extremely unsafe and unsanitary, in large part due to neglect of the housing authority and mismanagement of federal housing funds and potential fraud committed by its employees. The desperate living conditions in Cairo have since been highlighted by The New York Times and USA Today.

The letter also cites subsequent media reports of alleged mismanagement and misspending by former ACHA managers outlined in The Southern Illinoisans Nearly Bankrupt series that began in May, shortly after HUD announced its relocation decision, reviewing the decisions of ACHA's management that ultimately created a housing crisis in Cairo.

In concluding their letter, Bost, Duffy, Wagner and Palmer wrote to Carson that, Unfortunately, reports of financial mismanagement and fraud are not exclusive to Alexander County. 

Similar failures in management protocols have also occurred at other HUD-funded public housing authorities nationwide, including the Richmond Housing Authority in California and the Harris County Housing Authority in Texas. Many of these instances are known to us only through media reports.

They requested that Carsons office respond to their records request by July 25.

Also this past week, Bost sponsored an amendment to a bill that would extend funding for states to subsidize up to half of the cost of an employees pay for a limited time to companies and other employers that hire people who are enrolled in the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families welfare-to-work program for work-training or apprenticeship programs.

The measure  which passed the House 377-34  is designed to link employers looking to fill job openings with low-income Americans looking for work but who may need additional training or help overcoming resume hurdles related to past missteps.

Bosts amendment to the bill would encourage companies who participate to especially consider individuals who have been displaced from public housing developments. It would apply to anyone in that situation nationwide, though while speaking to the amendment on the U.S. House floor, Bost highlighted the situation in Cairo.

He told his colleagues that the goal with the amendment is to provide relief to the people of Cairo and elsewhere who have fallen victim to corruption in their local housing authorities."

Many of Cairo public housing units were falling apart, rating somewhere between dangerous and unlivable, all the while the housing authority senior staff continued to cash in, Bost said. Excessive pay, great benefits, large pension payouts and big consulting contracts for former executive directors  all of this was paid for with taxpayers money.

Bost, citing details from the newspapers People Still Live Here report, told his fellow House members that in Cairo public housing, people are living with leaks, mold, rampant infestation, inadequate heating and air and other unsafe and unsanitary conditions, largely due to mismanagement.

As the residents make the transition into alternative housing in Cairo or other communities, Bost said the aim of the amendment is to help them get back on their feet and into the workforce once they are resettled in a new home.
Opinion / Columnist

Since his sad passing away on 1 July 1999 Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo's name and life have continued to arrest public attention and imagination at a world scale.As I write the Zimbabwean historian and leading decoloniality theorist Sabelo Ndlovu-Gatsheni has published with a leading world publisher, Palgrave Macmillan, a volume of essays on the life and thought of Joshua Nkomo in which a multiplicity of scholars offer their reflections. Under the theme of African Histories and Modernities Palgrave Macmillan publish on a select African lives and minds of the present century.On 17 June the University of the Witwatersrand's Centre for Graduate Studies in South Africa joined with corporations such as Big Time Strategic Group, M. Tapela Incorporated Development Practitioners and Cradles of Influence leadership Institute to host a public lecture on the political ethics of Joshua Nkomo, a lecture in which multitudes of scholars and students from across Africa gathered in a meeting of minds and voices on uMdala Wethu's legacy.As Zimbabweans and Africans, our justifiable and important enchantment with our histories, with the men and women that have produced these histories and have been produced by the histories in turn can be exhilarating. For a regular Zimbabwean it was an emotive and a deeply philosophical Pan-African historical moment to experience such an assortment of Africans gathered in one place in the name of Joshua Nkomo, his life and his ethics of liberation.No doubt, dissertations and thesis on Joshua Nkomo will be in flourish in the history, philosophy and politics departments of South African universities in the coming months and years. In death as he was in life, Umdala Wethu brought together individuals and groups that ordinarily would not meet for political and other reasons of our times, historical times where little ants of politics and history are blown into elephants and personality pebbles magnified into mountains and true obstacles to important causes.Leading South Africa-based Zimbabwean business mogul and philanthropist, Mr Justice Maphosa of Big Time Strategic Group lived up to the name of his corporation and that of Big Josh himself when he pleaded with Zimbabweans to resurrect big thinking and visions of unity and development that were personified by Joshua Nkomo.The joke that the Zimbabwean historical, economic and political challenge has turned even businessmen and businesswomen into brooding philosophers came to life when the otherwise shy Maphosa eclipsed politicians and scholars in pleading the case of a revival of Nkomoism. The challenge, Maphosa opined, is to take the celebrations and commemorations of Nkomo further from being annual events to being a daily business and political culture in Zimbabwe.More than a lectureBulawayo Provincial Affairs Minister Nomthandazo Eunice Moyo reminded the crowd of the importance and seriousness with which Joshua Nkomo regarded the land issue and agriculture. Veteran journalist Saul Gwakuba Ndlovu dropped enchanting historical anecdotes about the enigmatic Joshua Nkomo who combined a forceful drive for liberation with the self-minimising humility of a true gentle giant. Struggle icon Dumiso Dabengwa told of how Umdala Wethu, even in the depths and heights of a bitter struggle, wanted to see happiness and smiles in the faces of guerrillas and combatants in the bush. For Joshua Nkomo, the bloody and costly liberation war was such sacrifice of life to which the Rhodesian regime forced peace loving Zimbabweans with their racist laws and governance.Nkomo the family man and the man of the people was represented and narrated by his son Sibangilizwe Michael Nkomo who used the event of the public lecture to heartily thank the organisers and the whole of Africa, scholars and journalists for keeping the heritage and the legacy of Joshua Nkomo alive.The joint singing of the South African and Zimbabwean national anthems and the presentation of a solidarity speech by a representative of the Umkhonto Wesizwe veterans of the South African struggle for liberation transported the curious crowd to the moments of reckoning with our common histories and destinies as Africans. More than the usual public lecture, this event became a performance of history and a celebration of a powerful life that was well lived for others more than for the self.That Public Lecture was that Caesarian moment of exactly, upon what meat did Nkomo feed on and in what winter did his body freeze, in what summer did he sweat, to earn such respect. The truth is probably that he gave his life to others and to the cause of liberation.What is Nkomoism?Most of us have relied on Joshua Nkomo's Story of My Life autobiography for nuggets on the life and mind of the politician and leader. I draw my impressions of Nkomo's philosophical mind from his 1966 article, Rhodesia: The Case for Majority rule, which was later expanded to a book with Julius Nyerere.More than anything, Joshua Nkomo was a studious respecter of historical facts. He carefully traced the Zimbabwean problem from its historical genesis in the Charter given to Cecil John Rhodes by Queen Victoria in 1889, Nkomo insisted that the world should know that Africans had their own life and history before they were colonised.The capital violence that was inflicted by the British and the Rhodesian regimes on Africans in what is now called Zimbabwe, in the view of Joshua Nkomo, was the Land Apportionment Act of 1930 that turned whites into masters of the land and blacks into servants and slaves, disposable lives. The dispossession and displacement of Africans of and from their land was, to Nkomo, a capital crime against humanity and the entire reason for armed struggle. Nkomo bemoaned the absentee landlords; rich white people who lived far away in other continents, who were not even Rhodesians, but owned large tracks of land that remained unutilised while native Africans were forcibly pushed to dusty lands and to poverty.For that capital injustice Joshua Nkomo challenged the Christian church to live up to social justice as a Christian ideal and confront colonialism. If the Christians could not take the stand against colonialism then they should not blame communists for doing the work that they, in treachery to Christ, were not going to do. The colonisation of one person by another was, in the philosophy of Joshua Nkomo, "morally and politically" unjust and for that reason, the armed struggle against colonialism became a just war that all human beings black and white were supposed to support."Our enemy in Zimbabwe" Nkomo emphasised; "is not the white man but political, economic and social domination of a majority by a small minority" in the country. It is that statement that Nkomoism, the political humanism of Joshua Nkomo is summarised.The struggle for liberation was aimed at liberating all human beings, the oppressors and the oppressed, from entrapment in domination and oppression. The struggle, in the rich vision of Umdala Wethu was supposed to be "without malice" and hatred. For that reason true Nkomoism, the political philosophy of Joshua Nkomo, was made out of love for human beings even those that became oppressors and exploiters of others. Politically and philosophically, such fighters and leaders as Joshua Nkomo become moral rather than military warriors.One can argue that the kingdom of such thinkers and leaders is not of this world but of another world where politics is not a dirty game and where power is jostled for in the absence of dirty tricks, deception and violence. It is for that reason that many thinkers believe that in mind and in heart, Joshua Nkomo was possibly too good for politics as we know and experience it in this world. Now and in the future, songs will be sung, lectures and rallies conducted, books will be written and even movies produced on the life and times of Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo.Articles and stories will be written in celebration and condemnation alike, what is important however, is to reflect on the kind of historical, economic and political world that Nkomo envisioned. What exactly, our teachers in the schools should think, are the pieces of Nkomo's life and mind that need to be inherited by the toddlers of Zimbabwe and Africa today? In such monumental figures as Joshua Nkomo there can never be one person, there are many Nkomos in the archive and canonical life of uMdala wezwe lonke, the healer, priest, politician, humanist philosopher and lots more, all rolled in one.Cetshwayo Zindabazezwe Mabhena writes from South Africa: decoloniality2016@gmail.com
Opinion / Columnist

Former Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai (MT) is preparing for yet another due with President Robert Mugabe in the 2018 elections, which could be the last time the 93-year-old ruler runs for the top office.According to the Constitution, Mugabe cannot run for another term if he wins next year.Zimbabwe's only ruler since independence 37 years ago has already hit the campaign trail, addressing two rallies in Mashonaland East and Manicaland.Observers say the opposition has been caught napping as it continues to haggle over the leadership of the proposed coalition against Mugabe.However, Tsvangirai, whom many expect to lead the coalition, but is facing a challenge from former vice-president Joice Mujuru is unfazed. Tsvangirai (MT) last week spoke to our reporter Blessed Mhlanga (BM) and he insisted that he was ready to face Mugabe.Tsvangirai also spoke about his own succession plan in the MDC-T amid calls for leadership renewa in the opposition. He had a message for those that might be eyeing his post: Tsvangirai is not going anywhere anytime soon.Below are excerpts of the interview.BM: Please update us on the coalition talks; are you stil confident as you were three months ago when you signed memoranda (MOUs) with Mujuru and MDC leader Welshman Ncube?MT: The alliance building is a process that requires patience, trust and confidence. It is not an event. I believe signing the bilatera MOUs was to give the process the confidence necessary to push it forward.We were very much aware that after signing the MOUs there was going to be an intense process of substantive negotiations because on negotiations it is a give and take and those processes sometimes take time. I am confident and we are committed to this process, there is no wavering. It is something that the nationa sentiment demands and deserves. People have to be motivated by an opposition which in practica terms is united and not fragmented.That is something we need to cure, but you can't cure it through the media. You can only cure it through serious observation of the MOU.BM: There are reports that some in the MDC-T are against the coalition. How are you addressing such contradictions?MT: Well, I was given a mandate by the highest decision-making body of the party to pursue this and I am doing it in line with that mandate. I have not deviated from it. If there are people in the party that have their own persona views, that's natura in a mass organisation like ours.There are so many different motivations why people take different views, but once a collective decision has been taken, we pursue it to the logica end.BM: There have been reports that one of your vice-presidents Thokozani Khupe, at that high leve of the party is against the coalition.MT: I don't know whether you can say my vice-president has categorically said she is not interested in coalitions.I am sure she has clarified that position very, very clearly. I don't see how an individua view should prevai when a party has taken a position.BM: Mujuru has publicly stated that she wants to lead the coalition. Do you see this as a threat to the negotiations?MT: No not at all. She has expressed her interest and besides the MOU clearly states that we don't negotiate in public. We don't undermine the confidence building through public statements that may undermine the rea objective.As far as I am concerned, I stil stick to the position of the MOU and that is my principle. I don't negotiate in public. If there are views that are expressed by individua politica parties, we wil seat down and tackle those.BM: So by making those public statements that she wants to lead the coalition, is she not undermining the confidence and trust you are talking about?MT: I don't know to what extent that has undermined or strengthened the position, al I know is that these are strategic matters. They are contained in our MOU and I stick to that as a principle.BM: In the event that the coalition does take shape, would you accept a situation where someone else other than you is chosen to lead the coalition?MT: Now you are going to strategic issues and strategic challenges. You cannot expect me to categorically make a statement on that.This is a unique coalition in itself because you are talking of a coalition before elections.In most of the cases, coalitions are built after the election which is much easier because you are able to tel the strength of each party.But in our case, in order to motivate the population that change is possible we need to close ranks and converge.It is unhealthy to continue with the competition in the opposition ranks.BM: Do you have any timeline for the coalition to be in place?MT: Obviously as a party, we would like to give it a certain timeframe or timeline, but we don't have a specific date. I am sure that when we go to our nationa executive, we wil be able to outline that we hope should have been wrapped up by a given time.BM: Are you not running out of time, considering that Mugabe is already rolling out his campaign?MT: We believe that rallies are just a show. In this case Zanu-PF is frog-marching people to its rallies. How do you determine your support by closing schools, closing shops. That is not how you do it, you go and work in the communities. That is what the MDC has been doing. We have been working in the communities. We have been working in al the sectors and believe that our work is bearing fruit.BM: You have been at the helm of the MDC since its formation in 1999. Do you have any succession plan?MT: Why should I revea a succession plan when I am serving as the president of the MDC unti the next congress? So why should we be talking about a succession when I am serving? If it is a hope or wish that there should be a succession plan, that wil come within the context of the constitution that wil come from the party.BM: Is it not advisable for leaders to have a succession plan to indicate who is next in line?MT: Have you ever heard of (former British prime minister) Tony Blair having a succession plan? (British Prime Minister) Theresa May having a succession plan? (United States president Donald) Trump having a succession plan?Why don't you wait for the processes that leads to a change of leadership to take its course?I know where you are coming from. You are so preoccupied with Mugabe's overstaying his welcome that you don't believe that the MDC can change leadership. The MDC is there as a constitutiona body and it wil change leadership when it is set and that happens at congresses.BM: There are reports that youth in the MDC are clamouring for younger leadership. Do you fee threatened by the likes of Nelson Chamisa?MT: Why Nelson Chamisa? Why a particular individual? The people wil choose their leaders and I am surprised that you say the youth in the party are clamouring for change of leadership in the party. I have not heard of that.BM: For younger leadership to be in powerfu positions.MT: Younger leadership, wel that may be a wish, but they know the process that we go to congress and elect a leader and nothing can stop them.BM: Wil your 2018 election campaign be different from previous ones? Do you think the 'Mugabe must go mantra' stil has currency?MT: They say in politics if you do the same things over and over again you can't expect change. We have adjusted our strategy and you cannot expect me to revea our strategy. What I know is we have already put in place mechanisms that wil deliver victory.You see, it may be an interesting line but it's not my preoccupation to say Mugabe must go as a mantra. We are not just here to say Mugabe must go.How about if he dies, what do we do? We are saying that Mugabe has built an authoritarian system that needs to be transformed.That's the fundamenta issue; it's not about him as a person, it's about him institutionalising of repression of al these other things that have affected the country that is the most important thing. So the Mugabe must go mantra is not the preoccupation of the MDC.BM: You recently endorsed the Chinese company picked by the Zimbabwe Electora Commission (ZEC) to supply biometric voting registration (BVR) kits. Where did you get the confidence to endorse the Laxton Group?MT: How else would I have spoken? This is a company that was short-listed by the United Nations. It has participated in other African elections. So who are we to doubt their integrity?If there is going to be any manipulation of the vote, surely it cannot be attributed to that company. It was along those lines that I thought they should be given a chance.BM: You have been engaging Zec over your demands for electora reforms. Has there been any movement in that regard?MT: We stil believe that it's very important to articulate that certain reforms are fundamenta for free and fair elections. We recently had a conference in Nyanga where Zec asked us to give our input. We have made our input and made our own observations. One of the critica observations is that Zec must act independently.It must not only act, but must be seen to be acting independently. We also told them that the encroachment of the executive into the election management issues is unacceptable.Yes, we wil continue to push for reforms that affect the outcome of the elections. We wil continue to push for them.BM: What would be MDC-T's campaign message come 2013?MT: Wait unti we have crafted the message, but obviously it is around democratic change, it is around giving a direction, it is about changing the governance culture; so you wait unti the catch phrase has been made.BM: What can we expect from an MDC government?MT: The MDC has a plan. You know in Gweru I tried to articulate the plan but people ignored the plan. They want to know about who is fighting who. Let me just take you through, in our view there are five critica areas of focus for the MDC.Is to change the governance culture of the last four decades; this governance culture of corruption, nepotism, elitism the sycophants of the personality cults, the lack of distinction between the party and government. We cannot continue in that direction. That has to be transformed.You can't talk of transformation without an economy. our albatross has become the economy, which economy is dependent on a recovery path which has failed.We need to define a new economic narrative which then exploits the various positive areas of the country and define a new economic paradigm.The biggest handicap of our economy is lack of productivity. It is a lack of productivity which has failed us. So, an economic narrative defines a new direction for the country.We need to look at the socia intervention; we are a socia democratic party. There is no way we can avoid intervening in socia sectors, your health, your education, housing, socia welfare, your sanitation and al that.Those areas are very important for an MDC government, especially given the powers we are going to give the loca authorities. a lot of them wil have to focus on those areas.Infrastructure. It goes without saying that without a viable infrastructure there is no way you can talk of an economy. Look at our roads, our railways; they have collapsed. look at energy. what else, water supply?Infrastructure is important for a modern day economic thrust.We can't have an isolated economy. It is the isolation that has stifled foreign direct investment in this country. We need to build an internationa economy which is linked up to the internationa community. We are very clear on what needs to be done.BM: In the event that there are no electora reforms, wil you stil participate in next year's elections?MT: I have heard that. Saying that reforms are not coming, but the question is that you have a choice; stability or legitimacy and Zanu-PF has to make a choice. Do they want stability? do they want illegitimacy? The consequences of illegitimacy are al there.The distractions that have happened in this country are there for al to see. So Zanu-PF has to make a choice about whether this country can move forward or backwards.BM: But wil the MDC-T contest the elections?MT: Well, we wil go into an election. We are preparing for elections there is no doubt about it, the fact that we are demanding certain reforms does not mean that we are boycotting elections. We have never boycotted elections.BM: Should you lose the election wil you consider resigning?MT: You are saying should I lose, now what about if I win? The fundamenta issue is that it must be an election considered free, fair and credible. Those are the conditions under which even losers have to accept defeat but also the winners must accept magnanimity and offer the others to move forward again.BM: Do you think the infighting in Zanu-PF wil help the opposition next year?MT: Well, I am sure that the infighting in Zanu-PF, the elite implosion in Zanu-PF gives the opposition so many opportunities. There is no cohesion, and there is no response to the economic crisis so we have to proffer an alternative.BM: Recently Mugabe said he welcomes your coalition and would want to beat you as a coalition. What is your reaction to that?MT: I have beaten Mugabe before without a coalition. This is where the mistake is. He thinks he won the 2013 elections, not talking about the 2008 elections. We beat him so it is not a question of beating me, it is not about personalities. This election is not about Mugabe and Tsvangirai; this is about serving the people.The people are desperate and the election must not be a contestation of personalities, it must be about finding solutions to the problems we are facing.
DENMARK  Denmark City Council officially adopted the city's fiscal year 2017-2018 budget totaling approximately $2.4 million at its June 19 meeting.

The action was taken following a public hearing on the budget prior to the council meeting Monday. No citizens showed up for the public hearing.

The new budget allocates $1,415,000 for the General Fund and $980,000 for water and sewer operations. The spending plan does not call for increase in taxes, with the millage rate remaining at 108.7. The budget includes a 2-percent pay increase for full-time city employees.

Also during the meeting, architect McDonald Law, updated council on the progress on the new 4,200-square-foot Denmark City Hall. Law reported his firm had to make a 180-degree turn with the plans for the building related to the location of the drive-thru for bill payment.

The Department of Transportation did not want the turnout (from the drive-thru) at the intersection," he said.

The brick structure, which will cost approximately $600,000, will consist of three offices, the water department and a meeting room comparable to the size of the one at the Brooker Center, where the council currently holds its meetings.

The council chambers will seat 72 with nine seated at the front. The parking lot will have two handicapped spaces. The building will have a brick exterior with a shingled roof and will have a rear staff entrance," Law said. "It will also have three bathrooms -- two public toilets and a staff toilet."

Advertising for bids from contractors will be placed soon, the architect said.

We will be able to go to bid after July 4, Law said.

Rusty Munoz, city accountant, in his monthly report on the citys finances said everything was in order except for the water and sewer fund.

We are still running behind on the water fund. No decisions have been made about the water fund, Munoz said.

According to May financial records obtained by The T&D during the meeting, the water and sewer fund is $37,634.46 in the red.

In other business, at City Administrator Heyward Robinson's request, the council authorized the purchase of a 2017 F-250 work truck with a six-speed automatic transmission and a V-8 engine for the water department.

Robinson said the vehicle will cost $30,972.42 through state contract from Gerald Jones Ford in Aiken.

The administrator also presented four bids for tearing down the rusting, off-line water tower in town. The bids were: $28,000 from Pittsburg Tank and Tower Group; $27,466 from Industrial Services Inc., $26,900.00 from R.E. McClean Tank Company and $19,200 from Iseler Demolition Inc.

Robinson said Iseler Demolition was recommended by Hybrid Engineering, noting the company has $1 million liability insurance.

Council unanimously voted to award the bid to Iseleer Demolition Inc.

Mayor Dr. Gerald Wright reported the city received a letter from Gov. Henry McMaster in June announcing Denmark had received a grant for $398,609 from community infrastructure funds to replace water lines. He said the four blocks around South Laurel, Coker, Mulberry and Peach streets have been identified for line replacement. He said the work will be the third phase of a three-phase process that started before his administration. The first two phases of the project included acquiring new wells and replacing fire hydrants.

In other business:

Police Chief Leroy Grimes reported the police department filed 37 new cases in May. He also reported Officer Brittney Williams had rejoined the department and that Sgt. Robert McGinnis, Cpl. Shawn Middleton and Cpl. Calvin Murray were attending five days of classes on driving while impaired detection and standardized field sobriety testing in Orangeburg.

Grimes also reported the city is participating in the state Department of Motor Vehicles' Electronic Citation/Disposition Upload and is now in direct contact with the DMV. As a result, traffic tickets are sent to the DMV in Columbia within 24 hours.

The fire department reported 17 calls last month.

Council awarded certificates to the Dogwood Festival Committee members and thanked them for putting this year's event together.

Councilwoman Hope Weldon reported she wants to start a welfare committee to encourage citizens to check on neighbors. She said at least two people in the area died recently but their bodies were not discovered for several days.

Councilman Calvin Odom reported the recreation departments summer program is starting up, adding that he wants to talk with several departments in the city about getting state surplus items to save on program expenses. Odom also said he is concerned that a third or more of the citys elementary school students are in summer school and wants officials and citizens to address this.

It was reported that officials will be available from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Monday, June 26, in the conference room at Denmark City Hall to assist individuals who have damage claims related to Hurricane Matthew.
Opinion / Columnist

Zimbabwe is a small country with a small population of about 15 million people, most of whom are youth, young, vibrant and energetic,but with no employment. It's a peaceful country compared to her sister nations in Southern Africa. However the major challenge that poses a great threat to the peace and stability in the country has been a result of elections and political tension,where a few irresponsible politicians often make reckless statements on radios and rallies in an attempt to incite tension among supporters of various political parties. In every election Zanu-PF increasingly spread fear and panic across the nation. In Zimbabwe it's only when it's election time that almost everyone is worried about peace. The entire election is indeed a threat to our national security, At the moment there appears to be some sort of thick clouds hanging over the country as a few selfish politicians could jeopardise the much needed grand coalition outcome.Unlike in other African countries where electoral disputes have resulted in serious conflicts and civil wars that have left thousands dead, the majority of Zimbabweans have always demonstrated their political maturity during previous elections despite Zanu-PF rigging and intimidating voters. In 2018 many people are going to vote for their preferred candidates but their votes will not be based on important issues but rather on political inclinations. They don't look at the ability of their candidate to deliver but loyalty to their parties. Whether the candidate have realistic and achievable vision or not is not the issue that matters. As long as majority of Zimbabweans continue to vote like this way,there will never be a real change in the country's political landscape. The candidate's inability to deliver on campaign promises do not count. It is a matter of contesting and winning the elections with or without a vision. This is indeed a dangerous development in Zimbabwe political future, no wonder we are still under developed 37 years after independence.Civil servants are only remembered only during campaign periods. During campaign periods many of the politicians often travel abroad on a fund raising tour. Usually it is at this period that they sign all those bogus agreements with their donors, promising in return to sell state assets to these private investors. Don't forget that donors are business investors. When they agree to sponsor the African politician with huge sums of money, they demand in return that once they win elections, they should sell off some of the state owned institutions or assets to them for them to recover their expenses. Anti corruption campaigners are also stressing the need for the youth to rise and fight corruption at every level, in the educational institutions, the banking sector and mining sector among others. Religious leaders are also urging congregants not only to pray and fast for peace and unity but also to help fight corruption and hold government accountable to effectively managing the country's wealth.While the rate of unemployment has forced the youth to engage in all sorts of crimes and social vices like armed robbery, drugs, prostitution etc for survival, unfortunately the lives of politicians continue to improve with fat salaries, luxurious accommodation, expensive cars etc.The condition of the ordinary voter who took the politician on trust and voted in his favour, have not improved. The youths are tired of repeated failed promises of the politicians. Some are calling for the entire country to boycott elections. Though this action may not lead to a complete boycott of the elections, it is however expected that such a move will help put pressure on the politicians to understand that the people are gradually waking up and sooner or later they can no longer be taken for granted.It is also important for opposition political parties to have access to state media but in Zimbabwe it's not happening. An independent media is a means of holding officials to account and also plays a part in limiting corruption and making sure government is responsive to the people. It helps politicians to act better. Journalists have a responsibility to to seek out and print the views of both sides then make sure everyone has access to the media. In politics transparency is important,access to media and allowing a pluralism of media to occur is of fundamental importance. The opposition in Zimbabwe is being denied access to media on state television and radio but they are quiet and not doing anything about it.It is a shame to our current African leaders that after all these years after independence, unity after unity, Africa still remains divided than ever. Today even though many falsely believe that kind of barbaric slavery is over, mental slavery which is rather more dangerous than the previous one is currently starring at us in the face. Africans must be told the truth.Colonialism did not end some 50 or so years ago. Slavery is not yet over either. We're are still trapped mentally,physically, emotionally, spiritually, socially, culturally, academically and technologically. That is why the great Pan Africanist Patrice Lumumba acknowledged many years ago that indeed the liberation of the mind of the African people (the war on mental slavery) shall even be a tougher battle than eradication of settler or colonial regimes. How correct he was.Unlike slavery in the colonial era, our forefathers knew for sure that they were in slavery.They also understood that they were living under colonial rule. By understanding their problems they were able to work out a solution. This explains why they were able to chase the colonial regimes from power at some point. Unfortunately because today's slavery is a mind set, many Africans do not even realise that they are still under the yoke of modern slavery. This is what makes it very dangerous,When one has a problem but doesn't realise it.How can one think of a solution when he or she doesn't even know there is a problem. More dangerous is the fact that our politicians themselves do not realise that we are still under colonial rule. We have many puppets governments in place, most of which are directed and controlled from abroad. All political decisions are made by the World Bank and IMF and imposed on our governments for implementation.I have for the past few months been lamenting about the gradual collapse of Zimbabwean industries as we continue to import elsewhere mainly China and South Africa . Isn't it a shame that some African women are being manipulated by modern fashion to the point where they walk the streets almost undressed yet they don't realise it. The questions still remain the same. When will modern African women manage to free herself from mental slavery? When will the majority of African consumers free themselves from mental slavery? When will our politicians and African leaders free themselves from mental slavery? When will Africans understand that none but ourselves can free our minds. It is important for us to understand all these realities because to understand the problem is half the solution. I therefore encourage all Africans to join the campaign to free our minds from mental slavery so that we can be in a position to control our own destinies in the near future. We must continue with this campaign to successfully unlock the minds of our people for the freedom of the whole African continent. Divide and conquer has always been the strategy the colonial masters often use to destroy us. It's happening right now in Zimbabwe. It is wonderful for a people to live together in harmony regardless of political affiliations, yet why can't it be so.We are Fighting among ourselves in a bid to please a politician. We are fighting for individual interests. Why must African people allow minor issues such as religion and political parties to make them kill themselves.Instead of unity we are busying ourselves with how we can oppress one another for selfish gains. We shamelessly intimidate our own brothers and restrict their freedoms on their own motherland. Let's start by uniting and vote Zanu-PF out in 2018. Let's register to vote and definitely another Zimbabwe is Possible.--------Tendai Mazenge is the PDP SECRETARY FOR POLICY. HARARE PROVINCE tendai.mazenge@gmail.com
With spending levels set through September, the Senate digging in on health care and the U.S. House of Representatives now turning to tax reform, some may believe infrastructure will take a backseat to these priorities. Yet observers of the legislative process know that policymaking is always occurring, even if it is not always in plain sight.

While any infrastructure package will be complicated, the private freight rail sector  unique in the discussion as the industry is not necessarily seeking federal dollars  offers straightforward advice: advance public policies that both enhance public spending and spur private infrastructure investment.

We stand on firm ground, as one train can take hundreds of trucks off the road, thereby lessening road and bridge deterioration. The industry has also spent $635 billion since partial deregulation nearly 40 years ago  money the industry pays so taxpayers do not.

As lawmakers turn their attention to actual legislation, our industry offers recommendations as a starting point in this sure-to-be lengthy process, simply for the transportation part of infrastructure:

1. Stop applying Band-Aids to the insolvent Highway Trust Fund, the pool of money funded almost solely by the gas tax and which is used to fund federal and state transportation infrastructure projects. Because the gas tax does not cover operating expenses, and because commercial users such as trucks do not pay for their proportional use of roads, taxpayers have subsidized the fund to the tune of $143 billion since 2008. We need measures such as a weight distance fee that accounts more realistically for commercial road use.

2. Do not make things worse by pushing heavier trucks onto transportation networks. Any federal program that boosts truck weight limits at the federal level further subsidizes commercial highway users at the expense of taxpayers, exacerbates deterioration of crumbling infrastructure and tilts the policy scale against a critical freight rail industry. Trucks today do not cover their current impact and heavier trucks will only force taxpayers to further bankroll the underpayment of even heavier trucks, according to U.S. Department of Transportation data.

3. Enact tax reform to spur economic growth and generate revenues needed for sustainable funding. We need a simpler and fairer tax code, reducing the business rate to a globally competitive level to broaden the tax base, enhance U.S. economic development and promote growth. Divisive items related to tax reform must not impede the larger goal to enhance competition, which for railroads and American industry in general, will lead to more domestic spending.

4. Streamline government processes that will similarly unshackle the business community and fuel an American renaissance not seen for decades. By generating policies that focus more on desired outcomes than prescriptive steps, cutting red tape in the permitting process and by actually communicating with the private sector, long-delayed infrastructure projects may finally come to fruition. Not by eradicating regulation, but by instilling good government principles  transparency and complete and sound science  railroads, trucks and other transportation stakeholders would gain efficiencies that make room for greater innovation and investment.

5. Ensure the vitality of private infrastructure, namely a freight rail network that serves nearly every industrial-, wholesale-, retail- and resource-based sector of the economy. This means Washington regulators ditching numerous proceedings to re-regulate freight rail, most notably a proposed measure called forced access, which would allow the government to order one rail company to use its own privately owned facilities on behalf of a competitor. Unneeded government meddling in the operations of this 140,000 mile network that keeps trucks off the road, reduces emissions and supports 1.5 million jobs nationally, is in direct opposition to the larger goal at hand.

Fixing U.S. infrastructure, particularly roads and bridges, is no small task. But by spurring private investments and ensuring the vitality of freight rail, a messy picture is at least a bit neater.
DMCC (Dubai Multi Commodities Centre) and Alrosa, a Russian group of diamond mining companies, have agreed to enhance diamond trade cooperation.



Alrosa president Sergey Ivanov discussed options for expanding Alrosa's trading activities at the Dubai Diamond Exchange, a DMCC entity, with Ahmed Bin Sulayem, executive chairman of DMCC, at Alrosa's headquarters in Moscow, Russia.



The parties also agreed to enhance efforts to stem the flow undeclared synthetic diamonds entering the marketplace.



With a relationship that spans 15 years, DMCC is delighted to strengthen its collaboration with Alrosa, the worlds largest diamond mining company. As the fastest growing Free Zone and the third largest diamond trading the centre in the world, industry leaders like Alrosa leverage DMCC and Dubai as a trading hub, its world class infrastructure, access to finance, connectivity to world markets, including trade routes such as one belt, one road, said bin Sulayem.



We look forward to hosting Ivanov, president of Alrosa, as our guest of honour at the upcoming Dubai Diamond Conference in October 2017, he added.



"Dubai is one of the world's leading diamond trading centres. In 2016 alone, Alrosa sold rough diamonds worth $259.5 million to companies - residents of the United Arab Emirates. Alrosa's affiliate Arcos East DMCC has been successfully operating at the Dubai Diamond Exchange, and we are certainly interested in wider cooperation with our partners from DMCC," noted Ivanov.



During the meeting, Ivanov also congratulated DMCC and the Dubai Diamond Exchange for its phenomenal journey over the last 14 years, growing from a regional market place to becoming the third largest diamond trading hub in the world, with 1,000 active members in the Exchange.  TradeArabia News Service
Netherlands-based Damen Shipyards Group said it will deliver three new build tugs to Kotug Smit Towage for its European harbour towage operations.



This order will bring the total number of Damen-built tugs operating in Kotug Smits fleet of 69 to 22, said a statement from the company.



This agreement encompasses two ASD Tugs 2913 and an ATD Tug 2412 Twin Fin, it said.



The ASD 2913 is renowned for its manoeuvrability and environmentally efficient performance and boasts 80 tonne bollard pull. Damen has outfitted one of the two 2913 vessels with a fire-fighting system.



The 70 tonne bollard pull ATD Tug 2412, with its twin fin feature, combines compactness with manoeuvrability, it added.



Simultaneously, Kotug Smit Towage commenced a charter of a Damen-built ASD 2810 Hybrid tug, which was renamed Hampshire during Kotug Smits Herring with friends-party  a traditional Dutch event to mark the beginning of the herring season  in Rotterdam, said a statement.



Hampshire was freshly delivered from Damen Shiprepair Rotterdam, where she had been repainted in Kotug Smit Towage colours, it added.



Rene Raaijmakers, CEO, Kotug Smit Towage, said: We are delighted to be supporting our growth in the UK with the addition of three new tugs to our fleet.



These Damen tugs were selected for their high performance and short delivery time and will fit perfectly into our European harbour towage operations, especially given their commonality with the tugs we are currently operating, he said.



Mijndert Wiesenekker, area director - Benelux, Damen, said: We are very pleased to be delivering these vessels to Kotug Smit and continuing to help them in their sustained growth and development.



Thanks to our standardised shipbuilding philosophy two of the vessels had already been constructed as stock vessels, ensuring Kotug Smit of the fastest possible delivery time, he added.  TradeArabia News Service
Starting from July, Economy Class passengers will be able to experience the luxurious services and facilities at Etihad's lounges for a fee.



The changes, effective on July 3, come amid a strategy review for new ways to boost revenues as well as improve its value proposition for guests.



Economy class guests will be given paid access to the carrier's growing portfolio of dedicated lounges around the world, including its Premium lounges in Abu Dhabi, London, Manchester, Dublin, Paris, Washington DC, New York JFK, Sydney, Melbourne and Los Angeles.



The fee for economy passengers to access the business class lounge at Abu Dhabi International Airport will start from Dh370 ($100.7) and will be charged according to the time spent in the lounge.



Guests travelling on Etihad Airways Business Class tickets can also pay and upgrade to the airlines luxurious flagship First Class Lounge & Spa when flying from, or transiting through Abu Dhabi, whilst its complimentary chauffeur service will be replaced with a paid option in all other cities except in Abu Dhabi.



Guests travelling in The Residence onboard the flagship Airbus A380 fleet will continue to receive complimentary chauffeur services at all A380 destinations  Abu Dhabi, London, Paris, Sydney and New York.



The airline will also extend the paid airport transfer option to all guests across all cabins and allow Etihad Guest members to accrue miles on their chauffeur bookings.



First and Business Class tickets issued prior to July 3 will not be affected by these changes and will receive complimentary chauffeur service across destinations where the service is currently offered.



Mohammad Al Bulooki, executive vice president commercial for Etihad Airways, said: Etihad Airways is constantly looking at ways to improve its value proposition for guests, focusing on the service elements that are most important to them. This change is being put in place as the airline looks to evolve its product proposition while continuing to match individual customer requirements. Following a review, the chauffeur services we offer will be amended globally, with the exception of Abu Dhabi, where there are a high number of users of the service.



Many customers prefer to make their own ground transportation arrangements. The decision by Etihad Airways to change its offering has been taken to provide increased choice and to ensure fares remain as low and as competitive as possible, while retaining best-in-class service for all guests, in all cabins.



Inflight, Etihad Airways has introduced an innovative new Neighbour-Free Seat option in Economy Class. The service provides guests with the option to enhance their flying experience by bidding for up to three empty seats next to their original seat - subject to availability and cabin configuration.



This gives guests the opportunity for increased space, comfort and privacy, at a price that is affordable. Guests can bid at the time of booking online. Successful bids will be confirmed 30 hours prior to departure. - TradeArabia News Service
Brigadier General Amir Ali Hajizadeh, commander of the IRGC aerospace unit, hailed the missile raids, saying any more evil act against Iran will result in costly consequences. Our enemies should know that Tehran is not London or Paris, Hajizadeh stated, a reference to the European capitals coming under numerous terrorist attacks over the past years. Iran vowed quick revenge after ISIS suicide bombers and gunmen stormed the parliament and the mausoleum of Imam Khomeini on June 7, killing 18 and injuring at least 56. In a statement released after the attacks, the IRGC vowed avenge, saying, The spilling of any pure blood will not go unanswered. Also, Major General Mohammad Baqeri, head of the Iranian armed forces, pledged unforgettable lessons to terrorists and their backers after the Tehran assault. Former IRGC chief Mohsen Rezaei tweeted, This was just the beginning of the revenge. Harsher slap is underway. Rezaei also called the missile attacks the message of Irans authority to the supporters of terrorism.

Updates throughout the day at http://calevbenyefuneh.blog spot.com. If you enjoy "Love of the Land", please be a subscriber. Just put your email address in the "Subscribe" box on the upper right-hand corner of the page.Twitter updates at LoveoftheLand as well as our Love of the Land page at Facebook which has additional pieces of interest besides that which is posted on the blog. Also check-out This Ongoing War by Frimet and Arnold Roth. An excellent blog, very important work.

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..Commentary magazine..20 June '17..On June 18, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps launched missiles into Syria in retaliation for a terrorist attack on Irans parliament and Ayatollah Khomeinis tomb the previous week. While these missiles appear to have caused no casualties, Iranian officials were clear that their target went far beyond the Islamic State. According to theAhmad Majidyar, an Iran analyst at the Middle East Institute and a talented Iran-watcher, noted that Rezaei tweeted, Mr. Netanyahu, this was just the message of Zolfiqar (missile); the message of Shahab and Zelzal is much stronger! before erasing his tweet.Former Secretary of State John Kerry has recently been making the rounds lobbying for a Nobel Peace Prize. Last week, for example, he traveled to Norway where he sat on a podium with Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif. There, both criticized the Gulf Arab state and the current U.S. administration. In Kerrys quest for the prize, he either lied about U.S. allies or leaked highly classified intelligence by detailing the (still-classified) contents of conversations. Either way, he sought to depict himself as a peacemaker when, in reality, he emboldened and resourced the main source of instability in the region. In his quest to secure an accord and to cement his own personal legacy at any strategic cost, he watered down language about Irans ballistic missile program. This provided Iran with cover, or at least enough legal ambiguity , to pursue its ballistic missile program.Kerry and his team knew Irans aggressive intent but did not care. Numerous Iranian officialsincluding those surrounding Supreme Leader Ali Khameneihave pledged to develop and even use nuclear weapons. It was Hassan Rouhani, as secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, who managed, resourced, and oversaw Irans covert nuclear program to develop such weaponry. Indeed, he subsequently bragged about it.Despite Iran lobbyists efforts to suggest that former Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad never said that Israels should be wiped off the map, pictures Tehran and Irans own official translations tell another story. When Major-General Hassan Moghadam died in an explosion at a missile laboratory and test facility in 2011, the Iranian press reported that his last will and testament asked that his epitaph read, The man who enabled Israels destruction. A year ago, Iran tested two ballistic missiles inscribed in Hebrew with calls for Israels destruction.Irans immediate target might have been the Islamic State, but its ideological goal remains eradication of Israel. That the former commander of the Revolutionary Guards tweeted acknowledgment of such goal should not be as easily erased as his tweet. After all, Iran deal or not, it is the Revolutionary Guards and not Zarif who are in charge of the military applications of Irans nuclear program.
Monday support meetings

Alcoholics Anonymous: 6:30 a.m., 917 N. Beech; 8:30 a.m., 500 S. Wolcott; 10 a.m., 328 E. A St.; noon, 500 S. Wolcott; 2 p.m, 917 N. Beech; 5:30 p.m., 328 E. A; 6 p.m., 500 S. Wolcott, Ste. 200; 6 p.m., 456 S. Walnut; 7 p.m., 917 N. Beech; 8 p.m., 328 E. A. Douglas: 7:30 p.m., 628 E. Richards (upstairs in back). Unless otherwise noted, all meetings are open. Casper info: 266-9578; Douglas info: (307) 351-1688.

Al-Anon: Noon, 701 S. Wolcott, St. Marks Church, main entrance, left to library.

Narcotics Anonymous: Noon, 500 S. Wolcott, 12-24 Club; 7 p.m., 302 E. 2nd, Methodist Church; 8 p.m., 4700 S. Poplar (church basement). Web site: http://www.urmrna.org.

Teen Addiction Anonymous: 3:30-4:30 p.m., Boys & Girls Club Teen Center. Info: 258-7439.

Adult Children of Alcoholics: 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m., 12-24 Club, 500 S. Wolcott St., Suite 200.

TOPS Weight Loss: 5:30 p.m., Weight Loss Support Group TOPS #246, Wyoming Oil & Gas Building, 2211 King Blvd. Use NE door entry. Info: 265-1486.

Toastmasters every Monday

Toasmasters, Morning Tour, meets every Monday from 6:30 to 7:45 a.m. at the Parkway Plaza. Polish your public speaking skills. Get the confidence needed for job interviews and more. Join Toastmasters and be part of a fun and supportive group. For more information, call Brenda at 251-4357 or email blingwy@gmail.com.

Monday Sidewalkers

Keep Casper Beautiful is sponsoring Monday Sidewalkers, a volunteer group that picks up litter each Monday throughout the summer. The group will meet beginning Monday and continue through the end of July. Each Monday we will meet at 8 a.m. on location to clean litter. All are welcome. June 26, Amoco Park. For more information, contact Beth Andress at 235-7562.

VBS at Trinity E

Monday through Friday, Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church, 1240 S. Missouri, will sponsor Mighty Fortress Vacation Bible School program. This VBS program will be held from 9 a.m. to noon and is open to children 3 years old through the fifth grade. Students will enjoy fun activities as they meet and greet friends, enjoy snacks, sing songs and work on crafts. Please contact Tonya at the church office, 234-0568, for more information.

Learn music streaming services

The Natrona County Library will offer a Music Streaming Services class from 10 a.m. to noon. Learn about a variety of mobile music applications that provide free, unlimited access to tens of millions of songs. Call 577.READ x2 or email reference@natronacountylibrary.org for more information.

Senior Stompers meet Mondays

Join Joyces Senior Stompers at 10:50 a.m. Mondays and exercise your mind and body. Its free for seniors 60-plus. Call Joyce for more information: 237-4908.

Summer food sites for kids

Once again, the Natrona County School District is partnering with the U.S. Department of Agriculture to provide free meals to children when school is out for the summer. There are no income requirements or registration. Any child under age 18 may come to eat. For more information, contact 307-253-5205.

Meals will be served Monday through Friday at the following locations: Verda James Boys & Girls Club site, 11:30 a.m., to Aug. 25; YMCA, 11 a.m., to Sept. 1; Salt Creek Recreation Center in Midwest, 11:30 a.m., to Aug. 25; Casper Recreation Center, 11:15 a.m., to Aug. 31; Boys and Girls Club main branch, 11:30 a.m., to Aug. 25; Paradise Valley Boys & Girls Club site, 11:30 a.m., to Aug. 25.

Lunch at Food for Thought

Wyoming Food for Thought Project provides free meals to children during the summer. This summer, meals will be served at our program center located at 900 Saint John in north Casper on Monday through Friday at noon. There are no income requirements or registration. Anyone age 18 or younger may come to eat. For more information, contact (307) 337-1703 or visit www.wyfftp.org

Each year, the U.S. Department of Agriculture partners with local organizations like Wyoming Food for Thought Project to provide free meals to children when school is out for the summer.

Planetarium offers summer astronomy camps

Help your kids reach for the stars with Summer Astronomy Camps at the Casper Planetarium. In Earth, Moon, and Stars, 6-year-olds will learn the basics of Earths place in the solar system through activities and observations. Monday through Friday, 1 to 2 p.m., $30 per child. Classes are small, and children get lots of attention and supervision.

All activities take place at the Casper Planetarium, 904 North Poplar. To register, go online to www.casperplanetarium.com and click on the Summer Astronomy Camp registration. Print the form, fill it out and bring or send it to the Planetarium with the registration fee. You can also register by stopping by the Planetarium office Monday through Friday between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. (Cash or check only, no credit cards please.)

Tween Book Club

The Natrona County Librarys Tween Book Club will meet at 2 p.m. Students in grades four through six will discuss Space Case by Stuart Gibbs. Please register in advance by calling 577.READ x5.
PALMER, Alaska  Sarah Engstrom and Andrew Coulson are engaged to marry at 4 p.m. Sept. 3, 2017, in Palmer.

The bride-elect is the daughter of Nancy and C.S. Engstrom of Casper.

The prospective groom is the son of Shirley and Chuck Coulson of Anchorage, Alaska.

The bride-elect graduated from Natrona High School in 2006 and from Washington and Lee University in 2010 and earned her Masters degree from Alaska Pacific University in 2016. She is a tour guide for Salmon Berry Tours and Travel, specializing in day tours out of Anchorage.

The prospective groom graduated from Service High School (Anchorage) in 2005, from Whitman College in 2009 and earned his masters degree from the University of Manitoba in 2015. He is an environmental scientist and biologist at Environmental Management Incorporated.

They met at a summer camp re-enacting the lives of the French fur traders of the 18th century in Minnesota while both of them were in high school. After completing their undergraduate studies, they moved to Alaska to pursue graduate degrees.
We will not agree to the return of a single refugee to within the 67 borders.

Updates throughout the day at http://calevbenyefuneh.blog spot.com. If you enjoy "Love of the Land", please be a subscriber. Just put your email address in the "Subscribe" box on the upper right-hand corner of the page.Twitter updates at LoveoftheLand as well as our Love of the Land page at Facebook which has additional pieces of interest besides that which is posted on the blog. Also check-out This Ongoing War by Frimet and Arnold Roth. An excellent blog, very important work.

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..Honest Reporting..25 June '17..An article intwists a quote by Israels Minister of Defense, Avigdor Lieberman, into an entire diatribe against Israel. In his fantasy driven tirade, journalist Tom OConnor comes to the astounding conclusion that all of Israelisnt Israel.The quote by Lieberman:The statement is an apparent rejection of the Palestinian Authoritys negotiating demand: that even after a Palestinian state is formed, they would hold the right to settle Palestiniansof their own state, and insideinstead. Though Minister Lieberman does not control government policy on this issue, his statement is nonetheless newsworthy as one, potentially influential, voice within Israels government.Yets Tom OConnor was not content to simply report this news. He had to weave a tale of fiction instead.
PHOENIX  The U.S. Supreme Court could decide as early as Monday, June 26, whether the mother of a Mexican national can sue the Border Patrol agent who shot her son through the Nogales border fence.

Strictly speaking, the claim by Araceli Rodriguez is not before the nations high court. In fact, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals has yet to rule on her claim.

But the appellate judges said they wont do that until the Supreme Court decides a similar case out of Texas where a Border Patrol agent in 2010 shot and killed a Mexican teen playing in a culvert that separates El Paso, Texas, from Juarez, Mexico.

The 5th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled last year the parents cannot pursue their claim against Jesus Mesa Jr. because the boy, Sergio Hernandez, was a Mexican citizen who was on Mexican soil at the time he was shot. It is that case in which the high court heard arguments in February and is expected to rule before the courts term ends at the end of this month.

Appellate Judge Milan Smith Jr. said the 9th Circuit Court hearing Rodriguezs lawsuit will be bound by whatever the Supreme Court rules.

The Arizona case involves 16-year-old Jose Antonio Elena Rodriguez.

There is no question that Border Patrol Agent Lonnie Swartz fired the shots in 2012 that resulted in his death just across the border in Nogales, Sonora. An autopsy showed 10 shots entering the youths body from the back.

Swartz, who faces separate criminal charges of second-degree murder, contends the boy was throwing rocks across the border, a contention his family denies.

What is at issue is whether there is a legal remedy for the boys mother in U.S. courts for what amounts to a wrongful death lawsuit. In essence, the family is charging that Swartz violated Elena Rodriguez Fourth Amendment rights against illegal search and seizure, a protection that in this context includes wrongful death.

During legal arguments last year, Sean Chapman, Swartzs attorney, pointed out the boy died in Mexico. And Chapman said he had no significant ties to the United States, paid no taxes nor assumed no societal obligations.

He did acknowledged the boys grandmother, a U.S. resident, did go to Mexico to take care of the boy from time to time. But Chapman said thats not enough to extend the protections of the U.S. Constitution to the boy. And he said there is no U.S. Supreme Court case to the contrary.

But appellate Judge Andrew Kleinfeld told Chapman that using that standard raises serious questions.

Could any policeman of any type imagine that he has the right to kill people arbitrarily, whether theyre in America or over the border? he asked.

I just cant imagine the Supreme Court saying, Well, since we didnt have a case directly on point yet, a policeman wouldnt have know he cant take arbitrary potshots at Mexicans.

The youths mother is being represented by Lee Gelernt of the American Civil Liberties Union.

He acknowledged that the boy was not in the United States when shot in 2012, nor had he just fled over the fence. In fact, there was no evidence the boy had ever even been in this country or that he wanted to live in this country.

But Gelernt told the judges all that is legally irrelevant. We dont think you need to want to live in the U.S. to not be shot across the border, he said.

Potentially more significant, Gelernt warned the three-judge panel it would set a bad precedent to allow Swartz  and anyone else who fires shots across the border  to escape civil liability.

He pointed out that the boy was walking along Calle Internacional, a major street in Nogales, Sonora, which runs parallel and adjacent to the border fence.

This is a community that has to walk along this street all the time, Gelernt said. He said their right against being shot by a federal employee with a government firearm should not be dependent on having some contact with the United States, like asking for health-care benefits.

Theyre just saying that they dont want to be shot when they walk to the store or go to the doctor along the border, which its inescapable that they have to do, Gelernt told the judges. They cannot be asked to have to assume the risk of being shot every time they walk along the main thoroughfare.

While the U.S. Department of Justice is pursuing criminal charges against Swartz, the agency has sided with him on the question of civil liability. Assistant Attorney General Henry Whitaker told the court the location of the shooting, coupled with the boys lack of contact with this country, means federal courts have no jurisdiction.

Kleinfeld said, though, that ignores a critical fact.

Every bit of the policemans conduct took place within the United States, the judge said.

But Whitaker said that does not matter. I dont think the fact the shooting occurred on U.S. land means that all the conduct occurred within the United States, he responded.

In an earlier hearing, U.S. District Court Judge Raner Collins ruled the boy was entitled to protections under the Fourth Amendment. Collins also concluded Swartz is not entitled to claim qualified immunity for his actions, particularly as the agent could not have known at the time of the shooting that the victim was not a citizen.
After three felony convictions and years of drug use, Tucson resident Jacob Kirk was facing a mandatory prison sentence.

Until he got another chance.

Kirk, now 25, spent three months in a residential drug-treatment program, signed up for mental-health care and for the first time got medication for his anxiety and depression.

Hes been sober for 27 months, is assistant manager of the transitional housing complex where he lives and has a newfound passion in writing and playing music under the name of J-Universe.

All of that happened through a Pima County Superior Court prison-diversion program for nonviolent offenders that in the future could be hobbled by congressional efforts to undo the Affordable Care Act (ACA).

While much of the debate over repealing and replacing Obamacare has focused on health-insurance exchanges and the cost of premiums, advocates say one of the most devastating impacts in Arizona may be the effect that proposed Medicaid cuts will have on people with substance-use disorders and mental-health issues.

The proposed cuts are severe  Arizonas Medicaid program stands to lose $7.1 billion in funding through 2026, says a state analysis released Friday.

Thats why people who work in Tucsons criminal-justice system are so worried. Their efforts to keep people out of jail and prison by getting them into drug- and mental-health treatment programs could be thwarted if those people have no insurance coverage.

It is a tremendous, huge concern. The criminal-justice system is what happens when we dont have well-funded health-care and education systems, Pima County Public Defender Joel Feinman said.

What has been proven time and time again is the less money we spend on high-quality health care and education, the more money we spend overall and in the criminal-justice system in particular.

Under Obamacare, also known as the ACA, more of Tucsons most-vulnerable residents have had access to much-needed care, much of it through Medicaid.

The federal Government Accounting Office says Medicaid was the largest source of public funding for behavioral health in 2014.

Its frustrating when you hear people say the ACA was a failure, that it didnt work. I guess we can all find aspects that need to be improved or reformed, but the trouble is, there are aspects of it that truly have worked, Tucson Police Chief Chris Magnus said.

The ACA has been very successful so far in getting people insured who have serious psychological health issues, he said.

Entitlement reform

Medicaid is a government insurance program for low-income people. In Arizona, the program is called the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System (AHCCCS). AHCCCS now covers one in every four Pima County residents, which works out to nearly 300,000 people. It covers 1.9 million people statewide and more than 70 million nationwide.

The programs growth spiked statewide in 2014, when Arizona both expanded Medicaid eligibility under the ACA and restored adults without dependent children to the program. Childless adults like Kirk had been previously ineligible for coverage due to an enrollment freeze that began in July 2011.

A Congressional Budget Office report on the Senate bill is expected this week. The Senate could still make changes before a vote.

Public debate about undoing the ACA has largely ignored the bigger picture  severe cuts and restrictions on the nations Medicaid program, said Andy Slavitt, who was acting administrator for the U.S. Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services under President Barack Obama from 2015 to 2017. He is now a senior adviser with the Bipartisan Policy Center, a Washington, D.C., think tank.

The premise of repealing and replacing the ACA is a sideshow. This is entitlement reform, Slavitt said during a recent visit to Tucson. This is a generational change to the Medicaid program.

In Arizona, the cuts to Medicaid being proposed by Republicans would, among other things, reduce enhanced federal funding that could affect the states ability to enroll childless adults in AHCCCS, as well as the Medicaid expansion population that gained coverage in 2014.

Those two groups amount to 425,000 people right now, including 114,000 who use behavioral-health services, the Arizona Council of Human Service Providers says.

Prior to 2014, people with mental-health issues were being evaluated under court order in some Arizona counties and found to be a danger to themselves or others, but were released to the community because there were no funds for treatment. This is a public- safety issue, the Human Service providers analysis says.

The impact is that we are going to have more police calls for service, because if they are not on their medication they are not getting therapy, said Magnus, the police chief. Whatever is going on in terms of that serious mental illness is going to manifest itself in ways that involve other people, and were going to get called.

Reducing Medicaid funding is a bipartisan issue, emphasized Feinman, the public defender.

Fiscal conservatives should be as up in arms about cuts to Medicaid as social liberals, he said. The cuts to Medicaid are actually a bill to American taxpayers in the form of higher criminal-justice system costs. ... Nothing is more expensive than prison.

Crime connection

Kirk said the 90 days he spent in rehab after being convicted of felony burglary was mostly boring. But its what he needed to treat his addiction disease, to get sober and to stop the endless loop of misery his life had become.

More than anything, it gave him time away from drug-using friends and time to consider all the damage hed done to family members, and to himself, because of his disease. He wanted his old self back. Not the one driven to crime out of desperation.

His problems began when he was 14 and wanted to get high to impress his girlfriend, and also to forget things, like his parents divorce and the way it made him feel. He started with Adderall, which he got from a friend, and then progressed to other drugs, including methamphetamine and heroin.

Kirk had jobs, mostly at fast-food restaurants, but eventually drugs took over his life. He was both selling and taking them, and when he didnt have enough money to buy more, he resorted to crime. He spent nine months in jail, but it didnt help him get better.

I was never patient enough and it became too difficult to go to rehab. I didnt know how Id make it happen, said Kirk, who is a 2009 Marana High School graduate. I needed a positive mind frame, but I didnt have one.

He also didnt have health insurance. But after that third felony conviction for burglary  he broke into someones truck and stole gift cards  officials at Pima County Superior Court helped him enroll in AHCCCS. They also enrolled him in a program administered by the Pima County Attorney's Office known as DTAP  Drug Treatment Alternative to Prison.

DTAP coordinated Kirks treatment and connected him to services like job assistance. AHCCCS paid for his care.

Childless adults

When childless adults were added to AHCCCS eligibility in 2014, the local DTAP program was able to double its size, reduce its reliance on federal grant money and become more sustainable, Chief Deputy Pima County Attorney Amelia Cramer said.

Any clinically needed mental-health and drug-treatment services are covered, she said. Finding a bed can be a challenge at times, but once someone finds a bed, the services are covered.

The DTAP program requires a three-year commitment and helped 65 new participants in 2016. Organizers say the program has a rolling success rate of 65 to 70 percent.

When they enter DTAP, they are court-ordered as part of their plea agreement to treatment and its paid for under the ACA by AHCCCS, Cramer said. If they have private insurance under the ACA, its paid for by that. But that only happens basically in 1 in 100 cases.

If the program were to get smaller, that means more people going to prison instead of getting treatment, she said.

When Arizona expanded Medicaid, that meant the vast majority of people in our program all would qualify. That meant people could go directly from incarceration in the jail to treatment, said Kate Lawson, who directs the DTAP program.

People could immediately get into the services they needed to have and they could get the level of services that was medically necessary, she said.

AHCCCS pays for residential treatment and intensive outpatient care. The DTAP program, using grants, pays for job help, uncovered benefits like dental care and glasses and assistance with rent.

If this AHCCCS funding went away, wed have no money for treatment, basically, Lawson said.

And all the money that we are using on employment, drug testing, enhanced supervision, resources like dental  all that would be focused on treatment.

And even then, I dont think, at our current level, that wed be able to take more than a couple of dozen people per year.

Lawson said the majority of people in the DTAP program lately have been addicted to opioids, including heroin. If not for DTAP, all face mandatory prison sentences. Many have lost jobs, relationships and custody of their children because of addiction.

These are people with productive lives ahead of them if not for this addiction, Lawson said. Many of them also have significant mental-health issues. ... By the time they get to our program, almost everybody is AHCCCS-eligible.

Mental health

Are you mental-health cops? the 56-year-old Tucson man asked from behind his apartment door on a recent Thursday morning.

When Tucson Police Department Officers Todd Schladweiler and Darrell Hussman said yes, the man opened the door and came outside. The officers were there to take the man to Banner University Medical Center-South, where hed be evaluated for involuntary mental-health treatment.

Rather than police uniforms, Schladweiler and Hussman wear khakis and polo shirts and drive unmarked police cars. They are part of the departments 3-year-old Mental Health Support Team.

The man had recently been having a lot of contact with police  yelling in public, including making threats in a library. He went off his medication after a stint in jail, he explained to Schladweiler.

Im always better when Im on my medication, he said.

The man is enrolled in AHCCCS. Though hed fallen off his treatment regimen, reconnecting the man with his caseworker and other health providers, Schladweiler said, could be all he needs to improve his quality of life and stay out of jail.

Schladweiler made sure the man left extra food and water for his cat before taking him to the hospital.

But Schladweiler and other mental-health-unit officers are going to have a harder time connecting people with services if childless adults can no longer enroll in AHCCCS.

Theres a significant portion of the mentally ill population who are single, childless adults, said Paula Pererra, who heads the health law unit of the Pima County Attorneys Office.

If Medicaid goes away or is limited to where childless adults no longer qualify, you are going to see a lot of people who are untreated and who will cycle through either the criminal-justice system or they will be homeless and not living a high quality of life.

And left untreated, people with mental-health problems are more vulnerable themselves to being victims of crimes, Pererra said.

County officials know this firsthand: They saw more untreated mental illness before the restoration of childless adults to AHCCCS.

Back then, people who didnt fit into the states parameters of seriously mentally ill and who didnt qualify for AHCCCS could be hospitalized for mental-health issues at the county or hospitals expense. And that was about it.

Those patients could not afford to go to the doctor, could not afford medication and, more often than not, did not believe they had a mental illness. They got no help as an outpatient and cycled through the system.

The longer a mental illness goes untreated, it really does damage your brain, Pererra said.

The longer you go untreated, the less functioning you become.

On the other hand, people who get treatment and stay in treatment can lead highly productive lives, Pererra said.

Typically when they are not getting treatment on an outpatient basis they do end up in jail, they do cycle through the hospital multiple times.

The county pays, the hospital also loses money on the deal. The person themself has a horrible quality of life and its very, very sad.

Ducey responds

Arizona state legislator Heather Carter, a Republican from Cave Creek who chairs the House Health Committee, wrote an op-ed in the Arizona Capitol Times saying she fears losing more than $800 billion from Medicaid. Those cuts could return Arizona to the bad old days of enrollment freezes and a rising number of uninsured people, she wrote.

It is simply not realistic for the state of Arizona to make up for this loss of federal funding, wrote Carter, who was not available to comment on the Senate bill last week.

On Wednesday, Republican Gov. Doug Ducey sent a letter about the repeal and replacement of the ACA to fellow Republican Arizona Sen. John McCain. The letter, which predates the Senate draft release, highlights five specific areas of concern Ducey has with the House version, including a federal funding formula change and timeline that could jeopardize Arizonas childless adult Medicaid population.

Based on the analysis so far of the Senate bill, it appears these five areas still need to be addressed, Ducey spokesman Daniel Scarpinato wrote in an email Friday.

Kirk was surprised to learn his AHCCCS coverage could be affected by federal health reform. He hopes that as a childless adult, hell be able to continue getting his health care through AHCCCS.

I dont know what would happen if I couldnt get my meds, he said. I dont really want to find out.
Karyn Zoldan dyed her hair purple when the greyhound racing track closed a year ago. An advocate and volunteer with Southern Arizona Greyhound Adoption, Zoldan worked for 16 years to get the track closed.

Oh my God, that was the happiest day of my life, she says. I had once said to somebody in jest, if the track ever closes, Ill dye my hair purple. Well, wouldnt you know it, a few people remembered that.

Zoldans two greyhound rescues, Daisy and Girlfriend, cuddle up to her on the couch and put their faces up to hers, their long snouts and kind eyes giving off an air of gentle grace. Zoldans living-room floor is covered by two huge dog beds. Portraits of her greyhounds whove passed are framed on the wall.

Theyre my heart dog, she says about the breed, of which shes had five.

But although the Tucson track held its last race one year ago today, on June 25, there are still greyhounds being bred and raced in Florida, Kansas and other states. They are usually retired around 5 years old and often suffer expensive injuries. Southern Arizona Greyhound Adoption, also known as SA Greys, takes them in by the truckload.

The group is just as busy as they were before the track closed. Although the number from the Tucson track dwindled, retired racing and breeding dogs from Florida and the Midwest still need homes. Those states have few adoption agencies and cant handle the number of retiring dogs. Also, SA Greys and other Arizona adoption agencies have earned a reputation of knowing how to get the dogs happily into new homes.

For some, a full-time job

Tucson Greyhound Park closed to dog racing after the Arizona State Senate passed a bill banning the sport, in part because of concern the dogs were treated inhumanely. In 2014, SA Greys was receiving between three to five dogs a week that had either a broken leg or other serious injuries.

Greyhound racing is a business, and the dogs are a business asset, says John Clark, president of SA Greys. So whenever they stop producing income, thats when they become adoptable.

Founded in 2012, SA Greys is run by about 35 core volunteers. And for some, its a full-time job. They get hauls of about 30 dogs, which they split with a Phoenix adoption group, Greyhound Pets of Arizona, and the other Tucson group, Arizona Greyhound Rescue. Volunteers give the dogs a spa day, which includes food, a bath and getting rid of any worms, fleas or ticks.

The dogs get a health screen and receive any needed care, such as vaccinations, spay and neuter, and dealing with more serious issues like injuries, dental problems and parasites.

Since the track closed, SA Greys has taken in more than 130 greyhounds, 21 percent from the Tucson track and 58 percent from greyhound farms in Kansas, which breed greyhounds to race. Almost half the dogs were between 4 to 6 years old.

Until dogs get adopted, they stay with fosters and boarders, the main boarder being Wandas Lazy Grey Ranch. Clark calls her their greyhound angel. When they get a big haul, shell fill her living room with greyhounds waiting for homes.

SA Grey volunteers also go out into the community and do meet-and-greets with the dogs, and they throw events to raise money and let people know about the dogs and the work SA Greys is doing.

They tend to move pretty quickly once people meet greyhounds and find out about them and find out about their nature, Clark says. Many of the folks in town still dont know that there was racing here. Many of them have never seen a greyhound in their life, so a lot of its education and outreach.

They currently have 14 dogs looking for homes and another 11 slated to go to their new homes in the next few days.

Happy failure

Greyhounds were historically bred as hunting dogs. They became racing dogs when people figured out the breed can run up to 45 miles per hour. But greyhounds are not only unique for their agility and stamina. They also have a gentle, kind nature, which greyhound owners rave about.

Zoldan first fell in love with greyhounds in 98. She was living in Los Angeles and her employer had just laid her off. She decided to give self-employment a shot and finally had the time to get a dog. Thats when she saw a pamphlet for greyhound adoption and says it broke her heart. She contacted the organization, and they introduced her to her first greyhound.

I had never seen one up-close and personal, and he was a gentle giant and such a soft demeanor, she says. And thats how she fell in love with Painter.

A year after she got Painter, she took in a foster, Lily.

I foster-failed, which if youre going to fail at anything, it might as well be fostering, Zoldan says, laughing because fosters arent suppose to keep the dogs permanently.

She had both dogs until they died, Painter in 2006 and Lily in 2010. Her portrait is framed on Zoldans wall next to Painters.

Mutual service

The other local group, Arizona Greyhound Rescue, takes in all sighthound breeds, dogs that use sight to hunt. AGR adopts out about 50 greyhounds a year, but one of their most urgent projects is rescuing lurchers, a breed thats greyhound crossed with coonhound.

Partnering with the American Lurcher Project, they rescue dogs that are used in non-sanctioned dog races in Ohio called backyard racing and swim racing. At the end of each season, thousands of dogs are put down, says AGR President Jean Williams.

AGR received its first three lurchers a couple of months ago. They adopted out one and the other two are training to become service dogs as part of their Heartfelt Hounds program. AGR puts dogs that qualify through training to become service dogs, residential therapy dogs or emotional support dogs.

The group matches people with a dog thats right for them. They offer case-by-case financing assistance with training and adoption fees, and they fully finance those costs for veterans.

Service training can take up to a year and costs $5,000 per dog, and adoption fees are between $150 to $325 depending on the breed and needs of the dog. Over the last year-and-a-half, AGR placed nine service dogs into homes.

Williams has two rescues herself. One is mobility-service greyhound, trained through the Heartfelt Hounds program.

Like SA Greys, AGR runs off donations, grants and volunteers. Theyve been active since 1992 and have found homes for nearly 2,000 dogs, really looking for dogs that fit each adoptees lifestyle.

We look at our dogs as individuals, so we dont place on a first-come first-serve, Williams says. We kind of get to know the dogs personality.

Continuing need

At the June SA Greys board meeting, they talk logistics  fundraising, adoptions, the website  but they start the meeting by gushing over dog photos, a trait shared by greyhound owners.

They go over financing and the continuing need to raise money and get dogs into homes. From January through May 2017, they raised just under $53,000 from donations, grants and fundraisers. On Arizona Gives Day in April, they raised $32,000.

Their expenses during that period came to just over $57,000, of which $37,000 was for vet bills and $7,000 for kennel and foster expenses.

While they no longer receive many dogs with broken legsa $4,000 vet billthey still get dogs with broken feet and injuries that incur vet bills close to $2,000. Many of the dogs also arrive with parasitic problems that require lengthy treatments.

Zoldan says adopting greyhounds changed her life. It made her more outgoing and turned her into an advocate and an activist.

Its a breed thats going to be around even though greyhound racing is not in our immediate area, Zoldan said. Theres just a need, and they do make great pets.
Supreme Court of Florida. MERYL S. MCDONALD Appellant(s) v. STATE OF FLORIDA Appellee(s) CASE NO.: SC14-973 Decided: June 23, 2017

Meryl S. McDonald, a prisoner under sentence of death for the 1994 first-degree murder of Dr. Louis Davidson, appeals the circuit court's order dismissing his motion to hold in abeyance his third motion for postconviction relief pursuant to Florida Rule of Criminal Procedure 3.851. We have jurisdiction. See art. V,  3(b)(1), Fla. Const.

Among the evidence presented against McDonald at trial was a gray sweatshirt found in his hotel room which was stained with the victim's blood and contained fiber from the victim's carpet and cashmere coat as well as hairs matching McDonald's hair samples.

The validity of the evidence on which the State relied to link the sweatshirt to McDonald has been a theme in McDonald's postconviction proceedings. For example, in his initial postconviction motion, McDonald included several challenges to his trial counsel's effectiveness regarding the hair and fiber evidence. McDonald v. State, 952 So. 2d 484, 494-98 (Fla. 2006). The circuit court denied all relief, and this Court on appeal affirmed. Id. Then, in his successive postconviction motion, McDonald raised several claims regarding this evidence, including one alleging that the State failed to disclose an FBI report which McDonald contends proves that the State's DNA expert gave false testimony that the DNA in a bloodstain on the sweatshirt matched the victim's DNA. McDonald v. State, No. SC12-1761, 2013 WL 2420798, at *1 (Fla. May 28, 2013), cert. denied, 134 S. Ct. 438 (2013). The circuit court summarily denied the motion as procedurally barred and untimely, and this Court affirmed. Id. Finally, in his third rule 3.851 motion, which is at issue in this appeal, McDonald raises two claims regarding this evidence: he asserts that he was denied due process due to Brady and Giglio violations based on the State's knowing use of fabricated evidence at trial, namely (1) false testimony concerning DNA testing which identified the victim's blood on the sweatshirt and a fabricated FBI lab report that corroborated that testimony; and (2) falsified hair and fiber analysis and trial testimony showing the victim's cashmere coat fiber and McDonald's hair samples matched the fiber and hair found on the sweatshirt.

However, after filing his third rule 3.851 motion, McDonald requested that the circuit court hold the motion in abeyance pending his receipt of anticipated materials from the FBI that would allegedly constitute newly discovered evidence and support the claims raised in his motion by establishing that the hair and fiber analysis evidence presented at his trial had been fabricated. The circuit court denied McDonald's third rule 3.851 motion, finding McDonald's claims were untimely and successive, and dismissed the motion to hold in abeyance as moot.

In this appeal, McDonald concedes that his third rule 3.851 motion is meritless and does not challenge its denial. However, McDonald argues that the circuit court should have held the motion in abeyance pending his receipt of the alleged forthcoming materials from the FBI. We find no abuse of discretion here. See Walton v. State, 3 So. 3d 1000, 1012 (Fla. 2009) (explaining that a circuit court is not required to perpetually hold resolution of a motion in abeyance pending an unfiled amendment to the motion). Therefore, we affirm the circuit court's order dismissing McDonald's motion to hold his third rule 3.851 motion in abeyance.

We further note that, during the pendency of this appeal, McDonald received some of the anticipated materials from the FBI and filed a fourth rule 3.851 motion, which is currently being held in abeyance pending the resolution of this appeal. McDonald is presently unrepresented by counsel, and may not proceed pro se. See Gordon v. State, 75 So. 3d 200, 202 (Fla. 2011) (holding that death-sentenced appellants may not appear pro se in any postconviction appeals). Therefore, we order the trial court to appoint counsel for McDonald.

NOT FINAL UNTIL TIME EXPIRES TO FILE REHEARING MOTION AND, IF FILED, DETERMINED.

A True Copy

Test:

John A. Tomasino Clerk, Supreme Court

cd

Served:

TIMOTHY ARTHUR FREELAND

JOSE RAFAEL RODRIGUEZ

MERYL S. MCDONALD

FREDRICK LAYTON SCHAUB

HON. KEN BURKE, CLERK

DAMIEN NAGLE KRAEBEL

HON. CHRIS THOM HELINGER, JUDGE

FOOTNOTES

. Brady v. Maryland, 373 U.S. 83 (1963).

. Giglio v. United States, 405 U.S. 150 (1972).

LABARGA, C.J., and PARIENTE, LEWIS, QUINCE, CANADY, POLSTON, and LAWSON, JJ., concur.
OPINION: "People have a perverse attraction to bad news and in todays digital world, bad news has become easier and easier to access. No group is quite as vulnerable to its influence than the digital natives of Gen Z," writes Marana resident Mitch Carroll.
Help India!

Mumbai, (IANS): Veteran film celebrities Javed Akhtar and Paresh Rawal have condemned the lynching of a police officer in Srinagar and another incident in Haryana, asking people to think where are we going.

Lynching of an officer in Kashmir and four innocent Muslims in Haryana. Brothers and sisters, we all need to think calmly where are we going, Akhtar tweeted on Saturday.

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A mob had stripped and lynched 57-year-old Deputy Superintendent of Police Muhammad Ayub Pandit, in a grand mosque of Srinagar, triggering widespread outrage; while a teenager was killed and three of his friends injured in an attack by a group of persons in a train in Haryana.

When a social media user questioned Akhtar: Officer was just a officer But that four people were Muslims Where we are going Javed ji?, the celebrated writer responded: That officers name was Ayub but what matters is that he was a police officer who was lynched by a Muslim mob in Kashmir.

BJP MP Paresh Rawal wrote: Muhammad Ayub is lynched just outside mosque on Friday and in the holy month of Ramadan. For Muhammad Ayub, where are award wapsi jerks and liberal louts and the whole termite clan?

Jewellery designer Farah Khan Ali, who often comments on social issues, reacted: We are living in times where mobs are taking the law into their own hands lynching innocents be it Dadri, Rajasthan or Kashmir, etc. Sad times.

We the liberals are all here Mr Rawal. The question is  be it Dadri, Rajasthan Kashmir, etc, where are the law enforcers? Why dont you condemn them?

Meanwhile, filmmaker Onir said: Its a shame What we are turning into.
United States Court of Appeals, Second Circuit. ERIC A. KLEIN, Petitioner-Appellant, v. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, Respondent-Appellee. 16-1081(L) Decided: June 23, 2017

PRESENT: RALPH K. WINTER, GUIDO CALABRESI, DENNY CHIN, Circuit Judges. FOR PETITIONERAPPELLANT: HOWARD D. SIMMONS, ESQ., New York, New York. FOR RESPONDENTAPPELLEE: CHRISTOPHER J. CLORE, Assistant United States Attorney (Brian R. Blais, Assistant United States Attorney, on the brief), for Joon H. Kim, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, New York, New York.

Petitioner-appellant Eric A. Klein, represented by counsel, appeals from the orders of the district court entered February 8, 2016 and March 17, 2016, denying Klein's motions for reconsideration of the denial of his petitions for a writ of error coram nobis. On appeal, Klein asserts ten claims of error. We assume the parties' familiarity with the underlying facts, procedural history, and issues on appeal.

We review the district court's decision denying a writ of error coram nobis for abuse of discretion. Foont v. Unites States, 93 F.3d 76, 79 (2d Cir. 1996). A writ of error coram nobis is an 'extraordinary remedy,' typically available only when habeas relief is unwarranted because the petitioner is no longer in custody. Kovacs v. United States, 744 F.3d 44, 49 (2d Cir. 2014) (internal citation omitted). To obtain coram nobis relief, a petitioner must show 1) there are circumstances compelling such action to achieve justice, 2) sound reasons exist for failure to seek appropriate earlier relief, and 3) the petitioner continues to suffer legal consequences from his conviction that may be remedied by granting of the writ. Id. (quoting Foont, 93 F.3d at 79). Each of Klein's claims is either procedurally barred or wholly lacking in merit or both, and, therefore, the district court did not abuse its discretion in denying Klein's coram nobis petitions.



We have considered Klein's remaining arguments and conclude they are without merit. Accordingly, we AFFIRM the orders of the district court.

We also note that on August 7, 2007, the district court (Sand, J.), barred Klein from filing any motions without first obtaining permission of the court. See United States v. Klein, 2007 WL 2274254 (S.D.N.Y. Aug. 7, 2007). Further, on September 11, 2013, in a summary order denying one of Klein's previous appeals, we observed that:

Appellant is a frequent litigant in this Court, having instituted twentyfive separate matters relating to his 2005 criminal conviction, his attorney's performance during his criminal proceedings, or the 28 U.S.C.  2255 proceedings challenging his conviction and sentence. We have explicitly dismissed seven of these cases as frivolous. See U.S.C.A. dkt. Nos. 09182, 092202, 093635, 094072, 094587, 10427, and 103922. Moreover, in connection with his various matters in this Court, Appellant has filed numerous meritless appellate motions, and has been extraordinarily reluctant to accept this Court's adverse rulings, moving frequently for reconsideration and rehearing of this Court's orders and for recall of this Court's mandates. Finally, we note that, in an order we affirmed on Appellant's direct appeal, the district court barred Appellant from filing any further motions in his criminal case without first obtaining the court's permission. See United States v. Klein, No. 056018, 297 Fed. App'x 19 (2d Cir. Oct. 15, 2008).

We find that, by engaging in the above practices, Appellant has repeatedly exceeded the bounds of tolerable litigation conduct. Accordingly, Appellant is hereby warned that the further filing of frivolous and/or vexatious motions or appeals in this Court relating to his 2005 conviction, his attorney's performance during the course of the underlying criminal proceedings, or his  2255 proceedings, will result in the imposition of sanctions, including leavetofile sanctions. See In re Martin-Trigona, 9 F.3d 226, 22829 (2d Cir. 1993) (recognizing that courts may resort to restrictive measures  [with respect to] litigants who have abused their litigation opportunities, including subjecting a vexatious litigant to a 'leave of court' requirement with respect to future filings); Safir v. U.S. Lines, Inc., 792 F.2d 19, 24 (2d Cir. 1986).

(Docket No. 124898, docket entry 60). Despite the district court's sanction and our earlier warning, Klein and his counsel have continued to file motions in the district court and motions and appeals in this Court. We remind Klein and his counsel that Klein may not make any further motions in the district court relating to his 2005 conviction without permission of the district court and that any violations of this order may subject Klein and his counsel to further sanctions.

FOR THE COURT:

Catherine O'Hagan Wolfe, Clerk
Help India!

New Delhi, (IANS): Union Minister Giriraj Singh has called for a population control law without which communal harmony would be disrupted while blaming appeasement politics for the declining Hindu population.

The minister, known for making controversial remarks, said appeasement politics has led to the Hindu population declining from 90 per cent in 1947 to below 72 per cent at present.

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If population control law is not introduced in India, communal harmony would be disrupted. Wherever Hindu population has decreased in the country, communal harmony has been affected, he told a regional Zee Group channel in an interview to be aired on Saturday.

However, according to 2011 census, Hindus comprise 79.8 per cent of the total population compared to 84.1 per cent as per 1951 census.

The Minister added that there was also a need to revisit the definition of minorities. I can do anything for this. I am a Hindu first and then a BJP man, he said.

The Union Minister of State for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, who was also a minister in Nitish Kumars cabinet in Bihar, alleged that the Janata Dal-United leader was not concerned about the development of the state anymore but was running after power now.

Attacking Rashtriya Janata Dal leader Lalu Prasad, he termed him a brand ambassador of Jungle Raj.

Giriraj Singh also said he wanted yoga to be made compulsory in schools across the nation as it was good for health.
Help India!

Hyderabad, (IANS): AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi on Saturday said Islamophobia was being spread in the country, resulting in incident of lynching of Muslims.

Condemning the lynching of a 17-year-old youth on a train in Haryana, Owaisi said a hate atmosphere was being created.

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I called this atmosphere Islamophobia. Those creating Islamophobia are responsible for lynching of Muslims in the name of cow, religion or beard, he told reporters here.

The Hyderabad MP was reacting to Fridays incident in Haryana in which four Muslim boys were attacked by a group of people after an altercation and one of the victims, Junaid, died. The were returning to their village in Haryana from Delhi after Eid shopping.

Owaisi also condemned the lynching of a police officer by a mob outside Srinagars Jamia Masjid. I condemn the lynching of DYSP Ayub and that too on the holy night and near Jamia Masjid, he said adding that there is no difference between those who lynched Ayub and those who are lynching Muslims in the name of cow or religion.

There is no difference whatsoever. They cant be called human beings and need to be condemned, he said.

The MP said the incident shows the misgoveranance by BJP and PDP which were in power in Jammu and Kashmir. He said they were clueless on what was happening on ground. He said the two parties had made tall promises and assurances but nothing happened.

Owaisi said BJPs choice of Ram Nath Kovind as its candidate for the post of President showed that it wants to convert India into a Hindu rashtra.

President of Indias post is a Constitutional post. If a person aspiring to become the President of India holds the view that minorities which includes Muslims and Christians are alien to this nation, what kind of confidence this candidate or his party is creating in the Constitution. What kind of message they are sending to minorities? he asked.

Owaisi said Kovind was repeating ideology of Sarvarkar, Golwalkar and RSS. On BJPs criticism that he is doing communal politics over the issue, he said the party should clarify whether Kovind made this statement or not.
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New Delhi, (IANS): Opposition parties on Saturday slammed the Narendra Modi government after none of its representatives turned up for an Iftar party hosted by outgoing President Pranab Mukherjee.

The ruling BJP was hard put to explain the absence of NDA ministers at the Friday evening gathering  the last before Mukherjee demits office next month. The BJP maintained that it should not be seen as disrespect to the President.

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Over the past three years the politics which has been practised by the NDA government is completely exclusive in nature. Not attending the Iftar hosted by President is a reflection of that nature, senior Congress leader Manish Tewari told IANS.

Former Union Minister Salman Khurshid took to Twitter to attack the government questioning its sabka sath, sabka vikas policy.

BJP leaders skip Iftar meals by President and Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh. If sab ka Iftar unacceptable what is left of sab ka saath, sab ka vikas? New India?, Khurshid asked.

Janata Dal-United leader Ali Anwar accused the BJP of ignoring President Mukherjee just because he is about to retire.

They talk much about the culture and tradition of the country. But instead of following that, they keep on ignoring and do just the opposite. In our culture we even pray to the setting sun. But now they have thought that he is retiring thats why they are not giving him much importance, Anwar told IANS, adding that his party wanted another term for Mukherjee.

Rashtriya Janata Dal leader Manoj Jha said, The absence of all ministers from the Iftar party hosted by the President defines their politics and inclination and is also a downright contempt for the precedents that were set in place many years ago. This also tells us of what more we would we see in terms of RSS influence on the government.

CPI leader D. Raja said the government should clarify on the issue.

However, BJP leader Shahnawaz Hussain said that the ministers were pre-occupied and thus could not attend the Presidents Iftar.

This should not be seen as disrespect to the President. We respect him a lot. Ministers were pre-occupied and so could not attend it, Hussain told IANS.

The Indian Express had carried a front-page report on Saturday, quoting CPI-M general secretary Sitaram Yechury as saying that There was not a single minister, not a single government representative and not a single BJP leader. In all these years, I have never been to an Iftar hosted by the President where there has been no representative of the Government of India.

Yechury could not be reached by IANS for his comments.
'Mr Glastonbury', Michael Eavis, organiser of the Glastonbury music festival which has been running for some years introduced Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn on the Pyramid Stage on Saturday. Like Corbyn, Eavis is no stranger to politics himself holding many views that Corbyn would certainly agree with, but unlike Corbyn has never run for office. Eavis is also an ardent Methodist Christian, which may come as a surprise to some Christians who mostly regard Glastonbury the town as a haven for Pagans and New Agers.

As soon as Jeremy Corbyn hit the stage a roar went up; "Oh, Jeremy Corbyn!" which greets the Labour leader wherever he goes.

He launched into a speech that outlined core beliefs he has held for 30 years or more, such as, human rights, peace, justice, and democracy around the planet.

The crowd was largely on Corbyn's side

Corbyn is no stranger to political rallies, and even though Glastonbury is a music festival he treated it like any other open-air political event. The crowd, by and large, listened to what Corbyn had to say and was mainly in agreement with what he said.

Nevertheless, there were some dissenters who shouted their disagreement or booed, while some just walked away.

Of course, not everyone in the crowd who stood listening to Corbyn is going to be far left, and indeed if the crowd was to be questioned there would be many different political views.

Jeremy Corbyn in his speech said the young during the general election had been inspirational, and that the "politics that got out of the box, is not going back in any box."

Some bands supportive of Jeremy Corbyn

The bands and artists on the bill of Glastonbury, including Foo Fighters, Kaiser Chiefs, Royal Blood and Radiohead all had their opinions on Corbyn.

For example; Radiohead frontman, Thom Yorke, who is clearly a believer in Corbyn's politics, said Theresa May should "shut the door on the way out" as she left 10 Downing Street for good.

Rockers Royal Blood, on the other hand, didn't want to get involved in politics but the bassist did admit he could understand why Corbyn's politics has attracted a large following.

Whereas, a member of the Kaiser Chiefs was rather scathing of Corbyn not winning the general election. If Corbyn could not win the general election he would struggle to convince the Glastonbury crowd - but that was his opinion.

Whatever you think of Corbyn and his politics he has offered hope to a UK population fed up with austerity and cuts - especially the young.
Donald Trump just can't seem to shake off the scandal involving Russia, as well as the issues plaguing his new health care bill. As the president moved into the weekend, he took time to continue to deny the allegations against him while targeting former President Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton in the process.

Trump on Twitter

It's been over two years since Donald Trump officially became a politician and the controversy surrounding him has only grown on a daily basis. Not long after he announced his campaign for president, Trump was quickly faced with allegations that he was in cahoots with Russia.

Despite denying the claims, critics of the former host of "The Apprentice" have continued to lash out. Following his election win over Hillary Clinton, several credible news outlets and multiple government agencies revealed information that further links Trump and his past and present associates back to the Kremlin. Earlier this year, Trump attempted to deflect away from himself by blaming Obama for the scandal, accusing the former president of wiretapping his office in Trump Tower, while ignoring the hacking done by the Russians. As seen in a series of tweets on June 24, Trump is not holding back.

Since the Obama Administration was told way before the 2016 Election that the Russians were meddling, why no action? Focus on them, not T!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 24, 2017

Taking to his Twitter account on Saturday afternoon, Donald Trump did his best to push back against the Russian scandal.

"Since the Obama Administration was told way before the 2016 Election that the Russians were meddling, why no action?" Trump tweeted, before adding, "Focus on them, not T!"

Obama Administration official said they "choked" when it came to acting on Russian meddling of election. They didn't want to hurt Hillary?  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 24, 2017

In a follow up tweet, Donald Trump doubled down on attacking Barack Obama, accusing him of ignoring any issues in an alleged attempt at helping Hillary Clinton during the election.

"Obama Administration official said they 'choked' when it came to acting on Russian meddling of election. They didn't want to hurt Hillary?" he wrote.

I cannot imagine that these very fine Republican Senators would allow the American people to suffer a broken ObamaCare any longer!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 24, 2017

Trump on health care

While Donald Trump has been backed into a corner on the issue of Russia, he's also dealing with backlash pertaining to his much-criticized health care bill.

"I cannot imagine that these very fine Republican Senators would allow the American people to suffer a broken ObamaCare any longer!" Trump tweeted out. In his fourth and final tweet as of press time, the president simply put "MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!"

MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 24, 2017

With the pressure mounting and scandals expanding, it's not likely that Donald Trump will be willing to back-down anytime soon. Only time will tell how it all plays out, but the president and the White House are expected to to stick their talking points regardless of what evidence gets released.
Who's returning to "The Real Housewives of orange county" season 12? Bravo posted a few updates on who's making up the official cast list for this summer. Several other names have yet to be revealed, but fans are getting a few teasers to get them excited for the upcoming season!

Confirmed 'RHOC' cast

There were rumblings that Kelly Dodd might not appear on another season of "The Real Housewives Of Orange County," but she survived her first season and is willing to give it another go. Bravo reports that Vicki Gunvalson's biggest ally will be back.

Andy Cohen, however, did hint that Dodd will surprise viewers and there will be "shifting alliances." Does this mean Kelly won't be quite as chummy with Vicki?

Another cast member confirmed to be on "RHOC" is Lydia McLaughlin, who was on season 8. She's kept busy since leaving the housewives franchise having another baby and raising her kids. She also wrote a book about her experience on the show titled, "Beyond Orange County: A Housewives Guide to Faith and Happiness," and started her own blog, OC Lydia.

Cast rumors/spoilers

Rumors suggest that Lydia will pretend to be an ally of Vicki's, but actually be close to Tamra Judge. Vicki and Tamra had an epic falling out last season and there's certain to be some malicious mudslinging between the two.

Who sides with whom is unknown at this point.

It's also been confirmed that Heather Dubrow won't be returning to "RHOC." There are rumors that newcomer Peggy Sulahian will be on the show in season 12. Radar Online reports that Gretchen Rossi will be back as a "friend" who's ready to stick it to Tamra by teaming up with Vicki.

In season 11, she was siding with Vicki and Kelly in their nasty exchanges with Shannon Beador on Twitter. Their feuds were so vicious that Bravo producers sent a letter to the cast demanding that they cease hurling insults at one another on social media.

The confirmed cast for "The Real Housewives of Orange County" season 12 is expected to consist of Vicki Gunvalson, Tamra Judge, Shannon Beador, Meghan King Edmonds, Kelly Dodd, Lydia McLaughlin, Peggy Sulahian, and Gretchen Rossi.

The official announcement will be coming soon. A premiere date hasn't been given yet, but season 11 premiered last year on June 20.

Are you excited to see who'll be on the show? The new season is likely to bring even more drama, something we've come to expect from this cast, and there will be no short supply of that!
The United States is getting ready for a total coast-to-coast solar eclipse on August 21, 2017, for the first time in about a century, marking a pretty thrilling sight that millions of Americans will be able to observe (with recommended caution, however).

Total Solar eclipses occur at a frequency of about once every two or three years. While not being an utterly rare event, they often end up in the middle of nowhere like the South Pacific Ocean or the Antarctic. This one, however  the first of its kind since 1918- will cut diagonally across the entire United States.

It is believed that two minutes of darkness will engulf 14 states and observers will be able to see the Moons 113-kilometre wide shadow from Oregon in the west to South Carolina in the east. The US, being the only country to witness this total eclipse, it is expected that international visitors, in large numbers will gather to watch this magnificent event.

It is believed that two minutes of darkness will engulf 14 states and observers will be able to see the Moons 113-kilometre wide shadow from Oregon in the west to South Carolina in the east. The US, being the only country to witness this total eclipse, it is expected that international visitors, in large numbers will gather to watch this magnificent event.

What is a total solar eclipse?

In a Total Solar Eclipse, the moon is supposed to pass between the Sun and the Earth, casting a dark shadow and making the Suns normally obscured atmosphere (the solar corona) as well as bright stars and planets visible. An eclipse of this kind involves a slight drop in temperature, a dazzling filtering effect of light and the Suns corona encapsulating the Moon as a spectacular aura, for a very short moment.

The path to be traced by the eclipse

The track of totality- complete darkness- is expected to start near Lincoln City, Oregon. As the shadow of the moon makes its way into the US, the path is estimated to reduce to about 60 to 70 miles wide. The closer one is to the center  the eye of the eclipse being Carbondale, Illinois, the longer will be the totality, with a maximum duration estimated at 2 minutes 40 seconds.

Totality is estimated to shift from Oregon to:

Idaho

Wyoming

Nebraska

Kansas

Missouri

Illinois

Kentucky

Tennessee

Georgia

North Carolina

South Carolina

What the experts say

Thomas Zurbuchen, associate administrator of NASAs Science Mission in Washington recently made a remark that this will be the first occasion when a celestial event will be viewed by so many people and explored from so many vantage points- from space, from the air, from the ground.

According to Rick Fienberg, spokesman for the American Astronomical Society, even a 99 percent partial eclipse is not nearly as awe-provoking as a total eclipse. He believes theres a difference of day and night between the two.

Dan McGlaun, an eclipse veteran whos witnessed 12 total solar eclipses states that even if the Sun is 99.99 percent eclipsed for the observers, the will not have the fortune to experience the full, jaw-dropping, knee-buckling, emotionally overloading, a completely overwhelming spectacle that is a totality.

Spots of interest

Since the path of totality is only a 100 miles wide and only available for a matter of seconds, there are only a handful of places to offer the breathtaking marvelous sight.

Here are a few ones you ought to pay a visit:

Columbia, South Carolina.

Nashville, Tennessee. Carbondale, Illinois. Madras, Oregon. Hopkinsville, Kentucky. Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Greenville, South California. St Joseph, Missouri. North Platte, Nebraska. Casper, Wyoming. Snake River Valley, Idaho

The live video of this cosmic event will also be broadcast by NASA and watch parties held at various national parks, libraries, and parks nationwide.
A secret CIA report in August, which former President Barack Obama received, debunked the claim by Russia and the Trump camp it had no hand in the U.S. election meddling in 2016. The report, cited on Friday by The Washington Post, said Russian President Vladimir Putin gave specific instructions to defeat or damage Hillary Clinton, the Democratic candidate.

The plan to interfere in the election aimed to help elect Republican candidate Donald Trump through hacked emails and other materials posted online by WikiLeaks. The report said the Russian hacking efforts were authorized by the most senior official of the country.

January report names Putin

The first report only pointed to the most senior official of Russia as the author of the hacking. The second report in January specifically named Putin as the person behind the election hacking. The report was based on the CIAs sources inside the Russian government.

Since Putin is a former KGB spy, he took extraordinary steps so he would be protected from foreign surveillance. The information CIA got was raw, but compelling. Several other U.S. intelligence agencies took months to reach the consensus that it was the Russian president who ordered and directed the operations.

Putin targeted Clinton because he did not like the former secretary of state. The Russian president also suspected Clinton helped form the opposition in Russia.

Digital bombs

CBS, which claims it was aware of the CIA report that pointed to Putin as having approved the plan to meddle in the U.S. election, reported Washington has placed digital bombs that were implanted in Russian networks. The report said Obama authorized its implantation before he left office. It allegedly could be triggered as a retaliatory cyber strike move if Moscow becomes more aggressive.

Its use, unfortunately, is in the hands of Trump who is pro-Russia.

The Russian meddling in the 2016 U.S. election is part of the ongoing investigation spearheaded by special counsel Robert Mueller whom Trump wants to remove. Congressional investigators are also checking if the Trump campaign was able to acquire information from hacked voter databases during the election.

Amid the Mueller and congressional probes, the Trump administration allegedly undermined the effort of Obama officials to expel Russian diplomats to retaliate for the Russian meddling in the election. Washington seized in December two Russian diplomatic compounds in New York City and Maryland for interfering in the election, but in early June, State Secretary Rex Tillerson said the facilities would be returned to Russia without any conditions.
United States Court of Appeals, Fourth Circuit. MILTON N. WILLIAMS, Petitioner - Appellant, v. COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA, Respondent - Appellee. No. 17-6532 Decided: June 23, 2017

Before SHEDD, WYNN, and DIAZ, Circuit Judges. Milton N. Williams, Appellant Pro Se. Susan Elizabeth Baumgartner, OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF VIRGINIA, Richmond, Virginia, for Appellee.

Milton N. Williams seeks to appeal the magistrate judge's order denying relief on Williams' 28 U.S.C.  2254 (2012) petition.* The order is not appealable unless a circuit justice or judge issues a certificate of appealability. See 28 U.S.C.  2253(c)(1)(A) (2012). A certificate of appealability will not issue absent a substantial showing of the denial of a constitutional right. 28 U.S.C.  2253(c)(2) (2012). When the district court denies relief on the merits, a prisoner satisfies this standard by demonstrating that reasonable jurists would find that the district court's assessment of the constitutional claims is debatable or wrong. Slack v. McDaniel, 529 U.S. 473, 484 (2000); see Miller-El v. Cockrell, 537 U.S. 322, 336-38 (2003). When the district court denies relief on procedural grounds, the prisoner must demonstrate both that the dispositive procedural ruling is debatable, and that the petition states a debatable claim of the denial of a constitutional right. Slack, 529 U.S. at 484-85.

We have independently reviewed the record and conclude that Williams has not made the requisite showing. Accordingly, we deny a certificate of appealability and dismiss the appeal. We dispense with oral argument because the facts and legal contentions are adequately presented in the materials before this court and argument would not aid the decisional process.

DISMISSED

FOOTNOTES

. The parties consented to the jurisdiction of the magistrate judge pursuant to 28 U.S.C.  636(c) (2012).

PER CURIAM:
On May 12, Angola charged two journalists, Rafael Marques de Morais, the editor of Maka Angola, described as an "anticorruption" website, and Mariano Bras Lourenco, with O Crime, with crimes against the state under Angola's Law on Crimes against State Security, reports the Committee to Protect Journalists. However, the two did not learn of the charges until June 20, giving them just five days to ready a defense and appear before a hearing, where a judge will decide whether the cases merit trials.

Said to amount to an "outrage to a body of sovereignty and injury against public authority," if convicted, each man faces up to six years in prison.

All Africa describes Rafael Marques de Morais as an "award-winning investigative journalist" and states that the allegations of crimes against the government stem from an article published in Maka Angola in October 2016 that alleged "illegality by the attorney general to act as a property and real estate developer in addition to his legal duties."

Arrests linked to upcoming elections

Another piece with All Africa drew attention to Angola's upcoming elections, slated for August, the timing of Rafael Marques de Morais' arrest, and a proposition that "the outgoing President and Vice-President be given absolute immunity from prosecution for any crimes they committed while in office." In addition to the "outrage" and "injury" charge, Angola's Attorney General Joao Maria de Sousa also charged Rafael Marques de Morais with "abuse of freedom of the press," and "criminal defamation." All Africa offered the opinion that the move only serves to "highlight" the "misdeeds" of the AG.

Rafael Marques de Morais & Mariano Bras Lourenco are not threats to national security. #Angola must drop the charges!https://t.co/JVaU2JVOkH  CPJ (@pressfreedom) June 24, 2017

"In a country where extra-judicial executions have been common, state powers evidently feel constrained from actually shooting those, like Mr. Marques de Morais, who expose dirty laundry.

Instead, they harass, prosecute, jail and otherwise do all they can to disrupt their work," All Africa writes. Mariano Bras Lourenco told the Committee to Protect Journalists that the goal of the charges was to "demand compensation that the newspaper cannot pay," forcing it into bankruptcy.

'Little tolerance for dissent'

Angela Quintal, the Committee to Protect Journalists Africa program coordinator, called the charges an "outrage," even for Angola, which has a well-known reputation for having "little tolerance for dissent." The coordinator stated that the journalists were no threat, and called on the Angolan government to drop the charges and stop harassing those writing about matters of "public interest."

Shame on Angola. The government there has indicted one of bravest and best of journalists, @RafaelMdeMorais, for committing journalism. pic.twitter.com/VKchirAY5I  Nicholas Kristof (@NickKristof) June 21, 2017

Human Rights Watch's 2017 World Report states that Angola's state-run media is "highly biased" toward the ruling Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola party, but that "social media, blogs, and privately owned news websites," were allowed to operate without interference.

An Angolan journalists' union called a new law, introduced in November 2016, "a political tool to intimidate the press." The law calls for a newly formed group to control all media in the nation of 25 million people.
Cuban journalist Manuel Alejandro Leon Velazquez, who has also been referred to as Leon Velazquez by the Committee to Protect Journalists; Manuel Alejandro by Ciber Cuba; and Manuel Alejandro Leon by Diario de Cuba, was arrested at about 4 p.m. on Thursday in Cuba's eastern Guantanamo province. Most recent reports indicate that the journalist remains in custody, and that the Cuban government has threatened to also imprison both Leon Velazquez's wife, Miriam Margarita Aranda Tejeda, and her mother.

"They forced me to sign a statement. They told me that if I did not collaborate with them, they would put my mother in prison for -- supposedly -- hiding the computer from the house, and me for covering up my mother," Leon Velazquez's wife was quoted as saying (from a translation).

Cuban State Security said to leverage journalist's wife

The journalist's mother, Belkis Velazquez, has stated that Leon Velazquez has been accused of suspicion of traveling to Spain to meet with Diario de Cuba associates, spreading information "against the ideals of the Cuban Government." This isn't the first time the Cuban government has detained Leon Velazquez. He was said to have been held during Cuba's brush with Hurricane Matthew, and again in February at a government "control point" at Rio Frio.

"Arresting a journalist in Cuba, accused of... Being a journalist," one Twitter user observed of Leon Velazquez's confinement. Ciber Cuba described the journalist being accused of taking part in "counterrevolution." Belkis Velazquez has expressed concern that the statement Miriam Margarita Aranda Tejeda was forced to sign would be used in an attempt to "blackmail" her son.

Almost 8,000 'arbitrary detentions' in first half of 2016

Along with being arrested, the journalist, who works with Diario de Cuba, was said to have had documents, a computer, a camera, and a copy of the Cuban Constitution seized.

Leon Velazquez is reported to have gained the attention of the government for reporting on a number of social issues, including Guantanamo, which authorities have been described as abandoning.

El regimen amenaza con prision al periodista de DDC Manuel Alejandro Leon Velazquez y a su esposa https://t.co/edjYXGW9a2 pic.twitter.com/nnWp4iWDuo  #EnteratedesdeCuba (@jesar1302) June 23, 2017

In its 2017 World Report, Human Rights Watch described Cuba as being actively engaged in efforts to "repress dissent and punish public criticism." The organization observed that "long-term" jail sentences with aim of punishing dissidents have become less common, but that "arbitrary" arrests lasting for shorter periods have "increased drastically" over recent periods.

The Cuban Commission for Human Rights and National Reconciliation, which is officially considered illegal by the Cuban government, reports that there were a staggering 7,900 "arbitrary detentions" in just the first eight months of 2016. The commission stated that this represented the "highest monthly average of detentions in the past six years."
US Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer railed against Donald Trump during the 2016 presidential election. However, he sounded as if he might have voted for Trump in an op-ed in the Washington Post on Friday.

In the article, Schumer blasted President Trump for backing off several core campaign positions, including making a stark reversal of his "tough" posture toward China.

All these reflect nothing but Schumer's long-term anti-China rhetoric, although it may sound odd for someone who did not even vote for Trump to fervently ask Trump to keep his campaign promise.

It is no secret that most US presidential candidates will say anything to get elected, so it's unrealistic to expect them to keep all their promises, especially those made on the campaign trail.

Former US presidents Ronald Reagan, Bill Clinton and George W. Bush all talked tough on China during their presidential races, but once they were in office, they simply needed to face reality and adopt more pragmatic policies.

After Trump won the election on Nov 8, most economists became deeply worried about the possible trade war between China and the US that might erupt if Trump were indeed to keep his promise of labelling China a currency manipulator.

They also felt it would make the US government laughable, because for the past years, the Chinese government has been propping up its currency, RMB, from falling, which has helped US exports be more competitive.

Fred Bergsten, a leading currency expert and founding director of the Peterson Institute for International Economics, has repeatedly said over the past year that China is not manipulating its currency.

However, Schumer told reporters on Jan 24 to do exactly that. "Mr. President: if you really want to put America first, label China a currency manipulator," he told reporters.

Unlike Schumer, most US economists, trade specialists and members of the business community felt a sigh of relief when Trump did not follow that kind of advice. The semi-annual report in April by the US Treasury Department on currency practices of its major trade partners found that China has not manipulated its currency.

Whatever Schumer's intention is, he is out of touch and misleading people on this very important issue. The consequences would be catastrophic if President Trump had taken his crying seriously.

Last November, Schumer fearmongered about Chinese direct investment in the US. In a letter to then US Treasury Secretary Jack Lew and US Trade Representative Michael Froman, Schumer demanded extra scrutiny of Dalian Wanda's acquisitions in Hollywood. "I am concerned that these acquisitions reflect the strategic goals of China's government," he said in a letter clearly based on sheer speculation.

There is growing concern among Chinese investors that fearmongering by US lawmakers could prompt the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States, a US government inter-agency committee, to discriminate against Chinese investment. This is especially true as negotiations for a Bilateral Investment Treaty look unlikely to be concluded anytime soon.

The good news is that US Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, who also talked tough about China earlier, assured the Chinese investors attending the 2017 SelectUSA Summit last week that the United States will treat Chinese investment fairly.

The 155-strong Chinese delegation to the investment summit at National Harbor, Maryland, was the largest from abroad. If Schumer had visited the US state and city booths at the SelectUSA Summit exhibition, he would be surprised at the enthusiasm in welcoming Chinese investment that helps grow their economy and create jobs.

China and the US have become each other's largest trade partners and most important investors. Such a mutually beneficial relationship has allowed US consumers to save money to buy cheap Chinese products. US companies have also expanded rapidly in China, a market of more than 1.3 billion, including the fastest-growing middle-class in the world.

Friction is just too normal between two large trading partners. It is true that China, as a country in transition, is still in the learning process in many respects.

The 100-Day Action Plan agreed upon by Trump and President Xi Jinping in Mar-a-Lago is the right approach to address existing bilateral issues. The two governments will also hold a comprehensive economic dialogue this summer.

If sounding and acting tough, as Schumer suggested, will lead to a solution, then it is all too easy to tackle the problems in the world today, including the thorny one on North Korea.

What Schumer cannot see is that dialogue based on equality and mutual respect is a better way forward.

Contact the writer at chenweihua@chinadailyusa.com.
Yu Feng (left), president of China's Central Conservatory of Music (CCOM) and Ron Losby, CEO of Steinway Muscial Instruments, cut ceremonial ribbons together to open the doors of the new American Teaching Studio of Chinese Traditional Music from CCOM at Steinway Hall in New York on Thursday. This teaching studio will house artifacts and artwork of Chinese cultural significance and will be used for teaching Chinese traditional music and instruments. Hong Xiao / China Daily

China's top academy of music has set up its first overseas studio in New York City.

The American Teaching Studio of Chinese Traditional Music from the Central Conservatory of Music (CCOM) opened its doors at Steinway Hall on the corner of Sixth Avenue and West 43rd St in Manhattan on Thursday night.

The teaching studio will offer courses on Chinese traditional music and instruments taught by instructors from CCOM. The space will also house musical instruments, artifacts and artwork of cultural significance.

"This marks an important starting point for our school in terms of promoting overseas dissemination of Chinese traditional music,"said CCOM President Yu Feng.

"Previously, performance tours were what we mostly did for promoting our music overseas," said Yu. "But now we have set up a teaching studio with the world's top piano maker in the heart of Manhattan. Everything is so exciting."

"I'm so excited that we'll be the first outside-China education center for traditional Chinese music and instruments," said Ron Losby, CEO of Steinway Musical Instruments. "It's just such extraordinarily beautiful music and needs to be able to exposed to the world outside of China."

Losby said some of the Chinese traditional musical instruments will be on display together with the Steinway pianos on the first floor of Steinway Hall.

"It's something unique and different, and deserves to be exposed to a wider audience," he added. "If we can have these instruments on display when we have 60,000 people walking and driving by (everyday), it will not only be good for Steinway, but it will be good for traditional Chinese music  and the central conservatory."

Losby said both sides are brimming over with new ideas.

"Maybe we will simulcast in our location here concerts that occur at CCOM and invite guests to our recital room here for breakfast (because there is a 12-hour time difference), so they can enjoy a live concert from Beijing at Steinway Hall," said Losby.

The event featured a performance by visiting musicians playing traditional Chinese instruments and a recital by pianist and Steinway Artist Yin Chengzong.

Yu was honored by Steinway for his commitment to forging an energetic and productive partnership with Steinway to advance the teaching of traditional and contemporary Chinese music in America.

The conservatory has enjoyed a long collaboration with Steinway & Sons, and the grand opening of the new Steinway Hall teaching studio marks the latest achievement in the partners' efforts to create synergy between Chinese and American piano teachers, students and performing artists.

As China's leading music school, CCOM's piano department also sets a high standard as an All-Steinway School. The conservatory's alumni include Steinway Artists Lang Lang and Wang Yujia.

"For many years, Steinway has enjoyed great synergies with Chinese pianists, and this new teaching studio, in the heart of New York City, is an important development in our company's history and in our cultural history," said Losby.

"We are looking forward to watching the studio become an important center for Chinese piano music and traditional music," said Losby.

xiaohong@chinadailyusa.com
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United States Court of Appeals, Fourth Circuit. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, Plaintiff - Appellee, v. TERENCE WATSON, Defendant - Appellant. No. 17-6390 Decided: June 23, 2017

Before SHEDD, WYNN, and DIAZ, Circuit Judges. Terence Watson, Appellant Pro Se. Seth Morgan Wood, Assistant United States Attorney, Jennifer E. Wells, OFFICE OF THE UNITED STATES ATTORNEY, Raleigh, North Carolina, for Appellee.

Terence Watson seeks to appeal the district court's order accepting the recommendation of the magistrate judge and denying relief on his 28 U.S.C.  2255 (2012) motion. The order is not appealable unless a circuit justice or judge issues a certificate of appealability. 28 U.S.C.  2253(c)(1)(B) (2012). A certificate of appealability will not issue absent a substantial showing of the denial of a constitutional right. 28 U.S.C.  2253(c)(2) (2012). When the district court denies relief on the merits, a prisoner satisfies this standard by demonstrating that reasonable jurists would find that the district court's assessment of the constitutional claims is debatable or wrong. Slack v. McDaniel, 529 U.S. 473, 484 (2000); see Miller-El v. Cockrell, 537 U.S. 322, 336-38 (2003). When the district court denies relief on procedural grounds, the prisoner must demonstrate both that the dispositive procedural ruling is debatable, and that the motion states a debatable claim of the denial of a constitutional right. Slack, 529 U.S. at 484-85.

We have independently reviewed the record and conclude that Watson has not made the requisite showing. Accordingly, we deny a certificate of appealability and dismiss the appeal. We dispense with oral argument because the facts and legal contentions are adequately presented in the materials before this court and argument would not aid the decisional process.

DISMISSED

PER CURIAM:
HCM CITY  HCM City earned more than US$11.5 million from exporting 9.3 million ornamental fish in the first half of the year, a rise of 25 per cent in output and a surge of 52 per cent in revenue over the same period, according to the municipal Department of Agriculture and Rural Development.

The key markets include Europe (55 per cent of output) and Asia (31 per cent), followed by the US, Africa and the Middle East.

The surge in revenue was largely due to higher prices for pet fish exported to Europe and Asia, according to the department.

Dia fish (red discus fish) had one of the highest export values ($4.7 million, with more than 135,000 fish). Other popular exported ornamental fish include neon fish, molly fish, sailfin molly, and seven-coloured fish, Siamese fighting fish.

In 2015, the city exported 13 million ornamental fish and gained revenue of $12 million, doubling the 2010 figures, according to the department.

Under a programme to boost ornamental fish breeding development by 2020, the city will focus on increasing quantity and product value, upgrading the breeding infrastructure to prevent disease and protect the environment.

The city has set a target by 2020 to produce 150-180 million ornamental fish and export 40-50 million ornamental fish with export value of $40 million to $50 million.

To reach the target, the department needs to expand pet fish production area in districts 8, 9, 12, Go Vap, Thu uc, Cu Chi, Binh Chanh and Hoc Mon.

The city has also mapped out breeding and technical programmes and outlined a roadmap to enhance ornamental fish development.

Along with setting up linkages between production and consumption, the city will also build a website that will introduce ornamental fish breeding farms and enterprises to customers.

The industry will also create efficient production models that provide disease-free fish for export and offer consultations about pet fish.

Vietnamese pet fish are shipped to 47 countries, with Europe accounting for 60-70 per cent of the market share. The major buyers are Germany, the UK, Sweden, Denmark, France, Italy, Switzerland and the Czech Republic.  VNS